The Federal Government, on Monday, approved the release of N5bn to support victims of the Kano Singer Market fire disaster.

Also, the All Progressives Governors Forum, led by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, pledged N3bn to the victims.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed the donation during a sympathy visit to the market on Monday.

Speaking in Kano, Shettima said the intervention aimed to help victims rebuild their businesses and restore economic activity in the market.

“Your Excellency, we join you today not only to sympathise with you over the fire outbreak at the Singer Market that has disrupted the commercial life of this great state, but to come bearing the promise of the Federal Government that we stand firmly with the good people of Kano.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of N5bn to the Government of Kano State as palliative towards this incident.

“And the Progressive Governors Forum, under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma, has also pledged N3bn in support of the victims of the fire incident at the Singer Market.

“Together, we have collectively contributed N8bn to the victims of the fire disaster.

“The Federal Government stands with you in this moment of hardship and will continue to provide the necessary support,” Shettima said.
Related News

2027: Kano central to APC plans, says Shettima
FG, Wigwe varsity advance talks on AI, agric innovation
Two million Kano children exposed to danger, NGO warns

The visit followed the fire which broke out on Saturday evening, February 14, 2026, in the Gidan Glass section of the market along Ado Bayero Road and raged into Sunday morning.

It affected more than 1,000 shops and reportedly left seven traders feared missing.

Describing the incident as a national tragedy, Shettima said the inferno was not only a loss to Kano State but to the entire federation.

The Vice President, who was accompanied by the governors of Jigawa, Kebbi, and Imo, offered prayers for the victims and prayed to Almighty Allah to prevent the recurrence of such disasters in the future.

The Chairman of the Singer Market Traders Association, Junaid Zakari, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for what he described as a timely and generous gesture.

He pledged that the funds would be used judiciously to support affected members and help restore business activities in the historic market.

The PUNCH reports that the fire marks the second major blaze at the market in less than two weeks.

Emergency responders from NEMA, the Kano State Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Fire Service, and other agencies eventually contained the blaze, which officials linked to a possible solar battery explosion.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has declared that votes must count in the 2027 general elections, warning that anyone who attempts to undermine the process would face legal consequences.

In a statement shared via his verified X handle on Monday, Obi stressed that unlike in previous elections, Nigerians would insist that every valid vote is counted and properly recorded.

He urged citizens to remain at their polling units after casting their ballots to witness the counting and transmission of results, insisting that electoral transparency is critical to safeguarding the country’s democracy.

“Unlike in the past, in 2027 our votes MUST count, and all those who are there not to count the votes will be counted among those destroying Nigeria.

“I encourage everyone to remain at the polling units after voting to count and witness the counting and transmission of results. Those who refuse to allow the votes count will be made to count the full weight of the law against rigging.

“Let me reiterate: if you do not count our votes, we will count you among those who destroy our democracy, thereby destroying our future, and you must answer to the law,” Obi said.

All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has released the list of cleared aspirants for its chairmanship primaries ahead of the 2026 local government elections in Anambra State.

The list, issued on Sunday at the party’s state secretariat in Awka, contains candidates cleared to contest the party’s primaries across the 21 local government areas of the state.

According to a statement signed by Dr Ejimofor Opara, National Publicity Secretary of APGA, the clearance followed the completion of screening processes in line with party guidelines.

The party noted that aspirants from all local government areas successfully met the requirements necessary to participate in the forthcoming primaries to select candidates for the council chairmanship positions.

Some of the cleared aspirants include Kingsley Ezeagu (Aguata), Ifeanyi Chinweze (Anambra East), Tony Obierika (Anambra West), Paulinus Okafor (Anaocha), ThankGod Anago (Awka North), and Chinedu Okafor (Awka South), among others across the remaining councils.

APGA reiterated its commitment to conducting transparent and credible primaries, urging party members and supporters to maintain unity and abide by party rules throughout the electioneering period.

The Anambra local government election is expected to hold on August 29, with political parties intensifying preparations ahead of the polls.

At least, six soldiers of the Nigerian Army and four members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were reportedly killed in an attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State.
The claim was made by Somto Okonkwo in a post shared on his verified X account on Monday.

According to Okonkwo, the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, February 15, 2026, between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m., in Mandara community under Biu Local Government Area of the state.

“The attack happened this morning around 12 a.m. to 1 a.m. in Mandara under Biu LGA of Borno State,” he wrote.

Okonkwo alleged that six soldiers were killed in the assault, including a Commanding Officer (CO) and an Adjutant. He further claimed that four members of the CJTF also lost their lives during the attack.

“Six soldiers went down, including the Adjutant and the Commanding Officer. Four CJTF members were also killed,” he stated.

He accused the authorities of not being transparent about the incident.

“They will not tell you, but this happened.”

He insisted that his claim was factual.

“Go and verify. If it is a lie, I won’t drop it on this page. I swear on my life.”

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army has not issued an official statement confirming or denying the alleged attack.

In the same post, Okonkwo also raised the alarm over a separate security situation in Kwara State.

He claimed that a community identified as Sharee in Ifelodun Local Government Area was under attack.

“Kwara State is under attack right now. Share in Ifelodun LGA is currently under attack. Security operatives should do the needful,” he wrote.

There has been no official confirmation from security agencies in Kwara State regarding the alleged incident as of press time.

The Rotary Club of Karu, RC Karu Federal Capital Territory, FCT, District 9127, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on its impact in tackling economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption across the country.

This commendation was given by the Secretary, Rotary District 9127, Rotarian Ife James Utodio, while on a Courtesy Visit to the EFCC Academy. According to him, the EFCC has become a national agency of redemption to the extent that its “logo is a national symbol and we need to display this symbol and educate our youths and children on the need to identify and respect this and other national symbols”

He explained that “Rotary shares the same ideology with the EFCC in fighting crimes, “even in the 4-way Test was created, so many years ago, in 1932, to guide us in our dealings to work against corruption in the workplace, personal life and business”

Utodio elaborated that Rotary has been in the advocacy of trying to mould its members and the community about being straightforward, honest and truthful and the visit to the EFCC Academy, he said, was to intimate the Academy that Rotary was desirous of impacting its immediate community in collaboration with the EFCC.

Utodio outlined the club’s plans for the year which includes community health, education, ethics and civil responsibility and every area of community development. He expressed hope that the EFCC Academy will be able to educate the community at its gatherings on cybercrime and cyber protection targeting the youths and adults. He added that Rotary had plans to organize essays within secondary schools in Karu on financial crimes.

He specifically stressed that Rotary will continue to create awareness on the need for the celebration of Nigerian symbols usually done on September 30 every year. “May people don’t know this is done because the awareness is not there, we want to create that awareness, celebrate our symbols, national flag, national anthem, military logo. The EFCC logo is a national symbol, we need to display this symbol and educate our youth and school children in order to identify and respect these symbols because they represent the country”, he said.

He assured that with the mileage Rotary has globally, it will put the EFCC message across over 1.4m people.

The Ag. Commandant, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Joseph Ogwiji welcomed the delegation and commended the desire of the Club to domesticate its impact and collaborate with the EFCC. He explained that the EFCC’s major essence is looking at the whole while the Rotary approaches via the community.

“The EFCC thrives on the approaches of integrity, truthfulness, accountability, transparency same as ideas mentioned by the Rotary. He added that the cardinal element in the EFCC mandate is prevention, which is a key area the international community is looking at. He stated that countries are focused on growth of their people, rather than self mobilization and aggrandizement of wealth which is the bane of the country.

Bello El-Rufai, a federal lawmaker and son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has addressed speculation surrounding a possible defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lawmaker reacted after a social media user urged him to leave the APC for the ADC.

In his response, Bello firmly dismissed the suggestion, emphasizing that his political decisions are not shaped by online pressure.

He referenced his electoral victory in Kaduna North as the basis of his stance, reminding critics of the mandate entrusted to him by voters and stressing that his primary loyalty is to the people he represents.

Referring to his win, he wrote: “Bello El-Rufai wins Kaduna North Rep seat with 51,052 to defeat the PDP candidate, Samaila who polled 34,808 votes. El-Rufai’s son sets a record by being the first candidate to win all 12 wards in Kaduna North.”

He maintained that the mandate belongs to the 51,052 constituents who elected him, not to voices on social media.

Bello added that only one circumstance could prompt him to leave the APC a directive from his father, whom he repeatedly referred to as “Mallam.”

“If Mallam asks me to leave the APC, I’ll resign the seat tonight. I can be non-Partisan. My people adore me,” he said.

He further challenged the social media user, saying: “I’ll send 10 million to you tonight if you can convince the 51,052 people that have me this mandate. Do you have an app to confirm?”

While reaffirming his deep respect for his father, Bello also underscored his loyalty to the Kaduna State administration led by Governor Uba Sani, whom he described as his “boss,” ruling out any act of disloyalty.

He revealed that after recently attending a public event with his father, he proceeded directly to a Kaduna APC caucus meeting alongside the Speaker and the governor, a move he described as both intentional and symbolic.

Bello also pointed to the opportunities he has gained within the APC, noting that the party has allowed him to collaborate with senior public officials, including Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso.

Addressing political ethics, he declared: “I will never publicly go against governor and I will not plan his demise. It is called honour.”

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has explained his decision to adopt what some critics described as “weakness” in his political confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

According to him, it was a deliberate move aimed at preserving peace, ensuring political survival, and safeguarding broader national interests.

Fubara made the remarks on Friday in Lagos while receiving a Man of the Year award at the New Telegraph Award/Dinner Night.

During his acceptance speech, he offered an emotional reflection on the pressures of leadership, ongoing political tensions, and efforts toward reconciliation in Rivers State.

“Today for me is a very special day, and also special for everyone who has believed in me, and I know for believing in me, you have a share of special pain,” the governor said.

Speaking on the prolonged political strain that has influenced governance in the state, Fubara noted that his strategy has often been misinterpreted by observers.

He emphasized that his choices were intentional and guided by a desire to maintain stability.

“Some of these pains, some persons described them as weakness, while others say it as being strong, but I choose for a lot of reasons to be weak. Weak, because I want peace.

“Weak, because we need to survive. Weak, because I need to also protect those things that are dear, not just to me, but to our dear nation,” he said.

In a remark likely to further influence political conversations, the governor added, “weakness is a virtue. It pays at the right time.”