Controversy has surrounded the death of a final-year student of the Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, identified as Favour Ugwuka, on Wednesday night.

Our correspondent gathered that Ugwuka took her life in her hostel at the Ishieke Campus of the school in Abakaliki.

Further investigations revealed that the deceased, a final year student in the Department of English, passed all her courses but repeatedly failed a particular course, whose lecturer was said to have vowed she would never pass.

It was learnt that the late Ugwuka went into depression after several attempts to pass the said course and was frequently seen on the campus wandering alone until she decided to take her life on Wednesday night.

In a video seen online by our correspondent, a woman said to be the deceased’s mother blamed a lecturer for making her daughter commit suicide.

According to the woman, who was seen lamenting in the video, “The lecturer said he is the best, that nobody can teach like him. He should come and carry my daughter who has committed suicide.”

Also, a graduate of the institution who identified himself as Rex Nwome claimed that the girl committed suicide because she had been failing a particular course repeatedly.

He said, “Favour was my classmate and a best friend to me in the English Department. The above-mentioned lecturer did vow never to allow Favour to graduate.

“You could imagine where she later passed all the courses except that lecturer’s that, she had to pay another extra year tuition fee to rewrite.

“Unfortunately the man failed her again. What resulted in this intense depression is the latest NYSC names that were recently shortlisted, and her name wasn’t there.”

He added, “The girl suffered a lot of depression because she was only left wandering about the EBSU seeking help. She was very desperate to graduate and serve. This and many more of the disgusting stories resulted in this suicide mission.

“I wish she didn’t go this far to end her life. R. I. P. Ugwuka Favour till we meet to part no more.”

The Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed the incident on Thursday.

The command’s spokesman, DSP Joshua Ukandu, told our correspondent that the matter was reported to the headquarters.

He said, “Yes, the command received the report of a suicide by a female student.”

As of the time of filing this report, efforts to get the reaction of the university proved abortive.

The decision of the Governor of Kano state, Abba Kabir to splash N2.6 billion on exotic sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for members of the state Assembly leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Coming at a time when the citizens are barely able to eke out a living as result of the hard times speaks volumes about the insensitivity of the nation’s political leaders.

Only recently, the state Government confirmed that it has purchased 41 SUVs for members of the House of Assembly at a cost of N68 million each amounting to a whooping N2.6 billion.

The governor’s Chief of Staff, Shehu Sagagi, was reported to have said the lawmakers deserved sound working vehicles. And the suffering citizens are asking for the real definition of sound working vehicle.

Must it be the one procured at a staggering N68 million at a time majority of the citizens are looking for what to eat?

In the opinion of this newspaper, purchasing such vehicles for the lawmakers at this critical time is sheer misplacement of priority and we wonder if the state government is fully aware of the current hardship that permeates the entire country including the most populous state and the north’s commercial nerve centre.

In a preamble to its 41-page Manifesto, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) states that “The care for human life and happiness, not their exploitation and extinction, is the first and only legitimate object of any good and innovative government Therefore, the worth of every state through its governments is the worth of her citizens”

Who could have imagined that the only state governed by the NNPP-Kano, with all its development challenges, will be so brazen as to accord priority to the luxurious cravings of the lawmakers at a time majority of the citizens are languishing in penury, bogged down by poverty, high cost of living and other hardships.

The fact that Kano state has almost one million children out-of-school who are roaming the street begging and being exposed to other cruelties of life is all it takes for one to understand how much of a misplaced priority Governor Abba Kabir’s vehicle purchase for lawmakers is.

According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), there are 989,234 out of school children in Kano. Deprived of education, the state is trading away the future of these children. Yet the government is comfortable spending billions on vehicles for people who do not urgently need one.

And to imagine that this vehicle purchase is coming at a time the Kano state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) complained of critical systemic weaknesses within the healthcare system of the State. The NMA decried poor remuneration and welfare of health workers, as well as inadequate equipment and consumables in hospitals and noted that such has continued to impede quality healthcare delivery in the state.

We can only imagine the quantity of consumables N2.6 billion can buy for the state health sector. Or what the amount could do if channeled to the provision of potable water in the state that has a long history of acute water shortage.

It is on record that the state has not fully addressed the challenge of acute water scarcity which is taking a toll on some residents of Kano municipality where men, women and children trekking in search of water for their daily chores have became a common sight in recent times.

The most infantile excuse we have heard so far is that the latest purchase followed a familiar pattern as previous administrations did the same so it should not be condemned.

And to those bandying this vexatious reason, we like to humbly remind them that two wrongs have never made a right. When did the ruling NNPP in the state resolve to toe the path of the immediate past administration which, in our candid opinion, it rightly vilified?

Why should a government that vowed to address the challenges of development bedeviling the people be so reckless as to prioritise the welfare of an insignificant few over and above that of many? Tellingly, the argument that the vehicles would facilitate the lawmakers’ oversight functions is pedantic and bereft of common sense

Although the lawmakers, most of whom belong to the NNPP have taken possession of their vehicles, we like to remind them that their party’s manifesto is unambiguous in prioritizing the need to ensure “the care for human life and happiness, not their exploitation and extinction”.

Flaunting these vehicles at these critical times doesn’t pass the lawmakers out as people who care for the happiness of their constituents. It is not late. They can return it and ensure the money is used to make the people happy. Knowing the average Nigerian politician for who they are, greedy and selfish, this is asking for the moon.

Migrant graduates who go to the UK through the Graduate Route will soon need to take mandatory English tests every year.

This change is part of a new government plan to make sure only the best and brightest stay in the UK.

The Cabinet is set to approve these new rules for the scheme, which now allows foreign students to work in the UK for two years after they graduate.

The new policy will also affect universities and colleges with high dropout rates. These institutions will lose the ability to recruit international students.

Additionally, the Home Office will target recruiting agents who mislead foreign students into leaving their degrees for low-paying jobs, often below minimum wage.

Government sources say the revised Graduate Route scheme is part of a larger effort to tighten immigration rules.

This move comes after news that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to stop British universities from offering low-quality postgraduate courses to foreign students.

There is concern that these courses are being used as a way to enter the UK.

Popular Gospel singer, Victor Thompson has made a shocking revelation about his upbringing.

The ‘This Year’ hitmaker disclosed that he sold weed and alcohol to survive after losing both of his parents at 12.

In a candid chat with Chude Jideonwo, Thompson recalled that he hawked sachet water during the day and sold alcohol, weed and cigarettes to sex workers at night.

“At a time, I was selling alcohol, weed, cigarettes, and hawking pure water. In the morning and afternoon time, I did vulcanizing, shoe-making and hawked pure water but at night go back to my shop which was close to a brothel to sell alcohol, weed, and cigarettes. Most of my customers were the prostitutes,” he recalled.

“I lost my parents when I was between 12 and 14. My dad passed first, I think I was 10 or thereabout. When my dad died, my aunties threw us out of our dad’s house. We didn’t have a place to sleep. God so good, a carpenter was so kind and gave us an empty land to sleep. It’s a bush so at night, I would sneak my mum in, so that was how we lived for years. But she couldn’t cope then she passed.”

Banky Wellington has survived a cancer battle.

Back in 2017, before the singer got married, he revealed he underwent a third surgery for skin cancer which resurfaced after it first appeared 10 years prior.

Now, in an update, he revealed God has saved him a fourth time.

He shared a video carousel of him in the hospital with his wife, before and after his surgery.

The video also included clips of him back in the gym, recuperating after surgery. 

In the caption, he wrote: "Final Score - Christ 4 - Cancer Tumors 0

"Sometimes, your faith in God will not prevent the storms from coming... but it will carry you through them. Faith won't always stop you from hurting, but it will help you heal, and it will help you deal.

"God never said the weapons wouldn't form, He promised that they wouldn't prosper. He never said the enemy wouldn't come... He promised that when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God would raise a standard against him.

"Posting this testimony to encourage anyone out there who is going through a challenge. It might seem bigger than you, but greater is He that is in you than anything you will face in this world.

"Grateful for my wife, family, friends, and Pastors for their love, prayers, and support. Thanking God for my health and trusting that this latest victory is final in Jesus' name.

"Appreciating the gifted hands and minds of my doctors, Dr. Onyewu of the Center for Advanced Specialty Surgery, and Dr. Adenuga of Euracare and the teams that support them.

"We have the victory yet again. Now and forever, in Jesus' name.

""And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

“#TestimonyTime #SonOfGod #Survivor #TheStoryContinues #WeWhat #WeMove.”

The government of Kano has inaugurated a committee to investigate the mass failure in the recently concluded qualifying examinations for senior secondary schools in the state.

Balarabe Kiru, the director of public enlightenment at the state’s ministry of education, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.

According to NAN, Kiru said the committee’s mandate included determining the extent and causes of the failure.

“The committee will also assess whether there was compliance with the established procedure for releasing results,” he said.

“It is also part of the committee’s responsibility to advise the government on the best ways to conduct future examinations.”

Kiru said the committee has one week to submit its report. He said the panel would be headed by Tajuddeen Gambo, special adviser to the governor on education.

Kiru listed members of the committee including Kabiru Zakirai, the executive secretary of the Kano State Senior Secondary School Management Board; and Baba Umar, the executive secretary of the Private and Voluntary Schools Board.

Also on the committee are Nura Ma’aji, the special adviser to the governor on student matters; Rabi Hussain, the director of the Kano Educational Resources Department (KERD); and Rabiu Mijinyawa, the former director of the Kano Educational Resources Department.

Kiru said the senior special assistant to the governor on girl child education Hafsat Adhama would serve as the secretary.

he house of representatives has passed a bill seeking to reintroduce the old national anthem.

The old national anthem is themed: ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’.

The house speedily passed the bill for first, second, and third readings during plenary on Thursday.

More to follow…

A tragic incident occurred on Wednesday in Jos, Plateau State, when a policeman accidentally shot and killed his colleague during an enforcement operation.

The deceased officer, identified as Tanko Emmanuel, was part of a team deployed by the state government to clear traders from Ahmadu Bello Way.

According to a source who spoke to SaharaReporters, the incident took place while the 48-year-old Tanko Emmanuel, who was attached to the Akwanga division, was engaged in an argument with a civilian. In the midst of the confrontation, another officer on the team, led by Inspector Haruna, fired a shot that accidentally hit Tanko Emmanuel.

The source expressed condolences, stating, “May Almighty God give his family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss and may the Almighty Allah continue to protect security operatives from catastrophic incidents like this.”

Efforts to reach the Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to a text message sent to his mobile line.

This unfortunate incident highlights the risks faced by security operatives in the line of duty and underscores the need for proper training and safety measures to prevent such accidents from occurring.

Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman has attributed his career and personality evolution to his decision to play for Nigeria.

Ademola Lookman was born in Wandsworth England on October 20, 1997, to Nigerian parents which makes him eligible to play for both countries.

The 26-year-old striker has played for England’s under-19, 20, and 21 levels before he decided to settle for Nigeria at the senior level in 2022 after failing to get the Three Lions of England invite.

Since then, the tricky winger has made himself a very important member of the national team which he has scored 6 goals in 21 games.

“It’s incredible [to play for Nigeria]. The support and the love I get back home from the people is unbelievable,” Lookman told the UEFA official website.

“It gives me the motivation to evolve in different areas – as a person, not just in my game.”

Just like at the 2023 AFCON where Ademola Lookman recorded some brilliant moments as he helped Nigeria to reach the final of the tournament, Lookman has enjoyed some unforgettable moments at Atalanta this season.

The best of them all was his performance in the Europa League final on May 22, 2024, where he became the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final.

The most mind-blowing aspect of that achievement is that Ademola Lookman achieved the feat against newly crowned German Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen who were enjoying a 51-game unbeaten run before the final.

Meanwhile, Lookman’s national teammate, Kenneth Omeruo has urged the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) to make Atalanta winger the 2024 Africa player of the year.

”@CAF_Online your Arica Player of the Year..@ALookman_ top player”, Kenneth Omeruo wrote on X after Ademola Lookman helped Atalanta to win the Europa League with a hat-trick on Wednesday.