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By Uzair Adam Imam 

The two-term governor of Kano, Engr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, said he had concluded plans to formally declare his political ambition next week.

Kwankwaso, who has been nursing the ambition over the years, would contest for president on the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) platform.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Mr Kwankwaso said he consulted widely on his plan, and the responses were positive.

“I have been consulting widely with friends and Nigerians of diverse interests, and the outcome has been positive. 

“I will be informing Nigerians of my political ambition sometime early next week,” he said.

Kwankwaso also acknowledged the successes recorded by his new political party at its recently-concluded membership registration. 

He added, “the support for the NNPP had been overwhelming going by the responses recorded at its recently-concluded membership registration drive.”

By Zakariyya Shu’aib Adam 

About two months ago, I took off from Sokoto to Minna in a commercial vehicle. As usual, I wore a kaftan and sat in the front seat. Although I had my headphones on, we had some words with the driver. He never knew I was “ɗan boko” until I communicated with someone on the phone in English. He said: “Mallam, na zaci kai ma duk mu ne [I thought you were like us – uneducated].” I laughed it off and said, “Ai dole sai a na raba ƙafa [One must diversify].”

The driver told me that he knew many police officers on that way. That is why he is not frequently stopped at checkpoints. However, when we left Kontagora and before we reached Tegina, we were stopped at a checkpoint. When the police came, they greeted and cracked jokes. He asked the driver: “Babu kayanmu a motar nan [Are there our goods in the car]?” The driver said, “Eh, babu kayanku [Ye, there’s none].” I wasn’t interested in their discussion until I saw the police pointing at me, saying, “Wannan ba kayanmu ba ne [Is this not ours]?” The driver said, “A’a, wannan ɗan gari ne [No, he’s not].”

When we were allowed to pass, I asked the driver the meaning of “kaya [goods]” and why the police thought I was their “kaya [goods].” He said the police thought I was nomadic Fulani. A typical Fulani who did not attend school. Whenever a car is stopped at the checkpoint, they single out a Fulani man or woman and ask him or her to alight. They will be charged between 5k to 10k. If they fail to give, they will be framed as kidnappers or their informants. He said if only he had told the police that I was their “kaya”, I would have been made to give that amount of money.

By Allah, if it were someone that informed me of this, I wouldn’t have believed. But Wallahi, it happened to me. I was just saved by Allah, Who made the driver promptly intervene. I just can’t imagine myself refusing to give them that sum of money. I would have been left alone, and the network wasn’t friendly for calls. I would have been framed up as a kidnapper or their informant. Only Allah knows what would have happened to me. My sin was just that I am Fulani.

Indeed, there are criminals among Fulani. There are kidnappers and their informants among them as well. Many of these undesirable elements have committed heinous acts against innocent people and subjected sackless individuals to unnecessary throes and severe distress. They have successfully sacked many villages and murdered countless innocuous souls, thanks to the I-don’t-care attitude of the government. May these barbarous beasts get caught and euthanized. 

This piece is not, in any way, intended to strip them of their crimes. Even though there are bad eggs among them, there are also good ones. There are many responsible and peace-loving individuals among them. Imagine how many innocent Fulanis are stopped on a daily basis and robbed. How many of them are falsely charged as kidnappers without conviction. Some of them are even victims of the kidnapping and cattle rustling. What kind of justice is served?

This type of unjust profiling and more paved the way for these innocent people to join the malignant kidnapping infection. Many of these unethical practices and professional misconducts committed by a few greedy Ekuke parading themselves as police are not only apoptotic to the Nigeria Police Force but are also a threat to the peaceful coexistence of the country. The perpetrators of these heinous acts amongst the police must be investigated and brought to book.

Zakariyya Shu’aib Adam wrote from Sokoto.

By Musa Idris Panshekara

The first human being was created single. Then another creature was created from him. Later all generations were created from the two. Then they were all dispersed on the face of the earth. Some are black, some are yellow, some are tall, some are short while, some are medium, some are fat, and some are thin. All these differences were prescribed for us to contemplate God’s creatures and better interact with one another.

Allah said in the glorious Qur’an, “…the camels, mules and donkeys (were created) for travelling and luxury, and He creates (continuously) what you (companions of the prophet and we) would not know.”

Allah, the alpha and the omega, the omnipotent, the omniscience and the omnibenevolent, knows all that human beings need for their better survival on this globe. That is why He creates us and provides us with all we will rejoice in in our lives.

As a result of technological advancement, it makes life expedient. As a result, the world has become small, and what are remote are brought closer. However, the ubiquity of cell phones resulted in a constant increase in social media users, whereas social media helps get the world close to one another too. These platforms are; Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.

Some social media users utilise it in a meaningful manner, while others misuse and abuse it. The constant increase of users increase social media abuse. As a result, cybercrimes such as cyber fraud, phishing, social engineering, etc., also increase. On the other hand, some use it in a beneficial and meaningful manner, such as teaching and learning, mentorship, digital marketing, etc.

Some people think social media brings, helps, and contributes to spreading some acts of immoralities. In contrast, some condemn the entirety of social media and label it a means of spreading numerous immoralities in our society. Nevertheless, I can neither deny nor accept all the claims.

Let us scrutinise the following analogies;

The producer produces cups and sells them in the market; consumers buy. Some will use them to drink water and tea, while some will use them to drink intoxicant drinks and other alcoholic beverages, and some will even use them to feed others with poisonous drinks. Therefore, how could the cups be blamed for the above mentioned positive and negative uses? You use your cup and drink cool water or juice. What if I use mine for drinking poison and committing suicide? Whose fault is that? The cup? Never!

Moreover, medicines are made to cure diseases and illnesses, but some people use them otherwise. If a hacker uses a computer and commits malicious acts like fraud, phishing, or hacking someone’s device, whose fault is it? The hacker or the computer? Allah created the world and its contents (social amenities) for human beings to enjoy and perform their prescribed worships (for them to be rewarded in the Hereafter). If humans did not utilise the opportunities and provisions provided to them righteously, who would be blamed?

Social media is no different from the physical world in so many instances. There are friends and acquaintances, family and relatives, teachers and students, mentors and mentees, just like the physical world. But, despite all these, it does not prevent someone from doing what they desire to do on social media. Similarly, all the personalities mentioned above do not prevent someone from misbehaving in the physical world.

We should not call social media terrible or obnoxious. On the contrary, social media is innocuous itself operated by humans. Therefore, it should be considered as another world. In this manner, you would find many people of your ilk (if you are good or otherwise), despite some users portraying their mirror side like a “hyena shrouded with a goat’s skin”.

If you want to benefit from social media, minimise using numerous platforms (you must not be on all platforms). Choose the most important ones and leave the rest. When you are on the selected ones, follow or befriend those whom you will benefit from their educative posts and speeches. Block and unfriend or do not follow those who spread immoralities, whose posts are devoid of knowledge and wisdom.

Avoid engagement in any controversial trending topics, and always remember that those who created the platform you are using are not illiterate or uneducated. They did not make it for charity rather than as a source of income. Therefore, do not let yourself be distracted from whatever you know is important to you. Finally, always remember God watches over you. Whatever you are doing, everywhere you are.

Musa Idris Panshekara wrote from Kano via pmusaidris@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

A 100 level student at the Claretian University of Nigeria, Imo State, Suel Ambrose, slumped and died while acting in a drama on campus.

The incident that took place Friday has thrown the whole school community members into confusion.

The drama was in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in respect to the Easter celebration.

Ambrose, who hailed from Benue State, was dramatising the role of the biblical Peter in the Passion of Christ when the incident occurred.

According to the source, who identified himself as Mavis, the 25-year-old first-year student fell on the floor and started bleeding. 

It was gathered the deceased had the dream of becoming a priest in the Catholic church before his demise. 

He added, “He was playing the role of the biblical Peter in the dream and that process when Peter cut the ear of one of the soldiers and Jesus fixed the ear and asked Peter to let them do their wish. You know how passionate the play is.

“So when the soldiers chase the disciples to drive them away from Jesus, the young man fell on the floor and started bleeding. We took him to our school hospital, and the doctors did their best, but he was not responding to treatment. 

“We took him to the Federal Medical Center in Owerri, where he was pronounced dead.”

The drama was in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in respect to the Easter celebration.

By Ibrahim A. El-Caleel

Muslims across the world love to complete the recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan due to different reasons.

Firstly, it was within the blessed month that the Qur’ān was sent down all at one time from Al-Lauhul Mahfūz (the Preserved tablet) to Al-Baitul Izzah (House of Might) in the heaven of this world.

Secondly, actions in this month are rewarded in manifolds. Good deeds and bad deeds alike. Ramadan has a single night whose eminence is better than a thousand months- 83 years+. Imagine submitting an act of good deed in this night and getting it accepted. The reward will be awesome.

Reciting the Qur’an is an easy way of accumulating good rewards. It is rewarded per alphabet. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said it is a 10-fold reward per alphabet each recited. An Uthmāni script of the Qur’an contains 604 pages, with each page having 15 lines. The estimated number of characters/alphabets in the Qur’ān is 330,000. Therefore, if you calculate the anticipated number of rewards for reciting the whole Qur’ān, you’ll see that it is massive. The reward becomes exponentially colossal if you factor in the multiplier effect of Ramadan.

This is why scholars of Islam from all walks of disciplines retire to the Qur’ān once it is Ramadan. They momentarily suspend studies in Hadīth, Fiqh, I’tiqād, History to settle for the Qur’ān so as to maximize the benefits in Ramadan. Mujāhid bn Jabr, a tabi’i expert in Tafseer used to complete the Qur’ān in every night in Ramadan. Imamul Shafi’i would complete the Qur’an 60 times in Ramadan!

Every conscious Muslim is looking forward to completing the recitation of the Qur’ān in Ramadan. It is a “bonanza period” for you to double your good deeds and earn some handsome rewards in your Book of Record. This is why everyone works on a plan to complete the Qur’ān. I have seen different plans that divide the Qur’an into number of pages, or rubu’, hizb or juz which should be covered on daily basis to complete the Noble Book before Ramadan elapses. Some go as detailed as breaking it down to recitals after each of the five obligatory prayers on daily basis.

AlhamdulilLahi. All these are implementable plans if one has the discipline to sustain them.

However, I have never tried following them because I do not have the organized sustenance culture in reading. And in the near past, either in 2016 or 17, there was a Ramadan where I was unable to complete the Qur’ān. Though there was nothing sinful about that, I wasn’t happy. I could make only around 45hizbs, falling short of 15. And since then I settled for my own personal plan.

My personal plan afterwards was a resolution not to join Taraweeh prayers in congregation unless I have completed the Qur’ān. Therefore, in the early days of Ramadan, typically before 10th, I do my taraweeh alone at home. I would silence-mode my phone to avoid any distraction. I would then pray my taraweeh typically covering 6 hizbs daily, in either two or four raka’ahs depending on my selection. It typically lasts two hours, or with an additional 30 minutes. Of course, the standing isnt easy but nothing rewarding has ever been easy. So, I bear it. Immediately after completing this taraweeh, I fall asleep. Saving me from the addition of late night punching of my phone.

This plan has been working for me, AlhamdulilLah. I am not sharing it for a holier-than-thou extravaganza, subhanallah. May Allah protect our deeds from show-off, Amin. But I am sharing it because it might be a method someone would want to adopt, especially for workers who run an 8am to 5pm work. They might not have chance to read the Qur’an during work hours in the day. And they may be thinking of what other plan can they adopt since they want to complete this Noble Book.

You don’t have to be a Qur’an memorizer to adopt this method. All you need is this copy of the Mushaf that is usually divided by hizbs selections numbering 1-10 (6 hizbs each) or numbering 1-6 (10 hizbs each). They are portable for use in prayers. And if you want to use the Qur’an app in your phone, no problem. You might just consider putting your phone in ‘Airplane Mode’ to ward off distractions.

It is halāl (permissible) to pray while holding the Qur’ān according to the most correct scholarly opinion. This applies to everyone- whether they are Qur’ān memorizers or not. In fact, Imamul Nawawiy considers it wajib if one hasn’t memorized Suratul Fātiha, then he must hold a Qur’ān and pray because not having Suratul Fatiha in your human brain isn’t an excuse for you not to pray. Therefore, whether you have the Qur’an at heart or not, you can still recite from the mushaf while in prayers.

If Islamic scholars are suspending other fields of knowledge to complete the Qur’ān in Ramadan, you can suspend social media to do same. If you want to use your annual leave, casual leave or compassionate leave from work, then so be it. It worths doing all these.

May Allah grant us the ability to maximize our time in Ramadan, Amin.

El-Caleel writes from Zaria, Kaduna State

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari has been chastised for pardoning two former governors who were imprisoned for corruption.

Recall that on Thursday, the Council of State granted 159 convicts presidential pardons, according to reports.

Former governors of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, and Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, imprisoned for stealing N1.16 billion and N1.6 billion, respectively, were among the released convicts.

However, speaking at the 1st anniversary of late Afenifere’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin’s Lecture and Book Presentation, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), a human rights campaigner, encouraged the Federal Government to extend the presidential pardon to individuals serving sentences for minor offences. Falana argued that this would reflect fairness and equity for all.

“All petty thieves in our prisons should be released. Under Section 17 of the 1999 Constitution, there shall be equality and equal rights for all citizens.

“Section 42 of the Constitution says there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class and gender, so you cannot take out a few people on the basis that they belong to a category or section of the society.

“I can assure you that if the government did not release others, I am going to call on lawyers whose clients are left in custody to come to court and challenge the discriminatory treatment of their clients,” Mr Falana was partly quoted as saying.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Four abducted female students of the College of Health Science and Technology, Tsafe in Zamfara State, regained freedom Thursday, April 14, 2022.

The Deputy Provost of the college, Jamilu Lawal, made the disclosure, adding that the students were released unhurt. 

He added that the four female students had been taken to the hospital for medical screening.

The Daily Reality learnt that no ransom was paid to the bandits for the release of the students. 

The students were reportedly abducted last Tuesday night in Tsafe town.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Federal Government is in dialogue with the bandits that stormed and abducted many people in the Kaduna-Abuja train attack. 

The FG was said to have granted a discussion with the bandits for negotiation. 

Dr Jimoh Fatai, who has been designated as chairman of the group pressing for the release of their loved ones, made the disclosure. 

He stated that the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed while addressing the victims’ relatives, assured them that FG would save the victims.

The Daily Reality reported how bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train, killed eight persons, and abducted many passengers last month.

The bandits in a video threatened to kill all the victims if the federal government refused to negotiate with them.

However, a few days after the attack, the bandits released one of the abductees, Alwan Hassan, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BON).

Hassan was alleged to have paid the sum of N100 million as ransom.

By Abdullahi Abdullateef

A team of researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, says it has reviewed over 357 publications estimating 15.8% of the global population have a headache on any given day signifying the prevalence of headache worldwide.

This estimation is reported in a review of 357 publications from between 1961 and the end of 2021. The review was published in The Journal of Headache on Tuesday, 12th April, 2022.

Noting that the majority of publications reported in the review indicate the prevalance of headache among adults between 20 and 65. It also reports that children upto five years of age and adolescents suffered acute headache.

Similarly, the newswise.com reports that of the 357 publications reviewed, it has found that 52% of the global population have experienced a headache disorder within a given year, with 14% reporting a migraine. 26% percent reporting a tension-type headache and 4.6% reporting a headache for 15 or more days per month.

The Lead Author, Lars Jacob Stovner says: “Compared to our previous report and global estimates. The data does suggest that headaches and migraines rates may be increasing. What is clear is that overall,headache disorders are highly prevalent worldwide and can be a high burden.”

“It may also be of interest in future to analyse the different causes of headache that varied across groups to target prevention and treatment more effectively.”

Jacob adds that all the types of headache are more common in females than males most especially migraines.

Noting that there are 17 percent in females compared to 8.6% in males having headache for 15 or more days per month representing 6% in females compared to 2.9% in males.

He maintains that the majority of the publications reviewed reported from high income countries and gave recommendations that further investigation into middle and low-income countries would help present a more accurate estimation of prevalence of headache in the globe.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari.

Israel Occupation Forces have attacked the grand al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. 

The attack, which took place at the time of fajr prayer on Friday, April 14, 2022, left many injured. 

As reported by TRT World, Israel troops fired tear gas and stun grenades at worshipers inside the grand mosque. 

TRT World also reported that the Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service evacuated 67 injured people to the hospital early Friday morning.

According to the local news sources, about 200 worshipers were injured, and parts of the mosque and some properties were destroyed. 

The unfortunate attack on Palestinian Muslims, which is coming this time in the holy month of Ramadhan, has earned condemnation and backlash from many Muslims around the globe. 

A human rights activist, Zainab Chaudry, condemned the act on her verified Facebook account while posting the video of the assault. 

“This was a short while ago. Every Ramadhan [is] like clockwork. The assault on our beloved Al-Aqsa. On our brothers and sisters. The audacity. There will be justice; we know this iA [in sha Allah],” she wrote.