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We Starved For One Month -Chibok Girl …As B’Haram Gives Condition To Free 83 More

Published

9 years ago

October 17, 2016

The venue of the special church’s thanksgiving service, yesterday, was filled with emotions, tears and joy when parents reunited with 21 Chibok schoolgirls rescued from Boko Haram’s captivity.
The church service was organised by the Federal Government to thank God for the lives of the schoolgirls who were released last Thursday.
Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, who represented the Federal Government at the church service held at the Presidential Villa, yesterday, said, “this is a day the entire world has been waiting for; it is a day of joy.
Mohammed added that negotiations are underway for the release of the other Chibok girls in captivity, but warned Nigerians against unguarded statements that could truncate the rescue efforts.
Speaking on behalf of her colleagues, Miss Gloria Dame, who was visibly happy as she jumped for joy, said, “we stayed for one month without food’’, adding, “I narrowly escaped bomb blast in the forest. I never knew there would be a day like this. I will give thanks to God’.
She begged Nigerians to pray for the quick release of the remaining girls in Boko Haram’s captivity.
Shiktra Kwali, in her sermon at the interdenominational service, urged the girls not to allow their harrowing experience to deter them from achieving their dreams.
The parents, who saw the girls for the first time in over 900 days since they were abducted from their Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, were full of joy.
Speaking, the parents of the freed Chibok girls thanked God, President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians for their efforts, support and prayers, towards their daughters’ freedom, and called for the release of the remaining girls.
It would be recalled that families of the girls had left Chibok in Borno State on Friday and arrived in Abuja on Saturday night, but were reunited with the girls at the church, yesterday.
No fewer than 276 of the girls were abducted, and 57 escaped within a week of their abduction.
They were abducted by Boko Haram on 14th April, 2014.
Two buses conveyed the parents from Chibok.
The Chairman of Chibok Girls Parents Association, Yakubu Nkenke, had said that the girls had eventually been identified by their parents.
The Chairman of Chibok Local Government, Mr. Yaya Yarakawa, confirmed the identification of all the girls, and said those doubting their authenticity “must have sinister motive’’.
He expressed satisfaction with the role played by the government.
“I am travelling to Abuja with all the parents of the freed girls, all of us are here. We are overwhelmed with joy that our girls have been found alive. I cannot talk more because we are approaching security check- points,” he said.
The release of the girls was made possible through a negotiation brokered by the International Red Cross with the support of Swiss government.
President Muhammadu Buhari had also promised the negotiation would continue for the release of those still in captivity.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Jummai Alhassan, among others, attended the service.
Meanwhile, as negotiations for the expected next phase of the release of 83 Chibok girls begins this week, indications have emerged that the leadership of the Boko Haram sect might table two major conditions to be met by the Federal Government to seal the deal.
A source close to the negotiations said, yesterday, that unlike the 21 girls, who were freed by the sect, last Thursday, to test government’s level of commitment and sincerity, the release of the remaining girls may be based strictly on ransom payment and freedom for no fewer than 16 of Boko Haram commanders by the government.
The government, it was learnt, was eager to get the remaining 83 girls, reportedly held by a top leader of the sect in an undisclosed location in the North East.
Of the 219 girls still missing, a source said that only 104 were left in the captivity of the sect while the rest had long been married off by top commanders and converted to Islam.
“The truth is that those Chibok girls are now Boko Haram members, having married the sect members and become radicalised,” the source said.
“The remaining 83 girls are with a top leader of Boko Haram and those are the only ones we are going to work for their release in the next phase of our negotiations which starts immediately.
“The others had since become Boko Haram members, having been married off and radicalised into Boko Haram as soon as they were captured over two years ago”.
It was learnt that the body language of representatives of the sect, who are meeting with a Federal Government team, indicate that they might insist on payment upfront of huge cash by government before freeing the captives.
“I think the guys are settled on the idea that the cash must come ahead of the release since they had proved to government that they are reliable by releasing the 21 girls, last week, without many conditions attached”, the source stated.
Asked if the sect leaders were unsure of government’s sincerity to keep its own side of the bargain, the source said that the representatives of Boko Haram had also shown that they have confidence in government.
It was learnt that the lingering challenge in getting back all the girls arose from the fact that while some of them are with a faction loyal to Benawhi, the rest are being kept by the group loyal to Abubakar Shekau.
But one of the negotiators believed the remaining 83 girls would be freed, if a meaningful deal is struck between the sect and the Federal Government.
However, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has said that threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism in parts of Nigeria have not only stretched law enforcement agencies but have also exposed the gap in the nation’s capacity to deal with asymmetric warfare.
Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (CTC) in ONSA, Commodore Yem Musa, who stated this in at a one-day ‘Strategic Communication Analytical Technique Exercise’ in Abuja, said that violent extremist groups were more adapted to using strategic communication than government.
“Through this exercise, we will explore how strategic communication must be a first order capability in the armed forces, law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well as strategic MDAs of government”, Musa said.
Musa explained that the nature of asymmetric warfare and the liberalization of information access through the social media have made it imperative for any state actor serious about its national security to develop efficient and effective use of strategic communication.
He noted that the threat from terrorists, insurgent groups and other non-state actors in the country, has called for enhanced capacity and holistic measures to deal with the emerging security challenges.

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Fubara Dissolves Rivers Executive Council

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.

The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.

Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.

He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.

The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.

“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.

“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”

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INEC Proposes N873.78bn For 2027 Elections, N171bn For 2026 Operations

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.

According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.

An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.

The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.

He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.

“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”

On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”

The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.

He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.

Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.

Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.

He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.

He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.

In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.

The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.

The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.

He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.

“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.

The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.

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Tinubu Mourns Literary Icon, Biodun Jeyifo

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu yesterday expressed grief over the death of a former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities and one of Africa’s foremost literary scholars, Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo.

Jeyifo passed away on Wednesday, drawing tributes from across Nigeria and the global academic community.

In a condolence message to the family, friends, and associates of the late scholar, Tinubu in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, described Jeyifo as a towering intellectual whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, and cultural theory left an enduring legacy.

He noted that the late professor would be sorely missed for his incisive criticism and masterful interpretations of the works of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.

The President also recalled Jeyifo’s leadership of ASUU, praising the temperance, foresight, and wisdom he brought to the union over the years.

Tinubu said Jeyifo played a key role in shaping negotiation frameworks with the government aimed at improving working conditions for university staff and enhancing the learning environment in Nigerian universities.

According to the President, Professor Jeyifo’s longstanding advocacy for academic freedom and social justice will continue to inspire generations.

He added that the late scholar’s influence extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he served as a mentor to numerous scholars, writers, and activists.

Tinubu condoled with ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin University, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or made significant scholarly contributions.

“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen,” the President said.

“Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity. I share a strong personal relationship with him. His contributions to literary and cultural advancement and to society at large will be missed.”

Jeyifo was widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals. Among several honours, he received the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.