Category: Daily Trust

Kwara United FC suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to visiting Bendel Insurance in their NPFL Matchday 11 encounter at the Rashidi Yekini Mainbowl of the George Innih Stadium, Ilorin, on Sunday.

Both sides began the encounter cautiously, adopting a measured approach as they sought to establish control and create scoring opportunities.

Aliyu Ferinyaro and Uche Jaguar came close to breaking the deadlock for the Harmony Boys in the first half, but their efforts were thwarted by the resilient defensive line of the Benin Arsenal.

Kwara United were forced into an early substitution in the 17th minute when Anthony Nnamdi, who sustained a knock, was replaced by Mighty Emmanuel.

In spite of the efforts of both teams, the first half ended goalless.

The hosts returned from the break with renewed determination and were rewarded in the 49th minute when Stephen Gideon put Kwara United ahead.

Ferinyaro unleashed a shot that was parried by the Bendel Insurance goalkeeper, allowing Gideon to react quickly and slot home the rebound.

However, the celebrations were short-lived as Kayode Oke restored parity for the visitors in the 52nd minute, capitalising on a poorly marked loose ball.

Bendel Insurance completed their comeback just three minutes later, with Chinedu Nwosu scoring in the 55th minute to hand the Benin-based side a 2-1 lead.

Kwara United subsequently intensified their efforts to find an equaliser, with further tactical substitutions introduced to change the course of the game.

However, the visitors remained resolute defensively to protect their advantage until the final whistle.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kwara United coach Ladi Ojokojo, who stood in for Ashifat Suleiman, expressed disappointment with the outcome but remained optimistic about the team’s prospects.

He assured that the team would continue to work hard to return to winning ways.

The defeat leaves Kwara United in 14th position on the NPFL table with 12 points from 11 matches.

The Harmony Boys will next travel to face Rangers International in Owerri next weekend as they seek to bounce back from the home setback. (NAN)

Recent revelations that more than 300 containers of critical electricity equipment imported by the Federal Government remained stranded at Nigerian ports for years have exposed the administrative bottlenecks and institutional inefficiencies undermining efforts to improve electricity supply across the country, experts have said.

The equipment, some of which have reportedly been trapped in the ports for close to two decades, were procured under various government-funded and development-partner-supported electricity projects, including the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) donor-funded projects and the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI).

Despite their importance to the country’s electricity infrastructure, the equipment have been unable to reach their intended destinations because of unresolved import documentation, disagreements over duty exemptions, mounting shipping demurrage, port charges and bureaucratic delays involving government agencies.

President Bola Tinubu has consequently directed the immediate clearance of the stranded containers, a move that has generated mixed reactions among stakeholders in the power sector.

While some experts have welcomed the directive as a demonstration of political will to address longstanding challenges in the electricity industry, others believe the development exposes years of institutional failures that cannot be resolved through presidential orders alone.

What power minister said

Minister of Power, Olasunkanmi Joseph Tegbe, who disclosed the presidential directive after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, expressed dismay that equipment meant to strengthen the country’s electricity infrastructure could remain abandoned at the ports for such an extended period.

Tegbe said: ‘Those containers are not empty. It is appalling to see that we find ourselves in such situations.

‘They were imported by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Power/Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) under various power projects over the years.’

However, industry experts said the circumstances surrounding the stranded equipment reveal structural weaknesses in government procurement, importation and project implementation processes.

Nigeria has an installed electricity generation capacity of approximately 13,014.40 MW to 13,625 MW, while available or generated power fluctuates between 4,000 MW and 5,403 MW.

This was largely attributed to ageing or inadequate infrastructure to support transmission and power distribution.

It would be recalled that the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) recently recovered abandoned power equipment worth billions of naira from various seaports across the country, following an intervention by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, said during a visit to the NPA in August that the released items were in 110 abandoned containers and 216 packages.

Some experts called for a critical evaluation of the equipment in order to retrieve those that are still useful.

A former Chief Technical Officer, Presidential Power Initiative (PPI) and MD/CEO, Idfon Power Engineering Consultants (iPEC) Limited, Engr. Idowu Oyebanjo, said the situation arose when the projects were awarded to contractors at low cost without demurrage.

According to him, some of the contracts are structured on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) Lagos terms, meaning the equipment are delivered to the Lagos port without sufficient arrangements to ensure their prompt clearance and transportation to the project sites.

He explained that the difficulties begin even before the containers arrive in Nigeria, as critical import documentation and duty exemption approvals are often not completed before shipment.

Oyebanjo stated that upon the arrival of the containers and notification sent to the shipping agents, the agents approach TCN to obtain an Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC).

However, TCN would reportedly inform them that the relevant file was with the Ministry of Power, while the ministry, in turn, would say it was with the Ministry of Finance.

He added that the Ministry of Finance often views the imported equipment as potential revenue for the government and consequently seeks to impose a five per cent import duty.

He noted that such equipment should ordinarily benefit from the relevant government exemptions, considering that they were imported specifically for public electricity infrastructure projects.

According to him, some of the consignments arrive without properly processed Form M, the mandatory import declaration form; Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR); Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) certification; and Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC).

These omissions, he said, leave the equipment exposed to additional clearance requirements and charges.

Oyebanjo said the situation becomes more complicated after the containers spend 90 days at the ports without clearance.

He disclosed that a particular batch of 22 containers accumulated liabilities of N483.88m because of the conflicting classifications and the continued accumulation of shipping charges.

Providing details of the contents of the containers, Oyebanjo said they include critical electricity infrastructure approved by the Federal Executive Council for various transmission projects.

Among the equipment are 300 Mega Volt-Ampere (MVA), 330/132/33 kilovolt (kV) transformers intended for Ikeja West, Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) spares, 33kV double-circuit lines for Katampe and materials for the proposed Super Grid.

He said some of the equipment had remained in the ports for about 20 years.

Oyebanjo alleged that the prolonged delays had also created opportunities for an auction racket, claiming that some overtime cargo were auctioned to cronies at about 10 per cent of their value before being resold to TCN.

‘How to avoid recurrence’

To prevent a recurrence, he recommended the establishment of a dedicated TCN desk at the Nigeria Customs Service, rather than leaving the process entirely within the purview of the Ministry of Finance.

Such a desk, he said, should operate with pre-approved duty waivers to ensure that documentation and clearance arrangements are completed before the equipment arrive in the country.

He also called for a change in the procurement structure for future electricity projects, recommending that all new contracts adopt Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) arrangements, under which contractors would be responsible for delivering equipment to the project sites rather than simply bringing them to Lagos ports under CIF terms.

On his part, a power expert, Engr. Ibrahim Sulu said since 2016, presidential approvals have cleared stranded power equipment again and again, only for it to pile up.

He said the country needs a standing rule that does not depend on whoever is minister, adding that all contracts are Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) to the project site, with the contractor bearing demurrage.

A power stakeholder, Duru Oguzie, expressed dismay over the prolonged abandonment of the equipment, describing the situation as evidence of a lack of patriotism among some Nigerians entrusted with managing public resources.

He criticised the Nigeria Customs Service for allowing the equipment to remain stranded for years when they could have been released earlier for use in the country’s electricity infrastructure.

He described the development as a show of shame, arguing that the equipment had lost much of its potential value to the country because of the prolonged delays.

Oguzie urged the Federal Government to maintain zero revenue charges on the stranded electricity equipment to ensure their immediate release.

He argued that the government should prioritise the national interest and the potential benefits of deploying the equipment rather than focusing on revenue collection from assets already procured with public funds or development financing.

However, another stakeholder, Saka Mohammad, questioned the political narrative surrounding the presidential directive.

He said the applause generated by the presidential directive was undeserved because the clearance of the equipment should be viewed within the broader context of the government’s responsibility to address the longstanding weaknesses in the power sector.

He maintained that the Federal Government should take more proactive measures to ensure that the problems responsible for the abandonment of critical electricity equipment do not recur.

However, energy expert Rasheed Adeleke described the clearance of the stranded equipment as a positive development that could support improvements in the electricity sector.

He lamented that the equipment had remained trapped at the ports for almost two decades, saying the situation exposed the persistent institutional failures and unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles slowing the development of Nigeria’s power infrastructure.

Beyond the stranded equipment, concerns have also been raised about the direction of the country’s transmission infrastructure development and the feasibility of some newly announced projects.

A competent source with knowledge of the industry said, ‘Now, as elections approach, the President has promised Nigerians that he will fix the power sector and end estimated billing. He even challenged Nigerians not to vote for him if he fails to deliver on these two promises.

‘They have now introduced the East-West transmission project without publishing the necessary details, technical studies or implementation plan. Yet, they claim it will be completed in two years and add 14,000MW to the national grid. This is being presented to Nigerians without adequately explaining the technical and commercial realities.’

The source added, ‘Electricity is not generated simply by making political promises. It requires properly coordinated investments in generation, transmission and distribution, supported by credible technical studies, financing and implementation capacity.

‘Without addressing these fundamental issues, the promise of adding 14,000MW in two years raises serious questions about the feasibility and credibility of the project.’

Until the killing of Sheikh Yahaya Ibrahim Masussuka in Katsina State, I had never heard his name. I had never listened to his sermons, watched his videos or familiarised myself with his religious teachings. I therefore have no opinion on his beliefs, his theological positions or what he represented. I may take time to understand his teachings, but that is not the subject of this article. His death is relevant here only because it triggered an unusually heated exchange across social media, bringing me face to face with something that has troubled me deeply over the past few days.

What I have witnessed is an increasingly disturbing exchange among young Nigerian Muslims, many seemingly in their twenties and thirties, debating the differences between Islamic religious movements and traditions. Videos of clerics are being circulated, shared and defended by their followers. Some are being used to attack opposing interpretations of Islam, while others contain statements that are difficult to reconcile with the values of compassion, restraint and respect for human life that should underpin religious teaching. The exchanges involve adherents of Izala and other Salafi-oriented currents, as well as followers of Sufi traditions, including the Tijaniyya and other tariqas. These are not uniform communities, and their theological differences should not be confused with support for violence. However, the hostility and some of the utterances being circulated are deeply concerning.

For four days, it has been difficult to open my X timeline without encountering another video or argument arising from this controversy. What is particularly troubling is not simply that people disagree about religious doctrine. Disagreement is neither new nor inherently dangerous. Muslims have different schools of thought, traditions and interpretations, and there is room for robust theological debate. What should concern us is the growing willingness of some voices to justify hatred, dehumanisation and violence in the name of defending religious positions. When young people begin to consume, defend and reproduce such messages as ordinary religious discourse, we must ask ourselves what kind of society we are preparing them to inherit.

I have seen a video in which a cleric reportedly claimed that parents should kill a ten-year-old child who refuses to observe Salah, presenting this as an Islamic instruction. That is an extremely dangerous misrepresentation. The commonly cited Hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud about teaching children to pray at seven and disciplining them at ten does not instruct parents to kill their children. The Quran expressly prohibits killing children. Yet statements of this nature can circulate widely, acquire credibility because of the religious authority of the speaker and reach young people who may not have the knowledge to challenge them.

Other videos have been even more disturbing. One showed a group of young people in uniforms resembling those of a religious organisation chanting threats to obtain weapons and attack people attending churches in Enugu and Plateau. The organisation publicly disowned the statements and called for an investigation. That response should be acknowledged. However, the recording itself raises serious questions about how young people are being influenced, what they are being taught to regard as acceptable and how easily violent rhetoric can become a collective performance.

I want to emphasise that this is not an argument about Muslims against Christians. It is not even primarily an argument about the relationship between Muslims and people of other faiths. What I have been observing is a problem emerging within Muslim communities themselves. It is about Muslims being encouraged to regard other Muslims as enemies because they follow a different school of thought, belong to another religious movement or interpret certain texts differently. If we cannot tolerate differences among ourselves, what hope do we have of building a society in which people of different faiths can coexist peacefully?

The implications go far beyond the arguments currently playing out online. Arewa has spent years confronting organised violent extremism. Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups have inflicted enormous damage on communities, institutions, education, livelihoods and the bonds that hold the region. Governments have invested heavily in military operations, intelligence gathering and other security interventions to contain these threats. Yet I fear we are paying insufficient attention to another dimension of the problem: the possibility that we are creating the conditions for a generation of individualised extremists.

A young person may never join Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru or any other organised group. They may never enter a terrorist camp, receive weapons training or have direct contact with an insurgent commander. But if they spend years consuming messages that teach them to hate people who disagree with them, that portray other Muslims as legitimate targets, or that present violence as a religious obligation, they may eventually develop an extremist worldview of their own. They may act independently, without belonging to any recognised organisation. This is not to suggest that every young person who encounters such content will become violent. It is to recognise that the normalisation of violent ideology creates a risk that we cannot afford to ignore.

We may spend the next decade dismantling organised terrorist networks only to discover that the ideas sustaining violence have become more widely distributed among individuals who are difficult to identify through conventional security structures. In that situation, the challenge will be considerably more complex. How do we confront an extremist who has no organisational affiliation, whose radicalisation has taken place through years of online exposure, and who believes that violence is a legitimate expression of faith? Prevention must therefore begin long before an individual becomes a security threat.

This is why I believe the federal and state governments across Northern Nigeria must take a much firmer position on the regulation of public religious preaching. Not everyone should be able to wake up one morning, declare themselves a religious authority and use a public platform to issue inflammatory opinions or dangerous religious instructions without accountability. A sermon delivered in a mosque does not remain within that mosque. It can be recorded, uploaded and circulated to thousands, sometimes millions, of people. A speaker who addresses a relatively small congregation may end up influencing young people across the country.

Regulation, however, must be properly designed. Nigeria’s Constitution protects freedom of religion and expression. These rights must not be undermined by governments seeking to control legitimate theological debate or silence religious criticism. But freedom of religion cannot be a licence to incite murder, threaten communities or promote violence. The distinction must be clear, and the law must be applied fairly, transparently and consistently.

Some states already have legal and administrative arrangements for regulating public preaching and religious institutions. The question is whether these mechanisms are effective, whether they are being properly enforced and whether they adequately address sermons that are recorded and distributed online. Governments should review existing frameworks and work with recognised Islamic institutions, respected scholars from different traditions, legal experts, child protection professionals and security agencies to establish credible standards for public religious instruction. There should be clear qualifications and accountability requirements for those occupying public preaching platforms, effective complaints mechanisms and independent procedures for investigating credible allegations of incitement. Regulation must target dangerous conduct, not theological disagreement.

Saudi Arabia is not a model that should be copied wholesale, nor should any country be treated as an example in every aspect of religious governance. However, its system of formal requirements for the appointment of mosque imams demonstrates that public religious leadership can be subject to institutional standards. Nigeria must develop an approach suited to its own constitutional and religious context, rather than treating the regulation of public preaching as an impossible undertaking.

Religious leaders themselves must also recognise the responsibility that comes with influence. Scholars who understand the Quran, Hadith and Islamic jurisprudence have a duty to challenge dangerous distortions of religious teachings. They cannot leave the task of correcting misinformation entirely to government or security agencies. When a cleric makes a statement that encourages violence, other respected scholars should be prepared to challenge it publicly and explain why it is unacceptable. Silence can create the impression that such statements are legitimate or uncontested.

Parents, schools and communities must also pay attention to what young people are consuming online. Religious education should cultivate understanding, discipline, compassion and respect for human life. Children must be encouraged to ask questions, examine claims and seek guidance from knowledgeable and responsible adults. We cannot assume that everything delivered in the language of religion is necessarily sound or harmless.

The governors of Arewa and the federal government must understand the urgency of this challenge. One of the greatest acts of service they can render to Arewa is to confront the spread of religious extremism before it becomes even more deeply embedded in the communities. This is not a problem that can be postponed until the next security emergency. It is already demanding attention.

I am genuinely concerned about the environment in which our children are growing up. If we continue to allow hatred to be dressed up as religious instruction, if we allow young people to consume calls for violence as ordinary online content, and if public religious platforms remain beyond meaningful accountability, we should not be surprised by the consequences. I may be generous in giving us another ten years, but the danger could emerge much sooner.

Arewa cannot afford another generation raised to believe that religious disagreement is a justification for hatred or that violence is an acceptable defence of faith. We have already lost too much to organised extremism. We must not allow its ideology to become so normalised that the next threat comes from individuals who no longer need an organisation to tell them whom to hate or whom to kill. The time to act is now, before the ticking time bomb within our own communities becomes another tragedy we will claim we never saw coming.

The Kano State Consumer Protection Council (KCPC), in collaboration with the leadership of Singer Market, has arrested some traders accused of attempting to alter the expiry dates of an expired milk product.

The council also sealed the shops linked to the alleged offence.

In a statement signed by its Director of Public Enlightenment, Jamilu Mustapha Yakasai, the council said the operation followed an emergency call from the Deputy Chairman of the Traders’ Association, Aminu Umar Dogara.

The Director of Monitoring of Traders and Products at the council, Auwalu A. Muhammad, said the call alerted the council to the alleged malpractice within the market.

He said officials were immediately deployed to the scene to investigate the matter, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the closure of the affected shops.

Muhammad said the council was committed to protecting consumers from expired products and goods whose information, condition or quality had been altered in violation of the law.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the council, Dr Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, said the KCPC would not allow individuals or traders to violate consumers’ rights.

He warned that anyone found guilty of such an offence would be prosecuted and face the appropriate punishment.

Dr Ibrahim commended market association leaders for their cooperation with the council in preventing the circulation of substandard and adulterated products in markets.

He said such collaboration would contribute to protecting public health and consumers’ rights.

The executive secretary also thanked the Kano State Government, under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, for its support and for allowing the council to discharge its responsibilities without interference.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has accused Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf of plotting to disqualify the party’s governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, ahead of the 2027 election.

Daily Trust has reported how Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deleted Gwarzo’s name from its updated governorship candidate in the state and said it was due to a court order.

The commission however clarified that it has no problem with the candidate, adding that his omission was in compliance with the court.

But speaking at a press briefing in Kano on Sunday, Kwankwaso alleged that the governor initially sought to use INEC to remove the NDC candidate from the ballot but later resorted to the courts when that move failed.

According to him, Governor Yusuf had realised that he made a political mistake and had since been making frantic efforts to prevent the NDC from participating in the governorship contest.

‘What he wanted was for INEC to declare that there was no governorship candidate in Kano. When that did not happen, they went to court seeking the disqualification of our candidate,’ Kwankwaso said.

The former Kano governor alleged that associates of the governor secretly instituted legal action against the party and INEC in a bid to secure a court order without attracting public attention.

He claimed that the case was structured in a manner that would prevent the affected candidate from becoming aware of the proceedings until after judgment had been delivered.

Kwankwaso, however, insisted that the NDC candidate had no constitutional or legal impediment that could warrant disqualification.

‘Our candidates have no issues relating to age, educational qualification or any other constitutional requirement. There is nothing that should stop them from contesting the election,’ he said.

The NDC vice-presidential candidate further accused the governor and his allies of attempting to avoid electoral competition rather than face the party at the polls.

‘They do not want to contest against us. They believe that once they occupy government offices, they can do whatever they want. But Kano voters will decide,’ he said.

Speaking of previous political developments in the state, Kwankwaso recalled that a court ruling had once removed a candidate before he was subsequently reinstated ahead of an election that his party eventually won.

He expressed confidence that the electorate would reject what he described as attempts to undermine democratic choice in the state.

Kwankwaso also urged supporters, particularly young people, to verify their voter registration status and remain politically active.

He maintained that the NDC would participate in the election and defeat its opponents at the polls.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of Governor Yusuf on the allegations were unsuccessful as calls made to the governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, were neither answered nor returned as at the time of filing this report.

A man, Salihu Nuhu, has pleaded guilty to assaulting a married woman, Hassana Uba, following a disagreement over N10 change in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State.

The incident reportedly occurred when Salihu bought a funkaso (local snack) worth N90 and paid with N100, but a disagreement arose over his N10 balance.

Salihu was accused of entering the woman’s house and beating her following the disagreement.

Hassana told the court that the assault left her hospitalised, where she received medical attention, including intravenous fluids.

She also alleged that her phone and some money went missing when people gathered to assist her.

At the hearing before Magistrate Court No. 44 in Kura, Salihu pleaded guilty to the charge after it was read to him by prosecutor Inspector Nasiru Dange.

Presiding judge Muhammad Alhaji Isah adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for judgment.

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested two suspected cultists over their alleged involvement in cult-related activities in the state.

The suspects, identified as Chibuike Ezeji and Ikenna Emeka, were arrested with five firearms, eight live cartridges and substances suspected to be illicit drugs.

The command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, said the suspects were arrested on October 30, 2026, by police operatives working in collaboration with civilian vigilantes.

He said the police received a complaint from a resident of Umunede that Ezeji, 30, had allegedly threatened to kill him while brandishing a pistol.

Acting on the complaint, police operatives, in collaboration with members of the Umunede Civilian Anti-Cult Group, proceeded to a residence along Umunede Expressway, where a suspected cultist, identified as Oscar Ignatius, was believed to be residing.

According to Edafe, the operation led to the arrest of Ezeji and Emeka, 22, at the premises, while Ignatius escaped.

A search of the premises led to the recovery of a pump-action gun, a locally made cut-to-size gun, three locally made pistols, eight live cartridges and substances suspected to be cannabis and methamphetamine, popularly known as ice.

Edafe said the suspects were in custody and that investigations were ongoing, adding that they would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of abandoning retired police officers to a broken pension system and forcing them to fight for the dignity and security they earned through years of service.

In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said it was disgraceful that officers who risked their lives protecting Nigerians are now reduced to staging daily protests at the National Pension Commission simply to make their legitimate demands heard.

‘A government that can deploy police officers to protect the powerful but cannot protect them in retirement has failed them utterly,’ he said.

Atiku said the administration’s treatment of retired officers exposed the hollowness of its claims to be tackling insecurity. ‘If police officers who served this country must endure humiliation to demand a fair pension, what hope is there for other Nigerians who have spent their working lives in public service?’ he asked.

Atiku said he was deeply troubled by the protests and had instructed his team to meet with the officers and hear their concerns directly.

He also faulted President Tinubu for failing to act on the Police Exit Bill, which, according to the statement, has remained on his desk since March.

The ADC candidate condemned the government’s ‘use and discard’ treatment of officers who spent their careers protecting Nigerians, including political office holders, only to be abandoned when they need support most.

Atiku said his Police Dignity Guarantee Plan would put the welfare and retirement security of law enforcement officers at the centre of his approach to tackling insecurity.

The plan includes prompt action on the Police Exit Bill, restoring gratuity for police officers and ensuring that officers are treated with dignity both during service and in retirement. He has also pledged to implement the Police Pension Board Bill within 30 days of taking office.

‘Insecurity cannot be defeated while those who protect the country are denied security in retirement. My Police Dignity Guarantee Plan will ensure that officers who serve Nigeria are properly supported throughout their careers and are not abandoned when they retire. We will make Nigeria affordable again and restore dignity to those who have spent their lives serving it,’ Atiku said.

At least 12 pupils of Madarasatul Nurul Islam, Maikujeri community in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State have been reportedly kidnapped by bandits.

Daily Trust gathered that the children were abducted around 10am on Saturday while harvesting maize on their teacher’s farm on the outskirts of the town.

A resident, Mohammed Adamu, told Daily Trust that the children were already on their way home when the bandits struck and picked them.

An Okada man identified as Tasi’u, who attempted to escape, was reportedly shot and is currently receiving treatment at the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna, the state capital.

Another source close to the Quranic school told one of our correspondents that 13 people, including 12 female pupils of the school and the younger brother of the school’s proprietor, Mallam Mainasara, were kidnapped.

He said the victims, aged between nine and 14, were abducted as they stopped by a borehole to wash themselves and drink water after leaving the farm.

According to him, the pupils had been working on the farm with their teacher when the teacher received information that bandits were advancing towards the area.

He said the teacher immediately instructed the pupils to return home while he also left on his motorcycle.

‘While on their way home, the pupils reportedly stopped at a borehole to wash their bodies and drink water. It was at that point that the armed men swooped on them and whisked them away,’ he said.

The source further disclosed that some women were also abducted from another farm in the area.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Niger Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, promised to verify the information and revert.

The police spokesperson, however, revealed that six people were rescued but was silent on the abduction of the pupils.

He said, ‘On 29th October, 2026, at about 12.30pm, joint security tactical teams during a clearance and rescue operation around Pandogari Rafi LGA rescued six abducted victims who were reportedly kidnapped by some hoodlums on 28th October, 2026 at about 12 pm in their farms at Mahangi village via Pandogari.

‘The victims were abducted and taken to Hanawanka forest where they were rescued unhurt. They were later received at Kagara Div for debriefing and medical attention ahead of reunion with their relatives.’

Dozens of farmers displaced

Similarly, dozens of farming communities in Borgu, Mariga, Mashegu and Rijau LGAs have continued to flee their homes following the renewed bandits’ attacks.

The affected farmers told Daily Trust that their farm produce, including rice, soyabeans and maize, is wasting on their farms because bandits have stopped them from harvesting.

Ibrahim Ayuba, a resident of one of the affected communities in Mariga LGA told Daily Trust that their farm produce including rice, white beans, soyabeans have been left to waste due to attacks and kidnapping of farmers from their homes and on their farms.

He said, ‘Currently, for about 14 to 19 days now, bandits have occupied some villages in Mariga, including Ragada, Maburya, Mazame, Kuimo and Kura, as well as villages in Rijau Local Government Area, which include Inana, Idaci, among others.

‘This situation has forced people to flee their homes for days. The attacks have resulted in the loss of three lives and injured many others, alongside allegations of sexual assault against women.

‘The people from the affected areas are currently in the towns of Warari, Gulbin Boka, and Rijau. Just tonight, we received reports of an attempted new attack in Kuimo, which has forced the residents of that area to flee again in the middle of the night. As for the farms, they are truly in a critical state; if the soybeans and rice do not receive immediate attention and care, they will go to waste.’

Recent abductions in Niger

It has been 72 days since over 500 Worshippers were kidnapped from Juma’at mosques in Dekara and four other communities. Families said the abductors have yet to communicate with them since the incident.

Terrorists had invaded four Juma’at mosques in Dekara, Gbezhin, Sabon-Gida and Kpenya simultaneously on August 21, 2026 and took away Worshippers.

On 15 June bandits attacked farmlands in Pandogari District of Rafi LGA and killed one Dauda Galadima, a resident of the nearby Ruba village. They also abducted five farmers on their fields, including Nasiru Yakubu and his son, Bilyaminu.

On July 24, gunmen raided Tashar Hajiya community in Niger State at about 2:30 a.m., killing one 25-year-old Mustafa Murtala and abducting three residents, one Alhaji Baza Baza, his wife and one of their daughters.

On September 27, 47 farmers were abducted while harvesting groundnuts on their farms in Tugan-Rimi, Mariga LGA of the state.

Daily Trust also recalls that on November 21, 2025, 230 pupils and students as well as staff members were kidnapped at St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara LGA.

The victims were later rescued through an operation coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser after several weeks in captivity.

Also in November 2025, terrorists kidnapped an unspecified number of travellers along the Wawa-Luma Road in Borgu LGA, Niger State.

According to a source, two passenger vehicles heading to Gupanti and Lumma communities were intercepted, and all occupants were abducted.

However, farmers in Mariga, Borgu , Mashegu, Rijau told Daily Trust that attacks and kidnappings have become a daily occurrence.

Forest security key to ending abductions – Experts

A Senior Security Consultant, Auwal Bala Durumin Iya, has called on the federal government to strengthen security in Nigeria’s forests to address the persistent abduction of students, including Almajiri pupils and conventional schoolchildren.

Durumin Iya, who is also a Quality and Internal Quality Assurance Manager of Homeland Security in Nigeria, said securing forests was critical to protecting rural communities and urban centres from kidnappers.

He made the call while reacting to the reported abduction of some Almajiri pupils in Niger State while they were returning from their teacher’s farm.

He said kidnappers deliberately targeted schoolchildren because their abduction attracted widespread public attention, putting pressure on governments and security agencies.

According to him, the publicity generated by such incidents also creates fear among residents and could force communities to submit to the demands and directives of criminal groups.

‘When they kidnap students or Almajiri pupils, the attention of the public goes directly to that kidnapping, and they want wider publicity. When they get wider publicity, it means the students or community will put pressure on security personnel and the government. It also creates more fear in the community so that people may obey their orders, thereby distracting the government and security personnel,’ he said.

The security expert identified the establishment of a specialised forest security system, which he described as a forest marshal arrangement, as one of the measures needed to tackle the menace.

He explained that the proposed forest marshals should be educated and properly trained personnel with the capacity to secure both thick and thin forests across the country.

‘When our forests become secure, our villages will also become secure. And when our villages are secure, the urban areas will be more secure,’ he said.

Durumin Iya noted that many kidnapping incidents, particularly random and conventional abductions, occurred around forest areas, making the protection of such locations essential to preventing attacks on surrounding communities.

He also proposed the establishment of an independent Centre for Intelligent Research to conduct professional security research and provide governments with early warnings and policy recommendations.

He said the centre would bring together security professionals and researchers to study emerging threats and anticipate security developments within specific areas, including possible incidents in the following six months.

According to him, findings from such research would be documented and communicated to relevant authorities to enable them to develop effective strategies for tackling security challenges in forests, rural communities and urban centres.

The security consultant further advocated the adoption of a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme to identify and develop the skills of Nigerians who possess practical knowledge and competencies but lack formal education.

He said recognising such skills would enable government and relevant institutions to support individuals in developing their abilities, producing goods and services and creating employment opportunities.

‘Many people in Nigeria did not go to school, but they have competence, skills and knowledge. When you recognise their knowledge, they can produce and train many young people coming up.

‘The government does not have to provide employment for everybody. When their skills are recognised, the government can connect them with other government opportunities, non-governmental organisations, companies and individuals who have the resources to purchase their products.

‘That way, they can employ more people than the government,’ he said.

He urged the government to consider the three proposals as part of broader efforts to address insecurity, strengthen community protection and reduce unemployment, which he said could help tackle some of the conditions that expose communities to criminal activities.

Weighing into the matter, a security and counter-terrorism expert, Chidi Omeje, in an interview with one of our correspondents, explained that intelligence gathering must be strengthened.

Omeje also listed security of Nigeria’s forests and porous borders as part of broader ways to resolve issues of kidnapping, adding that the military alone could not solve the menace.

The expert said, ‘To stem the tide of kidnapping in Nigeria, we must stop treating kidnapping merely as a military problem and confront it as a governance, intelligence and law-enforcement failure.

‘Strengthen intelligence gathering at the grassroots, dismantle kidnapping networks and their financiers, secure our forests and porous borders, improve inter-agency collaboration, and ensure the swift prosecution of perpetrators.

‘The police must lead internal security operations, with the military providing support where necessary. Above all, tackle the poverty, unemployment and criminal economies that sustain recruitment into these gangs.

‘Kidnapping will not end through force alone; it requires actionable intelligence, political will, effective law enforcement and good governance.’

What is driving Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis – Ex-NIA DG

Meanwhile, a former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai, has said Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis is being sustained by a complex network of terrorist groups, criminal bandit militias, informants and financial facilitators,

Rufai said the motives behind abductions had evolved from fundraising and recruitment to political propaganda and prisoner exchanges, making the country’s security challenge more complicated.

He spoke at the Global Security Forum in Doha – Qatar, an annual international gathering of senior government officials, security experts, academics and journalists.

Explaining Nigeria’s kidnapping situation, the former intelligence chief identified three broad categories of perpetrators: terrorist groups, bandit militias and other criminal gangs.

He said Boko Haram, which operates in parts of the country, was affiliated with terrorist organisations in the Sahel and beyond, adding that its early abductions were aimed at raising funds and recruiting young men and women into its ranks.

According to him, bandit militias, on the other hand, engage in criminal kidnapping, often targeting individuals and communities to collect ransom.

‘It’s a kind of economy hostage-taking,’ he said.

Rufai said the motives of the different groups had increasingly overlapped, with terrorist organisations sometimes working alongside criminal militias to carry out mass abductions.

He said such operations were intended not only to raise money but also to serve as propaganda and demonstrate the groups’ continued activities, particularly when security forces intensified their operations against them.

The former NIA chief cited the Abuja-Kaduna train attack, in which about 100 passengers were abducted, as an example of collaboration between terrorist and criminal groups.

He estimated that between $1 million and $2 million was collected as ransom, saying the money was channelled to Ansaru in the Sahel region.

Rufai said the pattern of kidnapping had also expanded to the abduction of schoolchildren and worshippers, both Muslims and Christians, with some incidents now aimed at securing the release of detained members of the groups.

He, however, noted that negotiations for prisoner exchanges could become difficult when the individuals whose release was being demanded had already been killed during security operations.

Beyond the perpetrators, Rufai identified a network of informants, financial facilitators and other criminal collaborators as key elements sustaining kidnapping operations.

He said informants provide information about potential targets, while financial systems, including cryptocurrencies and small financial outfits, are used to launder ransom proceeds.

‘They use a lot of informants that tell them about their targets, their potential targets,’ he said.

On possible responses, Rufai said approaches to hostage-taking should depend on the motives and identities of the perpetrators.

He advocated discreet, back-channel negotiations in cases where terrorist groups abduct victims primarily for money, involving trusted intermediaries and contact persons.

The Kano State High Court sitting in Bompai has sentenced Mustapha Hamza to death by hanging for the murder of Abubakar Abba, popularly known as Wagile, a resident of Dambazau in Dala Local Government Area of the state.

The judgement was delivered by the presiding judge, Justice Nasir Saminu, following prosecution by the Kano State Ministry of Justice.

The case dates back to 2013, when Hamza and another suspect, identified as Janare, were accused of conspiring to murder Abba.

While Janare was arrested, prosecuted and convicted, and subsequently sentenced to death by hanging in 2015, Hamza fled and remained at large.

Hamza reportedly stayed away for nearly 10 years before returning to Kano in 2023, believing that the case had been forgotten.

However, acting on intelligence about his return, the police arrested him and subsequently brought him before the court to face trial over his alleged involvement in the murder.

During the trial, the prosecution team, led by Safiya Yalwati Yahaya, an Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (ADPP), alongside Farida Wada, called five witnesses and tendered other pieces of evidence against the defendant.

In its judgement, the court found Hamza guilty of culpable homicide punishable by death under Section 221 of the applicable Penal Code and sentenced him to death by hanging.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude, SAN, commended the police for tracking down and arresting the defendant after several years on the run.

He also praised the two state counsel for their professionalism and commitment, which he said contributed to securing the conviction.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dr Abubakar Tijjani Ibrahim, the Attorney-General reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that suspects accused of serious crimes are brought to justice, irrespective of how long it takes to apprehend them.

He said the ministry would continue to pursue criminal cases diligently, protect citizens’ rights and promote the rule of law.

Maude added that the commitment was in line with the Kano First Agenda of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, particularly efforts to strengthen the justice system, promote public safety and ensure accountability.