A 26-year-old Nigerian man, Michael Chidozie, has died of spinal injury complications after his wife shot him four times during an argument inside their Houston residence, Texas, US.

Chidozie’s wife, Keaiirra Shavoiyae, two years older, shot him in the middle of an argument on March 21 in front of their two children, claiming she acted in self-defence.

He was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital after police found him with gunshot wounds and his wife in a panic holding their two kids, aged three and two.

According to Daily Mail, Chidozie lingered 18 days on life support in the hospital before dying of spinal injury complications.

Consequently, Shavoiyae has been charged with aggravated assault but it has not been upgraded to murder since his death.

She claimed to have shot Chidozie in self-defence as she feared for her life during the argument when he followed her into their bedroom.

The argument began elsewhere in the house before she went to the bedroom, where she picked up a pistol and shot him, the police said.

However, the report did not reveal whether the Nigerian national who was a bodybuilder had physically assaulted his wife for her to resort to shooting him for self-defence.

Chidozie was shot once in the arm, once in the chest, and twice in his torso and left to die on the bedroom floor.

Police found Shavoiyae with the children in a nearby parking lot after witnesses called police to say she was frantically running around asking for help.

Friends said they had never seen the couple be violent towards each other and were shocked that an argument escalated into fatality.

Chidozie’s family who prayed for him when he was in the hospital, now trying to raise $70,000 to bring his body back to Nigeria for burial, as it was his dream to one day return to the country.

“His passing has left a profound void in the lives of all who knew and loved him. He was a devoted father, a cherished son, and a dear friend to many,” they said.

“Chidozie’s kind heart, infectious laughter, and unwavering love for his family will forever be remembered and cherished by all who were fortunate enough to know him.”

Chidozie’s wife, Shavoiyae was released on bail and is set to face court on May 23, and their children are being cared for by another family.

There are indications that Nigerians are fast relegating cash transaction to the background as the value of electronic payment transactions skyrockets.

According to the latest report released by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS) yesterday, value of electronic payment transactions (EPT) grew year-on-year (YoY) by 89 percent to N257.73 trillion in the first quarter of 2024 (Q1’24) from N136.2 trillion in Q1’23.

The data also showed that the value of NIBSS Instant Payment (NIP) recorded high value of transactions, growing YoY by 90.8 percent to N236.46 trillion in Q1’24 from N123.9 trillion in Q1’23.

According to the report the value of Mobile Money Operations (MMO) transactions grew by 87.8 percent to N17.11 trillion in Q1’24 from N9.11 trillion in Q1’23.

The value of Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions grew by 127.9 percent to N10.1 billion in Q1’24 from N4.43 billion in Q1’23, while its volume increased by 6.7 percent to 6.46 million in Q1’24 from 6.05 million in Q1’23.

The growths signify Nigerians’ increased adoption of electronic payment channels for transactions.

Meanwhile, The value of Cheque transactions grew by 22 percent to N935.24 billion in Q1’24 from N765.9 billion in Q1’23.

But its volume of transactions fell by 16.6 percent to 900.3 million in Q1’24 from 1.08 billion in Q1’23.

However, the value of Point of Sale (PoS) transactions, the grass cash option, fell YoY by 8.09.percent to N2.61 trillion in Q1’24 from N2.84 trillion in Q1’23.

This came against the backdrop of a similar decline of 5.29 percent month-on-month recorded in February to N805 billion from N850 billion in January.

But the volume of PoS transactions increased by 4.09 percent to 313.98 million in Q1’24 from 327.4 million in Q1’23.

AI Robots are now set to enter the beauty pageant world as a new artificial intelligence pageant is set to dole out thousands of dollars to the best chatbot babes.

“‘Miss AI’ is the world’s first beauty pageant for AI-generated models,” announced Fanvue, a subscription-based social media platform, of its forthcoming event slated for May.

“Contestants will be judged on their beauty, tech, and clout for the chance to earn the Miss AI crown.” 

The event, an offshoot of the World AI Creator Awards (WAICAs), which recognizes artificial intelligence content creators across the globe will welcome digital divas who’ve been designed to dazzle the eye, mind and internet.

A panel of human judges such as beauty pageant historian Sally-Ann Fawcett, as well as AI influencers Aitana Lopez and Emily Pellegrini, will select the best and sexiest robots.

“Each judge will use their wealth of expertise to assess contestants across three core categories,” said pageant organizers. “A points-based system will be used to score each creator across the three categories with each entrant given an overall score.”

The top bot will log out with a whopping $13,000 reward, including a $5,000 check, a $3,000 mentorship scholarship and $5,000 in public relations support.

The second and third runners-up will receive grand totals of $5,000 and $2,000, respectively.

AI photos competing for the titles must be “100% AI-generated” to be considered for the money. The creators of the masterpieces must be at least age 18.

“Contestants will be judged on some of the classic aspects of pageantry including their beauty, poise and their unique answers to a series of questions like, ‘If you could have one dream to make the world a better place what would it be?,’” per Fanvue.

“Contestants will earn points for their skill and implementation of AI tools used to create their digital masterpieces, including the use of prompts and their output, and visual detailing around hands, eyes, and backgrounds.”

“AI Creators’ social clout will be assessed based on their engagement numbers with fans, rate of growth of audience,” Fanvue explained, “and [their] utilization of other platforms such as Instagram.”

A recent research carried out by market research company GitNux has uncovered that women in South Africa possess the widest average hip size, implying they may have the biggest backsides.

South Africa clinched the top spot with an average hip size of 41.73 inches, as per data from the report titled “Statistics About The Average Hip Size For Women,” which measured hip sizes in Nigeria and 16 other nations.

The ranking indicates that South Africa outperforms Brazil, which is commonly associated with wide hips and ample backsides, even though Brazil was not part of the dataset.

Argentina, renowned for its flourishing plastic surgery industry, particularly Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), closely followed in second place at 41 inches.

Sweden, breaking the mold of tall and slender stereotypes, earned the third rank with an average hip measurement of 40.9 inches.

Greece and Germany secured the fourth and fifth positions on the list, with average hip sizes of 40.74 and 40.6 inches, correspondingly, while the US ranked sixth, with an average hip measurement of 40.2 inches.

The report pointed out that Nigerian women averaged a hip circumference of about 38.56 inches, measured at the widest point, serving as a gauge for pelvic size.

The researchers clarified that this average is derived from a sample group and may not accurately represent the size of every Nigerian woman.

India, ranking second-lowest in global obesity rates, maintained the record for the smallest average hip size at 36.1 inches.

While the study does not offer insights into the underlying reasons for the rankings, it hints that multiple factors like obesity rates, prevalence of plastic surgery, and inherent bone structure could be contributing factors.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said Nigeria’s crude oil reserves increased from 36.96 billion barrels (bb) on January 1, 2023, to 37.50 bb on January 1, 2024.

Naija News reports that the NUPRC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gbenga Komolafe, stated this while speaking with reporters in Abuja, on Monday.

Also, the NUPRC boss stated that the country’s Natural Gas reserves rose from N208.83 trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) on January 1, 2023, to 209.26TCF on January 1, 2024.

According to him, the data indicates the level of hydrocarbon capacity the nation is endowed with while describing the development declaration as positive for Nigeria.

Komolafe added that the data showed the country’s level of hydrocarbon capacity.

The NUPRC boss said several commission initiatives were accountable for the feat. He also attributed the reserve increase to production from some of the marginal fields.

He said, “Some of the brownfields and marginal fields have started producing and contributing to our national oil and gas reserves.”

Gas: NNPCL Unveils Plan To Stabilise Naira

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is set to increase its gas output, targeting both local and international markets.
This strategic move is promised to restore economic prosperity and stabilize the national currency, the Naira.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, made this commitment on Thursday during a press briefing after his visit to President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, where the President is celebrating the Eid-el-Fitr holidays.

Kyari’s announcement aligns with the Nigerian government’s broader economic strategies, which include bolstering the country’s energy sector to support economic recovery efforts.

The woman who was accused of lying while giving testimony at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, Vera Anyim, has said she bears no grudge against the church.

This followed the controversy that trailed the treatment that was meted out to her by the church’s Senior Pastor, Dr Paul Enenche, on Sunday.

In a video that emerged online, Anyim, during her testimony in the church, said she graduated with a “Bsc in Law” from the National Open University of Nigeria.

She was however interrupted by Enenche who said she was lying. The pastor also questioned the credibility of the woman’s testimony while he chided her on how she spoke.

Enenche who said there was nothing like “Bsc in Law” immediately asked her to leave the pulpit.

The action however generated a flurry of reactions as netizens demanded an apology from the cleric.

But Anyim, in a post on her Facebook page on Monday, said she had put the situation behind her.

She made the statement after meeting Enenche and his wife, Becky.

Sharing photos from the meeting, she wrote, “I want to inform the whole world that I just had a warm meeting with my spiritual father and mother, Dr Paul Enenche, and Dr Becky Enenche.

“I don’t have any grudge against the church or them. I remain committed to serving God as a member of Dunamis Church.

“I am thankful for the concern of the public.

“I have put the situation at my back, and I have moved forward, and I want everybody to do the same. Peace.”

The church in a statement on Monday said it reached out to Anyim over the issue, while it explained that concerns arose during her testimony at the Glory Dome on April 14, 2024, regarding her language proficiency and the clarity of her academic credentials.

It stated that her speech suggested a level of English proficiency below what might be expected of a university graduate, particularly one with a Law degree, while noting that discrepancies also emerged regarding the nature and duration of her academic pursuit, raising doubts about the legitimacy of her qualifications.

The statement added that the Senior Pastor’s actions stemmed from a commitment to upholding standards of excellence and integrity within the church community.

The statement read, “A scenario was created on Sunday the 14th April, 2024 at the Glory Dome, the Global Headquarters of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, when Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna came out to testify of how God helped her graduate from the university, thus making her the first person to attain that feat in her family.

“These were the immediate triggers for the said scenario: First, listening to the testifier’s expressions as it borders on basic spoken English, conveys the impression that the minimum standard expectation of a graduate, especially a graduate of Law was not met.

“Second, stating that she studied Law for 10 years begged the question of what her degree actually was.

“Third, she was unable to state exactly what the correct degree was for Law which is LLB, rather she said it was a BSc in Law which is largely unknown as a Law degree in Nigeria and possibly globally.

“These prompted the Senior Pastor. Dr. Paul Enenche, to stop the testimony immediately as a product of a ‘lie.’ However, relief came when it was later confirmed that she actually graduated from a university.

“It must be pointed out clearly here that embarrassing the testifier publicly with the attendant media frenzy was never intended; whatever happened was under the spur of the moment.”

The church disclosed further that the Senior Pastor was rather based on his and the church’s aversion to seeming mediocrity and any appearance of untruth.

“While we remain resolute in our passion for excellence, intolerance of mediocrity and falsehood, we wish to reiterate the fact that no harm or hurt was ever intended by the Senior Pastor against Ms. Anyim Veronica. The Senior Pastor feels deeply concerned and had already reached out to her.

“As a commission, we regret every inconvenience, hurt, and embarrassment this unfortunate scenario has caused to Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna. We remain committed to her physical welfare as well as her spiritual growth. God bless us all,” the statement added.

Some photos confirming that the woman graduated from NOUN were discovered on her Facebook page and shared online.

Reacting earlier to the treatment meted out to her, Vera lamented that she was disgraced and labelled a liar by her spiritual leader because she couldn’t speak English and mistakenly said B.Sc instead of LLB.

In a post on her Facebook page on Monday, she stated that she graduated with a 3rd class from NOUN and was no. 2262 on the list of graduates from the school.

She wrote: “It’s disheartened because I couldn’t speak English like lawyers. I was labelled a liar for mistakenly saying B.Sc instead of LLB. Actually, I graduated with a Third Class at NOUN. The rejected stone can become the cornerstone. We’re reminded not to look down on anyone.

“You can’t imagine what I endured throughout the service. How shattered I must have felt to be disgraced by my spiritual leader in such a manner? I am no. 2262 on the list. I, Vera, deserve better now.

“The Devil came to steal my testimony but Jesus said NO!,” she stated in a separate post.

A masseur has been arrested for allegedly raping a 71-year-old woman in Portugal.

The 71-year-old British pensioner went to police after allegedly being sexually attacked following a 47-year-old massage session in the Algarve town of Quarteira.

A spokesman for Portugal's Policia Judiciaria police force, confirming the arrest in the Algarve municipality of Loule which Quarteira forms part of, said: 'Last Friday the Polícia Judiciaria arrested a 47-year-old man strongly suspected of raping a 71-year-old foreign national at a massage center in the municipality of Loule.

'The alleged victim reported the incident which the police found out had allegedly occurred after a massage session.

'As a result of the investigation, conducted by the PJ's Southern Directorate, officers were able to gather some very relevant evidence.'

A source close to the ongoing investigation added: 'We are waiting for the medical reports to build up a full picture of what happened.

'Police are also looking into the arrested man's background to see if there have been prior cases involving this individual.

'In these kinds of cases, victims very often don't go to police out of shame or trauma although for now the information police have been able to gather on the detainee don't point to him having previous arrests or convictions in Portugal for any sex crimes.'

The unnamed man has already appeared in court and been bailed with the obligation to sign on every week and agree to a ban on contacting his alleged victim or her family.

On Saturday, April 13, a group of 18 masked persons dressed in army camouflage, armed with rifles, charms and Oodua Nation flags attempted to take over the Oyo State House of Assembly and Government Secretariat to proclaim the emergence of a Yoruba Nation. They caused some commotion as they insisted on hoisting a flag, but the rag-tag team of insurrectionists were soon overpowered and arrested by officers of the Nigerian Police Command. Well, not quite. They resisted the police but when soldiers from the 2 Div. of the Nigerian Army arrived on the scene, the Oodua boys took to their heels.  Cowards! They should have waited and argue with the soldiers over the integrity and sovereignty of Nigeria. But the twist in the tale turned out to be the appearance of a woman on several platforms - Modupe Onitiri Abiola, who endorsed the action of the Oodua 18 and proclaimed that a Democratic Republic of Yoruba had emerged with effect from April 13, 2024. The additional twist in the tale is that the woman introduced herself as a widow of Chief MKO Abiola, the undeclared winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, pillar of sports in Africa, entrepreneur, philanthropist and a martyr of democracy.  

Nigerians are probably used to persons, groups – ethnic and socio-cultural - threatening to leave Nigeria and declare their own separate country, to as they argue correct the mistake of 1914, so-called, or to seek meaning in a new association. Afterall, in February 1966, Isaac Adaka Boro, an Ijaw ethnic minority rights activist, formed a group known as the Niger Delta Volunteer Force and declared the formation of a Niger Delta Republic.  He and his group fought the Nigerian Forces for 12 days before they were overwhelmed, arrested, tried for treason and thrown into jail. This was the first major rebellion against the Nigerian state. The same year, following the Unitary Decree No 34 of the Aguiyi Ironsi military government, the people of Northern Nigeria were so dissatisfied with the turn of events in Nigeria, they openly talked about “Araba” – meaning “let us separate.”  In January 1966, there had been a military coup which resulted in the death of Northern leaders and others, notably Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Northern Region Premier, Chief Ladoke Akintola, Premier of the Western Region, and Festus Okotie-Eboh, Minister of Finance. 

The coup was led by Kaduna Nzeogwu, an Ibo man, and with that collapse of Nigeria’s First Republic, the new leader was also an Ibo man, General Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, the first military Head of State of Nigeria. The North had wanted to separate but eventually there was a counter coup in July 1966, which ousted the Ironsi regime, which further widened the centrifugal ethnic fissures in Nigeria. In July 1967, the Ibos fought back. Led by Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, they declared the Republic of Biafra, meaning they were determined to secede from Nigeria. The war that ensued lasted three years – 6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970. That was 54 years ago, but there are signs that the civil war in Nigeria has not really ended.  Nigeria took a turn for the worse. The rain began to beat us. 

The separatist spirit would again show up on April 22, 1990 in the coup speech by Major Gideon Orkar whose plan, as announced, included the excision of five Northern states of Bauchi, Borno, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto from Nigeria. The Orkar group was convinced that the people from these five states were the problem with Nigeria and they should just get out and form their own country. Thus, Orkar and 41 of his colleagues wanted to seize government and re-draw the map of Nigeria. They were captured by government troops, charged for treason, convicted and executed by firing squad. However, the fact that treason attracts the punishment of death has not deterred those who think that Nigeria must be dismembered, or that the map must be re-drawn. The year 2012 witnessed the emergence of a separatist, nativist, Igbo nationalism, anti-Fulani, neo-Biafra group called the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) which aims to restore and actualize the dream of Biafra. IPOB is led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been facing trial for treasonable felony since 2016. Before IPOB, there was also Radio Biafra established by Mazi Kanu in 2009, there was Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra led by Ralph Uwazurike (1999) and there was the Biafra Zionist Movement (BZM) led by Benjamin Igwe Onwuka (2012). There have also been talks about the possibility of an Arewa Reepublic. 

A common thread in the foregoing is that every attempt at separation in Nigeria has been driven by frustration with the Nigerian arrangement, protests against bad governance, cries of marginalization or victimization, with ethnic identity and questions of federalism, religion and resource control thrown into the mix. For example, in 1993, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election which denied MKO Abiola, a Yoruba man, victory, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) was formed to defend Yoruba rights and to remind the Babangida military junta that Yoruba people would not be cheated.  OPC was founded and led by Dr. Frederick Fasheun. It was also known as the Oodua Liberation Movement, or the Revolutionary Council of Nigeria. There would later be a more militant faction of the group, a breakaway faction, led by Gani Adams, who is now the Aaare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, that is the Yoruba Generalissimo, defender of the Yoruba realm. The OPC never really pushed the idea of leaving Nigeria: the group, Fasheun or Gani Adams faction has consistently focused on defending Yorubaland against any form of attack or aggression from other groups and to protect Yorubaland, covering both the South Western states and Itsekiriland in the Delta. The Itsekiri are cousins of the Yoruba. They share cultural, linguistic and political heritage 

What we must note is that the Yoruba who had been maintaining a pacifist, federalist position in the matter soon began to talk about secession too, with the emergence under the Buhari administration (2015 – 2023) of the likes of Professor Banji Akintoye, and the militant Sunday Igboho who announced an Oodua Republic with a group known as Ilana Omo Yoruba in response to what they considered the Fulanization of Nigeria by the Buhari government and the assault on Yoruba territories by Hausa-Fulani herders. Ideologically, their objective was to protect Yoruba territory against Fulani invasion, to avoid a repeat of the seizure of Ilorin, a Yoruba town, in the 19^th century.  The group petitioned the United Nations.  The mainstream Yoruba position however had always been restructuring and federalism, as canvassed by the Awoist group, the OPC and the Afenifere. The idea of an Oodua Republic looked like a fall-back position. 

Sunday Igboho’s activism and militancy telegraphed what happened in Ibadan on Saturday. He is a self-determination activist who went beyond Professor Akintoye’s theoretical disposition to ask for an immediate declaration of an Oodua Republic. Of course, the Nigerian state went after him. He had to spend three years in exile and only recently returned for his mother’s burial. But that is another story.  It would be recalled, however, that in April 2021, more than 100 self-determination groups stormed Ibadan to declare an Oduduwa Republic, and a Yoruba nation. They included the Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination (NINAS), the Youth Initiative, Itsekiri National Youth Council, Ilana Omo Oodua and the Homeland Group. They were dispersed by the police. Now in 2024, we have a Mrs Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, leading a relatively unknown Ominira Yoruba group, trying to take over power in Oyo State. Special attention should be paid to the fact that the group has been disowned by both Professor Banji Akintoye and Sunday Igboho whose real name is actually Chief Sunday Adeyemo. Professor Akintoye says the group must be an agent of the Fulanis still desperate to destabilize Yorubaland. Igboho says he does not know the group, and that they are so “low-brained”. Akintoye and Igboho seem convinced that the Ibadan secessionists must be insane. No Yoruba leader has come out to identify with Mrs. Abiola’s group. 

My take however is that the Yoruba elite cannot distance themselves from what has happened. Each and every one of them who has been calling for this or that or else, is guilty. I refer them to Ebrahim Hussein’s Kinjekitile, a 1979 play written by the Tanzanian playwright on the Maji Maji war. The lesson of that play is that a word when spoken develops a life of its own, beyond the author of the word. You can break a community, nation and even the world, by the power of words spoken. Those who ask that the mistake of 1914 must be revisited and that Nigeria must be renegotiated have their point, but let them also think about the effect of their pronouncements. MASSOB created IPOB. Nnamdi Kanu gave birth to Simon Ekpa. Self-determination, the right of a people to decide their own destiny is a fundamental right under the UN Charter (Article 1 sub. 2), and we have seen that in the case of Kosovo, and Abhkazia, and the unresolved, ongoing cases of Kurdistan, Northern Cyprus, Quebec, Scotland, Western Sahara, Tibet and Taiwan. Nonetheless, the April secessionists of Ibadan led by Mrs Onitiri -Abiola and others of their ilk must be reminded that whereas Nigeria is a signatory to international laws and conventions, it remains a country governed by specific domestic laws, and this is where I think Mrs. Abiola and her band of 18 soldiers are in troubled waters. Section 2 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution states clearly that Nigeria is “one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Section 37 of the Criminal Code prescribes the death penalty for anyone who tries to tamper with Nigeria’s sovereignty. The offence is defined as treason. In Sections 40 – 43 of the same Code, the law refers to treasonable felony which attracts the punishment of a life imprisonment. Mrs Abiola and her gang have definitely ran foul of the law. They must be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted. Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola is said to be abroad; proceedings should be initiated post-haste for her extradition and interception wherever she may be in the world, and made to answer for her sin. 

She reportedly disclosed with her own mouth that she is a widow of Chief MKO Abiola, a man who struggled and died in the process, to rescue this country from sheer hopelessness. In 1993, every section of Nigeria, including the North voted massively for Abiola in what was acknowledged as the freest and fairest election ever conducted in Nigeria. He was both a hero and a martyr of democracy.  And just like that, here comes Mrs. Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, one of Chief’s many wives, suddenly showing up from Alhaji’s harem, many years after, spitting on his grave and legacy.  Is she truly of the MKO stock? I think the Abiola family owes us a duty of issuing a statement to clarify at least one point: that Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola does not speak for the family. MKO Abiola is one of Yorubaland’s major icons of the 20^th and 21^st centuries, and a Nigerian hero.  It is sad that anyone at all, would dare associate his name with less noble causes.   

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must feel personally embarrassed. He is President of Nigeria from the Yoruba stock and his own people, whoever they are, are trying to take over government? It is either he is terribly disconnected from his own people or he is not paying enough attention to certain details. The other month, he came to Lagos and on his way to the mosque, his own people trooped out to complain about hunger. When he came back home for the Eid-el-Fitri festival, a week ago, he conveniently restricted himself to Ikoyi and worshipped at a place not farther than the Dolphin Estate. Wait a moment. Are Yorubas in a position to even claim that they are marginalized now that they have their own kinsman and half of the tribe of Lagos in government? President Tinubu must address “the peculiar mess” that occurred in Ibadan on April 13. He should find out if there are certain fifth columnists seeking to embarrass his government, using Yorubaland as their play field. He took an oath to defend the Nigerian Constitution. Every Nigerian leader that I have worked or interacted with insists that they are sworn to an oath to protect the indivisibility of Nigeria under their watch. Tinubu must wake up. He must not allow a situation whereby his own people are the ones calling for the dissolution of Nigeria while he is President, whatever all the textbook arguments may be. Mrs. Modupe Onitiri-Abiola must be given the Nnamdi Kanu treatment! 

We had Chief Olabode George on The Morning Show (TMS) of Arise News yesterday and he drew attention to the failure of intelligence in the Ibadan matter. The old man was right. I share his view. How on earth did the Yoruba secessionists plan, organize and move to the Oyo State Government Secretariat without anybody catching a whiff of their intentions. Their spokesperson lives abroad. They must have been in touch with her through phone calls, messages and all that. And nobody picked that up? They even bought and wore military camouflage. And all the spokespersons of the Service Chiefs will come and tell us that they are committed to the defence of the sovereignty of Nigeria? Please how do you and your troops defend this country when you sleep on duty? And where was the station manager of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Oyo State and all the other agencies?  They must all be called in for questioning. Sleeping on duty is not allowed. And one more point, where was the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps?  It is the duty of that agency to protect and defend public infrastructure. Section 3 of the Civil Defence Act as amended (2007) gives the agency broad powers “to assist in the maintenance of peace and order and in the protection and rescuing of the civil population during the period of emergency.” The agency also has powers under section 3 (f) “to arrest with or without warrant, detain, investigate and institute legal proceedings by or in the name of the Attorney General of the Federation in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…” Where was Civil Defence even if the other agencies failed? 

The bigger issue that we have to deal with perhaps is the increasing, creeping failure of the Nigerian state. Much fewer people today believe in the idea of Nigeria. This is why we have people challenging the state either through secessionist or separatist moves or complete abandonment of the country, the Japa phenomenon, with many believing or thinking that they would be better off in foreign lands. When Nigeria becomes attractive to its own people, we would have managed to create a nation.

The senior Pastor of dunamis International gospel centre, Paul Enenche on Monday opened up on the controversy surrounding a lady who testified about being a “B.SC graduate of law” from the Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.

Pastor Enenche said he never intended to disgrace the testifier, Vera Ayim when he interjected while she was testifying on Sunday. 

On Sunday, Vera came on the altar of Dunamis Church to share her testimony of how God made her the “only graduate in her family.”

During the testimony, Vera said she graduated with a “BSc in Law” from NOUN.

Pastor Enenche asked what kind of degree she graduated with and she said ‘’B.Sc in Law.”

Aggrieved, the clergyman accused the Vera of lying. 

The issued had irked much frenzy on social Media with Nigerians asking Enenche to apologize.

Responding, Enenche said his action was rather based on his and the church’s aversion to seeming mediocrity and any appearance of untruth.

Speaking through Sylvester Edoh, his Personal Assistant, Enenche assured that he has reached out to the Vera personally.

A statement signed by Edoh reads: “A scenario was created on Sunday the 14th April, 2024 at the Glory Dome, the Global Headquarters of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, when Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna came out to testify of how God helped her graduate from the University, thus making her the first person to attain that feat in her family.

“These were the immediate triggers for the said scenario:First, listening to the testifier’s expressions as it borders on basic spoken English, conveys the impression that the minimum standard expectation of a graduate, especially a graduate of Law was not met. Second, stating that she studied Law for 10 years begged the question of what her degree actually was.

“Third, she was unable to state exactly what the correct degree was for Law which is LLB, rather she said it was a BSc in Law which is largely unknown as a Law degree in Nigeria and possibly globally.These prompted the Senior Pastor, Dr. Paul Enenche to stop the testimony immediately as a product of a “lie.”

“However, relief came when it was later confirmed that she actually graduated from a university. It must be pointed out clearly here that embarrassing the testifier publicly with the attendant media frenzy was never intended; whatever happened was under the spur of the moment.

“The action of the Senior Pastor was rather based on his and the church’s aversion to seeming mediocrity and any appearance of untruth.

“While we remain resolute in our passion for excellence, intolerance of mediocrity and falsehood, we wish to reiterate the fact that no harm or hurt was ever intended by the Senior Pastor against Ms. Anyim Veronica.

“The Senior Pastor feels deeply concerned and had already reached out to her. As a Commission, we regret every inconvenience, hurt and embarrassment this unfortunate scenario has caused to Ms Anyim Veronica Nnenna.”

Enenche assured of his commitment towards Vera’s physical welfare as well as her spiritual growth.