The Emir of Zazzau and Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Chiefs, Ambassador Ahmed Bamalli, has thrown his weight behind the proposed 100 per cent increase in the salaries and allowances of traditional rulers across the state.

Bamalli described the proposed adjustment as a “welcome relief”, arguing that the current remuneration of traditional rulers has become inadequate amid rising living costs and the declining value of the naira.

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The monarch made the remarks on Friday while speaking with journalists at his palace in Zaria, Kaduna State.

According to him, discussions around the proposed increase had been ongoing for about seven months, with Governor Uba Sani and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sadiq Mamman-Lagos, working towards its implementation.

Bamalli expressed optimism that the proposed increase would soon be implemented following the government’s official announcement.

He said the purchasing power of traditional rulers’ current earnings had significantly weakened, making the proposed adjustment necessary.

The Emir commended the state government for maintaining what he described as a cordial relationship with the traditional institution, saying regular consultations had enabled both sides to collaborate on issues affecting communities.

He stressed that traditional rulers were not politicians but remained important partners in governance, particularly in conflict resolution, grassroots mobilisation and peacebuilding.

Zazzau Palace Resolves Over 2,000 Civil Disputes

Bamalli also disclosed that the Zazzau Emirate had resolved more than 2,000 civil cases through its alternative dispute resolution mechanism over the past two years.

He said the initiative had helped reduce pressure on conventional courts, noting that the palace handles an average of five cases every day from Monday to Thursday.

The disputes, he explained, largely involve matrimonial issues, inheritance, land matters and other civil disagreements, while criminal cases are transferred to conventional courts.

According to the Emir, the alternative dispute resolution system has also received commendation from members of the judiciary.

Emir Speaks on 2027 Elections

On the 2027 general elections, Bamalli said the traditional institution would continue working with relevant stakeholders to maintain peace and stability across the Zazzau Emirate.

He attributed the relative peace in the emirate to an inclusive leadership approach designed to accommodate residents from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

The monarch said the emirate had recognised major communities, including Igbo, Yoruba and Fulani communities, as well as Christian leaders, to strengthen communication and ensure that the palace received direct information from communities.

“We have tried to ensure that everybody feels that they belong,” he said, explaining that the approach had helped build trust and confidence among residents.

Giwa Remains Security Concern

Bamalli said the emirate remained largely peaceful despite security challenges in Giwa Local Government Area, which he identified as particularly vulnerable because of its proximity to parts of Niger, Katsina and Zamfara states.

He disclosed that the palace maintains regular communication with security agencies and submits weekly intelligence reports to the state government.

The Emir expressed confidence that continued cooperation among traditional institutions, the Kaduna State Government and security agencies would help sustain peace while promoting development and stability across the state.

Apple and Xiaomi have opened a new chapter in the premium foldable smartphone market, with the tech giants unveiling competing wide-screen devices aimed at redefining how consumers use foldable phones.

Apple introduced the iPhone Duo on September 9, 2026, with a starting price of $1,999, while Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 18 Fold in China with a starting price of $1,540.

Both devices adopt a short, wide “mid-fold” design that opens into a large display similar in proportions to a sheet of paper.

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However, the companies have taken markedly different approaches to hardware, cameras, battery life and software.

Xiaomi pushes hardware advantage

The Xiaomi 18 Fold comes with a 7.58-inch LTPO AMOLED inner display, supporting up to 120Hz refresh rates and a claimed peak brightness of 4,000 nits.

It is also slightly thinner and considerably lighter than Apple’s offering, weighing 219 grammes compared with the iPhone Duo’s 254 grammes.

Photography is another major strength of the Xiaomi device. It features a 200-megapixel Leica-branded main camera, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera.

The device is powered by Xiaomi’s 3nm XRING O3 processor and packs a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery. It supports 67W wired charging and 50W wireless charging, with a charger included in the box.

Apple focuses on software and design

Apple’s iPhone Duo features a slightly larger 7.6-inch inner OLED display with a resolution of 2670 × 1878 pixels and up to 120Hz ProMotion.

One of Apple’s major design decisions is the use of an under-display camera on the inner screen, allowing the large folding display to remain free of a camera cut-out.

The device uses a Grade 5 titanium frame and a complex hinge system containing more than 100 components.

Rather than matching Xiaomi’s camera megapixel count, Apple has focused on computational photography and features that make use of the two-screen design.

These include Duo Preview, which allows subjects to see themselves on the outer display while being photographed, as well as Smart Take, Dual Capture and Duo FaceTime.

Different approaches to multitasking

The biggest distinction between the two devices may be their software.

The iPhone Duo runs iOS 27 and introduces a fold-specific interface with side navigation, a redesigned Dynamic Island and Split View, allowing users to run two apps or two windows side by side.

Xiaomi’s HyperOS 4, based on Android 17, takes a more aggressive multitasking approach. The company says users can run up to six apps in split-screen configurations alongside a floating window.

Xiaomi has also adapted more than 200 applications for the phone’s wide display.

However, the 18 Fold is currently a China-only model and ships with the Chinese version of HyperOS, meaning Google Play, Google Maps and Gmail are not included by default.

Price and availability

Price could become one of Xiaomi’s strongest advantages.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, while the Xiaomi 18 Fold starts at CNY 10,999, making Xiaomi’s entry model substantially cheaper based on the quoted prices.

Apple plans to begin selling the iPhone Duo in more than 70 countries from October 23, 2026, while Xiaomi’s 18 Fold is currently limited to China.

For international buyers, however, the two devices present different challenges. The iPhone Duo uses eSIM only, while the Xiaomi 18 Fold supports two physical nano-SIM cards but lacks eSIM support.

Two different visions for foldables

The comparison highlights two competing philosophies in the premium foldable market.

Xiaomi is putting its weight behind camera hardware, battery capacity, charging speed, display brightness and price, while Apple is relying on iOS, industrial design and software built specifically around the two-screen experience.

For consumers, the choice may ultimately come down to priorities: Xiaomi offers more aggressive hardware specifications for the money, while Apple is betting that a tightly integrated software experience will make its foldable more useful every time it is opened.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has criticised the Inspector-General of Police over warnings concerning citizens filming police officers while carrying out their duties.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Effiong argued that the focus should be on police misconduct and accountability rather than citizens documenting encounters with officers.

According to him, Nigerians record police interactions because officers are expected to uphold a higher standard as law enforcement agents.

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“The reason why Nigerians take interest in recording such encounters is because a higher standard is expected of police officers who take it upon themselves to enforce the law.”

Effiong said public recording can expose misconduct and promote transparency within the police force.

“We cannot continue to work under an atmosphere of secrecy, be scared of transparency.”

The lawyer also criticised what he described as illegal profiling during stop-and-search operations.

Citing Section 54 of the Police Act 2020, Effiong said officers should not stop citizens based solely on their appearance, hairstyle, dressing or other personal characteristics.

“Section 54 of the Police Act 2020 excludes certain things from reasonable grounds and says you shall not stop a citizen… on the basis of his look, on the basis of his hairstyle, on the basis of his dressing, on the basis of appearance. But this is what policemen are doing on a daily basis.”

He alleged that some officers stereotype young people, particularly those driving expensive cars or wearing certain hairstyles and clothes.

“Where policemen will see a young man or a young lady driving a fancy, luxurious car, having braids, dressing in a particular way, and the first thing that comes to their mind is, ‘This is a Yahoo boy.’ They will stereotype the person, wrongly profile the person, and start demanding to search.”

Effiong further maintained that police officers have legal obligations when conducting searches, including identifying themselves and providing relevant identification.

Reacting to comparisons between citizens filming officers at checkpoints and recording officials in private offices, Effiong questioned the relevance of such comparisons.

“Do Nigerians go to the IGP’s office to record him while he is carrying out his functions? I haven’t seen people come to your office with mobile phones and start pointing their phones to record you.”

“So the IGP is speaking to an imaginary problem, the one he has created in his head.” he added

Effiong’s comments come amid renewed debate over the rights of Nigerians to record police officers during public encounters and the need to balance police operations with transparency and accountability.