By Sabiu Abdullahi

The presidency has said reports circulated in 2024 about the death of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, were based on mistaken identity.

The clarification followed Saturday’s announcement by United States President Donald Trump that Al-Manuki had been killed during a joint military operation involving Nigerian and American troops. President Bola Tinubu also confirmed the operation.

After the announcement, several online users revisited claims that the insurgent leader had already been declared dead by the Nigerian military in 2024.

In response, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said security agencies explained that the earlier report connected to a military operation in Kaduna State was inaccurate.

According to Onanuga, Al-Manuki, who is also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, had appeared on a list of suspected ISWAP commanders reportedly killed during military operations around the Birnin Gwari forest area.

“It is acknowledged within military and intelligence circles that Al-Manuki’s name had appeared among lists of suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram commanders reportedly killed in 2024 during operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State,” the statement reads.

“However, security officials now clarify that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of sustained counterinsurgency operations.”

The presidential aide said intelligence findings later showed that Birnin Gwari was not part of Al-Manuki’s area of operation. He said that discovery raised questions about the earlier claim.

Onanuga also stated that the latest mission against the ISIS commander came after several months of intelligence work carried out by Nigerian and American operatives. He said the operation involved surveillance, phone interceptions, and human intelligence tracking.

He added that intelligence agencies began monitoring Al-Manuki in December 2025 and tracked his movements across different locations in northern Nigeria, including Abuja and Maiduguri.

“Security officials said efforts were initially aimed at capturing him alive before the final operation was carried out,” he said.

“Unlike the previous report, security authorities insist that the latest strike was executed with a significantly higher degree of precision, target validation, and multi-source intelligence confirmation.”

Onanuga said security agencies carried out several layers of verification before approving the final operation.

“In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity,’” he said.

The presidential spokesperson also defended public communication about counterterrorism operations. He noted that similar mistaken reports had occurred in international campaigns against terrorism, including cases involving former Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and ex-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“Such cases highlight not failure but rather the evolving, often imperfect nature of intelligence gathering in asymmetric warfare,” he added.

He warned that dismissing joint counterterrorism efforts involving Nigerian authorities and foreign partners could affect public confidence and military morale.

“While public scrutiny remains an essential part of democratic accountability, security experts caution that premature dismissal of military claims can inadvertently undermine operational morale and strategic messaging,” the presidential spokesperson said.

“For now, military authorities remain firm in their position: The latest operation that targeted Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki represents a validated, intelligence-driven success against a senior figure of the Islamic State network. And in their words, this time, they are “100 per cent certain.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Sierra Leone has agreed to receive hundreds of West African migrants deported from the United States as President Donald Trump’s administration steps up actions against undocumented migrants.

According to Reuters, the first batch of deportees is expected to arrive in Sierra Leone on May 20. The group will reportedly include 25 citizens from Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Guinea.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timothy Kabba, confirmed the arrangement in an interview with Reuters.

“Sierra Leone signed a Third Country National Agreement with the U.S. to accept 300 ECOWAS citizens from the U.S. per year with a ⁠maximum of 25 a month,” Kabba said.

However, the minister did not disclose what Sierra Leone would gain from the agreement. There is also uncertainty over whether the deportees will be permitted to remain in the country after arrival.

The United States reached a similar agreement with Ghana last year. Under that arrangement, only West African nationals could be transferred to the country.

Some deportees sent to Ghana, including four Nigerians, later filed complaints. They accused authorities of unlawful detention and human rights abuses.

In recent years, the US has deported third-country migrants to several African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Eswatini. The policy has attracted criticism from rights groups and legal experts, who questioned the legality of the transfers and raised concerns about the treatment of deportees sent to countries where they are not citizens.

Nigeria was previously approached over the issue. Yusuf Tuggar, who was then Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, said the federal government would not accept third-country deportees because of security and economic concerns.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Mahmud Sadis Buba, widely known as Al-Ajabin Zazzau, has stepped down from the contest to represent Sabon Gari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

His withdrawal followed weeks of controversy over allegations of age falsification and inconsistencies in documents linked to his candidacy.

Buba disclosed his decision in a letter addressed to the Kaduna State APC chairman. He also shared the letter on his verified Facebook page on Saturday.

“Please accept this letter as formal notification that I am withdrawing from the race for Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, House of Representatives, effective immediately,” he wrote.

He explained that the decision came after consultations with party leaders, family members and political associates. According to him, ongoing reconciliation efforts within the APC also influenced his action.

“This was not an easy decision. But it was hastened by the reconciliation efforts initiated by stakeholders and leaders of our party. Consequently, after extensive consultations with my family, political associates, and stakeholders within our great party, I have decided that this decision is in the best interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he added.

Buba said party unity remained important ahead of the general elections. He noted that supporting a consensus candidate would strengthen the APC’s chances in the constituency.

“I believe that uniting behind a single candidate is paramount to our victory in the general election and for the continued progress of our constituency and state,” he stated.

The former aspirant also thanked Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and the APC leadership for giving him the opportunity to participate in the party’s primaries. He described the experience as valuable and rewarding.

He maintained that his withdrawal should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness. He said the move reflected his commitment to unity within the party. Buba also pledged support for whoever eventually emerges as the APC candidate for the constituency.

He further appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful and support the party’s flagbearer.

Before his withdrawal, Buba had faced criticism over claims that he altered his age to satisfy the constitutional requirement for election into the House of Representatives.

The issue gained attention after his appearance before the APC screening committee in Abuja. Several social media users circulated documents that questioned his age and identity details.

Buba had earlier stated in interviews that he was born on August 2, 1995, and was qualified to contest the election. However, critics continued to challenge the claim, alleging discrepancies in some of his records.

Although he did not address the allegations directly in his withdrawal letter, political observers linked his exit to the controversy that surrounded his ambition.

As of the time of filing this report, APC stakeholders in Kaduna State had not issued an official statement on whether the withdrawal was connected to the allegations or part of wider reconciliation efforts within the party.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Friday evening, wrapping up a three-nation trip that took him to France, Kenya, and Rwanda.

His aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at approximately 7:12 pm. He was received by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and Lagos House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, among other officials.

During the visit to France, President Tinubu met with global investors, emphasizing transparency and fiscal discipline while defending his administration’s swift economic reforms.

In Nairobi, Kenya, he attended the Africa Forward Summit, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto. There, he called for reform of the global financial system, stronger economic integration for Africa, and highlighted Nigeria’s potential in the blue economy. He also pledged to share Nigeria’s maritime intelligence infrastructure with willing Gulf of Guinea states and held bilateral talks with Madagascan President Michael Randrianirina.

In Kigali, Rwanda, the President joined the Africa CEO Forum alongside other African leaders and global executives to discuss accelerating economic transformation through regional integration and cross-border investment. He met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and held talks with delegations from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), APM Terminals, and Winme Group, reporting favorable outcomes.

President Tinubu is expected to remain in Lagos to participate in the All Progressives Congress primary elections scheduled for Saturday. In a prior statement to party faithful, he urged participants to “keep the peace and be ready to play as sportsmen and women in the overall interest of the party and our country.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Tony Attah, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, has said about 100,000 Nigerians die every year because they do not have access to cleaner energy sources.

Attah spoke on Thursday at the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, Rwanda. He said the situation extends across the continent, where more than 400,000 deaths are linked to poor access to cleaner energy.

He stressed the importance of natural gas to Africa’s electricity sector and described cleaner energy as critical to improving living conditions across the continent.

“When you look in Nigeria, 100,000 people die every year from lack of access to cleaner energy. Just look at that poor woman who is trying to put food on the table, and she has to cook through the smoke, using poor quality fuels, walking in and out of that every day,” he said.

“Think about it. One child on the left, one on her right, one on her back. They go in day in (and) day out. That is where your 100,000 people come from. The overall number for Africa is more than 400,000.”

Attah said Africa should not accept such statistics despite its huge gas reserves.

“That’s not the narrative that you should feel proud of as an African, that’s not the narrative that you should feel proud of as somebody in the industry that says we have 620 tcf of gas that can provide life,” he said.

“Essentially, gas is life, and that’s how Africa has to see gas. And if we as producers see it that way, we now need to get that same logic to the minds of the leadership, because integration is what has to happen in Nigeria.”

The energy executive also urged African countries to invest in their own natural resources instead of relying heavily on foreign financiers.

According to him, Nigeria’s electricity supply remains inadequate for its population of more than 200 million people.

“If you look at Nigeria, we have over 200 million people. The total spinning reserves of electricity is under 20 gigawatt. And what is available for the population is about five. So 5,000 megawatt for 200 million people,” he said.

“Of course, there are millions of generators all over the place. But no economy can take off on the back of diesel generators. In the same vein, no economy should expect to take off on the balance sheet of others.”

Attah argued that Africa must reclaim financial resources tied up abroad if the continent hopes to fund its own development.

“So those $4-$5 trillion that Amaodu referenced, that is sitting elsewhere but belongs to Africa, has to come back, and that is how Africa will start to take centre stage in financing itself,” he said.

“You can’t keep expecting people to want to finance you and then you want to lead them or you want to stand up to them — you must be subservient if someone is financing you. As they say, who pays the piper dictates the tune.”

He further called for a shift from exporting raw gas to using the resource to create economic value within Africa.

Also speaking at the forum, Chairman of McKinsey Africa, Acha Leke, said Africa possesses about 10 per cent of the world’s proven gas reserves and could sustain production at current levels for another 70 years.

Despite this, he noted that only three per cent of gas produced on the continent is traded within Africa.

Leke said 34 per cent of African gas is exported outside the continent, while most of the gas consumed within Africa is concentrated in Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt and Libya.

According to him, the continent’s gas infrastructure was designed mainly for exports rather than for regional distribution and trade.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a nursing mother, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges linked to terrorism and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Halima was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a four-count charge. The court convicted her on two of the charges after she admitted guilt during proceedings.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa, who delivered the judgement on Friday, said the court was satisfied with the prosecution’s evidence and the defendant’s admission.

“The defendant, having admitted the facts of the offence as presented by the prosecution, the court is satisfied,” the judge said.

“She is accordingly convicted on counts three and four.”

The court handed Halima a 20-year jail term on count three and another one-year sentence on count four.

The judge fixed July 9 for continuation of trial on the remaining two charges, which the defendant denied.

Earlier, defence counsel Hamza Dantani appealed to the court for leniency. He described the convict as a first-time offender who had shown remorse.

Dantani also informed the court that Halima is a nursing mother and that her one-year-old child was arrested with her.

Counsel to the DSS, Caliatus Eze, told the court that the agency found no previous criminal record against the defendant.

Court documents identified Halima as a resident of Unguwan Boka in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. She was accused of attempting to aid terrorism by transporting 302 rounds of AK-47 ammunition between Barkin Ladi and Jos North local government areas of Plateau State.

While presenting evidence before the court, DSS operative Fahad Tahir explained that Halima was arrested in Plateau State on July 7, 2025, before she was moved to the DSS headquarters in Abuja for further investigation on August 11, 2025.

According to Tahir, investigators recovered ammunition, statements and other exhibits from the suspect.

“We received the defendant with the following items: 302 live rounds of ammunition; her voluntary confessional statement, written in Hausa and English; the statement of the arresting officer; the compact disc containing the audio-visual recording of her interview session, investigation report from the Plateau state command and the sum of N57,100,” Tahir told the court while giving evidence.

“After receiving the defendant and the items mentioned, we proceeded to conduct further investigation into the case by examining the items earlier mentioned and also interviewed the defendant, which was audio/visually recorded and in the presence of an official of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.”

The DSS operative further told the court that the suspect confessed that a man identified as Sani directed her movements before the arrest.

“In the course of the interview, she narrated how, on the 6th of July, 2025, one Sani instructed her to go to Zaria in Kaduna state to help him collect a message from someone,” he said.

“She said Sani gave her the sum of N50,000 for her travel expenses.”

Tahir said the defendant later travelled to Jos after receiving further instructions.

“She stated that, upon her arrival in Zaria, Sani further instructed her to proceed to Jos in Plateau state,” he added.

“On getting to Jos, Sani directed her to one Alhaji, who later handed over a waste bag containing 302 live ammunitions.”

According to him, security operatives arrested the suspect while she was returning with the ammunition.

“She stated that on her way back to Jos, she was arrested while being in possession of the 302 rounds of live ammunition,” Tahir said.

He also informed the court that the defendant gave her statement in Hausa because she could not speak English fluently.

“She volunteered her statement in the Hausa language, and it was interpreted by my colleague into the English language since she is illiterate in the English language,” he said.

“At the conclusion of our investigation, we wrote our investigation report and submitted it to the director.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Suspected terrorists have abducted an unspecified number of students from a school in Mussa village, located in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

According to Reuters, the attack happened around 9 a.m. on Friday while lessons were in progress at Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School.

Residents told the news agency that the gunmen stormed the school and took away several students.

A teacher at the school said the attackers arrived on motorcycles before carrying out the abduction.

“Despite some students escaping into the bushes, I can tell you many were taken away,” the teacher said.

Midala Balami, the lawmaker representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, described the incident as disturbing and called for urgent action from security agencies.

Reuters quoted the lawmaker as describing the attack as “heartbreaking”.

As of the time this report was filed, neither the Borno State Police Command nor the military had issued an official statement on the incident.

School attacks and mass abductions have continued to pose serious security concerns in parts of northern Nigeria in recent years, with armed groups often targeting students for ransom.

In November last year, at least 303 students were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, located in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.

That same month, gunmen also attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, where 25 students were abducted.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A major crack has emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sabon Gari Federal Constituency as aspirant Mahmud Sadis Buba has publicly rejected the endorsement of incumbent lawmaker Sadiq Ango Abdullahi as the party’s consensus candidate.

Buba, a 30-year-old popular politician in Zaria also known as Abin Al-Aljabin Zazzau, dismissed the arrangement as an “endorsement,” not a consensus, insisting that he was not consulted as a fellow aspirant.

The controversy began on Wednesday when the chairman of Sabon Gari local government area and ALGON chairman in Kaduna State, Hon. Jamilu Abubakar Albani, issued a statement claiming that APC stakeholders had met and endorsed Sadiq Ango as the constituency’s consensus candidate.

But in a reaction on Thursday night, speaking through his personal assistant and secretary, Alhassan Sani, Buba said: “Consensus is where all contestants or aspirants step down for one person. There was nothing like that. There was no consensus in the Sabon Gari federal constituency seat. It was an endorsement, not a consensus.”

Buba, who has already purchased his nomination forms, declared that he is fully prepared for the APC direct primary scheduled for Friday.

“We are fully prepared to go into direct primaries on Friday, and the people of Sabon Gari will vote for us massively,” he said.

As both factions stand their ground, tensions are mounting in the constituency ahead of the party’s primary election.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to approach the party’s primary elections as brothers and sisters, urging winners to show humility and losers to demonstrate sportsmanship.

In a statewide address released by the State House, Tinubu described the primaries — beginning Friday with House of Representatives aspirants and culminating in the presidential primaries on May 25, 2026 — as “a referendum on our unity, resilience and strength as a party.”

The President, who is also the leader of the APC, reminded party members that the party was founded on “progressive politics, consensus democracy, and personal devotion and sacrifice.” He praised ongoing efforts by leaders at various levels to produce consensus candidates, describing dialogue as “a commendable option that would help in reducing rancour and bad blood.”

Where consensus fails, Tinubu urged all participants to keep the peace. “In every contest, there will be a winner and a loser,” he said. “The ultimate winners are those who don’t choose to wreck the boat but rather work to prepare for another round. Our opponents are waiting for us to be against each other; we should disappoint them.”

The President directed party leadership, governors, and other stakeholders to rise above sentiment and provide a level playing field. He also appealed for special consideration to be given to women and youth aspirants, saying their inclusion is “dear to my heart.”

Security agencies, particularly the Police, were instructed to remain professional and avoid acting as interlopers, with their role strictly limited to ensuring peaceful conduct.

“Politics should never be a zero-sum game,” Tinubu added. “Any candidate that wins does so for all of us as a party.”

The primaries mark the APC’s fourth election cycle since its founding.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Abubakar Malami SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has officially submitted his governorship nomination and expression of interest forms at the National Secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja.

The former minister, who confirmed the submission through his office, described the move as the formal launch of what citizens in Kebbi State are calling “Operation Rescue” — an effort to pull the state out of deepening insecurity, economic paralysis, collapsing public schools, crumbling healthcare facilities, and rising despair.

According to a statement issued by Mohammed Bello Doka, Special Assistant on Media to Malami SAN, the former AGF submitted the forms in full compliance with ADC’s party guidelines. The announcement has since triggered an overwhelming wave of excitement across Kebbi, where residents have grown weary of leadership failure, the statement said.

Malami, who served eight years at the federal level, positioned himself not as an ordinary politician but as a tested national leader ready to deploy strategic competence to restore security, revive agriculture, rebuild infrastructure, and return hope to the people of Kebbi.

The ADC platform, he affirmed, represents a rising political force rooted in accountability, inclusion, and development. His candidacy, the statement added, offers a formidable alternative to a status quo that has left over sixty-seven percent of school-age children out of school, farmers displaced by banditry, and maternal deaths needlessly soaring.

The former minister has since commenced intensive consultations across all local government areas to perfect the rescue agenda.

“The people of Kebbi are no longer waiting for relief that never comes; the rescue has officially begun,” the statement read. “Every citizen who desires an end to leadership failure is hereby called to join this movement to reclaim Kebbi State from the brink of total collapse.”