News
Nationwide #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest: Minimal turnout as citizens cite court proceedings, business disruption fears, and past violence
Nationwide #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest: Minimal turnout as citizens cite court proceedings, business disruption fears, and past violence
By: Zagazola Makama
The nationwide protest calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, organized by activist Omoyele Sowore, recorded minimal participation on Monday, with citizens across Nigeria largely complying with security directives, Zagazola report.
Law enforcement authorities attribute the low turnout to public recognition that the matter is currently in court, widespread fears of potential disruption to businesses, and lingering resentment over past violent incidents linked to the sit-at-home orders enforced by IPOB and its paramilitary wing, ESN.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), joint security operatives maintained heightened presence at government buildings, critical infrastructures, and other vulnerable points from early morning. Stop-and-search operations and patrols were intensified around restricted zones, including Eagle Square and the Presidential Villa. The court has also restricted protest activities at some strategic locations within the city.
Omoyele Sowore and a small group of protesters attempting to march towards the Villa were intercepted by security operatives. Four individuals were arrested after resisting dispersal, but no violent clashes were reported. For about an hour vehicular movement was restricted in some part of the city due to fear of violence.
Public sentiment in Abuja indicated that many residents deliberately stayed indoors. A market trader in Wuse, John Uche, stated, “People refused to come out because the matter is in court. We do not want to be used to cause violence or to attract arrest. Our businesses are our livelihood, and we cannot risk them for a protest that may escalate.” Another resident added, “We also remember the losses from the IPOB sit-at-home orders. Thousands died during that period and many more are still being killed for nothing. We cannot risk repeating history.”
In the North Central region, Niger and Kogi States reported full compliance with security directives. In Niger State, no protests took place. Security forces maintained close surveillance of border and remote communities to prevent opportunistic attacks disguised as protest activity. Citizens interviewed in Minna confirmed a general unwillingness to participate. A civil servant, Chukwu Emeka Silas said, “We do not want trouble. The courts are handling the matter, and we trust the legal process more than street demonstrations.” In Kogi, similar sentiments were expressed by residents, with traders emphasizing fears that protests could disrupt their daily earnings.
In the North East, Borno and Yobe States remained calm, with security agencies focused on internal patrols and counter-insurgency operations. A resident in Maiduguri noted, “We cannot risk venturing into protests while Boko Haram and bandits are still a threat. Safety of lives comes first.”
In the North West, states including Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa reported no protest activity. Citizens interviewed highlighted a mix of legal caution and memories of past unrest during IPOB sit-at-home orders as primary reasons for staying indoors. “The last time there was a protest like this, (ENDSARS) businesses were destroyed and people killed,” said a community leader in Sokoto.
In the South West, Lagos State reported only a lone man attempting a solidarity walk, which was quickly dispersed. Residents cited fear of arbitrary arrests and possible hijacking of the protest by violent groups. In Ogun, Oyo, and Ondo States, authorities confirmed calm, with traders and commuters indicating that they had chosen to focus on work rather than risk being involved in demonstrations.
In the South-South and South-East, including Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Enugu, Imo, Anambra, and Abia States, law enforcement reported minimal or no protest participation. In Imo State, security agencies carried out joint patrols in all major towns, including Orlu and Owerri, with residents praising the proactive measures. A resident of Owerri said, “We stayed home because Nnamdi Kanu’s directives in the past caused deaths and chaos. We don’t want to relive those days.” Similarly, in Anambra and Abia, only a few youths were briefly sighted holding banners, who voluntarily dispersed without incident.
In the South-East, states such as Ebonyi and Enugu, and the South-South including Delta and Akwa Ibom, reported zero participation in the protest. Citizens expressed concern that protests could provide opportunities for criminal elements to hijack public spaces. “We cannot trust that protests would remain peaceful,” a market association leader in Uyo remarked.
Across the country, police and security agencies commended citizens for their adherence to lawful directives, noting that the minimal turnout reflected public trust in the judicial process and general weariness of disruptions caused by past sit-at-home orders. The nationwide security approach, involving early intelligence, proactive patrols, and coordinated inter-agency operations, successfully prevented the protest from escalating.
Authorities reiterated that future demonstrations must be conducted strictly within legal frameworks to avoid confrontation, emphasizing that citizens’ rights to lawful protest are recognized, but security and public order remain paramount.
Nationwide #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest: Minimal turnout as citizens cite court proceedings, business disruption fears, and past violence
News
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
By Aisha Gambo
The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) has commended the Kaduna State Executive Council for approving the Kaduna State Life Skills Policy and the State Policy on Gender in Education (SPGE 2026–2030).
The Executive Director of the organisation, Habiba Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said the approval marked a transition from donor-supported, time-bound interventions to a sustainable, government-led framework for delivering life skills education and promoting gender equity in schools.
According to her, the Life Skills Policy will equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to succeed in education, employment and life, while the Gender in Education Policy providzbves a framework to promote equity, inclusion, participation, retention, completion and improved learning outcomes.
“The approval moves life skills and gender equity from the margins of the classroom into the core of Kaduna State’s education system,” she said.
Mohammed said CGE contributed to the development and validation of the policies through its system-strengthening project supported by Co-Impact, OASIS Initiative and the Malala Fund, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education.
She said the policies built on more than 18 years of the organisation’s Safe Space model, which independent evaluations showed had helped reduce child marriage, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.
According to her, the AGILE programme in Kaduna has reached more than 127,319 girls and 6,250 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, while over 1,400 female and male teachers have been trained as mentors.
She added that institutionalising the model through public policy would ensure that life skills education became a permanent component of the state’s education system.
Mohammed said the policies would address barriers to school access, retention and completion, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.
She added that they would also institutionalise life skills as a co-curricular programme, strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the state’s 23 local government areas and guarantee continuity beyond donor-funded programmes.
The executive director commended Gov. Uba Sani for providing the leadership that made the policy approval possible.
She also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit, the World Bank and other stakeholders for their contributions to the process.
Mohammed reaffirmed CGE’s commitment to supporting the Kaduna State Government with technical assistance during the implementation phase, including teacher training, gender-responsive education sector budgeting and monitoring.
She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that every girl and boy in Kaduna State had the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
News
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
By: Zagazola Makama
Six fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed and seven others seriously wounded during a failed attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Logomani in Borno State, credible intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack on the military position in the early hours of July 7 but suffered significant casualties after troops mounted a fierce resistance.
According to the intelligence assessment, the attackers had assembled at Garal before advancing on the military base.
Following the failed assault, surviving insurgents were reportedly seen regrouping at Chukun Gudu, where they buried six of their fighters killed during the encounter.
Among those reportedly buried was a senior fighter identified as Munzir, also known as Ba Alayi, who was said to be an indigene of Wulgo.
The development comes as troops of Operation HADIN KAI continue sustained clearance operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgents’ logistics and mobility across the Lake Chad region.
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Health
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
By: Zagazola Makama
A cholera outbreak has reportedly claimed the lives of nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist stronghold in Borno State, intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the outbreak had spread through the group’s enclaves, highlighting deteriorating sanitary conditions and limited access to medical care within the insurgents’ camps.
According to the intelligence, two additional ISWAP fighters infected with the disease were allegedly executed by fellow terrorists after attempts to manage their condition at Kimba village proved unsuccessful.
The sources said the development pointed to the worsening health conditions within the terrorist hideouts, where sustained military pressure has disrupted logistics, including access to medicines and treatment facilities.
The sources added that commanders had also been urged to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceuticals intended for terrorist camps in order to further degrade ISWAP’s treatment capability and operational resilience.
The reported outbreak comes amid sustained offensives by troops of Operation HADIN KAI, who continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics networks across the Lake Chad region in a bid to degrade the insurgents’ fighting capacity.
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
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