Ambassador Ahmed Ibeto, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Movement for the Creation of Kainji State, has blamed the increasing insecurity in Niger and Kebbi states on their large landmass and limited government presence in remote areas.

Speaking at the North Central Zonal Public Hearing on the Constitution Review, organised by the Senate, Ibeto said the existing administrative arrangement has left several communities in Niger and Kebbi vulnerable to criminal activity due to poor access and governance.

He proposed the creation of Kainji State, which would be carved from Kontagora and Borgu emirates in Niger State and Zuru Emirate in Kebbi State. According to him, the new state would help improve security and bring governance closer to neglected communities.

Ibeto said, “Niger State’s vast size makes it extremely difficult to maintain effective security coverage. There are large portions of land with no government presence, which serve as safe havens for bandits and other criminal groups.

“For example, travelling from Madala in Suleja to Babana, a border community near the Republic of Benin, can take as long as two days.”

He pointed out that Niger State covers about 47,395 square kilometres, roughly 10 percent of Nigeria’s land area, and has a population of around 3.4 million, more than some existing states.

He also noted that years of administrative changes have divided historically and culturally connected communities, stressing the need for a unified structure to address development and security challenges.

“The demand for Kainji State goes beyond politics. It is a solution to a real and urgent problem. Once these areas are properly administered and infrastructure is improved, we will see a significant drop in insecurity,” he added.

Real Madrid centre-back, Antonio Rudiger has predicted a “tough” match when the Los Blancos clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in the US.

Both teams booked their places in the last-4 on Saturday after beating Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.

Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 3-2, while PSG won Bayern Munich 2-0.

The two teams will now return to MetLife Stadium on Wednesday for a blockbuster semi-final tie.

Speaking after Real Madrid defeated Dortmund, Rudiger said at his post-match interview: “PSG are a very, very tough team.

“They [PSG] showed that they’re one of the best in Europe in terms of form, and it will be a tough match.

“But we’re Real Madrid and we’re up for the challenge.”

Rudiger will be without his defensive partner Dean Huijsen for the PSG game after the Spain international picked a red card against Dortmund.

—- On Sun, 06 Jul 2025 05:36:21 +0100 Silas Onuoha [email protected]> wrote —

Real Madrid centre-back, Antonio Rudiger has predicted a “tough” match when the Los Blancos clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in the US.

Both teams booked their places in the last-4 on Saturday after beating Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.

Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 3-2, while PSG won Bayern Munich 2-0.

The two teams will now return to MetLife Stadium on Wednesday for a blockbuster semi-final tie.

Speaking after Real Madrid defeated Dortmund, Rudiger said at his post-match interview: “PSG are a very, very tough team.

“They [PSG] showed that they’re one of the best in Europe in terms of form, and it will be a tough match.

“But we’re Real Madrid and we’re up for the challenge.”

Rudiger will be without his defensive partner Dean Huijsen for the PSG game after the Spain international picked a red card against Dortmund.

Bayern Munich manager, Vincent Kompany has provided the latest update on Jamal Musiala after the midfielder sustained a leg injury during their FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.

Recall that goals from Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele gave PSG the victory against Bayern Munich.

Musiala picked a leg injury during the encounter as he was stretchered off after a heavy collision with Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Speaking after the game, Kompany said that Musiala will get the best medical treatment, adding that the Germany international might have sustained an ankle injury.

“The situation with Jamal was very emotional. We all saw what happened and it didn’t look good,” Kompany said at his post-match interview.

“We hope it is not as bad as it looked, and we hope everything goes well and he received the best medical treatment.

“From just watching the images, it looks like an ankle injury of some sort, but I’m not going to make a diagnosis.”