society
ENDSARS: Fresh stench from Sanwo-Olu’s mass grave (1) Tunde Odesola
ENDSARS: Fresh stench from Sanwo-Olu’s mass grave (1)
Tunde Odesola
It was the saddest night of October 2020. Nobody spoke except the shovels in their hands, heaping sand on slain bodies, bones and blood in a shallow mass grave. Secretly, they buried a great number of unnamed, unfortunate citizens in the still of the night. One, two, three…20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and more and more corpses. Did the Fulani-Oyo War kill that much?
After the indecent burial, the undertakers left for home, wiping sweat off their dirty brows, their heavy boots stained with blood-red earth. Compunction is not a function of their heart.
Theirs was a cycle of tragedy, the victims. They suffered while alive, died horrible deaths, and were dumped in a mass grave by the caring Lagos State Government.
On your mark, get set, go! A sprinter and a marathoner set out on a race around the earth. The sprinter shoots forward like a bullet and is gone out of sight. Unperturbed, the marathoner gets off the block – slow, steady and sure-footed.
Bullets don’t fly forever. But the wind does. After the trigger clicks, bullets soon lose their speed, poison and they drop flat. But the wind, silent and unseen, goes on and on and on like forever.
The sprinter-marathoner and bullet-wind metaphors are my picturalisation of falsehood and truth. Many a time when falsehood bolts out on a race, truth is in bed, snoring. Truth, never in a hurry, effusing its fragrance, is certain to overpower the odour of falsehood in the long run.
Another metaphor. Thunder and lightning! Both are energies: one is sound, the other is light. Falsehood rumbles like thunder, heard far and near. Truth is silent like lightning, its light travels 670 million mph in contrast to thunder’s sound which travels 768 mph. Like lightning, truth kills its adversaries, but thunder is impotent like falsehood – all sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Who goes there? Friend or foe? I’m a friend; a friend to truth. I’m an enemy of falsehood, injustice and wickedness. But I’m not an enemy of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the little BOSs of Lagos, crouching behind the real BOSS, who departed Bourdillion to live on the Rock in Abuja. I’m an honest friend of the governor and the godfather. And, I’m here ready to defend the little BOSs against unhealable ENDSARS activities, activists and victims.
It’s sad the enemies of Sanwo-Olu won’t allow him to ‘drink water and keep cup’ since the bitter 2023 governorship election in Lagos State. It’s sad the ghosts of ENDSARS victims mowed down by government forces in various parts of Lagos won’t just rest in peace. It’s sad the legs of the corpses won’t stay buried in the grave, they just keep sticking out, pointing accusing toes at Abuja who sent out the messengers of death, and the little boss who did the dirty job of giving a descent burial to the wretched souls.
I’ll defend Sanwo-Olu. Yes, I’ll. What did the protesters expect when they laid siege to the city, and disrupted buying and stealing? Sorry, I mean, selling. Did they think they were in Ghana, the Benin Republic, US or UK? Didn’t they know that he, who said, “The dog and baboon would be soaked in blood,” was in power? Didn’t they know that the man who asked mourning Akure people to show proof that herdsmen killed their daughter, was eyeing the ultimate prize? Did they expect the government to fold its hands and watch political investments go down in ruin?
I’ll tell some truth. After jackboots cracked skulls, twisted ribs and broke limbs at the Lekki tollgate, a fidgety Sanwo-Olu washed his hands off the dastardly act, telling Nigerians he didn’t know who deployed soldiers to ambush the protesting youths. In a ThisDay story, Sanwo-Olu said, “I don’t know how the officers got it all wrong because the instruction we gave was that the police won’t be out until 10–10:30pm when all citizens should have gotten to their homes. This is totally against what we stand for.”
More words spew forth from his mouth, “The army does not report to me, I have reported the matter to the highest command in the military. It’s not something we are going to gloss over. A judicial panel will be set up to investigate it. I have escalated it to the highest level of the military.”
The BOSS of BOSs, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, during a visit to Sanwo-Olu, said, “If he (Sanwo-Olu) didn’t order the attack, who ordered the attack? That’s all I needed from him.”
But the Nigerian Army shot down the defence of Sanwo-Olu, saying the governor invited the military. The Army’s response wasn’t done in a hurry, like most of the actions of Sanwo-Olu. It took one week of measured silence for the Army to respond to Sanwo-Olu.
Reacting, then spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Major Osoba Olaniyi, in a statement, said the Lagos State Government invited it to the tollgate to enforce a curfew. “The decision to call in the police was taken by the Lagos State Government after a 24-hour curfew was imposed…The situation was fast degenerating into anarchy. It was at this point that LASG requested for the military to intervene in order to restore normalcy.”
After the rebuttal by the Army, the state government, in a volte-face, said the governor never denied calling in the Army. But he also never admitted to inviting them at all! So, who’s shifty here? Why make the Army look as if they came into the fray uninvited? That doesn’t show a chief executive with balls. That was cheap.
A Senior Special Assistant to Sanwo-Olu on New Media, Mr Jubril Gawat, later said, “Mr Governor never denied this. They were supposed to come after the curfew.”
When the truth got lost between the Army and the state government over who invited soldiers to Lekki, Nigerians would be foolish to believe the wolf cry by both institutions that no life was lost at Lekki.
I won’t taint Governor Sanwo-Olu with a bloody brush. I won’t allow uncouth youths and misdirected activists to malign him. So, I’ll charge the governor to release the Justice Doris Okuwobi panel report on the ENDSARS riots in Lagos. Since the panel was established in the interest of the masses, and the panellists were paid with taxpayers’ money, I advise the husband of Ibijoke to release the report and shame the devil. I’ll defend Sanwo-Olu and stand by him.
Before the governor heeds my advice, let me give a sneak preview of the report.
A leaked report published by Al Jazeera on November 16, 2021, titled, “Panel of inquiry finds Nigerian Army culpable in Lekki ‘massacre’,” said the Nigerian Army was culpable of shooting and killing unarmed citizens protesting police brutality at Lekki.
The report was the findings by the Justice Doris Okuwobi panel established by the state government to look into the ENDSARS crisis and proffer recommendations.
Quoting the report, Al Jazeera said, “At the Lekki Toll Gate, officers of the Nigerian Army shot, injured and killed unarmed, hapless and defenceless protesters, without provocation of justification, while they were waiving the Nigerian flag and singing the national anthem and the manner of assault and killing, could in context be described as a massacre.”
There was light at the toll gate before the soldiers moved in. There were surveillance cameras, too. When the soldiers from 81 Division left their barracks on Victoria Island and neared Waterloo, the lights and cameras went off. In the total darkness, light sparked from gun muzzles, faces contorted in horror, and guns sparkled. The government didn’t deny lights and cameras were switched off.
Who switched off the lights? And the cameras? Why switch off the lights and the cameras? America recorded the killing of Osama bin Laden and showed it to the world. I’ve seen videos of the Biafra War, Sudan War, Falkland Island War etc. Why switch off the lights and cameras just to quell a civilian riot? Then, where’s the video of the cleaning up of the Lekki tollgate after the beat stopped for many of the innocent and peaceful rioters? What’s the content of the camera recovered by a former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, at the toll gate?
* To be continued.
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Alleged Manipulation of Defilement Case Sparks Call for Review of Legal Advice in Lagos
By Ifeoma Ikem
A legal controversy has emerged in Lagos following a petition seeking a review of a legal advice issued in a case involving two female teachers accused of negligence in a child injury incident at a nursery school in Ikorodu.
The petition, submitted by Crown Cannan Attorneys, urges the Lagos State Ministry of Justice to reconsider the legal advice issued on September 16, 2022, in the case titled Commissioner of Police vs. Ambassador Rukayat Tobiloba and Rukayat Lawal.
Addressed to the former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, the application argues that the legal advice may have been influenced by what the petition describes as a “deliberate manipulation of facts.”
According to counsel representing the defendants, the allegations stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on October 26, 2021, at Great Kezino Nursery and Primary School located in the Adamo area of Ikorodu, Lagos.
The defendants, Ambassador Rukayat Tobiloba, 26, and Rukayat Lawal, 24, were reportedly the class teacher and assistant class teacher respectively in charge of a Nursery One class where the incident occurred.
Court documents indicate that a three-year-old pupil, identified as Victim A, was reportedly injured after another pupil allegedly pierced a pencil into her private part during school hours.
The prosecution claims the incident occurred due to the failure of the teachers to exercise adequate care and supervision over the children under their custody.
Based on this allegation, the two educators were charged with negligence under Section 252 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which addresses acts that may cause harm through lack of proper care.
The defendants were subsequently arraigned before Magistrate Court No. 2 in Ikeja on April 19, 2022, where they faced a one-count charge relating to the incident.
During the investigation conducted at the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja, several civil society groups reportedly monitored the proceedings.
Among them were representatives of the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) and other non-governmental organizations.
These groups reportedly raised concerns about what they described as a growing tendency to weaponise allegations of child abuse in ways that could unfairly damage reputations and careers.
In its petition, the defence team argued that the case deserves a fresh review to ensure that justice is served based on verified facts rather than assumptions or public pressure.
They urged the Ministry of Justice to carefully reassess the legal advice and the circumstances surrounding the investigation to determine whether the prosecution should proceed as currently framed.
Legal observers say the outcome of the requested review could determine the next stage of the case and may also highlight broader concerns about investigative procedures and child protection cases within the justice system.
Reacting to a viral social media post by Ambassador Rukayat Tobiloba, who claimed she might be jailed for defilement, the head teacher of Great Kezino Nursery and Primary School, Mrs. Edaolaropin Toyin, provided the school’s account of events.
According to her, the pupil identified as Victim A was enrolled in the Nursery One class on September 20, 2021, which had about 15 pupils.
She explained that on October 26, 2021, the pupil was transported home on the school bus after closing hours and handed over to her father around 4:30 p.m.
“Later that night, the pupil’s mother allegedly contacted the head teacher, claiming her daughter cried while bathing and alleged that a male classmate, Victim B, had inserted a pencil into her private part during school hours,” she said.
The school, however, rejected the allegation, maintaining that no such incident occurred while the child was in its custody.
“The following morning, the teacher visited the pupil’s home, where the father reportedly denied the mother’s account of the incident,” Toyin added.
She said the situation escalated later that day when the child’s parents arrived at the school with police officers from Imota Police Station demanding that the alleged male classmate be produced.
The head teacher further stated that the school management had supported Tobiloba throughout the legal process.
“Since the incident happened, the school management has never stopped supporting Tobiloba’s welfare until last year when she sent a WhatsApp message saying she was no longer interested in the court matter, claiming she had relocated to Ibadan,” she said.
She described the claims currently circulating on social media as “defamatory narratives.”
*GEN CG MUSA SUPPORT INITIATIVE MOURNS FALLEN HEROES AND URGES UNITY IN SECURITY SUPPORT
The Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa Support Initiative (GCGMSI) expresses its heartfelt condolences to His Excellency Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR, Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Grand Patron of the Initiative, and the families of the fallen heroes who courageously lost their lives in a recent attack by ISWAP in Konduga, Marte, Jakana, and Dalori in Borno State, northeast Nigeria. Among the tragic losses were three senior military commanders: Major U.I. Mairiga, Lt-Col Umar Faruq, and Lt-Col S.I. Iliyasu, who dedicated their lives to the service of our nation.
The GCGMSI implores the public to continue supporting our security agencies, emphasizing that the safety and security of our nation is a collective responsibility. Every day, our security forces pay the ultimate price to safeguard our country. We urge the public to remain supportive, pray for their success, and refrain from politicizing the security challenges we face.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Convener, Ibrahim Dahiru Danfulani Sadaukin Garkuwan Keffi/Betara Biu, which has been made available to the press. The statement highlights the initiative’s profound concern for the losses sustained by our security personnel and reflects on the broader security situation in Nigeria.
In his unwavering commitment to addressing the insecurity plaguing our nation, the Minister of Defence, Gen Christopher Gwabin Musa, has consistently engaged in urgent meetings with service chiefs, reinforcing strategic plans to combat threats and enhance national security. His leadership and decisive actions demonstrate a dedication to restoring peace and stability across our regions, ensuring a safer environment for all Nigerians.
society
SECURITY IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: BACKING OUR MINISTER OF DEFENCE GEN. CHRISTOPHER GWABIN MUSA OFR
SECURITY IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: BACKING OUR MINISTER OF DEFENCE GEN. CHRISTOPHER GWABIN MUSA OFR
By Ibrahim Dahiru Danfulani
In these challenging times, it is essential for all Nigerians to rally behind our leaders, particularly His Excellency Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR, the Minister of Defence. The security of our nation is not a matter to be taken lightly or politicized. Gen. Musa, recognized for his unwavering dedication and sacrifice, has served our country commendably throughout his life.
Following the recent reshuffle of service chiefs by President Asiwaju Bola Ahamed Tinubu GCFR, which resulted in Gen. Musa’s retirement as Chief of Defence Staff, many voiced their concerns. Yet, upon his appointment as Minister of Defence, there was a renewed sense of hope among the populace. Gen. Musa has embraced his role with an unwavering commitment, often sacrificing his rest to ensure the safety and security of our great nation.
While it is undeniable that Nigeria faces security challenges, we must approach these issues with unity rather than division. It is crucial to recognize that those who politicize our national security are often those who have not contributed positively to the success of our security agencies. Instead of spreading negativity, we should support Gen. Musa in his mission to restore peace and stability.
To achieve our collective goal of a secure Nigeria, we must provide Gen. Musa with the trust he deserves. His vision and determination, paired with our support and prayers, can pave the way to overcoming the challenges we face. It’s time for every Nigerian to put aside political differences and work together for the common good. Let us have faith in our leaders and trust in Gen. Musa’s ability to steer our nation towards safety and security.
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