Malam Auwal, father of one of the suspects, Umar Auwal, arrested in connection with the unprecedented gruesome murder of a Kano housewife and her six children, has asked for his (son’s) immediate execution.
The murdered woman, Fatima was the younger sister of Umar’s father, and so Umar’s Aunt. Umar was her nephew, and a first cousin to the murdered children. Yet, he is the prime suspect in the gruesome mother which has shaken and outraged the nation.
In his reaction, Malam Auwal, the prime suspect’s devastated and heartbroken father pleaded with the Government to execute his son Immediately as he does not deserve being detained, prosecuted in Court and fed with tax payers’ money.
Speaking in an interview on a Freedom Radio, the distraught father who spoke in Hausa said:
“What he committed against my younger sister and her six children is condemnable. I don’t want them (police) to waste time on prosecution.
“Umar and his likes are supposed to be eliminated. They are not supposed to be remanded and fed with taxpayers’ money”
Auwal disassociated himself from his son’s despicable act, and urged the authorities not to waste time and resources in observing any proceedings.
The Source reports that Fatima Abubakar and her six children were on Saturday night January 16, 2026 brutally murdered by some hoodlums at their Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters within the Kano metropolis, a development which prompted the Kano State Police authorities to launch a manhunt for the perpetrators.
The Police efforts on Sunday January 18, 2026, paid off with the arrest of three suspects, including the alleged principal mastermind Umar Auwal
According to a statement issued by the Kano State Police Command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, Umar and his gang members were apprehended following an intelligence-driven sting operation.
“The leader of the syndicate Umar Auwal a nephew to the deceased housewife (Fatima) confessed to the crime, and also admitted that the same syndicate has carried out series of gruesome killings, and attacks in the recent past, including the killing and burning of two housewives at Tidun Yola Quarters Kano”, the police stated.
The Prime suspect’s father described him as “a very useless entity to the society who does not deserve being taken through the legal processes before being executed.”
Malam Auwal revealed that before the murder of his sister and her six children, his son, Umar, had, allegedly, murdered his younger sister and proceeded to pluck out her eyes a couple of years ago.
” I don’t want them (police ) to waste time on prosecution . Umar and his likes are supposed to be eliminated .They are not supposed to be remanded and fed with taxpayers’ money” Umar’s father stated.
Malam Auwal consequently vowed that neither him, nor his wife (Umar’s mother) will make appearance at the courts during Umar’s trial.
While appreciating the police for their swift and professional response, Malam Auwal urged them to ensure that justice prevails in the end .
As a step forward to the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has released names of candidates and their deputies cleared to contest in the poll.
Described as the final, the list, made public on Monday did not include the name of the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Wole Oluyede.
The list, signed by INEC National Commissioner, Rose Oraran-Anthony, shows that candidates will be vying for the governorship seat alongside their running mates, with qualifications ranging from primary school certificates to doctorate degrees.
Names of the 12 political parties which will feature in the contest were listed in the latest list.
It was signed by INEC National Commissioner, Rose Oraran-Anthony, shows that candidates will be vying for the governorship seat alongside their running mates, with qualifications ranging from primary school certificates to doctorate degrees.
According to the commission, the approved candidates include representatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), and several other parties.
The incumbent governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, 58, will be contesting on the platform of the APC, with Monisade Afuye, 67, as the deputy governorship candidate.
The Labour Party is presenting Olajuyin Ikusayede Gbegbe Oyebanji, 67, as its governorship candidate, with legal practitioner Okumade Ayokunle Odumayo as his running mate.
Among the younger contenders is Abegunde Ayobami Blessing of the NNPP, aged 35, while the AAC has nominated Akande Oluwasegun Samuel, 36, with John Fajuyigbe Oluwasanmi as deputy.
Other candidates include Bejide Oluwadare Patrick (ADC), Ojo Ayodeji (ADP), Anifowose Joseph Olanrewaju (APM), Awogbemi Bidemi Olaiya (APP), Ayodele Olaniyi Olanrewaju Praise (PRP), Osinkolu Olusegun Ayodele (YPP), and Adetunji Victor Damilola (ZLP).
INEC’s document also highlights the wide disparity in educational backgrounds among the candidates and their deputies, a development that has already sparked conversations among political observers and voters in the state.
With the development, those cleared for the election are set for a state wide campaigns as from Wednesday, which will take them to the 16 local government councils in the state.
In the interim, the PDP has filed a notice of stay of execution to the judgement, which disqualified its candidate, Oluyede, while the party also gave notice of appeal against the High Court judgement.
A Special Assistant to Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, has given reasons why his Principal has not responded to the impeachment charges made against him by the Members of the House of Assembly.
Darlington Orji, Fubara’s Aide, in an interview on AIT said that there was nothing before the Governor for him to respond to. He said no correspondence has been served on the Governor so he cannot respond to what he has neither seen nor received. Nobody has served anything on the Governor, he explained.
The Governor, he added, was out of the Country by the time the Assembly began the impeachment move and has not received anything from them. He challenged anybody who claims to have served the Governor with any impeachment notice should come out with proof.
Orji, also, noted that from what they have seen and read from reports, the Governor was not even properly addressed. He said that the Governor was addressed as “Madam” when he is not a woman.
These, and more, are the reasons Fubara has not responded, he said, not that he is ignoring them.
The House of Assembly, had on January 8, began impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his Deputy, Professor Ngọzi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.
But Orji said although Mr Fubara heard of the impeachment move against him on the media and social media, he was yet to be served as of Friday last week.
“As I speak to you today, I can confirm that the Rivers State House of Assembly met on the 8 of January and up until this (Friday) morning, the Governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, has not received a copy of the impeachment notice or notice of gross misconduct.
Orji argued that the House of assembly has not even complied with the processes of impeachment as provided by the laws.
He also argued that Nigerian courts, including the Supreme Court had said that notice of impeachment and gross misconduct must be “personally” served on the Governor.
“So, he (Fubara) has not been served. He would have responded because he has nothing to hide, as he has not ran foul of any law to warrant impeachment.
Mr Orji said that he only saw the notice of the alleged gross misconduct against Mr Fubara on “social media where the governor was addressed as ‘madam’ instead of ‘Sir’.
“We felt it was just a mere play because the governor, as far as I know, is a man. The governor will have no reason not to respond if he was properly addressed.”
He, also, said that the House of Assembly Members would respect the injunction against the impeachment given by a Port Harcourt High Court.
“I don’t think they are going to flout it because they know the implications of flouting the order.
But for me, I know that they’re honourable members and if truly they are honourable members, they will respect the opinion of the court.
“They can approach the court and ask it to vacate the order.”
Ilorin, Kwara State, has lost its Chief Imam, Sheikh Muhammad Bashir Saliu.
He passed on Monday at the age of 75, thus bringing to an end a long and impactful era of religious leadership in the Ilorin Emirate.
The late Chief Imam was highly respected because he had a deep knowledge of Islam. He was also full of humility, and committed to the spiritual and moral guidance of the community.
He was born in Ilorin in 1950, and dedicated his life to Islamic scholarship and service.
He became the 12th Chief Imam of the Ilorin Emirate in 1983 and held the position for over 40 years. In those years, the late Chief Imam played very significant roles in strengthening Islamic institutions as well as promoting unity within the Emirate.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc, AEDC, has announced its transition into a Holding Company, HOLDCO, structure, a strategic move designed to strengthen the company’s ability to operate effectively within Nigeria’s evolving electricity market and newly decentralized regulatory environment.
This move follows the enactment of the Electricity Act of 2023, empowering State Governments to establish independent electricity markets and regulatory commissions.
In response to this regulatory shift, AEDC has realigned its corporate structure to enhance operational agility, improve governance, and support efficient service delivery across its franchise areas.
As part of this transformation, AEDC has incorporated two new subsidiary companies; the Niger Electricity Distribution Company and the Kogi Electricity Distribution Company. These entities will operate under the Niger State Electricity Regulatory Commission (NSERC) and the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC), respectively, while remaining integral members of the AEDC Group.
Key executive appointments have been made, including Engr. Sam Odekina as Chief Business Officer and Acting Managing Director of Niger Electricity Distribution Company, and Mr. Desmond Eboh as Chief Business Officer and Acting Managing Director of Kogi Electricity Distribution Company. Plans are underway to commence operations in Nasarawa State, with the transition process expected to begin soon.
AEDC’s Managing Director/CEO, Engr. Chijioke Okwuokenye stated that the HOLDCO structure positions the company to respond to state-specific regulatory requirements while preserving the Group’s unified identity, shared values, and commitment to operational excellence and customer service. All subsidiaries will operate as one integrated AEDC family, with uniform Conditions of Service for employees, ensuring workforce stability and fairness.
“The Holdco structure aligns perfectly with our goal to enhance operational efficiency and adapt to Nigeria’s evolving energy landscape while exploring new opportunities , drive growth and contribute to Nigeria’s energy sector development,” Chijioke said.
We are committed to maintaining our high standards of service, innovation and customer focus, even as we evolve into a new structure,” he further said.
AEDC reaffirms its commitment to supporting sustainable, state-regulated electricity markets and setting benchmarks for efficiency, reliability, and customer experience. The company serves the Federal Capital Territory and parts of Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa States, and remains dedicated to powering economic growth and improving quality of life.
AEDC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the development of sustainable, state-regulated electricity markets and to setting a benchmark for efficiency, reliability, and customer experience across its operations.
AEDC further noted that the recently executed Conditions of Service apply uniformly to all employees across the parent company and its subsidiaries, underscoring the Group’s commitment to workforce stability, fairness, and alignment during the transition.
Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc distributes electricity to the Federal Capital Territory and parts of Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa States, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers, and remains committed to powering economic growth and improving quality of life across its franchise areas.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kwara State Chapter has labeled State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq an ‘All Round Failure’, in the State, adding that his administration cannot point out any impactful development the people of the State are enjoying.
The opposition Party formally passed a Vote Of No Confidence in Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration, and accused his administration of total collapse in governance and its ability to secure the State.
The decision was reached during the Maiden 2026 Meeting of the Party’s State Working Committee, SWC.
In a communique released by State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the opposition party detailed a “leadership vacuum” that they claim has left the state vulnerable to rising crime and educational decay.
The PDP said it is perturbed by the prolonged closure of Schools in Kwara South and Kwara North area of the State.
It added that Schools in these regions have remained shut since December 2025 due to security concerns.
The PDP described the closure as “counterproductive,” arguing that the government is mortgaging the future of Kwara’s children because it cannot fulfill its basic duty of protection.
The PDP stated that shutting schools in response to insecurity reflects leadership failure rather than a solution, and demanded the immediate reopening of Schools paired with a surge in security presence around educational institutions.
The SWC further criticized Governor Abdulrazaq for his frequent absence from the State, alleging that the Governor spends excessive time in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while the State’s security situation deteriorates.
The party also highlighted a wave of violence between December 25 and early January, noting that over 22 people were abducted in Kwara South alone.
The communique issued also addressed a recent “shameful” incident where elderly women, protesting the kidnapping of their relatives, were reportedly attacked by thugs.
The PDP alleged that these agents of the government assaulted the women in the presence of police officers who failed to intervene.
Following this development, the PDP has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Governor to arrest the perpetrators, publicly parade them, and commence prosecution immediately.
The PDP warned that if these actions are not taken, they will hold Governor Abdulrazaq personally accountable for the assault.
The SWC urged the State Government to end the “prevailing climate of fear” and restore the rights and safety of Kwarans
The Rivers State Police Command on Monday January 19, 2026 informed that a comprehensive inquest has been directed to unravel the actual circumstances surrounding the unfortunate fatal shooting of colleagues by an officer identified as Inspector Victor Okus.
Okus an operative attached to 17 PMF, but on a special duty with other security personnel at Intels Onne, reportedly shot dead an officer, Inspector Ibrahim Sani, at the popular Cash and Carry Supermarket Trans-Amadi Port Harcourt.
The incident which occurred on Sunday January 18, 2026, while the officers were on a joint security duty with other operatives, including military personnel, also led to another officer, Daniel Dauda, sustaining serious gunshots injuries.
The Command’s spokesperson, Grace Irenge-Koko, in a statement said the suspect has been arrested and taken into custody while a thorough investigation has also been ordered by the State Commissioner of Police, CP, Olugbenga Adepoju .
According to the Police, the Injured officers were immediately rushed to the Nopsam Hospital for medical attention, but Inspector Sani succumbed to his injuries, while Dauda is responding to treatment.
“The Rivers State Police Command is deeply saddened to report a tragic and distressing incident Athat occurred on Sunday January 18,2026, resulting in the loss of a dedicated Police Officer, Inspector Ibrahim Sani.
“The suspect , Inspector Victor Okus ,a colleague ,and fellow officer attached to 17 PMF ,but on a special duty at Intels, Onne, has been arrested and is currently in police custody.
“According to the Unit Commander (U/C) 14 PMF, DSP, Turaki Hassan’s accounts, and preliminary investigations , the tragic incident occurred at about 1320hrs at Next Cash and Carri Supermarket , Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, where Inspector Ibrahim and Inspector Daniel Dauda all attached to 14 PMF Yola were on joint guard duty with military personnel.
“Inspector Okus allegedly shot his colleagues in the head and neck regions. The injured officers were promptly rushed to Nopsam Hospital for Medical treatment where Inspector Sani succumbed to his injuries, while Dauda is still receiving medical treatment. The corpse has been deposited at the Military Hospital Mortuary, Port Harcourt for preservation and autopsy”, the police stated.
This is as CP Adepoju directed a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident , with a view to ensuring that the circumstances surrounding the reprehensible act are unraveled .
The suspect, the police authorities assured, will face an Orderly Room Trial ,and subsequently arraigned before the court in the interest of justice.
CP Adepoju while reaffirming the Command’s unflinching commitment to upholding professionalism and accountability within the system ,also extended heartfelt condolences to the family , relations, and friends of the deceased , Inspector Sani
Academic activities were disrupted at the Ondo State College of Health Technology, Akure, as students staged a protest over alleged extortion and decayed infrastructure within the institution.
The protesters converged at the main entrance of the college, where they barricaded the gate, set tyres on fire, and chanted solidarity songs, preventing staff and students from gaining access to the campus
They insisted that lectures and examinations would not resume until the school management addressed their grievances, which they described as years of exploitation and abandonment.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students drew attention to what they described as the deplorable condition of classrooms, hostels, and laboratories, as well as the absence of a steady water supply on campus.
Some of the placards read: “No Facilities, No Learning,” “Stop Extortion Now,” and “Our Fees Must Reflect Our Conditions.”
Speaking with reporters, some of the protesters accused the management of imposing what they termed “unjustifiable charges” on students, despite the poor state of facilities in the college.
They alleged that students were regularly compelled to pay various fees without corresponding improvements in infrastructure or learning conditions.
According to them, repeated complaints and appeals to the school authorities yielded no results, forcing them to resort to peaceful protest to draw the attention of the government and relevant stakeholders.
“We have complained several times about water, hostels, and laboratories, but nothing has changed. Yet, we are still being asked to pay different charges,” one of the students said.
As of the time of filing this report, academic activities remained suspended, while security operatives were on the ground to monitor the situation.
Ahead the 2027 presidential election, a legal counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, jailed IPOB leader says Igbo in Nigeria are not happy with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They will punish the incumbent during the next presidential election to express their feelings over Kanu’s conviction, Aloy Ejimakor, one of the lawyers to the IPOB leader said.
According to Ejimakor, many people from the south east are of the country are furious with the Tinubu’s administration over the conviction of the IPOB strongman.
Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment last November by Justice James Omotosho of a federal high court in Abuja, on terrorism and treason related charges.
Following his conviction, not a few people from the zone have been calling on the federal government to pardon him. Others also insist that Kanu was wrongly convicted.
The magazine had earlier reported that the IPOB leader disclosed that he would appeal his conviction at a higher court.
Speaking on how the people of the zone felt on the issue, Ejimakor said his people are waiting for the next presidential election to show that they are not happy with Kanu’s imprisonment by the federal government .
In a post he shared on his verified X handle, the lawyer urged the Tinubu’s administration to rectify the conviction before it’s too late, saying the resentment for the administration among Igbo is very high. .
Ejimakor: “I travelled around the entire South-East during this Christmas and New Year period and noticed that Ndigbo are very unhappy about the conviction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“If it is not rectified urgently, they will surely make their feelings known in the 2027 elections. Even Google confirms it.”
“Wike has abused President Tinubu enough, treated him like a child, whatever was the dark deal in 2023, and his fear about 2027”
On Saturday night, January 17, 2026, as the Presidential jet taxied down the Abuja runway, a heavy cloud of psychological tension finally began to lift.
For 20 days, the President had been away, and for 17 of those days, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike hijacked the national psyche. While the capital city sat in a security vacuum, the Minister used his media machinery to treat the Presidency, the APC, and the Rivers State Government like his private Village classroom. But as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stepped onto the tarmac, greeted by his NSA, the IGP, and the Chief of Staff while the Minister was pointedly absent, the message was tearfully clear, the indirect Presidency is over.
And Nigerians know something else, as the Minister of Abuja, the host of the nation’s capital, he is usually there to receive the President. That is the public ritual of leadership. That is the symbolism of office. That is part of his identity as the custodian of the Federal Capital Territory. So when he was absent, Nigerians did not see coincidence. Nigerians saw separation. Nigerians saw distance. Nigerians saw a quiet refusal, or a quiet instruction, as if those closest to the President did not want him there. As if the abuse had become too much.
It looked like a quiet rejection of the all powerful man who has been treating Tinubu like a child, as if the President must always be reminded of who helped him, who made him, and who must be feared. It looked like the Presidency saying without drama that the era of psychological bullying has reached its limit. Some rejections do not need microphones.
Professor Egbeazien Oshodi
They only need positioning. They only need power returning to the center. And in that moment, with the NSA, the IGP, and the Chief of Staff standing as the visible gatekeepers of authority, Wike’s absence became a sentence without words, enough is enough.
And perhaps that absence carried another message too, the kind of message that reveals a deeper sickness of entitlement. It was as if the Minister was saying, if you can be out for 20 days, I too can be out. If the President can travel and be away, then I too can disappear from Abuja and still remain powerful. If the country can survive without you physically present, then I too can abandon my duty post and still dominate the national atmosphere.
Whether he got excused or not, whether he was permitted or not, whether he was invited or not, the symbolism remains painful, because Abuja is not a private playground. Abuja is not a local stage. Abuja is the capital, and the Minister of the capital does not get to perform absence as a form of ego.
For 17 days, Nigerians watched a disturbing national distortion where one Minister behaved like the constant narrator of government, the loudest voice in the room, the man who had the privilege of dominating the airwaves while the actual President was physically absent. It was like a prolonged political captivity, a 17 day media lockdown where every headline, every performance, every planted message, and every calculated insult carried the same underlying message, I am the one in control here.
This is what made it painful. This is what made it humiliating. This is what made it feel dangerous for the national psyche. The Minister did not just speak. He performed power. He staged control. He displayed ownership of political space the way an emperor parades territory. He treated the Federal Cabinet like an audience that must endure his dominance. He treated the APC like a household that must accept his threats as normal. He treated the Rivers State Government like a toy that must not move without his permission. And he treated the nation like a captive audience that must listen, watch, absorb, and submit.
That is why the Kingmaker story became unbearable. Because it was no longer political memory. It became psychological terrorism. It became a daily reminder that a Minister could behave like the owner of a sitting Governor, the controller of party leadership, and the distributor of insults without consequence. It became a daily lesson in intimidation, where power was not exercised with dignity but with mockery, with threats, with emotional blackmail, and with the loud confidence of a man who believes he is untouchable. It was not just a conflict. It was a siege. It was a carefully sustained siege of national attention, designed to produce one outcome, submission.
THE 17 DAY MEDIA CAPTIVITY: A NATION TRAPPED INSIDE ONE MAN’S EGO
The tragedy of this moment is not only what was said or done, but what Nigerians were forced to sit through. For 17 days, one Minister turned national attention into a hostage room. He kept the country trapped in his daily media appearances, his local dominance rituals, his public threats, and his emotional warfare. He acted like the cabinet must wait for him, like the party must fear him, and like the Governor must be broken publicly before loyalty can be declared complete. This was not governance. This was psychological captivity dressed as politics. It was domination culture, the kind that survives only by exhausting the dignity of others until they surrender.
A MINISTER WHO REFUSED TO BE A SERVANT: WHATEVER WAS THE DARK DEAL OF 2023 AND THE FEAR OF 2027
A Federal Minister is not a local warlord. A Federal Minister is not a personal empire. A Federal Minister is meant to support a national leader, not compete with him. Yet what Nigerians watched was a Minister who behaved like power itself belonged to him. His words carried ownership. His tone carried entitlement. His public posture carried the arrogance of a man who believes the President’s seat is incomplete without his approval.
That is why Nigerians began to ask the painful question. What exactly happened in 2023. What was the arrangement. What was the private understanding. What was the dark deal. Because when one Minister acts as if he can bully a President through media noise, then the nation knows there is a debt somewhere. There is a fear somewhere. There is a bargain somewhere. There is an unspoken contract somewhere.
And when Nigerians mention 2027, they are not guessing for entertainment. They are reading the psychology of political survival. They are reading the fear of succession.
They are reading the anxiety of ambition. They are reading the uncertainty of loyalty. They are reading the possibility that the same loud man preparing the ground in Rivers is also preparing the ground for national bargaining power, using intimidation as leverage, using media dominance as blackmail, and using party tension as a weapon.
Not even any official statement from the Presidency was offered to explain why this Minister remained in Rivers for 17 days, as if Rivers belongs to him. And who truly knows why the Presidency was silent. Who knows what calculations were being made behind closed doors. Who knows what debts were being managed quietly. Who knows what invisible pressures were at play. In Nigeria, silence is rarely empty. Silence can be protection. Silence can be fear. Silence can be negotiation. Silence can be the sound of a nation watching one man behave as though discipline does not apply to him.
And who knows what holds people psychologically in place. Who knows who he gifts. Who knows who he rewards. Who knows who benefits from Abuja land allocations, from access, from contracts, from private privileges that do not come with public explanations but come with quiet loyalty. Abuja land is not just land. Abuja land is power. Abuja land is profit. Abuja land is silence. It is a chain that can hold even strong people down, because once a person has benefited, fear of losing that benefit becomes the new discipline. Who knows who was given land, who was promised land, who was protected with land, and who was made to fear exposure. This is how political captivity is built, not only through threats, but through rewards that turn institutions into obedient spectators.
GO HOME AND STAY WITH YOUR WIFE: A PSYCHOLOGICAL DAGGER TO THE HOME
The most agonizing moment of this siege came through the mouth of the Minister’s aide, Lere Olayinka, acting as the voice of his master. In an act of pure psychological emasculation, he publicly mocked Governor Siminalayi Fubara, telling the leader of millions:
“If you can’t play politics, go home and stay with your wife.”
To suggest that a Governor, a man of stature, a husband, and a father, belongs in the bedroom rather than the Government House is an insult to every Nigerian household. It reveals a toxic God Complex where the Minister believes that because he made the Governor, he now owns the man’s dignity and his family’s peace. Wike, why not just leave the Governor and his family alone. Is the hunger for control so great that you must humiliate a man’s wife to feel powerful.
This was not ordinary political insult. It was a psychological dagger aimed at the home, the place where a man’s identity should be protected, not weaponized. It was the language of domination, not correction. It was humiliation meant to crush spirit, not resolve conflict. And it is dangerous because once a Governor is reduced publicly to a man who should go home and stay with his wife, then leadership itself becomes something that can be mocked, stripped, and broken in the public square.
THE ABUSE OF THE CABINET AND THE NSA: THEY COME TO COLLECT
The Minister’s disrespect did not stop at the Governor, it climbed the very ladder of the Federal Government. When the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited Rivers to deliver a message of Presidential support for Fubara, Wike did not show respect, he showed contempt. He mocked the President’s highest security officer, suggesting the visit was a mere financial transaction:
“Everybody who comes to Rivers State today must say, ‘the President is happy with you,’ and they collect… for you to be able to suck part of that money, you must say ‘Wike’s time is over’.”
By accusing the NSA of being a money sucker who sells the President’s happiness for money, Wike has devalued the office of the President. He has made the Commander in Chief look like a man whose endorsements are for sale. He has dragged the Presidency into the marketplace of suspicion with one reckless statement. That is not political rivalry. That is institutional humiliation. That is a Minister treating the President’s authority like a product that can be bought and sold.
This is what it means to treat Tinubu like a child, to speak as if the President’s representatives can be insulted publicly without consequence, to behave as if the Presidency must absorb disrespect like a parent tolerating a stubborn child who refuses correction.
BULLYING THE PARTY: IF YOUR HAND BURNS, NO BE ME BURN AM O
The Minister’s psychological war extended to the President’s own party machinery. He issued a chilling, thuggish warning to the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, telling him to stay out of Rivers State:
“I say it here, take this message to your National Secretary: leave Rivers State alone… If your hand burns, no be me burn am o.”
To threaten the high leadership of the President’s own party with burnt hands is the height of insubordination. It is the posture of a man who believes Rivers State is his private kingdom and party authority must take instructions from him. He has abused the cabinet and the party enough. He has made the President look powerless in his own house for too long.
ABUJA WEEPS: A LADY DIED, A LAWYER DIED, AND THE CAPITAL BLED WHILE HE PERFORMED
While the Minister was 600 kilometers away playing Emperor and mocking his colleagues, the city he was sworn to protect was bleeding. The tragic death of Princess Nwamaka Mediatrix Chigbo, a lady, a brilliant lawyer, killed by one chance criminals on the Kubwa Expressway, is the blood on the hands of this neglect.
Yes he might not be the police, but as the Chief Security Officer of the FCT, his first duty was to the safety of Abuja. Leadership is not only about carrying a rifle. Leadership is about coordination, urgency, seriousness, and the visible protection of human life. Instead, he was busy with 7 minute Executive Council performances for the cameras, treating Rivers like theater and Abuja like an afterthought.
Abuja is not a stage. Abuja is not a camera set. Abuja is a living city of families, workers, students, lawyers, traders, civil servants, and ordinary Nigerians trying to survive each day without becoming the next headline of horror. Yet while Abuja wept, the Minister performed. While the capital mourned, he danced. While citizens feared the roads, he amplified his political war. It is impossible to separate this negligence from the psychology of power addiction, because a man intoxicated by dominance eventually abandons responsibility, and what is left behind is grief, blood, and helplessness.
CONCLUSION: A PLEA FOR PEACE AND RESIGNATION
Minister Wike, you have said it yourself: “If my appointor believes that I cannot offer anything again, he has the right to sack me.” But a man of honor does not wait for a sack letter after he has insulted his boss, bullied his colleagues, threatened party leadership, mocked the families of his peers, and treated the national psyche like a hostage room.
You have abused the President enough. You have humiliated the Governor enough. Why not just resign and leave the President alone to lead in peace.
Welcome back, Mr. President. The tarmac has spoken. The golden handcuffs are off, the media siege is broken, and the throne of Nigeria is finally, unequivocally, yours alone.
Oshodi is a Professor of Clinical/Forensic Psychology
