An FCT high court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the remand of the founder of the Prophetic Victory Voice of Fire Ministry, Pastor Amos Isah, over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old church member.

Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi directed that the 39-year-old cleric be kept in custody pending the submission of his previous bail records.

The decision followed the resumption of the high-profile trial on Thursday.

Isah, also known as the dancing pastor, whose church is located in the Gwagwalada Area Council, pleaded not guilty to the eight charges brought against him, including rape under the Child’s Rights Act 2003, sexual exploitation, coercion, emotional and psychological abuse, gross indecency, and the abduction of a minor.

The prosecution alleged that the teenage survivor, identified as B.Z.J., was lured by the cleric into the church’s newly constructed auditorium on May 26, 2025.

The charge sheet, marked FCT/HC/CR/467/2024, stated that Isah locked the doors and forcefully had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent.

Count one of the charges reads, “That you, APOSTLE AMOS ISAH (39 years), male, of Behind Federal Road Safety, Gwagwalada, Abuja, on or about the 26th day of May, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did commit an illegal act to wit: rape. You lured one B.Z.J.

(14 years old), Female, of Plot Gwagwalada, Abuja, into your office at Prophet Victory Voice Fire Ministry International Church, Gwagwalada, Abuja, and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 31(1) of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003, and punishable under Section 31(2) of the same law.”

Following the alleged assault, the amended charge sheet revealed that Isah reportedly handed the victim N3,000 to purchase medication.

He allegedly followed the gesture with a death threat, vowing to kill the survivor and her entire family if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

The court further heard that the defendant’s actions also constituted gross indecency without consent, contrary to Section 285 of the Penal Code Laws.

Justice Osho-Adebiyi thereafter adjourned the matter until June 30, 2026, for continuation of hearing.

A Nigerian-born man, Dr. Nkechy Ezeh, 61, of Kent County, Michigan, has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole $1.4 million in taxpayer and donor money intended for vulnerable preschool children.

According to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Michigan, Dr Ezeh was also sentenced to a concurrent prison term of 60 months for evading income taxes.

Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou, who imposed the sentence, characterized Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief,” described the scheme as “brazen and widespread,” and noted that Ezeh stole money intended for some of West Michigan’s most vulnerable children. Judge Jarbou ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud and $390,174 to the IRS. Judge Jarbou also remanded Ezeh directly to prison to begin serving her sentence immediately.

“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible,” VerHey said. “She stole taxpayer and private-donor dollars meant for low-income children in our community. Instead of helping kids, she spent that money on herself. The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families. Judge Jarbou’s sentence was perfectly appropriate.”

Ezeh – the 2018 West Michigan Woman of the Year, a two-time appointee to the State of Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation’s Executive Committee, and a tenured professor of education – founded Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a West Michigan nonprofit funded by the Department of Health and Human Service’s Early Head Start program, the U.S. Department of Education, and private donors. It provided meals, transportation, funding, advocacy, and other services to children in preschools located in underserved communities.

As a result of the fraud, ELNC had to close its doors in 2023, many West Michigan preschools lost funding, and needy children lost valuable resources. ELNC also had to lay off its 35 employees without any notice. Sharon Killebrew, ELNC’s former bookkeeper and Ezeh’s co-conspirator, was sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in federal prison for her role in the scheme.

In a sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that Ezeh used the stolen money to fund her lifestyle, pay for a family member’s wedding, and to travel to Hawaii, Europe, and Africa. She placed her family members on a ghost payroll that caused ELNC to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars for little or no work, and she used money mules to wire hundreds of thousands of dollars of stolen money to her family in Nigeria.

By Bonaventure Phillips Melah

For the management of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the past two years and a few months, have been marked by unprecedented achievements while the workers are counting the many bountiful harvests that are outcomes of the initiatives, policies, reforms and schemes which combined to bring them enhanced welfare, skills acquisition and overall wellbeing.

Perhaps, especially for workers, the greatest landmark achievement of the Anosike-led management of NiMet so far, is the recent approval by the federal government, of a new consolidated salary structure and reviewed conditions of service which have continued to attract positive reactions from industry workers and other stakeholders across the country.

The approvals were contained in a letter written by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and addressed to the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, stating that the federal government had approved the recommended consolidated salary structure for NiMet with an effective date of June 1, 2026 as well a new Staff Condition of Service for the agency.

Available records show that NiMet’s condition of service was last reviewed 28 years ago. Efforts by past managements of the agency for a review of the all-important document were all muffled by bureaucratic bottlenecks, thereby leaving the taste of ash in the mouth of the workers.

Prof. Charles Anosike was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NiMet by His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, in December 2023. Since then, it has been stories of one milestone achievement to the other. Anosike also served as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the World Meteorogical Organization (WMO).

Some of Anosike’s bold footprints at NiMet in the past two years include infrastructure upgrade which has resulted in installation of high-grade modern machines as well as digitalization of operations on climate and weather forecast, early warning mechanisms and digitalization of the Seasonal Climate Predictions (SCP) presentation and the ICT Unit.

The management has invested impressively on capacity development and professionalism through constant training and retraining of staff to ensure that operations comply with international best practices and at optimal standards.

Within the period under review, NiMet has also become a preferred destination for young men and women, from Nigeria and across West Africa, seeking careers in meteorology related fields. The above is achieved through the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Regional Training Centre, Oshodi Lagos and Meteorological Institute of Science and Technology (MBMIST) located in Katsina State which are both operated by the agency.

Following the massive transformation carried out by NiMet’s management, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has accredited courses offered at the two institutions which offer National Diploma Certificates while they are being expanded to Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) awarding schools as well as transmute from monotechnic to polytechnics.

As its name implies, the WMO Regional Training Centre admits students from Nigeria and other West African countries. The school is dedicated to enhancing global capacity to observe, understand and predict weather, climate and water-related phenomena while Katsina based MBMIST offers a range of diploma programs in meteorology and climate that are compliant with NBTE, WMO and ISO standards.

Just a few days ago, Prof. Anosike was honoured with the 2026 Educational Excellence Award for his outstanding leadership and several initiatives aimed at advancing education. At the award ceremony which took place Monday, May 11, 2026 at the Faculty of Education, Federal University, Oye- Ekiti. Ekiti state, Anosike was praised for turning meteorological science into learning, training, and capacity that reaches classrooms, universities, and young professionals across the country.

As NiMet CEO, Anosike has led a transformative push to make climate data more actionable, inclusive, and accessible. Currently, early warning systems have been significantly upgraded to provide timely, impact-based forecasts that help mitigate the effects of floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events.

These systems are not only more accurate, they are now reaching farmers, local governments, and disaster managers in real time, often through digital platforms and mobile networks. The management has also championed the use of digital climate advisory services and AI-powered forecasting tools to deliver tailored weather insights, especially to small holder farmers who are among the most vulnerable to climate shocks. By translating forecasts into local languages and formats, NiMet is breaking down long-standing barriers in climate communication and ensuring that no community is left behind.

The above milestones have been made possible by Anosike approach of building partnerships across universities, development agencies, and the private sector to scale sustainable infrastructure, expand weather station networks, and train a new generation of climate scientists.

One of the most recent of the many  strategic partnerships is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) NiMet signed with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on data sharing which took place at the apex bank’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

While NiMet’s team was led by Prof. Anosike, Dr. Mohammed Sani Abdullahi, Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, was head of CBN’s side.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Charles Anosike highlighted the importance of integrating weather and climate data into economic research, especially in sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transportation. He noted that extreme weather events can reduce agricultural productivity and threaten food security.

He added that the collaboration aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, which prioritizes food security through major agricultural investment, including the cultivation of 10 million hectares of land and the distribution of mechanised equipment.

Prof. Anosike cited the World Bank (2026), which reports that extreme weather driven by climate change is significantly affecting global food security, with more than 87 million people facing hunger in East and Southern Africa and 52 million in West and Central Africa. He also referenced the Berkeley Earth Report (2026), which projects that 2026 is likely to be the fourth warmest year on record, a trend that continues to shape agricultural and energy market projections.

In his remarks, Muhammad said the signing of the MoU marked an important step in strengthening the partnership between two key national institutions whose mandates intersect in data, research, and policy support. He emphasized that, in an increasingly complex and dynamic economic environment, timely and reliable data remain essential for effective policy decisions.

He further noted that the Economic Policy Directorate relies heavily on timely and credible statistical information from NiMet. Such data, he said, are critical for inflation monitoring, agricultural sector assessment, and broader economic policy advisory functions. He described the initiative as both timely and important, adding that strong institutional partnerships are essential for strengthening evidence-based policymaking and improving the robustness of national data systems.

Anosike has also been a vocal advocate for integrating climate risk into urban planning and sustainability reporting, pushing institutions and businesses to take a proactive stance on resilience.

Apart from institutional transformation ongoing in NiMet, the management has focused serious attention on workers welfare and overall performance upscale through yearly training programme for all staff; payment of their subsistence benefits; payment of furniture grants; payment of inherited 45 months minimum wage arrears covering 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; introduction of send-forth honours-gathering for retiring officers; introduction of staff bus services covering major routes including Kuje, Gwagwalada, Mararaba and Kubwa; improved management–staff relations through periodic and sustained engagement and consultation with staff unions and stakeholders; introduction of a seamless pay-slip management system and improved refresher courses for meteorologists and observers. The list is endless.

On the other hand, there is now a burden on NiMet workers and their various labour unions, to recommit themselves to hard work, loyalty and dedication to duty, as a practical show of appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Barrister Festus Keyamo, SAN and Professor Charles Anosike, their Chief Executive Officer, for the monumental transformations going on in NiMet. As they say, ‘To whom much is given, much more is expected.’

Bonaventure Phillips Melah is an Abuja based journalist and public affairs analyst. bonamelah123@gmail.com 08036062975