The President of Nigeria Referees Association ((NRA) Sanni Zubairu, died in the early hours of Tuesday after a brief illness and has since been buried in Bauchi according to Islamic rites.

The Bauchi-born Zubairu was elected president of the NRA during the 2023 delegates’ conference held in Kwara State on Saturday, April 29, 2023.

Zubairu was a former FIFA referee and also served as Head of the Refereeing Unit of the Nigeria Football Federation and secretary of its Referees Committee.

The Nigeria Football Federation led tributes to the late Zubairu in a statement shared on Tuesday.

“Hon. Zubairu was a very diligent and astute worker. Subordinates, colleagues and superiors all loved him for his simplicity and uncommon humility.

He served Nigeria meritoriously on the field and in the office, working assiduously to impart knowledge and raise new generations of referees who would make Nigeria proud at home and internationally,” the General Secretary of the NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, said.

A statement from the NRA, signed by its deputy president, Kelechi Mejuobi, said “The association is deeply pained over his demise, especially at a time when his wealth of experience and services to the referees’ body and the football family in Nigeria and beyond are greatly needed.”

Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, also commiserated with the immediate family of the deceased and the NRA, describing his contributions to the development of the league as a lasting legacy for active and aspiring referees.

Former Nigerian champions, Enyimba FC and Kano Pillars FC, also led tributes from Nigerian clubs.“Alhaji Sanni Zubairu was a seasoned referee who transitioned into leadership with remarkable influence.

His immense contributions to the development of refereeing in Nigeria and his role in strengthening the football ecosystem will not be forgotten in a hurry,” Enyimba chairman and former international, Nwankwo Kanu, said.

General Manager of Kano Pillars and former Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, also said, “His demise has created a huge vacuum within the Nigerian football community, where he was widely respected for his unwavering commitment to improving refereeing standards and advancing the development of match officials across the country.

“Kano Pillars FC stands in solidarity with the Nigerian football community at this difficult time and prays for strength and comfort for all those affected by this great loss.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has apologised to Nigerians over the prolonged and severe electricity outages recorded in recent weeks across the country.

He acknowledged the strain the outages have caused on households and businesses in key sectors of the economy.

“I want to apologise to Nigerians, officially now, coming from me as the Minister of Power, for this temporary issue that is leading to hardship being experienced, especially during this dry season, where there is so much heat everywhere,” Adelabu said at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday

He admitted that the ongoing blackouts has worsened living conditions, particularly during the intense dry-season heat.

“Businesses are being affected, schools have been affected, and industries have been affected. It is not our wish to find ourselves in this situation, but it is due to some factors that are actually beyond our control, ”said Adelabu.

Despite the disruptions, Adelabu assured citizens that the situation would soon improve, offering a clear timeline for restoration of better power supply.

“I can tell you, with the committee that we have set up, and commitments from gas suppliers, and the timeline for repair of the gas pipelines, two weeks from now, we should start seeing improvements in supply. Two weeks,” Adelabu said.

The Senate of Bayero University Kano has approved the expulsion of 171 students over falsification of admission entry qualifications.

In a statement published in the university’s weekly bulletin on Friday, said that the decision was taken during the Senate’s 433rd meeting held on March 4, 2026.

It said that following an investigation by the Senate’s Committee on Entry Qualification Irregularities, the affected students were found to have presented falsified credentials during their admission processes.

The university noted that the offence constitutes a violation of Section 20.7, Category A (vii) of its General Examinations and Academic Regulations, which prescribes expulsion for such misconduct.

It added that the affected students cut across different departments and levels, describing the action as part of efforts to sanitise its academic records.