A medical practitioner and staunch member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikeduru local government area of Imo state, Dr Obinna Obi-Njoku Jnr, has showered praises on Governor Hope Uzodimma for raising Imo workers’ monthly  minimum wage to N104, 000 (One hundred and four thousand Naira)

In a press statement issued to newsmen , Dr Obi-Njoku bluntly, observed that what the Imo state Chief Executive, Senator Dr Hope Uzodimma, has done is a demonstration of fatherly love and uncommon concern  over the welfare of Imo civil servants.

According to Obinna Obi-Njoku, giving the state workforce better welfare packages by way of salary increment is an action that would impact positively and massively on many individuals, families, and groups  across Imo state.

Expressing unreserved happiness over the development which he described as leadership by example and patriotic disposition, Obi-Njoku Jnr who hails from Uzoagba   political ward of Ikeduru local government area, pointed out that in addition to his 3-R administration’s huge Infrastructural development across the state, Governor Hope Uzodimma has continued to place the welfare of civil and public servants in the state top in his priority list.

Urging the state Chief Executive not to relent in his avowed resolve to take the state to greater heights, the medical practitioner  charged civil servants in the state to continue to support government policies and programmes as a way of encouraging the state governor to do more for them.

Former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase is dead. The former No. 1 police officer was said to have died

at Cedarcrest Hospital,  Abuja.

As at  the time of filing this report, neither his family, nor the Nigeria Police Force has issued an official statement confirming  his demise.

Arase, who served as Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, was later appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Before becoming IGP, he headed the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the Police Force’s top Intelligence Unit.

Born on June 21, 1956, in Owan West local government area of Edo State, Arase studied Political Science at Ahmadu Bello University, graduating in 1980, and joined the Nigeria Police Force on December 1, 1981.

He later obtained a Law degree from the University of Benin, as well as a Masters Degree from the University of Lagos.

During his career, he held several key positions, including Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State and Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Intelligence.

He also served in Namibia, as part of a United Nations peace-keeping mission and was a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Arase retired from the Police on June 21, 2016, after reaching the mandatory retirement age.

He was appointed  the Chairman of the Police Service Commission in January 2023,  by the late President Muhammadu Buhari. He was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024.

The National Examinations Council (NECO), has said it is not currently recruiting staff and would always adhere strictly to due process and relevant extant laws when the Federal Government gives approval for staff recruitment

Acting Director, Information and Public Relations of NECO, Sani Azeez, in a statement yesterday, urged the public to disregard an online publication purporting that the Council is planning to recruit new staff.

It said the attention of the National Examinations Council has been drawn to an online publication, purporting that the Council is planning to recruit new staff.

The statement advised members of the public to disregard the publication as it has no plan to recruit new staff, even as itstates that the publication is the product of the imagination of fraudsters who are out to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

It warned applicants and job seekers to be- ware of fraudsters and criminals who may hide under the guise of recruitment to defraud them.

The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Austin Meregini, has provided an official clarification regarding the death of two men in an accident involving his convoy at Obehie, Ukwa West LGA, on Sunday, August 3, 2025, along the Port Harcourt–Aba Expressway.

The explanation followed a viral video that described the Deputy Speaker’s response to the bereaved family as “sad.”

The victims, identified as Ifeanyi Maduako, 45, residing in the Philippines, and Onyedi Obasi, 35, living in Gambia, were both from Ehime Mbano, Imo State. They were reportedly returning to their bases after their mother’s burial.

In a statement issued Wednesday by Grant Okeigbo of the Deputy Speaker’s Media Unit, the office clarified that the Deputy Speaker was not in the pick-up truck at the time of the accident. The vehicle, carrying the driver and two security personnel, collided with a Toyota Spider carrying the two victims.

“The Toyota Spider was reportedly driving against traffic due to the poor condition of the opposite lane. Eyewitnesses and the surviving truck driver indicated that the Spider either suffered a burst tire or brake failure, causing it to veer into the path of the pick-up truck,” the statement said.

The accident tragically claimed the lives of the two men in the Spider, while the truck driver and two policemen sustained serious injuries. The truck driver remains on life support and may require spinal surgery at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

The statement emphasised that the Deputy Speaker sent emissaries to the bereaved family the day after the accident and has been working with medical professionals to save the lives of his surviving aides. Discussions on how best to support the family are ongoing.

“The Deputy Speaker is pained by the circulation of unverified reports on social media regarding this tragedy. He appeals to the public and media to exercise caution in reporting such sensitive matters,” the release said.

The Deputy Speaker also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, praying for the repose of their souls.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, were unsuccessful.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has said that the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration freed resources for national development.

The minister said this during the “Tinubu Administration Mid-Term Sensitisation Campaign” in Minna yesterday.

Idris, who was represented by Dr Asabe Sule-Garba, Head of the Federal Information Resource Centre, Minna, said the removal of the fuel subsidy allowed the current administration to redirect funds to critical projects, social services and economic stability initiatives.

The reports had it that the campaign highlighted the significant progress made in various sectors of the economy since the removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023.

The minister said the reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration were aimed at creating a more stable, fair and prosperous Nigeria.

“These reforms are built on the foundation of the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at creating a more stable, fair and prosperous Nigeria.

“These tough but necessary decisions have freed up national resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare and job creation,” he said.

Idris said that the essence of the campaign was to emphasise the importance of the citizens’ engagement in government policies and programmes.

He said the citizens could only hold leaders accountable when they stayed informed about government policies and programmes.

He reiterated the need to ensure peace and prosperity in the North Central region and urged the citizens to spread the government policies and programmes to families, neighbours and communities.

Mr Eyitayo Aluko, Federal Controller of Works in Niger, said the Federal Ministry of Works had carried out landmark achievements in Niger, including the construction of the Minna-Zungeru-Tegina road, the Tegina-Kontagora road, and the dualisation of the Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road.

Aluko, represented by Mr Felix Thomas, Assistant Chief Engineer in the ministry in Niger, said the projects were aimed at improving the state infrastructure and facilitating the movement of goods and services from the north to the southern part of the country.

Also, Malam Suleiman Ladan, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the ministry built irrigation facilities, trade structures, and research interventions, among others, in Niger.

Ladan said the projects were aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and creating jobs for Nigerians, adding that the ministry also distributed emergency relief materials to IDP camps and farmers in Niger.

“We distributed 6,000 bags of rice in Niger State. Out of the 6,000 bags of rice, 1,200 bags went to federal civil servants, while 4,800 bags were for the state civil servants and private sector workers,” he said.

The reports also disclosed that participants at the sensitisation campaign include market women, artisans, NGOs and people living with disabilities. (NAN)

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, said he takes full responsibility for Tuesday’s derailment of the Abuja-Kaduna train, which occurred along the Kaduna corridor shortly after departure from Abuja.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief yesterday, Opeifa assured Nigerians that the ongoing investigation into the incident would be thorough and transparent.

“Beyond apologising to Nigerians, I want to state clearly—as the Managing Director and Chief Executive—I take full responsibility.

“When it comes to safety, there is no room for indifference. Once something like this happens, the chief executive must own it—and I do,” he said.

The MD said the injuries of four of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers were serious.

Opeifa stated, “Coming to the fatality and the casualties, there was no fatality. We thank God. That was a near miss because for this kind of accident or incident, you see some level of fatality, but we thank God for this.

‘And for those who were injured, four are serious, and another two or so were discharged immediately, and we will follow up on those that might still be in the hospital.

“I don’t know as of this moment, we’ll follow up. So we’ll also follow up with the remaining 618 people on the train because of the post-traumatic experience. We have the full contacts and we’ll do that.”

He, however, said that though the incident should not have happened, the NRC would ensure that there was no recurrence.

“I want to assure Nigerians that an incident like this is not expected, is not prayed for, should not be happening, but where it does, it is to bring out the best in us.

“And I assure Nigerians that just as we are doing currently on the Warri-Itakpe, which he (the analyst) also mentioned, we shut down the Warri-Itakpe (route) three weeks ago.

“I ordered the shutdown for safety reasons, and if you see the level of work the men have been doing on the track, cutting it off and replacing it is to make sure things like this don’t happen,” he added.

Asked whether there was any suspicion around sabotage regarding the incident, Opeifa said, “It would be premature for me to speak on that because that will be undermining the authority that is meant to do the investigation. But I want to assure Nigerians that our tracks are safe from vandals and terrorists.

“This particular track is being monitored by the military. You can see that immediately it (the derailment) happened, within five, 10 minutes, the helicopter was there hovering.

“The Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian army are all along this corridor, and I think, for the record, we’ve not had any issue of banditry, terrorism attack along that corridor.

“But you can’t wish anything away. The investigation will tell us what happened, and I wouldn’t want to comment because I’m a party to the investigation.”

The NRC chief executive said that NSIB would have to declare the site open for reconstruction before the corporation would do a safety audit to determine when services on the route would be reopened.

“The first thing that will happen is that the NSIB will determine when the site is open for reconstruction.

“So, from the time they tell us that it’s ready for reconstruction, I don’t see us spending more than 30 days. So it depends on when they declare the site open for reconstruction,” Opeifa stated.

The incident occurred on Tuesday along the Kaduna corridor shortly after the train left Abuja at about 11 am, en route to Kaduna.

A passenger on board the train described the scene as chaotic, with people scrambling to safety.

Following the incident, the NRC suspended train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna route till further notice.

Opeifa had, while briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, hours after the incident, said that some technical staff of the corporation, alongside the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and other relevant agencies, were on the ground at the train derailment site carrying out an investigation.

He also dismissed claims that the trains were not in good condition and said the refund of the ticket fees had been initiated for all passengers on board.

In January 2023, an Abuja-Kaduna train derailed in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a few minutes from its destination – Kubwa.

While confirming the incident, the management of NRC said no casualty was recorded.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured Brazilian investors that Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms are delivering tangible results, boasting that there is “no more corruption” since he took office.

The President made the statement during a meeting on Monday with ministers from both countries and members of the Brazil Business Group, where he reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to strengthen partnerships in technology transfer, food security, manufacturing, and renewable energy.

President Tinubu described Nigeria’s economic landscape as a “vast, untapped market full of opportunities for Brazilian companies.”

He acknowledged that the reforms he’s implemented were “initially painful, but today the result is blossoming.

“It’s getting clearer to the people. We have more money for the economy, and no more corruption.”

To demonstrate the new climate of transparency, he pointed to the Central Bank of Nigeria, stating, “You don’t have to know him before getting the foreign exchange you need. The speculators are out. In our currency market, the door is open for businesses.”

Reflecting on his previous engagements in Brazil, the Nigerian leader emphasised the urgency of moving beyond symbolic ties to concrete economic cooperation.

“We have allowed some problems and activities in the past to deter us from making progress and fulfilling our promises, but today we say that is the end of that.”

According to a statement from presidential spokesperson Mr Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu attended a state luncheon at the Itamaraty Palace, where discussions centered on deepening economic cooperation, enhancing trade, and fostering innovation-driven partnerships.

With the signing of new bilateral agreements, Nigeria and Brazil are expected to expand their economic collaboration, opening fresh opportunities for sustainable growth and technology exchange.

The National Association of Nigerian Students has threatened to shut down critical infrastructure nationwide if the Federal Government fails to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which has again warned of a possible nationwide strike.

NANS Assistant General Secretary, Emmanuel Adejuwon, in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday in Abuja, expressed deep concern over ASUU’s latest threat, vowing that the union would “mobilise Nigerian students for massive nationwide protests that will shut down roads, airports, government offices, and critical infrastructure.”

“Let it be on record: if this strike is not averted, we will bring the country to a standstill until the future of Nigerian students is secured. The time for games is over. The Federal Government must act now. ASUU must act responsibly. And Nigerian students will not sit idle while our future is wasted,” the NANS leader said.

Adejuwon stressed that only the children of the masses are negatively impacted by ASUU strike, saying, “This strike must not be allowed to happen.”

“It is obvious that strike actions only inflict pain and suffering on the children of ordinary Nigerians, the masses who struggle day and night to keep their children in school. The politicians and government officials whose failures created this crisis are not affected; their children are comfortably schooling abroad or in expensive private universities. If the children of these politicians were in our public institutions, this issue would have been resolved immediately.”

He accused the Federal Government of endless promises and insincerity, saying students had grown weary of “being victims of leadership irresponsibility.”

“We demand that the Federal Government, without delay, meet its obligations to ASUU and resolve all outstanding issues. Enough of the endless promises, excuses, and insincerity. Nigerian students are tired of being victims of leadership irresponsibility,” he declared.

While demanding government action, Adejuwon also called on ASUU to rethink its tactics.

“At the same time, we call on ASUU leadership to reconsider the weaponisation of strike as the only tool of engagement. Every strike action destroys our academic calendar, elongates our years in school, and diminishes the quality of our education. The lecturers must understand that their struggle, no matter how just, should not become a weapon against the same students they claim to fight for,” he said.

Meanwhile, ASUU branches across the country, on Monday, stressed their demands, threatening that another strike was imminent if the Federal Government failed to act.

In Ibadan, ASUU’s Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Biodun Olaniran, speaking at a news conference on Monday, urged the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the Yayale Ahmed report submitted in February to avert another strike.

He said the report captured all contentious issues between the union and government and represented a consensus after years of negotiations, but had been left unimplemented.

“The true test of government’s sincerity lies in how it handles the Yayale Ahmed report,” Olaniran said. “Our members are frustrated with delay tactics and are no longer willing to be dragged along endlessly. Implementing this report is the surest way to restore confidence and industrial peace.”

Olaniran listed concerns including the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement on sustainable funding of universities, victimisation of union members in LASU, KSU and FUTO, outstanding 25–35 per cent salary awards, unpaid third-party deductions, and over four years of unpaid promotion arrears.

He faulted the continued use of the IPPIS platform for payment of members, which the union had long rejected, and lamented the non-payment of earned academic allowances.

“Many of our members cannot provide education for their wards and have turned to borrowing to meet obligations,” he said. “Poor funding, withheld salaries, non-payment of promotion arrears, and failure to mainstream earned academic allowances have worsened our plight and contributed to brain drain.”

On autonomy, Olaniran decried “the persistent erosion of university autonomy by the government with alarming impunity.”

“ASUU has strongly opposed the unlawful dissolution of Governing Councils in public universities, even where no misconduct has been reported and the councils had not completed their statutory tenure,” he added.

Chairpersons of ASUU branches from UI, UNILORIN, LAUTECH, UNIOSUN, KWASU and Emmanuel Alayande University of Education attended the briefing.

Also in Abuja, the ASUU Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi, reiterated the union’s demand for the implementation of the 2009 Agreement and the release of three and a half months of withheld salaries.

“There is a crisis affecting universities in Nigeria, and it is not just a problem for ASUU; it is a problem for the entire country,” Abdullahi said. “The purposeful mortgage of a nation’s future and the endangerment of generations yet to be born is the result of a nation’s disregard of education.”

He listed the union’s demands to include payment of promotion arrears, release of third-party deductions, one year arrears of the 25/35 per cent salary award, and adoption of UTAS as the university payment system.

“It is impossible for a nation to advance beyond the standard of its university system. Yet successive governments have systematically underfunded universities, leaving overcrowded classrooms, inadequately equipped laboratories, and inhabitable hostels. This neglect has created unconducive learning environments and a decline in global ranking of Nigerian universities,” Abdullahi warned.

He said that in line with UNESCO’s convention, both federal and state governments must prioritise education through increased annual budgetary allocations.

In Uyo, the Calabar Zone of ASUU rejected the recently launched Tertiary Institution Staff Loan Scheme, describing it as “an insult to the sensibilities of tertiary workers and the height of mockery of the Nigerian university system.”

Zonal Coordinator, Dr. Ikechukwu Igwenyi of Ebonyi State University, said the government was using the scheme as a distraction from its failure to implement a new salary structure and honour agreements.

“It insults our sensibilities that a government that pays its workforce with an outdated salary structure adopted 17 years ago will refuse to renegotiate the same salary since 2012, refuse to pay third-party deductions for almost a year, and refuse to pay arrears of promotion—yet it comes up with an impossible and slavish loan in a depressed economy,” Igwenyi said.

He accused government of “puerile duplicity and infantile cunning,” dragging the union and public into believing in dialogues whose outcomes were never implemented.

“How can government owe its workforce and turn around to offer impoverished workers an impossible loan scheme? How can it impose loan recovery on staff unions as guarantors, as if we are employers of tertiary workers?” he asked.

“We therefore make bold to reject the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Loan and everything it represents because it has been described as a poison chalice.”

Igwenyi warned that the union’s planned meeting with the Federal Government on August 28, 2025, would be its last. “We cannot continue to spend our meagre resources attending meetings whose outcomes are not predictable,” he said.

With frustration building among both lecturers and students, ASUU and NANS have set the August 28 meeting as a decisive moment for government to act.

For NANS’ Adejuwon, the message is clear: “The time for games is over. The Federal Government must act now. ASUU must act responsibly. And Nigerian students will not sit idle while our future is wasted.”

…Urges Ndi Igbo to End Self-Destruction

Senator Athan Nneji Achonu, former lawmaker and Labour Party Governorship Candidate in the 2023 Imo State Election, has condemned the brutal killing of five innocent persons in Ezinachi, Okigwe LGA, days after military personnel were withdrawn from the area. The victims — Mr. Emeka Ezeagwula, Mrs. Blessing C. Ezeagwula, Mr. Ejike Otuonye, Mr. Chidi Chineke, and one yet-to-be-identified person — were murdered in cold blood by gunmen who invaded the community unchallenged.

Describing the incident as “a shameful indictment on the leadership of Local and State Governments,” Senator Achonu demanded that LGA chairmen take charge, mobilize communities, liaise with security agencies, and defend lives. He warned that direct federal allocations to the councils must translate into real grassroots security.

While commending the courage of Okigwe youths who recently launched a vigilante group, he cautioned that without training, equipment, and coordination with the Police and military, they remain exposed. “We must strengthen them, not abandon them,” he stressed.

In a passionate appeal, Senator Achonu charged Ndi Okigwe and Ndi Igbo at large to stop the cycle of self-destruction: “Onye gbụrụ nwanne ya abụghị dike” (he who kills his brother is no warrior) and “Ife kwulu, ife akwudebe ya” (nothing stands alone; our survival depends on standing together). “Enough is enough. We cannot continue killing ourselves while outsiders profit from our pain,” he said.

He extended condolences to the bereaved families and urged urgent community-led security partnerships, real investment in local intelligence, and unity across Igbo land. “History will not forgive us if we allow our villages to become graveyards. The time to act and to unite is now.”

The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered six banks to provide the Inspector-General of Police with account documents and full transaction details, including inflows and outflows, linked to Omoyele Sowore from January 2024 to date.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order after the IGP’s lawyer, Wisdom Madaki, moved an ex parte motion to that effect.

In the motion, the IG stated that Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, is under investigation for alleged terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent activities.

No fewer than 26 bank accounts linked to Sowore are said to be under probe, including accounts belonging to Sahara Reporters Media Foundation and the African Action Congress.

In the ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1757/2025, the IG listed Sowore and Sahara Reporters Media Foundation as 1st and 2nd defendants.

The applicant also joined United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd as the 3rd to 8th defendants, respectively.

The IGP sought “an order directing the following banks: UBA Plc, GTB Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Opay Digital Services Ltd, Moniepoint, and Kuda Microfinance Bank Ltd to furnish the applicant, through the office of the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, with the account opening package/mandate card and certified true copies of statements of account reflecting transfers and account numbers of both inflows and outflows from January 2024 to date.”

In his five grounds of argument, the IGP said Sowore “is being investigated for terrorism financing, money laundering, and fraudulent activities.

“That the complainant has commenced an investigation into the activities of the 1st respondent.

“That the accounts for which the statements are sought are those being used by the 1st respondent for terrorism financing and money laundering.”

The applicant further argued that the relief sought was necessary to aid police investigations and that refusal would jeopardise the process.

In an affidavit attached to the motion, Bassey Ibrahim, a police officer in the Legal Section of the Force CID, alleged that his office had received intelligence reports indicating that Sowore “is using the accounts for terrorism financing, money laundering, and to receive financial support from foreign partners for terrorism.”

Ibrahim stated that securing the court’s order was necessary to obtain the account statements and enable the police to investigate the alleged fraudulent activities of the respondents.

He added, “That the respondents will not be prejudiced or indemnified by the grant of this application. That I swear to this affidavit in good faith, believing the contents to be true and correct in accordance with the provisions of the Oaths Act, 2024.”

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the application was meritorious.

“I have listened to the submissions of counsel to the applicant, and I have also gone through the affidavit evidence. I am of the view, and so hold, that the application is meritorious. The prayer is hereby granted as prayed,” the judge ruled.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has confirmed that six passengers sustained injuries yesterday at approximately 11:09 am after a Kaduna-bound train derailed at KM 49 between Kubwa Station and Asham Station which prompted the deployment of a go-team to the site to gather evidence, engage stakeholders, and begin an investigation into the accident.

According to a statement signed by Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, yesterday, the accident took place at KM 49, between Kubwa Station and Asham Station. Current information indicates that six passengers sustained injuries, though no fatalities were recorded.

The NSIB confirmed that a go-team has been deployed to the site to collect evidence, interact with stakeholders, and begin investigating the circumstances that led to the derailment.

The statement read in parts, “Current information available indicates that six persons sustained injuries, and no recorded fatalities. A go-team has been deployed to the site to gather evidence, engage relevant stakeholders, and commence an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

“The Bureau sympathises with those injured and extends its support to all passengers affected. The investigation will focus on identifying the direct and underlying factors that led to the derailment, with the aim of issuing safety recommendations to prevent a recurrence,” the statement read.

Director General of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh while commenting on the incident, also said through the statement that,

“We deeply sympathise with all who sustained injuries. The Bureau has deployed investigators to the site to ensure the root cause of this derailment is uncovered.

“Our commitment is to ensure safer rail transport for Nigerians through a transparent and independent investigation.”

The Bureau assured that updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.

The incident was reported to have occurred along the busy corridor shortly after the train left Abuja around 11 a.m. on its way to Kaduna.

The derailment threw passengers into panic, forcing many to flee for safety, while eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and terrifying.

One passenger recounted that the train went off the tracks without warning, sparking confusion as people scrambled out of the affected cabins.

An Abuja-Kaduna passenger train yesterday derailed close to Jere Station.

The incident left hundreds of passengers stranded, though no life was lost.

In a video trending online, onlookers could be heard saying “the train is full and they are coming out”.

Confirming the incident, the Nigeria Railway Corporation,(NRC), said the train derailed between Kubwa station and Asham station.

A statement signed by NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa,

said emergency responders have been drafted to the scene of the incident.

Opeifa said: “NRC confirms a train derailment involving its Kaduna bound AKTS train service at about 11.09 at KM 49 between Kubwa station and Asham station.

“Emergency rescue, medical personnel, and nearby hospitals have already been mobilised.

“Full compliment of security already on ground as effort is ongoing to move all passengers on train back to Abuja safely. Kindly bear with us at this moment.”

This comes days after the NRC confirmed that one of the coaches’ wheels on the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, (AKTS), experienced a hot axle several kilometres from Rigasa Station in Kaduna.

The earlier incident, which occurred on August 20, was attributed to hot wheel friction resulting from abnormal temperatures caused by excessive heat on the journal housing.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, yesterday, embarked on a peaceful protest over poor salaries.

Leaders of the union in the university, including the ASUU NAU Chairperson, Innocent Nnubia and Zonal Coordinator of the union, Prof Dennis Aribodor and thousands of lecturers marched through major roads in the university, wielding placards with various inscriptions.

The protesters marched from the ASUU secretariat through to the Enugu-Onitsha road and ended at the administrative blocks of the university, where they demanded audience with the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Carol Arinze-Umobi.

The ASUU NAU chairperson who led the protest while addressing the representative of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Pius Okoye chronicled the demands of the union.

He said: “Three months ago at the national secretariat, ASUU held a press conference and specifically raised the following issues:Conclusion of the Re-negotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, immediate payment of three and half months withheld salaries sustainable funding of our universities.

“Others are revitalization of public universities, victimization of our colleges in LASU, KSU (now Prince AbubakarAudu University) and FUTO, payment of outstanding 25-35% salary arrears, promotion arrears for over 4 year third party deductions.

“The government made promises to address these issues, but regrettably, we are here to inform the general public, through our dear compatriots in the press, that these issues are still lingering.

“We in ASUU, Nnamdi Azikiwe University branch, address this press conference to inform the government and the general public that time is running out and we should not be held responsible if there is a breakdown of industrial harmony in our campuses.”

The union said its members do not enjoy embarking on strike, but said it remains their last option, warning they will not hesitate to down tools if the government fails to yield to its demands.