Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN), Kano, on Tuesday matriculated 1,056 newly admitted students for the 2025/2026 academic session, reaffirming its position as one of Nigeria’s leading private universities.
The fifth matriculation ceremony since the university’s establishment in 2022 was held at the Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed Twin Lecture Theatre and attracted parents, guardians and well-wishers from across the country.
Speaking at the event, the President of MAAUN, Prof. (Dr.) Mohammad Israr, described the ceremony as the formal induction of the students into an academic community founded on excellence, integrity and service.
He congratulated the students on securing admission into the institution, noting that MAAUN was recently ranked as Nigeria’s second-best private university by the AD Scientific Index, a global academic ranking platform.

Prof. Israr said the university had continued to expand its academic and research footprint through strategic investments in teaching, innovation and global partnerships.

He disclosed that MAAUN has signed more than 70 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with universities and organisations in 31 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, Russia, China, Brazil, India and Afghanistan.

According to him, the institution now has over 5,000 students, with female students accounting for about 80 per cent of the population, reflecting its commitment to empowering future leaders through quality education.
In his remarks, the Founder of MAAUN Group of Universities, Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, warned the students against drug abuse and other social vices, stressing that the university maintains a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct.

He also advised them to uphold good character and strictly adhere to the institution’s rules and regulations.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Vice President Administration of MAAUN Maradi, Niger Republic, Dr. Shu’aibu Tanko, encouraged the students to serve as worthy ambassadors of both the university and Nigeria, while making the most of the opportunities available to them.

Parents who spoke at the ceremony commended the university’s management for its commitment to academic excellence and character development.

They also praised Prof. Gwarzo for providing world-class facilities that support teaching, learning and research.

The matriculation oath was administered by the Vice President Administration, Dr. Habib Awais Abubakar.

Among dignitaries present were the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Ahmad Maigari Ibrahim; Director, Institute of Africa Higher Education Research and Innovation (IAHERI), Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Haruna; Director, Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, Dr. Nura A. Yaro; Vice President Campus Life, Dr. Hamza Garba; Head of MAAUN International Office, Engr. Bashir Garba; deans, heads of departments and other invited guests.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of N10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.

Ebola has recently resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, both neighbouring countries.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Tuesday that Tinubu also approved the establishment of a presidential task force (PTF) on Ebola virus disease preparedness and emerging public health threats.

Onanuga said the fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities.

The presidential spokesperson said the PTF on Ebola will be chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president with membership drawn from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and state representatives.

“The President’s approval followed a stakeholder meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies against the possible importation of Ebola into Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“Other critical stakeholders at the meeting included representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos state government, and others.”

He said Tinubu also directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, as well as relevant MDAs, to submit their plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for consideration and coordinated implementation.

Onanuga said the task force is expected to intensify passenger screening at all international airports, including enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.

“The task force is also expected to enhance monitoring of passengers arriving through high-risk airline routes, notably Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines; and immediately activate referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports, with other airports to follow,” he added.

“Others include mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, and disinfection of departure halls, cargoes, baggage areas, and airport facilities as precautionary environmental measures.

“The President mandated that the advisory group consult with security, diplomatic, and aviation bodies with a view to regulating flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.

“The task force is further directed to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures, and to consider adjusting flight timings to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and others.”

On Sunday, the NCDC said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed cases of Ebola, but the country is 59 percent prepared for any eventual outbreak of the virus.

On June 3, Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general (DG) of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said DR Congo has recorded 344 confirmed cases, including 60 deaths, across 24 health zones in the Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces.

He said Uganda has recorded one confirmed death and 15 cases linked to the outbreak, including a Congolese resident who travelled through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before entering the country.

According to the WHO, the Ebola virus refers to a group of viruses in the Ebolavirus genus that cause Ebola disease, a severe and often fatal viral haemorrhagic fever.

Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding.

Ebola is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and is transmitted between people through direct contact with the blood, urine, saliva, sweat, and semen of infected persons, particularly when they are symptomatic or have died from the disease.

The first major global outbreak occurred between 2014 and 2016.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has directed all Commissioners of Police (CPs) and tactical commanders to intensify enforcement operations against vehicles operating without proper number plates.

Disu issued the directive on Tuesday during a strategic conference with senior police officers in Abuja. He expressed concern over what he described as a “growing and disturbing trend” of individuals driving vehicles with missing, concealed, or defaced registration plates on Nigerian roads.

Describing the practice as “unlawful, irresponsible, and unacceptable,” the IGP warned that the police would no longer tolerate such impunity, citing its serious implications for public safety and national security.

“Across our country, we have an increasing number of vehicles being driven without registration numbers, as well as vehicles whose number plates are deliberately concealed, defaced, covered, or altered in an attempt to evade identification,” Disu said.

“This practice is unlawful, irresponsible, and unacceptable. I wish to state unequivocally that from today, the Nigeria Police Force will no longer tolerate this impunity. Every vehicle operating on our roads must be properly registered and must display its approved registration number in accordance with the law.”

The IGP ordered that any vehicle found without a number plate or with a tampered registration number be stopped and made to face appropriate legal action. He instructed all CPs, tactical commanders, and heads of formations to immediately step up enforcement against unregistered vehicles and those with concealed plates.