Agenda for the Forest Guards
The graduation of the first batch of 950 Forest Guards under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is a welcome development in Nigeria’s prolonged struggle against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. This was a promise the president made as insecurity continued to confront Nigerians despite the best efforts of the Armed Forces. But graduation ceremonies, uniforms and […]
Jonathan’s “mind your business”caution to governors
Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s warning to governors and political heavyweights who descended on Osun for the August 15 governorship election is worth attention. It is a reminder that Nigeria’s democracy cannot afford to turn off-cycle elections into jamborees for outside political forces. The spectacle was difficult to miss. The All Progressives Congress (APC) constituted a […]
Osun guber as a primer to 2027 elections
The Osun State governorship election has offered Nigeria a preview of what the 2027 general elections could become—and what they must never become. It was preceded by an ugly cocktail of defections, political brinkmanship, institutional controversy and violence. Governor Ademola Adeleke’s hurried exit from the PDP, after failing to secure a route into the APC […]
Rehabilitating South Africa evacuees
The latest xenophobic violence in South Africa has again exposed the precarious existence of African migrants in a country that owes much of its liberation history to African solidarity. Nigerians and other foreigners have been harassed, threatened, and driven from homes and businesses by armed mobs and vigilantes. More disturbing is the apparent inability or […]
Armed forces personnel and social media exposure
Social media has become a torchlight and a tripwire for Nigeria’s armed forces and security agencies. It has enabled the public to expose alleged oppression, corruption, and abuse that might otherwise remain buried. In January 2024, soldier Ruth Ogunleye used TikTok to allege sexual harassment, intimidation, and abuse by senior officers. The Army investigated and […]
Africa: New scramble by forces of insecurity
Africa is witnessing a scramble for control, but this time the contestants are not colonial powers planting flags. They are terrorist organisations, criminal syndicates, traffickers, mercenaries, kidnappers, and armed groups exploiting Africa’s weaknesses. The result is a continent where insecurity is becoming an alternative system of power. The warning from US Africa Command (AFRICOM) should […]
