By Muhammadu Sabiu

Pele, probably the greatest player in football history, passed away at the age of 82, the BBC has reported.

He set a global record by scoring 1,281 goals.

Over the course of a 21-year career, he made 1,363 appearances.

Pele was selected as Fifa’s Player of the Century in 2000. He was the only player to have won the World Cup three times, taking home the trophy in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

In recent years, he has experienced kidney and prostate issues.

By Uzair Adam Imam

A young man who murdered his stepmother in Kano, Sagiru Wada, was sentenced to death by hanging by the Kano State High Court on Thursday.

The man was arrested some eight years back after killing his stepmother, Zainab Dan-Azumi, and subsequently cut her into pieces with a sword.

Justice Aisha Mahmud, who presided the judge, said the court was satisfied with all the evidence presented before the court.

She added that the court convicted Wada under Section 221 of the Kano State Penal Code, adding that the prosecution counsel had proven their case beyond reasonable doubt.

However, Barrister Rabi’u Abubakar, who was the defence counsel, argued that the suspect was mentally ill.

However, the court rejected his claim reiterating that the evidences presented before the court were enough to convict Wada of murder.

By Muhammad Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari said that he aimed to prevent governors and ministers from naming projects after him, but the Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, defied him.

On Thursday, during a visit to Kogi State, Buhari made this remark during a live broadcast on Arise TV.

New township road networks were opened in Idah, Okene, and all three senatorial districts by Buhari, along with the Reference Hospital in Okene and the Confluence University of Science and Technology at Osara.

Other projects in Lokoja include the Civic Center and Muhammadu Buhari Square, as well as the Ganaja Flyover, Model Science Secondary School, and school.

Buhari was quoted as saying, “I thank the Governor and the people of Kogi state for naming it (Muhammadu Buhari Square and Civic Centre) after me. Here, I have to digress; I attempted to stop governors and ministers from naming projects after me, but the Governor disobeyed me here.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Virginity testing is forbidden, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, a consultant family physician at the teaching hospital of Lagos State University, said in Ilorin on Wednesday.

He revealed to the News Agency of Nigeria that the WHO had ruled the practice to be unlawful while he was attending a session for primary healthcare professionals.

Aside from the WHO announcement, he said, the practice was antiquated.

The most common reasons for conducting the virginity test are requests from parents or suitors to see whether the girl is eligible for marriage or to determine her suitability for a job.

According to the WHO, a virginity test is a gynaecological exam done with the intent of determining if a woman or girl has had vaginal contact.

He added that the practice was frequently agonizing, embarrassing, and distressing, adding that the idea of a virginity test was false because a woman’s lack of a hymen did not necessarily indicate that she was promiscuous.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufa’i, expressed concern over the way some politicians were using religion and ethnicity to create division in their campaigns.

The governor also stressed on the need to punish policians using religion in their political campaigns.

He spoke at the commissioning ceremony of the head office of the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development held in Kaduna.

He stated that the 2023 election would be a golden opportunity for Nigerians to take region out of politics.

He said the 2023 elections presented a unique opportunity for Nigerians to take religion out of politics.

El-Rufa’i was qouted to have said, “People are united in their poverty, in their need for education, in decent healthcare and to put food on their table, that is what we should focus on but some people are holding meetings to promote religious and ethnic division.

That is the last thing Nigeria needs at a time when the whole world is facing challenges of ultra-nationalism and global supply chain disruption.”

He then asked for forgiveness, saying, “We try to do what is right but only God is right, my apologies to anyone that I have offended, we have five months to go and I will like to leave and sleep in peace.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

A Fulani leader, Alh. Aliyu Abdullahi, in Maganda village near Kagarko town in Kaduna state, was abducted by unknown gunmen on Monday.

It was reported that the leader, also known as Ardon Maganda, was going back home on his motorcycle after attending a meeting with other village chiefs on security issues bedevilling their communities.

The Daily Reality reported how handits raided three communities and abducted 37 villagers in Kaduna communities just recently.

A source from Janjala community, simply identified as Ishaq, said, “This morning (Tuesday), someone from Maganda who was coming to Janjala saw Ardo’s motorcycle abandoned by the roadside and suspected that he has been kidnapped.”

He added that the victim earlier visited the families of some of his konsmen to sympathise with them over the recent attacks by bandits which led to the abduction of some of his family members.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official report from the police in the area.

By Abdulhamid Muhammad

Sunday, 25th December 2022, was a day of revelations and feedback from the Waqf Ambassadors of the Zakah and Waqf Foundation, Gombe, Nigeria. It happened during the Uncovering Potentials Workshop (UPW) organized by the Foundation for the 1st and 2nd sets of its Waqf Ambassadors, which was facilitated by Dr Najeeb A.A. Gambo, a researcher with the Microsoft Company and Nigeria’s 2nd Google Certified Trainer.

It was conducted a day after a 2-day intensive induction training for the 2022/23 Waqf Ambassadors at the Foundation’s Training Room. As usual, of all the year-long life-changing training that the Foundation organizes monthly for its 80 enrolled Waqf Ambassadors annually, the UPW was highly impactful, thought-provoking and action-triggering.

In the closing session of the workshop, scores of youth voluntarily gave their testimonies on how the sessions of the workshops they have gone through in the last 12 months have completely revolutionized the way they look at the world financially and intellectually.

One of the ambassadors narrated how excited she was after starting a business and discovering that she could now do a lot of things with her earned income without asking or waiting for someone to give her. It was a great discovery because she grew up in a society that programmed her to think that she could not make money for herself.

Another person said that it was a workshop in ZAWFOG on reading culture that ignited in him the habit of reading books, and that has completely transformed his life, making him more creative and more confident, and hopeful about life.

Another Ambassador, whose parents hitherto paid all his bills, revealed how as a result of the motivation he got from these series of lectures is now able to earn more than the national minimum wage every month despite being still a student. And many of the participants went on and on.

These are a few of the testimonies, and I wished the Chairman of the Foundation, Ameer Abdullahi Abubakar, was there at the closing session to hear how the Foundation is making an impact and transforming lives. It is clear that his model is working; the Waqf Ambassadors are fast moving from poverty (p) to prosperity (p) and soon to philanthropy (p) in sha Allah. As envisioned by the founders of the Foundation, we will soon have a generation of youth who are rich enough and committed seriously to building our society through Waqf.

May Allah accept this from all the people who have contributed in one way or the other in moulding the next generation to be a productive one, amin. May He continue to bless the Foundation and take it to greater heights.

Abdulhamid Muhammad is a 2021 Waqf Ambassador and wrote from Gombe State, Nigeria.

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu  and Muhsin Ibrahim

It’s well known that series movies have recently dominated the Kannywood film business. As a result, some major producers in the industry have already abandoned features for the production of TV series. As the trend develops, the famous producer Abubakar Bashir Maishadda gets on board with the big TV drama Dan Jarida [The Journalist].

The hyped Maishadda debut series, directed by Hafizu Bello, is a thought-provoking thriller mainly about journalism. It is notable for featuring an ensemble of reigning stars in a never-before-seen avatar. A Duniya famed Daddy Hikima, who consistently portrays a villain, is playing a positive leading role in the latest series for the first time.

Launched on Sunday, 25 December 2022, the show will continue to be aired weekly on Arewa24 TV and Maishadda Global Resources YouTube channels. The first episode exposes a tiny part of the story arc. It begins with some crooks chasing a reporter Fauziyya (acted by Amal Umar), who videotapes them while killing and burning someone. They eventually catch and mutilate her to death. Everything keeps revolving around this conflict until the episode’s end…

The first episode is an auspicious start to what promises to be an exciting crime-thriller. It gathers momentum right in the few reels, taking viewers to the background of its major characters. They are; a criminal mastermind Madugu (Sha’aibu Kumurci), who disguised as a philanthropic politician, and Sadiq (Daddy Hikima), Fauziyya’s boss and a media company manager with dogged determination and integrity.

The drama is a delight to watch, at least by how it goes so far. It also promises to be more so when the rest cast of Lawan Ahmad, Tijjani Asase, and Isah Ferozkhan (Presido), among others, enter the next episodes. The camera work particularly captures the intense nature of the film, and the background score gives it full support in generating the desired tone.

Besides depicting the exhaustion, uneasiness and risks associated with journalism, Dan Jarida drama reminds journalists about the importance of doing their job right. It is also a great attempt to provide real insight into the causes of various crimes that are ubiquitous in our society today.

Beyond the positive aspects mentioned above, smoke, as used in the series to create cinematic depth, could be enhanced. For instance, there is little or no need for a smoke when Magudu and his henchmen capture Fauziyya. One may assume it is the exhaust of their cars, which cannot be. In other instances, the smoke is too thick, and its colour looks unnatural.

Finally, while recommending the new series to all and sundry, particularly the Kannywood audience interested in journalism and politics, we appeal to the makers to refrain from exploiting the promising story for commercial purposes. Moreover, they should refrain from extending it beyond reasonable length as producers of some contemporary YouTube series do.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The government of the United States has unveiled a scheme that will help Nigeria’s fight against illegal drugs.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) capacity for forensic and chemical analysis, intelligence gathering, and prosecution will be strengthened by the support.

The intervention is being coordinated by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the U.S. Department of State.

The announcement was made in a statement released on Monday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media for NDLEA.

The chairman of the anti-drugs agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (ret. ), made the requests after meeting with American representatives in Abuja and Washington, D.C.

The project will be carried out in Nigeria by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The assistance will strengthen NDLEA’s intelligence-driven inquiries using various tools, including legal texts, an e-library for prosecution, and others.

Babafemi stated that by adopting enhanced collection, handling, and custody practices, the agency would be able to prosecute cases with solid evidence.

The initiative “will be a vital step in furthering our shared objective of a united, peaceful, and stable Nigeria,” the U.S. government stated in its message.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A female lawyer identified as Bolanle Raheem has been allegedly killed by personnel of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) 

Mrs Raheem was shot dead by an unknown policeman while on his way from Christmas Church Service on Sunday. She was pronounced dead upon arrival in the hospital she was rushed to.

The Spokesperson of the Lagos State Police, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has confirmed the incident in a statement he issued on behalf of the NPF.  

Hundeyin described the incident as “unfortunate and avoidable”. He stressed that justice will prevail” 

“The Lagos State Police Command condoles with the family, friends and colleagues of Barrister Bolanle Raheem. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, has been in touch with the family and the Nigerian Bar Association since yesterday and has given firm assurances that justice will definitely prevail.” He tweeted

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) has demanded that justice should be served in the matter. 

NBA National Publicity Secretary Akorede Lawal wrote, “We are aware of this unfortunate incident. This is yet another crime against a lawyer. Regrettably, our member is gone…We shall ensure that justice is duly served.”