News

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has ordered the immediate deployment of a special forces battalion to Plateau State. This follows a recent surge in deadly bandit attacks across the region.

The elite unit, known as the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion, has already arrived. Military commanders say their mission is to “aggressively and decisively” end the violence and will be a “game changer” in restoring security.

At a reception at the Headquarters of 3 Division in Jos, the troops were briefed by the theatre command. Major General Folusho Oyinlola, the General Officer Commanding, urged the soldiers to be “decisive and ruthless” in their offensive operations against the bandits. He was represented by Brigadier General Senlong Sule.

Oyinlola praised the Army Chief’s “proactive leadership” in providing the necessary weapons and logistics for the mission.

He also appealed to residents not to be alarmed by the sudden increase in troop movements and heavy military equipment. The General further called on the public to support the operation by providing timely and actionable intelligence on the whereabouts of criminal elements, to ensure lasting peace in the state.

By Balkisu Aminu Aliyu

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, a sacred month during which the Quran was revealed, a time of spiritual reflection, purification, and heightened devotion.

A month of abundant blessings, forgiveness, and a strengthening of faith. Across the Muslim world, Ramadan is marked by fasting from dawn to sunset, intensified prayers, and acts of charity. It is a pillar of Islam that teaches patience, gratitude, and empathy. 

It is a time to purify the heart, practice self-discipline and strengthen one’s relationship with the Almighty. However, conversation is less about spiritual abundance and more about stark scarcity and low income.

2026 Ramadan is one of the upcoming Ramadans, while the prices of some essential commodities are falling in some parts of the country; however, many less privileged people are struggling to manage Ramadan due to low income.

“Some people can no longer take full responsibility for their families,” confides a 45-year-old woman in Gidan Sanda area of Sokoto, who asked to remain anonymous, her voice tinged with worry. “Most husbands are struggling financially because of the high level of poverty. This could stop them from providing enough food, especially during sahur and iftar.”

Her lament echoes in the words of Abu Musa, a motorcycle rider whose concern stretches beyond the fast itself to the Eid al-Fitr celebration that follows. “I don’t think I can feed my children properly, even though food prices have dropped from last year. I have no resources to meet their needs. How can I buy them new clothes for Eid?” he asks, his question hanging heavily in the air.

For families like his, Ramadan’s twin pressures, sufficient nourishment for fasting and the social expectations of Eid, feel like an immense weight.

The crisis is both urban and rural. Aliyu Kabir, a young man from the area, expressed, “People all over the town and villages are battling extreme poverty.”

This deprivation carries a deep social sting. Community reports suggest that countless parents cannot afford proper clothing for their children. In a season of communal gatherings and celebration, this need can lead to shame and embarrassment for young ones, who may mistakenly feel neglected by their parents, not understanding that poverty itself is the barrier.

At his roadside mechanic workshop along Abdullahi Fodiyo road, Malam Husaini watches the traffic of life go by, his hope pinned on a simple prayer. “It’s tradition for food prices to shoot up during Ramadan,” he observes, “We are praying to Allah to ease the condition for us.” His fear is common: that any market gains will be erased by the annual Ramadan price surge, pushing basic staples out of reach.

Amid this apprehension, the timeless teachings of Islam offer both a critique and a solution. A Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira is profoundly relevant: the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “Whoever feeds a fasting person will have a reward like that of the person who observed the fast, without decreasing the reward of the latter.”

This principle transforms Ramadan from a private act of worship into a powerful societal covenant. It is a sacred month in which the fortunate’s empathy must translate into sustenance for the struggling. Assisting the needy is not just charity; it is a spiritual investment, a purification of wealth, and a direct conduit to divine mercy.

Therefore, as the 2026 Ramadan approaches, the call from Sokoto’s backstreets is clear. It is a call for the wealthy, business owners, and those in positions of power, including government and political office holders, to remember the core communal spirit of this holy time. To do more. To support the vulnerable not as an afterthought, but as a central, highly recommended act of faith.

For in the end, the true test of this Ramadan may not only be in the stomachs that remain empty but in the hands that remain closed. The blessings of the month are abundant, but they are meant to be shared, ensuring that every believer, rich or poor, can turn their heart toward the divine without the crushing distraction of hunger or shame.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The National Chairman Council of Ulama of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has faulted the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, describing it as highly risky.

He said Nigerian Muslims have rejected the appointment because of the sensitive role of INEC as the nation’s electoral body.

Sheikh Jingir spoke at the end of a three-day 33rd annual national seminar organised by JIBWIS at Saddeqa Event Center in Jos.

Professor Amupitan has faced criticism over a legal brief he authored years ago. The document allegedly attempted to justify claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria. The Tinubu administration has repeatedly denied the allegation. However, the government has remained silent on calls demanding his removal.

According to the cleric, the INEC chairman had accused Muslims of carrying out genocide against Christians. He argued that such a person should not occupy a sensitive national office.

“Why is it that someone that had abused Sheikh Usman Danfodio and Muslims was appointed INEC chairman, “ Sheik Jingir asked.

He also questioned the silence of members of the National Assembly on the matter. He urged lawmakers to take action and ensure that a fair individual heads the electoral commission.

The Islamic scholar further stated that Muslims oppose the appointment of anyone he alleged had invited foreign intervention against Nigeria to lead a critical institution.

He said, “I disagree with the person that went aboard to call for an attack on Nigeria, and the government of Muslim-Muslim, take the risk of appointing him as the head of electoral umpire, it is an extremely a risk of the highest order.”

By Uzair Adam

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 62-year-old businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, for attempting to smuggle cocaine to China.

Izueke, who is based in Lagos, was arrested on Saturday, January 31, 2026, during the outbound clearance of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to China via Addis Ababa.

The NDLEA said the suspect was subjected to a body scan after exhibiting suspicious behaviour, which confirmed that he had ingested illicit drugs.

“In the course of excretion observation, he expelled 95 wraps of cocaine in seven separate excretions,” the agency disclosed, adding that the total weight of the drugs was 1.589 kilograms.

The suspect, who claimed to be involved in clothing and auto parts trading in Lagos, reportedly confessed that he engaged in the trafficking to raise funds to complete the construction of his country home in Iwollo, Enugu State.

Meanwhile, the agency recorded several other major seizures across the country. In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives uncovered a makeshift warehouse in Kubwa where 627.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered.

The agency also arrested Ebube Okeke, Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael for attempting to traffic methamphetamine concealed in MP3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna between February 6 and 7.

On February 6, officers intercepted 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside Hollandia yoghurt packs along the Lagos–Mubi route, leading to the arrest of a 32-year-old suspect, Yusuf Abubakar.

In Oyo State, Shuaibu Abdulrahman, 29, was arrested with 149.6 kilograms of skunk, while Adeniyi Adeola, also known as Prince, was apprehended in Ibadan with more than 128,000 tablets of tramadol and pentazocine.

Drug kingpin Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, was equally arrested in Ibadan alongside his accomplice, Ogundipe Yusuf, 27.

Items recovered from them included eight litres of precursor chemicals, cannabis, cash and vehicles allegedly used in the production of synthetic cannabis.

In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives recovered 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed inside a fuel tanker travelling from Lagos to Maiduguri. Additional seizures were recorded in Imo and Ondo states, where 203 kilograms and 420 kilograms of skunk were intercepted respectively.

The Marine Command of the agency also intercepted 31 wraps of cocaine from a suspect arriving from Côte d’Ivoire in Badagry, Lagos.

Further operations in Lagos and Enugu led to the recovery of Canadian Loud and Colorado cannabis from Adekunle Oluwatosin Olajide, as well as assorted illicit drugs from Emeka Okeke.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

The ATM Gwarzo Organization has expressed appreciation to well-wishers across the Kano North Senatorial Zone for the growing goodwill and support surrounding the 2027 senatorial contest involving His Excellency, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the organization said His Excellency is deeply humbled by the confidence and encouragement shown by stakeholders, elders, youths, and various community groups across the zone, describing the gestures as a call to greater responsibility and selfless service to the people.

The statement urged supporters to remain positive, calm, and united, noting that consultations are already being planned to engage widely with stakeholders across the senatorial district and Kano State at large.

According to the organization, His Excellency has committed all his affairs to Allah (SWT) and seeks divine guidance in his continued efforts to serve the people. The group added that further updates would be communicated in due course.

The statement was signed by Mansur Umar Man’ash, Special Adviser on Digital Media, for the ATM Gwarzo Organization, and dated February 8, 2026.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), a prominent Islamic organization in Nigeria, has urgently called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately dismiss the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.

The call was made by the JNI’s Secretary-General, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, during the group’s annual programme marking the commencement of the 2026 Ramadan fasting month. The event was attended by traditional rulers and clerics from across the nation, including the Shehu of Borno and the Emir of Dutse.

Speaking on behalf of the organization, Professor Aliyu stated that the demand was necessitated by allegations of Professor Amupitan’s role in demonstrating hostility towards Islam and Muslims. The JNI cited a text purportedly authored by Amupitan which claimed that Christians are facing genocide in Nigeria.

The JNI warned that such statements and actions are capable of provoking division and unrest within the country. Consequently, the body has urged the government to take swift action to safeguard national peace and unity.

This development places fresh scrutiny on the head of the nation’s electoral body and underscores ongoing tensions along religious lines in Nigeria’s public discourse.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra has declared a total end to the Monday sit-at-home exercise across the South-East. The order takes effect from Monday, February 9, 2026.

IPOB spokesperson, Emma Powerful, made this known in a statement released on Sunday. He said the directive was issued by the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The sit-at-home protest began in August 2021. It was introduced to protest Kanu’s rendition to Nigeria and his detention. During the period, markets, schools, banks and offices usually shut down every Monday.

Powerful said the new directive means residents should resume normal activities. He stressed that there is no reason for anyone to remain indoors on Mondays.

The statement read in part, “The IPOB, under the supreme leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, hereby announces to the entire world that the Monday sit-at-home across the South-East is officially and permanently cancelled with effect from tomorrow, Monday, February 9, 2026.

“This directive comes directly from Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu himself, who has once again staked everything on the line to ensure that our children return to school every Monday and that our people go about their lawful businesses without fear, intimidation or molestation.

“Any person in doubt should visit Sokoto Correctional Centre to confirm with him. We can no longer hide under ‘Onyendu cannot be reached to confirm’ to persist with our recalcitrance or docility. Monday sit-at-home is over. That era is gone!

“There is now no need, excuse or justification for anyone to stay at home on Mondays. All markets, schools, offices, transport services and economic activities must resume fully and normally from tomorrow. This is the clear and unequivocal order of the Supreme Leader of IPOB.”

The group also warned against any attempt to continue enforcing the order.

The statement added, “Kanu has made it abundantly clear that any individual or group attempting to enforce sit-at-home from this moment forward is acting against his direct command. Such persons are enemies of our people and the Biafran cause. They will be pursued to the ends of the earth and confronted until they are completely defeated.”

IPOB alleged that some actors may try to create fear or stage attacks to force compliance. It urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding.

“Let it be known that any person or group identified as enforcing or enabling sit-at-home will be confronted wherever they are. Our people must remain vigilant, calm and law-abiding.

“At the same time, IPOB wishes to make it clear that no state governor has the right to threaten, demolish or forcibly shut down the businesses of traders who, out of conscience, choose to sit at home in solidarity with our leader.

“Any attempt by Governor Soludo or any other governor to intimidate our people with demolition threats or forced market closures will be firmly resisted,” the statement added.

The group further spoke on market projects and trader relocation.

According to the statement, “Any renovation, reconstruction or improvement of markets that involves temporary relocation must be carried out only with the consent of all stakeholders, adding that adequate temporary trading sites must be provided before any such projects commence.

“Our enemies have in the past succeeded in instigating crises and planting seeds of discord among our people. We must not allow them to succeed again. We are one people, united by a common destiny. Our struggle is for freedom, dignity and justice for all, not just for Biafrans.

“We therefore call on all our people across the South-East to come out tomorrow, open their shops, go to work and send their children to school without fear.

“The era of Monday sit-at-home is over.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has criticised comments attributed to U.S. Representative Riley Moore concerning Nigeria’s unity, religious persecution, and the movement for Biafran self-determination.

In a statement released on Sunday, Comrade Emma Powerful, IPOB’s Spokesperson and Media/Publicity Secretary, challenged Moore’s view that maintaining Nigeria’s territorial integrity guarantees the protection of Christians.

Moore, who recently concluded a fact-finding visit across Nigeria, warned against the country’s potential balkanisation, arguing that supporting separatist movements could endanger Christians, particularly in the North and Middle Belt regions. According to Moore, his visit included meetings with government officials, church leaders, aid organisations, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to examine what he described as the “rampant persecution of Christians” in the country.

IPOB, however, described Moore’s position as flawed. “With utmost respect, the position attributed to Rep. Riley Moore reflects a familiar but deeply flawed assumption: that preserving the territorial integrity of Nigeria is synonymous with protecting Christians. History proves the opposite,” the statement said. Powerful highlighted that, over the past six decades, Christians in Northern Nigeria, the Middle Belt, and parts of Yorubaland have faced “cyclical massacres, mass displacement, church burnings, and a culture of impunity enabled by the state itself.”

The group also dismissed Moore’s claim that self-determination “emboldens terrorists,” calling it “a line of reasoning born out of 9 million dollars lobbying enterprise in Washington not reason.” Powerful argued, “terror movements are not triggered by oppressed peoples seeking safety; they flourish where centralized states suppress identity, deny autonomy, and reward violence with appeasement.” He cited Afghanistan as an example where decades of military cooperation and aid collapsed while radical ideology resurged.

Referring to history, IPOB’s statement noted that persecuted religious minorities often survived because independent states provided refuge. “The religiously persecuted Huguenots did not survive Catholic France because France became tolerant. They survived because an independent Protestant England already existed — a sovereign refuge with the political will, military capacity, and moral clarity to protect them. Without Protestant England, there would have been no sanctuary for European Protestants fleeing annihilation,” it read.

Powerful linked this historical context to the current Biafran movement led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as “not a call to violence, nor a scheme to destabilize West Africa as British/Nigerian lobbyists in Europe and USA would have us believe. It is a demand for a democratic referendum, the most peaceful conflict-resolution mechanism recognized in international law.”

The statement added that a restored Biafra “would function as a safe civilizational anchor — a homeland where Christians and people of other faiths from across Nigeria can live without fear, and from which persecuted Christians elsewhere could find refuge and protection.” IPOB also claimed that its emergence has helped reduce attacks on Igbos in Northern Nigeria, stating, “Since the emergence of the IPOB, the once-routine mass killings of Igbos in Northern Nigeria abruptly ceased. That outcome was not accidental. Collective self-assertion created deterrence where decades of appeasement failed.”

While acknowledging the value of security cooperation with the United States, IPOB argued that it addresses symptoms rather than the root causes. “Security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria may manage symptoms, but it has never cured the disease. Repeating a strategy that has failed for generations — while dismissing self-determination as dangerous — is not realism; it is historical amnesia,” the statement said.

Powerful concluded that advocacy for self-determination does not conflict with peace or countering violent extremism. “No serious advocate of peace opposes cooperation against violent extremism. But refusing to acknowledge peaceful constitutional exits, while insisting on the permanence of a demonstrably broken state, guarantees the continuation of persecution rather than its end,” he said.

The spokesperson further argued that an independent Biafra would enhance, not threaten, regional stability. “An independent Biafra, like an independent Protestant England or the State of Israel, would not threaten regional stability. It would create it — by giving persecuted peoples something they have never had within Nigeria: a sovereign place of safety.”

“True concern for Christians — and for all Nigerians — begins with intellectual honesty: forced unity has failed. Safety, dignity, and peace have always followed self-rule, not its denial,” Powerful concluded.

By Uzair Adam

Troops of the Nigerian Army under the 17 Brigade, Katsina, have recovered 529 rustled livestock following a gun battle with suspected terrorists in Kafur Local Government Area of the state.

The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 17 Brigade, Capt. Abayomi Adisa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.

According to him, the operation was carried out by troops of the Forward Operating Base, Malumfashi, after credible intelligence revealed terrorist activities around Kasuwan Sabo in Kafur LGA.

He said the operation, conducted on February 7, 2026, was led by the Commanding Officer of FOB Malumfashi, Lt. Col. M. M. Isa, and targeted terrorists believed to have infiltrated Katsina from neighbouring Zamfara State.

Adisa added that the criminals were allegedly led by Idi Abasu Aiki, said to be a younger brother of notorious bandit leader, Ado Aliero.

He explained that the terrorists opened fire upon sighting the advancing troops, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.

However, the soldiers responded with superior firepower, forcing the assailants to flee into nearby bushes while abandoning part of the stolen livestock.

“The troops immediately launched a hot pursuit and caught up with the fleeing terrorists between Burdugau and Unguwan Matau villages in Malumfashi LGA, where the criminals were forced to abandon all the remaining rustled animals,” he said.

After a thorough sweep of the area, the troops recovered 529 animals, comprising 290 cows, 238 sheep and one donkey, as well as one motorcycle.

Adisa noted that 14 cows were killed during the exchange of fire after the terrorists allegedly used them as shields.

He stressed that no casualty was recorded among the troops during the operation, describing their conduct as professional and effective.

The recovered animals, he said, were handed over to relevant authorities for identification and eventual return to their rightful owners, under the supervision of the Chairman of Kafur LGA, Suraju Nature, and the Divisional Police Officer, Superintendent of Police Aminu Salihu.

Adisa further disclosed that the General Officer Commanding 8 Division and Commander, Sector 2 Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Maj.-Gen.

Paul Koughna, commended the troops for their gallantry and professionalism, while reassuring residents of sustained military operations against criminal elements in the area.

He added that troops of FOB Malumfashi have continued aggressive patrols to deny terrorists freedom of action and ensure lasting security in the area.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State House of Assembly has dismissed reports suggesting an alleged plan to impeach the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam-Gwarzo, describing them as unfounded and misleading.

The Assembly said there was no such move before the House, stressing that the reports were intended to create unnecessary tension within the state.

Speaking to journalists in Kano on Saturday, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the House, Kamaluddeen Shawai, said there was “absolutely no motion or initiative” aimed at removing the Deputy Governor.

According to him, the circulating reports were false and should be disregarded by the public, adding that the Deputy Governor continued to enjoy the full support of the Assembly.

Shawai urged members of the media and the public to always verify information before dissemination, emphasising that accurate and responsible reporting is crucial to maintaining political stability in the state.

He further noted that the House remained focused on its legislative responsibilities and oversight functions, rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.

“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not the circulation of rumours,” he said.