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By Muhammadu Sabiu

Slaughtering of animals on the tenth day of Zul-hijja is one of the core forms of worship for that day. Those animals include rams, sheep, goats, cows, camels. However, the ram is always preferable to the other animals, especially with respect to the tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In Islam, this tradition of slaughtering originated since Prophet Abraham (AS), when Allahu (SWT) commanded him to slaughter his son as a form of sacrifice. However, on laying him to the ground to slaughter him, the divine command changed. Then the Almighty sent him a ram to slaughter instead of his beloved son.

With the coming of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the final Messenger sent by Allah to preach to humankind, the tradition of slaughtering got attached a full-fledged form of worship.

As part of “ibadat”, it’s highly recommended for every sane, financially capable Muslim to get any of the animals mentioned above—preferably a ram—to slaughter on the tenth day of Zul-hijja.

Looking at how the nation has plunged into an economic quagmire that bites harder, ram buyers are groaning over the high prices of ram in Bauchi. We, therefore, tried to survey the cost of rams and a comparison as to how they were sold in 2020 and how they are sold this year.

A buyer of ram, who bought a ram from Durun market in Bauchi State alongside his other two friends and who pleaded anonymity said, “Rams that ranged from ₦30,000 to ₦31,000 now cost from ₦48,000 to ₦50,000 thereby amounting to an increment to the tune of ₦20,000 each. Each of us bought rams, whose prices were ₦48,000, ₦49,000 and ₦50,000.”

Also, a seller of rams, who also wanted his name not to be mentioned, said, “First of all, I am engaged in the business of selling animals, and Eid el-Kabir is just around the corner. But there is one problem.”

When asked what the problem was, he added, “The animals have become untouchable because their prices are too high. Money is not circulating among people. Only those that are financially strong come to buy. Common people no longer come; they can only buy a goat worth like ₦12,000 or ₦13,000 and get back home. Last year, people had money, unlike this year.”

He confirmed that there had been an increase of about ₦20,000 when compared to last year. “And again, a ram that was worth ₦30,000 last year would now cost up to ₦50,000,” he added.

Tuesday, July 20, was declared Eid Day and, thus, a public holiday in Nigeria.

By Muhammad Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari has on Monday patted his Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on the back over what he described as a “task of transforming and modernising every aspect of Nigeria’s national transport infrastructure.”

This is coming four days after the president visited Kano and performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the segment of the Kano-Kaduna railway modernisation project.

Commending the minister via his verified Facebook handle, the president said, “I commend the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the Ministry, and all the project implementation partners contributing to this national effort of railway infrastructure development.”

Recall that on June 10, the president was also in Lagos to commission the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Guage Rail Line. He also inaugurated its “full commercial operations.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu

An unspecified number of mobile police officers have on Sunday been gruesomely killed by suspected bandits at Ƙurar Mota frontline base in Zamfara State.

Confirming the death of the officers via his Facebook account, Governor Matawalle’s Senior Special Assistant, SSA (New Media), Ibrahim Bello Zauma, said the governor had to cancel a meeting he scheduled to have with some political figures in the state.

His statement reads, “Governor Bello Matawalle has just cancelled his scheduled political meeting in commiseration of the death of our gallant MOPOL officers at Kurar Mota frontline base. He visits the injured at the Yariman Bakura Hospital. The Governor is shocked over the bandits’ incursion, which claimed the lives of the police officers. May the souls of those who fell rest in peace.”

However, details of how the police officers got killed have not emerged.

In recent years, Zamfara State, alongside other northwestern states, has been hit hard and ravaged by the gruesome activities of bandits and kidnappers, as so far, a large number of people have been violently killed and kidnapped.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The embattled Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, remains in police custody since his arrest yesterday (Friday) evening.

Kabara is a famous Kano-based controversial cleric whose commentaries and preaching the Coalition of Kano Ulama describe as blasphemous. On July 10, 2021, Kano State Government organised a debate between Kabara and some of the state’s scholars to defend himself.

However, according to the statement made by the judge of the debate, Professor Sani Shehu, Kabara failed to clear his name or defend his utterances.

The Sheikh was charged for blasphemy, incitement and insulting Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his companions, among others. A statement issued by the Commissioner of Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, on Friday states that Abduljabbar will remain in police custody until Monday, when he would be sent to prison.

The statement, in parts, reads: “The development followed the receipt of the First Information Report from the police by the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for justice which prepared charges against the cleric.

“Abduljabbar was subsequently arraigned on Friday, July 16, before an Upper Sharia Court Judge, Kofar Kudu, Alkali Ibrahim Sarki Yola, where the charges that included blasphemy, incitement, and sundry offences were mentioned.”

By Muhammad Sabiu

Twenty suspected internet fraudsters, otherwise known as Yahoo! Boys, have on Friday been nabbed by the Kano Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Katsina State’s Dutsinma Local Government Area.

Announcing the apprehension via its official Facebook handle, the Commission said, “The suspects who were mostly youth in their early twenties were arrested by a team of operatives of the Commission following intelligence indicating that some Internet fraudsters were perpetrating fraudulent activities around Dutsinma.”

Investigations into the matter are ongoing as, according to the Commission, the suspects would be charged to court in due course.

There has been an increase in cybercrimes in recent times as the Commission has on several occasions made similar raids and apprehension in different parts of the country.

The embattled Kano cleric, Sheikh Abduljabbar Kabara, was arrested by the police on charges related to his preaching, which many scholars judge as sacrilegious against Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The SSA to Governor Ganduje on social media, Abubakar Aminu, states that Abduljabbar “will be prosecuted in accordance with Islamic teaching”.

Details are coming shortly.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The remains of late Maj. Gen. Hassan Ahmed, who was assassinated yesterday (Thursday), was buried in Abuja this afternoon. It’s reported that the incident happened while the late Major General was returning to Abuja from Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. Some yet-to-be identified shooters attacked his car around the Abaji area council, killing him. The attackers took away the wife of the senior military officer.

Many sympathisers described the situation surrounding the demise of Hassan as very unfortunate. Until his death, he was a director at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.

Kaduna State Police Command has apprehended and paraded five suspects for their involvement in criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide in parts of Zaria and environs.

In an interview with the press, two suspects confessed that they’ve terrorising Maɗaci and Kofan Gayan areas. The five suspects are Tsalha, Lawali, Malam, Nuhu, and one other unnamed Fulani man. It has been confirmed that the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.

Being the only non-profit oriented media organisation focusing primarily on issues and problems bedevilling northern Nigeria, The Daily Reality is a dream comes true.

During a courtesy call by The Daily Reality newspaper members to the Kano State Commissioner of Information, Hon. Muhammad Garba, in his office on Wednesday, 13th July 2021, the commissioner expressed his happiness, adding that:

“The concept of The Daily Reality is very commendable. We really appreciate your effort. This shows that you know what is happening [in this country and beyond]. The only thing we can add is to pray to Almighty Allah to sustain your effort. Honestly speaking, every person who is abreast with what is happening in Nigeria knows about this gap you come to bridge. Media shouldn’t be seen as the sole affair of politicians. It is for all. You can invest in the media not just to make money but also to protect your people, your business, ideology or to champion a certain cause like this thing you are doing. Of course, the media business is challenging. It takes time before it yields the desired result. This is why our people (Northerners) prefer such businesses they will invest today and harvest [profit] tomorrow.”

Recalling the challenges he faced in convincing Northern politicians, business moguls and other influential personalities to invest in media, Hon. Garba narrated that:

“When I was the president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), these were the issues I kept presenting to our leaders, but unfortunately, some of them thought that media investment is for Southerners alone. I visited many politicians, business people and elder statesmen, but they dumped me. Until today, our people don’t understand the power of media and the danger of living without media protection. Sadly, every month, many state governments and business tycoons in the North pay some media giants in the South huge money to support their programmes, businesses and give them favourable coverage. Yet, they criticise and condemn some of their actions. Though that is the duty of the press. Now, where is our New Nigerian? Who failed New Nigerian? Therefore, I urge you to expand your activities to other states. Be objective, fair, neutral and avoid politicising issues. The North needs your help. Our people need your help. We will give you the necessary support,” said Hon. Commissioner.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The Nigerian army has on Thursday refuted media reports alleging that about 1000 repentant Boko Haram members were secretly released and handed over to the Borno State Government.

This was contained in a statement released by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, through Nigerian Army’s official Facebook handle.

The statement reads, “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of a media publication alleging that the NA has handed over 1009 Ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno State government. The report also alleged that the event was shrouded in secrecy.”

The Army added that “this report, is obviously one of those attempts to dampen troops morale and denigrate the NA, riding on the back of unsubstantiated report and misinformation.”

In an attempt to make a clarification, it further recounted what actually transpired. “It is an indisputable fact that the ongoing Counter Terrorism Counter Insurgency Operations (CTCOIN) in the North East has led to the arrest of several terrorism/insurgency suspects. These suspects have been held in custody, while undergoing profiling and further investigations by experts from the Joint Investigation Centre (JIC) and those who are found culpable are usually handed over to prosecuting agencies accordingly, while those who are not implicated in terrorism and insurgency are cleared and released to the state government for rehabilitation before they are reintegrated into the society. These cleared suspects are therefore not ex Boko Haram fighters, as peddled in the said online report and as the masterminds would want to impress on the public. A total of 1009 cleared suspects, not ex-fighters, were therefore released after this rigorous process on Wednesday 14 July 2021.

It is also necessary to categorically state that the handing over of the cleared suspects was not shrouded in secrecy as it was witnessed by United Nations Humanitarian and government agencies, in tandem with global best practice,” the statement added.