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
Body of missing man recovered in kopgai, Mangu LGA, Plateau
Body of missing man recovered in kopgai, Mangu LGA, Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
The body of a man reported missing in Kopgai village, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, has been recovered by security operatives.

According to security sources, the corpse of Mr. Abdullahi Mohammed was found buried in a shallow grave along the Gimti River line, between Kopgai and Langai districts, at about 11:00 a.m. on March 25.

The body was exhumed and handed over to the family for proper burial according to Islamic rites, while investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have intensified efforts to safeguard communities and address criminal activities across the state.
Body of missing man recovered in kopgai, Mangu LGA, Plateau
News
Troops arrest three suspected terrorists’ informants in Bassa, Plateau
Troops arrest three suspected terrorists’ informants in Bassa, Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have arrested three suspected terrorists’ informants in Agingi area of Bassa Local Government Area in Plateau State.
Security sources said the suspects, Yusuf Hussaini, 18; Saleh Mohammed, 18; and Muazu Yunusa, 19, were apprehended at about 10:30 p.m. on March 25 with three dagger knives in their possession.

The suspects are currently in custody and undergoing investigation, the sources added.
The arrests form part of ongoing intelligence led operations by the troops of Operation Enduring Peace to safeguard communities, curb criminal activities, and ensure the safety of residents across the state.
Troops arrest three suspected terrorists’ informants in Bassa, Plateau
News
Troops restore calm after clash at Iware market in Taraba
Troops restore calm after clash at Iware market in Taraba
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 114 Battalion, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and local hunters, have restored calm following a clash at Iware market in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Security sources said the troops responded to a distress call at about 2:45 p.m. on March 24 over a fight involving suspected armed Fulani men celebrating Sallah at the market.
According to the sources, the situation escalated into a disturbance before the arrival of security operatives.
“On arrival, troops discovered one person with injuries and immediately evacuated the victim for medical attention,” the source said.
The sources added that troops, alongside other security personnel, have since dominated the area with aggressive patrols to reassure residents and prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The incident illustrated ongoing efforts by security agencies to maintain peace and respond swiftly to emerging threats in communities across the state.
Residents have been urged to remain law-abiding and cooperate with security agencies to sustain peace.
Troops restore calm after clash at Iware market in Taraba
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News11 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
