News

By Muhammad Umar Shehu

The issue of Kalare boys has found a bed in Gombe state, and the state’s government is aloof. What has Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s government, which was enthroned to solve the yearnings of the poor masses in the land, done?

This issue of Kalare is becoming worse in the state, and yet there has been no measure taken by the state government to curtail the menace.

Many of these devastating stories of Kalare boys have reached our eardrums as sympathetic to the victims. Still, the state government seems lackadaisical towards curtailing the menace of Kalare by our youths. Only recently did those Kalare devils enter the house of Shiek Albani Kuri and kill him. This is so dehumanising, unacceptable, and sympathetic.

Gombe state government needs to take urgent action to bring those engaged in this heinous action of Kalare to book to serve as a deterrent to people who engage in this illicit activity of Kalare in the state.

This heinous activity by Kalare boys in Gombe State has caused unbearable pain to the people of the State.

Gombe State, a home that was nursed to save lives, is now gradually metamorphosing, etching itself with smithereens so that the people of the land may find it arduous to excavate. Gombe is a land where peace has been our utmost priority, but these Kalare boys have made the state a magnet for visitors.

To curtail this Kalare boys menace in the state, I urge the state government to take some decisive actions by providing more employment to the youths of the state, and by doing so, in my opinion, the menace of Kalare boys will be a thing of the past in Gombe state.

May Allah guide those Kalare Boys to the straight path and bless Gombe State and Nigeria. Amin.

Muhammad Umar Shehu wrote from Gombe via umarmuhammadshehu2@gmail.com.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Gunmen believed to be bandits launched a devastating attack on Saint Raphael’s Catholic Church in the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The assailants set fire to the parish house, resulting in the tragic death of a seminarian. 

The police authorities and the Catholic Church in Kaduna State have yet to issue official statements regarding the incident.

However, an eyewitness account provided to Channels Television shed light on the horrifying attack. 

The bandits, numbering in large groups, descended upon the Saint Raphael parish, located in Fadan Kamantan, Kafanchan Diocese, under the cover of darkness on Thursday night.

In a cruel act, they set the parish house ablaze, incinerating the building and a vehicle parked within its premises. Tragically, Seminarian Stephen Danlami lost his life during the attack. Reports suggest that he succumbed to smoke inhalation while attempting to escape from the inferno.

Fortunately, other priests who were inside the parish house at the time managed to escape the onslaught. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving many in grief and disbelief.

As the authorities and the church grapple with the aftermath, there is an urgent need for comprehensive investigations into this heinous act and the apprehension of the perpetrators to ensure justice prevails. 

The motive behind this attack remains unclear, but it serves as a stark reminder of the security challenges faced by various communities in Kaduna State and the need for concerted efforts to address them.

The Catholic Church, along with government authorities, must work together to protect places of worship and the lives of the faithful. As the nation mourns the loss of Seminarian Stephen Danlami and grapples with the brazen act of violence, the people of Kaduna State, as well as Nigeria as a whole, are calling for swift action to bring those responsible to justice and to prevent such tragic incidents from happening in the future.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condoled the Chairman of Jamā’atu Izālatil Bid’ah wa Iqāmatis-Sunnah (JIBWIS) Nigeria – Sheikh Dr Abdullahi Bala Lau, on the death of a member of the executive of the organisation, Sheikh Abubakar Giro Argungu.

In the condolence message signed by its National Secretary, Malam Ibrahim Musa Yelwa Al-kisa’i, MURIC said that the deceased was reported to have passed away on Wednesday night and buried at his hometown cemetery in Argungu after Zuhr yesterday.

Giro was reported by his son to have sought forgiveness from his friends and family, and in the end, he uttered the Kalimatush-shahādah (the last testimony of belief in Allah). Sheikh Giro was known to be a committed and consistent Islamic scholar throughout his lifetime and had little or no attachments to worldly materials.

His death is indeed a national and international tragedy that befell Muslims, yet we admit that death is a necessary end, and it must be accepted by devoted Muslims in the right way.

The National Secretary prayed on behalf of the organisation for Allah to forgive the deceased and to give all those bereaved by his death the fortitude to bear the loss.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has expressed gratitude to Allah and the Kaduna state people for their enormous supports and confidence reposed on the administration in the crucial first 100 days in office.

Govenor Sani’s first 100 days in office has taken several key interventions across security, health, education, infrastructure and rural development.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Muhammad Lawal Shehu, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Wednesday.

The statement reads, “To mark this milestone,several activities were lined up and several projects cutting across the 7 pillars of the SUSTAIN manifesto were announced and commissioned.

“With safety and security as the first pillar of the SUSTAIN manifesto, the Kaduna State Government in partnership with other security agencies commenced the training of 7,000 recruits of the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS).

“The recruits were drawn from the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State. This move to strengthen the Kaduna Vigilance Service to assist the police and other security agencies in the state in combating crime has been welcomed by all well-meaning citizens.

“In efforts to upgrade infrastructure, the construction of 32 rural roads covering about 406km across our 23 Local Government Areas has commenced as part of efforts to transform our rural areas, a main policy thrust of this administration.

“In health, state-of-the-art-mobile diagnostic trucks purchased by Kaduna State Government were commissioned and essential medical equipment are currently being distributed to our 290 Primary HealthCare Centres. The mobile trucks come fully-fitted with medical diagnostic equipment to render integrated health services in hard-to-reach and underserved communities across Kaduna state.

“Similarly, a fully-equipped Women and Child Shelter at Katuru Road was commissioned ,to serve as a transit home for children and women who are subjected to violence abuse by offering them medical, psychosocial and legal support.

“In continuation of activities marking the first 100 days in office, and as evidence of his commitment to education especially girl-child education, Governor Uba Sani commissioned a constructed/renovated 200-bed capacity hostel block, 16 classrooms, and a sickbay at the Government Girls Secondary School, Kawo, Kaduna North LGA.

“The Governor to the delight of parents state-wide also performed the groundbreaking for the construction of 62 Junior and Secondary Schools across the state, where he used the opportunity to reiterate that in Kaduna state,primary and secondary education in state-owned schools is free,” the statement added.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has denied any involvement in the $6bn hydropower contract awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd in 2003.

Obasanjo challenged Olu Agunloye, the former minister of power and steel, to tell Nigerians where he derived the authority to award a $6 billion contract to Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd in respect of the Mambila Hydropower Project in 2003.

Sunrise Power is currently in arbitration with Nigeria at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, France, over an alleged breach of contract by the federal government.

In the first arbitration, Sunrise is asking for a compensation of $2.3 billion, claiming it had spent millions of dollars on financial and legal consultants before the contract was jettisoned.

In the second one, the company is asking for a $400 million settlement being the terms of the agreement it entered with the federal government in 2020 to end the arbitration.

Nigeria is fighting the claims on the grounds that Agunloye, who suspiciously awarded the contract one week to the end of his tenure as power minister in 2003, acted illegally.

In an interview with The Cable during the weekend, Obasanjo denied authorising Agunloye to commit Nigeria to the $6 billion “build, operate and transfer” contract.

“When I was president, no minister had the power to approve more than N25 million without express presidential consent. It was impossible for Agunloye to commit my government to a $6 billion project without my permission and I did not give him any permission,” Obasanjo disclosed in the interview with The Cable.

Obasanjo challenged Agunloye to explain where he got the power and authority.

“If a commission of inquiry is set up today to investigate the matter, I am ready to testify. I do not even need to testify because all the records are there. I never approved it,” Obasanjo said.

“When he presented his memo to the federal executive council (on May 21, 2003), I was surprised because he had previously discussed it with me and I had told him to jettison the idea, that I had other ideas on how the power sector would be restructured and funded.

“I told him as much at the council meeting and directed him to step down the memo. I find it surprising that Agunloye is now claiming he acted on behalf of Nigeria. If I knew he issued such a letter to Sunrise, I would have sacked him as minister during my second term. He would not have spent a day longer in office.”

The former president also said Leno Adesanya, the promoter of Sunrise Power, ran away from Nigeria when he was president.

“I would have jailed him if he was in the country because of the things I knew about him. After I left office, he returned and I saw him. I told him that he was lucky I was no longer president. Otherwise, I would have jailed him,” He told The Cable.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

The Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) has reportedly seized fake drugs worth N50 million in Kano.

A spokeswoman for the agency, Nabilusi Abubakar, revealed this in a statement on Saturday in Kano.

He said, “The vehicle with plate number MMR 153 XA conveying fake drugs was apprehended on Friday night around 9:00 p.m. at Murtala Muhammed Way.

“Some of [our] personnel said they suspected the driver was carrying fake drugs.

“Immediately the driver saw the personnel, he ran away which prompted them to search the vehicle.

“The drugs alleged to be fake were analgesic (pain killers), cough syrup and malaria drugs.”

He recalled that the managing director, KAROTA, Faisal Kabir as said the agency would not allow illegal drugs to be brought into the state.

“Anyone found wanting will be seriously dealt with,” he said.

Mr. Kabir appealed to the general public to desist from buying drugs from hawkers and unregistered agents to avoid negative effects.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

In an unfortunate incident that unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, suspected kidnappers targeted the prominent El-Rufai Estate in the Kuchiko Resettlement Development Area of Bwari Local Council, Abuja. 

The assailants abducted a resident identified as Chinedu, marking the fifth kidnapping case to rock the area in recent months, leaving residents gripped by fear and insecurity. 

According to reports from Daily Trust, the victim, Chinedu, was forcibly taken from his home within the secure confines of the estate. 

The daring criminals, armed to the teeth, breached the estate’s defences by breaking through the perimeter fence. 

To further instill terror, they fired shots into the air, sending panic waves through the victim’s family and neighbours, before abducting Chinedu. Chinedu’s wife, who witnessed the terrifying ordeal, recounted the horrifying encounter with the kidnappers. 

“They shot sporadically in the air to scare our family members and neighbours before taking my husband away,” she said. 

As of press time, the kidnappers had not made contact with the family, leaving them in agonising uncertainty. Mai Baba Bego, the chairman of the Kuchiko Resettlement Development Area, expressed grave concern over the escalating incidents of kidnappings in the region. 

“We now live in fear as nobody knows who the next victim would be,” Mr. Bego lamented, underscoring the urgent need for heightened security measures in the area. 

In light of this distressing situation, Mr. Bego called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to the Kuchiko Resettlement Development Area. 

This plea aims to mitigate the risk of further incidents and restore a sense of safety to the traumatised residents of El-Rufai Estate and its surroundings.

By Baba Isa

While reviewing my collection of photographs, I stumbled upon a significant historical image that reminded me of a momentous event during a public lecture in Sudan. It was during this event that distinguished figures such as Prof. Salisu Shehu, Prof. Sagagi, and Prof. Maqari embarked on a special joint visit to Sudan some years ago. Their visit aimed to understand the exceptional approach Sudanese institutions took in providing training to Nigerian students on their soil, enabling them to return to Nigeria as productive individuals.

During this lecture, Prof. Salisu Shehu said, “The educational experience for Nigerian students in Sudan extended beyond academic excellence. These students, who received education in diverse fields, also imbibed qualities of respect, commendable attitudes towards their communities, and a sense of understanding towards various religious doctrines. This was different to their counterparts studying in different foreign nations.

Prof. Added that the Nigerian Sudan-educated students exhibited unmatched expertise and skills compared to their counterparts in Nigeria. Therefore, the Council of Ulama of Nigeria felt compelled to delegate us to come to Sudan and delve deeper into brief research and learn more about strategies employed by Sudanese institutions and their communities to empower these students. So that we can take back reports to Nigeria and put it into practice”.

The lecture was delivered at the International University of Africa (Indimi Hall) during this insightful visit, and I captured the picture.

Regrettably, the Sudan we love, the Sudan we learn from and once held in high esteem, an exemplar of a hygienic educational environment, now stands ravaged by conflict. It’s disheartening that we have not extended a helping hand to a nation from which we have drawn knowledge and inspiration. Sudan, which significantly contributed to the growth and development of our region through its educational support (like its massive Scholarship scheme to everyone in any course without exception)and enlightened Islamic scholars, medical doctors and other professionals, remains in dire need of our attention, prayers, and support.

Northern Nigeria has encountered setbacks in the realm of girls’ education. In the past, we lamented the shortage of female doctors, resulting in inadequate female doctors in healthcare for women in our hospitals. Our parents in the Northern region were hesitant to enrol our sisters in local institutions, let alone consider overseas education, given concerns about religious beliefs, cultural norms and environmental disparities.

These barriers hindered the prospect of sending our sisters abroad for education. This predicament led us to lag in conventional education and the attainment of female medical doctors. Recently, a positive shift has occurred as our parents have become more receptive to sending our sisters to study medicine and various other disciplines, especially in Sudan, due to the conducive educational environment and Islamically oriented. However, it is disheartening to note that challenges mar the current situation in Sudan.

The aftermath of the evacuation of Nigerian students from Sudan – more than 2000 – medical students, primarily females from the north- has left us searching for alternatives that can provide the same nurturing educational environment. Regrettably, no such choice has presented itself, leaving us feeling powerless.

Recent events have highlighted the impactful role that Northern Nigerian scholars have played in resolving crises, as evidenced by their intervention in the unrest following a coup in Niger. Drawing from this, I earnestly beseech our esteemed Northern scholars to extend their benevolent interventions to Sudan. While Sudan may not be a member of ECOWAS, its historical and cultural ties to us cannot be taken away. Just as we stand by Niger, we must stand by Sudan.

In this challenging time, I humbly implore our esteemed Ulama to exert their influence and restore peace and tranquillity in Sudan. Just as they have done in our region and Niger, their intervention could serve as a beacon of hope for a nation that has been an invaluable contributor to our growth and development.

Pharm. Baba Isa, Former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Sudan.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Vice President Kashim Shettima has made an unusual request, urging his friends and political allies to abstain from placing paid advertisements in newspapers or utilising paid channels to convey birthday wishes as he approaches his 57th birthday on September 2nd. 

In a press statement personally signed by the Vice President, Shettima justified this unique decision by citing the nation’s commitment to responsible resource management and responsive governance. 

In the statement which he posted on his verified Facebook page, he emphasised the importance of diverting resources towards more meaningful endeavours for societal betterment. 

Shettima stated, “In the spirit of our nation’s commitment to responsible resource management and responsive governance, I kindly request that my friends and political allies refrain from placing paid advertisements or using paid channels to convey birthday greetings on my behalf.” 

Instead of extravagant displays of birthday wishes, the Vice President urged those who wished to celebrate his birthday to contribute to the betterment of society by donating to charity organisations dedicated to the collective pursuit of a more humane and functional world. 

He expressed his belief that such contributions could have a more profound impact on society than paid advertisements. 

This move by Vice President Shettima reflects his dedication to principles of responsible governance and resource management, which he has consistently championed throughout his political career. 

As he celebrates another year of life, he encourages others to join him in prioritising meaningful contributions to society over ostentatious displays of birthday wishes.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream II Corps members deployed to Katsina State have received advice from retired deputy director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Fadimatu Muhammad, to refrain from seeking relocation and instead embrace their mandatory one-year service in the assigned state. 

This advice was given during a lecture at the NYSC permanent orientation camp along Mani Road in Katsina. With a total of 1,070 corps members inducted on August 18, the three-week orientation course aims to provide participants with a solid foundation for their upcoming service year. 

Mrs. Muhammad emphasised the significance of unity among Nigerians and explained that continuous requests for relocation could undermine the very purpose of the NYSC scheme. 

During her lecture, Mrs. Muhammad delved into the historical background, mission, and vision of the NYSC, urging corps members to participate actively in the in-camp Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) program. 

She stressed that cultivating relevant skills would be essential in a landscape where traditional white-collar jobs are becoming scarcer.