Category: Daily Trust

More details have emerged regarding the suspension of the chairmen of Rogo, Bebeji, and Bagwai local government councils by the Kano State House of Assembly.

According to the Majority Leader,Lawan Hussaini Dala, the action was prompted by multiple petitions alleging financial and administrative misconducts.

Daily Trust reports that the Assembly suspended Abubakar Mustapha (Rogo), Dr. Alhassan Salisu (Bebeji), and Bello Gadanya (Bagwai) following the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs during plenary.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Trust, the House Majority Leader said the Assembly received petitions from a wide range of stakeholders, including community groups, civil society organisations, and elected councillors from the affected local government areas.

He explained that the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs subjected the petitions to preliminary scrutiny by examining financial and administrative records obtained from the councils and holding interactive sessions with key local government officials before recommending the suspension of the three chairmen.

According to him, the petitions alleged financial misappropriation, abuse of office, breach of public trust, fraud, and other administrative infractions.

The chairmen were also accused of incompetence in managing the affairs of their councils and diverting public funds for personal interests.

‘The investigation is far from over,’ Dala said, adding that the committee would widen its probe by inviting all relevant stakeholders to present evidence and defend their positions before arriving at its final recommendations.

He explained that, in line with the Assembly’s constitutional oversight powers, the House directed the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to ensure the immediate handover of leadership to the vice chairmen pending the outcome of the investigation.

Dala disclosed that the committee has three months to complete its assignment and submit its report to the Assembly, after which lawmakers will determine whether the allegations against the suspended chairmen have been established or whether they should be cleared.

He urged residents of the affected councils and other stakeholders to remain calm and allow the committee to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation without interference.

Our correspondent could not reach any of the suspended chairmen as of press time last night.

The attack occurred at about 10:47 p.m on Tuesday, when the assailants reportedly stormed the community and opened fire on the local security volunteers, who were keeping vigil to protect residents from possible attacks.

The victims were identified as Dachung Danjuma, 51; Victor Danjuma, 37; and Nyam Danjuma, 35.

The victims, who were biological brothers, were said to have been killed on the spot during the attack, leaving their family and the community devastated.

A member of the community, Lyop Bitrus, told journalists that the brothers were on routine night patrol when the gunmen ambushed them, throwing the community into panic as residents fled their homes for safety.

‘They were keeping watch over the community when the gunmen suddenly attacked them. Sadly, the three brothers were killed on the spot. They sacrificed their lives while protecting the community. The tragedy was particularly painful for the family of Victor Danjuma, who was married with five children,’ Lyop said.

The spokesperson of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Mr. Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers invaded Tarai community in Jol village under the cover of darkness and targeted the local vigilante team guarding the area.

Tengwong described the killing of the victims as heartbreaking, lamenting the continued attacks on communities in Riyom and other parts of Plateau State despite repeated appeals for improved security.

He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities and bring the perpetrators to justice, stressing that residents could no longer continue to live under the constant threat of attacks.

spokespersons of the State Police Command and Operation Enduring Peace, SP Alabo Alfred and Captain Polycarp Oteh, had yet to respond to inquiries from our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

Davido made the disclosure during a livestream with Nigerian content creator and streamer Carter Efe, where the conversation turned to football and his preferred national team.

The award-winning singer said his support for Portugal was influenced by his friendship with some members of the national team.

‘Because I have a lot of friends in the Portuguese team. I want Portugal to win,’ Davido said.

When Carter Efe suggested that his support for Portugal was primarily because of Ronaldo, Davido affirmed his admiration for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

‘I love Ronaldo. I’m a CR7 fan,’ he said.

Davido went further to claim that he communicates regularly with Ronaldo, describing the Portuguese star as a legend.

According to the singer, their communication goes beyond merely knowing each other, as he suggested that they exchange messages frequently.

During the livestream, Davido showed Carter Efe what appeared to be a conversation with Ronaldo on his mobile phone.

The apparent revelation drew an excited reaction from Carter Efe, who repeatedly exclaimed, ‘God, I don mad! I don mad! I don mad! I don mad!’

The moment subsequently generated reactions after clips from the livestream circulated on social media.

Davido, one of Africa’s most prominent music stars, has over the years publicly demonstrated his interest in football and interacted with several personalities in the sport.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players, having won five Ballon d’Or awards and enjoyed a highly successful career with clubs including Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

However, the authenticity of the apparent conversation displayed by Davido during the livestream could not be independently verified.

The Federal Government says it will begin the rollout of a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network across the country within weeks as part of efforts to improve broadband connectivity and accelerate Nigeria’s digital economy.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.

He said all funding and contractual processes for the project had been completed and deployment would commence soon.

‘In a few weeks, Nigerians will begin to see us laying fibre across the country. This project will transform Nigeria for good,’ he said.

According to Tijani, the network will cover every state, geopolitical zone, local government area and ward, significantly improving internet access and service quality nationwide.

The minister also thanked President Tinubu for reforms that have strengthened the communications sector, including the designation of digital infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, tariff adjustments and tax harmonisation.

He said the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product had risen from between 16 and 18 per cent to nearly 21 per cent since the administration came into office.

Tijani further disclosed that the government would begin deploying about 3,700 telecommunications towers from October to provide network coverage for more than 20 million Nigerians living in underserved communities.

He also announced that Nigeria would launch an alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, giving every property a unique address to improve e-commerce, security and public service delivery.

The Kano State House of Assembly has passed a bill to regulate private school fees and stop arbitrary tuition increases.

The Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board (Amendment) Bill 2026 is expected to strengthen oversight and protect parents.

Passed after its third reading during plenary, the bill required private schools to consult PTAs before raising fees, with any increase capped at 10 per cent.

It also mandated that the Executive Secretary of the Board be a qualified educationist with at least Grade Level 14 experience.

Private schools are barred from charging more than 10 per cent above official exam registration fees set by WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB, while statutory charges to the Board are reduced from 15 to 5 per cent

The bill, which now awaits Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf’s assent, stipulated that the position of Executive Secretary of the Private and Voluntary Institutions Board must be held by a retired or seasoned educationist, who has attained at least Grade Level 14 in the public service.

It also prohibited private schools from charging students more than 10 per cent above the official registration fees set by external examination bodies, such as WAEC, NECO, and NBTE.

The amendment also reduced statutory charges payable by private schools to the Board from 15 per cent to five per cent.

According to the assembly, these provisions form part of a broader effort to streamline administration and elevate educational standards throughout Kano State.

BlackHorse Holding Company Limited has launched its 400 metric ton (MT) rice mill, under the trade name Crescent Rice Limited, alongside Aminchi Bags Limited, a 240 MT sack manufacturing plant in Kano.

The Managing Director of Crescent Rice Mills Limited, Rahul Bakliwal, explained that the company decided to invest in the agricultural value chain to support the national food supply, address packaging problems encountered by citizens and create value for all stakeholders.

Bakliwal stated that the rice mill was initially set up in 2024 to process 400 MT of rice daily, but began with a production capacity of 80MT.

He added that two additional production lines with a capacity of 160 MT per day were added in 2025, increasing the total daily output to 240 MT.

‘With two additional units, the facility can now deliver its 400mt production capacity target. Also unveiled was the state-of-the-art 240-ton-per-month Aminchi Bags Limited, a bagging plant,’ he said.

The Managing Director stated that the African Organisation for Standardisation, through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), issued the ARSO DUAL MARK OF QUALITY FOR CERTIFIED PRODUCTS on three of the products.

‘This recognition is an important validation of our compliance with the requirements of African Standard NIS ARSO 464:2017,’ he added.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blackhorse Holdings Limited, Muhammad Sani Utai, shared insights on the company’s journey,

‘What began as an ambitious idea between Rahul and me three years ago has now transformed into a robust operation.

‘Despite economic challenges, we are on track to expand production capacity to beyond 500 MT, and further enhance our value chain with an oil mill for processing groundnut oil and sorghum. This is aside from our bagging facility,’ he said.

Sahara Upstream has deployed MT D Adesanya, a 380,000-barrel Medium Range (MR) tanker, to enhance crude oil evacuation capacity at OML 18.

In a statement, it said this is to strengthen operational efficiency and advance sustainability across its marine logistics operations.

It added that the vessel, which has a capacity of more than 62,000 cubic metres of crude oil, will serve as an additional mother vessel for OML 18 crude evacuation operations, complementing MT D Bayero and expanding the infrastructure supporting one of Nigeria’s key upstream assets.

‘Named in honour of the late Mr. Debola Adesanya, who led Sahara’s Kenya operations and contributed significantly to the organization’s growth across East Africa prior to his passing on May 1, 2026, the vessel represents both a strategic investment in the future of energy and a lasting tribute to a respected colleague whose leadership left an enduring impact across the Sahara ecosystem.’

‘Stationed at Bonny Anchorage, MT D Adesanya will receive crude from shuttle vessels operating within the field before onward transfer to the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) Cawthorne facility. It is expected to improve turnaround times by enabling shuttle vessels to discharge more quickly and return to loading operations, enhancing evacuation efficiency, increasing throughput and reducing potential operational bottlenecks.’

Speaking on the deployment, Chief Value Officer, Sahara Upstream, Dr. Tosin Etomi, described MT D Adesanya as a significant investment in capacity, resilience and long-term value creation.

‘The deployment of MT D Adesanya reinforces our commitment to building the capacity required to support sustainable production growth. By strengthening our evacuation infrastructure, we are enhancing operational reliability, improving efficiency and creating the flexibility needed to support increasing production volumes today and in the future,’ he said.

Etomi noted that investments in critical energy infrastructure play an important role in supporting economic growth across Nigeria and the African continent.

Executive Directors, Mr. Tope Shonubi and Mr. Wale Ajibade, said the vessel also serves as a fitting tribute to the late Debola Adesanya, whose resilience, leadership and friendship left an indelible mark on the Sahara ecosystem.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, has assured Nigerians that no critical records or customer data were lost in the fire incident that affected a section of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria’s (FMBN’s) headquarters in Abuja on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

The Minister gave the assurance on Tuesday during an inspection of the affected section of the Bank’s headquarters, where he received briefing from the Bank’s management and technical personnel on the incident, the extent of damage and measures taken to ensure continuity of operations.

He noted that the fire was contained within a section of the second floor of the building and disclosed that preliminary findings suggest it was most likely caused by an electrical fault, although investigations by relevant experts were still ongoing.

The Minister, however, emphasised that anyone found to have been negligent in the discharge of their duties, following the conclusion of ongoing investigations, would be held accountable.

He commended FMBN’s successful digital transformation, noting that the Bank’s cloud-based data backup system had safeguarded critical records and ensured uninterrupted access to customer information and operational documents despite the incident.

Assuring Nigerians that the Bank was fully operational, he said, ‘They have actually digitised their entire system, and the fire consumed only the paperwork that was there. I assure Nigerians that they should continue to patronise the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, revealed that Nigeria lost more than $500 million to cybercriminals in one year alone.

The anti-graft agency also disclosed the real reasons many public servants resort to corrupt practices, saying workers’ earnings cannot adequately meet their basic needs.

Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the EFCC, disclosed this at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja when the Managing Director of the Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORPS), Uzoma Nwagba, visited him.

Speaking during the visit, the EFCC boss linked the rising wave of cybercrime among young Nigerians to poverty and limited educational opportunities, saying such development necessitated the establishment of the NELFund.

He said, ‘In 2022 alone, we lost over $500 million to the activities of cyber criminals, most of whom are young people who are supposed to be in school. We are not just interested in sending them to jail.

‘When we interrogate some of them, they tell us, we want to go to school. We want to graduate with a certificate, but we cannot afford it. That was how the idea of NELFund came, and we said that we needed to support the Fund.’

Commenting on why public servants have a propensity for corrupt practices, he listed housing, transportation, education and feeding for children as some of the basic needs they can no longer meet.

He explained that if workers could access affordable mortgages and consumer loans repayable over a long period, the pressure to acquire wealth through illicit means would be greatly reduced.

At an age when many women are enjoying retirement and spending time with their grandchildren, 63-year-old Furera Muhammad has returned to the classroom to pursue the education she was denied as a child.

Furera, who attends an Islamic school alongside some of her grandchildren in Rigafada, Kano State, said she still regrets missing the opportunity to receive formal education during her childhood because girls of her generation were rarely encouraged to attend school.

‘I wish I had gone to school when I was young, not now with my grandchildren,’ she said, adding that she would likely have become a teacher if she had been given the chance to pursue formal education.

According to her, the lack of educational opportunities for girls during her childhood denied many women the chance to realise their potential and contribute more meaningfully to society.

Despite her age, she said her determination to acquire knowledge remains strong, expressing hope that her experience would inspire parents to prioritise the education of their daughters and encourage girls already in school to remain committed to their studies.

Furera spoke during a community engagement programme organised by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) in collaboration with the Ford Foundation under the Grannies Network for Change (G-NEC) project in Rigafada. The programme brought together 40 grandmothers to discuss their role in promoting girls’ education and preventing gender-based violence, particularly verbal abuse against women.

The G-NEC project seeks to harness the influence of grandmothers in multigenerational households to encourage positive social norms, promote girls’ access to education and reduce gender-based violence through community dialogue and culturally appropriate messaging.

The initiative is being implemented in selected communities across Kano and Jigawa states to improve awareness of girls’ education, reduce verbal abuse in homes and encourage families to create safer and more supportive environments for women and girls.

A Magistrate Court sitting in Life Camp, Abuja, has granted bail to one Idulu Ben Oche, who is standing trial over allegations of housebreaking, theft and criminal trespass.

The defendant was arraigned by the Nigeria Police on a three-count charge bordering on housebreaking, theft and criminal trespass, contrary to Sections 287, 347 and 353 of the Penal Code.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant alleged that on July 13, 2026, at about 12:48pm, he returned to his residence in Saburi, Dei-Dei, Abuja, after receiving information from a neighbour that someone had unlawfully entered his apartment.

The prosecution told the court that on getting home, the complainant discovered that his room had been ransacked and several household items, including a compressor valued at N35,000, were missing.

Police investigations subsequently led to the arrest of the defendant, who was allegedly found in possession of the complainant’s compressor.

When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Following his plea, the prosecution urged the court to fix a date for hearing, while defence counsel applied for bail.

In his ruling, the presiding magistrate admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of ?100,000 with one surety in like sum.

The court ordered that the surety must be a responsible person residing within the court’s jurisdiction and provide valid means of identification, proof of residence and evidence of employment.

The matter was adjourned until September 22, 2026, for hearing.