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Katsina govt to deal with traditional rulers aiding bandits
Dr Dikko Umaru Radda, the Katsina State Governor, on Friday, threatened to deal ruthlessly with any commissioner, traditional ruler or members of his cabinet caught aiding and abetting banditry in the state.
Radda stressed that though the fight against insurgency is a hydra-headed monster that has refused to go away, he will not negotiate with any bandit or group of criminals.
The governor told journalists at a media chat in Transcorp Hilton that efforts are ongoing to checkmate their incursions into the state.
He said, “As I speak to you, there are some traditional rulers that have been identified and those ones are already under scrutiny. We are not sparing anybody. I’m telling you that even my commissioners or anybody found to be involved in any criminal activity won’t be spared.
“We are talking about the lives of Katsina people, not one single individual. No single individual is more important than 10 million people, especially the lives of innocent persons in the village. We are trying as much as possible to see how we can gather a lot of information, together with the intelligence we are getting from the DSS so we can arrest and prosecute those found wanting.
“Since I became governor, there is no single day I don’t receive a report of one kidnapping or people being killed and all sorts. This has been disturbing me. Sometimes it is difficult to open my phone because I knew what I would be confronted with.”
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He added that he had recruited at least 1,500 Community Watch Officers drawn from the eight frontline local governments to join the fight against insecurity in the state.
Radda said aside from giving intelligence, the initiative of local security outfits was part of measures to empower the residents to defend themselves against terrorist attacks.
According to him, the state has spent well over N7bn to procure armoured personnel carriers, 65 Hilux vehicles, 700 motorcycles and security gadgets for the Community Watch Corps Officers.
“The corps officers know the locations and whereabouts of these people. Many of them witnessed the killings of their parents and how some of their sisters were raped. So they have more courage to do the job. There are also intelligent units within the corps that even the members don’t know. The reason for setting it up is to check the excesses of the community security corps and to also gather critical information.
“We have therefore come up with various committees at the state, local governments, districts and ward level. The committees must verify people renting or selling their houses and who is leasing or buying them. This is to ensure we don’t harbour criminals within the communities. As it stands today, anybody cannot just go and rent the house as he likes, whether we know him or not. Most of the bandit leaders don’t live in the bush.
“They live in our cities because it is peaceful. They will come and buy houses, and keep their wives and children. Then they will go to the bush to commit their act and come back. So if we have this ‘know your neighbour’ approach in place, it is going to help a lot in reducing the incidence of criminalities in our society,” he noted.
Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has announced the death of his wife after a prolonged battle with cancer.
The social media commentator shared the sad news on Instagram with a candle image, alongside a farewell message.
“Rest in peace my darling wife, odabo oyinbo mi”, he wrote.
Before her death, Fayose had opened up about the severity of her illness.
He said he travelled to Australia to spend time with his family, but was met with a painful reality as his wife had become extremely weak due to cancer.
He explained that she was no longer able to speak or carry out basic daily activities. According to him, the woman who once welcomed him at the airport could no longer do so, and he had to make his way from the airport by Uber.
He also described how roles had reversed in the home, saying he now had to take care of her, including cooking for her, as she could no longer do so herself. He added that he spent time beside her, singing her favourite songs, while she responded only by holding his hand.
In his emotional reflection, he also spoke about life and wealth, stressing that money and material possessions could not stop illness or death, and questioned the actions of those who use public office to take what belongs to others.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that all 22 registered political parties in Nigeria have submitted their membership registers in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the submissions were completed on May 8, two days ahead of the extended deadline set by the Commission.
According to INEC, the extension became necessary after political parties raised concerns over the original timeline during a meeting held on March 24.
The Commission had initially fixed April 21 as the deadline for the submission of membership registers in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election.
However, following consultations with political parties, INEC announced on March 27, 2026, that the deadline would be moved to May 10, 2026.
The adjustment, INEC said, was made to align with Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates chosen by political parties for their primaries.
Under the revised timetable, political parties are permitted to conduct their primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026. The law also requires each party to submit its membership register to the Commission not later than 21 days before the date of its primary election.
INEC stated that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe.
“The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline,” the statement said.
The electoral body added that the submitted registers would now undergo the necessary verification processes in accordance with the law.
INEC reiterated its commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in Nigeria.
According to the Commission’s timetable for the 2027 General Election, elections into the offices of President and members of the National Assembly are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the deputy commander of the Islamic State terrorist group, ISIS, has been killed in Nigeria.
US President Donald Trump said al-Minuki was killed in a “complex mission” carried out by Nigerian and American troops.
The US president shared updates on the operation in a social media post late Saturday.
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump wrote.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.
“He will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.”
Trump also acknowledged and thanked the Nigerian government for its “partnership on this operation”.
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