News

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Armed bandits stormed Bagega, a peaceful mining village in Zamfara State, on Tuesday, leaving at least three people dead and 51 others, including the district head, kidnapped. 

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants arrived in the village and opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic loss of three innocent lives.

The bandits then abducted the district head and dozens of other villagers before fleeing the scene. 

Despite attempts to contact the police for official statements, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yazid Abubakar, remained unreachable. 

The community is left in shock and fear as the search for the missing villagers and the district head intensifies.

Authorities are urged to take swift action to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped individuals and bring the perpetrators to justice.

 By Sabiu Abdullahi 

A woman in Rivers State, Nigeria, has been arrested for pouring hot oil on her husband.

The woman, Favour Nweke, said she did this because she found out he had been involved in a fraudulent scheme. 

According to the woman, her husband had not told her about the scheme, and she felt betrayed when she found out.

She said she poured the hot oil on him in a fit of anger and now regrets her actions. 

The woman’s husband is currently in the hospital, receiving treatment for his burns.

The police are investigating the incident, and the woman is expected to be charged with assault.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Kano State Government has revealed plan to provide additional infrastructure to improve the learning atmosphere at the School of Environmental Studies, Gwarzo.

A statement issued and signed by Aminu Bello Sani, the Information Officer, Ministry of Information, disclosed this on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Professor Auwalu Halliru Arzai, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Higher Education, unveiled the plan during a familiarization visit to the college on Monday.

Arzai stated that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration prioritizes education at all levels as categorically stated by his government campaign blueprint.

The statement read in part, “Professor Auwalu Arzai emphasized that the state government, under the leadership of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, places high importance on entrepreneurship courses to combat youth unemployment in the state.

“He stressed that the Governor is dedicated to improving and revitalizing education at all levels.

“He added that the college offers a variety of courses that can empower young people to be self-reliant, reducing their dependence on the government or the private sector.

“Bldr. Tijjani Yahaya Abubakar, the Director of the School of Environmental Studies, expressed his delight at the visit. He also requested the government to expedite the construction of hostels approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the college.

“In addition, he highlighted challenges faced by the school, such as a lack of operational vehicles and a need for a larger hall to accommodate a larger number of students.

“He said despite the rising unemployment rate, graduates of the college are not only self-employed but also employers themselves, offering hope in the face of joblessness.

“The Director urged parents to consider sending their children to the school, which he described as the best institution for entrepreneurial education in the state,” the statement added.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

An 11-year-old boy, Friday Oshodi, was buried alive at Apamisede community in Lokoja, Kogi State, by his elder brother, Goodness Oshodi, for allegedly stealing N1000.

Goodness Oshodi buried his younger brother on Tuesday afternoon at the community, located after the army barracks in Lokoja.

According to a witness, the elder brother dug a hole and pushed the boy into it, covering him with sand up to his head.

A passerby was said to have spotted the boy in his predicament and raised the alarm, which attracted other people to the scene.

The witness said the boy was rescued on the verge of unconsciousness.

The Daily Reality gathered that the police were involved in the matter, and Goodness Oshodi is now in the custody of the police.

While he buried his younger brother alive, the suspect said his brother stole N1000, and his mother instructed him to punish him.

“He stole money. I don’t know the exact amount. It was said to be N1000. My mother told me to punish him for the act,” he said.

The Kogi State Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect had been arrested and was undergoing interrogation.

He said it was alleged that the boy stole compulsively, which had even made him run away from home for almost two months recently.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The BUA Group, despite recently slashing cement prices, has quietly increased the prices of sugar, flour, and spaghetti products, according to a recent market survey conducted in Kano.

Previously, a bag of sugar was sold at N44,000, spaghetti at N8,100 per carton, and flour at N32,500 per bag.

These prices have surged to N47,500, N9,000, and N34,500, respectively. 

Local shop owners confirmed the sudden price hikes, indicating that the increases followed the company’s announcement of reduced cement prices.

A BUA Foods dealer revealed, “They notified us about the increase this week. All these prices are company prices.” 

This unexpected shift has left consumers puzzled, as they had anticipated lower living costs after the cement price cut.

The BUA Group has not commented on the situation, leaving many awaiting an official response to understand the reasoning behind these price adjustments.

Mele Kyari, the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), revealed that the corporation has once again become the exclusive importer of petrol in the country.

Kyari stated that private companies are unable to import petrol due to difficulties in accessing foreign currency caused by shortages. 

“We are the only company importing petrol into the country. None of them can do it today. For them, access to foreign exchange is difficult. We create foreign exchange (FX), therefore we have access to FX, while their access to FX is limited,” Kyari said. 

This revelation has sparked discussions among experts, with oil and gas analyst Kayode Oluwadare unofficially confirming the return of the petrol subsidy in Nigeria.

Oluwadare highlighted that the move contradicts the initial purpose of deregulation, which aimed to enable independent marketers to import petrol independently. 

Oluwadare explained, “The government is gradually bringing back the conditions of the fuel subsidy regime. We are now back to the status quo. In the coming days, the petrol pump price will remain the same. We may also see the petrol pump price slightly coming down, with the current global trend, we are not likely to see an increase in petrol pump prices.” 

This development marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s energy landscape, raising concerns about the country’s economic stability and the implications for consumers in the face of global fuel market dynamics.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has approved the release of funds to settle overdue registration fees for students sponsored by the state at Bells, Igbinedion, and Al-Qalam Universities. 

The decision aims to alleviate the burden on students who have faced eight years of neglect by the previous administration, enabling them to finally receive their graduation certificates. 

Governor Yusuf, emphasising his commitment to education, announced the move via his official Facebook page. 

The timely intervention has been met with relief and gratitude from students and their families, ensuring a brighter future for these deserving scholars.   

By Muhammad Aliyu Gombe

The Centre for Reading, Research and Development (NCRRD) Bayero University Kano, Nigeria, has organized its Fourth National Conference on the promotion of reading culture among students and researchers. The event which took place at Ɗangote Business School, New Site, (BUK) was a 5 day even which included a Pre-Conference Workshop which aims at sensitizing the participants on the new methods of improving teaching especially from the basic level. The theme of the conference reads ‘Children’s Books and The Teaching of Early Grade Reading in Nigeria.’

The Director of the Centre Professor Talatu Musa Garba, during her speech, says that, as part of the mandate, of the Centre, it “had instituted the annual conference in 2019 to provide a platform for teachers, researchers and other educationists to share ideas on the best practices for the promotion of teaching of reading in Nigeria.” The Director, together with the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, commissioned the Centre’s resource room which is named Rebecca Rhodes Resource Room. The room has a modest collection of books and e-resources. It is open to researchers, teachers and students as a reference library.

It has been noted by various participants during the occasion that reading culture is past dying not only in Nigeria but across the globe. There is a huge need to revive it through practical methodologies which will guarantee and assist young readers to be taken right from the tender age.

Some of the participants, especially students and other invited guests, showed their appreciation and happiness with these gigantic efforts which the center is putting to revive reading culture in Nigeria.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari 

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has warned Nigerians to prepare for flooding in the country. 

The Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, disclosed this at the National Emergency Coordination Forum Meeting in Abuja on Saturday. 

The agency disclosed that 13 states might be affected by the scheduled release of waters from Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon. 

The agency has also disclosed that over 28 people have been killed, 48,168 individuals displaced, and 159,157 persons affected by flooding in Nigeria this year. 

Ahmed further stated that there has been an upsurge of water along the flood plains of the River Benue, which he said will greatly affect states like Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Nasarawa, and Bayelsa. 

He added that there has been a sudden increased inundation of riparian communities and farmlands along the banks of River Niger in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states in the past 48 hours. 

Ahmed further stated that the agency has directed the activation of all emergency response units to be ready for any emergencies as the flooding will be increasing as the days go by. 

“As a result of the unfolding situation, I want to use this opportunity to alert authorities of State and Local Governments along rivers Niger and Benue basin areas to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert potential damage and losses that will arise due to inundation of communities by flood waters,” he added.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Kaduna State Police Command arrested 10 suspected kidnappers between September and October 3, 2023.

Acting on credible intelligence, the police recovered three AK47 rifles, three fabricated 10-round revolvers, 448 rounds of live ammunition, and a cache of 15 rounds. A vehicle linked to the suspects was also seized. 

The suspects are currently being interrogated and will face legal consequences after investigations.

Police Commissioner Musa Garba commended the officers for their dedication and warned criminals to steer clear of the state.

This operation underscores the police force’s commitment to ensuring safety and security in Kaduna State.