
News
Anambra introduces new burial law, bans presentation of cows, goats as condolence gifts
• Public display of caskets, dancing with caskets, others abolished
The Anambra State Government has introduced strict new legislation regulating funeral rites, effectively outlawing midweek burials and banning the presentation of items such as cows, goats and other expensive gifts during condolence visits.
The law, enacted by the Anambra State House of Assembly, is aimed at regulating burial and funeral ceremony activities in the state.
According to the law obtained by our correspondent on Monday, the state described the move as a major step towards curbing extravagant funeral practices that have long placed heavy financial burdens on bereaved families.
The regulations are also aimed at boosting economic productivity, reducing extravagant spending and stopping prolonged, lavish funeral activities from disrupting working days.
Under the legislation, “No person shall give to the deceased person’s family, as a condolence gift, any item exceeding money, one jar of palm wine, one carton of beer and one crate of soft drinks.

“All burial and funeral ceremonies are now restricted to Saturdays only. Midweek (Monday to Friday) burials are prohibited. All burial ceremonies must be completed within one day.”
The burial law also contains far-reaching provisions aimed at reducing ostentatious funeral ceremonies across the state, stating that offenders are liable to a fine of ₦100,000, or six months’ imprisonment, or both.
By the law, the common practice of presenting cows, goats, bags of rice and other expensive items at funerals and condolence visits is banned.
The law is intended to remove financial burden and pressure on bereaved families and to curb oppressive practices during burials.
It states, “All burial ceremonies must be completed within one day, while wake-keep ceremonies have been abolished entirely.
“Vigil masses, services of songs and related religious activities must end by 9pm, and no food, drinks, live bands or cultural entertainment may be provided during such events.
“The law also prohibits the erection of billboards, banners and posters of deceased persons anywhere in the state.
“Only directional signs leading to burial venues are permitted, and they cannot be displayed earlier than seven days before the burial date.
“Public display of caskets for advertisement or sale is barred, and dancing with caskets is prohibited.
“Undertakers are limited to six persons during funeral activities.
“Corpses are not to remain in mortuaries beyond two months from the date of death.
“Any corpse kept longer risks being classified as a ‘rejected corpse’ and may be buried in government-designated burial grounds to be established in every community.”
The legislation also seeks to limit excessive spending by making food and drinks optional for guests and banning the sharing of souvenirs during funerals.
“Second funeral rites are prohibited except in legacy-related cases.
“The wearing of uniform attire, popularly known as ‘aso ebi’, is restricted to immediate family members, church groups, ‘umunna’, ‘umuada’ and ‘iyom di’, where applicable.
“To enforce compliance, the state will establish monitoring and implementation committees in various communities to oversee the registration of deaths, approve burial ceremonies and monitor adherence to the law.
“Traditional youth practices deemed disruptive have also been outlawed, including public display of photographs of the deceased, destruction of crops or household property, and unauthorised use of firearms during burials,” it added.
The government’s latest move is aimed at restoring order to burial ceremonies and easing the financial burden on families.
The law also warns against the blocking of roads and streets during burial ceremonies.
Business
Enugu Air Launches New Website
…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.
News
Kidnapped female Police officer found dead in Ebonyi
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.
News
UK excludes Nigerian, Ghanaian-trained teachers from teaching qualification list
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.
-
Politics14 hours agoWHEN PRIVACY BECOMES CONTENT: The Dangerous Normalisation of Leaked Private Conversations
-
Editorial2 days agoWhy Nigerian Graduates and Youths Are Jobless — and Increasingly Vulnerable to Crime and Other Vices
-
News19 hours agoBREAKING: Gov Mbah appoints 101 new aides
-
News2 days agoFormer Kogi Gov, Ibrahim Idris, dies in UK at 77
-
News2 days agoNDLEA intercepts N3.4bn drugs, arrests fake police officer
-
Politics3 days agoNDC disowns purported OK Movement PCC, moves to sanction John Ugulu
-
News2 days agoWoman allegedly kills husband over plans to marry second wife
-
News1 day agoFlood Alert: 8,000 communities, 4,500 schools at risk – FG




