Headline

Bandits Asked for Forgiveness for Abducting Emir

Published

4 years ago

July 13, 2021

Eric

A member of the royal house in Kajuru, who does not want his identity disclosed, has narrated the encounter with the bandits who abducted Alhaji Alhassan Adamu, the emir, on Sunday.

Armed men whisked away the emir and 13 other family members from his private residence on Sunday.

However, he was released on Monday while other captives were held.

The source, who was among those who picked up the emir, said the bandits asked for forgiveness before handing over the 85-year-old monarch to relatives and members of the emirate council.

The source, who was one of those who received the Sarkin Kajuru, said the bandits had called them through the emir’s phone number shortly after Asr (sunset prayer) and asked them to prepare to receive him.

He said on getting to the location, near Gengere community, three of the bandits; heavily armed and in military uniform, apologised for abducting the emir and sought forgiveness from him.

“We couldn’t believe it. We stood there looking at them while they apologised, saying they had not felt at ease since they abducted him. They told us to go with him while negotiations for the other 13 people will continue tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said.

Meanwhile, residents took to the streets on Monday to jubilate over the release of the Sarkin Kajuru.

Daily Trust gathered that no ransom was paid for the release of the 85-year-old second-class emir who ascended the throne as Sarkin Kajuru in 1978.

At 5:25pm when news filtered of the emir’s release, residents trooped to his residence in jubilation as many tried to get a glimpse of him.

The Galadima of Kajuru Emirate Council and one of the five king makers, Dahiru Abubakar, confirmed that the emir had returned home safely and was in good health.

Another member of the emirate council told our correspondent that no ransom was paid for the emir’s freedom, adding that in the middle of negotiations, the bandits had asked them to prepare to pick-up the emir at an undisclosed location.

“A few minutes later, they called us again and asked us to go and pick him up towards Kajuru Castle. We went with a vehicle and some motorcycles and found him close to a village called Gengere, near Kajuru Castle,” he said.

The bandits had earlier demanded N200m for the release of the emir and others.

Daily Trust

Headline

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

Published

9 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.