Nigeria

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has released the final list of 18 presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 presidential election.

The list, titled “Presidential and National Assembly Elections for Jan, 2027 – Presidential Final List of Candidates”, was signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

Among the major contenders listed by the electoral commission are Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC; Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC; and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, AAC.

Atiku is paired with former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate, while Tinubu will contest alongside Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Obi’s running mate is former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, while Sowore is paired with Haruna Magashi.

Other candidates on the list include Rufai Omo-Aje of the Action Alliance, AA; Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party, ADP; Yusuf Kabiru of the Allied Peoples Party, APP; Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM; and Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party, BP.

The commission also listed Adebisi Olusoji of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, DLA; Sunday Okereke of the Labour Party, LP; Ada Okwori of the National Democratic Party, NDP; and Nkem Okereke of the National Rescue Movement, NRM.

Former Delta State Governor, Donald Duke, will represent the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, while Adewole Adebayo is the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

The remaining candidates are Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, and Daniel Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.

The final document provides details about the candidates and their running mates, including their ages, gender and academic qualifications.

INEC has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections.

The governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Regularly sleeping with earbuds in the ears may expose users to prolonged sound and increase the risk of hearing problems, ear infections and excessive earwax accumulation, ear, nose and throat specialists have warned.

The experts said the risk could become greater when earbuds are used at high volume or left in the ears for several hours. They explained that wearing the devices throughout the night denies the ears the breaks needed between periods of sound exposure.

Apart from prolonged noise exposure, keeping earbuds inside the ear canal for extended periods may trap moisture and disrupt the natural movement of earwax. According to the specialists, these conditions could contribute to infections and other ear-related problems.

The World Health Organisation has warned that hearing damage is influenced by the volume, duration and frequency of exposure to sound. Prolonged exposure to loud noise may initially result in temporary hearing loss or tinnitus, while repeated or continuous exposure can cause permanent damage to sensory cells and structures within the inner ear.

The WHO estimates that more than one billion people between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe recreational exposure to loud sounds, including those produced by personal audio devices. It recommends keeping audio volume below 60 per cent of the maximum level and taking regular breaks.

Nigeria also faces a significant hearing-loss burden, with a WHO regional report estimating the prevalence of disabling hearing loss in the country at 6.7 per cent. The report lists impacted earwax, chronic otitis media and age-related hearing loss among major causes.

Findings from a Nigerian study involving 272 people who regularly used headphones and earphones showed that 17.6 per cent of the users had hearing loss, compared with 7.4 per cent among an equal number of non-users. The researchers found that most cases among the users were mild, affected both ears and involved sensorineural hearing loss, with high-frequency hearing particularly affected.

A Specialist Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon at the National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna, Dr Mustapha Lawal, said the impact of prolonged earphone use depended largely on the loudness of the sound and the duration of exposure.

Lawal told PUNCH Healthwise that warning signs could emerge before permanent hearing damage occurs, including tinnitus, dizziness and unusual sensations in the ear.

“Long-term hearing loss; short-term, there will be some symptoms, like tinnitus, dizziness, and sensations in the ear,” Lawal explained.

He said prolonged exposure could first produce what is known as a temporary threshold shift, which causes hearing sensitivity to decline for a period.

According to him, the problem could develop even when the sound level was not particularly high if a person remained exposed for several hours.

“If the noise is not that loud, however, it is on for several hours,” Lawal stated.

The specialist stressed that allowing the ears to rest was important because continued exposure could turn temporary hearing changes into permanent damage.

“Once it has gone through what you call a permanent threshold shift, permanent threshold shift, then that one is irreversible,” Lawal stated.

He added that excessive exposure to noise could also affect concentration, communication and overall quality of life when hearing difficulties begin to interfere with daily activities.

A Professor of Ear, Nose and Throat and Head and Neck Surgery at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State, Adoga Agida Samuel, also raised concerns about the physical effects of sleeping with earbuds.

Samuel explained that prolonged blockage of the ear canal could promote inflammation and infection. He added that some users might also develop reactions to materials used in the manufacture of earbuds.

Another concern, according to him, is the retention of earwax. He said accumulated wax could obstruct the ear canal and result in conductive hearing loss.

“Wax retention takes a while but becomes a problem because it builds up,” Samuel stated.

The professor further warned that exposure to sound above safe levels could temporarily reduce hearing ability and cause permanent damage when the exposure continued.

“Exposure of greater than 85dB over 8 hours has different effects. Some immediate injury, causing a temporary threshold shift,” Samuel stated.

He explained that continued exposure could eventually destroy the sensory hair cells responsible for hearing.

“Persistent or continuous exposure will cause oxidative injury; many chemicals will be released, leading to hair cell death and permanent hearing loss,” Samuel stated.

Samuel urged people who experience symptoms such as ear pain, severe itching, tinnitus or reduced hearing to seek medical attention rather than dismissing them.

He noted that some symptoms could point to an underlying ear infection.

“For infections, pain and severe itching may be fungus,” Samuel stated.

The professor advised people who use earbuds regularly to reduce their exposure and avoid wearing them while asleep.

“Moderate use of earbuds if it cannot be avoided. Sleep without them,” Samuel advised.

Experts therefore recommend regular breaks from earbuds and caution against sleeping with the devices, particularly when they are used at high volume or for prolonged periods.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Army has opened an investigation into an allegation of sexual abuse involving a serving officer, Cap Etim Essien, attached to the Headquarters 3 Division in Jos, Plateau State.

The investigation followed reports of the alleged incident that circulated online, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Division, Lt. Col. Olumide Olukoya.

Olukoya said the Army had begun efforts to determine the circumstances surrounding the allegation, stressing that cases involving sexual abuse, particularly those involving minors and other vulnerable persons, were taken seriously by the military.

“The Nigerian Army takes all allegations of sexual abuse, particularly those involving minors and other vulnerable persons, with utmost seriousness. Accordingly, appropriate steps have been initiated to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the reported incident.

“As the allegation is currently under process of investigation, it would be inappropriate to make definitive comments on the culpability or otherwise of any individual at this stage. The Nigerian Army remains committed to due process, fairness and the protection of the rights and dignity of all parties involved,” he said.

The Army spokesperson further stated that relevant civil authorities were also investigating the matter and assured that the military would work with them to ensure a comprehensive investigation in line with the law.

“The Nigerian Army is also aware that the relevant civil authorities are looking into the matter and will cooperate fully with them to ensure that the allegation is thoroughly and transparently investigated in accordance with extant laws and regulations,” he added.

Olukoya said the Army maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards actions that contravened the law or military regulations.

He added that any personnel found culpable after the investigation would face appropriate disciplinary measures.

“The Nigerian Army places a high premium on discipline, professionalism and respect for human dignity. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, any personnel found to have acted contrary to the law or established service regulations will be dealt with appropriately,” he stated.

The Army also called on members of the public to avoid speculation or the circulation of unverified information that could interfere with the investigation or expose those involved to further harm.

The military specifically urged the public to exercise caution in discussions concerning minors, stressing the need to safeguard their privacy and welfare throughout the investigation.

By Kasim Isa Muhammad

As I try to pen down some sort of tribute to Alhaji Bukar Abubakar, the Makinta of Fika Emirate, I find myself struggling with where exactly to begin because some people are simply too difficult to capture in words. There are people whose lives can easily be summarised by their positions, their accomplishments or the offices they occupied, but there are others whose true worth lies somewhere  consequential in the lives they touched, the people they encouraged, the kindness they showed, the sacrifices they made and the memories they left in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know them. Alhaji Bukar was one of those rare people. I lived in the same area with him for about twenty years and, during all those years, I came to know him not only as a respected elder or distinguished retired civil servant, but as a neighbour, a gentleman and, above everything else, a good human being. I am not saying that he was flawless because no human being is without shortcomings, but in all the years that I knew him, I never, even in my wildest dreams, got to know a flaw that could diminish the extraordinary impression he left on people. He was indescribably kind, compassionate, accommodating and peaceful. He was, by far, one of the most pleasant people I have ever known, and there was something about his manner that made it difficult to imagine him deliberately hurting another person. He carried his age, experience and status with unprecedented dignity that never made other people feel small. He was simply Alhaji Bukar, a man who had lived enough to understand that the greatest measure of a person’s life is not what he owns or the position he occupies, but the good he leaves behind in the lives of others.

In April last year, when I was a correspondent with Neptune Prime, I had the privilege of interviewing Alhaji Bukar for our Oldies page. It was supposed to be a normal journalistic assignment, another interview, another story, another conversation with an elderly personality whose experiences were worth documenting. But somehow, that thirty-minute conversation became much more than that for me. It stayed with me. It settled somewhere deep in my subconscious and continued to reveal its lessons long after the interview was over. There are conversations we have in life that disappear almost immediately after we leave the room, and there are others that remain with us because something in the person we encountered has touched a part of us that we did not even know needed touching. My conversation with Alhaji Bukar was one of those conversations. I listened to him speak about his life and his career, about how he started as a primary school teacher before rising through the ranks and eventually becoming a distinguished administrator and Rector of the College of Administrative and Business Studies, CABS, in Potiskum Local Government. What struck me most was his work ethic. He was a very, very hardworking man, and there was no pretence about it. His story was a story of persistence, discipline, sacrifice and the determination to keep moving forward regardless of how difficult the road might become. Listening to him made me think exceedingly about the importance of hard work and the power of perseverance. He reminded me that sometimes the only way to succeed is to simply keep going, even when the results are not immediate. That interview instilled in me, perhaps more than he ever realised, the importance of the habit of keep on keeping on. I walked away from that conversation with a renewed determination to work harder, to remain patient with the process and to understand that a person’s beginning does not have to define his ending.

Lo and behold, there is something emotional about remembering that interview because I did not know then that I would one day be writing about him in the past tense. I did not know that the man sitting before me, telling me about his life and experiences, would eventually become someone I would have to remember rather than visit. I did not know that thirty minutes could become such a precious memory. I did not know that I would later wish I had asked more questions, listened more carefully or simply stayed a little longer. That is the cruelty of death. While people are alive, we often assume that there will always be another opportunity. Another visit. Another conversation. Another greeting. Another question. Another chance to say thank you. But death has a way of teaching us that time is not something we own. It is something Allah lends us. And when He decides that the appointed time has come, there is nothing any of us can do to extend it. Now, when I think about Alhaji Bukar, I find myself returning to that brief conversation and appreciating it in a way I could not have appreciated it then. It was only thirty minutes, but those thirty minutes gave me something that has stayed with me.

Alhaji Bukar Abubakar was a distinguished retired civil servant, educator, administrator, philanthropist and farmer, but even those descriptions do not fully capture the breadth of the man he was. His professional life was intriguing because he began as a primary school teacher and continued to rise until he became a college rector. There is something more inspiring about such a great life because it reminds us that greatness does not always begin in grand surroundings. Sometimes it begins in an ordinary classroom, with an ordinary teacher doing extraordinary things through commitment and dedication. He understood the dignity of work and the importance of education, and he carried those values throughout his life. He did not simply teach students and move on; he invested in people. During our interview, he spoke about people he had trained and about folks who had gone on to excel in different walks of life. He seemed very, very interested in the progress of people he had helped, and I found that particularly admirable. Some people measure their success by the offices they occupy, the awards they receive or the material things they accumulate, but Alhaji Bukar seemed to measure his own success by the people who became better because they encountered him. In that sense, his influence was much larger than any office he ever occupied. He was a teacher beyond the classroom. He taught through his actions, his conversations, his generosity and the example he set for those around him.

One of the things that made Alhaji Bukar so extraordinary was the way he embraced people without an iota of discrimination. He did not appear to care about a person’s social status, wealth, background or influence before extending kindness to them. He had an unusually large heart, and people who were vulnerable seemed to have a special place in it. Whenever one visited his house, it was common to see Almajirai around. They came there because they knew they would be welcomed, fed and treated with dignity. Alhaji Bukar used to feed and clothe many Almajirai with his hard-earned money, and his generosity towards them went far beyond providing food. He enrolled many of them in schools and supported their education, giving them an opportunity to acquire knowledge and qualifications that could change the direction of their lives. Some of them eventually earned diplomas through his intervention. Think about that for a moment. A man spends his own hard-earned money to educate children who are not biologically his, children who might otherwise have remained invisible to society, because he believes that they deserve an opportunity. That is not ordinary kindness. That is an unprecedented understanding of humanity. It is an understanding that every child has potential, that poverty should never be a permanent sentence and that one of the greatest things a human being can do is to invest in another human being’s future. Alhaji Bukar saw these children not merely as Almajirai but as human beings deserving of food, clothing, education, respect and hope. That part of his life deserves to be remembered because it tells us more about his character than any title ever could.

I often think about the people whose lives he changed quietly. How many children ate because he gave them food? How many young people went to school because he paid for them? How many families found relief because he intervened at a difficult moment? How many people became successful because, at some point in their lives, Alhaji Bukar decided to believe in them? We may never know the full number. He was not the kind of person who went around announcing his good deeds. He did not need cameras before helping people. He did not require newspaper headlines to validate his generosity. He gave because he believed in giving. He helped because he believed that those who had something should share it with those who had less. That is what makes his philanthropy so beautiful. He helped people without making their vulnerability a spectacle. He gave without humiliating the person receiving. He supported without reminding people that they owed him. And perhaps that is the purest form of philanthropy and the kind that is done because the heart cannot comfortably ignore another person’s need.

Born in 1945, Alhaji Bukar lived through many decades and witnessed a lot of changes. He belonged to a generation that understood hardship in ways that many of us today may never fully understand. Yet rather than allowing life’s difficulties to make him bitter, he seemed to turn them into a source of strength and empathy. His career, his commitment to education, his work as a civil servant, his administrative responsibilities, his farming and his philanthropy all reflected a man who believed in productive living. He understood that life was not simply about taking from society but about contributing to it. He understood that every person has a responsibility to leave something useful behind. Perhaps that is why even after his professional career had ended, he remained active, hardworking and involved in the lives of others. Retirement did not retire his humanity. It did not retire his generosity. It did not retire his desire to see people succeed.

People who worked with him have attested to his peaceful nature, and his neighbours have said much the same thing. Nobody has ever described him to me as someone who enjoyed arguing with people or deliberately creating conflict. He was a man who seemed to understand that peace is itself a form of wealth. He did not need to win every argument. He did not need to prove himself superior to everyone around him. He carried himself with a calmness that reflected maturity. In a life where people are increasingly quick to anger, quick to take offence and quick to turn disagreements into lasting hostility, Alhaji Bukar believed in the beauty of restraint. He seemed to understand that not every provocation deserves a response and that not every disagreement needs to become a war. That peaceful disposition was part of his charm. His neighbours remember it. His colleagues remember it. Those who interacted with him remember it. And when many different people independently describe a person in the same way, there is usually something deeply truthful in that description.

There was also a humility about Alhaji Bukar that I found fundamental. He had achieved enough in his life to justify pride. He had risen from being a teacher to becoming a rector. He had served as an administrator. He had educated and mentored people. He had supported vulnerable children. He had contributed to his community. He had lived a productive life. Yet his achievements never seemed to make him believe that he was better than others. He remained approachable and accessible. He did not allow his experience to create an unnecessary distance between himself and ordinary people. That, to me, is one of the clearest signs of true greatness. A person who has achieved much but remains humble is far more admirable than someone who has achieved little but believes himself to be superior to everyone else. Alhaji Bukar understood that titles are temporary, positions are temporary and worldly recognition is temporary, but character remains.

When I think about his life, I realise that his greatest legacy is probably not something that can be placed in a building or written on a plaque. His greatest legacy is people. The students he trained. The young people he encouraged. The Almajirai he fed and educated. The people who benefited from his generosity. The neighbours who experienced his kindness. The colleagues who worked with him. The people who simply met him at some point and left the encounter feeling better than they had arrived. These people are his monuments. A building can eventually deteriorate. An office can be occupied by someone else. A title can eventually be forgotten. But when you change a person’s life, you become part of that person’s story forever. Alhaji Bukar became part of many people’s stories, and that is why I believe his memory will endure.

Perhaps what I admire most about him is that he exceeded that greatness does not have to be loud. Sometimes greatness is the elderly man who feeds hungry children in his home. Sometimes greatness is the retired administrator who continues to mentor young people. Sometimes greatness is the former rector who remains humble enough to treat an ordinary neighbour with dignity. Sometimes greatness is the man who spends his hard-earned money to send an Almajiri to school. Sometimes greatness is simply the person who lives peacefully with everyone around him and refuses to make other people’s lives more difficult. We live in a time when people often equate greatness with visibility, but Alhaji Bukar taught a different lesson. He showed us that a person can live quietly and still leave an enormous impact.

For me, his life also reinforced the importance of hard work. That thirty-minute interview continues to remind me that progress is rarely accidental. His story from primary school teaching to becoming a rector was a lesson in perseverance. It taught me that one must continue even when the journey is difficult, continue when recognition is slow and continue when the destination seems far away. I think that is one of the reasons his memory has remained so powerful for me. He did not merely tell me about hard work; he had lived it. He was evidence of the very lesson he was sharing. And whenever I find myself becoming tired or discouraged, I remember the story of his life.

Death, however, has a way of making all these memories painful. It is one thing to admire someone while they are alive; it is another thing to suddenly realise that you will never see them again. There is an emptiness that follows death which words cannot completely describe. You begin to remember ordinary things that you never thought would become precious. A greeting. A conversation. A familiar face. The sight of someone sitting in his usual place. The sound of his voice. The knowledge that he was somewhere nearby. Suddenly, all those things become memories, and memories can be both beautiful and painful at the same time. That is how I feel when I think about Alhaji Bukar. I am grateful that I knew him, but I am saddened that I cannot know him for longer.

Yet grief should not make us forget gratitude. We should be grateful that Allah allowed us to share this world with him. We should be grateful for the years he lived, the people he helped and the lessons he left behind. We should be grateful for the students whose lives he influenced, the children he educated, the Almajirai he fed and clothed and the countless people who benefited from his kindness. We should be grateful that we had the privilege of witnessing a man whose life was a practical lessons of service and compassion. His death is painful, but his life was a gift. And perhaps the most appropriate response to a gift is gratitude.

Alhaji Bukar Abubakar, you are gone, but your legacy remains. You may no longer be physically present among us, but the people whose lives you touched remain here to tell your story. The children you supported will remember you. The students you trained will remember you. Your neighbours will remember you. Your colleagues will remember you. Those who sat with you, spoke with you, worked with you or received kindness from you will remember you. Your life has become part of the memories of many people, and that is a form of immortality that death cannot take away.

Your story reminds us that a life does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. It only has to be lived with purpose, compassion and sincerity. You worked hard. You served. You educated. You gave. You encouraged. You embraced people without discrimination. You treated vulnerable children with dignity. You lived peacefully with your neighbours. You left behind children and grandchildren, but you also left behind a much larger family and the people whose lives you touched through your service and generosity. That is why your departure is not simply a family loss. It is a community loss. It is a loss to everyone who believes that kindness, education, service and compassion still matter.

My final words for you are a prayer. May Allah forgive your shortcomings and accept your good deeds. May He reward you for every child you fed, every person you clothed, every student whose education you supported, every young person you encouraged and every life you touched. May He reward you for the good deeds that nobody saw and the acts of generosity that you never publicised. May Allah make your grave spacious and filled with light. May He make your resting place peaceful and beautiful. May He receive you with mercy, pardon your sins, elevate your rank among the righteous and grant you the highest place in Jannatul Firdaus. May the Almighty surround you with His mercy and make every act of kindness you performed in this world a source of continuous reward in the Hereafter.

To your children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, colleagues, students, neighbours and everyone who mourns you, may Allah grant you patience and fortitude. May He comfort your hearts and remind you that although death has taken away the physical presence of Alhaji Bukar, it cannot take away the goodness he planted in the lives of others. May his life continue to inspire you. May his memory continue to unite you. May his example encourage you to live with kindness, humility, hard work and generosity. And may those who loved him understand that the best way to honour a good man is not merely to mourn his death, but to continue the good that he represented while he was alive.

As I think about Alhaji Bukar today, I keep returning to that thirty-minute conversation. I keep thinking about the man who sat before me and spoke about his life with such simplicity. I keep thinking about his career, his work ethic, his compassion and his willingness to help people. I keep thinking about the Almajirai who ate in his house and the young people whose education he supported. I keep thinking about the peaceful man his neighbours knew and the hardworking administrator his colleagues respected. And I realise that perhaps those thirty minutes were a gift. A brief opportunity to sit with a man whose life contained decades of lessons. I did not know then how valuable those moments would become, but I know now. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

Alhaji Bukar Abubakar, the Makinta of Fika Emirate, you lived a life worthy of emulation. You were a hardworking man, a compassionate man, an educator, an administrator, a philanthropist, a farmer, an elder statesman and a peaceful neighbour, but above all, you were a good man. You gave without discrimination. You helped without seeking applause. You educated without asking for recognition. You treated people with dignity. You lived your life in a way that made other people’s

By Abubakar Idris Misau 

Altitude: 120 m AGL; Latitude: 9.0538° N; and Longitude: 7.4913° E.  Through an aerial assessment, we see clearly Mr Engineer working in a high-tech lab [read: field] and dealing with the precision of machines and equations, and Oga Forester standing in a quiet woodland handling the unpredictable messiness of nature. The picture shows two different professionals occupying completely distinct worlds. On the ground, however, a meticulous survey presents two applied scientists, each drawing on established knowledge from the basic sciences and working to solve real-world problems. The Engineer collects data from Physicists, Chemists, and Mathematicians; the Forester receives inputs from Biologists, Agronomists, and Ecologists — all for the very same reason: improving life on land. In other words, they do not study the laws of nature merely out of curiosity [though curiosity is one reason], but as applied scientists who take foundational science and use it to create practical solutions for humanity. 

Historically, however, their professional training has led them to view the same landscape through different lenses. For example, when an engineer looks at a rural community, they see a need for roads, bridges, transmission lines, and power grids. A forester, by contrast, sees ecosystem dynamics, deforestation, desertification, and climate change. Meanwhile, if these scientists are to solve Nigeria’s pressing energy challenge, the two views must merge. The engineer must realise that the answers to our modern energy crisis might just be growing right outside their laboratory windows, and the forester must accept that “climate activism” has to go beyond anti-deforestation policies and tree planting campaigns. Tangible solutions must produce clean, affordable energy alternatives for people. This piece argues that the engineer-forester marriage can give birth to the figurative “ɗan mai ido”.

It’s unfortunate that, on the basis of the current arrangement, when modern engineers think about renewable energy, their minds instantly drift toward fields of sleek solar photovoltaic panels or towering wind turbines. These technologies are undeniably the vanguards of the global energy transition. However, as any engineer in the field will admit, solar and wind power have certain vulnerabilities. Solar panels, for example, lose efficiency as ambient temperatures increase, and wind turbines face structural strain from turbulent, unpredictable wind currents. Here, engineers can reliably work with foresters to strategically design and deploy agroforestry shelterbelts and windbreaks around large-scale solar farms and wind corridors. Foresters know exactly which deep-rooted tree species can thrive in specific zones to act as localised, natural cooling mechanisms through transpiration. By lowering the ambient temperature of the surrounding microclimate, a well-managed forest perimeter helps solar panels operate closer to their optimal temperature, boosting overall performance.

Nigerian media houses have had enough of national grid collapse news. While solar and wind energy alternatives are decentralised and, as such, cannot cause national grid collapse, anyone using these technologies knows they have their own version of intermittency. This is due to the limited storage capacity of their batteries. This means that, beyond structural protection for solar and wind, the forestry-engineering alliance has to solve the notorious puzzle of grid intermittency without relying exclusively on expensive, environmentally unfriendly chemical battery storage. Simply put, it must produce its own clean, affordable energy! 

Here, the energy security crisis in Nigeria cannot be divorced from the broader threat of climate change. In fact, they exist in a destructive feedback loop. Isn’t it true, for example, that severe droughts drastically reduce the water levels of our major hydroelectric dams (like Kainji and Shiroro), cutting off baseline electricity generation? Well, how about extreme heatwaves adding pressure to transmission grids? Documented evidence points to desertification in the north forcing human displacement and completely altering local energy demands. Most importantly, fossil fuels are not considered clean for obvious reasons. All of that. What do we do?

In my view, to break this cycle henceforth, engineers must design systems that operate in harmony with natural carbon cycles. Applied forestry science could be essential here. Since forests sequester greenhouse gases directly from the atmosphere and store them as biomass, foresters can work to improve efficiency in the production process while engineers tackle the energy-conversion part of the equation… You gerrit?!  After all, as a forester, I know that forestry is the active protection, scientific management, and wise usage of trees for the benefit of the present generation while considering future generations. It doesn’t say we shouldn’t use them.

As I see it, therefore, the future of energy security, especially in rural communities, lies in hybrid bio-solar and bio-wind microgrids. In these systems, solar or wind power serves as the primary energy source during peak daytime or windy conditions. When these sources drop, a localised, automated biomass gasification system fueled by a continuous, scientifically managed pipeline of forestry and sawmill residues kicks in seamlessly to provide baseline power. Biogas is here to serve us. It should be utilised. Since forests produce biomass, we can maintain them as a living component of solar and wind grid infrastructure. In this unified, resilient ecosystem the forester manages the inputs, and the engineer optimizes the outputs.

Following this line of thinking, therefore, working with foresters is a sure path for engineers to efficiently transition from carbon-emitting energy to carbon-neutral or carbon-negative energy systems. Consider establishing “energy plantations” on degraded lands. Foresters choose species that restore lands and ensure high biomass production, while engineers build localised conversion plants. Because the carbon released during biomass energy generation is exactly equal to the carbon the trees absorbed while growing, the entire cycle remains net-zero. For a country like Nigeria, heavily bedevilled by oil pollution in the Niger Delta and desert encroachment in the North, this approach lets us restore ecosystems while securing a sustainable fuel source that displaces petroleum dependency. This is beyond win-win.

Whenever issues like this are discussed and similar solutions proposed, people dismiss them as unrealistic, inefficient, expensive, and so forth. But those are not academic submissions. History offers examples of even more dismissive assumptions that innovations and engineering solutions later proved wrong. Perhaps the clearest example was the global perspective on coal in the 19th century. No sensible person thought oil would take the place of coal, and it happened. In his 1865 book The Coal Question, to show the supremacy of coal over all other alternative energy sources, the English Economist William Stanley Javons even praised the black substance as “the sole necessary basis of our material power”. And, “the naturally best source of power as air and water and gold and iron are, each for its own purpose, the most useful substances and such that would never be superseded.” Javons published his work when oil wasn’t even discovered in commercial quality. But alternatives always exist.

Back to the solution. The engineering-forestry partnership is very relevant to the Global Agenda 2030, famously known as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). When we fuel decentralised bioenergy grids with managed forest products, we directly support SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) by providing power to communities using local resources. And because this energy cycle displaces fossil fuels and prevents open-air waste burning, it directly contributes to the almighty SDG 13 (Climate Action). Meanwhile, as foresters oversee resource generation, this energy security is achieved without destroying ecosystems. Isn’t that aligning with SDG 15 (Life on Land)?

The marriage of engineers and foresters also breathes life into the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions “The Africa We Want”. Its goals include climate-resilient economies and sustainable natural resource management. Genuinely, I don’t think achieving Agenda 2063 is feasible if we import foreign technological solutions wholesale and ignore local geographical realities. Instead, I see the place of capitalising on our ecological endowments (forestry) with structural innovation (engineering) to pioneer a uniquely African model of green industrialisation.

Notably, I believe this collaboration is the missing key to the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan (ETP). Nigeria’s bold roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 includes an aggressive milestone: phasing out 72% of decentralised diesel generators by 2030. For decades, Nigerian industries and homes have run on an expensive, polluting “shadow grid” of petrol and diesel generators. To eliminate them, the ETP explicitly calls for a dramatic ramp-up in solar PV, hydro, and biomass integration. However, the ETP’s ambitious targets are mathematically impossible if treated as purely mechanical problems. We cannot replace millions of diesel generators with intermittent solar power alone. As argued in this piece, we need a steady, dispatchable baseline power source. Sustainable biomass, managed by professional foresters and processed by engineers, provides that exact baseline. Without the forester to secure a sustainable, non-deforesting supply of wood residue, sawdust, and other forms of biomass waste, the engineer’s transition turbines will simply run out of fuel.

There’s no doubt at all: the complex riddle of Nigeria’s energy security will not be solved by a single breakthrough in a software lab, nor will it be answered by digging deeper into old oil wells. The challenges of our time demand that we outgrow the rigid intellectual silos built into our university curricula and professional institutes. As long as engineers look only at cables and solar panels, and foresters look only at climate change impacts on biodiversity and nature conservation, we will remain trapped in a landscape of fragmented, half-baked solutions.

Go to Brazil, and so forth; the story is different. It says we are behind. It says it’s doable.

It’s therefore high time we rethink what “technology” actually means. In my view, a forest gives us fertile ground to invent and test technologies. A tree is a highly sophisticated solar-powered machine that captures carbon, cools the environment, and manufactures organic energy. When we learn to treat the forest as a vital partner in our infrastructure plans, we unlock an entirely new toolkit for national development.

As a forester, I invite engineers to a talk on and in the forest. I am confident that together, through the shared practical language of the applied sciences, we can build a highly resilient, decentralised, and truly self-sustaining Nigeria. The answers, I opine, to our nation’s energy security are growing right outside our windows, waiting for us to start talking.

It’s July. We are in the second half of 2026. Those farmers who, during the first half of the year, prepared their lands in what the agronomists call [pre-planting] “cultural practices”, are today already smiling. Others are probably green with envy. A famous proverb attributed to ancient Chinese wisdom captures my call for a proactive mindset. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” I believe this proverb perfectly mirrors my visionary argument. A long-term proposal that says we haven’t done what we should have, but still, we should.

Abubakar Idris, a graduate in Forestry and Wildlife from the University of Maiduguri, writes from Benin City, Nigeria. He can be reached at abubakaridrismisau@gmail.com.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has expressed grief over the death of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Mohammed Tukur, who died on Saturday at the age of 90.

Tukur, who previously served as governor of the old Gongola State and Minister of Industries, was described by the President as a major figure whose contributions cut across Nigeria’s political, economic and business spheres.

In a condolence statement released on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the late politician as a “towering figure” whose career covered public administration, governance, industry, politics and pan-African business leadership.

Born on September 15, 1935, Tukur served as General Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority between 1975 and 1982. According to the President, his tenure contributed to the development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

He later entered politics and became governor of the old Gongola State in 1983. The state was eventually divided into what are now Adamawa and Taraba states.

Tinubu said Tukur was known for his character, generosity and commitment to public service.

“Alhaji Tukur was urbane, generous and deeply rooted in the values of integrity and service that the Adamawa Emirate and the nation hold dear.

“He was a man of big ideas and bold enterprise who believed in Nigeria’s limitless potential. Nigeria will sorely miss his wise counsel and fatherly guidance,” the President said.

Beyond public office, Tukur was active in the private sector. He served as Chairman of BHI Holdings and the DADDO Group of Companies, which had interests in manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and trading.

He also held prominent positions in continental business organisations, including Executive President of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman of the NEPAD Business Group.

Tukur became National Chairman of the PDP in March 2012 and remained in the position until January 2014, during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Tinubu extended his condolences to the deceased’s family, the Fombina Emirate of Adamawa, the Adamawa State Government, as well as political and business communities in Nigeria and across Africa.

The President prayed for Allah’s forgiveness for Tukur’s shortcomings, asking Him to grant the deceased Aljannah Firdaus and give his family and other mourners the strength to bear the loss.

Tukur’s family had earlier confirmed his death in a statement signed by his son, Hon. Awwal D. Tukur.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Nigerians who put their money into an online platform known as PXES have been left counting their losses after the platform stopped paying returns and became inaccessible, The Punch newspaper reports.

The development has sparked anger among participants who invested amounts ranging from tens of thousands of naira to millions of naira. Some frustrated investors reportedly stormed PXES offices in Adamawa and Kogi states, where they removed office furniture and other items.

The platform reportedly stopped paying participants in early September, leaving several investors unable to withdraw their funds or establish contact with its operators.

PXES had attracted participants with claims of substantial returns. Reports indicated that some packages promised returns of between 25 per cent and 50 per cent, while certain packages reportedly offered as much as 120 per cent.

The reported returns could not be independently verified.

Investors Storm Offices In Adamawa, Kogi

In Adamawa and Kogi states, some investors reportedly visited PXES offices after attempts to withdraw their money failed.

Videos shared online showed people removing chairs, tables and other items from a PXES office in Yola. Similar scenes were reported at the company’s office in Kabba.

One video showed a man, who reportedly invested about N209,000, crying over his inability to recover his money.

The Kabba manager had reportedly sent a message to investors after the payment difficulties began, assuring them that the management would compensate them for their patience.

However, the office was allegedly shut three days after the message was sent. Investors were subsequently left without clear information about the operators or the whereabouts of their funds.

‘They Showed Me Evidence’

One of the investors, Bunmi Awodipe, said she entered the scheme after three friends showed her evidence that they were receiving returns.

Awodipe said she invested N200,000 and initially received N7,000 weekly.

“They told me they invested money in PXES and were receiving their payments. They showed me evidence, so I decided to invest N200,000 and was receiving N7,000 every week. They only paid me for three weeks.

“When I went to their office last week, I didn’t see anyone. The place was locked and there was nothing in the office. Everything was removed,” Awodipe said.

Another participant, Deji Mulero, said he was introduced to PXES by one of his customers.

“It’s one of my customers who introduced this thing to me on September 4. I registered with N65,000 and it crashed the same Friday. That was how I lost my money,” he said.

Another investor who identified himself as Wale said he had accumulated almost N600,000 on his account before the platform stopped operating.

“Been there for some months. Registered with 207k, now on first stage supervisor. Got close to 600k already on that account. My friend in Abuja introduced the scheme to me,” Wale said.

For 68-year-old Jumoke Talabi, the money was intended to support her granddaughter’s education and household expenses.

Talabi said she invested N64,800 after seeing other participants receive payments. She said the platform had previously paid her N70,000, which encouraged her to increase her investment.

She expected another payment when the next withdrawal date arrived.

“I was meant to collect N18,000 before school resumes, and I thought that I would finish collecting all my profit. But so far, I have not collected any money.

“When they said we should withdraw on Friday, I was dancing. I told my brother that the money did not enter my account, but I was told it would hit my account in the evening. I was looking forward to it. They didn’t even pay me my N64,000. One of my friends doesn’t know what to do or where to go. She has been crying,” she recalled.

Explaining why she invested despite the risks, Talabi said, “It’s poverty that made me do it. If not poverty, I would not, because the money is meant for school fees. I thought that maybe, I would see some to buy rice and eat.”

Shola Adeshina, whose wife also invested in PXES, said the platform became attractive because of claims that small investments could generate substantial returns.

He said stories about participants who allegedly used their earnings to buy cars and build houses made the scheme more appealing.

“Stories of participants using proceeds from the platform to buy cars and build houses further increased its appeal.

“The situation became alarming when a couple who invested millions of naira visited a branch after payments stopped, only to discover that the office had been abandoned,” he said.

How The Platform Operated

Accounts from participants and promotional materials indicate that PXES used a membership structure with different investment levels.

Participants paid specified amounts to join and received access to an online dashboard where they were expected to complete daily tasks described as orders.

Funmi Deinde, a former participant, said she withdrew her money before the collapse. She identified three membership levels as Star 1, Star 2 and Star 3.

“If you’re on Level Star 1, so to say, it is about N21,600. Then Star 2 is N54,800. Star 3 is N207,000.

“When you join with this money, you have an account, a dashboard that you’ll be taking orders from every day,” she said.

Deinde said the dashboard displayed household products which participants were expected to interact with.

She compared the process to online shopping platforms such as Temu and Jumia, although participants did not receive the displayed products.

“When you click ‘Order’, they will highlight some of the things that you should be clicking. Household properties will be highlighted there.

“The money that you used to register has secured you a place as a member. So, you now have access to take orders every day,” Deinde said.

She said members were initially allowed to withdraw their earnings daily before the withdrawal system was changed to weekly.

“Initially, every day, you can withdraw whatever you want to withdraw. The least withdrawal was N1,500, N5,000, N20,000, N100,000 and so on,” she added.

According to her, withdrawal dates were later assigned according to membership levels.

Another participant, Emmanuel Ajayi, said the N64,000 package generated approximately N2,160 from daily tasks, while the N21,600 package produced about N720.

Promotional materials reviewed by Saturday PUNCH listed packages starting from N21,600, with higher packages including N64,800 and N207,000.

The materials claimed that an investment of N21,600 could produce as much as N259,200 over 360 days, while N64,800 could yield up to N777,600 during the same period.

The figures represented returns several times the initial amounts.

Participants also said members could recruit new participants and develop networks within the platform.

A security guard, whose name was withheld, said he initially resisted joining after his sister introduced PXES to him.

He eventually invested N64,000 after repeated persuasion. He said he withdrew about N20,000 on two occasions before losing the remaining funds after payments stopped.

According to him, his sister had developed a larger network and lost more than N1m.

Investment Platform Or Digital Marketing Company?

Questions have also emerged over how PXES described its operations.

At an event in Kabba, representatives of the organisation reportedly rejected the description of PXES as an investment platform. Instead, they presented it as a digital marketing and advertising company.

Olubowale Ayodele, a company representative, told participants that PXES provided digital marketing opportunities for unemployed people and graduates.

“It’s a job that once you are doing it, we promote others; we promote brands from clients that have been giving to our company,” he said.

Ayodele encouraged graduates and unemployed people with smartphones to participate.

“If you know you are a graduate, if you know that you are unemployed, or if you know that you just have your smartphone, use it to do this digital marketing work because it works,” he stated.

He also claimed that one member of his team was earning N700,000 every week.

“By God’s grace, I have got somebody even out of my team that is receiving 700,000 weekly as salary,” Ayodele said.

Another official, Eniola Oluwatobi, who was identified as the company’s training director, described PXES as an advertising company.

“This is an advertising company. They partner with eBay and Amazon; those people give them, and PXES give us to advertise for them,” he said.

He explained that products were made available to participants through the PXES application.

“So, the PXES distributes those products to us to advertise for them through their app. So, by doing that, people are seeing the products,” Oluwatobi added.

The Obadofin of Oweland, Olusegun Are, who attended the Kabba event, also described PXES as an income opportunity.

“PXES is a very laudable programme that will help all of us in Nigeria to have another stream of income,” he said.

The traditional ruler also claimed that the organisation had distributed food items to more than 300 elderly people in Kabba.

Financial Experts Question Authorisation

The collapse has raised questions about whether PXES was authorised to collect investment funds from members of the public.

Financial analyst George Samuel advised Nigerians to establish the regulatory status of any organisation before committing money to an investment scheme.

He stressed that registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission does not automatically give a company permission to accept deposits or solicit investment funds.

“While a Corporate Affairs Commission number may be necessary, it does not serve as a licence to accept deposits or investment funds,” Samuel said.

“Avoid depositing or investing with any unlicensed firms. They are required to display their licence in their office, so ask or look for that SEC licence and do basic due diligence,” he added.

Samuel said organisations that accept deposits or offer investment services are subject to regulatory requirements. He urged prospective investors to verify the appropriate licence before committing their funds.

A banker, Kemi Junaid, also identified promises of exceptionally high returns and guaranteed profits as warning signs.

“Financial desperation and poor financial literacy often made people vulnerable to schemes promising quick and substantial returns.

“Prospective investors should question how an organisation intends to generate the returns it promises rather than relying on testimonials from other participants,” she said.

EFCC Urges Victims To Report Investment Scams

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it would examine reported cases of financial crimes and investment scams brought before it.

The commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, told Saturday PUNCH that complaints must be formally submitted before the EFCC can act.

“Any issue of financial crime, Ponzi scheme, investment scam that is duly reported to the EFCC, the commission will look into it. But it must be duly reported,” Oyewale said.

He recalled that the commission had issued several warnings about Ponzi schemes and other investment scams.

“As a form of reminder, the commission has issued several advisories against investment scams and Ponzi schemes. And we will continue to advise members of the public on doing due diligence before going into investment,” Oyewale said.

He said the commission would continue its preventive and enforcement efforts against financial crimes.

“But as an anti-corruption agency, we are unrelenting in our operational and preventive modalities to ensure that members of the public are shielded from all of these avoidable losses,” Oyewale said.

Oyewale did not confirm that the EFCC had opened a specific investigation into PXES.

PXES Collapse Follows Other Investment Scams

The PXES controversy is the latest in a series of investment schemes that have left Nigerians with significant financial losses.

In April 2025, the collapse of Crypto Bridge Exchange, popularly known as CBEX, caused widespread panic among investors. About 600,000 Nigerians were reportedly involved, with losses estimated at approximately N1.3tn.

CBEX had promised investors 100 per cent returns within 30 days through alleged artificial intelligence-powered trading.

The Securities and Exchange Commission later said CBEX and its affiliates had not been registered to operate as a digital asset exchange or solicit investments from Nigerians.

The commission said its preliminary investigation found that the platform created a false impression of legitimacy and offered “implausibly high guaranteed returns” over a short period.

The EFCC subsequently investigated the scheme, with the commission announcing arrests and recovery efforts.

Another platform, EMAAR, reportedly collapsed later in 2025 after attracting more than 4,000 investors through claims of returns from real estate investments. Investigations into the platform indicated that much of its recruitment and communication took place online.

EMAAR reportedly stopped allowing withdrawals on October 27, 2025, with suspected losses later estimated at nearly N3bn.

In May 2026, another platform, XM Future Music Group, reportedly collapsed after investors could no longer access their funds.

Victims reportedly stormed its office in Badagry, Lagos State, and removed office equipment including generators, chairs, fans and televisions.

The platform had reportedly offered returns to participants for listening to music and completing online tasks, with entry packages ranging from N21,600 to several million naira.

The recurring pattern has raised renewed concerns about Nigerians placing money in schemes that promise unusually high returns without first establishing how the businesses generate the promised income.

PXES Online Presence Becomes Inaccessible

Attempts to access the platform’s known website, https://www.pxesng.com/, were unsuccessful.

Some investors also said the platform’s WhatsApp channel had been blocked.

Its Facebook page, PXES NG, had not been updated since June 21, according to checks conducted by Saturday PUNCH.

The page contained posts about training sessions, meetings and activities for participants. Some posts also highlighted team-building sessions and claimed expansion across Nigeria and other African countries.

PXES also claimed on the page to have impacted more than one million members through financial stability and welfare support.

With investors now unable to access their funds and the platform’s offices reportedly shut in some locations, affected participants are left seeking answers over the fate of their investments.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Four police officers and seven civilians have been killed after suspected bandits attacked Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The Benue State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Orchia Aondongu.

According to the command, the attackers, said to be operating in large numbers, stormed the community at about 6:12pm on Thursday.

Police personnel from the Police Mobile Force (PMF), tactical units and conventional police formations were deployed to confront the attackers.

Aondongu said the security personnel engaged the bandits in a gun battle that lasted about seven hours before forcing them to withdraw into the surrounding forest.

“The operatives stood firm in defence of the community and successfully repelled the attack, forcing the criminal elements to retreat into the surrounding forest with heavy casualties in the early hours of 11th September 2026,” the statement reads.

The command, however, confirmed the loss of four officers during the confrontation.

“Regrettably, four police officers paid the supreme price in the course of defending the community. Their bodies were subsequently recovered during search and rescue operations in the surrounding bushes.

“The corpses of seven civilians were also recovered following the attack and deposited at a mortuary for necessary procedures.”

The police said more tactical personnel had been deployed to the area to reinforce the existing security arrangements.

Alia Condemns Attack, Calls It Threat To Benue’s Stability

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has condemned the attack, describing it as a despicable act against the people of Ayilamo.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor described the attack on the “peace-loving people of Ayilamo” as a “grave threat to the security and stability of Benue state.”

Alia said the incident highlighted the continuing security challenges faced by vulnerable communities and security personnel in the area.

“The reported killing of four law enforcement officers is particularly painful and underscores the enormous sacrifices being made by security personnel in the line of duty,” the governor said.

“I extend heartfelt condolences to the people of Ayilamo, the families of all the victims, and the entire Logo Local Government community.

‘We mourn with you and assure you that you are not alone in this difficult period”.

The governor also expressed his condolences to the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, over the deaths of the four officers.

Alia also praised the Department of State Services (DSS), especially its personnel in Benue and Nasarawa states, for what he described as a “prompt and professional operation” that resulted in the arrest of three suspects allegedly linked to the attack.

He said the arrests could help security agencies establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.

“We urge the DSS to intensify its investigation and make the best use of the information obtained from the suspects in its custody,” Alia said.

“Every available lead should be diligently followed to identify and arrest the remaining accomplices, sponsors, collaborators, and other persons connected with the attack. All those found culpable must face the full weight of the law.”

The governor assured residents that his administration would continue to work with security agencies to improve protection in Ayilamo, Logo and other communities considered vulnerable across Benue State.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Coordination Office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja, has concluded a four-day capacity-building programme for stakeholders on conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence.

The training, which ended on Friday, brought together representatives of security agencies, government ministries, farmers and pastoralists, traditional and religious institutions, women and other stakeholders involved in the livestock sector.

The Daily Reality reports that the programme was organised to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and existing conflict committees at state and local government levels to identify early warning signs, prevent conflicts and respond appropriately to emerging disputes.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of L-PRES in Kano, Sule Saleh, who represented the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Salisu Muhammad Inuwa, said the programme had significantly improved participants’ understanding of conflict prevention and resolution.

Saleh said the participants came from different backgrounds and initially had varying levels of knowledge about conflict mitigation, but had gained practical skills during the four-day engagement.

“To be candid with you, as of today, I believe we are more than learners. We have learned a lot about how to mediate conflict and how to identify what triggers that conflict,” he said.

He explained that the training covered issues including resource control, access to grazing areas and water resources, livestock movement, community-level peacebuilding and the management of conflicts that could arise from development interventions.

According to him, L-PRES had established conflict committees at different levels to ensure that emerging disputes were addressed before they escalated from the community level to local government and state levels.

Saleh cited the construction of solar-powered boreholes and animal drinking points in 36 Ruga communities across Kano State as an example of how conflict-sensitive planning could prevent potential disputes.

He said the project had designed separate water access points for surrounding communities to prevent disagreements between farmers and pastoralists over the use of the facilities.

“The intervention may lead to conflicting interests between farmers and herders. So, to solve that issue, right from design, L-PRES designed a separate tap where the communities can access that particular water,” he explained.

Saleh said the approach was intended to reduce tension and promote peaceful coexistence between livestock farmers and members of the wider communities.

Also speaking, the National Conflict Specialist of L-PRES, Nazifi Ibrahim Wada, said the project was supporting existing conflict committees in Kano State because of their important role in preventing farmer-herder conflicts.

Wada explained that the committees had been working to prevent conflicts and needed continuous capacity building, training and relevant materials to strengthen their day-to-day activities.

He said the training focused on early warning and early response, mediation, dialogue and gender inclusion, among other areas.

“We are building the capacity of the conflict committee members in Kano State, that is, both the state and local conflict committees,” Wada said.

According to him, participants were trained on how to detect potential conflicts before they occurred and how to respond promptly when tensions began to emerge.

Wada expressed confidence in the participants, saying their commitment and interaction with facilitators during the programme demonstrated that they were prepared to apply the knowledge gained.

He said the participants represented a broad range of institutions, including the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ministry of Livestock, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, forestry and land resources.

He added that representatives of farmers, pastoralists, traditional rulers and religious leaders also participated in the programme.

In his remarks, Paul Andrew Gwaza of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja, described the four-day engagement as more than a conventional training, saying it provided an opportunity for critical stakeholders to jointly examine the causes of conflict and possible solutions.

Gwaza said the programme included participatory stakeholder mapping, focus group discussions, multi-stakeholder dialogue and sessions on conflict analysis and peace analysis.

He added that participants were also trained on the Do No Harm framework, gender and social inclusion, mediation, negotiation, traditional peacebuilding methods, grievance redress and referral pathways.

Other areas covered, according to him, included conflict-sensitive investment planning and the legal and policy framework relating to peacebuilding and livestock development in Kano State.

“This four-day engagement is not just training. It is engagement with critical stakeholders in Kano State,” Gwaza said.

He said the institute conducted a pre-engagement assessment to determine the participants’ level of knowledge before the programme and would also conduct a post-engagement evaluation to measure the impact of the training.

Gwaza, however, said the participants had already demonstrated noticeable improvements in their skills, competence and enthusiasm throughout the programme.

He urged the participants to become active peace agents by taking peace messages to their communities, markets, town hall meetings and other public spaces.

“The call that we have been echoing to them is that they are now peace agents. When you are a peace agent, you are expected to propagate peace messages,” he said.

Gwaza stressed the need for inclusion in development processes, warning that ignoring the grievances of individuals or groups could create conditions for wider conflict.

He urged stakeholders to promote social cohesion, unity and peaceful coexistence rather than messages capable of deepening divisions within society.

Also speaking, Hadiza Aminu Kabara, Gender Officer at the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Persons with Special Needs, described the programme as informative and impactful.

Kabara said the training focused on conflict prevention and resolution, referral pathways and appropriate actions to be taken when conflicts were identified.

She said participants were sensitised on the importance of identifying and reporting conflicts at their early stages to relevant authorities and institutions before they escalated.

According to her, the programme was particularly important because of the persistent farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria, which affect both farmers and pastoralists.

Kabara commended L-PRES for providing designated routes for pastoralists to move their livestock without passing through farmlands, saying such initiatives could help reduce clashes and promote peaceful coexistence.

She said the training had increased participants’ knowledge and awareness of conflict prevention, adding that the knowledge acquired would be useful in their respective communities and institutions.

The Daily Reality gathered that the conclusion of the programme is expected to strengthen the capacity of Kano State’s conflict committees and other stakeholders to identify early warning signs, facilitate dialogue, mediate disputes and address grievances before they escalate, thereby contributing to peaceful coexistence and improved livestock productivity across the state.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Acting Commander of the 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Colonel Joseph Umaru, has ordered commanders and troops under the brigade’s area of responsibility in Kebbi State to step up intelligence-led operations against bandits and other criminal groups.

Umaru issued the directive during a familiarisation tour of military units across the state between September 8 and 9, 2026.

The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a post on its official X account on Thursday.

The commander called on the troops to improve intelligence gathering and information sharing while strengthening collaboration with sister security agencies, local authorities and other stakeholders.

He said such cooperation would help restrict the activities of criminals and prevent them from operating freely within the state.

Umaru also directed commanders to maintain coordinated and proactive operations. He reminded the troops to remain professional, comply strictly with the rules of engagement and protect civilians during their operations.

The Acting Brigade Commander further highlighted the need to prioritise the welfare, motivation, training and professional development of personnel.

He urged commanders to embrace the Chief of Army Staff’s “Soldiers First” mantra.

Umaru said properly led, motivated and equipped troops would be in a stronger position to maintain operational pressure and successfully carry out their assigned responsibilities.

As part of the tour, he reviewed the operational readiness of formations under the brigade and examined the challenges affecting their operations.

The units visited included the 223 Light Tank Battalion in Zuru, the COAS Intervention Battalion III in Sakaba and 1 Battalion in Birnin Kebbi.