Authorities in northern Afghanistan have arrested 14 individuals for playing musical instruments and singing during a private gathering, provincial police said on Saturday.
This was a practice banned under the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law.
The police said in a statement that on Thursday night in the capital of northern Takhar province, “fourteen individuals… took advantage of the nighttime to gather in a residential house where they were playing musical instruments and singing songs, which caused disturbance to the public”.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have reimposed severe limitations on music and public entertainment, similar to those enforced during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.
Music schools have been closed, instruments destroyed, and public performances outlawed. Music is now banned from public places, including weddings, restaurants, cars, and media broadcasts.
Authorities have described music as a source of “moral corruption” and urged former musicians to redirect their talents toward religious chanting and Islamic poetry.
Despite these restrictions, music continues to be performed discreetly in some women-only spaces.
Many musicians fled the country following the Taliban’s return, seeking refuge and employment abroad after losing their livelihoods in a nation already facing deep economic hardship.
The 14 detainees remain under investigation, officials said.
A former presidential aspirant, Joseph Faduri, on Saturday, mocked the leadership of the Labour Party over the current internal crisis threatening to tear the party apart, describing it as ‘karma.’
In a statement released in Abuja, Faduri lamented that it was painful watching the party rob him of the presidential ticket in favour of the LP candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, in the manner they did.
His reaction comes in the wake of the power tussle that has seen three party chieftains laying claim to the leadership of the LP following the recent judgment of the Supreme Court.
Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti have rejected the leadership of Julius Abure, whom they insisted has ended in favour of a National Caretaker Committee headed by a former lawmaker, Senator Nenadi Usman.
Lately, the one-time Deputy Chairman of LP, Alhaji Lamidi Apapa, has made a bold return and also made a claim to be the rightful heir to the throne.
But Faduri, who is now the head of the Rescue Movement for a New Nigeria, blamed all the aforementioned leaders for his plight.
He said, “What is happening in the Labour Party today is nothing short of poetic justice, a karma unfolding before the very eyes of the nation.
“It is the consequence of the injustice, betrayal and deceit done to me and my team in 2022 when some leaders of the party connived to rob me of the presidential ticket, a ticket we laboured tirelessly to build, and handed it over to Mr Peter Obi.
“In 2022, LP was a dead structure — no plan, no preparation, no hope. I reached out to its national leaders. I rallied my team, invested resources and reawakened the sleeping giant.”
Continuing, the former presidential aspirant noted that his refusal to challenge the illegal process in court was an act of patriotism and his resolve not to throw the party into crisis.
Recalling his political travail, Faduri further explained that he initially started with the New Nigerian Peoples Party, an initiative he claimed was hijacked by the leader of the Kwankwasiyyan Movement, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso.
“We then began scouting for a new platform, and that was how we came to the Labour Party,” he added.
Pope Leo XIV told cardinals on Saturday he intends to follow his predecessor’s path, praising Francis’s “complete dedication to service and sober simplicity of life”.
“Beginning with Saint Peter and up to myself, his unworthy Successor, the Pope has been a humble servant of God and his brothers and sisters, and nothing more than this,” he told cardinals, according to a transcript of his speech published by the Vatican.
He also said his choice of name reflects a commitment to social causes embraced by Leo XIII, who defended workers’ rights, according to the Vatican.
“I chose to take the name Leo XIV,” he said in a transcript of a speech published by the Vatican, because the 19th-century pontiff “addressed the social question in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution”.
He added that today, social teaching is needed “in response to another Industrial Revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour”.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the arrest and continued detention of a former member of the House of Representatives, Muhammad Kazaure.
In a statement posted via his official X page on Saturday, Atiku described Kazaure’s continued detention as a brazen disregard for due process.
He also accused the EFCC of abusing its powers and operating outside the bounds of the Nigerian Constitution, likening Kazaure’s arrest to a pattern of lawlessness and political repression.
Atiku drew parallels between Kazaure’s arrest and the earlier case of social commentator, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who was recently detained and released only after public backlash.
“We witnessed this same abuse in the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, whose release was only secured after massive public outrage and pressure.
“Now, the EFCC has targeted Hon. Muhammad Kazaure, a former member of the House of Representatives and an unapologetic critic of the gross misgovernance and failings of the Tinubu administration. Abducted in Kano and whisked away to Abuja, Kazaure is presently being held incommunicado, with no formal charge or explanation offered to his family, legal team, or the Nigerian people.
“Let it be stated without equivocation: even if there were legitimate grounds for arresting any citizen, such action must adhere strictly to the rule of law. The EFCC is duty-bound to publicly disclose the reasons for any arrest and must not detain individuals indefinitely under the guise of investigation,” he wrote.
Describing the EFCC’s silence as deafening, Atiku noted that Kazaure was being targeted for his outspoken criticism of the Tinubu government.
“We are left with no choice but to conclude that Kazaure’s ordeal is a direct consequence of his fearless and unrelenting criticism of this administration,” he added.
The Lagos State Government has strongly criticised landlords and property agents who are exploiting residents by imposing unjustifiable increases in house rents.
The government has pledged to take action to protect tenants from these exploitative practices.
The Special Adviser (Housing) to the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Barakat Bakare, on Saturday, expressed the government’s stance during a live interview on TVC’s program, “YOUR VIEW.”
Bakare stated that the Lagos State Government “would no longer fold its arms and watch its residents being exploited by landlords and agents.”
Bakare also clarified the distinct roles of house agents and lawyers in rental matters, emphasising the limitations of legal practitioners in real estate and house rental transactions.
According to Bakare, the Lagos State tenancy law is currently under review.
“The review aims to incorporate crucial provisions, such as those related to caution fees, which are presently lacking in the existing legislation.”
She urged residents who encounter violations of these regulations to report such incidents to the Lagos State Regulatory Authority, either through physical visits or online channels.
The Special Adviser reiterated Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to addressing the housing challenges faced by Lagos residents.
She affirmed that the “Government is constantly engaging landlords, property associations, and developers to promote collaboration and also to control excessive housing costs.”
Furthermore, Bakare emphasised the government’s commitment to fairness and justice in the allocation of state-owned housing. She stated that the distribution process adheres to “fair, transparent, and well–laid–out criteria.”
In her concluding remarks, Bakare advised Lagosians to exercise caution and diligence by verifying the registration status of agents and developers with LASRERA before finalising any transactions.
She also issued a call to all real estate practitioners, urging them to register with the Lagos State Real Estate Registration Agency.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has denied reports that the Federal Government has commenced extradition proceedings against Simon Ekpa, a factional leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Communication and Publicity, Kamarudeen Ogundele, on Friday, the AGF said the reports misrepresented comments he made at a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday in Abuja.
The statement read, “The attention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has been drawn to media reports where he was erroneously reported to have said that the federal government had commenced an extradition process against Simon Ekpa.
“The report is untrue and a complete departure from what the AGF said at the Stakeholders/Citizen Engagement Forum held on Thursday in Abuja.
“Ekpa, a leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently standing trial in Finland for charges filed against him by the Finnish government.”
According to the statement, Fagbemi had only explained that the Nigerian government was in talks with Finnish authorities to ensure that Ekpa, who is currently facing trial in Finland, is held accountable for his actions.
“To set the record straight, what the AGF said during the question and answer session was that the Nigerian government had been engaging with Finnish authorities to ensure that Simon Ekpa is held accountable for his actions.
“He explained that since the crimes committed by Simon Ekpa were cross-border in nature, the Nigerian government eagerly awaits the outcome of the proposed trial in Finland to have an informed decision on the next step to take,” the statement added.
Fagbemi urged the media to exercise caution in reporting on the matter and to refrain from publishing speculative claims.
The Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos, has arrested an apprentice and his accomplice for allegedly stealing cement and other building materials worth over N250m from his employer to finance gambling activities.
This was disclosed in a statement by the PSFU spokesman, Ovie Ewhubare, on Saturday.
According to Ewhubare, the suspects, Ezekiel Taiwo and Rahman Airat, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, fraudulent conversion, embezzlement, and money laundering.
“In a significant development to an ongoing case of conspiracy, stealing, fraudulent conversion of funds, embezzlement, and money laundering to the tune of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N250,000,000), the PSFU has arraigned two suspects; Taiwo ‘M’ and Airat before the Federal High Court, Lagos,” Ewhubare stated.
The case followed a petition by Jimoh Atofolaki, who alleged that Taiwo, an apprentice under him and stationed at the Osogbo branch of his company, diverted company property, including bags of cement and other building materials, amounting to N250m.
“Investigations revealed that Taiwo conspired with Airat to convert the goods and used the proceeds for gambling,” Ewhubare added.
The Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit, Okunade Nurat, had advised business owners to be vigilant when hiring staff.
“We urge members of the public to be wary and always ensure that they carry out thorough background checks before employing individuals to take charge of their businesses,” the statement read.
In 2019, a 20-year-old apprentice, Kosi Nnamani, was also arrested for a similar offence.
He was later arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing goods valued at N1.94 million from his master.
Sarmaan Project, committed to drug administration to reduce child mortality in Nigeria, said it recorded a milestone in its pilot phase with the successful treatment of over 36,000 children with azythromycin drugs to enhance their life expectancy in the Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
It has also engaged caregivers to demonstrate the usefulness of the drugs in the state.
The Project Coordinator, Dr Teyil Wamiyel-Mshella, disclosed this in Uyo while fielding questions from newsmen during the close-out ceremony of the safety and anti-microbial resistance of mass administration of azythromycin to children aged 1-11 months in Ikono LGA on Friday.
Wamiyel-Mshella, who coordinates the project for Sightsavers, an international non-governmental agency, explained that the pilot phase conducted in the LGA was aimed at ensuring that children between the age bracket of 1-11 months receive the drugs under strict monitoring to ascertain its safety and anti-microbial resistance in children
“Sarmaan project is a very good project that was introduced in Nigeria in 2020 with a field work and so far, it been very successful. The aim of the project was mainly to ensure that children between 1-11 months in the LGA where we piloted it, will receive acithromycin and along side, we will be monitoring the safety of the medicine and also the anti-microbial resistance for azythromycin
“Azythromycin is a very good medicine, it’s an antibiotics that is used for the treatment of many ailments that affect children and also contribute to infants to children deaths between 0 to 05 years. So this drug was used mainly to show the effects of it on child survival, that is why we were monitoring the safety of the medicine and it anti-microbial resistance.
“We have been able to treat over 36,000 children in Ikono LGA, and we were able to engage with caregivers for them to know the usefulness of the medicine ,” Wamiyel-Mshella said
She expressed satisfaction with the level of acceptability of the project in the LGA, and called on the state government to key into it to bridge the infant mortality gap in the state.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ekem John who was represented by Dr Etop Antia, Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, commended all the partners for making the project a success.
He said, “I want to recognise the good people of Ikono LGA, the Chairman, the Paramount Ruler, who allowed this activity to succeed. The SARMAAN project was expected to complement ongoing child survival interventions in low and middle-income countries.
“The mass drug administration of azithromycin drugs, whose life-saving potential was highlighted in the model trial, which demonstrated instability to lower early childhood mortality when administered biannually to infants.
“In Akwa Ibom State the intervention was implemented using Routine immunization programme . Infants aged one to eleven months received azythromycin every six months for 2 years(2022 to 2024)
“The implementation was made possible through the collaborative partnership led by the Department of Family Health, Federal Ministry of Health, funded by the Gate Foundation while Sightsavers spearhead the implementation”.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Executive Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Eno Attah, appreciated the Federal Ministry of Health for considering Akwa Ibom State as one of the states for the pilot project
Attah, who was represented by Mrs Margaret Etim, Director of Health Education and promotion, lauded the initiative and the focus of the project on children, emphasising that children are very vulnerable when it comes to disease infection as they are unable to detect where exactly they feel.
A stakeholder in Ikono Community, Hon Emem Joseph Uwah, who spoke with our correspondent, also expressed happiness about the project and the commitment of the officials towards it success in the Council.
“They did their work diligently; they went through creeks, we have riverine areas but they were never scared and our children will feel the healthiness in them. We have seen improvement in this drug and I want to thank WHO, the federal and the state government for choosing our Local Government for the pilot scheme, for which we are the first beneficiary,” Uwah said.
A Nigerian televangelist, Timothy Omotoso, has been rearrested weeks after he was acquitted of multiple rape charges.
South African police authorities and the Home Affairs Department confirmed that the televangelist was arrested early on Saturday morning in East London.
PUNCH Online reports that the 66-year-old pastor at the Jesus Dominion International church based in South Africa was arrested in 2017 on 32 charges, including rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Several young women, some of whom were still in school at the time, testified that they were handpicked by Omotoso, who would pray for forgiveness after each encounter with them.
However, Omotoso was released last month, nine years after he was jailed to be tried on charges of raping and sexually assaulting several young women from his church.
Omotoso was acquitted last month on all 32 charges of rape, trafficking and sexual assault against him.
Confirming the development, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said Omotosho’s rearrest was based on immigration matters, adding that he will appear in court on Monday.
He said, “Well, I know it’s Omotoso. He was arrested this morning around 5 o’clock in East London as he was finishing the church,” said
“Inspectorate immigration of the Department of Home Affairs, together with the South African Police Service and TRT [Tactical Response Team], did effect the arrest.
“The arrest is based on immigration matters. He will appear in court somewhere around Monday, and everybody will know exactly what charges he’s facing. But it’s immigration-related matters.”
The Nigeria Air Force has organised a career day for Dikko College, Katsina, in Katsina State as part of its Civil-Military Relations programme to mark its 61st anniversary nationwide.
According to the Air Force, the event was meant to create a cordial relationship between the public and the Air Force, toward eliciting information that would enable their operations.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative and the choice of the College for the career day, the Commander 2134 Operating Base Nigeria Air Force Katsina and Joint Force Air Component Commander, Operation Fansan Yamma, Sector 2, Air Commodore Ibrahim Jibia highlighted the importance of its operations which was based on public trust and engagement.
He said, “This Day is a reflection of our commitment to transparency and pride in service.
“This is part of an initiative by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, which, according to him, was to defend the sky and to defend the land and those who call it home.
“This is to be carried with pride and honour. And to also let Nigerians know that the task of the Air Force was to defend them against all the vulnerabilities we have currently.
“From the persistent operation against insecurity, the country is enjoying and realising this the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu has taken it as a personal commitment to invest and spend as much as he can in the Armed Forces realising that you cannot achieve socio-economic development of you are not secured.
“He has invested so much, especially in the Nigeria Air Force, through different platforms such as training, welfare schemes, which were intensified.”
Jibia said the choice of the college that produced two former Presidents, Muhammadu Buhari and Umaru Musa Yar’adua, was based on the current challenges facing secondary school students in choosing a career, which is not unconnected with the destinies of most of them truncated as a result of uninformed career decisions.
“This government college, Katsina, now Dikko College Katsina, is a very historic school that has produced two former Nigerian presidents, Muhammadu Buhari and Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Emirs, military generals, including myself. For us to conduct this career day in Dikko College, Katsina, is also a comeback home for me, and to assess not only the infrastructural challenges but also the academic standards of the college.
“I am pleased to realise that the State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, is doing enormous work in terms of infrastructure in the school, and I learnt that the Governor was here last week to supervise the ongoing work in the college. I believe most of the dilapidated structures here will be gone by the end of this year.
“For us, the old boys, accessing the level of education of the pupils, we have to contribute our quota in addition to what the government is doing, so we bring the brains that we really want to see and associate with in terms of academic standing that the college was known for. We will revive the lost glory of the college.
“Everybody has a part to play in the nation’s building, no matter the level of attainment. Students of this college should realise that this school has produced notable Nigerians hence they should live up to the expectation if they must remain the ambassadors of this college because what I have seen today is below expectations like I said, it is also part of our responsibilities as old boys to look back that what we benefited free of charge, we deserve to replicate it,” he added.
