The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Bonny festival debuts, showcases Nigeria’s creative heritage

    Bonny festival debuts, showcases Nigeria’s creative heritage

    The maiden edition of the Bonny Festival, described by organisers as the adults’ playground, brought together creatives, art enthusiasts, and cultural stakeholders to celebrate Nigeria’s rich artistic heritage through fashion, food, music, and visual arts.

    The two-day event was held on December 20 and 21 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, featuring cultural and lifestyle entertainment, technology-driven creativity, interactive and immersive experiences, as well as games and competitions, offering guests a relaxed alternative to the usual late-night entertainment culture.

    Speaking at the event, promoter Ohiwerei Ekeinde said the festival was designed as an immersive cultural experience where adults could engage freely with art, tradition, and creativity.

    “We wanted to create something that feels like an adults’ playground, where people can come during the day, relax, explore, and interact with art in a very immersive way,” Ekeinde said. “At the same time, we wanted to focus on the finer creative arts and bring out some of the quieter but very powerful elements of our art scene.”

    He explained that the festival draws inspiration from the way Africans naturally express art during celebrations.

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    “When you look at how Africans celebrate anything, whether it is a wedding, a naming ceremony, or a festival, there is always fashion, food, music, and art involved. From the fabrics we wear, the songs we sing, to the meals we prepare, every celebration is an expression of art, and that was what we wanted to highlight with Bonny.”

    According to Ekeinde, the theme, Best of Nigeria, was conceived to encourage Nigerians to value their cultural assets and tell their own stories.

    “We believe Nigerians and Africans have an amazing story, but we have not always told it enough or celebrated it enough. A lot of what we create influences the world, yet we sometimes fail to appreciate it. Bonny is about celebrating Nigerian music, fashion, food, and art, and reminding ourselves that we are part of a powerful story.”

    He said the idea for the festival was conceived over 15 years ago and is intended to grow into a long-term cultural platform.

    “Bonny is not just an event; it is a platform to support the arts, educate present and future patrons, and encourage people to interact with our culture, both past and present. We have already secured a space for next year and hope to make this an annual celebration.”

    Also speaking, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LVI Art Gallery and Culture Nexus, Julius Iyoghiojie, said the festival’s concept naturally aligns with the mission of visual artists.

    He described the festival as a strong emerging brand despite being in its maiden edition.

    Iyoghiojie said, “Bonny is promoting culture, and culture is expressed through food, music, fashion, and art. You cannot truly showcase culture without art, and you cannot talk about art without culture. That is why this festival works as a cultural melting pot.

    “It is new, but it is a strong brand because the ideology is clear,” he said. “Anything that genuinely promotes art and culture aligns with our mission, and that is why we are here.”

    Iyoghiojie said the exhibition featured works by notable Nigerian artists, with selected pieces available for public viewing and sale.

    “We collaborated with other artists and collectors to present works by Olako, Peter Ohyere, Dr. Bressana Magbaya, and George Taylor,” he said. “What is on display is just a glimpse of the depth of Nigerian art.”

    Organisers said the Bonny Festival is expected to become an annual platform celebrating Nigeria’s creative identity while encouraging a deeper appreciation of the country’s cultural roots.

  • Real estate firm rewards top realtors with cars at year-end celebration

    Real estate firm rewards top realtors with cars at year-end celebration

    Powell Homes and Shelters Ltd closed the year on a celebratory note in Enugu, reinforcing its positioning as a people-centred real estate brand with the presentation of brand-new cars to its top-performing realtors. The year-end celebration, held at the International Conference Centre, was both a reward ceremony and a statement of the company’s philosophy: excellence deserves tangible recognition.

    At the heart of the event was the formal handover of two vehicles to outstanding realtors, an honour performed by the company’s brand ambassador and Nollywood icon, Patience Ozokwor. Popularly known as “Mama G,” the veteran actress used the occasion to commend the consistency, discipline, and integrity displayed by the award recipients, while also praising the company for sustaining a culture that values people as much as profit.

     Ozokwor described Powell Homes and Shelters Ltd as a dependable brand that has earned trust in Nigeria’s often complex real estate space. According to her, the company’s relationship with its staff, realtors, clients, and the media reflects a level of transparency and integrity that distinguishes it from competitors.

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    “Powell Homes and Shelters is a brand you can depend on without worry,” she said. “Any property you buy from them belongs to you. Everything is sorted out. All the stress people usually face when acquiring land is completely taken care of.” She added that peace of mind is a rare but critical currency in real estate, one that the company has consistently delivered to investors. The actress, who noted her decades-long career advocating values and positive social ideals, said she is selective about the brands she associates with. “I don’t go to places where people are stressed,” she remarked. “Powell Homes and Shelters has given me and everyone who has invested with them peace of mind.”

    For the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Architect Dr. Onyekachi Emmanuel, the event was a deliberate strategy to motivate performance and sustain healthy competition within its realtor network. He explained that the firm’s reward culture goes beyond commissions, focusing instead on long-term incentives that recognise effort and loyalty.

    “The essence of this event is to motivate and encourage our hardworking realtors,” Dr. Onyekachi said. “Beyond commissions, we reward them with valuable gift items such as cars, refrigerators, microwaves, washing machines, and others. This has been our culture for the past two years, and we do this twice a year.”

    He noted that the 2025 edition of the reward programme stood out because the company raised the performance benchmark required to qualify for car rewards. Despite the higher threshold, several realtors still met the criteria within a short time. “If we had maintained the previous benchmark, we would have given out more vehicles,” he said, underscoring the depth of performance within the network.

    With the latest presentation, Powell Homes and Shelters has awarded a total of seven vehicles in 2025 alone, alongside a wide range of incentives including iPhones, generators, media kits, and household appliances. According to Dr. Onyekachi, these rewards are not mere publicity tools but reflections of the company’s commitment to value delivery. “For every property you buy from us, you are guaranteed value,” he said. “If you compare our properties side by side with others, you will see that we offer superior quality and value.”

    The beneficiaries of the car awards, Mrs. Njideka Chinonso and Mrs. Eze Victoria Rose, emerged as the highest-selling realtors and described the recognition as both affirming and motivating. They expressed gratitude to the management for acknowledging their efforts, noting that the gesture had deepened their commitment to a brand that rewards hard work in practical, life-changing ways.

  • Bafana Bafana beat Angola 2-1 as Foster claims match-winning goal

    Bafana Bafana beat Angola 2-1 as Foster claims match-winning goal

    Burnley striker Lyle Foster scored in the 79th minute as South Africa edged Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh on Monday, claiming their first opening victory in an Africa Cup of Nations campaign in 21 years. Since defeating Benin in the 2004 tournament, Bafana Bafana had drawn twice and lost four times on their tournament debuts.

    Monday’s Group B opener unfolded in three distinct phases. South Africa began strongly, with Oswin Appollis putting the visitors ahead in the 21st minute before a sparse crowd at the near-42,000-seat stadium. Angola regained control for the remainder of the first half, with Show levelling the score. South Africa recovered in the second half, asserting dominance before Foster struck to secure the win. Egypt, led by captain Mohamed Salah, face Zimbabwe later in Agadir.

    South Africa pressed from the outset, forcing goalkeeper Hugo Marques into an early save from Fredy Ribeiro’s shot in the 15th minute. Six minutes later, Appollis capitalised on a Khuliso Mudau cross, taking possession and finishing low past the 39-year-old Marques to give Bafana Bafana the lead. Ronwen Williams kept the lead intact with a brilliant point-blank save from Gelson Dala at the half-hour mark.

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    Angola gradually asserted themselves, and Show equalised in the 35th minute. Siyabonga Ngezana escaped a yellow card after fouling Dala, but the free-kick that followed proved costly. Show connected with the low delivery to steer the ball into the corner. Tempers flared as the half progressed, with Sudanese referee cautioning Angola’s To Carneiro and South Africans Aubrey Modiba and Sphephelo Sithole. By halftime, French coach Patrice Beaumelle would have been the happier manager, with Angola unlucky not to lead.

    South Africa thought they had regained the lead six minutes into the second half when substitute Tshepang Moremi, replacing the ineffective Mohau Nkota, slotted a low shot past Marques. The celebrations were short-lived, however, as VAR ruled Foster marginally offside — he remains the squad’s only South African player from Europe’s top five leagues.

    Bafana Bafana intensified their attack, with centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi venturing forward for a long-range strike that rebounded off the crossbar. South Africa, subdued for much of the first half, became the aggressors, consistently pressing for a decisive goal.

    A swift counterattack saw Moremi outpace a defender before feeding Foster, who initially fired over. Foster atoned in the 79th minute, firing from the edge of the box past Marques to put South Africa back in front. The move stemmed from an intercepted Angolan pass and two precise team passes, allowing Foster to notch his fourth goal in six international appearances.

  • Police rescue 377 kidnap victims in Edo

    Police rescue 377 kidnap victims in Edo

    Edo State Police Command said it recorded huge gains in the outgoing year in its quest to rid the state of criminal elements.

    It said it rescued 377 victims from kidnappers’ dens and arrested 821 criminal suspects as part of its aggressive, intelligence-led campaign.

    Edo Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, who disclosed this on Monday in Benin City at an end of year security review, said 171 suspected kidnappers were arrested in the year under review.

    Agbonika listed other suspects arrested to include 117 murder suspects, 62 linked to rape and sexual offences, 239 cultism suspects, and 157 others for various offences.

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    The Edo CP said the Command recovered 11 stolen vehicles, 188 arms of different calibres, and 422 rounds of ammunition.

    He said helicopters and drones from the Police Air Wing were deployed to Edo North for a successful clearance operation.

    Agbonika urged the public to remain vigilant, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies, stressing that security remained a collective responsibility.

    On the reported disappearance of corpses from some private morgues in the state, the Edo CP described the acts as criminal, inhuman, and a gross violation of the dignity of the deceased and the emotions of bereaved families.

    He said anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law and advised families to patronise government-owned mortuaries where proper oversight is guaranteed.

  • We have capacity to return Tinubu in 2027, says Fubara

    We have capacity to return Tinubu in 2027, says Fubara

    Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has boasted that his administration possesses the capacity to ensure the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

    Fubara, who spoke on Monday during the inauguration of the Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in Elimgbu, Port Harcourt, assured members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Working Committee present at the event that his decision to work for Tinubu’s re-election was intact.

    He said the decision was borne out of the desire to reciprocate the protection they received from the President, adding that the re-election of Tinubu would be a thank-you gesture by his administration.

    The governor said, “We have made a decision. Our decision is for the good of Rivers State. We decided to say thank you for the protection that we received from Mr. President. We decide to prove a point that we have what it takes to return Mr President come 2027.”

    Speaking about the project, Fubara said it was one of the ways of restoring the dignity of permanent secretaries and discouraging factors that promote fraud in the civil service.

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    He said those who possessed the basic needs of life had no reason to engage in fraud, noting that most persons indulge in sharp practices out of insecurity.

    “If you have the basic needs of life, do you need to get involved in anything criminal? The only reason why people get involved in things like that is because of insecurity.

    “Insecurity is not only banditry overriding villages or cases of robbers invading your homes, but when you are in your corner, you are not sure of what happens to you in the next hour or the next day.

    “It is more complicated when you are a family man. In that case, people are forced to do the unthinkable, which results in a lot of crimes in one way or another that diminish governance.”

    He recalled that in the past, newly appointed permanent secretaries were given brand new vehicles and assigned official quarters with their basic needs catered for by the government.

    “So, we on our part believe that because we have passed through that road that the best thing that we need to do to encourage the civil servants to stop cutting corners, improve productivity and save not just Rivers State but Nigeria is to encourage them with one important thing that we know will go a long way in saving our situation which is this housing”, he said.

    He promised that other cadres of the service would also enjoy similar provisions, expressing happiness that the project had become one of the lasting legacies of his administration.

    “I am happy to be associated with it and everyone who is working with us. To show the significance of this project, it is the day that we are commissioning this project that the National Working Committee chose to visit us,” he said.

    While advising the beneficiaries of the project on maintenance, the governor said: “Government at times, not that they tend to be wicked, or not to be caring, but one of the things that discourages them, it is not mine, you know, most of you civil servants are very wicked.

    “This well-built house, as soon as you pack in, you don’t mind damaging parts of the wall. Please treat this as your own and personal property. Knowing that the government spent money on it for your own betterment, protect it, and let it be a legacy that we all should be proud of.

    “Let me also call on the Rivers State Head of Service, not to leave this facility in the hands of the users alone. If you can, you people should get a facility manager, that is a better way to keep this place. This place is a well-thought-out arrangement to give you comfort and make you bring out your best for Rivers State.”

  • Yuletide: Lagos Police deploys 5,000 traffic officers, intensifies surveillance

    Yuletide: Lagos Police deploys 5,000 traffic officers, intensifies surveillance

    …21 gunboats, special units for maritime patrol

    …more detectives on the streets to protect night crawlers

    …we’re in firm control, says CP

    To ensure hitch-free Christmas and New Year celebrations in Lagos, the state Police Command said it has deployed 5,000 traffic officers.

    Commissioner of Police (CP) Olohundare Jimoh revealed this on Monday evening, while briefing Journalists on security arrangements for the season.

    According to him, the command has intensified security across worship, recreational, and public centres in the state to ensure safe usage for legitimate residents and visitors.

    Noting the high patronage of beach resorts and islands during this period, the Police chief said a special marine squad created recently had been on patrol in Lagos riverines in addition to existing marine command personnel.

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    The command, he said, has deployed 21 gunboats and special units for maritime patrol to secure waterways and the recently opened Coastal Highway.

    CP Jimoh said Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers have been placed on red alert, warning that any officer found wanting would be sanctioned.

    He disclosed that black spots and flashpoints have been raided continuously to prevent criminal gangs from regrouping or planning attacks.

    “We have deployed more detectives on the streets, especially at night, to protect residents and visitors. Our security network has been strengthened on land and waterways,” he said.

    Jimoh assured residents that the police were in firm control of the security situation, urging those visiting Lagos for end-of-year activities to go about their business without fear, as adequate measures have been put in place to ensure a peaceful yuletide and beyond.

  • ‘Wike has renovated over 100 schools in FCT’

    ‘Wike has renovated over 100 schools in FCT’

    Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mandate Secretary, Education, Danlami Hayyo, on Monday, disclosed that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has renovated over 100 schools in the nation’s capital.

    Hayyo, who officially resumed office on Monday following the lifting of his suspension, said in an interview with reporters that no state in the federation is currently matching Wike’s efforts in school infrastructure.

    He said 60 to 70 per cent of the ongoing school renovations in the FCT will be completed by the first quarter of 2026, leading to a series of project commissioning events.

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    Hayyo said, “What the minister is doing now, definitely, no state in the federation is doing it. Over 100 schools have been completely renovated.

    “Some projects are ongoing; some renovations have been completed. If you go to some of our schools, you just feel that yes, you are in London, France, or Germany, while you are in an FCT school.

    “60 to 70 per cent of our school renovations will be completed by the first quarter of 2026, leading to a series of project commissioning.”

    The mandate secretary also used the opportunity to reaffirm his 100 per cent loyalty to the minister after his reinstatement.

    He expressed gratitude to the minister for recalling him and outlined his agenda for the Education Secretariat, focusing on staff training, school safety, and continuing infrastructural development.

    Hayyo affirmed his commitment to the minister’s agenda, stating his belief that all the transformation agenda of the FCT minister will continue from where they stopped.

    He said, “I want to tell you, yes, my loyalty to the FCT Minister is 100%.”

    When asked about reforms following his return, Hayyo emphasized continuity with the Minister’s transformation agenda.

    On preventing a recurrence of the incident that led to his suspension, understood to be an unauthorized communication from a director, he announced an immediate priority of ‘Refresher Training.’

    “We have to embark on Refresher Training to make sure all the new directors that were just appointed, and even the other directors, undergo a series of training.

    “Let them know their mandate, what they are supposed to do, how they are supposed to do it, and which area they need to consult their superior officers,” he said.

    He explained that the incident due to a director’s overreach, as a director cannot just write something and circulate it without his approval and without the approval of the minister.

    On the critical issue of school safety, the mandate secretary offered strong assurances to parents and teachers.

    “All the FCT schools are very safe. We don’t have any security threats in FCT schools,” he said.

  • Yuletide: FRSC deploys 1,500 personnel across Ondo

    Yuletide: FRSC deploys 1,500 personnel across Ondo

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed 1,500 personnel across Ondo State to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety during the yuletide season.

    The Ondo State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Dr. Samuel Ibitoye, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with newsmen in Akure.

    Dr. Ibitoye said the deployment comprises 700 regular marshals and 800 special marshals, supported by ambulances and tow vehicles stationed at strategic locations across the state.

    He explained that the personnel are mandated to prevent traffic gridlock, remove road obstructions, and ensure the free flow of vehicles on major highways.

    According to him, rescue teams will operate around the clock throughout the festive period, while mobile courts will sit to prosecute traffic offenders.

    “Traditionally, every year, the corps mobilises personnel and resources to ensure smooth traffic flow during the yuletide period, and this year is no exception. We have adequately prepared and deployed our men,” he said

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    The sector commander added that the FRSC is collaborating with other security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, to manage traffic at critical points across the state.

    “We are working with other agencies to ensure traffic flow at strategic locations, especially along the Akure, Owo – Ilesha and Ore axes, among others,” he noted.

    Dr. Ibitoye assured road users of the corps’ commitment to ensuring safe travels throughout the festivities.

    “We will be on the roads to ensure that travellers get to their destinations without any hiccups, so that we can all celebrate the festive period in peace and enter the New Year without any crash recorded,” he said.

    He, however, urged motorists to exercise patience, avoid speeding, and practise defensive driving throughout the festive season. 

  • Oluwo denies presence of terrorist group in Iwo

    Oluwo denies presence of terrorist group in Iwo

    The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, has denied the speculation that a terrorist group is domiciled in Iwo town, Osun State.

    The monarch, in a statement through his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, described the claim as false and unfounded, manufactured and coordinated by the enemies to discredit the security peculiarity and religious strength of Iwoland.

    He held that the speculation was a deliberate move to cause panic in the ancient town, as he threatened to take legal action against those peddling the rumour.

    He explained that the organization in question, which was tagged a terrorist group, is named ‘Jama’atu Ta’awunil Muslimeen’ under the leadership of the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Sheik Dahood Imran Molaasan, and is a formidable group contributing immensely to improving the security architecture and academic excellence of the nation.

    He said Jama’atu Ta’awunil Muslimeen has over forty schools, including a Private College of Education and orphanage homes. The security wing of the organization has contributed immensely to curtailing insecurity in Iwoland and has contributed immensely to secure Iwo as the most peaceful town in South Western States.

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    According to him, “The media report of the existence of a terrorist group in Iwo is false and unfounded. Iwo remains the most peaceful town in South Western States promoted by the activities of Jaysu Security Network, an annex of Jama’atu Ta’awunil Muslimeen under the leadership of Sheik Dahood Imran Molaasan.

    “Imran Molaasan is an international asset who has efficiently delivered international assignments. He is one of the foremost educational philanthropists, awarding scholarships to indigent students. Jama’atu Ta’awunil Muslimeen has over 40 schools in Iwo, including the College of Education and orphanage homes. The group was established over 20 years ago. I do not know when contributing to strengthening the national security and academic excellence is termed as terrorism. No Terrorist can enter Iwo. Iwo is peaceful.”

    Alli continued, “In Iwo, Jaysu Security Network is the most trusted and active. They work directly with the Nigerian Police Force. They know the nook and cranny of everywhere. The police use them to effect the arrest of hardened criminals.

    “One other peculiarity of Iwo is the nonexistence of movement restrictions in the name of rituals. You can move freely in Iwo anytime, including midnight. Iwo is the freest town. You can’t place a sacrifice at junctions in Iwo. Jaysu Security Network will arrest you should you try such. The enemies of Oluwo, Iwo, and the unbroken toughness of Jaysu in defending the sanctity of Iwo are behind the lies. It’s all lies. No Bandit in Iwo and no Bandit can encroach on Iwoland.”

    He threatened, “I have put machinery in motion to effect the arrest of anyone peddling such rumour to discredit the most peaceful town in Nigeria.”

  • Group donates medical items, equipment to General Hospital in Lagos

    Group donates medical items, equipment to General Hospital in Lagos

    As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), a social group, De-Zenith Club of Lagos, has donated medical items and equipment to the Ifako Ijaye General Hospital in Lagos.

    Speaking at the annual convention of the club and the end of the year ceremony held in Lagos, the President, Yomi Samson, said the donation will alleviate the overbearing challenges of the medical needs of the hospital being faced by the patients.

    He said, “As part of our usual way to herald this year Event that has been our Custom and tradition for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Club donated some medical items in large quantities to Ifako Ijaye General Hospital to alleviate the overbearing challenges of the medical needs of the Hospital being faced by the patients.

    “These items were received by the Medical Director and his management team with great appreciation, as they confirmed we actually met their needs. This confirmation of their needs melted our souls while receiving this feedback from the Hospital Medical Director during the presentation ceremony.”

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    According to Samson, “The Club creation was borne out of our indivisible love for one another and great passion for humanity to come together despite our different backgrounds in all kinds you may consider, the trajectory of the club since her inception has been situated on kindness and how best we can impact ourselves, leverage on our comparative advantages that can resonate across board in terms of personal growth and development capability of changing individual posterity in anticipation of giving back to the larger society and humanity.

    “At De-Zenith Club of Lagos, all we stand for is the brotherhood of ourselves and love. We are so deliberate about this, and to validate this, we have impacted in areas considered challenging to members because we affirm that an injury to one is an injury to all.

    “Also, on how best we can impact our society by bringing succour to the faces of the challenged in the society we live in, in line with this course, we have dedicated a separate bank account for special donations from members specifically for humanitarian purposes, and this initiative has been receiving tremendous support and donations from our members.”