A traditional ruler in Oyo State, the Onijeru of Ijeru land in the Ogbomoso South Local government area of the state, Oba Elijah Popoola, has passed on.

According to a report by Daily Post, Oba Popoola joined his ancestors on Friday at the age of 85 after a brief illness.

It was learnt that the monarch ascended the throne in the year 2008.

In the past six months, no fewer than seven traditional rulers in the state have joined their ancestors.

Prominent among the traditional rulers who have joined their ancestors in the last six months in the state are the Onigbeti, Soun of Ogbomoso, Olubadan of Ibadan land and Alaafin of Oyo, among others.

Also, the Asigangan of Igangan, in Ibarapa North local government area Oba Lasisi Adeoye Lawuyi Aribiyan, passed on.

The 41st Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji also joined his ancestors on January 2nd 2022 at the age of 93.

On January 31st 2022, another monarch, Oba Gabriel Adepoju, joined his ancestors. Oba Adepoju was until his death the Oloko of Oko Ile in the Oriire Local Government area of the state.

On April 8th 2022, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state, Oba Abdulyekeen Ayinla Oladipupo, joined his ancestors.

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The African Action Congress (AAC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over the latter's involvement in partisan politics.

This comes after the CBN Governor, Emefiele, picked the nomination form of the All Progressives Congress.

Emefiele reportedly picked the form on Friday from the party’s organising secretary at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.

Reacting in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Adeyeye, the AAC condemned Emefiele's purchase of the “immoral form” adding that it showed that the Muhammadu Buhari's administration had enthroned corruption rather than fighting it.

The AAC further said the act goes to confirm that Emefiele is behind the posters, branded vehicles, and jingles among other campaign materials in circulation noting that he must have been a secret member of the APC all along.

“We may just have to do a complete sweep in our public service to ascertain the number of secret members of the APC that are in exalted positions that forbids partisanship,” the party added.

Adeyeye wrote, “The news making rounds that the corruption-ridden Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele has picked the immoral APC nomination form to join the Presidential race is another confirmation that the President, Muhammadu Buhari has enthroned corruption, instead of fighting it.

“It is also shameful that the party Mr Buhari leads, the APC cannot advise the “CBN politician” appropriately, since it’s obvious that he lacks proper counsel.

“Godwin Emefiele’s interest to run for President while still in office is both a national insult on citizens who believe in the rule of law and a joke taken too far. The promise of this infamous regime to fight corruption has been brazenly thrown to the dogs.

“The CBN politician laid all speculations to rest by picking up the APC nomination form yesterday. This ruthless act confirms that the man is the mastermind of all the pasted posters, hundreds of branded campaign vehicles distributed, jingles being done, including a circulated video of armed men supporting his aspiration. How low have our morals and respect for public ethics sunk under this regime?

“We wish to add that it is not out of place to insinuate that the perpetual lawbreaker, Mr Godwin Emefiele has been a member of the APC all the while, just like Lauretta Onochie who was almost made a Resident Electoral Commissioner, until she was exposed as a “secret” member of the party.

“We may just have to do a complete sweep in our Public Service to ascertain the number of secret members of the APC that are in exalted positions that forbids partisanship.

“Godwin Emefiele’s interest to contest for President while sitting as the CBN Governor is in contravention of Public Service Rules, CBN Act and the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

“The Act that established the Central Bank is clear on prohibition of officers in exalted offices from engaging in activities that will put the independence of the institution to question.

“We have also read in some online media platforms that “political” farmers and associates gifted the CBN Governor the N100million form. Not minding how ludicrous that sounds, should we agree that the form was donated to him, it is a complete breach of Section 6, 5th schedule of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits public officers from accepting gifts of any kind.

“It is to this end that we in the African Action Congress (AAC) call for the immediate sack of Godwin Emefiele. His arrest and prosecution by the EFCC and ICPC must also follow. He also has questions to answer at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

“Nigerians must do all that is legally acceptable to prevent the CBN Governor, President Buhari and the APC from rubbishing our public space and the rule of law. They must be kicked out of power."

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The Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, has said that he had not yet made a decision on joining the 2023 presidential race and would do so in the “next few days.”

Emefiele, under whom the apex bank had retrogressed and the national economy receded, said it was “patriots” who bought the All Progressives Congress party’s nomination forms for him, adding that he would use his own money to buy his nomination forms when he had made a decision to run for the number one office.

He said these in a series of tweets on Saturday.

The CBN governor had come under heavy criticism over the APC Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms reportedly obtained for him.

He said, “I am humbled by the growing interest of those asking that I run for the Office of President in the 2023 general elections: I have not come to that decision. I note and salute the sacrifices of those farmers and patriots going as far as raising personal funds and offering me Presidential Nomination Forms: I thank them most profusely.

“However, should I answer their calls and decide to seek presidential nomination; I will use my own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my own Nomination Forms, without proxies in an open and transparent manner in full compliance with the laws and Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“And should I not run for elected office, I will continue to serve and sacrifice for the good people of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is a serious decision that requires God’s Divine intervention: in the next few days The Almighty will so direct.”

SaharaReporters had on Friday reported that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately remove Emefiele, over his involvement in partisan politics.

Reacting in a tweet, SERAP urged Buhari to remove Emefiele as the latter acted contrary to section 9 of the CBN Act which forbids CBN governors and their deputies from engaging in politics.

The tweet reads, ”We urge President Buhari to exercise his power under section 11(2)(f) of the CBN Act to immediately remove the CBN governor Mr Godwin Emefiele over his engagement in partisan politics, contrary to Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act.

”Section 9 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act provides that "The Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the Bank and while holding office shall not engage in any full or part time employment or vocation.”

The same call was made by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and a host of other Nigerians and civic groups which viewed Emefiele’s interest in partisan politics as dangerous for someone superintending over the country’s apex bank and national economy.

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The National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Action Congress (AAC) has fixed June 1 and 3 for its primary elections into elective positions.

The party also released its schedule of activities, in a statement released on Saturday by Femi Adeyeye, the AAC's National Publicity Secretary.

While expression of interest and nomination forms for all elective positions are free, Adeyeye said all hopefuls are expected to pay obligatory donations.

He said the registration of hopefuls will commence on May 6 and end on May 9.

“The National Working Committee of the African Action Congress (AAC) seizes this medium to announce to the public, some of the activities and breakdown of financial responsibilities required of aspirants who wish to run in 2023, on the platform of the only revolutionary party in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“This is a part of several processes set by the NWC to make sure people of integrity, competence and ideological clarity are the ones flying the untainted flag of the AAC.”

The schedule, according to the statement is as follows: May 6-9: Registration of aspirants; May 11: Mass meeting of aspirants with the national executive committee; June 1-3: Primaries for all positions

“The dates for meeting with leaders of other socio-political organisations affiliated with the party and screening of aspirants for all elective positions is to be announced soon."

Aspirants into the following elective positions are expected to pay the set amount:

Presidential — N500,000

Gubernatorial — N300,000

Senatorial — N300,000

House of representatives — N250,000

House of assembly — N100,000

Chairmanship —N50,000

Councillorship —N25,000

Waiver to run (for aspirant whose membership is less than two years)

 

Presidential -N200,000

Gubernatorial -N150,000

Senatorial-N150,000

House of representatives-N100,000

House of assembly- N50,000

Chairmanship-N20,000

Councilorship -N10,000

Exemptions on obligatory donations

No donation for handicapped/disabled

Women- 25% discount

No donation for tertiary institution students

No donation required from honorably discharged security personnel from police, military, civil defence, road safety- No donation

Serving or retired teachers, nurses and emergency service workers are not required to pay the obligatory donation.

The party spokesperson said hopefuls for all elective positions are to pay N50,000 for form processing fee and N200 membership dues which is not applicable to hopefuls under waiver.

Adeyeye added that hopefuls “are advised to fill in functional email addresses on the portal, to be duly notified of all activities; submission of forms, meetings, training.”

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The presiding Bishop of the Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners Chapel, worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has said he will not be contesting for the presidency in the 2023 elections.

Oyedepo said vying to be Nigeria’s president is a demotion to him, adding that he’s called for a global impact.

He said this during a leadership summit transmitted worldwide.

According to him, although he believes in Nigeria, it’s too late for him to contest the highest political position in the nation.

Oyedepo said, “I believe in Nigeria and that’s why I am still here, and still praying for Nigeria. But I consider it a demotion if I am invited to become the president of Nigeria. I am called for a global impact. I saw this in 1984. Even the devil knows that you can’t be genuinely sold-out to serving God, and not stand out in life.”

A number of pastors have come out to obtain presidential nomination forms in a bid to become the country’s number one citizen – notable among them are Pastor Tunde Bakare, and current Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo who is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

 

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A two-storey building has collapsed in the Ago Palace Way area of Lagos State, barely a week after the collapse of a building in the Ebute Metta area.

According to reports, the two-storey building located at Chris Igadi Street, off Ago Palace Way, opposite Kilimanjaro/ AP filling station, collapsed in the wee hours of Saturday.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said rescuers responded to the incident at about 3am on Saturday.

“On arrival, information gathered from the residents revealed that the building gave signs several hours before the building collapsed.

“Fortunately, nobody was trapped as all the occupants evacuated the area when the signs began two hours before the collapse.

“A head count of occupants was carried out to ensure no occupant is missing and the remains of the building were cordoned off,” he said.

He added that the operation was concluded at about 5:23am, adding that the site would be handed over to LABSCA and Ministry of Physical Planning for further investigation.

 

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Nigerian airline operators, on Friday, announced they would suspend operations from Monday due to the high cost of aviation fuel which has hit N700 per litre.

A statement from the Airline Operators of Nigeria advised the travelling public who intend to fly to make alternative arrangements to avoid being stranded at the country’s airports.

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In reaction, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, appealed to the airlines to rescind the action on their plans.

Nnaji assured the airlines that his committee and indeed the house leadership were not sleeping over their plight.

The Aviation Committee Chairman disclosed that the House of Reps Leadership had already summoned a meeting of the stakeholders including the chairmen of the relevant committees of the House to a meeting on Monday, May 9, 2022 to address the matter.

Nnaji who praised the operators for their patriotism, further urged them not to ground their operations stressing, that, “such will inflict more pains on our already distressed economy.”

He said, “The National Assembly is determined to ensure that the aviation fuel crisis is urgently resolved because air transportation has become the safest mode of travel. It is equally the catalyst of economic development so we cannot afford to entertain any disruptions in the sector especially now that the election process is ongoing.”

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Delta state governor Ifeanyi Okowa

A civic group, Concerned Nigerians, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate an alleged attempt by Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to divert a N150billion loan taken by his government.

The petition signed by the convener of the group, Deji Adeyanju, alleged that the loan could end up as last-minute looting by the Delta Governor to allegedly fund his Vice Presidential ambition.

Delta state governor Ifeanyi Okowa

The Concerned Nigerians group said it was alarmed that the Delta State House of Assembly approved the loan a few weeks before the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary elections.

He expressed the belief that the Okowa government obtained the loan for the purpose of looting.

The rights activist urged the anti-graft agency to investigate and trace the money to ensure it’s not diverted for personal purposes.

The petition reads, “We write this petition to you in our capacity as a pro-human rights and anti-corruption group, seeking the urgent investigation of the Delta State Government, over its attempt to loot the One Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira loan (N150,000,000,000) loan recently approved by the Delta State House of Assembly.

“At a time when the nation is engrossed with the commencement of the electioneering process leading to the 2023 election, it is alarming to note that the Delta State Government has initiated and secured the approval of the Delta State House of Assembly to obtain a humongous loan of N150,000,000,000.

“Curiously, this loan has been approved just a few weeks to the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party where Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is rumoured to have a vice-presidential ambition.

“We are, therefore, constrained to ask: What is the purpose of this loan? In recent times, it has become a practice for State Governments to obtain huge loans under the guise of public interest but subsequently, divert the same into private pockets.

“We recall that just a few months ago, the Kogi State government obtained a similar loan with a view to paying workers’ pension/salary but subsequently diverted same into a private account. It took the intervention of your Commission before the money could be returned to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

"It is on the basis of the foregoing that we believe that the N150,000,000,000 Naira loan sought to be obtained by the Delta State government is an attempt at last-minute looting.

“Sadly, the Delta State House of Assembly who should ordinarily investigate this loan and protect the citizens, is in bed with the Executive Arm and has turned a blind eye.

“We, therefore, call on you to investigate this loan, trace the money and ensure that same is not channelled towards any purpose other than people’s-oriented projects.”

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Biodun Ladepo

Until the leadership of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) wittingly and most irresponsibly injected itself in the 2023 elections, I had not been so vehemently opposed to Pastor Yemi Osinbajo’s candidacy. 

I had believed it was good for our nascent democracy ifeveryone who thought they had something to contribute to the development of our nation had the opportunity to offer themselves for service. I had thought it was the very definition of the presidential system of government that we have embraced. I had thought if the selection process was free and fair, winners would have earned their mandate and losers would have tested the limits of their popularity. All the different factions would have then buried their hatchets, kissed, made up, come together as one and fought the opposition for the main prize. That’s democracy. 

Like everyone else, I had my own ranking. My most favorite politicians were Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (APC), Ondo State, and Senator Fatai Buhari (APC) Oyo State. If Akeredoluwere running for President, I would have supported him over any other politician in the country. If Buhari was running for governor, I would support him over any politician in Oyo State. I just thought those two individuals were shining examples of hard work, the kind that we need in our politics. I soon found out that Akeredolu was not interested in running. And I removed him from my presidency list. My list, in descending order, was now Alhaji Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Raji Fashola, Dr. KayodeFayemi and Pastor Osinbajo. Once I realized that Fashola was also not likely to run, I removed him from my list.

Pastor Osinbajo was always the last on my list because I thought he had the least experience in governance and in politics. As vice president for so long, I thought even the Chief of Staff (CoS) and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), though not in presidency succession line, had more “executive”power and experience than him. I thought they saw more of the government than him. I thought the vice president post was not designed to be a training post for succeeding the president. It was designed as a principal position to succeed the presidentimmediately, in the event the president position became vacant. Therefore, even if a vice president had spent 16 years there, he/she would still not have grown in the job and consequently not have had the experience that even a one-year governor of any state in the Federation would have had. Ditto for deputy governor.

And Osinbajo himself indirectly conceded this fact when he sought to exonerate himself from culpability in the failings of the Buhari administration. His surrogates (and later himself)began to remind Nigerians that the Constitution did not assign too many responsibilities to the office of the vice president. True. And if true, then the vice president cannot claim executive or presidential experience.

Biodun Ladepo

So, for me, he was the least qualified on my list. The least qualified, yes. But nonetheless, qualified to run as are millions of other Nigerians.

But when the RCCG jumped in and overtly (and covertly)sought to make the presidential election a task for electing a pastor, a priest, a clergyman, I took Pastor Osinbajo off my list completely. We have a country already tottering at the precipice of prebendal and ethnocentric abysses; we cannot afford an outright religious crisis that the election of a cleric (of any faith) would engender. 

Imagine the North fielding a Sunni Sheik; or a Wahhabi Sheik, or a Shi’a Sheik as presidential candidate of a major political party. Let’s put a name to this hypothetical question: Think of Sheik Ahmad Gumi as presidential candidate of either APC or PDP. Would the South not be in an uproar? Would the entire Christendom not cry Islamization? A pastor is the equivalence of a Sheik! A pastor is the equivalence of an Imam! Think about that again. Christians may not think a pastor is as dangerous as an Imam or Sheik but it is! It is so in the minds of northerners. It is so in truth, no matter who you are. Other than Vatican City, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and I think Yemen, no other country in world practices theocracy. The optics of a practicing pastor as president of Nigeria will be unacceptable to the rest of Nigerians and will signal the beginning of the end of the country as a secular State.

Muslims have led Nigeria. Christians have led Nigeria. And they have all been accepted by Nigerians of faiths other than theirs. Electing a cleric of any faith is a bridge too far for me.

True, those who made Osinbajo vice president, literally one heartbeat from the presidency, knew he could potentially become president if something were to happen to the president. But that “accidental scenario” is easier to imagine and sell to adherents of other faiths than an outright, in-your-face move by the RCCG to put a pastor in charge of Nigeria.

One other reason I took Osinbajo off my list is how he handled the roll-out of his campaign. Those who accuse him of betrayal are not too far off the mark. I know that some in the Yoruba intelligentsia which used to extol and chorus “Yoruba Omoluwabi Ethos” and formed all sorts of Whatsapp groups to promote the Yoruba heritage are now suddenly discounting the ethos of trust, candor, bravery, forthrightness, gratitude, respect, and selflessness when they pertain to how Pastor Osinbajo went about his ambition.

They started by watering down or completely dismissing the role purportedly played by Tinubu in elevating Osinbajo from relative obscurity to prominence, first as a commissioner in Lagos for eight years, and twice as nominee for vice president. Which commissioner in Nigeria today does not hold that position first by the grace of God, and then by the grace of his/her governor? How does that behavior promote gratitude?

I was not in the room when Osinbajo was being nominated for vice president and so cannot say whether he promised anything to anyone or any group. But I know that the southwest political stakeholders on whose back he rode to Abuja did not surrender their brains to Tinubu in 2014. I know it was not Tinubu’sunilateral decision that Osinbajo became vice president nominee. Tinubu had to have consulted others. I know that Baba Bisi Akande and all the governors at the time played a role. I know that other key politicians played a role. But I also know that the one person whose refusal could have truncated his nomination was Tinubu. If Tinubu had demurred, Buhari would have deferred. If it was about finding a Christian to balance the ticket, Fayemi was more qualified and more deserving of the privilege. Akeredolu was more qualified and more deserving of the privilege. And there were many others.

But God used Tinubu to facilitate his nomination and now he has embarked on this ungrateful revision of how he became influential. 

Again, no. I am not saying he is not qualified or not entitled to run. Heck, I am qualified and entitled to run for any office in the land. But if I were in Osinabjo’s shoes, I would, about two years out, have gone to see Baba Akande first, and broached the subject with him. Whatever Baba Akande said, if I wasdetermined to run anyway, I would have then taken it to Tinubu, letting him know I had spoken to Baba Akande.

“Oga, I am most grateful for all that you have done for me. I know you have been preparing all your life to seek the presidency. But because of the privilege that you and others gave me, I have been exposed to the job and I think I can do a better job there. I have also prayed about it and God has told me to proceed. I know that if you support me and give me more feathers for the wings that you and God gave me, I will win and the glory will go to you, the rest of our team in the southwestand ultimately to God. Can I cunt on your support sir? I know this is a difficult ask, but I must ask you.”

Whatever Baba Akande and Tinubu said would not have mattered if I was determined to run. I would have given Tinubua couple of months to think it over and returned to him for a final answer, after which I would begin to put my structure in place. I would begin to meet with all stakeholders, starting with the southwest, letting them know I have intimated both Baba Akande and Tinubu of my plan.

Nobody then would have been able to accuse me justifiably of betraying anyone. The country is ours…all of us. No one person or group owns the country. Nobody is a slave to anybody. No one has a monopoly of knowledge and vision on how to move Nigeria forward. We are not going to defer to any emperor or lord of the manor. Tinubu and others can contest but I am contesting too. I have done my due diligence, not only as a Yoruba Omoluwabi but as a decent human being, a pastor, a man of God.

To the best of my knowledge (and I have been asking those who should know for almost a year now since it became apparent that Osinbajo wanted to run), no such conversation took place between Osinbajo and Tinubu or Osinbajo and Baba Akande. 

To be sure, all stakeholders, including, of course, Tinubu and Osinbajo and Buhari, knew more than a year ago that Osinabjowas planning to run. You can’t keep that kind of a thing secret anywhere in the world, let alone Nigeria.

For emphasis, let me repeat one more time: Pastor Osinbajo has the right to run for any office in the land and he has not betrayed anyone for exercising that right. But he has betrayed the Omoluwabi ethos expected of someone to whom so much was given freely.

His kind of surreptitiousness betray (pun intended) untrustworthiness, lack of candor, cowardice, shiftiness, ingratitude, disrespect and selfishness – all characteristics that the Yoruba intelligentsia have told us make an Omoluwabi; all characteristics that should be abhorrent/abominable to a man of God.

And to make matters worse, he unleashed his attack dogs on Tinubu in debilitating preemptive strikes that have been going on for, at least, two years now. Some of us knew who was behind the attacks because they tried to recruit us. If that came from Fayemi or Amosun or Akeredolu or Ajimobi, it would have been political sports to me. But coming from a man wearing a toga of religion? It totally turned me against him.

Finally, and I have alluded to this in some of the earlier paragraphs, there is nothing, absolutely nothing consequential to which Osinbajo can point as an achievement in the seven years he’s been vice president and which we can use as yardstick to measure how he’ll perform as president. We have records of what Fashola, Fayemi, Amaechi and others have done. The few assignments that the president tasked him to carry out all ended in unmitigated fiascos.

Pastor Osinbajo is the most unqualified candidate for President in 2023.

 

By Biodun Ladepo

Ibadan, Oyo State

Oluyole2@yahoo.com

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Abubakar Malami is the Nigerian Minister of (in)Justice and Attorney-General of the federation. By the combination of these two powerful offices Malami could be said to be an important member of the Buhari administration. To be sure the AGF has Buhari's number; he knows his strenghts and weaknesses! The embattled President has absolute confidence in him, trusts him blindly and listens to his legal advices. As an intellectually-challenged President Buhari cannot afford not to have Malami by his side as he treats certain complicated national issues that he neither comprehends nor controls.

Given this presidential incompetence Malami exploits the presidential lethargy to make his life (and that of his family) wonderfully better by loooting whatever he could lay his hands on in terms of filthy lucre! Today, he is said to be stupendously rich by the force of his uncanny ability to defraud the broken system with impunity.

He is a great 'dealer' aiding and abetting injustice with eyes firmly fixed on a larger picture. Whoever underestimates Malami's capacity for notoriety and controversy linked to high-wire corruption must think twice before reaching any conclusion.

Malami is seen in power circles as a prominent strategic member of the Fulani cabal running Nigeria aground. With President Muhammadu Buhari presented to the Nigerian public as the 'ceremonial' Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces he literally heads nothing and commands no army.

Alas, Malami, Kingibe, Gambari and the ailing Mamman Daura and co had used the surrogate presidency to foster their political ambition and economic interests, all these at the criminal expense of the country at crossroads.

Given this chaotic development majority of Nigerians are praying and fasting daily for 2023 to come faster! We all know that Buhari is in Aso Rock as a 'ceremonial' leader on whose behalf key political decisions are taken and executed, sometimes at wee hours of the night in far-away London or Daura, (often on a sick-bed), in order to legitimise or legalise whatever decision the cabal must have reached as the President is nowhere to be found in Abuja, located elsewhere outside the city taking good care of his deteriorating health.

Malami's past is nothing to write home about prior to his emergence onto the national stage as the Chief law officer of the nation. And by occupying the two strategic positions he has ensured that goodies flow from Abuja to Birnin-Kebbi, Kano to Kaduna where fraudulent investments compete for attention.

Malami has found great favour in Buharism as many other northerners favoured criminally by the former Army General who gatecrashed to power at the zenith by brandishing 'integrity' and patriotism. Today we know better!

Apart from the trappings of power and the humongous amount of money he is used to corruptibly accumulating what is behind Malami's desperate gubernatorial ambition in Kebbi State could be said to be immunity that comes or goes with the office of the Chief Executive of the state.

Malami has been in power for close to seven years since the advent of Buharism. Nothing scandalous he has done so far has ever merited his dismissal or redeployment to other ministries. Yet scandals abound! Malami has been exposed as a highly-corrupt top government official operating wthout let or hindrance.

If President Buhari is truly fighting corruption as he claims wildly then Malami should have since been relieved of his posts. But since the fight against corruption is politicized, fought more through propaganda or directed systematically against the vociferous opposition the Buhari regime has failed woefully on that score. The ruling APC administration has proven to be more corrupt than the opposition PDP!

Buhari knows what Malami is doing in terms of corruptible self-enrichment but he has elected to keep mute if only not to be seen as aiding the 'enemies' to bring down the legal foundation upon which his brutal regime is built. It is not that Malami is any brilliant or his performance stellar. It simply takes a clueless mortal to discover another in the same league.

The exposure of Malami's vast corrupt actvities, nay investment empire, ought to have led to a detailed investigation but since the AGF more or less controls the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), having facilitated reportedly the appointment of its youthful head, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the anti-graft agency is powerless to launch any credible investigation.

It is no longer news that Abubakar Malami, swimming in his millions and billions of illicit funds, is gunning for Kebbi State governorship. He wants to succeed the incumbent Governor of his state, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. And in seeking to book residence in Birnin-Kebbi as executive Governor post-Buharism Malami is 'campaigning' hard. He is distributing money, edible materials and cars to those that matter.

During the recent Sallah celebration he was seen distributing cash gifts and assorted crops to his people. He followed that up by distributing exotic cars to his party executives and delegates! The Minister of Justice has suddenly become generous transforming himself into a glorified Santa Claus in whom the 'talakawas' and the well-to-do in the society are well pleased.

But make no mistake about it, all is tailored towards meeting a certain power-grab objective.

With millions of Dollars and billions of Naira in his possesssion Malami is poised to 'buy' over the Kebbi state Government House. No force or individual can afford to constitute themselves as obstacles to the realisation of this 'dream'! Any one that tries to be an impediment is destined to be crushed.

But before Minister Malami becomes Governor we must dutifully warn Kebbi indigenes about what awaits them in the event of Malami becoming their leader. With him comfortably installed inside the Govt. lodge then embezzlement of the public funds would be his primary objective. He has not stolen enough; he wants more like Oliver Twist!

And the greater worry here is that by the time Malami is sworn in as the Governor the scandals he supervised at the Justice department would be swept under the carpet. And here again, the worry is manifest given the fact that having booked residence at the government house probing him or serving justice becomes a difficult if not impossible task to undertake by the in-coming administration.

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A female senator in Plateau State, Prof Nora Ladi Daduut, has narrated her ordeal in the hands of the hoodlums who were youths from her constituency.

The lawmaker who is representing Plateau South senatorial district was reportedly held hostage for three hours by armed hoodlums after she commissioned an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre in Namu, Qua’pan Local Government Area of the state.

The professor of French told Tribune that she had enjoyed a warm welcome by her constituents and there were no signs of violent uprising but upon departure from the venue of the project, she observed that youths already set a barricade to prevent them from moving.

According to her, the youths expressed their grievances with the government as they complained about the arrest of their kinsmen who are detained “illegally.”

She said efforts to commune with the youths were futile until the intervention of military men. However, as the youths were set to remove the roadblocks, a police van appeared from nowhere with two corpses in it which resulted in chaos.

She said, “I was in Namu to commission my constituency project. The project, an ICT/e-library centre, is meant to empower youths in my constituency by way of connecting them to the global world.

“The centre is well equipped and connected to the Internet. Before that time, final-year secondary school students in the area often found it difficult to register for UTME, SSCE and other examinations but with this project, they would not have to go to Jos or nearby towns for this anymore.

“This is what took me and my entourage to Namu. Before the commissioning, my staff had been there to inspect the project.

“There was no sign of disenchantment; we were well received. The people of the community trooped out to receive us. Women and students came out in their numbers. I had written to inform the governor about the commissioning. He could not come but he sent a powerful representation. Stakeholders in the constituency, including traditional rulers, graced the occasion. The programme was a huge success. It was devoid of any hitch; everything went well. We were given a rousing welcome. It was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

“After the commissioning, we set out to return to Jos but as my convoy, including journalists, was driving out of the venue, we suddenly noticed barricades and hoodlums, in their numbers, with different kinds of weapons.

“The police behind us took a different direction. They also set up a bonfire to prevent us from moving. I told the security men with me to be calm and tried to ask the youths what their action was about but they did not listen. In the twinkling of an eye, my convoy was surrounded.

“They deflated two of my tyres, banging on the vehicle while others were hauling stones at us. On noticing what was happening, other dignitaries like the traditional rulers, commissioners, invitees from Abuja and others took other directions and took refuge in the palace of the traditional ruler in the area.

“Apart from my two security men, there were no other security men within the vicinity. Those that were with us during the programme were nowhere to be found. I was confused. I didn’t know what to do. Stones were coming from different directions.

“When the vigilantes came, they tried to salvage the situation but the youths were not ready to listen to anybody. Amid the confusion, one of them came forward and I rolled down the side glass.

“He said some security men early that day came to arrest some youths in the community and that anytime such arrests were made, those apprehended were never released despite their innocence.

“He said those arrested must be released otherwise they would not allow us to go. They told me to use my position to secure their release. They also said the government promised them the sum of N10million when their yam market got burnt and up to that moment, the government had yet to redeem the promise.

“I was told to tell the government to do the needful, but they would not allow us to go until those arrested from the community were freed. At this point, they deflated the tyres of the bus of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and my security vehicle.

“The journalists, about 15 of them, were molested after which fled in different directions, some into the bush. The hunter squad prevailed on them to allow me to address them and I told them I came for their goodness and to give them facilities that would make them more literate, expose them to the outside world and keep them abreast of developments.

“I told them I was a mother and a teacher by profession and was passionate about their wellbeing; that I facilitated the construction and equipping of the ICT/e-library centre to empower them, make them grow and boost their education.

“I told them that I would inform the concerned authorities and make sure that the arrested youths were released. I promised to get the understanding of the authorities to secure their release. I further assured them that the arbitrary arrest of innocent youths would be stopped henceforth.

”Despite my assurances, they remained adamant and intensified their harassment. The two security men with me maintained their stand and made sure they did not have access to me and my husband inside the vehicle.

“In the process, the military men came because the police were nowhere to be found except my overwhelmed security personnel who were keeping the youths from gaining access to me. The arrival of the military saved the situation because they listened to them and said we could go.

”As they were trying to remove the roadblocks, a police van suddenly appeared from nowhere with two corpses and this triggered a full-scale violence. They went wild, saying they had started killing them at a particular place in Namu.

“They went berserk. At this point, my pilot Hilux van and NUJ bus were set on fire and my driver decided to take a risk with the deflated tyres and charged through the burning barricades. He continued driving while the youths pursued us on motorcycles and went ahead of us to mount another roadblock but my driver continued.

“The situation persisted until the military took us into their vehicle and led us to Kwande, a town about 40 kilometers from Namu. There, the chairman of Qua’pan Local Government Area and his deputy provided a vehicle that took us to Jos.

“It was a nightmare. I am yet to recover from the shock. It was traumatic being held hostage for three hours. The youths refused to budge despite pleas from various people, especially the hunter squad, to allow us to go. It was a terrible experience that no one should wish for their enemy.

“It was like staring death in the face. It was a close shave with death because most of these youths were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I couldn’t imagine that youths whom we consider to be leaders of tomorrow could display such a barbaric act.

“The entire time, I was praying for myself, my husband and those I invited from both far and near, including journalists that I invited from Jos to cover the event; that nothing bad should happen to us.

”And I thank God none of these people were harmed. Some of them escaped into neighbouring Lafia in Nasarawa State. On my arrival in Jos, I went to see the governor and narrated my experience to him and his response was that there was an element of politics in it.”

She, however, said the experience would not deter her from carrying out projects for her constituents particularly women and youths.

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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State says President Muhammadu Buhari’s body language supports candidate from the South for the 2023 presidency, but the region is divided.

The governor, who received the President in Ebonyi on Friday, disclosed this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.

He said, “We cannot be honest by half. When zoning doesn’t exclude people from contesting, it’s been happening. There is no political face that is not zoning in this country. And the body language of the Mr President is well disposed toward the presidency shifting to the south.

“But when the south cannot handle it on the basis of equity, fairness and justice, then we should continue to suggest that we shouldn’t blackmail the north; we should deceive ourselves. This thing should be thrown open because if there is no zoning, then you have no right to continue to agitate that the north cannot contest.

“We cannot be used to drag presidency to the south and then we are shortchanged. So we should be part of such agitation if such fairness and equity cannot be ascribed to us. That is the position of most leaders in the South-East.

“I’m not asking that people from the South-West should not run; it is their constitutional right. But I want to say that we have worked together, the southern governors said presidency should rotate to the south, but on the basis of equity, fairness, and justice we had the South-East in mind, since the South-East never tested it.

“Now it has become clear that the platform upon which we collectively asked the north to concede the presidency to the south is no longer the same platform upon which the realities are based; then it’s fair and just that we should allow anybody in the country to run.”

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The United States President, Joe Biden, has announced the dispatch of a new weapons package worth $150million to Ukraine for the country to repel Russia’s invasion.

“I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine,” AFP quoted him as saying.

Biden further warned that funding was close to running out as he urged Congress to authorise a huge $33billion Ukraine package, which would include $20billion in military assistance, and last for five months.

Meanwhile, a senior US official said the package includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, counter-artillery radars used for detecting the source of enemy fire, electronic jamming equipment, and spare parts.

The artillery munitions appear to be meant for recently supplied US howitzers.

The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said the new batch brings the total value of US weaponry sent by the Biden administration to Ukraine to $3.8billion since Russia launched its invasion on February 24.

Friday’s package means the remaining $250million available from previously authorised funding for Ukraine will have all but run out.

Biden and the rest of the G7 leaders, plus Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, are meeting virtually on Sunday to discuss Western support for the country in its struggle against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

“The United States has provided a historic amount of security assistance to Ukraine at rapid speed. We are sending the weapons and equipment that Congress has authorized directly to the front lines of freedom in Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement.

However, Biden said current funding was nearly exhausted adding that for Ukraine to succeed, the United States and its allies must “keep the weapons and ammunition flowing to Ukraine, without interruption.”

“Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table,” he said.

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The family of Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has advised the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency to stop sponsoring lies against pro-Biafra agitations.

Prince Emmanuel Kanu, a brother to the detained IPOB leader stated this on Saturday in an interview with Vanguard.

Kanu was reacting to the statement credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, over the purported designation of IPOB as a terror group by the United Kingdom.

Media reports on Friday had it that the UK government had recognised IPOB as a proscribed organisation – although the British High Commission in Abuja had refuted the claims.

But before the rebuttal by the British High Commission, Shehu said the UK’s stance was a welcome development and should be followed up with appropriate actions.

Shehu had said, “Nigeria welcomes the decision by the United Kingdom to proscribe the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist group. The violent secessionist organisation has long been proscribed as such in Nigeria where it carries out the majority of its murderous activities.

“It has taken our allies in the U.K. so long to follow suit owing to two reasons: first, the deep pockets of IPOB’s international network of funders that allow for lawyers and influence peddlers to aggressively lobby for and whitewash the activities of their client in Western courts; and second, IPOB’s influential communication network of TV and radio stations – including London-based Radio Biafra – employed with great effect to spread misinformation abroad and incite violence at home.”

But in an interview on Saturday, Prince Emmanuel said it was amusing that the President’s spokesmen already celebrated fake news without any attempt to verify the source.

According to him, it “goes to show the mindset of the government towards Biafra.”

He noted that “the President might not even be aware of the overzealousness of his spokesmen who churn out press statements without authorisation.”

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The United Kingdom is about to commence issuance of a new visa that allows holders of first degrees, masters, and doctorates to travel to the country and work in fields such as science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The visa – high potential individual visa, allows applicants to relocate to the UK without a prior job offer or sponsorship but some of the requirements have exempted those who graduated from Nigerian universities.

The new visa policy, which is expected to take off on May 30, requires prospective applicants to have graduated from the top 50 schools featured in renowned world university ranking.

The government noted that the list would be compiled annually and would comprise institutions included in the list of the top 50 universities in at least two of the following ranking systems: Times Higher Education World University rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds World University rankings, and the Academic Ranking of the World Universities.

Also, the applicants must have been awarded a degree, equivalent to or not less than a UK bachelor’s degree.

Meanwhile, Nigerian universities do not appear in any of these global rankings.

According to the UK Minister of Safe and Legal Migration, Kevin Foster, the “High Potential Individual” visa route is targeted at attracting high-skilled foreign university graduates, who will be allowed to work and stay in the UK for two or three years.

On the expiration of the visa, the holders could switch to permits under the skilled worker, start-up and innovator, exceptional talent, or scale-up route for continued stay in the UK.

“The new High Potential Individual route will make it as simple as possible for internationally mobile individuals who demonstrate high potential to come to the UK. It will enable those who have already demonstrated their potential through academic achievement to come to the UK without a prior job offer.

“If you’ve been resident in the UK for more than 12 months, you might not need to meet this requirement. Graduates with a bachelor’s or a master’s degree will be given a two-year visa. Ph.D. or other doctoral-level graduates will get visas valid for three years. This visa can only be granted once and will not be available to those who have already had a Graduate visa,” Foster said.

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Wole Adetiran, the composer of the National Youth Service Corps anthem, has passed on.
The Septuagenarian's death was announced on Friday by a publicity officer from the Ogun State NYSC office, Emmanuel Igba.

Igba in a message, said, “He is dead. The LGI already sent an official message to the State Coordinator who will inform the DG. He died this evening.”
Adetiran’s death has also been announced on multiple Facebook pages of the Celestial Church of Christ, as he was the National Music Director before his death.
Adetiran was the Head of the Music Department at the Polytechnic Ibadan, between 2003 and 2007 and retired as a lecturer in 2008.

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Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has summoned a leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, to explain his alleged decision to betray the Igbo cause for the Presidency.

This comes days after the MASSOB leader endorsed Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State for the 2023 Presidency.

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

Punch reports that the MASSOB leader had agreed to appear before the Igbo elders to give reasons why he should not be punished for his action.

Last Saturday, Uwazuruike who is also the leader of the Biafra Independence Movement, BIM downplayed the call for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.

Uwazuruike said he did not believe in the idea of Igbo Presidency, stressing that such should be discarded. He had, however, thrown his weight behind the presidential aspiration of Bello, saying he did not believe in zoning and power rotation.

Uwazuruike urged Nigerians to shun zoning because it had no place in the country’s constitution.

According to Uwazuruike, zoning leads to sectionalism of some regions of the country.

He had said, “I don’t believe in the idea of zoning system or Igbo president because zoning means sectionalism.” 

According to Uwazuruike, if Nigeria’s sovereignty must be upheld, zoning should be discarded.

“If we want to talk about Nigeria, we must throw the presidential contest open but if you throw it open, it must be for the youths, not elders, because the elders have failed us.”

A source in IECF, told Punch that Uwazuruike had agreed to honour the invitation of Igbo elders.

The source said, “Anyway, we are handling it, we have invited him for questioning and he has agreed to come and he may face serious punishment if he doesn’t show remorse and give valid defence.

“A former governor of old Anambra State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and former chairman of Police Service Commission, Simon Okeke, popularly called Ochendo, were the persons who went and released Uwazuruike from prison. They are the leaders of IECF; they brought him out from prison. He has agreed to appear before the Igbo elders.”

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A policeman has been killed alongside two suspected militants of the Indigenous People of Biafra during a gun battle in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
The incident happened on Friday when operatives of Imo State Police Command’s Tactical Teams exchanged gun with the fighters, suspected to be members of IPOB and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN), according to a police release.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Michael Abattam, in a statement, said other policemen were injured but had been taken and treated at the hospital for the minor injuries they sustained.
According to the police spokesman, corpses of the hoodlums were later deposited in the Federal Medical Centre’s mortuary in Owerri, while investigation was ongoing.
“ESN members in their numbers emerged from the surrounding bushes, shooting sporadically at the policemen while conducting stop and search duty.
“The officers, who swiftly took cover and responded, engaged them in a fierce gun duel, while they called for backup from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Agwa.
“On arrival, they positioned themselves strategically and professionally engaged the hoodlums in a fire fight. For the operatives’ superior firepower and number, they were able to neutralise two of the hoodlums while others fled in disarray with bullet wounds into the bush.
“The police operatives tactically chased the hoodlums, in the process, combing the bush for possible recoveries of their arms and arrest of the fleeing suspects. However, two locally made double barrel guns with seven live cartridges and ten expended cartridges were recovered at the scene.”
The Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, while consoling with the family of the officer who lost his life gallantly, advised the officers and men not to relent in their efforts until all criminal elements are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He then appealed to Imo residents to give continuous support and collaboration to the security agencies and to report any person seen treating bullet wounds or hiding within the community, to the nearest police station for prompt action.

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Dimeji Bankole, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, has obtained the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential expression of interest and nomination forms.

The former speaker obtained the forms worth N100million through Aliyu Shinkafi, a former governor of Zamfara State.

The former governor led a delegation to the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja where the forms were obtained.

In 2019, Bankole contested as the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP).

He, however, joined the APC in March 2021.

The former speaker has joined the long list of hopefuls seeking to clinch the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 polls.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor; Rotimi Amaechi, transportation minister; Tunde Bakare, the serving overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church; and Ken Nnamani, a former president of the senate, are among those who have picked the ruling party’s nomination forms.

Also, three support groups backing Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), have purchased the forms for him.

The party’s presidential primary is scheduled to hold between May 30 and June 1.

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The Christian Association of Nigeria has expressed its displeasure at the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan QC, over his recent visit to Nigeria.
In a statement issued by CAN President, Reverend Samson Ayokunle, the Christian body said it had written to the office of the prosecutor twice last year and had got no response.

CAN said the prosecutor visited Nigeria and never deemed it necessary to inform the Christian body, alleging that Khan engaged in political games and was unwilling to engage with victims of atrocities in the Nigerian society.
The group said, “The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is profoundly disturbed about the recent visit of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mr Karim Khan QC, to Nigeria last week.
“We wrote to Mr Khan twice last year, attempting to engage with his office on behalf of Christian victims of religious violence in Nigeria and expressing concerns about the proceedings to date.
“To this day, we have not had any response. Mr Khan failed to make any contact with us before, during or after his visit to Abuja. To our consternation, we found out about his visit in the media.
“It appears that this Prosecutor engages in political games and is unwilling to engage with victims of atrocity, let alone Christian ones. He has disrespected victims, and we are obliged to speak out about this.
“The Government of Nigeria has not issued a formal statement about the visit but Mr Khan issued a statement about his visit on 22 April 2022  (https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/icc-prosecutor-mr-karim-aa-khan-qc-concludes-first-official-visit-nigeria).
“We therefore address ourselves to this, and will make seven brief observations. At the International Criminal Court, the situation of Nigeria has since 11 December 2020 been in limbo between the closing of the Preliminary Examination stage and the making of a request for leave to open an investigation.
“There is a great deal of explaining to be done for this state of affairs. Yet, Mr Khan only met with members of the government of Nigeria, and seems not to have discussed this. We note that at least one of the individuals that he met has been identified to the Prosecutor’s office as a potential candidate for prosecution.
“Mr Khan is clearly playing a political game, and is prioritising relations with the government of Nigeria. CAN is dismayed that the word ‘victim’ only appeared twice in his statement, and both times they were in bland stock-phrases.
“This is no accident, it reveals that this Prosecutor is not interested in standing up for victims of atrocity, but is trying to unburden himself of the Nigeria situation.
“We note the peculiarity of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court declaring, in the Nigerian context, that ‘As I have repeatedly stated, the meaningful realisation of the vision set out in the Statute can only be achieved by deepening cooperation and by finding common ground wherever possible, even in difficult circumstances’.
“Mr Khan’s predecessor took ten years (November 2010 – December 2020) to decide that she should seek leave from the Pre Trial-Chamber to open an investigation into Nigeria.
“The excuse she gave for this long delay was that this was due to ‘the priority given by my Office in supporting the Nigerian authorities in investigating and prosecuting these crimes domestically’.
“In the final months of her tenure, the-then Prosecutor finally gave up and determined that the Nigerian authorities had been ‘inactive’ in relation to their complementarity responsibilities and she was forced to seek leave to open an investigation: ‘because of the absence of relevant proceedings or, where proceedings are asserted to have been conducted, the information available did not demonstrate any tangible, concrete, and progressive steps by the authorities to address allegations against members of the NSF’.
“This was on 11 December 2020. On 20 April 2022, nearly a year after his appointment, we have the spectacle of Mr Khan showing up in Nigeria trying to revive his predecessor’s failed attempts to get Nigeria to meet its complementary obligations.
“Two Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court have now been colluding with the government of Nigeria to use the principle of Complementarity to evade their own responsibilities in the face of international crimes, and to deny justice to the victims of religious and other violence in Nigeria.
“Mr Khan’s statement tells us nothing about what he and his Office have done on Nigeria since December 2020, possibly because they have done absolutely nothing.
“Where is the application to the Pre Trial Chamber to open an investigation? How is it that Mr Khan has been willing to leap-frog the situations of the Philippines and Venezuela over Nigeria, applying for leave to the Court’s judges to open investigations?
“These situations came under the Prosecutor’s radar years after Nigeria went into Preliminary Examination. How it is that Ukraine has jumped the queue too? Why is the matter of ‘capacity constraints’ and ‘operational capacity due to overextended resources’ (referred to in the Prosecutor’s statement of 11 December 2020) only applicable to Nigeria, and not the Philippines, Venezuela and Ukraine? What is going on here?
“For years now, our Christian community has borne the brunt of the religious violence in this country. We have, in a communication that was ignored by the Prosecutor, pointed out flaws in the approach taken by his predecessor in relation to Nigeria.
“These flaws are the result of profound misunderstanding of the role of religion in the violence that has engulfed this country. In the time that the two Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court have been leisurely considering the Nigeria situation (November 2010 to the present), a conservative assessment of the number of Christians who have lost their lives because of their religious identity would be more than 25,000.
“[The number of Christians killed for their faith recorded by World Watch Research in 2013 was 612, in 2014 it was 2484, in 2015 it jumped to 4028, in 2016 it dropped to 695, in 2017 it rose to 2000, in 2018 it rose again to 3731, in 2019 it was 1350, in 2020 it jumped again to 3910 and then again in 2021 to 4650.]
“There is no way to count the numbers of Nigerian Christians who have been wounded, abused and traumatised, let alone the massive property destruction and forced displacement of Christians from their homelands.
“Of course Moslems and other communities have been affected too, and they also must not be ignored in the Prosecutor’s apparent attempt to wash his hands of Nigeria. But CAN is an umbrella organisation representing all the Christian denominations in this country; we are only mandated to address the disproportionately victimised and persecuted Christians of this country.
“Mr Khan’s statement indicates that like his predecessor, he will not take with any seriousness the matter of the persecution of Nigerian Christians. We will continue to challenge vigorously. Mr Khan’s statement indicates a willingness to consider the Sahel-wide problem of Islamist terrorism. We have seen that the Islamist violence in Nigeria is indeed linked to what is going on in other countries, and there is a snowball effect going on. Our beloved country really is on the precipice.
“However, Mr Khan cannot suggest that the wider Sahel situation be referred to the Court by the Security Council when in Nigeria he and his Office ignore the religious mayhem being unleashed by armed Fulani herdsmen and Islamist bandits, and minimise the nature and scale of the religious persecution of Christians committed by Boko Haram.
“And of course, it is ironic that Mr Khan and his Office appear to have resources for a Security Council referral of the Sahel situation, but not for Nigeria. The statement makes vague references to a formal agreement that the government of Nigeria and the Office of the Prosecutor are discussing. What is this about? Why are they not being open and transparent?
“With all due respect to Mr Khan, his statement and conduct since coming to office present him as a Prosecutor seeking to shirk his responsibilities for investigating and prosecuting international crimes in Nigeria.
“He comes across as trying to avoid providing a modicum of satisfaction to the thousands upon thousands of victims in our country’s long running tragedy of murder and mayhem, exacerbated by governmental indifference, negligence and possibly even complicity.
“In spite of our deep disappointment, CAN is committed to the search for justice and redress for the persecuted and brutalised Christians of Nigeria. We continue to be willing to engage with Mr Khan and his Office.”

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