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Northern Reform Organisation Mourns  The 15th January 1966 Military Coup

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Sir Abubakar And Sir Ahmadu Bello

 

 

Introduction

The Northern Reform Organization commiserates with Nigerians and mourns the great losses over the tragic Igbo plotted and hatched military coup of January 15th, 1966.

 

It was a watershed betrayal of trust by some misguided military zealots who martyred the top northern political and military leaders and also some southern top political and military cadre who were also assassinated.

 

We hereby extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the victims of treachery and the nation in general.

The military misadventure inflicted extensive damage to the peace of the North with collateral effect on the families of those who died from the tragic event including, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto, and Premier of Northern Region as well as his First wife Hajiya Hafsatu, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola Premier of the western region, Chief Festus Okotie Eboh Minister of Finance, Brigadiers Samuel Ademologun and his wife Latifah, Zakaria Mai Malari, Colonels Ralph Shodeinde, Kur Muhammad and, Agobo Largema.

Background

The pain suffered, greatly jeopardized the unity of the nation, and endangered its sovereign existence as a nation with grave consequences.

 

SIr Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

SIr Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

 

In particular, it plunged the North into a crisis of identity, cohesion, character, and its values system were since then thrown into turmoil and yet to fully recover.

 

Its social fabric was almost torn into pieces, while its vibrant import substitution economy with much local content has staggered and is struggling as a working strategy. For Nigeria, it was a serious political and constitutional set back.

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The 1966 tragedy stifled and compromised our political initiatives and its vibrant honorable culture of service to people. The North intermittent hold on power has been an enormous sacrifice to the unity and constitutional development of the nation, due to our sense of fair dealing. But this, a noble disposition is often perceived as greed for power by our traducers and weakness in the view of others, failing to see that selflessness is an attribute of our character.

It is, however, noteworthy that much more deserves to be done in the North to optimize its opportunity in power and exploit to the full its natural endowments and utilize the great potential of its useful population and enhance its education system with a planning attitude and aptitude to do away with the unbecoming sights of its many uncompleted projects. It should invest in power supply, high-quality infrastructure, public service delivery, and pursue a coherent agenda. It should also make the utmost priority to deal away with the challenges of insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, and general insecurity.

Current Situation

It should be fully appreciated that the leadership question must be addressed to make people in public responsibilities to be capable, competent, accountable, knowledgeable, and of sound moral character.

NIGERIA@60:The discovery Of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s body by Late Babankowa

For this to happen, the citizenry must change their “unquestioning” behavior and develop the right attitude towards the leadership cadre, through consistent scrutiny. Society must restore its ideals and uphold the values of empathy and a kindred spirit of being one another’s keeper.

Individuals need to become civic citizens and abandon apathy to public affairs. Families have to become positive building blocks of society and emphasize correct children’s upbringing, while communities should become development centers. Our societies need to preserve their core values and stimulate progress by becoming strong cultural entities.

Conclusions

NRO commiserates this eventful date of January 15th by upholding it in memory of our lost heroes and fine leaders and vehemently condemned those who plotted and killed them. We also use the occasion as a wake-up call to our glorious past and an inspiration for better leadership at all levels.

The NRO wish to use this opportunity to mourn the death of our first interim Chairman, Alhaji Bello Isa Bayero, who died in its service recently, May Allah forgive him and grant him eternal rest in paradise, amin.

 

 

Recommendations

There is a need for a thorough examination of these issues with a view to producing the right caliber of leaders who are sincerely committed to the genuine progress and development of the people.

Currently, our political parties are without defined aims and objectives. Our political parties must design, define, and articulate a sound agenda for all our elected officials.

Government business should not be left to politicians alone. The general public must pro-actively propose good policies and hold elected officials to transparency and accountability.

Leaders should be beacons of hope, models of service and icons of culture, champions of causes and standpoints, voices of reason and moderation, reservoirs of knowledge and wisdom who inspire others to do the best.

 

 

Thank you,

For:   Alhaji Ado Muhammed,

Chairman Media & Publicity

Committee.

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BIKOBA Mourns EX-NFA Chairman, Ibrahim Galadima

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The leadership, and the entire members of Birnin-Kudu Old Boys Association (BIKOBA) mourn the passing of the former president of the Association, and former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, who died Saturday, the 18th of April 2026, after a protracted illness.

Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, who died at the age of 78, was the fourth president of BIKOBA, having served two consecutive terms between 1993-1997, and being a member of ’71 class chapter of the Association.

Remarking on the passing of the elderstateman, President of BIKOBA, Alhaji Ja’afar Usman Muhammad (Turakin Gaya), described him as an astute football administrator and one of the most influential figures in Nigerian sports.
He said, after diligently serving BIKOBA as it’s fourth president, late Ibrahim Galadima had also served in various capacities at national and sub-national levels, as one time Commissioner of Information, Kano State while noting that his tenure as Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (2002–2006), was full of success stories, culminating to the growth and develpoment of sporting sub sector in Nigeria.

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He similarly served with distinction as the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, where he played a vital role in promoting sports at both grassroots and elite levels, said BIKOBA President.

“Being one of the founding fathers of Kano Pillars FC, late Galadima also laid a solid foundation for the club’s growth into a dominant force in Nigerian football, adding that, his legacy, leadership, and passion for the game will continue to be remembered in the history of the club”

The president, on behalf of the executive committee and entire members of BIKOBA, extends heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, his friends, the government, the good people of Kano State, as well as the entire Nigerian football community over the irreparable loss.

In a statement signed by National publicity secretary of the association Malam Mahmud Ibrahim Kwari said BIKOBA also prays that Almighty Allah grants late Ibrahim Galadima Aljannatul Firdaus, Ameen.

 

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President Tinubu Counters Police Academy in Kano, Establishes New Campus in Ogun

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new campus of the Police Academy in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area in Ogun State.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President,
Information & Strategy, says President Tinubu also approved a special take-off grant of N15billion for the college.

The President’s approval was in fulfilment of the provisions of the Nigeria Police Academy (Establishment) Act, 2021, particularly with respect to the expansion of the Police Academy based in Wudil, Kano state, into multiple campuses across the country.

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The intervention fund will be sourced from the TetFund 2026 allocation to finance priority infrastructure, academic facilities, student accommodation, and core training assets.

A high-level consultative meeting involving the Minister of Police Affairs, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Inspector-General of Police and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) recommended the siting of the new campus in Erinja.

The meeting considered student intake capacity, funding realities, academic quality assurance, and the long-term needs of the Nigerian Police Force, which is currently recruiting more men.

President Tinubu believes the expansion will strengthen institutional governance, modern policing education and national security.

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Retired Police Storm Villa Gate, Call Contributory Pension Scheme a ‘Killer Disease’

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Retired police personnel and their families, under the umbrella of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, on Monday blocked one of the gates of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in protest.

The retirees are demanding the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they described as “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane and obnoxious.”

Protesters carried placards reading “End CPS,” “If military, DSS were removed from PENCOM, why not police?” while many were chanting, “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop.”

They said the protest was aimed at urging President Bola Tinubu to assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026.

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According to them, the bill, if signed into law, would exempt police personnel from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

Speaking in a video of the protest posted by Channels Television, a retired ASP, Nurudeen Dahiru, said, “We are not begging anybody. We have come to fight for our rights. We have suffered.

“We are not here to fight anybody. We are just here to demand for our rights. We have served for 35 years.

“According to the Constitution of the country, when you serve your country for 35 years, you should go home and rest. But see us suffering now. We are not able to take care of our children.

“We have no food to eat. We are dying. Silent killing. So this contributory pension scheme is a killer disease. 35 years is not easy. We are not here to fight anybody.”

Another retired officer said, “We don’t have anything to train them. As I retired 20 years ago, how much are they paying me?

“It is 24,000 that I am paying you because I retired with the inspector. So they have to sign our bill and give us all our money.

“So that somebody can use it for something. You can buy a house. And then now we don’t have a house.

“How can an ASP, a DSP, a CP retire and they are paying him how much? No, no, no. Enough is enough. It is a do or die. Even if some people are killed today, others are coming.”

Speaking to reporters, the National Coordinator of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd), who led the protest, said the group was at the Villa to press for the President’s assent to the bill exiting the police from the CPS.

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