₦airaland Forum

Permit me to begin this contribution with an apology for my disappearance from the literary and political scene for the last one month but this was due to circumstances beyond my control.

On October 21st, five days after my 56th birthday, I was arrested by the EFCC without an arrest warrant at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos where I had been earlier granted bail. Thereafter I was illegally detained by them without any detention order for 21 days.

Kindly note that this was after I had been detained by them for a grueling 67 days 6 months ago (from 9th of May till July 15th), brought before the Federal High Court in Lagos, arraigned on spurious and politically-motivated charges and locked up in Ikoyi prison for a number of days whilst I attempted to perfect my court bail.

After perfecting bail, on 21st October I was re-arrested and the whole nightmare began again: only this time it was far more insidious and worse.

Throughout the time of the second detention I was kept in a dingy underground cell at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja where I met a number of other high profile opposition figures like Senator Bala Mohammed, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence and Mr. Reuben Abati, the former spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan.

During the course of my 21 days incarceration, my abductors did not ask me any questions or say one word to me other than to formally serve me with a new set of fresh criminal charges the morning after I got there which I simply signed for.

After that I heard nothing from them and I was told nothing though I had daily visits to the medical clinic at the EFCC due to my deteriorating health.

Three weeks later, on November 10th, I was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja and arraigned on yet another set of spurious, baseless and politically-motivated charges.

These ones were even more ridiculous and far-fetched than the first set in Lagos. I was falsely accused of receiving N26 million cash from the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, for media work for the Jonathan administration in 2014.

Thankfully, I was granted bail by the court and I was detained at Kuje prison for a further four days whilst I attempted to perfect my bail.

At Kuje I was kept in the terrorist wing of the prison which was built by the British government specifically for Boko Haram convicts and suspects.

There were 47 of them in the facility and I was with them throughout. These were tough, disciplined, hardened, surprisingly well-educated and intimidating men.

The single cells and the entire terrorist section of the prison was pervaded by an eerie silence throughout the night and low tone whispers throughout the day. The only thing that broke the monotony of silence was the regular and constant call to Muslim prayers and the loud and regular cries of “Allahu Akbar”.

This was a frightful place and those that were locked up there were very dangerous and frightful people yet thankfully the Lord went ahead of me.

The single cells, though small, were clean, self-contained, well-ventilated, dry and very neat. The inmates were surprisingly very kind and friendly towards me and turned out to be my best friends and bodyguards whenever I toured the other parts of the prison.

I was very impressed with them and when I heard their stories and what some of them had been subjected to by the security forces and the state tears came to my eyes.

Most of those men were not Boko Haram killers but had been falsely accused, tortured and just dumped into prison and I felt nothing but pain and sorrow when I heard their stories.

When I went to visit the great and brilliant freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu, who is the leader of IPOB and easily the most courageous, powerful and credible Igbo leader in Nigeria today in his cell, we had a very instructive and long discussion.

I had never met Nnamdi before and I was amazed at his depth of knowledge, his immense courage and his deep convictions.

There is no doubt in my mind that that man is going places and in him the Igbo have an Ojukwu and a Nnamdi Azikiwe all rolled into one. He is destined for greatness.

My Boko Haram friends accompanied me to that meeting, drew a ten man security cordon around me when we entered the general population of the prison and waited outside as Nnamdi and I spoke for almost three hours.

They even accompanied me to Church on Sunday and waited outside until we finished.

Given what I have written about Boko Haram in the past and given my total aversion to any form of violence, terrorism and radical Islam, this was a classic case of God granting me favour before my enemies.

Everyone dreaded them in that prison but I am proud to say that they were my friends and I will never forget their courage, kindness and fellowship for the rest of my life.

The enemy had placed me in the lions den but the lions and their prey became the best of friends. Not only were my Boko Haram section mates very good to me but so were the other inmates in the general prison population.

Not only that, the head of the prison DCP Akilu Abdullah, his Chief warden and his entire staff and team of prison wardens were firm, courteous and professional not just to me but to all the other inmates.

This was the doing of the Lord and it was marvellous in my sight. Throughout my travails I have never questioned God and I have been inspired and comforted by His word which says that in all things we must give thanks to Him.

I am innocent of all the charges and allegations and as I have said elsewhere the whole thing is an attempt by the Federal Government and an increasingly desperate EFCC that is obsessed with my name and putting me away to discredit, break and silence me.

Yet, in all this I am not moved and neither can I ever be broken or silenced because, like the biblical Job, “I know that my Redeemer liveth”.

Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “my head is bloodied but not bowed” and “I shall fight until the flesh is hacked from my bones”.

And as that fight and struggle unfolds and unwinds I take solace in the powerful and beautiful words of the Victorian poet William Ernest Henley in my favourite poem titled ‘Invictus’ which was written in 1875.

He wrote,
“Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul”.

Like Nelson Mandela did at Robben Island prison every day for 26 years, I recited that poem three times a day on each and every day of my total of 90 days detention this year. And if I am arrested and detained again by the EFCC or any of President Buhari’s other numerous security or intelligence agencies, I will continue to recite it. I have no fear of what men or satan can do to me and I trust and have faith in the God that I serve.

Having explained my absence for the few weeks with this appetizer, permit me get to the meat of it and now serve the main dish of this contribution. (TO BE CONTINUED).

Change doesn't start with me, it's starts with GCFR himself

The management of newly crowned 2016 Federation Cup winners, FC Ifeanyi Ubah, has selected UK-based agency, iGamingSports.com, to help raise the international profile of the Anambra Warriors, as well as the Nigerian club-side’s football.

The appointment came as iGamingSports.com helped broker the partnership between FC Ifeanyi Ubah and West Ham United, in a move that saw the club become the Hammers’ first ever Nigerian Football partner, and has already seen the launch of a number of key initiatives designed to improve coaching, skills and grassroots football in Nigeria.

According to Peter Stephenson OBE, Managing Consultant for Africa & Asia at iGamingSports.com, and First Secretary to the British High Commission in Nigeria, “There isn’t a footballing talent pool in the world that’s deeper than Nigeria.

“Couple that with the levels of drive and ambition that have been exemplified at FC Ifeanyi Ubah, and you have a potent combination that could be incredibly exciting on the global footballing stage.”

“We are privileged that FC Ifeanyi Ubah has chosen us to represent them, and we are excited to show what Nigerian football has to offer. It’s time to tell the world that Africa has arrived,” said Peter.

However, with the high profile Nigerian stars such as Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Odion Ighalo, Victor Moses, John Obi Mikel and Isaac Success, plying their trade in the English Premiership League, EPL, the Proprietor, FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Managing Director/CEO, Capital Oil and Gas, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has affirmed that there is work to be done.

Ubah said: “We want to raise the game and increase opportunities for our Nigerian youngsters.

“Every boy and girl in Nigeria that aspires to play football must to be given the opportunity and we want to show the world that the domestic football in Nigeria is very much on the up. Our partnerships with West Ham United and iGamingSports.com provide us with the tools to learn from the best, and the partnerships serve as catalyst to enhancing awareness of our wonderful national game in Nigeria.”

About iGamingSports.com
Headquartered in London, and operating internationally, iGamingSports.com is a sports marketing agency with particular expertise in football, emerging markets and the Premier League.

About FC Ifeanyi Ubah
Established in June 2015 and based in Nnewi Anambra State, Nigeria, FC Ifeanyi Ubah play in the Nigeria Professional Football League and are the reigning 2016 Federation Cup Champions – the first club side from Anambra State to win such a title. The hugely ambitious club has plans to grow both on and off the field, and invest heavily in the grassroots game in Nigeria.

Nice one from my darling governor

Apc and lies, two things that go together

Am an Ikwerre man, here in Port Harcourt.
Few things I like about my culture.

1) we don't make love on bare floors
2) we don't train female door dogs (either way they disgusting to look at)

This group got my undying support.

God bless them

This man have more travel to his name than an achievement since he took office

More pocket money for Ambode

Oh mehn this horrific

“We are determined to continue this war by all means necessary, until that environment prevails for a genuine dialogue and negotiations within the framework of the sixteen point key demands presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by PANDEF on the 1st of November 2016,” the group said.

We have been oppressed for way too long.

And his son is not even here to mourn him.

Chei ya

President Buhari has no single achievement ever since he was sworn in on the 29th of May 2015.

Nothing but the truth

This is the reason why USA refuse to sell us weapons.

I don't really understand why FG don't want to take this fulani herdmens menace serious

They both beautiful

Wow only in Nigeria police teargas harmless kids protesting

Skywatchers are preparing for the latest "supermoon" as Earth's satellite makes its closest approach since 1948.
The UK's best chance to see it will be on Monday evening, although the Moon will be at its closest - only 221,524 miles (356,509km)away - at 11:21 GMT.
To observers, it will appear about 7% larger than normal and about 15% brighter - although the human eye is barely able to discern that difference.
Yet the Moon won't be this close again until 25 November 2034.
The Met Office's UK forecast suggests it will be cloudy when the supermoon is closest, although it advises people to check their local forecast for the event.
As the Moon traces its orbit around the Earth, we see different proportions illuminated by the Sun. Once in each orbit, our satellite is totally illuminated - a full moon.
And as the Moon orbits the Earth every 27 days or so, it travels in an elliptical or oval shape.
This means that its distance from our planet is not constant but varies across a full orbit.

But within this uneven orbit there are further variations caused by the Earth's movements around the Sun.
These mean that the perigee - the closest approach - and full moon are not always in sync.
But occasions when the perigee and full moon coincide have become known in popular parlance as supermoons.
To observers, the differences between a supermoon and a normal full moon are quite subtle.
Generally, supermoons can be up to 14% larger and 30% brighter, but only when compared with the furthest point the Moon gets to within its orbit.

"These differences are pretty small, and with the Moon rising so high in the sky, as it does in the winter months, it'll be quite hard to notice any difference without comparing photographs," Dr Chris North told The Conversation website.
"But regardless of how big and bright it looks, the Moon really is a beautiful object to look at."
However Neil de Grasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, has previously suggested the events are just a little bit over-hyped.
"I don't know who first called it a supermoon," he told StarTalk radio.
"I don't know, but if you have a 16-inch pizza, would you call that a super pizza compared with a 15-inch pizza?"

Somethings will never change about Buhari, his way of thinking is so primitive

The way FG is going about selling everything, i pray they don't sell the masses

Dangote really need to caution his drivers.

They drive way to reckless

ianSweet:
Must someone be an Igbo person to reside in Anambra? Every Nigerian is a citizen anywhere in the country he or she resides, besides, one must now have an Igbo name to be Igbo. Some are from multi tribal families.

Why are u guys just bigots?

I have no atom of bigotry in me, but alot of this folks just need to thrown back their shits so they can shove it up their butt

My darling PDP needs to come together to fix our misunderstandings

Wishing the senator a quick recovery. He didn't even travel over for treatment. A true exemplary figure

omoyowa:
Story for the gods....
lie lie propaganda governor...
he will just grade d road and leave it....
he should go and complete greenwood road and other abandoned ones before making fool.of himself again.

last time I checked OMOYOWA is not an Igbo name, so you don't have a say. Take your hating shiit to the west

MTN is just an annoying network

God is good

the chairman of AMCON, has concluded plans to hand over Keystone to a coalition of powerful Northern

Can anybody relate to that

This one na wash.

No evidence to proof

.

Some people needs to go back to village and fix themselves properly

All great women.

I will studying hard till I make this kind of Elite list