Author: Helen Okechukwu

The Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju, has called on members of the public to support the police in its intensified efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks operating within and beyond the state. This appeal comes on the heels of the recent arrest of two suspected child traffickers and the rescue of a pregnant woman from captivity. The suspects, Sunshine Hart, 28, and Kingsley Ekocha, 38, were apprehended in Aba, Abia State, during a targeted police operation on 24 June. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the rescue of 24-year-old Regina Sunday during the operation. Read Also: Enugu…

The Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Fatimah Momoh, has called on stakeholders and policymakers to rally support for the passage of the bill seeking special seats for women in the National Assembly (NA). She made the appeal during a meeting of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) structure convened in Lokoja by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The meeting brought together key stakeholders and technical partners focused on promoting gender equality, uplifting vulnerable groups, and supporting individuals with disabilities. Momoh emphasised that increasing the representation of women in legislative processes is…

Health officials and managers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called for a substantial increase in health sector funding, in line with the 15 per cent target set by the Abuja Declaration of 2001. The call was made at the close of a four-day capacity-building workshop in Abuja, organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The training focused on developing data-driven, budget-linked Annual Operational Plans (AOP) for the FCT health system. The programme, held under the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), aimed to boost leadershipartp, strategic planning, and health systems strengthening efforts across the…

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has advised former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, to urgently seek legal protection following a recent threat to his life by the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo. Falana gave the advice in a statement issued on Sunday, in response to remarks made by Governor Okpebholo during a political rally in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state. At the rally, Okpebholo had warned Obi not to visit Edo State without prior notification or clearance from his office. “There’s a new sheriff in town. He cannot just come into Edo…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 60-year-old drug baron Okpara Chigozie after seven years on the run. According to the Director Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Chigozie was captured on Sunday, 13 July 2025, at his hideout in Isheri, Lagos, following the interception of his courier, Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. Achebe, en route to Onitsha in a Toyota Sienna, was found with 7.6kg of cocaine and 900g of methamphetamine concealed in the vehicle. A follow-up raid at Okpara’s residence led to the recovery of another 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of meth. At Murtala…

Eight persons have been sentenced to one month in prison by a Magistrate Court sitting in Bolade, Oshodi, for contravening Lagos State’s laws against open defecation and urination. The culprits, aged between 18 and 45, were brought before Magistrate Oshikoya of the Special Offences (Mobile Court) recently. Upon arraignment, all eight pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them. The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, in a statement released shortly after the proceedings, disclosed that the sentencing was intended to serve as a deterrent to other residents who may engage in similar unhygienic practices. Read Also: Diarrhoea:…

The Enugu State Police Command has rescued six trafficked children and arrested 10 suspects in a series of anti-trafficking operations conducted between 30 June and 16 July 2025. This was made known on Saturday through the Command spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, who recounted that on 15 July, police operatives and Neighbourhood Watch members arrested Chiaha Josephine, 64, and Ozomma Ubanagum, 67, in Ezeagu Local Government Area (LGA) in connection with the crime. Two trafficked children were rescued—Loveth Mfonobong, 16, and Benjamin Okon, 12—both of whom had been renamed by their captors. The Command spokesperson said Josephine confessed to buying Loveth for…

Nigerian health experts have called on the Federal Government to overhaul Nigeria’s healthcare financing by reducing out-of-pocket (OOP) spending and strengthening health insurance coverage to ease the financial burden on citizens. According to the shared statement on Friday, the call was made during a four-day workshop organised by the Ondo State Ministry of Health in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and supported by Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The event focused on improving human resources and health financing in the state. Professor Demilade Ibirongbe of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, revealed that about 70% of Nigerians pay…

With the Alive & Thrive nutrition initiative set to end its intervention in Kaduna by 31 August, stakeholders have convened to chart a sustainable path for the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) campaign and the uptake of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS). Their mission aim to formulate a locally driven, sustainable strategy that preserves the gains of the MIYCN and MMS campaigns after donor support winds down. The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Board (KSPHCB), Dr Bello Jamoh, represented by Hamza Ikara, emphasised the importance of building the plan on available local resources. He warned that…

The Rivers State Command, through the Azikiwe Police Division and the Octopus Tactical Unit, foiled a suspected cult clash between rival groups near an undisclosed university campus in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to the police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the incident, said that the confrontation erupted along Azikiwe Street and Opobo Lane in the Mile 2 Diobu axis. It was noted that the averted cult clash emanated when members of two rival cult groups—believed to be the Klu Klux Klans (KKK) and Vikings—ran into each other while allegedly en route to the university’s main campus for a retaliatory…