APC rally: Suspected thugs attack journalists, smash Radio Nigeria vehicle in Kano

Suspected political thugs on Saturday attacked journalists returning from an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Kano State, smashing the windows of their vehicle and injuring the driver.

The incident occurred behind the City Campus of North West University, Kofar Nassarawa, shortly after the journalists left the Sani Abacha Stadium, where they had covered a major political gathering organised by the ruling party.

The attackers reportedly wielded machetes and knives and repeatedly struck an official Radio Nigeria Pyramid FM vehicle conveying journalists and security personnel.

A Pyramid FM journalist, Yakubu Abubakar Gwagwarwa, confirmed the incident, saying the vehicle had five journalists and three policemen on board.

According to him, four of the journalists were Radio Nigeria Pyramid FM staff, while the fifth worked with Guarantee Radio. The three policemen had reportedly been given a lift from the stadium after the political event.

Gwagwarwa said the presence of the policemen did not prevent the attackers from assaulting the vehicle.

He said the attackers repeatedly hit the bus, forcing the driver to quickly turn back in an attempt to escape, but the assailants reportedly continued following them.

The journalist said the driver sustained injuries during the attack, while some of the journalists were hit by fragments of broken glass after the vehicle’s windows were smashed.

Gwagwarwa, however, said the incident might not have been specifically targeted at journalists, describing it as a seemingly random attack in which other people in the area could also have been victims.

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The journalists had been covering an APC political rally in Kano held at the Sani Abacha Stadium, where the Tinubu Support Group (TSG) was unveiled in the state as part of political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The gathering attracted prominent political figures and a large crowd of supporters, with several politicians formally joining the APC.

Among those reported to have defected to the ruling party were former senators Rufai Sani Hanga and Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya, as well as Senator Mas’ud El-Jibrin Doguwa.

Other political figures reported to have joined the APC included former Kano State House of Assembly Speaker Isyaku Ali Danja, former PDP deputy governorship candidate Yusuf Bello Danbatta and former NDC deputy national chairman Ali Datti Yako.

Reports also indicated that the political gathering attracted a large crowd extending beyond the stadium into parts of the Kano metropolis.

The attack on journalists in Kano has raised fresh concerns about the safety of media workers covering political events, particularly as political activities and mobilisation increase ahead of the 2027 elections.

Journalists covering political rallies and other public events are expected to be able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, harassment or violence.

The incident is also coming amid previous reports of violence linked to political activities in Kano. At least three people were reportedly killed by suspected political thugs several months ago on the day a new deputy governor was inaugurated in the state.

The latest incident is particularly concerning because three policemen were reportedly inside the Radio Nigeria vehicle when it came under attack.

Despite their presence, the attackers allegedly continued to strike the vehicle before the occupants managed to escape the area.

The circumstances surrounding the attack, including the identities and motive of the suspected attackers, remained unclear as of Saturday evening.

The Kano State Police Command had also not publicly issued a statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report, and there was no confirmed information on arrests.

The attack comes at a time when political parties and support groups are stepping up activities across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising concerns over the need for greater protection for journalists, political participants and members of the public at political gatherings.

APC rally: Suspected thugs attack journalists, smash Radio Nigeria vehicle in Kano

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: FG begins Kara Bridge repairs Tuesday, deploys traffic agencies

Motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway should brace for fresh traffic disruption as the Federal Government begins a two-week repair of the damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge from Tuesday, September 8.

The Federal Ministry of Works announced the planned intervention on Saturday, saying traffic control measures would be introduced throughout the repair period to minimise congestion and protect motorists.

The Acting Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, Ogun State, Engr. Richard Adeleye, disclosed this during an inspection of the affected section of the expressway.

Adeleye said the expansion joints had exceeded their service life and had become a safety concern for motorists using the heavily trafficked highway.

He explained that the repair would be executed in phases, with one half of the affected section closed at a time while traffic is allowed to move slowly on the other half.

“There will be traffic control here from the 8th of this month, which will last for two weeks, precisely because of the curing that is expected before it is opened to traffic,” Adeleye said.

According to him, the first half of the expansion joint would be repaired for about a week before work would be switched to the other end, allowing traffic to continue throughout the exercise.

He said personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, among other agencies, would be deployed to manage traffic around the construction zone.

Adeleye explained that expansion joints are critical components of bridges, designed to absorb movement caused by temperature changes.

He warned that failure to replace damaged joints could result in more serious structural defects, including buckling and cracking of the bridge.

“Without expansion joints on the bridge, there could be serious damage to the bridge itself because of expansion due to the heat during the day and shrinking during the cold times of the day,” he said.

“The expansion joint absorbs that movement of the bridge; otherwise, it can cause serious damage by buckling or cracking.”

The controller assured motorists that the rehabilitation would be completed within two weeks, “all things being equal.”

He appealed to road users to exercise patience and comply with traffic directives during the exercise, noting that the damaged expansion joint had contributed to accidents along the section.

Oloyede: Muslim Women Can Attain Highest Academic Rank — History Proves It

Former JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede and university don Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun have charged newly elevated Professor Habibat Oladosu-Uthman to view her new rank as a responsibility to humanity rather than a status symbol.

Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and university don Prof. Kamaldeen Balogun have charged the newly elevated Professor Habibat Oladosu-Uthman to regard her professorship as a responsibility to humanity rather than a privilege or status symbol. Oladosu-Uthman was recently elevated to the rank of Professor at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan. The event was marked with a reception and thanksgiving ceremony held at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque in Ibadan, Oyo State, bringing together members of the academic community, Muslim scholars, family members, friends and associates to honour her contributions to scholarship.

Oloyede, who chaired the ceremony celebrating her elevation, described professorship as the formal recognition of years of intellectual labour, disciplined scholarship, teaching, mentorship and service, stressing that the rank also comes with greater responsibility. “An occasion such as this is much more than a celebration of a new title. It is the formal recognition of sustained intellectual labour, disciplined scholarship, teaching, mentorship, service and contribution to knowledge. It is, at the same time, the beginning of a heavier responsibility,” he said. The former JAMB boss lauded Oladosu-Uthman’s academic journey and scholarly contributions, noting her specialisation in Islamic thought and civilisation, gender studies, comparative religion, Christian-Muslim relations, cultural criticism, Islam in West Africa, and interreligious and intercultural dialogue. He urged her to continue to mentor younger academics, stressing that the true measure of a professor should include the ability to produce other scholars. According to him, “A Professor must produce other scholars. A Professor who publishes extensively but produces no intellectual successors has achieved only part of the assignment.”

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Oloyede also commended the achievement of Oladosu-Uthman as a Muslim woman attaining the highest academic rank, noting that Islamic history provides ample evidence of women making significant contributions to scholarship. He said the question should not be whether women are capable of attaining the highest level of scholarship, adding that history had already provided the answer. The former JAMB registrar also urged the new professor to use her scholarship to promote interreligious and intercultural understanding, stressing that religious scholarship should contribute to truth, justice, compassion and human dignity.

On his part, Prof. Balogun, who delivered the thanksgiving lecture at the reception, cautioned her against allowing her new status to create a distance between her and others. He urged her to remain humble, receptive to corrections and conscious of the limitations of human knowledge. Balogun said: “Remember always that the Professor does not know everything. A student may ask a question that the Professor cannot answer.” He added: “Remember also that humility is the glory of mortals. Humility affects how we respond to corrections, supervise our students, relate with our colleagues and lead our research teams.” Balogun also reminded Oladosu-Uthman that academic titles and appointments were not permanent, urging her to focus on the impact she would make through her new position. “No condition is permanent. Appointments end. Titles change. People will always remember how you treated them and what they were able to achieve through you now that you are a Professor,” he said.

The don also urged her to see humanity as her constituency, regardless of her academic achievements. “No matter how high you rise in academia, remain human. Consider the entire humanity as your constituency,” Balogun said. He described knowledge as an amanah (trust), saying scholars had a responsibility to ensure that knowledge was deployed for the good of society.

Prof. Habibat Oladosu-Uthman obtained her PhD in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia in 2011. Her research interests span comparative religion, Christian-Muslim relations, cultural criticism, Islam in West Africa, and gender studies. She is currently one of the focal persons at the University of Ibadan Gender Mainstreaming Office. She is also an International Fellow of the King Abdullah bin AbdulAziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Lisbon, Portugal (2019 cohort). In July 2026, Oladosu-Uthman delivered a lecture calling for the adoption of Qur’anic and Prophetic models as effective strategies for preventing gender-based violence against women and girls. She argued that adherence to Islamic principles would promote peace, justice and respect for human dignity, stating that “the Qur’anic and Prophetic models celebrate human dignity whether male or female.” She also condemned harmful cultural practices that violate the rights and dignity of women, including widowhood rites and festivals that restrict women’s movement. Balogun also paid tribute to pioneers of Arabic and Islamic scholarship, including Musa Oladipupo Ajilogba Abdul and Ismail Ayinla Babatunde Balogun, as well as other scholars whose contributions helped shape the development of Islamic studies in Nigerian universities.

Oloyede: Muslim Women Can Attain Highest Academic Rank — History Proves It