Category: Daily Trust

Troops of the Quick Response Force (QRF) under Operation ENDURING PEACE have uncovered two illegal arms manufacturing factories in Vom, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The troops also arrested five suspects and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the factories.

Parading the suspects at the headquarters of Operation ENDURING PEACE, the spokesman of the operation, Captain Polycarp Oteh, said the success followed coordinated efforts by security forces.

He explained that the operation formed part of ongoing efforts by Operation ENDURING PEACE to cut off the supply chain of illicit firearms and safeguard law-abiding citizens within its Joint Operations Area (JOA).

According to Oteh, ‘The operation, which was the result of highly intensified and comprehensive human intelligence gathering as well as strategic surveillance, led to the discovery of two illegal arms manufacturing sites.

‘During the precision operation, troops arrested five suspects caught in the act of fabricating lethal weapons. A comprehensive search of the sites led to the recovery of a significant cache of weaponry and industrial equipment.’

He listed items recovered to include ‘nine fabricated AK-47 rifles, one locally fabricated pistol, four empty AK-47 magazines, seven skeletal AK-47 rifles and 10 rifle butts.’

‘Other items recovered are 36 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammunition, four revolver engines, 14 recoiling springs, six hand drilling machines, nine filing machines, four welding machines and assorted industrial equipment,’ he added.

Captain Oteh further disclosed that the suspects and recovered items were in military custody for further investigation.

He added that troops were consolidating ongoing covert operations aimed at mopping up the remnants of arms and ammunition already in circulation.

Oteh appreciated members of the public for their support and urged them to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities of criminal elements to security agencies.

Gunmen have raided Mainika community in Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State, killing a herder and rustling over 300 cattle.

They were said to have attacked the area on Wednesday evening.

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ýConfirming the incident, the Councillor of Mainika Ward, Auwal Abdussalam Barau, said the attackers came with dangerous weapons and were suspected to have crossed from the neighbouring Katsina State.

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ýHe said, ‘They came around 6 p.m. on Wednesday and rustled over 300 cattle, killing a herder who tried to resist them.

ý’After the attack, soldiers and vigilantes were mobilised. They chased the attackers and eventually succeeded in rescuing over 100 cattle.

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ý’This is not the first time they are attacking this area. There was a time they kidnapped a housewife and a young man, then they came back and kidnapped an aged man. This is the third attack on our area.

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ý’The security has given us assurance that the remaining cattle will be recovered as well.’

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ýThe councillor called on the state government to consider establishing a military base in the area to help counter further attacks.

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ýThe Kano State Police Command also confirmed the incident and announced that operatives, in collaboration with the Military Joint Task Force (JTF), recovered 67 cows, one donkey, and one sheep from the rustlers during a swift operation.

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ýAccording to the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the Command received credible intelligence on May 6, 2026, at about 6:15 p.m. that suspected cattle rustlers had attacked villages around Gwarzo and neighbouring areas.

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ýHe said, ‘A combined team of Police operatives and Military JTF personnel was mobilised, and on sighting the security team, the suspects engaged them in a gun duel. They were overpowered and forced to abandon the livestock before fleeing outside the state.

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ý’The recovered animals were taken into safe custody at the Gwarzo Division and formally handed over to their rightful owners on May 7, 2026, through the District Heads, under the supervision of the Local Government Chairman,’ Kiyawa added.

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Gwarzo is one of the local government areas in Kano bordering Katsina.

Amid growing concerns, residents have called on security agencies to intensify efforts to prevent the area from becoming a safe haven for criminals.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has directed the Police Monitoring Unit to investigate allegations linking two senior police officers, CSP Hussaini Gimba and CSP Hassan Gimba, to the disappearance and alleged killing of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata.

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ýThe directive followed a series of petitions submitted on Friday by Kano-based activist and human rights lawyer, Abba Hikima.

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ýThe petitions, seen by our reporter, addressed to the IGP, drew attention to claims made by Muhammad Musa Kamarawa, a former Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle.

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ýKamarawa alleged that the officers threatened him, saying they had killed Dadiyata and others in his presence at Operations Yaki, Kaduna.

In one of the petitions, the law firm stressed that if the allegations were false, a transparent investigation would clear the officers’ names.

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ýHowever, if true, it argued that justice must take its course ‘irrespective of rank, office or influence.’

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ýThe petitions highlighted public concern over Dadiyata’s disappearance and urged the constitution of an independent investigative panel.

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ýAcknowledging receipt of the petitions, the IGP, through his Principal Staff Officer, CF Lateef Adio Ahmed, confirmed that the matter had been referred to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Monitoring Unit for immediate action.

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ýThe letter assured the petitioners of the Force’s commitment to justice and accountability.

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ýDadiyata, a lecturer and social media activist, was abducted from his home in Barnawa, Kaduna, in August 2019.

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His disappearance has remained one of the most high-profile unresolved cases in recent years, sparking widespread calls for answers and accountability.

The Senate on Thursday rescinded amendments to its Standing Orders after lawmakers raised concerns that key provisions conflicted with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The Red Chamber had, on Tuesday, amended its standing rules to restrict eligibility for presiding and principal officer positions.

These changes appeared to shut the door on several high-profile hopefuls for the 11th National Assembly in June 2027, including Senators Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central), and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), among others rumoured to be positioning themselves for leadership roles.

The amendment process sparked a heated exchange on Wednesday between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole during the adoption of Votes and Proceedings from Tuesday’s sitting.

However, during Thursday’s plenary, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele raised a motion to backtrack.

He argued that certain clauses introduced under Order 2, Subsection 2 and Order 3, Subsection 1 could create ‘constitutional inconsistencies and unintended tensions’ with Section 52 of the Constitution.

He noted that the Senate possesses the inherent authority to ‘revisit, rescind, and recommit’ any previous decision to preserve the integrity of its legislative framework.

The Senate subsequently resolved to rescind the controversial amendments.

In a swift reaction, Senator Oshiomhole criticised the original process, labelling it rushed and flawed.

‘The way we rushed the rules because certain people wanted certain things concluded is the flaw in this process. Next time, we should allow for proper debate,’ Oshiomhole said.

The Senate Standing Orders serve as the primary rules governing the conduct and proceedings of the upper legislative chamber.

Oshiomhole calls for Akpabio’s resignation

Earlier before rescinding the amendments, Oshiomhole asked Akpabio to resign if the National Assembly adopts the rule requiring senators to serve at least eight consecutive years before qualifying for the office of Senate President.

Oshiomhole faulted the move, describing it as morally flawed and self-serving, arguing that Akpabio himself would not meet such a requirement based on his own time in the Senate.

‘So, if we pass the rules that you must do eight consecutive years before you can be Senate President, it means he (Akpabio) has to lead by example, by vacating, because he’s presiding without acquiring the appropriate qualification,’ he said.

Oshiomhole also warned against altering legislative rules to serve personal or political interests, insisting that leadership positions should not be manipulated to narrow competition.

Referencing former Senate President David Mark, Oshiomhole argued that previous leaders attained their positions without changing rules to secure advantage.

First HoldCo Plc. yesterday announced its audited results for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, posting a full year revenue of N3.4 trillion with the growth driven by strong core banking activities and a well-diversified income base.

The group further sustained the momentum in Q1 2026 with gross earnings of N897.1 billion up 23.8% y-o-y (Mar 2025: ?724.5 billion) as well as net interest income of N432.3 billion, up 21.3% y-o-y (Mar 2025: N356.5 billion) .

Also non-interest income of N188.2 billion, up 93.8% y-o-y (Mar 2025: N97.1 billion)

Operating expenses of N292.7 billion, up 21.2% y-o-y (Mar 2025: N241.4 billion).

Other highlights of the Q1 results included Profit before tax of N285.8 billion, up 71.0% y-o-y (Mar 2025: ?167.2 billion) while profit after tax of N236.7 billion was recorded, an increase of 56.7% year-on-year.

For the full year 2025 results, interest income increased by 24.9% to N3.0 trillion, attributable to proactive asset repricing and enhanced yields. Net interest income experienced substantial growth of 36.8%, reaching N1.9 trillion and resulting in a net interest margin of 11.1%.

Non-interest income remained strong, with net fees and commission income rising by 20.2% to ?294.5 billion, supported by greater digital transaction volumes, transfer and intermediation fees, and letter of credit commissions and fees. The Group’s earnings profile is sustained by a diversified and resilient income-generating model.

Operating expenses rose by 32.1% to N1.2 trillion, primarily due to inflationary trends and foreign exchange pressures.

The increase was largely attributable to higher personnel costs, elevated regulatory fees, enhanced advertising and corporate promotion initiatives designed to drive business growth, strengthen global and enterprise-wide brand visibility, and boost customer engagement, along with greater administrative and miscellaneous charges. Consequently, the cost-to-income ratio climbed to 53.8%.

Profit before tax decreased by 70.5% to ?235.0 billion, primarily as a result of a 93.8% rise in impairment charges and the normalisation of foreign exchange gains recorded in prior years.

Despite these challenges, the Group said it demonstrated robust underlying performance, with normalised pre-provision profit rising by 36.6% to N1.07 trillion. This improvement underscores the Group’s fundamental earning strength and resilience.

Wale Oyedeji, the Group Managing Director while commenting on the results stated that: ‘2025 was a defining year for FirstHoldCo, characterised by disciplined execution, resilient core earnings and a comprehensive reset of our balance sheet for sustainable performance and high-quality growth. Gross earnings grew by 6.9% to ?3.4 trillion, underpinned by strong net interest income growth of 36.8% and continued momentum in our digital and transactional franchises.

Importantly, we comprehensively de-risked the Group’s balance sheet by adequately providing for systemic impaired and non-performing exposures. This decisive action, aligned with the post-forbearance landscape, enhances transparency and positions the Group on a far stronger foundation for future growth, improved asset quality and higher-quality earnings.

‘We also strengthened our capital position through focused capital-raising initiatives to ensure FirstBank meets minimum regulatory capital requirements of N500 billion. Additionally, and under our ?350 billion capital raise programme, we have successfully secured ?128.7 billion to date. We remain firmly on track and continue to engage proactively with regulators and the market to deliver a further enhanced well-capitalised platform that can enhance growth and increase value creation.’

On the Q1 results, the GMD said, ‘FirstHoldCo has begun 2026 on a strong footing, delivering a Q1 performance that validates the resilience of our franchise and the disciplined execution of our strategy. In a market defined by volatility, our results underscore that our business is not only enduring but strengthening-built to perform through cycles and to compound value for shareholders.’

Hundreds of aggrieved supporters of one of the Kano Central Senatorial seat aspirants, Abdussalam Abdulkarim Zaura popularly known as AA Zaura, have rejected consensus arrangement against their candidate.

The supporters, drawn from the 15 Local Government Areas that make up the Kano Central Senatorial district carried placards and marched to the streets, chanting solidarity song; ‘mu Zaura muke so,’ meaning ‘It’s Zaura we want.’

Some of the inscriptions on the banners read, ‘For a unity candidate,’ ‘justice for Kano Central,’ ‘students stand with AA Zaura,’ ‘fairness for Kano Central,’ among others.

Speaking during the protest, leader of the groups Dr Bello Lawan called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure fairness in the allocation of political positions in the state, urging him to support the aspiration of Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura popularly known as AA Zaura, ahead of the 2027 elections.

He described Kano as the ‘heartbeat of the North’ and the ‘battleground of northern politics,’ stressing that decisions taken in the state would significantly affect the fortunes of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday challenged a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to restrain him from contesting 2027 presidential election.

Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja shortly after the matter was called for hearing.

Uche informed the court that a letter of conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, a counter affidavit and a written address had been filed on May 5 ,praying the court to dismiss the case.

He said they got information about the case through the media and hence, the need to file their processes urgently going by the importance of the matter which boiled down on the eligibility of the forner president to contest in the next election.

The senior lawyer said it was unfortunate that such a suit is filed by a lawyer who should know more that this same matter had been decided by the Federal High Court up to Court of Appeal.

Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, informed the court that the matter was for mention but he was just being served with Jonathan’s processes.

He said he would need more time to respond

Justice Lifu adjourned the matter until May 11 by 2pm for hearing of the ex-president’s objection and the substantive suit.

The judge also ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, had filed the case, praying the court to bar Jonathan from contesting in the 2027 poll.

Citing constitutional grounds, Jideobi urged the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party in the country for the purpose of contesting in the poll.

He also urged the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting from any political party, Jonathan’s name or publishing same as a duly nominated candidate for the election.

Jideobi, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, sued the former president as 1st defendant.

In the suit dated and filed on Oct. 6, 2025, the lawyer joined INEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has formally submitted his nomination form for the 2027 governorship election to the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

The governor was accompanied by Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Senator Kawu Sumaila, members of the House of Representatives, and other respected dignitaries from the state.

Briefing journalists shortly after the submission of his nomination form, Governor Yusuf described the declaration of his second term as a fresh call to service and a renewed commitment to the people of Kano State.

He said his administration would expand urban renewal projects across the state while road construction, drainage expansion, and market modernization will receive greater attention.

Governor Yusuf said rural development will remain a major priority. He pledged more investments in feeder roads, water supply, healthcare centres, and schools in rural communities.

The governor also promised stronger support for agriculture and empowerment programmes for farmers and young people, saying job creation and youth development would remain at the centre of his administration’s agenda.

Governor Yusuf reaffirmed his commitment to improving education and healthcare delivery across Kano State.

He stressed that unity, peace, and inclusive leadership remain key pillars of his administration.

The governor said he would continue to work with stakeholders to move Kano forward.

He also reaffirmed his alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda to attract more federal projects and opportunities to Kano.

Governor Yusuf thanked the people of Kano for their continued support and confidence in his leadership, assuringd them of greater dedication, transparent governance, and people-centred development.

Sadly, for me, my 50 years of the study of political science has not helped me much in understanding Nigerian electoral politics. After 27 years of electoral democracy in the Fourth Republic and seven governments, the political process has been completely transformed, to be clearer, largely destroyed.

Opposition party leaders are regularly expelled from their parties and the expulsion is made legal by a corrupt judiciary that has no respect for laws but has lots of obedience to governments in power. Anti-corruption agencies are given lists of ‘troublesome’ opposition leaders and instructed to persecute rather than prosecute them for their sins against the ‘Great leader’. The party system has been completely monetised and each party has a core group of paid for litigants that dash to court the moment anyone in the party criticises the government. Within days, they are offered billions of naira which they use to bribe judges who throw out the legitimate party leadership and install imposters as the ‘legitimate’ party leadership. Internal party democracy becomes a theory that is only spoken about by confused academics who cannot explain why Nigerian political parties are so different from all the others they have learnt about in their previous studies. Clearly, Nigerian politics is modelled on mars rather than the democratic model developed on earth.

Until recently, Nigeria operated a two-party dominant political system in which the ruling and main opposition party controlled enormous resources compared to the others. This was because the federal system had opportunities of access to power and resources for opposition at the state level and therefore at least one opposition party could remain competitive even at the federal level. At the beginning of the Fourth Republic, only three political parties were registered, but a Supreme Court decision allowed for the liberalisation of the regime and many more parties were registered. There were three categories of political parties – the two dominant parties, parties with parliamentary representation and the other small parties, most of which were established as possible platforms for important politicians that lose out in the bigger parties to access nomination for elective posts. The core problem was that the President and state governors tightly control political parties and the party leadership structure. Gone are the days when the party chairman and executive committee controlled the party. The president has become the leader of the dominant party. At the state level, although a party chairman exists, state governors are the leaders of their party at that level. The old idea that a president and governors are servants chosen by the political party to implement a manifesto decided by the party is completely alien to the system today.

One of the strangest things about Nigerian political parties is that they do not stand for anything in terms of the ideological spectrum and their activities are not driven by a party membership that has agency. Competition in Nigeria’s party system is very intense within the ruling and main opposition parties and less so between the other political parties. This is due to the fact that since 1979, Nigeria has developed the tradition of major blocs of the political elite coalescing into a main political party conceived as a hegemonic party. In elections that are relatively free and fair, namely, the 1959, 1979, 1999 and 2015 elections, the parties that had the highest votes, the Northern Peoples’ Congress, the National Party of Nigeria, the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the All Peoples’ Congress failed in their desire to be hegemonic or truly dominant through the polls. In the subsequent elections of 1964, 1983, 2003 and 2019, they all abused their incumbency powers to transform themselves into dominant parties. In essence, they used electoral fraud to boost their control of the political process and weaken opposition parties. At the rate we are going, competitive party politics will end in 2027 as the ruling party is determined to run and control every single party in the country. President Tinubu is convinced that he could take over all the parties and do what Abacha failed to do – make all political parties declare him as the sole presidential candidate. At that point, we will discover if there are still people who believe in and are ready to fight for democracy in Nigeria.

The greatest challenge facing Nigerian democracy is the absence of a real and functional party system. Virtually all parties have very little respect for internal party democracy. That is to say that they do not conduct their internal affairs based on the principles enunciated in their constitutions and rules. Party officials and candidates for elections are not elected in accordance with the rules of the game. Party conventions become occasions in which the president, governors and godfathers simply impose candidates of their choice rather than have candidates voted for by members and delegates. The lack of internal party democracy weakens the internal coherence of most political parties and creates a situation where the judiciary becomes the arbiter of who the candidates are rather than delegates. Of course, the judiciary is no longer a neutral arbiter, most judges are corrupt agents who deliver judgements based on the size of the bribes they have been paid by governments and/or individuals.

Since 1999, civil society and development partners have invested vast resources in capacity building for political parties. I know because I have been a resource person in so many such workshops. The United Nations system, European Union, the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), IFES, National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and others have invested millions of dollars, pounds and euros to raise the capacity of political parties but the impact of the investment has been zero.

The main political parties never attended the sessions and the small ones come only for the per diem. The parties have not been growing in terms of their membership, capacity to win seats or democratic practice. Their strengths are established by how much money they have to bribe, deploy thugs, control the security agencies or influence INEC.

Political parties become a marketplace in the six months leading to elections as candidates engage in do or die acts to eliminate rivals by bribing officials, jailing them or even killing them. Armed with the ticket, they then bribe voters to vote them into office. This pathway to power makes nonsense of the normal idea of developing a party with ideology, principles and a good campaign manifesto and campaign strategy.

Were political science principles applicable to Nigeria, I would have said that the pathway to deepening democracy is to engage with political parties to make party membership less ephemeral and more real. Nigerian political parties should develop a good membership base not patrons or clients. The attachment of people should be to political parties not to patrons or godfathers who pay for their engagement in the political process.

The mode of participation in political party activities, which is currently mediated by political bosses to whom people owe allegiance, should change. Ambitious politicians should stop jumping from a party when they do not get a position they seek, they should remain in the party and try again next time. The entrepreneurial approach to politics should be replaced by a more democratic one based on a new political ethos rooted in principles and issue-based approach to politics. They will ask me an important question, who does not know that they are from mars and not the world of democratic politics. My response would be to write another column next week.

Rano Air has announced the temporary suspension of some of its flight routes following what it described as an unprecedented increase of over 300 per cent in the cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel.

This was contained in a notice posted on its X (formerly Twitter) page and signed by the airline’s management.

The carrier said the sharp rise in fuel prices has made operations on some routes ‘extremely challenging and commercially unsustainable.’

However, the notice did not specify which of the routes would be suspended.

But a source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity as the management is yet to take a final decision on some of the routes to be suspended listed Maiduguri and Gombe as some of the routes that might be suspended.

The airline currently operates Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi and Osubi routes.

The source said, ‘Definitely more than 50 per cent of the routes might be suspended temporarily but the management will soon come out with a final statement on the routes.’

In the notice, the airline said the high fuel cost has placed enormous pressure on flight operations and forced the company to take the ‘difficult but necessary decision’ to suspend affected routes temporarily.

Rano Air expressed regret over the inconvenience the decision may cause passengers and business partners, noting that the move was made after careful consideration to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable operations.

The airline assured customers who had already booked flights on the affected routes that arrangements were being made for refunds, rescheduling or rerouting.

Passengers were advised to contact the airline’s customer service through its dedicated email and telephone lines for assistance.

Rano Air also pledged to resume operations on the affected routes once conditions improve and operations become viable again.

The airline thanked passengers for their patience, understanding and continued support during the challenging period.

The statement read:

‘Rano Air wishes to inform the general public and our valued passengers that, due to the unprecedented escalation in the cost of Jet Al aviation fuel by over 300%, the operational cost of sustaining some of our routes has become extremely challenging and commercially unsustainable.’

‘This significant increase in fuel prices has greatly impacted the aviation industry and placed enormous pressure on our flight operations. In view of the current situation, Rano Air has taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend some of our routes temporarily.

‘We sincerely regret the inconvenience this may cause to our esteemed passengers and business partners. Please be assured that this decision was made after careful consideration and in the interest of maintaining safe, reliable, and sustainable operations.

‘Passengers who have already booked flights on the affected routes are advised that Rano Air will assist with all concerns regarding refunds, rescheduling, or rerouting options.

‘Operations on the affected routes will resume as soon as the situation improves and becomes operationally viable for the airline.

‘Rano Air remains committed to providing quality service to our passengers, and we appreciate your understanding, patience, and continued support during this challenging period.’

Daily Trust reports that domestic airlines have recently cried out over high fuel costs while threatening to suspend flights indefinitely.

The planned shutdown was averted following the government’s intervention but some of the airlines said the situation hasn’t really improved as they still buy fuel at almost N3000 per litre.

The federal government through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) recently pegged jet A1 price at N2039 per litre in Abuja and less in Lagos but normalcy is yet to return amidst the raging global oil supply disruption due to the ongoing Middle East crisis.