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Vandals destroy newly installed solar panels in FCT

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Vandals have removed some of the newly installed solar panels in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West APC), gave the hint and bemoaned the activities of vandals in the city.

He stated this in Abuja at weekend  during an inspection of some of the ongoing projects within the city as part of the committee’s oversight function.

He said that efforts must be made to secure and maintain all facilities, including traffic lights, rail tracks, manholes, and power installations among others.

Adeyemi asked Nigerians to protect public facilities put in place for their benefits, and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to include security and maintenance components into budget proposals for proposed projects.

Other projects inspected are ongoing rehabilitation work at the National Assembly, operations control centre of the Abuja Mass Rail Transit System, the Gosa dump site and landfill, and the Wupa sewage treatment plant, as well as the facilities and equipment of the Department of Development Control.

Adeyemi hailed the FCTA Minister, Malam Musa Bello, for his commitment to the execution of priority projects in the Territory.

Responding to the issue of the security of critical infrastructure, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, Shehu Ahmed, said the FCT Security Committee had mandated the FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps to ensure the security of such facilities across the FCT.

FCTA Director, Department of Facility Maintenance, Omoniyi Olaloye, said the solar street lighting initiative became imperative due to inadequate power supply from the national grid.

Olaloye revealed that over 4,000 units of solar powered street lights had been installed so far across the city, promising that more installations would be made.

 

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Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment

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Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment
Babcock University
Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment

A 400-level student of Babcock University, Ogun State, has survived a suspected suicide attempt at his hostel and is currently receiving medical attention, following an intervention by his roommates.

The incident, which occurred on November 8, 2026, attracted widespread attention after videos circulated on social media showing the student near a hostel window as his roommates struggled to restrain him and pull him away from the ledge.

The university management confirmed that the student was alive and receiving treatment, dismissing social media reports claiming that he had died.

According to the institution, both the affected student and one of his roommates sustained injuries during the incident. The roommate was treated and subsequently discharged, while the 400-level student remains under medical care at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital.

The university commended the roommates for their prompt intervention, noting that their actions helped prevent what could have been a tragic outcome.

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In a statement signed by its Associate Vice-President for Communication, Media and Branding, Dr Johnson Akintayo, the institution said it had commenced an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Although the incident has been widely described as a suspected suicide attempt, the university has not officially established the student’s motive or the factors that may have contributed to what happened.

Management also disclosed that the student’s parents had been contacted and were on campus to support him during his recovery.

Beyond medical treatment, the university said it would provide the student with appropriate support and guidance to aid his recovery and well-being.

Babcock urged members of the public and media organisations to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information, particularly claims about the student’s condition and the circumstances of the incident.

The institution also appealed for sensitivity in discussing the matter, stressing the need to respect the privacy of the student and his family.

The incident has renewed attention on student mental health, emotional well-being and the importance of providing accessible support systems within higher institutions.

The university reiterated its commitment to the safety and welfare of its students, adding that it would take appropriate steps based on the findings of its investigation.

Babcock Student Survives Suspected Suicide Attempt, Receives Treatment

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Three Broken-Down Trucks Paralyse Abuja-Kaduna Highway, Travellers Spend Eight Hours in Gridlock

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Three Broken-Down Trucks Paralyse Abuja-Kaduna Highway, Travellers Spend Eight Hours in Gridlock

 

Three broken-down trucks have once again exposed the vulnerability of the Abuja-Kaduna highway, trapping hundreds of motorists and travellers in a crippling traffic gridlock that lasted several hours on Monday, with some commuters reportedly spending up to eight hours on the road.

The trucks, which reportedly became immobilised on Rijana Bridge around 2am, blocked a section of the busy highway, triggering a massive traffic build-up stretching from Akilibu to Gidan Busa, according a Daily Trust report.

The development left motorists stranded for hours, disrupted commercial activities and forced some travellers to abandon their journeys, while others considered alternative routes to Abuja.

A commercial driver, Bala, was quoted as saying he spent nearly three hours in the traffic before managing to continue his journey.

“Honestly, the situation was very frustrating. I have just come out of the traffic after spending more than three hours on the road. We were told that some vehicles broke down in the middle of the road around 2am on Monday,” he said.

Another resident of Katari, Danjuma Katari, said traffic was still moving slowly around 5pm, despite efforts to remove the trucks.

A motorist, Reuben Buhari, who shared his experience on Facebook, said he spent eight hours in the gridlock before reaching Abuja.

He also blamed motorists’ indiscipline, impatience and disregard for traffic regulations for worsening the situation.

For Sarah Monday, a fashion designer travelling to Abuja for a contract meeting, the gridlock came at a considerable cost, as she missed the appointment.

She appealed to the Federal Government to expedite the completion of the highway to spare commuters the recurring hardship, particularly during festive periods.

FRSC removes two trucks

The Federal Road Safety Corps Sector Commander, Andrew Paul Longkam, confirmed the incident, saying two of the three trucks had been removed and traffic was gradually returning to normal.

He attributed the severity of the congestion to ongoing reconstruction work, which had reduced the available carriageway to a single lane, making it difficult for motorists to manoeuvre whenever an obstruction occurred.

He also cited the high volume of vehicles on the highway, including those reportedly travelling to Jigawa State for a political campaign.

The latest incident adds to a troubling pattern of recurring gridlocks along the corridor, particularly around the Jere-Katari axis.

Similar disruptions were recorded in January, May and August, triggered by a combination of road construction, accidents, heavy vehicular movement, rainfall and motorists’ poor driving habits.

The repeated gridlocks have renewed concerns over the pace of reconstruction and the need for effective traffic management on one of northern Nigeria’s busiest highways.

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ICPC Expands Adeyemi’s Case to 36 Counts, Adds Four Civil Servants

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ICPC Expands Adeyemi’s Case to 36 Counts, Adds Four Civil Servants
Prince Adeniyi Mathew Adeyemi
ICPC Expands Adeyemi’s Case to 36 Counts, Adds Four Civil Servants

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has expanded its corruption case against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged Director-General of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), filing a fresh 36-count charge and bringing four civil servants into the case as additional defendants.

The amended charge increases the number of counts against Adeyemi from 22 to 36, widening the scope of the prosecution over allegations surrounding the establishment and operation of the purported government agency.

The four civil servants named in the amended charge are Aminu Abdullahi, Ogaba Harry, Florence Omameh and Patricia Akhigbe.

ICPC prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, of the amended charge when the case came up on Monday.

The proceedings had initially been scheduled for the hearing of Adeyemi’s bail application. However, the filing of the fresh charge meant that all five defendants had to appear before the court to take their pleas to the new allegations.

The planned arraignment could not proceed because Omameh, the fourth defendant, was absent from court on health grounds. The prosecution told the court that she was receiving medical attention at a hospital in Abuja.

Tahir explained that the prosecution had been informed of her condition and that the amended charge, alongside the accompanying proof of evidence, had been served on her.

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He argued that her absence prevented the prosecution from proceeding with the arraignment, noting that the case had become a joint trial involving five defendants.

Relying on Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Tahir submitted that an accused person was required to be present in court throughout criminal proceedings, subject to the exceptions provided by the law.

He consequently asked the court for a short adjournment to enable Omameh to recover and appear for arraignment alongside the other defendants.

Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, did not oppose the amended charge or the request for an adjournment. He, however, drew the court’s attention to what he described as his client’s prolonged detention.

Justice Yusuf Halilu subsequently adjourned the case until November 18 for the arraignment of the five defendants.

The judge also ordered that Adeyemi be returned to the Kuje Correctional Centre, while the other defendants were directed to return to the ICPC detention facility pending the next hearing.

The case centres on allegations that Adeyemi established and operated a fictitious government agency known as the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, which allegedly functioned as though it had official government recognition.

According to the prosecution, the purported council allegedly secured government-related facilities, recruited personnel and sought to operate within the Federal Government’s administrative and financial structures without the necessary legal authority.

The earlier 22-count charge against Adeyemi included allegations of forgery, impersonation as a public servant and obtaining money under false pretences. The commission also accused him of using forged documents to support claims about his appointment and the purported agency’s operations.

The prosecution further alleged that documents were forged to facilitate the allocation of office space at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja and to secure other government-related benefits.

The case also involves allegations concerning the purported agency’s inclusion in government budgetary and financial arrangements, with the prosecution previously alleging that more than N27 billion was obtained for its establishment and operations, alongside funds earmarked for personnel costs.

The four civil servants were added to the case over their alleged roles in facilitating aspects of the purported agency’s operations, including access to government facilities and administrative support.

The ICPC’s latest amendment represents another development in a case that has passed through several stages since the police initially instituted proceedings against Adeyemi.

The commission subsequently took over the prosecution and amended the charges before bringing the expanded case before the FCT High Court.

Adeyemi had earlier denied the allegations contained in the previous charge. The five defendants are expected to enter their pleas to the amended 36-count charge when the case resumes on November 18.

The allegations have yet to be established in court, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

ICPC Expands Adeyemi’s Case to 36 Counts, Adds Four Civil Servants

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