🦸🏽 🇳🇬 Nigeria is someone’s hero
Nigeria: where the majority of the population is poor but it’ll cost you N100 Million to express your interest in the presidential seat under APC, the current ruling party.
In this episode:
President attempts the president thing
Terrorism and more of it
Nigeria is someone’s hero
Here’s what those who won the last general elections have been doing
President Buhari is president-ing, folks.
This week, the Head of State demanded that the security agencies do their job and rescue the people who terrorists kidnapped from the Abuja-Kaduna train attack 3 weeks ago.
According to the National Security Adviser, Buhari is also pretty pissed about the other people who have been kidnapped and would like the security agents to take care of that, too.
In the last 3 months, terrorists have kidnapped over 3,000 people and kidnapped about 1,500 citizens.
Buhari wants them all rescued “immediately and unhurt”. Phew. So many commands!
Buhari said he is disappointed in the security agencies. Despite how much money Nigeria has spent on security (about N2trillion in 2021, of which N722.53 billion was borrowed from domestic capital markets like pension and retirement funds).
The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno shared that he has made some recommendations on how to tackle insecurity.
He also dropped some facts on the state of insecurity: security threats have now shifted from the North-eastern part of the country to the North-west and the North-central but even that must be contained.
He didn’t share much about his solution, just know that steps are being taken to secure all the land borders of the country, in order to address the threats coming from outside such borders.
He says the president is reviewing his recommendations.
More to be angry about
A Nigerian Air Force jet kills 6 kids
The Cable reports that a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet targeting terrorists in Niger State killed 6 children in the area.
The community—Kurebe area of Shiroro Local Government— has been a destination for terrorist attacks for a while.
Residents believe that there were no terrorists within the village at the time of the aircraft attack. They also say the terrorist hideouts around the community are well known, so they find it odd that the jets aimed at the community.
According to recounts, the kids the NAF jet killed were orphans whose parents died at the hands of terrorists.
Military-terrorist attack in Imo:
Ihioma Community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State was overwhelmed by a shooting incident last weekend. Residents say many people died.
A video clip shows residents running for safety while sounds of gunshots consumed the air. (Trigger warning)
There have been 2 narratives about the shooting: some say the attackers were terrorists, while others are accusing the Nigerian military of targeting civilians in retaliatory attacks on the terrorists. The second narrative led to the hashtag #OrluIsBleeding which trended on Twitter on Monday and early Tuesday.
A resident, who asked not to be named said the shooting spree started when the military attempted to intercept the terrorist attack.
Taraba & Kaduna kidnap
A bomb that exploded in a drinking spot in Taraba state killed 3 people and injured many more.
The Taraba state police say the explosion is suspected to have been caused by an improvised explosive device.
This is 2 weeks after attackers shot out a mosque in Taraba and killed Abdulkadir Sufiyanu, the district head, and a week after kidnappers abducted people at another mosque attack.
3 of 25 victims that were kidnapped on the 31st of March have been killed over unpaid ransoms.
The community head said the terrorists reached out to them on phone on Tuesday to inform them of the 3 they had killed and threatened to kill more people if they don’t pay N20 million.
Recall that in order to reduce terrorist attacks, the Nigerian government has barred numbers without NIN registration from making phone calls.
Terrorist demands N30 million from Zamfara state
Nasanda, a notorious terrorist in Zamfara state has given the Zamfara state government a 14-day ultimatum to compensate him with N30 million.
He said it’s to avenge his wife and relatives who he claimed were killed by vigilantes.
He also threatened to kill 300 people if his demands are not met.
Good news: Nigerian troops to save Guinea Bissau
Despite our own apparently uncontrollable internal security challenges, The Nigerian security agency is donating troops to help fight insecurity in Guinea Bissau.
The Army Chief of Operations, Oluwafemi Akinjobi says this is necessary because Nigeria is the “beacon of peace” in the ECOWAS sub-region.
He reminded us that Nigerian peacekeepers have helped restore peace in many conflict areas around the world, which had earned them many national and individual commendations from several missions.
According to him, He explained that the nation continued to ensure security and stability in Africa through collective security by contributing to international peace and security, which remained essential to Nigeria’s defence policy.
Don’t forget that the UN thanked the Nigerian troops for their contribution in restoring peace in Liberia between 2003 and 2018.
Speaking of negligence
Chrisland School
Last week, a circulating rape video of an underaged student of Chrisland School caught the attention of Nigerians.
The mother of a 10-year-old girl who was representing the school in Dubai last year narrated how the school concealed the matter from her.
The student’s mom said after the incident, they took her daughter for a pregnancy test without her consent.
The school owners claim that there was “no rape” on their watch and that the only test carried out was the COVID-19.
Chrisland suspended the student. And in a suspension letter posted by People Gazette newspaper, dated April 14, the school told the parents that the 10-year-old girl was a “major participant” in a truth-or-dare game with other male pupils.
While the police investigates the case, the Lagos State Government has ordered the closure of all the school’s branches. The government also warned all the sick people watching and sharing the tape to stop or you will face 14 years in prison.
For everyone who needs to get out of here: the U.S. says Nigerian students can renew visa without going through the interview process.
Naija Diseases
Premium Times reports that at least 20 inmates at the overcrowded Katsina custodial centre have died of tuberculosis and over 90 have been infected. However, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Francis Enobore, said the outbreak was in January and only 7 inmates had died. Mr Enobore said as a result of “intensive care and drugs supplied” the situation “has been brought under control” with only one case recorded in April.
Kogi State Government confirmed 41 Lassa fever cases and 7 deaths so far this year. But don’t worry. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr. Daniel Alonge, said the state has responded “appropriately” to the epidemic as a result of Governor Yahaya Bello’s intervention in the timely release of funds to curb the outbreak- Guardian NG
Good news: The World Health Organisation (WHO) says over 1 million children in Africa have received the malaria vaccine- The Cable
Other news
The Federal Government has reopened four of the land borders closed in 2019 - Punch
The Federal Government says the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos, which is under renovation, will be known as Lagos Creative and Entertainment Center, upon completion- Premium Times
Google and cable landing partner, WIOCC, announced that the Equiano subsea cable has landed in Nigeria. Named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist, Olaudah Equiano, the Equiano cable will help “support further digital transformation in Nigeria” - Premium Times
An aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has crashed in Kaduna, a flying officer said one of the two occupants of the aircraft was a trainee - Premium Times
The Nigerian Air Force bombed terrorist hideouts around Kambari village in Karim Lamido, Taraba State, destroying many enclaves and possibly killing some terrorists - Daily Trust
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 69 oil thieves and vandals in Akwa Ibom State within the first quarter of 2022 - Daily Trust
World bank is, again, begging Nigeria to rethink fuel subsidy. World Bank Group president, Mr. David Malpass says it is strangling the economy- Arise