Category: Daily Trust

On May 5, 2026, the High Court of Borno State sitting in Maiduguri convicted Mrs Lami Samuel Dawa, a primary school teacher, and sentenced her to 14 years’ imprisonment. On Saturday, October 31, the Christian Association of Nigeria, through its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the case raised questions about religious freedom and constitutional rights. CAN said it was particularly concerned by reports that the case arose from the conversion of an adult woman to Christianity. Online, the story has hardened further: headlines now say a Christian woman was jailed for sharing her faith, or for converting a Muslim woman in Gwoza.

I understand why that narrative travels. Nigeria has a long, painful history of religious grievance and tension, and it seeps into almost every public issue. I also want to credit Archbishop Okoh for something many who are sharing his statement have skipped: he said plainly that the precise facts and legal basis of the conviction were still being verified. That was the right instinct. I have done that verification. I have read the full judgment and the certified record of proceedings in The State v. Lami Samuel Dawa and 5 Ors (BOHC/MG/CR/154/2025). With respect, the record tells a different story. This is a case about a child, not a creed.

The premise of CAN’s concern is that an adult chose a new faith and was punished for it, or someone was punished for helping her. Every adult in Nigeria has that right and I would defend it without hesitation. But that is not this case.

The person at the centre of this trial is a girl. She told the court she was born in 2009, that she was 13 when she was first abducted, converted and taken to Jos, and 16 when she testified in December 2025. Her mother gave the same ages. The defence did not establish otherwise. The events happened in Maiduguri, not Gwoza. She was a minor at every stage that matters, which is why the charges were brought under the Borno State Child Protection Law.

Once that single fact is restored, the whole picture changes. The question is no longer whether an adult may change her religion. It is whether an unrelated adult may secretly take someone else’s child away from her parents. No legal system in the world, religious or secular, answers yes.

I will not name the girl. She is a child, and the online campaign has already exposed her far more than any child deserves. But her story, as the court heard it, deserves to be told plainly.

After her first disappearance and return, her mother asked a trusted neighbour, Mrs Dawa, to help re-enrol her in school. By the girl’s sworn account in court, Mrs Dawa then told her that her own parents were plotting to kill her. She asked the girl to hand over the N20,000 her mother had given her for WAEC registration. She gave her a phone and a SIM card. On the appointed day, she met the girl on Baga Road, had her change out of her school uniform in a chemist into clothes belonging to Mrs Dawa’s own daughter and put her in a car bound for Jos.

Midway, the girl testified, Mrs Dawa called her to say the search for her was intense and that she should get off at Bauchi, where a man would collect her. She stayed with him for three days until, in Mrs Dawa’s words as recounted, things had calmed down. Mrs Dawa later visited her in Jos with gifts and N15,000. Nine sets of clothes she gave the girl were tendered in court.

All the while, the girl’s mother was searching for her daughter. She told the court she sold her belongings to pay for spiritual help, and that Mrs Dawa was among those who bought them. When the mother asked about her daughter, Mrs Dawa said nothing of where the girl was. She simply told her to be patient, assuring her that the girl would return.

This was not merely the girl’s word. Mrs Dawa’s own statement to investigators, Exhibit B, admitted in evidence without objection from her counsel, acknowledged giving the SIM card, visiting the girl in Jos and not telling the family where she was. In the witness box, the court found, her defence dwelt on her good relationship with the family rather than answering the specific allegations.

If this were a religious witch-hunt, it was a remarkably poor one. Six people were charged. Three of the five who stood trial, all Christians, walked free.

The court acquitted Binta Mamman Sasuwa and Esther Simon, who received the girl in 2022, because nothing showed they knew she had been taken from her parents. It acquitted Mrs Dawa’s own husband, Amos Suleiman. It threw out the conspiracy count against everyone.

A court bent on punishing Christianity does not carefully separate the guilty from the innocent along the lines of proof. This one did.

Mrs Dawa was convicted under the Borno State Penal Code Law 2023 and the Borno State Child Protection Law 2021. Both apply to every resident of the state, whatever their faith. The sentences attach to three counts: enticing a child away from her parents, removing her from lawful custody, and depriving her of schooling. None of them punishes anyone for being a Christian, for worshipping or for sharing their faith.

The court’s reasoning on religion turned on a principle found in the federal Child’s Rights Act and mirrored in Borno’s own law: a child has freedom of thought, conscience and religion, exercised with the guidance of her parents or guardians. That principle protects Christian children in Muslim neighbourhoods exactly as it protects Muslim children in Christian ones. What it forbids is an unrelated adult secretly overriding a family and spiriting a minor hundreds of kilometres away.

One more fact has been lost in the noise. The girl’s mother was born a Christian, and her grandmother and other relatives remain Christians to this day. This is not the story of a Muslim family persecuting a Christian daughter. It is the story of a mother who, for more than a year, did not know whether her child was alive.

Swap the labels and the answer is obvious. Had a Muslim teacher spirited her Christian neighbour’s 15-year-old to an Islamiyya in Kano behind her parents’ backs, CAN would rightly condemn it, and I would stand with them. What is a crime against a Christian child is a crime against a Muslim child.

Much of the outrage centres on the 14-year term, so the arithmetic matters. Mrs Dawa was convicted on three counts and sentenced to 14, 14 and 10 years respectively. The court had the discretion to order those terms to run consecutively, one after the other. Had it done so, she would be facing 38 years in prison.

It did not. After she pleaded for leniency in her allocutus, the court ordered all three sentences to run concurrently. She will serve 14 years in total, no more than the longest single term. Of the options open to it, the court chose the lighter one.

That is why I am troubled by the abuse now being directed at the trial judge, Hon. Justice A. B. Kumalia, much of it from people who have not read a line of the judgment. Judges cannot step into the arena to defend themselves; convention rightly keeps them silent. It therefore falls to the rest of us to set the record straight. On this record, His Lordship weighed the evidence carefully, acquitted wherever the proof fell short and tempered the sentence with restraint. That deserves commendation, not insult.

None of this means the judgment is beyond criticism. Lawyers may reasonably debate aspects of the court’s reasoning. An appeal has now been filed and the Christian Lawyers Fellowship of Nigeria, which defended Mrs Dawa at the trial, will rightly press every point it can. That is how it should be. I welcome CAN’s commitment to letting the judicial process run its course, and I would defend Mrs Dawa’s right of appeal as firmly as I defend the basis of her conviction.

What is not legitimate is to recast a carefully argued criminal judgment, one that acquitted most of the Christian defendants, as a sectarian assault. Doing so inflames a region that has paid in blood for exactly this kind of mistrust. It also teaches Nigerians that courts are to be trusted only when they rule for our side.

I appeal respectfully to the leadership of CAN, and to everyone sharing this story, to read the judgment before amplifying claims about it. Keep the girl’s identity out of it. Let the appellate process take its course. And let us hold one standard for every child in Nigeria, whatever their faith: no adult, however well-meaning they believe themselves to be, may secretly take a child from her parents.

That is not persecution. It is the law doing exactly what each of us would demand of it if the child were our own.

Dr Bukarti is a lawyer called to the bars of Nigeria and of England and Wales and a lecturer in International Law and Jurisprudence at Bayero University Kano

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 45 lawmakers before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged defection of lawmakers elected on its platform in 2023 without completing their resignation processes.

The suit, filed through the party’s counsel, Lex Firma LP, seeks judicial interpretation and enforcement of constitutional provisions governing the defection of elected legislators from the political parties on whose platforms they secured their mandates.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the originating summons, the NNPP is challenging the alleged defection of 45 lawmakers, comprising members of the Kano State House of Assembly, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, who were elected on its platform in the 2023 general elections.

The party alleged that the affected lawmakers abandoned the NNPP and joined other political parties while still occupying the legislative seats they secured under its platform, without following the procedures required for terminating their membership.

The NNPP further alleged that some of the lawmakers had already been listed by INEC as candidates of other parties for the 2027 general elections, raising questions about the legality of their nominations and their continued occupation of their current legislative seats.

Specifically, the party identified several Kano State lawmakers whose names reportedly appeared on INEC’s list as candidates for other parties in the 2027 State House of Assembly elections.

In a letter dated Oct. 19 addressed to INEC, the party stated that it had drawn the commission’s attention to the alleged defections and requested an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the lawmakers’ purported resignations and subsequent membership in other parties.

It expressed concern that the affected legislators still have their names on the NNPP membership register while simultaneously being registered as members of other parties-a situation it argued violates statutory provisions regulating political party membership.

The party maintained that the alleged defections occurred without the requisite clearance from its Board of Trustees and electoral guidelines, citing Articles 8.2(a), 8.2(b), and 8.3(a) of its constitution.

The NNPP relied on judgments delivered by the Abia State High Court on Nov. 1, 2024, in Suit No. HUZ/11/2024, and the Court of Appeal on March 30, 2026, in Appeal No. CA/OW/271/2025, which it said affirmed the authority of its Board of Trustees and founder in matters relating to the party’s administration.

The party further argued that it had not merged with any political party nor ceased to exist as a registered entity, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the alleged defections do not fall within the constitutional exceptions permitting legislators to defect without forfeiting their seats.

Consequently, the party is seeking a judicial determination of the constitutional implications of the alleged defections under Sections 68(1)(g), 68(2), 109(1)(g), and 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

‘These provisions address circumstances under which members of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly may lose their seats following a change of political party membership, subject to constitutionally recognized exceptions,’ the party stated.

‘We also want the relevant legislative authorities to be notified of the alleged defections and appropriate constitutional steps taken concerning the affected seats, including the possibility of declaring them vacant and conducting bye-elections.’

The NNPP added that it is prepared to participate in any bye-elections lawfully conducted in the affected constituencies.

The affidavit in support of the originating summons was deposed to by Junia Oludare, a litigation secretary with Lex Firma LP, and sworn to at the Federal High Court Registry, Abuja, on Oct. 27, 2026. (NAN)

Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NNPP, stated that the party will not accept interventions to backdate the resignations of members who failed to complete the process before the party notified INEC of their alleged non-compliance.

He warned that any attempt to falsify resignation records would amount to criminality, urging individuals approaching party leaders for backdated documentation to desist immediately.

In its Oct. 19 letter to INEC, the NNPP alleged that Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, 18 members of the House of Representatives, 28 members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and two senators elected on its platform in 2023 had failed to fulfill the statutory requirements for lawful resignation.

According to the party, the affected politicians have since moved to other political parties and are pursuing political ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections without completing the necessary resignation procedures.

The suit is expected to test the constitutional boundaries of political defection by elected lawmakers, the circumstances under which legislative seats may become vacant, and INEC’s responsibilities in ensuring compliance with electoral laws ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Peter Obi Media Office (POMR) has raised an alarm over alleged attempts by some state governors to subvert the democratic process ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections.

In a statement signed by POMR spokesman Idris Zekeri Jnr., the media office warned that any electoral process falling short of free, fair, and transparent standards is bound to fail, as Nigerians remain firmly resolved to resist any form of manipulation.

Addressing the actions of some state governors, the statement reminded them that their covert maneuvers cannot conceal what it described as a poor record of performance.

‘Regardless of their fraudulent efforts, they are presenting a poor product, and Nigerians will select the best option available in the market,’ the statement read.

The media office condemned the increasing desperation of certain political figures who, rather than showcasing tangible service, achievements, and performance records, are opting for electoral manipulation and safeguards for rigging.

Reiterating the core principles of democratic governance, POMR emphasized that public office must be earned through genuine public service rather than retained through high-handedness.

According to the statement, leadership is a privilege earned through service, not a mandate to retain power through deceit, intimidation, or interference with the democratic process.

It noted that Nigerians have had enough of bad governance and are determined to reject undeserving leaders who have repeatedly failed them, adding that the 2027 election will serve as a defining moment for the nation, with citizens resolved to reclaim their country through the power of their votes.

The statement added that no level of intimidation, financial inducement, or political maneuvering can permanently silence the sovereign will of the people..

The Accord Party has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking disqualification of all its candidates for the 2027 general elections.

The party challenged the competence of the suit filed by its National Secretary, Adebukola Ajaja, on the grounds that the case was statute barred, having been instituted outside the 14 days allowed under the law.

The party, in a preliminary objection marked: FHC/ABJ/CV/2524/2026 and filed by Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, also queried the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.

Adetunbi argued that the issue of candidates’ nomination falls within the internal affairs of a political party.

The senior lawyer, while querying the plaintiff’s locus standi to file the suit for not being an aspirant in the primary election conducted on May 29, also faulted the competence of the suit on the grounds that proper parties were not included.

He argued that while the plaintiff wants the court to nullify the nomination of its candidates, none of the candidates to be affected by the outcome of the suit were made parties to afford them the opportunity of being heard.

He also faulted the competence of the suit on the grounds that it is allegedly premature because the plaintiff failed to give it the required 21 days’ pre-action notice.

Accord, listed as the 2nd defendant, argued that its primary was conducted in accordance with all relevant laws and guidelines.

It added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had since recognised its outcome and the list of candidates duly submitted to the electoral umpire in the prescribed format.

It further argued that, as against the plaintiff’s contention, the National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary could validly sign and submit candidates’ lists and forms to INEC where the National Security is unavailable in line with Article 18 of the party’s constitution and Regulations 25(3), 28(2) of INEC’s Guidelines.

‘INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties did not in any way specify that the plaintiff herein must sign the forwarding letter, neither did the Constitution of the 2nd defendant require her (the plaintiff) to sign.

‘The National Executives of the party expressly authorised the 4th defendant to co-sign with the 3rd defendant. No wrong has been done,’ it said.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Jegede v. INEC, Accord Party argued that even if it was only its National Chairman that signed, ‘the plaintiff’s case is still bound to fail because the signature of the National Chairman suffices on the authority of Jegede v. INEC.’

Accord Party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, stated in a counter-affidavit that contrary to the plaintiff’s claim that her responsibilities were usurped by the National Organising Secretary, she actually abandoned her duties.

Mgbudem, who queried the plaintiff’s handling of the party’s funds, accused her of making false claims about the number of cases pending in court in relation to the primary election, stating that not less than 16 were filed.

At least 26 people were killed after Russian bombs hit an aid distribution centre, in an attack that Ukraine’s leader has called ‘utterly horrific’.

Five people were injured and 27 initially reported missing after at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs hit the village of Komyshuvakha in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, regional head Mykhailo Semikin said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that after the first strike on the local school ‘used for humanitarian needs’, there was a second attack on the place where people were sheltering.

He posted a video showing a huge crater left after Monday’s attack, and rescuer teams searching through the rubble.

The Russian military has not publicly commented.

Zelensky initially put the death toll at 18, but Ukraine’s state emergencies service DSNS later said 24 people, including two rescuers and four police officers, were confirmed to have been killed.

In his video address late on Monday, Zelensky said 26 people were now known to have died.

He earlier said that ‘the Russians could not have been unaware that the local residents who remained in Komyshuvakha received humanitarian aid there every week’ on Monday.

‘This is yet another proof that Russia does not want any de-escalation.’

He said that after a recent successful joint Russian-Ukrainian operation to evacuate civilians from the Russia-occupied southern city of Oleshky during a temporary ceasefire brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, ‘there was a moment when the next steps could show that peace is possible’.

‘With such killings, Russia is sending the exact opposite signal – Russia is counting on further killings,’ Zelensky said.

A day of mourning has been declared for Tuesday across the entire Zaporizhzhia region.

The Joint Task Force, Operation WHIRL STROKE, has killed two suspected bandits in Kabba-Bunu and Lokoja local government areas of Kogi State.

The Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters JTF Operation WHIRL STROKE, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday.

According to him, troops of Sector 3 of the JTF conducted the operation on Saturday, October 31, 2026, against suspected terrorists following an intelligence-led ambush along the Adankolo-Apata Road.

‘Acting on the intelligence, troops laid an ambush at suspected bandits’ supply route. The troops subsequently made contact with the suspected criminals who were subdued and forced to flee,’ the statement read.

It added: ‘At about 0900 hours on the same day during exploitation, troops received information regarding the discovery of suspected bandits’ bodies towards Adankolo Forest.

‘On arrival at the location, troops found corpses of the two suspected bandits and recovered one locally made pistol, one cartridge and one empty case of 7.62mm special ammunition.’

Meanwhile, the Force Commander, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE and General Officer Commanding 5 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Moses Gara, urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities, stressing that security remains everybody’s responsibility.

Sunday Okoronkwo, Executive Secretary of the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), speaks on Nigeria’s micronutrient deficiency and why the government should give tax incentives to manufacturers to make fortified bouillon cube products affordable and safe for consumers.

Nigeria has a voluntary standard for fortifying bouillon cubes with folic acid and vitamin B12, but implementation remains a challenge. What should the government and manufacturers do to accelerate adoption?

Nigeria’s option of a voluntary standard in 2024 was a step in the right direction. It established a technical pathway for adding nutrients, including iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12, to seasoning cubes.

However, the challenge with a voluntary approach is that some manufacturers may comply while others may not.

There is also a commercial consideration. Fortification comes with additional costs. A manufacturer that invests in adding micronutrients may have to charge more for its products than a competitor that does not. This could put companies that comply at a disadvantage, particularly in a price-sensitive market such as Nigeria.

Consequently, some manufacturers may be reluctant to fortify their products, even when they understand the potential public health benefits.

I believe it is time for Nigeria to move from voluntary to mandatory bouillon cube fortification. Given the country’s high malnutrition burden and the prevalence of anaemia among women of reproductive age, we need a more consistent approach that ensures consumers can access these essential nutrients.

Mandatory fortification would also create a level playing field for manufacturers. If all companies producing bouillon cubes are required to meet the same fortification standards, no company would be commercially disadvantaged simply because it chooses to comply.

However, the government must complement this policy with practical support for manufacturers. It should consider tax incentives, including reducing or removing taxes on nutrient premixes and other essential fortification inputs.

These measures could help reduce production costs and prevent fortified products from becoming too expensive for low-income households.

Affordability is critical. Bouillon cubes are widely consumed in Nigeria, including by poorer households. If fortification significantly increases prices, some consumers may reduce their consumption or stop buying the products altogether. That would undermine the very public health objective the policy is intended to achieve.

The government must therefore balance mandatory fortification with incentives that encourage compliance while keeping products accessible.

Beyond making fortification mandatory, what regulatory measures are needed to ensure manufacturers comply with the standards?

Enforcement is critical. It is not enough to require manufacturers to fortify their products; the government must ensure they actually do so and that the products meet the required standards.

Regulatory authorities should verify that the nutrients declared on product labels are genuinely present in the products and that the quantities meet the prescribed specifications.

Manufacturers must also provide accurate information on their labels so consumers know what they are buying.

This requires effective monitoring, testing and enforcement of existing regulatory standards. If a company claims that its product has been fortified, there must be a reliable mechanism for confirming that claim.

At the same time, the government should work with the private sector to address the cost of fortification. Enforcement alone may not be sufficient if manufacturers face significant financial barriers to compliance.

A combination of mandatory standards, credible monitoring, tax incentives and affordable access to nutrient premixes would provide a more sustainable approach.

Our objective should be to reduce malnutrition and improve the health of women and children, while ensuring that manufacturers can comply without making fortified products unaffordable.

One argument against bouillon cube fortification is that these products already contain salt, and increasing their consumption could worsen sodium intake and raise the risk of hypertension and other non-communicable diseases. How do you respond to this concern?

That is one side of the argument, and it is important not to dismiss it. Excessive sodium intake is a public health concern because it can contribute to high blood pressure and other non-communicable diseases.

However, we must also consider the other side of the argument. Bouillon cubes are already widely consumed in Nigeria, so they offer an opportunity to deliver essential micronutrients through a familiar food product.

The goal of fortification is not to encourage people to consume more bouillon cubes or increase their salt intake. It is to improve the nutritional value of a product people already use.

Moderation and public education are therefore essential. People need to understand how much seasoning to use and how to reduce excessive sodium intake. For example, someone who habitually uses two cubes in a meal may be able to use one instead, depending on the recipe and dietary needs.

Manufacturers must also comply with appropriate technical and regulatory standards when incorporating micronutrients into their products. Fortification should be implemented in a way that considers both nutritional benefits and potential health risks.

Public education must accompany the policy so consumers understand the importance of moderation and healthy dietary practices.

Ultimately, the discussion should consider both the risks associated with excessive sodium intake and the potential benefits of addressing widespread micronutrient deficiencies. These concerns should be managed together rather than treating them as mutually exclusive.

Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the opportunity to improve nutrition, particularly among women and children who may not have access to a sufficiently diverse diet.

The priority should be to develop a responsible fortification programme that follows established standards, maintains product affordability, monitors compliance and educates consumers about healthy consumption.

The Sokoto State Government has sealed one of the offices of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Barrister Nasiru Dantsoho, who announced the sealing of the building on Monday, said the action was taken to protect lives and property following a recent disturbance involving supporters of party and some miscreants.

Dantsoho alleged that the government reviewed the available documents relating to the property and discovered that it was originally owned by the defunct Savannah Bank, with no official change of ownership reflected in the records.

He said the government had written to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), which he described as the custodian of the property, seeking clarification on its current ownership but was yet to receive a response.

‘Following a review of the certificate of occupancy and other relevant documents, we discovered that this property belongs to the Savannah Bank, and that ownership has not changed as of today.

‘We have written to the NDIC, the custodian of this building, to clarify its present ownership, but we are yet to receive a response,’ he said.

The commissioner said the government decided to seal off the premises pending the NDIC’s response, stressing that the measure was necessary to prevent further disturbances and safeguard lives and property.

He appealed to anyone claiming ownership of the building to present relevant documents to the government for verification and proper documentation, after which the property could be released to its rightful owner.

Dantsoho, however, maintained that the property would remain under the control of the state government until the ownership issue was resolved.

He warned that anyone who attempted to forcefully gain access to the sealed premises would face appropriate legal action, including prosecution.

The development comes amid rising political tension in Sokoto following allegations of attacks involving supporters of the ADC and operatives of state-owned security outfit.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria, saying God has answered his prayer to continue in office.

The President stated this on Monday while reflecting on his spiritual journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, during which the Custodian of the Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, granted him a rare privilege of leading Nigeria’s delegation to pray inside the Holy Ka’abah.

At the Ka’abah, Tinubu offered prayers of gratitude to Almighty Allah for the privilege of serving as Nigeria’s President.

Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram led the President into the Ka’abah.

Tinubu thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for granting him and members of his Nigerian delegation the opportunity to enter the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah and offer prayers to Almighty Allah.

The President described the honour as a historic and deeply cherished spiritual experience, reflecting the longstanding bonds of friendship, mutual respect and cooperation between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

‘I want to say a big thank you for the faith, for the recognition. I can’t believe the fencing of the Ka’abah is in Green-White-Green, which reminds us of the Nigerian identity.’

‘I thank the Crown Prince and all the administrators of the holy land. I thank them for the hospitality and recognition given to me as the leader of the delegation and the country.

‘We are all facing challenges and hostility around us. We will overcome them with faith in God Almighty. I’m grateful forever. I thank the King and the royal Crown Prince.

‘It is an honour that I enjoyed, and it is gracious of them to have allowed me to enter inside the Ka’abah. This is history. Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted. Before the 2023 election, I did the same thing. I asked Allah to bless my Umrah then, and He did.

And I promised that I would come back to thank Him.’

Reflecting on the message from the Holy Qur’an in Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26, which affirms that Almighty Allah is the Owner of all sovereignty, granting power and authority to whom He wills and taking them away from whom He wills, the President said power is a trust that must be exercised responsibly, with humility and in the service of the people, recognising that no position of authority is permanent and that ultimate sovereignty belongs to Almighty Allah.

‘There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority. He says, ‘ If I give you, use it well. If you don’t use it in accordance with my dictates, I can take it from you and give it to another person. I am the only One who has that authority,’ the President said, quoting the words of the Qur’an.

Tinubu said faith in Allah had strengthened his conviction that his emergence as Nigeria’s leader was an extraordinary blessing that must be matched with dedicated service to the country.

‘I have faith in that, and I believe extremely well that He has done me and my country a great favour. Out of many millions of people, to be the President and Commander-in-Chief is a favour that only Almighty God can do to a human being,’ he stated.

Tinubu emphasised that his commitment to Project Nigeria had become even stronger, assuring Nigerians of his resolve to pursue policies and programmes that would promote prosperity, national development and shared progress.

‘My commitment to Project Nigeria is higher. I am determined to usher in prosperity and fully develop the country, consistent with the wish of Allah and the support of the people.

‘It is important to put Allah first, then move on. Follow your conscience. Follow the right path that will lead Nigeria to that greatness,’ the President said.

On the nation’s economic outlook, Tinubu expressed optimism about the ‘progress made under his watch’, describing the economic foundation as solid and the country’s emergence from a difficult period as encouraging.

‘The foundation is solid, and the economy has come out of the dark tunnel. This is inspiring,’ he said.

He maintained, however, that nation-building requires sustained investment in young Nigerians’ future, noting that today’s leaders’ decisions will determine how future generations remember them.

‘We need to build a future for our youth. If we don’t invest in their future, how do we want to be remembered as leaders 50 years from now? That’s the main thing. So this is a rare privilege to lead the country,’ the President added.

Kaduna State has increased basic school enrolment from 2.17 million in 2022 to more than 2.57 million in 2025, Governor Uba Sani has said.

The governor disclosed this through his deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, at the close-out event of the UK-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigerian Education (PLANE) programme in Kaduna.

He said the achievement reflected the state government’s commitment to expanding access to education and ensuring that more children had the opportunity to acquire basic education.

Sani called on state governments to sustain the gains recorded under PLANE, stressing that the programme’s closure should not lead to a reversal of progress in education.

‘PLANE has done its part. It is now up to us, the state governments, to keep the progress going and to make sure that every child in our respective states has the opportunity to go to school and learn,’ he said.

The governor said the programme had made significant contributions to improving access to education, particularly for vulnerable children and those affected by emergencies.

He urged stakeholders to continue investing in education and strengthening systems that would improve school enrolment, attendance and learning outcomes.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowles, said PLANE had reached more than two million children and supported the training of over 25,000 teachers and facilitators across northern Nigeria since its launch in 2019.

He said the programme had strengthened education policies, systems and institutions at federal and state levels.