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Femi Falana Charges Youths to Defend Their Future, Hold Leaders Accountable
Femi Falana Charges Youths to Defend Their Future, Hold Leaders Accountable
… Receives SAM Title from UNIAbuja Law Students
By: Michael Mike
Human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana has challenged Nigerian students and youths to take responsibility for defending their own future and holding leaders accountable for the country’s growing inequality and governance failures.
Speaking on Thursday during the conferment of honorary title of “Senior Advocate of the Masses” on him by the law students of the University of Abuja, Falana
expressed disappointment at what he described as the growing apathy among Nigerian youths toward national issues, contrasting it with the activism and courage that defined students of his generation.
He said: “I hardly want to go to campuses these days to address students, because I have come to the conclusion that Nigerian youths are not prepared to fight for their own future.
“When we were undergraduates, we had dreams and we fought to create a future for ourselves.”
He however lamented that corruption and mismanagement had crippled opportunities once available to young Nigerians, recalling how graduates in his time were guaranteed jobs even before completing their studies.
He reminisced that: “Before we wrote our final exams, employers came to our campuses to recruit us.
“By the time you finished your youth service, you had four or five job offers with car and housing loans waiting.”
Citing recent revelations by the National Assembly that over N210 trillion could not be accounted for in the books of government agencies, Falana wondered why such news had not provoked outrage among young Nigerians.
He said: “I read a story last week, which in our case, would have forced us to surround the National Assembly.
“Last week, the National Assembly revealed that above N210 trillion cannot be explained. That is enough to pay the nation’s humongous debts, create job opportunities for all of us, pay all our loans that have become debt traps, and give us hospitals without having to travel abroad.”
He added that: “And I’m challenging you, because we are going to take up that matter. But I’m here. So we are going to cross-fertilise ideas.”
Falana also used the opportunity to examine recent national controversies, including the altercation between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and a military officer in Abuja.
The newly decorated SAM, while condemning the officer’s obstruction of the minister’s statutory duties, however faulted the minister’s use of abusive language, saying public officials must respect citizens’ dignity.
Falana reminded law students of their moral and professional obligation to defend the oppressed and insist on accountability from those in power.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on National Assembly matters (House of Representatives) Hon. Ibrahim Olarewaju, had, in his goodwill message, described Mr. Falana as one of the best things that ever happened to legal profession in Nigeria.
Olarewaju recounted his personal experience working under Falana, recalling how the Senior Advocate’s open-door policy and commitment to nurturing young lawyers left an indelible mark on generations of practitioners.
He said: “Mr Falana will give you every opportunity you desire in life. You call him once, he picks your call. Even as busy as he is, he finds time to mentor and guide.
“He’s one man who grows people to the height they want.”
He also reminisced about Falana’s long-standing relationship with Nigerian students, narrating an incident from 1997 at the University of Ilorin when students defied restrictions to host the fiery lawyer for a lecture.
He said: “We blocked all entrances to the university because we wanted to see him. The government didn’t want Falana to speak, but we insisted. When he finally arrived, the police had no choice but to let him in. “That day, we made history.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, described Falana renowned human rights activism as a “rallying point of justice in Nigeria” and “an immortal figure in the fight for social equity.”
Abugu commented Falana for his lifelong dedication to defending the rights of the downtrodden and promoting justice beyond the courtroom.
He noted that his interventions had restored hope to countless Nigerians, especially students unjustly treated by authorities.
He lauded the veteran lawyer’s humility and commitment to mentorship.
President of Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), Uniabuja chapter, Muhammed Akingbolu, disclosed that the conferment of SAM on Femi Falana, was in recognition of his decades-long commitment to justice and public interest litigation.
He made the disclosure in his remarks during the Faculty’s 2024/2025 Legal Year Opening Ceremony in Abuja on Thursday.
The event was attended by legal practitioners, academics, and students who gathered to celebrate Falana’s enduring legacy in Nigerian jurisprudence and activism.
The LAWSAN President described Falana as a becon of hope, justice and a rare legal mind whose life embodies courage, humility, and mentorship.
Femi Falana Charges Youths to Defend Their Future, Hold Leaders Accountable
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NSCDC Arrests Three for Vandalization of Telecommunications Tower in Yobe
NSCDC Arrests Three for Vandalization of Telecommunications Tower in Yobe
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the vandalization of a vital telecommunications tower in Yobe State.
A statement on Friday by the spokesman of NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale said the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has achieved a major breakthrough with the arrest of three suspects allegedly involved in the vandalism of a vital telecommunications tower in Yobe State.
He revealed that the operation was executed following a credible intelligence report that indicated unscrupulous elements were conniving with a terrorist group to vandalize a live telecommunications tower located at Savannah, in Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State.

He noted that the SIS operatives swiftly responded, resulting in the arrest of the suspects at the scene. The arrested suspects, all from Yobe State, are Ibrahim Jibrin, 44, from Damaturu; Dahiru Ibrahim Isa, 38, from Babban Layi, Potiskum; and Usman Ali Isa, 27, from Dabar Mai Chafa, Potiskum.
He said ongoing investigation has revealed that Mr. Ibrahim Jibrin, who specializes in the act, was allegedly hired to decommission the mast for N800,000 and had received an initial payment of N200,000 from an accomplice identified as Alhaji Kabiru from Kano before his arrest. Exhibits recovered from the suspects include vandalized components of the tower and various tools used in the criminal operation.
Babawale said in line with the Corps’ renewed mandate to confront criminality, the SIS also made several other arrests across different locations. Acting on intelligence received on November 15, 2025, concerning criminal elements snatching motorbikes and phones in the Kuje and Tungan Maje axis, SIS operatives arrested two suspects, David Moses and Nuhu Inusa, in the Gui suburb of Abuja. Stolen phones were recovered, and the duo confessed to the crime, revealing their mode of operation and naming an accomplice who paid them with two Bajaj motorbikes (valued at N400,000 and N350,000 respectively) in exchange for stolen items.
He revealed that three additional suspects Akawe Uter, Sunny Obasi, and Ezugwu Godwin were apprehended in connection with an earlier arrest of one George Nyitamen. Their charges relate to unauthorized connection and distribution of power,tampering with electrical installations, and harassment of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) staff.
Babawale said following a distress call, Vincent Haliru Maigari, 27, was arrested for stealing plumbing materials from an apartment he was contracted to fix, which was intended to be converted into a hotel near Didi/Madiba Casa Estate. Maigari confessed to the theft, and some of his accomplices who fraudulently purchased the stolen items have also been arrested.
He noted that the Corps Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Audi has directed all specialized units to intensify efforts against critical infrastructure vandalism and various forms of economic sabotage.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the SIS, Commandant of Corps Samu Appollos Dandaura,l expressed strong optimism that with the sustained collaboration of the public, the Corps will discharge its mandate maximally, promising that all arrested suspects will be charged to court upon the completion of diligent investigation.
NSCDC Arrests Three for Vandalization of Telecommunications Tower in Yobe
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Southern Borno: Zulum Spends Night in Uba, Condoles Communities in Warebe and Uba
Southern Borno: Zulum Spends Night in Uba, Condoles Communities in Warebe and Uba
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has continued his tour of southern Borno following recent attacks in parts of Gwoza and Askira-Uba Local Government Areas. The Governor spent the night in Uba and paid condolence visits to affected communities in Warebe and Uba.

During the visit, Zulum acknowledged and commended the efforts of the Civilian Joint Task Force and local hunters for their unwavering commitment to protecting their communities despite ongoing security challenges.
The Governor also inspected the ongoing construction of the Uba General Hospital and the Emir’s Palace, where he expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and encouraged the contractor to maintain the standard. He further directed the Ministry of Health to conclude arrangements for deploying doctors and nurses ahead of the hospital’s completion.

Similarly, Zulum visited Lassa General Hospital, several schools, and Uvu community area in Askira-Uba, where he assessed ongoing projects and assured residents of the government’s commitment to improving healthcare, education, and community security.
Additionally, the Governor approved the rehabilitation of Central Secondary School, Uba, as part of efforts to strengthen education infrastructure in the region.
Southern Borno: Zulum Spends Night in Uba, Condoles Communities in Warebe and Uba
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Insecurity gulps over N100b in Borno state
Insecurity gulps over N100b in Borno state
By: Bodunrin Kayode
The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum has said that he has spent about N100b cumulatively in 2025 to improve security in the state.
He made the revelation recently when
visited the Emir of Uba Ali Ibn Mamza at his Palace.
The Governor noted that the visit aims at assessing the current security situation in Askira/Uba council area of the state and its environs and preparing to step up where there are obvious challenges in the security architecture.
The Governor however acknowledged that he is aware that the lingering insecurity situation actually scares road contractors who have been hired to construct road networks in and around the communities.
He nonetheless assured the Monarch and residents of more road constructions in the near future with a proposal for the establishment of a tertiary institution a computer training institution and more.
” I am on a tour most especially to asses the security situation in this area of the state. I will meet with the security agents to make sure we have greater input in the security in Askira/Uba.
” Security is important without it, peace cannot be guaranteed. I have plans to construct roads but the problem is no contractor will want to come down here and work.
“That’s why I will be establishing a quarry in Gworza which will be backed by the purchase of 100 trucks so that our road maintenance agency can construct roads easily.
“On higher institution I assure you, i will build a higher institution before I leave office. I will also build a Computer Institute, Jamb training center and a tertiary institution in Uba. We have a lot of plans for education, health and more. We spent a lot to make we put structures on ground”.
Responding the Emir of Uba Alhaji Ali Ibn Samaila (ii) said “You’ve done a lot for us with many projects. If not for you we will be suffering.
“If the Constitution was amenable we would want you to continue with the good works. May God bless you”.
Tragedy struck the council area recently when about 13 female farmers were abducted in Askira Uba. While residents lamented their plight, one escaped back home leaving 12 others in the Sambisa who were later rescued by hunters.
Insecurity gulps over N100b in Borno state
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