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Just In: Violence erupts in Ukraine’s second-largest city

By Muhammad Sabiu

As Russian troops entered Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, street violence erupted.

According to Synehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, residents of the eastern city should stay in shelters and avoid travelling as Russian vehicles invaded Kharkiv on Sunday.

He was quoted as saying, “The Russian enemy’s vehicles advanced into the city of Kharkiv. Including the central part of the city. Warning! Do not leave your shelters!” Governor Synyehubov said in a Facebook post Sunday.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine are eliminating the enemy. Civilians are asked not to go out in the streets.”

For the previous three days, Ukrainian forces have been able to keep Russian troops out of the city, but Synehubov claims that this has suddenly changed, with the battle taking place in the city’s core.

SPECIAL REPORT: How desire for materialism affects marriages and relationships

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Materialism is not limited to friendship or brotherhood; marriages and relationships also suffer greatly.

Friendship and brotherhood are gradually losing their true meaning, if not buried at all, because of this sudden shift of behaviour to materialism, The Daily Reality gathered. 

The menace led and is still leading to the breakdown of many relationships, including marriages, thereby manifesting itself into a serious problem in society – such as the increase in the number of widows and heartbreaking individuals.

The Daily Reality speaks with some people on this issue.

People like Aisha Mujitaba believe that guys pretend to be rich in life in order to woo girls.

“Nowadays, both loves and marriages are based on materialism; that is how equivocation and deception have chipped in in the process of getting married.

“Guys pretend to be wealthy in order to win girls’ hearts. Consequently, when they are joined in matrimony, the true nature of what the person is will be revealed. This leads to the breakdown of relationships,” Aisha said.

Parents were also accused of encouraging this lingering issue in society, according to Suwaiba Umar. 

She said, “Today, parents encourage their children to marry rich people. Marriages nowadays are not for the sake of Allah, the almighty. That is why guys make-believe a big life.”

Frowning at this behavioural change, Juwairiyya Aminu compared marriages in the past and marriages today.

She said, “Marriage in those days was entirely different from the marriage in these days, including the process, lefe (trousseau), ceremonies and whatnot.”

Both girls and their parents find it very exciting to have rich as their husbands or sons-in-law, making it difficult for the poor to get married.

“A poor man finds it very difficult to be loved, much less being married. But when a rich person proposes, without hesitation or any proper investigation on his religion, habit or maturity, he will be accepted,” Sa’adatu Shu’aibu.

Buhari Ahmad posited that guys fear being rejected by the girls, let alone the parents. For this, he said, “Guys make a pretence of big life out of fear of being rejected by girls and their parents.

“That is why guys now rent clothes, hats, shoes, bikes or even cars when visiting their suitors.” 

Materialism: What Brings About It?

Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Abdullahi is a lecturer at the Department of Nigerian Languages, Bayero University, Kano. He told this reporter in an interview that many reasons made our society materialistic.

“There are so many reasons which contribute to the moral decadence we are witnessing today in the Hausa society. I can summarily list them as follows:

“1. Deficiency in terms of Islamic education and pursuing more in terms of Western educational life and style.

2. Negative modernity

3. Access to the new media and multi-media stuff which led to increasing in absorbing haram items.

4. Lack of proper orientation, etc.”

The solution to materialistic life

“Having sound Islamic education and fear of Allah, pursuing what is halal in any form of education and social life; and abiding strictly to Islamic teachings are the solution,” Sulaiman added.

Roman Abramovic steps down as Chelsea owner

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Roman Abramovic, the owner of Chelsea Football Club, had relinquished control of the club. Skynews reported this development on Saturday, February 26.

“During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the Club, whose it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future , while also playing a positive role in our communities. I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to this values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC ” He said.

“I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff and fans” He added

Abramovic decision is coming amidst the Russian-Ukraine crises and the call for the UK government to take over Chelsea Football Club and other Russian establishments in the country.

Germany: Thief steals ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s purse in supermarket

Ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s purse was stolen while she was shopping in a supermarket in Berlin on 24 Feb.

According to reports, the wallet contained an ID card, EC card, driver’s license and cash.

Berlin police said that the theft took place in a delicatessen supermarket in Charlottenburg’s Morsestrasse.

Merkel is said to have filed a criminal complaint with a police section on Friedrichstrasse.

© Berliner Zeitung

Buhari signs Electoral Amendment Bill into law

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, February 25, signed the Electoral Amendment Bill into law.

The President signed the Bill at the Presidential Villa on Friday in the presence of the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and others.

In the president’s address, he said, in line with traditions, he received input from different ministries and relevant departments and agencies of government after thorough reviews of the bill and the implications it will have on democratic processes in Nigeria.

He said, “It is gratifying to note that the current Bill comes with great deal of improvement from the previous Electoral Bill 2021. There are salient and praiseworthy provisions that could positively revolutionize election in Nigeria through the introduction of new technological innovations. These innovations would guarantee the constitutional rights of citizens to vote and do so effectively”

Many political commentators have argued that the new law will define the incoming general election in diverse ways.

Insurgency: Bandits use better equipment than our forces – El-rufai

By Uzair Adam Imam

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has decried over the menace of insurgency rocking the North-Western part of the country while lamenting that the bandits use better weapons than the Nigerian security forces.

The governor who described bandits as “massive monsters” stated this while reacting to some questions on banditry and kidnapping in the North- West. El-Rufai spoke on Thursday in Abuja during the weekly briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Media.

He reiterated that insurgency in the North-West is far more severe than the Boko Haram crisis, going by the growing number of people killed and kidnapped every day.

“I am persuaded that the insurgency in the North West is far more serious than Boko Haram, both in terms of the numbers of the people affected. I have shown you the numbers in Kaduna. I can assure you that the numbers on Zamfara and Katsina are up to three times. The numbers in Sokoto, Niger, and Kebbi are also very alarming.

“We are talking of tens of thousands of people getting killed, getting kidnapped. It is far more serious than Boko Haram. The only thing is that these guys don’t occupy territory. They are in the forest and ungoverned spaces.

“So, they do not attract the kind of single-minded attention that Boko Haram does. And because Boko Haram’s ideology is religious, intentionally religious, it elicits more passion, but really, this is a far more serious problem.

“Because, this is a situation largely in which people of about the same ethnicity, same religion are killing each other, stealing each other’s property, creating an industry out of criminality. It’s very serious, and it requires single-minded attention,” said El-Rufai.

31-year-old communication student develops new model to fight disinformation

By Aisar Fagge

Isah Nasidi, a young Nigerian PhD student of Mass Communication and a research fellow at the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, developed a new model called SAMCAV. First of its kind, the model aims to combat disinformation and discover the fourth typology of information disorder, which he called dil-information.

A statement sent to The Daily Reality reveals that Nasidi’s discovery was the outcome of the six-month research fellowship of the Kwame Kari-Kari Fact-checking and Research Fellowship, which selected 17 researchers from four West African countries to research information disorder.

The SAMCAV model links six elements of information disorder; Source, Agent, Message, Channel, Audience and Victim. These elements are involved in the production, distribution and consumption of information disorder.

According to the researcher, the model will help researchers and policymakers to know how disordered information flows and the effects it causes in society.

Moreover, the work discovers the concept of ‘dil-information’ as the fourth type of information disorder, which has never been considered as an independent typology separate from disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation.

Dil-information is defined as genuine information diluted with false information, misinterpreted or misrepresented with or without intent to harm. Terms like mostly true, half-true, mostly false and misleading are used to classify claims of this nature.

The research aims to set a research agenda for scholars working in this virgin area and help in policy making and developing mechanisms for solving the problem.

Isah Nasidi, an independent researcher and media consultant, is an indigene of Kano state. He bagged his first and second degrees in Mass Communication at Bayero University, Kano. He is currently a PhD student of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Secretary of Communication History Division of International Communication Association (USA).

Banditry: Custom officer shot dead, six others abducted in Kaduna

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Bandits have shot ASCII Muhammad Maradun, a Customs officer with Federal Operations Unit (FOU), to death in Kaduna.

The Daily Reality gathered that six people, among whom was a bride-to-be, were abducted in the process. 

It has been discovered that the bandits had stormed his house at Rogachikun Community of Igabi local government, Kaduna, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deceased, Mr Maradun, was reported to have sustained gunshot injuries.

The FOU Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), M.A Magaji, confirmed the victim’s death.

However, the deceased was said to have died while undergoing surgery, putting all attempts to save his life in vain.

Ukraine: Boris Johnson describes Russian invasion as ‘catastrophe’ for Europe

By Muhammad Sabiu

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a “catastrophe” for Europe, according to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has asked for an emergency summit of the NATO military alliance led by the United States.

He was quoted as saying on Twitter: “This is a catastrophe for our continent.”

Mr. Johnson added that he would make a national address on the developments.

“I will also speak to fellow G7 leaders and I am calling for an urgent meeting of all NATO leaders as soon as possible,” he said.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on citizens to fight

Zelenskyy has appealed to all civilians who are willing to protect Ukraine against Russian soldiers to come forward, stressing that Kyiv will provide firearms to anyone who requests them.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also urged Russians to resist Moscow’s plan to invade their country’s neighbour.

Recall that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the launch of attacks on parts of Ukraine as part of the move to support intending breakaway regions in the Eastern part of the country.

The attack has caused outrage and condemnations from world powers as citizens flee Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city, although Putin stated that the attacks were not targeted at unarmed civilians.

Ukraine claimed that it had shot down fighter jets belonging to the Russian forces stationed in the unresting part of the country.

Zamfara deputy governor impeached

By Muhammad Sabiu

Reports coming from Gusau have it that Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, the state’s deputy governor, has been impeached by the Zamfara State House of Assembly.

The members ousted Mr Gusau from office on Wednesday during plenary after 20 out of 21 voted in favour of his removal.

Following the submission of a panel report by the state’s chief judge, Kulu Aliyu, to investigate alleged impeachable offences against the deputy governor, the parliamentarians quickly voted.