News

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Benue State Government has denied having prior knowledge of Peter Obi’s visit to the state, dismissing the former Anambra State governor’s claims that he was prevented from visiting victims of the 2025 Yelewata massacre.

Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), was reportedly stopped by a mob at Gboko Road on Tuesday while attempting to enter the state.

Videos shared on X by Esther Umoh, Obi’s photographer, showed a group of people chasing his convoy.

Obi said he had travelled to Benue to sympathise with victims of the Yelewata massacre and not for political campaigning. He alleged that “thugs” led by an aide to Governor Hyacinth Alia blocked his movement.

However, the state government rejected the allegation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, described Obi’s claims as “lies” intended to damage the governor’s reputation.

“The allegations are unfounded and desperate attempt to drag Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue people into what may be an internal political matter within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC),” Kula said.

The governor’s spokesperson maintained that the state government had no prior information about Obi’s visit.

“We wish to emphatically deny that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has an idea of what Mr. Obi is talking about.”

Kula also said Obi was not a threat to Governor Alia, arguing that security agencies were available to address any security concerns if necessary.

He described Alia as a “peace-loving Reverend gentleman” who opposed thuggery and did not “engage, patronize, or deploy thugs as instruments of governance or security”.

The CPS further accused Obi of failing to comply with security procedures by entering the state without formally notifying the relevant authorities.

“It is therefore curious that an individual presenting himself as a presidential candidate could arrive in a state without the relevant security authorities being formally informed of his movement,” he said.

According to Kula, a visit by a presidential candidate would ordinarily require security coordination involving the Commissioner of Police and other relevant security agencies.

He also questioned Obi’s decision to associate the incident with Governor Alia.

“We really find it difficult to understand the basis for Mr. Obi’s attempt to connect every fabrication with the Benue State Government, and Governor Hyacinth Alia in the first instance,” Kula said.

The state government said it would not be distracted by what it described as attempts to create political controversies.

“The Alia administration will not be distracted by attempts to manufacture political controversies where none exists.

“Benue remains open to legitimate visitors, political actors and all Nigerians who come in peace.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of worsening the operating environment for Nigerian businesses while foreign investors continue to withdraw capital from the country.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the allegation in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

He cited data from the Nigerian Exchange, which showed that foreign investors invested ₦513.36 billion in the Nigerian equities market between January and July 2026 but withdrew ₦779.43 billion, resulting in a net capital outflow of ₦266.07 billion.

According to Atiku, foreign outflows exceeded inflows in every month within the period, with the net outflow about 11.7 times higher than the ₦22.68 billion recorded during the corresponding period of 2023.

“This is not merely an investment statistic. It is a confidence verdict on the Tinubu economy,” the statement read.

The former vice-president also criticised the Federal Government’s rising domestic borrowing, which he said increased by 90.5 per cent to ₦24.7 trillion within eight months.

He claimed that government credit had grown more than four times faster than credit available to the private sector.

“So, the picture is now painfully clear: Tinubu’s government is crowding Nigerian businesses out of the domestic credit market while foreign investors are taking their money and heading for the exit,” he said.

Atiku further listed rising food prices, transportation costs and business expenses among the challenges facing Nigerians.

“Local businesses are suffocating. Foreign capital is fleeing. Government borrowing is exploding. Food prices has skyrocketed. Transportation costs are crushing families.”

He accused the Tinubu administration of celebrating its economic reforms despite what he described as worsening economic hardship.

Atiku argued that an economy could not be considered to be recovering when businesses could not access affordable credit, manufacturers faced high operating costs, households experienced declining purchasing power and investors were reluctant to retain their funds in the country.

He said investors were assessing factors such as policy consistency, inflation, purchasing power, regulatory predictability and the prospect of earning sustainable returns.

“And their verdict is increasingly unmistakable: take the money and run,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate called for policies that would rebuild investor confidence, reduce the cost of doing business and make energy and transportation more affordable while promoting local production.

He argued that the private sector, rather than increased government borrowing, should serve as the main driver of economic growth.

“That is the fundamental difference between Tinubu’s economics of government consumption and Atiku’s economics of private-sector production and household affordability,” he said.

Atiku added: “You cannot borrow the private sector dry, impoverish consumers and then advertise yourself to the world as an investment destination. The investors are already answering the propaganda. They are leaving.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Twelve countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and France, have announced plans to restrict trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank amid growing settler violence against Palestinian communities.

The countries disclosed their position in a joint statement issued by their foreign ministers on Tuesday. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden were also signatories.

The ministers warned that Israel’s continued settlement expansion and increasing violence in the West Bank were undermining prospects for a two-state solution.

“The government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-state solution,” the ministers said.

They also called on Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion and the transfer of civilian administrative powers, while demanding accountability for settler violence and investigations into allegations involving Israeli forces.

The British Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, accused the Israeli government of turning a “blind eye” to what he described as the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by settlers in parts of the West Bank.

Miliband told parliament that the UK would introduce an import ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories as part of the coordinated action.

“The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists,” he said.


He further accused some members of the Israeli government of supporting actions that could result in the forced displacement of Palestinians.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, alongside an estimated three million Palestinians.

According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data, at least 1,105 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the territory since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog criticised the planned measures, saying the sanctions would “fall on the wrong side of history”.

In response to the British government’s position, Israel ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem and barred 12 Britons, including Labour Party lawmakers, from entering the country.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would not join the new sanctions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to defend the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

By Uzair Adam

The Hills and Valleys Recreation Centre in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State has been transformed into a centre for Qur’anic education, Islamic learning and humanitarian activities, with plans underway to establish a university and skills acquisition programmes at the facility.

The Daily Reality reports that the development followed the acquisition of the property by the Zam-Zam Islamic Initiative for N1.2 billion, according to Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, who disclosed this during the formal handover of the facility.

Daurawa explained that Hills and Valleys, which previously served as a park and hotel, had been a popular recreational centre where children and youths gathered, particularly during Sallah celebrations.

He, however, alleged that the facility later became associated with activities such as drug sales and prostitution, among other activities considered unacceptable by the community.

According to him, the property had been put up for sale by its owners and heirs for almost two years before discussions began over its acquisition by the Zam-Zam Islamic Initiative.

He said a wealthy associate later informed him that he had heard Zam-Zam was interested in purchasing the property, leading to further discussions and negotiations that eventually resulted in its acquisition for N1.2 billion.

Daurawa said the facility had since been renamed Zam-Zam and would serve as a centre for religious education, modern education, skills acquisition and humanitarian activities.

He explained that Zam-Zam had already been supporting the education of Qur’anic memorizers, noting that 170 female memorizers had been sponsored to study at different universities.

He added that the initiative had opened a portal to enable both male and female Qur’an memorizers to access opportunities to pursue first-degree and master’s programmes.

Daurawa also disclosed that the organisation had sponsored students to universities in Abuja to study various disciplines, including supporting married women to further their education.

He said the initiative was also planning to sponsor students to universities in Cairo, Egypt, to study courses such as medicine, engineering and computer science.

According to him, representatives of Arab organisations associated with the initiative would visit the centre to assess students and identify those who could benefit from educational opportunities.

He further said a renowned computer training centre would be involved in the new facility to equip young people with digital skills, while other vocational programmes would also be introduced.

Daurawa said the centre would therefore combine Islamic education with modern education and vocational training to provide young people with opportunities for learning and skills development.

He also highlighted the humanitarian dimension of the initiative, saying Zam-Zam had links with an Arab organisation that provides rams for distribution during Sallah.

He disclosed that the organisation received 500 rams this year for distribution as part of its humanitarian activities.

Daurawa said Zam-Zam also intended to establish Zam-Zam University at the facility, explaining that although other locations had been offered for the project, he preferred Hills and Valleys because of its potential benefits to the community and the legacy of the philanthropist who owned the property.

He described the development as a source of joy to the community, Kano State and the family of the philanthropist.

Daurawa also reflected on the long-term significance of the project, saying, “Whoever establishes something, whether good or bad, continues to receive its consequences even after death.”

The transformation of the facility into a centre for Qur’anic education, Islamic learning and humanitarian activities was earlier reported following its formal handover to the Zam-Zam Islamic Initiative, with Kano State Hisbah Command deploying personnel to the centre.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Sorrow has gripped the Kano State Children’s Council community following the death of its Chairperson, Hauwa.

The announcement of her passing was made with the Islamic supplication, “Innalillahi Wa’inna Ilaihirrajiun” (Indeed, to Allah we belong and to Him we shall return), as family members and close associates confirmed the sad news on Tuesday.

According to the funeral arrangements released by the family, the Janazah (burial prayer) has been scheduled to hold at 9:00 AM prompt. The service will take place at Hotoro Tsamiyar Boko, located directly behind Amazing School, where sympathizers and well-wishers are expected to gather for the final rites.

Mourners are currently mobilizing to the venue to pay their final respects, with prayers offered for the repose of her soul and for fortitude for her bereaved family.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The family of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd.), demanding either credible evidence for a murder allegation or a public retraction and apology.

The dispute stems from a live appearance by General Musa on Channels Television’s Politics Today on September 3, 2026, during which he allegedly claimed that Mr. El-Rufai actively orchestrated killings in Southern Kaduna while serving as governor.

In a press statement signed by Hon. Mohammed Bello El-Rufai on behalf of the family, the former governor’s relatives described the allegation as “grave” and “unsubstantiated,” noting that no evidence was presented to back the claim.

“While General Musa (Rtd.) is entitled to hold and express his personal opinions, the El-Rufai family is equally entitled to demand that such serious allegations be substantiated with credible evidence,” the statement read.

The family has given the Defence Minister until September 14, 2026, to either produce proof of his allegation or retract it publicly through the same media platform.

“In the absence of such evidence, we call on him to publicly retract the allegation through the same medium on which it was made,” the statement added.

The El-Rufai family warned that failure to comply would leave them with “no option but to pursue all appropriate legal remedies available under the law.”

Mr. El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and current Opposition Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has faced various political and regional security criticisms during his tenure, but this marks the first time a sitting cabinet member has made such a direct personal accusation against him on national television.

As of press time, the Defence Ministry had not issued an official response to the ultimatum.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Zainab Zee Diamond, a beloved figure in Nigeria’s Hausa film industry (Kannywood), has passed away. The actress died in the early hours of today, shortly after the Fajr (dawn) prayer, following a prolonged battle with an illness.

Her family confirmed the death in an official statement, offering condolences to fans and colleagues with the heartfelt words: “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (To Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return). The statement noted that she had endured a long period of medical treatment.

Tributes have begun pouring in from fellow actors, filmmakers, and fans across Nigeria, mourning the loss of the veteran star. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced shortly by her immediate family.

By The Daily Reality

Farida Bungudu, a 2026 graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, has turned years of skepticism about her home state into a record-breaking academic run, becoming the first student from Zamfara State to finish top of the Faculty of Law with First Class Honours.

Bungudu, who emerged Overall Best Graduating Student in the LL.B Class of 2026, said the journey began as “a dream few people believed in.” Critics, she recalled, argued she was “reaching too far, too fast.”

“What they didn’t know was that this dream was never about me alone,” she said. “It was about proving that Zamfara State, too, belongs in every room, every conversation, every arena where excellence is measured.”

Record-Breaking Run at ABU

Results released on Wednesday confirmed a historic performance that placed Bungudu among the faculty’s all-time best.

Her list of achievements includes:

– Overall Best Graduating Student, LL.B Class of 2026, Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

– First Class Honours, LL.B (Civil Law) 
– Third Highest CGPA ever recorded in the Faculty’s history

– 5th Female Best Graduating Student in the Faculty’s history

– First Female from the Northwest to graduate with a First Class and as Best Graduating Student in the Faculty

– First Zamfara State student from the Faculty to graduate with a First Class and as Best Graduating Student

– First Chief Judge in the Faculty’s history to graduate as Best Graduating Student with First Class Honours.

Beyond academics, Bungudu also distinguished herself in student leadership and advocacy. She served as the Second Female Chief Judge of the ABU-SRC Court, Chief Justice of the Law Students’ Society, Chairman of the LSS Privileges Committee, Chairman of the Council of Benchers, and Chairman of the LSS Judicial Council.

Her profile also identifies her as a Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) Scholar, an award-winning National and International Moot Court Champion, Best Advocate, and Best Oralist. She also served as Assistant Chief of the Ahmadu Bello University Students Support Associates.

“We now have a seat at the table”

Speaking after the announcement, Bungudu described the achievement as more than a personal success.

“Today, I stand as a voice for every Zamfara State student who has ever felt limited, overlooked, or underestimated,” she said. “We can walk into any room now, and know we belong in the conversation. We have broken through the glass ceiling, and we now hold an undeniable seat at tables once thought unreachable.”

She described the milestone as “merely a blueprint” for younger students from Zamfara and the wider Northwest.

“I have walked the path; now it is your turn to run,” she said, adding that she will later share details of “the sacrifices that happened behind the scenes to make this possible.”

For a state whose students have long faced stereotypes about their academic capacity, Wednesday’s announcement represents a new reference point. For Farida Bungudu, the achievement was answered “not with words, but with results.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Senator Shehu Buba, who represents Bauchi South Senatorial District, has rejected fresh allegations that he has links with bandit groups, describing the claims and videos circulating on social media as false and part of an alleged campaign against his reputation.

Buba, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, has faced allegations of connections with suspected bandits since 2024. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The latest controversy followed videos shared by a content creator identified as ‘D English Alhaji’, who claimed that suspected bandit leaders had visited the senator’s residence.

The controversy was further fueled by comments from a resident identified as Hassan, who accused Buba of being among politicians allegedly supporting bandits in the area.

Hassan also claimed that persons associated with the wanted bandit kingpin, Dogo Gide, were brought to Abuja for specialised training through an aide of the senator.

However, Buba rejected the claims in a statement issued on Sunday with the title, “Setting the Record Straight: My Response to Fabricated Videos, False Allegations and a Sustained Campaign of Disinformation.”

The senator, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Livestock and Animal Husbandry and is seeking the Bauchi governorship ticket of the Peoples Redemption Party, said he had previously chosen not to respond because of the sensitive nature of his former security-related responsibilities.

He stressed that his decision to remain silent should not be taken as an inability to defend himself.

He said, “For much of my public life, I have resisted the temptation to respond to every allegation, criticism or provocation directed at me. Citizens have a legitimate right to scrutinise those entrusted with public responsibility, and public officials must be prepared to account for their conduct.

“My election as senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District — and particularly my responsibility as chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence — reinforced the need for restraint. National security demands discretion.

“Operational successes cannot always be publicised without jeopardising ongoing efforts, exposing sources or endangering individuals and communities involved in sensitive interventions.”

Buba traced the allegations against him to an incident on September 15, 2024, involving Umar Shayi, whom he said led a militia group said to be operating as hunters for the Bauchi State Agency for Vigilante and Youth Empowerment.

He said two charcoal sellers were allegedly killed during the incident.

According to Buba, he visited the victims’ families after the incident and demanded justice. He said his intervention later became the basis for claims that he was connected to banditry.

“This campaign dates back to September 15, 2024, when Umar Shayi led a militia group purported to be hunters working for the Bauchi State Agency for Vigilante and Youth Empowerment. The group reportedly killed two charcoal sellers who were conducting their lawful business.

“As the elected senator representing the district, I visited the families of the deceased to condole with them and called on the relevant authorities to ensure justice is served. I also vowed to pursue lawful action on behalf of both the deceased and the injured victims.

“I condemned the killings and urged the government to institute safeguards against abuses by those entrusted with protecting citizens,” he said.

The senator alleged that Abubakar Bununu, Bauchi State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, later publicly associated him with banditry after his intervention.

He also referred to an earlier allegation that he sponsored a suspected bandit leader to attend the 2024 Hajj. Buba said he denied the claim and asked security agencies to investigate it.

The lawmaker said, “Following my intervention, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Bununu, publicly linked my name to banditry — an allegation I rejected as false and unsupported by evidence.

“Subsequently, Governor Bala Mohammed petitioned President Bola Tinubu that I sponsored a ‘bandit kingpin’ to perform the 2024 Hajj through an aide named Yahaya Ibrahim.

“I categorically denied these allegations. I stated that I had no aide by the name cited and invited security agencies to investigate.”

Buba said his support for pilgrims, educational initiatives, medical assistance and empowerment programmes had been based on recommendations from community and religious leaders.

He added that he instituted a defamation case, CV/413/2024, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory over the allegations.

Senator Explains Viral Videos

Buba also gave an account of how some of the photographs and videos now circulating online originated.

He said a young man named Hassan Husseini was introduced to him in 2024 as an orphan who needed educational support.

According to the senator, he enrolled Husseini in a private college and an Islamic school in Kaduna and also gave him a bicycle.

He said Husseini later abandoned his studies and asked for financial assistance to start a car dealership. Buba said he rejected the request and advised him to return to school.

“I later discovered that, while under my care, he had recorded photographs and videos of visitors to my residence. These materials later formed the basis of allegations circulated on social media,” Buba said.

He alleged that some people who circulated the materials later demanded money from him.

The senator said he petitioned the Nigeria Police Force on September 9, 2025, which resulted in the arrest and investigation of several suspects.

According to him, five suspects were arraigned before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 30, 2025.

“After the videos circulated and those sharing the videos and photos demanded money as extortion, I petitioned the Nigeria Police Force on September 9, 2025. Several individuals were arrested and investigated.

“On October 30, 2025, five suspects were arraigned before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/526/2025, on charges including criminal conspiracy, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, advance-fee fraud and extortion.

“The matter is before a competent court, and I will refrain from comments that could prejudice the proceedings. The next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2026,” he said.

On the latest videos, Buba said the footage had been presented falsely as proof that bandit leaders visited his residence.

He said the videos actually contained unrelated footage, including images of Hajj returnees who visited his residence in 2023.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has promised to reduce the prices of petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel to N200 per litre if he wins the 2027 presidential election.

Adebayo made the pledge on Sunday in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said his proposed pricing policy would take effect within 12 months of assuming office.

According to him, his administration would focus on reviving the country’s existing refineries while also supporting modular refineries to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

He argued that the age of Nigeria’s refineries should not prevent the government from rehabilitating them. He cited refineries in the United States that have remained operational for more than a century.

“SDP will pick cooking gas, petrol and Jet A1; those three, we will put them under a regime where the price does not go past N200,” he said.

Adebayo said his plan would include the restoration of what he described as the original subsidy arrangement, under which 450,000 barrels of crude oil are set aside for domestic consumption.

He explained that the crude would be processed locally, while the sale of other petroleum products such as naphtha, heavy fuel oil, diesel and kerosene would generate funds to sustain the proposed pricing system.

The SDP candidate said his party would collaborate with the National Assembly to create a framework that would allow revenue from other petroleum derivatives to support the scheme.

He maintained that Nigeria should concentrate on developing adequate domestic refining capacity rather than relying on imported petroleum products sold at international prices.

According to him, the country already possesses two major resources needed to achieve this goal: crude oil and existing refining infrastructure.

Adebayo also said the prolonged debate over fuel subsidy had shifted attention away from what he considered the deeper challenges affecting Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

He dismissed the argument that subsidy removal alone would solve the country’s financial difficulties, describing such a position as a “red herring”.

He further said Nigerians would not be subjected to petrol subsidy under an SDP administration, as he does not consider subsidy a government economic programme.

On transportation, Adebayo proposed a policy that would combine lower petroleum prices with improvements in public transportation and railway services.

He said workers and students would have access to public transport through their employment and student identification cards. Employers, he added, would contribute six per cent of workers’ salaries towards transportation.

He said the measures would reduce the cost of transportation and boost economic activities across the country.

The presidential candidate also proposed that housing costs should be capped at seven per cent of workers’ salaries, while education and healthcare would be provided free of charge.

“The summary of it is that transportation costs cannot go more than six percent of your salary and housing costs should not be more than seven percent of your salary, education and healthcare should be free,” he said.

Adebayo added that agriculture and food security would receive priority under his administration, with the aim of making food more affordable for Nigerians.