Anyone who pays attention to what is happening on social media knows there is a high demand for Nigerian men by women from other countries. In the past, the assumption was that most of the marriages between Nigerian men and women from other countries were mainly to acquire official papers that would guarantee the Nigerian man the visa or citizenship of the country. A young Nigerian man in his 20s or 30s would snap a picture of his registry marriage with a White woman in her 50s, 60s, or 70s. People would share such photos and make jokes about it.

But in recent years, there has been a spike in young Nigerian men marrying young foreign women. Interestingly, many of the young men are professionals who are financially stable and have permanent residency or citizenship status. Many of them get married overseas and return to Nigeria to perform a symbolic “traditional” marriage ceremony. Videos of such marriages usually show the joy of their non-Nigerian wives in their beautiful Nigerian attire, performing the marriage rites and dancing excitedly, most times offbeat, to Nigerian music.

And any time such women make a post about their amazing experience with their Nigerian boyfriend or husband, one can see the high number of Americans, Canadians, Britons, Jamaicans, etc., expressing interest in having a Nigerian man. Expectedly, many men flock to such posts dropping their numbers or messages, declaring their availability.

This high interest in Nigerian men has created an online market for matchmakers. There are now many online live events where people explain how to ensure that a foreigner is not talking to a romance scammer. These romance scammers have been exploiting the naïveté and desperation of women in search of love. Their actions have been bringing a bad name to Nigerians for some years.

What caused this recent uptick in the quest of foreign women for Nigerian men? There could be many reasons but the first is Afrobeats music. Nigerian music has been attracting global attention in recent years. Young people from different countries love Nigerian songs and musicians. This has made them take more interest in the country from where this music is coming. It is similar to what happened with reggae music from the 1970s. It made Jamaica a household name across the world.

In the past, before the popularity of Afrobeats, people from other countries only focused on the bad story of online scams in Nigeria. All the achievements of Nigerians in technology, business, literature, sports, international peace-keeping missions and independence of other countries, etc., were never remembered. Once the name Nigeria came up in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and even some parts of Africa, people zeroed in on scams and kept their distance from Nigerians. Many scammers from other countries even identified as Nigerians, thereby worsening the image of Nigeria. The corruption in governance did not help the Nigerian case. Once you mentioned the name Nigeria while discussing a business venture online with someone in another continent, the person would abruptly end the communication.

Many Nigerians abroad confessed that some 30 or 20 years ago when they landed to study or work, most times they would not identify as Nigerians, because it caused them problems. Interestingly, this was the era Nigerian government was spending a lot of money telling the world that Nigeria was “the heart of Africa” as well as “Good people, great nation”. That advertising message did not have any effect on foreigners. But eventually, Afrobeats became globally popular and did a better image-laundry job for Nigeria. Now, people from other countries who watch Nigerian musical videos want to know more about Nigeria. They search online for information about Nigeria. By so doing, they see the other sides of the country.

Nigerians did not just become amazing recently. They have always been like this but the bad press did not allow the world to get close to Nigeria and know any positive thing about the country. Those who take the bold step of visiting Nigeria usually leave with mind-blowing stories about Nigerians’ hospitality.

It is the same case with marriage to Nigerian men. Women from other countries love Nigerian men. It is not because Nigerian men have any extraordinary genes. It is because of what the Nigerian environment has instilled in men from birth. It is hammered into their ears and psyche that, to prove that they are responsible and manly, they must bear the full burden of providing for all the women around them: wife, mother, sisters, nieces, cousins, grandmothers, friends and colleagues. These include paying school fees, buying clothes, bags, shoes, jewellery, food, and cars and giving regular pocket money, etc.

When a Nigerian boy goes on a date with a girl, even though they are both students (who yet don’t earn any money), the boy is expected to pay for all they eat. The girl may even bring along one or two of her friends, and the poor boy is expected to foot their bill, including the bill for the items they will take away, and even give her and her friends “money for transport”. He will constantly buy gifts and send money to her. If he cannot dole out financial favours to his girlfriend, he is ridiculed as a “Ju man” or “chewing gum boy”.

The more men give, the more they are expected to give. They are regularly compared to other men who are doing more for their women to show them that they are not doing enough like “real men”. Many men who can’t take the ridicule end up in crime to prove to their women that they are real men.

When Nigerian men meet women from other countries (who don’t have this type of orientation) and do just 30 per cent of what they are expected to do to Nigerian women, the foreign women are wowed because they have never seen anything like that. They can’t stop talking about Nigerian men because they don’t live in a society where a man is expected to take care of his needs and the entire needs of his woman. Love is expressed in many countries with flowers, but not in Nigeria.

Because the women from other countries did not grow up believing that the man has to take care of their needs, they are less demanding of things to be done for them. And whatever the Nigerian men do for them, they are very appreciative. Consequently, they treat their Nigerian men with more dignity. The men talk about having more peace and happiness.

Ironically, it is the same level of care Nigerian men give to Nigerian women but is not appreciated (because it is seen as their duty or nothing special) that they give to these non-Nigerian women, and the women find it exceptional. The result is that the internet has made the news of the “special loving nature of Nigerian men” spread faster from different countries, making more women aware of it and more receptive to Nigerian men.

The pressure the Nigerian society puts on the male child is unnatural and unhealthy. The rich and the poor, educated and uneducated, influential and non-influential, young and old as well as male and female, take it as the normal way of life. Most people who have lived in Nigeria, and only go to other nations on holidays, may not understand that there is something wrong with it, because that is the only way of life they have known.

There should be a conscious reorientation in Nigeria, especially led by successful and influential women, that the girl child is not created to look forward to marrying a rich and influential man but to be a rich and influential person herself. The Nigerian girl child should be groomed to believe that the way to know a man who cares and loves her is not through the amount of money and gifts such a person showers on her. Churches, mosques, schools, universities and town unions should also join the campaign and see if the perception of the next generation can be changed about this critical issue.

Civil rights activist and politician Senator Shehu Sani has urged Nigerians and the government at all levels to appreciate and honour the freedom fighters who defended the country.

While speaking with Newsmen on Monday, Sani made the call when he visited the tombs of six deposed Emirs in Lokoja, who refused to bow down to British colonialists.

Sani, who was accompanied by his colleague, Comrade Suleiman Ahmed, admonished Nigerians and the government at all levels to appreciate freedom fighters who defended the country.

“Today, I am on the visit to the tombs of the Emirs from Northern Nigerians who were deposed by the British Colonialists and exiled to Lokoja where they died. Here, particularly, is the tomb of the late Emir of Kano, Mallam Aliyu Abdullahi (Maisango) who died in 1903.

“We have to appreciate the freedom fighters, those who stood in defence of our country. As a Pan-Africanist, someone who has been involved in the struggle for rights for freedom and justice, and someone who appreciates history a lot.

“I am here to appreciate this noble Emirs who stood in the defence of our country. This visit is to also send a clear message to Nigerians and to inspire others, that as we move forward as a country and as a people, we should also look backwards to appreciate those who fought and laid their lives and made sacrifices for us.

“Here, are Emirs who are lying down in their tombs; they were not deposed by their people but by the colonialists who came to enslave our people and take over our country and our resources. The Emirs that refused to bow down to colonialists, the ones who stood for freedom and defended our territorial land; we owe them a lot,” he said.

Sani, who was the Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019, reaffirmed his commitment to continue to appreciate and honour Nigeria’s freedom fighters.

Speaking, the Etsu Lokoja, Emmanuel Akamisoko Dauda-Shelika and other Lokoja community leaders who took the Senator and his colleague around the tombs’ sites commended the senator for the visit, describing it as a welcome development.

“The visit of distinguished Senator Shehu Sani and his colleague, Comrade Suleiman Ahmed, is a very welcome development and we appreciate them for the gesture.

“Oftentimes, we hardly remember that certain people contributed to certain measures in the past. So, the visit to Lokoja with particular interest in the tombs of the deposed Emirs, is very laudable.

“As a human rights activist, he could quickly point to the fact that these Emirs fought in defence of their people, and that was what leadership is all about”, Dauda-Shelika said.

[Punch]]

Lifelong farmer Joe Del Bosque knows that America can’t live without immigrants, but he worries that many of his countrymen think it can’t live with them either.

“When they’re needed, they welcome them. When they don’t need them, they want to kick them out,” the 75-year-old told AFP.

“Well, right now the country doesn’t know that they do need some of these workers.”

Farmers like Del Bosque, who grows cantaloupes and almonds in California, fear they could be at the sharp end of president-elect Donald Trump’s promise to deport millions of non-citizens.

Economists agree that a mass expulsion could leave him and others like him without enough workers to harvest food — causing shortages and sending prices skyrocketing.

“He’s talked about deportations. We don’t know yet what that means,” said Del Bosque.

“Does that mean everyone? We certainly hope that doesn’t mean he’s going to raid our farms, because without our people, our farms will come to a stop.”

And it isn’t just arable farmers who are worried.

Rick Naerebout, executive director of the Idaho Dairy Producers Association, warns the sudden disappearance of skilled laborers could be “devastating” to the dairy industry.

“It would only take a couple days of disruption and not being able to feed or milk our cows to where you would damage our industry beyond repair,” he told AFP.

– ‘Essential’ –

Around 2.4 million people work in farming in the United States, 44 percent of whom are undocumented, according to a survey by the Department of Labor.

University of Michigan economist David Ortega said — despite what some politicians say publicly — it is widely acknowledged in official circles that the entire system is heavily dependent on illegal workers.

“These are individuals that perform essential, very labor-intensive tasks like planting and harvesting,” he said.

“Many of them fill critical roles that many US-born workers are either unable or unwilling to perform.”

Farm work is hard, and often done in a difficult environment — summer temperatures in California can top 40 celcius (104 Fahrenheit), while winters in places like Idaho are routinely below freezing.

This reality stands in stark contrast to claims by nationalist politicians like Trump that these immigrants are “stealing” American jobs.

Naerebout, of the Idaho Dairy Producers Association, said it’s a common — and frustrating — fallacy.

To illustrate the point, he says one contractor last year advertised to fill thousands of roles.

“They had fewer than 30 domestic applications for 6,000 jobs,” he said.

“Only 12 of those individuals resulted in an interview, and only two resulted in a hire, and those two that got hired didn’t make it to harvest.

“Americans don’t want these jobs.”

– Posturing –

Such details were absent on the campaign trail, where Trump rallies painted migrants only as a problem for the United States, a source of crime and overcrowding that need to be sent packing.

The rhetoric was popular with voters, especially in rural areas, many of whom cited immigration as a key reason for supporting Trump.

California dairy farmer Tom Barcellos says he is convinced that — despite Trump’s promise to carry out the largest deportation in US history — common sense will prevail when the Republican takes office on January 20.

“I’ve been to (Washington) DC many times. I’ve been to (California state capital) Sacramento many times,” he said.

“Those that have the power know we’re not going to go raid agriculture, because that’s the food source for the American people, and they don’t want to raise the cost any more than it needs to be.”

For Naerebout there is a desperate — and long overdue — need to move past the political posturing of the last few decades and work out a way forward.

“We’ve been frustrated for, you know, 20 years trying to find a pathway forward to reforms at a national level, and both (Democrats and Republicans) are at fault,” he said.

“We as an industry wonder if there’s lack of political will to solve the problem because the problem presents itself as a great political fundraiser and stump speech.”

Del Bosque says he hires around 200 workers during harvest season and finds the process frustrating.

Migrants who try to do things legally get bogged down in a bureaucracy that appears to have no understanding of the needs of the workers or the industries that need to employ them.

“A lot of our fresh fruits and vegetables need to be picked by hand,” he said.

“If Americans value that kind of food in their diet — fresh fruits and vegetables — they need to consider that we have to have a reliable workforce to have a reliable food supply.”

[Vanguard]

Only three Nigerian leaders have been invited by the British Monarch for state visits to Buckingham Palace. They are General Yakubu Gowon GCFR (90) and his wife Victoria Gowon (78) (12–15 June 1973), President Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari GCFR (25 February 1925 – 28 December 2018) (17–20 March 1981) and General Ibrahim Babangida GCFR (83) and his wife, Maryam (9–12 May 1989).

In fact, Nigeria is more favoured than most African countries that have been invited for state visits to Buckingham Palace.

On the other hand, the British Monarch had visited Nigeria twice. Queen Elizabeth II (21 April 1926- 8 September 2022) first visited Nigeria between January 28 to February 16, 1956. She was accompanied by her husband, the then Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip (10 June 1921- 9 April 2021). She visited Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Lagos.

While in Nigeria, she worshipped at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina, Lagos, an Anglican church founded by Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther (1809 – 31 December 1891) and which the Queen’s visit was under the Provost, Reverend A.W. Howells (17 September 1905- 7 March 1963). During her visit, the Queen donated a chair to the cathedral. The chair is still being preserved in the cathedral till today.

The Queen also commissioned the Nigerian painter and sculptor, Ben Enwonwu to make a bronze sculptor of herself. The next year, she posed in London as Enwonwu banged metal against his imagination in order to bring an outsized version of the Queen to life. The sculpture was completed in 1957, and in November of the same year was presented at the Royal Society of British Artists exhibition in London.

The Monarch was also in Nigeria between 3 to 6 December 2003 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOG) meeting in Abuja. She was received by President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR. The Queen also visited Nasarawa state.

General Gowon was actively preparing for a state visit by the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II before he was overthrown in a military coup by General Murtala Mohammed while in Kampala, Uganda, for the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit in July 1975.

The present British Monarch, King Charles III (76) is a regular visitor to Nigeria.

Charles, Prince of Wales, now King of England has visited Nigeria four times, in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2018.
For his first visit, he and his now late wife, Diana, Princess of Wales (1 July 1961- 31 August 1997) arrived in Nigeria on March 15th, 1990. They left Gatwick Airport and were met at the Murtala Muhammed

Airport, Lagos by the then Chief of General Staff, Admiral Augustus Akhabue Aikhomu (20 October 1939 – 17 August 2011) and Mrs. Rebecca Aikhomu. Nigeria was under military rule at the time with General Ibrahim Babangida serving as the military president.

The Prince and Princess were taken to State House Marina where General Babangida and his wife, Maryam Babangida (1 November 1948 – 27 December 2009) received them. That night, they were hosted at a state banquet after which they retired to the Royal Yacht. The Royal Yacht was docked next to the Marina in Lagos.

In 1999, the prince returned for the inauguration ceremony of President Olusegun Obasanjo (87) GCFR, late South African president, Nelson Mandela was also in attendance.

In 2006, The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to begin a 3-day state visit. At the time, the trip was seen as a boost to the democratization of Nigerian polity. While he was around, he also visited Kaduna and Kano.

2018 saw Prince Charles (now King Charles III) (76) return, but this time with a new wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. They were received by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. While he was in Abuja, he met with some traditional rulers at the residence of the British High Commissioner, Paul Arkwright.

Some of the monarchs present include the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (the Ọjájá II) CFR (50) , Sultan of Sokoto, His Majesty Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III (68) CFR, Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II (63), Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe (83), Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar (72) CFR, Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II (71) and Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi (67).

During the three-day visit, the couple also met with and talked to some Nigerian youths, the Armed forces, and people in the creative sectors, specifically in arts and fashion.

Only six British Prime Ministers have visited Nigeria. They are Harold Wilson, Alec Douglas-Home, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, David Cameron and Theresa May. Mr. Harold Wilson was in Nigeria for the Commonwealth Conference on Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, held at the Federal Palace, Hotel, Lagos, between 12 January and 14 January, 1966. Nigeria’s Prime Minister then, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (December 1912 – 15 January 1966) hosted the Conference. Other world leaders that attended the conference were Lester Pearson of Canada, Sir Dauda Jawara of The Gambia, Dr. Hastings Banda of Malawi, Dr. Borg Olivier of Malta, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Sir Albert Margai of Sierra Leone and Dr. Milton Obote of Uganda. Others at the meeting were President Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus, acting Prime Minister of Jamaica at that time, Donald Sangster, vice-President of Zambia, Mr. Kamanga and Ceylon’s Minister of Justice, India’s Minister of law and social security, Kenya’s Minister of Finance, Malaysia’s deputy Prime Minister, New Zealand’s High Commissioner in London, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Lagos and Trinidad and Tobago’s deputy Prime Minister. Twenty-four hours after the conference ended, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa was assassinated in Lagos.

Speaking in British Parliament on January 25, 1966, Mr. Harold Wilson said, “The whole house, especially those who in any capacity had dealings in the past with Sir Abubakar, will deeply regret the tragedy which occurred in Nigeria a few days ago. I should like to add—I am sure that I speak for all Commonwealth Prime Ministers—a tribute to his splendid chairmanship of what could have been a very difficult Commonwealth Conference. He as much as anybody was, I believe, responsible for the satisfactory outcome of it”.

Although Tony Blair (71) in his 718-page book titled “A JOURNEY”, after numerous visits to Nigeria, did not make any reference to Nigeria, but the alliance between Nigeria and Britain is still strong. There are over 3million Nigerians living in the United Kingdom now. This number is expected to double in the next few years. Over 2,500 Nigerians fly in and out of the United Kingdom daily.

In some parts of London like Old Kent Road, Camberwell, Thamesmead, Islington, Barking, Abbey Wood, Woolwich, Deptford and of course Peckham, if you visit those areas, it is as if you are in any part of Nigeria. In fact, the Suya spot at Camberwell, apology to Egbon Tunji Oyelana is better than the Suya spot at Obalende in Lagos. It is common knowledge now that suya spots at Peckham in London are better organized and well managed than the suya spots in Lagos.

The UK deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr. Jonny Baxter, announced two years ago that ten percent of all visas granted by the British government, were to Nigerians. We are discussing Nigerian/Britain relationship on the sideline of current romance between Elysee Palace and Abuja specifically between President Bola Tinubu GCFR and Emmanuel Macron of France. Our President and our Foreign Minister, Alhaji Yusuf Tuggar, know that going by past records, France has not been Nigeria’s friend.

On 13 February 1960, France conducted its first nuclear test at Reggane, an oasis town in southern Algeria. The war for the North African country’s independence had been ongoing since 1954 and French President Charles de Gaulle was keen to show the world that France belonged at the top table of military powers.

To that end, the first French atomic bomb, named Gerboise Bleue after the blue of the tricolour flag and a small desert animal in the Sahara, was detonated in the Algerian desert. It released over four times the amount of energy as that of the US bomb dropped on Hiroshima. A few months later, as Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was in France for an official visit, a second French bomb was detonated in the Sahara.

Between 1960 and 1966, four years after Algeria gained its independence, France detonated 17 bombs in the Sahara, including four in the atmosphere near Reggane. Witnesses to the tests described them as the most brutal thing they’d ever seen in their lives. Four underground explosions in the Algerian Sahara “were not totally contained or confined”, according to a French parliamentary report.

Most famous of these was the Beryl incident, during which nine soldiers and a number of local Tuareg villagers were heavily contaminated by radioactivity. The impact of France’s nuclear testing programme in Algeria was immediate and has been ongoing. Following the first explosion in 1960, radioactive fallout landed in newly independent Ghana and in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Government had earlier warned France not to conduct those tests but France refused. The test affected a lot people in Kano and its surroundings. After the test, Nigeria was made to break diplomatic relations with France.

Writing on the then situation in his book titled “A RIGHT HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN—The life and times of Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa by Mr. Trevor Clark, he wrote on page 495 “As to relations with General de Gaulle (who had been assured in the Algerian cease-fire agreement that Sahara tests might continue for some years, and had just received massive support from the French people in his referendum on self-determination for Algeria, despite the abstention of 40% of resident Algerian voters), Abubakar personally followed up Dr. Esins’s demarche. At half past seven in the morning, after returning from Bauchi, he ordered the withdrawal of the French ambassador, Mr Raymond Offroy and his embassy staff from Lagos; he barred all French aircraft and ships; and he denied them all rights of transit.

The Frenchmen found their telephones disconnected the next day, and left by unescorted cars for Dahomey within the 48 hours set in the ultimatum. On unforeseen consequences was a dearth of liquid petroleum gas for Ghanaian lamps and stoves, since LPG was carried up the coast in French cargo vessels. The people who were to be hurt most were the citizens of Nigeria’s francophone neighbours in Niger, Dahomey and elsewhere. A more hypothetical result was to be suggested seven year later, M. Offroy was to be a prominent leader of the anti-federal government, pro-Biafran, lobby in Paris, and President De Gaulle to incline to favour Igbo secession.

At the time the Nigerian press and politicians were ecstatic, although their colleagues in Dahomey, Niger and Tchad were distressed. No other country broke off diplomatic relations with France over Saharan nuclear testing, resting content with shouting slogans”.

During the civil war, we all knew where France stood and this led to anti-French demonstrations by over 3,000 Nigerian students at the French embassy in Lagos on September 14, 1968.

A breakthrough in Nigeria/France relationship came on February 4, 1987, when the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida flew to Paris in France for medical treatment. He was in France for four weeks until he came back on March 4, 1987. No Nigeria Leader ever visited France again until March 8, 1999, when the President elect, Olusegun Obasanjo visited Paris. He was received by the then French President, Jacques René Chirac (29 November 1932-26 September 2019) even though he had not been sworn in. On February 4, 2000, President Obasanjo GCFR was in France for three days. All in all, President Olusegun Obasanjo visited France six times during his eight-year tenure as the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The last was on May 16, 2006, the day the Senate rejected the third term bill.

On June 10, 2008, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua GCFR (16 August 1951-5 May 2010) visited France and was received by President Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (70) at the Elysee Palace where they had lunch together. After the visit, President Yar’Adua announced a 5-billion-dollar deal with France.

On November 24, 2011, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR GCON (67) was in France for a meeting to attract foreign investments to Nigeria. He led an economic delegation.

President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR (82) was in France for a state visit between September 14 and 16, 2015. He was also in France between February 2 and February 4, 2016. Between November 10 and 16, 2018, President Buhari was in Paris for a peace forum. Between November 10 and 13, 2021, President Buhari was also in Paris for a working visit.

We have to close the book of prejudice on France so as to move forward. We are presently in bad shape and we shall welcome any help from friends or foes who will rescue us from our present economic dilemma. The recent state visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to Elysee Palace in Paris is most welcome. We need friends not foes any longer or else the world will continue to move without us. We need to sustain our traditional ties with London too, while at the same time pursuing our adventure with Paris. Rigidity wont solve our problems in Foreign Affairs, so far as our national interests are recognized and protected.

France at present is the third biggest economy in Europe after Germany and the United Kingdom, so we cant shut down the opportunities France has to offer. I am aware of top French companies operating in Nigeria. They include Air Liquide, specializing in gases, technologies, and services for industry and health, Air Liquide operates in Nigeria to supply industrial gases and related services. The company’s offerings support sectors such as oil and gas, manufacturing, and healthcare, Bolloré Transport & Logistics, a major player in logistics and transportation, Bolloré has been active in Nigeria, providing services that facilitate trade and commerce. The company has shown interest in investing and exploring opportunities within Nigeria’s economy, Maurel & Prom–has operations in Nigeria through its significant stake in SEPLAT, one of the country’s leading indigenous operators. The company engages in exploration and production activities, contributing to Nigeria’s energy sector.

Ponticelli Frères is another French company that provides services including assembly, boilermaking, and maintenance, supporting various industrial projects in Nigeria, Alstom has been involved in Nigeria’s rail transport projects. The company contributes to the development and maintenance of railway systems, supporting the country’s efforts to improve its transportation network, Sodexo, operating in Nigeria, Sodexo provides quality-of-life services, including facilities management, catering, and employee benefits. The company serves various sectors, such as corporate, healthcare, and education, enhancing operational efficiency and employee well-being, Danone, through its subsidiary Fan Milk, Danone has a presence in Nigeria’s dairy and frozen dairy products market. Fan Milk is known for its range of frozen yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products popular among Nigerian consumers.

Schneider Electric specializes in digital automation and energy management. Schneider Electric drives digital transformation in Nigeria by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, an endpoint to cloud connecting products, controls, software, and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure, and industries, AXA Mansard Insurance plc was incorporated in 1989 as a private limited liability company registered with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

The company was listed on the Nigeria Stock Exchange in November 2009 and currently boasts the highest market capitalization in the Insurance sector of the Exchange. The company’s health insurance service has been greatly awarded in Nigeria in recent years.

Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited (Swipha) company engages in the production and distribution of Anti-malaria, anti-infectives, anti-diabetes, CNS, and cardiovascular drugs with over thirty brands to its credit.

In 2008, Swipha became the first pharmaceutical company in Nigeria to obtain ISO 9001 certification and in 2014 again became the first company in West Africa to obtain WHO GMP certification. Examples of Swipha’s products include drugs like Arenax Plus Forte and Arenax Plus, Lafarge Africa, a subsidiary of the Holcim Group, Lafarge Africa is a leading player in Nigeria’s building materials industry. The company manufactures and distributes cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete, serving construction needs across the country.

Total Energies is another French company in Nigeria that majors in the petroleum industry. The company began operations in Nigeria in 1956 rapidly becoming a major player in Nigeria’s onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration, production, natural gas liquefaction, and marketing of petroleum products.

Total Energies currently operates about 570 service stations in Nigeria for the retail of petroleum products. This service station is to help the government meet the mandate of getting petroleum products across to as many members of the population as possible.

In December 2023, TotalEnergies announced plans to invest $6 billion over several years in Nigeria’s oil and energy sector, focusing on gas and offshore projects. The company also currently employs more than 1800 members of staff nationwide. Over the past years, the company has invested in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector through projects like the Ubeta gas development project to supply Nigeria’s LNG liquefaction plant to aid gas supply across Nigeria.

In foreign affairs there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies only permanent interests.

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of $49,700 allegedly recovered from Nura Ali, a former resident electoral commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ali was REC for Sokoto state during the 2023 general election.

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, gave the order on Monday after Osuobeni Akponimisingha, counsel to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), moved an ex-parte motion for the temporary forfeiture of the money.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the applicant, while Ali was the sole respondent in the motion ex-parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1846/2024.

The motion, dated December 20 and filed on December 24, was jointly submitted by the ICPC and the Department of State Service (DSS).

The motion sought an order of the court temporarily forfeiting $49,700.00, “recovered from one Dr. Nura Ali during a search operation by the federal government of Nigeria as property suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities”.

The motion also requested an order directing the applicant, through the ICPC and the DSS, to jointly conduct a thorough preliminary investigation into Ali’s alleged unlawful activities concerning the movable property and submit a report to the court within 90 days.

It also sought an order directing the applicant to deposit the $49,700.00 in an escrow account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and to publish a notice in a national newspaper inviting persons, whether human, juristic, or artificial, with an interest in the money to show cause why it should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

The applicant stated that the victims of the alleged crime were the federal government of Nigeria and taxpayers, including judges across the country.

“The alleged movable property of $49,700.00 was bribe money received by Dr. Nura Ali when he was the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Sokoto state,” the motion reads.

“The alleged movable property is not the legitimate earning of Dr. Ali as INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner.

“The alleged movable property is suspected to be proceeds of crime.”

The applicant argued that INEC does not pay its staff salaries in US dollars, noting that the purpose of the application was to preserve the property from dissipation.

The applicant added that interested persons, including the alleged owner, would have the opportunity to provide a legitimate explanation for the property.

“Where cogent and verifiable explanations exist as to how the property was acquired, devoid of crime, the alleged owner or any other person with a proprietary interest in the property will be allowed unrestricted possession of the property,” the application stated.

E.O. Akponimisingha, who appeared for the applicant, told the court that the motion ex-parte sought four orders.

He prayed the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

He said a search was conducted at Ali’s residence in Kano, where $49,700 was retrieved.

He alleged that Ali had disclosed in an extra-judicial statement to the DSS that $150,000 was gifted to him by the former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, and Aliyu Wamakko, a serving senator.

The lawyer stated that Ali had written a letter to the DSS seeking the return of the money.

An affidavit supporting the motion ex-parte, deposed to by Iliya Markus, a litigation officer with the ICPC, said the secret service acted on intelligence reports about alleged bribes received by Ali from stakeholders, including politicians, during his tenure as INEC REC in Sokoto.

He confirmed that the residence was searched pursuant to a warrant, during which $49,700 was recovered.

“A copy of the search warrant is hereby attached and marked as Exhibit DSS 1,” he said.

The affidavit stated that Ali failed to report the alleged $49,700 gift to law enforcement, as required by law, and that he had previously written letters requesting the return of the money.

“Copies of the said letters are hereby attached and marked as Exhibits DSS 3 and 4, respectively,” the affidavit reads.

Markus noted that the investigation is ongoing, necessitating the 90-day application.

Nwite deemed the application meritorious and consequently granted the prayers.

The judge adjourned the matter until January 30 for a compliance report on the publication in the media and until March 31 for a further hearing.

[TheCable]

People’s journey in life differs for fundamental reasons. First, every individual has specific God-given responsibilities to fulfill in the land of the living, and for that reason, they are imbued with fitting characteristics with which they would navigate the jungle of life where they exist. Second, humans have a body of history of which they are usually unaware but become players in the sustenance or resistance of the same history. For illustration, people come to life from a family with a special history, and ahead of them is a permanent mandate to make their mark in building or destroying such history so that people who would come from them would not face unwarranted complications that can endanger them.

Such is the complexity of the human world in which everyone would shape their own life. Professor Badejo falls within the category of individuals who boldly face the reality of their world and decide henceforth that rather than be mere observers in the unraveling of their existence, and they would become an active determinant that shapes, write, and inscribe their names on the sand of time. The activity of struggling to acquire education during the youthful time is mostly undertaken by courageous individuals, not because it was actually a hard thing to enroll for academic work but because on the shoulders of every schoolgoer is the responsibility to channel their energies to change the tides of their people and become a compass of their collective aspirations. In essence, it was not enough to attend school as everyone would want; you needed to make something critical out of it.

Badejo’s acquisition of political and legal education was the foundation of his intellectual evolution, becoming the basis of his cognitive development while simultaneously exposing him to the rubrics and universal ideals of the human world. The sage became conscious of his responsibility to operationalize his initiatives that would transform society, and that was the turning point of his sagacious disposition to everything.

The first indicator of his awareness lies in his decision to become a teacher. It is not an exaggeration to argue that teachers are the shapers of human society, literally because they are given the responsibility to develop the collective cognition of their environment to trigger the minds of their students to become useful and helpful. This professor became a teacher, and his quality intellect during that exercise can be measured by the number of people he has nurtured. Many people today are a testament to his exemplary teaching qualities and how his skillful delivery of educational insights has become a constant source of energy renewal. But this does not tell the whole of his story.

Unbeknownst to many, Badejo started his early work as a productive researcher. He has been able to gather important data that are used in a number of educational departments, and I cannot emphasize enough how this has inspired some level of changes in the human world. No wonder that his intellectual significance stretches further to the conflict management arena. It was during his time as a learner of law that he added this feather to his cap.

When you examine the aggressiveness of his intellectual production, especially one that can be accessed in his writing and publications, one cannot but concede that he remains an outstanding individual in whatever he does. I have the honor to inform the public that no one can overemphasize Badejo’s contributions to decoloniality and decolonization. I need to remind you that this intellectual engagement is a dedication to the course of cognitive remodeling and freedom away from the shackles of ideological contraption that Africans have found themselves in for ages.

Badejo thus understands that the first duty towards the reclamation of lost African values is to re-engineer their cognition, which has become a trans-generational victim of self-defeatist teachings that have altogether weakened their ability to progress in whatever form. In one beautiful piece of work, this talented professor emphasizes how deeply ingrained the contamination of African knowledge content has spread across different domains of their existence. For example, political ideologies that are projected in Africa have no particular co-referentiality with their social and cultural systems, and it is important that when such contradictions occur, it would be very difficult for the attainment of progress. Therefore, it is just a logical decision that such irreconcilable political ideologies be dumped entirely, and where that is impossible, perhaps because people are deeply immersed in it, it should be radically recalibrated to accommodate the things that are peculiar to the people. This is a testament to his extraordinary intelligence.

No wonder, in his work, “Situating Democracy…,” Badejo explains the rubrics of the term, revealing that democracy is only “beautiful” when it reflects the nuances of a people. He insists that democratic governments could be dangerous to themselves and the people over which they govern on the occasion that they do not contain and internalize ideals in the local community. If a people collectively decide that this is the form of democratic policy and governance that they wanted, it would be an affront to their human rights to negate their position if they are not self-destructive or immolative. After all, the fundamental definition of democracy is that it comes from the people, and it is meant for them, too. In that case, one cannot but situate democracy within the context of a society so that they can achieve greatness and accomplish their desires as and when due. Although such debates and topics are controversial, one cannot accept that the message in them is golden. I can confidently say this because I am aware that this intellectual has used every available opportunity he grabs to educate people about the affairs of their society and how they can become models and an icon of transformation that the world would look up to. Of course, he has always acknowledged that people’s desire for change and progress is universal, and for that reason, there should be some universal traits to a democratic system. The fact remains, however, that he prioritizes the safety of the people over whom democracy would be used, and this remains a valid argument.

Meanwhile, Badejo has never compromised his callings, serving as the conscience and the consciousness of the masses, for he understands the basic reasons for the perpetual decline of Nigeria’s political and economic value. Badejo has never failed to educate anyone who cares to listen that Nigeria’s democracy’s inability to challenge its contemporaries across the globe is that its custodians are enmeshed in corruption controversies that ordinarily make things difficult to improve in their ordinary national life.

Badejo has educated everyone that corruption thrives in Nigeria because there is a deliberate incarceration of the legal frameworks that would have been the right checks and balances to the system available. He laments the pervasiveness of corruption and how it continually threatens the possibility of genuine transformation in the country.

When Badejo preaches through his work, one cannot particularly conclude who his intended audience is, even when he spells it out. The reason for this is that it is always common that he uses his message in ways that would reveal ideas in his determination to capture everything or everyone that is found wanting in a particular allegation. Africa, for example, has been consistently described in very negative terms, especially in relation to its courtship with corruption, and it is no surprise that Badejo addresses the issue in his works.

Despite his dedication to his professional responsibilities to social and political affairs, Professor Badejo has never failed to contribute to human and community development. He has become so instrumental to the growth of the human world that he is recognized for being relentless in helping people regardless of personal cost. In his capacity as a lawyer, he has offered his skills to save people who are wrongly persecuted and used his capacity to bring light to their world. It is particularly enticing that he has offered many of these services pro bono. Apart from offering professional advice and services to people, Badejo has also been very effective in helping to shed light on international issues for people who cannot afford his services and need them.

There is hardly any aspect of life to which he has not had his tentacle of influence spread. As a matter of fact, he has seen the avoidance of conflicts in many African countries by being a mediator, using his experience and expertise to convince parties of the need to embrace dialogue and inclusivity. His ideas have been able to foster peace in many places where he gets to. A man of peace deserves peace.

PS: This is a preliminary piece to celebrate Badejo’s forthcoming 70^th birthday in March 2025.

December in Nigeria is typically associated with end-of-year festivities: corporate parties, funfairs, family gatherings, concerts, and musical performances. Its celebratory nature has become so prominent that Gen-Zs and Millennials coined the term ‘Detty December’ to capture the excitement.

However, this December has not only been “Detty” but tragically unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. For me, this period is heart-wrenching as the year ends on a grim note with the loss of at least 70 lives—many of them children—due to stampedes during poorly organized food and palliative distribution events.

It is deeply unsettling to know that innocent lives, through no fault of their own, were lost in Ibadan (Southwest), Abuja (North Central), and Okija (Southeast). These tragedies stemmed from the failure to properly plan and manage the distribution of aid. Instead of celebrating the season, affected families are left mourning their loved ones.

As someone who has experienced personal loss, detailed in my book “Beyond Loss and Grief: The Story of Kikaose Ebiye-Onyibe”, I empathize with the grieving families. My book, written after the untimely death of my 18 years-old daughter Kikaose in 2017, serves as a guide to coping with loss. I would like to gift a copy to each family affected by these recent tragedies.

The events leading to this tragic December began in Ibadan, where approximately 35 children died while attempting to claim a N5,000 palliative offered by a faith-based organization. This catastrophe, arising from a stampede attributed to inadequate crowd control, marked the beginning of a sorrowful chain of events on 18 december.

Before the nation could process this tragedy, another incident occurred on same day in Abuja, where 10 people lost their lives during a similar scramble for aid organized by another faith-based group. As Nigerians were still reeling from these events, on 21 december, (barely 3 days after the first two) a third disaster unfolded in Okija, Anambra State, where 22 individuals died while trying to receive food from a philanthropic individual.

These heartbreaking incidents highlight a glaring issue: palliative distribution can—and should—be conducted in ways that do not result in tragedy. Instead, what should have been acts of kindness and goodwill ended in sorrow, tears, and blood—a phrase immortalized in the protest song by Fela Kuti condemning military brutality in the 1990s. It is a cruel irony that these recent tragedies echo the sentiment of that song, even though the events were meant to celebrate humanity and compassion.

The reality is disheartening: this December will be remembered not for its festivities but for the needless loss of lives—70 Nigerians whose potential contributions to the nation were cut short. Among them were children who could have grown into the likes of Albert Einstein, but instead, their lives were prematurely ended in a bid to receive aid.

 Philanthropy is as old as human civilization. 

From ancient Athens to the modern day, acts of kindness have been a cornerstone of society. Interestingly, one of the earliest recorded philanthropists was the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, who founded the Pythagorean Society in Croton, Italy, around 530 BC. His organization provided food, shelter, and education to the poor, setting an example of structured and impactful giving. Perhaps, his fame for his mathematical prowess overshadowed his philantropy.

Nigerians have been known to be philantropy as they have always been their brother’s keeper. So, the acts of giving that turned deadly are not the only occasions that the rich has reached out to poor. The Covid-19 pandemic and consequential lockdown and economic meltdown period are typical examples when public spirited Nigerians and organizations showed acts of kindness to the vulnerable by setting up food kitchens to serve the poor. Typically Nigerians even mark their birthdays by opting to share food to the less priviledged in orphanages and public places such as motor parks which are habitats to those living rough.

So, acts of kindness come naturally to most Nigerians. But the snag appear to be the unstructured ways in which the commendable arts of kindness are being displayed resulting in fatalities to the beneficiaries. Remarkably, large corporations such as Dangote Group has been engaging in benevolent activities in Nigeria on grand scales without recording any catastrophe.

This raises an important question: Why can’t Nigeria adopt better-organized methods of distributing palliatives, such as the Dangote Way?

It is perhaps appropriate at this juncture to dwell a bit on philantropy and its effect on society.

The Role of Structured Philanthropy in Preventing Tragedy

Historically, philanthropy has been an integral part of society, especially in aiding the less privileged. Over time, it has also become a way for wealthy individuals and organizations to enhance their public image through the establishment of charitable foundations.

Today, it is not uncommon for ethical investors to prioritize firms or individuals with a demonstrated commitment to societal good. Examples include globally recognized organizations like the Carnegie Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, all of which have established themselves as forces for good worldwide.

In Africa, prominent figures have followed suit. Aliko Dangote, the continent’s richest man and founder of Dangote Refinery, established the Dangote Foundation. Similarly, Tony Elumelu, a successful entrepreneur in the banking and energy sectors, launched the Tony Elumelu Foundation that has Africa wide coverage. These foundations adopt structured and impactful philanthropic models inspired by practices in the industrialized world.

Other Nigerian billionaires, such as Chief Mike Adenuga, owner of Globacom, and Femi Otedola, founder of Geregu Power, are also known for their generosity. While their philanthropic contributions run into billions, their efforts are often less structured. Nonetheless, both Adenuga and Otedola are widely celebrated for their exceptional charity, with Adenuga gaining continental recognition due to Globacom’s footprint across Africa. In fact that is why Mike Adenuga is popularly referred to as the spirit of Africa.

This historical overview underscores that philanthropy, as a concept, is as old as civilization itself. It thrives globally because it is structured and draws on lessons from past experiences. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the lack of organized and professionalized philanthropic efforts often turns acts of goodwill into sources of tragedy rather than joy.

Invariably, the solution lies in adopting proven strategies for planning and execution, as exemplified by organizations like the Dangote Foundation. Recently, the foundation successfully implemented its National Rice Relief Programme, distributing over one million 10kg bags of rice across all 774 local government areas in Nigeria from March to early April 2024. This initiative, valued at N15 billion, was well-organized and garnered widespread praise from Nigerians.

 Comparing this effort to the chaotic and tragic distribution of N5,000 in Ibadan, food sharing in Abuja, and palliatives in Okija highlights the critical role of organization in philanthropy. While Dangote’s large-scale distribution involved meticulous planning and professional execution, the poorly managed events in these other locations led to preventable fatalities.

The success of the Dangote Foundation’s initiative demonstrates that planning and professionalism are non-negotiable in philanthropy. As such, this discourse aims to advocate for legislative action to establish guidelines for philanthropic activities in Nigeria, ensuring that future acts of charity are executed safely and efficiently. It boggles the mind that wedding parties planners/organizers in Nigeria make provision for drivers of the dignitaries by providing vouchers for them to pick up their food to avoid the scramble that could lead to stampede, yet pallitiatves distributors do not deem it to spread their milk of human kindness in any other way than gathering humans together in tight spaces and without taking into account the potential numbers of responders viz-a-viz the items available to give away.

Be that as it may, it is worth noting that stampedes resulting from poorly planned food distribution events are not unique to Nigeria. Similar tragedies have occurred globally:

• Tanzania (2015): A stampede in Dar es Salaam during food distribution led to five deaths.

• South Africa (2013): Two people died in Johannesburg during a stampede at a food center.

• Kenya (2017): A food distribution event in Nairobi resulted in one fatality.

These incidents emphasize the universal need for proper planning and crowd management during such events. By learning from global best practices and enforcing regulations, Nigeria can prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Tragic Lessons from Philanthropy:

The Need for Organized 

Frameworks in Nigeria

Similar to Africa, Asia has also witnessed tragic outcomes during palliative distributions. For instance:

• India (2013): A stampede during a food distribution event in New Delhi resulted in two deaths.

• Pakistan (2014): During Ramadan, a stampede in Karachi claimed two lives.

• Bangladesh (2018): A food distribution event in Dhaka led to one fatality.

In the Middle East, similar incidents have occurred:

• Saudi Arabia (2015): A stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, involving

food and water distribution, resulted in over 2,400 deaths.

• Yemen (2016): A food distribution event in Sana’a left two dead.

Even South America has not been spared:

• Brazil (2013): A stampede during food distribution in Rio de Janeiro led to one

death.

While food distribution stampedes are a global phenomenon, Nigeria’s disproportionate death toll stands out alarmingly. In just three days—December 18 to 21, 2024—three separate stampedes in Ibadan, Okija, and Abuja led to the tragic loss of approximately 70 lives, a stark contrast to the single-digit fatalities seen in other countries.

This glaring disparity points to a lack of organizational planning, risk assessment, and safety measures, rather than poverty alone. For instance, the Dangote Foundation’s National Rice Relief Programme nationwide back in february and Tony Elumelu’s distribution of 1,800 bags of rice in Delta State during the current festive period were conducted safely. Similarly, President Tinubu has distributed palliatives during this festive season and for over 25 years without any loss of life. These examples underscore the importance of meticulous planning and professional execution in avoiding such disasters.

Experts identify common factors leading to stampedes as Overcrowding,Poor crowd control, Insufficient safety measures, and Lack of planning and coordination as well as 

Desperation due to limited resources.

Unfortunately, all these factors were prevalent in the recent Nigerian tragedies. For example, in February 2024, a stampede during rice distribution by the Nigerian Customs Service claimed seven lives after supplies ran out. These incidents highlight the urgent need for better planning and regulations in definitive manner to prevent future tragedies.

Lessons from Global Practices

Globally, permits are often required for events involving large crowds to ensure public safety and order. In the United States, such requirements are rooted in lessons from tragic events like the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Permits serve several purposes:

1. Public Safety: Authorities assess risks and implement measures to prevent accidents.

2. Accountability: Event organizers are held responsible for mishaps.

3. Regulation of Public Spaces: Permits help manage disruptions to normal

activities.

4. Emergency Response: Authorities can prepare for medical, fire, and security needs.

5. Community Input: Residents and businesses are notified and allowed to provide feedback.

6. Legal Framework: Regulations ensure freedom of assembly is exercised responsibly.

Adopting similar frameworks in Nigeria could help prevent the kind of tragedies seen in December 2024. Arising from the above lawmakers must urgently enact laws governing the organization of palliative and food distribution events, mandating professional planning, crowd control measures, and risk assessments.

 A Call to Action

It is unsurprising that the organizers of the recent tragic events in Nigeria did not violate any existing laws, as no regulations currently govern such activities. As such, this lack of oversight highlights the need for urgent legislative intervention to ensure the safety and dignity of future philanthropic efforts.

Therefore, each of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory must develop and codify regulations that reflect local dynamics, ensuring that no charity event becomes a source of mourning. As Napoleon Hill wisely said, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”

The benefit from these tragic events must be a collective resolve to prevent future occurrences. May 2025 be a year of safety, progress, and lessons learned.

Magnus Onyibe, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst, author, democracy advocate, development strategist, alumnus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA, and a former commissioner in the Delta State government (2003–2007),sent this piece from Lagos.

To continue with the dialogue on the matter under reference and more: pls visit www.magnum.ng.

Popular activist and political commentator based in Kaduna, Mahdi Shehu, has been reportedly arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) following allegations related to a misleading video that poses potential risks to national security.

According to a renowned counterinsurgency expert concentrating on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, Shehu was arrested over the weekend after the said video circulated widely on social media, raising alarms regarding its sensitive content.

Naija News reported earlier that the presidency slammed Shehu and accused him of attempting to cause anarchy in Northern Nigeria.

Shehu had recently made several allegations against the federal government about establishing a French military base in Nigeria’s northeast.

He also shared a series of videos claiming to show Nigerian and French troops offloading supplies in a coordinated operation.

Although Shehu promptly removed the video, it had already gone viral across social media platforms.

In a post via X on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, stated that Mahdi Shehu is hell-bent on burning Northern Nigeria with the use of old videos to pass off his allegation.

Dada warned Nigerians to beware of fake news merchants like Shehu.

Mahdi Shehu Is DSS Custody

In a publication, however, on Monday, Makama said Shehu is currently being held in custody in Kaduna and may soon face legal proceedings.

Makama quoted sources to have suggested that the charges pertain to the dissemination of outdated footage that inaccurately implied the Nigerian government was planning to establish a French military base in the North-West region.

He noted that authorities are said to have issued instructions for Shehu’s arraignment while ensuring that his rights are respected during his detention.

Furthermore, it has been highlighted that Shehu has a history of legal troubles, including a previous arrest for attempted extortion, as noted by former Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami.

Shehu’s legal representative argued that the arrest was politically motivated and linked to demands for an investigation into former President Muhammadu Buhari and his associates.

In contrast, Malami’s firm maintained that Shehu was detained for extortion and related offences.

[NaijaNews]