Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Government has established immediate security cordon around Babanla, a community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, following a security breach by some armed criminals.

The criminals on Friday targeted a police station, attempted to loot a few grocery shops, and a hotel in the community before they were repelled by the security forces and bold members of the community.

In a statement on Friday, the government commended the Nigerian army, gallant policemen, and community folks for the swift response to the situation.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who has been in constant touch with the security commanders and local vigilante, has directed sustained security lockdown of the axis to neutralise the threat and ensure public safety.

“While further briefings are awaited, the Governor reassures the public that concerted efforts are being made in coordination with the Office of the National Security Adviser, to cleanse the area of the criminals,” according to a statement.

“He also urges maximum support and asks the people not to panic as security forces conduct their operations in the area.”

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Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, has commended the KU8+ Consortium for pioneering an initiative worthy of emulation by other universities in Nigeria.

Delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 3rd KU8+ Consortium International Conference at Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Ribadu noted that as Nigerian universities are facing growing challenges, such as limited financing and rapid technological changes, institutions need to rethink and expand their core values to meet current realities and societal expectations.

The NUC Executive Secretary, who was represented by former acting Vice-Chancellor of the University to Ibadan, Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola, commended the KU8+ for fostering local partnerships through resource pooling and shared expertise, stressing that such collaborations could produce graduates capable of transforming the nation’s economic landscape.

The NUC, he said, looked forward to learning from the outcomes of the consortium’s partnerships.

In her goodwill message, the Kwara State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening tertiary institutions through strategic investments and policy reform.

“The KU8+ Consortium is proof that collaboration breeds excellence. Kwara State Government, under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, continues to invest in education in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, she said.

The Chairman of the occasion and Pro-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali, OON, described the consortium’s emergence as proof of Kwara State’s growing role as a hub for human capital development.

In his opening address, the Chief Host and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole, SAN, emphasised that no university can thrive in isolation.

He added that national development depends on constructive collaboration in teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement, which he said is one of the motivating factors for the KU8+ Consortium.

The host of the 3rd KU8+ International Conference and Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Alade Jimoh, emphasised that innovation and sustainability remain central to the KU8+ Consortium’s mission, stressing that the conference theme aligns with KU8+’s vision to collaborate, innovate, and develop society.

The conference, which had the theme “Innovation and Sustainability of Higher Education in a Changing World,” had lead papers presented by Professor Olutayo C. Adesina, a Professor of History at the University of Ibadan, who is also a British Academy Global Professor of History at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and Professor Chinedum Peace Babalola, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Chrisland University, Abeokuta.

Professor Adesina’s paper titled “Mainstreaming the ‘Think and Do’ Initiative into Nigeria’s Higher Education in the 21st Century: Creating Structural Opportunities and Adding Value” challenged the KU8+ Consortium to focus more on being relevant on the local level before aspiring to regional level.

Professor Chinedum Peace Babalola, on her part, emphasised the importance of higher education institutions focusing on producing graduates with the abilities to solve societal challenges.

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Suspected armed men dressed in military camouflage have abducted at least four passengers from a commercial bus along the Otukpo axis of Benue State.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Aug. 3 at about 10:00 p.m. near Mechanic Village in Otukpo, when a commercial Hummer bus, en route from Abia State to Otukpo, was attacked by the assailants.

Sources said that the gunmen, believed to be Fulani herdsmen, whisked away between four and five passengers to an unknown destination.

One of the passengers, Sandra Okoh, a resident of Otobi Akpa, managed to escape during the attack and was later found during a joint search and rescue operation by the Nigerian Troops.

She told the security forces that her husband, Okoh Mike, was among those abducted. She also alleged that the bus driver fled the scene with passengers’ luggage and failed to report the incident to any nearby police station.

The security forces have since launched a manhunt for the suspects and intensified efforts to rescue the kidnapped victims.