“POLICE arrest 19 over (for) Owo cult clash”
“We arrested 18,500 drugs (drug) traffickers, seized 2.6m kg drugs last year—NDLEA” ‘Drug’ is used adjectivally here.
“The amount (a comma) though sounds big, might not make any impact in (on) the education (educational, preferably) sector in the 2025 fiscal year.”
“While defence and security understandably got the lion (lion’s) share of….”
“Okpebholo approves nomination of 6 commissioner-designate (commissioners-designate)”
“We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt wishes on the special occassion (occasion) of your 50th birthday (Birthday).”
“MWUN debunks reports of NPA, other external interference (interferences) in upcoming elections”
“Telecomms (Telecom, telecoms) tariff hike sparks widespread fury”
“7 benefits of 5G that impacts (impact) your day-to-day life”, and
“We are grateful for your quality, passion, (sic) and achievement (achievements) that blows (blow) our minds.”
“PDP further slips (slips further) into crisis (crises)”
“…their commitment to instil discipline among (into) staff….”
“Plugging $500m annual (yearly, preferably) losses through Cargo Tracking Note” Get it right: Cargo-Tracking Note
“It not only establishes our new vigilante (vigilance) architecture…”
“…endeared himself to the hearts of majority (a/the majority) of Lagosians who have come to see him as a performer.
“In the build up (build-up or buildup) to 2019 governorship election when….”
“Migration of Nigerian doctors to foreign lands” (Editorial Headline) Yes, a doctor can migrate from Aba to Lagos. But, in communications, context is cardinal. So, ‘to foreign lands’ is otiose and illiterate! ‘Migration’ here basically and essentially presupposes going to other countries—which we all know. Do you understand, my dear reader?
“On behalf of myself, my family, the government and the good people of Bauchi State, I am delighted to warmly welcome my colleagues….” In writing, there is sequence lest you put the cart before the horse! A rewrite: On behalf of the government and the good people of Bauchi State, my family and myself, I am delighted to warmly welcome colleagues of mine…. (Please note the structural changes).
“…to prevent abuses resulting into (in) the kind of….”
“…Nigeria is currently experiencing.” Insurgency war without end: there is no need for ‘currently’.
“We aim at making Nigeria’s upstream sector investors (investors’) destination—NUPRC boss”
“Commissioning of Amal Technology Production Facility for Gas Leak (Gas-leak) Detection Device and Printed Circuit Board”
“NNPCL, TotalEnergies sign MoU on adoption of methane detection (methane-detection) technology”
Daily Trust of January 16 circulated a few mistakes: “Delta State sets (set) to pioneer medical tourism”
“He, in addition, assured that the NHIS would be improved to make it more productive.” Who did he assure?
“…as we use (used) to do every year.”
“FG projects N1.4trn yearly from crop processing (crop-processing) zones”
Let us welcome THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER, of January 26 starting with this school-boy faux pas: “The PPRO died in a ghastly (fatal) motor accident….” There is even no point for ‘fatality’ inclusion in the circumstance because of the fact that he died! That is one of the hallmarks of tight news reportage—for other illustrative, prose writings we can be explicitly demonstrative. Once an accident results in death, it is fatality—not ghastliness.
“Nigerian banks’ cost to income (cost-to-income) ratio still the highest in emerging, frontier markets”
“We got a marching order (We got marching orders) on N11.5bn Dutse Airport”
“When jokes goes (what!) sour”
“A new purpose-built gallery in (on) Victoria Island….”
The last contribution from THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER under review: “The expectation of the people was that the deputy governor would have be (been) the first person to follow his boss to APC….”
THE NATION ON SUNDAY of January 26 goofed right from one of its major pages: “We have restored hope in (to) Lagos”
From The Nation online come the next four infractions: “How 75 per cent of Nigeria (Nigerian) workers are stressed—study”
“…for continents like Africa (for a continent like Africa) to attain a higher economic growth, the continent need (needs) to mix-up” For the umpteenth time, phrasal verbs abhor hyphenation!
“…revealed that economic volatility has increased pressure on Nigerian workers with 75 per cent reportedly seeing more stressed-related illness (illnesses) since the downturn.”
“2003 was a beehive of activities (a hive of activity) for the small and medium scale (medium-scale) enterprises….”
Lastly from THE NATION ON SUNDAY under review: “Former CAR president en route Benin Republic (en route to Benin Republic)”
DAILY Independent Online of January 13 comes next with two improprieties: “ALGON passes confidence of vote in president” Fixed expression: vote of confidence/confidence vote
The next three contributions are by Mr. Charles Okogene: “Terrorists bury arms in Abuja cemetary (cemetery)” (Sunday Vanguard, January 26)
“…he said the vehicles destroyed were the ones used during the attack and was (were) sited (sighted) through air surveillance….” (Source: as above)
“A few weeks ago, there was some news report (a news report) about the involvement of….”
“…all the major roads in the Eastern part of the country have become pure death traps and for challenging his (President’s) non-challant attitude and doing anything positive in Igboland (Igbo land).” Get it right: nonchalant.
“…there have been series of polemical attacks of (on) the commission and its activities by an obscure and often fictitious section of the public.” This way: a (take note) series of polemical attacks.
“The president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces also addressed the nation same evening.” Get it right: the same evening.
“The almost impassible (impassable) roads accentuate the usual hectic traffic of motorists, making business transactions in Lagos a herculean task.”
“…robbers who held residents and commuters to ransome for hours….” Spell-check: ransom.
“I doff my hat for.…” The right mix: I doff/take off (preferably) my hat to (not for).
“Out of lawyers’ population estimated at about 40,000, only 10 females have been opportuned (opportune) to adorn the silk.”
“This is another scintillating edition for the matured (mature) mind.”
“Preponderant of the views aired by the people centre (sic) around (upon, on) issues like corruption, unemployment.…” Running a true federation: preponderance…centres.
“Benue assures on abandoned project” Just tell readers who the state assured. Enough of nightmarish banners….
“A recent report on food related (a hyphen) ailments show (shows) that in many parts of the world….”
“Besides, these storage facilities should be provided together with necessary agric inputs.” Taming hunger: ‘input’ is uncountable in British English, but takes an inflexion in corruptive American English! Unnecessary input?