Nation
Involve Religious Leaders In Tackling Insecurity-Onaiyekan
The Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has called for more involvement of religious leaders in tackling security challenges facing the nation.
Onaiyekan made this appeal at the Annual Lecture and Induction of Full Members by the Institute of Security and Strategic Studies (ISSS), during the weekend in Abuja.
The theme of the lecture is “Modalities of Handling Protest Against Government Policies and Programmes in Nigeria: the Analytical Approach”.
A total of 40 new members were inducted into the membership of the institute during the annual lecture.
He said that issue of national security was everybody’s business, adding that every sector of the society including the international community, has a role to play.
“In this context, you must also find what specific areas religious leaders are expected to make contributions.
“Religious leaders are supposed to be the conscience of the nation.
“You should allow them to preach and preach freely. They also have the right to criticise when necessary government policies that they believe are not working well.
“The thing is that this kind of participation of religious leaders will not just come naturally by itself, it must be organised.
“For religious leaders to work with the government, government must create the environment and empowerment to do it.
“It can be as simple as having a committee or finding some ways even within our rank, to have a group that will be invited by government to certain meetings where security is discussed,” he said.
Onaiyekan stressed the need to bring both Christians and Muslims together to find lasting solutions to the security challenges confronting the country.
He said that government sometimes hand-picked the religious leaders they would want to work with, saying such style had not worked.
“It is not enough to rely on the chaplains that you have in armed forces where you have military chaplains in the army, air force, because their job is different from what we are talking about.
“So, the problem of national security is so big in Nigeria that government must be ready to think outside the box, look for new ways to bring in more stakeholders and actors so as to work together,” he added.
The cardinal therefore advised government to adopt more of non-kinetic approach towards tackling the prevailing security challenges as well as put in more efforts to bring the nation together.
On his part, the Murshid of the National Mosque, Abuja, Prof. Shehu Galadanci, said government’s efforts in the fight against insurgency and banditry was commendable but not enough.
Galadanci noted that even though the military had continued to do its best, the problem had refused to go away because of the support the criminals were getting from certain influential individuals.
He said these individuals were either supporting the terrorists and bandits with information or financing, urging government to fish out and punish the culprits accordingly.
The cleric said that terrorists groups were only using the name of Islam in their dastard acts, saying they are not Muslims.
He urged government to do more to defeat terrorism, adding that the proliferation of terrorist groups around the world had posed great threats to global peace and security.
“In Nigeria, as some people say, there might be some people who are supporting these terrorists, they are supporting the terrorist in two ways.
“One, they are giving them information about the government, they are giving them information about places, about the people, about everything.
“Two, they are also helping them with materials. Honestly, the government and the soldiers and good Nigerians are trying to get rid of all these problems, but then there are people within our society, some of them are maybe I don’t know, maybe even within the government.
“It is most unfortunate,” he said.
Also, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao, represented by AVM AH Bakari, said the nation was faced with contemporary security challenges that require whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to address.
He said the military had continued to be at the forefront in the fight against insecurity across the country.
He urged the public to always support the effort of the military in tackling the scourge of terrorism, banditry and other forms of threats confronting the nation.
The Chairman, Governing Council of ISSS, retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Audu, said the lecture was designed to empower stakeholders in both public and private sectors in Nigeria security system, with a view to achieve excellent relation between the government and the governed.
Audu said the institute had over the years developed several professional courses in security, strategy and human development, attended by personnel of various security agencies.
Besides, he called on security agencies to support the innovative drive of the institute towards contributing to citizen’s security awareness and knowledge with a view to achieving a crime free environment.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has inducted and given orientation to 100 Ogoni youths for training on Creative Arts. The beneficiaries were drawn from Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme Local Government Areas of Rivers State.
The induction and orientation ceremony, which took place at the CRAB of the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday, was a prelude to the training proper, billed to commence next Tuesday.
As usual, HYPREP issued undertaking forms to the trainees, for them to complete and submit as a guarantee that they would subject themselves to the requirements of the programme as well as be of good behaviour throughout the four-month duration of the training.
HYPREP also announced that it would pay N150,000 to each of the beneficiaries monthly, as transport and feeding allowance, stressing, however, that only those who fully participate in the training would be entitled for the allowance.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, welcomed the trainees to the programme, saying, HYPREP’s projects are evolving and that one thing that is happening today is that the Project has gotten leadership right, by making promises and keeping those promises.
According to him, the Project had equally promised to move away from rudimentary skills acquisition to high impacts acquisition levels, which it has kept today by sponsoring the training on Creative Arts.
He noted that in planning its livelihood programmes for Ogoni youths, HYPREP has taken time out to look for skills that would add value to the lives of the beneficiaries.
Zabbey, who was represented at the event by the Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi said by packaging the Creative Arts training, it was expected that the Ogoni people would have their own version of Nollywood known as Ogoniwood just as Nigerians are familiar with Hollywood, Bollywood, Kannywood and Nollywood.
To achieve this goal, the Project Coordinator explained that it was the reason for choosing a reputable establishment like Halibiz Consult Limited, to partner with the Department of Theatre Arts of the University of Port Harcourt, which he described as one of the most prestigious in the Niger Delta, for the training of the beneficiaries.
He also indicated that in doing this, HYPREP was desirous of going for talents that would help the Ogoni people grow in the film industry, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.
Zabbey equally enjoined the trainees to put in their best so that in the next three to five years, they would carve a niche for themselves and become forces to reckon with in the film industry.
On her part, HYPREP’s Head of Sustainable Livelihood, Mrs Josephine Nzidee said HYPREP does what it says it will, stressing that the process of training Ogoni youths on specialised skills started three years ago.
According to her, the selection process for the training was rigorous and transparent, and was carried out by renowned actors actresses.
She disclosed that the training consists of three major aspects, which include acting, script writing and make-up, while Nollywood actors like Charles Nnoje, Ngezu J. Ngezu and award-winning make-up artist, Jude Odo would be on hand to drill and groom the beneficiaries.
Mrs Nzidee noted that the programme is a specialised training that does not have anything like starter packs but that it is purely a professional certification programme that would launch the beneficiaries into the Nollywood industry in Nigeria.
According to her, the Creative Arts training is one of the four specialised trainings organised by HYPREP to ensure that the Ogoni people are well positioned in vital industries like Aviation, Maritime, Creative Arts and Mechatronics.
She said the last of such trainings on Mechatronics would take place in the coming months, and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously so as to put the Ogoni people on the Nollywood map.
She further indicated that while Charles Nnoje and Ngezu J. Ngezu would take the beneficiaries on the practical aspects, Jude Odo would take them on the make-up aspects.
Also speaking, the External Relations Manager of Halibiz Consult Limited, Alabo Experience Douglas said his company gives much premium to standard and quality, and assured that the firm would give the trainees value for the money spent on the programme.
While charging the beneficiaries to be dedicated and punctual, he stressed the need for them to approach the programme with the mindset of being empty so that at the end of the day, they would benefit maximally.
On his part, the Head of the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Ovunda Ihunwo said the CRAB is an acronym for Creative Review of Arts and Books, stressing that it was named by renowned playwright, Prof Ola Rotimi.
According to him, the CRAB had nurtured, groomed and produced Nollywood actors and actresses like Bobmanuel Udokwu, Ejike Asiegbu,Francis Duru, Hilda Dokubo, Monalisa Chinda, Julius Agwu, and a host of others, assuring the beneficiaries that they were on fertile environment to hone their talents.
He noted that symbolically, the crab is a nutritious seafood common in the Niger Delta, and reiterated the need for the beneficiaries to come empty for the training, as it were.
Ihunwo disclosed that the theory classes of the programme would run for three weeks while the fourth week would be for the master classes, and urged the trainees to avail themselves of the opportunity to make a difference by telling the Ogoni story, which he described as inexhaustible by themselves, in order to put Ogoni on the map.
A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.