News

By Uzair Adam Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated the death of a five-year-old girl, Hanifa Abubakar, whose teacher allegedly killed, in Kano on Thursday.

The Daily Reality had reported how Hanifa’s corpse was discovered dismembered and buried in a shallow grave at the premises of a certain private school in Tudun Murtala Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state.

Hanifa was a pupil of Abdulmalik Muhammed Tanko, who allegedly abducted her on her way to a school located in Kwanar Yan Gana in Tudun Murtala.

The commiseration was in a release signed Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Malam Garba Shehu.

Buhari has commended the commitment of the police and the secret service in unravelling the mystery behind the disappearance of Hanifa.

The President also prayed for the repose of the soul of the little school girl and urged her parents to bear the sad loss with courage and fortitude in God.

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

The former senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District and activist, Shehu Sani, advised Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to immortalise Haneefa Abubakar, the 5-year-old girl allegedly abducted and murdered by her schoolteacher in Kano.

He stated that in a Tweet, adding that Governor Ganduje should do that by “naming a major street or a public building or public school after her.”

Haneefa went missing while going to school in the Dakata area, Kano, in December 2021. Her abductors demanded and collected ransom from her parent.

However, fearing that she recognised one of them, he reportedly used rat poison to kill her. He mutated her body and dumped it at the school he taught in the neighbourhood.

The Kano State Police, in collaboration with the DSS, arrested the suspects yesterday, January 19, 2022. That led to the exhumation of Haneefa’s decaying remains. She has since been buried while the suspects remain in police custody.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Bandits raided a military base in the Shinfida community, Jibia Local Government Area, Katsina State, killing one soldier and an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

By 10 p.m. Tuesday, the bandits were said to have stormed the base, shooting indiscriminately.

During the attack, they set fire to two patrol vehicles and utilized another patrol vehicle to transport food from nearby villages.

DSC Muhammad Abdara, a spokeswoman for the NSCDC in the state, verified the attack and the number of people killed.

According to reports, the officers who were shot died instantaneously, while those who sustained gunshot wounds were being treated at an unidentified hospital.

“The terrorists attacked the military base located within Government Day Secondary School Shinfida last Tuesday. They killed one soldier and one NSCDC officer on the spot and left many others injured.

“They attacked the military base on their motorcycles. Despite the efforts of the military personnel, the terrorists killed the two victims and set ablaze two patrol vehicles and drove away one with food items stolen from neighbouring villages,” the source was quoted as saying.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The Governing Council of the Kaduna State University has named Prof. Yohanna Tella the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university. Tella, a professor of mathematics and the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, was announced on Thursday by the Governing Council.

Prof. Tella takes over from Prof. Muhammad Tanko, whose five-year tenure ended. This was after a heated debate lasting about five hours. The new acting Vice-Chancellor will act for six months before the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor. 

The Daily Reality had earlier reported that electing the institution’s new VC has been tense due to clashes between various interest groups in and outside the university.

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmed

Forty-six days of Haneefah’s kidnapping ended in sorrow after she was today, Thursday, January 20, 2022, found dead with severe injuries in her body.

Haneefah Abubakar, a five-year-old girl, was abducted on November 4, 2021, on her way back from an Islamic school at Dakata quarters, Kano State.

The decry by some social media users during her kidnap was rampant as fliers were created to show support for the family in finding out about her whereabouts.

According to Haneefah’s uncle, Suraj Sulaiman: “The kidnapper took Haneefa to his wife, but she refused to hide her. He later decided to take her to Tudunwada where he operates a private school. First, he poisoned her tea with pesticide. Then, after she died, he buried her there.”

The kidnappers were apprehended yesterday, Wednesday, January 19, 2022, in Zaria, at their point to collect the second round of ransom after the initial 6million naira.

The news of Haneefa’s death has stirred a lot of reactions from people online and offline. People have been posting about it, sending condolences to Haneefah’s family and praying for immediate action against her killers.

Haneefah has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

May her gentle soul rest in peace.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital and New Media, has completed a block of flats to serve as a centre for the learning of the Qur’an and Islamic literature in his hometown.

Mr Ahmad named the school after his late grandfather and announced it on Facebook.

He wrote, “Months after the foundation laying of a newly Islamiyya, established by my Foundation the Bashir Ahmad Foundation (BAF) in my hometown, Gaya LG, Kano State. I am glad to announce that works have been completed, and the school which is named after my late grandfather, Late Ishaq Ibrahim Model Tahfiz Qur’an, will be commissioned for [the] public in the coming weeks.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

A renowned political analyst, Prof. Kamilu Sani Fagge, the lead presenter in the Nigerian Guild of Editors Meeting held in Kano, has said that media play a vital role in consolidating democracy in Nigeria.

Citing historical examples, Prof. Fagge said that after Nigeria’s independence, media was at the forefront in any attempt to democratise the country.

Fagge spoke at the Tawn Hall Meeting of Guild Editors held at Tahir Guest Palace Hotel, Kano, on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.

The event, supported by the US Embassy, was themed: Agenda Setting For Sustainable Democratic Culture.

Owing to the press role of holding the government accountable, Prof. Kamilu stated that media serves to deter corruption. If the media is silent about corrupt officials, many issues will have been swept under the carpet. However, “If you don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill you!”

In his remark, The Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero has urged editors and journalists to avoid spreading fake news, which hampers democracy and threatens the unity of Nigeria.

Also commenting, Prof. Auwalu Nadudu emphasised that “media has been the tool and mechanism of sustaining and protecting democracy.”

Reporters and editors of various media organisations, including students of mass communication from Bayero University and Kano State Polytechnic, were among the event participants.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates Super Eagles on their brilliant wins against Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau at the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

The President took to his verified Facebook account to commend the victories of the Super Eagles and urged them to maintain the zeal in making Nigeria proud.

The President posted, “Congratulations to our Super Eagles on winning all their three games and advancing to the second round of the AFCON in grand style. “

The President also advised the players to be good ambassadors of their country on and off the pitch.

He also noted that Nigerians are looking forward to Super Eagles bringing the cup home and assured them of his unflinching support.

He wrote, “They are assured of my unflinching support as they soar like the Eagles that they are to write yet another brilliant chapter of the unfolding story of Nigerian football”

By MMuhammad Sabiu

After allegedly being raped by an official of an International Non-Governmental Organization, Aisha Umar, a female Internally Displaced Person (IDP) in Borno State, took her life.

The victim, who was working menial tasks to make ends meet, was allegedly enticed to the suspect’s residence at 303 Housing Estate, near Dalori IDP camp in Maiduguri, on the pretence of cleaning it.

When she entered his flat, the suspect, Huzaif Adam, 35, was reported to have had forcible sexual intercourse with her.

The victim’s cries for aid drew neighbours to Adam’s flat, but he had already raped her, according to a source.

According to the source, the traumatized victim raced to Adam’s kitchen and picked up a knife, which she used to stab herself. She passed away at the hospital a short time afterwards.

The suspect was detained at Gwange Division of Borno Police Command after his arrest, according to a police officer who confirmed the incident to Daily Trust. He was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

The officer was quoted as saying: “We arrested the perpetrator but he has now been transferred to the SCID. His case file is in Gwange Divisional of Police.”

“I was contacted via my office and I called Commissioner of Sport after. The incident happened around our Area 303/202 EFCC area. I saw the perpetrator and interviewed him, and also saw the corpse of the innocent girl at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). It’s a really sad incident; justice should be served.

“The girl was crying and quoted as saying, ‘Why would you do this to me?’ Instead of bringing shame to my parents after deflowering me, I rather die than go home.”

By Hussaina Sufyan Ahmed

The Imam of Al-Furqan Mosque of Nassarawa G.R.A, Kano, Sheikh Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, said that during a lecture at the Faculty of Arts and Environmental Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, today, January 19, 2022. 

Dr Bashir lectured on “Islamic perspective on the drivers and ways to mitigate global environmental change”. He further explained the basis of maintaining environmental cleanliness as Muslims, citing Quranic verses and hadith. 

He said: “Islam asserts itself as a universal religion – through reaching people, geographical spheres and historical applicability.”

The former chairman of Kano State Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, was among other scholars who attended the event. He also contributed to the seminar.

He added, “The upholding of environmental protection and maintenance of one’s environment leads to healthy wellbeing and sanity. On the other hand, a lack of environmental protection and maintenance leads to sickness, irrational thinking and poor focus by the people around such environment.”

The lecture was part of the Talking Environment Seminar Series organised by the Faculty periodically.