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THE MANY ROTS MATAWALLE MET IN ZAMFARA

Published

6 years ago

August 18, 2020

By Abdulkadir Sulaiman

After failing to win in its dirty machinations to create scandal using the former IGP M. D. Abubakar Committee on finding lasting peace to the lingering security crises which they mismanaged for nearly a decade, the dirty side of the opposition in Zamfara state have now jumped to the Education sector.

From yesterday, a certain video was recorded, allegedly of the Government Science Secondary school Shinkafi where a dilapidated hostel occupied by students was recoded by a certain academic who might have done it in his own way of being a patriot. This is in spite of the fact that no channel of communication was established between the said academic and the state Ministry of education as to what is being done to address the rots in education inherited by Governor Bello Mohammed Administration from the previous administration. However, the way it went viral pointed to the fact that mischief was the backbone behind the said video circulating in the Social media.

When Governor Bello Mohammed took over the administration of Zamfara state last year, he met a multiple of crises especially in the area of security, education and health. The immediate concern was to address the security issues which was at a point of societal breakdown. The first few months of his administration was occupied with addressing this security issue which brought peace to Zamfara State after eight years of escalating banditry which gulped more than 6,000 innocent lives, widowed more than 5,000 women and orphaned more than 25,000 children.

The rot in health and education sector was equally monumental. The hospitals in the state were in a very sorry state. This is in spite of the fact that rural areas do not even have dispensaries to address their primary health demands. Governor Matawalle, in only one year, built and equipped the Kagara hospital and also improved the existing hospitals in the state by providing them with many of their requirements which included drugs and brand new ambulances.

The rural areas were not left behind as Governor Matawalle administration embarked on building a 50-bed primary health hospital for each of the 147 wards in the state which are now in various stages of completion. Similarly, 147 tricycle ambulance are acquired for each of these hospitals to be distributed when these centers are completed. An orthopaedic hospital is also being built at Shinkafi at the cost of over N2 billion.

In the area of education, Governor Bello Mohammed began by addressing the rot in our primary schools. He built and renovated over 1000 classroom blocks in our primary schools across the state along with the provision of their furniture. He employed nearly 600 primary school teachers who were meant to boost the teaching staff of the sector. This is born out of the fact that primary school education is the backbone of the educational system anywhere. He has also built a model primary school at Maradun.

As for secondary school sector, Matawalle administration has started addressing its multiple rot in terms of infrastructure, teaching staff and feeding system. It, however, cannot possibly addressed in only one year? Yes, the renovation of Government Girls Secondary school Kwatarkwashi has been effected while the crooked feeding system of all the secondary schools in the state has been addressed. With the tens of secondary schools and thousands of students in those schools, and each with multiple of decay, in one year, no state Government has the magic to address all the gargantuan rot inherited from many years of maladministration such as the type inherited by Matawalle administration. .

It is in line with his avowed commitment to address the education sector that in the current fiscal provision in the state, education was allocated the highest share of the budget with 19%. It is instructive to note that at the time the Matawalle administration assumed office, graduating secondary school students could not write their SSCE examinations while previous ones were withheld as the state Government owed WAEC and NECO stupendous amount of unpaid fees from previous students examinations. Matawalle administration has taken care of that and the students have collected their withheld results and it is now back to normal with the present set of students.

Indeed, everywhere in Nigeria today, one is bound to find one or two of similar condition as portrayed in that video. But the intent behind this video going round the social media is dead on arrival because it is an unwitting indictment of the previous administration that allowed it to reach this stage and equally failed to address it. There is no magic wand Matawalle can use to address all these multiple rots in only one year he has spent in office. But then, it is clear all Zamfarans that his administration is committed enough to ensure that by the end of its tenure, it has left Zamfara state better than it met it.

Sulaiman writes from Gusau.

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FCMB Limits Exposure in Fraud Attempt

Published

2 weeks ago

March 28, 2026

Sahara Weekly

More than ₦3 billion was targeted, but about ₦677 million reached the culprits, with recovery and prosecutions underway, reflecting how banks are responding to more sophisticated fraud risks.

Nigeria’s expanding digital banking sector is facing increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts, as financial institutions adapt to faster transactions and broader online services.

A recent case involving First City Monument Bank (FCMB), linked to fraudulent activity detected in December 2025, has drawn attention to how banks are responding to such incidents, with a focus on limiting exposure, recovering funds and working with law enforcement.

According to findings referenced in proceedings before the Lagos State Special Offences Court, the incident involved unauthorised transactions tied to a digital product. Early reports erroneously suggested more than ₦3 billion was lost. Subsequent clarification shows that over ₦3 billion was targeted, ₦2.4 billion was blocked and recovered, while ₦677 million got into the possession of the culprits. This outcome reflects the bank’s cyber security and monitoring capabilities, as well as improved collaboration among regulated financial institutions and with law enforcement agencies. Several suspects and beneficiaries have been apprehended, while recovery and prosecution efforts are ongoing, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Proceedings at the Lagos State Special Offences Court have resulted in convictions, including that of a repeat offender, with restitution orders issued. Related matters are also being handled at the Federal High Court in Lagos, where additional suspects are being tried in connection with the scheme. This process is aimed at ensuring that bad actors are identified and permanently blacklisted from the financial system.

Authorities say recovery efforts are continuing as additional funds are traced.

Analysts note that the pace of legal action reflects closer coordination between financial institutions and enforcement agencies in addressing cyber-related financial crime.

The case comes as banks contend with more complex fraud methods, including social engineering and automated exploitation of system processes.

As digital products and platforms expand, so too does the risk associated with cyber-crime and related fraud.

“The scale of digital banking means risks are evolving alongside the systems,” said a Lagos-based financial analyst. “Institutions are now judged by how they manage these events.”

Observers say the sector is moving toward a stronger focus on response and recovery, rather than prevention alone.

This includes improving monitoring capabilities, strengthening transaction controls and enhancing collaboration with regulators and law enforcement. The FCMB case, with limited exposure relative to the amount targeted and ongoing recovery, reflects that shift.

For customers, the primary concern is the safety of their funds. In this case, there has been no indication of losses affecting customer deposits. Maintaining that level of protection remains central to sustaining trust in the financial system.

Nigeria’s financial sector continues to grow, supported by digital innovation and expanding access to banking services.

However, analysts say fraud attempts are likely to persist as systems become more complex and interconnected.

They say institutions will increasingly be judged not only on their ability to prevent incidents, but on how effectively they respond and recover when they occur.

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Ex-APC Deputy Guber flag bearer, Joshua MacIver backs Tinubu, express fears over implosion in Bayelsa APC

Published

3 weeks ago

March 21, 2026

Sahara Weekly

….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.

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How Primate Ayodele Foretold Borno Suicide Bomb Attack A Few Weeks Ago (VIDEO)

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Sahara Weekly

“You Can’t Use Primate Ayodele To Score Points For Your Failed Political Ambitions” – Fulani Group Blasts Umar Ardo

At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.

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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

#borno #nigeria #fulfillment #security #primateayodele

♬ original sound – Primate Ayodele

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.