NUJ renews calls for completion of Gombe Press Centre

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), has renewed its call on Gov Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State to complete its Press Centre in the state.

Former National Secretary of the NUJ, Comrade Shuaibu Usman Leman who made the call in Gombe on Monday said the presence of such facility would help journalists practising in the state.

Leman made the call shortly after an inspection tour of projects in the state as part of activities to commemorate the Gombe State NUJ Council Press Week.
He said that the facility would complete other development strides being recorded in the state.

According to him, with Gombe State’s growing status as an emerging mega state, it ought to have a Press Centre to ensure the comfort of journalists towards effectively carrying out their responsibility in the state.

“The other most important thing I would say is the NUJ Press Centre. Gombe will be 30 years next year without an NUJ Press Centre.

“As NUJ national secretary, I have visited every state in Nigeria and Gombe State is one of the three states without such facility.

“I hope that my visit here today will be a sign of good hopes for journalists in Gombe State.

“The governor should move in fast; it is not enough for us to commend him for all the facilities we have seen but journalists do not have a press centre to fall back in.

“Ideally after this inspection we should go back to the press centre and socialise and relax but unfortunately we don’t have.

“I hope Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State will be listening to us and I believe he will do something about that,” he said.
Speaking on the inspected projects, Leman said Gombe State is rapidly becoming a Mega state in view of the facilities and infrastructure being provided in the state.

He particularly commended the effort of Yahaya for initiating and providing five mega schools with good facilities to accommodate more school children, stressing that such move remained key towards addressing the challenge of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria.

He further lauded the progress in reclaiming degraded land in Gombe State through the implementation of ACReSAL Projects in the state.

Leman urged journalists in the state not to renege on their responsibility of holding government accountable to the people.

He, however, cautioned journalists against becoming an opposition to the government, stressing that, journalists’ jobs were not by “being adversarial to the government that we will be doing our jobs; if they (government) do well, commend them and encourage them to do more.”

Also speaking, the NUJ Zonal Vice President for Zone E, Comrade Zare Baba, applauded Yahaya’s administration for maintaining constructive engagement with the media, stressing that such collaboration would enhance transparency while reinforcing public trust.

Mr Faruq Muazu, the Chairman of the NUJ Gombe State Council commended journalists in the state for their professionalism and positive impacts towards the development of the state.

Muazu reaffirmed the union’s resolve to sustain advocacy efforts for the completion of the NUJ Press Centre.

The 2025 Press Week continues on Tuesday with the official opening ceremony and a public lecture, followed by environmental and medical outreach activities later in the week.

New scandal rocks Yobe NSCDC as herder alleges multi-million naira extortion by Agro Rangers Commander

By: Zagazola Makama

A fresh storm is sweeping through the Yobe State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), following explosive allegations by a livestock owner who says senior Agro Ranger officers unlawfully detained, extorted, and converted his animals for personal use.

The victim, Alhaji Ardo Dan Karami, a respected pastoralist from Kumari Village in Damaturu LGA, is accusing Assistant Commandant Ahmed Isa Michika, head of the NSCDC Agro Rangers Unit in Yobe, and his team of perpetrating what he describes as “daylight robbery under the cover of uniform”.

This latest scandal comes barely months after the NSCDC Command in Yobe was mired in a major corruption case involving the escort of vandalised and stolen railway materials, a development that led to the removal of the then State Commandant.

According to a petition filed by Dan Karami through his lawyer, the ordeal began on Oct. 18, 2025, when Agro Rangers personnel stormed his home in his absence and arrested 340 cows and 18 sheep, accusing them of destroying a farm. The animals were transported to Damaturu, but what followed, according to the victim, “was nothing short of criminality”.

The officers allegedly slaughtered one of the sheep claiming it had a fracture but refused to hand over the carcass to its owner. Even more troubling, three cows were reportedly loaded into their official Hilux vehicle, never to be seen again.

Later, one of the missing cows, which was heavily pregnant at the time of arrest, was discovered to have delivered and died in custody at the Damaturu Pilgrims Camp under the NSCDC’s watch. The remaining two cows are still missing. The petition states that before the officers agreed to even “open the case”, they demanded ₦250,000 from the victim.

After admitting to holding the livestock, the officers then compelled the herdsman to pay ₦2,000,000 as “compensation” for alleged farm damage, despite no court process, no assessment, and no verification of the claim.

But the extortion allegedly did not end there.
The officers reportedly charged ₦3,000 per cow as “bail money” for 300 cows, amounting to close to another ₦900,000. In essence, the victim was allegedly forced to pay: 250,000 “case opening fee”,2,000,000 “compensation” and 900,000 “bail fees” for the cows, bringing total alleged extortion to ₦3,150,000.

After these payments, only 340 cows and two sheep were released. However, 15 sheep, one ram, one slaughtered sheep, and two cows remain unaccounted for, animals the victim values at ₦6.25 million.

When senior authorities from Yobe Sate Government confronted Assistant Commandant Michika and his deputy over the matter, they were forced to refund ₦900,000.
But rather than admit the full amount collected, they allegedly claimed they took only ₦800,000, and said they had already spent ₦50,000 from it. Despite being caught in this contradiction, no known disciplinary action has yet been taken.

This is not the first time that the NSCDC Yobe Command has found itself entangled in accusations of corruption and criminal collusion.
On July 8, 2025, troops of Operation Hadin Kai intercepted a truck loaded with vandalised railway iron sleepers along with a shiny NSCDC-marked Hilux van escorting the stolen materials. Inside the vehicle were five NSCDC officers, They were escorting the loot.

A total of ₦128,500 in bribe money was found stuffed inside the inner clothing of one of the officers. The scandal was so damning that it triggered the removal of the State Commandant.

In community pushed to the brink and region still plagued by insecurity, such actions by security personnel could worsen tensions.

Beyond the financial loss and personal trauma, the victim’s lawyer warns that the actions of the NSCDC officers carry serious security implications for Yobe State and the entire North-East.

In the petition, the counsel stressed that incidents of extortion, illegal seizure of livestock, and abuse of pastoral communities are not isolated misdemeanours — they are triggers of insecurity.

“Acts of injustice like this, if not swiftly addressed, are capable of escalating into full-blown security crises,” the petition warned.

The lawyer cited examples from Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and parts of Niger and Kaduna States, where years of unchecked harassment, extortion, illegal arrests, and exploitation of Fulani pastoralists by certain security operatives and local vigilantes eventually contributed to the rise of banditry.

New scandal rocks Yobe NSCDC as herder alleges multi-million naira extortion by Agro Rangers Commander

‎ADC leadership tussle: Adamawa court to deliver judgment on Nov. 27

Adamawa High Court IX, fixed Nov. 27th for ruling and judgment on suit filed by Shehu Yohanna and Zubairu Ishaq challenging their removal from office as Chairman Secretary, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Adamawa chapter.

The presiding judge, Justice Benjamin Manji, announced this at the end of the hearing on Thursday in Yola.

Earlier the plaintiff complained that their four-year tenure was illegally terminated before expiration.

Kambile who challenged: Amb.Omar Suleiman, Chairman Coalition Adamawa stakeholders; Sadiq Dasin, Chairman Transition Electoral/Congress Commitee; Malam Saidu Komsiri, State Interim Chairman and his Led Executive Committee members.

Others are: Babachir Lawan, National Vice Chairman North East; Sen. David Mark, ADC National Chairman and his Led National Executive Committee Members; National Working Committee and the ADC.

Yakubu Philemon (SAN) pleaded for the Court to allow Kambile to complete their four year tenure best on what the constitution of the party says.

Dr Emem Ibrahim-Effiong, counsel defendants argued that the matter is an internal party affair which the court should not interfere with.

After hearing both sides, Justice Manji subsequently adjourned the matter to Thursday November 27, for ruling and judgment as earlier agreed by all counsels.

ADC leadership tussle: Adamawa court to deliver judgment on Nov. 27