Category: Daily Trust

Society thrives best where people love and help one another. Where the Where members of the community makes sacrifices by sharing and caring for one another. It is indeed difficult to have such a model society but in many societies we have such people who drive satisfaction in not only sharing with their neighbours but reaching out to the larger community to make an impact, assist and put a smile on the faces of those who are less privileged. These are the people Daily Trust go out to search for every year and present them to the nation so that we appreciate their sacrifices and learn from their efforts.

We are presenting these heroes, who we got through your nominations:

Octogenarian Musa Ibrahim Sagagi dedicated his time, energy and resources to ensuring no one in his community is denied education just because he cannot afford it. Through his College of Islamic Studies many went through primary and secondary education and some graduating from universities. At the other end is Idris Lau, who at 17 embarked on a mission of building strong people and ensuring sustainable development in communities. Through his Concerned Youth for Accountability and Development Initiative he provided water, education and health facilities to various communities in Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa states. Favour Abatang’s passion is to ensure that girls in her Cross River communities and beyond are free from all those harmful traditions that inhibit their growth. Her Voice Foundation works to discourage early marriage, money marriage and all forms of gender violence. Her near fatal experience during pregnancy also motivated Rukaiya Kushu to set up Abubakar Kushu Foundation to provide succour to pregnant women in dire situations. For Maryam Bello the task is how to bring medical care close to rural communities. She leveraged on technology to set up Parker Mobile Clinic to bring healthcare to hard-to-reach communities using technology.

For over a decade, Nigeria has waged a costly war against insurgency, stretching its military might across the Northeast and beyond. In that time, the country has scoured the globe for weapons. When the West hesitated, we turned East. Yet, despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on Chinese drones, Russian helicopters, and Eastern European tanks, the insurgency persists, more adaptive and dangerous than ever. Why?

The allure of Eastern arms is understandable as they are cheaper, faster, and come with no strings attached. No lectures on human rights, no delays over congressional hearings. But that convenience has come at a steep price. Many of the weapons procured from China and Russia have proven ill-suited for Nigeria’s operational terrain or suffer from reliability issues. Reports abound of drones failing mid-flight, armoured vehicles breaking down, and helicopters lying idle for lack of spare parts. Worse still, the absence of after-sales support means Nigeria is left stranded, unable to maintain or even properly operate its arsenal.

This dependence on the East has also deepened our logistical chaos. Our military now runs a patchwork quilt of incompatible systems – Russian Mi-35 helicopters, Chinese Wing Loong II drones, Pakistani jets – all requiring different training, maintenance, and ammunition. In the name of expedience, we have sacrificed coherence.

It is time to ask: have Eastern procurements truly strengthened Nigeria’s security, or simply filled gaps created by a dysfunctional procurement process?

Nigeria must pivot. The future lies in strategic self-reliance. By reviving indigenous defence production, investing in maintenance capacity, and forging partnerships that offer technology transfer, not just transactions. Buying from the East may have plugged immediate holes, but it has not equipped us for lasting peace.

We need more than weapons. We need a defence strategy that truly defends.

Renowned Islamic scholar, Ustadh Dhikrullahi Shafii, has called for the adoption of a central Friday sermon across major mosques in the country.

This, he noted, will provide Muslims with a unified message and common direction on issues affecting the society.

He made the call at the 2nd Annual Imam’s Conference organised by Daarus-Sa’aadah Islamic Centre in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara State.

The event with the theme, ‘The Mosque, the Imam and Da’wah’, attracted scholars, imams, traditional rulers and worshippers across the country.

Shafii, who delivered the first lecture on ‘The Role of the Mosque in Building the Ideal Muslim,’ said the mosque is not limited to being a place of prayer.

According to him, Masjid is historically a centre for decision-making, social welfare, refuge and including treatment of the sick.

He noted that the three aspects of the theme had been largely neglected in contemporary Muslim communities, with negative consequences for the Ummah.

He described the Imam as the principal of the mosque whose role goes beyond delivering stories.

‘Rather, it requires deep grounding in Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh and global issues’, Shafii who is the Grand Mufti of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), said.

He emphasised that no single individual could master all branches of Islamic jurisprudence and advised Imams and scholars to specialise in particular fields while working together for the benefit of the community.

The mosque, he noted, must be repositioned to serve the Ummah fully, including the creation of committees to address the needs of children, women, the aged, marriage, naming ceremonies and conflict resolution.

He stressed that when properly utilised, mosques could once again produce pious leaders and scholars as they did in the early history of Islam.

Shafii further recommended that the conference should be extended to two or three days in order to deepen its impact, with a communiqué issued and adopted by mosques across the state for implementation.

In his paper on ‘Da’wah without Bitterness: Etiquette of Disagreement in Islam,’ Dr. Sirajudeen Bila Al-Asra urged scholars and preachers to adopt humility, patience and wisdom in propagating Islam and resolving disputes.

He cautioned against arrogance in preaching and reminded participants that Islam abhors bitterness in da’wah, adding that the strength of the message lies in its truth and delivery, not in hostility.

Founder and sponsor of the conference, Alhaja Rahmat Mojisola Salih, a Lagos-based businesswoman, said her motivation for the annual event was inspired by her grandmother who instilled in her the habit of dedicating part of her earnings to the service of the mosque.

She recalled her early days hawking bread and other items in the town as a primary school pupil and narrated how her grandmother taught her to buy brooms and soap for cleaning the mosque.

She explained that the annual Imam Conference was her way of sustaining that tradition of service and philanthropy, urging others to emulate the gesture to promote a safer and more dedicated society.

The Chief Imam of Ajase-Ipo, Shaykh Aliyu Taofeeq Atoloye, who chaired the occasion, said the programme has continued to have great impact on Islamic scholars and imams who used the gathering to exchange ideas and strengthen their knowledge.

He said this year’s theme opened a deeper understanding of the role of the mosque beyond worship, stressing that the institution must remain central to the moral and spiritual life of the Ummah.

In his goodwill message, the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Muhammed Yahya Atoloye, described the programme as a blessed exercise and recommended its extension to three days because of the immense benefits embedded in it.

He called for the sustainability of the initiative and urged that more people should key into it to strengthen the religious and social life of the community.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in his goodwill message, described the event as highly educative.

He appreciated the organisers for championing a noble cause aimed at equipping Imams and scholars with deeper religious knowledge for the advancement of Islam.

With the 2027 general elections inching closer, Nigeria’s political landscape has become a revolving door of defections, alliances, and strategic wooing. Both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the emerging African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition have been relentless in their bid to secure influential figures who could tilt the balance of power.

One name that has suddenly become a prized catch is the 52-year-old Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

Last week, the ADC held a caucus meeting in Abuja, drawing heavyweights such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Nasir el-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, and members of the party’s National Working Committee. Among those sighted at the gathering was Pantami, whose presence did not go unnoticed.

Daily Trust gathered that just days before the meeting, Atiku had visited Pantami at his Abuja residence to persuade him to join the coalition. The visit, according to Pantami, ‘centred on meaningful discussions about the economy, education, unity, and governance, among other essential topics.’

Three days before Atiku’s visit, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and a 2027 presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, had also stopped by Pantami’s Abuja residence. The former minister later revealed that their discussions covered ‘a range of issues, including agriculture, economy, education, artificial intelligence, global statistics, and unity in diversity, among others.’ But the visit quickly stirred controversy online, as netizens resurfaced Obi’s supporters’ past criticisms of Pantami, including comments in which some leaders of the Obidient Movement had once dismissed him as a ‘terrorist sympathiser’. Soon after the caucus, APC’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, also paid a visit to the former minister, pressing him to stay within the ruling fold.

In his post on X announcing the visit of Nentawe, Pantami wrote, ‘Last night, I received a friendly visit from His Excellency, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Professor Nentawe and I spent some years together at university while he was pursuing his master’s degree.

‘We reminisced and laughed about our university days. We also discussed education, economy, governance, and the upcoming mother’s burial, among many other topics. We are appreciative of the National Chairman’s visit.’

Earlier this year, former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, who has been alongside Atiku at the forefront of the coalition formation, had also made the trip. For many observers, Pantami’s home has become ‘the new Mecca’ of Nigerian politics, a pilgrimage site for those eyeing 2027.

These visits are loaded with symbolism. Atiku, still believed to be nursing presidential ambitions, sees Pantami as a gateway to consolidating Northern support. On the other hand, Nentawe is desperate to maintain order within the APC as opposition coalitions gain momentum. With Pantami yet to officially resign from the APC, the party believes his return and commitment to the party’s 2027 goals is still possible-especially if it dangles the prospect of a governorship ticket before him.

Pantami’s appeal is clear. Beyond his political manoeuvres, he is a respected Islamic cleric with a vast following. His endorsement is a political currency neither President Bola Tinubu nor Atiku, or whoever eventually emerges as the coalition’s presidential candidate, can afford to ignore.

Who is Isa Pantami?

Before Muhammadu Buhari’s 2015 election victory, Pantami was known mainly as an academic and fiery Islamic scholar. His foray into government began in September 2016 when Buhari appointed him as Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). From there, his profile rose further, culminating in his appointment as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy between 2019 and 2023.

Pantami’s growing importance is also tied to the collapse of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Buhari’s old political base. With Buhari gone, CPC loyalists have scattered without a clear leader. Some, led by former Nasarawa governor Tanko Al-Makura, have pledged loyalty to Tinubu, while others, under Alhaji Umar Shuaibu, have aligned with Atiku and the ADC coalition.

The split has created a leadership vacuum, and Pantami’s growing influence positions him as a potential rallying figure for the CPC bloc.

Pantami with Obi

The 2027 Gombe battlefront

With Governor Inuwa Yahaya completing his second term in 2027, Gombe politics is already in motion even before the campaign ban is lifted. Known aspirants within the APC include Transportation Minister Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali, House of Representatives Chief Whip Usman Bello Kumo, and State Accountant General Aminu Umar Yuguda.

But the wildcard is Pantami. Though yet to openly declare, many believe he is seriously weighing a run for governor. His credibility rests on multiple fronts: his track record as NITDA DG and minister, his philanthropic projects through the Al-Waalidayn Charitable Foundation-building schools, drilling boreholes, distributing food, and sponsoring students-and his deep ties with grassroots communities across faith lines.

These initiatives have earned him a reputation as a leader with the people’s pulse. Analysts say if he enters the race, Pantami could enjoy an advantage over career politicians, buoyed by youth support and religious networks.

At the national political space, Pantami’s political posture remains deliberately ambiguous. Officially still an APC member, his visible closeness to the ADC has fuelled speculation. For Tinubu’s camp, Pantami is suspected of quietly supporting Atiku in 2023 and must be treated with caution ahead of 2027. For others, this ambiguity is no weakness but a hedge, a way to remain relevant whether APC holds or fractures before 2027.

Commentator Kabir Akintayo summed it up: ‘Politically, his loyalties have appeared fluid. But this ambiguity is Pantami’s strength. In Nigeria’s volatile terrain, those who can speak across divides often emerge as kingmakers-or even surprise contenders. Some analysts even liken his rising stature to that of Buhari in the early 2000s: a northern leader whose religious and cultural influence underpinned his political relevance.’

As 2027 draws nearer, the question lingers: will Pantami remain the ‘bride’ courted by all, or will he finally choose a suitor and, with it, his political destiny?

The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate says it has commenced the implementation of the new pension increments for pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme, saying the adjustments will be reflected in the September 2025 payroll cycle.

In a statement signed by Management on Tuesday, PTAD said the increased package includes a fixed N32,000 payment alongside percentage increases of 10.66% and 12.95% for eligible categories, which will benefit about 832,000 pensioners under its management.

It would be recalled that PTAD in August announced President Bola Tinubu approved a series of measures, including new welfare benefits for pensioners under DBS.

The approval follows a formal request by PTAD’s Executive Secretary, Tolulope Odunaiya, seeking an emergency budgetary allocation to implement pension reforms and welfare benefits for the scheme’s retirees.

The measures include a N32,000 pension increment, percentage increases for pensioners of defunct and privatised agencies, pension harmonisation for all DBS pensioners, enrolment into the National Health Insurance Scheme, and the settlement of long-standing unfunded pension liabilities.

PTAD said the partial release of N820.188 billion by the Federal Ministry of Finance from the emergency funding has made it possible for pensioners to begin receiving the enhanced payments immediately.

The statement read, ‘Further to the President’s approval of the emergency budgetary allocation for the payment of the new pension increment rates for Pensioners under the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme (DBS) that was earlier published by the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate on Friday, 8th August, 2025, the Directorate is delighted to announce the commencement of the implementation of the 832,000, 10.66% and 12.95% pension increment for eligible pensioners under the management of PTAD, in the September 2025 pension payroll cycle.

‘This achievement has been made possible through the partial release of 820.188 billion by the Federal Ministry of Finance, from the initial 845 billion emergency funding approval granted by the Federal Government.

‘This milestone clearly reaffirms the Federal Government’s dedication to safeguarding the welfare and entitlements of DBS Pensioners in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.’

The directorate thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the emergency allocation.

It also acknowledged the role of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun; the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; the Accountant-General of the Federation and key presidential aides and parliamentary committees for their ‘timely interventions’ and support.

The statement also expressed appreciation to organised pension groups, including the Nigeria Union of Pensioners and the Federal Parastatals and Private Sector Pensioners Association of Nigeria, for their cooperation during negotiations and implementation planning.

‘We further assure all our DBS Pensioners and Stakeholders that the Directorate will continue to collaborate with the relevant authorities towards release of the outstanding approved funds and subsequent fulfilment of all future obligations relating to the pension increments and the landmark reforms,’ the statement added.

The DBS covers pensioners who retired before the introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme in 2004, including those from defunct public institutions, privatised agencies, and treasury-funded parastatals.

Over the years, many have faced irregular payments, delayed harmonisation, and inadequate healthcare access, challenges that the new reforms are expected to address.

As Nigeria marks another Independence Day, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, human rights lawyer and activist, has said there is little evidence that the country is making real progress, stressing that democracy and accountability remain weak across many levels of government.

Adeyanju noted that while democratic institutions appear functional at the federal level, they are ‘almost non-existent’ in the states where governors wield enormous power with little oversight.

He said months ago, 19 state governors nearly derailed the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), adding that the intervention of the judiciary was the only safeguard that kept the anti-graft fight alive.

‘The same disregard for accountability is why the Supreme Court’s judgment on local government autonomy has not been implemented. Leaders cannot choose which laws to obey. True democracy must be rooted in accountability at every level, not just in Abuja,’ he said.

On the federal cabinet, Adeyanju lamented that only a handful of ministers appear visible and active in their duties, while the majority remain ‘missing in action.’ He warned that a country of Nigeria’s size and complexity cannot afford ‘ghost ministers’ who contribute little to governance. Adeyanju also emphasized that independence is meaningless without adequate security. According to him, citizens continue to live in fear as ‘unknown gunmen’ and other criminal groups unleash violence across the country.

‘Independence Day should not just be about celebrating a date on the calendar,’ he said. ‘It should be about building a nation where democracy, accountability, and security are guaranteed for all Nigerians, not just a privileged few.’

Police and vigilantes in Niger State have killed three suspected kidnappers at Kokolo forest, Kawo-Auna village, in Magama LGA of Niger State.

The spokesperson for the state police command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who made this known, said two AK-47 rifles and 49 live ammunition were recovered.

He said the success was in continuation of the command’s clearance operations in some identified suspected kidnappers’ hideouts.

He said a kidnapped victim was rescued during the operation.

In a related development, operatives of the command arrested a 28-year-old Bashir Abubakar of Kebbi State, for alleged fraud and theft by trick in Kontagora.

The suspect was said to have gone to a shop in New Market, Kontagora, reportedly to buy a mobile phone and accessories valued at over N500,000, where he left behind a bag with the shop attendant, claiming he would return shortly to complete the payment.

Upon inspection, the bag was found to contain pieces of paper arranged to resemble Naira notes.

Abiodun said the suspect was immediately recognized as the same person who was involved in a similar scam in August this year, where he allegedly collected two mobile phones worth N240,000 and left a suspected stolen motorcycle at the scene, claiming he would return with payment-but never did.

The suspect was nearly lynched by an angry mob before police from ‘B’ Division intervened, rescued him, and took him into custody.

The newly crowned Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, on Tuesday, played host to some key opposition figures led by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and declared that he is no longer one of them having assumed the role of a traditional ruler.

Oba Ladoja, a former governor and Senator in Oyo State, was crowned the 44th Olubadan at the well-attended coronation in Ibadan, last Friday.

President Bola Tinubu, four serving governors including the host, Governor Seyi Makinde, first-class monarchs and other top personalities graced the occasion.

However, Atiku, who was absent at the ceremony, on Tuesday, led the former Senate President, Iyorcha Ayu, former Governors of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, Cross Rivers State, Liyel Imoke and other prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to pay homage to the Olubadan.

Atiku attributed his non-appearance at the coronation of the former Governor to protocol arrangements.

Speaking with at the private residence of tge new Olubadan in Ibadan, Atiku said it was not intentional not to honour Oba Ladoja during the coronation.

He said, ‘We are here to say congratulations to the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja. We regretted that we didn’t attend the coronation. It was not intentional. Protocol arrangements did not allow us to come during the coronation, not that we didn’t want to come.

‘We know your roles and relationship with some of us. We are here to congratulate you. Kindly accept our apologies for not making it to the coronation. We regret not attending the programme.’

Responding, Oba Ladoja declared that he is no longer a politician, adding that he had good times with Atiku and other politicians in the country.

‘I’m not one of you again. I am Olubadan of Ibadanland. So, I am for everybody now. I am no longer one of you. I am not a politician anymore. Welcome to my house.

‘Now that I am the Olubadan, I am no more interested in anything other than the Olubadan. You are welcome to my house.

‘We started from the Social Democratic Party, we were in exile together, we were in the Peoples Democratic Party together. When I wanted to create an identity, I went to the Accord Party, which became a household name here. I know you politicians have a way of coming back.

‘All the religious leaders said that the only thing the leaders can do is to promote justice and fairness. I will serve my people. Ibadan people, the state, Africa and the world at large. I will depend on your support and advice,’ the monarch said.

South Africa’s ambassador to France, formerly a long-serving cabinet minister, was found dead on Tuesday at a Paris hotel in what is being treated as a possible suicide, the Paris prosecutor said.

The body of Nkosinathi Emmanuel Nathi Mthethwa, 58, a close associate of South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma, was found in the interior courtyard of the upscale Hyatt hotel.

The ambassador, usually known as Nathi Mthethwa, had reserved a room on the 22nd floor, and its secured window had been forced open with a pair of scissors that were found at the scene.

His wife saw him a final time on Monday afternoon when he was supposed to go to a cocktail event, and then received a message in the evening ‘in which he apologised to her and expressed his intention to end his life’, prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement. ‘Initial investigations suggest that this could have been a deliberate act, without the intervention of a third party,’ she said, while emphasising the investigation would seek to collect all the details.

Mthethwa had been an ambassador since December 2023.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called his death ‘untimely’ and ‘a moment of deep grief in which government and citizens stand beside the Mthethwa family’.

‘Ambassador Mthethwa has served our nation in diverse capacities during a lifetime that has ended prematurely and traumatically,’ he said.

The circumstances of ‘his untimely death’ are under investigation by the French authorities, a South African ministerial statement confirmed.

Mthethwa served as South Africa’s culture minister from 2014 to 2019, and then minister for sports, arts and culture until 2023, according to his embassy website.

He was also the police minister from 2009 to 2014 and the security minister from 2008 to 2009.

Mthethwa also served on the board of directors of the 2010 Football World Cup local organising committee.

Between 2007 and 2022, he was a senior official in the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party since the first post-apartheid democratic elections in 1994. He worked underground within the ANC’s military wing during apartheid and was notably arrested during the state of emergency in 1989.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that the reforms started by his administration is already yielding results.

In a nationwide Independence Day broadcast, the President said, ‘Under our leadership, our economy is recovering fast, and the reforms we started over two years ago are delivering tangible results.’

The President who also gave account of his stewardship said the second quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.23%-Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years-and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund. Inflation declined to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest level in three years.

According to the President, the present administration is working diligently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security, reducing food costs.

He further revealed that, ‘In the last two years of our administration, we have achieved 12 remarkable economic milestones as a result of the implementation of our sound fiscal and monetary policies:

‘We have attained a record-breaking increase in non-oil revenue, achieving the 2025 target by August with over N20 trillion. In September 2025 alone, we raised N3.65 trillion, 411% higher than the amount raised in May 2023.

‘ We have restored Fiscal Health: Our debt service-to-revenue ratio has been significantly reduced from 97% to below 50%. We have paid down the infamous ‘Ways and Means’ advances that threatened our economic stability and triggered inflation.

‘Following the removal of the corruptpetroleum subsidy, we have freed up trillions of Naira for targeted investment in the real economy and social programmes for the most vulnerable, as well as all tiers of government.

‘We have a stronger foreign Reserve position than three years ago. Our external reserves increased to $42.03 billion this September-the highest since 2019.

‘Our tax-to-GDP ratio has risen to 13.5 per cent from less than 10 per cent. The ratio is expected to increase further when the new tax law takes effect in January. The tax law is not about increasing the burden on existing taxpayers but about expanding the base to build the Nigeria we deserve and providing tax relief to low-income earners.

‘We are now a Net Exporter: Nigeria has recorded a trade surplus for five consecutive quarters. We are now selling more to the world than we are buying, a fundamental shift that strengthens our currency and creates jobs at home. Nigeria’s trade surplus increased by 44.3% in Q2 2025 to ?7.46 trillion ($4.74 billion), the largest in about three years. Goods manufactured in Nigeria and exported jumped by 173%. Non-oil exports, as a component of our export trade, now represent 48 per cent, compared to oil exports, which account for 52 per cent.’