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Nigeria Will Die If … – Obi of Onitsha Tells Politicians
The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty, Nnaemeka Achebe, has charged the political class and those in leadership positions to put public interest above personal and individualistic interest if Nigeria as a country must grow beyond its current position.
In his goodwill, message, yesterday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book,’Bold Leap’ authored by Senator Chris Anyanwu, His Royal Majesty warned that with the increasing level of corruption in the country which is akin to milking a cow, the cow would soon die if incorruptible milking was not stopped.
He lamented the insincerity the political class has exhibited towards accountability and good governance, likening it to the ignoble attitude to milking the cow continuously without replenishing and sustaining it.
Bold Leap which had a gathering of Nigerians made up of former Presidents, ex- Presidents of the Senate, past and present senators, and former governors was an autobiography of Senator Anyanwu with 600 pages, three parts, and 19 chapters.
President Bola Tinubu was represented by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Jisalo, the Chairman of the event and former President Olusegun Obasanjo was represented by former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; former President Goodluck Jonathan was represented by ex-President of the Senate, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Jaja of Okpobo, former Senators, former Anambra State governors, Chris Ngige and Peter Obi, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF’s spokesperson, Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, Senators, Captains of Industry, among others were present at the event.
The Obi of Onitsha said: “Should we continue milking the cow, it will die. In this country, since independence, we’ve been talking and talking and talking and talking and talking. I think it’s time we begin to think about doing something because we have two alternatives. Keep milking the cow until it dies, because of our sectional interests, which we tend to protect, and our personal interests. People go into public service, not to serve the public, but to serve their interests.
“Either we keep doing that and milk the cow to death, or we do the opposite and place Nigeria above everything else.
“And I would like to add that time is not too much in our favour. It’s either we milk the cow to death very, very fast, or we can turn around the country very, very fast.”
Speaking on “How Do We Fix Nigeria-System, Structure, Institutions and Leadership?: A Panel Discussion,” former Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was one of the four panellists, tongue lashed the political class, describing the current political and governance system as operational in Nigeria as “electorialism” and not democracy.
Fayemi, who served as Minister of Solid Minerals during the administration of President Muhamnadu Buhari, said: “On the systemic issues we have to confront, beyond going into the nature of the system we are operating, liberal democracy, parliamentary or presidential system, who cuts the substance of the question you ask? For me, the excuses are always going to be legit, why we are not operating right as a country. Is it the system, the institutions, or the leadership, or in fact, some would even say colonialism, because we must provide our own foundation. That’s why we have found ourselves in that situation.
“We have been fighting to forge what in political science we call elite consensus, but we need to go beyond elite consensus to national consensus and how do we get to national consensus without asking the national question, which is, who are we? What do we want for ourselves? Where do we want the country to be in 10 years, or 20 years, or 50 years? Every country that wants to really develop starts with a national vision and mission.”
Briggs, who advocated the restructuring of the political system, said: “We need to restructure our political system. We need to restructure the people we put in politics to represent us. And we have a problem with that. The problem originates from the Independent National Election Commission, INEC. INEC has let Nigerians down.
“I’m one of those Nigerians that INEC has let down. When you have a voters card and you cannot vote, it means that you’re not choosing the people who are representing you. Therefore, they owe you nothing. We are at the very worst stage that we can be as a nation. Patriotism is not the national anthem. A lot of people can’t even sing all the verses of either of the national anthems.
“So, patriotism is about what you do for your country, but specifically what it is that your country is also doing for you because you are. We’re all Nigerians. We’re not Ghanaians. We’re not British. We’re Nigerians. So, a country is to give and the citizens are also to give.”
She also described as a great error that activists and those who fought for democracy left the politicians to run the show.
“So if we are to succeed, then we must, as a people, as the electorate, make the decision as to who are these people that we are going to put in the position of power that we are investing in them to hold for us in trust, to make the right decisions and make the right policies for Nigerians. I have just one example which will tell us where we need to go.”
On his part Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who stressed the need to have the right people in the right place, decried the weak institutions, citing a case where a public officer who was prosecuted for embezzlement only received a slap in the wrest.
He said: “Last week, the former head of the police pension fund embezzled, according to the court, N23.2 billion. He was tried by the court and the court fined him N323 million and then imposed a two-year sentence on him for which he also gave, at the same time that they imposed that two-year sentence, a fine of N250,000, so that he can go free. So, someone embezzles N23 billion, then he wakes up and pays back N315 million and he works free to now take N22 billion and walk away.
“Now, we are talking about an illegal institution versus the person who was imposing that sentence. So, as far as I’m concerned, if we don’t have the right people, we will never get an institution right. And that is the only way we can go forward.”
On his part, Dr. Aminu Gamana, who noted that the country needed value reorientation, said: “We need societal reorientation in order to get things right. Otherwise, you will conduct elections every four years, people will come out and collect indomie or spaghetti and vote for someone who does not care about them.”
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
DSS Detains Novelist Okey Ndibe at Lagos Airport, Awaits Clearance from Abuja
Renowned Nigerian novelist, journalist, and academic, Okey Ndibe, was reportedly detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday morning.
Ndibe disclosed his situation in a message sent while in custody, stating: “I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some oga before they let me go.”
According to sources close to the writer, his detention follows a pattern that dates back to previous administrations, including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, during which he was frequently stopped and questioned over his critical commentaries on Nigerian governance and public affairs.
However, associates noted that Ndibe has largely stepped away from active commentary in Nigerian media over the past two years, focusing instead on writing books and his academic responsibilities at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches.
A close friend of the author and former Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said similar incidents had occurred several times in the past. He explained that airport DSS officials typically contacted their superiors in Abuja before eventually releasing Ndibe.
“It is a pity that this agency doesn’t update its database to enable officers on duty at the airport to know that the agency no longer regards Prof. Ndibe as a security threat to the administration,” Adinuba said.
He added that on previous occasions, the DSS had apologized to the respected author after determining that his detention was unwarranted.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the DSS regarding the circumstances surrounding Ndibe’s latest detention. The development has raised renewed concerns about the treatment of government critics and the continued use of security watchlists affecting returning Nigerians.
Hegseth made the disclosure during a press conference at the White House on Wednesday, where he said the directive was issued about a year ago after Trump became aware of attacks against Christians in Nigeria.
He explained that the operation involved behind-the-scenes coordination and deployment of military assets, adding that intelligence gathered during the mission contributed to the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as ISIS’s second-in-command, during a joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Maybe a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth said.
According to him, the operation yielded significant results in the fight against terrorism in the region.
“And we got the assets there, and over the last month, and there hasn’t been much coverage of this, we killed ISIS number two in Nigeria, who’s most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland,” he stated.
Hegseth added that working on the Intel gathered, they have killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria.
The U.S. defence chief described the operation as part of the Trump administration’s broader commitment to counterterrorism efforts and the protection of vulnerable communities.
“So there are a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the President empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth stated.
ISIS second in command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed in a coordinated U.S.-Nigeria military operation in northeast Nigeria earlier this month.
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