News
American fact-finding mission confirms Christian genocide in Nigeria
Formal Statement on Widespread Violence and Displacement in Nigeria
October 14, 2025
By Mayor Mike Arnold, MBA
Founder, Africa Arise International / Africa Arise USA
Presented at Abuja Hilton, 4 p.m. WAT on Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Contributors:
- US Amb. Lewis Lucke (retired)
- Pastor Jed D’Grace
- Mr. Judd Saul
I. Purpose and Credentials
My name is Mike Arnold. I recently served as the elected Mayor of the City of Blanco, Texas. I first visited Nigeria in 2010 as a board member of Unity for Africa. Since then, I have made 15 trips to Nigeria, including six extended investigative missions since 2019. I founded Africa Arise International and Africa Arise USA in 2019. I have frequently been quoted in top newspapers and TV news broadcasts here. I have never extracted anything from Nigeria beyond modest gifts. My closest and most trusted friends are native Nigerians. I come only to give, serve, and stand with the people and nation I dearly love as my second home.
I was personally invited here today by National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu and influencer Reno Omokri. The sole stated (written) charge given to me for this trip is simply to meet certain key people, and then declare the truth. I know what’s at stake and take this very seriously. While my plane ticket and accommodations have been paid for, I have not asked for, been offered, nor received any compensation or promise of compensation for this. Neither am I connected in any way or compensated by the US Government. I am here independently and this statement is made without coercion or inducement of any kind.
I also note that numerous top US officials have been briefed and are personally aware of my being here, the purpose of my trip, my specific itinerary, and expected return date. At their request, I am providing updates as to my status. These include but are not limited to my Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, and Congressman Chip Roy, the White House, US State Department and Acting Ambassador, as well as a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from the New York Times, and their International Editor.
Also note that as I present this statement, it is being simultaneously distributed not only to these people, who are awaiting it, and also posted online for all to access.
This statement is my formal account and analysis of facts, findings, and firsthand documentation of claims of widespread violence, displacement, and atrocity crimes in Nigeria, primarily directed against Christian populations in the North and Middle Belt, and whether this rises to the level of genocide. It is addressed to journalists, international observers, human rights bodies, and policymakers in the United States and abroad.
We have traveled to cities, villages, and remote encampments: from Bokkos, Jos, and Gwoza to Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bukuma and Makoko. I have interviewed governors, cabinet ministers, traditional rulers, two former Presidents, and others. I have met orphans whose parents were hacked to death. I have built schools in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and documented over 80 hours of filmed testimony and evidence, at great personal risk, soon to be released in our documentary film Me & Ms. Hanatu. My findings carry the weight of direct experience.[1]
II. Nigeria in 2010: A Nation at Peace
In 2010, Nigeria was a beacon of rising prosperity and religious tolerance, often cited as the only country where radical Islam was being pushed back. Attacks were rare and sparked national outrage. Recognized IDPs were effectively zero, with only minimal displacement from localized communal conflicts—a stark contrast to the crisis that followed, marked by a 1,200% surge in IDPs by 2011 due to Boko Haram’s escalation.[2] This prior absence of a displacement crisis is both verifiable and damning.
III. What Changed? A Deliberate Crisis
By 2014, Nigeria’s stability was shattered. Foreign meddling, including U.S. involvement, played a pivotal role in the 2015 election, enabling regime change that emboldened actors who ignored or enabled extremist violence.[3][4] High-placed eyewitness testimony confirms this interference, with firms like Cambridge Analytica further skewing the political landscape.[5]
Radical jihadist elements, fueled by foreign fighters from Libya and the Sahel post-2011 Arab Spring—not invaders, but invited—flooded into Nigeria, amplifying Boko Haram and ISWAP.[6][7] Today, over four million Nigerians are displaced—a very conservative estimate based in part on my work in hidden camps denied by officials who label victims “criminals” or “vagrants,” rendering UN and government figures entirely unreliable.[8] The vast majority are Christians, driven from their homes by deliberate political engineering and radical conquest, while mostly Muslim IDP encampments do exist.
IV. Our Team’s Field Work
Since 2019, our team has conducted relentless frontline research:
- Interviewed survivors across multiple states.
- Operate schools in two IDP camps for both Christians and Muslims, with a third under construction, with a present total of 550+ students. We provide free, high quality education.
- Filmed camps the UN and Nigerian government deny exist.
- Recorded numerous IDP testimonials via https://www.youtube.com/@My.Voice.Matters
- In late 2024, my team visited and filmed in Ngoshe, Gwoza LGA, Borno State—a once-thriving Christian farming community now a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Recent 2025 attacks confirm ongoing devastation, with surviving Christians confined to militarized zones where leaving risks abduction or execution.[9][10] Our firsthand proof exposes a reality ignored by officials. Many people of Gwoza have been refugees in Cameroon for over a decade, abandoned by Nigeria while those who returned languish in the FCT, their homelands occupied by Boko Haram as the seat of its caliphate for years now.
V. Consistent Pattern of Targeted Destruction
Across regions and years, we’ve documented a chilling pattern:
- Churches destroyed.
- Mosques left untouched.
- Christian homes torched.
- Jihadists resettled on captured land.
- Authorities deny or excuse the attacks.
While some Muslims resisting extremism are targeted, the overwhelming evidence—thousands of churches razed, obviously selective violence—leads some to claim this is a faith-based genocide against Christians and those rejecting radical Islam.[11][12]
VI. What Drives the Violence?
This is not chaos but a calculated campaign driven by three forces:
- Radical Islamic Conquest: Armed groups, bolstered by foreign fighters from Libya/Sahel post-Arab Spring, seek to impose extremist ideology with local enablers and political protection, described by eyewitnesses as “jihad by occupation.”[6][7]
- Blood Mineral Extraction: Nigeria loses $9 billion annually to illicit mining of gold, tin, and lithium, with a significant portion—estimated at 10%—funding violence and corruption. Heavy machinery and foreign buyers appear days after displacements, exploiting lands of the displaced.[13][14]
- Political Realignment: War masquerades as politics—local government areas overrun, electoral districts redrawn by force, militants resettled to skew demographics, dismantling communities deemed inconvenient.
VII. The Euphemism of “Farmer-Herder Clashes”
The term “farmer-herder clashes” is cynical doublespeak, weaponizing historical land disputes to mask jihadist conquest. For centuries, herders and farmers coexisted with rare, non-lethal disputes. Now, villages are erased, churches leveled, and tens of thousands are dead. This is systematic terror, not grazing conflicts—a lie akin to calling Bosnia’s ethnic cleansing a “neighborhood spat.”[8][15] These targeted, deadly attacks are the same whether labeled “herders,” “bandits” or “insurgents.” The puppets may change but the same forces pull the strings. A jihadi by any other name is just as deadly. Mincing words over labels appears to be intentional obfuscation.
While global attention often focuses on Boko Haram and ISWAP, the majority of killings and displacements across Nigeria’s Middle Belt are in fact carried out by the Radical Islamist Fulani Ethnic Militia. Numerous field reports, satellite imagery, and survivor testimonies confirm that these Fulani militant groups—often operating under political protection and mislabeled as “herders”— are responsible for the most widespread, systematic, and sustained attacks on Christian farming communities. Their campaigns extend well beyond traditional grazing disputes, encompassing organized massacres, forced displacement, and the strategic occupation of conquered lands. Today, these Fulani militias represent the single most lethal terrorist threat to Nigeria’s internal stability—surpassing Boko Haram and ISWAP combined in reach, frequency, and civilian death toll.
VIII. The Crime of Obfuscation
I have personally seen ongoing efforts by officials and their loyal media to bury the truth:
- Sanitizing massacres as “conflict.”
- Labeling displaced survivors “vagrants” and “criminals.”
- Refusing to name perpetrators.
This is not confusion—it is complicity. To play semantic games while people die is beyond obscene. There can be no solution while leaders play word games to hide the truth.
IX. Legal Definition of Genocide
Per Article II of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), genocide includes acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm;
(c) Inflicting conditions to bring about physical destruction;
(d) Preventing births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children to another group.
The evidence is undeniable: targeted killings, mass displacement, destruction of homes and churches, denial of aid, and erasure of Christian identity.
X. Conclusion: My Formal Finding
As an objective expert and eyewitness, a longtime lover of and traveler throughout Nigeria with access at the highest levels, based on more than five years of investigation, field interviews, firsthand documentation, and deep consultation with top scholars, statesmen and legal experts, I declare this without any shadow of a doubt:
The campaign of violence and displacement in Northern and Middle Belt Nigeria does indeed constitute a calculated, currentand long-running GENOCIDE against Christian communities and other religious minorities, without any reasonable doubt.[1][11][12]
To continue to deny this is to be complicit in these atrocities.
I say this not in anger, but in truth and grief. My stated assignment from my host was to speak the truth and I have done that to the best of my ability.
I believe Nigeria has a bright future. I believe in Christian-Muslim harmony. I believe good people of every tribe and faith must stand against this evil. But first, we must name it.
Here I stand. I can do no other. So help me God.
(REFERENCES BELOW)
References
[1] Open Doors, World Watch List 2025,https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/nigeria/
[2] Frontiers in Human Dynamics, “Conflict-Induced Trends in Nigeria,” 2022,https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-dynamics/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2022.1009651/full
[3] Premium Times, “How U.S. Firm Helped Buhari Win 2015 Election,” 2015,https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/180123-how-u-s-firm-helped-buhari-win-2015-election.html
[4] BuzzFeed News, “Democratic Operatives in Nigeria Election,” 2015,https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidsirota/democratic-strategists-who-helped-obama-are-now-working-to-el
[5] The Guardian, “Cambridge Analytica’s Role in Nigeria’s 2015 Elections,” 2018,https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-nigeria-election-data
[6] Council on Foreign Relations, “Boko Haram and the Sahel Connection,” 2023,https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/boko-haram
[7] JSTOR, “Islamic State and Sahel Spillover into Nigeria,” 2022,https://www.jstor.org/stable/26976645
[8] International Crisis Group, “Herders vs. Farmers: Resolving Deadly Conflict in Nigeria,” 2023,https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/nigeria/302-herders-against-farmers-nigerias-expanding-deadly-conflict
[9] Premium Times, “Boko Haram Attacks Ngoshe, Gwoza in 2025,” 2025,https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/614523-boko-haram-attacks-gwoza-kills-five.html
[10] UNOCHA, “Borno State Humanitarian Situation Report,” 2025,https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/nigeria/north-east-nigeria-humanitarian-situation-update-january-2025
[11] U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, 2024 Annual Report: Nigeria,https://www.uscirf.gov/countries/nigeria
[12] APPG FoRB, “Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide?” 2020,https://appgfreedomofreligionorbelief.org/nigeria-unfolding-genocide/
[13] NEITI, “2023 Report on Illicit Mining in Nigeria,”https://neiti.gov.ng/reports/mining-sector
[14] Global Witness, “Blood Minerals in Nigeria’s Conflict Zones,” 2024,https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/natural-resource-governance/nigeria-mining-conflict/
[15] Genocide Watch, “Nigeria: Media Misrepresentation of Violence,” 2023,https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/nigeria-farmer-herder-narrative
…issues ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers, their sponsors to surrender or…
President Bola Tinubu has vowed that no mercy will be shown to terror purveyors who enable the killing and kidnapping of innocent Nigerians.
He also issued an ultimatum to bandits, kidnappers and sponsors of terrorism to surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state, disclosing that his administration had already neutralised over 13,000 terrorists in the past year alone.
Tinubu gave the warning in his national address delivered on the occasion of the country’s 27th consecutive Democracy Day celebration, his fourth as President since 2023.
According to him, although terror-related deaths had declined by 81 per cent since 2015, Friday’s Democracy Day celebration was subdued by the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states.
He declared, “To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State.
“These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”
The Nigerian leader said his administration had moved beyond training with allies to precision operations on the ground.
“We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting.
“In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre.
Terror-related deaths are down by 81 per cent since 2015.
“Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year,” he stated.
Tinubu added that despite the neutralisation of terrorists, the door of rehabilitation remained open alongside the door of force.
“Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor,” he said.
The N5.41tn security allocation in the 2026 budget, Tinubu said, was a statement of national will to crush the current wave of terrorism, which has raged since 2009.
Beyond the budget, he said his administration had approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits, which, he revealed, was designed to address the persistent gap between the number of security personnel and the security demands of over 230 million Nigerians.
Tinubu acknowledged that even as the country celebrates 27 years of steady democracy, this year’s festive spirit of Democracy Day was weighed down by the continued hostage situation involving school children and teachers kidnapped in Oyo and Borno states, which has now entered its fourth week.
“Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is a mirage.
“That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits.
“Our 2026 budget commits N5.41tn, our largest ever, to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people,” he stated.
He called for national unity in the face of the security challenge, rejecting ethnic or religious framing of criminality and urging Nigerians to do the same.
“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity.
“We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history.
“We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” he declared.
On the intermittent power crisis of the past three years, the President explained the scale of the challenge he inherited and his response so far.
He said by 2023, the sector was “characterised by chronic generation shortfalls, an unreliable gas supply, and transmission infrastructure so fragile that it could not evacuate available power. Distribution companies were burdened by massive losses and a metering deficit of over four million.
“The result was a sector that generated less than the 13,500 megawatts installed capacity, a sector that transmitted less than it generated, distributed less than it transmitted, and collected revenue far below what it needed to sustain itself,” he added.
Tinubu said in response, he signed the Electricity Act, granting states authority to generate, transmit and distribute power, authorised the Presidential Power Sector Task Force to raise a N4tn bond to settle verified legacy debts, and directed the Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to deploy off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets and hospitals.
He explained, “To address the problems besetting the sector, I signed the Electricity Act, which grants states authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power.
“The Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working hard to reduce the metering deficit. It has also been authorised to raise N4tn bond to settle verified legacy debts.
“The Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, has deployed off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets, and hospitals.
“Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it.”
On the broader economy, Tinubu said federation revenues had risen, providing states and local governments with more resources, fiscal transparency had improved, and investor confidence had returned across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation and the creative industries.
He said non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent last year, over 1,000 small and medium enterprises had been certified for export, and the National Agricultural Development Fund was deploying 10,000 tractors over five years.
However, he acknowledged that hardship persists.
“Yet, many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.
“We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region. We believe that Democracy must be felt in the pocket,” he stated.
Today, we celebrate not only democracy but also the enduring Nigerian spirit. For 27 unbroken years, since May 29, 1999, Nigerians have chosen their leaders through the ballot, witnessed peaceful transitions of power, and resolved disagreements in courtrooms and legislative chambers—not through violence. We have experienced the longest stretch of civilian rule in our history. Our democracy is not perfect, but it is ours, and we must continue to defend and strengthen it.
In the coming days, Ekiti and Osun States will hold elections. I urge INEC, security agencies, and all parties to ensure these polls are peaceful and credible. Democracy fails when citizens doubt the process. To our National Assembly, Judiciary, the Press, and Civil Society: you are the guardrails of our republic. Criticise me, disagree with me, but never stop believing in Nigeria.
To our young people: Nigeria is your home and your future. Build here, code here, work here, and vote here. Every great nation was built by those who stayed to solve problems, not by those who abandoned ship.
To our armed forces, police, and intelligence services: Nigeria salutes your sacrifice. To our traditional rulers, faith leaders, and community heads: thank you for your support of peace and reconciliation. The government cannot do it alone.
Today, we honour the resilience of Nigerians who refused to surrender their faith in freedom, and the courage of those who stood firm against intimidation. We pay tribute to patriots who endured persecution, imprisonment, exile, and even death so that future generations could enjoy democracy. I salute labour leaders, journalists, activists, students, women, professionals, political leaders, and soldiers—both those who have passed and those still with us—for their patriotic contributions.
Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is a mirage. That is why this administration declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits. Our 2026 budget commits N5.41 trillion—our largest ever—to defence and security. Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people.
We have moved from training with our allies, the United States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting. In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre. Terror-related deaths are down by 81% since 2015. Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year. But we also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.
To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.
At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point fingers. Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation.
June 12 occupies a sacred place in our national memory. It represents more than an election; it is a defining chapter in our story. We remember Chief M.K.O. Abiola, who won a pan-Nigerian mandate transcending ethnicity and religion. We remember Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
We also remember Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Alfred Rewane, Pa Abraham Adesanya, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Frank Kokori, Arthur Nwankwo, Chima Ubani, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and the many other heroes and heroines of democracy whose sacrifices helped secure the freedoms we enjoy today.
As beneficiaries of their struggle, we have a duty to strengthen and deepen the democratic institutions for which they fought. The greatest tribute we can pay is to build a Nigeria where freedom is protected, justice is upheld, opportunity is expanded, and government is accountable.
June 12, 1993, revealed the possibility of a true Nigerian nation. The heroes of June 12 secured political freedom. Our challenge is to secure economic freedom. Democracy must be felt in the quality of people’s lives—in opportunities for youth, in prosperous farmers, successful entrepreneurs, and the dignity of our workers.
The reforms we are undertaking were not chosen for ease, but for necessity. Three years ago, our public finances were under severe strain, investment was discouraged, and economic uncertainty threatened our future. We chose to act, embracing reforms to advance Nigeria’s economic freedom.
Since 2023, our reforms have restored stability and credibility to economic management. Federation revenues have risen, providing states and local governments with more resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security. Fiscal transparency has improved, leakage has been reduced, and public funds are better directed to national priorities. Investor confidence has returned, with investments in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation, and the creative industries growing.
Domestic refining capacity has increased, strengthening energy security and reducing our reliance on imported petroleum products.
By 2023, when we came on board, the electricity sector was characterised by chronic generation shortfalls, an unreliable gas supply, and transmission infrastructure so fragile that it could not evacuate available power. Distribution companies were burdened by massive losses and a metering deficit of over four million. Worst of all, the value chain was drowning in legacy debt. The result was a sector that generated less than the 13,500 Megawatts installed capacity, a sector that transmitted less than it generated, distributed less than it transmitted and collected revenue far below what it needed to sustain itself.
To address the problems besetting the sector, I signed the Electricity Act, which grants states authority to generate, transmit, and distribute power. The Presidential Power Sector Task Force is working hard to reduce the metering deficit. It has also been authorised to raise N4 trillion bond to settle verified legacy debts. The Rural Electrification Agency, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, has deployed off-grid and mini-grid power to underserved communities, universities, markets, and hospitals. Electricity is a democratic dividend we owe every Nigerian. We intend to deliver it.
Across the country, infrastructure projects are connecting producers to markets and creating opportunities for enterprise and employment. The National Agricultural Development Fund is deploying 10,000 tractors over five years. Over 1,000 SMEs have been certified for export. Non-oil exports grew by 21% last year.
Yet, many Nigerians still face economic hardship. We remain focused on reducing inflation, expanding food production, creating jobs, improving living standards, rebuilding confidence in our economy, and creating conditions for sustainable prosperity.
We are moving from uncertainty to stability. The next phase is about accelerating growth and ensuring the benefits are felt in every home, every community, and every region. We believe that Democracy must be felt in the pocket.
Recognising that democracy is undermined when people do not feel its impact, my administration has sought financial autonomy for our 774 local councils. A fundamental challenge to our nation’s advancement has been ineffective local government administration. The insecurity we are addressing is partly due to the collapse of grassroots governance. The Renewed Hope Agenda is about ensuring that all Nigerians benefit from governance.
Every generation has a defining responsibility. The generation of our founding fathers secured independence—the generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity.
Let us move forward together—rejecting division, cynicism, and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence. Let us build a Nigeria united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is accessible, liberty is secure, and opportunity is abundant.
Among the architects of modern democratic Nigeria, we honour General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua for his vision of national partnership. In recognition of his contributions, the Federal Government has approved the revitalisation and renaming of the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.
I am also pleased to announce national awards to the following Nigerians, who suffered persecution, endured indignities, exile, incarceration, and, at times, solitary confinement, so that we have democracy today.
Barrister Ayoka Lawani
Tunde Fagbenle
Oladele Alake
Olatunji Bello
Louis Odion
Segun Babatope
Sam Omatseye
Sir Ademola Osinubi
Bola Bolawole
Lade Bonuola
Femi Kusa
Debo Adeniran
Chief Ayo Opadokun
Chief Ralph Obiora
Ose Osayande
Barrister Osa Director
Prof. Sylvester Odion-Akhaine
Dr Arthur Nwankwo (Posthumous)
Dr Osagie Obayuwana
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin
Barrister Titus Mann
Joe Igbokwe
Richard Akinnola
Ben Charles-Obi (Posthumous)
George Mbah
Dr Niran Malaolu
Major-General Ishola Williams (rtd)
Femi Aborisade
Jenkins Alumona
Gbemiga Ogunleye
Muyiwa Adekeye
Babajide Kolade-Otitoju
Ike Okonta
We also recognise the soldier-democrats of the June 12 struggle:
Major General MA Garba
Brigadier General Lawal Jaafaru Isa
Col Umar Farouk Ahmed;
Col Sambo Dasuki;
Col Lawan Gwadabe;
Brigadier Jonathan Ndam Temlong
Col Musa Shehu;
Major General Chris Eze;
Major General Harris Dzarma;
Col Isa Jibrin;
Maj. General Joseph Oshanupin;
Col Olusegun Oloruntoba, Olugbede of Gbede Kingdom)
Lieutenant Colonel Happy Kefas Bulus
Col J Okai;
Col Emmanuel Ndubueze;
Lt Col Yakubu Muazu
Brigadier Yahaya Abubakar, the Current Etsu Nupe, who is already the holder of the CFR title.
The honours list will be released in the next few days.
Fellow Nigerians, 27 years ago, many doubted democracy would survive here because of our diversity. Today, our diversity sustains our democracy. The road ahead is steep. But June 12 reminds us: Nigerians do not break. We bend, we bleed, but we do not break.
Let us renew our covenant: That the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this land.
May God bless the heroes of our democracy. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God continue to bless us all.
Happy Democracy Day.
BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria
News
Mild drama as policemen, court bailiff storm Nwobodo’s Amechi Country home over Investor’s lawsuit
There was a mild drama in Amechi Awkunanaw, the native home of the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, on Thursday morning as they tried to serve a court process.
A team from the Magistrate Court Enugu South, backed by a team of armed police officers, arrived to serve a court summons on the elder statesman’s wife, Patricia Nwobodo.
The dramatic encounter highlights an escalating legal dispute involving a prominent investor, Chief Basil Kenechukwu Ogbuanu.
The operation follows several failed attempts by court officials to deliver the legal documents to Patricia Nwobodo through regular administrative means.
Frustrated by the inability to effect service, High Court authorities took the unusual step of requesting a formidable security escort. The move was deemed necessary to ensure the safety of the court bailiff and to guarantee that judicial orders could be carried out at the high-profile country home.
The roots of the confrontation stem from a bitter legal battle between Mrs. Patricia Nwobodo and Chief Basil Kenechukwu Ogbuanu, a well-known investor in the region.
The civil matter follows the recent collapse of a criminal charge that had previously been brought against Ogbuanu at the instance of the Nwobodos. Following his clearance by the courts, Ogbuanu initiated the current legal action, claiming the initial criminal prosecution was a product of pure malice and falsehood.
Seeking redress for what he describes as a calculated attempt to damage his reputation and investment interests, Ogbuanu filed the suit to hold Mrs. Nwobodo accountable.
However, the progression of the case stalled due to the court’s repeated inability to officially serve her with the originating processes. This procedural bottleneck ultimately forced the Enugu State High Court to employ more assertive measures on Thursday.
The security convoy arrived at the main gates of the Nwobodo country home in Amechi Awkunanaw at exactly 8:47 AM, taking household staff and local residents by surprise.
The scale of the security deployment signaled how seriously the judiciary viewed the persistent evasion of court processes.
With the perimeter of the property secured, a small group consisting of the court bailiff, a female police officer, and an accompanying policeman stepped forward. They entered the main building of the estate to locate Mrs. Nwobodo and execute the court’s directive. Outside, the remaining heavily armed officers maintained a strict cordon, keeping an eye on the developing situation.
For nearly two hours, an anxious silence hung over the Amechi community as the team remained inside the Nwobodo residence. Journalists who had trailed the security convoy observed the developments from a safe distance outside the gates.
The prolonged duration of the exercise inside the house heightened speculation among onlookers that the team was encountering significant resistance.
When the bailiff and the two officers finally emerged just about 11:09AM, the mood outside visibly shifted. Observers noted that the expressions on the faces of the court official and the police personnels were tense and strained as it was alleged that the police team received orders from the State Command Headquarters to immediately vacate the premises of Jim Nwobodo. No immediate official statement was issued by the team as they made their way back to their waiting vehicles.
Adding to the tension, journalists monitoring the area noticed a man loitering near the perimeter of the property who was making urgent phone calls.
The individual, whose ties to the household could not be immediately confirmed, appeared to be monitoring the movements of the court officials. His body language suggested a rapidly changing security situation on the ground.
As journalists drew closer to understand what was happening, they overheard the individual calling for what appeared to be immediate security reinforcement or a “backup.”
Fearing they might be caught in an ensuing clash, the journalists covering the event made a swift decision to leave the vicinity immediately. The media corps evacuated the Amechi Awkunanaw axis to avoid further trouble, leaving the final minutes of the standoff unrecorded. The hasty retreat left the journalists unable to verify the ultimate outcome of the two-hour operation.
Consequently, it remains unconfirmed whether Mrs. Nwobodo was successfully served with the court papers or if the bailiff had to retreat without success.
Furthermore, journalists could not ascertain if the court intended for a personal delivery or if the operation was an attempt at substituted service, such as pasting the documents on the property.
The coming days at the Enugu State High Court will likely reveal whether the dramatic intervention succeeded in moving the investor’s lawsuit forward.
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