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Zamfara Group Slams Governor Dauda Lawal Over Banditry Remark, Calls for State of Emergency

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The Zamfara Good Governance Network (ZGGN) has sharply criticised Governor Dauda Lawal over a viral video in which he claimed that banditry in the state would end within two months if he had control over security agencies. The group described the governor’s remarks as an insult to the Nigerian military and a betrayal of the people of Zamfara, accusing him of playing politics with lives after nearly three years in office.

 

In the undated video that circulated widely this week, Lawal, speaking in Hausa, said he had bought 150 vehicles for security agencies but could not direct their use, stressing that orders could only come from Abuja. He added that he had access to tracking devices that revealed the daily movements of bandits, insisting that if he had the authority to command the security forces, the menace would end in two months.

 

Reacting in Abuja on Wednesday, Murtala Abdullahi, president of the Zamfara Good Governance Network, described the statement as both reckless and shameful.

 

“This is a governor who campaigned on the promise of ending insecurity in Zamfara and rode on that sentiment to secure his mandate. Now, almost three years into his administration, he is telling the world that he can solve the problem in two months if only he had control of security agencies. This is not just laughable, it is an affront to the gallant men and women of our armed forces who continue to make sacrifices in Zamfara,” Abdullahi said.

 

The group accused Lawal of deliberately undermining federal efforts to tackle banditry in the state, pointing to his own admission that he knows the exact locations of criminal gangs but has not shared such intelligence with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), or the military high command.

 

“Governor Lawal has openly confessed to knowing where bandits are located and even claimed he can track their movements on his phone. Yet, rather than handing this information to the appropriate authorities, he is sitting on it, while innocent villagers are being massacred and abducted on a daily basis. That is nothing short of complicity,” Abdullahi declared.

 

He further accused the governor of hypocrisy, noting that while Lawal laments a lack of control over security agencies, he personally moves around the state with a heavily armed convoy, including personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other paramilitary outfits.

 

“Whereas he enjoys full protection with sophisticated equipment and military-grade vehicles, his comrades in arms are out there killing ordinary citizens. The governor has created for himself a cocoon of safety while failing to protect the very people he swore an oath to defend. His claim that he has no control is belied by the very visible security detail he commands daily within Zamfara,” Abdullahi said.

 

The ZGGN described the situation as a compromise too grave to ignore, warning that Zamfara could not continue to drift under a governor it accused of failing to provide leadership in the face of escalating violence.

 

“With this level of compromise, it is only wise that the President declares a state of emergency in Zamfara. This administration has failed woefully to deliver on its most basic duty, which is the protection of lives and property. The earlier the President acts, the better for the people of Zamfara who are being killed on a daily basis,” Abdullahi stated.

 

The group highlighted recent attacks that have left dozens dead and hundreds abducted in local government areas such as Bukkuyum and Kaura Namoda, arguing that the scale of bloodshed had reached intolerable levels.

 

“It is shameful that instead of providing solutions, the governor is busy issuing excuses. Just in August alone, more than 24 people were killed in Kaura Namoda, 16 injured, and 144 abducted. A week later, 100 villagers were taken from Bukkuyum, with two killed. What Zamfara needs is decisive leadership, not a governor who cries on camera while admitting he has the intelligence to end banditry but chooses not to act,” Abdullahi said.

 

The ZGGN called on civil society organisations, religious leaders, and community groups to raise their voices in demanding accountability from the governor, warning that silence in the face of repeated attacks would only embolden the criminals.

 

“Our people cannot continue to be sacrificial lambs on the altar of weak leadership. Governor Lawal must stop hiding behind excuses and start delivering results. If he cannot, then let the federal government step in to take control and rescue Zamfara from total collapse,” Abdullahi said.

Entertainment

Davido breaks silence after Grammy Award loss

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Five-time Grammy nominee, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reacted after losing the Best African Music Performance category at the 68th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States.

 

The Afrobeats star shared a message of faith and resilience following the outcome of the ceremony, which took place on Sunday night at the Crypto.com Arena in California.

In a post on his Instagram page, Davido shared photos with his wife, Chioma, from the event and wrote, “Oluwa Dey my side,” alongside prayer and music emojis.
Hours later, he posted another set of pictures of himself and Chioma at the Grammys, reflecting on the loss in a longer caption.

“I said baby listen we lost again let’s not go ! she said ‘Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat’ we outside,” he wrote.
Chioma also reacted via her Instagram page, praising the singer, “You already know that you’re the perfect one, @davido,” she wrote, while sharing photos from the awards night.
Davido was nominated in the Best African Music Performance category at the 2026 Grammy Awards but lost to South African singer Tyla, who won with her song Push 2 Start.

Other nominees in the category included Burna Boy (Love), Ayra Starr and Wizkid (Gimme Dat), Davido (With You featuring Omah Lay), and Eddy Kenzo and Mehran Matin (Hope & Love).

The win marked Tyla’s second Grammy Award, following her first victory in 2024 for her hit single Water.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, the singer revealed that With You, featuring Omah Lay, almost did not make the final tracklist of his album 5IVE.
“Man, it’s so crazy because that song almost didn’t make the album. With You was not in anybody’s top five.
“And now look at it go. Every time I was performing it, my heart would just start beating like, what if I didn’t put this song?” he told OkayAfrica.

Davido also recounted how he learned about the Grammy nomination, saying the news came unexpectedly while he was in Dubai, days before his birthday.

“I was in the car, actually, checking a car, and then my phone rang. They were like, ‘Oh yeah, another nomination.’ I was like, wow. Thank God,” he said.

“With You” was released in April 2025 as the 17th track on Davido’s fifth studio album, 5IVE, and has since become one of his most successful recent records, surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify.

Despite the song’s success, Nigeria did not record a win at the 2026 Grammy Awards.
Davido said he is now focused on touring and releasing new music.

He is also billed to perform at Coachella 2026, where he will be the only Nigerian artiste on the festival lineup, performing on April 11 and April 18, 2026, in Indio, California.

-Guardian

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Kunle Afolayan gives reasons to marry many women

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Nollywood filmmaker, Kunle Afolayan, has stirred reactions after advising men to “marry many women” while reflecting on his upbringing in a polygamous home.

 

The actor and producer made the remarks at the watch party of Aníkúlápó: The Ghoul Awakens, with a clip from the event going viral on Tuesday.

Speaking at the event, Afolayan linked his existence and achievements to his late father’s decision to marry several wives.

“Without my father, there wouldn’t have been a KAP Village or even Kunle Afolayan. I am the seventh born of my father because my father had ten wives. For the men, marry many women, or rather be involved with many women. You know why? If my father didn’t, he would not have born me, and that is the honest truth. But today, a few of us are lifting his legacy. Life is short, death is constant. Nobody has life forever. Everybody has a period. Use your period,” he said.

While his daughter, Eyiyemi Afolayan, joined him on stage, the filmmaker compared his childhood experience with his relationship with his children.

“They are lucky. For her, staying by my side is luck. Do you know why? I couldn’t stand it with my father. My father didn’t know my school. My father didn’t know my date of birth. He did not know anything about me other than, ‘He is the son of that person.’ But today, I’m so proud of my father,” he added.

Afolayan also spoke about fatherhood.

“Sometimes when people say ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ I’m always saying whether he pays child support or not, he’s still a father. I have been going to court because I want to get a divorce. I don’t mind being in the witness box, and I experienced the shit, so that I can marry many wives,” he said.

He thereafter prayed for his daughter, praising her role in the series.

“Hephzibah, her mother is the one who gave her the name. I don’t care, but I am proud of you. You started with the film, you did the first season, and now with the second season, you did amazingly well. My good Lord will continue to increase you in wisdom, in knowledge, and in understanding. If this is your path, the good Lord will see you through.”
However, this is not the first time the filmmaker has spoken about his late father’s polygamous lifestyle.

In March 2021, Afolayan told BBC Pidgin that his father, Adeyemi Afolayan, who died in 1996, married 10 wives and had 25 children, a decision he said took a toll on the family.

“I would not want to marry many wives because my father had 10 wives and I knew what happened throughout that period. I knew that really distracted my father. In this age, nobody needs to tell you before you know what’s right,” he said at the time.

He also disclosed that growing up in a polygamous home affected bonding among the children due to language and other barriers.

Afolayan further narrated how he battled poverty in his early years, revealing that he once lived in a one-room apartment in Ebute-Metta and sometimes had to deal with flooding.

“I was born in Ebute-Metta and have lived in one-room apartment before that we even have to grapple with flood sometimes. It’s not shame to say have been poor before. But if you see how l made it, it’s a matter of consistency. My father was a very popular filmmaker and ordinarily, people would expect me to life the kind of live akin to Hollywood stars,” he said.

“But that wasn’t the case. How would one live such life when you’re living in a room with ten women. That doesn’t mean there was no love among us.”

He had advised young filmmakers to start with the little resources available to them while working towards their dreams.

 

-Guardian

 

 

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Court adjourns Ganduje’s corruption trial to April 15

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A Kano State High Court has adjourned until April 15 the trial of former governor Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat Umar, and son, Abdullahi Umar, alongside five other defendants, over alleged misappropriation of public funds amounting to billions of naira.

 

The defendants are facing an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of public funds. The remaining accused persons are Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution told the court it was ready to proceed and drew attention to a motion dated November 24, 2025, seeking leave to file additional proof of evidence.

However, defence lawyers raised objections, informing the court that multiple applications were pending and must be resolved before the trial could continue.

Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo, counsel to some of the defendants, said the defence had filed a motion dated July 17, 2025, seeking a stay of proceedings.
Adekunle Taiye-Falola, representing the third and seventh defendants, also referred to a separate motion dated May 23, 2025.
In addition, Muhammad Shehu, counsel to the fifth defendant, told the court that an affidavit had been filed notifying it of a pending application for stay of proceedings before the Court of Appeal.
Abubakar Ahmad, counsel to the sixth defendant, informed the court that he had filed a notice of preliminary objection and an application for extension of time to respond on points of law dated February 2, urging the court to fix a date for hearing.

Only Faruk Asekome, counsel to the eighth defendant, indicated readiness to proceed with the trial.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, adjourned the matter to April 15 for the hearing of all pending applications and preliminary objections.

The trial has suffered repeated delays due to legal challenges. The high court had earlier dismissed preliminary objections raised by the defence as “incompetent” and affirmed its jurisdiction to hear the case.
That ruling was appealed by the defendants, who argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. However, in October 2025, the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal struck out the appeal, citing failure to properly transmit the record of appeal.

-Guardian

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