BY UTHMAN BABA-NASEER,MINNA

The Executive Secretary of the Niger State Pilgrims’Welfare Board,(NSPWB) Muhammed Awwal Aliyu,has reiterated the Board’s preparedness to provide equal support and welfare services to Christian and Muslim Pilgrims from the state.

The assurance was contained in a press statement issued by the head of Media and Communication of the Board Hajiya Lubabatu Muhammed Kusheriki and made available to Journalists in Minna Friday,the 9th of October,2026.

He gave the assurance in Minna while receiving newly appointed members of the Board’s Christian Department, led by Mrs. Deborah Salawu, during a courtesy and solidarity visit to formally introduce the team following their appointments.

Congratulating the new Board Members, the Executive Secretary described their appointments as timely and important to the effective administration of pilgrimage affairs in Niger State. He urged them to demonstrate commitment, integrity and professionalism in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The Executive Secretary stressed that the Christian Department remains an integral part of the Board, with the responsibility of coordinating and addressing the needs of Christian Pilgrims’ undertaking pilgrimage to approved Holy sites.

He assured the delegation that the Board would continue to provide the necessary institutional support and resources to ensure that Christian Pilgrims’ enjoy a smooth, well-coordinated and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage experience.

“We are one family in the Niger State Pilgrims’ Welfare Board. We will continue to serve both Muslim and Christian Pilgrims’ without discrimination,” he said.

He further charged the Board Members to regard their appointments as a call to service, urging them to uphold transparency, accountability and the fear of God while working collaboratively with other departments to strengthen the Board’s operations.

He then assured the delegation of his full support and cooperation, while commending the Farmer Governor of Niger State, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago, for promoting inclusiveness and fairness in the governance of the State.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mrs. Deborah Salawu, expressed appreciation to the Niger State Government for the opportunity to serve. She pledged the team’s commitment to supporting the Board’s mandate and promoting religious harmony through effective service delivery.

Also speaking, the Director of Administration of the Christian Department, Mr. Lawrence Paul, welcomed the newly appointed members and briefed them on the Board’s administrative structure and operational procedures.

He assured them of the department’s readiness to provide the necessary guidance and administrative support to enable them to settle into their responsibilities and contribute effectively to the success of pilgrimage operations in the state.

By Our Correspondent

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Edo State, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, says his AK-47 remark was a metaphor for electoral strength and firmness, not a call to arms.

Tenebe said the expression was meant to communicate the importance of standing firmly by one’s democratic choice and protecting votes.

He explained that just as AK-47 is associated with strength, firmness and reliability, voters must show same qualities in defending their mandate.

The APC chairman stressed the reference was never intended to introduce violence into the electoral conversation.

He said the strength invoked was strength of conviction, not strength of arms.

According to him, defending the vote is a civic responsibility that requires vigilance, transparency and accountability throughout the process.

He said the analogy falls within political symbolism where familiar objects are used to convey resilience and determination.

Tenebe maintained such firmness must remain anchored in law, through peaceful participation, lawful observation and legitimate democratic mechanisms.

He said the message was about being steadfast in political choice and unwavering in democratic participation, not about wielding weapons.

“The essence was resilience without violence and firmness without lawlessness,” he said.

He urged electorate to understand the statement as call to value their votes and stand responsibly behind lawful choices.

BY UTHMAN BABA-NASEER,MINNA.

The North Central zonal headquarters of the National Centre for the Control of Small and Light Weapons,(NCCSALW) in a sustained inter-agency collaboration received a large catches of arms and ammunitions r intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kogi State Command.
The North Central Zonal headquarters of the Centre in Minna,on the 6th of October,2026 was in Lokoja for the official handing over of the large catches of arms and ammunition recovered by the Kogi State Command of the NDLEA.
The NCCSALW led by the Zonal Director,Dr. Abdull Adamu Eneche represented by the head of the Support Services of the Centre Lt.Col. Kabir Olukunle Olagunju in a demonstration of proactive synergy and sustained operational follow-up successfully retrieved recovered arms and ammunitions from the NDLEA
Among the recovered items handed over to the Centre, include eight hundred and seventy- four (874) cartridges,one pump action rifle,thirty-five (35) local Dane guns, three (3),locally made pistols, and two (2) VRD PISTOLS.
The retrieval according to Lt.Col. Kabir Olagunju, is part of the Centre’s deliberate and strategic efforts to rid the society of illicit firearms and ensure that all recovered weapons are duly accounted for,documented,and taken out of unauthorized circulation,in line with the Centre statutory mandate.
The brief and significant handover ceremony was attended by the representative of the Kogi State Government, Navy Commander Jerry Duro-Omaodara (Rtd), Security Adviser to the Governor of Kogi State.
The efforts underscores the unwavery commitment of the NCCSLAW under its leadership to further strengthen inter-agency synergy and consolidate the Federal Government’s resolve to curb the unwholesome proliferation of small arms and ammunitions and light weapons across the North Central States and the nation in general.
Speaking during the ceremony, the assistant Commandant General of the NDLEA,ACGN Usman Yahuza Mustapha,stated that over the years, Kogi State due to its strategic Command of the NDLEA,has recovered a large catches of arms and ammunitions from convicted drug dealers during raids operations and stop and-search operations across the state.
He noted that the seizures serve as a strong warning to drug peddlers and arms traffickers in the state.
Emphasizing that the leadership of the NDLEA under the Chairman Chief Executive of the agency,Brig.Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa the agency’s mandate goes beyond drug control “ but safeguarding lives by disrupting illegal arms supply chains”
In line with the office of the National Security Adviser directives, (ONSA), the ACGN formally handed over the recovered weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSLAW),North Central Zone expressing confidence in the centre’s capacity to secure and properly destroy the illicit arms.
He also reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to maintaining zero tolerance for drug and arms trafficking in the region.
Also speaking Lt Col Kabir Olakunle Olagunju Olagunju, representing the Zonal Director, North Central Zone,Dr. Abdul Adamu Eneche commended the NDLEA the strategic Command kogi, state, for the successful recovery and for its unwavering, dedication and to national security
He noted that the recovery and subsequent handover of the arms and ammunition from criminal elements is a significant operational feat, which has directly denied criminal networks access to lethal weapons capable of destabilizing the society.
He further stressed that sustained synergy and intelligence sharing among security agencies remains vital to dismantling the networks of gunrunners and arms trafficking syndicates, adding that tackling the menace of illicit arms proliferation requires a whole-of-society and collective institutional effort, which the Centre will continue to champion under the purposeful leadership of the Director General, DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (Rtd). Olagunju reaffirmed that the Centre, in line with the strategic directive of the Director General for zero tolerance for illicit arms in unauthorized circulation, will ensure that every recovered weapon is duly accounted for. He therefore encouraged other security agencies to emulate the commendable example of the NDLEA. While formally accepting the recovered arms and ammunition, he assured that they would be properly documented, safely warehoused, and subsequently destroyed in accordance with international arms control procedures and best practices.
In his remarks, Omodara, expressed gratitude to the NDLEA for its efforts in keeping Kogi State free of illicit drugs and illegal firearms. He commended the National Security Adviser for his excellent organization of the Centre, which has earned it wide recognition and acceptance. He called on the Director General of the Centre to establish a state office in Kogi State and across the North Central Zone, noting that its presence in the states would strengthen synergy among security agencies.
He assured that the Kogi State Government would forward a letter of commendation to the NDLEA in recognition of its commendable efforts. He further urged that the recovered arms and ammunition be properly secured and destroy to prevent them from finding their way back into society.