THE arrest of a former Kaduna Commissioner of Finance and Local Governments, Mohammed Bashir Sa’idu by the Police over alleged money laundering, criminal breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds has been confirmed. A security source confirmed to this newspaper that a petition received by the Police accused Sa’idu of laundering N3.96 billion and misappropriating N244 million during his tenure in the Kaduna State government between 2015 and 2023. The allegations include the sale of $45 million in state-owned foreign currency at an undervalued exchange rate of N410 per dollar instead of the parallel market rate of N498 per…
Author: Bala Muhammad
Read More
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a federal university in Southern Kaduna, marking a significant step towards addressing educational and developmental needs in the region. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who revealed this, also disclosed that there are ongoing discussions to establish a Federal Medical Centre in Kafanchan, Kaduna State. Shettima gave the hint at the weekend during a condolence visit to the Kukah family on the death of His Highness, Yohanna Sidi Kukah, the Agwom Akulu of Ikulu Chiefdom and family member of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, in Ikulu Kingdom, Kamuru,…
THE Defence Headquarters has denied reports stating that the French military was planning to establish a base in Nigeria. In a statement by the Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba on Monday said the clarification was necessitated due to reports doing the rounds, that French soldiers had arrived in the country. “The attention of Defence Headquarters has been drawn to online reports alleging the arrival of the first contingent of French soldiers in Maiduguri towards establishing a French Military base in North East Nigeria. “The Armed Forces of Nigeria hereby state unequivocally that this information is fake, totally…
KADUNA State governor, Uba Sani, has allayed fears that if state police are eventually established, state governors will use them to oppress their political opponents. After the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Governor Sani briefed State House correspondents. He disclosed that 36 state governors had submitted their positions on state police establishment, and all indicated overwhelming support. The development boosts many calls for the establishment of state police. However, there have always been concerns that state governors might misuse them in some quarters. But speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria,…
THE Police Service Commission has approved the dismissal of 19 senior police officers which comprised 10 Assistant Superintendents, six Deputy Superintendents, two Chief Superintendents and one Superintendent. The commission also approved the reduction in rank of 19 other senior police officers, including one Assistant Commissioner of Police, one Chief Superintendent, two Superintendents, two Deputy Superintendents and 13 Assistant Superintendents. Two Assistant Inspectors General of Police were also punished as one was reprimanded for refusal to carry out lawful instructions while the other received a letter of warning for negligence. The PSC’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, who disclosed this in a statement…
GOVERNOR Uba Sani on Thursday said that his administration will be fair and just to everyone in order to achieve lasting peace and development in Kaduna State. The governor gave the commitment in Birnin Gwari when he received the first set of repentant bandits and opened the cattle market, which had been closed for about 10 years due to insecurity. He disclosed that Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with some federal agencies, established the Peace Dialogue Group, which has been engaging stakeholders tirelessly. “Through numerous meetings and extensive discussions, we have built bridges of trust. Several senior bandit leaders have…
CONFUSION has gripped the Keke A community in Kaduna Millennium City as a two-year-old child and three sisters were abducted in the area. It was learnt that the incident occurred around 9pm on Tuesday when their father was on a visit to their mother, who was admitted to the hospital with newly born twins. The victims are aged 2, 9, 12, and 15. The father, Yunusa Sarkin Samarin Keke, said that one of the children was an orphan under his care. “I was not at home when the incident occurred because I was visiting my wife who was taking care…
The Defence Headquarters has applauded the arrest of separatist leader, Simon Ekpa by Finnish Police. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, and the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau in their separate statement, described the arrest as a key victory in the anti-terror fight. The spokespersons said the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has expressed happiness over Ekpa’s arrest. “CDS is happy with his arrest in Finland, with the hope this will be a step towards his extradition to Nigeria so that he will face justice,” Gusau said on Thursday. Similarly,…
THE Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has announced its decision to support northerners running for the presidency and other offices who might be interested in contesting elections in 2027 in order to save the region and the country in general. The forum at its National Executive Council meeting in Kaduna State expressed concern over the deplorable economic situation in the North under the President Bola Tinubu administration, blaming poor socio-economic policies of the Federal Government for the region’s deteriorating condition. It warned that unless urgent steps are taken, the North may face severe economic difficulties, stating that it will declare support…
SUSPECTED Boko Haram insurgents have ambushed a monitoring team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The attack occurred on Monday, in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun Local Government Area, Kaduna State when the operatives were inspecting the National Grid installation in Shiroro, Niger State. Disclosing this in a statement, NSCDC spokesperson, DCC Afolabi Babawale, said the NSCDC team, comprised of nine officers and 71 other ranks, was mobilised in response to recent attacks on power lines, a development that had led to a blackout due in northern part of Nigeria. “As they patrolled vulnerable areas, they encountered…
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has recorded a landslide victory in the just-concluded Zamfara State local government election, winning all fourteen chairmanship seats and securing every councillorship position. The Chairman of Zamfara State Independent Electoral Commission (ZASIEC) Bala Aliyu announced the results on Sunday morning. Speaking with newsmen shortly after the collation exercise in Gusau, the Commission’s chairman said that PDP candidates had emerged victorious across all LGAs, including Gusau, Kaura-Namoda, Maru, Talata Mafara, and Anka, among others. He described the elections as free, fair, and credible, attributing the success of the exercise to the collaborative efforts of security agencies,…
THE Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Agency has said intending pilgrims for 2025 are required to pay a minimum deposit of N8.4 million by December 31, 2024. This is just as the agency announced the commencement of registration for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage on the state. Yunusa Mohammed Abdullahi, the agency’s Public Relations Officer who disclosed this in a radio programme in the state, said the registration process is now open across all the 23 local government areas of the state. He emphasised the importance of strict adherence to registration guidelines by local government registration officers. He explained further that…
OYO State Governor, Seyi Makinde and former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, appealed to chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party to forge a united front by not allowing their individual presidential ambition to divide their rank. The two party leaders made the plea at the official inauguration of the Board of Governors and the unveiling of the road map for the Peoples Democratic Institute at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja. The move comes in the wake of palpable fears that the individual ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and Makinde may…
THE former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, is still being held at the Port Harcourt, Rivers State office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. This makes it his second night in the custody of the anti-graft agency. This is as the Delta State chapter of All Progressives Congress backed the detention of the former governor, describing it as a positive step in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against corruption. Okowa, who was the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, reported at the EFCC office, following an invitation by investigators…
A FEMALE doctor, Ganiyat Popoola, who was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, has regained her freedom after 10 months in captivity. Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna State, was abducted alongside her husband, Nurudeen Popoola, who is a Squadron leader, and her nephew, Folaranmi Abdul-Mugniy, who stays with them. After several negotiations with the kidnappers, the husband was released on March 8, 2024, but the doctor and Abdul-Mugniy were not released. However, on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the President, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Tope Osundara, confirmed the release of Popoola and…
THE Nigerian Army has dismissed media reports suggesting that there is a leadership vacuum following the absence of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja. It also issued a warning to those calling for a military coup, describing it as a treasonable offence under the law. The clarification comes in a statement signed by the Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau on Monday, after a viral video where some persons were aggrievedly calling for a military takeover surfaced online. It also clarified that there was never an appointment of an acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to…
THE Nigerian Army on Saturday pulled out 15 Generals of the Artillery Corps who retired from active military service. Out of the 15 retired artillery officers pulled out of active service at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery, NASA, in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, 11 were of the rank of Maj.-Gen. and four of Brig-Gen. The Reviewing Officer leading the pack was retired Maj.-Gen. James Myam, who spoke on behalf of the retirees. Myam said : “Having come this far, we can only say that we feel highly fulfilled and give all the glory to the Lord…
INDICATIONS have emerged that some Army generals are lobbying for the position of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), following reports that current COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, is on admission at a foreign hospital undergoing treatment for a yet-to-be-disclosed health issue. Army Headquarters (AHQ), through the spokesman, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, responded to the reports, saying Lagbaja is on leave and that arrangements are in place to ensure there is no vacuum in his absence. An online medium, Saharareporters, had reported that the Army chief, who was allegedly flown out over the undisclosed ailment, is incapacitated, as…
THE Ministry of Defence will soon establish a Joint Military Command Centre in the North West code-named ‘Operation Fansan Yamma’, as part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to address the security challenges confronting the region. The Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, disclosed this on Thursday when he visited the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House as part of his working tour of the North-West Zone. The visit was aimed at finalising preparations for the official launch of ‘Operation Fansan Yamma ‘, a joint military theatre Command established by the Defence Headquarters…
BARRING any last-minute changes, this newspaper gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party will postpone its National Executive Committee meeting originally scheduled for October 24 to allow governors agree on political solutions to facilitate the exit of acting National Chairman Umar Damagum. Multiple high-ranking members of the PDP NWC, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, stated that the NEC meeting would be delayed as governors sought to alleviate recent factional tensions and buy time to address issues hindering Damagum’s removal while also gathering resources for his compensation. Recall that since assuming…