As the world stayed glued to global cable networks to watch the inauguration of President Joe Biden and the first female Vice –President in America a few days ago, a few histories were made. The Vice President, Kamala Harris, the first woman of colour to rise to that position was sworn in by the first Latina to be appointed into the US Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. The youngest poet laureate, Amanda Gorman wowed the world with her brilliant performance of her spoken word, “Even as we grieved, we grew”.
The young lady has said that she intends to contest for the presidency of the United States in 2036. What an admirable courage and dream? Her bravery and confidence stems from the fact that flawed as the American political and social systems might be, it is still a land of reasonable opportunity.
Three Nigerian-Americans have been appointed to different positions by the Biden administration just like other citizens from other climes. The mantra is merit and capacity. Even though as humans the system is imperfect, citizens realize that once they work hard at their dreams, there are likely chances of succeeding and contributing to the democratic experience and the development of the country. The country has tried to be loyal to the constitution and so there are chances of growth and progress.
On the contrary, the Nigeria state seems divided more than five long decades after the civil war that needed not to have been fought in the first place. Being true to ourselves means chatting the best way forward as a nation in an era that nations are closing their borders and seriously looking inwards. Recounting what led to the war or who lost or who won can never bring progress. The future demands that we have some introspection and begin to address holistically the things that are wrong with us a nation.
The Roundtable Conversation caught up with Charity Shekari, an Administrator, gender/civil rights advocate and a former Health Commissioner in Kaduna State. She believes that all Nigerians must sincerely come to the table with humility and a sense of purpose. The present situation of manipulation through ethnicism, religion and other mundane reasons that have been the order of the day cannot make us progress. We can never be progressive with the level of injustice, nepotism and self-centeredness across the country. No nation grows from being divisive. The issue of injustice must be addressed holistically. Injustice at any level is a root to permanent national damage. The sign of justice is a blindfolded woman with a scale that does not tilt to any side. Nigeria must begin to look at our justice system. Is there equity, is justice available to the rich and poor, to the influential and none influential?
The Nigerian citizens must have real introspection and search our souls for the hypocrisies that brought us to the situation where we have our children attending universities in our towns, a politician would consider ethnicity and religion before merit in both appointive and elective positions. We must stop seeing each other as enemies because we have too much that unite us rather than the other way round.
The hypocrisy of even discriminating based on ethnicity and religion is so puerile because it has eaten deep into the psyche of Nigerians both high and low in all regions. We often push divisions through geography and religion in very destructive ways. You have the so-called tripod treating the minorities as though they don’t belong at different levels. Somebody from the middle belt for instance might be treated as a Northerner by the Southerners, then in the North, the same person might not get full acceptance as people might begin to again point to geographical boundaries and religion.
Even amongst the Southerners, you still find cleavages in tribes and religion and even in Christianity you still see denominations discriminating against each other. How can we grow? All those attempts to exclude others is the root of the injustice in the larger Nigerian society and the bane of our development. When any human or group of humans feel any sense of injustice, the spirit of unity disappears and development cannot come.
Ironically the same Nigerians that try to find differences in each other would meet abroad and become brothers and sisters in the diaspora. Why then can that spirit of brotherhood not like charity, start at home? We do not need to separate because we are too closely linked to be progressive if taken apart.
The solution for a progressive nation is for us to sit down and continue to have the conversation. There must be the inclusiveness that tells everyone in all the nooks and crannies of the nation that they are valued and are parts of the whole. Justice and equity must be the mantra. When there is no justice those who request justice would continue to demand it and might not be willing to give their best.
The Nigerian men and women must realize that we all need each other. Leadership especially must begin to be handled with equity that sees every Nigerian citizen as equal and capable of contributing to the development of the country. Nothing trumps unity and a sense of citizenship. Our diversity must be seen as assets as we all bring different value to uplift each other. The rainbow is beautiful because all the colours are in sync and none replaces the other.
Nigerian women must equally begin to be proactive in ways that can make then access power because they are the greatest victims of underdevelopment. Women must in the words of the popular African proverb, learn how to eat the elephant, slowly but tactfully. Political inclusion is not done through fiat or war. We must marry the socio-cultural nuances and the modern political realities for impactful gender parity in politics.
Our men too must take a cue from other nations that have been benefitting from the excellence in the leadership of their women. The nurturing and patriotic zeal in women must be valued enough for a seamless inclusion because ultimately, we are in this together. Justice and equity never destroy, they build.
The woman must like the ants, work together. Women must work together for progress of the nation because really, there is strength in unity. We can be more accommodating of our imperfections and emerge victorious by being kind to each other and being less critical of our imperfections individually and as a group. We can only be together and strategize, there would be mistakes but we learn and move on.
Dr Fatima Lamishi Adamu, a sociologist, gender rights activist and an executive director of Nana girls and Women’s empowerment Initiative, an NGO operating in Sokoto and Kebbi states believes that Nigerians all over the country especially those in leadership positions must as a matter of urgency look at ways to arrest the insecurity problems in the country because no nation can progress without security.
In the country, things are really difficult and we need to begin to ask ourselves what to do for the youths to be gainfully employed. We must address the issue of insecurity because those in the social ills like kidnapping, banditry and insurgency, are in their productive ages and this needs urgent action. The governors are trying but more still needs to be done. Security must be present before any type of development can happen.
The effects of insecurity affect the smooth running of any nation. We as women groups must begin to organize at least now with Zoom so we can all raise our voices. We need more women in leadership positions from the ward to state and federal levels. Women naturally have empathy and more compassion and their leadership helps develop the country.
Dr. Fatima believes women too must be ready to mentor and encourage others even when they themselves are not ready to be play partisan politics. Political participation for women is very urgent at this time of our development because the men alone cannot handle leadership as we have seen across our nation. Balancing leadership positions is a task women especially the educated ones must take seriously. The cases of insecurity affect women and children more because those areas where women get their economic power like agriculture and commercial ventures are affected very adversely.
The Nigerian leadership at all levels must come together to address the issues that have led to the insecurity that is affecting the whole country negatively. We must begin to address education, employment and infrastructure development so that the young people can get education and skills that would help them earn a living and in so doing the country can be safer and economic activities increase in ways that the poverty level will reduce. Women should not sit back and blame the men, those who are capable and willing to join politics must step and out and be supported for the good of the nation. When women lead, they lead with the zeal they nurture families.
The Roundtable Conversation believes that the mistake of the civil war cannot define our nation. Individuals and groups must begin to see and harness the beauty of diversity. We can all prosper together as we unite sincerely as a nation willing to work for progress.
The recent #EndSars movement is an example of what new ideas, women, youths, multicultural coalition and unity can give a nation. Growth and development are often not about race, tribe, youth or adult but a strategy adopted by willing nations to grow. We watched a Kamala Harris being sworn in as Vice-President in a country where women just got voting rights about a century ago and blacks and other minorities even more recently.
Today a coalition of nationalities, whites, blacks, Latinas , Jews, Hispanics and every creed and nationality joined hands to elect an administration to heal the wounds of division and return America back to its global position. Nigeria too can borrow a leaf but equity, justice, citizenship rights and security for all must be jointly and sincerely allowed to blossom first.
Games are coming fast and furious in top European leagues while the FA Cup Fourth Round fixtures hold across in England reports TUNDE LIADI.
Even under a new manager, Juan Jose Rojo Martin (Pacheta), result might stays the same for Kelechi Nwakali’s SD Huesca who are still rooted to the bottom of the SPANISH LA LIGA following their 1-0 defeat to Getafe midweek. Nwakali may still have his chance as Huesca host Villarreal today sans injured Samuel Chukwueze.
Ramon Azeez , meanwhile, is seeking an exit from Granada in search of playing opportunities and was omitted from the MatchDay squad in their 2-2 draw at Villarreal on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if he can force his way into the team as Granada travel to Osasuna.
In the GERMAN BUNDESLIGA, Taiwo Awoniyi’s Union Berlin lost their six games unbeaten streak on Wednesday after a 1-0 defeat at RB Leipzig but they have another chance to start another winning run when they visit Augsburg today.
Hoffenheim are still unable to call on Kevin Akpoguma who is currently out injured as they tackle FC Cologne tomorrow complete with Nigerian duo of Kingsley Ehizibue and Tolu Arokodare.
In the ITALIAN SERIE A, Simy Nwankwo will hope to add to his six league goals tally when Crotone travel away to Fiorentina. The Nigerian was at the double last weekend when Rossoblu thrashed Benevento 4-1.
While Victor Osimhen is still not available for Napoli due to injury his former U-17 teammate
Kingsley Michael is still watching proceeding from the Bologna bench.
In ENGLAND, FA Cup Fourth Round matches take centre stage this weekend while EPL games return next midweek.
At the Brentford Community Stadium, Leicester City will hope to progress to the quarter-final stage of the oldest club competition in England with an away tie against Brentford.
Wilfred Ndidi played his 10th league game of the season and scored his maiden goal of the campaign against Chelsea on Tuesday but his compatriot, Kelechi Iheanacho played the final two minutes as a replacement for red-hot Jamie Vardy against the Blues.
At the Craven Cottage, Ola Aina along with the likes of Joshua Onomah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Ademola Lookman, will try to put behind them their erratic form in the EPL as they chase a last eight ticket in the FA Cup against the fellow top-flight side, Burnley tomorrow.
The Cottagers lost 2-1 narrowly to Manchester United on Wednesday with Lookman on the scorer’s sheet while Aina and Adarabioyo featured for 83rd and 90th minute respectively.
Alex Iwobi’s Everton h face Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow in the FA Cup and should still be fresh having had their last weekend EPL tie with Aston Villa postponed due to Coronavirus concerns.
In the meantime, Odion Ighalo is expected to leave Manchester United at the end of the month but can his manager allow him to bid Old Trafford Stadium bye with a swansong tie against Liverpool in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup?
Both teams played a dull goalless draw at Anfield last weekend in the league with the Red Devils on the defensive for the most part of the tie.
Michael Ogwezzy, a professor of Law at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt hails from a family of academics. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, the professor of Public Law reveals the lifestyle that facilitated his rise to the peak of academic excellence. He also speaks about life on the campus, his childhood dreams and the strategy that has helped him to avoid scandals with female students.
Did you consider yourself a privileged child?
I was born in the early 70s at a town called Abbi in Ndokwa West LGA, Delta State. Abbi is the community where my late mother hailed from. My parents, Chief and Mrs Ogwezzy, were school teachers. I would have considered myself a privileged child because of the status of my parents as teachers, but I discovered that we lived like every other family in the community. We attended the same community primary school and secondary school and played together with the children of the less privileged too. Because of our lifestyle, I did not see myself as privileged.
What would you readily recall about your early life?
What I would recall about my early life is that my siblings and I were trained under highly disciplined parents who would not allow us to behave in a manner that was contrary to societal norms. They believed that you must work hard and that hard work is the only secret to success and enduring life. They believed that education is the key, and as a child, you must imbibe the value of hard work through education.
How did your early life influence the personality that you are today?
My childhood life influenced the person that I am today because I was made to understand early enough that it is only through education that one can achieve a sustainable living. They ruled out the short cut. My parents made us to believe that it takes painstaking effort to achieve anything worthwhile.Tell us a few things you remember about your childhood and your parents.
As a little child I remembered growing under my grandma while my mother was furthering her education. My grandmother nurtured us till death took her away around 1986. While we lived with her, she ensured that we didn’t miss school both at primary and secondary levels. She would not take any excuse for not going to school. In cases where we would have missed school because we were late and could be punished, the old woman would personally lead us to school and apologized to the teacher for our lateness. She always gave the moral backing. My parents were core disciplinarians and no-nonsense people. They believed that hard work is the basis for success.
In those days, polygamy was popular. Was that the situation in your house?
Yes, I grow up in a polygamous home. But it did not make any difference in my life. We lived in harmony with one another.
What decided your choice of academics?
Since I was born by educated parents, I think that influenced my thinking about making life through education. My parents made me to know that education was the only way I could achieve a sustainable livelihood. Education may not make one a millionaire but it will certainly make one a better person.
What motivated you to continue studying up to PhD level?
After Umia Primary School, Abbi Grammar School and Emu Secondary School, Emu-Uno, all in Ndokwa West LGA of Delta State, I moved to the premier university, the University of Ibadan, where I studied Law and graduated in 2001. I attended the Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus between 2003 and 2004 to enable me qualify to practice Law.
Because I had always wanted to become a university professor, I proceeded for my master’s degree in Law at the university of Nigeria, Enugu Campus where obtained the LLM degree with a PHD grade in 2008. I also obtained the professional masters degree in Law and Diplomacy (MLD) from Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State. I later obtained the Master of Advanced Studies in International Organisation (MASIO) from the University of Zurich in Switzerland in 2011. I finally obtained a PhD in Law from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus in 2013. These citadels of learning left an indelible imprint on my life because I was inspired by those core university academics/teachers who trained me to become what I am today.
What is the correct way to address you now and how do you feel with such achievement, especially in Law?
The right appellation or title is “Professor”, and I think I should be addressed as such. I feel fulfilled that I achieved it at this stage in my life without blemish. I give God almighty all the glory. I am now Professor Michael C. Ogwezzy. I am a professor at the Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. Right now, I can say the long walk has ended.
Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced?
My challenge has always been to succeed with my academic endeavours. Money was always made available by parents and elder siblings.
You are the second professor in the family. How many more should we expect?
Yes, I am the second professor in my family. I cannot state the number to come. Almost everybody in my home has a postgraduate degree which qualifies them to engage in academics. So expect more coming up shortly.
How is life on campus? Isn’t it boring doing the same thing all the way?
Life on campus is interesting. I have studied in four universities and I have taught in four other universities, making eight. The university is relatively the only sane place in Nigeria of today. There is still some level of decorum on our campuses because the rules and regulations are still enforced even though a few persons flout them and get away with it.
How do you handle your relationship with female students?
I am very strict about this because it can easily rob you of all your efforts. No university condones immoral relationship or behaviour. As lecturers, we are to ensure that we protect and uphold the university rules and regulations so that the university does not lose its place in our society.
Many lecturers pick their wives from the campus. Was that the case with you?
No. I met my wife at the Law School.
Who are your role models?
My role models are my lecturers: Dr (Mrs.) Osifunke Ekudayo, later Prof. MOU Gasiokowu; Prof. Ifeoma P. Enemo; Prof. Obinna Okere; Prof. Robert Kolb and Justice Chima Centus Nweze. Meeting these people in the different universities where I studied through the years influenced what I am today.
What is your advice to younger people?
I would say that they should imbibe the idea of hard work and resilience in life. They should be focused from the beginning and be unweaving in character. They must be humble and respectful in their conducts. They should respect constituted authorities anywhere they find themselves. Above all, they should understand that education is the key to a sustainable life.
I really haven’t celebrated any age-grade feat by Nigerian teams at the continental or global levels. I have always insisted on having school children participate in such tournaments if we truly understand what sports development at the grassroots entails. Our penchant for winning every game or competitions where we have been enlisted has crippled sports, especially soccer, such that our senior team is largely populated by Nigeria-born lads. Pity.
Soccer crazy countries during the FIFA U-17 World Cup competitions are not there essentially to lift the trophy. They are there with the products from a structured plan to spot talents early. No kamikaze approach. Players being paraded by these countries are from renowned academies whose duty is to discover, nurture and expose kids from around them to play in such big stages. These nations’ nationals don’t have to ask their neighbours who the players are during games.
Academies which are nurseries for warehousing the game have been standardised to protect the sector and backed by law for effectiveness. It is at this level that countries’ playing patterns evolve depending on what the coaches feel could bring the best from their nationals.
Standards are set for owning such academies including their curriculum to shut out quackery. These academies are registered by the country’s FA with the right synergy struck where players’ movement in and out of the country are documented.
These academies ensure that the players’ career paths are cut to fit their ambitions. Those of them eager to combine playing soccer with going to school are enrolled to be educated. They also have drawn up training schedules to suit their schools’ curriculum, knowing the importance of education when their career as soccer players is over. Nothing happens in such countries as an accident.
We are interested in celebrating what the contingents get and not how such feats improve on the game across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the country. Coaches eager to be decorated by the president of the country at an elaborate reception, always cast an indulgent eye when accepting cheats as kids. The quest to be tagged World Cup coaches have blinded the tacticians to brazenly flout the rules of the competition, knowing that their lives would change with every World Cup-winning achievement.
This mindset is further emboldened by cheating parents who connive with their wards and collaborators in the system to present midgets or should I say those with stunted growths as kindergarten, forgetting that the world knows where to find kids within the set age brackets. It hurts when our Golden Eaglets emerge as champions, with many not talking about their schools or their mates celebrating them on social media. It makes the world sigh, knowing what those with the right systems do theirs.
It is easy to know that something is amiss when our victorious Eaglets storm the country with the trophies and the players aren’t referring to their mates in the schools nor do we see any school sending its kids to welcome their sport ambassadors as it is done elsewhere. I say this without any iota of fear knowing the joy I experienced last month watching parents of the kids in the youth team Aston Villa used to play against Liverpool in the FA Cup Third round game being brought to the stadium by their parents.
These young boys didn’t drive to the match venues nor did they charter big cars to convey them to the stadium. Instead, their parents showing that they are still under the tutelage of their parents. No prize for guessing right that the boys’ schools acknowledged the feat against Liverpool though the kids lost the game 4-1, expectedly.
Recall a certain England youth side which won the U-20 World Cup which had many Nigeria-born kids, although most of them were of mixed parentage depending on their choices. Players of Nigerian descent in the England squad include Fikayo Tomori, Dominic Solanke, Ademola Lookman and Sheyi Ojo as U-20 World Cup champions didn’t come as a surprise. Most of them have been mates since when they were in the lower cadre of age-grade teams in the past. The key point here is continuity and it helped the team to blend easily during games. The English celebrated them because they discovered, nurtured, and exposed these Nigerians to the world, which is sacrosanct. It also underscores the proficiency of the system in place to roll out talents annually unlike ours where we scout for boys with stunted growth for age-grade competitions, which was prevalent in the past.
These kids evolved from the deliberate policies in those countries with their biggest plank being the synergy between such nations’ education section and their sports counterparts.
These nations use sports to change the world’s perception of them just as it helps the citizens to improve on their health statuses, not forgetting the role sports plays in taking the kids out of the social vices for the general good of their citizens. Sports is the easiest way to address the issue of massive employment for the unemployed, only if new policies are perceived by subsequent governments as theirs.
Nigeria sports appears to be in the doldrums because new administrations throw into the trash bins models established by previous governments. Except the school system return to the models which helped to produce great sportsmen and women, the industry would continue to look outside for talents who have been displaced in other countries and parade them as ours. Of course, the results of such quick fixes are not lost on us.
Schools sports died with the introduction of free education which ensured that playgrounds effectively converted into classrooms by our administrators. Schools had colleges up to six from the initial school making it impossible for the students to recreate. Those students who tried to recreate through sports chose to improvise devices, such as playing soccer in the spaces left or arranging all forms of long planks and in some instances arranging two tables to play table tennis. Today, many old students associations are beginning to return their schools to what they were when they were student decades ago. But the damage has been done.
Today, sports councils have been converted to sports commissions which is a better package provided those adopting it know what it entails. It is important to note here that the states with the sports commission models must find how the new contraption can work in tandem with the ministry of education which supervises the schools where the students are. If the schools get on stream fully, Covid-19 permitting, prominent old students and indeed, sports-loving governors can garner resources together to reinvent school sports in the country as a matter of deliberate policies. The students are there but there are no facilities for them to burn out energy.
It truly hurts when schools hire playgrounds to host their traditional inter-house sports, which in the past was a delight to watch with each school showing its facilities for others to emulate. Governors can impress it on their customers (those firms and people who do businesses with them) to chip in some cash to revamp some of the moribund competitions which brought kids together outside of the National Sports Festival which has since lost its essence due to the different contraptions that have bedevilled the competition.
In the case of football, it is the simplest game and perhaps the cheapest to run at the foundation level – grassroots where all you need do to get kids together is to bounce the ball at the centre circle of the field anywhere in the 774 LGAs in the country and the pitches would be filled with eager youth wishing to showcase their talent.
I listened to the Golden Eaglets’ coach on television talking about assembling the players in camp over long periods. The imminent question would be how those kids hope to combine their school work with playing football. The coach should be told that the boys he picked aren’t the best. Which parent would allow the kids such a long period of absence, if they are truly kids (U-17)? What he needs to do is scouting around the country for better and more competitive players who would play games as if their lives depend on it.
The manager should worry about the large number of players who failed the MRI test for eligibility prior to the first campaign where Nigeria finished as runners-up. The place to find U-17 players are the secondary schools and possibly the primary schools for those who started school late to their parents’ and guardians’ lean purses. We need to change the narrative where our Eaglets win trophies and schools can’t celebrate such feats showing us their wards.
Our previous victories haven’t translated to anything good for our football at the higher levels for reason one has espoused here. Why would school-age players be thinking about rewards in cash? Shouldn’t they be talking about how to improve their education while playing the game? Rather than give the players cash, such monies ought to have been routed through their parents who can channel such cash appropriately. The argument in some quarters that Nigeria’s poor showing in age-grade competitions lately is because the NFF stopped paying them as they did in the past is weak.
Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back from two disappointing defeats when they continue their 2020-21 La Liga campaign away to struggling Alaves tonight. The reigning La Liga champions will be without their coach Zinedine Zidane after tested positive for Covid-19, yesterday. The positive test comes a day before Madrid travel to Alaves in La Liga seeking to bounce back from an embarrassing midweek Copa del Rey exit.
Zidane has already had to self-isolate this month after coming into contact with a person infected with the virus.
He tested negative at the time and was able to oversee the team.
After successive defeats in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, the second a shock loss to third-tier Alcoyano, Zidane is again under pressure, and Real Madrid will try to reignite their La Liga title challenge away to Alaves.
Alaves are in their fifth straight season at this level of football, but it does appear that it will be a struggle for the Basque outfit to retain their status as a top-flight club for the 2021-22 campaign.
Pablo Machin was sacked as head coach earlier this month following a poor run of form, with Abelardo Fernandez now in charge of the club, but the 50-year-old has been unable to oversee a change of fortunes thus far, losing his two games at the helm against Almeria and Sevilla.
Alaves were actually thumped 5-0 by second-tier outfit Almeria in the Copa del Rey on January 16, but there was certainly an improvement in their 2-1 home defeat to Sevilla in the league on Tuesday night.
El Glorioso have won four, drawn six and lost nine of their 19 league matches this season to sit 17th, just one point clear of 18th -placed Elche, who have two games in hand over the side directly above them.
Madrid, meanwhile, are currently on an eight-game unbeaten run in La Liga, which has seen them rise into second spot in the table, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, who have two matches in hand. Zinedine Zidane’s side were held to a goalless draw by Osasuna in their last league game on January 9, though, before suffering two damaging defeats in quick succession.
Indeed, Los Blancos lost 2-1 to Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup on January 14 before incredibly going down 2-1 to third-tier side Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Zidane selected a relatively strong XI for the cup match, but a team including the likes of Marcelo, Isco, Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde came up short on the night.
Madrid will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways in the league, although they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Alaves when the two teams locked horns in the reverse match back in November.
In a related development, new date has been confirmed for the outstanding La Liga fixture between Real Madrid and Getafe.
The match at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium will now be held on 9 February with a 9pm CET kick-off time, as per Marca.
The new date has been confirmed due to Madrid’s shock elimination from the Copa del Rey, which is dominating Real Madrid news this week, meaning that they now have a free midweek along with Los Azulones – who are also no longer in the competition.
It means Los Blancos will face Jose Bordalas’s side just three days after their trip to Huesca and in the midweek slot before they host Valencia while Getafe now have an incredibly tough week – travelling to Sevilla days before this clash before hosting Real Sociedad the following weekend.
Madrid are unbeaten against Getafe in their last 13 meetings, dating back to August 2012.
The game will be held on the night following Atletico Madrid hosting Celta Vigo as the title race in the division heats up.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s high-flying Villarreal side will travel to Aragon ahead of their weekend La Liga clash with Huesca at the Estadio El Alcoraz.
Villarreal, who are currently fourth in the league, will expect to come away from this encounter with all three points, with hosts Huesca currently languishing at the foot of the table.
Emery’s men were unlucky not to beat Granada in the league earlier this week, after veteran striker Paco Alcacer saw his stoppage-time penalty saved by Granada keeper Rui Silva.
The enthralling matchup ended 2-2, with the Yellow Submarine picking up just a single point as their quest to secure Champions League football rumbles on.
The disappointment of that tie aside, Villarreal have been playing some really impressive football this season, exemplified by the fact that they have not yet been bested at El Madrigal.
However, Villarreal’s away form has been more of a point of concern for Emery, with the team only picking up 13 points on their travels so far this season.
Fortunately for Emery, his side boasts one of the best defensive records in the league, having only lost two games all season. It would take a lot for Huesca to find a way past the stolid defensive partnership of Pau Torres and Raul Albiol.
A change of manager has not, as of yet, prompted a change in fortunes for Huesca, with new boss Pacheta unable to find that all-important league win against Getafe last time out.
Only time will tell if the former Elche coach was the correct choice and Pacheta certainly has a lot of work to do if he will succeed in escaping the drop.
Huesca’s last, and only, win came back in mid-December, when they beat Alaves 1-0 at El Alcoraz. Since then, the club have picked up just one point from a possible 18.
Residents of Ibarapa, a conglomeration of agrarian communities in Oyo State, are currently in a state of despondency. The once peaceful area widely regarded as the food basket of the South West part of the country is now literally controlled by kidnappers whose activities are not only robbing the farmers of their source of livelihood but are also turning them into automated teller machines (ATM) from which kidnappers draw money at will by abducting them or their relations for ransom. GBENGA ADERANTI spoke with some of the victims and reports that kidnapping has virtually become a norm in the beleaguered communities.
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In Ibarapa, a conglomeration of highly agrarian communities in Oyo State, it has virtually become a crime to be affluent. All it takes to become a victim of kidnapping is for the kidnappers to have enough reasons to believe that you have the means to pay some good money as ransom. Consequently, both residents and indigenes of the town are living in constant fear.
A conglomeration of seven principal towns known as Ibarapa Meje and their surrounding villages, Ibarapa is definitely one of the most terrorised communities in the South West. It is reckoned that on average, no fewer than 13 residents of the area are taken into captivity by kidnappers every week.
And for a victim to gain freedom, the ransom could be anything from N300,000 to as high as N13 million, depending on the social status of the victim.
Speaking to The Nation, one of the highly placed residents of the area said kidnapping is gradually becoming a way life in that axis of Oyo State.
He recalled a recent incident in which a victim was asked by his abductors to pay the sum of N5 million, and when he told them that his family could not raise such a huge amount, they scoffed and reminded that he had just bought a car worth N10 million and kept it somewhere kept in Lagos!
“He had no choice but to tell his family to rally round and raise the sum demanded by the kidnappers,” the highly placed resident said.
Salisu, a businessman based in the area, now lives in constant fear because almost every supposedly affluent person who is close to him has had the misfortune of being kidnapped and were not left off the hook until their family members had paid the sums demanded as ransom. He believes it is only a matter of time that the same fate would befall him.
While he has prepared his mind for the unseemly experience, he is praying that his abductors would spare his life when it eventually happens, because payment of ransom does not necessarily guarantee that the life of the victim would be spared.
The situation has degenerated to the point that most residents of the affected communities are now afraid to move around, particularly in the evening, for fear of being kidnapped. Consequently, night life had become almost zero even before the 10pm deadline the community gave fun and entertainment spots to shut down.
Kidnap victims relive experience
Sefiu Odugbemi had no premonition of the cruel fate that befell him on that fateful night. It was around 11 pm when he got a call that one of his vehicles had broken down on its way back from the farm.
As he was thinking of what to do, a strange voice from one of the five men in the dark commanded him to follow them. Odugbemi said initially he wanted to resist the order until five men in hoods wielding AK 47 rifles came out of hiding and he knew he was in big trouble.
He said: “I was taken away from the house and for two days I was walking in the forest. Each time I wanted to slow down, they would flog me. They tied my hands and were dragging me.
“At a point, somebody was speaking to one of them in Yoruba at the other end of the telephone, telling them that they should move fast because my family members had contacted the vigilance group and the roads were being cordoned-off.”
While he was in captivity, Odugbemi’s abductors got in touch with his family, demanding a ransom of N50 million.
“For the period I was with them in the forest, it was constant torture while my family members were pleading and negotiating with them,” he said.
Odugbemi called on the government to come to the rescue of the residents of Ibarapa, saying that the activities of kidnappers in the area had gone out of control.
“The vigilance groups are trying their best but these kidnappers carry sophisticated weapons which are superior to what the vigilance groups possess. Government should please rescue us from them,” he said.
A source told the reporter that shortly after Odugbemi was abducted, his abductors drove his car to his residence and made away with his wife’s phone in order to prevent her from making any call. The source also said that when he was initially abducted, he was kept not far away from his house until about 3.30 am when he was moved to another location close to a Fulani settlement in the area.
“He was with his abductors for four days and was constantly tortured. He was released only after a ransom of N5 million was paid.”
For the family of Odugbemi, it was just one in a long list of the unfortunate incident. At the last count, his family had paid more than N12 million to kidnappers as ransom.
A family source told The Nation that it was not the first time a member of the family would be abducted. Before Odugbemi’s abduction, one of his brothers, Seidu, had been abducted, with his abductors demanding N30 million as ransom. The family had to negotiate with the abductors before they settled for N7.2 million.
For another victim, Odeyemi Jide, who was kidnapped in front of his house, it was an event that still makes his heart to skip a beat each time he remembers it.
Odeyemi, a native of Igangan community, believes that but for divine intervention it could have been worse.
He said: “I was in my house around 10 pm that fateful night having my supper helping my child with his assignment when from nowhere the kidnappers came to meet me in front of my house. They were up to 10 and were all hooded. They were Bororos.”
Asked how he managed to know the tribe of his abductors, he said: “I understand their language. I overheard their conversation.
“The first thing they did was to beat, torture me and collect all the money in my pocket. They shot into the air and they hit my head with the butt of their gun. They beat me mercilessly; that is why you see blood on my head in that picture. It was the grace of God that saved my life on that day. It is beyond human comprehension.”
Odeyemi said he was whisked into the forest.
“I was freed within 24 hours. Although they did not ask my family members to pay any ransom, they took all the money I had in my pocket. I really don’t know the exact amount, but I know it was much. God only displayed his mightiness; that was why they released me.”
The rescue team that was raised after Odeyemi was abducted probably aided his quick release from his abductors. ”The noise made by the team made them uncomfortable, and it could be one of the things that made them to release me quickly.”
About three weeks into Year 2021, the activities of the kidnappers in this axis of Oyo State has only worsened. On January 2, Alhaja Sherifat Adisa, the CEO of Subawah Oil, was abducted at about 7:20 pm. In the kidnappers’ bid to take the Subawah boss away, they shot two children dead.
Unlike others who were taken away and freed after ransom was paid by their family members, Alhaja Sherifat was not so lucky. Some hours after her abduction, her lifeless body was found on a footpath very close to her filling station.
Some hours after Alhaja Sherifat was killed, the abductors also went for Dr. Kayode Akindele, the CEO of Funmilayo Health Centre in Tapa. He was said to have been abducted from his house at about 11 pm and was said to have paid N2 million before he was released.
Again, on Monday, January 4, a cassava dealer, Alhaji Aderoju Monsuru was allegedly abducted by some gunmen around 8 pm.
There were speculations to the effect that two of the people who abducted him had attended a prayer session with him.
It was not until his family members coughed out N3.2 million as ransom that he was released.
According to an online report, the kidnappers initially demanded N2.5 million but had to up it because “the abductors were provoked by what they termed as lack of respect for them.”
The report said Monsuru’s kidnappers increased the ransom on the account that when Aderoju’s boss, Olosunde Olusegun, was abducted last year and the ransom was settled at N5 million, the money was later discovered not to be complete. His family members were therefore asked to add the shortfall of the ransom initially collected on Olusegun.
The abduction of a young female farmer, Modupeola Oyetoso and her fiancé some 45 kilometres to Lanlate in July last year attracted so a lot of attention online. In a video released on Youtube by@twinklefiles, the lady in question narrated how she was abducted.
As the story goes, she and her fiancé were attacked by some kidnappers on their way from the farm. Although Oyetoso was released after her parents had paid the ransom requested by her abductors, her fiancé was not that lucky as he died from the bullet wounds he sustained from the attack.
Oyetoso
Oyetoso recalled that after her abduction, they embarked on a long journey of torture in the forest. She said: “After a while, they told me to bring my hand and they tied a rope on my hand. One of them used the rope to pull me, while another one behind was hitting me each time I slowed down as we were running to leave the scene.
“When I slumped, they beat and pulled me up. I had to muster the strength to run with them as it was raining and they were determined to get out of the place.”
We ran almost all through the night. We got to a place where we were supposed to sleep but I could not sleep. They blindfolded me and I didn’t see their faces.
“When we got to a spot, they brought out my fiancé’s phone, removed his SIM card, inserted it into another phone and asked me to call my parents to inform them that they wanted N50 million for my release.
“My father started pleading with them and they told him that if he wanted to see me alive, he should find the money. They spoke with him in Yoruba, but they communicated with themselves using another language.
Insisting that those who abducted her were Fulani, she said: “I farm in a place where we have a lot of Fulani settlers. I am familiar with them. They (suspects) were dressed like them, so, I know they were Fulani.
“In the forest, they told me they didn’t have cattle and that the only thing they did was to kidnap people for money. They said the next time I saw armed robbers, I should stop instead of running, because all they want is money.
“One of them even told me to take what happened as fate and at that point, I realised that they were thinking about my fiancé.
“The rain started and ended while we were in the forest. There was no shelter. When we got to a particular point, there was a river and the current was heavy. One of them went through it first.
“I was shorter than them, so when they told me to come around, I was really scared. My hands were tied as I walked through the river and one of them just held on to the rope and pulled me to get to the other side.”
How kidnapping began in Ibarapa
The General Secretary of All Farmers in the South West, Nigeria and member of the Agbekoya movement, Mr. Taiwo Adeagbo a.k.a. Akowe Agbe blamed the criminal elements among the Fulani and some evil minded Yoruba for all the criminal activities in that axis of Oyo State.
Speaking to The Nation, he said when the first kidnapping took place, he warned that such should not be treated with kid’s glove as it had the tendency to fester, but nobody was ready to listen to him then. He feels, however, vindicated with what is happening in the area.
Adeagbo said: “Kidnapping started in Ibarapa North Local Government in 2013. It all started when a Fulani man of 25-30 years left his boss, who is also a Fulani man. Some years after he departed, he came back to kidnap one of his ex-boss’ children.
“I called the attention of some prominent traditional rulers in Ibarapa North Local Government Area to this but they did not take me seriously. Then I wrote a petition to Zone 11, Ministry of Agriculture, and the DSS. The petition is with the local government. It is also with the traditional rulers.”
Contrary to the belief in some quarters that the Bororo (a variant of the Fulani tribe) are solely responsible for kidnapping in that part of Oyo, he said some Yoruba work hand-in- hand with the non-native kidnappers.
“Any time the Bororo demand ransom, it is these Yoruba people that tell them how much should be collected and the worth of the victims.
“They are the ones that tell the Bororo how much their victims are worth. They tell them that so and so person has so and so number of cows or so and so number of cars in Lagos.”
He recalled that butchers who buy cows and keep them with the Bororo used to be the targets of kidnappers before they extended it to other affluent natives and residents of Ibarapa. “Most of the people that are being kidnapped have cows with the Bororo,” he said.
He disclosed that initially, the issue of kidnapping was limited to the people in cattle business.
He recalled that some of the non-native cow dealers in the community were inviting herdsmen from other countries, and after the invited herders had settled down, their hosts would kill them and take possession of their cows.
“I told the leaders that this thing would come back to haunt us if we allowed these people to continue with their crime,” he said.
He said that at a point, the police started arresting the non-native cow dealers but some monarchs would go to the police to negotiate the release of the criminal elements.
Adeagbo said his advocacy against kidnapping offended many who were profitting from the crime and they started waging war against him.
“But I came out unscathed. I am happy I got the full support of the Alaafin in my fight against these criminally minded leaders,” he told The Nation.
But while Adeagbo is preoccupied with restoring peace in Ibarapaland, he is yet to get the needed support from the political class. He is therefore yearning for moral and financial support from eminent Ibarapa indigenes.
“It is because these kidnappers live in comfort unhindered that they think of abducting people. If we have the financial muscle, we know what to do. Unfortunately, the political class is not doing anything to support this fight against kidnapping.”
He told our correspondent that those who were profiting from the crime had attempted to win him to their side, and when that failed, they made an attempt on his life but did not succeed.
He said: “The last time they made such an attempt was at their meeting, but they were warned that if they eventually succeeded, their action would have dire consequences. If they succeed in killing me, I would go, but many people would die.”
How they operate
Although many people are quick to blame herdsmen for the dreaded kidnapping business, The Nation gathered that most of them work with some of the criminal Yoruba hosts. According to a source, what these kidnappers normally do is to enlist indigenes who give them information about Yoruba people who are capable of paying when abducted.
Their job does not end there. The informants are always very close to the scene of the kidnapping, updating kidnappers on the steps being taken by vigilance groups and security agents to track them.
After abduction, the victims are usually taken into the forest where there are Fulani settlements. From there, they communicate with the family members of the victims and ransom is negotiated.
Suspecting that some indigenes are working in tandem with the kidnappers, different groups of Ibarapa indigenes have resorted to taking oaths not to support kidnapping. The groups include the okada riders, butchers, chiefs and youths.
As a way of stemming the tide of kidnapping in Ibarapa, the monarchs in the communities that made up Ibarapa held a security meeting where some key decisions were taken.
It was resolved that commercial motorcycles would not be allowed to ride any time from 10 pm.
The meeting also resolved that joints and beer parlours should not operate beyond 10 pm.
It was also resolved that all the cow markets in that axis of Oyo State should be permanently shut.
But in a swift reaction, the Seriki Fulani in Oyo State, Alhaji Saliu Kadir, faulted the closure of the cow markets in Ibarapa area. He said although it behoves everyone to work together to restore lasting peace in the area, “closure of Kara Market is not the solution to the problem. It will only create hardship for everybody; not only the Fulani. Those who make use of Kara Markets are not all Fulani.
“It is a known fact that the markets are for everybody and closing it will seal the sources of income of many people.
“Those who are kidnapping and killing people will not operate in day time and Kara markets open during the day. There should be alternative ways of curbing this menace.”
While expressing displeasure with blaming the Fulani for the atrocities being committed in the region, he enjoined the Fulani community to be vigilant so as to expose all the bad elements among them.
Also, the Students’ Union of Ibarapa, an umbrella body of Ibarapa students, embarked on protests to express their displeasure with the state of security apparatus in the region.
In a related development, the youths of Ibarapa communities, in a meeting held during the week, resolved that they would visit the monarchs one by one and tell them to sell the cows they have with the herders within one week or risk being sent out of their palaces.
The Nation gathered that more than 200 youths attended the meeting in each of the five communities that make up Ibarapa North and Central local government areas.
About 500 youths were also said to have volunteered to follow popular anti-kidnapping crusader, Sunday Igboho, into the forest to flush out kidnappers.
Economic implications
The insecurity in Ibarapaland is likely to have serious economic implications on the people of the South West.
Tunde Hassan, a resident of the community, warned that if nothing is done about the kidnapping cases, most farmers would not return to their farms.
He said: “Farmers are constantly being attacked by the Bororo and many of them are not ready to return to the farm. If they can’t go to the farm, how would they survive? It is not just about people here, it is also going to affect the end users; those of them in the cities, especially in Lagos. The bulk of the farm produce from ours farms here is taken to major food markets in Lagos.”
At the time of filing this report, most of the farmers in that axis of the South West have abandoned their farms for fear of being kidnapped. The shutting down of Kara Market is hurting all. Besides the adverse effect on the cow dealers and butchers, those who depend on revenue from the market are not finding things easy.
Why kidnapping may be difficult to stop
The security situation of the community is made worse by the large expanse of the forest that is uninhabited and difficult to secure.
Though the security outfit of the South West, Amotekun, Operation Burst, local vigilance and others are trying to end the activities of kidnappers, it is like fetching water in a basket as more experienced security personnel are needed for the job.
The efforts of the security agents have also been dwarfed by the sophisticated weapons the kidnappers go about with. Most security agents do not have the kind of weapon needed to match the fire power of the kidnappers.
In a separate report, Adeagbo noted that most of the monarchs in that part of Oyo State had sold their lands to herdsmen.
He alleged that each time a kidnap suspect among the herders is arrested, before the suspect is taken to the Oyo State Police headquarters at Eleyele, Ibadan, one of the leaders of the herders would have called Abuja, asking that the suspect be freed instantly.
Last week, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, bit the bullet by firmly stating during a meeting with Hausa/Fulani and Ebira Communities that herdsmen in Ondo would have to beat it from the state’s forest reserves if they would not be registered. Things had got progressively worse concerning the state’s security for years and someone needed to do something about it. As the state governor, the constitutional lot fell on him to take the bull by the horns. That was exactly what he did. For the herdsmen, it was only a matter of time so it is no surprise that when the state acted, they ended up with the short end of the stick, especially considering the rate at which they soaked up pressure and accusations pointing to their culpability in insecurity across the country. The recent kidnap and ransoming of a couple in Ondo State, and the police’s comical attempt to claim the glory for their rescue may have played a part in the governor’s recent decisive stance.
Firing the first shot, Akeredolu had said, “These unfortunate incidents are traceable to the activities of some bad elements masquerading as herdsmen. These felons have turned our forest reserves into hideouts for keeping victims of kidnapping, negotiating for ransom and carrying out other criminal activities. As the Chief Law and Security Officer of the State, it is my constitutional obligation to do everything lawful to protect the lives and property of all residents of the State… Our resolution to guarantee the safety of lives and property within the state shall remain utmost as security agencies have been directed to enforce the ban. In its usual magnanimity, our administration will give a grace period of seven days for those who wish to carry on with their cattle-rearing business to register with appropriate authorities.”
The governor’s statement was welcome by most of the southwest, especially Yoruba elders who already felt that it was only a matter of time before things came to a head in this manner. Yoruba elders in Ondo too have seized the opportunity to publicly express just how glad they would be to see the back of herdsmen in their lands. For a long time, many had been waiting for one of the governors in the Southwest to develop the right amount of spunk to do the needful. Governor Akeredolu’s policy, however, caught the eye and drew the ire of Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity. It remains unclear whether he read the governor’s statement in full before hastily cobbling together an ill-fated reply that not only attracted cavil, but one which left Nigerians short of imprecating many strange words at him under their breaths. Mr Shehu himself is not a stranger to controversy; his recent statements came on the heels of his claim last week that Nigerians were blind and only President Muhammadu Buhari could see something useful about the service chiefs. Neither the presidency nor Mr Shehu himself can deny knowledge of the security condition in these states, so trying to take Akeredolu to task on the issue was more of an attempt to buck the trend, before it had even started, of governors expelling unregistered herdsmen from their states. Indeed, Senator Shehu Sanni, public commentator and regular thorn in the presidential flesh, once piped up that herdsmen were being overprotected and pampered.
Nevertheless, some nuggets from the presidential spokesman: “Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals. If this were to be the case, rights groups will be right in expressing worries that the action could set off a chain of events which the makers of our constitution foresaw and tried to guard against. We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved. But, to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel. We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.”
His statements have been roundly condemned as being just a sandwich short of a picnic and it is difficult to advocate for him against those who have taken exception to his position. There were more circumspect arguments he could have thought of, instead of the ill-fated reaction he could muster. In fact, he would have fared better if he had simply clammed up and looked the other way. But, he has done what he has done and has hopefully learnt to be less hasty in commenting on deep ethnic issues, a tricky area of nationhood capable of hanging, drawing and quartering even the more broad-minded. It is disturbing that he did not wait to sample public opinion before delivering his own. Where the presidency is the first to speak and the last to listen, there will anyone perceptive enough find a recipe for disaster. Even as far back as 798AD, it had become a common aphorism to observe that vox populi, vox dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God). How then, after all these years, with the many advances in the political theory of democracy, has that simple basic truth escaped Mr Shehu and the presidency he is believed to have represented by that statement?
Governor Akeredolu will not develop cold feet in the face of increasing adversity, instead he will dig his heels in and see to it that herdsmen, who are not registered, are banished completely from the state’s forest reserves. He has the law and the people on his side, and the people are angry, ready and virtually vindictive. The state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, parried Mr. Shehu’s reaction and even followed it up with an indistinct counteraccusation of ethnic sentimentalism. He observed that, “Ethnic nationality and activism on the part of anyone hiding under the presidency or federal government is an ill wind. We need clearly defined actions on the part of the federal government to decimate the erroneous impression that the inspiration of these criminal elements masquerading as herdsmen is that of power. Our unity is threatened, no doubt.”
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Gboyega Adefarati, recently revealed how the governor took recourse to the Land Use Act (1969) and the Trade cattle Tax Law of Ondo (2006). The right to freedom of movement alluded to by Mr Shehu is enshrined in Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, but is quickly derogated by Section 41(2) and Section 45(1) of the same Constitution. The herdsmen courted with this danger for a long time and had become persona non grata in Ondo state as far back as 2019. On September 22 that year, a mysterious thunder had been said to leave 36 cows dead in its wake. Some other reports said it was the lightening and not the thunder that did the cows in. Both theories have a strange diabolical romance to the avid believer in the potency of traditional Yoruba magick. Of course, no one knows the truth of the matter and the cows could have simply ingested some poisonous substance and perished for all anyone knows, but the rejoicing of many of the state’s indigenes over the matter should have served as ample warning to them that they were no longer welcome in Ondo. In fact, Ondo State’s approach to tackling the herdsmen crisis is not completely avant garde. In 2017, Benue State imposed a restriction on the movement of herders in the state upon pain of five years imprisonment should they default.
Perhaps resulting from Governor Akeredolu’s actions, Sunday Igboho, a self-styled Yoruba freedom fighter whose incendiary views often enjoy media coverage, also made his own moves. The livewire activist paid a menacing visit to the Seriki Fulani in Oyo state where he delivered a pointed ultimatum to them to put their affairs in order and kindly go away lest he be forced to do something that he would prefer not to do. According to Igboho, he had been invited after certain distressing kidnapping activities in the state appeared set to fade away without justice being done. Igboho is neither a state actor nor a member of any official security agencies so summoning him to help and his involvement in the matter tried the country’s 1999 Constitution a little. The circumstances surrounding his summons, however, and his narration of the affair call for more scrutiny. Igboho was summoned because the people had no faith in the police or other relevant security agencies. The cars and weapons he claimed to have discovered in the house of the Seriki, and the allegations that the same Seriki was part of a kidnapping outfit featuring herders also deserves to be looked into. He will not be happy that Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, perhaps trying to play the diplomat, effectually chided him in a broadcast preaching against anyone stoking ethnic tensions in the state. The governor is right, but perhaps a little too right. Some have accused him of sitting on the fence instead of taking an action as decisive as that of Governor Akeredolu. Chiding Igboho but taking the cue from both Igboho and Governor Akeredolu to impose workable restrictions geared at curtailing the mobility of suspected terrorists would have been more welcome. The governor had been tightly wedged between a rock and a hard place, as most other governors have been, on state insecurity. Governor Akeredolu has set the ball rolling; how many more will follow
Baby in endless cry as mom’s breast fails to produce milk
I’m guilty of rape, says vice principal who impregnated her
Ordinarily, a woman who has just been delivered of a baby requires the protection of her husband. She is also expected to breast feed her new born child. That, however, is not the case with Hadiza Ibrahim, a junior secondary school pupil forced into early motherhood by her supposed academic and moral guardian. She has neither the man that would provide her warmth nor the breast milk her new born baby would suck.
The hapless 12-year-old became pregnant after she was allegedly raped by Ibrahim Tukur, the …….year-old vice-principal of Kadandani Community School in Rimi Local Government Area, Katsina State, where Hadiza was a pupil.
When our correspondent visited Hadiza on her hospital bed on Thursday at the Post Natal Ward of Federal Medical Centre, Katsina where she was delivered of a baby through caesarean section, she was seen sitting beside her baby on her hospital bed, eating noodles. Visitors and other patients at the ward were shocked at the sight of a young mother who probably needed as much motherly care as her four-day-old baby.
Asked why the baby was crying, Hadiza’s mother, Rabi Ibrahim, who is also nursing a three-month-old baby, said the baby was hungry but Hadiza could not breastfeed her because her breasts were yet to fully develop. She also said they had no money to food supplements for the baby.
She said: “My name is Rabi Ibrahim. I am the mother to Hadiza and she is my first born.
“Hadiza was impregnated in the school by her class teacher. We did not know until she was about to give birth four days ago and we brought her here in the hospital. I thought she would abort the pregnancy, not knowing that she was going to give birth.
“This evil teacher of Hadiza is fond of doing that to people’s children in the school; it is just that Allah wants him to pay for his evil deed through my daughter, Hadiza.
“He would deceive her with N50, saying that he is her father because her father’s name is also Ibrahim, which mean he has access to interact with his daughter even though he is the teacher. That pave way for him to always abuse her sexually without us knowing what was happening.
“Hadiza could not tell us what was going on with her in the school because this evil teacher threatened to punish her if she told anyone about it. She kept it secret even from us her parents.
“Nobody understood what was going on with Hadiza. She did not show any sign of pregnancy. The evil teacher has three wives.
“There is no milk in my daughter’s breasts but we do improvise milk for the baby to sustain her with the help of doctors and nurses in the hospital.”
Hadiza’s mother denied receiving any help from Tukur, who is now in police custody. She solicited for help from public spirited individuals and corporate citizens.
Hadiza herself could not speak fluently because she had sore throat at the time our correspondent visited, though she managed to utter some words.
She said: “He (Tukur) used to give me “kudi-ya” (Hausa phrase for the money a father gives to his daughter as gift). He gave me N50, N100 or N200 at different times. Then he would call me into his office and sleep with me.”
What remained puzzling, however, is how a girl’s pregnancy would mature and she would be delivered of the baby without the breasts developed enough to feed her child.
Dr Bola Kale, a consultant/gynecologist with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Katsina, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, described the scenario as unusual.
He said: “It is not about age. Even for those who are well mature, for one reason or the other, there might be delay in production of breast milk. Some will start early for the first feeding but some may be delayed.
“Sometimes we may just recommend breast pump for some people to stimulate, because it is about the physiological effect. It differs from one person to another.
“It is not about her age; it is just because nature may have delayed in producing breast milk.
“What will happen is that they will continue to pump her breasts. In fact, if they have money, they can buy a breast pump so that the child will not continue to be on breast milk supplements.”
He noted that there are exceptional cases of even 11 years old girls developing breasts before their teenage years and some between16 and 20 years not having their breasts fully developed.
He, however, expressed concern that in Hadiza’s case they may have to spend a lot of money on milk supplements, especially when the baby gets up to a month old when they might be buying milk supplements every three days
I’m guilty as charged, says Tukur
Tukur, the alleged rapist and vice-principal of Kadandani Community School, told journalists in Hausa language at the police headquarters in Katsina that he committed the act as alleged.
He said: “I am being accused of committing rape and it is true I committed the crime. I have been having affairs with the girl for eight months now. I used to take her to my house and offer her the sum of N300 of N500. Some other times, I would give her N200 to sleep with her.
“Information reaching me right now is that the girl has been delivered of a baby boy for me. I have three wives.”
Parading the suspect, the spokesperson of the Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, Gambo Isah, a Superintendent of Police, said the victim’s father, Ibrahim Sale had complained that Tukur, on several occasions, lured his 12-year-old daughter into his house, had carnal knowledge of her and in the process impregnated her.
The PPRO further expressed the concern of the command on the upsurge in rape cases across Katsina State, adding that it has become imperative to alert members of the public, especially parents, to always look after their wards.
He said: “The command, under the leadership of CP Sanusi Buba, is collaborating with relevant stakeholders such as the government, traditional institutions, religious leaders, women organisations, the media, civil society organisations, trade unions, etc., on the necessity of public sensitization in order to rid the state of this menace.”
General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, is a definition of grace which has sustained him for 78 years as a human and 40 years as a pastor.
As the respected cleric celebrated his 40th anniversary as head of one of the biggest churches in the world on Thursday, January 21, he recalled some old memories.
In a video interview, Adeboye admitted that when he was told he would become the General Overseer by the late founder of RCCG, Reverend (Pa) Josiah Akindayomi, he said ‘God forbid.’
He explained: “I prefer the quiet life and I still prefer the quiet life. The quiet life as far as I am concerned is the sweetest and I knew then that becoming the general overseer will expose me a lot. If you like a quiet life, you don’t want to head an international organisation and my father in the Lord told me clearly that I would travel all over the world. I told him I was willing to serve as a pastor under a General Overseer and I will do my best but apparently what is written is written. So here we are.”
According to him, the first years as a young GO were full of challenges from senior pastors who were there before he became born again and probably saw me as an upstart.
“The church was started in 1953, I joined the church in 1973. Many of these pastors were my teachers, workers in training and baptismal classes. So just coming from nowhere and being catapulted above them all, one could understand that it was not too pleasant. Initially, the cooperation was not too robust,” he explained.
“The initial mistake I made as GO maybe was that I trusted too much. It took me some time to learn that only God could be trusted and that led to some mistakes. I would ask somebody to go do something, go to sleep believing the thing was done. Only to wake up and discover that the person had not moved. The only friend you can trust 100 per cent is God.”
Born in Osun State to very humble parents, Adeboye completed his first degree at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1967. The same year, he married Foluke Adenike and they are blessed with four children – Adeolu, Bolu, Dare and Leke.
The family of the late former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, has debunked claims that he died after attending a party – the video of which has been trending on the social media.
In a statement issued by a cousin to the late professor, Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, the family said the party in question held years ago before the outbreak of the pandemic.
The statement reads: “It has come to our notice, a video trending on social media where late Prof Oye Ibidapo-Obe was at a party with his wife, which is now being mischievously presented as a source of his death, they attributed the video clip to source of contracting coronavirus.
“To put the record straight, the trending video was a party attended years ago, even before the emergence of coronavirus, and in addition to this, our father in his life time is also mindful of the virus and cautious of the guidelines and protocols, which necessitated him carrying out many of his academic and social functions among others on zoom/webinar.”
Members of the family have since taken the COVID-19 tests and returned negative results on three occasions.
“To further douse the insinuation of coronavirus as source of his death, the bereaved wife, Mrs Sola Ibidapo-Obe, alongside other family members had thrice presented themselves for coronavirus tests and the results were confirmed negative on each of the medical examination”, the family said.
‘The death and cause is best known to God, who, we as mortal could not question, but to take solace in the Almighty who is a comforter, because before our father’s death he remained bubbling and active,” the statement added.
The family used the medium to express appreciation to symphatizers for standing with them and rendering support at this trying period, praying that God would continue to be with them.
‘We also used this opportunity to appreciate and thank all symphatizers for standing with us and rendering support for us at this trying period and pray that God will continue to guide each and everybody. No doubt it is painful that he left us at 71, but we are also happy that he lived a fulfilled life and we thank God for a life well spent. He came, he saw and he conquered. Finally, we thank other family members across the globe, friends, colleagues and associates, as we commence befitting burial arrangements for our darling father. God bless you abundantly,” concluded.
