Month: October 2023

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Three inspectors from the Ogun State Police Command were caught on camera extorting money from commercial motorcyclists. 

The officers involved were identified as Inspector Ikhanorba Lucky, Inspector Paul Sunday, and Inspector Edwin Ekeogu. 

The incident occurred on October 19 at the Maawu bus stop in the Agbado area of the state during their visibility policing duty.

The officers’ inappropriate actions were captured on camera and shared on social media platforms, leading to public outrage. 

Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, condemned the officers’ behaviour, stating, “These officers were caught on camera flagrantly extorting money from commercial motorcyclists in contravention of the Police Act and Regulations.”

She emphasised that such actions tarnish the image of the police force. 

The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, strongly condemned the unprofessional conduct of the three inspectors.

In response to the incident, the commissioner activated immediate disciplinary measures against the erring personnel.

He affirmed his commitment to maintaining professional standards within the force, ensuring quality service delivery to citizens, and upholding public trust and confidence in the Nigeria Police Force. 

The Ogun State Police Command has taken swift action to hold the officers accountable for their misconduct.

This decisive response serves as a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated within the force and aims to deter other officers from engaging in similar misconduct.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Ten students from ENGAUSA HUB, a pioneering educational centre focusing on imparting modern digital skills in the Hausa language, were recently gifted essential tools by an anonymous benefactor. 

The generous donation was extended to students, including recent graduates, who have displayed remarkable dedication to their studies. 

The unidentified donor, who preferred to remain anonymous, handed over the valuable tools to the students, emphasising his support for their educational pursuits.

This unexpected gift not only serves as a testament to the community’s collective commitment to nurturing young talents but also underscores the significance of empowering the youth with practical skills. 

ENGAUSA HUB, which stands out for its innovative approach to education by conducting classes in the Hausa language, is gearing up for its upcoming semester.

Prospective students are invited to seize this opportunity and enrol in the new semester, which commences on Monday,  October 23 2023. 

Aspiring learners interested in joining the ENGAUSA HUB classes can obtain further details by contacting the centre through the provided phone numbers: 07038224643, 0701 513 0683, or 0708 886 1618.

Additionally, comprehensive information about the courses and enrollment procedures is available on the official website: www.EngausaHub.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The Borno Police Command confirmed the arrest of two suspects, Adamu Ibrahim and Bukar Wadiya, in connection with the alleged murder of 24-year-old Fatima Alhaji-Bukar. 

Fatima is said to be a resident of Dikechiri, Bayan Gidan Dambe area in Maiduguri metropolis. 

The incident unfolded on October 18, 2023, when Adamu Alhaji Ibrahim, presenting himself as the victim’s husband, arrived at the Gwange Division seeking urgent police intervention.

Preliminary findings suggested a history of domestic disputes, primarily linked to accusations of marital infidelity. 

Upon investigation, the police discovered the victim’s lifeless body in her residence, surrounded by disturbing evidence, including a short pestle, a bag, rope, a blood-stained rug carpet, a knife, and a Honda vehicle.

Notably, there were no signs of forced entry, indicating that the perpetrator likely had access to the house and was later confirmed to be the husband. 

The suspects, Adamu Ibrahim and Bukar Wadiya, were promptly apprehended as prime suspects.

The Borno Police Command is diligently conducting an in-depth investigation, aiming to bring justice to the victim and her family in this tragic incident.

The Sokoto State Government has sponsored 15 indigenous students to study engineering courses in China. 

The chairman of the Sokoto State Scholarship Board, Abdulkadir Dan’iya, confirmed the news, stating that the students, chosen for their academic excellence, will depart in early November. 

The government has allocated funds for their tuition and living expenses, emphasising the importance of investing in the youth’s education.

This initiative reflects the state’s commitment to providing quality education and global opportunities for its students.

By Dr Shamsuddeen Sani

It is easy for the narrative about Uyghur Muslims of China to draw your attention due to the fierce East-West political drama about them. Before now, I had no clue of the profound complexity inherent in the history of Islam in Muslim northwest China.

Jonathan N. Lipman skilfully avoids the more sensitive politico-religious aspects, as he aptly puts it, making it not a book about the history of the Muslims in northwest China but a comprehensive account of the history of Muslims living in northwest China.

This book offers a critical analysis of the origins of Islam in northwest China, the evolution of Muslim identity and culture in the region, and their intricate connections within the broader context of greater China. This examination spans six comprehensive chapters and incorporates both pre and postmodern contextual perspectives.

Following an elaborate introduction that combines geography and ethnography in northwest China, Lipman offers an extensive overview that spans nearly a millennium, encompassing the entire cultural landscape of China. He achieves this by positioning Muslims as unique elements within the familiar historical context of China from the Tang dynasty through the Ming dynasty.

After the Qing conquest of the 1640s, he investigated specific solidarities among Chinese Muslims and their leaders. Additionally, he examines the development of Sufism in northwestern China and the integral role played by the Shuyuks and Tariqa in the region’s social fabric. By the mid-18th century, as the book highlights, Sufi orders had already ignited a significant drive towards political activism, community cohesion, and horizontal competition.

Coming to the early 19th century, Lipman looks into the era marked by the transition from the Qing Empire to the Chinese nation-state. He explores the intricate processes of change, driven by internal factors and influences originating from Europe, America, and the Muslim world, which swept across the outskirts of China. These forces compelled individuals to make decisions under unfamiliar and challenging circumstances. The book took a tangent to meticulously analyse four key Sino-Muslim figures who embarked on distinct yet equally complex journeys towards finding common ground with a modernised China.

This book is not an easy read, given the unfamiliar names one must remember, but it is worth every minute of your time.

Dr Shamsuddeen Sani wrote from Kano, Nigeria.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Adewale Adeniyi (MFR) as the new Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, effective October 19, 2023.

Adeniyi’s appointment is in line with the Public Service Rules.

President Tinubu has entrusted him with the responsibility to lead the Customs Service, emphasising his wealth of experience.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The future of some graduates of the Basic School of Midwifery in Dambatta hangs in the balance, as they were left without licences to practice their profession years after graduation.

The graduates recount their ordeal at the hands of the school management, saying that they have been left stranded for years.

The graduates accused the school management of “intentionally dragging them into a dilemma and academic standstill.”

A former student of the institution said that the licence “is the only thin veil that serves as a blockade to his future.”

Many of the former students of the institution decried alleged widespread corruption by the school officials, whom they accused of giving licences to only the well-connected.

The Daily Reality gathered that the licence that is issued to students upon successful completion of their studies is the only barrier between students and multiple job opportunities or university admissions waiting at their doorstep.

Our prayers for intervention were in vain.

The students said that all their efforts to seek intervention from the state government and relevant authorities were in vain, a development that exacerbates their condition.

Mukhtar Ali (not real name) said that some of the students had paid the amount prescribed by the institution to secure the licence, but they have neither received the licence nor a refund of their money.

However, it was gathered that among the students struggling to secure their licences were the first set of students at the institution who had completed their studies eleven years ago.

Members of the batch of graduates said that they had sought intervention from the immediate past administration in the state and the school management, but also agencies like the Human Rights Agency and Anticorruption, but the outcome was not fruitful.

A female student who preferred anonymity said that it was unfortunate that her future was being unjustly destroyed despite the huge investment her parents made in her studies.

She said, “Despite paying for the licence over the years, I have yet to secure it. However, some of my friends who have connections have already secured theirs.

“My fear is that some selfish individuals have gone with our money because the school management denied knowledge of our payment for the licence, even though we have paid. We went back to the place we made the payment, but the whole thing is confusing,” she added.

Another student told our reporter that the school management put pressure on them to pay for the licence as soon as they graduated.

“A very high pressure was mounted on us to pay this money by the school management. We paid N38,000 each. However, three years later, we are yet to secure the license.

“We are confused as to where the problem is. We are urging the Kano State Government to please come to our aid so that we can get our licence and move on.”

Sadiya Ibrahim, not her real name, said that she is totally disappointed by the development, saying her future is being robbed.

Sadiya Ibrahim said, “My fear is that the school management may require us to pay another N38,000, despite the receipt we showed them to prove that we had made our payment.

“The whole thing is so disturbing that the government should please intervene and talk to the relevant authorities about the development,” she stated.

Students with connections not involved

The students disclosed that other students who have connections with some politicians have already secured their licences, as many of them have started practicing or got admissions into the university.

They also stated that daughters of influential businessmen or traditional rulers grab their licences immediately after they graduate from school.

We are working to address the issue— Management

When contacted, Hajiya Asiya Sani, the principal of the School of Midwifery Dambatta, said that the school management has been working tirelessly to address the issue, saying their efforts have started to see the light of day.

She said some of these licences are now ready and will soon be distributed to the owners.She explained that the problem is a vital one that the school management has devoted its time to addressing.

She said, “I am aware of the problem. However, as I am speaking with you now, the Ministry of Health is involved in addressing the problem.

As it is known to everyone, including the students, we don’t give this license. Instead, we also applied for it.”                                               

By Sabiu Abdullahi Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has approved the release of N3.1 billion to provide financial relief to retirees and families of deceased workers.

The funds, allocated for gratuity payments and death benefits under various pension schemes, reflect the state government’s commitment to supporting its elderly citizens.

Governor Sani emphasised the importance of timely access to these benefits for retired workers who have diligently served the state.

The State Pension Bureau will oversee the distribution, with details of beneficiaries to be released shortly.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Supreme Court has announced Monday, October 23, as the date for delivering judgment on the appeal filed by Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the verdict of the Presidential Tribunal. 

The tribunal had earlier affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu, who was declared the winner of the February 25 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

Atiku, who secured the second position in the election, approached the court after his initial suit was struck out. 

In his appeal before the highest court in the land, Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, filed a 35-ground notice of appeal, arguing that the tribunal’s judgment contained a “grave error.” 

He contended that the tribunal failed to nullify the presidential election due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, citing evidence of grave misrepresentation by INEC, which violated the principles of the Electoral Act 2022 based on the “doctrine of legitimate expectation.” 

Additionally, Atiku sought to present fresh evidence related to a certificate suit he instituted against Tinubu in the US, alleging that Tinubu forged documents submitted to INEC. 

Atiku affirmed the seriousness of presenting forged documents, especially by a candidate aspiring for the highest office in the country, calling it a “grave constitutional issue” that must not be overlooked. 

Tinubu, in response, urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Atiku’s application, labeling it a “crass abuse of court processes.” 

However, Atiku countered, urging the court to consider the substance of his claims rather than technicalities, emphasizing the importance of addressing the constitutional concerns raised by the alleged forgery.

By Ismail Obansa Nimah

Moments before the deadly Israeli strike on the Al Ahli Baptist Christian National Hospital, an official Israeli government page posted the following on X (formerly Twitter):  “Due to the lack of medical equipment and the lack of medical staff, it was decided to bomb the Baptist hospital in Gaza and give them euthanasia death”.  

The attack is the worst to hit a hospital since World War II. It has so far killed more than 500 people, with many still under the rubble. The tweet has been deleted, and as usual, Israeli and mainstream Western media have begun damage control to embellish the ignominy with half-truths and outright falsehood.

There is no sitting on the fence in this conflict. You are either here or there. You either stand for the Palestinians against the monstrous apartheid regime of Israel, or you are with the Israelis, of whom a significant majority, save just a few, are so inhumane.

And when I say Palestinians or Israeli, it does not just equate pitting Muslims against Jews. If you must know, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus himself, is amongst Palestine’s illegally occupied and besieged regions and has been under constant attack and bombardment by Israel for the past seven decades.

I hope our Christian counterparts also realise that cheering Israel on and being sympathetic to their cause on whatever basis or allusion, scriptural or not,  erodes the very humanity in us and is tantamount to aiding the systematic tyranny and barbarism that entity represents – the same barbarism we all spoke against and condemned when it occurred in South Africa.  We are all targets. This is a war on our collective humanity. Upon deeper reflection, we will find examples of similar demagoguery against Jesus and his Mother, Mary, in the scripture.

Ask yourself, is it not insane and malevolent to think that the Just and Merciful Creator will choose a group of people as his beloved or ‘chosen’ and help them commit atrocities of this scale to fulfil some prophecy?

We, Muslims, are not your enemy. We are not what the propagandists of the West and Israel propagate. We have an entire chapter in the Qur’an named after Mary in deference to her honour. We have numerous verses exalting her status in the sight of God, away from what the Jews still assert. No Muslim is a Muslim until he/she loves, respects and honours Jesus Christ as one of the mightiest messengers of God. We do not call his name, except we add “peace be upon him” to it. We make no distinction between him and other great messengers of God. Yet you somehow think we are your enemy? And help the Jews who curse Mary and Jesus further their evil plot, particularly against us?

For more than One thousand years, the Muslims ruled Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital. During these years,  Muslims, Jews and Christians coexisted together in goodness, peace, justice and prosperity. Every Muslim was obligated to respect and ensure the human rights of those living under the Islamic Caliphate, no matter who they were and what they worshipped. It was and still is a huge sin and a punishable offence for any Muslim to trespass on the rights of a non-Muslim living under the protection of a Muslim government. No non-Muslim blood was allowed to be illegally spilt without justice. No one was made to unduly suffer on account of being different in any regard.

And even when the European Christian crusaders sacked Jerusalem and massacred hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants in the 11th century, the  Muslims under Salahudeen Al-Ayub did not spill a single innocent blood when they took the city back from the crusader occupation some 88 years later. Not even the blood of many cruel crusaders who had massacred Muslims in their thousands.

It may be that history is repeating itself all over again. But I am sure Palestine will again survive this cruel attempt at extermination and targeted ethnic cleansing. And I know that it will be soon, very soon. Until then, hang in there, brethren, for the help of our Creator is near.

I hope this opens your eyes and we all see more clearly away from sentiments and propaganda.

Ismail Obansa Nimah wrote via nimah013@gmail.com.