News
Zulum approves N50m, staff houses, students hostels for Army University, Biu
Zulum approves N50m, staff houses, students hostels for Army University, Biu
… To sponsor indigent students
… Borno now reference on education, VC tells Gov.
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the allocation of N50 million alongside the construction of staff houses and students’ hostels at the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB), which is owned by the Federal Government.
The governor announced the interventions on Friday when the Army University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Kyari Mohammed, led a management delegation to a courtesy call on the governor at the Government House in Maiduguri.
“… Borno State Government will release N50m to the University”, Zulum announced.
“Insha Allah, we will provide accommodation for staff as well as hostels for students’ use at the university. On this note, I want to direct the Commissioner for Works and Housing to come up with an architectural design for the project”, Zulum said.
Before Friday’s intervention, Governor Zulum had extended series of support to the University of Maiduguri, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Federal Polytechnic, Monguno, Federal College of Education, Gwoza, and a host of other Federal Government institutions either being set up or existing in Borno State.
… To sponsor indigent students
Governor Zulum during the courtesy visit directed Borno State’s Ministry of Education to prepare a list of deserving students that will be awarded scholarship to pursue for higher education at the Nigerian Army University, Biu.
The governor directed that beneficiaries be drawn from the the three senatorial zones: Northern, Central and Southern senatorial districts of the state.
Zulum also directed all state-owned tertiary institutions to re-introduce convocation ceremonies which were suspended due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.
He noted that such ceremonies should be used to identify performing students and award scholarships for further studies.
The governor commended former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), for facilitating the establishment of the Army University in Borno.
… Borno now reference on education, VC tells Governor
Speaking earlier, Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, commended the remarkable progress made by Borno in the field of educational development, during the last four years of Zulum’s administration.
He noted that the state, once plagued by insurgency, has transformed into a reference point for other regions in Nigeria which seek to enhance their educational systems.
“As a university, we are particularly encouraged by the monumental achievements recorded in the education sector, from the primary to the tertiary level. In terms of teacher quality development, recruitment, training and re-training and the high-quality infrastructural development for which Borno is now a reference point around the country”, Prof. Kyari said.
He thanked Governor Zulum for supporting the Army University and other tertiary institutions across the state.
Zulum approves N50m, staff houses, students hostels for Army University, Biu
Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a deadly raid in Ringa Village, located in the Ringa District of Rafi Local Government Area in Niger State, kidnapping four individuals and causing widespread damage, the state police command confirmed.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that on April 18, 2025, at approximately 1000hrs, a large group of armed bandits and insurgents, riding on motorcycles, invaded the village. During the attack, the assailants abducted four men Anas Shuaibu, Isah Kazuga, Mande Samari, and Bazama Kiwoji who were all residents of the village.
In addition to the kidnapping, the bandits set fire to the village’s electricity transformer, plunging the community into darkness. They also stole four unregistered Bajaj motorcycles that had been abandoned by their owners, who fled in fear for their lives.
Security forces are currently conducting intensive operations in a bid to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the perpetrators of the attack.
Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger
Pastor Killed in Armed Robbery Attack in Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a pastor in Bassa Local Government Area following an armed robbery incident that occurred late Friday night.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the he victim, identified as Pastor Yohanna Bitrus, 40, was attacked and killed by unidentified assailants who also stole his motorcycle.
The report was made by a resident, who informed the police that the incident took place at about 11:20 p.m. on April 18.
Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Bassa led patrol teams to the scene, where the victim was found with a deep machete cut on his chest
Pastor Bitrus was rushed to Bassa Cottage Hospital, where he was confirmed dead by the attending doctor.
Following the incident, a joint team of the military, police and other security agencies was immediately deployed into the surrounding forest in pursuit of the suspects.
Pastor Killed in Armed Robbery Attack in Plateau
JNIM Claims Deadly Attack on Benin Military Bases, Says 70 Soldiers Killed
By: Zagazola Makama
Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), a terrorist group operating in the Sahel, has claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on two military positions in northern Benin Republic on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
In a statement released through its propaganda channels, the group said it killed 70 Beninese soldiers during the assaults. The attacks reportedly targeted military companies stationed near the country’s northern borders with Burkina Faso and Niger – regions increasingly plagued by jihadist violence.
JNIM also published images of weapons and equipment it said were captured during the attacks. Among the items allegedly seized were:
American-made M2HB heavy machine guns, Five PP87 mortars of Chinese origin, Fifty-one rocket-assisted mortar shells, Three surveillance drones, Six motorcycles, Sixty-four grenades, Seventy-eight Kalashnikov rifles, Over 300 ammunition magazines, Type 80 and W-85 machine guns, Type 81-1 rifles Type 56-1 rocket launchers, and T69-1 anti-tank projectiles.
The Beninese government has yet to issue an official statement confirming the claims. However, security sources have confirmed that military operations are ongoing in the northern region, and reinforcements have been deployed to contain the situation.
JNIM, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has expanded its activities into coastal West African states in recent years, marking a shift in its operational footprint beyond Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
JNIM Claims Deadly Attack on Benin Military Bases, Says 70 Soldiers Killed
Armed Bandits Attack Ringa Village, Kidnap Four in Niger
Pastor Killed in Armed Robbery Attack in Plateau
EXCLUSIVE: Militia Supremacy Battle Fuels Deadly Attacks in Benue Community as 17 Killed
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