Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has leveled accusations against certain security personnel and government officials, alleging their involvement in aiding banditry, which he claims has evolved into a lucrative "business venture." Speaking on Channels Television's Politics Today, Governor Radda highlighted systemic challenges hindering efforts to curb banditry, emphasizing poverty and injustice as significant catalysts. Contrary to claims linking the insecurity to politics, Radda stressed the dire economic conditions driving many northern youths into banditry, often for as little as N500. Shedding light on recent trips by northern governors to the United States, Radda clarified that the initiative was at the behest of the United States Institute of Peace, aimed at fostering solutions to the region's security challenges.

Reflecting on the symposium held in Washington D.C., Radda emphasized the collaborative efforts to explore strategies for lasting peace and security, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive international intervention.

Hamas is sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks in the latest sign of progress

Hamas said Thursday that it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza.

After months of stop-and-start negotiations, the cease-fire efforts appear to have reached a critical stage, with Egyptian and American mediators reporting signs of compromise in recent days. But chances for the deal remain entangled with the key question of whether Israel will accept an end to the war without reaching its stated goal of destroying Hamas.

The stakes in the cease-fire negotiations were made clear in a new U.N. report that said if the Israel-Hamas war stops today, it will still take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes that have been destroyedby nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza. It warned that the impact of the damage to the economy will set back development for generations and will only get worse with every month fighting continues.

The proposal that U.S. and Egyptian mediators have put to Hamas -– apparently with Israel’s acceptance — sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages, but also negotiations over a “permanent calm” that includes some sort of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, according to an Egyptian official. Hamas is seeking guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal and complete end to the war.

Hamas officials have sent mixed signals about the proposal in recent days. But on Thursday, its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said in a statement that he had spoken to Egypt’s intelligence chief and “stressed the positive spirit of the movement in studying the cease-fire proposal.”

The statement said that Hamas negotiators would travel to Cairo “to complete the ongoing discussions with the aim of working forward for an agreement.” Haniyeh said he had also spoken to the prime minister of Qatar, another key mediator in the process.

The brokers are hopeful that the deal will bring an end to a conflict that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, caused widespread destruction and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis. They also hope a deal will avert an Israeli attack on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have sought shelter after fleeing battle zones elsewhere in the territory.

If Israel does agree to end the war in return for a full hostage release, it would be a major turnaround. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack stunned Israel, its leaders have vowed not to stop their bombardment and ground offensives until the militant group is destroyed. They also say Israel must keep a military presence in Gaza and security control after the war to ensure Hamas doesn’t rebuild.

Publicly at least, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to insist that is the only acceptable endgame.

He has vowed that even if a cease-fire is reached, Israel will eventually attack Rafah, which he says is Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. He repeated his determination to do so in talks Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Israel on a regional tour to push the deal through.

The agreement’s immediate fate hinges on whether Hamas will accept uncertainty over the final phases to bring the initial six-week pause in fighting — and at least postpone what it is feared would be a devastating assault on Rafah.

Egypt has been privately assuring Hamas that the deal will mean a total end to the war. But the Egyptian official said Hamas says the text’s language is too vague and wants it to specify a complete Israeli pullout from all of Gaza. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about the internal deliberations.

On Wednesday evening, however, the news looked less positive as Osama Hamdan, a top Hamas official, expressed skepticism, saying the group’s initial position was “negative.” Speaking to Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, he said that talks were still ongoing but would stop if Israel invades Rafah.

Blinken hiked up pressure on Hamas to accept, saying Israel had made “very important” compromises.

“There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there,” Blinken said Wednesday before leaving for the U.S.

An Israeli airstrike, meanwhile, killed at least five people, including a child, in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The bodies were seen and counted by Associated Press journalists at a hospital.

The war broke out on Oct. 7. when Hamas militants broke into southern Israel and killed over 1,200 people, mostly Israelis, taking around 250 others hostage, some released during a cease-fire on November.

The Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the Oct. 7 raid into southern Israelin which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Hamas is believed to still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.

Since then, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has wreaked vast destruction and brought a humanitarian disaster, with several hundred thousand Palestinians in northern Gaza facing imminent famine, according to the U.N. More than 80% of the population has been driven from their homes.

The “productive basis of the economy has been destroyed” and poverty is rising sharply among Palestinians, according to the report released Thursday by the United Nations Development Program and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

It said that in 2024, the entire Palestinian economy — including both Gaza and the West Bank -– has so far contracted 25.8%. If the war continues, the loss will reach a “staggering” 29% by July, it said. The West Bank economy has been hit by Israel’s decision to cancel the work permits for tens of thousands of laborers who depended on jobs inside Israel.

“These new figures warn that the suffering in Gaza will not end when the war does,” UNDP administrator Achim Steiner said. He warned of a “serious development crisis that jeopardizes the future of generations to come.”

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia says it has driven Ukrainian army from 211 square miles of territory this year

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said his troops had taken control of 547 square kilometres (211 square miles) of territory this year in what he called Russia's "new regions," a reference to four Ukrainian regions that Moscow says it has annexed.

Shoigu, in remarks on Friday to senior military commanders, said Ukrainian forces were retreating all along the front line and that Russian troops were breaking what he called a network of Ukrainian strongholds.

"The Ukrainian army units are trying to cling on to individual lines, but under our onslaught they are forced to abandon their positions and retreat," said Shoigu.

"Over the past two weeks, the Russian Armed Forces have liberated the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said, referring to the name Russia uses for one of the four annexed regions.

Ukraine's top commander said on Sunday that Kyiv's outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front.

Moscow said in September 2022, seven months after sending troops into Ukraine, that it had incorporated four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia - into its own sovereign territory despite not fully controlling any of them.

Ukraine said the move was an illegal land grab and has said it plans to evict every Russian soldier from its territory, including from Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Russia controls about 18% of Ukraine - in the east and south - and has been gaining ground since Kyiv's 2023 counter-offensive failed to make any serious inroads against well dug-in Russian troops.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia reveals dramatic weapons production increase

There has been a multifold increase in the production of weapons and ammunition in Russia since the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, the head of the defense conglomerate Rostec has said.

Sergey Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting on Friday that around 80% of arms used by the Russian military in the conflict are being supplied by Rostec.

The conglomerate, which was established in 2007 on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, involves more than 800 research and production organizations in Russia’s defense sector.

"Compared to 2022, the production and refurbishment of tanks at our factories increased by three-and-a-half times, and of lightly armored vehicles by three times,” the Rostec chief said.

The manufacture of self-propelled artillery pieces has increased tenfold, while 14 times more towed guns are being produced, and the production of multiple rocket launch systems (MLRS) has doubled.

The output of ammunition rounds for tanks and infantry fighting vehicles increased by 900%, artillery shells by 600%, and munitions for MLRS by 800%. Three times as many unguided rockets for heavy flamethrower systems are being produced, Chemezov said.

According to the Rostec chief, new types of equipment have also been introduced during the conflict, such as TOS-2 heavy flamethrower systems, which are capable of firing munitions with thermobaric warheads and are “widely used in the area of the military operation.” Zemledeliye remote mine-laying systems are also being produced, as well as Krasnopol guided shells, Kub loitering munitions, and guided missiles for UAVs.

Rostec is also working with JSC Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) to equip standard aviation bombs with gliding modules and guidance systems, he said.

The Washington Post reported in March that the use of glide bombs, which can travel long distances and have high precision, has “dramatically boosted” the effectiveness of the Russian Air Force. The Independent wrote last month that those munitions had been “changing the face” of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday that the country’s forces are continuing “to break up” Ukrainian defensive positions along the entire front line. Russia’s territorial gains since the start of the year have amounted to 547 square kilometers, while Ukraine has lost more than 111,000 troops and some 21,000 heavy weapons during the period, according to the minister.

Reuters/RT

Old teachers never die;/They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

Below is a slightly amended version
Of my ode to the Teacher
Two remarkable decades ago….

Old teachers never die;

They simply wax wiser with passing moons…

Old teachers never die

The wine of age is winking in your glass,

Sip it in style;

Sip it with relish.

For when you sat in the saddle*,
You never rode roughshod upon our earth.
Your voice called up our depths

Your silence gingered us into song
Our growing scrawls mellowed into hieroglyphs
On the tender papyrus that was your palm:

(Allophones we all, of your happy phoneme)
Liberal star, compassionate moon.
Scion of a stock in league with Light

Let your ebony laughter unknot our brows
As we journey all season from sky to sky
Powered by the wind of your word.

Morning by morning**
We count your blessings
And regard our days

Old teachers never die;
They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

** In the Saddle and Morning by Morning are two exceptionally crafted and evocative autobiographies of Ayo Banjo.

Niyi Osundare, one of Africa’s foremost poets and academics, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans. 

PT

I interviewed millionaire early retiree Steve Adcock recently on the subject of financial regrets.

Adcock identified one thing he wishes he knew in his 20s that would have made him wealthier faster: how much emotional intelligence matters.

“Your personality will get you 10 times richer than your intelligence,” Adcock told me. “I learned that throughout my career, slowly but surely. I worked with a lot of smart people, no doubt about it. But those smartest people in the office weren’t necessarily the ones getting the raises and promotions.”

In short, your EQ can get you more opportunities for raises and promotions than your IQ, he said.

I think that was something I generally understood to be true, but hearing it aloud got me a little nervous. I’m one of the few fully remote workers on my team. I’m doing good work, but who would you promote — the guy you chat with on Slack or the person who you take your lunch break with every day?

So I enlisted the help of Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, to find out how anyone – remote or not – can show off their EQ at work. She suggests three strategies.

1. Act the part. If you think you’re ready for a bigger job at your company, start stepping into that role. “Even if the management position doesn’t exist, act as if you are the manager and take the lead,” she says. That doesn’t mean start bossing people around. Rather, make it a point to come to meetings ready to propose new ideas and initiatives.

2. Get people on your side. If you’re looking to hone your soft skills, ask your boss or even colleagues or external clients which ones they think you should focus on in order to advance your career. “Ask them what areas you need to develop. Make them part of this journey with you,” says Salemi.

3. Find a mentor. Do you have a favorite person in the office? It could be someone whose career you aspire to have or the colleague you enjoy working with the most. Ask them to show you the ropes, either in a formal or informal mentoring relationship, Salemi says. What’s more, think about what makes them such a great colleague and emulate them.

CNBC

Investigation reveals that the Federal Government has amassed a staggering sum of N11 trillion through auctions and sales of Treasury bills and saving bonds issuance over the past four months, as uncovered by The PUNCH.

An in-depth analysis of bonds and bills results issued in the first four months of the year by both the Central Bank and the Debt Management Office indicates that the government secured N3.1 trillion in FGN bonds and N7.92 trillion in T-bills between January and April 2024, totaling N11.2 trillion.

These bonds play a pivotal role in the government’s debt management strategy, serving various purposes such as providing investors with a relatively secure investment avenue, aiding in the management of the country’s debt profile, and facilitating efficient fund management.

Treasury bills and FGN bonds are classified as risk-free, theoretically with zero risk, as the government is expected to always fulfill its debt obligations, with the option of printing money if necessary.

In January 2024, the Federal Government raised approximately N418.197 billion from four bonds auctioned, followed by N1.49 trillion from two FGN bond offers issued by the DMO in February, albeit falling short of the N2.5 trillion target.

March 2024 saw the DMO raising N475.67 billion in its bond auction, capitalizing on the current upward trend in rates, while April 2024 witnessed the Federal Government raising N626.8 billion in its FGN bond auction.

The total amount raised was approximately 32 per cent higher than the N475.67 billion raised in the March auction, signaling robust market confidence in the government’s creditworthiness.

Regarding T-bills, a total of N1 trillion was on offer in January, but investor demand oversubscribed, reaching a whopping N2.3 trillion. The one-year bill, offered for N600 billion, attracted a massive N1.8 trillion subscription, of which the central bank sold N908.7 billion.

In March 2024, the DMO sold bills valued at N2.69 trillion across its auctions, marking an increase of N11 billion compared to the value of T-bills sold across auctions in February 2024 (N2.589 trillion).

The CBN also conducted a successful T-Bills auction on April 24, 2024, raising approximately N362.45 billion across various maturities, showcasing the market’s strong appetite for government securities.

This significant amount raised comes amid the government's plans to fund the 2024 budget deficit of N9.18 trillion and settle debts, including Ways and Means Advances.

Approximately N4.83 trillion from the proceeds of Nigerian Treasury Bills and Bonds issued in 2024 has been allocated to settle the Ways and Means Advances from the CBN, as disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.

Nigeria's military has ordered two officers to face court martial proceedings over a drone strike that killed at least 85 civilians, the defence HQ said on Thursday, more than four months after President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation.

The Dec. 3 air strike was one of the deadliest to hit civilians as the Nigerian military increasingly relies on aerial assaults in fighting Islamic militants in the northeast and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest.

Defence Headquarters spokesperson Edward Buba said the findings of an investigation of the strike in a village in northern Kaduna state showed that it should never have happened.

"The military has conducted a painstaking investigation into the incident and has initiated disciplinary action against those culpable," said Buba, adding that they would face a court martial.

The military has said it wrongly took the religious gathering of villagers in Kaduna as that of armed criminal gangs and apologised for the error.

But it was one of a series of aerial assaults by the Nigerian military that have killed civilians.

Last month, an air strike on a village in northwestern Zamfara state killed at least 33 people, according to residents and a traditional leader, in a military operation targeting armed kidnap gangs and their hideouts.

Reuters

Suspected bandits have attacked Maraban Agyaro where they abducted the village heads of Kakangi and Kisaya villages, and killed eight villagers in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The attackers invaded the area around 8am on Thursday, during which they also abducted four farmers who were on their respective farms.

A local source in the area also reported that six women were abducted in the village.

It was gathered that the two village heads were on their way from Kakangi to Birnin-Gwari when they were abducted.

Daily Trust gathered that the eight villagers were killed as they tried to rescue the captives.

The Member Representing Kakangi Ward at the State House of Assembly, Yahaya Musa Dan Salio, who confirmed the incident, said all eight people killed were from Kakangi.

“Yes, I just received a call that two village heads in my constituency were abducted and eight other people killed. All those killed are residents of Kakangi,” he said.

When contacted, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mansur Hassan, said he would get details from the area before commenting.

In a related development, bandits operating in Sokoto State have ambushed members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) killing nine of them with several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries, according to local sources.

The incident occurred last Sunday in Isa Local Government Area, known to be a stronghold of bandits and a dangerous zone for security operatives.

According to a reliable source familiar with the situation, three CJTF members were abducted by the bandits during the ambush.

“Our members encountered the ambush while responding to a distress call to assist security forces,” the source recounted. “Tragically, we lost nine brave comrades in the attack, with many others wounded. Additionally, three of our members were abducted. 

Since the beginning of the year, following a call from the state government to reinforce security efforts against banditry in the northwest, CJTF members have been actively engaged in supporting the troops.

“This latest loss adds to the toll of 19 gallant members who have fallen victim to bandit attacks in Sokoto State alone,” the source lamented.

This marks the second ambush targeting CJTF members in Sokoto State in a span of two months.

Daily Trust

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces from the country.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hanger at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

The move by Russia's military puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.

It also raises questions about the fate of U.S. installations in the country following a withdrawal.

"(The situation) is not great but in the short-term manageable," the official said.

The Nigerien and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. and its allies have been forced to move troops out of a number of African countries following coups that brought to power groups eager to distance themselves from Western governments. In addition to the impending departure from Niger, U.S. troops have also left Chad in recent days, while French forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso.

At the same time, Russia is seeking to strengthen relations with African nations, pitching Moscow as a friendly country with no colonial baggage in the continent.

Mali, for example, has in recent years become one of Russia's closest African allies, with the Wagner Group mercenary force deploying there to fight jihadist insurgents.

Russia has described relations with the United States as "below zero" because of U.S. military and financial aid for Ukraine in the war now approaching the end of its second year.

The U.S. official said Nigerien authorities had told President Joe Biden's administration that about 60 Russian military personnel would be in Niger, but the official could not verify that number.

After the coup, the U.S. military moved some of its forces in Niger from Airbase 101 to Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez. It was not immediately clear what U.S. military equipment remained at Airbase 101.

The United States built Airbase 201 in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Since 2018 it has been used to target Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) fighters with armed drones.

Washington is concerned about Islamic militants in the Sahel region, who may be able to expand without the presence of U.S. forces and intelligence capabilities.

Niger's move to ask for the removal of U.S. troops came after a meeting in Niamey in mid-March, when senior U.S. officials raised concerns including the expected arrival of Russia forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials in the country, including uranium.

While the U.S. message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, the official said, it was made clear U.S. forces could not be on a base with Russian forces.

"They did not take that well," the official said.

A two-star U.S. general has been sent to Niger to try and arrange a professional and responsible withdrawal.

While no decisions have been taken on the future of U.S. troops in Niger, the official said the plan was for them to return to U.S. Africa Command's home bases, located in Germany.

Reuters

Here's what's on the table for Israel and Hamas in the latest cease-fire talks

Israel and Hamas appear to be seriously negotiating an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. A leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of stalemated talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week praised Israel for offering what he described as significant concessions and saying “ the time is now” for Hamas to seal the deal. Hamas leaders, meanwhile, say they are reviewing the proposal in a “positive spirit” and sending a team to Egyptin the coming days to continue the talks.

Here’s what we know so far about the current proposal, confirmed by Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations.

WHERE THE TWO SIDES STAND

Israeli leaders are weighing whether to accept a deal that would delay or prevent their planned ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah — a scenario that falls short of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledges of “ total victory ” and the destruction of Hamas.

Hamas’ militant leaders must decide if giving up the hostages, the group’s biggest bargaining chip, is worth securing a long-term truce but not necessarily a permanent end to the war.

The plan offered by Egyptian mediators aims to stave off Israel’s Rafah offensive, which the U.S. says would have devastating consequences for over a million displaced Palestinians crowded against the border with Egypt. The Egyptians have also warned Israel against the operation, fearing a flood of Palestinian refugees driven into its territory.

DE-ESCALATE IN PHASES

The initial stage of the deal would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

After this first batch, Israeli troops would withdraw from a coastal road in Gaza and head inland to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid. This would also allow displaced civilians to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas would provide a list of hostages who are still alive during that time. Israel estimates that Hamas is holding about 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others either killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war or who have died in captivity.

Within the third week, both sides would start indirect negotiations that aim to restore permanent calm. Three weeks into the first phase, Israeli troops would withdraw from central Gaza.

NEXT STEPS TOWARD PEACE

The second six-week phase would seek to finalize arrangements for a permanent calm, the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, both civilians and soldiers, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. The soldier hostages would not be released before the start of the calm.

The third and final stage would include the release of the remains of deceased hostages still in Gaza, more prisoners held by Israel, and the start of a five-year reconstruction plan. The plan says that Hamas would agree not to rebuild its military arsenal.

STICKING POINTS

Both sides want to end the war on their own terms.

Hamas leaders have for months refused anything short of a full Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip and a permanent end to the fighting. Hamas negotiators will be seeking clarification on these issues when they return to Cairo.

Israel wants to see all remaining hostages home safe, with Hamas and other militant groups crushed on the battlefield and expelled from power in Gaza — unable to launch another attack like the one on Oct. 7 that sparked the war.

Israel says the Rafah invasion is critical for these goals. Netanyahu says Israel will invade the town with or without a hostage deal.

Netanyahu also faces heavy domestic pressure. Thousands of people have joined weekly demonstrations calling on him to reach a hostage deal immediately. At the same time, hard-liners in his Cabinet have threatened to bring down the government if he ends the war.

The Biden administration, which provides Israel crucial military and diplomatic support, says it opposes a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a “credible” plan for protecting civilians there.

POST-WAR UNCERTAINTY

It is not clear whether the cease-fire proposal addresses key questions about what happens in Gaza once the current round of fighting ends.

The United States has called for a plan that includes a return of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in 2007 and now administers parts of the occupied West Bank.

The Biden administration seeks eventual Palestinian governance in Gazaand the West Bank as a precursor to Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu and his right-wing government reject a role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and say they will never allow a Palestinian state.

Israel wants open-ended freedom of action for its military in Gaza, while the Biden administration says it won’t accept a return of Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip.

It also remains unclear who will run Gaza during the five-year reconstruction phase, what will happen to Hamas during that time and who will pay for the daunting job of rebuilding.

The stakes were underscored in a new U.N. report Thursday that estimated damage caused by the war in Gaza at over $18.5 billion. It said it would take until 2040 to rebuild all of the homes destroyed in nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives. Gaza was already grappling with a 45% unemployment rate before the war, according to the U.N. Development Program.

AP