By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Military forces have dismantled a covert weapons manufacturing hub in a village in Plateau State, arresting two suspects found making sophisticated firearms, the military announced Thursday.

The operation, conducted around 5:00 pm on Wednesday by troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE in Gwandanu Village, Langtang North Local Government Area, led to the seizure of two AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, and industrial equipment including welding and drilling machines, generating sets, and a technical toolbox.

In a separate incident the same day in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, troops responded to an armed attack on members of the Forest Guards and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria. In coordination with the Forest Guards, security forces pursued the attackers toward the Jaginde Forest axis.

The suspects abandoned a motorcycle and fled into the bush near Ungwar Maruwa upon spotting the approaching troops. One fleeing suspect was arrested, and a search of their hideouts recovered an AK-47 rifle, one AK-49 rifle, a motorcycle, and a sleeping mat.

The two suspects from the Plateau raid are currently in custody as authorities investigate their distribution network and possible links to wider criminal syndicates. Mop-up operations are ongoing to recover additional locally fabricated weapons and intercept other fleeing suspects.

Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force, said the operations reflect the military’s commitment to restoring peace and stability in the joint operations area by targeting sources of communal violence and other criminal activities. He urged the public to continue providing timely information to assist security efforts.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Hundreds of residents streamed back to their village on Wednesday, ending two months of displacement after a major military operation flushed out armed terrorists from forest strongholds across three states.

The homecoming turned into a celebration, with men, women, and children singing and dancing as they reclaimed their ancestral homes. Many immediately began clearing overgrown bushes and inspecting their houses for damage.

Mansur had been a ghost town since February 26, 2026, when terrorists overran the community, forcing families to abandon their farms and homes. For nearly two months, the village lay empty.

The return was made possible by Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III, a clearance mission ordered by Army Headquarters and executed by the 33 Artillery Brigade. That operation followed an earlier phase, Operation WUTAN DAJI, designed to root out terrorists from their hideouts.

According to military statements, troops successfully cleared the dreaded Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State and Kumbodoro Forest in Taraba State. Other cleared areas included the Yankari Game Reserve, Bogwas, and Rimi in Bauchi State, as well as Odere Forest, Shirnagol, Wanka, and Kukarlwa in Plateau State. In Taraba, Kumbodoro town and Angwan Jauro Sule were also secured.

With the clearance phase complete, the military moved to consolidate gains, handing over liberated towns to security agencies and government departments to maintain order and facilitate the return of displaced communities.

Local leaders praised the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for swift action, adding that the residents’ return marks a fresh start. For many villagers, the sight of soldiers on patrol now brings reassurance rather than fear.

Jamilu Uba Adamu 

A man of strong character and unwavering principle, Ibrahim Galadima, MFR, traversed every level of football and sports administration in Nigeria. He served as Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) for four transformative years.

His journey began as Chairman of the Kano State Football Association from 1977 to 1979, a period marked by the rapid development of football across the state.  

An accomplished community leader and administrator, Galadima served as Executive Chairman of the old Kano State Sports Council from 1981 to 1983. 

Honourable and diligent beyond compare, he was elected 1st Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee in 1985, serving until 1987 before returning as Chairman of the Kano State Sports Council. He excelled once more, leading the Kano State Government to appoint him Commissioner for Social Welfare, Youth and Sports in 1989. By 1990, he became Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, with sports placed under the Governor’s Office.

In 1999, he chaired the Kano Sub-seat of the Nigeria team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. Under his leadership, Kano recorded the highest match attendances of the tournament.  

Three years later, with an unblemished reputation for honesty and accountability, he was elected Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association. During his tenure, the NFA proposed its working Statutes to FIFA. FIFA ratified them, and the 2006 Executive Committee elections were conducted under those Statutes, which still guide the Federation today.  

Ibrahim Galadima, MFR, also served as Member, Presidential Committee on Vision 2010 (Sports); Member, National Commission on Problems of Sports Development in Nigeria (2001); Vice Patron, Nigeria Olympic Committee; Member, Board of Trustees, Nigeria Sports Hall of Fame; Vice Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Vision 20:2020; and Member, CAF Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Players’ Status.  

In 2019, he chaired a special committee set up by the Kano State Government to guide Kano Pillars FC in their maiden CAF Champions League campaign. The debutants stunned Africa by eliminating Al-Ahly of Egypt, Africa’s Club of the Century, to reach the semi-finals.  

When the former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration created the Kano State Sports Commission in 2016, he was appointed its pioneer Executive Chairman.

He was elevated to the position of Patron of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and served as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Sports from 2018 to 2022.  

His most recent national assignments included serving as Chairman of the 10-Year Presidential Football Master Plan Committee and as Acting Chairman of Kano Pillars FC.  

The memory of the late Ibrahim Galadima will endure in the hearts of all who encountered him, especially for those of us who regarded him not only as a father figure but as a true role model. I remain deeply grateful for the encouragement he gave me when I approached him to write the introduction to my book, Takaitaccen Tarihin Asalin Wasan Kwallon Kafa a Kano.  

A stickler for rules, regulations, and transparency. His legacy of integrity, service, and excellence in Nigerian sports will never be forgotten. Allah ubangiji ya gafarta masa, amin.

Adamu wrote from Kano via jameelubaadamu@yahoo.com.

By Muhammad Sulaiman

A Professor of Plant Pathology and Mycology at the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK), Prof. Kasimu Shehu, has warned that fungal diseases are exacerbating hunger and posing serious health risks in Nigeria.

Shehu made the assertion on Wednesday while delivering the university’s 4th Inaugural Lecture in Birnin Kebbi.

The lecture, entitled “Invisible Enemies, Visible Losses: A Lifetime of Confronting Fungal Threats to Nigerian Agriculture and Public Health,” examined the growing impact of fungal infections on food production and public health.

The don said fungal diseases were responsible for significant losses in major crops, thereby worsening food insecurity across the country.

“Losses of up to 30 per cent of marketable produce occur due to fungal infections during pre- and post-harvest stages,” he said.

He identified maize, rice, groundnut, onion and vegetables as highly vulnerable crops, noting that poor storage and handling practices further increased contamination.

According to him, beyond reducing food availability, fungi also produce toxic substances known as mycotoxins, which pose serious threats to human health.

“ Chronic exposure to aflatoxins has been implicated in growth retardation, immunosuppression and increased disease susceptibility, particularly among children,” Shehu said.

He added that fungal contamination contributed to food insecurity by reducing both the quantity and quality of available food.

“ Contaminated crops may either be discarded or consumed despite health risks, thereby exacerbating malnutrition and poverty, especially in rural communities,” he said.

The professor identified high moisture levels, poor drainage and inadequate storage systems as major factors driving the spread of fungal diseases.

“ Elevated humidity levels in storage environments, as well as co-storage of infected and healthy produce, facilitate cross-contamination,” he said.

Shehu also warned that environmental and climate changes were accelerating the emergence and spread of fungal diseases.

He called for improved post-harvest handling, adoption of resistant crop varieties and increased investment in research and food safety systems.

“These constraints underscore the need for coordinated, multidisciplinary approaches to food safety mechanisms that integrate scientific research, policy development and stakeholder engagement,” he said.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of FUBK, Prof. Muhammad Zaiyan-Umar, who chaired the lecture, commended the lecturer for his contributions to research and national development.

The event attracted academics, including the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Gusau, Prof. Mu’azu Abubakar-Gusau, as well as students and stakeholders from the biosafety, agriculture and health sectors.

The inaugural lecture forms part of the university’s efforts to promote research aimed at addressing critical national challenges.

By Oladoja M.O

For some time now, the conversation has been quietly shifting from elections to succession. Not a clear constitutional succession. We are talking about political succession as design. The deliberate grooming of a successor within an existing power architecture so that leadership rotates but direction and influence remain within a defined circle.

In Lagos, many say it has worked since 1999. In Rivers, we saw what happens when the choreography fractures. Now, as 2031 sits faintly on the horizon, there are whispers again of names being mentioned, alignments being speculated, shadows being interpreted.

Let us remove names. Let us remove rumours. Let us interrogate structure.

The serious question is this: in a democracy built on four-year mandates and an eight-year ceiling, is protégé succession a stabilising mechanism for development, or is it a refined method of elite entrenchment?

To answer that, we must first admit something uncomfortable: Nigeria’s institutions are not yet strong enough to guarantee policy continuity through institutional design alone. Parties are weakly ideological. Bureaucratic insulation is thin. Policy reversals are common. In that environment, continuity through personal alignment can look attractive. It reduces disruption. It keeps long-term projects alive. It reassures investors. It avoids destructive resets every four or eight years.

This is the strongest argument in favour of succession politics and it is not foolish.

Lagos provides the most cited example. Over two decades, fiscal reforms were not dismantled. Internally generated revenue grew consistently. Infrastructure planning maintained coherence across administrations. Successors did not come in to burn down the previous house simply to prove independence. That continuity mattered. It produced an administrative rhythm.

But here is where analytical discipline must intervene.

Was Lagos successful because of succession politics or because it possessed economic density, commercial capital concentration, and revenue capacity that most Nigerian states do not? If succession were the decisive factor, then every state practising elite continuity would display similar outcomes. That is not what we observe.

Kogi has seen continuity patterns without transformative development. Cross River experimented with political coherence without fiscal stability. Rivers demonstrated how quickly elite alignment can dissolve into institutional paralysis when patron–successor relationships rupture. This tells us something critical: succession is not a development formula. It may coexist with development under certain structural conditions, but it does not produce development on its own.

Now let us go deeper.

Democracy is not defined merely by the holding of elections. It is defined by uncertainty. Adam Przeworski’s core insight remains powerful: democracy is a system where incumbents can lose. The possibility of loss disciplines power. When succession becomes predictable within a narrow elite network, that uncertainty diminishes. Elections may still occur, but the competitive field tightens.

Elite theory reinforces this concern. Political systems remain dynamic when elite circulation is open. When elite reproduction becomes concentrated within a single patronage chain, innovation slows, and access narrows. It does not immediately collapse democracy, but it gradually converts it into a managed rotation.

And this is where I lean.

Succession politics in Nigeria is a second-best adaptation to institutional weakness. It compensates for fragile parties and inconsistent policy frameworks. It can produce short- to medium-term stability in exceptional contexts. But it does not deepen democracy. It does not institutionalise continuity. It personalises it.

If continuity depends on one individual’s blessing, then institutions remain dependent. And dependency is not consolidation. It is controlled stability.

Supporters argue that Nigeria’s diversity requires careful continuity, that radical alternation could destabilise fragile coalitions. That concern is real. But if the only way to preserve stability is through personalised grooming, then we are admitting that institutions are too weak to survive open competition. And if institutions never learn to survive open competition, they never mature.

Development that relies on personal choreography is fragile. It works as long as the central figure remains politically dominant. Once that dominance weakens through age, miscalculation, factional drift, or simple political fatigue, the structure can wobble because it was never fully institutionalised.

This is why I do not romanticise succession politics, even when I understand its logic.

Endorsement is not anti-democratic. Every leader is entitled to support a preferred successor. That is politics. The danger arises when endorsement becomes determinative rather than persuasive when the system makes alternative emergence structurally improbable.

Nigeria does not need constant disruption. But it needs genuine contestation. It needs parties strong enough that continuity does not depend on lineage. It needs primaries that are competitive in substance, not ritual. It needs bureaucracies that can survive alternation without policy vandalism.

Succession politics may stabilise a weak system. But it does not strengthen it.

And a country of Nigeria’s scale cannot permanently depend on second-best solutions.

So, the issue is not whether someone is being groomed for 2031. The issue is whether our institutions are growing strong enough for grooming to become politically irrelevant. If they are not, then what looks like continuity today may become stagnation tomorrow.

That is where I stand.

Continuity is valuable. But continuity must be institutional not personal if it is to endure beyond the shadow of any one man.

Oladoja M.O writes from Abuja and can be reached at: mayokunmark@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Abubakar

The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the appointment of Muttaqha Rabe Darma as a minister in the federal government following his screening by lawmakers.

Darma was nominated earlier this week by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to replace Ahmed Musa Dangiwa as Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

During the screening, Darma addressed questions on Nigeria’s housing deficit and urban renewal strategies, pledging to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to meet government targets in the sector.

A seasoned administrator, Darma holds two doctoral degrees and previously served as Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

By Ibrahim Yunusa

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta (ABCOAD) Chapter, has successfully conducted its chapter elections, ushering in a new set of executives to pilot the affairs of the union.

In a statement issued by the chapter’s PRO II, Abdu Sa’idu, the outcome of the exercise saw Dr. Mustapha Mukhtar emerge as Chairman, while Musa Garba was elected Vice Chairman. Nuraddeen Abbas secured the position of Secretary General, with Mustapha Abubakar Barkindo emerging as Assistant Secretary General.


Other elected officers include Aminu Yusha’u Kunya as Financial Secretary, Rabilu Abdulkadir Barau as Treasurer, and Salim Koguna as Public Relations Officer (PRO). Aminuddeen Yusuf Jibrin was elected Internal Auditor, while Umar Muhammad emerged as Welfare Officer.


The election was conducted and supervised by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee (ELCOM), Malam Sani Alhassan Dawaki, who formally announced the results at the end of the voting process.


Speaking after the exercise, the ASUP Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, Comrade Muhammad Muhammad, described the election as a significant milestone in strengthening internal democracy within the union. He reaffirmed his commitment, alongside the National Executive Council (NEC) and the National Delegates Conference (NDC), to enhancing union activities and fostering institutional harmony.


Also, the Provost of ABCOAD, Dr. Hassan Ibrahim, congratulated the newly elected executives and wished them a successful tenure. He expressed confidence in their capacity to advance the union’s objectives both within and outside the institution.


The newly elected executives are expected to build on existing achievements by prioritizing members’ welfare, promoting academic excellence, and strengthening the union’s engagement with relevant authorities.

By Ibrahim Yunusa 

The Cross River State Government has refuted reports alleging 10 new COVID-19 cases in the state, describing the claim as false and misleading.

In an official statement, the State Commissioner for Health, Henry Ayuk, clarified that as of April 23, 2026, the state has only one confirmed case of COVID-19. He explained that the individuals mentioned in the report were merely contacts identified through contact tracing linked to the existing case, not newly confirmed infections.

Ayuk emphasised that contact tracing remains a standard public health response aimed at preventing further spread of the virus and should not be misconstrued as confirmation of additional cases.

The government urged residents to disregard unverified information and rely on updates from credible and official sources. It also reassured the public that the situation is under control and there is no cause for alarm.

By Ibrahim Yunusa 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested the National Assembly’s, specifically the Senate’s, approval for a new external loan of $516 million to support key government projects and address fiscal needs.

The loan request, communicated to the Senate leadership, is expected to be deliberated on in the coming days.

 According to sources within the presidency, the proposed borrowing is intended to finance critical infrastructure, boost economic growth, and stabilise public finances amid ongoing economic challenges.

If approved, the loan will form part of Nigeria’s broader borrowing plan under the current administration, which aims to balance developmental needs with fiscal responsibility. However, the request may spark debate among lawmakers, given rising concerns over Nigeria’s debt profile and repayment capacity.

The Senate is expected to review the proposal in line with constitutional provisions before granting or withholding approval. Further details on the specific projects to be funded are anticipated to emerge as deliberations progress.

By Saifullahi Attahir

History has repeatedly shown us that when rulers or elites indulge in throwing ultimate parties, they are usually sealing their fate. This universal rule is applied not only to dictators but also to empires, organisations, business leaders, athletes, celebrities, and even individuals who reach a climax in their trajectories without the ever-useful self-restraint.

Examples of these parables can be found even in the holy scriptures. Qarun is a brother of Prophet Moses, whom God blessed with so much worldly endowment that people living around him watch in awe. It was reported that many of his kinsmen were openly praying to be blessed as Qarun was. To them, Qarun was a role model, a success, and someone to emulate. 

Qarun’s story was a typical grass-to-grace story we often hear. At the beginning, a humble soul, spendthrift, calculative, hungry and ambitious for success. He left no stone unturned, had no time to even count his fortune, and was always on the lookout for more until he later ‘made it’.

He later started throwing lavish parties, erecting large buildings with so many rooms that he wouldn’t occupy, and amassing fleets of beautiful horses not for war, domestic use or trade. It was reported that the keys alone to Qarun’s treasury were so many that people couldn’t even carry them!

And what of the things inside those stores, of gold, ornaments, and precious metals? Qarun was admonished by his people to express gratitude for the benevolence through giving alms to the less privileged. He famously stated that it was his handiwork, his tactics, and his spendthrift ways (in today’s world, his financial intelligence) that helped him become wealthy. Qarun sealed his fatal fate with those words; he drowned!

Founders of any kingdom or empire usually begin as brave warriors or loyal servants who earn the respect and love of their masters, then become part of the empire and, within a few centuries, become kings themselves. Throughout these transformative years, you would find them humble, hardworking, disciplined, and considerate, until the hard-worn ancestors passed away and the bounty passed to their progeny, who were neither aware of nor shared in the initial struggles, thinking they deserved it. It was those later kings who would build extravagant palaces with magnificent walls, not as protection but for the sake of beauty and elegance.

The early pharaohs of Egypt were not as haughty and arrogant as the pharaoh whom the prophet Moses fought. The last pharaoh feels so high of himself that he declared himself the sovereign being worthy of worship in the land. The magnificent pyramids built in Egypt alone could signify the level of cruelty slaves were subjected to and the grand mania behind erecting them. That was their ultimate party.

The sixteenth-century Brits (Englishmen) were so brave, energetic, curious, prodigious, and ambitious that they set out to conquer almost half of the world, from Asia to Africa to India to the Americas. They spread their influence, civilisation, and language to every nook and cranny of the world. Astonishingly, several decades of the British Empire were led by women like Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria. It was during the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria that Britain reached its peak.

At the beginning of their campaigns, they were just merchants, explorers, and missionaries. They were later partners before transforming into cruel colonial rulers, subjugating human beings into serfdom and slavery. It was during the early 19th century that Queen Victoria decided to host a lavish party in India, inviting delegates from every colony: Asians, Africans, Arabs, Indians, and Caucasians. The Durbar was so magnificent that only watching the video (on YouTube) could give you a sense of the congregation. Every culture was represented, and performances were made. 

What was wasted during these festivities was enough to ruin the economy of a continent. Those extravaganzas, the subjugation of people into labour, and unnecessary wars were later to seal the fate of the British Empire. The colonists were dismantled into sovereign nations, and finally, the sun set for Britain.

Before the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran was under a monarchy led by Shah Reza Pahlavi, who inherited the throne from his father in the 1920s. Between those years, thanks to the discovery of oil and his alliance with Western countries, the Shah transformed himself into a world-class political figure and a strong voice in the Middle East. Although a Muslim, he became so delusional that he dreamt of converting Iran into its former Persian Empire with all its anti-Islamic elegance. 

This automatically put him in constant conflict with the religious establishment of Iran, especially the Islamic clerics led by the pious, ascetic, and reserved Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

The level of enmity was so high that neither side was willing to give way until, finally, Khomeini fled to France as an exile. Despite Khomeini’s absence, he continued to preach to the Iranians, especially the youth, university students, and the less privileged masses who became his adherents.

In the 1970s, the Shah decided to throw a grand party in Iran to commemorate not only his anniversary but also the 2000-year anniversary of the Persian Pagan Empire. He coronated himself as ‘Shah of Shahs’ (King of Kings). The party was attended by thousands, including kings, prime ministers, presidents, heads of state, mistresses, business moguls and technocrats. Later analysis shows how that singular event almost threw Iran into debt despite its oil endowment.

That sealed the fate of Shah Reza Pahlavi, for a few months later, Iranian youths staged an uprising, culminating in the Islamic Revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini (the very person Pahlavi had sent into exile) to power.

 Similar stories can be narrated of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and his expansionist, megalomaniac agenda, seeing himself as the Führer and Saviour of the German Reich, until he sealed his fate by mistakenly invading Russia and Poland and at the same time fighting several forces of France and the United Kingdom. The allied forces were rescued by the rising superpower of that time, the United States of America.

General Yakubu Gowon was in power from 1966 to 1975, the longest-serving military head of state. His period witnessed a surge in oil income never seen before in Nigeria, and even the government doesn’t know what to do with the sweet oil money. The Federal Government undertakes unnecessary construction and white-elephant projects just to get rid of the irritating money. 

Workers get unnecessary pay rises (Udoji salary award) without additional productivity. The General Yakubu Gowon government decided to sponsor a FESTAC celebration event in 1975, which cost a huge sum of money, throwing Nigeria into debt despite oil income. We didn’t wisely invest and save for the rainy days.

That sealed the fate of innocent and peace-loving General Yakubu Gowon. He was overthrown in a palace coup led by young officers, introducing the no-nonsense, disciplinarian Murtala Ramat. The rest was history….So watch out when you are sealing your fate by throwing the ultimate party!

Saifullahi Attahir is the President of the National Association of Jigawa State Medical Students (NAJIMS) National Body. He wrote this piece from the Rasheed Shekoni Federal University Teaching Hospital, Dutse, via saifullahiattahir93@gmail.com.