Three police officers were injured on Friday when a reckless driver ran into a checkpoint in Edo State.
This was revealed in a statement on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command, ASP Eno Ikoedem.
According to him, the sad incident occurred following an incident along Iyekogba Estate Gate, Benin City, when the driver drove against traffic, breached a police checkpoint barricade, made a turn, and drove back at officers on duty, knocking down the police personnel who were said to be on lawful duty.
“The reckless driver eventually crashed into multiple vehicles before being restrained and arrested. The injured officers are currently receiving medical attention”, according to the statement.
It added that preliminary investigation indicated that the 19-year old suspect (name withheld) is an unlicensed driver.
The vehicle, a black Mercedes-Benz GLK SUV, valued at ₦28 million, belonging to him, which has been in use since May 2024, was found to be unregistered.
Items recovered from the suspect include a substance suspected to be Canadian Loud and a Sprite bottle containing sky-blue liquid suspected to be diluted refnol, the statement noted.
The Command recalled that on 24th December, 2025, the Edo State Police Command had appealed to members of the public to slow down at checkpoints and submit themselves to lawful enquiries by police officers in the interest of public safety.
READ ALSO: Kebbi Govt Announces Date For Argungu Fishing Festival
The Command reiterated the directive and strongly warned that there “is absolutely no justifiable reason for any motorist to speed through a police checkpoint except with the intention to evade lawful checks or endanger the lives of officers on duty.”
The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, CP Monday Agbonika, emphasised that any person who deliberately attacks or attempts to harm Police officers on lawful duty will not be spared, stressing that “enough is enough”.
The Kebbi State Government has announced February 11 to 14 as the dates for the Argungu International Fishing Festival.
The Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mera, disclosed this to journalists shortly after an expanded meeting with the State Festival Main Committee and the Emirate Local Organising Committee, held at the Deputy Governor’s Office on Friday.
“The Argungu Fishing Festival started as a peace initiative between the Sokoto Caliphate jihadists and the Kanta Kingdom,” the Emir said. “Because of its historical significance, UNESCO later adopted the festival as an international cultural event.”
He explained that following the Nigerian Civil War, the festival was also used to promote national unity.
“At the end of the civil war, the festival brought together fishermen from different parts of the country to symbolise unity during the Yakubu Gowon administration,” he added.
The Emir noted that this year’s festival is expected to attract dignitaries from across the globe. “The event will showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Argungu Kingdom to the world,” he said.
Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the State Main Committee and Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Tafida, said preparations were already in top gear.
“We have constituted various subcommittees to ensure a smooth and successful festival,” Tafida said.
READ ALSO: 260 Passengers Aircraft Makes Emergency Landing At Lagos Airport Over Technical Fault
He added that the state government has made comprehensive arrangements for the event. “These include venue preparation, hospitality, and the provision of awards for deserving winners, among other logistics,” he stated.
A technical fault on Friday forced an aircraft conveying 248 passengers and 12 crew to make an emergency landing at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
A statement by Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, stated that the aircraft suffered a technical fault while airborne in Nigerian airspace, leading to the emergency landing.
Following a distress alert received on its 767/112 Toll Free Emergency Lines, LASEMA said upon arrival of the LRT at the incident scene, it discovered that the passenger aircraft was distressed.
It, however, noted that “The pilot executed a safe landing on the runway at Muritala Mohammed International Airport with LASEMA Response Team and other emergency responders standing by on extreme high alert on the runway.
“Collaborative efforts of the multi-agency responders were coordinated. After proper check by the pilot and the engineering crew, the aircraft was moved to the apron for detailed inspection and prompt repairs. All passengers of the distressed aeroplane were evacuated safely; no injuries reported, no loss of lives”, the statement said partly.
READ ALSO: ACF Fiorentina President Rocco Commisso Dies At 76
In spite of the technical issues and forced landing, the Agency added that the incident did not result in any significant damage to the aircraft.
The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has announced a compensation of N5 million each to the families of Forest Guards killed recently at the Old Oyo National Park.
The governor also awarded scholarships up to the university level to children of the deceased guards.
Governor Makinde made this known on Saturday when he paid an on-the-spot assessment to the scene of the incident at Oloka Village, Oriire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso.
He also promised to rehabilitate the road leading to the Oloka community from Ikoyi-Ile under the Rural Access and Agricultural Market Project (RAAMP) for easy movement, ensure improved telecommunication service and also install boreholes as well as solar-powered street lights in the community.
The governor also said the state would put up a sustained joint security effort for the people of the community.
Governor Makinde, who commiserated with people of the community and the affected families, assured residents of the state that his administration would redouble its efforts to strengthen the security architecture of the state and make living in the community easy for them.
He also said that he would write a letter to the military authorities in Abuja, requesting the establishment of a military base in Oloka to further strengthen security in the community.
READ ALSO: We’ll Further Strengthen Oyo’s Security Architecture – Makinde
Makinde, however, said that the issue of security is a collective responsibility and not the business of government alone, urging the residents of the state to always tip off the government and the security agencies when they notice any suspicious activity in their communities.
The governor commended the service commanders for their support, dedication and commitment to securing lives and properties of the people.
He said: “I thank everyone of you in Oloka and pray that we won’t experience such event again.
“I want to say that whatever that is expected of the government to do to ensure you are all safe and secure, we will do it.
“It is quite unfortunate and I pray that God will uphold the families left behind by those who were killed.
“The reason I decided to come by myself is for me to see the environment and the challenges our security agencies might be facing. One of them is communication. I want to assure you that we will pay for telecommunication companies to come and install masts here.
“For the bandits and those causing problems here, we will ensure that you feel the presence of our fortified security from now on.
“For the families that lost their persons to the unfortunate incident, each of them will be given N5 Million. They should send their representatives to us on Monday. For those who left children among the deceased, I will sign for scholarship for their children up to the university level.
“We are working very hard with our service commanders to ensure we put every necessary thing in place as touching clearance operation in the Old Oyo National Park. We will redouble our efforts.”
The governor later led the people to observe a minute silence as a mark of respect for the deceased.
Earlier in his remark, the Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Security, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd), hinted that three key suspects involved in the killing of the five National Forest Guards have been arrested and are currently undergoing further investigation.
He said: “Your Excellency has been briefed adequately on the nature of the incident, but as you have always done, Sir, you chose to come to see for yourself exactly what happened.
“As we are here today, I can tell you, Sir, that three key suspects directly involved in that incident have been arrested, and our security commanders are working on them.
“The security commanders will live up to Your Excellency’s words that bandits will not be given a space to operate in Oyo State,” Owoseni said.
He commended the governor for his dedication and support to the security operatives in the state, assuring him that the security agencies would not relent in ensuring the security of lives and properties in the state.
The African Democratic Congress (APC) has accused governors of not improving the livelihood of Nigerians despite getting more allocations from the Federal Government.
ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said this on Friday, claiming that with the removal of fuel subsidy, Nigerian governors have more money in their coffers but have not done much with it.
“The governors, by their own, by the president’s own declaration, he has given more money to the governors than maybe any president has ever given to governors in our history. And how has that reflected in the improved livelihood of the people in the states?” the ADC spokesman asked on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“I’m not saying all of them are bad, but what I’m saying is that they have received more money than any other generation of governors have received in the history of this country,” the former minister said on the current affairs show.
“You can say devaluation. The reason that we have more money going to the states is because they removed subsidy, and that money is now going to the states. In what way has that reflected a better life for the people in the states?”
On his assumption of office in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidy, leading to a sharp rise in the cost of the essential commodity.
He said the monies from the subsidy removal would be used to support infrastructure and other needs.
Since his move, governors across the country have seen a spike in their allocations, a fact several of them acknowledged at different times.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is the most recent to admit that states now have more funds due to increased allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
“I want to tell you something that some people do not even know. More money is coming to the states. I am not a governor who will hide it. What am I going to hide it for?” the governor of the coastal state said at a January 13 event for the construction of the N39.3 billion Otovwodo flyover in Ughelli North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State.
“The money is coming from somewhere. Some people want to hide that there is no money; there is money. Use the money, as we are using it in our state. Use it in your state, so that the people will be very happy.”
At a caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on February 25, Tinubu said, “Today, I can beat my chest and each of the governors here that allocations to the states are triple”.
ARCO Group PLC has congratulated US–based Nigerian professional Dr Henrietta N. Ukwu on her recent inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who, one of the United States’ oldest and most respected biographical directories.
The prestigious listing, announced on January 9, 2026, recognises individuals with notable accomplishments and influence in their fields, placing Dr Ukwu alongside global leaders in business, science, public service and culture.
In a statement signed by Group Managing Director Alfred Okoigun, ARCO described Dr Ukwu’s recognition as “timely and well deserved,” highlighting her decades of professional excellence in global regulatory affairs and quality assurance.
“This honour is not only a personal milestone, but a testament to decades of intellectual rigour, ethical leadership, and professional excellence in one of the world’s most demanding and consequential fields,” the statement said.
Dr. Henrietta N. Ukwu in picture receiving ARCO Nigerian Excellence in Science & Technology (NEST) Award from the then Nigerian High Commissioner in UK, Chief Bola Ajibola, April 2001.
ARCO Group recalled Dr Ukwu’s early recognition at the 2001 Nigerian Excellence in Science & Technology (NEST) Awards, which it organised in London — a testament to her long-standing promise and impact. The award was established to recognise outstanding Nigerians whose work had attained global standards of excellence in science and technology.
READ ALSO: Agbakoba Calls For Probe Of Chimamanda’s Son’s Death, Demands Health ReformsDangote Refinery Hits 50m Litres Daily Offtake
The Group Managing Director and CEO, ARCO Group, Alfred Okoigun, described Dr Ukwu’s recognition as “timely and well deserved.”
At that ceremony, three individuals were honoured, among them Ukwu, whose selection reflected the same qualities that continue to define her career today: integrity, clarity of purpose, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Dr Ukwu’s inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who reflects a distinguished career as a physician, infectious diseases expert, and global regulatory leader, currently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Officer at Novavax Inc.
In this role, she oversees strategic product development and registration, forging regulatory partnerships with agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and other global authorities.
Over her more than three-decade career, Dr Ukwu has held senior leadership positions in major pharmaceutical companies, including Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, PPD, Pfizer and Merck, where she helped secure regulatory approvals for critical vaccines and therapies, including the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine and early breakthroughs such as the Varivax chickenpox vaccine and Crixivan HIV protease inhibitor.
ARCO’s commendation emphasised not only Dr Ukwu’s accomplishments but also her enduring influence on global regulatory science and quality assurance — fields essential to public health, innovation and international collaboration.
