• Hot Source
• Hot News
• October 1, 2025
• 42 views

Police Rescue Kidnap Victim after N10m Ransom Demand in Anambra

Police Rescue Kidnap Victim after N10m Ransom Demand in Anambra

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Police in Anambra State have rescued a kidnap victim who had already been charged N10 million as ransom for his freedom.

The state Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who revealed this in a statement, said the victim was rescued just seven hours after he was kidnapped.

Ikenga said the rescue followed a swift and coordinated operation carried out by Joint Operatives from the Anambra State Police Command Tactical Team.

He said the operation was carried out in the early hours of yesterday, after which the kidnap victim was successfully rescued at Oba/Ojoto axis, seven hours after he was abducted by armed criminals at Umuru Village in Nnobi.

He said: “The criminal elements had earlier demanded a ransom of ₦10million from the victim, but the Joint Command Tactical teams, on an intelligence-led operation, were immediately deployed in the location for aggressive and extensive combing.

“Under the pressure of the advancing rescue operation, the kidnappers hastily released the victim and fled into nearby bushes. The victim was rescued unharmed, debriefed, and has since been reunited with his family.

“Meanwhile, the operatives are currently working on some clues for the possible arrest of the fleeing hoodlums.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, Ikioye Orutugu, was quoted in the statement by Ikenga as commending the operatives for their swift action and reassuring Anambra residents of the Command’s unwavering commitment to fighting crime, protecting lives, and ensuring public safety.”

​  

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Police in Anambra State have rescued a kidnap victim who had already been charged N10 million as ransom for his freedom. The state Police Command’s spokesperson, SP

• Hot Source
• Hot News
• October 1, 2025
• 43 views

Osun 2026: APC Fixes December 13 for Guber  Primary

Osun 2026: APC Fixes December 13 for Guber  Primary

. Pegs nomination form at N50m

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The All Progressives Congress (APC)  yesterday  announced that its primary for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State will hold on December 13, 2025.

The party also remarked that its nomination and expression of interest forms will go for N50 million.

This is contained in the party’s official schedule of activities detailing timelines for nomination, screening, delegate congresses , and primary elections.

In a statement signed by the National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, and issued from the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, the APC said the election process would  commence with the notice of election to the State Chapter on Friday, 3rd October 2025, while the update of the membership register will run from Monday, 20th October to Friday, 31st October 2025.

“Members whose names appear on the Register and are up to date in paying their membership dues over the past year up to February 2025 will be eligible to vote and be voted for,” the statement said.

The timetable also highlighted key dates for the sale and submission of nomination and expression of interest forms.

“The sale of Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms commences on Wednesday, 12th November 2025.

“The last day for submission of completed Nomination Form, Expression of Interest Forms, and accompanying documents & submission of Delegate Forms is Monday, 1st December 2025,” the statement added.

The party also clarified arrangements for women, persons with disabilities, and youth aspirants.

“Female Aspirants and Persons with Disabilities are to purchase the Expression of Interest Form while the Nomination Form is free.

“Youths aged 25 to 40 are to purchase the Expression of Interest Form with a 50 per cent discount on the Nomination Form,” Argungu stated.

As of Tuesday evening, more than 12 aspirants including the incumbent National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, a former Commissioner for Finance, Bola Oyebamiji, a former Deputy 

​  

. Pegs nomination form at N50m Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo The All Progressives Congress (APC)  yesterday  announced that its primary for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State will hold on

• Hot Source
• Hot News
• October 1, 2025
• 51 views

Nigeria’s Electricity Meltdown: Why the Lights Won’t Stay On

Nigeria’s Electricity Meltdown: Why the Lights Won’t Stay On

By Ugo Inyama

“Up NEPA!” — the familiar cheer that greets the flicker of returning power — still echoes across Nigeria. But in 2025 it is no longer joyful. It is weary: a sigh of relief mixed with resignation. Blackouts are no longer an exception; they have become the rule, shaping business decisions, household routines and, increasingly, the national debate over why Africa’s largest economy cannot keep the lights on.

Nigeria’s power crisis is neither new nor mysterious. What has changed is how acute it has become. On paper, the country boasts more than 13,000 megawatts of installed generation capacity. In reality, barely 4,000 to 4,500 megawatts reach the grid on most days — about the same power a mid-sized European city consumes but spread across more than 200 million people. Gas shortages, ageing turbines, vandalised pipelines and chronic breakdowns at thermal plants are only part of the story. Transmission and distribution systems leak energy like sieves, unable to deliver even the limited power produced. According to the World Bank, the resulting productivity losses and disrupted businesses cost Nigeria between $25 billion and $29 billion every year.

This vacuum has turned Nigeria into one of the world’s biggest informal electricity markets. Millions of petrol and diesel generators now power everything from roadside salons to banks and factories. Together, these noisy machines churn out an estimated 40,000 megawatts — many times the reliable output of the national grid. But the generator economy comes at a staggering price. Fuel costs have soared in the last three years, air pollution is thick, and poorer households are entirely excluded by affordability constraints. A dark hospital operating theatre or a student bent over homework by candlelight has become part of everyday life — the soundtrack of a nation forced to improvise for survival.

Meanwhile, grid collapses continue to puncture public confidence. More than ten national blackouts were recorded in 2024 alone, and 2025 has already seen several, including a countrywide outage on 10 September. Each collapse erodes trust further, fuels reliance on generators and undermines the investment case for any long-term reform.

Efforts to expand and diversify supply show mixed progress. Solar and hydropower projects dot the horizon, but many remain half-built or entangled in disputes. The Ashama Solar Plant in Delta State, at 200 megawatts, is a bright spot, but far from sufficient for a country of Nigeria’s scale. The long-promised 3,050-megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Project has been delayed for years by funding bottlenecks and legal challenges over land acquisition. Renewable-energy potential is vast, but policy uncertainty and weak infrastructure still keep investors wary.

Since the 2023 amendment to Nigeria’s Electricity Act, states are allowed to generate and distribute power independently. Lagos, Kaduna and Rivers have moved fastest, sketching out their own electricity markets and wooing private developers. But decentralisation is only as strong as the states’ technical capacity and financial depth — both of which are uneven. Without robust coordination and clear regulation, state-level projects risk duplicating the same problems already baked into the national grid.

Yet Nigeria’s electricity crisis is not destiny. It is the predictable outcome of decades of policy inertia, underinvestment and regulatory fragility. The remedy is equally clear: upgrade the grid to cut losses and stabilise transmission, diversify the energy mix to reduce dependence on gas and unlock abundant solar and hydro resources, strengthen regulatory institutions to attract private capital, and target subsidies to protect the poorest while moving the rest of the market toward commercial viability. State and local capacity must also be built to execute projects credibly and at scale.

None of these measures promises an overnight fix. But consistent leadership, credible policy signals and transparent communication could gradually rebuild confidence. Stable electricity would power businesses and homes and restore a sense of possibility to a country with vast energy resources and an entrepreneurial population eager to harness them. Nigeria has solved big problems before. Its fintech sector shows what happens when regulatory clarity meets private innovation. Its telecoms revolution shows how quickly a market can transform when incumbents are disrupted. Energy could be the next frontier if the country stops lurching between short-term palliatives and commits to a long-term turnaround plan with measurable milestones.

For now, “Up NEPA!” endures as a momentary celebration of a fragile service. Nigerians continue to hope for a future in which the phrase marks history rather than habit — and where the lights stay on long enough to illuminate the country’s full potential.

*Ugo Inyama writes from the African Digital Governance Centre, Manchester, UK.
www.Africandgc.org

​  

By Ugo Inyama “Up NEPA!” — the familiar cheer that greets the flicker of returning power — still echoes across Nigeria. But in 2025 it is no longer joyful. It

• Hot Source
• Hot News
• October 1, 2025
• 37 views

Katsina Resuscitates 139 Communities with N1.7bn Projects

Katsina Resuscitates 139 Communities with N1.7bn Projects

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government has resuscitated 139 communities with N1,668,000,000 worth of rural development projects across the 34 local government areas of the state.

The community-driven projects, which cut across healthcare, education, water ,,and road,s were executed in the communities by the government through its Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA).

The state Commissioner for Rural and Social Development, Prof. Abdulhamid Ahmed, disclosed in in this an interview with some journalists at his office in Katsina.

He said the 139 communities were given a grant of N12 million each from the state government’s coffers, amounting to N1,668,000,000, to execute at least two major projects of their choice.

He reiterated that the projects had revamped the benefiting communities and empowered residents through inclusive and sustainable access to other essential services aimed at ameliorating their impediments.

Ahmed said: “139 communities were supported with a N12 million grant each by the state government through the CSDA to undertake at least two projects of their choice. These projects include education, health, water, roads, and drainage, among others.

“So, 139 projects were sponsored within my period as a commissioner, and we are hoping to do more next year by God’s grace. These projects are out there for everyone to see and there is also a compendium for all the projects.”

He added that the state government, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had built 152 houses for victims of banditry and supported over 1,300 vulnerable persons in the Jibia Local Government Area.

Ahmed stated that through the CSDA, the state government had empowered 6,300 vulnerable and low-income persons selected across the state with N50,000 each to commence businesses to become self-reliant.

The commissioner explained that the 152 houses had well-constructed access roads, adequate water supply systems, educational and religious facilities,, and other befitting social amenities to tackle the challenges besetting internally displaced persons in the area.

The commissioner reiterated that the government also renovated Jibia cattle market, constructed a new veterinary clinic and climate peace hub in the area to provide different vocational training for victims of banditry in order to improve their livelihoods.

He said the state Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda-led government has injected additional N2 billion to support the expansion of the UNDP-funded projects to Batsari and Faskari Local Government Areas.

The commissioner further disclosed that the government and UNDP would be constructing houses, providing  irrigation facilities and livelihood supports concurrently to victims of banditry in Batsari and Faskari Local Government Areas.

​  

Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Katsina State Government has resuscitated 139 communities with N1,668,000,000 worth of rural development projects across the 34 local government areas of the state. The community-driven projects,