Former military governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (retd), has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has exhibited poor skills in managing the diversity in the country. In a statement entitled “Nigeria: Nation Challenged” and made available to the Tribune Online on Wednesday, Dangiwa said that “it is my long held belief that this country is more beneficial to all the federating units if only because it provides a security umbrella to all its units.” On the re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Dangiwa said: “The recent re-arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was greeted with a loud sigh of relief and celebration in some sections of the country. ‌ “It also elicited congratulatory messages to the Federal Government which appears overwhelmed by the intractable security challenges and in dire need of any redeeming act. “This is clearly an exaggeration of the security threat Nnamdi Kanu and indeed IPOB pose to our nation’s security and unity. “It is quite strange and disturbing that the Federal Government is according undue attention to the threats of separatist movements in contrast to the more daunting ones posed by bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in the North-West, some parts of North-Central and North-East. “Activities of those criminals have resulted in the evacuation of over 20 per cent of the villages in North-West and North-East. Hundreds are being murdered and maimed every week. “Many more are kidnapped for ransom. Millions have been rendered internally displaced, facing disease and starvation. “Over 1,000 school children were abducted in the past eight months with over 300 still in the hands of the bandits and kidnappers demanding humongous ransom payments. Rape of women and young girls has become a daily occurrence. “Most economic activities, particularly farming, which is the mainstay of the people in these areas, are now all but impossible. “Government’s earlier claim of having technically defeated the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East has turned out to be empty propaganda. Contrary to this claim,the enemy has morphed into a more determined and deadly force, threatening to overrun the whole of the North-East. “For the average Northerner living in these zones, who is barely aware of the activities of separatists, banditry, kidnappings and insurgency are of greater threat and concern to him. “The arrest of Nnamdi Kanu is of no serious consequence, since it does nothing to ameliorate his harsh and brutal condition. “In recognising or reasserting the right of every citizen or group to express their desire for self-determination, one does not support or condone the use of violence for such purpose. IPOB and its leader may well be responsible for some of the violence, including the murder of security personnel, arson and destruction of public and private properties for which they should be held to account. “We must however be honest enough to identify the cause of the current growing restiveness in the South-East. By all means, government needs to deploy non-violent means in addressing the problem. It is self-evident that justice, fairness and equity are the best means of building a united and virile nation, particularly one as diverse and fragile as Nigeria. “lt is my long held belief that this country is more beneficial to all the federating units if only because it provides a security umbrella to all its units. None of them will fare better in a balkanised Nigeria due to their similar diversities. “The recognition of Nigeria as the giant of Africa is not on account of its huge oil wealth, but its size, diversity as well as other potential. These notwithstanding, the nation can only remain united and prosperous when all its citizens and the component parts feel a true sense of belonging. “Without it, the nation’s unity will be in serious jeopardy similar to what Nigeria is currently experiencing. “Truth be told, the Buhari’s government has so far exhibited poor skills in its management of our diversity. Yet it has the benefit of great examples by past administrations and statesmen which should guide it. “After our bitter Civil War, the then Head of the Federal Military Government, General Yakubu Gowon, declared a no victor, no vanquished reconciliation and reintegration policy. “Its implementation may not have been perfect but it produced a guiding vision which served as a template for the reintegration of the nation. “In 1978, eight years after the Civil War, the NPN presidential candidate, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a former Commissioner for Finance in the Gowon government, picked his running mate, Dr Alex Ekwueme, from the South-East. “They won the 1979 presidential election and enjoyed an enviable brotherly relationship as president and vice president. They won a second term in 1983. President Shagari’s government pardoned the former Biafra secessionist leader, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, which permitted him to return from exile in 1982. He went on to contest a senatorial seat under the NPN. “These are in sharp contrast to the declaration of President Buhari after his election in 2015 in which he promised not to treat, on equal terms, those who gave him only five per cent of their votes with those who gave him over 97 per cent of theirs. “This may account for his government’s refusal to appoint an Igbo as head of any of the security services. A review of this ill-advised policy will go a long way to neutralise the growing influence of IPOB among Ndigbo, both at home and in diaspora. “The Federal Government must go beyond the arrest of Kanu and pay greater attention to the more serious security challenges threatening to cripple the country completely. “The apparent failure of our security forces to deal decisively as the president so often commands them to do, with these security threats is obviously due to the acute shortage of manpower and equipment. “These deficiencies have resulted in the thin spread of our forces and lack of timely rotation in areas of conflict. Government must massively increase security manpower and equipment. As we have seen, mere change of service

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has described the views of the Solicitor General of Alberta in Canada, Kelechi Amadi, regarding the arrest of Nnamdi Kanu as an “outrageously ignoramus opinion that is eccentric and weird”. Malami stated this on Wednesday in a statement that was issued by the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Office of the AGF, Umar Gwandu. “Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has described the ideas attributed to one Kelechi Madu as outrageously ignoramus opinions that are eccentric and weird to the legal profession. “It is unfortunate for someone who claims to be a lawyer of a status of a Solicitor General of a provincial State of Alberta in Canada to fault the internationally recognized manner through which Nnamdi Kanu who jumped bail was re-arrested and brought back to face trial,” it read. Malami also insisted that there was no illegality in the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. According to him, “It was abundantly clear that bench warrant was lawfully and judiciously procured through judicial process by a competent court of law, whose bail condition Nnamdi Kanu breached with impunity. There was no illegality in the entire process and the question of illegality does not even arise. “It is a common principle of the law that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Malami wondered why Madu never spoke up when Kanu was inciting violence against Nigeria. “Where was the so-called Madu when Nnamdi Kanu was inciting violence against the country? Why, as a lawyer, would Madu support a fugitive who jumped bail and accused of terrorism and treasonable felony? What stopped Madu from voicing out dissent on the atrocities of Kanu and their group?” he asked. The AGF said it was important to educate Madu that both Nigeria (his country of birth) and Canada where he practises law, are signatories to the Multinational Treaty Agreement where, among others, fugitive fleeing justice in nations with similar agreement could be brought back to face justice. “It is a pity that as a Solicitor General of a province, Madu failed to keep himself acquainted with the provisions of general laws of the country where he stays as well as international laws,” said Malami. The AGF urged the Canadian public officer to go back to educate himself in matters of the law, adding that Madu only left for Canada after failing to succeed in his country of birth. “As the saying goes ‘an empty vessel makes the loudest noise’. We advise the so-called ‘learned man’ to shelve his arrogance and learn to study the law books before opening his mouth to disgrace himself before the right-thinking members of the society thereby attracting to himself criticism that may propel doubt about his suitability for the job he claims to be doing now, after moving out of his country of origin in which he fails to excel,” he added.

A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has sentenced a middle-aged woman, Mrs Toyin Olusa, to one year imprisonment for causing the death of her husband, Mr Adeyinka Olusa. The late Olusa who was a former auditor at the School of Health Technology, Akure who died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State in 2017, was said to have died in a controversial manner. The death of Olusa was said to have generated controversy between the accused and the relatives of the deceased, accusing her of pouring hot water on her sick husband. ‌ The family of the deceased alleged that the hot water poured on the man aggravated his sickness and eventually resulted in his death. The wife of the late auditor, Toyin, was said to have poured the hot water on the deceased to revive him when he became unconscious during the illness but the family alleged that hot water caused severe burnt on the body of the deceased, which eventually resulted into his death. The widow was, however, arraigned before the court on one count charge of assault occasioning harm, the offence which was contrary to and punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Volume 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.” The prosecutor told the court that the defendant deliberately poured hot water on the deceased causing him(deceased) severe bodily harm, particularly to his mouth, chest, hands, thighs and legs. However, the defendant said she did not commit the offence, saying she poured the hot tea on the deceased to revive him when he was unconscious. After series of arguments before the court, the prosecuting counsel and the defence counsel, Mr Femi Emodamori and Mr Shola Agunloye respectively, the court held that the defendant committed the office, saying the prosecutor was able to prove his case beyond doubt. The defendant however pleaded with the court to be lenient with her, saying she did not kill her husband and said “I am appealing with the court to have mercy on me for the sake of my children, I did not kill my husband.” Toyin pleaded In her ruling, the magistrate, Mrs Ruth Olomilua sentenced the widow to one-year imprisonment with an option of a fine of N200,000. She said, “The prosecutor had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt and the defendant is guilty of the offence. The defendant is hereby sentenced to one imprisonment with an option of fine of N200,000.”

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have decorated the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya. He was also decorated with a new rank of Lieutenant General. The ceremony which was held on Wednesday before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting had in attendance, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Sunday Adebayo; Director-General, Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba. The event was also witnessed by members of the Cabinet as well as the Chairmen of Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Army. The newly appointed COAS, Lieutenant General Yahaya takes over from late Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a military plane crash on May 21, alongside ten other army officers. Prior to his appointment, the new army Chief served as the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, a counter-insurgency operation in the northeast. After his decoration, the Chief of Army staff vowed that the war would continue to intensify against insurgents, many of whom have already been killed.