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Zulum urges citizens to shun protest, says govt working to ease hardships

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Zulum urges citizens to shun protest, says govt working to ease hardships

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has urged citizens of the state to shun ideas of protest resulting from the hardships faced in the country.

The governor said that the hike in the prices of food and other commodities was temporary and assured that the government at all levels was working to ease the hardships.

Zulum spoke on Wednesday during a multi-stakeholder meeting he convened at the multi-purpose hall of the Government House in Maiduguri, the state capital.

“While the right to protest is fundamental in a democracy, we must acknowledge the high likelihood of such actions being manipulated by anarchists and enemies of peace. These elements thrive on chaos and discord, seeking to derail our collective efforts and exploit our vulnerabilities.

“Such manipulation could lead to violence, property destruction, and a setback in the progress we have painstakingly achieved. It is within this context that I urge you all to reflect deeply on the path we choose to take,” he said.

The governor added, “While this hardship exists today, we are also aware that the negative impacts are temporary. It is our hope that we will ride the wave of this hardship to arrive at the shores of prosperity. We will do whatever it takes, and we are doing whatever it takes and more, to protect the dignity, pride and independence of our people. The leadership is not asleep. The leadership has not given up the fight for a better Borno State, despite our underlying problems. The leadership at the federal level has not given up on Nigeria.

“Our current socio-economic circumstances do not result from a lack of empathy for others’ plights or inaction to address pressing issues. The government (at the state and federal levels) is taking necessary measures to tackle challenges such as food insecurity, unemployment, and healthcare.”

Zulum, however, noted that it requires time, patience and the collective effort of all stakeholders for the measures being taken to bear fruits.
“It is vital that we do not aggravate the situation or jeopardise the returning peace in our state. Any attempt to join the protest could have adverse consequences for the lives and property of our people.

“Therefore, I am appealing to all stakeholders to ponder the consequences the intended protest might cause our beloved State and consider how we collectively can address the challenges facing us,” the governor stated.

According to him, the good people of Borno State cannot allow a return to the dark days of tears, fears and losses of lives and livelihoods.

“To bring back Borno State, as your elected leader, I have done and continue to do the very best for the people of Borno State. There is not enough time to list what we have done,” he said.

He further stated, “To the youth of Borno State, you are the backbone of our society, the shapers of both today and tomorrow. Your energy, creativity, and passion are invaluable assets to our community. However, let your conscience guide you in these trying times.”

The governor urged the youth of the state to always choose dialogue as the means to negotiate their demands.

“Peaceful and constructive engagement is the cornerstone of sustainable development. Remember, the future we desire is built on the foundations we lay today. Let those foundations be solidly rooted in peace, dialogue, and mutual respect.

“For our nation at large, I kindly ask for your understanding and appeal against any mass protests that can derail our attention from finding solutions to our social challenges,” he said

Zulum said the Federal Government had taken a number of bold steps to address the challenges of food inflation and availability of medicines for the nation.

“All taxes, tariffs, levies and charges on food importation have been suspended. The government has suspended the taxes on drugs and medicines as well to bring down the prices.”

“I urge you all to reflect on our collective journey, the sacrifices made, and the progress achieved.

“Let us not allow a moment of frustration to undo years of hard work. Instead, let us recommit to the principles of peace, dialogue, and mutual respect. Together, we can and will build a future that we and future generations can be proud of,” the governor said.

The meeting was attended by the Deputy Governor, Umar Usman Kadafur; the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan; the Secretary to the state government, Bukar Tijani; the theatre commander, Operation Hadin Kai; Major General Waidi Shuaibu; the Borno Commissioner of Police, Yusuf Mohammed Lawal; the State Director of DSS; and other security heads.

The traditional institution, headed by the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Elkanemi, religious leaders, the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Trade Union, and other organisations, also attended the meeting.

Zulum urges citizens to shun protest, says govt working to ease hardships

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Zulum Dissolves Borno State Executive Council

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Zulum Dissolves Borno State Executive Council

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the immediate dissolution of the State Executive Council.

The decision is to provide an enabling environment for any member of the council who may wish to contest elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

The Governor has therefore directed all Commissioners to hand over the affairs of their respective ministries to the Permanent Secretaries on or before Friday, April 3, 2026.

Governor Zulum expressed his profound appreciation to the outgoing Commissioners for their dedication, commitment, and invaluable contributions to the development and service of the people of Borno State.

Zulum Dissolves Borno State Executive Council

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How corp member Samuel Orji bowed to humanity at the recent Monday market tragedy

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Late Sam Orji before his demise

How corp member Samuel Orji bowed to humanity at the recent Monday market tragedy

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Corp member Samuel Orji is not new to Monday market because he was raised in a restaurant right in front of the place as a kid because his mother used to be a food vendor to the traders within the vicinity.

Till the day of his death, he had friends and associates along the popular Ahmadu Bello way right down to Ali Kotoko Street where traders used to patronize his mother’s buka food.

But his mother have since left the town for Abuja leaving him and his brother Steve because he was still a student attending Ramat Polytechnic where he studied Electrical engineering when she left.

Having grown up in Maiduguri, he already knew that Improvised explosive devices IED could explode at any time during the day but never knew a semblance of the worse days could return to the city of yerwa.

For people who grew up in Maiduguri, the worse days are really over when everyone goes home before six pm so he was obviously rounding off his hustling that night when the explosion went off on Ahmadu Bello way which hit his legs and brought him down.

Though we all share a common humanity, living in the north east war theatre of hadin kai, we all go out each day for our daily bread not knowing what the end of the day will be like but taking each day as it comes.

Likewise, when corp member Samuel Orji left the house of his next of kin in Maduganari that fateful black Monday, he never planned not to return home, but as fate would have it, he was one of the victims that got hit by the suicide bomb explosion in front of the Monday market.

After being called up to the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) with number NYSC/RPM/25/185709, the young Orji was still serving at the engineering department of the Nigerian television authority (NTA) Potiskum in Yobe state when he lost his life.

Orji with YB/25B/1003 now serving in Damaturu found himself in Maiduguri the weekend before that black Monday because he had taken a pass to spend the public holiday with his brother and next of kin Stephen Orji who lives in Maduganari a suburban area of Maiduguri.

Speaking with this reporter after the tragedy, Borno State coordinator of the NYSC Bashir Nasir said the entire tragedy was a shock to him after a long spell of calmness in the city.

As soon as the incident happened, he was contacted by his headquarters (HQ) in Abuja to conduct a census of his Corp members to ensure all was well and report back to them.

It was in the process that he realized that his team was fine and that the fellow that died was indeed a Corp member but was serving the nation from Damaturu and that he had died as a result of the Monday blast on Ahmadu Bello way at the entrance of the market place.

“I quickly went into action by visiting all the places I know my corp members are based. And I was sure the fellow was not serving here in Borno after the roll call.

” Later a call came from his next of kin Steve to one of our staff in Yobe who indeed linked up with us here and that was when it was ascertained that Samuel Orji was a corp member serving in Yobe.

” I then went to the home of his next of kin Stephen Orji at Maduganari and that was how we took charge by handling all the preliminary expenses to ensure he is taken home for burial.

” The Yobe axis arranged for an ambulance and staff to convey his corpse to Enugu on Monday last week for burial.

” As a result of that triple blast I had to halt routine activities of corp members in the state except the medical officers among them who were released to assist in the hospitals on the condition that management will release ambulances from them to go and return safely to their bases. ” Said the state coordinator.

Challenges of the Corp in Borno state

The main challenge is obviously tied to their security which is why they are using the Arabic Teachers secondary school as a temporary location for now.

The original location has been tendered not usable after idps used it from 2012 to 3021

However, the governor in his magnanimity has given them a new camp of one km by one Km at Auno in the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile the coordinator who would be one year next month since he assumed duty hinted that 506 Corp members of the batch A stream one of 2005 will pass out this week on the 31st of March.

Another bold set of Corp members of the batch A stream one of 2026 will however be sworn in on the 22nd April.

How corp member Samuel Orji bowed to humanity at the recent Monday market tragedy

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Tension in jos north council area as government slams curfew over sunday’s killings in Plateau

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Tension in jos north council area as government slams curfew over sunday’s killings in Plateau

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Reports coming from Jos North council area of plateau State indicates that there is palpable tension in the city as suspected gunmen on motorcycle allegedly opened fire on some residents of Angwan Rukubu area Sunday evening.

The unprovoked shooting of innocent citizens caused serious pandemonium in the area forcing many residents to flee from the scene and avoided the general area until late at night when the government resultantly slammed a curfew in the area.

Residents were advised to avoid wandering around the general area from tomorrow in view of the incident so as not to fall victim of possible reprisals by young residents of the area.

‎PLATEAU STATE GOVERNMENT ORDERS 48 HOURS CURFEW IN JOS NORTH COUNCIL AREA

‎Reacting to the situation, the government has placed a 48 hour curfew on the area which is highly tensed according to eye witnesses for now.

A release signed by the Commissioner of information Joyce Ramnap stated that “‎Following the tragic security incident that occurred at Gari Ya Waye community Angwan Rukuba today Sunday 29th March 2028 resulting in the loss of lives, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

‎”The Plateau State Government in conjunction with security agencies wishes to inform the general public of the imposition of a 48 hour curfew within Jos North Local government Area with immediate effect, commencing from 12 midnight of 29th March, to 1st April, 2026.


“‎The government under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang strongly condemns this barbaric and unprovoked attack on innocent citizens and assures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.


“‎Citizens are urged to remain calm, stay vigilant, and cooperate fully with security agencies by providing any useful information that may aid ongoing investigations.” Noted the release.

Tension in jos north council area as government slams curfew over sunday’s killings in Plateau

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