January 17, 2026 - Voice of Liberty NG

60yrs After Sardauna: Northern leaders, groups decry governance decline

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

…Plans April convention to tackle insecurity, shape future Northern leaders and civic groups have raised alarm over what they describe as a steady decline in leadership quality, governance standards and social cohesion in Northern Nigeria, 60 years after the assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto. The concerns were jointly expressed on Thursday in Kaduna by a coalition of Northern organisations, including the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Arewa House and several others, alongside a similar announcement on Friday in…

UN sounds alarm on hunger, warns of famine in Northern Nigeria

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

Around 55 million people in violence-wracked West and Central Africa face acute food insecurity this year, and some are on the verge of famine in northern Nigeria, the United Nations (UN) said, yesterday. Violence across the region has triggered a hunger crisis that is being exacerbated by aid cuts, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) stated. According to the WFP, it had had to slash its food assistance in the area as funding dries up. In West and Central Africa, “a staggering 55 million people will be facing acute food…

Kaduna: ‘Mega poultry project to create 350,000 jobs’ – Gov. Uba Sani

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has said the proposed $200 million ‘Mega Poultry Project’ in the state will create over 350,000 direct and indirect jobs, positioning agriculture as a major driver of employment and economic growth. The Governor disclosed this on Thursday, during a meeting with the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, as both parties moved to align federal and state efforts ahead of the project’s ground-breaking. Governor Sani said the project is expected to generate more than $450 million annually, while strengthening food security and opening up…

Amazon gets 7yr permit in Nigeria, ending Starlink’s LEO monopoly

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

Nigeria’s satellite broadband market is set for tougher competition, after the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), granted Amazon’s ‘Project Kuiper’ a 7-year landing permit, allowing the company to begin satellite internet operations in the country from 2026. The approval, dated February 28, 2026, authorises Kuiper to operate its low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites over Nigeria as part of a global constellation of up to 3,236 satellites. The NCC said the move aligns with global best practices and reflects Nigeria’s openness to next-generation broadband providers. Kuiper’s entry effectively ends Starlink’s uncontested lead in…

Sokoto: Bandits kill 7 persons, abduct others

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

…As IED explosion injures 5 in Zamfara At least seven people were reported killed and three others abducted in a bandit attack on a border community in Sokoto State, while a separate suspected improvised explosive device (IED) explosion left five persons seriously injured in neighbouring Zamfara State on Thursday. In Sokoto, according to a report by a security intelligence expert, Zagazola Makama, bandits stormed Kyara village in Sabon-Birni local government area in the early hours of the day, killing seven residents and kidnapping three others. The village, located near the…

Alleged ₦1.3bn Fraud: Sule Lamiɗo’s son loses S’Court appeal challenging undeclared $40,000 forfeiture

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

…To resume trial The Supreme Court yesterday delivered two far-reaching judgments involving former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamiɗo, and his family, dismissing an appeal by his son, Aminu, over undeclared foreign currency while also ordering Lamiɗo, his two sons and others to resume trial over an alleged ₦1.35 billion fraud. In the first decision, the apex court dismissed Aminu Lamiɗo’s appeal challenging the forfeiture of $40,000 he failed to declare at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport while travelling to Egypt. A 5-member panel of the court, led by Justice…

Edo: Kidnappers release abducted medical doctor after ₦50m ransom

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

An abducted medical doctor, Dr. Ibrahim Tahir, has regained his freedom after his family paid ₦50million ransom to his abductors. The victim was kidnapped alongside his younger brother on January 2 at their residence along City Pride Road, Igbira Camp, Auchi, Edo State, while opening the gate to their compound. Unfortunately, the younger brother’s dead body was found by Orley River, Down City Pride road, Igbira Camp, Auchi, on January 5, as he was said to have been killed by his abductors. The father of the victim said that the…

US earmarks $413m for Nigeria, Africa security operations

January 17, 2026January 17, 2026 Aminu Imam

…As Army seeks stronger partnership The United States has set aside $413.046 million (about ₦587 billion) for security and counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria and other African countries in 2026, as insecurity worsens across West Africa. The allocation is contained in the US National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, approved under the operation and maintenance component of the US Africa Command, (AFRICOM). The funding comes amid persistent insurgency, banditry and violent extremism across the region, as well as renewed US-backed counter-terrorism efforts, including recent strikes on terrorist hideouts…