Category: Nigerian Tribune

A boat mishap has claimed about twenty lives in the River Niger on Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m. in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State, while many others remain missing.

Tribune Online gathered from a farmer, Mr James Otoga, an eyewitness in the local government, that the tragedy occurred on Tuesday evening.

According to him, the boat, which was fully loaded with passengers, departed from Onugwa community in Ibaji and was heading to Ilushi market before it capsized, leaving an as-yet unconfirmed number of people dead.

‘The boat was fully loaded with our people going to market for the 1st October celebration. Only five survivors have surfaced so far, and 20 bodies have been recovered. More of our people are still lying lifeless beneath the River Niger.

‘Even those who came for a burial in Onugwa and were returning to Ilushi are missing. We are yet to confirm the total number of people onboard and those who survived,’ he said.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area, Honourable Ugeh Emmanuel, described it as the most disastrous in the history of the area.

‘As I am speaking with you now, nobody can authoritatively say this is the actual number of casualties. We also cannot ascertain the number of people on board from their departure point.

‘This is a very serious accident. The boat had not even reached Ilushi when the mishap occurred around 4:30 p.m. Most of the victims were moving to Ilushi for the celebration of 1st October, which has been a tradition in the community, before they met their untimely death,’ he said.

It will be recalled that in the past year, there have been numerous boat mishaps in Kogi, Niger and other riverine states, with many lives lost.

Efforts to reach the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebanji, and the Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Suleiman Makama, proved abortive as their phones could not be reached.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has saluted the patience of Nigerians in the last two years in spite of the country passing through challenging times.

But, he also reassured confidence in the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to steer the country to better times, adding that the understanding shown by Nigerians is highly appreciated.

Akpabio’s appreciation was contained in his message to Nigerians as the country marks its 56th independence anniversary.

The Senate President specifically urged Nigerians to endure the pains of the reforms for now ‘in the interest of our children and future generations.’

His independence message, which Akpabio signed personally on Tuesday, read: ‘My dear resilient and wonderful people of this great nation, I wish to heartily congratulate you for witnessing Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary celebration. At 65, we are mature and should be working for the unity of the nation and the prosperity of our people.

‘We salute your resilience, patience and endurance in the last two years. We deeply appreciate your support and understanding.

‘In line with the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘All hands are on deck for a greater Nigeria’, I urge you to continue to bear the temporary discomfort of the ongoing reforms. We are not unaware of the pains occasioned by the reforms, but I want to assure you, very soon, this will be a thing of the past because the benefits of the reforms are beginning to manifest positively.

‘Let me also congratulate our President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his demonstrated commitment to the peace and development of our dear country, Members of the National Assembly for their steadfastness in their legislative engagements, the judiciary and the Nigerian people at home and in diaspora on this auspicious occasion.

‘I must tell you that Nigeria is not finished. Do not buy into the mischievous narrative that Nigeria is irredeemable. We are on the right pedestal, and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is reshaping the country; we are growing and making progress.

‘If we all join hands together to support the reforms, Nigeria will become better and surely get to the promised land.’

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has said he wants Nigeria to ‘keep happening’ to him.

This is in response to online conversations around the phrase ‘Nigeria happened,’ which resurfaced after late ARISE News correspondent Somtochukwu Maduagwu used it in a post before her death in a robbery attack at her Abuja home.

In a post made on X on Tuesday, Omokri said the phrase is often used to describe the country negatively.

‘May Nigeria happen to me and keep happening to me as long as I live! When bad things happen, enemies of this country are quick to say that ‘Nigeria has happened’ to them. But they take the good that occurs to them in Nigeria personally, without attributing it to our great nation,’ he wrote.

Omokri noted that unpleasant events occur everywhere in the world but argued that Nigeria’s progress is often ignored.

He added, ‘Good and bad are as universal as day and night and are part of the ying yang of human existence. This is Earth. This is not heaven! Earth is an imperfect place, which is why unpleasant things can sometimes happen.’

‘Please fact-check me: Every year in America, 20,000 people are murdered. That is more than twice the murder rate in Nigeria. Have you ever heard Americans badmouthing their country as a result of this?’

He cited the rollout of federal government student loans, improvements in electricity generation, a drop in inflation, and the country’s emergence as a net exporter of petrol as examples of positive changes.

He also listed recent government actions adding, ‘600,000 Nigerians have gotten student loans from the Federal Government to attend universities under Tinubu. Is that not also Nigeria happening to Nigerians positively?’

‘Food prices have dropped nationwide. In 1975, inflation was above 40%. Today, it is 20.12%, a 1.76% drop from July’s 21.88%. How many countries on Earth today are moving inflation behind? Look at Argentina, which Peter Obi praised. Today, their economy is ‘in shambles,’ to borrow from Davido!’

‘The electricity situation has vastly improved, and Nigeria broke its power generation record with a peak generation of 5,801.84MW and maximum daily energy output of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh), the highest ever attained in the history of the electricity industry in Nigeria. Is that not Nigeria happening?’

‘Nigeria is now a net exporter of petrol. Please fact-check me: When President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, Nigeria was Africa’s largest petrol importer.

‘Today, South Africa is Africa’s largest fuel importer. Nigeria’s fuel imports have drastically reduced. Not only that, according to the International Energy Agency, Nigeria has now emerged as the largest exporter of refined petroleum products in West Africa. This has seen fuel prices drop.

‘Only three civilian governments have achieved that. Yar’adua, Jonathan and now Tinubu. That is also Nigeria happening to us!’

‘Nigeria is a great country, but it is not perfect because perfection is divine. There is no ideal country on Earth. We can choose to look at the negatives, but there are many positive things happening in Nigeria that we refuse to project because we love bad news!’ he concluded.

Toncoin (TON) is under heavy pressure after sliding to $2.82, breaking below the key $2.90 support. Meanwhile, Stellar (XLM) is showing more resilience, holding near $0.386 with neutral momentum as traders track a potential breakout toward $0.50 if support around $0.36 holds.

While these tokens fight to stabilize, BlockDAG (BDAG) is stealing the spotlight. The project’s presale has already raised nearly $415M, sold 26.5B coins, and locked a batch 30 price of $0.0013, far below its confirmed $0.05 listing. Backed by a headline BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team partnership, BlockDAG is rewriting the emerging crypto coins with record-breaking momentum and viral investor demand.

TON Slides Below $2.90 as Sellers Target Deeper Losses

Toncoin has broken below the critical $2.90 support, falling to $2.82 with a sharp 7.9% daily loss. Multiple failed attempts to hold the $3.16 resistance opened the door for bears to take control, leaving traders focused on the next key levels. Immediate resistance now sits at $3.00, while the next major support zone is between $2.60 and $2.70.

Market weakness and risk-off sentiment are adding pressure, pushing traders to exit high-volatility assets. Toncoin’s recent adoption news offers little protection as technical indicators signal more downside. A recovery above $3.00 is needed to shift momentum back to the bulls. Without it, sellers are likely to extend losses toward the $2.60 floor, making this a high-risk but potential buy zone for investors.

XLM Slips Below $0.39 but Traders See a Path to $0.50

Stellar (XLM) is trading near $0.386, down about 2.3% this week. Market cap sits at roughly $12.3 billion, with daily trading volume dropping to $150 million, signalling reduced activity. Technical charts show strong support between $0.36 and $0.37, while resistance remains near $0.45. If buyers defend these levels, analysts see a potential move toward the critical $0.50 mark.

The Relative Strength Index hovers around 50, showing a neutral market where neither bulls nor bears dominate. A clean breakout above $0.45 could spark renewed momentum, while failure to hold $0.36 may trigger a slide toward $0.30. Investors tracking mid-cap crypto trends may view this range as an opportunity to accumulate ahead of a push toward $0.50.

BlockDAG’s $415M Presale Explodes With BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team Deal

BlockDAG is turning into a market event as its BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team partnership floods X, Telegram, and Discord with nonstop buzz. The project’s presale has nearly raised $415 million, sold 26.5 billion coins, and locked a Batch 30 price of $0.0013, creating one of the most watched early-stage crypto launches of 2025. This isn’t a quiet presale anymore, BlockDAG is now trending across social channels, and that visibility is driving a new wave of retail buying.

The hype isn’t just noise. Whales have already pooled more than $10 million, signalling institutional-scale interest before the official launch. With each batch pushing the price higher, traders are rushing to lock in the current rate before the gap to the confirmed $0.05 listing price narrows further.

This viral momentum is reshaping investor psychology. BlockDAG’s presale is no longer about speculation but about securing entry before October’s next price move. The combination of hard adoption numbers and a global BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team partnership gives this project a rare mix of credibility and excitement. At $0.0013, the window for an early position is shrinking by the day.

Final Take

Toncoin’s recent price crash signals growing uncertainty, while Stellar’s steady climb remains tied to cautious accumulation and key technical levels. Both offer trading setups but lack a defining catalyst strong enough to pull capital away from safer market trends.

BlockDAG, on the other hand, is building an entirely different story. Its nearly $415M presale, confirmed $0.05 listing target, and viral BWT Alpine Formula 1® Team partnership give it the kind of institutional credibility rarely seen in early crypto launches. With each batch pushing prices higher, the current $0.0013 entry stands out as one of the most asymmetric opportunities in emerging crypto coins analysis. For investors, BlockDAG offers a chance to buy into momentum before it turns into the next headline rally.

The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo has released the sum of N1. 5 billion as bursary awards for students of tertiary institutions for the 2025/26 academic session.

With the bursary, successful students will be paid the sum of #30,000 each while law students across the seven Law schools across the country will be paid N300,000.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones while unveiling the portal for the commencement of registration process for the 2025 bursary allowance at press conference in Lokoja, declared the exercise open said the bursary was meant for indigenes of the state in tertiary institutions across the country.

He disclosed that the registration portal will be opened to students as from September 29 and will close on October 31, 2025 and urged eligible students to register via the official website https://scholarshipboard.kogistate.gov.ng

While urging students to take advantage of what he described as an improved and transparent registration process,the commissioner reaffirmed governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s commitment to making Kogi State a positive reference point for educational development in Nigeria.

He noted that this year’s exercise, described as ‘Season Two’ of the bursary scheme, was designed to consolidate on the successes recorded during the previous phase.

‘His Excellency, Governor Ododo, is determined to build on the foundation already laid to ensure more students benefit from this bursary award.

‘We expect the number of beneficiaries to surpass that of last year, and I assure you that the funds are already set aside for disbursement,’ Jones said.

Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Scholarship Board, Afolabi Joseph-Raji, praised governor Ododo for setting aside the sum of N1.5 billion for the scholarship scheme saying no fewer than 8,750 students benefited from the bursary in first phase where students of higher institutions who are of Kogi State origin received ?30,000 and those in law school got ?300,000 respectively.

He commended Governor Ododo for revitalizing the bursary process and ensuring it is now more accessible to students.

‘Unlike last year where students had to undergo pre-qualification, this year’s registration is straightforward. Students simply need to visit the portal, create an account, and upload the required documents and information.

‘Over 44,000 students registered last year but only 11,000 uploaded their documents for verification, out of the 11,000, only 8,750 qualified for the bursary. So, it is not enough to just register, you have to upload some required documents too.

‘As an improvement, the board has made the process more direct whereby submission of required documents like admission letter, school identity card and other information are done before registration is completed,’ Afolabi explained.

Two of the students who benefited from the bursary award last year testified to how the money helped them to solve some of their academic challenges.

Responding the President of NAKOSS, Comrade Sunday Adeola, commended Governor Ododo for sustaining and expanding the bursary initiative and promised that the students’ body will carry out a wide sensitization exercise across all tertiary institutions in the state to inform the students to register for the bursary award.