Category: Nigerian Tribune

The Chairman of the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), Alhaji Lamis Dikko, has said that the 19 northern states are facing serious socio-economic challenges, with poverty levels above 60%, and over 80% in states such as Zamfara and Sokoto, compared to about 30% in the South.

He spoke at the ongoing Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialization Summit in Abuja.

Dikko noted that traditional development approaches have not been effective and called for a new direction.

He stressed that embedding technology, digital infrastructure, and innovation in all sectors is the only sustainable way forward.

According to him, a first step is to close the digital gap. He explained that while internet penetration in Nigeria is about 48%, rural and northern areas fall far behind, leaving more than 60 million Nigerians offline.

He warned that this could exclude the North from the $15.7 trillion global AI-driven economy projected for 2030, urging action to expand affordable broadband, smartphone access, and reliable electricity as key economic drivers.

On agriculture, Dikko said: ‘Agriculture remains the backbone of Northern Nigeria’s economy and livelihood but yields and incomes have long been limited by outdated practices. Embracing digital agriculture can change that.

‘Imagine widely adopting precision farming tools – from drones and sensors that monitor soil and crop health, to AI-driven analysis of weather and satellite data guiding planting decisions. These technologies help farmers optimize fertilizer and water use, predict pests or droughts, and significantly boost crop yields and reduce losses.’

On electricity, he added: ‘Northern Nigeria’s development is crippled by energy poverty – an unreliable grid and low access to electricity in many communities. Technology offers a two-fold solution: modernize the grid and leapfrog with renewables. Investments in smart grid systems can improve efficiency in power distribution, reducing the rampant losses and outages.’

He emphasized that achieving such transformation requires leadership, supportive policies, and strong public-private partnerships. He also called for regional cooperation, regulatory reforms, digital literacy programs, and initiatives that empower women and rural communities to prevent inequality from widening.

Dikko concluded that organizations like the NNDC can drive investment and policy advocacy and urged stakeholders to work together to address the region’s challenges.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has advised former President Goodluck Jonathan to continue to enjoy his retirement and protect his good name.

Spokesman of the party, Mogaji Seye Oladejo gave the advice while reacting to the statement made by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Jerry Gana on the former President Jonathan contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Oladejo described Gana’s rhetoric as too soon, noting that elections are about ideas and performance, not just bringing back old leaders.

He said, ‘Prof. Gana cannot decide alone who will be the PDP candidate, adding that this shows the party still has problems with fairness and internal democracy.

‘If Jonathan tries to run again, it will not be easy for him because of past records and other challenges. Nigerians should focus on real issues like food, electricity, transport, jobs, and security. President Bola Tinubu is already working on reforms to grow the economy and improve people’s lives.’

Lagos State Kick Against Drug and Substance Abuse (LASKADA) has appointed social media personality Ayomiposi Oluwadahunsi, popularly known as ‘Mandy Kiss,’ as its ambassador.

In a viral video posted by an X user, #dammiedammie35, on Tuesday, Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, conferred the ambassadorship on Mandy Kiss at an event organised by LASKADA.

He urged citizens to join the fight against substance misuse.

He said, ‘We’re here with Mandy Kiss, and you know, she’s actually agreed to become one of our LASKADA brand ambassadors, Lagos State Kicks Against Drug Abuse.

‘Drugs are a pandemic that is hitting our streets, it is a pandemic that is hitting our society, it is a pandemic that is hitting our community.

‘The government cannot fight it alone. We must work in collaboration with those that can reach as many people as possible, and we know Mandy Kiss has a large followership, 402,000. We’ve had conversations and we’re trying to do things differently.’

He said, ‘With the powers conferred on me, I make her one of our brand ambassadors. So, say no to drugs. Say what? Say no to drugs.’

The development comes a few days after Mandy Kiss was at the centre of public backlash over her controversial ‘marathon sex’ announcement.

Tribune Online reports that the Eselu of Iselu Kingdom, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, had petitioned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, calling for her arrest after she declared via Instagram that she planned to set a Guinness World Record by engaging with 100 men in 24 hours.

The monarch described the plan as ‘shameful, disgraceful, and a stain on Nigeria’s reputation.’

Earlier, Guinness World Records later distanced itself from the stunt, stressing that it does not monitor such attempts due to ethical and safety concerns.

In reaction, Mandy Kiss admitted in a TikTok video that the announcement was a desperate attempt to revive her fading online presence.

‘I was just trying to see if I was still relevant. Everywhere was dry on my page, so I came up with the idea to boost engagement and get adverts,’ she explained, adding that she could not afford legal battles.

Justice M.J. Zubairu of the Kaduna State High Court on Monday convicted and sentenced Solomon Ilemona Emmanuel for internet fraud.

The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted him on a one-count charge of impersonation and internet fraud.

The charge reads, ‘That you Solomon Ilemona Emmanuel (a.k.a SANTI XII) sometime in June, 2025 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently presented yourself as one SANTI XII on Facebook (a social media platform) to unsuspecting victims and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017.’

Emmanuel pleaded guilty. Following this, prosecution counsel M.J. Argungu asked the court to convict and sentence him.

Justice Zubairu sentenced Emmanuel to three years in prison or an option of a ?200,000 fine.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of a Tecno Camon Pro mobile phone and noted that Emmanuel had earlier restituted ?6,057,488.13 to his victims.

According to the EFCC, Emmanuel was arrested in the Kafanchan area of Kaduna State after intelligence reports revealed fraudulent online activities.

Investigations showed he acted as a ‘picker,’ receiving illicit funds through a Chinese vendor and transferring them to other members of the syndicate.

Some farmers in Ilora, Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State, have cried out over what they described as continued invasion and destruction of their farms by Fulani herdsmen.

One of the incidents which happened recently, captured in a 7-minute footage and made available to the Nigerian Tribune showed Fulani herdsmen having confrontation with farmers after a maize farm was destroyed by the cows being reared by the herdsmen.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, one of the farmers, who craved anonymity said: Before this recent incident, a farmer was few weeks ago, attacked in his farm, killed and his motorcycle taken away. If you look at the video very well, you will see a man in purple dress, that is there leader and you will see the way he was aiding his subjects to carry out attack on the farmers.’

Asked whether relevant security agencies have been noitified about the incident, he said:’We have reported the matter, but we just felt if we make more noise about it, we believe steps will be taken urgently to address the situation.

‘It has been a very long while that this thing is happening and if the situation continues the way it is, farmers will be forced out of the farms because of their safety and avoiding continued loss of farm produce to numerous attacks from these herdsmen.

‘We appeal to government to please come to our rescue by acting accordingly in order to check the nefarious activities of these herdsmen as they remain threat to food security in Oyo State and some other places across the country,’ he said.

The Nigeria Customs Service has announced the date for the online recruitment test for the Superintendent Cadre.

The test is scheduled to take place on Thursday, October 2, 2025.

Shortlisted candidates are divided into three batches (A, B, and C) and can check their batch, date, and time by logging in with their NIN on the Customs Service website for the online test.

The agency announced this in a statement via X on Monday.

According to the statement, ‘All shortlisted Superintendent Cadre candidates should log in with their NIN via ((link unavailable)) to check their Batch, Date, and Time.’

The NCS has also warned that strict compliance with assigned batch and time is mandatory, and failure to sit at the allotted time will result in disqualification.

Additionally, candidates are prohibited from using calculators and other devices during the test.

The NCS also noted that applicants for the Inspectorate and Assistant Cadres will be contacted later for their Pre-Test and Online Test, and they should not log in at this stage.

The relevant instructions from the NCS include:

Candidates must log in with their NIN to check their batch, date, and time

Strict compliance with assigned batch and time is mandatory to avoid disqualification

No calculators or devices are allowed during the test

Inspectorate and Assistant Cadre applicants will be contacted later and shouldn’t log in yet.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced that the online ticketing platform for the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) is now open for payment.

The Chief Public Relations Officer of the NRC, Mr. Callistus Unyimadu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

He explained that passengers are encouraged to book their tickets online ahead of resumption on Oct. 1 via https://nrc.tps.ng or visit any of the designated stations to purchase their tickets.

According to him, as part of preparations for the resumption of services, the journey time has been reduced following a review of the Temporary Speed Restriction (TSR) to improve operations.

‘The new schedule is as follows: Abuja-Kaduna – Idu: 8:45 a.m., Kubwa, 9:10 a.m., Rigasa (Arrive), 11:47 a.m. Kaduna-Abuja: Rigasa, 2:30 p.m., Kubwa, 5:12 p.m., and Idu (Arrive), 5:32 p.m.’

He added that the management of NRC appreciates the patience and understanding of passengers during the suspension period and assured the public that safety, comfort, and customer satisfaction remain top priorities.

The first prosecution witness (PW1) in the ongoing trial of the immediate past governor of Taraba State, Architect Darius Ishaku and one other before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ismail Oluwadamilare Lawal, on Tuesday told the court that he did not know the total amount of the former governor’s earned allowances he collected on his behalf from the Government House, Jalingo.

Ishaku and a former permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, on a 15-count charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/ 792/2024, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds to the tune of N27 billion.

The former governor and his co-defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

At the resumed hearing in the case today, Lawal, who was a personal assistant to the former governor, told the court under cross examination by counsel for the former governor, Paul Ogbole SAN, that he collected cash on behalf of the first defendant but did not know the total amount and the dates he collected the money.

‘I collected the first defendant’s earned allowances and distributed them based on his instructions. But I don’t know the total amount I received on his behalf. I also don’t know the dates,’ the witness told the court.

He told the court that he too was paid allowances for working with the former governor, adding that he was paid N20,000 allowance per day anytime he travelled with his principal.

Lawal informed the court that he was paid N130,000 monthly salary and had a poultry farm at Kubwa, Abuja, with 6,000 birds while working with the former governor.

‘The birds were 6,000 then but as of today, they are 2,000. The capacity has diminished. As of then, the poultry’s value was about N5million. It is being run by my father and me,’ he said.

When shown the notebook he made entries of allowances he collected earlier tendered as exhibit by the prosecution, the witness told the court that the entries were not counter signed by those he collected money from.

He further said that the notebook was neither a government record nor banking record, adding that the recording he did in the notebook was between him and the former governor.

Answering other questions, Lawal told the court that he was asked to go to Lagos by the first defendant and informed that he lodged in hotels, paying N20,000 daily, amounting to N600,000 per month.

According to him, ‘I was asked to go to Lagos by His Excellency (Ishaku). That was not the first time I had been to Lagos; I have friends and relatives there.

‘I stayed in hotels in Lagos. I paid bills for the time I stayed there at N20,000 per day, totalling N600,000 per month. I spent one and seven months there.’

He, however, said he did not tender any hotel receipts, adding that EFCC operatives that arrested him in his hotel room in Lagos carted away some documents, including some of the receipts.

The PW1 told the court that he was taken to EFCC Lagos office when he was arrested and was brought to Abuja from there same day. He added that he made statement to the anti-graft agency in Lagos.

Meanwhile, Justice Oriji has adjourned the case to October 20 for the continuation of cross examination of the PW1.

The Coalition of Farmers Association of Nigeria (COFAN) and the Himma Youth Farmers Association of Nigeria (HYFAN) have expressed concern that the Federal Government’s ongoing restructuring of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) could lead to sharp increases in fertilizer prices, threatening smallholder farmers and food security across the country.

Speaking on behalf of the groups, Dr. Abubakar Bamai commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his agricultural reforms and policies aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s food systems, but urged the administration to safeguard the achievements recorded under the Buhari-led government.

‘Mr. President, Nigerian farmers cannot afford a disruption in fertilizer supply at this critical moment. We deeply appreciate your reforms, but we appeal: do not kill the legacy of Buhari’s agricultural transformation on fertilizer access. Sustain raw material importation until Nigeria’s local capacity is ready’, Bamai said.

The groups noted that the PFI, introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had been central to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, making fertilizer more affordable by supporting local blending plants through the importation of raw materials.

Millions of farmers, they said, had benefited from the scheme, which boosted food production and strengthened national food security.

COFAN and HYFAN urged the Tinubu administration to adopt a balanced approach that shields farmers from immediate shocks while building local production capacity for the future.

They specifically called on the government to continue importing fertilizer raw materials until local capacity can fully meet demand, retain the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) as the agency responsible for managing raw material imports to ensure transparency and efficiency and guarantee stability in fertilizer supply and pricing during the transition.

The farmer groups reaffirmed their commitment to working with government, the private sector, and development partners to ensure the restructuring of the PFI strengthens the sector rather than undermines it.

An Ebute-Metta Magistrate Court, presided over by Magistrate (Mrs) Akinde, on Tuesday ordered that the case file of Shamusideen Oladiti, a National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) member, be forwarded to the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

This action followed widespread public outrage sparked by a viral video of Oladiti’s alleged assault.

Oladiti, 55, was arraigned on a three-count charge including unlawful homicide, conspiracy, and grievous assault.

The core charge relates to a violent August 27 attack at Lewis Street, Lagos Island, where he allegedly beat Imam Ramon with repeated fist blows.

Ramon later died from the sustained injuries at Lagos Island General Hospital, Marina.

The defendant has also been accused of conspiring with others still at large on September 17 and of separately assaulting another victim, Omale Samuel.

While the charge marked BG/B53/25 and signed by Anthony Iyeye of the Legal and Prosecution section of the Nigeria Police, Panti, Yaba, were read in court, Oladiti’s plea was not taken.

The Magistrate directed that the case file be duplicated and sent to the DPP within 30 days for advice on the appropriate prosecution.

The court adjourned the case until October 28, 2025.