The Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered soldiers to flush out the new terrorist group in the Kaiama and Baruten local government areas of Kwara State to guard against the spread of their activities to other regions of the country.

The army staff charged them to flush the bandits out of the two local government areas, adding that he wants the job done in the next one month.

The army chief, while charging the troops, said the country could not afford to allow bandits spreading out to another part of the country again.

Oluyede made the call while addressing the troops during his visit to Sobi barracks in Ilorin, the state capital.

His visit was also aimed at motivating the troops who will soon move to the crime scene as part of efforts to nip the spread of the activities of the new terror group, named Mahmouda, in the bud.

The COAS said having another form of Boko Haram in any part of the country would not be allowed as necessary support would be given to them.

“So, you’re out here and I know you can do it to make sure those people (bandits) leave that place for us,” he told the troops.

“If they want to enter another country, that is their business, but you must push them out of those forests so we will not have another set of Boko Baram disturbing us here.

“In the next one month, I don’t want to see any footprints of those criminals within that Kainji Dam,” the army chief added.

In an interview with journalists, Oluyede said the issue was an isolated case that cannot threaten the peace in Nigeria.

He said, “I can tell you, in the next one month, things will be different. What is happening in Kwara cannot be threatening the sanity in Nigeria generally; it’s just an isolated case and we’ll deal with it directly”.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reacted to claims by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration that it has released N50 billion to settle long-standing earned academic allowances owed to university lecturers.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, ASUU National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said the union has not received any verifiable evidence of such payment and would not be swayed by mere pronouncements from the federal government.

“You said that the government released the N50 billion to ASUU, but why are you bringing other staff? Every union negotiates for its members. It is not a collective,” Osodeke questioned.

He further debunked the narrative being pushed by government spokespersons, insisting that ASUU was only verbally informed and has not seen any documentation or transfer of funds.

“I have not even seen the report about the release of the fund. We are aware of it, but until we see evidence, we won’t believe them,” he said. “We only agreed verbally. We have not seen the money.”

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, had announced the release of N50 billion to settle earned allowances of the academic and non-academic staff unions of federal universities

This was announced by the country’s Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, on Wednesday via a statement titled “FG Releases N50bn Earned Allowances to Varsity Unions, Tinubu Reaffirms Education Priority”, issued by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education.

The statement said that the move “stands as yet another testament to Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to fundamentally transform Nigeria’s education sector. It reflects the administration’s bold resolve to transition the nation from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy through strategic investments in education, infrastructure, and human capital.”

“This intervention is not just a financial transaction—it is a reaffirmation of our President’s belief in the capacity of Nigerian youth and the invaluable role that academic and non-academic staff play in nurturing them,” the statement said.

“By prioritising their welfare, we are laying the foundation for a future where every Nigerian child receives highly qualitative and globally competitive education.”

“Notably, the country is currently experiencing one of the longest uninterrupted academic sessions in recent history—a feat attributed to the mutual understanding and shared commitment between the government and the university community,” the statement added.

The Kano Hisbah Board has demolished the “healing water site” located in Hotoron Arewa in the Kano metropolis.

Recall that the site had attracted thousands of residents and visitors from the neighbouring states, who came seeking divine or spiritual healings.

The Director General of the board, Abba Sufi, confirmed the demolition of the place to the PUNCH Online in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

“The place was demolished on Monday, April 21 after we discovered that some disgruntled elements are using the place to mislead desperate patients seeking treatment,” Sufi said.

He maintained that the board would not allow some ‘undesirable elements to mislead people in the name of getting treatment for whatever ailments’.

Sufi warned Kano residents and those coming from other places to disregard what is being said about the sanctity of the place, describing it as a scam.

He added that the place had been demolished.