Category: Nigerian Tribune

Zamfara State Government and the United Nations (UN) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their partnership to promote sustainable development and improve the well-being of residents across the state.

The commitment was made during a high-level strategic engagement on the Zamfara-United Nations Partnership.

The Zamfara delegation was led by the Commissioner for Finance, Muhammad Bello Auta, while the UN delegation was headed by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Muhammed M. M. Fall, who represented the Assistant Secretary-General at the engagement.

The meeting followed the visit of the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, to Zamfara in April 2026, which provided an opportunity for both parties to explore areas of collaboration and identify opportunities for deeper engagement.

The latest strategic meeting further underscored Governor Dauda Lawal’s commitment to strategic governance, effective partnerships and sustainable development in the state.

Members of the Zamfara delegation included the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Professor Yahaya Zakari; the Commissioner and Attorney-General of the State, Dr Abdul’aziz Sani, SAN; Permanent Secretary, Multilateral and Donor Agencies, Saadatu Abdu Gusau; as well as directors and other officials from relevant ministries, departments and agencies.

The engagement is expected to strengthen cooperation between Zamfara State and the United Nations in areas that will support development priorities and improve the living conditions of the people.

Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications ecosystem is set to welcome policymakers, industry leaders, investors, innovators and development partners as the Telecommunications and Technology Sustainability Working Group (TTSWG) holds the second edition of its Innovators Makers Challenge (IMC) Conference and Innovation Exhibition.

The event, scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, is expected to spotlight technology-driven solutions capable of advancing sustainable development and national competitiveness.

Sponsored by IHS Nigeria, the conference will bring together high-level stakeholders from Nigeria and beyond, including technology CEOs, financial institutions, investors, development organisations, innovators and thought leaders.

Other partners include Hydrogen, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), LBS Sustainability Center (LBSSC) and MTN.

According to TTSWG, the maiden IMC, held in 2023, attracted more than 300 physical attendees and 759 registrants and featured 17 innovations, establishing the platform as a significant avenue for sustainability-focused entrepreneurship.

Three years after its debut, IMC 2.0 is expected to expand its focus across a broad range of sectors, including AgriTech, EnergyTech, HealthTech, FinTech, ClimateTech, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, education, smart cities, digital governance, logistics and mobility.

Speaking on the initiative, Lead Consultant at the TTSWG Secretariat, Bankole Oloruntoba, said the 2026 edition would build on the foundation established by the maiden event while significantly expanding its mandate.

‘TTSWG is not only building on the success of the 2023 foundation, we are scaling up significantly this year,’ Oloruntoba said.

He added that the programme would prioritise solutions with market validation and measurable economic, social and environmental impact.

A major attraction of the event will be the IMC Quest Pitch Competition, where the top five growth-stage startups emerging from the IMC Bootcamp will pitch their ideas before a panel of judges.

The top three winners will receive a combined N9.2 million in seed funding, with the winner receiving N7 million, the first runner-up N1.2 million and the second runner-up N1 million.

The organisers said the winners would also undergo a six-month post-competition incubation programme designed to improve accountability, investment outcomes and long-term business growth.

Other activities include a three-day IMC Bootcamp, business clinics offering legal and business consultancy, and an innovation exhibition featuring more than 20 startups, technology firms, research projects and development organisations.

The event will also witness the launch of the Telecommunication and Technology Citizenship Awareness Roadmap (TATCAR) 2023-2026, highlighting developments and best practices for responsible growth in Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications sector.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a six-zone nationwide tour to assess its operational preparedness for the 2027 General Elections, with the South-West Zonal Interactive Meeting held on Monday, 7th September 2026 in Lagos.

Declaring the meeting open at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the engagement marked a shift from the previous practice where zonal preparations were coordinated mainly through headquarters directorates.

According to him, the tour will cover all six geo-political zones ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, 16 January 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections slated for Saturday, 6 February 2027.

Prof. Amupitan, who was accompanied by National Commissioners and Directors, said the Commission would engage directly with Electoral Officers and administrative staff, whom he described as critical to the conduct of elections at Local Government Areas, Registration Area Centres and polling units.

He noted that lessons from recent off-cycle elections, including the Osun State Governorship Election, would guide preparations for 2027, adding that a nationwide election across 36 states and the FCT requires higher standards of coordination and logistics.

The Chairman identified voter apathy, public trust, and misinformation as key challenges, and stressed the need for professionalism and neutrality by staff in line with Section 26 of the Electoral Act.

On voter registration, Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) conducted in three phases between August 2025 and July 2026 recorded 10,772,421 new registrants, pending verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).

He said the third phase introduced an Online Registration Portal for the first time, and that the Printable Permanent Voter’s Card technology deployed in Osun is being considered for wider use under Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act. He added that the National Register of Voters is approaching 100 million, and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ensure eligible voters are not disenfranchised due to PVC collection bottlenecks.

On election technology, the Chairman said the Commission is refining its Result Management Systems, including the eEC8A, to improve the transmission and verification of results from polling units to the national collation centre.

Prof. Amupitan also announced that the Commission is finalising a new welfare package for staff, Commission Members and Resident Electoral Commissioners. This includes the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure, CEMBSS, effective 1 January 2026, and a 150 per cent increase in overhead allocations to states effective 1 July 2026.

In his welcome address, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, said hosting the first zonal engagement reflects the need for early preparation, competent personnel and effective coordination. He noted that the South-West presents a diverse electoral environment that requires attention to logistics, technology and stakeholder engagement.

The Director, Planning and Monitoring, Mrs. Helen Ajayi, said the meeting focused on four objectives: assessing state-level preparedness on logistics, ad-hoc staff recruitment, technology, security, training and voter education; identifying operational challenges; providing updates on voter registration, PVC collection and ICT deployment; and aligning staff with the Commission’s Code of Conduct and operational guidelines.

The session featured presentations and discussions on voter registration, electoral technology, staff conduct, logistics, and situation reports from RECs in the South-West states.

The Lagos meeting is the first leg of INEC’s zonal readiness tour as the Commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it will deploy a real-time operational tracker to monitor election preparations across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the 2027 General Election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Monday, 7th September 2026, while declaring open a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop for Administrative Secretaries at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Prof. Amupitan said the workshop is expected to produce a standardised Excel-based Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker Template. The template will be linked to the Commission’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) dashboard and the Election Project Plan (EPP).

He noted that the Commission previously did not have a uniform system for tracking the operational duties of Administrative Secretaries, and described the new tool as a step to address that gap.

According to him, the tracker will provide Resident Electoral Commissioners, Supervising National Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission and Headquarters with immediate updates on material distribution, ad-hoc staff training and state-level readiness.

‘This will enable us to move from reactive responses to proactive management,’ he said.

The Chairman added that the tool is designed to remain in use beyond 2027 as part of the Commission’s onboarding and operational framework for Administrative Secretaries.

He said the initiative is part of broader preparations as the National Register of Voters approaches 100 million.

The workshop, he noted, is reviewing five operational areas: Continuous Voter Registration, logistics and material management, electoral technology, ad-hoc staff optimisation, and financial compliance.

Prof. Amupitan said the Commission is building on experiences from recent off-cycle elections, including the Osun State Governorship Election, where logistics and technology worked effectively. He stated that INEC is working to replicate that standard nationally with six months left to the 2027 polls.

In his remarks, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, said the workshop came at a critical time in the Commission’s preparations. He commended the European Union, through the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria, EU-SDGN, implemented by Development Alternatives Incorporated, DAI, for supporting the exercise.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, said the workshop is aimed at ensuring that Headquarters and all states work from the same Election Project Plan. She added that Administrative Secretaries are being updated on new policies, technology and administrative procedures ahead of 2027.

Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony said each state delegation is expected to leave with a logistics risk register, an ad-hoc staff recruitment and deployment plan, a three-month stakeholder engagement plan, and the new tracker template.

The workshop was organised by the Office of the Secretary to the Commission with support from DAI-EU-SDGN. Participants included National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners, the Director-General of the Electoral Institute, Directors from Headquarters, and Administrative Secretaries from the 36 states and the FCT.

The High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi, has directed that two men, Ali Bala and Yusuf Umar Anka, remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until 8 September 2026, when their bail application will be entertained.

It would be recalled that the anti-graft agency had arraigned the duo over an alleged £110,000 and N500 million fraud.

The defendants were specifically arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, stealing and retention of stolen property.

According to the anti-graft agency, Ali Bala and Yusuf Umar Anka allegedly conspired to disguise the source of stolen funds.

One of the counts reads: ‘That you, Ali Bala (a.k.a. Barrister Ahmed) and Yusuf Umar Anka, sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conducted financial transactions involving proceeds of your unlawful activities to disguise the source of the stolen £110,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Pounds Sterling), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(1)(b)(i) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.’

But the duo had pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against them. Following their plea, the counsel for the prosecution, H.U. Kofarnaisa, asked the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility.

However, the counsel for the defendants informed the judge of a pending bail application and asked the court to hear the application.

In his ruling, Justice Ogunjobi set 8 September 2026 as the date to entertain the defendants’ bail application, ordering that the duo be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

Six children allegedly abducted by a suspected child-stealing and human trafficking syndicate have died in captivity, while 17 others have been rescued by the Oyo Police Command.

The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Ibadan, where the command paraded suspects arrested in connection with the alleged criminal network.

According to the commissioner, the syndicate, allegedly headed by a 50-year-old herbal trader identified as Adegoke Popoola, popularly known as Orente, operated across Oyo and other states.

The deceased children were identified as Musharaf Lawal Tajudeen, two; Greatness Adeagbo, five; Sainat Amoo, two; Taiwo Usman, two; Daniel Solomon Olayinka, seven; and Miracle Olaniyi, four.

The 17 rescued children include Ifakunle Ifagbenro, three; Musibau Olasupo, five; Sulaimon Osamo, seven; Murina Fidaus, three; Aminat Yusuf, three; Taiwo Olamilekan, three; an infant male aged nine days; Rafiat Waheed Babalola, two; Quwiyat Alade, five; Rejoice Divine, three; Alhaji Divine, five; Eniolorunda, three; Victoria, three; Isoma Prince, three; Roqeeba, four; Boluwatife Odedeyi, three; and Ireoluwa Elizabeth Olapade, seven.

Abimbola said the children were allegedly taken from churches, social gatherings, homes, and other public events using different methods.

He said the investigation began after a petition dated July 29, 2026, was submitted by Popoola, also known as Orente Alagbo, from the Sogade area of Ariyo, Ibadan.

The petition, according to him, alleged conspiracy, cyberbullying, threat to life, and defamation of character, and was transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on August 3.

The police chief said investigators later discovered that the petitioner was allegedly linked to the disappearance of a three-year-old boy, Ifakunle Ifagbenro, during a masquerade festival in Oyo.

He said the child had accompanied his father to his father-in-law’s family compound for the event, while Popoola had arrived two days earlier to assist with preparations.

Abimbola said Popoola offered to carry the child during the festival, after which she allegedly disappeared with him.

The matter was subsequently reported at the Atiba Police Divisional Headquarters in Oyo.

According to the commissioner, photographs and video recordings from the event showed Popoola carrying the child, while digital evidence and statements from witnesses further linked her to the boy’s disappearance.

Popoola was arrested on August 4 and allegedly admitted attending the festival and leaving with the child.

The commissioner said her statement became a breakthrough in the investigation, leading detectives to uncover what they described as a wider child-trafficking network.

He said Popoola allegedly confessed to participating in the stealing of more than 15 children, mostly between the ages of two and seven, from churches, parties and other events within and outside Oyo State.

She reportedly identified one Adekanbi Janet, also known as Hosanna, as an associate in the alleged operation.

Abimbola said Adekanbi was subsequently traced to Mowe, Ogun State, where police rescued four children aged between two and four years and recovered two pregnant young women.

According to him, Adekanbi admitted knowing Popoola for about 10 years in connection with the alleged stealing and sale of children, although she denied involvement in the disappearance of Ifakunle.

The commissioner said investigations showed that some of the children were allegedly kept in custody while arrangements were made for their sale, while the pregnant women were allegedly housed until they gave birth.

Information obtained from Adekanbi reportedly helped detectives locate Ifakunle, who was rescued around the Gbagi area of Ibadan on August 20.

The investigation subsequently extended to Delta State.

Abimbola said a police team travelled to Agbor on September 2, where four children allegedly stolen from Oyo State were rescued from suspected buyers.

Two suspects, identified as 48-year-old Christopher Joy and 53-year-old Rosemary Jesse, were arrested and allegedly confessed to involvement in the alleged child-trafficking business.

The commissioner said the development confirmed the interstate nature of the suspected network and indicated that children were allegedly being moved out of Oyo State.

He further disclosed that investigators uncovered an alleged ritual dimension to the activities of some members of the network.

According to him, a suspect allegedly told investigators that whenever a child died while in their custody, the body was sold to suspected ritualists.

The revelation reportedly led to the arrest of Muritala Fasasi, an Alfa, and Yakubu Azeez, a herbalist, who police alleged had confessed to involvement in the use of the bodies for ritual purposes.

Abimbola said one of the principal suspects, known as Orente, also allegedly told investigators that she had stolen 13 children before her arrest.

The suspect reportedly said she targeted homes and other places where children could be taken without immediate detection.

She allegedly told investigators that the children were sold for between N500,000 and N600,000 and claimed to have been involved in the business since October 2024.

The commissioner said the suspect also described how she allegedly gained the trust of parents during traditional and spiritual gatherings before taking children away.

In one instance, she allegedly claimed to have approached parents of children living with disabilities under the guise of offering treatment before taking the children.

Abimbola appealed to parents and guardians whose children had gone missing to visit the Police Command Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, to help identify the rescued children and facilitate their reunification with their families.

He said the command was working with other security and government agencies to determine the full structure of the suspected network, locate other missing children and establish the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.

The commissioner assured that anyone found culpable would face the law.

He urged parents and guardians to report missing children immediately and exercise caution when dealing with individuals claiming to be traditional or spiritual healers, particularly those seeking to separate children from their families or take them to undisclosed locations.

Abimbola also appealed to members of the public with useful information about the suspected network to contact the police, assuring them of appropriate confidentiality.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons and dismantling criminal networks operating in the state.

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Monday declared a zero-tolerance policy for anti-party activities in the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Aiyedatiwa, who dismissed allegations that he was sponsoring some APC members and candidates to defect to opposition parties, said he had never directed any candidate to contest an election on another platform.

The governor spoke on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting with the APC’s 18 local government and 203 ward chairmen in Akure, where he charged them to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

He described the ward chairmen as critical to the party’s electoral success, noting that elections were ultimately won at polling units located within the wards.

‘Elections are won at the polling units. And the polling units are right there in the ward. And you are the ward chairmen. Very, very important. You are occupying a significant role in party structure,’ he said.

Aiyedatiwa directed ward chairmen and secretaries to hold regular meetings and bring party leaders together to deliberate on party affairs, particularly mobilisation for the forthcoming elections.

He, however, warned that such mobilisation must not be accompanied by anti-party activities.

‘I have zero tolerance for anti-party. I have never engaged in anti-party in my life,’ the governor declared.

He described those accusing him of anti-party activities as ‘naysayers, blackmailers and slanderers’, insisting that his political history demonstrated his loyalty to the progressive political family.

The governor recalled that at a time when the Labour Party was in government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was dominant in Ondo State, particularly in his senatorial district and local government, he chose to join the Alliance for Democracy (AD), later ACN, despite the party being out of power.

He also recounted his political experiences between 2010 and 2020, including his emergence as deputy governor and the 2019 APC primary election, saying the experience taught him the importance of respecting party leadership and its decisions.

According to him, although he won the 2019 primary, the result was overturned by the party leadership in Abuja, which, he noted, remained supreme.

He said he had also supported aspirants in the past in accordance with decisions reached by the party leadership after consultations, stressing the need for discipline, loyalty and respect for party decisions.

The governor consequently rejected allegations that his administration was sponsoring APC members to defect to the PDP or other political parties.

‘So, no to anti-party, that’s what I’m trying to say. Let’s support Mr President and all the candidates of our party,’ he said.

Aiyedatiwa also expressed appreciation to party leaders for their positive assessment of his administration’s projects and programmes, describing their commendations as encouraging.

He said the feedback would spur his administration to accelerate the completion of ongoing projects across the state.

Earlier, the APC State Chairman, Hon. Babatunde Kolawole, called for total loyalty to Governor Aiyedatiwa and the party, describing loyalty to the governor as the party’s leader as ‘the right thing to do.’

Kolawole urged the local government and ward chairmen to support all APC candidates, saying the governor had directed the party to work towards securing 100 per cent support for its candidates in 2027.

He warned that the party would not tolerate anti-party activities, alleging that it had gathered intelligence on acts of disloyalty by some members.

The chairman said those found culpable would face the consequences at the appropriate time.

Kolawole expressed confidence that the APC would win the 2027 presidential, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in the state.

He commended Aiyedatiwa for activating the various organs of the party, including the State Executive Committee, Caucus and Elders Council.

He also praised the governor for approving regular ward meetings to strengthen the party at the grassroots and for increasing the allowances of ward and local government chairmen by 100 per cent.

He added that the allowances of state party executives had also been increased.

Speaking on behalf of the 18 local government chairmen, Oluwadare Fadumo commended the governor for what he described as unprecedented support for local councils and their people.

Fadumo said the administration’s projects and empowerment programmes had positively impacted market women and youths, while the increase in allowances for party chairmen had generated excitement among party members.

‘We want to thank you because this is the first time this is happening in the history of politics in Ondo State,’ he said.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has attributed the growing success of Nigerian-owned companies expanding into global brands to the economic reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Shettima said indigenous companies such as Flutterwave, Moniepoint and Andela were leveraging the gains of the administration’s reforms across various sectors to expand their operations and strengthen their businesses.

The Vice President spoke on Monday in Abuja when he received a delegation from Flutterwave, led by its Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Olugbenga Agboola.

Flutterwave is a Nigerian fintech company that provides payment infrastructure for global merchants and payment service providers.

Shettima assured the Flutterwave team of the Federal Government’s continued support for the company’s operations within and outside Nigeria.

‘We have to support and promote our own. We have to make our companies stronger,’ he said.

The Vice President said Flutterwave’s success could be attributed to its ability to develop indigenous solutions to address African challenges, particularly in the digital payments sector.

According to him, the company had demonstrated how Nigerian firms could develop solutions capable of competing on the global stage.

Earlier, Agboola told the Vice President that Flutterwave’s goal was to achieve massive growth over the next few years and consolidate its position as a leading payments and banking company in Africa and globally.

He expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, Shettima and the Federal Government for the confidence reposed in the company, describing it as a strategic signal of the government’s support for Nigerian businesses.

‘Your Excellency, it’s my honour to be here today. Like I said, our goal is to partner with you and your team to reason how we can do more to advance the administration’s amazing economic agenda that we have seen working right now in the country. We want to be a part of that positive story,’ Agboola said.

He added, ‘We are very much a Nigerian company. I’m very much Nigerian. Nigeria is our home. And everybody here, as you can see, they’re all Nigerians. Our goal is to ensure that we do our best to help move Nigeria forward.’

The meeting was also attended by the Chief Executive Officer of Stanel Group, Stanley Uzochukwu, and other senior management staff.

Tension is mounting among academic staff of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) following the alleged payment of only half of their August salary, a development that has renewed concerns over the funding of Nigeria’s public universities.

While academic staff were said to have received 50 per cent of their August salary, non-academic workers of the institution were reportedly paid their full salaries for the month.

The development, which came without prior notification to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has reportedly left many lecturers, particularly those servicing loans obtained from the university, in severe financial difficulty.

Some affected lecturers were said to have been left with little or nothing after deductions, at a time when families are making preparations for the resumption of schools later this month.

The development also comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s recent payment of five months’ salary arrears to university workers as part of the implementation of agreements reached with ASUU.

However, sources within the university community said the Federal Government’s inability to release regular subvention to the institution had placed additional financial pressure on the university management.

It was gathered that the university resorted to its internally generated revenue (IGR) to pay the half salary to academic staff for August.

The situation has consequently triggered fresh concerns over the sustainability of relying on universities’ internally generated funds to meet recurrent obligations traditionally supported by government funding.

In an attempt to calm the situation, the UNIBEN branch of ASUU issued an ‘important notice’ to members after meeting with the university administration over the salary issue.

The union said management had assured it that further payments would be made.

According to the statement signed by the branch Secretary, Dr L. O. Aimiyekagbon, members were assured that ‘more alerts will come soon,’ adding that there was therefore ‘no cause for alarm.’

The union urged members to remain calm while awaiting the outstanding payment.

Speaking on the development, the branch Chairman, Dr Enaruna Edosa, described the half-salary payment as a surprise but disclosed that management subsequently paid professorial allowances to deserving academic staff three days after the salary payment.

Edosa said he was optimistic that the remaining half of the August salary would be paid, based on assurances from the Vice-Chancellor.

‘I believe the Vice Chancellor that the outstanding half salary will be paid,’ he said.

The development has, however, raised questions about the implementation of the Federal Government’s agreements with university-based unions, particularly where funding responsibilities are transferred, directly or indirectly, to individual institutions.

University workers have repeatedly raised concerns over inadequate funding of public universities, arguing that irregular government releases could undermine the ability of institutions to meet salary obligations and sustain academic activities.

For the affected UNIBEN lecturers, the immediate concern remains when the balance of their August salary will be paid, especially as the new academic session and associated financial obligations draw closer.

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, have arrested four suspected illicit drug dealers in the Gaida area of Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were apprehended during a covert operation carried out by operatives of the Corps’ Counter Terrorism Unit, based at Dorayi Babba in Gwale Local Government Area.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Abdullahi, a copy of which was made available to the press in Kano.

According to the statement, the arrest followed credible intelligence received by the security agency regarding suspected illicit drug activities in the area.

The suspects were identified as Abubakar Abdullahi, 35; Rabiu Baffa, 25; Aminu Lawan, 35; and Ibrahim Idris, 33, all residents of Gaida, Kumbotso LGA.

Items recovered from them included four sachets of Pregabalin 300mg capsules, popularly known as ‘PG’; dozens of Diazepam tablets, locally referred to as ‘Fara’; three tubes of Oshin Solution, also known as ‘Sholisho’; three big packs and 20 parcels of suspected marijuana.

The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mohammed Agalama, cautioned members of the public, particularly youths, against the illegal sale, distribution and abuse of illicit drugs.

Agalama described drug abuse as a serious threat to public safety, security and the well-being of society, particularly among young people.

He said the four suspects and the recovered exhibits would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Command, after preliminary investigation by the NSCDC.

According to him, the handover would enable the NDLEA to conduct further investigation and take necessary legal action.

Agalama also reiterated the commitment of the NSCDC Kano Command to collaborating with sister security agencies and other stakeholders to combat drug-related offences and activities capable of undermining peace and security in the state.

He urged members of the public to continue providing security agencies with credible information on suspected illicit drug activities, assuring them that such information would be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.