Speakers of the 36 Houses of Assembly across the country have endorsed ongoing work by the National Assembly to make provision for state policing in the nation’s constitution.

The speakers made their resolution known at the end of a meeting in Abuja on Thursday night.

Recall that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, had rejected the call for state police.

According to him, Nigeria is not mature for state police.

Egbetokun stated this in April at a national dialogue on state police organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja.

The theme of the dialogue is ‘Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria’.

Egbetokun, who was represented by Ben Okolo, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, said Nigeria is not ready for the establishment of state police.

“On the issue of state police, it is the submission of the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that Nigeria is not yet mature and ready for the establishment of state-controlled police,” he said.


The IGP also claimed that state governors were likely to abuse the privilege of state police by using it for political gains, leading to possible abuse of power and abuse of human rights.

“State governors could use the police forces under their control for political or personal gain and undermine human rights and security. There would also be a conflict of jurisdiction,” he noted.

Nigerian singer Peter Okoye, famously known as one half of the dynamic duo PSquare, has recently undergone a hair transplant procedure.

In a candid statement, Okoye revealed that his decision was motivated by a desire to look good for his fans.

Okoye took to his Instagram stories to document the process of undergoing a hair transplant.

In the video, Okoye was depicted with line markings on his bare head, and what appeared to be a bandage or rolls of tissue paper could be seen on his ears and the back of his head.

Despite the procedure, the music star expressed positivity, stating that he felt great about it.

He further explained that he opted for the cosmetic enhancement to enhance his appearance for his fans, emphasizing, “I feel better 100%, so nothing to worry about. Just to look good for you guys.”

"Hey guys, Mr P is here. I’m here in Istanbul with Mr [name] who is here to look after my hair. You guys know I’m been very uncomfortable about it but guess what, you will see the before and after of the magic these guys are about to do,” The extraction part is done, we have about 2400 and it’s time to eat. I feel better 100%, nothing to worry about; just to look good for you guys,” he added -

Emirates will resume services to Nigeria from 1 October 2024, operating a daily service between Lagos and Dubai, and offering customers more choice and connectivity from Nigeria’s largest city to, and through, Dubai.

The service will be operated using a Boeing 777-300ER. EK783 will depart Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Lagos at 1520hrs; the return flight EK784 will leave Lagos at 1730hrs and arrives in Dubai at 0510hrs the next day. Tickets can be booked now on http://emirates.com or via travel agents.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “We are excited to resume our services to Nigeria. The Lagos-Dubai service has traditionally been popular with customers in Nigeria and we hope to reconnect leisure and business travellers to Dubai and onwards to our network of over 140 destinations. We thank the Nigerian government for their partnership and support in re-establishing this route and we look forward to welcoming passengers back onboard.”

With the resumption of operations to Nigeria, Emirates operates to 19 gateways in Africa with 157 flights per week from Dubai, with further reach to an additional 130 regional points in Africa through its codeshare and interline partnerships with South African Airways, Airlink, Royal Air Maroc, Tunis Air, among others.

As a major economic hub in Africa, Nigeria and the UAE have built strong bilateral trade relations over the years, headlined by Lagos as the nation’s commercial centre. With the resumption of daily passenger flights, the airline’s cargo arm, Emirates SkyCargo, will further bolster the trade relationship by offering more than 300 tonnes of bellyhold cargo capacity, in and out of Lagos every week.

Emirates SkyCargo will support Nigerian businesses by exporting their goods via its state-of-the-art hub in Dubai, into key markets such as the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Bahrain, among others with key anticipated commodities such as Kola Nuts, food and beverages, and urgent courier material. Emirates SkyCargo will also import vital goods such as pharmaceuticals and electronics as well as general cargo from key markets such as the UAE, India and Hong Kong. Keeping trade flowing seamlessly, these goods will be transported quickly, efficiently, and reliably via the airline’s multi-vertical specialized product portfolio.

The Emirates Boeing 777-300ER serving Lagos will operate with 8 First Class suites, 42 Business Class seats, and 304 seats in Economy Class. Offering the best experience in the sky, passengers can dine on regionally inspired multi-course menus developed by a team of award-winning chefs complemented by a wide selection of premium beverages. Customers can tune in to over 6,500 channels of global entertainment, including 23 Nigerian movies, in addition to series and other content on ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, on Wednesday, defended his decision to work with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Earlier, Abe, who contested the state governorship election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party in 2023 after losing out to Tony Cole for the party’s ticket, announced his reconciliation with Wike.

He also insisted that anybody he wanted to work with, he must reconcile with the person.

He said, “I’m comfortable working with Wike. I did everything to convince Wike as governor then, to work for Tinubu in Rivers State.

“Wike is my friend. Today, he is working in the APC government as a minister. We must work together.”

Meanwhile, the former lawmaker, speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today on Wednesday night defended his actions.

Asked whether Wike has now become a member of the APC, Abe said, “Wike is a minister in the APC government and not a member of the APC.

“He is a minister in our government and we cannot with all proper sense of responsibility as a party ignore the president’s appointee from our own state, who is a minister in our government. It makes no sense.

“So, he does not have to be a member of the APC, but he is an influential figure in the APC government and it is in the interest of the party to work with him and we will do so in the party and nation’s interest and to be able to give our full support to the president (Bola Tinubu).

“He was not a member of the APC when he led the G-5 to support Tinubu’s presidency bid.

“The president didn’t stop him then that he is not a member of the APC so you cannot support me.

“If the president didn’t say that, we too, will not say that he is not an APC member and so we will not work with him.

“We are following the footsteps of our leader, therefore, we’ll work with him.”

He, earlier, from the same interview also spoke on the APC structure in the state.

“The politics of Rivers State, like we all know, for the past few years have been convoluted within the All Progressives Congress, and we’ve looked at the situation with the recent changes in the party.

“And the appointment of the Chairman caretaker committee in the state is necessary,” Abe said.

The acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Chris Maiyaki, said, on Wednesday, that the Federal Government was working to reconstitute the governing councils of universities.

He said the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, had put in place a panel to work on the list.

The NUC Executive Secretary said the councils would be inaugurated once the list was consummated.

Maiyaki spoke at a media parley with education reporters in Abuja on Wednesday.

He was responding to the two-week ultimatum issued by the Academic Staff Union of Universities to the government to reconstitute the governing councils of public universities.

ASUU had on Tuesday given the government a two-week ultimatum to reconstitute the governing councils of federal universities.

“To reconstitute the councils of 61 universities is not a small feat. The government is working to ensure that people who are qualified and with the right pedigree are put in those councils so that they can deliver on Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. We know ASUU is a body of academics and are concerned about the welfare of their members and the activities in universities but we want them to be patient with the government during this period.” 

Speaking on the number of universities in the country, the NUC boss said the commission was committed to expanding access to higher education.

“And for this, the current 272 universities in the NUS are not sufficient to accommodate the ever-growing demand for university education by Nigerian youths. “Each year, Nigerian universities receive close to two million applications, only a small fraction of them are admitted. That is why there is a need for Nigeria to continue to increase access by establishing more universities to meet the demand for quality education in the country,” Maiyaki said

On the initiatives put in place by NUC to boost the nation’s university system, he said the NUC had identified strategic priorities that encompass curriculum development, quality assurance, research and innovation, infrastructure development, and internationalisation, among others.

“To encourage partnerships with industry and promote blended learning, the NUC carried out an extensive review of university curricula from the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard to the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards, which reflect the aspirations of Nigeria to attain a knowledge economy, driven by the 4 Industrial Revolution, known as 4IR, and the 21-century skills.

“The CCMAS features an expansion of academic disciplines from 14 to 17.  The implementation of the new curricula came into effect in September 2023 for the 2023/2024 academic session.

“The implementation framework of the CCMAS makes provision for the training of staff in student-centred tuition-delivery capabilities and development of textual materials to enhance teaching and learning.

“Open and Distance Learning Guidelines In a bid to assure quality in the regulation of the NUS, the Commission developed guidelines to provide a framework for the orderly adoption, integration and mainstreaming of e-learning into the conventional face-to-face modes of teaching and learning in Nigerian Universities, among other objectives. 

“This initiative was needed to assure quality in the delivery of university education, via the Open and Distance Education mode, and keep pace with contemporary global best practices. The Commission produced the following guidelines, as part of the efforts to broaden open and distance learning in the Nigerian University System, “ he said.

The acting Executive Secretary said various guidelines, including  Guidelines on Trans-National Education in Nigeria; Guidelines for e-Learning in Nigerian Universities;Guidelines for the Implementation of the National Policy on Open Educational Resources  in Nigerian Higher Education, and the Guidelines for the Establishment of Private Open Universities in Nigeria, have also been churned out by the commission.

“The Guidelines for Transnational Education allows foreign Universities to collaborate in creating high-quality institutions in Nigeria through six competitive models This effort aims at making Nigerian graduates competitive, globally, so as to reduce the need for the nation’s young men and women going abroad to seek university education.

“The launch of these ODL guidelines marks a significant milestone in the history of the NUC towards its dedication to greater quality, equity and access to university education in Nigeria. It all follows from the recommendations for the establishment and expansion of universities, deeper IT penetration, and enhanced competencies in online delivery,” he added.

The Nigerian government lost billions of Naira annually for not applying airport tolls to Very Important Persons and VIPs.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Space Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this, justifying the inclusion of VIPs in airport toll payments.

Recall that at the end of Tuesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the Minister announced a new rule requiring VIPs, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kasim Shettima, to pay airport tolls.

He explained that funds that would have been used for the infrastructural development of Nigerian airports were wasted under the old rule.

According to him, VIPs will be the first to lament poor infrastructure in Nigerian airports, yet they were exempted from paying tolls under the old rule.

“This has led to the annual loss of billions of Naira, not millions, in the past. Yet, our airport infrastructure, you know, is decaying. I am helpless. I’m looking for concessionaires. I’m looking for help with decaying infrastructure.

“They will be the first to cry out, these same VIPs— ‘Why are the toilets like this? Why are your toilets smelling? Why can’t you can’t you do this?’

“They are the same people but don’t pay for the services. So, if we want improved infrastructure at the airport, we must pay for services,” he said.

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, has opened up about why he is not ready to be a father yet.

According to the 32-year-old, he is not ready to have kids yet because he can’t give them the attention they deserve.

Burna Boy disclosed this while responding to a curious fan during a recent Instagram live session with fans. 

He explained that he would have children when he was settled or married.

He said, “Why haven’t I had kids yet? Bro, because I don’t want to have kids yet.

“Have you seen my mum the way she loves me? Have you seen my dad the way he loves me?I know I can’t give that to anyone right now with the life I’m living. So until I’m settled and I can be there for my children everyday, I’m not having no kid.

“I feel like my kids deserved better than I got. And I got both my mum and dad so you understand?”

On the allegations that he is impotent, Burna Boy said, “When I see the bants and the things people say [about me not being able to have kids], I said this is unimportant. Let’s assume that it is true that I couldn’t even have kids, you know that there’s something called IVF? But that is not even true.”

Senator Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has said that he would not support death penalties for corrupt politicians who steal in millions or billions but for those who steal in trillions.

Ndume pointed out that corruption within Nigerian politics was primarily influenced by individuals.

He suggested that it may not necessitate severe consequences. 

The senator acknowledged that politicians engaged in corruption but also distributed resources to the public.

He said, “If you compare us, politicians, to all the corruption, it is very small. Our corruption is people-driven,” he told Channels Television.

“If you steal it, you will go and share it with the people. If you don’t, you are not coming back for four years. There is no reason for stealing.

“I have been to the National Assembly, I can’t say because we are on TV now and not telling the truth. 

“If the death penalty is supposed to be included in corruption, I will support it but you don’t go and kill someone that stole one million or one billion, no. But someone who steals one trillion of government money should be killed.”

The Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS has dismissed as untrue, online reports that it has established a hotel in Abuja, urging the public to be wary of misinformation.

Service Spokesman, Abubakar Umar, an Assistant Controller, disclosed this in a statement Wednesday in Abuja.

He said a malicious report making the rounds in some sections of the media has it that the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS has just built a magnificent hotel.

According to him, the said report is not only misleading, but also targeted at misinforming the public.

He said for the avoidance of doubt, the said hotel was built in 2021 “And it is exclusively owned by the Correctional Cooperative Society COCOS), a Cooperative Society for all personnel of the Service which was formed in the year 1996”.


“The Cooperative Society operates a Microfinance Bank that provides financial soft-landing to both serving and retired personnel with the aim of improving their welfare through the provision of soft loans and other financial services.

“The Cooperative Society also serves as a fallback welfare system for retired and deceased personnel, while those who have been dismissed from Service get back their due entitlements upon disengagement. Presently, all such payments of entitlements to beneficiaries are up-to-date. The Cooperative Society has acquired housing estates, providing personnel, serving and retired, the opportunity to own personal houses without hassles.

“The said hotel has been opened for business since its establishment in 2021, and located along Bill Clinton Drive Airport Road, Abuja. In terms of funding and day-to-day administration, the hotel is owned by COCOS and managed as a corporate entity. The hotel has so far provided employment opportunities for many youths, and attracted commendations from dignitaries both within and outside.

“In his familiarization tour of the Service’s National Headquarters upon assumption of office, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo commended the Service for the initiative of establishing the hotel and enjoined other institutions to emulate the Nigerian Correctional Service in this regard.

“The Controller General of Corrections (CGC) hereby advises the general public to disregard the said report as it is meant to cause chaos where none exists. He enjoins the public to patronize the hotel as it provides excellent services at competitive prices.

After weeks of depreciation, the Naira recorded its first N61.38 appreciation against the Dollar at the official foreign exchange market.

FMDQ data showed that it appreciated by N1459.02 per Dollar on Wednesday compared to N1520.40 on Tuesday.

This represents a 4.2 per cent gain against the Dollar on Wednesday compared to the previous day.

Similarly, the Naira dropped to N1515 per Dollar in the parallel market section from N1520.

Recall that Bureau De Change operators blamed the depreciation of the Naira on insufficient foreign currency allocation by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Since mid-April 2024, the Naira recorded a 28 per cent decline against the Dollar.

The development comes as Nigeria’s inflation surged to 33.69 per cent in April 2024.