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• September 6, 2025
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Zamfara Governor’s viral comments on bandits’ location continue to trigger outrage

It has emerged that Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, may be under mounting pressure to resign following the circulation of a viral video in which he admitted to knowing the locations of bandits terrorising the state but claimed helplessness in tackling them. In the undated clip, the governor, who spoke in Hausa, stirred outrage across
Zamfara Governor’s viral comments on bandits’ location continue to trigger outrage

It has emerged that Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, may be under mounting pressure to resign following the circulation of a viral video in which he admitted to knowing the locations of bandits terrorising the state but claimed helplessness in tackling them.

In the undated clip, the governor, who spoke in Hausa, stirred outrage across political and security circles when he lamented that despite procuring 150 vehicles for security agencies in Zamfara, he had no control over their deployment as directives only come from Abuja.

He had further claimed he could track the daily movements of bandits using devices at his disposal and insisted the crisis would end in two months if he had direct authority over security operatives.

However, the remarks have been described by analysts as both reckless and self-indicting, particularly as the state receives its quota in millions of monthly security votes.

Critics have now argued that a governor with such financial resources and constitutional powers cannot turn around to claim helplessness in the face of the bloodshed in Zamfara.

Sources claim the governor’s statement had shaken confidence at the highest levels of government.

According to sources, “This is not just irresponsible; it is a slap in the face of Nigerians, especially the security forces. Here is a governor who has received billions in security votes, funds meant precisely for gathering intelligence and supporting operations, yet he goes on video to confess he is helpless. It is unacceptable.”

They alleged that Governor Lawal’s admission of knowing the bandits’ locations but failing to officially transmit such intelligence to the National Security Adviser, NSA, Department of State Services DSS or the military was deeply troubling.

“If indeed the governor knows where these criminals are and has withheld such information, then he bears responsibility for every life lost in Zamfara. He cannot collect security votes, enjoy a heavily armed convoy, and then tell villagers that he knows where their killers are but can do nothing,” sources insist.

Government statistics show that Zamfara has remained the epicentre of banditry in Nigeria, with rural communities suffering weekly raids.

On August 23, gunmen stormed Gamdum Mallam and Ruwan Rana villages in Bukkuyum Local Government Area, killing two people and abducting over 100.

Earlier in the month, assailants invaded Kauran Namoda, leaving 24 dead, 16 injured, and 144 kidnapped. These attacks have left residents calling for help, claiming they are now at the mercy of killers.

Dr Usman Shehu, a Kaduna-based researcher on violent conflicts, in a narrative, described the remarks as “reckless at best and complicit at worst”.

“When a governor admits he knows the location of criminals but insists he is powerless, he undermines both the constitution and the morale of security operatives,” Shehu said.

Zamfara Governor’s viral comments on bandits’ location continue to trigger outrage

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• September 6, 2025
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After our war against fake native doctors, we’ll face certificate forgers – Soludo

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has said that after November 8 governorship election, he will move against certificate forgers. Soludo stated this at the weekend in Awka while addressing members of his party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, during an event to inaugurate members of his governorship campaign council. He said a running mate
After our war against fake native doctors, we’ll face certificate forgers – Soludo

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has said that after November 8 governorship election, he will move against certificate forgers.

Soludo stated this at the weekend in Awka while addressing members of his party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, during an event to inaugurate members of his governorship campaign council.

He said a running mate to a governorship candidate in the November 8 governorship election from a prominent political party is parading a fake PhD degree, adding that it amounted to deceiving the young ones who may be made to believe that every university degree can be purchased.

The governor who did not mention the running mate added that there is a lot of work to be done in Anambra, and that he will not shy away from them, including restoring morality as could be seen in the war against fake native doctors who promise wealth without work.

He said after the election, he will face certificate forgers.

Addressing his party men and women, Soludo said: “INEC has a column where if you are filing your (governorship) form, you fill your qualifications, but the running mate to this candidate wrote that (s)he had a school cert, and a PhD.

“What it means is that (s)he does not have a diploma, a degree or a masters degree, but jumped to present a PhD, that is wrong. Some people have taken it upon themselves to find out where the PhD was gotten and it turned out to be fake. It is from a fake institution, those kind of institution where if you pay, you get it. Some charge even 60 dollars and they give it to you.

“Let me say that, that university has no accreditation in the US and not recognized by the National Universities Commission. The running mate should have written that (s)he has just a school certificate and backed it up with a court affidavit and it would have been okay. How can someone have a school certificate and from they they present a PhD from no where?

“Let me tell you, after November 8 election, we will declare war on fake certificate holders. After our war on fake native doctors, our next move is to go after fake certificate holders.

“It confuses the children. If that (PhD) is what you want, you sit down and work for it, not going to get fake certificates. They are deceiving our children. We can not let that to continue to happen. The work we have to do in Anambra to sanitize the state is much and we will not shy away from it.”

After our war against fake native doctors, we’ll face certificate forgers – Soludo

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• September 6, 2025
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Group warns NUPENG against ‘destabilising Nigeria’ over Dangote Refinery union dispute

The citizens-led group, Mass Action Against Economic Saboteurs, MAAES, has warned the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, against plunging the country into crisis with threats of a nationwide strike over Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s plan to deploy 4,000 compressed natural gas, CNG-powered trucks for fuel distribution. In a statement issued on Saturday,
Group warns NUPENG against ‘destabilising Nigeria’ over Dangote Refinery union dispute

The citizens-led group, Mass Action Against Economic Saboteurs, MAAES, has warned the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, against plunging the country into crisis with threats of a nationwide strike over Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s plan to deploy 4,000 compressed natural gas, CNG-powered trucks for fuel distribution.

In a statement issued on Saturday, George Priye West, president of the coalition, said NUPENG cannot hold Nigeria hostage under the guise of defending workers’ rights, stressing that union membership is a matter of personal choice, not compulsion.

“The Supreme Court has already affirmed that the question of union membership is a fundamental right of the individuals. No worker can be forced to join a union against their will.

“Any industrial action called on such flimsy grounds is not about labour rights but a reckless attempt to destabilise Nigeria and inflict suffering on millions of ordinary citizens,” West said.

NUPENG had threatened to call on its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch to stop fuel loading nationwide from 8 September, alleging Dangote of engaging in anti-labour practices by recruiting drivers who are allegedly compelled to renounce union membership.

The group, with branches across the country, dismissed the accusations as baseless and dangerous, warning that they are part of a campaign to frustrate Nigeria’s most ambitious private-sector project.

“Dangote Refinery is not enslaving anyone; it is creating thousands of decent jobs, strengthening local capacity, and providing Nigerians with a long-awaited solution to fuel import dependence. The refinery is a $20 billion investment built on Nigerian soil to serve Nigerian needs. For anyone to describe it as a threat is nothing short of mischief,” he said.

The group described NUPENG’s threat as particularly insensitive at a time when Nigerians are grappling with economic pressures and uncertainty in the oil and gas sector.

“It is shameful that the same unions that watched over the collapse of Nigeria’s government-owned refineries are now plotting against the private refinery that has given the nation renewed hope. Nigerians will not allow this sabotage. We will rise to defend Dangote Refinery at all times, because it represents progress, jobs, and self-sufficiency,” West declared.

He called on the Federal Government and security agencies to take firm measures to prevent any industrial action that could disrupt petroleum product supply nationwide, insisting that such action should be treated as an attack on the people.

“Any attempt by NUPENG or any group to declare a strike on this hollow basis must be treated as economic sabotage and even as an act of terrorism against the people,” West announced.

“The government must not fold its arms while a few vested interests attempt to blackmail the nation into chaos. Nigerians deserve stability, not manufactured scarcity.”

The group further urged Nigerians to ignore threats of scarcity and continue their daily activities without fear.

“We call on the public to remain calm and resolute. This is not a struggle for ordinary workers but a fight by entrenched interests who cannot stomach competition. Nigerians should go about their businesses and not allow themselves to be misled by this campaign of destabilisation,” the statement read.

West emphasised the group is not opposed to unionism but stressed that workers must retain the freedom to choose their associations.

“The right to join a union is sacred, but so too is the right not to join one. The constitution protects both rights equally. What NUPENG seeks to do is force people into its fold to preserve its relevance. That is not democracy. That is tyranny, and it will not stand,” the group added.

They insisted that the refinery represents Nigeria’s best chance at breaking free from decades of fuel import dependence.

“This refinery is not the enemy. It is a lifeline for Nigeria. Those who want to see it fail are not fighting for workers or citizens; they are fighting for their pockets. Nigerians must see through this and defend the refinery as a national asset,” West added.

Group warns NUPENG against ‘destabilising Nigeria’ over Dangote Refinery union dispute