News

By Salihi Adamu Takai

The case of culpable homicide has become a daily report case in Kano State. The crime is a rampant nuisance that disturbs the whole country today. This is horrible in a state like Kano, which is the most populous state in Nigeria.

The rampancy of the crime is not only confusing but also the human, physical, and emotional proximity of the parties that are involved in the commission of the crime. The case of the rampancy of the commission of the crime is abnormal considering how it has been in records in police stations and contained in many cases of laws.

Most of the reported culpable homicides in Kano show the relationship and social proximity of the parties involved in it. The accused persons of the reported cases had proximity to the dead persons. This started – (as I have noticed it) – from the Hanifa’s case. Hanifa was kidnapped and killed by her teacher. There was a human proximity between the dead person and the accused person.

The Chinese man who killed his girlfriend had human proximity to the dead person engaged in courtship, and he eventually killed her. The recent case of Hafsa is also a case that confuses lots of people in Kano. The accused person had proximity to the dead person, and she killed him. Yesterday, it was reported that a person raped and killed his sister in Kano.

Therefore, this rampant nuisance in the report of the cases of culpable homicide in Kano is not a mere thing of crime inconsistent with the Penal Code; it’s beyond human perspectives and avoidable. What a relationship that puts people into a dilemma! Son kills his mother, and mother kills her son!!

It’s a collective responsibility of the Kano State community to engage in the proper investigation of the causes of these crimes. Islamic scholars shall always deliver sermons to admonish people on such offences, and the life of the Prophet (SAW) shall be part of the sermon so Muslims can always remain in touch with it.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Following the allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Nigerians on the micro blogging platform, X, are calling for the removal of its minister, Dr Betta Edu.

In a document which has now gone viral and purportedly signed by the minister, she wrote to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and directed the disbursement of N585.189 million into one Bridget Mojisola Oniyelu’s private account.

The minister had made clarifications on the allegations, she explained in a statement released on Friday that the controversial payment followed due process.

However, many Nigerians are not convinced by her explanations and are demanding that President Tinubu should relieved her of her job.

According to Farooq Kperogi, the allegation presents an opportunity for the Tinubu government to do the right thing and not tolerate corruption like the previous administration.

“This is a momentous moment for Tinubu. If he does not fire Edu forthwith and bring her to justice, he has already lost the moral high ground to try Buhari’s corrupt honchos.”

A human right lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said she ought to have resigned immediately.

“Has Betta Edu been interrogated by the EFCC yet? When is she tendering her resignation letter?” He wrote.

“If Betta Edu still has a job by tomorrow morning, then we will know that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not ready to lead this country. You cannot be swift in suspending Halima Shehu while Edu Betta, who has suspicious academic records and serious allegations against her, still has a job. Suspend her now and allow @officialEFCC to invite her for interrogation” an X user, simply identified as Sarki, posted.

Thousands of Nigerians and civil rights organizations are calling for thorough investigation and her removal.

By Uzair Adam Imam

In the span of 48 hours, Mrs. Deborah Olaki, also known as Mummy Zee, has become a social media sensation and a millionaire, thanks to the overwhelming support of Nigerians on the platform X.

This transformation was sparked by a post in which she shared her daily routine of waking up at 4.30 am to prepare her husband’s lunch.

Olaki, a graduate of Geophysics based in Lagos State, had initially requested a small bedside fridge from Santa Claus in a tweet on December 29, 2023.

Despite garnering attention with 230 likes, 70 retweets, and 16 comments, her wish remained unfulfilled.

Expressing concern for his wife’s well-being, Olaki’s husband, Mr. Abiola Adebisi, a classroom science teacher, noted on Twitter that she deserved a better life.

Subsequently, Mrs. Olaki shared her account number, and within a short time, she received over N2 million from generous Nigerians.

Astounded by the support, she shared a screenshot of her account balance, exclaiming, “She’fe pami ni? (Do you want to kill me?)”.

Besides the monetary gifts, an angel recommended her for a remote Virtual Assistant role with a monthly pay of N50,000.

As of the latest update, Mrs. Olaki has received over N5 million in her account, and her husband has also benefited from cash donations.

Her initial tweet generated over 21 million impressions, with a surge in followers from around 2,300 to over 78,000.

In addition to the financial support from well-wishers, Mrs. Olaki has received various donations, including a generator set worth N250,000 from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Other contributions include two laptops and a one-year Internet subscription from the National Information Development Agency (NITDA), an Infinix 40, an iPhone, a Smart TV, a cabinet, a mattress, a freezer, a blender, a microwave oven, one year’s health insurance, one year’s worth of insecticide, N200,000 worth of deliveries from Kiakia Delivery App, and furniture from @OTUNBA_TIZ.Mrs.

Deborah Olaki’s heartwarming story has captured the attention of individuals and organizations alike, reflecting the power of social media in positively impacting lives.

 By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Ogun Police Command has apprehended a 43-year-old pastor, Clinton John, for the alleged defilement of a 16-year-old girl whose identity is being withheld. 

The arrest was made following a report filed by the family at Giwa Agbado, who suspected their daughter’s involvement in sexual intercourse due to recurring infections and unsettling behavior. 

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Omolola Odutola, revealed in a statement that the family reported the case to the Agbado Divisional Police Station. 

The victim eventually confessed that Pastor Clinton John of Mega Healing Ministry had been engaging in unlawful carnal knowledge of her since November 2022. 

Disturbingly, she claimed that the pastor had threatened her life if she ever disclosed the illicit affair. 

Upon interrogation, the suspect, Clinton John, admitted to the crime, acknowledging multiple instances of unlawful carnal knowledge of the young girl. 

The police have issued medical forms to the survivor for necessary treatment and examination. 

SP Omolola Odutola further informed the public that Pastor Clinton John would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for a discreet investigation into the matter.

 By Sabiu Abdullahi 

The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR, expressed appreciation to Vice President Kashim Shettima for his involvement in the 2023 CGC’s conference during a courtesy visit to the State House on January 5, 2024. 

The purpose of the visit was to convey gratitude to Vice President Shettima for delivering a keynote speech on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR at the recently concluded conference in Lagos.

The conference, which addressed crucial matters concerning the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), played a pivotal role in shaping strategies for customs operations. 

During the meeting, CGC Adeniyi provided Vice President Shettima with an extensive overview of the outcomes and resolutions from the conference.

Discussions encompassed various aspects of customs activities, trade facilitation, and plans to combat illicit trade, emphasizing the commitment of the NCS to optimizing its operations. 

Beyond expressing gratitude, the CGC seized the opportunity to seek Vice President Shettima’s support for the ambitious NCS mandate of achieving a N5.0 trillion revenue target in 2024.

This plea underscores the NCS’s commitment to bolstering revenue generation and reinforcing its economic impact. 

The meeting underscored the NCS’s dedication to fostering collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in both the government and private sector.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, recognizing the vital role of Customs in national development, pledged unwavering support for the NCS’s endeavors.

He commended CGC Adeniyi for the initiatives undertaken, affirming a commitment to furthering the agency’s mandate for the benefit of the nation.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Chief Superintendent of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, embarked on a working visit to the Nigeria Customs Broadcasting Network (NCBN) on Tuesday, 2nd January 2024. 

This is part of the strategic move towards enhancing communication and information dissemination on matters crucial to the nation’s economy. 

Welcomed warmly by NCBN’s Managing Director, Jamilu Yusuf, at the network’s Head Office in Guzape, Abuja, CSC Maiwada confirmed comprehensive arrangements by the Nigeria Customs Service to revive NCBN to its full potential under the leadership of CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR. 

Having previously served as NCBN’s pioneer Liaison Officer during its early stages in 2020, CSC Maiwada expressed optimism about the network’s prospects and underscored the importance of a specialized broadcast station focusing on commerce, trade, and national economic issues. 

“We are back, and this time around, we are going to get it right,” declared CSC Maiwada. “We’ll make sure that the station will succeed, contributing to a broader reach in specialized broadcasting.” 

Highlighting the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen its relationship with Nigerians, CSC Maiwada emphasised the connection between these efforts and CGC Bashir Adeniyi’s initiatives to facilitate trade, suppress smuggling, and generate more revenue for infrastructural development within the nation. 

In response, Managing Director Jamilu Yusuf expressed gratitude for the timely and long-awaited visit, emphasizing its significance in assessing NCBN’s preparedness for relaunch.

Mr. Yusuf reiterated the network’s commitment to providing quality broadcasting aligned with national economic interests. 

The Managing Director also took the PRO and his team on a comprehensive tour of all the offices in the station.

This tour provided valuable insights into the current state of the facilities and allowed for discussions on areas requiring attention as part of the network’s re-establishment process.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Kano State Police Command has apprehended two men, including a self-proclaimed doctor, for their involvement in a tragic incident that saw the death of a young girl after she was impregnated by her relative.

SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, revealed the details in a video seen by the Daily Reality on Thursday. 

The Kano State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Muhammad Usaini Gumel, acted swiftly to arrest two individuals involved in a disturbing case. 

The primary suspect, a fake doctor named Gugu Chidera, was taken into custody for allegedly attempting to perform an abortion that resulted in the unfortunate death of a young lady. 

According to SP Kiyawa’s disclosure in the video, the fake doctor injected the lady and administered drugs that made her unwell, ultimately leading to her demise.  

The victim had reportedly been brought to Chidera by her boyfriend, who impregnated her. The couple, for reasons undisclosed, did not want the child to be born. 

The boyfriend, explaining the sequence of events, stated that Chidera provided drugs and injections to the lady, leading to her untimely death three weeks later. 

He clarified that, although he accompanied his girlfriend to the fake doctor, it was she who paid for the drugs. Chidera, during police interrogation, confessed that he lacked any medical qualifications.

He claimed to have only attended primary and secondary school and is currently a chemist in Kano. The self-proclaimed doctor admitted that the boyfriend sought his assistance because his girlfriend was five months pregnant. 

The dubious procedure performed by Chidera involved a payment of N2000, and he administered a concoction of vitamin C and VCM injections. 

The tragic consequences of this unlicensed and unauthorised medical intervention have left the community in shock. 

As investigations continue, the Kano State Police Command is determined to bring justice to this distressing case.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari 

The Nigerian Law School, NLS, has rescheduled its resumption date for Bar Part II students. 

The students are now to resume on January 29th, 2024, a shift from the earlier stated date of January 15th, 2024. 

A statement signed on Wednesday by the Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, communicated the new development to the newly admitted Bar Part II students. 

The update was also published on the Nigerian Law School’s website. 

The statement informs all prospective Bar Part II students of the change in the academic calendar.

The change is attributed to the ongoing renovation of facilities across all campuses and the headquarters of the Nigerian Law School.

Consequently, the 2024 Academic Session will now kick off on Monday, 29th January 2024, a deviation from the previously announced date.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

Following the report of how the Daily Nigerian journalist obtained a university degree from Cotonou in six weeks and participated in the NYSC scheme, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Education, had on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Togo and Benin Republic universities.

In a statement on its website, the National University Commission labelled the blacklisted foreign universities as ‘degree mills.’

The statement reads in part, “The under-listed “degree mills” have not been licensed by the Federal Government and have therefore been closed down for violating the Education (National Minimum Standards, etc.) Act of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”

The affected institutions include five universities from the United States, three from the Republic of Benin, six from the United Kingdom, and three from Ghana.

Below is the list of the 18 foreign universities the Federal Government banned from operating within its borders.

1. University of Applied Sciences and Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin or any of its other campuses in Nigeria.

2. Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana or any of its other campuses in Nigeria.

3. The International University, Missouri, USA, Kano and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria.

4. Collumbus University, UK, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

5. Tiu International University, UK, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

6. Pebbles University, UK, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

7. London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.

8. Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria.

9. West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria.

10. EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja Lagos Study Centre.

11. Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria.

12. Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria.

13. Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

14. University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

15. Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

16. African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

17. Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre.

18. Evangel University of America and Chudick Management Academic, Lagos.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has commended the Federal Government (FG) for suspending the accreditation of degrees obtained from the Republic of Benin and Togo. 

The ban on accreditation followed the discovery of irregular and fraudulent practices in the admission and course programs of some universities in the two countries.

MURIC’s commendation came through a statement issued by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Wednesday, 3rd January 2024. 

He said:

“A laudable move was made yesterday by the Federal Government (FG) when it suspended the accreditation of degrees from the Republic of Benin and Togo for their irregularities and fraudulent practices” (FG Suspends Accreditation Of Degree Certificates From Benin Republic, Togo – Channels TV).

“It will be recalled that Umar Audu, an investigative journalist of Daily Nigeria newspaper, reported recently that he bagged a degree within six weeks of being admitted into one of such universities and also served as a corper in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the certificate obtained. The undercover journalist received both the transcript and certificate of the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT), Cotonou, Benin Republic, after six weeks only.

 It was this story that prompted FG to ban the accreditation of certificates obtained from universities in those countries (https://dailynigerian.com/undercover-how-daily-nigerian/). 

“MURIC lauds FG for banning those fraudulent certificates. The holders of such fake credentials pose a grave danger to the lives of Nigerians and the quality of public service, too. 

“We charge the ministries of education at both federal and state levels to be wary of holders of such certificates. Those found to have been employed with them should be shown the way out. Furthermore, the security agencies should fish out those behind the fraudulent admissions within Nigeria. Those are agents of the fake tertiary institutions in faraway Benin and Togo. They should be made to face the full wrath of the law.

“We demand an investigation into circumstances surrounding the clearance letter issued by the Federal Ministry of Education, which confirmed that the university (ESGT) is on the ministry’s list of accredited institutions. It was this letter which enabled NYSC to accept 51 fake graduates to serve in the scheme.  On its own part, NYSC authorities must take necessary action on the 51 fake corpers from ESGT who are serving illegally. They must be flushed out. 

“We also advise gullible but innocent Nigerians who have obtained the certificates to quickly set the machinery in motion to correct the anomaly. They should upgrade themselves by seeking authentic university admission either within or outside the country.

“Education may be the key to technological breakthrough and the concomitant industrial progress, but half-baked education and fake certificates are deadly dynamites in the system which is capable of destroying everything that may have been achieved.

“Before we draw the curtain, we find the undercover journalist equally worthy of encomiums. He went underground to unearth this educational fraud. He put his life on the line for the sake of his country. Umar Audu is worthy of emulation by his colleagues in the Fourth Estate of the Realm.”