News

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Lieutenant Colonel Onyechi Appolonia Anele has made history as the first female Acting Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR) in the Nigerian Army.

She assumed command today in a brief ceremony at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, taking over from Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, who has been redeployed to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.

In her remarks, Lt. Col. Anele thanked the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, for the opportunity and pledged to uphold professionalism in her new role.

She also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor, Major General Nwachukwu, in strengthening the directorate’s operations. Major General Nwachukwu, in his farewell speech, highlighted key achievements under his leadership, including enhanced training for personnel in strategic communication and improved public perception of the Nigerian Army.

The ceremony featured the signing of handover notes, the presentation of the command flag, and the decoration of Lt. Col. Anele with the directorate’s insignia. Senior officers and defence correspondents witnessed the event.

Lt. Col. Anele, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), previously served as Public Relations Officer to a former Chief of Army Staff and at the Defence Headquarters’ Department of Civil-Military Relations.

By Muhammad Abubakar

The Federal Government has released ₦50 billion to academic and non-academic staff unions of federal universities, fulfilling a promise made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of efforts to enhance the welfare of university personnel and strengthen Nigeria’s education sector.

Announcing the development, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, described the disbursement as a strategic move to reaffirm the President’s commitment to transitioning Nigeria into a knowledge-driven economy. He emphasised that the release goes beyond a financial transaction, calling it a bold investment in human capital and youth development.

“This intervention is a reaffirmation of our President’s belief in the capacity of Nigerian youth and the invaluable role played by academic and non-academic staff in nurturing them,” Alausa stated.

In a message conveyed through the ministry, President Tinubu reiterated that ensuring uninterrupted academic activity in Nigerian universities is a core priority of his administration. “Keeping our children in school is not negotiable,” he declared, expressing optimism that strikes in higher institutions would soon be permanently resolved.

The Education Minister also acknowledged the cooperation of university unions, noting that Nigeria is currently experiencing one of the longest periods of academic stability in recent years.

The release of the funds is seen as a significant milestone in the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a step toward positioning Nigeria’s education system as a benchmark for excellence on the continent.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul, on Wednesday, prompting widespread panic as residents rushed out of buildings and gathered on the streets.

Authorities confirmed that no casualties or major damage had been recorded, although several aftershocks followed the main tremor.

The Turkish disaster management agency, AFAD, reported that the quake struck at 12:49 p.m. local time (0949 GMT) at a depth of nearly seven kilometers beneath the sea, just south of the city.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on social media, “An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Sea of Marmara, Istanbul,” noting that the tremor was also felt in neighboring provinces.

According to AFAD, the earthquake was succeeded by eight aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 3.5 to 5.9.

The sudden shaking of buildings led people to evacuate and seek safety in open spaces. An AFP reporter witnessed crowds anxiously checking their phones and calling loved ones.

“I just felt the earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a decorator who had been working on the fourth floor of an apartment near Galata Tower.

He declined to be identified.State-run Anadolu Agency shared footage showing the minaret of a mosque swaying during the initial tremor in the Beylikduzu district.

Speaking to TRT public television, Yerlikaya confirmed that no buildings had collapsed.

“Until now, nobody has called the emergency line to report their house collapsing,” he said.

However, the Istanbul governor’s office urged people to stay away from structures that appeared to be compromised.

Turkey’s NTV television aired visuals of a three-storey building that had collapsed in Fatih district.

The structure was said to be abandoned and unoccupied for about ten years.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to the incident by saying he was “following the developments closely.”

Yusuf, a street vendor, described the fear that gripped many residents. “We all panicked and just ran. There’s absolutely nothing else we can do,” he said.

The tremor was reportedly felt as far away as Bulgaria, according to AFP correspondents in Sofia.

Silivri, located on the western edge of Istanbul, is also home to the jail where Istanbul’s Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was recently detained amid a corruption case widely criticized as politically driven.

Students detained during related protests are also held there.Despite feeling the tremors, none of the detainees were harmed.

“The earthquake in Istanbul was most strongly felt in Silivri, but our children are fine. There is no problem at the prison—no parent should worry,” the Parents Solidarity Network posted on X.

Istanbul’s last significant earthquake occurred in November but caused no damage.

Experts have long warned that the city is at high risk of a major quake due to its location near the North Anatolian fault line, less than 20 kilometers away.

In 1999, over 20,000 people died when two massive quakes struck northwest Turkey, including areas of Istanbul, after the fault line ruptured.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Governor Umar Bago has directed security agencies to arrest individuals with dreadlocks in Minna, the state capital, as part of a broader clampdown on crime.  

During a high-level security meeting on Tuesday, Governor Bago ordered that those with dreadlocks be arrested, forcibly shaved, and fined. “We will have zero tolerance for rascality. Anybody found with dreadlocks should be arrested, their hair barbed, and fined,” he declared.  

The governor also banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles from operating between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., except in cases of medical emergencies. Additionally, he warned parents to caution their children, vowing a “fire-for-fire” approach to crime.  

Traditional rulers were instructed to document all residents in their domains, while houses harbouring criminals faced demolition. “Niger State is not for useless people,” Bago stated.

The measures aim to curb rising criminality and restore order in the state.

By Anwar Usman

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states will meet in Ghana on Tuesday to discuss the withdrawal of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

The meeting will take two days, Tuesday and Wednesday.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the bloc said member states will discuss the modalities of the countries’ withdrawal and its implications for ECOWAS agencies in the countries.

The bloc also said it would “set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries.”

Furthermore, the ECOWAS member state will discuss its relationship with the three countries in Accra today.

“The session is being held to deliberate on the reasons for the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the regional bloc.

The statement further revealed that “Key items on the agenda include the modalities of the withdrawal process and the implications for ECOWAS Institutions and Agencies operating in the three countries. The session will also address other related matters of regional importance”.

Three weeks ago, the junta-led states, under the Alliance of Sahel States, imposed a 0.5 per cent import duty on goods from ECOWAS.

The levy applies to all goods from ECOWAS countries entering any of the three nations, except for humanitarian aid.

The policy countered ECOWAS’s intention of ensuring free movement of goods between its members and the AES countries despite their official exit from the bloc in January.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Kano State Hisbah Board has dismantled an unauthorized pilgrimage site in the Dakata Industrial Area after false claims spread that the spot bore the footprint of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The site attracted large crowds when a muddy imprint and seeping water led to rumors of divine healing powers.

Videos showed people bathing in, drinking, and collecting the water while performing religious rites.

Deputy Commander Muhahideen Aminudeen of the Hisbah Board dismissed the claims as baseless, stating that the Prophet never visited Africa.

He warned against the health risks of consuming the water and urged the public to seek proper Islamic knowledge.

No arrests have been made, but authorities are investigating the source of the misinformation.

By Uzair Adam 

Troops of the Joint Task Force have arrested a 55-year-old man suspected to be a notorious kidnapper during a security operation in Sumana village, Tundun Wada Local Government Area of Kano State.

The arrest was disclosed in a statement issued to journalists by Capt. Babatunde Zubairu, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Brigade, on Tuesday. According to the statement, the suspect was apprehended on April 20.

He was later paraded before the Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Tukur, during the commander’s Easter visit to troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Falgore, Doguwa LGA.

The commander commended the troops for their courage and professionalism, describing the operation as a significant success in the ongoing campaign against criminality in the region.

A cache of arms and other items were recovered during the operation. These include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, one Den gun, nine rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition, a woodland camouflage uniform, a desert camouflage outfit, a camouflage vest, and a Bajaj motorcycle seat suspected to be used for concealing weapons.

Brig.-Gen. Tukur reiterated the Nigerian Army’s commitment to working with other security agencies and local authorities to restore peace and order in troubled areas.

“The army remains dedicated to its mandate of safeguarding lives and properties. We will not relent in our efforts to bring perpetrators of criminal acts to justice,” the statement read.

The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing a preliminary investigation.

By Uzair Adam 

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said political leaders from northern Nigeria have failed the region and should collectively apologise to the people for decades of underdevelopment and neglect.

Speaking during an interview with Trust TV, Sani stressed that criticism of government policies should be driven by the genuine interest of the people and not by political ambition.

“Every democracy must allow criticism, but it must be constructive, and in the interest of the Nigerian people. That’s what we did as activists — not because we wanted power,” he said.

He noted that those who have held public office in the last two decades — including himself — bear responsibility for the challenges facing the region.

“Anyone who is from northern Nigeria and held a political office in the last 20 years, we all need to look at ourselves in the mirror and apologise to the people of northern Nigeria. We let them down,” he admitted.

Reflecting on his own time in office, the governor said the region’s problems stem from long-standing structural and economic neglect.

“I’ll say it here today — all of us; I was a senator in this country, and the problems of northern Nigeria didn’t start two years ago,” he added.

Sani also criticised the outcomes of the massive social intervention programmes under former president Muhammadu Buhari, saying they failed to uplift the region due to deep-rooted financial exclusion.

“Buhari spent hundreds of billions on social interventions,” he said. “But the North became poorer even after that because 70% of the population, especially the masses, were completely financially excluded.”

He pointed out that anyone who had served as a senator, minister, governor, or vice-president from the region over the past 20 years shares in the blame.

The governor cautioned politicians against misleading the public and lauded honest critics who maintain integrity and a people-first approach.

“We must not deceive the people of northern Nigeria. We must not mislead them. I’ve no problem with people criticising the government — people like Dan Bello Galadanchi. 

“Those individuals have the moral right to speak. But those who contributed to the rot and now claim to have repented — I think that’s wrong,” he said.

_________________________________

Muhsin Ibrahim, PhD

Institute of African Studies, 

University of Cologne 

Blog: www.muhsin.in

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Monday night after a 19-day private visit to Europe, where he stayed in Paris and London.

Initially, the presidency stated that the trip would last two weeks, but the extended stay raised concerns among Nigerians.

Upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, President Tinubu was welcomed by top government officials, including Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and Defence Minister Bello Matawalle.

The president had traveled to Paris on April 2, 2025, before proceeding to London, where he continued handling official duties remotely.

However, his absence drew criticism from opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who argued that the president should not have left the country amid worsening security challenges.

The Presidency dismissed rumors that Tinubu traveled for medical reasons, insisting it was a private visit.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, expressed profound grief on Monday over the passing of Pope Francis, honoring him as a “distinguished humanitarian and dear friend.”

In a heartfelt Facebook post, El-Tayyeb praised the late pontiff for his lifelong dedication to serving humanity, advocating for refugees, the oppressed, and marginalized communities.

He also lauded Pope Francis’s efforts in promoting interfaith dialogue and global peace.

“The world has lost a towering symbol of compassion,” El-Tayyeb wrote, recalling the Pope’s steadfast support for Palestine and his condemnation of Islamophobia.

He highlighted the historic 2019 “Document on Human Fraternity,” co-signed by the two religious leaders, as a testament to their shared vision.

Al-Azhar acknowledged the strengthened ties between the Vatican and the Islamic institution under Pope Francis’s leadership, citing his 2017 visit to Al-Azhar’s peace conference as pivotal.

The Grand Imam extended condolences to Catholics worldwide and the Pope’s family, praying for solace during this difficult time.