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Isa Gusau: A part of me is gone
Isa Gusau: A part of me is gone
By: Yakubu Ahmed BK
Innalillahi Wa’inna Ilaihirrajiun. Death – the ultimate leveler has knocked on the door (as it will on ours) of Malam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser, Media and Strategy to the Borno state Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
Isa was a complete gentleman, a professional and a loyal friend who gave his all to what he so much loved. Years my junior but almost at par with those who began before him.
Our paths crossed in Maiduguri early 2000 or thereabout and we clicked almost immediately, because we shared many attributes. He was Daily Trust’s Correspondent in Borno and I was Concord Press Correspondent there too, after I had spent 10 years as a Reporter and later a News Editor with Borno Radio Television Corporation BRTV. If you work in Borno, you just have to be at your best. Borno has a way it builds your confidence and sharpens you into a courageous person – and of course into a go getter. He was courageous, and one thing nobody can take away from him was his professionalism – one hell of a writer if you would.
It was not for nothing that he meritoriously served former Borno state Governor (now Nigeria’s Vice President) Kashim Shettima as SA Media for eight solid years from 2011. It was not for nothing again that Kashim Shettima’s successor Babagana Umara Zulum inherited him – and was glad to have done that. Isa was somewhat irreplaceable, no carbon copy of him, take it or leave it.
We spoke last some two weeks ago and believe me even though we were close, he never uttered a word about what he was going through healthwise other than the general knowledge even amongst his closest friends that he had some challenges which we all thought he had dealt with since his surgery at a hospital in India a year ago. It was he who called and as usual, he had some professional suggestions on how I should handle certain PR issues of my Principal in my position as the Commissioner for Information and Culture Kebbi state. We have become used to checking on one another on the professional realm. Each time either of us called, it must be about what either he or I thought should be done to advance the frontiers of image making for our respective bosses.
Since my appointment as Information Commissioner some five months ago, he became restless for me to hit the ground running and to make “that first impression.” The advises we offered to each other were mutual, but I must confess that I drew much more from his fountain of knowledge than he did from mine. That was obvious because he has image managed and PR consulted much earlier than myself and had done it more successfully. The fact that he achieved that much in a state that was not his attested to his capacity and ability in the area he had chosen for himself.
A part of me is gone and I just can’t decipher where to run to when I hit that point of creative slowdown. Of course, we drew from each other but my sense of loss was made worse by the reality that I must dig out with bare hands since one of the shovels is gone. Allah ya jikan Isa Gusau.
Yakubu Ahmed BK is Commissioner for Information and Culture, Kebbi state.
Isa Gusau: A part of me is gone
NESREA Seals Oyo-Based Chemical Company Over Untreated Waste Discharge
By: Michael Mike
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has shut down Bond Chemicals Industries Limited in Oyo State for violating environmental regulations by allegedly discharging untreated industrial waste into the environment.
A statement on Thursday by the spokesperson of NESREA, Nwamaka Ejiofor said, the enforcement action followed a public complaint that raised concerns about pollution from the facility.
She noted that the complaint was subjected to independent verification before officials moved in to investigate the allegations.
Ejiofor revealed that a compliance inspection conducted by officials of NESREA’s South West Zonal Office on February 18, 2026, uncovered serious environmental breaches at the facility. Inspectors discovered that the company was operating without a functional Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), a critical requirement for industries that generate wastewater.
The inspection team also found that untreated wastewater with a strong offensive odour was being released directly into the surrounding environment, an action that violates national environmental standards and poses potential risks to public health and nearby ecosystems.
She said following the discovery, NESREA issued immediate directives to the company to halt the pollution by installing and operating an effective effluent treatment system in accordance with regulatory requirements. The company was also instructed to obtain the necessary environmental permits to regularise its operations.
Ejiofor however said a subsequent inspection revealed that the company had failed to comply with the directives issued.
As a result, NESREA sealed the facility in exercise of its statutory powers to halt further environmental damage and safeguard the health of residents in the affected area.
The Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to enforce environmental compliance across the country, warning that industries must adhere strictly to environmental regulations designed to protect communities and natural resources.
Barikor stressed that companies operating in Nigeria are required to install and properly operate pollution control equipment, noting that failure to do so would attract strict enforcement measures.
He added that the agency would continue to intensify monitoring and compliance checks nationwide and would not hesitate to impose sanctions on any facility found violating environmental laws.
NESREA stated that the chemical company will remain sealed until it fully complies with the agency’s directives and meets all regulatory requirements.
Ejiofor in the statement, said further investigations and compliance monitoring by the agency are ongoing.
NESREA Seals Oyo-Based Chemical Company Over Untreated Waste Discharge
Troops, NDLEA arrest suspected drug peddler in Yobe raid
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and local vigilante groups have arrested a suspected drug peddler during a raid operation in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe.
Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 9:00 p.m. on March 16 in the Takari general area, based on credible intelligence on illicit drug activities.
According to the sources, troops of the 159 Battalion, alongside NDLEA operatives and vigilante members deployed in Gashua, conducted the coordinated raid which led to the arrest of the suspect.
Items recovered during the operation include seven wraps of suspected cannabis sativa and other illicit substances.
“The suspect was apprehended during the raid, while the recovered exhibits have been secured for further investigation,” the source said.
He added that the suspect and the seized drugs had been handed over to the NDLEA for further action in line with existing laws.
Troops, NDLEA arrest suspected drug peddler in Yobe raid
Troops arrest eight illegal miners, dismantle site in Abuja
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested eight suspected illegal miners and dismantled an unauthorised mining site in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday following credible intelligence on illegal mining activities around the Chaza–Izom axis in Bamburu village, Suleja area.
According to the sources, troops of the 31 Artillery Brigade conducted a patrol to the location, leading to the arrest of the suspects at the site.
Items recovered during the operation include one motorcycle, one 25-litre jerrycan of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), one 25-litre jerrycan of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), four water pump machines and one gas cylinder.
“The illegal mining site was subsequently destroyed to prevent further exploitation, while the suspects and recovered items are in troops’ custody for further necessary action,” the source said.
Troops arrest eight illegal miners, dismantle site in Abuja
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Troops, NDLEA arrest suspected drug peddler in Yobe raid
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