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PMB At The Kuje Correctional Center:Beyond The Chagrin On Culpability

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4 years ago

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President Muhammad Buhari

 

By Bala Ibrahim.

Pursuant to the embarrassing attack at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, by terrorists, in which hundreds of inmates escaped, including over 60 terrorists, one of whom is the chief bomb maker for the terrorists, President Muhammadu Buhari had paid an unscheduled visit to the centre yesterday, wherein he lamented on the failure of intelligence.

Like everyone in Nigeria, PMB asked, “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?” PMB kept asking questions un-end. But the biggest question is coming from the public, thus, would the President do anything?

The cynics, who are of the view that on security, PMB is fast turning into a weakling, that is only motivated by self-interest, as against doing what is honourable, are saying, like what had happened in the past, beyond the chagrin before the camera at the correctional centre, nothing would come out of that outrage.

The picture of the attack became more painful when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, took time to show the President the bombed-out section used to gain entry, the records office which was set on fire, and how the terrorists targeted all the cells in which Boko Haram suspects were held. They said, at the end of it, all the 63 terrorists held at the centre have been set free.

In disillusionment, PMB said, “I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?” The President said he is waiting for a comprehensive report on the attack.

FG’s lackadaisical attitude prolongs COEASU’s strike’

But the question on the lips of many is, would anything be done after the submission of the report?

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The most frightening part of the story is the disclosure by Mallam Tukur Mamu, the publisher of the Desert Herald Newspaper, and one that has been communicating with the terrorists, that he had prior knowledge of the attack on the Kuje Correctional centre, and he shared his intelligence with the security forces, but nothing was done to avert the attack. Mamu, who negotiated the release of some of the hostages that were abducted on the Kaduna-bound train from Abuja, said the same group that attacked the prison is the same group that attacked the Kaduna-bound train in March.

If PMB’s lamentation is on the failure of intelligence, Mamu, said that is not the cause of his concern. He said enough intelligence was given to the powers that be, but may be because some people are benefitting from the situation, the intelligence was treated with levity, which amounts to another crime completely.

“For me, there’s no difference between corrupt officials or contractors that are committing treason against the nation by way of stealing the resources that will benefit everybody, monies that will stop preventable deaths in our hospitals due to decaying structures, improve standards of education and even stop insecurity and crimes with the terrorists that emerged because of this sad reality and now unleashing terror on the entire society. It was after the failure of the fourth opportunity that they angrily issued the fresh threat to start slaughtering their victims yesterday, Tuesday. After much pleading with them, tolerated abuses and begged them to allow individual family members to contact them directly, they gave today, Wednesday, 6th July, that if there is nothing definite from family members, they will start executing their threat. I immediately passed this disturbing intelligence to all the relevant security agencies, the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders. But sadly as of today, Wednesday, which is the deadline they gave, there is no word from anybody. I have nevertheless sent words to them to reconsider their threat and allow family members to reach out to them. And even on the tendency and threat to attack targets and other facilities of interest like the Kuje Correctional Centre attacks, I have shared that intelligence with the security agencies and the committee that was constituted by CDS (Chief of Defense Staff) Gen. Lucky Irabo”.

Indeed the Kuje attack is only one out of a number of coordinated attacks, that clearly aimed at embarrassing the President and those in charge of national security. To attack the advanced convoy of the President in Dutsenma, about 152 kilometres from his hometown of Daura, in the afternoon, and again attack a prison in Kuje, which is about 40 km to the Presidential palace in Aso rock, in the early hours of the night of the same day, is not only a sign of fearlessness, but a serious statement of sarcasm on the state of national security of a country.

While some are of the opinion that the President should, as a matter of urgency, sack the CG, Correctional Services, Mr Haliru Nababa and the Minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, methinks that would only amount to the making of some scapegoats.

If indeed the President want’s to match words with action, he should go beyond the chagrin on culpability, by showing his anger first at the office of the national security adviser.

Monguno has no business advising the President on national security, if he can not foresee the twin attacks on the President’s state of origin and the President’s city of residence. More so, when both attacks, technically took place on the same day.

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Breaking:Governor Yusuf Removes Waiya as Information Commissioner, Reassigns Him to Youth Ministry

Published

3 hours ago

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October 30, 2026

By

The state commissioner for information comrade Ibrahim Waiya addressing the Youth

 

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has relieved Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya of his position as Commissioner for Information and reassigned him to the Ministry of Youth following the swearing-in of newly appointed commissioners.

The development is part of a ministerial reshuffle announced by the state government, which also involves the deployment of newly appointed commissioners to various ministries and the reassignment of some existing members of the State Executive Council.

Under the new arrangement, Waiya, who previously headed the Ministry of Information, has been moved to the Ministry of Youth, while Hon. Hamza Safyanu Kachako, who formerly served as Commissioner for Mineral Resources, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Environment.

The new portfolio allocations also saw Hon. Yushau Soja appointed Commissioner for Security, while Hon. Idris Garba Mustapha was assigned to the Ministry of Special Duties.

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Similarly, Hon. Muntari Ishaq Yakasai has been posted to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, while Hon. Ibrahim Namadi Dala will oversee the Ministry of Commerce.

Hon. Ibrahim Tsanyawa has been assigned to the Ministry of Science and Technology as part of the new ministerial arrangement.

The reshuffle brings changes to the composition of the Kano State Executive Council as Governor Yusuf moves to accommodate the newly sworn-in commissioners and redistribute responsibilities among members of his cabinet.

The latest development also marks Waiya’s departure from the Information Ministry, which he had headed before his reassignment to the Youth Ministry.

The newly announced portfolios are as follows:

1. Ministry of Security: Hon. Yushau Soja.
2. Ministry of Special Duties:** Hon. Idris Garba Mustapha.
3. Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs: Hon. Muntari Ishaq Yakasai.
4. Ministry of Commerce: Hon. Ibrahim Namadi Dala.
5. Ministry of Science and Technology: Hon. Ibrahim Tsanyawa.
6. Ministry of Environment: Hon. Hamza Safyanu Kachako, moved from Mineral Resources.
7. Ministry of Youth:Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, moved from Information.

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INEC Admits Officials Tampered With Voter Register Using AI-Generated Photos

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4 hours ago

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October 30, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Independent National Electoral Commission has admitted that its officials tampered with the voter register nationwide using AI-generated photos.

Lawrence Bayode, INEC ICT director, stated this in an interview with ARISE TV on Friday. When asked how AI-generated photos found their way into the register, Mr Bayode said some registration officers across the states caused the irregularities.

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“I can tell you how AI-generated photos found their way into the register, “Mr Bayode said. “Number one, you know, we have registration officers on the field, and these registration officers have login details to log into the system. So what we have found out is that some of these registration officers—not all of them now, some of them across the states nationwide—they’ve done different things to bring these irregularities into the register.”

The official disclosed that INEC had begun work to clean up the voter register.

“So, we’re cleaning up; we’re seeing a lot of things, different people doing different things, some of them similar. Some of these pictures are AI-generated, some of them not AI-generated, but very bad registration. This thing got into the register by the registration officers, and because they have access to register people,” Mr Bayode said.

AI-generated photos and several cases of duplication found in the voter register have sparked public uproar and questions about the fidelity of the voter register as Nigerians prepare for general elections scheduled for next year.

To allay public concerns over suspected AI-generated pictures in the preliminary voter register published online earlier this month, INEC admitted the irregularities and said it was investigating.

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INEC Rejects 64 Petitions, Leaves Adebutu and Gwarzo Candidacies in Doubt, Clears Pantami

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4 hours ago

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October 30, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

The candidacies of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ogun State governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress’s Kano State candidate, Aminu Gwarzo, remain unresolved after their petitions were among 64 rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday.

However, INEC cleared Isa Ali Pantami, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, to contest the 2027 election.

A source in INEC, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, said Adebutu’s and Gwarzo’s candidacies remained uncertain after the commission reviewed complaints over the final lists of candidates for the 2027 governorship and State House of Assembly elections. He confirmed that Pantami had been cleared for Gombe State.

On Adebutu, the source said his name was not included in the list because it was not on the candidate list originally submitted to INEC by his party.

“His petition was rejected because his name was not included in the list of candidates originally submitted to INEC by the PDP,” the source said.

On Gwarzo, the source said the deputy governor would have made the list but for an ex parte order issued by the Federal High Court, which barred INEC from publishing his name. He added that Gwarzo’s clearance remained subject to the outcome of litigation over his candidacy.

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“He would have scaled through, but unfortunately, there was an ex parte order from the Federal High Court barring INEC from publishing his name. That was the reason he was not cleared,” the source added.

The source said INEC would publish the updated list of candidates for the elections by Friday (today).

INEC had, on October 10, 2026, published the names of presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly candidates on its website. Following that publication, the names of Adebutu, Pantami and Gwarzo, among others, were missing.

In a statement issued on Thursday night and signed by the Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission said it upheld 66 petitions challenging the final lists of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates for the 2027 general elections and rejected 64 others.

The petitions followed the publication of the final candidate lists on October 10, 2026, with complaints bordering on the omission of political parties, the inclusion of candidates whose names were absent from their parties’ membership registers and alleged multiple nominations.

Haruna said the commission reviewed the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions before reaching its decisions.

He said, “Following a review of the complaints, relevant records and applicable legal provisions, the commission found merit in some representations and approved the inclusion of affected candidates and their political parties, while complaints found to be without merit were declined.”

He added that the commission had removed some candidates whose names were wrongfully published after verifying that they were not listed in the membership registers submitted by their political parties.

“The commission also approved the removal of candidates whose nominations were found to be inconsistent with the applicable legal requirements,” the statement said.

According to INEC, 69 petitions were received from 12 political parties across 26 states concerning the governorship election. Of these, 41 were successful, while 28 were rejected.

For the State House of Assembly elections, the commission received 61 petitions from 11 political parties across 11 states. Twenty-five petitions were upheld, while 36 were unsuccessful.

The commission said its decisions on State House of Assembly candidates were based on specific complaints received and determined in accordance with the law and its established criteria.

INEC said the affected candidates, political parties and states would be reflected in an updated list to be published on its website. The commission reiterated its commitment to transparency and electoral credibility.

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