The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria says the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is inconsiderate for selling petrol at N990/litre, stressing that the company enjoyed massive concessions while accessing foreign exchange during its construction.

PETROAN also insisted that imported petrol was cheaper than the N990/litre price of Dangote petrol. Major marketers recently revealed that the landing cost of imported petrol as of October 31, 2024, was N978/litre.

On Sunday, the Dangote refinery alleged that PETROAN and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria were planning to import substandard petroleum products into the country.

Reacting to this in a statement on Monday, PETROAN Publicity Secretary, Joseph Obele, insisted, “PETROAN will sell far less than the current selling rate of PMS in Nigeria when granted an import licence by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.”

Obele said the association had successfully incorporated a strategic business unit called PETROL.

While noting that PETROAN’s drive was solution-centric and patriotic following the pricing instability and turbulence in the downstream sector, the association said the reformative agendas of President Bola Tinubu were seen as inimical to advocates and beneficiaries of the monopolistic market.

“Consumers get the best value for pricing when competition is at its peak, hence Competition should be encouraged. Contrarily to competition, such a market will be exploitative and strictly for profiteering.

“The publication by Dangote refinery that PETROAN will import substandard petroleum products is not coming as a surprise to stakeholders, because such is his usual gimmick for maintaining a monopoly. The publication was coming after PETROAN and IPMAN announced plans to sell far less than the current Selling rate of PMS in Nigeria.

“It is important to set the records straight that PETROAN has never compared the price of Dangote PMS with any, other than the fact that Dangote’s PMS price wasn’t known until this morning at the press release by Dangote Refinery,” Obele said.

He insisted that “PETROAN has concluded plans with its foreign refinery counterparts and financial partners to import the best quality of PMS and then sell far less than the present selling rate of PMS in Nigeria. We planned to enter the market before December 2024, pending the approval of our import permit license by the regulatory agency and access to foreign exchange from CBN at the official rate.”

The PETROAN spokesman maintained that before now, the Dangote refinery had refused to make public its selling rate of PMS until IPMAN and PETROAN announced their readiness to sell at prices less than the current prices.

“The rate of N990 as announced by Dangote refinery was inconsiderate based on the fact that Dangote refinery enjoyed massive concessions for accessing foreign exchange during the construction of the refinery.

“The core determinant for setting the price is a consideration of the cost of production, then adding a fair margin. But this wasn’t the case for the determinant of PMS price by Dangote refinery as they said ‘the parameter was comparison with the international selling rate at the global market’.

“A nation that gave you a yet-to-be-disclosed concession for foreign exchange which was highly criticised by financial experts, such a country pricing template shouldn’t have been templated by the selling rate at the international market but rather it should have been the cost of production plus fair margin,” Obele stressed.

He added that goods from Chinese markets are not as costly as goods from the American market because the cost of production differs.

“The allegations that PETROAN will import inferior products and also that an international company is trying to establish a PMS blending plant in Lagos are all strategies for Dangote refinery to push others out of the market to achieve a monopoly for exploitation.

“A few months ago, the CEO of Dangote refinery said the NNPC LTD was importing inferior petroleum products, that his own was far better than what NNPC LTD was selling to marketers. In another press conference, he said the refinery in Malta was just a blending plant and not a refinery. All the allegations are intending to close the doors against other operators to enjoy monopoly,” it was stated.

PETROAN commended Tinubu for his commitment towards the revamping of the nation-owned refineries, saying the ongoing rehabilitation project never suffered funding under Tinubu.

The association maintained its position by counselling that the Port Harcourt and Warri Refinery plants be immediately privatised and handed over to a reputable firm with the technical capability, managerial skills and financial strength in partnership with PETROAN and other critical stakeholders after completion.

This, Obele said, will enable the operators of the government-owned refineries to withstand aggressive ballistic competition that will be poised by the known beneficiaries of the monopolistic market.

The statement read further, “Antecedents of the beneficiaries of the monopolistic market has shown numerous suffocating business owners crashing out of other sectors for a sole operator in the past. Stakeholders’ concerns are a prayer that the process of privatisation should be transparent using Indorama Petrochemicals as a model as against the Maintenance Repairs and Operations contract.

“A balanced market should be an all-inclusive market where the market leader is enjoying his lead, while the market challenger is servicing a certain degree of the consumers and the market followers are still surviving in the market at an affordable price.

“Therefore, it is penitent that the Federal Government should discourage and dismantle any attempt at monopoly in the downstream sector given crashing the current selling rate of PMS. The only catalyst to trigger PMS price reduction is by ushering in competition and PETROAN will support the Federal Government in achieving intensive competition in the sector.”

IPMAN reacts

In an interview with The PUNCH, the National Secretary of IPMAN, Terlumun James, said the association did not have a blending plant in Lagos, calling on all stakeholders to unite and give Nigerians affordable energy.

James said there was nothing like building a depot to blend substandard fuel.

“There is nothing like that and I am not sure Dangote said all those words. I am always at the point of putting things correctly. You media people need to help us and help this country. If we come together, all these things will be solved. The common man is suffering a lot and that suffering has affected all of us. We all need to come together,” he said.

James added that IPMAN is still discussing with Dangote to commence lifting from the $20bn refinery.

“We are pursuing our import approval and we are discussing with Dangote,” the IPMAN secretary noted.

On Sunday, the spokesperson of the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, said “An international trading company has recently hired a depot facility next to the Dangote refinery, with the objective of using it to blend substandard products that will be dumped into the market to compete with Dangote refinery’s higher quality production.”

When contacted, the NMDPRA refused to comment on the allegation.

Replying to a message by our correspondent, the NMDPRA spokesperson, George Ene-Ita, said “No comment”.

Punch

Sokoto State Government has raised the alarm over the emergence of another terrorist group in the state, identified as LAKURAWAS.

The State Deputy Governor, Idris Gobir, made this known while receiving participants of Course 33 of the National Defence College, Abuja, who were on a study tour in the state.

Gobir said the group is known to be a faith-based idealist, saying, “Assessment carried out indicated that the group possessed sophisticated weapons and their criminal activities were observed in about five local government areas of the state.”

According to him, this sad development is happening at a time when the state is faced with banditry activities. The threat is expanding, and the Security Authorities are working assiduously to address the emerging threat.

“The state government has been working closely with Federal Security Agencies to address numerous security threats to lives and properties of the people of the state.”

He enumerated various efforts made by the state government to confront security challenges facing the state. He expressed hope that the study tour would provide the required insight to the authorities on the nature of the unfolding criminal activities and proffer solutions that would guarantee security of lives and peaceful coexistence among people.

In his address, the leader of the delegation, Titus Zuwahu Dauda, an Air Vice Marshal, said the college was established in 1992 as the highest military institution in the country.

He said the college was dedicated to “selecting officers from military, police, and strategic agencies to prepare them for strategic responsibilities. The college has so far graduated 2,982 participants. Among them are many from 30 African and Asian countries.”

Dauda added that at the end of the tour, the team would make an oral presentation and written report on their study tour to the state.

Vanguard

Israel's strikes on Iran spark interest in air-launched ballistic missiles

Israel's effective use of air-launched ballistic missiles in its airstrikes against Iran is expected to pique interest elsewhere in acquiring the weapons, which most major powers have avoided in favour of cruise missiles and glide bombs.

The Israel Defense Forces said its Oct. 26 raid knocked out Iranian missile factories and air defences in three waves of strikes. Researchers said that based on satellite imagery, targets included buildings once used in Iran's nuclear programme.

Tehran defends such targets with "a huge variety" of anti-aircraft systems, said Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at London's Royal United Services Institute.

Cruise missiles are easier targets for dense, integrated air defences than ballistic missiles are. But ballistic missiles are often fired from known launch points, and most cannot change course in flight.

Experts say high-speed, highly accurate air-launched ballistic missiles such as the Israel Aerospace Industries Rampage get around problems facing ground-based ballistic missiles and air-launched cruise missiles - weapons that use small wings to fly great distances and maintain altitude.

"The main advantage of an ALBM over an ALCM is speed to penetrate defences," said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California. "The downside - accuracy - looks to have been largely solved."

Ground-launched ballistic missiles - which Iran used to attack Israel twice this year, and which both Ukraine and Russia have used since Russia's invasion in 2022 - are common in the arsenals of many countries. So, too, are cruise missiles.

Because ALBMs are carried by aircraft, their launch points are flexible, helping strike planners.

"The advantage is that being air-launched, they can come from any direction, complicating the task of defending against them," said Uzi Rubin, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, one of the architects of Israel's missile defences.

The weapons are not invulnerable to air defences. In Ukraine, Lockheed Martin Patriot PAC-3 missiles have repeatedly intercepted Russia's Khinzhals.

Many countries, including the United States and Britain, experimented with ALBMs during the Cold War. Only Israel, Russia and China are known to field the weapons now.

The U.S. tested a hypersonic ALBM, the Lockheed Martin AGM-183, but it received no funding for the 2025 fiscal year. Because it has a large arsenal of cruise missiles and other types of long-range strike weapons, Washington has otherwise shown little interest in ALBMs.

A U.S. Air Force official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said ALBMs are not used in Air Force operations.

Raytheon's SM-6, an air-defence missile that has been repurposed for air-to-air and surface-to-surface missions, also has been tested as an air-launched anti-ship weapon, said a senior U.S. defence technical analyst, who declined to be identified because the matter is sensitive.

In tests the missile was able to strike a small target on land representing the centre of mass of a destroyer, the analyst said. Publicly, the SM-6 is not meant for air-to-ground strikes.

Because ALBMs are essentially a combination of guidance, warheads and rocket motors, many countries that have precision weapons already have the capability to pursue them, a defence industry executive said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

"This is a clever way of taking a common set of technologies and components and turning it into a very interesting new weapon that gives them far more capability, and therefore options, at a reasonable price," the executive said.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian air attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv wound at least 15

Russian forces attacked Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv and the surrounding region with guided aerial bombs on Sunday, wounding at least 15 people, Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Syniehubov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the attack damaged two residential buildings and windows of an infrastructure facility, two supermarkets, a cafe, 21 kiosks and a shopping centre.

There were four interior ministry employees among those injured in Kharkiv, the governor said.

The eastern city has become a frequent target of Russian air attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Syniehubov said Russian forces had badly damaged a five-storey apartment building in Kivsharivka, a small town near Kupiansk, east of Kharkiv.

Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the regional police, said three residents died in the attack. A woman was rescued overnight, but further such efforts were hampered by ongoing Russian attacks, regional authorities said.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia hits military and energy facilities in Ukraine – MOD

Russian forces have carried out major strikes against numerous targets in Ukraine, including airfields and energy infrastructure, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday.

In a regular update posted on its Telegram channel, the ministry stated its military had struck energy facilities and an oil refinery used by the Ukrainian army.

Russia also targeted UAV workshops and storage sites for unmanned boats.

In addition, the ministry stated, Russian forces had used tactical aviation, drones, missiles and artillery in strikes against various concentrations of enemy forces and military equipment in 132 districts.

The update also revealed that Russia’s air defense systems had shot down four US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, a French-made Hammer guided aerial bomb, and 42 aircraft-type UAVs.

The ministry had earlier reported that the Russian military had hit a compound used by Kraken, a Ukrainian nationalist unit designated by Moscow as a terrorist organization.

A commando regiment operating under the Ukrainian military intelligence agency HUR, Kraken was established in 2022 by former members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion and other intelligence officers.

HUR commander Kirill Budanov has praised its fighters for their motivation “to kill the enemy.”Like the Azov Battalion, the sabotage unit welcomes radical Ukrainian nationalists and neo-Nazis joining its ranks.

Reuters/RT

World Bank officials have stated that it would take 15 years of subsidy removal for the effects to be felt, and that it could take up to 100 years for countries like Nigeria to eradicate extreme poverty. This confirms what some of us have been saying: that economic reforms and gradualism cannot resolve the country’s problems or bring prosperity.

A home is the number one source of wealth in the world — the summum bonum, the ultimate good. Unfortunately, Nigeria has the highest homelessness rate in the world, with 28 million homeless people. Only about 300,000 homes are built annually, while the population grows by around 5 million people each year. Even if the county were to increase the construction of homes by 1000%, which none of the current economic theories or plans can achieve, more people will still fall into poverty every year.

The “Fathers of Classical Economics” – Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Thomas Malthus – espoused economic theories that supported the supply-side capitalist economic system of wealthy and powerful nations. However, the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Great Depression of 1929, with millions of poor people threatening the survival of capitalism, forced world governments to recognize that housing was the ultimate good. This led to the adoption of demand-side economics, aimed at building massive suburban housing for the masses.

Maynard Keynes, the father of modern economics and macroeconomics, argued that governments should use deficit budgeting to empower the people through housing and employment. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 New Deal was one of the greatest wealth transfers in history, engaging in massive public works and transitioning workers from low-wage agricultural jobs into higher-paying technical manufacturing roles. Similarly, Chairman Mao’s policies in China elevated a billion poor people into prosperity, the largest non-war-based economic empowerment in history.

This new economic ideology of social welfarism and the “Big Push” development model, which focused on providing housing for the masses, spread throughout the Northern hemisphere in the 1950s. In Africa, leaders like Obafemi Awolowo replicated this model. However, in the late 1970s, these social welfare policies were replaced with neo-liberal economic policies imposed by the IMF, which have entrenched poverty in many African nations, including Nigeria.

Only a “Big Push” development approach, not mainstream economic theories, can lift a people who have been ruthlessly exploited for over 500 years — first through slavery, then colonization, and now neocolonization. The Black race cannot achieve global economic parity without addressing the historical economic and sociopolitical costs of these systems. Economic gradualism, with its low growth rates, is too little and too late to address the rapid population growth and global economic fluctuations.

With the level of poverty in Nigeria, neither demand-side economics nor supply-side economics can systematically uplift a people who have been condemned to low-income primary production since the days of slavery. Yet, global and local economic scholars continue to preach the same plantation-style economics based on cheap labor, which has kept many in poverty due to low wages. Despite Nigeria’s agriculture sector being the fifth largest in the world in terms of value-added, the laws of diminishing returns require a reduction in human labor, replaced by machinery — something that can only be achieved through the multiplier effects of heavy manufacturing, not through imports or assembly.

African leaders, mentally enslaved by Eurocentric education and trapped by the realities of colonization, have been unable to create meaningful economic value. Their economies are built on the production of primary products, while importing processed goods. If countries like Nigeria print money or borrow excessively, the result is inflation, as the money is used to buy foreign imports. The IMF and World Bank financial systems have kept developing nations trapped in a cycle of currency devaluation, reducing wages and withdrawing social contracts that could empower the masses.

The fallacy of devaluation is that it supposedly makes exports cheaper and imports more expensive. However, in countries like Nigeria, which still rely on a single primary product (oil), imports remain inelastic — essential goods that cannot be replaced by local production. Thus, no matter how much the currency is devalued, oil exports won’t increase, and imports won’t decrease significantly. This is economic slavery, as the people are prohibited from creating value outside the colonial economic system, further entrenching poverty.

The coloniality of knowledge and power has sustained the neocolonial system. Even leaders have internalized the slavemasters’ pitch that if a slave works hard enough, producing primary products and buying provisions, he will eventually buy his freedom. Sixty years after independence, Nigeria’s economy remains a colonial one, with local production focused on agriculture and crude oil exports. Despite being one of the largest oil producers, Nigeria cannot process its crude locally, much like it couldn’t process cocoa during colonial times.

In the short window between the 1960s and 1970s, Nigeria and other neocolonial nations began to build manufacturing industries, processing food, beverages, and tobacco, and even assembling cars. However, 80% of raw materials were still imported. International monetary forces and colonial political machinations sabotaged the development of a steel and petrochemical complex that could have made the economy locally sustainable. A heavy manufacturing sector, which would include an arms industry, was seen as a threat to European domination in Africa.

As I outlined in my book The Nigerian Dream, a responsible nationalist government should within 100 days reopen all refineries to end fuel imports, cutting 30% off the import bill, and mandate that all government tiers use locally produced cars, cutting 21% off the import bill. According to Modern Monetary Theory, a government can print as much money as it needs, as long as it is focused on creating real value and not buying imports that fuel inflation. Nigeria should aim to build 5 million homes annually for three years, using 100% locally sourced materials, which would reduce homelessness and redistribute wealth to the masses, boosting the consumer market.

At the same time, Nigeria should construct three major railways — 5,000 kilometers of track — within the next three years. Railways are a massive source of iron and chemicals, which will stimulate growth in heavy manufacturing and transform car assembly plants into full car production facilities with locally sourced materials. These massive housing and railway projects would pull workers from the low-wage agricultural sector, increasing wages across the economy and spurring the development of locally produced agricultural machinery.

It is advisable that the military oversee these projects to reduce costs and protect the national economic interests, much like the U.S. industrial-military complex or China’s Liberation Army. This is the springboard that will lead Nigeria into economic prosperity, shedding the chains of 500 years of economic slavery.

** Justice J. Faloye is the author of The Blackworld Evolution to Revolution, President of the ASHE Foundation think tank, and National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere.

CEOs never get a day off. Oftentimes, their lives can feel like an endless slog from one hard decision to the next. 

Inc.’s 2024 CEO Survey found that many of the leaders of Inc. 5000 companies cite strikingly similar challenges that come along with being the boss.

For Robbie Harrell, founder and CEO of Saint Paul, Minnesota-based sculpture-grade ice company Minnesota Ice, running a company means constantly trying to avoid burnout. Founded in 2013, the company claimed the No. 1,416 spot on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list.

Here are the three hardest things about being a CEO, according to the world’s top CEOs. 

Loneliness

• “It can be lonely at times because most of your friends can’t really identify with your struggles, or celebrations.”
• “Few people understand the difficulties. They think I have it made and I’m so lucky without seeing the struggles, risk, and work that it takes to be a founder.”
• “Your pain is your pain, and it’s very difficult to show others as it may be considered a sign of weakness.”

Pro tip: Build relationships with other CEOs, consultants, and friends in business. Harrell says joining a peer group of other leaders gave him some much-needed perspective. “It’s been quite helpful to hear I’m not the only guy having employee issues,” he says. 

Feeling the weight of the world 

• “I am accountable to 11 family members, including siblings, children, nieces, and nephews. This responsibility weighs heavily on me, often causing anxiety and sleepless nights.”
• “Feeling like I’m carrying the weight of the company by myself, despite having over 100 employees.”
• “Everyone looks to me as having all of the answers and being right 100% of the time. I am far from perfect, and sometimes make decisions without thoroughly considering the full ramifications.”

Pro tip: Give yourself a break by completing a task unrelated to your business. Harrell says to destress, he listens to music while mowing his five-acre property. “When I finish and see all five acres cut, that’s instant gratification,” he says. 

Delegating 

• “The constant challenge for me as a founder has been learning to let go and trust others to replicate my vision. When you start something from inception, it’s hard to let others in.” 
• “Having to be consistent in all things to set an example for other team members.” 
• “Learning to let go of this thing I’ve created so others can help take it to the next level.”

Pro tip: Clearly convey the kinds of problems that should be brought to the CEO and which can be handled without approval. “You have to remember that when an employee comes to you with a problem, they don’t know all the other problems you’re solving,” Harrell says.

Inc

The recent arraignment of 32 minors alongside 76 other individuals for their participation in the #EndBadGovernance protests reveals a chilling reality: President Bola Tinubu’s government is veering dangerously close to authoritarianism. The inhumane treatment of these young detainees, who have been subjected to three months of detention without adequate food or care, highlights not only a blatant disregard for human rights but also an alarming trend toward state repression of dissent.

The charges of treason and other serious offenses against these children—some as young as 14—are not only absurd but indicative of a regime willing to weaponize the law to silence its critics. The criminalization of peaceful protestors, particularly minors, is a grotesque distortion of justice. This administration’s actions paint a stark portrait of a government more interested in quelling dissent than addressing the legitimate grievances of its citizens.

In the courtroom, the sight of these malnourished children, some collapsing from the effects of hunger and neglect, was not just a violation of their rights but a tragic symbol of the government’s moral bankruptcy. That four of them required urgent medical attention during proceedings speaks volumes about the conditions under which they have been held. It is horrifying that in a nation claiming to uphold democratic values, we are witnessing scenes reminiscent of authoritarian regimes where dissent is met with brutal repression.

Nigerians from all walks of life are right to express outrage. The Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organizations, and prominent political figures have condemned this abhorrent treatment. Yet, their voices must not be mere echoes in the wilderness. This is a crucial moment for collective action against the encroaching fascism that characterizes Tinubu’s approach to governance. The portrayal of young protestors as threats to national security is a dangerous narrative that must be challenged.

What we are witnessing is a systematic dismantling of the democratic fabric that should protect citizens, particularly the vulnerable. The refusal to acknowledge the rights of minors in the judicial process starkly contradicts both national and international legal standards. It raises urgent questions about the integrity of the country’s judicial system and the values that underpin it.

Tinubu’s administration must understand that governance is not about suppressing voices of dissent but about listening and responding to the needs of the populace. The economic hardship facing many Nigerians, which sparked these protests, is not going to vanish through intimidation or draconian measures. True leadership requires engagement, empathy, and a commitment to justice—none of which is evident in the current government’s approach.

As we move forward, it is imperative that Nigerians remain vigilant. The treatment of these minors is not an isolated incident; it is a symptom of a broader authoritarian trend that threatens the very foundation of Nigeria’s democracy. We must rally against this tide, demanding accountability and adherence to the rule of law.

The time for complacency is over. The Tinubu government must be called to account for its actions, and the rights of all Nigerians—especially the most vulnerable—must be fiercely defended. If we allow the state to continue down this path unchecked, we risk losing not only our rights but also the essence of what it means to be a civilized society. Let this moment galvanize us into action, for the future of this country depends on the citizens’ ability to confront tyranny wherever it arises.

Twenty-nine children could be facing the death penalty in Nigeria after they were arraigned Friday for participating in a protest against the country’s record cost-of-living crisis. Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could enter a plea.

A total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance and mutiny, according to the charge sheet seen by The Associated Press.

According to the charge sheet, the minors ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to several mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more were arrested at a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.

The death sentence was introduced in the 1970s in Nigeria, but there have been no executions in the country since 2016.

Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer based in Abuja, said the Child Rights Act does not allow any child to be subject to criminal proceedings and sentenced to death.

“So taking minors before a federal high court is wrong, ab initio, except if the government is able to prove that the boys are all above 19 years,” Balogun said.

The court eventually granted 10 million naira ($5,900) bail to each the defendants and imposed stringent conditions they are yet to meet, Marshal Abubakar, counsel to some of the boys, said.

“A country that has a duty to educate its children will decide to punish those children. These children have been in detention for 90 days without food,” Abubakar said.

Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of Enough is Enough, a civil society organization promoting good governance in Nigeria, said authorities have no business prosecuting children.

“The chief justice of Nigeria should be ashamed, she is a woman and a mother,” Adamolekun said.

Despite being one of the top crude oil producers in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the world’s poorest countries. Chronic corruption means the lifestyle of its public officials rarely mirrors that of the general population. Medical professionals often strike to protest meager wages.

The country’s politicians and lawmakers, often accused of corruption, are some of the best-paid in Africa. Even the president’s wife — her office nowhere in the constitution — is entitled to SUVs and other luxuries funded by taxpayers.

Nigeria’s population of over 210 million people — the continent’s largest — is also among the hungriest in the world and its government has struggled to create jobs. The inflation rate is also at 28-year high and the local naira currency at record lows against the dollar.

On Thursday, Nigeria was classified as a “hotspot of very high concern,” in a report from United Nations’ food agencies, as large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity in the West African country.

CNN

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and other advocacy groups have condemned the President Bola Tinubu government for detaining minors who protested against hunger and poor governance.

They described their detention as a violation of constitutional rights and an affront to international human rights standards.

The detained minors, held for over three months without trial, reportedly endured harsh conditions while detained for participating in protests.

While reacting to the situation in a chat with The Guardian, the spokesperson for NEF, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said that the federal government’s actions amounted to “shameful and unacceptable impunity.”

Suleiman criticised the arbitrary detention and treason charges against these children, calling it “A grotesque abuse of power and a blatant disregard for fundamental rights.”

He emphasised that treason, by definition, requires intent and understanding that children simply lack, making the charges both “legally dubious and morally reprehensible.”

Suleiman also highlighted the silence of northern state governors and regional leaders, describing it as tacit approval of the federal government’s actions.

He argued that their failure to speak out has contributed to a climate of powerlessness among affected communities and called for the immediate release of all detained minors.

He said: “The detaining and accusing of mostly Northern Nigerian minors for treason amounts to shameful and unacceptable impunity by the federal government.

“This trend is a stark indictment of the state of justice and human rights in the country, where the arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention without due process, and arraignment on charges of treason represent a blatant disregard for the fundamental rights of children.”

Suleiman urged a multi-pronged approach to address this issue, including an impartial investigation into the circumstances of the arrests and a thorough review of treason laws, particularly as they apply to minors.

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has echoed Suleiman’s condemnation.

CNG’s National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, in a statement, emphasised that the detained minors were merely exercising their rights to free expression and assembly, both protected by the Nigerian Constitution.

Charanchi labelled the detentions a ‘gross violation’ of human rights, urging leaders to prioritise citizens’ welfare over punitive measures. “This incident reveals both desperation and indifference to the wellbeing of Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens, exposing the country to international criticism.”

Charanchi criticised the government’s approach to governance, arguing that rather than fostering constructive dialogue, it has resorted to suppressing young voices.

He pointed out that while power outages, inflation, and soaring fuel prices have worsened quality of life for Nigerians, the government has chosen to clamp down on youth advocacy.

Charanchi asserted that this tactic not only reveals a failure in leadership but also fosters public disillusionment and distrust.

CNG’s demands include immediate release of the detained minors and intervention from civil society and humanitarian organisations to prevent further deterioration of the children’s health.

They assert that hunger and deprivation, used as punitive measures against the youth, reflect a deeper failure in leadership. Charanchi drew a pointed comparison between the detained minors and more serious offenders who, he suggested, face less scrutiny, arguing that the treatment of the minors undercuts faith in governance and highlights a broken system.

Also speaking to The Guardian, President of the Rebuild Arewa Initiative for Development Balarabe Rufai said, “Nigeria’s laws seem to apply only to the downtrodden. This is a national embarrassment and shows a lack of sensitivity on the part of the government to the struggles of its citizens.”

He called for a thorough investigation, saying, “We cannot allow these actions to continue unchallenged. Nigeria must be a leader among black nations, not a place where children are unjustly treated and deprived.”

Rufai called on Nigerians to push collectively for better governance and an end to practices that silence the country’s youth, saying, “This is not just a violation of rights; it is a national crisis that must be addressed for the sake of future generations.”

The combined outcry from NEF, CNG, and other civil society advocates paints a stark picture of the challenges facing Nigeria.

They called for the government’s commitment to human rights, emphasising the need for leadership that supports rather than silences youth voices.

As Nigeria grapples with economic and social challenges, these groups urge the government to prioritise constructive engagement, uphold democratic values, and foster hope among young Nigerians.

The Guardian