Zulum opens flyover bridge, road projects, 2 schools in Maiduguri

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has commissioned a flyover bridge, the 2.5 km Budum Junction via Kasuwan Shanu to NIETAL shoe factory express road project with a 5 km drainage network and two mega schools in Maiduguri, the state capital.

The commissioning ceremony, held on Sunday, witnessed the symbolic cutting of the tape by the governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, who was the special guest of honour.

The newly inaugurated Post Office 9 span Flyover is part of the Zulum administration’s urban renewal drive.

It is the fourth flyover bridge the governor has constructed. This is in addition to several kilometres of road networks executed across the state to ease traffic congestion and boost economic activity.

Speaking at the event, Governor Sule praised his Borno counterpart for his visionary leadership and commitment to infrastructure development despite the security challenges the state faces.

 He noted that the projects would significantly improve the quality of life for residents.

He said, “A speech was prepared for me; I wish there were no prepared speech. Because what I have seen in Borno today is worth me actually standing here and talking for two hours, commending my dear brother for the wonderful job you are doing in the area of education and infrastructure.

“The project we just commissioned some moments ago is a purposeful leadership and determination of the Borno State Government to provide infrastructure to meet the needs of the people.”

“I commend you, Your Excellency, for demonstrating that even in the face of enormous challenges, government must continue to invest in its people, particularly in the education of our children, and I commend you for this wonderful job that you are doing.”

In his remarks, Governor Zulum reiterated his administration’s dedication to bridging the infrastructure gap in Borno. 

He explained that the road projects and flyover were designed not only to beautify the city but to facilitate the smooth movement of goods and ease economic activities.

Beyond infrastructure, the governor highlighted his administration’s heavy investment in the education sector. He said over 120 mega schools have been constructed across the state to improve access to quality education for Borno children. 

“Today, we have formally commissioned four important projects, namely: the Larawaram Community Senior Secondary School; the Shehu Sanda Kyarimi I Primary and Junior Secondary School; the Post Office 9-Span Flyover; and the dualized 2.5-kilometre road, together with 5 kilometres of drainage, from Budum Tandari Junction to Kasuwan Shanu.

“These projects must be viewed within the broader context of the challenges our State has faced and the progress we have made in overcoming them. The insurgency destroyed more than 5,000 school structures, while at its peak, an estimated 2.2 million children were out of school, with fewer than 500,000 enrolled. Many teachers and school administrators also lost their lives in the course of duty.

“We have also placed considerable emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), particularly in response to the disruption of learning, livelihoods and employment opportunities caused by the insurgency.

“This administration has established 5 Vocational Enterprise Institutes, reactivated 11 Vocational Training Centres, and established 3 Second Chance Skills Entrepreneurship Schools for women and girls.

“The journey of rebuilding Borno continues, and our commitment remains unwavering: to ensure that every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to build a productive and dignified future,” Zulum said

Zulum opens flyover bridge, road projects, 2 schools in Maiduguri

Three Fulani youths slaughtered by suspected Mwaghavul militia buried in Mangu

By: Zagazola Makama

Three young Fulani herders allegedly killed by suspected Mwaghavul militia in Alohom community, Sabon Gari District of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, have been buried.

The victims — Garzali Shuibu, 18; Bashiru Yakubu, 14; and Salim Abubakar, 15 — were reportedly attacked while grazing in the area on Saturday, Sept. 12.

Their Janazah prayer was observed before they were laid to rest, as grief and anger continued to grip the community following the killings.

According to a military situation report obtained by Zagazola Makama, troops of Sector 8, Operation Enduring Peace, were alerted after receiving information that herders had come under attack at Alohom.

The soldiers deployed from Sabon Gari moved to the location and reportedly found the bodies of the three youths, alongside 36 cattle that had been shot dead.

Another 12 cattle sustained gunshot wounds, while two other members of the herding group were reported missing.

Surviving members of the group alleged that the attackers were armed men suspected to be members of the Mwaghavul militia operating around Alohom, Gaude and the wider Mangu Halle areas.

The allegation remains subject to investigation by security agencies.

There were also claims by some Fulani residents that personnel of a sister security agency were sighted around the area during the incident but allegedly failed to prevent the killings.

That claim is also being investigated.

Empty tear-gas canisters were reportedly recovered from the scene, although their connection with the attack had yet to be established.

The killing of the three youths, particularly 14-year-old Bashiru Yakubu, has further inflamed tensions in the area.

It is difficult to comprehend how a community can lose three young people in such a violent manner, with one of the victims barely into his teenage years. These were not statistics; they were young lives, sons and members of families whose future has now been brutally cut short.

The incident has also raised fears of possible reprisal attacks, especially amid angry reactions circulating within the affected community.

Security agencies must urgently establish what happened, identify and arrest those responsible and prevent the killings from becoming another trigger for retaliatory violence.

Troops have intensified patrols and are dominating the area to prevent further attacks, locate the missing persons and restore confidence among residents.

Three Fulani youths slaughtered by suspected Mwaghavul militia buried in Mangu

NiDCOM: 198 Nigerians Visited in Maharashtra Prisons as FG Seeks Fresh Amnesty in India

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to secure the release of Nigerians detained in India, with the Nigeria High Commission in the country visiting 198 inmates across five prisons in Maharashtra as negotiations continue for a fresh six-month amnesty for Nigerians held over immigration-related offences.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the prison visits were conducted as of September 1, 2026, adding that Nigerians remained incarcerated in other Indian provinces.

The commission said the visits formed part of the Nigerian mission’s ongoing consular intervention in cases involving hundreds of Nigerians in Indian prisons, amid concerns over prolonged detention, immigration violations and delays in the prosecution of criminal cases.

According to NiDCOM, the Nigeria High Commission secured an amnesty programme between September last year and May this year that led to the release and repatriation of thousands of Nigerians detained mainly for immigration offences and other irregularities.

However, it said some Nigerians failed to take advantage of the amnesty before its expiration or did not utilise the opportunity when it was available.

The commission disclosed that Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, was engaging her Indian counterpart to secure another six-month amnesty for Nigerians detained in camps who had no pending trials but remained in custody over immigration-related offences.

The development followed public concerns over the detention of a Nigerian identified as Mr Ekene in India, with NiDCOM assuring that the High Commission would examine his case and determine whether he qualified for early release and repatriation.

It said that where Ekene was eligible to leave India, arrangements could be made for his return, provided his family was able to raise the necessary funds, stressing that established legal and administrative procedures would have to be followed.

“The Nigerian High Commission is on his case and that of others in similar circumstances and has also been putting pressure on the Indian government to speed up cases of those awaiting trials for various offences,” the statement said.

NiDCOM, however, clarified that the proposed amnesty would not cover Nigerians awaiting trial for criminal offences, including drug-related crimes.

The commission urged Nigerians living in India without valid immigration status to take advantage of the next amnesty programme once it was implemented, warning that those who continued to remain in the country illegally risked arrest.

“Nigerians in India, who are in India irregularly, should take advantage of the next set of amnesty being negotiated when effected, while others who are still staying there illegally should utilise the opportunity or risk being arrested,” NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, advised.

The commission also appealed to Nigerians abroad to respect the laws of their host countries and avoid conduct that could lead to arrest, prosecution or prolonged detention.

The latest intervention underscores the continuing challenge of irregular migration involving Nigerians in India, where immigration violations have contributed to the detention of nationals without valid documentation, while separate criminal cases remain subject to the Indian judicial process.

NiDCOM said the Federal Government would continue to engage the Indian authorities on the welfare of detained Nigerians, the acceleration of pending cases and the repatriation of those legally cleared to return home.

NiDCOM: 198 Nigerians Visited in Maharashtra Prisons as FG Seeks Fresh Amnesty in India