•Kidnappers move from expressways to Lagos, Ogun, Abuja city centres

•Abductors kill two young victims, demand N700m ransom for nine others

The scourge of abductions which has strangulated social and economic activities in the North-West has spread nationwide as bandits and other criminal elements have moved their operations into the major cities across the country.

The hoodlums, who hitherto operated on highways and in rural communities, have in recent times escalated their attacks on residents of Lagos, Abuja, and other urban centres.

The killing of four abducted victims from the Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutsen-Alhaji area, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, ignited a groundswell of anger on Monday, as the bandits who kidnapped seven family members demanded N700m for their release.

The hoodlums had Friday killed Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of Biological Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, over alleged delay in providing the ransom, generating a firestorm of anger across the country and on social media.

As of Monday night, the remaining five sisters, including Najeebah, a 500-level Quantity Surveying student, and Nadherah, a 300-level Zoology student, are still in captivity.

The siblings were kidnapped alongside their father, Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, from their home at Zuma 1, on the outskirts of Bwari town in Abuja on January 11.

The captors had released Al-Kadriyar, asking him to pay N60m ransom for the release of his daughters.

It was learnt that the bandits later raised the ransom to N100m for each captive which they insisted must be paid by Wednesday.

However, in a bid to secure the release of the hostages, the Al-Kadriyar family sought financial support from Nigerians.

The bandits also murdered in cold blood 13-year-old Folashade Ariyo abducted alongside her mother and three siblings.

Two unidentified hostages were also killed by the blood-thirsty criminals and their bodies were dumped around a former military checkpoint behind Idah junction along the Bwari-Jere SCC Road in the Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Reports said Folashade had been buried on Sunday while her mother and siblings were still with their captors.

13-year-old killed

Meanwhile, the bereaved father, Oladosu Ariyo, has pleaded with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association to intervene in the rescue of his family members facing death threats.

Ariyo’s appeal was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user known as @kcuzoka, who said that the message was copied from a lawyers’ WhatsApp group platform.

In the shared post, on Monday night, Ariyo stated that he was a lawyer, and narrated that the kidnappers killed his 13-year-old daughter, despite having raised N7m out of the N60m they demanded, through the donation of friends and family, which the kidnappers had refused to collect.

He added that the kidnappers were threatening to kill his wife and his three remaining children, who were minors and were still in captivity while calling for the intervention of the NBA.

The post read, “Dear seniors & colleagues, most respectfully, I’m Oladosu Folorunso Ariyo, a lawyer working in Abuja. On Sunday evening the 7th of January 2024, around 7:30 pm, a band of kidnappers dressed in full military camon invaded my home located at Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, Abuja.

“They kidnapped my wife (who is also a lawyer) & our four children. The kidnappers called and demanded 60-million-naira ransom, out of which through generous donations from friends and family, I’ve been able to raise the sum of several million naira which they have vehemently refused to collect.

‘’As of today they’ve, killed my first born Michelle Ariyo (age 13) and dumped her corpse on Kaduna Road while threatening to kill my three remaining children (who are all minors) and wife, who are still in captivity. Please and please sir, I urgently need the intervention of the NBA. When will these kidnappings end, when will the government pretend to be serious about this insecurity in our country? God help us all.”

Meanwhile, no fewer than 9,754 were killed while there were 4,049 abduction cases across the country between January and December 2023.

This is according to the 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, an Abuja-based security risk management and intelligence consulting company.

Also, no fewer than 10 passengers travelling along Ette – Umuopu Enugu-Ezike Road in the Igbo Eze North Local Government area of Enugu State were kidnapped on December 15, 2023.

On December 12, a total of 23 residents in the Dei-Dei community in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, were similarly abducted while a nursing mother and three children were also taken away by gunmen in Abuja on December on the same day.

About six days later, a musician and band members were kidnapped on December 18.

On September 17, 2023, 19 people were kidnapped in Abuja while gunmen took away 20 residents of Madaki, Manasseh, and Gambo communities in Kuje, Abuja.

About 10 residents of Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi in the Kubwa area of the FCT were also abducted on March 12, 2023.

On January 10, bandits kidnapped a director in the centre for research of the Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State, Malam Bello Janbako.

Janbako who is also a senior lecturer in the department of Islamic Studies of the university was kidnapped in his residence in Damba Gusau, the state capital.

A resident of the area, Nasamu Garba told The PUNCH that, the bandits broke into the residence of Janbako around 2 o’clock in the morning and whisked him away.

Comparison of fatalities in each geopolitical region for the year 2023 showed that the North-East topped the list with 3,412 cases, followed by the North-West zone with 2,290 fatalities; the North-Central with 2,002 fatalities; the South-West recorded 774 fatalities; the South-South recorded 698 fatalities; and the South-East recorded 558.

For the abductions, the North-West recorded 1,728 cases, followed by the North-Central with 1,006 cases; 795 in the North-East; 186 were abducted in the South-South; 169 in the South-West; and 165 in the South-East.

According to an intelligence report released on August 23, 2023, entitled, ‘The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry: Follow the Money,’ by SB Morgan, kidnappers’ activities have spiralled out of control over time.

Between July 2022 and June 2023, 3,620 people were abducted in over 582 kidnapping incidents in the country, with a reported ransom demand of at least N5bn and an actual ransom payment of over N302m, a figure that could be higher due to underreporting, the SB Morgan report says.

Although the report noted that the North-West and North-Central regions exhibited higher-in-kind cases of this abduction, the trend of kidnapping is now shifting to some South-Western states, with Lagos and Ogun states experiencing a similar situation.

Early December 2023, the family of a 13-year-old schoolgirl, Miracle Adereti, called on the police to locate the whereabouts of their daughter, who was kidnapped by an unknown gang in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.

Miracle was said to have been kidnapped while returning from school, and it was gathered that the kidnappers trailed her to school in the morning and waited till the closing period.

The gang, who parked a short distance away from the school premises, thereafter abducted Miracle while she and her sister were walking home.

Another case in Lagos was that of a car dealer popularly known as Ejike Conversion in the Ladipo Spare Parts Market, which occurred in mid-December.

Ejike was said to have been taking an inventory of his newly imported goods in front of his plaza around 12am when some armed men swooped in on him and his workers.

While his workers fled for safety following the sound of gunshots, Ejike was not so lucky as the armed men attacked him, dragged him into their vehicle, and drove off.

Lagos businessman

In a similar development, a yet-to-be-identified businessman was allegedly kidnapped in early January in the Ago Palace area of the state while the kidnappers demanded a sum of N500m.

A project architect, Daario Naharis, while narrating his experience on Wednesday via his X handle (formerly Twitter), said he was almost abducted in the area in November where the abductors blocked his vehicle while in motion.

He wrote, “I had this experience firsthand last month in this same Ago. I was coming home around midnight when some guys with 2.4 Camry blocked me on the motion. I bashed into their back bumper, alighted immediately, considering the way they drove, and bolted away, seeing four doors opening in an instant.

“My saving grace was that I was riding on a heavier vehicle as the impact devastated them. Before they could reconcile it, I decided in a nanosecond and crossed to the other road. If they were just robbers, they would have ransacked or taken the vehicle along.

 “I have never dared to speak about my experience that day except seeing this tweet. I never knew what made me go into them with such speed, which turned out to have saved me in that situation. Those guys were properly armed and casual.”

Meanwhile, in the Ijebu area of Ogun State, there was a report of an abduction of a 70-year-old piggery farmer and elder with a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, simply identified as Pa Adeife Ifelaja.

The aged man was kidnapped at his residence on December 31st while preparing for a Crossover service to usher in the new year.

His abductors also held him captive for nine days and demanded N50m ransom.

Also, no fewer than 10 passengers travelling along Ette – Umuopu Enugu-Ezike Road in the Igbo Eze North local government area of Enugu State, Southeast, were reportedly kidnapped on December 15, 2023.

On December 2, 2023, gunmen abducted a Catholic priest, Kingsley Eze, alongside his driver in Imo State.

On January 8, 2023, men armed with AK-47 rifles kidnapped more than 30 people from a train station in Edo State.

The police said in a statement that armed herdsmen attacked Tom Ikimi station as passengers awaited a train to Warri, an oil hub in nearby Delta state.

Gunmen also killed eight people and abducted at least 60 others in two communities in Zamfara State on September 24, 2023, according to Reuters.

On August 23, 2023, a group of 42 peasant women were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu urged security agencies to intensify their efforts in rescuing five sisters still held hostage by kidnappers and to address the cases of kidnappings altogether.

“I implore our security agencies to intensify their efforts in addressing the pressing matter of kidnappings and insecurity in our nation. The safety and swift return of the Al-Kadriyar sisters and others in captivity should be our paramount concern,” said Mrs Tinubu in a personally signed statement on Monday.

First Lady pleads

In her statement, the first lady said, “It is with a heavy heart that I acknowledge the devastating loss of Nabeeha and extend my deepest condolences to her grieving family.

“In difficult moments like this, I urge the nation to join in fervent prayers for the safe return of these girls. Let us hold the families close to our hearts in prayers.

“To the parents, especially mothers, I appeal for intensified prayers for our children and for peace to prevail in our beloved country. May the Almighty God comfort the Al-Kadriyar family for their loss and may God bring the other children back home safely.”

Reacting to the kidnapping trend, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the just-concluded election, Atiku Abubakar, decried the long reign of the bandits and kidnappers’ horrific activities.

Atiku added that the worsening poverty and hunger in the land are contributing to the insecurity menace in the country, particularly Abuja, FCT.

“The escalating violence and lawlessness in our nation deeply distress me as bandits and kidnappers continue their reign of terror unchecked.

Our youths and innocent citizens are being murdered daily. Just last Saturday, we lost Nabeeha to her captors. Yesterday, the tragedy deepened with the murder of more victims, including Folorunsho Ariyo, a 13-year-old student. Folorunsho was one of ten people kidnapped from Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutse, Bwari Area Council of the FCT, on January 7th, 2024.

“It is obvious that the worsening poverty and hunger in the land is escalating the level of kidnapping and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in Abuja, the federal capital,” he wrote on his verified Facebook page.

The former Vice-President further extended his condolence to the deceased families while urging the Federal Government to fulfil its constitutional obligations of protecting the lives and property of citizens.

Meanwhile, efforts made by our correspondent to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and Lagos police spokesperson to react to the spike in cases of kidnappings across the major cities were abortive.

They failed to respond to several messages seeking their comment on the efforts being made to address the situation.

Commenting on the epidemic of abduction in the FCT, the Chairman, of the NBA Bwari FCT chapter, Paul Dauda, urged the government to tackle the issue of insecurity confronting the nation’s capital.

He said, “It is a pity that this is happening because the warning signs were there. They say they have been working and averted different attacks but the current situation in my jurisdiction is alarming. I have reached out to the Minister, he said he has set up a joint task force. Anything that must be done must be done fast because we do not sleep at night. “

A security expert, Chidi Omeje, knocked the government and security agencies for keeping silent amidst the rising cases of insecurity especially in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The issue of kidnapping in this country is just incredible. People who travel by road are in fear. The government does not seem to understand that there is an issue.

“I am perplexed because every day there is a kidnapping incident in one state or the other.

“We have the NSA, Service Chiefs, Police, and NSCDC and they are doing nothing to address the situation. The Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike is more interested travelling to Rivers State for rallies and campaigns. Nigerians are traumatised. People cannot travel safely. It is unfair.’’

He advised the government to “prioritise security because, without security, Nigeria has nothing.”

 The Chief Executive Officer, YouthHub, Rotimi Olawale, said, “The FCT is not only affected by the kidnapping incidents. It has spread to neighbouring states such as Niger, Kaduna, and Benue among others. If not properly handled, the ugly incident will spread to more states.

“The security agencies need to deploy intelligence to deal with this issue. If the kidnappers know that they will not go scot-free once apprehended, the criminal acts will reduce. They need to always act swiftly whenever the need arises.”

 The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani said nothing changed since the Tinubu administration came on board.

He said, “Comparing between the Buhari and administration and this, what has changed? Nothing. Bandits and terrorists are still very active. Abuja is becoming unsafe, even under Buhari we did not have the mass abductions witnessed in Abuja of late what can you say has changed? Let nobody deceive himself that there has been progress made so far. The government has to redouble its efforts.

Speaking on the security crisis, the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Intel, and security expert, Dr Kabir Adamu, advised the federal and state governments to collaborate in dominating the forested and other ungoverned spaces, which the gunmen use as safe havens and to keep their victims.

 He added, “Individuals and corporate organisations must understand threats and the inherent risks; a necessary prerequisite for adopting the appropriate risk treatment. As security threats are transient, the approach should be dynamic and forward-looking.”

[Punch]

The six governors of the south south region will meet in Benin City, Edo state on Thursday 18th January 2023 under the auspices of the BRACED Commission.

The meeting will be chaired by the chairman of the BRACED Commission Governors Council, H.E Mr. Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State and it is expected to be attended by the newly elected governors of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa lbom, Cross River, and Delta states along with their commissioners of economic development and Planning.

This first meeting of the south south governors will focus on how to revive and strengthen the BRACED Commission and the regions aspiration for collective regional development and integration.

The idea of the BRACED was the outcome of the first south south economic summit held in Calabar in 2009 and the Commission was created thereafter to drive the region's aspirations of a sustainable a regional economy strong enough to provide employment and prosperity for the people of the region and one that is is globally competitive.

The meeting will also discuss issues pertaining to the security of the region and how to effectively entrench its knowledge sharing and peer review mechanism. A communique is expected to be issued after the meeting.

Scores of passengers have been reported missing when a passenger boat with about 100 persons on board capsized in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The Disaster Officer, Borgu LGA in the state, Mallam Musa Said, disclosed that five bodies have so far been recovered while search and rescue operations were still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

The Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba Arah, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, saying that the number of deaths and survivors were yet to be established.

He said the boat took off from Dugga Mashaya in Dugga ward, Borgu LGA heading to Wara market in Kebbi State with passengers estimated to be around a hundred in number and goods, such as grains and sugar cane.

Arah said, “NASEMA has received a report of a boat mishap that occurred at Borgu LGA. The incident happened this afternoon, Monday 15th January 2024, at about 2:05pm.

“No clear information about deaths and survivors yet. Meanwhile, search and rescue operations are ongoing by the local divers, NSEMA desk officers, and local government officials. Updates will be forwarded as they are received.”

However unconfirmed sources attributed the incident to waves of the river and overloading.

Niger State has experienced several boat mishaps in the last few months that claimed several lives.

The latest incident was in November 2023 in Shiroro LGA where no fewer than 10 lives were lost.

Organizers of Anthony Joshua V Francis Ngannou’s heavyweight boxing clash have confirmed that the bout will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 8.

The Anthony Joshua V Francis Ngannou bout will take place on a Friday to avoid a clash with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which is set to take place in Jeddah on Saturday, March 9.

A few weeks ago, 34-year-old Joshua, was downplaying his desire to fight Ngannou, who is known to be a former UFC champion. However, after Joseph Parker defeated Deontay Wilder, the Nigerian-born British boxer changed his focus to the Cameroonian boxer.

Joshua is also looking forward to competing for the IBF title if it becomes vacant following the undisputed fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, hence, his bout with Ngannou is a step to achieving that.

Ngannou is a significant underdog against the two-time heavyweight champion of the world. However, Joshua chose to fight the Cameroonian-born American fighter instead of Parker to minimize the risk of losing according to most boxing pundits.

Aside from that, the Anthony Joshua V Francis Ngannou bout is seen as a bigger way to end the “Riyadh Season” which started last summer.

Recall that the 37-year-old former UFC champion didn’t make his professional boxing debut until October when he faced Tyson Fury and lost by a close margin.

The boxing world was shocked last year when Fury, who had never lost a bout, was knocked down by a left hook from the Cameroonian.

The 35-year-old British fighter, Fury, will take on Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk on February 17 in an attempt to become the first heavyweight champion to win all boxing titles undefeated since 1999.

Note that the 36-year-old Usyk is the current WBA, WBO, and IBF champion; while Fury is the WBC champion.

Victor Osimhen and Alhassan Yusuf were not involved in training as the Super Eagles began preparation for Thursday’s heavy clash against hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that although the duo turned up for the training, they were barred from participating in the exercise.

Yusuf sustained an injury in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, but no one knew the nature or extent of the injury that got Osimhen off the training.

But OC Nice of France striker, Terem Moffi, was sighted in a tedious training while Leicester City of England striker, Kelechi Iheanacho also took part to give Jose Peseiro options in the attack.

The Super Eagles will take on the host, Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire on Thursday at the Stade Olympique Alassan Ouattara Stadium.

The Media Officer of the team, Babafemi Raji, however, confirmed that their withdrawal from training on Monday was only a precautionary measure.

The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has been named the winner of the Fifa Best Men’s Coach at the award ceremony held in London on Monday, January 15.

Pep Guardiola won the award ahead of Filippo Inzaghi who led Inter Milan to the final of the UEFA Champions League during the 2022-2023 season, and Luciano Spalletti who led Napoli to win the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years last season.

Note that Inzaghi is currently the manager of Salernitana in Italian Serie A and Spalletti is currently the head coach of Italy national team.

Pep Guardiola won the award ahead of the aforementioned managers after leading Manchester City to win the historic treble – Champions League, Premier League, and the FA Cup – last season.

Manchester City have won the Premier League and the FA Cup a couple of times but last season was the first time in the history of the club for them to win the Champions League.

After winning the award, Pep Guardiola said: “I want to share this award with Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti.

“Our owners of Man City and our CEO for starting the brilliant idea of the city football group. thank you to my backroom staff and our players. eight years we’ve been together. living with them has been a pleasure.

“Thank you to my dad. I am so happy he is here tonight and of course my brothers and sisters. Thank you to my kids and my wife. It would never be possible to live as a professional without her.”

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has suggested that the increasing spate of hunger and poverty is fueling insecurity in Nigeria.

Reacting to the recent increase in insecurity across the country, the former vice president, in a tweet via his official X account on Monday, lamented that he was distressed by the escalating violence and lawlessness in the nation.

Naija News reports that he called on the President Bola Tinubu led government to urgently address the dire security situation to regain the trust of Nigerians.

He wrote, “The escalating violence and lawlessness in our nation deeply distresses me as bandits and kidnappers continue their reign of terror unchecked. Our youths and innocent citizens are being murdered daily. Just last Saturday, we lost Nabeeha to her captors. Yesterday, the tragedy deepened with the murder of more victims, including Folorunsho Ariyo, a 13-year-old student. Folorunsho was one of ten people kidnapped from Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutse, Bwari Area Council of the FCT, on January 7th, 2024.

“It is obvious that the worsening poverty and hunger in the land is escalating the level of kidnapping and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in Abuja, the federal capital.

“When the government fails to fulfil its constitutional obligations of protecting the lives and property of citizens, it is an invitation to kidnappers and other criminal elements to have a free rein visiting houses and hotels in and around the capital city, kidnapping citizens without resistance. This is a sad development.

“It is imperative that the authorities address this dire security situation urgently to regain the trust of the Nigerian people.

“While I mourn with the deceased families, I pray to the Almighty to comfort them, grant the dead eternal peace and protect our nation.”

President Bola Tinubu says his administration will give more attention to education and healthcare, as well as provide the enablements for industrialization and investments in consonance with his vision of creating an economically stable and prosperous country.

Speaking at the second-term inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, in Owerri, on Monday, President Tinubu said he is well-attuned to the concerns of citizens, assuring them that the challenges brought on by very essential reforms are being addressed.

"In the past 40 years, a few people were cornering our common wealth, and calling it subsidy, but I call it wasteful. Right now, we are all bearing and sharing that pain. But things are looking up. Things will get better for the good of all Nigerians. With me, there is hope.

"I assure you that there will be substantial development in education for your children; priority on industrialization; healthcare will receive more allocation and attention. We will train more health workers," the President said.

President Tinubu commended Governor Uzodinma for his stewardship in Imo State, describing him as the "real hope" of the state.

"It is a great honour for me to be here in Imo State. And to congratulate the people of Imo for being discerning and determined to vote into a second term, a very unique individual who resonates with a progressive agenda, Senator Hope Uzodinma," he said.

The President said he is committed to building a united and secure country, noting the peace and security in the state, adding: "Before now, people were afraid of coming to Imo state, but today Imo is safe and open for business. What we have learned from this experience is the importance of unity, cooperation, and a focus on our internal security."

President Tinubu implored the governor to work even harder for the people, emphasizing that hard work is the reward for a re-election.

"I assure you that your hopes are renewed. Be assured of the support of the federal government to ensure rapid development of your state," he concluded.

Speaking after the administration of oaths of office by the Imo State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka-Chikeka, Governor Uzodinma pledged that his second tenure would be an uncommon tenure in the execution of policies.

"We have been able to lay a solid foundation for accelerated economic growth and development of our state. We also addressed the decay we met in the civil service, the decay we met in the education sector, and the health sector. In addition, we addressed the lingering problem of unemployment through the variety of youth empowerment initiatives.

"We carried out a digital version of dealing with the unemployment market, which included the provision of digital and other portable skills, including artificial intelligence to our teeming young men and women," he said.

Unfolding his priorities, the governor said the next four years of his administration would focus on deepening the shared prosperity mantra through massive infrastructural expansion, adding that the vision of his government is anchored on a 10-year development plan which has the capacity to make the state self-sufficient.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

January 15, 2024

Political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, has said the presidential candidates of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, and New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have agreed to form a mega party that would wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027.

Utomi disclosed this in an interview on Channels TV on Sunday night.

Asked if Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi and Okey Nwosu have agreed to come together, Utomi simply said “yes.”

On what name they had decided to call the coalition. Utomi said: “We’re not talking about names yet. Besides, these politicians I mentioned, I’m talking about leaders of social movements, the labour movement and so on.

“I have even been part of creating a new tribe, Nigerians who are committed to certain values, who say I will not give a bribe; I will not take a bribe. And you can then create a set of values that can lead to progress in the country.

“The way we are today, a few people in the world are willing to engage with Nigeria. They think there’s a collapse of culture and values in Nigeria. You can’t trust Nigerians. All kinds of things are here. It’s a clean start.

“It’s a really clean start. You have to start from the premise that Nigeria has not had a political party since 1999.

“Let’s be very honest with ourselves, what we have managed is to create platforms that enable machine politics from which to grab power, usually for state capture.

“If you want to test that, check how much the quality of life of a Nigerian has improved since 1999.
“It’s frightening but the truth of the matter is that in 1999, a political class managed to build a certain coalition of accommodation to keep the military out and share the spoils of power.

“Somehow, they did not manage to create an alignment with the Nigerian people to improve the quality of their lives. This is why you can see Nigeria deteriorating, becoming the poverty capital of the world, becoming the centre of widespread violence.”