I am neither an intelligence person nor a security expert. So analyzing intelligence reports is not my forte. I do not also know whether there is a dearth of intelligence in the country or a deliberate refusal to act on available intelligence. But clearly what is happening in the northern part of our beleaguered country suggests a default in either intelligence gathering or a deliberate stance to allow gathered intelligence to gather dust – forgive the play on words. The former suggests incompetence while the latter suggests sabotage.

I find the former difficult to believe because in my active years as Editor and Publisher, I had found – sometimes to my chagrin and discomfiture- that our Intelligence Agencies knew a lot about happenings within Nigeria and even the West African sub-region. Things might have changed now but our Intelligence Agencies were certainly not incompetent in days of yore. Neither was our military with their exploits at ECOMOG and Chad. So, what changed? That leads us to these questions. Are efforts to maintain a stable polity being deliberately sabotaged? In fact, is Nigeria being sabotaged by people of vested interests? Former President Goodluck Jonathan alluded to this when he admitted to having moles and fifth columnists in even the highest strata of his government.

One does not have to be a security expert to raise uncomfortable eye brows at the recent kidnap in Kaduna State where about 300 students were taken in broad daylight for example. Kaduna State is a landlocked State so the issue of kidnappers escaping through the sea or ocean is ruled out. It is right in the middle of the country and surrounded by other Nigerian States so again the issue of bandits sneaking in through a porous border and escaping through same is ruled out. It is also a State that has witnessed a lot of agitations, clashes and general restiveness over the years, so ideally, it should be a State under a Red Alert and therefore, a 24hour surveillance.

With all these at the back of one’s mind, it is therefore difficult to grasp how it was possible that 300 students were taken so effortlessly in one sweep. An eye witness said he got to the school in the morning and was in the Principal’s office when he found the whole school had been surrounded. This suggests a large number of armed people. The timeof the attack – about 8am -suggests that the bandits were either resident in Kaduna State or came from neighboring States. How such a movement of large, armed bandits was not picked up in an area that should be crawling with Intelligence Officers beats one. Then think of the logistics of moving 300 unwilling, uncooperative and uncoordinated students in the bush and hiding them.

Yet they were not spotted in these days of drones and other high-tech surveillance gadgets let alone apprehended. It is safe to assume that these kidnappers came from somewhere nearby and have returned to base. It is safe to assume that the base is big enough to accommodate and feed at least 300 people. It is safe to assume that they have been at the base long enough to familiarize themselves with escape routes and other vital logistics as food and drug supplies. It is therefore safe to assume that more than enough people know where this base is. Finally, is it also safe to assume that some people who should know, or who actually do know, are playing deaf and dumb? A hefty sum of 40 trillion Naira has just been muted as ransom. Is the sabotage political or financial? Or both?

Conspiracy theories are nothing but deductions from facts and borderline fiction. They abound in areas that defy logic and transparency. Conspiracy theories seek clarifications where none exists. This is the situation with the insecurity in the north where we seek to understand the seeming failure of its leaders. It is difficult for example, to assimilate why regional leaders can watch as their people are first educationally disadvantaged, then economically strangulated before being decimated in numbers.

Conspiracy theories have it that sharia which predated the current insecurity, sprouted in the deep north mainly to spite President Obasanjo who is a southern Christian. That Boko Haram took root to create fear and instability for Jonathan who is also a southern Christian. That making the north ungovernable was an agenda for Jonathan’s planned second, or is it third term? An agenda that was to haunt President Buhari because it is easier to create a monster than to tame it.

Conspiracy theories are buzzing again claiming that the recent surge in banditry and sundry crimes is to serve as a message to President Tinubu whose policies some claim to be anti-north. The theorists claim in other words, that the country cannot be at peace unless political power resides in the north or with whom the north bestows it to do its bidding. It makes one to wonder if some leaders can be so self-centered, so lustful, so crazy for power that they can cut their noses to spite other people’s faces.

Political power as we play it has been so divisive that it has become anti nationhood. It has also created an entitlement and nepotistic culture that is self-defeating. The south-east zone has not had the presidency in Nigeria in decades yet it is holding its own educationally, economically and financially while some zones which have long enjoyed this so called ultimate political power are mired in economic backwardness and insecurity.

That should tell us something about the self-serving and self-defeating nature of power in Nigeria. Professor Wole Soyinka said at the ‘Punch at 50’ lecture that people should negotiate their union but be prepared to walk away from a union that is chocking or untenable because it is, according to him, ‘better for a nation to die so that humanity may live’. So in our quest for nation building and an equitable society, we must not lose sight of the need to preserve humanity. In fact, that should be our main goal. It seems to me however, if political theories are to be believed, that from east to west, from north to south, we are trampling on humanity in our fight for fleeting political advantages.

Finally, although conspiracy theories are sometimes uncomfortably close to the truth, their conclusions can be wrong. I hope this is the case regarding the northern elites and the current insecurity in their region. Otherwise the suffering talakawas, who have become collateral damages, might rise up to fight for their own interests.

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The nationwide hardship protest of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), did not come without surprises, one of which was the involvement of the residents of South-Eastern States in the protest.

It was widely reported that residents of South-Eastern States will jettison the hardship protests against the President Bola Tinubu led government.

But, in a twist of events, pictures of the ongoing protest from the labour union in South-Eastern states have continued to emerge.

Pictures from Anambra State, the home state of the Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, shows that citizens turned-out for the hardship protest.

The Advice

There was an increased call for demonstration against the increased hardship Nigerians are going through.

This prompted prominent individuals and bodies from the South-eastern region including Ohanaeze Ndigbo among other to send warnings to residents of the region.

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The residents were advised to shun any form of protest against the President Bola Tinubu led government.

However, pictures from the Anambra NLC hardship protests indicates that there was a massive turnout on the first day of the NLC led hardship protest.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced that some areas in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will experience six hours of total blackout on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

The TCN, published a statement on Friday via its spokesperson, Ndidi Mbah.

Mbah explained that the blackout would enable the commission’s maintenance crew to carry out a scheduled annual preventive maintenance on its 132kV line 1.

This is at Gwagwalada and Apo Transmission Substations.

Mbah added that the exercise would affect the 132/33kV Kukwaba Transmission Substation.

It will last for six hours, on Saturday while the maintenance holds between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Affected Areas

The statement identified areas to be affected.

They include parts of Lokogoma, Kabusa Garden, TradeMore, Pyakasa, Aherita, Chika, Games Village, Stadium, Wuye, Utako, Life Camp and Idu.

The TCN spokesperson apologised in advance to residents of the affected areas.

To them, the power supply would be restored as soon as the maintenance work is completed.

“The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) wishes to announce that its maintenance crew will carry out a scheduled annual preventive maintenance.

“This will be on its 132kV line 1 at both Gwagwalada and Apo Transmission Substations.

“The maintenance is slated for Saturday, 10th February 2024, between the hours of 9:00am to 3:00pm.

“Consequently, there will be a power interruption at the 132/33kV Kukwaba Transmission Substation for six hours on Saturday, tomorrow.

“The areas affected include parts of Lokogoma, Kabusa Garden, TradeMore, Pyakasa, Aherita, Chika, Games Village, Stadium, Wuye, Utako, Life Camp and Idu.

The Attack

“Power supply will be restored as soon as the maintenance work is completed as indicated.

“We regret any inconveniences this will cause electricity consumers in the affected areas,” the statement read.

The TCN Gwagwalada-Kukwaba-Apo 132KV Transmission Line 1 in the Abuja axis was attacked by suspected vandals In December.

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The vandalism of the line was said to have taken place at night when the bulk power supply on the line was cut off.

This prompted an early morning investigation by TCN linesmen.

They discovered a vandalised portion of the line route between Tower 23 and Tower 25.

Fourteen travellers kidnapped by gunmen in Inele Eteke within Kogi State’s Olalamaboro Local Government Area have regained their freedom.

The spokesman for the Kogi State Police Command, SP William Ovye, revealed this on Thursday, February 8.

“I have just been informed by the DPO that all the kidnapped victims of God Is Good Motors, GIG and ABC have regained their freedom”, he said.

On Saturday, February 3, 2024, bandits hijacked two buses owned by GIG and ABC transport company.

The Ransom

They seized approximately 14 passengers and took them to an undisclosed location.

According to sources, God is Good Motors had 12 passengers while ABC had two passengers on board.

The GIG bus departed from Umuahia in Abia State at 7:30 am on Saturday, and was headed to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The abductors of these 14 passengers, heading to Abuja, communicated with the families of the victims, requesting 15 million Naira as ransom.

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It remains uncertain whether the ransom was paid before the release of the abducted individuals.

The teachers and students of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Emure-Ekiti, Ekiti State, who were abducted last week, have regained their freedom.

The kidnapped victims were released by their abductors at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Sunday.

The Chairman of Emure Local Government, Adebayo Oluwatosin confirmed the development.

According to him, the victims were now in the palace of Elemure of Emure Ekiti.

He said the driver was killed while the other eight regained their freedom. Their freedom came after they spent roughly seven days with the abductors.

It is, however, unclear whether the ransom demanded by the kidnappers was paid before the release.

The Ransom

The kidnappers had demanded ₦100 million ransom for the release of the nine victims who were abducted on Monday.

The principal of the secondary section of the school, Boje Olanireti, confirmed the development via an interview on Tuesday.

The abduction of the school children and four staff members occurred when the school bus conveying 25 pupils home after school hours was stopped by gunmen in the Emure community in Ekiti State.

According to Olanireti, the dire incident occurred about a five-minute drive from the school.

The Kidnap

She said: “Immediately, the school closed at 3:00 p.m., and by the time we gathered all the children, it was already 3:30 p.m. It was that time that they moved.

“So, the incident happened between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

“The school is in a suburb of Emure village, so they were going back home in Eporo.

“The incident occurred just about a five-minute drive from the school to Eporo.

“When the gunmen attacked, the people around heard the gunshots. They came to Emure with motorcycles to inform the people in the school about what happened.

“We immediately reported to the police station at Emure.

“The students were over 25 on the bus when the incident happened.

“When the gunmen attacked them, they shot the tyre of the vehicle and asked the children to come out of the bus.

“They asked all of them to lie down and picked five students and four staff members.

“They, after that, asked others to go”.

Olanireti added that “the five students comprise two from the secondary (school) and three from primary school while the four staff comprise two teachers, one driver and one bus assistant.

“When the parents heard about the incident, they came from Eporo and they have been making frantic efforts by reaching out to some security outfits, including the police and Amotekun.

The Demand

“The security operatives have also been talking to the proprietor of the primary school and he has been giving them information.

“By the time they opened communication, they first called the husband of one of the teachers and demanded ₦10 million for each kidnapped victim.
But when they later called the headmaster, they demanded ₦100 million for all of them.”

A family source at Eporo Ekiti, who preferred anonymity, also confirmed on Tuesday that the kidnappers had contacted the family of one of the children demanding ₦100 million on the victims.

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The source said: “They called the family of one of the school children and they are requesting ₦10 million per victim.

“What we gathered is that there are nine persons kidnapped – five schoolchildren, two teachers, one bus assistant, and a driver.

“The parents are at Eporo. The bus was taking them home after closing.

“It was in the process that the kidnappers struck. None of the families of the abductees can afford the ransom.’’

The tragic death of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a young Nigerian lady who was kidnapped and later killed by her abductors, is still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.

People of all walks of life troop out to console and stand by her family in their difficult times.

Many have sent condolence messages to the family, but for others, like Peter Obi, it is better to be there in person.

Obi visited the family of late Nabeeha on Tuesday.

During the visit, he said he visited the family to commiserate with them on the loss of their loved one.

In his remarks, he emphasised the need for the government to see to it that criminality in Nigeria was contained.

To him, it is traumatic for any parent to lose a child.

Furthermore, he stressed the need for the security agencies and the government to be alive to their responsibilities.

Nabeeha’s Abduction

The deceased was one of the victims kidnapped in a series of abductions that took place in the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Dutsen-Alhaji area of the Bwari Area Council of Abuja.

In a tragic incident that shook the community, about 19 abductees were taken by bandits.

The kidnappers demanded a colossal ransom of ₦700 million for nine victims.

Among those kidnapped was Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level Biological Science student at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Four hostages, including Nabeeha, were killed by the kidnappers.

Nabeeha was abducted with six other siblings, along with their father, Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar.

They were taken from their home at Zuma 1, on the outskirts of Bwari town in Abuja, on January 2.

Tragedy struck in the Ejigbo area of Osun State after a United States-based Nigerian lecturer and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Richard Idowu, was gunned down.

The incident occurred between 8:00 and 8:30 pm on Saturday and has thrown the community into mourning and sparking tension among residents.

The shooting happened at the private residence of Prince Eniola Oyeyode, son of the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode.

The location was part of the celebrations marking the monarch’s 50th anniversary on the throne.

Idowu attended the coronation anniversary before being summoned to a meeting at Eniola’s residence along Inisa Road in Ejigbo.

The Meeting

An eyewitness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the meeting included a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayodele Asalu, and another individual, Timothy.

Following the conclusion of the meeting, as attendees were departing, gunshots rang out.

Idowu was struck in the leg.

He subsequently died from his injuries while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ejigbo.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting and the motive behind the attack remain unclear.

Recounting the incident, a Personal Assistant to the deceased, Afiz Lawal, said the incident happened in his presence.

He explained, “When we returned to Osun from Ogun State where Governor Adeleke took a Chieftaincy title, we moved to Ejigbo for 50th coronation anniversary of the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Oyeyode Oyesosin.

He continued, “Immediately after the coronation party, we were about to start coming to Osogbo.
Then Prince Eniola, son of Ogiyan, told us to go to his house along Inisa Road in Ejigbo for a brief meeting.

The Shot

Those who attended the meeting include Hon. Asler (Ayodele Asalu) and one Hon Timothy.

“When the meeting ended, they all dispersed and were entering their vehicles.
I heard Prince Eniola say, release, asking a local hunter there on the premises to release gunshots into the air.

Unfortunately, instead of firing into the air, he shot towards the ground.
That was how Hon Richard Idowu was hit on the leg, and he immediately fell.

No Good Hospital

“Before we could get him to the hospital, he had already lost so much blood and there is no good hospital in Ejigbo.

He gave up at a private hospital in Ejigbo. The incident happened between 8:00 and 8:30 pm on Saturday.
He was a PDP chieftain and a lecturer based in the United States of America.”

Asked if the incident could be regarded as a case of misfiring, Lawal further said, “It may be planned or accidental, but I just narrated how the incident happened because I was at the scene.

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His remains have been deposited at the morgue of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.”

It was also said the man who fired the shot was beaten to death, but Lawal could not confirm that.