Nigeria

By Uzair Adam

Prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Gumi, has defended the participation of religious scholars in partisan politics, arguing that clerics who actively engage in governance are making a more meaningful contribution than those who only pray for political leaders from the sidelines.

The debate over whether Islamic scholars should participate in politics has intensified in recent months, particularly following the decision of some respected clerics to seek elective offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Among the prominent scholars who have entered the political arena are former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Sheikh Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who recently emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Sokoto-based Islamic scholar Sheikh Bashir Ahmad Sani, who declared his intention in February to contest the Sokoto governorship election in 2027.

Several other clerics have also served or are currently serving in different political positions across the country.

While critics argue that politics is too divisive and morally challenging for religious leaders, supporters believe scholars should not distance themselves from governance when the nation is faced with leadership challenges.

Opponents of clerics entering partisan politics maintain that the political environment exposes religious leaders to insults, attacks and defamation, which could undermine the respect and moral authority they enjoy within society.

They argue that scholars are better positioned to offer spiritual guidance, counsel leaders and hold those in authority accountable without becoming politicians themselves.

However, supporters insist that lasting reforms require capable and principled individuals to participate directly in governance.

They argue that scholars with integrity, knowledge and leadership qualities should not be discouraged from seeking public office if they believe they can serve effectively.

Reacting to the ongoing debate, Gumi said there was nothing wrong with religious scholars participating actively in politics.

In a post shared on his Facebook page on Monday, the cleric stated that scholars who endure the challenges of politics contribute more than those who remain outside the political process.

“A religious scholar who gets involved in politics and bears its rigours is better than one who sits on a prayer mat, offering prayers for politicians,” Gumi wrote.

By Myolisi Gophe

When meningitis robbed him of his hearing at the age of eight, many believed Ibrahim Tukur’s future had been written off. His teachers could no longer reach him. Friends drifted away. Some mocked him. Even his father, convinced there was no future for a deaf child, withdrew him from school.

Today, that same boy is pursuing a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Disability Studies at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Department of Rehabilitation and Health Sciences as the first Deaf Mandela Rhodes Scholar – one of Africa’s most prestigious leadership scholarships – and is using his experiences to advocate for a more inclusive society.

For Tukur, who hails from Nigeria, his journey is not simply one of overcoming adversity – it is proof that when barriers are removed and opportunities are created, people with disabilities can thrive.

“Receiving the scholarship was one of the happiest moments of my life,” he said. “It reminded me that our disabilities do not determine our success.”

Growing up in Ingawa, a small town in Nigeria’s Katsina State, life changed overnight when meningitis left him Deaf.

Unable to follow lessons in mainstream classrooms, he experienced a sharp decline in academic performance.

“My life drastically changed,” he recalled. “I could no longer understand what my teachers were teaching.”

The social isolation that followed was equally devastating.

“I lost most of my friends, who avoided me because of my deafness, as if it were a curse.”

Believing there was little hope for his son’s future, his father removed him from school.

But fate intervened.

A relative encouraged his father to enrol him at the Government School for the Deaf in Malumfashi, a residential school where sign language was the primary means of communication.

The impact was immediate.

“For the first time since losing my hearing, I learned in an environment where everyone communicated through sign language. Gradually, I regained my confidence, rediscovered my love for learning, and began to believe in myself again.”

That experience sparked a lifelong commitment to ensuring other Deaf children would not face the same barriers.

He went on to earn a degree in Special Education from Bayero University in Kano before enrolling at UCT to deepen his understanding of disability inclusion and advocacy.

Today, he serves as the head teacher at Dambo Tukur School for the Deaf and he also co-founded the Thrive Disability Initiative, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to empowering persons with disabilities through education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Finding inclusion at UCT

Although he had spent years advocating for disability rights, arriving at UCT introduced him to a level of inclusion he had never previously experienced.

“I have never experienced what real inclusion was like until I came to UCT,” he said.

When he struggled to find accommodation upon arrival, staff at UCT’s Disability Service stepped in immediately, helping secure accessible accommodation at Obz Square in Observatory and installing assistive technologies in his room.

Initially, he worried he might be inconveniencing others.

“I realised that inclusion is not about doing someone a favour. It is about removing barriers so everyone can participate equally.”

Another turning point came when his South African Sign Language interpreter connected him with members of the Western Cape Deaf community.

“Through them, I found friendship, belonging and a sense of home.”

Those experiences reinforced his belief that leadership begins by creating spaces where everyone feels seen, valued and included.

The importance of leadership

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship recognises more than academic excellence. It seeks young leaders committed to reconciliation, entrepreneurship and social impact.

For him, leadership has always been measured by how many lives are impacted, rather than what titles people have.

Among his proudest achievements is advocating for the establishment of Dambo Tukur School for the Deaf back home, which now provides quality education to more than 50 Deaf children who previously had little or no access to schooling.

He has also organised mentorship programmes for Deaf learners, trained government workers in sign language to improve communication with Deaf citizens and coordinated vocational skills programmes that have enabled many unemployed Deaf adults to become financially independent.

One of his biggest challenges came while campaigning for the school.

Government officials initially resisted the proposal because of misconceptions about Deaf people.

Rather than allowing disagreement to create division, he chose dialogue.

“By continuing to engage respectfully and demonstrating the importance of inclusive education, we eventually secured approval and established the school.”

He believes those experiences embody the leadership values championed by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.

Overcoming invisible barriers

His own university experience also revealed the everyday obstacles Deaf students continue to face.

As an undergraduate, before his journey with UCT, he completed his degree without the support of a sign language interpreter.

Instead, he relied on lecture notes, handouts, and hours of independent study to compensate for the information he could not access in class.

“There were moments when I questioned whether I truly belonged at university and whether I could succeed in a system that was not designed with Deaf students in mind.”

Despite those challenges, he graduated with an Upper Second Class pass (an average score between 60% and 69% across his university courses).

The experience shaped his conviction that disability itself is not the greatest obstacle.

“Inaccessible environments create the greatest barriers to success.”

As someone who has lived the realities of exclusion, he believes universities have an important role to play in changing society.

He would like to see disability studies integrated across disciplines so that graduates in every field understand disability rights, accessibility, and inclusive communication.

He also advocates for stronger support services, including timely access to sign language interpreters, assistive technologies and accessible learning materials.

Financial support for students with disabilities, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, is equally important.

Long-term vision

His long-term vision is ambitious: over the next decade, he hopes to empower at least 500 people with disabilities through education, leadership development and entrepreneurship.

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship, he said, provides more than financial support.

“It gives me the knowledge, networks and leadership experience to achieve these goals.”

Looking back on his journey, he hopes his story inspires other Deaf learners to believe in themselves.

“Do not allow society’s expectations to define your future,” he said.

“There will be obstacles, and there may be moments when people underestimate your abilities, but your deafness does not determine your intelligence, your talent or your potential.”

His message is simple but powerful.

“If a boy who was once withdrawn from school because people believed he had no future could become a Mandela Rhodes Scholar and study at one of Africa’s leading universities, then you should never doubt what is possible for your own life.

“Dream boldly, persevere through challenges, and remember that you deserve to learn, to lead and thrive just like everyone else.”

Editor’s Note: The article was first published on the Cape Town University news website here: How a Deaf student experienced real inclusion at UCT.

By Uzair Adam

Members of the Fagge Local Government Area in Kano State have welcomed the appointment of Dr. Salisu Salisu as Provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce and Technology (FCAPT), describing the development as a well-deserved recognition of his academic excellence, professional competence and years of dedicated service.

The community members also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the appointment, expressing confidence that Dr. Salisu’s wealth of experience would contribute to the growth and development of the institution.

The Daily Reality reports that Dr. Salisu is a senior academic in the Department of Science Laboratory Technology with expertise in Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Toxicology and agricultural research.

He obtained his PhD in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry from Benue State University during the 2023/2024 academic session after earning a Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry from Bayero University Kano.

He has also authored several scholarly publications on heavy metals, food safety and spectroscopic analysis.

Reacting to the appointment, Aisar Fagge, a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication at Kano State Polytechnic, described it as a testament to Dr. Fagge’s resilience, dedication and commitment to the institution.

“As one of the old comrades of the school, this appointment is a testimony to his resilience, dedication, commitment and cordial relationship with the staff and the management,” he said.

Aisar expressed optimism that Dr. Salisu’s wealth of experience would help move the institution to greater heights.

He also prayed that Allah would grant the new provost wisdom and guidance in the discharge of his responsibilities while appreciating everyone who contributed to making the appointment possible.

Also speaking, another community member, Hussaini Ibrahim Kote, congratulated the new provost and thanked President Tinubu for what he described as appointing the right person for the job.

The community members prayed for Allah to grant Dr. Salisu success in his new assignment and guide him in steering the Federal College of Agricultural Produce and Technology to greater achievements.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Government on Saturday commenced the distribution of land allocation documents to political appointees, with polling agents scheduled to receive theirs on Sunday, as part of an exercise that will benefit about 2,500 beneficiaries.

The official ceremony, held in Kano, saw land allocation documents presented to Senior Special Assistants (SSAs), Senior Special Reporters, Special Assistants (SAs), Special Reporters and Personal Assistants (PAs) serving under the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Governor Yusuf, whose address was delivered by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, said the distribution underscored his administration’s commitment to fulfilling promises made to those who served the government.

“Today is not merely about presenting land allocation documents; it is about keeping a promise,” the governor said in the message read on his behalf.

He recalled that he had assured the political appointees during an engagement last month that they would receive land allocations, noting that Saturday’s presentation fulfilled that pledge.

The governor said Saturday’s exercise covered political appointees, while polling agents would receive their allocation documents on Sunday, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to about 2,500.

He described the initiative as part of the administration’s broader effort to reduce the state’s housing deficit, promote home ownership, create wealth for families and reward loyalty, commitment and hard work.

Yusuf urged beneficiaries to regard the allocations as the beginning of their journey towards property ownership rather than simply pieces of paper.

He also highlighted his administration’s achievements in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, water supply, social intervention and land administration, including the digitalisation of land records, reforms aimed at improving transparency, and preparations for a new Kano Metropolitan Master Plan.

The governor called on the beneficiaries to continue engaging with residents by explaining government policies and programmes while providing feedback that would strengthen governance.

“The greatest campaign any government can undertake is the visible impact of its work on the lives of the people,” he said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abduljabbar Muhammad Umar, said the exercise reflected the administration’s commitment to rewarding loyalty and fulfilling its promises.

“This programme reflects the character of this administration—a government that keeps its promises and rewards loyalty, commitment and hard work,” Umar said.

He noted that records available to the ministry showed that no previous administration in Kano had undertaken land allocations on such a scale within such a short period.

According to him, the initiative forms part of the government’s broader plan to reduce the housing deficit, expand access to land ownership, empower young people, women and vulnerable groups, and create lasting wealth through secure property ownership.

He urged beneficiaries to regard the allocations as a lifetime opportunity and continue supporting the administration by sensitising residents to its programmes and achievements across various sectors.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Sani Tukur described the gesture as a demonstration of the government’s appreciation for their service.

“We receive this generous gesture with gratitude and humility. It is more than just an allocation of land; it is a clear reflection that our service is valued,” he said.

Tukur pledged the continued loyalty and commitment of the beneficiaries to the administration and prayed for Allah to grant the governor good health, wisdom and strength to continue leading Kano State.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

More than 48,000 migrants have returned to Morocco after entering Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta during a large-scale border crossing that unfolded over the past few days.

Spain’s Interior Ministry told AFP on Friday that 48,300 migrants had crossed back into Moroccan territory after authorities began efforts to reverse the influx.

The development followed an earlier wave of arrivals. Juan Jesus Vivas, the president of Ceuta, had disclosed that about 60,000 migrants entered the Spanish enclave from Morocco by land and sea. Many reportedly swam around a border fence that extends into the Mediterranean.

The number of fatalities linked to the incident has also increased. Authorities initially confirmed 18 deaths. The death toll has now risen to 57.

Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast. Alongside Melilla, another Spanish enclave in North Africa, it represents the European Union’s only land border with Africa. Both territories have experienced repeated attempts by migrants seeking entry into Europe.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Ceuta after the mass crossings and said his administration had activated all available resources to manage the situation.

Sanchez described the crossings as a “violation” of Span’s territorial sovereignty, adding that authorities are speeding up the repatriation of migrants who arrived this week.

The Spanish government later deployed soldiers to patrol the enclave and “maintain security” as officials worked to restore order.

Meanwhile, Italy has temporarily suspended its participation in the Schengen agreement with Spain in response to the mass border crossings.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Tinubu to stop attributing Nigeria’s current challenges to previous administrations. He said Nigerians now expect practical solutions after more than 3 years of the Tinubu administration.

Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. The former vice-president, who is also the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, criticised Tinubu’s recent comments that prosperity is approaching and that the quality of life is improving across the country.

According to Atiku, those claims do not reflect the realities many Nigerians face.

“Mr. President says prosperity is on the horizon. Nigerians are asking: whose horizon? Certainly not that of the market woman whose capital has been wiped out by inflation.

“Not that of the civil servant whose salary now expires before the month begins. Not that of the manufacturer struggling under crushing energy costs. Not that of the unemployed graduate who sees no future.

“Certainly not that of farming communities forced off their ancestral lands by terrorists and bandits, families mourning loved ones slaughtered in senseless attacks, or countless Nigerians who now live in daily fear of kidnappers who have turned human lives into commodities.

“And certainly not that of millions of households that have quietly reduced the number of meals they eat each day simply to survive.”

Atiku argued that although every government inherits challenges, leaders are elected to solve them rather than explain how they originated.

“The constitution did not swear President Tinubu into office to explain history. It swore him into office to change it. Every administration inherits problems. Great leaders are remembered for solving them, not for endlessly rehearsing them,” he stated.

He also said the current administration should no longer shift responsibility to its predecessors.

“The Nigerian people are not interested in who created the problem. They want to know who will solve it. A government that still blames its predecessors after years in office is, by its own conduct, admitting that it has run out of ideas,” he said.

The former vice-president further criticised the administration’s economic record.

“President Tinubu may find comfort in blaming those before him, but history will remember his administration as the one under which Nigerians endured unprecedented hardship, institutionalised fiscal recklessness, and one of the greatest appropriation scandals in the annals of our nation.

“The suffering of Nigerians today is driven not by the past, but by an administration that has elevated opacity over transparency, rewarded a privileged circle of cronies, and condemned millions to deepening economic pain, insecurity, and despair.”

Atiku also rejected Tinubu’s suggestion that Nigeria’s population contributes to the country’s difficulties. He pointed to China as an example of how a large population can become an economic advantage.

“It is even more astonishing that a President who constantly invokes China now blames Nigeria’s population for the country’s difficulties,” he said.

“China did not become an economic superpower by complaining about the size of its population. It became prosperous because visionary leadership transformed that population into its greatest economic asset through sustained investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, technology, and export-led industrialisation.

“Great leaders convert challenges into opportunities. They do not convert opportunities into excuses.”

He said an administration under his leadership would focus on investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, education, agriculture, and export-driven industries to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s youthful population.

Atiku also described it as insensitive for the president to suggest that Nigerians should accept present hardship because hunger existed before his birth.

“Nobody ‘elected’ Tinubu to eliminate the hunger of 1940. Nigerians ‘elected’ him to confront the hunger of today. The fact that previous generations endured hardship is not a licence to deepen the suffering of the present generation,” he said.

He maintained that hope must be supported by visible improvements in the welfare of citizens.

“Hope cannot be preached to a hungry stomach. It cannot be legislated into existence.

“It cannot substitute for affordable food, stable electricity, productive jobs, quality education, accessible healthcare, or security for families to sleep with both eyes closed. Government inspires hope through performance, not rhetoric.”

Atiku concluded by urging Tinubu to reconnect with the daily realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

“If the President truly believes that the quality of life is improving, then one must respectfully remind him that the Nigeria he is talking about exists only in his head,” he said.

“It is certainly not the Nigeria where families are choosing between food and medicine, where communities are fleeing armed violence, where kidnappers dictate the rhythm of daily life, and where hope is becoming more expensive than bread.”

(A tribute to Lt. Col. Abu Ali and the brave military and police officers who fell in Sambisa and anti-kidnapping operations)

By Nura Jibo

By now, everybody in Nigeria is in a state of serious confusion about insecurity. Everyone, including the poor and the rich, cries out because of the problems of Boko Haram and kidnappings, which are exacerbated by killings and the collection of huge ransoms. Nigerian citizens are deeply disturbed by the insecurity in the land, and no one is yet sure about a solution or who the people are that are sponsoring or backing it.

Fellow Nigerians, it is not the CIA that is destroying your country. It is not external or foreign influence that paves the way for the wanton Boko Haram and kidnapping killings from the beginning. It is not America, France, Germany, the World Bank, or the IMF that is destroying Nigeria. It is not Donald Trump, or Benjamin that are interested in breaking Nigeria apart.

There is no evidence or credible intelligence whatsoever that CIA agents shield or support Nigerian insurgents or kidnappers. Boko Haram and kidnappings are entirely fueled by internal corruption, institutional weaknesses, illicit financial flows within Nigeria, and deep-seated political rivalries.

Indeed, it is Nigerians who are living and dining among us that are causing the insurgency in Nigeria. The majority of them are influential and high-placed. They know themselves! Deep inside, they know that they are the ones mortgaging their future, the future of their children, parents, and grandparents for a token.

Unfortunately, whatever money they gain or make from Nigeria in dubious ways, they will ultimately end up not enjoying any part of it when the country becomes uninhabitable for everyone.

Fellow Nigerians, without mincing words, Nigeria’s insecurity, Boko Haram, killings, kidnappings, and other grotesque absurdities are generally caused by the following people:

Corrupt Politicians

Corrupt Military

Corrupt Police

Corrupt Customs

Corrupt Immigration

Corrupt Judiciary

Corrupt Traditional Rulers

Corrupt Religious Clerics (both Christian and Muslim moral police/preachers)

These are the people developing thick skins regarding the insecurity situation in Nigeria. They are, one way or another, profiting from Boko Haram, kidnapping, and mineral looting.

Dear Nigerians, do not look far for the people destroying our country. Those listed above are trading their sovereignty for selfish gain.

If anyone among these feels that he or she is corrupt militarily, politically, religiously, traditionally, or as a police officer, know that this exposition is directed toward you. However, if anyone feels the contrary, know that you are fully exonerated, because you are not corrupt and are considered someone serving your people for God and country.

Indeed, Nigerians should never forget their incorruptible military and police heroes of the past, such as the late Lt. Colonel Abu Ali and his comrades, who were fearless heroes of Sambisa and Nigeria’s bravest military officers. These rare military personalities commanded the 272 Task Force Tank Battalion and played a massive role in clearing out the Sambisa Forest and liberating major towns like Baga and Monguno from Boko Haram insurgents.

The Political Dimension of Boko Haram Violence

To support this analysis, it is beneficial to infer that the previous and even current crop of corrupt political and security forces is an accomplice in the business of destroying the country.

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan once said during a church service at a Christian centre in Abuja that Boko Haram had infiltrated his government and that they were everywhere. He openly admitted that his administration, security agencies, and branches of government had been deeply infiltrated by Boko Haram and insecurity.

Hear him: “Some of them are in the executive arm of government, some of them are in the parliamentary/legislative arm of government, while some of them are even in the judiciary. Some are also in the armed forces, the police, and other security agencies. During the civil war, we knew and could even predict where the enemy was coming from… But the situation we have on our hands today is even more complicated.”

Mr. Goodluck’s statement about Boko Haram was candidly affirmed by his national security adviser, Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi, who corroborated the president’s position in April 2012 as follows:

“The issue of violence did not increase in Nigeria until there was a declaration by the current president that he was going to contest. The PDP got it wrong from the beginning. The party started by saying Mr. A can rule, and Mr. B cannot rule, according to PDP conventions, rules, and regulations and not according to the constitution. That created the climate for what is happening or manifesting itself in the country.”

With this kind of eyewitness account from a former Nigerian president, it shouldn’t take the current Nigerian president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, any time to candidly identify and deal with the people at the federal and state government levels and make them face the wrath of the law.

But one cardinal question here is: If Jonathan knew, inter alia, the people who were aiding all these insecurities during his time as Nigeria’s president, what stopped him from naming them, whether they were in the House of Assembly, the Senate, or the presidency? Are they senators, ministers, governors, representatives, judges, kings, emirs, or obas? Why was he afraid to name them as a sitting president?

And when he lost the presidency, why didn’t he advise his successor, for example, the late President Buhari, to deal with them without hesitation?

Now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is aware of this Jonathan exposure; what is he waiting for to reveal who they are, and why are they hiding their names?

Are the presidents afraid of losing their political seats?

Mr. President,

Nigerians have no other country to live in if you allow Boko Haram and kidnapping sponsors to destroy the only country we have. The only country that we can call home.

Mr President, politics aside, are you okay and comfortable with seeing, under your watch, a Nigeria that was obtained by Zik, Awo, and Balewa by the hardest means from Britain being destroyed by a selfish, politically microscopic few individuals in our midst?

Who then is unpatriotic? Who then is unrealistic?

The Kidnapping Economy

It is no longer news that certain governors, particularly from the north, feel concerned about the issue of incessant banditry and have bared their minds on the massive killings and abductions in their states.

One of them, Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina, once said out of frustration that the fight against insecurity is systematically undermined from within. He often expressed his frustration on social media and in live interviews that whenever the state government plans to launch offensive strikes against bandit camps, the information is often leaked to the bandits within minutes. 

Dikko strongly asserted this position by overtly accusing high-ranking government officials and security personnel of actively supporting and profiting from banditry. What stops the current National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, and the current Minister of Defence, who was Chief of Army Staff, from pursuing those high-ranking officials and dealing with them willy-nilly? One hasn’t the vaguest idea!

Indeed, Governor Dikko Radda never hides his stance; immediately after he assumed the role of Katsina governor, he said thus: “Banditry is aided and abetted” by rogue elements within the government, military, and law enforcement agencies who act as moles and saboteurs.

Hear Radda: “Bandits know our plans in minutes.”

He cited an example with a well-known notorious bandit kingpin named Mohammed, whose whereabouts were exactly known by the Nigerian security authorities.

Indeed, kidnapping for a huge ransom is now the order of the day in Northern Nigeria and, by extension, everywhere in the country. Courtesy of corrupt political leaders, corrupt military, corrupt police, corrupt religious leaders, and corrupt media houses that make their reporting on the matter a subject of mockery. This corrupt attitude in these elements has promoted and projected kidnapping as an extremely lucrative, multi-million-dollar criminal economy. Who then is unrealistic about blaming external forces for Nigerian insecurity woes when we have fantastically corrupt security agencies in our midst that a former National Security Adviser once exposed, and whose exposure cost him his job?

The reality is that kidnapping and ransom payment have now become a lucrative enterprise facilitated by syndicates that include corrupt security personnel, corrupt traditional leaders, and local informants who provide ‘intelligence’ information on high-value targets, while also allowing kidnappers to take away whole schoolchildren, as we witnessed in Chibok, Zamfara and Sokoto states and ad infinitum.

The Matawalle versus Lawal Feud

The current governor of Zamfara State, Nigeria, Dauda Lawal, openly accused his predecessor (former governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle) of having a cosy tie and colluding with regional bandit -terrorists.

Governor Dauda’s sheer frustration with banditry made the Vanguard Newspaper in Nigeria sell its news headline on 11 June 2024 by quoting him as saying: “Police and military’s attitude to banditry is frustrating”. Not only this, the young governor stated thus:

“At a point, I had to really come and say it clearly because when we are trying to take care of the situation, somebody somewhere is negotiating with the bandits without my knowledge.”

He promised to end the banditry in his state within two months if given the political will to do so.

Hear Dauda: “I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandit leader is in Zamfara, I know. And if he goes out, I know. With my mobile phone, I can show you where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers.”

One cardinal question here is: Who is protecting the bandits at the Federal Government level? Who is protecting them from Abuja-the corridors of power? What is the duty of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and all his defence ministers? What are they waiting for to swing into action and deal with the corrupt military, corrupt police, and corrupt politicians in their midst?

When they allow these protectors to live and destroy Nigeria, would the National Security Adviser and all his security apparatchiks have a brand-new country to relocate to and live in?

These kinds of questions beg for answers from the National Security Adviser because Nigerians are seeing clearly and watching from not far away what is happening to its very promising citizens who are now left stranded without any hope.

The Sule Lamido “Rogue Governor” Double-Decker Challenge

It is this kind of double-decker challenge that former governor Sule Lamido once challenged the three governors of Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina by ridiculing their efforts against insecurity.

Hear Sule Lamido: “You are a governor in Katsina, Sokoto, or Zamfara, yet criminals have taken over your people… The rogue simply becomes the governor. “

That was Sule Lamido using Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina to make his point by portraying these states as primary examples of how the elite in the North have failed their people by allowing bandits and terrorists to invade homes, abduct citizens, and rule territories unchallenged.

Now let’s make it abundantly and categorically clear to these corrupt politicians (governors); corrupt military (former service chiefs who are retired and those who are serving); corrupt police (former inspectors general and those who are serving, including their states’ commissioners); corrupt traditional rulers (former emirs and obas and the ones who are on their thrones); and corrupt religious clerics (Muslim and Christian moral police) etc., that their actions and inactions, or rather karmic retribution, are threatening the unity and survival of the Nigerian state. This is a double-edged sword that will apparently consume everyone if they fail to heed the late-not early-warnings about the state of affairs in our dear country.

No one will be spared by this spate of insecurity.

The Paradox of Mineral Exploitation

According to Punch Newspaper, illegal mining-particularly for gold, lithium, and gemstones-has completely transformed states such as Zamfara into a highly lucrative war economy. This position is supported by Al-Jazeera investigative reports, where the entire gold-for-guns barter becomes the norm not only in Zamfara but across certain African states. It reveals a vicious cycle where bandits control the minefields, and in turn, barter raw gold for sophisticated firearms.

The Muslim-Christian Moral Police

The corruptible preaching of godliness by religious clerics has derailed many Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. For example, certain original Boko Haram leaders such as the late Mohammed Yusuf and late Shekau have misled many of their adherents because of their misconstrued version of Islam. Since the early 2000s, Northern Nigeria has been bleeding from Boko Haram, courtesy of the failure of its 19 northern governors to provide basic needs: food, education, healthcare, and genuine infrastructure to the people of the North. They deliberately harmed the region by refusing to eradicate the abject poverty that has become endemic and cancerous among their people.

Ditto for their southern counterparts!

In Southern Nigeria, the governors contributed to banditry and armed robbery, especially in the Niger Delta oil-endowed regions and in almost all South-South and South-Western states. This is because the money they receive from oil revenues is not judiciously used to provide succour to the people of the South.

Indeed, all these exacerbate a chain effect of insecurity everywhere in Nigeria.

Therefore, what each and every corrupt individual destroying Nigeria should ponder and reflect upon as they ruin the one and only country we have by mortgaging its future for a fee is a bitter lesson that has befallen certain African countries that are careless, resulting in their citizens being forced into exile and seeking asylum abroad.

The following examples suffice:

(A). The case of the current Malian military ruler, General Assimi Goïta, whose defence minister, General Sadio Camara, was assassinated in a suicide truck bombing at his residence via a coordinated attack by the Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM)-linked jihadist group JNIM and the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA). Assimi ousted three Malian political leaders: President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (August 2020); Interim President Bah N’daw (May 2021); and Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga (November 2024). Now the Malian military ruler is facing the steepest opposition in Mali’s political and military history.

(B). The case of financial empires in Sudan and the gold looting between Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the chief of the regular Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), is deeply rooted in a battle for control over Sudan’s economy and national assets. The Hemedti empire controls huge private wealth in Darfur’s gold mines in Jebel Amir, while Al-Burhan’s army elites control vast agricultural lands, fuels, and manufacturing, all to the detriment of Sudanese citizens, who are now in mass exodus to neighbouring countries, including Qatar, Libya, Chad, Niger Republic, and Nigeria.

(C). The case of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which faces a critical survival crisis over mineral wealth, perfectly intersects with Nigeria’s Zamfara-Sokoto and Borno, building domestic political unrest. Indeed, the Nigerian military’s case of territorial and boundary loss to Boko Haram and its blood minerals completely parallels a similar security architecture in eastern DRC, which has unfortunately entered its most volatile state in decades, marked by heavy territory losses and a massive humanitarian collapse.

One can go on and on, but the corrupt Nigerian political elites, corrupt military and police forces, corrupt traditional rulers, and religious clerics must know and bear in mind that they have no other country than Nigeria, which they are driving to destruction under the so-called political, military, and religious tyranny and dictatorship. This is fueled by the failure of state governors to use the states’ resources and provide basic infrastructure, education, food, and above all, security. Instead, they resort to a blame game, promoting inequality and unequal opportunities, lacking consultation and relying on people loyal to them while discharging those with experience.

Their major interest lies in attempting to suppress, eliminate, or disregard the plight of others and violate basic human rights.

All these corrupt individuals excel in stealing public funds, engaging in policy partiality, and using security solely to manage and protect corrupt political leaders.

The Security Budget and the War Economy

 Indeed, the multi-billion-naira federal government defence budget and the security votes allocated to state governors have exacerbated the issue of insecurity in Nigeria rather than curtailing it. This is because governors and federal security agencies receive large, un-audited cash allocations in the name of security votes, which lack legislative oversight and breed systemic diversion. The protracted warfare paves the way for emergency contracts within the military and police, creating a closed loop of enrichment for defence contractors and corrupt officials.

A cursory look at the consequential repercussions of Nigeria’s corrupt system and its systemic decay is tabulated below:

OPERATIONAL LEVEL INSTITUTIONAL ACTION AND CONSEQUENCES

Stage 1: Federal Funding: Defence budget allocations: Funds flow downward.

Stage 2: Institutional Bottleneck: Corrupt military & police top brass: Funds are actively diverted to private luxury, systematically starving junior officers of funds and war equipment to fight insurgencies.

Stage 3: Frontline Deprivation: Ground soldiers and police officers face destructive field realities.

Stage 4: Systemic Failure: Low morale & desertion: Frontlines are abandoned. Equipment Deficit: Critical lack of ammunition and body armour. Internal sabotage: Tactical intelligence is leaked to terrorist networks.

The Political Architects of Chaos

The destruction of Nigeria does not begin in the forest hideouts of bandits or the remote camps of Boko Haram. It begins in the air-conditioned government offices of Abuja and the state capitals, particularly across the 19 northern governorships.

For decades, political elites have used insecurity as a lucrative business model and a tool for political survival.

It is, therefore, high time for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do away with all the political gladiators surrounding him (if he can) and champion a realistic cause to salvage the sovereignty of the one and only country that we can call home-Nigeria.

It is no longer news to every Nigerian that governors receive hundreds of millions of naira monthly in unaccounted “security votes.” This money is legally meant to fight crime but is routinely pocketed or used to fund political thuggery and private militias. The case of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s exposition, as asserted elsewhere, points to the serious calamity that infiltrated Nigeria’s political class, corrupt judiciary, corrupt military, corrupt police, and corrupt traditional rulers. By keeping their states unstable, these politicians create a permanent justification to demand more security funding from the federal purse, keeping the cycle of violence highly profitable for the ruling class. The recent Channels interview by one Samai’ila Kaigama on this kidnapping political business alluded to this fact.

Kaigama, in his attempt to unravel the truth about his village people’s kidnapping, indicted a sitting senator, Ndume, over their village’s recent kidnapping debacle.

Now it is left for the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa Gwabin, and the Presidency to dig deep into the issue and inform Nigerians about the reality of the two accusatory factions. Kaigama accused the lawmaker of acting as an intermediary for terrorists and diverting a multi-billion-naira ransom payment. The high-profile back-and-forth escalated during separate interviews broadcast on Channels and Arise Television stations.

Indeed, the political patronage of bandits and terrorists during election cycles leads politicians to arm local youths to intimidate rivals and rig votes. Once elections end, these armed actors are abandoned, morphing directly into the violent kidnap-for-ransom syndicates terrorising the highways.

Furthermore, instead of arresting known terrorist leaders, certain politicians actively negotiate with them, paying out massive “peace settlements” that are directly used by criminals to purchase heavier weaponry.

The Security Forces and Judiciary – Institutionalised Failures

Nigeria’s military and police leadership and the judiciary are no longer just failing to stop the crisis-they have become active stakeholders in its continuation. The Nigerian courts ‘ superiority complex and the operational failures of the security forces are a direct result of deliberate corruption at the top.

The Weaponisation of the Defence Budget

Billions of dollars allocated for state-of-the-art military hardware, drones, and tactical gear are not easily obtainable, as aired live and direct on Al-Jazeera in Qatar by the current Minister of Defence, who asserted this while he was the Chief of Army Staff.

This issue is indeed part of the problem, where frontline soldiers are left facing heavily armed insurgents with outdated weapons, inadequate ammunition, and zero body armour. This deliberately manufactured operational inferiority forces them into tactical retreats and leaves vast swathes of Nigerian territory completely ungoverned.

Tactical Leaks and Checkpoint Extortion

The operational integrity of the military and police is compromised from within. Highly classified military intelligence regarding troop movements is repeatedly leaked to Boko Haram and bandit networks by corrupt insiders, leading to deadly ambushes on Nigerian forces.

On the highways, instead of tracking down kidnap syndicates, the police force is heavily deployed to civilian checkpoints solely to extort ordinary citizens, leaving the surrounding forests entirely at the mercy and control of kidnappers.

The Economic Motive – Mineral and Resource Looting

 The terror inflicted by Boko Haram and kidnapping networks acts as a violent smokescreen designed to mask a massive, elite-driven illegal mining and resource looting syndicate in Zamfara, Sokoto, and, by extension, Nasarawa.

Indeed, Nigeria’s deep insecurity is structurally tied in parts to the illicit extraction of its massive mineral wealth. This can be illustrated as follows:

Corrupt elites protect Boko Haram, bandits, and kidnapping networks (terror).

The kidnappers displace local populations from illegal mining sites (rare earth, gold, lithium, etc.), which eventually clears land for illegal mining.

Clearing the Land via Terror

Vast rural communities in Northern and Central Nigeria sit directly on top of massive deposits of gold, lithium, tantalite, and other valuable rare earth minerals.

By allowing Boko Haram and bandits to unleash mass killings and kidnappings in these specific regions, local populations are completely displaced. The terror effectively clears the land of its rightful owners, transforming sovereign Nigerian communities into unregulated, lawless extraction zones.

The Elite-Traditional Ruler Cartel

Once the civilian populations are ethnically cleansed or driven into IDP camps, illegal mining cartels step in. These cartels operate with the direct protection of corrupt politicians and complicit traditional rulers.

While the nation bleeds from massacres, a criminal network of political elites and their corrupt collaborators is quietly carting away billions of dollars in untaxed mineral wealth and oil.

Hence, kidnapping in Nigeria is no longer an opportunistic crime; it is a highly sophisticated, institutionalised financial market designed to extort wealth from the middle class, the rich and poor alike.

The Banking System and Mobile Tracking Failures

Despite federal mandates forcing every Nigerian to link their National Identity Number (NIN) to their SIM cards, kidnappers still use mobile phones openly to negotiate multi-million-naira ransoms.

The police and regulatory agencies, most of the time and dubiously, fail to track these calls or freeze the bank accounts where ransom money is deposited. This indicates a deep-seated institutional complicity, where corrupt political and security actors take a direct cut of the ransom payouts in exchange for operational blindness, as asserted by Samai’ila Ibrahim Kaigama and others.

The Destruction of National Infrastructure

The deliberate failure to secure major highways, rail lines, and transit corridors forces citizens into a state of permanent vulnerability. The ransom economy has become so deeply embedded within the political and security architecture that wiping it out would mean cutting off a massive stream of illicit revenue that flows directly from the forests into the pockets of urban elites

The Policy Blueprint for Systemic Survival

To save Nigeria from total state collapse, the international community, domestic policymakers, and the Nigerian citizenry must move very fast by treating insecurity as not a purely military and police problem and/or business venture and attacking its financial roots and political drivers.

 The Solutions

 Mr. President should very quickly engage UAE authorities, especially in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, to send him the names of the Boko Haram sponsors that they claim to have. The same goes for the United States of America. President Donald John Trump should publish the names of the terror sponsors in Nigeria, as the US claims to have their names and is under its watch.

This will go a long way in exposing the vagaries, verbosity, and waffle that surround the protracted problem of Boko Haram and kidnapping in Nigeria.

Mr. President, it is quite unfortunate that Nigeria has to rely on foreign countries to release the names of certain criminals that sponsor insurgencies in the country.

This writer proposes a strategic counter- crisis matrix that could enable everyone in Nigeria to live peacefully, cheaply, and as satisfactorily as possible. This strategic counter-crisis matrix has the following target audience:

International policymakers, academic researchers, and Nigerian citizens. The immediate policy action required to ameliorate the protracted insurgencies in Nigeria is to impose targeted global sanctions on governors and audit supply chains for blood minerals such as lithium and coltan (columbite and tantalite), etc. There is also a need to map out resource-conflict correlations to enable the government to track illegal capital flight to and from Nigeria. The Nigerian citizens, on the other hand, should try as much as possible to vote out complicit northern governors by mobilising community-led political security accountability groups and refrain from supporting corrupt politicians who seek mandates and hide in Abuja until the next election.

The Nigerian president must find a way to sanction the political class by collaborating with international allies such as the US, UK, France, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, etc., to immediately freeze the foreign assets and impose strict travel bans on corrupt Nigerian governors, corrupt legislators (senators), corrupt military and police top brass, prominent, but morally bankrupt religious clerics, and traditional rulers linked to regions with unchecked illegal mining and persistent security failures.

The Nigerian president, whether old or new, should audit the mineral supply chain. The international technology and manufacturing industries must treat Nigeria’s rare earth minerals such as lithium, iron ore, coltan, and gold with the maximum level of scrutiny. Any mineral sourced from conflict-heavy zones in Nigeria must be blacklisted globally until legal transparency is restored.

Indeed, independent military, police, and judiciary accountability must be entrenched in Nigeria to flush out and sanitise the entire national system.

The administration of defence spending must be completely stripped from internal military control and placed under a rigorous, special, but emergency and independent military audit tribunal -not under the EFCC or ICPC.

Commanders whose units repeatedly leak intelligence or fail to protect citizens despite heavy funding must face immediate special national emergency court-martial and asset forfeiture.

If at all we are serious in nation building, Mr President should quickly call for an emergency constitutional committee and give them only one (1) month to include an immunity clause in the Nigerian constitution. Because the 1960 Nigerian Independence Constitution did not contain a domestic executive immunity clause for political leaders and executives. Indeed, the current Nigerian constitution protects them from attending civil or criminal court processes. Hence, all corrupt governors, deputy-governors, corrupt senators, and corrupt presidents and vice-presidents, etc., should have no immunity. They should appear before the national emergency corruption courts and defend themselves.

Ditto corrupt customs and immigration officers!

The Nigerian customs and immigration agencies must eliminate corrupt officers and submit them to the proposed national emergency corruption courts for prosecution. Nigerian borders will then be free and secure from illegal arms, ammunition, and drug importation.

This is the only way to ensure sanity in the Nigerian system.

Bandits and kidnappers that kidnap and kill ordinary Nigerians shall be immediately executed by a special kidnapping and banditry tribunal, not by the current courts that are operating in the country. The bandits and kidnappers that are summarily executed should be made known to the citizenry by printing their names in national dailies.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria should be structured to have a domestic judges’ trial segment for trying corrupt judges who pass biased legal judgments that are inimical to Nigerians and the Nigerian system.

No one is above the national law!

Religious clerics’ propagation methods must be controlled by the government in order to protect the Nigerian Christian and Muslim leaders from assuming informal powers that make them behave macho and feel as if they are also another government of their own. They should be controlled the way religion is controlled and monitored in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, etc.

Otherwise, if all the above explanations are not of interest to Mr. President, his entire cabinet, and Nigerian citizens; if all that has been exposed by all and sundry on Nigeria’s insecurity is not of deep concern or is seen as useless; and if the corrupt among us feel that this issue should be set aside or thrown into the dustbin of Nigeria’s “usual” insecurity history, then we should all forget about Nigeria and continue pontificating over what the honorable Chinua Achebe once described in his two books, “Things Fall Apart” and “There Was a Country “!

Nura Jibo is a senior research fellow and lifetime member of the West African Research Association (WARA), African Studies Centre, Boston University, United States. He can be contacted via jibonura@yahoo.com.

By The Daily Reality

Public breastfeeding remains one of the most debated issues in modern society. While no one disputes that infants need timely nourishment, opinions differ on whether breastfeeding should take place openly in public spaces. For many people, especially in conservative societies, exposing the breast in public (even for the purpose of feeding a child) raises concerns about modesty, privacy, and public decency.

Those who consider public breastfeeding inappropriate often argue that mothers should, whenever reasonably possible, seek a private location or use a nursing cover. Their concern is not necessarily about feeding babies but about preserving cultural values and respecting the diverse sensibilities of people who share public spaces. In societies where modest dressing is highly valued, public breastfeeding may make some individuals uncomfortable.

On the other hand, supporters of public breastfeeding point out that babies cannot always wait until a private room is available. They argue that breastfeeding is a natural and essential act that should not be treated as shameful. In many countries, the law also protects a mother’s right to breastfeed her child in public.

This debate should not become a contest between the rights of mothers and the expectations of society. Instead, it should encourage practical solutions that respect both. Shopping malls, airports, hospitals, parks, and other public facilities should provide clean, accessible nursing rooms where mothers who prefer privacy can comfortably feed their babies.

Within the family, disagreements over this issue should be handled with wisdom and mutual respect. Husbands and wives should discuss their expectations calmly and privately. A husband who believes his wife should exercise greater discretion should express his concerns respectfully rather than scolding or embarrassing her. Likewise, wives should be willing to listen to their husbands’ perspectives while explaining the practical realities of caring for an infant.

Healthy marriages are built on understanding, not intimidation. Respectful dialogue strengthens relationships, whereas harsh criticism often breeds resentment.

Ultimately, the goal should be to protect both the well-being of the child and the dignity of the mother. Whether one favors greater privacy or broader acceptance of public breastfeeding, the discussion should remain grounded in compassion, courtesy, and mutual respect rather than condemnation.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

President Bola Tinubu has said his administration rejected negotiations with the kidnappers who abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State because security agencies understood the terrain where the victims were held.

The president spoke on Thursday at the State House in Abuja while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.

Tinubu said the successful rescue operation demonstrated the effectiveness of the country’s security forces. He maintained that the government would continue to confront criminal groups without paying ransom.

“Congratulations on the Oriire Oyo state rescue that succeeded. I think we succeeded with your support, prayers, and I agree with you that we should commend the men and women of the armed forces for their excellent performance,” the president told the delegation.


“On behalf of them, I accept the message and I will forward this same message on. I should emphasise the question of security that each event teaches us new method, open our eyes, challenge us to examine and re-examine our architecture, our strategies, our map and operations.


“And you would agree that we gifting geographical and numerical answers to the challenge. We refused to pay ransom. We have the geography of the forest.


“We know what it is and in answer to it, you see that from eight divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions to shorten the response time, to give that response time the teeth that is needed for us to defeat terrorism and banditry. It is very necessary and we are doing so.”


The president also reiterated his administration’s commitment to establishing state police as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country.

“We have equally embarked upon what was missing, several decades of fears and uncertainty about what to do about security at the local level will be corrected,” he said.


“There will be state police. And as state police will have guardrails from abuses. We protect it from abuses.”


Tinubu also appealed to traditional rulers to support the fight against insecurity. He said the government is strengthening the capacity of forest guards to confront criminals operating in forests.

“We are equally enhancing the capacity and capability of the forest guards. They are not just to chase antelopes and animals. We are going to have them chase the criminals and deal with them in various forests,” he added.


Gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire LGA on May 15 and abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers, including the principal of one of the affected schools.

The kidnappers later killed one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, while he was in captivity.

The Presidency announced on July 10 that all the remaining abducted pupils and teachers had regained their freedom after spending 56 days in captivity.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has announced plans to increase the country’s annual cashew production from about 300,000 metric tonnes to 1 million metric tonnes within the next 10 years.

The association’s president, Ademola Adesokan, revealed the target during the inauguration of NCAN’s national and state executives at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) in Abuja.

Adesokan said the association also aims to process at least half of the projected 1 million metric tonnes within Nigeria. He explained that the initiative is supported by a well-defined implementation strategy.

According to him, the roadmap will promote industrialisation, expand non-oil exports, attract investment and create employment opportunities across the country’s cashew-producing states.

He stressed that state chapters would play a central role in achieving the targets because production activities take place at the grassroots.

> “Policy is written in Abuja, but cashew is grown, harvested, dried, aggregated, and stored in our states — in our farming communities, our warehouses, our local markets. The National Cashew Roadmap can only succeed if it has strong hands to carry it at the grassroots. That is why state chapters are not a formality. They are the engine room of this entire transformation.


“The quality of the nuts that reach our processors, the integrity of our storage systems, the efficiency of our aggregation networks — these do not happen in a ministry office. They happen because of the men and women in this room today, and the chapters you now lead.


“When a processor in Kogi or an exporter in Lagos can trust the quality of what comes through our supply chain, it is because a state chapter somewhere insisted on doing it right. That is industrial development at the grassroots — real, measurable, and yours to own,” he said.


The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the cashew sector. The ministry described the inauguration of the association’s executives as an important milestone in the implementation of the recently validated Nigeria Cashew Roadmap.

The Director of the ministry’s Industrial Development Department, Olumuyiwa Jayi-Ade, spoke through Assistant Director Popoola Abimbola. He said the inauguration signalled the beginning of the roadmap’s implementation phase after the completion of policy development.

He praised NCAN for its role in developing and validating the Nigeria Cashew Roadmap. He said the association had established a strong foundation for a sustainable and globally competitive cashew industry.

Jayi-Ade added that the ministry would work with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, NCAN and development partners to prepare implementation plans and institutional frameworks for the roadmap.

He also disclosed that the Nigerian Cashew Project Office (NCPO) would be established to coordinate reforms, strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and supervise the implementation of programmes across the cashew value chain.