Connect with us

Politics

Boko Haram: The Swap Option

Published

on

It has been five weeks of
suppressed anger, fragile peace, anxiety, trauma, hate and suspicion from a large chunk of Nigerian population following the abduction of well over 200 school girls at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State. Indeed, religious organizations, global bodies, various governments across the globe have risen to condemn the dastardly act against humanity.
It is for this reason that United States, Britain, China, France, Israel and many more sovereign nations have volunteered their security expertise to tackle the menace of Boko Haram sect in Nigeria.
For the past two weeks, Nigeria’s landscape has been under the increasing surveillance of the international community in a bid to secure the release of the Chibok school girls from their vicious and ruthless captors. The Boko Haram sect has offered to send the girls back home if the Nigerian government will reciprocate the “gesture” by freeing their members who are held in various parts of the country.
The leader of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah Lid Da’awati Wal Jihad otherwise known as Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, in a video released last Monday, offered to free the school girls who were kidnapped by his fighters last month in exchange for the Boko Haram detainees. The 27-minute video showed a reasonable number of girls dressed in black hijab, reciting the opening chapter of the Qur’an in an undisclosed location.
“All I am saying is, if you want us to release your girls that were kidnapped, you must release our brethren that are held in Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos and up to Enugu. We know that you have incarcerated our brethren all over this country,” the Agence France Press quoted Shekau as saying in the video.
He continued; “There are some of our brethren who have spent five complete years without seeing their wives, without seeing their children. There is even a woman that you released but refused to let her go with her baby. For God’s sake, even for ensuring their release, will I not kidnap? After all, Allah says I should kidnap.
“You that seized and detained my brethren for five years, you arrested and kept a woman without getting married for four years, you sieze and held our children.
“I will sell them, I repeat. And by Allah you will never get them until the day you release our brethren you seized and detained”.
In a swift reaction to the Boko Haram offer, Federal government officials came out with contradictory statements on government’s position, thus creating confusion in the minds of Nigerians and other members of the international community who are monitoring events in the country.
The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro told newsmen that the Federal government was closing in on the abductors and would not bow to their demands.
“Boko Haram has been designated a terrorist organization, hence it is unthinkable if this group gave out condition for anything to the government.
“As you know, Nigeria has invited international countries and we are closing in on them. There is no doubt that everybody has been eager to see that these girls are released, but in everything, there is supposed to be rules of game.
“Hence, no amount of pressure on Nigeria as an independent nation will make us to bow out. We know that this way is part of the rules of engagement, but as government, it needs to exert its powers towards adherence to the rules”, Moro said.
Also speaking, the Senate President, David Mark ruled out any form of negotiation with the Boko Haram insurgents, and assured that the Federal government would do everything possible to eradicate terrorism in the country.
“Boko Haram has become a real nuisance, and the menace is unacceptable. They have declared war on Nigeria and we will fight them with all the resources at our disposal.
“We will not allow it to go on for too long; government is very serious about it.
“It is an avoidable distraction and it is something we do not need at this point in our history when we are trying everything possible to bring development to Nigeria, to attract foreign investors.
“So, the message should go out loud and clear to anyone who is either a sponsor or a member of  Boko Haram that we will fight them with all resources at our disposal”, Mark said.
The Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mike Omeri, however, in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said “Government is reviewing the content of the video and the accompanying statement issued by the sect.
“Government will continue to explore all options for the release and safe return of our girls back to their homes.
“An earlier report by a section of the media purported to have been issued by government is totally false. This remains the official position of the Federal government of Nigeria”.
Pressed several times to confirm whether the federal government was going to negotiate with Boko Haram insurgents or exchange prisoners for the girls, he insisted that all options were open to the government.
“I still say all options are open. At the moment, all options are open. We are interacting with military and security experts from different parts of the world. So, there are part of the options that are left for us. There are more. If it is necessary that we use any action to get our girls, we will do it”, he said.
The Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki on his part, called on the leader of the sect to come for dialogue to end the onslaught on the Nigerian nation.
Turaki who is also the chairman of the committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to broker peace with the insurgents, said Shekau should demonstrate his sincerity by sending the representatives of the Boko Haram sects for negotiation with government.
According to him, “Dialogue is a key option in bringing the crisis to an end and that an inssue of this nature can be resolved outside violence”.
However, Director of Information at the Department of State Security, Ms Maryln Ogar, said negotiating with the terrorists was not an option.
“No government in the world will negotiate with terrorists. That is the best practice and we believe in the global best practice”, she said.
On the identity of the spokesperson for Boko Haram in the released video, Ogar insisted that the original leaders of the group, Abu Kaka and Shekau had been taken out by the security agencies.
“I think we have said on several occasions that Boko Haram has become a franchise. So, when you talk about Abu Kaka; when you talk about Shekau, Boko Haram has become a franchise. Anybody anywhere in the country can get up and assume Shekau and Kaka. Kaka is no more. Abubakar Shekau is no more. Both of them have been taken out a long time ago”, Ogar added.
The parents of the abducted school girls also commented on the Boko Haram video. A parent, Mallam Awana Babagana said with the release of the video, the parents believed their daughters were still alive and called on the federal government to do everything possible to secure the release of their daughters.
He said: “I have seen the video but I couldn’t identify my daughter. I hope they are the ones, we will keep on praying until they are released.
Another parent who spoke on condition of anonymity said he had the opportunity to watch the video, but he didn’t identify any of his missing daughters.
Also, another father of the kidnapped girls said that he would rather let his child die than have her converted to Islam or be exchanged for Boko Haram prisoners.
Speaking to the Telegraph of London, the man whose name was not mentioned for the safety of his daughter, said, “I have not yet seen the video, but I am not really interested in what Boko Haram’s demands are.
“My daughter is a Christian, she will never change. I would rather prefer she dies a Christian than convert to Islam.
“I don’t  want a prisoner exchange either, our daughters are not prisoners and they should not be exchanged for anyone.
“Let the government try to rescue them. If they have a prisoner exchange, that will look like the government is giving in to Boko Haram and it will just encourage them to take more hostages. They will never stop”, he said.
For pundits however, whatever option that is most acceptable to government at this point in time is immaterial as Nigerians and indeed the entire world are more concerned about the safety and home-coming of the abducted school girls.

 

Reward Akwu

Continue Reading

Politics

Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

Published

on

In a renewed effort to deepen Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, the House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has announced the commencement of its Zonal and National Public Hearings across the country.

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.

The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.

The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.

It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.

“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.

The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.

 

Continue Reading

Politics

Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

Published

on

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, has stirred fresh political controversy by dismissing claims that President Bola Tinubu was highly instrumental to former President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence in 2015 after the merger of political parties that formed the All Progressives Congress (APC).

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.

He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.

Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.

In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.

According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.

“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.

“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.

“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.

“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.

In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.

“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.

Continue Reading

Politics

Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi

Published

on

Former Presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, has accused Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, of spreading false information about Nigeria’s debt profile, claiming it is deterring foreign investors from the country.

Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.

Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.

“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.

“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.

To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.

“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.

“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.

“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.

 

Continue Reading

Trending