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Officers Were Shot At First – Police Explain Killing of Benue Final-Year Student

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The Benue State Police Command has initiated an inquiry into the death of Emmanuella Ahenjir, a young woman, who was shot in Makurdi.

According to CSP Anene Sewuese Catherine, Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Police Command, the event occurred early Friday morning, May 16, 2025.

According to her, around 4:00 a.m., a patrol team stationed at Duku Park in Wurukum sent a radio message reporting a suspicious interaction.

She stated, “On 16/5/2025 at approximately 4:00 a.m., a radio communication was received from a police team positioned at Duku Park, Wurukum, stating the squad waved down a car coming from the Benue Links area, but the driver turned back and drove through the other lane, shooting intermittently at them. The cops fired a shot, but the driver drove away.

“The police were on the trail of the vehicle until about 10:00 a.m. this morning, when they learned that Emmanuella Ahenjir, a Federal University student in Wukari, Taraba State, had died of a gunshot wound at Benue State University Teaching Hospital.”

Read Also: Akpabio Declares: ‘With PDP in Shreds, Political Parties Could Disappear In 2027’

“Upon arrival at the hospital, the investigators were informed on the deceased, and the corpse was placed in the hospital morgue for autopsy.

“One Apase Keghter, who was also in the vehicle, was observed at the hospital and summoned for questioning.

“Mr. Apase indicated that they had attended club events at Newcastle Event Centre and were returning when they drove on the opposite road and passed the checkpoint without stopping, but did not shoot.

“Despite being shot by cops, they drove to Welfare Quarters with the victim. They came to a halt when they discovered a flat tyre and contacted a commercial vehicle to take them to the hospital.

“His things, the display car, and the rest of the vehicle’s occupants are currently missing.

“CP Emenari Ifeanyi has ordered a thorough probe of the case. He assures the deceased’s friends and relatives that he is committed to uncovering the truth and upholding the rule of law.”

Akpabio Declares: ‘With PDP in Shreds, Political Parties Could Disappear In 2027’

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On Friday in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Nigerian Senate, said that the state would not have any political parties for the general election in 2027.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) umbrella has been badly wounded and is no longer able to protect the people, Akpabio said.
At his midterm empowerment briefing at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium, Akpabio, the senatorial representative for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, made these claims.

Following the empowerment ceremony, the Senate President went on to launch a number of significant projects in his district, announcing that roughly 68 projects will be put into service between Friday, May 16, and Thursday, May 17, 2025.

“As I speak with you, there is nothing like a political party in 2027 in Akwa Ibom State again,” Akpabio stated. Every political party has dissolved to support Senator Godswill Akpabio for the Senate of the Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial District. All major parties have committed to supporting Governor Umo Eno for the 2027 governor’s race. President Bola Tinubu, Eno for Akwa Ibom State governor, and Senator Akpabio for the Senate are the candidates Akwa Ibom has moved to support.

“The umbrella can no longer protect the People’s Democratic Party, which is in ruins.”

The president of the Senate described the present governor, Umo Eno, as a man of peace who truly believes in God, pointing out that some people may say they believe in God but not truly live it out.

Read Also: Presidential Aide Slams Pat Utomi: ‘Tinubu Is Branded a Tyrant Only When Desires Are Denied

“Umo Eno is a peaceful man.” Umo Eno is a divine man. I’m not referring about people who made verbal declarations of their faith. People who practice God in their hearts are what I mean. Akpabio remarked, “Umo Eno has united us all.”

The president of the senate expressed gratitude to his wife, Unoma Akpabio, for empowering the populace.

She acts in this way because she is aware that hunger transcends all political affiliations. Whether I’m here or not, my wife, please feed my people. Do not stop sharing. The Senate President added, “Akwa Ibom people will soon show you love.”

Presidential Aide Slams Pat Utomi: ‘Tinubu Is Branded a Tyrant Only When Desires Are Denied

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Pat Utomi, the former presidential candidate, has come under fire from Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, for his remarks against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
As you may remember, Utomi was sued by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly trying to establish a shadow government in order to unlawfully steal President Bola Tinubu’s executive authority.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, Ajayi posted on his 𝕏 handle, recalling how Utomi sought Tinubu’s support and endorsement in order to run for governor of Delta State as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

Read Also: Leave Pat Utomi Out of It, Akande Says, There Are Bigger Issues for DSS

Tinubu only turns into a tyrant, according to the presidential assistant, when his followers are unable to achieve what they desire.
Every four years and before every election, @UtomiPat will create a massive coalition and great illusion that always turns out to be a mirage, he added. Big Tent Shadow Government is the newest endeavor. The same man who had been disparaging President Tinubu now sought his support and money to run for Delta State governor as an APC candidate. Only when they are unable to acquire what they want from Tinubu does he turn into a tyrant.

In the meantime, political commentator Laolu Akande has pleaded with the DSS to ignore Pat Utomi and concentrate on the country’s more urgent problems.

In response to the legal action the security agency took against Utomi, Akande made this statement in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.

But Akande downplayed concerns about the shadow government, saying it was a harmless political statement and not a national security danger.

“I would suggest that the DSS employees not overburden themselves.” The DSS has more pressing issues to handle. Let’s do it, please. simply give Utomi some space; he’s simply enjoying himself,” he remarked.

Leave Pat Utomi Out of It, Akande Says, There Are Bigger Issues for DSS

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Laolu Akande, a former political analyst and presidential spokeswoman, has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to put more urgent national matters ahead of Pat Utomi.
In response to the legal action the security agency took against Utomi, Akande made this statement in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.
Remember that Utomi was sued by the DSS for allegedly trying to establish a shadow government in order to unlawfully steal President Bola Tinubu’s executive authority?
But Akande downplayed concerns about the shadow government, saying it was a harmless political statement and not a national security danger.

“I would suggest that the DSS employees not overburden themselves.” The DSS has more pressing issues to handle. Let’s do it, please. simply give Utomi some space; he’s simply enjoying himself,” he remarked.

According to Akande, the idea was meant to promote political participation and provide intellectual options rather than to overthrow the government.

“I can’t say if it’s illegal or not. I’ll let the lawyers make that decision. However, he said, “I believe it’s an expression of an idea.”

Read Also: EFCC Raises Alarm Over Youths’ Rush for Illicit Wealth

Akande lambasted the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, for failing to actively engage the ruling party in policy debates, pointing to what he called a “serious vacuum” in Nigerian politics.

We can’t take away Professor Pat Utomi’s recognition that there is a significant void, even when it comes to challenging the current administration’s beliefs. He claimed that the opposition, including the PDP and LP, had totally lost its footing.

He also made it clear that Utomi’s strategy is to fill a leadership void with helpful suggestions rather than seize control of the government.

EFCC Raises Alarm Over Youths’ Rush for Illicit Wealth

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned interested parties that a large number of Nigerian teenagers are involved in fraudulent internet operations that compete for undeserved wealth.

In a statement released on Friday under the heading “EFCC Decries Youths’ Involvement in Cybercrime in Lagos,” this information was revealed.

In a seminar titled “The Role of the Boy Child in Community Development and Safety,” which was hosted by the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Ahmed Ghali, the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, made this statement.
He voiced his alarm about the nation’s youth engagement in cybercrime.

Young People’s Alleged Crime Involvement
Ghali says that a lot of young people have sacrificed their futures due to overzealous ambition.
He went on to say that “many young people are not only immoral but have also fallen victim to the unjustified pursuit of wealth through dishonest online activities.”
Ghali said that even though the young people’s ambitions are lovely, they may be doomed from the beginning if they don’t adopt a culture of honesty and discipline.
“The cause is obvious: a growing number of young people are turning to antisocial behaviors that can disturb the peace, hurt people, or harm the environment. Internet fraud has become a frequent sport among many young people, in addition to the well-known antisocial behaviors,” he continued.

He pointed out that a lot of young people in Nigeria today have an unquenchable drive to use the internet to earn money and grow financially, but he also pointed out that the majority’s strategy has been flawed.
When you utilize the internet properly, it can help you advance financially and provide you the opportunity to support the growth of your community. You will not only hurt your gullible victims if you decide to use the internet for illegal activities, but you will also put your own objectives in danger.

He said that instead of wasting their time and energy on schemes that defraud innocent people and organizations, young people should focus their energy and inventiveness on investigating respectable online revenue streams.
Additional Details
The PCRC’s Chairman, Bode Thomas Division/Organizing Secretary, Area C Command, Surulere, Lagos State, Prince Samuel Olaoluwa Akintoye, stated in his remarks that the program’s goal was to raise a generation of morally upright, patriotic, and responsible youth who would not only better their own lives but also advance Nigeria’s social progress.
He emphasized that the goal of the project is to offer a worthwhile chance to involve stakeholders and offer direction on negotiating the intricate routes to achieving their goals.
He believed that young people should consider how they might help their communities come together.
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Lagos, President Chief Alaka Yusuf Lukman Owolabi, and Prof. (Mrs.) Aderonke Lawal-Are, Director of the University of Lagos’ Center for General Studies/Department of Marine Sciences, were among those who attended the occasion, according to the release.
Things You Need to Understand
This comes months after the EFCC warned Nigerians about intelligence showing that online scammers are, among other crimes, now carrying firearms and carrying out ritual killings.

Internet fraudsters’ actions are growing more and more dangerous for public safety and security, the Commission added.

Read Also: 2027 Election Heat: Atiku Plots Coalition to Stop Tinubu | APC Fires Back | Political Shocker!

“These criminals are involved in kidnapping, banditry, ritual killings, and other horrific activities, and intelligence has revealed that they are armed. The EFCC has declared that the people should not give up or let itself be tricked into believing that they are just “Yahoo boys and girls.”

When the anti-graft agency expressed its sorrow over the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE11 Aminu Sahabi Harisu, on January 17, 2025, it was reported that he was killed in cold blood while performing his official duties while pursuing Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu, a suspected online fraudster.

Export Ban: Akpabio Demands 30% Value Addition on Nigeria’s Raw Materials

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Before any raw materials may be exported from Nigeria, a minimum of 30% local value addition must be added, according to a law that Senate President Godswill Akpabio has promised the National Assembly will approve.
Speaking at his Abuja office on Wednesday, Akpabio made the comment while meeting with representatives of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), who were accompanied by Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, the council’s director general.
The Senate president characterized the proposed modification to the RMRDC Act as “a moral compass” that might serve as a reference for other African countries, in addition to being crucial to Nigeria’s economic advancement, according to a press release issued by Jackson Udom, his special assistant on media.

“We would have had at least a factory for those chains that would have also created jobs for our people outside of what the farmers are doing if any of the values were added in Nigeria before exporting them,” Akpabio stated.

“Innovative changes in technology would have also occurred.”

In order to create stronger value chains across industries, Akpabio underlined the significance of coordinating Nigeria’s push for research and development with legislative support.

“It is regrettable that although we grow cocoa in Nigeria, we ultimately import the same cocoa products from abroad at a higher cost and without any inputs,” he continued.

Raw Materials and the Deficit in Solid Minerals
Citing the solid minerals industry as one of the most severely impacted by the absence of value addition, Akpabio commended Senate Deputy Chief Whip Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi for introducing the amendment bill.

According to him, “the solid mineral sector is the most pitiful because we are not adding any value before we sell it.”

As a result, it is sold at a very low price, and if you take the whole picture, you will realize that, in terms of identifying and utilizing the potential inside its borders, African development in 2025 is still in a primitive form.

“The only reason poverty is getting worse is ignorance.”

In order to educate Nigerians, particularly the younger generation, about the value and economic potential of solid minerals and raw materials, Akpabio urged the council to launch a grassroots initiative.

Read Also: Niger Delta Takeover Continues — Okaba Sounds Warning in Rivers State

According to him, “Nigerians and secondary school students should be taught something about raw materials, solid minerals for recognition wherever they found one.”

“We can’t let this go on. Nigeria would have taken action to guarantee that any raw material being exported from the nation had at least 30% added value if we were to help you pass the bill and have the president sign it into law.

RMRDC’s optimism
Ike-Muonso, the Director-General of RMRDC, had earlier thanked the meeting and expressed his hope that the National Assembly would support the legislation to fortify Nigeria’s industrial foundation.

He said, “We have seen reforms like the Tax Administration Bills, but the one that worries us the most is the bill to amend the Raw Materials Research and Development Council Act, which is primarily to ensure that we do not export raw materials out of the country without them having at least 30 percent of value-added.”

“Given that Nigeria is a continent leader, this bill is undoubtedly the most important one in Africa and will transform the future of this nation.”

In addition, he invited the Senate President to the Africa Raw Materials Summit, which is scheduled for later this month.

Niger Delta Takeover Continues — Okaba Sounds Warning in Rivers State

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Niger Delta residents have been cautioned by Benjamin Okaba, president of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), to stay vigilant and oppose the divide and conquer strategy being used in the area.
The political crisis in Rivers State is a planned state capture that the masterminds intend to enact throughout the Niger Delta, according to sociology professor Okaba.
According to reports, this was said by Professor Okaba on Thursday at Rivers State’s News Central Town Hall.

He said, “I will speak as a professor of sociology; let me disappoint those who expect me to speak as the president of the Ijaw National Congress.” He continued, “I have heard all of the contributions, and it is not surprising that we are a divided house.”

Rivers Matter is a sign of a broken political system, according to the president of INC. What you mean when you say “state capture” is not the conquest of River State, but rather the Niger Delta.

He says the region’s vast oil riches are the reason for the plot to seize it. According to him, the federal government would have easy access to the region’s resources if the policy of divide and conquer was implemented, pitting the local populace against one another.

The reason for this is that our region is extremely wealthy, the divide and conquer strategy, the balkanization strategy, and the strategy of forcing us to fight against ourselves have all been enacted over time. He added, “The federal government will start to exploit our resources while we clap hands for those persons when there is a crisis that is planned using our own people to cause the crisis, just like during the colonial period.”

He emphasized that there is no connection between ethnic differences and the Rivers situation.

Read Also: Nigerian Defence Academy Postpones Screening Test of 77 Regular Course

Because of this, I make every effort as president of the Ijaw National Congress to declare whenever I have the chance that this is not an ethnic crisis. And the Niger Delta’s enemies are those who wish to give it ethnic coloration,” he said.

He urged everyone in the Niger Delta to stand together and denounced those in power who are using the people of the area to further their own political agendas.

Nigerian Defence Academy Postpones Screening Test of 77 Regular Course

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The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has announced the postponement of its screening test for the 77 Regular Course. This development follows the decision by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to conduct a fresh round of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates due to errors in the previously held examination.

Major Mohammed Maidawa, the NDA spokesperson, disclosed the update on Thursday night.

“In view of this development, the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) wishes to inform the general public and all applicants to the 77 Regular Course that the NDA Screening Test earlier scheduled for Saturday, 24 May 2025, has been postponed,” he said.

The NDA emphasized that the decision was taken to uphold equal opportunity and to avoid the disenfranchisement of any candidate affected by the JAMB error.

A new date for the screening will be announced in due course.

The NDA reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the integrity of its admissions process and ensuring fairness for all candidates.

Applicants are advised to follow the NDA’s official social media channels and regularly visit the NDA portal for updates.

Mental Health Care in Northeast Nigeria: Community-Led Solutions That Work

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In Nigeria’s northeast, where years of insurgency have devastated lives and communities, a quiet revolution in mental healthcare is offering hope and healing—led not by institutions alone, but by the communities themselves.

At the heart of this transformation is Dr. Fatima Abba Ali, a Consultant Psychiatrist and alumna of the AIG Public Leaders Programme. Her groundbreaking initiative, Mentaccess, is reshaping how mental health challenges are identified and treated, especially among children and adolescents in Borno State.

At a bustling primary healthcare centre in Jere LGA, Community Health Extension Workers equipped with digital tablets are screening young people for mental health conditions—often catching problems early, before they spiral. One such case is that of a student identified as Y.J.K., whose father was killed by insurgents. His silent struggles were uncovered during a routine screening and he was promptly referred for professional care. Today, he is back in school and thriving.

Mentaccess operates through a three-tier model: local health workers screen and support mild cases, trained counselors manage more complex issues, and the most severe are referred to psychiatrists at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Maiduguri—some via teleconsultation.

The project’s strength lies in its community-led approach. Trusted local health workers, traditional leaders, and culturally sensitive methods have helped dismantle the stigma surrounding mental illness. Mentaccess tools work even in areas with poor internet access, ensuring no one is left behind.

Since its launch, over 29,000 young people have been screened. The project now spans six local government areas and is piloting school-based mental health interventions by training teachers to identify early warning signs.

Dr. Fatima’s message is clear: “Mental health conditions are real and treatable. With the right support, our communities can become the frontline of recovery.”

The Mentaccess project is supported by the AIG Public Leaders Programme, facilitated by the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. It is a shining example of how local innovation, global learning, and grassroots engagement can solve Nigeria’s toughest healthcare challenges.