In a disturbing twist to the ongoing battle against insurgency, two soldiers attached to the 135 Special Forces Battalion are under investigation for alleged collaboration with ISWAP terrorists and compromising national security in Yobe State.

The soldiers’ telephone conversations were intercepted and analyzed by security operatives, revealing links to the May 9 kidnapping of commuters along the Gashua–Azare highway.

Sources close to the investigation said the duo allegedly leaked the movements of their patrol team along the Buratai–Kamuya–Azare–Gashua axis, paving the way for ISWAP fighters to stage an ambush that briefly disrupted civilian movement before a successful counter-attack was launched.

The betrayal is believed to have enabled the terrorists to set up the ambush, which was ultimately foiled by troops of the same battalion during a swift rescue mission that led to the freeing of four abducted civilians and the recovery of weapons and equipment.

Military authorities have since launched a full-scale internal investigation into the matter. The two soldiers are currently in custody, and their identities are being withheld pending further findings.

This revelation has triggered concerns over internal sabotage and the urgent need for tighter intelligence monitoring within the ranks to prevent future breaches and preserve the integrity of ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the Northeast.

A top security official stated, “The system will not spare any uniformed personnel found collaborating with enemies of the state. The fight against insurgency must be backed by absolute loyalty and trust.”

Credit:Zagazola Makama

The Gombe State AGILE (Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment) Project has officially commenced its Training of Trainers under the Life Skills Component, marking a significant step toward the effective implementation of the initiative aimed at empowering young girls across the state.

The five-day training, organized by the Guidance and Counselling Development Association in partnership with the Gombe State AGILE Project, kicked off at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe with the participation of key stakeholders and representatives from various institutions.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Gombe State AGILE Project Coordinator, Dr. Amina Haruna Abdul, represented by the **Deputy Project Coordinator, Aishatu Sambo, reaffirmed the project’s commitment to achieving its objectives. She emphasized that life skills development is a critical aspect of the AGILE initiative, stressing the importance of laying a solid foundation for its successful and systematic execution.

“Life skills are essential for shaping the future of adolescent girls in Gombe State. We are committed to ensuring the proper implementation of this component in line with the overall goals of AGILE,” said Dr. Amina.

Also speaking at the event, the **World Bank National Team Lead, Mrs. Dorcas Kadangs Yakubu , praised the state’s effort and pace in establishing a strong foundation for the project. She urged the facilitators and organizers to strictly adhere to the World Bank’s project objectives and operational guidelines, warning against any deviations, as the Bank maintains a zero-tolerance policy on project mismanagement.

The State Component Lead on Life Skills, Walida Maryam Muhammad, highlighted the purpose of the training, noting that it was designed to equip master trainers with basic and practical knowledge on life skills. The trained participants will, in turn, train teachers in public schools across the state to cascade the knowledge to adolescent girls.

Participants in the training were drawn from tertiary institutions, faith-based organizations, and guidance and counseling bodies across Gombe State.

Throughout the training sessions, presentations were delivered on critical areas such as Life Skills Development, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Safe Space Demonstrations, which are essential components of the life skills curriculum.

The training is expected to significantly enhance the capacity of educators and mentors to support and empower adolescent girls in Gombe State through quality life skills education.

The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expended over 3 billion naira for 141,175 (one hundred and forty-one thousand, one hundred and seventy-five) Kano students who passed the 2024 qualifying examinations to sit for this year’s WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS (2025).

In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Information, Ibrahim Adam, it was noted that the Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, announced to newsmen in Kano that the State Ministry of Education had released the results of the qualifying examinations for secondary school students in Kano.

These students are studying under the Kano State Teachers Service Board and the Science and Technical Schools Board, where 75 percent of them qualified to write the senior school certificate examinations of WAEC, NABTEB, NECO, and NBAIS (for Arabic students).

Ali Haruna Makoda stated that the students eligible for payment by the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf are those who scored five credits and above.

The Commissioner maintained that all secondary school principals and directors should notify their students of their results so that the state government can effect the payment.

The 2025 qualifying exams for WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB will enable the students to sit for their 2025 examinations required for admission into tertiary education.

Ibrahim Adam, the Special Adviser to Governor Yusuf on Information, said that since the inception of the administration in May 2023, it has settled registration fees for Kano indigent students for WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.

The Special Adviser pointed out that apart from settling the fees, Governor Yusuf’s administration has also paid huge outstanding debts for WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB left behind by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration.

He also said it is part of Governor Yusuf’s declaration of a state of emergency on education and an effort to mitigate the high number of out-of-school children that have bedeviled the state.