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By Uzair Adam

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has rejected the Federal Government’s plan to impose a 5% tax on petroleum products, describing the move as a “reckless act of economic wickedness.”

In a joint statement, TUC President Festus Osifo and Secretary General Nuhu Toro warned that the proposal would worsen the hardships already faced by Nigerians, many of whom are still grappling with the impact of fuel subsidy removal, soaring inflation, and the weakening naira.

They accused the government of deliberately compounding the suffering of citizens instead of providing relief, jobs, and economic stability.“Introducing another levy on petroleum products is to cripple businesses and push millions of Nigerians deeper into poverty.”

“Government cannot continue to use Nigerians as sacrificial lambs for its economic experiments. This is unacceptable,” the statement read.

The Federal Government had earlier defended the proposed tax, explaining that it would provide sustainable funding for road projects and help close the country’s infrastructure gaps.

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, noted that similar measures are already in place in more than 150 countries.

But the TUC has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to withdraw the plan or face nationwide industrial action.

“The TUC urges the Federal Government to immediately stop this anti-people’s plan in its entirety. “Failure to do so will leave us with no option but to mobilize Nigerian workers and the masses for total nationwide resistance,” the union warned.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A formal complaint has been lodged with the Police Service Commission (PSC) against the Commissioner of Police and other officers of the Kaduna State Command, alleging widespread unprofessional conduct and abuse of office.

The petition, authored by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, calls for an “immediate, impartial, and exhaustive investigation” into the officers’ activities. It alleges serial violations of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 and its regulations.

In the letter addressed to the Chairman of the PSC, El-Rufai stated he was motivated by a sense of duty as a citizen and former public servant. He highlighted his eight-year tenure as governor and expressed concern for the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force.

The former governor urged the Commission to exercise its constitutional and statutory powers to enforce discipline and promote ethical conduct within the force. The specific details of the alleged misconduct were not immediately disclosed in the petition’s introductory section.

The petition is expected to trigger a formal inquiry by the PSC into the operations of the Kaduna State Police Command under its current leadership.

By Isyaka Laminu Badamasi 

A few months ago, I wrote about the popular one-way routes in Bauchi metropolis, where I drew the attention of the relevant authorities to the need to address the unethical behaviours of some motorists and other road users who openly violate traffic regulations on our major roads and streets in the metropolis. To my dismay, the situation is worsening by the day. 

On my way to and from the office every day, I usually encounter frightening experiences at this junction, which has become a theatre for traffic violators, accidents, and altercations. People openly, without considering their safety or that of other road users, cross the road, either through a U-turn or a median. This is not peculiar to Keke Napep and Achaba riders, but also applies to cars, lorries, and trucks.

For months, I never witnessed the traffic warders or staff of the Bauchi Road Traffic Agency (BAROTA) working to avert the routine occurrences of road accidents at the junction. I’m not sure if this is another ‘new normal’ in our way of doing things. 

An Achaba rider once informed me that all these were a result of the ongoing flyover construction at the central market roundabout. He added that, “as soon as the project is completed, the traffic violation will be history”. Others believe that a roundabout should be constructed at the junction, as it is for the Bakaro-Shagari and Karofi junctions behind the Bauchi correctional facility. I’m not sure if this is possible.

Whatever the solution may be, I am appealing to the BAROTA, as a matter of public interest, to deploy a special team at the junction for 24-hour surveillance to ensure the safety of people’s lives and properties. Officers of the agency were always seen at the newly constructed Muda Lawal market road and/or under the Wunti flyover, arresting those who parked their vehicles incorrectly and Achaba riders; why is this junction neglected?

Recently, the Chairman, House Committee of Roads and Transport of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon Engr. Garba Adamu engaged officials of the agency to discuss some important issues. I’m not sure if this particular case is part of their discussion.

The media houses should also embark on rigorous sensitisation, thanks to Albarka Radio for taking the lead in this regard. Religious and traditional institutions, as well as youth groups, should also utilise their respective domains in preaching good morals, which include abiding by traffic rules and regulations. All the other places I mentioned in my earlier write-up are still dangerous. The Tashan Babiye and Bayam Bata communities should form a volunteer team to address this lingering issue.

The picture is from the internet.

Isyaka Laminu Badamasi is the Team Lead, Initiatives for Sustainable Development (I4SD).

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has dismissed the purported expulsion of Abdulmumin Jibrin, the lawmaker representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, describing the decision as null and void.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the party’s National Secretary, Oginni Sunday, said the announcement had no basis and was unauthorised.

He explained that the expulsion was announced by Hashim Dungurawa, a former state chairman who had earlier been removed from the party.

Describing the action as a “joke taken too far,” Sunday questioned how someone who is no longer a member could claim authority to expel a sitting legislator.

Citing an April 2, 2025 judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court and a ruling from an Abia State High Court, Sunday maintained that Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, along with others including Dungurawa, had already been expelled from the NNPP and therefore lacked the legal standing to act on the party’s affairs.

According to him, Jibrin’s decision not to align with Kwankwaso’s faction provoked the Kwankwasiyya movement, which allegedly tried to weaken his political relevance in retaliation.

Sunday also cautioned that Governor Abba Yusuf’s loyalty to Kwankwaso could endanger the NNPP’s control of Kano State in the 2027 governorship election.

He said, “One of the smartest ways for Yusuf to secure a win in Kano in 2027 is to travel to Lagos and tender an apology to the party’s founder and leadership.”

Jibrin, who previously served as the Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group and played a significant role in fostering ties between the APC and the NNPP, was accused by the Kano State chapter of engaging in anti-party activities and defaulting on financial obligations.

Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Jibrin said he received the news of his removal as “a rude shock,” insisting that the interview he granted in English and Hausa, which the party cited as evidence, was in line with NNPP’s principles.

He added, “I strongly believe the contents of the interview should not warrant such a heavy penalty.

“No invitation was extended to me to defend myself before any organ of the party. Even under a military dictatorship, an accused is subjected to a court-martial.”

On the allegation that he had not paid his dues, the lawmaker rejected the claim and challenged the party to issue him an invoice, promising to pay once it is presented.

He further criticised the NNPP’s leadership, saying, “The party does not believe anybody has political value or deserves respect at various levels.”

By Oladoja M.O

“A dive into the political paralysis killing public health”

In the long and winding corridors of Nigeria’s national challenges, the health sector stands as one of the most visibly bruised, chronically neglected, and systemically under-prioritised. Yet, beyond the crumbling hospitals and overworked health workers lies a more insidious diagnosis: politics. Not politics in its ideal form, the noble art of governance, but the brand that manifests in distraction, dereliction, and dead ends. It is this politicisation, or rather, the wrong kind of political influence, that has become the biggest ailment afflicting Nigeria’s health system today. And until it is addressed, no number of policies, international partnerships, or ministerial press briefings will revive the sector to its full potential.

Let’s begin with a case study, a hopeful one that has slowly started to mirror the very problem it tried to solve.

When Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate was appointed Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare in August 2023, many saw a breath of fresh air. He came armed with credentials, experience, and, perhaps most importantly, energy. Within months, the sector began to stir with renewed ambition.

Under his leadership, Nigeria launched its first Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, signed a landmark Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) compact with states and partners, and injected ₦50 billion into the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF), which was double the amount released in the previous year. Over 2,400 health workers were recruited and deployed across underserved areas. Primary healthcare facilities that had long been mere consulting rooms began to see improvements in personnel and reach. Vaccination efforts soared. 

A nationwide HPV rollout vaccinated nearly 5 million girls, and the long-awaited Oxford R21 malaria vaccine arrived on Nigerian soil. The government pursued a policy to unlock the healthcare value chain, drafting executive orders to encourage local pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce import dependency. Even the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) was repositioned, expanding coverage through the Vulnerable Group Fund, while a national patient safety strategy was launched to bring quality and accountability into focus. All signs pointed to a government that was, finally, taking health seriously. But then, as quickly as the fire had been lit, it began to dim.

But from early 2025, a silence began to creep over the very desk that once signed reforms with urgency. Policy announcements grew fewer. Major rollouts dried up. The energy that had defined Pate’s first year slowly receded into a void of political undertones. And then came the whispers, and then confirmations of a new ambition: governorship in Bauchi State. Pate, by his own words in March 2025, declared himself “ready to serve” in his home state come 2027. From that moment on, what had been a robust health sector agenda began to take a back seat to the shifting winds of political alignment.

The problem isn’t ambition. It’s a distraction. A Coordinating Minister of Health in a country where maternal mortality is one of the highest in the world, where millions still pay out-of-pocket for even the most basic care, and where health infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of neglect, simply cannot afford to be half-present. This is the heart of the issue: politics has become both the gatekeeper and the grave-digger of Nigeria’s health potential.

For decades, well-meaning reforms have died at the altar of “lack of political will.” Budgets are approved, but rarely fully released. Policies are launched, but implementation fizzles out under new administrations. Health is often treated as a social service, rather than a critical pillar of economic development. Politicians are quicker to commission a white elephant hospital in a state capital than to strengthen the rural primary health centres where lives are quietly and daily lost.

And when leadership does finally begin to show some will, as Pate briefly did, the ever-thirsty machinery of Nigerian politics lures it away. This, perhaps, is the cruellest irony: politics that should drive public health, instead devours it.

The Nigerian public, meanwhile, remains largely unaware of how deeply entangled their health is with political decisions. Health issues are often viewed as isolated, with a bad hospital here and an unavailable drug there, rather than as symptoms of a larger systemic failure driven by poor governance, poor prioritisation, and a lack of sustained leadership.

We cannot continue to treat the health sector as an afterthought or a public relations prop. Health is not a photo opportunity. It is not a campaign gift or a once-in-a-quarter press release. It is a right, and more than that, it is the foundation for national development. No country has risen out of poverty, no economy has truly grown, without first investing heavily in the health of its people.

So, here’s the truth we must face: until Nigerian politics stops viewing health as just another item on a manifesto’s checklist and starts seeing it as a cornerstone of national survival, we will continue to spin our wheels. Ministers will come and go. Budgets will be announced and unspent. And the average Nigerian will continue to suffer preventable deaths, unaffordable care, and unattended illness.

The solution lies not only in leadership, but also in the voice of citizens, civil society, professionals, the media, and everyday people, who demand more than shallow commitments. We must demand that health be taken seriously, institutionally. That it be enshrined not just in words but in political action, protected from the cycles of campaign season, ego projects, and elective distractions. In this moment, we are witnessing a perfect case study of how even a promising leader can be lost to the lure of political pursuits. 

If Dr. Ali Pate, arguably one of Nigeria’s most qualified health minds, could be drawn away from a national assignment to a regional ambition, it speaks volumes about the fragility of reform when politics remains unchecked.

This article, then, is not just a critique. It is a call to consciousness. A call for the government to return to the trenches of national responsibility. A call for health to be declared not just a service, but a strategic national priority. A call for the public to realise that the decaying hospital they see is not just a facility issue, but a political problem. And it demands a political solution.

Let us stop treating the symptoms. Let us diagnose the root. And let us finally begin to treat politics as the virus silently killing Nigeria’s health system.

Oladoja M.O writes from Abuja and can be reached at mayokunmark@gmail.com.

By Anwar Usman

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria has announced a three-day forewarning of suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products commencing from the early hours of Tuesday.

The National President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, in a statement issued on Sunday, said the forewarning on suspension of dispensing petroleum products was in advocacy for healthy competition as against any form of monopoly in the sector.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers had announced that its members would commence a nationwide strike from Monday, September 8.

The strike is in protest against what it described as anti-union labour practices, linked to the deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas trucks by the Dangote Refinery, for direct distribution of petroleum products.

Dangote’s programme on direct distribution of petroleum products to end users aimed at eliminating logistics costs, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting sustainability, and supporting Nigeria’s economic development.

The president reiterated that the action of NUPENG would be both lawful and peaceful, highlighting the association’s commitment to promoting workers’ rights and benefits through constructive engagement.

He added that, “PETROAN underscores its commitment to advancing the interests of Nigerian citizens in the pricing stability of the petroleum sector and promoting a stable and productive industry”.

He called on President Bola Tinubu, Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), and the Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to intervene in the proposed actions of NUPENG and PETROAN.

He also urged the Group CEO of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Director-General of DSS, and the Inspector General of Police to intervene urgently in the actions.

The intervention, he said, would avert potential hardship and pain on citizens arising from the suspension of lifting and dispensing of petroleum products.He appealed to the president to find a solution to the crisis and ensure the smooth operation of the oil and gas sector to minimise disruptions to the nation’s economy.

Gillis-Harry further said that pump attendants at PETROAN-member filling stations were equally registered members of NUPENG, hence, the strike by NUPENG would mean these attendants would be absent from duty.

He warned filling station owners not to discipline or sack any pump attendant who would be absent from duty until the end of the strike.

By Ibrahim Aisha

In the Chiranci ward of Kumbotso Local Government Area in Kano, the term “sore throat” has taken on a chilling significance. For Iya Yani, a mother of eight, it was the phrase that cost her daughter her life.

“She only said her throat was hurting,” Iya Yani recalled with tears. “Neighbours told me it was nothing, just harmattan. By the time I took her to the hospital, she could no longer breathe. She died before they could help her, and the doctor blamed my ignorance “.

Iya Yani’s heartbreaking loss is part of a broader tragedy unfolding far and wide in the Kumbotso Local Government Area, a tragedy that statistics and government reports can hardly mitigate. 

Diphtheria, a disease preventable by vaccine, continues to claim the lives of children in this community, some due to financial constraints, misleading rumours and even Ignorance.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by the exotoxin-producing bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. While the disease can affect individuals of all age groups, Unimmunised children are particularly at risk. There is no World Health Organisation (WHO) region that is completely free of diphtheria globally.

The Facts Behind the Grief

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s (CDC) situation report from May 2025, Nigeria recorded 30 confirmed cases and three deaths in the first few months of the year. By July 2025, Premium Times reported that Kano State alone had logged 18,284 confirmed infections and 860 deaths, making it the most affected state in Nigeria. 

According to the World Health Organisation, from 9th May 2022 to 25 October 2023, 15,569 suspected diphtheria cases have been reported across Nigeria, 547 of whom have died. 

As of October 2023, the World Health Organisation disbursed US$1.3 million for the response to enhance key outbreak control measures, including disease surveillance, laboratory testing, contact tracing, case investigation and treatment, training, as well as collaborating with communities to support the response efforts. 

With support from the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, Kano State carried out three phases of reactive routine immunisation campaigns in February, April, and August 2023, using the combination tetanus-diphtheria and pentavalent vaccines.

Almost 75,000 zero-dose children under the age of two received the first dose of the pentavalent vaccine, while around 670,000 eligible children (4‒14 years) were vaccinated with the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine in 18 high-burden local government areas in Kano state.

 Health Reporters revealed in July 2025 that Chiranci of Kumbotso local government is one of the wards with the highest number of “zero-dose” children – those who have never received a single vaccine. In such a setting, diphtheria spreads rapidly, and misinformation intensifies the situation. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Patients who were not vaccinated had more than double the likelihood of death compared to fully vaccinated individuals.

When rumours mislead and ignorance lies 

Many parents from different areas of Kumbotso Local Government Area admit they delayed immunisation due to prevalent rumours. 

When his seven-year-old brother, Jubrin, was diagnosed with diphtheria in July 2023, Aminu had never heard of the disease, the outbreak of which had claimed more than 500 lives in Nigeria.

Safiya Mohammed, a mother of two, residing in the Kumbotso Local Government Area, a hotspot for diphtheria in Kano State, ensured her children were vaccinated.

“I had never heard of diphtheria,” Safiya said. “I don’t want my children or those in the neighbourhood to fall sick or die from the disease. To protect my children, I also need to make sure the children they play with are protected.”

 Fatima Umar, a resident of Dan Maliki and a nursing mother, confessed, “I heard the injection would make my baby sick, so I waited. Then he fell ill. The hospital told us it was diphtheria. He died before I even understood what that word meant.”

Usman Sani, a husband and resident of Taku Mashi, shared a similar regret: “My wife complained of her throat and her not being able to swallow food properly. I thought it was just a sore throat”.He added that by the time his wife was taken to the hospital, it was already too late.

For Zainab Ibrahim, a mother at Chiranci Primary, the battle against diphtheria has been both long and personal. In early 2025, her daughter, Halima, nearly lost her life to the disease. “She could not breathe,” Zainab recalled. 

My daughter said she finds it difficult to yawn properly, and her throat hurts a lot when she swallows saliva. My neighbours kept saying I should use garlic to make tea for her. I started, but noticed there was no progress, as my daughter could not breathe one night. My husband was away, so I called him in the morning and told him I was going to the hospital. As soon as I arrived at the hospital, she was diagnosed and a file was opened for her. The doctor administered drugs and told us to return after two weeks for an operation.

Zainab further mentioned that her daughter survived. “But the scar on her neck serves as a constant reminder of how close I came to burying her.”

At a local Islamic school at Dorayi Chiranci primary, the head of the school, Malam Andullahi Abubakar Jabbi,informed that many of his students died during the outbreak of diphtheria. It started small, then it became alarming when 3 siblings died within the interval of not less than a week.

” Many students stopped coming, and parents phoned to know what was happening. We had to close down the school for some period of time to avoid the spread of the disease,” said Malam Abdullahi.

Bala Dahiru, a resident of Dorayi Yan Lalle, narrated that it was due to financial constraints that he almost lost his only daughter’s life to diphtheria.

What Kumbotso teaches Nigeria 

Diphtheria is preventable. The World Health Organisation affirms that vaccination offers nearly complete protection against the disease. Yet in many areas of Kumbotso, many mothers continue to rely on neighbours’ advice rather than the guidance of health officials. Health workers, such as Lawan Ibrahim Ahmad, the Primary Health Care Coordinator for Chiranchi Primary Health Care, have repeatedly stated that without a steady supply and consistent funding, “it is impossible to reach every child in every home.”

The tragedy of Kumbotso illustrates that diphtheria is not merely a medical issue; it reflects broken trust, inadequate systems, and misinformation that can kill as swiftly as the bacteria themselves.

A Call to Protect Children

The stories emerging serve as a dire warning. Unless vaccination coverage improves, more families will mourn children lost to a disease that the world already knows how to prevent.

Iya Yani’s daughter should not have died from what she thought was a mere sore throat. Halima should not bear the scar on her neck just to breathe. Fatima should not have lost her son to a disease that belongs in the past.

This grief mirrors our collective failure. Until we take action, every cough in this community will reverberate with fear: Could this be the next case of diphtheria?

By Ukasha  Kofarnassarawa 

Basic education in public schools in Kano State is approaching its graveyard, where it will be laid to rest sooner than expected. This is why a larger portion of the population manages to enrol their children in private schools. Only those who are economically gasping for breath can barely afford to send their kids to the rotten public school system. 

It has reached a stage where teachers and principals of public schools also send their children to private schools. Just as medical doctors who own private hospitals, many academics who earn a salary from the Ministry of Education also own private schools. The recent whistleblowing, led by Dan Bello, to expose the dysfunction of our public schools, is not surprising to those who have invested heavily in the state of our public schools. 

However, Dan Bello is only addressing one aspect of the problem, which is infrastructural decay. There are many other problems, including incompetent teachers, a lack of proper supervision, and the anti-intellectual behaviour of teachers who attend school at their convenience. You will hear a school teacher who is supposed to be in school from 7:30 am to 2 pm every working day say that he only comes to school twice a week. 

Whatever Dan Bello’s intention is in exposing the situation, I believe it’s for the betterment of the state, especially since the governor has started responding to the problem. 

We acknowledge how the previous administration abandoned public schools, sold their land to develop houses and build corner shops, and shut down many. However, this is not the time for blame games; it’s time to revive the state of our education. And that’s one of the reasons why the state indigenes voted them out and gave this administration the chance to govern.

As I extracted this from the Facebook page of the Director-General of the Kano Bureau of Statistics, he wrote: “The attached chart presents estimated statistics on the total number of public primary and secondary schools in Kano, excluding new ones currently under construction. There are approximately 9,136 public primary and secondary schools across the state. 

Based on assessments, if 70 per cent of these schools are dilapidated and require renovation, that would mean about 6,395 schools need repair. At a rate of 100 schools renovated per month, it would take approximately 64 months, or 5 years and 4 months, to fully address the problem. So, it is unrealistic to expect that all dilapidated schools can be fixed within such a short timeframe of two years.”

This chilled my blood and set me thinking about the quickest and most realistic way to revive our education. I arrived at the following conclusions:

Since it will take us approximately 5 years to address the infrastructural decay alone, how many years would it take us to address the human capital problem? To improve the situation, I propose the following:

1. The government should establish six mega schools (3 secondary schools and three primary schools) that are fully equipped. This can be developed within a one-year calendar (the NWU senate building was built in less than a year, so it’s feasible). Each school should accommodate at least 1,000 students and make it the standard, as Day Science, Dawakin Tofa, and Dawakin Kudu used to be. These schools have produced some of the best medical doctors, engineers, and teachers, who have made us proud, even on the international stage.

2. Employ well-trained teachers and develop a system that can measure their performance. Why do public school teachers who earn at least ₦70,000 (considering the minimum wage) fail to teach their students effectively, while those in private schools who earn ₦30,000 or less perform far better? It’s a supervisory issue. In private schools, teachers are monitored and appraised. Let’s inculcate this culture in the newly established schools.

3. There’s no such thing as free education in those schools! Let parents/guardians pay. At least the school can earn an income for maintenance. 

If this idea is fully implemented, by 2031, when we expect to have addressed the infrastructural decay as stated above, the state would have produced at least 5,000 high-quality graduates who can compete with their private counterparts.

By Anas Abbas

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has condemned the killing of 58 civilians and five soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents in Darajamal, a community in Bama Local Government Area.

Zulum, who visited the community on Saturday, expressed deep grief over the attack, which occurred on Friday night.

He sympathized with the families of the victims and assured residents of government’s commitment to strengthening security.

“We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad,” the governor told journalists.

“This community was resettled only a few months ago, and people had returned to their normal activities. Unfortunately, they have now suffered another Boko Haram attack.”

Confirming the casualty figures, the governor disclosed that 63 persons were killed, including nearly 60 civilians and five soldiers. He stressed the urgent need to complement the efforts of the military with the newly trained Forest Guards.

“The numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere,” Zulum noted. “So far, two sets of Forest Guards have been trained. Deploying them to vulnerable communities and forests will go a long way in preventing further attacks.”

Also reacting, Senator Kaka Lawan of Borno Central, whose constituency covers Darajamal, condemned the killings, describing the attack as a crime against humanity.

He pledged legislative support to Governor Zulum’s efforts to restore lasting peace in the state.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

In an act of interfaith solidarity, prominent Christian leaders joined tens of thousands of Muslims in Kaduna to celebrate Maulud, marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

The General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru, and church elders were special guests at the main event held at the Murtala Mohammed Square.

Pastor Buru used the platform to extend congratulations to major Islamic leaders across Nigeria and to deliver a lecture on peace.

He emphasized that his participation was a key part of ongoing efforts to strengthen relations between the two faiths and foster national unity.

“Maulud celebrations offer a golden opportunity for Christians and Muslims to meet, interact, dialogue, and exchange goodwill messages,” Buru stated.

“It’s a platform to promote religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.”

He noted that his church reciprocates by welcoming Muslims during Christmas celebrations for the birth of Jesus Christ, adding that Prophet Muhammad is a messenger for all humanity.

Highlighting practical acts of unity, Pastor Buru recalled a Muslim woman, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, who donated 100 Bibles to his church and supports his humanitarian efforts for widows and orphans.

In response, Muslim scholars praised the gesture. Sheikh Iliyasu Husaine, representing Jama’atul Nasrul Islam (JNI) in Kaduna, emphasized the importance of forgiveness and love, noting he had also attended Christmas services at Pastor Buru’s church.

The event saw a massive turnout, with thousands of Muslims from all 23 local government areas of Kaduna participating in parades and Qur’anic recitations.

Officials expressed hope that such collaboration would continue to pave the way for lasting peace in the region.