From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja 

The Kogi State Police command has confirmed that normalcy has been restored to Abugi and adjoining communities in Lokoja Local government area following the recent reprisal killings in the area.

In a statement by the PRO of the command, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said normalcy has been restored to Abugi and adjoining communities

after useful deliberation among stakeholders and community leaders meeting.

The Area Command, Lokoja, in collaboration with traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders, has commenced engagements aimed at restoring peaceful coexistence and addressing the issues underlying the conflict.

The Command also said a full-scale investigation into the killings had commenced through the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), with efforts underway to identify and apprehend all persons involved in the incident.

It warned that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The police said personnel had remained strategically deployed in the affected communities to prevent further violence and protect lives and property.

The Commissioner of Police urged residents to remain law-abiding and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to the police and other security agencies.

It would be recalled that a minor disagreement between a local vigilante group and Fulani residents of Kupa Kingdom in Lokoja Local Government Council Area of Kogi State last week Thursday has led to killing of about seven people in the kingdom.

By Israel Admau, Jos 

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Forum has urged first term governors elected on the platform of the party in the zone to sit up in order to ensure their return for a second term.

The North-Central APC Forum asserted that improved performance by the governors will translate to victory for the party in the forthcoming election.

The APC Forum made the call on Sunday in a statement released by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, after a second quarter stakeholders consultative meeting in Abuja. 

First term governors in the North-Central, who are seeking re-election in the 2027 election, include Ahmed Ododo, Kogi, Hyacinth Alia, Benue, Mohammad Bago, Niger and Caleb Muftwang, Plateau.

AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Abdullahi Sule, the governors of Kwara and Nasarawa, respectively, the two other states in the North-Central, are rounding off their second terms in office. 

The North-Central APC Forum, while expressing a desire for the APC to retain the control of all the states in the zone after the 2027 elections, said the performance of the first term governors will go a long way in determining their chances of re-election.

It urged the governors to step up in the provision of dividends of democracy as the elections approach. 

“We urge the first term governors in the North-Central to sit up in the discharge of their duties as the elections draw closer. Our target as the North-Central APC Forum is that the party will continue to retain control of all the states in the zone. 

“As leaders of the party in their respective states, we urge the governors to take the lead towards ensuring that the North-Central remains totally under the control of the APC after the elections. The North-Central was the first geopolitical zone to come under the control of one party, APC, and we as stakeholders are proud of the feat. 

“As stakeholders and dedicated party men, we declare our resolve to ensure that the North-Central retains its enviable position as the number one APC zone in the country. To this end, we are calling on the first governors to redouble their efforts in the provision of dividends of democracy to the people. We particularly urge them to pay special attention to security, the economy, agriculture, education, youth and women empowerment, and the general welfare of citizens,” the Forum said.

However, the North-Central APC Forum in the same vein commended the governors of Niger and Plateau states for their achievements in office. 

The Forum noted that Bago and Muftwang have recorded notable achievements in various sectors, which it said have improved the living conditions of citizens in the two states. It highlighted improved security, economic advancement especially through investment in modernized agriculture, and empowerment programmes initiated by the governors in their states. 

The Forum said Bago and Muftwang have prioritized the welfare of workers and implemented policies which have improved business activities, thereby attracting much needed private investment.

“Following the second quarter 2026 assessment of governance in the North-Central, we believe that the governors of Plateau and Niger states,  Mohammed Umaru Bago and Caleb Muftwang, respectively, have recorded commendable achievements in various sectors.

“The Bago administration in Niger State has recorded major infrastructure and industrial projects including the 1,000km statewide road network and flyovers, 500-hectare solar farm and industrial park in Diko/Sabon Wuse, the Minna urban renewal and overhead bridge expansion, and the 500-unit housing estate in Kontagora.

“In Plateau State, the Muftwang administration has executed several landmark infrastructure, as well as agricultural and tourism projects, including the 19.7 km Mangu Bypass, the Plateau Potato Value Chain Project, and the remodeling of hospitality and sports centers like the Hill Station Hotel and Rwang Pam Township Stadium.

“Added to these, the administrations have recorded improvements in security and economic empowerment and several other sectors, which we believe would ensure victory for the APC in the 2027 election. Other first term governors in the zone have also made progress, but we urge all of them to do even more as the elections approach. It is our fervent desire that the North-Central retains its pride of place an the number one APC zone in the country at the end of the 2027 elections,” the Forum added. 

The APC Forum expressed confidence that, with the strides recorded by Bago and Muftwang, and the performance of other governors, the pledge to deliver six million votes from the North-Central to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election is on course. 

It would be recalled that, in December 2024, the Forum became the first political organization to endorse Tinubu for a second term, pledging six million votes for the President from the North-Central zone.

By Israel Adamu;Jos

 Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has approved the allocation of land in the state capital for the establishment of a Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund, ITF.

This was contained in a statement signed by Thomas Ngor, Director, Press and Public Relations, and made available to journalists in Jos at the weekend. 

According to the statement, Mbah disclosed the approval when he received a delegation from the ITF, led by its Director-General, Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.

The governor described the proposed centre as timely and in line with his administration’s vision of transforming Enugu into a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.

Mbah said the future of economic prosperity depended on deliberate investments in human capital and emerging technologies, noting that his administration had continued to create an enabling environment for innovation, enterprise and sustainable growth.

He explained that the state government had made technical education compulsory in its basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics to prepare young people for the future of work.

According to him, many traditional trades are now increasingly driven by digital technologies, making it imperative to equip young people with relevant technical competencies that would enable them to compete globally.

The governor also disclosed that his administration had built smart schools across the state, equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern learning facilities.

He said the establishment of the ITF Digital Fabrication Centre would strengthen the state’s efforts to build a knowledge-based economy, promote innovation and local manufacturing, as well as create employment opportunities for the growing youth population.

Earlier, the ITF Director-General, Ogun, said he was mandated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards following his appointment as head of the Fund.

He said the ITF had repositioned its technical and vocational skills development programmes through initiatives such as the Skill-Up Artisans, SUPA, programme, which is designed to train, certify and license Nigerian artisans to international standards.

Ogun disclosed that the Fund had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products.

He therefore requested the allocation of land in Enugu State for the establishment of a similar centre, saying the initiative would promote industrialisation, reduce dependence on imports and prepare Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The ITF boss also reaffirmed the Fund’s readiness to enter into Public-Private Partnerships, PPPs, to transform Nigeria’s artisanal ecosystem.

He noted that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing, were rapidly transforming the global economy, stressing the need for Nigeria to deliberately invest in upskilling its workforce to remain globally competitive.

The statement added that the ITF delegation later embarked on a guided tour of facilities at one of the smart schools established by the Enugu State Government.