Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi 

President Bola Tinubu has renamed the Federal University of Medical Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, after the late renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi.

The President announced the decision yesterday during a condolence visit to the family of the cleric at his country home in Bauchi.

According to Tinubu, the renaming is to immortalise the late Islamic scholar and his contributions to humanity and religious scholarship.

“From today onward, I announce this change of name to immortalise him. The Federal University of Medical Sciences, Azare, Bauchi State, will from today be known as Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi University. May God bless his memory,” the President said.

Describing the death of the cleric as a “great national loss,” Tinubu noted that Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s life was marked by humility, selfless service, and unwavering dedication to the propagation of Islam and peace.

He prayed for Allah’s mercy upon the soul of the late scholar and for his admission into Jannatul Firdaus.

The president also prayed for strength for the family of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, as well as the government and people of Bauchi State, to bear the loss, while urging Nigerians to continue to pray for peace and unity across the country.

Responding on behalf of the family, the eldest son of the late cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Usman Bauchi, thanked Tinubu for the condolence visit, prayers, and the honour bestowed on their father.

He also thanked the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, for his continued support of the family.

In his remarks, Governor Mohammed thanked the President for honouring the family of the late cleric and Bauchi State at large, describing the gesture as a recognition of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s enduring legacy.

Tinubu was accompanied by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; and Seyi Tinubu, among other top government officials.

The President arrived at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi, at about 4:09 p.m., where he was received with a guard of honour by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

He was received at the airport by Governor Mohammed, the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang; the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; and the Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, Shehu Buba.

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Nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a bar outside Johannesburg early Sunday, police said, in the second such shooting in South Africa this month.

Ten more were wounded in the early morning attack at the tavern in the impoverished Bekkersdal township in a gold mining area around 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of the city.

It follows a shooting at a tavern near Pretoria on December 6 when gunmen killed a dozen people, including a three‑year‑old child.

Police initially said 10 people were killed when the Bekkersdal bar was attacked just before 1:00 am (2300 GMT), but later revised the toll downwards.

Most of the attackers were armed with pistols and one had an AK-47 rifle, deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told SABC television from the scene.

“They entered the tavern and randomly shot at the patrons, unprovoked,” he said.

Three people were killed inside the bar and others as they fled the scene, with the attackers continuing to shoot as they left, he said.

“It’s also reported that after they shot the people, they searched them. They took their valuables, including cell phones,” Kekana said.

The dead included a driver from an online car-hailing service who was driving past.

“It’s pure criminality,” Kekana said. Police launched a manhunt for the attackers and appealed for public assistance.

The post Gunmen kill 9, wound 10 in South Africa bar attack appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a leader of a drug syndicate, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, twenty months after the cartel led by a couple Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, was smashed by the anti-narcotic agency in Lagos and Ogun States.

A multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drug were recovered from the couple before the arrest of Shodunke who had gone underground since May 2024.

NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed on Sunday, that the suspect was nabbed in her Lagos home where additional 23.50 kilograms of the class A drug were recovered from her children’s room.

Babafemi recalled that the kingpin, Lookman and his wife, Toheebat were arrested on Saturday May 25, 2024 by operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA at Ibiye, along Lagos-Badagry expressway while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.

At the point of their arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them. A swift follow up operation in their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun State, led to the recovery of additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the consignment seized from the couple to 57.5 kilograms.

“Determined to rein in every member of the syndicate, the NDLEA operatives continued with follow up intelligence and surveillance on the trans-border drug trafficking organisation until a 39-year-old female stash keeper, Shodunke Yetunde Simbiat, was identified as a key member of the DTO. As a result, she was trailed to her 31 Onasanya street, Surulere, Lagos residence on Tuesday 9th December 2025.

“A thorough search of her home led to the discovery of blocks of cocaine weighing 23.50 kilograms concealed in a black suit case recovered from her children’s room. She admitted ownership of the drug consignment worth over N5billion in street value,” Babafemi explained.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II Departure Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday December 18, 2025, arrested a 36-year-old businessman, Nwanwene Robinson Destiny, with a total of 1,020 pills of tramadol 225mg and tapentadol 200mg concealed in his luggage while attempting to board a Royal Air-Maroc flight to Milan, Italy where he’s based.

According to the NDLEA’s spokesperson, the suspect claimed that the successful trafficking of the opioids to Italy would have fetched him €200.00 from the person to which he was to deliver them.

In another instance, at the Seme border in Badagry area of Lagos, a 48-year-old Beninoise Leocardi Josu was on Thursday December 18, arrested by NDLEA officers while attempting to cross into Nigeria with 3,400 tablets of tramadol 225mg, even as a suspect Abdullahi Adamu, 30, was nabbed along Okene/Lokoja Highway with 28.400kg skunk, a strain of cannabis and Colorado, a synthetic cannabis on Friday December 19.

In Oyo state, NDLEA operatives on Friday December 19, recovered 125,000 capsules of tramadol and 1,800 ampoules of pentazocine injection in a Toyota Hiace bus marked XD 592 AWL along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while two suspects, Ogunlade Kazeem, 54, and Adeleke Ismail, 30, were arrested with 185.4 kilograms of skunk at Challenge Motor Park, Ibadan, on Wednesday December 17, 2025.

Also, a total of 405kg skunk was seized when NDLEA operatives raided Owena/Ijesha Forest in Osun State where a 45-year-old suspect, Charles James, was nabbed on Friday December 19, while another suspect Jamilu Zakari, 42, was arrested with 14,960 pills of tramadol 225mg at the toll gate, along the Abuja – Kaduna Highway same day.

Similarly, the NDLEA seized a consignment of opioids concealed in two kolanut sacks (huhun goro) coming from Abuja to Gusau, Zamfara State.

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Nigerian troops operating under Operation HADIN KAI have discovered and neutralised an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and arrested two suspected terrorist logistics suppliers during separate operations in Borno State, the army said on Saturday.

The Joint Task Force (North East) said the operations were carried out under Operations Desert Sanity IV and V, aimed at disrupting Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) activities in the region.

In one incident, troops of the 25 Brigade discovered an IED while conducting a main supply route patrol along the Damboa–Komala axis on December 17.

The device was secured and subsequently detonated by military personnel, the army said, preventing potential harm to troops and civilians using the route.

In a separate operation on December 19, troops deployed at a checkpoint along the Maiduguri–Bama Road intercepted a Lagos-registered vehicle following what the military described as credible intelligence.

The vehicle was found to be conveying large quantities of food items and energy drinks suspected to be supplies intended for Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters operating around Kirawa Ward in Gwoza Local Government Area.

Two suspects were arrested in connection with the interception. Items recovered from the vehicle included assorted food supplies, energy drinks, three mobile phones, an identity card, a ring, and sums of cash in both Nigerian naira and CFA francs.

The army said the suspects, along with the vehicle and recovered items, had been handed over to the appropriate military intelligence unit for further investigation and necessary action.

Nigeria’s military high command commended the troops for the operations and urged them to sustain the current tempo, according to the statement.

The military said it remains committed to denying armed groups freedom of movement, disrupting their logistics networks and improving security for residents of Nigeria’s conflict-affected northeast, where insurgency-related violence has persisted for more than a decade.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has warned the National Assembly (NASS) to steer clear of attempts to centralise lotto and other betting games in the country, through the Central Gaming Bill, vowing not to grant presidential assent to the bill.

The President said this on Thursday while addressing the National Caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a residual matter that the National Assembly should not tread nearby.

Tribune Online gathered that the Central Gaming Bill 2025 is a Senate-passed legislation that seeks to create a single national regulatory framework for all online and remote gaming activities. 

However, Attorney Generals of Lagos and 22 other states have continued to object passage of the bill, describing it as a state-level matter and any action would amount to a violation of the Supreme Court, in its landmark judgment delivered on 13th October, 2024, in Suit No. SC/1/2008 – AG Lagos State & 22 Ors v. AG Fed & 13 Ors.

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According to the states, the Supreme Court had clearly ruled that lotteries, betting, and gaming are residual matters that fall within the exclusive legislative competence of the States, except in the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking on the possibility of the National Assembly sending the bill for his assent, Tinubu said: “What I want you to forget is a centralised lotto, go and read the constitution again. It’s a residual matter. It belongs to the exclusive legislative list of the States, Don’t tread near it, there’s no need for us to argue. I’m a constitutional democrat, I read it that it was coming, I won’t sign it.”

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The Olusegun Okanlawon Foundation (OOF), led by its Founder and Chairman, Ambassador Engr. Dr. David Olusegun Okanlawon, has commenced its end-of-year community engagement programmes, marking the start of a season of social, academic and sporting activities across the Ibarapa zone of Oyo State.

The end-of-year programmes, which form the grand finale of the Foundation’s annual interventions, follow the successful Second Edition of the Olusegun Okanlawon Mathematics Competition for Senior Secondary School students.

While the academic contest laid the foundation, the focus has now expanded to broader community participation, unity and youth engagement.

The Mathematics Competition, which featured students drawn from schools across Ibarapa, rewarded excellence with cash prizes of ₦150,000, ₦100,000 and ₦50,000 for first, second and third positions respectively. The initiative underscored the Foundation’s commitment to educational advancement and youth development as a core part of its social responsibility objectives.

Speaking on the significance of the programmes, Director of the OOF/DOO Media and Public Relations Unit, Comrade Sunday Adedokun Harshasha, explained that the academic competition was deliberately designed as a prelude to the end-of-year community events.

“The Mathematics Competition was a build-up to the end-of-year programmes. It reflects Ambassador Okanlawon’s belief in combining intellectual development with community bonding and social engagement,” he said.

With the academic segment concluded, attention has shifted to the 7th Edition of the Ibarapa Sports Fiesta, scheduled to run from Monday, December 15 to December 28, 2025. The two-week sporting event is expected to foster unity, peaceful coexistence and healthy competition among communities within the Ibarapa zone.

The Sports Fiesta will feature a range of activities, including the Ibarapa Marathon Competition, inter-community football tournaments for male and female teams, Ayo Olopon games for both genders, and a draught competition.

Ambassador Okanlawon has continued to distinguish himself through community-focused initiatives that prioritise unity, youth empowerment and sustainable development. Through the Olusegun Okanlawon Foundation, education and sports have been deployed as practical tools for strengthening social cohesion and promoting inclusive growth across Ibarapa.

Reaffirming the Foundation’s vision, Comrade Harshasha said Ambassador Okanlawon remains committed to programmes that bring the people of Ibarapa together and advance collective development.

“The end-of-year activities are designed to celebrate local talent, encourage interaction and strengthen communal bonds across the zone,” he stated.

Residents, youth groups, schools and community stakeholders have been encouraged to actively participate as Ibarapa enters a season of inclusive celebration, competition and shared progress.

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Former President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and veteran Nollywood producer, Ejike Asiegbu, has said that the insecurity and infrastructural decay that previously discouraged movie production in Aba have been effectively addressed by Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.

Asiegbu spoke during the second edition of the Abia International Film Festival (ABIFF), where he commended Governor Otti for creating an enabling environment that could reposition Abia State as a major hub for film production in Nigeria.

According to the veteran actor, Aba and other parts of the state lost significant employment and economic opportunities over the years due to poor governance, insecurity and environmental neglect, which made it unsafe and unattractive for filmmakers. He noted that the present administration has taken decisive steps to tackle these challenges.

Describing ABIFF as a homecoming, Asiegbu said the festival reflects purposeful leadership and renewed confidence in the state. He stated that Governor Otti has restored pride in Abia, making it a place people are eager to visit and invest in once again.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that insecurity is what kept many of us away from coming home to shoot films over the past 24 years. Aba was practically a no-go area under successive governments that paid lip service to governance,” he said.

Asiegbu, who grew up in Aba, expressed satisfaction that meaningful change is now taking place, adding that filmmakers are ready to contribute their expertise towards taking the state to greater heights. He revealed that discussions have already commenced with international partners, assuring that subsequent editions of the festival would be bigger.

President of the Abia International Film Festival, Dr. Alexander Elekwa, also expressed appreciation to Governor Otti for his consistent support for the creative industry and for fostering an environment where culture, innovation and enterprise can flourish.

Elekwa said ABIFF was established to bridge African storytelling with global standards, discover and nurture emerging talents, and deploy film as a tool for education, job creation and cultural diplomacy. He noted that the successful hosting of the second edition marked the festival’s transition from vision to a credible institution.

He further praised the Abia State Government’s reform-driven agenda, describing the creative economy as a strategic pathway for sustainable development.

Renowned film producer, Uzodimma Okpechi, also commended the organisers and the state government for creating a conducive atmosphere for the festival, while noting that there is still room for improvement. He described his return to Abia after two decades as nostalgic, adding that visible changes now justify hosting a major international film event in the state.

New Telegraph reports that the second edition of ABIFF received over 1,243 film submissions from 155 countries and attracted the participation of several veteran actors, directors and producers of Abia origin.

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The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, finds it imperative to communicate an undeniable and poignant truth to the Southeast Governors. As we approach this festive season, we face an unrelenting economic downturn that has resulted in unprecedented hikes in transportation fares. This unfortunate circumstance has rendered numerous intending Igbos in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and other regions in Northern Nigeria unable to return home to the Southeast to reunite with their families.

Even those Igbos capable of affording the exorbitant travel fees are filled with trepidation, driven by the pervasive concerns surrounding unresolved security issues throughout the nation, particularly in the Southeast. It is, therefore, the responsibility – indeed, the moral obligation – of the Southeast Governors to respond with urgency and empathy to these pressing challenges confronting our people.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo implores the Southeast Governors to take immediate action by facilitating the return of our people stranded in various parts of the country. We call for the provision of at least 250 free buses (50 buses from each Southeast state) to transport our citizens back to their homes this festive season. Such an initiative would serve as a gesture of goodwill and solidarity, reinforcing the bond of our Igbo heritage and culture during this joyous yet challenging period.

Furthermore, we extend our commendation to the Federal Government for its commendable efforts in mitigating insecurity in specific communities within Igboland. The collaborative actions of the Nigerian military and allied security agencies have significantly restored normalcy, allowing many Igbos to reclaim their territory after a prolonged absence due to security threats. It is with this newfound safety that we can once again gather with our loved ones to celebrate the Yuletide season.

However, we stress that security must remain a paramount focus. Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges the Southeast Governors, in their roles as Chief Security Officers of their respective states, to enhance security measures, particularly around border communities in Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo States. This is a crucial step toward safeguarding lives and preventing any potential terrorist incursions, especially from fleeing Northern bandits.

Let it be known that any Governor failing to take appropriate measures—be it the provision of free transportation or the fortification of security—will face the ire of the Ndigbo people. In contrast, those who heed this call for action shall be recognized and celebrated for their dedication to the welfare of Ndigbo.

Finally, Ohanaeze Ndigbo enthusiastically acknowledges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s establishment of a military training depot in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State – a significant development that represents a departure from practices historically restricted to the Northern regions since Nigeria’s independence in 1960. This military installment is pivotal in reshaping the mindset of Igbo youths, encouraging their participation in military recruitment initiatives, and ultimately contributing to enhanced security in the Southeast.

We stand firm in our commitment to advocating for the interests of the Igbo people and advancing their welfare. As the festive season approaches, let us endeavor to work together for the greater good of our region .

E-Signed
Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro
Deputy President General
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide

Chief Chinenyeze Ohia
National Spokesman
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide

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The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old housewife named Misturah Bada, and a 30-year-old man, Adedamola Daniel for allegedly staging the lady’s kidnap to extort N2.5 million from her husband who is based in South Africa.

The arrest followed investigations into a kidnapping report received by the Command on November 24, 2025.

Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, said the woman’s husband contacted the police through an emergency line, claiming that his wife had been abducted by armed men who initially demanded a ransom of N10 million but later reduced it to N3 million.

According to the police, despite paying N2.5 million, the supposed kidnappers refused to release the woman, prompting intensified investigations by the Command.

Adebisi explained that the police deployed both technical and human resources, after which Mrs. Bada was later released and reunited with her family. During questioning, she claimed she was abducted by six armed men in a silver Toyota Venza, taken to an unknown location and relieved of her iPhone 12 Pro Max.

She further told investigators that the ransom paid by her husband was first transferred into her bank account before being handed over to the kidnappers.

However, police said inconsistencies in her account raised suspicion. On December 3, 2025, operatives arrested Adedamola Daniel in Ede, Osun State. A SIM card linked to the WhatsApp account used for ransom negotiations was recovered from him.

Investigators said Daniel confessed that Mrs. Bada asked him to provide a SIM card to open the WhatsApp account used to communicate with the husband and that he shared the one-time password sent to his line, allowing her to control the account.

“After being confronted with the findings, Mrs. Bada admitted that she faked her own kidnapping in order to extort money from her husband,” the police said.

Further investigations led to the recovery of the iPhone 12 Pro Max earlier reported as stolen. The phone was recovered from one Yusuf Sodiq, 34, who told police that he bought it from Mrs. Bada for N380,000 and was warned not to insert any SIM card into it.

Commenting on the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Olohundare Jimoh, cautioned members of the public against false reports and criminal deception, noting that such acts divert security resources from genuine emergencies.

The police said investigations are ongoing and that the suspects will be charged to court once it is concluded.

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A prominent digital and human rights activist, Muhammed Bello Buhari has criticised the Nigerian government’s newly announced ban on the admission and transfer of students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3), warning that the policy overlooks the realities of insecurity and displacement in Northern Nigeria.

The Federal Government recently announced a nationwide ban on the admission and transfer of students into SS3 in both public and private secondary schools across the country.

The directive was issued by the Federal Ministry of Education in a press release dated December 14, 2025, and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.

According to the ministry, the decision followed “growing concerns over the increasing incidence of examination malpractice, including the use of so called special centres during external examinations.” It stated that the policy would take effect from the 2026/2027 academic session, adding that “admission or transfer into SS3 will no longer be permitted under any circumstance.”

Reacting to the announcement, Buhari expressed concern in a post shared on his Facebook page on Sunday, arguing that the policy would unfairly affect children whose education has been disrupted by banditry, terrorism and forced migration in the North.

He said many families in the region relocate not to seek academic advantage, but to escape violent attacks that have destroyed communities and schools, an issue he said was ignored in the policy design.

“In the North, most of the people are not moving because they are chasing special centres,” Buhari wrote. “They are moving because their villages have been attacked. Because bandits came at night. Because terrorists burnt schools.”

He explained that displacement has become a normal part of life in several states, including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Benue, forcing parents to move with their children, often in the middle of an academic session.

Buhari questioned how the policy would affect students who have completed SS2 but are forced to enroll in new schools due to insecurity, as well as those already in SS3 whose families are compelled to relocate.

“Now imagine an SS2 student in an IDP camp who finally gets a chance to enroll in a new school,” he said. “According to this policy, if that child advances to SS3 in a different school, it becomes illegal.”

He argued that the ban would not address examination malpractice, noting that cheating is driven by systemic issues such as weak supervision, poor teaching conditions and pressure to pass examinations, rather than student transfers.

“Stopping SS3 transfers will not stop cheating,” Buhari stated. “It will only stop vulnerable students from continuing their education.”

The activist also warned that the policy could worsen the already high number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria, where access to education is challenged by poverty, insecurity and displacement.

He called on the Federal Government to review the directive and introduce exemptions for displaced students and conflict-affected communities, stressing that education policies must reflect the realities of Nigerians.

“If this policy goes ahead without exemptions,” Buhari said, “it will only deepen exclusion and inequality and once again, the North willpay the highest price.”

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