The registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede, says 557,626 candidates from 1.8 million applications have been admitted into tertiary institutions across the country in its 2022 admission processes.

Mr Oloyede said this at the 2023 policy meeting on admissions into tertiary institutions in Abuja, Saturday.

Mr Oloyede said that the 2022 admission process is still ongoing due to opportunities given to some key players in the sector to conduct admissions.

The registrar, who discredited notions from the public that JAMB gave admissions, said admission depended on the availability of candidates’ five o’level requirements as UTME was only meant for admission ranking.

“As at June 19, tertiary institutions have admitted 557,626 candidates but as we speak today, the admission is up to 600,000 as we target about 700,000. This is because admission is still ongoing.

“We hear about cut-off marks by JAMB but the truth is that not the best candidate who scored the highest mark in UTME is the best candidate.

“Admission is based on the five o’level results that a candidate possess because we only make use of UTME for admission ranking. JAMB has not initiated admissions since 2016,” he said.

Speaking on gaps in admission vacancies and why candidates were not admitted, Mr Oloyede said rigidity of programme choice and mismatch of demand and supply were responsible.

He also listed lack of interest for existing vacancies and trail candidates (No o’level results or awaiting results) as responsible for admission gaps in the tertiary institutions.

He, therefore, said that the onus lay with institutions to determine the national minimum tolerable UTME score, often called the ‘Cut-off marks’.

The permanent secretary, federal ministry of education, David Adejo, urged the stakeholders to ensure fairness, transparency and accountability in the admission processes, which determined the fate of millions of students.

Mr Adejo called on admission stakeholders to ensure credibility in the process so that no candidate would be denied admission and no undeserving candidate was given admission.

“The federal ministry of education has resolved that the fundamental principle of the ministry is openness and this has been provided by JAMB through inclusiveness in the UTME.

“JAMB must ensure sanity and integrity of exams and admission must be based on agreed guidelines to deepen accountability, transparency and fairness.

“Criteria for admissions remained critical by JAMB and all institutions must abide by them as we need to stick to the approved quota for admission,” he said.

In a goodwill message, the executive secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Abubakar Rasheed, commended the board on its role in ensuring sanity in the education sector.

Mr Rasheed, represented by the deputy executive secretary of the commission, Chris Maiyaki, pledged the commission’s commitment to JAMB to fulfill its mandate.

He said that the policy meeting was a game-changer moment for tertiary institutions to take the leading role in the education sector.

In the same vein, the chairman, JAMB equal opportunity group, Peter Okebukola, commended JAMB for its interest in the education of the visually impaired and other physically challenged candidates.

Mr Okebukola said in the last several years, the board had processed admissions of 2,700 candidates who were visually impaired, those in the correctional centres and the down syndrome candidates.

He added that the Nigerian higher education system was the ‘move and shaker’ of African higher education sector, hence the need to get things right, especially in the area of admission processes.

The policy meeting had in attendance representatives from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), vice chancellors of universities and rectors of Polytechnics.

Others are provosts of Colleges of Education (COE), registrars and admission officers of tertiary institutions, heads of federal agencies, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

Properties worth N10.38 billion were destroyed by fire in Cross River in 13 incidents within six months, the Federal Fire Service said on Friday.

State Controller Olomola Olumayowa revealed in Calabar that the destruction was recorded between January and June.

Ms Olumayowa said the command responded swiftly to the fire incidents, adding that three persons died and two others sustained injury within the period.

The controller, however, stressed that the command’s commitment in fighting fire outbreaks was being hampered by lack of fire equipment.

According to her, provision of mini firefighting equipment (water tenders) to navigate difficult terrain will greatly help the service because not all routes were accessible by fire appliances.

“We want provision of more fire stations in Calabar and its environs; as it stands now, we only have one fire engine in the state. These stations can be equipped with mini firefighting equipment.

“We are also in need of a tanker to move alongside the fire engine to reduce the number of times we go for refilling after exhausting our water on fire grounds,” she said.

Ms Olumayowa appealed for more collaboration with security agencies in the state.“Security agencies should continue to come to our rescue; our men were almost mobbed at the last fire scene at Bogobiri,” she stated.

On Thursday, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kaduna said its operatives arrested 420 suspects and seized 10,599,97kg of illicit drugs.

The state commander, NDLEA, Ibrahim Braji, disclosed this at a media briefing in Commemoration of World Drug Day, which is marked on June 26 every year.

Mr Braji said the arrests and seizures were made from January to June 22, 2023.

He disclosed that 420 suspects were arrested, 171 of them charged to court, 59 were convicted, and 190 were counselled.

The command also rehabilitated 34 others, all within the period under review.

The commander said the 10,559,97kg of drugs seized included Indian hemp, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol and other psychotropic substances.

The commander explained that this year’s campaign is designed to combat stigmatization and discrimination against people who use drugs.

“This year’s world drug day is a call to raise awareness about the negative impact of stigmatization and discrimination against people who use drugs and their families,” Mr Braji said.

The day also raises awareness about the importance of treating people who use drugs with respect and empathy by offering alternatives to punishment and prioritising prevention.

According to him, drug abuse in Kaduna state is a complex issue that affects the generality of the people and, by extension, the nation.

“Many people who use drugs face stigma and discrimination, which further harm their physical and mental health and prevent them from getting help,” he said.

The commander commended the Kaduna government, traditional rulers, NGOs and the media for supporting the renewed war on drugs.

“We are calling on the public to continue supporting the eradication of drug abuse and trafficking in their communities and the state by providing vital information to the command at all times,” Mr Braji said.

The awareness campaign will be taken to places of worship, motor parks and schools to celebrate World Drug Day.

Suspected terrorists have invaded Chisu village in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, with 11 persons burnt to death in the Tuesday night attack.

A resident of Chisu community, Michael Bulus, who escaped the attack, confirmed the death of the villagers to The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday.

The victims were said to have “run to a house belonging to a community leader in the village for safety after they heard sporadic gunshots in the community around 11pm.”

However, the assailants pursued them to the place and set the house on fire.

Bulus continued that,

“Unfortunately, the house was set ablaze by the terrorists and 11 burnt dead bodies were later discovered this morning (Wednesday).

“The COCIN Regional Church Council Bwai along Mangu Bokkos road in the local government was also burnt by the terrorists along with other houses, vehicles and tricycles before they fled they community.”

The spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, did not pick calls placed to his line by our correspondent.

However, sources at the command headquarters in Jos confirmed that more security operatives had been deployed to the affected community following reports by the people.

An Area Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday, sentenced an 18-year-old student, Abubakar Adam, to nine months imprisonment for stealing a phone.

The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, sentenced Adam after a summary trial following his guilty plea.

Bokkos, who sentenced the defendant to nine months in prison, however, gave him an option of N10,000 fine.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the judge also ordered the convict to pay N100,000 as compensation to the complainant.

He held that the judgment would serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported by the complainant, Habizu Hassan, on February 20, at the ”C” Division.

Gokwat alleged that the convict trespassed into the complainant’s room and stole his Samsung phone valued at N85,000 and sold it to one Abdullahi Gambo for N13,000.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of the Penal Code Law of the state.

Nine suspected smugglers were remanded in custody after a boat accident in which about 100 migrants died in the Mediterranean Sea.

A court in the Greek port city of Kalamata made the ruling on Tuesday evening, state broadcaster ERT reported on Wednesday.

The Egyptians, aged between 20 and 40, were accused of forming a criminal organisation and endangering lives on the high seas.

It was suspected that they belonged to an international gang.The charges were based on statements by survivors who identified the nine men as the crew of the sunken fishing vessel.

The Egyptians were rescued from the vessel that capsized on June 14, along with 95 other people.

In the meantime, another body has been pulled from the Mediterranean Sea just over 90 kilometres to the west of the Greek peninsula of the Peloponnese.

This brings the number of fatalities to 82, according to the Coastguard.The 30-metre-long fishing vessel sank in international waters last week with up to 700 people on board.It had set sail from Libya with Italy as its destination.

The vast majority of the migrants were swept to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, about 5,000 metres deep at the point where it sank.Their bodies will probably never be recovered.

There were accusations against the coastguards for not helping the people while in distress at sea, an accusation the Greek authorities had rejected.

A 57-year-old woman, Sikirat Jamiu, in the Adeta area of Ilorin, Kwara, reportedly fell into a well and died.

The incident occurred on Monday evening in Ilorin. The brigade of the Kwara fire service recovered the deceased.

The spokesperson for the firefighters, Hassan Adekunle, said this in a statement.

Mr Adekunle said the fire service was called to the scene on the phone by a resident in the same neighbourhood immediately after the incident.

A report said the woman had gone to fetch water at the well when one of her legs suddenly slipped off the ground, causing her to fall into the well.

Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, has declared Wednesday, June 28, as the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah 1444 A.H in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement by Sa’idu Maccido, the secretary to the Sultanate Council, on Monday in Sokoto.

“Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the president-general of Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has declared Monday, June 19, as the first day of Dhul-Hijjah 1444 AH,” the statement said.

“Therefore, Wednesday, June 28, which will be equivalent to the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah, will be marked as 2023 Eid-el-Kabir.”

Mr Abubakar felicitated Muslim Ummah and wished it Allah’s guidance and blessings.

He also urged the Muslim faithful to continue to pray for peace, progress and development of the country while wishing Nigerians a happy Eid-el-Kabir.

Dhul-Hijjah is the 12th and the last month in the Islamic calendar in which Muslims perform the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) and celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival by slaughtering rams and other animals.

An area court in Jos on Monday sentenced one Abba Adam to five months’ imprisonment for impersonating a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operative and stealing a motorcycle valued at N470,000.

Mr Adam was also found guilty of stealing an Infinix Hot-7 handset worth N35,000 and bags of moringa and charcoal from different people valued at N50,000.

The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, convicted him after he pleaded guilty to the crime.

The judge, however, gave the convict, who begged for leniency, an option of a N20,000 fine.

The police prosecutor, Monday Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported at its anti-cult unit on February 8 by Ahmed Yunusa, Abdullahi Haruna and Magaji Adamu.

He said the complainants reported the accused person, who they said made away with their various properties, all valued at N605,000.

The prosecutor further told the court that during the police investigation, the convict confessed to having committed the crime.

He further told the court that an NDLEA visitor’s pass and an Itel mobile phone were recovered from him.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code law of Northern Nigeria.