By Uzair Adam

Police in Adamawa State have arrested a 54-year-old primary school teacher, Garba Suleiman, over the alleged defilement of a 10-year-old girl.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Suleiman Nguroje, disclosed this while parading the suspect.

Nguroje said the arrest followed a complaint lodged by the victim’s family at the Divisional Police Headquarters in Yola South Local Government Area.

According to him, operatives of the command acted swiftly after receiving the complaint and arrested the suspect.

He said preliminary investigations indicated that Suleiman allegedly lured the minor and had unlawful carnal knowledge of her.

Nguroje added that the victim had been taken to a hospital for medical examination.

He further disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, had ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yola, for discreet investigation and prosecution.

“The CP condemns in strong terms all forms of Gender-Based Violence and assures the public that justice will be served,” Nguroje stated.

He also urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious person or activity to the police.

By Isyaka Laminu Badamasi

As the gratuity payments commence, as approved and directed by His Excellency, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, some critics of his administration find it difficult to appreciate what they have long asked the governor to do. This is especially true since the beneficiaries have spent their lives serving the state and are in dire need of their hard-earned entitlements.

As much as criticism remains the beauty of democracy, they should be happy that their loud voices were heard, the governor acted, and the retired civil servants will now get paid. Instead, they have resorted to cheap blackmail, arguing that the payment is delayed and that the governor deserves no applause because it’s long overdue, even though he inherited these huge burdens from previous administrations dating back to 2013.

While they have an inalienable right to hold an opinion and express it, anyone who does something worthy of applause deserves commendation and a standing ovation. They should also raise other important aspects of governance that they feel require His Excellency’s attention. By doing so, they will turn into partners in progress rather than mere critics.

This is how criticism works in sane democracies: critics and opposition figures matter, playing a key role in providing checks and balances so government stays on track while earning applause from its supporters. His Excellency’s response to the voices of wisdom suggests our democracy has matured and begun embracing constructive feedback, as shown by the payment of gratuities.

While congratulating our retired civil servants, I also commend His Excellency for making this important day a reality.

Isyaka Laminu Badamasi writes from no 555 Ajiya Adamu Road, Bauchi, Bauchi State.

By Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka Abdelmalik

I was invited to conduct an external examination for three postgraduate students (1 PhD and 2 MSc) at an institution about 87 kilometres from my university. The three theses were sent days before the scheduled examination for me to read page by page, contribute to improving the work, prepare questions, and then schedule a date to travel to examine the students.

I did not drive there.

I had an instinct that whatever mileage they would pay would not cover my fuel costs. I wasn’t prepared to spend my own money to finance an examination for which I had already done several days of intellectual work. You don’t want to know the honorarium for the several days of intellectual work.

So I took a bike to the park, boarded public transport, and travelled to the institution. To make the journey comfortable, I paid for two seats. The two seats cost ₦5,000. The examination lasted 6 hours without a break because it had to be concluded that day. At the end of the day, they brought me a claim to sign, and the mileage was ₦40 per kilometre. They quoted the distance to be 74 kilometres. That meant I was entitled to ₦2,960 for travelling to an institution approximately 87 kilometres away. That’s the worth we placed on ourselves. I laughed very hard, not because it was funny but because it was absurd and ridiculous.

Then, I asked them: So academics sat down and agreed that the cost of travelling one kilometre for a professor conducting a postgraduate external examination is ₦40? That was the moment I decided that this would be my first and last time honouring a postgraduate examination invitation from that institution.

I was lamenting this experience, and what I see as the self-normalisation of poverty in our universities, to a colleague. His response shocked me. He told me that, as a postgraduate coordinator, he does receive phone calls from senior colleagues asking to be considered for external examinations. They were not invited. They were calling to ask for the opportunity. That is when I began to think more deeply about self-normalisation of poverty.

Self-normalisation of poverty is the process by which people gradually begin to accept poverty, deprivation, and poor living conditions as normal, inevitable, or even acceptable. Poverty initially produces frustration. Prolonged poverty produces adaptation. Prolonged adaptation produces acceptance. And acceptance has eventually produced defence of the very conditions that created the poverty.

The danger is not merely that lecturers become poor. The greater danger is that poverty becomes normalised by the very people who should be challenging the conditions that produced it.

Meanwhile, I got an interesting response to my last piece from a professor who is proudly saving ₦500,000 per month. I must applaud the professor for sustaining his family and all his needs with an amount equivalent to the 2025 salary that ASUU thought was not enough for him. He was able to save from his pre-CATA salary, add it to the new CATA and professorial allowance, and save ₦500k every month. Seriously, saving ₦500,000 every month in Nigeria today is not a small achievement.

Within 2 years and with consistency, the professor will be able to save about ₦12 million, ignoring interest and unforeseen circumstances. But the reality is that the current value of that 10 million is about the same as the value of ₦700,000 that an Assistant Lecturer saved within 2 years from 2005 to 2007. A 15-year-old car that cost between ₦700 and ₦1m in 2007 costs about ₦10m now. 

So what exactly are we celebrating? The fact that a professor said he can now save ₦500,000 every month?

Or the fact that it takes a professor two years of disciplined saving to accumulate money whose purchasing power may resemble what a much more junior academic could accumulate much earlier?

For a lecturer celebrating a professor achieving in 2026, what an Assistant Lecturer could achieve in 2007 is a testament to the self-normalisation of poverty.

Let’s remember where we are coming from.

When I was employed in 2005, an Assistant Lecturer’s net salary was about ₦37,000. At the exchange rate of the time, that was roughly $280. In 2006, it rose to about ₦57,000, approximately $445. By 2009, during the Yar’Adua administration, the net salary of AL increased to around ₦110,000, approximately $738.

By 2022, ₦110,000 was worth only about $246 at the prevailing exchange rate. After subsidy removal in 2023 and naira devaluation, ₦110,000 dropped to as low as $73. By 2026, an Assistant Lecturer’s salary rose to roughly ₦250,000. That’s about $180. That is what we are celebrating. 

What happened to Nigerian professors? 

In March 2012, I purchased a London-Abuja British Airways round-trip ticket for £552.09 (₦138,574.59). In 2012, a professor’s salary was about ₦460,000 (£1,832.7). That means that by May 2015, a professor at the bar could afford a week’s holiday in London with his one-month salary. The ticket cost less than one third of the salary, and the remainder would comfortably cover the living expenses. 

From comfort to survival.

Since 2015, after Buhari came to power, the comfort that Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan gave to university lecturers was taken away. Buhari’s 2022 strangulation of Academics is still very fresh. Then, Tinubu crushed that comfort in May 2023 (₦416,000, worth 277 USD for a professor at the bar) by withdrawing fuel subsidies and devaluing the naira, before a raise in 2026 to about ₦1m (750 USD) for a professor. But the value is still less than what Buhari left it at: ₦416,000 (930 USD) for a professor at the bar.

The Stalin Chicken. 

This is where the Joseph Stalin-Chicken metaphor becomes powerful. A chicken is being plucked. It is painful. It is losing its feathers. It has nowhere to go. Then the same hand that has been plucking its feathers throws a few grains of food in front of it. The chicken follows the hand.

Not because the hand has stopped hurting it. But because survival has become more important than resistance.

That is what poverty can do to human beings. It can make people grateful for crumbs from the very system whose structure has impoverished them. And I fear that some academics have become so desperate for survival that they follow the very hand that has caused their suffering, simply because that hand is now offering them crumbs.

The application of the Stalin Chicken model, especially on academics, is a brilliant one from PBAT.

I will excuse those relatively young academics who do not know where we are coming from. They cannot compare what they have with what existed before they entered the system.

Of course, we are grateful to God for our current situations. We should also be grateful for the improvements that have occurred. But gratitude should not kill critical thinking. Real academics are not supposed to become professional worshippers of crumbs. We should interrogate systems. We should ask questions. We should challenge policies. We should understand the difference between survival and progress.

However, as more senior academics mobilise for endorsement, don’t go in with self-normalised poverty in academia. Ensure that you negotiate for an endorsement package that can at least change your car. Don’t go for crumbs.

Best wishes!

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are moving towards concluding a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMAA) aimed at strengthening cooperation on trade, compliance and information sharing.

The proposed agreement, which has been under negotiation for about six months, is expected to establish a formal framework for the exchange of customs information and intelligence between both countries.

It is also expected to strengthen compliance measures and support the facilitation of legitimate trade between Nigeria and the UK.

The development followed a two-day high-level meeting between officials of the NCS and HMRC at the Customs headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, from September 25 to 26, 2026.

Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, at the meeting, Assistant Comptroller-General Nafi’u Isyaku, who oversees the Strategic, Research and Policy Department, said the physical engagement was organised to resolve outstanding issues before the agreement is signed.

Isyaku said negotiations had been conducted virtually for six months but both administrations considered a physical meeting necessary to move the process towards completion.

He said the agreement was expected to be signed in the first week of December during the World Customs Organisation Policy Commission meeting, subject to the completion of the remaining processes.

Senior Policy Adviser at HMRC, Syed Moinuddin, said the meeting provided an opportunity for both customs administrations to address areas of mutual interest and develop a framework for stronger cooperation within the international customs community.

Louisa Bentley, Head of Bilateral Relations and Agreements at HMRC, also described the negotiations as successful and said the two sides were close to finalising the agreement.

According to Bentley, the proposed pact would enhance compliance and information sharing while creating better conditions for trade facilitation and greater participation by Nigeria and the UK in global trade opportunities.

The HMRC delegation also inspected key facilities at the NCS headquarters, including the Trade Modernisation Project Limited office, the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report office and the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network station.

Bentley commended the NCS for its ongoing reforms, particularly its deployment of technology and investment in personnel development.

She said the initiatives demonstrated progress towards more modern and efficient customs operations.

The engagement concluded with a tour of other departments and operational units, which gave the British delegation an opportunity to observe ongoing reforms and technological innovations within the Nigeria Customs Service.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Government has allocated plots of land to more than 1,000 party marshals, volunteers and members of community-based support groups as part of efforts to empower young people and provide them with assets to build their future.

The Daily Reality reports that the land allocation ceremony took place on Saturday at the Government House, Kano, with beneficiaries, government officials, party supporters and other stakeholders in attendance.

Speaking at the event, the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, said the beneficiaries had contributed their time, energy and efforts to their communities and the development of the state, describing the allocation as an opportunity for them to build more secure futures.

The governor, who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk, said the government’s decision to allocate the land was based on the belief that young people should be given opportunities to own assets and become economically productive.

“Today, we are giving you land because land can change the life of a person. It can become a home. It can become a business. It can become security for a family. And with time, it can become wealth that you leave for your children,” he said.

Governor Yusuf urged the beneficiaries to protect and develop their plots, stressing that the allocation should not be regarded merely as a piece of paper but as an opportunity to build something meaningful.

He cautioned them against selling the land, urging them to use it to establish homes, businesses or other productive ventures that could benefit their families.

“Do not waste this opportunity. Do not sell your future cheaply. Make something out of what the Government has given you,” the governor said.

The governor also urged youths in the state to channel their energy towards productive activities and shun violence and unnecessary conflicts.

He called on the beneficiaries to help promote government programmes in their communities, calm tensions and discourage young people from engaging in activities capable of undermining their future.

“Where there is misunderstanding, help people understand. Where there is tension, help calm it down. Where young people are being led in the wrong direction, call them back,” he said.

The governor said the land allocation was part of his administration’s broader development agenda, which includes investments in education, healthcare, roads, water supply, agriculture, power, housing, urban development and youth empowerment.

He said the government would continue to create opportunities for young people, noting that empowerment should go beyond providing temporary financial assistance.

“We want young people to have something to protect, something to develop and something they can proudly call their own,” Yusuf said.

He added that the ultimate objective was to ensure that the beneficiaries turned the allocations into homes, businesses and other productive assets that would contribute to the development of their communities.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar, said the exercise was part of the state government’s policy of using land as an instrument of empowerment, housing development and economic inclusion.

Umar said the administration had previously allocated land to various categories of beneficiaries, including political appointees, grassroots supporters, polling agents and youths drawn from the 44 local government areas of the state.

He described the latest allocation as a continuation of the government’s effort to give citizens tangible assets around which they could plan their future and improve the economic security of their families.

The commissioner said the economic impact of the allocations would extend beyond the beneficiaries because the development of the plots would create jobs for professionals, artisans and businesses involved in the construction sector.

“When land is allocated and development begins, an entire chain of economic activity follows. Surveyors are engaged. Architects and draftsmen get work. Masons, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, welders and labourers are employed,” he said.

He added that construction activities would also increase demand for building materials and transportation services while creating opportunities for businesses around the new layouts.

Umar said the government was committed to developing properly planned settlements with roads, drainage systems, schools, health facilities, markets, mosques, open spaces and other basic amenities.

According to him, the aim was to ensure that new settlements were properly planned and capable of supporting economic activities rather than becoming future challenges due to inadequate infrastructure.

The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the land and avoid disposing of the allocations carelessly.

He said the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning would continue to support the administration’s efforts to expand land ownership, housing development and planned urban growth across Kano State.

Governor Yusuf said the success of the programme would ultimately be measured not by the number of plots allocated but by what the beneficiaries were able to achieve with them.

“When the history of this programme is written, I do not want people to remember only that we allocated more than one thousand plots. I want them to say that from these allocations came new homes, new businesses, stronger families and more peaceful communities,” he said.

By Uzair Adam

Kano State has emerged as the leading state in Nigeria based on the number of candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

The development was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano, on behalf of the Kano State Government.

According to the statement, Kano recorded 74,413 candidates who secured at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, ahead of Lagos State, which placed second with 72,496 candidates, while Oyo came third with 55,543 candidates.

The result marks the second consecutive year Kano has recorded the highest number of candidates meeting the five-credit benchmark, including English Language and Mathematics, after achieving a similar feat in the 2025 NECO examination.

Reacting to the development, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf congratulated the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders, describing the performance as an indication of the progress being recorded in the state’s education sector.

Governor Yusuf said the back-to-back performance demonstrated that the government’s sustained investment in education was producing measurable outcomes.

He assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, recruitment and training of teachers, scholarships and support for indigent students.

The governor said the state government spent more than N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination, particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

According to him, the intervention was aimed at removing financial barriers that could prevent students from participating in the examinations and ensuring they sat for the examinations under improved conditions.

Yusuf said the latest NECO performance was part of the broader improvement being recorded by students in the state under his administration.

Education has continued to receive a significant share of Kano State’s budget under the current administration. In 2024, about 29.95 per cent of the state budget was allocated to the sector, while the allocation rose to N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent, in the 2025 budget.

For 2026, the state allocated N405.35 billion to education out of a total budget of N1.478 trillion, representing about 30 per cent of the overall budget.

The governor said the government’s investment in education extends beyond examination sponsorship to include classroom renovation, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials and uniforms, scholarships and other interventions aimed at improving the quality of education.

The statement also highlighted several awards and recognitions received by Governor Yusuf for his administration’s education-related policies.

In 2024, Leadership Newspaper named him Governor of the Year for Education, while New Telegraph recognised him as its Education Development Governor of the Year. The Nigeria Union of Teachers also named him Teachers’ Friendly Governor of the Year in the same year.

In 2025, Blueprint Newspaper recognised Yusuf as Governor of the Year for Education at its national conference in Abuja, while ThisNigeria honoured him as its Courageous Governor of the Year.

The statement further said the administration received education-related recognition internationally in 2026, including an international literacy and learning award and an education spending award attributed to Universal Learning Solution and City University, Paris.

Other recognitions listed in the statement include the Vanguard Governor of the Year Award for Good Governance in 2024, the BusinessDay Governor of the Year Award in 2025 and the African Governor of the Year Award presented by African Leadership Magazine in Casablanca, Morocco.

Yusuf dedicated the latest NECO achievement to the students, teachers, parents and people of Kano State, assuring them that his administration would sustain its investment in the sector.

He said the ultimate objective was to build an education system capable of equipping young people in the state with the knowledge and skills needed for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership.

The governor also referenced the scale of the state’s education system, noting that Kano recorded more than five million schoolchildren in the latest annual school census.

By Uzair Adam

Asia Mohammad Ahmad, wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims that the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, was the subject of her husband’s recent remarks about the silence of some of his friends and associates.

Ahmad made the clarification in a post on her verified Facebook page on Saturday while reacting to a column by Professor Farooq Kperogi titled, “Sanusi and the Betrayal of El-Rufai,” published in the Saturday Tribune.

She said Sanusi remained with the family and urged the public to stop linking the Emir to El-Rufai’s statement.

“I want to clarify that HH is with us and Mallam’s post has nothing to do with HRH SLS, so pls stop alluding to things that you don’t know!” she wrote.

Kperogi’s column examined whether Sanusi was among those El-Rufai referred to in a September 23 statement in which the former governor reflected on the silence of some friends, family members and associates whom he had previously supported.

El-Rufai did not mention any individual in the statement but said some people who had benefited from his support were now free to decide whether to speak out or remain silent over his current circumstances.

He also said the experience could make him reconsider some relationships, while stressing that he held no resentment towards those who chose not to support him.

Kperogi argued that Sanusi could be one of the people referred to, citing the longstanding relationship between the two men and the support El-Rufai offered Sanusi following his dethronement as Emir of Kano in 2020.

However, Ahmad has now rejected that interpretation, saying El-Rufai’s remarks had nothing to do with the Emir.

“I am glad to note that Kperogi mentioned that there may be things people don’t know,” she added.

Kperogi had acknowledged in his column that El-Rufai did not name anyone and that attempts to identify the people referred to in the statement remained speculative.

He nevertheless pointed to the history between El-Rufai and Sanusi, particularly the events that followed Sanusi’s removal from the Kano throne in March 2020.

Following Sanusi’s dethronement, El-Rufai appointed him Vice Chairman of the Kaduna State Investment Promotion Agency board and later Chancellor of Kaduna State University.

El-Rufai also visited Sanusi in Awe, Nasarawa State, where the former Emir had been taken after his removal from the throne.

Kperogi cited those events while questioning whether Sanusi could have been among the people El-Rufai had in mind when he spoke about individuals he had previously supported during difficult periods.

The professor, however, cautioned against reaching a definitive conclusion, noting that there could have been private conversations or interventions that were not known to the public.

He also argued that Sanusi’s current position differs from El-Rufai’s circumstances in 2020, when the former governor wielded executive authority, while Sanusi, as a traditional ruler, does not exercise comparable political powers.

The clarification from Ahmad has now added a different account to the speculation surrounding El-Rufai’s statement, with the former governor’s wife insisting that Sanusi was not the person being referred to.

El-Rufai is currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with investigations into his administration. He has denied wrongdoing.

His September 23 statement generated widespread discussion over the identity of the people he referred to, particularly after he said adversity had enabled him to see some relationships differently.

Neither El-Rufai’s original statement nor Ahmad’s latest clarification identifies who the former governor specifically had in mind.

Ahmad’s intervention has, however, sought to end speculation linking Sanusi to the remarks, insisting that the Emir remains with the family and that Kperogi’s interpretation does not reflect the circumstances known to them.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the state of the Nigerian economy, calling on the President to apologise to Nigerians and leave office.

Atiku made the demand in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

The former vice-president described the Tinubu administration as one of the most ruinous governments Nigeria has experienced and accused it of making life increasingly difficult for citizens while continuing to accumulate debt.

“A government that says more money is coming in must explain why it keeps borrowing and why the people paying for its policies cannot see the promised gains.”

He cited figures from the Debt Management Office, which put Nigeria’s public debt at ₦166.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026, compared with ₦49.85 trillion in March 2023.

“After more than three years of demanded sacrifice, Nigerians are left with higher food, transport and energy bills, strained public services and a recorded public debt of ₦166.79 trillion as at 30 June 2026, according to the Debt Management Office.

“Nigeria’s recorded public debt stood at ₦49.85 trillion in March 2023 and ₦166.79 trillion by June 2026.

“I expect President Tinubu to put the full account before Nigerians. He should identify the old debt newly recorded, the foreign debt whose naira value rose with the exchange rate, and every new loan contracted since he assumed office. He should show what has been repaid and what remains outstanding. Accounting explanations must not become a hiding place for fresh borrowing,” he said.

Atiku also criticised what he described as a gap between official claims of economic recovery and the experience of ordinary Nigerians.

“The Tinubu economy is producing two Nigerias: one in which ordinary citizens are suffocating under rising food, fuel, transport, electricity, education and housing costs, and another in which those with wealth, access and privilege are far better positioned to protect and multiply their fortunes.”

“That is the fundamental contradiction at the heart of these reforms. Government celebrates macroeconomic indicators while millions of citizens struggle to translate those statistics into food on the table.

“An economy cannot be declared successful simply because government revenue is rising, reserves are improving or official statistics look better while the purchasing power of ordinary citizens is being destroyed. The true test of economic policy is whether Nigerians can afford food, transportation, housing, education, healthcare and electricity,” he said.

He further pointed to rising fuel prices, saying petrol had sold for about ₦1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja and as high as ₦1,500 in parts of northern Nigeria in September. He also said diesel prices had exceeded ₦2,000 per litre.

“The philosophy of an economic reform cannot be that the poor surrender more and more while those already insulated from hardship become increasingly comfortable. Nigerians were promised that today’s pain would produce tomorrow’s gain. After more than three years, they are entitled to ask: gain for whom?

“A mother cannot feed her children with a government revenue announcement. A worker cannot pay transport fare with a speech about reform. Nigerians do not eat GDP figures, FAAC allocations or PowerPoint presentations. The numbers must eventually arrive at the dinner table,” he said.

Atiku also raised concerns over the amount of government revenue being used to service Nigeria’s debt.

“BudgIT reported that by the third quarter of 2025, debt service had reached ₦12.52 trillion against ₦18.63 trillion in revenue — 67.2 per cent. In practical terms, roughly ₦67 out of every ₦100 of the revenue reflected in those figures went to debt service.”

“Money committed to debt service is money unavailable for competing public needs. Nigerians were told to endure the pain because there would be gains. Where are those gains?”

He referred to remarks made by Tinubu at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi in May, where the President reportedly said Nigeria expected to spend about $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026.

“If President Tinubu understands abroad what debt payments are taking away from Nigeria, then he must explain at home why the borrowing bill continues to grow.

“History warns us where this road can lead. Fiscal distress does not begin on the day a bailout is announced. It develops when borrowing becomes routine, debt service consumes an ever-larger share of available revenue and governments repeatedly borrow to finance gaps that previous borrowing failed to close.

“Nigerians should not have to wait for creditors to tell them what their household budgets already reveal.”

Atiku also called for greater disclosure of the country’s external debt-service obligations for the second quarter of 2026.

He said the President and the All Progressives Congress (APC) should apologise to Nigerians over the hardship he attributed to the administration’s economic policies since 2023.

“President Tinubu should apologise to the families who can no longer afford decent meals; to workers whose wages disappear on transportation before the month has properly begun; to parents struggling to pay school fees; to pensioners whose incomes have been destroyed by inflation; and to businesses fighting daily to keep their doors open.

“Nigerians were asked to sacrifice. Fuel subsidy was removed. The naira was allowed to depreciate sharply. Electricity and transportation costs rose. Government revenues increased, yet borrowing continued. After all of this, the Nigerian people are entitled to ask one simple question: what exactly did our sacrifice buy?

“An apology is not too much to ask from a government under whose watch millions of Nigerians have been pushed into deeper economic distress. Leadership must have the humility to admit when policies have inflicted enormous pain on the people they were supposed to serve.

“Good economics must ultimately improve human life. If government revenue rises while families become poorer; if debt rises while public services remain inadequate; if citizens surrender subsidies, pay higher prices and endure declining purchasing power while government continues borrowing, then Nigerians have every right to demand a full account of where their sacrifice has gone.

“President Tinubu and the APC owe Nigerians that account and they owe them an apology. Apologise to Nigerians. Account for the money collected. Reconcile the borrowing. Explain the charges. Show the people what their sacrifice bought. Then make a solemn pledge to step away from governance rather than ask Nigerians for another mandate to endure this suffering.

“The real test of this economy is not whether the numbers look good in government presentations. It is whether ordinary Nigerians can afford to live.

“Reconcile the borrowing. Explain the charges. Show Nigerians what their sacrifice bought. Apologise for the hardship. And leave governance to those prepared to make life affordable again.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

At least five miners have been killed and two others injured after gunmen attacked a mining site in Marit village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred on Saturday amid heightened tension in parts of the state.

The spokesman of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the attack and said it occurred at about 1pm.

He said, “Five persons were killed while two others sustained injuries in the attack. It is a very sad and painful development. Our people are once again mourning the loss of lives to violence.

“We condemn this attack and call on the security agencies to urgently take steps to protect our communities and prevent further attacks.”

A member of the community, Simon Mundat, also confirmed the incident and described the loss of lives as devastating.

Mundat said, “We are deeply saddened by this attack. Five people have been killed and two others injured.

“This is a very painful situation for the community. We appeal to the authorities to strengthen security in the area so that our people can go about their legitimate activities without fear.”

Attempts to obtain comments from the spokespersons of Operation Enduring Peace and the Plateau State Police Command, Captain Polycarp Oteh and SP Alabo Alfred, were unsuccessful as of press time.

The attack came days after the Plateau State Government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in three local government areas, including Barkin Ladi, following a series of attacks and killings.

The state government, through the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, had on Friday condemned the continued attacks in affected communities and urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding.

Meanwhile, security operatives, with support from local hunters, reportedly repelled an attack by suspected terrorists on Latok community in Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area.

A resident, Danat Noel, said security personnel and local hunters responded to the attack and engaged the assailants, forcing them to retreat from the community.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has denied allegations that he betrayed the confidence placed in him by the President, saying investigations into the accusations against him have been made public.

Gbajabiamila spoke on Saturday at the 2026 Gbajabiamila Mega Empowerment Programme held at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

The allegations against the former Speaker of the House of Representatives were linked to a probe into the activities of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), a body described in the report as fictitious.

Gbajabiamila said investigations, including an inquiry conducted by the House of Representatives, had cleared him of wrongdoing.

According to him, the investigations were allowed to run their course despite calls from some quarters for him to be condemned before the process was completed.

He said, “The past few months have tested me in ways I never expected. Stories were written, strange accusations were made, lies were told, and my integrity was questioned. Three years ago, the people of Surulere, the people of Lagos State, and those who love me in Nigeria, stood me in their prayers and spoke up for me when it mattered.

“I will never forget that. I thank you all. The investigative reports are in the public domain.

“Many people wanted me to rush to judgement and give a verdict before the investigation. They refused and insisted on due process. Let me also say, Mr. President knows his Chief of Staff very well. Having worked closely with me for many years, he was therefore supremely confident that I was not in any way involved in those nefarious things.”

Gbajabiamila said the controversy had not affected his commitment to his duties in the Presidency.

He also warned those he accused of orchestrating attacks against him that he would not be distracted from his responsibilities.

“Let me speak plainly and directly to all those behind the attacks. No amount of money, no amount of blackmail or lies, whether sponsored from within or outside, will detract me from my work and the work Mr. President has given me to do.

“And to anyone using my name to defame people or misrepresent me, know that the law will always catch up with you.”

The Chief of Staff also spoke about his relationship with Tinubu, saying his loyalty to the President had remained intact despite occasions when he might disagree with some political decisions.

“In politics, loyalty is the currency we spend the most. I have been with Mr. President for many years…I did not question his leadership and never betrayed his trust in me. I stayed loyal then and I remain loyal now. My commitment to his Renewed Hope agenda is unshaken,” he said.

Gbajabiamila said the empowerment programme was designed to support about 5,000 residents from communities across Surulere.

He listed cash assistance, vehicles, electric tricycles, buses, security patrol vehicles and an ambulance among the items provided under the programme.

The Lagos State Deputy Governor and APC governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, commended Gbajabiamila for maintaining close ties with his constituents.

Hamzat also called for support for President Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that other candidates he described as politically unstable could not match the President’s political experience and capacity.

He said a politician who could not manage a political party would struggle to manage a complex country such as Nigeria, while describing Tinubu as a politician who had remained with his party and helped build it from its foundation into what he called the largest political party in Africa.