The Centre for Human Resources Development and Empowerment Initiative Kaduna, HRDEI, has kicked the plan by the lawmakers to establish Almajiri Commission to checkmate the menace of street kids. Executive Director of HRDEI, Mohammed Ali made the call yesterday in Kaduna saying the northern stallholders demand its total proscription of the practice instead. Some weeks before the National Assembly went on Christmas break, a Bill to establish the ‘Commission on Almajiri’ and other out-of-school children scaled a second reading in the House of Representatives.

The Defence Headquarters said no fewer than 130 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa State Province (ISWAP) terrorists have been neutralized by troops in recent weeks. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.Gen. Musa Danmadami, the troops of Operations Hadin Kai and Hadarin Daji killed the terrorist at separate destinations in the North-East and North-West, adding that the troops apprehended four terrorist commanders and 12 logistics suppliers. He also said that 423 insurgents and members of their families comprising 41 males, 126 females and 222 children surrendered to troops.

The Central District Court, London yesterday denied the Nigerian lawmaker and former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu bail in his pre-trial verdict, alleging that he may flee the country if granted bail. The Nigerian lawmaker and his wife Beatrice landed in the London police net on 23rd June and both were charged on criminal allegations of trafficking and organ harvesting as against the modern slavery Act 2015. Counsel to Ekwremadu, filed for bail application intimating the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Attorney General of the Federal had written to the court that the lawmaker was not a flight risk.

Abuja Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has warned travellers to brace up for flight delays/cancellations amidst jet fuel scarcity. AON spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, made this known in a statement made available to journalists today in Abuja. Okonkwo laments the persistence in scarcity of aviation fuel as suppliers have failed to meet the demands, in turn, threatening the airfare and delays to the general public.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has called on media practitioners to desist from landmine reportage that is too sensitive ahead of the 2023 general election. This was disclosed by the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye during a one-day capacity building for journalists on ‘Conflict Sensitive Reporting and the 2023 General Election’ held in Akure, the Capital of Ondo state. The program was organized by INEC for journalists in southwest Nigeria in collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ.

A Shari'a Court sitting in Kano has sentenced an Islamic cleric, Abduljabbar Nasiru Kabara, to death by hanging for making blasphemous comments against Prophet Muhammad (PUBH). This judgment was passed by the presiding judge, Ibrahim Sarki Yola, during a court session on 15th December 2022 which lasted over three hours. The defendant was arraigned on 16th July 2021 by the Kano State Government on four counts charge bordering on blasphemy on Prophet Muhammad PUBH. Sarki also ordered the state government to seize all the 189 books the defendant tendered as exhibits to be taken to Kano State Library for public use, relying on section 331 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) Kano 2019.