By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Naira continued its fall against the dollar at the parallel foreign exchange market on Thursday.

A Bureau de Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, Abubakar Alhasan, said that the Naira dropped to N1500 per dollar on Thursday from N1490 exchanged on Wednesday.

This showed that the Naira fell by N10 against the dollar on Thursday compared to the N1,490 per dollar exchange rate the previous day.

Recall that this is the second time this week, the naira had weakened at the black market.

Meanwhile, at the official market, the Naira rose slightly by N0.04 to N1,499.07 on Thursday from N1,499.11 on Wednesday.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Troops have nabbed Kachallah Hassan Nabamamu, a notorious bandit kingpin terrorizing communities in Mada, Tsafe, and other parts of Zamfara State.

Zagazola Makama, shared the news on Friday via a post on his X handle, revealing that the operation took place on February 27 in the Gusau Local Government Area of the state. The troops, part of Operation FANSAR YANMA, carried out a well-planned ambush, resulting in a fierce firefight. Several bandits were killed during the operation, while others fled with gunshot wounds.

Initially, Nabamamu fled to nearby homes but was soon pursued and captured alive by the security forces. However, hours after his arrest, his gang, led by Bakin Malam, retaliated by attacking Chediya, Bamamu, and Makera villages. The gang issued threats to residents, warning them of violent action unless Nabamamu was released. This prompted many villagers to flee in fear.

The Nigerian troops, however, quickly responded with superior firepower, forcing the bandits to retreat and preventing further attacks. Both air and land troops were deployed to safeguard the area while intelligence operations continue to track down fleeing gang members.

Nabamamu, who hails from Tsafe, Gidan Alhaji Kaduna, began his criminal activities as an Almajiri before attending Model Primary School, Tsafe. For over three decades, he was involved in armed robbery and later became one of the first Fulani men to engage in large-scale banditry in Zamfara. His criminal notoriety began with a violent robbery at the home of Sani Dan Kyaso, during which multiple murders were committed.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Some Nigerian passengers were left frustrated and delayed after an Air France flight, traveling from Paris to Abuja, was rerouted to Lomé, Togo, due to bad weather in the Nigerian capital.

This unexpected turn of events prompted a quick response from Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. He voiced his concerns over how Air France handled the situation.

The airline’s decision to land in Lomé was made to avoid a risky landing in Abuja caused by severe weather. However, Keyamo expressed dissatisfaction with the airline’s plan to leave passengers stranded overnight in Lomé, despite the weather in Abuja clearing up and the aircraft being ready to return.

Taking to his official social media, Keyamo confirmed that he had contacted both his team and Air France to demand immediate action. He insisted that passengers be promptly flown back to Abuja or, if they had to stay in Lomé, they should receive proper accommodations and care according to international standards.

“I’ve been alerted about the situation involving mostly Nigerian passengers stuck in Lomé by Air France. I stressed that they must return to Abuja tonight, or if they stay in Lomé, they should be treated according to best international standards,” Keyamo tweeted on Thursday night.

Passengers, understandably upset, had voiced concerns about the lack of communication and the potential for being left stranded. Thankfully, due to Keyamo’s intervention, efforts were made to ensure their safe return to Abuja.