By Uzair Adam Imam 

The bandits who abducted a pregnant woman in Jalingo, Taraba State, have refused to release her despite being in labour.

The Daily Reality gathered that the bandits kept demanding for ransom to release the woman.

The woman who fell into labour in captivity was said to have visited her parents for maternity leave from Kano.

However, the bandits called the father of the abducted pregnant woman and demanded immediate ransom.

It was gathered that the shooters, who targeted three houses in the area, operated for about forty minutes without any interruption.

DSP Usman Abdullahi, the police spokesperson of Taraba Command, confirmed the abduction of the pregnant woman and six others.

Banditry and kidnapping are the significant security challenges bedevilling the country over the years. 

The menacing security challenge lingers despite the threats and promises by the federal government to mitigate the issue.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The abducted traditional ruler of the Bukpe community in Kwali Area Council of Abuja, Alhaji Hassan Shamidozhi, has regained freedom after 18 days in captivity.

Reports disclosed how bandits stormed the monarch palace in the Bukpe community and abducted him alongside two residents of the community a few weeks ago.

The Daily Reality gathered that the abductees were said to have paid a ransom of N2.5 million.

Shamidozhi, who spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday, said they were released around 6:12 pm on Saturday.

He stated that his family members, relatives and friends contributed to raise the money for ransom.

Other abductees were identified as Ahmad Joel and his daughter, Precious Joel.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Kano State Commissioner for Rural Development, Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso, has resigned to contest for the House of Representatives in the 2023 general election. 

Kwankwaso resigned barely hours after Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje gave political appointees wishing to run for elective offices 24 hours to quit.

The Daily Reality learnt that Kwankwaso wishes to contest for membership in the House of Representatives representing the Kura, Madobi and Garun Malam federal constituency.

In a statement Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Ganduje has directed all his political appointees that want to contest for elections in 2023 to resign.

The governor said all appointees are given between now and Monday, April 18, to tender their resignation.

The statement partly read: “Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje directed all political appointees running for elective offices in the forthcoming 2023 general elections to resign from their respective positions.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The two-term governor of Kano, Engr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, said he had concluded plans to formally declare his political ambition next week.

Kwankwaso, who has been nursing the ambition over the years, would contest for president on the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) platform.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Mr Kwankwaso said he consulted widely on his plan, and the responses were positive.

“I have been consulting widely with friends and Nigerians of diverse interests, and the outcome has been positive. 

“I will be informing Nigerians of my political ambition sometime early next week,” he said.

Kwankwaso also acknowledged the successes recorded by his new political party at its recently-concluded membership registration. 

He added, “the support for the NNPP had been overwhelming going by the responses recorded at its recently-concluded membership registration drive.”

By Zakariyya Shu’aib Adam 

About two months ago, I took a commercial vehicle from Sokoto to Minna. As usual, I wore a kaftan and sat in the front seat. Although I had my headphones on, we exchanged a few words with the driver. He never knew I was “ɗan boko” until I communicated with someone on the phone in English. He said: “Mallam,na zaci kai ma duk mu ne[I thought you were like us – uneducated].” I laughed it off and said, “Ai dole sai a na raba ƙafa [One must diversify].”

The driver told me that he knew many police officers on the way. That is why he is not frequently stopped at checkpoints. However, before we reached Tegina, we were stopped at a checkpoint. When the police came, they greeted and cracked jokes. He asked the driver: “Babu kayanmu a motar nan[Are there our goods in the car]?” The driver said, “Eh, babu kayanku [Ye, there’s none].” I wasn’t interested in their discussion until I saw the police pointing at me, saying, “Wannan ba kayanmu ba ne[Is this not ours]?” The driver said, “A’a, wannan ɗan gari ne [No, he’s not].”

When we were allowed to pass, I asked the driver what “kaya [goods]” meant and why the police thought I was their “kaya[goods].” He said the police thought I was nomadic Fulani. A typical Fulani who did not attend school. Whenever a car is stopped at the checkpoint, they single out a Fulani man or woman and ask him or her to alight. They will be charged between 5k and 10k. If they fail to give, they will be framed as kidnappers or their informants. He said if only he had told the police that I was their “kaya”, I would have been made to give that amount of money.

By Allah, if it were someone who informed me of this, I wouldn’t have believed it. But Wallahi, it happened to me. I was just saved by Allah, who prompted the driver to intervene promptly. I just can’t imagine myself refusing to give them that sum of money. I would have been left alone, and the network wasn’t friendly for calls. I would have been framed up as a kidnapper or their informant. Only Allah knows what would have happened to me. My sin was just that I am Fulani.

Indeed, there are criminals among the Fulani. There are kidnappers and their informants among them as well. Many of these undesirable elements have committed heinous acts against innocent people and subjected sackless individuals to unnecessary throes and severe distress. They have successfully sacked many villages and murdered countless innocent souls, thanks to the I-don’t-care attitude of the government. May these barbarous beasts get caught and euthanised. 

This piece is not, in any way, intended to strip them of their crimes. Even though there are bad eggs among them, there are also good ones. There are many responsible and peace-loving individuals among them. Imagine how many innocent Fulanis are stopped on a daily basis and robbed. How many of them are falsely charged as kidnappers without conviction? Some of them are even victims of kidnapping and cattle rustling. What kind of justice is served?

This type of unjust profiling and more paved the way for these innocent people to join the malignant kidnapping infection. Many of these unethical practices and professional misconducts committed by a few greedy Ekuke parading themselves as police are not only detrimental to the Nigeria Police Force but also a threat to the country’s peaceful coexistence. The perpetrators of these heinous acts amongst the police must be investigated and brought to book.

Zakariyya Shu’aib Adam wrote from Sokoto.

By Musa Idris Panshekara

The first human being was created single. Then another creature was created from him. Later all generations were created from the two. Then they were all dispersed on the face of the earth. Some are black, some are yellow, some are tall, some are short while, some are medium, some are fat, and some are thin. All these differences were prescribed for us to contemplate God’s creatures and better interact with one another.

Allah said in the glorious Qur’an, “…the camels, mules and donkeys (were created) for travelling and luxury, and He creates (continuously) what you (companions of the prophet and we) would not know.”

Allah, the alpha and the omega, the omnipotent, the omniscience and the omnibenevolent, knows all that human beings need for their better survival on this globe. That is why He creates us and provides us with all we will rejoice in in our lives.

As a result of technological advancement, it makes life expedient. As a result, the world has become small, and what are remote are brought closer. However, the ubiquity of cell phones resulted in a constant increase in social media users, whereas social media helps get the world close to one another too. These platforms are; Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.

Some social media users utilise it in a meaningful manner, while others misuse and abuse it. The constant increase of users increase social media abuse. As a result, cybercrimes such as cyber fraud, phishing, social engineering, etc., also increase. On the other hand, some use it in a beneficial and meaningful manner, such as teaching and learning, mentorship, digital marketing, etc.

Some people think social media brings, helps, and contributes to spreading some acts of immoralities. In contrast, some condemn the entirety of social media and label it a means of spreading numerous immoralities in our society. Nevertheless, I can neither deny nor accept all the claims.

Let us scrutinise the following analogies;

The producer produces cups and sells them in the market; consumers buy. Some will use them to drink water and tea, while some will use them to drink intoxicant drinks and other alcoholic beverages, and some will even use them to feed others with poisonous drinks. Therefore, how could the cups be blamed for the above mentioned positive and negative uses? You use your cup and drink cool water or juice. What if I use mine for drinking poison and committing suicide? Whose fault is that? The cup? Never!

Moreover, medicines are made to cure diseases and illnesses, but some people use them otherwise. If a hacker uses a computer and commits malicious acts like fraud, phishing, or hacking someone’s device, whose fault is it? The hacker or the computer? Allah created the world and its contents (social amenities) for human beings to enjoy and perform their prescribed worships (for them to be rewarded in the Hereafter). If humans did not utilise the opportunities and provisions provided to them righteously, who would be blamed?

Social media is no different from the physical world in so many instances. There are friends and acquaintances, family and relatives, teachers and students, mentors and mentees, just like the physical world. But, despite all these, it does not prevent someone from doing what they desire to do on social media. Similarly, all the personalities mentioned above do not prevent someone from misbehaving in the physical world.

We should not call social media terrible or obnoxious. On the contrary, social media is innocuous itself operated by humans. Therefore, it should be considered as another world. In this manner, you would find many people of your ilk (if you are good or otherwise), despite some users portraying their mirror side like a “hyena shrouded with a goat’s skin”.

If you want to benefit from social media, minimise using numerous platforms (you must not be on all platforms). Choose the most important ones and leave the rest. When you are on the selected ones, follow or befriend those whom you will benefit from their educative posts and speeches. Block and unfriend or do not follow those who spread immoralities, whose posts are devoid of knowledge and wisdom.

Avoid engagement in any controversial trending topics, and always remember that those who created the platform you are using are not illiterate or uneducated. They did not make it for charity rather than as a source of income. Therefore, do not let yourself be distracted from whatever you know is important to you. Finally, always remember God watches over you. Whatever you are doing, everywhere you are.

Musa Idris Panshekara wrote from Kano via pmusaidris@gmail.com.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

A 100 level student at the Claretian University of Nigeria, Imo State, Suel Ambrose, slumped and died while acting in a drama on campus.

The incident that took place Friday has thrown the whole school community members into confusion.

The drama was in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in respect to the Easter celebration.

Ambrose, who hailed from Benue State, was dramatising the role of the biblical Peter in the Passion of Christ when the incident occurred.

According to the source, who identified himself as Mavis, the 25-year-old first-year student fell on the floor and started bleeding. 

It was gathered the deceased had the dream of becoming a priest in the Catholic church before his demise. 

He added, “He was playing the role of the biblical Peter in the dream and that process when Peter cut the ear of one of the soldiers and Jesus fixed the ear and asked Peter to let them do their wish. You know how passionate the play is.

“So when the soldiers chase the disciples to drive them away from Jesus, the young man fell on the floor and started bleeding. We took him to our school hospital, and the doctors did their best, but he was not responding to treatment. 

“We took him to the Federal Medical Center in Owerri, where he was pronounced dead.”

The drama was in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in respect to the Easter celebration.

By Ibrahim A. El-Caleel

Muslims across the world love to complete the recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan due to different reasons.

Firstly, it was within the blessed month that the Qur’ān was sent down all at one time from Al-Lauhul Mahfūz (the Preserved tablet) to Al-Baitul Izzah (House of Might) in the heaven of this world.

Secondly, actions in this month are rewarded in manifolds. Good deeds and bad deeds alike. Ramadan has a single night whose eminence is better than a thousand months- 83 years+. Imagine submitting an act of good deed in this night and getting it accepted. The reward will be awesome.

Reciting the Qur’an is an easy way of accumulating good rewards. It is rewarded per alphabet. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said it is a 10-fold reward per alphabet each recited. An Uthmāni script of the Qur’an contains 604 pages, with each page having 15 lines. The estimated number of characters/alphabets in the Qur’ān is 330,000. Therefore, if you calculate the anticipated number of rewards for reciting the whole Qur’ān, you’ll see that it is massive. The reward becomes exponentially colossal if you factor in the multiplier effect of Ramadan.

This is why scholars of Islam from all walks of disciplines retire to the Qur’ān once it is Ramadan. They momentarily suspend studies in Hadīth, Fiqh, I’tiqād, History to settle for the Qur’ān so as to maximize the benefits in Ramadan. Mujāhid bn Jabr, a tabi’i expert in Tafseer used to complete the Qur’ān in every night in Ramadan. Imamul Shafi’i would complete the Qur’an 60 times in Ramadan!

Every conscious Muslim is looking forward to completing the recitation of the Qur’ān in Ramadan. It is a “bonanza period” for you to double your good deeds and earn some handsome rewards in your Book of Record. This is why everyone works on a plan to complete the Qur’ān. I have seen different plans that divide the Qur’an into number of pages, or rubu’, hizb or juz which should be covered on daily basis to complete the Noble Book before Ramadan elapses. Some go as detailed as breaking it down to recitals after each of the five obligatory prayers on daily basis.

AlhamdulilLahi. All these are implementable plans if one has the discipline to sustain them.

However, I have never tried following them because I do not have the organized sustenance culture in reading. And in the near past, either in 2016 or 17, there was a Ramadan where I was unable to complete the Qur’ān. Though there was nothing sinful about that, I wasn’t happy. I could make only around 45hizbs, falling short of 15. And since then I settled for my own personal plan.

My personal plan afterwards was a resolution not to join Taraweeh prayers in congregation unless I have completed the Qur’ān. Therefore, in the early days of Ramadan, typically before 10th, I do my taraweeh alone at home. I would silence-mode my phone to avoid any distraction. I would then pray my taraweeh typically covering 6 hizbs daily, in either two or four raka’ahs depending on my selection. It typically lasts two hours, or with an additional 30 minutes. Of course, the standing isnt easy but nothing rewarding has ever been easy. So, I bear it. Immediately after completing this taraweeh, I fall asleep. Saving me from the addition of late night punching of my phone.

This plan has been working for me, AlhamdulilLah. I am not sharing it for a holier-than-thou extravaganza, subhanallah. May Allah protect our deeds from show-off, Amin. But I am sharing it because it might be a method someone would want to adopt, especially for workers who run an 8am to 5pm work. They might not have chance to read the Qur’an during work hours in the day. And they may be thinking of what other plan can they adopt since they want to complete this Noble Book.

You don’t have to be a Qur’an memorizer to adopt this method. All you need is this copy of the Mushaf that is usually divided by hizbs selections numbering 1-10 (6 hizbs each) or numbering 1-6 (10 hizbs each). They are portable for use in prayers. And if you want to use the Qur’an app in your phone, no problem. You might just consider putting your phone in ‘Airplane Mode’ to ward off distractions.

It is halāl (permissible) to pray while holding the Qur’ān according to the most correct scholarly opinion. This applies to everyone- whether they are Qur’ān memorizers or not. In fact, Imamul Nawawiy considers it wajib if one hasn’t memorized Suratul Fātiha, then he must hold a Qur’ān and pray because not having Suratul Fatiha in your human brain isn’t an excuse for you not to pray. Therefore, whether you have the Qur’an at heart or not, you can still recite from the mushaf while in prayers.

If Islamic scholars are suspending other fields of knowledge to complete the Qur’ān in Ramadan, you can suspend social media to do same. If you want to use your annual leave, casual leave or compassionate leave from work, then so be it. It worths doing all these.

May Allah grant us the ability to maximize our time in Ramadan, Amin.

El-Caleel writes from Zaria, Kaduna State

By Muhammadu Sabiu

President Muhammadu Buhari has been chastised for pardoning two former governors who were imprisoned for corruption.

Recall that on Thursday, the Council of State granted 159 convicts presidential pardons, according to reports.

Former governors of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, and Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, imprisoned for stealing N1.16 billion and N1.6 billion, respectively, were among the released convicts.

However, speaking at the 1st anniversary of late Afenifere’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin’s Lecture and Book Presentation, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), a human rights campaigner, encouraged the Federal Government to extend the presidential pardon to individuals serving sentences for minor offences. Falana argued that this would reflect fairness and equity for all.

“All petty thieves in our prisons should be released. Under Section 17 of the 1999 Constitution, there shall be equality and equal rights for all citizens.

“Section 42 of the Constitution says there shall be no discrimination on the basis of class and gender, so you cannot take out a few people on the basis that they belong to a category or section of the society.

“I can assure you that if the government did not release others, I am going to call on lawyers whose clients are left in custody to come to court and challenge the discriminatory treatment of their clients,” Mr Falana was partly quoted as saying.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Four abducted female students of the College of Health Science and Technology, Tsafe in Zamfara State, regained freedom Thursday, April 14, 2022.

The Deputy Provost of the college, Jamilu Lawal, made the disclosure, adding that the students were released unhurt. 

He added that the four female students had been taken to the hospital for medical screening.

The Daily Reality learnt that no ransom was paid to the bandits for the release of the students. 

The students were reportedly abducted last Tuesday night in Tsafe town.