Category: Daily Trust

Physiographic analysis of the FCT shows that many areas of the Territory ought to be designated for special protection. Firstly, because, certain places have unique physical features which for symbolic or natural beauty reasons ought to be maintained. Secondly, valuable soil and water regimes ought to be maintained. And thirdly, areas adjacent to urbanised areas will be damaged or misused without special protection status.

Based on their unique geological character, and their prominent visual relationship to the Capital City, two areas; the Zuma Hills and the southernmost scarp of the Bwari-Aso Hills – might be considered for preservation, by their designation as national monuments. This is contained in the Regional Development Plan, Chapter 12 of the Abuja Master plan.

Areas outside the FCT might be considered for inclusion in the monument designation, since they are part of the visual ensemble which makes the Abuja area visually attractive and interesting. The Zuma Hills monument area is centered on Zuma Rock, the most distinctive and easily recognised iselberg at the FCT border line. It also include the surrounding hills and scarps facing the Gwagwa plains.

The second monument area was the Aso Hills. Also, due to its unique visual character and relationship to the plan of the capital city. The Abuja Master planners recognised that these types of areas require protection from development and preservation in their natural states, because they are likely to experience the greatest pressure for change and suffer irreparable damage.

The Zuma Rock is an igneous intrusion composed specifically of Gabbro and Granodiorite. Its most interesting feature is the imprint of a human-like face with features similar to eyes, nose and mouth. It has an approximate elevation of 725 meters above its surroundings and 3.1 kilometers circumference, it towers even above the Aso and Olumo rocks combined, earning for itself a place among the highest and largest monoliths in the world. Hiking this rock takes about five hours. Out of the number of prominent places of tourist attractions in Nigeria, the Zuma Rock majestically distinguishes itself.

Although part of the Zuma Rock is in the FCT, but, its greater portion is in Niger State. However, it was prominently being associated with the FCT and has variously been mentioned in the Abuja Master plan.

In the early days of Abuja’s development, the Zuma Rock is always portrayed as the symbol of attraction and natural beauty of the FCT on the NTA, other news media and souvenirs issued by the FCT public institutions. Subsequently, when the 100 Naira note was first introduced it carried the inscription stating ‘Zuma Rock FCT’. Niger State Government objected that reference to the FCT, and the narration was changed. Since then FCT owned institutions changed their symbols to either the Aso Rock or the City Gate which can never be contested as belonging to the FCT.

Much earlier, in the early 80s, at the inception of the FCT, the Niger State Government under its first civilian Governor Malam Muhammadu Awwal Ibrahim, now Emir Zazzau Suleja, commenced the development of the Suleja International Hotel at the foot of the Zuma Rock. This was because the future attractive potential of the Zuma Rock Area was predicted. More so that it was already captured and expounded in the Abuja Master plan.

Unfortunately, the structure as conspicuous as it is to all travelers along the Lokoja – Abuja – Kaduna Federal Highway, was abandoned and made an eye-sore ever since, for more than 40 years, to the benefits of rodents, reptiles and sanctuary for people with criminal tendencies. Despite being their only route to Abuja, unless they fly, all the subsequent governors refused to revive the project, its potential as a major revenue earner for the state notwithstanding.

At the beginning of his tenure the present governor, Mohammed Umar Bago promised to make the development of Suleja and areas around the Niger – FCT border a priority, due to their potential for generating huge revenue for the state. He was always being quoted, boasting that money is not his problem, because the President has given the governors plenty. Yet, it was not proven in these productive ventures.

The proposal by one of the past governors, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, to transform the area to a world class tourist haven with overhead cable cars and helicopter tours to the top of the Zuma Rock remained only a wishful thinking up to the end of his tenure, which ended more than 10 years ago. The proposal was never revisited by any of his predecessors.

Today, rather than being a natural beautiful environment for attraction of tourist, with the status of a national monument as proposed, the Zuma Rock area has been degraded as mining sites, with preponderance of quarrying activities. This was what the Abuja Master planners foresaw and recommended the area to be designated for special protection. However, there is only one exception.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police Force has broken silence on the arrest and remand of Samuel Ojeogwu, the brother of Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels.

Ojeogwu, who is popularly known as Sammy West, was arrested in Lagos last week and flown to Abuja.

The actress, who has been in the news lately over the crisis rocking her marriage to Senator Ned Nwoko, had raised the alarm over the arrest of her brother.

Daniels had accused the police of taking sides with her estranged husband, arguing that her brother was innocent of the allegations against him. But commenting on the issue on Friday, SP Josephine Adeh, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, said the arrest was lawful and followed due process.

She said the actress brother ignored several invitations, which led to his arrest.

Adeh said a formal petition accusing him and three others of criminal conspiracy, trespass, assault, intimidation, theft, and cyberbullying was submitted to the police.

‘On 28th October 2025, the FCT Metro Area Command received a petition against one Mr Samuel Ojeogwu, and three others, alleging criminal conspiracy, trespass, assault, criminal intimidation, theft and cyber-bullying.

‘Upon receipt of the petition, several invitations were extended to Mr Samuel Ojeogwu by the Metro Area Command for questioning which were not honoured, Mr. Samuel Ojeogwu was arrested in Lagos on the authority of a duly issued arrest warrant from a competent court and subsequently conveyed to Abuja for further investigation.’

Adeh added that investigations were concluded and the suspect was charged in court shortly after.

‘Upon the conclusion of investigations, the suspect was on the 6th of November 2025 charged in court for offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, assault, criminal intimidation, and theft.

‘He has been remanded by the court pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. The command remains committed to professional policing, due process, and the rule of law.’

Nwoko, who denied the allegations leveled against him, has not publicly commented on the arrest of his estranged wife.

For more than a decade, Kaduna was a landscape of fear; a geography etched by violence and silence. The highways that once carried trade and laughter became corridors of dread; the farmlands that had nourished generations were abandoned to weeds and whispers. In communities from Birnin Gwari to Kauru, the air was thick with grief: bandit raids, kidnappings, and reprisal attacks had reduced life to a fragile calculation between escape and endurance. It was a state at war with itself, where force met force, and neither side truly won.

For years, the official response followed a familiar pattern. The state deployed troops, armour, and drones, determined to impose peace by might. But this kinetic approach, while sometimes necessary, proved insufficient. It addressed symptoms without touching the infection. Behind the gunfire lay deeper afflictions: poverty, idleness, exclusion, and the long unhealed wounds of historical grievance. Violence thrived not merely because weapons were plentiful, but because hope was scarce. The crisis in Kaduna, like those in its neighbouring states, was the story of neglect and despair made combustible by arms.

In 2023, a different rhythm began to stir. A new administration under Governor Uba Sani, reimagined security not as a contest of strength but as a reconstruction of trust. The pivot was subtle yet radical: to move from reaction to prevention, from coercion to inclusion, from fear to faith. It was the embrace of the non-kinetic, the recognition that true peace is not imposed; it is cultivated.

This approach did not mean appeasement or negotiation with criminals. It meant confronting the conditions that breed them. It meant understanding that every uneducated child, every unemployed youth, every neglected village is a potential fracture in the edifice of peace. Non-kinetic security demanded investment in people, not merely in weapons: schools instead of barracks, skills instead of slogans, livelihoods instead of lamentations. It drew from the principle that a society that feeds, educates, and engages its citizens fortifies itself far more effectively than one that merely patrols them.

The strategy intertwined disarmament and development, dialogue and dignity. Communities once alienated from the state began to see government not as a distant authority but as a partner in survival. Traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, and women’s associations were drawn into the process of mediation and trust-building. In villages that had known nothing but fear, reconciliation meetings replaced reprisals. Markets reopened. Roads long closed by terror came alive again. The herder and the farmer, symbols of a broken coexistence, began to rediscover the logic of mutual dependence.

The transformation was gradual but palpable. What had once been pockets of perpetual hostility softened into zones of cautious peace. Displaced families returned to rebuild their homes. Farming resumed, drawing the land back from the edge of desolation. Food production revived, prices stabilised, and rural economies, long parched by conflict, began to breathe again. What the gun could not achieve, dialogue and opportunity quietly delivered.

This renewal was sustained by deliberate policy choices that placed human capital at the centre of governance. Education became a weapon against hopelessness: new schools were built, old ones renovated, teachers retrained, and fees reduced to ensure that poverty no longer locked children out of classrooms. By giving young people access to knowledge and purpose, the state diffused one of the most dangerous fuels of violence, idleness. In the same breath, investments in healthcare, rural infrastructure, and social welfare restored the broken trust between citizens and the state.

When people perceive government as present and responsive, their allegiance shifts from armed groups to institutions. It is this psychological transformation, this subtle recalibration of faith in governance, that forms the soul of non-kinetic security. Force may compel obedience; fairness inspires loyalty.

Kaduna’s quiet success carries an unspoken rebuke to the rest of the region. In the northwest, where conflict often feels intractable, the lesson is stark: militarisation without social investment is a revolving door.

The return of peace has also redefined the state’s image beyond its borders. Where international advisories once marked Kaduna as perilous, renewed confidence has begun to alter that narrative. The reclassification from ‘red’ to ‘amber’ by foreign partners signifies more than a bureaucratic change; it is a recognition that stability is returning, that a society once written off is writing itself anew.

Still, the journey is far from complete. The roots of insecurity run deep, intertwined with climate pressures, population growth, and a history of uneven development. Yet Kaduna’s experience shows that these challenges are not immovable. What was once an ungovernable crisis is yielding to the patient work of inclusion under Governor Uba Sani. The approach may lack the spectacle of military parades, but its victories, measured in reopened schools, resettled villages, and reclaimed roads, are no less profound.

The enduring lesson is that peace is not an event but an ecosystem. It requires not only the silencing of guns but the symphony of opportunity, fairness, and shared purpose. Development and security are not parallel tracks; they are one road, paved by justice and sustained by trust. The farmer who plants again, the child who returns to class, the trader who reopens her stall, these are the true sentinels of a secure society.

In the end, the Kaduna story is less about the defeat of bandits than the triumph of vision. And in that choice lies a lesson for every state still trapped in the shadows of conflict: that the path to lasting peace is not paved in fear, but in faith-faith in the people, in justice, and in the slow, steady power of human development.

The Kwara State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Hajiya Fatimah Popoola, has raised concern over the involvement of some commercial drivers in aiding passengers to transport illicit drugs across the state.

Popoola said some drivers deliberately or unknowingly, help in moving drugs for passengers and customers, exposing themselves to arrest and prosecution.

She, therefore, warned them to desist from the act henceforth.

The NDLEA boss spoke in Ilorin on Friday during the annual Town Hall Meeting organised ahead of the Federal Road Safety Corps Ember Month Campaign.

She advised drivers to be vigilant and always check the loads and parcels they convey to other parts of the state to ensure they do not contain illegal items.

‘Just recently, a driver saw our vehicle and sped off. In the process, he hit the road median and damaged his vehicle. He was later arrested and charged to court,’ Popoola said.

She thanked the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers for cooperating with the agency in tracing and arresting owners of drugs moved through the state’s transport network.

Popoola further urged transporters to remain partners in the fight against drug trafficking, saying their vigilance can save them and others from avoidable trouble.

Also speaking, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Muftau Irekeola, identified human factors as the leading cause of road crashes in the country.

He said whether as drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians or passengers, the road is a shared space and safety depends on the collective responsibility everyone upholds.

According to him, many lives are lost or forever changed every year due to road traffic crashes that are preventable.

‘The pain of losing a loved one or the hardship of a serious injury is something no one should endure, especially when many crashes are preventable,’ he said.

The commander listed over-speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, disobedience to traffic rules and poor road conditions as major causes of crashes.

The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, represented by the Alangua of Owode, Alhaji Umar Sadiq, urged drivers to obey traffic rules and maintain good conduct as the year draws to a close.

The event was attended by representatives of the Police, Nigeria Customs Service, Civil Defence, Fire Service, Immigration, transport unions and corps members.

A 17-year-old resident of Badawa quarters in the Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, Salim Musa, has been arraigned before Justice S.M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court, Kano.

Musa was charged with being in possession of 100 grams of cough syrup (similar to codeine) and 7.6 kilograms of Rohypnol, a psychotropic drug, without lawful authority.

Prosecution counsel, Raliya Abdulaziz, informed the court that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested the teenager on June 10 in Badawa.

The two-count charge of possession of codeine and Rohypnol without lawful authority was deemed contrary to the NDLEA Act (Cap N30) and punishable under the same Act. Musa pleaded guilty to the charge, which was read and interpreted to him.

Fatima Aliyu Chabir from the Legal Advocacy Response to Drugs Initiative (LARDI) offered to defend the teenager, who did not have a lawyer.

Justice Shuaibu adjourned the case to November 24 for the review of the facts, remanding the suspect in NDLEA custody in view of his age.

The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) has called for the declaration of a state of emergency in Nigeria’s education sector, warning that continued neglect of the system would stall national progress. The call came as the Academy marked its 40th anniversary and held its 39th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja on Thursday.

President of the Academy, Professor Kabiru Isyaku, described the milestone as a moment for both celebration and sober reflection, saying, ‘NAE believes that Nigeria can achieve significant development if the right attention, funding, and actions are given to education.’

Founded in 1985, the Academy serves as the apex body for seasoned educationists and policy experts in the country.

According to Isyaku, NAE has consistently advised the government on key education issues and helped shape major reforms such as the National Teacher Education Policy (NTEP) and the professionalisation of teaching.

He expressed concern that ‘many schools are highly populated by non-teachers while thousands of qualified ones are jobless,’ urging regulatory agencies to enforce standards that ensure only certified teachers handle classrooms.

The professor also called for a halt in the proliferation of tertiary institutions without adequate facilities or personnel. ‘The Federal Government’s moratorium on establishing new universities is commendable. We must equip and strengthen existing ones before expanding further,’ he said.

Isyaku further noted that the National Policy on Education, last reviewed over a decade ago, must be urgently updated to reflect new realities such as technology integration and artificial intelligence.

He commended the government’s recent education loan scheme but stressed that bursaries for student-teachers should continue to attract bright minds into the profession.

Representing the Deputy Senate President, Senator Babangida Hussaini pledged legislative support for reforms that will uplift the sector. ‘You can count on the National Assembly to back any initiative that promotes quality education, teacher development, and innovation,’ he assured.

Similarly, Claris Ujam, Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, commended the Academy’s longevity and impact. ‘It is not easy for an institution of this nature to thrive for 40 years without losing focus or integrity,’ she said.

Ujam outlined government priorities in technology, skills development, STEM education, and reducing the number of out-of-school children. ‘We must move from certificates to skills that make our youth globally relevant,’ she added.

Daily Trust reports that NAE inducted 38 new members, elevated six to fellowship status, and honoured six distinguished Nigerians, including Senator Barau Jibrin, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, and Dr. Angela Ajala, for their contributions to education.

The highlight of the Congress was a lecture by Emeritus Professor PAI Obanya, one of NAE’s surviving foundation members, on the Academy’s contribution to Nigeria’s educational development.

A new bill before the U.S. Congress is proposing visa bans and asset freezes on members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, over alleged links to violent conflicts in the country.

The proposal has stirred tension and debate within Nigeria’s political and security circles. In this episode of Nigeria Daily, we examine who these groups really are, why the U.S. is targeting them now, and what the sanctions could mean for Nigeria.

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a suspected notorious vandal who specializes in damaging electricity transformer installations across communities.

The suspect, identified as Samson Ayodele, was apprehended by operatives of the Eruku Police Division on November 3, 2025, at about 5:50 pm.

He was reportedly caught in the act while vandalizing the transformer that supplies power to Koro Town in the Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.

Police sources said Ayodele, a resident of Skyway Road in Egbe, Kogi State, was found dismantling vital components of the transformer when officers swooped on him.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the suspect has confessed to the crime.

‘He also admitted that he had earlier been arrested, charged, and jailed in Kogi State for similar offences before returning to the same act after his release,’ she stated.

Items recovered from him according to the police included three copper wire bars, one fuse, two connection wire bars, two wooden covers, two aluminum wires, several bolts and nuts, a bag of tools and one digital scale.

The Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, has stated that the one million barrel initiative that seeks to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production to 3 million barrels per day is going on smoothly with the steady increase in oil production.

A statement by NUPRC’s Head, Media and Strategic Communication, Eniola Akinkuotu, said Kimolafe made the remarks during an official visit to Dubai Drydocks World (DDWD) in the United Arab Emirates as part of regulatory oversight of the EMEM Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel’s sail away readiness.

The statement said the EMEM FPSO is being converted at DDWD for Oriental Energy Resources Limited (OERL) and will be deployed to the Okwok Field (PML 15), operated by Oriental Okwok Limited, offshore Nigeria.

It explained that Komolafe undertook a four-hour detailed inspection of the vessel, inspecting critical areas including the Oil and Produced Water Treatment Unit, Gas Injection Modules, Seawater Treatment Facilities, Gas Turbine Generators, Electrical House, LACT Unit, Laboratory, Control Room, and Accommodation Quarters. The walkthrough enabled the Commission to assess the project’s compliance, quality, and readiness for sail away. ‘Delivering his remarks after the tour of the FPSO, the NUPRC boss said the FPSO’s planned departure to Nigeria was good news as it aligns with the Project One Million Barrels initiative which seeks to increase the country’s oil production by one million barrels.’

‘This FPSO is coming to Nigeria at a time we are seeking to increase production. It will help in achieving our project One Million Barrels. From what I have seen, I am very impressed and as the regulator, we will continue to give support to Oriental Energy,’ he said.

He advised Oriental Energy to participate in the next licensing round as the company had shown that it had the capacity to take on more projects in Nigeria’s vibrant oil and gas sector.

‘We advise that you participate in the next licensing round at least to optimise your capacity. We are convinced that Oriental Energy has the capacity to contribute to our national development,’ he added.

Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman, Oriental Energy Resources Limited, Engineer Goni Sheikh, thanked the CCE for encouraging investments in the oil sector.

‘We have engaged with your team and they have been working around the clock including Saturdays and Sundays to beat the timelines and attain this. And we must also say that since the start of this project, we have received 100% support from the NUPRC. We thank the regulator for the support and oversight and guidance which the regulator gives us. You are truly a business facilitator,’ he stated.

The Okwok Field Development Project represents a strategic milestone in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry, demonstrating growing indigenous technical capability.

The project entails the conversion of Nordic Mistral, a double-hulled crude tanker with 1 million barrels’ storage capacity, into a fully integrated FPSO with a 15-year operational lifespan.

The EMEM FPSO boasts a processing capacity of 40,000 BOPD, 70,000 BLPD, and includes systems for produced water treatment (60,000 BWPD), water injection (60,000 BWPD), gas processing (15 MMSCFD), gas lift (7.5 MMSCFD), and gas injection (3.5 MMSCFD). The vessel accommodates up to 100 personnel and employs a 12-point spread mooring system.

Last Saturday, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began a total and indefinite nationwide strike over unresolved demands.

Briefing journalists, NARD President, Dr. Muhammad Suleiman, defended the decision, saying the action followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government.

The strike has disrupted services in 91 hospitals, including teaching hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, and specialist institutions across the country.

According to Suleiman, the association had shown ‘patience for too long’ despite the government’s failure to address their concerns.

The Federal Government had promised partial payment.

On Monday, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Iziaq Salako, appealed to doctors to suspend the strike and resume duty.

But NARD insisted that the strike would continue until full payments and structural reforms were verified.

As the strike bites harder across hospitals, it raises a key question: who exactly are resident doctors, and why are they so vital to the hospital system?

Who a resident doctors is

A resident doctor is a medical doctor who has completed basic medical training (usually earning an MBBS or equivalent degree) and is undergoing specialized training in a particular area of medicine – such as surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, or psychiatry.

This period of intensive hands-on training, known as residency, typically lasts between three to six years, depending on the specialty and the country’s medical education structure.

During this phase, resident doctors work under the supervision of consultants or senior specialists, combining clinical experience with further academic learning. They are a vital link between medical students, house officers (fresh graduates), and senior consultants.

The role they play in hospitals

Resident doctors are often the backbone of hospital operations, especially in public teaching hospitals and large general hospitals. Their duties include:

Patient care: They are usually the first point of contact for patients admitted to wards, managing day-to-day treatment, follow-ups, and emergency cases.

Clinical procedures: They assist in or independently carry out diagnostic and surgical procedures under supervision.

Teaching and mentoring: Residents often help train medical students and interns, sharing practical insights and experience.

Research: Many residency programs require them to engage in medical research and contribute to advancing knowledge in their specialties.

Night duties and emergencies: They handle the majority of on-call and emergency cases when consultants are unavailable.

Why resident doctors matter

Without resident doctors, most hospitals – particularly teaching hospitals – would struggle to function efficiently. They sustain round-the-clock medical care, ensure continuity between shifts, and form the critical workforce that supports consultants.

In essence, resident doctors keep the hospital running – providing vital medical attention, ensuring learning continuity, and serving as the next generation of medical specialists who will lead healthcare systems in the future.