Headlines
Police arrest suspected arsonist for ‘killing 3 family members in Kano’
By Nazifi Dawud
The Kano police command has arrested the alleged mastermind of the arson attack in Ungoggo local government area of Kano state, where three family members including a 2-year-old baby died in an inferno.
The suspect, Salisu Idris, 25, is believed to have locked up the deceased family’s house and thereafter set the building ablaze, killing a 50-year-old Aminu Bala, his wife, Rukayya Aminu, 30, and their 2-year-old daughter Aisha Aminu.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at Gayawa Tsohuwa village, Ungogo local government area.
ALSO Read: Arson fire kills husband, wife, 2-year-old daughter in Kano
Confirming the arrest of the suspect, Kano police spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said Mr Idris was nabbed after the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, gave an order to arrest the perpetrator of the dastardly act within 24 hours.
“On Wednesday around 3am we received a report of a strange fire incident from Gayawa Tsohuwa in Ungogo local government area which we promised to investigate.
“Using our community policing strategies we were able to trace, track and arrest one person by name Salisu Idris of Gayawa Gabas village in the same ungogo local government area. We traced him and arrested him with some wounds on his body,” Mr Kiyawa, a deputy superintendent of police told journalists.
“We interrogated him and we found out that they were two that carried out the act and the other one is at large and very soon we’ll get him,” he added.
Answering questions from reporters, Mr Idris confessed that he was hired on a payment of N200,000 to carryout the heinous crime.
The suspect, who claimed to be a mobile phone seller at Farm Centre market in Kano city, added that he wanted to use the crime proceeds to enroll in Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano.
“A friend of mine asked me to accompany him to the house. He asked me to come along with him and that at the end of the operation he will give me N200, 000. We came around 2 pm. And when we came we both climbed unto the building with petrol and immediately the fire started, it caught me and burnt my hands and legs,” he said.
Mr Idris said he was traced and arrested after he tried to seek treatment at a local clinic in the community for the burns he had sustained during the arson attack.
Former Kano State Governor and Senator, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has voiced his disappointment and concern regarding the Federal Government’s approach to distributing rice palliatives in Kano State.
During a recent week-long visit to Kano, Senator Kwankwaso observed that while governors in 35 other states received the palliatives directly, Kano’s allocation was controversially handed over to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sidestepping the state government entirely.
Senator Kwankwaso condemned this move as a blatant violation of constitutional principles, accusing the government of taking partisanship to an unacceptable level.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend the distribution process and address the issue.
In addition, Senator Kwankwaso expressed concern over the frequent reshuffling of State Directors of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Kano, noting that three different directors had been posted and reposted within just two weeks, potentially jeopardizing the state’s security.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has inaugurated a postgraduate foreign scholarship program under his foundation, aimed at providing advanced educational opportunities for students from Kano.
The scholarship will enable beneficiaries to pursue postgraduate studies in cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Cybersecurity and Forensic Science, and Robotics Technology in India, China, and Thailand.
During a ceremony in Kano on Monday, where admission letters were distributed to the first batch of 70 recipients, Jibrin emphasized that the selected students would embark on two-year postgraduate programs in these technologically advanced fields.
Jibrin highlighted the rigorous and transparent selection process overseen by a dedicated committee, which prioritized academic excellence.
Only candidates with first-class or second-class upper degrees were considered, ensuring that the most qualified students were chosen.
He stressed that the process was impartial, noting that he had no personal connections with any of the beneficiaries.
Importantly, the scholarship is not limited to students from Kano North, Jibrin’s senatorial district, but is inclusive of all 44 local government areas in Kano State.
“Our goal is to invest in the future of our youth through education,” Jibrin stated.
“We carefully selected these areas of study because they are at the forefront of modern technology.
“This initiative is designed to equip our students with the skills needed for the overall development of our nation.”
Jibrin encouraged the beneficiaries to be diligent in their studies and to represent Nigeria positively in their host countries.
He also expressed that students who find opportunities abroad after their studies are welcome to stay and gain further experience before returning to Nigeria.
Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, lauded Jibrin for his commitment to advancing education and providing such opportunities for Kano’s youth.
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
In a significant academic milestone, the Senate of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has approved the promotion of 90 senior academics to the ranks of Professors and Associate Professors.
KANO FOCUS reports that the decision was made during the Senate’s 416th meeting, held on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
The promotion list includes 45 academics who have attained the rank of Professor, further bolstering BUK’s academic reputation across various disciplines.
Among those promoted to Professor are Dr. Umar Sani Fagge, now Professor of Arabic Language; Dr. Ibrahim Muazzam Saminu Maibushira, Professor of Islamic Thought and Civilization; and Dr. Tijjani Muhammad Naniya, who has been elevated to Professor of Social and Political History.
In the sciences, Dr. Mukhtar Ridwanu Bunza has been promoted to Professor of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, while Dr. Kasim Muhammad has become Professor of Environmental Engineering. Other notable promotions include Dr. Murtala M. Badamasi as Professor of Geography and Dr. Salisu Maiwada Abubakar as Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry.
The list also highlights the promotion of five female academics to full Professorships, underscoring BUK’s commitment to gender diversity in academia. Among them are Dr. Ummulkhair A. Dantata, now Professor of Hausa Language; Dr. Latifa Musa Pedro, Professor of Health Economics; and Dr. Hauwa Musa Abdullahi, who has become Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
In addition to these promotions, 45 academics have been elevated to the rank of Associate Professor.
This includes Dr. Lawal Muhammad Bello in Electrical Engineering, Dr. Warshu Tijjani Rabi’u in Islamic Studies & Shari’ah, and Sunusi Iguda in Mass Communication.
This wave of promotions reflects BUK’s dedication to academic excellence and its ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of education and research within the institution.
The university continues to position itself as a leading center of learning and scholarship in Nigeria and beyond.
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