Nigerian Newspapers
A lucky escape
Taiwo Abiodun recounts the day he escaped being lynched while on an assignment.
About 30 metres away from the house, the security man furiously ran towards me. As I sighted the iron rod in his hand with its head wrapped with thread, leather and other strange things I immediately knew he was up to something. He charged at me like a mad dog .The hair on his head stood erect while his blood-shot eyes popped out from their sockets. His veins were visible on his biceps. As he got closer to me he raised the object in an attempt to hit me. Fear enveloped me. I cringed. I was trembling like a leaf on water. I quickly pleaded “Stop! Stop!! Please don’t hit me with that object!”.
I thought of running away but again if I should dash across the eight lanes of Ikorodu Express road , I could be hit by fast -moving vehicles . Again, I thought of exchanging blows with him. But I decided against it because I’ve never fought in my life. But what could I do among eight roughnecks with him now? I then remembered one of Bob Marley’s songs “He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.” I summoned courage and I continued begging him not to hit me with the object. But what next? He started kicking me in the groin and rained blows on me. My head began to vibrate! I kept on pleading I was not a thief .
I made a spirited effort to show him my identity card but he ignored it. He was fuming and howling. I begged him to search my bag that I had nothing incriminating on me. Yet he did not listen. By now some roughnecks with croaky voices and nicotine-stained teeth had surfaced from nowhere and in a jiffy they had surrounded me!
Different thoughts flooded my mind: Will they lynch me today? Did the neighbours hear my screaming ? Why are people not passing by to rescue me? Why is this happening on a Saturday; a non – working day? I was now sweating. It is finished, I thought.
Is this the end?
A fair -complexioned young man in charge of Baba Ijebu lottery machine (Loto lottery) in the area ran up to the gangsters and began to warn them saying: “Stop beating him, ask him to identify himself. I am warning you o. Does he look like a thief?”
I quickly fished out my phone and dialled Dr. Adeneye Marcus who introduced me to the family. I told him I was in trouble. He asked me to give the security man the phone to enable him talk to him, but the security man yelled, cursing and ranting, “Who the hell is Dr. Adeneye Marcus. Who is he?” He pounced on me again, snatched my designer sun glasses and broke it. He later seized my phone. I asked him to take me to the police station if in doubt ! All my pleadings fell on deaf ears. I refused to resign to fate and kept on shouting, begging and displaying my identity card.
The young man in charge of Baba Ijebu lottery kept warning them. He asked for my identity card and asked them to search my bag. I quickly obeyed and while doing this, one of the Area Boys demanded for money, I begged him to be patient. Another one croaked: “Look at his beautiful rings and his golden wrist watch. I could have that.” Then another interjected and pointing at my shoes said, “Dis shoe na correct.” I listened carefully to their conversations and made sure I could point at them in case we all got to the police station.
The great search
While opening my bag, the security man removed my cap and flung it away. He gave me another blow. I could not utter a word. I showed them my identity card, iPad, midget recorder, camera, and the Yoruba novel I was reading. These were all the contents in my bag, nothing incriminating. I emptied my bag for them to see but he kept raging “Nonsense, I said you should leave this place or else I will deal with you in the native way!” As I bent down to continue packing my shiff my saviour Dr. Marcus surfaced in a knickers and shirt!
Freedom at last!
Immediately the security man sighted him he became jittery. He started stammering like a two year -old baby who is just learning how to talk. His words became incoherent and his voice shaky.
Dr. Marcus sighted the juju iron rod he was holding and challenged him. He asked to know whether I mentioned his name to the security man. He answered in the affirmative. Dr. Marcus confronted him with the fact that he heard all the uncomplimentary comments he made about him on phone.
He was tongue-tied. Now, the ball was in my court, I tried to pounce on him to take my own pound of flesh, but the roughnecks and other sympathisers restrained me. Only God knows where the energy came from. I was now charged and energised. The strength in me bounced back and I wanted to act like my favourite wrestler, The Undertaker. I flew at him, raining curses on him
Thank God for using tactics: begging and pleading as I stooped low to conquer. If I had argued and exchanged fists with him they could have all pounced on me and snuffed life out of me. And in the end they could have pushed me into oncoming fast moving vehicles along Ikorodu Express way where my body would be mutilated. They could have put tyres round my neck and burnt me alive , accusing me of being a thief.
Who feels it knows it
When the case of ‘Alu 4’, the four students of University of Port Harcourt falsely accused of stealing laptops was reported that I asked why they couldn’t make an effort to defend themselves. I wondered why just one of them couldn’t struggle, fight and escape. Now I know better. It is he that has not been confronted by the storm of life that claims to be a man;, the Yoruba proverb became clear to me. What could the Alu 4 have done among over 200 people?
The road to House 258 Ikorodu Road
The story started when I took permission from my editor that I had some stories I was working on that fateful Saturday. He reluctantly allowed me to leave because Saturday is our peak production day.
Dr. Marcus had invited me to go and interview the mother of one Mrs. Olapeju Akanni who was celebrating her 85th birthday. I jumped at the offer because those are my kind of stories. I like talking to old people. I started ruminating over the questions I would ask. I would ask her how politics was in the late 40s, 50s,60s and 70s, her love life, her sojourn abroad and so on. But all these died prematurely when I got to the house and the security man told me the old woman had no knowledge of my coming. I told him the daughter was aware. I called her and she asked me to wait, promising to call me back as she was at a function. I told the security man that her boss asked me to wait, and he should talk to her. He refused to talk to her but ordered me out of the compound.
I obeyed and left the premises. I waited outside. It was 5.30pm. The security man met me there and asked me to leave the vicinity. I told him I was expecting his boss to call me or call him for clarification, but he insisted I should leave. I left and walked about 30 metres away from the house yet he came after me and almost set a mob on me.
When I later called Mrs. Akanni on phone in the evening to relate what happened to me, she trivialised it and said: “Ma binu” (don’t be annoyed). I wondered if the casual way she said it was the way to tender an apology.
Although Dr. Marcus has vowed that they must replace all my lost items, I observed that $ 500 in my bag was missing, along with my silver necklace and other things.
But what occupied my mind was if they had killed me and thrown my body on the express road what would have happened? They could have lied against me that I was trying to escape and therefore dashed across the express road when I was crushed. How many would have believed that I was not an armed robber?
When I narrated the incident to my colleagues in the office, they were shocked. My editors were dumb founded. All my colleagues taunted me and asked “Where did you keep your charms as Babalawo of The Nation?.” Another one screamed “For a whole Babalawo,” as they used to call me, “to have been humiliated like this we are embarrassed.”
All professions have their own hazards, I soliloquised. It would have been so painful to have been killed here in Lagos by an angry mob. I have been to the Forest of Thousand Daemons (Igbo Olodumare) in Oke -Igbo, Ondo State, to Igbo Aiwo ( Forbidden Forest)in Ijeru , Ogbomoso and recently to Igbo Agala (Agala Forest) in Ibadan to do stories, nobody harmed me nor was I attacked physically. I have written stories about spirits, the dead and elves yet I was not threatened with any juju. How will a man threaten me with juju just because I was doing my job?
I have had series of close shaves with death: at the Shaki border in Oyo State , was I was shot at while taking pictures on the okada that took me to the border. I almost drowned in the sea when the wooden canoe engine stopped in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean while travelling from Ugboland to Aiyetoro town to do a story on the collapse of communalism in the community.
In my sober moments I reflect on how I escaped jungle justice while on a legitimate search for stories and it occurred to me that many innocent people have been killed or lynched. The cause of my brush with death has not even thought it wise to apologise. But what apology do I need when I can thank God for saving my life?
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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