By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 40-year-old man, Sallau Inuwa, popularly known as Liman Katagum, for allegedly stabbing his 45-year-old colleague, Ibrahim, to death during a dispute over money from a car wash business.

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at a car wash in Bauchi metropolis. The two men reportedly disagreed over the amount charged for washing a vehicle before the argument escalated into violence.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, said the suspect allegedly picked up a knife and stabbed Ibrahim several times during the altercation.

“Regrettably, despite efforts to save him, Ibrahim was confirmed dead at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, ATBUTH, Bauchi,” the statement said.

According to the police, officers attached to the A Division in Bauchi launched an investigation after receiving a report of the incident.

Preliminary findings indicated that the suspect allegedly fled to his paternal home in the Liman Katagum area after the stabbing. The police subsequently contacted the Divisional Police Officer in the area, leading to a coordinated operation that resulted in Inuwa’s arrest at Mararraban Liman Katagum.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, expressed concern over the incident and described it as a tragic loss of life arising from a disagreement over money.

“The CP, while condoling with the family of the deceased, urges members of the public to manage their anger and resolve disputes through dialogue and other lawful means rather than resorting to violence,” the statement added.

Aliyu also emphasised that provocation could not justify taking another person’s life.

“He reiterates that no matter the level of provocation, taking a life can never be justified,” the police spokesperson said.

The suspect is being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Bauchi as investigations continue ahead of his prosecution.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Alade Omowumi, a 31-year-old Guidance and Counselling graduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, has appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to complete treatment for a congenital reproductive condition that has caused her years of pain and medical complications.

Omowumi said she first experienced recurring abdominal pain at the age of 15 but did not understand its cause until she sought medical attention three years later. Doctors subsequently discovered that she was menstruating internally because menstrual blood could not flow out of her body.

According to her account published by PUNCH on Saturday, an examination at the hospital revealed that her vaginal canal was absent, a condition that prevented doctors from carrying out the surgery they had initially planned.

She underwent surgery in 2014 to create a vaginal opening. However, the opening later narrowed, while she developed urinary incontinence following the procedure. She also continued to experience difficulties with menstrual blood drainage.

Omowumi said the pain prevented her from using a dilator recommended by doctors to help maintain the opening. Her mother eventually requested her discharge as the hospital bills continued to accumulate.

For about 14 to 15 years, she has continued to experience complications associated with the condition, including the accumulation of menstrual blood in her abdomen. She said doctors sometimes had to drain the trapped blood when she visited the hospital.

She later sought treatment at another hospital, where doctors explained that her bladder required repair and that another procedure would be necessary to create a functional vaginal opening. The treatment, she said, would be conducted in stages because of complications from her earlier surgery.

Omowumi underwent another operation in September 2026 to address her urinary problem. She was discharged about one or two weeks before the interview and is awaiting the next stage of treatment after the recently operated area heals.

She said she could not provide an exact cost for the outstanding surgery because the doctors had yet to determine the final amount, adding that treatment expenses could change before the procedure takes place.

The graduate disclosed that a foundation had previously supported her treatment. After her most recent surgery, the woman in charge of the foundation gave her the remaining N500,000 for post-operative care. However, she said she had received few additional donations and still needed financial assistance.

Beyond the medical challenges, Omowumi said the condition had affected her personal life and hopes of marriage and motherhood. She recounted an unsuccessful attempt at sexual intercourse because of severe pain and said she had kept her condition private for years because of the stigma surrounding it.

She eventually decided to speak publicly after becoming frustrated with her circumstances and realising that she needed help. However, she said some of the reactions to her story had been painful, forcing her to limit her outings.

Omowumi credited her mother with standing by her throughout the ordeal, particularly after the death of her father. She also expressed gratitude to friends who offered sympathy and encouragement after learning about her condition.

She is now appealing to Nigerians for financial support and prayers to enable her to complete treatment.

“I want Nigerians to please help me. I want to live a normal life, get married and have children of my own,” she said.

She added that her greatest hope was to receive the necessary treatment, build a family and have a better future.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his planned state visit to Nigeria, which was scheduled for October 28 and 29, amid widespread protests and unrest in France.

A French presidential source confirmed the postponement to TheCable on Friday, citing the domestic situation in France.

The country has recently experienced demonstrations over the rising cost of living, public services and school conditions. Protests on October 17 reportedly escalated into violence in several cities, with buildings set ablaze and shops looted.

French authorities are also preparing for another wave of demonstrations scheduled for Saturday.

A Nigerian official familiar with the matter told TheCable that the situation in France was a factor in the decision to postpone the visit.

“A president will not travel when his home is contending with internal combustion,” the official said.

Nigeria and France maintain diplomatic relations with cooperation across several sectors, including trade, energy, security and investment.

In November 2024, Macron hosted President Bola Tinubu for a three-day state visit to France. Discussions during the visit covered finance, energy transition, solid minerals, trade and investment, and communications, among other areas.

Macron’s proposed visit to Nigeria was expected to build on agreements reached during Tinubu’s trip to France.

The French president, whose second and final term is due to end in May 2027, has maintained close relations with Tinubu since the Nigerian leader assumed office in 2023.

Tinubu has visited France at least nine times since becoming president, for official engagements, working vacations and private trips.

Macron last visited Nigeria in July 2018, when he met with former President Muhammadu Buhari and toured the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.

A new date for the postponed visit was not stated in the report.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign council has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explain why the N10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola preparedness in June has reportedly remained unused.

In a statement issued on Friday, Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication for the ADC presidential campaign council, accused the ruling party of avoiding questions about the release and management of the emergency fund.

The statement followed comments by Dele Alake, spokesperson for the APC presidential campaign council, who reportedly said the money had not been spent because the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies had relied on existing resources.

Reacting, Shaibu criticised the APC’s response and demanded documentary evidence showing whether the funds had been released and how they were being managed.

“The APC have made a remarkable discovery: ‘Bola’ sounds like ‘Ebola’. We had not noticed. They found the rhyme, wrote a lengthy press statement about it and somehow still could not tell Nigerians where the ₦10 billion ordered released for Ebola preparedness is,” the statement reads.

“Atiku Abubakar asked for the money trail and an account of the emergency response. The party in power came back with a pronunciation lesson.”

Shaibu asked the Federal Government to clarify whether the money had been disbursed and, if so, identify the account holding it, the officials responsible for managing it and the reasons it had not been spent.

“Was the money released or was it not? If it was released, where is it held, who controls it, and why has it not been used for the preparedness President Tinubu announced in June?” he stated.

“If it was never released, why was an order for its immediate release announced in June? Publish the release documents, the account records and the Task Force’s expenditure reports. Insulting Atiku Abubakar will not account for one naira.”

The ADC spokesperson also questioned the government’s response to the confirmed Ebola case in Abuja, demanding a detailed timeline showing when the infection was first suspected, when health authorities received an alert and when testing and contact tracing began.

Citing the World Health Organization’s account, Shaibu said the patient developed symptoms on October 7, sought treatment at a private health facility on October 11 and received laboratory confirmation on October 20.

“The APC says an infected person cannot transmit Ebola before symptoms appear. That is true. It does not answer what happened after symptoms appeared,” he said.

He also called on the government to identify the agency that raised the surveillance alert and explain the actions taken after the warning.

“The APC claims surveillance ‘tipped off’ the government. Then publish the timeline. Name the agency that raised the alert, give the date and explain the action taken,” he said.

Shaibu stressed the need to provide healthcare workers involved in treatment and contact tracing with adequate protection, equipment and resources.

“Health workers treating the patient and tracing contacts deserve protection, equipment and every resource needed to act quickly. Questioning the government’s preparedness is no insult to them.”

He further expressed concern that public health measures could be used to restrict political campaigns or voting during the election period. He urged the Tinubu administration to make public any proposed restrictions, the medical justification for them and the recommendations of health authorities.

“Public health guidance must protect people. It must never become a political tool,” he added.

By Ishaka Mohammed

The Federal Government of Nigeria has waived the proposed tuition fees for the six-month professional teaching qualification programme launched in September 2026.

According to the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), learning will commence in November, after the five-day orientation programme beginning on October 28.

The Daily Reality earlier reported that the Federal Ministry of Education set the cost of the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP) at ₦200,000. 

However, according to the emails sent to admitted teachers on October 23, the tuition has been waived. 

“Your programme tuition of NGN 200,000 is fully covered by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This sponsorship is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and its commitment to strengthening the teaching profession and building a skilled, future-ready education workforce for every Nigerian child,” part of message reads.

The six-month training comprises four months of online learning and two months of teaching practice at each teacher’s place of work before eligibility for the TRCN Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE).

Recall that the training is for non-professional teachers with degree or diploma certificates and at least two years of classroom teaching experience.

By Ukasha Sani

As the ruling party, the APC, launches its presidential campaign in a bid to re-elect President Bola Tinubu, the question is no longer whether Nigerians can survive the present hardship, but whether they can survive its continuation.

Based on the last three years’ trajectory, a second victory for President Tinubu will not renew hope, as we have already lost it; it will only deepen hardship. All the tragic events in the country today, from the increase in fuel prices, insecurity, kidnapping and banditry to poor economic policies, are at their worst in the last three years. He has not reformed any sector; rather, they are more like abandoned projects that have worsened under his administration.

What if Tinubu wins? Then the economic hardship we call temporary becomes permanent policy.

They [the government] have comfortably watched the naira lose its dignity, from N460/$1 as of 29th May, 2023 to N1,475/$1 today.

They have watched fuel subsidy removal turn from a textbook reform into a daily punishment, from buying petrol at N200/litre in May 2023 to N1,440/litre today.

They have watched food inflation turn the market into a place of tears, where a bag of rice sells at N65,000 today compared to N30,000 in May, 2023. We are living in an economy where a bag of rice swallows the minimum wage. This government tells us the reforms are painful but necessary. But you should ask: necessary for whom? The hardship is not shared. The political class still convoys in new SUVs, still budgets billions for renovation and entertainment.

A second term means that the model stays. No reversal, no cushion, only more lectures about patience.

And amid this suffocation, they present NELFUND as an achievement to be applauded.

Let us be clear about NELFUND. It is not a grant. It is not a scholarship. It is not free education. It is a LOAN. A debt trap dressed as help. This is the only thing this government is proudly beating its chest about, yet it exposes its entire contradiction.

You cannot deny a man the peace and means to feed his family, deny him security on his farm, deny him a stable economy to run his shop, and then call yourself a saviour because you gave his daughter a loan to pay tuition. What happens after graduation? She graduates into the same jobless economy, into the same insecurity, with a loan on her neck before her first job. This is not empowerment; it is enslaving the future to pay for the present’s failure.

A government that truly wants to educate the poor would have made education affordable, not loanable.

What if Tinubu wins? Then insecurity gets a new uniform.

Banditry is no longer an emergency; it is an industry. Kidnapping has become a multi-million-dollar enterprise.

People are being picked off the streets for ransom, picked from their homes, schools, parks and every other place, without seeing any visible effort by the government to address it. It only amplifies the PR bots that come online and tell us not to “politicise” insecurity. What it means is, if he wins, we will continue to have a government that negotiates from a position of weakness, that condemns attacks today and forgets the victims tomorrow.

Dear PR bots, the insecurity you defend today, because you are paid or promised to be paid to do so, is coming back to haunt you tomorrow. Kidnappers and bandits are not going to spare you because you are a Tinubu supporter.

What if Tinubu wins? Then partisanship becomes the constitution.

Appointments, projects, even palliatives are prioritised through ethnicity and party loyalty. Trying every possible way to conquer all 36 states, leaving no governor in the opposition. The National Assembly has become an extension of Aso Rock. A second Tinubu victory will entrench this winner-takes-all politics. It will be the final burial of independent institutions. Dissent will be called treason, and criticism will be tagged as hate speech. This is where movements like Tinubu Must Go were denied access to exercise their constitutional rights.

And what if Tinubu wins? Then corruption will be legalized by silence.

The subsidy is gone, but where did the subsidy money go? Billions saved, yet borrowing increases. Customs revenue hits record highs, yet hospitals have no drugs. Politicians with existing corruption cases are contesting elections. Under a continued Tinubu administration, accountability will remain selective. The opposition’s corrupt will be prosecuted; the ruling party’s corrupt will be given a chance to govern again.

The government has nothing to show to justify its re-election next year.

After three and a half years of serial governance disasters, it is clear this government has no clue how to tackle the challenges facing this country. They have failed, and perhaps that is why the president himself decided to send his representatives to campaign for him, because he has nothing to show to justify his re-election bid next year. That is also why his PR bots are struggling to explain his failures. This is why some Villa big boys from the North are selling him through the lens of religion and tall tales. Some of them call him “Malam, Al-Sheikh, Muhammad Bola Tinubu,” while others say he is from Kano and that even the name Tinubu is a corruption of Tanimu. It is only your favourite Sheikh who is brazen enough to tell us that the North is well secured, that all those incidents of kidnapping and banditry are mere tales and not what is actually happening. That people can travel freely in all corners of the region at night.

What if Tinubu wins? It means Nigerians must prepare for four more years of explaining to their children why they cannot afford school fees, why the lights are still off, why they must check the road before travelling, why they must take a loan to learn in their own country, and why those who stole yesterday are leading today.

After three and a half years, why do they need more time, given they’ve been the most disastrous government since amalgamation?

Sir, even a bachelor’s degree—which has technically become harder to get than winning a presidential election for some lucky individuals—only gives you a 2-year probation period to meet the required CGPA, and failure to do so will result in you being asked to leave. So why do you need more time?

Unfortunately, despite all these nerve-wracking issues, Tinubu may still win his next election, not because he deserves it, but because the opposition is too sentimental and self-centred to drop their ego for the common man.

May Nigeria prosper

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Minister of Works David Umahi has projected that the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be completed within the next three years.

Umahi made the projection during an interview with Arise Television on Friday, saying the Federal Government was working towards delivering the major infrastructure project before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s current term in 2031.

Asked about the completion timeline, the minister said, “We have four years plus by God’s special grace. So we are looking at three years,” he said.

He expressed confidence in the administration’s ability to meet the target, citing his faith in Tinubu’s leadership.

“I am a child of God. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Okay, so I’m giving you the faith I have and the president that I know, that I believe that within the next three years plus, that the president will be able to complete that project,” he added.

However, Umahi did not provide a detailed construction schedule or specific completion dates for the highway’s individual sections.

The minister also defended the procurement process for the project, acknowledging that it was awarded without public bidding but insisting that the government followed a lawful procedure.

“There was no public bidding but there was direct procurement. It’s within the law. That’s all I’ve just said,” he stated.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s flagship infrastructure projects. It is designed to connect coastal communities and improve transportation along Nigeria’s southern corridor.

The project has attracted public debate over procurement procedures, construction costs, funding priorities and the allocation of public resources, particularly amid concerns about the poor condition of several existing federal roads.

Defending his ministry’s broader infrastructure programme, Umahi said approximately 17,000 kilometres of federal roads were currently under construction or reconstruction, excluding major legacy projects.

“Out of about 35,000 kilometres of our federal roads, the one that is before me in the Ministry of Works, if you remove the few legacy projects we are constructing, we are presently constructing 17,000 kilometres of roads,” he said.

He added that the ministry had completed about 1,700 kilometres of roads since the Tinubu administration assumed office, alongside more than six kilometres of flyovers, bridges and underpasses.

Umahi also cited increasing congestion along the Lagos corridor as a reason for the coastal highway, warning that traffic could worsen significantly without intervention.

“In the next five years, unless something is done in the corridor VI to Lekki, it becomes, you know, a car park because of the conjecture. And that’s why we are building the seven taxi route,” he said.

On the controversy surrounding a proposed plan to engage 4,000 social media influencers to promote the administration’s projects, the minister said he would personally finance the initiative rather than use public funds.

“I am funding 4,000 influencers to advertise what the president is doing and it’s a catalyst for campaigning for him all over Nigeria,” he said.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted global financial services firm JP Morgan approval-in-principle to establish a merchant bank in Nigeria following a reported $38 million deposit.

The apex bank disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday, noting that the proposed institution, JPMorgan Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited, must obtain a final banking licence before it can commence operations.

The approval-in-principle represents an initial regulatory step and does not authorise the bank to begin operations immediately.

The development follows an earlier report by DAILY POST that JP Morgan had deposited $38 million with the CBN as part of its application for a banking licence.

The proposed establishment of the merchant bank marks a step towards JP Morgan’s planned entry into Nigeria’s banking sector, subject to the fulfilment of the regulator’s licensing requirements.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness, his family has announced.

The family confirmed his death in a statement posted on the actor’s official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, thanking fans and well-wishers for their prayers and support.

“We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness.

“We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” the statement read.

His death comes months after he dismissed reports that he was battling a life-threatening illness. In June, a video showing him looking frail circulated on social media, raising concerns among fans and colleagues.

Duru subsequently shared a video on Instagram in which he described the footage as “fabricated and malicious”.

Born on July 27, 1969, in Cameroon to Nigerian parents from Imo State, Duru completed his primary and secondary education there before moving to Nigeria for university.

He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996.

Duru began his acting career in 1989 in Missing Mark, a film directed by the late Ndubuisi Oko. He gained wider recognition in 1995 after playing Ahanna in Rattlesnake, an action-comedy produced by the late filmmaker Amaka Igwe.

Over the years, he received several awards and honours for his contributions to the Nigerian film industry. He was also named a United Nations ambassador of peace in recognition of his influence on young people.

In 2020, he won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Igbo) award at the Best of Nollywood Awards for his performance in Mboputa.

Duru married his wife, Adokiye, in 2003, and they had four children together. The family suffered the loss of one of their children, Ifeanyi, in August 2024.

His death marks the loss of a veteran performer whose career spanned decades in Nigeria’s film industry.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to death by hanging after convicting them of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.

The convicts, identified as Gaji Hassan, Abdullahi Goni Gudusu and Modu Bukar, were sentenced on Thursday by Justice Kabiru Muhammad.

The court’s Public Relations Officer, Nakwanta Muhammad Garba, confirmed the judgment in a statement detailing the proceedings.

The case stemmed from an incident in Kagara village, Goronyo Local Government Area, on September 19, 2024, when the defendants intercepted Babangida Nasiru and a woman while armed with rifles.

During the incident, the pair were reportedly taken into the bush, where Nasiru was dispossessed of N260,000 and detained. He was later found dead with gunshot wounds to his chest and neck.

The prosecution called two witnesses to establish its case. In his judgment, Justice Muhammad described the surviving eyewitness’s testimony as consistent and credible.

The judge rejected the defendants’ claim that they had released Nasiru, noting that they failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for his death. He relied on the legal principle of “last seen” in reaching his decision.

The court also admitted the defendants’ confessional statements after ruling that they had been made voluntarily. Their allegations of torture were not substantiated, according to the judge.

Justice Muhammad held that the eyewitness testimony provided sufficient evidence to establish the charges against the defendants.

Consequently, the court sentenced each convict to death by hanging in accordance with the Sokoto State Penal Code Law, 2019.