News

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Bayern Munich have suspended Sadio Mané after he punched his teammate Leroy Sane.

Following Bayern’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Tuesday night, Mane and Sane got into an argument in the dressing room.

The Senegalese international confronted Sane after the game because he was upset with how Sane treated him on the pitch.

He lost his cool and hit Sane in the face, leaving him with a bloody lip.

The suspension, according to reports, is until further notice.

By Muhammad Sulaiman Yobe

Jigawa State Judicial Service Commission has approved the compulsory retirement of a Upper Sharia Court Judge, Alkali Safiyanu Muhammad Dabi, for collecting bribe.

A statement issued by the Director Publicity and Protocol Matters, State Judiciary, Abbas Rufai Wangara, stated that the Commission also approved the promotion of four senior staff of the state judiciary to various positions.

The statement added that the commission also approved the appointment of Barrister Aliyu Muhammad as Deputy Chief Registrar II, Sharia Court of Appeal; Barrister Abdulrashed Al`asan, Chief Inspector Sharia Court; Barrister Muhammad Lawan, Zonal Deputy Chief Inspector Sharia Court of Appeal while Barrister Muhammad Adamu was appointed as Zonal Deputy Chief Inspector, Sharia Court of Appeal.

Similarly, the commission warned that any judicial officer found wanting in the discharge of their duties would face the wrath of the law.

By Muhammadu Sabiu  

A mob reportedly lynched Okolie Ahize, a final-year student from the Department of Civil Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife. 

Ahize allegedly got hit for stealing a cell phone from the university’s Hall of Residence. It was learned that the student had been tortured and was declared dead upon arrival at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex’s Emergency Medicine Department on Tuesday afternoon. 

A statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, reads, “The Administration of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has condemned, in strong terms, the incidence that led to the death of a part 5 student of the institution. 

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the student died of a mob action on the allegation that he stole a phone. 

“Saddened by this ugly development which he described as unfortunate, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, has set up a committee to unravel the circumstances that led to this incident. 

“The action of the mob, being a violation of the law of the country and of the University regulations, has been reported to the police who have commenced investigations.”

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The University of the Holy Qur’an and Taseel of Sciences of the Republic of Sudan awarded Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and renowned Islamic cleric, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), with an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Qur’anic Science.

While the Honourable Minister was awarded in May 2021, he received the award certificate and shared the same on social media only recently.

According to the official social media handles of the Minister, he was the first person in sub-Saharan Africa to receive the award. The statement, in part, reads:

“With the exemption of North Africa, he was the first African to receive the recognition on the Glorious Qur’an.”

During Ramadan, Sheikh Pantami delivers Tafsir at the Annur Masjid in the Nigerian capital, FCT Abuja. He also holds other preaching sessions outside the Holy Month at the same mosque or elsewhere.

By Muhammadu Sabiu
 
As of May 31, 2023, loan apps downloaded from Play Store will no longer have access to the contacts or photographs of their users.
 
The Federal Government announced that it would enforce Google’s most recent privacy guidelines, noting that this is in line with Nigerian authorities’ efforts to stop lending app companies from violating their users’ privacy.
 
The Federal Government recently took significant measures to address the way these loan applications violate the privacy of their users.

Out of the 200 lending applications currently active in the nation, 170 had just been registered with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
 
Google said, “Policy preview (effective May 31, 2023): This article previews changes included in our April 2023 policy updates.
 
“We are updating our personal loans policy to state that apps aiming to provide or facilitate personal loans may not access user contacts or photos.
 
“We are introducing additional requirements for personal loan apps targeting users in Pakistan. Personal loan apps in Pakistan must submit country-specific licensing documentation to prove their ability to provide or facilitate personal loans.”
 
This new regulation follows the company’s revisions to its Developer Programme Policy, which required digital money lenders in Nigeria, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya to comply with legal requirements by January 31 or face being shut down.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Center for Media, Policy and Accountability, CMPA, has commenced implementation of the Nigeria Anti-Corruption Performance Public Reporting (NAPPR) Project 2023 in partnership with anti-corruption agencies in the country. 

The Center’s Director of Communication, Outreach and Advocacy, Ibrahim Uba Yusuf, made this known in a press release on Sunday. 

The Center disclosed that the project is funded by the MacArthur Foundation and primarily aims at partnership with anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria.

The Center also disclosed that it would be conducting research, advocacy and public engagement to enhance the capacity of the anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. 

“The aim of the MacArthur Foundation-funded project is to conduct research, advocacy, public engagement and capacity development of Nigeria Anti-Corruption Agencies (EFCC, ICPC and CCB), CSOs, and media organizations on NAPPR project and to publish the first edition of a Harmonized Anti-Corruption Performance Report for 2017-2022.” The statement, signed by Ibrahim Uba Yusuf, partly reads.

The project manager, Dr Suleiman Amu Suleiman, had paid official visits to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission headquarters, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in furtherance of the project. 

While speaking at the visit, Dr Suleiman said the project was to support Nigerian anti-corruption agencies to develop a standard reporting template that would correctly highlight and project their work locally and globally.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Elder statesman and billionaire Alhaji Aminu Dantata has lost his wife to the chilly hands of death.

Hajiya Rabi Tajudeen Galadanci, the second wife of the billionaire, passed on after a protracted illness in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The deceased septuagenarian is survived by her husband and six children. Her children include Tajjuddeen Dantata, Batulu Dantata, Hafsa Dantata, Jamila Dantata, Aliya Dantata and many grandchildren.

A grandson of the deceased, Sunusi Dantata, confirmed her demise on his verified Twitter account. “Please pray for our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, Haj. Rabi, wife of Alh. Aminu Dantata, who died yesterday after a protracted illness!

“May Allah forgive her, accept her good deeds, and grant her the highest rank in Paradise, Ameen!“Innalillahi Wa Inna Ilaihirrajiuun” He tweeted

By Lamara Garba Azare

A chieftain of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State and former Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Dr Abdullahi Baffa Bichi has distributed essential commodities worth millions of Naira to the needy as part of a humanitarian gesture to ease the suffering of the populace.

The items, which include rice, cooking oil, noodles and other commodities estimated at several hundreds of millions of Naira.

Interestingly, the commodity was given across the board irrespective of the party affiliations of the beneficiaries.

Those who benefitted from the gesture prayed to Allah to reward him abundantly.

A widow with 7 children who said she travelled from a far distance to come and collect the gesture burst into tears of joy when she was given 25kg of rice, noodle and cooking oil, saying the last time she saw rice was about a year ago.

“We have no words to thank Dr Bichi. If he had known how happy we are now, certainly, he would further understand the suffering of many of us. To be frank with you, the last time I cooked rice in my house was a year ago when I was passing by the Kabuga area, and I saw a large crowd of women going inside BUK quarters to collect food items. I joined them, and luckily I was given too.”

The coordinator of the distribution exercise, Honourable Ghali Mu’azu, said several thousands of people male and female from across the state have benefited from the gesture.

According to him, this gesture had been instituted by Dr Bichi for a long period of time, spanning over two decades, and priority was given to the elderly and those with physical challenge cutting across all strata of people.

“We gave out to every lucky person irrespective of his political leaning. Ours is to touch humanity by giving it to the needy among the populace,” he said.

Mr Ghali commended the compassionate attitude and benevolence of Dr Bichi, who he described as kind-hearted and a man with a big heart.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The Bauchi State Government has suspended the much-awaited debate between a controversial cleric, Dr Idris Abdulaziz Dutsen Tanshi, and other scholars who tagged his recent comments about “seeking humanly impossible” help from Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as inappropriate.
 
The suspension, according to the state’s Sharia Commission, is until further notice.

Recall that during a Ramadan Tafsir session, Dutsen Tanshi was quoted as saying, “We don’t need help from Inyass; we don’t need help from Tijjanni; we don’t need help from Abdulqadiri; we don’t need help from Shehu Usman. In fact, even from the Prophet. That’s the end of it.

“Whose help do we need? Allah. It’s left to them to twist my words. The Prophet himself said, ‘If you need help, seek help from Allah.'”

Consequently, in a letter the Bauchi State Shari’a Commission sent to the cleric late yesterday night, it says, “I am directed to write and formally inform you of the reschedule[d] date of the interactive session earlier slated for Saturday, 8th April 2023.

“That the new date will be communicated to you accordingly, please.” 

By Muhammadu Sabiu  

Professor Onje Gye-Wado, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, has been abducted by gunmen who are believed to have entered his town, Gwagi, in the early hours of Friday. 

According to a family member who confirmed the occurrence, the kidnappers entered the property through the fence, broke in through his wife’s window, and then took him to an unidentified location. 

The source said, “His wife came in for Easter celebration and they broke into the house through her widow and took him away to an unknown destination. We are hoping that the security agencies will make efforts towards rescuing him unhurt.” 

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ramhan Nansel, confirmed the abduction and said the police were making efforts to rescue him unharmed.