Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, is allegedly masterminding a plot to smear the Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle’s reputation.

This is according to Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) in a statement issued by its Secretary, Abubakar Suleiman, on Monday, May 5, 2025.

The accusation followed a controversial press conference held in Kaduna earlier in the day, during which CNF Chairman Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Sani accused Matawalle of financial mismanagement.

The group distanced itself from Sani’s claim, describing the event as a “shameful charade” allegedly sponsored by agents of the current Governor Lawal with a N200 million bribe.

ALSO READ: Insecurity: Tinubu under pressure to declare emergency rule in Zamfara

Suleiman said the aim was to smear Matawalle and distract from the real rot within the Zamfara government.

“Governor Dauda Lawal and his people have tried everything possible to tarnish Matawalle’s image. This time, they bribed a handful of desperate individuals with N200 million to hijack our platform and stage a scripted attack. We disown that charade in its entirety,” the CNF said.

He maintained that the CNF neither authorised nor participated in the press conference and had previously warned Sani not to drag the Forum into political vendettas.

“No meeting was held, no mandate was given. What happened was the personal decision of a few compromised individuals. They do not speak for us,” Suleiman stated.

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He alleged that Lawal’s administration had diverted over N10 billion in local government funds to sponsor this and similar smear campaigns against Matawalle and the federal government, while governance in Zamfara continued to deteriorate.

“Zamfara is on its knees. Insecurity is worsening, people are suffering, and instead of solving real problems, this administration is spending public funds on media stunts,” he said.

Suleiman further revealed that during Monday’s event in Kaduna, the group deliberately refused to stand with Aliyu Sani after learning that he had recruited non-members and thugs with offers of N200,000 each — funds allegedly traced to Dauda Lawal.

The CNF secretary also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to resist being used as a tool in political battles, stating that if anyone deserved investigation, it was Governor Lawal.

ALSO READ: Gov Lawal gets crucial backing amid call for state of emergency in Zamfara

“We challenge the EFCC to look into the billions received and mismanaged by Dauda Lawal in the past two years. His hands are not clean,” Suleiman asserted.

“If those behind this plot do not retract their falsehoods and apologise publicly, we will explore legal options to defend the integrity of this Forum and the truth.”

The CNF reaffirmed its stance on transparency, justice, and development, insisting that it will not be used to settle political scores.

Bandits have reportedly killed a woman simply identified as Lami.  DailyTrust reports that the victim was k!dnapped alongside her husband, Yakubu Dada, on the Kontagora Road in Niger State, on October 31, 2024. The abductors, who had earlier collected a N10 million ransom from the family, are now demanding an additional N20 million and four Bajaj motorcycles, threatening to kill Dada if their demands were not met. Daily Trust reports that Dada, a resident of the Brighter Area of Minna and a retired civil servant, was k!dnapped a few kilometers to Kontagora alongside his youngest wife while traveling to Kontagora. Speaking in an interview, his eldest wife, Maimuna, said the family had sold nearly all their belongings including the family house, two cars, beds, televisions, and other valuables to raise the initial N10 million ransom, which was paid in November. The payment was reportedly delivered by Dadas younger brother to the kidnappers in a forest in Kebbi State in November 2024. She said after after collecting the N10, million, bandits demanded additional N60 million but later reduced it to N20 million and four Bajaj motorcycles which the family had not been able to raise since November 2024. Our husband is a retired civil servant and currently worked as an ad hoc staff with the World Health Organisation, she said. She added that despite the initial payment, Lami was killed on Sunday. The bandits allowed us to speak with our husband. He broke the news that Lami had been shot de@d and warned that they would k!ll him too if we fail to raise another N20 million and provide four motorcycles. Maimuna called on the Niger State government and security agencies to intervene and rescue their husband. A neighbour, Idris Mohammed, revealed that call for support was made on Friday during Jumaat prayers.  When contacted, the spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, promised to revert. The post Despite N10m ransom, bandits k!ll wife and hold husband hostage appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the official performance statistics for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing a stark picture of national performance trends.

According to the data, of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the examination across Nigeria, more than 1.5 million scored below 200, representing over 76% of the total candidates.

In contrast, only 4,756 candidates achieved scores above 320, while 7,658 others scored between 300 and 319.

“This statistical breakdown offers a comprehensive snapshot of this year’s UTME performance,” JAMB stated.

The board did not disclose specific causes behind the low scores but emphasised the role of “rigorous and fair” testing procedures across all centres.

The report also drew attention to a unique subset of examinees: underage candidates.

According to JAMB, 40,247 underage individuals were granted special permission to sit for the exam in order to demonstrate what the board called “exceptional abilities.”

However, only 467 of these underage candidates — approximately 1.16% — met the board’s benchmark for exceptional performance.

“These candidates will still undergo three further stages of assessment before any final classification can be made,” JAMB added.

The results have sparked renewed debate over the preparedness of students and the quality of secondary education in Nigeria, as educators and policymakers digest the implications of these numbers.

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