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2027: Team Tinubu And ‘Danger Of Assumption’, By Martins Oloja

At this time when politicians smile out of meeting rooms where they often bury truth in a grave, it is also the right time for social commentators and oracles to tell them some inconvenient truths that will assist them in their reflection, deflection and even defection.

So, permit me today to begin a serial to our leaders at all levels on the danger of some assumptions that may set off their abysmal failure in office. First, let me confess that this title isn’t original to me. Read below a story of how I got fascinated by the title through a public affairs writer/speaker from Katsina State, Mallam Sani Ibrahim Dabai who once spoke to it at a colloquium. Below is the original copy that got me cracking:
“A few months ago, I was invited to a programme somewhere as a guest speaker.
When I entered the auditorium, I saw some guests I knew sitting in one corner. I went up to them and started to greet them one after the other. I shook their hands, even with the ones I didn’t know until I got to one guest. I didn’t know him and when I extended my hand, he ignored it. After few seconds, I withdrew my hand. All my thought was, “what arrant nonsense?” I kept asking the question from myself. I felt very embarrassed and angry. Embarrassed for myself and angry at the man. What was he feeling like, I thought. All those other guests accepted my greeting. And to my knowledge, I hadn’t done anything wrong. I gave him a very scornful look, greeted the remaining guests and went to take a seat. Even after I sat down, I was still pissed. I kept stealing glances at the guest to see how he would react to other people.
Then I saw it… Amazingly he was blind!!!

His eyes were open, but he couldn’t see at all! The other guests who came to greet him had to touch him first, then take his hand if they wanted to shake hands with him.
To my great surprise, he is my hidden protege who really appreciates my lectures. I never knew he came purposely because his wife informed him that I would be the guest speaker for this year’s programme. In fact, he was waiting to hear someone bemoan my name so as to stand and hug me. When I heard this, my embarrassment level tripled. In addition to that, I felt stupid, very stupid. I was still angry, just angry at myself. In fact, I could not say a word to him until I got to the podium and my speech for that programme changed from “Recovery” to “DANGER OF ASSUMPTION”.

‘How they shape our perceptions and limit our potential’

We’ve all done it. A quick glance at someone’s outfit, a passing remark, or an incomplete piece of information leads us to conclusions that feel true but are often far from it. Assumptions are a part of human nature, a mental shortcut designed to save time and energy. But what happens when these assumptions lead us astray? Making assumptions about people, situations, and outcomes not only limits our understanding but can also rob us of opportunities for growth, connection, and success. Let’s dive into why assumptions are so tempting, the risks they carry, and how we can reframe our thinking for better outcomes.
Assumptions are rooted in our brain’s need for efficiency. Instead of processing every detail, we rely on past experiences, societal norms, and biases to fill in the gaps. While this can be helpful in certain scenarios (e.g., assuming a car will stop at a red light), it often backfires when applied to complex human interactions or unpredictable situations.

I have to borrow from the brilliance of Mallam Sani Dabai who realised that he had to change his topic from ‘Recovery’ to ‘Danger of Assumptions’ to talk to our very presumptuous political leaders at all levels today so that Nigeria, our Nigeria would not come to harm through their #2027 ‘politricks’ that isn’t suggesting redemption songs at the moment. At this time of staccato voices that are clearly devoid of wisdom, reason and responsibility, this is a time to speak nothing but truth to the power of our duty bearers, our leaders who are believed to have had some assumptions that they don’t need the people’s votes or even support to be elected and re-elected at this time.

When elections begin as a process in most parts of democratic worlds, leaders are always afraid of the people who are expected to vote for them to be or remain in power. But in Nigeria, the people have been wired to be afraid of their leaders who have curiously assumed that indeed as it is written, ‘wine is for merry making but money answereth all (their political) things’. They assume very dangerously that what money cannot do during elections, more money will do.

From their body language and gleaning from their third anniversary speeches, we can deduce that there is no reference to their responsibility to a constitutional provision that, “security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. Yesterday, our leader told us, among others on “SECURITY AND NATIONAL UNITY”:

“…Security remains central to our national mission and to the creation of a virile and prosperous society. Our Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks. While challenges remain, many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active. We continue investing in intelligence, surveillance, logistics, technology, and inter-agency coordination. We are improving the capabilities of our armed forces and security agencies, and reclaiming the authority of the Nigerian state wherever criminality threatens peace and order. While we continue to confront the challenges head-on, progress is being made. I want to assure you that this government will not relent until every Nigerian can live, work, travel, and dream in safety…”
Even in a well-written anniversary article as part of wrap-around advertorial in major newspapers in Nigeria, the Information and National Orientation Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Idris posited:
“…On this third anniversary we are very proud to affirm that President Tinubu has kept faith with the Nigerian people on all counts. We have an economy that has grown to ₦441.5 trillion in 2025, up from ₦309.5 trillion in 2023. Inflation has more than halved – from the 34.80% recorded in December 2024 to 15.69% in April 2026. Nigeria’s non-oil exports surged to $6.1 billion in 2025, an 11.5% increase over 2024; while Federation tax revenue collection rose from ₦19.9 trillion in 2023 to ₦28.3 trillion in 2025. Monthly disbursements by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) have doubled to over ₦2 trillion, from less than ₦1 trillion in 2023, while foreign capital inflows have grown nearly 90% – from $12.32 billion in 2024 to $23.22 billion in 2025. External reserves have this year hit a thirteen-year high of $50 billion…”

The President and his Information Minister have spoken and written well for the optics at this time. But there is a danger in their assumptions that the people who are expected to cast their ballot in most parts of the vast country of more than 90 million registered voters will be swayed by the flowery and elegant words used in the 3rd anniversary self glorification. Let’s face the brass tacks: I believe it is dangerous to assume that the core northern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Borno and Yobe where terrorists have kept them away from their farms and homes are persuaded by the grandiloquence of our leaders.

Isn’t it dangerous too to assume that most parents in some Katsina communities where they have to release their daughters to terrorists for regular abuse and rape are persuaded that this administration “will “continue to confront the challenges head-on”? Will they believe the anniversary assurance “that this government will not relent until every Nigerian can live, work, travel, and dream in safety…”?

The Information Minister’s statistics can’t be easily faulted but we can rely on a classic from a guru who claims that it is dangerous to assume sometimes that statistics can be used to confound the populace at all times. This is what a scholar, Aaron Levenstein, a professor of business management, teaches those who use statistics anyhow:
“Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital”

Malam Idris, is doubtless, a good man but his anniversary statistics may have concealed the existential threats that most people face with insufferable food inflation, unaffordable energy prices, high cost of imports because of forex rate, low income, youth unemployment and multi-dimensional poverty of the people in the last three years.

Specifically, the president has directed people generally to ask their governors in 36 states and Abuja what they have done with increased allocations as a result of savings from subsidy-is-gone ‘presidential order’ three years ago. There is therefore some danger in assumptions in Abuja that the governors have used the funds allocated to them to take care of the people in the state.

Meanwhile, our leader’s third anniversary speech didn’t deepen the people’s assurance about security of the people, including in Oyo state where 46 children and teachers are still being tortured in the wilderness of the wicked. At press time, there was a report that two negotiators dispatched to strike a deal with the terrorists were killed too this week. This is how the wickedness from the wicked in Oyo was contextually reported by Albab Abdullahi:

‘In every civilized country and in every true religious teaching, negotiators are sacred. They are messengers of peace. They carry hope where there is fear. They speak for life when death is close. Even when talks are hard and danger is real, their role is respected. Their lives are not to be touched. History remembers them as heroes who save souls without firing a gun.
But in Oyo, that sacred rule was shattered in cold blood.
Two negotiators went into the bandits’ hideout to secure the release of abducted children. Their only weapons were words and goodwill. They went to find a way for peace, to bring terrified kids back to their parents. What did they meet? Death. The bandits did not see human beings. They did not see peace ambassadors. They saw targets. Another massacre happened. Blood was spilled on the very ground where negotiation was supposed to bring life. This is not just murder. This is a deep insult to humanity itself…
When those who risk their lives to save others are slaughtered, it sends a clear and bloody message: these criminals want more than money. They want fear. They want control. They want to prove that no one is safe, not even those trying to end the nightmare.

This evil is not only in Oyo. It is happening across Nigeria. Kidnapping for ransom has become a deadly business. Families cry, communities live in terror, and negotiators are increasingly becoming victims themselves. Each time this happens, it proves the same painful truth: the system is failing…”

We can see from the sad news on the Oyo 46 and others in Borno, already a killing field, that there is a danger in assumptions of our leaders that all these economic and security issues threatening existence of Nigerians aren’t serious enough to stop their election and re-election, after all. This is just a wake-up call on how not to plan to win election and lose the country in 2027. We will continue next week on other vital areas where there are dangers in assumptions that mismanagement of national priorities doesn’t matter in an election year, after all. God bless Nigeria!

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Beyond the GDP Numbers: Why Soludo’s “8 percent” remark misses the point

By Prof. Anthony Ejiofor

Governor Chukwuma Soludo is one of Nigeria’s most accomplished public intellectuals. As a former Central Bank Governor, economist, professor, and now governor of Anambra State, his views naturally attract attention and command respect. It is precisely because of his stature that his reported statement that “the South East only contributes 8% to Nigeria’s GDP, so if the South East were to collapse tomorrow Nigeria will not be affected; they will only see it as a human disaster and move on” deserves careful examination.

Whether intended as a hard economic truth or a wake-up call to the people of the South East, the statement is problematic on several levels. It is factually questionable, strategically unhelpful, politically dangerous, and diplomatically unbecoming of a leader entrusted with advancing the interests of his people.

The first problem lies in the assumption that the importance of a region can be measured solely by the percentage of national GDP officially attributed to it. Such a view is economically reductionist and ignores the complexity of modern economies.

GDP statistics capture only a portion of economic reality. They do not fully account for the extensive commercial networks built by South Eastern entrepreneurs across Nigeria. They do not adequately reflect the economic activities of millions of Igbo traders, industrialists, transporters, professionals, and investors who operate outside the geographical boundaries of the South East. Nor do they capture the enormous contribution of the informal sector, which remains a significant component of Nigeria’s economy.

A substantial proportion of businesses owned by South Easterners are located in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and other parts of the federation. The economic output of these enterprises is credited to the states in which they operate rather than to the South East itself. As a result, official regional GDP figures often understate the true economic footprint of the South East within the Nigerian economy.

More importantly, the relevance of a region to a nation cannot be measured by GDP alone.

Geopolitical significance is determined by a combination of factors, including entrepreneurship, human capital, innovation, educational attainment, cultural influence, strategic location, political importance, and integration into national economic networks.

The South East has long been one of Nigeria’s foremost reservoirs of entrepreneurial talent. Across virtually every state of the federation, South Eastern businesses drive commerce, facilitate distribution chains, create jobs, stimulate local economies, and contribute to national productivity.

The influence of the region extends far beyond what can be captured in a GDP spreadsheet. History is replete with examples showing that statistics alone do not determine significance. Some of the world’s most influential regions and peoples have exerted outsized economic, cultural, intellectual, and political influence far beyond what their numerical economic contributions would suggest. Economic indicators are useful tools for policy analysis, but they are poor substitutes for a holistic assessment of a people’s contribution to national development.

Furthermore, the suggestion that Nigeria would simply move on if the South East were to “collapse” defies economic and political logic. No nation can absorb the collapse of an entire geopolitical zone without profound consequences. Such a catastrophe would disrupt supply chains, commerce, transportation networks, labor markets, investments, tax revenues, and national stability. The idea that the nation would merely regard such a development as a humanitarian tragedy and continue unaffected is, at best, a gross oversimplification.

Beyond its factual weaknesses, the statement is strategically dangerous for the South East itself. Throughout history, successful regions and peoples have advanced their interests by emphasizing their strengths, their strategic value, their productivity, and their potential.

They have not done so by publicly portraying themselves as dispensable. Leadership requires not only the courage to identify challenges but also the wisdom to frame those challenges in a manner that strengthens rather than weakens collective confidence.

At a time when the South East continues to advocate for greater federal investment, improved infrastructure, industrial expansion, enhanced security, and a more equitable place within the Nigerian federation, it is difficult to see how publicly suggesting that the region is economically insignificant advances those objectives.

Words matter in public life. Investors listen. Policymakers listen. Political actors listen. Most importantly, citizens listen. When a governor speaks, his words shape perceptions. Statements that diminish the perceived importance of a region can undermine investor confidence, weaken advocacy efforts, and inadvertently lower the morale of the people whose interests he is elected to protect. Even more troubling is the possibility that such remarks may reinforce existing prejudices and dismissive attitudes toward the South East.

Many people in the region believe that the South East has historically faced structural disadvantages in federal appointments, infrastructure allocation, and political representation. Whether one fully accepts that position or not, it remains a deeply held perception among many citizens.

Against that background, a statement suggesting that Nigeria could comfortably continue if the South East ceased to function risks providing rhetorical ammunition to those who already underestimate the region’s importance. Those opposed to increased federal investment in the South East may point to such comments as evidence that the zone is not strategically significant. Those who seek to downplay the region’s contributions to national development may cite the governor’s own words in support of their arguments.

In politics, perceptions often become realities. That is why leaders must exercise extreme caution when discussing matters that affect the collective image and standing of their people. This brings us to the final concern: the issue of leadership communication.

Professor Soludo occupies the rare position of being both an accomplished academic and a sitting governor. The demands of those two roles are not always the same. Academic discourse often rewards provocative arguments and intellectual disruption. Political leadership requires a greater measure of prudence, diplomacy, and strategic communication.

Governors are expected not merely to describe reality but to inspire confidence, attract investment, build consensus, and advance the interests of their constituents. Even when highlighting economic shortcomings, the language chosen should motivate action rather than project insignificance.

A more constructive message might have been that the South East currently contributes less to Nigeria’s GDP than its immense entrepreneurial potential warrants and that the region must pursue policies that unlock greater economic growth and competitiveness. Such a formulation would have communicated urgency without inadvertently diminishing the region’s value.

No one doubts Professor Soludo’s intellect, credentials, or commitment to development. The issue is not whether he intended to provoke thought. The issue is whether the statement, as reported, serves the strategic interests of the people he leads.

The real question is not whether the South East contributes 8 percent, 10 percent, or 15 percent of Nigeria’s GDP. The real question is whether any fair-minded observer can deny the enormous role of the region in Nigerian commerce, entrepreneurship, innovation, education, and national development. Nations are not built by statistics alone; they are built by people. By any reasonable measure, the South East remains one of the most consequential, productive, and influential regions in the Nigerian federation.

Its leaders should speak in a manner that reflects that reality. The challenge before the South East is not to prove its relevance to Nigeria, but to continue demonstrating through enterprise, innovation, and leadership that its contributions to national development remain indispensable.

Prof. Anthony Ejiofor is an academic, public intellectual, and community leader engaged in issues of governance, development, and the future of Nigeria and Africa.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Chaos at Unity Bar: 10,000 lawyers, just 239 voters as disenfranchisement claims rock NBA Abuja

ABUJA — Less than a week before the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja Branch, popularly known as the Unity Bar, heads to the polls, the branch is grappling with a deepening electoral crisis fuelled by allegations of voter disenfranchisement, transparency concerns, and growing calls for intervention.

The crux of the controversy is the publication of a preliminary voters register containing only 239 accredited voters from a branch membership estimated at more than 10,000 lawyers.

The dramatic disparity has triggered outrage among members, with critics describing the development as one of the most serious electoral controversies in the history of the branch.

“This is not a mere administrative error,” said Sir Chidi Udekwe, President of Otu Oka-Iwu Abuja. “To exclude thousands of members from participating in the electoral process raises fundamental questions about the integrity, transparency, and legitimacy of the election.”

Questions Over Accreditation Process

Under the NBA Uniform Bye-Laws, eligibility to vote is tied to attendance at branch meetings within a specified period before an election. However, several members argue that the number of accredited voters published by the Electoral Committee bears little resemblance to the branch’s actual participation levels.

Critics allege that active members who regularly attended meetings were omitted from the register, while some names included on the list allegedly belong to individuals who rarely participated in branch activities. Some members have also claimed that the register contains the name of a deceased lawyer.

Those allegations have not been independently verified, and the Electoral Committee has yet to publicly address them.

The controversy has fuelled concerns that the accreditation process may have excluded a significant number of otherwise eligible voters, potentially affecting the outcome of the election.

Tensions Escalate at Branch Secretariat

The dispute intensified following efforts by members, particularly younger lawyers, to inspect attendance records that formed the basis of voter accreditation.

According to accounts from members present at the NBA Abuja Secretariat, requests to access attendance registers for lawyers within their first five years of practice were reportedly denied by officials of the Electoral Committee.

One member, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, alleged that repeated attempts to obtain access to the records were unsuccessful.

“The register became the centre of the dispute,” the member claimed. “Several lawyers wanted to verify their attendance records and understand how the voters list was compiled, but access was repeatedly denied.”

The member further alleged that tensions escalated during the disagreement and that a confrontation nearly broke out over access to the documents.

The Electoral Committee has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Calls for Audit and Electoral Reforms

As criticism mounted, stakeholders began demanding an immediate audit of the voters register and greater transparency regarding the accreditation process.

Among the demands being canvassed are:

  • A comprehensive review of the voters list against branch attendance records;
  • Public disclosure of the criteria used for accreditation;
  • Recognition of virtual attendance at branch meetings where applicable;
  • Extension of the objection and verification period for affected members; and
  • Formal accountability measures for the Electoral Committee.

Some members have also floated the possibility of a boycott if concerns are not addressed before election day.

“The issue goes beyond a single election,” Udekwe said. “What is at stake is the credibility of the Unity Bar itself.”

Election Battle Continues Amid Turmoil

The crisis comes as campaigns intensify for the June 10 election, with Anthony Idoko and Yakubu Philemon, SAN, cleared to contest for the influential position of Branch Chairman.

The electoral process has also been complicated by petitions against candidates seeking other offices, including a challenge filed against a Social Secretary aspirant over alleged campaign activities said to have occurred before the official commencement of campaigning.

The dispute adds another layer of tension to an election already under intense scrutiny.

Wider Implications for the Legal Profession

The unfolding controversy arrives at a sensitive moment for the legal profession, with electoral disputes increasingly attracting attention within both branch and national NBA politics.

For many observers, the controversy presents a test of whether one of Nigeria’s most influential legal associations can uphold the democratic principles and procedural safeguards that lawyers routinely advocate in courts and public institutions.

With election day fast approaching and no public response yet from the Electoral Committee on the major allegations raised by members, pressure is mounting for greater transparency and clarity.

Whether the concerns are resolved before voting begins may ultimately determine not only the legitimacy of the next Unity Bar leadership but also the confidence of thousands of lawyers in the electoral process itself.

How Nigerian banks make N209bn from account maintenance fees in three months

Nigerian banks earned a combined N209.18bn from account maintenance charges in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 14.07 per cent increase from the N183.37bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, an analysis of the unaudited financial statements of 11 listed lenders by The PUNCH has shown.

The review also showed that total fee and commission income rose to N984.47bn in Q1 2026 from N866.30bn in Q1 2025, indicating a 13.64 per cent year-on-year increase.

The figures, drawn from the results of 11 of the 13 banks listed on the Nigerian Exchange, exclude FCMB Group and Unity Bank, which had yet to publish their unaudited first-quarter financial statements.

Account maintenance fees are regulated charges applicable only to current accounts, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Guide to Charges by Banks and Other Financial Institutions. The fee replaced the former Commission on Turnover and is intended to enable banks to recover the cost of operating active transactional accounts.

An analysis of the banks’ earnings showed that Zenith Bank generated the highest account maintenance income at N25.07bn, followed by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated with N118.06bn recorded under cash management and related fees, which serves as the closest disclosed equivalent. Access Holdings posted N16.68bn, Guaranty Trust Holding Company earned N15.12bn, while United Bank for Africa generated N13.26bn.

In terms of total fee and commission income, Ecobank led the pack with N237.80bn, followed by Access Holdings with N205.03bn, UBA with N124.07bn, First Holdco with N96.12bn and Zenith Bank with N84.79bn.

Among lenders that disclosed account maintenance income separately, GTCO recorded the fastest growth, with charges rising by 42.15 per cent from N10.63bn to N15.12bn.

Sterling Financial Holdings followed with a 38.31 per cent increase to N2.38bn, while Wema Bank’s account maintenance earnings rose by 31.30 per cent to N3bn. Zenith Bank posted a 30.81 per cent increase to N25.07bn and UBA recorded a 27.65 per cent rise to N13.26bn.

For total fee and commission income, Zenith Bank recorded the strongest growth at 41.43 per cent, followed by Fidelity Bank at 39.70 per cent, Sterling Financial Holdings at 33.25 per cent, Stanbic IBTC Holdings at 30.37 per cent and First Holdco at 23.67 per cent.

However, not all lenders recorded growth in account maintenance income. Fidelity Bank’s earnings from the line declined by 2.52 per cent to N3.24bn from N3.33bn, while Stanbic IBTC’s account transaction fees, its closest equivalent to account maintenance charges, fell by 4.98 per cent to N1.91bn from N2.01bn.

The PUNCH also found mixed performance across other fee-generating lines.

Access Holdings grew fee and commission income by 17.5 per cent to N205.03bn, driven by credit-related fees, bills and letters of credit, and e-business income. Account maintenance income rose modestly by 4.1 per cent to N16.68bn.

Ecobank’s fee and commission income increased by 7.72 per cent to N237.80bn, supported by brokerage fees, portfolio management fees and cash management-related charges, which accounted for almost half of total fee income.

Fidelity Bank recorded a 39.7 per cent increase in fee and commission income to N33.28bn, largely driven by ATM charges, Fidelity Connect commissions and letters of credit fees. Account maintenance charges declined despite the strong overall growth.

First Holdco grew fee and commission income by 23.67 per cent to N96.12bn, with strong contributions from credit-related fees, brokerage income, custodian fees and financial advisory services. Account maintenance charges rose by 17.38 per cent to N10.46bn.

GTCO increased fee and commission income by 7.09 per cent to N80.31bn, supported by strong growth in e-business income, credit-related fees and asset management fees. Account maintenance charges contributed 18.82 per cent of total fee income.

Jaiz Bank recorded a 10.29 per cent increase in fee and commission revenue to N5.67bn, although it did not separately disclose account maintenance charges.

Stanbic IBTC expanded fee and commission revenue by 30.37 per cent to N83.14bn, driven by asset management, brokerage, custody and foreign currency service fees. Its account transaction fees declined by 4.98 per cent.

Sterling Financial Holdings posted a 33.25 per cent increase in fee and commission income to N16.88bn. Account maintenance fees rose by 38.31 per cent to N2.38bn, while other fees and commissions surged by 139.32 per cent.

UBA’s fee and commission income declined by 3.04 per cent to N124.07bn as lower earnings from credit-related fees, remittance fees and transactional service commissions offset gains from account maintenance charges and pension custody fees. Account maintenance income rose by 27.65 per cent.

Wema Bank’s fee and commission income fell by 30.57 per cent to N17.39bn due mainly to declines in electronic product fees, financial guarantees and foreign exchange transaction charges. However, account maintenance income increased by 31.3 per cent.

Zenith Bank recorded a 41.43 per cent increase in fee and commission income to N84.79bn. Account maintenance charges, which represented 29.57 per cent of total fee income, rose by 30.81 per cent to N25.07bn. Strong growth in foreign withdrawal charges, electronic product fees and letters of credit commissions supported performance.

Commenting on the development, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, said the increase in banking transactions and fee income reflected improving economic activity and rising confidence in the formal sector.

Yusuf said, “If the momentum of economic activities is growing, it reflects in the performance of the banks, particularly when we look at activities within the formal sector of the economy. The demand for banking activities is a derived demand because the demand for banking activities is in order to support economic activities.

“So if you are seeing growth in the economy, if you are seeing an improvement in business confidence in the economy, if you are seeing profitability of businesses, there is a positive correlation between what the economy is saying and what business performance is saying. All of these things are reflected in the transactions in the banks, which ultimately also reflects in the profitability of the financial institutions.”

The CPPE chief observed that there is a strong correlation between the tempo of economic activities and banking transactions and profitability.

“It is a reflection of the momentum that we are seeing in terms of economic recovery, business confidence, investors’ confidence and macroeconomic stability supporting business growth,” he concluded.

The growth in banking fees coincides with signs of strengthening economic activity. Nigeria’s private sector expanded to a nine-month high in May 2026, with the Stanbic IBTC Purchasing Managers’ Index rising to 54.1 points, supported by stronger demand, increased output, new product launches and improved logistics.

The banking sector has also continued to benefit from ongoing reforms. Earlier this year, the Central Bank of Nigeria said its financial-sector reforms, including the recapitalisation programme, were strengthening the foundations of the economy.

According to the apex bank, 33 banks had raised additional capital as of March 2026, while 30 institutions had already met the new minimum capital requirements for their licence categories.

PUNCH

‘Their Children Are Abroad, Ours Are Kidnapped’ — Reps Member blasts Nigeria’s elite as Oyo school abduction continues to spark outrage

  • As Oyo State debunks viral video claiming release of abducted school children and teachers

As anxiety mounts over the fate of abducted pupils, students and teachers in Oyo State, a federal lawmaker has ignited a national conversation on insecurity, accusing Nigeria’s political elite of being disconnected from the dangers facing ordinary families because their own children often attend private schools or study overseas.

The remarks came as the Oyo State Government dismissed as false a viral social media report claiming that victims of the recent school abduction in Oriire Local Government Area had regained their freedom.

Speaking during plenary at the House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, delivered a stinging critique of the country’s leadership, arguing that many decision-makers are shielded from the consequences of worsening insecurity in public schools.

Drawing from a Yoruba proverb, Salam warned that society often overlooks tragedies affecting the poor until they begin to touch the powerful.

“There is a saying among the Yoruba people that if a lion comes into a village and kills the children of the poor, there may be no noise, there may be no mourning. But the day the lion comes into the village and kills a child of the king, the whole city is turned into a graveyard,” he said.

The lawmaker argued that many public officials are insulated from the realities confronting millions of Nigerian families because their children are enrolled in private institutions, with some studying abroad.

“For reasons we all know, most of the children of those of us who are in leadership positions today attend private schools. Some of them outside the Republic of Nigeria because we can afford it,” Salam said.

“But the children of the poor, labourers, teachers and ordinary citizens attend public schools. We cannot afford to close our eyes to the dangers that these children and their teachers face every day.”

‘We Can Protect Politicians, Why Not Schoolchildren?’

Salam called for the establishment of a specialised national security framework dedicated solely to protecting schools across Nigeria.

According to him, the country has reached a point where safeguarding educational institutions should be treated as a national emergency.

“I disagree with those who say we cannot protect all schools,” he said.

“If we can protect thousands of public office holders in Nigeria, we can protect the children of the poor who attend public schools and the teachers who serve them.”

The lawmaker recalled that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps once operated a school security initiative, but alleged that the programme was never adequately funded.

He urged the Federal Government to revive and properly finance a dedicated school protection architecture, noting that several countries facing similar threats have developed innovative systems to secure their educational institutions.

Oyo Government Debunks Viral ‘Release’ Video

Salam’s intervention came as the Oyo State Government moved swiftly to counter reports circulating on social media claiming that abducted pupils, students and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area had been released.

The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, described the viral video as false and misleading.

“The viral video about the release of those abducted at Oriire in Oyo State is unfortunately untrue,” Oyelade said.

He stressed that efforts to secure the victims’ release remain ongoing and that government authorities are pursuing carefully coordinated interventions aimed at achieving a safe outcome.

According to him, unverified reports not only spread misinformation but also deepen the trauma experienced by families desperately awaiting news about their loved ones.

“The state government continues its discreet interventions, which we are very hopeful will yield the desired result soon,” he added.

Beyond Kidnappings: The Deeper Crisis

The controversy has also reignited broader concerns about Nigeria’s approach to insecurity.

Veteran journalist and columnist Funke Egbemode recently argued that after more than a decade of battling insurgency, banditry and mass kidnappings, Nigeria may still be addressing symptoms rather than underlying causes.

While poverty does not automatically produce criminals, she noted that widespread deprivation, unemployment and lack of opportunity create fertile ground for recruitment by criminal and extremist groups.

“A hungry young man with no education, no employable skill and no hope for the future is easier to manipulate than one who has opportunities,” she wrote.

Yet Egbemode warned against treating economic development as a substitute for law enforcement.

“No nation negotiates its existence with terrorists,” she argued. “Development is necessary. Security is non-negotiable. The two must work together.”

Her comments echo growing public frustration over the persistence of school abductions, attacks on rural communities and the perception that many affected areas remain underserved by government institutions.

As families in Oyo continue to wait for news of their loved ones, Salam’s remarks have amplified an uncomfortable question at the heart of the national debate:

Would Nigeria respond differently to insecurity if the children under threat belonged to the country’s most powerful families?

In pursuit of hope, By Olufunke Baruwa

There are some weeks when writing comes easily. The news offers a breakthrough, an inspiring story, a remarkable achievement, or a reason to celebrate. Then there are weeks like this one, when the world seems weighed down by crisis, and finding something hopeful to say or write feels almost like an act of defiance.

Across continents, people are struggling. Wars rage on, displacing millions and leaving communities shattered. Economic uncertainty has become a global reality. Inflation continues to squeeze households. Climate-related disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity. Political divisions have deepened in many countries, and trust in institutions appears to be declining.

Closer to home, Nigeria faces its own daunting challenges. Insecurity remains a daily reality for many citizens. Communities continue to grapple with banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and communal conflicts. The cost of living has risen sharply, placing immense pressure on families already struggling to make ends meet. Food prices have soared. Millions face difficult choices between feeding their families, paying school fees, accessing healthcare, or meeting other basic needs and now, paying ransom!

The education sector faces persistent challenges. Too many children remain out of school. Public schools often lack adequate resources and protection from insurgents, while universities continue to wrestle with funding constraints and disruptions. In healthcare, many Nigerians still struggle to access quality and affordable medical services. Poverty remains widespread despite the resilience and ingenuity that Nigerians demonstrate every day.

For many people, hope can feel increasingly distant especially when those vested with the responsibility to translate hope into opportunities are the very ones frustrating our collective efforts.

An Age of Crisis Fatigue

Indeed, one of the defining features of our age may be what some have described as “crisis fatigue.” The constant stream of negative headlines everywhere can leave even the most optimistic person feeling overwhelmed. Every day seems to bring another report of conflict, disaster, corruption, economic hardship, or institutional failure.

The question therefore arises: How do we maintain hope when circumstances appear hopeless? How does a nation redeem itself from the brink of destruction when all indicators point to hopelessness?

These are not merely philosophical questions. It is a practical one. Hope is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Individuals, communities, and nations cannot thrive without it.

What Hope Really Means

Hope is often misunderstood. Many people equate hope with wishful thinking. They see it as blind optimism or the refusal to acknowledge reality. But genuine hope is something very different.

Hope does not deny hardship. It confronts hardship honestly while refusing to surrender to it. Hope does not pretend that problems do not exist. It simply believes that problems are not permanent. Hope does not ignore suffering. Rather, it insists that suffering does not have the final word.

History offers powerful evidence for this perspective. Humanity has survived world wars, pandemics, economic depressions, slavery, colonialism, and countless other tragedies. Entire nations have risen from the ruins of conflict to become prosperous and stable societies. Communities devastated by natural disasters have rebuilt stronger than before. Social movements that once seemed impossible have transformed societies and expanded human rights.

Progress has never been linear. It has always been messy, uneven, and often painfully slow. Yet history repeatedly demonstrates that periods of darkness are not permanent.

Nigeria’s own story reflects this reality.

Since independence, the country has faced numerous crises: civil war, military rule, economic recessions, political instability, and security challenges. Yet Nigeria has endured. More importantly, Nigerians have endured. But for how long?

Finding Hope in Ordinary People

The strength of this nation has never resided solely in its institutions. It has always resided in its people.

Every day, ordinary Nigerians demonstrate extraordinary resilience. Farmers continue cultivating the land despite difficult conditions and the risks of insecurity. Entrepreneurs create businesses despite economic uncertainty. Teachers continue educating children despite inadequate resources and terror. Healthcare workers continue saving lives under challenging circumstances. Parents continue sacrificing for their children in the hope of a better future.

These acts may not make international headlines, but they represent one of the most powerful sources of hope available to us. Hope often lives in ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

It is tempting to look for hope only in grand political reforms, major investments, or sweeping policy changes. While such developments are important, hope frequently emerges from smaller, quieter places. It emerges from communities supporting one another. From young people creating innovative solutions. From civil society organisations addressing local challenges. From citizens who refuse to become indifferent and continually hold their leaders accountable. From students who brave going to school despite the risk of attacks.

Hope is found wherever people choose action over despair. This distinction matters because despair is ultimately paralysing. When people lose hope, they stop trying. They stop participating. They stop believing that their actions matter. A hopeless society becomes vulnerable to cynicism, division, and stagnation. Hope, by contrast, is energising. It motivates people to act even when success is not guaranteed.

The American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr once observed that nothing worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope. Whether one approaches this idea from a religious or secular perspective, the insight remains profound. Many of the most important achievements in human history were accomplished by people who worked toward outcomes they might never personally witness.

The abolition of slavery, the expansion of democratic governance, advances in public health, and the struggle for gender equality were all driven by individuals who refused to accept present realities as permanent realities. Their hope was not passive. It was active.

Choosing Hope, Building the Future

Perhaps this is the kind of hope we need today: not a hope that waits, depends on others, or ignores reality, but one that works, organises, advocates, innovates, builds and serves—hope that believes change is possible and acts.

This matters for young people. Across Nigeria and the world, many are frustrated by unemployment, uncertainty, rising costs, shrinking opportunity, and doubts that hard work pays off. Yet every generation inherits challenges it did not create. The question is not whether challenges exist, but how it responds.

History shows young people often drive transformation. Their energy and creativity help societies navigate change. Today’s generation also has unprecedented access to knowledge, technology and networks for positive impact if it is harnessed effectively for inclusive development. They have every right to demand better, and every reason to believe it is possible.

Hope is something we choose, not stumble upon. It does not deny pain or pretend all is fine but insists that circumstances do not define our future and invites us to act despite it.

Read Also: Nigeria’s cities risk becoming ‘ungovernable,’ Asagba of Asaba warns

Nigeria’s and the world’s challenges are real; there is no value in minimising them, nor in surrendering to despair. The future belongs to those who imagine possibilities beyond present difficulties. Progress has always begun with those who refused to accept the status quo.

Hope is not the absence of darkness but the courage to move towards the light despite it. As long as people make that choice collectively and individually, better days lie ahead. In pursuing hope, we gain both vision and the strength and determination to help create a better future.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Nigeria’s cities risk becoming ‘ungovernable,’ Asagba of Asaba warns

ASABA, Nigeria — The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), has issued a stark warning that Nigeria’s rapidly expanding cities risk becoming ungovernable unless governments urgently address chronic failures in urban planning, infrastructure, security and governance.

Speaking at the Fifth Public Lecture in honour of retired Supreme Court Justice Samuel Osaji in Asaba on Tuesday, the renowned legal scholar and traditional ruler argued that urbanization in Nigeria has increasingly evolved from an opportunity for economic transformation into what he described as “a crisis of governance.”

“The future of Nigeria will largely be shaped by the future of Nigerian cities,” Azinge declared, warning that population growth has continued to outpace planning, infrastructure and institutional capacity across the country.

Using Asaba as a case study, the monarch painted a picture familiar to many Nigerian cities: worsening traffic congestion, housing shortages, flooding, environmental degradation, youth unemployment, waste management challenges and growing security concerns.

Nigeria, one of the world’s fastest-urbanizing countries, continues to witness a steady migration of people from rural communities into urban centres in search of jobs, education, healthcare and improved living conditions. However, Azinge argued that successive governments have failed to match that demographic shift with the investments and policy reforms needed to sustain modern cities.

“The paradox is striking,” he said. “Nigeria possesses enormous human and natural resources, entrepreneurial energy and strategic geographic advantages, yet many of its cities struggle to provide the basic services expected of modern urban societies.”

The Asagba identified weak urban planning as one of the country’s most serious challenges, criticizing obsolete master plans, poor implementation and political interference in development control mechanisms.

“A city without planning eventually becomes ungovernable,” he warned.

Azinge proposed a sweeping agenda for urban renewal centred on ten key priorities, including integrated urban planning, massive infrastructure investment, affordable housing, climate resilience, economic development, security, healthcare, education, cultural preservation and institutional accountability.

For Asaba specifically, he called for the implementation of a modern and enforceable master plan, digitized land administration, preservation of green spaces, improved transportation networks, smart traffic management systems and stronger flood-control infrastructure.

The monarch also stressed that infrastructure should no longer be viewed as a luxury but as a prerequisite for economic productivity and human dignity.

“Roads, bridges, drainage systems, electricity, broadband connectivity and public transportation are not luxuries; they are necessities,” he said.

Beyond infrastructure, Azinge warned that rising unemployment and poverty in urban centres could fuel deeper insecurity if governments fail to create economic opportunities for young people.

He urged authorities to invest in technology hubs, manufacturing clusters, tourism, entrepreneurship and digital skills programmes capable of absorbing the country’s growing youth population.

On security, the monarch argued that effective urban safety extends beyond policing and should incorporate intelligence gathering, surveillance technology, improved street lighting, judicial efficiency and community participation.

He also called for a more prominent role for traditional institutions in urban governance, noting that community leaders remain critical actors in conflict resolution, social cohesion and grassroots mobilization.

The lecture highlighted the growing impact of climate change on Nigerian cities, with Azinge identifying flooding, pollution and rising temperatures as emerging threats to urban sustainability.

He advocated large-scale recycling programmes, urban greening initiatives, renewable energy projects and stronger environmental regulations to improve resilience.

Drawing lessons from cities such as Singapore, Kigali, Dubai and Curitiba in Brazil, the Asagba argued that successful urban transformation depends on visionary leadership, strong institutions and long-term planning.

Perhaps his strongest message was directed at public officials.

“Infrastructure alone cannot build great cities,” he said. “Institutions, transparency and ethical leadership are indispensable.”

Azinge urged governments at all levels to embrace accountability, open budgeting, citizen participation and data-driven policymaking, warning that development built on weak institutions would ultimately prove unsustainable.

He concluded with a broader challenge to political leaders, traditional rulers, businesses and citizens alike, insisting that Nigeria must move beyond mere urban growth and pursue genuine urban transformation.

“The urban question is not merely about roads and buildings,” he said. “It is fundamentally about human dignity, governance, justice, opportunity and the quality of collective existence.”

As Nigeria’s cities continue to swell under the pressures of population growth and economic migration, the Asagba’s intervention adds to a growing debate over whether the country’s urban centres can become engines of prosperity—or slide deeper into congestion, inequality and dysfunction.

“The future of Nigeria will be written largely in its cities,” he said.

Can Nigeria shoot its way out of terrorism? By Funke Egbemode

Isn’t it high time Nigeria dropped all other projects and face total economic empowerment and reorientation of the North? Yes, North, because this horrid terror monster was birthed there. And yes, because our six-lane concrete roads can’t be used or enjoyed if bandits are waiting there to kidnap us. No, we will not use the trains if it means buying tickets with our money to go and get abducted.

Can we just deploy more money, real funds and national time and force to take children off the streets of the North already? It definitely can’t be too much work to provide security operatives with ‘ NAFDAC Numbers’,  not those ones who flee just before bandits arrive, to keep our schools actually safe?

If Christians are cancelling church vigils, aren’t many parents in the north pulling out their children from schools? If na you nko?

If these butchers of men are already in Oyo State, when won’t we close churches and terminate school terms?

Can we sit our Nortthern Leaders and Elders down and tell them what their future really looks like if they continue with the child marriage and almajiri system? These are desperate times and it does not look like our decade- old strategy has worked or is working. We need to start doing desperate and new things. Buying bullets and increasing defence budgets have not worked. We must return to the drawing table or be ready to perish. I’m just not feeling optimistic today and I’m not offering any apologies for feeling my feelings.

A few days ago, I found myself asking a question that has become increasingly important as Nigeria continues to bleed from the wounds of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. Can a nation shoot its way out of insecurity? Or, put differently, can Nigeria finally defeat terrorism by going beyond bullets and addressing the deeper problems of poverty, ignorance, hopelessness and social decay?

Of course, the question is not as simple as it sounds. Every time terrorists attack a village, every time bandits kidnap schoolchildren, every time farmers abandon their land because of fear, the immediate reaction is always the same: send more soldiers, deploy more policemen, buy more weapons. Let us have more airstrikes.

Nobody can fault that reaction. Government has a sacred duty to protect lives and property. Citizens deserve to sleep with both eyes closed. Criminals deserve no sympathy, no mercy.

But after more than a decade of battling insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, perhaps it is time to ask whether Nigeria is treating only the symptoms while leaving the disease untouched. We have shot everything at this monster,  but it looks like every bullet has only toughened him. Every bomb has made him angrier. Now it is tall, black and menacing. And advancing towards Lagos. Oh no, you don’t have to believe me.

Let us just focus on the uncomfortable truth. Poverty is not the same thing as terrorism. There are millions of poor Nigerians who are honest, hardworking and law-abiding. Every morning, they wake up, struggle through impossible circumstances and still choose decency over crime.

So poverty alone does not create terrorists. Yet poverty can create fertile ground for recruitment.

A hungry young man with no education, no employable skill and no hope for the future is easier to manipulate than one who has opportunities. A boy who sees no future may be tempted by anybody offering money, food, status or a sense of belonging. That is why economic empowerment must be part of the conversation.

Read Also: Breaking!! Gunmen strike in Ibadan, abduct former power minister Adelabu’s sister and twin children

Northern Nigeria is blessed with vast agricultural land, energetic youth and enormous human potential. Imagine what would happen if millions of young people were productively engaged in farming, agro-processing, manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship.

A young man earning an honest living is less likely to answer the call of a bandit leader.

An idle young man is a different matter altogether.

However, let us not deceive ourselves.

If poverty alone caused terrorism, then every poor community in Africa would be a terrorist enclave. The reality is more complicated.

Groups such as Boko Haram were not built merely on economic frustration. They were built on ideas—dangerous ideas. They preached hatred. They preached violence. They preached rejection of modern education and the Nigerian state.

You cannot defeat such ideas with bags of rice and empowerment grants alone.

You fight bad ideas with better ideas.

That is where reorientation comes in.

For too long, we have treated education as merely a means of passing examinations. Real education should teach citizenship, responsibility, tolerance and critical thinking.

The fight against terrorism must therefore involve teachers, parents, religious leaders, traditional rulers and community influencers. The battle is not only for territory.

It is also for minds.

And then comes the issue of cultural renewal.

Before anybody sharpens their knives, let me explain.

Cultural renewal does not mean abandoning tradition. It does not mean discarding faith.

It does not mean becoming less northern, less southern, less Muslim or less Christian.

It means rediscovering the values that once held communities together.

Values such as respect for life, respect for learning, respect for honest labour and respect for communal responsibility.

Many years ago, entire villages helped raise children. Elders corrected young people. Communities celebrated hard work and frowned at criminality.

Today, too many communities are overwhelmed by unemployment, drug abuse, illiteracy and the erosion of social values.

A society that produces millions of disconnected and frustrated young people is unknowingly manufacturing tomorrow’s security challenges.

Yet there is another truth we must not ignore. Economic empowerment, reorientation and cultural renewal are not substitutes for security.

No nation negotiates its existence with terrorists.

No government can fold its arms while armed criminals slaughter citizens.

Bandits who murder farmers, abduct children and terrorise communities must be confronted decisively.

Terrorists who wage war against the state must face the full force of the law.

Development is necessary.

Security is non-negotiable.

The two must work together.

Then, there is the matter of governance.

Many communities affected by banditry complain that government appears only during elections.

Roads are bad.

Schools are inadequate.

Healthcare facilities are scarce.

Opportunities are limited.

When government becomes distant, criminal groups often move in to fill the vacuum.

A man who visits his wife once in a while must not delude himself into thinking someone else cannot fill the vacuum. Bad governance is a husband who visits his wife once in four years with plenty of gifts, sleeps with her every day for one month or two and then disappears for another four years. The gifts will be appreciated.  The woman may even flaunt it. But there are no guarantees that the woman will happily wait for him, untouched, for another four years. Any number of bad things can happen when you leave your goat to wander. She may be injured, stolen, killed, or even impregnated.

A citizen who feels abandoned is easier for extremists to manipulate.

A citizen who believes government cares is more likely to cooperate with law enforcement. This is why governance itself is a security strategy.

In the end, Nigeria’s challenge is not merely military.

It is economic.

It is educational.

It is cultural.

It is political.

It is moral.

The temptation is always to search for a single magic solution. Nigerians love silver bullets. We want one policy, one speech, one operation, one miracle.

Unfortunately, terrorism does not work that way.

Even if United States of America with its troops swoop in guns ablazing, will they stay here forever? Will we still be a sovereign nation if America remains here permanently?

A nation defeats terrorism when it secures its borders, protects its citizens, educates its children, creates opportunities for its youth and builds institutions people can trust. Bullets can eliminate terrorists.

But only a just, functional and hopeful society can stop new terrorists from emerging.

That is the real battle before Nigeria.

And until we fight it on all fronts, we may continue cutting off the branches while leaving the roots firmly planted in the soil.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Middle East crisis intensifies after Iranian strikes hit Kuwait International Airport

Debris burns on the ground in a parking lot following reports of missile and drone attacks, in Sabah Al Nasser, Kuwait June 3, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video . SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS

Hostilities flared again in the Gulf on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, with an Iranian missile attack severely damaging Kuwait’s international airport and the U.S. military carrying out retaliatory strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.

The sudden military escalation sent global oil prices climbing more than 1%, coming at a time when the broader conflict remains deeply stalemated under a shaky, nominal ceasefire.

Early Wednesday morning, an Iranian drone and missile attack struck the T1 passenger terminal building at Kuwait International Airport.

According to reports from Kuwait’s state news agency, citing civil aviation authorities, the assault caused significant structural damage to the facility and left several individuals injured.

In the immediate aftermath, Kuwait Airways suspended its operations, and aviation officials halted all incoming and outgoing flights, diverting airborne traffic to alternative regional hubs until further notice.

The airport strike was part of a larger, coordinated volley aimed at regional targets, though U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the majority of the offensive operations ultimately failed:

Apart from the drones that successfully breached the airport, two Iranian missiles fired toward Kuwait fell short or broke apart mid-flight. American forces also downed several additional drones attempting to target U.S. troops stationed in the country.

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s military reported that its air defence systems successfully intercepted and destroyed three incoming missiles and a swarm of drones.

In regional waters, CENTCOM forces successfully shot down a number of Iranian drones that were actively targeting civilian merchant vessels.

Iran’s state media and the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed they had successfully targeted and struck the high-profile headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, alongside an unspecified regional airbase and helicopters. However, CENTCOM explicitly rejected these claims, stating that all attacks against American installations were entirely thwated.

The U.S. military responded swiftly to the barrage, launching targeted strikes on Qeshm Island, a heavily fortified Iranian military outpost and critical oil transit point situated directly inside the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM confirmed American forces destroyed an IRGC communications tower and a military station on the island, which had been utilized to coordinate the attempted drone and missile operations.
The military friction spilled over into the naval arena as well.

The IRGC’s navy claimed it launched a targeted missile strike against a vessel identified as the Panaya. Tehran stated this was direct retaliation for an American attack on an Iranian tanker near Hormuz, warning that “disrupting the security of the Strait of Hormuz will carry a heavy price for the U.S. military.” 

Breaking!! Gunmen strike in Ibadan, abduct former power minister Adelabu’s sister and twin children

The younger sister of the immediate-past Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Oyo State, Bayo Adelabu, and her twin children, have been abducted by gunmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victims were reportedly kidnapped on Wednesday morning at the Elewura area of Challenge in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of the State.

According to the Punch Online, one of Adelabu’s media aides, Femi Awogboro, confirmed the incident, stating that the victims were attacked and taken away by unidentified gunmen.

“Adelabu’s younger sister, together with her twins (Peter and Paul), were kidnapped this morning (Wednesday) by unknown gunmen at Elewura, Challenge, Ibadan.

“The family members were going out this morning from Elewura to link the express when they were attacked and whisked away by the unknown kidnappers,” Awogboro said.

Read Also: Echoes of Trauma: The people we forget after the headlines fade

The latest abduction came amid growing concerns over insecurity in Oyo State. On May 15, scores of teachers and schoolchildren were kidnapped during a coordinated attack on Ahoro-Esiele community in Oriire Local Government Area of the State.

The incident also brings to mind the abduction of an APC chieftain, Wale Oriade, who was seized by armed men in Ibadan in December 2025.

Oriade was reportedly kidnapped around 7:06 p.m. at his office located within the PJ Square Shopping Complex near the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited station at Elewure, along Iyana Ajanla on the Akala Expressway, New Garage, Ibadan.

Eyewitnesses at the time said the attackers arrived in a blue Micra vehicle occupied by a driver and an armed accomplice, who forcefully bundled Oriade into the car and sped away.

“The nature of the attack and the precision with which it was carried out have caused deep concern within his community,” an eyewitness had said.

Reacting to reports of the latest abduction, the Oyo State Police Command said it was yet to independently verify the incident.

In a text message sent to Crime Reporters Oyo on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said, “I cannot independently verify this for now, but please hold on.”

As of the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of Adelabu’s sister and her twin children remained unknown.

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