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Gombe State has once again distinguished itself as one of Nigeria’s best-governed sub-nationals, ranking 5th nationwide in the 2025 Half-Year Budget Performance Report released by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), a globally recognized non-profit organisation that promotes transparency and accountability in governance.

According to the ICIR report, Gombe achieved an impressive 39.5% budget implementation score as of June 2025, outperforming more than 32 sub-nationals, including several with higher federal allocations.

The ICIR ranking reflects the Inuwa Yahaya administration’s prudence and reform-driven approach, transforming the state into a model of transparent governance and fiscal discipline, and steadily building its reputation as one of Nigeria’s most financially responsible states.

Through reforms such as the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Gombe Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), and the Open Budget Portal, the Inuwa-led administration has strengthened budget monitoring, blocked leakages and enhance citizens’ access to public financial data.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya has always emphasized that his administration’s fiscal vision remains people-centred: ‘Our goal is to ensure that every naira spent delivers measurable impact. We are committed to building a fiscally responsible, economically vibrant and socially inclusive Gombe where transparency drives trust and accountability ensures progress.’

This recognition adds to a series of independent commendations earned by Gombe State in recent years.

In September 2025, Gombe was nationally celebrated when BudgIT’s Subnational Transparency Assessment ranked the state 2nd nationwide, with an outstanding score of 99 out of 100 points.

The report praised Gombe for its timely publication of key fiscal documents including; the Approved Budget, Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Citizens’ Budget, and Quarterly Budget Implementation Reports, as well as for maintaining an updated e-procurement portal that enhances public access to government spending data.

The latest ICIR ranking therefore cements Gombe State’s position as a national benchmark for fiscal responsibility,as its reform-driven governance model continues to yield dividends for citizens and inspire confidence across the country and beyond as contained in a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General, (Press Affairs) Government House, Gombe.

A protest took place recently in Abuja. While protests are generally normal, a key issue among the list of complaints by the protesters is indeed very awkward. The wives of retired officers and men of the Nigerian Police , while joining their husbands in a protest at the National Assembly, carried placards lamenting the poor welfare conditions that had been the lot of their families. In addition, there was a disturbing allegation articulated by a protester who said: ‘Before they (members of the police pensions board) even call us to come and collect our husbands’ gratuities, they will demand to sleep with us or our children. You can imagine such wickedness. Why are the police authorities so indifferent? Enough is enough. They should please answer us.’

According to the protesters, during their husbands’ years of active service, they were not provided basic protective gear like bulletproof vests, a situation which made them vulnerable during combat operations. Marching through the gates of the National Assembly together with some retired officers and widows of officers who died in active service, the women lamented that many of the families of fallen policemen had long been abandoned by the government and the force which their husbands served. The distraught women further called on the government to remove the police from the ubiquitous Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), which they labeled as a fraudulent scheme. According to them, the CPS had worsened the plight of retired officers and their families. One of the officers’ wives remarked: ‘We are ready, and we are telling the National Assembly now that they should remove retired policemen from the pension scheme with immediate effect. It is our right. Let them give retired police officers their rights because the suffering is too much. Our children are suffering. When our husbands were serving, they had no bulletproof vests or protective gear. They were the first to be shot in any operation. And the widows whose husbands died have not been paid their gratuities.’

The allegations made by these women and their husbands are indeed scary. Why would the Nigerian state treat policemen who served the nation with all the might of their youth this cavalierly? Is the labourer no longer worthy of his wage? Besides, the allegation of sexual harassment by unscrupulous persons in the police pension’s board sounds so inhumane and so frighteningly evil. What makes this even more heinous is that those being accused of sexual terrorism against the fallen officers’ widows and daughters are living police officers or members of a board that ordinarily should take charge of the welfare of living/fallen policemen with enthusiasm and with empathy. That such people now allegedly choose to take advantage of their female family members is beyond shocking. It is unthinkable. It had better not be true!

While we do not want to come to immediate judgment on this allegation, we submit that it deserves a very thorough and immediate investigation. To imagine that the wives of retired and fallen officers would be prey in the hands of sexual predators allegedly in the police pension office is the height of man’s inhumanity to man. It is wickedness in the extreme. What makes this more lamentable is that a widow/daughter of a retired or deceased officer is already in a disadvantaged position, having lost her husband or father. To now compound their woes by demanding sex from them before the payment of their breadwinners’ entitlements is wickedness that must have been curated in hell. Surely, the statute books did not envisage that the family members of deceased officers and men of the force would go through hell while pursuing their legitimate entitlements. What kind of depraved mind makes people in the throes of agony to go through much more? Does it mean that nothing can be done in this country without the ugly sub-text of corruption and rottenness?

We demand immediate investigation into this allegation and public presentation of the findings, if only to preserve the dignity of the force. In a world that is now a global village, this terrible news must have further damaged Nigeria’s image in the eyes of the world. In any case, it is distressing news for the officers and men who are currently in the service of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). What it means is that if ever they suffer the fate of their departed colleagues, similar treatment awaits their female family members at the hands of certain rapacious individuals in the police pensions board. This can hamper their dedication to their fatherland, their commitment to the NPF, and the protection of Nigerians. Besides, if such a destructive development is corrosively eating up the Nigeria police, it speaks volumes about the collapse of the walls of morality among those who are entrusted with the task of helping to build a good society.

The police authorities should, as a matter of urgency, get to the root of this objectionable development. Asking wives and daughters of dead and retired officers for sex before they can collect the gratuities of their dead breadwinners as the next of kin is not only detestable, it is abhorrent and criminal. Such a vile conduct, which might have been going on for long in the service, must be isolated for destruction. The masterminds, whether retired or serving in the Nigeria Police Force, must be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and other dignitaries on Friday paid glowing tributes to the late Professor Jonah Isawa-Elaigwu, a renowned academic.

Professor Elaigwu, 77, was until his passing the President of the Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR) and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Jos.

He was laid to rest at the Isawa Memorial Academy in Otukpo, a secondary school he founded as a symbol of his enduring legacy in knowledge and education.

In his tribute, Governor Alia described Professor Elaigwu as ‘an illustrious son’ of Benue State and ‘a towering figure in the academic world,’ who made remarkable contributions to nation-building through ‘teaching, research, public lectures, and publications.’

‘We will remember him for his integrity, intellectual brilliance, and commitment to the unity of our nation,’ the governor said.

Also speaking, the state’s Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, said Professor Elaigwu left an indelible mark on academia, ‘shaping minds and informing policies rooted in justice, equity, and altruism.’

Ode, who was represented at the burial by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ede Ogwuche, added: ‘As a distinguished scholar of political science and international relations, his voice resonated in academic halls and policy fora, inspiring countless individuals to pursue excellence, integrity, and service.’

In his own tribute, the immediate past Deputy Governor of Benue State, Engr. Benson Abounu, said the late academic inspired him and generations of scholars to pursue their dreams.

‘We looked up to Professor Elaigwu because of his academic brilliance. He contributed immensely to the development of federalism in Nigeria, particularly during the military administration of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,’ Abounu recalled.

The officiating minister at the funeral service, the Archbishop of the Methodist Church in Benue State, the Most Reverend Joshua Ngbede, urged Christians to imbibe the virtues of love and forgiveness exemplified by Christ.

He praised Professor Elaigwu for his life of service and integrity and encouraged mourners to recommit themselves to promoting peace and national development.

A touching highlight of the event was a musical rendition by students of the Isawa Memorial Academy in honour of their late proprietor.

The late professor was interred within the school premises as his bereaved children and relatives wept uncontrollably.

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The national burial committee, chaired by Professor Sunday Ochoche, included dignitaries such as Justice Ejembi Eko (rtd) of the Supreme Court, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan (rtd), and several academics from the University of Jos, where Professor Elaigwu spent most of his academic career.

Earlier, nights of tributes were held in his honour in Abuja and Jos, where former Nigerian Heads of State – Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdulsalami Abubakar – as well as former Senate Presidents David Mark and Iyorchia Ayu, paid glowing tributes to the late scholar for the remarkable life he lived.

At the Abuja event, Victoria Elaigwu described her father as ‘an accomplished international scholar who mentored several younger academics.’

‘He taught us the values of hard work, integrity, and compassion, leading by example in everything he did. His legacy is one of patriotism, resilience, kindness, and unyielding love. We will carry his memory in our hearts forever,’ she said.

Born in 1948, Professor Elaigwu served as a teacher, researcher, and adviser to successive governments in Nigeria. He was globally recognised for his expertise in federalism, political stability, and democratic governance.

American reality television star and business mogul Kim Kardashian has revealed that she has a brain aneurysm.

The disclosure came during the Season 7 premiere of The Kardashians, which aired on Thursday.

In a preview clip from the episode titled ‘Feels Like the Old Days,’ the 45-year-old is seen undergoing a brain scan. ‘There’s like a little aneurysm,’ Kardashian says as medical imaging of her brain appears on a monitor.

Her sister, Kourtney Kardashian Barker, reacts to the revelation with a startled, ‘Whoa.’ Kim responds, ‘They’re like, ‘Just stress,” before adding, ‘People think I have the luxury of walking away.’

In another scene, she admits, ‘This week has been the hardest week of my life.’

As of press time, details about Kardashian’s condition remain unclear. Her representatives – including her agent, publicist, and attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A brain aneurysm occurs when a weakened blood vessel in the brain swells outward, resembling a blister.

While many aneurysms remain harmless, a rupture can lead to bleeding in the brain, a life-threatening condition known as a hemorrhagic stroke.

Kardashian, a billionaire entrepreneur, has built her fortune through reality television, social media influence, and her successful ventures in cosmetics and shapewear.

She first gained prominence through the hit series Keeping Up with the Kardashians and filed for divorce from rapper Kanye West in 2021 after nearly seven years of marriage.

They share four children.

Araba, the Chief Priest of Osogbo Land, Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon, the renowned Ifa priest of Osogbo, has explained the dangers that await a married woman who is unfaithful to her husband.

He made this statement while hosting members of the ?m? Yoruba Atata Socio-Cultural Initiative (OYÀSI) at his residence on Elebuibon Street, in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.

The visit was part of preparations for the upcoming World Headdress Celebration, which will take place in Ibadan on December 28, 2025, following the first edition held in 2024 at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan, the first of its kind worldwide.

Elebuibon, who is globally known for his deep knowledge of Ifa divination and Yoruba spiritual practices, explained that the Yoruba people already had a well-developed traditional system long before the Europeans introduced modern science.

He added that the Yoruba had their own ways of identifying the paternity of a child without any medical blood test.

According to him, ‘Head adornment is very important for both men and women in Yoruba land, especially the tradition of wearing caps and head-ties, which the ?m? Yoruba Atata group is now promoting.

‘The Yoruba have their complete and unique traditions; it is not true that the Europeans came to teach us how to be civilized.

‘The practice of wearing caps and head-ties, which you are now reviving, is very significant especially for the younger generation who no longer know the difference between right and wrong.

‘Indeed, caps (fila) were sometimes used in traditional rituals to determine the faithfulness of a woman. It is used to ease prolonged labour but it works only for a woman who is truly faithful to her husband. That practice is, in a way, similar to what we now call DNA testing.

‘A woman must be faithful to her husband. Did you know that the Yoruba had their own ways of verifying a child’s paternity in ancient times, before modern blood tests existed? That was how our ancestors used to confirm the true father of a child.’

He then commended the ?m? Yoruba Atata Socio-Cultural Initiative for their efforts in promoting Yoruba culture and traditions, especially through World Headdress Celebration they are organizing.

Likewise, he pledged his support for the organization and expressed hope that the annual festival would soon gain recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which would make it an officially celebrated global event every year.

Earlier, during the visit, the chairman of OYÀSI, Mr. Olawale Ajao, explained that the Yoruba people use caps and head-ties for many spiritual and cultural purposes.

Ajao, accompanied by Mr. Adeyemi Oloriire, Mr. Kolawole Olatunji, and Mrs. Yetunde Olalere, also praised the veteran Ifa priest for his continuous efforts in promoting Yoruba culture around the world

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the screening of all aspirants contesting for various national offices in the 2025 PDP Elective National Convention will hold on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, who is the Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC), stated this in a statement in Abuja.

The screening, according to Fintiri, will hold at the NCOC Secretariat Conference Hall, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, at 2 p.m., while the screening of the appeal committee has been slated for Thursday, Oct. 30.

‘To this effect, Monday, Oct. 27, has been approved as the last date for the submission of already completed expression of interest and nomination forms by all aspirants to the NCOC Secretariat,’ he said.

Fintiri added that all aspirants, critical stakeholders, and party members should note the dates and be guided accordingly.

The national convention is slated for Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 in Ibadan.

Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has honoured its founding fathers and past leaders for their immense contributions to the growth of the Pentecostal movement and national development, as the body marked its 40th anniversary.

Among those honoured at the Thanksgiving service held at Redemption City were Archbishop Benson Idahosa (posthumously), late Rev. Uma Ukpai, Rev. Charles Osueke, Rev. O. Ezekiel, Rev. D.O. Ogunkanmi of Christ Gospel Church Mission, Pastor William Kumuyi, Rev. Samuel Odunaike, Pastor E.O. Abina, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), and Pastor E.A. Adeboye.

The event brought together Christian leaders, clerics, and dignitaries from across the country to celebrate four decades of unity, evangelism, and advocacy within Nigeria’s Pentecostal community.

In his remarks, the National President of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, commended the vision and commitment of the founding fathers of PFN, saying their labour and sacrifice laid the strong foundation upon which the PFN continues to stand today.

He recalled that the PFN was birthed out of the ‘Greater Lagos for Christ’ crusade by the late renowned evangelist, Rev. Uma Ukpai, in 1985.

Oke described Ukpai as a great apostle with an unwavering passion for soul-winning and a detribalised servant of God whose ministry transcended ethnic and regional boundaries.

Speaking on the theme, ‘PFN: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,’ Oke said the fellowship has remained a unifying force for the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria, fostering spiritual growth, national impact, and a collective vision for the future of the Church.

In his sermon, the Presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has called on Christians to actively seek and apply divine wisdom to address the nation’s challenges.

Bishop Oyedepo highlighted the contributions of the church to education, economy, healthcare, and other key sectors, urging Christians to take the lead in addressing the pressing challenges confronting the nation.

The cleric stressed the need for the church to rely more on divine wisdom to increase its positive impact on society.

‘Through wisdom, kings reign and princes decree justice. Jesus is the wisdom and the power of God. We have continued to celebrate power now; let us move forward and start celebrating wisdom. Divine wisdom is our heritage in redemption; we now have the mind of Christ with the capacity to create solutions.

‘It is time to start calling down the wisdom of God to keep creating solutions to the seemingly impossible challenges of life around us.

‘Let us ask from God the wisdom that will show the way forward towards our enthronement in our various areas of endeavors.

‘We need to tap into the wisdom from heaven to enhance our rate of impact on the world around us. The Lord will send forth His wisdom into the church that will cause it to begin to rule and reign in various spheres of life,’ Oyedepo said.

Delivering his goodwill message, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended the fellowship for its enduring impact on national development and moral leadership.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Christian Matters, Rev. Bukola Adeleke, said the fellowship, through its crusades and leadership networks, has raised men and women who continue to shape society positively.

‘PFN has also served as a moral compass for our public life, speaking truth to power with courage and grace, calling leaders to accountability and upholding the sanctity of life, justice, and peace.

‘In times of national uncertainty, PFN has prayed, in moment of moral decline, PFN has spoken, when the soul of our nation has been tested, PFN has stood firm. A watchman on the walls of Nigeria. Through its leadership, the fellowship has continually reminded us that spiritual power must work in hand with moral integrity and that faith without conscience is no faith at all.’

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger has declared tuition-free education for the 809 newly admitted students of the Abdulkadir Kure University, Minna (AKUM), for the 2024/2025 academic session.

The Governor made the declaration during the matriculation ceremony of the university held on Thursday in Minna.

According to the governor, ‘the initiative to declare free tuition for the matriculants is part of my administration’s commitment to making AKUM a model institution in the country’.

‘All the 809 students are tuition-free. Our dream is to make this institution a role model in Nigeria’.

Umaru Bago also announced that two per cent of the state’s total investments would henceforth be dedicated to an endowment fund for the university.

He explained that the decision was part of measures to strengthen the state’s education sector and promote sustainable growth in tertiary education.

The governor assured that there would be no Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strikes in the institution since it is a state-owned private university.

Umaru Bago further disclosed that the state government had cancelled its earlier plan to sponsor students abroad on scholarship, saying, ‘the funds earmarked for that purpose would now be invested in local tertiary institutions’.

‘It is not wrong for a leader to make a statement and later retract it. We had planned to send some students abroad on scholarship, but I have cancelled that decision. Instead, we are going to bring in foreign teachers.

‘Rather than spending money to send students outside for scholarships, we would invest the funds here to build our own capacity,’ the governor said.

The governor also announced plans to construct a housing estate for staff and lecturers of the university and revealed that the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences would commence academic activities in the next session.

He congratulated the matriculating students and urged them to be good ambassadors of their families and the state, adding that each of them would receive a ?100,000 bursary.

In his remarks, Prof. Mohammed Yahaya-Kuta, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, described the governor as a visionary leader committed to investing in the younger generation through education.

He said knowledge and innovation had become the drivers of global progress.

Earlier, Prof. Mohammed Aliyu-Paiko, the Vice-Chancellor of AKUM, described the matriculation ceremony as the beginning of a transformative journey for the students.

Aliyu-Paiko said the university was committed to equipping students with practical skills, innovative mindsets, and entrepreneurial capacity to make them job creators and contributors to national development.

He commended the governor for championing the Green Economy Initiative, which, he said, aligns with the university’s mission to train professionals in sustainable agriculture, biotechnology, environmental sciences, ICT, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he will appear as a witness in the trial of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, if he is subpoenaed by the court.

Wike made this known on Friday during his monthly media chat when asked about being named by Kanu as one of his witnesses.

His remark came after Kanu, in a motion filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, informed the court that he would open his defence on Friday, October 24, 2025.

The IPOB leader had also listed 23 witnesses, including the FCT Minister, former Minister of Defence Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd), and former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd), among others.

During the session, Wike clarified that he did not request to be named as a witness and had not received any court papers.

He added that he would only appear in court if officially summoned, stressing that he could not become a witness based on media reports.

‘If you see Nnamdi Kanu, you ask him why he listed me. I did not go to him to say I want to be a witness; you are the one saying that. So, if you see him, ask him why did you list Wike as one of your witnesses?

‘You don’t become a witness by reading a newspaper. Nobody has served me process; nobody has subpoenaed me.

‘So, because I saw Wike has been listed, therefore, I begin to run helter-skelter. No, you do not do that. If I am served, if I am subpoenaed to come and give witness, or to give evidence, I must obey the court, I must appear,’ he said.

The Lagos Area Office of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Friday deployed a task force to implement strategic operational measures aimed at tackling the buildup of water weeds, popularly known as water hyacinth around the Ikorodu axis.

The move is part of proactive efforts to prevent the menace from disrupting boat transportation and other waterway activities in the littoral communities.

The NIWA team, supported by heavy-duty equipment such as swamp devils, harvesters, and other relevant machinery, has commenced preliminary clearing operations around Ebute Ikorodu and the Ikpakodo ferry terminal.

The exercise is intended to ensure that the waterways remain navigable and free from obstructions caused by the invasive aquatic weed.

Engr. Sarat Braimah, Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, explained that the deployment of the task force is a preventive measure designed to guarantee the smooth movement of goods and passengers through the Ikorodu waterways, a zone that often experiences recurring infestations of water hyacinth.

‘We have carefully studied the pattern and spread of the water hyacinth phenomenon and have chosen to act swiftly to mitigate its impact before it causes disruption to boat and ferry operations,’ Engr. Braimah stated.

‘Beyond transportation, we are also mindful of the effects on local fishing activities. The earlier we address the problem, the better. My boss, the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has awarded a contract to tackle the menace of water hyacinth across the country to ensure the smooth movement of goods and passengers. I will personally be on the ground throughout the week to monitor the progress of the operation by the contractors,’ she added.