Port Harcourt – The Rivers State Government has noted the statement by the NBA on the relocation the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Enugu State.

The Rivers State Government, however, outrightly rejects the NBA’s recent allegation that the ₦300 million payment made by the state was a "gift", unrelated to hosting rights for the NBA AGC 2025. For clarity, the Rivers State Government’s records show that the payment of ₦300 million to the NBA was made with the mutual understanding that Rivers State would host the 2025 edition of the NBA AGC.
The Rivers State

Government entered into this arrangement with the NBA in good faith, with the understanding that hosting the conference in the state would attract significant economic benefits to our state, positively and directly impact the businesses of our people. The NBA's unilateral decision to relocate the AGC 2025 against our mutual understanding and subsequent decision to withhold the ₦300 million paid for the purpose of hosting the NBA AGC 2025 in Rivers State is unethical and amounts to a breach of trust.

Failure of the NBA to immediately refund the ₦300 million to the Rivers State Government, will compel the implementation of all legal means to recover the property of the good people of Rivers State.

We reaffirm our willingness to engage in partnerships with all professional bodies, including the NBA, but we will not accommodate exploitation of our people and the Rivers State Government.
Signed:

Hector Igbikiowubo

SSA Media
Rivers State Government
Government House, Port Harcourt

The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has expressed warm felicitations to Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (Ezennia) SAN, OON, JP, FCArb, esteemed legal luminary on the auspicious occasion of his birthday.

In his goodwill message, Governor Soludo commended Dr. Ikpeazu's distinguished career as a proof of absolute dedication, intellectual prowess, and an unyielding commitment to the tenets of justice and the rule of law. 

His profound contributions to the Nigerian legal landscape, particularly within the realm of constitutional law, have earned him national and international acclaim. 

The Governor further noted that beyond his legal eminence, Dr. Ikpeazu's role as one of the leading lawyers in the country also underscores his steadfast dedication to the advancement of democratic principles and the promotion of good governance. 

Therefore, Governor Soludo wishes Dr. Ikpeazu, a very happy birthday celebration filled with good health, prosperity, and the fulfilment of his aspirations.

Signed,

Christian Aburime

Press Secretary to the Governor

Anambra government has called for legislation to ban the use of industrial oxygen in hospitals across the country, describing it as dangerous to public health.

The State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, made the call on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to Ms. Nwamaka Arinze, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Oxygen Production Plant in Awka.

Mefor expressed displeasure over the continued use of industrial oxygen in hospitals instead of pure medical oxygen, describing it as very dangerous for humans.

He emphasized that, “Since it has been proven that industrial oxygen is not good for human consumption, it should be a legislative issue. There should be a law against it, with clear punishments outlined for its usage.”

Mefor argued that without legislation, people will still opt for what they consider cheap, regardless of the consequences.

The commissioner noted that the use of industrial oxygen is widespread and called for strong legislation with severe punishment to curb this deadly practice.

He also pointed out that the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) had recently shut down the Bridgehead Drug Market due to the sale of fake, expired, and banned drugs.

Mefor lamented that some traders place profit above human lives, stating that “The only way to really curb this menace is through legislation and enforcement of the law.” 

He acknowledged that the problem is not the absence of laws but the difficulty of enforcement, particularly in Anambra State, where challenges exist in ensuring that laws are applied effectively.

Mefor also pledged that the Ministry of Information would work closely with relevant authorities to raise public awareness about the dangers of industrial oxygen in hospitals.

Support for the legislation 

Earlier, Dr. Arinze, the MD/CEO of the Anambra State Oxygen Production Plant at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), Awka, voiced her support for the fight against the use of industrial oxygen in medical settings.

• Arinze condemned the use of industrial oxygen in hospitals and echoed the Commissioner’s call for legislation and strict enforcement.
• She expressed satisfaction that the Anambra State Oxygen Production Plant continues to produce pure medical oxygen and has a standby supply for emergencies.

However, she noted the challenge of educating some doctors who, despite knowing the dangers, still permit the use of industrial oxygen.

The cost of poor practices 

Arinze lamented that in Nigeria, autopsies are often only conducted in controversial cases. This practice means that when a patient dies after being administered industrial oxygen, families still end up paying the doctor before collecting the body.

She stressed the importance of healthcare professionals’ responsibility to save lives and build, rather than destroy.

[Nairametrics]

Former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has denied reports that he travelled to France to meet President Bola Tinubu.

The former Governor clarified that he is in Abuja; hence, there is no way he could have met Tinubu as speculated in some reports.

Naija News reports that Aregbesola made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday by his media adviser, Sola Fasure, following social media reports on Monday alleging that the former Governor of Osun State was in France to meet with President Tinubu, who is on a two-week vacation in Paris.

However, the former Minister of Interior, in debunking the claim, clarified that he is currently in Abuja and has not travelled outside Nigeria.

He urged members of the pubic to disregard reports of any meeting between himself and Tinubu in France.

Fasure said: “Our attention has been drawn to a mischievous report on social media claiming that the former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is currently in France to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We wish to categorically state that this is false and there is absolutely no truth to it.

“Ogbeni Aregbesola is presently in Abuja and has not travelled outside the shores of Nigeria.

“The report is entirely false and unfounded and should therefore be totally disregarded.”

In other news, the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed rumors circulating on social media that the president traveled to France for medical treatment.

According to Bwala, President Tinubu is in Paris for a working visit and not for any health-related concerns.

[NAijaNews]

Politician and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has revealed that popular fuji musician Saheed Osupa Akorede has withdrawn his defamation case against fellow singer, Habeeb Okikiola, a.k.a Portable, before an Upper Area Court in Ilorin, Kwara State.

In a post shared on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon, Sowore said he had a conversation with Osupa, during which the musician explained that his use of the police was intended to show he had no involvement in any attempt to harm Portable. However, Osupa acknowledged that his actions might have been seen as using the police for repression.

As a result, he decided to drop the charges that had led to Portable’s incarceration in a prison in Ilorin after failing to meet bail conditions on Monday.

Sowore maintained that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) should not be used to enforce civil disputes and called for an end to the misuse of cybercrime charges.

Moment later, Sowore returned to his Facebook page to confirm Portable’s release from Oke Kura Custorial Centre in Ilorin.

[Leadership]

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 24.23 percent in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has stated.

A report by the bureau said the figure was a 1.05 percent increase from the 23.18 percent recorded in February.

Daily Trust reports that this is the first increase of the inflation figure since the NBS rebased the Consumer Price Index (CPI) earlier in the year.

“Looking at the movement, the March 2025 Headline inflation rate showed an increase of 1.05% compared to the February 2025 Headline inflation rate. Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the Headline inflation rate in March 2025 was 3.90%, which was 1.85% higher than the rate recorded in February 2025 (2.04%).

“This means that in March 2025, the rate of increase in the average price level is higher than the rate of increase in the average price level in February 2025.”

It explained that contributions of items on the divisional level are food and non-alcoholic beverages, 9.28 percent; restaurants and accommodation services, 2.99 percent; transport, 2.47 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 1.95 percent, education services 1.44 percent, health 1.40 percent.

It said food inflation rate in March 2025 was 21.79 percent on a year-on-year basis.

“However, on a month-on-month basis, the Food inflation rate in March 2025 was 2.18 percent, up by 0.50 percent compared to February 2025 (1.67 percent),” the NBS added.

It attributed the increase to the rise in the average prices of ginger (fresh), garri (Yellow), broken rice (ofada), honey (natural production), crabs, potatoes, plantain flour, periwinkle (unshelled), pepper (fresh), etc.

[DailyTrust]

A yet to be identified gunmen have killed at least three policemen in Achi, Oji River Local Government Area, Enugu State.

DAILY POST learnt that the incident happened at a checkpoint close to Ozudaa Market, Achi.

Details of the incident are still sketchy as the Police Public Relations Officer of the Enugu Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe could not take his calls.

However, a viral gory video obtained by DAILY POST shows lifeless bodies of the slain policemen.

More to follow….

Watch video on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Nasrk54MA/

[DailyPost]

Thousands of Nigerians are reeling from the collapse of CBEX, a digital asset trading platform that has reportedly disappeared with more than N1.3 trillion of investors’ funds.

The platform, which lured users with promises of a 100% return on investment within 30 days, abruptly crashed on Monday. 

Investors were shocked to find their digital wallets emptied, while CBEX shut down its Telegram channels and froze all withdrawal options.

In a last-ditch attempt to maintain control, CBEX introduced a so-called “verification” process, demanding $100 or $200 from users in exchange for a supposed chance to recover their lost funds—further deepening suspicions of a coordinated scam.

CBEX had presented itself as a secure and transparent digital trading platform, but its sudden disappearance has left investors counting heavy losses in what is now considered one of Nigeria’s largest digital financial scams.

However, its operational model is now under intense scrutiny as accusations of fraud and deceptive tactics surface. The platform allegedly displayed fake withdrawal records to cover up the issues users faced when trying to access their funds.

Reports indicate that user funds disappeared almost immediately after deposit, meaning investors never truly owned or accessed the digital assets they believed they were trading.

CBEX reportedly operated without proper licensing and ran a poorly designed website that mimicked reputable platforms like ByBit to appear legitimate and gain users’ trust.

It was reported that behind the scenes, investors’ deposits were funneled into a TRX (Tron) wallet, quickly converted to USDT and then ETH. Meanwhile, what appeared on users’ dashboards were fake balances — artificially generated figures showing fictitious AI trading profits.

In reality, the scheme ran like a typical Ponzi structure, using funds from new investors to simulate returns for earlier ones.

After the platform’s crash, CBEX introduced a so-called “verification” phase, demanding an extra $100 from users with balances below $1,000, and $200 from those with higher amounts, under the guise of helping them recover their funds.

Analysts have described this as a last-ditch effort to extract more money from desperate victims, possibly to pay a few and sustain the illusion of credibility, while the majority are left defrauded.

[TheNation]

Eighteen-year-old Osariemen Unuigbe, a Nigerian-American student of Edo State origin, has been accepted into six Ivy League universities in the United States, including the prestigious Harvard and Yale.

Currently a senior at Egg Harbor Township High School in New Jersey, Osariemen is earning widespread praise for her exceptional academic performance and steadfast pursuit of excellence.

Her parents, Dr. Augustine and Dr. (Mrs.) Florence Unuigbe, expressed their heartfelt joy, describing her achievement as “a great miracle” and giving “all glory to God.”

Osariemen’s impressive resume includes acceptance into the highly competitive Governor’s School of New Jersey, as well as holding numerous leadership positions throughout her academic journey.

She has received a host of academic honours, all highlighting her commitment to personal growth and intellectual achievement.

Recently, Osariemen Unuigbe was named a 2025 “Rising to the Top” scholar by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Southern New Jersey Chapter—another prestigious recognition of her all-around excellence.

Her success reflects the increasing visibility and impact of Nigerian students in U.S. higher education.

The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange revealed that Nigerian student enrollment at U.S. institutions reached 20,029 in the 2023/2024 academic year, marking a 13.5% rise from previous years.

Vanguard News