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We were ready to lose students in planned bandits’ bombardment, says El-Rufai

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El-Rufai added that Kaduna is currently at war and such would only be considered as collateral damage, a price he would be willing to pay instead of paying ransom.

The governor, however, said before this could be done, the bandits hurriedly changed location which led to the students spending over a month in captivity.

The governor said this on Thursday during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group.

The event which was tagged: ‘Developing a Viable Nation 2’ was hosted by Pastor of Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo.

Responding to a question on his refusal to negotiate with bandits, the governor said, “Two days after the abduction of the Afaka young people, I was assured by the air force and the army that they knew where the kidnappers were with the students and they had encircled (them).

“We were going to attack them. We would lose a few students but we would kill all the bandits and we would recover some of the students. That was our plan. That was the plan of the air force and the army… But they slipped through the cordon of the army. That is why they were not attacked.

“We know it is risky, we know in the process we may lose some of the abductees but it is a price we have to pay. This is war, there will always be collateral damage in war and we will rather do that than pay money because paying money has not solved the problem anywhere in the world.”

El-Rufai admitted that he had “lost weight” over the insecurity in Kaduna State which was giving him sleepless nights.

The governor, however, claimed that insecurity in Kaduna was not as bad as Niger, Katsina and Zamfara but the media only focused attention on his state because it fitted  into their narrative of ethnic clashes.

El-Rufai said in Katsina and Niger states, entire villages were sacked by bandits but nothing of such happened in Kaduna.

On why he asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to negotiate with Boko Haram to rescue Chibok girls, the governor stated that he only gave that advice because that was the first time such abduction would take place.

He said Boko Haram is driven by an ideology and not by money in the case of today’s bandits.

The governor also spoke about his expectations for Nigeria in 2023.

El-Rufai said it was his wish that the next President of Nigeria would not be more than 65 years.

The governor said political leadership is mentally and physically draining and a younger person would handle the stress better than an older person.

El-Rufai also said the President,  Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), hardly achieved much because he is a nice guy that doesn’t like to sack.

He said he believed in sacking incompetent hands and that was why he achieved more.

“I fire people so I get higher execution rates. President Buhari is a nice guy, he doesn’t fire people so he has a slower execution rate,” the governor added.

Meanwhile, there were indications on Thursday that bandits, who kidnapped students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna, had dropped their threat to kill the remaining students of the university in their custody.

An Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, gave this hint in Kaduna while receiving  parents of students of  Afaka, who were released on Wednesday.

Recall that a leader of the bandits,  Sani Jalingo, had in an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America on Monday, threatened that the remaining 17 students in their custody,  would be killed if the Kaduna State Government or parents of the abductees failed to pay N100m and provide 10 motorcycles on or before Tuesday (this week).

But Gumi, on  Thursday expressed optimism that the remaining students of the Greenfield University, Kaduna would soon  be freed.

The cleric, who indicated that the bandits had rescinded their decision to kill the students,  stated, “The talk with the Greenfield University students’ abductors is also going on. You know they threatened to kill  all of them after a particular deadline, but after talking to them, they are now lowering their bar.

“So, we are thankful they have stopped killing. And we are still negotiating with them. I hope this Afaka case will also encourage (everybody) to know that there is hope in negotiation and release of the children.”

While fielding question from newsmen shortly after the visit, Gumi said the role he and former President Olusegun Obasanjo played was  purely mediatory, noting that fight was between the bandits and the government.

He explained that the bandits while attacking government, attacked government institutions and “innocent children.”

When asked about the reported swap of a bandit for the students, Gumi said, “I cannot confirm that but I can quote the Governor of Kaduna State (Nasir El-Rufai) when the children of Chibok were kidnapped by Boko Haram.  He said it was the duty of the government to use whatever means possible to save the lives of Chibok girls. This is a general rule that life is more precious. Now, I am happy that 27 lives have been saved.”

Earlier, the parents of the 27 abducted students had said they were in his residence to thank him for the role he played in freeing their children.

Led by the Chairman and the Secretary of the Parents’ Forum, Mallam Usman Abdullahi and  Friday Sanni, respectively, they urged the Islamic cleric to extend their appreciation to Obasanjo.

Meanwhile, parents of the 27 Afaka students  on Thursday waited in vain as they couldn’t be reunited with their children released by bandits after 57 days.

The parents, who gathered as early 8am  to receive their children at the school premises along the Kaduna International Airport road opposite the Nigerian Defence Academy, were disappointed.

There were reports on Thursday that the students were freed after the payment of N15m ransom and the release of a bandit, who was detained by security agencies following  Obasanjo and Gumi’s intervention.

 

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Breaking: Universities adopt 150 as cut-off mark for 2025/2026 admission and sets admission age at 16, Says Alausa

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Vice Chancellors of Universities in the country have adopted 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for 2025/2026 admission.

The decision was reached in a voice vote supervised by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Tuesday at the ongoing policy meeting on admission in Abuja.

At the meeting, the minimum cut-off point for admission into polytechnics was pegged at 100, while the colleges of education and agriculture adopted 100 as the entry point.

Colleges of nursing adopted 140 as the entry point for admission

The Federal Government has formally set 16 years as the minimum age for admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced this on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board held in Abuja.

Alausa, while declaring the meeting open, emphasised that the age benchmark is now official and non-negotiable. He warned that any admission carried out outside the Central Admissions Processing System would be considered illegal.

The minister further stated that heads of institutions found culpable of admission fraud or circumventing CAPS would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The annual policy meeting sets guidelines for the conduct of admissions into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for the coming academic session

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“We’re Removing All Bottlenecks To Improve Food And Agric Production In Nigeria, Says Tinubu To Brazilian Leader”

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President Bola Tinubu on Saturday assured his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, that he is working to remove all bottlenecks hindering Nigeria’s agric sector boom, especially bureaucracy, which he said contributes to delays in realising the sector’s potential.

He said this will enable food sovereignty and export for the country in areas such as livestock production.

Tinubu said this in a bilateral meeting held at the Copacabana Forte with the Brazilian president and some members of both countries’ cabinets.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed this in a statement he signed Saturday night titled ‘We’re Removing All Bottlenecks To Improve Food And Agric Production In Nigeria, Says President Tinubu To Brazilian Leader.’

“The President informed the Brazilian leader and delegation that Nigeria was already undergoing reforms to reposition the economy for global competitiveness, particularly in agriculture, where it already has a competitive advantage.

“Tinubu stated that all technicalities in agreements between the two countries will be streamlined and fast-tracked in trade, aviation, energy transition, food and agricultural development, mining, and natural resources exploration”, the statement partly read.

He added that Brazil’s research and development services had been exemplary for most countries, with the country rated as one of the highest producers of food and agricultural products.

“On livestock farming, Tinubu highlighted the efforts of his administration to boost investments in poultry, cattle rearing, and fisheries, adding that the blue economy also holds potential for long-term partnerships between Nigeria and Brazil. He argued that Nigeria was ready for a strong partnership and immediate action to stimulate food production.

“The President said the subnationals have a pivotal role in food and animal production in Nigeria by complementing the federal government’s efforts to use agriculture as a significant source of employment and resource mobilisation. Lula assured that all agreements with Nigeria would be regularised, and the MOUs would be updated and signed without delay during President Tinubu’s next visit.

“He noted that the lingering bureaucracy between the two countries must be removed to achieve quick results, adding that Brazil’s research and development institutions will collaborate with Nigeria to enhance livestock farming. The Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, revealed that Tinubu had consistently insisted on food security for Nigeria, and the mandate would be actualised through local and global partnerships. He added that Nigeria already had a competitive advantage in fertiliser production that could easily be enhanced, “he said.

The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, highlighted three areas of partnership with Brazil, including health and disease management, sanitary services, and research into genetic materials and new breeds.

The governors of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia; Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago; Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori; and Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, attended the bilateral meeting.

The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, said that the sub-nationals would support the federal government’s framework to revamp the agricultural sector.

Abiodun noted that both leaders’ decision to include a business forum during President Tinubu’s state visit to the country will inject fresh ideas and resources, enabling quick results in turning around Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, also participated in the bilateral meeting.

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BREAKING: Tinubu signs Tax Reform bills into law

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the four tax reform bills into law.

President Tinubu signed the law in his office at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, in the presence of relevant stakeholders from across the arms of government.

The new laws include the Nigerian Tax Law, the Nigerian Tax Administration Law, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Law and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law.

Earlier on Thursday, President Tinubu had explained that the laws would be unifying Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, removing redundant overlaps, boosting investor confidence, enhancing transparency, and promoting coordinated efforts across all levels.

He also described the legislation as a clear departure from previous policies, emphasising that the reforms are designed to ease the burden on working families, small businesses, and low-income earners while eliminating inefficiencies that have long plagued Nigeria’s fiscal structure.

On his verified X handle @officialABAT, the President had said that the new tax laws form the groundwork for the Nigeria of tomorrow, focused on unlocking opportunities for all.

 

“We are also building a framework for the Nigeria of tomorrow-leaner, fairer and laser-focused on unlocking opportunities for all.”

 

The Nigerian Leader explained that with the new tax reform laws, the Bola Tinubu-led Administration is now laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.

“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet.

“For too long, our tax system has been a patchwork-complex, inequitable, and burdensome. It has weighed down the vulnerable and shielded inefficiency. That era ends today.

“We are laying a foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria. A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity”, he said.

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