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Those Not Comfortable with My Peace Deals with Bandits Behind Schoolgirls’ Abduction – Matawalle

Published

5 years ago

March 1, 2021

Eric

The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, on Sunday said he had many revelations to make about the attack on Government Girls’ Secondary School, Jangebe on Friday, where over 300 students were abducted.

The governor, who stated this when 17 Emirs in the state paid him a sympathy visit over the abduction of the schoolgirls, said Nigerians would be shocked to know people behind the abduction of the girls.

Also during the visit, the Emir of Anka and Chairman of Zamfara state Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Anka, berated President Muhammadu Buhari over the upsurge in killings and kidnappings by bandits in the country.

Recall that gunmen on Friday attacked GGSS Jangede, and abducted over 300 girls, while seven of the girls escaped while they were being taken into the bush.

The attack occurred almost two weeks after bandits abducted 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.

Before the attack in Kagara, bandits had struck in Kundu village, also in Niger State and abducted passengers of the state transport service bus.

Commenting on the rising insecurity in the country, the Emir of Anka blamed the Federal Government.

He said, “The Federal Government is in total control of the security operatives in the country and not the state governors, as such the President is the one who has failed to address the issue of insecurity.”

In his response, Matawalle thanked the Emirs for the solidarity visit and assured them that he would not abandon his peace accord with the bandits no matter what the people would say.

He said “As we await the arrival of the released kidnapped students of GSSS Jangebe at the Government House today, I want to inform you that there are many revelations in relation to the abduction of these students.”

“Many people will be surprised to hear those people behind the abduction of these innocent children.”

“They are not comfortable with the progress I am getting as a result of my peace initiative and they want to do all they can to sabotage my efforts”.

“I will insha Allah succeed at the end of the day and they will bury their faces in shame,” said the governor.

Meanwhile, there was confusion over the release of the schoolgirls on Sunday. While top government officials and the state governor said they had been released, an online newspaper, The Cable reported the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Suleiman Anka, said they had not been released.

But earlier on Sunday, the governor while receiving Emirs, who visited him, said government was awaiting the arrival of “the released kidnapped students of GSSS Jangebe at the Government House today (Sunday).”

As the confusion over the release of the girls worsened on Sunday, the governor and other top government officials left the Government House where they had been awaiting the arrival of the students.

None of them told journalists, who were at the Government House, where they were going, but a top source told one of our correspondents that they went to Anka, a distance of 79 kilometres to the state capital.

Also on Sunday, a high powered Federal Government’s delegation led by the Minister of Aviation Alhaji Hadi Sirika, condoled with state government over the abduction of schoolgirls at GSSS Jangebe.

Delivering his speech on behalf of the President, Sirika said the Federal Government was deeply concerned with the abduction at the GSSS Jangebe.

He stated, “The President is deeply concerned and worried about the abduction of students in Zamfara State and other states where such incidents occurred”.

“The President is assuring all Nigerians that the issue of banditry and other forms of insecurity challenges will soon come to an end”.

The minister further explained that the abduction of the schoolgirls in Jangebe would be the last abduction in schools in the country, adding that “strict measures would be taken to avert the recurrence of such event.”

He expressed disgust over the banditry activities, assuring Nigerians that the menace would soon come to an end.

“The Federal Government has the capability to get rid of banditry and will do so without further delay”.

Matawalle thanked the Federal Government for the concern and assured the delegation that, the Jangebe students would be brought back before the delegation reached Abuja.

Matawalle however, called on the security agents to cooperate with each other in order to achieve success in the fight against banditry.

According to the governor, the problem of lack of cooperation among the security agents was responsible for their inability to get rid of banditry.

Amid the confusion over the release of the schoolgirls, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that Matawalle told the Federal Government’s delegation that the students would be released soon.

He said the state government was working with repentant bandits to facilitate the safe rescue of the schoolgirls.

“We are using the leaders of the repentant bandits to rescue the schoolgirls from the kidnappers. Very soon, we are going to witness the release of the abductees,” NAN quoted him to have said.

Matawalle added that his administration “is going to continue with peace process with bandits, considering its impact in addressing security challenges facing the state”.

He commended Buhari for sending the delegation to symphathise with the state over what he described as an “ugly act”.

The Punch

Featured

Tinubu, Atiku, Obi Felicitate with Muslim Ummah, Nigerians at Eid-el-Fitr

Published

4 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The three frontline political leaders in Nigeria; President Bola Tinubu, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi, have in separate messages call for the strengthening of security, sustenance of the spirit of goodwill imbibed during Ramadan as well as kindness among Nigerians as the Muslim Ummah celebrate the 2026 Eid-el-Fitr.

The messages are in response to the successful completion of the 30-day fasting – a period of dedication, sacrifice, spiritual renewal and stocktaking – which end birth the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

Leading the avalanche of messages, President Tinubu, through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, reiterated the need to lead a pious life seasoned by empathy and unity among humankind.

He noted that though the Ramadan season is over, but the lessons of piety, selflessness, perseverance, kindness and compassion, which the period is known, must consistently be the watchword of every Nigerian.

The message is captured in details below:

As Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the Muslim faithful in Nigeria, urging renewed commitment to the nation and humanity.

President Tinubu enjoined Nigerian Muslims to rededicate themselves to the noble teachings of the holy month, which emphasize piety, empathy, and unity among humanity.

“We have a lot to draw from the noble lessons of Ramadan, especially at a time like this. We must continue to abide by the virtues of piety, selflessness, perseverance, kindness and compassion beyond this period,” he said.

President Tinubu urged all Muslim faithful to extend a hand of kindness to the needy of all faiths, to further show unity and camaraderie.

The President also tasked Muslim leaders to use the occasion to offer prayers for peace and prosperity to prevail in the country.

In the same vein, former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar congratulated the Muslim faithful in Nigerian and across the world on the successful completion of the mandatory Ramadan fasting, and the celebration of the Eid-el-Fitr.

A press statement signed by the media office of the former Vice President, admonished Muslims to remain steadfast in piety by maintaining peace and in charitable causes.

According to Atiku, the completion of the obligatory fasting in the noble month of Ramadan should lead to more commitment to the injunctions of Almighty Allah.

“The completion of the Ramadan fasting is a call to duty that ensures we sustain the good deeds that the noble month requires of us.

“We must ensure that the lessons of the month are not lost on us and that the celebration of today is a reminder to the people, especially Muslims, to follow in the tradition of the noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in seeking closeness to God through worship and maintaining peace,” Atiku said.

He further called on the government to take it more seriously, stressing that “the protection of the lives and property of citizens is a divine decree and the sole responsibility of every government.”

Atiku similarly enjoins the privileged in the society to keep providing charity to the less privileged as this would go a long way in ensuring that the rising tide of economic downturn does not weigh too heavily on the poor.

“A greater number of people are being crushed by the economic downturn and global events in the past three weeks have further exacerbated the situation. It is incumbent on the wealthy to be more compassionate by taking up the responsibility of charity to help cushion the effect of the burden on the poor,” Atiku said.

Also lending his voice the congratulatory messages, Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, urged Nigerian Muslims to imbibe the spirit of Ramadan going forward even as the 30-day fast has officially ended.

“I join you with heartfelt joy as we celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the blessed festival that marks the successful completion of the sacred month of Ramadan.

“This occasion is a profound reminder of the power of faith, discipline, selflessness, and unwavering devotion to Almighty Allah.

“Throughout Ramadan, you have fasted, prayed, given charity, and drawn closer to God, embodying values that inspire not only the Muslim ummah but every person of goodwill. These lessons of compassion, humility, patience, and solidarity must not end with the month; may they continue to guide our hearts, our actions, and our shared life as Nigerians.”

Many other prominent Nigerians and institutions have also identified with the Muslims in celebration, drumming the lesson of service, patriotism, piety and above unity of purpose to the hearing and learning of all and sundry.

The Eid-el-Fitr is the grand finale of the Muslim 30-day fasting period, popularly known in Islam as Ramadan. It is a yearly spiritual exercise.

Featured

TEF Entrepreneurship: Tony Elumelu Foundation Sets March 22 to Announce 2026 Cohort

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

Eric

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy empowering young African entrepreneurs will announce the 12th cohort of the flagship TEF Entrepreneurship Programme on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

In 2026, the Foundation will empower a total of 3,200 entrepreneurs across all its entrepreneurship programmes:
1,751 entrepreneurs through Heirs Holdings Group: Heirs Energies, Transcorp Power, Transcorp Hotels, and United Capital; 1,049 entrepreneurs in partnership with the European Commission, OACPS, BMZ and GIZ; 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with Sèmè City Development Agency; 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with DEG, the German Development Agency; 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with the IKEA Foundation, UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited and the Dutch Government; and 100 entrepreneurs in partnership with UNDP and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts.

Applications to the flagship programme were received from over 265,000 young Africans, representing all 54 African countries, underscoring Africa’s vibrant entrepreneurial sector and the funding challenge for entrepreneurs. The new cohort will join the TEF Alumni community of more than 24,000 entrepreneurs.

The selection process is conducted by Ernst & Young, ensuring an independent and rigorous assessment of applicants.

Each selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur will receive $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, access to world-class business management training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and entry into a powerful network of investors, partners, and other entrepreneurs.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 2.5 million young Africans with access to business management training on our proprietary digital hub, TEFConnect, and disbursed over US$100 million in seed capital to more than 24,000 selected entrepreneurs. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated $4.2 billion in revenue and created more than 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs. Through our support for African entrepreneurs, TEF has lifted 2.1 million Africans above the poverty line, and positively impacted more than 4 million African households, with 46% of supported entrepreneurs being African women.

Ahead of the upcoming announcement, Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, reiterates his unwavering belief in the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurs:

“The future of Africa will be built by Africans who create businesses, generate jobs and solve the challenges of our continent. At the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we believe that empowering entrepreneurs is the most sustainable path to Africa’s economic transformation.

I look forward to announcing and congratulating the 2026 cohort of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs and look forward to witnessing the impact they will create across our continent.”

The general public is invited to join, virtually.

Featured

Eid-El-Fitr: Glo Felicitates with Muslims, Urges National Unity, Compassion

Published

1 day ago

March 20, 2026

Eric

High premium Technology Company, Globacom, has felicitated with Muslims across Nigeria as they celebrate Eid-el-Fitr festival which marks the successful completion of the Ramadan fast.

In a goodwill message released in Lagos, the company commended the resilience and devotion shown by the faithful during the 30 days of spiritual reflection, sacrifice, and abstinence.

Globacom emphasized the importance of love, sacrifice, and community, encouraging Nigerians to embody these values.

The company explained that the end of Ramadan should serve as a springboard for continued personal growth, urging Nigerians to “use Eid-El-Fitri as a moment to reflect on their spiritual journey, promote the spirit of being one’s brother’s keeper, regardless of faith or background, and make sacrifices towards building a more prosperous and peaceful nation for all”.

Globacom enjoined its millions of subscribers to utilize the network’s innovative and affordable data and voice offerings to enhance their festive experience. It reaffirmed its commitment to providing seamless connectivity and ensuring that family and friends can stay in touch, share moments of joy, and exchange Sallah greetings throughout the holidays and beyond.