News
Kano gov’s aide dies after machete attack
A Senior Special Reporter to Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, at the Ministry of History and Culture, Sadiq Gentle, has died from injuries sustained during a violent attack by suspected hoodlums, as reported by DailyTrust.
Gentle passed away on Thursday morning at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, days after the gruesome machete attack at his residence.
Meanwhile, the Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed security agencies to swing into action and fish out the perpetrators.
In a condolence message issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the governor described the late aide as “a dedicated and patriotic social media professional” whose violent death has cast a dark cloud over the state government and the media community.
The governor said, “The news of the death of Malam Sadiq Gentle hit me with deep sadness and anguish.
“He was not only a devoted public servant, but also a man of peace and integrity, who served the state with utmost dedication. His gruesome murder is a tragedy and an affront to our collective humanity.”
Governor Yusuf condemned the killing in the strongest terms, describing it as “heinous, barbaric, and utterly unacceptable.”
The Governor also extended heartfelt condolences to Gentle’s family, friends, and professional colleagues, assuring them that the Kano State Government stands in solidarity with them during this difficult time.
President Donald Trump has called for the immediate resignation of the new CEO of Intel, a prominent U.S. semiconductor manufacturer, following concerns raised by a Republican senator regarding the CEO’s connections to companies in China.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump asserted, “The CEO of Intel is highly conflicted and must resign immediately. There is no other solution to this problem.” This statement followed Senator Tom Cotton’s disclosure that he had contacted Intel to express his concerns about Lip-Bu Tan’s affiliations with Chinese firms.
In response to these allegations, Tan issued a statement indicating that Intel is actively engaged in discussions with the Trump administration to address the concerns raised and to ensure that officials are fully informed with accurate information.
Intel, an iconic company in Silicon Valley, is currently facing significant challenges as it competes with dominant players such as TSMC and Samsung in the custom semiconductor sector. Senator Cotton’s letter, which he published on his website, claimed that Tan holds control over numerous Chinese companies and possesses interests in hundreds of advanced manufacturing and semiconductor firms based in China.
“At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army,” Cotton wrote.
The Republican Senator also noted Tan’s role as the previous head of Cadence Design Systems, which he said recently “pleaded guilty to illegally selling its products to a Chinese military university.”
Cotton said while serving in that role, Tan transferred “its technology to an associated Chinese semiconductor company without obtaining licenses.”
In a statement, Tan said there has been “a lot of misinformation circulating” about his past roles at Walden International and Cadence Design Systems.
“I want to be absolutely clear: Over 40+ years in the industry, I’ve built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem,” Tan said.
“And I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards.”
He stressed that the United States has been his home for over 40 years and that he is “profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me.”
He added that he fully shares Trump’s commitment to “advancing US national and economic security” and is proud to lead a company “so central to these goals.”
The Malaysia-born tech industry veteran took the helm at struggling Intel in March, announcing layoffs as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddied the market.
He has previously said it “won’t be easy” to overcome challenges faced by the company.
The company was also caught by surprise with the emergence of Nvidia as the world’s preeminent AI chip provider.
Intel’s niche has been chips used in traditional computing processes, which steadily being eclipsed by the AI revolution.
Punch
As heavy rainfall continues to impact various regions of the country, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has issued a warning indicating that significant flooding is anticipated to affect 198 local government areas across 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from August 7 to August 21, 2025.
According to The Vanguard, this advisory follows the Lagos State government’s expression of sympathy towards residents in Ikorodu who have suffered from flooding attributed to the recent extensive downpour. The government has assured affected individuals that comprehensive measures are being implemented to effectively manage flash floods, and plans for humanitarian assistance for impacted communities are currently being developed.
It is important to note that the Federal Government also issued a warning on Tuesday regarding potential flooding in 19 states. The National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre, part of the Federal Ministry of Environment, has called upon stakeholders and residents to take necessary precautionary actions.
In the recent alert issued by NiHSA, flood risk levels have been classified as Very High, High, and Moderate, depending on local topography and projected rainfall intensity. The affected states identified include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
NiHSA has indicated that over 832 communities are at risk of varying degrees of flooding. Furthermore, it has been revealed that more than 100 major transportation routes may face disruptions, with an increased likelihood of displacement in low-lying and flood-prone areas.
Umar Mohammed, the Director General of NiHSA, emphasized the importance of vigilance in affected regions, urging residents to adhere to early warning protocols and to collaborate with emergency response agencies to ensure safety and preparedness.
“This alert is issued in line with our commitment to safeguarding lives and property.”
He also appealed to affected states and local governments to rise up to the occasion and safeguard the lives of their people.
“We call on state governments, local authorities, and the public to take proactive measures to mitigate risk and ensure community safety,” Mohammed said.
He assured that the agency will continue to monitor the hydrological situation and provide timely updates as necessary.
He also added that for further information and real-time flood updates, citizens are encouraged to follow NiHSA’s official channels or contact their respective State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMAs.
Lagos mulls intervention in affected communities
Torrential rainfall on Monday, which lasted for over 13 hours left some parts of Lagos State flooded, while residents continued to count their losses.
Speaking with newsmen after an inter-ministerial, extensive on-the-spot assessment tour on the Ikorodu drainage infrastructure construction, yesterday, Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, said when all the infrastructure construction are completed, it would address the perennial flooding issues in Ikorodu as a whole.
Rotimi-Akodu, explained that the intensity of the rainfall experienced in Lagos on Monday/Tuesday was the type whose magnitude does not occur regularly but can only be experienced in decades.
According to him, “What happened here is from nature, the effects of climate change is real, and that is why we’re all out to see that we ensure the optimal functioning of our resilient infrastructures to tackle these challenges.
“We are here to convey Mr. Governor’s message of sympathy to the people affected through dislocation as well as properties damaged and lost.
“We are here to also assess the level of damages and to check how far the on going drainage project has gone and what we can quickly put in place to mitigate the pains and alleviate the problems.”
Rotimi -Akodu, added that the government would ensure that the contractor handling the drainage project expedites work to address the immediate challenges in the areas affected whilst also sticking to the timeliness for the completion of the project, reminding residents that majority of the areas affected are flood plain areas.
The Special Adviser, also advised residents to always display positive attitude towards the environment especially waste disposal by ensuring that waste does not end up in drains.
“We must also ensure that we avoid encroachment on road Infrastructure especially Right of Way, We should be reminded that what goes round comes around. If problem arises from negative human elements, it is going to affect us.”
Also speaking, Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde, said he joined the inspection to the affected areas to carry out a preliminary assessment of what really happened and also gather the right information and statistics to enable government take appropriate humanitarian decisions
Among the places visited include the on-going construction of the Outfall Channel for the ongoing Gberigbe Road Project (One Fold) Outfall which cut across One Fold Community, Okeletu Road, Unity Estate, Gbopa Community, Abule-Eko Community, all in Ijede; ongoing construction of Palm Avenue Collector Drain, Oke-Eletu, Ijede and Igbogbo.
Rhodes-Vivour faults eviction order
Meanwhile, governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 Lagos poll, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has faulted the Lagos State government’s advice to flood-affected residents of Ikorodu to vacate the area, describing it as a reflection of governance failure.
Rhodes-Vivour questioned the rationale behind the advice, arguing that asking people to leave without a plan for relocation, shelter, or support is not governance.
Media and Publicity aide to Rhodes-Vivour, Adewole Ireti, in a statement, noted that the erosion problem in Ikorodu is not new, lamenting that residents had complained for years and got no solution.
He said: “Just on Tuesday, tragedy struck again in Ikorodu as severe water erosion swept through homes, displacing families, damaging properties, and leaving many stranded without shelter or direction.
“What should have triggered immediate emergency response from the Lagos State Government was instead met with a shocking and dismissive comment from the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, who advised the affected residents to ‘vacate the area.’
“Instead of words of empathy and a rollout of emergency plans, what the public got was a callous order to leave. That is not leadership; that is abdication of duty.
“The lives of the poor matter. Development is not about bridges and flyovers alone; it is about people, the woman who lost her shop to erosion, the children who slept on wet floors, the families with nowhere to run.
“If government cannot protect the people from natural disasters, then the least it can do is show compassion, take responsibility, and provide clear, actionable solutions and not harsh ultimatums.”
Lagos fish farmers lament N150M loss, seek govt intervention
Also, the Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers Association, LASCAFAN, has lamented the loss of more than N150 million in the recent floods in the state.
The LASCAFAN Vice President and incoming President, Mr. Olatoye Fajimi, disclosed this in an interview with NAN, yesterday in Lagos.
Fajimi attributed the loss to the recent downpour witnessed in the state.
He said: “It has been a bad time for fish farmers in Ikorodu following the rains that fell on Monday.
“When fish farmers got to their farms at Ikorodu and other parts of Lagos State and discovered that most of their fish, if not all in some cases had been washed away by the torrential rain that fell overnight, it was a dismal experience.
“The rain fell heavily throughout the night such that by the time farmers got to their various fish ponds around the lowlands of the Ikorodu area, most of the farms had been overrun by flood water.”
“The fish had already been washed off into nearby gutters and canals. It has been a tale of woes from LASCAFAN Ikorodu zone,” Fajimi said.
According to him, an evaluation of the loss in the sector since Monday is estimated at N150 million.
“We have been doing an evaluation with fish farmers that are members of the association and others to see the extent of the damage and loss.
“As of today, August 7, the damage has been quite enormous. Over 50 fish farmers have been affected and the loss in monetary terms at the moment is well over N150 million.
“In fact areas and ponds that were never flooded in past have experienced flood this time.
“The downpour was heavy and consistent, and because it happened through the night did not give the farmers the opportunity to try and salvage their investment in any way.”
Leadership comes with criticism and lots more. But in political circle, several allegations come up with either true or false.
In a fresh move, alarm has been raise over another sex scandal towards the leadership of Nigeria Senate President.
Recall that Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the allegation during an interview with Arise Television on a penultimate Friday.
The senator detailed an incident from 8 December, 2023, when she and her husband visited Akpabio’s residence in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.Natasha was barred from office and had her allowances and security withdrawn for six months after she made an accusation against Akpabio, who denied the claims against him.
A civil society organisation, Centre for Democratic Accountability and Transparency (CDAT), has raised the alarm over what it described as a fresh plot to blackmail Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, with another sex scandal.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Michael Ogundele, its executive director, the group said it had uncovered plans by political enemies to circulate “doctored videos” aimed at tarnishing Akpabio’s image.
Ogundele said the orchestrated campaign is allegedly sponsored by some “desperate politicians” who are unhappy with Akpabio’s growing influence in national politics.
He said the group’s internal investigation revealed that the smear plot involves the use of manipulated content pushed through blogs and social media platforms.
His words: “We are in possession of credible intelligence that points to a calculated move to release fake sex tapes in a bid to embarrass the Senate president.
“This kind of dirty politics must be condemned. We urge Nigerians not to fall for such tactics designed to distract from critical governance issues.”
The group called on security agencies to investigate the development and ensure that those involved are brought to justice.
Ogundele urged political stakeholders to focus on national development and avoid acts capable of further polarising the country.
By Yarima Haruna, Birnin Kebbi
The Branch of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Kebbi state, has felicitated with the governor of Kebbi state, Dr Nasir Idris, on the occasion of his birthday.
Kebbi state Chairman of NANNM, comrade Kelani Abdulwaliyu, in a statement signed by him, described the governor as a friend of nurses and all other health practitioners in the state.” Today, Wednesday, as you turned in a new leaf in your life, we celebrate you, your family and the entire members of your cabinet”.
Your emergence as governor of Kebbi state as a core unionist is without doubt a blessing to the teeming healthcare providers in the state because under your leadership, the health sector witnessed a boost, he added.
Kelani noted that nurses and midwives are poised to ensure proper and continuous healthcare services are provided to millions requiring healthcare in Kebbi state. “Once again, we have joined millions of your lovers, admirers, and well-wishers to wish you a happy birthday “.
He urged nurses to effectively man all the health abodes in Kebbi by attending with rapt attention all in and outpatients in their custody.
On Wednesday, Ghana’s Minister of Defence and Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology were tragically killed in a helicopter crash, as reported by the Ghanaian presidency.
This incident occurred shortly after the armed forces indicated that a helicopter, carrying three crew members and five passengers, had lost contact with radar.
Edward Omane Boamah was appointed as Minister of Defence by President John Mahama earlier this year, following Mahama’s inauguration in January. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed was serving in the capacity of Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology at the time of the accident.
Authorities have confirmed that all individuals aboard the helicopter perished in this tragic event.
“The president and government extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of our comrades and the servicemen who died in service to the country,” said Mahama’s chief of staff Julius Debrah.
Boamah was helming Ghana’s defence ministry at a time when jihadist activity across its northern border in Burkina Faso has become increasingly restive.
While Ghana has so far avoided a jihadist spillover from the Sahel — unlike neighbours Togo and Benin — observers have warned of increased arms trafficking and of militants from Burkina Faso crossing the porous border to use Ghana as a rear base.
A medical doctor by training, Boamah’s career in government included stints as communications minister during Mahama’s previous 2012-2017 tenure. Before that, he was the deputy minister for environment.
The Ghanaian Armed Forces had reported earlier Wednesday that an air force helicopter had fallen off radar after taking off from Accra just after 9:00 am. It had been headed towards the town of Obuasi, northwest of the capital.
The statement had said that three crew and five passengers were aboard, without specifying at the time that the ministers were among them.
Alhaji Muniru Mohammed, Ghana’s deputy national security coordinator and former agriculture minister, was among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, vice chairman of Mahama’s National Democratic Congress party.
As Ghana has pursued increased diplomacy with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — all ruled by juntas who have broken with the ECOWAS west African regional bloc — Boamah led a delegation to Ouagadougou in May.
He had been set to release a book titled “A Peaceful Man in an African Democracy”, about former president John Atta Mills, who died in 2012.
All flags were to be flown at half-staff, Debrah said, while the presidency said Mahama had cancelled his official activities for the day.
Dr. Doyin Abiola, a distinguished journalist and former Managing Director of National Concord, has passed away at the age of 82.
She died at 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, following a period of illness, as reported by family sources.
A trailblazer in Nigerian journalism, Dr. Abiola was the first Nigerian woman to serve as editor and subsequently as managing director/editor-in-chief of a national daily newspaper. Her tenure at National Concord extended over three decades, during which she significantly influenced media discourse and mentored a generation of journalists.
Born in 1943, Dr. Abiola received a degree in English and Drama from the University of Ibadan in 1969. She began her journalism career at the Daily Sketch, where she authored a widely read column titled “Tiro,” focusing on issues of public relevance, particularly gender equity.
In 1970, she relocated to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree in Journalism. Upon her return to Nigeria, she joined the Daily Times as a Features Writer and advanced to the position of Group Features Editor. In 1979, she earned a Ph.D. in Communications and Political Science from New York University.
Following her return to Nigeria, Dr. Abiola served on the editorial board of the Daily Times alongside esteemed journalists including Stanley Macebuh, Dele Giwa, and Amma Ogan. In 1980, she became the inaugural editor of the newly established National Concord, ultimately ascending to the role of Managing Director in 1986.
In 1981, she married Chief MKO Abiola and remained a stalwart presence during his political challenges, particularly in the aftermath of the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Dr. Abiola also made substantial contributions to the media industry through various roles. She chaired the nomination panel for the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA) and served on the advisory council of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences at Ogun State University.
Her contributions to journalism were recognized with numerous awards, including the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) Lifetime Achievement Award, making her the second woman to receive this honor, after Mrs. Omobola Onajide. She was also a recipient of the esteemed Eisenhower Fellowship in 1986.
Dr. Doyin Abiola leaves behind a remarkable legacy characterized by courage, professionalism, and excellence in journalism.
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