Senator Abdul Ningi has recounted how his colleague, Bello Mandiya, reportedly died after slipping in his bathroom and hitting his head, with his body discovered about 72 hours later in his Abuja residence.‎

‎Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District, said neighbours discovered Mandiya’s lifeless body after a foul smell began emanating from his apartment and residents became concerned about his prolonged absence.
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‎Speaking during a Senate plenary session, Ningi said he was in Saudi Arabia when he received a telephone call from his son informing him of Mandiya’s death.
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‎He said his son was among those who discovered the former lawmaker’s body on Monday, September 7, 2026.
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‎Recounting the events leading to the discovery, Ningi said a colleague had last seen Mandiya at about 11am on Friday, September 4, before the former senator returned to his residence, where he lived alone.
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‎According to him, Mandiya was preparing to attend the Friday congregational prayer when he reportedly slipped and hit his head after bathing.
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‎“He brought out his cap, his phones, and put them on the bed, and went into the bathroom to take his bath,” Ningi said.
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‎“After taking his bath, when he was out of the bathroom, then he slipped and knocked his head in the bathroom.”
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‎Ningi said nobody realised what had happened until the stench from Mandiya’s apartment began spreading to neighbouring properties.
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‎“For 72 hours, Mr President, nobody knew where Bello Mandiya was,” he told the Senate.
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‎He said the chief imam of Apo also raised the alarm after noticing that Mandiya, who regularly joined other Muslims for the five daily prayers, had been absent for three consecutive days.
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‎The combination of the imam’s concern and the foul smell prompted residents to investigate the apartment.
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‎Ningi said those who went to the residence eventually broke open the door and found Mandiya’s body in the bathroom.
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‎“And there lies Bello Mandiya in the bathroom, lifeless. Seventy-two hours, and that’s a simple tragedy,” he said.
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‎Expressing sadness over the circumstances of his colleague’s death, Ningi said the incident highlighted the uncertainty of life, noting that nobody could predict when death would come.
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‎He also expressed condolences to Mandiya’s family, the people of Katsina State and the constituents he represented in the Senate.
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‎Before his election to the Senate, Mandiya served as chief of staff to former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari.
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‎He was elected in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to represent Katsina South Senatorial District and served in the ninth National Assembly until 2023. He also chaired the Senate Committee on Water Resources.
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‎Mandiya’s death prompted tributes from political leaders and former colleagues, who remembered him for his contributions to public service in Katsina State and at the national level.
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‎Ningi, who said he had known Mandiya since 2002, described the loss as a reminder that political office, wealth and social status could not shield anyone from the fragility of life.
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‎“There is nothing permanent about anything. Nothing permanent about our position, nothing permanent about our wealth,” he said.
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‎He prayed for Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength to bear the loss. (Daily Trust)

Suspected political thugs have attacked the secretariat of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, destroying property at the facility.

The attack, reported on Wednesday, October 14, comes barely a week after NDC complained of a similar incident in Enugu.

A video circulating on social media showed damage to property within the Edo secretariat, although no casualties had been reported as of the time of filing this report.

In the footage, a woman accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being responsible for the attack, linking the incident to the earlier violence in Enugu, which is being investigated by the police.

“The last one happened in Enugu, where one person allegedly died. Now they have brought it to Edo. APC, your end is here,” she said.

Her allegation against the APC has not been independently verified, while the identities of those responsible for the attack remain unknown.

The reported incident follows growing concerns over political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The earlier incident in Enugu had prompted Governor Peter Mbah to demand an impartial police investigation, warning that anyone found responsible would face prosecution regardless of political connections.

It was not immediately clear whether security agencies had commenced an investigation into the Edo attack or identified any suspects.

President Bola Tinubu has explained why he will not accompany members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council to every campaign event ahead of the 2027 general election, saying he must balance the demands of the re-election campaign with the responsibilities of governance.

Tinubu spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, where he charged members to take the party’s message to Nigerians across the states and local government areas while he concentrated on running the country.

The President said he agreed with concerns that the rigours of campaigning should not distract him from governance, insisting that Nigeria required his attention at a time when the administration was managing economic responsibilities and international financial obligations.

“You’ve warned me not to allow the rigour of the campaign to distract me from governance, I hear you. I am in full agreement with your decision. Nigeria needs more attention now,” he said.

Explaining further, Tinubu asked campaign council members to excuse him from attending every campaign event, pointing to the need to meet the country’s financial obligations.

“So, you will excuse me from going everywhere with you, we have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait,” the President said.

He also emphasised the importance of attracting investors willing to make long-term commitments to Nigeria, arguing that investment was necessary to secure a better future for the country’s children.

“We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children,” he said.

Tinubu, however, assured Nigerians that his decision not to attend every campaign event would not prevent him from engaging directly with voters.

“However, I will still make time to speak directly with Nigerians, even as you lead the campaign in the states and local government areas,” he added.

Describing the inauguration as more than a routine political gathering, the President said the council represented a renewed commitment to Nigerians and the responsibilities entrusted to the APC as the governing party.

“We have not gathered merely to inaugurate a council. We have gathered to renew a covenant. A covenant with Nigerian people and the historic responsibility they have entrusted to us as Nigeria’s governing party,” he said.

He charged council members to communicate the administration’s vision, record and agenda to Nigerians nationwide, expressing confidence in their ability to take the party’s message to every ward.

“This council will carry our vision, our records and our agenda to every Nigerian, and it will carry them to victory every ward of this country,” Tinubu said.

The President also commended APC members for successfully completing the party’s congresses, recalling predictions that the exercise would trigger an internal crisis.

According to him, the party had overcome the challenges and emerged united, with members participating in the process from the ward level to the national leadership.

“They said there will be implosion. We passed through it. We did not fail. You didn’t let us down. We got here together,” he said.

Tinubu’s remarks place governance and economic management at the centre of his stated approach to the coming campaign, while assigning the campaign council the responsibility of coordinating the party’s nationwide mobilisation ahead of the 2027 election.