WHALEXTRA

T he Federal Government on Tuesday commenced the implementation of bachelor’s degree programmes across 15 approved Federal Colleges of Education in Nigeria . This move follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent assent to the legislation empowering Federal Colleges of Education to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education. Speaking at a one-day sensitisation programme in Abuja, on ministerial deliverables and the education sector roadmap, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, announced the development. Enitan, represented by the Director of Educational Planning, Julie Uzor, noted that the dual certification model is aimed at revitalising teacher education and addressing dwindling enrollment. “This policy allows Colleges of Education to concurrently award the NCE and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education. As outlined in the Federal Colleges of Education Act, 2023, this dual mode enhances access, improves quali...

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun , said no fewer than 53 suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent wave of deadly attacks in Benue and Plateau states that claimed dozens of lives and left several others injured or displaced. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun described the June 13 massacre in Yelewata community in Benue State as a “coordinated attack of terror.” Egbetokun said 26 were arrested for the attack in Yelewata, 22 suspects in connection with the Plateau attacks and another five in Benue for a more recent attack. He stated that 47 persons were killed and 27 were injured in the Yelewata attack, adding that two general-purpose machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles used in the attack were recovered.

  Afrobeats star Lil Kesh has revealed that his breakout hit “Efejoku” was nearly given away to producer   Young Jonn   because he initially didn’t recognise the song’s full potential. Speaking on the song’s backstory, Lil Kesh admitted he was more focused on melody-driven tracks at the time and didn’t think “Efejoku” fit his musical direction, saying that he offered it to Young Jonn. However, after playing the track for music executive Olamide, popularly known as Baddo, and receiving an enthusiastic response, Lil Kesh said he had a change of heart and quickly moved to reclaim the song from the producer. The song eventually became one of his biggest hits, cementing his place in the Nigerian music scene. In a recent interview: “One of the songs that I’ve made in the past. I can’t really think of any right now but I can tell you for a fact, ‘Efejoku’, which is one of the songs that I will forever be grateful for that I ever recorded. I dashed it out. I know, crazy right? I...

Eredivisie side PSV have reportedly been offered Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson in a surprising transfer saga. The 20-year-old Irishman spent the last six months on loan at  West Ham , but only managed to play 151 minutes and grab one start for the Hammers. According to  Football Insider ,  Brighton  have now offered the former Manchester United target to Eredivisie champions PSV in an attempt to revamp the young striker's career. Brighton are open to a temporary and permanent moves for Ferguson, but would prefer a season-long loan. PSV could be about to lose American ace Ricardo Pepi, with Fulham, Juventus, and Real Betis reportedly all chasing the €30 million-rated striker. Captain Luuk de Jong, now 34 years old, hasn't extended his expiring contract at PSV yet either. The 20-time Republic of Ireland international is under contract until 2029 at Brighton & Hove Albion.

  President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, expressed his displeasure over the inability of the standby force to be activated, despite commitments from the Authority of Heads of State of the  Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS . He regretted that it had failed to move from concept to reality in the collective fight against terrorism and transnational crimes under his leadership as chairman of the regional bloc. The President raised the concern in his opening speech at the 67th ECOWAS Authority’s Ordinary Session in Abuja, one of his final acts as chairman of the 50-year-old regional economic bloc. He emphasised the urgency of operationalising the force in the face of escalating insecurity across the sub-region, noting that, “The ECOWAS Standby Force must move from concept to operational reality. I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its activation, which is taking longer than desired.” The Nigerian leader noted that threats confronting the region are transnat...

A Benue Links commercial bus was attacked on Sunday evening by suspected gunmen at Eke, along the Otukpo-Otukpa road in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State. The assailants reportedly robbed the passengers before whisking them into the surrounding bush. DAILY POST gathered that the vehicle, bearing registration number 14B-143BN, was ferrying travellers when it came under attack around 6:30 pm. The attackers ambushed the bus, dispossessed the passengers of their belongings, and then forcibly took them into the nearby forest. Comrade Austin Agada, Benue APC chairman, who passed by shortly after the incident, played a critical role in triggering an immediate response. He alerted military and police personnel, who swiftly mobilised to the scene to commence search-and-rescue operations. Efforts are currently underway to rescue the abducted passengers.

The French Senate passed a bill late on Wednesday that includes lack of consent in the country’s criminal definition of rape , paving the way for its official adoption in the coming months. The vote comes several months after a court in Avignon found a French man guilty of drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The case drew renewed attention to the widespread crime of rape and the issue of consent. The bill passed this week redefines all sexual assaults — including rape — as “any non-consensual act”. France’s lower house of parliament approved a slightly different version of the bill in April. Wednesday’s vote is not the final legislative hurdle. A joint committee of senators and lower-house MPs is expected to draft a joint text prior to the final adoption of the law in both houses. “Consent is not saying no,” said Equality Minister Aurore Berge, but “saying yes, an explicit yes, freely, without constraint or ambiguity”. The vote is a “decisive step towards a genuine cu...

The Court of Appeal in Lagos has nullified the 2014 judgment of a Federal High Court that allowed Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) to take possession of a sprawling N30 billion, 44-room mansion in Ikoyi, Lagos, belonging to Alhaji Agboola Abiola, son of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola. In a unanimous decision, Justices Paul Bassi, Polycarp Kwahar, and Abdulaziz Anka declared the foreclosure invalid, citing serious irregularities in the legal mortgage upon which GTBank had based its claim to the property. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Bassi ruled that the Federal High Court erred by failing to address credible allegations of forgery and document manipulation raised by the appellants. He stated that the bank’s mortgage documents were riddled with discrepancies that undermined their validity. The appeal, marked CA/L/888/2014, challenged the June 20, 2014 judgment of the lower court which had granted GTBank the right to enforce the foreclosure. The appeal was filed by the appellants,...