Nigeria

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a three-day national mourning for Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 jet on Monday.

The president also directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect for the deceased officers.

According to a State House statement, the aircraft crashed near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State. It was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members and was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

Tinubu, who expressed profound sadness over the crash, sent a condolence message to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and to all officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.

“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the president said.

He said the Chief of Air Staff had briefed him on the incident and that he had directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.

Tinubu also commended the Nigerian Air Force for activating an immediate search and rescue operation following the accident.

The Air Force will release the names of the deceased personnel after contacting their families, the statement added.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Lagos for Abuja this evening, ending a six-day visit to Nigeria’s former seat of government.

Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Tuesday, September 29, after spending his annual vacation in London and Paris.

While in Lagos, the President addressed the nation on October 1 to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day anniversary. Later that day, he attended the National Premiere of MKO, a documentary on the life, political struggle and enduring legacy of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and the historic June 12 pro-democracy struggle. The event was held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts.

On Sunday, President Tinubu visited the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu, at his Iga Iduganran Palace on Lagos Island.

The President’s return to Abuja was announced in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy).

By Maji Bappa Maina


Infrastructure becomes particularly significant when it reaches the places where limited connectivity has constrained economic and social activity.

This is the context in which Yobe’s expanding network of rural access roads deserves closer examination.

Across the state, new road connections are emerging between communities that have historically depended on difficult routes to reach larger settlements, markets, farms and essential services.

These are not primarily urban roads designed to reshape city traffic.

They are rural access roads, and their significance lies in the connections they create beyond the major centres.

Under the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni, a number of such roads have been constructed, while others are at different stages of development.

The emerging network includes the new road from Potiskum to Ngojin; Potiskum to Degubi; Fadawa to Daya; Fika to Maluri; Damagum to Gubana; Dawasa to Kukuri; Danchua to Jajere; Ngelzarma to Mashio; Bingel to Danchua; Damaturu to Gambir; Bukarti to Toshia; Karasuwa to Galu; Balangua to Kumagannam; Chumbosko to Tagali; the road to Dagona; Nguru to Balangua; Gashua to Masaba; and Gujba to Ngalda, which is ongoing.

Taken together, these routes suggest something larger than a collection of isolated construction projects.

They point towards an attempt to improve the geography of access across Yobe by bringing rural communities into stronger physical connection with the wider economy.

Why Rural Access Matters

For many rural communities, the road is the first link in a much longer development chain.

A farmer may produce enough food but struggle to reach a profitable market. A trader may have demand for goods but face high transportation costs. A student may live relatively close to an educational institution yet experience difficulty reaching it.

A patient may need medical attention but encounter delays because the journey itself is difficult.

In each case, the problem is not necessarily the absence of opportunity. Sometimes, it is the difficulty of reaching it.

This raises an important question: what happens to a rural economy when physical access begins to improve?

The answer cannot be assumed. It has to be observed through changes in transportation, agricultural marketing, movement of people, access to services and local economic activity.

Roads and the Rural Economy

Yobe’s rural economy makes connectivity particularly important.

Agricultural production does not end at the farm gate. Produce must move from farms to collection points, markets and larger commercial centres.

The condition of the connecting road can influence the cost, speed and reliability of that movement.

The new routes linking communities such as Potiskum and Ngojin, Ngelzarma and Mashio, Nguru and Balangua, Gashua and Masaba, and Fadawa and Daya therefore deserve to be viewed through an economic lens.

Their potential significance extends beyond transportation.

Better connectivity can create stronger relationships between producers, traders and consumers.

A rural road can consequently become part of an economic system rather than simply a physical structure.

Extending Development Beyond Urban Centres

There is also a geographical dimension to the intervention.

Public investment naturally receives greater visibility in major towns, where large populations and public institutions are concentrated.

Rural infrastructure presents a different challenge: its beneficiaries are more dispersed, and its impact may be less immediately visible.

Yet development becomes broader when infrastructure reaches beyond administrative and commercial centres.

The road from Damagum to Gubana, for example, or the connections involving Danchua, Jajere, Bingel, Bukarti, Toshia, Karasuwa, Galu, Balangua and Kumagannam, are important precisely because they extend connectivity into communities outside the major urban corridors.

The significance of such projects should therefore be considered in terms of inclusion, mobility and opportunity.

The Question of Development Impact

However, constructing rural roads should not be the final measure of success.

The more important assessment begins after the road becomes usable.

Are journey times falling? Are transport costs becoming more manageable? Are farmers reaching markets more easily? Are communities gaining better access to schools and health facilities? Is commercial activity increasing along these routes?

These are the questions that can turn infrastructure statistics into evidence of development.

For that reason, the long-term evaluation of Yobe’s rural road programme should move beyond the number of projects completed.

It should examine what these roads are changing in the lives and economic activities of the communities they connect.

From Connectivity to Opportunity

The broader significance of rural access infrastructure is that it can reduce the physical barriers separating communities from opportunity.

A road connecting Gujba to Ngalda, for instance, has a different development significance from a conventional urban road.

Its importance is rooted in the communities and economic spaces it brings closer together.

The fact that the route is still ongoing also highlights the need to view infrastructure as a process whose ultimate value becomes clearer after completion and sustained use.

The same principle applies across the wider network.

When rural communities become better connected, movement becomes easier; when movement becomes easier, economic interaction can expand; and when economic interaction expands, new possibilities may emerge.

This is why rural roads deserve to be considered within the broader conversation about development in Yobe.

Beyond the Road Itself

The emerging rural access network under Governor Mai Mala Buni presents an interesting case for examining how infrastructure can influence development outside the major urban centres.

Its importance will ultimately depend on more than construction.

Maintenance, road quality, accessibility throughout the seasons and the economic activities generated around the routes will determine whether the initial investment produces lasting value.

The real measure of these roads will therefore be found in the communities they connect.

If a farmer reaches a market with less difficulty, a trader moves goods at lower cost, a student travels more easily, or a patient reaches a health facility sooner, the road has acquired a meaning beyond concrete, earthwork and engineering.

It has become a pathway to participation.

And perhaps that is the more important story emerging from Yobe’s rural roads, development is gradually extending into the spaces between the major towns, one connection at a time.


Maji Bappa Maina is a Voice of Development, Leadership and public Insight agent and he writes from Yobe State Nigeria

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that an ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, October 5, 2026, while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

The NAF, in a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said it had commenced immediate search and rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

“The Nigerian Air Force has commenced an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in Igbokoda Area of Ondo State on 5th October 2026,” the statement said.

The Air Force clarified that the aircraft involved was an ATR-42, not a helicopter as initially reported. It did not disclose the number of people on board or whether there were casualties.

The confirmation followed an earlier SaharaReporters report that residents feared several people dead after an aircraft believed to be a helicopter crashed in the coastal community. A resident said the incident caused panic in Igbokoda.

Ondo State Police Command spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh had said he was unaware of the incident but would make inquiries.

Igbokoda is a riverine community and commercial hub in Ilaje, one of Ondo State’s oil-producing areas, and is also used for aviation operations connected to the oil and gas industry. Further details are expected as search and rescue efforts continue.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has asked political appointees who are dissatisfied with his administration to resign from their positions.

Lawal made the remark on Saturday during an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Gusau.

The governor was responding to complaints from some party stakeholders, including political appointees, youths and women, who expressed concerns about alleged neglect and inadequate welfare.

“There are some political office holders who complain that they have not gotten anything. That is not true. Even among the commissioners, anyone who feels he is not getting anything should resign,” Lawal said.

The governor also called on members of the APC in Zamfara to put an end to factional politics and unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“From today, please, let us stop the politics of so-and-so’s houses. Let us come together as one party with the same vision. The talk of Dauda’s house, Matawalle’s house or Shehi’s house should stop,” he said.

Lawal further disclosed that he would meet with former governors of the state as part of efforts to harmonise and compile the names of members for the APC campaign council ahead of the 2027 elections.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has formally appointed 56-year-old Suleiman Kum as the new Head of its Nigeria National Office.

Kum, who previously served as Deputy Registrar in the Head of National Office’s department, was Senior Deputy Registrar in charge of Test Administration before the end of August.

He succeeds Dr Amos Dangut, whose three-year tenure as Head of the Nigeria National Office ended on October 1, 2026. Dangut has since taken up the position of Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of WAEC.

The appointment was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by Moyosola Adesina, Head of Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria.

Adesina described Kum as “a seasoned test developer, administrator and executive”. He joined WAEC on July 17, 1998, as Assistant Registrar II.

Throughout his career, Kum has held several positions across the council, with responsibilities covering examination security, test administration, branch management and technological innovation.

WAEC said Kum pioneered “Variable Data Printing and enhanced code-security features in security printing, replacing council-wide attendance systems with facial-recognition biometric devices and leading the seamless delivery of Achievement Tests using the Computer-Based Examination mode.”

The council said his experience includes test development, examination administration, examination security and the management of branch and zonal offices.

“Throughout his career, he has driven administrative and technological innovations, including establishing the Gusau office as a Custodial Centre,” it stated.

Kum, who is from Plateau State, obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). He is also pursuing a Master of Education in Educational Administration and Planning at the institution.

His previous assignments include Assistant Registrar II/Head, Exams Security, Awka; Assistant Registrar I/Head, Exams Security, Yola; Assistant Registrar I/Head, Exams Security, Makurdi; Senior Assistant Registrar I/Branch Controller, Gusau; and Principal Assistant Registrar/Branch Controller, Kano.

He also served as Deputy Registrar/Head of the Security Printing Department; Deputy Registrar/Zonal Coordinator, Port Harcourt; Deputy Registrar/Zonal Coordinator, Ikeja; Director of Administration; and Senior Deputy Registrar/Test Administration.

The council said Kum’s work over the years had earned him several commendations and awards.

“Throughout his eventful career, Mr Kum has shown integrity, diligence, innovation and a strong commitment to service. His leadership across various portfolios has earned him numerous institutional commendations, accolades and awards within the Council and beyond,” it added.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested a man identified as Zayyanu Halilu for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl inside a vehicle at Airport Bridge Taxi Park in Abuja.

The girl was reportedly found to be about three months pregnant after the alleged abuse, while the suspect remains in police custody.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.

According to the police, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit were on routine patrol around the taxi park on October 2 when they noticed a navy blue Volkswagen with registration number KMC567LQ parked with its windows wound up.

The officers reportedly noticed that the vehicle was shaking and approached it to investigate. They then opened the vehicle and allegedly found Halilu sexually abusing the minor.

“However, the vehicle was shaking. The officers, suspecting foul play, approached the vehicle and opened it, only to see one Zayyanu Halilu raping a twelve (12) year old minor,” the statement said.

The suspect was immediately arrested, while the girl was rescued by the officers.

The police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had allegedly taken advantage of the victim on several previous occasions at the same location.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had, on several occasions, lured and sexually abused the underaged victim in the said vehicle parked at the same location, with threats to ‘deal with her’ if she reveals the abuse to anyone.”

A medical examination subsequently revealed that the victim was approximately three months pregnant.

“The victim is currently receiving medical care and assessment, while the suspect remains in Police custody and will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” the police said.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, urged parents and guardians to closely monitor the whereabouts and welfare of children under their care.

The command also advised residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities or persons to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency lines.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Government has begun technical and vocational skills training for 777 young Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory as part of a broader initiative targeting about 80,000 youths nationwide.

The programme is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Education through the Innovation, Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills Project, with support from the World Bank.

Speaking at the flag-off of the third cohort in Abuja on Friday, the First Deputy President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the ACCI Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology Centre, Prof Adesoji Adesugba, said the initiative was designed to address the gap between Nigeria’s growing youth population and the skills required by employers.

Adesugba said, “Nigeria’s challenge is not a shortage of young people. It is a shortage of young people equipped with skills the market is willing to pay for. Our economy does not need more certificates. It needs more competencies.”

He said the programme was focused on practical learning to ensure participants could demonstrate their abilities beyond obtaining certificates.

“That is why this programme is deliberately practical. By the end of it, each trainee will hold not just a certificate, but a portfolio of real work,” he said.

Adesugba urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity, noting that the programme covers their training fees, equipment, facilities and instruction.

The Deputy Director-General of ACCI and Head of the BEST Centre, Dr Tinuke Temitope, said the 777 trainees in Abuja formed part of the approximately 80,000 youths undergoing training across the country under the IDEAS Project.

She said the FCT beneficiaries were selected from seven accredited Training Service Providers and were undergoing training in areas such as digital and creative media, beauty and cosmetology, construction and building trades, agriculture and agribusiness.

Temitope disclosed that the BEST Centre was training 200 beneficiaries in digital media production after receiving more than 800 applications for the available slots.

She said the applicants were assessed based on their previous experience, qualifications and capacity, after which those who met the initial requirements participated in oral interviews.

According to her, the competency-based model was intended to equip participants with practical skills that could translate into employment and self-employment.

“All these 80,000 trainees, the model is that they can do something with their hands. They are not just carrying certificates up and down. They can actually use their hands to do these things,” she said.

Temitope added that ACCI would continue to support beneficiaries after the training through its platforms, including opportunities to join the chamber and develop their businesses.

The seven accredited Training Service Providers participating in the FCT cohort are the ACCI Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology Centre, Onidiri Home of Beauty, Gemological Institute of Nigeria, iLearn Learning Spaces, Germnig Consultants Limited, Dari Investments Limited, and Binley and Bramble in partnership with School Hunters.

The organisers said the initiative was designed to increase access to quality technical and vocational education and training across the country.

Under the current cohort, beneficiaries are receiving competency-based training aligned with National Skills Qualification standards. They are also expected to undergo industry internships and receive support towards employment after completing their training.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned Nigerians against a fraudulent website falsely claiming that nationwide online voter registration is currently ongoing.

INEC identified the website as pvc-inecnigeria-org.blogspot.com, which reportedly advertises a supposed registration window from September 28 to October 27, 2026.

In an advisory issued on Saturday, the commission urged Nigerians not to visit the platform, click its links or submit personal information through it.

“Members of the public are strongly advised not to click on the link or submit any personal information on the website, as doing so may expose them to the risk of having their sensitive personal data harvested or misused,” the advisory read.

INEC clarified that the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise had ended, and that claims of a new online registration exercise through the fraudulent website were false. The commission’s official voter registration portal also currently states that the CVR exercise has ended.

“The commission further wishes to clarify that the voter registration exercise closed on July 26, 2026. Any information suggesting that a new nationwide online voter registration exercise is currently ongoing through the above-mentioned website is false,” it stated.

The fake platform reportedly advertises what it describes as the “Final Phase of Nationwide Online Voter Card Registration” and offers services including updating voter details, transferring polling units and replacing lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards.

It also falsely claims that voter registration and PVC delivery are free.

INEC urged Nigerians to verify electoral information through its official communication channels and avoid submitting personal details to unauthorised websites.

The commission’s official website provides access to voter services and other election-related information.

By Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu

It is common knowledge that the world is experiencing numerous challenges. The Global Peace Index Report of 2025 says that the world has become less peaceful for the 13th time in the last 17 years: more conflicts, more militarisation, and fewer resources for peacebuilding. 

Similarly, the 2025 report by the Institute for Economic and Peace says global peace is at its lowest level and that there are now over 122 million people who have been forcibly displaced due to conflicts globally.

In Nigeria, insecurity and economic hardship dominate public discourse. Figures from the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that 614,937 Nigerians were killed and 2,235,954 others were kidnapped nationwide within a single year in 2024.

Analysts confirmed that the number of people killed in Nigeria in 2024 was higher than the death toll in Israel’s war on Gaza, where over 40,000 had died. The figure is far more than the killings from the long-running Russian war on Ukraine, where 57,500 had been massacred as of December 2024

According to the World Food Programme’s August 2026 Country Briefing, an estimated 36.2 million people in Nigeria are acutely food insecure, with 2.1 million facing emergency levels of food insecurity. The 2022 NBS reports claimed that 133 million people living in Nigeria are multidimensionally poor. 

This situation calls for a national prayer to seek divine intervention to complement the efforts of Governments at the state and Federal levels, which have been launching noble initiatives, projects, and programmes to end lingering insecurity and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

The Glorious Qur’an made it abundantly clear that many afflictions and tribulations are caused by the wrongdoings committed by men, as a test that, peradventure, men may turn to God, who promised them succour afterwards. “Chaos appears in the land and the sea because of the evil deeds which people’s hands have earned, in order to make them taste the flavour of some of their misdeeds – in order that they may come back” (Qur’an 30:41).

Muslims believe that prayer has the spiritual power to overcome compounding and complex situations. “Your Lord has said, ‘Pray to Me, for I shall answer your prayers'” (Qur’an 40:60). For instance, with a “single prayer”, Prophet Moses (A.S.) got comfort, food, accommodation, a job and thereafter a family (Qur’an 28:24 – 27). 

Allah has always assured the believers that “when My servants ask you about Me, then surely I am near: I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he prays to Me. So, let them respond to My call, and believe and trust in Me, so that they may be guided.” (Qur’an 2:186). 

To strengthen believers in the efficacy of prayer, the glorious Qur’an is replete with stories of Prophets like Zakariya, Ayyub, Yunus (A.S.), among others, who prayed for certain issues and had their prayers answered (Q21:83-90).

As a demonstration of patriotism embodied in spirituality and faithfulness, the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of the President General and the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, organised a national prayer for peace, unity and prosperity of our dear country, Nigeria.

The prayer session, preceded by the recitation of the entire Glorious Qur’an, was attended by Chief Imams of the Central Mosques from 36 states of the Federation, representatives of Islamic Organisations in Nigeria, and Muslim leaders from various spheres of life.

The event saw patriotic believers eschewing differences, stripping off their ranks and status, converging on one of the sacred places in the land in awe of God with reverence, praying to God, the Creator of all creation, to grant “our one request: help us to build a nation where no man is oppressed, and so with peace and plenty”

One of the Qur’an’s most powerful lessons is that faith is not passive. Islam does not teach believers to sit and wait without effort. Rather, it teaches Muslims to pray sincerely and act decisively. The central message is that as one raises hands in prayer, one is equally expected to roll up their sleeves and act.

Consider the example of Maryam (Mary) in Qur’an 19:25. In her moment of pain and distress, Allah tells her to shake the trunk of a palm tree. A weak woman, exhausted, shaking a strong tree—this action alone could not bring down dates. Yet Allah wanted to teach believers: make the effort, even when it seems small, and He will bring the result.

Likewise, when Musa (Moses) stood before the sea with danger behind him, Allah commanded him in Qur’an 26:63 to strike the sea with his staff. The sea did not part until Musa acted. Again, the lesson is clear: divine help comes alongside human effort.

Allah reminds us in Qur’an 13:11: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” 

This is a call to responsibility. If we seek relief from hardship, we must turn to Allah with du‘a, while also striving to improve our condition.

The story of Nuh (Noah) reinforces the principle of pairing prayer with concrete and decisive action. In Qur’an 11:37, Prophet Nuh (A.S.) was commanded to build an ark long before any visible sign of the flood.

Despite ridicule from his people, he continued his work. His survival, and that of the believers with him, came not merely from prayer, but from obedient and sustained effort.

The Qur’an reassures believers in Qur’an 94:5-6 that “with hardship comes ease.” However, that ease is often reached through a combination of spiritual devotion, patience, and purposeful action.

Equally compelling was the account of Ayyub (Job), a symbol of patience in suffering. After enduring prolonged illness, he turned to Allah in supplication. Yet his healing was linked to action: in Qur’an 38:42, he was told to strike the ground with his foot, whereupon a spring emerged. The narrative highlights that even divine healing may come through human participation.

Beyond individual stories, the Qur’an lays down general principles. In Qur’an 13:11, it states: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” This verse underscores personal and collective responsibility—change requires initiative.

Other prophetic examples expand this theme. Yusuf (Joseph) advised on long-term economic planning during a coming famine (Qur’an 12:47), while Dhul-Qarnayn organised the construction of a protective barrier with collective effort (Qur’an 18:95). Even military discipline is emphasised in the story of Talut (Saul), where restraint and obedience determine success (Qur’an 2:249). The command is to combine reliance with preparedness. Qur’an 8:60 teaches that even with trust in Allah, believers must prepare and act.

Yes, Muslims throughout the country responded positively to the call of His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and offered the National prayer for our country. What is expected is that they would equally rally behind him to implement a carefully crafted action plan, guided by his sagacity and leadership acumen, in line with divine guidance and in conformity with extant laws of the land, for a peaceful and prosperous future that posterity would be proud of.

“Keep working: Allah will behold your works and so will His Messenger and the believers;” (Q9:105).

Dr Gwandu is the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.