03072021 - Kanu ordered us to kil security operatives - ESN commander

2—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021 — 3 

I protect myself with juju, not guns — Igboho 

I protect myself with juju, not guns - Igboho; *Arms found in my house another govt magic; *Govt 

desperate to silence me; *Aide reveals: When Igboho found out they were here to kill he entered a 

room and disappeared; *A lady wearing mask led them in, calling names of occupants in the house 

*They started killing his cats, believing Igboho has turned into one 

By Clifford Ndujihe; 

Dapo Akinrefon & 

Adeola Badru 

YORUBA rights activ 

ist, Chief Sunday 

Adeyemo, a.k.a Sunday 

Igboho could be likened to 

a cat with many lives. His 

assailants, fully armed 

with sophisticated weapons 

stormed his residence 

in Soka area of Ibadan at 

1.35 am on Thursday with 

a mission to kill and to 

destroy. His attackers, who 

were dressed 

in security personnel’s 

uniform announced their 

presence with heavy shooting 

after identifying themselves. 

‘When Sunday Igboho 

found out that his assailants 

came to kill him, 

he entered a room and disappeared’, 

one of his aides 

said last night. The security 

operatives left Igboho’s 

residence with trails of 

blood but with their mission 

unaccomplished as 

they were unable to either 

kill him or arrest him. 

One of Igboho’s close 

aides who narrated how 

the attack took place described 

it as a Commando 

operation. Speaking further 

with Saturday Vanguard, 

Igboho’s aide, who 

did not want his name in 

print, said the operation 

was like a movie scene in 

the early hours of Thursday, 

as operatives of the 

Department of State Service, 

DSS and the army descended 

on Igboho’s house 

with a mission not known 

to the occupants. 

According to him, the 

unexpected visitors, who 

were dressed in army 

camoflage and military 

uniform, entered the compound 

to meet their host 

unprepared. He said the 

assailants came in five 

army branded Hilux vehicles 

and forcefully gained 

entry by killing one of the 

body guards of Igboho, 

named Adogan. 

His words: “When they 

arrived at about 1:35 am 

on Thursday, they scaled 

the fence and opened fire. 

We just heard sporadic 

gunshots all around the 

main house during which 

they killed one of the body 

guards of Sunday Igboho 

named Adogan. Before the 

gunmen made their way 

into the inner rooms there 

was a lady wearing a mask 

who led them in. She was 

calling occupants of the 

house by their names. That 

is to show that an insider 

gave them the information 

they relied on. The lady 

started shouting the names 

of close aides of Igboho 

and asked the assailants to 

kill every living thing sighted 

on the premises. They 

killed his Alfa who was 

praying. 

“They took away about 

N3m from his (Igboho’s) 

room as well as his jewellery. 

The assailants killed 

five persons and took away 

their corpses. Some ladies, 

who are wives of Igboho’s 

aides, were also taken 

away. They took away the 

CCTV box so that we 

would not be able to play 

back. 

“When they realised that 

Igboho had escaped, out of 

anger, they whisked away 

one of his wives and 13 

other aides including one 

of his bloggers named 

Lady K. When Sunday Igboho 

found out they were 

there to kill him, he had to 

enter another room and 

disappeared. We can’t tell 

his whereabouts as I am 

speaking with you. The 

gun duel lasted an hour.” 

Meanwhile, Sunday Igboho, 

who has been declared 

wanted by the security 

agents has given his 

own account of the attack. 

In his statement issued 

yesterday titled: “My persecution 

by Buhari regime: 

setting the records 

straight”, Igboho chronicled 

the events that led to 

his intervention in the 

struggle for the self-determination 

of Yoruba ethnic 

group and described the 

attack on his home as unwarranted 

and unjust persecution 

My Story—Chief Sunday 

Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho 

“The invasion of my 

home by Nigerian security 

operatives and the Department 

of State Security’s 

(DSS) announcement 

that I am wanted has made 

it essential for me to set the 

records straight for Nigerians 

and the international 

community. 

“Nigerian security operatives 

invaded my residence 

in the early hours of 

Thursday, 1st July, 2021. 

The invasion was done 

without a search warrant. 

I was not invited for questioning/investigation 

at 

any government facility 

before the invasion. The 

operatives that stormed 

my residence destroyed my 

properties, killed persons 

and stole valuables and 

money. Pictures and videos 

of their atrocities have 

been widely reported in the 

media. 

“Nigerians and the world 

at large are aware of my 

resistance to the incessant 

killings, raping and kidnapping 

of my people in 

Southwest Nigeria by 

armed Fulani herdsmen. 

The failure of President 

Muhammadu Buhari and 

his government to curb the 

criminal activities of the 

murderous herdsmen necessitated 

my intervention. 

I ordinarily would not 

have intervened if government 

had lived up to its 

Items recovered from Sunday Igboho's House by DSS . Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. 

responsibility of securing 

the Southwest and Nigeria 

at large from the criminal 

activities of the President’s 

ethnic men. 

“Of public knowledge, 

my intervention has not 

led to any loss of life or 

bloodshed. My means of 

curbing criminality is to 

chase the criminal Fulani 

herdsmen out of their hideouts 

in company of the 

people of the affected 

communities. It is because 

of the foreseen government 

persecution that videos of 

such interventions were 

transmitted live on social 

media. Nigerians, the security 

operatives, and the 

presidency are aware that 

I have never moved 

against the peaceful Fulanis 

and other tribes living 

peacefully in the Southwest. 

My unjust persecution 

— for defending my 

people and community — 

is therefore surprising and 

unwarranted. 

“After several unsuccessful 

attempts to link me to 

any crime, the Buhari regime 

desperately opt to 

forcefully silence me, so 

that the criminal herdsmen, 

who enjoy government’s 

sympathy, protection 

and immunity, can 

easily outrun the Southwest. 

The presidency’s serial 

antics and desperation 

to acquire people’s ancestral 

lands across Nigeria 

for foreign Fulani herdsmen 

because they share 

ethnicity and occupation 

with the President is well 

known to Nigerians and 

the international community. 

I am being seen as a 

threat to the Fulanization 

agenda in the Southwest, 

hence the desperation to 

soil my name. 

“Nigerians and the international 

community 

should please be aware 

that the security operatives 

that invaded my home either 

planted the ammunition 

being paraded in the 

media in my home or harvested 

them from their armoury 

to frame me. The 

arms paraded are not 

mine, they are government 

magic. I protect myself 

with traditional powers, 

not with guns. 

“Federal government 

framed me up and the sequence 

of events brings 

the truth bare. Why would 

the security agents invade 

my home at night and destroy 

my surveillance cameras 

before carrying out 

their operation if not that 

they had an ulterior motive? 

In this modern age of 

technological advancement, 

why did the security 

operatives not put on body 

cameras to record their 

activities from the point of 

entry to their time of exit? 

Their action is a testament 

that the Buhari regime is 

incurable of using desperate 

approach to silence 

peaceful social interventions. 

“The unwarranted military 

invasion of Lekki, 

gruesome killing of peaceful 

EndSARS protesters, 

and evacuation of their 

bodies on 20th October 

2020 is still fresh in the 

mind of Nigerians. A similar 

approach was adopted 

during the invasion of my 

home. The security operatives 

killed scores and took 

away their bodies. Buhari’s 

regime would have declared 

that ‘unknown gunmen’ 

invaded my home if 

they had succeeded in killing 

me. Nigerians and the 

international community 

should beware that desperate 

efforts are being made 

to force those arrested to 

make implicating confessional 

statement. I advise 

the DSS to desist from their 

unprofessional acts and 

devote such energy to eradicating 

insecurity. 

“Nigerians and the international 

community 

should please note that I 

am a law-abiding citizen 

without blemish. I advise 

President Buhari to, in the 

interest of Nigerians that 

voted him to power, order 

his henchmen to desist 

from using falsehood and 

unholy tactics to soil my 

name. Such energy should 

be devoted to taming the 

herdsmen and bandits freely 

committing heinous 

crimes across Nigeria with 

impunity because their 

kinsman is in power. 

“Yoruba people would 

not be demanding for a 

nation if government had 

lived up to its responsibilities. 

Self-determination is 

not a crime and all effort 

to silence us and acquire 

our ancestral land for local 

and foreign criminal 

herdsmen will fail. Many 

Ken Saro-Wiwa arose after 

Nigerian government 

unjustly executed the nonviolent 

activist. Those that 

emerged after him confronted 

government and 

almost brought Nigeria to 

its knees. I am another 

Saro-Wiwa. Therefore, I 

advise President Buhari to 

learn from the mistake of 

past governments. I am not 

Nigeria’s problem and 

should not be framed up or 

intimidated for contributing 

my quota to ensure 

peace reigns in my region 

and country. 

Residents speak 

One of the residents in 

the area, simply identified 

as Oyewole who also spoke 

with Saturday Vanguard 

said the manner of the attack 

on Sunday Igboho’s 

house obviously suggested 

that the DSS did not obtain 

a competent court order 

to arrest or declare 

him wanted. DSS operatives 

were just all out to kill 

him. They were here to kill 

him because of his agitation 

for Yoruba nation.” 

Another resident, Mr. 

Akinpelu said there was no 

justification for his arrest, 

saying that it was an attempt 

to silence him like 

the IPOB leader Nnamdi 

Kanu. 

How his house was attacked 

More details of how Igboho’s 

house was attacked 

have emerged. An inside 

source told, an online publication, 

TheCable, after 

the attack, that the gunmen 

came with a detailed 

map of the house and when 

they could not break down 

the gates of the house, they 

managed to climb the 

fence to gain entry into the 

vast premises. The source 

said the attackers dispatched 

themselves to dif- 

Continues on page 5

4 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021 

PIB: N’Delta leaders, stakeholders differ 

*It’ll spark fresh agitations – HM Ayemi-Botu, Ogbonna 

*Landmark of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration — Mrs Tatua 

By Emma Amaize, Regional 

Editor, South-South 

STAKEHOLDERS of 

Niger-Delta disagreed, 

yesterday, on some important 

provisions in the newlypassed 

Petroleum Industry 

Bill, PIB, by the National Assembly, 

as some leaders stated 

the measly three-five per 

cent equity share to host communities 

would trigger crisis 

in due course, while others 

said it was another landmark 

by President Muhammadu 

Buhari administration. 

Former National Chairman, 

Traditional Rulers of 

Oil Mineral Producing 

Communities of Nigeria, 

TROMPCON, and Pere of 

Seimbiri Kingdom, Delta 

State, HM. Dr. Charles 

Ayemi-Botu, is among those 

who cautioned House of 

Representatives and Senate 

“should meet to harmonize 

the controversial and inconsistent 

percentages to a modest 

10 per cent to allay fears 

of another round of crisis in 

the volatile Niger-Delta.” 

But, Chairperson, Niger 

Delta People’s Movement 

(NDPM), Mrs Ibifuro Tatua, 

leading a collection of Niger- 

Delta leaders, in a statement, 

Friday, highlighted the 

gains of PIB, declaring the 

passage by the 9th Nigeria 

National Assembly as a 

pointer to Nigeria’s path to 

greatness and development. 

It‘ll generate tension – 

Monarch 

HM Ayemi-Botu told Saturday 

Vanguard: “It is a 

commendable effort by 

NASS to have passed the 

PIB after several years of delay. 

From the onset of the initiation 

of the Bill, a modest 

10 per cent was earmarked 

for the host communities to 

ameliorate the litany of resultant 

hazards accruing 

from oil exploitation/exploration 

by multinationals as 

well as indigenous oil companies 

for the past 65 years 

and the years to come. “ 

“Unfortunately the PIB was 

so politicized and unnecessarily 

dragged on until it was 

eventually passed with discrepancies 

by both Houses as 

to the percentage given to the 

host communities, i.e. 3 per 

cent and five per cent respectively, 

which has glaring bias 

that is unacceptable and a 

total disservice to the host 

communities, capable of 

generating tension in the region 

in the foreseeable future. 

Host communities should 

be defined – Ogbonna, Itsekiri 

leader 

Agreeing with the traditional 

ruler, Secretary, Warri 

Consultative Forum, WCF, 

Warri, Delta State, Comrade 

Amechi Ogbonna, warned 

that three per cent and five 

per cent equity shareholding 

separately approved for host 

communities would instigate 

inter-communal crisis in Niger-Delta 

region. 

Ogbonna, an Itsekiri 

leader, told Saturday Vanguard: 

“Three – five per cent 

is not the solution to the underdevelopment 

in host community. 

This bill will lead to 

inter -community crisis, what 

measure do they want to use 

to identify the host community.” 

“As for me, the Bill is a Trojan 

gift, even the 13 per cent 

derivation to oil states is no- 

Presiding Archbishop of Dominion Chapel Int'l Churches, Archbishop John 

Praise Daniel(4th from right) and his wife, Bishop Hope John Praise with the 

newly consecrated Bishops at the Church Headquarters, Garki, Abuja on Friday 

2nd July, 2021 

where to be found. The first 

thing is for the National Assembly 

to identify the host 

community and to be included 

in the bill, if not, it is bloodbath,” 

added. 

3%‘ll resuscitate agitations 

- Cleric, activist 

National President, Centre 

for Human Rights and Anti- 

Corruption Crusade, CHU- 

RAC, 

Cleric E. Alaowei, Esq., in a 

statement, said: “The percentage 

approved for the beleaguered 

oil bearing communities 

as their equity share 

in the PIB passed by the Senate 

is not only demeaning, but 

an insult to the environmentally 

degraded host communities. 

What can 3 per cent do 

to cushion the effects of the 

years of the degradation and 

despoliation of the ecosystem? 

“When the Bill was introduced 

by Yar’Adua government 

at the time of the militants’ 

agitations for equity 

and fair share in the production 

quota, 10 per cent equity 

share was voted in then proposed 

Bill for the host communities. 

The same was one 

of the bargaining lines of discuss 

to lull the restive Niger 

Delta people. 

“The House joint committee 

should look into the danger 

in passing the Bill into 

law. Niger Delta people need 

nothing less than 10 per cent 

equity share as originally 

agreed. National Assembly 

should strive to consider the 

interest of the people, who 

bear the brunt in passing the 

PIB. 3 per cent will sure resurrect 

agitations in the region. 

Mrs. Tatua –led NDPM 

frowned at the opposition, 

saying: “It is another benchmark 

for ensuring transparency 

and accountability in the 

oil and gas industry. We see a 

country on the point of incredible 

achievement and advancement.” 

In a statement in Port Harcourt, 

the leaders described 

the passage of the complete 

version of the PIB as another 

landmark of President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s adminis- 

AEA bags MSME top award 

By Dirisu Yakubu 

ABUJA- The Abuja En 

terprise Agency, AEA 

has been honoured with a top 

award in recognition of its excellent 

support services to the 

growth of small and medium 

scale enterprises in the nation’s 

capital. 

The Best Micro Small and 

Medium Enterprise One Stop 

Award was presented to the 

agency by Vice President, 

Professor Yemi Osinbajo earlier 

in the week during the 

4th national MSMEs award 

which coincided with the 

MSMEs Day, at the Banquet 

Hall, State House, Abuja. 

Acting Managing Director/Chief 

Executive Officer of 

the agency, Mr. Shehu Abdulkadir 

who received the 

award on behalf of the agency 

reinstated the agency’s 

commitment in nurturing 

and stimulating business 

growth in the Federal Capital 

Territory, even he thanked 

the Office of the Vice President 

for the recognition and 

appreciates the management 

and staff of AEA for their 

hard work and commitment 

towards effective service delivery. 

The agency emerged first 

among three other nominees- 

Bauchi MSME One Stop 

Shop, Jos MSME One Stop 

tration. 

‘’It is a good development 

that is capable of yielding a 

beneficial outcome” the leaders 

said, commending the efforts 

of President Buhari, Minister 

of State for Petroleum 

Resources, Chief Timipre 

Sylva and 9th National 

Assembly lawmakers in repositioning 

of Nigeria’s oil and 

gas industry. 

“This is another benchmark 

set in Nigeria, in a crucial 

sector that is key to Nigeria’s 

economic growth and 

stability,” they said 

PIB: UPU commends NASS, canvases 

review of funding to host communities 

T 

HE President-General of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), 

Worldwide, Olorogun Moses Taiga, has commended the 

9TH National Assembly for breaking the jinx trailing the 

Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by passing it into law, even as he 

called for an “objective and realistic review of funding for the 

host community trust fund.” 

Reacting to the passage of the PIB, Olorogun Moses Taiga said 

the 9th National Assembly demonstrated the necessary moral, 

technical and political will in passing the bill. He expressed delight 

with the Deputy President of the Senate, HE Ovie Omo-Agege, 

who represents the Urhobo Nation in the Senate and other senators 

and House of Reps members from the Niger Delta for their role in 

ensuring the passage of the PIB. He noted that in spite any 

shortcomings that may be observed, the PIB as passed is a good 

and practical starting point towards effecting changes to the administrative, 

regulatory and fiscal framework of the Nation’s Oil 

and Gas industry. 

On the funding of the host community trust fund, the UPU 

President-General called for an objective, realistic and patriotic 

review of the fund to 10 per cent when both chambers of the National 

Assembly meet to harmonise their positions on the PIB. 

Taiga noted that the Oil and Gas host communities, for many 

decades, have suffered untold infrastructural neglect, 

environmental degradation, rights deprivation and other socioeconomic 

ills and it is only fair that the PIB compensates them for 

the longtime injustices meted out to them by an upward review of 

the funding before it is signed into law by President Buhari. 

Shop and FCT MSME One 

Stop Shop. 

Saturday Vanguard reports 

that the FCT MSME 

One Stop Shop was established 

as fallout of the Office 

of the Vice President’s ease of 

doing business initiative, and 

the agency’s successful hosting 

of the nation-wide business 

clinics held at the Eagles 

Square in July 2017, and the 

subsequent nomination of the 

agency by the Office of the 

Honourable Minister of the 

Federal Ministry of Industry 

Trade and Investment, FMI- 

TI, and subsequent approval 

by the Honourable Minister 

of the Federal Capital Territory. 

Beware of fraudsters, 

expert urges Nigerians 

— Rev Ehiemere 

THE deputy director of JTECHTRADE investment com 

pany, Honvu John Nunayon , has advised Nigerians to 

be wary of Internet fraudsters. 

Nunayon, in a statement on Sunday, said it was unfortunate 

that a lot of unsuspecting Nigerians have been defrauded on 

social media. 

He said, “It is no longer news that a great number of unsuspecting 

shoppers get defrauded or scammed on daily basis by 

imposters. This is indeed saddening and can be very traumatising 

for one to lose a huge sum of money. 

“First, when you go online, especially on the social media 

space searching for companies rendering certain online services, 

always ensure you check if they have a genuine website, 

visit the site and click on the social media handles directly on 

the website to navigate to their official social media pages. 

“Secondly, when you see such company’s social media handles, 

always do the needful by searching further for more accounts 

with the same names, check for the page with the highest 

number of followers. Go through the visitors comments 

under their posts, ensure you read their reviews thoroughly. 

The expert lamented that the firm had been a victim of serial 

imposters, fraudsters and scammers posing online to swindle 

people, hence, the need to enlighten Nigerians on the red flag, 

common signs and ways to avert being defrauded. 

“Always remember the red flags, these impostors do very 

aggressive marketing like sliding into your inbox to tell you 

about their services. 

“One key way to also avoid being scammed is to request for 

the company’s account when it is time to make payment. Company’s 

don’t give out individual accounts for such transactions 

and it is easier to track and recover funds when they go through 

company accounts,” he added 

More children to benefit from 

National Home Grown School 

Feeding in Akwa Ibom 

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced 

its intention to ensure that more children are captured 

in its social protection programmes in line with 

the aspirations of the President Muhammadu Buhari 

led administration. 

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management 

and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq 

Umar made this known during a courtesy visit to the 

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel on Thursday. 

The Minister who was represented by the Zonal Monitor 

of the National Home-Grown School Feeding program, 

Dr Abubakar Sulaiman said that an additional 5 

million pupils were being targeted by 2023 to add to 

the already 9 million pupils benefiting from the daily 

free nutritious meal during school term nationwide. 

“Today, we are here in Akwa Ibom State on the strength 

of our partnership and mutual recognition of the need 

to do more on the National Home Grown School Feeding 

Programme NHGSFP, to bring more Nigerians under 

the umbrella of the Government’s social protection 

mechanism, to look at scaling up the number of the pupils 

benefiting from the Program”. 

With over 100,000 cooks employed and more than 

100,000 small holder farmers participating in this value 

chain, Sulaiman said that the NHGSFP is a serious 

potential for socio-economic development if strengthened 

and sustained nationwide. 

The Federal Government also confirmed that it will 

continue to work with State and Federal NHGSFP teams 

as well as key stakeholders such as the National Bureau 

of Statistics, Ministry of Education, National Orientation 

Agency, National Population Commission, National 

Youth Service Corp, UBEC and State Education 

boards for effective results. 

Police arrest 36 criminals, recover 

14 guns in Rivers 

By Davies Iheamnachor 

PORT HARCOURT: Operatives of the Nigeria Police 

Force in Rivers State have arrested 36 criminals for 

different offences in the state. 

Police also recovered 14 guns and over 200 ammunition 

from the suspects who were arrested in different parts 

of the state. 

Parading the suspects in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the 

Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Friday Eboka, 

noted that the success was recorded following the intelligence 

gathering of officers and men of the command 

and cooperation of the public in crime fighting. 

Eboka noted that the efforts of Police has brought cult 

related activities, kidnapping and other vice to a barest 

minimum, calling for continuous supports by the public. 

He said: “You will recall that when I assumed duty as 

the CP of the State in mid February this year, I solicited 

the support of all and promised to serve the good people 

of the State conscientiously. The people responded positively 

and we recorded significant achievements too numerous 

to enumerate. 

“You will all agree with me that Cultism, Kidnapping 

and other violent crimes have nosedived. Within this period 

the Command arrested the total of 3 Armed Robbery 

Suspects, 27 Kidnap Suspects, 6 Cultists. 

A total of 6 Kidnap Victims were rescued, 14 Arms and 

2 Vehicles recovered.”

I protect myself with juju, not guns — Igboho 

Continued from page 3 

ferent parts of the building, 

shooting at every object as 

they moved around the premises. 

According to the 

source,”they came with sophisticated 

weapons, one 

that will be difficult for Igboho 

boys to match even if 

they had wanted to fight 

back with force. They came 

in many vehicles. They 

blocked the entrance leading 

to the Soka community 

where the house is located 

and surrounded the 

building. They were pointing 

to rooms and naming 

occupants. They recognised 

the apartment Igboho 

stayed and his room. They 

gained entrance to his living 

room, turning all furniture 

upside down while 

calling on him to come out. 

“They also turned his 

mattress upside down looking 

for him under the bed. 

When they could not find 

him, they started shooting 

at the ceiling, thinking he 

was hiding up there. Their 

bullets pierced through the 

ceiling decorations, bringing 

down the POP and creating 

holes in the roof. 

“One of them later said 

that there were many cats 

in the house and he could 

have turned to one of them 

with his charm. They started 

killing the cats, stamping 

on the kittens. One of 

the cats just gave birth. 

They took them away with 

the bodies of the two people 

killed. 

“One of the people killed 

was an Alfa who just finished 

his prayers. The other 

deceased was caught inside 

the visitors’ room. 

There were other people in 

the house apart from the 

deceased. Residents of the 

area were shouting ‘don’t 

kill Igboho’ but the onslaught 

continued. 

“Outside the building, the 

attackers within the compound 

were busy spraying 

the cars and walls of the 

houses with bullets. They 

brought down doors from 

their hinges also. We counted 

more than 300 expended 

bullets when the day 

broke.” 

Attack callous, oppressive, 

barbaric———Oodua 

Worlwide 

Meantime, more condemnations 

have trailed 

the attack on Igboho’s 

house. Reacting to the invasion, 

President of the 

Oodua Worldwide, a global 

organization with 

headquarters in Canada, 

Prince Adewale Ojo, said 

the attack was “callous, 

oppressive, barbaric and 

smirks of obvious favouritism 

deliberately skewed to 

favour a section of the 

country against others.” 

Ojo wondered why a section 

of the country has been 

terrorising the citizens of 

Nigeria unmolested while 

Igboho, who was carrying 

out a peaceful agitation 

would be the target of government. 

The statement reads: 

“Reports have indicated 

Some of those arrested by DSS at Sunday Igboho's house, Soka, Ibadan 

Some of those arrested by DSS at Sunday Igboho's house, Soka, Ibadan 

that the gun totting men of 

the DSS, donned in military 

uniform, had killed two 

occupants in the building 

and whisked away others, 

including Igboho’s wife, to 

yet to be ascertained destination. 

“This is an urgent response 

to avert a looming 

danger hovering around 

Nigeria, if swift, urgent 

steps are not taken to the 

right course. We wonder 

why known national tormentors 

like Sheik Gumi, 

Miyetti Allah and others 

are walking the streets of 

Nigeria unmolested while 

those on a popular struggle 

suddenly became objects 

of intimidation by our 

government. 

“Our attention was drawn 

today to the gory incident 

that took place in the residence 

of Sunday Igboho 

around 1am, on Thursday 

1st July, 2021, in Ibadan, 

Oyo State. We view the nocturnal 

attack by the DSS, 

which brought to memory 

the dark days of the fascist 

military rule in Nigeria, as 

a mis-normal on the part 

of the attackers. We are 

miffed by the fact that Nigeria 

is fast drifting from 

the path of advancement 

into the shameful abyss of 

doom, while the leaders of 

our beleaguered nation 

seems to be looking away, 

or pretending to be. 

“We are appalled that the 

nation is fast degenerating 

and no one seems to care 

about what would become 

of a once fledgling country 

which seems to have lost its 

soul to petty politicking by 

those ordained to guide it 

to fruition. 

“Agitation for self-determination 

came as a last 

option after series of pressure 

for a national dialogue 

met brick walls, deliberately 

erected by the thieving 

leaders who have from independence 

eaten up the 

national egg, killed the 

fowls and are now bent on 

setting the entire poultry 

ablaze. 

“At this point, we may not 

be too wrong to assume 

that this recent attack was 

a furtherance to the conceived 

ethnic cleansing by 

a section of the country 

who are bent to dominate 

and force the rest of us to 

an underdog in a country 

that constitutionally bequeath 

egalitarianism, 

equal rights and justice for 

all. 

“Two souls were reported 

to have been lost to these 

marauding attackers, with 

their corpses taken away. 

Scores of people, including 

the wife of Chief Ighoho, 

were also taken away. This 

is not only barbaric but sad. 

We, therefore, state without 

any fear of intimidation 

that the Muhammadu Buhari 

led administration 

should, without hesitation 

release all the arrested persons 

from Igboho’s house, 

stop the manhunt on him 

and pay adequate compensation 

for the damages visited 

on his properties. We 

are Nigerians and we deserve 

fair treatment for as 

long as we still remain a 

nation. 

“We here state categorically 

that the only way 

peace and tranquility can 

reign in Nigeria is for 

government to restore 

hope that a new Nigeria 

is still a possibility. Anything 

to the contrary will 

pose a serious danger to 

the unity of our country, 

Nigeria. 

“Yoruba and indeed her 

people, have been peaceful 

in the agitation for a Yoruba 

nation all along. We 

have adhered with both the 

Nigerian and International 

Laws guiding the agitation 

for self-determination. 

All our agitations have 

been peacefully, orderly 

and lawfully executed. Any 

action that will show a mistake 

of our orderliness for 

cowardice shall be strictly 

resisted. 

“We, therefore, declare 

that this attack on Chief 

Ighoho’s house by the DSS 

was rather unfortunate, 

cruel, irresponsible, illegal 

and atrocious. We make 

bold to say that we shall 

hold the Buhari led administration 

responsible for 

this barbaric attack if nothing 

is done in record time 

to condemn the act and redresses 

made to assuage 

frayed nerves on this very 

dastardly act. 

“And should there be no 

response to our request 

within 72 hours, this recent 

action will be taken as a 

declaration of war against 

our peace-loving people. A 

stitch in time can save 

more than nine..” 

Nzuko Umunna decries 

attack 

IGBO professional and 

intellectual think-tank 


group, Nzuko Umunna, 

also condemned the attack 

saying “it stands in solidarity 

with the Yoruba Nation”. 

In a statement by its Executive 

Secretary, Mr 

Ngozi Odumuko, and a 

member of its Executive 

Council, Mr. Paschal 

Mbanefo, the group said it 

was deeply concerned 

about the attack by a joint 

team of security operatives 

on the Ibadan residence of 

Igboho. 

The statement read in 

part: “It is even more worrisome 

that the State Security 

Service/Department of 

State Services (DSS) has 

admitted that its operatives 

“raided” Igboho’s residence 

and “gunned down” 

two persons “while the rest 

were subdued and arrested.” 

“ We observe with deep 

concern that ‘sting operations’ 

by Nigeria’s security 

agencies has become synonymous 

with predictable 

bloodletting, contrary to 

similar operations in other 

climes. We recall the raid 

on the Afara-Ukwu home of 

Leader of the Indigenous 

Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and 

the more recent attack on 

the residence of his lawyer, 

Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor. The 

seeming impunity and lack 

of accountability for these 

killings by security operatives 

may have emboldened 

this unacceptable 

breach of globally accepted 

rules of engagement. 

This must stop! The Department 

of State Services 

must operate within the 

ambit of Nigeria’s Constitution 

and laws, more so as 

the Service admits that noone 

or entity can be above 

the law. 

“We expect the Department 

of State Services to 

conduct a thorough investigation 

on cases before 

briefing Nigerians and other 

stakeholders on its operations. 

Its position must be 

based on hard facts rather 

than mere suspicions as to 

the source of the fire arms 

allegedly found in Chief 

Igboho’s house. More importantly, 

the Department 

of State Services must shun 

media trial. 

“The events of the last few 

days are grave and troubling, 

and can only worsen 

the heightened socio-political 

barometer of the polity. 

We totally deplore the 

seeming onslaught on 

rights activists and regional 

agitators. This feeds into 

the worrisome but widespread 

view that there is a 

deliberate attack on progressive 

elements in order 

to further shrink the civic 

space. 

“Nzuko Umunna is highly 

worried by this situation, 

and urges the Federal Government 

to immediately 

pull back its agents from 

this state of affairs. Nzuko 

Umunna stands in solidarity 

now and at all times 

with all rights activists and 

especially the Yoruba Nation 

in their quest for justice 

and equity.” 

Provocative attack on 

Igboho done to kill agitation 

for Yoruba Nation— 

YGC 

Another Yoruba diaspora 

socio-cultural 

organization,Yoruba Global 

Council, YGC, described 

the attack as provocative, 

barbaric and deliberate 

act to suppress the 

growing agitation for a 

Yoruba nation. 

In a statement by its 

spokesperson, Prof Lere 

Amusan, the group said 

with the DSS revealing it 

organised the attack under 

the guise of seeking 

out stockpiled arms, it 

may not be out of order to 

conclude that, considering 

the desperation with 

which the attack was 

staged, Sunday Igboho 

could as well been killed 

if found during the operation. 

Saying that the reason 

given for the attack by the 

DSS was not convincing 

enough, YGC said ‘’it is 

baffling that herders, who 

are known to be custodians 

of illegal arms even 

with Miyetti Allah, its 

leadership known to government, 

are not accused 

of stockpiling arms, rather 

it is the peaceful Igboho 

government considers 

too dangerous and deserve 

such 

unwarranted,violent sting 

operation where lives 

were lost. 

“It is obvious, by the 

Thursday morning attack 

that the primary mission 

of government, in tandem 

with the greedy politicians 

in the South West is to suppress 

the growing agitation 

for the sovereignty of 

the Yoruba states from the 

existing country The attack 

on Igboho where lives 

were lost and many arrested, 

has exposed the fact 

that Nigeria is miles away 

from acceptable democratic 

norms.’’ 

The group, while reaffirming 

its support for the 

agitation for a Yoruba nation, 

stressed that Igboho 

should not be seen as a 

threat by any system that 

is “fair, sincere, progressive 

and democratic.” 

It also warned that 

should the provocative attacks 

continue unchecked, 

the south West may become 

another field for violence 

like it is being witnessed 

in some other parts 

of the country, adding 

that, “the world has become 

so civilised, that it 

is needless to spill blood 

before agitating nations 

are granted sovereignty.” 

The group charged all 

Yoruba ‘’sons and daughters 

to come together at 

this crucial time, to demonstrate 

transparent unity 

that will send the ultimate 

signal, that securing 

Yoruba nation sovereignty 

is not negotiable.”


Abuja 

traders 

fault Area 7 

market 

remodelling 

plan 

By Fortune Eromosele 

TRADERS at the Garki 

Area 7 Shopping 

Center Abuja have flayed 

Urban Shelter and Abuja 

Investment Company’s 

plan to remodel the 

Complex 

over 

uncertainties in the 

aftermath of the project. 

This came as the traders’ 

association said that there 

was no official letter or 

notice to its members on 

the proposed remodelling 

project without any 

concrete arrangement of 

resettlement in the 

interim, as well as, 

allocation of the 

remodelled market to the 

traders. 

Speaking during the 

Leadership and Traders 

Association Forum in 

Abuja, a concerned shop 

operator, Kelechi Oledibe, 

called on the Abuja 

Investment Company to 

rescind its decision to 

remodel the market, or 

find better alternatives. 

According to him, “We 

saw earlier this year in 

January a signboard 

mounted at the four 

corners of the UTC 

complex that they want to 

remodel. 

“And we are saying there 

wasn’t an official letter 

sent to us about the 

remodelling. It is unusual 

for a Landlord to send a 

tenant packing without a 

quit notice; but in this case 

there is nothing like 

notice, they went and put 

up a signboard that they 

are remodelling UTC 

without consulting us.” 

At a meeting of shop 

owners and operators at 

the shopping complex on 

Monday, it was agreed that 

they would not vacate the 

market for the proposed 

remodelling until all 

stakeholders and an 

agreement is reached 

before any work can 

commence on the project. 

On his own part, 

Chairman Board of 

Trustees of Shop owners, 

Area 7 Shopping Center, 

UTC, Mike Uwalaka, said 

that the Chairman of Area 

7 traders went ahead to 

discuss with Abuja 

Investment/Urban Shelter 

without consulting other 

stakeholders, especially, 

shop owners. 

“When the people 

discovered what was going 

on, they said they cannot 

be sleeping and somebody 

is taking over their shops. 

That is what constituted 

the forum. They think they 

want to short-change them 

from the proposed 

remodelling. Those of us 

who own shops in this 

market must have a 

concrete assurance that we 

will have our shops back 

at the end of the 

reconstruction before we 

can vacate this market. 

The deal must be fair. 

“What we are agitating 

now is that we are not 

going anywhere. Urban 

shelter did not notify and 

write us formally as shop 

owners/operators. They 

have no right to do what 

they want to do.” 

CHANGE OF NAME 

ALLEN 

I, formerly known and 

addressed as EKAETTE 

ALLEN ESCHOR Now wish 

to be known and addressed as 

EKAETTE EDEM JAMES. 

All former documents remain 

valid General public and 

authority concerned please 

take note. 

FESTUS ETIM 


addressed as MISS ABOSEDE 

MARY ETIM, now wish to be 

known and addressed as MRS 

ABOSEDE GRACE OLAGBESO. 


valid. General public please note 

AUGUSTINE 

I formerly known and 

addressed as Okom Ogochukwu 

now wish to be known and 

addressed as Okom Ogochukwu 

Augustine. All former 

documents remain valid. The 

general public to please take 

note. 

CHUKWU 

I, formerly known as Miss 

Patricia Ifeoma Chukwu now wish 

to be known as Mrs. Patricia 

Ifeoma Egbe. All former 

documents remain valid. 

Babcock University and general 

public please take note. 

NWOKO 

I, formerly known as 

NWOKO KATE CHIOMA 

now wish to be known as 

CHIKA KATHERINE 

CHIOMA. All former 


General Public and Authorities 

concerned, please take note. 

EKABUA 

I, formerly known, called and 

addressed as MISS RITA 

BASSEY EKABUA, that I now 

wish to be known, called and 

addressed as MRS. RITA JOHN 

CHIGOZIE. That all documents 

bearing my former name remains 

valid, General Public please take 

note. 

EIGBE 


Beauty Itohan Eigbe, now 

wish to be known and addressed 

as Mrs Beauty Itohan 

Ugochukwu. All former 

documents remain valid, general 

public please take note. 

OREJIE 


addressed as OREJIE 

ANTHONIA, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

EHIMUAN ANTHONIA. Former 

documents remain valid. General 

public take note 

ANACHUNA 


addressed as Anachuna 

Okechukwu Mohay, now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as Ifeacho 

Okechukwu Mohay. All 

former documents remain 

valid. The general public 

should please take note. 

ZIKORA 



Zikora Lucy, now wish to be 

known and addressed as 

Ifeacho Zikora Lucy. All 




ROSARIO 


addressed as Anachuna Afoma 

Rosario, now wish to be known 

and addressed as Ifeacho Afoma 

Rosario. All former documents 

remain valid. The general public 


EFERURHOBO 


addressed as MISS 

E F E R U R H O B O 

OGHENEORUESE, now wish to 

be known and addressed as 

MRS ARUOTURE 

OGHENEORUESE. All former 


General public please note. 

NATHANIEL 

I Formerly known and 

addressed as Miss Martina 

Nathaniel now wish to be known 

and addressed as Mrs. Martina 

Enakhimion. All former 

documents remain valid. The 

general public take note 

JESSY 


Alamezie Osinachi 

Nkechinyere Jessy, now wish 

to be known and addressed 

as Mrs. Samuel Osinachi 

Nkechinyere. The general 

public take note. 

ODIRI 

I, formerly known as MISS 

AUGUSTINA ODIRI now 

wish to be know as MRS. 

AUGUSTINA ELO KORO. 


valid. General Public and 

Authorities concerned, please 

take note. 

KPANGBAN 

I, formerly known as MISS 

AVWEROSUOGHENE BEAUTY 

KPANGBAN, now wish to be 

known as MRS 

AVWEROSUOGHENE BEAUTY 

ENIVWENAE. All former 

documents remain valid. General 

Public and Authorities 

concerned, please take note. 

OSIREME 

This is to confirm that the 

names Osireme Goddey and 

Oserime Goddey belong to 

one and the same person. All 


valid. General Public and 

Authorities concerned, please 

take note. 

JOVITA 

I, formerly known as Anurika 

Jovita Aniugo, now wish to 


Precious Anurika David. 


valid, general public please take 

note. 

ENI-OKO 


addressed as ENI-OKO PEACE 

CHIKAODI, now wish to be 

known and address as 

UWAKWE CHINEDUM PEACE 

CHIKAODI. Former documents 

remain valid. General public take 

note 

KANAYO OT 


addressed as Mbadiwe- 

Anachuna Kanayo Joan, now 

wish to be known and 

addressed as Mbadiwe- 

Ifeacho Kanayo Joan. All 




ISABEL 



Utodinachi Isabel, now wish to 


Ifeacho Utodinachi Isabel. All 

former documents remain valid. 

The general public should please 

take note. 

MARIAE 



Ifechukwu Mariae, now wish to 


Ifeacho Ifechukwu Mariae. All 

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The general public should please 

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Mysterious death of 14-yr-old schoolgirl triggers 

controversy in Abuja 

*Our daughter died of trauma from sexual molestation—Family source 

*She was diabetic, sedated, tied on both hands and feet before death— Matron 

*No stone’ll be left unturned to arrest perpetrators - Principal 

By Luminous Jannamike, 

Abuja 

THE mysterious death 

of a 14-year old student of 

Premiere Academy, Lugbe, 

Abuja, Miss Keren-Happuch 

Akpagher, has triggered 

controversy in the 

nation’s capital. 

Akpagher reportedly 

died after a used condom, 

allegedly left inside her 

private part by unknown 

persons in school, was discovered 

by doctors, fueling 

speculations that she 

might have been sexually 

molested. 

Sources at Queens Hospital, 

Wuse Zone 6, where 

she eventually died, attributed 

her death to vaginal 

infection and sepsis. 

‘She died of trauma from 

sexual molestation’ 

However, family sources 

alleged that the teenage 

girl acted delirious before 

she was rushed to the hospital 

before her death. 

The source said the 

school had granted her request 

for exit to go home 

on personal grounds. 

However, Keren-Happuch 

became restless and incoherent 

less than 48hrs after 

her return. 

“Thank God we picked 

her from the school. She 

exhibited an acutely dis- 

turbed state of mind before 

she died. Our daughter 

was traumatised in school. 

“She became unconscious 

while in the hospital, 

and when the doctors 

tried to pass a catheter and 

a urine bag to aid her evacuation 

of body waste, some 

strange substances were 

found in her private part. 

Upon medical examination, 

the substance was 

discovered to be a decayed 

condom and sperm cells 

were found in her urine. It’s 

painful, she didn’t wake 

from the coma to tell us 

who did this evil to her,” 

the family source said. 

She was diabetic, sedated, 

tied on both hands and 

feet before death. 

But the matron of school 

clinic, Mrs. Grace Salami, 

who spoke to Saturday 

Vanguard, disagreed, saying 

that the claim by the 

Akpagher family did not 

add up. 

She said:“In the first 

place, condom is latex and 

it is not supposed to decay, 

and if it has been in her 

private part for days, the 

sperm cells should not be 

found in her urine.” 

Salami continued, “Keren-Happuch 

was admitted 

into the school in 2019 

with a medical history of 

diabetes that was first diagnosed 

when was nine 

years old. The school has 

been giving her insulin injections 

twice daily and 

sometimes special diets 

were prepared for her to 

enable her lead a normal 

life in school. 

“But on June 17, she 

complained of having a 

red itchy eye. So, we provided 

her with basic care 

and an eye drop to use in 

school. But her mother insisted 

on her seeing an opthalmologist 

in town and 

we obliged. 

“But when the girl returned 

from the visit to the 

opthalmologist, she insisted 

on going home on personal 

grounds. After consultation 

between her parents 

and the school management, 

an exit was 

granted her. 

“Two days later, her 

mother called me to say 

that the daughter was acting 

delirious, and that, I 

should come right away to 

the hospital where they 

had rushed her for medical 

attention. 

“On getting there, I discovered 

that the girl was 

totally in a coma. I was 

shocked. When the mother 

called me, she said the girl 

was delirious. So, why is 

she in a coma? I had 

asked. 

“I was told that she was 

struggling so the doctor 

had to sedate her. I was not 

comfortable with that patient 

management because 

the girl was diabetic. 

Her hands and feet were 

equally tied to the bed to 

restrain her. 

“Her sugar level had risen 

to about 400 which is 

fatal. So, I asked the mother, 

if Keren-Happuch took 

her insulin injection while 

she was at home for two 

days but there was no positive 

response.” 

Saturday Vanguard 

could not reach the medical 

director at Queen’s 

hospital for further explanation 

on the strange substances 

discovered in her 

private part, because he 

was not available when 

our correspondent visited 

the medical facility. 

Meanwhile, the FCT police 

command has commenced 

investigation into 

the case, and the result of 

a post-mortem was being 

awaited as at the time of 

filing this report. 

No stone’ll be left unturned 

to arrest 

perpetrators. 

Nonetheless, the Principal 

of Premiere Academy, 

Mr. Chris Akinsowon, has 

vowed that no stone would 

be left unturned to get to 

the root of the matter. 


Anambra pensioners agonize 

unpaid gratuities, non 

harmonization of pensions 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

THE Anambra State branch of the Nigeria Union of Pen 

sioners, NUP, has expressed worry over nonpayment of 

gratuities to retired workers for the past four years. 

At their meeting in Awka, the pensioners also complained 

about the reluctance of the state government to harmonize 

pensions in the state. 

The state chairman of NUP, Comrade Anthony Ugozor who 

spoke during the pensioners’ council meeting said the two issues 

remained a sour taste among retired workers in the state. 

Although he commended the state government for the regular 

payment of pensions in the state, he regretted that people who 

left the service hoping to use their gratuity to start a new life 

have been made to suffer after serving the state diligently. 

He said: “One serious worry is that gratuity of pensioners for 

the past four years is yet to be paid. The union very sincerely 

urges the government to commence gradual liquidation of 

such arrears of gratuity to avoid accumulation to unreasonable 

magnitude. 

“Also, one of the greatest embarrassments of Anambra State 

pensioners remains the non harmonization of pension as there 

is great disparity in payment of monthly pensions to retirees on 

the same grade level and step, simply because some retired 

earlier than others. 

“There is therefore the need to make all counterparts be at 

par with one another because they served the same government. 

At present a pensioner who retired 10 years ago receives 

less than 50% of what his counterpart who retired in 2020 

receives. 

Court remands twins, one 

other for allegeed rape, posting 

victim’s nude pictures 

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo 

A 

magistrate's Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun state 

yesterday remanded twin brothers, Olabode Kehinde, 

Olabode Taiwo and one other, Bakare Yusuf for 

allegedly gang raping a teenager identified as Rukayat. 

The three apprentices were docked before Magistrate 

A. O. Daramola on six counts bordering on conspiracy, 

rape, unlawful carnal knowledge, indecent assault, 

breach of peace and damage of reputation of the victim. 

According to Police prosecutor, Inspector Temitope Fatoba 

the defendants sometimes in March 2021 at Oke- 

Abuja area of Iragbiji conspired among themselves to 

commit rape the teenager. 

He added that the defendants with intent to cause annoyance, 

insult, injury, intimidation, enmity or needless 

anxiety to the victim, did intentionally post her nude 

pictures on a social media after sexually assaulting her. 

Olabode added that the defendant also acted in a manner 

likely to cause breach of public peace by posting the 

victim’s nude pictures on the social media. 

According to him, the offence committed is contrary 

to and punishable under sections 516, 358, 360, 373, 

375 of the state criminal law and section 24(1)(b) of the 

Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015. 

The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges 

preferred against them. 

2023: Igbo must revive alliance 

with the North — Ozobu 

By Ugochukwu Alaribe 

C 

hieftain of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prince Richard Ozo 

bu, has said that the Igbo must put efforts to revive the 

alliance it had with the North during the first and second 

republics in Nigeria if it is committed to achieving Igbo presidency 

in 2023. Ozobu stated that the Igbo had been relegated 

in Nigerian politics because it abandoned its traditional 

political allies, stressing that no zone, no matter the size of 

the population, ‘can do it alone’ in the politics of Nigeria. 

He urged Igbo leaders to re-examine the political history 

of the area and ascertain where it missed the ‘route’ and chart 

ways to make amends. 

He said; “The Igbo must re-examine themselves and our 

political history and where we lost it. If we re-examine ourselves, 

we will discover that we lost our traditional allies in 

the politics of Nigeria. The North had been our allies in the 

first and second republics which were clearly the glorious 

days of the Igbo in the politics of Nigeria. We must make 

efforts to revive our alliance with the North because no zone, 

no matter its population, can make it alone to the presidency.. 

We are asking for the presidency in 2023, how can we get 

it? Is it by just mouthing it? We must reach out and build 

bridges of friendship and understanding across Nigeria.


Kanu tortured for eight days by Kenya’s 

special police, his lawyer alleges 

*Says: He needs urgent medical attention 

*Adds: We’ll hold Nigerian govt responsible 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

More details about how the 

detained leader of the proscribed 

Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu 

was arrested, have emerged. 

Kanu’s lead defence counsel, 

Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, on Friday 

night, confirmed that his client 

was arrested and detained 

for eight days by Kenya’s Special 

Police Force, before he 

was eventually handed over 

to their Nigerian counterpart. 

Ejiofor, who made this disclosure 

shortly after his team 

were permitted by the Department 

of State Service, DSS, 

to have a meeting with Kanu, 

said his client was arrested in 

Kenya on June 18. 

In a statement he posted on 

his Facebook page, Ejiofor, 

said his client was tortured 

and subjected to various 

forms of inhuman treatment 

in Kenya, a situation he said 

worsened his health condition. 

The statement titled ‘Update 

on meeting with MNK 

today, 2nd July 2021’, read: 

“My Client - Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu, was actually abducted 

by the accursed Kenya’s Special 

Police Force on the 18th 

of June 2021 at their International 

Airport, and consequently 

taken to an undisclosed 

residence under dehumanizing 

conditions. 

“He was tortured and subjected 

to all forms of inhuman 

treatment which worsened his 

health condition. 

“He was illegally detained 

for eight (8) good DAYS in 

Kenya before being transfered 

to their Nigerian counterpart. 

“He was purportedly investigated 

on a bogus charge 

while in their custody, ostensibly, 

awaiting to be handed 

over after their findings 

proved him innocent of all the 

spurious allegations. 

“They later beckoned on 

their Nigerian Counterpart to 

take over. 

From left: Turkish Officials, Mr. Alper Haner; Onur Akgul, 2nd National President 

of Nigerian Association of Chambers Of Commerce Industry Mines And Agriculture 

(NACCIMA); Otunba Dele Oye, Turkish New Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. 

Hidayet Bayraktar; Nkemdilim Ezedunor and Erbay Ongun shortly after a Business 

Council Chair Meeting on how to improve bilateral trade between Nigeria 

and Turkey in Abuja. 

“Kenyan Government was 

deeply involved in the abduction, 

detention and ill-treatment 

of my Client before the 

illegal handover to their Nigerian 

counterpart. 

“A scan of his heart showed 

that the heart has enlarged 

by 13% due to the dehumanizing 

treatment meted to him. 

“There will be need for immediate 

proper medical examination 

and attention for 

him. 

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu conveyed 

his goodwill message 

to all IPOB family members 

worldwide, and craved for 

your unrelentless prayers. 

“We are going back to the 

Court for the needful. Other 

details cannot be entertained 

here. 

“His fortified legal team 

will address these infractions 

at the proper forum as we 

progress. Other details on 

our legal strategy, may not be 

made public. 

“With Chukwuokike Abiama 

on our side, Victory is assured. 

For if God Almighty 

be for us, who can be against 

us?”. 

Ejiofor had earlier on Friday, 

revealed that the DSS 

had acceded to request by 

Kanu’s legal team to have 

audience with him. 

A post he made to that effect 

read: “Update. Thankfully, 

our effort is yielding the desired 

result, We have just received 

a communication approving 

Our visit to Our Client- 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. 

Shall keep the World posted 

on the outcome, immediately 

after the meeting, later in 

the Day. God is with Us”. 

The defence lawyer had in 

a series of posts he made on 

Thursday, vowed to go to 

court should the DSS decline 

application to allow Kanu to 

have access to his defence 

team. 

He equally hinted that 

Kanu would be applying to 

be transferred from DSS custody 

to a Correctional Center. 

“If at the close of work today, 

nothing is heard from Department 

of State Security 

Sevices,we will be returning 

back to Court for the 

needful.DSS custody 

shouldn’t be the appropriate 

custody to keep Our Client, 

because they are hostile not 

only to we lawyers but his relatives 

too. 

“As it stand today, we cannot 

verify the health status of 

Our Client Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu, who has hitherto been 

on a daily medication. 

“It is most plausible, that 

following retriction placed 

on visiting him, he may have 

been subjected to all forms of 

inhuman treatments ranging 

from torture, roughhandling 

and threats, all targeted at extracting 

confessional statement 

from him. 

“The World is hereby placed 

on Notice that if anything 

happen to Our Client-Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu who is presumably 

being subjected to 

these inhuman treatments. 

“The Nigeria Government 

will be held responsible. Our 

Client is inherently and Constitutionslly 

presumed innocent 

of all allegations against 

him, particularly now the 

Government has submitted to 

judicial process. 

“We still apply for calm 

from all corners as we expedite 

legal action”, Ejiofor stated. 

NDDC: Agitation, fear, tension in N’Delta, Tompolo alleges 

*Says: Deadline to inaugurate NDDC board expired with FG doing nothing tangible; 

*How to avoid breakdown of law and order 

By Emma Amaize, 

Regional Editor, South- 

South 

EX-MILITANT leader, 

Government Ekpemupolo, 

alias Tompolo, yesterday, 

said the deadline 

which Minister of Niger Delta 

Affairs, Senator Godswill 

Akpabio, agreed with stakeholders 

for the Federal Government 

to constitute the governing 

board of Niger Delta 

Development Commission 

has elapsed with the government 

doing nothing tangible. 

Tompolo, in a statement, 

said they decided on June 

ending, but obviously, the government 

has failed once again, 

warning: “The people are seriously 

agitated; there is palpable 

fear and tension in the region.” 

His statement read in part: 

“It could be recalled that I issued 

an ultimatum to the Minister 

of the Niger Delta Affairs, 

Senator Godswill Akpabio, 

the National Assembly, and 

President Muhammadu Buhari 

to do the needful on the 

issue of the NDDC board by 

constituting the substantive 

board of the Niger Delta Development 

Commission 

(NDDC) as an urgent matter 

of public importance and interest 

to avoid a breakdown 

of law and order in the region, 

some time ago.” 

“My ultimatum led to a 

consultative meeting between 

major stakeholders from the 

region and Senator Godswill 

Akpabio in Oporoza town, 

where a truce was reached, as 

the Minister profusely pleaded 

that he should be allowed 

to start and fast-track the process 

of constituting the board 

within the month of June 2021. 

“June 2021 has come to an 

end. The people of the region 

are yet to see any tangible 

move towards the constitution 

of the NDDC board by the 

Federal Government. The 

people are seriously agitated. 

There is palpable fear and tension 

in the region. 

“I wish to reiterate my earlier 

position that, the government 

should as a matter of urgency, 

constitute the substantive 

board of the NDDC to 

avoid unnecessary bickering 

and crisis in the region. Since 

I reluctantly accepted the outcome 

of the consultative meeting, 

I have done so much to 

keep peace in the region which 

some major stakeholders in 

the security circle are aware 

of. I have been in constant 

touch with my fellow agitators 

in the region to give peace a 

chance, knowing full well that 

there cannot be any meaningful 

development in an atmosphere 

of rancor and acrimony. 

“As it stands now, the one 

thing the government must do 

in this issue is to be courageous 

enough to constitute the 

NDDC board. Government 

must be sincere in handling 

developmental issues in the 

Niger Delta region as the people 

have suffered enough, being 

neglected for several decades. 

The truth of the matter 

is that there is so much bitterness 

in the land owing to the 

lackadaisical attitude of this 

government in handling matters 

of great importance to its 

citizens. 

Nnamdi Kanu was criminally 

abducted from Kenya —IPOB 

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu,Nnewi 

THE Directorate of States, DoS, Indigenous People of 

Biafra, IPoB, yesterday, alleged that their leader Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu, was criminally abducted from Kenya and 

illegally brought into Nigeria. 

In an address to members, the head Directorate of States, 

HoS, Mazi Chika Edoziem, alleged that the action of his 

abductors in collaboration with Nigerian security agents 

was a criminal violation of international law carried out 

by Nigeria in spite of the fact that Mazi Kanu, does not 

possess any Nigerian travelling document, having allegedly 

repudiated any previous connection he may have had 

with Nigeria. 

IPoB, HoS, said that in spite of his alleged abduction, 

Mazi Kanu is still at the helm of the Biafra match to freedom 

notwithstanding the present turn of events, adding 

that while he is temporarily and illegally in the custody of 

the Nigerian government, the directorate shall be implementing 

every one of the group's fundamental objectives 

which he has laid down. 

Mazi Edoziem’s address read in parts: “On Monday June 

28, 2021, Biafrans and the world at large woke up to the 

news making the rounds that the leader of the Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPOB, Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was 

in the custody of the Nigerian security agency, DSS. 

“The IPOB leadership has of course through my office, 

confirmed this to be the case. I wish to use this opportunity 

to inform the Biafran people, friends, and well wishers that 

our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was abducted criminally 

in Kenya and illegally brought into Nigeria. 

Kenya denies involvement in arrest, 

extradition of IPOB Leader, Kanu 

By Victoria Ojeme 

THE Kenyan Government has denied allegations linking 

in the arrest and extradition of the leader of the proscribed 

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu 

back to Nigeria. 

Briefing reporters yesterday in Abuja, the Kenyan High Commissioner 

to Nigeria, Wilfred Machage, dismissed the reports 

as “fictional, imaginary and deliberately concocted to fuel 

antagonistic feelings among certain section of the Nigerian 

people.” 

The envoy challenged anyone with the facts relating to the 

alleged arrest of Nnamdi Kanu in Kenya to present the facts, 

when, where, how and who was particularly involved in the 

alleged arrest. 

He noted that rather than accuse Kenya of having a hand in 

the reported arrest, the Nigerian media should ask the Nigerian 

Government to explain in which country they arrested the 

secessionist leader. 

He said: “The Government of Kenya is particularly appalled 

by the spurious, derogatory and libellous mention of the name 

of our dear President on this matter as has been reported. 

“I wish to categorically state that we are not happy at this 

ridiculous attempt of dragging the name of Kenya and President 

Uhuru Kenyatta on this matter of arrest and extradition 

of the self-claimed IPOB leader,” he said. 

He emphasized that Kenya has continued to enjoy cordial 

diplomatic relations with both the Federal Government of 

Nigeria and its great accommodating and amiable citizens. 

He added that Kenya is “committed to sustain the historical 

friendship between our two governments and the peoples of 

both countries. We wish to further cement our diplomatic relations 

with a view to ensure mutually beneficial relations of our 

two countries.” 

NDDC: Forensic audit exercise 

attains 80% completion in Rivers, 

Delta 

By Chris Ochayi 

THE ongoing physical verification of activities of Niger 

Delta Development Commission, NDDC, by forensic auditors 

in Rivers and Delta States have attained 80 percent completion. 

Recall President Muhammadu Buhari had directed 

forensic audit exercise to ascertain the performance of the Niger 

Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from 2001 – 2019. 

The field verification of projects executed by the Commission in 

the Niger Delta Region by Forensic Auditors has been confirmed 

by Journalists drawn from different media organisations that 

accompanied the officials of the ministry, NDDC and the audit 

firms on visits to the various project sites in Rivers and Delta 

States respectively. 

This development put to rest, apprehension over the conduct 

of forensic audit exercise with the assurances that the exercise 

would soon be concluded as scheduled. 

Responding to questions by journalists who were eager to 

know the state of the forensic audit during the physical inspection 

exercise, the NDDC State Director, Rivers State, Barrister 

George Ero and his Delta State counterpart, Engr. Emmanuel 

Audu Ohwaborua alluded that the forensic audit has been on in 

their respective states in line with Mr. President's directives. 

Barrister Ero revealed that Rivers State which is made up of 

23 local government areas has over 3,000 projects listed, making 

up 35% of the commission’s project portfolio, while Delta 

State has over 2,000 projects listed and one-third of the projects 

are located in the coastal areas. 

According to Barrister Ero, “the auditors have been visiting 

various project sites for inspection in batches to verify the physical 

extent of work done and we have achieved some measurable 

results to show that a lot of ground has been covered in this 

regard, despite the limited numbers of personnel, logistics and 

security concerns.”

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021 — 9

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021 

Nnamdi Kanu 

ordered us to 

kill security 

operatives in 

South East 

— ESN Commander 

•He directed us to bury Ikonso with 2,000 human 

heads, but we killed 30 so far 

•Heads of 10 girls were used to prepare our charms 

•Most of police officers I killed were also Igbo 

By Ifeanyi Okolie 

A 

28-year-old 

Commander of the Eastern Security Network, 

ESN, the armed wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra, 

IPOB, that has been accused of killing security agents as 

well as destroying private and government property in the South 

East and South South regions of the country has revealed how his 

group went on killing spree in the regions. The suspect, identified 

as Emeoyiri Uzorma Benjamin, alias Onye Army, was arrested by 

operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team, IRT, 

over his alleged involvement in the attacks and killing of security 

operatives and the destruction of government and private property in 

Imo State also confessed to some of the attacks on security operatives 

on the alleged instruction of their supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. 

When Vanguard interviewed Onye Army, he revealed how he was 

recruited into the ESN. Onye Army also confessed that he was part of 

the group that attacked the Owerri Correctional Center and freed the 

inmates and the attack on the country home of the Imo State Governor, 

Hope Uzordima, in retaliation to the killing of Ikonso, who he 

described as his top commander. He revealed that the heads of 10 

girls who they caught in Imo State, were used in preparing charms 

to fortify them against police bullets. 

His confession 

“I am Emeoyiri Uzorma Benjamin also 

known as Onye Army, I am from Uzombe 

Town in Uguta 2 Local Government Area 

of Imo State, I am 28-year-old and I only 

attended secondary school. But I left 

school without writing my SSCE exams 

in 2014 because my father had no money. 

So, I started doing menial jobs and 

buying Nigeria Army forms and that of 

the Nigerian Navy, but I was not recruited 

because I was using my brother’s result. I 

had the intention of writing my own exam 

and get my own result when I get recruited 

into the army. I also went to Lagos where 

I secured a job as 

a security guard 

with a company 

that dealt in 

building 

materials. I 

did that job 

until 2017 

when I 

relocated to 

my village 

where I 

engaged in 

carpentry 

jobs. 

“While I 

was in the 

village 

one John, 

who is 

from my 

t o w n 

met me 

a n d 

told me he knew I 

was trying to join the military but 

advised me to join IPOB in 2019 so I 

started attending IPOB meetings in Olru 

every Sunday. We used to have the 

meetings in a building close to the 

Teaching Hospital. I attended the 

meeting until November 2020 when Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu, formed the ESN and said 

he didn’t want any security agents in the 

South 

East 

a n d 

that all 

h e 

wanted 

was just 

E S N 

operatives 

providing 

Security in 

the South 

East. 

“ I 

volunteered 

to join the 

ESN and I 

was trained 

in a camp 

close to the 

Niger Bridge, but I don’t know the 

name of the village. I spent two weeks in 

that camp with several other people who 

came for ESN training from several parts 

of the country. Some people had been in 

Continues on page 11

Nnamdi Kanu ordered us to kill 

security operatives in South East 

Continues from page 10 

the camp before I joined them but I spent 

just two weeks in the camp. Before I went 

to the camp however, I was at a Sabbath 

Church in Orlu owned by one Alewa 

Nnwachuku, in Okporo area of Orlu. 

While at the camp, we were given military 

training and our phones were taken from 

us. We were not talking to Nnamdi Kanu 

directly but we were receiving his 

instructions from the leaders of our camp. 

After our training we were given boots 

and uniforms and were asked to go back 

to our state commanders. My state 

commander was late Ikonso, who was in 

charge of Imo State before his death. We 

were not given any money, we returned to 

our commanders with just the uniforms 

and the boots. When we got back to Imo 

State I reported back to the Sabbath 

Church which served as one of our camps 

at that time. Then Nnamdi Kanu ordered 

that he didn’t want to see any police or 

military check point in the South East. 

The order was given through radio and 

all the ESN State Commanders asked 

their fighters to comply with the orders. 

Nnamdi Kanu said we should dismantle 

all checkpoints and even kill the security 

agents manning the checkpoints because 

they were killing Igbo people. I believed 

him and obeyed the order because I had 

taken an oath to obey Nnamdi Kanu, who 

is the supreme leader of IPOB. 

During our first attack, Ikonso brought 

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri 

Detained leader of the proscribed 

Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, 

Nnamdi Kanu, will be facing fresh 

charges, the Federal Government reveals. 

The Attorney-General of the Federation 

and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar 

Malami, SAN, disclosed that the new 

charge will incorporate fresh allegations 

against the IPOB leader. 

The charge currently pending against 

Kanu at the Federal High Court in Abuja 

borders on terrorism, treasonable felony, 

unlawful possession of firearms and 

management of an unlawful society. 

Malami, whose office is prosecuting the 

case, alleged that Kanu had since 2017, 

after he jumped bail, committed more 

offences. 

"He has, upon jumping bail, been 

accused of engaging in subversive 

activities that include inciting violence 

through television, radio and online 

broadcasts against Nigeria and Nigerian 

State and institutions. 

"Kanu was also accused of instigating 

violence especially in the Southeastern 

Nigeria that resulted in the loss of lives 

and property of civilians, military, para 

military, police forces and destruction of 

civil institutions and symbols of 

authorities", Malami told newsmen in 

Abuja. 

In a chat with Saturday Vanguard, a 

lead prosecutor at the Federal Ministry 

of Justice, revealed that FG would apply 

for leave of the trial court to amend the 

charge currently pending against Kanu 

"I can confirm to you that the charge 

will be amended. Many things have 

happened since 2017 when the Defendant 

jumped bail. 

"He has a lot of explanations to give to 

the court concerning the offence for 

which he is standing trial and offences he 

has committed since the time he jumped 

bail. 

"There are fresh facts and evidence the 

Prosecution believe should be brought 

before the court. 

two AK47 rifles while two of our members 

brought two locally made guns which we 

used to attack a police check point in 

Orlu where we killed a police officer. Two 

of our members were also killed but the 

police officers ran away abandoning their 

vehicle which we burnt and took away 

one of the police rifles. After the operation, 

we all returned to the Sabbath church 

owned by Alewa but the 

police came and attacked 

the place. We then 

relocated to a farm 

belonging to one of our 

members in Eele area of 

Awidemili, Anambra State. 

From there we attacked 

several other police 

stations and checkpoints. 

Then Ikonso, Engineer 

Mike and Temple 

organized the attack at the 

Owerri Prison and Imo 

State Police Command, 

where several inmates were 

freed and more than 50 

police rifles were carted 

away on the instruction of 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, because he said no 

body deserved to be in the prison. We came 

with over 100 fighters, but on our way 

back to our base, some soldiers attacked 

us and many of our fighters were killed at 

Ukorji area of Imo State. We carried out 

other attacks on security formations in 

Imo and Anambra states before Ikonso 

was killed. I was in his residence on the 

night he was attacked by security agents. 

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021 —11 

I fought with my own Ak47 rifle, but I 

abandoned it and escaped through the 

back gate when I expended all the bullets 

in the rifle. After the death of Ikonso we 

went and burnt the governor’s house and 

killed a security man in the house in 

retaliation. It was Engr Mike that led us. 

I was part of those that shot at the gate. We 

also burnt a house in Amowmama, belonging 

to someone who was believed to have given 

the security agents information on Ikonso. 

Engr Mike then took us to his village in 

Awedemili where we attacked a house 

belonging to someone he said was against 

our struggle and we killed two persons there. 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu also directed us to 

bury Ikonso with 2,000 human heads but 

we have killed only 30 so far. I then 

relocated to Temple’s camp and Mazi 

Nnamdi Kanu ordered us to attack Orlu 

Police Division and free our fighters who 

were arrested and detained there. We went 

in 10 vehicles, over 50 fighters and we 

had over 30 rifles with us. I was in a white 

sienna and late Dragon was in a red 

colored car, but before we got to 

the police station we did a 

shooting display that was 

circulated on the social media 

on the day we went to attack Orlu 

police station. The white and red 

cloths we tied on our bodies in 

the video were charms which we 

call local bullet proof and we 

prepared charms with the heads of 

10 young girls. Before we proceeded 

to attack the Orlu Police Station, 

Temple and Mike brought the 

suggestion that we should get the 

girls we used for the charms and we 

got them here in Imo State. But 

before we got to the Orlu police 

station, a police armored vehicle 

attacked us and killed 12 of our 

fighters and injured four. 

“After we escaped from that attack, we 

went to our camp at Idiato to relax waiting 

for further directives. They are not paying 

us any money, they said we are freedom 

fighters. Most of the police officers I killed 

were also Igbo people. I am happy that 

Nnamdi has been arrested. But I am 

begging for amnesty from the Federal 

Government. 

Kanu orchestrated killing of 60 persons, 55 violent attacks — FG 

•Plots fresh charges against him 

•May use arrested ESN members as witnesses 

"Don't forget that the charge has also 

been amended in the past", the Prosecutor 

who craved anonymity added. 

The government lawyer further 

revealed that some arrested members of 

IPOB's Eastern Security Network, ESN, 

may likely be transferred to detention 

facilities in Abuja to be used 

as witnesses in Kanu's trial. 

"Most of the ESN members 

that were arrested from 

various parts of the South 

East have already volunteered 

useful information that will 

assist the case", the Prosecutor 

added. 

The Minister of 

Information and Culture, Lai 

Mohammed, had on 

Thursday, said the Federal 

Government would go after 

highly-placed Nigerians that 

collaborated with Kanu, 

irrespective of their standing 

in the country. 

According to him, “None of 

Kanu’s collaborators, 

irrespective of their standing 

in society will be spared. 

“They will all face the full wrath of the 

law for their activities that challenge our 

nation’s sovereignty and threaten its unity. 

No one, no matter how highly placed, is 

bigger than the country.” 

The Minister however acknowledged 

that FG received calls for Kanu to be 

accorded fair hearing. 

“It is interesting that many are suddenly 

calling for a fair trial for Kanu as if he 

didn’t get one before he decided to jump 

bail and flee. 

“However, I can assure you that the fair 

deal that Kanu denied many of the victims 

of the violence which he instigated 

through his broadcasts and tweets will not 

be denied him", the Information Minister 

added. 

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 

in a letter dated April 26, 2021, which 

was addressed to western diplomats, 

listed the alleged sins of Kanu, insisting 

Then Nnamdi 

Kanu ordered 

that he didn’t 

want to see 

any police or 

military check 

point in the 

South East 

that he orchestrated the killing of 60 

persons and destruction of property in 55 

violent attacks across the South-East and 

South-South zones within four months. 

In the letter, FG listed the alleged 

atrocities committed by members of IPOB 

on the instruction of Kanu who was then 

in exile. 

One of the attachments to the letter, 

cited the attacks on lives and property by 

IPOB and its militia arm, ESN, in some 

parts of the country between January and 

April 2021. 

FG maintained that 

statement by a foreign 

agency that ESN was 

created to combat 

Malami, whose 

office is 

prosecuting the 

case, alleged that 

Kanu had since 

2017, after he 

jumped bail, 

committed more 

offences 

insecurity, amounted to 

attempt to justify "the 

establishment of a militia 

by a non-state actor". 

The letter read in part: "In 

under four months this year, 

IPOB has carried out over 

fifty-five violent acts in 

various parts of South-East 

Nigeria, killing scores of 

people and destroying many 

properties. 

"As recently as 22nd April, 

2021, broadcasting online 

from his base in London, Mr 

Kanu issued a series of instructions to his 

militia and other members of the 

outlawed organisation, on acts of 

violence to be carried out within the 

territory of Nigeria.” 

It alleged that Kanu had in one of his 

broadcasts stated thus: “Our madness has 

just begun". 

According to FG, Kanu issued 

instructions from abroad using Radio 

Biafra, while IPOB members carried them 

out in Nigeria. 

The letter listed attacks FG insisted was 

coordinated by IPOB members in the S- 

East, S-South zones as: 

Abia: Between January 26 and April 19, 

2021, six policemen were killed while 

property worth huge sums were destroyed 

by IPOB members in coordinated attacks 

at Uratta junction, Aba North LGA; 

Omoba Police Station, Isiale-Ngwa 

South LGA; Abriba Community in Ohafia 

LGA, and Uzuakoli Police Station in 

Bende LGA. 

Akwa Ibom: 25 persons, including 

security personnel were killed in 

deliberate attacks on different locations 

across the state, between January 27 and 

April 19, 2021. 

Cross River: Seven police officers were 

killed at Calabar-Ikom highway in 

Obubra and Yakur LGAs on March 2, 

2021, while a soldier was killed two days 

later on March 4 at a military checkpoint 

at Obubra Junction in Obubra LGA. 

Delta: Between January 10 And April 

14, IPOB members attacked and killed 

11 persons including security personnel 

in Ughelli, Ndokwa East, Ezza South, 

Onicha, Ezza North, Ohaozara, 

Ohoukwu, LGAs. 

Enugu: Three policemen were killed in 

attacks on different locations across the 

state between February 28 and April 18. 

Imo: Between January 3 and April 24, 

2021, IPOB members killed seven persons 

and injured many others in different 

attacks in Orlu, Obouo, Aboh Mbaise, 

Chitte Uboma, Isiala Mbano, Owerri, 

Njaba, Mbatoli, Oru East LGAs. 

Rivers: On April 17, 2021, IPOB 

operatives killed an NSCDC operative on 

guard duty at Shell crude oil manifold in 

Elelewon village in Obio/Akpor LGA and 

injured many others. 

Meanwhile, the legal team of the 

detained IPOB leader has requested to be 

allowed access to him. 

Kanu, who was "intercepted" and 

returned back to the country last Sunday, 

was on Tuesday, remanded in custody of 

the Department of State Service. 

Trial Justice Binta Nyako made the 

remand order after she fixed July 26 for 

accelerated trial. 

Barely 24 hours after the remand order 

was issued, Kanu's legal team led by Mr. 

Ifeanyi Ejiofor, wrote the Director- 

General of the DSS, demanding to be 

allowed to visit their client. 

In the letter dated June 30, which was 

signed by Habila Tushak, the defence 

team, said the visit would enable them to 

effectively prepare Kanu's defence to the 

charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/15. 

"Considering the nature of this case, we 

kindly suggest the 30/6/2021, 1/7/2021 

and 2/7/2021 for the visit, subject to your 

convenience", the letter from Kanu's 

defence team further read.


Arrested IPOB members confess: 

We swore an oath to 

die mysteriously if 

we disobeyed Kanu 

•We were told Biafra would offer us jobs when achieved 

•We were sad about the killings in southeast but ... 

•Kanu’s messages hypnotised us 

•Kanu’s kinsmen to FG: Why have you not crushed 

bandits, terrorists; Why didn’t you arrest Shekau if you 

could arrest Kanu this way? 

•Arresting Kanu won’t solve Nigeria’s problem, find out why he’s agitating 

By Ifeanyi Okolie 

Recently, operatives of the Force 

Intelligence Response Team, IRT, 

raided a hideout of the proscribed 

Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, at the 

Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, where 

members of the group where caught 

donating money they said would be sent to 

their Supreme Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, 

to fund the activities of the group in the 

Southeastern part of the country. 

Vanguard gathered that 20, members of 

the group, who were identified as Ebere 

Elemoha , Vincent Kalu, Henry Chijoke 

Ezerim, Eleo Ejemechukwu, Vitus 

Enemor, Mba Anthony, Chimezie 

Monday, David Agu, Uche Jonson, 

Ikokwu Obiagu, Kingsley Igweche, Cyril 

Anayo, Ikechukwu Eze, Emeka Nnaegbo, 

Ben David, Ofia Romanus, Nicholas 

Collins, Iginus yeokezie, Jain Ijeoma, 

were arrested in church premises at the 

Tungamaji area of Abuja where they were 

holding a meeting. 

Sources disclosed that the suspects were 

caught contributing money for the 

activities of the group and they were 

accused of recruiting some of the 

dismissed soldiers who trained the Eastern 

Security Network, ESN, fighters, in the 

Southeast and the police operatives 

recovered receipts and evidence of oaths 

they were made to swear to be loyal to 

their supreme leader, Nnamdi Kanu. 

Some of the suspects who spoke to 

Vanguard said that they were hypnotized 

by Nnamdi Kanu’s messages on Radio 

Biafra. They said they were convinced that 

the State of Biafra could be achieved 

through a referendum and they joined his 

group and started donating money to its 

cause. They said that they in turn 

convinced some of their 

members to join the ESN 

training in the Southeast but 

they were disappointed, when 

the group started killing 

security agents. They said that 

Nnamdi Kanu directed that 

security checkpoints be 

dismantled in the Southeast. 

When interviewed, 49-yearold, 

Ebere Elemoha, a native 

of Ibitolu in Imo State, said’ 

“ I am a trader at Zuba Spare 

part market. I am married 

with seven children. I was 

arrested because I am a 

member of IPOB and I am 

the coordinator of Zone 9, 

which comprises Zuba and 

Tungamaji areas of Abuja. 

We use to have our meetings 

once in a month in Tunjamaji 

and we pay monthly dues of 

N500 and we use to send the money to 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is our Supreme 

Leader. I have never met Nnamdi Kanu 

in person and I listen to him just on Radio 

Biafra . It was one Mazi Ikone that made 

me join IPOB and I was told that there 

will be a referendum and I will also have 

the opportunity to vote. I use to relate 

events within my zone to our state 

coordinator and We normally send our 

money to the state commander and we 

don’t know how they send the money to 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. In the last four years 

the money we have made have been used in 

supporting the IPOB in the south east. When 

we joined the group, we were 

made to swear to an oath of 

allegiance to Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu. I don’t know what is 

going on in the group. I was 

brainwashed by Nnamdi 

Kanu, now I am regretting 

my actions as a person. I am 

now being rehabilitated and 

I will make sure that I shut 

down IPOB in Abuja. It was 

Nnamdi Kanu that asked all 

the Zones to send men to east 

for IPOB training. The oath 

we took was that if we fail to 

follow instruction of Nnamdi 

Kanu, that we will die 

mysteriously. I sent Joe, one 

of our members for the ESN 

training. When he came back 

he said he wasn’t pleased with 

what he saw and he wasn’t 

going back to them again. 

I was angry that the Imo state prison was 

broken and the policemen are being killed, 

killed by fighters we sponsored their 

training.” 

I was arrested 

because I am a 

member of IPOB 

and I am the 

coordinator of 

Zone 9, which 

comprises Zuba 

and Tungamaji 

areas of Abuja 

Vincent Kalu, another suspect said: “ I 

am from Ohafia area of Abia State. I am 

married with a child. I reside in Tugamaji 

area of Abuja. It was the use of android phone 

that got me into this mess. I joined IPOB 

because they said the state of Biafra would 

be created through a referendum, but I do 

not know that I was being deceived. I didn’t 

support the killings in the Southeast but only 

just remained in the group as we were 

holding meetings. I don’t have any access 

to Nnamdi Kanu and I also do not have 

access to the State Chairman, William 

Pomtera. I didn’t support the IPOB killings 

in Southeast. I also took an oath to be 

loyal to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and if I fail 

to obey any of his commands that I will 

die mysteriously. “ 

I am Henry Chijoke Ezerim, 38, 

Isialambano Imo State. I am married with 

three daughters. I am a piano instructor 

but I joined IPOB because one Pastor Ude 

Joseph, spoke to me about them and he 

said that Biafra will have their republic 

by referendum and he told me that it is 

only those who are IPOB members will be 

considered for job opportunities. I was 

promised a receipt which they said will be 

presented for job offers when Biafra is 

achieved. They told me that before I 

would become a member I would have to 

pay six moths dues. Which is N6000. I was 

made the Abuja State Public Relations 

Officer some time in March 2021. My 

job as a PRO was to write and disseminate 

notice of meetings within the various 

Zonal PROs in Abuja. Before I joined, I 

was told that Biafra would be achieved 

without a shot being fired, but I was 

disappointed when Nnamdi Kanu 

declared the ESN, and he asked us to fast 

for 40 days and he said after then there will 

be no more security operatives in the 

southeast, that was when we started hearing 

of the attacks on police formations in the 

Southeast and I wasn’t happy about it but I 

couldn’t do anything because I had sworn 

to an oath to be loyal to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu 

or I will die mysteriously.” 

Kanu should not 

be scapegoated 

— Owonikoko 

Yakubu Dirisu 

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, 

A Abiodun Owonikoko has advised the 

federal government to fish out all those 

threatening the sovereignty of the Nigerian 

state and bring them to justice. This, the 

legal luminary insisted will lay to rest 

speculations that Nnamdi Kanu, leader of 

the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra 

is being singled out for punishment for 

alleged offences similarly committed by 

other Nigerians. 

Owonikoko stated this while playing 

guest on Morning Show, the breakfast 

programme of Arise television. 

According to him, “There is nobody you 

are going to convince if you are from the 

South-East or from the South that what is 

happening to Mr. Kanu as against what 

others are doing in other parts of the country 

is not some form of scapegoating but that is 

not to say Mr. Kanu should not answer for 

his offences. However, others who are 

similarly positioned, constituting the same 

kind of threat should also be facing the 

music. This kind of thing gives the 

impression that others can enjoy impunity, 

that unless you are from a part of the country; 

that is when you are going to face the wrath 

of the law. 


SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021—13 


Kanu trial: Follow rule of law, N’Delta 

stakeholders tell FG 

By Emma Amaize, Ike Uchechukwu, 

Chioma Onuegbu and Ozioruva Aliu 

Niger-Delta 

stakeholders, 

yesterday, demanded the Federal 

Government follow the rule of 

law on the trial of the leader of Indigenous 

People of Biafra, IPoB, Mazi Nnamdi 

Kanu, re-arrested, last weekend, by the 

Federal Government. 

Mba Uwkeni, SAN, who spoke to 

Saturday Vanguard in Calabar, Cross- 

River state, said: “He jumped bail during 

his trial and the government went after 

him and brought him back to face trial, 

there is nothing unconstitutional about 

that.” 

Activist and publisher of Cross River 

Watch , Agba Jalingo, asserted: “ I know 

for once that Kanu is not a terrorist , all 

those charges are simply trumped up. 

“His arrest also goes to show that the 

Nigerian government knows the 

whereabouts of anyone they are looking 

for. If not, how come for so long they could 

not capture Shekau, not until ISWAP 

allegedly killed him? 

“What we are saying is simple ,even 

from now till the 26 of July and beyond 

,he should be treated like a human being 

and nothing should happen to him. His 

fundamental human rights must be 

respected . 

Speaking in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, exmilitant 

leader, Imoh Okoko, said: 

“There is nothing wrong with his arrest. 

But to me, government should give him a 

fair trial. We are not part of Biafra 

secessionists. He is a human being like 

all of us. When people are making 

statements, they should mind what they 

say. He has made some statements that I 

am not comfortable with.” 

Also, human rights activist and Akwa 

Ibom state executive director of 

COMPPART Foundation for Justice and 

Peace Building, Mr. Saviour Akpan, 

opined: nobody has monopoly of 

rascality. People should learn to respect 

constituted authority and to use only 

lawful means to seek redress, you must 

not take laws into your hands. And also 

his followers should know that nobody is 

superior to government, except God. 

“They should give him fair trial based 

on regional and International best 

practices as enshrined in the United 

States Declaration and the African 

Charter on Human Rights,” he added. 

In Benin City, Edo state, coordinator, 

Action for Socio-Political and Economic 

Change, Osaze Edigin, asserted: “I want 

to say that I am not too impressed by the 

way the federal government has gone 

about it. Nigeria is already bedeviled with 

a lot of challenges and spending so much 

time by the government, I think there are 

so many other problems confronting the 

nation. In as much as I do not believe in 

the style or approach of Nnamdi Kanu’s 

agitation because his action has led to 

loss of lives and destruction of properties, 

I do not subscribe to the drama.” 

“However, now that he has been 

rearrested, the due process in the trial 

should be followed. 

Former militant leader in the state, 

Godstime Ogidigba, told Vanguard: “The 

arrest is a welcome development. He was 

arrested before and he was put on trial 

and he ran away. I commend the 

collaboration between the INTERPOL 

and the Nigerian security agencies and 

others that were part of the re-arrest. 

“They want Biafra but I question the way 

and manner they are going about it. They 

ought to be peaceful about it and call a 

referendum so if they have to leave they 

will not create tension and insecurity in 

the country. 

•Documents recovered from IPOB Members who confessed to taking oath to remain loyal to Kanu 

Kanu’s kinsmen to FG: Why have you not crushed bandits, terrorists; 

Why didn’t you arrest Shekau if you could arrest Kanu this way? 

By Steve Oko 

kinsmen of the Leader of the 

Indigenous Peoples of Biafra IPOB, 

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have said that 

arresting their son would not in any way 

bring solution to the multi-faceted problem 

of the country. 

Just as they also said that killing him 

would not stop the growing agitation for 

the restoration of Biafra republic. 

The immediate-past President General of 

Isiama Afaraukwu community, Kanu’s 

hometown, Chief Ikechukwu Ndubueze, 

who spoke with SATURDAY VANGUARD 

in Umuahia, said that the news of Kanu’s 

re-arrest and repatriation came to them 

as “a shock”. 

He said it was still a puzzle to the 

community how Kanu who is a British 

citizen would be arrested and repatriated 

without following the rule of law. 

“ Where and how was he arrested? Was 

there a legal process? Was he arrested or 

abducted? These are some of the pertinent 

questions the Nigeria Government should 

be ready to answer.” 

Chief Ndubueze who is a member of the 

ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, 

advised the federal government not to be 

confrontational but be engaging in dealing 

with Kanu and the Biafra agitation. 

•Arresting Kanu won’t solve Nigeria’s problem, find out why he’s agitating 

He advised the Government to use this 

opportunity to engage Kanu for dialogue 

with a view to finding lasting solution to 

the “issues he is raising”. 

“ This is the time for the federal 

government to put everything on table. It’s 

time for discussion with all the parties. 

“ Nnamdi has not been asking for his 

personal welfare; his agitation is for the 

freedom of Biafra and against 

marginalisation of Ndigbo. 

“ The federal government should consider 

his agitation. He is not fighting for himself; 

he is fighting for the freedom of his people. 

“ Government should stop pretending; if 

Nigeria was going well, do you think that 

the #EndSARS protests would have held? 

That was a signal that there is 

disenchantment in the land, and the earlier 

Government admits this obvious fact the 

better for all.” 

Chief Ndubueze wondered why bandits 

and terrorists rampaging communities 

across the country had not been crushed 

“since Nigeria has the capacity to track and 

arrest Kanu in a foreign country.” 

“ Why didn’t they put in the efforts they 

made in arresting Kanu to arrest Shekau, 

the Boko Haram Leader that terrorized the 

country for years? Why are they not arresting 

the bandits killings farmers across the 

country?” 

The APC chieftain argued that the 

proscription of IPOB and its subsequent 

designation as a terrorist organization were 

political. 

He also accused the federal government 

of making the IPOB leader popular, 

advising Government to rather engage him 

instead of persecuting him. 

“ You can’t proscribe a group that was 

only agitating with flags calling for 

referendum to determine their fate. Civil 

agitation is not a crime but fundamental 

human right. 

“ It’s the federal government that is 

making Nnamdi popular. The first time they 

arrested him was when they made him 

popular. This second time, they have turned 

the attention of the whole world on him 

again. Is it not better they listen to him and 

address the issue causing this agitation once 

and for all?” 

Kanu’s kinsman who said that the 

community would meet over the weekend 

to review issues on his re-arrest, called on 

Ndigbo to rally round him and speak with 

one voice. 

“ This is the time for Ndigbo to be united 

and speak with one voice. It’s not a time for 

blame games. This is not the time for 

individuals to go to Aso Rock and seek their 

personal interest. 

“ I’m of the APC but it’s time for us as a race 

to voice out what we want. Why is Government 

not listening to see if there is sense in the 

agitation championed by Nnamdi? 

“ We can only have one Nigeria when there 

is justice and equity. Nigeria can only be one 

when everybody is happy and given a sense of 

belonging. Have we paused to ask if the 

lopsidedness in political appointments is 

uniting or causing division in the country?” 

The APC chieftain further appealed to 

President Muhamnadu Buhari to also 

consider amnesty for all Biafra agitators and 

IPOB members in security nets as being 

currently granted to purported repentant 

terrorists and bandits. 

“ If a known terrorist will be forgiven and 

rehabilitated, and some of them absorbed 

into the security agencies, there is nothing 

wrong if amnesty is also given to IPOB 

members”. 

He advised the federal government not to 

mishandle Kanu’s matter but use this 

opportunity to heal the country in the 

interest of all.


•The short service 

apartment where 

Usifo Ataga was 

murdered 

DEATH OF USIFO ATAGA: 

Premeditated 

I make N400,000 monthly 

selling bread to bandits 

in Kaduna State — Suspect 

murder or theft 

•What detectives must do to unravel hidden facts- CP Dan Okoro 

•Recalls same Rohypnol used in killing Cynthis Osokagu was used on Usifo Ataga 

•Offers security hints when socializing 

By Evelyn Usman 

She was the cynosure of all eyes last 

Thursday, at the Lagos State Police 

Command Headquarters, Ikeja, Lagos. 

The question on every journalist’s lips was 

what could have brought such a beautiful 

and innocent looking young lady to the 

command . 

Alas! She was alleged to be the prime suspect 

in the murder of Chief Executive Officer, 

Super TV, Michael Usifo Ataga, whose lifeless 

body was discovered in a Short Service 

apartment on 19 Adewale Oshin street, Lekki 

phase 1, Lagos, on June 15,2021. 

The murder of Ataga put policemen on their 

investigative toes, as there was no trace of his 

female companion as at the time of Usifo’s 

body was discovered. 

Arrest 

After one week, the Police tracked the 

female companion to 57 Akinwunmi 

street, Alagomeji, Yaba area of Lagos. 

Since then, the pages of national dailies as 

well the social media world have been awash 

with news of Chidinma Adaora Ojuwu, a 

300 level Mass Communication student of the 

University of Lagos, in the murder saga. 

The motive 

To the astonishment of all, Chidinmma 

admitted culpability, revealing that she 

strangled and stabbed Usifo, whom she 

claimed to have met through a friend, four 

months ago. She explained that she acted 

in defense, after the deceased attempted to 

forcefully have sex with her the second time. 

But many Nigerians, especially the 

Atagas, are of the view that she could not have 

carried out the murder alone. This position is 

hinged on the fact that she could not have been 

able to match the deceased in a fight , owing to 

her frail look, the age difference and gender, 

let alone to overpower him. . 

Many are also of the view that if the deceased 

could force his way into her the first time as 

she confessed, he could as well have 

overpowered her as many times as he desired. 

The Police on their part, said they were still 

on the trail of those likely connected with 

the murder . But Chidinmma has maintained 

that she did it alone. She revealed that they 

were both high on Roffies, a street name 

for Rohypnol . She told journalists that late 

Usifo took three wraps of the substance while 

she took only one wrap. She further stated that 

•Chidinma Ojukwu 

she was able to overpower him because he 

was weak as a result of the overdose of 

Rohypnol. 

The intrigues 

From Chidinmma’s confession and her ‘live 

large’ lifestyle, some persons are also of the 

view that she could have snuffed life out of 

Usifo with the aim of stealing his ATM card, 

having got the pin from him earlier,as she 

claimed. 

To assert this position, Chidinmma was said 

to have invited an internet fraudster who is on 

the run, to assist her withdraw some money 

with the deceased ATM card. The Police are 

still on the manhunt for the alleged 

accomplice. 

Contrarily, others are of the opinion that it 

was a premeditated action, following findings 

that she used an international telephone 

number during the period of sourcing for the 

Short Service apartment. 

Many also feel there are lots of unanswered 

questions, such as the choice of the Short 

Service apartment in Lekki phase 1, when the 

deceased had better accommodation in 

different areas of Lagos. Unfortunately, he is 

not alive to counter Chidinmma’s claim . 

• Late Michael Usifo Ataga 

Rohypnol again? 

Findings showed this is not the first time 

Rohypnol drug was used for a high profile 

murder in Nigeria. 

Remember late Cynthia Osokagu,the 

Nasarrawa State University post graduate 

student who was murdered by her facebook 

friends: Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka 

Ezike, on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla hotel, 

Lakeview estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos? 

The same drug (Rohypnol) had played an 

ugly role too. 

The 24-year-old undergraduate student was 

picked by her assailants at the Murtala 

Muhammed Airport, Ikeja and driven to the 

hotel, where she was offered a juice which 

unknown to her had been laced with Rohypnol. 

But to the amazement of her assailants, she 

was not dazed by the drug as expected, as she 

vehemently resisted them and refused to give 

them the pin of her ATM card. To force the pin 

number out of her, her assailants took turns 

to rape her. She was gagged and strangled 

to death and her lifeless body abandoned in 

the hotel room. 

CP Okoro proffers clues for 

investigators 

Nigerians will never forget the name CP 

Dan Okoro (rtd), the police officer who 

unraveled the circumstances surrounding 

Cynthia Osokagu’s death and brought the 

perpetrators to book, in a hurry. 

Okoro, who was an Assistant Commissioner 

of Police and the Area Commander ‘E’ 

Festac, then, offers some clues that could assist 

detectives in the ongoing investigation into 

the murder of Usifo Ataga . 

The retired Commissioner of Police is also 

of the view that the Police should look beyond 

Chidinma in their investigation. 

He said, “ That same drug, Rohypnol , used 

for late Cynthia Osokagu, also featured in 

the case of Michaeal Usifo Ataga’s murder. 

“Investigators should not limit 

investigation to the issue of murder. They 

should be able to investigate the element used 

in that murder: the knife, the drug and 

substance found in that room. There should 

be a full scale investigation on the 

circumstance surrounding the issue of murder 

and what was made possible of that eventual 

murder. They must have seen droplets of other 

drugs used, whether remnant in a bottle. 

“In the case of Cynthia, I found it inside the 

room when I searched the deceased’s bag and 

I tried to question how the drug came about. 

That was where the revelations started coming 

up that led us to a pharmacy that gave that 

drug out. 

“ That drug is classified as poison under the 

Pharmacy Act. It must be registered before 

it can be given out to any body and it must be 

under doctor’s prescription. Those who 

interviewed Chidinnam didn’t open to the 

extent of how come about the drugs. Whoever 

sold that drug is an accomplice. That 

person must have aided the commission of that 

crime”. 

Forensic analysis needed 

“Forensic analysis of the deceased and 

Chidinmma’s phones is also needful. That 

will help them know who brought in the 

drug and where they procured it because I read 

where they said the deceased sent somebody 

to bring it . That means he called the 

person on phone. They should be able to 

analyze that to know who the person was. 

”Also, that very hotel should be 

checked if they have Close Circuit 

Television, CCTV. A footage of the 

compound , the entire entrance and outlets 

will give further credence to the ongoing 

investigation, as it will further analyze 

those who aided or abated the crime. 

“In late Cynthia’s case, the footage 

showed when the two suspects came in 

with her and how one of them left the 

room and later came back with a bag. 

From the forensic auditing of their 

statement, we were able to unveil that 

area of what were in the bag he came with. 

That was when he confessed that it 

contained the cellotape used to seal her 

mouth and the chains they used to tie 

her. 

“Further analysis on their phone , 

revealed that when one of the assailants 

bought the chain, he sent a message on 

whatsapp to his partner , asking if it was okay 

and he responded in affirmation. That was 

what established that it was a premeditated 

murder. 

Critical analysis covering all areas is 

needed in this investigation so as to put paid 

suggestions and opinions circulating in the 

social. The investigators should go beyond 

the ordinary when they are investigating. They 

should have a very detailed forensic 

investigation and forensic auditing with 

confession evidence”. 

Advice to Nigerians 

The security expert also advised Nigerians 

to be wary of those they socialize with in order 

to avert similar tragedy. 

Giving some security hints on what to 

look out for when hanging out , Okoro, 

said, “ Anybody, whether a man or a 

woman who has a friend should be able to 

know the propensity of his or her friend. 

Since you must have been hanging out, 

enjoying yourselves, drinking and 

smoking, you should be able to know the 

extent to which your friend can go, when 

he is on the other side of social life. 

“ When intoxicated, some persons 

can be very noisy, some can be very violent, 

some can attempt to be violent while others 

can behave abnormally like total insanity. 

“When you are into drug or having a 

relationship with somebody that is into drug, 

that is an up the hill condition. People are 

advised to get away from drugs because you 

can never tell when the devil in drugs can act. 

•CP Dan Okoro (rtd)

The economic stats for Nigeria 

haven’t been good for quite a 

while and the consequent 

quality of life of an average Nigerian 

has been on the decline. The situation 

predated this administration. In fact, 

arresting the societal rot and 

improving the quality of life and living 

were among the campaign issues of 

this administration. Unfortunately, 

while there have been positive 

gestures towards the provision of 

infrastructure, very few Nigerians can 

honestly say the quality of their lives 

has improved in the last few years. 

Whatever we had economically as a 

country was worsened last year by the 

lockdown. The stats are grim today and 

no amount of sugar coating can alter 

that fact. According to World Bank 

report, the inflation rate as at April this 

year was the highest in four years with 

food prices accounting for over sixty 

per cent of the inflation. In other words, 

we are inching towards food scarcity. 

And contrary to what the President told 

us in his Democracy 

Day speech that over 

ten million Nigerians 

have been lifted off the 

poverty hole, the World 

Bank report said over 

twenty million 

Nigerians have actually 

sunk further into 

poverty – thanks to 

inflation, insecurity and 

currency devaluation. If 

you are in doubt as to 

what or whom to 

believe, just venture out 

and you will see 

poverty walking the 

streets and want 

dwelling in homes. 

The economic 

situation affects all 

Nigerians in varying 

ways, the more 

vulnerable being single parents – 

especially females –the unemployed 

and the elderly. Today, I want to talk 

about people my generation because 

My generation of Nigerians could be 

heading for a poorer, lonelier old age 

I see them, I feel them, I am of them. 

Mine is part of the generations which 

grew up in a relatively easy country. 

We found jobs almost immediately we 

left school. We subsequently got car 

loans, got decent accommodation and 

got married almost in that order. Many 

of these were accomplished before age 

thirty. Those who went 

abroad did so because 

the four or five 

universities at the time 

couldn’t absorb them. 

Many came back 

almost immediately 

after their studies. We 

When university 

lecturers’ strikes 

became incessant and 

almost paralysed 

tertiary education, they 

again invested in 

foreign education to get 

also met-and 

cherished - a value 

system where children 

took care of their aged 

parents as soon as 

they could. In fact, 

many took the 

responsibility of 

training younger 

siblings off their 

parents as soon as 

they got jobs.We were 

to become the first 

generation to take care 

of both our parents 

and our children while still in middle 

age. 

The gradual decline in 

educationbecame serious when 

a commensurate 

education for their offsprings 

government took over secondary 

education. Members of my generation 

responded by investing heavily in 

private schools just to get something 

commensurate with what they had. 

When university lecturers’ strikes 

became incessant and almost paralysed 

tertiary education, they again invested 

in foreign education to get a 

commensurate education for their offsprings. 

That unfortunately, has led to 

the beginning of their problems. Many 

of their children did not come back 

because there was no job to come to. 

Those who came back soon took off for 

the same reason. A sizeable number of 

them have married foreigners and have 

deliberately or inadvertently burnt their 

bridges. Now, the ones who studied in 

Nigeria have joined them in the search 

for greener pastures. Even those who 

have jobs, relatively decent jobs, are 

leaving in droves. They look at the 

economic, educational and social 

situations in the country; they look at 

security; they observe the attitude of 

their leaders to these problems and opt 

to vote with their feet. Whatever reason 

they give for checking out – professional 

fulfilment, positioning their children for 

tomorrow’s labour market, or simply 

survival – the inescapable fact is that 

they will not be around their parents in 

their old age. A prayer of the Psalmist 

in the Bible is that one’s children and 

SATURDAY Vanguard, , JULY 3, 2021—15 

grandchildren would surround one’s table 

in old age. It is not a prayer that people of 

my generation will take for granted 

anymore. A friend died a fortnight ago. 

None of his four children was in the 

country. None to hold his hands as he 

breathed his last. He died pretty much as 

he had lived in the last decade of his life, 

alone. Even hospitalisation arrangement 

had to be made by an ‘adopted son’. It is 

not the way to go. But it might be the way 

of many if the prevailing situations in the 

country that are sending our young ones 

out are not addressed. 

Added to this emotional burden is the 

economic burden. Whatever those of my 

generation got five, ten years ago by way 

of pension or gratuity has been rendered 

almost useless today by devaluation and 

inflation. I know an ex-banker who had to 

leave his house in Dolphin Estate Ikoyi for 

the mainland so he could let it out to put 

food on the table. This was a house his 

bank helped him get during his high flying 

days. Many have moved out of their houses 

for similar economic reasons. Many have 

had to let out parts of buildings that housed 

their failed businesses to service loans. 

Now the Lagos State Government sees the 

houses as commercial and charge 

accordingly irrespective of whether rents 

are paid regularly or not. 

What policies do the Governments – State 

and Federal- have for those whose active 

days are over? Many have been selfemployed 

all their lives and have little 

investments beyond their children who 

have now flown the nest. Many countries 

develop health, food, accommodation and 

transportation policies for their elders. 

Here, we are developing ways to tax 

whatever investments they have made for 

raining days without offering any benefit. 

So rather than alleviate their economic and 

emotional situation, we are worsening it. 

Other countries are seeking ways to make 

people look forward to retirement and old 

age. Here, we seem determined to make 

people dread getting old. The buffer we 

used to have in our children has thinned 

out -they have their own economic dragons 

to slay. Many are not around in any case. 

Government should introduce new buffers. 

Being old should not be a curse. 

C 

M 

Y 

K 

The picture of Lagos based All 

Progressives Congress, APC 

chieftain, Mr. Joe Igbokwe 

kneeling in thanksgiving upon news 

of the capture of Nnamdi Kanu, the 

leader of the Indigenous People Of 

Biafra, IPOB has stirred strong 

emotions. 

While the majority of Igbokwe’s 

ethnic group, the Igbo, do not 

subscribe to the rhetoric that have 

been associated with Kanu’s 

struggles, many of them, however, 

relate with and echo the acts of 

injustice he is fighting against. 

Of course, there are many who on 

account of their political or other 

biases would not subscribe to 

discussing Igbokwe, in their view, 

not giving him unnecessary 

attention. 

However, in the context of Nigeria’s 

unfolding political dynamics and 

history, he appears as a dot in a circle 

that cannot be ignored. 

Many years ago, an Igbo man of 

higher political and intellectual 

standing in the person of Dr. Chuba 

Okadigbo was in a near similar 

situation. 

After the bandwagon victory of the 

National Party of Nigeria, NPN, the 

presidential candidate of the Nigeria 

Peoples Party, NPP, Dr. Nnamdi 

Azikiwe had chastised the victory. 

Dr. Okadigbo in reply had dismissed 

the criticism of Azikiwe as “the 

rantings of an ant.” 

It was a response that gravitated 

rebuke towards Okadigbo from far 

and near. 

Of course, some would want to 

portray Dr. Okadigbo and Igbokwe 

as being of the same class. But far 

from it. 

Okadigbo in 1983 was a top player 

in the Federal Government and a 

man with esteemed intellectual 

Why Igbokwe hates Igbo 

champions 

gravitas. 

He was by some accounts the man 

who played the key role in reconciling 

his people with the mainstream of 

Nigerian politics by working behind 

the scenes to bring Chief Emeka 

Odumegwu-Ojukwu back to the 

country from exile in Ivory Coast. 

Alongside Dr. Alex Ekwueme, they 

would also have played a role in 

nudging Ojukwu to run for the Senate 

on the platform of the NPN. Though 

Ojukwu easily won one of the NPN 

tickets in Anambra State, he eventually 

lost the main election even if the party 

won most of the other elections in the 

state. 

What role Okadigbo and Ekwueme 

played in one of the most intriguing 

conspiracies in the 1983 election is not 

known. But it is alleged that after 

successfully using Ojukwu to brand 

the NPN in the East and find 

acceptability, that the owners of the 

party ensured that he lost the main 

election. 

“Who wants a man like Ojukwu in 

the Senate to sell us,” it was alleged. 

Such conspiracies of party men 

working against their party 

candidates have continued to live with 

us. 

Just last year it was an open secret 

that APC king-makers worked against 

the election of the party’s 

governorship candidate in Edo State, 

Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu 

as a rebuke to Asiwaju 

Bola Tinubu and 

Comrade Adams 

Oshiomhole. 

So given the high level 

of political clout that 

Okadigbo wielded in the 

NPN at the federal level, 

some would now 

reasonably question why 

he should be compared 

with Joe Igbokwe. 

Igbokwe who rose as a 

newspaper contributor on 

the evils of the Sani 

Abacha regime was 

picked up by the Tinubu 

camp and given a 

number of appointments 

including being 

spokesperson of the 

official party in Lagos 

State, CEO of the Lagos Signage 

agency, and lately, special adviser to 

the governor on Drainages. 

The most recent appointment as 

special adviser on drainages has 

befuddled many. The claim by his 

critics is that the Lagos establishment 

Was it an act of 

sarcasm on the part 

of the owners of 

Lagos to put 

Igbokwe in the 

gutters to spew 

gutter language on 

his people, some 

have wondered? 

having no more use for him decided to 

put him in the gutter (drainage) to advise 

on gutter affairs. 

Was it an act of sarcasm on the part of 

the owners of Lagos to put Igbokwe in 

the gutters to spew gutter language on 

his people, some have wondered? 

His recent actions against his people 

have been particularly baffling. At a time 

that even the haters of Ndigbo have been 

enthralled by the pragmatic and 

persuasive political passions of Senator 

Enyinniya Abaribe, Igbokwe from 

nowhere recently lambasted him for 

donning a shirt to identify with the “dot 

in the circle” as narrated by President 

Muhammadu Buhari. 

According to Igbokwe, Abaribe is not a 

fit person to be in the Senate for his rebuke 

of Buhari among other 

assertions. 

Indeed, he has claimed 

Buhari as his hero with no 

qualms. 

His attacks on Abaribe 

were followed by his 

thanksgiving on the arrest 

of Nnamdi Kanu. 

Of course, Igbokwe had 

in an interview long ago 

said he does not regard 

himself as an Igbo 

champion. But why he 

thrives in championing 

the crusade against the 

Igbo is a wonder. 

Remarkably, he is mute 

to the sufferings of his 

people, 

the 

discriminations against his 

people in his APC and the 

polity and the servitude that they have 

been forced to endure. 

Nigerians and Lagosians will indeed, 

appreciate Igbokwe better if he focuses 

on his job on advising the governor on 

how to clear the gutters in Lagos. He 

should not allow the desire of those 

praying for him to be lost in the gutters 

of history!


It is a pity that the call for Nigeria’s 

restructuring (in all ramifications) 

has given rise to a Mazi Nnamdi Kanu 

and his arrest. I fear we may not learn 

the right lessons from this sordid 

episode. In the preface to his first 

collection of essays, Morning yet on 

Creation Day, Chinua Achebe decried 

the fact that Nigerians have often 

refused to learn the needed lessons. 

He said that when many Nigerians 

were asked about the lessons the 

Nigerian Civil War taught them, their 

answers were often “puerile:” war 

does not pay. Achebe wrote the preface 

in 1975, five years after that war. 

Achebe said that many preferred not 

to even broach the topic—in a selfdefeatist 

self-censorship. And the real 

Achebe spirit came to the fore when 

he said: “I will prefer to be accused of 

nastiness than join in the national 

pastime of consigning events of just a 

few years ago into prehistory.” It was 

also in that Preface that Achebe said 

that 

experience is not whatever event 

that might happened to man. He said 

that much could happen to a stone 

without making the stone any wiser 

and so experience comes from the 

lessons learnt from an event. And 

Barbara Tuchman added in her muchpraised 

book: The March of Folly;The 

Mistakes of Governments from Troy to 

Vietnam, that if wisdom is the 

application of intelligence on be 

experience to make astute, 

proficient and wholesome judgment, 

then many leaders have frustrated 

wisdom. 

Did the Federal Government sagacious 

frustrate wisdom when it first arrested 

Kanu? Many swear it did because an 

inconsequential man who was actually 

dwelling on the fringes of serious talks 

was thrust onto centre-stage. Before 

him one Chudi Uwazurike spearheaded 

an Igbo agitation. Most 

importantly, Uwazuruike was wedded 

to non-violence. 

That was before the military 

operation this and operation 

that,including operation Egwueke 

He was all fun,wore different 

faces, exhibited some uncanny 

traits and remained a brave 

man till his last seconds. Major General 

Eugene Chiazo Godwin Nwanguma, 

known as Gwuris by many rose to 

command a division of the Nigeria 

Army. 

In 2009, Nwanguma was posted to the 

81 Division as General Officer 

Commanding (GOC). He had 

commanded the 32 Artillery Brigade, 

Alamala, Abeokuta and also served with 

ECOMOG in Liberia.The officer was in 

love with education. 

By the time he died on April 27, 2021 

Nwanguma possessed a first degree 

in Business Administration from the 

University of Lagos and a Masters in 

Strategic Studies from the University of 

Ibadan. All these came after he was 

commissioned Second Lieutenant in 

1977. 

To know more about the general, I 

contacted his close friend and secondary 

school mate, Ambrose Chijioke 

Nkwopara. They were together at 

Government Secondary School, Owerri 

from 1967 to 1974. We shall get to why 

they spent eight years instead of the 

normal five years at the time. 

Nwanguma was known as 

Gwuriegwu(playful). The nickname was 

shortened to Gwuris. Nkwopara chose 

Maharajah. The short form, Rajahs has 

remained with him till date. Rajahs, a 

former banker and APC chieftain was 

my Master. He is presently in London. 

Rajahs said of his friend : “ He was 

such an introvert that you could never 

know when he’s serious. He was a 

philosopher from a young age but lived 

out a mysterious life. Nwanguma was a 

special breed sent on earth for an 

assignment which he completed and 

exited.” 

I got to know some of the late officer’s 

pranks and could not but laugh out loud. 

He tackled Mathematics from source, 

took his troops unawares and even 

wondered why his friends were 

interested in seeing him leave the sick 

Nnamdi Kanu: What lessons 

for us? 

(Python Dance),and it was even said 

that the military visited Kalu’s 

residence in a show of force. That 

was totally unnecessary for by then 

Kanu’s army was 

nothing but the words 

spewing from his 

loquacious mouth. 

Then Kalu himself 

refused to grow up. 

The more he 

d i s g o r g e d 

unreasoned inanities 

from his mouth, the 

more I came to 

appreciate the respect 

the Igbo society paid 

to elders. This would 

immediately 

within the grasp of 

anyone who has read 

Chinua Achebe’s 

Arrow of God. A 

elder 

would trace a road 

map with his words, 

drop bits of profound 

proverbs here and 

there for effect, and 

then arrive finally at 

a deliberately chosen end that should 

have the required effect. Words, in the 

real Igbo society were not ill-considered 

things to be wasted. They were carefully 

chosen, and carefully chosen in a 

prudently decided cadence to yield the 

F e d e r a l 

Government 

should not sow a 

terrible seed by 

making Kalu a 

martyr. There is a 

genuine cause 

which he may have 

championed 

unimaginatively 

required result. But what did we get 

with Kanu? 

I know that Nnamdi Kanu cannot be 

any reason be called an elder in the 

Igbo society. But he, 

whether we like it or 

not, is now seen as a 

leader in Igboland by 

millions. That is a 

surprise. Here is a 

man who offered no 

road map worth that 

name to his followers 

but they adored him. 

That should have been 

a warning to the 

government that the 

talk 

of 

Igbo 

marginalization was 

taking a terrible turn 

and that it was more 

ingrained in people’s 

hearts like never 

before. It should have 

sent a troubling 

message to those in 

government that 

youths who knew little 

about the Nigerian 

polity, and whose sense of the wider 

world was the English Premier League 

football club they supported, suddenly 

claimed to have become politically 

knowledgeable. And Nnamdi Kalu was 

the sole source of that knowledge they 

NWANGUMA: Unkno 

nknown, 

known general 

bed. 

“When we returned to retake our 

School Certificate exams, we sat back 

in the dormitory one 

day, and were cracking 

jokes instead of going 

for Assembly. When 

Prefect Irechukwu was 

headed towards us, 

Gwuris advised us to 

run that he would 

pretend to be ill. 

“We all laughed and 

ran off. He stayed. Do 

you know Prefect 

Irechukwu had to 

suggest that Gwuris be 

rushed to the hospital 

as he was so sick. 

When we came back, 

he was making a joke 

out of it, “ Nkwopara 

added. 

“During preparations 

for our final exams, 

Nwanguma bought 

Longman’s Book One 

for Arithmetic because 

he claimed he had to 

start from Arithmetic to Mathematics. 

When he was done with Book One, 

he moved to Book Two. This same guy 

had a very good credit in Maths. 

“While at Abeokuta as a Brigade 

Commander, Nwanguma and I went 

out. He drove back to the barracks in 

mufti. He met the 

gate open and the 

guards playing 

draught. As we 

It was noticed that 

there were other 

challenges and 

immediate admission 

was recommended 

or we could lose him 

in hours 

drove in 

unchallenged, he 

stopped and called 

them casually,” 

Nkwopara said. 

Then came the 

surprise. “ One 

came reluctantly. 

My friend asked 

why the gate was 

not manned. The 

young officer took 

offence and was 

rude. Nwanguma 

heard him out and 

told him who he 

was, to the 

surprise of all who 

then abandoned 

the game to stand 

at attention. The 

commander drove off and that was the 

end of the matter.” 

Nwanguma enlisted in 1975 as a 

member of the Nigerian Defence 

hold on to as the gospel truth. 

Unfortunately, once Kanu came onto his 

centre-stage, mounted a rostrum that was 

too momentous for him, he began to act in 

an almost crazed manner. But the more 

surprising and deplorable his antics, his 

name calling, and the abuses he hurled 

against the Igbo elders and leaders plus even 

the Igbo state governors, the more he was 

hailed as a supreme leader. That was totally 

insensitive. Insults upon insults 

spewed out from his lips. He just kept 

scattering them abroad as a farmer sowed 

seeds upon which his livelihood depended 

on. 

Now, does anybody expect Ohanezi Ndigbo 

to say a word on Kanu’s behalf? What about 

the state governors? It will now be clear that 

no one can be greater than his people. Yet, if 

Kanu was born in 1967, he is no longer a 

young man. His age mates have been state 

governors and even presidents. They have, 

of course, led revolutions. But the 

summation of Kalu’s exertions so far is that 

he has put a knife across 

Igboland and divided it; on one side is the 

pro-Kanu group, and those opposing him 

square up the other side. The real issue; Igbo 

marginlisation and the quest for an Igbo 

president, have taken back stage. 

Yet, how come a supreme leader was 

arrested, put on an air-craft,flown to Nigeria 

and his followers knew nothing about his 

predicament?Even his family members 

appeared unaware of his ordeal until the 

government announced it. This is shocking. 

That having been said, the Federal 

Government should not sow a terrible seed 

by making Kalu a martyr. There is a genuine 

cause which he may have championed 

unimaginatively. There are wise ways to 

lessen a wound, satisfy a yearning, calm 

nerves. This is the time to find such ways 

and assure the Igbos that they are bona fide 

Nigerians. If not, the Biafran agitation will 

not just continue but increase. Acts that 

prove that Nigeria belongs to all make 

greater impacts than threats that Nigeria is 

indissoluble for many once indissoluble 

countries have been recently dissolved. With 

this case,Nigeria should snatch peace and 

unity from the jaws of chaos, if wisdom 

prevails. 

Academy (NDA) Regular Course 18. His 

mates include Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, 

a former Army Chief, Sultan of Sokoto, 

Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Captain 

Bala Shagari, Rear Admiral Bodunrin Raji, 

AVM Clayton Nyananyo and Group 

Captain Felix Ihenacho. 

According to Nkwopara, “ when 

Nwanguma gained admission to NDA, he 

equally got admitted to Ife. The man chose 

NDA saying as an officer, you can be a 

graduate but as a graduate, you may never 

be an officer.” 

The strong man had medical challenges 

in 2019 but refused to seek attention. His 

cousin had to report the situation to Rajahs. 

Rajahs said, “ he sounded low and I 

advised him to meet my cousin, Prof 

Mbakwem since he was in Lagos. He had 

a waist challenge. We agreed to go see 

our classmate, Prof. Uche Katchy as soon 

he came over to the East. I drove him to 

UNTH, Enugu. 

“It was noticed that there were other 

challenges and immediate admission was 

recommended or we could lose him in 

hours. When he saw the efforts we were 

making, Nwanguma asked us, ‘ Katchy 

and Rajahs, what will you people gain if 

I’m alive?” 

The general did not stay. He chose to go 

back home and later traveled to the United 

States for further treatment. At the end, 

death eventually came. Nwanguma 

escaped coup charges heaped on him 

during the Sani Abacha years by some of 

his Lorji, Mbaise clansmen over 

chieftaincy tussle. 

“No one can claim to know all about him. 

Indeed he was mysterious Gwuriegwu 

even in death. It took his death for even 

his supposed close friends and colleagues 

to know he had kids. I never knew he was 

Benjamin. He kept everyone guessing”, 

Nkwopara summed up. 

The Civil War made them spend more 

time in school. The Artillery officer still 

joined the army. His cousins, Brig. General 

Felix and Navy Captain George Alily may 

say more about this First OGSSIAN 

general.


•Gbagi •Edevbie •Omo-Agege •Nwaoboshi •Ogboru 

DELTA 2023: 

Emerging configuration 

of PDP, APC contenders 

•Gbagi vs DC-23/Edevbie for PDP ticket 

•Omo-Agege/Nwaoboshi vs Ogboru for APC ticket 


Regional Editor, South-South 

CLEARER picture of aspirants and 

alignments in the two major 

political parties, Peoples 

Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives 

Congress, APC, in the oil-rich Delta State, 

ahead the 2023 General Elections 

is unraveling. 

This is as political godfathers, ethnic 

lobby groups and aspirants continue with 

their plots and counter -plots to 

appropriate governorship tickets of two 

parties. 

In the PDP, which has been in power for 

the past 22 years in the state, the stakes 

are very high as the party does not want 

APC to “smell” power not to talk of taking 

over Government House, Asaba. 

Central squad 

The party parades such men as former 

Minister of State for Education and 

industrialist, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, 

from Central senatorial district (Urhobo), 

who was the first to publicly declare his 

intention and commence campaign for 

PDP ticket in 2019. 

Though they have not formally declared, 

it is noticeable that former Chief of Staff, 

Government House, Asaba and ex- 

Commissioner, Olorogun David Edevbie, 

former Managing Director, Niger Delta 

Development Commission, NDDC, 

Senator Emmanuel Aguariawodo, former 

Commissioner for Justice/Attorney 

General, Peter Mrakpor, SAN, former 

Commissioner for Works, Mr. James 

Augoye, former Commissioner for 

Finance, Chief Kenneth Okpara, former 

Auditor General, Local Government, Dr. 

Abel Esievo, all Urhobo, have put their 

hands on the plough. 

Their determination came to light at a 

meeting of Delta Central, DC-23, an 

Urhobo lobby group for 2023 

governorship race, in April. Instructively, 

all of them, eyeing the governorship 

position lost their esteemed portfolios in 

the cabinet of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa 

less than a month after. 

Oborevwori, Agas 

out of equation 

The names of former House of Assembly 

member, Hon Ejaife Odebala and former 

Commissioner for Lands, Olorogun Fred 

Majemite have also featured as runners, 

but the Speaker, Delta House of Assembly, 

Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, lately, told 

newsmen he was not 

gunning for 

governorship ticket in 

2023, while ex- 

Secretary to the State 

Government and 

former Chief Political 

Strategist, Hon Festus 

Agas, who was among 

the highlighted 

aspirants, has been 

appointed as Chief of 

Staff, Government 

House, Asaba, 

foreclosing his 2023 

quest. 

Appraising the 

machinations and 

powers pulling the 

strings, it is 

recognizable that DC- 

23 has a target of 

producing an Urhobo 

candidate from the 

group and that 

candidate does not 

include Gbagi, who has 

distanced himself from the assembly. 

Kiss-and-tell 

by Oghensivbe 

Fred Oghenesivbe, a former member of 

the group and communication aide to 

Governor Okowa, who abandoned the 

group, disclosed: “As a true son of Urhobo 

nation, I will not be party to the deceit 

going on in DC-23. The group does not 

represent the interest of the entire Urhobo 

nation but that of the promoters and their 

Principal, Olorogun David Edevbie, 

currently out of the country for strategic 

political reasons”. 

“I have nothing against Edevbie as a 

This is as political 

godfathers, ethnic 

lobby groups and 

aspirants continue 

with their plots and 

counter -plots to 

appropriate 

governorship 

tickets of two parties 

Deltan and illustrious son of Urhobo 

nation, but the truth must be unveiled so 

that those who have genuine alternative 

interests in other aspirants can withdraw 

their membership of DC-23 and move on 

to project their choice aspirants before it 

is too late,” he said. 

Recycled and expired 

politicians – 

Obada 

Similarly, PDP 

governorship aspirant, 

Chief Charles 

Obada, Obada, whose 

father, late General Orho 

Obada (retd.) was former 

Chairman, Board of 

Trustees, Urhobo Progress 

Union, UPU, an apex 

Urhobo body, said: “ I 

want to think that some of 

the recycled and expired 

politicians are just seeking 

relevance in the name of 

the body, DC -23. We know 

them, they cannot stand in 

their community town 

halls to say they want to 

talk about the group 

because their community 

people will boo them.” 

“They have not added 

value to their 

communities all their years in politics 

other than using Urhobo nation to profit 

themselves. This time it will not be 

business as usual “he added. 

Amori’s defends DC-23 

A warhorse politician, Chief Ighoyota 

Amori, currently shepherding DC-23, 

believed to have the imprimatur of former 

governor, Chief James Ibori, however, 

dismissed the insinuation, saying the 

partnership of Urhobo politicians was not 

clued-up for any Urhobo aspirant. 

Old wine in new bottle 

– Gbagi 

At the moment, the battle for PDP 2023 

governorship ticket at the moment is 

between Olorogun Gbagi, DC-23 and its 

favored candidate, Edevbie. Gbagi is 

fiercely against what DC-23 represents in 

Delta and Urhobo politics, which 

according to him, is akin to an old wine 

packaged in a new bottle by same clique 

of politicians to continue their 

stranglehold on the state. 

He insists: “I am pure-bred industrialist 

which Amori and other DC-23 members 

had attested to before their current 

adventure, everybody knows that I am 

coming to industrialize the state, which is 

my occupation as an entrepreneur, so new 

things must happen in the state, we must 

re-claim the state otherwise all the works 

Governor Okowa has done will be become 

futile.” 

Tactical ambush 

Saturday Vanguard gathered some 

top-secret party strategists that have been 

working surreptitiously, in the last two 

years, envisaged the unfolding DC-23 

blueprint, even before the group was 

formed, months ago, and was working 

with a primed template to fence its gogetting 

plan to seize power in 2023. 

A PDP stalwart, Chief Peter Okorodudu 

said: “You can see that Hon Agas is not 

going to contest anymore, Rt. Hon 

Oborevwori has said he never told anybody 

he was contesting. Even Edevbie, 

Aguariavwodo, Mrakpor, Augoye, name 

them, all of them, none has come out until 

now to formally declare interest. They are 

still contemplating.” 

Ijaw parade 

Nevertheless, Ijaw ethnic nationality in 

South senatorial district, comprising Ijaw, 

Isoko and Itsekiri, has not given up its 

quest for power in 2023. Senator James 

Manager, representing South senatorial 

district, Deputy Governor of the state, 

Deacon Kingsley Otuaro and former 

chairman of Burutu local government 

area, Dr. Braduce Angozi, have been 



INSECURITY: 

Demons Nigeria 

must confront, 

overcome 

— Dein of Agbor 

•Says Okowa, Nwaoboshi‘re brothers, 

will resolve row after quarrel 

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South 

THE Dein (traditional ruler) of Agbor Kingdom in Delta State, 

HM Keagborekuzi I, has revealed what Nigerians must do to 

overcome the insecurity challenges bedeviling the nation. 

HM Keagborekuzi I, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard after 

his recent visit to the Presidency in Abuja over the threat by 

suspected Fulani Jihadists to attack his kingdom and Asaba, the 

state capital, also likened the current hostility between the 

Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and Senator 

representing North senatorial district in the Senate, Senator 

Peter Nwaoboshi, as a clash between the tongue and teeth, 

saying whatever it is, the storm will be over. Excerpts: 

You were recently at the Presidency 

following the threat by suspected Fulani 

Jihadists to attack your kingdom, 

Agbor, and Asaba, the state capital, 

what exactly did you discuss and what 

were the assurances you got? 

It would not be possible to give 

assurances, and I would have been quite 

surprised if he did. Chief of Staff to the 

President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, 

who received me is a diplomatic person 

and a complete professional. 

At this stage of the Nigerian problem 

nobody can give assurances; rather we are 

all looking to come to grips with the actual 

true nature of the various problems 

plaguing the nation. 

What is needed right now is sheathing 

of swords from all sides and true genuine 

internal reflection and an honest resolve 

to face our demons and defeat them. 

What I left with was the knowledge that 

as the Chief of Staff The Delta Situation 

is being taken exceptionally seriously 

especially given the economic importance 

of the State to the federation, and that as 

much as can be done, pursuance of such 

will be done to try to bring the nation back 

on track. 

Why do you think Jihadists targeted 

Agbor, do you and your people have 

problem with them or they thought 

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is from there? 

By tradition and custom, Agbor is the 

head of those clans that come under the 

federal constituency of Ika. Before the 

advent of the British, Agbor was the 

predominant kingdom between Benin and 

the River Niger. 

So all these kingdoms look up to Agbor 

and I have my responsibilities to as much 

as I can, guide and protect them like my 

own because they are my brothers and 

sisters. 

As much as Governor Okowa hails from 

Owa, he is and will always remain a proud 

son of Agbor, and in as much as the other 

smaller kingdoms might not be as well 

known as Agbor kingdom is, it then makes 

sense as to why the threat was directed at 

Agbor as opposed to Owa, where the 

governor hails from. 

You were overseas when the threat was 

issued, how seriously did Agbor kingdom 

take the threat? 

Sadly as many 

things that permeate 

the media and 

especially social 

media, that is 

incorrect. I was 

actually here in 

Nigeria when the 

alleged threat came 

in. I had been 

monitoring things 

and speaking with the 

sheathing 

Chief of Staff on the 

general state of the 

nation whilst I was 

abroad, and he had 

expressed the need 

for all hands to be on 

deck to solve the 

nation’s ills. 

For quite some 

time, I, myself have 

been eager to try and 

offer my little effort 

and contribution by 

moving round to try 

and convince my friends, brothers and 

sisters around the country to put away the 

intense feelings of anger, fear and 

disappointment, so that, we, as the various 

great people of this country, can come 

together to chart a new and better way 

forward for the country. 

What is needed 

right now is 

of 

swords from all 

sides and true 

genuine internal 

reflection and an 

honest resolve to 

face our demons 

and defeat them 

You said Governor Okowa has been 

amazing in his style of governance, what 

has the governor and police in the 

state done concerning the threat? 

Governor Okowa has, throughout his 

career in politics, been a cool, calm and 

smooth operator. He hardly acts out of 

anger or is impulsive, rather he 

approaches issues in a measured and 

methodical manner. 

He always tries to stay ahead of the 

curve and is someone who does not rest, 

and is, in fact, a workaholic. 

As much as I am yet to meet the new 

Commissioner of Police, I was greatly 

impressed with the way he 

has taken command since 

getting to Delta. 

Governor Okowa is not a 

loud person but is a silent 

achiever, as the Chief 

Security Officer, I know the 

burden weighs heavily on 

him, but his faith in God will 

guide him, as I enjoin all 

Deltans to pray that God 

gives him the wisdom and 

strength to continue to lead 

Delta state well and in a 

strong and united manner, 

especially as his tenure as 

governor of our great state 

begins to wind up. 

Security matters are not 

easy to discuss openly due to 

the exact special sensitivity 

that make them just that - 

security matters. 

Do you support the ban on 

open grazing of cattle by 

Southern governors? 

It is not as simple as to say I support or 

do not support open grazing. The 

governors have a great deal more insight 

into the issue than those of us that are 

outside of government, remember these 

are the chief security officers of our 

various states. 

We have had open grazing and free 

movement of cattle in the country from 

•Dein of Agbor, 

HM Keagborekuzi I 

time immemorial. What has changed is 

that the north has become increasingly 

more arid as desertification 

encroachment increases, whilst the 

southern part of the country appears to be 

a green natural paradise. 

However the challenges come in when 

open grazing now turns into 

encroachment on people’s farms and or 

ancestral lands; this can only cause a 

problem. 

The challenges rear their heads when 

one who claims to be a Fulani herder is 

carrying an AK47, clearly there is a 

problem here. 

These assumed Fulani herdsmen whom 

choose to carry such highly illegal 

weapons can no longer claim to be 

pastoral herdsmen, having made the 

conscious decision to engage in armed 

insurrection against innocent lawabiding 

citizens and the state; and Mr. 

President addressed this with instructions 

that those seen carrying such weapons be 

dealt with immediately. 

Being a military man, Mr. President can, 

at times, sound very exacting, but certainly 

those professional arms of government as 

well as Mr. President himself know that 

orders of course would ordinarily always 

follow due process of arrest, investigation 

and trials, etc., final conviction and 

sentencing. 

Of course if such criminals try their luck 

and try to violently engage the security 

outfits, then they would have no options 

than to engage them on sight, which could 

lead to loss of life. 

I read recently if the story is to regarded 

as reliable that just like the AK 47- carrying 

criminals which Mr. President had given 

instructions on, Mr. President has equally 

been working hard to try and create a 

solution on this open grazing, and if it is 

correct that 19 states in the North and 

some states in the south-west are looking 

into a contained ranching system, that 

might provide a solution. 


Emomitimi, businessman 

slain in Delta after row with 

prophetess in Rivers 


Regional Editor, South-South 

SUSPECTED hired killers have 

murdered a 44-year-old 

businessman, Mr. Thomas 

Emomitimi, over disagreement with a 

prophetess, who purportedly 

appropriated a church in Port-Harcourt, 

Rivers State, entrusted in her care by the 

founder and general overseer. 

Emomitimi, an acquaintance and 

linkman to both the general overseer and 

prophetess was reportedly trailed to 

Ughelli, Delta state, by three gunmen who 

shot him dead, April 18. 

Police have arrested the prophetess and 

arraigned her before a Magistrate Court 

in Asaba, for conspiracy and murder 

while awaiting the legal opinion of the 

Attorney General and Commissioner for 

Justice, Delta state. 

The suspected killers are, however, still 

at large. 

A police officer attached to the Zonal 

Intelligence Bureau, Zone 5 

Headquarters, Benin City, Abdul 

Moshood, in an affidavit in support of 

motion ex-parte, said: “The case was 

diligently investigated and a prima facie 

case has been established against the 

defendant and others now at large.” 

How trouble 

started 

DELTA 2023: Emerging configuration of PDP, APC contenders 


The northern states are certainly the 

physically larger half of Nigeria and so are 

naturally more able to handle and contain 

the issue, but if taken alongside my earlier 

suggestion to possibly replicate the 

Namibia example of providing regulated 

meat good enough for foreign export, this 

can actually be of great economic benefit 

to the nation. 

Have farmers in Agbor kingdom had 

ugly encounters with herders before now 

and what were they like? 

There have been reports of cows 

unfortunately doing damage to crops and 

encroaching on people’s farms, but to my 

knowledge these have not led to ugly 

incidences in Agbor. 

Nobody can be happy when such happens 

on their lands or property, but I have been 

very grateful for my people’s great restraint 

and diplomacy in dealing with such 

incidences by way of responding to the issue 

rather than just reacting. As I did when I 

recently met with my people over the threats 

to the kingdom, I will encourage, where 

there are issues that they should reach both 

the palace and governmental authorities 

and lay proper complaints, rather than 

taking matters into one own hands, which 

might lead one to committing an illegal 

offence. 

No problem will ever be solved with anger, 

aggression and violence. Violence and anger 

can only beget in return anger and violence, 

it is simply not the way to go. 

The governor and another illustrious son 

of Anioma, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, are 

currently at daggers drawn, what is your 

royal advice? 

I am a monarch and not a politician, but 

having said this, I have been a beneficiary 

of one of the best states in Nigeria. A state 

where the PDP has held strong sway for two 

decades plus. This has been possible 

because of the harmonious and trusting 

relationship that the PDP family has shared 

amongst themselves, making it almost 

impossible for other political parties to get 

•Emomitimi 

Saturday Vanguard learned the late 

Emomitimi was based in Port-Harcourt 

and had connected the prophetess to the 

general overseer, who opened a church 

for her to administer, but disagreement 

reared up when the church started 

flourishing, as the prophetess refused to 

make returns to the overseer. 

The deceased took sides with the 

overseer, which earned him the wrath of 

a foothold. 

If this dynamic changes negatively, then 

naturally the party’s prospects will be 

negatively affected. 

Like I said earlier, being the traditional 

head of Delta North, whether some will 

agree to that or not, I can never be happy to 

see two of my sons at loggerheads, but it is 

at the same time not out of character for 

brothers to have their issues. 

Okowa and Nwaoboshi are brothers and 

now due to recent events, the two brothers 

no longer in the same party since Senator 

Nwaoboshi has moved to APC. They will 

always quarrel and settle amongst 

themselves as brothers sometimes do. 

On my part as their father I will always 


brought up as interested challengers. None 

of them has publicly announced his 

ambition. 

Speaking on a TV program few days 

ago, Deacon Otuaro said: ”As to the other 

question of if I am contesting or 

indicating interest in zoning and all of 

that, I do not want to get myself into all of 

that. The point is I am a Deltan, I am a 

Nigerian like any other person and so we 

all have the right to aspire to elective 

positions and all of that. So I would not 

say anything, if I have the right to aspire 

within the context of the law, then I can 

aspire. But it is not in my case to tell you 

if I want to. 

To seal the party’s 2023 governorship 

ticket, the governorship aspirants and 

their backers must canvass and secure 

overwhelming support of the party’s 

delegates from the 25 local government 

areas of the state.” 

Okowa, heavy-duty 

power broker 

The way Governor Okowa has directed 

the prophetess, especially as he rejected 

financial overtures to change his 

position. What happened days after was 

his brutal murder in Ughelli. 

At his Port-Harcourt residence, 

emotions were high as his parents, friends 

and sympathizers continue to weep 

uncontrollably over the loss. An elderly 

woman, Mrs. Veronica Efekoba, who 

could not control her feeling, exclaimed: 

advise on better, more diplomatic and 

peaceful ways to disagree to agree and vice 

versa. 

Overall, I would like to believe that 

amongst themselves as politicians, along 

with their parties, that they will always 

remember politics should be about trying 

to develop the country and making a better 

life for the citizens they are supposed to 

represent, rather than personal issues 

between them, which they must rise above 

for the good of the nations and its various 

peoples. 

These two men are a product of former 

governor, Chief James Ibori era and one 

great thing about James Ibori is his love 

for life and people. He is a man of true 

the politics of PDP since he assumed 

power in 2015, it is true that God has the 

final say on who takes over from him, but 

he is the most powerful power broker that 

can swing the pendulum when the time 

comes. 

“Benching’ Ogboru 

For APC, which wants to takeover 

Government House, Asaba in 2023 from 

PDP, it has, on four consecutive election 

years, attempted to overwhelm the latter 

to no avail. Chief Great Ogboru, 

popularly known as “Peoples General” 

was the battle-axe, the last being in 2019 

against incumbent Okowa. Before APC, 

Ogboru had also tried to overcome PDP 

through the Labour Party, LP, but it was 

futile. 

Deputy Senate President, DSP, Ovie 

Omo-Agege, who rode to limelight on 

Ogboru’s back, winning the Central 

senatorial race first on LP platform before 

switching to APC, and winning again in 

2019, would have to contend with Ogboru 

for the 2023 APC governorship 

ticket. DSP would have to persuade and 

prevail on Ogboru before he can scale 


“Oh death, why take the life of this young 

man?” 

Surprise attack, 

death 

A close family source said the victim was 

returning from a friend’s house when the 

gun men, who had laid ambush for him, 

suddenly emerged and engaged him in a 

heated argument. 

Reports said he had barely made efforts 

to clear some of the issue raised when he 

was abruptly confronted with a chilly 

replay of the most gruesome gang murder 

in Ughelli history as the killers pumped 

hot lead into him at point blank range. 

Thomas Emomitimi was said to have 

slumped while the killers escaped in 

giggling triumphant mood 

Though further details of the incident 

were sketchy, the family source 

maintained the deceased received series 

of threats from the prophetess, who vowed 

to deal with him after he renounced her 

plan to convert the thriving branch of the 

church entrusted to her. 

The source who confirmed that 

Emomitimi was a close confidant of both 

the general overseer of the ministry and 

prophetess, said his offence was that he 

kicked against the action of the 

prophetess, which he described as unfair 

and betrayal of trust. 

He disclosed that the deceased soon 

became a target and was severally tagged 

an agent of the general overseer, adding: 

“This led to hatred and distrust for the 

victim among her associates. In spite of 

the development, Thomas Emomitimi 

was not deterred as he continued to toe 

the line of peace.” 

Suspected killers 

vanish 

Spokesman of the family, Mr. Solomon 

David, said: ‘’my late brother told me how 

the prophetess invited him to her office 

severally to settle him with cash, but he 

turned down the offer.” 

Police searchlight on the prophetess was 

prompted by the alarm raised by the 

family over complaints about series of 

threats on the life of the deceased. 

The police discovered during 

investigation that funds 

were transferred to the fleeing suspects 

by the prophetess, but she could not also 

give satisfactory explanation as to why 

she sent money to the runaway suspects. 

The suspects vanished into the thin air as 

soon as they heard the prophetess was in 

police net. 

peace and naturally he brings people 

together and does not like disaffection and 

rancor. 

I am pretty confident that an eventual 

solution will be found, which most 

importantly should take into consideration 

all Deltans and the importance of peace in 

the state as a whole. 

Whatever affects one integral part of your 

body, in fact, affects the whole body whether 

you know it or not. 

What I am looking for is peace in Delta 

and peace in Nigeria, because without 

peace there can be no development, and 

without development, then truly we cannot 

be taken seriously as a viable entity and 

social construct known as a country. 

Demons Nigeria must confront, overcome — Dein of Agbor 

through in what many perceive to be a 

joint ticket with Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, 

representing Delta North senatorial 

district, who recently ditched PDP for 

APC. 

If Ogboru declines to succumb to Omo- 

Agege/Nwaoboshi ticket, then, the duo 

would have to wrestle with Ogboru forces 

in APC, which DSP is a staunch part of to 

determine who clinches the ticket. That 

will mean ‘benching’ the people’s general 

in Delta politics. 

Giving a hunch of what 2023 battle 

portends, Senator Nwaoboshi, looking 

beyond APC governorship primaries, 

weeks before he defected from PDP to 

APC, warned, last month: ”No man can 

sit in his office and determine who the 

next governor in this state becomes. We 

have the resources to fight and stop him 

from picking his successor alone.” 

Minister of State for Labour and 

Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, is one 

likely runner for the party’s ticket, but 

there is very strong indication that the 

lawyer is not cut out for do or die politics 

and may not want to fight the duo of 

Omo-Agege and Nwaoboshi for the 

party’s ticket.

20 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021 —21


Intrigues that produced 

Ozigbo as PDP candidate 

•Ozigbo 

Stories By Vincent Ujumadu 

Few hours before the PDP 

national executive committee – 

supported primaries that produced Chief 

Valentine Ozigbo as the candidate of the party, none 

of the 16 aspirants that contested the primaries had 

an idea who would emerge winner because none of 

them agreed to step down for the other. 

Although most of the stakeholders had the 

sympathy of Anambra South senatorial zone 

to produce the candidate, it was very difficult 

for them to direct any of the aspirants to step 

down for any preferred aspirant. For that 

reason, it took over 10 hours to conclude 

an exercise in which only 197 delegates 

voted as several meetings had to take 

place to smoothen the process. 

It was gathered that the two candidates 

from Anambra Central refused to step 

down for aspirants from Anambra South, 

necessitating meetings that lasted 

several hours to agree. Eventually at 

about 8pm that 26 th June, some 

PDP misses Ezeemo’s quest to serve Anambra 

THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may have missed the 

genuine desire of Mr. Godwin Ezeemo to serve Anambra 

people as governor as his programmes for the state were seen 

by many as what the state needs at this level of her development to 

move forward.. 

During last Saturday’s primaries of PDP, Ezeemo participated at 

the Umeaba –led faction which was conducted at Paul University, 

Awka and came second to the eventual winner, Senator Ugochukwu 

Uba. People close to him said he decided to team up with the Umeaba 

faction when he observed the intrigues going on in the other primaries 

that took place at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Center, 

which produced Chief Val Ozigbo as the candidate. 

While the sensitization of the delegates lasted, all eyes were on 

Ezeemo because he was considered one of the frontrunners for the 

PDP ticket. First, he was the first to declare interest for the PDP ticket 

and was also the first person to donate a bus to the state leadership 

of the party. 

His philanthropic activities endeared him to members of the party 

and the thinking was that the ticket was for him. However, his decision 

to contest the primaries where it was obvious that a decision was 

already taken before the gathering of the delegates surprised most 

•Ekelem 

PDP members. 

Due to his contributions towards the building of many 

churches, the Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal 

churches were already looking forward to him 

becoming the next governor to continue his assistance 

to them, but his loss at the primaries had truncated 

that as members of these churches would no longer 

have the opportunity vote for him in November this 

year during the governorship election. 

For now, he has to concentrate on his numerous 

business outfits, which include Orient Farms 

Limited, Orient Printing Press, Orient 

Newspapers, Orient Energy, Orient FM 

radio, Life Table Water Company, 

among others. Will he contest 

another election in 2023 to 

actualize his desire to serve the 

people?, the Umuchu –born 

businessman and politician 

said he is yet to make that 

decision. 

Youth empowerment, infrastructural development 

my priorities, says Ekelem, SDP candidate 

Chief Arinze Ekelem, a businessman, has been 

elected the governorship candidate of Social 

Democratic Party, SDP, and he has listed youth 

empowerment, infrastructural development, agriculsture, 

among others as his priority areas if elected. 

Ekelem, who was the only aspirant, received 111 votes 

out of the 116 accredited delegates that participated in 

the primary. 

An old hand in Anambra politics, Ekelem was the 

national vice chairman of SDP before members of the 

party decided to nominate him as the party’s 

Nwankpo picks ADC ticket 

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has 

elected Chief Akachukwu Nwankpo, the 

former special adviser on technical matters to 

former President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate 

for the November 6 governorship election. 

Nwankpo, who was an aspirant on the platform of 

APGA moved to ADC when he was disqualified by 

the party. 

In his acceptance speech, Nwankpo promised to 

step up security in the state, in addition to improving 

on what the present administration in the state had 

candidates agreed to step down for Val Ozigbo who was seen 

as having the best chance to face Professor Chukwuma Soludo 

of APGA who had emerged as his party’s candidate two days 

earlier. It was after this agreement that the primary actually 

commenced 

Again as the voting was about to commence, it was observed 

that one aspirant, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo who is from Anambra 

Central, might coast home to victory if nothing was done to 

stop him as most of the delegates preferred him. The fear of the 

super delegates was that PDP might not make it during the 

November 6 poll if it presented a candidate from Anambra Central 

because the sympathy was already going for Anambra South to 

produce the next governor. 

Despite the deliberate move to stop Anambra Central from 

clinching the governorship ticket, the two major aspirants from 

the zone, Dr. Okonkwo and Senator Uche Ekwunife , still scored 

high number of votes. For instance, the eventual winner, Chief 

Val Ozigbo beat Okonkwo with only four votes, which means 

that if Okonkwo and Ekwunife had agreed to work together, 

one of them might have become the candidate of PDP. 

But from what transpired, it appeared that the panel members 

and the Anambra PDP stakeholders did not want a candidate 

from Central. 

•Ezeemo 

governorship candidate. 

In his acceptance speech, Ekelem thanked the delegates 

for nominating him, assuring them that the party would 

win the forthcoming elections. “We know that winning the 

November election requires hard work and we are prepared 

for the great task ahead,” he told members of the party. 

The SDP candidate has already scheduled a meeting of 

all the youth and women leaders of the party to work out 

modalities for grass root mobilization of voters and the 

party’s campaign that would commence soon. 

done. 

He said: “We will improve all sectors of the economy 

and I want to assure Anambra people that the state 

will continue to move forward under my watch. We will 

give a voice to all Nigerians, including the less 

priviledged.” 

In his speech, the national chairman of the party, 

Chief Okey Nwosu said the success of ADC in the 

forthcoming governorship election would mark the end 

of political hooliganism in Anambra and urged 

members of the party to go into the field and campaign 

for its candidate.


ANAMBRA 2021: 13 parties conclude 

primaries, name candidates 

•APGA has 3 candidates, PDP, AA have 2 each 

•AAC, APM, NNPP, NRM, Boot Party yet to hold primaries 

By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor 

AS the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s deadline for the conduct of 

governorship primaries expired on Thursday, 13 of the 18 registered political parties have 

carried out the exercise in Anambra State. 

Parties that have chosen candidates at press time include All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; 

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; All Progressives Congress, APC; African Democratic Congress, 

ADC; African Democratic Party, ADP; Accord, A; Action Alliance, AA; Social Democratic Party, 

SDP; Young Pprogressive Party, YPP; Zenith Labour Party, ZLP; Labour Party, LP; Action Peoples 

Party, APP; and Peoples redemption Party, PRP. 

The five parties that were yet to choose their candidates at press time are African Action Congress, 

AAC; Allied Peoples Movement, APM; New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP; National Rescue 

Movement, NRM; and Boot Party, BT. 

Of the 13 parties, the ruling APGA has three candidates while the due of PDP and AA have two 

candidates each. 

The three men laying claim to APGA’s ticket on account of factionalisation are Professor 

Chukwuma Soludu of the INEC-recognised Chief Victor Ike-Oye APGA; Imo-State born factional 

national chairman, Chief Ejejie Njoku, who is citing court order as well as a member of the House 

of Representatives, Chukwuma Umeoji, who emerged at a primary backed by court order. 

For the PDP, the two candidates are Chief Valentine Ozigbo, who emerged from the primary 

endorsed by the National Working Committee, NWC, held at Women Development Centre, Awka; 

•Soludo 

By Clifford Ndujihe & Vincent Ujumadu 

THERE were speculations in some 

quarters that Governor Willie Obiano 

of Anambra State would back a dark 

horse to emerge as the candidate of the All 

Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA instead 

of Professor Chukwuma Soludo. 

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr James Eze, 

has picked holes in such speculations saying 

that with Soludo’s emergence ‘’Governor 

Obiano appears to emphasize the point that 

succession is an important obligation of 

leadership and that part of a leader’s silent 

mission should be to find someone with the 

right orientation and temperament to succeed 

him.’’ 

He continued: ‘’Indeed, it says much about 

Obiano’s personal philosophy that in a country 

where the tradition for outgoing governors is 

to handpick spineless and clueless aspirants 

who they can easily manipulate as successors, 

governor Obiano had worked very hard to 

ensure the emergence of an astute professor 

of economics whose exploits are known all 

over the world, to stand in line to succeed him. 

It is a strong statement of his resolve to allow 

Anambra State to flourish under the tender 

care of someone with a proven capacity for 

leadership. There is a great deal of hope that 

Soludo’s candidacy will not only inspire 

confidence in the party machinery and 

galvanize the push for victory in the November 

6, 2021 election but that it will also assure 

Ndi Anambra that their beloved state is on a 

trajectory that makes greatness inevitable. 

‘’In a sense, Obiano’s efforts to have a 

competent successor like Soludo is a powerful 

reminder of the implied wisdom in the popular 

proverb that “a society grows great when old 

men plant trees whose shade they know they 

shall never sit in.” Most advanced societies in 

the world today are products of courageous 

leaders who predicted the future by ensuring 

that the basic philosophies of growth and 

progress were sustained through a clear line 

of succession. Governor Obiano was evidently 

plotting his succession graph when he tapped 

Soludo to deliver his 3rd Anniversary Lecture 

and Dr Ugochukwu Uba, who won the parallel primary held at Paul’s University, 

Awka. 

Ugochukwu Uba insists his faction of PDP is backed by court order. 

In the same token, the candidates of AA are Mr John Ikeotuonye and Mrs. // 

*Ifeoma Maduka_Arisa 

The parties have up till July 9 to send their nominated candidates to the INEC. 

Prospective candidates 

* Chukwuma Soludo/Ejezie Njoku/Chukwuma Umeoji – APGA 

* Chief Valentine Ozigbo/Senator Ugochukwu Uba – PDP 

* Dr Andy Uba – All Progressives Congress, APC 

* Senator Ifeanyi Ubah – Young Progressive Party, YPP 

* Mr. Obiora Emmanuel Agbasimalo – Labour Party, LP 

* Azubuike Echetebu – APP 

* Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo – ADC 

* Prince Afam Ume-Ezeoke – ADP 

* Chief Arinze Ekeleme – SDP 

* Chief Uche Ugwoji – ZLP 

* Mr. John Ikeotuonye/ Ifeoma Maduka –Arisa AA 

* Alex Nwankwo – Accord Party 

* Dr. Nnamdi Nwanwuo – PRP 

Why Obiano’s backing Soludo to succeed him – Eze 

Soludo names Ibe zim as running mate 

in March 2017. It was a subtle hint at 

succession that most people did not notice. It 

brought the renowned economist closer to the 

point where he could observe things at close 

quarters. But it also gave him a great chance 

to leave an enduring imprint in the memory 

of the party and the hierarchies of leadership 

in the state. His choice to speak on “Anambra: 

An Emerging Start-up State And our 

Collective Challenge” also points an 

unwavering finger at what was to come. 

Similarly, when Governor Obiano set up 

Anambra’s Vision 2070 Project and drafted 

Soludo to head the Committee, he was 

dropping subtle hints about his dreams of 

sustainable progress and whom he thought 

should guide Anambra into a brighter future 

after him. All these show that nothing was left 

to chance. 

‘’It has to be stated, that the emergence of 

Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the candidate of 

the ruling party with a clear chance of victory 

in the coming election raises hopes of a greater 

Anambra State. There is probably no better 

person to continue Obiano’s legacy than 

Soludo who is a consultant to 20 international 

development and financial institutions, a 

former Chief Economic Adviser to the 

President, a former Governor of CBN and a 

chairman or member of 25 committees. His 

pedigree as an achiever has been confirmed 

with over 200 national and international 

awards. 

‘’Therefore, Obiano’s wish for Soludo to 

succeed him is understandable. Not only has 

he found a pair of competent hands to build a 

ANAMBRA 2021 – How PDP can avoid past mistakes 

By Mckizit Ukadike 

o officers of our great party, at both 

Tnational and state levels, revered 

decision makers, opinion moulders, who 

are truly motivated by genuine interests to 

reposition the Peoples Democratic Party, 

PDP, we acknowledge all your efforts in the 

present crusade to reclaim and reactivate 

the dreams of our founding fathers. 

We agree with Pablo Picasso at this time 

that, “everything we can imagine is real.” 

Our best hopes, aspirations and 

imaginations for our great party can still 

become real and achievable, if we decide 

to take only the best decisions and do only 

the best things. We can either experience 

the gains that will come, if we discipline 

ourselves and do only the best things or the 

regret that will follow our fractured 

decisions and poor judgements. 

This is the right time to exorcise the 

internal demons that have made us 

caricatures of ourselves. If we are able to 

deal with the demons, the victory of our 

party on November 6 will almost become 

certain, because the only party that can 

defeat us in this year’s election is the PDP, 

ourselves. If we allow the same demons that 

have over the years, only made us the best 

things that never happened, to continue to 

attack us, then come November 6, we will 

only still remain the best thing that never 

happened, the best party that never won the 

Anambra governorship election since 2003. 

I am sure this is not what we want in this 

year’s election. 

No time is more auspicious than now, for 

us to determine to take those decisions that 

will take all of us and our great party to the 

exact level we want to be. The courage to 

take the right decisions this year, without 

fear or favour, especially as it concerns who 

becomes our party’s standard bearer in this 

year’s Anambra governorship election, will 

distinguish our party as a truly great party. 

It was Benjamin Hardy who said that, 

“unsuccessful people make their decisions 

based on their current situations. Successful 

people make their decisions based on where 

they want to be.” If we all want to win this 

year’s governorship election, our best 

decisions will not be based on who we want 

to please or acquiesce to, but on obeying 

court decisions and doing the right things. 

In 2007, our party won the Anambra 

governorship election with an emphatic 

landslide, yet again, the horrors of our poor 

judgement in 2003 reverberated and kicked 

us out of office. In 2010, the chicanery of 

favouritism and mindless vendetta ensured 

we didn’t field our best candidate and we 

lost again. The same thing happened in 

2013 and 2017. In all these elections, no 

party defeated us. We defeated ourselves 

because of our poor judgements and wrong 

decisions. Now, unfortunately we are at it 

again, lending ourselves to reactionary 

forces, which will in turn destabilize the 

party and make us mere paper tigers in the 

coming election. Certain individuals are 

tipping the party to make the wrong choice 

again, and when this happens the party will 

become again the best party that never won 

the governorship election. How can we 

forget yesterday so easily? 

The candidate we wrongly chose in 2003 

has dumped our party a long time ago and 

has become today a Minister in the APC 

government. Our wrong choice in 2010 has 

also dumped our party and has presently 

become the governorship candidate of the 

All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, 

and will run against our own candidate in 

this year’s election. Our choice in 2013 also 

dumped our party and in fact, contested 

against our own candidate in 2017, as the 

flagbearer of the APC. 

How did we find ourselves in this 

quagmire? How has the mighty fallen so 

low, that we no longer care to reckon with 

loyalty? It was said that even all the King’s 

horseman could not put Humpty - Dumpty 

super structure atop the structure he has 

erected, he has also found someone who would 

preserve his own legacy. After all, in the words 

of America’s best-selling author, John 

Maxwell, “a leader’s lasting value is measured 

by succession.” With Soludo as his likely 

successor, Obiano would have secured the 

future of Anambra State with a bold and wise 

succession plan.’’ 

Soludo names Ibezim 

as running mate 

By Vincent Ujumadu 

Meanwhile, Professor Soludo has named 

Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim as his running 

mate. 

Ibezim, a medical doctor by profession, is 

the younger brother of Archbishop Alexander 

Ibezim, the Archbishop of the Province on the 

Niger (Anglican Communion). 

He hails from Mbaukwu in Awka South 

Local Council in Anambra Central Senatorial 

zone of the state. 

He is currently the Special Adviser to 

Governor Willie Obiano on Indigenous 

Medicine and Herbal Practice. He is the 

Managing Director of Anambra Oxygen Plant 

located at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu 

Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, 

COOUTH, Amaku, Awka, as well as the 

Executive Director of Anambra State Agency 

for Control of HIV/AIDS (ANSACA). 

together again. But we, in the PDP 

Renaissance Group believe that we do not 

need special services to put our great party 

together again. All we need is courage to 

do the right thing and to desist from our 

traditional acts of impunity, which propels 

us to abuse court processes and procedures 

and to disrespect and impugn court orders 

and judgements with unbelievable impunity. 

This treacherous highway will only lead us 

again into the valley of disgrace. 

This is not who we are and not who we want 

to be in this year’s election. We are still the 

greatest and largest party in the state and 

therefore, we should stop allowing reactionary 

forces and overtly ambitious elements to stop 

using us to achieve private interests and 

ambitions. Our party is too powerful to be too 

weak and too sophisticated to be so naive. 

Our party’s ticket should be for those 

relevantly experienced members of our 

party, who have remained with our party, in 

good times and in bad times. Party members 

who have shown unflinching loyalty and 

unambiguous commitment to the peace 

and progress of the party. 

* Dr. Mckizit Ukadike, President, The 

PDP Renaissance Group, wrote from 

Awka 

Continues on www.vanguardngr.com


Before Hope Uzodimma loses to 

Okorocha, Ararume partnership 

•Uzodimma •Kalu 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

It is no longer news that Imo State 

Governor, Hope Uzodimma dissolved 

his cabinet, retaining only eight 

commissioners. What is perhaps, note worthy 

in the entire ruckus surrounding the 

dissolution, is the conclusion by some loyalists 

that the attitude of the governor towards his 

political allies, who have displayed loyalty to 

him, may destroy his political base. 

It was gathered that the governor retrieved 

the official vehicles given to his Commissioners 

which the opposition in the state celebrated, 

knowing that it may pitch the governor against 

his loyalists if not properly handled. It was also 

learnt that most of the Commissioners trekked 

back home after security agents took the keys 

from them while some boarded public 

transport back home. Surprisingly, majority 

of these set of Commissioners are said to be 

personal friends of the governor just as most of 

them have been with him for over twenty 

Uzor Maxim Uzoatu 

I am allergic to dictators, even if they 

somehow manage to dress up in democratic 

robes. 

Nigerians cannot ever forget in a hurry 

how some time ago all the five political 

parties of a leprous hand manufactured by 

General Sani Abacha nominated the nononsense 

dictator as Nigeria’s would-be 

democratic president. 

Some of us had to resort to guerrilla 

journalism to stop the dark-goggled evil 

general in his tracks. 

Abacha jailed a good number of the 

journalists and killed some others, a sad 

example being Bagauda Kaltho. 

Just the other day, I wrote on how Abacha’s 

security goons sent me a postal slip in the 

bid to entrap me but true to my character of 

“snake no dey go prison” I beat them in their 

game by not going to the post office to pick 

up the satanic parcel. 

Well, my great friend and brother, 

Muritala Sule, MS for short, felt scandalized 

that “Maxim nor get liver” because he, MS, 

could “have sworn you’d take the bait of 

that slip for an opportunity to write your 

equivalent of The Man Died and show that 

you are a die-hard student of the ‘elewon’ 

professor.” 

Of course one surefire way of writing a 

compelling book is going to prison first, but 

then any arrest by Sergeant Rogers is a death 

sentence. It does not matter whether you 

have liver or not! 

Even so, there can be funny matters arising 

out of going to prison. 

The great American playwright Arthur 

Miller, author of Death of a Salesman, was 

•Okorocha 

years. 

Many of his supporters believe that Governor 

Hope Uzodimma has displayed sincerity so 

far in ensuring that the people of Imo state 

enjoy the dividends of democracy. However, 

these supporters are of the view that he must 

ensure that he is at peace with his political 

family to avoid being swallowed up by his 

political adversaries believed to be former 

governor of the State, Senator Rochas 

Okorocha, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and their 

supporters and loyalists. Governor Uzodimma 

is therefore advised, to put his political family 

in order especially as congresses of the APC 

and preparations for the 2023 elections 

approach. 

Uzodimma they noted, had embarked on 

construction of roads in the state, particularly 

in Owerri Zone and more importantly, the 

reconstruction of the Owerri-Okigwe and 

Owerri-Orlu express roads awarded to 

Craneburg. He also embarked on projects to 

develop Imo in special ways, reviving 

moribund public utilities and infrastructure. 

•Ararume 

The governor is also said to have kicked-off a 

programme to empower fifteen thousand 

youths of the state last Saturday. Although it is 

yet to be confirmed whether the youths have 

started receiving the alert of N250,000 as 

promised by the governor, if the programme is 

implemented, it will go a long way in bringing 

the administration closer to the people. It is 

poverty alleviation programme. 

As a first term governor who may likely seek 

a second term in office, the governor, they 

advised, must understand that his political 

enemies will come after him. Considering the 

bitter governorship race between him and 

Senator Okorocha’s son in-law, Uche Nwosu 

and more recently, the Imo North senatorial 

election during which the governor utilised his 

powers to silence Ararume and his supporters, 

the governor has been advised to keep his 

political family intact in order not to lose the 

2023 General elections and his re-election in 

2024. 

Some members of the public got a glimpse 

of the happenings in the administration when 

Nkwerre Local Government Area leaders 

visited the governor recently. During the visit, 

one of the leaders lamented how members of a 

supposed cabal in the administration are 

feeding the governor with lies against some of 

his loyalists who have refused to do the bidding 

of the cabal. It was gathered that Uzodimma’s 

loyalists are pained that a cabal had hijacked 

the administration, using blackmail and lies 

to destroy supposed loyalists of the governor 

who mean well for him and the state. 

Proprietor of All Seasons Hotel, Mike 

Ikokwu, the initiator of ‘Hopism’ and a good 

ally of Uzodimma, once expressed sadness that 

lies and gossips were affecting good 

governance in Imo state. 

And Vanguard observed that the governor 

was not happy with the declaration made by 

Mr Mike Ikokwu. However, his supporters are 

advising the governor not to throw that under 

the carpet in order to keep his loyalists ahead 

of the APC congresses and 2023 general 

elections. 

It was also observed that majority of Senator 

Okorocha’s loyalists have remained with him 

till date due to how they were empowered 

during his administration; even most of them 

who were said to be indicted in the white paper 

are moving freely in the streets. This is in 

contrast with the Uzodimma’s administration 

which they accused of concentrating on 

fighting internally rather than facing their 

enemies without. 

The governor, a source close to him noted, 

may mean well for the state, but his attitude 

towards members of his political family while 

being surrounded by the calibre of political 

enemies in the state, is capable of affecting the 

success of the party in 2023 and the Governor’s 

re-election in 2024. 

He further noted that while it seems the 

governor is making efforts to woo political 

leaders loyal to Senators Okorocha and 

Ararume, he must thread with caution because 

“majority of them will serve as moles”. 

According to a Chieftain of the party who 

spoke on condition of anonymity, “The 

governor has good intentions in trying to 

accommodate some of these people but we 

are afraid that this may backfire if the governor 

decides to cede anything to them. 

“For instance, since the governor dissolved 

the state Exco, many of them are thronging to 

be commissioners while others are coming in 

due to the coming Congresses of the party 

where their godfathers have sent them to come 

and snatch the party structure from us. Some 

of them are even getting patronage in this 

administration more than those who laboured 

with the governor. 

“We are afraid that the governor will hand 

over the soul of the party to his opponents 

because he wants to satisfy them. If that 

happens, they will hijack the party structure, 

fix their cohorts as commissioners and SAs 

and that will spell doom for the governor come 

2023 and 2024. Yes, the governor is working 

hard in terms of development but it will be 

suicidal if he plays bad politics that will return 

power to Okorocha and his cohorts in 2023”. 

If you want to write a great book, go to prison 

the President of the worldwide writers’ body, 

International PEN, when Soyinka was 

detained in prison during the Biafra war. 

Arthur Miller wrote in his autobiography 

Timebends that he was persuaded to send a 

telegram to General Yakubu Gowon asking 

for the release of Soyinka. 

According to Arthur Miller, when Gowon 

was informed that the playwright who sent 

him the telegram was the husband of the 

legendary actress of captivating beauty, 

Marilyn Monroe, Gowon immediately 

released Soyinka! 

The pen may be mightier than the sword 

but a beautiful woman happens to be the 

mightiest of them all! 

Moving ahead, Soyinka was of course not 

the only writer who spent time in prison and 

came out with books that rocked the world. 

Miguel de Cervantes began writing his 

inimitable novel Don Quixote when he was 

in jail in Seville, Spain back in 1597, and it 

is from that classic book we learn this 

truism: “The truth may be stretched thin, 

but it never breaks, and it always surfaces 

above lies, as oil floats on water.” 

Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe 

and Moll Flanders, served time in Newgate 

Prison, London in 1703, and he left us with 

these wise words: “Fear of danger is ten 

thousand times more terrifying than danger 

itself.” 

John Bunyan penned his immortal 

Pilgrim’s Progress during the 11 years he 

spent in Bedford County Jail, Britain in the 

17 th century, and his words are wisdom writ 

large: 

He that is down needs fear no fall 

He that is low, no pride 

He that is humble ever shall 

Have God to be his guide. 

The master short story writer, O. Henry, 

wrote some of his deathless short stories 

while being jailed for embezzlement as a 

teller at First National Bank in Austin, Texas, 

but his short fiction with their twists in the 

tail and surprise endings are enduring 

forever with stunning insight such as these 

words of his: “We can’t buy one minute of 

time with cash; if we could, rich people 

would live longer.” 

Oscar Wilde, author of De Profundis and 

The Ballad of Reading Gaol, was jailed for 

two years over homosexuality but his 

thoughts in prison are timeless as rendered 

thusly: 

Yet each man kills the thing he loves 

By each let this be heard 

Some do it with a bitter look 

Some with a flattering word 

The coward does it with a kiss 

The brave man with a sword 

Even dictators can go to prison to forge 

world-changing books, as Adolf Hitler did 

in writing Mein Kampf while he was 

incarcerated at the fortress at Landsberg for 

organizing the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. 

Here is the thinking of Hitler: “I know 

that fewer people are won over by the written 

word than by the spoken word and that every 

great movement on this earth owes its growth 

to great speakers and not to great writers.” 

The point really is that anybody living in 

Nigeria today is serving heavy prison 

sentence and does not need to go to any other 

prison to write the needed great book. 

We are all prisoners here, and we must 

somehow find the afflatus and the scabies 

scribendi to put out the books. 

I have spoken! 

L-R: Mariam Salau Dullar, wife of the chairman, Shomolu Local Government; Arobadade 

Sidikat, beneficiary of the BOSKOH Health Mission; Nike Osa, executive director, 

BOSKOH Healthcare Mission International, and Kamirudeen Bashua, chairman, Lagos 

Island East Local Government, at the on-going BOSKOH Healthcare Mission 

International Free Medical Health Outreach held at Lagos City Centre Sura, 

Lagos,yesterday.


08116759759 

'I'm an influencer and my parents love helping 

me take sexy snaps - they're so proud' 

Teddy Moutinho, a social me 

dia model, has revealed that 

her parents often help her 

take risqué photos for her pages - 

and they even pick out locations and 

poses for her to try 

A 21-year-old who regularly posts 

saucy snaps on social media has 

opened up about how she manages 

to achieve the perfect pictures. 

It turns out that she’s not always 

taking them herself, or handing the 

camera over to a boyfriend or close 

pal - it’s actually often her mum and 

Corpses of Covid victims wash up on river bank 

during monsoon season in India 

dad behind the photos. 

Teddy Moutinho, who lives in Florida, 

US, has revealed 

her parents, Reggie and Mau, both 

39, are incredibly supportive of her 

career and have no problem taking 

sexy snaps of her. 

The 21-year-old has over three 

million 

followers 

on Instagram (@teddybearosito), 

where she shares tidbits of her life, as 

well as images that show off her 

boobs and bum. 

“The best part of it is that I didn’t 

even need to ask my parents for 

help,” Teddy told Jam Press. 

“My mom and dad take my pictures 

everywhere I go. Whether it be 

at the beach, outside, at home... they 

do it all!” 

And they don’t just take one picture, 

the parents are dedicated to 

helping their daughter get the best 

possible shot and will often spend 

hours on photoshoots, trying out all 

sorts of angles and poses. 

“Whenever my mum spots a place 

that she thinks is good, we test it out 

and have a photoshoot on the spot – 

she is the best,” explains Teddy. 

“We could be having dinner and if 

the lighting is good, we’ll stop what 

we’re doing and take some snaps. 

She takes bikini shots of me by the 

pool, too.” 

Her dad also likes to get in on the 

action - but always with his clothes 

on. “My dad enjoys getting involved 

in the fun and will sometimes 

make TikToks with me. 

“We go to the gym together so 

my fitness content will be taken by 

him where he gets my best angles 

while I perform the exercises.” 

Unsurprisingly many people are 

often surprised by how cool her parents 

are with her showing so much 

skin on the internet. 

Teddy admits: “People always say, 

‘my parents would never let me do 

that.’ 

“I’m lucky enough to have an openminded 

mum and dad that support 

my artistic expression.” 

And it’s true, Reggie and Mau 

couldn’t be prouder of their daughter. 

Statues of Queen Victoria, Queen 

Elizabeth toppled in Canada 

Hundreds of corpses have 

washed up on the banks of 

the river Ganges during 

the monsoon season in horrendous 

images from India. 

Harrowing photos taken in the 

populous state of Uttar Pradesh show 

bodies drifting down the waterway, 

which Hindus consider holy. 

Most of the corpses are believed to 

be of people who died from Covid- 

19 

Ṫhey had been placed in shallow 

graves along the river banks by 

families who could not afford the 

soaring prices of funeral pyres at the 

height 

of 

the coronavirus pandemic. 

It is not the first time this happens, 

as similar images and videos 

emerged in May as well, shocking 

the nation and underlining the 

severity of the world’s biggest surge 

in Covid-19 infections. 

Though cases have come down 

drastically this month, the Uttar 

Pradesh city of Prayagraj alone has 

cremated 108 bodies found in the 

river in the last three weeks, a senior 

municipal official said. 

Neeraj Kumar Singh told Reuters: 

“These are those dead bodies which 

were buried very close to the river 

and have gone into it with the rise in 

its water levels. 

“The municipal corporation has 

deployed a team of 25 people who 

are working day and night on this 

front.” 

Up to 600 bodies were reportedly 

buried along the holy river, but locals 

believe the real number could be 

much higher and fear that more 

corpses could be moved by rapid 

waters in the next few weeks. 

Some people worry that if the 

corpses are not removed, they may 

cause the river to become even more 

polluted. 

Dipin Kumar, who lives near the 

Ganges in Allahabad, told AFP: 

“This … could cause dangerous 

diseases. The government must think 

this over and only they can make a 

plan.”Sonu Chandel, a boatman 

who works with a riverside 

crematorium, was shaken by the 

sight of families burying their dead 

two months ago. 

He said: “It was really sad to see 

poor people burying their loved ones 

in an undignified manner, but the 

rising water level has made it worse. 

“There is always the fear of (a 

body) hitting the oar or (my boat) 

running over a dead body as the 

water level goes up.” 

Protesters have toppled statues 

of Queen Victoria and Queen 

Elizabeth II in the Canadian 

city of Winnipeg as anger grows over 

the discovery of the remains of 

hundreds of children in unmarked 

graves at former indigenous schools. 

A crowd chanted “no pride in 

genocide” before pulling down the 

statues of the monarchs. 

The action took place on Canada 

Day on Thursday, when traditionally 

celebrations take place across the 

country. 

However, many cities scrapped 

events this year as the scandal over 

the indigenous children made 

Canadians confront their colonial 

history. Prime Minister Justin 

Trudeau said the day would be “a 

time for reflection”. 

Almost 1,000 unmarked graves 

have been found at former 

residential schools in British 

Columbia and Saskatchewan that 

were mainly run by the Catholic 

Church and funded by the 

government. 

For 165 years and as recently as 

1996, the schools forcibly separated 

indigenous children from their 

families, subjecting them to 

malnourishment and physical and 

sexual abuse in what the Truth and 

Reconciliation Commission called 

“cultural genocide” in 2015. 

In Winnipeg, a crowd cheered as 

Queen Victoria’s statue fell outside 

the Manitoba provincial legislature. 

Protesters, many of whom wore 

orange clothing, also kicked the 

toppled statue and danced around 

it. The pedestal and statue were 

daubed in red paint hand marks. 

A nearby statue of Queen Elizabeth 

was also pulled down. She is 

Canada’s current head of state, while 

Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901 

when Canada was part of the British 

Empire. 

Protests in support of the 

indigenous children also took place 

on Thursday in Toronto, Canada’s 

financial hub, while a 

#CancelCanadaDay march in the 

capital Ottawa drew thousands in 

support of victims and survivors of 

the residential school system.


bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk 

When being a stay-at-home mum is not an option! 

look forward to 

getting into my office 

“Ieagerly e a c h 

day,” confesses Adaora, a 

46-year-old brands director of a 

pharmaceutical company. 

“Being at home can be very 

stressful. The house is usually in 

chaos, thanks to three teenage 

children. Also juggling the kids’ 

constant demands with 

mountains of washing and other 

house work is exhausting. Work 

is the one time when I get to put 

on killer heels and lipstick and 

feel like myself again. I worked 

very hard over many years to 

build a successful career, and I’m 

appreciated for my knowledge 

and skills. My days are hectic, 

but I couldn’t be without my job. 

It is a sort of blissful antidote to 

the frenzied activity at home.” 

For Adaora, it is the office 

rather than home that is a refuge 

– work is where she feels valued 

and less anxious, and can escape 

the stress of meeting her 

children’s needs and endless 

cycle of cooking and cleaning. 

And she’s far from alone. 

Thanks to availability of 

domestic help, more and more 

women now feel content in the 

workplace than at home. 

Women’s earning power these 

days are equally as good as most 

men’s. They also shoulder more 

of the domestic burden than 

most men. “Women are doing 

more than ever,” observes Dr. 

Fin Williams, a psychologist. 

We’ve all reached for that 

glass of wine after 

another long day at 

work or with the children, 

thinking: It’s OK, it’s just the one. 

Nowadays, it seems there’s a 

mentality that doing something 

we know is bad for us is OK, as 

long as it’s just once a day. But 

actually, the effects can add up 

to serious long-term health 

problems. 

For example, we know binge 

drinking is terrible for our 

health, but what about that one 

glass of wine in the evening? Or 

that one cheeky chocolate bar to 

perk us up at lunchtime? Facts 

and figures about these daily 

treats pop up in the news 

constantly, but what is the truth? 

Smoking: We all know 

smoking is bad for us but how 

much damage can one sneaky 

cigarette a day really cause? 

Well, experts have recently come 

out and said that just one 

cigarette a day can increase the 

risk of early death. The cancer 

researchers warned that there is 

no safe level of smoking. Dr. 

Maki Inoue-Choi and her team 

at the National Cancer Institute 

in the USA compared the risk of 

death of smokers with nonsmokers, 

and found that those 

who smoked fewer than 10 

cigarettes a day still had higher 

risk of early death from all 

causes than those who had never 

smoked. 

Sleep: Having a nap for an 

hour during the day increases the 

risk of developing type 2 

diabetes by 45 per cent. A study 

of 300,000 people suggested 

there was no increased risk for 

naps shorter than 30 minutes. Dr. 

Yamada Tomahide from the 

University of Tokyo, who led the 

research, said that sleep is a key 

“Statistics show that they do 

nearly twice as much work in the 

home, including children and 

domestic chores, even when both 

work full time. That can be very 

stressful. 

“Women are having children 

later in life, which means they’ve 

often built a successful career 

before hand and can find being 

at home with children more 

difficult. They’re also having 

their children closer together. 

They’re less likely to live near 

extended family too, so the 

community support they’d once 

have relief on isn’t there. All 

these factors add up to increased 

stress in the home. As a result, 

women can find going to work 

restorative, as it gives them 

space to think and the chance to 

be challenged in another way.” 

Continues Adaora: “Work is 

crucial to my mental well-being. 

I was a high-flying career 

woman when I had my first child 

16 years ago and the other two 

followed within the next four 

years. 

“There’s only 22 months 

between my last two children and 

taking care of the children was 

The once-a-day habits that are bad for you! 

component of healthy life along 

with a good diet and exercise. 

With the increase in people’s 

workload and social lives, we’re 

sleeping less at night and 

napping more in the day. We 

need to kick this unhealthy habit 

and stick to at least eight hours 

a night. 

Wine: Drinking a glass of wine 

a day increases the risk of a 

potentially fatal heart flutter. 

According to scientists, small 

amounts of alcohol on a regular 

basis can lead to an eight per 

cent higher risk of irregular 

heart rhythms. Researcher Peter 

Kistler says that previous work, 

which found a light to moderate 

intake of alcohol can cut the risk 

of heart disease, could be 

misleading. Irregular 

heartbeats can lead to serious 

issues such as heart failure and 

stroke. Kistler says: ‘People with 

an irregular heartbeat should 

probably drink no more than one 

alcoholic drink a day with two 

alcohol-free days a week.’ 

Skipping breakfast: During 

the first few hours of the day, the 

brain soaks up nutrients to 

manage psychological processes 

after the lack of food overnight. 

If the brain doesn’t get these 

nutrients from breakfast, it will 

need to use reserves and make 

an extra effort to work properly. 

This can cause a lack of energy, 

loss of concentration and bad 

moods. In the long run, it can 

cause poor memory and poor 

physical and intellectual 

performance. 

Not flossing: Flossing your 

teeth might feel optional. But 

it’s important, and not just for 

your teeth. Studies show that 

bacteria associated with gum 

disease promotes inflammation 

in the body, which has been 

associated with increased risk of 

heart disease. And a study found 

that people with coronary heart 

disease who flossed experienced 

fewer cardiovascular problems. 

Fizzy drinks: One can of fizzy 

drinks puts you over your daily 

sugar limit. A study revealed that 

some cans contain as many as 

12 teaspoons, or 52.8g, while the 

recommended daily allowance 

for over 11s, male and female, is 

30g. 

Too much sugar each day can 

cause tooth decay and can 

contribute to you becoming 

overweight, which in turn 

increases your risk of heart 

disease, type 2 diabetes and 

strokes. Think before you reach 

for that glass of cola! 

Make-up: We’ve all been in 

that position after a long day or 

night when the last thing you 

want to do is take your make-up 

off. ‘It won’t hurt this once, 

right?’ Wrong! 

Sleeping with make-up on can 

badly damage your skin. 

Leaving foundation on often 

leads to clogged pores, 

congested skin and spots, and 

mascara can cause irritation, 

leading to vision loss. 

Late-night snacking: It’s easy 

on an evening to feel a bit bored 

or restless and grab a snack. But 

chances are, you’re not going for 

a banana – usually, it’ll be 

something unhealthy. 

The calories you consume rev 

up your metabolism and raise 

your body temperature, 

interfering with your REM 

cycles and the sleep you really 

need to keep your body working 

well. Late-night snacking has 

also been linked to poor 

memory. 

While you might think one 

biscuit before bed won’t hurt, it 

can cause a knock-on effort. 

very difficult. With my last baby, 

I was in-between jobs and had 

decided to look for a new one 

after I got him fixed with proper 

nursery care. Six months after 

the birth, I started feeling restless 

and depressed. I felt isolated and 

lonely with chattering kids to 

look after. Like any mother, my 

sole role was to meet their needs 

– and this never stopped. I was 

permanently exhausted. I also 

began to feel I’d lost my identity 

which had been very tied up with 

my career. I was desperate to 

get back to work to regain my 

sense of identity and to do 

something that was just for me. 

“To make things completed, 

my husband was working long 

hours as a director in an 

advertising company – a 

stressful job, and I found it very 

very difficult to be supportive 

when he arrived home in the 

evening. All I wanted to do was 

sleep and I had to battle not to 

be grumpy and resentful that 

he’d had such an interesting day. 

As to be expected, my 

unhappiness took its toll on our 

marriage. 

“A lot of tension was taken off 

me when I landed my current job 

and became relevant again in 

the work force. Sadly, our 

marriage didn’t survive the 

stress created by our jobs and we 

separated over three years ago. 

Technically we’re still married. 

I have the children and I’m lucky 

to have reliable helps. The kids 

are all in their teens, so don’t 

need to be corseted all of the time 

– leaving me a lot of freedom to 

excel in my job. We’re all much 

happier now that I’m working, 

even though I’m a single mum, 

it is tough. But it’s the best for 

everyone, children pick up on 

their parents’ moods, and I’m 

much more content now and less 

stressed. My kids know that 

when I’m with them, that time is 

completely theirs, and I find it 

much easier to be totally devoted 

to them as I have time for myself 

at work.” 

From right: Dr Mosuru Tijani, Deputy Medical Director, Badagry 

General Hosiptal, Lions Lynda Oluremi Odunbamku, Disrtict 

Governor, Lions Clubs International 404B1, Lions Omolola 

Anobili, Multipupose Council Chairperson, and Dr Banji Olaitan, 

Consultant Ophtlalonlogyt receving key, during the Handover 

ceremony of Eye Cares Clinic, Diabetes Screening and Dialysis 

Center, by the club at the Badagry General Hosiptal,held recently 

in Badagry. 

From Left: Augustin Oyagha, Acting Managing Director; 

Osahon Idemudia, Chairman, and Vivian Eriokpa, company 

secretary, all of Global Spectrum Energy Services Plc , at the 

14th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos.

C 

M 

Y 

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021—27


Multi-award winning British actor 

and producer, David Oyetokunbo 

Oyelowo (OBE) has revealed how 

thrilled and proud he is about the spate at 

which the production value and quality of 

Nigerian art have greatly increased and is 

taking the world by storm. 

According to the proud father of four 

children, there is currently an explosion of 

the Nigerian arts and culture, many thanks 

to the various digital platforms that aid 

distribution across the planet and it’s a 

phenomenon he is glad to experience. 

Oyelowo, a Nigerian prince from the Awe 

kingdom, was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, 

England, to Nigerian parents. His father is 

from Oyo State, Western Nigeria while his 

mother is from Edo State, Southern 

Nigeria. He grew up in Tooting Bec, South 

London until he was six when his family 

moved to Lagos, Nigeria, where his father 

Stephen worked for the national airline and 

his mother for a railway company. David 

attended Lagos State Model College, 

Meiran while growing up in Lagos, until 

his family returned to London when he was 

fourteen and settled in Islington. 

Oyelowo holds dual British and American 

citizenship and was awarded Officer of the 

Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 

2016 New Year Honours for services to 

drama. His accolades include a Critics’ 

Choice Award, two Golden Globe Award 

nominations, and two Primetime Emmy 

Award nominations. 

He rose to prominence for portraying 

Martin Luther King Jr. in the biographical 

drama film Selma (2014) and Peter 

Snowdin in the HBO film Nightingale 

(2014), both of which garnered him critical 

acclaim. He was also commended for his 

roles as Louis Gaines in The Butler (2013), 

which earned him a Screen Actors Guild 

Award nomination, and Robert Katende in 

Queen of Katwe (2016). His Yoruba Saxon 

company recently signed a first-look deal 

with Disney. 

In this exclusive interview with NollyNow, 

Oyelowo discusses his character in the 

movie, The Water Man where he made his 

directorial debut as well as issues that 

border on parenting, the immigration of 

Nigerians to Western countries, and the 

positive impression Nigerian art currently 

has on global audiences. 

W h a t 

inspired 

T h e 

Water 

Man? 

The 

Nigerian movies, 

fashion, music taking 

the world by storm 

— British actor, David Oyelowo 

By TOLULOPE ABEREOJE 

genre of the film, The Water Man is the kind 

of movie I grew up loving as a kid, The 

Goonies for example, and now that I am a 

father of four, I ask myself why I’m not in 

one of these kinds of films being made. So 

when The Woodsman came along as a script, 

it seemed like an opportunity to do that with 

a black family at its centre. You know the 

Woodsman was produced in Britain, that 

way it was centred around a white family 

and having watched those films growing up, 

and not seeing people who looked like us 

represented in those films, this felt like an 

opportunity to change that, and that’s one 

of the reasons I wanted to see it come to 

fruition. 

Let’s talk about one of the central 

characters, Gunner. Would you say you 

were Gunner growing up? 

Yes, I identify with Gunner because I 

loved my parents deeply, they’ve passed 

away now but definitely at that age, I 

would do anything for my mom or 

my dad because they were my heroes. 

They were amazing parents. My 

mom passed away four years ago 

from an illness and I spent every day 

of those three to four years she was 

struggling with the illness trying to 

help her get better. So yes, I identify 

with the character of Gunner, both as a 

child and now as an adult. I also identify 

with the character I played in the film, Amos, 

Gunner’s father, who is navigating his wife’s 

illness and trying to connect with his son. 

So, there are so many things about the story 

that resonated with me as a man, as a child, 

and as a father. 

Until in recent years, a lot of African 

children did not have the freedom of choice 

and expression, their lives were planned 

out by their parents. Do you think this is a 

universal phenomenon? 

Absolutely! I grew up in a Nigerian 

household and I had very loving parents but 

they didn’t understand me as an artist. My 

parents had three sons and they wanted a 

doctor, a lawyer and an engineer, a very 

typical Nigerian attitude. Academia is 

everything and anything artistic is not a 

“proper job”, so that was the attitude. 

However, this didn’t mean they didn’t 

love me, they just wanted the best for 

Holmes launches 

out with debut EP 

Umughare Aghogho 

Prosper popularly 

known as Holmes, 

has expressed 

confidence that his 

first body of work 

t i t l e d , 

‘HolmesSzn’, a fusion 

of different genres of 

music will launch him into the 

mainstream music world. 

The body of work follows a 

series of singles the singer put 

together, while the COVID-19 

lock down lasted in 2020. 

Under the supervision of his 

D’luxe Management team, 

Holmes’s 8-tracker EP is self- 

me, and in many ways, that’s also reflected 

in the characters of both Gunner and Amos. 

Amos is more of a man’s man, he’s been in 

the navy, he doesn’t really understand his 

artistic kid who’s always drawing graphic 

novels and is always in his imagination. 

Through the course of the film, they come 

to appreciate each other - Gunner 

appreciates his father’s love because he 

came to save him and Amos appreciates 

his son’s artistic, imaginative tendencies. I 

think across cultural lines, this notion of 

what you aspire for your kids to be as 

opposed to who they are and how 

celebrating them for who they are is the 

thing to do is a fairly universal thing when 

it comes to parents across the world. 

The quality of the production of The 

Water Man is very impressive. How do 

you think the Nigerian movie industry can 

up the ante in this regard? 

titled ‘HolmesSzn.’ He collaborated 

with the likes Davido in ‘Love’, Ice 

Prince in ‘Money’ and DJ Neptune 

in”Finally.’ 

New solo infusions in the Afrofusion-themed 

EP include ‘Tension’ 

, ‘Tip’, ‘Amina’, ‘Body’, and ‘Gidi 

Girls.’ 

Starting from July 1, the HolmesSzn 

EP was made available across all 

digital streaming platforms. 

The Addictive Music Worldwide 

artiste has closed ranks with the 

D’luxe Management team to serve 

his growing fan base with an eclectic 

body of work that will wow its 

listeners. 

David Oyetokunbo 

As it pertains to Nigeria and Nollywood, I 

think it’s already happening. I’m seeing a 

real increase in the production value, and 

it’s not just in films. Nigerian fashion, 

music, and literature are blowing up across 

the world and streaming platforms like 

Netflix are huge for exposing the world to 

Nigerian art. Back in the days, the excuse 

was piracy which grossly reduced the profit 

gotten from distributing films in Nigeria 

or Africa, but streaming has changed that 

and I think over the next 5 to 10 years, we’re 

going to see an explosion of the Nigerian 

arts and culture, many thanks to the various 

digital platforms that aid distribution 

across the planet. 

Success stories like yours inspire a lot of 

youths and creatives to immigrate in 

pursuit of “greener pastures”. What would 

your advice be to those who are 

immigrating without a clear vision or goal? 

It complicated because you don’t want to 

brain-drain Nigeria, people need to be there 

to build the amazing country we so dearly 

love. I live in Los Angeles and I was born 

and grew up mostly in the UK as well. I 

think part of the immigration story is 

largely based on the notion that the place 

they are headed is better than where they 

are coming from. Sometimes that’s true but 

a lot of times, it’s just that the challenges 

are different which doesn’t necessarily 

mean it’s better. People may look at me and 

the successes I’ve been afforded and think 

that that is something to aspire to and that 

is attainable which isn’t wrong, but at the 

end of the day, it’s hard work. You’re not 

going to get there without working 

incredibly hard and look, there are 

opportunities everywhere across the world. 

What I’ve tried to do is to take the successes 

I’ve had outside Nigeria and hopefully 

make Nigeria proud and for these successes 

to benefit Nigerians and Africans, and that’s 

something I want to continue building. I 

have a leadership scholarship called The 

David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship in 

Nigeria to educate girls who don’t have the 

opportunity for that. I’m going to be making 

more African stories for the global audience. 

I really want to see us thrive in Nigeria, in 

Africa and beyond those borders as well.


Segun Padonou Aina widely known as Segun Arinze is 

definitely a household name in the Nigerian entertainment 

circuit. He started out professionally as a singer after he 

released his debut album,’Dream’, before delving into acting and 

later, voice over. But today, Segun Arinze can’t remember ever trying 

his hand at music which many believed shot him into prominence. 

Recently, he was elected the new president of the Association of Voice 

Over Artistes, AVOA. And as a former National president of the Actors 

Guild of Nigeria, AGN, the versatile actor is poised not only to chart 

a new path for the voice over artistes, but also, to ensure that the 

profession takes its pride of place in the scheme of things in 

the country. He also narrates how veteran broadcaster, 

Sunny Irabor inspired him. 

Excerpts: 

By BENJAMIN NJOKU 

script and said may be, I should give it a 

trial. He said okay, let’s hear you and I 

read the script. He liked the quality of 

my voice and said “I think we should do 

this.” Then he started correcting me, 

telling me what to do and that’s how my 

career started as a voice over artiste. 

There are certain things that are innate 

in you that you need to rediscover. I felt 

that Sunny Irabor found that in me 

and he brought me up and 

polished me . The rest is 

history. Right now, voice 

over is profitable. If you 

decide you want to be 

a voice over artiste 

and you package 

yourself well, it’s 

profitable. 

Before now, the Association of Voice 

Over Artistes, AVOA, had not been 

vibrant as other associations and guilds 

in Nollywood. Why was it so? 

Voice over has been in existence as 

long as you can remember but whether 

it has been acknowledged in Nollywood 

is a matter for discussion. But voices have 

always been there. May be, because they 

have not been accorded the respect they 

needed. Every voice is important, every 

voice speaks. But some sell. We have a 

saying in AVOA that “every voice speaks 

but we sell.” 

Speaking is an art when you sell 

commercially. There’s a way you sell a 

product, people will forever remember 

how you sold that product. That’s the 

difference. The first President of the 

Association of Voice Over Artistes was 

Isaac Ijeoma, who was on “Second 

Chance’ at a point in time. They were the 

fore-bearers, the ones who started the 

process of registering the association. 

After that, everything has become history. 

For me, I got into voice over many years 

ago, when Sunny Irabor encouraged me 

to embrace the craft. Then, I was working 

with Ajaka Films on ‘the Great Dibia’ 

sound track. That was when he 

encouraged me to become a voice over 

artiste. I took that challenge because he 

felt that I had the voice quality to do voice 

over to sell products, documentaries and 

so on.. He believed in me and I 

reciprocated and the rest is history. Now, 

we say voice is acting. So, it has come to 

stay. 

As the incumbent president of AVOA, 

who has served in different capacities 

in other guilds in Nollywood, what are 

your immediate priorities to move the 

association forward? 

Like I said earlier, the association has 

been in existence for many years. May 

be, we have been obscured. What we 

need to do is to inject a new lease of life 

into the association, making sure a lot of 

young stars embrace the craft. That’s my 

main focus now as the president of AVOA. 

We need to train these young stars and 

retrain them. We need to let them know 

that the future belongs to them in terms 

of voice over. We are not only talking 

about selling products, but we are also 

talking about voice actors. This is 

because we have animations, 

commercials, documentaries as well as 

infomercials. All these things need to be 

voiced. We need to instill a sense of 

confidence into these up and coming 

voice over talents. And you find many of 

them in radio stations and TV stations. 

You can find them everywhere. You really 

cannot do without voice over artistes. This 

is because you need the voice over artiste 

to pass your message across to the 

grassroots, to the high class, low class or 

middle class. There’s always a need for 

you to get a voice over artiste to do 

something for you. So, it’s important that 

you must get a voice over artiste to pass 

your message to your target audience. 

My focus will be on the youth. My policy 

will be youth-driven, ‘catch them young.’ 

And for those of them who are coming 

into the industry and they are making 

inroads , we will 

train and retrain 

them as well as 

guide and give 

them a platform to 

e x p r e s s 

themselves. It’s 

so important that 

we must help 

these up and 

coming talents to 

achieve their 

dreams. For 

instance, you 

want to 

make a 

Why I dumped music 

for acting, voice over 

——Segun Arinze 

•Recounts how Sunny Irabor groomed him 

call and a voice tells you that you can’t 

make this call because you have 

insufficient credit. That’s voice over 

artiste. We are very important in the 

scheme of things. The onus lies on us to 

chart a new path, and that’s what I am 

here to do; to chart a new path for voice 

over artistes. 

Since you ventured into voice over 

business, has it been profitable for you? 

I will not lie to you, it has been 

profitable for me. At a point in time, I was 

paying my children’s school fees with 

proceeds from voice over. It isn’t as if it 

This week's episode of Inside Life 

with Erica follows the star girl as 

she embarked on a trip to Abuja, to 

unwind and reconnect with her friends. 

While in Abuja, Erica hit the gym with 

her friends from the Big Brother house, 

including Praise, Dora and Kiddwaya. 

They embarked on a five-week fitness 

challenge to see who will be the ‘hottest’ 

after the duration. 

This surprisingly didn’t go down well 

with fans as they trolled Erica for 

associating with her ‘enemy’. Venting to 

her longtime friend, Emanuella, Erica said: 

“I had a relationship with Kidd, it didn’t 

work out and we’re back to being friends, 

why can’t everyone just accept that and 

move on? I don’t like the fact that people 

expect me to live in enmity, life is too 

stressful, I can’t add hate to it.” 

Unreasonable expectations from people 

*Segun Arinze 

was rosy at the beginning, but if 

you package yourself very well, 

you will definitely get what you 

want from the industry. Voice over 

is profitable if you plan it very well. 

Perhaps, you didn’t know you have 

what it takes to excel in the voice over 

business until Sunny Irabor discovered 

you? 

It wasn’t as if I didn’t know. It’s just that 

I was in the studio one day when Sunny 

Irabor walked in. That was in 1989 or 

thereabout. He wanted to do voice over 

and brought out a script. I looked at the 

Erica speaks on her redefined 

friendship with Kiddwaya 

isn’t the only thing getting on the star girl’s 

nerve in this week’s episode of MTV Base 

Inside Life with Erica. 

Apparently, there are people using her 

name, face and fan base name without 

permission or any form of partnership with 

her. 

“The people I have problems with are the 

people who don’t want to go through my 

management but want to use my name and 

the name of my fan base to make profits 

for their business. Why didn’t they use 

‘Erica’ or ‘Elites’ two years ago? I’m 

considering trademarking my name” she 

said. 

Amid the stress of being a celebrity, Erica 

made time to visit Almat Farms in Abuja, 

where she conquered her fear for animals 

and rode on a horse for the very first time. 

Justina 

You have 

functioned 

between acting, 

doing voice over 

and singing. How 

have you been able 

to excel in these 

areas? 

Without doubt, 

acting has been 

the pivot of my 

career while voice 

over comes next. I 

had a foray into 

music which at a 

point in time, 

people felt, okay 

he sings but is he 

making the kind 

of music we 

want? I have 

always found 

myself in 

these three 

professions. 

I can 

*Segun Arinze 

always express myself musically, acting 

and voice over. So, at the end of the day, I 

got a stronghold. Acting and voice over 

became my stronghold. Music, well my 

children also sing. I will leave my children 

to do the singing and express themselves 

the way they want to do. Then they will 

know that their dad was once a singer. 

*Erica


President Buhari needs to 

speak to this militia in the 

language its members 

would understand. I have borrowed 

courage from the workaholic 

Sheikh Gumi and identified them 

by their ethnic origin. Unfortunately, 

in these days of political correctness, 

ethnic identification has become 

sinful even if apt, except when 

talking about goodies like Igbo 

presidency and amnesty funds for 

Zamfara bandits. 

The Fulani Militia. These are not 

the everyday bandits. These do not 

kidnap school children in their quest 

to buy new motorcycles and more 

cows. They are not like the Katsina 

and Zamfara breed who love 

government dinners and seek the 

partitioning of sovereignty. They are 

not those in Niger state who would 

like to collect tithes in exchange for 

one-legged peace to a cowed 

population. They are not any of 

those groups whose interest Senior 

man Gumi promotes with all shades 

of blackmail while masquerading 

as an apprentice hostage negotiator. 

This group visits industrial-scale 

violence with righteous indignation 

on ‘offending communities’ in its 

capacity as the appointed protector 

of the vulnerable nomadic Fulani. 

The pattern was described by the 

Ebonyi governor. Before these 

enforcers arrive, the Fulanis in the 

marked communities would get a 

notice and disappear. The police 

seem impotent against these hitand-run 

purveyors of violence who 

live beyond reach in the wilderness. 

Every day, we are told herders don’t 

carry Ak 47s. That way, the 

massacres we have seen in Benue, 

Oyo, Abia, Ebonyi etc., are attributed 

to rogues masquerading as cattle 

herders. The Miyetti Allah washes 

off its hands, denies responsibility 

and comes on television to bruise 

sensibilities. The ordinary herder 

might carry no more than a stick. 

Yet, a task force instituted by a section 

of the Fulani exists to visit 

vengeance on any community 

where Fulani herders have suffered 

real or perceived hostility. This task 

Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest: Arrest leaders of Fulani 

herdsmen, Miyetti Allah, Benue tribal leaders urge FG 

By Peter Duru, Makurdi 

BENUE tribal leaders 

and heads of the three 

main socio-cultural organizations 

in the state, have urged 

the Federal Government to 

deploy the same strategy that 

led to the re-arrest of the leader 

of IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to 

the arrest leaders of Miyetti Allah 

and Fulani herdsmen terrorist 

groups allegedly responsible 

for the wanton killings 

and sacking of communities in 

the state and country. 

The IPOB leader was arrested 

and extradited to Nigeria last 

Sunday after four years in exile. 

The leaders of Mzough U 

Tiv, MUT, Worldwide, Ochetoha 

K’ Idoma and Omi 

Ny’Igede in a statement yesterday 

in Makurdi signed by their 

Chairman and President General 

of MUT, Chief Iorbee 

Ihagh commended the government 

but cautioned that justice 

should be done in the matter 

for the good of the country. 

Part of the statement read: “As 

we commend the Federal Government 

for this feat as part of 

efforts to address insecurity in 

our great country, we wish to 

draw the attention of the government 

to another security 

challenge that portends great 

danger to food and national security 

—the activities of militia 

herdsmen and their sponsors. 

“We wish to place on record 

that in Benue State in particular 

and Nigeria in general, militia 

herdsmen under the guise 

FORMER governor of 

Borno State, Kashim Shettima, 

Friday, said after eight 

years of President Muhammadu 

Buhari’s tenure as president 

of Nigeria, the South 

should be supported to produce 

his successor. 

This came as Chief of Staff 

to President Muhammadu 

Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, 

tasked Nigerians on unity, 

saying there was hope for 

better future under the president. 

Shettima, who said he believed 

in equity, fairness and 

justice, insisted that it was the 

turn of the South to produce 

The rise and rise of the 

Fulani militia 

force, it would appear, has an 

extensive continental jurisdiction. 

From Mali through Nigeria to the 

Central African Republic, right 

across the entire West 

African coast, they are 

not bothered about 

borders. If a Fulani 

cattle herder loses his 

cows to cattle rustlers 

in Ihiala, then Ihiala 

must pay up. 

Otherwise, the task 

force would come 

around, leave for 

Ihiala a lasting lesson. 

It doesn’t matter if the 

herder is from 

Burkina Faso. If cows 

destroy crops in 

Ughelli and the local 

farmers visit their 

anger on the wayward 

cows, an SOS report 

could be sent to the 

task force, and an 

investigation would 

commence. In most 

cases, the punishment 

would be a well-orchestrated 

midnight attack on the ‘offending’ 

community to teach it and others 

never to fool around with the Fulani. 

It is heart-warming we are 

clamping down on ethnic warlords 

and militias. We had left violence to 

mushroom. But we must not create 

a super infection. Many of the 

militias that exist around Taraba, 

Benue, plateau and those forming 

in Oyo, Delta and parts of Igbo land 

o w e 

their 

moral 

legitimacy 

If the government 

doesn’t visit fire and 

brimstone on killer 

herders preventing 

thousands of farmers 

around the country from 

farming in peace, 

militias with horns will 

resurrect, and the 

country’s unity could 

of grazing their cattle, have visited 

mayhem on farmers leading 

to killings and displacement 

of thousands from their 

ancestral homes with farmlands 

no longer accessible. 

“Hundreds have been orphaned 

and wives widowed. 

Peasant farmers who had hitherto 

contributed to making 

Benue Food Basket of the Nation 

can no longer go to their 

farms for fear of being killed. 

The hunger in the land is unimaginable. 

“We are deeply concerned 

and worried that the Federal 

Government has refused to 

look inwards by arresting 

leaders of Miyetti Allah, Kautal 

Hore and other violent 

Fulani groups who openly 

threaten and carry out attacks 

on communities in Benue 

and other states of this 

country without any form of 

resistance. 

“If the same energy expended 

in arresting Nnamdi Kanu 

can’t be applied to arrest ‘terrorists’ 

who are freely walking 

on the streets of Abuja and 

other cities of Nigeria, then it 

is questionable. 

“It is public knowledge 

that President Muhammadu 

Buhari in a recent address alluded 

to the fact that foreign 

herdsmen are living inside 

forests across Nigeria and are 

responsible for the banditry 

and other terrorist activities in 

the country. 

“Incidentally, these people 

have known links that speak 

out when some of the attacks 

are carried out. Unfortunately, 

they have never been invited 

for questioning by security 

agencies. What a fight against 

insecurity. 

“We wish to state unequivocally 

that in Benue State, militia 

herdsmen are 95 percent behind 

insecurity and hunger. They 

threaten attack and claim responsibility 

for the killings. We 

wonder why the Federal Government 

turns a deaf ear to such insolence. 

What a selective justice. 

2023: North must give power to South 

— ex-Borno gov, Shettima 

By Joseph Erunke 

the next president of the country 

Ḣe spoke at a public presentation 

of a book, titled: 

“Standing for the Truth with 

Courage,” written by Prof. 

Emeritus Njidda Mamadu 

Gadzama, the chairman, 

TETfund Research and Development 

Standing Committee. 

“I believe in equity, justice 

and fairness. After power has 

resided in the North for eight 

years, there is need for a power 

shift in the South.” 

The former governor alleged 

that some Nigerians 

use religion and ethnicity to 

brainwash others to achieve 

to the 

existence 

of an 

elusive 

b u t 

deadly 

Fulani 

militia. 

We can’t 

go on 

pretending 

these 

other 

ethnic 

soldiers 

do not 

exist. Or 

that they 

would 

vanish 

once we 

disarmed those that are not 

nomadic. As we seek to extirpate 

mob rule and militias, we cannot 

maintain either willful ignorance of 

or deliberate impotence against the 

ubiquitous Fulani militia. The 

justification for this unlawful 

approach is deterrence. But the 

their goals, saying the problem 

of the country is not religion 

and ethnicity as being 

claimed in some quarters. 

The politician flayed the 

secessionist agitations going 

on in some parts of the country, 

saying what the country 

needed was unity among its 

various diverse groups. 

According to him, those 

canvassing for division on the 

basis of marginalisation were 

doing so with intentions to 

marginalize minority groups 

that falls within their territories 

if they succeed, asking 

people not to fall to their antics 

by throwing support to 

them. 

consequences have been massacres 

and antipathy against the nomadic 

Fulani across the country. 

In many parts of Delta, Oyo, 

Benue and Isikuwato in Abia, 

farmers cannot go to their farms. The 

apparent invincibility of the Fulani 

militia, bestowed on it by the 

government’s lack of interest in 

combing the forests, has 

emboldened criminal elements 

amongst the everyday herders to 

torment host communities with 

impunity. 

A super infection is caused by the 

disturbance of the equilibrium that 

exists amongst microorganisms. A 

man has an infection. He employs a 

huge cudgel in a broad-spectrum 

antibiotic and wipes out many 

relatively benign microorganisms in 

an attempt to curb his infection. In 

leaving out a particular 

microorganism while taking out 

others, the microorganism 

proliferates, unchecked by 

competition, to occupy the space left 

by the broad brush therapy. Once 

that strain reaches a critical 

population, it begins to cause its own 

kind of infection. In treating one 

infection, an organism that would 

have been kept in check by other 

organisms is allowed to proliferate 

and institute perhaps a worse 

infection. If we can’t disarm all 

competing militias, it would be 

dangerous and counter-productive 

to disarm some and leave some. 

The Fulani militia must be 

caged. 

I have made no attempt to suggest 

that all the evils in the forests are 

perpetrated by the Fulani. It would 

be incorrect to blame the criminality 

of every bunch of bandits on an 

ethnic group. But when a group 

establishes a self-help unit to 

perform the duties of the police and 

military on its behalf, then that 

group can be identified by its 

dominant trait and must take 

responsibility for the outcomes of 

that intervention. When such a unit 

takes recourse to guns and blood 

baths to mediate conflicts, then that 

group must recreate that culture or 

assume full ownership of such 

barbarism. 

The government has a sacred duty 

to perform in inter-ethnic conflicts 

that occasion sporadic massacres. 

It must come with good faith, and it 

must be seen to be neutral, fair, and 

impartial. It must seek to retain the 

confidence of all sides. It must give 

objective reasons for its actions. It 

must be transparent. It cannot side 

with parochialism. It cannot 

embolden one side by inaction or 

taciturnity. It must call every spade 

a spade. It must speak to all sides 

audibly in the language all can 

understand. But when the 

government pampers a sacred cow 

called Gumi, who routinely justifies 

and promotes Fulani banditry while 

demonizing gallant Christian 

soldiers, the government reeks of 

prejudice. 

If the Fulani militia is not 

dismantled and the reprisals against 

host communities around the 

country persist, the government’s 

efforts to eradicate gangsterism 

would collapse disastrously. If the 

government doesn’t visit fire and 

brimstone on killer herders 

preventing thousands of farmers 

around the country from farming 

in peace, militias with horns will 

resurrect, and the country’s unity 

could tumble down a slope. 

All militias and bandits must be 

intercepted and dismantled at the 

same time. 

We’re always ready to impact lives 

— Salvation Army 

By Olayinka Latona 

NATIONAL Leader of Salvation Army, Colonel Victor Leslie 

has said that the Church did not only preach the gospel but also 

impacted humanity which it had been doing faithfully. 

At a fund raising dinner held in Lagos by its South West zone 

ahead of the church’s celebration of 100 years in soul winning, 

evangelism and giving succour to the less privileged in Nigerian, 

Colonel Victor described 100 years of Salvation Army in 

Nigeria as a ‘journey of faith, compassion and love’ noting that 

the ministry has demonstrated its Christian faith and beliefs 

through practical concern for the social well-being of all mankind 

without discrimination. 

According to him, “Our mission is to impact the lives of people 

and make a difference. Despite all challenges that life throws 

at us, the Army is always ready to confront and tackle such 

issues and with God by our sides, we conquer”. 

Commending the good work of the church, former deputy 

governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ebi, who is the 

chairman of the event urged Nigerians to take a cue from the 

church by showing love to one another, eschew bigotry, ethnic 

rivalry and pray for the country to realise her potentials. 

“Nigerians should imbibe the culture of being our brothers 

and sisters’ keeper. We should support one another, have compassion 

for ourselves as this is the only way we can move our 

country forward and develop”, he said. 

Awards of excellence were given to some distinguished persons 

including a corporate organisation in recognition of their 

selfless humanitarian services to the society.

Experts task youths on identifying and 

taking advantage of opportunities 

Stories by Moses Nosike 

At the monthly 

empowerment 

programme of Higher 

Impact Club International, an 

arm of Isaiah Wealth Ministries, 

experts who spoke during the 

capacity building event had 

called on Nigerian young people 

and others that despite the effect 

of COVID-19 pandemic on global 

economies there are still business 

opportunities to identify and at 

the same time take the advantage. 

Keynote speaker, Professor 

Christopher Imumolen, the 

Managing Director of JPTS 

Institute, the founder of Global 

Wealth and Global Wealth 

University and the President, 

Onshore, Offshore Oil and Gas 

Professionals in Nigeria, while 

charting with newsmen after his 

speech said that we are living in a 

world where many businesses had 

suffered as a result of the 

pandemic, and this is the right 

time to let people know that even 

with the global economic 

situations, there is still viable 

businesses that are springing up. 

“For the first time, we have 

billionaires of the world who now 

rate close to $200b. It had not 

happened before, except in the 

Bible where we talk about people 

like King Solomon. It means that 

even with the global economic 

realities we still have 

entrepreneurs who are taking 

advantage of the recession to 

make wealth. Today, we have been 

able to discuss exclusively on 

business opportunities that are 

still abiding and how people can 

actually take advantage of it”. 

According to him, there are 

It is no doubt in history that 

Nigeria gave birth to a man 

whose name will not be erased in 

the list philanthropists who had 

touched lives globally. Late 

Prophet T.B Joshua left 

unforgettable legacy worthy of 

emulation in his 58 yearsof 

pilgrimage on earth. Though 

briefly, he was a man of the people 

with global influence. 

Born on June 12, 1953 in Arigidi, 

Akoko, Ondo state, in the family 

of Pa Kolawole Balogun and 

Madam Folarin Aisha Adesiji 

Balogun, the soft spoken prophet, 

the founder of Synagogue Church 

of All Nations, a man with the 

heart of flesh, through his ministry 

on earth had travelled to many 

countries of the world before he 

bowed out on June 5, 2021. 

Before his death, he had 

contributed socially, 

economically, developmentally 

both home and abroad in course 

of carrying out his ministry here. 

The environment became tourism 

attraction as foreign countries 

troop into Nigeria. Through his 

ministry many families were 

delivered from poverty and 

penury. Many widows and 

widowers refused to be consoled 

over his death having created a 

big vacuum. 

His key charitable works: 

Information available from the 

church authority revealed that in 

2010, in response to the Haiti 

earthquake, T.B. Joshua chartered 

two cargo planes with relief 

materials and sent a team of 

doctors, nurses, engineers and 

workers and established a field 

hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti 

called “Clinique Emmanuel”. In 

L-R Elizabeth Esang; Member (HIC), Former President (HIC) Dr 

Innocent Ekeleme, President Higher Impact Club (HIC) Mr. 

Salvation Alibor, Guest Speaker, Dr Chris Imumolen, Presiding 

Pastor Gospel Pillars Church, Ikeja, Apostle Abrich Agbi, Mrs 

Onyekachi Salvation, Member (HIC) and Dr Emmanuel Ediale, 

during the Higher Impact Club Zoom meeting held in Lagos 

opportunities in the agric sector 

where people can tap into, 

knowing that food and feeding are 

basic necessity of life, and some 

great men have been able to build 

their business tenacity on human 

necessity, which feeding is one of 

it. “So, human beings will 

continue to eat as long as we exist. 

Then if we are going to look at 

agriculture, we can build an 

opportunity around that area”. 

Continuing, Professor 

Imumolen also pointed out other 

areas of business opportunities 

like e-commerce. He said that in 

today’s world, there are new 

business realities and 

opportunities. “For instance e- 

commerce, which the whole world 

is heading into. The second richest 

man on earth is into e-commerce, 

buying and selling. And we have 

the retail businesses, even right 

here in Ikeja you can spot many 

retail shops. Nigerians are 

beginning to have the culture of 

buying from retail shops than open 

market because they now believe 

they can buy original from retail 

shops, do a refund, and with other 

benefit from there - like home 

delivery after purchase. So the 

industry of retail businesses is 

expanding. He also mentioned e- 

letters as another area of 

opportunity and people need to 

follow up to all this. 

In addition, President, Higher 

Impact Club International, Engr. 

Salvation Alibor said, “Like we 

earlier said, it is not sufficient to 

read more on 

www.vanguardngr.com 

A great philanthropist, prophet T.B 

Joshua leaves a vacuum 

L-r… Deputy Chairman Security Committee SCOAN, Col Andy Aniboh, 

member press and media committee,Dr Gary Tonge, Barrister Ayodeji 

Olabinwonnu and Public Health Physician , Dr (Mrs. )Ugochi Aluka, 

during a press Conference on the laying .to rest service founder of 

synagogue church of All Nations Prophet TB Joshua held in Lagos 

2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated 

the Philippines. T.B. Joshua sent 

aid to Leyte Island. In 2014, 

USD100,000 donation was 

provided to the National 

Metropolitan Police Force in 

Colombia, and in the same year, 

USD50,000 was given to Ebola 

victims in Sierra Leone. In 2015, 

victims of severe flooding and fire 

in Accra, Ghana received 

USD40,000, food and essential 

supplies. In 2016, a cargo plane 

was chartered to carry 20 tonnes 

of relief aid to the victims of the 

earthquake in Ecuador. 

Earthquake disaster relief 

provided in Mexico (2017) and 

Albania (2019). In 2020, provided 

COVID relief aid totaling an 

amount of hundreds of thousands 

of dollars to numerous people 

around the world who suffered 

from the economic fallout of the 

lockdowns including a 30million 

Naira donation to the Lagos State 

Government for COVID relief, 

while in 10 million Naira donated 

to IDP camp, Abuja to support 

Boko Haram displaced persons in 

Nigeria. USD150,000 donated for 

the restoration of the Parish 

Church of Bethlehem. The above 

mentioned were few among 

numerous services to humanity T.B 

Joshua rendered before he went to 

answer his creator. It is not his 

fault, if he had lived further, he 

would have done more service to 

humanity. For the Bible asked, 

What is your life? It’s even a vapor 

that appears for a little time and 

then vanishes away. His 

Emmanuel TV launched in March 


Pi Sairtel unlimited internet 

broadband targets grassroots 

areas 

For some areas like the northeast and others where the citizens need 

internet services to remain compliant and run business but with 

network challenges, the management of Pi Sairtel during the unveiling of 

its unlimited internet Broadband, said they will leverage on their years of 

experience and professionalism as Internet Service Provider to tackle 

most of those challenges. 

The management assured its customers of truly unlimited internet access 

across Nigeria and beyond. They also revealed their preparedness to extend 

effective service delivery to the insurgent ravaged northern parts of Nigeria. 

Charting with journalist in Lagos during the launch of the unlimited 

internet broadband, Acting Managing Director, Engr. Salvation Alibor, 

said that the company will be providing hassle-free Satellite 

Communications services with best footprints across Nigeria and West 

Africa. 

He also stressed that the company will not fail their customers. “We also 

offer the best support as an ISP in Nigeria so you can never have a minute 

downtown; else we will pay for it”. 

Mr Elibor said that with the philosophy of internet broadband wherever 

and whenever, as internet providers we will ensure truly unlimited internet 

service in offices, homes and anywhere since everywhere has become a 

work place. “Sairtel is supported by the best Satellite propelled equipment 

to ensure unrestricted internet access. 

According to him, Sairtel will embark on empowerment of the people 

through training on installation services, providing them with kits. Other 

forms of empowerment, the IT savvy professional said the management 

will also engage some people to take up the sales angle of the business, 

while some others will be involved as service partners, what people call 

distributors. 

Alibor stressed that internet has become a source of life “As a great 

enabler, Internet has become life, not just for Nigeria, but the entire African 

continent with the privilege to compete with other parts of the world on the 

same plane. With virtually everything carried out on the internet; whether 

business, business promotion, search for job, admission, research, internet 

has the answer, people also find partners and arrange dates online. Anything 

you cannot do in your locality, you overcome it with the help of the internet.” 

read more on www.vanguardngr.com 

Firm unveils Chivita with meals 

campaign 

Nigeria’s leading fruit juice brand, Chivita, has launched a new 

communication campaign tagged: “Chivita with Meals”. The 

campaign is designed to inspire consumers to continue enjoying the 

quality nourishment Chivita juices provide, and to associate it with 

everyday meal moments through consumption of the juice with their 

meals in-home or out of home. 

The Chivita with Meals campaign therefore aligns with the popular 

trend amongst Nigerians who enhance their everyday dining 

experiences by complementing great tasting meals with nourishing 

beverages. 

Complementing the fruit juices, specifically anyone of the range of 

Chivita 100% healthy variants, with your breakfast meals is a good 

way to kick-start your mornings, as these products are packed with 

essential vitamins and minerals to boost your overall health. 

Deployed across different communication channels including Print, 

Digital, and Out of Home, the Chivita with Meals campaign will be 

executed in different cities and regions across the country. The visually 

stimulating images showing different, familiar meals which appeal 

and connect with the culture, traditions and ethnicity of the diverse 

Nigerian population. 

According to Brand Manager, Mr. Oladapo Olanrewaju, “we 

developed our exciting communication in response to consumer 

feedback that tells us these 2 flavours are consumer favourites for 

pairing with meals, which gives them that great, pleasurable meal 

experience every day.” 

Chivita 100%, Chivita Active, Chi Exotic, Happy Hour by Chivita, 

and Chivita Ice Tea – are the number one choice of fruit juices for 

Nigerian consumers. Not only are the juices great tasting fruit juice 

beverages, they are also a daily source of nourishment, rejuvenation 

and refreshment, to individuals and Nigerian families. 

Speaking on the newly launched campaign, CHI Limited Marketing 

Director, Mrs. Toyin Nnodi, said that the Chivita With Meals campaign 

aims to reinforce the fact that the juice is the perfect fruit juice 

complement for your daily meals.” 

(L-R): Dr. Omolaja Odunuga, Country Medical Director, 

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Plc; Dr Okhuaihesyi 

Uyilawa, President, Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD); 

Afolake Salau, Personal Assistant-Managing Director, 

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Nigeria Plc at GlaxoSmithKline's 

Donation of COVID- 19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to Nigeria 

Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Lagos. 

2006, through which The 

SCOAN’s services are broadcast 

live is a feat he achieved. 

However, SCOAN has planned 

a week-long programme from 

July 5 to July 11, 2021 for his 

laying-to-rest activities tagged, 

‘Celebrating The Life And Legacy 

of Prophet T.B Joshua. 

Dr. Cary Tonge, (UK) a member 

of press and media committee of 

the church, Col. Aniboh Andy, 

Barr. Deji Olabinwonnu and Dr. 

Aluka Ugochi told the media in a 

press briefing how every plan for 

his buffeting burial has been 

concluded.



A governor 

and his wife 

Iimagine that because of the larger 

than life garb with which the 

populace adorn men at the pinnacle 

of power, many people seem to forget that 

these men in power are human too, and 

are assailed by the same frailties that 

afflict the downtrodden. Today, I am 

impelled to recall a profoundly 

fascinating experience that might just be 

instructive for intercession in marital 

affairs. A story I hope will appear 

someday in my memoir. 

It happened in the mid-90s. The military 

was in government and the authoritarian 

psychosis at the corridors of power was 

at a paralyzing frenzy. The sheer sight of 

a military governor in his starched 

sparkling uniform, stone-faced and 

unblinking, could cripple the faint of 

heart. I was at the time a protocol officer 

at the State Liaison Office, located then 

in Ijora, Lagos. Indeed the martial rule 

was so draconian that one of the military 

governors whose convoy I had taken 

through a rough path ordered his ADC to 

subject me to a tortuous frog jump, which 

I did for about thirty minutes before I was 

rescued by the pleas of his daughter. But 

that is a story for another day. 

So, on this other day in question, we were 

at the office when we got a call from the 

stewards at the governor’s official lodge 

in Victoria Island that the governor’s wife 

had arrived at the place. We were shocked, 

unprepared and nervous. What could have 

precipitated her sudden visit! Ordinarily, 

we would be informed before the visit of 

any top dignitary from Asaba, being that 

the lodge was under the supervision and 

ownership of the liaison office, and it was 

our duty to ensure it was fully functional 

for VIP accommodation. 

In this confusion, my immediate boss, 

while preparing for us to dash off to the 

lodge to welcome the governor’s wife, 

instructed me to quickly put a call across 

to Asaba to confirm if there was a 

ceremony in Lagos she had come to attend 

or whatever it was that would require the 

liaison office to provide her with the full 

requisites of the assignment. 

I made the call and, behold, we were 

mortified by the details of what had 

transpired. It happened that this 

particular military administrator had had 

a bitter quarrel with his wife which 

practically degenerated 

to fisticuffs, consequent 

upon which the wife 

packed her belongings 

and left Asaba in a 

convoy of government 

vehicles. But, guess what! 

We were in for a greater 

shocker. Less than a 

minute after I had spoken 

with our contacts in 

Asaba, the military 

governor himself called 

my boss. All I could hear 

my boss say over the 

phone was, “Yes, sir. Yes, 

sir. Okay, sir. I will do that 

right away sir. ” 

When the conversation 

ended and my boss 

turned to me, his face 

contorted in anguish 

The military was 

in government 

and the 

authoritarian 

psychosis at the 

corridors of 

power was at a 

paralyzing frenzy 

and, walking away with unsteady steps, 

he said in a barely audible tone, “This is 

serious. Mr Nwaka, come with me.” 

So, I trudged behind my boss, worried 

about what he had discussed with the 

military governor that made him so 

discomfited and panicky. Usually, I 

wouldn’t ask to know the details of a 

conversation my boss had had with a 

governor. I mean, that would be utterly 

discourteous; quite against the ethical 

traditions of our civil service training. 

But the urgency of the hour and 

strangeness of the climate called for 

extraordinary determination. So, I 

walked up to my boss and asked, “What 

did the governor say, sir?” 

My boss did not respond. He paced 

ahead in alarming silence. He had 

reached his vehicle and was about to call 

for his driver when he stopped, 

looked me in the eye and said, 

“The governor has instructed 

that we immediately go and 

evict his wife from the lodge 

and retrieve all the 

government vehicles in her 

possession.” 

My heart skipped. 

My boss too was now 

literally quivering. The orders 

of a military governor were 

not to be trifled with. Civil 

servants who inadvertently 

infringed upon the 

commandments of military 

officers (even officers on the 

lower rungs of leadership) 

were either suspended or, 

sometimes, outrightly 

dismissed from service. Let 

alone an order expressly 

coming from the military governor 

himself. 

We needed to act fast. We quickly 

hopped into the official car of my boss. I 

sat in the front seat, he behind. And the 

driver sped off to Victoria Island. 

The notorious Lagos traffic was 

merciful on this day. We arrived at the 

lodge in time. But the hostile faces of the 

security officers at the gate, who had come 

with her from Asaba indicated that indeed 

all was not well. 

My boss’s eyes roamed worriedly across 

the premises. “Mr Nwaka, go and tell 

them to unlock the gate,” he said in a 

shaky voice. 

“Arhh! Sir, na you be the oga o! You’re 

the one to approach them, sir,” I said. 

He hesitated for a while. Then he 

stepped out of the car and met the security 

team and we were let in. The steward 

ushered us into the living room. But we 

had barely stepped past the door before 

we beheld the furious and raucous voice 

of the governor’s wife bellowing from the 

inner chambers of the house. She was 

apparently on a phone conversation and 

the venom from her outburst was beyond 

description. 

But we had a mission to accomplish. We 

had to do our job. I tried to steel my nerves 

and cast another furtive glance at my 

boss. It seemed to me that he looked more 

unsettled than he had been when we 

arrived. I wondered what could be going 

on in his mind. He turned to the steward 

and asked him to inform the governor’s 

wife that we had a message for her. The 

steward stared at us with such frightful 

eyes as though we had sent him to the lion’s 

den. It took a repeat of the request before 

the steward moved in wobbly steps to 

notify her. 

Shortly the governor’s wife stormed into 

the living room. We immediately rose to 

offer our compliments. She didn’t 

respond to our greetings. She stood a few 

meters away and fixed a murderous gaze 

at us. 

“Yes! What message have you got for 

me?” She asked snappily. Her eyes blazed 

with outrage; vicious and vengeful. 

I threw another glare at my boss. He 

cleared his throat, looked at me and 

turned to her, “No, mummy! Nothing 

serious ma. Just to welcome you and 

ensure you are comfortable. Pls, let us 

know if there is anything you need us to 

do for you. I hope you had a smooth 

journey from Asaba. You’re welcome, 

ma,” my boss said, with a forced smile 

flickering on his face. 

What! I couldn’t believe the words 

coming from my boss. What happened? 

Why the sudden volte-face? My thoughts 

rumbled. 

The governor’s wife muffled some 

words of appreciation and swiftly 

returned to her room. I stared at my boss 

in bewilderment, transfixed to the spot. 

He came to me, tapped on my shoulder 

and said, “Nwaka, make we dey go.” 

We had got in our car and driven out of 

the lodge before I regained myself, and 

asked my boss why the sudden change of 

plans. 

And he replied, “Did you not see the 

ferocious countenance of that woman? 

What did you expect me to say to a woman 

in such a mood?” 

“So, what are we going to tell the 

governor?” I asked, worriedly. 

My boss was silent. He pursed his lips 

and tapped his hand on the seat. “Let him 

do whatever he wants to do,” he said with 

an adamant note of finality. 

Days after the incident we lived in 

agonizing expectation of the hammer 

from Asaba. In fact, we had begun to pack 

our belongings for three possible 

scenarios. One, a reposting out of Lagos 

back to Asaba. Two, suspension from 

office or, three, instant dismissal from 

service. 

But, guess what? Up till months later 

when the military governor was eventually 

redeployed out of Delta State he never 

mentioned or raised the issue again with 

us. How he finally reconciled with his 

wife, we knew not. Such was my 

experience with a governor and his wife. 

God bless you. 

Tony Felix Nwaka is former 

Commissioner for Education, Delta 

State and author of ‘Mountain of 

Yesterday.’

34 — SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021 

Why would I be lying when I 

need people to help me? I can’t 

begin to cause confusion when 

I actually need sympathy and 

help from people 

I still need 

•Dare 

help – Siasia 

•Siasia 

.Says ys I’m not t a liar 

.Insists, ts, I have e no problem with the minister 

er 

Contrary to widespread 

media reports, embattled 

former coach of the 

national U23 Olympic Eagles, 

Samson Siasia has said that he 

has no problem with the 

Minister of Sports, Mr Sunday 

Dare. 

Early in the week, the Minister 

and former Nigeria 

international made the 

headlines for all the wrong 

reasons. 

Siasia whose life ban from all 

football-related activities by 

FIFA was upturned by the Court 

of Arbitration for Sports, CAS, 

lamented that he was 

abandoned by the federal 

government, when he needed 

help most. The Minister, in 

reaction called the former 

Olympic Eagles coach a liar. 

A statement by the minister’s 

media aide, John Joshua Akanji 

insisted that the ministry did not 

abandon Mr Siasia as the 

former Eagles player claimed. 

He outlined efforts made by Mr 

Dare to raise money for Siasia 

to prosecute his case at the CAS. 

“The ministry, through the 

Minister, was able to raise the 

money which Siasia personally 

collected while he was also 

connected to persons and 

entities who raised money to 

assist him in appealing his case 

at the Court of Arbitration for 

Sports (CAS)”. 

Continuing, Akanji insisted, 

“The minister stayed on top of 

the case by pulling all strings to 

assist Siasia,” adding that “in 

addition to the governors of Edo, 

Delta and Lagos, he (Dare) 

made an appeal to Governor 

Kayode Fayemi who is the 

chairman of the Nigerian 

Governors’ Forum and Ekiti 

state governor.” 

When contacted, Siasia said, 

“With due respect to the 

minister and his office, since I 

met him, he has been very nice 

to me.” 

Siasia said, as a person, he has 

no problem with the minister. 

“Why would I have a problem 

with him?” he asked. Adding 

“he has tried his best to help me, 

that is what I am saying. But the 

position I maintain is that the 

Federal Government of Nigeria 

did not back me when I needed 

help most.” 

Siasia insisted, “I am not a 

liar.” 

He recalled the Minister’s 

role in his fund raising drive 

before the appeal was heard by 

the Court of Arbitration for 

Sports. “If I can remember, the 

ban came a week or so, before 

or after he(the minister) was 

appointed. I had a chance of 

meeting with him and I told 

him about my case and that I 

would need help. He said, ‘you 

can see that we just got into 

office, we don’t have money 

now,’ but promised he would try 

and see what he could do to 

help. I even wrote a letter to that 

effect to his office.” 

Siasia continued, “so he 

started talking to some of his 

colleagues, maybe during NEC 

meetings and all that. The only 

people that responded were 

Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos 

State who gave me $5,000 and 

the Deputy Governor of Edo 

State, Honourable Phillip 

Shaibu who gave $10,000. 

Those were the only people that 

he spoke to on my behalf that 

gave me money.” 

The former Super Eagles 

striker expressed gratitude to 

the minister for sparing time 

from his tight schedule to source 

help for him and said those two 

were the only donations he got 

through the minister’s effort. 

“As for Sadiq Umar, the 

minister cannot claim he knows 

Sadiq more than me, I trained 

that boy, he was in the Olympic 

team with me. So I don’t know 

how he knew Sadiq even gave 

me money. Sadiq didn’t give 

me $5,000(Five Thousand 

Dollars) as is being claimed, he 

gave me N1 million(One 

Million Naira)” 

Siasia who led the Dream 

Team to two Olympic 

medals(silver and bronze) in 

Sidney 2000 and Rio 2016 said 

he did not understand why the 

Minister was so enraged to the 

extent of calling him a liar. “so I 

don’t understand which stand 

point the minister is coming 

from. I only said, the 

government did not assist me, 

when I was in trouble with FIFA. 

I believe he is taking this fight 

now like his own fight because 

he is the one representing the 

government. That is the way I 

look at it. But I don’t lie. That is 

not fair to me, calling me a liar.” 

He asked, “why would I be 

lying when I need people to 

help me? I can’t begin to cause 

confusion when I actually need 

sympathy and help from 

people. If I said anything in an 

interview that he disagreed 

Of course, I am 

disappointed. Do 

I have the muscle 

to fight FIFA? 

From the Nigeria 

Football Federation 

and the Ministry 

of Sports 

who have all the 

time and access 

to the President, I 

am disappointed 

Nigeria take on Mexico in a 

friendly encounter organised 

to expose players from the 

Nigeria Professional Football 

League. 

Both teams will be meeting for 

the sixth time ever with four of 

their previous encounters ending 

on a no winner, no vanquished 

note. 

The only win in the series 

belongs to El Tri, who defeated 

Nigeria 2-1 in a US Gold Cup 

fixture in Texas. 

This game is part of the Super 

Eagles’ preparations for their 

World Cup qualifying campaign 

which commences in September. 

The international friendly has 

been scheduled for 04:00 (West 

African TIme) on Sunday, July 4. 

The Nigerian contingent arrived 

in Los Angeles, United States of 

America for today’s international 

friendly match taking place at the 

imposing Los Angeles Memorial 

Coliseum, simply known as LA 

Coliseum. 

Organizers expect a full house 

at the 77,500- capacity LA 

Coliseum at Saturday’s match, 

which would make it the mostattended 

game globally since the 

restrictions that followed the 

coronavirus pandemic which 

broke out last year. 

NFF’s FIFAMatch Agent, Jairo 

Pachon of Eurodata Sport has now 

confirmed that the match will kick 

off at 8pm LA time on Saturday 

(4am in Nigeria on Sunday). It will 

be the sixth confrontation 

between the senior teams of both 

countries, four of which have 

ended in draws. The only win in 

the series has gone to Mexico who 

a US Gold Cup encounter in Dallas 

with, he could have invited me 

to talk, not by going to the public 

and start embarrassing 

ourselves. I have very serious 

issues to worry about, like trying 

to see how to appeal against the 

judgment: they said five years, 

now about two and a half years 

left. What am I going to be doing 

between now and then? How 

am I going to survive? Who is 

going to help me? Those are the 

things I am worried about.” 

What I am saying is that the 

Federal Government of Nigeria 

did not back me.” 

Disappointment and regret 

“Of course, I am disappointed. 

Do I have the muscle to fight 

FIFA? From the Nigeria Football 

Federation and the Ministry of 

Eagles confront Mexico in USA 

•Noble 

(State of Texas) 2-1 on 24th June 

1995. 

Close-fought confrontations 

include a 1-1 draw at the FIFA 

Intercontinental Tournament for 

the King Fahd Cup (now FIFA 

Confederations Cup) in Saudi 

Arabia on 13th January 1995 

(Mexico prevailed 5-4 on 

penalties in the quarter final 

match), and 0-0 draws in friendly 

matches in Houston and Atlanta 

the previous decade. A friendly 

game in Mexico also ended 2-2. 

EAGLES IN AMERICA 

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili 

(Lobi Stars); John Noble (Enyimba 

FC) 

Defenders: Olisa Ndah (Akwa 

United); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia 

Warriors); 

Tope Olusesi (Rangers 

International); Enyinnaya Kazie 

(Rivers United); 

Imoh Obot (Enyimba FC); Tebo 

Franklin Degaulle (Nasarawa 

United); 

Lawal Oriyomi Murtala (Kwara 

United) 

Midfielders: Anthony Shimaga 

(Rangers International); Seth 

Sports who have all the time and 

access to the President, I am 

disappointed. They should have 

taken the plea to the President 

and tell him, this is one of our 

sons and he needs help. The 

President ought to know what is 

going on. I served this country. 

I won two Olympic medals(as 

coach), up till now, no 

handshake; I have trained more 

than 30 players for this country. 

Two Olympic medals and to 

date they have not told me what 

they would do, with all my 

players. Nothing. 

In 1994 we won AFCON in 

Tunisia. That was 27 years ago, 

they just announced they have 

given us houses. We are still 

waiting for the handover of the 

houses. 

•Chicharito 

Mayi (Akwa 

United); Uche Onwuasonaya 

(Plateau United); Ibrahim 

Olawoyin (Rangers 

International); Anayo Iwuala 

(Enyimba FC) 

Forwards: Stephen Jude (Kwara 

United); Charles Ashimene (Akwa 

United); 

Chinonso Ezekwe (Rangers 

International); Auwalu Ali Malam 

(Kano 

Pillars); Neurot Emmanuel 

(Plateau United); Abdulmutalif 

Sanusi 

(Katsina United); Mohammed 

Zulkifilu (Plateau United); 

Sunday Adetunji 

(Rivers United) 

Nigeria vs Mexico Head to 

Head 

13 Jan 1995 Mexico v Nigeria 

W 1-1 F I F A 

Confederations Cup 

14 Oct 2007 Mexico v Nigeria 

D 2-2 International 

Friendly 

31 May 2013 Mexico v 

Nigeria D 2-2 

International Friendly 

05 Mar 2014 Mexico v 

Nigeria D 0-0 

International Friendly

Euro 2020: 

Why the ‘group of death’ 

vanished before 

quarter-finals 

The big guns of Euro 2020, 

France, Germany and Portugal, 

couldn’t make it to the group of 

eight, a reality many football 

fans struggle reckon with. 

Euro 2020 has thrown too 

many surprises in the highly 

charged football tournament 

with three of the top favorites, 

Portugal, France and Germany, 

failing to reach quarter-finals. 

Prior to the tournament, 

which began on June 11, all 

these three big guns were 

considered among the top-five 

most favorite nations for the 

title. Since they contested in 

the same group, it became 

known as “the Group of Death,” 

together with Hungary. 

While France is the last World 

Cup champion, Portugal won 

the last Euro cup. Germany has 

a reputation of being a tough 

competitor with several 

international tournaments 

under its belt. 

Although France, Germany 

and Portugal qualified out of 

the Group of Death, they lost in 

Round 16. 

Now, “the Group of Death” is 

dead as many superstars will 

watch the rest of the Euro 2020 

games from home. 

Here are how the three teams 

fared in Euro 2020. 

Portugal 

Belgium knocked defending 

champions Portugal out of Euro 

2020 with a 1-0 victory in the last 

16 on Sunday. 

The match was the end of the 

road for Cristiano Ronaldo and 

a Portugal team who had 

triumphed in Paris five years 

ago. 

Belgium is considered as 

another favorite national club 

in the tournament. 

Despite having star players, 

Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, 

Joao Felix, Ruben Dias and 

Bernardo Silva, from biggest 

clubs and leagues in Europe, 

including superstar Cristiano 

Ronaldo, Portugal left the 

tournament so early. 

Ronaldo bowed out with five 

goals from four games, and is 

currently the tournament’s top 

scorer. 

•Rudiger 

with the 5-3 shootout score. 

It was Switzerland’s first 

knockout stage victory at a 

tournament since 1938 and the 

first time they have made the 

last eight since the 1954 World 

Cup which they hosted. They 

will next face Spain on Friday 

in St Petersburg. 

“Honestly I am still in shock,” 

said Sommer, who became the 

most capped Swiss keeper with 

65 international appearances. 

The result means France 

coach Didier Deschamps will 

miss out on becoming the first 

man to win World Cup and Euro 

titles both as a player and a 

coach. 

“It is my responsibility and I 

told the players that I assume 

it,” Deschamps, who won the 

2018 World Cup with France, 

said of the shock loss. 

“When France win merit goes 

always to the players. When 

things are less good then it is 

my responsibility. But that’s the 

way sport is. You have to accept 

it even if it hurts.” 

Germany 

Germany is always seen 

among the favorites of major 

international tournaments as it 

reached four times the World 

Cup Championship and three 

times the European 

Championship which makes 

Germans one of the most 

successful national teams in 

•Ronaldo 

•Mbappe 

history. 

England beat Germany 2-0 

on Tuesday to reserve their 

place in the quarterfinals. 

At the 75th minute, England 

broke the deadlock as Sterling 

finished in the area after left 

back Luke Shaw’s low pass, 1- 

0. 

In the 81st minute, German 

forward Thomas Muller was 

one-on-one against Pickford 

after a through ball by Havertz 

but sent the ball wide. 

Five minutes later, England 

doubled the gap as Kane 

scored a header, 2-0. Jack 

Grealish crossed to assist him. 

It was England’s first win over 

a German team in a knockout 

match at a major soccer 

tournament since the 1966 

World Cup final. 

The disappointing loss at 

Wembley sent Germany home. 

Ukraine switched to a threeman 

defence for their extratime 

win over Sweden on 

Tuesday night and they may 

use the system again in Rome. 

That would mean Ruslan 

Malinovskiy having to settle for 

a spot on the bench again after 

coming on after an hour 

Hampden Park. 

The head coach Andriy 

Shevchenko will be hoping that 

Andriy Yarmolenko will recover 

from a knock in time to face 

SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021 — 35 

Czech to continue fairy tale 

run @ Euro 2020 

After springing an upset 

against the Netherlands in 

the last 16, the difficulty level for 

the Czech Republic does not let 

up as they prepare for a quarterfinal 

with Denmark, who trounced 

Wales 4-0 over the weekend. Leftback 

Jan Boril missed the 2-0 win 

over the Netherlands due to a ban, 

but his return should lead to Pavel 

Kaderabek dropping out of the 

starting XI. 

Antonin Barak and Petr Sevcik 

were surprise starters in Budapest 

and may keep their places in the 

side at the expense of Jakub 

Jantko and Vladimir Darida. 

Patrik Schick will lead the line as 

he aims to add to his four goals at 

Euro 2020 and catch Cristiano 

Ronaldo in the race for the golden 

boot. 

After opening Euro 2020 with 

back-to-back defeats by Finland 

and Belgium – the first of which 

was overshadowed by Christian 

Eriksen’s hospitalisation – 

Denmark have regrouped 

impressively, following up their 4- 

1 win over Russia with a 4-0 

thrashing of Wales. The youngster 

England after the West Ham 

star was forced off in extra time. 

Artem Dovbyk, who scored the 

late winner in Glasgow, is in 

line to deputise if needed. 

Oleksandr Zubkov is another 

whose fitness will be assessed, 

however Denys Popov and 

Artem Besedin – who was on the 

receiving end of the high 

challenge from Marcus 

Danielson against Sweden – 

miss out. 

Both Kieran Trippier and 

Declan Rice looked to be 

carrying knocks at the end of 

England’s 2-0 win over 

Germany and need to be 

assessed, especially as Gareth 

Mikkel Damsgaard has 

deputised impressively for 

Eriksen and looks set to feature 

behind frontman Kasper Dolberg, 

who scored twice against Wales on 

his first start of the competition. 

Captain Simon Kjær came off at 

the break in their last-16 win and 

is a doubt for Denmark, who have 

Joachim Andersen on standby. 

Yussuf Poulsen was not in the 

matchday squad over the 

weekend and, like Kjær, will be 

assessed before the game. Jens 

Stryger Larsen came in for Daniel 

Wass at right wing-back and may 

keep his place after his solid 

showing against Wales. 

•Schick 

•Schmeichel 

Wimbledon 2021: Federer 

creates open era record 

Eight-time champion Roger 

Federer secured a spot in 

the third round of Wimbledon 

for a record 18th time with a 

straight-sets win over two-time 

semi-finalist Richard Gasquet. 

The 20-time Grand Slam 

champion recovered from a 

tentative start to complete a 

resounding 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 6-4 

victory on a sun-bathed Centre 

Court, to set up a showdown 

against British No 2 Cam 

Norrie for a place in the fourth 

round. 

Federer, featuring in just his 

tenth match in 19 months, 

survived a major scare in his 

opener against Adrian 

Mannarino, but he produced 

some vintage tennis in the 

latter stages against Gasquet to 

record a remarkable 103rd 

victory at the All England Club. 

The eight-time Champion is 

the oldest man since Ken 

Rosewall in 1975 to make the 

third-round at Wimbledon, ITF 

announced on their Twitter 

handle. 

The 39-year-old is chasing a 

21st Grand Slam title, which 

would see him move above his 

great rival Rafael Nadal 

Ukraine vs England: Shevchenko leaves Southgate guessing 

Southgate ponders sticking 

with the same system, and XI, 

that started against Germany. 

Jack Grealish made an 

impressive impact off the bench 

at Wembley, but may be 

restricted to a substitute’s role 

once more. 

England will not only be 

thinking about the result but 

also their discipline. If Rice, 

Kalvin Phillips, Phil Foden or 

Harry Maguire are booked 

against Ukraine on Saturday, 

they would miss the semi-final 

meeting with Czech Republic 

or Denmark, if England can get 

past Ukraine at the Stadio 

Olimpico. 

France 

The last World Cup Champion 

France lost to Switzerland in 

the round of 16 of the European 

Championship on a 

memorable evening when 

Swiss team came from 3-1 down 

with two goals in the final five 

minutes to force extra time. 

The match ended 3-3 after 90 

minutes and neither team was 

able to score in extra time. 

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann 

Sommer saved a penalty kick 

from Kylian Mbappe in a 

penalty shootout to knock 

France out of the championship 

DONATION: L-R: Agency Manager, Betway Nigeria, Dotun 

Adepegba, Founder, EliteBox Fitness Center, Rehia Giwa 

Osagie, Manager, Retail Channel, Betway Nigeria, Clement 

Okolie and Executive Chairman, Yangabet, Derrick Kentebe 

at the presentation of an 18 seater bus to EliteBox Fitness 

Center in Lagos State. 

•Shevchenko 

•Southgate

C 

M 

Y 

K 

36—SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021 

My Olympic Story 2: 

Why it had to happen 

MY climb to the rooftop 

of Mount Olympus 

in Greece in 1976 was a 

divinely scripted and 

unforgettable experience. 

Fortyfive years after, it’s 

significance is now 

becoming manifest. In my 

limited (unsubstantial) 

understanding, the Universe 

should know the end of an 

event or act even before it 

starts, confirming the 

revelation in the book written 

by Jewish prophet, Jeremiah: 

“I knew you even before you 

were born”. 

I now realise that my visit 

to Mount Olympus in 1976 

is related to the events of the 

1980 Moscow Olympics, 

which are now related to the 

event in Abuja, last week. 

Throughout my early years 

as a teenager the thought of 

the possibility of becoming 

an Olympian did not exist. 

Now, I believe that the 

Universe knew even before I 

was born. So, everything 

around me had to be a part 

of the grand arrangement to 

make sure things fall into 

place like a jigsaw puzzle, and 

I join the exclusive club of 

Olympians. The original 12 

lived on Mount Olympus!! 

This is how the plan was 

hatched: 

After the Olympic boycott 

of 1976 (from last week’s 

article), my dream of a 

second chance at 

participating at any future 

games evaporated 

completely. 

Then came a most 

inexplicable journey to North 

Africa that needed for us to 

head for Europe to connect a 

flight back to Africa. That was 

the korma in ‘those days’. 

Why connect through 

Greece, of all places in 

Europe? Why visit Mount 

Olympus during a 2-day 

transit visit and be reminded 

about the connection 

between the Olympics and the 

gods on Mt. Olympus? 

I can never know, of course, 

but I am free to believe that it 

was a ‘conspiracy’ of all the 

elements in the Universe, after 

all, I have always silently 

believed in my heart that 

every individual act in the 

universe creates a ripple-like 

effect that affects every other 

being in different ways 

according to their nature and 

distance. It has to be so if 

everything is connected to one 

another, and that we are 

indeed ONE with the 

Universe, an established 

order of things put in place 

by the Ultimate Creator at the 

dawn of time. 

That’s the only way, I can 

understand the connection 

between the most recent 

event in Abuja and 45 years 

after the unrelated events of 

1976 that I wrote about last 

week. I can see clearly now 

their connectivity and how life 

has played out. 

I grew up in Jos, the city that 

produced several super star 

players in my youth that were 

very famous in the country 

including student footballers 

that went on to represent the 

country. I wanted to be like 

Samuel Garba, the most 

popular of them who I knew 

personally in our 

neighbourhood. The others, 

also from Jos and known to 

me personally, were Peter 

Ànieke, Tony Igwe, and 

Ismaila Mabo. They were all 

part of the Green Eagles that 

qualified for the 1968 

Olympics. That feat shattered 

the myth for me that only gods 

went to the Olympics. 

In 1976, from the blues, an 

opportunity came my way 

and with a little bit of hard 

work and dedication I found 

myself, heading for the 

Olympic games. It was like a 

dream I would soon wake up 

I never 

connected the dots 

of the unrelated 

activities of 1976 

and 1980 until last 

week in Abuja, 

when I joined the 

assembly of all 

Nigerian 

Olympians in 

history in a 

celebration of 

ourselves (since 

no-one would 

celebrate us). 

from but did not. 

Then, like a bolt of 

lightning, 6 hours to the 

manifestation of the dream, 

everything was shattered by 

political decisions that I had 

nothing to do about. 

In my disappointment of 

that lost opportunity, from the 

blues again, I found myself 

in Greece, on Mount 

Olympus, home of the Greek 

gods. On this mountain was 

a temple built for them. 

Tourists went to the temple to 

see their magnificence and 

beauty. For me and my 

colleagues in the Shooting 

Stars FC, it was time to pray 

to our God for support and 

divine favour in our crucial 

1st leg match against 

Zamalek FC of Egypt in 

Cairo. 

So, I went into the temple, 

and found a priest with his 

crucible of burning incense 

bellowing smoke and 

chanting in inaudible 

mutters. 

A lit the candle in my hand. 

I moved to a corner in the 

church to say my own prayers 

- to find favour in Egypt and 

to become an Olympian. 

By the time we left the 

mountain and Greece and 

landed in Egypt for our 

match against Zamalek we 

felt good. We lost the match 

in Cairo, but recovered 

magically during the second 

leg in Ibadan and won in a 

famous encounter that 

reverberated across the 

country at the time. I had 

completely forgotten about 

Mount Olympus and my 

second prayer. 

That year and for the next 5 

years, my life took on a new 

turn, all shaped by footbàll: 

We won the African Cup 

winners Cup that year; I 

played a very major part in 

that historic success; with late 

Moses Otolorin, I ended up 

as joint top scorer for our club 

as we matched on to win and 

become the first Nigerian 

club to win a continental Club 

football trophy. 

In 1976 I returned fully to 

the national team and 

became its highest goalscorer 

for a stretch that lasted 5 

years. In that period, three 

times I was a nominee for 

Africa’s Best Player award. I 

came very close to winning it 

twice, in third and second 

positions. I became a famous 

player all over the African 

continent, attending the 

AFCON twice in 1978 and 

1980. 

In 1980, we achieved our 

greatest success. I was a major 

actor in winning the AFCON 

Nigeria vs Mexico: Rohr makes U-turn 

*Takes charge of home-based Eagles in US 

THE 

drama 

surrounding the 

Super Eagles match 

against Mexico has 

continued with latest 

reports indicating that 

coach Gernot Rohr, who 

had earlier distanced 

himself from the match, 

has sensationally made a 

U-turn and has agreed to 

lead the team when they 

file out against the North 

American heavyweights, 

Sunday in the USA. 

Early last week, the 

Super Eagles manager 

had said he would not 

take the home-based 

players to face Mexico 

because he did not 

believe in their abilities. 

His favourite foreignbased 

stars who are 

holidaying were not 

available for selection. 

Subsequently, Rohr was 

a mere visitor to the 

team’s training sessions 

at the FIFA Goal Project 

pitch in Abuja and had no 

hand in their training as 

the NFF technical 

Director, Austin 

Eguavoen and his 

deputy, Paul Aigbogun 

took charge of the team. 

Rohr’s stand drew 

criticisms from Nigerians, 

including the Minister of 

Sports, Mr Sunday Dare 

*Rohr 

who registered his 

displeasure and accused 

the coach of mistreating 

the home-based Eagles. 

Dare followed that up 

with a call to the NFF to 

call Rohr to order, saying 

he was employed to give 

opportunities to all 

Nigerian footballers 

regardless of their status. 

With the denial of a US 

visa to Austin 

Eguavoen, Aigbogun 

was to lead the team 

against Mexico, but 

latest reports say coach 

Gernot Rohr is expected 

to be in the dugout when 

the home-based Super 

Eagles take on Mexico. 

The German tactician 

has now linked up with 

the team in the United 

States and had a training 

session with the team 

yesterday. 

The reason behind the 

sudden change is unclear, 

but it may have to do with 

E g u a v o e n ’ s 

unavailability. 

that year and Nigeria ended 

the decade as champions of 

Africa. 

For 4 years, everything had 

worked beautifully for me. It 

was in the midst of the 

Nations Cup celebrations 

that we were summoned back 

to the national team. There 

was an invitation by the 

government of the USSR for 

additional sports teams to 

attend the Olympic Games 

even without playing any 

preliminary matches and 

qualifying on performance. It 

was the first time in our 

history that such a thing 

would take place - a free ticket 

to the Olympics. . 

We were unprepared for 

these Olympics. This was 

happening unsolicited and 

unearned at the last minutes 

of the start of the 1980 

Olympics. Here we were, 

sacked without notice in 1976 

with our dreams in tatters, 

followed by a new 

opportunity restored in 1980, 

also at the last minute, totally 

unearned, and unexpected. 

The national team was 

hurriedly recalled from our 

holidays, put in the same 

aircraft that took us out of 

Montreal in 1976, a brand 

new national carrier, a DC 10 

plane, and flown for little 

preparation in Europe 

enroute Moscow for the 

Olympic Games. 

It was a restoration of 

significant spiritual 

dimension for those that 

could discern at the time. 

I did not have the time to 

appreciate what had 

happened. I was celebrating 

my new found fame and 

fortune through football, too 

much than to discern its 

significance. 

In addition, I was made 

captain of the national 

football team as well as 

overall joint team captain of 

the Nigerian contingent to 

the Olympics - double 

honours. 

I played my first and only 

match at the St. Petersburg 

stadium, and registered my 

place as an Olympian. It was 

a fulfillment of my humble 

request and prayer in 1976! 

I never connected the dots 

of the unrelated activities of 

1976 and 1980 until last week 

in Abuja, when I joined the 

assembly of all Nigerian 

Olympians in history in a 

celebration of ourselves (since 

no-one would celebrate us). 

It all came together when I 

started to write my diary 

about how I became an 

Olympian. 

The setting is too much to 

be considered as 

coincidences. Fate and faith 

are inextricably linked in a 

dance within the complex 

web of how dreams become 

reality in the Universe. 

By the way, the World 

Olympians Association 

reminded me again last week 

that there is another icing on 

the cake of unlimited fortunes 

in my Olympics story. 

I guided and supported 2 

‘condemned’ and 

‘abandoned’ Nigerian girls to 

the 1996 Olympics. They 

came back from Atlanta with 

Nigeria’s first Gold medal in 

history, as well as a totally 

unexpected Silver medal. 

Their story is a testimony 

that the Universe always has 

Jokers in its deck of cards, 

and plays them as it deems fit 

for it’s own pleasure, as the 

gods did according to Legend. 

From last week, 

everywhere you see my name 

written with the words OLY 

scripted after it, know what it 

means - a universal elevation, 

a registration of a place 

amongst Olympians, from 

the time the Olympics started 

in the city of Olympia, till 

now. 

I believe my business with 

the Olympics is not over yet. I 

don’t know what it is, but I 

relate it all to my Prayers said 

in a temple decades ago on 

Mount Olympus. I thank the 

Creator of the Universe for 

answering my prayers. 

Concluded. 

Meanwhile, Montreal 

Striker Obidigwe Ibrahim Sunusi Football Coliseum), Academy will be aired set for screening 

has been called up to the 

squad along with 

Tottenham Hotspur U-23 

goalkeeper Joshua 

Olayemi, who is a 

replacement for the 

injured Ikechukwu 

Ezenwa. 

Sadiq Abdullahi presents agenda for 

Sports development 

By Jacob Ajom 

A 

former Nigeria 

tennis star, Sadiq 

Abdullahi has been 

ruminating on the problems 

hindering the development 

of tennis and sports 

generally in the country, 

and has put forward 

suggestions he believes if 

well implemented could 

move sports in the country 

forward. 

In a ten-point write-up he 

titled ‘My thoughts on 

tennis and sports in 

Nigeria’, Abdullahi who is 

an adjunct professor of 

global education and 

curriculum development 

and improvement at 

Florida International 

University in Miami, 

Florida,USA, observed that 

the recently concluded 

Nigerian Olympian 

Association AGM in Abuja 

was an eye opener as it had 

exposed to him some of the 

challenges militating 

against sports development 

in the country. He however, 

insisted that the challenges 

were surmountable and “the 

time to act is now”. 

Said he, “It is time for 

sports women and men to 

come together to serve their 

various communities, I am 

optimistic that we can 

create new structures or 

improve existing ones to 

meet national, continental, 

and global exigencies and 

global best practices.” 

Abdullahi also said, “if we 

are to succeed, our effort 

must make room for 

inclusion and diversity.” 

He proposed that “the 

dismantling of defective 

structures and end 

corruption in our sports. If 

we cannot, we must at least 

control the effect.” 

Nig vs Mexico: Nigerian fans 

to enjoy live telecast 

THE international 

friendly match 

between the Super Eagles 

of Nigeria and Mexico’s El 

Tricolor, scheduled to hold 

tomorrow, will be 

broadcast live on DStv and 

GOtv. 

The encounter, billed for 

the historic Los Angeles 

Memorial Coliseum (LA 

live on SuperSport Premier 

League channel and 

SuperSport Nigeria Pop-up 

channel GOtv channel 35. 

The encounter between 

the two teams will serve as 

an opportunity for the 

Super Eagles to get into the 

best shape ahead of the 

FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 

which will commence in 

September while El 

Tricolor will also use the 

match as part of their 

preparations for the 

Concacaf Gold Cup set to 

kick off in July. 

Both teams have met 5 

times, with Mexico 

winning 2-1 during the US 

Gold Cup match in Texas, 

while the four other face off 

have ended with no winner 

between both parties. The 

last match between the two 

countries was in 2014 

during the FIFA World Cup 

in Brazil. 

Chelsea confirm Moses 

departure 

ENGLISH Premier 

League side Chelsea 

FC have confirmed the 

departure of former Nigeria 

international, Victor Moses 

to Russian Premier League 

club, Spartak Moscow. 

The speedy winger joined 

the Blues in the summer of 

2012 after a decent time-out 

with Wigan Athletics. 

Moses was part of the 

Premier League winning 

team of Chelsea in 2016/17 

season under Antonio Conte 

where he made 34 

appearances as a right wing 

back. 

After failing to tie down a 

*Moses 

regular playing time under 

Frank Lampard, Moses was 

loaned out to Turkish Super 

Lig club Fenerbahce. 

He spent last season on 

loan with Spartak Moscow 

in the Russian Premier 

League where he made 20 

appearances for them.

SATURDAY VANGUARD, JULY 3, 2021 — 37


Railway vandals should be charged for 

manslaughter — Amaechi 

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru 

MINISTER of Trans 

portation, Rotimi 

on Friday recommended 

that anyone caught engaging 

in vandalism of railway 

facilities in the country 

should be charged to 

court for manslaughter. 

The Minister made the 

recommendation when he 

appeared at the ministerial 

media briefing organized 

by the Presidential 

Communications Team at 

the presidential villa, 

Abuja. 

Amaechi was of the view 

that applying stringent 

laws will help to curb the 

habit, which he said, can 

cause train derailment 

and killing unsuspecting 

passengers. 

He lamented that railway 

clips were frequently 

stolen causing the country 

huge amounts of hard 

currency to replace. 

He also disclosed that 

Nigeria and China have 

signed a contract to manufacture 

train coaches locally 

in the country following 

an initial five year 

period of just the local assembling 

of the components. 

Besides, the Minister 

said an agreement has 

been signed for the Chinese 

to build a rail component 

manufacturing 

factory in Kajola, Ogun 

state due to be commissioned 

in 2021 and as well, 

a University in Daura, Katsina 

state to help localize 

railway technology. 

He said 300 Nigerians 

have been sponsored to understudy 

rail technology in 

China and will be absorbed 

into the Transportation 

ministry on completion 

of their study. 

He explained that the 

300 people were sent for 

the programme so that 

they would successfully 

take over from the Chinese 

BOCL faults media report on oil field 

By Clifford Ndujihe 

BAYELSA 

Oil 

Company Ltd, 

BOCL, has faulted media 

report that the Federal 

Government has awarded 

its oilfield, Atala Field 

(OML 46) to new investors. 

In a statement by Bello 

Akpoku, BOCL and its 

Joint Venture Partners - 

Hardy Oil Nigeria Limited 

and Century Exploration 

Company Limited, 

dismissed as false media 

report (not Vanguard) that 

the Federal Government 

had approved tge award of 

Bayelsa Oilfied to new 

owners. 

Noting that the said 

publication was false and 

intended to mislead the 

public, it said, “the 

Management of Bayelsa 

Oil Company Limited 

(BOCL), on behalf of itself 

and the JV Partners of 

Atala Marginal Field in 

OML46, wishes to bring to 

the notice of the general 

public and the Ijaw nation 

in particular, that the 

information in the 

By Evelyn Usman 

THE Nigerian Navy 

Ship,NNS Beecroft, 

Apapa, Lagos has arrested 

97 stowaways in different 

ships within Lagos waters in 

the last one year. 

The latest arrest was that 

of three stowaways by the 

Base patrol team, around 

Lagos anchorage. 

The suspects as gathered, 

sneaked into MT SCF AL- 

PHINE, a crude oil tank, 

heading for Europe. 

They reportedly hid in one 

of the compartments of the 

crude oil tank, with snacks 

that would last them for the 

or Italian who are handling 

the rail projects in the country. 

Amaechi also informed 

that the Kaduna-Kano railway 

project will be flagged 

off in two weeks just as he 

affirmed that the Lekki 

deep seaport will be completed 

before the end of the 

present administration. 

publication is patently 

false, misleading and laced 

with criminal intent by 

sponsors of the 

publication.” 


Monarch urges Senate on 

speedy passage of bill to upgrade 

Offa Poly 

By Demola Akinyemi 

HIS Royal Highness, Oba Muftau Oloyede Gbada 

mosi, Esuwoye II, the Olofa Of Offa, Kwara State 

has urged the leadership of the National Assembly to 

speedily pass the pending bill on the establishment of 

University of Technology in Offa, Kwara State. 

The bill which is before the Senate when finally passed 

would upgrade the present status of Federal Polytechnic 

in Offa, to University of Technology Offa in Kwara state. 

The traditional ruler made the appeal at a one day public 

hearing of the bill by the Senate Committee on Tertiary 

Institutions and TETFUND held recently. Addressing the 

Senators and other distinguished personalities at the event, 

the monarch, who was represented by Agbaakin of Offa 

land, Dr. Adetokun Bashir Adepoju craved for the speedy 

passage of the bill in order to improve on the education 

and economic standards of the community, Kwara state 

and the entire federation. 

He stressed that “the bill will further increase the number 

of research centres in Nigeria where innovative ideas 

can be developed, thereby projecting Nigeria in the field 

of research work in technology” The bill which had passed 

second reading at the Senate plenary session was sponsored 

by Senator Oyelola Ashiru, representing, Kwara 

South at the Red Chamber, Abuja. 

Navy arrests 97 stowaways in 12 months 

•Hands over three latest suspects to NIS 

duration of time they would 

spend on the sea. 

While handing the suspects 

to the Nigeria Immigration 

Service, NIS for further investigation 

and prosecution, 

the Commander, NNS 

Beecroft, Commodore Bashir 

Mohammed, described the 

arrest as part of Navy’s efforts 

to rid the nation’s maritime 

space of all illegalities including 

human trafficking. 

He stated further that the 

arrest of the 97 stowaways in 

one year was as a result of 

the Base’s robust patrols, 

adding that the suspects had 

also been handed over to 

the NIS. 

Preliminary investigations 

by the Base on the 

recent arrest according to 

Commodore Mohammed, 

“ revealed that all the stowaways 

accessed the vessel 

with the intention of illegally 

migrating to Europe”.. 

The handing over of the 

suspects which was in line 

with the Standard Operating 

Procedure, was witnessed 

by the Nigerian 

Ports Authority Security 

Team represented by Mr. 

Bukar Kaumi. 

Commodore Mohammed 

reiterated the commitment of 

the Base to securing Nigeria’s 

territorial waters, saying 

it was in line with the Chief 

of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral 

Awwal Gambo’s Strategic 

Directive of 2021-5. 

He said, “ as partners for a 

safe maritime environment, 

members of the public especially 

our host communities 

are enjoined to kindly furnish 

the base with credible 

information to assist in curbing 

activities of criminal elements 

and economic saboteurs’.

C 

M 

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SATURDAY Vanguard, JULY 3, 2021 

CROSS WORD PUZZLE 

SOLUTION ON PAGE 30 

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03072021 - Kanu ordered us to kil security operatives - ESN commander

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