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By Gloria Ikibah

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dr Wasiu Olanrewaju-Smart as the new Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), reinforcing efforts to deepen coordination between the Presidency and the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

The appointment, announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, follows the resignation of Hon. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, who stepped down to pursue an elective political office in his home state.

Olanrewaju-Smart brings to the role a blend of academic excellence and extensive legislative experience. He holds a doctorate in Educational Management from Lead City University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and is an Edward Mason Fellow in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also a LEAPS Fellow of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), holds a professional diploma in Public Relations from the London School of Public Relations and was a Policy Fellow at Quantum Alliance AI in the United States, where he focused on Artificial Intelligence and Civic Technology.

His career within the National Assembly spans more than a decade. He served as Research and Media Assistant to the Minority and Majority Leaders of the House of Representatives during the 7th and 8th Assemblies before rising through the ranks to become Special Adviser, Deputy Chief of Staff and later Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House of Representatives during the 9th and 10th Assemblies.

In October 2023, he joined the Presidency as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Intergovernmental Affairs, a position he held until his latest appointment.

Beyond his administrative responsibilities, Olanrewaju-Smart has contributed to the development of key public policies and legislation, including the Interest-Free Student Loan Act.

Announcing the appointment in a statement on Sunday, the Presidency expressed confidence in his ability to strengthen collaboration between the Executive and the House of Representatives.

President Tinubu said, “Olanrewaju-Smart will use his experience, intellect, and commitment to strengthening legislative coordination and relations between the Presidency, MDAs and the House of Representatives.”

The President also directed that the appointment takes immediate effect, signalling the administration’s determination to sustain effective engagement with the National Assembly in advancing its legislative agenda.

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A senior finance commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has surrendered to troops of the Nigerian Army alongside his two sons and an AK-47 rifle, in what military authorities described as another significant breakthrough in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East.

The Army revealed that the high-ranking ISWAP operative was among 46 terrorists and their family members who voluntarily laid down their arms following sustained military offensives against insurgent strongholds.

According to military authorities, the surrender is part of the continued success of coordinated land and air operations that have weakened the operational capabilities of terrorist groups across Borno State and adjoining areas.

The surrendered individuals reportedly included fighters, women and children, with the senior ISWAP finance chief arriving with his two sons and a serviceable AK-47 rifle.

Military sources said preliminary intelligence indicates that persistent offensives, destruction of terrorist logistics bases, and mounting pressure from troops have continued to force insurgents to abandon their camps and surrender.

The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining ongoing operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks, restoring peace to affected communities, and encouraging more insurgents willing to renounce violence to surrender through established deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes.

Security analysts have described the latest surrender as another indication that sustained military pressure is disrupting the command structure and financial operations of terrorist organisations operating in the North-East.

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

No fewer than seven victims abducted during the April attack on worshippers in Ariko community, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have reportedly died in captivity, as fresh accounts from a recently freed captive paint a grim picture of worsening humanitarian conditions inside a terrorists’ camp where dozens of residents have now spent more than three months.

The latest revelation was made by former media aide to the late Kaduna State Governor, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Mr. Reuben Buhari, in a post on his Facebook page, citing information obtained from one of the victims who recently regained freedom. Blueprint reports

According to Buhari, the freed captive disclosed that seven of the 37 persons kidnapped from Ariko village have died since they were taken away during the Easter Sunday attack.

The deceased were said to include two men, two women and three children.

*Bodies allegedly dumped on hillside*

According to the survivor’s account, the deceased victims were not given proper burials.

Instead, the bodies were allegedly dragged to a nearby slope and abandoned.

Buhari also shared a photograph of the 37 abducted worshippers which he said was released by the kidnappers six days after the abduction, identifying one of the men in the image as among those who had reportedly died in captivity.

The latest account could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

*Babies born in captivity do not survive*

The survivor also disclosed that the baby delivered by one of the abducted women inside the terrorists’ camp has died.

The birth had earlier drawn widespread attention after another escapee recounted how fellow female captives were forced to assist the woman during labour without medical supplies or professional care.

According to the earlier testimony, the captors allegedly refused to provide a knife or blade to cut the baby’s umbilical cord, forcing one of the women to use her teeth.

The newborn reportedly survived for almost three weeks before dying in the camp.

The latest account further revealed that another pregnant woman abducted from Awon village on April 20 also gave birth while in captivity about two weeks ago.

However, the baby reportedly died the following day.

The 11 victims abducted from Awon village are now said to be held in the same camp as the Ariko victims.

*Victims sleep in the open*

The recently freed captive described extremely harsh living conditions inside the camp.

According to the account, the abductees sleep in the open without any form of shelter, leaving them exposed to rain, cold and harsh weather conditions.
Whenever it rains, they are said to spend the night on wet ground.

The survivor added that many of the remaining children in captivity are ill, with deteriorating health conditions caused by prolonged exposure, hunger and lack of medical attention.

Earlier testimonies from other escapees had also described widespread malnutrition, skin infections and poor sanitation inside the camp.

One 65-year-old woman who escaped after spending 54 days in captivity had narrated how captives survived on boiled leaves, mangoes and stream water, while many were deliberately kept barefoot to prevent escape attempts.

She eventually regained freedom after trekking barefoot through the forest for three days.

*More than 100 days in captivity*

According to Buhari, the 37 victims abducted from Ariko village have now spent 110 days in captivity, while the 11 residents kidnapped from neighbouring Awon village have remained in the same camp for 95 days.

He appealed to Nigerians to continue praying for the victims and their families, expressing hope that they would soon regain their freedom.

The latest development comes amid persistent attacks on communities in Kachia Local Government Area.

Only recently, terrorists invaded Ungwan Atiku village, killing one resident and abducting 11 others, including three nursing mothers and their suckling babies, further deepening concerns over the worsening security situation in Southern Kaduna.

Residents have repeatedly called on security agencies to intensify rescue operations and dismantle criminal camps operating in forests across the area to secure the release of those still being held.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, neither answered telephone calls nor responded to a text message seeking his comments before this report was filed.