Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Baba Tela, has lost his children, Mustapha and Ummi, in a road crash.

The siblings died along the Bauchi-Azare road, on Saturday.

The duo died on the spot while other occupants of the vehicle sustained injuries and are receiving treatment.

Their bodies were taken to a hospital in Bauchi, where they were confirmed dead.

The funeral prayer, which held at the Bauchi Emir’s Palace, was attended by hundreds of Muslim faithful, sympathisers and well wishers.

They were later buried according to Islamic rites.

Reacting to the tragedy, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, said he received the news with profound shock and sadness, describing the incident as a painful tragedy that has cast a shadow of grief over the state.

The governor said the loss of the two siblings was not only a devastating blow to Senator Tela and his family but also a painful loss to the people of Bauchi State.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, the governor prayed that Almighty Allah grant the deceased eternal rest in Aljannatul Firdaus and give their family the strength and patience to bear the loss.

He urged the bereaved family to take solace in the will of Allah, reminding them that every soul will return to its Creator at the appointed time.

Governor Mohammed also sympathised with those injured in the crash and prayed for their speedy recovery.

He called on residents of the state to pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for Allah to grant comfort to their family.

Scores of teachers under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing, on Monday staged a protest at the National Open University, Dutse-Alhaji, along the Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, demanding the immediate conclusion of the 2024 promotion exercise and an end to what they described as years of stalled career progression.

The aggrieved teachers expressed frustration over what they described as bureaucratic bottlenecks preventing their advancement despite meeting all the requirements for promotion.

The protesters gathered outside the institution, carrying placards and demanding the immediate release of their promotion letters.

They also rejected the “vacancy rule,” which they said civil service authorities had used to deny them career progression despite meeting the required promotion criteria and passing the qualifying examinations.

One of the placards read, “Complete the 2024 promotion exercise now,” while others bore inscriptions such as “Teachers are not pool staff” and “Our services count, not empty chairs.”

According to union leaders, hundreds of qualified teachers have remained on the same grade level for years due to delays in the promotion process, a situation they said has severely affected morale and productivity across public schools in the Federal Capital Territory.

The NUT FCT Wing is demanding the immediate release of all outstanding 2024 promotion letters, full financial implementation of the promotions, and payment of all outstanding entitlements.

The teachers vowed to sustain the protest and withdraw their services until the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the relevant civil service authorities address their demands.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned Nigerians to be wary of fraudsters impersonating its officials to defraud unsuspecting members of the public through fake auction offers for forfeited vehicles.

In a statement issued on Friday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the scammers have been using the names of senior NDLEA officials, particularly the Secretary to the Agency, Barrister Shadrach Haruna, to circulate fraudulent letters and messages offering cheap forfeited vehicles for sale.

Babafemi described the offers as a deliberate scam aimed at swindling people of their money.

“The public is hereby notified that these offers are a complete scam. The Agency wishes to categorically state that these fraudulent offers are a malicious gimmick designed solely to defraud targeted individuals of their hard-earned money,” he said.

The agency stressed that no NDLEA official is authorised to privately allocate, sell or offer forfeited vehicles or any other seized assets to individuals.

According to the statement, all forfeited vehicles and assets are disposed of only through public auction processes conducted by government-approved auctioneers in line with legal and public procurement guidelines.

Babafemi added that legitimate auction exercises are always widely advertised in national newspapers and through the agency’s official communication channels.

He urged members of the public to disregard and report any letters, text messages or social media posts claiming to offer forfeited vehicles through Barrister Haruna or any other NDLEA official.

“The NDLEA remains committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in all its operations. Do not fall victim to these criminal elements. If you are approached with such fraudulent offers, please report immediately to the nearest NDLEA command or through our official communication channels,” the statement added.