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• September 7, 2025
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Poverty, neglect fueling banditry in North – Gov Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, says poverty, joblessness, poor schools and health facilities in rural areas are the real drivers of insecurity in northern Nigeria. He warned that leaders must take responsibility instead of deceiving citizens with empty promises. Governor Sani made this point at the public launch of “Where I Stand, a book by
Poverty, neglect fueling banditry in North – Gov Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, says poverty, joblessness, poor schools and health facilities in rural areas are the real drivers of insecurity in northern Nigeria.

He warned that leaders must take responsibility instead of deceiving citizens with empty promises.

Governor Sani made this point at the public launch of “Where I Stand, a book by the late Sheikh Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, translated into Arabic by Sheikh Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo.

The event was hosted by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), with the governor representing President Bola Tinubu as Special Guest of Honour.

He cautioned the opposition against politicising insecurity by suggesting that bandits could simply be carpet-bombed out of existence.

“Insecurity cannot be solved by guns alone,” he said. “Anyone making such claims is only playing politics.”

Governor Sani argued that Nigeria’s security forces are overstretched.

“In 1970, after the civil war, we had about 300,000 soldiers. Today, we have fewer than 250,000, yet our population has grown by over 100 million. How then can firearms alone solve this problem?”

He also highlighted the absence of security presence in large parts of the Northwest.

“If you travel through Zamfara, Birnin Gwari or the forests of Katsina, you can go 50 kilometres without seeing a single policeman, let alone a soldier,” he said.

The governor pointed to Kaduna’s peace model, which involves community dialogue, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, as a more effective approach.

He cited Birnin Gwari where the Emir led peace efforts, saying the process took six months to understand the root causes of violence.

“We must stop deceiving our people by blaming only the President or the National Security Adviser,” he stressed.

“We were elected by the people, and it is our duty to protect them. God will hold us accountable for failing in this responsibility.”

Poverty, neglect fueling banditry in North – Gov Uba Sani

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• September 7, 2025
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No going back on Monday’s strike – NUPENG vows

Ahead of of its planned strike slated to begin, Monday, the national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, said there is no going back on the industrial action. The Monday strike is in protest against the stance of the management of Dangote Refinery not allowing drivers of its imported
No going back on Monday’s strike – NUPENG vows

Ahead of of its planned strike slated to begin, Monday, the national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, said there is no going back on the industrial action.

The Monday strike is in protest against the stance of the management of Dangote Refinery not allowing drivers of its imported Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, trucks to join any trade union.

In a joint statement signed by Williams Akporeha and Afolabi, President and General Secretary, on Sunday, NUPENG maintained that the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of its Union would refrain from lifting of petroleum products from depots nationwide.

The NUPENG also disowned statement attributed to Enoch Kanawa, President of Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) which claimed that NUPENG could not speak for members of Petroleum Tanker Drivers.

Kanawa had urged Nigerians to disregard the planned industrial action.

Giving clarification on the birth and forces behind the DTCDA, the leadership of NUPENG declared that the Kanawa led DTCDA was a creation of management of Dangote Refinery, which has vowed not to allow its recruited truck drivers “join NUPENG which is the only statutorily recognized union authorized to unionize Petroleum Tanker Drivers.”

The statement which declared that Enoch Kanawa, is a lawyer, not a tanker driver, maintained that there is no division in the ranks of NUPENG or its PTD Branch.

It further alleged that the Direct Trucking Company Limited is the recruiting company that was formed by Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata and Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the 10,000 CNG Trucks they are importing.

NUPENG vowed that it would not surrender to what it called slavish conditions being promoted by the Dangote Refinery in the oil industry.

The statement read in part:”The attention of the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has been drawn to a news report on ARISE Television on Saturday night 6th September, 2025 and in some daily newspapers of some unidentified persons and group of people calling themselves Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) asking Nigerians to disregard our alert on the withdrawal of services by Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG.

“We ask our members, members of the public and independent minded objective segments of the media to disregard (DTCDA) and its statements.

“For the information of the public, the DTCDA is the Association which Dangote Group of Companies has formed for the drivers to join compulsorily rather than allowing drivers to join NUPENG which is the only statutorily recognized union authorized to unionize Petroleum Tanker Drivers.

“The signatory to the statement of DTCDA, one Enoch Kanawa, is a lawyer, not a tanker driver.

“Barrister Enoch Kanawa signed the Statement as President of DTCDA. The media should ask Kanawa when DTCDA was formed and when his election as President took place.

“As a matter of fact, Barrister Kanawa was formerly the Executive Secretary of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) from 2001 to 2012, left NARTO to become Legal Adviser to MRS Energy Limited of Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata and in 2019 came back to contest for the position of the President of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) under the sponsorship of Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata but was defeated by Alh Yusuf Othman, the current President of NARTO.

“These facts are to show without doubt and beyond controversy that the DTCDA is a management-inspired Association and the news was created by the agents of Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata to create confusion and misinformation, there is no division in our ranks and file, our Solidarity remains Constant!

“DTCDA is the association formed by Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata, the owner of MRS. The Direct Trucking Company Limited is the recruiting company that was formed by him and Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the 10,000 CNG Trucks they are importing.

“DTCDA was originally meant to be Dangote Transport Company. Its registered office is at 2, Tincan Island Port Road, Apapa, Lagos.

“The address of DTCDA is the same official address of MRS Energy Limited.

“We want the general public to know that Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata is the founder and Funder of Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) and he is housing this Association in his official company headquarters.

“Slavery ended centuries ago but some unscrupulous Capitalists are making efforts to bring it back. Any worker who cannot exercise the right of association is no better than a slave.

“Ordinary Nigerians should neither encourage nor support slavish working conditions.”

No going back on Monday’s strike – NUPENG vows

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• September 7, 2025
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Boko Haram: Ndume condemns killing of 63 in fresh Borno attacks

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has condemned the killing of soldiers, immigration officers, and civilians in recent Boko Haram attacks on communities in Borno State. The attack on Darajamal village in Bama Local Government Area last Friday left five soldiers and 58 civilians dead, while an unspecified number of women and girls were
Boko Haram: Ndume condemns killing of 63 in fresh Borno attacks

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has condemned the killing of soldiers, immigration officers, and civilians in recent Boko Haram attacks on communities in Borno State.

The attack on Darajamal village in Bama Local Government Area last Friday left five soldiers and 58 civilians dead, while an unspecified number of women and girls were abducted.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, with support from the Air Component, reportedly killed over 30 of the attackers during a counteroffensive.
Two immigration officers were also killed in a separate attack in Monguno Local Government Area last Thursday.

In a statement on Sunday, Ndume expressed shock over the renewed killings and sympathised with the families of the victims, including security personnel.

He commended troops for their efforts but described the rising attacks across Borno South, North, and Central as worrisome.

The senator called on the Federal Government to strengthen security by deploying drones, attack helicopters, modern equipment, and arms to the North-East. He also advocated for armed community defence groups to complement military operations, noting the limitations of CJTF, hunters, and vigilantes.

Ndume urged residents to cooperate with security agencies, particularly by sharing intelligence on terrorist activities.

Boko Haram: Ndume condemns killing of 63 in fresh Borno attacks