News

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested two men over the alleged vandalism of a streetlight cable in Gwaram Local Government Area and an electrical transformer in Auyo Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Dutse on Sunday.

According to Adam, the first suspect, identified as Aminu Musa, 38, of New Gwaram Town, was arrested on September 25, 2026, for allegedly cutting the armoured cable of a streetlight.

He said Musa, who operated a generator used to power streetlights in the area, was caught by police officers while allegedly committing the offence.

“The suspect, who is an operator of a streetlight generator in the area, was arrested by police operatives while committing the act.”

Adam said the suspect was taken to the police station, while officers visited the scene and recovered relevant exhibits.

He added that preliminary investigations were conducted before the case was forwarded to court for prosecution.

In a separate incident, police received information on September 29 that residents of Ayan village in Auyo Local Government Area had apprehended another suspect over the alleged vandalism of a transformer.

The suspect, identified as Laminu Sha’aibu, 26, from Gumusuwa village in Kafin Hausa Local Government Area, was reportedly arrested at Maskangayu village in Auyo with dismantled transformer coils.

According to the police spokesperson, the suspect was at risk of being lynched by an angry mob when officers arrived at the scene.

Adam said the officers rescued him and took him to the nearest primary healthcare centre for medical attention. He was treated and later discharged, while the vandalised transformer was recovered.

“During the investigation, the suspect stated that he had spent three nights dismantling the transformer without being detected,” Adam said.

The police said investigations were conducted to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged offences and determine whether other individuals were involved.

Adam confirmed that both cases had been charged before the appropriate court for prosecution.

He also quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijjani Murtala, as commending members of the public whose information helped the police apprehend the suspects.

The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities, particularly attempts to damage electricity installations, streetlights and other public infrastructure.

He assured residents that the command would continue to work with communities and relevant stakeholders to protect public property and ensure that those responsible for offences were brought to justice.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

Kano State Polytechnic gets Malam Magaji Rabi’u Garun-Danga as its new Registrar, following the approval of his appointment by Kano state governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf. The appointment takes effect from September 16, 2026.

The appointment was conveyed in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim. Garun-Danga, who previously served as Deputy Registrar in charge of Human Resources at the Polytechnic, succeeds Alhaji Mukhtar Ibrahim Bello, whose tenure has ended.

The new Registrar brings administrative experience and professional expertise to the position, having served in various capacities within the institution. His appointment is expected to support the effective administration and continued development of the Polytechnic.

In a congratulatory message, the Rector, Dr. Abubakar Umar Farouk, FCA, on behalf of the Governing Council, Management, staff and students, congratulated Garun-Danga on his appointment. He also commended the outgoing Registrar for his contributions to the institution and wished him success in his future endeavours.

The Polytechnic community also expressed appreciation to Governor Yusuf for appointing a successor from within the institution, describing the decision as recognition of the experience and professional capacity of its existing workforce.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A University of Ilorin lecturer, Chief Elijah Olorunsuwa, has alleged that he feared for his life while in police custody after officers arrested him over a WhatsApp post about a road project in Kogi State.

Olorunsuwa, who teaches in the Department of Political Science, said he signed a retraction of the post under pressure because he feared remaining in custody after learning about the deaths of miners in a Civil Defence cell in Minna.

In an interview with PUNCH, the lecturer recounted how 8 policemen arrived at his residence at about 5 am and said they had come to arrest him.

According to him, the officers initially claimed they would take him to the Kwara State Police Command, but later diverted towards Kogi State.

He said a female officer first knocked on his gate and asked to see his wife before telling them that her superior wanted to see him.

Olorunsuwa said one of the officers identified himself as a policeman from the Kogi State Command and informed him that he was under arrest. When he asked about the alleged offence, the officer reportedly told him that he would receive the explanation at the command.

The lecturer said he initially followed the officers in his car after they assured him that they were taking him to the police command. They stopped at an office in Eyenkorin, where nobody was present.

He said he insisted on seeing the arrest warrant and contacted his lawyer, who advised him not to proceed without seeing the document.

Olorunsuwa said the officers later persuaded him to join their vehicle after promising that the warrant would be shown to him at the state headquarters.

However, he alleged that they changed direction and headed towards Kogi State instead.

“I told them, “This is not what you said.” They said they had decided to take me to Kogi. At that point, I knew I had been taken away under false pretences. I felt I had been kidnapped.”

He said the uncertainty over his destination prompted him to contact close associates and ask them to publicise his arrest, which he attributed to Commander Jerry Omodara.

The lecturer eventually arrived in Lokoja, where he was served with a copy of the petition against him.

The petition, according to Olorunsuwa, concerned a WhatsApp message he posted on a community platform about the poor condition of the Kabba-Okehi-Oleluke road, which he said had remained in a deplorable state for more than 10 years.

He explained that he had shared information attributed to the managing director of a Federal Government agency, who allegedly told him that the World Bank had approved funding for the road project. He also said the information identified James Faleke as the person who facilitated the project, with the Kogi State Government expected to provide counterpart funding.

Olorunsuwa said Omodara, the Kogi State Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, subsequently asked him to remove the post and warned that he could face legal action if he refused.

The lecturer said he responded that Omodara could approach the court if he believed an offence had been committed.

He alleged that the petition accused him of cybercrime for sharing what it described as misleading information about the road project’s funding and asked the police to arrest and prosecute him.

Olorunsuwa said he was surprised by the complaint because he believed he had shared information from a source that had also appeared on blogs.

Although he eventually withdrew the post, the lecturer said the decision was not voluntary.

He alleged that police officers made the retraction a condition for his release on bail. He initially resisted but changed his mind after hearing reports about the deaths of miners in a Civil Defence cell in Minna.

The incident, he said, heightened his fears about his safety while detained outside his home state.

Olorunsuwa maintained that the retraction was obtained under duress and that he signed it because he wanted to leave custody.

He also described the arrest as traumatic for his family, particularly his wife, who first encountered the officers when they arrived at the residence before dawn.

The lecturer said the most troubling aspect of the incident was the alleged difference between what the officers told him about his destination and where they eventually took him.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Kano State Police Command has returned 2 recovered vehicles, an orange Vibe car and an ash-coloured Haojue motorcycle, to their respective owners after confirming their ownership.

The command announced the handover in a statement issued on Friday by its Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.

According to the police, officers recovered the vehicles through intelligence-led operations before handing them over to their owners at the command headquarters in Bompai, Kano, following the necessary checks.

“The vehicles were recovered through intelligence-led operations and handed over to their owners at the command headquarters in Bompai, Kano, after the necessary verification and documentation,” the statement said.

The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the police for recovering their property and praised the officers for their efforts.

Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori congratulated the owners and said the operation reflected the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu.

“The policing vision emphasises the protection of lives and property, restoration of stolen property to victims of crime, and building public trust through transparent and accountable service delivery,” the statement said.

Bakori reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents and their property across the state.

“The Command remains resolutely committed to making Kano State safe and secure,” the commissioner said.

He also assured the public that the police would return recovered stolen items to their rightful owners after proper verification.

“The Command will ensure that all recovered stolen properties are returned to their legitimate owners after due verification,” the statement added.

The command advised anyone seeking information about recovered property to contact the investigating police officer on 08140081608 or visit the office of the police public relations officer at the Bompai Police Headquarters.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Some universities in the United Kingdom have withdrawn admission offers to Nigerian students and other international applicants amid stricter visa rules introduced by the British government.

The affected offers were reportedly revoked mainly during the first half of 2026, with Nigerian and Pakistani applicants among those most affected by the changes.

A report by the Financial Times on Saturday cited a study that found that 10.5 per cent of UK study visa applications were withdrawn during the period, compared with 2.3 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025 and 0.4 per cent in 2023.

“Universities are revoking offers en masse made to international applicants from countries including Nigeria and Pakistan as they fear the UK government’s visa crackdown will result in a ban on their recruiting international students,” the report stated.

The publication said universities were withdrawing offers partly in response to a sharp rise in study visa refusals by the UK Home Office during the first 6 months of 2026.

For Nigerian applicants, the proportion of study visa applications withdrawn rose to 22.7 per cent in the first half of 2026, compared with 4.5 per cent during the same period in 2025.

“While visa applications can be withdrawn for other reasons, universities said the main driver had been an increase in their revoking offers,” it added.

According to the report, the increase in visa refusals was linked to concerns among British authorities that some applicants were using the student visa route to seek asylum in the country.

Data from visa processing firm Enroly indicated that nearly half of UK universities had visa refusal rates above the 5 per cent threshold, a level that could expose them to restrictions on recruiting international students.

The tightening rules have also raised concerns about the financial and operational consequences for universities that depend on international student enrolment.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, Sir David Bell, said the institution had adjusted its recruitment approach in response to the tougher visa environment.

“This has involved pulling back from international markets where a tougher approach is being taken to visa applications”.

Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of University Alliance, which represents 20 professional and technical universities, warned that the changes could have wider consequences for the sector.

“This is going to result in restructures, which inevitably result in job losses, course closures, campus closures”.

The developments could create further uncertainty for Nigerian students planning to study in the UK, as universities seek to reduce the risk of visa refusals and potential restrictions on international recruitment.

By Sabiu Abdullah

An Enugu court has sentenced a 34-year-old man, Ejike Nnam, to 8 years in prison for conspiracy and robbery after he pleaded guilty to snatching an iPhone XR worth ₦240,000 from a woman in Enugu.

The Enugu State Police Command announced the conviction in a statement issued on Saturday by its Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, on the command’s official Facebook page.

According to the police, Nnam, who reportedly resides in an unfinished building at Nkpokiti, Enugu, snatched the phone from the victim along Bisalla Road at about 8 pm on October 8, 2026, with the assistance of an accomplice who remains at large.

The statement said officers arrested Nnam shortly after the incident and arraigned him before the Enugu North Magistrate Court the following day.

“On October 8, 2026, at about 8 p.m., Ejike Nnam (male, aged 34), a resident of an unfinished building at Nkpokiti, Enugu, allegedly snatched an iPhone XR valued at N240,000 from a female victim along Bisalla Road, Enugu, alongside an accomplice who remains at large.

“Nnam was promptly arrested and arraigned the following day before the Enugu North Magistrate Court, where he pleaded guilty and was convicted. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and five years for robbery, with both sentences to run concurrently.”

The command also reported a separate case involving a 29-year-old man, Richard Chukwuma, who was arrested over the alleged theft of a bottle of Jameson Green Whisky worth ₦30,150 from a supermarket in Enugu.

Police said Chukwuma was arrested at about 6:50 pm on October 7. During interrogation, he reportedly admitted to stealing 15 bottles of the same whisky from the supermarket on an earlier occasion.

He was arraigned on October 9, 2026, and remanded at the Enugu Correctional Centre.

The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the Chief Magistrate for the speedy conclusion of the phone-snatching case and called for the timely handling of other police cases before courts across the state.

The command said prompt judicial proceedings could strengthen public confidence in the justice system and support crime prevention.

By Hadiza Abdulkadir


The name of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has been omitted from the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), prompting concerns among his supporters in Gombe State.

In a statement dated October 10, 2026, Professor Suleiman Mohammed Gombe said Pantami’s name was missing from the list following a fresh Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election held on September 29, reportedly ordered by the Federal High Court.

Gombe assured supporters that the omission was a temporary setback, adding that the candidate’s legal and liaison teams were engaging with relevant party organs and INEC to secure a resolution within the period allowed by law.

He urged members of the PDP and the Pantamiyya Movement to remain calm and continue their mobilisation, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved.

The statement did not specify the reasons for the omission or provide further details of the ongoing legal engagements.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa has advocated the use of mosques as centres for youth rehabilitation, scholarship programmes and other community development initiatives beyond congregational prayers.

Daurawa made the remarks during a sermon at the opening of a newly built mosque in Funtua, Katsina State, on Friday.

He said mosques could play a greater role in addressing social challenges, including drug addiction and other vices among young people, while also supporting educational opportunities and other initiatives that benefit the community.

He further suggested that mosques could contribute to political participation by sponsoring or endorsing candidates during elections.

The cleric’s remarks have highlighted the potential of mosques to serve as centres of worship and platforms for social welfare, education and community engagement.

However, questions remain about why many mosques have yet to adopt such initiatives, particularly when some struggle to adequately support the people responsible for their daily operations.

In a reflection on the issue, a social commentator, Dr. Muhsin Ibrahim, recounted speaking with the muezzin of a major mosque in Kano, who reportedly earns a monthly salary of ₦10,000, reduced to ₦9,500 after bank charges.

The muezzin also shares the money with his assistant, who lives near the mosque and calls worshippers to the Fajr prayer.

The mosque, located near an old, large market in Kano Municipal and surrounded by shops, reportedly struggles to provide adequate remuneration for its staff, raising concerns about its capacity to support wider community initiatives.

Dr. Muhsin argued that imams and muezzins also have families to support and bills to pay, including rent, yet their welfare is often neglected while they are expected to perform their duties consistently.

The reflection called for a reassessment of how mosques are managed, beginning with improved welfare for those who maintain them and extending to broader support for worshippers and community members.

It also stressed that constructing a mosque should not be the end of the effort, noting that maintaining the facility and ensuring it serves the needs of the community are equally important.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to launch his campaign for re-election in the 2027 general elections in Kaduna on October 24, according to Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.

Yari announced the date on Friday after briefing Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on preparations for the campaign.

He said the President had requested an update on the council’s readiness and discussions on the proposed schedule of campaign visits across the country.

Yari said the campaign council’s inaugural meeting would hold on October 14 at the State House Banquet Hall, ahead of the Kaduna rally.

He announced, “By God’s grace, his team, I, and Mr President himself, we have agreed on how it’s going to be done.

“We have put forward a proposal. The inaugural meeting [of the campaign council] is going to be done on the 14th of this month. That’s next Wednesday at the State House banquet hall, and by God’s grace, on the 24th of October, we’re going to do our flag-off campaign in Kaduna, inshallah.

“Then we outlined our state visits to each and every place where we will go, and the President has approved them. So we are going to hit the ground running by the 24th of October, inshallah.”

According to Yari, Port Harcourt in Rivers State and Maiduguri in Borno State will be among the campaign’s next destinations after Kaduna.

He said the full itinerary would be made public following the council’s inauguration.

“We have the timetable, and we are going to make it available after the inauguration. But this has all been understood and approved by the team of Mr President and I,” he said.

Defending Tinubu’s prospects against opposition challengers, Yari argued that the President’s political influence and past support for other politicians would work in his favour.

“We are talking of the President of the country, and this President, who, by God’s grace, Almighty God used him to support Atiku some time back, and at the same time to support Peter Obi.

“So if Allah uses me to support you, there is no way Allah will use you to bring me down,” he said.

Yari also maintained that a presidential candidate needed substantial support in both northern and southern Nigeria to win the election.

He questioned whether opposition candidates had enough political control across the two regions to defeat the incumbent.

“Can the ADC candidate today in the southern part of the country beat his chest and say he has control of one state in the South? And I don’t think Peter Obi, who used to be my colleague, can beat his chest. Can he say he has control of one state in northern Nigeria?

“So this calculation shows us that even if you have control of 80 per cent of the South, if you don’t have anything in the North, you cannot make it.

“If you have 80 per cent of control of the North, if you don’t have any state in the South, you can’t make it, and that’s what it is.”

Citing former President Muhammadu Buhari’s previous election campaigns, Yari argued that Tinubu had a broader geographical base of support.

He claimed that Buhari had enjoyed significant backing in the North but struggled to secure sufficient support in the South, while Tinubu had support across both regions.

“This is calculation, it is not rocket science,” he affirmed.

Yari also defended the administration’s economic record, arguing that the government had made progress since taking office.

He said Tinubu “has turned around the situation that he met on ground, and the economy is moving.

“So I think we have done enough that we can tell our opponents about what we did. We are not promising. We are doing it, and we are going to continue.”

Tinubu appointed Yari to lead the APC Presidential Campaign Council on August 22, 2026, with Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma serving as secretary. Tinubu chairs the council, while Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda serve as vice chairmen.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027. According to the timetable cited in the report, campaigns are permitted from August 19, 2026, until January 15, 2027.

The presidential contest is expected to feature candidates from several political parties, including Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, whose running mate is former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has assured Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum that security agencies will take necessary measures to rescue children abducted from Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area.

Zulum disclosed this on Friday after meeting the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where they discussed the security situation in Borno State.

The governor said he brought the recent abductions in Askira-Uba and other communities to Tinubu’s attention during the meeting.

According to him, the President assured him that the Nigerian Army, the Department of State Services and the Office of the National Security Adviser would take steps to secure the children’s release.

Gunmen reportedly abducted between 42 and 44 children from a primary and junior secondary school, as well as nearby homes, in Mussa on May 15, 2026.

The children have remained in captivity for nearly five months, leaving their families to continue appealing for urgent action to secure their freedom.

Despite the incident, Zulum said the security situation in Borno had improved over the past six months to one year.

He also stated that more than two million people had returned to their ancestral communities across the state over the past seven years.

The governor, however, identified Kareto, an area between Damasak and Gubio, as one of the locations requiring additional security measures.

The latest assurance comes amid continuing concerns over the safety of residents and the need to secure the release of the abducted children.