Emissary meets Irigwe, Miyetti Allah leaders, secures breakthrough in Jos South farm dispute
A move intended to bring about permanent peace in Plateau State has been initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The deployment of a special presidential emissary to the state, which has been the epicentre of inter-ethnic and inter-religious crises for decades, is a first step to bringing about a permanent truce on the plateau.
For two days last week, the emissary, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, had engagements with leaders of religious and ethnic nationalities in the state with a presidential peace deal.
According to Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Dr. Essiet also met with traditional rulers, community groups and youth representatives.
Essiet, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (Northcentral), arrived in Plateau on Thursday, meeting separately with Christian clerics and Miyetti Allah leaders before convening a broad town hall meeting in Jos, the state capital.
The meeting focused on strengthening community-based peace structures and promoting coexistence among diverse ethnic and religious communities in the state.
In Barkin Ladi, she had an engagement with Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council, where discussions centred on the role of faith-based leadership in building unity and driving social development.
Dachomo, regarded as one of the most vocal figures for Christian communities in Plateau, joined Essiet in addressing widows and conveying President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation.
The presidential envoy also held talks with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to deepen dialogue between pastoralist and farming communities, reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
She later facilitated a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the 17 Local Government Areas.
In Bassa, the session brought together the Irigwe community, Miyetti Allah representatives and the Youth Council of Bassa Local Government Area.
Discussions focused on sustaining peace and strengthening the work of the 17-member peace committee, fostering dialogue and reconciliation among local groups.
Essiet reiterated President Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance,” stressing that community-based peace mechanisms remain essential for grassroots unity and long-term stability in the Northcentral.
A major early success of the intervention was recorded in Jos South, where a lingering dispute between a farmer, David Toma, and some herdsmen was resolved.
Toma had seized two cows after his farm in Gyel district was destroyed.
On November 15, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the cows.
Both sides signed an undertaking to maintain peace.
The Presidency said the Plateau visit forms part of the administration’s broader strategy to strengthen dialogue frameworks and encourage harmony across conflict-prone communities.
The history of ethnic attacks in Plateau is marked by a cycle of conflict that intensified around 2001, primarily involving clashes between predominantly Christian farming communities (like the Berom) and Muslim Fulani herders.
These clashes are rooted in long-standing issues over land ownership, political representation, and resource allocation, which are often framed by indigene/settler dynamics.
While pre-2001 violence was often less organised, the violence has become more widespread, brutal, and sustained across several LGAs since the 2001 Jos crisis.
…promise to diligently work for Tinubu’s re-election
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State have passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, praising his leadership and ongoing reforms.
The decision was taken on Sunday during a meeting at the party’s secretariat in Umuahia, where confidence votes were also extended to key party leaders, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North; Hon. Chris Nwonta of Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency; and Hon. Emmanuel Ndubuisi of Bende South in the State Assembly.
The leaders reaffirmed their unwavering support for President Tinubu and declared full alignment with his “transformative achievements.”
They pledged to work diligently and strategically toward securing his re-election in 2027.
They also urged party members to maintain unity, cohesion, and a shared sense of purpose in all party activities, emphasising that the Abia APC remains a united and formidable political family under the leadership of State Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Kingsley Ononogbu.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the stakeholders directed the State Working Committee to immediately commence the party’s E-Registration Exercise to strengthen mobilisation and internal organisation.
“All party leaders across the 17 LGAs and wards are mandated to mobilize fully to ensure the exercise is comprehensive, seamless, and highly successful.
“All new members are required to register strictly at their respective wards in accordance with the provisions of the APC Constitution.
“Stakeholders expressed satisfaction with the renewed sense of unity, harmony, and cooperation currently enjoyed among party leaders.
“All party stakeholders are encouraged to intensify grassroots mobilization and continue attracting new members to further strengthen and expand the party’s structure.
The Abia State APC resolves to work relentlessly to secure victory in the 2027 general elections, ensuring that the Abia Government House and all elective positions are won decisively in favour of the All Progressives Congress.
The stakeholders meeting led by the chairman of the party, Chief (Dr.) Kingsley Ononogbu) was attended by leaders of the party from the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has felicitated with the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi Telu I, on the 10th anniversary of his ascension to the ancient throne.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President joined the indigenes of Iwoland, as well as friends and admirers of the monarch, in celebrating what he described as a significant milestone.
President Tinubu extolled Oba Akanbi’s “tremendous impact and progressive streaks” over the past decade, noting that the monarch has carved a notable place for himself in contemporary Yoruba leadership.
He particularly commended Oluwo’s strong and consistent advocacy for the revival and preservation of Yoruba cultural heritage, describing him as a prominent voice in cultural renaissance.
“Like him or hate him, you can hardly ignore his dynamism and leadership and the fact that his people deeply love him. I congratulate Oba Telu on this milestone. My thoughts are with him and the people of this great city at this moment”, the President said.
President Tinubu wished Oluwo many more years on the throne and a continued life of service and impact.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to restore lasting peace in Plateau State with the deployment of a federal peace emissary, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, who concluded a two-day engagement with religious leaders, traditional rulers, community groups and youth representatives in the state.
Essiet, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), arrived Plateau on Thursday, meeting separately with Christian clerics and Fulani Miyetti Allah leaders before convening a broad town hall meeting in Jos.
The parley, which brought together delegates from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women leaders and youth groups, focused on strengthening community-based peace structures and promoting coexistence among diverse ethnic and religious communities in the state.
In Barkin Ladi, she paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council, where discussions centred on the role of faith-based leadership in building unity and driving social development.
Dachomo, regarded as one of the most vocal figures for Christian communities in Plateau, joined Essiet in addressing widows and conveying President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation.
The presidential envoy also held talks with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to deepen dialogue between pastoralist and farming communities, reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
She later facilitated a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the 17 Local Government Areas.
A closed-door session in Bassa brought together the Irigwe community, Miyetti Allah representatives and the Youth Council of Bassa LGA.
Discussions focused on sustaining peace and strengthening the work of the 17-member peace committee fostering dialogue and reconciliation among local groups.
Essiet reiterated President Tinubu’s “unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance,” stressing that community-based peace mechanisms remain essential for grassroots unity and long-term stability in the North Central region.
A major early success of the intervention was recorded in Jos South, where a lingering dispute between a farmer, David Toma, and some herdsmen was resolved.
Toma had seized two cows after his farm in Gyel district was destroyed. On November 15, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the cows.
Both sides signed an undertaking to maintain peace.
The Presidency said the Plateau visit forms part of the administration’s broader strategy to strengthen dialogue frameworks and encourage harmony across conflict-prone communities.
President Bola Tinubu has called on the authorities of tertiary institutions across the country to prioritise curriculum reform to produce graduates equipped with practical, market-ready skills for today’s rapidly evolving labour landscape.
Speaking on Saturday at the 38th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), in Ondo State, the President said Nigerian higher institutions must move beyond outdated teaching models and embrace innovative, skills-driven learning that supports both employability and entrepreneurship.
Tinubu, represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, noted that curriculum redesign remains crucial to national development.
He stressed that his administration was committed to strengthening the higher education system through improved policies, investment in technology, research funding, and stronger university-industry collaborations.
The President added that his government would continue to provide an enabling environment for investments and businesses to thrive, especially in the areas of technology, renewable energy, health sciences, and vocational trades.
“While today’s ceremony brings joy, it is overwhelming to consider the number of graduates joining the labour market. It is therefore important to focus on the relevance of our curricula to employability and job creation.
“Government alone cannot directly provide jobs for the teeming graduates from our institutions, but we will continue to create an environment where businesses can grow. This administration recognises the critical role of science, technology, and innovation in our national development,” he said.
Tinubu also highlighted ongoing efforts under the digital economy agenda, renewable energy initiatives, and infrastructure development, revealing that they present new opportunities for graduates.
On agriculture, he reiterated that Nigeria’s abundant natural resources offer significant prospects for wealth creation, urging graduates to explore opportunities in the sector.
The President called for a review of the long-standing practice of relying solely on government for university funding, stressing the need for more sustainable models.
He also encouraged parents, guardians, and alumni to complement government efforts, as practised globally, emphasising the need to strengthen the link between tertiary institutions and industry so that research outputs can be more impactful and commercially relevant.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY CHIEF FEMI FANI-KAYODE, THE SADAUKIN SHINKAFI, AT THE AKURE NBA CONFERENCE, 11th NOVEMBER, 2025.
R. James Barnett, a PhD candidate at Oxford University, wrote the following in an essay titled ‘Nigeria’s Crisis Runs Deeper Than Just A War On Christians’ for the Washington Post a few days ago.
He wrote, inter alia, that, “Christians absolutely are being threatened and killed in parts of Nigeria. I can personally attest to it. But to frame Nigeria’s crisis entirely in that way badly distorts the complicated and tragic reality on the ground. Shaping U.S. policy around such distortions, especially when U.S. troops may be put in harm’s way, will not yield good outcomes. For several years, I lived and worked in Nigeria, studying its conflicts and interviewing different militant groups. I would never advise anyone to downplay the suffering of Christians who have experienced horrific attacks. I have seen and heard from many victims firsthand. But I have also seen the impact of similarly horrific violence across Muslim communities. To ignore the latter is to misunderstand what is really going on. Voices ranging from former Trump officials to the Vatican have cautioned against framing Nigeria’s complex insecurity in solely religious terms. Conflict has grown rampant in Nigeria under successive governments and the country now faces various militant groups pursuing different agendas. Lumping them all together and reducing their motives to anti-Christian animus is a mistake”.
Barnett is absolutely right. I sincerely hope and pray, for all our sakes, that someone in the White House is listening before it is too late.
Permit me to begin this contribution with the following basic points.
My belief is that we must eliminate every single terrorist and those that are sponsoring them in Nigeria.
I do not believe in dialogue with them or forgiving them. I do not believe in negotiation with them. I do not believe in pampering them or managing them. I do not believe in rehabilitating them into the Nigerian Armed Forces.
I believe in crushing them and sending them to their maker and in doing so quickly and decisively.
This has been my position for the last 20 years and it will always be my position.
Demons and vampires do not have any place in the land of the living and they have no right to life.
The Bible tells us that there can be no fellowship between light and darkness and you either choose God or Belial: I choose God.
Every single one of them, whether they be Boko Haram, ISWAP, Ansaru, Al Qaeda, JNIR, Lakurawa, the killer herdsmen, the kidnapping bandits or any other must be despatched to hell where they came from and our country must be cleansed of their filth and verminous evil.
They are a cancerous plague that must be eradicated with clinical precision and by brute force.
Outside of that I believe that genocide, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, war crimes and mass murder of the most horrendous nature HAS been carried out by each of these groups in Nigeria over the last 20 years against Christians and I have been saying so for many years perhaps more than ANYONE else but today there is a difference and a caveat that makes the problem even more horrendous than it already is and which we ignore at our own peril.
The caveat and difference, and this has been so for the last ten years and is a fact that many, including yours truly, were totally oblivious and blind to is the fact that their villainous and callous butchery was not limited to Christians alone: they butcher the Muslims too and they do so in equal if not greater numbers.
That is the reality and challenge that we are faced with which is lost on many whether anyone cares to believe it or not.
We are ALL victims today and not just the Christians and this doesn’t in any way diminish the suffering that the Christian community has experienced for many years. It only means that we have not suffered it alone.
The solution to the problem is for our political leadership and Armed Forces to muster the resolve and political will to ruthlessly wipe out the Islamist terrorists and foreign militias once and for all.
That is an obligation that falls on the shoulders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alone and he must honor it.
From what I have seen so far it appears that he has the fortitude and courage to do that but he must go all the way and finish the job.
The world and the Nigerian people want to see concrete action and the implementation of extraordinarily ruthless, violent and aggressive methods and not just hear long talk, promises of success or long-winded and outworne platitudes from Government officials.
To be fair to the security apparatus and the current administration more terrorists have been killed in the past two years than the previous eight years put together.
This is commendable but they must go further. The Nigerian people are baying for the blood of these terrorists and they must see it flow into an ocean of divine retribution.
What certainly doesn’t help is when, instead of that, we are assaulted and provoked with pictures and video footage of Islamist terrorists having so-called “peace talks” with state Government officials in places like Katsina.
Yet as traumatising as all this may be our greatest challenge today comes not from the Islamist terrorists in the North or even from the equally barbaric savagery of separist groups in the South East like ESN but rather from the wild, puerile and infantile tantrums, psychotic delusions and sadistic disposition of the Jekyl and Hyde character, feral psycopath and malevolent narcissist who currently presides over the affairs of the United States of America and who sits in the White House.
Let me make this clear: anyone that does not fully appreciate the fact that Donald Trump’s motives for threatening our nation with war are disingenuous, self-serving, baseless, unfounded and questionable and anyone that does not recognise the fact that his mental instability, thin skin, fragile ego, incendiary emotions, pernicious deceit, avaricious appetite, obessesion with money, lust for power, low intelligence quotient and volatile disposition is capable of driving him into actually dropping bombs on Nigeria and sending in American ground troops for no just cause does not know Trump.
Make no mistake: his intention is NOT to help us fight the terrorists or to save Christians in Nigeria but rather to drive a wedge between Christians and Muslims, ignite the fire of a brutal and never-ending religious war, establish a Sudan-like arena of butchery and carnage, send in the Marines or Derek Princes’ CIA-funded private army of Blackwater mercenaries and finally carve up and occupy our land and pillage our rare earth, gold, lithium, uranium, diamonds, gems, precious metals, crude oil, aluminium, natural gas and other mineral resources.
His intention is NOT to help our country fight the terrorists and rid us of them but to subject her to the same thing they did to Yugoslavia in the 1990’s by bombing the entire country to smithereens, shattering our fragile unity and breaking us up into five or more smaller countries and vassal states each of which will be compelled to have U.S. military bases, each of which will take orders from Washington and each of which they will control, manipulate and dominate.
Total and complete oppression, subjugation and re-colonisation: that is their ultimate objective and anyone that cannot see or appreciate that knows nothing about the intrigues and deadly power-play of world politics or world history and is chronically and willfully blind.
It is true that Christians have suffered immeasurably in our country over the years and have been subjected to genocide, ethnic cleansing, mass murder, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the most vicious and pernicious forms of persecution at the hands of foreign-backed terrorists and Islamist militias but it is not true that they are the only ones that have suffered this terrible fate and horrendous ordeal.
Muslims have suffered the same fate and in equal measure at the hands of the same barbaric monsters and terrorists.
As a matter of fact if you want to talk about state-sponsored persecution and genocide in the North over the last twenty years it is not the Northern Christians that were subjected to this but rather the Shia Muslims of Kaduna who had over 1000 of their members slaughtered in one afternoon in Zaria, Kaduna state in 2016 simply for blocking a road when Gen. Tukur Burutai was Chief of Army Staff, Nasir El Rufai was Governor of Kaduna state and President Muhammadu Buhari was President.
Outside of that I am not aware that Christian communities in Northern Nigeria were targetted for elimination or mass murder by officers of the state anytime or anywhere over the last 20 years.
They have been targetted by non-state actors and terrorist militias but certainly not officers of the Nigerian military as the Americans are trying to suggest.
Trump claims that Nigerian Christians are facing an existential threat yet this is far from the truth.
It is true that many Christians and Muslims are being targetted and killed by terrorists in Nigeria but it is not true to suggest that Christianity is facing an “existential threat” and if it is true then it means that Muslims are facing an existential threat as well.
How can we be facing an existential threat when there are over 120 million Christians in our nation which represents 50% of the overall population?
How can we be facing an existential threat when every single one of the seventeen states in Southern Nigeria and three of the 19 states in the North are headed by Christian Governors and Chief Security Officers.
How can we be facing an existential threat when 62% of all Governnent appointments have been given to Christians under the Tinubu administration?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the Senate President, the Secretary to the Federal Government and the majority of Federal Ministers, including those that preside over key Ministries like the Minister of Finance and Co-Ordinating Economy, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, the Minister of State for Oil, the Minister of State for Gas, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and so many more are all Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, the Chairman of the EFCC, the Director of Military Intelligence, the Comptroller General of Immigration, the Comptroller General of Prisons and so many more that head our nations military, para-military and security agencies are Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when for the previous eight years before Tinubu came to power every single operational security chief in our nation’s seventeen security organisations was a Northen Muslim yet when he assumed office he changed all that and balanced the equation by appointing and including Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the Governor of Central Bank, the Chairman of the Tax Reform Commitee and the Chairman of the FIRS are all Christians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when three out of the ten largest, richest and most powerful and influential Churches and Church leaders in the world who have broken enormous boundaries and spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in a remarkable and ground breaking way both in our nation and outside of it are Nigerians?
How can we be facing an existential threat when the President’s wife is not only a Pentecostal Christian but also a Pastor?
How can we be facing an existential threat when, for the first time in many years, Christians are treated with respect and accorded decorum in all spheres of human endeavour in our nation ever since Tinubu took over the reigns of power.
We may be facing a strong challenge from Islamist terrorist organisations and there may be tensions between Christians and Muslims in some parts of our country but to say that Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria is not only absurd but also betrays a sinister and malevolent motive in the hearts and minds of those who propagate and assert it.
They are crying wolf where there is none and they are setting us up for the kill.
Trump is driven by a pathological hatred for Africans, black and brown people and Muslims.
He is also driven by an overwhelming, compulsive, all-consuming and inexplicable greed and avarice for material things.
He has been afflicted with what the those of us in Pentecostal circles describe as a ‘Demastic annointing’ (named after the Apostle Paul’s loyal disciple called Demas who lost his way and fell in love with worldly things) which has resulted in his obsession with and addiction to the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, the lust for power, the lust for treasure, the lust for land and the pride of life.
He is also totally and completely irrational, unpredictable and unbalanced which makes him a very real danger to the entire world.
His words must not be taken lightly and we must prepare for the very worse.
Those that believe that he can be talked into not doing what he clearly wants to do to our nation are ignorant, undiscerning and deluded and they are oblivious of his innate and irredeemable lunacy.
I say this because there are speculations and reports in the media that President Tinubu seeks to meet with him at the White House in an attempt to “resolve” all the issues.
If true, such an initiative is as incredulous as it is baffling and it will come to nought.
As a matter of fact it may make matters worse as our President may be verbally and savagely assaulted, insulted and berated right in front of the White House Press Corps.
Surely our Jagaban is bigger and better than that and he certainly does not deserve it. And neither would he take it lying low like others have done.
Some have also said that our President may opt to meet with Trump or his Vice, JD Vance, on the sidelines at the G20 meeting which is scheduled to hold on the 20th of November in South Africa.
One wonders why some of our Government officials that say such things find it necessary to clutch at straws rather than to cultivate a firm resolve to stand up for the Government they serve and their country and act with a level of self-respect, decorum and dignity.
I say this given the fact that Trump has said that no U.S. Government official will attend the G20 meeting in South Africa because the white Afrikaans people of that country are, according to him, being subjected to “genocide” whilst their farmlands are supposedly being confiscated without compensation.
He concluded by saying that he believes that South Africa is a “disgrace” and should not even be a member of the G20.
I ask those that are indulging in wishful thinking and fantasy about this proposed “peace meeting” between Trump and Tinubu in South Africa at the G20 meeting who exactly our President is supposed to meet and discuss our problems with “on the sidelines” once there given the fact that the Americans have made it clear that they are not attending?
It is important that those that are charged with the task of telling us what is going on get their facts right otherwise it complicates the issue.
Diplomacy is one thing but shameful capitulation with our tail between our legs is quite another.
Outside of that it is trite that the open and public display of weakness and fear attracts even more aggression.
Surely we are bigger, better and stronger than that. We are not a nation of slaves and beggars. We are not a nation of cowards and peasants who bow and tremble before a school yard bully.
I do not understand the logic and cannot appreciate the wisdom in seeking to sit down with a man who has contempt for you and your people, who considers you and them as being sub-human, who has referred to your country as a “disgraced” one and who has referred to your continent as a “shithole”.
You are talking about diplomacy and a diplomatic settlement when the man and country that you are up against has thrown diplomacy out of the window, designated your country as one “of concern”, has placed your nation on a “watchlist” and has said that he intends to violate your sovereignty on a false premis, bomb your country and attack you with his military?
His Defence Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Press Secretary and other key Government officials have reiterated the threat and you are hiding under the table and saying that it will all be resolved at the G20 meeting in South Africa when you know very well that Trump has said he has no intention of attending that meeting.
When will those in high places in Nigeria learn that you do not kow tow to Nazis, racists, religious bigots, ethnic supremacists, ethnic cleansers, schoolyard bullies, genocide enablers, lawless brigands, treasure hunters, drunken sailors, shape-shifting reptilians, sons of perdition and those that threaten the very essence of our existence?
When will you accept the fact that you have no choice but to stand up to them?
When will you appreciate the fact that peace without honor, self-respect and dignity is a curse.
When will you understand that the peace of the graveyard in which we must smile as we are being insulted, ravaged and threatened, is no peace at all but rather the most refined and supreme form of servitude, bondage and torment.
I would rather die on my feet as a free man than live on my knees as a slave. We are a nation of 250 million people. We are not weak and we are not small. We are resilient and strong and our spirit cannot be broken. We are too big to take this nonsense from anyone.
We liberated Sierra Leonne, we liberated Liberia, we liberated Sao Tome and Principe, we liberated South Africa, we liberated Chad, we liberated Zimbabwe, we liberated Congo, we liberated Angola, we liberated Somalia, we liberated Mozambique, we liberated Namibia, we liberated Zambia, we liberated Uganda, we liberated Kenya, we liberated Equitorial Guinea, we liberated Burma and if it comes to it and we are attacked or occupied by the Yankees, by the grace and power of God, we shall liberate ourselves.
The Bible says “the Lord shall trouble those that trouble us” and that “He shall contend against those that contend against us”.
Pharaoh, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, Jezebel and Sennacherub fell and so will the bestial creature that sits in the White House who issues brazen threats against us and refuses to let my people go.
You call my country a “disgraced country” as if yours were any better.
You say you will come in “guns blazing” as if you are in the old “wild west” and that you are dealing with a small tribe of defenceless Native Indians and Aborigines.
You say it will be “fast, vicious and sweet” as if you are a rapist.
Who the hell are you and who do you think you are talking to?
Are you God?
Not all of us are intimidated by you in this country.
Not all of us are cowards and cheerleaders.
Not all of us fear death or are too timid to speak up in defence of our nation.
Not all of us have lost our sense of self-worth, self-respect and dignity.
Let me assure you that those turncoats and blacklegs that are on their knees begging you not to attack us and calling for dialogue and understanding are a minority.
The majority of us cannot bear your insolence, arrogance and corrosive disposition and will stand up to you like men despite the odds.
We reject any form of dialogue or understanding with you as long as you keep threatening us with violence and tormenting us with insults.
How can there be dialogue and talks with a bully and a thug who believes we are sub-human and who has contempt for us?
How can there be dialogue with a man who defies the Living God and who openly oppresses and supports the genocide of both Christians and Muslims all over the world?
How can there be dialogue with a man who supports the barbarity of the State of Israel and the evil of Zionism and who sees Arabs, Muslims, people of colour and those that do not share his morbid world view of American supremacy and domination as nothing better than lap dogs and rodents?
If you honsestly believe that it will be easy for you to take on a nation of 250 million people like ours then please try your luck and go ahead.
I advise you not to be fooled by the treasonous, ignorant and cowardly malcontents, neverdowells, vultures, whores, secessionists, traitors and cheerleaders in our country who have chosen to be your accomplices and co-conspirators and that are telling you to come in to conquer and kill us all.
They are a misguided, confused and deluded bunch of servile minions and perfidious quislings who do not know the implications of what they are saying and who have sold their souls and lost their minds.
Satan is using them to justify your lust for the shedding of Nigerian blood and your desire to destroy God’s plan and purpose for our great country.
They do not represent us because the overwhelming majority of our people are loyal, united and fiercly patriotic souls who refuse to be intimidated by you and who will never accept to be your vassals.
If you do come in “guns blazing” as you have threatened, know this: you will suffer the consequences in a dramatic way as American soldiers will be forced to pay a heavy price and many will not survive it.
Worse of all you will ignite a war in our sub region that will result in all your strategic interests being burnt to ashes.
You may destroy our country and spark off a religious war (which is what you want) but ultimately you will get tired, you will lose and you will run away with your tail between your legs as you have done everywhere else that you go and indulge in your vile and fruitless military adventures.
You lost in Somalia and ran away. You lost in Afghanistan and ran away. You lost in Korea and ran away. You lost in Viet Nam and ran away. You lost in Iraq and ran away. You lost in Cuba and ran away. You lost in Nicaragua and ran away. You tested Iran and got a bloody nose.
The only reason you won in the 1st and 2nd World War and defeated the Germans is because of the help and support you received from Russia and the Soviet Union respectively.
Actually it was the Soviets that defeated the Germans in World War 11 and took Berlin and not you after 20 million Russians lost their lives!
What a great and noble sacrifice that great country made to free the world and to stop the Nazis!
The question is what was yours outside of dropping two nuclear bombs on innocent and defenceless Japanese citizens in the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima killing hundreds of thousands in a matter of seconds.
Where is your invincibility? You have none and neither are you infallible.
Today you threaten, intimidate and insult Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, Nicaragua, Greenland, Gaza, Yemen, Cuba, Syria, China, Russia, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Denmark, Ukraine, Burkina Faso, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Chad, Sudan and much of Europe and the Middle East and you treat their respective leaders with disdain and contempt.
Truth is you have emasculated and castrated most of them and turned them into a bunch of quivering quislings that are little better than your house help.
Yet you will soon find out that we in Nigeria are very different to others when faced with intimidation and we do not easily bend the knee.
Do not mistake the apparent timidity and low self-esteem of many of our leaders for weakness on the part of our people.
We are polite, patient, humble, kind, compassionate, accomodating and long-suffering but at the same time we are strong-willed, proud, stubborn, confident, courageous, adventurous and extreemly tough.
Our strength lies in our spiritual foundation and faith and belief in God which makes us slow to anger but irresistible in battle.
The Lord will finally humble you if you try any nonsense with us and He will take the battle right back to your own doorsteps in America.
Like David said to Goliath before their historic battle I say to you Donald Trump that “who is this uncircumcised Phillistine that has chosen to defy the Armies of the Living God?”.
Like David, I say our defence lies not in sophisticated arms and nuclear weapons but rather in the power and might of the Living God who is irresistible in battle.
I say “thy servant slew the lion and the bear and so it shall be for this uncircumcised Phillistine who has chosen to defy the Armies of the Living God”.
We are the anointed of the Lord and He has a special purpose for our nation at this end-time: touch us and see your end.
Strike us and know that we are not the cowardly weaklings that you perceive us to be.
Attack us and discover that we are made of steel and that even though you may level our cities and spill our blood you will never break our firm resolve or shatter our irrepressible spirit and neither will you ever make us forget who we are and the proud and noble stock from which we come.
Whether you like it or not Nigeria is great and Nigeria shall remain great.
We are not a “disgraced nation” but rather a strong and proud nation that has achieved far more than you care to know and shall achieve even more well into the distant future after you are dead and buried.
May the Lord defend our borders and seal them with His precious blood and may He deliver us from the evil hand and wicked intentions of our detractors and enemies.
He surely will because He is faithful, just and true. He is the defender of the weak, the champion of the poor and the liberator of the oppressed.
We shall not go the way of Sudan, Darfur, Gaza, Palestine, Congo, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Yugoslavia, Somalia, Afghanistan or any of the other nations that they have shattered, destroyed, broken, brought to ruin and blighted with their wickedness and vile intrigues and neither shall our nation be subjected to war or a violent and unconstitutional regime change.
We are Nigerians: we serve and worship a mighty God and by His power we shall survive all these threats and intrigues and we shall overcome.
The Lord will see to that.
Glory be to His holy name!
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunla Otun Ekiti, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism and a former Special Advisor on Public Affairs to President Olusegun Obasanjo)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday felicitated with former Nasarawa State Governor and Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, on his 73rd birthday, describing him as a steadfast ally, patriot, and one of the pillars of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a birthday message issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu celebrated Senator Al-Makura as both a friend and political ally whose public service record and personal character have continued to enrich Nigeria’s political landscape.
The President praised the former governor’s long-standing commitment to public-spirited causes, noting that Al-Makura distinguished himself early as a businessman and philanthropist before transitioning into politics, where he remained resolute in his pursuit of national progress.
President Tinubu recalled the former governor’s historic upset victory in 2011, when he emerged as the opposition candidate to win the Nasarawa State governorship, describing it as a defining moment that reshaped the state’s political trajectory.
He also commended Al-Makura’s critical role in the coalition-building efforts that culminated in the 2013 merger of legacy parties to form the APC.
He thanked the two-term governor for his continued statesmanship, loyalty, and exemplary commitment to Nigeria’s progress, wishing him renewed health and many more years of service.
Last week may well go down as one of those defining junctures in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership—one in which he deliberately set aside the noise of politics, the distractions of the moment, and the burdens of statecraft to deliver a clarion call rooted in the soul of the Nigerian project. It was a week of patriotic reawakening, of reminders, of responsibilities, and of the subtle but unmistakable tone of urgency: Nigeria must be built, protected, and dignified, by all of us.
That call began on Thursday afternoon in Abuja, when the President received senior military officers enrolled in the National Defense College (NDC) Course 33. It was, a sober reaffirmation of what Nigeria must urgently become: a nation sufficiently productive, sufficiently unified, sufficiently advanced, and sufficiently equipped to defend its sovereignty without fear or apology.
Standing before the participants, the President delivered what may be his strongest statement yet on the patriotic obligation shared by every citizen, civilian and soldier alike.
“It is our joint responsibility to ensure that this nation, Nigeria, is productive, governed inclusively, and takes care of the future of our generation yet unborn,” he declared, his voice firm, measured, and prophetic. “It is our patriotic duty to look further into the horizon, to be determined and resilient… to train our people, develop our economy, promote industrial development, and ensure that sovereignty is assured, protected, and remains resilient.”
This was more than a charge to a roomful of uniformed officers. It was, in essence, a call to Nigeria’s last line of defense, those entrusted with the integrity of the borders, the protection of the people, the deterrence of foreign aggression, and the preservation of the authority of the Nigerian state. Coming on the heels of recent provocations and mischaracterisations by certain foreign interests, the President’s tone was unmistakable: Nigeria must rise above internal divisions and external distortions. Nigeria must be strong, strong in economy, strong in industry, strong in knowledge, and strong in the spirit of nationhood.
Yet the President did not stop there. With the precision of a statesman linking national security to national productivity, he challenged the NDC participants to deepen their analytical capacity and interrogate Nigeria’s vulnerabilities without sentimentality. “We challenge our intellectual curiosity by being highly inquisitive,” he said, urging them to study what other nations have done, understand where Nigeria currently stands, and examine the forward path.
The research theme submitted to him: Harnessing Indigenous Manufacturing for Enhanced National Security by 2040, fit neatly into his wider national vision: Nigeria must not depend forever on imported solutions; sovereignty in defense requires sovereignty in production.
But the President’s nationalist message did not begin with the military, nor did it end there. Just a day earlier, he had delivered another stirring address, this time to an audience that, in his words, “shapes how the world perceives Nigeria”: the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
At the opening of the 21st Annual Conference of the Guild (ANEC 2025), the President stepped into uncharted territory as the first Nigerian leader to formally declare a Guild conference open. But beyond symbolism, his message carried a tone of expectation. If the NDC represents the defense of Nigeria’s territorial integrity, then the Nigerian media, particularly the editorial gatekeepers, represent the defense of its image, its narrative, and its psychological fortitude.
“It is our country,” the President reminded the more than 400 editors and senior journalists present. “What should be worrisome to you is the image of the country we project to the outside world. Your institutions must help build a nation of credibility and integrity.”
It was not a plea. It was a patriotic nudge. For in the era of globalisation, perception is power; misinformation is weaponry; journalism is diplomacy; and national cohesion depends as much on facts as on framing. A nation that speaks poorly of itself cannot attract investment, cannot rally confidence, and cannot evoke the esprit de corps required to surmount internal challenges.
President Tinubu’s call to the editors echoed the same theme he delivered to the NDC officers: nation-building requires shared responsibility. It requires truth, not weaponised partial truths. It requires perspective, not cynicism. And most importantly, it requires a recognition that the Nigerian story is not the enemy; the enemy is the impulse to diminish the country in the eyes of its own people.
Even as he acknowledged the severe pressures facing the media industry; declining revenues, rising operational costs, and the struggle to adapt to digital disruption, the President assured editors that their requests for tax reliefs, VAT extensions, and economic incentives would be considered within the framework of broader fiscal reforms. It was an affirmation of partnership, not patronage; of accountability, not appeasement.
But perhaps the most symbolic moment in the week-long narrative came on Thursday evening, after the stadium lights in Gabon had dimmed and the Super Eagles had secured a resounding 4–1 victory. For a nation often united mostly by football, the President seized the moment to amplify his theme of patriotic resilience.
In his message celebrating the victory, he described the performance as “a powerful display of Nigeria’s resilience and winning spirit”, a metaphor that extended far beyond the confines of sport. “Every match,” he said, “is an opportunity to show discipline and character. This is the true Nigerian spirit of resilience against all odds.”
It was as if the victory had become a living illustration of the very nationalism he had been preaching all week: courage under pressure, unity in purpose, and an unwavering determination to rise.
And so, as the week closed, a pattern emerged, clear and coherent. The President had addressed three constituencies; soldiers, journalists, and footballers, but his message was intended for more than 200 million Nigerians.
To the military: Defend the nation, by strength, by strategy, by intellect, by readiness. To the media: Protect the narrative, through truth, responsibility, and patriotic balance. To the footballers: Inspire the nation, with discipline, resilience, and the spirit of victory. And to the citizens: Believe in Nigeria, build Nigeria, and defend Nigeria.
In a period when global pressures weigh heavily on the country and domestic cynicism threatens national cohesion, Tinubu’s call for nationalist reawakening could not be more apt. For nations are not simply built by policy, they are built by spirit. They are sustained by shared purpose. They endure through collective effort.
Last week, President Tinubu reminded Nigerians of that simple but profound truth: Nigeria will become what Nigerians choose to make of it.
Beyond the weighty calls to patriotic duty that defined his engagements, the President’s week was textured with moments that reflected the breadth of leadership; moments of statesmanship, compassion, national acknowledgement, and deliberate continuity in governance. On Sunday, he opened the week by congratulating Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on securing a second term in office—a victory he described as an “affirmation of visionary leadership.” It was a presidential nod to democratic continuity, a recognition of performance, and an encouragement to a people who conducted themselves peacefully at the polls.
By Monday, the President’s attention turned to more solemn duties. He mourned the passing of retired Justice Mukhtar Muhammad Dodo, a former Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, paying tribute to a jurist whose integrity and fearlessness left deep imprints on the nation’s judiciary. He also extended warm felicitations to former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau on his 70 th birthday, celebrating a career defined by discipline, scholarship, and humanity. And in the same breath, he reached out empathetically to two political contemporaries; former Bauchi State Governor, Ahmed Muazu, and Environment Minister, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, commiserating with them over the loss of their mothers, both women remembered for moral strength and lifelong service to family and community.
The President’s Monday also carried the imprint of policy seriousness, as he hosted a delegation from Siemens Energy and reaffirmed that the administration is taking power supply “very seriously.” His message was blunt: Nigeria’s industrial, educational, healthcare and transportation ambitions rest squarely on a stable electricity backbone. It was another reminder that the nationalist call he sounded throughout the week is not rhetoric—it is anchored in reforms that determine the country’s future competitiveness.
On Tuesday, the President honoured the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on the 30th anniversary of his ascension to the throne, calling him a custodian of dignity, justice and peace. He also celebrated Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe at 65, praising hisexceptional service to the health sector.
By Thursday, tributes flowed again, this time to the Asagba of Asaba, Professor Epiphany Azinge, on his 70 th birthday, and to veteran journalist Tajudeen Ayodeji Kareem, whose four decades in media have shaped national discourse.
The week closed on Friday with continuity in public service as the President reappointed Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the NDLEA, extending a tenure that has brought renewed vigour to the nation’s anti-narcotics fight.
So, whether in celebrating excellence, consoling the bereaved, strengthening institutions or pushing reforms, President Tinubu’s week ultimately threaded into one narrative: a leadership calling a nation to believe again, to build again, and to rise together.
President Bola Tinubu has appointed a high-level Presidential Committee to develop a comprehensive framework for the permanent resolution of all controversies between Museum of West African Arts (MOWAA) and Oba of Benin Palace.
Last Sunday, protesters disrupted the opening of an event at MOWAA in Benin city, leading to the temporary postponement of the event.
The new presidential committee is expected to resolve all related matters through dialogue, mutual respect and adherence to constitutional provisions.
The Committee will be chaired by Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, and includes representatives from the Presidency, the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, the National Council for Arts and Culture, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Edo State Government, and international partners (including German and
French embassy representatives).
According to the statement, MOWAA has postponed the public opening events for its flagship exhibition “Nigeria Imaginary: Homecoming” in light of recent protests, as it works closely with local and national decision-makers to ensure that the Museum continues to offer a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for all visitors.
The statement added that the MOWAA Institute’s important ongoing programmes in research, art conservation, education and professional training remain fully active whilst doors are closed to the public.
“MOWAA remains dedicated to balancing Nigeria’s important sovereign cultural interests with international partnerships and diplomatic considerations, to the benefit of its core audiences,” it added.
Director of MOWAA, Mr. Phillip Ihenacho, assured that MOWAA remains dedicated to engaging respectfully and collectively to the contribution of the preservation and advancement of Benin City’s rich cultural legacy, and its people.
This, he said, includes working together with other stakeholders, leaders and cultural institutions here to bolster the city’s economic development and strengthen its ambitions as a cultural capital for the region.
You’re valuable brother and friend, Wike tell ex-gov
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike have congratulated former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, on his 65th birthday, describing him as a courageous political figure whose resilience and consistency have left a distinct mark on Nigeria’s democratic landscape.
In a goodwill message personally signed by him and released yesterday, President Tinubu said it gave him “great pleasure to celebrate Osoko himself” on the milestone anniversary.
The President traced Fayose’s rise to national prominence to 2003, when he emerged as the second elected governor of Ekiti State at a time Tinubu was serving his second term as governor of Lagos.
He noted that despite the turbulence that marked the end of Fayose’s first tenure, including what he described as “the abuse of presidential powers,” the former governor showed unusual courage and calm in the face of adversity.
“In one of the great political comebacks of our time,” Tinubu said, Fayose returned to office in 2014 and made history as the first politician in Nigeria to defeat two incumbents in separate governorship contests.
Describing him as a man firmly rooted among his people, the President said Fayose’s popular cognomen, Ore Mekunnu (friend of the poor), speaks to his identity and political style.
“He is a colourful politician who has mastered the art of retail politics as a means of establishing a connection with the people,” he noted.
Tinubu said the former governor’s achievements in office, ranging from road infrastructure to improved access to education and healthcare, remain visible across Ekiti, adding that notable projects such as the State High Court Complex and the new governor’s office stand as testament to his record.
“As his elder brother, I value his support for me and my administration,” the President said, offering prayers for Fayose’s health and continued service to God and humanity.
Also felicitating Fayose, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom described him as “a valuable friend and brother, who will never pretend about where he stands on issues.”
In his letter of congratulation to the former governor, Wike said Fayose remained a reference point in politics and governance in Nigeria.
According to a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister wrote; “From the deepest part of my heart, I congratulate you on the occasion of your 65th Birthday, coming up on November 15th, 2025.
“That you have attained this age is no doubt a confirmation of the grace the Almighty God has bestowed on you, and a challenge for more service to our country, Nigeria.
“No doubt, at 65, you have remained a reference point in politics and governance in Nigeria.
“You are such a valuable friend and brother, who will never pretend about where he stands on issues.
“Ayodele my younger brother, may you reach the age of your elder brother in good health, and may God continue to make your days on earth fruitful, with immeasurable blessings.
“To a dependable ally, whose yes is yes, and no is no, happy Birthday.”
