Category: Daily Trust

The management of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Osara, in Kogi State, has expelled two 200-level female students og the institution, Ezekiel Precious Omeneke and Aku Joy Chinyere, for involvement in lesbianism.

Two others, Musa Abdulhakeem Onimisi and Dominion Kolade A., who were found culpable in cases of physical assault, stabbing and cloning of fellow students’ pictures, were also expelled from the institution.

According to the Deputy Registrar, Academic Affairs, of the institution, Mr Eli Usman Gbadafu, on Sunday, the decision to expel the affected students was taken by the University Senate at its 30th Regular Meeting held on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

He added that one other student, Agbakaru Kosikochukwu, was rusticated for one academic session over fighting and physical assault.

The Deputy Registrar added that the Senate’s decisions over the affected students take immediate effect.

Access ARM Pensions has posted a rise in revenue in its first full financial year following the merger between Access Pensions and ARM Pensions, underscoring the scale of benefits and operational efficiencies already being unlocked from the combination.

The pension fund administrator grew gross revenue by 50.4 percent to N42.4 billion in the 2025 financial year from N28.2 billion recorded in 2024, while profit after tax rose by 48 per cent to N16.1 billion from N10.9 billion in the previous year.

Assets under management also increased significantly surpassing N4 trillion in 2025 from about N3 trillion in 2024, reinforcing the company’s position as one of Nigeria’s largest pension fund administrators.

At the company’s Annual General Meeting in Lagos, shareholders approved a dividend payout of N2 per share.

Speaking at the meeting, Acting Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer, Abimbola Sulaiman, described 2025 as a defining year for the business, being the first full year in which the combined operations of both firms were reflected in the financial statements.

‘If you recall, FY2025 was our first full year post-merger. In 2024, ARM Pensions was part of the business for only about five months, so 2025 marked the first full year of consolidation,’ she said.

According to her, the company successfully extracted substantial operational synergies from the merger, particularly through cost optimisation, while simultaneously strengthening customer acquisition and expanding pension assets.

‘We were able to extract significant synergies, particularly on the cost side. The business is strong, the brand is strong, and we recorded strong gains in customer acquisition and assets under management,’ she stated.

Sulaiman noted that the company’s growth trajectory was outperforming broader industry expansion, largely driven by merger-related value creation and increased scale.

‘Our AUM grew from about N3 trillion in 2024 to N4 trillion in 2025, which represents significant growth. So, we are seeing strong double-digit growth, not only in line with the industry but ahead of it, largely because of the value capture achieved from the merger,’ she added.

She said the company expects stronger performance over the medium term as integration benefits continue to mature across operations and revenue channels.

‘As you know, mergers and acquisitions typically take between one and three years before full integration benefits are realised, both from a cost optimisation and revenue synergy standpoint. We are therefore optimistic about the growth trajectory ahead,’ she said.

Sulaiman also pointed to growing opportunities within the pension industry, particularly as regulators continue to push reforms aimed at widening pension penetration and deepening coverage across the country.

‘The pension industry itself is growing and becoming more consolidated, and our position within the industry remains solid. We intend to leverage that position to strengthen our competitiveness further,’ she said.

She added that despite new regulatory capital requirements for pension operators, the company remained confident of meeting the threshold internally without diluting shareholders.

‘The fact that we are able to pay dividends this year while still working towards meeting the new minimum capital requirement ahead of the regulator’s deadline demonstrates our confidence in the strength and performance of the business.

‘We will meet the capital requirement before the deadline, and we will not require any external capital injection to do so,’ she stated.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2026 academic session.

The decision was reached during the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions in Abuja, attended by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and stakeholders from tertiary institutions across the country, on Monday.

At the meeting, JAMB also announced that candidates seeking admission into Education programmes and agriculture-related non-engineering courses in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics would no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB said, ‘Candidates seeking admission into Education Programmes and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME.’

Speaking at the policy meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, explained that candidates seeking admission into National Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes would no longer be required to sit the UTME, provided they possess the required qualifications.

Alausa declared, ‘Candidates seeking admission into the NCE programme, who possess a minimum of four credit passes, will no longer be required to sit for the UTME.’

The minister, however, stressed that such candidates must still register with JAMB for screening and admission processing through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

‘However, it is imperative to emphasise that such candidates shall mandatorily register with JAMB, and their credentials shall be duly screened, verified, and certified for the issuance of admission letters through CAPS, in accordance with extant regulations,’ the minister stated.

Alausa added that the exemption would also apply to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma (ND) programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses.

Alausa noted, ‘This exemption shall extend to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses.’

According to the minister, the policy is designed to expand access to tertiary education while maintaining the integrity of the admission process.

‘This approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system.

‘It will not only ease the pressure associated with UTME but also encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are critical to national development,’ he added.

More domestic airlines may reduce flight operations across Nigeria as the worsening Jet A1 aviation fuel crisis continues to disrupt schedules and raise fresh concerns over passenger safety and the survival of carriers already struggling with rising operational costs.

Operators say route cuts and reduced frequencies have become unavoidable as the cost and availability of aviation fuel remain unstable despite previous interventions by industry regulators and government agencies.

On Friday, one of the domestic carriers, Rano Air, took a decision to reduce frequencies, cancelling over 50 per cent of flights.

Also, a source yesterday confirmed that Max Air would also follow suit by cancelling several of its flights as the Jet A1 crisis bites harder.

The source, a member of staff of the airline, told Daily Trust the airline had decided to cancel Bauchi, reduce flights to Port Harcourt, Kano, Lagos and other routes.

‘We will reduce it. We are reducing like 50,’ the operator disclosed, indicating the scale of ongoing operational adjustments within the sector.

Many airlines have also scaled down their operations by doing what a source called, ‘skeletal service.’

‘We believe this is what we can do to cope with the current situation since we didn’t shut down again completely.

This was actually our plan if not for the intervention of the federal government. But the intervention has not yielded any results. Jet A1 prices are still on the high side,’ he said.

Another operator added that carriers may soon transfer part of the additional operational burden to passengers through higher ticket prices.

‘We may possibly increase our prices,’ the source said.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has warned that persistent fuel shortages are beginning to create serious safety concerns within Nigeria’s aviation industry.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, NAAPE President, Captain Bunmi Gindeh, said prolonged flight delays and operational disruptions caused by fuel scarcity were increasing crew fatigue and placing pressure on safety margins.

‘The persistent disruptions to flight schedules occasioned by the Jet A1 supply shortfall have resulted in significant extensions of crew duty time beyond planned parameters,’ Gindeh said, adding, ‘Fatigue impairs cognitive function, slows reaction time, and, most dangerously, erodes situational awareness.’ The union urged the Federal

Government, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), fuel suppliers and other stakeholders to urgently resolve the supply disruptions before the situation deteriorates further.

The union also warned that the economic effects of the crisis are beginning to ripple through airline operations and staff welfare systems.

Bandits invaded Hayin Kwanta village in Sukuntuni Ward of Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State on Sunday night, shooting two persons and rustling livestock.

Daily Trust gathered that the attackers, who arrived on motorcycles, stormed the village at about sunset, firing sporadically and causing panic among residents.

Many of the residents were said to have fled into nearby bushes to escape being killed or abducted.

The two victims injured during the attack were identified as Abashe and his son, who sustained gunshot wounds, while trying to flee from the assailants.

Sources in the community said the victims were later evacuated to a hospital in the Katsina metropolis, where they are currently receiving treatment.

Eyewitnesses told Daily Trust that the gunmen operated freely in the village for some hours without any immediate confrontation from security personnel despite repeated distress calls made by residents to relevant authorities.

A resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, for fear of reprisal, said the villagers were left helpless as the attackers moved from one part of the community to another, shooting into the air and gathering livestock before escaping.

‘We kept calling for help, but nobody came on time. People ran into the bush with their children while the bandits continued operating. They took away many animals and left the entire village terrified,’ the resident said.

The exact number of rustled animals could not be independently confirmed as of the time of filing this report, but locals said several households lost cattle, goats, and sheep during the raid.

Although the Katsina State Government had earlier introduced the Community Security Watch Corps and strengthened collaboration with local vigilante groups to support conventional security agencies, residents of Southern Kankia said attacks by bandits have continued unabated in recent months.

Hayin Kwanta and neighbouring communities in Sukuntuni Ward have reportedly remained vulnerable to attacks for more than two years, with villagers repeatedly raising concerns over inadequate security presence in the area.

Residents said the recurring attacks have negatively affected farming activities, livestock rearing, and normal social life, as many people now live in constant fear of possible bandit invasions.

Community leaders are now appealing to both the federal and state governments to deploy additional security personnel and establish permanent security outposts in vulnerable communities across Kankia Local Government Area.

They also called for intensified surveillance and rapid response mechanisms to enable security agencies to respond swiftly to distress calls from rural communities under attack.

However, the Katsina State Police Command’s public relations officer, DSP Sadiq Aliyu, assured that police operatives, in collaboration with other security agencies, are trailing the perpetrators with a view to apprehending and prosecuting them.

This video investigates the NNPCL’s new partnership with Chinese firms to revive Nigeria’s dormant Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, following over ?11 trillion in repairs between 2010 and 2023. Despite recent $2.39 billion investments and a brief 2024 restart, the report analyzes, through expert commentary, whether this move represents a genuine turnaround or a continuation of historical, costly, and failed rehabilitation efforts.

For decades, Nigeria’s anti-corruption war was largely perceived as a slow, paper-driven struggle-one fought through petitions, physical files, prolonged investigations, and courtroom delays. While anti-graft agencies possessed legal mandates, many citizens doubted whether they truly had the technological capacity to outsmart increasingly sophisticated corruption networks.

Today, however, a different narrative appears to be emerging. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is gradually signaling a strategic transformation-one in which artificial intelligence, geospatial intelligence, digital monitoring, and data analytics are becoming frontline weapons in the fight against corruption.

That transformation was placed on international display during the 16th Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa held in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The conference, organised by the National Anti-Corruption Commission in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, focused on a theme both timely and strategic: ‘Deploying Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against Corruption in Commonwealth Africa.’

Representing Nigeria, ICPC Chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu showcased the Commission’s technology-driven Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI)-a system designed to promote transparency, accountability, and value for money in public project execution.

Presenting Nigeria’s country paper on behalf of the Chairman, the Commission’s Head of External Cooperation, Ahmed Abdul, explained how CEPTI deploys geospatial mapping technology for real-time monitoring, validation, and analysis of constituency and executive projects nationwide. The figures presented were striking.

According to the ICPC, projects worth over ?22.9 trillion have been tracked through the initiative since inception. Recoveries linked to improperly executed projects reportedly exceeded ?4.9 billion, while government savings from aborted, inflated, or re-scoped contracts surpassed ?91.4 billion.

These are not merely statistics. They are indicators of what becomes possible when oversight evolves from manual bureaucracy into intelligent, data-driven accountability. Corruption traditionally thrives in darkness-through ghost projects, inflated contracts, abandoned sites, manipulated procurement records, and weak monitoring mechanisms. In such an environment, opacity becomes an enabler of theft.

Digital systems change that equation. Through geospatial mapping, real-time project verification, analytics, and technology-assisted oversight, CEPTI reportedly tracks whether projects actually exist, whether work is progressing, and whether public funds are translating into visible outcomes. In practical terms, corruption is now confronted with what it fears most: traceability.

When contractors know projects can be digitally verified, when officials understand that expenditure patterns can be analysed in real time, and when abandoned projects can be remotely flagged, the risks associated with corruption increase significantly. This shift deserves recognition.

Nigeria’s anti-corruption strategy cannot continue relying solely on arrests, media raids, and courtroom drama. Those tools remain important, but the future of accountability lies equally in prevention, predictive oversight, digital transparency, and early detection systems.

This is where the ICPC model becomes instructive. Rather than waiting for funds to disappear before reacting, CEPTI introduces a more proactive logic: detect anomalies early, monitor execution continuously, compare budgets against delivery, expose inflated costs through data, and force contractors back to abandoned sites before projects collapse entirely.

This is not merely anti-corruption enforcement. It is anti-corruption engineering. Other institutions across Nigeria-from procurement agencies to ministries, audit offices, and even local governments-have much to learn from this approach. After all, the best public money recovered is often the money never stolen in the first place.

Equally important is the international dimension of the Yaoundé conference. Modern corruption is no longer confined within national borders. Stolen assets move across jurisdictions. Shell companies conceal illicit funds internationally. Procurement fraud increasingly involves foreign intermediaries and digital financial systems.

No country can confront such realities in isolation. The significance of Commonwealth collaboration, therefore, lies in the creation of shared intelligence, common standards, and digital cooperation frameworks. Countries can exchange suspicious transaction patterns, contractor histories, asset trails, and investigative techniques.

Nations with advanced forensic capabilities can support others in artificial intelligence investigations, digital evidence gathering, and financial analytics. This cooperative approach is essential because corruption itself has evolved technologically. Anti-corruption institutions must evolve faster.

The summit’s emphasis on digital literacy and youth participation was equally strategic. The future of accountability will depend heavily on a new generation equipped not only with ethical consciousness but with skills in coding, analytics, forensic technology, and governance systems.

If sustained, the implications for Nigeria could be transformative. Stronger digital oversight could reduce contract inflation, improve infrastructure delivery, strengthen investor confidence, enhance service delivery, and restore public trust in institutions. More importantly, it could help shift Nigeria from a culture of reactive scandal management to one of proactive integrity management.

For too long, Nigeria’s global image has been shaped largely by corruption narratives. Yet initiatives such as CEPTI present an alternative story-one of reform, innovation, and institutional adaptation.

Of course, technology alone will not eliminate corruption. Systems are only as effective as the political will, institutional discipline, and ethical leadership behind them. Artificial intelligence can identify anomalies, but it cannot replace integrity. Digital tools can expose fraud, but they cannot substitute courage in prosecution and accountability.

Still, the direction matters. The war against corruption is no longer fought only in interrogation rooms and courtrooms. It is increasingly being fought through algorithms, data systems, mapping technologies, predictive analytics, and international digital cooperation.

If the ICPC sustains this momentum-expanding technological oversight, strengthening partnerships, and institutionalising digital accountability-it may help redefine what anti-corruption success looks like in the 21st century. And perhaps, for the first time in a long while, the future may begin to favour transparency over impunity.

The Delta State Police Command has arrested three suspected female drug traffickers during a covert operation in Ogbomoro and Ugolo communities in Warri metropolis, recovering substances suspected to be Canadian Loud, codeine and other illicit drugs.

The suspects were identified as Favor Isaac, 25; Favour Felix, 24; and Samson Precious, 19.

The Command’s Spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said the suspects were arrested following intelligence regarding the activities of suspected drug peddlers operating within Ogbomoro and Ugolo communities in Warri metropolis.

He said the operatives of Effuru Area Command carried out a covert operation in the area on May 7, 2026, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.

He disclosed that during a search warrant executed at the suspects’ hideout located along River Road, Ogbomoro community, 640 grams of substances suspected to be Canadian Loud concealed in different bags and containers were recovered.

He added that 21 bottles of CSC Codeine, two canisters containing Nitrous Oxide popularly known as ‘laughing gas’, two packs of suspected psychoactive chewing gum branded as ‘Highness Gum’ were also recovered.

According to him, preliminary investigation revealed that one Rukewe Tega Isaac, currently at large, was allegedly the major supplier behind the drug network.

Edafe said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect and other members of the syndicate.

In line with the vision of Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to drive strategic infrastructural transformation and urban renewal across the state, the Adamawa State Government has commenced plans for the construction of an ultra-modern builders market along Numan Road in Yola.

The Commissioner for Works, Mohammed Suleiman, alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mohammed Awal Ibrahim, the Director of Civil Engineering, Engr. Geoffrey P. Dariya, and other senior technical officials, visited the proposed site for the Fresh Air Ultra-Modern Builders Market to assess the project location and inspect the development plan.

The proposed market project is expected to enhance urban development, improve commercial activities, and ensure clear and uninterrupted access to critical public facilities, including the Adamawa State Specialist Hospital.

During the inspection tour, the commissioner examined the proposed master plan with emphasis on access roads, traffic circulation, and drainage control systems aimed at promoting smooth vehicular movement and effective flood management within the area.

Speaking during the visit, Hon. Engr. Suleiman said the initiative forms part of the ongoing commitment of the administration of Governor Fintiri to modernize infrastructure and create a more organized, accessible, and business-friendly environment for residents, investors, and traders across Adamawa State.

He noted that the project would not only improve the aesthetics of the area but also stimulate economic growth and provide a conducive environment for businesses connected to the building and construction sector.

The Fresh Air Ultra-Modern Builders Market is expected to become one of the key commercial infrastructure projects under the current administration’s urban renewal agend

At least three staff members of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Kwara State were hospitalised on Monday following a violent disruption of activities at the agency’s headquarters in Ilorin.

The incident allegedly involved members of the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Employees (NUAAE).

The protest, which reportedly paralysed activities within the authority, was said to have been staged over allegations of high-handedness and poor workers’ welfare under the current management.

Sources within the authority said some protesting union members allegedly attacked workers during the disturbance, inflicting varying degrees of injuries on staff members.

The situation, it was gathered, forced the management to alert the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) over the deteriorating security situation.

Speaking with journalists after the incident, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Engr. Olushola George Olumoroti, described the development as a violent attack rather than a peaceful protest.

‘Three staff members of the authority were hospitalised after allegedly being severely beaten by the protesting workers,’ Olumoroti said, presenting a video recording of the incident.

According to him, the unrest was linked to disciplinary proceedings involving NUAAE state chairman, Mr. Mudi Olayinka Raji.

He alleged that Raji, who is a former Ilorin Area Manager, instigated workers to barricade the entrance of the agency and disrupt official activities.

The managing director explained that upon assuming office in April 2025, the management reviewed disciplinary reports and financial records inherited from previous administrations in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He alleged that earlier disciplinary panels investigated claims bordering on diversion of government revenue, unretired IOUs and unauthorised financial transactions allegedly involving the union leader and his wife, who is not a staff member of the authority.

Olumoroti said the disciplinary committees found the officer and four others culpable and recommended sanctions ranging from refund of unaccounted funds and warning letters to dismissal over alleged gross misconduct and corrupt practices.

According to him, the recommendations were subsequently reviewed and upheld by another committee as well as the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee, which included representatives of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

He stated that the affected officers were denied promotion in line with public service regulations pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings.

The managing director, however, disclosed that he personally appealed to the Minister of Water Resources, Joseph Utsev, to temper justice with mercy by reducing the recommended dismissal to lesser sanctions.

He said the minister approved the appeal and directed the NUAAE chairman to refund unaccounted funds, accept a warning letter and submit an undertaking of good conduct.

Olumoroti added, ‘While other affected officers reportedly complied with the directive and returned to duty, the union leader allegedly rejected the clemency and petitioned the minister, claiming that documentary evidence used against him had been forged.

The allegation, according to him, prompted the minister to order a fresh investigation through a special disciplinary committee.

Olumoroti alleged that Monday’s disruption was aimed at frustrating the work of the investigative panel and undermining ongoing reforms within the authority.

‘This is a case of corruption fighting back. We are introducing reforms, accountability and discipline into the system and some people are resisting change,’ he said.

He further alleged that some workers invaded the premises with weapons, assaulted staff members and breached security within the agency, adding that another union resisted the disruption and insisted its members were at work and not part of the protest.

The managing director maintained that the authority would not tolerate violence, intimidation or acts capable of undermining public service rules and due process within the establishment.

But the Kwara State Chairman of the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Employees (NUAAE), Mudi Olayinka Raji, denied the allegations levelled against him by the management of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, insisting that he and other affected staff were victims of victimisation and intimidation.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Monday, Raji alleged that the management, in collaboration with former officials of the authority, deliberately frustrated the promotion of some staff members because of their insistence on accountability within the agency.

He also dismissed allegations of financial misconduct and denied claims linking his wife to unauthorised financial transactions within the authority.

‘They were the ones that forged my signature to rope me and my wife. My wife is not a staff; how will any officer pay her any money and for what?’ he queried.

Raji further claimed that the protest action was carried out under the directive of the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), adding that the workers were peacefully demonstrating before violence broke out.

‘The NLC led the move to picket the place following a directive from the national body and while we were outside singing and dancing with other unions, the MD sent some of his supporters to attack us,’ he alleged.

According to him, the confrontation escalated after some individuals allegedly attacked the protesters with dangerous weapons.

‘They started by breaking one of the keys with a cutlass before another one came to attack us and we had to respond. Nobody went inside to meet them,’ he said.

Raji denied responsibility for the injuries reportedly sustained by staff members during the incident, insisting that those affected were not attacked by union members.

‘The three affected staff got themselves injured and one of them even ran away. We are not behind any of their injuries. What happened was as a result of victimisation, intimidation and oppression,’ he added.