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Islamic Forum asks Tinubu to withdraw Samoa agreement
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Islamic Forum of Nigeria has urged President Bola Tinubu, to as a matter of urgency completely withdraw Nigeria from the Samoa agreement for the good of the citizens and the nation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Forum said the Samoa agreement with Caribbean and Pacific states signed by the Nigerian government without consulting the people is rejected.
Rising from a one-day meeting, the forum with headquarters in Kano, asked the Federal Government to withdraw from the agreement.
Cross section of leadership of Islamic Forum
Professor Usman Shuaibu Zunnurain said though LGBTQ+ is not explicitly written in the Samoa agreement, Gay and homosexual rights were enshrined using other terms.
The law professor said the 2018 agreement which had the protection of the rights of gays, lesbians and transgender was rejected by 30 countries including Nigeria.
Cross Section of Participants
He said though the LGBTQ were removed in the new draft, terms like gender, and reproductive rights were actually meant to protect LGBTQ+ and abortion rights.
He said the framers of the 1999 constitution were sensitive enough to use the term sex instead of gender in section 42 dealing with non-discrimination against a person on account of his sex, ethnicity or religion.
He said the Samoa agreement has, for example, a provision that says ‘the parties reaffirm commitment to achieving gender equality, the full enjoyment of human rights by all’ and that the agreement shall take precedence over national or domestic laws.
Cross Section of Participants
Also speaking at the meeting, Professor Babangida Muhammad said for a long time in Nigeria’s history, Muslims, Christians, North, and South and people from across the political divide were united against the Samoa agreement.
He faulted the Samoa agreement for no concise definition of terms as is usually the case in any law, agreement or academic publication.
Cross section of participants at the event
Professor Aminu Sagagi advised parents to be vigilant and take more than a keen interest in what their children watch on social media saying the + sign in LGBTQ+ could mean something fundamentally contrary to morality, religion, culture and tradition.
The immediate past chairman of the Christians Association of Nigeria CAN, Kano state chapter Reverend Father Adeyemo Samuel said there is nowhere in the Bible that God allows Gay, Lesbian.
Cross Section of Participants at the event
“Any man that sleeps with a man should be stoned to death immediately,” the cleric said.
While calling on the meeting to say no to the agreement, Samuel said Gender equality also stands for lesbianism and homosexuality.
A lecturer with Bayero University Kano Dr Bala Muhammad recalled how Reverend Idowu Fearon as secretary of the Anglican church rejected the ordination of a gay Bishop in London, saying Exit clause in agreement like Samoa may make it difficult for countries leave.
Cross section of participants at the event
The meeting called on the Nigerian government to withdraw from the agreement because it is in conflict with the political, economic, religious and cultural rights of Nigerians
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday received a delegation from the Association of Kano Business Community at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a thank-you visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
KANO FOCUS reports that the delegation expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support to traders and other victims affected by the recent fire incident that razed several sections of the popular Singer Market in Kano.
Speaking during the meeting, the Vice President reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to collaborating with the Kano State Government and relevant agencies to prevent a recurrence of fire outbreaks in markets across the state.
He assured the delegation that President Tinubu has the interests of Kano people at heart, noting that the N5 billion approved as immediate relief for victims was based on the findings of a preliminary assessment of the damage caused by the inferno.
Shettima reiterated that the Federal Government would continue to support efforts aimed at restoring commercial activities and strengthening safety measures in markets to protect lives and property.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government has inaugurated a 23-member committee to oversee the transparent and equitable distribution of financial assistance and relief materials to victims of the recent Singer Market fire disaster.
KANO FOCUS reports that the inauguration was carried out on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Faruq Ibrahim, who chairs the committee. The event was presided over by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru Maude.
According to the Attorney-General, the committee comprises representatives from key government agencies, security services, the Kano Emirate Council, religious leaders, and affected traders.
He said the panel’s mandate includes assessing the extent of losses, verifying genuine victims, ensuring timely distribution of support, and recommending measures to prevent future fire incidents.
The intervention follows support approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as contributions from the APC Governors Forum. It also comes in addition to earlier assistance provided by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Deputy Senate President, Barau I. Jibrin.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to supporting victims of the disaster and restoring commercial activities at Singer Market.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government has announced Saturday, March 1, 2026, as the commencement date for the Eid-el-Fitr break for all public and private primary and post-primary schools in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the announcement, contained in the approved 2025/2026 academic calendar, applies to both day and boarding schools across the state.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Public Enlightenment, Musbahu Aminu Yakasai, parents and guardians of pupils and students in boarding schools are expected to convey their wards home by the early hours of Friday, February 28, 2026.
The statement further explained that boarding school students are to resume on Sunday, March 22, 2026, while day students are to resume on Monday, March 23, 2026.
It added that the second term will continue from Sunday, March 22, 2026, and end on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
The government directed all public and private schools in the state to comply strictly with the directive, warning that non-compliance would be treated as a breach of government instructions.
The Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, urged parents and guardians to ensure full compliance with the approved resumption dates.
He appreciated parents and residents of the state for their continued cooperation and support to the ministry, and wished pupils and students a successful completion of the Ramadan fast and hitch-free Sallah celebrations.
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