The Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu , Professor Ndukwe Okeudo has said that admission process in the institution is being run on tight merit-based system which can not be compromised.

He also disclosed that he rejected attempts by some parents to have their children transferred from other disciplines into the fields of Medicine and Law.

Professor Okeudo who was addressing Journalists in preparation for the 30th, 31st and 32nd combined Convocation claimed that admission and other activities in the University have been standardized since he took over as Vice Chancellor in November, 2024.

He said it was wrong for parents to attempt transferring their children into Medicine, Pharmacy and Law .

“People were pressuring; transfer my child to Medicine, transfer my child to Law, I said no !

” If your child did not pass Medicine and Law in JAMB, they can’t study them,” Professor Okeudo said.

The Vice Chancellor, who praised Governor Alex Otti for clearing the salary backlog left by the previous administration in Abia, also thanked him for the projects his administration is executing in the University.

Meanwhile, a total of 10, 255 Scholars would participate in the combined Convocation on Friday.

Residents of the Special Site community in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State were, on Thursday, thrown into shock following the discovery of the bodies of aborted twin babies in a refuse dump.

According to eyewitnesses, the aborted babies -a male and a female- were discovered in the early hours of the day in a polythene bag after unknown persons dumped them.

A resident of the area, who did not want his name mentioned, said the aborted babies were found behind the house of a taxi driver identified as Enman Danladi.

Danladi, who commented on the incident, said the strange discovery sparked outrage among other residents when a local farmer alerted him to the discovery after noticing a dog sniffing at the bag, which was swarming with flies.

Danladi said that after the farmer drove the dog away, he opened the polythene bag only to find the aborted twins, forcing him to raise an alarm.

Danladi said when the farmer rushed to his house to inform him, he gathered other neighbours who later dug a small grave at the site to bury the remains of the babies.

“It was a pathetic sight. Women were crying while the men expressed anger and cursed whoever was responsible.

“One woman who had struggled with infertility was crying uncontrollably.

“Such acts are usually done by people from outside the area so they cannot be traced,” he added.

As the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, intensifies its grassroots engagement strategy across Osun State, election stakeholders have been charged to take greater responsibility for ensuring credible elections.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Mutiu Agboke, gave this charge during a series of stakeholders’ meetings held in Osogbo, Ede North and Ede South local government council areas on Wednesday.

Addressing participants drawn from political parties, transport unions, security agencies and civil society organisations, Dr Agboke emphasised that the credibility of the electoral process depended largely on collective adherence to electoral guidelines.

He stressed that no candidate would be declared winner without securing the mandate of voters.

“Nobody will win any election in Osun State without the votes of the people,” he said.

The REC explained that the decision to hold meetings across all local government areas was aimed at engaging stakeholders within their respective communities.

He described the election as special and called for a united approach among stakeholders to ensure a peaceful outcome.

According to him, “such decentralised consultations were necessary for effective planning and coordination.

“Election activities must be jointly handled by all stakeholders to guarantee success.”

As part of measures to strengthen accountability, he disclosed that all ad-hoc staff engaged for the election would be required to sign an affidavit of commitment to service before deployment and warned that any breach of the oath would attract prosecution.

Agboke also cautioned electoral officers, including presiding officers and collation officers, against tampering with results.

“Election matters are serious and should only involve individuals committed to democratic development.

“We will trace any altered result to the responsible official, and such a person will be arrested and prosecuted,” he stated.

He extended similar warnings to members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW, urging them to refrain from partisan activities during the election period.

According to him, “INEC would collaborate with the union strictly in its organisational capacity. A situation room would be established to monitor compliance on election day.”

The REC disclosed that the Commission had been dealing with misinformation since his assumption of office, but insisted that such challenges would not derail preparations for the Osun governorship polls.

Security agencies also used the forum to reassure stakeholders of adequate arrangements to maintain peace before, during and after the elections.

In their welcome address, electoral officers highlighted areas of concern within their jurisdictions, including locations prone to overcrowding, drug-related activities and thuggery, particularly in parts of Ede North, calling for targeted security interventions ahead of the polls.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has said that the Sahel states, including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso left the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, because President Bola Tinubu mismanaged the relationship.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this on Wednesday while fielding questions in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

He was speaking about the insecurity in the West African region.

“Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso left ECOWAS because President Tinubu came and mismanaged the relationship.

“What used to be joint collaboration to fight terrorism in the Sahel region became ‘all man for himself,’ and terrorism prospered.

“The global terrorism index 2025, Nigeria ranked fourth in the list of the most terrorized countries in the world. Pakistan tops the table, followed by Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, while Nigeria is number four.

“Take Pakistan out and look at the other countries on the table. These are ECOWAS countries. These are countries that used to work together to fight terrorism.

“So what the ADC is saying is that the foundation for fighting terrorism in Nigeria must be drawn from our ability to build relationships with our neighborhood.

“The ability of Nigeria to play any leadership role within the West Africa region depends on Nigeria’s ability to protect and defend its own people.

“As long as Nigeria is not able to protect and defend its own people, it cannot lead any claim to leadership in West African region or Africa as a whole,” Abdullahi stated.

The governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, on Wednesday in Jalingo, the state capital, launched a statewide youth database and profiling initiative aimed at strengthening development planning and improving service delivery.

Urging young people in the state to shun negative influences and channel their energy into productive ventures that promote personal growth and societal progress, he reiterated his administration’s commitment to youth development.

The governor, who emphasised that accurate and reliable data remains critical for designing effective policies and programmes, said the initiative is aimed at strengthening development planning and improving service delivery.

He explained that the initiative would provide government with the necessary tools to better understand and respond to the needs of young people across the state.

According to him, the newly introduced system will help identify the skills, needs, and opportunities within the youth population, enabling more strategic and efficient interventions.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Taraba State Youth Development Agency, Nongha Gara, said the initiative would enhance targeted interventions and ensure that government resources are directed to those who need them most.

He noted that the availability of a comprehensive and up-to-date youth database would improve programme delivery and maximise impact.

The youth profiling system, DAILY POST learnt, is expected to support evidence-based decision-making and strengthen ongoing efforts to empower young people across the state, positioning them as key drivers of sustainable development.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has removed Shehu Wada Sagagi from his position as Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry, with immediate effect.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

According to the statement, Sagagi has been directed to hand over all responsibilities of the ministry to the Director of Commerce without delay.

According to the statement, the Governor “acknowledged Sagagi’s contributions to the development of the state, particularly in the areas of politics, religion, small and medium enterprises.”

Governor Yusuf thanked the former commissioner for his service during his time in office.

The governor wished him well in his future pursuits and assured residents that his administration remains focused on delivering effective governance and improving public services.

The statement added that the move is part of an ongoing effort by the government to restructure its system for better performance and long-term development.

The Nigerian Army has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit filed by Professor John Ntui Ntuiabane over a disputed property located in Apo District, describing the action as an abuse of court process and lacking legal merit.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/C’S/2635/2025, seeks the court’s interpretation of the constitutional right of citizens to own property in Nigeria, as well as a declaration to preserve the ownership rights of a deceased retired Major who was reportedly allocated the property, which is currently occupied by a retired Naval chief.

The property dispute has attracted public attention following a recent controversy involving a young Naval officer, Lt. Ahmed Yerima, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the ownership of the Apo residence.

In a preliminary objection dated March 24, 2026, the Nigerian Army, through human rights lawyer, Victor Giwa, urged the court to strike out the suit, arguing that it was incompetent and improperly filed.

According to the objection, “the suit is grossly incompetent, having been filed via originating process, highly speculative and hypothetical and academic in nature.”

Giwa further contended that the claimant was attempting to obtain a judicial pronouncement on what he described as an academic question, urging the court to dismiss the case and treat it as a matter suitable for academic discussion rather than judicial determination.

He also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter, insisting that the action does not disclose any real dispute that requires judicial intervention.

The Kano state government has directed all public office holders planning to contest in the 2026 elections to step down from their positions on or before March 31, 2026.

The directive was issued in an official circular signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, and dated March 24, 2026.

It was addressed to top government officials, including commissioners, advisers, directors-general, and other senior appointees across the state.

According to the statement, the decision is in line with the Electoral Act and other relevant regulations guiding the conduct of public officers.

It stressed that political office holders who intend to participate in the upcoming elections must resign their appointments to comply with the law.

The government explained that the move is aimed at enforcing Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which regulates the involvement of public servants in partisan political activities. It added that the directive is also meant to protect the core values of the civil service, including neutrality, accountability, and integrity.

“All public officers who are interested in contesting in the forthcoming general elections are requested to resign or retire as the case may be on or before Tuesday, 31st March 2026,” the circular stated.

The government further urged all relevant authorities to ensure the directive is widely circulated and strictly followed.