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Zulum Urged Residents to ignore threat from Alau Dam
Zulum Urged Residents to ignore threat from Alau Dam
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has called on residents of greater Maiduguri to ignore any threat over a possible repeat flooding of the city by the Alau Dam.
The Alau Dam which collapsed almost a year ago is the main reservoir and source of drinking water for residents in Maiduguri yet when its dykes collapsed last year, the entire city centre was submerged killing several residents.
Several people are still missing till today in spite of the fact that the State Management Environment Agency (SEMA) alleged that over 150 lives were lost to the raging flood water which traveled almost 20km to cause such a havoc.
The fears of the residents this time around is predicated on the fact that the water in the dam has been gathering momentum coupled with the inability of the standing flood committee to manage annual floods in the city.
Fears of residents were equally heightened when the flood that hit the city of Maiduguri last week caused the collapse of eight buildings further covered a graveyard, and rendered many residents homeless.
Speaking during a recent inspection of the Alau Dam, Governor Zulum recalled that few days ago, the contractors handling the rehabilitation of the collapsed Alau Dam raised an alarm that the volume of water in the dam was increasing.
The Governor posited that based on the alarm raised, the Borno State government in partnership with the contractors were able to mobilise and fully opened all water channels in the Dam.
He added that the water is now running freely, with the volume of water in the dam receding as expected with less threat to the populace.
The Governor said he was told that the level of the water has dropped with about 14 Inches within the last few days, stressing that he believed the level would continue to drop further making it safe for nearby communities.
” Based on our engineering knowledge, we concluded that there is no cause for alarm. We shall continue to monitor the progress of work in the dam.
” However, I have to warn the people of the state to desist from building on waterways. We have to be careful. We also have to ensure that all the standards are adhered to. ” Said Zulum.
In response to the recent annual floods affecting the capital city the Governor assured that the Borno State government will soon embark on massive drainage of waterways of the city.
On the likely delay in the rehabilitation of the Alau Dam 10 months after the disaster, Governor Zulum noted that government has a process of executing its projects but is happy that the contractors have mobilized to site.
” We had a lot of concern that the pace of the rehabilitation is slow, but now we can see that the contractors are on the site. We have to commend President Bola Tinubu for approving N80 billion for the rehabilitation of the collapsed dam. And looking at the mobilisation by the site, the contractors are working.
” We want to look at the master plan of the State and ensure that all waterways are cleared to allow inflow of water to the rivers.
” We must enforce certain environmental standards to make progress. It is better for us to safeguard, take early warning measures rather than remedial measures after the incident might have occurred. ” Said Zulum.
Zulum Urged Residents to ignore threat from Alau Dam
PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES GENERAL CHRISTOPHER MUSA AS THE NEW MINISTER OF DEFENCE
By: Our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.
General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career. His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai. He later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
End
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES GENERAL CHRISTOPHER MUSA AS THE NEW MINISTER OF DEFENCE
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
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