The Federal Government has vowed to probe allegations of coordinated oil bunkering scheme and multibillion-naira contract-splitting fraud levelled against the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, made this known in a press statement released Friday by his spokesman, Henshaw Ogubike.

Naija News understands that Ogalla is facing allegations of impropriety on many fronts since his clandestine dealings came to light, details of which had reached top levels of the chain of command and on the verge of being brought to the notice of President Bola Tinubu.

According to Peoples Gazette, Ogalla was accused to have repeatedly offered the protection of the Nigerian Navy to oil thieves since he took office.

Additionally, the news platform reveal a concerted effort to stifle inquiries into vessels suspected of trafficking stolen crude oil, further tarnishing the integrity of his nascent leadership as well as a violation of the Procurement Act 2007 by splitting navy arms procurement into 30 contracts awarded to a single firm in November 2023.

Ogalla was also said to have refused to approve transfer of naval officers found culpable of several unprofessional conducts to the dismay of other members of the navy brass and disciplinary unit.

But according to Matawalle, the allegations levelled against Ogalla are serious, adding that the government is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The statement added: “In the light of the allegations, we assure the public that the ministry of defence will collaborate fully with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

“It is our collective responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people in the institutions that safeguard our nation’s security. We call for patience as the investigative process unfolds and trusts that justice will be served in accordance with the rule of law.’’

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said President Bola Tinubu should be recognised by the Guinness World Records for “causing Nigerians the most hardship.”

Recall that Tinubu had recently bragged that he deserved to be included in the Guinness World Records over his performances in the country since he assumed office.

Speaking in a recent interview with Vanguard, the former Governor of Anambra State said Nigerians are really suffering because the reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration are not achieving what they are meant to achieve.

He said, “He (Tinubu) may actually be correct when he claims that his name deserves to be in the Guinness World Records. Don’t forget that people’s names don’t always make it into the Guinness World Records for only altruistic reasons.

“So, it depends on which angle he is coming from. If the idea is to put his name in the Guinness Book of Records for causing Nigerians the most hardship – untold hardship, of course he is spot on and I will totally agree with him because his reforms are not achieving what they are meant to achieve.”

Obi added that he had put the 2023 general elections behind him already and he was now focusing on governance and real issues.

He stated that the biggest lesson from the 2023 general elections is the fact that Nigerians are actually committed to good governance and not as complacent as people thought they were.

The former governor noted that Nigerians on the streets could judge the performance of Tinubu so far since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

He added: “Well, for me, the biggest lesson (from the 2023 general elections) is the fact that Nigerians are actually committed to good governance. They are not as complacent as people thought they were because they, especially the youths, were actually committed to doing the right thing. That is why they came out in their numbers to participate in the elections.

“The second lesson is the realisation that the leaders, most people in the elite class are not actually interested in good governance because you can classify the electoral umpire as part of the elite class, the government, all of us are not prepared to do the right thing because if the elites are prepared to do the right thing, the result or the outcome of the election would have been different.

“But for me the elections have come and gone and I don’t want to talk about the issue of the 2023 elections again. It has come and gone and I am done with it. What I am talking about now are issues of governance because the average Nigerian today is talking about the Nigeria of today, and the Nigeria of tomorrow. That is what is important.”

Speaking on how he rates the government so far, he said, “That is really a question for the generality of Nigerians to answer. Ask the average Nigerian how he is faring today. The truth is that we have many more Nigerians thrown into poverty, millions of Nigerians don’t know where the next meal will come from. Nobody is sure what the price of a cup of rice, garri or a loaf of bread will be tomorrow. So, it is Nigerians that you should ask the question.

“It is not a question for me to answer. It is not something I alone will tell you. Ask Nigerians, the masses out there on the streets of Nigeria and you will get a feel of what they are going through. But I know that the situation is critical.”

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Mr. Gbenga Omotosho (Commissioner of Information and Strategy)

Topic: "Proposed Construction of 4th Mainland Bridge in Lagos"

Date: 27th January, 2024                    

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92877141732?pwd=VEJWb29OL2VVekZUTHRpdWYxK0xxZz09

Meeting ID: 928 7714 1732

Passcode: 600206

A man, Aminu Ibrahim, who is alleged to be the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ward chairman for Birnin Yero Ward in the Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara State, has been arrested by the Nigerian Military for alleged weapons smuggling.

Naija News understands Ibrahim was arrested alongside two other men by Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadarin.

Information gathered from PRNigeria has it that the suspected chairman and his accomplices, namely Musa Usman Seun and Isah Mohammed, were arrested on Monday., 22nd January at Shinkafi.

The source quoted by the platform stated that the sum of two million, five hundred and eighty thousand naira, 1 Volkswagen Wagon, 3 mobile phones and other items were recovered from the suspects after their arrest.

The money recovered from the suspects was said to be part of the planned fund for the purchase of weapons at Ilela border in Sokoto State.

The matter is currently under investigation.

According to the source, “The troops of the Joint Task Force North West Operation HADARIN acting on a credible intelligence on activities of a notorious gunrunner with intentions to smuggle arms into Zamfara state, troops immediately set up a roadblock and apprehended 3 suspected persons.

“The 3 suspects namely Musa Usman Seun, Aminu Ibrahim, and Isah Mohammed were arrested recently at Shinkafi on 22 January 2024 and the sum of Two Million Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira, 1 Volkswagen Wagon, 3 mobile phones and other items were recovered from the suspects.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that the huge sum of money recovered from the suspects was for exchange of Assorted weapons at the Illela border in Sokoto state. The suspects are undergoing further interrogation”.

Cameroon Forward, Faris Moumbagna insists the Indomitable Lions are fired up for their Round of 16 clash against Nigeria.

Rigobert Song’s side has endured an underwhelming start to their campaign at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The four-time champions managed to qualify from their group, recording one win and two draws.
The Indomitable Lions will need to improve on their performance to stand any chance of beating the Super Eagles.

Moumbagna claimed that the team is in a positive mood going into the game with their perennial rivals.

“We prepared well, the atmosphere was good in the group. We are going to stay in the same state of mind and continue to give the best of us,” the Olympic Marseille star told a press conference in Abidjan.

” We are going to approach this match with 200% effort. We are going to give everything on the pitch like we did against Gambia, we are not going to give up”.

Saturday’s encounter is billed for the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan. It will start at 9pm Nigeria time.

[DailyPost]

• Overrides governor’s veto on four bills 
• You were caught in crossfire, Fubara tells returning pro-Wike commissioners 
• Rivers elders/leaders forum, others hail gov on S’Court victory

Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly appear to have returned to the trenches in their battle of wits with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The House yesterday passed a bill stripping the governor of power to appoint caretaker committees for the local government areas.

The bill – The Rivers Local Government Amendment Law – was one of the four passed by the House to override the governor’s veto of the same earlier passed to him for assent.

The assembly’s action came on a day the governor swore in the nine pro-Wike commissioners, who had resigned their appointments in the heat of the crisis between the governor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.

Fubara, in a veiled reference to the circumstances that triggered the resignation of the commissioners, said they were caught in cross fire.

Other bills passed yesterday by the assembly in defiance of the governor’s veto were the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Amendment Law; the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State Owned Property Prohibition Repeal Law and the Rivers State Funds Management and Financial Autonomy Law.

One other implication of the Local Government Amendment Law is that the state has to conduct local government election at the expiration of the three-year tenure of the current officials in the next two months.

Martins Wachukwu, Special Adviser on Media to Speaker Martin Amaewhule, said the House, at its 99th Legislative Sitting, bypassed the assent of the governor to the four bills following a letter from the governor justifying why he failed to sign the bills.

The governor, in the letter read on the floor of the House, argued that such amendments would create confusion and breach constitutional provisions.

However, the Speaker, citing Section 100(5) of the 1999 amended Constitution, said the House was empowered to override the governor in the event of the governor withholding assent.

The Speaker then put the issue before the House for members to vote.

Twenty-four of them, more than two-thirds majority, unanimously voted that the bills should become laws without Fubara’s assent.

The section says “where the Governor withholds assent and the bill is again passed by a two-thirds majority, the bill shall become a law and the assent of the Governor shall not be required.”

Amaewhule said the reasons adduced by the governor for withholding assent on the Local Government Amendment Bill were anticipatory and tailored towards creating a situation that would make holding election in the state impracticable.

“The key thing here is that this law removes the power of the Governor to appoint caretaker committee chairmen for the local governments. The governor is not happy that we’re removing his powers to appoint caretaker chairmen,” he said.

Amaewhule described the amendment to the Rivers State Traditional Rulers’ Law as innocuous and wondered why the governor declined assent.

He said the law was amended to include a resolution of the House in the recognition, de-recognition or suspension of traditional rulers in the state to curb arbitrariness.

On the repeal of the Rivers State Advertisement and Use of State-owned Property (Prohibition) Law No. 7 of 2022, the Speaker said that the House decided to repeal the law to avoid financially overburdening the people of the state or impeding their  access to the use of state-owned facilities and regretted that the governor withheld assent to such people-oriented bills.

He said that the House would continue to strengthen democratic institutions and ethos in the state and instructed the Clerk of the House to ensure that copies of all the laws were transmitted to relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

You were caught in cross fire, Fubara tells returnee commissioners

Regardless of the development in the State Assembly, Fubara swore in the nine loyalists of Wike who had resigned as commissioners in the heat of the crisis.

Their re-instatement was part of the agreement reached at the Abuja peace talks brokered between the Fubara and Wike sides by President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking at the event yesterday, Fubara told them he had nothing against them and asked them to engage in activities that would make them to be positively remembered by posterity.

Observing that they had already read the charge as contained in their oath of office, Fubara in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Boniface Onyedi, enjoined them to uphold and defend the state’s laws.

He said: “I wish you well in your coming back. Stand for justice and stand for the interests of our dear state. That is the purpose of your appointment, and that is the truth.

“I can see how heavy your hearts are. But I assure you that I don’t have anything against anyone of you. You were caught in between during the crossfire.

“I will advise that you give your best. Like I said the first time, let this state and posterity remember you for what is good.”

With the inauguration of the returnee commissioners, it was observed that the governor had almost fulfilled the resolutions contained in the peace accord apart from an item which required him to re-present the Rivers 2024 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly led by Speaker  Amaewhule.

Let’s forego our differences to develop Rivers, says Fubara

Also yesterday, Fubara, in a broadcast following his electoral victory at the Supreme Court, urged all stakeholders in the state to put aside their differences and unite to develop the state.

He told the people to expect accelerated growth and development of the state following an end to the legal battles challenging his election.

The litigation experience, he said, was a tortuous journey that had validated the choice and confirmed the mandate freely given to him by the electorate.

He said: “It is with great joy and total deference to the Almighty God that I address you after a tortuous legal journey following the governorship election in our state.

“It is with great nostalgia I reflect on your trust and the absolute confidence you bestowed on us on that fateful March 18, 2023 when you gave us your mandate.

“Even with that overwhelming support, we had to go through litigation to validate your choice and confirmation of your mandate to us.

“We are deeply elated by the verdict of the Supreme Court of our dear nation, which has finally affirmed our victory. I owe this victory not to my efforts or our ingenuity, but to God and to you the good people of Rivers State.”

Fubara also thanked President Bola Tinubu for playing the role of a father in Rivers, all Rivers leaders and well-meaning people of the state.

The governor said the Supreme Court judgment was an immeasurable energizer to accelerate governance with utmost sense of commitment for the benefit of Rivers people irrespective of political persuasion or ethnic affiliation.

He said: “In this regard, what is important to us is the accelerated growth and development of our dear state.

“Now that the litigations are over, we call on the opposition political parties in the state to join hands with our government to build the Rivers State of our dreams.

“I extend the olive branch to my contenders and all others who went through the hog and or who withdrew their cases for the love of the state.

“I believe we are all Rivers people and by virtue of that brotherhood, let us therefore put aside our differences and bond together to build one indivisible and greater Rivers State that posterity will remember us for.”

Rivers Elders/Leaders Forum, others hail him

The Rivers State Elders/Leaders Forum congratulated the governor on his victory and asked for the support of the people for him.

The forum in an eight-point communique hailed the apex court for “this excellent timeout determination of the electoral matters in Rivers State.”

It said: “The judgment has calmed the outstanding political tension in the state and indeed the Niger Delta.

“In this contest, there is no victor, no vanquished. All we crave for at this forum is the sanctity of the laws of the country and the Rule of Law.

“This judgment lays to rest the era of strong men, but protects and encourages strong and viable institutions.”

The Leader of Oyibo chapter of “Activate Sim”, a socio-political group in the state, Dr. Gift Okere, said the victory of Governor Fubara would engender development in the state.

Okere, while reacting on the judgment, reiterated the commitment of Oyibo people to continue in their support for all the programmes and activities of Governor Fubara, and called on every member of the state to throw their weights behind the Governor in the interest of the state.

“For us in Oyibo, the victory means a victory for Nigeria, democracy and Rivers State, particularly the progressive minded people of the state,” he said.

 On his part, a rights activist and Convener Rivers Peace Initiative, Obinna Ebodigi, said the judgment marked a pivotal moment for the state, and urged parties to adopt the no-victor-no-vanquished option for peace and unity of the state.

He said: “Indeed the unfortunate activities of the last few weeks have left our state tensed and sharply polarized many Rivers people along party and ethic lines as have never been seen in our shared history.

“But as we navigate through the decision of the apex court today, it is important that we unite in a shared commitment to peace, understanding, and collective pursuit of justice for all.”

[TheNation]

Tracka, BudgIT’s platform for monitoring service delivery, has alleged that the Minister of Works, David Umahi disbursed a total of N9.3 billion from the Federal Ministry of Works to FIMS Microfinance Bank Ltd, an apparent violation of the 2007 Public Procurement Act. 

According to Tracka, the payment was made between June and December 2023 for 62 projects, including the construction of road projects across the country, amongst others. 

Providing complete details of the transactions in its publication seen by Nairametrics, the projects include the payment of N1.4 billion construction of Yaba-Yangoje Road in the FCT, the payment of N1.2 billion for the rehabilitation of a 2km road from Oriawo-boroboro-oke-medina School of Science Road in Atiba, Oyo state as well the payment of N1.2 billion for the rehabilitation of Ejule-otukpo Road in Benue State, among others  

The report claimed:  

• “Some of these projects, as revealed on the Govspend platform, include the payment of N1.4 billion in September 2023 for the construction of Yaba-Yangoje road in the Federal Capital Territory; the payment of N1.2 billion in October 2023 for the rehabilitation of a 2km road from Oriawo-boroboro-oke-medina school of sci. road in Atiba, Oyo state; the payment of N1.2 billion in October 2023 for the rehabilitation of Kosoboawe junction road in Oyo East LGA in Oyo state; and the payment of N1.2 billion between August and November 2023 for the rehabilitation of Ejule-otukpo road in Benue State; to mention a few.” 

Violation of the Public Procurement Acts 

The 2007 public procurement Acts (as amended) specifically section 16 (6) (a) (i), (iii), and (iv) as they state that: All bidders in addition to requirements contained in any solicitation documents shall (a) possess the necessary: (i) professional and technical.  

Qualifications to carry out particular procurements; (ii) financial capability; (iii) equipment and other relevant infrastructure; (iv) shall have adequate personnel to perform the obligations of the procurement contracts. 

The disbursement, therefore, raises legality concerns, as FIMS Microfinance Bank Ltd is not recognized as an institution providing construction services within the country. 

The report stated,  

• “According to its mission statement and information on its website, FIMS Microfinance Bank Ltd. Was incorporated on December 11, 2009, to conduct microfinance businesses/services with a certificate of incorporation number RC 858800. 
• “As a financial institution, the award of road construction contracts amongst others to this company is a violation of the Public Procurement Act 2007, specifically s.16 (6) (a) (i), (iii), and (iv) as they state that: All bidders in addition to qualifications to carry out particular procurements; (ii) financial capability; (iii) equipment and other relevant infrastructure; (iv) shall have adequate personnel to perform the obligations of the procurement contracts.”  

More Insights  

• According to BudgIT, Umahi has been sent a request to respond to the accusation.  
• The report also noted that they urged “Bureau of Public Procurement to review the transactions for violations of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and met out appropriate sanctions for breaches where identified.”  
• Furthermore, the organization called on anti-graft agencies, namely the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate these payments thoroughly and prosecute any officers found guilty. 
• “We call on the anti-graft agencies—the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC—to question and probe these payments and prosecute the erring officers,” the report added. 

[Nairametrics]

•5th columnist, terror financiers deep in it
•How top Military men who tried to expose financiers of terrorists were eliminated
•Boko Haram financiers known by FG – Retired Military personnel

Insecurity in Nigeria has become an issue of grave concern to every Nigerian, with each passing day introducing new methods, more daring approaches and brazen displays of flagrant disregard for constituted authority, by violent non-state actors.

More worrisome is the continued spread of terrorism accentuated by the role of terror financiers.
Findings by Saturday Vanguard have revealed how some top Military officers who attempted to fight terrorists holistically were allegedly killed under questionable circumstances or had their plans botched.

Former CDS Badeh

One of them was the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, who served under former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, between 2014 and 2015 .

His vehicle was attacked on the evening of Tuesday, December 18, 2018 by gunmen on the Keffi- Abuja expressway, while returning from his farm.

Though two principal suspects who were linked to his murder, said he was killed during a robbery operation, revelations by his close lieutenants revealed that he was killed because he threatened to open a can of worms on activities of some government officials sponsoring terrorists in Nigeria.

Why he was killed

It would be recalled that while in office as CDS , in October 2014, terrorists briefly occupied his hometown in Vimtim, Adamawa State and killed one of his cousins who lived next door to his house. His house was burnt, including the hospital he built in memory of his late mother, for the community.

Irked by the terrorists’ effrontery, Saturday Vanguard was reliably informed that the General took some of his trusted lieutenants on a covert operation in Maiduguri.

Military sources said during the operation which lasted some days, he ran into some top government officials “as they were coming out of a meeting with Boko Haram Commanders, in the Nigerian Army underground Armory which was seized by Boko Haram.

“He exercised restraint and ordered us not to shoot. He took pictures of the scene which he never released to the government when he retired in July 2015, two months after Buhari assumed office as President..

Threat to expose sponsors

He was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on the directive of Buhari, over alleged misconduct established against some retired and serving officers in the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army , of which late Badeh was included.

Sources alleged that Badeh’s inclusion was orchestrated by some government officials who got wind of the picture he took during the covert operation in Maiduguri. Sources further stated that he was never given the go-ahead to arrest or investigate those he saw with Boko Haram Commanders.

Sources said, “ Do you know he was assassinated because he threatened to expose government officials sponsoring terrorists in Nigeria? He threatened he would expose them at the next hearing in court. Before you knew it ,boom! He was assassinated.

“Till date , the only thing Nigerians were made to understand was that he was killed by robbers. If a whole General could be killed that way , then who is safe?

Fani Kayode’s view

In a press statement released by former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Badeh’s demise, he disclosed that it happened one month after the former CDS raised the alarm that two hooded men tried to break into his Asokoro house.

Part of the statement read: “ He knew many of the government’s excesses and secrets, he worked quietly against them from behind the scenes and, by his numerous actions and interventions, he saved the lives of many of his Middle Belt people.

“First it was Rear Admiral Daniel Ikoli, the Fleet Commander of the Western Naval Command, who reports suggest was conducting an investigation into secret arms sales to Boko Haram, that was assassinated.

“Then it was ex-Military Intelligence Chief and the former Director of Administration of Defence Headquarters, General Alkali, who was privy to a lot of damning information, that was assassinated.

“Then it was the ex-Chief of Defence Staff under whose leadership Boko Haram was annihilated, Air Vice Marshal Alex Badeh, that has been assassinated.

“All three of these worthy and noble warriors and sons of Nigeria were murdered in the last one year (2017-2018) and all three had quite a story to tell about what was really going on in certain circles in our country! I urge our people to ponder on this and to think, think and think again! ”, the statement read.

Botched attempt to end Boko Haram

These suspected financiers were reportedly responsible for the most botched attempt to address insurgency at its early stage during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure in office.

He did not mince words when he admitted during a church service at the National Ecumenical Centre as part of the annual Armed Forces remembrance day celebrations, that members of the extremist Boko Haram sect had succeeded in infiltrating his government and planting its members in government agencies and security outfits.

Western Military intervention frustrated

Sources disclosed that at that time, one of the Western countries’ Military which volunteered to help the Jonathan’s government annihilate terrorists, left in anger , after its planned operation was leaked to terrorists.

Saturday Vanguard learned that a meeting between some selected government officials, top Military officers and the foreign Military was held, after which a survey of the Sambisa forest was conducted to map out strategy on how to get the terrorists .

A retired General in the Nigerian Army who claimed to be privy of the information expressed shock that what was supposed to be a top secret operation was leaked to the terrorists.

The General who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “ After the survey of the Sambisa forest, the plan was to use ‘ humane warfare’ which involved the use of sleeping gas to stun everyone in the forest, capture them alive , separate abducted victims from the terrorists and take detailed profile of the terrorists to ascertain the exact terrorist group they belong .

“But to everyone’s amazement, on the day of the operation, when the drones were flown to the forest , all the terrorists were discovered to be wearing respirator masks! The foreign Military left in anger. To date, no one knows how the terrorists got wind of the sting operation, which some top Military officers weren’t privy to.

Sabotage

Between 2011 and 2014, some military hardware reportedly procured were alleged to be below standard . Sources revealed that the difficulty to procure weapons outside the country that would match those of the terrorists was attributed to hindrances from financiers of terrorists.

Even in the face of the war then, soldiers were killed like chickens due to the limited and unsophisticated weapons that could not match those of the enemies then.

Fifth columnist in Military

The Military is aware there are saboteurs from within its ranks, who connive with the terrorists by leaking operational road-maps and strategies to the insurgents which resulted in soldiers being ambushed and killed by terrorists.

These saboteurs as gathered willfully donate arms and ammunition, including armoured personnel carriers, APC to terrorists.

Just last year , a Nigerian Army Lance Corporal and instructor with the Nigerian Army Special Forces in Geidam, Yobe State, identified simply as Jubrin, committed suicide after he was exposed as a Boko Haram agent and collaborator.

An army intelligence unit was reported to have tracked Jibrin, who disappeared from his duty post to Gashua , where he was seen among the Boko Haram terrorists who had earlier attacked Geidam town, in Yobe community.

Similarly, another soldier was arrested with 162 rounds of 7.62 mm Special, 60 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO and IED materials concealed in a travelling bag without a valid Identity Card. Preliminary investigation further led to the recovery of one AK47 rifle, three empty magazines and one magazine loaded with 10 f 7.62 mm Special.

In other instances, two Nigerian soldiers, Sergeant Alhaji Oloche (05NA/56/1435) and Lance Corporal Namo Daniel (09NA/62/1097) attached to the Operation Yaki security outfit in Kaduna State, were arrested in March 2022 for alleged kidnapping.

Another soldier attached to Headquarters 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, PTE Danladi Hadau (20NA/79/4219), was arrested along with two vigilantes identified as Mustapha Kasim and Ibrahim Mohammed for collaborating with bandits. In this case, they were arrested while attempting to collect ransom around Dumbi Dutse Road, in Zaria, Kaduna State , after orchestrating the abduction of a resident of Dorayi village in the Zaria Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Lawal Ahmed on March 3, 2022.

The immediate past Chief of Defense Staff , Gen Lucky Irabor, who expressed outrage over activities of such fifth columnists, revealed an increase in cases of aiding and abetting by personnel, in various Theatres of Operations, TOO, in a letter to Field and Operational Commanders of troops, titled, “Need to Educate Personnel on the Implications of Collaborating with the Enemy” and signed by Commodore CE Orji.
The arrests of these personnel are indicative of insider action that has continued to aid the adversary, pertinently with immediate or potential impact on Military operations.

Way forward

To end the senseless killings of Nigerians by terrorists , many senior security agents are of the view that the Federal Government should muster the political will to fish out financiers of terrorists , be they serving government officials or not.

One of such views was shared by former General Officer Commanding ,GOC 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Danjuma Ali-Keffi (rtd),in a recent interview , where he disclosed how he was arrested, detained and compulsorily retired, following the revelations of a presidential investigative task force he headed that exposed the involvement of senior government officials, a top banker, and top military brass in terrorism financing

He was quoted to say ”A syndicate, which had an extensive network in the country as well as being affiliated to an international criminal network, was at the centre of moving finances for terrorism for other criminal activities.

”The most worrisome aspect was that some of the individuals involved in terrorism financing of Boko Haram terrorists and who were also involved in procurement and movement of arms and ammunition for BH and other criminal organisations had links with the military.

“It was, thus, apparent that terrorism and insurgency in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central were a criminal enterprise and were largely undertaken with profit rather than any ideology, as the primary motive.

“Thus, we at the BOI arrived at the obvious conclusion that progress cannot be achieved except the financiers, collaborators, supporters and the leadership of the terrorists and insurgents groups are identified and the network dismantled”.

Government knows terror financiers

The notion that terror financiers are allegedly in government circles is not news to the Military and other security agents.

In 2021, Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi(rtd) while barring his mind on insurgents attacks on the Nigerian Defence Academy,NDA during an interview with a television station, stated categorically that the fight against insurgency was beyond security agencies,

Like Ali-Keffi, he revealed that the centre of gravity of Boko Haram and insurgency in Nigeria were sponsors of the programme!

According to the retired operational Commander who served in the Military Intelligence for 35 years, ”When you have a problem at policy level, what you need to do is to identify the centre of gravity.

“If the President is changing Service Chiefs and buying Tocando, it is not the solution because it is not kinetic. The centre of gravity is what they should look at and that is the sponsors of Boko Haram.

“ When I worked with the DSS in 2007, I was surprised at the tremendous amount of information they had.

They had so much information about what I am talking about. If a fish is going to get spoiled, it must start from the head.

“It has to do with politics, the sponsors. Therefore 10 percent or 20 percent of casualty is allowed to achieve the end game

The end game for them is to just turn the country into a Taliban country. It is a mindset and anything goes.

The problem is not about the terrorists and bandits but the sponsors of Boko Haram are the problems.

“The defense headquarters can’t do anything about that because it lies within the policy strategic level. When they have a policy problem they can’t go beyond their masters. The Defense headquarters can’t conduct any operations that are not sanctioned by the Chief of Armed Forces. This government (previous government ) does not want to solve this problem ,they are escalating it because of tribal issues.

“The INTERPOL has a list of those sponsoring terrorists . The government of Dubai has a list of those people. During the trial of those people that were caught, names were mentioned.

“The government also told us they have arrested 400 sponsors of Boko Haram. Why won’t they try those people and bring peace and harmony to this country”, he asked.

Frustrations

Some security agents who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the condition of anonymity said on several occasions , suggestions by committees set up by previous governments to end the war against insurgency were watered down due to counter opinions by those suspected to be sponsors of terrorists.

One of the suggestions as gathered was for the Federal Government to procure Blimps.

By the way , blimps are like airships used by the Military for various purposes such as surveillance, communication and transportation.

Sources said, “This equipment can fly some distance. They are used in Afghanistan and Kenya. This would have helped us with intelligence to know where these terrorists are, how they operate and where they go after their operations. This will help us in our operation.But till date, there had been no procurement”
A serving senior officer in one of the security agencies also expressed worry over the difficulty faced by heads of security agencies in the fight against terrorists.

He said, “ Most times when you journalists write, we laugh and shake our heads in pity because most Nigerians are bereft of the true position of things.

“ We are putting in our best to bring this fight to an end. But some saboteurs are frustrating our efforts, by working against decisions that would help tackle the menace. And if anyone acts otherwise , he will be taken off the lane. As it is, our hands are weakened”.

Those who spoke with Saturday Vanguard unanimously stated that except President Bola Tinubu musters the political will to fight this menace by fishing out terror financiers in Nigeria, his administration may end up like previous ones, with increasing killings of innocent and helpless Nigerians

When my uncle called me over the weekend, he had no time for the customary conversational courtesies that typically preceded our phone chats. He was agitated and wanted to know straight away why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wanted to relocate Nigeria’s federal capital back to Lagos.

His questions were pregnant with anger, befuddlement, and a presumption of the truth of his claim. Unfortunately, he is not alone. The notion that Tinubu, the Fourth Republic’s first Lagos State governor and power behind all subsequent governors in the state, wants to strip Abuja of its federal capital status and make Lagos the effective administrative nucleus of Nigeria is gaining wild currency in Muslim northern Nigeria. 

The immediate sparks for the “back-to-Lagos” apprehensions in the North are, of course, the decisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria to move some of its departments to Lagos and of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development’s resolve to relocate the headquarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos.

Before the CBN’s policy became public knowledge, a northerner who works at the CBN had confided in me on January 11 that CBN governor Olayemi Cardoso had concluded plans to move the key departments of the Central Bank— or, as he called it, “the entire banking system”— back to Lagos. 

The key departments Cardoso wanted to move to Lagos, he said, were the Banking Supervision Department (BSD), the Other Financial Institutions Supervision Department (OFISD), the Consumer Protection Department (CPD), the Payment Systems Management Department (PSMD), and the Financial Policy and Regulations Department (FPRD).

“When you move all these departments and many more to come to Lagos,” he lamented, Abuja would become CBN headquarters in name only. Lagos would essentially return to being the real CBN headquarters. What was even more bothersome, he added, was the fact that “they are using one of us, the Deputy Governor Corporate Services Bala Bello” to emasculate the CBN headquarters in Abuja.

He shared this with me at a time when I was deluged with work and didn’t have the time to independently verify his claims—or to examine the merit of his worries. Two days later, the story appeared on the Abuja-based, digital-native Daily Nigerian, which has been instrumentalized to serve as grist to the conspiracy mills in the North.

This wasn’t helped by the fact that five days after the Daily Nigerian story came out and before the outrage in the North had blown over, FAAN announced the relocation of its headquarters back to Lagos. These twin events conspired to construct a semblance of intentional, Tinubu-backed first steps in an ultimate, long-hatched ditch-Abuja-for-Lagos scheme in the minds of some Northerners.

As I told my uncle, it’s legally impossible in a democratic setting to move Nigeria’s capital from Abuja back to Lagos. There is no provision of the constitution or the Federal Capital Territory Act for an option to change Abuja as the federal capital territory. Unless Nigeria disintegrates, Abuja will be the perpetual federal capital.

So, talk of sneaky designs by Tinubu to return Nigeria’s capital to Lagos is no more than a silly, idle conspiratorial whisper.

To be honest, I’ve tried really hard to inhabit the minds of some of our people who sense an anti-northern animus as the impetus for the relocation of certain core departments of the CBN to Lagos—or for the return of FAAN headquarters to Lagos.

Apart from the unwelcome disruption to family cohesion that the transfer of workers, especially married workers, from Abuja to Lagos would represent, I haven’t seen anything remotely anti-North in the policy. 

The CBN has almost zero symbolic, political, cultural, or even economic significance to the North. Plus, Lagos is Nigeria’s de facto commercial capital and the headquarters of most banks. It makes sense that the core operational units of the CBN should be there.

The return of FAAN to Lagos is an even more straightforward case. It was always in Lagos until former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika moved it to Abuja. There didn’t seem to be any operational reasons to justify the move since Lagos is the nucleus of Nigeria’s aviation. 

In any case, there is no legal requirement that all government agencies and departments must be headquartered in Abuja. That is why, as Senator Shehu Sani pointed out on Twitter, the National Examination Council (NECO) is headquartered in Minna, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) is headquartered in Kaduna, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is headquartered in Port Harcourt, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is headquartered in Lagos, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is headquartered in Lokoja, etc. 

However, it would be unwise to dismiss with a wave of the hand the anxieties of people who are troubled by what appears, at least on the surface, to be a systematic, carefully planned administrative and political denudation of Abuja which, while a federal territory that equally belongs to all Nigerians, is located in the North.

 It is particularly disappointing that the president’s spokesperson slurred all sceptics and critics of the back-to-Lagos moves as “mischief-makers,” “political opponents,” and “dishonest ethnic and regional champions.” That’s unwarranted and unhelpful bellicosity which, in addition, has no basis in facts.

It’s true, of course, that the people who started and amplified news of the relocation of some departments of the CBN to Lagos are northern workers, or benefactors of northern workers, at the CBN who do not want to move to Lagos. It is they who successfully elevated their personal discomfort to the status of a collective regional slight.  

For example, in a January 26 Twitter post, one Adamu Hayatu whom I’ve been told is an ally of Muhammad Sani “Dattijo” Abdullahi, one of the CBN’s deputy governors, claimed that “Senator [Ali] Ndume is angry [that some departments of the CBN are moving to Lagos] because his daughter in Consumer Protection Department is moving to Lagos. Her Husband and another guy who is also married to his Second Daughter are all working in CBN. So much for fighting for the North!”

If this information is accurate, it’s consistent with my initial suspicion. This is a personal fight masquerading as a regional battle. Nonetheless, there are at least two other reasons that fuel the fire of regional angst in the North about Tinubu’s moves.

One, Tinubu has been a profoundly provincial president whose insularity is outrivaled only by the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua. Just like Yar’adua was elected a Nigerian president but was in reality a Katsina governor in Abuja, Tinubu is also, so far, a Nigerian president only in name. His mindset is still that of the governor of Lagos.

With a few notable (and in some cases unavoidable) exceptions, Tinubu’s government is largely the re-enactment of his time as the governor of Lagos. It is, for all practical purposes, an unabashed Lagos-centric Yorubacracy. To be fair, though, with the possible exception of Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, all civilian regimes since 1999 have been insular ethnocracies. 

So, it’s not unreasonable to nurse anxieties about a regional agenda when a Lagos-centric president appoints as Central Bank governor a Lagos native (who was the president’s Economic Planning and Budget commissioner when he was the governor of Lagos State) whose first major priority is to relocate central units of the CBN back to his hometown amid runaway inflation and an inexorably relentless slide in the value of the naira.

It doesn’t matter what the merit of the policy is. People are justified to read meanings into it. Had a president or a CBN governor with a different profile from Tinubu or Cardoso done this, it probably wouldn’t have been amenable to regional weaponization by disgruntled workers.

Second, although Tinubu got most of his votes from the Muslim North, there is a growing, if uninformed, unease in the region that his governance is being guided by a 53-page August 2011 Yoruba regional script. Written by the Afenifere Renewal Group, a breakaway faction of Afenifere that is associated with Tinubu, the document is titled “Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN)” and advances strategies to fast track the development of Yorubaland. More than 20 Northerners have shared the document with me in the last one week.

However, it appears that Northerners who think the document is some sinister roadmap to dominate and subdue other parts of the country haven’t really read it. It’s actually a forward-looking roadmap to regenerate Yorubaland. I think every region should have a similar blueprint for its uplift.

I searched the document for evidence that the group recommended the stripping of Abuja of substantive power or for the relocation of Nigeria’s capital to Lagos. I found none. The closest thing to this that the document said about Lagos was, “The Southwest states, in particular Lagos should take ownership and lead advocacy and execution of the FSS 2020 objective of Lagos as an International Financial Centre (IFC).” (p. 24). There is nothing ominous about that. 

Unfortunately, feelings, not evidence, drive narratives. 

Is the Non-Aligned Movement still around? Is the organisation still in existence? That was the weighty question Professor Ikechukwu Okoro, a visually impaired Nigerian and Iowa State University don, slammed on me the moment I informed him of my mission in Kampala, Uganda.

Professor Okoro and I had met on our way to Addis-Ababa, me en route Kampala and he, Atlanta, in the United States. It wasn’t as if the issue he raised had not previously crossed my mind, but I did not bother much about it since I was headed for the NAM conference anyway until I encountered the sharp and witty Professor Okoro. He then got me thinking about the question of importance and relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement in today’s global power structure and politics. Indeed, only an unwary observer or naive student of global politics would have missed the seeming emptiness about NAM.

Established in 1961, the group of countries in NAM had espoused non-alignment with either the Eastern bloc or Western bloc, opting for a middle ground and avoiding being part of the cold war. It was during the cold war era. The objectives of NAM then were cooperation, neutrality and self-determination. The cold war was an ideological conflict between the Western and Eastern blocs, which began shortly after the end of World War II in 1945.  It was a conflict over which political-economic system, West’s Capitalist system or Communism of the Eastern bloc- was supreme and more beneficial to countries around the world. However, the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of the cold war. With the end of the cold war, where is the relevance of the Non-Aligned Movement? Where is the place of NAM, one may ask, echoing Prof. Okoro.

The answer soon emerged as the 19th summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Non-Aligned Movement officially opened on January 19, 2024 when the leaders began delivering their national statements.

NAM offers the biggest gathering of countries, second only to the United Nations. Currently, 120 nations are members of the Non-Aligned Movement with another 18 nations as observers. Most African and Asian countries belong to NAM with others from Americas and Caribbean, Pacific and even Europe.

This organisation with such a strong and extensive membership is a veritable platform to be used to galvanize support for any issue or crusade, against the backdrop of the diverse challenges facing the world, including health pandemics, threats to international peace and security, climate change, terrorism and cyberspace attacks, conflict and wars like those between Russia and Ukraine and the on going wanton killings in Palestine by Israel over Gaza. It is a platform to be engaged for its capacity to galvanise concerted action on major global issues. Such is the significance of NAM that apart from the many heads of state and governments that attended this year’s summit, it had in attendance among other global dignitaries, United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and President of UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis.

Two summits actually held in Kampala about within same week. NAM summit ended on January 20 while the Third South Summit of the Group of 77 and China was convened from January 21 to 22. It’s a case of two conferences, similar agenda, and one venue –  Speke Resort & Convention Center, Munyonyo, Uganda, some 15 minutes drive from capital Kampala. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu was represented at the two summits by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. With Vice President Kashim Shettima in Davos, Switzerland attending the World Economic Summit, Senator Bagudu was tapped to lead the Federal Government delegation. In the delegation, among others, were Dr. Lanre Adekanye, a director in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and this writer. Minister Bagudu is profound, focused and committed to Nigeria’s economic development. He is very strong on issues of global finance and financing mechanisms. This deep understanding of the pressing global economic issues and dynamics of world finance and politics was evident enough in the way and manner he canvassed Nigeria’s position at the two summits, no wonder his presentation at NAM summit was greeted by a thunderous applause.

The highpoint of Nigeria’s presentation at NAM summit is the demand for equitable access to capital for developing countries. President Tinubu said such would provide the much-needed resources for development, adding, however, that the developing world was not seeking sympathy or begging for aid, but fair and equal opportunity.

Quoting President Tinubu, Senator Bagudu said: “The population of the 120 countries that make up the Non-Aligned Movement is 4.63 billion, which is more than half of the world’s population, yet the total financial resources available to all the countries is much less than that of some countries.

The total budgetary resources for the 120 countries are about $3.4 trillion, which is less than the budget of the United States, and aggregate public debt of $6.6 trillion.”

These startling statistics, according to him, are a clear indication that the Non-Aligned countries suffer from a lack of access to capital and resources for development. “More often than not, public debt available to developing countries is far more expensive and not substantial enough to make an impact.”

In consonance with the theme of the summit, which is “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence,” the Nigerian leader called for greater collaboration among member-states of NAM to be able to address the multidimensional challenges facing them including inequality in access to capital.

The theme of the summit, bore relevance with respect to the current trend of wars, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, threat of use of nuclear weapons and the dangerous polarization between developed countries similar to the era of cold war, President Tinubu pointed out.

“In this regard, we must recommit to the foundational principles of Non-Aligned Movement to better assure of global peace and security,” the minister stated on behalf of the Nigerian leader.

In the speech, President Tinubu also lent Nigeria’s voice to NAM’s Member States’ common position, condemning the present wanton destruction of lives and properties in the State of Palestine, which has assumed a critical dimension.

“Nigeria supports and reiterates call for an immediate durable and sustained humanitarian truce in that region. Many lives, including women and children, have been lost since the commencement of the crisis between the States of Israel of Palestine with so many displaced.

“The daily increase of displaced persons and shortage of humanitarian supplies due to impeded access have greatly impacted on the people, exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe in the region and increased civilian casualties,” he added.

He urged the parties in the conflict to uphold the fundamental values of international humanitarian law, which places premium on ensuring civilians’ safety and wellbeing.

At the Third South Summit of G77 and China, President Tinubu also put the same vital issue of capital on the front burner, advocating a review of global tax system, saying redressing the imbalance in the international tax regime had become imperative.

“The current international tax systems, largely shaped by the interests of more affluent nations, often leave developing countries at a disadvantage, especially in taxing digital economies. This systemic imbalance has led to significant revenue losses, hampering our efforts towards sustainable development and economic self-reliance,” the Minister of Budget posited, quoting the President.

On the sidelines of the two summits, Senator Bagudu had bilateral talks with leaders of delegation of several countries including those of Singapore and Venezuela during which they canvassed issues of mutual interests and the need to scale up relations between these countries and Nigeria.

In all the interactions, Minister Bagudu made a strong case for the countries to come and invest in the country, saying Nigeria is open and ready for business given the business-friendly policies and actions of President Tinubu.

Nigeria employed the NAM global stage to ventilate and garner global support for the matter of equal access to capital, which is dear to President Tinubu’s heart. Indeed, for the Nigerian President, the battle to secure equitable finance for the developing world, the Global South, is gradually emerging a major crusade, a global project if you like. It’s something akin to the struggle for reparations for Africa embarked upon then by the late business mogul and winner of the annulled June 12 presidential election in Nigeria, Chief MKO Abiola. Is the struggle for equitable access to capital for all nations a valuable and laudable project? Yes, I think so!

-Rahman is a Senior Presidential Aide