Kaduna State

By Ishaka Mohammed

Sometime in April 2021, an interviewer told me that there were only five kinds of nouns. She went further to reject some of the concepts I used while trying to disagree with her. For example, she claimed that neither ‘uncountable’ nor ‘mass’ could be used while discussing kinds of nouns. Surprisingly, however, she accepted ‘countable’. Before I could say anything further, she had mentioned her qualifications, perhaps to prove her superiority to me. Although I apologised to her, I wished I hadn’t encountered such a drama, thanks to Covid-19. I’ll explain this in the following story.

Due to my observation of many state civil servants, especially teachers, I’m usually afraid of relying on a state government job in Nigeria. Although I’ve applied for some government jobs in Kaduna State, I’ve never thought of depending totally on any (if employed). Besides, it’s highly unwise to rely on a single source of income.

However, as a private school teacher, my Covid-19 lockdown experience made me see one advantage of government jobs. Government workers received their salaries despite being away from work for months. Unfortunately, it was a different story for most of us (especially teachers) in the private sector.

Most schools in Kaduna had been on lockdown even before the federal imposed the same. I thought normalcy would return within a short time, but I was wrong. I had to stay for five months without a salary but not without food. To complement the assistance from some friends and relatives, I did some menial jobs until I decided to post my story on Nairaland. All I needed was a daily income of N500.

About an hour after posting the story, a lady responded and asked me to chat with her via WhatsApp. I wasted no time, and we reached an agreement. She would send snapped or scanned copies of handwritten notes from Ibadan, and I would type them on my phone and send them to her. We agreed on N30 per page, but she usually paid me higher than that. However, the biggest amount of money I received at the time was N1,200, and it took me three days to complete the task. Moreover, it was difficult typing the contents of the photos on the same phone containing them (the images).

With the lockdown experience, I became so much interested in government jobs. So, when the Kaduna State Teachers’ Service Board (KSTSB) advertised teaching vacancies in December 2020, I responded at once. I was shortlisted for a test, and owing to my high score, my hopes were high. So, expectedly, I was invited for an interview.

I prepared well and looked forward to facing the interview panel, but little did I know that I would be asked a question similar to the number of times President Muhammadu Buhari has been shocked. By the way, despite answering the last three questions correctly, the first one had already created friction between a member of the panel and me.

The woman insisted that there were only five kinds of nouns. I immediately disagreed with her and mentioned more than eight. Surprisingly, she accepted ‘countable nouns’ but rejected ‘uncountable nouns’. I quickly drew her attention to the fact that uncountable nouns are also called mass nouns, but my assertion infuriated her. She claimed that she had never come across ‘mass nouns’, and to prove her authority, she had to boast of the number of degrees she had, with the first being in language arts. I kindly said, “I’m sorry, ma.” However, that was like appointing a campaign director after one has already lost an election. I didn’t get the job.

Since then, I’ve consulted many sources to know how many kinds of nouns there are, but I have

yet to get a definite answer. Should you have an answer to that question, please share it with me.

Ishaka Mohammed wrote from Kaduna. He can be reached via ishakamohammed39@gmail.com.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

Residents of Rigasa, a major support base of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have cried out over the gully threatening to swallow up the community. The gully had swept away many houses in its paths, rendering many residents homeless.

The Daily Reality observed that areas badly affected by the erosion include Layin Cinema, Unguwar Yan Kilishi, Makera, Tarotaro and Madaki Habu Street. With heavy rainfall, the branches of the erosion are spreading fast as a vast expanse of land is caving in, threatening more houses.

The Secretary-General of Rigasa Development Forum, Mr Sani Ibrahim, who spoke on behalf of the affected communities, pleaded that concerned authorities should come and end the innumerable damages the gullies had done to them.

He said the gully had already cut them off from accessing each other and some other parts of Rigasa town. Another resident, Mr Umar Ahmad, said, “We no longer send our children on errands anymore, and worst still, the people in government, who came to canvass for votes, have abandoned us”.

Findings by The Daily Reality showed that the gully has cut off many routes making life unbearable for the hundreds of residents. A signpost in one of the areas has indicated that the Federal Ministry of Environment had previously awarded the contract in the past. The community is on the edge of the precipice and may be cut off from other communities if nothing is done urgently.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Reports reaching The Daily Reality indicate that unknown shooters have stormed the Kaduna community and abducted the daughter-in-law of the Chairman, Northern Elder’s Forum, Ango Abdullahi.

The bandits were said to have invaded the community, Yakawada village in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna, on Tuesday night, where they abducted the woman and other residents. 

This is, however, coming barely a month after the abduction of one of the sons of the elder statesman, Ango Abdullahi, by the unknown shooters. 

The elder statesman confirmed this to journalists on Wednesday, adding that the victim was abducted alongside four of her children.

“My daughter-in-law, Ramatu Samaila, was among the abductees, including her four children. She is the wife of my son-in-law, who is the village head of Yakawada,” he said.

According to a source, the bandits also kidnapped some of the residents of the community. 

“They also went to the residence of the neighbour to the village head and kidnapped the household, Abubakar Mijinyawa, along with his two wives, namely Aisha and Hajara. And the two wives were both nursing mothers who were abducted with their little babies.”

By Samuel Aruwan

“One who is loved, never dies.” – C.S. Lewis

Certain people we meet in the course of our lives become so important to our reality, that permanent separation from them is something the mind can never fully comprehend. The duration of meeting may not be long; it is the intensity and impact that linger in the memory.

Death is an inevitable end, but some people are simply larger than life, or should I say, death. Many times, it is easier to forget that they are no longer with us. We visualize their expressions, remember their presence, and hear their voices clearly in our heads as we recall conversations. For those who were known to the wider society, their work remains as a landmark to their lives, however short . The happiness of a memory quickly mixes with the sad recollection of absence.

It is with such mixed feelings, but mostly with a sense of great honour, that I remember, on what would have been Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru’s 56th birthday, a man of immense character, discipline, selfless service and dedication above and beyond the call of duty. With a sense of supreme privilege and humility, I pay a post-humous birthday tribute to Attahiru, who was in all ramifications, a consummate officer and a gentleman, and truly a soldier’s soldier.

As we commemorate him today, it would not be out of place to remember him as a nation builder and a true patriot in his own right, who served his country impeccably in a stellar military career through which he rose admirably to become the 25th Chief of Army Staff.

It is in his final role that many – including myself – will most potently remember General Attahiru. Upon his sudden and tragic demise in May last year, I recalled his reassuring ebullient presence, underneath which he carried the determination, discipline, and professionalism of a born soldier. I reflected on his attentiveness and enthusiasm in our fight against banditry, terrorism, and general insecurity in our state, and in the region at large. I remembered then, as I do now, his crystal-clear vision and passion for the Nigerian Army.

That is the General Ibrahim Attahiru with whom I was blessed to interact. I also know that he is fondly remembered within military circles as a leader who reached out to the men under his command, and even to all who came under his care, and he looked out for them.

In contemplating the lives of great Generals, we wonder if the uniform makes the man, or if it is the man who fills up the uniform he wears. Beyond all that General Attahiru was in his professional sphere and in the limelight, we must not fail to remember him simply as a human being, as a father, as a man who lived by a creed of openness and accessibility. At the launch of the General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation earlier this year, we heard about the man behind the uniform, Ibrahim Attahiru, the family man, the loving husband who never failed to put a smile on the face of his wife Fati. We learned of the doting and devoted father to Aisha Farrah, Zainab Maliha and Fatima Iman, who made it a priority to spend quality time with his three lovely daughters, encouraging them in their faith, in their academics, guiding them in their social lives and always letting them know that he was proud of them.

His job and its attendant demands notwithstanding, he made time to be a father and a friend to his daughters, and through his charm and courage, mentored them. These are the actions that will forever remain priceless in the lives of his wife and children, and they reflect the dedication with which General Attahiru conducted himself even outside the spotlight.

I will always be grateful for the privilege I had to interact with him, albeit briefly. During our engagements, he demonstrated to me quite clearly the power of hope, through his optimism, energy, and cooperative disposition. For me, and for others involved in security management, our highest tribute to General Attahiru, would be to walk in his footsteps, and to throw ourselves with unalloyed commitment at the fight which remains before us.

The General Ibrahim Attahiru Foundation which was launched at the one-year memorial of his demise, will seek to cement and transmit the legacy of the man, and the virtues which he typified; the values of strength, dignity, commitment to excellence, leadership, tenacity, openness, accessibility, mentorship, and fatherhood. It is upon such values that nations are built. It is these virtues which have led to so many honouring him today, on the 56th anniversary of his birth, to celebrate what he stood for in his life, and indeed the way he represented the Nigerian Army with distinction for nearly 35 years.

Today, once again, it is right that we celebrate the legacy of a hero, as we also continue to immortalize his love for service, knowledge and impact. It is a mark of honour, and a tribute to his memory. He is no longer with us, but he lives on in the quality of life that he lived; a life, cut short just shy of 55 years on this earth. We are saddened at the fact of his absence, but we are reminded by so many aspects of his legacy, that truly, he lived.

And so today we salute the memory of a patriot, and (I am privileged to say) a companion and ally, who would have turned 56. We celebrate with honour, the memory of a mentor, a brother, a father, a husband. We commemorate the birth, the life and the times of a quintessential soldier, a true General, who exited the arena suddenly, in the middle of a war, and more so, in the line of duty.

In remembering him on the day of his birth, we ensure that the torch of his legacy and ideals will continue to burn brightly, to inspire and lead, as he did.

For truly, one who is loved, never dies.

Aruwan is Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State.

By Muhsin Ibrahim

Biyi Bandale’s death was announced via a Facebook statement signed by his daughter, Temi Bandele.

Born in Kaduna to Yoruba parents, Bandele, 54, was the director of the movie adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s classic novel, Half of a Yellow Sun; Blood Sisters, among other remarkable works.

Last month, Bandele, who also wrote novels and directed plays in the UK, Nigeria and other places, announced the release of his new film, Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman, a Netflix-Ebony Lifefilm production.

At the time of this report, the cause of his death is not yet clear.

“As Biyi’s daughter, I am heartbroken to share the sudden and unexpected death on Sunday 7th of August in Lagos of my father Biyi Bandele.

Biyi was a prodigiously talented writer and film-maker, as well as a loyal friend and beloved father. He was a storyteller to his bones, with an unblinking perspective, singular voice and wisdom which spoke boldly through all of his art, in poetry, novels, plays and on screen. He told stories which made a profound impact and inspired many all over the world. His legacy will live on through his work.

He was taken from us much too soon. He had already said so much so beautifully, and had so much more to say.

We ask everyone to please respect the privacy of his family and friends as we grieve his loss.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

Unknown shooters abducted a woman patient on her sickbed in Zaria Local government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday.

The shooters were said to have arrived at Anguwar Malamai village in Kakeyi, Zaria, where they abducted the woman to an unknown destination.

The Daily Reality learned that the incident reportedly occurred around midnight on Thursday.

It was gathered that no sooner had the bandits arrived than they proceeded to the residence of Alhaji Shu’aibu Dallatu and abducted his wife.

Speaking, one of the residents disclosed, “The bandits arrived at the residence purposely to kidnap the household, Alhaji Shuaibu Dallatu, because on arrival they asked some young men who sleep in the shop outside the house of his whereabouts.

“Meanwhile, Alhaji Dallatu, who was fully awake attending to his sick wife, overheard the conversation and quickly sneaked out.

“They bundled her into a waiting car and started shooting into the air as they made their exit,” he stated.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, Mohammed Jalinge, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

The Kaduna State Government has declared July 27th to 29th July 2022, as a public holiday to enable citizens of the state to turn out en masse to register at the ongoing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Permanent Voter’s Card slated to end on July 31st 2022.

In a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication), Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye said the decision of the governor was aimed at ensuring that citizens of Kaduna State are not denied the opportunity to participate and vote for candidates of their choice ahead of next year’s general election.

It further stated that “the government urged all eligible residents of the State to seize the opportunity to register to vote.”

“The government requests all employers to actively support their staff to register before INEC closes voter registration on 31st July 2022.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

Jobseekers in Nigeria have opened up to The Daily Reality on how some institutions in the country are degenerating into a kind of ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’, where officials allegedly request ‘sodomy’ in exchange for a job offer or promotion.

The job seekers decried how they suffer in the hands of corrupt officials who ask for a bribe in exchange for job offers or, worse, sex from female and even male job seekers.

However, they alleged that most of these ‘gay’ officials are important office holders that nobody would ever think will indulge in such heinous acts as they look and act responsibly in public.

The job seekers decided to narrate their harrowing experiences after we reported on buying and selling of job offers in Nigeria, published on March 2, 2022, which went viral.

The Daily Reality reported how the sale of job offers decimates graduates’ chances of securing jobs in Nigeria, where the national economy has remained increasingly stagnant.

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, unemployment in Nigeria has surged to the second-highest on the global list, jumping to 33.3%.

Professionals have argued that there is a need for urgent intervention to save the country from an impending danger posed by the exponential increase in unemployment.

Register with the Gay Zone Pyramid; Get Employed

Isma’il Muhammad (not real name) recounted how one Managing Director of an organisation in Kaduna wanted to sodomise him and his friend for a job offer in November last year.

He said, “In November 2021, we got a connection to meet the Managing Director (MD) of one big organisation in Kaduna State. When we arrived, we were introduced to the man in his office.

“The man promised to get us employed. He said we look very young and charming. So we were very excited to hear that from him, unknown to us that the man was gay. So he brought out job offers. But he requested we had to offer him something in return.

“We were all surprised. We thought this man meant we had to buy the offer or, at least, pay him a certain amount of money. But, to our utmost dismay, this man said we had to register with the GAY ZONE PYRAMID.

“However, we declined, and that was the end. We left his office mouth agape and without being employed,” Muhammad said in dismay.

Another job-seeker, who swore to God that he would rather die hawking than commit such evil, confided his 2020 experience in our reporter.

He said someone who pretended to care about his condition and wanted to find a better place for him sent him to a particular organisation for an interview in Kano.

He said, “Fortunately, I have all the requirements. While I thought I would be automatically employed, the man invited me to his office and confessed that he was “gay”.

“Angrily, I insulted him. I still regret knowing him. Thus, I forgot about the job.

Another source, Hashim Tijjani, said someone who promised to employ him and send him overseas had wanted to sodomise him, but God saved him from the man.

He said the man often bitterly complained that he did not use to call him as a way of showing concern to a boyfriend, the development that the guy said had confused him.

He added, “The man used to invite me to the Mai Rabo Hotel in Sabon Gari, Kano. He used to give me money to lure me. He once accused me of not being that romantic to him.

“As things escalated and I feared I might fall into his trap, I decided to give my phone to one of my friends, who told him I passed on. Since then, he stopped calling my line,” he added.

Workers seeking promotion in the same trap

According to a source familiar with the incident, the sodomy was not only limited to job-seeking. Workers seeking promotion also suffer a lot.

He said bosses nowadays ask their subordinates for sodomy before they promote them in various workplaces across the country.

He said, “My friend working with a Nigerian security agency confided in me that he failed to get promoted for declining his boss’s request for sodomy.”

He stated that his friend is still yet to be promoted. However, he had decided that he should rather die without promotion than compromise.

I declined my aged-nurse political ambition over sodomy – politician

Also, a renowned politician in Kano disclosed how he threw his aged-long political ambition over sodomy.

The politician who preferred anonymity revealed that he wanted to contest for a certain political position during the 2015 General Election after he retired from his civil service but was forced out after his political godfather solicited for sodomy in exchange for the ambition.

He confided that he was pretty perplexed and could not help but quit the race as things went beyond his imagination.

He said, “I nursed this ambition over the years, but I can’t help but withdraw from the race as my political godfather confessed that he is gay. But I see no reason to ruin my image for a so-called worldly political ambition.”

The man said he had met all the requirements and was economically stable to contest, but he would instead give up and concentrate on a business.

According to a source, who claimed that he was requested for sodomy to get a job back in 2020 in Kano, the issue of gay officials terrorising workplaces and institutions is known to many people, but they are only afraid to speak.

He stated, “You know things like this are known to many we are all pretending as if nothing goes on. Our bureaucratic system is utterly flawed.

“So, I am no longer looking for any job or favour from anybody anywhere. That is why I confidently expose the bad elements.”

‘Sodomy leads to mental disorder’

A psychiatric doctor from Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Dr Mubarak Haruna Idris, raised concerns that the act of sodomy may lead to mental illness.

In an exclusive interview with our reporter, Idris said that people who prefer the same sex might suffer from anxiety, depression and psychosis.

He stated that the behaviour “leads to other mental illness. For example, usually, these kinds of individuals tend to hide it [what they do] from others that they have a preference for their same sex.

“So, they tend to have this kind of fear and whenever it revealed. The kind of difficulty they get from their family and how people see them will make them get a mental illness like anxiety, depression and if care is not taken, psychosis.”

They are at risk of anal cancer, HIV other sexually transmitted diseases

Dr Idris also cautioned that the behaviour is associated with many health risks such as anal cancer and HIV, among other sexually transmitted infections.

Idris said, “This behaviour is associated with some health risks. One of the commonest is the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhoea and other sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, the risk of getting such diseases is higher when compared to normal vaginal sex.

“So, therefore, there is a high risk of sexually transmitted diseases. And this is due to the nature of the anal canal, which is not designed for such activity, and it can’t resist such activity that usually takes place during intercourse.

‘And then another thing is that there is a risk of getting an injury to the anal area. And when there’s injury, an infection can quickly set in, so one can end up having an infection at the anus, which, if care is not taken, can even spread to other parts of the body. There is also a high risk of anal cancer.

University don frown at the act

In an exclusive interview with our reporter, a lecturer at the Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship, Bayero University, Kano, Dr Mu’az Hassan Mu’az, lamented the development.

Mu’az, who frowned at the revelation, lamented that the demand for carnal knowledge to give a job offer is a serious problem that needs to be eliminated.

He also decried how the Nigerian polity is experiencing a painful decline in most of its economic activities, which may not be far from poor governance in recent years. 

“It’s unfortunate that the unemployment rate is skyrocketing in Nigeria like never before.

“Many youth graduate year-in-year-out, but without jobs to lean on. Thus the labour market has become so competitive, where only the connected get jobs.

“It’s this trend that ushered us into the era of job offer sales and other unscrupulous demands for carnal knowledge of both genders for job offers and promotion in the workplace.

The issue is alarming

Dr Mu’az also stated that if the trend continues unchecked, it could lead to numerous problems. He stated thus:

 “1. employment of people with mismatched qualifications for the job requirement. By extension, it will affect productivity.

“2. It will also lead to unprofessional development of the crop of future leaders in organisations. You may realise that those employees who are sidelined because they don’t comply with the demands of their superiors may rise to the ranks without the experience and expertise of leadership.

“3. It creates a corrupt society. As people get employed through the window, they’ll continue the gospel of corruption in their job undertakings.

“4. It will create an unserious atmosphere for students right from the university because nobody would bother to study for good grades since the jobs are for sale and not good qualifications.

“5. People’s sexual orientation might be affected due to the incessant demands for carnal knowledge of young men and women. This situation exposes people to diseases that can cause death.

“There are many adverse effects of sales of job offers and sexual demands for promotion in the workplace.

Way out

Dr Mu’azu proffers the following solutions:

“1. Job opportunities should be advertised in the dailies and electronic media;

“2. There should be equitable salaries in the country depending on the level of education of workers. This will discourage people from struggling to get white-collar jobs.

“3. A law should be enacted to address culprits, i.e. the person paying and the one receiving the money for job offers.

By Aminu Muhammad

The Nigerian Police Force’s Kaduna State command has announced the re-arrest of Ali Shuaibu, 60, a suspected prison escapee from Kuje.

According to a statement made by Mohammed Jalige, the command’s public relations officer, Shuaibu, who was on his way to Kano State, was detained.

The Kano State native admitted that he was one of around 800 prisoners that fled the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja when terrorists raided the prison, according to a police official.

The police statement reads, “Sequel to the Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command’s directive to all tactical commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to mount purposeful surveillance across all inlets to Kaduna State in response to the recent infamous Kuje Jail break as instructed by the Inspector General of Police, the operatives without prejudice to existing crime prevention measures, responded effectively which has started yielding a positive result with the arrest of a suspected escapee on the 17th July 2022 at about 1930hrs.

“The suspect, one Ali Shuaibu 60yrs of age and an indigene of Kano State, was apprehended by the police operatives at a location in Kaduna, while on transit to Kano based on active intelligence.

“The suspect on preliminary investigation revealed that he is part of the inmates who escaped during the recent attack on the Kuje medium security correctional centre.

“The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna Command, Yekini A. Ayoku, directed that necessary protocols be carried out before handing the suspect over to the Nigerian Correctional Service for proper placement.

“He further tasked officers not to relent in their effort to effectively tackle all forms of crimes and criminality in all critical areas of the state.”

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

Kaduna State APC Gubernatorial candidate, Senator Uba Sani, has picked the incumbent Deputy Governor of Kaduna, Her Excellency, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe as his running mate in the 2023 governorship election in Kaduna State. 

Details later…