(JAMB LOGO. Photo by Wikipedia)

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has unsealed 279 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results that had previously been held back pending further scrutiny.

The board's spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed this on Thursday on a social media post, clarifying that the newly released results are in addition to those the board had already published.

He explained that the releases came after a careful and thorough review of cases that had been flagged on suspicion of examination malpractice.

Benjamin noted that where evidence of wrongdoing was clearly established, results were outright cancelled, while those for whom no prima facie case could be made were freed for release.

He added that results from centres where the board's live monitoring team observed suspicious behaviour, or where unfavourable reports were received, remain on hold pending the conclusion of investigations.

Any candidate found sufficiently culpable at that stage will have their result cancelled.

Candidates who are still unable to access their results were advised to check their status by texting UTMERESULT to either 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number they registered with.

The 2026 UTME was conducted between April 16 and 25 across accredited computer-based test centres throughout the country.

A Nigerian police officer identified as Newton Isokpehi, whose social media pages show him in uniform and based in Benin, Nigeria, has stirred public outrage after a video surfaced in which he threatens to shoot anyone who attempts to film him while he is on duty.

In the video, Isokpehi openly defies a directive from a superior officer that permits citizens to record police officers, dismissively stating that his superior would be responsible for arranging any resulting funerals an apparent threat against members of the public who exercise that right.

His remarks directly contradict official Nigeria Police Force policy and a court ruling handed down in March 2026 that reaffirmed the legal right of citizens to film law enforcement officers in the course of their duties.

The video has since gone viral, prompting widespread condemnation on social media, with many users tagging senior police officials and calling for Isokpehi's removal from the force.

The incident has reignited longstanding concerns about misconduct and impunity within the Nigerian police, drawing comparisons to past episodes that fueled public protests against police brutality in the country.

Less than a day after a dispatch rider was killed by a hit-and-run driver on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, another rider has lost his life in a separate crash along the Ilupeju Bypass area of Lagos State, highlighting a deeply troubling pattern of fatal road incidents in the state.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority's spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed the incident in a Wednesday statement, explaining that the crash occurred after the dispatch rider became involved in a dangerous struggle for right of way with a commercial minibus, commonly known as a "Korope."

During the altercation, the rider lost control of his motorcycle and veered into the path of a moving articulated trailer along the busy Ilupeju corridor.

The force of the impact was devastating, resulting in the rider's death on the spot.

LASTMA operatives monitoring traffic around the Mushin axis were alerted through distress calls and quickly mobilised to the scene, where they initiated rescue operations and worked to manage the heavy traffic gridlock that followed.

Officials recovered the rider's remains, which had become trapped beneath the trailer, while coordinating with other emergency response agencies to restore order and ensure public safety throughout the rescue and evacuation process.

The State Environmental Health Management Unit was also contacted to evacuate the body from the scene, and the wrecked motorcycle along with the trailer involved in the crash were handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation and potential prosecution.

Responding to the tragedy, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki extended condolences to the deceased's family and appealed to road users especially articulated vehicle operators and dispatch riders to exercise greater caution and resist the urge to engage in dangerous right-of-way confrontations.

He recalled that a recent stakeholders' engagement with courier and dispatch riders had been specifically aimed at promoting safety awareness, speed limit compliance, and adherence to traffic regulations in order to prevent avoidable deaths on Lagos roads.

Earlier on Wednesday, online reports had indicated that another dispatch rider died after being struck by a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction at Magboro Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, with the driver responsible fleeing the scene.

The Lagos State Government has revealed that over N6 billion has been paid out to 123,314 vulnerable households under the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, as authorities step up efforts to strengthen the initiative and broaden its reach among low-income residents.

The announcement was made at a quarterly review meeting convened by the State Cash Transfer Unit under the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, held at the Management Resource Centre in Alausa, Ikeja.

The gathering brought together facilitators and programme officials from all 20 local government areas in the state to assess progress, tackle operational challenges, and refine service delivery under the federally backed social intervention scheme.

Addressing the meeting, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, who was represented by the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Mrs Lolade Aina, described the programme as a vital lifeline for vulnerable families across Lagos.

He emphasised that close cooperation between the state and local governments is fundamental to the programme's continued success, noting that effective implementation requires local government leadership, desk officers, facilitators, and community representatives to take genuine ownership of the initiative.

He explained that the review meeting was intended to measure operational progress, pinpoint gaps in implementation, and sharpen coordination among field officers working directly with beneficiaries in communities across the state.

Ajigbotafe singled out Kosofe, Ojo, Ifako-Ijaye, Apapa, Badagry, and Ikeja for praise, commending them for achieving distribution efficiency rates above 90 percent.

He held their performance up as proof of what strong state and local government collaboration can deliver.

He also called on all council teams to intensify community engagement and ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out, urging local government officials to follow up diligently during future distribution rounds.

The meeting also featured technical sessions covering field operations, data management, monitoring systems, and strategies for making future disbursements more efficient.

The Conditional Cash Transfer Programme is part of a broader social protection framework aimed at easing economic hardship among Nigeria's most vulnerable populations through direct financial assistance.

(The Nigerian woman. Photo Credit: Facebook/GistReelOnline) 

A Nigerian woman has taken to social media to express her disbelief after her husband returned home with his hair still uncut, despite having gone out specifically to get a haircut.

When she questioned him, he explained that his regular barber had travelled out of town to attend to a family bereavement the death of his father.

Rather than simply visit another barber, her husband flatly refused, insisting that switching to a different barber was simply not something he was willing to do.

His wife, clearly puzzled by his reasoning, shared the experience online, and it quickly struck a chord with many Nigerians.

The story has since sparked widespread amusement and lively discussion, shining a light on the deep, almost unspoken loyalty that many men hold toward their personal barbers a bond that, for a lot of men, goes far beyond just a haircut and borders on something genuinely sacred.

(Opeyemi Bamidele. Photo by NALTF)

Federal lawmakers from Ekiti State, under the leadership of Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, have launched a free medical outreach programme for residents of the state, with Bamidele framing it as an ongoing commitment to delivering real, felt governance rather than a one-time gesture.

The programme offers residents access to free medical consultations, health screenings, drugs, eyeglasses, and treatment for a range of conditions.

Patients whose needs go beyond what the outreach can handle will be referred to Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, where the state government has agreed to cover the associated costs.

Bamidele described the initiative as a deliberate effort to close healthcare gaps and reach vulnerable citizens who are most in need.

He noted that the programme was born out of a collaborative effort between Ekiti's federal lawmakers and the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

Adding that its launch during a politically active period was a conscious decision intended to demonstrate that governance must continue to serve the people regardless of the political climate.

The Managing Director of Rovalroche Hathaway Company Limited, Oluwaseye Babatunde, said the outreach was designed to restore hope and save lives, and confirmed that it would cover all 16 local government areas in the state, offering services ranging from diagnostic tests and eye surgeries to health education.

The ophthalmologist leading the medical team, Kamal Umar, highlighted the focus on eye health, particularly for those dealing with cataracts, glaucoma, and related conditions.

He noted that the team had already attended to over 2,000 patients, many of whom could not have afforded such care on their own.

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, who chairs the national campaign council for the upcoming Ekiti governorship election, commended the programme as a worthy model of citizen-centred governance.

He also praised ongoing health sector reforms in Ekiti, including the renovation of primary healthcare centres and the expansion of free services for vulnerable groups.

Governor Oyebanji, for his part, acknowledged the growing strain on health facilities brought about by increased access to services.

He revealed that his administration is committing approximately N1 billion to healthcare delivery and is actively recruiting more medical personnel with the support of federal lawmakers.

He encouraged residents across all communities to take full advantage of the outreach as it makes its way across the state.

(Yakubu Gowon. Photo Credit: Premuim Times)

Former Nigerian Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon, has revealed that Joseph Garba, the very officer he appointed to oversee his personal security, played a key role in the military coup that removed him from power in July 1975.

In his 859-page autobiography titled "My Life of Duty and Allegiance," Gowon described the incident as the greatest personal betrayal of his political career, noting that it was carried out by men he had trusted deeply and, in Garba's case, someone he also considered close on a family level.

Gowon recalled that just days before the coup, Garba had stood before him and denied any knowledge of a plot to unseat his government.

He also recounted how his Chief Security Officer, M.D. Yusuf, had previously alerted him that certain military officers, including Garba and Anthony Ochefu, then Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Military Police, were allegedly scheming against his administration ahead of an OAU summit in Kampala, Uganda.

He acknowledged that this warning put him in a very difficult position, given that Garba headed the elite unit solely responsible for his physical protection.

Gowon noted that Garba's appointment to that sensitive role was partly driven by family connections and the deep confidence he had in him.

He further noted that beyond the professional trust, both Garba and Ochefu were Christians from his home state of Benue Plateau, men he had known personally for years and had grown genuinely fond of, making the betrayal all the more painful.

(Alhaji Sule Lamido. Photo by Arise News)

Former Jigawa State Governor and PDP chieftain Alhaji Sule Lamido has attributed the ongoing insecurity plaguing Northern Nigeria to weak leadership and a breakdown in moral values and upbringing across the country.

Lamido made these remarks during a Wednesday interview on Premier Radio Kano, where he called on northerners to look inward and accept collective responsibility for the deepening security crisis in the region.

He stressed the urgent need to rebuild discipline and reinforce proper values among the younger generation.

He also took aim at political leaders, accusing them of abandoning their fundamental duty to protect lives and property in favour of pursuing political interests over genuine governance.

He lamented that politicians are actively contributing to the ruin of young people's lives through manipulation and neglect, which he said is making the security situation worse.

Lamido was equally blunt about the origins of insurgency and banditry in the North, stating plainly that Boko Haram members and bandits are homegrown children of the region itself, not outsiders.

Heargued that their growing strength is a direct consequence of moral decay and called on northerners to own the problem and address it from the ground up, starting with the home and family upbringing.

On the question of state police, Lamido expressed support for the idea but emphasized that proper training and discipline must be prioritized before any such force is deployed.

He expressed dismay at the reality of northerners extorting and collecting ransom from fellow northerners, describing it as a profound moral failure, and reiterated that political leaders bear significant blame for their singular focus on politics at the expense of governance.

He concluded by stating that justice and fairness within the North are essential ingredients for restoring lasting peace and stability to the region.