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Kebbi stages mass wedding The grooms
Kebbi State went agog penultima week as Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris presided over the mass wedding of 300 couples, with the state government funding the bride price of N54 million (N180,000 per couple).
Ahead of the solemnization, all prospective couples underwent genotype testing, while the brides were examined to ensure they were not pregnant, aligning with Islamic marital requirements.
The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar, represented by the Magajin Garin Gwandu, Alhaji Aminullahi Umar, acted as the Waliy (guardian) for the brides.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, served as the Wakil (representative) for the grooms, facilitating the marriage contracts.
Governor Idris lauded his wife, Hajiya Nafisa Nasir Idris, for organizing the event through her NANAS Foundation, with the government’s support.
He announced plans for an even larger mass wedding next year as part of his administration’s commitment to social welfare.
The government provided each couple with complete room furniture, including beds, beddings, and household utensils—all free of charge.
Additionally, Hajiya Nafisa donated N20,000 to each couple, totaling N12 million.
The member of the House of Representatives for Suru/Bagudo Constituency, Hon. Bello Dallatun Ka’oje, matched this donation.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, gave N50,000 to each couple—N30,000 for the grooms and N20,000 for the brides—amounting to N15 million.
The marriage rites were performed by prominent Islamic clerics, including Sheikh Mukhtar Abdullahi, Walin Gwandu, Mallam Ahmad S/Fawa, Mallam Muhammadu Yahaya, the Imam of Wala Jumu’a Mosque, Birnin Kebbi.
Islamic scholars such as Professor Mansur Isah Yelwa, Professor Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, Sheikh Abdurrahman Isa Jega, and Mallam Ahmad Tijjani of the Dariqa movement delivered sermons.
They urged the couples to practice love, perseverance, loyalty, trust, justice, and sincerity in their marriages.
Chairman of the organizing committee, Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, who is also the National Organising Secretary of APC, expressed gratitude to Governor Idris and his wife for their support.
He highlighted that challenges learned from previous mass weddings helped ensure a smooth event this time.
Senator Bagudu, the immediate past governor of Kebbi State, commended Governor Idris and Hajiya Nafisa for uplifting the lives of the couples.
The APC National Secretary, Hon. Ajibola Basiru, also praised the initiative not only for joining the couples in matrimony but also for providing them with financial support and empowerment.
One of the brides, Hauwa Abdullahi, from Zauro village, a surburb of Birnin-Kebbi, thanked the Kebbi State government for the support and pledged to respect her husband and support him.
A groom from Gwadangaji village also in Birnin-Kebbi surbub, Bello Gwadangwaji, said the state government had helped him otherwise he won’t be able to get married because he did not have money to sponsor his wedding. He appreciated the wife of the governor and the state government for the assistance, plediging to love and respect his wife.
Aides, Allies Disown Him, Say You’re a Traitor, We’re not Leaving PDP
Barely two weeks after his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), crisis has enveloped the political camp of a member of the House of Representatives for Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for him as his defection to the APC is eliciting rejection from his close circles and constituency.
His key allies who he groomed into politics and government positions have rejected his calls on them to join him to defect to the APC.
A source said that in the last few days, key aides and allies of the lawmaker have rejected his movement to the APC, describing it as a political tragedy.
“With the way he betrayed PDP, Oluwole Oke is like the proverbial Leopard that can never change the spots on its body. He will also betray the APC. We are staying back in PDP while severing political links with him”, one of his allies, Bamidele Johnson said.
Some of his allies were said to have openly declared that the defection marks a political waterloo for the 6th term legislator.
For instance, some of Oke’s allies in his Local Government scorned his move as “a decision borne out of greed and selfishness.”
One of them described him as “an ingrate who betrayed a party on whose platform he got married in life as a lawmaker and on whose platform he gained all his material riches.”
The Northern Youths Consultative Forum for Justice (NYCJ) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, citing a complete breakdown of governance, law, and order.
In a statement issued on Monday in Kano, NYCJ President Dr Sanusi Rano described the situation in Zamfara as “organised abandonment of duty” by elected officials.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara is not governance. It is betrayal of the people,” Rano said, pointing to the absence of a functional state House of Assembly and allegations linking officials to criminal activities.
The group highlighted the suspension of 10 lawmakers who spoke out against the deteriorating security situation, arguing that their removal has left Zamfara without a legally recognised legislative body.
“This is a dictatorship of silence,” said Rano, adding that the lack of checks and balances has deepened the state’s crisis.
“The same hands that should protect Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Rano stated.
Calling for decisive action, the group demanded the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to rebuild the state’s institutions.
“If this is not done now, Zamfara risks becoming a permanent state of anarchy, which threatens our democracy,” Rano warned.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased ( his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022 by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge .
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel , Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively. (NAN)