Opinion
Bauchi Should Beware!
Sincerely speaking, I do not know what ‘chi’ means in Hausa and have not also bothered to enquire from those who should know. On the other hand, I think I have sufficient grasp of Igbo to know that the word stands for god or deity while Chukwu is reserved for the Supreme One.
In any case, whatever its real Hausa meaning or connotation, this three-letter nomenclature seems not to dwell pretty with Boko Haram and the other terrorist gangs currently riding roughshod across northern Nigeria.
On April 14, 2014 the once peaceful village of Chibok, in Borno State, was roused from sleep to discover that it had just qualified to become a red dot on the terror map of the world courtesy of Boko Haram whose insurgents, acting in commando-style, overran a government girls secondary school in the community and abducted no fewer than 276 students.
It was later reported that 57 of these girls jumped from the vehicles in which they were being transported and escaped, leaving the total number taken captive as 219. Out of this figure, about 107 were subsequently released in an exchange deal between the Federal Government and Boko Haram. Of the 57 escapees, 20 are said to be currently studying in the US.
The rest 112 girls have remained in captivity to this day even as we know that some of them have since been married off to Boko Haram fighters while others had died strapped with explosives to undertake suicide missions in the north east. It was also rumoured that a number of the girls may have been killed during sustained Nigerian Air Force bombardment of the terrorists’ camps in Sambisa Forest in the aftermath of the 2014 raid.
The Federal Government’s repeated assurances that the remaining Chibok schoolgirls would soon be reunited with their families have since ceased to excite anybody, including the BringBackOurGirls campaigners. Visibly distraught parents have continued to travel to Abuja in the hope of getting more concrete reassurances from the Presidency, all to no avail. Instead, Boko Haram continues to unleash mayhem on the village, killing people and burning houses with survivors fleeing to swell the already congested Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state capital.
Again, at 5.30 pm on February, 2018, and roughly four years after the Chibok incident, 110 students of Government Girls Science and Technical College (GGSTC), Dapchi, in Yobe State were reported to have been swiftly rounded up and taken hostage by Boko Haram.
Dapchi is said to lie 275 kilometres northwest of Chibok and, unlike what was witnessed in the latter’s case, federal troops mounted a determined but belated pursuit of the bandits and their human loot. However, after a period of negotiations, facilitated mainly by international non-governmental bodies, 106 of the girls were released and transported back to Dapchi by their abductors; though not without the payment of ransom as was widely reported in the news but later denied by the government.
Officially, only one of the girls, Leah Sharibu, is still being held by the insurgents due mainly to her refusal to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam as demanded by her abductors. Already, five girls were said to have died while being transported to the kidnappers’ hideout.
To the very uncanny, the Dapchibok (sorry, Dapchi and Chibok) raids would appear like a mere coincidence, but how about this? At 12.10 am on October 2, 2019 armed men reportedly struck at a private co-educational secondary school in Kaduna State whisking away six girls and two teachers. Yes, you guessed right. Like the Chibok and Dapchi schools before it, the Kaduna victim, known as Engravers College, is based in Chikun, another community with the chi nomenclature.
The six students and their teachers were let go last Friday, after 23 days in the den of their kidnappers. Although no group has, as yet, openly claimed responsibility for this latest incident, it is already known that the act of invading secondary schools and herding away mostly female students has since become a distinctive characteristic of Boko Haram.
Chibok, Dapchi and Chikun may be small communities lying along routes that are hardly guarded round the clock but nobody should underrate the reach of Boko Haram or any of the northern-based terrorist groups for that matter. The dreaded insurgents whose main objective is to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria had severally come close to overrunning Maiduguri, the Borno State seat of power.
Sometime in 2014, the group steadily made incursions into Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (the BAY States of Boko Haram) during which it reportedly gained control of about 14 local government areas, hoisted its flag and declared a caliphate. Even Abuja, the nation’s capital, was threatened at some point. Yes, remember the Nyanya explosions.
Finally, I want to wager that Bauchi has some mixed or purely girls’ schools. I also want to assume that there are other chi towns in the north, particularly those with an all-female institution. If these scenarios are given, then it will not be out of place to bid that they begin to keep permanent vigil around such schools.
I am neither a soothsayer nor an alarmist, but ignore my hunch and your guess will be as bad as mine, thank you.
Ibelema Jumbo
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
Do the Fulani herdsmen have an expansionists agenda, like their progenitor, Uthman Dan Fodio? Why are they everywhere even the remotest part of other areas in Nigeria harassing, maiming, raping and killing the owners of the land?”
In a swift reaction, The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) decried and strongly condemned the invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
In his denunciation, MOSOP President Fegalo Nsuke described the incident as very unfortunate and deeply troubling, warning against a recurrence of the violence experienced in Benue State. “The killing of yesterday is bad and very unfortunate. We are getting preliminary information about how the herders gained access to the farmland, and it appears some hoodlums may be collecting money and granting access illegally.”
He called on the Hausa community in Rivers State to intervene swiftly to prevent further attacks.
“We want the Hausa community in Rivers State to take urgent action to ensure these issues are resolved”.
But will such appeal and requests end the violent disposition of the Fulani herdsmen? It is not saying something new that the escalating threat and breach of peace across the country by the Fulani herdsmen or those suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, leaves much to be desired in a country that is bedevilled by multi-dimensional challenges and hydra-headed problems.
Some upland Local Government Areas of Rivers State, such as Etche, Omuma, Emohua, Ikwerre, Oyigbo, Abua, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, have severally recounted their ordeals, as herdsmen invaded farmlands, destroyed crops, raped female farmers and killed protestant residents.
Again the wanton destruction of lives and properties which no doubt has overwhelmed the Nigerian Police, makes the clamour for State Police, indispensable. The National Assembly should consider the amendment of the Constitution to allow States to have their Statutory policing agencies.
As insurgency has risen to an all time high in the country were killings has now grown to be a normal daily activity in some part of the nation it may not be safe to say that Nigeria still practices democracy.
Several massacres coming from the Boko Haram and the herdsmen amongst all other insurgencies which have led to the destruction of homes and killing, burning of communities especially in the northern part of the country. All these put together are result of the ethnic battles that are fought between the tribes of Nigeria and this can be witnessed in Benue State where herders and farmers have been in constant clashes for ages. They have experienced nothing but casualties and unrest.
In the month of June 13-14, the Yelwata attack at the Guma Local Government Area by suspected gunmen or herdsmen who stormed the houses of innocent IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) claiming the lives of families, both adults and children estimated to be 200 victims. They were all burnt alive by these unknown gunmen.
This has been recorded as one of the deadliest insurgencies that had happened in recent years. Some security personnel that were trying to fight the unknown gunmen also lost their lives.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, two days before the happening, similar conflict took place in Makurdi on June 11, 2025. 25 people were killed in the State. Even in Plateau State and the Southern Kaduna an attack also took place in the month of June.
All other states that make up the Middle Belt have been experiencing the farmers/herders clash for years now and it has persisted up till recent times, claiming lives of families and children, homes and lands, escalating in 2025 with coordinated assaults.
Various authorities and other villagers who fled for safety also blamed the herdsmen in the State for the attack that happened in Yelwata community.
Ehebha God’stime is an Intern with The Tide.