News

Fresh Twists, Controversies Over Disappearance Journalist

Published

3 years ago

September 20, 2022

A new twist has emerged over the controversy surrounding the death of The News journalist in 1995, Bagauda Kaltho.

The journalist’s disappearance and suspected murder case was not concluded for 27 years.

However, a businessman, medical practitioner, and activist, Mahdi Shehu recounted an event that he claimed happened 27 years ago on Arise News Channel recently, that Kaltho was killed by a bomb parcel in the bookshop of Durbar Hotel, Kaduna, which he (Kaltho) was sent to detonate by American ex-envoy, Russell Hanks.

According to him, Hanks offered him (Mahdi) N1 million at the time to bomb the Durbar Hotel which he refused, but as he was about to leave, he saw the late journalist, Bagauda Kaltho, at the entrance of Hanks’ room.

He went on: “We went to the door together, and he wanted to see me off. At the door was Bagauda Kaltho, the journalist that was said to have been killed by Abacha. Bagauda was right at the door there. I think he gave him an hour before me, but I keyed into Bagauda’s hour. Bagauda went into the room, and I left. What happened? Not long after that, two hours later, bomb! Where? Durbar Hotel. Where? At the bookshop.”

Also, LEADERSHIP Newspaper reported that in an interview, an anonymous journalist, who claimed to be at the hotel for an assignment, said, “We were at Durbar Hotel for an assignment, and we left for the secretariat when we heard that there was a bomb blast, so the NUJ chairman at that time and some few others, including one other person who is now a member of House of Representatives, Rima Shawulu, representing Tukum/Donga/Ussa Federal Constituency (PDP), Taraba State, went to the hospital to see the body of Bagauda.”

DAILY POST put a call through to Rima Shawulu, representing Tukum/Donga/Ussa Federal Constituency (PDP), Taraba State on Monday and the lawmaker told this reporter to send a text message.

Shawulu has not responded to the text sent to him, while his phone was switched off as of the time this medium put another call to his phone on Monday night.

However, the United State Embassy has also not responded to the accusation as of the time of filing this report.

Speaking with the late journalist’s wife, Martha Kaltho, she told DAILY POST that the family did not see her husband’s corpse.

“The claim of him being killed in a bomb blast is not new to me but the allegations by Mhadi that my late husband planted the bomb is baffling. Why is it now that he is coming out to say this 27 years after? Where was he when the matter was before the Oputa panel. This is contrary to the claim that the bomb blast burnt the body beyond recognition.”

Findings

On January 19, 2012, DAILY POST, in a piece co-author by Olukorede Yishau and Olukayode Thomas titled, “The Man Called Zakari Biu” stated some facts over the death of Kaltho. Biu is an embattled police officer who was promoted to Commissioner of Police (CP) after a recommendation from the then Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Ringim.

Biu was linked to degrees of atrocity under the regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha; the embattled cop was terror personified. As head of the regime’s Presidential Task Force on Terrorism, he terrorised journalists and human rights activists, who he labeled terrorists.

Journalists on the stables of The News, TSM and Tell were the worst hit.

The piece stated that “Biu, at a press conference after Abacha’s death, said Kaltho was the “unidentified” person who died while planting a bomb which went off at Durbar Hotel, Kaduna in January 1996. He then showed the media a video recording of the scene of the blast and two photographs – one of a charred body and another of the journalist. Biu said he “strongly suspects the management of ICNL of having connection with the Durbar Hotel bombing or else James Bagauda Kaltho.”

He later said Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza al-Mustapha, may have been responsible for Kaltho’s fate.

“I have never seen Kaltho in my life, either alive or dead and don’t know the whereabouts of Kaltho. Only the Chief Security Officer to the late Abacha, Maj. Hamza al-Mustapha, can explain what happened to Kaltho,” he said

When Biu appeared before the panel, he refused to be put on oath with the Holy Quran, because “he is not pure.” He denied all the allegations against him.

A retired Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, who also appeared before the panel, debunked Biu’s claim.

He said: “Everything he is saying is not true. I mean the evidence he gave in respect of Bagauda Kaltho. He said he got photographs from the wife of Bagauda Kaltho. He also said he got reports from the SSS through the Inspector-General of Police, which said the person who was killed in the bomb blast at the Durbar Hotel was Bagauda Kaltho. And he said that he never met Bagauda anywhere in his life. Then how could he come to that conclusion that the man killed was Bagauda Kaltho? He merely saw his pictures …He (Biu) should be in prison. As far as I’m concerned, he is a prisoner on parole.”

James Danbaba, a colleague of Biu, said Kaltho was “summarily executed on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, because Kaltho was said to have seen IGP Ibrahim Coomasie suddenly collapse and was foaming in the mouth.”

Danbaba added: “ The journalist was ordered to be arrested and executed because of a disclosure that he (Coomasie) is suffering from epilepsy may jeopardize the IGP’s well preserved and seriously guarded position and ultimately lead to his untimely retirement from the police force.”

He added: “After the said journalist, Bagauda Kaltho’s summary execution, a learnedas attached to his corpse and detonated. I reliably learnt that this was directed at selling a story to the C-in-C that a NADECO journalist has died of a bomb explosion while attempting to plant a bomb, thereby finally covering their track of having killed Bagauda Kaltho and the reason for his murder.”

DAILY POST

News

NIMASA Shuts Two Lagos Terminals Over Security Breach

Published

2 minutes ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has shut down ShellPlux and TMDK Terminals, both located in the Ijegun-Egba Area of Lagos, for violating the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.

According to a statement on Thursday by the Head of Public Relations at NIMASA, Osagie Edward, the move was part of the agency’s role as the designated authority for implementing the ISPS Code in Nigeria.

The ISPS Code, an amendment to the SOLAS Convention, was developed by the International Maritime Organisation to enhance maritime and port security, particularly for facilities engaged in international trade.

Edward explained that the enforcement action follows, “Persistent non-compliance by the facilities with the provisions of the ISPS Code, despite several formal warnings. ”

“The move aligns with global best practices and is by Section 79(f) of the ISPS Code Implementation Regulations (2014), which mandates the closure of any facility that remains in violation for over three calendar months,” Edward said.

Speaking on the development, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, emphasised the agency’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain.

“In wielding the big stick, we acted only as a last resort. Our primary goal is to enforce safety and security practices across Nigerian ports and jetties. At a time when we are collaborating with the United States Coast Guard to lift the conditions of entry on vessels from Nigeria, we cannot afford lapses that jeopardise our progress,” Mobereola said.

He added that the facilities would be reopened once all compliance requirements are satisfactorily met.

Mobereola acknowledged their important role in service delivery and trade facilitation.

The NIMASA boss stressed that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, is committed to enhancing sustainable trade facilitation for the maritime sector in a safe and conducive environment

News

NAF Debunks Fake Recruitment Advert, Warns Nigerians Against Fraudsters

Published

11 minutes ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Air Force has disowned a viral message circulating across social media platforms claiming that it has commenced recruitment for the 2025/2026 Basic Military Training Course and Direct Short Service Commission, describing it as false and misleading.

In a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Air Force cautioned the public to disregard the messages, noting that no recruitment exercise is currently ongoing.

“The attention of the Nigerian Air Force has been drawn to fraudulent messages circulating online, falsely claiming that the NAF has commenced recruitment for the 2025/2026 BMTC and DSSC. The Nigerian Air Force wishes to state that no such recruitment exercise is currently ongoing. The public is therefore advised to disregard these messages in their entirety,” the statement partly read.

Ejodame stated that the NAF recruitment process is free, transparent, and strictly merit-based, stressing that the Force does not charge applicants at any stage nor does it engage third-party agents or middlemen.

He assured that any genuine recruitment exercise would be widely publicised via credible national newspapers, the NAF’s official website, and its verified social media channels.

“We therefore urge members of the public to be wary of online scams and exercise extreme caution when coming across unofficial recruitment advertisements,” he added.

News

Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls

Published

33 minutes ago

July 17, 2025

Editor

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has launched a conditional cash transfer programme benefiting 8,225 secondary school girls across the state’s 14 local government areas.

The official rollout ceremony held on Wednesday in Gusau, the state capital was held under the state’s partnership with the ACReSAL and AGILE projects.

This was disclosed in a Wednesday statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, who said the beneficiaries were drawn from the most vulnerable and economically disadvantaged households.

According to him, each girl is to receive ₦40,000 to support her education, with additional tranches of ₦10,000 each for the second and third terms, bringing the total to ₦60,000 per academic session.

“A total sum of ₦322 million has been approved for the first batch,” the statement noted, adding that arrangements were in progress for the disbursement to the second batch of beneficiaries.

Speaking at the event, Lawal said the initiative aligns with his administration’s broader agenda focused on education, social protection, and inclusive development.

“We are committed to tackling and overcoming all barriers, whether economic, infrastructural or social, that prevent our daughters from accessing and completing their education.

“When you educate a girl, you educate a village because these educated girls grow into empowered women who uplift their families, strengthen communities and drive progress in our state,” the governor said.

Beyond the education-focused grants, the governor also flagged off the disbursement of the Community Revolving Fund under the ACReSAL project to 500 beneficiaries in Gusau, Bungudu, and Kaura Namoda.

He said, “Under the ACReSAL project, we disburse the Community Revolving Fund to 500 beneficiaries in Gusau, Bungudu, and Kaura Namoda.

“The fund aims to support grassroots environmental and economic initiatives, reflecting our commitment to combating land degradation, promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing livelihoods in the face of climate challenge.

“Our communities face hardships like women building small businesses, youths seeking opportunities and rural households accessing basic services.

“The Community Revolving Fund offers sustainable funding to support development, marking a shift towards resilience and accountability.

“I urge beneficiaries to use resources wisely and transparently, ensuring trust results in visible, measurable outcomes.

“The disbursement will keep circulating within communities, benefiting more people over time.

“Through proper use and repayment, this initiative will exemplify financial inclusion, local resilience, and sustainability accountability.”

Lawal also commended the Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources, and Education, Science and Technology, as well as technical partners, for their role in implementing the initiatives.

“Let me reassure the good people of Zamfara State that this administration will continue to pursue policies and programmes that deliver meaningful impact, especially at the grassroots.

“We remain committed to accountability, transparency, and service to our people.

“To the beneficiaries of these initiatives, remember that what you receive today is a seed.

“I urge you to nurture it, grow it and let it blossom into a tree of change for your families and your communities,” the governor added.