The Katsina command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has called for a collective effort to address drug abuse in the state.

The NDLEA commander in the state, Muhammad Aminu-Abubakar, made the call on Thursday in Katsina during a sensitisation and advocacy for women and youth on drug abuse awareness and prevention.

Mr Aminu-Abubakar expressed the need for the people to contribute their quota in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

The NDLEA commander explained that the fight against drug trafficking and abuse was a collective effort of stakeholders, noting that “all hands must be on deck to fight the menace.”

He also called on the state government to continue to give the command the necessary support in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.

Mr Dogo made this known on Thursday in Jos, saying the ministry has been collaborating with the police to stop the illegal activities.

He said illegal mining has continued to pose serious threats to both human settlements and the environment in Plateau.

Mr Dogo said one major immediate danger of illegal mining was land degradation as illegal miners dig indiscriminately, creating deep pits and tunnels that weaken the soil structure.

“You know that over time, this would lead to increased incidents of land subsidence and sinkholes, making the ground unstable for buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.

“We had building collapses in Jos last year; illegal mining compromises the integrity of buildings, making them susceptible to collapse, especially during heavy rains or seismic activity,” he said.

Mr Dogo said most times, the illegal miners were buried in the holes, and many had lost their lives in the process.

The permanent secretary said government revenues were lost due to unregulated mineral extraction, depriving the state of funds that could be used for development.

He, however, said that to mitigate these effects, the Plateau government had strengthened enforcement measures to promote sustainable mining practices.

Mr Dogo said plans had been put in place to create awareness about the dangers of illegal mining and also provide alternative livelihoods for illegal miners.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone with new Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday and invited him to visit France in the coming weeks.

This appeared to be Mr Al-Sharaa’s first direct contact with a European head of state.

According to a statement from the Syrian presidential office, Mr Macron congratulated Mr Al-Sharaa on taking over the presidency and on “liberating the country.’’

There was initially no official confirmation of the invitation from Paris.

According to the Élysée Palace, Mr Macron took the initiative for the phone call in view of an international conference on Syria set to take place in Paris on February 13.

Mr Macron had expressed the hope that the process initiated by the interim government would fully meet the aspirations of the Syrian people.

The statement said Mr Macron also stressed France’s loyalty to the democratic forces in Syria and called for their full integration into the Syrian transition process, according to Paris.

According to the statement, Mr Macron said France was working to lift sanctions against Syria to promote economic recovery and growth.

Mr Al-Sharaa thanked Mr Macron for France’s support for the Syrian people in recent years.

After the civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, France provided logistical and military support to rebels in the country.

Mr Al-Sharaa was appointed Syrian interim president a week ago after his Islamist militia HTS led a lightning rebel offensive that overthrew the previous government of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad in December.

Since taking office, Mr Al-Sharaa has travelled to Saudi Arabia and Turkey and received high-ranking delegations from the EU.

France is rapidly pursuing its rapprochement with the new rulers in Syria.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock visited Damascus on behalf of the EU in early January.

Shortly before the call with Mr Macron, the Syrian Authority for Land and Sea Ports announced that French shipping giant CMA CGM will continue operating the important Latakia container terminal.

Under a new contract, the CMA CGM will continue operating the important Latakia container terminal on the Mediterranean Sea.

The agreement includes “new conditions and mechanisms” and the settlement of debts from both sides from the past decade, it said. Latakia is Syria’s most important port.

Iran had also sought to control the terminal, which CMA CGM has operated for years.

President Bola Tinubu has sent condolences to parents, guardians and families who lost loved ones in a fire outbreak that stretched into an Islamic school in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara, on Tuesday night.

The president commiserated with the state government and owners of the school, and prayed for the quick recovery of those receiving medical attention, Bayo Onanuga, his spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday.

The president enjoined all public and private schools to prioritise children’s safety and security at all times and directed regulatory authorities in the education sector to ensure compliance with safety standards.

He prayed to God to grant eternal rest to the souls of the departed, and comfort to their loved ones.

Nollywood actress Pat Ugwu is dead.

She was aged 35.

A colleague, Emeka Okoye, announced the development in an Instagram post on Wednesday along with a funeral poster detailing her funeral arrangements.

Pat had lost her father in 2021 and will be buried on February 7, 2025.

Announcing her death, Emeka wrote: Read more: “Rest in peace sis. Pat Ugwu. @patpat_ugwu so we no get to work again? Death whyooo? God, please. Rest in peace PAT. May your soul rest in the bosom of the Lord,” Emeka wrote, expressing his grief.

“God please protect all my colleagues especially those am close to. This unusual Death is frightening. I proclaim life to everyone close to me this 2025 in the precious blood of Jesus. Amen.”

Several Nollywood stars, including Rita Edochie, Destiny Etiko, Nkechi Blessing and Kevin Mike, also reacted to the tragic news.

Destiny Etiko wrote in the comment section, “Jesus noooooo.”

Mike wrote on Instagram, “Chai, just woke up this morning to hear the death of one of our crew and casts @patpat_ugwu. Rest in peace, dear.”

A limb of an operative of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been amputated after he was crushed by a speeding truck.

The accident occurred at Ojodu-Berger in Lagos.

LASTMA spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement on Wednesday, said the operative was heading to work for afternoon duty when the truck hit him.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that the ill-fated trailer, bearing Bauchi State registration number KTG 33 ZZ, originated from Agidingbi by Oba Ogunji Road en route to Omole Junction in the Ogba corridor when the driver, operating at an alarmingly high velocity, lost control of the vehicle, resulting in a catastrophic collision,” the statement said.

It added, “The sheer impact of the crash inflicted severe trauma on the LASTMA officer, leading to a grievous fracture of his right leg and hand.

“Upon emergency medical assessment at the Surgical Emergency Centre of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), attending specialists determined that the extent of the injuries necessitated an immediate amputation of his right leg.”

The truck driver was apprehended by security operatives while attempting to flee the accident scene.

The Palestinian Authorities have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate the residents of the Gaza Strip.

“The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability, and peace,” Mr Hussein al-Sheikh said.

Mr Al-Sheikh, the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), wrote on X on Wednesday.

The two-state solution provided for Israel and a Palestinian state to coexist as independent states.

The Palestinian leadership “affirms its rejection of all calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland.

“We were born here; we have lived here, and we will remain here,’’ Mr Al-Sheikh added.

Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said the U.S. “will take over the Gaza Strip.’’

Mr Trump said that the approximately two million Palestinians living in the territory should be relocated to other countries.

The forced relocation of Palestinians would be in violation of international humanitarian law.

Rule 129 of customary international humanitarian law states, “Parties to an international armed conflict may not deport or forcibly transfer the civilian population of an occupied territory.

“Either in whole or in part, unless the security of the civilians involved or imperative military reasons so demand.’’

While there are exceptions to the law, none of these is likely to apply in the case of Gaza.

President Bola Tinubu has increased the proposed 2025 budget from ₦49.7 trillion to ₦54.2 trillion as a result of additional revenues generated by key government agencies.

The budget adjustments were contained in the letters addressed to the National Assembly and read by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Wednesday.

According to the President, the increase was inspired by ₦1.4 trillion in additional revenue from the Federal Inland Revenue Service, ₦1.2 trillion from the Nigeria Customs Service and ₦1.8 trillion generated by other government-owned agencies.

Mr Akpabio referred Mr Tinubu’s request to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for urgent consideration after announcing the increase to lawmakers.

The Senate president said the budget proposal would be finalised and passed before the end of February.

In December last year, Mr Tinubu presented N47.90 trillion as the proposed 2025 Budget, an increase from the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion presented in 2023.

The President stressed that the budget, titled, “Budget of Restoration, Security Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,’’ was designed to ensure macro-economic stability, poverty reduction, promoting economic stability, developing human capital development and insecurity.

Suspended Olorile of Orile Ifo, Oba Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, was on Tuesday, remanded at the Ilaro Correctional Centre in Ogun State, until the perfection of his bail conditions.

“Yes, he is in our custody, which means he has been unable to meet the bail conditions granted by the court yesterday. However, as soon as he does, he will be released,” spokesperson for the facility, Yinka Odukoya, told The PUNCH on Wednesday.

The state police command arraigned Mr Ogunjobi for assaulting, cursing, threatening to kill or jail a 73-year-old man, Abraham Areola, as seen in a viral video.

The monarch, already slammed with a six months suspension by the state Governor Dapo Abiodun, according to the charge sheet (MH2b8c/2025), was accused of conspiracy, assault, and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, but he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice F.A. Iroko of the Magistrate Court in Ifo, granted Mr Ogunjobi, a N5 million bail with two sureties who must be residents within the court’s jurisdiction, before adjourning the case to March 6, 2025, for a hearing.

A U.S. military plane carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants on Wednesday landed at an airport in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, officials said.

This is the first batch of Indians deported from the U.S. as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign against illegal immigrants in the country.

According to officials, the C-17 U.S. military aircraft took off from San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday and landed at the airport in Amritsar in the afternoon on Wednesday.

Police and civil administration officials were present at the airport to receive the 104 individuals, comprising 79 men and 25 women.

Out of the 104 illegal immigrants, 33 are from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.

A local television news channel NDTV reporting its sources said each deported Indian national onboard the flight was verified, indicating New Delhi’s involvement in the process.

Officials said the deportees are not offenders in India, as they might have used the legal route to leave the country but tried entering the U.S. via the illegal route.

Immediately after Mr Trump took over as U.S. president for the second time, he started a massive crackdown on illegal immigrants.

U.S. military aircraft have flown back immigrants deported to Guatemala, Peru, and Honduras.

India’s foreign minister, S. Jaishankar, had earlier said that New Delhi was open to the “legitimate return’’ of Indian nationals living illegally abroad, including in the U.S.

Earlier last week, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, at a news briefing said that New Delhi was against illegal immigration because it is linked to several forms of organised crime.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared open the Joint Task Force Commanders Conference 2025 at Defence Headquarters, Abuja.

The President was represented by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru.

The conference is an avenue to review the military’s joint task force last year, consolidate on previous successes and strategise for this year’s joint operations.

The conference, which commenced today, February 5 will end on February 7.

Also present at the occasion are the former Chiefs of Defence Staff Gen. Martins Luther Agwai, Gen. Lucky Irabor; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahya, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, service chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, Controller-General of the Nigeria Custom Service and members of the National Assembly.

Professor Adamu Ahmed has been named the new Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

According to a statement by the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Malam Auwalu Umar, on Wednesday, he replaces Prof. Kabir Bala.

The appointment was announced early Wednesday during the 209th (Special) Council meeting, presided over by Chairman Mahmud Yayale Ahmed.

Ahmed, a lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, previously served as the Director of the Directorate of University Advancement.

He is also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Education, Kano.

His appointment has been welcomed by stakeholders, who describe him as an experienced academic and administrator.

“Professor Ahmed is a round peg in a round hole,”. “He has the experience, expertise, and passion to lead ABU to greatness.”

Mexico on Tuesday began moving troops to its northern border as part of a 10,000-member deployment that President Claudia Sheinbaum promised US counterpart Donald Trump in exchange for a delay of his tariffs.

“The deployment has already started,” Sheinbaum told reporters a day after announcing a last-minute deal with Trump to tighten measures against illegal migration and cross-border smuggling of the drug fentanyl.

Several hundred members of the National Guard were seen boarding a military airplane in the southeastern city of Merida, heading for the Mexican-US border.

Troops were seen arriving in Tijuana, just south of California, and Ciudad Juarez, bordering Texas.

“There will be patrols along the entire US-Mexico border,” said Jose Luis Santos, National Guard coordinator in Ciudad Juarez.

“Patrols will be conducted on foot and by vehicle, as well as patrols on various roads leading to the border,” he told reporters.

Authorities from both countries also started a joint operation in Ciudad Juarez to locate a possible tunnel used by migrants to cross into the United States.

They found a storm drain during a search on Tuesday, but it did not lead into US territory, said the government of Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located.

Last month, US and Mexican security agencies discovered a clandestine border tunnel going from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso, Texas.

The tunnel measured approximately 300 meters (1,000 feet) in length on the Mexican side and was hidden in a storm sewerage system operating between both cities.

Mexico had repeatedly pledged to Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, that it would tackle illegal flows of drugs and migrants, and border states already have a heavy security presence, including thousands of troops.

Trump on Saturday announced sweeping measures against the United States’ three biggest trading partners: Canada, China, and Mexico.

Its immediate neighbors were to face a tariff of 25 percent, the president said, and China an additional 10 percent on top of existing duties.

Canada and Mexico announced plans for reciprocal levies before both countries’ presidents managed to strike a deal with Trump on Monday that saw him delay the tariffs by a month.

Markets had slumped Monday after the weekend threats sparked fears of a global trade war.

Sheinbaum said troops had been taken from parts of the country that “do not have as much of a security problem.”

Several hundred thousand people have been killed since Mexico deployed the army to combat trafficking in 2006, according to official figures.

The US border deployment “does not leave the rest of the country without security,” the president said.

The Imo State Police Command has arrested three men in the Ogii community, Okigwe Local Government Area, for allegedly being in possession of a human skull.

The suspects, identified as Patrick Okoere (29), Ifeanyichukwu Anyaemeka (28), and Chukwuemeka Onyekachi (20), were apprehended following a tip-off from residents.

Imo State police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, said in a statement on Tuesday that the trio was arrested on February 3 along the Okigwe-Umuahia Expressway with a human skull, a native hen, and white garments.

According to Okoye, one of the suspects, Okoere, claimed that his uncle, Osunta Oko, had asked him to procure a human skull for use in a land dispute.

He allegedly found it by a riverbank in an area known for kidnapping activities.

The statement read, “As part of the Imo State Police Command’s continued efforts to curb criminal activities in the state, operatives of Okigwe divisional headquarters, in collaboration with residents of Ogii community, on 3/02/2025, arrested three suspects found in possession of a human skull, a native hen and white garments along the Okigwe-Umuahia Express Road.

“The three individuals arrested—Patrick Okoere (29), Ifeanyichukwu Anyaemeka (28), and Chukwuemeka Onyekachi (20)—are currently under investigation. During questioning, Patrick stated that his uncle, Osunta Oko, had asked him to acquire a human skull. He claimed to have found it along a riverbank on the Okigwe-Umuahia Expressway, an area where the command has received cases of kidnappings.

“The Imo State Police Command is actively pursuing Osunta Oko and other possible accomplices in connection with this disturbing incident. In addition, a DNA analysis is underway to determine the identity of the skull’s owner.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, reassured the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the safety and security of all residents. He emphasised that justice will be served and that the suspects will face prosecution upon completion of the investigation.”

Meanwhile, Okoye said the public will be updated on the case as investigations unfold.

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, has approved the appointment of Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, AS Akinlabi, as the new Service Public Relations Officer with immediate effect.

The Principal Staff Officer to the Comptroller General, Dr Adedotun Aridegbe, announced this in a statement made available on Wednesday titled ‘New Spokesperson Appointed for Nigeria Immigration Service.’

“This appointment follows the posting of the immediate past Service Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Kenneth Udo, as Passport Control Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command as contained in the Senior Staff Posting Order released on January 31, 2025,” the statement read.

Akinlabi hails from Ibarapa Central Local Government Area, Oyo State.

He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, and holds a BSc in Accounting from the University of Ilorin, and a Master of Arts in International Affairs and Diplomacy from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 2003 and 2015 respectively.

The new spokesperson was enlisted into the Nigeria Immigration Service on December 29, 2006, and completed his Superintendent Basic Course at Immigration Training School, Kano, in December, 2007.

He also attended numerous specialised courses in Migration, Security, and Border management.

In January 2008, he was posted to the Service Headquarters where he gained experience across various Directorates of the Service including Accounts and Finance, Protocol, Training and Staff Development, and Passport and other Travel Documents amongst others.

“He was one of the pioneer Staff of the then newly established Nigeria Immigration Service Contact Centre, where he served and eventually became Second-in-Command (2 I/C) at the SERVICOM Unit which has direct operational nexus with public relations activities,” the statement read.

Before his latest appointment, Akinlabi was an Immigration Attache at the Embassy of Nigeria, The Hague, Kingdom of the Netherlands.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declined assent to the bill seeking to establish a Federal University of Education in Numan, Adamawa State, citing inconsistencies in the legislation.

In a letter to the Speaker, read during plenary on Tuesday by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, the President informed the House that he made the decision on December 23, 2024.

“Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby convey to the House of Representatives my decision to decline presidential assent to the Federal University of Education, Numan Establishment Bill 2024 recently passed by the National Assembly,” the letter stated.

Tinubu outlined specific reasons for his decision, emphasizing the bill’s inconsistencies as a key concern: a. Section 22 of the bill confer the authority to the disposal of land of the university on the governor and not the President as it ought to be in the case of land belong to the federal government.

Meanwhile, the House has adjourned plenary till Wednesday in honour of the late Deputy Chief Whip, Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga in line with the tradition of the National Assembly.

The Nation however observed that the seat usually occupied by the late Onanuga inside the chamber was covered with a white cloth as a mark of respect for her.

The wife of the president, Oluremi Tinubu, met on Tuesday with former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, at their uphill residences in Minna.

Mrs. Tinubu arrived in a private aircraft at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna at about 10.30 am.

She was received at the airport by the Niger state Governor, Dr Umaru Mohammed Bago and his wife, Hajiya Fatima Bago.

The wife of the president proceeded directly from the airport to the Uphill residence of former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, where she held a closed-door meeting with him for about 35 minutes.

Afterward, she visited the nearby residence of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, for another meeting that was still ongoing at the time of filing this report.

Journalists, except those in the Niger State Governor’s press crew, were not informed about the meetings. When asked, officials described the visits as private.

Suspected kidnappers have abducted seven travellers along the Owo-Ipele axis of the Owo-Benin highway in Ondo State.

The attack occurred over the weekend, sparking concerns over rising insecurity in the area.

Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident, stating that officers have been deployed to rescue the victims.

The abduction comes shortly after the killing of five farmers at Ajegunle Powerline in Akure North Local Government Area.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law the bill establishing the North-Central Development Commission (NCDC).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the signing of the bill today during a session in the Senate chamber.

He said: “Let me also inform my colleagues that Mr. President has also assented to North-Central Development Commission establishment bill 2024, in order to bring development to the grassroot.

“And for this we congratulate, the good people of the North-Central region of Nigeria, and we wish them more development and particularly peace, as we forge ahead in the task of nation building.”