Business
Kidnappers sends letter to Lagos school, vow to kidnap student, staff members
There is palpable fear at the Lagos State Model College, Kankon, Badagry, as kidnappers have threatened to abduct some pupils and staff members of the school.
It was learnt that the kidnappers sent two letters of the same content to the junior and senior sections of the college respectively.
This is just as the daughter of a councillorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Odi Olowo Local Council Development Association, Ilupeju, Bode Adeosun, was reportedly abducted.
PUNCH Metro gathered on Wednesday that that the letters sent to Kankon were posted on the corridors leading to the offices of the two principals.
In the letters sighted by our correspondent, the kidnappers claimed responsibility for the abduction of six pupils of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, who had spent 28 days in captivity.
They vowed to abduct six pupils from Kankon, as well as the two principals of the college, boasting that nothing could stop them.
A copy of the letters read, “Kidnappers are visiting the school the same way we did at Igbonla, Epe. We are going to capture three pupils from senior school and three from junior school. We are kidnapping both principals.
“We are coming in two days’ time. No security put in place will stop us from gaining entry and fulfilling our mission as stated in this letter. Be expecting us!”
Our correspondent learnt that the letters were sent to the college about two weeks ago, while the security agencies and the state government were alerted.
Policemen and soldiers were said to have been deployed in the school.
However, when the ultimatum given by the suspects elapsed, the security presence around the school reportedly reduced, which caused panic.
Some parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they had initially wanted to keep the threat secret, but decided otherwise due to the reduction in the number of operatives manning the school.
One of the parents said he had visited his ailing son, who is in Junior Secondary School, on Saturday, June 10, when he saw one of the letters.
“As I was passing by the principal’s office, I saw a notice and stopped to read it. I was shocked when I read the content. The principal was not around at that time, but I alerted some staff members present.
“I informed the Parents Forum Association chairman, who contacted the school authorities. The government and security agencies had also been informed.
“A large number of policemen and soldiers were initially deployed in the school. There were also security vans patrolling the school surroundings.
“But when I went back four days after, the number of security men had reduced considerably. I saw only two policemen at the school gate.”
Another parent said he was at the school on Wednesday (yesterday) to assess the security situation, but was disappointed, urging the government to take the threat seriously.
He also lamented that the school fence was very low while there were bushes at the back of the premises, which could be exploited by the hoodlums.
He said, “Part of the bushes had been cleared upon the threat, but there are still a lot to be done. The school fence needs to be raised. There should be light around the fence for safety at night.”
A parent called for massive security around the school, saying some insiders could be aiding the hoodlums.
“There is a Nigerian Air Force base near the school; the threat should not be taken for granted,” she added.
The PFA Chairman, Mr. Wale Alo, said the case was reported at the Akpa Police Post and Area K Command, Badagry.
He said, “We have been trying to beef up security. The state government sent policemen and military personnel. The school also employed some vigilantes to secure the school, especially at night. I learnt that the deputy governor is aware. Although the handwriting on the letters looks like that of a child, the content is beyond any pupil’s reasoning. The school is a little bit far from the waterside, but we must not leave anything to chance.”
A member of staff of the college, who begged not to be named, said security was required in the school.
He said, “It was the junior school that got the letter first. After three days, the same letter was dropped at the senior school. The school employed local vigilantes after the letter was received. They left after some days, saying the government did not appreciate their effort. They said if anything happened to them in the course of protecting the school, they could be abandoned.
“These vigilantes are the ones really doing the work. In the middle of the night, they were around the hostels, hiding in the bush. Presently, two policemen are on duty per shift. Once it is 11pm, they go to sleep. However, five policemen patrol the road leading to the school every day.”
The school authorities, however, described the letters as a rumour.
One of the two principals, Mr. Sunday Fadaunsi, said, “We regard the letters as a rumour. Parents and pupils have been circulating it, but nobody can come up with any letter.”
When asked about the security measures put in place in the school, he said, “the deputy governor is handling that.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said the government was aware of the letter, adding that the security of the school, pupils and staff was guaranteed.
He said, “We are aware and the security agencies are on high alert and alive to their responsibility. Whether it is a threat or a prank, the Lagos State Government will not yield any of its schools or pupils to the evil machinations of kidnappers. We shall secure our schools and every pupil and tutor. The police and other security agencies are up to the task. This is an assurance to the Model College, Kankon, and the general public.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the police had beefed up security in the school and other colleges in the coastal areas of the state.
“There is intelligence report that these people (kidnappers) may perpetrate criminal acts at model colleges. The police are using proactive measures to fortify the schools, including Kankon, to prevent what happened in model college, Igbonla.
“The Area Commander, Area K, said there is an adequate police presence at the school and there was no cause for alarm.”
Meanwhile, the APC councillorship candidate’s daughter, Bukola Adeosun, was allegedly kidnapped around 9pm on Tuesday while she was sent on an errand to Shilon Street, Ilupeju, with her younger sister.
Her father, Bode, said the abductors contacted him around 1.30am on Wednesday with a hidden number.
He said “ Bukola, was sent on an errand with her younger sister, but only the little sister came back.
“Around 1.39 am, we got a call from the kidnappers confirming that Bukola is in their custody.
“I believe the kidnap of my daughter has some political undertone since local council election is coming up next week.”
The state PPRO said a case of missing person was reported to the police.
He said, “The family said she went to buy fish around 10pm, but she didn’t return. We are investigating. She is an adult.”
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FLOUTING CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, DEFYING COURT ORDERS, AND DISREGARDING ARBITRATION: THE FACTS BEHIND HADIZA BALA USMAN’S ABUSE OF OFFICE AS NPA MD
FLOUTING CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, DEFYING COURT ORDERS, AND DISREGARDING ARBITRATION: THE FACTS BEHIND HADIZA BALA USMAN’S ABUSE OF OFFICE AS NPA MD
By BUA Group | May 31, 2025
We have noted recent public statements made by Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), who was sacked from office. In her comments, she accused BUA Group and our Chairman, Abdul Samad Rabiu, of breaching a concession agreement and distorting facts. These claims were made in response to our Chairman’s interview and article, “Two Years of President Tinubu: A Business Perspective” (watch at https://bit.ly/pbatbua), which celebrated Nigeria’s reform trajectory and referenced prior instances of arbitrary disruptions to business operations, without naming anyone – a situation that has now been curtailed by President Tinubu’s no-nonsense approach to bringing sanity and stability to the business environment in Nigeria.
Ordinarily, we would not engage, but the distortions in her response necessitate this factual clarification, especially as they relate to her actions during her tenure as MD of the NPA.
THE CONTRACT AND WHAT SHE OMITTED
In 2006,
BUA entered into a valid long lease agreement with the NPA to rehabilitate and operate Terminal B at Rivers Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Long before Ms. Usman’s appointment, BUA had begun formal engagement with the NPA to address outstanding remedial works and infrastructural deficiencies. These discussions were nearing their conclusion when she assumed office.
Rather than build on that process, Ms. Usman ignored BUA’s requests and obligations under the agreement. In 2016, BUA wrote to the NPA under Article 8.4 of the lease, mandating concessionaires to report environmental and safety concerns and to seek approval for remedial works. Rather than act constructively, Ms. Usman used that letter as a pretext to issue a termination notice and summarily shut down the terminal, without providing any prior warning, consultation, or invoking the dispute resolution clause.
She forgot or failed to disclose in her response that the NPA, under her leadership, was itself in material breach of core obligations including, failing to hand over critical portions of the port, leaving derelict iron ore on the berths, failing to dredge or repair quay walls, and neglecting to provide mandatory security. These lapses were significant impediments to BUA’s operations and, as a result, led to disputes between the parties.
ILLEGALITY, CONTEMPT, AND DISREGARD FOR CONTRACTUAL MECHANISMS
After the unlawful termination, BUA approached the Federal High Court, which promptly granted an injunction restraining the NPA from proceeding with termination. The NPA itself then referred the dispute to arbitration, as stipulated in Section 17.3 of the agreement, which clearly states:
“Any dispute, controversy or claim… shall be exclusively and finally settled under the dispute resolution process prescribed in this Article.”
Despite this, Ms. Usman, against the advice of her agency, unilaterally decommissioned the berths, thereby violating both the agreement and a court injunction. To be clear, the concession agreement granted her no such power to decommission. If she believes otherwise, we invite her to publicly cite the specific clause that authorizes this action.
To further compound the illegality, BUA, after providing the guarantees and indemnities requested by the NPA, was permitted to resume operations briefly. Merely three weeks later, the terminal was again shut down, this time by Ms. Usman’s instruction. This left no doubt that her actions were motivated not by due process, but by personal animosity and abuse of office.
BUA subsequently filed contempt proceedings and was looking at estimated losses of over $10 million. These proceedings were only withdrawn out of respect for national interest and following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians within and outside the government.
PRESIDENT BUHARI WAS NOT MISINFORMED—HE ACTED ON FACTS AND LAW
Ms. Usman’s claim that former President Muhammadu Buhari was “misinformed” when he reversed her actions is false, disrespectful, and disingenuous.
Following a meeting that our Chairman had the privilege of holding with President Buhari in 2018, he presented the matter to the President, who then directed the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation to conduct a thorough legal review and investigate the situation. The AGF invited all parties, including Ms. Usman, to several meetings. We never saw her at any of them.
Nevertheless, the AGF proceeded to undertake a comprehensive review of the contract, the litigation, the arbitration clause, and all correspondence and actions by BUA and NPA. The legal advice (attached herewith) found that the termination was unlawful, the decommissioning was without any legal basis, and that BUA’s rights should be reinstated.
It was on this basis that President Buhari ordered the reversal of her unlawful actions. His intervention preserved the sanctity of the contract, saved over 4,000 jobs, and BUA’s $500 million integrated investment cluster involving flour, pasta, and sugar processing facilities, which were all dependent on terminal access. For this, we remain deeply grateful to former President Buhari.
As our Chairman said in his interview, imagine if he weren’t privileged to have access. Nonetheless, this culture of impunity has been significantly curtailed under President Tinubu’s leadership, as many are aware that they could be dismissed or imprisoned if they abuse their positions.
POST-HADIZA: DUE PROCESS RESTORED, INVESTMENT RESUMED
Following Ms. Usman’s removal from office, the NPA, under new leadership, implemented the AGF’s position. In 2022, BUA was granted formal approval to resume reconstruction works. The contract was awarded to TREVI, and BUA has since invested over $65 million—entirely self-funded and with no recourse to public funds or subsidies. Work is ongoing, and completion is expected in the first quarter of 2026.
THE REAL DANGER: INVESTOR CONFIDENCE AND THE RULE OF LAW
We must state clearly that this matter goes beyond BUA. Had Ms. Usman’s actions been allowed to stand, it would have sent a disastrous signal that contracts in Nigeria are worthless, court orders are optional, and public institutions or individuals can act unilaterally without consequence. We must never return to that era.
Nigeria’s reform success today is rooted in respecting contracts, due process, and investor confidence—principles being restored under President Tinubu’s administration, under which BUA has committed over $1 billion in new investments across energy, food processing, manufacturing, infrastructure, and social interventions.
We wish to emphasise that Ms. Usman is entitled to her opinions, irrespective of how distorted they may be. However, she is not entitled to distort the facts or rewrite history. We do not seek a public spat and would like her to concentrate on fulfilling her duties in her new role under the strong leadership of President Tinubu.
We therefore simply restate the facts that Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman had no authority to decommission Terminal B unilaterally. She also acted in defiance of a court injunction and contractual procedure, and her actions caused significant economic loss of over USD10 million, reputational risk to BUA, and investor concern for Nigeria.
Our core message remains the same: public office should be viewed as a position of trust rather than a platform for personal biases. Those granted public power need to resist the temptation to let prejudice, ego, and vendetta influence their actions.
If Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman believes she acted lawfully, we challenge her to cite the specific clause or clauses that guided her unlawful actions. If not, let the facts remain where they belong — in the public record.
Signed,
BUA Group
May 31, 2025
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