Category Nigeria News

Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu, the chief imam of Ilorin, passed away at the age of 75.

Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, the cleric’s chief secretary, confirmed his death on Monday.

The renowned Islamic scholar, according to him, passed away after a long career in the Ilorin Emirate and Islam.

Saliu dedicated his life to Islamic education and religious leadership at the age of 50 in Ilorin, Kwara State. He served for more than 40 years before becoming the 12th Chief Imam of the Ilorin Emirate in 1983.

Emir of Ilorin mourns

Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the head of the Chief Imam of Ilorin and the head of the Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, expressed his deep regret over his death.

The death of the cleric was described as a colossal loss to the Ilorin Emirate, the entire Muslim Ummah, and humanity in general, by Sulu-Gambari in a condolence message sent by his Press Secretary, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona.

READ ALSO: NiMet Forecasts Nationalwide Thunderstorms and Dust Haze.

The news of the passing of Shaykh Muhammad Bashir Imam Solih Onida OON, the 12th Chief of Ilorin, is reported in “inna lillahi waina ilaehi roji’un” with complete submission to Almighty Allah.

He had “a unique personality, intelligence, honesty, loyalty, dedication, and tolerance.” We feel a great deal of sadness in Ilorin Emirate because of his death. He was a man of great honor and piety, and we reflect on his life.

“Late Imam Solih was a wise man who united the entire Muslim cleric community and promoted interreligious harmony in the state.

By 4 p.m. on January 19, 2026, the Janazah will be held at the Emir of Ilorin’s Palace Square.

A publication that claims soldiers threatened mutiny over salaries and benefits has been described by the Nigerian Army as “false and misleading.”

Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Army’s Acting Director of Army Public Relations, said the report was purposefully sensational and capable of compromising public trust and national security in a statement released on Monday.

Anele claimed that the report given to an online publication was solely based on unidentified and unverifiable claims made in secret through unofficial channels and that it did not reflect the opinions or conduct of Nigerian Army officers and soldiers.

She emphasized that the Nigerian Army has never been threatened with mutiny, noting that it is against military law and disregarded by its ethos, discipline, and professionalism.

Read more about how police in Kogi saved five kidnapping victims.

“The Nigerian Army has never been a source of mutiny threat. According to her, “Mutiny is a grave offense under military law and alien to the ethos, discipline, and professionalism of Nigerian Army personnel who continue to be loyal to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

She emphasized that soldiers continue to abide by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution.

Promotion increments are only one component of military pay, according to the army spokesperson, and they shouldn’t be confused with total earnings.

“The report solemnly relied on unidentified, unsubstantiated claims that were made available through unofficial channels. These accounts do not reflect the opinions, conduct, or attitudes of Nigerian Army officers and soldiers, who are trained to file complaints through established military procedures rather than using public forums.

For the avoidance of doubt, it is crucial to clarify that promotion increases are only a part of military pay and should not be misrepresented as total earnings. Consolidated salaries, rank-based allowances, operational allowances, field and hardship allowances, and other entitlements that vary depending on deployment, qualification, and responsibilities are included in military pay.

Kazeem Oyewole, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NRRTW), was killed in Osun by suspected hoodlums, according to the Osun State police Command.

The Asoje–Orita Elelede axis of Osogbo, where the assailants are said to be based in the Asoje region, was the location of the incident, according to the Command’s spokesperson SP Abiodun Ojelabi, who confirmed the incident.

The victims were chased by the assailants and eventually attacked, according to an eyewitness, Lamina Kamiludeen, who reported to Channels Television that they were riding through Orita Elelede, close to Asoje Junction.

According to him, Kazeem Oyewole, one of the victims, died instantly from machete wounds, while the second victim escaped with multiple injuries.

The witness claimed that Oyewole was killed instantly, but the other victim managed to escape with severe machete cuts before police arrived to de-escalate the situation.

He added that as residents and business owners fled the area for safety, the police later evicted the deceased’s body.

Read more: Police Arrest 14 Suspect Thugs in Bauchi.

The deceased worked as a personal assistant to Kazeem Oyewale, a chieftain of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), also known as “Asiri Eniba,” according to additional investigations.

At the time of writing this report, it was not immediately clear what led to the attack.

In a quick sweep across the Bakaro, Kofar Dumi, Tudun Yarima, and Kofar Madaki areas, operation representatives from the Bauchi State Police Command made 14 suspected Sara-Suka thugs arrested.

The suspects, who were reportedly armed with machetes and knives, had been terrorizing residents, stealing money and cellphones, and inflicting injuries, according to the Command’s spokesman, SP Nafiu Habib, who made this disclosure in a statement on Monday.

A patrol team immediately responded to reports of thug members’ activities around Bakaro, Kofar Dumi, Tudun Yarima, and Kofar Madaki on January 15, 2026, he said, at around 4:30 p.m.

Read more about the arrests of three suspects in Kano over the murder of a housewife and six children.

He added that during interrogation, the arrested suspects, who ranged in age from 18 to 22, admitted to the crimes.

Abbati, 20, Mamman, 21, Adamu, 22, Khalid, 20, Abubakar, 19, Mahmood, 22, Jabir, 21, and Haruna, 18, were detained by the police team, led by Hassan Musa, the divisional police officer of A Division, Bauchi.

The others are Khalid, 18, Abubakar, 19, Kabiru, 20, Anas, 20, Mr Mohammed, 19, and Abdulkarim, 22.

Over alleged ongoing delays in payments, local contractors have once more peacefully protested at the Federal Ministry of Finance’s Abuja entrance.

The protesters are complaining about the delay in completing and commissioning projects and accusing the government of shifting its position constantly under the umbrella of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN).

The protesters were chanting songs of solidarity and requesting payment of the minister’s alleged debt arrears at the time of filing this report.

Read more about Indigenous Contractors’ protests against the National Assembly’s failure to pay debts.

The Federal Government owed all outstanding debts in the wake of the series of protests last year.

The majority of the completed and commissioned projects, according to the contractors, have not yet been paid for.

However, President Tinubu directed the establishment of a committee in December 2025.

From Monday through Wednesday, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency has predicted a mix of dust haze, isolated thunderstorms, and sunny weather throughout the country.

The weather outlook from NiMet, which was released on Sunday in Abuja, contained the forecast.

The wind carries fine dust particles, typically from desert areas, into the atmosphere, creating a weather phenomenon known as dust haze. This results in visibility that is less visible, sometimes to less than 1, 000 meters, due to the hazy or cloudy appearance.

The northern regions of Kebbi and Kano States will experience moderate dust haze, according to NiMet, with horizontal visibility of 2 km 5 km over the area. The rest of the northern States will experience sunny and hazy skies throughout the forecast period.

Parts of the Federal Capital Territory and Niger states are expected to experience moderate dust haze with horizontal visibility of 2 km to 5 km over the central region, while the rest of the states are expected to experience sunny and hazy skies the entire time.

Sunny skies with a few patches of cloud are anticipated for the southern region, along with light rain and afternoon thunderstorms over parts of Bayelsa, Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States, according to the statement.

The agency announced on Tuesday that northern regions of the state of Kano and Kebbi are expected to experience a slight dust haze, while the remaining northern states are expected to experience sunny and hazy weather.

Throughout the forecast period, NiMet predicted sunny and cloudy skies over the central region and the possibility of sporadic thunderous activity over Plateau State in the afternoon and evening hours.

The forecast also highlighted health, travel, and aviation issues as suspended dust particles and intermittent rainfall are expected in parts of the country, along with reduced visibility expected in some areas.

In addition to noting that people with asthma and other respiratory issues should be cautious in the current weather conditions, NiMet cautioned that dust particles are suspended and advised the public to take precautions.

It’s sunny with patches of cloud, with the potential for afternoon or evening thunderstorms and light rain to fall over parts of Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States for the southern region.

The agency had predicted cloudy, cloudy skies for the entire forecast period, including the northern and central regions by Wednesday.

The southern region is expected to experience light rain and afternoon or evening thunderstorms with light rain, according to NiMet, with the exception of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Lagos, Delta, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States.

READ MORE: 52 KPMG Arrested In Ekpoma For Looting, Vandalism, and IGP

Public Advisory

Nigerians were urged by NiMet to take caution over the potential health and safety repercussions of the current weather.

Additionally, the agency issued a cautionary note to passengers and airline operators for those traveling in the rain. For effective operation planning, airline operators are advised to obtain airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet.