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NIHOTOUR Calls For Calm Engagement After Field Officer Provoked During Lagos Compliance Exercise

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On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, during a “scheduled compliance and standardization exercise” by the “National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR)” at the “Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos,” a “moment of tension arose” between a “hotel staff member” and a “law enforcement officer” attached to the NIHOTOUR delegation who was “striped off his uniform” by the hotel staff.

The misunderstanding—which “does not reflect the tone of the broader engagement”—escalated when a “hotel staff physically confronted the officer,” resulting in “damage and striping of his official police uniform.”

The officer, “caught off guard” and “naked with only his pants trousers,” got “visibly provoked” and responded with a “slap,” which made “direct contact with the staff member’s face.”

While the incident is “regrettable and avoidable,” it serves as a “sober reminder” of the importance of “composure, clarity, and professionalism” during such exercises.

The Institute reiterates that its mandate is anchored on “collaboration, capacity enhancement, and stakeholder engagement”—”not hostility or confrontation.”

Commenting on the situation, NIHOTOUR’s Director of Inspection and Enforcement, Barrister Chike Ukuekwe, urged practitioners and operators in the industry to “shun aggressive and combative engagement” when officers of the law arrive at their premises for a “compliance exercise.”

He further emphasized the “need for mutual understanding” and a “professional approach to enforcement efforts.”

“Our collective mission is the upliftment of Nigeria’s hospitality, tourism, and travel sectors through standardization and compliance. These exercises are not meant to antagonize operators but to align practices with national expectations and global standards,” he said.

“We commend establishments like Eko Hotel, Sojourner Hotel, Marriot Hotel, Radisson Blu Hotel VI, Black Diamond Hotel, Four Points By Sheraton and others that open their doors to these engagements, and we urge all stakeholders to embrace dialogue, not disruption. It would interest you to know that most of the hotels visited, the compliance issues were resolved within the premises of most hotels, and our team left peacefully after assurances were made by most management of those hotels to comply within 7 days’ time.”

As “Nigeria’s lead institution” for the “standardization of the hospitality, tourism, and travel industry practice,” NIHOTOUR remains “committed to ensuring a professional and safe operational environment.”

“Initiatives such as the ongoing national compliance drive” are designed to “reinforce quality, ethics, and service excellence” across the board.

Moving forward, NIHOTOUR is taking “deliberate steps” to “enhance communication protocols” and “on-site preparedness” during field exercises, ensuring “clarity of purpose and mutual respect” among all parties involved.

BIG STORY

2Baba Ties Knot With Natasha Osawaru In Private Ceremony [PHOTOS]

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2Baba, the renowned Nigerian singer, has married his partner Natasha Osawaru in a traditional ceremony.

The intimate event took place on July 25 in Abuja with only close family in attendance.

Though full details remain limited, images from the ceremony show the couple adorned in stylish traditional outfits.

2Baba wore a white short-sleeved traditional shirt with detailed grey embroidery, paired with a clean white wrapper tied at the waist.

He accessorised with several coral bead strands around his neck and wrists, a coral-beaded staff for a royal touch, and finished the look with sunglasses and white shoes that fused traditional and modern elements.

Natasha appeared in a red off-shoulder dress, complemented by an ornate coral bead okuku headpiece representing Edo royalty, carefully arranged on her head.

She also wore layers of coral beads from her neck down to her shoulders, arms, and wrists, creating a vibrant and culturally rich display.

Fans have taken to social media to send their congratulations, celebrating this personal milestone in the singer’s life.

Their relationship came into the public eye after 2Baba announced his separation from his estranged wife Annie Macaulay Idibia in January.

He stated then that his relationship with the Edo lawmaker had no connection to the breakup.

The ‘African Queen’ star proposed to Osawaru in February.

Family endorsement came in April when Natasha visited Rose, 2Baba’s mother, who had earlier urged her to “remove the beads” from the singer, saying he wasn’t in his “right senses”.

See photos below;

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BIG STORY

Dino Melaye Quits PDP, Cites Party Impotence

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Dino Melaye, a former senator representing Kogi west, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His resignation was conveyed in a letter dated July 4, addressed to the PDP ward chairman in Aiyeroro Gbede, Ijumu LGA of Kogi state.

In the letter, Melaye stated that the PDP lacks the “capacity and potency” to liberate Nigerians from what he described as the misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“I hereby tender my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at all levels of involvement,” the letter stated.

“This decision has become imperative due to the party’s lack of potency and capacity to deliver the Nigerian people from the prevailing political cankerworms that have eaten deeply into the fabric of our dear nation.

“Having carefully reflected on the state of the party, I can no longer in good conscience participate in the activities of the parties or lend my support to her agenda.

“In view of the above, please consider this as my formal withdrawal from the party and all its activities at all levels with immediate effect.”

Melaye is affiliated with the opposition coalition that has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the 2027 general elections.

He served as the Kogi west senator during the eighth national assembly from 2015 to 2019 and is known to be a close associate of former vice-president Atiku Abubakar.

In September 2024, the PDP ward in Aiyeroro Gbede suspended Melaye over accusations of anti-party conduct.

The ward’s executive committee alleged that Melaye was invited to appear before a disciplinary panel in August to respond to claims of misconduct but failed to honour the invitation.

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BREAKING: Islamic Cleric Sentenced To Death For Killing Final-Year Female Student In Kwara

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A High Court in Kwara State has found Islamic cleric Abdulrahman Mohad, also known as Mohammed A. Bello, guilty and sentenced him to death.
He was convicted for the murder of Lawal Hafsoh Yetunde, a final-year student at Kwara State College of Education, in a ritual killing.

Justice Hannah Ajayi delivered the judgment on Thursday at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
Four others—41-year-old Islamic scholar Ahmed Abulwasiu from Adualere, Ilorin; 28-year-old Neo Life business operator Sulaiman Muhydeen from Amilegbe, Ilorin; 29-year-old phone technician Jamiu Uthman from Adualere, Ilorin; and 31-year-old farmer AbdulRahman Jamiu from Elemere, Malete—were acquitted and released.

The crime happened on Monday, February 10, 2025, after Hafsoh received a call while attending a naming ceremony and then went missing.
Her disappearance led to an urgent search by loved ones and a police report filed the next day at Oja Oba Station in Ilorin.

Police investigators used her call records to track the last contact, which led to the arrest of Abdulrahman Mohad.
According to the police First Information Report, the suspects admitted they were part of the same occult group and confessed to robbing and killing Hafsoh for ritual reasons.

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