Category: Nigerian Tribune

A man, Mauroof, has told Grade A Customary Court, sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, he is no longer interested in marriage to his wife, Latifat, whom he alleged was troublesome, fetish and in the habit of threatening him.

Mauroof stated that his peace deserted him the very day Latifat moved into his house as his wife.

The plaintiff explained that their home was always in turmoil because the defendant was both troublesome and hostile, and regularly sought every opportunity to fight him.

According to Mauoof, Latifat always threatened to implicate him and send him to prison.

He added that their first child deserted home after she threatened to poison him.

Mauroof also stated that Latifat also displayed her unruly behaviour towards their neighbours who refused to take insults from her.

The plaintiff further stated that the defendant was fetish, adding that his brother saw her gathering sands from the four corners of their house for diabolic purpose.

Mauroof told the court that he had had enough of his wife’s atrocities and thus prayed that their union be dissolved.

Latifat refused to make an appearance in court despite being served the court proceedings.

Mauroof, in his testimony, said, ‘My lord, I regretted ever marrying my wife.

‘She turned my life upside down after she came into my life.

‘Latifat has no respect for me as the head of the home.

‘She is unruly and hostile in her behaviour and hurls insults at me.

‘Our home is always in turbulence because she always seeks every opportunity to fight me.

‘My wife is not hostile to me, but also towards our children who find no friend in her.

‘Our first child left home after she threatened to poison him.

‘She is also in the habit of threatening to put me in trouble.

‘She would brag that she would implicate me and send me to prison.

‘Our neighbours are also not exempted from her harsh behaviour.

‘They were at all times ready to fight her back.

‘Latifat is fetish and is always asking for names of my family members for diabolic purpose.

‘My brother caught her gathering sand from the four corners of our house for evil purpose.

‘My lord, I am fed up with my wife and no longer interested in going further with our marriage.

‘I pray the court to stop our relationship.

‘I further seek an order restraining her from threatening and interfering with my private life.’

The president of the court, Mrs S.M Akintayo adjourned the case and ordered a fresh hearing notice to be issued and served on the defendant.

The Federal Government has opened applications for the second cohort of the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), with 50 outstanding student-led ventures set to receive up to ?50 million each in equity-free funding.

National Coordinator of the Special Programme Operations and Implementation Unit (SPOI) of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Adebayo Onigbanjo, announced the opening of the application portal at a news conference during the weekend in Abuja.

According to him, the initiative, also known as the Next Moonshot Initiative, is targeted at student entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM)-related fields.

He said the application portal would remain open until September 30, 2026, adding that 50 exceptional ventures would be selected from entries received nationwide.

‘For Cohort 2, we are looking for quality applications from student innovators across Nigeria, from which 50 outstanding ventures will ultimately be selected.

‘Successful applicants will be eligible to receive up to ?50 million equity-free grant from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to develop and scale their businesses,’ Onigbanjo said. He explained that the programme was part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a component of the Ministry of Education’s Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), particularly its STEMM pillar on research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Onigbanjo said the grant was designed to address the funding challenges confronting young innovators and enable them transform promising ideas into viable and scalable businesses.

He disclosed that the selection process for the second cohort had been strengthened, beginning with Artificial Intelligence-assisted screening, followed by assessment by 10 human evaluators.

Shortlisted applicants would make virtual presentations before an Evaluation Committee, while finalists would proceed to a bootcamp and in-person pitch session.

Beyond the financial support, successful beneficiaries would also receive six months of mentorship from experienced organisations and business leaders across different sectors.

Among the organisations supporting the mentorship programme are Lafarge, Powerhouse, LifeBank, Future Africa, GetEquity and OneHealth, among others.

To increase awareness and participation, the S-VCG team will embark on a nationwide campus mobilisation campaign from September 6 to September 30, covering nine tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones.

The institutions include the University of Abuja, Nile University, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bayero University Kano, Kano University of Science and Technology, Federal Polytechnic Kaduna, Ambrose Alli University, University of Lagos and Covenant University.

A Campus Ambassador Programme will also be activated in 20 additional tertiary institutions to extend awareness of the grant opportunity to more students.

The National Coordinator urged Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, lecturers and student leaders to identify promising innovators in their institutions and encourage them to apply.

The programme builds on the first cohort, which attracted 17,914 registrations from 404 tertiary institutions across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory within three weeks of opening in November 2025.

Of the submissions received, 3,014 completed applications underwent AI-assisted screening and assessment by 10 human evaluators, while 65 finalists advanced to a three-day bootcamp held in March 2026.

A total of 45 beneficiaries were eventually selected under the inaugural cohort.

Onigbanjo said the S-VCG was open to students developing solutions in areas including health, agriculture, education, technology, energy, logistics and e-commerce, stressing that eligible applicants must be currently enrolled in a Nigerian university, polytechnic or college of education and be at least in 300 level or its equivalent.

He added that students below 300 level may participate as members of teams led by qualifying students.

‘Applicants must also have a CAC-registered business name or company, while their projects must have progressed beyond proof of concept and demonstrate potential for real-world application,’ he said.

The S-VCG is implemented in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Bank of Industry (BOI) and Afara Initiative.

Applications can be submitted through svcg.education.gov.ng until September 30, 2026.

Onigbanjo said the Federal Government remained committed to creating an environment where tertiary institutions could serve not only as centres of learning, but also as hubs for innovation, enterprise development and job creation.

‘Nigeria does not lack innovative young people. What many lack is the opportunity and capital to take these ideas further.

‘Our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education must increasingly become places where ideas are developed, solutions created and businesses born,’ he said.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Kunle Salako, on Friday, inaugurated advanced trauma life support and tricycle ambulances for selected public health facilities in Ogun State, for life-saving intervention in emergency situations.

The initiative, according to the Minister, was one of the steps by the Federal Government to strengthen emergency medical services, and ensure that every Nigerian resident, regardless of location or financial status, can access timely and life-saving emergency care.

Salako said this in his keynote remarks at the flag-off and distribution held at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta, under the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS).

He noted that many lives were lost on a daily basis because emergency care is delayed, saying that NEMSAS has supported more than 48,000 women to receive free emergency obstetric care.

The Minister also added that over 4,000 women would receive free caesarean sections in NHIA-empanelled facilities, contributing to a 17 per cent fall in maternal deaths and a 12 per cent fall in newborn deaths in 172 high-burden local governments in the country.

Salako revealed that 145 tricycles, 6 boats, 15 Basic Life Support (BLS) and 79 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances have been acquired, in addition to support tools like laptops, printers, and communication devices.

‘These ambulances and tools are being distributed across Nigeria as the first phase of this initiative to strengthen the Emergency Medical Service System across the country with Ogun State a beneficiary of 3 ALS, 1 BLS and 9 tricycle ambulances targetting federal/state tertiary institutions (FMC and OOUTH), selected high volume or remote secondary and primary healthcare facilities.

‘This validates the national commitment to subnational level including my home state of Ogun where these emergency medical service assets will support response across diverse communities, from urban centres to hard-to-reach rural settings. Our approach has also shifted from simply providing ambulances to establishing a more coordinated emergency-care system, one in which transportation, trained personnel, communication, referral pathways, and definitive treatment are seamlessly connected,’ the Minister added.

The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, represented by his deputy, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, appreciated the Federal Government for the support intervention programme, with the state receiving three CNG advanced life support ambulances and ten tricycle ambulances for some communities across the state.

‘This intervention is particularly important because, as you have heard, in emergency healthcare, the most important thing is access and time. These are the most critical factors for our patients who need the care. And a good health facility can only save the life of a patient if you can get the patient to the facility on time.

‘We recognize this as a reality in our state. As you heard in earlier remarks as well, this is a highly industrialized state. It has major roads going through our state, and as such, we do get an unprecedented amount of emergency calls across our state,’ Salako-Oyedele said.

The Acting Commander, Nigerian Army Education Corps (NAEC), Brigadier General Yushau Dogara Ahmed, has commended the level of academic activities and conducive learning environment at the Nigerian Army Institute of Science Education and Technology (NAISET) and the Nigerian Army College of Education (NACOE), Sobi Cantonment, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Brigadier General Ahmed made the commendation on Thursday, during a working visit to the two institutions.

The Acting Corps Commander expressed satisfaction with the academic activities at both institutions, noting that they had created conducive environments for learning.

Ahmed, according to a statement by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, NACOE, Lieutenant Oluwaseun Adewale Oriade, reaffirmed the commitment of the NAEC to providing the necessary support to sustain academic excellence and produce well-rounded personnel for the Nigerian Army.

During the visit, the Acting Commander also inspected 79 recruits preparing for the 2026 second series of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates.

He urged the recruits to remain focused, disciplined and diligent, stressing that education remains a critical pillar for professionalism and career advancement in the Nigerian Army.

In his remarks, the Ag. Commandant, NAISET, Colonel Abbas Ahmad Abubakar, appreciated the Acting Corps Commander for his support towards the development of facilities and coordination of activities at the institute.

Abubakar assured that NAISET would remain committed to producing technically competent personnel for the Nigerian Army.

Similarly, the Ag Provost, NACOE, Colonel Prince Godswill Agbai, applauded Ahmed for his consistent support for the college.

Agbai said the Acting Corps Commander’s leadership had continued to inspire growth and innovation in teachers’ training within the Nigerian Army, while expressing optimism for further collaboration to enhance the capacity of the institutions.

The Ag. Rector, Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology (NACEST), Makurdi, Colonel Olalekan Bamiteko, also commended the Acting Corps Commander for his proactive leadership and sustained efforts towards upgrading college facilities.

According to the statement, Bamiteko noted that the improvements had enhanced effective administration and the overall learning environment for personnel and students.

The visit, according to Lieutenant Oriade, was aimed at assessing the academic and infrastructural development of the institutions, as well as boosting the morale of personnel and students.

A Christian friend called me a few days ago after news spread that scores of my Borgu cousins who had gathered for Juma’at prayers at Kpenya Mosque in Dekara District of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State were abducted by terrorists. He said the international publicity that attends attacks such as this must have contributed to the waning of the ‘Christian genocide’ narrative that had reduced Nigeria’s complex security crisis to a simplistic, one-dimensional story of Muslims killing Christians.

I told him it was more complicated than that. It’s true that the abduction of Muslim worshippers from a mosque punctures the fiction that Nigeria’s terrorists check the religion of their victims before they kill, kidnap or dispossess them.

Nonetheless, what seems to be the retreat of the Christian-genocide rhetoric in Washington cannot be explained by these sorts of inconvenient facts alone. Facts rarely defeat politically useful narratives by themselves. Someone has to organize the facts, carry them into the right rooms and translate them into the political idiom of people who have the power to act. That person, more than anyone else in the Tinubu government, appears to have been National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

Fifteen years ago, Ribadu was effectively a political exile in the United States. He was removed as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after he fell out with the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua government. He fled the country after surviving at least two failed assassination attempts and several death threats.

He spent about 18 months as a visiting fellow at the Washington-based Center for Global Development and also had an affiliation with Oxford. Washington became a classroom as well as a refuge.

In May 2009, Ribadu testified before the US House Financial Services Committee on corruption and illicit financial flows. In February 2010, he appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs to discuss Nigeria’s political crisis.

At the Senate hearing, Ribadu thanked Senators Russ Feingold and Johnny Isakson for intervening when the Yar’Adua government was after him. ‘You stood up, you spoke, and it has made a difference,’ he told them.

He had personally experienced how congressional pressure, think-tank advocacy, media visibility and executive-branch attention can converge to influence a foreign government.

That knowledge became useful late last year when Donald Trump elevated allegations of a ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria into a major foreign-policy confrontation. Trump returned Nigeria to the list of Countries of Particular Concern, threatened to cut US assistance and instructed the Pentagon to prepare for possible military action if Nigeria failed to stop the killing of Christians. He even used the phrase ‘guns-a-blazing.’

Whatever one thought of the factual basis of the genocide claim, the diplomatic danger to Nigeria was potentially politically, even existentially, fatal. Nigerian officials protested that insecurity afflicts people of all religions. True as that was, the argument did little to address the American political machinery powering the accusation.

Within weeks, Ribadu led a heavyweight Nigerian delegation to Washington that included the Attorney General, the inspector general of police and the Chief of Defence Staff. He met Congressman Riley Moore, one of the loudest congressional voices on Christian persecution in Nigeria, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. In the aftermath of the meeting, the language of confrontation soon began to give way to the language of cooperation.

Then came the lobbying operation. In December 2025, Aster Legal, acting on Ribadu’s behalf, hired DCI Group, a Washington public affairs and lobbying firm, under an agreement worth as much as $9 million over a year. The contract said DCI would help Nigeria communicate its efforts to protect Christian communities and sustain American support for the fight against West African jihadist groups.

This was expensive. But the mechanics of the campaign are instructive. DCI went directly into the American conservative Christian ecosystem from which much of the genocide narrative drew its political and rhetorical energy. Its FARA filings show outreach to evangelical and religious-freedom figures, invitations to a dinner with Nigeria’s First Lady and efforts to arrange interviews for her. The filings record invitations to figures such as Sam Brownback, Nina Shea, Ralph Reed and Penny Nance, along with subsequent congressional engagements.

Oluremi Tinubu was an unusually useful messenger. She is an ordained Christian pastor married to a Muslim president. At the National Prayer Breakfast in February, Trump publicly recognized her as a Christian pastor and called her ‘a very respected woman.’ Her presence complicated the picture of a Muslim government presiding over the slaughter of Christians.

Ribadu kept returning to Washington. From May 4 to May 6, he met Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior State Department and Pentagon officials. In August, he led another Nigerian delegation for the second session of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group created to deal with the Country of Particular Concern designation.

These high-profile meetings caused the tenor of the relationship between Nigeria and the United States to change dramatically. The United States still speaks about protecting Christian communities, and Nigeria remains on the religious-freedom list, but Washington now increasingly treats Nigeria as a security partner.

The clearest evidence of the change came from Marco Rubio. In congressional testimony in June, he said in many cases Nigeria’s problem was a lack of capability in confronting heavily armed terrorist groups and described US-Nigeria cooperation as a ‘success story.’

Then Trump himself wrote Tinubu in July praising his ‘decisive leadership’ and his efforts to confront violence affecting Christian communities. Months after threatening military action, Trump was telling Tinubu that it was an honor to stand with him against terrorists.

Ribadu’s American exile helps explain his aptitude for managing this transition. I doubt that he simply dusted off his 2009 contact list and called old friends. In any case, Washington has changed profoundly since the Obama years, and many of the Trump people who mattered in 2025 and 2026 were outside Ribadu’s old think-tank circle. His advantage appears to have been what is called institutional literacy.

He had learned that Washington is a collection of overlapping constituencies. You need to know how the US Congress works, which congressional staff to contact, which think tanks matter, which lobbyists can get the job done, which religious organizations are central to narrative reframing, what alternative media narratives to construct, and which executive agencies can help the most. He had also learned that access becomes more useful when it is attached to something the United States wants.

Of course, the Tinubu government has bargaining chips that no opposition politician can match. Nigeria can offer intelligence cooperation, military access, counterterrorism operations, arrests and prosecutions. That helps explain why the government’s Washington campaign has so far produced more tangible results than Atiku Abubakar’s much smaller lobbying effort. Money matters, but state power gives lobbying something concrete to sell.

Just so I am not misunderstood, this is not a celebration of Ribadu’s diplomatic wizardry. It’s merely an analysis and an acknowledgement of my sense of what and who are responsible for the thawing of the tensile stress between the Trump and Tinubu administrations.

There is, however, a more immediate test of the government’s security competence than anything that happens in Washington. It is in Dekara, where scores of my Borgu cousins were abducted from a mosque while performing Juma’at prayers. The government must secure their release and ensure that such an outrage does not become another entry in Nigeria’s grim catalogue of mass abductions.

Borgu deserves particular attention because an axis of the country long known for relative peace has been bleeding with increasing regularity lately. Communities that used to regard terrorism and mass kidnapping as distant horrors are now learning the vocabulary of ransom, displacement, fear and mass graves. The federal and Niger State governments must move beyond episodic reactions and establish a security structure capable of preventing recurrence.

It was in Borgu that Bola Tinubu received the title ‘Jagaba,’ or champion, long before it became inseparable from his political identity. The people of the land that gave him that name should not have to live at the mercy of terrorists. If Washington now regards his government as a serious partner in the fight against insecurity, that partnership must produce security where Nigerians actually live, worship and sleep.

For Borgu, the most meaningful dividend of all the lobbying, diplomacy and international security cooperation will be the safe return of the Kpenya Mosque abductees and the restoration of the peace for which Borgu was once known.

The same must be true for every part of Nigeria now bleeding from insecurity, from Benue and Plateau to Zamfara and Katsina, from Borno to the forests of Niger and Kwara states and other communities where Nigerians, Christian and Muslim alike, live with the daily fear of blood-thirsty terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), and other senior officials of the administration to travel by road without armed security escorts if the government’s claim of improved security is genuine.

The party made the challenge on Saturday in Abuja while reacting to Musa’s recent claim that the Federal Government had ‘defeated terrorists’ and that kidnapping had been reduced to more of a ‘social ill’ than a wider security concern.

The APM, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Abubakar Yusuf, accused the Tinubu administration of ‘living in denial’ of the security realities confronting Nigerians, arguing that the situation on the ground contradicted the government’s claims.

‘If the security situation has truly improved as the administration claims, the APM challenges the President, the Minister of Defence and other senior officials of the Tinubu Presidency to travel by road without armed security details as other Nigerians must do,’ it said.

Musa, while speaking during a television interview earlier on Tuesday, had said the government had made significant progress in tackling terrorism and that the pattern of insecurity had shifted towards kidnapping.

‘Frankly speaking, we have defeated terrorists because now, like I said, the attacks are not as rampant and it is now kidnapping.

‘Like I said, kidnapping is a social ill where you now see wives kidnapping husbands and husbands kidnapping children’, he responded to a question.

The minister went on, ‘I can tell you there is improved security. Maybe if you noticed, you don’t hear so much of Boko Haram attacks, ISWAP attacks and all these things here and there, maybe one-off.

‘Now, I say, the trajectory is this: from criminality to kidnapping to terrorism, insurgency; once you are able to hit them, it goes back downwards.

‘So, we are now back into the stage of abductions and kidnappings because that is the easiest way for them to try and raise money.’

However, the APM said the minister’s assessment amounted to a ‘dangerous distortion of reality’, citing the Global Terrorism Index 2026, which it said ranked Nigeria as the fourth most insecure country in the world, compared with sixth position in the 2025 index.

Yusuf said it was unacceptable for a senior government official to claim that security had improved while Nigerians continued to face killings, abductions, displacement and other forms of violence.

‘It is deeply disappointing that a minister of the Federal Republic could appear on national television to make such claims at a time when millions of innocent Nigerians are being killed, kidnapped, displaced and terrorised in various parts of the country,’ Yusuf stated.

The APM spokesman also accused the government of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians affected by killings, maiming, rape, ransom-driven abductions and captivity by bandits.

He said the administration could not claim to understand the anguish of families whose lives had been permanently disrupted by insecurity over the past three years.

Yusuf cited the reported abduction of about 600 Nigerians, mostly women, children and elderly people, from Dekera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida villages in Niger State.

He noted, ‘Only last week, 600 Nigerians, mostly women, children and the elderly, were abducted from Dekera, Gidan-Zana and Sabon Gida villages in Niger State and are still languishing in captivity.’

Yusuf also cited data from SBM Intelligence, which he said showed that kidnapping for ransom had become a highly monetised industry under the Tinubu administration, with more than N7.78 billion reportedly paid as ransom between July 2025 and June 2026.

The party accused the administration of either being ‘dangerously disconnected from reality’ or deliberately attempting to manipulate public perception by downplaying the security situation.

It also rejected the description of abductions as a ‘family affair’, arguing that such acts constituted terrorism and should be treated as a national security emergency.

The APM further argued that insecurity was ‘festering’ under Tinubu, alleging that the administration lacked the capacity to develop and implement an effective blueprint to tackle the crisis.

The party urged Nigerians not to despair, but to support its presidential candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, in the 2027 election.

It said Makinde had a blueprint for tackling insecurity and other challenges facing the country, adding that the Tinubu administration would end on May 29, 2027.

That is where independent retirement planning wealth Nigeria becomes important. The goal is not to replace the pension system but to build additional financial strength around it. A combination of long-term investments, income-producing assets, emergency reserves and thoughtful estate planning can give retirees more control over how they spend their later years.

Start with the kind of retirement you want

Before choosing an investment, work out what retirement is supposed to look like. Someone planning to remain in Lagos, travel regularly, maintain private healthcare and support family members will have very different financial needs from someone expecting a quieter, lower-cost lifestyle.

Start with today’s monthly expenses and separate essential costs from discretionary spending. Housing, food, transportation, healthcare and family support deserve particular attention because they may remain significant even after employment income disappears.

Inflation makes the exercise more important. ?10 million saved today will not have the same purchasing power years from now, so a retirement target should account for rising costs rather than simply picking a convenient round figure.

Use time to your advantage

One of the most powerful tools in retirement planning is time. Regular investment over several decades gives compound growth an opportunity to work, allowing returns to generate additional returns.

Consider a simple illustration: investing ?200,000 every month for 25 years would mean contributing ?60 million before considering any investment returns. If the portfolio earns returns and those returns are reinvested, the eventual balance could be substantially higher. That outcome is not guaranteed, though, because actual performance depends on asset selection, market conditions, fees, taxes and the timing of withdrawals.

The important lesson is consistency. A professional who waits until the final years of a career to build personal wealth may have to contribute much more aggressively to catch up.

Build wealth beyond the pension account

Nigeria’s pension system provides an important foundation, but professionals can strengthen their retirement position through additional savings and investments. PenCom’s framework allows voluntary contributions, while its Personal Pension Plan provides a regulated pension arrangement for eligible self-employed people and certain other contributors.

There is also a broader investment universe outside pension assets. Depending on an individual’s objectives and risk tolerance, this may include government securities, equities, collective investment schemes, real estate or other legitimate investments.

The Securities and Exchange Commission says collective investment schemes pool investors’ money into portfolios and can provide diversification and professional management. Its recognized structures include unit trusts, real estate investment schemes, venture capital funds and specialized funds.

That does not mean buying everything available. A retirement portfolio should have a purpose, with each asset contributing either growth, income, capital preservation or diversification.

Diversification is about managing risk

A retirement plan becomes vulnerable when too much wealth depends on one source. A professional who owns several properties but has little liquid savings, for example, may appear wealthy while still struggling to pay expenses when rental income falls or an unexpected bill arrives.

Portfolio managers generally use asset allocation and diversification to spread risk across investments that may behave differently under changing economic conditions. FINRA notes that stocks, bonds and cash can perform differently across economic environments, while spreading capital among different investments can help smooth portfolio volatility.

For a Nigerian investor, diversification might involve combining growth assets with more defensive investments and maintaining enough accessible cash for emergencies. The right mix will depend on age, income, liabilities, dependents, existing pension assets and proximity to retirement. There is no universal percentage that works for everyone.

Think about income, not just accumulation

A portfolio can be large and still produce a difficult retirement if the owner has no plan for turning it into sustainable income.

This is why retirement planning eventually has to move from accumulation to distribution. Rental income, dividends, interest, business income and systematic investment withdrawals can potentially become part of a retiree’s income mix. The objective is to cover essential expenses without being forced to liquidate long-term assets at unfavorable times.

That becomes particularly important during a market downturn. Selling investments after a sharp decline to fund everyday expenses can permanently reduce the capital available for future recovery. Building a cash reserve and maintaining investments with different risk characteristics can provide breathing room when markets become unpredictable.

Prepare for healthcare and longevity

Healthcare deserves its own place in a retirement plan because medical expenses can become more significant with age. A portfolio designed only around food, housing and transportation may prove inadequate when major medical costs arrive.

Longevity creates another challenge. Someone retiring at 60 could potentially need financial resources for another 25 or 30 years. That makes it dangerous to treat retirement as a short period that can be funded by quickly spending down accumulated wealth.

A sustainable plan should therefore consider how much can reasonably be withdrawn each year, how inflation may affect future expenses and how the portfolio should change as the investor ages.

Be careful with investment promises

Building wealth independently does not mean chasing every opportunity that promises extraordinary returns. In fact, retirement money should usually be treated more cautiously than speculative capital because losses become harder to recover when there is little working life left to rebuild savings.

The SEC regulates investment products and operators within Nigeria’s capital market, and its investor resources emphasize the importance of understanding collective investment structures and regulatory requirements.

Before committing substantial retirement savings, verify who manages the investment, how the returns are generated, what fees apply, how easily the money can be withdrawn and whether the operator is properly regulated. A guaranteed high return should be treated as a warning sign, not an invitation.

Review the plan as life changes

Retirement planning is not a document that should be prepared once and forgotten. A promotion, marriage, new child, property purchase, business venture or major change in income can alter the amount a professional needs to save and the level of investment risk that makes sense.

The same applies as retirement approaches. A portfolio that was appropriate at 35 may be unnecessarily aggressive at 58. Gradually reviewing asset allocation, liquidity and expected retirement income can help reduce the risk of discovering a major financial gap when it is too late to fix it.

Ultimately, independent retirement planning is about creating options. Your pension should form part of the foundation, but additional investments and income sources can make retirement less dependent on a single financial system or paycheck.

The Youth Leader of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Jamilu Ali Kalshingi, has resigned his position and membership of the party.

The development is contained in a resignation letter dated 31 August 2026, addressed to the Chairman of PDP, Bolari West Ward, Gombe LGA, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Saturday.

Jamilu Ali Kalshingi explained in the letter that his decision was made ‘after careful consideration’ and takes effect immediately.

The former PDP Youth Leader described his tenure as an honour and promised his supporters he would remain committed to the development of the state.

‘Serving as the State Youth Leader was an honour, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with dedicated party members towards our shared goals for the youth in Gombe State. I am proud of our milestones,’ he stated.

He, however, explained that he is moving in a new direction that requires him to leave his party but did not disclose his next political destination.

The resignation came shortly after former PDP National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari, defected from the party and joined the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Jamilu Isiyaku Gwamna.

The reign of terror in some parts of Plateau State is startling and unfathomable, given the number of people being killed in awful ways. Many communities have become easy targets for terrorists, who frequently carry out lethal attacks that kill residents and destroy property. Communities are turning into jungles for human hunts due to the startlingly high murder rate. It appears there is no end in sight to the terror.

Residents of many rural communities in Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South, Mangu and Bassa local government areas of the state have been living under a permanent dark cloud, while those responsible for the crushing wave of violence are still on the rampage, moving from one community to another.

Like predators, the attackers hunt down and kill innocent people under the cover of darkness.

Last week, the rampaging terrorists, in large numbers, invaded the quiet village of Bin Per in Kobun District of Mangu Local Government Area of the state and unleashed terror on the inhabitants, murdering 24 people, mostly children and women, in their sleep and plunging the village and neighbouring communities into deep sorrow.

When the Saturday Tribune visited the village over the weekend, survivors of the horrific incident and residents of nearby communities were still in mourning and agony. Most of the residences where the killings occurred had been abandoned, with only a few security personnel patrolling the affected area.

Seventy-year-old Michael Musa, who said he survived by the whiskers, described the attack as a cruel shock to the locals and their neighbours. Michael, who emphatically stated that the heinous act was perpetrated by Fulani terrorists, said the locals had coexisted peacefully with the Fulani for a very long time and had accepted them without restrictions.

‘We are shocked that our accommodation of them might have had the opposite effect. We had no idea that the Fulani, who have been here for a long time, speak our language perfectly and have married our daughters, could be collaborators in this incident.’

Narrating how the heinous atrocity was committed, he said the perpetrators, whom he described as Fulani terrorists, invaded Bin Per community on motorcycles at about 9:45 p.m. on Monday, shooting indiscriminately in all directions.

According to him, the local vigilantes were unable to stop them because of the sophisticated weapons they carried. He claimed that the attackers moved from house to house, shooting victims at close range and attacking them with machetes to ensure that they did not survive.

He said the deadly operation lasted more than two hours, with the sound of gunshots filling the air throughout, adding that security personnel were unable to arrive on time because of the poor condition of roads in the area.

‘It was a coordinated onslaught. They operated without compassion. There was a moment when an entire family was wiped out, while some other people lost their children and wives,’ he said.

Speaking with the Saturday Tribune, another survivor, Rachael Dasher, who lost her spouse, children and other relatives, said the affected community was like a lone tree left standing after a devastating forest fire. Beyond the losses suffered by individual families, she said everyone in the community was yet to come to terms with what had happened to their loved ones.

A woman who simply identified herself as Talatu said the terrorists entered the village covertly and dispersed to different homes, where they used dangerous weapons, particularly daggers, to attack the inhabitants at close range.

Sunday Marem lost wife, two children

A 53-year-old man, Sunday Marem, who lost his wife and two children, said the rampaging terrorists shot and slaughtered his family members. He said despite their pleas, the terrorists, who he claimed spoke Fulani throughout the operation, refused to listen and went on to kill them brutally.

‘They arrived in our community at about 9:45 p.m. Before then, I had left my house to join the vigilante group of which I am a member. I simply closed the door with the intention of returning shortly. We were on regular patrol when random gunshots suddenly filled the air. I left the group and hurried home to be with my family.

‘The attackers aimed at me as I ran home, but the bullets missed me. They continued shooting as I ran. When I entered my house, I saw them all in a pool of blood, all dead, with the exception of my youngest child, Nanfa, who is just over a year old. He was wailing, with blood all over him.

‘I immediately lost control of myself and became confused. The raging gunfire prevented me from leaving immediately. I later took my surviving child and went out when the gunfire stopped, seeking refuge with my neighbour, who had gone through a similar ordeal.

‘Up to this moment that I am talking with you, I am yet to come to terms with the reality that my wife and two children are gone,’ he lamented.

Jonathan Ishaku lost three children, wife injured

Ishaku explained: ‘On Monday night, at about 9:43 p.m., gunmen arrived here in large numbers to attack us. Unfortunately, they killed my three sons, who were between the ages of six and 14 years, and injured my wife, who is now receiving treatment in the hospital. Approximately 24 persons were killed in this attack. They broke into my house and slaughtered three of my children.

‘I was travelling home when this terrible incident occurred, and I heard gunfire coming from all directions. So, along with a few other people who had fled the neighbourhood, I sought refuge in a maize farm.

‘However, when I returned home, I encountered people attempting to rescue the situation without success. We are pleading with the state government to intervene and at least grade the roads leading to this community so that security personnel can have quick access to this place whenever the need arises.’

Nankyer Titus lost aged mother, two siblings, two nephews

She said: ‘I was not present when this incident occurred. I lost my aged mother, two brothers and their children, who were brutally murdered in their rooms. Another of my brothers was shot in several places and is now receiving treatment at the hospital.

‘I don’t know where to begin. This is a cruel act that will take a long time to forget. A family of five has been reduced to two. The killing was systematic; the assailants targeted families, and all those slaughtered were related. But it is unfortunate that those who aided the attackers live among us.’

The majority of the people who spoke during the visit of Senator Diket Plang to the community urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the establishment of state police, saying this would help reduce incessant attacks on communities and enable people to better defend their communities against terrorist attacks.

The senator, however, assured them that there was no going back on state police, saying the National Assembly and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were working to ensure that state police became a reality as part of measures to curb insecurity in the country.

Also during his visit to the affected community, Governor Caleb Mutfwang assured the people that his administration would adopt additional strategies and strengthen existing security measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities. He stressed that the government would not relent in its determination to secure the state and create an environment conducive to the prosperity and well-being of its people.

He said the attack occurred at a time when the government had reviewed its security architecture in collaboration with security agencies, including the new General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Nigerian Army, and other relevant authorities, with renewed focus on protecting lives and property and preventing attacks on vulnerable communities.

‘This is not an attack on the community alone; it is an attack on me. I pray that God will grant you peace and comfort. The police have said that some persons have been arrested, and we will follow the matter to its logical conclusion.

‘We will do everything within our powers to ensure that you remain on your land. Nobody will take over your land,’ the governor assured.

During my last visit to the doctor, I was told that I have ‘dense breasts’. Kindly let me know what this means and if I am in any danger.

Abena (by SMS)

No, you are not in any danger and there’s no need to panic. It is said that dense breast tissue – roughly half of women over the age of 40 have it – can make it more difficult to detect cancer on a mammogram. Women with extremely dense breasts are at increased risk for breast cancer, though scientists are not sure why.

If your doctor says you have dense breasts (it’s not something you’ll be able to feel yourself), he or she may recommend additional imaging with an ultrasound or MRI at your routine breast cancer screenings.

And remember: Dense breast tissue is just one breast cancer risk factor on a list of several. Age, family history, physical inactivity and alcohol use play a role in the risk as well. Knowing all your risk factors ‘is a really important step forward for patients to be proactive’ in their breast health care.