Education
Varsity student drowns in River Benue
A student of the Benue State Univeristy, BSU, Makurdi, Mr Abel Agaba, who was reported to have drowned in the River Benue was recovered on Friday.
A source said the deceased, who is a 200-level student of the Chemistry Department of the institution, had gone missing after swimming in River Benue.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Agaba, who lived with family members at Awe Street in the Wurukum area of Makurdi town, went to the nearby River Benue after watching a football match at a viewing center at about 11:45 pm.
He said, “we learnt that after watching the European football matches that finished at about 11:45 pm he said he was feeling hot and wanted to swim in River Benue to cool his body.
“Though those with him advised him against going to the River as it was already too late, he insisted and went since it was the usual practice around the area for people to go swimming at night whenever there is intense heat.
“He went alone and nobody bothered to check on him till Friday morning when a fisherman in the neighbourhood went to the River to check his fishing net for fishes and discovered Agaba’s lifeless body attached to his fishing net.
“The man raised the alarm and people went and recovered his body which was identified by his family members who took his remains to the mortuary.
“The death of the young man has thrown Awe Street neighbourhood into mourning because he was a gentle man who gave his time to his studies and never had issues with anyone.”
When contacted for confirmation, Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, CSP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive information on the incident.
The Imo State Government has banned graduation ceremonies for kindergarten, nursery, and Junior Secondary School, JSS3 students.
It has also prohibited schools from changing textbooks on an annual basis.
The directive was contained in a memo dated August 15, 2025, signed by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha, and addressed to parents, guardians, and stakeholders.
Under the policy, graduation ceremonies will now only be permitted for pupils completing Primary 6 and students finishing Senior Secondary School 3, SSS3, in line with the 6-3-3-4 education system.
The government further directed that textbooks must have a minimum four-year lifespan to allow reuse by siblings and ease the financial burden on parents. Schools were also warned against deviating from the approved list of textbooks.
Ikegwuoha explained that the measures were designed to curb exploitative practices in schools, promote uniformity in teaching, and ensure that attention remains on students’ academic achievements.
The policy takes immediate effect.
A former Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, LASU, Prof. John Obafunwa, has been installed as the Balogun of Ilara Kingdom in Epe, Lagos State.
The conferment ceremony, which took place on Saturday at the palace of Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo in Eredo-Epe, also saw several other distinguished Nigerians receive traditional titles. Among them were Prof. Kemi Pinheiro and Ambassador Oluwatoyin Lawal.
Speaking at the event, Oba Ogunsanwo explained that the honours were aimed at drawing accomplished indigenes and friends of the community closer to the throne to support the advancement of Ilara Kingdom. He praised the new titleholders and urged them to remain committed to service and community development.
In his response, Obafunwa, who currently serves as the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, expressed deep appreciation to the monarch and the people of Ilara. He pledged to leverage his experience in leadership and academia to promote growth, development, and youth empowerment in the kingdom.
He also described the Balogun title as a symbol of courage, leadership, and responsibility, noting that he would dedicate his new role to strengthening communal values and driving initiatives that uplift the people.
The colourful event drew a large gathering of dignitaries, including academics, traditional leaders, politicians, and business executives.
The Federal Government has approved nine new private universities, including Tazkiyah University (Kaduna), Leadership University (Abuja), Jimoh Babalola University (Kwara), Bridget University (Imo), Greenland University (Jigawa), JEFAP University (Niger), Azione Verde University (Imo), Unique Open University (Lagos), and American Open University (Ogun).
Education Minister Tunji Alausa said the approvals clear a backlog of applications, some pending for over six years, and follow stricter guidelines. A moratorium is now in place on new applications that do not meet the updated standards.
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