Headlines
NCC issues final letters of licence awards to 5G spectrum winners
Nasiru Yusuf
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed issuance of the final letters of award of the Fifth Generation (5G) Spectrum Licences to MTN and Mafab Communications, winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction conducted by the Commission on Monday, December 13, 2021.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Management of the Commission led by its Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta confirmed this to the Board of Commissioners at the Board’s Special Meeting, which took place on Wednesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 21, 2022, where the Board considered updates from Management on the status of the spectrum auction.
With the issuance of the final letters of awards of 5G spectrum and in line with the Auction’s Information Memorandum (IM), the two licensees are now expected to accelerate deployment of 5G network that will usher Nigeria into a more robust Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and a more digitised Nigerian economy.
In line with the terms and conditions of the 5G license, the licensees are expected to commence roll out 5G services effective from August 24, 2022.
The 5G network, when deployed, will bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country. The technology is also expected to bring substantial network improvements, including higher connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.
Following a transparent, diligent, fair and credible auction of 3.5GHz on December 13, 2021, the National Frequency Managenent Council (NFMC), chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, had on February 22, 2022, officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment as well as Federal Government-approved National Policy on 5G to the Commission.
Subsequently, the Commission, on February 24, 2022, confirmed the full payment of $273.6 million each by the two spectrum winners, in addition to spectrum assignment fee paid by MTN, for the 5G spectrum licence.
The Commission is optimistic that effective implementation of the National Policy on 5G will accelerate the actualisation of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation.
While the licensees are expected to meet the timetable regarding their 5G network rollout obligations, the NCC requires collective efforts and support of the private-sector and government toward transforming every aspect of the nation’s economy through 5G, which will herald greater transformation than what the nation witnessed with the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.
Headlines
Kano Police announce movement restrictions ahead of assembly by-elections
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Police Command has announced movement restrictions and other security measures ahead of the February 21, 2026 by-elections into the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies.
KANO FOCUS reports that the decision followed a meeting of the Kano State Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), chaired by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amb. Zango Abdu, mni, on Thursday February 19, 2026.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, the Command said comprehensive security arrangements had been concluded to ensure a peaceful, free, fair, credible and transparent exercise.
According to the statement, movement of motor vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles will be restricted in Kano Municipal and Ungogo Local Government Areas from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2026, being election day. The restriction will not apply to vehicles on essential services such as ambulances, fire service trucks, and those conveying electoral officials and accredited observers.
The Command further stated that only eligible voters would be allowed access to polling units, while only agents officially identified by INEC would be permitted to operate at the centres.
It warned that carrying weapons of any kind is strictly prohibited, adding that individuals wearing clothing or carrying items bearing political party logos will not be allowed at polling units. Loitering around voting centres will also not be tolerated.
The Police Command also announced that state security outfits, including vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch personnel, Hisbah and KAROTA officials, will not be allowed at polling units during the exercise.
The Command assured residents of its commitment to maintaining peace and neutrality throughout the electoral process, stressing that security agencies would remain apolitical, professional and impartial in the discharge of their duties.
Residents and visitors to the affected local government areas were urged to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure a hitch-free exercise. Members of the public were also encouraged to report suspicious activities or emergencies through the designated police emergency numbers.
The Command wished the people of Kano State a peaceful and successful by-election.
Headlines
Lami Maccido, first person to appear on screens of NTA Kano, CTV 67, dies at 72
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Ace broadcaster, Hajiya Lami Hafsat Maccido, widely regarded as the first indigenous announcer on Radio Kano and the first person to appear on the screens of NTA Kano and CTV 67 at their formative stages, has died at the age of 72.
KANO FOCUS reports that Maccido passed away on Tuesday night after a brief illness, according to an announcement circulated on WhatsApp platform by Engr. Abubakar Garba Maccido.
Born on August 12, 1954, Maccido hailed from a diverse heritage. She was born in Jos, Plateau State, to a Shuwa Arab father from Borno State and a Fulani mother from Katsina State.
She attended Township Primary School and St. Louis Secondary School, both in Jos, before proceeding to ABC/ABU Kano for her tertiary education.
Maccido began her working career as a cashier at Sheshe Departmental Stores in Kano before joining Radio Kano in 1974, where she worked until 1976. She later moved to Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Kano—then known as NTV Kano—where she served from 1976 to 1981.
She subsequently transferred her service to CTV 67 as a pioneer staff member. She retired in 2012 after 35 years of dedicated service in the broadcast industry.
Maccido, alongside her former colleagues Dr. Faruk Umar Usman, Alhaji Ishaq Hadeijia, and Alhaji Wada Abdullahi Kachako, played a key role in naming CTV 67 (Community Television) when the station was first established by the then Governor of Kano State, Abubakar Rimi.
Her death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from journalists, former colleagues, and admirers, many of whom described her as a trailblazer, a consummate professional, and a symbol of excellence in broadcasting.
Headlines
Kano Court jails woman five years for N22.35m investment fraud
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of Janet Theophilus Danjuma to five years’ imprisonment for investment fraud amounting to N22,350,000.
KANO FOCUS reports that Danjuma was convicted on Monday, February 16, 2026, by Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court>, sitting in Kano, on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence.
According to the charge, the defendant, a staff member of TAJBank Limited, Nai’bawa Branch, Kano, fraudulently obtained the sum of N22,350,000 from one Wade Bamaiyi in October 2024 under the guise of investing the funds in the bank’s CASA (Current Account Savings Account) programme.
The charge stated that the defendant knew the claim to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
Upon arraignment, Danjuma pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following her plea, the prosecution counsel, Sadiq Huseini, reviewed the facts of the case, explaining how the defendant exploited the name of a legitimate financial product to deceive the victim into parting with the money. He urged the court to convict and sentence her in accordance with the law.
Justice Shuaibu subsequently convicted and sentenced Danjuma to five years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.
Investigations by the EFCC revealed that the defendant diverted the entire sum into her personal account after falsely claiming she would invest the funds in the bank’s CASA programme. She was thereafter charged to court and convicted.
