Northwest University, Sokoto, has commenced admission into its various programmes for the 2025/2026 academic session. In a statement on Tuesday, the Registrar, Umar Mussa Garun Babba, said the institution is admitting qualified candidates into its fully accredited courses across five faculties and the College of Health Sciences. Available programmes under the College of Health Sciences include Medicine (MBBS), Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Public Health, and Environmental Health. The Faculty of Computing and Sciences offers Computer Science, Software Engineering, Cyber Security, Information Technology, Biology, Chemistry, Industrial Mathematics, and Physics with Electronics. For Social and Management Sciences, courses include Business…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
German firefighters have arrived in northern Spain to help combat the country’s most severe wildfires in decades. A total of 67 emergency personnel, along with 23 vehicles, have reached San Sebastián in the Basque Country, the fire brigade in Bonn said on Tuesday. The crew was expected to continue on to the fire-hit Extremadura region, which borders Portugal, later on Tuesday. One of the largest blazes was burning near the town of Jarilla in Extremadura, where around 15,000 hectares have already been destroyed. Portugal is also battling four major wildfires. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska…
The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has blacklisted seven Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) for failing to comply with guidelines on the use of Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) as equity contributions for residential mortgages. In a circular dated August 11, 2025, PenCom directed all Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) to stop accepting or processing applications from contributors seeking to use part of their RSA balances as equity contributions through the affected mortgage institutions. The blacklisted mortgage banks The institutions barred from the scheme are Jigawa Savings & Loans Limited, FHA Mortgage Bank Limited, Delta Trust Mortgage Bank Limited,…
An accident in Angwan Mayo, Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, on Monday morning, August 18, 2025, thwarted a gang of suspected kidnappers shortly after they had collected ransom from their victims. According to reports, the suspects were fleeing in an Opel Vectra—registration number Plateau BLD 566 ST—when the vehicle lost control near a Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) checkpoint and crashed. The two occupants fled immediately, abandoning the car at the scene . A vigilant VIO officer initially recovered a G3 rifle and cash from the wrecked vehicle and handed them over to the police. The vehicle was towed…
In a new memoir titled Beyond Expectations, Newswatch founding editor Yakubu Mohammed has finally broken his silence on long-standing conspiracy theories linking the assassination of his colleague, Dele Giwa, to the mysterious case of Gloria Okon. Giwa, then editor-in-chief of Newswatch, was killed on October 19, 1986, by a parcel bomb delivered to his Lagos residence. Since his death, speculation has persisted that Giwa had been investigating the alleged death—or secret release—of Gloria Okon, a young woman arrested in Kano on drug-smuggling charges. Rumors claimed that Okon either died in custody or was secretly flown abroad because of her alleged…
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has commenced the process of reviewing Nigeria’s revenue-sharing formula to reflect current realities and ensure a fairer distribution of national resources. Chairman of the Commission, Mohammed Shehu, made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja while speaking to journalists on the need to adjust the existing formula which has remained unchanged since 1992. Why the review? Shehu explained that Nigeria has undergone significant political, economic, demographic, and social transformations over the past three decades, making the old formula outdated. “The current revenue allocation formula was designed in 1992, over thirty years ago. Since…
Heavy flood has devastated several communities in Sokoto State, submerging farmlands, destroying houses, and claiming the life of a seven-year-old boy. The disaster, which struck on Thursday, August 14, affected parts of Bodinga and Shagari Local Government Areas. In Bodinga, the communities of Badau (Darhela Ward) and Butuku (Toma Ward) were worst hit. Reports indicated that more than 3,000 farmlands in Badau and 75 in Butuku were submerged, leaving many farmers in despair. A joint assessment team from the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) visited the flood-affected areas on Sunday. The team,…
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has returned to Nigeria from London, dismissing widespread rumours about his health. Akpabio arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in the early hours of Monday, where he was received at the presidential wing by fellow senators, aides, and supporters. Speaking to journalists on arrival, the Senate President described speculations that he had been hospitalised in London as false and mischievous. “I’m fit as a fiddle. I only stopped over in London for a short vacation,” he said. Akpabio had earlier attended the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland, held from…
Rescue efforts are underway in Sokoto State after a boat en route to the Goronyo Market, carrying more than 50 passengers, capsized on Sunday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed. ASHENEWS earlier reported the tragic boat accident, which occurred in Kojiyo Ward, Goronyo Local Government Area of the state. As of now, 10 individuals have been rescued, while over 40 passengers remain unaccounted for. ALSO READ Tragedy as boat capsizes in Sokoto community Mrs. Zubaida Umar, Director-General of NEMA, stated that the agency swiftly deployed its response team to the scene and is coordinating closely with local authorities, divers,…
The management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has confirmed the killing of one of its students during a sign-out ceremony, after days of speculations surrounding the incident. According to a statement issued by the Registrar, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, the tragic incident occurred on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at the Ultramodern Wazo Market in Ogbomoso. The victim, identified as Babalola Marvelous Olanrewaju, a 300-level student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was reportedly shot during the gathering and later died from his injuries. Balogun explained that LAUTECH had banned sign-out activities since 2023 and had formally…