The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • NAPTIP arrests four suspects, rescues 17 victims in Onitsha hotel

    NAPTIP arrests four suspects, rescues 17 victims in Onitsha hotel

    • By Precious Igbonwelundu and Elekwachi Chinedum, Onitsha

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested four suspected human traffickers and rescued 17 victims during a raid on a popular hotel in the 33 Area of Onitsha, Anambra State.

    The operation, carried out with support from the military, followed credible intelligence indicating the presence of underage girls at the facility. Two additional suspects linked to alleged baby trafficking in the South East were also apprehended.

    NAPTIP said four of the rescued victims tested positive for HIV and are receiving counselling and care from the agency, with support from volunteers of the Anambra State AIDS Control Agency (ANSACA).

    Read Also: Police urge NLC to shelve Tuesday’s planned protest

    Investigations showed that residents had raised concerns about suspicious activities at the hotel, including the frequent influx of men and the presence of underage girls. The victims reportedly said they were recruited from Benue, Imo, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom states and trafficked to Onitsha for prostitution, with daily remittances demanded by their handlers.

    NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over the victims’ plight, particularly their health condition. She thanked the military and the Gender and Human Rights State Response Team under ANSACA for their collaboration.

    Bello said NAPTIP had launched a manhunt for the alleged “madam” who confiscated antiretroviral drugs given to the victims and barred them from accessing medical care, describing the act as criminal. She added that the owner of the hotel had been invited for interrogation as investigations continue.

    The Director-General reiterated the agency’s commitment to intensifying efforts against human trafficking nationwide.

  • Navy hands over seized substances in Apapa drug raid to NDLEA

    Navy hands over seized substances in Apapa drug raid to NDLEA

    The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has handed over illicit drugs, including Marijuana and Codeine, which it recovered when it raided a suspected criminals’ hideout at Gidan Drama, Agbo Malu area of Apapa, Lagos to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The drugs, it said, were recovered on January 24, following credible intelligence on the presence of suspected drug peddlers in the area.

    A statement yesterday said the seized illicit substances were handed over by the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Rear Admiral Paul Nimmyel.

    Read Also: FG, states, councils share ₦1.969tr December revenue at FAAC meeting

    Represented by the Base’ Executive Officer, Captain Idongesit Udoessien, Nimmyel said no arrests were made as the suspects fled on sighting naval personnel.

    He said the recovery reflects the Navy’s resolve to curb the spread and abuse of illicit drugs among youths, noting the attendant health risks and security implications.

    The Commander added that the operation aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, for the Navy to rid the maritime environment of criminal activities, working independently or in collaboration with other agencies.

  • Muslim fanatics burn shrines in Auchi

    Muslim fanatics burn shrines in Auchi

    Religious crisis is looming in Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government, over the destruction of the Orle River water goddess shrines.

    The water goddess is regarded by adherents as a giver of life, wealth and protection of their well-being.

    A video shows the shrines being destroyed by some youths who recited passages from the Qu’ ran.

    Read Also: FG, states, councils share ₦1.969tr December revenue at FAAC meeting

    They said they didn’t want idol worshippers in Auchi.

    One of the adherents in another video, said: “They have destroyed our beautiful mother. They destroyed our place of worship. Our beautiful mother, who gave us everything has been destroyed.”

    A chief in the Auchi kingdom, Durham Yusuf, said the idol worshippers were polluting the river.

    “We don’t have any problem with them. We don’t want them to pollute the river. They can practise their religion in their house.

    “The river is the problem. We do not believe there is any goddess there. We are Muslims,” he explained.

  • Army prioritises troop welfare, cautions personnel against substance abuse

    Army prioritises troop welfare, cautions personnel against substance abuse

    The Nigerian Army has reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare of its personnel and cautioned officers and soldiers against substance abuse and other negative vices,

    It spoke at the West African Social Activities (WASA) 2025 at AN Barracks, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos. where personnel of the Combat Service Support Corps comprising Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management (NACOLM)  gathered.

    The event, which drew senior officers, soldiers, families and guests, featured cultural performances by the Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo dance troupe, awards presentation to outstanding soldiers across various Corps, an inter-Corps tug of war contest as well as donations to 20 widows, reinforcing the Army’s focus on inclusiveness and support for families of fallen personnel.

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen Waidi Shaibu, noted that 2025 had been particularly demanding for the Army, with troops, especially combat service support and logistics personnel, engaged in counter terrorism, counter insurgency and internal security operations across the country and beyond.

    The Army Chief, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Maj Gen Adebayo Babalola, reiterated that the Army remained committed to the welfare and well-being of its personnel and their families, stressing that while much had been entrusted to officers and soldiers, high standards of discipline, professionalism and loyalty were expected in return.

    Read Also: Police urge NLC to shelve Tuesday’s planned protest

    He urged personnel to avoid conduct contrary to military professionalism, particularly substance abuse, and encouraged them to sustain their commitment as the Army prepares for another demanding operational year.

    According to him, the WASA tradition, which dates back to the era of the West African Frontier Force, provides a platform for officers and soldiers to unwind, celebrate achievements of the year and strengthen bonds with their families and host communities, while preparing mentally and socially for future responsibilities.

    Earlier, the Acting Commander, Corps of Medical, Combat Service Support Corps, Brig.-Gen Innocent Enwuchola, described WASA as an enduring tradition of the Nigerian Army that reinforces discipline, esprit de corps and unity among personnel, their families and host communities.

    Brig–Gen Enwuchola said the WASA celebration provided a rare opportunity for officers and soldiers to unwind, socialise and reflect on the successes recorded during the year, while also rewarding deserving personnel for professionalism and dedication to duty.

    He commended personnel of the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, Nigerian Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, as well as the Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management, for their critical roles in sustaining military operations across the country.

    According to him, combat service support formations had continued to provide essential logistics, medical, technical and administrative support to operations in the North East, North West, North Central, South South, South East and South West, noting that these efforts had boosted troop confidence and contributed to the protection of lives and property.

    He also highlighted the role of NACOLM in training and developing officers in military logistics, administration and management, saying the institution had enhanced leadership capacity, planning, resource allocation and decision making within the Nigerian Army.

    The celebration ended with goodwill messages and renewed commitment to professionalism as the Nigerian Army prepares for the 2026 operational year.

  • Abuja singer Ifunanya Nwangene died of snake bite

    Abuja singer Ifunanya Nwangene died of snake bite

    The Amemuso Choir has said its soprano singer, Ifunanya Nwangene, who died on Saturday was bitten by a snake in her residence in Lugbe, Abuja.

    In a statement, the choir’s Music Director, Sam Ezugwu, said Nwangene died at the Federal Medical Centre of a snake bite.

    “A rising star, Ifunanya was on the cusp of sharing her incredible talent with the world. Her voice, dedication, and gentle spirit will be deeply missed by the Amemuso family and everyone who knew her,” the statement said.

     Ezugwu added:“She was sleeping when the snake bit her. This happened around 8 or 9am. She woke up, realised what had happened, and rushed herself to a private hospital around where she lives in Lugbe.’’

    The hospital, identified as Divine Health Hospital, Trademore, Lugbe, was unable to provide the critical drug needed to treat snakebite victims.

    “The snake bit her, and she rushed herself to the hospital. But when she got there, they told her they didn’t have antivenom. That was the first major problem,” Ezugwu explained.

    With her condition worsening, she returned home in an attempt to get help to reach a tertiary hospital.

    “She rushed back home. Her landlord wanted to take her to FMC, Jabi, but his car refused to start. At that point, time was already against her,” he said.

    Read Also: FG, states, councils share ₦1.969tr December revenue at FAAC meeting

    Left with no other option, Nwangene booked a ride-hailing service to the hospital.

    “She booked a Bolt and went to FMC herself. When she arrived, she explained everything to the medical personnel on duty,  that she had been bitten by a snake and that the first hospital didn’t have antivenom,” he added.

    “They said they had only one antivenom.”

    According to Ezugwu, doctors at FMC began attending to her, but another critical challenge emerged.

    “When we got the call, we rushed down to FMC and met the doctors trying their best. She was already struggling at that point,” he said.

    He said the hospital informed them that it had only one dose of antivenom, whereas her condition required more.

    “The doctors told us they had one antivenom, but they needed a second one urgently. We were running around, making calls, trying to buy the second one,” Ezugwu recounted.

    While efforts were ongoing to source the drug, Nwangene’s condition deteriorated.

    “In the period we were rushing to get the second antivenom, she gave up,” at 12:20pm, barely three to four hours after the snake bite.

  • Six injured in Lagos bridge accident

    Six injured in Lagos bridge accident

    At least six commuters were injured yesterday following a serious road traffic accident on the Third Mainland Bridge, Adekunle corridor, inward Iyana-Oworonsoki, involving a painted Volkswagen commercial bus with registration number KRD 436 XF.

    According to the statement by  the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA)   spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, the loaded bus, was conveying passengers alongside assorted household items, reportedly suffered a sudden mechanical failure of its braking system while in motion.

    The failure caused the driver to lose control, leading to the vehicle capsizing on the busy carriageway.

    The accident left six passengers—two adult males and four adult females—with serious injuries, while one of the victims sustained a critical injury to the eye at the point of impact.

    Officials of the LASTMA, who were on routine monitoring duty in the area, arrived at the scene promptly and coordinated rescue efforts. The injured passengers were rescued from the wreckage.

    According to LASTMA, “Good Samaritans swiftly transported four of the injured passengers to an undisclosed medical facility for urgent treatment. In parallel, Officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Adekunle Division, rendered crucial assistance by conveying one male victim who sustained multiple fractures to a hospital for intensive medical care. Additionally, operatives of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) gave medical care to another injured passenger at the scene of the incident.”

     LASTMA officials ensured the swift removal of the accident vehicle from the road.

    The Special Adviser to the governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, expressed sympathy to the injured passengers and their families, and wished them a speedy recovery.

    Read Also: Police urge NLC to shelve Tuesday’s planned protest

    He also warned motorists, particularly commercial vehicle operators, against overloading and neglecting routine vehicle maintenance.

    Giwa stressed the importance of regular mechanical checks, especially of braking systems, before embarking on any journey within or outside Lagos.

    The Special Adviser reaffirmed the state government’s resolute commitment to the preservation of lives and property across its road networks, underscoring that acts of avoidable negligence and mechanical irresponsibility will continue to attract stringent regulatory sanctions.

  • Deaths averted as soldiers evacuate suspected bomb from church’s premises In Abia

    Deaths averted as soldiers evacuate suspected bomb from church’s premises In Abia

    Over 100 deaths were averted on Monday following the discovery of a bomb at the United Evangelical Church,Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State.

    Eyewitnesses said the church members were digging the fence area around the parsonage for a new one when they stumbled on a large metal object.

    One of them was said to have taken the strange object to the nearby water borehole when the Priest-in Charge suddenly suspected it to be a bomb and warned them to stay away from it. 

    A source further said the Priest in-Charge went to a military unit in the city which made soldiers to storm the parsonage to evacuate the deadly object.

    An eyewitness said: “The road which divides the church building and the parsonage is being expanded by the State Government. The church decided to remove the old fence and build a new one to make way for the new expansion of the road. 

    Read Also: Abiara: insecurity in Nigeria,globally sign of end time

    “It was while the church members were digging the ground for the new fence that they dug out the metal object which nobody knew was a bomb. The pastor later invited soldiers who evacuated the object.”

    Sympathisers gathered at the scene expressed gratitude to God for the unexploded object, adding that not less than 100 persons and building would have been destroyed as the area is always filled with traders and passersby.

    Contacted, Secretary of the Aba Area Conference of the United Evangelical Church,UEC, Rev. Thompson Ikpeoha, who confirmed the incident, said he was yet to be fully briefed by the Priest-in-Charge of the Ehere/Umuola Church.

    Efforts to contacts the Army Public Relations Officer,14 Brigade, Ohafia, was unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

  • Ekiti debunks claim of N68m PHC allocation in 2026 budget

    Ekiti debunks claim of N68m PHC allocation in 2026 budget

    The Ekiti State Government has dismissed claims circulating on social media that only N68 million was allocated to primary health care (PHC) in the 2026 budget, describing the reports as false, misleading, and a misrepresentation of the state’s health financing structure.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Information Officer, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mr Wale Obelewaji, the government said more than N2 billion was earmarked for primary health care in the 2026 budget.

    It clarified that the N68 million figure being cited relates to a single capital line item and does not reflect the total allocation to primary health care or the health sector as a whole.

    According to the statement, the total allocation to the health sector in the 2026 budget stands at N19.65 billion, excluding investments in water, sanitation, and other social determinants of health captured under other ministries.

    The government explained that primary health care operates under a shared responsibility framework involving the local, state, and federal governments. While local councils manage day-to-day operations and maintenance, the state provides coordination, supervision, personnel support, and infrastructure through the State Primary Health Care Development Agency.

    Read Also: Ekiti council rejects imposition of chairmanship candidate

    It further disclosed that Ekiti State spent over N33.7 billion on health in 2025, with more than half of the amount invested in primary health care. This included health insurance payments, the renovation of 103 PHC centres, the procurement of medical commodities, and incentives for health workers under the World Bank-supported IMPACT Project.

    The government added that health sector spending in previous years stood at N16.8 billion in 2024, N8.7 billion in 2023, and N25.8 billion in 2022.

    It also outlined investments in human resources, disclosing that 250 health workers were recruited in 2025, with 150 deployed to PHC facilities, while 300 community health vanguards were engaged to track pregnant women and link them to health services.

    It added that approval was also secured for the replacement of over 1,500 health workers at an annual cost of N1.8 billion, most of whom would serve at the primary healthcare level.

    The government stressed that the claim of a N68m allocation to PHC does not reflect the reality on ground, urging the public to engage in health policy debates based on verified facts rather than misinformation.

  • How Ondo became an ‘oil-producing’ state, Olanipekun reveals

    How Ondo became an ‘oil-producing’ state, Olanipekun reveals

    …as Aiyedatiwa pledges inclusive growth, economic development

    A renowned legal luminary and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, has revealed how Ondo State secured its status as one of Nigeria’s oil-producing states in Nigeria.

    Chief Olanipekun, an erstwhile Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, also attributed the breakthrough to the vision and strategic efforts of the late former governor of the Old Ondo State, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua.

    The Nation reports that Ondo, which is one of the few Southwest states in the country that produces crude oil primarily offshore, contributes a modest but important share to national output, producing over 60,000 barrels per day (bpd).

    Speaking on Monday at a public lecture themed “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” held at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome), Akure, as part of activities marking Ondo State’s 50th Anniversary, Olanipekun said the late Olumilua laid the foundation through deliberate planning and teamwork for the state to become “an oil-producing state.”

    He also revealed that the late Olumilua constituted a team comprising his then deputy, Dr Olusegun Agagu; and then Commissioner for Health, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; and himself as Attorney-General, to vigorously pursue federal recognition for the state to become an oil-producing country.

    The legal practitioner added that when the state first presented its case, the then Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Clement Akpamgbo (SAN), advised that Imo and Abia states be included to strengthen the agitation.

    According to him, although the process suffered a setback following the exit of General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime in 1993, the committed team of state officials from the state later engaged the then Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan.

    He added that Shonekan eventually visited Ondo and publicly pronounced the state an oil-producing one, effectively sealing the recognition.

    Olanipekun described Olumilua as the visionary who consistently referred to Ondo as “our Canaan,” noting that his courage and foresight positioned the state for economic advantage.

    He, however, lamented that the former governor had not received adequate recognition for his contributions.

    The legal luminary also described the former governor, Dr Mimiko, as a “living legend,” advising Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to tap into his wealth of experience as the only surviving civilian governor of the state.

    Remarking, Governor Aiyedatiwa said the golden jubilee was both a celebration and a moment for reflection and planning.

    Aiyedatiwa highlighted the state’s transformation from its agrarian roots in cocoa, oil palm, timber, and fishing to value addition and industrialisation.

    He cited projects including the Sunshine Free Trade Zone, Golden Ceramics Industrial Plant, the Ethanol Plant in Ore, and the proposed Ondo Deep Sea Port.

    Read Also: Why Ondo is yet to generate, distribute electricity independently, by Aiyedatiwa

    The governor added that tourism, education, skills development, and diaspora engagement remained central to his administration’s growth strategy.

    He, however, called on citizens to contribute through entrepreneurship, innovation, and civic responsibility, stressing that development was a collective task.

    “As we look ahead to the next fifty years, our vision is bold, inclusive, and ethically anchored. We envision an Ondo State where economic prosperity is broad-based and sustainable; where education produces innovators, ethical leaders, and problem-solvers; where infrastructure supports growth, inclusion, and environmental stewardship; where governance remains responsive, transparent, and accountable; and where social cohesion is strengthened by shared values and civic pride. 

    “This future will be driven by economic diversification, technology and innovation, human capital development, and strong institutions, being some of the thematic areas that our Distinguished Guest Lecturer is eminently positioned to illuminate.

    “It is, therefore, our expectation that this Public Lecture will transcend academic discourse. It must inspire action, partnership, and accountability. Together, we must harness our natural and human resources responsibly; invest deliberately in our youth; preserve our moral and cultural foundations; and build enduring partnerships across government, the private sector, civil society, and the global community.”

  • Oyo approves early closure of govt offices for 50th anniversary celebrations

    Oyo approves early closure of govt offices for 50th anniversary celebrations

    The Oyo State Government has approved the early closure of offices across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to allow public servants participate fully in activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state.

    The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, on Monday.

    According to the statement, all state government offices are to close by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

    The approval, granted by Governor Seyi Makinde, is part of preparations for the golden jubilee celebration, tagged Oyo@50.

    Heads of MDAs were directed to ensure strict compliance with the directive while making provisions for skeletal services in essential areas where necessary.

    Babatunde urged that the directive be given wide publicity to ensure awareness and compliance across the state.