News

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him of war crimes, treason, and a range of other serious offenses.

The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, marks a dramatic escalation in the political conflict between the former president and his successor, Felix Tshisekedi.

The High Military Court in Kinshasa found Kabila guilty of charges including treason, crimes against humanity, murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection.

Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, presiding over the tribunal, stated that the court applied the most severe penalty under the military penal code.

Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, did not attend the trial and was not represented by legal counsel.

His current whereabouts are unknown, though he has been living primarily in South Africa since 2023 . The former president had previously dismissed the case against him, calling the courts “an instrument of oppression”.

The case stems from accusations that Kabila provided support to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.

The prosecution alleged he was plotting to overthrow President Tshisekedi and that the other charges were linked to the M23’s activities.

The court concluded that Kabila “had always been the undisputed leader of M23” and had led meetings and inspected training centers for the group.

The M23 has seized large swaths of territory in the eastern DRC this year, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu.

The sentence intensifies a long-simmering political feud. Kabila handed power to Tshisekedi after the 2018 elections, but their alliance quickly soured.

In May 2025, Kabila made a highly publicized visit to the rebel-held city of Goma, where he met with religious leaders and expressed his desire to help achieve peace in the troubled eastern region .Earlier this year, the DRC Senate voted to repeal Kabila’s immunity from prosecution, a move he denounced as dictatorial.

The government has also moved to suspend his political party and seize its leaders’ assets .Despite the verdict, Kabila’s arrest seems unlikely in the immediate future.

An appeal is possible before the Court of Cassation, though only on procedural grounds . The DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year, but no judicial executions have been carried out since.

The sentencing comes amid ongoing violence in eastern DRC, where numerous armed groups operate. While a U.S.-brokered peace agreement was signed in June, and churches have launched peace initiatives, violence and atrocities against civilians persist.

The verdict against Kabila risks fueling further divisions in the vast, mineral-rich nation.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will broadcast to the nation on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 7 a.m., in commemoration of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.

All television, radio stations, and other electronic media outlets are urged to join the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for the broadcast.

The announcement was made by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).

In a related development, the federal government has announced the cancellation of the Independence Anniversary parade, which was previously scheduled for the same day.

The government clarified that this decision does not diminish the significance of the milestone and that all other anniversary programs will proceed as planned.

The government expressed regret for any inconvenience and appreciated the understanding of the public, while also urging Nigerians to support the president’s reforms.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Academic and non-academic activities in Nuhu Bamalli polytechnics are set to be paralyzed as staff unions have declared an indefinite strike, effective Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

The decision was reached following a meeting between the unions and government officials.

According to the unions, while the Permanent Secretary, acting on behalf of the State Commission, appealed for patience, he also indicated that the Governor had given an implied approval to their key demands, including the implementation of a new Polytechnic Salary Structure.

However, the unions unanimously resolved to withdraw their services until this approval is officially and formally granted by the Governor Uba Sani.

In a statement, the union leadership referenced a prior mandate from its Congress, which authorized an indefinite strike if the new salary structure was not implemented after the payment of the September 2025 salaries.

“In line with that mandate, and with the permission of the Congress, I hereby declare an indefinite strike effective from tomorrow, Tuesday, 30th September, 2025,” the statement read.

The declaration ended with the solidarity phrases: “An injury to one is an injury to all. Solidarity forever.”

The strike is expected to bring all academic and administrative operations within the affected polytechnics to a complete halt.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has handed the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to resolve long-standing issues affecting Nigeria’s university system.

The decision followed a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Sunday at the University of Abuja.

In a statement signed by the union’s national president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, ASUU criticized what it described as government neglect and persistent refusal to meet its demands.

“At the National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Abuja on the 28th of September, 2025, the Union decried the neglect of the University system and the government’s consistent refusal to heed to its demands,” the statement read.

The union warned that failure by the Federal Government to take action within two weeks could force it to embark on industrial action.

“Accordingly, ASUU has given the Federal Government of Nigeria an Ultimatum of fourteen (14) days within which to address these issues. If at the end of the fourteen-day ultimatum, the Federal Government fails to address these issues, the Union may have no option but to, first, embark on a two-week warning strike and thereafter, a total and indefinite strike,” Prof. Piwuna said.

It will be recalled that the Federal Ministry of Education had set up a committee, chaired by the ministry’s permanent secretary Abel Enitan, to review ASUU’s proposals.

As of the time of this report, the committee has not communicated any outcome publicly.

ASUU’s major demands include the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, provision of revitalisation funds for universities, payment of outstanding salary arrears, and a sustainable system of funding tertiary education in Nigeria.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Intelligence agencies from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are preparing to publicly identify high-ranking Nigerian politicians they accuse of supporting militant groups terrorizing Nigeria.

According to a report from the German news agency DW, these foreign agencies have already compiled the names of politicians allegedly involved in financing militants and selling them weapons.

The report further stated that some of these individuals have already been arrested, and investigations into their activities are underway.

For decades, Nigeria has struggled with severe insecurity, often accompanied by allegations that politicians are secretly sponsoring the very armed groups destabilizing the country.

Echoing these long-standing concerns, the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, claimed in May that some politicians and even members of the armed forces act as informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents.

This potential exposure aligns with a vow made in August by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who promised to reveal the identities of those supporting terrorism.

However, General Musa noted that the process has been delayed by “legal issues” and “international connections,” despite years of public pressure to name the financiers.

By Uzair Adam 

Inspector Aminu Ibrahim of the Kano State Police Command has reportedly died after accidentally shooting himself in the stomach while on duty in the Hotoro area of Kano.

The incident happened around 5:40 am on Saturday when the officer, attached to Hotoro Division, entered a toilet within the premises of a private firm.

Sources said the inspector’s loaded AK-47 rifle, which was hanging around his neck, went off while he was squatting.

“The rifle, with registration number GT 4177, was found cocked and unsafe, with an empty shell recovered. 

“Twenty-nine rounds of ammunition were counted against the 30 earlier issued to him,” a source explained.

He was rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where doctors confirmed him dead. His body has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.

Spokesperson for the Kano State Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, stated that the command has launched an investigation and will release its findings soon.

By Uzair Adam

Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed New York, United States, after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The Vice President is now en route to Germany, where he is scheduled to hold strategic meetings with officials of Deutsche Bank to explore areas of intervention and partnership in Nigeria’s developmental initiatives.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, during his participation at UNGA 80, Shettima secured UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ commendation for Nigeria’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

He also showcased Nigeria’s $200 billion energy transition opportunity to global investors and strengthened partnerships with the United Kingdom on trade, defence, and migration issues.

“The Vice President delivered President Tinubu’s national statement, calling for UN reforms and a permanent seat for Nigeria at the UN Security Council, while demanding Africa’s control over its $700 billion mineral wealth, and digital inclusion initiatives.

“He also engaged with the Gates Foundation on healthcare and education expansion, positioning Nigeria as the natural hub for the African Continental Free Trade Area’s $3.4 trillion market,” the statement added.

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

A new book examining the cultural and religious forces shaping the Hausa-language film industry, Kannywood, will be released on 5 December 2025 by Springer Nature.

Titled Kannywood: Film, Faith and Identity in Northern Nigeria, the work critically explores how filmmakers navigate religious expectations, cultural norms and language ideologies while appealing to a diverse audience.

The author, Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ibrahim, teaches Hausa Studies at the University of Cologne and is an expert in Hausa media and cultural production.

The study employs audience reception theory and a close analysis of selected films to reveal tensions within the industry, including the dominance of the Kano dialect, the marginalisation of others, such as Sokoto’s, and the commercialisation of “broken” Hausa.

The book also highlights the pressures of global influences and conservative religious forces, presenting Kannywood as a contested space of identity and representation in northern Nigeria.

By Anwar Usman

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that a commuter bus belonging to Big Joe Ventures Ltd was attacked on Friday, and all twelve occupants were abducted.

However, SP William Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer, revealed that the police, in collaboration with the military, were able to rescue eight of the victims, while efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining four still held by the kidnappers.

A statement issued by the command late on Friday evening in response to an enquiry confirmed the abduction but noted that about eight of the victims were rescued, with the police and army searching for the remaining four.

The statement reads, “kidnappers attacked a Big Joe Ventures Ltd Toyota Hiace commuter bus (Edo FUG 13 XY) along Okene–Auchi road. During the incident, the kidnappers abducted all 12 passengers commuting from Abuja to Benin in Edo State.”

He said that subsequently, the DPO Okene Division, CSP Nasir Muhammad, immediately mobilised police personnel in conjunction with the military and vigilantes in pursuit of the kidnappers.

“In the process, eight victims, including the driver, were rescued, while efforts are still underway to rescue the remaining four victims and possibly arrest the perpetrators”, the statement added.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Police Command has seized illicit drugs valued at more than N82 million and arrested a teenage suspect during an operation in the state capital.

Police spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday.

He said the operation was carried out on September 20, 2025, after intelligence reports indicated that a suspicious vehicle was conveying cartons of intoxicants to Rimin Auzinawa Quarters in Kano.

“Acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, our operatives cordoned off the premises where the vehicle was parked and arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Usman Umar,” Kiyawa explained.

He said a search of the house led to the recovery of 603 packets of suspected Tramadol tablets containing 60,300 pieces, estimated at N60.3 million, and 299 packets of suspected Pregabalin capsules with 44,850 pieces, valued at N22.4 million.

The total worth of the seized drugs, he noted, stood at N82.7 million.

Kiyawa added that the suspect is in custody and is assisting detectives with information to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.

The Commissioner of Police in Kano, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, while reacting to the breakthrough, commended residents for their cooperation.

“This success would not have been possible without the vigilance and timely information from the good people of Kano,” he said.

Bakori assured that the Command will sustain the fight against drug abuse and trafficking, urging the public to continue sharing credible information.

He stressed that such intelligence would always be treated with confidentiality and prompt action.