1. Sokoto Boat Mishap
Another black mark on Sokoto’s waterways. A simple trip home from the market ended in tragedy as a boat carrying 11 villagers capsized, leaving two feared dead. It’s the third accident in the state this August—questions are now louder than ever: who is really safeguarding river transport?
2. ASUU Agreement Drama
Minister Tunji Alausa’s U-turn on ASUU’s 2009 agreement is one for the books. First he dismissed it, now he admits it exists. ASUU calls his bluff, government backpedals, and students remain the pawns. Same old dance, different tune.
3. Marafa Dumps APC
Former Zamfara senator, Kabiru Marafa, has finally shut the APC door behind him. After years of wrangling and backroom politics, he and his camp walked out with a communiqué from Kaduna. Another crack in APC’s northern wall? Time will tell.
4. Jonathan vs Tinubu
The Lagos APC says Goodluck Jonathan can’t touch Tinubu in 2027. Their spokesman was blunt: Jonathan’s political “relevance” is in doubt. But politics in Nigeria has never been about straight lines—it’s always full of surprises.
5. NELFUND Loans
The government is flaunting its scorecard: nearly 400,000 students have benefitted from Tinubu’s tuition loan scheme, NELFUND. At a townhall in Kogi, officials called it a major win for the administration. For struggling students, the real test is if the loans actually ease their burden.
6. Fertiliser Seizure in Borno
Troops in Borno intercepted 242 bags of fertiliser, believed bound for IED production. A silent victory, perhaps, but one that underlines how fragile the fight against insurgency remains. Every bag of fertiliser saved is potentially a bomb defused.
7. Bishop Okobo Passes On
Nsukka is mourning. Bishop Francis Okobo, its first Catholic bishop, is gone at 89. A cleric of quiet strength and long service, his passing leaves a huge void in the community he shepherded for decades.
8. Professors Demand N2.5m
ASUU professors are raising the stakes: N2.5m as minimum monthly pay or nothing. Their protests this week exposed the widening gulf between ivory tower lecturers and a government reluctant to spend. The question lingers: can Nigeria afford to undervalue its brain trust?
9. EFCC Benin Crackdown
Benin is topping EFCC’s fraud charts again. Between January and June, its operatives netted 327 suspects in 12 sting operations. Internet fraud remains Nigeria’s grim export—but the commission says its net is tightening.
10. NDLEA Drug War
The NDLEA is flexing numbers—1,315 arrests, 1.3 million kilos of drugs seized, and 43 cannabis farms destroyed in just seven months. A huge haul, yet the drug trade seems to regenerate like weeds. For Buba Marwa’s men, it’s still war without end.
