By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Alex Kiprotich, an associate editor of The Standard, a Kenyan newspaper, has been abducted by armed men.

The newspaper’s CEO, Chaacha Mwita, in a statement, said Mr Kiprotich was abducted along Gilgil-Nakuru Road shortly before 9:20 p.m. while travelling to Nakuru on Tuesday.

Mr Mwita said this is the second time in as many months that Mr Kiprotich had been targeted.

According to him, on June 27, 2026, armed men in a Toyota Probox, a vehicle model linked to enforced disappearances of government critics in Kenya, tried to seize him from his car as he drove to work in Nakuru.

He got away by locking his doors and driving off.

The Standard CEO linked the failed abduction attempt on Mr Kiprotich to President William Ruto’s government.

“That attempt came days after President William Ruto publicly criticised this Group over its coverage, and our own investigations traced the vehicle to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau,” said Mr Mwita. “No one has ever been held to account for it. Tonight, that threat has been carried out.”

The Standard CEO added, “We do not believe this is a coincidence. Mr Kiprotich has been at the forefront of our editorial output, including reporting that has scrutinised the conduct of the state, and tonight’s abduction bears all the hallmarks of a targeted attack on a journalist for doing his job.”

“If that is confirmed, this is not simply a crime against one man. It is an assault on the Constitution of Kenya, on the freedoms of expression and of the media guaranteed under Articles 33 and 34, and on the right of every Kenyan to independent information.

“We say this plainly and without equivocation: the Standard Group holds the state responsible for Alex Kiprotich’s safety and his life, and for anything that happens to him while he remains missing. Protecting the life and liberty of every citizen is the state’s first duty, not an afterthought, and Mr Kiprotich’s safety now rests entirely in its hands.”

The government of Mr Ruto has not reacted to the latest allegation.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nigeria has categorically declared that it does not possess, nor has it ever pursued, nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, delivered this affirmation during the 108th Plenary Meeting of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Ambassador Ibrahim, who also serves as Chairman of the UN Committee on Budget and Administration, used the global platform to reiterate Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to international disarmament efforts, specifically the cessation of nuclear testing and the complete elimination of WMD threats.

In a significant diplomatic intervention, the Nigerian envoy called for a re-evaluation of Article 2(7) of the United Nations Charter, which enshrines the principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of sovereign states. While acknowledging the importance of state sovereignty, Ibrahim argued that this provision should not serve as a shield to protect nations that engage in nuclear testing or possess WMDs. He stressed that the international community must retain the capacity to act against such threats, regardless of domestic jurisdiction claims.

Conveying the official position of President Bola Tinubu, Ambassador Ibrahim detailed Nigeria’s robust domestic infrastructure for monitoring nuclear activities. He highlighted the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) as the primary institution overseeing the country’s nuclear regulatory framework and ensuring compliance with international safety and non-proliferation standards.

Reinforcing its commitment to global security, Nigeria maintains active cooperation with several nuclear-capable states, including Russia, China, France, South Korea, and the United States. Ambassador Ibrahim noted that President Tinubu has directed him to intensify these partnerships, with a specific focus on collaborative efforts to permanently end nuclear weapons testing worldwide.

African Solidarity and the CTBT Anniversary
Aligning with the broader continental position, Ambassador Ibrahim endorsed the statement delivered by the African Group. He further congratulated member states on the 30th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), reaffirming that Africa remains a designated nuclear-weapon-free zone—a status that has seen the continent categorically reject nuclear explosive testing.

“Nigeria neither possesses nuclear weapons nor has ever pursued a nuclear weapons programme,” Ibrahim stated emphatically, underscoring the nation’s dedication to a safer, nuclear-free world.

He urged all UN member states to sustain their momentum in the global campaign against nuclear testing, emphasizing that collective vigilance is essential to eliminating the existential threats posed by such arsenals.

Education stakeholders and School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) in Kano State have stressed the need to equip students with practical skills alongside formal education to prepare them for self-reliance and reduce dependence on government employment.

Chairman of the School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) in Kano State, Tijjani Haladu Baraya, said the skills training programme was important because education should not only prepare students to obtain certificates but should also equip them with practical knowledge that can enable them to earn a living after graduation.

Baraya explained that the initiative was designed to teach students various skills while they are still in school, stressing that having formal education does not necessarily guarantee automatic access to government employment.

According to him, the reality of the current employment market makes it necessary for students to acquire additional skills that would enable them to create opportunities for themselves rather than waiting for government jobs.

He said, “If you study, you will not necessarily get a government job,” adding that the programme was specifically introduced to teach children in schools practical skills that would enable them to rely on themselves after completing their education.

Baraya further emphasised the importance of encouraging female students to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills, noting that such knowledge could help women become economically independent and contribute meaningfully to their families and communities.

The SBMC chairman said the committees were fully supporting the initiative because students could graduate with both academic certificates and practical skills, which, according to him, would give them a better chance of becoming self-reliant.

He added that equipping students with skills would also enable them to support their parents and reduce the financial pressure on families, particularly at a time when employment opportunities were becoming increasingly competitive.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) in Kano State, Dalhatu Salhu Maijumuri, described the training of students in practical skills as a highly important initiative capable of producing significant benefits for students, families and society.

Maijumuri said the programme would have a far-reaching impact because students who acquired practical skills could use them to establish businesses or provide services for themselves instead of waiting indefinitely for formal employment.

According to him, the era when students completed their education and immediately secured government jobs had largely passed, making it necessary for the education system to respond to the changing realities of the labour market.

“Gone are the days when students finish school and they will immediately get a government job,” Maijumuri said, pointing to the intense competition for the limited employment opportunities available.

He explained that where an organisation had only a few vacancies, thousands of qualified applicants could compete for the same positions, making reliance solely on formal employment an increasingly difficult option for young people.

“For example, now if there is a vacancy for like ten personalities, you will see hundred thousand people jostling for it,” the PTA chairman said, stressing the need for students to develop alternative means of livelihood.

Maijumuri therefore urged stakeholders in the education sector to continue supporting skills acquisition programmes in schools, saying that practical training would give students the ability to become self-reliant and productive members of society.

He further said that empowering students with vocational and entrepreneurial skills would not only benefit the individuals involved but would also reduce pressure on government to provide jobs for every graduate.

The PTA chairman also maintained that investment in skills acquisition would benefit future generations because children who received both formal education and practical training would be better positioned to contribute to economic development and build sustainable livelihoods.

He said the combination of academic education and practical skills would therefore strengthen the education system and ensure that students were prepared not only to seek employment but also to create employment opportunities for themselves and others.

The initiative, being implemented by the Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment (SOCSEE) in partnership with Room to Read, will run from August to December 2026 across six Local Government Areas of Nasarawa, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Kano Municipal and Kumbotso.

Speaking during a strategic one-day stakeholders’ meeting organised by SOCSEE in Kano, the organisation’s Executive Director, Sunusi Hashim, said the meeting was convened to review the project documentation and curriculum ahead of implementation.