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The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has denied claims that it imposed restrictions on Christian worship and practices in the state.

According to the board, it has no legal authority to regulate how Christians conduct their religious activities.

The board’s commandant, Dr Usman Abdullahi Jatau, made this known in a statement issued on Saturday in Sokoto.

The clarification followed social media claims alleging that the board was interfering with Christian worship in Sokoto.

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A student of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Ademiju Ayeni, popularly known as Jago, has reportedly been stabbed to death during the National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Council (NANS JCC) Osun convention in Osogbo, Osun State.

Ayeni, who was a student of Estate Management, reportedly sustained a stab wound to his chest following a disagreement involving some individuals around the venue of the convention.

According to a report by Punch, sources who participated in the convention alleged that Ayeni was stabbed by a member of the convention’s security committee while attempting to prevent him from gaining access to the venue.

However, the circumstances surrounding the stabbing, including the identity and motive of the alleged assailant, remain subject to police investigation.

The Osun State Police Command confirmed that it was aware of the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the disagreement had initially been resolved before the parties involved dispersed.

According to him, Ayeni later complained of chest pain and was examined, leading to the discovery of a stab wound.

He was subsequently taken to a private hospital in Osogbo, where he was pronounced dead.

His remains were reportedly deposited at the morgue of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, while the police said an autopsy would be conducted as part of efforts to establish further details surrounding his death.

As of the time of the report, the police had not confirmed any arrest in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, the NANS Southwest Coordinator, Josiah Adeyemo, reportedly described the incident as cult-related, alleging that those involved had engaged in a brief fight before Ayeni was stabbed.

However, he said the alleged perpetrator had not been identified.

The development has generated concern among students and stakeholders, particularly because it occurred around a student leadership convention.

The newly elected NANS JCC Osun leadership, in a statement signed by its Chairman-elect, Comrade Keinde Ayokule Temiloluwa Kaywhytee; General Secretary-elect, Comrade Odewale Favour Olatunde Oladex; and Public Relations Officer-elect, Comrade Adediran Okikijesu, expressed condolences to Ayeni’s family, friends and the Iree Polytechnic community.

The new leadership also called on students and stakeholders to remain calm, reject retaliation and refrain from circulating unverified accounts capable of escalating tensions.

“No student election or leadership ambition is worth the life of a student,” the statement said.

The leadership urged members of the Osun student community to prioritise peace, reconciliation and unity following the incident.

The police investigation is expected to clarify the circumstances that led to the fatal stabbing and establish responsibility.

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No fewer than 25 terrorists were killed and 10 motorcycles destroyed during coordinated ground and air operations by troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in Borno State.

The terrorists were killed after they attacked troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed in Kukawa on Friday but were repelled and forced to withdraw towards the Cross Kauwa axis.

The Acting Military Information Officer of OPHK, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Goni said the troops responded swiftly with effective direct and indirect fire, compelling the terrorists to withdraw from the area.

“During the fierce engagement, several terrorists were neutralised, while others were observed to have sustained gunshot wounds as they fled the area,” he said.

He said subsequent exploitation by the troops led to the recovery of terrorist corpses, confirming the casualties inflicted on the attackers.

According to him, as the terrorists withdrew towards Cross Kauwa on motorcycles, the Air Component of OPHK was promptly coordinated to interdict their movement.

“Despite challenging weather conditions, the Air Component successfully engaged terrorists taking cover under trees, neutralising an estimated 10 terrorists,” Goni said.

He added that intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) subsequently tracked about 20 motorcycles conveying fleeing terrorists towards the Tunbuns/Kangarwa axis.

Goni said the intelligence provided by the ISR assets enabled the Air Component to conduct a follow-up precision strike, killing an additional 15 terrorists and destroying 10 motorcycles.

“During subsequent exploitation operations, ground troops recovered two motorcycles, neutralised an additional terrorist and recovered assorted ammunition and other items,” he said.

He said the coordinated ground and air operations disrupted the attack, intercepted the terrorists’ withdrawal and further degraded their capacity to regroup or launch sustained operations in the area.

Goni added that troops were subsequently replenished by air with essential combat enablers to sustain their operational effectiveness and maintain pressure on the terrorists.

“Four personnel recorded no life-threatening injuries during the engagement.

“The wounded personnel were promptly evacuated by air for further medical attention and are confirmed to be in stable condition,” he said.

According to him, troops had since commenced reorganisation and extensive exploitation of the area, while battle damage assessment and further evaluation of the encounter continued.

Goni said the successful defence of Kukawa demonstrated OPHK’s capacity to detect, contain and respond decisively to terrorist threats through the integration of ground forces, air assets and intelligence capabilities.

He added that the operation also underscored “the resilience, courage and professionalism of troops operating across the Theatre.”

He assured that OPHK would sustain offensive operations, intelligence-led surveillance and coordinated ground and air actions to degrade terrorist capabilities, deny them freedom of action and protect communities across the Northeast.