News
Nursing student kills self over school’s failed accreditation
A 300-level student of a private tertiary institution in Ogun State, Havarde College of Science, Business and Management Studies, simply identified as Ajoke, has reportedly taken her life after the school allegedly failed to meet up with the accreditation requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
The deceased student had on Monday evening, consumed insecticide and slumped on her way to her boyfriend’s house.
It was learnt that the institution’s failure to secure accreditation of the NMCN for its nursing courses frustrated the 300-level student of Basic Medical Science to take her life.
It was earlier reported how the institution operates as an academic institution with no clear specification of where it belongs among the categories of higher schools in Nigeria.
The report titled; ‘Inside Ogun private polytechnic running unaccredited law, nursing, pharmacy programmes’, exposed how the private polytechnic was admitting students to study Law, Nursing, Pharmacy and other professional courses.
In the report, students of the college expressed concern over how they could not distinguish whether they were in a polytechnic, a university, or both combined.
The students lamented that the college, which claims to have its accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education, was also admitting students to study Law and other courses that are never run by polytechnics.
Following the situation, many of the students were left in a state of anxiety and confusion about the status of many of the courses offered at the institution.
A source hinted our correspondent on Tuesday that the student committed suicide after finding out that the school could not be accredited for nursing despite spending over three years studying the course.
The source explained, “For more than four months, she had been depressed because the course she was studying was not accredited.
“She used to think and complain because she claimed her parent used all the money they had to send her to the school.
“Things now got worse when she discovered she was pregnant and she could not even have a certificate for the course she had done for four years.
“I learnt she called her mum yesterday and told her that would be the last time to speak with her.
According to the student, Ajoke went to a pharmacy where she said she wanted to buy insecticide, and they asked her what she wanted to use it for. She said Ajoke claimed she wanted to kill mosquitoes in her room, noting that the pharmacist asked her to write that down before selling it to her.
An official at the state Ministry of Health who did not mention her name for security reasons confirmed that preliminary findings revealed that the deceased was depressed even before the pregnancy.
“Some of the students confided in us that Ajoke had been depressed for more than four months because of the situation of the nursing department in the school.
“From our findings, she had been exhibiting symptoms of depression ever since her colleague saw the truth and left there for the Ogun State College of Nursing Sciences. She had been complaining about the money wasted on that school. But when she complained to the management, she was assured that the nursing department would be accredited soon within a short time. So, the pregnancy triggered everything that happened,” she stated.
Meanwhile, an enforcement team of the Ogun State Ministry of Health and members of the State Nursing and Midwifery Committee, on Tuesday, sealed the nursing department of the institution for operating without accreditation from the NMCN.
The government in a statement by the ministry press officer, Goke Gbadamosi, said the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Oladehinde, during the enforcement, disclosed that the private institution had been offering a degree programme in nursing sciences for approximately six years without accreditation from the regulatory body.
Oladehinde, represented by the acting Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Serifat Aminu, described a degree in nursing obtained from Harvarde College and similar institutions without NMCN accreditation as worthless, stating that graduates would be unable to obtain a valid license to practice in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
Reacting, the provost of the institution, Dr Ismail Oyetunji, said the activities surrounding the death of the student happened outside the school’s premises.
The provost added that the deceased’s parents came to the school last week to pack her belongings after discovering she was pregnant.
He said, “A 300-level nursing student who was reported to me this morning by our Dean of Students Affairs to have committed suicide. She was got pregnant by her boyfriend. Her parents got to know and came last week to pack her belongings from the school.
“She came back to Abeokuta and thereafter decided to commit suicide. She was rushed to the Hope Hospital by her boyfriend in the Adigbe area of Abeokuta where she eventually died.
“Everything happened outside the college premises. However, the management of the college sympathises with the parents and relatives of the deceased. We sincerely pray that God will give them the fortitude to bear.
When asked if the suicide was connected to the non-accreditation of the nursing programme offered in the institution, the provost insisted that the student committed suicide because of the pregnancy.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the command was not aware of the incident.
Hon. Chief Kevin Tobias Chukwu, the NDC candidate for the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has called on Nigerian leaders to rediscover the country by spending their vacations and leisure time within Nigeria.
Chukwu made the call while reacting to former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s position that Nigerian presidents should spend their vacations in the country.
He said the issue should be viewed beyond partisan politics, arguing that leaders must demonstrate confidence in Nigeria if they expect citizens and investors to do the same.
According to him, frequent foreign vacations by political leaders send the wrong message to Nigerians, particularly when the government continues to encourage citizens to invest in the domestic economy.
“We cannot continue to export our wealth and import our enjoyment while asking Nigerians to believe in Nigeria,” he said.
Chukwu suggested that a president could choose to spend holidays in tourist destinations such as Obudu, Yankari, Lagos, Enugu, Ebonyi, Plateau and Akwa Ibom, among others.
He said such visits would boost local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, transport operators, farmers, artisans and other small businesses, while also increasing public confidence in Nigeria’s tourism potential.
The NDC candidate also highlighted the security implications, saying a president who can comfortably spend time in different parts of the country would send a strong signal about the safety and viability of those areas.
“This should go beyond Peter Obi and beyond party politics. It is about a new culture of leadership,” Chukwu said.
He added: “If we truly want Nigerians to believe in Nigeria, those who lead Nigeria must demonstrate that belief themselves. Charity, they say, begins at home.”
The Director of the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Chief Okwudili Ohaa, has said the swift mobilisation of emergency resources by Governor Peter Mbah led to the rescue of five occupants trapped in a collapsed building in Enugu metropolis.
The uncompleted four-storey building, located along Ogbaru Street, by Alvan Ikokwu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday.
Ohaa told newsmen on Sunday that all five occupants of the building, as confirmed by the security guard on duty, were successfully rescued.
Ohaa
He said four of the occupants were rescued alive and conscious, although they sustained injuries, while the fifth person was rescued unconscious.
Ohaa commended Governor Mbah for his swift mobilisation of emergency response agencies, including the Red Cross, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Ambulance Services, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Other agencies and organisations at the scene included the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA) and a Chinese construction company, which provided four heavy-duty cranes.
According to Ohaa, the governor alerted him about the incident early Sunday morning, prompting the immediate mobilisation of officers of the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service to the scene with extrication equipment.
“His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, must be commended for also mobilising adequate rescue equipment such as heavy-duty cranes, bulldozers and excavators, which ensured the rescue of the five persons,” he said.
Ohaa explained that rescue officers initially relied on information from the security guard to determine how many people were trapped in the building.
“As rescue officers, what we did was to ask the security man how many people were here. He said there were supposed to be six. One person had left before it happened.
“So, we were able at that initial time to rescue four persons. Out of the four, two sustained minor injuries and they were all rushed to a health facility for proper checks,” he said.
The Chief Fire and Rescue Officer said the fifth person was eventually recovered unconscious and taken to a health facility by the Enugu State Ambulance Services.
The NEMA Information Officer in Enugu, Mr Nnanyelugo Ezeani, also confirmed that five people were rescued.
He said the situation could have been worse because the state government had earlier sealed the construction site.
“One person among the six residing in the collapsed building was not on the site at the time of the incident, while five others were rescued and taken to the hospital,” Ezeani said.
Speaking on the incident, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA), Mr Uche Anya, described the developer as one of those who failed to comply with building regulations.
Anya said the ECTDA had earlier taken regulatory action by sealing the site, which was originally approved in 2021.
“This property was approved in 2021 before the advent of this administration. But usually, we have a habit of stocktaking and checking on every construction at every stage.
“When I personally led the team that inspected here, we found out that there were serious integrity issues and non-compliance with their 2021 approval.
“I personally issued the first ‘stop-work order,’ which, due to the violation, resulted in our sealing the place over the last six months outrightly.
“So, I think within the last 30 to 40 days, the representative of the owner, whom they say lives abroad, has been interfacing with us to remedy the situation. This is the process that we are still trying to interface on, and it came down.”
Anya added that he had handed the owner’s representative over to the police to assist with the investigation.
“This is really a very unfortunate situation,” he said.
A four-storey building under construction in Enugu has collapsed, killing at least one person and trapping several construction workers beneath the rubble.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning at the uncompleted structure, reportedly being developed as a hotel, causing panic among residents and passersby.
According to authorities, six workers were believed to have been sleeping inside the building when it collapsed. Four workers have so far been rescued, while the body of one victim has been recovered.
Authorities said one of the six workers reportedly left the site shortly before the collapse, raising hopes that fewer people may be trapped beneath the debris than initially feared.
The rescued workers were taken to the Enugu State Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigerian Red Cross Society, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the police, are participating in the rescue operation.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been established, while rescue efforts continue at the scene.
The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chinedu Ogah, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to investigate the financial activities and source of wealth of socialite and businessman, Paschal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest.
Ogah, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, made the call on Thursday at a press conference in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The lawmaker said the businessman’s financial dealings should be subjected to scrutiny regardless of his public profile.
“I am urging the EFCC to thoroughly investigate him, investigate his bank accounts, investigate all the things he does,” Ogah said.
He also accused Cubana Chief Priest of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s political fortunes in the South-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ogah questioned the socialite’s claim to political influence in Ebonyi State and challenged him to make his membership card of the All Progressives Congress (APC) public.
The lawmaker further criticised recent comments attributed to Cubana Chief Priest on social media in which he reportedly called for the resignation of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru.
Ogah demanded that the comments be withdrawn and followed by an apology, warning that legal action could be taken if the businessman failed to comply.
“Who is Cubana Chief Priest? What is his address that gives him the impetus to speak against our governor, the most performing governor in Nigeria?” he asked.
According to Ogah, Cubana Chief Priest had no electoral mandate to speak on behalf of Ebonyi State or demand the resignation of its elected governor.
He also questioned the businessman’s political influence, noting that he had previously contested an election in Imo State but failed to secure the party’s primary ticket.
Ogah alleges plot against Nwifuru
The lawmaker further alleged that unnamed political actors were sponsoring campaigns aimed at discrediting the Nwifuru administration and weakening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
He defended the state’s security architecture, particularly the Commissioner of Police, Hope Okafor, against what he described as an orchestrated campaign for her removal.
Ogah urged the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to investigate those behind the alleged campaign and determine whether any law had been breached.
“All of us can attest to the peace and security we enjoy in Ebonyi State. The Army, the police, the Civil Defence and the DSS are doing marvellously well in Ebonyi State,” he said.
Lawmaker accuses Otu of mobilising protesters
Ogah also accused another critic of the state government, Charles Otu, of allegedly mobilising people from outside Ebonyi State to participate in a protest against the government in Abuja.
He claimed that some of those involved were presented as Ebonyians despite allegedly coming from other states.
Ogah said his lawyers had previously petitioned the DSS over allegations involving Otu and urged the agency to investigate the matter.
He also challenged Otu to substantiate allegations he allegedly made against him during an appearance on Arise Television.
“My own is that whosoever defaults the law, we take it legally. I cannot mention who I have not known. But when we get there, it is for the security agencies to investigate,” Ogah said.
Ogah lists Nwifuru’s achievements
Defending the Nwifuru administration, Ogah cited the state government’s scholarship programmes, school construction, road projects and other development initiatives as evidence of the governor’s performance.
He said hundreds of Ebonyi indigenes had benefited from postgraduate scholarships in Nigeria and abroad, while roads and schools were being constructed across the state’s 13 local government areas.
Ogah also praised Nwifuru for what he described as political tolerance, saying opposition parties had been allowed to operate freely in the state.
He argued that the people of Ebonyi should determine their political leadership through the ballot rather than through media campaigns and protests.
“Ebonyi people will choose who is their leader. They should stop using the media to castigate the governor,” he said.
Questions Nwifuru’s omission from Tinubu campaign council
The lawmaker also questioned the reported omission of Governor Nwifuru from President Tinubu’s campaign council, describing it as an error that should be corrected.
“How can a governor that has done much in APC not be included in the campaign council? How can a governor that is elected under the APC not be included?” Ogah queried.
He maintained that Nwifuru’s political influence and the APC’s electoral performance in Ebonyi made him an important stakeholder in Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Ogah warned political actors against using the media to destabilise the state and urged all parties to pursue their grievances through legal and democratic channels.
The lawmaker, who is also the Ebonyi State Coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), was accompanied by other members of the group at the press conference.
He reiterated his call for security agencies to investigate the various allegations raised and take appropriate action against anyone found to have violated the law.
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has urged youths in Enugu State to disregard the belief that federal government jobs and other opportunities are already allocated before they are advertised.
FCC Executive Chairman, Hulayât Motunrayo Omidiran, gave the charge on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, during the Peter Eze Enugu Youth Connect 2026.
Omidiran urged the youths to acquire relevant skills, embrace technology and actively pursue legitimate opportunities, stressing that federal character should promote both equity and merit.
She also warned against fraudulent recruitment schemes and advised applicants to authenticate employment opportunities before applying.
The Enugu State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, challenged young people to prepare themselves for available opportunities.
Onyia said government could create opportunities, but individuals must develop the capacity to take advantage of them.
The FCC Commissioner representing Enugu State, Peter Ogbonna Eze, said the programme was designed to bridge the information gap preventing young people from accessing federal employment, scholarships, grants, fellowships and training opportunities.
Eze said many youths were discouraged from applying for federal jobs because of the misconception that such positions had already been shared among influential individuals.
He urged them to apply whenever legitimate opportunities were advertised, warning that nobody should pay money to secure a federal government job.
He also disclosed that five participants in the programme would be selected for a full scholarship opportunity.
Eze said the initiative would continue as a platform for connecting Enugu youths with credible opportunities and urged participants to become “ambassadors of opportunity” by sharing useful information with others.
The event brought together youths and stakeholders from across Enugu State to discuss federal representation, employment, education, skills development and other opportunities.
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