By: Lamara Garba Azare

Bauchi was not born in silence. On the third day of February 1976, it arrived with the quiet dignity of history unfolding, carved out of the old North Eastern State, not merely as a political entity but as a promise. A promise that people mattered. A promise that governance could be closer to the heartbeat of the land. A promise that a place shaped by savannah winds, ancient footsteps, and resilient souls deserved its own name and destiny.

In those earliest days, the founding leaders stood before an unformed canvas. There were no clear roads, only directions. No settled institutions, only intentions. Men like Mohammed Bello Kaliel and the first set of military administrators did not inherit comfort. They inherited responsibility. With discipline and restraint, they laid the skeletal frame of a state yet to find its voice. Ministries were formed, public service took its first breath, and order was introduced where uncertainty once loomed. Their service was not loud, but it was consequential. They held Bauchi together when it was most fragile, and history must remember them not for what was absent, but for what they preserved.

Then came the gentle dawn of civilian rule and with it the reassuring presence of Abubakar Tatari Ali. His leadership spoke directly to the soul of the people. Roads stretched outward as symbols of connection, farms rose as declarations of self belief, industries emerged as statements of confidence, and Bauchi began to imagine itself beyond survival. He governed with faith in possibility and left behind a lesson that development is not only measured in concrete and steel, but in hope restored and dignity affirmed.

The years that followed were long and demanding. Military administrators came and went, each carrying the weight of stewardship in difficult times. Mohammed Sani Sami, Chris Abutu Garuba, Joshua Madaki, Abu Ali, Wing Commander James Yana Kalau, Rasheed Adisa Raji, Theophilus Bamigboye and Abdul Adamu Mshelia each, in their own seasons, kept the machinery of governance alive. These were years of holding the centre, of completing water projects so thirst would not rule, of strengthening hospitals so life could be preserved, of nurturing sports and social cohesion so the human spirit would not be crushed. Bauchi learned patience in those years. It learned that progress does not always arrive with celebration, but often with quiet persistence.

The brief return of democracy in the early nineties under Dahiru Mohammed rekindled hope, only for it to be interrupted again. Yet the idea of civilian choice never died. It waited patiently in the consciousness of the people. And when it returned in 1999, it returned with purpose.

Ahmadu Adamu Muazu’s era marked a turning point that still echoes across the state. Schools multiplied, classrooms filled, enrolment soared, and Bauchi found itself counted among Nigeria’s strongest performers in education. Roads stitched communities together, water flowed where scarcity once reigned, electricity reached villages long forgotten by the grid, and healthcare gained renewed attention. His leadership proved that when people are placed at the centre of policy, development responds naturally. Many families still live inside the outcomes of those years, sometimes without knowing the names of the policies that made them possible.

Isa Yuguda and Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar governed in times shaped by complexity. Economic pressure, national uncertainty, and rising security concerns tested the limits of leadership. Yet governance continued. Roads were maintained, institutions sustained, and the state was kept standing when the ground beneath Nigeria often felt unsteady. Their stewardship reminded the people that leadership is not always about expansion, but about preservation, about ensuring that the house does not collapse while waiting for renovation.

Today, under Bala Mohammed, Bauchi speaks again in the language of renewal. Roads are being rebuilt not just as infrastructure but as arteries of opportunity. Schools are being restored, health facilities revived, urban spaces reimagined, and economic empowerment extended to women and youths who for too long stood at the margins. Investment summits invite the world to see Bauchi differently, not as an afterthought, but as a land of promise. His leadership reflects a belief that governance must listen, that peace must be cultivated, and that development must feel human.

As Bauchi marks fifty years, this is not merely a roll call of leaders. It is a collective tribute. To those who laid foundations when there was little applause. To those who governed in difficult seasons without surrender. To those who expanded opportunity and those who protected stability. To civil servants who kept institutions alive, teachers who shaped minds in overcrowded classrooms, farmers who planted hope in stubborn soil, and communities who believed that this state belonged to them.

As Bauchi steps into the future, it does so with memory in its hands and hope in its eyes. The past has spoken through sacrifice, the present breathes through responsibility, and the future waits for courage. What remains certain is this: Bauchi has never been defined by the ease of its journey, but by the strength of its will. From those who laid the first stones to those who now carry the torch, the story continues not as an echo of yesterday, but as a call to tomorrow. And as long as its people believe in the dignity of service, the power of unity, and the promise of becoming better than before, Bauchi will not merely endure. It will rise, again and again.

Lamara Garba Azare, a veteran journalist, writes from Kano

By, Alhassan Bala

The silence is deafening. While South Africa and Kenya agitate loudly for the return of their citizens deceived into fighting Russia’s war in Ukraine, Nigeria remains conspicuously quiet about its own sons being used as cannon fodder on foreign battlefields.

In January 2026, Kenyan social media platforms were flooded with images of young Kenyans killed while fighting for Russia.

In South Africa, the issue turned to politics as an elite was accused of sending young South Africans to Russia to join the army and fight in Ukraine.

However, the stories of the victims from Nigeria paint a horrific image, especially as among those faces was one that haunts the most: Anas Adam from Kano State, Nigeria. His story is not unique, but it demands to be told.

On November 10, 2025, Anas boarded an Egypt Air flight from Lagos, telling friends he was traveling to Russia for business. Within days, the cheerful entrepreneur’s voice had changed to one of desperation. In a WhatsApp voice note, he pleaded with friends to pray for him that “things have changed,” he said cryptically. Soon after, his photograph appeared online, wearing a Russian army uniform.

Two months after, precisely on January 10, 2026, his family received news of his death not from Nigerian authorities, not from the Russian government, but from a Kenyan he had met in Russia.

He was not alone. Two others: Abubakar and a man named Tunde left Nigeria the same day. Another young man from Kano had already died on the frontlines. Records have shown that more are presently processing visas to Russia, some fully aware of what awaits them: the plan to join the army, while others have been hoodwinked with promises of scholarships or employment.

The Deception Machine

During a visit to Ukraine in June, 2024, I met prisoners of war from Ghana, Egypt, Somalia, and Togo; young Africans were lured to Russia through various schemes. Their testimonies revealed a pattern of systematic deception and exploitation.

A Somali prisoner told me he was promised a Russian passport and received an advance of $20,000 deposited in a new Russian bank account. An Egyptian was given a choice: fight in Ukraine or complete his prison sentence in Russia. A Ghanaian who had applied for a scholarship found no academic program waiting but only a contract he signed without fully understanding, binding him to military service.

During that time there was no Nigerian captured or reported killed while fighting for Russia which made me think there were no Nigerians lured to join the Russian army but I was wrong as few weeks after some Nigerians were announced as prisoners of war, captured by Ukrainian forces.

This brazen deceit continues even in death. The agency that processed Anas’s trip operates from Kaduna State. Despite promises to visit his bereaved family, they have offered only excuses. There will be no compensation, no official acknowledgment, no dignity in his death.

Where Is Nigeria’s Voice?

Ghana has initiated discussions with Ukrainian authorities for the return of its citizens currently serving as prisoners of War. Authorities in Kenya and the media have raised alarm about their young people being exploited as mercenaries. South Africa and Kenya are demanding answers. Action is certainly coming.

Despite these efforts by theese African countries, there is still nothing coming out from Nigeria or its agencies like Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCom).

These young men are not statistics. They are sons, brothers, friends and are people with dreams who believed they were pursuing opportunities, not marching toward unmarked graves in a foreign war. They deserve better than to die unacknowledged, their families left without answers, compensation, or even the return of their remains.

During my time in Lviv and Kyiv, I experienced firsthand the terror of air raid sirens announcing imminent drones and missile attacks. I saw the reality of the war these young Africans are being fed into often without proper training, documentation, or legal protections regarding insurance and other rights. When I returned to Nigeria, I carried the trauma of those sirens with me. How much worse for those who never make it home?

A Call to Action

. The Nigerian government must break its silence. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately:

. Investigate how many Nigerian citizens have been recruited into the Russian military?

. Demand accountability from recruitment agencies operating within our borders

. Engage with Ukrainian authorities to secure the return of any Nigerian prisoners of war

. Warn young Nigerians about these deceptive recruitment schemes

It does not stop there as civil society organisations, the media, and concerned citizens must amplify these stories. We cannot allow our young people to become invisible casualties in someone else’s war.

Anas Adam’s friends posted his pictures in Russian army uniform as a memorial. But memorials are not enough. His death, and the deaths of others like him, demand investigation, accountability, and action.

Who will speak for young Nigerians dying for Russia? If we do not raise our voices now, the answer may be: no one. And that silence will cost more young lives.

Alhassan Bala, OSINT specialist, Researcher writes this from Abuja

By Abba Anwar

The patriotic commitment for his role in national cohesion, integration and overall national development, Deputy Senate President, His Excellency (Dr) Barau I Jibrin, CFR, is practically recognized along the breadth and length of the country. Such recognition is spotted across ethnic groups, different geographical locations and status.

As The Sun Newspaper believes, after some diligent scrutiny and due process, finds the Senator worthy of the Sun’s Humanitarian Service Icon Award. Respected media professionals of global repute, like the former Governor of Ogun state, an elder statesman, Chief Olusegun Osoba, corroborated with the Sun’s decision for the Award, in favour of DSP.

It took the newspaper months beaming its searchlight on all categories of patriotic and disciplined Nigerians, on who the cap fits, in accordance with their set standards and impartial acknowledgement of high standard. Purposely on Nigerian project.

Which covers many areas of human endeavor. Including humanitarian interventions, commitment to education, promotion of peaceful Nigeria, bridge building role across all sections of the country and faith in national development.

The correct choice of His Excellency, Jibrin, after rigorous and scientific process speaks volumes of his commitment in making Nigeria great again. No wonder he is listed among the best elected leaders in Nigeria, who are frontliners in spearheading President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda Initiative.

Chief Osoba, presented the Award to the DSP, on behalf of the founder of the newspaper, Chief Orji Uzo Kalu. During the presentation, Osoba hailed that, “This is my son, in whom I am very, very pleased to present this Award on behalf of the Sun’s founder, Chairman and management. He is making us proud. I’m proud of him.”

The event took place at the Expo Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Osoba’s complimentary remarks on Senator Jibrin, explains greater reflection of the Senator’s role in national politics, unwavering commitment to nation building, uninterrupted faith in the Nigerian project and high sense of patriotism, among many others.

To further encourage others and boost their morale, to take a leaf from him, His Excellency, Jibrin acknowledges that, “Sun’s Newspapers selected me for the Award in recognition of my tireless efforts to promote human dignity and community development nationwide.”

He takes the Award as a challenge to further his good work in the country. He believes that, “I’m delighted. And let me say that this Award is a way to propel me to do more in my humanitarian activities for people in need. The award is a propeller to propel me to do more.”

Many of those who made remarks at the occasion, believe that, DSP Jibrin is a bridge builder, philanthropist par excellence, a hard working legislator, who promotes synergy and good working relationship, between National Assembly and the Executive arm of government and one of the few political messiah we have in the country.

It has already been established since the return of democracy, in 1999, that the Deputy Senate President, is identified as one of the pillars of democracy in the country. While he is busy with his legislative responsibilities, that does not divert his attention from discharging his primary responsibility, for his constituency and other parts of the political entity.

With people like DSP on the ground, whose grip on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is firm, back home in his constituency, Kano North Senatorial District, Kano state, and the North West region, including the North as a whole, President Tinubu could be on solid footing.

Anwar writes from Kano
Sunday, 1st February, 2026