.By Wumi Tewogbade, Abuja

​The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, gave an immediate waiver of fees for the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the Nigerian Law School’s Abuja campus.

Wike revealed this during a meeting with the school’s management in Abuja.

Wike also declared an “emergency” on the construction of staff quarters and other critical infrastructure to enhance the institution’s learning environment.

The FCT Minister while responding
to an appeal from the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, he expressed surprise that the institution had operated without a C of O since moving to Bwari.

According to the FCT Minister, “Luckily, the Department of Land is t/here. We are going to waive the fee for C of O for you immediately. But it’s quite unfortunate that since the time they moved the law school to Bwari, they don’t have the C of O. So you’re occupying an illegal institution. I was thinking the first thing the government would have done as the school was coming in was to give you a C of O to show that you are a rightful owner”.

He described the lack of official documentation for government institutions as a trend that his administration is actively correcting.

He noted, “It’s not only you. I think even the Department of State Services, the SSS, they just got their C of O. That’s not encouraging at all”.

The Minister directed the Director of Lands to waive all processing fees for the school’s C of O, and issued a firm directive to ensure the document is processed and ready within one week.

​ He noted that regularizing the land is essential to move the school from what he colloquially termed an “illegal session” to rightful ownership.

​Beyond land matters, the Minister committed the FCT Administration (FCTA) to several high-priority projects aimed at resolving overcrowding and improving staff efficiency.

​Wike announced that 10 staff quarters have already been completed and will be commissioned as part of the President’s third anniversary. He further pledged to construct an additional 10 units using existing prototypes to save on design costs.

According to him, work is progressing on two new hostels—one for male students and one for female students—to alleviate overcrowding.

​The Minister confirmed he has approved the budget for a new auditorium and questioned why the contractor had not yet moved to the site.

​ To modernize administrative functions, Wike directed the school to liaise with the FCTA General Counsel, Mr. Salman Dako, to explore digitization solutions similar to ongoing efforts at the FCT High Court.

​Minister Wike emphasized that these interventions are part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader agenda to support legal education and the judiciary.

He noted that the President is currently constructing “presidential apartments” for judges to ensure their security, welfare, and autonomy.

​”Anything we can do to help our children, we are willing to do that,” Wike stated.

He also added, that the staff quarters must be treated as an emergency project to ensure rapid delivery.

​Earlier, Dr. Odusote congratulated the Minister on his appointment and praised the visible infrastructure developments across the FCT, while highlighting the specific challenges of disrepair and infrastructure deficits facing the Law School.

By Son Tertses, Abuja

Acting on security reports of possible attacks by armed groups, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Niger State has placed all custodial centres across the state on red alert.

The new Controller of Corrections in the state, Ogunleye Seyi Oladipupo, who assumed office on April 15, 2026, as the 28th Controller of Corrections in the state, while embarking on inspection and familiarisation tour of facilities across Niger State.ordered the heightened security measures in response to warnings reportedly circulated among security agencies last week.

The reports indicated that bandits were planning coordinated assaults on selected correctional facilities nationwide, including Niger State.

The proactive measures, according to him, are to avert any security breach on the custodial facilities in Minna, Kontagora, New Bussa, Bida, Kagara, Lapai and Agaie. .

Sources further said that unidentified gunmen had threatened attacks on custodial centres in several vulnerable states, warning that jailbreaks were part of the broader goals of the criminals.

During visits to the two custodial centres in Minna, he charged officers to remain alert and professional in safeguarding the facilities.

Confirming the development, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Rabi’u Shu’aibu Mohammed, said the service was fully aware of the threats and had activated precautionary measures.

“We are aware of the threat to our custodial facilities in the state.

“We are not taking any chances. Necessary steps have been taken to ensure the safety of our facilities and maintain peace in the state,” he stated.

By Felix Umande from Makurdi.

A major crisis has hit the camp of Governor Hyacinth Alia in Benue State, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Vandeikya Local Government Area has suspended several key appointees of the governor over alleged anti-party conduct, ahead of the party’s primary elections.

The suspension, which affects prominent members of the governor’s administration, was announced after an emergency meeting of the APC Central Executive Committee (Exco), stakeholders, and ward chairmen from the twelve council wards on Tuesday in Vandeikya LGA.

Those suspended from participating in party activities within Vandeikya LGA include:

• Hon. Stephen Sefa Numbeve, Coordinator, Benue State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP)
• Revd. Dr. Solomon Semaka, Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on National Programmes, Civil Society Organisations, Mass Voter Education and Strategic Interventions
• Hon. Ternenge Nevkaa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Students Affairs
• Hon. Cliff Agabi Mede, Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Market Monitoring, among others.

According to a resolution reached at the meeting, the party observed that the affected appointees failed to comply with directives issued during the zoning process.
They were also accused of “harassing and insulting party stakeholders publicly” during the exercise in Tiev Constituency, Vandeikya LGA.

The APC further levelled a series of allegations against the suspended members, including:

1. Persistent interference in the smooth running of the party’s administrative and grassroots operations within Vandeikya.
2. Consistent intimidation and unfair treatment of loyal party members, “creating a climate of fear and division rather than unity.”
3. Repeated diversion and misappropriation of funds earmarked for party development and mobilisation in Vandeikya.

The APC Central Exco, ward chairmen, and stakeholders urged the affected appointees to respect and comply with the decision and to “desist from all party-related activities in Vandeikya LGA until further notice.”

Vandeikya APC Chairman, Hon. Felix Ukange, said the decision was necessary to preserve discipline within the party.

“The party remains committed to strengthening unity, discipline, and internal democracy as it prepares for the forthcoming party primaries,” Ukange stated.

The suspensions signal deepening rifts within the governor’s political structure in his home LGA, coming at a critical time as the APC counts down to its primary elections across Benue State.

Reacting to his suspension by the Vandeikya APC, Hon. Stephen Sefa Numbeve has described the action as baseless and lacking procedural legitimacy.

In an interview, Numbeve confirmed to *Press Icon that his lawyers have served the group a formal notice demanding an immediate retraction of the suspension and apology within 24 hours, failing which he will institute legal proceedings.

According to him, the suspension was orchestrated by Vandeikya LGA Pointman and other individuals desperate to enforce a zoning arrangement that contradicts the express directive of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The Benue RAAMP Coordinator said, “We are not in a banana island, neither is APC a hide and seek party. If you read the body of the letter they wrote, it is simply because there was a zoning arrangement and they didn’t want anybody to comment on the zoning, the Pointman became a Lord and anything he said became a law, but that was not the directive of His Excellency. the governor of Benue State who I work for was very clear that let the people zone the election.”

Continuing, Numbeve stressed that the governor “Didn’t say one person should go and transform election, so when I saw that the zoning was actually flouted I told the Pointman that this is not correct. … So, when they went back, they now held a meeting in Tsambe in his parlor, called people to sign and collect money then they wrote that I am suspended”.