Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, has dismissed a student, Oladipupo Siwajuola, over what it described as “gross violation of university rules,” including involvement in fetish practices, drug peddling, impersonation, and dishonesty. Siwajuola’s disappearance became a trending topic in early May 2025, after his mother took to social media alleging that the university failed in its duty of care. In an official statement released on Wednesday, and signed by the university’s Director of Marketing and Communication, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, the university revealed that Siwajuola had deliberately exited the Ilishan-Remo-based campus on April 28, 2025, without authorisation, disguising himself in a hoodie…
A former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has revealed that he does not go to the state anymore. Amaechi stated this during an interview on Arise News, adding that travelling to the state makes him have a mental disorder. According to the former Minister, seeing some projects he completed during his tenure as governor abandoned and vandalised makes him go crazy. Amaechi specifically noted that some of the primary and secondary schools he built with state resources were abandoned and allowed to be vandalised by his successor. “Now when I was sworn in as governor you’ll ask the…
The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Adm Ibok-Ete Ibas, has appointed 11 new permanent secretaries. The appointment was contained in a Special Government Announcement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The three-paragraph statement was signed by the Acting Head of Service, Rivers State, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown and sent to newsmen. The statement said the newly appointed permanent secretaries would be sworn in by the sole administrator on a date to be made known. The statement reads, “His Excellency, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd), the Administrator of Rivers State has approved the appointment of the under-listed persons as Permanent…
More than 200 Pakistani inmates escaped from a jail in the mega coastal city of Karachi on Tuesday after several earthquake tremors, government officials said. Of the 216 inmates that fled, around 87 have been caught while the rest are still at large, Sindh province’s Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said. One inmate died and 12 others, including some security staff, were wounded during the jail break at around 01:30am (2030 GMT). “There was a panic among the prisoners because of the earthquake,” Memon said. The head of the provincial government’s prison service was removed from his role after the…
The Federal Government has dismissed speculations that the recent devastating flood in Mokwa, Niger State, was triggered by a failure or release of water from nearby dams, affirming that both the Kainji and Jebba dams remain structurally sound and operational. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, clarified that preliminary investigations indicate the disaster was primarily caused by torrential rainfall, the effects of climate change, and obstruction of natural waterways by unregulated development. “We want to categorically state that the flood was not caused by any release of water from…
Hundreds of women in the troubled Apa Local Government Area of Benue State on Tuesday took to the streets to protest the incessant killings in their communities. The women, who thronged the major road in Ugbokpo, the headquarters of Apa LGA, expressed anguish over the escalating attacks. Many lamented being rendered widows, with countless children left orphaned. In recent times, communities such as Ijaha Ikobi, Edikwu-Ankpali, and Odugbo have experienced multiple attacks, leading to the deaths of numerous residents. Just last Sunday, 25 people were reportedly killed in the area. Protesting under the banner of “Voice of the Hopeless Women,”…
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has issued a firm warning to members of the State Executive Council, emphasising that performance, rather than talebearing, will determine their continued stay in office. The governor gave the warning on Monday, during the inauguration of eight newly built duplexes at the Commissioners’ Quarters in Asaba, stressing that underperformance would not be tolerated. Oborevwori clarified that while there is no blanket dissolution plan as rumoured, underperforming commissioners would be shown the door. He said, “If you are not performing, we will drop you, and that will not affect other people. “If you are performing, you…
The National Association of Polytechnic Students has called for the legislative upgrade of polytechnics to degree-awarding institutions. In a statement on Monday signed by its President, Comrade Eshiofune Oghayan, the association said the upgrade will resolve the lingering dichotomy between Higher National Diploma and Bachelor of Science holders. “We urge Mr. President and the National Assembly to empower polytechnics to award Bachelor of Technology and Bachelor of Science in Technology degrees. This reform will resolve the lingering dichotomy between HND and BSc holders,” the statement said. The students further proposed a Student Insurance Scheme, mental health awareness campaigns, and improved…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has criticised former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over his recent “I’m hungry” remark. Speaking on Monday during a media parley in Abuja, Wike asserted that the ex-Rivers State governor is hungry for power, not food, contrary to Amaechi’s claim. Amaechi had, during an event marking his 60th birthday last week, commented on the state of the economy, stating, “We’re all hungry, all of us are. If you’re not hungry, I am. For us, the opposition, if you want us to remove the man in power, we can remove him from…
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has renewed its demand for the payment of outstanding allowances and salary arrears, calling attention to long-standing concerns about compensation, employment conditions, and the treatment of its members in public health institutions. The association raised these concerns during its May Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference, held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The event, themed “The Medical Profession: Policies, Politics, and Future Prospects,” ended on Saturday with a communiqué highlighting grievances affecting resident doctors nationwide. The communiqué was jointly signed by NARD President, Dr. Osundara Tope, Secretary-General Odunbaku Kazeem Oluwasola, and Public and…