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Young Boy’s Front Yard Tribute to Chadwick Boseman Is Perfect

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By Isabella Bridie DeLeo

In light of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing due to colon cancer, one young boy named Kian paid a heartfelt tribute to the pioneering Black Panther star. In the viral photo, Kian folds his arms over his chest in Boseman’s “Wakanda Forever” pose, next to a collection of Avengers action figures and a display of flowers. Kian’s father, King Westbrook, wrote in a Twitter post, “Kian wanted to thank everyone from the bottom of his heart for all the loving and kind words given to him for this post. When he found out about Chadwicks passing, he was heart broken. But he knows death is a part for being human, and wanted to cope with losing his hero this way.” He added, “My son’s mother @leswestbrk was the one who helped Kian create this beautiful memorial, and took the picture. I just posted it on here to show my son’s love for Black Panther and Chadwick Boseman. She did a great job #MOMHELPINGSONHONORHISHERO!”

There have been lots of touching tributes to Boseman and his incredible work and legacy, but Kian’s memorial stands out for its earnestness and simplicity. Even Hugh Jackson, Wolverine himself, recognized Kian’s efforts, writing, “Hi Kian. There’s been many tributes for Chadwick – none as special as yours! It’s the perfect way to send off a superhero. He was a leader on the big screen and in real life. I’m sure you’re going to be make him and your Dad very proud in your lifetime to come. HJ #Wakanda4Ever.” Ultimately, Kian’s tribute is a remarkable memorial for a remarkable actor and man who bravely fought cancer over the past few years—while also being an icon for kids and parents both.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/young-boys-front-yard-tribute-194452123.html

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Abuja DisCo Hikes Tariff

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Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) this morning announced that it has increased the price of electricity to its costumers.

It, however, did not disclose how much customers will henceforth pay per unit.

In a text message sent to customers at shortly after midnight of September 1, AEDC said “Dear Customer, to serve you better, please be informed that from Tuesday, 1st September 2020, a new tariff called the Service Reflective Tariff, which comes with an adjustment in tariff based on hours of supply, will be implemented.

“We pledge our commitment to improving service to our esteemed customers.”

Maersk Suspends Peak Season Surcharge After Protest By Shippers’ Council

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Maersk, an international shipping line, has directed its commercial department in Nigeria to stop applying the peak season surcharge (PSS) from Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

The directive was issued in a letter signed by Lara Lana, managing director of Maersk Nigeria, and addressed to Hassan Bello, executive secretary/ CEO of the Nigerian Shipper’s Council (NSC).

“Our principals in our head office have informed us of your letter with subject reference increase in PSS,” the letter read.

“Maersk Line has instructed its commercial department to stop applying the PSS from September 1, 2020.

“This is in response to protests by the NSC which recently convened a meeting of the OPS to deliberate on the astronomical PSS imposed by shipping lines calling in Nigeria.

“The Union of African Shippers’ Council (UASC), subsequently backed NSC calls for immediate suspension of the PSS calling it a violation of previous UASC/European Community Ship-owners’ Association (ECSA) agreement requiring prior, mutual and reasonable notification of UASC and Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) by individual shipping companies before any such imposition of a new tariff, surcharges or increase in transport cost.

“We would like to thank you for the supporting document you shared, shedding light on the meeting between the ECSA and UASC.”

The international shipping liners had planned to place over $1000 surcharge on twenty-foot (20ft) and forty-foot (40ft) containers coming into Nigeria ports, this is a 400 percent increase from the previous $200 freight charged during peak period.

Heartbreaking images of kids holding Black Panther funeral after Boseman’s demise

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By Rasti Amena

By Rasti AmenaUpdated: 31st August 2020 2:41 pm IST

Los Angeles: After the sudden demise of Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman, known for his role the ‘Black Panther’ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise on Friday, August 28, netizens shared pictures of kids holding the late actor’s funeral over social media.

A number of parents and family members shared pictures via social media of how their children were handling the grief over the death of the ‘Black Panther’ actor. In various social media posts that are surfacing online, the children were seen posing along with their Avenger merchandise in the ‘Wakanda forever’ pose while mourning the loss of the beloved actor.

Read more: https://www.siasat.com/heartbreaking-images-of-kids-holding-black-panther-funeral-after-bosemans-demise-1961598/

Why We Shut Down Legislative Activities — Gbajabiamila Replies CSOs

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*Says Lawmakers Conducting Illegal Investigative Hearings
*As Leadership Leaves Room For Oversight

The House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the concept of legislative recess all over the world is to enable lawmakers to take needed rest from work after a rigorous legislative year which usually ends in May and commences in June as in the case of Nigeria.

The Speaker was reacting to criticism by civil society organizations that shutting down legislative activities in the House was uncalled for as the Senate is still holding hearings despite being on an annual recess just like the House.

But the Speaker who disgrees with the CSOs cited abuses of legislative processes by some committees of the House who went about holding illegal investigative hearings devoid of House resolutions to that effect.

In a statement issued by the Speaker’s media office in Abuja on Monday, Gbajabiamila said:

“There has been a lot of misunderstanding and misconception. First of all, whatever form of democracy you practice anywhere in the world, there is always an annual recess. We are not re-inventing anything. Recess has only one meaning in the dictionary. You are either on recess or you are working”.

“I have perhaps been one of the longest serving members in the House. I have never known of a situation, I’m yet to be proven wrong, when on an annual summer recess, members are working, conducting public hearings, doing investigations. I’m not talking about any other recess. It’s a different thing when you close plenary and committees are still working. There is a big different. But in the summer, we go on recess.

“Now, because there is Covid and people are forced to stay in, it’s no excuse to continue work the way we continue. Unfortunately, sometime, you hear of investigative hearings that even the leadership is not aware of. Investigative hearings that have not been backed by resolutions of the House. That is a conflict in our procedure.

“Now, for the civil society to talk about why are you going on recess, we are always happy to look at advanced democracies whether it’s Germany, America, or England. We are always happy to compare Nigeria’s legislatures to those places. As I speak to you, the US Congress is on recess. It’s their annual recess. You won’t hear of any investigative hearing or public hearing.

“Just last week, the Speaker of the House of the US Congress had to call her members back through a zoom conference because of the issue of US Mayor and the impending elections. They had a zoom conference. That is the way it is done world over. That is number one.

“Back home in Nigeria, the Judiciary is on their annual recess. But we are not saying that because there is corruption, you will find one court opening, sitting, and hearing corruption cases. No.

They have one or two courts opening for administrative purposes. But they are on recess. And this is not the only one.

Work continues as usual. There must be a method in every organization. You cannot say that because you are a civil society, therefore, things should break. No. That is not how democracy works. It’s not how democracy works at all.

“To paint a clearer picture, we are only doing what is in keeping with what has been done when I got to the House.

In fact, the first time ever that the House had to recall itself was many years ago when Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was Speaker and there was oil crisis during the summer. And we reconvened the House on a Sunday because of the urgency of that moment.

So, I hope I have been able to answer the question whether it’s judiciary, whether it’s international, recess is recess”, the Speaker stressed.

He said despite the recess, other pressing needs with regards to critical oversight functions are being taken care of by committees depending on their importance to public good.

“On oversight functions, you can see that some members are on the road right now doing their work. That is a different kind of work. But it’s not a public hearing and investigative hearing. Members are actually out on oversight function and that hasn’t stopped”, he added.

thenigerialawyer

NERC APPROVES ELECTRICITY TARIFF HIKE

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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has given approval for the increase in electricity tariffs, effective from Tuesday, September 1st, 2020.

This development comes three months after the National Assembly suspended the planned hike in tariffs by distribution companies (DISCOs).

The DISCOs had proposed July 1st for the implementation of the tariff hike, but the National Assembly had weighed in on the matter and asked that the date be shifted to the first quarter of 2021, considering the current economic realities.

However, a document of the regulatory body obtained by The Punch revealed that all electricity consumers who get more than 12 hours of supply would have to pay more.

For Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, a residential customer, who is on single phase, receiving a minimum of 12 hours of supply will now pay N42.73 per KWh, up from N21.30 per kWh.

For Eko Electric, a residential customer on single phase receiving a minimum of 12 hours of supply will now pay N43.01 per kWh, up from N24 per kWh.

For the Electricity Distribution Company servicing Abuja and its environs, a residential customer on single phase receiving between 12 to 16 hours of supply will now be charged N45.69 per KWh, up from N24.30 per kWh.

Kaduna Electric made it known via its Twitter handle that non-MD receiving between 12 and 16 hours will be charged N50.10 per KWh, adding that the tariffs for customers receiving less than 12 hours had been temporarily frozen.

“Following consultations and directions on tariff policy, the commission hereby approves a deferment of the applicable tariffs for customers in service bands D and E (that is customers with a service commitment of less than an average of 12 hours supply per day over a period of one month) for the period September 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021,” 

hotjist

WakandaKing

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He was trolled on twitter when his unintentional weight loss became very obvious.
People took swipes here and there and practiced their silly jokes on him over his sudden loss of weight.
During the lockdown, he was a couple of months away from imminent death but still made a video to tell everyone else to stay safe, and guess what, people saw his weight on the video and trolled him yet again.

He was diagnosed of colon cancer in 2016 at stage 3 and no one knew his struggle apart from family.
He remained strong and gave us at least 3 good movies, including BLACK PANTHER, while fighting for his own life.
We never saw the fear, the panic, and depression from the gruelling realities of his cancer prognosis.
He remained strong and kept working.
His condition was in stage 4, clinically intractable and ‘death-bent’ yet he brought the panther.
Did he know he was going to die?
Yes, but this man remained undaunted in a way that now shocks me.
He never held back the beaming smile…….

He shot movies in between chemotherapy and surgeries.
You look at him and see big muscles and you think they are his biggest strengths.
Chadwick was a superhero and it had nothing to do with muscle and ATP.
He kept his struggle and pain to himself until death, did not bother us with it, yet people judged and mocked him.
If you follow him on twitter you would have seen what people said, mostly the so-called sensitive America, both black and white.

When you notice significant physical or situational changes in people, take a breath and ask yourself DO I REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THEM?
Ask yourself that before you give an unsolicited opinion.

So many women have struggles you would never know, some have issues with their thryroid glands and struggle with weight.
Do you know how many women with fibroids?
Yet they are bullied by husbands to get flat tummy by all means.
Do you know how many women with PCOS?
Some are too busy working to make ends meet that they barely have time to take care of themselves.
People are struggling, let smiles not fool you.
A lot of men spend most of their lifetime working to be worthy breadwinners and sometimes even forget that their partners need their attention.
We still call them scum out here and we would never know……
Some intentionally abandon, emotionally reject and batter their wives and when they leave for their peace, sanity and survival ultimately, we call them stupid and unreasonable.
We even troll people with fertility challenges, shame those we have more money than.
Some animals show more kindness…….

People have struggles you may never know, take a breath and think.
Struggle does not respect status, it hits the big, the small, the low, the high and the mighty.
It cannot be explained away due to status and it could even cut deeper when stardom makes it look unbelievable or draws too much attention to it.

Many comedians glide over their own problems to make you happy, beyond the money they get paid, they do it to give value and because they love to make others happy.
You see a single mother, and without even understanding her struggle, we are already shaming, blaming and judging.
This is why many are so scared to talk to anyone about what they are going through.

The planet has lost another man who brought so much class, talent, simplicity, and inspiration to the movie industry.

But this post is more about us the living than it is about Chadwick.
The strength in man is frail but some maximize that and even as humans, they bear and do things superheros could not do.

You think the hero is the flying, spear-holding, car-thumping figure in black panther?
No, the real hero is this man who wore the costume, he is stronger than anything you saw on that movie.
Here is a hero we did not really know.

Pay attention, be sensitive, be humane, be kind, let love lead.

Chadwick is gone and no one who trolled him could apologise now.
The burden under his chest as he read those trolls cannot be fixed for him.
Nothing can be done about that now.
Now we owe a dead man an apology we could never pay.

Look at him, did you really know him?

We do not think when we should, we do not even emote aright.
We are terribly flawed and give up on our humanity so easily.
But we can do better………
We are better than this.

I hope this changes the way we judge people.

God have mercy on us, all of us.

WakandaKing

COPIED

The ultimate revelation of a house renovation

A couple from Ohio found something incredible while they were renovating their ‘40s home. They worked in the basement once they were done with the first and second floors. They didn’t know back then that something would await them down there. As they hacked plywood, something odd caught their attention.

Demolition n Progress

What they saw piqued their interest and they decided to dig deeper into the matter. As they went along, they never realized that they would have to get in touch with the FBI for what they have discovered.

Chipping Away

The husband and wife began to chip away the walls in the basement. As the couple worked, the husband came across some graffiti that had been spread out across the room. Their renovations at the basement were certainly full of bombshells right off the bat.Screenshot 3

Chipping Away

A House Full Of Secrets

The husband was so shocked and could not believe what was in front of him. After he removed the wallpaper, he found mysterious writing and drawing behind it. This was what triggered a series of unexpected events.Screenshot 6

A House Full Of Secrets

Stuck In The Ceiling

He checked the sub-floor and the ceiling. Upon further investigation, there was something stuck in between. He decided to take a closer look, however, it was difficult because it was a perfect fit in between the spaces of the rafters. He had to depend on his strength just to grab the stuck object and pulled it to him.Stuck In The Ceiling

Stuck In The Ceiling

Found Something Strange

The owner of the house did not take note of the area. Instead, he kept his focus, worked, cleaned, and hammered the surroundings. He documented each step of their work with the use of his camera.Screenshot 1

Found Something Strange

Mysterious Suitcase

When he finally tore down the ceiling, some of the walls became partly demolished. As he continued with the renovations, he saw something far fetched. It wasn’t evident that he would notice such a bulky suitcase.

Waiting For The Reveal

The suitcase was grey and green. It was obvious that someone hid it there so that no one would ever find it. When he tried to carry the suitcase, he was surprised by how heavy it weighed.Waiting For The Reveal

One Heavy Suitcase

The suitcase was finally on his hands, but his intuition told him to proceed cautiously. He felt hot from excitement as he thought of what treasures could be inside. He took one deep breath and decided to move along.Screenshot 8

One Heavy Suitcase

The Big Reveal

He called up his wife and waited patiently for her to get back to their home. He wanted to make sure that his wife was there with him when they finally got to see what was inside the suitcase. Additionally, he wanted someone to be there for him in case things went awry.Screenshot 5

The Big Reveal

What Could Be Inside?

He was immensely curious why someone went to such measures just to hide the suitcase. As he spent time alone and waited for his wife, he started to check the outside of the suitcase and was surprised when he realized how heavy it was.Screenshot 10

What Could Be Inside?

Big Dreams In A Little Suitcase

While the suitcase wasn’t really that big, the contents must be important as it was heavy. He dwelled on what could be inside the suitcase. He realized that the contents should be of great importance because someone hid it so well.Big Dreams In A Little Suitcase

Big Dreams In A Little Suitcase

Maybe It was Nothing

And yet, there was still a chance that he was just thinking too much and that the contents might not be that important. A part of him really wanted to find out what was inside the suitcase. He explained the situation the moment his wife entered their home.Maybe It Was Nothing

Maybe It Was Nothing

Christmas

His feelings could be compared to what he usually felt during Christmas. He was about to unwrap a gift and had no idea what was inside. As they checked out the suitcase, they exchanged ideas on what could be inside.Screenshot 8

Christmas

What’s Inside?

They were hoping to find some cash and jewelry. However, the couple had lowered their expectations and maybe it was just some stack of old sports cards. The contents of the suitcase were way off from their guesses.Screenshot 7

What’s Inside?

Unwrapping The Mystery

Nothing seemed special while they were checking out the contents of the suitcase. They saw a lot of wax paper that wrapped rectangular objects. They had a hard time guessing what the items inside were.Unwrapping The Mystery

Unwrapping The Mystery

Full of Money

Things started to make sense after they took out the bundles. The husband and wife slowly unwrapped all the wax papers they saw inside the suitcase. The wax papers bound something together, but they just could not figure out what it was.Full of Money

Full of Money

Speechless Over The Money

The husband began to unwrap the wads of waxy papers. He soon realized that the contents held cash. The first bundle was a huge stack of twenty-dollar bills and there were still multiple bundles inside. Speechless Over The Money

Speechless Over The Money

So Much Cash

Upon closer inspection, the husband and wife realized that the bills were all old. They were surprised at the amount of cash in front of them. And they were curious who placed the bundles of cash inside the suitcase.Screenshot 1

So Much Cash

And More Money

During an interview with the journalists, the husband explained, “These are all twenties! There may be a couple thousand here! We are freaking out at this point. This doesn’t happen to us! What do we do? Where are the cameras?”And More Money

And More Money

Endless Cash

The couple was excited to unwrap the rest of the other bundles. They wondered whether the contents would be the same. It might even be more valuable than the first ones. The couple was eager to check out the contents.Endless Cash

Endless Cash

At First, It Was Funny

A part of them had hopes that they would discover the same thing for the rest of the stacks and they hurriedly peeled off all the layers of wax papers. The next stack did not contain twenty-dollar bills but instead had fifty- and hundred-dollar bills.At First It Was Funny

At First, It Was Funny

Old Money

The husband further stated, “The second package didn’t have any twenties. It was all fifties! What is going on here? There could be 5 grand here! Wait! The third package is 100’s! This is out of control!” By this time, the couple had a lot of questions in their heads.Old Money

Old Money

Dating The Cash

At first, the husband and wife considered the situation funny. However, the mysterious stacks of money they found in their house was not a matter that should even be joked about. They started to wonder just where the money came from and who was trying to hide them.Dating The Cash

Dating The Cash

From the 1950s

Simply judging from how the stacks of money looked, it was safe to assume that they were hidden for a long time, probably even during the ‘20s and ‘30s. So much time had probably gone by and they wanted to know just how much money was there.From the 1950s

From the 1950s

A Pleasant Surprise

As they went on with their investigations on the matter, things started to make more sense for the husband and wife. The money, the suitcase, and everything else was very old. And yet, they still wanted to dig deeper into the truth.A Pleasant Surprise

A Pleasant Surprise

They Had A Normal Life

Another surprise laid out in front of them after they retrieved the stacks of money inside the suitcase. One of their questions was answered by a newspaper which they found at the bottom-most part of the suitcase. They stared at the date.They Had A Normal Life

They Had A Normal Life

1951

The date of the newspaper stated that it was from March 25, 1951. The newspaper was published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The husband and wife were stunned by just how old the paper was.Screenshot 2

1951

Had To Contact The Authorities

The issue of the newspaper was from Cleveland. They were in awe that they had found something incredible. The couple had started to wonder just how much the stacks of money was worth in today’s currency.Had To Contact The Authorities

Had To Contact The Authorities

More Things To Uncover

The pair could not believe how lucky they were. What made things even more interesting was that there were some bills that were star bills. These were the kind of bills that never found its way to the market. These star bills were over seventy years ago.More Things To Uncover

More Things To Uncover

Never-Ending Findings

All the contents of the suitcase were very valuable. This was a great haul. Because of this, the couple decided to hire a lawyer that could help them appraise the value of the cash they uncovered. They figured out that the money inside was estimated to be around 23,000 dollars.Never-Ending Findings

Never-Ending Findings

Back To Work

All of them celebrate for a whole week but they would soon have to return to their normal lives. The husband and wife decided to resume their renovations and realize that the mystery had not ended just yet.Back To Work

Back To Work

And Here We Go Again

The couple still had to return to their normal routine despite their discovery of the $23,000. They resumed the renovations of their home. The couple was stunned once again upon their discovery of a second suitcase that was stuck in the ceiling.Screenshot 5

And Here We Go Again

Heavier Than The First

The first suitcase was already heavy and this second one was way heavier than the first. The husband was excited about his next discovery and was wondering how he had missed this suitcase. Just like the first time, he decided to wait for his wife’s return before he did anything.Heavier Than The First

Heavier Than The First

The New Suitcase

The man posted in Reddit, “This was a wild ride for us, and I hope you all enjoyed it, too. We are boring people and have been dumping our extra money to pay off our mortgage, and that is where this money will go too.”The New Suitcase

The New Suitcase

Same But Different

He documented the whole thing with his camera, but he did not know they would be in for more surprises in the future. It was only natural for them to be more curious.Same But Different

Same But Different

The Search Continues

Now that they had found two mysterious suitcases, surely there wouldn’t be anything more. The renovation still wasn’t done so the couple once again resumed as it was impractical to leave the basement as it was. They didn’t know then that it was not yet the end of their search.Screenshot 6

The Search Continues

A Bigger Fortune

The couple needed to continue with the renovations of their basement. As the clock ticked, the husband and wife learned something surprising that they decided that it was now time to call for the FBI.A Bigger Fortune

A Bigger Fortune

The Wait Is Over

The husband decided to open the second suitcase the moment his wife entered the door of their house. And like the first, it was filled with wads of cash. The total amount would render anyone speechless.And The Wait Is Over

The Wait Is Over

What Else Was Hiding Here?

As usual, the couple just went on with their renovation and the husband saw another suitcase hidden carefully between the rafters. Back then, the husband and wife did not know that they would discover something else aside from the stacks of cash that they had found before.What Else Was Hiding Here?

What Else Was Hiding Here?

What They Found There

The first incident was stuck into their minds that they were expecting to see some cash again for this next batch. The couple was very optimistic. They were proven wrong upon opening the suitcase as there were no stacks of money this time around.Screenshot 9

What They Found There

The Final Count

The couple was left to wonder whether they would continue to discover a lot of other things as they continued with the renovation of their home. Their instinct was telling them there were still other treasures that they could find. Just like with the last time, the husband waited for his wife.A Secret Door

A Secret Door

Big Secrets

The suitcases were identical, so it was clearly possible that the contents were probably the same as the previous one. The two rushed in opening the suitcase the moment the wife stepped inside their house.Big Secrets

Big Secrets

A Secret Door

The adrenaline from their discovery of the suitcases soon dwindled and they resumed with the renovation of their house. This time, they discovered a strange door on the second floor that they did not notice before. They found something disturbing the moment they stepped inside.What They Found There

What They Found There

Finding Hiding Spots

The case was once again filled with wads of cash and was lined up neatly. The couple couldn’t help but gulp. They wondered how much they had discovered since the first suitcase. And they wondered just what else would they see inside their home.Finding Hiding Spots

Finding Hiding Spots

He Felt Nervous

They were immensely lucky. Because of their excitement, they decided to have the next batch appraised and it was estimated to be around $45,000. The couple could not believe their fortune. They were now considered rich.He Felt Nervous

He Felt Nervous

What Else Would They Uncover?

Despite having discovered a lot, the couple was still amazed and shocked. But this only motivated the husband and wife to explore their house and continued to make renovations and improvements as they had originally planned. They decided that it was not time to stop as they could uncover more mysteries.Screenshot 7

What Else Would They Uncover?

Another Big Mystery

Because of all the things they had discovered, the husband and wife were left to ponder whether there was still other stuff their house was hiding from them. But back then they didn’t realize that they would need the assistance of the FBI.Another Big Mystery

Another Big Mystery

Full Of Secrets

The couple started to become curious about what other secrets the house laid hidden and was once again driven to renovate in the hopes that they could explore the house. They suddenly had an idea about where to explore next.Screenshot 4

Full Of Secrets

Tearing Down The Door

They remembered something that their realtor told them about before they bought the house. There was a hidden door housing the hot water heater and their instincts told them that there must be some hidden gem waiting for them there.Tearing Down The Door

Tearing Down The Door

He Found More Mysteries

The couple could not wait any longer and decided to investigate it. It seemed that their gut feelings were correct as the place held the biggest secret of the house. The husband and wife opened the tiny white door and realized that they had been deceived by their realtor.He Found More Mysteries

He Found More Mysteries

They Were Fooled

The special room for the water heater was just a trick to make them think that it was a normal house. However, they soon realized that things weren’t as simple the moment they opened the door.Screenshot 10

They Were Fooled

Hidden Room

The room was more spacious than what they had in mind. The hidden room was decorated with carpet pieces. The husband made his wife stay behind as they were unsure of what could be waiting for them.Screenshot 1

Hidden Room

Door Number Two

The husband began wondering and his brain was scattered all over the place. He just couldn’t come to terms with the fact that there was a secret room inside his own home that he had no idea even existed.Screenshot 11

Door Number Two

Something Sinister

Unlike with their previous discoveries, this door was shut tight and was heavily secured with a master lock and a bolt. The couple didn’t plan to back down now and was resolved to discover what waited behind the door. The husband rushed downstairs to grab a hammer and began to pound the door.Something Sinister

Something Sinister

They Couldn’t Handle This Alone

The couple could tell that the room was purposefully hidden because of the condition they found it in. It had clearly been used for some time. It was now in terrible shape as it was very moldy and dark.They Couldn't Handle This Alone

They Couldn’t Handle This Alone

Uh Oh

The husband and wife had been living in that house for a few years, but it was their first time coming inside the secret room. They soon discovered that it was even soundproofed. They guessed as to why and one bad reason came to mind.Screenshot 1

Uh Oh

More Mysteries Down There

They couldn’t help but think that this was a place where crimes took place. The walls, the floors, and even the ceiling were all covered with white soundproofing tarp. They could not think of many reasons why the previous owners did not want people to hear them from the outside.More Mysteries Down There

More Mysteries Down There

What They Found

The couple wondered just what else could be hiding in their house. The husband and wife were deeply curious especially since they didn’t know that their house was full of lies and mysteries the whole time they were living there.What They Found

What They Found

Full Of Jewels

As to be expected, another suitcase was lying inside the secret room. This time, the husband was uncertain of what he was going to do and briefly stopped to think. However, their curiosity won over and they grabbed the suitcase.Full Of Jewels

Full Of Jewels

The Strange Safe

We all know that hiding places were made to hide mischief. Hiding places frequently signified that something was wrong. The couple only wanted to have a fun renovation project of their house and things started to escalate. And now, they had broken the lock of a strange suitcase and checked the contents.Screenshot 12

The Strange Safe

Hidden Inside

This time, it wasn’t a stack of dollars that they found. Instead, they saw an ancient wooden box, envelopes with money from other countries, a jewelry box, rings, watches, and four 1 oz silver ingots. It seemed that the suitcase hid prized possessions and they wanted to know just from whom it was hidden. The Strange Safe

Hidden Inside

What Was Going On Here?

The secret room even led to another secret room. This other room was covered with a white plastic tarp and heavy soundproofing material. The room felt wrong in all places and was something that could only be seen in movies. He couldn’t help but think that this was a torture chamber.What Was Going On Here?

What Was Going On Here?

A Terrifying Note

Their curiosity took over them and they began to search around the room. Eventually, the couple saw something that cleared up a few things about the room. They checked the multiple relics left behind and felt inclined to report this to the authorities as soon as they could.A Terrifying Note

A Terrifying Note

He Was Terrified

The pair had uncovered a lot of strange things inside the hidden room, one of which was an old brown briefcase. Because they had luck with the first two suitcases, they figured that luck was clearly on their side for this next discovery.He Was Terrified

He Was Terrified

One More Warning

And yet, they were way off. The case did not contain wads of cash as they had hoped. Similar to what they did during the renovation process with their basement, the husband and wife photographed some of the things they uncovered.One More Warning

One More Warning

An Unsettling Detail

This was one hell of a ride that the couple would never forget. Because of their curiosity regarding the contents of the briefcase, they decided to take a quick peek and found out that it was filled with prized possessions. There was an antique jewelry ring, watches, and 4 silver ingots.An Unsettling Detail

An Unsettling Detail

They Needed The Police

The briefcase also contained envelopes with money from other countries. As the husband and wife proceeded with their investigations, they saw a black Sentry safe hidden in the corner of the room. The couple became even more curious.They Needed The Police

They Needed The Police

Some Disturbing Footage

The husband and wife had grown curious as to what was hidden inside the secret safe within the secret room. There was something fishy about the whole mystery that surrounded their house. The husband felt intimidated and his instinct knew that it wasn’t cash or jewelry that was inside the safe.Some Disturbing Footage

Some Disturbing Footage

An Investigation Of Epic Proportions

He was certain that what was inside the safe was something he didn’t need. Everything they had discovered was valuable so the hidden room was probably hiding more secrets, and maybe those secrets were something they could not handle on their own.An Investigation Of Epic Proportions

An Investigation Of Epic Proportions

The FBI Is Here To Help

And they were right. But he decided to ignore the warning bells in his head, and he made his way to open the safe, anyway. When he managed to crack the lock of the safe, he found a note that said, “Save yourself.”The FBI Is Here To Help

The FBI Is Here To Help

How Can You Be Sure?

The words in the note were already creepy but the way it was written made it more ominous. The penmanship was rough and was written using black ink which emphasized the eeriness of the situation.How Can You Be Sure?

How Can You Be Sure?

They Got Lucky

The only way to find out what the words “Save yourself,” meant was to continue with his investigations. Just as he was about to make his way into discovering the truth, they found other items that kept adding questions instead of answering their questions. They decided that it was time to call the authorities.They Got Lucky

They Got Lucky

Do Not

The husband only grew curious and curious as they dug deeper into the contents of the secret safe. However, what he found next made him feel unsafe. He found a handwritten message that said, “Do not” on a few tapes. How Can You Be Sure?

VHS Tapes

It was obvious that these were videotapes and if he wanted to uncover the secret, he must watch these tapes and was curious about what was in there. The husband took out all the VHS tapes and took a closer look.

Newer

The VHS tapes were newer compared to the other things they had found. This added to the scare factor. The husband felt scared and as he inspected the tapes, he found a series of numbers on top of them that seemed like labels.Newer

Newer

Police

And yet, not all tapes had a label on them. There were six tapes and only five of them had tags. It was possible that someone came up with these just for the sake of it, but it was clear that things were getting out of hand. He gave up investigating on his own and decided that it was time to call the authorities.

The Curiosity

He was curious but was at a dead end and at a loss of what to do. He decided to check what was inside the tapes. After he took a quick look, he did not hesitate to dial the cops and immediately asked them to come to his house as soon as possible.The Curiosity

The Curiosity

Confiscated

The FBI decided that it was best for them to confiscate the VHS tapes. No one outside of the parties knew the contents of the footage inside the tapes. Only the homeowner, the maker, and the FBI agents knew what was inside. But one thing was for sure. Curiosity killed the cat. He discovered something he could only wish he could unsee.Confiscated

Confiscated

A Mystery

It is highly possible that we would never find out what was inside those VHS tapes. The media speculated that it held footage of sinister crimes that took place inside the soundproofed room. However, it remained a mystery and no other person knew what was on those VHS tapes.A Mystery

A Mystery

Questions

The investigation raised a few questions about the other things in their property, including the wads of cash, the suitcases, the safe, the notes and the hidden VHS tapes. We could only wonder what kind of people used to live in that house.Questions

Questions

Other Secrets

It was possible that there were still other mysteries that waited to be discovered. And if other people were in the same situation as the couple, what would have been their course of action? If someone finds the same things in their house, what would he or she do? The most important question would be could you be confident enough to say that such sinister mysteries would be waiting inside your own house?

Lucky

When we thought about it, the husband and wife were lucky that they were safe despite all the things they had discovered. They made the right call to ask for the help of the authorities because who knew what could happen if they handled the situation by themselves. And now, they would always have a unique story to share with other people.Lucky

Lucky

Secret Bunker

Discovering mysterious items in older houses was not a new occurrence. There were already multiple instances where people who moved to new homes experienced something strange and had disturbing experiences. An example of this was a man who bought a house whose original owner already died. The realtors sold to him the house as-is.Secret Bunker

Secret Bunker

Ready To Explore

The new owner was excited as he explored every inch of his new home. He visited the basement to check what was in there. After he reached the bottom of the stairs, he noticed a weird sheet of plywood stuck to the wall. It turned out to be a secret room filled with different kinds of guns and ammo. There was even a hollowed-out grenade. The new owner found a giant safe and a chest full of pennies.Screenshot 13

Ready To Explore

Preserved Past

A British couple explored their basement and came upon a perfectly intact Victorian kitchen from the 1830s. It was even completely stocked with a cooking range, pans, pots, and enough seats to accommodate around twenty visitors. They even found a cookbook filled with Victorian recipes.Preserved Past

Preserved Past

Live Wire

Linda and Wally DeForest didn’t have any idea that they would make an inexplicable discovery. As they started to unpack their things down in the basement, Linda shouted to her husband that she found a torpedo. Wally did not believe his partner at first but when he went down, it appeared that his wife was telling the truth.Live Wire

Live Wire

The Green Torpedo

They saw the heavy green torpedo in the basement. The pair decided to consult with an army veteran who mentioned that it was from the Korean and Vietnam War. The corresponding authorities eventually took the bomb away. When the two were asked how it was possible for a torpedo to end up in a basement, they simply answered that they were sometimes kept as souvenirs.Screenshot 14

The Green Torpedo

Discovery

It was common for people to discover enchanting stuff in the basement of their new houses but there were times the new owners would discover something different. Diane and Pat Farla resided in an Old Victorian house in England and they got curious about a weird grate in their basement. And after they got a little drunk one night, the pair decided to go and investigate.Screenshot 15

Discovery

Persecuted Catholics

The pair removed the iron grate and discovered a hole that was big enough for their nephew and a friend to sneak into. The other side was a cellar that looked a lot like a chapel. Diane and Pat decided to ask historians about their discovery, and they learned that the room was probably used as a secret Catholic Church during the time when Catholics were executed.Persecuted Catholics

Persecuted Catholics

Hidden Room

Way back in 1963, there was a homeowner who knocked down a wall while renovating his house. He came across a hidden room and eventually, he came upon another room, and then another, until he eventually found a whole underground city. Derinkuyu was one of the most notable and weird archeological discoveries of the twentieth century. The ancient city was formed via a huge network of underground tunnels. This was where the Hittites resided.Hidden Room

Hidden Room

RIGHT BEHIND YOU

Discovering a stash of old photographs was already disturbing enough, but there was one that asked the finder if they saw “him”. It was certainly scary. It was a valid reason to sell the place and move far away.RIGHT BEHIND YOU

RIGHT BEHIND YOU

Michelangelo Painting

A family in Vermont somehow discovered a famous Norman Rockwell painting that was hidden behind a fake wall in their late father’s house. The deceased father kept the fake painting on display to keep his wife from getting the original after the divorce. Even when he died, he didn’t tell anyone about this secret. The painting was sold in an auction for 15.4 million dollars. The same thing happened in New York where a man recalled that he had a 300-million-dollar painting behind his couch which he had forgotten for 27 years.Michelangelo Painting

Michelangelo Painting

31 Love Letters

A brother and a sister in Nova Scotia worked on renovating their house then somehow stumbled upon 31 love letters written by a soldier who fought during World War I hidden in their walls. They decided to track down the names mentioned in the letters and returned them to the grandkids of the couple.31 Love Letters

31 Love Letters

Hidden Safe

Discovering a safe hidden in a basement of a newly bought house did not really seem unheard of. A safe buried in the backyard wasn’t also that unusual. However, when a safe was hidden in the wall of a kitchen was less common.Screenshot 16

Hidden Safe

Strange Treasure

A new house owner managed to find a safe hidden in the wall of a kitchen. Inside the safe was $50,000. The contents also included a bottle of bourbon and a copy of E.F. Schumacher’s A Guide for the Perplexed. It was clearly a strange discovery.Strange Treasure

Strange Treasure

Jackpot

A plumber literally struck gold when he shoveled through some rubble during a bathroom renovation. He noticed how shiny the object was and grabbed it. He realized that it was a brick of gold and was worth $50,000. He was an honest man who returned the brick gold to the homeowners.Jackpot

Jackpot

$500,000

Contractors that were renovating a property in Arizona found $500,000 in cash stuffed inside military ammunition containers. The homeowners demanded that it was theirs since it was in their property. The court disagreed with both parties and said that the true owner of the money was the heir of Robert Spann, the one who hid the money. Robert Spann died 11 years before the cash was discovered and it was given to his two daughters.$500,000

$500,000

Neon Light

One of the oldest establishments in Los Angeles was Clifton’s Cafeteria and was built in a historic building. While they renovated the bathroom, they discovered a neon light that was still on. Upon investigation, it was said that it had been lit for 77 years straight, and it was most likely to be the longest lit neon light in the whole world. At first, the owner was proud that it had been lit in 1935 when the building was converted to a forest-themed dinner but soon realized that he had spent $17,000 just because of it. This surprised experts because neon lights were known to only work for 40 years straight.Neon Light

Neon Light

Nazi Documents

A couple was amazed when they found some top-secret Nazi document that was hidden in their wall in Hungary. It was during the renovation that the couple found 6,000 documents. The document contained about the holocaust, specifically, a census to count Jews, and designated homes, and other stuff like ghettos within Budapest. Scholars valued this new understanding of the past. The documents were rare because it was usually destroyed by the Nazis when they knew that it would fall into the enemy’s hand. Whoever oversaw this paper decided to keep it and hide it in the walls. The record showed that it was taken two months before Nazi-occupied Hungary. According to the date, there 600,000 Hungarian Jews that were killed in the holocaustNazi Documents

Nazi Documents

Hand Grenade

A mom found an unexploded hand grenade at her grandma’s garage. It was when the mother was cleaning the garage and unexpectedly saw the grenade. Australian military had been called to diffuse the bomb. After they observed the explosive, they found out that it had no fuse and would no longer explode. It gave the mother and the son a good scare. The owner of the grenade was a 91-year-old woman and her husband who were now deceased and a soldier last WWII. When the bomb was found, it’s pin was still attached and all the people near the area were evacuated by the police while it was being examined.Hand Grenade

Hand Grenade

Secret Spy Stash

A family found evidence that a spy lived in their house before them. It was an old “unassuming” elderly lady. When the family was renovating their house, they stumbled upon a stash that was full of spy-related objects like that photo of Berlin after the bombing on WWII, telegrams from the Majestic’s Secret and the War Office. The spy was Eileen Burgoyne who died at the age of 98. She was a shadow in Germany, Spain, Gibraltar, and Africa. She was employed and presumably integral to Cold War Effort.Secret Spy Stash

Secret Spy Stash

You Found It

Jason and Kerri Brown discovered a house in the Appalachian Mountains and bought it for $75,000. The couple was attracted by the two-bath fixer-upper. They did not know that their house would be a total nightmare especially when they had a 2-year-old child. When they started to live in that house, they renovated their home and when Kerri carried the bookcases into one of the rooms, she stumbled upon a passageway that led into an unknown room. They went inside to investigate and found an unsettling note from the past owner. The word written from the note was “You Found It” and they discovered that the house had a serious problem. There was mold that could make your children sick and that was the reason why the last family sold this house. The couple moved out and sued everyone who was involved in selling the house to them.You Found It

You Found It

Hidden Room

NukeStorm purchased a new house and noticed an unsettling hidden room. It was located at the corner of his attic. He didn’t know that there was an extra room in the house. He only saw it when he was moving his things into the house. He could tell that the room was eerie. The door was four feet high and was secured with a metal grate. Because of his curiosity, he had unlocked it and saw a small weird bed, a wall that had a foam padding, and only a single light. The disturbing part was the door inside the room had no doorknob. It was meant to be only opened outside. Whoever was inside the room cannot escape. The worst part of it, the house he was living in was not very populated which meant that even if someone screamed, no one would hear.Hidden Room

Hidden Room

Wall Of Snakes

Ben and Amber’s Session thought that they bought a cheap house in the American countryside worth $180,000. Soon they realized their house was infested with snakes. They saw numerous garter snakes in their five-bedroom. Their floor appeared to move because of the snake living inside. They searched every part of the house and everywhere, there were snakes. At one point, they got nervous because of the rustling in the wall. When he opened the sliding panel, he was surprised at how many snakes came out of it. They discovered that their house was a snake hibernaculum. The previous owner sold the house because they knew that there was nothing they could do about it. Session filed for bankruptcy and moved out after three months of living in that house.Wall Of Snakes

Wall Of Snakes

Postcards

Amanda Reddy was cleaning her 1910 Cape Cod Kitchen when she stumbled upon a 100-year-old item. When she observed the object, it was an old postcard. The cards were dated 1907 and 1909. It was written for Mayme Berneck Amanda and when she took a closer look, the postcard was tightly pinned on the wall.Postcards

Postcards

Old Comic

A copy of Action Comics No.1 was found during the renovation of a house in Minnesota. The Superman comic book was found among the newspapers and was used as insulation of the wall. It was sold for only $175,000 in the auction because the back cover was removed and was graded 1.5 out of 10. A copy of that same comic that was graded 9.0 was sold for $2.16 million last 2011.Old Comic

Old Comic

Magician’s Box

There were some events when the last owner of the house forgot to carry their things with them. It was when a mover saw a six-foot-long wooden box matching a three smaller box that was fitted inside. Each box had openings on either side and metal railings were connected like a train track. The mover didn’t know what kind of object it was until they learned that the previous owner of the house was a magician.Magician's Box

Magician’s Box

Straitjacket

It could be unsettling when we found an item from a private home particularly when it shouldn’t be there. For example, one of the movers saw a Straitjacket that was made of leather. After further observation, it had a matching leather mask.Straitjacket

Straitjacket

Ventriloquist Dummies

Sometimes, odd events happened while moving houses. There was a house with a box that was filled with male and female ventriloquist dummies. The movers said that it was a “pretty unsettling” sight because some of it was fully assembled while others were damaged.Ventriloquist Dummies

Ventriloquist Dummies

Priceless Artwork

Back in 1502, Italian statesman hired Leonardo da Vinci to paint what happened in the Battle of Anghiari. In the 1550s, Giorgio Vasari was employed to create another piece of art on the work of Leonardo, but he couldn’t ruin the mural. It was said that there was a false wall that was built to prevent the damage of the original painting.Priceless Artwork

Priceless Artwork

Bats

Two months after Calvin Oshowy bought a house, he discovered that it was full of bats. Hundreds of them were in the attic, walls, and ceiling. He tried to seal up all the entrances that the bat could fit in and built their sanctuary outside of his house. He hoped that they would never come to his house again. Bats

Articlestone

NNPC, DPR, FIRS and N5.785tn Unremitted Funds By Eze Onyekpere

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Nigerian leaders across the tiers of government, especially at the federal level, have reduced fiscal governance to a crude and barbaric joke. A joke carried out at the expense of the people and which produces direct results in poverty, suffering, disease and death for a good part of the population. There are unequivocal provisions in laws, regulations and policies directing on how public resources should be managed, spent and accounted for. But that is the law in the books which our leaders hold in great disdain and contempt.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended provides in Section162 as follows: ”The Federation shall maintain a special account to be called the ‘Federation Account’ into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds of the personal income tax of the personnel of the armed forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the ministry or department of government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”. From the President, members of the federal and state legislatures, governors, revenue generating agencies, etc., everyone is aware and knows about this provision. Again, the Constitution in Section 80 makes it clear that no money should be spent out of the consolidated revenue fund of the federation or any other public fund except upon the authorisation of the National Assembly.

However, some agencies operate above the law on a yearly basis and get away with fiscal murder. The office of the Auditor General of the Federation, an office established by the same constitution states in the 2014-2017 federal audit reports that three agencies- the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the Department of Petroleum Resources and the Federal Inland Revenue Services withheld a total sum of N5.785trillion. The NNPC is holding on to N4.501tn, DPR N334bn while the FIRS held on to N951bn. They have since failed, refused and neglected to make these humungous sums available to the three tiers of government.

The three deviant agencies ignored sections 80 and 162 of the constitution and took extra-legal steps to violate the law. This raises the poser, why are these sections often obeyed in the breach? Why is no one being brought to account for flagrant disregard of constitutional provisions? Spending without appropriation and in clear disregard of the duty to remit to the distributable pool account is an original sin against the constitution for which the culprits do not deserve an extra day on their seat after the crime has been established. For the President of the Federation, spending without appropriation is an impeachable offence for it is an attempt to combine executive and legislative powers and such a combination is the hallmark of dictatorship.

This is a fact in the public domain at a time the federal government is virtually bankrupt and borrows to pay salaries as well borrows to pay back the due portions of previous loans – debt service and not even the repayment of the capital. If this money is recovered, it would offset the 2020 federal deficit. The N5.785tn is just a part of the unremitted funds reported in the audit reports and if all the due unremitted sums for the four years are put together, it could be as much as the 2020 federal budget.

In a normal situation, the Accountant General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance should follow up these monies, recover and put them back into the Federation Account. But this is a not a normal but an absurd abnormal situation. Therefore, beyond the Accountant-General and Minister of Finance, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), by virtue of his broad powers under S.5 of the 1999 Constitution, should give clear orders that all due sums should be paid into the Federation Account. This recommendation is also based on the fact that the key agency responsible for the bulk of the deductions — the NNPC– is directly under his supervision as the Minister of Petroleum. Furthermore, the unauthorised deductions make a strong case for the expeditious enactment of the governance and administrative reforms proposed in the Petroleum Industry Bill to enable the NNPC or its equivalent to operate like a commercial firm. The PIB has been delayed for over 20 years without any reasonable explanation and the last time a governance bill was passed, the President refused assent based on specious reasons.

The case of the NNPC is even most absurd. In the last couple of years, the backlog of joint venture cash calls and new ones are being paid for through the deployment of excess crude oil which the major international oil companies are allowed to take to offset due debts. So, what exactly informs the NNPC’s refusal to pay due sums into the Federation Account? A nation that keeps borrowing to meet basic mandates cannot be bleeding with unremitted sums and no one is being held accountable. No one is in jail for these scams, no one is apologising to Nigerians and indeed, unremitted sums have not been returned. Alternatively, are the NNPC, DPR and FIRS stating that the Auditor-General reported without any empirical evidence or went outside his mandate? No, we cannot continue this charade.

It is surprising that the states who are shortchanged by these unauthorised deductions have kept quiet and have not mounted any vigorous challenge to these infractions. It is the expectation that states should challenge this “customary practice” at the Supreme Court. Apparently, because the Auditor-General of the Federation takes on the cabals and grand fathers of corruption, the bill to strengthen his office, provide more resources and logistics for the office to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the performance of duties has also been in the works for over 15 years, Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Buhari refused assent to the Federal Audit Service Commission Bill and none of them gave any reason for declining assent.

The ball falls back on Nigerians as the ultimate sovereigns to put the required pressure for the enthronement of transparency and accountability in federal fiscal governance. We cannot continue to borrow when the leadership of key revenue generating agencies are sitting on sums which government should have used to fulfil public mandates.END

The Southern Kaduna Question – Reuben Abati

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The renewed interest in the crisis that continues to rock Southern Kaduna would be helpful if it produces a genuine effort at resolving the problem and ensuring lasting peace in that part of the country that remains troubled, divided and to all intents and purposes, a killing field. It was reported that between July 21 and July 24, about 43 persons were killed across communities in Southern Kaduna, and over a period of seven months, about 178 persons lost their lives. What makes the situation tragic is that the killers often served notice of the impending attacks and carried out their threats, for hours on end in many cases, unhindered, unchecked, unrestrained.  Even when the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew, the killings still continued. Homes were often burnt down. Women were raped. Innocent children were caught in the cross-fire. Farmlands were razed to the ground resulting in economic hardship. The Southern Kaduna question is an open-ended story of a people’s unending search for peace. The area known as Southern Kaduna is both a geographical and political category, but the context of the perpetual crisis is rooted in history.  It is the story of a people, living together for more than a century and yet unable to find accommodation as a result of historical rivalries, politics of ownership, identity, ethnicity, economy and religion. What we are dealing with basically is autochthony: politics of origin, identity and space, linked with a crisis of belonging that serves as a catalyst for conflict and violence. Conflicts are not an African creation; they are a global phenomenon. But what matters is how each country addresses its ontological uncertainties through the application of peace-building, conflict-resolution, as well as vertical and horizontal, inter-communal, integration mechanisms.

During the colonial era, the area known as Southern Kaduna was part of the Zaria Province. It was not just home to over 30 ethnic nationalities, the people were predominantly non-Muslims, but with the seat of power in Zazzau (as Zaria was formerly known), it meant that the various ethnic nationalities: Atyap, Adara, Agbiri, Kagoma etc. found themselves under the control of the Hausa-Fulani, the majority group in the Northern part of the province. Over the years, the Hausa-Fulani hegemony established an emirate system to which the indigenous people of Southern Kaduna paid taxes, and to whose rules and directives they were subjected. Non-Muslims were marginalized, forced into hard labour and expected to convert to Islam. Their lands also provided good grazing fields for Hausa-Fulani herders. The British authorities conveniently took advantage of this situation, but the marginalized people of the South, who now had the Hausa-Fulani living among them and occupying a higher rung of the social ladder, and gradually taking control of space, began to resent the new reality. When missionaries began to arrive in the area in larger numbers, the indigenous people embraced Christianity with great fervor, a kind of revolt against the Emirate system which they had come to view suspiciously as a symbol of oppression.

In May 1946, the Atyap of Zangon-Kataf rebelled when the Emir increased taxes. They also began to agitate for control over their own affairs. In 1967, they got their own District Head. Like the Atyaps, the other indigenous ethnic nationalities also resisted the dominance of the Hausa-Fulani. A major source of conflict has been ownership of farmlands and the right of access to land. The Hausa-Fulani in Southern Kaduna, over the years also enjoyed better patronage from the colonial and post-colonial authorities at regional and federal levels. With regard to land, the indigenous people never accepted the argument by the Muslim Hausa-Fulani that “Everything belongs to Allah. Every piece of land belongs to Allah and not you, it is not for you infidels but for Allah” that is “Komai na Allah ne. Ko wane fili na Allah ne ba naku ba, ba na kafirai ba, na Allah ne.” This definition of real property by Muslim members of the community did not appeal to the Christians. Africans generally have a fanatical attachment to land, the reason the possession of it or the outright ownership of it is a potent source of conflict across the continent. In Kasuwan-Magani (1980) and Gure-Kahugu (1984), conflict arose over land.

There is an existing rich literature on the various causes of conflict in Southern Kaduna, but central to it all is the politics of division, them vs. us, your own vs my own, that has kept the people divided. Oftentimes, the main cause of the conflict is an attempt by one group to dominate the other or resist the other. In 1987, the Kafanchan riots began in a College of Education and the main problem was religion. The riot in the Zangon Kataf area in 1992 was all about disagreements over the location of a market. In May 2000, the riots spread from Southern Kaduna to other parts of Kaduna State. In virtually every incident, religion is always a major issue as seen in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, and now in 2020, and as further evidenced by the number of churches that are burnt and Christian leaders that are killed. It has been argued that the Hausa-Fulani seem to have an upper hand in the various conflicts because  they receive the support of herdsmen from across the Sahel, Niger, Mali, Chad and other places, who at certain seasons migrate to Nigeria to graze cattle. It is more of the truth however that the Southern Kaduna narrative is complex. Like the British colonialists, modern-day politicians – first the military and later civilians have exploited the situation for their own narrow gains. Intellectual hegemons on both sides of the divide have authorized sectional and jaundiced narratives to protect their people’s interests. Muslims insist for example that they have also been victims in the hands of non-Muslims, and that no one should complain about revenge killings. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria insist that the attack on Christians in Southern Kaduna amounts to a violation of the right of Christians to enjoy the freedoms of belief and association, and that the Nigerian state is complicit in this regard. Ethnic nationalists protest about what they classify as genocide or ethnic cleansing in Southern Kaduna. In the wake of the last round of killings in the area, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria declared a period of mourning and prayers from August 22 – September 30, 2020.   Christian stakeholders have petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Council, the UK Parliament and the US Congress.

What seems certain perhaps is the fact that there are no saints in the killing fields of Southern Kaduna. It will be recalled that the 1987 Kafanchan riots began when a Christian group decided to put up a provocative banner: “Welcome to Jesus Campus” at the Kafanchan College of Education! The Southern Kaduna question is, as I see it, a reflection of the national question as much as it is a dimension of the dilemma of “religion, politics and power in Northern Nigeria”. It further speaks to the crisis of state failure and capture. Successive administrations have set up panels of inquiry on killings in Southern Kaduna. White Papers have been issued and despite the fact that the trend remains the same, the various recommendations are never implemented. Political leaders take sides in the conflict, thus failing to show leadership. They make inflammatory statements which embolden the criminals they claim are behind the killings. When the night raids occur, the security agencies usually fail to show up, and when they do, great havoc would have been committed, with tragic consequences. Those who lost their loved ones and property in fact allege that security agents openly encourage and assist the bandits. The effect is that many communities in Southern Kaduna are now contemplating taking up arms to defend themselves.

The reign of impunity and the failure of the state to act, when replaced by a resort to self-help, is a prescription for anomie.  The people of Southern Kaduna, particularly the Christian communities are losing interest in the Nigerian state. They see their present travails as a re-enactment of the oppression, marginalization and abuse that they suffered under the old Emirate system. The international community has expressed concern about the human rights implications of the insecurity in various parts of the country.  Many families have been displaced across the North. The Internally Displaced Persons camps are over-stretched. The Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), the umbrella body of the people of Southern Kaduna, has received great support and solidarity from other ethnic groups in the country including the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, the Southern and Middle Belt Forum, Ohanaeze, and the Afenifere, with each group stressing the national implications of the reign of violence in different parts of the country.

The incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai has been blamed by some critics for mismanaging the crisis in the Southern part of the state he governs. As we have seen, he has a lot more to do. He is dealing with a century-old problem, fed by memory, mutual unwillingness to embrace peace, ego, class, religion, and ethnicity.  Following the latest round of conflicts, Governor Nasir el-Rufai summoned a State Security Council meeting and has also met with a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria. He has expressed his government’s willingness to work together with the security agencies to ensure peace in Southern Kaduna. Other Governors before him made similar promises.  He has also asked the leaders and the people of the area to make up their minds to live together in peace, and seek to resolve their differences through lawful means. As Governor, he must take the lead in that regard. In 2016, he offered compensation to members of the Hausa-Fulani community who lost property in a similar incident. He must take steps to also assist non-Muslims. How many churches, or markets is the Governor willing to help rebuild? How much compensation would the state offer those who lost their farmlands and other properties?  The people do not trust the state government. Concrete steps should be taken to gain their trust.

As if in response to the Governor’s call for unity, however, a Peace Summit was held the other day by Atyap, and Hausa-Fulani communities in Zangon-Kataf Local Government where the community leaders agreed to end hostilities. They agreed to set up a Standing Peace Committee. They also signed a 14-point resolution. It is not often that Muslims and Christians in Southern Kaduna sit together at a round-table for peace talks, so that is a welcome development. A similar meeting should be held in every local government in the region. The ordinary people: the farmers, the herdsmen and others should be part of that conversation. The major problem we often have in our communities is the lack of vertical integration. The elites are so high up, so class conscious. Even when they claim to be representing the people’s interests, the people believe that they are just representing themselves or the class that they belong to. Most of our so-called Nigerian big men are so alienated from the people, they have no idea what the people want. To build peace, there must be trust. To build trust, there must be a meeting of minds. The people who are targeted for attacks are not necessarily the men in high places who collect sitting allowances even when they attend Peace Summits, they are the farmers on whose farmland a herdsman grazes his cattle and destroys the crops, they are the market women who are raped, the young men and women who are abused. They must have a voice in this conversation.

One other latest development in this connection is the statement made about the Southern Kaduna situation by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the 60th Annual General Conference of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA). It was good to hear from the Vice President. The Presidency has so far been too bureaucratic and academic about the security situation in the country. But Professor Osinbajo spoke from the heart. He apologized to the people of Southern Kaduna and empathized with them. He pointed out that as far back as 2001, he had been involved in the peace-building process in Kaduna State through the Macedonia Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization. He disclosed that the Federal Government is setting up a military base in Southern Kaduna. A combined team from the Army and the Navy has also been deployed to check the reign of impunity in the affected areas. “We won’t sweep underlying issues under the carpet”, he promised.

It is good to hear someone so high up refer to the underlying issues at the centre of the Southern Kaduna crisis. Those underlying issues are hydra-headed as the drift of this commentary, should by now indicate, but one major issue is the deployment of security personnel. Many of these security agents have become part of the problem because they identify with camps in the conflict. No bandit has ever been prosecuted for causing mayhem in Southern Kaduna because the security agent who has been deployed to apprehend, or stop him, identifies with him and his ideology. What is the point in sending a Hausa-Fulani Muslim soldier or policeman to arrest a Hausa-Fulani bandit? That is one underlying issue that needs to be addressed. The Nigerian State, by its own omissions, promotes impunity. The Southern Kaduna is not a peculiar problem that is beyond human solution. Nigerian leaders should focus on the structural basis of ethnic conflicts and the stress factors associated with internal colonialism under a democratic dispensation. Why should anyone ever feel like the other, the outsider, the marginalized in their own space under a democratic dispensation? Lessons can be learnt from disputes in other parts of Nigeria: Ijaw-Itsekiri in Delta State, Nupe-Yoruba in Kwara, Ife-Modakeke in Osun, Jukun-Tiv conflicts in Benue/Taraba States and the many recommendations of various panels of inquiry on Southern Kaduna which no one has ever bothered to implement.