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MIRACULOUS SANWO-OLU COMMISSIONS 150-CLASSROOM BLOCKS & HOSTELS IN 15 LAGOS SCHOOLS IN ONE DAY .

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Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
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* 362,730 pupils benefit from Governor’s school infrastructure scheme 

Education in Lagos State witnessed another remarkable moment of infrastructure expansion, with the addition of newly built 150 blocks of classrooms and 1,386-bed hostels to 15 existing schools across the six education districts in the State.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, unveiled the iconic school projects and virtually commissioned them at a physical event organised by the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS) in Agidingbi, Alausa.

The virtual commissioning was conducted in order not to disrupt academic activities at the beneficiary schools.

The projects were designed with the signature features of New School Design introduced by the Sanwo-Olu administration. Other facilities inaugurated by the Governor included composite furniture, lavatories and laundromats.

The projects were developed and delivered by SCRPS set up in 2019 by the Governor for the revamp of public schools and reduction of classroom deficit across the State.

The commissioning coincided with the unveiling of compendium of school infrastructural transformation carried out by the Committee since inception. Adding the new projects, SCRPS has successfully completed a total of 1,047 freshly-constructed and fully-furnished classroom buildings across public schools across the six education districts.

Inaugurating the school projects, Sanwo-Olu said his administration’s commitment to scale up access to education at all education levels was not in doubt, stressing that the State had committed more investment to Education and Technology in line with the cardinal objectives stipulated in the THEMES Agenda of his Government.

The Governor said his focus was predicated on complementary interventions in provision of physical infrastructure, technology, capacity building, teacher and student welfare, and reduction of the number of out-of-school children in the State.

He said: “When we came on board, one of the things we decided to do in building on the legacy of my predecessors in education was to inaugurate a Special Committee on the Rehabilitation of Public Schools in Lagos State (SCRPS) in November 2019, with a mandate to accelerate and actualise the core vision of revamping schools’ infrastructure in our State.

“Since its inauguration of SCRPS, we have started and completed several new building projects, including classrooms, hostels, security infrastructure like fencing and gate-houses, among others, and supplied new furniture for students and teachers. We have also embarked on several rehabilitation projects leading to the completion of rehabilitation projects in 197 schools.

“With the complementary activities of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA) and Ministry of Education, we have successfully delivered a total of about 2,280 classrooms so far, with associated sanitary facilities, potable water systems, and security infrastructure.”

Sanwo-Olu said no part of the State was left out of the interventions injected in education, maintaining his administration’s determination to ensure equitable distribution of the dividends of good governance to all divisions in Lagos.

The Governor urged communities yet to benefit from the scheme to be patient, noting that the Committee would not carry out rehabilitation projects at once and cover every school in the State within limited period of time, but he assured that his Government would continue to expand the scale of its interventions.

He asked the beneficiaries to make good use of the facilities provided and shun any form of vandalism that may render the Government’s effort useless.

Sanwo-Olu said: “We are working very hard to make sure as many schools as possible benefit from this intervention. We cannot do everything at once and cannot cover every school in the State within a limited period of time, but rest assured we will continue to expand the scale of our interventions. I ask for the patience and understanding of those schools that are yet to benefit.

“From the schools that have benefited from this rehabilitation programme, I ask that you use these facilities judiciously and responsibly. Shun all forms of vandalism and carelessness; treat these buildings and projects as public goods that must be maintained for future generations. I have no doubt that Lagosians will be proud to see what has been done, in terms of an infrastructure revolution in Lagos public education.”

Chairman of SCRPS, Hakeem Smith, said the Committee, in the last three years, had been strategic in rolling out the programme objectives under the guidance of the Governor and had achieved significant mileage in revamping decrepit schools’ infrastructure and reducing classroom deficits.

Smith said SCRPS employed the model of constructing and furnishing one block of classroom daily since inception, which translated to 52,350 students being properly seated in a standard and conducive environment.

“We have rehabilitated 197 schools, translates to over 2,280 classrooms with associated toilets and building up new fence walls where required. We have built 1,584-bed new hostels and improved facilities for students in model colleges with complimentary laundromat and reading areas. Our intervention has led to the provision of 181,365 school furniture and this translates to 362,730 students being provided with comfortable seats to learn,” SCRPS boss said.

The beneficiaries schools are Lagos State Junior Model College, Meiran, Lagos State Baptist Secondary School, Orile-Agege, Abesan Senior High School, Alimosho, Orisunbare Senior High School, Alimosho, Luwasa Senior High School, Ijede, Lagos State Girls Junior Model College Agunfoye (Ikorodu) and Ojota Junior Secondary School, Ojota.

Others are Eva Adelaja Junior Secondary School, Bariga, Muslim Junior College, Oworoshoki, Lagos State Model College, Badore, Lagos State Model College, Agbowa (Epe), Araromi-Ilogbo Junior Secondary School, Oko-Afo, Badagry Junior Grammar School, Badagry, Ajumoni Junior Grammar School, Daleko, Mushin, and St. Joseph Secondary School, Mushin.

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Police Arrest 5 PakistanI Nationals, Recover 35 Phones in Benue Intelligence Ooperations

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August 8, 2026

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The Benue State Police Command has arrested five Pakistani nationals and recovered thirty-five mobile phones in separate intelligence-led operations in Otukpo and Ugbokolo areas of the state.

The arrests were disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday, August 7, 2026, by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu.

According to the statement, operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested three Pakistanis at Adoka Motor Park, Otukpo Local Government Area, on August 4, 2026.

The suspects were identified as Younas Mohammad, 36; Ahmad Nunil, 38; and Aslam Muhammad, 46. They were intercepted while attempting to board a vehicle to Adoka village.

During preliminary questioning, the suspects claimed they were in Otukpo to market cosmetics and mobile gadgets, none of which were found in their possession.

“This made their explanation, activities and movements within the area suspicious, requiring more clarification,” the PPRO stated.

In a separate operation on August 5, 2026, two other Pakistanis, Juma Sharif, 30, and Muhammed Sharif, 25, were arrested at a local hotel in Ugbokolo following another credible intelligence.

The two claimed to be dealers in Android phones. A search of their belongings led to the recovery of eleven Tecno Camon 50 Pro mobile phones.

Further investigation and operational follow-up resulted in the recovery of an additional twenty-three Tecno Camon 50 Pro phones and one Infinix Hot 60 phone, bringing the total number of recovered mobile phones to thirty-five.

The five suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Makurdi, where discreet and comprehensive investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding their presence, activities and movements within the state.

The Command said it strongly suspects that the possession of the mobile phones may be a decoy for clandestine activities in rural areas of the state, noting that the suspects “hardly speak or understand English.”

The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus C. N. Nwadiogbu, commended the officers involved in the operations and members of the public whose timely information contributed to the arrests.

He reassured residents that the operations form part of the Command’s proactive, intelligence-led policing strategy aimed at identifying potential security threats, preventing criminal activities and safeguarding lives and property across the state.

CP Nwadiogbu further urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the Police.

“The Command will continue to work with relevant stakeholders and members of the public to maintain peace and security across Benue State. The public will be updated as the investigation progresses,” the statement added.

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HURIWA Calls for Probe of Adeyemi’s Govt Collaborators

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August 8, 2026

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Human Right Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA
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The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has dismissed the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), alleging that its findings have raise more questions than answers.

HURIWA, National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, on Friday, argued that the report appeared to focus largely on alleged offences committed by one individual while failing to establish how a purportedly non-existent government agency operated within official circles for an extended period.

The organisation therefore opposed the prosecution of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, ICPC’ sole accused for forging documents, falsely presenting himself as Director-General of the PFIPC, creating additional agencies, opening bank accounts with forged instruments and exploiting weaknesses in government institutions.

HURIWA insisted that the alleged activities of Adeyemi could not, on their own, explain how the PFIPC acquired the appearance of an official government institution.

In HURIWA’s view, the central issue was not merely who allegedly forged documents, but how such documents were accepted and acted upon by government institutions.

It asked how a non-existent agency could acquire official legitimacy, who admitted its operators into government circles, who authorised meetings and engagements with public institutions and why elementary verification procedures failed to detect the alleged fraud.

The group also questioned how the PFIPC found its way into the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation running into billions of naira if it did not legally exist.

“The questions confronting Nigeria are neither difficult nor complicated,” HURIWA said.

It said there is a need to establish who processed documents linked to the agency, who ignored red flags and who enabled it to operate without challenge.

The organisation expressed concern that the ICPC’s interim findings could give the impression that the scandal was essentially the work of a lone individual.

It argued that such a conclusion would be difficult to reconcile with the scale and duration of the alleged activities, particularly given the involvement of multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“HURIWA refuses to accept the proposition that one private citizen, acting entirely alone, successfully penetrated multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies, operated for an extended period, secured official interactions and allegedly built an elaborate structure involving forged instruments without significant failures or possible complicity within the public service,” Onwubiko stated.

The association noted that the ICPC itself had identified weaknesses in inter-agency coordination, verification mechanisms and internal controls, arguing that such weaknesses required further investigation.

It said Nigerians deserved to know whether the failures were merely administrative lapses or whether some officials deliberately facilitated the activities of the alleged fake agency.

HURIWA was particularly critical of any recommendation for administrative sanctions against public officers whose negligence may have enabled the operation.

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Why Alia revamped Abandoned Benue N70bn Taraku Mill After 40 Years

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August 8, 2026

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The Benue State Gov. Hyacinth Alia  says he revived the N70 billion moribund Taraku Mill after 40 years because the state could no longer afford to waste its economic potential.
Alia made the disclosure on Friday in Makurdi during a media chat with the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Presidential Media Team.
The team was led by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President Bola Tinubu on Media and Strategy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the team was in Benue to inspect completed and ongoing federal and state infrastructure projects, including the Taraku Mill, located in Gwer East Local Government Area.
The governor said the revival of the mill, located in Taraku, was part of his administration’s broader strategy to establish sustainable economic structures capable of surviving changes in political leadership.
He said previous administrations had lacked a comprehensive development plan, resulting in projects being initiated without adequate consideration for continuity and the actual needs of citizens.
“​​There has to be a direction. There has to be a mission and there has to be a vision,” Alia said.
According to him, his administration’s development blueprint was designed after consultations with communities to distinguish between what people wanted and their actual priority needs.
He said that the approach required government to understand the needs of market women, farmers and other residents before committing resources to projects.
Alia said the objective was to move Benue from  “a glorified village status” and improve the state’s towns and economic centres.
He said sustainability was built into the projects being implemented, stressing that government must put measures in place to ensure investments remained productive after the tenure of the current administration.
The governor argued that government could not completely stay away from business when strategic investments were necessary to create employment, retain capital and stimulate the local economy.
He cited the newly established Benue Brewery, juice factory and concentrate factory as examples of investments intended to process local agricultural products and strengthen the state’s value chain.
Alia said Benue produced sorghum, cassava, maize, oranges and soybeans in large quantities, but needed industries capable of converting the agricultural produce into finished products.
He said the development of such industries would create markets for farmers, generate employment and reduce capital flight caused by importing products that could be produced locally.
The governor said farmers with orchards and farms had been identified and organised into cooperatives, enabling them to access support while providing industries with dependable sources of raw materials.
He said the improved road network linking Benue with Abuja would further enhance opportunities for farmers to take fresh agricultural produce to the federal capital and other markets.
Alia said the revival of Taraku Mill was particularly significant because Benue was previously a leading soybean-producing state, but the collapse of the mill disrupted the market for farmers.
He said the return of the mill would provide a sustained market for soybean farmers, adding that his administration had begun providing incentives and farm inputs to identified producers.
The governor said the revival was, therefore, not limited to restoring the factory but was aimed at rebuilding an agricultural ecosystem in which farmers could consistently earn income from their produce.
Earlier, the inspection team visited the Taraku Mill, where the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, explained that production had continued until around the mid-1990s.
Kula said the factory subsequently became moribund until the Alia administration decided to revamp it, with the machinery serviced and currently undergoing test runs.
He commended residents of the area for protecting the abandoned facility over the years, saying they collectively ensured that no equipment was removed from the premises.
According to him, the mill will produce soybean and groundnut oil, process maize and manufacture animal feeds, thereby restoring its former role as an economic booster for the area.
Kula also attributed the revival to improved economic conditions and support from the Federal Government, saying major investments of that magnitude required adequate resources.
He said the administration had also rehabilitated the Otobi Waterworks and its treatment plant in Otukpo Local Government Area to provide water needed for operations at the mill.
Mr Terngwu Kyuve, General Manager of the mill, said the revived facility would create no fewer than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs when fully operational.
Kyuve said the plant comprised oil, maize and animal-feed divisions, adding that its maize plant had a capacity to process 72,000 metric tonnes annually.
He said the animal-feed plant could process 172,300 metric tonnes annually, while the oil division had mechanical pressing, flaking, solvent extraction and refining facilities.
According to him, the mechanical press can process 200 metric tonnes of seeds daily, solvent extraction 320 metric tonnes daily, while the refinery can process 100 metric tonnes of oil daily.
Kyuve, a pioneer staff member, said maintenance and test-running were ongoing, adding that dry and wet testing would precede actual production.
He expressed optimism that products would begin coming out of the factory within two months, marking the return of Taraku Mill to industrial production after decades of inactivity.

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