News

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

The management of Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila has rusticated nine students over their involvement in examination malpractice during the first semester examinations of the 2025/2026 academic session.

The decision was announced in a Special Bulletin issued by the university’s Registry following the approval of the institution’s Senate after reviewing reported cases of examination misconduct and plagiarism.

According to the bulletin, the affected students were found guilty of violating the university’s examination regulations. As a result, the Senate approved their rustication for one academic session as part of disciplinary measures to maintain academic integrity.

The university management said the action reflects its commitment to promoting honesty, discipline, and fairness within the academic environment.

It also reiterated that examination malpractice and all forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Students were therefore urged to strictly adhere to examination rules and regulations, with the management emphasising that integrity remains central to the institution’s mission of producing morally upright and academically sound graduates.

Members of the university community were advised to take note of the Senate’s decision and continue to uphold the core values of the institution.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he must play a part in selecting Iran’s next leader following the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

Trump made the remark during an interview with Axios on Thursday. He said Mojtaba Khamenei, the 56-year-old son of the late Iranian leader, appears to be the most likely successor. However, the U.S. president rejected the possibility of him taking over the position.

“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump said. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela.”

Rodriguez became Venezuela’s acting president in January after U.S. forces entered Caracas, arrested then-President Nicolas Maduro and transferred him to New York to face drug-related charges. After Rodriguez assumed office, Trump described Venezuela as “our new friend and partner” and said her administration had supplied the United States with millions of barrels of oil.

Trump stressed that Washington would not accept a new Iranian leader who intends to continue the policies of the late supreme leader.

“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” he told Axios. “We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran.”

He repeated the position in a separate interview with Reuters.

“We want to be involved in the process of choosing the person who is going to lead Iran into the future. We don’t have to go back every five years and do this again and again.”

Reports from the New York Times indicate that Mojtaba Khamenei has emerged as the leading candidate for the role after several meetings of Iran’s Assembly of Experts. The cleric, who has largely stayed away from public attention, studied Islamic theology and is known for holding hardline conservative views.

The comments from Trump come days after the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran. The strikes targeted multiple locations across the country. A humanitarian organisation reported that more than 1,000 people lost their lives during the attacks.

Iran responded with missile strikes on Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and other locations in the region. According to the Pentagon, six American service members have been killed in the conflict.

Military activity has continued in recent days. Reports indicate Iranian attacks in Azerbaijan. The U.S. Navy also sank an Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean. The Pentagon said more than 20 Iranian ships have either been damaged or destroyed.

Soon after the first strikes, the Trump administration offered several explanations for the operation, which it named “Epic Fury.”

Vice President JD Vance said the campaign aims to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the action followed indications that Israel planned to attack Iran. Trump also suggested the operation could lead to political change in Iran. He wrote on Truth Social during the weekend, “This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.”

During a press conference on Monday, Trump outlined four major objectives. He said the United States seeks to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities, eliminate its navy, prevent the country from obtaining nuclear weapons and remove the current Iranian leadership.

It remains unclear how long the operation will last. Trump suggested it might take about four weeks but said the United States has the ability to continue longer if necessary.

The military action has drawn mixed reactions in the United States. Many Democrats oppose the campaign and have described it as illegal and strategically flawed. Several Republicans have expressed support for the president, although some have raised concerns in private.

A war powers resolution that aimed to limit the president’s authority over the Iran conflict failed in the Senate earlier this week. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are expected to vote on a similar proposal.

Public opinion also appears divided. A recent Reuters survey found that only one in four Americans support the U.S. strikes on Iran.

Iran’s government has condemned the attacks. Officials in Tehran described the strikes as illegal and urged the international community to support the country.

By Anwar Usman


The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, alongside former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajia Isa and former Group General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), Dr. Bala Wunti, over an alleged N210 trillion not properly accounted for by the company between 2017 and 2023.

The committee, chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), issued the summons on Thursday following a review of audit queries relating to the financial records of the national oil company.

The Committee chairman said they would issue an arrest warrant against the former management team if they fail to appear before it on a date that will be communicated to them.

He added that the former officials are expected to appear before the committee alongside the current management of NNPCL led by the Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, as well as the external auditors who served the company during the period under review.

Wadada, while reading the committee’s resolutions to journalists, said the panel had directed the NNPCL to account for the combined sum of N210 trillion  comprising N103 trillion and N107 trillion, identified in audit reports.

“NNPCL should refund the sum of N210 trillion, being the combined sum of N103 trillion and N107 trillion, which were not properly accounted for as contained in the audit reports. NNPCL should and must account for the two figures,” he said.

The committee further  directed the company to remit to the Treasury all production costs charged against crude oil revenue for the period under review, noting that NNPC and its subsidiaries, including NAPIMS, do not directly produce crude oil.

According to Wadada, the company claimed that the N103 trillion represented cumulative expenditures by joint venture partners from JV cash calls between 2017 and 2023, an explanation the committee described as unacceptable.

He added that the company also recorded N107 trillion as subsidy receivables and sundry debts in its audited financial statements as of December 2023, which it said were owed by various banks and other entities.

“When put together, NNPCL needs to properly account for the N210 trillion,” Wadada said.

The committee also interrogate the expenditure of N5 billion which was said to have been used to facilitate the change of the company’s name from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

He further urged the Auditor-General for the Federation to conduct a forensic audit of the company’s financial statements for the period under review in line with Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

By Anwar Usman

The family members of an abducted Corp member, identified as Abba, have claimed he has been killed by his kidnappers despite paying a ransom of N10million for his release.

According to reports, the family said communication with the kidnappers suddenly stopped after the ransom was paid, deepening fears that the corps member may have been murdered.

The Daily Reality gthered that the abductors had initially demanded N10million for his release but later made fresh demands after receiving the money.

According to them, the kidnappers also requested motorcycles in addition to the ransom already paid.

“Since receiving the N10 million ransom payment, Abba’s abductors have completely cut off all communication with the family,” the sources said, according to a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama.

The family further revealed that it had decided not to comply with any further demands following the abrupt silence from the abductors.

As a result of that, the family said it had begun preparations to conduct funeral prayers for the corps member in absentia in accordance with the Islamic traditions.

They also expressed appreciation to individuals and groups who supported them during the ordeal.

“Abba’s family wishes to express profound gratitude to everyone who offered support, prayers, donations and kind words during this difficult period.

“May the Almighty reward your generosity abundantly,” the family added.

The relatives also said they  still hope that the corps member might be alive.

“If he has passed on, may Allah forgive his shortcomings, accept his good deeds and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus,” a family member said.

Recalled that, the deceased had earlier cried out for urgent help after terrorists locally dubbed as bandits subjected him to severe torture in captivity.

By Uzair Adam

A Nigerian researcher working in France has developed a new biological concept that could help cereal crops obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere without genetic modification, potentially reducing reliance on costly synthetic fertilizers.

Dr. Mubarak Mahmud, a researcher at French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) and affiliated with Université Bourgogne Europe under its Agroecology research unit, disclosed this in an interview on Thursday.

Mahmud said the study focuses on improving nitrogen nutrition in cereal crops such as maize, wheat and rice by strengthening naturally occurring interactions between plants and soil organisms.

The Daily Reality reports that Nitrogen is widely considered the most limiting nutrient in cereal production globally. Although nitrogen gas constitutes nearly 78 percent of the earth’s atmosphere, major cereal crops cannot directly use it in its gaseous form.

As a result, farmers depend heavily on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers to maintain crop yields. However, the fertilizers are expensive and are associated with environmental challenges including greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation and water pollution.

Mahmud explained that while leguminous crops such as beans can access atmospheric nitrogen through root nodules that host nitrogen-fixing bacteria, cereals lack this biological mechanism.

According to him, the research explores whether cereal crops can indirectly benefit from atmospheric nitrogen by strengthening existing soil symbiotic relationships.

The study centres on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, microscopic soil organisms that colonize plant roots and form underground networks capable of transporting nutrients to plants.

These fungi are already known to assist plants in absorbing nutrients such as phosphorus in exchange for sugars produced by the plant.

Mahmud said the research hypothesizes that nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil could be linked to these fungal networks, allowing biologically fixed nitrogen to move through the fungal pathway into the plant.

“In practical terms, nitrogen-fixing microbes convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable compounds, while the fungal network serves as a biological bridge between the soil and plant roots,” he explained.

“This allows the plant to receive nitrogen through the fungus’s existing nutrient exchange pathway.”

He emphasized that the approach does not involve genetic modification but instead builds on natural biological partnerships already present in agricultural soils.

Unlike conventional microbial biofertilizers that rely on bacteria operating freely in the soil, Mahmud said the concept aims to improve how biologically fixed nitrogen is directed toward the plant through the already efficient plant–fungus nutrient delivery system.

The research is still in its early stages and is currently being tested under controlled experimental conditions. Scientists involved in the study are examining how nitrogen moves within the system and how plants respond when synthetic fertilizer inputs are reduced.

Mahmud said if validated through greenhouse and field trials, the concept could improve nitrogen-use efficiency in cereal production, reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers and lower production costs for farmers.

“This approach builds on biological partnerships that already exist in nature. The goal is to enhance how crops access nitrogen in a more efficient and sustainable way,” he stated.

He added that the research team is seeking collaboration with research institutions, soil microbiologists, agronomists and biotechnology partners interested in advancing sustainable nitrogen solutions for cereal farming systems.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Nigerian troops under Operation Eastern Sanity have intensified their offensive against the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in parts of the South-East.

The military said the ongoing operations are aimed at dismantling insurgent camps and restoring security in the region.

According to a statement, troops carried out a coordinated operation on March 3, 2026, at Camp Gbadoanya in Orsumoghu, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. The operation involved other security agencies and received close air support from the Nigerian Air Force.

The joint team moved into the area to flush out suspected IPOB and ESN fighters operating within the camp and nearby locations.

During the raid, security forces discovered several camps used by the insurgents. The camps were searched and later destroyed.

Items recovered from the location included pump-action guns, locally made Dane guns, rifle magazines, rifle components, belts of ammunition and cutting machines. Troops also found Biafran currencies, materials suspected to be used for making improvised explosive devices, as well as musical instruments believed to belong to a Biafran Army band.

Security forces also recovered a Biafran flag and a Biafran Army Headquarters flag. The troops destroyed the flags and raised the Nigerian flag at the camp.

The military said the operation continued the following day. On March 4, 2026, troops destroyed additional camps within the same area.

During the follow-up operation, soldiers located a site used for assembling improvised explosive devices. The facility was dismantled and destroyed after it was examined.

Recovered equipment from the site included welding machines, drilling machines and filling machines. Troops also seized several car batteries, one electrode welding handle, twelve locally fabricated guns and rifle components, along with other materials suspected to be used for producing explosive devices.

The military said operations against IPOB and ESN fighters will continue across the region as part of efforts to maintain security and stability.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that her country will continue to respect existing agreements that allow the United States to use military bases located in Italy.

However, she stressed that Italy has no intention of taking part in the ongoing war involving Iran.

Meloni spoke on Thursday during an interview on an RTL radio programme. She said the Italian government had not received any request from the United States to use its bases for military action against Iran.

“Today we have no such request and I want to say that we are not at war and we do not want to enter a war,” she said.

The prime minister explained that the agreements between Italy and the United States date back to 1954. According to her, these arrangements permit certain logistical activities and operations that do not involve direct combat.

“These are technical authorisations when we are clearly talking about logistics and so-called non-kinetic operations – simply put, operations that do not involve bombing,” she said.

Meloni also noted that if Washington later seeks approval to use Italian bases for combat operations, the government would first consult the country’s parliament before making any decision.

She expressed concern about the growing tension in the Middle East and warned that the conflict could widen. According to her, the situation carries “a risk of escalation that could have unpredictable consequences.”

Italy, alongside the United Kingdom, France and Germany, is also considering sending defensive assistance to countries in the Gulf region. Meloni said the step is intended to protect tens of thousands of Italian citizens living there, as well as about 2,000 Italian troops stationed in the region.

The Italian leader described the Gulf area as important to global energy supply and warned that the ongoing crisis could affect Italy’s economy.

She said the government was monitoring energy costs and food prices. Authorities, she added, would take action to prevent companies from taking advantage of the situation by raising prices unfairly.

The current tensions began after the United States and Israel launched a major military offensive against Iran last Saturday. Reports indicate that at least 926 people have been killed, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior military officials.

Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel as well as Gulf states that host United States military assets.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State House of Assembly has formally commenced the impeachment process against Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo by serving him a notice to respond to allegations that could warrant his removal.

At a special plenary session on Thursday, the notice, read before the House, contained charges of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.

Addressing journalists after the session, House Majority Leader Lawal Hussaini Yangurasa confirmed that he presented the notice, which was signed by 38 members of the House.

He explained that following the service of the notice, the deputy governor is expected to respond within two weeks, after which the House will review his defence before deciding whether to proceed with the impeachment process.

Details later….

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Iranian forces have carried out new military operations against Kurdish armed groups in northern Iraq as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel continues to intensify across the Middle East.

The latest attacks come as Iran also launched another wave of missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and American assets in the region.

Reports indicate that this marks the 19th round of Iranian strikes since the United States and Israel began coordinated military operations against Iran nearly a week ago. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said the conflict has already resulted in more than 1,045 deaths across the country.

Iran’s state media said early Thursday that its military struck what it described as “anti-Iran separatist forces” operating in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. Authorities did not immediately disclose the precise locations targeted.

Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s intelligence ministry later confirmed the operation. The ministry stated that Iranian forces attacked positions belonging to “separatist groups” that were allegedly preparing to infiltrate the country through its western border.

The ministry also claimed the armed groups suffered significant losses and accused them of working with the United States and Israel to carry out attacks on Iranian territory.

Officials further said Iranian forces were cooperating with what they called “noble Kurds” in the area to counter what they described as an “Israeli-American plan” to destabilise Iran.

Residents in Iraq’s northeastern province of Sulaimaniyah reported several explosions late Wednesday night. The province lies within Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region.

Local media outlets said at least four explosions were heard near the areas of Arabat, Zarkuiz and Surdash. Sources in the region indicated that the strikes appeared to target the headquarters of the Kurdistan Toilers Association, widely known as Komala. The group is an Iranian Kurdish armed organisation based in northern Iraq.

Videos circulating on social media showed large fires and blasts lighting up the night sky.

The escalation followed reports that some Iranian Kurdish armed groups along the Iran-Iraq border recently held consultations with United States officials regarding possible coordinated operations against Iranian security forces.

Reuters reported that the Kurdish coalition had trained fighters for potential cross-border operations designed to weaken Iran’s military capacity. However, Tasnim news agency denied earlier claims that Kurdish fighters had already entered Iran from Iraqi territory.

At the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a new round of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and American military facilities across the region.

Israeli media reported that air defence systems intercepted two drones over the western Galilee region. Saudi Arabia also said its air defence units shot down at least three drones believed to be linked to the Iranian attack campaign.

In Qatar, authorities instructed residents living near the United States Embassy in Doha to evacuate the area amid fears that American diplomatic sites could become targets.

Meanwhile, the United States and Israel continued large-scale bombardments inside Iran. Explosions were reported in Tehran and in several Kurdish cities including Sanandaj, Saqqez and Bukan.

US mining companies are lining up to invest in Venezuela, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during a visit to the country on Wednesday, where he pressed for greater access to critical minerals.

Burgum represents an administration that claims to effectively control Venezuela and its vast natural resources following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.

He is the second senior US official to visit Caracas since an American bombing raid on January 3 left around 100 people dead and saw Maduro and his wife flown to New York to face US drug trafficking charges.

Accompanied by more than two dozen mining executives, Burgum described the group as representing “billions of dollars in investments and billions of dollars in well-paid jobs.”

“They are eager to get started, and they are eager to cut the red tape to allow that capital investment to flow,” he said after meeting with interim President Delcy Rodriguez.

Burgum, who heads President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, described cooperation between Caracas and Washington as “unlimited.”

His visit follows that of Energy Secretary Chris Wright last month, who called for a “dramatic increase” in Venezuela’s oil output and highlighted “tremendous opportunities” for both countries.

The shift in tone reflects the altered US-Venezuela relations since Maduro’s capture. Trump has allowed Rodriguez, formerly vice president, to serve as interim leader as long as she complies with his directives regarding access to Venezuela’s natural resources.

In another sign of the diplomatic reset, the US Department of Transportation approved Envoy Air, an American Airlines subsidiary, to operate direct flights between Miami and the Venezuelan cities of Caracas and Maracaibo. These will be the first direct flights since US-Venezuela relations deteriorated in 2019.

— Gold and Coltan —

While US attention has focused on Venezuela’s oil, Burgum noted the country is also “rich in critical minerals.” In addition to gold and diamonds, Venezuela has deposits of bauxite and coltan, a mineral used in mobile phones, laptops, and other electronics. Mining activity is concentrated in the southeastern Orinoco arc.

Environmentalists have condemned the expansion of illegal mining in the area, citing deforestation and river pollution. Rodriguez, who recently overhauled the state-controlled oil sector to attract private investment, is now planning reforms to the mining code. Her brother, Congress Speaker Jorge Rodriguez, said Monday that the changes would allow “large foreign companies” to exploit minerals and rare earth elements.

— ‘Doing a great job’ —

Trump has praised Rodriguez’s compliance, posting on Truth Social on Wednesday that she was “doing a great job and working with US Representatives very well.”

“The Oil is beginning to flow, and the professionalism and dedication between both Countries is a very nice thing to see,” he wrote.

Rodriguez thanked Trump on Telegram for the US administration’s “kind willingness to work together for the benefit of the people of the United States and Venezuela.”

On Tuesday, Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA announced new oil contracts with the United States. Since January, PDVSA has shipped over 80 million barrels of crude to the US, according to Trump. These deals come amid concerns about falling global oil output due to the war in the Middle East, which has already driven crude prices to their highest level in 18 months.