After many years of guarding oil pipeline installations, the Nigerian Army finally made its first high-profile arrest. It turned out to be a journalist! Investigative journalist and founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Fisayo Soyombo became the face of the Army’s eventual success in apprehending oil thieves. Of course, they regularly announce arrests of some faceless and nameless people. Hardly anyone bothers to follow up on their prosecution. We have all been Nigerian long enough to know that some crimes persist in the country, not simply because the criminals are resilient but because the ring of perpetration is so…

Nigeria’s public discourse is once again ignited by an incident that underscores the pervasive abuses of power within the nation’s institutions. Human rights activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi was arrested on December 3rd by officers of the Ekiti State Police Command. He was reportedly taken from Lagos, where the alleged defamation offence occurred, and transported to Ekiti State in what can only be described as a Gestapo-style operation. By December 4th, he was denied bail, sparking widespread outrage on social media and across the country. Many Nigerians have raised important concerns. Some argue that defamation, the alleged offence in this…

“All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies” – Arbuthnot, 1667-1735, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 191. Note: This article started on the day of the Ondo State election. The result was not surprising. “You can’t beat something with nothing”. PDP is now nothing. Obong Victor Attah, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State and former Trustee of the PDP, is an internationally-recognised architect. He was the first African to be granted licence to practice as an architect in New York State. Attah turned 86 on November 20 this year. Few Nigerians are aware that Attah…

On 20 October, I was gloomy. It was four years since the #EndSARS protests by Nigerian Youths against police brutality and the bloody reprisals that followed in its wake. I scrolled my phone with intention of exiting the #EndSARS sorrows. Instead, I scrolled unto premium tears. On Premium Times, I stumbled on an articleheadlined, “Theresa Chikeka: The retired judge who is chief judge of Imo State? By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu”. I take anything written by Odinkalu seriously because he bears a torch in the dark times we find ourselves in this country. By his flint we hope to find guidance…