I celebrate you,a living legend and uncommon African icon, Chief (Dr) Olusegun Mathew Okikiola Obasanjo ( OBJ), on your 87th birthday, which took place on March 5,2024.On paper, you are 87,having been bornbon on March 5,1937. But, you have maintained to me and all who cared to listen, again and again, that your age was merely an assumed approximation on paper, because some of your classmates have already died or celebrated their 90th,92nd and 93rd birthdays. I believe the latter more, for it comes straight from the horse's mouth. For example, one of your classmates, Dr Onaolapa Soleye ( born 11th November, 1933),who was former Minister of Finance,just died four days after he turned 90 years. He ha only just been buried.Whatever be the case, whether you are an octogenarian ( in your 80s), or nonagenarian ( in your 90s), no one can dispute your imperishable contributions to the development of the Nigerian nation in particular and the African continent in general. This is why, even as you have lovers and traducers across the world (because of your "My Command",which is "Not (your)My Will"), no one can ignore you and your looming presence. Like the stubborn scar, you have refused to go away. You always leave your marks even after the healing of the sore. So, hate him or love him, you, OBJ, have become a recurring decimal in our national discourse and conversation. You easily stir the hornet's nest with effortless éclat. When you speak, you generate national uproar. You write fiercely,fearlessly and ceaselessly. You still wield your mighty pen in a more menacing and devastating manner than you once wielded the gun when you took over control of the 3rd Marine Commando from Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle during the better-forgotten three years bloody fratricidal Civil War in Nigeria. You had also accepted the mantle of surrender on behalf of Nigeria from General Phillip Effiong who did so on behalf of Biafra at Dodan Barracks, Lagos.This was on 15th January, 1970 (Armed Forces Day),though you told me this was a mere formality as the handover agreement had already earlier been signed some days earlier. For these historic acts, your name had already entered our history books. And for many more positive reasons too.

When you write your usual probing and inquiring letters (an art and pastime for which you have since become accustomed and famous), you cause national ruckus. You ruffle feathers, bruise toes and figuratively draw blood. But, those sitting leaders or rulers that ignored your message in those piercing, intellectually-grounded letters that drip with rare vision and wisdom in their full length, breadth and erudition, and preferred to go for the messenger, rather than the message, had always done so at their own peril.

You were first arrested on the orders of then military dictator, General Sani Abacha on March 13,1995, over a phantom coup attempt. You were initially released on the intervention of ex American President, Jimmy Carter; and again re-arrested in the night of June 13,1995,and taken to an unknown destination. You were tried in company of your military Deputy Head of State, Major General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Col Lawan Gwadabe and Chris Anyanwu, a magazine publisher. You were initially sentenced to death after the phantom coup trials before another panel set up by Abacha reduced the sentence to 3p years, and again to 15 years imprisonment.we in the human rights community picked up the gauntlet, marched, protested and rallied daily on the streets of Lagos and elsewhere. We forced the then military junta led by Gen. Sani Abacha to commute your death sentence to mere imprisonment.You were still serving in Yola Prisons when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar ordered your release.Yar'Adua was not so lucky. He died at Abakaliki prison where he was serving on 8th December, 1997.Little did we, or you ever know, that z a child of destiny and like the phoenix, you would rise once again from your ashes and become President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007. This was after you had emerged Head of State (1976-1979), succeeding then Head of State, General Muritala Mohammed, who was mindlessly slain during the Col Buka Suka Dimka-led military coup on 13th February,1976. Make no mistake about this sir, I was also one of the leading lights who valiantly led the fiery battle of opposition against your third term agenda bid. I had wondered then why you desired to.I spoke piercingly against it at the Niger State Government Lodge where we had gathered to puncture your perceived inordinate ambition for self transmutation and succession. I believe in retrospect now, you would also have been wondering what you had indeed forgotten in Aso Villa that you were going back for, having already etched your name in the sands of time and got elevated into the pantheon of Nigerian heroes in less than 70 years on mother earth.

Two years ago sir, you greatly honoured me by singing my happy birthday song and cutting my birthday cake, assisted by another living nonagenarian legend and quality University education Czar, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, CON, LL.D, at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti ( ABUAD). This was after I had delivered the 10th convocation lecture of this arguably numero uno African University and one of the very 400 leading Universities in the world. I am, very proudly, a Visiting Professor of Law at this great University that just made one of the best results (over 16 First Class and about 69 Second Class Upper Division) at the Nigerian Law School. I was grearly humbled because I had,as a little boy in the sixties,heard about your war time exploits whenever we gathered around a little transistor radio. I was then in St Mary's Primary School in my then little rustic village of Iviukwe, near Agenebode in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

Remain who, whom and what you are sir. Don't ever change, for you are far too old now to change and learn how to become left-handed. Remain OBJ.Continue to play football as you do always. Continue to enjoy another passion of yours- singing and dancing- (even if your vocals fall far short of Nightingale’s, and your shuffles not Michael Jackson's). Continue to do more research and write more books and letters. You have just written a new book titled, "The Art of Leading: Unconventional Wisdom from Biblical Leaders ".

Before this, you had already written tons of books, including the following,perhaps more than any living African leader ever did: My Watch (Vols. 1-3, which is your memoir); Not My Will; Call to Duty; A March of Progress: Collected Speeches of His Excellency Lt. General Olusegun Obansanjo; Forging a Compact IN U.S.-African Relations; Nigeria and International Trade Address; The Head of State’s Broadcast to the Nation, Wednesday, 29th March, 1978, Embodying the Land Use Decree No.6 of 1978; Nzeogwu: An Intimate Portrait of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu; Women of Virtue: Stories of Outstanding Women in the Bible; My Command: An Account of the Nigerian Civil War, 1967 – 1970; Guides to Effective Prayer; The Leadership Challenge of Economic Reforms in Africa; Africa in Perspective: Myths and Realities (The Russell C. Leffingwell Lectures); Africa Embattled: Selected Essays on Contemporary African Development; A New Dawn: A Collection of Speeches of President Olusegun Obasanjo; Hope for Africa: Selected Speeches of Olusegun Obasanjo; The Challenges of Agricultural Production and Food Security in Africa; Work of Earth; Democracy Works: Turning Politics to Africa’s Advantage; Making Africa Work; This Animal Called Man; Addressing Africa’s Youth Employment and Food Security Crisis: The Role of African Agriculture in Job Creation; Constitution for National Integration and Development; Women of Virtue; Africa Through the Eyes of a Patriot; Before It Is Too Late...and the Reactions that Followed; Years of Reconstruction: Selected Foreign Policy Speeches of Olusegun Obasanjo; I See Hope; Hope For Africa; Sermons From Prison; Standing Tall: Selected Speeches of Olusegun Obasanjo; Management in Agriculture and Rural Development: A Practitioner’s View; The Asian Aspiration: Why and How Africa Should Emulate Asia—and What it Should Avoid; Before I Die; Africa, Rise to Challenge: Towards a Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) and more. So,write, write and write. Don't stop. After all, you didn't go back to the University after your presidency in 2007 to bag a Ph.D by thesis for the fun of it. So,you have sharing your thoughts on many issues. Don't stop now.

We are not tired of reading you. We are hungry for more. Remain consistently consistent, blunt and unapologetic about it. Make no mistakes, some surely hate you for this. But, more adore you for it. I am one of them. Because, the truth, especially naked truth, is always very bitter. But truth is about conscience. Like Uthman Dan Fodio once declared, 'Conscience is an open wound; only the truth can heal it". This is why the Holy Bible tells us, "...and thou shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).

Baba, continue to ask the right questions. And where possible, go ahead and question the answers also.

Don't ever drop your humour that makes standup comedians green with envy. Enjoy peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Above all sir, don't die yet. Don't even think about it. Shun death and its monstrous visage with all your heart and soul. Mock it. Grab and hold on to Gen 6:3 (120 years on earth). Nigeria, Africa and indeed the black world still need you and your gargantuan services and contributions.

Happy birthday sir, and many happy returns of the day.

It is well you you, baba. In all, please, OBJ, remain OBJ.

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Foluke Ademokun

(Executive Director, Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation)

Topic: "Investment in Women: Inspire Inclusion"

Date: 9th March, 2024

                         
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Former Nigerian winger, Emmanuel Amuneke has put himself in the running to be the next head coach of the Super Eagles.

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, declared the position vacant on Friday following the expiration of erstwhile handler, Jose Peseiro’s contract.

The NFF requested interested coaches to apply for the top job and also listed the requirements.

“Yes I did [apply to be the next manager],” Amuneke told popular journalist Osazu Obayiwana.

The 53-year-old is one of the leading candidates to take over from Peseiro.

The former Barcelona star has handled the Nigeria U-17 side and Tanzania national team in the past.

The Labour Party presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, alongside the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, were among the dignitaries who attended the Christian wake of the late Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and son.

Naija News recalls that Wigwe, his wife Chizoba, and their eldest son Chizzy, were part of an ill-fated air crash in the US about a month ago.

However, Channels TV reports that the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalyi Fubara, and Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State, were also among those in attendance to pay their final respects before the burial ceremony scheduled for Saturday.

The bodies of the late Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, as well as those of his wife, Chizoba and son, Chizitere, have arrived in Nigeria ahead of their burial.

Naija News understands the remains arrived in Nigeria from the United States of America via the Port Harcourt International Airport on Friday.

The trio, alongside the former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo, lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the United States last month.

The remains of the Wigwes are scheduled for burial on Saturday at Isiokpo, his hometown, in Ikwerre LGA of Rivers State.

The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has approved the appointment of Adebayo Ojeyinka, an Osun indigene, among the 18 new permanent secretaries recently appointed across ministries in the state.

Making this disclosure in a statement on Friday, the spokesperson of the governor, Christian Aburime, detailed that the appointments were based on merit.

Naija News reports that the state government also appointed Joachin Achor from Abia State.

Aburime said that a “rigorous and transparent” procedure, comprising a computerized test, a search procedure, and one-on-one meetings with the governor, was used in making the appointments.

The statement read, “This personalised interaction allowed for a deeper understanding of the candidate’s aspirations, vision, and alignment with the government’s objectives, ensuring a well-rounded evaluation.

“It is imperative to note that historically, the selection of permanent secretaries solely rested with the prerogative of Mr Governor. However, this time, a deliberate shift towards a transparent search process was initiated.

“This change aimed to uphold principles of fairness, equal opportunity, and the identification of the most qualified candidates.

“Even younger, very productive civil servants were appointed based on their exceptional abilities.

“This groundbreaking move by Soludo highlights his commitment to breaking down barriers and promoting inclusivity in Anambra State.

“The appointments of non-indigenes and individuals from other states demonstrate a willingness to tap into talent from all corners of the country, rather than limiting opportunities to only those who hail from Anambra.”

It added that the appointment of Ojeyinka from Osun State is particularly noteworthy as it breaks the traditional practice of reserving top civil service positions for indigenes only.

“This move sends a strong message that Anambra is open to all, irrespective of their state of origin.”

The state government further detailed that the 16 other appointees were all indigenes of Anambra state.

Odoh Eric Ocheme has been revealed as one of the suspects wanted for allegedly forging former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature to effect the disbursement of $6,230,000 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Naija News understands that Ocheme, who served as Emefiele’s personal assistant, is wanted by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Recall that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, testified before a Federal High Court in Abuja that no fund was meant for the payment of foreign election observers.

Mustapha said the apex bank leadership forged the former President’s and his own signatures to process the payment.

Following the development, the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the CBN under the former Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Jim Obazee, swung into action to unravel the payment.

In February, Obazee had asked Interpol to place three suspects on its watchlist over the $6,230,000 payment. The suspects were Ocheme, Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar.

Emefiele was also indicted over the alleged fraudulent payment. He is currently facing a 20-count criminal charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

Ocheme is one of those being investigated over alleged fraud in the apex bank. The EFCC recently declared him, Margaret, Emefiele’s wife, Anita Joy Omoile, and Jonathan Omoile wanted for alleged money laundering.

Profile Of Ocheme

Born on May 16, 1981, in Markudi, Benue state capital, Ocheme studied economics at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Before his tertiary education, he attended ECWA Secondary School in Markurdi.

According to TheCable, Ocheme, an associate of Emefiele, is one of the directors of Ricrem Limited and Beustone Nigeria Limited, which provides services for agricultural production.

The company, which was registered in February 2012, is inactive on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website, which means that the company has not filed its annual returns up to date.

Those listed as directors of the company are Ocheme, Raymond Sunday Odoh, Livingstone Ocheme Onukwue, and Elliott Ocheme Nwandu.

The second company, Beustone, was established on May 5, 2009. It is also inactive on the CAC website. Ocheme, Livingstone Onukwue, Beulah Ali, and Josephine Odoh are listed as directors.

Ocheme married Chinenyeze Ozioma Okoro in February 2021 in Owerri, Imo state.

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The wedding ceremony, which took place at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Irete, Owerri West LGA, was attended by top politicians and personalities, including Emefiele.

State governors committed to new minimum wage – Bala Mohammed

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has insisted on a living wage for workers in the country.
The Congress asked the Federal Government to allow salaries and wages to be commensurate with the cost of living.

President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero said this at the 11th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria yesterday in Abuja.

On Thursday, the NLC presented N709, 000 for consideration as the new national minimum wage at the public hearing for the North Central.

The Trade Union Congress on the other hand presented N447,000 as its proposal for consideration as the new national minimum wage.

The current minimum wage of N30, 000 passed into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari would expire in April this year.

Ajaero lamented that workers have been reduced to beggars because of the economic hardship in the country.

He said: “Food has become so scarce that Nigerians have become scavengers and resorting to raiding food trucks and warehouses for food. If those in government cannot see the danger in what is happening, we see it and must ensure that government fulfills its duties to the people.

“We are increasingly going hungry in our father’s land and cannot continue in this destitution. The greatest unifier and mobiliser of a people is hunger so it insults commonsense when those in government assume that somebody is sponsoring people who are protesting because of hunger.

“If anybody is arousing the people, it is those in government whose policies have impoverished the people and stripped them of those values that make them human beings.

“The looting of food trucks and warehouse is what you get when this happens. Unless something is done, this may unfortunately escalate. We pray it does not.

“Those who therefore think that they can stop us from this divine mission with their threats and violence should think twice. We cannot be cowed. We cannot surrender our natural mandate to powers and agents of poverty and emasculation. We are not after anybody’s job but we must insist that the instruments of governance must be used for the greater good of the people and not to wreck their lives.

“We must insist that any political calculation that does not put the lives of Nigerians first fails abysmally and is totally unacceptable. The people of Nigeria must have to survive first so that Nigeria can survive before we begin to talk about 2027.

“We must all work together to build power with which we can use for successful engagement with those who are in charge of the various corridors of power in our dear nation. Nigerians look up to us and we must not fail them. We in the NLC, which includes your Ag. President and Deputy President of Congress; Comrade Ado Sani Minjibir will always court and cherish your support to build the necessary structures that will make the NLC stronger thus challenge the vicissitudes of the nation’s current socioeconomic realities.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said the government was committed to providing affordable healthcare for Nigerians.

Onyejeocha, who was represented by the Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, Yusuf Mohammed also said the government was committed to providing better welfare packages for health workers.

Acting National President, Medical and Health Workers Union, Kabiru Minjibir said the removal of fuel subsidy has “unleashed hardship on Nigerians.”

Minjibir noted that “anarchy may be looming if nothing practical is urgently done.”

Meanwhile, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has affirmed the commitment of Nigerian governors to effectively implement a new minimum wage for workers.

The governor made the declaration on his verified Facebook page following his participation in a meeting in Yola, convened by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (North-East Zone) yesterday.

“We are collaborating to ensure the smooth implementation of the new minimum wage,” he stated.

The governor further expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his support to state governments and his endeavors to enhance the well-being of all Nigerians.

Nigerian-born British boxer Anthony Joshua showed class once more early Saturday as he recored a brutal second-round knockout victory over his Cameroonian challenger Francis Ngannou.

The highly anticipated heavyweight clash took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and AJ, a Joshua is popularly called, was simply ruthless as he floored his opponent.

Ngannou, the former UFC champion, entered the bout with the aura of his impressive debut against Tyson Fury, but Joshua proved too powerful, solidifying his title aspirations.

Joshua displayed phenomenal power and precision, dismantling Ngannou in a mere two rounds.

Ngannou, who shocked the world by flooring Fury in November before a split-decision defeat, aimed for a repeat against the former two-time heavyweight champion.

The Cameroonian started strong, threatening with his left hook and a looping right.

However, Joshua countered with a devastating straight right in the opening round, sending Ngannou crashing to the canvas.

The second round saw both fighters swinging wildly.

Former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, says that Steven Oronsaye’s report was not presented to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari during his administration.

Shittu was a minister during Buhari’s first term in office between 2015 and 2019..

According to him, the report was not brought to the attention of the Buhari administration, and as such, there was no need for implementation.

He said, “The report had been with the previous government (Jonathan’s) but they didn’t do anything. Nobody brought it to our (Buhari government’s) attention, at least not when I was there. So, the issue never came up for discussion at the Federal Executive Council meeting at all. If nobody brought it and there were no complaints, we didn’t have cause to look at it at all.”

There was controversy over the report since the Federal Government approved the implementation of some of its recommendations to reduce the cost of governance on February 26, about 12 years after it was submitted.

Twenty-nine government agencies are expected to be merged, even as eight parastatals will be subsumed into eight other agencies, even as some Nigerians fear that this may lead to job losses.

The National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Tommy Etim, had warned that job losses amidst the current hardship in the country could lead to mass protests.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, described the report as outdated, advising the Federal Government to ensure that “the crisis of insecurity is not compounded through the retrenchment of hundreds of thousands of workers.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, on Thursday, inaugurated the implementation committee.

Speaking on the matter, Shittu said that civil servants should not be afraid of job losses, adding that only politicians would be affected as the number of appointees would reduce.

“We must avoid or do away with duplication of services because that would increase the cost of governance. When we talk about some people losing jobs, I think that national interest is more important than personal interest, and I don’t see any civil servant losing his job on that,” he stressed.

Also speaking on the matter, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, said implementing the Oronsaye’s report would reduce the excessively complicated administration of ministries, departments, and agencies of government.

Ali said, “One of the things you will find is that there is a lot of inter-agency rivalry. It happens almost everywhere, including in the US. If the report is implemented faithfully, at least we will be out of the problem of rivalry as well as overlapping functions and duties.

“It may not affect the personnel because it will become a larger body. And it will lead to having a leaner government that will be able to manage bureaucracy better. The fact that you are merging A and B does not mean you will dismiss people. It only means that you will have a larger number of people working in the same space.

“If you are talking about the loss of jobs, what will you say with the advent of artificial intelligence and robotics? Should we say people will lose their jobs and not invest in AI, robotics like drones, and others? Anything that will bring progress, we should try to adopt it.”

Negotiations for the release of no fewer than 287 abducted pupils and teachers of the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga 1, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have begun, according to PUNCH report.

A highly placed source in the Kaduna State Government House, who is close to the negotiations but pleaded not to be identified because of security reasons, confided in PUNCH that the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator (names withheld) for the release of the pupils and their teachers.

The private negotiator is a highly influential negotiator who has been involved in negotiating several abductions with bandits in the past.

Bandits had stormed the LEA Primary School, Kuriga, around 8.30am on Thursday shortly after the assembly gathering and abducted the pupils and some staff members of the schools.

It was learnt that the secondary school was relocated to the primary school premises as a result of insecurity in the area.

Governor Uba Sani, who visited the school on Thursday, gave an assurance that the abducted pupils would be rescued unhurt.

Sani while addressing the community members said, “In my capacity as your elected governor, I am assuring you that by the grace of God, all the children will return unhurt.”

However, less than 48 hours after the abduction, which triggered national outrage, an official source said the government had reached out to the bandits for negotiations to release the 287 abducted pupils and the staff members of the school.

The source said, “The military has begun combing the forests in search of the children kidnapped by the bandits. Security agents have cordoned off the area and they have started searching for the abducted pupils.

“The government is doing all it can for the speedy release of the abducted school pupils.

“The government has established contact and reached out to the bandits for negotiation through a popular bandit negotiator. The negotiator was the one who worked for the return of some of the students abducted some years back.

“He (the negotiator) had negotiated the return of so many abductees in the past. He negotiated the return of those students abducted in Katsina State years back.”

Two other government officials confirmed the development to one of our correspondents but insisted on not being identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

They also refused to provide additional information as they insisted that doing so might frustrate the ongoing efforts to secure the victims’ release and put them in harm’s way.

One of them said, “You know this is a highly sensitive issue. I can’t give more information on the negotiations because of the security implications. We don’t want the bandits to harm the pupils and their teachers, and we don’t want to put the lives of the negotiator and the security operatives at risk.

“The only thing I can say is that the Kaduna State Government will do everything humanly possible to secure their release, just as the governor promised on Thursday when he visited the affected community.”

It was gathered that an emergency security meeting was convened by the governor on Friday but details of the discussions were not available to journalists.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the security meeting and said details would be provided later.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu, did not take his calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to him on the development as of the time of going to press.

At least two worshippers were killed during Friday’s prayers at Anguwar Makera in the Kwasakwasa community, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the state.

The incident happened around 2pm on Friday, according to locals in the area.

A community leader, Hudu Kwasakwasa, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits opened fire on the worshipers.

He said the worshippers were in the second raka’at of the Salat prayer when they were attacked, forcing the remaining people to run for their lives.

He added that a few days ago, bandits abducted about nine persons from the Angwar Kanawa community.

Kwasakwasa appealed for help from the authorities concerned, adding that bandits were raiding the communities unchallenged.

The state government and the police command were yet to react to the mosque incident as the PPRO could not be reached on the telephone and had yet to reply to a text message sent to him seeking confirmation as of the time of filing this report.

When Saturday PUNCH established contact with one of the parents of the kidnapped pupils through a Joint Task Force operative, who availed one of our correspondents of the use of his mobile telephone, the traumatised father, who spoke in the Hausa language amid sobs, said, “I never knew I would be in this situation. I heard of things like this, but I never knew I would be a victim.

“What have I done to deserve this? Please I’m not myself. I should die.

“I pray for the governor to fulfil his promise of my son’s release along with the other innocent children, otherwise, we are finished.”

The JTF source informed Saturday PUNCH that the villagers saw over 100 bandits conveying the pupils on motorcycles.

This claim was also corroborated by a community leader, Alhaji Idris Abdurra’uf.

According to Abdurra’uf, a community leader from Birnin-Gwari, a neighbouring community to Kuriga, residents of the community are fleeing the area for fear that the bandits may return.

Abdurra’uf, who expressed concern over the latest incident, added that Kuriga was the same community where a school principal, Idris Abusufyan, was killed and his wife and two children abducted about three weeks ago and were still being held hostage by the bandits.

He also disclosed that residents of Doka village, which the terrorists used as a pathway to Zamfara State, said they spotted scores of the bandits on motorbikes carrying the abducted pupils.

The community leader told Saturday PUNCH that the residents were yet to ascertain the number of the abducted pupils abandoned by the terrorists on their way to Zamfara State.

According to him, as of Thursday night, they were told that some of the abandoned schoolchildren had been evacuated to Birnin-Gwari “and after profiling, we’ll be able to know how many students were abandoned and they would be reunited with their parents.”

He added that the situation at Kuriga was tense even before the latest abduction of the pupils, noting, “Most residents have evacuated their families and they have become Internally Displaced Persons, some in Birnin-Gwari and others in nearby Igawa.

“Kuriga village, which is not more than 26 kilometers from Birnin-Gwari town in the Chukun Local Government Area, is situated along the Kaduna Birnin-Gwari highway.

“The village is not far from the terrorists’ enclave in Manini, which is the gateway to Niger State through River Kaduna; the terrorists from Zamfara pass through that place to Manini to Alawa and Shawara in Niger State.

“Three weeks before the abduction of the pupils, the terrorists had killed the principal of the Government Secondary School Kuriga around 4am, while his wife and two children were abducted. The wife and children are still in captivity.

“The secondary school was the first structure you would see on the road when you are coming from Kaduna before you enter Kuriga, but because of the proximity to Manini (six kilometres), the school was relocated to the main town of Kuriga where the primary school is also situated; that was why when the terrorists struck, they took away pupils of both the primary and the secondary schools.”

Abdurra’uf added, “As it is now, we’re yet to ascertain the number of the primary school pupils the terrorists abandoned on their way to Zamfara. Yesterday night (Thursday), some of the locals in Doka, which is also the root of the terrorists in Zamfara, said that they saw over 100 motorbikes carrying the kidnapped students.

“As of last night, we were told that some of the abandoned schoolchildren of Kuriga were evacuated to Birnin-Gwari, and after profiling, we’ll be able to know how many students were abandoned and they’ll be reunited with their parents.

“We gathered that 220 students from both the primary and secondary schools were abducted.

“The situation in that town was highly tense even before the kidnapping of the students. Most people have evacuated their families and they’ve become IDPS; some are in Birnin-Gwari and others are in nearby Igawa, which is also a town on the Kaduna highway, and Buruku close to the Kaduna International Airport, all in the Chikun Local Government Area.”

The abductors of the over 200 IDPs from the Ngala camp, Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State have not contacted the families of the abductees for ransom.

Immediately after the report of the abduction, the state government sent a fact-finding team led by the Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Barkindo Saidu, to the Nigeria-Chad border town.

Saidu told newsmen in Maiduguri on Friday, “No abductor has up to this moment called for any ransom on the abductees.

“We don’t even believe that they were abducted. If they were abducted, the abductors would have by now called for ransom; but nobody has called anybody for any ransom yet.”

The DG argued that the IDPs probably lost their way back home from wherever they went in the bush, adding that some of them had already returned to the camp.

“Already, the IDPs, who could trace their way back home, are trickling back home. Even when I returned to Maiduguri from there yesterday (Thursday), I was called and told that two of the so-called abductees had found their way back to the camp,” he added.

The military refused to say anything other than the initial assurance by the spokesman for the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Ajemusu Jingina, on Wednesday that troops, with the help of the air component of Operation Hadin Kai, had been despatched for search-and-rescue operation for the abductees.