Many citizens are taking to self-help to combat the recent spike in kidnapping and killings across the country, especially in the urban centres.

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory as well as Taraba, Kaduna, Borno, Katsina and Plateau states, who spoke to our correspondents, said they were making life-changing adjustments, including forming neighbourhood guards and vigilantes, to be able to resist the criminals who had shattered their peace and caused them unprecedented loss.

In the FCT alone, over 200 violent attacks have been recorded across the six area councils since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023.

The incidents led to the death of no fewer than 87 residents of the FCT, while over 176 were kidnapped within the period.

The figures, which were sourced from Beacon Consulting, a local firm monitoring security issues in the country, and several media reports on violent attacks, showed a dramatic spike in kidnapping for ransom in the FCT and other city centres.

Since the assumption of office of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, on August 16, 2023, there has been a rise in violent attacks in the nation’s capital.

The FCT is facing an alarming surge in insecurity, prompting concerns among residents and the authorities. The capital city, once considered relatively immune to the prevalent security challenges in other parts of the country, is now grappling with an escalating wave of criminal activities, particularly kidnapping.

According to a 2020 report by SB Morgen, Abuja was ranked 11th among locations with frequent abductions, a stark revelation of the evolving security landscape in the region.

Data from January 2021 to June 2023 showed that the FCT recorded over 40 kidnap cases with over 236 victims, who were either released after ransom was paid or killed even after payment.

Between October and December 2023 alone, there were 13 recorded kidnap incidents, impacting 80 victims.

From Gwagwalada to Kuje, Lugbe, Pegi, Abaji, Keti, and Kwali, the daredevils operate with naked boldness.

Vigilantes to the rescue

A resident of Kuje, who gave his name only as Michael, noted that while the area had seen relative peace in the last couple of months, residents were taking no chances.

He stated, “There haven’t been any attacks recently in Kuje but it doesn’t mean we will just relax and wait for that to happen. We are taking our safety into our own hands and doing the best we can to protect ourselves from this epidemic.

“We have employed local vigilantes to protect the area every night. And with this new police squad inaugurated by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetoku, I’m sure we will be safer.”

A resident of Kpegyi, Salisu, called for the sustenance of the police squad, noting that while kidnapping was on the rise, other crimes were thriving.

“I’ve lived in Kpegyi now for almost a decade. Kidnapping is the more popular vice, but armed robberies have gone on unchecked. We still have robberies, car thefts and what have you. I like that the security agencies have been gingered, but I hope and pray it’s not just a show that will last one month and it goes back to normal,” he said.

However, Ahmed Yinusa, who lives in Kubwa, said the show of force by the special squad was unnecessary, adding that community policing was the best model to combat crimes as it would be easier for residents of an area to identify strangers.

“I think the display was unnecessary. These bandits move in silence, why can’t the police? There’s no need to announce what you will do. You just go ahead and do it. However, I still think community policing is the best idea. That way, it is community-centred, and we can identify anyone who isn’t one of us,” Yinusa said.

Speaking on strategies for safety, some residents said their communities had erected gates to control movement, especially at night, while others had taken up personal security measures.

“In my area, we erected gates since 2022. Motorcycles are not allowed after 7pm. Cars do not access the area after 9pm. We may have to review that with these developments, but it is better safe than sorry,” a resident of Karu, who gave his name simply as Adams, told our correspondent.

A corps member, who gave her name as only Favour, said she no longer goes out after 8pm for any reason.

“I just make sure I’m home before 8pm. Of course, these people attacked a compound at 7.30pm, but I think I will feel safer in a familiar environment than somewhere else. I might also consider keeping maybe pepper spray or a taser around,” she said.

A resident of the Area 1, Justina Okeke, said, “We are raising fences in my estate. We might add barbed wire or electric fences. For my kids, maybe they will start taking self-defence classes. We can’t take any chances. I cannot even imagine what parents of kidnapped children are going through.”

Roadblocks in Kaduna

Youths in Kaduna State have resorted to mounting roadblocks in their communities following the renewed insecurity in the state.

Checks by one of our correspondents in the state capital indicated that youths in areas like Sabon Tashi in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state had resorted to blocking the roads at night with used tyres as a way of defending the communities from the daredevils.

Governor Uba Sani had on several occasions expressed concern over the renewed activities of bandits in the state, forcing him to summon traditional rulers and heads of security agencies as well as other major stakeholders to a security meeting in the state to find ways to tackle the renewed insecurity.

At the meeting, the governor disclosed that as part of efforts to tackle the renewed insecurity in the state, he had pushed for the establishment of more military formations across the state.

He said, “I have been pursuing the deployment of more boots on the ground through more military formations. I am happy to inform you that very soon, there will be establishment of some Forward Operating Bases in the state.

“The Kaduna State Government is working with the Defence Headquarters towards actualizing these plans.”

The governor also directed the Overseeing Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs “to follow this process closely and provide me with regular reports on the establishment of the FOBs and other relevant issues which we are vigorously pursuing.”

This was apart from the training of no fewer than 7,000 members of the State Vigilance Service to complement the efforts of the regular security agencies in the state.

One of our correspondents, who went around, observed the youths, some of them bearing dane guns, catapults, machetes, and barricaded link roads with stones, while conducting stop-and-search operations of motorists entering their communities.

Some of the youth were paid through community efforts, while in some cases by tips offered by appreciative residents.

One of the leaders at the Ungwan-Pama area, simply identified as Ifeanyi, told our correspondent that each compound was charged a token as a security levy to boost the morale of the vigilantes.

At the Post Office Road junction in the Sabon-Tasha area of the state, some of the fierce-looking youths said they were rendering voluntary services as a way of “defending our community.”

At the Barnawa GRA area, it was observed that residents of the low-cost estate built during FESTAC ‘77  had built gates as a way of preventing intruders into the estate.

One of the guards manning a gate leading to the estate, said, “By 9pm, the gates are shut to visitors.”

Some areas are also manned by members of the Peace Corps. An official, who gave his name as Akpati, told one of our correspondents that the members were posted to the homes of prominent citizens in the state to secure their lives.

The State Commissioner of Police, A. D. Ali, called on members of the public to avail themselves of security agencies’ hotlines for any situation requiring prompt response.

Vigilantes in Taraba

Communities in the Yorro, Jalingo, Takum, Karim-Lamido, and Bali local government areas of Taraba State have engaged the services of local vigilantes and hunters for protection against kidnappers and bandits.

This move to complement the efforts of security personnel followed an upsurge in the kidnapping and banditry activities in the affected areas.

In Jalingo, the state capital, no fewer than 10 persons were abducted in the past few days after weeks, forcing residents to re-enforce the local security arrangements.

Nasir Mohammed, a resident of Wuro Sembe in Jalingo Local Government said, “We have contributed money and we are paying vigilantes to keep watch over our community.

“Just last week, over 10 persons were kidnapped from our community and the neighbouring Sabon-Gari. We cannot continue like this. Instead of contributing money to pay ransom, we have decided to contribute to pay vigilantes to keep watch over our community.”

The situation in Wuro Sembe is similar to that of Gollum, Lassandi, Mayo-Dassa, and Shavon, where residents said the police and other security agencies could not be solely relied upon for protection.

Zaku Adamu, a resident of Shavon, told one of our correspondents that many communities in Jalingo and its environs were threatened by bandits, and it would take the combined efforts of the Air Force, the Army, the police, and local vigilantes to deal with the situation.

“We are playing with a serious security situation and the state government must take proactive steps to deal with the situation, or else our communities will be overrun one day,” he said.

Meanwhile, worried by the deteriorating security situation and abduction of some pastors, the Southern Conference of the United Methodist Church has vowed to resort to self-defence if both the federal and Taraba State governments fail to ensure the immediate release of their members from kidnappers’ den and end banditry activities in the state.

The conference also alleged that the banditry activities, particularly in the Yorro Local Government Council, were being targeted at eradicating Christians in the area.

They insisted that both traditional rulers and political office holders, past and present, in the area should come out with clear proof that their hands were clean to counter the video in circulation where the key leader of the kidnapper alleged that they had the backing of some leaders and the people in the area.

President of the TEKAN/ECWA, Micah Dopa, who addressed a press conference recently, lamented the continued detention of their pastors and members of the Yorro community by kidnappers for almost one month after ransom was paid.

According to Dopa, the church had paid N11m in ransom for its abducted pastors, but the kidnappers decided to release only the Muslim victims.

Nasarawa residents lament

Residents of Nasarawa State have lamented the neglect of the Federal government and the Nasarawa State Government on the numerous challenges of insecurity in the state.

Ondo Amotekun

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun Corps, said it had put in place necessary measures to prevent a possible influx of criminals and terrorists into the state.

The state Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said the government was on top of the situation in terms of security of lives and property of residents.

Adeleye said, “Our men and officers, the police, the NSCDC, the DSS and other security agents are working together in ensuring that the safety of lives and property in Ondo State is not compromised. We fortify our borders and our patrol team is always on the road to prevent the criminal elements from coming in. No room for terrorists in this state.

“Many have been arrested and will be prosecuted. In the same way, we have apprehended those who were involved in the illegal possession of firearms on our watch list.

“But all of these people will be profiled and will be arraigned in court any moment from now. All these suspects will be thoroughly investigated and they will be brought to justice.”

Kidnapping continues

Daredevil kidnappers operated with ease in Ondo, Enugu and Oyo states and the FCT on Saturday, abducting several people in the process.

Two in Oyo

In Oyo State, gunmen, in the early hours of Saturday, kidnapped two people in Otu, Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state.

The victims, are Dayo Olayanju and the wife of one Kehinde Obasola.

Obasola was said to have escaped with gunshot wounds, while his wife was whisked away by the gunmen.

A community leader in the area, who requested not to be named, confirmed the incident.

“It is true. It happened around 2 am today (Saturday). They were kidnapped in different areas. One was kidnapped along Okeho Road. I have confirmed it. The two people kidnapped are Dayo Olayanju and the wife of Kehinde Obasola. Kehinde Obasola escaped with gunshot wounds, but his wife was kidnapped,” he stated.

Efforts to confirm the development from the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, and the Oyo State Amotekun Commandant, Bisiriyu Olayanju, were unsuccessful.

But the Public Relations Officer of NSCDC in the state, Samuel Opabiyi, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Saturday.

“Yes, it is true, but the police have taken over the investigation because it falls under their purview,” Opabiyi said.

Passengers in Ondo

Gunmen also struck on the Akure-Ado Ekiti Expressway, abducting some passengers in two vehicles in the Iju area of the Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

The number of the victims could not be ascertained and details of the incident were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report, but it was gathered that the incident happened on Thursday night.

The vehicles involved were said to have been parked along the road.

In a now-viral video, a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Highlander, which were riddled with bullets, were seen, indicating that the hoodlums shot at the vehicles before taking the passengers into the forest.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the incident but said the command could not give details as it had not been reported to the police by the victims’ families.

She said, “Men of the anti-kidnapping section of the command swung into action immediately after the incident was reported and they have been combing the forest since.

“There is no official report from the family or families of the owners of the two vehicles, and there are no reports of missing people in the state.”

Kaduna school principal

Bandits have killed a school principal, Idris Abu Sufyan, and abducted his wife and baby at Kuriga village along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway in Kaduna.

The bandits stormed the village on Thursday night, shot the principal dead and took his wife and son away to an unknown destination.

One of the late principal’s friends, Sabiu Gayam, on his Facebook page, announced the friend’s demise, saying that he was attacked by hoodlums.

The post read, “To Allah we belong and to Him, we shall return!!!

“I just received the news of the death of Idris Abu Sufyan Kuriga who was killed by thieves yesterday night; (they also) took his only wife. Idris was the principal of Government Secondary School, KURIGA was my secondary teacher and my colleague at Government Junior Secondary School, GAYAM before he became the principal in Kuriga.

Seven Enugu abductees

Some wedding guests kidnapped in the Nkpunato Nkpologu, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State have slammed the Enugu State Police Command for claiming that they were not abducted by gunmen.

One of the victims, who identified himself as Ikenna Diugwu, said on Saturday that his family paid N2m to his captors to secure the release of seven of the abductees.

Narrating the incident, Diugwu explained that they were on a bus going to a traditional wedding ceremony at the Udi Local Government Area of the state on December 27, 2023, when their vehicle was attacked by gunmen and they were kidnapped.

Stating that they spent three days in the bush before the kidnappers released them, he said it was sad that the police did not attempt to rescue them.

The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, had in a statement issued on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, through the command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, denied that some wedding guests were abducted in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state.

Efforts to get Ndukwe to react to the matter proved abortive, as he did not take his calls or respond to the text message sent to his mobile.

Also in Enugu, operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested three persons for alleged involvement in criminal activities, including kidnapping.

Ndukwe said the operatives acted on credible information provided by the ECDTA.

He said the operatives serving in Enugu Area Command raided a criminal hideout in the Centenary City area of Obeagu-Awkunanaw community in the Enugu South Local Government Area on Friday.

Punch

Amid the rising wave of insecurity in Abuja, Abdullahi Sabo, a resident of the nation’s capital, has been abducted.

Sabo was heading home with his wife when gunmen intercepted his vehicle at Sabon-Lugbe, Airport road in the nation’s capital.

The victim was driving in his Ash color Lexus SUV with registration number ABC 769 TP when the unfortunate incident occurred, on Friday night.

It was gathered that he had left the city center and was heading home when the attackers inside an unmarked Golf car opened fire and deflated tyres of the SUV.

The victim was driving in his Ash color Lexus Jeep with registration number ABC 769 TP when the unfortunate incident occurred, on Friday night.

It was gathered that he had left the city center and was heading home when the attackers inside an unmarked Golf car opened fire and deflated tyres of the SUV.

One of the victim’s neighbors, Daramola Joseph, who spoke through telephone with our reporter, confirmed Sabo’s abduction.

“They shot the tyres, forcing the vehicle to stop, but before they could get close to the SUV, the man’s wife had escaped. However, they went away with the husband,” he said.

“The man with his wife were returning from the city center and heading towards the access road to Jedo Estate when the gunmen struck.”

Contacted, spokeswoman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command, Adeh Josephine, said she would find out and get back to our reporter.

However, she had not done so as of the time of filing this report.

The development comes less than 48 hours after gunmen invaded Army Estate in Kurudu, still in Abuja, and abducted some residents.

Daily Trust

Improved exposure to Internet and other online materials led to a reduction of poverty rate in Nigeria and Tanzania by 7 per cent, the World Bank has said.

The World Bank stated this in a new brief titled, “Digital transformation drives development in Africa,” noting that the exposure also led to an increase of 8 per cent in labour force participation and wage employment.

According to the bank, “In 2023, a World Bank flagship report found that in Nigeria and Tanzania, extreme poverty declined by about seven per cent after three or more years of exposure to internet coverage, while labour force participation and wage employment increased by up to eight per cent.”

In the brief, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, Andrew Dabalen, was quoted as saying, “The minimal usage of mobile internet is a lost opportunity for inclusive growth in Africa. Closing the uptake gap would increase the continent’s potential to create jobs for its growing population and boost economic recovery in a highly digitalised world.”

The brief further highlights that over the past five years (2016-2021), sub-Saharan Africa experienced an extraordinary 115 per cent increase in internet users, a change that has been instrumental in spurring economic growth, fostering innovation, and creating job opportunities.

It added that, “The region’s digital infrastructure coverage, access, and quality still lag other regions. At the end of 2021, while 84 per cent of people in SSA lived in areas where 3G service was available, and 63 per cent had access to 4G mobile coverage, only 22 per cent were using mobile internet services.

“The gap between coverage and usage is similarly large for broadband, with 61 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa living within the broadband range but not using it.”

Daily Trust

Israeli soldiers uncover Gaza tunnel that once held hostages, army says

At the end of a kilometer-long, booby-trapped tunnel in the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers discovered cramped cells where the military said Hamas kept about 20 hostages.

They found a holding area, five narrow rooms behind metal bars, toilets, mattresses, and even drawings by a child hostage who was freed during a November truce, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

No hostages were there when it was discovered.

The military released photos from the underground labyrinth and said it brought in journalists to document the tunnel before it was destroyed.

The tunnel entrance, Hagari said, was in the house of a Hamas member in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where Israel has been focusing its fight in recent weeks against the Palestinian Islamist group.

"The soldiers entered the tunnel where they encountered terrorists, engaging in a battle that ended with the elimination of the terrorists," Hagari said.

The tunnel was rigged with blast doors and explosives, he said.

"According to the testimonies we have, about 20 hostages were held in this tunnel at different times under harsh conditions without daylight, in dense air with little oxygen, and terrible humidity that makes breathing difficult," he said.

Some of the hostages kept there were freed during the week-long Qatari-mediated truce. Others are among the more than 130 captured during Hamas' Oct. 7 rampage through southern Israel that are still in Gaza.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Zelenskiy counts on more Western defence aid for Ukraine in next two months

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that he expected a number of new Western defence packages for Ukraine to be signed this and next month.

"We are preparing new agreements with partners - strong bilateral agreements," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

"January and February should bring corresponding results. There are already specific dates when new and strong documents can be expected."

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv's Western allies united in providing unprecedented military and other aid to help Zelenskiy defend his country.

But with the war now dragging on towards its third year, little change along the front line in the past 12 months and growing opposition to more aid in the United States, funds and equipment in recent months have been slow coming in.

Zelenskiy did not name the countries with which he hoped to finalise agreements. The Ukrainian president has spent weeks on an international diplomatic frenzy trying to secure more political and military support.

He has often repeated that Russia's increased winter air strikes and Moscow's slow but gruelling offensive in Ukraine's east have underlined the need for more reinforcement of Kyiv's air and ground defences.

Earlier this month, Britain, one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters, said it will increase its support for Ukraine in the next financial year to 2.5 billion pounds ($3.19 billion).

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he would head to Ukraine in February to finalise a bilateral security guarantee deal under which Paris would deliver more sophisticated weaponry, including long-range cruise missiles.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia could win ‘in a matter of weeks’ unless US provides more aid to Ukraine — TV

Russia could win the conflict in Ukraine "in a matter of weeks" if Washington fails to provide another aid package to Kiev, NBC Newsreported, citing sources.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned US lawmakers that Ukraine would run out of certain air defense and artillery capabilities in the coming weeks and the Kiev forces "could only continue fighting the Russians for weeks, maybe months."

The officials’ message was that a Russian victory "will reverberate around the world," prompting other countries to rethink their relations with Washington.

In October 2023, the Washington administration asked the US Congress for additional funding for the 2024 fiscal year, particularly to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine and confront China and Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. The Biden administration is seeking to secure about $106 bln for these purposes. Meanwhile, a number of Republicans in the US House of Representatives and the Senate have spoken out against Ukraine funding.

Reuters/Tass

Big calamities seldom knock before opening the door. Calamities’ sneaky essence is articulated in one song by grand old Odolaye Aremu, Ilorin, Kwara State-born Dadakuada song minstrel. While philosophizing the concept of calamity, which Yoruba call “eemo”, Odolaye sang that surprise and swiftness are primary features of calamities, holding tight to them like leaches. So he sang, “Peki laa k'eemo,” (calamity is met suddenly). The singer points at horses used in races and in ancient wars meeting their own end unprepared during races. It is the same with soldiers who mount horses and ride them to death. Odolaye sang that, as sudden death pounces upon warhorses, so also do buffalos meet their end in the treacherous thickets of the savannah.

Last week, though not racing on horses nor does it have anything in similarity with buffalos, calamity swiftly walked into the capital of Oyo State and like Odolaye aptly dissected it, it was sudden. It came with its handmaidens – weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Residents of Bodija, Ibadan suddenly heard a late evening loud bang which reverberated round many parts of the ancient city. By the time the bang settled, lives had been lost, property destroyed and Ibadan suddenly became an epicentre of bad New Year news. Buildings were reduced to rubbles, vehicles destroyed and yet-to-be ascertained number of people killed by the explosion. Preliminary investigation found out that this calamity was the handiwork of some Malian miners who lived there. They had allegedly brought in high-level dynamite into a human neighbourhood. As at the time of writing this, official sources put the number of dead at five while excavation of bodies was still being done. One of the dead was said to be a United Kingdom returnee who met his untimely death while visiting. Mining activities have become harbingers of “eemo” in Nigeria’s lucrative mining fields, Zamfara State being an earlier example. In this state, foreigners perch on gold sites like bees on nectar with its attendant incubation of banditry.

Still on the sneaky bang of calamities, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, also witnessed an implosion in the number of kidnapped persons. From January 2021 to June 30, 2023, 40 kidnap cases were said to have been recorded in the FCT, with heart-wrenching 236 victims. The modus operandi of the kidnappers has today witnessed a mutation. Before now, waylaying commuters on the highway and ferrying them into the bush to demand ransom was the style. Today, under President Bola Tinubu, kidnappers have gone haywire. They are daring and disrespectful of Abuja as Nigeria’s seat of government. So, kidnappers boldly walk into people’s homes to cart away their victims without batting an eyelid. Nigeria is under the siege of bandits who have terrorized the country non-stop, castrating government’s expected proactive interventions and reducing successive governments to, in the words of Yakubu Dogara, mourners-in-chief. On the Abuja–Kaduna highway last week, about 30 people were said to have been abducted at Dogon-Fili near Katari, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Eleven other persons were kidnapped in the Dutse-Alhaji area of the FCT, Abuja. Those who dispensed “eemo” to these fellow Nigerians and their families were gunmen dressed in the camouflage of military men, while the kidnappers dressed like herders.

The most pathetic and tear-jerking narration from the Dutse-Alhaji kidnap came from Oladosu Ariyo, lawyer and father of a slain 13-year-old. In an SOS that brimmed with frustration, pain and sorrow, Ariyo wrote to the Nigerian Bar Association to narrate the calamity that suddenly walked into his dwelling place. He narrated how the band of kidnappers invaded Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, kidnapped his lawyer wife and four children. They promptly demanded N60 million ransom. Being able to pay only a small percentage of the ransom, the kidnappers killed his first born and dumped the corpse on Kaduna Road. They have threatened to kill the three other minor children and his wife if the whole ransom was not paid. They were said to have so far killed three of the eleven residents of the Sagwari Estate Layout in the Dutsen-Alhaji area they abducted.

The most immediate issue that the kidnaps evoke, bringing to the fore, is the disconcerting reality that kidnappings have gone outside the grips of the Nigerian government. Often orchestrated by persons who don military uniforms and inflict havocs recklessly for hours on citizens, this calamity has persisted since the Muhammadu Buhari government. It was often followed by official denials especially during the Buhari era. That government was in a seeming legitimization of the infliction of violence and death on the people. States that border and surround the FCT like Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa and Plateau states had been hotbeds of kidnaps and wanton killings since the Buhari government. In saner climes and environments, this proximity is enough indication and foretell of imminent preying on the FCT by the bloodthirsty hounds called kidnappers and bandits. For a proactive and sensitive national security apparatus, mechanism to arrest the imminent descent on Abuja ought to be on the drawing board, even before they struck. Unfortunately, in Abuja, unlike many civilized cities of the world, there are no statistics of ingress and egress into and outside the national capital. In the same vein, the census of landlords who live in the various suburbs of the city remains an illusion.

The issue of absence of governance is apparently the cause of the spike in insecurity in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria. If you bore a hole through it, you will find corruption as well. There is also no doubting the fact that national security inertia juts out as core issue in the Ibadan blast. Why would such destructive dynamites pass through the cordon of security agencies to wreak such havocs? Apart from those issues, existential matters are also trapped in the spate of kidnappings in Abuja and the blast in Ibadan. The existential issues come in rhetorical questions. Why must it be Oladosu Ariyo and his family who must be abducted that night at Dutsen-Alhaji and not other families? Why was the UK returnee who met his untimely death in the Ibadan blast the one who must die? Why didn’t he delay his journey by some days, to arrive Ibadan after the blast? Why did that calamity zero in on those who died? Why was Bodija the scene where the dynamites must explode and not elsewhere? These are questions that have defied satisfactory answers to humanity, science and religion. They have been asked consistently since the beginning of creation.

The above questions have procreated a set of people called fatalists who believe that human beings are helpless about the future, as well as the fortune or calamities that come to them. In Yoruba epistemology, this fatality is expressed as “ayanmo” or predestination. Its similar variants are “Kadara,” which is strictly identical with destiny. Kadara is woven round the concept of ‘Ori’ or the bearer of one’s destiny. The third of the tripod is called “Akosile” which holds that every individual’s destiny, as well as all that will happen to them in their life journey, are already written down in heaven before human beings begin to journey down to earth. An affirmation of this is mirrored in the saying “Ori yeye ni Mogun, ipin aise lo po,” literally translated to mean, among the dry skulls at the Mogun shrine are many innocent heads.

The “Ori yeye…” narration, best explained by an anecdote said to have taken place a long time ago, apparently in pre-colonial Yoruba, has a few other slants different from the one below. The king of a town called Otolu had his trumpet called Kakaki stolen by persons or person he couldn’t fathom. The trumpet was a monarchical insignia used during ancestral festivals and was blown to announce the imminence of the festival. Upon the disappearance of the trumpet, Oba Otolu summoned his seventeen servants for explanation on the missing ancestral trumpet. Each swore his innocence but, miffed, literally spitting fire from his mouth like Sango, the king ordered the servants to be beheaded by the Ogun shrine. A few months after their decapitation, an Oba Otolu king friend in the neighbouring town apprehended two of his aides who were in possession of the trumpet and sent them to the Otolu king. Upon interrogation, they confessed that the heir to the Otolu throne, the king’s son, had handed it over to them. The king then ordered the beheading of the prince and the two culprits. As they were about to be decapitated at the Ogun shrine, pensive, the Otolu king muttered, pained about the shedding of innocent people’s blood thus, “See the number of heads of innocent persons we wrongly beheaded at the Mogun shrine!” The king was said to have committed suicide upon arriving the palace.

So, were those seventeen palace servants fated to be beheaded by the Orolu king? Was it their “ayanmo” (destiny) to die such gory, painful deaths? The Yoruba concept of the human person believes every human being has an ayanmo which can be positively or negatively manipulated by the nature of the head (Ori) which the person brought into this world. Thus, if an ayanmo is lopsided, resulting in failure of efforts, the Ori can help restructure the person’s destiny. This is why they say destiny has no remedy but Ori is the judge, “ayanmo o gb’ogun, ori l’elejo.”

Destiny, as articulated by Segun Gbadegesin in his “Eniyan: The Yoruba Concept of a Person” in The African Philosopher Reader, edited by P.H Coetzee and A. P Roux., Routledge (New York, 1998) P.144, is “pre-ordained portion of life wound and sealed up on Ori.” According to him, “Human beings have an allotment of… destiny which determines the general course of life.” Bolaji Idowu, however sees the Ori as a complete human personality who came before Olodumare (God) shortly before departing for this world. The human knelt down before Him for allotment of his own destiny and was open to what is called “trimorphous conception of destiny.” This is in three and they are, Akunleyan (destiny got when kneeling down to choose); Akunlegba (destiny got when kneeling down to receive) and Ayanmo(irrevocably stamped on the person).

Some of these beliefs, made into proverbs, aphorisms, mores and lore are predicated on predestination. For instance, an ancient wise-saying say that a tree will not fall in the forest and kill one who sits at home; and the rafter will not fall and kill the wayfarer (igi o ni da, k’o pa’ra ile; aja o ni jin k’o pa ero ona). Almost in line with this epistemology are the teachings of the two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam. They also believe that human beings are destined for some of the fates that befall them. However, as architects of their fates, human beings can tinker with their destinies through the worship of God. The third leg of this belief system is a doctrine called fatalism. Held by fatalists, they believe, without recourse to theology, that human beings are powerless to tinker with their future. They also hold that anything that happens to human beings is not within their human remit to change.

Many people have tried to examine why African leaders seem to cavalierly allow calamities befall their people rather than taking proactive measures to ensure that they do not occur. I tend to think that this thinking by governments is an outcome of a very injurious but longstanding romance with theological submissions about calamities, as well as traditional Africa’s explanation of predestination. Data have proven that the more religiously or traditionally inclined government runners are, the sloppy it becomes for them to do the needful in safeguarding the lives of their people. The Buhari government, for instance, was too steeped in this belief in God-ordained nature of human calamities that it firmed out the most important of its governmental responsibilities to God. Most times, it called on God to help it attack its attackers which is downright senseless.

Many events that happen in this modern age perforate some of the traditional African theses we have held for centuries. The Ibadan dynamite blast of last Tuesday is one. Contrary to a saying cited above, trees are now falling in the forest and killing people who sit in their homes; and rafters are falling, killing wayfarers in the process. The Ibadan blast attests to these. If the Tinubu government will not follow the footsteps of Buhari’s and thus be less fatalistic in its security architecture master-plan, it should not be rocket science to exterminate kidnappers and be victorious over the menace of kidnapping. It is penny-wise pound-foolish removing subsidy on petrol, with its attendant hardships on the people, then extending national pain by yawning while insecurity takes over national capital. The truth is, if the FCT could be this unsafe, with information of its porosity to evildoers available all over the world, no investor will come to Nigeria.

Tinubu must urgently reduce the frequency of calamities in Nigeria by tackling insecurity frontally. By doing this, he will be redrawing the map of the sneakiness of calamities in Nigeria. Above all, he will render Odolaye Aremu’s thesis on calamity (eemo) and its suddenness (peki) irrelevant.

Bountiful Harvests: The Certain Destiny of the Righteous

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God ~ Psalm 92:12-13.

Introduction:

Every exploit in life is a product of personal knowledge. Man was created and ordained to bear fruits (Genesis 1:28; John 15:16). Indeed, it’s essentially abnormal not to produce (Psalm 92:12-13).

In simple terms, destiny speaks to God's ordained purpose for your life. It is your appointed present and ordained future, predetermined by God in His divine will from the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:11).

God fashioned our destinies before we were born. He sculpted us into being, and He always wishes to bring our future into existence (Psalms 139:16). Flourishing unto bountiful harvests is the sacred destiny of the righteous.

To flourish means to grow well, do well, blossom luxuriantly and tend to bumper harvests. It also implies being in a period of highest productivity, excellence or influence.

Now, reflecting on this holy simile deployed in Psalm 92, the palm tree is constantly green, flourishing, fruitful and growing even when pressed down. The cedar also spreads itself wide, and grows very tall and strong.

We note, therefore, that the growth, longevity, utility, fragrance, relevance, beauty and fruitfulness of both trees set forth the life, character and destiny of the righteous. Indeed, it’s in our starry destinies to flourish like the palm tree (Psalm 92:12)!

Meanwhile, there are different seasons in human experiences. There are seasons when we enjoy the mountaintop experiences, and everything seems to be going very well. There are also times when we feel stuck in the valley, and God’s blessings seem hard to find.

Nevertheless, whatever you are experiencing presently, the good news is: your season of bountiful harvests has indeed come. It’s the time for God to return us to His glory days, the days of His Power in the Holy Ghost (Amos 9:13; Leviticus 26:3-5).

God has declared His glory among us, and it’s time for His wonders to be seen in our lives (Psalms 96:3). It’s time for us to start harvesting signs and wonders as it was in the days of old, no matter what the enemy throws at us (Acts 5:14-16).

Wisely Working Out Your Colourful Destiny!

Most certainly, your destiny is very colourful, but you have to work it out with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). No matter who assists you, recognizing and maximizing your own destiny under God are still your personal responsibilities.

In respect of supernatural harvests, your righteousness — that is, your right-standing with God — is the primary force that enhances your fruitfulness (Psalm 1:1-3).

Walking in God’s statutes provokes our due season, and enhances our yields. Keeping and doing the Lord’s commandments make us commanders in the fields of bountiful harvests (Leviticus 26:3-5).

The fortune and the fruitfulness of a physical tree are easily enhanced when it stands straight, in the light and on good ground with ample breathing space. This is equally true for spiritual matters.

When we stand right with God, we enjoy the radiance of His Sun of Righteousness and the light, the strength and the energy of His Spirit will enhance our fruit-bearing capabilities. Thereafter, we shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (Malachi 4:2).

Meanwhile, we also need to engage the sickles of faith to work positively on our brilliant destiny of bountiful harvests (Joel 3:13-14).

It takes a robust faith in God and a determined pursuit in the right direction to access the good things that are destined for the believer; otherwise, he might end up the loser he’s becoming, or remain the failure he has always been.

A man brought his son, who was demon possessed and unable to speak, to Jesus to be healed. Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). The man replied, “I believe; help thou mine unbelief”.

Thereafter, Jesus “rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him”(v25). Of course, the boy became whole, and found his expressions again!

Real breakthroughs in life are products of bold and obedient faith in God. Never sit back in timidity, doubt and passivity! Don’t let your life drift with the wind anymore. Take action, release your faith, speak out and boldly confront the drought in your life (Matthew 17:20).

As you demonstrate your faith in God, also smile at your future because your future is smiling at you through the unfailing promises of God. Be confident that He’s constantly thinking about you to favour you and to excite your bountiful harvests (Jeremiah 29:11).

God still keeps His own side of the covenant deal (Genesis 8:22). Be planted in His house, and be eager to sow precious sacrificial seeds in order to produce your bountiful harvests. Be determined also to diversify your supernatural investments.

There are different kinds of supernatural investments: spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, material and financial. There’s nothing given to God that’s wasted, and there’s nothing invested in His kingdom that doesn’t attract dividends.

Albeit, never invest grudgingly or of necessity, but cheerfully (2Corinthians 9:7). In God’s kingdom, it takes cheerfulness to invest acceptably, and to access our bountiful harvests (Psalm 67:5-7).

More importantly, the power for real supernatural harvests is exclusively preserved for those who are saved — the saints of God (Psalms 35:27). And, you too can be saved today by repenting of your sins, believing the gospel and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour (Mark 1:15).

Choose righteousness. Show up. Invest your goodly seeds without ceasing. Put in the sickles of faith and work. The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide and determine to be.

No matter your history, your destiny is still what you choose today. Our choices have dramatic consequences and, in particular, lasting impacts on our destinies (James 1:17)! It’s our choices, and not blind chance, that determine our destinies.

However, keep in mind that we all occasionally dance to the tune of mystery! This is because, in reality, life is not only about the choices we make, but also a product of the undercurrents of divine orchestrations.

Sometimes our dreams that become loudly celebrated are the ones we didn’t labour much to catch (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Yes,  occasionally, the strong gusting “east wind” that makes a way for our miraculous escape from the furies of our enemies comes when it’s least expected (Exodus 14:21).

Choose God: don’t give up and don’t be discouraged! Your bounteous harvests are still here!! You’re more that a conqueror, and you have a long history of victory, riches and noble harvests imputed to your account in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Friends and brethren, this is the period of your highest import so far in your journey of destiny (Zechariah 10:1-2). Make that little extra sacrifice. Give that little improved seed of faith, and please, continue to believe the Lord (Hosea 6:3).

Dig again, you’ll find water. Go again, seven times, you’ll see the cloud with a mean span that will eventually produce your deluge of blessings. You will flourish and blossom luxuriantly. Even your harvest of souls shall be bounteous, and your sources of income shall never run dry. You won’t miss it, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Bishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola

SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987

Jesus came into the world as a heavenly commando sent by God to destroy the works of Satan single-handedly. The devil holds men in bondage through the singular sin of the love of life; the foundation of all sin. We steal, cheat, fight, kill and commit adultery to save our lives. God required Jesus to call us to repentance and tell us about His glorious kingdom. He then demonstrated that our fear of death is baseless by laying down His life and then rising from the dead.

Hebrews says of Jesus: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Exposed Secret Agent

But how can Jesus survive in Satan’s kingdom on earth when His arrival as a baby was broadcast by angels?  How can He survive when wise men from the East were foolish enough to make enquiries about Him in the king’s palace? 

Herod’s response on hearing of the birth of a rival “king of the Jews” was to kill all the infants in Bethlehem. However, God was always one step ahead of Jesus’ adversaries. An angel forewarned Joseph to flee with Mary and Jesus to Egypt for refuge. Thereafter, the devil is bound and rendered powerless for the duration of Jesus’ ministry. (Matthew 12:29).

Jesus was not secretive about His mission on earth. He preached about the establishment of His alternative kingdom everywhere He went. He also validated His message with supernatural signs. He cast out demons, demonstrating the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan. He raised the dead, signaling the triumph of life over death. He healed the sick, announcing the end of human suffering. He multiplied loaves of bread, pointing to the satisfaction of all physical need. He stilled the storm, heralding the emergence of peace on earth. And He forgave sins, proclaiming the dawning of righteousness.

Recognising Jesus’ superior authority and powers, the devil quickly sought an unholy alliance with Him. He appealed to the pride of life in Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world, if He would join His rebellion against God. He said to him: “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” (Luke 4:6-7).

But when Jesus refused the offer, he resorted to his time-honoured strategy of employing the fear of death against men. He threatened Jesus’ life; knowing Jesus could easily save it. But if Jesus saved His life, He would be entrapped by the word of God which says: “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it.” (Luke 17:33).

The devil even attempted to use one of Jesus’ disciples against Him. When Jesus revealed that God’s plan was for Him to be killed and then rise from the dead, Peter objected, saying this should not happen to Jesus. But Jesus rebuked him sharply. He said to him: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23).

A house divided

In Satan’s camp were the Jewish pastors who were incensed that the more Jesus preached, the more He exposed their ungodliness. If He were to continue unabated, they feared they would soon lose their meal ticket – the goodwill of the people.

They were also concerned that Jesus’ popularity would grow into a revolutionary fervour against Roman occupation, prompting Caesar to crush it with characteristic ruthlessness. Since this would jeopardise their privileged position under Roman rule, they decided to save their lives by accusing Jesus to the Roman authorities of plotting to overthrow Caesar, which was a crime punishable by death.

However, Jesus knew Satan had no interest in killing Him; he only wanted Him to save His life. Satan knew he could not kill Jesus. Any attempt to kill Him would prompt the rescue of angels. Satan said to Jesus: “It is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear You up, lest You dash your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:6).

But Jesus was determined to allow Himself to be killed so that Satan’s captivity of men through the love of life and the fear of death would finally be broken. When Satan realised this was Jesus’ resolve, he decided to call the whole thing off at the last minute. Pilate, another one of his agents, looked desperately for a way to free Jesus, declaring Him innocent. He said to Jesus’ accusers: “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.” (John 19:4). He then sought to release Him through a clemency order in honour of the Passover.

However, the pastors, Satan’s other agents, would not consent to Jesus’ release, insisting He must be crucified. In effect, Jesus’ non-resistance divided Satan against himself. Jesus says: “Every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25). To save his life as Governor by avoiding a riot, Pilate had to succumb to the demands of the pastors.

Provoking righteousness

But Satan had one last gambit. He engineered the rulers of the Jews, as well as passers-by, to mock Jesus, hoping to provoke Him to jump down from the cross and save His life. They taunted Him, saying: “If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” (Luke 23:37). “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” (Luke 23:35). Even God had to restrain Himself from saving Jesus when Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

However, the love of God for man ensured Jesus was forsaken on the cross. Jesus paid the full Satanic ransom of laying down His life as a man. Thereby, He pioneered the fulfilment of the word of God that says: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25). This ushered in a new era of the resurrection of the dead unto eternal life with God. (John 6:38-40).

Thus, Jesus’ defeat was paradoxically His greatest triumph. Once He willingly laid down His life for God, the devil’s stranglehold on the lives of men was broken for the very first time. With Jesus’ resurrection, all the righteous dead began to rise from the dead: “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53).

By overcoming the love of life and the fear of death, Jesus opened “the gates of righteousness,” so that men may thereafter follow His shining example. Thanks to Jesus, we are no longer held captive by sin and Satan: “Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:7-8).

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com  

We asked older men of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what things younger men do that confuse them. Here's what leaves them bewildered the most:

1. "I don't get that seemingly every teenage guy has the exact same haircut now, and it bugs the crap out of me. Big and poufy up top, with permanent hat hair because the tips swoop up at the bottom. They all look like they're wearing helmets and haven't showered in weeks. I just want to pull them aside and ask if girls actually like that, because you don't see a single man over 25 with that haircut."

—dustable

2. "Why do so many of them wear wool beanie caps in 90-degree weather?"

—zeakins
3. "I'm surprised by the popularization of younger men eating women's asses. It is awfully confusing and extremely unappealing to me, though I know plenty of people have their kinks. Nothing wrong with it. But them being so publicly open about it is the part that is mind-boggling to me."

—Anonymous

4. "I don’t get 'thirst traps.' What is the appeal of taking a picture of yourself in nothing but your underwear, grabbing your 'bulge,' and posting it for the whole internet to see?"

—Anonymous
5. "I totally do not understand why younger guys are wearing dressy pants that are WAY too short and not wearing socks."

—Anonymous
6. "I'm baffled by how tentative younger men seem to be about defining relationships. If you like someone, tell them. Tell them that you are focused on getting to know them and let them get to know you. Don't muddy the waters with always hanging out in groups or quasi-dates."

—Anonymous
7. "In the men's locker room, many young men wrap a towel around their waist to change into their underwear. I don't get it."

—Anonymous
8. "Growing up, I was taught to be self-sufficient and do most things for myself. I fix my cars, do most of the electrical stuff in the house, can cook, and can tie a bow tie. Style is style — I get that, and I'm cool with people expressing themselves however they like. But I'm a little confused by the lumbersexual fad. All these burly-looking dudes who look like the offspring of Jason Momoa and Burt Reynolds, but they can't seem to change a tire, fix a leaky toilet, or iron a suit for a job interview."

—Anonymous
9. "A lot of younger men wear underwear under their swim trunks... Why?"

—Anonymous
10. "I don't get them wearing suit jackets that are so tight they can't be buttoned. Also, I don't get wearing sneakers with a suit jacket."

—Anonymous
11. "I am quite perplexed by younger men’s unwillingness to 'make a move' when they feel some chemistry with a person. I understand dating is hard and there is a risk of rejection, but I have seen my younger brother basically get through high school without ever once kissing a girl or having a date because of this anxiety about being rejected. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. As long as you can take no for an answer and not have an overreaction to it, there isn’t nearly as much risk as some would have you believe."

—Anonymous
12. "They almost always post even their trivial ideas on any social media platform to ingratiate themselves."

—Anonymous
13. "I don't understand them wearing impractical clothing, like baggy pants and a black hoodie in Phoenix in July. 'I’m sweating like a pig, but at least I look cool :).'"

—Anonymous
14. And lastly, "I don't get guys thinking that a smartphone will sustain a relationship with their guy friends. For god's sake, start meeting up with your friends in person more often. Talk with other humans in person and make real connections. Phones do not truly keep you connected on a level that is required for deep, meaningful relationships."

—Anonymous

Buzzfeed

Between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in one city in Sudan's West Darfur region last year in ethnic violence by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militia, according to a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Friday.

In the report to the U.N. Security Council, independent U.N. sanctions monitors attributed the toll in El Geneina to intelligence sources and contrasted it with the U.N. estimate that about 12,000 people have been killed across Sudan since war erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and the RSF.

The monitors also described as "credible" accusations that the United Arab Emirates had provided military support to the RSF "several times per week" via Amdjarass in northern Chad. A top Sudanese general accused the UAE in November of backing the RSF war effort.

In a letter to the monitors, the UAE said 122 flights had delivered humanitarian aid to Amdjarass to help Sudanese fleeing the war. The United Nations says about 500,000 people have fled Sudan into eastern Chad, several hundred kilometers south of Amdjarass.

Between April and June last year El Geneina experienced "intense violence," the monitors wrote, accusing the RSF and allies of targeting the ethnic African Masalit tribe in attacks that "may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The RSF has previously denied the accusations and said any of its soldiers found to be involved would face justice. The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters.

"The attacks were planned, coordinated, and executed by RSF and their allied Arab militias," the sanctions monitors wrote in their annual report to the 15-member Security Council.

'SHOT TO THE HEAD'

Reuters last year chronicled the ethnically targeted violence committed in West Darfur. In hundreds of interviews with Reuters, survivors described horrific scenes of bloodletting in El Geneina and on the 30-kilometer (18 mile) route from the city to the border with Chad as people fled.

The monitors' report included similar accounts. They said that between 14-17 June, some 12,000 people fled El Geneina on foot for Adre in Chad. The Masalit were the majority in El Geneina until the attacks forced their mass exodus.

"When reaching RSF checkpoints women and men were separated, harassed, searched, robbed, and physically assaulted. RSF and allied militias indiscriminately shot hundreds of people in the legs to prevent them from fleeing," the monitors said.

"Young men were particularly targeted and interrogated about their ethnicity. If identified as Masalit, many were summarily executed with a shot to the head. Women were physically and sexually assaulted. Indiscriminate shootings also injured and killed women and children," according to the report.

Everyone who spoke to the monitors mentioned "many dead bodies along the road, including those of women, children and young men." The monitors also reported "widespread" conflict-related sexual violence committed by RSF and allied militia.

NEW FIREPOWER

The monitors said the RSF takeover of most of Darfur relied on three lines of support - Arab allied communities, dynamic and complex financial networks, and new military supply lines running through Chad, Libya, and South Sudan.

The U.N. missions for Chad, Libya and South Sudan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Complex financial networks established by RSF before and during the war enabled it to acquire weapons, pay salaries, fund media campaigns, lobby, and buy the support of other political and armed groups," wrote the monitors, adding that the RSF used proceeds from its pre-war gold business to create a network of as many as 50 companies in several industries.

Since the war started "most of the gold which was previously exported to UAE, was now smuggled to Egypt," the monitors said.

The new firepower acquired by the RSF "had a massive impact on the balance of forces, both in Darfur and other regions of Sudan," the report found.

The RSF has recently made military gains, taking control of Wad Madani, one of Sudan's major cities, and consolidating its grip on the western region of Darfur.

In December the United States formally determined that warring parties in Sudan committed war crimes and that the RSF and allied militias had also committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

The war has left nearly half of Sudan's 49 million people needing aid, while more than 7.5 million people have fled their homes - making Sudan the biggest displacement crisis globally - and hunger is rising.

The sanctions monitors told the U.N. Security Council that "an excess of mediation tracks, the entrenched positions of the warring parties, and competing regional interests meant that these peace efforts had yet to stop the war, bring political settlement or address the humanitarian crisis."

Reuters