Students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Calabar, on Thursday accused the institution’s management of frustrating the accreditation of their programme by the National Universities Commission and the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria.

The students, who staged a peaceful protest on campus, alleged that years of neglect, underfunding, and poor infrastructure had placed their academic future at risk.

Speaking with journalists during the march, a student, Ndifreke Okowo, said the pharmacy programme, which began in 2016 under former the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zana Akpagu, had suffered setbacks because the university failed to secure proper resource verification from the NUC before admitting students.

“We got to 400 Level when we were suddenly told that we had been running an illegal programme,” Okowo said. “We were asked to go back to 200 Level, and though the university invited NUC for verification, it failed to meet the requirements.”

He explained that the institution later re-applied under the new Doctor of Pharmacy framework, but the programme remains unaccredited due to inadequate staffing, poor facilities, and unequipped laboratories.

“Our labs are empty. We don’t even have classrooms to sit in. We are in 600 Level, but there are no seats or functional laboratories. The PCN has not been invited for accreditation, and without that, we can’t graduate as licensed pharmacists,” he added.

Okowo further alleged that funds meant for the construction and furnishing of the faculty building were mismanaged by the previous administration.

While he acknowledged that the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, had completed the structure, he said it lacked furniture and laboratory equipment.

“The University of Calabar is playing with the future of Nigerian youths. They have done it to Dentistry, Medicine, and Nursing, now it’s Pharmacy,” he said.

Another student, Iris Johnson, described the situation as “disheartening,” adding that repeated assurances from the university leadership had not yielded results.

“We were told the PCN would come between October and November, but that has not happened. The Vice Chancellor is leaving office soon, and we fear what happened to Dentistry may repeat itself,” she said.

The protesters, numbering over a thousand from various levels, called on the federal and state governments, as well as the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, to intervene urgently to prevent the collapse of the programme and safeguard their academic future.

When contacted, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Effiong Eyo, said he was not aware of the situation.

“I am not aware of this for now. When I get to the school, I will find out and get back to you,” he told our correspondent.

The commander of Kano State’s anti-phone snatching task force, Inuwa Salisu, has been buried following his tragic death.

He was killed in his home on Tuesday night and laid to rest on Thursday in Sharada, where family, friends, and officials gathered to pay their last respects.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf attended the funeral along with senior government officials and colleagues of the late commander, describing his death as a huge loss to the state’s security efforts.

Salisu was widely praised for leading the campaign against phone snatching — a menace that had long affected residents, particularly in Kano’s busy neighborhoods.

Security agencies have launched an investigation to find those responsible, while the state government has vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, has warned it may go on strike if the school management fails to address its grievances.

In a statement issued by ASUU, the union accused the university administration of “insubordination, lack of transparency, and poor accountability.”

ASUU said these issues have affected the welfare of staff and students as well as the quality of research and teaching.

The statement, signed by branch chairman Dr. Aliyu Yusuf Ahmad and secretary Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim Tukur, also faulted the management for allegedly failing to release audited accounts for 2023 and 2024, and for not providing “Budget Performance Reports of the University for 20 quarters from January 2020 to December 2024,” which they said violates the institution’s laws.

ASUU further alleged that the management has not explained “bogus and unexplained expenditure” in the budget reports for the first and second quarters of 2025.

The union also criticized the university for failing to hire enough academic staff, especially in new departments, and for keeping some members on contract instead of permanent appointments.

It also decried the poor power supply on campus and the non-payment of outstanding entitlements.

“To that effect, the union calls on stakeholders and good citizens of the state to prevail on the Vice Chancellor to ensure quick resolution of the issues stated and to run the University in strict compliance with enabling laws and with a sense of patriotism in order to avoid industrial disharmony,” the statement said.

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, on Thursday began hearing in the trial of Abuja-based lawyer, Victor Giwa, and his co-defendant, Ibitade Bukola, who are facing charges of alleged forgery and impersonation.

The duo appeared before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie on accusations of forging official documents and impersonating a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Awa Kalu, to deceive the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) into withdrawing criminal charges against Giwa pending before another FCT High Court in Maitama.

At the resumed proceedings, prosecution counsel, F.G. Gabriel, called the first prosecution witness (PW1), a resident of Maitama, Abuja, who narrated a series of events that transpired between June 28 and July 8, 2024.

The witness told the court that she had bought a property from a developer, Cecil Osakwe, in February 2021, fully paid for it, and took possession. She alleged that Osakwe later attempted to reclaim the property after its value rose, a pattern she claimed was consistent with his dealings.

According to PW1, Osakwe petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in September 2021, but the case was dismissed after she provided proof of payment. Subsequently, Osakwe filed a civil suit against her, after which she received a letter dated December 21, 2021, purportedly from Giwa, ordering her to vacate her home within 14 days or face forceful eviction.

“True to his threat, he led armed thugs and some policemen, now at large, who broke into my home and forcefully ejected me and my wards under the guise of executing a purported court judgment,” she recounted.

She said the matter was later escalated to the AGF’s office, which filed a nine-count charge against Giwa, including illegal eviction, malicious damage, disconnection of essential services, and mischief.

PW1 told the court that Giwa was scheduled for arraignment on July 2, 2024, but allegedly forged a letter to the AGF, impersonating Awa Kalu (SAN), to request the withdrawal of the charges.

She said she discovered the letter online on July 8, 2024, and forwarded it to her lawyer, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, who doubted its authenticity due to noticeable grammatical and spelling errors. Upon verification, Kalu’s chambers confirmed that the letter did not emanate from him and that the second defendant, Bukola, whose NBA seal appeared on the document, had never worked at the firm.

PW1 said she then petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), leading to an investigation by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).

“Had I not exposed the forgery,” she said, “the AGF might have been misled into withdrawing the nine-count charge against the first defendant, resulting in a grave miscarriage of justice.”

She further alleged that Giwa still retains possession of her property and belongings seized during the alleged illegal eviction of March 18, 2022.

The court admitted her written statement to the police as Exhibit 1A after no objection was raised by defence counsel, Ogbu Aboje, who represents the second defendant. Giwa represented himself.

Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case to November 12, 2025, for cross-examination of the witness.

The Federal University, Lafia, FULafia, has appointed Prof Mohammed Isa Kida, as the new Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

This was contained in the appointment letter, dated October 29, 2025.

The letter stated that Prof Kida’s tenure will last for a single term of five years, beginning February 11, 2026.

Meanwhile, the university council expressed confidence that he would leverage his wealth of experience to advance the growth and development of the university.

DAILY POST reports that Prof Kida succeeds Prof Shehu Abdul Rahman, who will leave office in February 2026.

Before his appointment, Prof. Kida served as the Dean of the Faculty of Management Science.

The accomplished accountant received his letter of appointment from the Chairman of the FULafia Governing Council, Mrs Lola Fibisola Akande.