News
Excitement as New Arts Gallery is unveiled in Enugu
There was an excitement in Enugu the Enugu State capital, on Sunday, as a new Arts Gallery-Kachi James Gallery- intended to provide a platform for budding artists to showcase their works was unveiled in the metropolis.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Gallery the Founder, Kachi Aghasili said that the Gallery is also intended to showcase different cultural heritages.
Aghasili who said that she had always nursed the ambition to own a gallery over a decade, said that her choice of Enugu as a destination was informed by the fact that the state has a great mixture of arts and history to back it up.
“We want to give emerging artists an opportunity to be seen, heard and discovered,” she said.adding that most of the Galleries that already exist are meant for the big names in the industry, with little focusing on those who are still coming up.
Aghasili said her love for arts and intellectual property motivated her to establish the gallery.
According to the Founder, who doubles as a lawyer in the United States of America, said she set up the gallery to present a ground where “we can have emerging artists as well as popular artists”.
In her address, Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the state, Ugochi Madueke said that the current administration of Governor Peter Mbah in Enugu State remains committed to boosting the tourism sector in the state and that is why it gave full support for the establishment of the Kachi James Art Gallery.
“We will establish more galleries because they will boost tourism and the economy by attracting visitors from different parts of the country and also boost the state’s economy,” she said adding they will also serve as “educational tools for the people and a way of preserving our Cultural heritage.”
She noted that the government was doing even more in the tourism sector as plans were underway to have a film villa and a museum where different art works will be displayed.
Also speaking, a member representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Senator Osita Ngwu highlighted the private sector’s contribution to the development of arts in Nigeria.
Senator Ngwu, who spoke at the event, said the nation had achieved economic growth in various arts through the enormous contributions of the private sector.
“I’m very happy with what I have seen today. Kachi James just showed the substance she’s made of by bringing this art gallery to Enugu. It’s a private initiative and I commend it completely.
“This is what the Igbo call ‘aku ruo ulo’. This shows that when you have a part of your investment to where you come from, it shows you have your heart where you come from.
“I’m hoping that this gallery is going to motivate more youths, who have the talents for arts but lack the exposure such as this. With the number of arts enthusiasts that have trooped into this place to have a look at the colourful paintings, it gives the motivation that they can actually make a living from painting.
“I commend Kachi James for this initiative, which is a platform to motivate young artists. It’s good to follow your dream and live it in all you do”, he said.
The Lawmaker, who expressed happiness with the contributions of the private sector like Kachi James, said with the effort of the state government, and “the contributions of some of us in the legislature, there will be a new paradigm shift for arts in Enugu and South-East”.
Also in her speech, the Commissioner for Arts and Culture, Enugu State, Dame Ugochi Madueke, said that she is poised to build a museum where arts works would be showcased.
Commending the Founder of Kachi James Arts Gallery, Miss Kachi James for the initiative to set up an art gallery, Madueke said that the Enugu State Government is doing all it could to promote arts and culture.
“This is a welcome development. This will bring people into Enugu. We shall encourage our youths to emulate what Kachi has done and tap into it and let’s all us of us work to make Enugu a destination”.
The event featured arts exhibitions, auctions, live art performances, dance presentations, sip and paint.
Senator hails private sector contribution to growth of arts.
The high point was cutting of the tape to unveil the gallery by Senator Ngwu. He expressed optimism that it would motivate youths who have interest in arts to know where to exhibit their pieces of works.
…moves online services to www.enuguairlines.ng
Enugu Air has announced the launch of its new official website, enuguairlines.ng, as part of efforts to provide passengers and customers with a better, safer and more convenient digital experience.
The airline said the migration to the new website is designed to improve how passengers connect with Enugu Air and access its services online, including flight bookings, schedules and the latest updates.
Announcing the development, the airline said: “We’ve moved! We’re innovating! We’ve migrated to a better, safer and convenient website to connect you to the world.”
Passengers can now access Enugu Air’s online services through its new web address, enuguairlines.ng, which the airline described as its new digital home.
The airline urged passengers and prospective travellers to save the new web address and use it for flight bookings, checking schedules and obtaining the latest information about its operations.
“Same Enugu Air. New web address,” the airline stated, emphasising that the change represents an improvement in its digital platform while retaining the Enugu Air brand and services.
The airline further encouraged customers to visit, www.enuguairlines.ng for all flight-related information and online services.
It further stated that the old website, enuguairlines•com has been discarded and no longer in use.
A kidnapped female police officer has been found dead in Ebonyi State after a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate was arrested and led police operatives to the scene where her remains were recovered.
The Nigeria Police Force disclosed this in its state-by-state operational update issued by Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Ani Iniedu on Monday, detailing several arrests, rescues and recoveries recorded across the country between September 19 and 20, 2026.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested following a sustained intelligence-led and technology-based investigation into the kidnapping of the female officer.
The suspect reportedly led combined police teams to the crime scene, where the remains of the officer were recovered.
The police said the case is being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.
In a separate operation in Adamawa State, police operatives rescued two kidnapped victims from a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Shako Forest, Toungo Local Government Area.
The operation, carried out on September 20 following actionable intelligence, also led to the recovery of two magazines containing 10 rounds of 7.62×39mm live ammunition.
A National Identification Number (NIN) card, mobile phone, passport and chain were also recovered from the suspected hideout.
In the Federal Capital Territory, police arrested 334 suspects during coordinated raids on criminal hotspots, black spots and uncompleted buildings across several locations.
The operation, conducted on September 19, also resulted in the recovery of various quantities of substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
Meanwhile, police in Anambra State arrested a suspected child trafficker who was allegedly intercepted while travelling with a six-month-old baby boy.
The baby was recovered and handed over to the appropriate authorities for necessary action, according to the police.
In Kaduna State, four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate were arrested following intelligence-led operations.
Police said the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement in kidnapping and provided information about fleeing accomplices. A locally made Dane gun was recovered.
Another suspected kidnapping syndicate member was arrested at Soba Market in the state. Police said the suspect also confessed and gave information implicating five fleeing accomplices.
In Ogun State, police arrested a suspect linked to a fatal shooting incident in Isara, Remo North Local Government Area.
One single-barrel gun, one live cartridge and one expended shell were recovered during the operation.
In Imo State, a suspect was arrested during a raid on a suspected criminal gathering at Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area, with police recovering a locally made cut-to-size single-barrel gun.
Police in Ekiti State also arrested two suspects linked to multiple shop-breaking and stealing incidents in Ado-Ekiti and recovered suspected stolen iron rods.
In another operation in Ado-Ekiti, police recovered an abandoned white sack containing a pump-action gun loaded with two live cartridges and a locally made single-barrel gun from a farmland.
In Benue State, police tactical teams, supported by personnel of the Police Mobile Force and military, intervened in a renewed communal conflict at Akpa-Mbakor Community in Tarka Local Government Area.
The security teams dispersed the rampaging youths and restored normalcy in the area, according to the police.
In Oyo State, police arrested a truck driver allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident along the Ijebu-Ode/Idi Ayunre Road.
The truck was impounded for further inspection and investigation.
The police said all the cases remain under investigation by the respective State Criminal Investigation Departments.
Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana are no longer eligible to apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England under the United Kingdom’s overseas-trained teacher application route.
The change took effect on September 9 and means teachers trained in the two West African countries can no longer use the route to obtain QTS, a status recognised by many schools in England.
The UK Department for Education said countries included in the scheme must meet specific requirements to ensure that applicants’ qualifications, professional standing and teaching experience can be properly verified. One of the requirements is that a country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional status and providing authenticated references.
According to the department, Nigeria and Ghana did not meet the reference-verification requirement.
“Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain. This means assessors spend additional time and resources trying to verify information provided in applications,” the department said.
The UK department said about 90 percent of applications are assessed within 12 months.
India was also removed from the eligible list because it does not have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing.
South Africa is now the only African country remaining on the list of countries whose teachers can use the QTS application route.
The department said the verification process was necessary to ensure that information provided by applicants was genuine and that teachers awarded QTS possessed the required skills and experience to teach in England.
To apply for QTS, overseas-trained teachers must have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree and professional recognition as a teacher in the country where they trained.
Applicants must also have completed any mandatory induction requirements needed for full teacher registration in their country of qualification.
They are required to demonstrate that they are qualified to teach children aged between five and 16 and have at least nine months of teaching experience gained after qualifying as a teacher.
Applicants must also provide employment references that verify their work history and use an email address linked to the school’s official domain.
Depending on the country where a teacher trained, additional requirements may include qualifications to teach pupils aged between 11 and 16 and a specialism in subjects such as mathematics, science, biology, chemistry, physics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish.
However, because teachers in England are employed by individual schools rather than the Department for Education, schools may consider alternative routes into teaching.
The department said teachers who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service can explore other routes into teaching in England.
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