₦airaland Forum

The Chairman of the Kogi Chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Wakili Damina, who was allegedly kidnapped on Tuesday, has been released.

The state secretary of the association, Adamu Abubakar, told journalists in Lokoja on Saturday that Mr Damina was released in Abuja late night of May 7.

Mr Adamu said from Mr Damina’s account, he was released by men suspected to be from one of the security agencies and not kidnappers as earlier suspected.

He said that Mr Damina arrived at his Chikara home in Kogi in the early hours of Saturday to reunite with his family.

It would be recalled that Mr Adamu had announced to journalists in Lokoja on May 4, that Mr Damina was taken away from his house by eight men dressed in military camouflage.

He said that the men forcefully took him away in a white bus.

He also said that all efforts to get across to him were unsuccessful as his telephone lines were switched off.

However, the secretary said that the national body of the association had taken the matter up to ascertain why Mr Damina was whisked away in such a manner.

He also said that the group had instructed a lawyer to take the matter up.
Mr Adamu then expressed the gratitude of the association to the state government, police, media and members of the public for their support and concern during the period.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ede Ayuba, had also told journalists that attempts to locate the whereabouts of Damina before the release, was frustrated by the inability to reach him through his phone line.

A prominent Muslim cleric acting as a self-appointed middleman has emerged as a divisive figure in the kidnap-for-ransom crisis plaguing northern Nigeria, which has seen more than 800 students seized in recent months.

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a former army captain, was involved in Wednesday's release of 27 students abducted in March from a forestry college in Nigeria's Kaduna state.

Such is his influence that the parents of the freed students paid him a "thank you" visit where he assured that 16 other students abducted from Greenfield University in Kaduna state in April, would not be killed.

Their abductors, who had previously killed five of them and released one after a ransom was paid, had threatened to kill the remaining hostages if no ransom was paid at the expiration of a Wednesday deadline but the sheikh said he had talked them out of it.

'Kidnapping is the lesser evil'
Gumi first emerged on the scene in February after he went on a so-called peace mission to a group of bandits in their forest hideout in Zamfara state.

Since then, he has undertaken other such visits to Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, urging bandits to stop carrying out attacks.
But despite his mediatory role, he has stirred controversy for advocating talks and a "blanket amnesty" for the criminal groups responsible for the recent wave of kidnapping in northern Nigeria.

"If the country could pardon coup plotters who committed treasonable offences in the era of military administration, the bandits can as well enjoy similar forgiveness even better under democratic rule," he said.

On another occasion, he said: "Kidnapping children from school is a lesser evil because in the end, you can negotiate and now bandits are very careful about human lives. Before, the mission of bandits was to go into a town, ransack it and kill people."

Such views about the bandits, who have abducted hundreds of civilians, including schoolchildren and other students - and killed some in the process - are seen by many as showing that his sympathies lie with the criminals, fuelling anger and division along religious, regional and ethnic lines.
In February, a viral online video showed Gumi making remarks alleging that non-Muslim Nigerian soldiers were responsible for insecurity.

He was censured by the influential Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for aggravating long-running religious and ethnic tensions, while the army said he "deliberately wanted to disparage the Nigerian Army to portray it in bad light."

Gumi said his comments had been misunderstood and his actual message was manipulated.

Gumi's mediation efforts have also made him a target for Islamist militant group Boko Haram, whose leader Abubakar Shekau issued messages threatening the cleric.

He has also been critical of President Muhammadu Buhari's perceived mismanagement of the security crisis, which in turn provoked a backlash from the authorities, politicians from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and religious groups.

The sheikh has often downplayed having any political associations. However, in 2019 he was branded a member of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) when a photo of him with PDP's then presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar surfaced.

Since the beginning of the year, Sheikh Gumi has met several bandit leaders to "dissuade them from their militancy".

In February he met the leader of a bandit group that kidnapped 42 people, including students, in Niger state. The hostages were released shortly after.

Following the abduction of about 20 students from Greenfield University in Kaduna state in April, Gumi reportedly urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay the group responsible their ransom demand of $260,000 (£190,000) and 10 Honda motorcycles. The payment has not been made and the students remain in captivity.

Cattle militants and oil militants
Authorities say Nigeria's kidnap crisis is being fuelled by such ransom payments and both President Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state are against it. Instead, they want bandits arrested and prosecuted.

Gumi has defended himself, saying that: "I am not the first person that started dialoguing with them [bandits]. I only added value… I never visited these bandits without a government official present."
In a February interview with TV station AIT, he suggested that the bandits had picked up kidnapping from oil militants in Nigeria's Niger Delta region.

"They learnt kidnapping from Mend [a Niger Delta militant group]. I do not see any difference. They were the first victims of rustling, their cattle is their oil," he said.

In 2009 thousands of Niger Delta militants who surrendered their arms were granted an unconditional amnesty by the government of President Umaru Yar'Adua after years of wrecking havoc on oil installations, abductions and killings in the region.

Some people in southern Nigeria have dismissed such comparisons, arguing that the Niger Delta militants had a political cause - greater control of their region's oil wealth - while the bandits are only after money.

Others claimed that politicians, activists, security personnel, religious and community leaders who acted as mediators in the Niger Delta militancy profited from it, so they are weary of Gumi's self-appointed role and the economy being built around the kidnap-for ransom crisis.

But whatever his critics say, the sheikh's influence is growing. One indication of this is that in the continuously changing nomenclature for what is happening in northern Nigeria, the armed groups are now being referred to by some as militants, rather than bandits.

helinues:
Give the writer the opportunity like the one Adesina is currently having, he might even be worst self

Kettle.....

Sometimes it doesn't rain. It pours. Nigeria has been raining terrorists and bandits, and herdsmen, and kidnappers. Now the skies have truly opened up and is pouring insecurity everywhere. From north, south, east, and west, the demons and fiends of hell have been unleashed on the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Peace and safety have taken flight. Insanity rules the airwaves, and sanity has gone into hiding. The enemies of the people have arisen and are advancing, killing, pillaging, looting, burning, raping, and seizing people's wives and children. Territories are conquered, whole villages razed to the ground and the flags of political iniquity hoisted in victory by the subjugators.

AND THERE IS A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND AN ARMY?

"Charity," we have been told severally, "begins at home." But the contradiction of our situation is mind numbing. Nigeria, the country that liberated Sierra Leone and Liberia and lost many valiant men and women, trying to bring peace to many other countries of the world cannot now help herself at her hour of greatest need. The terrorists now openly mock us. The bandits now laugh at us. The kidnappers now revel in our helplessness, and the herdsmen are now riding the winds.

AND THERE IS A PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE NIGERIA ARMED FORCES?

The north has been the heartbeat of this insurrection against the Nigerian state and peoples until now. Now some measure of the violence has spread to the south-east and south-west. As for the south-south, their reputation precedes them. Their potential and capacity for resistance and violence is known. Take their silence for granted at your peril.

AND THERE IS A CONSTITUTION THAT SAYS THAT THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT IS THE WELFARE AND SECURITY OF THE PEOPLE?

Where is our 'daddy,' the father and president of Nigeria?
They say he is in Aso Rock, in hiding. But do not believe it. A real father does not hide when his family is in danger. How can our president, the Commander-In-Chief be in hiding when his children, north, south, east, and west, are in danger and pain?
They also say that our insecurity has gotten more serious because the president, our father, loves some of his children more than others. They say he pampered some, to the detriment of others, and allowed them to grow wings till they became uncontrollable in perfidy and anarchical conduct. But do not believe them - even when the evidence abounds to support this claim. Our president promised to belong to no one but to all the people.

A TRUE FATHER DOES NOT SHOW FAVOURITISM IN HIS HOME AND DIVIDE HIS OWN FAMILY.

Poor Femi Adeshina, and his twin brother by trade, Garba Shehu. You cannot help but feel sorry for the men whose task is to defend a president whose proclivities have now proven to be indefensible. They are struggling so hard to look for reasons why their principal and the government they run have failed so spectacularly. Thank the stars that they have finally discovered why; It is the fault of the politicians and religious leaders who are planning a coup to remove an "elected president" illegitimately. It is the fault of disgruntled and ungrateful Nigerians who never see anything good in the president.

By the way, it has become farcical that Femi Adeshina, the hailer, who has cursed and railed against wailers, has himself, in recent times become a wailer. He wailed in February about a media attempt to taint and blackmail the president. In the last few days, he and Garba Shehu, have wailed against a possible coup d êtat and their former supporter, Rev Fr Mbaka for asking the president to resign. He says Mbaka is a contract seeking priest. Mbaka has dared and asked Garba Shehu to provide the evidence. And what did Garba Shehu do?; Silence!

IF ONLY THEY COULD WAIL STRONGLY AGAINST THE VIOLENCE AND KILLINGS IN THE LAND.

And while they are at it, they should wail against Sheikh Gumi, self-appointed spokesman and representative of the bandits who recently told the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), to give a hundred million naira to terrorists.

Somebody, a past presidential spokesman, has told us that there are demons in Aso Rock responsible for the strange goings on in the Villa. These supernatural, illegal tenants are said to be very malevolent and malignant in intent and actions. They afflict people, including presidents and wives of presidents with all manners of illnesses. They are also said to distort reality for the occupiers at the ROCK, and at the same time, foist on them, lies and and delusions. Is that not why our president never seems to be aware of the real issues in the country as they unfold? Perhaps, in the unfolding war against insecurity, the falsehoods being packaged for the president by these nefarious demons is that the army is actually winning the war against the terrorists and bandits. As for Femi Adeshina and Garba Shehu, it's possible that they have fallen under the influence of the spirits from the netherworld. That could explain why their scripts do not match our reality.

It is time to get rid of these demons at Aso Rock.

Enough is enough!

DrBonat:
1. CBT exam, 50 questions 30mins and the exam questions are your subject combination in jamb.
2. School fees depends on your course offered. But for pharmacy around 170k.
3. I don't know.. I applied through direct entry for MBBS last year score 76% in Post UME..not offered any course.. but there are high chances for JAMB candidates..
4. The school doesn't release her cutoff mark..

Kelvinhunta:
Make sure you don't cry that night. They trophy is for Chelsea

Daguccizgreat:
Dream on

Austineva2:
just as u guys destroyed us in FA cup semi final

Daguccizgreat:
Chelsea will pick Man City like beans in the final.

Reussite:
I sincerely pray Chelsea wins this cup even as a United fan. I hate Man City with passion. Tbh I'm happy it's Chelsea over Madrid at the finals cos City would white wash Madrid.

wisemrtortoise:
i have a sample of the filled form and a book on how to apply if anyone's interested. currently doing my NYSC, so i will start preparing against next year. email me for the materials, and good luck

exynos:
Your state of origin has upped your chances and your O'level grades are quite plausible. However, you should hold fervently unto your Plan-B, should in case.

You should get MB;BS, all things being equal.

exynos:
It's so disheartening that the school doesn't really fancy degree. The quota for admission posed on them is very small. If only you have IJMB with a min. of 15 points, it would have sufficed greatly. However, you can still give it a trial. Best of Luck

PS: Your state of Origin matters a lot plus very sound O'level grades.

Semtu:
For your medical certificate, just go to a federal or military hospital. The tests are very cheap there. I did all the tests for less than 5k last week and the results are already out. I’m going back on Tuesday, so the doctor will fill the results of the tests on the form, then get it stamped by the MD.

All my documents are ready. Once I finalize my research plan writeup, I’ll be set for submission. Please what’s the most efficient postal service in Nigeria, in terms of cost and reliability?

Also I want to ask that in the section for English language proficiency on the application form, I am a native English speaker and I’ve also done IELTS.. I think we are meant to pick just one, so should I fill in that I am a native speaker or make use of my IELTS result?

Likewise in the section for Japanese language proficiency, I know nothing about Japanese language. We were told to rate ourselves between 0-3, if I pick 0 in all, does it affect anything? Or should I lie and rate myself higher?

longetivity:
Ants are better than Buhari