Author: Bala Muhammad

THE Zazzau Emirate Council has announced the death of Engineer Aminu Umar, Walin Zazzau and District Head of Ikara in Ikara Local Government Area, Kaduna State. He died after participating in all the Sallah durbar and other Eid-el-Fitr activities. Late Engineer Umar is a descendant of late Emir Dalhat from the Barebari ruling dynasty of Zazzau Emirate. He was onetime Chief Executive Officer of the Kaduna State Water Board. As Walin Zazzau, late Engineer Umar was one of the most senior titleholders in the emirate. Confirming the death in a statement, Abdullahi Aliyu Kwarbai, Media and Publicity, head of Zazzau…

THERE was pandemonium in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, on Wednesday, as personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) allegedly shot and killed a woman while attempting to pursue hoodlums. The tragic incident, which occurred while Muslim faithful gathered to observe Eid prayer, has sparked outrage and unrest among residents, leading to an escalation of tensions in the area. An eyewitness narrated that the NSCDC personnel, in their pursuit of suspected hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons, opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic death of an innocent woman. In response to the shooting, an angry mob gathered…

FOUR months after the tragic military drone bombing that claimed over 100 lives from three communities in Tudun Biri village of Igabi LGA of Kaduna State, residents say they are still waiting to be compensated for their losses, Daily Trust Saturday reports. The drone bombing mistake, which occurred on Sunday, December 3, 2023, resulted in dozens of casualties and injuries to residents of Tudun Biri, Ugara and Sabon Gida after they converged at Tudun Biri to celebrate the Maulud. Musa Umar, who lost six children to the unfortunate incident, sat quietly in his empty mud house in the community. He…

AT least four people reportedly lost their lives when the police fired shots to disperse a procession by members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites, in Kaduna, on Friday. The movement embarked on the procession to mark the International Quds Day. The Shi’ites reportedly trooped out in a large number in the state metropolis when the law enforcement operatives, particularly the Nigeria Police, moved to stop them. This newspaper reports that the Shiites had assembled near the Katsina roundabout along Ahmadu Bello Way prior to the arrival of the police. The situation caused tension…

THE Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani has dismissed attack by the son of the immediate-past governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Bashir. This was as Governor Sani’s spokesman, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu, told this newspaper that the governor would not dignify Bashir’s attack with a response. The Kaduna State governor had, on Saturday, during a Town Hall Meeting, lamented the huge debt inherited from his predecessor, El-Rufai. Sani said the state was left with a lean purse and too broke to pay workers’ salaries. The governor said El-Rufai left him $587m, N85bn and 115 contractual liabilities. “Despite the huge debt burden of $587m,…

THE Kaduna State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended its state women leader, Maryam Suleiman, for alleged gross misconduct. A suspension letter dated March 31st, signed by the APC chairman and secretary of Badarawa/Malali ward, Ali Maishago and Zakkah Bassahuwa respectively, says the women leader was suspended for allegedly defaming the character of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state, and unauthorised publicity of the party’s dispute that discredited the personality of the governor. She was also alleged to have sent thugs to attack the political adviser to the governor, Manzo Maigari. The letter noted that the women…

SEGUN Olatunji, Editor of FirstNews Online Newspaper, has regained freedom after spending 12 days in custody. Gunmen in military uniform had invaded Olatunji’s residence at Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos state, on March 15, and abducted him. While the journalist’s family did not receive any communication from his abductors, the management of the media platform linked the incident to a story published by FirstNews. Concerns about his location continued until the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) said its checks showed the editor was in custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), an agency under the command of Major…

THE 137 schoolchildren abducted from Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, who were released on Sunday, have arrived at the Government House in Kaduna. On Sunday, the Kaduna State Government announced the release of the schoolchildren. This was contained in a statement signed by the state governor, Uba Sani. The statement partly read, “I wish to announce that our Kuriga school children have been released.” However, the governor clarified that 137 schoolchildren were abducted on March 7, 2024, and not 287 schoolchildren, as was previously reported. See photos below:

THE death toll in a tragic stampede during a Zakkah (almsgiving) programme in Bauchi over the weekend has risen to seven, police authorities in the state say. Six of the victims were pronounced dead at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital while one died at home. The spokesman of the Bauchi Police Command Ahmed Wakilin said this on Monday while giving an update about the incident. He gave the details of the deceased as follows: 1. Aisha Usman ‘f’ aged 13yrs of Gwang Gwang Gwang, Bauchi 2. Sahura Abubakar ‘f’ aged 55yrs of Anguwan, Bauchi 3. Aisha Ibrahim Abubakar…

THE Defence Headquarters, on Sunday, said troops rescued the abducted pupils and teachers of LEA School Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna within Zamfara State. On March 7, 2024, about 287 pupils and teachers of the school were abducted by suspected terrorists who took them into the forest. Their abductors subsequently requested a ransom of N1bn for their release, setting a deadline of March 27, 2024, for the payment. But the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement, stated that the victims were rescued in the early hours of Sunday by the troops…

THE abducted Kuriga schoolchildren in Kaduna State have been released by their abductors. The state governor, Senator Uba Sani, announced their release on his verified Facebook page in the early hours of Sunday. News Point Nigeria had reported that on Thursday, March 8, bandits abducted over 200 students from a school in Kuriga, a town in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and marched them into the forest. The governor did not go into details of their release, but commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Nigerian Army. He wrote, “In the…

THE Nigerian Army has blamed the July 5, 2022 Kuje prison break on the absence of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the facility. Major Peter Ogbuinya, the Assistant Director, Commercial Law, the Directorate of Nigerian Army Legal Services, stated this at the investigative hearing by the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Reformatory Institutions, Justice, Police Affairs, Interior, and Human Rights in Abuja on Wednesday. Ogbuinya said after the jailbreak, the army observed that the prison was located in a densely populated area. “We observed the facility has a low fence and has no CCTV cameras installed in the…

TROOPS of the Nigerian Army, I Division, have rescued 16 abducted victims in Kajuru, Kaduna State. They also averted a kidnap attempt by an extremist group. “The Nigerian Army troops deployed in 1 Division area of responsibility in Kaduna State have successfully averted a kidnap attempt by a violent extremist and insurgent group and rescued the abductees in Tantatu Community of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” the Director of Army Public Relations Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said in a late Monday statement. According to him, the troops were responding to intelligence on Sunday night when they tracked the…

BANDITS operating around villages in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have attacked Banono settlement under Angwaku community in Kufana Chiefdom where one person was shot dead and eight other people abducted. The deceased has been identified as Christopher Zamani. Another woman also sustained injuries during the attack. This newspaper identified the abducted victims as Tina Bulus, Alice Joshua, Sarah Micah, Kaduna Fidelis (male), Janet Amos, Martha Peter, Rita Geoffrey and Favour Ado. Mary Isah, who sustained injuries, was taken to Nasara Maternity Clinic in Maraban Kajuru for medical attention. Mr Stephen Makori, the Kufana District Superintendent, confirmed the…

NO fewer than 61 people were reportedly abducted by suspected bandits who attacked the Buda community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The state and police authorities are yet to confirm the attack, but a resident of the area told this newspaper on Tuesday that the bandits invaded the village on Monday night at about 11:45 pm, where they kidnapped 61 people. According to a resident, Dauda Kajuru, the kidnappers stormed the community in large numbers and started shooting indiscriminately. “What happened yesterday was terrifying. The bandits came intending to abduct scores of people that’ll outnumber that of…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has met with the leaders of the Kuriga community in Kaduna State and the representatives of families of students abducted in the state. Close to 300 students of LEA Primary School and Government Secondary School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State were abducted earlier in the week. But at the meeting on Saturday at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna, Shettima assured of the government’s resolve to ensure the students are rescued. Governor @ubasanius, Malam Balarabe Abbas, the Minister of Environment, the Rt Hon. Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly,…

AT LEAST two worshippers were killed during Friday prayers at Anguwar Makera under Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The incident happened around 2 pm on Friday, according to locals in the area. A community leader, Hudu Kwasakwasa, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits opened fire on the worshipers. “The two worshipers killed were among other Muslims attacked at the Juma’at Mosque in Angwar Makera when the bandits opened fire on them and abducted others today (Friday). The victims have been buried at Old Kuyello cemetery,” he said. He said the people were in the…

AT LEAST 312 students and a principal, Abubakar Isah were abducted in broad day light on Thursday when bandits invaded the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School, Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Officials of the school and community leaders told Governor Uba Sani, alongside key government officials, who visited the school on Thursday, that 187 students were abducted from the secondary school section and 125 from the primary school section. One of the teachers, Sani Abdullahi who escaped the abduction along others, said 25 of the pupils from the primary section had returned. This, he said,…

TWO pilots of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) suffered mishap while returning from a routine training flight, on Thursday. According to Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, the accident occurred at about 3.5 nautical miles from Kaduna Military Airfield. He said the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft was involved in a minor mishap at about 2.35 pm on Thursday. “A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Super Mushshak trainer aircraft was involved in a minor mishap earlier today, 7 March 2024, at about 2.35 pm,” he said. “The accident, which occurred at about 3.5 nautical miles from…

THE Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru, has said that no fewer than seven top terrorists commanders were killed by security forces in the last few months. The Minister who disclosed this on Tuesday during a tour of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, Kaduna State, said there is improvement in the fight against insurgency and banditry, adding that the nature of banditry in the North West zone now happens occasionally than before. He also disclosed that the military is deploying technology for surveillance and tracing to find the terrorists and deal with them decisively, noting that bandits…