MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2025
Tinubu Under Heavy Criticism For Pardoning Murder, Drug Convicts
PRESIDENT Bola
Tinubu has come under heavy cricism for gran ng amnesty to some convicts through the recommend1a ons of the Presiden al Advisory Commi ee on the Preroga ve of Mercy.
President Tinubu, in accep ng the recommenda ons last week, granted 175 individuals presidenal pardon and clemency, including a wide mix of beneficiaries such as drug convicts, foreigners, and even capital offenders such as Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2020 of culpable homicide punishable by death for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, to death amid a domes c dispute.
This has sparked outrage from nigerians including Tinubu’s spokesman in the South East, Denge. Josef Onoh.
Onoh who faulted the development, contended that it was morally wrong and a rape of jus ce that may undermine the Tinubu administra on’s interna onal standing if such category of capital offenders are just granted pardon for the sake of preroga ve of mercy.
Among the convicts granted presiden al mercy were convicted drug offenders such as Nweke Francis Chibueze, serving a life sentence for cocaine trafficking, and Isaac Jusna, whose sentence for cannabis possession was reduced.
Onoh said that their clemency represents a profound ethical and ins tu onal rupture that demands immediate recfica on because their pardons are in conflict with the sacred architecture of the rule of law, which underpins civilised society as ar culated in foundaonal legal principles enshrined in Nigeria’s 1999 Cons tu on (Sec on 175) and interna onal norms such as the Universal Dec-
lara on of Human Rights (Ar cle 10).
“This act, while cons tu onally permissible, contravenes the moral impera ves of retribu ve jus ce and restora ve equity, inflicts psychological trauma on vic ms’ families, perpetuates systemic injus ce, and erodes the founda onal deterrence mechanisms essen al for societal stability,” Onoh held.
He stated that pardoning Maryam Sanda, who inflicted irreversible loss on the Bello family through an act of lethal violence, undermines the intrinsic value of human life and the principle of accountability.
“Similarly, absolving drug dealers like Chibueze, whose trafficking perpetuates cycles of addic on, community devasta on, and organised crime, signals a moral abdica on that normalises preda on on society’s most fragile members, including the youth ensnared in narcotics webs.
“Na onally, this por-
trays Nigeria as a haven for impunity, tarnishing its image as Africa’s largest democracy and deterring foreign investment in a na on already grappling with reputa onal deficits from corrup on indices such as Transparency Interna onal’s 2024 score of 25/100.
“Interna onally, it undermines diploma c credibility; bodies like the
UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which lauded Nigeria’s an -narco cs strides, may now view the administra on as complicit in recidivism, eroding alliances in global countertrafficking pacts like the UN Conven on Against Illicit Traffic in Narco c Drugs (1988), to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“For the upcoming genera on youth, com-
prising 70 percent of Nigeria’s 220 million populaon, per World Bank data, this criminally shapes psyches towards cynicism and criminality. Social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) posits that observing unpunished elite crimes fosters normalised deviance, poten ally spiking youth involvement in drugs (already at 14.4% prevalence per UNODC
Sowore Meets More Bigwigs Ahead Oct. 20 Nnamdi Kanu Protest
Kazeem Badmus
HUMAN rights acvist, Omoyele Sowore, has disclosed that he reached out to the Speaker of the House of Representa ves, Tajudeen Abbas, and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu, to push for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Sowore, who made this known in a post on his X (formerly Twi er) handle
on Sunday, said the move was part of ongoing efforts to secure Kanu’s freedom ahead of the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for October 20.
He revealed that he urged both presiding officers to take a formal stand by convening an emergency plenary session to pass a resolu on demanding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu order Kanu’s immediate release.
“The Speaker stated that because the ma er is s ll in court, he would not officially table it before the House,” Sowore wrote.
“However, he assured me that he would meet privately with some members, especially Obi Aguocha, who represents Nnamdi Kanu’s cons tuency, to explore a poli cal
resolu on. He also menoned that he had previously made underground interven ons with the DSS (Department of State Services) on the ma er.”
According to him, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu confirmed that discussions were ongoing between the presidency and some lawmakers over Kanu’s release but admi ed that “the judicial process has been frustra ngly slow.”
“I took this to mean that a majority of them are using the court trial as an alibi,” Sowore added.
The ac vist also stated that members of the Abia State House of Assembly were yet to confirm their par cipa on in the October 20 protest.
Meanwhile, the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has declared full support
for the planned na onwide demonstra on.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Naonal President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, described the protest as “a step in the right direc on for jus ce and na onal conscience.”
Chimezie said the group had resolved to mobilise women from all parts of Igboland and beyond, stressing that Kanu’s con nued deten on remained “a stain on Nigeria’s jus ce system and a wound on the conscience of the na on.”
She described Kanu as “a freedom fighter and jusce advocate who is being persecuted for speaking out against the oppression of his people and exposing the hidden agenda of the oppressors.”
2023) and violence, sabotaging the demographic dividend essen al for Vision 2050.
“Cri cally, these pardons of the few men oned convicts demoralise Nigeria’s security apparatus— the NDLEA agents who risked lives for Chibueze’s 2010 convic on, or police inves gators who endured Sanda’s protracted 2017–2020 probe—discouraging enlistment and efficacy in a force already strained by underfunding (with NDLEA’s 2025 budget at a mere ₦120 billion).
“This erodes the rule of law’s deterrence core, as affirmed by Nigeria’s Evidence Act (2011) and Supreme Court precedents emphasising consistent enforcement for public order.
“In light of these irrefutable harms, substanated by cons tu onal overreach risks, moral philosophy, trauma science, and empirical socioeconomic data, I plead and urge Mr President to please reverse these pardons for Sanda and the named drug dealers to reaffirm commitment to impar al jus ce. Reversal, via a transparent advisory commi ee review, would restore equity, heal na onal psyches, bolster security morale, safeguard youth futures, and elevate Nigeria’s global stature. We are your eyes and ears in the streets of Nigeria; we hear the outcry from Nigerians that the thick wall of Aso Rock shields everyone within its environment from hearing, hence I convey to you their tears and message associated with their outcry.”
Onoh stated that the reversal of the clemency would honour the unyielding spirit of ci zens who embody the true cost of unyielding injusce, no ng that such reversal would not be a mere correc on but a moral impera ve for a just federa on.
•Sowore
•Tinubu•Maryam Sanda
Yusuf Oketola
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2025
2 News
NDLEA Seizes 435kg Of Skunk In Osun
Yusuf Oketola
OPERATIVES of the Na onal Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Osun State, have arrested four suspects with 436 kilograms of skunk in the state.
This was contained in a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the suspects include a 48-year-old man, Nureni Ayobami and Oladejo Taiwo (52).
Others are Timothy Omiwole (41), and Isaac Achiatan (36).
The statement reads: “Nureni Ayobami Eleweodo, 48, and Oladejo Taiwo, 52, were arrested on Wednesday, 8th October arrested at Omifufun village, Ife South LGA, Osun state, following the seizure of 635 kilograms of skunk from their Toyota Hiace bus marked DDA65ZY.
“Two other suspects, Timothy Omiwole, 41, and Isaac Achiatan, 36, were nabbed at the same loca on with 100kg of skunk recovered from them along with their motorcycle.”
The statement further revealed several other opera ons carried out by the agency across different parts of the country, like Edo State, Niger State, and Rivers State.
The statement reads, “In Edo state, a raid of the home of a suspect, Emmanuel Sunday, 33, at Ugbekpe Ekperi in Etsako Central LGA led to the recovery of 47kg skunk, a strain of cannabis. Two suspects:
“While Okoro Julius, 20, and Onyebuchi Nwibo, 25, were arrested in different parts of Port Harcourt, Rivers state, in connec on with the seizure of 8.5kg skunk on Friday, 10th October,
“Sulaiman Kalalu, 46, was nabbed a er 29.5kg of the same substance was found in his house at Bayan Asi , Jibia town, Katsina state, on Saturday, 11th October.”
In Niger state, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, 8th October, arrested Yisa Daniel, 29, at New Bussa, where 22,000 capsules of tramadol, 800 ampoules of pentazocine injec on and 150,000 pills of Exol-5 were seized from him. A total of 312kg of skunk was recovered from a bush at Ologede camp,
Ogbese, Ondo state, while opera ves on patrol along Benin-Lagos expressway on Thursday, 9th October, intercepted two suspects: Francis John, 39, and Adeyemi Taiwo, 46, in a car conveying 141.8kg of skunk. In Kaduna, a suspect, Rufai Ahmed, 27 (alias Farin Malam), was nabbed at Abuja/ Kaduna toll gate while conveying 150,000 pills of exol-5 from Lagos to Katsina.
Three consignments of illicit drugs heading to the United Kingdom were intercepted on Thursday, 9th, and Friday, 10th October intercepted at a courier company in Lagos by NDLEA opera ves. One of the shipments, 1.74 kg of methamphetamine, was recovered from blocks of glass ceramics, while another shipment contains 114 grams and 168 grams of pentazocine and tramadol injec ons respec vely just as the third consignment contains 48 grams of tramadol capsules concealed in Vitamin C container, all going to the UK.
Bids by another set of criminal syndicates to ship 2.6kg skunk and 422grams tapentadol 250mg concealed in tablets of black soap heading to Turkey; 169 grams of cocaine hidden in lady’s handbags going to Australia and 568 grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in containers of herbs going to United Arab Emirates were thwarted by NDLEA opera ves at some courier companies in Lagos.
Meanwhile, a total of 27, 510 pills of rohypnol concealed in sachets of alcoholic drinks going to South Africa have been intercepted by NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Murtala Mohammed Interna onal Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos. A er the ini al arrest of a freight agent and a cab driver linked to the shipment, a follow up opera on at Oyingbo market in Lagos led to the arrest of the mastermind, 46-yearold Samuel Omoruyi (alias Yellow) on 2nd October.
Same day, an Italybased businessman Enehizena Augus ne Uyimwen was arrested by opera ves while attemp ng to export 3,700 pills of tramadol 225mg and 2,600 tabs of tapentadol 200mg hidden in food items to the European country.
He claimed he was trafficking the opioids for someone else for a fee of Nine Hundred and Forty-Five Euros (€945).
In like manner, Commands and forma ons of the Agency across the country con nued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensisa on ac vi es to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communi es, among others, in the past week.
These include: WADA sensi sa on lecture to students and staff of General Murtala Mohammed College, Yola, Adamawa; Assembly of God Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Community Girls Secondary School, Bakori, Katsina; Girls Secondary School, Nenwe, Awgu LGA, Enugu; Day Secondary School, Tungan Mallam, Paikoro LGA, Niger; Sacred Heart Sec-
ondary School, Kabba, Kogi; Ebenezer Model Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Secondary School, Borikiri, Rivers; Government Junior Secondary School, Wakili Bawa, Ungoggo LGA, Kano; and Bap st High School, Ede, Osun State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, MAKIA, DOGI, Kano, Edo, Rivers, Ka-
duna, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, and Osun Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Execuve Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain their tenacity, professionalism and balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
ADC Berates Akpabio For Mocking Plane Crash That Claimed Sultan Of Sokoto’s Life
Kazeem
SENATE President
Godswill Akpabio has come under cri cism a er he made a joke allegedly referencing the 2006 ADC Airlines plane crash that killed 96 people, including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Maccido.
The tragedy occurred on October 29, 2006, when ADC Airlines Flight 053 crashed in Abuja
shortly a er takeoff. The Sultan and other vic ms were travelling to a end an educa on summit organised by the Federal
Government. The opposi on African Democra c Congress (ADC), in a swi reac on, expressed outrage a er Akpabio joked about the crash during plenary.
Ekiti Terminates Over N1bn Road Project
Francis Adekunle, Ado-Ekiti
EKITI State Government has terminated the contract for the reconstruc on of the Ifaki/ Esure/Eyio/Awo road.
The contract for the reconstruc on of the road was awarded on February 25, 2022 at the sum of N1,852,697,256.16.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Informa on,. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in Ado-Eki that the termina on was based on the failure of the contractor to mobilise to site after several efforts made to him to do so, a er receiv-
ing the award no fica on and submi ed an acceptance le er.
Olatunbosun noted
that the re-award of the project became imperave due to the significance of the road to the socioeconomic growth of Eki
“Government condemned the nega ve impact of the failure of the contractor on the present administra on’s commitment to road infrastructure development”.
Olatunbosun pointed out that approval was therefore given to reaward the job to a competent contractor that will be ready for a mely execu on of the project and according to specifica on.
While mocking opposi on par es, Akpabio said: “I am in total sympathy with what’s going on. The PDP is on the ground, their umbrella is turned. The Labour Party is sca ered… ADC airline, ADC crashed, sorry ADC crashed even before it took off,” he said, laughing.
In response, ADC spokesman Bola Abdullahi, who shared his reac on on X, accused the Senate President of turning a na onal tragedy into a joke.
“On October 29, 2006, ADC Airlines Flight 053 crashed in Abuja, killing 96 people, including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Maccido, who had come to the capital to a end an educa on summit organised by the Federal Government.
“Now, it is this same na onal tragedy that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has turned into a joke and material for mockery. Who are these people?” Abdullahi wrote.
The 2006 ADC crash remains one of the darkest moments in Nigeria’s avia on history.
•Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar with the leaders of African Democratic Congress (ADC), in Adamawa State after a stakeholders meeting recently
•Oyebanji
•Akpabio
Badmus
THE Minister in charge of the cri cal electricity sector, Adebayo Adelabu, has never hidden his inten on to achieve his lifelong ambi on of becoming the Governor of Oyo State. He has had a run at the job before and came third running under the banner of the Accord Party last me.
Intending to govern your state is an honorable inten on, is an honorable proposi on. However, given the make-or-break nature of Nigeria’s wobbling electricity sector, ques ons must be asked as to whether the Power Minister can con nue to run to achieve his lifelong ambi on and at what cost to his total concentra on on the electricity sector.
The electricity sector to a pun is in a peculiar - Mess and whoever is the Minister in charge has a a Augean stable to clean! Any power minister needs more than 24 hours a day to be focused on the job. Running for an elec ve office and at the same me carrying out a juggling act or trying to reconcile the two cannot be possibly achieved. Nobody can have that me management, and the fact of the ma er is that it is coming to the stage where the Power Minister must choose between running for the Governor of Oyo State and running a power ministry that is so cri cal to the country’s future and its compe veness.
In some other countries, precisely because of this conflict of interest, there are limita ons placed under the presiden al system about the ac vi es of serving
The Power Minister Makes His Move
“This is not a personal attack on any individual; that would be uncalled for. For this notion cuts across the board and across all the states. We must begin to now look at new possibilities as well as begin to define boundaries”
cabinet ministers. In fact, there are countries in which par san polical ac vi es are completely ruled out. You either have to choose to concentrate on the demanding job of ministerial office or go back to deliver your cons tuency, as we say.”
In the United States of America, the hatch act is very detailed spell-
ing out the boundaries separa ng poli cal appointee of the Federal Government and their involvement in par cian poli cs. “May not engage in poli cal ac vity — i.e., ac vity directed at the success or failure of a poli cal party, candidate for par san poli cal office, or par san poli cal group — while the employee is on duty, in any federal room or building, while wearing a uniform or official insignia, or using any federally owned” furthermore the Hatch Act is clear in detail in spelling out viola ons “Examples of Hatch Act viola ons include using your official posi on to influence an elec on, solici ng or accep ng poli cal dona ons, being a candidate in a par san elec on, or displaying par san campaign materials in the workplace. Other examples include using federal resources for poli cal purposes, such as using official email to send cam-
The Discourse
paign messages or performing poli cal chores while on duty.”
The me has come for us in Nigeria, beset with mul dimensional crises of development, to consider an adapta on of the Hatch Act. Modern governance has become very, very complex and also demanding. It has broken the health of men and women, even in advanced countries where technical capacity and the infusion of new technologies have been an advantage.
We must really redefine the landscape now within the complexi es of our government. It is very difficult to reconcile the no on of maintaining structures and going back to deliver your cons tuencies. We must take a whole new look at this. The task ahead of Nigeria, to pull tens of millions of people out of poverty, is colossal and cannot be underrated. The me has come for people to either take their ambi ons to the next level or concentrate on their jobs.
This is not a personal a ack on any individual; that would be uncalled for. For this no on cuts across the board and across all the states. We must begin to now look at new possibili es as well as begin to define boundaries.
We cannot simply afford to go on like this. As far as the Minister for Electricity is concerned, we wish him well in his honorable quest for the governorship of his own state. But nevertheless, he really has to choose between the demanding, make-or-break electricity sector, its reform, and its op mal performance, or his lifelong ambi on.
Tinubu’s Appointment Of Amupitan: A Defining Test For Nigeria’s Electoral Future
TBy Oluwatosin Babatunde
HE appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) offers President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a chance to prove his commitment to credible elec ons and gives Nigeria an opportunity to restore faith in its fragile democracy.
President Bola Tinubu’s nomina on of Professor Joash Amupitan as INEC Chairman has generated mixed reacons from poli cal observers and the wider public. The appointment, coming at a me when confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system is at a low ebb, carries weight far beyond bureaucra c symbolism. It will test both the integrity of the new chairman and the sincerity of the government that appointed him.
Restoring Credibility to the Ballot Nigeria’s electoral umpire has been dogged by controversies that have eroded public trust. Despite the deployment of technology such as BVAS and IReV, the 2023 general elec ons le many Nigerians disillusioned. Complaints of irregulari es, delayed logis cs, and alleged poli cal interference deepened scep cism about the fairness of the process.
For Professor Amupitan, the task ahead is daun ng. He inherits an ins tuon in urgent need of credibility repair. Restoring public confidence must be his foremost priority. He must run INEC with transparency, courage, and absolute in-
“Professor Amupitan should begin his tenure with internal reform. The credibility of any election rests not only on policy but on process the competence, neutrality, and professionalism of those who administer it. INEC must strengthen its logistics chain, improve voter education, and ensure transparent collation of results”
dependence. Anything less would betray the hope of millions who s ll believe in the power of the ballot.
Tinubu’s Democra c Burden
For President Tinubu, a veteran of democra c struggle, this appointment is a moment of reckoning. The President’s legacy will not be judged solely by the policies of his administra on, but by the strength and independence of the instu ons he leaves behind.
He must therefore resist the tempta on to influence INEC’s opera ons or compromise its autonomy. A President who truly believes in democracy must empower the electoral body to act without fear or favour. Nigeria’s democra c journey will only deepen when its elec-
ons are beyond manipula on.
The Reform Impera ve Professor Amupitan should begin his tenure with internal reform. The credibility of any elec on rests not only on policy but on process the competence, neutrality, and professionalism of those who administer it. INEC must strengthen its logis cs chain, improve voter educaon, and ensure transparent colla on of results.
Equally, there must be zero tolerance for electoral malprac ce. The me has
come for the commission to collaborate with security agencies and the judiciary to prosecute electoral offenders decisively. Without accountability, credibility will remain elusive.
Beyond Appointments, Towards Legacy
OSUN DEFENDER
The appointment of Amupitan can either mark a turning point in Nigeria’s democra c evolu on or reinforce existing cynicism. Both the President and the new INEC chairman have roles to play one as a guarantor of ins tu onal freedom, the other as a guardian of electoral integrity.
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Ul mately, the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy will depend not on the smoothness of its rhetoric but on the strength of its ins tu ons. If Tinubu allows INEC to func on independently, and if Amupitan stands firm in defence of truth and fairness, the country may yet reclaim the promise of genuine democracy. The world is watching.
•Oluwatosin Babatunde is a Nigerian journalist and commentator on governance issues. He can be reached via babatosin247@gmail.com.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2025 VOL. 20 NO 50 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
Isaw Mr. Caleb Manasseh Mu wang (60), the governor of Plateau, a lawyerbanker and former Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau state, lamen ng on the television on the invasion of herdsmen to his state. The governor was almost in tears.
The same with Mr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia (59) the governor of Benue state, from Mbangur, Mbadede, Vandeikya local government area of Benue State. Mr. Alia, the Nigerian Catholic Cleric and poli cian, who is an ex-student at St. Augus ne’s Major Seminary in Jos. Incidentally, the concern of the two governors has been lingering even before they were born.
In 2018, I wrote on the crisis. I like to quote what I wrote then. “The Tiv/Fulani crisis in Benue/Plateau State has been on for too long. The older genera on passed this crisis to the present one in an unresolved form, and it is ge ng worse with the years. The present genera on must not pass the crisis down too, thereby saddling and punishing the incoming genera on with an inherited mayhem. Much blood has been spilled, and par cularly those of innocent folks. While many families have been displaced, many homes have equally been destroyed. And many s ll face a bleak future because of this crisis. It should and must end.”
In 1977, I had special rela onship with two gentlemen involved in the crisis. They were Chief Solomon Daushep Lar (4 April 1933 – 9 October 2013) and Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka (10 July 1932 – 30 March 1980), both of whom I got to know when I covered the Cons tuent Assembly in 1977.
Chief Solomon Lar was elected as a councilor to the Langtang Na ves Authority in January 1959. On 12 December 1959 he was elected to the Federal Parliament on the pla orm of United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC). He was reelected in 1964, and from then un l 15 January 1966, when General Yakubu Gowon GCFR took power in a coup, Lar was parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. He was also a Junior Minister in the Federal Ministry of establishments.
He became chairman of the board of directors of African Con nental Bank, member of the Nigeria Council of Legal Educa on and a member of the Cons tuent Assembly (1977–1978). He was a member of the panel chaired by Jus ce Ayo Irikefe that recommended expanding from 12 to 19 states during the regime of General Murtala Mohammed.
“During conflict resolution, we are always looking for a win-win solution, which is good, but that does not always happen. As the mediator, you should explore more options such as reaching an agreement, looking for a middle ground among the parties so that the issue can be addressed. Ask the parties what would best solve their problems after carefully listening to their concerns. This would eventually help you to analyze and identify a workable solution”
By ERIC TENIOLA
The Ever-Lingering Benue/Plateau Crisis
I used to call Chief Solomon Lar in 1977, CHAIRMAN, because he was the chairman of African Con nental Bank- one of the dead glories of the present SOUTH EAST region, just like Na onal Bank is to the present SOUTH WEST. His house at Obafemi Awolowo Road Ikoyi was part of my rendezvous. That was at the earlier formaon of the Nigeria’s People’s Party (NPP). He was one of the sponsors of Club 19 that eventually gave birth to the NPP at that me. I asked him at that me, why he did not join the Makama Bida/Shehu Shagari’s group that eventually formed the NPN, he said it would be a taboo if he should do so. He narrated to me the circumstances that led to his father’s death.
In the transi on to the Nigerian Fourth Republic Chief Solomon Lar became the first Na onal Chairman of People’s Democra c Party (PDP) in 1998, holding this posi on un l 2002 when he handed over to Chief Barnabas Gemade. In February 2004 he resigned as chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, handing over to Chief Tony Anenih at a caucus in Abuja.
Notwithstanding, he was a true middle belter.
In November 1979, Governor Solomon Lar then of Plateau state told me in Jos, that the day the middle belt crisis is resolved, that day, the Nigeria crisis would be resolved. He explained that unless you are a middle belter, one can never understand what “we go through in the hands of the Fulani man.”
I was in Obudu, Cross Rivers state recently, for the burial of Elizabeth Agbo Adede (1956-2025), the immediate junior sister of my friend, Senator Musa Adede. I was at the burial along with Colonel Lawan Gwadabe(rtd.), Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, Major Bashir Galma (rtd.), Bishop Jato, Al-
From
and
to Abuja, to take a flight back to Lagos. When I got to Makurdi that day, I had memories of my earlier life in that city. I visited Makurdi for the first me in 1977, courtesy of Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka.
On March 30, this year, it was 45 years that Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka (July 10, 1932-March 30, 1980) answered the final call. Unfortunately, the issue that he fought against in the last 24 years of his life – the conquest agenda of the Fulanis – s ll lingers. During his era, the problem was not about herdsmen but the imperialist policies of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), dictated by Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who was then the premier of Northern Nigeria.
He was a teacher like his father, Tarka Nanchi. His mother, Sera Ikpu Anyam Tarka, a nurse, died in December 2005 at the age of 95. At an early age, he a ended the London Cons tu onal Conference in 1958.
Others like him, who were young and from minority par es, who a ended the conference included Mr. H. Biriye, Dr. Okoi Arikpo of the United Na onal Independence Party; Mr. P. Dokotri, also of the United Middle Belt Congress; Dr. Udo Udoma of the United Na onal Independence Party; Mallam Aminu Kano, Mallam Ibrahim Imam, and Dr. S.E. Imoke from I gidi in Cros River State, who later became a minister and married a pre y princess from Sabongida-Ora in the present Edo State. Dr. Imoke was the father of Senator Liyel Imoke, the former governor of Cross River State.
Chief Tarka got elected into the House of Representa ves, represen ng Jemgbar Cons tuency, by 34,243 votes. He defeated J.I. Ukume of the NPC who
scored 1,191 votes and S.C. Sarma of the Na onal Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), who scored 703 in the 1958 elec on. He then formed his party, the United Middle Belt Congress, along with Patrick Dokotri, David Obadiah Vreng Lot, Ahmadu Angara, Isaac Shaahu, Edward Kundu Swen and others. He entered into an alliance with the Ac on Group, led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He later entered into another alliance with the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), made up of Mallam Aminu Kano, Yerima Bello,Abubakar Zukogi, Ahmed Tireda, Gambo Sawaba, Ibrahim Heeban, Saliu Tate, Yahaya Abdullahi, Saliu Nakande, Shehu Sataima, Ali Dakat, Ango Soba, Adamu Gaya, Mallam Lawal Dan Bazua, Abubakar Tambuwal, Babadije Jimeta, Alhaji Tanko Yankassai (spokesman) and others.
The primary aim of Chief Tarka was to fight for the independence of the Tivs from the hands of the Northern Peoples’ Congress. That fight led to the emancipa on of the people we now refer to as the Middle Belt. It had snowballed into the major crisis which we now refer to as the Tiv Riots of 1960 to 1964. This was at the me that Alhaji Aliyu Muhammed, the Wazirin Jamaa, who later became secretary to the government of the federa on, was sent by Sir Ahmadu Bello as administrator of Tiv land.
The Nigerian Army was forced to quell those riots. Senior Military officers, including Major Adewale Ademoyega, Major Christain Anuforo, Lt. Col. Yakubu Pam, Major Timothy Onwuatuegwu, took part in quelling the upheavals. These officers, who were of the 3rd ba alion of the Nigerian Army had just returned from Tanzania a er cracking down on an internal problem in that country. They later became vic ms or key players in January 15, 1966 coup. Eventually one of them from the Middle Belt, General Yakubu Gowon, came into power in July 1966 and a few months later in 1967 split the country into 12 states.
General Gowon invited Chief Tarka into his cabinet as minister for communica on, only to be succeeded by Brigadier General Rufai Murtala Ramat Mohammad (193876), but was later forced out of the cabinet as a result of allega ons of corrup on made by one of his kinsmen, Chief Godwin Daboh Adzuana (1942-2012).
The Tiv Riots and the independence of the Middle Belt played a key role later in the crea on of more states in 1967. The calcula on then was that the crea on of states would free the Middle Belt from the conquest agenda of the Fulanis. That calcula on has proved wrong.
My friendship with Chief Joseph Sarwuan Tarka was a friendship that I valued and s ll cherish ll date. He was a charisma c and true leader of the Tiv people. I was introduced to him by Alhaji Uba Ahmed some mes in 1977, a er which our friendship grew and lasted ll, he died in a London hospital on March 30, 1980. Friendship between Journalists and Policians is inevitable.
I was at the hospital with Senator Uba Ahmed when he died and we accompanied his corpse back to Nigeria in a Nigerian Air Force Hercules plane, courtesy of President Shehu Shagari. I was also at his funeral service in his hometown. Between 1977 ll his death, his general complaint was about the plight of his Tiv people. He kept referring to the Tiv Riots and how his people were massacred during the military campaigns that followed it.
•Teniola, a writer and veteran columnist, is a former Director at the Presidency.
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haji Jani Ibrahim, John Owan
others.
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