News

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A 27-year-old woman, Esther Akwaji, has died under unclear circumstances at her boyfriend’s residence in Dei-Dei, within the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

Findings indicate that the boyfriend, whose identity is yet to be confirmed, left the scene shortly after the incident and has not been seen since.

Esther, who lived in Nasarawa State, was said to have travelled to Abuja to visit relatives. On January 21, she reportedly left her family home, telling them she was going to a bank in Dei-Dei. She did not return.

Later that day, relatives received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as her boyfriend. The call was placed from Esther’s phone.

He told the family that she had visited him and that he bought food for them.The man reportedly told the family that Esther suddenly started vomiting while they were eating.

He said he took her to Kubwa General Hospital, where medical personnel confirmed that she was dead on arrival.

Reports further revealed that the man left the hospital shortly after doctors made the confirmation. All efforts to reach him since then have failed.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has confirmed the incident. The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said investigations had begun.

“The corpse has been deposited for autopsy to determine the actual cause of death, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspect,” Adeh said.

Police authorities say further updates will be made public as investigations continue.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Tinubu has assigned four high-profile diplomats to strategic allied nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Turkey.

The postings come from a pool of 68 ambassador-designates confirmed by the Senate last December.

The assignments see Ambassador Ayodele Oke posted to France, while Colonel Lateef Are is designated for the United States. Ambassador Amin Dalhatu, previously Nigeria’s envoy to South Korea, will serve as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

Notably, former Kebbi State Governor Usman Isa Dakingari Suleiman is appointed ambassador-designate to Turkey. This posting precedes President Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to Ankara next week.

According to a presidential memo to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry has been directed to formally notify the host governments of the designations in line with established diplomatic protocols.

The posting of the remaining confirmed envoys is expected to follow.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A Magistrate Court in Kano State has ordered the remand of a popular Islamic cleric, Ibrahim Makwarari, over allegations of forgery linked to land ownership documents.

Mr Makwarari appeared before Magistrate Court No. 53, sitting at Normansland, Kano, on Wednesday. He is facing charges bordering on illegal possession of land and forgery of land documents in connection with two properties located along Ahmadu Bello Way in the Kano metropolis.

The charges were filed by the police after a petition submitted by the Kano State Ministry of Land. The ministry alleged that the cleric forged title documents that were originally issued in the names of Kassim Usman Baba and Audu Yaro Fagge.

According to investigators, the disputed documents were recovered from the defendant. The police stated that Mr Makwarari failed to give a satisfactory explanation concerning the authenticity of the documents.

When the charges were read in court, the defendant pleaded not guilty.Counsel to the defendant, A. T. Shehu, applied for bail and assured the court that his client would be available for trial. The prosecution counsel, Nura Salisu, opposed the request.

Mr Salisu told the court that the defendant had previously ignored police invitations and was arrested only after a specific court order was issued.

In his ruling, the magistrate, Mustapha Datti, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of ₦20 million with two sureties. The court directed that the sureties must include a district head from any local government area in the state, supported by an official letter from the relevant Emirate Council, and a Kano-based businessman with verifiable property.

The magistrate also ordered the defendant to submit his international passport to the court. Both sureties are required to provide recent passport photographs.

Mr Datti further ruled that the defendant should be remanded in a correctional facility until all bail conditions are met.

The case was adjourned to 12 February for hearing.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Supreme Court has definitively ended the murder trial of former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), over the 1996 killing of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola.

In a unanimous ruling on Friday, the apex court dismissed the case, citing Lagos State’s complete abandonment of the appeal.

Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, presiding, noted that the state had failed to take any legal steps for over nine years despite being granted permission in 2014 to challenge an appellate court’s decision.

Lagos State, which had sought to overturn Al-Mustapha’s 2013 acquittal by the Court of Appeal, was absent from the proceedings and had filed no documents since the Supreme Court’s 2014 order gave it a 30-day window to act.

Al-Mustapha’s counsel, Paul Daudu, successfully argued that the state had lost all interest, urging the court to dismiss the matter entirely.

“The appellant has abandoned the case,” Justice Aba-Aji declared, stating that nine years was more than sufficient for Lagos to pursue the appeal.

The court also expressed displeasure that the state offered no representation or explanation despite receiving hearing notices since 2020.

This ruling seals the legal saga that began with Al-Mustapha’s 2012 death sentence by a Lagos High Court for his alleged role in Kudirat Abiola’s murder, a sentence overturned on appeal in 2013 due to insufficient evidence.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal closes the final chapter, affirming Al-Mustapha’s acquittal.

By Uzair Adam

The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has dismissed claims circulating on social media that the newly revised Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum excludes religious subjects, describing the information as false and misleading.

In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Professor Salisu Shehu, the Council said it was responding to allegations by “some people” who claimed that the new curriculum made provision for Christian Religious Studies (CRS) alone, with no space for Islamic Studies (IS), while others alleged the reverse.

According to NERDC, both claims amount to disinformation and do not reflect the approved curriculum.

The Council clarified that the revised curriculum, developed under the Federal Ministry of Education’s National Education Sector Initiatives (NESRI), clearly provides for both CRS and Islamic Studies at all relevant levels of basic and senior secondary education.

It explained that the subjects are offered on the basis of pupils’ religious affiliation, with CRS designated for Christian pupils and Islamic Studies for Muslim pupils.

Contrary to previous practice where religious studies were largely optional, NERDC said the revised curriculum accords greater importance to religious education by making it a consistent component of learning from Primary One through Senior Secondary School Three.

“The claim that either CRS or Islamic Studies has been removed from the curriculum is completely false,” the Council said, noting that the approved subject offerings comprehensively accommodate both religions in line with Nigeria’s plural society.

According to the Council, the curriculum review was designed to streamline content, reduce overload and improve learning outcomes, while still ensuring balance across sciences, humanities, vocational studies and religious education.

It added that the Federal Ministry of Education has officially released the list of approved subjects for all levels, and that any other versions in circulation are unauthentic.

NERDC explained that at the basic education level, pupils are required to study a broad mix of core subjects alongside either CRS or Islamic Studies, while at the senior secondary level, both subjects are clearly listed among the humanities offerings.

However, science, technology and commercial students that are interested in offering CRS and IRS can pick them as elective.

This, it said, demonstrates that the curriculum council adopted an inclusive and comprehensive approach rather than favouring one religious subject over another.

Professor Shehu urged parents, teachers and other stakeholders to ignore “fake and unauthorised” subject lists circulating online, warning that such misinformation could cause unnecessary confusion and tension.

He said the Council is already planning nationwide sensitisation and teacher capacity-building programmes to support smooth implementation of the revised curriculum.

He further explained that implementation will begin at the start of each three-year education cycle—Primary One, Primary Four, JSS One and SS One—whenever the revised curriculum is introduced.

NERDC assured the public that the revised curriculum reflects national values, respects religious diversity and remains focused on improving the quality and relevance of education across the country.

By Uzair Adam

The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the long-standing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma (HND) and university degrees by empowering polytechnics to award degrees, a reform aimed at repositioning technical and vocational education as a key driver of national development.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing a high-level retreat of council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars and bursars of polytechnics across the country.

Describing the move as a landmark policy shift, the minister said the reform would end decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and reposition the institutions as centres of excellence within Nigeria’s higher education system.

He explained that the initiative would strengthen polytechnic education while preserving its core advantage of hands-on, industry-oriented training.

According to Dr. Alausa, Nigeria’s future competitiveness depends largely on a workforce capable of creating, building and solving real-world problems.

He added that the policy was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises job creation, industrial growth and human capital development.

With the new degree-awarding status, polytechnics are expected to attract stronger industry partnerships, improved funding opportunities and increased public confidence.

The minister assured stakeholders that the transition would be guided by clear standards, strong regulation and robust quality assurance mechanisms to ensure global competitiveness.

Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Polytechnic Education in Nigeria: Innovation, Good Governance and Sustainability for National Development,” Dr. Alausa noted that polytechnics remain critical to building a skills-driven economy.

He said the ministry had placed priority on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to ensure graduates are industry-ready, innovative and capable of driving economic growth.

He urged polytechnic leaders to promote innovation through entrepreneurship centres, research hubs and strong industry linkages, identifying renewable energy, agri-technology, digital manufacturing and climate-resilient solutions as key priority areas.

On governance, the minister warned that transparency, accountability and ethical leadership must define the new era of polytechnic administration.

He called for fiscal discipline, timely audits, prudent management of resources and zero tolerance for corruption.

Dr. Alausa also emphasised sustainability, encouraging institutions to boost internally generated revenue through production and services, develop eco-friendly campuses and build resilient infrastructure.

Polytechnics, he said, should aim to produce what they consume and contribute to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports.While acknowledging challenges such as funding gaps, outdated facilities and societal bias in favour of university degrees, the minister maintained that the opportunities ahead were far greater.

He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting polytechnics through policy reforms, infrastructure upgrades and strategic partnerships.

He further announced a special TETFund intervention this year to upgrade engineering schools in polytechnics with modern equipment, following a similar intervention for 12 medical colleges last year.

Charging participants to return to their institutions as agents of change, Dr. Alausa said, “The future of our youth, our economy and our nation depends on the transformation we ignite here today.”

Education experts at the retreat described the announcement as a turning point, noting that it would boost enrolment, motivate students and staff, and enhance the contribution of polytechnics to sectors such as manufacturing, technology, agriculture and renewable energy.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Kano State Police Command has finally identified and exposed individuals from the local community who failed to assist Fatima Abubakar and her six children while they were alive, but later took to social media to spread fabricated stories after the family was tragically murdered.

The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, revealed this development in a short video posted on his official Facebook page.

The video featured the implicated individuals, alongside a stark caption that translates to: “It’s easy to be brave after the deed! You refused to help the woman and her children, only to come and weave lies.”

This statement directly contradicts earlier sensational claims made by these residents, who had given conflicting accounts to the police before presenting a different narrative on social media.

The police action aims to set the record straight and condemn the exploitation of the tragedy for attention.

The case of Fatima Abubakar and her six children, who were all killed, has shocked the state.

The police have reiterated their commitment to the investigation and warned against the circulation of unverified information that can hinder justice and cause further pain to the bereaved.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A fatal road crash claimed two lives and left six others seriously injured on Tuesday night along the Gombe–Yola Road.

The incident occurred around 10:20 pm at New Mile 3, near the entrance to the main dual carriageway. Preliminary investigation by authorities points to negligence by the driver of a heavy-duty truck loaded with rice.

Ambassador Yusuf Danbayo, Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters, confirmed that the truck was improperly parked with its handbrake not fully engaged. It subsequently rolled uncontrollably, colliding with a Toyota Hilux and striking several individuals at the scene.

The two deceased victims were pronounced dead on arrival and deposited at the Specialist Hospital, Gombe. Six injured persons received emergency care at the Federal Teaching Hospital.

Police have arrested the truck driver, who is currently held at the Tumfure Police Division pending transfer for further investigation and prosecution.

Authorities have advised motorists, especially drivers of heavy vehicles, to exercise utmost caution when parking on major highways to avoid similar tragedies.

The Mindbrood Initiative has sought a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to introduce an Artificial Intelligence (AI)–powered educational technology platform, aimed at enhancing learning through innovation and technology.

The proposal was presented during a courtesy visit of Mindbrood Initiative to the Council on Tuesday, 20th January, 2025.

Speaking at the meeting, the Founder of the Mindbrood Initiative – Mr. Godspower Omolere, explained that the organisation is currently developing the Sociometrics Framework and other educational tools designed to help young people understand societal fundamentals and grow into responsible, empowered citizens.

Mr. Omolere stated that the platform, which has been in development for over 10 years, leverages AI to assess students’ skills, generate personalised profiles, and provide insights through student assessment, data analysis and performance tracking.

He added that the initiative is keen on partnering with NERDC to benefit from its expertise in curriculum development.

According to him, “Given NERDC’s national mandate in curriculum development and educational standards, we believe this collaboration will ensure strong alignment with Nigeria’s educational goals, while providing students with modern framework for civic and socio-economic understanding.”

He further noted that the Mindbrood Initiative, which began 13 years ago as a book-focused project, has evolved into a technology-driven organisation developing innovative software solutions for individual profiling and educational development.

Responding, the Executive Secretary – Prof. Salisu Shehu, expressed appreciation to the Mindbrood team for the visit, noting that the initiative aligns with the Council’s research-focus in education.

While welcoming the proposal, he stated that the Council would study the project in detail, deliberate with management and determine possible pathways for integrating the platform into Nigeria’s education sector.

In his vote of thanks, the Head of Finance and Accounts – Mr. Charles Itodo commended the Mindbrood team for sharing their innovation and for enlightening the Council on the proposed educational application.

Members of the Mindbrood Initiative present at the meeting included the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Otumba James Udoma; Legal Adviser, Barr. Onyebuchi Ndiokwere; Adviser, Mr. Yemi Opesade; and a member, Mrs. Simar Linus.

NERDC officials in attendance were the Assistant Director of Finance and Head of the Consultancy Unit – Sir Justin Nwokedi; Head of the Policy and Programmes Unit (PPU) – Dr. Famade Oladiran; and the Legal Officer, Barr. Segun Daniels.

By Muhammad Sulaiman

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has awarded Senegal’s AFCON 2025–winning squad a total of $6.2 million in cashand 68,000 square meters of land, marking one of the most generous state rewards in African football history.

Each player will receive $135,000 and a 1,500-square-meter plot on the Petite Côte, while members of the technical and backroom staff will be awarded $90,000 and 1,000-square-meter plots, according to the presidency.

Senegal clinched the continental title with a disciplined 1–0 victory over the Morocco national football team in the final, a tightly contested match that underscored the Lions’ defensive organisation and tactical maturity.

Led by head coach Pape Thiaw, the Lions’ triumph has been celebrated as a symbol of national pride and sporting excellence, with officials saying the rewards reflect the country’s gratitude for a team that once again placed Senegal at the summit of African football.