News
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
News
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
By Zagazola Makama
A viral video circulating on social media, in which a content creator identified as “Za Baba” mockingly portrays a supposed soldier captured by bandits, has been confirmed as FALSE, misleading, and dangerously irresponsible.
In the video, the individual uses derogatory language to depict Nigerian soldiers as weak, while glorifying bandits as “warriors.” He further dramatizes a fake scenario of a captured soldier, tied with ropes, taunts and mock sympathy, in what appears to be a staged and scripted performance designed purely for attention and virality.
There is no evidence that the video reflects any real incident. Field checks show no record of such an occurrence. The content creator had also used similar costume to act as bandit in his other videos while another individual acted as a soldier.
The clip is therefore nothing more than fabricated content packaged designed to provoke emotions, mislead the public, and undermine confidence in security forces.
What makes this even more troubling is not just the falsehood but the intent. In a country battling insurgency and banditry, portraying terrorists as heroes while ridiculing national troops is not “content creation” it is reckless amplification of enemy narratives.
The Nigerian military operates in some of the most hostile environments imaginable, confronting heavily armed groups daily. These are men and women who risk and often lose their lives to keep communities safe. Reducing that sacrifice to cheap mockery for clicks is not satire, it is disgraceful.
The individual behind the video was reckless. There is a difference between freedom of expression and irresponsible messaging that emboldens criminals and demoralises those on the frontlines.
Content creators must understand that influence comes with responsibility especially in matters of national security.
Equally concerning is how quickly some bloggers and social media users amplified the clip without verification, using it to attack the military. This reflects a growing trend where falsehood spreads faster than truth, especially when it feeds outrage.
The public is strongly advised to treat such viral content with caution. Not everything seen online is real and in many cases like this, it is deliberately crafted to distort reality.
Nigeria’s security challenges are real. But so too are the sacrifices of those confronting them. Mocking that effort while romanticising terrorists is not just wrong, it is dangerous.
FACT CHECK: Viral Video Mocking Nigerian Troops Is Misleading, Dangerous Propaganda — Not Reality
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised two suspected terrorists during a fighting patrol in Zamfara State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted by troops of 1 Brigade Quick Reaction Force (QRF) from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bagega in the early hours of May 4.
The troops, while on patrol, advanced through Maikwanuga village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, extending operations to Aljumma, Gidan Dawa, Magami Didi, and Tungar Magaji villages in Maradun Local Government Area.
During the operation, the troops made contact with suspected terrorists at Tungar Magaji village, where a firefight ensued.
“In the course of the engagement, two terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with possible gunshot wounds,” the source said.
Items recovered from the scene include one AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a motorcycle.
The troops are currently exploiting the general area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further threats in the region.
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
Army opens 2026 RSM Convention in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
The 2026 Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSM) Convention has been declared open in Kaduna, with senior military officials and stakeholders in attendance.
The event, hosted by 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, was inaugurated on May 4 at the JN Garba Hall, Ribadu Cantonment, by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), represented by the Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAIPKLC), Maj.-Gen. D.G. Allu.
In attendance were the Chief of Army Administration, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, commanders of affiliated formations within the division’s area of responsibility, resource persons, and representatives of other security agencies, among other invited guests.
The theme of the convention is “Empowering RSMs to Drive Combat Readiness and Professional Excellence.”
The convention is expected to provide a platform for professional development, experience sharing, and strengthening leadership capacity among Regimental Sergeant Majors in the Nigerian Army.
Army opens 2026 RSM Convention in Kaduna
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