The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), has ordered the immediate closure of Myra Event Centre in Abuja, over noise pollution.

The Coordinator of AMMC, Mr Felix Obuah, announced the directive in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

Obuah explained that the centre, located at plot 135, Mustapha Bello Street, Guzape District, was polluting the environment with noise, particularly at night, along with other contraventions.

He said that the centre would remain closed until further notice.

The coordinator further said that the action was part of ongoing efforts to address noise pollution and other environmental violations across the nation’s capital city.

He reiterated the administration’s zero-tolerance policy for violations that threaten public health and community harmony.

Obuah advised event centers against noise pollution, stressing the need to operate within the provisions of environmental laws guiding their operations.

He said that any event center that indulges in noise pollution will be closed down with immediate effect.

Obuah urged FCT residents to report environmental violations through AMMC official channels, emphasising the need for collective action to protect the environment for the interest of the public.

The Lagos State Government has revealed that an alarming 31,596 public school students failed to pass the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), raising concerns throughout the state’s educational landscape.

Naija News reports that the statistics, presented by the Lagos Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, during a press conference on Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, indicated that 54.3% of the 58,188 public school students who participated in the exams failed.

The commissioner noted that the pass rate stood at 45.7%. This high failure rate persists despite the substantial financial support from the state government, which allocated ₦1.577 billion to cover the WAEC fees for the students.

“Suffice to say that the sum of ₦1,577,794,000 (One Billion, Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Four Thousand Naira) only was paid by the State Government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.

In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.

“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos State Government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.

The Lagos State Government has initiated a significant educational intervention known as the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO Candidates, which seeks to address the issue of academic underachievement in the public schools of the state.

This program was launched on January 14, 2025, as part of a larger effort by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to provide Lagos students with the necessary resources for academic success.

This innovative initiative is intended to support and empower young learners, reflecting the Ministry’s dedication to enhancing the educational system in Lagos State, as stated by Alli-Balogun.

He mentioned that the program aims to deliver 320 lessons across 10 essential subjects, including English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government, History, Literature-in-English, and Yoruba, thereby providing high-quality tutoring directly to students’ homes.

Each 30-minute lesson will be broadcast on Lagos Television (LTV) and will also be available on major platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), thus establishing a digital learning library that is accessible to all students.

“It is a supportive eco-system that fosters academic achievement, creativity, critical thinking… every student deserves the opportunity to attain their full potential, regardless of their background or socio-economic status,” the Commissioner declared passionately.

Alli-Balogun urged students, especially those in boarding schools, to seize this opportunity.

“It is on this note that I urge and encourage students, more importantly, students in our boarding schools, to take full advantage of this initiative, as education is a lifelong journey,” he said.

The suspended Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, has dismissed purported plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that there have been unconfirmed online reports suggesting that Fubara, alongside his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, are planning to defect to the APC.

The report also suggested that the move was part of a broader strategic political alignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Amid the report, Governor Oborevwori defected on Wednesday alongside his deputy, his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, his commissioners, and major Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in his state to the APC.

However, speaking on behalf of his principal, the Special Assistant on Electronic Media to Fubara, Jerry Omatsogunwa, in an interview with DAILY POST, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, reaffirmed that the Governor remains a member of the PDP.

Omatsogunwa expressed doubt that the governor was aware of the rumoured defection, adding he had not spoken about dumping the PDP.

He said, “I doubt if the governor is even aware of the rumoured defection right now that he wants to defect. I doubt if the governor is aware.

“As it stands now, we are still members of the PDP, and nothing has changed as far as we are concerned right now. That is the stance of things right now.

“For now, as we are talking, the governor has not talked about defection. He is still a bona fide member of the PDP.

“And I can tell you for free that the governor, our Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is the Deputy Chairman of the PDP Governor’s Forum. And that’s how things stand right now. Today is 24 April, 2025, and this is 9:46 am; as it stands right now, the governor is still a bona fide member of the PDP. I don’t know anything about defection.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest and remand of six promoters of the now-collapsed and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme known as “CBEX,” over an alleged $1 billion scam targeting Nigerian victims.

Naija News reports that Justice Emeka Nwite granted the order on Thursday following an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Emmanuel Oku, and four other defendants.

The EFCC alleges that the defendants used a company called ST Technologies to promote CBEX, luring Nigerians to invest in the scheme.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had pledged to recover Nigerians’ lost investments in the alleged 1.3 trillion naira CryptoBank Exchange scam, committing to take action in collaboration with Interpol and other international agencies.

During the resumed court session on Thursday, EFCC counsel Fadila Yusuf informed the court of a motion ex parte concerning investigations into CBEX and the Commission’s intention to prosecute the suspects in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

“An order of this Honourable Court for the issuance of a warrant of arrest for the defendants. An order of this Honourable Court remanding the defendants in the custody of the Complainant/Applicant pending the conclusion of the investigation into the alleged offences and possible prosecution,” Yusuf said in open court. She emphasized that the case involves foreign collaborators and a scam worth over $1 billion.

Yusuf explained that while the defendants have not yet been apprehended, they used ST Technologies International Limited to promote Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), advertising unrealistic returns and luring unsuspecting members of the public to invest cryptocurrencies on the CBEX platform, with promises of returns of up to 100%.

She further noted that the funds were not stored in any Nigerian accounts, and unraveling the full scope of the syndicate’s activities would take time.

In its application, the EFCC stated that victims were made to convert their digital assets into the stablecoin USDT, which was then deposited into wallets controlled by the suspects. After victims deposited over $1 billion, the CBEX platform became inaccessible, preventing users from withdrawing their investments and exposing the operation as a scam.

The EFCC also stressed that although ST Technologies International Limited was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was not licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate as an investment platform.

The EFCC further argued that a warrant of arrest is necessary to place the defendants on a Red Notice list so they can be tracked and arrested to face charges.

After reviewing the EFCC’s submissions and court documents, Justice Nwite found merit in the application and granted the motion as prayed.

Nigerian activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has claimed that the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso worked for President Bola Tinubu in the last election.
He asserted that Obi is likely to work for Tinubu again and will most probably refuse to join the coalition.

Speaking on Thursday via a post shared on his ? page, Adeyanju disclosed what must be done for the coalition by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to succeed.

He argued that all self-centered politicians like Atiku and Obi must be neutral and not run in 2027.

According to Adeyanju, “I’m 100% convinced that Obi worked for Tinubu’s in 2023 & will do so again. I might be wrong but I’m convinced in my mind about this.

“Once a businessman, always a businessman man. Those still in doubt will see the clear hand writing before 2027. He will refuse to join coalition.

“Kwankwaso also worked for Tinubu. For the coalition to succeed, all the self centered politicians like Atiku & Obi should promise not to run and allow neutral folks to run against Tinubu.

“This is how to put the interest of the nation above personal interest. The biggest industry in Africa is politics.

“And those around popular politicians are all merchants. This is why once politics is around the corner, they are in business. Con men and women who just want to cash out. This is why they never tell politicians the truth.”

Tajudeen Yusuf, a former member of the house of representatives, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing the consequences of neglecting its zoning arrangement during the 2022 presidential primaries.

Yusuf, who represented the Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency, spoke on Thursday when he appeared on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television. 

In the build up to the 2023 presidential election, some PDP chieftains called for the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the south. 

However, Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, who is from the north, won the PDP presidential primary — a development that created division in the party.

There has been a recent wave of defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections, including Sheriff Oborevwori, the Delta state governor.

Speaking on the show, the ex-Kogi lawmaker said the collapse of the zoning arrangement marked a turning point for the PDP.

Yusuf said a similar debate over the party’s zoning agreement emerged in 2014, when former President Goodluck Jonathan took over after Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s passing.

He said that most party members from the north felt short-changed by Jonathan’s emergence as the party’s candidate in 2011.

“A lot has changed in PDP, but the most fundamental shift came in 2023 when we abandoned our core principle of zoning the presidency,” Yusuf said.

“If you recall, in 2014, the agitation was that Yar’Adua didn’t finish his term and Jonathan took over, which many believed ate into the North’s turn.

“That led five governors — led by prominent figures like Atiku Abubakar — to walk out of the convention at Eagle Square, marking the start of PDP’s internal crisis.

“By 2019, most of them, including Atiku and Tambuwal, returned to the party, in line with our principle, the party zoned the presidency to the North to avoid a repeat of past issues.

“By 2023, naturally, it should have rotated back to the South, but because of certain vested interests — people who felt they could influence the process — zoning was deliberately blocked.

“I was at the meeting, and I remember saying, ‘If we don’t zone, we will regret this’; because in Nigeria today, politics is still very much tied to religion and ethnicity — maybe one day that will change, but not now.”

Yusuf said those who derailed zoning in 2023 are now regrouping ahead of the next general election.

He noted that although PDP governors now meet regularly, they are not supporting the party financially.

“This is the first time in about ten years of PDP being in opposition that governors are not actually funding the party,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the PDP is going through “one of the toughest political periods” in its history since losing power in 2015.

Nine weeks after its last sitting, the National Economic Council (NEC) reconvened on Thursday with the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas, among key attendees at the meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The NEC, which last met on February 20, is Nigeria’s top advisory body on economic policy, comprising the Vice President, all 36 state governors, and key federal ministers.

The February meeting had focused on the launch of the Nutrition 774 initiative aimed at tackling malnutrition nationwide.

Thursday’s session is expected to be dominated by discussions on rising insecurity across the country and the growing calls for the establishment of state police—a topic that was conspicuously absent during the last meeting.

The presence of the Rivers State Sole Administrator is particularly notable, coming in the wake of political tensions and legal uncertainties surrounding the leadership of the oil-rich Niger Delta State.

Also present at the meeting were the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, among others

The Adamawa State Police Command said its operatives arrested 148 suspects, recovered eleven AK-47 rifles and 20 locally fabricated assault rifles.

Also recovered by the command is 110 live rounds of ammunition, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as well as three stolen vehicles.

Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Dankombo Morris disclosed this during a press briefing in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

He said the feats were possible through the Command’s re-designed operational and intelligence capabilities and intensified security measures to address emerging threats and reduce crime within the state.

CP Morris said the strategic move has yielded significant outcome that resulted in the arrest of numerous kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide, and rape suspects, as well as recovery of arms and ammunitions.

According to the CP, the two IEDs were planted by Boko Haram terrorists in some communities within Hong local government area, and were detonated.

He added that the police also rescued six kidnap victims in collaboration with sister security agencies.

The CP commended the gallant officers and men involved in these successful operations and assured the public that the Command will spare no effort in ensuring the safety and security of all residents in the state.

In an open letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, former presidential adviser, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has called on the Nigerian leader to forgo a second term and pave the way for a younger generation of leaders ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to the letter, widely circulated on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed urged President Tinubu to “step aside—not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas.”

Baba-Ahmed, who recently resigned as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of the Vice President, argued that Tinubu’s most dignified political exit would be to voluntarily retire and support new leadership.

“Our generation has done its time,” he wrote. “It would be a masterstroke if you and your party yielded the field to new voices and new leadership. That way, you could catalyse a peaceful, historic transformation and inspire a new political culture rooted in merit, unity, and progress.”

He urged the president to reflect on his legacy and warned against being consumed by re-election ambitions.

“You hold what your opposition lacks: the power to reduce the harshness of life for the average Nigerian. Use it well. Watch 2027, yes—but don’t become consumed by it,” Baba-Ahmed cautioned.

While acknowledging that the Tinubu administration inherited a difficult economic situation and an exhausted population, Baba-Ahmed said the president has failed to convert the early optimism into effective governance.

He criticised the administration’s signature policy agenda, the Renewed Hope Agenda, as “a set of campaign promises, not a coherent governance plan.” He also questioned the competence of Tinubu’s cabinet, claiming that “more than half has no business managing an administration tasked with improving security, livelihoods, or public trust.”

The former aide also disclosed that during his 18-month tenure, he never had a one-on-one meeting with the president—further evidence, he suggested, of Tinubu’s distant leadership style.

“If you shift attention now to electoral ambitions, you risk losing both governance momentum and public goodwill,” he warned. “If you win again without reforming your style and strategy, you may spend four more years preserving failure. If you lose, your legacy could be wiped out in an instant.”

Baba-Ahmed noted widespread dissatisfaction across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

“The North is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation. The East remains politically disengaged, while the South-South is fragmented. The South-West has been lukewarm, and its privileged position may become a burden. The North-East is deeply wounded and can no longer be taken for granted,” he stated.

He accused Tinubu of isolating himself from both the people and potential allies.

“Your closed-door style of leadership, your apparent indifference to complaints of ethnic bias in appointments, and the perception that you frequently run the country from abroad… have created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration,” he wrote.

Baba-Ahmed also criticised the administration’s communication strategy, describing it as “a crowd of spokespersons who often confuse rather than clarify your policies.”

Reacting to the letter, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed Baba-Ahmed’s criticisms, attributing his remarks to the timing of his recent resignation.

“President Tinubu is unfazed by the attacks of Baba-Ahmed and his co-travellers. We await his so-called revelations,” Onanuga said.

Meanwhile, Senator Ajibola Basiru, National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defended the administration’s track record. Speaking on Channels Television, Basiru rated Tinubu’s government at 78 percent and highlighted key achievements including the launch of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and CreditCorp to expand consumer credit.

“We have stimulated agricultural production, which has contributed to a downward trend in food inflation. We have also addressed the shortage of funds for infrastructure development,” Basiru said, citing major projects such as the coastal highway and rail expansion.

Despite growing internal critiques, the Tinubu administration maintains that its reforms were on course, while political observers watch closely to see how the president will respond to rising calls for generational leadership change.