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Shagari Interred in Sokoto as Prominent Nigerians Mourn

Published

7 years ago

December 30, 2018

Eric

Eminent Nigerians on Saturday eulogised the virtues of former President Shehu Shagari as his remains were interred at his residence located in the Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State. Shagari died on Friday in Abuja at 93.

He was laid to rest at 3.30pm after funeral prayers led by a former Vice Chancellor of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof. Shehu Galadanchi.

The corpse arrived in the Sultan Abubakar Airport, Sokoto, and was received by Governor Aminu Tambuwal, alongside members of the state executive council, for onward journey to his final resting place in Shagari.

The late Shagari was Nigeria’s President between October 1979 and December 1983, under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria.

His second tenure was truncated by a coup d’état which saw incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari assuming office as Head of State in December 1983.

Nuradeen Mahe, a grandson to the late president, said the deceased was sick for some time due to age-related illness. He said, “Alhamdulilahi, he gave up the ghost on Friday at the National Hospital, Abuja.”

A Federal Government delegation led by the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and governors of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states witnessed the burial.

Former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, former INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega; Waziri Sokoto, Prof. Junaid Wali, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, former Minister of Water Resources, Mukhtar Shagari, among others, also attended the funeral.

The Punch

Headline

Defence Gulps Lion Share As Tinubu Presents N58.47trn 2026 Budget to NASS

Published

12 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has presented a budget of N58.47 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly, with capital recurrent (non‑debt) expenditure standing at N15.25 trillion.

Tinubu presented the budget on Friday, pegging the capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and putting the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He said the expected total revenue is N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure: N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion for debt servicing. The budget is N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28% of GDP.

The budget was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

In terms of sectoral allocation, defence and security took the lion’s share with N 5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure at N3.56 trillion.

Headline

Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.