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For a 24-year-old Zaliha Aliyu Gidan Kanawa, her marriage to Professor Hassan Muhammad Maishanu was defined by love, understanding and mutual respect, but that changed and instantly became memories on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 when tragedy struck the family when a gas explosion happened in their home in Sokoto, leaving the professor and his daughter, Husnah critically injured.

Husnah, 21, was a 100-level Software Engineering student at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS). She didn’t survive the tragedy as she died later that night, alongside her father, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he eventually died.

Zaliha, who was with the professor shortly before the incident, recalled that they were seated in the sitting room with one of their daughters when their young son, Sudais, entered and complained that he was hungry. She narrated that she called on Husnah, who was preparing the food, to ask why it was taking so long for the food to be ready. She noted that Husnah explained that the main gas wasn’t producing enough flame, while the smaller camp gas had also developed a problem.

Zaliha said she then called on her husband to help check it. Prof Maishanu was said to have followed Husnah into the kitchen, and minutes later, they heard a loud explosion.

‘They came out and we saw him completely burnt,’ she recalled, adding that the professor managed to open another door from behind before Husnah came out, noting that Sudais was later found unconscious.

Zaliha recalled that her husband had a bad cold and couldn’t smell anything properly. She believed his inability to smell anything may have prevented him from perceiving the odour of the gas while he was checking the cooker. She, however, noted that the meal being prepared wasn’t affected by the explosion, nor did they see the main gas cylinder catch fire.

The victims were taken to the UDUTH and immediately admitted at the ICU. Husnah died around midnight on the day of the incident, but the family decided not to tell her father. According to Zaliha, when she visited him on Tuesday, September 15, their last conversation was about his recovery. He told her that he was feeling much better after sleeping for about three hours and that the pain and worries he had been experiencing had reduced. He then asked about Husnah.

‘I was told she was getting better, so I told him she was still in the ICU and being taken care of. People came to sympathise with him over her death, but he told them that she wasn’t dead but recuperating,’ Zaliha said.

The widow noted that their marriage taught her many lessons, describing their relationship as one built on love, understanding and companionship.

‘He was a very good husband. I don’t think any marriage was filled with love, affection and understanding like ours.

His students speak

At the UDUS, for students and colleagues of Prof Maishanu, the tragedy represents the loss of a teacher remembered for his kindness, discipline, simplicity and gentle nature.

Abdul’azeez Rahmatullah, a Botany graduate and former student of the professor, who was also his project supervisor, described him as a friendly lecturer who was always smiling and punctual to class.

‘He was like a father to us. He helped us when we needed help academically. He helped us a lot,’ he said.

Another former student, Umar Yahaya Tsafe, noted that the professor supervised his project and taught him lessons that went beyond academics. He recalled how the professor once insisted that a student who was not serious about his project must become committed before completing the work. Yet, after the student eventually finished, Prof Maishanu gave him money.

‘That was one of the things that came to my mind when I heard about his death,’ Tsafe said.

Dr Ibrahim Yusuf Tafinta of the Department of Plant Science, who worked with the professor when he was Head of Department, described him as hardworking and generous.

‘He was a person who never envied anyone. He was always content with life. He had all the qualities you could desire in a human being,’ he said.

Also, Prof AF Waziri, the Head of the Department of Plant Science, who was both his student and colleague, said Prof Maishanu was a man of integrity, commitment and good character. He said the professor was deeply committed to religion, maintained good relations with people without discrimination, and regularly advised others on how to improve themselves.

Waziri said Maishanu’s death had created a major gap in the department as they shared courses and he was supervising several students whose projects would now have to be reassigned. He also recalled that on Tuesday, September 8, a day before the tragic explosion, Maishanu distributed copies of the Holy Qur’an to colleagues and offered to provide more for people who needed them for distribution elsewhere.

‘He never missed Fajr’

For his eldest son, Ahmad Hassan Maishanu, his father’s commitment to helping others and his religious devotion are memories he would never forget. Ahmad said his father was particularly passionate about helping orphans, always cheerful and never allowed his position to create a distance between him and people. He recalled seeing his father sitting with the family’s gateman, chatting with him like a close friend. He also spoke about his father’s devotion to prayers passionately.

‘Since I was born, I have never seen my father wake up and miss Fajr prayer,’ he said.

Ahmad recalled visiting him in the early hours of Thursday while he was still in the hospital. ‘He asked me, ‘Ahmad, have you prayed?’ I told him yes. Immediately, I saw him straighten his leg, and with his eyes, he started praying,’ he said.

He later went to get water for his father’s bath, only to return and find that he had died. Ahmad said the family was touched by the tributes that followed his father’s death, including accounts of how he supported students and colleagues in ways they had not known while he was alive.

Prof Hassan Muhammad Maishanu, born on July 18, 1970, in Sokoto, obtained a BSc in Botany from Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in 1991, an MSc in Forestry from the University of Ibadan in 1994 and a PhD in Botany from the UDUS in 2011. He joined the UDUS as a part-time lecturer in 1994 and rose through the ranks to become a Senior Lecturer and later Reader (Associate Professor). He attained the rank of Professor in November 2025.

He is survived by his wife and 13 children. Another wife, with whom he had eight children, had separated from him, while his other wife, had six children, but one (Husnah) died before him.

His immediate elder sister, Hadiza Muhammad Maishanu, is also mourning the loss of a brother she described as loving, generous and committed to the family. She said that after her husband died seven years ago, Maishanu took responsibility for her and her six children, regularly sending her money for food and other household needs.

‘He was always there for me. He told me that whenever I needed anything I should tell him,’ she said.

For decades, Nigerian football administration felt like a chronic battlefiel-a cyclical storm of leadership tussles, court injunctions, and threats of global bans. Yet, following the unprecedented mass resignation of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau’s executive board, a surprising calm has descended on Abuja. What was expected to be another explosive showdown turned into a watershed moment of unity as the divergent demands by critical stakeholders still amplified one goal: the urgent need for major reforms in Nigerian football.

The two-day interactive session in Abuja provided ample opportunity for the relevant stakeholders with demands to put them forward for consideration by the world football governing body. What dominated discussions was no doubt the governance and leadership crisis triggered by the unprecedented resignation of the NFF executive board.

The interactions centered on how to fill this leadership vacuum and implement structural changes, which inevitably led to a deep division among the stakeholders over two main issues: the disagreement over a Normalisation Committee and the adaptation of an internal transition mechanism.

While the NSC, players’ union, coaches, and referees pushed for FIFA to appoint an independent Normalisation Committee to overhaul the federation’s architecture and organise fresh elections, State Football Associations (FAs) argued that there is no crisis in the sport, thereby settling for a Caretaker Committee to be raised within.

This is the inside story of how some of the critical stakeholders addressed the FIFA delegation. Each presented a position paper containing demands it hoped would not only transform Nigerian football but tackle the lingering leadership and administrative issues in Nigerian football.

Former NFF presidents demand FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee

Former presidents and general secretaries of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a jointly signed position paper demanded the immediate installation of a six-month Normalisation Committee to overhaul the nation’s football architecture.

The former football administrators argued that recurring sporting stagnation, administrative bottlenecks, and a severe loss of public trust stem from deep-seated structural flaws rather than mere administrative missteps.

They, therefore, asked for a structured transition starting with stakeholder consultations, leading sequentially through local football council elections, State FA elections, an expanded NFF Congress, and culminating in national NFF elections.

The former leaders also demanded the overhauling of the existing Congress structure where State FAs hold roughly 84% of the voting power, ensuring fairer representation for leagues, players, coaches, referees, and grassroots bodies.

The football administrators concluded that it was necessary to rebalance voting during elections, expand eligibility, ensure professionalised governance and integration of past reports on Nigerian football.

NFF Congress insists mass resignations did not dissolve Federation

The Congress of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) firmly maintained that the mass resignation of top officials has created a leadership vacuum, but has not dissolved the football governing body itself.

In its substantive Position Paper submitted to the mission, the Congress acknowledged that the simultaneous departures have left a severe administrative void. However, members pushed back against any notion that the structural integrity of Nigerian football has collapsed.

‘The resignation of the President, the General Secretary, and all members of the Executive Committee created a leadership and administrative vacuum, but did not, without more, dissolve the NFF, Congress, its Members, or the wider football structure,’ the Congress stated.

Emphasizing a commitment to progress, the Congress declared its full support for comprehensive reform. Crucially, it is pressing for a lawful, football-led, and FIFA/CAF-supervised process to fill existing vacancies, enact necessary statutory changes, and ultimately deliver a credible electoral process.

NPFL Clubs demand full autonomy, voting rights, and financial control

The association representing the 20 elite clubs declared that true administrative and financial progress is impossible without a complete overhaul of how domestic league football is governed, funded, and managed.

At the core of the NPFL clubs’ demands is a push for absolute commercial and administrative independence modeled after global standards like the English Premier League.

The association insists that proprietary rights and league governance must reside exclusively with the clubs. Under this proposal, the election of the NPFL Chairman and Board of Directors, alongside overall league management, would become the sole prerogative of the club owners, completely insulated from external interference.

The association also demanded full reinstatement of voting rights for all 20 NPFL clubs within the football ecosystem; democratically elected club representation on all key NFF decision-making bodies, including the executive committee; formalising the NPFL Club Owners Association in both the NFF Statutes and league frameworks as the exclusive representative body for clubs in commercial negotiations and policy formulation.

The clubs are also pushing for a contractually binding, fair share of all centrally generated revenues-spanning broadcasting, sponsorships, digital rights, and licensing.

Coaches demand a voice in the new football order

The coaches association said the Nigerian football structure is fundamentally defective. It systematically excludes the key technical people who actually build the game.

The coaches also lamented that despite being the heartbeat of talent development, they held virtually no sway over national football policies.

The coaches didn’t just complain; they brought a concrete roadmap to reshape the future of the game. They argued that any true reform must start with the people who train the players.

To prevent administrative stagnation, the coaches proposed strict tenure limits. No NFF Executive Committee member should serve more than two terms (8 years), and State FA Chairmen should be capped at three terms (12 years).

They also demanded an end to tokenism, pressing for a powerful, equitable seat at the table alongside the players and referees.

Nationwide League One demands overhaul, fair representation

The NLO threw its weight behind the federal government’s call for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s football ecosystem.

However, the league insisted that true reform is impossible without empowering its network of over 400 grassroots clubs.

Speaking for the largest assembly of football clubs in the country, NLO leadership emphasised that grassroots teams act as the primary recruiters, talent incubators, and community engagement hubs.

Despite bearing the heavy financial and operational costs of player development, the league argues it has long been sidelined from core decision-making.

‘Excluding grassroots clubs from decision-making processes creates a deep disconnect between daily realities on the ground and the federation’s governance,’ the position paper stated.

To correct this imbalance, the NLO strongly advocated for structural integration by expanding designated NLO representation within the NFF Congress and State Football Associations.

Beyond structural representation, the NLO explicitly backed the introduction of a neutral Normalization Committee to oversee a swift, transparent, and credible transition.

Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) seeks institutional recognition

The national body of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in its presentation stated unequivocally that Nigeria does not require another cosmetic adjustment to its football administration. It said Nigeria requires a reset.

SWAN, therefore, said the current crisis should be viewed as an opportunity to undertake a fresh, comprehensive and inclusive review of the entire Nigerian football governance architecture, from the grassroots to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee.

Therefore, the body called for a complete restart of the reform process, beginning with broad stakeholder consultation, institutional diagnosis, statutory review, representation reform, electoral restructuring and a new governance settlement.

More importantly, apart from its request that FIFA and CAF recognise sports media as a legitimate stakeholder in the transition and reform process, SWAN demanded that as a critical stakeholder marginalised for decades, the body deserves institutional recognition proportionate to its legitimate role in the Nigerian football ecosystem.

Nevertheless, SWAN advised that Nigeria should review the composition and philosophy of the NFF Electoral College, stating that an Electoral College should not simply reproduce existing power relationships; it should reflect the actual football ecosystem.

Meanwhile, the findings and recommendations of the joint FIFA/CAF mission are expected to guide the next steps for Nigerian football administration as stakeholders seek a definitive resolution to the impasse.

The federal government has commenced moves to provide dedicated electricity supply to industrial clusters across the country, with a 50-megawatt power project expected to deliver 24-hour electricity to manufacturers at the Idu Industrial Estate in Abuja.

The Minister of State for Industry, Owan Enoh, disclosed this yesterday at the groundbreaking of the power project in Abuja, saying reliable electricity was critical to reducing production cost, increasing local manufacturing and creating jobs.

Enoh said the initiative was part of the government’s industrialisation strategy, which focuses on local production, value addition, economic diversification and stronger integration of Nigerian industries into global markets.

‘When you produce locally, you contribute to job creation. For our abundant youth, you provide for them a pathway for employment,’ he said.

The minister said the government was seeking to establish practical models that could be replicated across industrial clusters, adding that dependable electricity would enable factories to increase production, expand operations and employ more workers.

‘Industrial renewal is not a sprint. It is a marathon,’ Enoh said, stressing the need for sustained cooperation among the government, private sector and beneficiary communities to protect infrastructure and ensure the projects deliver their intended economic benefits.

He said the industrial power initiative was part of a broader effort to rebuild Nigeria’s productive capacity through higher factory utilisation, increased local sourcing of raw materials and greater value addition.

Explaining the project’s location and implementation, the managing director of Welbeck Electricity Distribution Limited, Afolabi Aiyela, said the project would initially generate 10MW from a site near the AKK gas pipeline in Zuba.

He said the electricity would be transmitted through a 33kV line to the Idu Industrial Estate, while the remaining 40MW would be developed within the estate after the gas pipeline is extended to the area.

Aiyela said the industrial estate currently had a potential electricity demand of between 300MW and 400MW, indicating the scale of the power requirements in the cluster.

On his part, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the government was adopting captive and decentralised power generation to connect electricity generation directly to industrial consumers.

Tegbe said the federal government was conducting technical audits of power infrastructure in major industrial corridors, identifying the Lagos industrial axis, Abuja-Kaduna corridor and Enugu-Onitsha axis as priority areas.

He said the Lagos industrial corridor accounted for about 40 per cent of national electricity demand and that the government was targeting the creation or restoration of about 180,000 jobs in the axis within the next six months through interventions to improve electricity supply.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged United Nations Special Procedures to urgently investigate the reported deaths of 37 young people in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.

The rights organisation also called for an independent probe into the reported use of lethal force against protesters in Minna, the state capital, following the deaths in custody.

According to SERAP, at least two protesters were reportedly killed during demonstrations, while others were allegedly shot and left with serious injuries.

The organisation said the protests followed the deaths of the 37 detainees, including young people reportedly arrested by the NSCDC in connection with alleged illegal mining activities. SERAP said reports of security personnel using live ammunition against protesters raised concerns about whether excessive or disproportionate force was used.

It called for a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into both the deaths in custody and the reported shooting of protesters.

The organisation said the incidents raised concerns under Nigeria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, particularly provisions relating to the rights to life, liberty, security of the person and freedom of assembly.

Probe circumstances of 37 deaths

SERAP said the circumstances surrounding each of the 37 deaths must be established, including the causes and manner of death, conditions of detention, treatment of detainees and the conduct of officers involved.

It cited a recommendation made by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions following her 2019 visit to Nigeria that deaths or serious injuries in police custody and alleged extrajudicial executions should be investigated impartially by an independent body.

The organisation urged authorities to preserve evidence and establish the identities of the deceased, as well as the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

SERAP also called for an investigation into whether any detainees were subjected to torture, ill-treatment, neglect or other abuse, and for the identification of officers and commanders who may have been involved.

Calls for investigation into protest shootings

On the Minna protests, SERAP said the right to peaceful assembly is protected under international and regional human rights standards.

It argued that even where a protest becomes disorderly or some participants engage in unlawful conduct, that does not automatically justify the use of lethal force against protesters.

The organisation said investigators should determine the circumstances in which firearms and live ammunition were used, identify protesters who were killed or injured and establish whether the force used was necessary and proportionate.

It also wants authorities to establish whether orders were issued authorising the use of live ammunition and whether less-lethal alternatives were available and considered.

SERAP called for the immediate preservation of CCTV footage, body-camera recordings, mobile-phone videos, photographs, medical records, detention records, firearms and ammunition records, radio communications and operational orders that could assist the investigation.

The group further urged the government to protect protesters, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, witnesses and relatives of victims from intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest or reprisals.

It asked the UN Special Procedures to communicate with the Nigerian government, demand detailed information on the deaths and injuries, and push for accountability and effective remedies where violations are established.

SERAP said the reported deaths in custody and subsequent events in Minna require urgent international scrutiny, adding that authorities have a responsibility to establish the truth, protect peaceful protest and ensure accountability for unlawful conduct

The political temperature in Delta State rose sharply on Friday as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) One Million-Man March came under a series of attacks in parts of Warri and Uvwie, with the party alleging that armed political thugs disrupted the procession and left more than 100 people injured.

The NDC governorship candidate, Comrade Chris Iyovwaye, led the procession, which attracted thousands of supporters.

But what began as a peaceful political march allegedly turned into a running confrontation at several locations, including the Uvwie junction, Ugborokoko, Jakpa Road and Urhuomarho.

Former Deputy President of the Senate and NDC Delta Central senatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, condemned the violence and demanded an immediate investigation by the police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies.

Omo-Agege alleged that the incidents were not isolated clashes but part of a coordinated attempt to prevent the opposition party from exercising its constitutional right to campaign and mobilise supporters.

According to him, the march was originally scheduled to commence at Angle Park in Warri South but participants were allegedly confronted by persons identified as APC supporters, who told them to leave because the APC was holding a rally at the venue.

Following discussions with the police, the NDC supporters reportedly moved towards the Total filling station area.

Omo-Agege alleged that they were confronted again and told that the government had directed that the NDC procession should not pass through the area.

The situation allegedly escalated after the procession moved towards the Uvwie traffic-light junction.

Omo-Agege said NDC supporters were allegedly attacked at the junction and subsequently came under further attacks at Ugborokoko, where, according to accounts cited by him, gunshots were fired at the procession.

The procession nevertheless continued towards Jakpa Road, where another confrontation allegedly occurred.

In a dramatic development, Omo-Agege alleged that an individual identified as Collins Ogumashe, popularly known as ‘Black Moses,’ was apprehended during the confrontation after allegedly being found with an AK-47 rifle.

He said the suspect was disarmed by human rights activist, Efemena Umukoro, and handed over to the police.

Omo-Agege further alleged that Ogumashe was a known thug in Ugboroke and accused him of being among those allegedly deployed to disrupt NDC campaign activities in Uvwie.

The allegations have not been independently established, and the circumstances surrounding the firearm and the suspect’s alleged involvement remain matters for the security agencies to investigate.

The NDC politician, however, said the matter had taken a more disturbing turn following information allegedly reaching him that the Commissioner of Police had been directed to arrest Umukoro, the activist who allegedly disarmed the suspect.

Omo-Agege demanded that the police explain the circumstances surrounding the incident and investigate all sides of the confrontation.

He called on the Inspector General of Police, the DSS Director-General and other security agencies to determine who organised the attacks, who supplied any weapons used, who financed the alleged attackers and whether political actors were involved.

He also challenged the authorities to ensure that anyone found culpable faces prosecution irrespective of political affiliation or position.

The former Senate Deputy President placed particular responsibility on Governor Oborevwori, arguing that the governor, as the state’s Chief Security Officer, could not remain indifferent if citizens were attacked while participating in lawful political activities.

‘Delta State has seen enough of political violence,’ Omo-Agege said, warning against a situation in which political thugs determine where opposition parties can campaign or which political voices can be heard.

The violence has also triggered a direct appeal from Omo-Agege to youths across the state, urging them not to become instruments of political violence.

He asked youths to consider who ultimately bears the consequences when political violence erupts.

‘Where are the children of the politicians who recruit you when the bullets start flying?’ he asked.

According to him, the young people sent into the streets to fight are the ones who risk death, injury, arrest and the destruction of their future, while the children of those allegedly sponsoring political violence remain removed from the danger.

‘No political ambition is worth your life, your freedom or your future,’ Omo-Agege said.

Despite the reported attacks, he said NDC supporters refused to retreat and until they completed march.

He described their conduct as evidence that the party would not be intimidated or forced out of the political space through violence.

The incident comes as political activity intensifies in Delta State ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising fresh concerns about the conduct of political campaigns and the ability of opposition parties to mobilise freely.

Omo-Agege insisted that the NDC would continue with peaceful, issue-based campaigns and engage voters across the state.

‘You may attack our people, but you cannot silence their voices,’ he said. ‘The people have the right to choose, and that right must be protected.’

The NDC is now demanding that the security agencies move beyond the arrest of individual suspects and establish the full chain of responsibility behind Friday’s violence.