Kaduna State

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Bandits have shot ASCII Muhammad Maradun, a Customs officer with Federal Operations Unit (FOU), to death in Kaduna.

The Daily Reality gathered that six people, among whom was a bride-to-be, were abducted in the process. 

It has been discovered that the bandits had stormed his house at Rogachikun Community of Igabi local government, Kaduna, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deceased, Mr Maradun, was reported to have sustained gunshot injuries.

The FOU Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), M.A Magaji, confirmed the victim’s death.

However, the deceased was said to have died while undergoing surgery, putting all attempts to save his life in vain.

By Tijjani Muhammad Nura

Bleaching has been in practice for a long time worldwide. However, it doesn’t specifically side with one gender, although women are more than men. Nonetheless, in a report referred to by the World Health Organisation in 2016, Nigeria was reported as the country with the highest number of women that bleach their skin in the whole of Africa. 

While there is no reliable data to confirm which state bleaches the most in northern Nigeria, we cannot deny that Kaduna, Abuja, Taraba, and, most importantly, Kano will top the list in Nigeria. In addition, a few Nigerians are naturally light-skinned, while some are naturally raven. To this end, bleaching is more prevalent among women than among men.

In (northern) Nigeria’s meaning of the word “bleaching,” it’s a process where people apply skin-lightened products to their skins, regardless of the route through which they are administered, intending to change their complexion or skin colour to impress or comfort themselves. From most people’s viewpoints, this bleaching as a thing is influenced by the victims’ desire to impress and attract attention to their opposite gender, from women to men and men to women.

Bleaching products are available in different forms, and some come in the form of creams, oils, serums, and lotions. It still comes in tablets, and some bleaching products are also available in injectable form. The lightening creams encompass a broader spectrum of products designed to bleach and lighten the skin. The effect occurs by targeting cells producing melanin, thereby reducing its functions. The majority of the creams are made available to treat abnormal conditions like acne scars on the skin, not for bleaching the skin.

However, many users are ignorant of the damaging effects of the products on their health. They are dangerous to their skin and a threat to their health in general by affecting the functions of the kidney, liver, and immune system because they work by reducing a pigment called melanin in the skin.

Most bleaching products have an active ingredient called mercury, making them more dangerous because mercury is a toxic agent that can cause serious psychiatric, neurological, and kidney problems. In addition, pregnant women who use a skin lightener with mercury can pass it to their unborn children.

Nonetheless, there are several healthy ways to maintain healthy skin. And that includes avoiding using bleaching creams, using baby’s soap that does not damage the skin, using moisturizing creams during the harmattan seasons. Other ways involve applying sun creams that can boost skin protection from the sunny sun, drinking enough water daily, eating well-balanced food in its diet, and stopping applying perfumes to the skin. These, among others, would help maintain good, healthy, and super bright skin.

With all the above being said, this article aims to notify people about the dangers associated with using creams or any other bleaching products to bleach the body, especially the facial skin. It, therefore, aims at calling the attention of parents to caution their children to avoid it or order them to immediately stop using it if they have already started using it.

Tijjani Muhammad Nura holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacology. He writes from the Hardawa district of Bauchi State and can be reached via tijjanimnura@gmail.com.

By Muhammad Sabiu

On Wednesday, shooters suspected of being kidnappers abducted 22 people and injured four others in Idon, Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

Mr. Aboki Danjuma, a resident of the Idon community, said the criminals arrived around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday and started shooting sporadically.

Justina Joseph, Mary Joseph, Rejoice Joseph, Stephen Joseph, Samson Ladan, Christiana David, Boniface David, Helen Aminu, Mirabel Aminu, Precious Philemon, Nelson Philemon, and Christian Philemon were among those taken away by the bandits, according to a councillor in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the State, Bala Jonathan.

Yosi Gabriel, Stephen Clement, Jinkai Musa, Derrick Obadiah, Daniel David, Paul David, Istifanus Peter, Miracle Matthew, Jesse Charles, and Favour Daniel are among the other names on the list.

According to him, David Maigaya, Micah Musa, Josephine Matthew, and Marshall Musa were the four injured people.

Since the time of posting this story, ASP Mohammed Jalige, the Kaduna Police Public Relations Officer, has yet to confirm the killings.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The worsening fuel scarcity that hit Kaduna State has forced several motorists to abandon their vehicles in queues at many filling stations when petrol was not available to go back home.

The Daily Reality visited some filling stations and observed that long queues have risen exponentially. Motorists were seen in the early hours, precisely, 6.30 am, queueing at Mobil Fuel Station, Independence Way, Kaduna, where PMS was dispensed via only one nozzle point with four orders inactive.

Also, at the filling stations on Constitution Road, Ali Akilu Road, Yakowa Way, among others, fuel attendants were seen turning back motorists.

The development came almost one week after the import of millions of dirty PMS from Europe into Nigeria disrupted the fuel supply system of the country, leading to long queues nationwide. The situation has resulted in total confusion and long lines of vehicles at various filling stations in the metropolis.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

Potable water scarcity has been one of the major problems facing residents of the Kanuda metropolis for a long time. Stories of potable water scarcity in places like Rigasa, Kawo, Barnawa, Tudun Wada, Kabala West, Unguwar Kanawa, Unguwar Rimi, and others have, in the past years, remained a recurring issue with most of the past administrations failing to arrest the situation till date.

Although the past administrations failed at finding a lasting solution to the water scarcity, nearly all of them committed a large chunk of money to the rehabilitation of water facilities in the state. 

As of now, an investigation by The Daily Reality reveals that water scarcity across the metropolis becomes worst during the dry season when the majority of those that could not afford sachet water, borehole water resolve into patronising a series of questionable water sources available to them. 

It has been discovered that most of the administrations put up measures at making the corporation effective and efficient, the Kaduna State Water Corporation (KSWC). Still, the efforts were not all needed to tackle the chains of problems facing the corporation.

Most of the residents that spoke to The Daily Reality (TDR) in the affected areas expressed displeasure. However, they are pleading with the administration of Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i to pay attention to the issue before the expiration of its term.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

Suspected assassins have killed the Director of Operations of the Kaduna Geographic Information Service(KADGIS), Malam Dauda, in the early hours of Friday. 

It was gathered that the assailants attacked the victim’s house located in the Barakallahu community in the Igabi Local Government Area of the state where they assassinated him. Sources have confirmed to The Daily Reality that the assailants killed the victim and took off, leaving all valuables in the house.

Attacks by terror groups on communities in Kaduna have become rampant, with hundreds of people killed or kidnapped in 2021. Despite the heavy deployment of security operatives to the area, the attacks have continued.

By Muhammad Sabiu

On Monday, February 7, 2022, the Kaduna State Government said that troops had rescued seven people in the state who had been kidnapped.

Security forces revealed to the government that the troops rescued seven persons from bandits who attacked Ungwan Garama in the Maraban Rido General Area of Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State, according to Samuel Aruwan, the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs.

The troops, he claimed, got distress calls alerting them of a bandit raid and swiftly engaged the attackers.

The criminals were forced to flee due to the soldiers’ superior firepower, he continued.

Security authorities, according to him, were able to exploit the criminals’ escape path and recover seven abducted people, adding that all of the rescued victims have been reunited with their relatives.

By Safiyanu Ladan

The Kaduna state government has directed teachers in public schools to transit to four days working in a week, which the state adopted last year.

In line with the new arrangement, the teachers will now work from Monday to Thursday instead of Monday to Friday regular routine.

This development has generated a lot of condemnation across the state, as many people fear that it will further cripple the already fragile education system.

According to these critics, Governor El-Rufai had come up with stringent education policies ranging from competency tests for primary school teachers, which saw the sacking of thousands of primary school teachers, to the closure of schools due to the covid-19 pandemic and insecurity.

These aforementioned measures have invariably affected the impartation of knowledge and created a considerable gap that requires concerted effort to fill.

Staying at home during this period created an overwhelming experience for children and parents. It has also affected the way they learn. Having learnt that the future of their children’s education is at stake, parents were left with no other option than to hire private tutors for their wards, as the resumption date was still sketchy.

Noted for being a hub of intellectual activities in Northern Nigeria, the state has recently grappled with reduced access to classroom education due to those challenges.

And now, with this government’s directives of transiting the teacher’s working days to four in a week in place of the regular working days is tantamount to reducing the access to classrooms that has a far reached negative impacts on students.

Given the foregoing, the decision of the government to make teachers in public schools resort to four days working is ill-fated.

Safiyanu Ibrahim wrote from Kaduna via uncledoctor24@gmail.com.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Lawrence Aklogado, a final year student of the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has launched a campaign to donate cardigans for Almajiri roaming the streets of Zaria in the harmattan cold.

Mr Aklogado launched the kind and caring campaign on Monday, January, 31 and tagged it as “One Almajiri, One Cardigan.”

In an interview with The Daily Reality, Mr Aklogado stated his reasons for the campaign.

“Zaria was 4° degrees sometime last week. I walk to lectures every morning by 7 o’clock and see two categories of people. The student, staff and workers all rolled up in thick clothing yet complaining of the cold and the Almajiris who are putting on thorn clothing and yet not complaining of the cold.

These guys are white from head to toe, some of them not even having footwear. I only imagined how this period is hard for them. So I sat down and thought of how I could help. I don’t have money to buy cardigans and share because, truly, I was broke, and I don’t want to start telling anyone to please donate money for the almajiri. So the idea came to tell people to donate a cardigan for the almajiri.”

I designed the flier and started sharing it. The response was huge on the first day. And I am glad.” Mr Aklogado said.

When asked further on his target, he said, “My target is 100 plus cardigans for the Almajiris, and I have gotten 25 thus far. I go from hostel to hostel, and the main challenge is most students have just a cardigan too, but I am not giving up though”

The campaigner has been applauded by many people for the thoughtful and kind gesture.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Three hundred eighty-seven (387) people were murdered in the communal clashes in Kauru and Zangon Kataf, according to Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

On Wednesday, he stated this at Agwatyap’s palace in Atak Njei, Zangon Kataf.

The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, who represented El-Rufa’i at a meeting with traditional, religious and community leaders at the palace of Agwatyap, urged the communities in Kauru and Zangon Kataf to stick to the law and avoid generalizations that exacerbate the security situation in the areas.

He further called on the communities in Kauru and Zangon Kataf to keep recourse to the law.

During an emergency meeting with traditional rulers, Aruwan, who was escorted to the conference by security chiefs, also stated that the counter-killings were unacceptable.