Category: News

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that the original result slips for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be accessible for printing starting Wednesday, within two hours of the announcement. This development was revealed through a statement by the board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in Abuja.

According to Benjamin, the original result slip includes key security features such as the candidate’s photograph and national ranking, which are designed to bolster its authenticity and ensure its acceptance for official purposes. He emphasized that this document is a mandatory requirement for post-UTME screening and admission processes across tertiary institutions.

Candidates are advised to print the slip using any device with internet connectivity or through accredited business centers. The board also recommends that all candidates thoroughly review the details on the slip immediately after printing and retain a copy for future admission-related needs.

The Federal Government has announced the identification of 470 grazing reserves that are legally recognized and protected. These will be used for rehabilitating and resettling pastoralists as part of a strategy to eliminate open grazing and enhance livestock output.

During an interview on Arise News, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, shared details about the National Dairy Policy Framework and broader plans to overhaul Nigeria’s livestock industry.

Maiha explained that the goal is to encourage herders to embrace a settled lifestyle by moving them into designated reserves, where government programs can be delivered more efficiently.

By concentrating pastoralists in these areas, the government aims to improve disease monitoring, breed quality, and overall animal health, while minimizing the movement of cattle across urban and rural areas.

The minister stressed that open grazing is no longer viable, pointing out that long-distance trekking reduces productivity and hampers efforts to meet national dairy needs.

“We are educating pastoralists on the benefits of settling in one place. Once they are in the reserves, we can easily implement all necessary improvements to boost productivity,” Maiha stated.

Additionally, the government plans to introduce jaw-tagging technology for livestock, enabling authorities to track animals and quickly locate any that wander off or are stolen.

On dairy output, Maiha noted that Nigeria currently produces only 1.2 to 2 liters of milk per cow each day, far behind countries like Kenya, where daily yields can reach 30 liters.

He attributed this low performance to poor genetics, insufficient feeding, and weak disease control measures.

Maiha highlighted that although Nigeria has about 270 million ruminants—including cattle, sheep, goats, and camels—the country has not modernized its livestock genetics on a large scale.

He pointed out that while research institutions and veterinary colleges exist nationwide, genetic improvement initiatives have not been widely adopted.

According to the minister, the government’s plan under the National Dairy Policy Framework focuses on better nutrition, disease prevention, and genetic enhancement to boost local milk production and cut imports.

He concluded that with improved breeding and performance-based selection, milk yields can rise significantly, revitalizing Nigeria’s livestock sector.

Human rights advocate Maxwell Okpara has called on the Court of Appeal to issue an order preventing Justice Peter Lifu from continuing to function as a judge. Okpara made this demand on Wednesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’.

His comments came in response to a ruling by Justice Lifu that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and other political parties. The Court of Appeal, however, issued a stay of execution on Tuesday.

Okpara questioned what law students interning under Justice Lifu would learn from such a judgment. He said: ‘I appreciate the Court of Appeal for stepping in to rescue the judiciary. But describing Justice Lifu’s judgment as rascality is not enough. The Appeal Court should have also issued an order stopping him from sitting until the National Judicial Council reviews the circumstances that led a lower court to disregard a higher court’s decision.’

He added: ‘Now, what are the law students attached to that court supposed to learn?’

On the International Day of the African Child, Amnesty International issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, demanding immediate and decisive action to safeguard schoolchildren nationwide. The human rights group highlighted the alarming frequency of attacks and kidnappings targeting educational institutions.

In a message shared via X, the organization painted a grim picture of empty desks across classrooms in states like Kwara, Kogi, Borno, and Oyo. These vacant seats, they argued, symbolize children who should be studying, playing, and dreaming of their futures but are instead caught in a cycle of violence and captivity.

Amnesty International stressed that the persistent assaults on schools and mass abductions demonstrate that Nigeria’s children remain critically vulnerable, necessitating urgent government intervention. The group reiterated that the right to education and personal safety must be upheld for every child.

Expressing solidarity with grieving families, the organization declared that no child is expendable and that every captive child must be brought home safely. They emphasized that children represent the nation’s collective future.

The call to action concluded with a direct appeal to President Tinubu: “Nigerian children cannot wait. Take urgent action to bring every child in captivity home.”

In a significant development in the ongoing money laundering trial involving Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, the 17th witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) clarified on Wednesday that Bello had no part in the property acquisitions under scrutiny.

During cross-examination by defense counsel Paul Daudu, SAN, the witness, Shehu Bello Bala, stated that the second defendant, Umar Shuaib Oricha, similarly was not involved in any of the transactions. Bala, a commodity trader from Katsina State, testified that the actual agent during the purchase dealings was one Dr. Farouk Bello.

He acknowledged that the title documents—Deed of Assignment and Power of Attorney—were returned to Efab Estate by Farouk Bello. The witness added that he had no familial ties to Ali Bello or Farouk Bello, nor any connection to Kogi State, further distancing himself from the former governor.

Bala recounted meeting Ali Bello about 14 years ago through their mutual business in commodity trading, specifically buying and selling grains and ginger from the North. He noted that Ali Bello was also involved in real estate. When asked about the third defendant, Bala said he did not know him and had not participated in the properties’ transactions.

On the matter of the returned title documents, Bala explained that Farouk Bello, a friend of his father, had passed away. When questioned whether Farouk’s children sought to reclaim money from the property, Bala responded that someone approached him with documents intending to sell, but he could not confirm if that person was Farouk’s son. He subsequently returned the documents to Efab’s chairman, at which point they discovered the property was under investigation.

The witness confirmed that one of the properties not marked by the EFCC was purchased by Farouk Bello. Defense counsel suggested that Ali Bello might have inherited that property from his mother, but the prosecution objected, stating inheritance was not part of the testimony. The defense maintained its right to lay a foundation for its case.

Paul Ibe, spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused Justice Peter Lifu of deliberately undermining Nigeria’s democratic process. In a strongly worded statement, Ibe claimed the judge is steering multiple cases aimed at dissolving opposition parties.

Ibe pointed out that Justice Lifu, who controversially ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister ADC, Accord Party, and three other political groups, is also hearing a case targeting the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). He argued that a democracy that suppresses opposition parties is doomed to fail.

Taking to his X account on Wednesday, Ibe insisted that democracy cannot thrive when opposition voices are silenced. He described the judge as unfit for any judicial role, echoing remarks from the Court of Appeal that questioned his competence. According to Ibe, Lifu does not even deserve to sit on a beer parlour bench.

Ibe’s remarks come amid growing tension over judicial interventions in political party registrations. The Court of Appeal had earlier stayed the deregistration of ADC, offering a temporary reprieve. However, Ibe insists that the battle is far from over, warning against what he sees as a coordinated attack on democratic plurality.

Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, has leveled serious accusations against Nigeria’s political elite, claiming they deliberately exploit bandits to secure electoral victories. Speaking on Vanguard’s ‘Politics Hub,’ he addressed the escalating banditry and terrorism plaguing the nation.

Adebayo asserted that if he were president, banditry would be eradicated swiftly. He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu could easily eliminate bandits by Christmas if he truly desired, but the administration’s entanglement with criminal elements prevents decisive action.

According to Adebayo, government officials rely on bandit leaders for electoral support and financial gains from illicit activities. They also use banditry to conceal other issues. He argued that if the president were to declare zero tolerance for bandits, the problem would vanish immediately.

The Adamawa State Police Command has initiated a comprehensive sweep targeting vehicles that lack official registration plates or display tampered, obscured, or altered plate numbers. This enforcement drive, announced by command spokesperson SP Suleiman Nguroje, stems from a directive issued by the Inspector General of Police to bolster security and thwart criminals who exploit improperly identified vehicles.

Commissioner of Police CP Kabir Umar Hassan has set up a dedicated task force, headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations DCP Abubakar Haruna. The unit is charged with ensuring adherence to the new measures and conducting surveillance throughout the state. Authorities have voiced alarm over the rising number of automobiles on the roads without valid plates, noting that such vehicles are frequently used by lawbreakers to avoid detection and facilitate illegal acts.

The task force is empowered to halt, inspect, and initiate legal proceedings against any vehicle found without proper registration plates or with manipulated identification marks. Cars that violate the rules may be seized and subjected to legal processes as stipulated by existing statutes.

The police have called on all motorists and car owners to follow registration requirements and traffic regulations, warning that the enforcement campaign will be implemented uniformly without exemptions.

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has declared that he remains committed to fostering a favorable working environment for judicial officials, even after the Court of Appeal overturned his electoral victory. Speaking at an event where President Bola Tinubu, represented by Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, commissioned new Judges Quarters for the Court of Appeal and launched construction for quarters for the Industrial Court and Code of Conduct Tribunal, Wike emphasized that his personal setback did not deter him from prioritizing the needs of the judiciary.

Wike recalled that during his tenure as governor, he ensured the construction of accommodations for judicial officers despite his own election being nullified. He urged state governments to take greater responsibility for such projects, arguing that the federal government cannot single-handedly address all infrastructure deficits. Citing his experience in Rivers State, he noted that before his intervention, residents had to travel to Bayelsa for Industrial Court hearings, with 80 percent of cases originating from Rivers. By building facilities locally, he alleviated this burden.

Reflecting on his encounter with former Court of Appeal President Justice Bulkachuwa, Wike stated: “My election was nullified by the Appeal Court, so ordinarily I would have no reason to assist. But if I withheld support, my people would suffer. I did not wait for the federal government; if I had, it would have taken longer. I challenge other governors to follow suit and not leave everything to the center.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has filed an application before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, requesting a stay of execution of the Federal High Court’s ruling that ordered the deregistration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and four other political parties. Additionally, the electoral body has expressed support for the appeal filed by the affected parties.

Appearing before a three-member panel of the appellate court on Tuesday, INEC’s legal team, led by Mr. Haliru Mohammed, argued that the commission was taken aback by Justice Peter Lifu’s decision to deliver the judgment despite a prior order restraining him from doing so.

The commission further stated that it was not informed of the judgment’s delivery date. Instead, it learned of the ruling through media reports. “My Lords, we are aware of an order issued by this court on May 22, which halted the lower court’s judgment initially scheduled for June 5. We received no notice of the judgment’s delivery and only learned of it as breaking news in the media,” Mohammed explained.

Consequently, INEC announced it does not oppose the application for a stay of execution. “We therefore do not oppose the application of the appellant to stay the execution of the judgment,” the commission said.