Author: Emporium Reporters

Ciroma, Coomasie: We Celebrate Life, We Thank God for It, by Hassan Gimba

Emporium Reporters

Sometimes in life, one comes across people whom one is at a loss for words on how to present to the public. This is not because there are no words or that you lack them. No—it is mainly because you know them closely enough that you do not want it to look like you are buttering your words. After all, you know them.   Take the case of Bala Ciroma, who recently retired as a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). When he was a newly minted police officer in…

Nigerian leaders as CBEX Ponzi chancers By Festus Adedayo

Emporium Reporters

On Page 28 of his very provocative book, The Present Darkness: A history of Nigerian organized crime, (2016) Stephen Ellis, British historian and Africanist, compared Nigerian politics to con artistry. Their practices, he said, were not different from acts of fabulists and fraudsters. Ellis’ take on Nigerian leaders synchronizes with a Henry Louis Gate’s The New Yorker piece of September 25, 1995. With the title, “Powell and the Black Elite,” the piece quoted ex-American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, as saying, “Nigerians as a group, frankly, are marvellous scammers… I…

UI raises concern over spike in Egg donation by female students

Emporium Reporters

The University of Ibadan (UI) has raised serious concern over the increasing trend of egg donation among its female students, warning of the potential health risks associated with the practice.   The Dean of Students, Prof. Keye Abiona, disclosed this during a live appearance on Diamond FM, a campus-based radio station. He noted that a growing number of female students are donating their eggs, particularly to fertility clinics, often motivated by financial gain.   Egg donation is a medical procedure in which a woman donates her eggs, typically to help…

Student loan scheme and the emerging sabotage By Dr. Muiz Banire

Emporium Reporters

One of the policies of the present administration that is so far impactful but quietly and systematically executed is the student loan scheme. This scheme was launched by the federal government in May, 2024 with the basic aim of assisting indigent students to meet their financial obligations by way of tuition fees, charges and upkeeps while studying in tertiary academic institutions as well as vocational and skills acquisition institutions within Nigeria.   The scheme was established under the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Repeal and Re-enactment Act, 2024. Although…

Trump tariffs and the irony of governance By abiodun KOMOLAFE

Emporium Reporters

Basically, Trump tariffs and ‘Liberation Day’ declaration have again exposed Nigeria’s lack of preparedness and institutional memory. In 1967, the same Nigeria demonstrated remarkable foresight and brilliance in responding to the British Pound Sterling devaluation, leaving the British government bewildered. Some British cabinet members weren’t even aware of the devaluation until after it happened, privately wondering if Nigeria had an insider within their ranks.   Nigeria’s lack of preparedness for Donald Trump’s presidency is especially noteworthy, given the publication of ‘Project 2025’, a manifesto by the American Right that forms…

Rahma Saidu, Adesina, and the New Arewa Reality By Abdullahi O Haruna Haruspice

Emporium Reporters

A quiet but deeply unsettling cultural shift is unfolding in northern Nigeria. The Arewa region—long admired for its deeply rooted values of respect, modesty, and social decorum—is facing an identity crisis. A wave of defiance is rising among the youth, fueled largely by social media. What was once a society anchored in reverence for elders and moral restraint is being steadily overturned by a digital generation enamored with provocation.   Recent events paint a troubling picture. A young man was publicly disciplined by his family for obscene social media behavior.…

Information Minister advocates Accurate, Responsible Storytelling in Security Reporting

Emporium Reporters

The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has called on media practitioners, especially defence correspondents, to uphold the principles of accurate, balanced, and patriotic reporting in their coverage of security matters.   He made this call in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf by the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, at the First Quarter Media Stakeholders Seminar 2025, held on Wednesday, 16th April, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.   The seminar, themed “Media as a Key Component of…

Gunmen Open Fire on NDLEA Operatives in Abuja Drug Raid …… Three Officers Hospitalized

Emporium Reporters

Three personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been hospitalized after sustaining gunshot wounds during a drug raid in the Jahi area of Abuja on Thursday night.   The officers came under attack by armed men shortly after conducting an intelligence-led operation at an uncompleted building near the NNPC junction in Jahi. During the raid, the NDLEA team recovered 74 bottles of codeine, 10 litres of codeine syrup, 48 grams of tramadol (225mg), 4.9 kilograms of skunk a strain of cannabis—and five android phones.   As the…

WAEC sanctions 574 Schools over Examination Malpractice, revokes licences

Emporium Reporters

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has revoked the licences of 574 secondary schools across Nigeria for engaging in various forms of examination malpractice.   Announcing the development on Thursday, the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, said the affected schools have been delisted and will not be allowed to conduct the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 24, 2025.   Dr. Dangut disclosed that the list of the sanctioned schools has been forwarded to the Federal…

Niger SSG felicitates Christians on Good Friday, Easter Monday Celebrations — Urges Unity, Prayers for Peace

Emporium Reporters

The Secretary to the Government of Niger State (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman, has extended heartfelt felicitations to Christians in the state and across the country as they mark this year’s Good Friday and Easter Monday celebrations.   In a goodwill message issued on Friday, Alhaji Usman described the Easter period as a sacred moment that reflects the core values of the Christian faith sacrifice, love, forgiveness, and hope noted that these virtues are crucial to the collective progress and peaceful coexistence of the Nigerian people.   He emphasized the importance…