Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The Imo State Government has ordered cattle herders to end open grazing within the State capital territory beginning from July 24, 2025. Speaking during a recent meeting with cattle dealers and herders in Owerri, the Commissioner in charge of Ministry of Livestock Development, Anthony Mgbeahurike, said that the new directive is geared towards maintaining public orderliness within the capital city. He, however, reaffirmed Governor Hope Uzodinma’s dedication in upholding peaceful coexistence across all communities, regardless of ethnic or religious differences. The commissioner added that the State Government, under Uzodinma, had been rendering appropriate support for herders, including steady provision of…

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Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the National Assembly, has officially announced her resignation from the Labour Party (LP), declaring her defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. Addressing journalists in Abuja, Kingibe described her move as a calculated and deliberate political decision, noting that her formal induction into the ADC would be marked with “fanfare.” “I’m totally and completely committed to ADC,” she affirmed. “But obviously, as the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, don’t expect me to just take a lunch break and go collect a card.…

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Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, on Friday night approved the immediate suspension of key officials of the Katsina State Reformatory Centre, Babbar Ruga, following the report of the committee mandated to investigate the allegations of torture and mishandling of an inmate, Usman Musa. A statement from the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, confirmed that the Principal of the Centre, Abdulzahir Abubakar, the Vice Principal, Bala Abubakar, and a porter, Yunusa Yusuf, have been suspended for their roles in the incident, which tragically resulted in the amputation of the victim’s left hand and severe injury to the right…

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The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), has expressed disappointment over the slow pace of work at the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex project. He described the pace of work as “grossly abysmal” and falling far below expectations. The administrator made the remarks during an inspection tour of the project site along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, on Friday. This was contained in a statement issued on Friday night by the media aide to the Sole Administrator, Hector Igbikiowubo. Ibas also inspected key sporting facilities, including the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, and the Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex,…

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The Federal Government has announced July 14, 2025, as the official date for the commencement of recruitment into the four paramilitary agencies under the Federal Ministry of Interior. The Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure through the Board Secretary, Major General Abdulmalik Jibrin (Rtd), in a communiqué released in Abuja. According to the statement, the recruitment portal will open on Monday, July 14, 2025, for applications into the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Fire Service (FFS), and Nigeria Security and…

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A health emergency is unfolding across correctional facilities in Adamawa State as outbreaks of cholera and other highly contagious hygiene-related diseases have struck inmates in at least two custodial centres. The alarming development was disclosed on Friday by the Chairman of Jada Local Government Council, Salihu Ahmed, during a free medical outreach programme in the area. According to him, no fewer than 28 inmates at the Kojoli Custodial Centre are currently battling cholera infections, while additional cases of waterborne and skin-related diseases, including scabies, have been reported at the Jada facility. “This is a serious situation,” Ahmed lamented. “In the…

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A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, Bala Sale Chiroma, has said African Democratic Congress (ADC) does not pose a threat to the ruling party in the state. In an interview with Journalists in Bauchi, Chiroma, a senior special assistant on Youth to Governor Bala Mohammed, said ADC can never be a threat to PDP in Bauchi or even Nigeria. He said ADC is just like a union or association, as their name implies. He added the alliance is not like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with complete structures in all 774 local government area councils.…

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The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission has declared that any incident of ballot box snatching during Saturday’s local government election will result in a by-election in the affected area. The commission made this known during a press briefing on Thursday, where its Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), assured residents of LASIEC’s readiness to deliver a free, fair, and credible poll across the 57 local councils in the state. “There will be by-elections if a ballot box is snatched anywhere,” she said while answering questions from journalists at Tripple C Event Centre, Sabo Yaba, Lagos. The LASIEC boss said, “While we…

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The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State. In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba dismissed, for lacking in merit, the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo. The appeal sought to nullify the outcome of the governorship election held in the state on September 21, 2024. The Supreme Court ruled that there was no justification to overturn the concurrent judgments of both the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had earlier declared Okpebholo of the…

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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, yesterday sought the backing of the National Assembly to legislate against unexplained wealth. He said Nigeria cannot win the anti-corruption war without the legal backing to hold public officers accountable for assets far beyond their legitimate earnings. Olikoyede spoke at the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance organised by the Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives in Abuja. The EFCC chairman described the magnitude of public sector corruption as disturbing. “In the last three weeks, we started a commission-wide investigation into the…

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