Author: Daily Post Nigeria

Remo Stars technical adviser, Usman Abd’Allah is confident his team will maintain their top-flight status at the end of the season, DAILY POST reports.

The holders are facing the prospect of being relegated to the Nigeria National League, NNL, less than a year after winning their maiden title.

Remo Stars moved out of the relegation zone after scraping past Bayelsa United 2-1 in Ikenne on Sunday.

The Sky Blue Stars must win their last game of the season against Bendel Insurance to guarantee safety.

Abd’Allah is confident they will achieve their objective.

“We have to work very hard to score because we have to win. We need nothing less than a win. We can’t be written off. By the grace of God, we will go there, get the three points and escape relegation,” the former Super Eagles assistant coach told the club’s media.

NPFL: Abd’Allah upbeat Remo Stars will escape relegation 

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, has opposed the Federal Government’s decision to exempt candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, programme from writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, warning that the move could further undermine standards in teacher education.

The union’s National President, Audu Amba, made the position known on Tuesday in Abuja during a sensitisation workshop for teachers organised by 21st Century in collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN.

Amba expressed concern over what he described as a steady decline in the quality of candidates gaining admission into colleges of education, noting that many top-performing students now prioritise universities, leaving education colleges as last-choice institutions.

He warned that the trend poses a long-term risk to the quality of teaching in Nigeria, insisting that entry into the teaching profession should attract some of the country’s strongest academic performers.

According to him, colleges of education should not be seen as fallback institutions for candidates who fail to secure university admission.

“Why can’t we now say that anyone going to College of Education to become a teacher tomorrow must be among the highest-scoring candidates in UTME?” He asked.

“Colleges of Education are supposed to have the best candidates, but unfortunately, when people fail to secure university admission, they are told to go and manage NCE,” he added.

In her keynote address, the Registrar of the TRCN, Dr Ronke Soyombo, stressed the need to urgently reposition teachers for the demands of a fast-changing digital economy.

She noted that the future of education in Nigeria depends on educators who are technologically skilled, innovative, professionally competent, and capable of equipping learners with modern-day competencies.

Also speaking, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, represented by Dr Iyabo Ali, called for continuous capacity development for teachers, saying educators must consistently upgrade their digital and innovative skills to meet global standards.

Other stakeholders at the event, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, represented by Dr Mary Aba, and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration and professional commitment within the education sector.

Senator Moro, however, raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of Nigeria’s education system, warning that over 70 percent of schools lack adequate learning and teaching facilities.

He cautioned that the growing gap between teachers and their working environment could pose a serious threat to the country’s educational foundation and future development.

NUT rejects FG plan to exempt NCE candidates from UTME

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, says the unified tertiary matriculation examination exemptions granted to candidates seeking admission into colleges of education and national diploma (ND) agriculture programmes will increase the number of Nigerians admitted into tertiary institutions by 1.5 million.

On Monday, Alausa announced at the 2026 admission policy meeting that the federal government has exempted candidates seeking admission into colleges of education from writing the UTME.

A 28-year-old woman, Firdausi Musa, and her two young children sustained severe burns after her co-wife, Maryam Muhammad, allegedly doused them with petrol and set them ablaze in the Hotoro area of Kano metropolis.

The incident, which occurred late Monday night at Mai Allo area of Hotoro quarters, has thrown residents into shock, with the suspect currently in police custody at the Mariri Police Division.

The victims, identified as Khadija Ya’u, 7, and Ismail Ya’u, 3, are receiving treatment alongside their mother at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, and Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, respectively.

Their father, Malam Saminu, who reportedly sustained burns while trying to rescue them from the fire, is also undergoing treatment.

Speaking on the incident, a younger brother to Firdausi, Buhari Musa Sa’ad, said the family received a distress call around 3am informing them that his sister, her husband and the two children had been set ablaze by her co-wife.

According to him, Firdausi had not spent up to two weeks in the matrimonial home before the incident happened.

“She is around 28 years old. The children who got burned are the ones she brought with her from her previous marriage. They are stepchildren to the husband, who works as a tricycle rider,” he added.

A relative of the victim, Rukayya, said that Firdausi had earlier complained of threats and intimidation from the co-wife before the attack.

“We were lying down here when she was brought in, and she told us herself that it was her co-wife who poured petrol on her and lit a match,” she said.

Rukayya disclosed that the victim had to leave the house earlier that day because of repeated threats, but later returned after intervention by her husband.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Kano State Police Command were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

 

A graduate of University of Jos, John Azi, has recounted his traumatic experience after  he was allegedly lured with a fake job offer, abducted and taken to a kidnappers’ camp in Zamfara State.

Azi, who narrated his ordeal at a church in Tudun Wada in  Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, yesterday, after regaining freedom, said he was kidnapped on April 11, 2026, shortly after travelling from Jos to Zaria in Kaduna State for what he believed was a legitimate job opportunity.

According to him, the suspected kidnappers had repeatedly contacted him on phone, offering him welding work and even sending transport fare to convince him the offer was genuine.

“They kept calling me, asking me to come and work for them. They even sent transport money, so, I believed it was real work,” he said.

Arriving Zaria

Azi explained that on arriving in Zaria, he contacted the individuals, who instructed him to board another motorcycle heading towards a village.

He said although he became suspicious during the journey, he ignored the warning signs because he desperately needed work.

“I started having doubts, but I told myself maybe it was a connection that could help me. I did not know they were kidnappers,” he said.

According to him, moments after arriving at the village, a man approached him claiming to be the person who contacted him for the job.

He was then taken on a motorcycle into a remote forest area where he suddenly noticed another heavily armed man waiting for them.

“I saw a gun I had never seen before in my life. The man told me not to be afraid and claimed the person was a hunter, but deep down I knew something was wrong,” he recounted.

Azi said he was immediately forced to kneel down while the kidnappers searched him, seized his phone, bag, and work tools before handing him strange clothes and a face mask to wear.

According to him, the kidnappers later transported him from Kaduna through Giwa Local Government Area into Zamfara State after several hours of travelling on motorcycles through forests and isolated routes.

“We spent almost six hours moving through the bush on motorcycles. There was no security anywhere,” he said.

He disclosed that upon arriving at the camp, the kidnappers tied his hands and legs and contacted his family, demanding N30 million ransom.

“I gave them my elder brother’s number. They called and demanded N30 million,” he said.

Azi further narrated how he was tortured repeatedly and interrogated about his religion while in captivity.

According to him, the kidnappers accused him of being a Christian and threatened to kill him.

“They were shooting guns everywhere and asking questions. Out of fear, I initially denied being a Christian because I thought they would kill me,” he said.

However, he said after severe beating by the abductors, he eventually confessed his faith. 

“While they were beating me, I suddenly shouted ‘Jesus.’ That was when they discovered I was a Christian,” he added.

According to him, the kidnappers thereafter, nicknamed him “Pastor” throughout his stay in captivity.

Azi said constant prayers and faith in God kept him alive during the ordeal.

“The only thing I kept doing was praying and asking God to save me,” he said.

The ransom

He explained that after negotiations, the kidnappers reduced the ransom demand from N30 million to N6 million.

However, even after receiving the money, the abductors allegedly delayed his release and demanded an additional N4 million.

“They started beating me again and said my family should add another N4 million. At that point, I thought I would not survive,” he said.

According to him, support from relatives, friends, and sympathisers eventually helped secure his freedom after several days in captivity.

The UNIJOS graduate said he regained freedom and returned home traumatised but grateful to be alive.

Despite the hike in price, Nigerians’ petrol consumption jumped to 51.1 million litres per day in April, the latest Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) FactSheet, has shown. This is a departure from 46.3 million litres consumed in March. The latest figure represents eight percent increase in consumption of petrol in April due […]

The post Nigeria’s petrol consumption surged to 51.1 million litres per day in April appeared first on Tribune Online.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday alleged that its operatives were attacked and trapped inside the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, UUTH, during a visit linked to an ongoing fraud case involving a suspect accused of defrauding multiple microfinance banks in Akwa Ibom State.

The anti-graft agency said the operatives had gone to the hospital to verify a medical report submitted by the suspect, who is under remand by Justice M.A. Onyetunu of the Federal High Court in Uyo, after repeated attempts to obtain clarification from the hospital management reportedly failed.

In a statement by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, the Commission accused some members of staff of obstructing lawful enquiries and attacking its officers during the visit.

The EFCC said the suspect is standing trial over alleged fraud involving several microfinance banks, including the University of Uyo Microfinance Bank.

According to the Commission, the suspect had presented a medical report which required authentication by the hospital management as part of the investigation.

The agency said it wrote two letters to the hospital management, dated March 11 and April 20, 2026, requesting confirmation of the report, but received no response.

The investigating officer later visited the hospital to follow up on the request personally, but still got no response.

Oyewale said: “As a last resort, operatives of the Commission visited the Chief Medical Director of the hospital on Tuesday to make further enquiries, only to be locked in with a false alarm and subjected to unprovoked attack by misguided staff of the facility who pelted them with stones and other dangerous objects.

“While within the hospital, the CMD reportedly directed that gates of the facility be shut, making it impossible for any lawful enquiry to be made.

“Police authorities in Akwa Ibom State advised the CMD to open the hospital gates to enable the operatives exit the premises peacefully but the entreaties were turned down.”

Despite the tension inside the hospital, the EFCC said its operatives exercised restraint and eventually left the premises without disrupting activities at the facility.

Consequently, the Commission warned public institutions and corporate organisations against obstructing its operations, stressing that cooperation with the agency during investigations is a legal obligation.

“Enquiries bordering on operational engagements of the Commission are lawful.

“It is therefore necessary to remind the public and corporate bodies that they are obligated to cooperate with the agency in such circumstances. Contrary action could be deemed as obstruction, which is criminal with attendant legal consequences,” Oyewale added.

President Bola Tinubu has said punitive interest rates and an unfair global financial system are crippling Nigeria and Africa’s industrial growth.

He said the continent can not compete globally under the current lending structure.

Tinubu spoke on Tuesday at the Africa Forward Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, where he led Nigeria’s government, diplomatic and business delegation.

The summit, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto, brought together leaders and senior officials from more than 30 countries across Africa.

Speaking on the reform of the international financial architecture, Tinubu said Africa’s economies had remained trapped in a cycle of exporting raw materials while importing finished products because industries on the continent lacked access to affordable capital.

“Last September, from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, Nigeria warned that the international system must reform or risk irrelevance. We spoke not only of the Security Council but of the financial and trade structures that quietly de-industrialise our nations. The evidence is before us. Despite decades of independence, Africa’s share of global manufacturing value added remains below 2 per cent.

“We export raw minerals, crude oil, and agricultural commodities, and we import processed goods at a premium. This pattern is not an accident. It is the product of a global financial architecture that starves our industries of affordable capital, tolerates massive illicit financial flows, and imposes policy constraints that our competitors themselves never observed when they built their own industrial bases.”

The president said Nigeria had implemented difficult economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, recapitalisation of the banking system and exiting the Financial Action Task Force grey list.

“Nigeria does not come to this discussion as a supplicant. We come as a nation that has taken painful, homegrown decisions to put our house in order — removing fuel subsidies, unifying our exchange rate, recapitalising our banking system with over US$3.4 billion, and exiting the FATF grey list. These reforms were sovereign choices, not external conditions. They have delivered a declining debt-to-GDP ratio, now projected at 32.3 per cent in 2026, stronger external reserves of $45.5 billion, and a return of investor confidence. But, Excellencies, even a reforming nation like Nigeria is being forced to de-industrialise by a financial system that is stacked against us,” he said.

Tinubu disclosed that Nigeria would spend about $11.6bn on debt servicing in 2026, which he described as a major obstacle to industrial expansion.

“Every single dollar that leaves our treasury to pay punitive interest rates is a dollar that did not go into our steel sector, our textile mills, our agro-processing plants, or our digital industries. It is a dollar that did not train a young Nigerian engineer or provide affordable power for our factories. Our industrial base is being starved of the blood it needs — long-term, affordable finance — while creditors and rating agencies treat African sovereigns as permanent high-risk borrowers, regardless of our fiscal performance.

“So, I ask this gathering: how can an African manufacturer compete with a competitor in Europe, Asia, or North America when the cost of borrowing in our nations is five to ten times higher? How can we build cross-border industrial value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area when our infrastructure projects face a financing gap deepened by the very institutions meant to bridge it? The answer is plain: we cannot. The international financial architecture, as currently constituted, is an instrument of industrial disarmament for Africa.”

The president maintained that Nigeria was not seeking charity from global institutions but fair access to financing that would support industrialisation and economic competitiveness.

“Nigeria is not asking for charity. We are demanding a financial system that intentionally enables Africa to industrialise — to process its own minerals, refine its own crude oil, manufacture its own pharmaceuticals, and compete fairly in global markets. We will continue to borrow responsibly, but we insist that our creditworthiness be measured by our economic fundamentals and our industrial potential, not by outdated stereotypes,” he said.

Tinubu’s remarks come amid growing criticism over Nigeria’s rising debt profile and the Federal Government’s borrowing plans.

The president recently defended external borrowing while receiving Plateau State leaders at the State House, saying, “If we have to borrow, we borrow. Borrowing is not leprosy, we just have to work hard to be able to pay for it.”

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, however, criticised the president’s comments. Obi described excessive borrowing for non-productive purposes as dangerous to the economy.

“Mr. President, borrowing is not only a leprosy, but a killer cancer when it is borrowed for consumption and not production as it is in Nigeria today,” Obi said in a Facebook post.

“One of the major ‘leprosy’ afflicting Nigeria today is not just debt, but debt without productivity. Debt that is not tied to measurable economic value. Debt that does not translate into jobs, growth, or improved living standards for the Nigerian people.”

Obi also questioned the legality and economic rationale behind some of the government’s loans, citing provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

“Most of the borrowings by this government do not satisfy the requirements of law or the requirements of economic common sense,” Obi claimed.

“The humongous borrowing so far does not show how the projects for the loans enhance the productive capacity of the nation and the welfare of Nigerian citizens.”

According to the Debt Management Office, Nigeria’s total public debt rose to N159.27tn at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 from N97.34tn recorded in late 2023.

The House of Representatives recently approved an additional $516.3m external loan for the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway following Tinubu’s request in March for a $6bn external borrowing plan.

Meanwhile, on maritime security and the blue economy, Tinubu has pledged to deepen regional cooperation by making Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project maritime intelligence infrastructure available to Gulf of Guinea countries willing to participate.

“Today, I make an explicit commitment: Nigeria will intensify regional coordination by offering our Deep Blue Project’s maritime intelligence infrastructure as a shared data hub for willing Gulf of Guinea states. Interoperable systems, harmonised laws, and seamless joint enforcement must become the daily reality, not an aspiration on paper.

“Let no one misunderstand: maritime sovereignty does not repel investment — it attracts it. Secure sea lanes, predictable regulation, and functional courts are the preconditions that unlock private capital. Governance has de-risked Nigeria’s maritime proposition. We now invite partners to build on these gains as we advance climate-aligned port modernisation and the digital transformation of our maritime sector.”

The president said Africa must move from “sea blindness to ocean sovereignty” to unlock the full benefits of the blue economy.

“The oceans have no duplicate as a common heritage of mankind. For Africa, moving from sea blindness to ocean sovereignty is not a choice — it is a generational duty. Nigeria is ready, and we invite all present to join us in that duty,” he stated.

Tinubu also linked irregular migration to economic hardship and unemployment, calling on international partners to support investments that create opportunities within African countries.

“First, cooperation must address root causes in countries of origin. People who have jobs, security, and hope at home do not typically risk their lives in the back of a smuggler’s truck.

“But we cannot do it alone. International partners must move beyond rhetoric and match words with investments that make staying at home a genuine choice—investments in climate adaptation, energy access, digital skills, and the productive sectors that employ young people. As we intensify the implementation of these domestic measures, I therefore call on our development partners to ring-fence a portion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for programmes that demonstrably reduce the desperation that fuels irregular migration,” he said.

The president further urged African countries to work together in building a stronger migration governance framework.

“The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was a start, but it remains non-binding and underfunded. Nigeria supports the African Union’s Migration Policy Framework and the Khartoum Process, but we need a more coherent link between these regional efforts and global institutions,” he added.

On the sidelines of the summit, Tinubu met with Madagascar President Michael Randrianirina and the President of the Confederation of African Football, Dr Patrice Motsepe, where he expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host the 2026 CAF Awards.

The Nigerian leader was accompanied to the summit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole and Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.

Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman of BUA, Abdulsamad Rabiu; Chairman of the UBA Group, Tony Elumelu; and Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, attended the summit.

Others were the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPCO), Aisha Rimi; the Minister of State designate for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye; the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Mrs Omotenioye Majekodunmi; and the Nigerian Ambassador to France, Amb. Ayodele Oke and Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Mohammed Mohammed.

Punitive Interest Rates Crippling Nigeria, Africa’s Growth, Tinubu Tells Kenya Summit is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Deputy Speaker Rt. Benjamin Kalu, has dismissed speculations surrounding an alleged list of preferred candidates ahead of the party’s primaries in the state, insisting that only democratic processes recognized by the party and the Electoral Act would determine candidates for the 2027 elections.

In a statement titled “Re: Abia APC Pre Primaries List,” Rt. Hon. Kalu described reports of a purported shortlist for House of Assembly, National Assembly, and Governorship aspirants as contrary to the principles of participatory democracy.

According to him, the APC constitution and the Electoral Act clearly recognize only two acceptable approaches for the conduct of party primaries — Direct Primaries and Consensus arrangements reached voluntarily among aspirants.

The Deputy explained that aspirants seeking the party’s ticket must either mobilize grassroots support to emerge victorious through direct primaries or engage in consultations and deliberations capable of producing a consensus candidate acceptable to all parties involved.

The APC leader urged party members across the state to disregard any assumptions or suspicions about the existence of any predetermined list of candidates from any quarter.

“If such a list exists anywhere, it is by this announcement rendered null and void,” he declared.

Kalu maintained that the spirit of inclusiveness and people-oriented participation which guided the conduct of the party’s congresses in the state would also shape the forthcoming primaries.

He called on party faithful to remain united and focused on strengthening the APC ahead of future electoral contests, assuring members that the leadership of the party at all levels remains committed to fairness and internal democracy.

The Deputy Speaker further encouraged members to continue mobilizing support for the party across communities, emphasizing that the APC in Abia remains strong and formidable despite attempts by what he described as “disruptors” to create confusion within its ranks.

“We have work to do. Let us keep tilling the ground as we have been doing and prepare our party for massive electoral victories across contests next year,” the statement added.

Kalu reaffirmed the commitment of the party leadership to sustaining unity within the APC in Abia State while expressing confidence in the party’s chances in future elections

Kalu Alleges Rigging, Warns Against Manipulation Of Abia APC Primaries is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Several commuters and road users narrowly escaped death on Tuesday after a truck conveying table water lost control and spilled its contents at the busy Toll Gate section of the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway.

The accident was confirmed by Mr Salau Hammed, Commander of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, Ota Unit, who said the incident occurred around 4:45 p.m.

According to Hammed, the truck was travelling from the Ilo-Awela area toward Toll Gate when the driver reportedly lost control due to excessive speed, causing the vehicle to overturn and scatter its load on the highway.

He, however, confirmed that no casualty or injury was recorded in the incident.

The TRACE commander cautioned motorists against reckless driving and advised vehicle owners to ensure their automobiles are properly maintained before embarking on journeys.

“We thank God that no life was lost and nobody sustained injuries in the accident,” he said.

Hammed also appealed to commercial motorcyclists and roadside traders operating along highways to desist from unsafe practices capable of endangering lives.

He further warned commercial bus operators against indiscriminate parking and stopping on the highway to pick passengers, noting that such actions could expose them to collisions involving articulated vehicles.

The commander reiterated TRACE’s commitment to strict enforcement of traffic regulations around the Toll Gate corridor and other parts of the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway to reduce avoidable accidents.

He added that TRACE officials, alongside other emergency and traffic management agencies, were working to evacuate the affected vehicle and restore free flow of traffic along the route.

Many escape death as speeding truck crashes at Lagos toll gate