Zulum begins construction of 2 mega schools in Hawul

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has commenced the construction of two new mega schools in Hawul Local Government Area on Wednesday.

A 48-classroom High Islamic College is located in Shafa. It will operate under the accredited curriculum of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), designed to provide a holistic and modern Islamic education.

Zulum explained that the construction of High Islamic Colleges is part of his campaign promise, which will blend formal education with the study of authentic Islamic knowledge and allow learners to study digital knowledge, numeracy, literacy, and vocational skills.

The second mega school project launched by the Governor is situated in Marama and is aimed at expanding access to quality educational facilities across the LGAs by the Zulum administration.

During his visit, Governor Zulum also announced a plan for the recruitment of additional teachers, stating, “I am happy to lay the foundation of a mega school in Marama town. We are going to support you in all ramifications. In line with my campaign promises to deliver and transform the education sector, this government will construct a befitting two-storey building with 36 classrooms, in addition to other facilities.

“Due to a shortage of teachers, we must recruit competent teachers who are indigenes of Marama to teach in this school,” Zulum stated.

Zulum was assisted with the foundation-laying by the Commissioner of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe.

Similarly, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum visited the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Azare, also in Hawul Local Government Area, a facility that was rehabilitated and donated by the State Government to fast-track the take-off of the hospital.

Governor Zulum also commissioned projects executed by Hawul Local Government, including a shopping complex and market stalls.

The Governor was accompanied by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South); former Deputy Governors, Usman Mamman Durkwa and Ali Abubakar Jatau; Hon. Bukar Talba (House of Representatives); the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abdullahi Musa Askira; members of the State Assembly; commissioners; local government chairmen; and other stakeholders from Southern Borno.
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BORNO MECHANICS’ ASSOCIATION APPOINTS PCC COMMISSIONER AS PATRON

By: Our Reporter

The Borno State Motorcycle, Tricycle and Generator Mechanics Association has paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Federal Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Borno State Hon. Yusuf Adamu in his Office, during which he was formally appointed as the Patron of the Association.

The visit provided an opportunity for a robust and interactive engagement between the leadership of the Association and the Honourable Federal Commissioner. In his remarks, the Commissioner expressed appreciation for the visit and the confidence reposed in him by the Association. He used the occasion to urge members to, with immediate effect, take advantage of the Mechanic Village allocated to them by the Borno State Government by relocating their operations accordingly. He emphasized that the initiative was aimed at enhancing orderliness, professionalism, and safety within the sector.

The Honourable Federal Commissioner further admonished the Association to remain law-abiding and loyal to constituted authority, stressing that peace and progress can only thrive in an atmosphere of respect for the rule of law. He also charged members to uphold the principles of justice, equity, and fair play in the discharge of their duties, and to desist from any form of sharp practices, particularly cheating unsuspecting members of the public.

Responding on behalf of the delegation, the leader of the Association expressed profound gratitude to the Honourable Federal Commissioner for his warm reception, fatherly advice, and willingness to serve as their Patron. He assured the Commissioner that the Association would adhere strictly to his counsel, particularly on relocating to the Mechanic Village and maintaining high ethical standards in their operations.

The courtesy visit was rounded off with special prayers for peace, progress, and prosperity for the Patron, the Public Complaints Commission, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The event concluded with the taking of group photographs to commemorate the occasion.

BORNO MECHANICS’ ASSOCIATION APPOINTS PCC COMMISSIONER AS PATRON

Bandits kill 3 in reprisal to shooting of fulani youths by Berom militia in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Three persons were killed in renewed attacks on communities in Plateau State following the shooting of two Fulani youths in Jos South Local Government Area (LGA), as tensions continue to escalate in a cycle of reprisal violence between pastoral and farming communities.

The latest killings occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, during coordinated attacks on Jol community in Riyom LGA and Gero in Gyel District of Jos South LGA, where several residents, including Pius Luka Dida, Markus Danladi, Peter and Acham Ayuba, lost their lives.

The Berom Youths Moulder-Association (BYM) condemned the attacks, describing them as acts of sustained terror against indigenous communities, and demanded the proscription of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the prosecution of its leaders.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Rwang Tengwong, the group accused MACBAN of complicity in the violence and faulted its leadership over claims that Berom persons attacked Fulani communities.

The BYM leader, Mr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, described the killings as “a grim reminder of the sustained and systematic terror being unleashed on indigenous communities of Plateau State.”

The group also alleged that armed herders destroyed dry-season farmlands in Kwi community, resulting in economic losses estimated at over ₦14 million, and called for compensation to victims’ families and the deployment of additional security personnel.

However, a check by Zagazola Makama indicated that the Jan. 6 attacks followed the killing of a Fulani youth and the shooting of another in Jos South earlier the same day.

The latest demand by Berom youths for the arrest of Fulani leaders emerged but did not reference the near-simultaneous shooting of Fulani youths in Jos South, an omission that reflects the deeply polarized narratives driving the conflict.

According to security sources, two Fulani youths Zakariya Abdullahi and Jibrin Musa, were ambushed around 8:00 p.m. while returning from Gero village in Jos South LGA. Abdullahi was killed on the spot, while Musa sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The attack was attributed to an ambush carried out by suspected Berom militia, which the victim described as unprovoked. The attack occurred within the same axis where later retaliatory violence was reported.

Again, the incident fits an established pattern in Plateau State, where attacks on one group are quickly followed by reprisals against another, deepening communal mistrust.

The latest violence followed the Dec. 31, 2025, attack on Bum community in Chugwi area of Vwang District, Jos South LGA, where at least seven farmers were killed in their homes and farmlands, despite earlier security alerts warning of possible attacks.

That incident was linked to earlier shootings on Dec. 27, 2025, when five Fulani youths were attacked near Con Filling Station along Bukuru Express Road while returning from Bukuru Cattle Market. The victims sustained critical injuries, with the attackers suspected to be members of a Berom militia.

The cycle of violence further intensified after a Dec. 16, 2025, attack on an illegal mining site at Tosho community in Barkin Ladi LGA, where 12 miners were killed and three others abducted by armed Fulani bandits. The attack reportedly followed incidents of cattle rustling, including the theft of 137 cattle in Nding community on Dec. 12, and livestock poisoning across Jos East and Riyom LGAs.

Subsequent reprisals included the killing of four children in Dorong village, Foron District, Barkin Ladi LGA, which residents described as a Fulani reprisal attack, as well as assaults on Gero village that resulted in deaths, injuries and loss of livestock.

Zagazola note that unresolved issues such as cattle rustling, farmland destruction, livestock poisoning and targeted killings on both sides remains key triggers for retaliatory attacks, leaving rural communities increasingly vulnerable across Plateau State.

Without a comprehensive, even-handed security response that addresses armed militias, criminal networks, and underlying economic disputes across Plateau State, Zagazola warn that retaliatory attacks will likely continue. Only decisive action that combines impartial law enforcement, accountability, conflict-sensitive governance and protection of vulnerable communities is likely to break the pattern now gripping Plateau State.

Bandits kill 3 in reprisal to shooting of fulani youths by Berom militia in Plateau