News

Train Attack – Terrorists Threaten Government Warns That Abductees May Be Killed

In a newly released video, attackers of the Abuja-Kaduna bound train have threatened the Nigerian government, describing the train attack as child’s play compared to what they are capable of.

The 80-seconds clip that quickly went viral after it surfaced on Twitter showed four of the attackers with masked faces dressed in military camouflage and heavily armed standing behind what looked like an armored tank.

The video is suspected to have been recorded shortly after the release of the Bank of Agriculture Managing Director, Alwan Ali-Hassan who was one of the passengers on the ill-fated train.

Ali-Hassan also appears in the video and is dressed in a white kaftan flanked by two of the terrorists on each side. The video begins with one who appears to be their leader making Islamic prayers in Arabic and Hausa before going on to claim responsibility for the train attack, adding that they had decided to release Ali-Hassan in honor of the season of Ramadan and because he is aged and had been begging for his release.

“We are the ones who kidnapped the people on the train. We decided to release this man (Ali-Hassan) because of the honor of the month of Ramadan and because he is old. He has been pleading since we kidnapped him,” the terrorist said in the video.

With a terrified look, Ali-Hassan in what seemed to be a forced speech spoke in Hausa saying;

“I would like to let you know that these people’s pitied me and allowed me to go because of my age. But I have left many people behind in a condition that they need help. The government should contact the leaders of this group and negotiate their release because they are in a situation that need immediate help.”

On the contrary, Ali-Hassan is believed to have been released after his family whom the attackers contacted sent a ransom in order to regain the MD’s freedom. The amount has not been disclosed but is suspected to be to the tune of hundreds of millions of naira.

An employee of the BOA, as well as a family source, confirmed the MD’s release and return to his home in Kaduna.

The terrorists ended their speech by asking that the government give them what they want and that the attack had nothing to do with money but a demand that the government is aware of. They also threaten to kill their abductees should the government fail to heed their demand.

“Government should hasten to meet us before we turn this place into an abattoir because killing these people is nothing to us. It’s not about money. We can’t do this for money. The government knows what we want,” he said.

Other families with kidnapped victims have revealed to the media that the terrorists have been in contact with them and are demanding huge sums ranging between 5 and 100 million naira. The families have also said that the terrorists have warned them against involving security agencies. Reports say that the affected families have begun the process of raising funds to ransom their loved ones.

Analyzing the video, Bulama Burkati, a Senior Conflict Analyst at the Tony Blair Institute who posted the clip on Twitter said that early evidence suggests that the terrorists are from the Boko Haram group of terrorists. Some are of the belief that the terrorist’s demand from the government might be a prisoner swap.

train attack

Entertainment

Kanayo O. Kanayo demands lifetime streaming royalties for Nollywood stars

Veteran Nollywood actor Kanayo O. Kanayo has stirred up a conversation the industry has been quietly avoiding for years. The award-winning actor and lawyer recently proposed that the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) implement a policy mandating lifetime royalty payments for all Nigerian actors and actresses featured in films uploaded to streaming platforms.

He also called for a dedicated agency to oversee and enforce compliance nationwide, arguing it would ensure performers earn from their craft long after the cameras stop rolling. The timing of the proposal is telling. Stories of financial ruin among once-beloved Nigerian actors have become alarmingly common.

Last month, veteran actor Abiodun Ayoyinka, widely known as Papa Ajasco, spoke openly about his financial struggles despite decades in the industry.

Two years prior, Hanks Anuku made headlines with public pleas for financial assistance after falling on hard times post-Nollywood.

Patience Ozokwor recently put it bluntly: “The reason why Nollywood actors and actresses are poor is that we don’t get royalties for what we do, we only get paid for our appearance at the shoot.” Her words, along with the others, show a consistent pattern of demand.

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from industry figures. Writer-director Jadesola Osiberu responded with sarcasm, suggesting that if actors want royalties, perhaps they should also contribute to covering a producer’s losses proportional to their screen time, a dig at the one-sided nature of the demand.

Producer and actress Bolaji Ogunmola was more direct: if actors want backend earnings, they should negotiate equity stakes and invest in projects upfront rather than seek guaranteed payouts after the fact.

It’s a fair challenge. The music industry comparison many have reached for doesn’t quite hold up here.

In more structured film industries, residuals are tied to carefully negotiated distribution contracts and enforced by unions, organisations built over decades with legal infrastructure and industry-wide buy-in.

News

Katsina plans mass wedding for 1,000 couples

The state government’s maiden welfare initiative will unite 2,000 individuals on April 25, even as armed bandits terrorise nearby communities. The Katsina State Government has announced a mass wedding ceremony for at least 1,000 couples drawn from all 34 local government areas, describing the initiative as a bid to ease the financial burden of marriage on the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The event, scheduled for April 25, 2026, will bring together 2,000 individuals, including widows, orphans, and economically disadvantaged people who, officials say, have long been willing to marry but unable to afford it.

The Director General of the Katsina State Hisbah Board, Malam Abu-Ammar, announced a livelihood support and counselling training session on Thursday.

He said the programme was conceived as part of the government’s efforts to reduce conditions that breed social vices.

“Many widows, orphans, and vulnerable individuals are unable to get married despite their willingness due to socioeconomic challenges,” he said.

The Katsina State Commissioner for Women Affairs, A’isha Malumfashi, added that all 1,000 couples had already undergone medical screening and compatibility verification ahead of the ceremony.

The government has promised support packages for both brides and grooms, though the total budget for the event has not been disclosed.

The announcement, however, comes at a fraught moment for the state. Just hours before it was made public, armed bandits reportedly issued a written ultimatum to communities in Kankia Local Government Area, demanding 700 cows and 1,000 sheep within four days or face violent raids.

News

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on countries arming Iran

Donald Trump has cautioned that the United States will impose heavy tariffs on any country that is found to supply military weapons to Iran, raising the bar of pressure in the midst of continuing tensions with Tehran.

On Wednesday, in a statement released on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that any country supplying arms to Iran would be subjected to a 50 percent tariff on all its goods exported to the United States without any delay.

“A country supplying military weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed on all goods sold to the United States of America, 50 per cent, effective immediately. There will be no exclusions or exemptions,” he wrote.

The warning comes shortly after the U.S. president announced a temporary ceasefire arrangement with Iran following heightened tensions in the region. This happened just hours before the deadline, Donald Trump urged Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US President announced a ceasefire facilitated by Pakistan. In a post X, the White House shared that Trump has issued a temporary hold on all military activities in Iran.

President Trump announced that after conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he will be suspending the bombing and attack on Iran for a period of two weeks after the Iranians agreed to an “immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz”.

He went ahead and added that the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives and is making progress on a long-term peace agreement with Iran. Trump also said his administration is considering possible economic relief measures for Tehran, noting that Washington is currently engaged in discussions around tariff and sanctions relief.

The developments follow Iran’s reported agreement to temporarily reopen the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route at the centre of recent geopolitical concerns.

While details of the ceasefire and negotiations remain limited, the latest remarks highlight a mix of economic pressure and diplomatic engagement from Washington as it navigates relations with Tehran.

The series of warnings started in March, when Trump issued one of his most explosive warnings yet to Iran, saying the United States could “completely obliterate” the country’s electric plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island if a deal with a so-called “new and more reasonable regime” fails and the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

In a post on social media, Trump claimed the U.S. is in serious discussions with a new Iranian leadership aimed at ending American military operations in the country. However, he warned that failure to reach a deal quickly could prompt devastating military action against Iran’s infrastructure.