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UPDATE: Six of 137 rescued Kaduna school children hospitalised

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Six out of the 137 rescued schoolchildren of the Government Secondary School, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were said to have been hospitalised at the Army medical facility, Dallet Barracks, Kawo, Kaduna.

The General Officer Commanding 1 Division,  Major-Gen. Mayirenso Saraso, made this known while presenting the rescued schoolchildren to Governor Uba Sani at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in the state capital on Monday.

The GOC said those currently receiving medical attention at their facility are five females and one male student.

He said that as soon as they are medically fit, they would be handed over to the state government.

This was as the state governor, Sani cautioned those he described as “merchants of conflicts” over the wrong permutation on how the 137 schoolchildren were rescued by the Army.

The governor also warned against politicising issues of security, noting that doing so would endanger the lives and property of Nigerians.

Speaking further, Saraso insisted that in all, 137 students and staff were abducted by the terrorists on March 7, 2024, bringing the total number of those abducted to 138 while regretting that the staff died in captivity.

Although he said no ransom was paid, the GOC explained that through “the sustained and coordinated application of both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts” by the security agencies under the strategic guidance of  President Bola Tinubu, through the Office of the National Security Adviser, the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren were rescued in the early hours of Sunday after spending about 16 days in captivity.

He added that the students were initially received and administered first aid at the Nigerian Army Troops Forward Operating Base Dandadau in Zamfara State before being conveyed from there under escort to Kaduna.

He said, “We successfully freed 137, but you will discover that six of them are not presently with us here. They are being attended to medically in our facility at Darlet Barracks – one male with five female students who have been hospitalised.

“His Excellency visited them last night, and he saw all the students, including those lying on hospital beds. So, those six when eventually discharged; when they get better, will join their 131 colleagues who are here physically present to complete the figure of 137.

“In all, there were 137 children and one staff member making 138 persons altogether that were abducted from the co-located schools on the ill-fated day.

“But unfortunately, the staff member, Mr Abubakar, is not here with us today because he died while in captivity.

“Consequently, there are here at present, a total of 137 students of the Govt Secondary and LEA Primary Schools Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State who were successfully rescued from captivity around Dansadau Forest in Zamfara State and safely brought back to Kaduna.

“The breakdown of the figure of the rescued children shows that there are 76 females and 61 males, making the total of 137 together (less the teacher that died while in captivity).”

The governor, while receiving the schoolchildren, decried the way issues of security were being politicised in the country.

He also praised the efforts of President Bola Tinubu, who, according to him, stood firmly by the state government from day one when the incident happened.

While cautioning ‘the merchant of conflicts,’ the governor said what was important to the state government “is that the abducted schoolchildren were rescued unhurt.”

The governor warned the so-called merchant of conflicts as well as the media to desist from passing wrong insinuations on how the schoolchildren were rescued.

He said, “I want to appreciate our children who are here with us and are in high spirits. I want to make it very clear to all of us that from the very day that our children were unfortunately abducted from their school in the Kuriga community, President Bola Tinubu has been with us from day one.

“He ensured that the security should return our children home safely. I want to thank the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for his able leadership and all the service chiefs and all security agencies for their respective contributions and organised efforts.

“I want to appreciate many Nigerians who prayed day and night for the release of the children, and today, God has answered our prayers.

“I also want to caution insecurity merchants and conflict merchants in Nigeria to be cautious with their utterances because, before the release of our children, a lot of people have been coming with a lot of permutation about how these children were released and what happened.

“The important thing for us in Kaduna is that the children are here with us. This is more important. As a government,  it is to protect the life and property of our citizens.

“And under my government, the Kaduna State will continue to prioritise our security because security is the number one agenda of our government.

“We should not politicise the issue of insecurity in Nigeria. It is not good to undermine the efforts of security agencies in Nigeria.

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BREAKING: Private Jet crash Lands in Kano (Video)

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A private jet operated by Flybird has reportedly crash-landed at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in the early hour of today.

The aircraft, was said to be flying from Abuja, and landed around 9:30 a.m with 11 people on board, including three crew members.

Reports says passengers were quickly and safely evacuated from the plane, and no deaths were reported.

More details are expected to come in later.

See video below:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02gRZLskom7thqxbvANiydQd75JRg6uzcFMAMsCAGQZFFHc4HudA6AXYdfLuQxRLi6l&id=100000132043823&mibextid=Nif5oz

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Botswana, Nigeria Explore Deeper Collaboration in Livestock Development (Photos)

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The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing evidence-based policies that will modernise Nigeria’s livestock sector and position it as a key driver of national economic growth.

The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, reiterated this position on Friday, 12th December 2025, when he received Her Excellency, Philda Nani Kereng, High Commissioner of the Republic of Botswana to Nigeria, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry in Abuja.

He emphasised that the nation can no longer rely on outdated systems but must embrace structured reforms that support productivity, enhance value addition, and create sustainable livelihoods for farmers and livestock value-chain actors.

“The Botswana experience is a major inspiration. Your nation has achieved in 50 years what the world continues to study, and we are interested in domesticating many of those lessons,” the Minister said.

“Nigeria, as the largest market in Africa, is ready to expand its livestock sector to compete globally, while also partnering with Botswana to accelerate the journey,” he added, noting the country’s unique success in exporting beef to Europe, managing transboundary diseases, and integrating technology in livestock traceability.

He stressed Nigeria’s readiness to learn from Botswana’s model, especially as the Ministry moves to rehabilitate and modernise 417 grazing reserves across the country into structured ranching ecosystems.

In her remarks, the High Commissioner highlighted Botswana’s five-decade success story in beef production and export to the European market, describing it as a product of deliberate policies, strong governance structures, and extensive farmer support systems.

She explained that Botswana’s livestock sector grew from a rural development model that prioritised agriculture, backed by policies and laws enabling farmers to produce high-quality cattle for livelihood improvement and national economic growth.

Her Excellency noted that Botswana’s beef sector, second only to diamonds in national revenue, thrives on strict disease-control systems, communal land management, targeted veterinary interventions, and highly subsidised farmer support programmes.

She outlined several areas where Botswana is prepared to collaborate with Nigeria, including beef quality improvement through enhanced genetics, modern abattoir practices, disease management, veterinary protocols, vaccine production, livestock traceability and grazing management.

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JUST IN: Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence for Maryam Sanda, Overrides President’s Pardon

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Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Friday overturned the presidential pardon granted to Maryam Sanda, the Abuja housewife convicted of stabbing her husband to death in 2018, reinstating her original death sentence by hanging.

Sanda, 37, was sentenced to death in January 2020 by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court for culpable homicide punishable with death after she fatally stabbed Bilyaminu Bello during a heated domestic dispute over alleged infidelity. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in December 2020, and the Supreme Court affirmed it in 2023, exhausting her appeals.

In October 2025, President Bola Tinubu initially granted Sanda a full pardon as part of clemency extended to 175 convicts, citing her family’s pleas for the sake of her two children, her good conduct in prison, and remorse. However, amid public backlash, the administration revised the decision, commuting her sentence to 12 years imprisonment on compassionate grounds.

The Supreme Court’s 4-1 majority decision, delivered by Justice Moore Adumein, dismissed Sanda’s final appeal as meritless. Adumein ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, affirming the lower courts’ findings that Sanda’s actions constituted intentional murder.

Crucially, the apex court held that the executive branch’s exercise of pardon powers under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution was invalid in this instance, as Sanda’s appeal was still pending before the judiciary at the time of the grant. “It was wrong for the Executive to seek to exercise its power of pardon over a case of culpable homicide in respect of which an appeal was pending,” Justice Adumein stated in the lead judgment.

The dissenting justice argued for upholding the commutation, emphasizing humanitarian considerations for Sanda’s children and her time served—over seven years at Suleja Medium Security Custodial Centre.

The ruling has reignited national debates on the separation of powers, domestic violence, and the application of the death penalty. Sanda’s family expressed devastation, while Bello’s relatives hailed the decision as long-overdue justice. Rights groups decried the outcome, calling for legislative reforms on prerogative of mercy.

Sanda remains in custody pending any further legal maneuvers, though options appear exhausted. The Attorney General’s office confirmed investigations into the pardon process’s procedural flaws.

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