Medical experts have raised the alarm that trauma has become one of the world’s deadliest health challenges, claiming 4.4 million lives each year and accounting for 8 percent of global deaths.
They raised the concern at the 46th Annual Scientific Conference of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (NOHIL), themed: “Socio-Economic Burden of Orthopaedic Trauma: Nipping the Menace in the Bud.”
Acting Medical Director of NOHIL, Dr. Wakeel Lawal, highlighted that road traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death among people aged 5–29, with Nigeria bearing a disproportionately high share of the burden.
“Trauma is not just a medical issue; it destroys lives, drains family income, and weakens the entire social and economic fabric. The losses go beyond patients; caregivers abandon jobs, productivity declines, and healthcare costs escalate,” Lawal said.
In a significant step towards improving healthcare delivery in Ogun State, a newly completed Alhaji Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, was inaugurated by the state government at the weekend. The state-of-the-art trauma centre, which opened its doors immediately, was established through the generous donation of renowned industrialist and elder statesman, Dr. Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa (OFR) in celebration of his 80th birthday.
The four-storey, 50-bed facility is designed to provide specialised care for trauma patients, particularly those involved in accidents along the Lagos-Ibadan and Sagamu-Benin expressways, which have seen an alarming rise in the number of casualties. The trauma centre, valued at 1.5 billion naira, is a much-needed addition to the region’s medical infrastructure.
During the commissioning ceremony, Dr. Oluwabunmi Fatungase, Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, emphasised the long-standing need for such a centre in the area. “For over 20 years, successive administrations have envisioned a trauma centre like this, but today, that dream has finally become a reality,” Dr. Fatungase said. “We handle approximately 2,000 trauma cases monthly, and with this new facility, we now have the resources to provide specialised care to those in need.”
The trauma centre boasts several advanced medical features, including an MRI suite, CT scanner, resuscitation units, a seminar hall, and three state-of-the-art surgical theatres, specifically designed for neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, orthopaedic, and general trauma interventions. Dr. Fatungase also highlighted that the centre will operate with private sector collaboration and government support, ensuring free emergency care for the first 24 to 48 hours for accident victims. She further praised Dr. Adegunwa’s generosity, calling the facility a “gift that will keep giving.” “He may not fully realise how many lives will be saved here. This is more than just a building—it’s a future-saving initiative,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, highlighted the facility’s functional design and its significant impact on Ogun’s emergency care system. “Papa Adegunwa personally supervised even the painting of this building. This isn’t just a medical facility; it’s a symbol of compassion and visionary leadership,” she stated. Dr. Coker expressed confidence that the centre would reduce fatalities from moderate injuries and elevate the state’s response to emergencies.
Governor Dapo Abiodun also reflected on the progress made at OOUTH since his administration took office in 2019. “When we took over, this hospital was essentially a ghost town. We declared a state of emergency here. Today, it stands tall, and this trauma centre is a part of the ongoing effort to reposition the health sector to offer accessible, quality care,” Governor Abiodun said. He credited the hospital’s transformation to strategic reforms and a strong partnership with the private sector. He praised the role of Dr. Adegunwa in making the trauma centre a reality, describing it as a “perfect example of what vision and collaboration can accomplish.” The event was graced by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who applauded both the Ogun State Government and the donor for their efforts to address Nigeria’s pressing healthcare challenges. “This initiative is exactly what the country needs to meet the healthcare demands of our people,” the Vice President remarked.
Finally, Dr Adegunwa, the benefactor, expressed his deep gratitude to Allah and to all who contributed to the completion of the project. “True prosperity lies in how we uplift others,” he said. “This centre is not about me; it’s about the lives that will be saved, the pain that will be eased, and the futures that will be secured.” Reflecting on his long connection with OOUTH, Dr. Adegunwa stated, “This facility is my gift to the people, my way of expressing gratitude for the blessings I’ve received.”
Across several states in northern Nigeria, communities are enmeshed in insecurity in form of terrorist attacks and banditry. These violent incidents have left 3.6 million people displaced with thousands of others rendered homeless, their children are orphaned, and countless women and men spouseless. Beyond the physical devastation , an even more insidious affliction endures — the deep psychological scars borne by those who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. While state governments strive to address the immediate needs of victims through rehabilitation, the silent suffering of many persists. Mental health professionals estimate that up to 60% of survivors (one out of every five displaced persons) experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or depression. Despite this, mental health services remain grossly inadequate, with only a handful of facilities available to serve millions in need. JUSTINA ASISHANA sheds light on the enduring trauma faced by those whose lives have been shattered by violence and the urgent need for comprehensive mental health support.
Insecurity in northern Nigeria is at alarming level with over 3,000 reported cases of violent attacks in the last decade alone. The displaced population has swelled and many are forced to live in makeshift camps with little access to basic amenities. Amidst this chaos, the psychological toll on survivors is staggering.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that in conflict-affected regions, one in five people experience mental health issues; a statistic that highlights the urgent need for intervention. However, the Nigerian government’s response has been largely focused on providing physical relief—food, shelter, and security—while the mental health crisis remains under-addressed.
Explaining the anguish that grips her heart, Gladys Paul, a 35-year-old widow from Kurebe Village in Shiroro Local Government Area, said: “I will never forgive them. They made me to lose my hardworking and loving husband, cutting him down while he tended to our farm. I held his cutlass-cut body in my arms as he breathed his last. Each mention of ‘bandits’ fills me with hatred. Forgiveness seems impossible.”
Ghumdia, now 24, recalls the horrific night when Boko Haram militants descended on his family home in Maiduguri.
He said: “At about 7:30 pm on the fateful day in Maiduguri, every family member was at home. We were ll in the living room except Dad who was relaxing outside on the veranda when armed terrorists barged into our compound, forced everybody out and handcuffed every male.
“They carted away valuable in the house, including one of the two cars. After that, they used a machete to chop my two elder brothers and our father in the neck, which led to his death. My brothers survived miraculously with medical intervention.
“Dad was gone! Yes, on the spot! But it was difficult to accept the reality.
“Though traumatised, we were forced to relocate to a semi-urban centre, having been compelled to accept the inevitable.
“The breadwinner was no more. Our health, education and future, everything around the family’s interest seemed to be in jeopardy. The future looked bleak because our mother’s income could barely put food on the table.
“Our older brother had to defer his university education to take up a job to help support our mother.
“Three years later, in 2017, my mother was among 10 police officers kidnapped by the same terror group, the Boko Haram. It felt like everyone, everything, including Providence, was against my family.
“After seven agonising months, she was released back to us.
“The Boko Haram militants shattered our lives, threw our future into uncertainty and even after all these years, the trauma lingers.”
Rose Uriah’s voice trembles as she recalls the day in 2018 when her father fell victim to Fulani herders’ brutality.
She said: “It’s been years, but the pain remains raw. I just cannot forget it. My father’s body was decapitated and packed into a wheelbarrow. Their act of barbarity robbed us of closure, denying my father a dignified farewell.”
Nigeria has 3.6 million people displaced by conflict and violence as at the end of 2022, out of which 1.9 million were living in protracted displacement in the Northeast state of Borno.
Data shows Nigeria has the third highest number of displaced persons by conflict and violence in sub-saharan Africa, coming after the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.
Diverse trajectories of trauma
For some, like Edward Samuel and Yohanna Waziri, the trauma stems from the loss of property and security. They may not have lost loved ones but their trauma runs just as deep.
Samuel’s maize farm was his livelihood, but it was set ablaze by marauding insurgents. “Those people, only God can forgive them,” he said. “They set fire on my one hectare of maize farm which was due for harvesting.
“I had spent my entire investment to cultivate the crop. The destruction is something I cannot forget or forgive. My whole investment was destroyed,” Edward said.
Waziri lost one of his closest friends to bandits and was abducted the night before the burial. He was released a few days later. Amidst coping with these tragedies, he also lost N4 million to armed robbers.
“I lost N4 million to armed robbers around that same period. At one point, it felt as if there was no God anymore. But somehow, by the grace of God, I was able to pull through,” Waziri said.
The burden of survival
For many survivors, the psychological scars run deep, affecting their ability to rebuild their lives. Women like Happy Shekwelo, Laraba Ezra, and Gloria Luka bear the weight of widowhood, left to fend for their children in the aftermath of violence.
Forced to navigate the harsh realities of poverty and grief, they find themselves abandoned by a system ill-equipped to provide adequate support.
Happy Shekwelo from Kuchi in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State recounts the day bandits shot her husband on their farm in 2022. He was killed alongside other farmers.
Fearing for her life in the face of frequent attacks, she fled to Minna with her two-year-old child, where she cleaned houses to make ends meet. After a while she returned to Kuchi.
“We are back to Kuchi now because the security has improved a bit. I returned to my husband’s farm and began farming again.
“But it has not been easy taking care of myself and my child. I wish the state government would provide financial support to help us start a small business.”
Laraba Ezra, a mother of three from Kafinkoro in Paikoro Local Government Area, lost her husband in 2020. He was butchered with a cutlass while working on the farm.
She said: “My husband died three years ago and it has not been easy for me. He died as a result of banditry. Feeding and clothing my children is a constant struggle.
“My eldest child completed secondary school last year but has not gone to the university because there is no money. There is no help coming from anywhere.
“I often go to my brother in Abuja to seek domestic work. I clean people’s houses and wash their clothes for a fee. Some pay me N20,000 monthly while others pay me weekly.”
Gloria Luka was left with three children after her husband was killed by terrorists in Kuchi in Shiroro Local Government Area in December 2022. Without any farming skills, she turned to working at a local mining site, fetching sands and stone to sell in order to provide for her children. People buy the sand to sift in the hope of finding some gold or other precious stones.
NGOs as beacons of hope for victims
Amidst this sea of suffering, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have emerged as lifelines, addressing the often overlooked psychological toll inflicted by violent acts.
According to the WHO, Nigeria’s mental health services fall short of international standards with severe shortage of mental health professionals— ratio of 1 psychiatrist to 700,000 people nationally. As of 2020, Nigeria had very few psychologists available to address the mental health needs of its population.
This is in stark contrast to recommended global best practices, where comprehensive mental health support is integrated into emergency response frameworks. Access to mental health services is uneven, with urban areas generally having better facilities and more professionals.
For instance, Lagos State in the South-West has relatively better mental health facilities and professionals compared to other regions. However, the demand still far exceeds the available resources.
Conversely, Borno State in the North-East, which is heavily affected by terrorism and conflict, has significant mental health needs but limited services. MSF and other NGOs provide crucial support, but the infrastructure is insufficient to meet the high demand. Organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières, Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSWN) and the Catholic Diocese of Minna provide crucial support by offering psychosocial support, counselling and trauma-healing programmes that are culturally sensitive and tailored to the unique needs of those most affected by the violence.
These interventions include training community members as lay counsellors who can offer basic psychological support and identify cases that need professional attention. This approach ensures that support is accessible even in remote areas where professional mental health services are scarce.
One such initiatives involves creating safe spaces within displaced persons camps where survivors can share their stories and receive peer support. These groups have been shown to reduce feelings of isolation and helplessness, fostering a sense of community resilience. Survivors who have benefitted from these programmes often go on to become advocates for mental health, spreading awareness and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.
These NGOs provide mental health professionals who offer coping strategies, emotional support and trauma-informed care. CSWN has organised psychosocial support and training for those affected by insurgency in nine northern states which include Kaduna, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Nasarawa, Niger and Adamawa state.
Nigeria’s mental health budget mainly financed through the central government health budget is about 3.3 to 4 per cent of the total health budget. In 2024, the share of the total budget allocated to health is 4.66 per cent. In the last decade, this proportion was reached or exceeded in at least three other years – 2014, 2015 and 2023.
Mrs Agera Thelma Liti, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CSWN, emphasises the importance of holistic care: “Banditry doesn’t just destroy homes; it shatters lives. Our mission is to heal those wounds, rebuild resilience and restore hope. Even though some have lost their spouses, family members, homes, and means of livelihood, we are trying to support them so they can be resilient and cope better with what they have gone through.”
Liti highlighted that reports from states where psychosocial support sessions have been held show that many victims have successfully used the skills they learned to overcome depression and feelings of helplessness.
“The impact of these sessions is clear,” she said. “You can see it in the victims’ appearances when we visit them months later. They exude peace and serenity, and their confident demeanour reflects the absence of the fear and anxiety they once carried.”
Liti emphasised that the government needs to do more in this area, as funding limitations prevent reaching more victims.
“The government must look beyond just providing food. When someone loses a family member or a community is attacked, there’s much more support required.
‘’While distributing food, toiletries and emergency relief materials is important, it is not always enough. Often, these people are so traumatised that eating isn’t a priority. Without psychosocial support, they can’t fully move on from their past pains and hurts or live freely.”
Need for government action
While NGOs play a crucial role, scaling these interventions to meet the vast news of northern Nigeria requires government involvement. Recent efforts have shown that government-NGO partnerships can be a powerful force for change. For instance, in Borno State, a pilot programme supported by the Ministry of Health and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have successfully integrated mental health services into primary healthcare centres.
This model, which trains general healthcare workers in basic mental health care, has proven effective in reaching a larger population and could be expanded nationwide.
Innovative approaches to trauma healing are also making a difference. For example, in Maiduguri, a mobile mental health clinic was introduced to reach survivors in hard-to-access areas. The clinic, which travels to different communities each week, provides counselling, psychiatric services, and follow-up care. This initiative has been particularly successful in reaching women and children who are often the most vulnerable to psychological distress.
Rev. Father Dauda Musa Bahago of the Catholic Diocese of Minna underscores the urgency of addressing mental health needs. “We must provide more than just food. Trauma healing is essential for rebuilding shattered lives,” he said.
He urged the Niger State Government to include counselling and therapy as part of the humanitarian assistance for victims of banditry and terrorism, rather than focusing solely on food provision.
While these efforts are commendable, they must be part of a larger, coordinated strategy to address the mental health crisis in northern Nigeria. Experts stress the need for a national mental health policy that prioritises trauma healing as part of the broader humanitarian response. This policy should include provisions for training mental health professionals, integrating mental health services into all levels of healthcare, and ensuring that mental health care is culturally appropriate and accessible to all.
Security experts and mental health professionals are caught in a difficult situation—where providing crucial psychological support in conflict zones is hampered by the very violence they seek to alleviate. As Minna-based psychologist Pamela Israel points out, the uncertainty of attacks often forces counsellors to stay away from these areas, leaving victims without the care they desperately need. Ignoring this mental health crisis only risks perpetuating the cycle of violence and instability in the region.
As Nigeria grapples with the complexities of conflict resolution, mental health support must be prioritised to ensure that no one is left to navigate the dark corridors of trauma alone. The government must expand its focus beyond immediate relief to include comprehensive mental health care, ensuring a holistic approach to health and recovery,
•(This story was produced with the support of the Africa Women’s Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) with support from the ONE Campaign)
Trauma expert, medical neuroscientist, psychologist, executive coach, and foreman at WinBox Consulting, Dr. Deji Osasona (also known as Dr. Osaz), has advised Nigerians on how to heal from past trauma.
He emphasised that attending therapy sessions is the best way to overcome any form of trauma. Dr. Osaz spoke at “HEALINGFEST”, a trauma therapy conference with the theme “From Scars To Stars,” held at the Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), Maranatha Church in Gbagada, Lagos on Sunday.
He highlighted that trauma is not only about personal experiences but also about what has been witnessed or observed. Many Nigerians live and grow in toxic environments, leading to the development of trauma.
He said: “Poverty, abuses (physical, emotional, verbal, sexual), rejection, past failures, neglect, losses, and exposure to Crime, Kidnapping, banditry, or to people with a mental health crisis or addiction issue are all forms of adversities that one way or the other could have traumatised us.
“The problem with trauma is this, when you experience or witness this adversity, there’s a way you learn to cope against this adversity to survive. Now, when you cope with this adversity to survive, it is just for survival. But as you grow up, your coping mechanism that you practice can become a habit, and will not save you as an adult. It might start affecting your mental health. It might start affecting your marital relationship. It might start affecting your marketplace productivity or success. So, that’s the number one reason for doing this.
“A lot of people are not aware of this, a lot of people are having marital relationship crises and blaming other people, blaming the economy, and a lot of people are not productive in their business. Their business is not growing or moving forward in their career. They are blaming their employer. They are blaming their spouse. A lot of people have mental health issues, they are blaming the demons, blaming the devil or saying God punishing them.
“But really, it has to do with a new trauma in our life. Because of the coping mechanism we develop through this trauma, and it comes with behavioural patterns, sometimes, we even inherited these behavioural patterns from our parents. So, the first reason for this program or this conference is to sensitise and gain awareness for them to gain awareness of how trauma is affecting us in this period of our life.”
Speaking on the way out of traumatic experiences, Dr. Osaz affirmed that trauma has a cure, and the best cure is therapy, however, Nigerians do not go through the therapy route because of the expenses involved which has increased the level of people living with trauma that seems incurable.
He said: “This is for people to realise that there is healing, possible healing, you can heal from it and change your behaviour to change your result.
“We found out that most times, when people call our office that they need therapy, I’m dealing with this, I’m dealing with that. More than 90% of them don’t eventually show up because they cannot afford it, therapy is costly. So, we thought of it. If most people that need therapy cannot afford it, then why are we here? So, let’s put up a program together that will be free. Let people come together. Let’s even kick-start the journey. It may not be the perfect one, but let’s kick-start the healing journey. By helping them gain awareness and understanding of how they can break the cycle. Then, our job will be done. That’s the essence.”
In a bid to sensitize Nigerians and also create a platform for free therapy sessions, Dr. Osaz confirmed that a radio program will be launched to educate people on trauma management.
“From this program, we are launching what we call the Healing Room with Dr. Osas which will be announcing fully the radio station will be debuting, also, it will also be on YouTube. So, the essence of the Healing Room is this, which is another way of taking care of the majority of people who need therapy but cannot afford it. So, we’ll do a partnership with the radio station. And hopefully, eventually, we’ll get a sponsorship. People come for therapy, but it will be on air, so that other people can learn from it, at no cost to you, so, you are availing yourself to go to therapy.
“So, it’s like you’re going to be a subject in the radio show but it’s at no cost to you, it’s free to you, and it helps you also view the radio program, that we help others to also in. So, all three parties, the listeners, we that we are hosting the program, then you that you are coming for therapy surely beneficial to all of us.
Business expert, Joy Igbodike, who is the CEO of Jaebee Furniture Ltd advised business owners and entrepreneurs to see the importance of therapy in business as it has helped her break a lot of barriers in business, she also urged that business owners should add therapy sessions as an essential health benefit to help their employees just like many organisations have HMO.
“I think that the reason is that it is not really affordable to everybody. So we should thank the organisers of this program. I know how much I pay for therapy. How many people can afford it? Let’s face it. So there are people that are in deep problems, you know how much it costs to have one one-hour session? it is not cheap, so most people, it is not that they don’t want to do it but they can’t afford it, and they don’t even know.
“For me, I would say that just as we have funding and we have sponsors for other things, you see a lot of people sponsoring programs against women, and domestic violence, but when you do all of that, how do these people heal from that? So we have to now be more conscious of raising awareness for trauma and how it affects your performance as a human being generally so that there can also be funding bodies. I will now start looking at people who give this kind of support and service to people for free or even for a small amount because it is not cheap for people organising this program, some people have funded this program for it to happen, a lot of people that are here today have been able to break something, so let’s look for how to raise awareness and give opportunities for funding programs like this.”
Participants of the event left with equipped minds on trauma management skills, relationship management, business strategies and management skills, free therapy sessions received and hope for a brighter future knowing with the necessary steps taken, they would be free from all forms of trauma.
A Nigerian-born Certified Energy Psychologist, Dr. Iwowarri Berian James has urged federal and state governments to incorporate psychological healing into trauma management structures to aid victims’ recovery.
. James, who is currently attending the 26th International Energy Psychology Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, emphasized the difference between psychosocial support and psychological healing. “While psychosocial support provides emotional support and resources, psychological healing addresses underlying psychological wounds and traumas,” he said.
James, who has been providing support to the Nigerian Army, noted that Nigeria has experienced traumatic events in recent years, including terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and displacement of people.
The former director at Nigeria Breweries said the only way to completely heal the victims of terrorist attacks is not by providing displaced camps but by supporting them with psychological healing to heal their wounds.
“We need to go beyond providing psychosocial support and address the deeper psychological wounds of victims,” he said.
He explained that psychological healing is a longer-term process that promotes deep-seated change and growth.
“Energy therapy is one of the effective trauma healing modalities available, and it can be used to support victims of trauma,” he said.
He, therefore, urged policymakers and implementers to appreciate the fundamental differences between psychosocial support and psychological healing. “By doing so, we can make informed decisions and provide the right modalities to help victims heal properly,” he said.
In his narration, “Psychosocial Support Vs Psychological Healing,” James emphasized that both concepts are essential and can complement each other in promoting overall mental health and well-being. “We need to move beyond just providing psychosocial support and address the underlying psychological issues that affect victims of trauma,” he said.
When Ahmed Mohammed bid his wife, three year-old-daughter, sisters and brothers’ wives goodbye as they headed for their farms in their old settlement across the River Niger last Sunday morning, he had no inkling that he was seeing them for the last time.
But midway into the journey between Jebba and Kanji Dam in Gbajibo Ward, Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State, the boat in which they were travelling capsized after running into a water snag.
The boat, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), had 100 passengers on board when it capsized on Sunday.
Speaking with newsmen during a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, Ahmed said the incident was still a nightmare he was praying to wake up from, adding only God could understand how he felt about it.
He said: “My wife, my daughter, my brothers’ wives and all my sisters were inside the boat. I cannot say much. I leave everything to God.
“I don’t have any explanation, because if I want to ask for an explanation as to what happened, who will give me the explanation?
“My mind is always going to them. I feel bad because since I came into this world, I have never experienced anything as bad as this.
“The way I am feeling, it is only God that can understand.”
Mohammed’s mother-in-law, Hajiya Kashi Mokwa, who also lamented the death of her daughter, grandchildren and other members of her family in the boat accident, described the incident as a severe disaster and great loss to the family.
“We are devastated by the mishap,” she said.
“Losing 16 members of your family is a severe disaster and it has happened to us. It has been a traumatic experience for me and the rest members of my family.
“When you lose 16 members of your family at once, how easy is it to bear the tragedy? We want government to come and help us. These boat mishaps are becoming too many.”
Mokwa explained that water transportation is the main means of transportation in the community as they always have to pass through the water to get to their farms and major markets.
Members of the affected communities accused the government of non-chalance in the provision of life jackets, calling on the government to stop making political statements regarding its availability.
They insisted that the number provided were far from adequate compared to the huge number of residents who must travel on water from time to time.
No fewer than 24 bodies were recovered on the first day of the rescue mission on Sunday, while six other bodies were recovered afterwards, bringing the the death toll to 30.
On Wednesday, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) declared that there were no more bodies to look for as no one else had been reported missing.
The agency declared that 100 people were on board the boat when it capsized.
The Chairman Mokwa Local Government Council, Jubril Abdullahi Muregi, said during a condolence visit to the affected families that the incident would have been avoided if safety measures had been adhered to by the drivers and passengers of the boat, adding that the government would need to clear the underwater snags responsible for repeated boat accidents on the river.
Muregi said: “One of the things that the government should do quickly is to embark on an operation to clear these trees that are under the river so that the incident would not repeat itself.
“It is an avoidable situation. There is need for every passenger using water transportation to use a life jacket.
“We will have to come up with a clear government policy that will prescribe punishment for anybody who fails to use their life jackets when embarking on water transportation.”
The Council Chairman moved from house to house to condole the bereaved families and gave an undisclosed amount of money for funeral expenses.
Parents of the six kidnapped students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, were hugely relieved at the weekend when they were reunited with their children, after more than two months of anxiety.
The reunion came exactly 65 days after the students were captured from their school by armed abductors, 20 of whom were killed in a gun duel with the police on Friday, in the creeks of Ondo State.
The freed boys are Peter Jonah, Isiaka Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi, Pelumi Philips and Farouq Yusuf.
Mr. Moruf Ramon, whose 19-year-old son, Isiaka, was among the rescued students, commended the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police for their efforts.
“‘I am so happy with what is happening today and I want to appreciate the Lagos State Government and the Commissioner of Police for all they have done to secure the release of our children.
“‘I have been the one talking with the kidnappers all the time and the police were always with us to get information that could help to facilitate the rescue operations.
“We pray that this kind of incident will not occur again in Lagos State or even Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
Mrs Beatrice Jonah said it had been a traumatic experience for her family.
According to her, the experience is very difficult to describe as it is better imagined than experienced.
“When I spoke to my son after the abduction, I was weeping because I was afraid for his life.
“To me it has been 65 days of trauma but we thank God he is back safely,” she said.
The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule, who received the students on behalf of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, commended the efforts of the security agencies and the intervention of the federal government.
“We commend the efforts of the Nigerian Police, particularly, the Lagos Command and other security agencies for their efforts in ensuring the safe return of these children.
“We commend the Ondo State Governor and his deputy for their support and collaboration toward the rescue operation.
“We appreciate the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for his invaluable intervention in ensuring that we have these children brought back to us,” she said.
Adebule said that debriefing and comprehensive medical checks would be carried out on the students to help them get over the experience.
“‘Now that the children are back, the government will commence a comprehensive check up on these children – physically, mentally and psychologically. This is very necessary.
“And in debriefing them, we will be involving other stakeholders, including their parents to ensure that it is effective.
“‘We appreciate that 64 days was a long time to get these children back but it was in the interest of their safety,” she said.
“As a government, we will continue to work diligently to ensure the security of lives and property in the state. It is a must for us to deliver on the issue of security.
“As for security in our schools, we are working and putting all necessary measures in place before the resumption of schools for the next session,” she said.
Adebule also commended the parents and families of the students for their confidence in the state government.
Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo, who accompanied the students to Lagos with his deputy, Mr Alfred Agboola, said the Igbonla kidnap was a major
issue at the National Executive Council meeting in Abuja in June.
Akeredolu said it was also an issue at the South-West Governors’ meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where Ambode said there was the need for an increased joint security patrol of the riverine areas.
“We must appreciate the role of the Acting President in this matter because he was the first person that contacted us in Ondo last month. Gov. Ambode was also in touch all the time.
“We promised them that we will make efforts, but then we did not believe that these children could be in the creeks of Ondo.
“My Deputy, however, waded into the matter because he is from the creeks. In collaboration with the Delta Government, the Navy, Army and Marine Police, we did all that was humanly possible to secure the release of the students,” he said.
Akeredolu pledged to ensure increased security in his state in collaboration with others that shared borders with Ondo.
“Ondo State has zero tolerance for crime. You cannot use our creeks as safe haven for crimes anymore,” he warned.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, commended the South-West government for their joint efforts and support in ensuring the rescue of the students.
“This is one operation that will send fear to criminals as they will know that our governments in the South-West are committed to security and there will be no place for criminals in the region.
“During the course of the operation, 20 of the kidnappers, including the leader of that kidnap gang, Bright Adeniyi, were killed when they ambushed the operatives of the marine police and civilian volunteers.
“We lost a civilian volunteer, while four were wounded. Eight policemen were also injured and all these people are receiving medical treatment under the care of the state government.
“So far, we have arrested one suspect who has been swindling the parents of the children. He was arrested in Abeokuta when he asked the parents to drop some money. I’m sure others will be arrested soon and they will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Owoseni promised that the police would not relent in its efforts to secure and protect the lives of citizens.
In a world dominated by multiple manifestations of human weakness, it is truly inspiring to see an individual rise above tragic circumstances that would have crushed many others. That individual is Kechi Okwuchi, one of just two survivors in the 2005 Sosoliso Airlines plane crash which claimed 107 lives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Ms. Okwuchi is a contestant on America’s Got Talent, a popular reality show, where she thrilled the judges and the audience with her rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”. Singing with a face and arms still heavily-scarred from horrific burns, plagued by natural anxieties like any other contestant, and performing live in front of thousands in the audience and millions across the United States, she gave a magnificent performance that resulted in a standing ovation.
Ms. Okwuchi witnessed the death of her best friend in the Sosoliso crash. She has undergone more than 100 surgical procedures, including several delicate skin-grafting operations. She has had to endure a heart-breaking alteration in her physical appearance, as well as the psychological trauma inherent in a near-death experience.
Yet she has not allowed her very real problems and challenges to weigh her down to the extent of being unable to live life to the fullest. She went back to school, got a First Class degree from an American university and is preparing for graduate school.
This is an exemplification of the indomitable nature of the human spirit. It is what powered path-breaking discoveries in different areas of human endeavour, and has animated the world’s freedom fighters, from Gandhi through Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela. In Nigeria, it is what has made average citizens perpetually optimistic and eternally hopeful, in spite of the harsh living conditions in which they live.
Ms. Okwuchi has not let the circumstances of her life overcome her. She has not let her situation define her. She has refused to become a recluse and hide away from the world, wrapped up in comfortable self-pity. Instead, she is stepping out and confronting life on her own terms. As her performance at America’s Got Talent has shown, her courage, perseverance and ability have met with the approval and applause they so richly deserve.
There are lessons for Nigeria in all this. Perhaps the most obvious is that of never looking down upon or dismissing those who suffer from life’s tragedies. This country is full of physically-handicapped citizens who have no option other than to take up begging to survive. The highways and roads are replete with individuals whose physical impairments have come to define them and, by so doing, reduced their innate humanity.
Cultural concerns also conspire to negatively affect the way Nigerians regard people who suffer from the vicissitudes of life. Self-conscious families would have ensured that such individuals are hidden away from society; their sense of shame is somehow more important than the proper socialisation of handicapped family members.
Then there is the absence of infrastructural backup designed to make life easier for citizens who are handicapped or are suffering from chronic or long-term health conditions. Few public buildings or schools have disabled-access facilities; visually-handicapped students find it extremely difficult to study alongside their able-bodied colleagues; physically-handicapped citizens are rarely employed, regardless of how well-qualified they may be.
The fact that Ms. Okwuchi had to relocate to the United States in order to live a full life does not speak well of Nigeria. In spite of all its pretensions to religious belief, this is simply not the kind of country that can succour the most vulnerable of its citizens.
If this harsh reality is to change for the better, Nigeria must first undergo attitudinal change of the most profound kind. Rather than celebrate compatriots who achieve greatness in other lands, more effort must be devoted towards ensuring that the conditions needed to excel are provided at home.
May you live in interesting times, the wise and inscrutable Chinese often say. But there are interesting times and there are interesting times. Some interesting times are so enervating of the spirit,so denuding of the will and so degrading of the human personality that you secretly wish that you were born in less “interesting” times. In a fit and feat of amnesia, one privately longs for the old status quo and its degenerate stability.
Change is too simple and innocent a word to describe what has beenhappening in Nigeria in the last few weeks and particularly in the past few days. The change mantra, with its naïve automatic alacrity, cannot envisage such a complex phenomenon as regression in progression and stirring in stagnancy. The old order expires, but the new is yet to come fully alive. Monstrosities crawl into the vacuum. This is the lot of all societies in a state of traumatic transition.
Change, with its rosy optimism and belief in a better and more humane society, is too sweet and compromised a word for such circumstances. For it is not a done deal yet and victory is not assured. It is a close run thing and it could go either way. Everywhere you turn, forces of the ancient status quo are up in arms, fighting a desperate rearguard battle in what can be described the last sigh of dinosaurs. One thing is certain, if the enemies of change prevail, the unborn and even the dead are not safe.
The Nigerian condition reminds one of what Jean-Paul Sartre, the great Frenchphilosopher, once memorably described as “the binary praxis of antagonistic reciprocity”. Your opponent lands a heavy blow and you respond in kind. Sartre could be describing the human condition, particularly in post-colonial Nigeria. You can never be sure of these things, but it was Sartre who once famously described Negritude as “anti-racist racism”.
A cynic has actually gone as far as insinuating that with the above quote, Sartre was actually describing all marriages in general and his own in particular. It will be recalled that Sartre’s marriage to the great Simone de Beauvoir who was his equal if not superior in intellect and acuity of perception was based on what we propose as contractual infidelity. You cheat on me and I cheat on you, no wahala. The only time Sartre ever took jealous umbrage was when he discovered that Simone had done it with Albert Camus, the matinee idol writer and playboy-philosopher ,hours or days after they met. Some blows hurt more than others, and Sartre was actually describing boxing.
But to return to Nigeria and concrete reality, how can you convince a man who had endured being without electricity for over a week and who had spent the preceding twenty four hours hunting for fuel like a foraging municipal rodent to accept that change is finally with us? What kind of change is this when the absolute misery index of Nigerians has shot up like hypertensive blood pressure? With no food, no fuel and no light anybody preaching the change mantra will be lucky to escape without substantial physical damage.
On Thursday, having been dislodged from the house by the stench of collapsed refrigeration, snooper attempted to reach Ketu to get some fresh fruits at least. The market remained shut. The carnage was a scene out of the apocalypse. The stench of rotten tomato and putrefying onions assaulted the lungs. Yet it had suddenly become impossible to go back as a nasty and monstrous traffic gridlock had suddenly materialized. You begin to wonder how much more a nation can endure before something snaps.
It never rains but pours. As it happens in all societies in the final phase of traumatic transition, all the contradictions we have ignored or that have been bottled up startbobbing and weaving at us in repressed aggression. As soon as we thought we have escaped a major political crisis, an even more aggravating crisis of virtual economic and infrastructural collapse hits the nation.
Meanwhile while we are tending to this, a crisis of cultural andreligious values steals the limelight. But before we can say Jack Robinson, architectural impunity stares us in the face. Add to this the painful loss of a valued member of the cabinet and his family in a show of impunity and crass negligence on the road which sits oddly with the change mantra.
And this is not talk of the clear and present danger IPOB constitutes or the implications of resurgent terrorism in the Niger Delta. At the international level, the swift countermand of General Buhari’s overly optimistic assessment that the Boko Haramgroup is no longer operating on Nigerian soil by the American commander on ground is a painful reminder thatour little local difficulty subsists.
In philosophical parlance, this is known as overdetermination, a situation in which things no longer obey a simple cause and effect logic but in which diverse contradictions jostled for ascendancy in a condition of multiple causes and consequences. Take the following but in no particular sequence or order: the naira tailspin which has virtually grounded economic activities, the strike by oil workers, the industrial lock-out by some power discos, the Yunusa versus Ese Oruro imbroglio, the ethnic flare up at Ketu market, the collapse of the Lekki skyscraper and the loss of the much admired James Ocholi.
You get a sense of a government besieged and embattled on all fronts by conflicts many of which are not of its own making. We cannot because of this urge a reversal of the irreversible momentum of history. To do that is to play into the hands of the forces of religious, regional and cultural reaction and regnant retrogression and the enemies of progress. Changing a multi-ethnic nation riven by polarities is never going to be a tea party. We can only hope that the retired general is fully conscious of the overdetermined contradictions he is tinkering with.
The obverse of the coin is equally interesting and intriguing. For the first time in the history of the country, you have a civilian government militantly committed to ridding the nation of the scourge of corruption and embezzlement going about the business with chilling almost cold-blooded resolve. A pan-Nigerian gaggle of top officials have been docked for various criminal infractions. A serving senate president is desperately battling for his political life. The sight of a former Chief of Defence Staff and a three-star Air Marshal being remanded in Guje prison is not a normal spectacle in these climes.
The opacity and lack of transparency in some of these arraignments may not warm the heart of those who expect a more evenhanded and just approach. It may also mean that matters are still very much atthe level of symbolic import rather than a deep psychical cleansing of the society. But by that very token, matters might have slipped out of General Buhari’s hands. The revolutionary concussions unleashed on the Nigerian society by these unusual developments and the counter-revolutionary reprisals they seem to be provoking mean that some time to come, Nigeria will be in a state of turmoil and radical unease.
The government needs a crash course in the history of societies in a state of traumatic transition. A nation like Nigeria steeped in systemic corruption and decadence requires a thoroughly systemic and conceptual approach which attacks the root and branches of corruption at the same time. Nobility of purpose and the integrity of the arrowhead may not be enough. The situation calls for a pan-Nigerian mobilization rather than messianic one upmanship. God forbids if the Nigerian helmsman were to fall dead at this minute, that may very well be the end of the change project.
The greatness of a leader is measured not just by personal sterling qualities but by the quality of apostolic followership he has nurtured. There are times when a just and noble cause can be lost due to ineptness and sheer inertia. The Spanish civil war was a classic example of how superior strategy and superior artillery can overwhelm a noble and progressive cause with a little help from international conspiracy. General Frank Franco was so sure of his fifth column already embedded that he took his time entering Madrid.
General Buhari needs to be reminded that this is not an ordinary crisis of the state but an organic crisis of nationhood. An organic crisis occurs when there is complete institutional collapse or when the ruling class has failed in a major venture for which it has enlisted the populace. The Nigerian ruling class has failed in the project of democratic and economic development of the nation and the harmonization of its ethnic, religious and cultural disharmonies. This is why the various manifestations of the multi-dimensional crisis are mounting on a daily basis. The president needs all the help he can and must summon.
The resolution of an organic crisis is not and cannot be foreordained. If progressive forces in ascendancy falter, other forces in operation and contention may impose a nastier and even more deadly solution. A stalemate cannot be contemplated even where it assumes the garb of a modification of vision and ambition. In this duel unto death, the post-colonial political theatre and its endemic skirmishes is akin to a coliseum of Roman gladiators in which a clear winner must emerge for the society to move forward. The binary praxis of antagonistic reciprocity is in operation.
This is why the death of a priceless and invaluable asset like the late James Ocholi must be regretted. It was a needless waste of outstanding human capital which exposes some of the internal contradictions of the change project. How a federal minister came to be driven by an unlicensed rogue and in an official vehicle without correct tyre pressures is a security nightmare which sits oddly with the driven determination of the government to end the culture of impunity and lawlessness that permeates every sector of the society. One will not be surprised to discover physically challenged drivers in the employment of the federal government.
Ocholi was a star revelation during the ministerial hearing. This society would have benefitted greatly from his forensic brilliance and intellectual forthrightness. His loss attime when his country needs him most is a painful reminder of unfinished business. May his soul rest in peace.
Last Saturday will remain a black day for some artists whose studios were pulled down at the Artists Village located within the National Theatre premises Iganmu, Lagos.
About 5am, artists woke up to the harrowing growl of destruction leaving behind heaps of art works and properties overrun by bulldozers. Art works and other personal effects worth millions of naira went with the demolition.
Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was reported to have expressed displeasure over the large extent of destruction incured in the wake of the demolition. It was learnt that the demolition was said to have been ordered by the General Manager, Nation Threatre Complex, Mallam Kalsir Yussuf.
According to one of the resident artists at the village, Aremo Tope Babayemi, the affected artists are only maintaining civility due to the soothing assurances of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Justin Chinedu Ezirim, choreographer and dancer, has been in the industry for about 15 years was affected. He has won two different dance competitions in Nigeria, Closeup Fest ChallengeandMNET Let’s Dance Nigeria, and he was also part of the choreographers of the recently concluded musical play,Wakaa. His dance studio was brought down on the day in question.
He said: “On Saturday morning, we witnessed a demolition without any prior notice. We have different studios here. Some of us slept in the studio because we had an event on Friday and it was late; we couldn’t go home. Imagine sleeping in the studio and it (the building) was (suddenly) on you. Imagine the trauma! Imagine the shock! See people’s properties being destroyed, including drums that we used our hard -earned money to purchase. I teach children for free as my way of giving back to the society. Out of whatever little profit I make – because dance does not pay in this country – I purchase property for my own studio. Now I don’t have them anymore. How many years will it take me to start saving all over again? We managed to nurture the talent God gave us because we don’t want to misbehave about, we use the talent to represent this country, and when we represent the country, people clap! Why will anyone want to pay us back by demolishing our property? It’s our own money. We pay rent here at a rate which NCAC subsidised for us, so these structures are very legal. Then they say we are hoodlums!”
To disprove the accusation that they were harbouring hoodlums, he proceeded to mention reputable people who had studios in the artist’s village, including Felix Okoro, who directs popular writer, Odia Ofiemun’s works; Abiodun Olaku; Chief Lari Williams Mufu Onifade, former Chairman Lagos chapter of Society of Nigerian Artists; Olu Ajayi, Aremo Tope Babayemi, Yemi Adeyemi, and many others. He also noted that the likes of Richard Mofe Damijo, Joke Sylva, Jude Orhohra, Asa, Ijodee, and Zule Zoo were products of the Artists Village. How then, he wondered, could anyone accuse them of hooliganism?
Looking forlorn and melancholy was the Director of Guobadia Art Gallery, Guobadia Monday. Still shaken, he narrated his experience on Saturday morning. At 6 am, he said, he was abruptly woken and told demolition was going on. He did not believe. By the time he came out to check what was happening, he found them already at his doorstep.
He recounted: “I asked what was happening and as soon as they told me, I started trying to rescue my art works. People started telling me to leave there because I was liable to die. Then, the bulldozer levelled my studio. Some of my materials, a drum of resin, some of the mats, a new fridge I bought, my TV, and others were buried by the bulldozers. I could only rescue few. I asked the policeman why he was doing this to me, and he said ‘did you not get a notice?’ I said I didn’t. Still they ignored me and when I kept following them, I was manhandled. When the boys here saw how badly I was being treated, they tried to intervene. Before I knew what was happening, they brought out guns and started firing. I narrowly escaped. They shot the other boy, Smart, on his leg.”
Veteran actor, Lari Williams said: “I even asked the Minister why we were not told. He has the authority to demolish the place but at least, we are not animals. We should be told that this is going to happen. 5:30 in the morning, and people just heard of bulldozers. We didn’t even know to what extent they were going. I thought they were going to demolish the whole place. The whole thing went on until it got to a point where they were shooting somebody’s leg! Is that fair?”
Mr Kenneth Ede, an engineer at the Artists Village, was not present at the commencement of the operation but met some of it and was thankful he was still alive. Narrating his ordeal, he said: “Around 5:30AM, I got a call to start coming down here. I got here and saw things being destroyed. They said it is because we have shanties here, but in my five years here, I have never seen any shanties here. We tried to talk peacefully to Mr Kabir Yusuf, but he refused. Instead we were dehumanised by the policemen guarding him. He was the one that led them, and he was accompanied by someone we later gathered was the D.P.O of Denton Police Station, Oyingbo.”
He pointed to a gunshot on his car which he claimed was meant for him, but which he narrowly dodged.
Narrating how the Artists Village came to be, Babayemi said: “The Artists Village project, which belongs to the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) parastatal in the Ministry of Information and Culture is the best policy that has come out of the Ministry of Information and Culture. This was the national headquarters of the NCAC, but when the federal capital shifted to Abuja, all federal agencies had to relocate to Abuja. The NCAC, therefore, decided to subsidise accommodation for us, and the idea is to encourage self-reliance in young creative people. It is not owned by the National Theatre; it is a separate government agency. That is why when the minister came to appease us, he said: ‘None of you will leave for the other – News Agency of Nigeria, National Theatre of Nigeria, NCAC – so you will work together to have a buoyant culture sector’.
‘’Because of the minister’s responsiveness and sincerity of purpose, we are deescalating tension within the immediate environment. But we are not resting on our oars to bring Yusuf (the Director-General of National Art Theatre) to book because great injustice has been done to artists who are under the protection of a Federal Government agency.
The last has not been heard of the demolition however. All effort at reaching the director-general of the National Theatre was unsuccessful.
