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

Published

5 years ago

May 7, 2021

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.

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.

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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REA Targets 3.7GW Solar Manufacturing to Bridge Nigeria’s Power Deficit

Published

5 days ago

July 27, 2026

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The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has unveiled plans to establish 3.7 gigawatts (GW) of local solar photovoltaic (PV) panel manufacturing capacity by the end of 2027 as Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand electricity access and reduce dependence on imported renewable energy equipment.

Managing Director of the agency, Engr. Abba Aliyu, disclosed the initiative in Abuja during a benchmarking visit by officials of the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA).

He said the agency is encouraging Chinese solar manufacturers to establish production facilities in Nigeria, noting that locally assembled solar panels are already being exported from Lagos to neighbouring Ghana.

According to him, the planned manufacturing expansion will significantly reduce imports while strengthening Nigeria’s renewable energy value chain. Aliyu attributed the rapid global growth of renewable energy to falling prices of solar panels and lithium batteries, saying technological innovation has made off-grid electricity the most cost-effective solution for millions of underserved communities.

He said Nigeria’s electricity access rate currently stands at 61.2 per cent, leaving about 80 million people without reliable power supply.

To address the challenge, REA has adopted a least-cost electrification strategy that determines the most suitable technology for each community rather than relying solely on national grid expansion.

The agency has mapped more than 700,000 communities nationwide, with plans to serve about 45 per cent through solar home systems, 31 per cent through mini-grids and the remaining 24 per cent through grid extension.

Aliyu added that REA has developed one of Africa’s most extensive geospatial electricity databases, covering more than 51,000 health facilities, 11,000 markets, thousands of schools, factories, dams, electricity feeders and existing mini-grids to support investment planning.

He noted that the agency’s interventions also target underserved communities receiving less than six hours of electricity daily. The REA boss warned that electricity demand would continue to rise sharply as Nigeria’s population grows, more sectors become electrified and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data centres consume increasing amounts of power.

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Budget Office Explains PFIPC Allocation, Says Agency Emerged During Buhari Administration

Published

6 days ago

July 26, 2026

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•Explains how PFIPC was allocated money in the budget.

The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) yesterday explained that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which the presidency declared as fake and is currently being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, had its origin in the last administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Director-General of the Budget Office, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu who provided the explanation in a statement, after appearing before members of the House of Representatives, in Abuja said the PFIPC’s institutional origin was premised on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. He also explained how the fake agency was allocated money in the 2026 budget.

His words, “PEAC/PFIPC did not enter the 2026 Budget merely because it asked for funds. The Council had its origin in the Presidential Economic Advisory Council inaugurated during the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari on October 9, 2019. By the time preparation of the 2026 Budget began, official instruments had already been issued by the institutions charged with those functions.

“The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had assigned an administrative code to the PFIPC. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had approved an authorised establishment and a recruitment waiver. The applicable public-service salary structure also existed. These instruments did not come from the Budget Office. They came to it.

“The Budget Office did not create the Council. It did not assign its code. It did not approve its establishment. It did not grant its recruitment waiver. It received official instruments and did what the law required of it: it measured their fiscal effect.”

Mr. Tanimu further explained that the Council submitted a personnel estimate of N3.850 billion for the 2026 Fiscal Year and that his Office had to reduce that figure to N802.978 million, using the authorised establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable public-service salary structure and the extant costing methodology

According to the D-G, “Council later submitted a personnel estimate of N3,850,935,000.00. That estimate did not form the basis of the Budget Office’s recommendation. The Budget Office disregarded it and made an independent calculation using only the authorised establishment, the approved recruitment waiver, the applicable public-service salary structure and the extant costing methodology.

“That calculation produced N802,978,783.00. This was not a concession to the Council. It was the Budget Office’s own fiscal judgment. It was the amount placed in the Executive Budget proposal and later appropriated.

Mr Yakubu said that the Council could not receive the approved funds for personnel because its promoter, Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi could not secure Financial Clearance, an instrument that confirms that necessary fiscal and regulatory had been met.

He said, “Financial Clearance is the point at which a personnel provision may begin to acquire legal force as expenditure. It is not a routine letter. It is the confirmation that the fiscal and regulatory conditions for recruitment have been met. Until it is issued, the figure remains in the budget. It does not create staff. It does not open payroll. It does not produce salary. The Budget Office did not issue Financial Clearance for PEAC/PFIPC because the conditions were incomplete.

“The 2026 Appropriation Bill did not become law until Presidential Assent on 31 March 2026. Before that date, the Budget Office could cost the proposal. It could not grant final Financial Clearance against a bill that had not yet become law.

“After assent, a further condition remained outstanding. The National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had not confirmed that the proposed staffing and remuneration arrangements complied with its prescribed template and the approved public-service compensation framework.

“The Budget Office could calculate the cost. It could not open the gate. There was therefore no Financial Clearance. There was no lawful recruitment. There was no payroll enrollment. There was no salary payment.”

The D-G added, “The personnel provision was N802,978,783.00. It represented 61.63 per cent of the total appropriation of N1,302,978,783.00. It has sometimes been described as though the Council could have received the whole amount and spent it at will. That description is false.

“Personnel appropriations are not paid to agencies as lump sums. After every legal condition has been met, salaries are paid month by month. The money moves electronically into the designated bank accounts of verified employees enrolled on the Federal Government payroll.

“The institution does not receive the annual personnel provision as cash under its control. Even in a lawful process, the Council would not have received N802,978,783.00 in one payment. The money would have gone over twelve months to individual employees. That process never began. No Financial Clearance was issued. No recruitment took place. No payroll record was created. No salary became due. Not one kobo of the personnel provision could lawfully have been drawn. Not one kobo was drawn. There is no personnel expenditure to recover because there was no personnel expenditure.”

The PFIPC controversy became public on June 11, 2026, when the Chief of Staff to the president, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, declared the Council as fake and petitioned the law enforcement agencies.

However, at a press conference on June 26, the Director General of the PFIPC, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi faulted the presidency’s disclaimer. He alleged that Gbajabiamila received N400 million through a proxy and demanded an additional N200 million to secure his appointment — an allegation which the Chief of Staff denied and has sued him to court claiming N15b as damages for defamation. Adeyemi is currently in custody after he was arrested by the police in connection with the PFIPC scandal and alleged forgery.

Before his arrest, Adeyemi claimed he personally approached officials of the budget office to seek the inclusion of the Council in the federal government’s budget.

Recently, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that it opened two domiciliary accounts linked to the PFIPC on the directive of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

The apex bank, however, said the accounts, one denominated in United States dollars and the other in British pounds sterling, were never funded or operated.

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BREAKING: Trump Applauds Tinubu’s Fight Against Terrorism, Pledges Continued US Backing

Published

1 week ago

July 22, 2026

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United States President Donald Trump has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his decisive leadership in tackling terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.

Trump conveyed the praise in a letter dated July 6, 2026, the contents of which were made public on Wednesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

In the letter, titled “President Trump lauds President Tinubu’s decisive leadership against terrorists,” the US President applauded Tinubu’s efforts to confront security challenges and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations.

“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.

“I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote.

Trump described the relationship between the United States and Nigeria as increasingly important amid growing security challenges across West Africa.

“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time when conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat,” he stated.

The US President also highlighted ongoing defence cooperation between both countries, noting that American Special Operations Forces had been deployed to assist Nigeria’s military.

“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack.

“I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency,” Trump added.

According to the Presidency, Nigeria and the United States have expanded security cooperation in recent months following the establishment of a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of both countries.

The collaboration has centred on intelligence sharing, military training and coordinated operations against terrorist groups.

The statement noted that one of the key outcomes of the partnership was the joint operation carried out on May 16 against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region, which reportedly led to the killing of the group’s senior leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, along with several of his lieutenants.

The Presidency also disclosed that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he held talks with senior Nigerian officials and pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in security and other strategic sectors.

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