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NEW SECT ‘YANLABAIKU’ EMERGES IN KEBBI
We have not finished dealing with Boko Haram, another group has emerged though they claim not to be violent. This group called Yanlabaiku forbids western education and share wives.
Daily Trust reports
A group known as “Yanlabaiku” with membership of about 100 followers which is also preaching against Western education has emerged at Gwadangwaji, the outskirts of Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State. The group lays claim to Islam and is conducting public preaching, meetings and processions though no violent activity has been attributed to it.
The group’s members are also called ‘Yanlokoloko’ which is one of the names of one of its leaders, Ismaila Lokoloko, who is assisted by one Bala Amadu.
The group is said to be opposed to one of the major teachings of the Islamic religion – the five daily prayers – as it allegedly preaches against offering them as Islam dictates.
Members of the group, which is said to have a slogan that puts belief in their Sheikh above God, are also said to willingly surrender their wives to spend the night with their important visitors especially scholars from the group.
Daily Trust gathered reliably from security sources in the state that the group’s leaders were part of the group that was based in Niger State before it was disbanded by government. Some of the present leaders relocated to Borno and Yobe states while others relocated to Niger Republic where they might have had direct contact with the Boko Haram.
“You might have noticed that their criticism of the five daily prayers which is a compulsory act in Islam is synonymous with the teachings of the sect sacked from Niger State, while the Boko Haram is known to oppose Western education. The issue of sharing their wives with their scholars is a known practice by some sects in the early 70s,” the source said.
When this reporter visited the group’s mosque at Gwadangwaji, behind the PHCN office, some of the members were seen sitting in groups around the mosque. One of the residents of the area, said while talking about the group’s members that, “they sometimes pray two raka’ats and terminate the prayer of three raka’ats saying that Sheikh will complete the rest for them and also that of four raka’ats, only two will be said instead.”
Some residents that spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, “the group used to converge at Malam Labarasi’s residence in Gwadangwaji. Most of us don’t pray in their mosque. We did not pay much attention to them because until we started seeing journalists and other people coming to ask questions, we never knew them.”
Leader of the 1,600 Kebbi indigenes displaced by the Boko Haram from Borno State and Niger Republic and camped in Birnin Kebbi, Abubakar Gadu, in an earlier interview with Daily Trust said the leader of the Boko Haram group that led the attack on them in Borno State, one Bala is an indigene of Nasarawa area of Kebbi State and also a fish merchant in Doron Baga, Borno State.
When this reporter made attempt to confirm the allegations from the Imam of the group’s mosque, some worshippers at the mosque told this reporter that the imam had been dethroned few days earlier. However, the former imam of the mosque, Muhammadu Danmaihure, 45, who our correspondent met outside his residence near the mosque said he voluntarily resigned as the imam of the mosque about a week ago after serving in that capacity for over 15 years.
“I resigned from my position as the imam of the mosque about a week ago due some misunderstanding between the congregation and I,” he said.
But when pressed further on why he had to shift base completely from the premises of the mosque and the building opposite the mosque where followers of the group converged to preach, Danmaihure said: “I was forced to relocate to the frontage of my house to avoid interacting with the group after several attempts and sermons failed to change the minds of the group’s members on certain ideology they are introducing.
“I am an indigene of Kebbi State and resigned my role after 15 years of serving as the imam of the same mosque few days ago, because the sect kept insisting that after calling prayer, we must not wait for others to pray in congregation. So, I was not comfortable with that decision which resulted into a serious rift that led to my resignation as imam of the mosque,” he said.
When asked if the sect has any similarity with the Boko Haram, why they are observing two instead of the four raka’ats in the afternoon prayer and whether the members actually gave their wives to their visitors, he denied such allegations saying they were not true, adding, “I have also heard of such allegations which I believe are being peddled by people who are opposed to the sects ideology. One can say anything if he is opposed to your religious ideology,” he said.
“I was born and brought up in Gwadangwaji village over 45 years ago and we have been praying five times daily and it is according to Islamic injunction, We have no connection direct or indirect with Boko Haran group up to the time of my resignation as imam,” he stated.
He said the District Head of Gwadangwaji summoned him with a congregation of the mosque for a meeting on Sunday night that lasted up to Monday morning. He said the district head questioned his resignation as imam and asked questions on the recent developments in the mosque.
“I responded to him same as the response I gave to you journalists who came here on the issue. I also told him that, I am not aware of the purported existence of ‘Yanlokoloko’ group. I know Bala Amadu, but I do not know Ismail Lokoloko in this mosque. Bala lives close to our Sheikh’s house in Gwadangwaji. But, as I speak to you, he has moved to a place in Niger State about three months ago where he farms every season,” he said.
Danmaihure said he currently lives with his two wives and 14 children and that apart from the district head and journalists and some other people in town, there was no security agent that visited or invited him for questioning.
When contacted for comments, the District Head of Gwadangwaji, Alhaji Umar Ahmed, denied knowledge of the existence of the sect. But when our correspondent made mention of his Sunday night meeting with the mosque’s former imam, Danmaihure and representatives of the group, the district head shouted: “Why don’t you come and see me instead of questioning me on phone, Malam!” and hung up the call.
When our correspondent returned to his office after the outburst and asked him same questions about the alleged emergence of the sect, the district head first responded by asking our correspondent whether he has seen any of the sects member at the mosque, adding “I can’t tell you anything because as a district head I am not supposed to speak to the press. I am supposed to report to the government. So, if you want to know anything, you should go and ask the government.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Samaila Dabai Yombe, when contacted earlier on phone said all necessary action has been taken by government to checkmate the sect, adding that security agents are already on top of the matter. “Government has sprang into action with a follow up instruction to all security agents to bring down any such body that presents security threats to our people,” he said.
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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC
….congratulates new State Party Chairman, Warman Ogoriba
APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa State, Great Joshua MacIver has declared his total commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027, declaring that the Tinubu re-election project is non-negotiable.
Great Joshua MacIver, in his statement titled ” BAYELSA APC CONGRESSES: GOING FORWARD, A CALL TO LOOK INWARDS” and made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, warned APC leaders in the state to look Inward and take note of certain factors which may hinder or cut short our victory.
According to Great Joshua MacIver, such noticeable pitfalls include the imbalance in the united front being put up by the State Governor,Senator Douye Diri among various political blocs in the state.
In the statement issued at the weekend. Great Joshua MacIver stated that “First, before His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, joined the APC in the state, there were clearly two political blocs that made up the party, with the approximate population ratios of the blocs standing at 95% to 5%.”
“After the entrance of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, ONLY THE SMALLER BLOC IS BEING CARRIED ALONG IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE PARTY, leaving the greater percentage to their fate, and this situation has the potential to build anger and dissatisfaction in our dear party.”
” The consequence of this has been the high level defection we have witnessed in the party recently and we believe more may likely follow, if we do not put our house in order.”
” If we do not pull together as a party, we may witness a situation where we will lose key stakeholders, especially after the State and National Assembly Primaries as well the Gubernatorial Primaries.”
“Finally, while it is very clear that we are the party to beat in the 2027 elections and that our loyalty to Mr. President IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, we must make haste to say that we cannot afford to create situations or loopholes in our unity which will be exploited by other political interests in the state. We cannot afford to under-rate anyone.”
“Our core interest remains the re-election of Mr. President, a project to which we have committed our all. We also pledge our total loyalty to the party as we have no alternative to the APC. However, our concern is that we must, as a party, look inwards and ensure that we do not create loopholes that can impede our common goal.”
Great Joshua MacIver, however congratulated the newly elected State Executives of the APC in Bayelsà State led by Hon. Warman Ogoriba, saying their emergence is welcomed at this critical time in our national history.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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