NEWS
How I Survived Without Food, Shelter – LASU Record Breaker
Aminat Yusuf, the top graduating student for the class of 2021/2022 at Lagos State University (LASU), claims that for the most of her college years, she settled for garri and groundnuts.
Yusuf attributed a lot of her success to hard effort, the correct lecturers’ mentoring, and the direction of God.
Yusuf, an indigene of Edo, graduated with first class honors with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 5.00.
She said that these elements contributed to her being the best graduating student of her cohort and throughout LASU’s 40-year history.
Yusuf said the financial situation of her parents, coupled with the fact that she is the first child put a lot of burden on her. “I called for financial support only under compelling circumstances, after I have exhausted all options.
“As a result, I experienced some serious financial constraints during my two plus four years stay at LASU.
“In 200 Level, second semester, just because I needed to get a browsing phone and get trained in computer skills, I saved up about 90 per cent of my feeding allowance.
“For the most part of my days as an undergraduate, I lived in the university premises, because I had no hostel, and going home every day would have been absolutely inconvenient
“The school had a stand-by security and standard lighting system, so, it was safe for me; my major challenge was having to attend lectures every day in a neatly ironed white and black dress, acting like everything was perfect,” Yusuf told NAN on Wednesday.
Speaking on her first day in LASU for the physical screening, towards admission into a diploma in law programme, the best-graduating student said: “I remember fantasising about achieving a remarkable feat in this prestigious university.
“I first did Diploma in Law programme, which runs for two years, in which students are taught compulsory law courses, with a view to offering direct entry admission to top class students.
“I studied really hard and prayed so fervently towards achieving excellence; I graduated from the programme with a CGPA of 4.98 and this was the best in my set.
“The possibility of graduating with such a grade motivated the yearning to graduate with a perfect CGPA at the undergraduate level.”
She called on well-meaning Nigerians to invest in the education sector and lauded the passing into law of the Student Loan Act in the country.
She added: “I believe this will no doubt be of immeasurable value to our education system.
“While I struggled financially through my education, I don’t desire such hardship for students coming behind us, especially the female students.”
Yusuf, however, appreciated the LASU management for sustaining the congenial and conducive environment that contributed to her excellent performance.
She said: “I am deeply grateful to my parents for their sacrifice, unwavering support towards my education.
“My parents really motivated me from their different careers; my father is a journalist while my mother is a businesswoman.
“Thanks to my faculty lecturers for their reflex of excellence, commitment and dedication in teaching us to be the best.
“I will like to use this opportunity to launch a YouTube channel tagged, ‘Learning Law with Aminat’, with a goal of giving back to society through my immediate community.”
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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