Goodluck Jonathan Not Declaring For 2023 Presidential Race– Reno Omokri

 

Reno Omokri, a former media aide to Former President Goodluck Jonathan has debunked reports that his former boss would soon declare to run for the 2023 presidential elections.

There have been several reports earlier that Jonathan, whose poster surfaced in some parts of the country recently, would soon join the presidential race.

The former president had while addressing his supporters who protested at his Abuja residence asking him to declare, said he “can’t tell” whether to run yet, asking them to be on the lookout.

Meanwhile, a post by Reno Omokri on his official Facebook page on Sunday urged Nigerians to a comment by the Arise TV’s “The Morning Show” presenter, Reuben Abati that Jonathan would soon declare.

However, According to Reno, the former Nigerian leader has not made such a statement, saying it was the imagination of the journalist.

He said, “Disregard the news credited to Reuben Abati that former President Jonathan will soon declare. He never made any statement like that. At best, it is a figment of the imagination of that journalist #FakeNews!”

Lagos State Government Reopens Chrisland Schools

 Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State governor, has directed the State Ministry of Education to re-open all Chrisland Schools shut across the state.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Lagos State Commissioner of Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, early on Saturday morning. The state government had shut down all Chrisland Schools in Lagos State on April 18, 2022.

 Some pupils from the elite private school located in Victoria Garden City embarked on a trip to Dubai to participate in the World School Games between March 10 and 13, 2022 when an immoral act happened.

Following the incident, the school authorities suspended a female student indefinitely, stating that she was “a major actor” in an “immoral act”.The government said the school’s Parent Teachers Association would be working on scheduled psychosocial support for the students involved in the immoral act.

The statement read, “The Lagos State Ministry of Education has directed that all Chrisland Schools shut for alleged misconduct of some students in Dubai be reopened from Monday, April 25th, 2022.“The directive follows a review of the ongoing administrative investigation into the incident. Besides, it is to ensure that students are not denied access to learning when the new term begins on Monday 25th April 2022.

“The State Government shut the schools for the safety of students and the staff and to ensure unhindered investigation of the incident.“The Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies of the State, in conjunction with the school’s Parent Teachers Association, will be working on scheduled psychosocial support for the students.

“An extensive assessment of the school’s procedure, especially on external trips and excursions, is being made to identify safety gaps and prevent such incidents.

“Besides, the Ministry will launch the reviewed guidelines/protocols governing private and public schools across the state within the next one month.”

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Chrisland Schools in the eye of the Storm

 Yemi Olakitan

Chrisland School is once again in the news for the wrong reason. How can a citadel of academy learning, known for the high educational attainment of its students continue to fall in the mud of sexual scandal? Only three years ago, Adegboyega Adenekan, a supervisor at Chrisland School, Victoria Island, Lagos, was sentenced to 60 years in prison for defiling a 2-year-old child.

Now in the news, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the shutdown of all branches of Chrisland Schools in Lagos following a viral sex tape showing a 10-year-old schoolgirl having sex with her schoolmates while in Dubai for a school competition.

The girl was alleged to have had sex with five boys. This is just as Nigeria Police said it might engage Interpol in their investigation of the case and also probe the alleged pregnancy tests conducted on the schoolgirl without parental consent.

 In a statement the Sanwo-Olu government announced the complete closure of the schools. “In the meantime, all Chrisland schools within Lagos State are hereby closed, pending further investigations,” the statement said.

 “The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to the alleged sexual violence case involving students of Chrisland school, which occurred in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,” stated the government. “It is pertinent to note that all allegations are being investigated by the relevant ministries, departments and agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Justice and the Lagos State Domestic & Sexual Violence Agency, whilst the criminal allegations have been escalated to the commissioner of police.”

It added that the Sanwo-Olu administration was committed to ensuring the safety and protection of children in Lagos, especially ensuring “that all child-centred institutions within Lagos.

The Lagos government also stressed that it would continue to “formulate and implement policies and systems that are compliant with the Executive Order (NO.EO/AA08 of 2016), Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme.”

It, however, warned people sharing the sex tape to desist or face the consequences.

“We also use this medium to remind the general public that any person who engages in any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child commits an offence and is liable to a custodial sentence of 14 years,” Sanwo-Olu’s government warned. It stressed that it “includes producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing an image of child pornography.”

The statement was jointly signed by the Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance, the Ministry of Youth and Social Development and the Ministry of Justice.

Also, in a statement on Monday, the police disclosed that Interpol might be involved in investigating a viral sex tape involving a 10-year-old female pupil of Chrisland Schools while on a school-organised trip for competition in Dubai, the Lagos police command has revealed.

“The command is equally taking cognisance of the cybercrime angle to the whole episode and will not hesitate to enlist the support of the Interpol should the need arises,” explained the police command in Lagos. “For a holistic and unbiased investigation, the command shall be working with relevant ministries, departments, agencies, and non-governmental organisations.”

This followed allegations by the unnamed schoolgirl’s mother in a video accusing Chrisland Schools of threatening to “kill” her daughter if she spoke out about engaging in sex acts with her schoolmates. The police spokesman in Lagos, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, stated that the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Abiodun Alabi, ordered the investigation.

A video of the 10-year-old schoolgirl, allegedly raped by five male pupils of Chrisland Schools during a trip to Dubai, UAE, went viral recently. The sex acts reportedly happened when the students travelled to Dubai to participate in the World School Games from March 10 to 13, where the school won over 30 medals.

Hundeyin quoted the police commissioner as saying that the investigation would involve individuals in the recording of the sex tape, the true incident in the video, and the geographical location of the sex acts.

The investigation will also cover the alleged threat to life against the 10-year-old pupil and the circumstances surrounding the alleged repeated pregnancy tests conducted on the student without her parental consent.

 “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to an alleged rape video purportedly depicting students of Chrisland School, Lagos, going viral on social media,” said the police. The statement added, “Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc, mnim, psc has assured that due diligence will be observed to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.”

Stakeholders Disagree with Lagos State Government on the Closure of Chrisland Schools

Meanwhile, Many stakeholders in the education sector have faulted the closure of all campuses of the Chrisland Schools by the Lagos State Government, saying dealing with the identified errant students would have been more appropriate.

This is also as they have faulted the series of tests reportedly carried out on the female student at the centre of the crisis. A legal practitioner, Mrs. Helen Essien, wondered why the government would shut down a whole school because of the misdemeanor of a few students.

“Why did government shut down a whole school because three or four children misbehaved? Doesn’t Chrisland have school discipline policy and procedures? Why punish innocent pupils?”

What the Mother Said……

The mother claimed that her 10-year-old daughter was raped during the trip to Dubai, which was organised by Chrisland Schools.

Pupils from the private school, located in Victoria Garden City, were in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, to participate in the World Schools Games between March 10 and 13, 2022.

In a viral video shared by a music executive, Ubi Franklin, via his Instagram page, yesterday, the woman claimed that footage of the incident has been shared multiple times on social media. She said she was not aware of what transpired in Dubai, till another parent showed her the video of the incident.

The woman also accused the school of trying to cover up the case and demanded justice.

She said: “As I was beating my daughter, she opened up to me and said the school threatened her not to speak out. My daughter was dying in silence and I did not know.

Every day, I’ll be forcing her out of the room but she wouldn’t want to go to school.

“I’m begging Nigerians to help me because Chrisland attempted to hide the issue; they wanted to push us out of the way and my daughter was going psychologically insane. I need help as a mother. My daughter is not okay.

“They took her for pregnancy tests without my knowledge, and lied to us that it was a COVID-19 test. They did the tests almost three times. Please do they require blood or urine for the COVID-19 test? I did not know until the whole issue became public.”

The woman said her daughter was suspended from school after they called the management to ask questions about the incident. Continuing, she said: “To crown it all, because we started confronting them that we are aware of what has happened, they sent her a suspension letter,” she added.

“When I asked her what happened, my daughter said on the day of the incident they went out in the morning to have breakfast and one of the boys begged her to borrow him her phone charger which she did.

“She said later in the evening, the boy called her and asked her to come for the charger in his room. So, she went there.

“When she got to the room to get the charger, they opened the door and one of the boys asked her to go and get her charger inside the toilet. She said it was when she entered the toilet that the boys surrounded her and asked her to drink a substance.

“She said they were all under the influence of drugs after that and she did not know what she was doing again. My daughter said the boys asked her to climb on them while one of them was filming and sending out the videos.”

What the School said….

The school has since suspended the student for what it described as an immoral act

But the letter of suspension dated April 14, 2022, was signed by the Head Teacher, G. I. Azike.

The letter, titled: ‘Indefinite suspension of …(the female student)’, reads: “It was discovered that your daughter was involved in improper behaviour during the recently concluded World School Games in Dubai with a few of her counterparts. She willfully participated in a game they called truth or dare, a game which led her and a few other co-learners to carry out an immoral act after the lights-out instruction was given.

‘‘In line with our core values centred on discipline, Chrisland Schools have zero tolerance for any improper behaviour and misconduct. A full-scale investigation has been done and the parents of all the culpable learners have been duly notified of the necessary punishment meted out on the learners.

“The parents gave their full cooperation, realising the need to work with the school so that the learners can be corrected and be of expected proper behaviour, henceforth. However, in the course of the school’s efforts to see how best we can help…who was a major participant in the whole incident, every effort to inform you as her parents about the incident and ensure that this improper behaviour is permanently corrected, has proved to be futile.’’

“We cannot, as a school, condone such. Consequently, (the student) is, hereby, placed on an indefinite suspension until you as the parents ensure that she is punished, adequately counselled and rehabilitated.”

What is in the video?

Yemi Olakitan Blog will not watch child pornography, seek the video out or encourage the sharing of child pornography for any reason. It is immoral, sickening and illegal.  

On social media, those who saw the video said the 10-year-old kid was very active in the sex acts and that the recorded sex acts were far from a rape incident as alleged by the mother,

However, we do not agree with the closure of all branches of Chrisland Schools in Lagos!! Chrisland School has at least 7 branches. Only one branch, the Victoria Garden City branch is involved in the sex scandal. Why close seven schools for the alleged sin of one?

Furthermore, what is the offence of the school when individuals within it misbehaved? One will think that it is the individuals that should be punished and not the school. 

Reports say, the said 10year old girl from Chrisland School has a handle page called BhadGurl4k (Bad Girl Fuck) and has over 24,000 likes on Likee.

She has posted over 526 videos with  over 4,000 followers.

It seems that the problem is from the home. 

 

 

The Death of Osinachi Nwachukwu: A lesson to All Women

It’s better to be alive and single than to be dead, married.

Yemi Olakitan writes,

The death of Famous Nigerian Gospel musician Osinachi Nwachukwu shocked many Nigerians but it should be a lesson to all women, not only in Nigeria but all over the world. When you find yourself in a violent relationship or an abusive marriage, be kind to yourself enough to divorce the mad man or at least be separated from him. It is better to be alive, single than to be dead, married.

Before a woman died from a violent attack from her man, he must have been hitting her long before then. But, her failure to walk away will eventually kill her.

Osinachi has won the hearts of the Christian community in Nigeria with her sonorous Gospel music before her death. She shot into the limelight with the hit “Ekwueme“, which has been watched 72 million times on YouTube but she passed away in an Abuja hospital due to alleged domestic violence from her husband.

She was a lead singer at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre. She was featured in several popular gospel songs like “Nara Ekele” by Pastor Paul Enenche (Dunamis, Abuja) and “You no dey use me play” by Emma.

Close friends and associates have revealed to the media that her violent union led to her untimely death.  Her colleague, Frank Edwards, alleged that the late singer had an abusive husband, who regularly brutalized her before she died.

Frank Edwards said on several occasions, the late singer’s husband was in the habit of publicly insulting his wife, and he abused her on several occasions.

Recounting an encounter with the singer, he said, “One time in a studio, this man slapped her in the studio just because she wanted to record the song in Igbo against his will. She does not do anything on her own.”

“She would say, please beg my husband. She was at his mercy. I didn’t know the intensity of what she was going through; I didn’t know how somebody would be jealous of their wife or claim to love.

“There are a lot of stories where people told her this and that, but what I know was that the control was too much. The other time somebody wanted me to get her for an event, and I contacted her, but she said ‘beg my husband.”

The singer also alleged that the late singer’s husband was controlling and would take the money she made from events. He, however, said the singer was secretive about what she was going through in her marriage.

 

“She couldn’t even tell people what she was going through. I only got to know because Aunty Joy contacted me to promote her song. That was when I got a glimpse into what was happening,” he said.

“It’s crazy,” he lamented.

“People have tried to invite her for their programmes, but she will keep telling them that they must beg my husband first,” he said.

Further narrating his experiences about the late singer’s marital hurdle with her husband, he said a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Joy Nunieh, once gifted the singer a studio in Abuja. Still, her husband never allowed her to use the studio simply because it was built without his permission.

Crying out for Justice, Edward said he would go all out on social media for the first time in his career until justice was served.

“I have never had any reason to have a court case with anyone because I am a child of God, but you see this case, it won’t just go like that because she was a blessing to the world.

“I usually don’t get involved in things like this, I keep my family and personal stuff off social media, but this one hurt me,” he said. He also said Mrs Nunieh, a lawyer, has promised to take up legal action against Mr Nwanchukwu. The gospel singer also advised women in abusive marriages to take a long walk. He said: “My advice is even if you are not a wife if you are being physically abused, go back to your parent’s house.”

Police Arrests Osinachi’s Husband, Peter Nwachukwu

Osinachi Nwachukwu’s husband, Peter Nwachukwu has been arrested in Abuja.

Peter Nwachukwu was arrested after the late Osinachi’s family formally filed a complaint of “culpable homicide against one Mr Peter Nwachukwu who is a husband to the deceased

“He is now in our custody. The younger brother of the deceased reported the matter and we have commenced an investigation,” Abuja police command spokeswoman Josephine Adeh said.

The deceased singer’s elder sister, Ms Favour Made, alleged in an interview with Vanguard that Osinachi was kicked in the chest by her husband Nwachukwu.

Ms Made said in the interview that her family had tried unsuccessfully to make her walk away from the marriage because of domestic violence.

“When the man kicked her on the chest, she fell down and he took her to the hospital but he did not even tell us,” Ms Made said, “It was her friend who lives in Ebonyi state that called her twin sister, because Osinachi has a twin sister, to ask, ‘did your sister tell you that Peter hit her on the chest? The sister then told her no.

“It was the hitting on the chest that killed her. My brother had to ask the doctor what killed her and the doctor said that there were clusters of blood on her chest.”

A few gospel singers who worked with Osinachi Nwachukwu also accused her husband of domestic violence.

Women must learn to walk away!

Russia/Ukraine Conflicts: Why The World Watch The Slaughter

Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on the planet. One can destroy a whole city, potentially killing millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects.

Yet, there have been calls for the Biden administration to do more on the military front since Russian tanks and men poured into Ukraine, risking a nuclear war. Critics have called for a broader US involvement, including establishing a no-fly zone, providing fighter jets to Ukraine, and even preparing to deploy U.S. forces into battle. 

The reports of Russian crimes will put further pressure on the US to respond more forcefully. However, the case against US escalation is as strong as ever.

NATO's caution, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is a major embarrassment. In a March rebuke to Germany's parliament, he referenced the Holocaust, saying, "Every year, politicians say, 'Never again.'" Now I know how useless these words are."

What's shocking is that, despite horrible visuals and heartbreaking anecdotes, Biden has refused to get more involved. The only thing worse than Vladimir Putin's indiscriminate savagery, he and most Washington leaders recognize, is the disastrous results of a nuclear assault. Biden's top job is to make sure that doesn't happen, and it should be.

It's simple to argue that the United States and its allies should have intervened when Adolf Hitler began his assault. Hitler, on the other hand, lacked apocalyptic weapons. Putin is one of them. "Thus far, the fundamental goal of our military system has been to win wars," observed military planner Bernard Brodie in 1946, a year after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Its main goal from now on must be to keep them at bay."The United States and the Soviet Union became the worst of foes in the decades following World War II, plotting and struggling against one other in every corner of the globe. Both countries had sizable military forces. Both fought battles on the other side of the world. Their unrelenting rivalry, though, had obvious bounds.

In 1986, historian John Lewis Gaddis stated, "At no point during the long history of the Cold War have Soviet and American military troops engaged each other directly in continuous battles." What's to stop you? Because neither of them wanted to risk a conventional fight ending in Armageddon. Leaders start wars because they believe they will win. In a nuclear battle, however, there can be no winner.

The Soviet Union is no longer in existence. However, the regime that replaced it has shown everyone what it is capable of. Putin warned at the start of the invasion that any country that tried to stop him would face "consequences you have never seen in your whole history." He then stated that he had placed Russia's nuclear forces on high alert.

The location of his red line is unclear. During our fights against the North Koreans and the North Vietnamese during the Cold War, the Soviets sent weaponry and other assistance to them. During the Russian occupation, we did the same for the Afghans. So far, our help to Ukraine has followed the rules of the road.

Setting up a no-fly zone, on the other hand, would not work because American planes would be shooting down Russian planes. Sending jet fighters to Zelenskyy would be a grey area, but it would risk pushing Putin too far.

Maybe he's joking when he says he'll use nukes. But it's possible he isn't. Believing him and then being proven wrong would be disastrous. The repercussions of not believing him and being wrong, on the other hand, would be catastrophic.

The damage wreaked by Russia in Ukraine may appear so horrific that doing nothing to halt it seems like a moral crime. However, post-World War II history has taught us that occasionally unfathomable moral outrages must be endured.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union's communist rulers enslaved half of Europe, smashing democratic movements wherever they arose. They mistreated their own citizens, incarcerating 14 million in forced labour camps. Rather than strive to reverse these abominable barbarisms and risk extinction, the West has no choice but to accept them.

Finding a method to stop the war through a negotiated settlement is the main priority here. This will unavoidably require the rest of the world to ratify some unlawful Russian gains. However, there is no viable alternative. When it comes to foreign policy, the choice is frequently between a bad one and a worse one.

The photographs of civilians slaughtered by Russian troops and dumped in the streets or buried in mass graves are heartbreaking. But, before we respond in kind, let's take a close look at another group of images: those from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nigeria Must Find Innovative Solutions in the Face of Rising Insecurity

By Yemi Olakitan

Dr Chinelo Megafu, a 2015 award-winning UNIPORT Medical school graduate who recently resigned from her job was scheduled to travel to the United States, according to reports but her life was wasted in the train attack, carried out by terrorists. There is an outpouring of grief and anger by Nigerians on social media over the death of Dr Chinelo Megafu, who was aboard the ill-fated train. Ms Megafu had tweeted during the attack that she had been shot in one of the first messages from victims that conveyed the gravity of their situation.  “I’m on the train. I have been shot. Please pray for me,” she had tweeted.

Michael Ajidahun, her colleague and friend, gave an update hours later that she did not survive the attack.

“Just woke up to sad news. My friend who was shot at the Abuja Kaduna train incident by terrorists had passed. She tweeted yesterday that we should pray for her. Sadly she didn’t make it. She was a trained medical doctor. Nigeria, why? I’m heartbroken,” said Ajidahun better known as ‘The Bearded Doctor’ on Twitter.

This recent attack by bandits on a train is a classic example of the failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide adequate security while building infrastructure all over the country. This particular incident has proven beyond reasonable doubt that no matter the extent of Federal Government investment in infrastructure development in Nigeria, without commensurate and improved security architecture, it’s all a sham, failure is guaranteed!

Massive investments in infrastructure without a considerable overhaul of our security systems are a total waste of our national resources. If we build trains in the heavens, bandits and terrorists will burn them down, waste lives and resources.

Notable Nigerians have cried out on numerous occasions that the current security system in Nigeria is inadequate to cater for the security threats we now face as a people. We must reject the unnecessary waste of human lives and potential. It could have been avoided if we just put on our thinking caps, not moving on with business as usual. Today, it is Dr Chinelu Megafu, tomorrow, it can be anyone!

The perpetual waste of lives without consequence and the refusal on the part of our leaders to see that our current security system is obsolete and can no longer meet the demands of present-day realities is appalling, to say the least. This is an emergency. Nigerians are dying in their numbers. These are the reasons tribal leaders give for secessionist agitations. 

The Federal Government should immediately call for a National Security Summit and let local and international security experts proffer solutions to this countrywide tragedy and disgrace. Many have called for the decentralization of our policing system in Nigeria in the past. This call has continually fallen on deaf ears.

They have argued that State Governors will abuse state police but is it not better to deal with State Governors than to continue to shed the blood of innocent Nigerians and waste the lives of our people?

No Governor can be stronger than the federal police or the Nigerian Army. Erring State governors can be dealt with, according to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Therefore, Nigeria should allow states who can afford State policing to go ahead and do it and abandon lame arguments and excuses against state policing systems. Security must be decentralized and urgently too. Security is too important to be left in the hands of the Federal Government alone. States and local governments must work together with the Federal Government to protect lives and properties. In fact, all hands must be on deck. We must explore the options of state police, community policing, and regional police.

Many have argued in favour of regional police, whichever options we choose. Nigeria must learn from international security architectures implemented by developed nations.  We cannot reinvent the bicycle. There is no problem Nigeria is facing that older nations have not faced before and triumphed over them. It is obvious that our current system no longer works. Therefore, we must learn from others.

A concerned Nigerian, Olajumoke Awosika wrote on social media, recently, ‘‘this government is a massive failure on security on all fronts.  This young lady, lost her life on the train yesterday. These are people adding value and contributing to our nation. They are wasted by useless low life illiterate terrorists and nothing is being done to curb them. When they manage to arrest some of them or when some of them surrender. They are not punished, they are compensated in the name of amnesty!  Soon they will succeed in bringing down planes, international flights will be cancelled and we will be left to deal with it.’’

Banditry is just one of Nigeria’s many security headaches. There is the problem of ritual murders which have now become almost a daily occurrence. Young people, as young as 17 or 18 have been reportedly found carrying out ritual murders to make quick money. They either murder their girlfriends, their mothers, friends or total strangers.

The murder of Bamishe Ayanwole in a Lagos State Government Bus, BRT is a classic example. Bamise, a fashion designer, was found dead on a Monday morning, nine days after she was declared missing.  She boarded a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle in which she was raped, her private part was cut and then she was murdered. The Lagos State Government suspended the BRT operations as a precaution after intelligence revealed “planned attacks” by persons yet to be identified.

The Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos, was heavily guarded by armed security men – officers of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Department of State Services (DSS) – over a proposed protest to demand justice by Nigerians for slain Bamise Ayanwole. sympathisers in their numbers also besieged Bamise’s residence to condole with the family. They carried placards with inscriptions, “We want Justice for Bamise”, “Do not sweep under the carpet, we want Justice.”

This is just one of such stories that daily filled the media space in Nigeria. Nigerians have been murdered in hotel rooms, a church, a train, a bus, on the streets. It seems as though nowhere is safe.

Since the Federal Government collapsed the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS operations due to the widespread Endsars protests, insecurity and criminal activities among Nigerian youths have hit an all-time high. It is as though, there is now, no one to checkmate criminality in our nation. Perhaps it is better to revisit the SARS operations, albeit in a more civilized manner as it seems that Nigerians have moved from fry pan to fire. SARS was cancelled as a result of police brutality but what Nigerians are experiencing now is ten times worse than police brutality.

Unemployment is one of the major causes of insecurity in Nigeria. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the total number of people classified as unemployed increased from 17.6 million to 20.9 million between 2017 to 2018 and keeps increasing due to the increase in Nigeria’s population.

An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. A nation with such a huge population of young energetic people like Nigeria should provide enough opportunities for employment, engagement and amusement for the teeming population of Nigerians so that they can engage in productive endeavours so much that they have no time for immoral and evil acts.

The Federal Government should maximize the opportunities in the sports, arts and entertainment sectors, modern agriculture and technology sectors. The government should develop football tournaments, tennis, boxing etc., develop local leagues, invest in art galleries, music festivals, theatre, literature, film studios, trades carnivals, boxing, wrestling tournaments, technology competitions etc. These are the ways to engage the youths.

There could also be opportunities in the area of mechanized agriculture. How can young men from Northern Nigerians be moving cows from place to place in this century?  When cow industries can be established in such a way that massive exports are created and wealth given to the people. Is it not possible to establish cow industries and export milk to other countries? Is it not possible to produce modern cow feed so much so that Fulani people have enough feed for their cows and don’t need to trek from Kano to Lagos in search of feed for cows.

Nigeria must develop its intelligence. Our poor intelligence systems have left many high profile murders unsolved. Kidnappers now have a filled day. Despite attempts by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to curb the rising criminalities and killings across the country, the nation’s security apparatus appears to be overwhelmed with criminals having a field day killing, maiming and extorting their victims. The police, poorly funded and motivated, and the military, which is fighting a decade-long insurgency in the northeast, appears to be at the end of their wits on how to curtail the downward spiral in security. Swathes of the North-west have, virtually, been taken over by rampaging bandits who kidnap for ransom and kill victims who cannot pay for their freedom.

The North-central is not free from the deadly assaults by these bandits, and kidnap gangs who now operate freely in parts of Niger, Kogi and Nasarawa and are making inroads into the Federal Capital Territory. The northeast is yet to experience peace as Boko Haram insurgents are in a deadly battle for supremacy.

We must strengthen our intelligence institutions. Kidnapping has become a thriving industry in Nigeria. Little kids are no longer safe on our streets. The National Assembly must make laws to solve all these problems. 

Our youths are too jobless, too idle. No wonder we have developed a reputation as the number one country for internet scams in the world. We must develop and reinvent our security architecture while engaging our large youth populations meaningfully. 

The Government can take advantage of the gains in the Nigerian film industry. We can promote international partnerships and the sharing of film technology between Hollywood and Nollywood so that our films can compete globally. We have enormous talents, and extraordinary human capital but the lack of enabling environment is causing a mass exodus of Nigerian brains to the developed world.

We may argue that the film industry is a private endeavour but let us remember that had it not been for former President Goodluck Jonathan who provided the film industry fund, with which some cinema entrepreneurs were able to build cinemas across the country, Nollywood would have continued to suffer in the hands of piracy.

 Had it not been for the advent of Netflix, our film distribution networks will continue to be Isale Eko, Alaba and Oshodi based. Now, our movies have found greater audiences all over the world. This has helped our reputation as creative and innovative people. Therefore, the FG must push for international partnerships in film technology and support local filmmakers.

The same can be said for the music industry. Afro beats have pushed the name of Nigeria into the hearts of millions all over the world through the efforts of young, brilliant Nigerians and without government support.

As we speak, there is no known grant or funding for the music industry in Nigeria, despite the numerous awards and breakthroughs that our musicians have gained for Nigeria. We must support our young artists who, through dint of hard work, determination and resourcefulness have made it all possible.

Nigeria has the potential to become a superpower in the continent of Africa because of our population and resources. Only Nigeria has the potential. However, unless our leaders rise to the occasion, our nation may continue to wobble in the dreamland of lethargy.

Between Gun Violence and Banditry: Is America Safer than Nigeria?

Yemi Olakitan

Yemi Olakitan

The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo on July 6 declared a state disaster emergency in 18 counties due to gun violence in New York. Reports say that gun violence poses a serious threat to the health and quality of life of all residents of the state of New York

In an executive order, the Governor said that gun violence is reaching crisis levels in the state.

According to him, gun violence is up 48% in New York City, 22% in Albany, 88% in Buffalo and 95% in Rochester; and other places since January 2021. At least 50% of homicides and 55% of nonfatal shootings involve people associated with gangs or more loosely affiliated “street groups.”

 Gun violence has been described as the leading cause of premature death in the United States.  Nearly 10,000 people have been killed this year alone through gun violence in the US. In a study of 24 major cities, homicides increased by 24% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same time period in 2020 and by 49% from that period in 2019.        Homicides are up by 22 per cent in Los Angeles and 13percent in Washington DC in 2021. In fact, the year 2021 has been described as the most deadly year of gun violence in the last two decades. The United States Gun Violence Archive says there have been 296 mass shootings in America in 2021.

A mass shooting is defined as a shooting that results in the killings of 4 or more people. There have been incidents of mass shootings in schools, parties and other gatherings in the United States. The situation has become worrisome to policymakers and political leaders in the US.

President Biden recently announced new strategies to combat gun violence. It includes a "zero tolerance" policy for gun dealers who break Federal laws, deploying strike teams to cities to crack down on illegal gun trafficking, and encouraging communities to use Federal pandemic relief funds for policing and crime prevention.

The violence in the United States and Nigeria has compelled analysts to ponder on which country is safer between Nigeria and the United States. One is plagued by Gun violence while the other is plagued by insurgency.

Different groups in Nigeria resort to violence. The militant Islamist movement Boko Haram is violently active in northern Nigeria. Conflicts among ethnic groups, farmers, and herdsmen sometimes acquire violent dimensions.

Secessionist groups in eastern Nigeria also resort to violence. Kidnappings of school children, traditional rulers, raping, and killings are regular reports in nearly all parts of Nigeria.

An estimated 27,000 people, including 37 aid workers have been killed since the onset of the Boko Haram conflict in 2009, according to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

 

China is among key international actors including the United Nations, United States and the United Kingdom providing support for the Nigerian government’s northeast counter-insurgency measures.

Boko Haram killed at least 405 children and abducted at least 105 during 2018 and the group continued lethal attacks on civilians including suicide bombings and abductions. The splinter faction of the group known as the Islamic West Africa Province (ISWAP) overran dozens of army bases, killing dozens of soldiers since January.

Authorities continued to detain thousands of alleged Boko Haram members without trial in overcrowded military barracks in the northeast. A 2021 report from the Tony Blair Institute says the low level of education in North-Eastern Nigeria is responsible for the domination of Boko Haram in the region.

“Low literacy rates and education gaps served as tools and opportunities for recruitment. Boko Haram became adept at attracting and manipulating followers from low socioeconomic backgrounds, many of whom lacked a solid education,” the report revealed.

The Abuja Kaduna highway, a major route out of Abuja to the northwest of the country became notorious for bandits attacks and kidnappings. The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu said in April that 1, 071 people were killed in criminal attacks and 685 kidnapped across the country in the first quarter of 2019 alone.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, in the case of murders per a million people, The Federal Republic of Nigeria ranked 121.8, 3 times more than the United States of America. However, the United States ranked 88.8, 59 times more than Nigeria which ranked 127th in the case of Gun Crimes in both countries.

 In the case of homicidal crimes per 100,000 people, Nigeria ranked 31st, 3 times more than the United States which ranked 5.9.  In the matter of Drug use, Nigeria ranked 1st, 0.7 per cent, 23percent more than the United States which ranked 3rd, 0.57. The report also said that crime levels in Nigeria have increased 82.35 that is 47percent more than the United States which ranked 55.84.

In terms of residents who believe that crime rates have increased in the past 3 years, Nigeria ranked 27th, 11 per cent more than the United States which ranked 65.22 on 44th position.

  A look into the United Nations Report clearly shows that Nigeria is a more dangerous place to live than the United States despite the high levels of Gun violence there.

In a chat with Social crusader and blogger, Ayodele Ogunjobi, he opined that Nigeria security situation is different from that of the United States. According to him, Nigeria is in a state of war, particularly in the north.

Ogunjobi said it is unfair to compare the security situation in Nigeria with that of the US because Nigeria is at war and the US is not.  It is terrorism that makes Nigeria’s security situation looks so glooming.

Speaking, further, Ogunjobi said, Nigeria must embrace a decentralized police system. He said state governments and local governments must have the constitutional backing to operate their policing systems as long as they can afford it.  This will ensure police efficiency and ease of operations. This does not stop the Federal Police from operating. The parliament should work out the different jurisdictions of the various police so that there will be no conflicts between them. 

The United States, for example, operates both Federal and State police forces. The country has 75 federal law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, which deal with interstate crime.  The FBI has some 20,000 plainclothes agents who usually concern themselves with major offences such as murder, kidnapping and robbery. It publishes a list of the ‘ten most wanted fugitives and provides state and local police forces with relevant information that can help them fight crimes in their domain.

According to reports, the FBI has had its role expanded to include ‘homeland security and there’s talk of merging or at least co-coordinating the activities of the FBI with those of the Central Intelligence Agency, CIA.

Each US state also has a reserve National Guard under the command of the State Government that can be called on to deal with civil unrest such as riots, as well as natural catastrophes, e.g. earthquakes, fires, floods and hurricanes. It appears that all these police forces have their jurisdiction and laws governing their operations in the United States.

A report by the United Nations recommends an approximate median of 300 police officers per 100,000 inhabitants. Put in another way, this is approximately 100 policemen to 30,000 inhabitants of any country. Nigeria’s 371,800.policemen to a population of about 200 million people have gone far below that recommendation; little wonder Nigeria has heavy casualties in the fight against terror and other criminal activities.

However, in another report by the center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gun violence statistics by states in the United States, in the year 2021 are alarming:

Alabama 22.2 1,076, Alaska 24.4, 179, Arizona, 15.1, 1,136, Arkansas, 19.3, 580, California, 7.2, 2,945, Colorado, 14.2, 846, Connecticut, 5.3, 190, Delaware, 9.9, 93, Florida, 12.7, 2,872, Georgia, 15.8, 1,695, Hawaii, 4.4, 62, Idaho, 14.2, 255, Illinois, 10.8, 1,367, Indiana, 14.1, 958, Iowa, 9.1, 294, Kansas, 13.7, 403, Kentucky, 14.9, 682, Louisiana, 22.1, 1,013, Maine, 11.5, 163, Maryland, 12.6, 757, Massachusetts, 3.4, 247, Michigan, 12.1, 1,220, Minnesota, 8.1, 465, Mississippi, 24.2, 710, Missouri, 20.6, 1,252, Montana, 19, 209, Nebraska,10.4, 205, Nevada, 15.3, 490, New Hampshire, 10.7, 156, New Jersey, 4.1, 368, New Mexico, 22.3, 471, New York, 3.9, 804, North Carolina, 13.1, 1,397, North Dakota, 12.4, 93, Ohio, 13.3, 1,578, Oklahoma, 18.6, 737, Oregon, 12.6, 566, Pennsylvania, 11.7, 1,541, Rhode Island, 4.6, 48, South Carolina, 19.91,012,South Dakota, 13.1, 113, Tennessee, 18.4, 1,270, Texas, 12.7, 3,683, Utah, 12.8, 394, Vermont, 9.3, 67, Virginia, 11.7, 1,025, Washington, 10.7, 842, West Virginia, 16.6, 300, Wisconsin, 10, 604, Wyoming, 22.3, 133.

There were 14,400 gun-related homicides in 2019. Killings involving a gun accounted for nearly three-quarters of all homicides in the US in that year.  That's a larger proportion of homicides than in Canada, Australia, England and Wales, and many other countries. Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were a total of more than 38,300 deaths from guns in 2019 - of which more than 23,900 were suicides.

 

The National Rifle Association (NRA) campaigns against all forms of gun control in the US and argues that more guns make the country safer. It is among the most powerful special interest lobby groups in the US, with a substantial budget to influence members of Congress on gun policy.  These reports make it difficult to know which country is more dangerous or safer to live in, Nigeria or the United States.