₦airaland Forum

A fresh round of protests has broken out in Suleja, the commercial nerve centre of Niger State which is only a few kilometres away to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The angry Nigerians stormed the streets on Wednesday, according to photographs obtained by SaharaReporters, calling on the President Bola Tinubu-led government to end the hardship and unbearable inflation they were suffering.

“There is protest ongoing at the Suleja local government area of Niger State. They are calling on Tinubu to end the hardship the masses are suffering on the daily basis in the country,” a witness said.

SaharaReporters on Monday reported that hundreds of men, women and youths in Minna, the Niger State capital also staged a protest against the rising inflation in the country.

They had also lamented the hikes in the prices of gas and fuel in the country.

Videos showed that the protesters blocked major roads as they lamented that there was no government effort to arrest the situation of the rising cost of food items.

The protesters had been heard chanting protest songs, while security agents including policemen looked on.

However, Yakubu Garba, Deputy Governor of Niger State, had said the government was aware of the pain and hardship facing families in the country.

Yakubu had told the protesters that the government was working towards reducing the cost of living and the economic implications of the petrol subsidy removal.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adamu Garba, on Wednesday, joined many Nigerians to complain about the prevailing economic hardships in the country.

Garba, who has been a prominent supporter of the President Bola Tinubu administration, lamented that the economic hardship is really biting hard.

According to him, his wife bought bags of rice on Tuesday at N75,000.00 each, whereas it was sold at N53,000.00 in late December.

In a post on his X handle, the APC chieftain
urged leaders to be sensitive to the plight of the ordinary people, saying some unnecessary foreign travels, displays of extravagant paraphernalia is not good at the moment.

He wrote, “I think with the current spate of pain and anger due to the high cost of living, some government officials, especially political office holders need to show some restraint from public display of grandiosity.

“It is affecting the image of the government negatively in front of the public.

“The economy is really biting hard. My wife bought bags of rice 75k each, yesterday, it was 53k in late December. It is tough out there. All leaders need to be sensitive to the plight of the ordinary people.

“Some unnecessary foreign travels, displays of extravagant paraphernalia is not good at this time.

“In addition to the measure’s government is taking to control the situation, public office holders need to not distort the process by expressing extravagance or attending spend-leisure events that add no direct value to addressing the current situation.

“We shall overcome and Nigerian Economy under President Tinubu will be stronger than ever insha Allah.”

We Igbos need to invest resources towards understanding why our women act so wicked to our (mostly underaged) domestic staff, maids, and live-in relatives. Then we need to start serious advocacy to tackle it.

This matter is now a major public health and safety concern. /1

Also, there is no way the husbands of these women (for those who are married) can claim ignorance of these atrocities.

You are either a weak man or an accessory to the act (some of them also sexually molest their underage maids) if you cannot call your wife to order. /2

The All Progressives Congress has faulted criticism of President Bola Tinubu by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, asking the duo to share suggestions with the President on how to effectively run the economy and governance.

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in an interview with Channels TV on Tuesday, urged the two presidential candidates of opposition political parties to suggest ideas to Mr Tinubu and not just condemn what the government is doing to address economic hardship in the country.

Mr Morka stated that they were making “incendiary” statements to instigate the public.

He said, “Opposition politics is not necessarily about condemning. These individuals, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, touted some of the economic policies this government is running with to be at the core of their economic agenda. So what has happened? So it is not enough to just condemn, these leaders should be able to, assuming they have the silver bullets this government is not deploying, they point it out.’’

Mr Morka dismissed Mr Abubakar’s recent criticisms of the Tinubu-led APC government as “completely jaundiced by his own political self-interest.”

“It is not enough for Atiku Abubakar to bandy words. I expect a man who thinks deeply as he claims about governance, economy, and other aspects of our natural life to offer ideas, concrete suggestions,” he said.

The duo of Mr Abubakar and Mr Obi have criticised Mr Tinubu’s economic policies, lamenting economic hardship in the country.

Last week, Mr Abubakar berated Mr Tinubu’s government, saying his chaotic policies were dashing hope and pushing the country to the brink.

With inflation and food prices spiking under Mr Tinubu’s watch, Nigerians have cried out over economic hardship. Earlier in the week, protests over soaring food prices rocked two northern states, Niger and Kano.

But Mr Tinubu, in December 2023, urged Nigerians to show understanding, saying “the financial re-engineering of our country is ongoing. We are determined to deliver Nigeria safely through the tunnel of hope, stability, and economic prosperity.”

Last week, fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde, aka Kwam 1, who is also Mr Tinubu’s musician ally during his campaign, cried out over economic hardship in the country.

“Nigerians are angry, traders are angry, why is kidnapping on the increase?” Kwam 1 sang, lamenting the naira freefall against the dollar.

There was a mild drama in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Tuesday, as some women marched to the office of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) over what they described as their inability to have conjugal relationship with their husbands due to heat.

Armed with placards with inscriptions such as ‘No Light, No Payment’, ‘The Heat is too much’, etc, they lamented the untold hardship they were passing through.

The protesting women said their husbands no longer touch them at night due to heat, lamenting their inability to preserve cooked foods for weeks as a result of power outage.

They also said their businesses had been grounded due to poor power supply.

The leader of the protesting women , Maria Ike, said, “We have decided to let the world know what we are passing through in the hands of PHED. The poor supply in our area is at zero level despite the fact that we pay monthly bills to PHED. We no longer have romance and conjugal relationship with our husbands because of so much heat due to power failure. Our businesses have collapsed because of power outage. This is really affecting our families,” she said.

When contacted PHED Public Relation Officer, Livingstone Koko, said that the issue of poor power supply is a general problem in the country.

He said that PHED was doing its best to improve on power supply in the state.

KANO — Amid growing concerns, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State on Monday said he will personally meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to inform him of economic hardship and hunger faced by the populace of the state.

The Governor who stated this while meeting with the business community and other stakeholders at the Kano State Government house, said he will ask the President to intervene in the situation to provide succour to the people.

Governor Yusuf said there is prevailing hardship and hunger in the country but he is making a case for Kano as his constituents.

According to him, “I will personally go and ask President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and check the prevailing hunger situation in Kano State, so as to save our people from starvation.

“We know that other parts of the country are experiencing the same thing, but we will make a case for Kano State, being our constituency,” he said.

He said the rate at which inflation is on the high increase on foodstuff and other daily needs was very alarming, hence the urgent need to put heads together to find lasting solutions to the menace.

“The purpose of this gathering is to fine-tune modalities on how to address the menace of High inflation, because people are really suffering and we need to do something about this.

“We are begging you the business community to please shun hoarding of foodstuff in warehouses, please bring it out and sell it to the public to curtail the high increase of food stuff, especially at this moment that fasting of Ramadan is quite approaching,” he said.

The Governor however, said the government would do everything possible to provide enabling environment to the business community, stressing that the business community should also reciprocate through adequate payment of tax, so that the government would generate revenue to perform optimally.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Commerce, Alhaji Abbas Sani Abbas said the meeting was very timely, geared towards providing solution to the current hardship people were facing.

Nollywood actor Ebun Oloyede, better known as Olaiya Igwe, has appealed to Nigerians to desist from cursing him over the current hardship occasioned by the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, whom he campaigned for in the 2023 general elections.

Olaiya Igwe faced backlash after going to a Lagos beach unclad to invoke spirits in support of Tinubu’s aspiration.

“I went to the beach naked to pray for Tinubu based on revelation,” Olaiya Igwe said in a video apologising to Nigerians. “I did that as payback for Tinubu, my benefactor.”

He added, “Nigerians, please don’t be angry. You see me as one of those who brought this hardship on the country. I accept. You are raining curses on me because you felt my going to the beach unclad to pray for Tinubu influenced you to vote for him. I’m sorry.”

Lamenting the prevailing economic hardships in the country, Olaiya Igwe charged Mr Tinubu to wake up to the cries of Nigerians. He warned that the curses he gets daily will reach the president if he fails to do the needful.

He added, “If you (Tinubu) fail to wake up to your responsibility, the curses I get daily you will also get. Had it been that things turned out good in the country since Mr Tinubu assumed office, those insulting and cursing me would have stopped.”

The actor, who said Tinubu was trying to stabilise the economy, appealed to the president to set up a monitoring team to ensure his promises are delivered to citizens.

“Nigerians are crying. That’s why everyone is angry. Even Nigerians in the diaspora are not happy with the present situation in Nigeria. I want to talk to our father, Tinubu. Daddy, (Tinubu) Nigerians are not happy; they are crying. Their expectations are not met. I know you are trying. You need to appoint a monitoring team to ensure they deliver on your plans and promises to citizens,” the renowned actor stated.

Olaiya Igwe becomes the second among celebrities who openly campaigned for Tinubu, lamenting economic hardship in the country.

Last week, fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde, aka Kwam 1, also Tinubu’s praise singer during his campaign, cried out over economic hardship in the country.

“Nigerians are angry, traders are angry, why is kidnapping on the increase?” Kwam 1 sang, lamenting the naira freefall against the dollar.

On Monday, hordes of protesters hit the streets of Minna, Niger State capital, shutting down major roads over the soaring cost of living under Tinubu’s watch.

Food prices have spiked in the last six months, but Tinubu urged understanding.

“The financial re-engineering of our country is ongoing. We are determined to deliver Nigeria safely through the tunnel of hope, stability, and economic prosperity,” Tinubu stated in December.

Gunmen Hijack Two Buses On Kogi Road, Kidnap Scores Of Passengers As Driver Escapes With Injuries

Some gunmen on Saturday hijacked God Is Good Motors and ABC transport buses heading to Abuja from Kogi State, and kidnapped the passengers.

SaharaReporters could not ascertain the number of passengers kidnapped at the time of filing this report.

A social media influencer, Chude Nnamdi on Sunday posted that he had received reports about the incident.

“#Breakingnews: The reporting reaching me this morning is that a GIG & ABC transport buses heading to Abuja were hijacked by Kidnappers yesterday in Kogi state,” he tweeted.

He added the post made by someone who said his wife was one of those kidnapped in the GIG bus and that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N15 million.

The post read, “Kindly assist raise aware about the hijack of GIG bus by Gunmen at Kogi yesterday and unfortunately my wife was in that bus. The GIG bus left Umuahia at 7.30 am and was hijacked at Kogi State.

“GIG company said they have contacted security services and they are tracking them. The kidnappers phoned this morning via my wife phone and was demanding N15M.”

“Kindly assist create awareness on social media,” it added.

In another post on Monday, Nnamdi said, “Passengers in 2 loaded buses were kidnapped and everywhere is just quiet like its nothing: is this the new normal? A whole 2 buses!”

He attached a message from one of the eyewitnesses who said, “Apparently, this happened at around 3pm, along Olamaboro LGA, after one of the sharp road bends, some distance away from the police checkpoint.

“Both buses were 5minutes in front of us. Only GIGM driver escaped, but with lots of actively bleeding cuts on his body.

“It was really scary yesterday. That spot is not really far from the boundary between Olamaboro and Enugu State.”

When SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson for Kogi State Police Command on Sunday, he promised to confirm the incident.

On Monday, he confirmed the incident, saying, “Yes, the incident happened but the DPO, local vigilantes and hunters have been in the bush in an effort to rescue the victims.

“CP has deployed an additional tactical squad consisting of Quick Response Unit, Police Mobile Force, Couter-Terrorism Unit, as well as conventional police personnel to the area to continue with the bush-combing and to ensure all victims are rescued unhurt.”

One dollar = 12.40 Ghana Cedis.
One dollar =18.90 SA Rand.
One dollar =27.8 Zambian kwacha
One dolar =57.01 Ethiopian Birr
One dollar =134.5Algerian Dinar.

But One Dollar under Tinubu that builds Lagos is 1,455 Naira.

Even Buhari that we were thinking is the worst thing that happened to us in this country performed well better than this.

Gunshots were fired by the Police to disperse residents of Minna, the Niger State capital, who were protesting against the rising cost of living.

As early as 7am on Monday, a group of women blocked Minna-Bida Road at the popular Kpakungu roundabout to express their grievances over the rising cost of food items.

They were later joined by men, who stopped vehicles from moving.

Efforts by the police to control the crowd almost resulted in violence as protesters asked police to leave, forcing the police to fire several shots in the air.

One of the youths, Ibrahim Gana, said rice was sold at the cost of N2,000 per mudu at Minna markets while maize was N1, 000 per measure.

“The Federal Government needs to take action to reduce the hardship being faced by the poor Nigerians. Things are becoming unbearable,” he said.

Spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

over the rising prices of essential commodities such as rice, flour, sugar and cement.

Investigations by our correspondents in Kano, Kwara, Ebonyi, Oyo, and Lagos states as well as Abuja revealed challenging situations for various groups of people, with some residents resorting to prayers while others calling on the government to take decisive control measures.

In Kano, a 50kg bag of sugar at Singer Market is now selling at N73, 000 as against N62, 000 sold in early January.
A bag of cement, which was N5, 500 in the beginning of January 2024, rose to N7, 300 as of Thursday.

According to a civil servant and a father of five, Malam Shehu Usman, the current situation is beyond explanation. He described the price hikes as something that needed divine intervention.

“We have to turn to God and seek his forgiveness, because what is happening goes beyond human explanation. Imagine an increase of N10, 300 within 30 days on a 50kg bag of rice and no one is saying anything?

“To many of us, life has never been so difficult than what we are going through presently. Many households cannot afford three meals in a day,” he said.

Another resident, Isah Bello, said his major concern is on how people will cope with the situation during Ramadan when Muslims observe fast. He stressed the need for the authorities to do the needful before things get out of control.

PDP no wan gree die ooo. Let Tinubu create a new faction there ahead of 2027 because the LPDP branch is not doing enough damage.

This practice of hiding the faces of northern criminals while showing the faces of southern criminals is disgusting and disgraceful. If you want to stop showing faces, that's fine, but you can't treat one group of criminals differently because of their religion or ethnicity. Wtf?

When did this rubbish even start?? I don't recall this happening under Buhari.

A Local Government Chairman from the North Central Benue state of Nigeria,who was recently abducted and released,revealed that his kidnappers fed him with Banana leaves,to his amazement,it miraculously stoped his frequent urination.Could this be an accidental discovery of cure for prostate enlargement or cancer for men?

Benue LG boss recounts ordeal in kidnappers’ den

The abducted chairman of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, Rev. Gideon Haanongon, who was released on Wednesday has narrated his ordeal.

PUNCH Metro had reported the abduction of the LG chair, his driver, police orderly and personal assistant while they were going for the burial of Ter Katsina-Ala, Chief Benjamin Fezaanga Wonbo, penultimate Saturday.

Barely five days in the kidnappers’ den, a family source told journalists through phone call in Makurdi, the state capital that the kidnappers demanded N50m ransom.

Speaking to journalists at the 72 Battalion in Makurdi on Thursday, the released chairman said that the persistent pressure mounted on the kidnappers by military personnel helped his release and that of his personal assistant who were abducted.

He said on the day of his abduction, he was on his way to the burial of a traditional ruler in Katsina-Ala when he came in contact with some strange boys who were shooting sporadically and even killed someone.

He said, “At that point, I told my driver to stop the car and they took us (himself and personal assistant) straight into the bush. They covered my face throughout the period of my captivity. I did not know when it was daytime or night. They kept us inside a thatched house without air.

“Each day, the soldiers would come shooting but they manoeuvred their way through a bush path and hid us inside a river. The soldiers destroyed their camps and they kept moving us to another place.

“They did not feed me because they did not have food themselves to eat. I was urinating often so they gave me banana leaves and it stopped.

“At a point, they told me that these soldiers were disturbing them because of me and that the governor had appealed to them to release me and he would forgive them.

“They said I should tell the governor to keep to his words and get them out of the bush. So, at about 8pm on Wednesday, we crossed a stream and trekked a very long distance almost like from Makurdi to Abinsi and they removed the blindfold and asked me to take a path that leads to Zaki-Biam.

“But I recognised the village which is Tse Wombo in Katsina-Ala because my daughter is married there.

“I must appreciate immensely the efforts of the military because it was their persistent pressure that made the kidnappers to release me. Also, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security, Lt. Col. Alexander Ashungu (retd.), played a significant role in my release.”

Earlier, the 72 Special Force Battalion under 401 Special Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. A. Rabiu said that troops recovered the council chairman and his Personal Assistant who had been in the kidnappers’ den for more than two weeks on Wednesday in Katsina-Ala between 5 and 6 pm.

In the process of rescuing the abducted chairman and his PA, the commander said that troops who acted on distress calls carried out a rescue mission and destroyed three camps of the kidnappers.

“When we recovered him, we brought him down to our barracks in Makurdi. We administered first aid on him and also, gave him food to eat. He is in good condition.”

Rabiu further said, “Early this year, we rescued eight female abductees who were kidnapped on their way to a wedding along the Benue-Enugu Road and even neutralised one of the kidnappers.

“We are determined to secure the state as we have our men in all the 23 local government areas of the state.

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Whether you like it or not, Peter Obi’s son being gay will always be a dent on his political career.

There’s a reason too families with LGBTQ kids make sure the news never gets out.

Either ways, him being gay is not the reason why Tinubu is destroying Nigeria.

I was thinking of supporting Peter Obi in 2027 election but I’m afraid he will legalized LGBT 🏳️‍🌈 in Nigeria and Ecowas by extension.🥹

You are telling me that, If Peter Obi had become Nigeria President, he would have signed the gay rights law that Western countries tried to pressure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into signing to accommodate his son G@ybriel?? 😂😂😂

Lagos has been ranked as the 19th best city to visit in the world, according to Time Out, a British media and hospitality company that publishes guides and magazines.

Time Out said the conclusion was drawn from a survey of more than 20,000 city dwellers around the world, along with its own network of editors.

Criteria used to rate the cities include food (quality and affordability), culture, nightlife, how the city makes people feel, strong community vibes, access to green space, historic sites, and much more.

In the report published on Tuesday, Time Out said it worked with Potentia Insight, a research company, to strengthen the survey’s quality.

South Africa’s Cape Town, Nigeria’s Lagos, and Ghana’s Accra were the only African cities that featured on the list.

While Cape Town ranked second, Lagos was 19th, and Accra had the 44th position.

“Whether you’re a staunch mainlander or from Lekki, there’s something for everyone in Lagos, Africa’s most populous city,” the report reads.

Time Out encouraged global citizens to visit Lagos because: “Both the city and its suburbs are expanding – just check out live-work-play concept Eko Atlantic City. Just out of town, Epe, on the north side of Lekki Lagoon, is experiencing a boom”.

“When it comes to standard of living, Lagos has a lot going for it – 96 percent of locals are happy, 98 percent would call Lagos beautiful and the city got a 92 percent friendliness rating, too,” the report added.

The ranking also praised Victoria Island’s trifecta of swanky resorts, food haunts, and nightlife, recommended Lekki for brunchers, commended Ikeja’s Kuti’s Bistro, owned by the legendary afrobeat family, for serving up “reliably delicious food”, and cited Oniru Beach as a relaxation spot.

Last year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister publication of The Economist of London, said Lagos was the fourth worst city to live in the world.

Lagos was ranked above Algiers, the capital of Algeria; Tripoli, Libya’s capital; and Damascus, the capital of war-torn Syria.

The report surveyed 173 cities and used 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.

Lagos was the second worst liveable city in 2022 after holding the position for two consecutive years and was only behind Damascus which has been held down on the list by social unrest, terrorism and conflict.

EIU said Lagos moved up the ranks after seeing improvements in healthcare and education, but added that corruption is still a problem.

CAPE TOWN AND ACCRA’S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

Cape Town scored highly across the board after a whopping 100 percent of locals said the city is beautiful and that it made them happy, Time Out said.

The city’s culture scene also ranked highest in the world for its quality.

Accra on the other hand was praised for having exciting new ventures across music, nightlife and the arts.

Like Cape Town, the Ghanaian capital scored a 100 percent happiness score, with the same percentage of locals saying the seaside city was beautiful to look at.

NEW YORK RANKS FIRST, VANCOUVER TAKES 50TH

New York, known as “the city that never sleeps”, took first place on the list.

Time Out said the adage extends to the city’s spirit, too.

“This vibrant metropolis is always adapting, always innovating and always pushing the boundaries,” the report said.

Canada’s Vancouver took the last spot, laying claim to being the country’s prettiest city, with 94 percent of locals saying they found the city beautiful (beating Montreal by 2 percent), according to Time Out.

Here is a full list of the countries.

New York City, United States
Cape Town, South Africa
Berlin, Germany
London, United Kingdom
Madrid, Spain
Mexico City, Mexico
Liverpool, UK.
Tokyo, Japan
Rome, Italy
Porto, Portugal
Paris, France
Mumbai, India
Lisbon, Portugal
Chicago, US
Manchester, UK
São Paulo, Brazil
Los Angeles, US
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Lagos, Nigeria
Melbourne, Australia
Naples, Italy
Singapore
Miami, US
Bangkok, Thailand
Lima, Peru
Budapest, Hungary
Beijing, China
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Montreal, Canada
Glasgow, UK
Sydney, Australia
Bueno Aires, Argentina
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Manila, Philippines
Seoul, South Korea
Hanoi, Vietnam
San Francisco, US
Barcelona, Spain
Abu Dhabi, UAE
New Orleans, US
Philadelphia, US
Austin, US
Boston, US
Accra, Ghana
Marseille, France
Taipei, Taiwan
Istanbul, Turkey
Osaka, Japan
Hong Kong, China
Vancouver, Canada

If Atiku decides to enter any stupid merger with Peter Obi, Wallahi, my vote come 2027 is for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

May the merger between the 3 PDP men who deceived their supporters during the last election crumble.

My vote is for Omoyele SOWORE again in 2027.

THIS COUNTRY IS A JOKE WALLAI!😂😂😂

Nigerian Bandits dey do TikTok, yet Untraceable.

Bandits have released seven of the 23 kidnapped victims from Kawu in Bwari Area Council of the FCT to go and raise over N20 million as ransom for the other victims.

Recall that City & Crime reported that bandits last Wednesday night invaded and whisked away 23 persons, including four children, from Kawu.

A resident who preferred to remain anonymous who disclosed this to City & Crime yesterday gave the names of one of the released victims as Alhaji Alhassan Sidi (Marafa of Kawo) whose four children were still in captivity.

Also released is Alhaji Gambo S. Fawa (Sarkin Fawa), who was freed along with his two wives, as well as a young man.

The resident said, “They were released with conditions to provide over N20m along with two special motorcycles before the rest of the victims will be freed.”

A relative of one of the victims, Ibrahim Tanimu Kawu, who spoke with our reporter on Sunday, said the four victims were released on Friday evening in a forest which bordered the FCT and Kaduna State.

He said, “Today at about 7am the kidnappers’ leader called through the telephone and we heard how the children were crying as they were beating them. What is more disturbing is that two among the children are between the ages of 13 and 12.

“But the families are confused on how to raise the N20m as there is no property to sell, and even the farmlands, nobody is coming to price them.”

Reacting to the development, the spokeswoman of the FCT Police Command, SP Adeh Josephine, in a statement, said: “The NPF is actively engaging and contacting individuals crucial to the rescue operations and investigation. The objective is not only to bring perpetrators to justice, but also to intensify efforts in rescue operations for victims still in captivity.”

Kidnappers, who abducted 10 people from Sagwari Estate Layout at Dutse in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on January 7, 2024, have killed two more of the abductees to send a strong warning to their relatives negotiating ransom payment.

From information gathered, after killing some of the kidnap victims, the bandits increased their demand from the initial N60 million per person to N100 million, now totalling N700 million.

Residents said the victims were allegedly killed over the delay in raising the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

It was also gathered that a 13-year-old secondary school student, identified as Folorunsho Ariyo, was among those killed.

On Friday, reports emerged that the kidnappers, who also operated in some villages in Bwari, had killed one of the six abducted persons, Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, to force the family into quickly raising the demanded ransom.

LEADERSHIP reports that a former Minister of Communicatons and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Pantami, on Sunday, announced that he mobilised a balance of N50million ransom for the Al-Kadriyar family to enable them to secure the release of their remaining five daughters from the kidnappers following the murder of Nabeeha.

Political calculations are already ongoing ahead of the 2027 general elections three years away.

There are reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) are planning to form a formidable party that will sack the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In this exclusive interview on Channels Television, a political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, confirms that the parties’ candidates in the 2023 presidential poll have agreed to form a mega party. He also speaks on talks that led to the creation of the APC in 2014 as well as his relationship with President Bola Tinubu.

See excerpts below:

Give us an idea. Are you planning a merger or a brand new political party?

It’s a really clean start. You have to start from the premise that Nigeria has not had a political party since 1999. And let’s be very honest with ourselves. What we have managed is to create platforms that enable machine politics from which to grab power, usually for the purpose of state capture. If you will want to test that, check how much the quality of life of a Nigerian has improved since 1999.

It’s frightening but the truth is a matter that in 1999, a political class managed to build a certain coalition of accommodation to keep the military out and share the spoils of power in Nigeria and somehow did not manage to create an alignment with the Nigerian people to improve the quality of their lives. This is why you can see Nigeria deteriorating, becoming the poverty capital of the world, becoming the centre of widespread violence everywhere. And if you want to take some clear examples, I want anybody who is a political scientist, or economist in Nigeria to look at where India was in 1999 and where Nigeria was in terms of mood, violence in politics, the quality of life of people and where they both are today in Nigeria versus India.

In 1991, India was technically bankrupt. Foreign Reserves could not accommodate more than three weeks of trading. What has happened since 1999 is that India’s politics has managed to focus on the rational engagement of a developmental state.

If you look at the numbers today, India is now speeding past the so-called miracle economies of South-East Asia. Nigeria, on the other hand, has been traveling in the reverse direction. What better explanation can there be than the fact that Nigeria has not managed to organise the structures for political participation that can focus on the Nigerian people and lift their lives?

So, a political party is a vehicle to bring onboard those who will govern the nation.

Absolutely the point, political party is a vehicle for doing that.

In that living room where you are, just some metres away, that was where you and some of your friends cooked up the APC. What went wrong? Isn’t this what you planned? Can Nigerians trust this process that you are going through again, Prof?

Some people will say Prof Pat Utomi is talking theory, absolute nonsense. They don’t understand what theory means. Let them check my background. At age 21 in this country, Atedo Peterside and I, form the new breed organisation, created the first business finance magazine in this country.

In my early twenties, I was appointed editor of one of the most influential news magazines in this country. And even when I was abroad, I managed it from outside the country. I have been an executive and a manager in a multinational company because I have some academic titles. People who have done nothing in their lives but just throw out innuendoes against people say you are talking theory. Now, let me show you very clearly why I have walked away from arrangements that have not served the Nigerian people.

It emerges by iteration. You try this, but it doesn’t work, you go on to something that will work. So long as you are focused, you know that why you are there is something to do that will serve the best interest of the majority of the people.

So why did APC not work according to your plan? What happened, from your description, it doesn’t look like APC worked according to your plan.

Simple, they didn’t want it to work.

Who are these people?

The people who captured the states, the Buhari government did not want the states to work.

You supported Peter Obi and the Labour Party in 2023. One would have thought that, oh those ideas that you have, you wanted to infuse it into the Labour Party, that also failed. Did the same thing also happen to the Labour Party?

You can’t make that statement. It didn’t fail, even though it was a hurry-up offence as they would say in basketball in America. Just let’s get this thing to show this system.

That’s why I want to calm down now, design and put in place a real political party with clear ideas of how you become part of it, what you will do in it and therefore you accept to do it or not to do before you come into it, where there will be a clear agenda – a party plan that the day you arrive in office, everybody from Perm Sec to level eight officer knows what they must do every day to move Nigeria to a certain level. If you don’t do it, you get fired.

So, this business of just arriving and looking for how much money to transfer to your account, to transfer to that person’s account will not be there because you are very busy implementing something that everybody has agreed with (and) talked about in the public space and civil society is holding you accountable, the media is holding you accountable and the whole of society knows what you will do next month.

If you don’t do it, somebody will ask why not? Not to get there and begin to try to enjoy yourself and just generate hubris, pure hubris. That’s not how to govern a people who are dying.

Are you hoping that Peter Obi, for example, will be the presidential candidate of this new party you are forming?

No, no, we’re not talking about candidates now. We’re talking about what the party will look like, the values that the party will stand for, the policies that the party will stand for, a national strategy.

Now, I give you a small example. In South Africa up to one level of the ANC, they have conversations about public policy, and all these flow back and they can ask whoever is president of South Africa questions based on that. Who in the APC has an idea what APC is doing, even as one of those who founded it, one of those who wrote the road map and all of that? I wrote more than 10 letters to the Chairmen of APC, I never got one single reply, not one reply.

And so the APC was just a concoction, a private enterprise of a few people that was justified with the people who they got to run around and the object was simple – state capture. So Nigeria needs a political party, not all of these things.

I know you are a very good friend of Bola Tinubu. Your friendship with Bola Tinubu I guess has always been issue of ideas that you’ve had together and you know, the camaraderie that you’ve shared before now is also about ideas. Can Nigerians look forward to those ideas ahead of 2027 when that competition will come up?

I’m not even thinking of 2027. That’s what I’m saying, Nigeria has become a circus of elections. Let’s leave elections for now. Let’s look at how our country can be made to work for everybody. And let’s create a political party that can bring the issues to the fore for all the Nigerian people to have the kind of consensus on how to solve problems. If we have that consensus, we will find Nigerians who can provide leadership positions and the provision of those positions will not be about what they get for themselves because this narcissism is a cancer that is tearing Nigerian politics down.

What we need are people who sacrificially give up themselves to build a great country with their possible reward being immortality. When I talked to several of the presidential candidates in the last run about this track we are travelling. Yes, I’ve had conversations with Atiku Abubakar, I’ve had conversations with Engineer Rabiu Kwankwaso, I have had conversations with Peter Gregory Obi and the people like Ralph Okey Nwosu of ADC are some of those that would probably constitute some of the base. And I’ve said to them, it’s not about you. It’s about Nigeria, it’s about the ordinary person in this state. It’s about really truly moving from this business of sharing trickles from oil sales to how we can become one of the most productive economies because our (natural) endowments allow that but our politics has not allowed Nigerian people to produce. Politicians just go there to grab, grab, grab.

They don’t even have the discipline to sit down and plan how Nigeria can produce its way out of poverty and everybody can be happy. Look at how it is happening in India. As you know, I have very good relations with India. There are friends of mine in India who are struggling to get me to come and sit in India for a few months in the university and do this, do that. But I just feel so what’s wrong with the Nigerian elite? Why are we satisfied with nothing? And then they will try and rationalize it by saying now I’m talking theory, what nonsense, what nonsense, how many of them have had the kind of jobs that I have had as an executive, as a manager, as an entrepreneur? And you say I’m talking theory. Do you know that there is no practice, that makes sense without theory?

The idea of this new political party sounds like a merger because you said you have had talks with Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi, Okey Nwosu and the rest. They have agreed to come together, isn’t it?

Yes.

What name have you decided to call it?

We’re not talking about names yet. Besides these politicians, I mentioned, I’m talking about leaders of social movements, leaders of social movements, the labour movement and so on and so forth.

I have even been part of creating a new tribe, Nigerians who are committed to certain values who say I will not give a bribe, I will not take a bribe. And you can then create a set of values that can lead to progress in the country.

The way we are today, a few people in the world are willing to engage with Nigeria because they think there’s a collapse of culture, the values in Nigeria. You can’t trust Nigerians, all kinds of things are here.

•Residents lament, CSOs frown at Wike over increasing security problems

•Kidnapping now daily

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, once renowned for its relative tranquillity and security, has been gripped by a growing sense of fear and unease as cases of kidnappings continue to surge.

Residents are now living in constant anxiety, demanding immediate action from authorities to restore safety and protect their lives and property.

This was the case when residents of Dei-Dei town located off Kubwa-Zuba Road, under Bwari area council in Abuja were thrown into shock at the weekend following the abduction of over 23 residents of the community, mostly taken from three housing estates in the area.

SATURDAY VANGUARD gathered that the kidnappers, mostly said to be in military uniform, arrived at the livestock layout area, located on the edge of the popular Abuja livestock market, Dei-Dei, about 8 pm and carried out their operation quietly, as has been disclosed by residents.

As if this was not enough, barely 48 hours after the aforementioned kidnappers’ attack at Dei-Dei, also two children, alongside nine adults, were also whisked away at Gbaupe village, behind Aco Estate, along Airport Road in Abuja.

At the same period, a similar incident took place at the nearby Arab Road residential area, in Kubwa town, also along the highway, on Sunday, where seven residents were abducted by kidnappers believed to be sharing the same base in the bush, with that of the Dei-Dei operators.

Recently, no fewer than 85 persons, comprising both travellers and residents, were also said to have been abducted by terrorists at Katari along the Kaduna – Abuja highways near Katari, in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

It was also gathered that more than four residents were killed by the hoodlums. The breakdown of those abducted by the bloodthirsty terrorists indicated that between Thursday and Sunday, January 7, 2024, a total of 85 persons were abducted. And just on Thursday, 22 people were kidnapped in Kawu Village in Bwari Area Council.

The Kaduna State Police Command confirmed that there was a bandit attack on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway at Dogon Fili near Katari. These insecurity issues, including the ‘one-chance’ occurrences in public transportation happen daily in Abuja, car snatchers, armed robbers, yet it seems like little or nothing is being done to tackle the growing insecurity concerns.

SATURDAY VANGUARD reports that in 2023 alone, no fewer than 36 people were killed and 339 others abducted from various communities in the territory.

However, following these incidents, some of the residents who spoke to our correspondent who visited the areas of the incidents, voiced their growing concerns over the alarming rise of kidnappings in the city.

Locals lament

Expressing frustration over the deteriorating security situation in Abuja, a Zuba based Trader, Mr. Ahmed Usman, said: “It’s terrifying to think that you or your loved ones could be snatched away at any moment. Abuja used to be a safe place, but now it feels like we’re walking on a tightrope.

“I can’t even let my children play outside anymore. It’s heartbreaking to witness this decline in safety and security in our once peaceful city.”

A traditional ruler in the FCT, who preferred anonymity, in a chat with our correspondent described the rate of kidnappings as quite disturbing.

“In fact, even at our security meeting with the FCT minister, I suggested that the vigilantes should be empowered with equipment and given some monthly stipends to enable them to engage these bandits. But the government seems to be giving more priority to the police”, he said.

A teacher, Mrs. Rebecca Akintola, said: “The increasing cases of kidnappings are truly horrifying and deeply concerning. It’s heart-wrenching to hear about innocent individuals, especially children, being taken away from their families and subjected to such unimaginable trauma.

“As these incidents continue to rise, it becomes paramount for our society to prioritize safety measures and put forth collective efforts to combat this heinous crime.”

Another resident of Gbaupe community, Moses Alpha, who spoke to our correspondent over the phone, said: “This kidnapping is due to a lack of adequate security in the area. In Fact it is not a new thing for us. We are only careful how we go and where we go. We have held a series of community meetings and it looks like our effort is not enough. The Government should intervene. We are just a small community, I believe something can be done to secure our life and property.”

A public school teacher, Beatrice Odeh, said: “This horrible, ugly and terrifying word, kidnapping, has become a common word in almost every household in most communities in Nigeria and FCT, the nation’s Capital, is not an exemption.

“This ugly incident happens on a daily basis and it’s so worrisome that things continue as if nothing is happening, only the affected families that bear the Ordeal helplessly. Unfortunately, the Federal Government that claims to have the citizens’ interests (security of lives and property) seems not to be aware of anything happening around them at all.

“FG, please your citizens are lamenting with the loudest tone ever heard. We believe in you, trust you and rely on your ability to eradicate this menace that is ravaging our communities. You can do it because you have the wherewithal FG. Shortly we should breathe in the fresh air of security in every nook and cranny of our communities in FCT and the whole country at large.”

Also speaking, the village head, Chief Danjuma Gejere, said the insecurity situation in the area is getting worse by the year, adding that the community has seen little or no intervention from the government to address this.
He, however, called on the FCT Minister to as a matter of urgency step into the matter, and ensure that needed number of security personnel are deployed to the area.

“I am very worried because as a leader I am answerable to my people and what has just happened is not good. Kidnapping in the FCT? It is troubling. The sad thing is that we have seen little government effort in this area of Gbaupe and I am calling on the Minister of Abuja who I know is a good man to step into this situation and bring justice to our people.”

CSOs, experts react

The founder, Connected Development, CODE, Hamzat Lawal, while bemoaning the insecurity alleged that part of the reason for increased kidnapping incidents in Abuja was because the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has a divided interest between being the Minister of FCT and partisan politics in River state.

He, therefore, urged the Minister to call on all security heads to chart a way towards ensuring sustainable security of lives and properties in the nation’s capital.

He said: “I think that we have an FCT Minister who is not focused. He is heavily distracted by the politics of Rivers state. Abuja is a city and as a minister he is the mayor and the chief executive of Abuja, and, I think, this calls for immediate action and attention where the Minister should call all the security heads from NSCDC to police and other arms of security agency and also traditional and religious leaders within the Metropolis and I also think that this is a high security alert and a call the Nigerian police.

“This is a festive period, and they must guarantee the safety of life and property, but I think most importantly, the FCF Minister needs to do away with politics that is distracting him and focus on keeping people in Abuja safe.

“We’ve not had this bad in the FCT. You know this is to be a safe haven. He needs to take us back to that and even much better and if he cannot guarantee the safety and protection of life and property in our Abuja then he has no business being the mayor of FCT.”

Speaking about the depth of insecurity in the nation’s capital, the Director General, Coalition of Nigeria Youth on Security and Safety Affairs, CONYSSA, Amb Ade Mario Emmanuel, said part of the reasons why insecurity thrives in the nation’s capital is because poor monitoring of areas where the city borders other states.
He tasked the federal government to as a matter of urgency increase the number of security personnel in FCT and tighten the security at the borders.

He said: “Insecurity in FCT is underreported and why it is underreported is because for the citizens not to be put on high risk of fear. From that end, some of the security challenges and security happenings within FCT should be underreported.

“But, be it as it may, the security agencies in FCT must understand two things: that if there is no proper security in the local communities and local borders that surround FCT, automatically FCT is very porous.

“If Gwagwalada is not well secured, bandits, and kidnappers will keep coming into FCT and kidnap and go successfully free. If the security of Kuje is not properly checked, it automatically means that criminals will enter FCT and go successfully. So, all these local communities should now be a serious focus because these are the hideouts of these criminal elements.

“We are calling on the Nigerian government that it is high time for the bill of the Peace Corps should be taken with seriousness because there is a shortage of manpower within the security architecture of the country.

“So, we are saying the security agencies are trying their best but they don’t have that strong manpower to curtail what is happening. Also, let there be an official constituted body to bring all heads of youth organizations together to bring a kind of holistic approach to the fight against crime.”

Speaking on why kidnapping has remained a moving business in Nigeria, particularly in Abuja, the Executive Director, of Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, said: “We are living in the era of insecurity in Nigeria and there’s no sign that it will abet soon because what you really drive people into crimes is poverty, unemployment and lack of good governance and all these are all in place and therefore, you have the mass population of you that are unemployed.

“Able-bodied men and women all over the country that are not productively engaged, then even the little means of survival that the people engage on has been completely taken away from them by the so-called removal of fuel subsidy and lack of provisions of basic facilities for the people.

“So, Abuja’s case became very pronounced because it is the capital of Nigeria and then it is also believed that most of the richest men and women in Nigeria reside in Abuja and therefore, it is easy for whoever that is kidnapped must more or less be someone of affluence that could easily pay the ransom. That is why Abuja case became worrisome.”

On the way forward, he said: “For me, I think the only way you in which we can overcome these challenges is when we go on governance is now situated in such a way that the people that are meant to benefit from the governance system, benefited and that is by providing employment, ensuring that both the young and the elderly are taken care of and then having the right policies in place that really shake corruption, not what we are having today.”

FCT police deploys rigorous strategies to prevent abductions

Against the backdrop of the kidnapping incidents in Abuja, the FCT Command Police Spokesperson, SP Josephine, while responding to questions on their action to the kidnapping of several persons at Baukpe Community, near Aco Estate, along Airport road, among others, said there is ongoing move to implement improved security measures to tackle abductions.

She said, “In response to concern of kidnapping incidents in the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Police Command while declaring an unwavering commitment to fortifying security measures, have deployed rigorous strategies to prevent any attempts at kidnapping before, during, and after the yuletide seasons.

“While your safety remains our priority, we remain steadfast in our commitment to avert any potential threats and maintain the peace and security of the Federal Capital Territory.

“To bolster these efforts, residents are expected to exhibit unwavering cooperation with law enforcement agencies, acting patriotically to enhance overall security.”

Also reacting also on the recent banditry attack, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the deployment of police officers and security equipment to ensure the safety of travellers along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

Egbetokun also directed the deputy IG, Operations, Ede Ekpeji, to ensure the strict monitoring of the security personnel assigned to the route, adding that the presence of the equipped operatives will “act as a deterrent to criminal activities..”

The Obidients are the strongest political force that emerged in Nigeria since this fourth republic. They helped shaped our political environment for the better and pushed for more transparency in the system of government.

The only thing pending for them to complete their circle is to Join Crowwe, Use Crowwe and Grow Africa. What do you think?

Meet the Nigerian girl, Nasara James Dabo, a 13-year-old prodigy from Southern Kaduna State with an IQ that sits amongst the top 1% globally.

At the International Mathematical Olympiad, she solved 34 math problems in just 172 seconds, (an average of 5 secs per question) winning a gold medal in the junior category.

Nasara, who is a student at Ideal College International in Kaduna, outshone 150 competitors worldwide, securing a total score of 145. Along with the gold medal, Nasara earned the Olympiad champion title in the prestigious competition that gathers participants from over 100 countries.

Shortly after her IMO victory, Nasara took the Mensa IQ test and aced it under strict supervision. Her IQ score of 150 puts her in the top 1% globally among Mensa applicants.

Additionally, Nasara recently bagged a LIMCA Award for memorizing a whopping 673 binary numbers in less than 9 minutes at the Memory Championship by Mind Sports Olympiad.

After bringing great honor to her community, Nasara, who dreams of becoming a doctor, has been offered a scholarship by the Kaduna State government to cover her secondary and university education expenses.

Nasara is such a motivation for young people.

Southern Kaduna is blessed 😍
#SKpeople