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Zamfara Assembly suspends two lawmakers over banditry involvement

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Zamfara Assembly suspends two lawmakers over banditry involvement

 

 

Two members of Zamfara House of Assembly, Yusuf Muhammad Anka and Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, have been suspended for three months after the conclusion of investigations over allegations of their involvement in banditry.

 

They represent Anka and Bakura constituencies in the Assembly.

The suspended members are to appear before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges with security agencies assigned to investigate them.

 

During the plenary session presided over by Speaker Nasiru Magarya, a member representing Maru North constituency, Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma, alleged the two members masterminded the killing of late Muhammad Ahmad, a former Assembly member representing Shinkafi constituency through connivance with bandits in a recorded phone conversation.

 

 

Kanoma called on the security agencies to fully track all their telephone lines and listen to all their conversations, advising his colleagues to suspend them from all House activities for an initial period of three months pending the conclusion of investigations.

 

 

Speaker Magarya approved the suspension of the two members for the initial period of three months.

 

Magarya also directed the chairman House Committee on Ethics and Privileges Kabiru Hashimu Dansadau to fully investigate the suspended members and report its findings back to the plenary in the next three months.

 

 

While expressing his dismay over their alleged involvement in banditry, the Speaker also stripped them off of the chairmanship of the House Standing Committees.

 

He assigned Yusuf Alhassan Kanoma to oversee the Works and Transport Committee hitherto chaired by Yusuf Muhammad Anka and directed Nasiru Atiku Gora to take charge of the Humanitarian and Social Development Committee from Ibrahim Tukur Bakura.

 

 

But Anka dismissed the allegation of his involvement in banditry as false, saying his suspension was due to the recent impeachment moves against Magarya over incapacitation.

 

 

Anka told reporters he spearhead the move to impeach the Speaker in the last two months, explaining his suspension was a conspiracy from the Speaker to stop the move.

 

He claimed to have been threatened by the Speaker to drop the impeachment move, which he refused.

 

He also alleged Governor Bello Matawalle personally called and threatened him over the impeachment move.

 

The Governor, he further alleged sent former Finance Minister Bashir Yuguda to broker peace, leading members of the movement to suspend their intention to impeach the Speaker.

 

He also debunked the allegation that he and his suspended refused to take the new ‘Oath of self- distancing’ on banditry recently introduced by Governor Matawalle.

 

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Senator Gbenga Daniel Advocates for Unity Amid Remo State Creation Discussions

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A wave of unity and purpose has swept across Remoland as traditional rulers, political leaders, and prominent stakeholders stand firmly behind the call for the creation of Remo State, a separate and sovereign entity within the Nigerian federation.

 

This bold declaration follows decades of marginalization and the failed attempt to co-create Ijebu-Remo State. Today, Remo leaders assert that their future lies in charting a distinct course—one anchored in their shared identity, cultural heritage, and economic potential. The proposed capital of the envisioned Remo State is Sagamu.

 

At the recent press conference held at the palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, speakers emphasized that Remo is no longer aligning with the Ijebu in the state creation struggle. While expressing goodwill towards their Ijebu counterparts, the Remo delegation stated clearly that any arrangement that attempts to subsume Remo under another identity will be firmly rejected.

 

The Remo State proposal includes the local government areas of Sagamu, Ikenne, and Remo North, along with other Remo-speaking communities. With a strong industrial base, strategic proximity to Lagos, and the ongoing development of key infrastructure such as the Ogun Agro-Cargo Airport, Remo leaders believe their region is economically and administratively capable of sustaining a state.

 

Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD), representing Ogun East Senatorial District, praised the initiative and pledged to foster peaceful dialogue between the Remo and Ijebu people. He acknowledged the strong leadership of the Remo Committee on State Creation and called for continued engagement across all levels.

 

Elder statesmen, including Chief S.K. Onafowokan and Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, lent their voices to the cause, calling for strategic diplomacy while reiterating Remo’s stance on autonomy.

 

Aare Dr. Kola Oyefeso, Chairman of the Remo State Creation Committee, reiterated that the campaign is peaceful, democratic, and people-driven. He assured that Remo would not accept any merger that erodes its identity and would prefer to remain within Ogun State rather than be annexed into an unfamiliar structure.

 

  • As the movement gains momentum, calls are being made to all Remo indigenes, at home and in the diaspora, to support the cause through advocacy, representation, and resource mobilization.

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Northern Group Alleges N200 Million Bribe From Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal to Frame Bello Matawalle

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The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has distanced itself from a controversial press conference held on Monday in Kaduna, where its supposed chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Sani, accused the Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle, of financial mismanagement.
In a sharp rebuttal on Tuesday evening, CNF Secretary, Abubakar Suleiman, described the event as a “shameful charade” allegedly sponsored with a N200 million bribe by agents of the current Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal.
He said the aim was to smear Matawalle and distract from the real rot within the Zamfara government.
“Governor Dauda Lawal and his people have tried everything possible to tarnish Matawalle’s image. This time, they bribed a handful of desperate individuals with N200 million to hijack our platform and stage a scripted attack. We disown that charade in its entirety,” Suleiman said.
He maintained that the CNF neither authorised nor participated in the press conference and had previously warned Aliyu Sani not to drag the Forum into political vendettas.
“No meeting was held, no mandate was given. What happened was the personal decision of a few compromised individuals. They do not speak for us,” Suleiman stated.
He alleged that Lawal’s administration had diverted over N10 billion in local government funds to sponsor this and similar smear campaigns against Matawalle and the federal government, while governance in Zamfara continued to deteriorate.
“Zamfara is on its knees. Insecurity is worsening, people are suffering, and instead of solving real problems, this administration is spending public funds on media stunts,” he said.
Suleiman further revealed that during Monday’s event in Kaduna, the group deliberately refused to stand with Aliyu Sani after learning that he had recruited non-members and thugs with offers of N200,000 each — funds allegedly traced to Dauda Lawal.
The CNF secretary also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to resist being used as a tool in political battles, stating that if anyone deserved investigation, it was Governor Lawal.
“We challenge the EFCC to look into the billions received and mismanaged by Dauda Lawal in the past two years. His hands are not clean,” Suleiman asserted.
“If those behind this plot do not retract their falsehoods and apologise publicly, we will explore legal options to defend the integrity of this Forum and the truth.”
The CNF reaffirmed its stance on transparency, justice, and development, insisting that it will not be used to settle political scores.

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Gabonese President Honours Tony Elumelu with National Award for Championing African Development

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Gabonese President Honours Tony Elumelu with National Award for Championing African Development.

Gabonese President Honours Tony Elumelu with National Award for Championing African Development.

 

 

The President of the Republic of Gabon, His Excellency, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, has conferred the nation’s honours – the Commander in the National Order of Gabonese Merit – on the Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony Elumelu.

 

Gabonese President Honours Tony Elumelu with National Award for Championing African Development.

 

The distinguished award recognises Elumelu’s enduring contribution to Africa’s economic development, particularly his impact on youth entrepreneurship and infrastructure growth in Gabon and across the continent.

 

Speaking at the presidential palace while presenting the recognition in Libreville on Monday, Nguema, who was on Saturday sworn in as the newly elected President of the oil-rich country, praised Elumelu’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development in Africa, adding that ‘Tony Elumelu is not only a visionary entrepreneur but also a committed friend of our nation Gabon. Through his Foundation and the UBA Group, he has consistently shown that investing in Africa is not just good business – it is the key to our shared future. Today, we honour a man whose actions continue to empower young Africans and inspire nations.”

 

While acknowledging the recognition, Elumelu, who has made several high-level visits to Gabon in recent months, expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the country’s development agenda:

 

“I am truly humbled by this honour. It is a reflection not just of my personal journey, but of a shared belief – that African-led solutions, African entrepreneurs, and African institutions will shape the future of this continent. Gabon holds enormous potential, and I am proud that the Tony Elumelu Foundation and UBA Group can play a role in unlocking it,” Elumelu said.

 

“This is more than a medal – it is a reminder of what we can achieve together as Africans,” Elumelu stated adding that, “At UBA and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, we remain committed to building bridges, not just between nations, but between ambition and opportunity.”

 

The recognition comes at a crucial time for Gabon, as the country accelerates its economic recovery and prioritises inclusive growth under the new leadership.

 

Elumelu’s engagement focuses on two key pillars of Infrastructure financing which is essential for long-term economic transformation and Youth entrepreneurship, championed through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which offers training, mentorship, and $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital to young Gabonese and African entrepreneurs each year.

 

The award also highlights the strengthening of financial partnership between Gabon and the UBA, which has a strong presence across the continent and is a key driver of financial inclusion and development.

 

Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, his family owned investment company committed to improving lives and transforming Africa, through long-term investments in strategic sectors of the African economy, including financial services, hospitality, power, energy, technology and healthcare.

 

He is the Chairman of pan-African financial services group, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which operates in 20 countries across Africa, the United Kingdom, France, the UAE and is the only African bank with a commercial deposit taking presence in the United States. UBA provides corporate, commercial, SME and consumer banking services to more than 35 million customers globally. He also chairs Nigeria’s largest quoted conglomerate, Transcorp whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power, one of the leading producers of electricity in Nigeria and Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s foremost hospitality brand.

 

Tony is the most prominent champion of entrepreneurship in Africa. In 2010, he created The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading philanthropy, empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and driving job creation across all 54 African countries. Since inception, the Foundation’s flagship programme has identified and catalysed 18,500 entrepreneurs and created a digital ecosystem of over one million Africans, as part of a ten-year US$100m commitment to fund, mentor and train young Africans.

 

Tony’s businesses and the Foundation are inspired by his economic philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the African continent.

 

In 2020, in recognition of his business leadership and economic empowerment of young African entrepreneurs, Tony was named in the TIME100 Most Influential People in the World, and recognised with Belgium’s oldest royal order.

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