Year: 2025

Niger Police Foils Robbery Plot, Arrest 3 Suspected Armed Robbers in Minna ….. Parades others for kidnapping, homicide

Lukman Laleye Babalola

In a significant breakthrough, the Niger State Police Command has apprehended three suspected armed robbers allegedly plotting to burgle a provision store in Minna. The arrest occurred on January 4, 2025, around 6 pm, following credible intelligence received by the Tudun-Wada Division. The suspects, identified as Jibrin Ndako (19) of Barikin-Sale, Haruna Abubakar (20) of Angwan-Kamfani, and Aliyu Abdullahi (18) of Kpakungu, Minna, were arrested at a hotel along the Eastern Bye-Pass, Minna. They were found in possession of three cutlasses and an industrial iron cutter. During interrogation, Jibrin Ndako,…

Gov Okpebholo attributes Electoral Victory to Divine Mandate for Edo’s Development

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has described his electoral victory in the September 2024 governorship election as a divine mandate to drive development and progress in the state.   Speaking at the Streams of Joy International Church in Abuja on Sunday, Governor Okpebholo expressed his gratitude to God for his victory, stating that his emergence as Governor was an answer to the prayers of the Edo people.   “I have come to return all the glory to God for the electoral victory He granted me. In 2023, I testified…

Celebrating Two Years of Love and Growth: A Reflection on Polygamous Harmony with Hajiya Rabi Zaujat Yunus By Ustaz Yunus Salahudeen

Emporium Reporters

Two years ago, in the serene city of Minna, Niger State, I embarked on a remarkable journey with my third wife, Hajiya Rabi Zaujat Yunus, fondly known as Onono. As we celebrate this significant milestone, I am filled with immense gratitude and joy, reflecting on the shared love, laughter, and life lessons that have shaped our union.   Our marriage, grounded on a solid foundation, has weathered various phases—good, bad, and challenging—yet, it has continually blossomed, bringing us closer together and fostering maturity in our relationship. Hajiya Rabi, you are…

BAT Vanguard urges Nigerians to embrace contentment at Grand New Year Celebration in Abuja

Lukman Laleye Babalola

In a bid to foster economic stability and social harmony, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Vanguard, a leading support group for President Tinubu, has called on Nigerians to cultivate a culture of contentment and avoid actions that could harm the nation’s economic progress. During a lavish End-of-Year and New Year celebration held in Abuja, the National Convener, Sola Olofin, addressed members and guests, emphasizing the importance of supporting the administration’s efforts to improve the nation’s well-being. Olofin highlighted the group’s dedication to humanitarian outreach, particularly for the less privileged, as part…

PDOW President lauds Gov Okpebholo,distributes over 500 Bags of Rice to Commercial Drivers

Lukman Laleye Babalola

In a gesture of goodwill, the National President of the Professional Drivers on Wheel (PDOW), Comrade Adams Ehigiemusoe, popularly known as ‘Shaba,’ has praised Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for facilitating the resumption of the Union’s activities in the state.   Speaking at the Union’s headquarters on Siluko Road, Benin City, Comrade Shaba distributed over 500 bags of 10KG rice and cow meat to commercial bus drivers to help them celebrate the New Year. He expressed his commitment to the welfare of the drivers, emphasizing that this annual tradition…

“A Call to Walk with God Through Faith: Reflections from Rev. Dr. Babatunde Idowu”

Emporium Reporters

By Dr. Afolabi Olajuwon   On the bright morning of January 5, 2025, the congregation of Foursquare Gospel Church in Wuse District Headquarters, Abuja, gathered for a service that heralded the dawn of a new year filled with hope and divine promise.   The adult choir led the congregation through an uplifting musical journey, laying the foundation for a spiritually transformative experience.   This celebration of faith and unity was punctuated by a compelling sermon from Rev. Idowu, who eloquently wove a narrative of “Resounding Victories” rooted in biblical teachings…

The Unending Revenue Sharing War ,by Simon Kolawole

Emporium Reporters

Do you know that Jigawa can become the richest state in Nigeria? Don’t laugh at me and say “this guy has started again”. I will explain myself, but my central point remains that we have a mental block when it comes to understanding the wealth of a state. We have limited it to mineral resources and the sharing of the contents of the federation account by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). We downplay many potential sources of revenue staring us in the face every day of the week and…

NCC EVC Unveils 2025 Strategic Agenda at Stakeholders’ Forum

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has outlined the Commission’s strategic focus for 2025 during a virtual stakeholders’ forum held on December 20, 2024. The session, which centered on the draft Application-to-Person (A2P) Licensing Framework, provided a platform for unveiling key initiatives aimed at enhancing the telecommunications sector.   In his address, Dr. Maida emphasized the NCC’s commitment to transparency and improving service delivery, reinforcing the Commission’s role as a catalyst for industry growth. He announced the introduction of…

My Man of the Year By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

The door of life is binary; it opens either ways, inwards or outwards. So goes an age-long wisdom. When the Thisday newspaper, on January 1, 2025, announced President Bola Tinubu as its Man of the Year pick, emotions of Nigerians ran riot. Was that decision a product of editorial science or newspaper shamanism? Nigerians asked. To many, the newspaper’s editors must have meandered into some kind of trance, communed with with some unseen spirits and emerged therefrom with their odd pick. To others, Thisday hit the bull’s eye.   Suffering…

The tiff between me and my friend, Umar Iliya Damagum, by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

For those who may not know, considering that I am a journalist and he is a politician, the first time I knew Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, the Acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was in 1977, some 48 years ago. When God brought us together at Government College Maiduguri, we were both teenagers, eager and ready to dive headlong into the world of adventure. We wanted to survey the world, savour its mysteries, learn from the experience it would offer us, become better humans, and collect the…