The Nigerian government on Thursday released the list for the 2013/2014 National Honours Award recipients. The list containing 307 names had President Goodluck Jonathan's steward, a traffic warden and others included.
The Investiture will hold on Monday, 29th September 2014 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
See full list below:
LIST OF 2013/2014 NATIONAL HONOURS AWARD
AIR MARSHAL ALEX SABUNDU BADEH CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF CFR
MAJ. GEN. KENNETH MINIMAH CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF CFR
REAR ADMIRAL USMAN JIBRIN CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF CFR
AIR VICE MARSHAL ADESOLA AMOSU CHIEF OF AIR STAFF CFR
ALHAJI SULAIMAN ABBA ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE CFR
HON. JUSTICE BOLARINWA O. BABALAKIN FMR. SUPREME COURT, JUDGE CFR
HON. JUSTICE ABUBAKAR BASHIR WALI JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT, (RTD) CFR
HON. JUSTICE IBRAHIM TANKO MUHAMMAD JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT CFR
HON. JUSTICE CHRISTOPHER M.CHUKWUMA – ENEH JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT CFR
HON. JUSTICE MUHAMMAD S. MUNTAKA COOMASSIE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT CFR
HON. JUSTICE JOHN AFOLABI FABIYI JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT CFR
HON. JUSTICE OLUFUNLOLA OYELOLA ADEKEYE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT CFR
MOHAMMED SAMBO DASUKI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER CFR
BUKAR GONI AJI FORMER HEAD OF SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION CFR
MR. DANLADI I. KIFASI, OON, mni HEAD OF SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION CFR
AMB. AYO OKE DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CFR
HRM OBA DR. VICTOR ADEMEFUN A. KILADEJO TRADITIONAL RULER CFR
CHIEF PHILIP C. ASIODU OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANT CFR
BRIG. GEN. JONES O. AROGBOFA (RTD) CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT CFR
HRH ALAYELUWA OBA (DR.) JIMOH OYEWUMI A.TRADITIONAL RULER CFR
CHIEF KOLAWOLE BABALOLA JAMODU, OFR
FORMER MINISTER/ PRESIDENT OF M.A.N. CFR
CHIEF OLUDOLAPO IBUKUN AKINKUGBE ENTREPRENEUR CFR
CHIEF (DR.) EMMANUEL C. IWUANYNWU BUSINESS MAN CFR
JIMOH IBRAHIM FOLORUNSHO, OFR ENTREPRENEUR CFR
ALHAJI IBRAHIM ADEJOH IDRIS FORMER GOVERNOR CON
HON. JUSTICE OLATOKUNBO ODUYINKA OLOPADE CHIEF JUDGE, OGUN STATE CON
HON. JUSTICE ALOY NWEKE NWANKO CHIEF JUDGE, EBONYI STATE CON
HON. JUSTICE ISUA IDONGESIT NFEM BASSEY CHIEF JUDGE, AKWA IBOM STATE CON
HON JUSTICE NASIRU A, AJANAH CHIEF JUDGE, KOGI STATE CON
HONOURABLE JUSTICE HAKILA YALAH HEMAN CHIEF JUDGE, GOMBE STATE CON
HONOURABLE JUSTICE KATE ABIRI CHIEF JUDGE, BEYELSA STATE CON
ALH. ABDULKADIR SAIDU TAMBUWAL GRAND KHADI, SOKOTO STATE CON
HON. JUSTICE AMINA ADAMU AUGIE JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEAL CON
HON. JUSTICE ABUBAKAR JEGA ABDUL-KADIR
JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEAL CON
DR. PETER ODILI FORMER GOVERNOR CON
ENGR. MUHAMMED ABBA GANA FORMER MINISTER CON
CHIEF THOMAS IKEOKWUADEM AGUIYI-IRONSI FORMER MINISTER CON
HM OBA (DR.) FREDRICK E. OBATERU AKINRUNTAN TRADITIONAL RULER CON
AMB. DAN SULEIMAN FORMER AMBASSADOR CON
OLOROGUN FELIX O. IBRU BUSINESS MAN CON
CHIEF OLUSEGUN OLADIPO OSUNKEYE CHAIRMAN, NESTLE PLC CON
HON JUSTICE ALI UMAR ERI FORMER C.J. KOGI STATE/DG NATIONAL JUDICAL INSTITUTE CON
HAMIDU GAMBARI ERUBU RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT/ PROMINET
EDUCATIONIST FOR OVER 50 YEARS CON
JUSTICE OBANDE FESTUS OGBUINYA JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEAL CON
CHIEF JOHN E. KENNETH ODIGIE OYEGUN FMR. GOVERNOR CON
CHIEF TOM IKIMI POLITICIAN/FMR. MINISTER CON
AHMAD RUFA’I SANI SENATOR /FMR. GOVERNOR CON
HRH MUHAMMODU ISA MUHAMMADU TRADITIONAL RULER/EMIR OF JAMA’A CON
ERELU OLUSOLA I.A. OBADA FORMER DEPUTY GOVERNOR/FORMER MINISTER CON
MR. MUTIU OLANIYI A. SUNMONU M.D. SPDC CON
HON. JUSTICE P.D. DAMULAK CHIEF JUDGE, PLATEAU STATE CON
CHIEF (DR.) MICHAEL OLAWALE COLE FORMER PRESIDENT, NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CON
CHIEF (DR.) MRS. ONIKEPO AKANDE FORMER MINISTER CON
SEN. NKECHI J. NWAOGU SENATOR CON
SEN. CHRISTOPHER BABAJIDE OMOWORARE SENATOR CON
DAME VIRGY N. ETIABA FORMER DEPUTY / ACTING GOVERNOR/ EDUCATIONIST CON
SENATOR IYIOLA OMISORE FMR. SENATOR/FMR DEPUTY GOVERNOR CON
SEN. MARAFA KABIR GARBA SENATOR CON
UMAR AYINLA SARO BUSINESSMAN CON
FUNSO K. LAWAL, OON INDUSTRIALIST CON
CHIEF (DR.) THEODORE AHAMEFULA ORJI GOVERNOR CON
MALLAM ISA YUGUDA GOVERNOR CON
BARR. SULLIVAN IHEANACHO CHIME GOVERNOR CON
DR OLUSEGUN MIMIKO GOVERNOR CON
ALHAJI SA’IDU USMAN NASAMU DAKINGARI GOVERNOR CON
DA DAVID JONAH JANG GOVERNOR CON
SENATOR IBIKUNLE AMOSUN GOVERNOR CON
DR JOHN KAYODE FAYEMI GOVERNOR CON
BRIG. GEN. RAJI RASAKI (RTD) FORMER MILITARY ADMINISTRATOR CON
MALLAM IBRAHIM SHEKARAU HON. MINISTER CON
PROF. CHINEDU O. NEBO, OON HON. MINISTER CON
MRS. SARAH RENG OCHEKPE HON. MINISTER CON
ARC. MIKE ONOLEMEMEN HON. MINISTER CON
MR. LABARAN MAKU HON. MINISTER CON
HAJIYA ZAINAB MAINA, MFR HON. MINISTER CON
ARC. MUSA MOHAMMED SADA HON. MINISTER CON
AMB. BASHIR YUGUDA HON. MINISTER CON
MR. EZENWO NYESOM WIKE HON. MINISTER CON
SENATOR FEMI OKUNRONMU SENATOR CON
MR. OLATUNDE JOHN AYENI CHAIRMAN, SKYE BANK PLC CON
MR. GODWIN EMEFIELE GOVERNOR, CBN CON
SENATOR GEORGE THOMPSON SIKIBO JP SENATOR CON
MAJOR GEN. SURAJ ALAO ABDULRAHMAN FORCE COMMANDER, LIBERIA ARMED FORCES CON
DR. ABDUALLAHI UMAR GANDUJE DEPUTY GOVERNOR, KANO STATE OFR
AMB. (DR.) MARTIN IHOEGHIAN UHOMOIBHI PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS OFR
KOBIS ARI THIMNU SSG, ADAMAWA OFR
ALH. SAHABI ISA GADA SSG, SOKOTO STATE OFR
PROF. MKPA AGU MKPA SSG, ABIA STATE OFR
GARVEY ACHEN YAWA SSG, TARABA STATE OFR
HANNATU INTI UGAH (MRS) HEAD OF SERVICE, KADUNA STATE OFR
MAJ. GEN. SHEHU USMAN ABDULKADIR PIONEER FORCE COMMANDER, FIRST AFRICAN
UNION AND ECOWAS PEACE MISSION IN MALI OFR
BOLAJI AYORINDE, SAN LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
ENGR. (CHIEF) AMIN IBRAHIM MOUSSALLI GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR AIM GROUP LTD OFR
CHIEF GAFAR KAYODE ANIMASAHUN GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR AIM GROUP LTD OFR
PA. MICHAEL TAIWO AKINKUNMI DESIGNER OF THE NATIONAL FLAG OFR
MIKE AGBEDOR ABU OZEKHOME (SAN) LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
CHIEF SIMON NSUNNDU OKEKE FMR. CHAIRMAN POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION OFR
HRH. ABUBAKAR UMAR SULEIMAN TRADITIONAL RULER OFR
CHIEF VICTOR UMEH POLITICIAN OFR
ALHAJI BUHARI BALA FORMER MINISTER OFR
SENATOR UMAR ABUBAKAR ARGUNGU SENATOR OFR
PROF. OLOYEDE IS-HAQ OLAREWAJU FORMER VICE CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN
OFR
DR. GREGORY IKECHUKWU IBE VISITOR GREGORY UNIVERSITY OFR
CHIEF JOE KYARI GADZAMA, SAN, MFR LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
SIR EMMANUEL N. MADUEKWE CHAIRMAN FIRST TARZAN MOTORS LTD OFR
CHIEF ADENIGBA F. FADAHUNSI RTD CUSTOM OFFICER OFR
HRH. PRINCE AL WALEED BIN TALAL FOREIGN INVESTOR OFR
JUDE NNODUM, SAN LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
DAFE AKPEDEYE, SAN LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
DR. IGWE AJA-NWACHUKWU PRO. CHANCELLOR, EBONYI STATE UNIVERSITY OFR
MR. ERICO MONFRINI LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
PROF. PETER T. AKPER, SAN LEGAL PRACTITIONER OFR
ENGR. BEKINBO R. DAGOGO-JACK CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON POWER OFR
AMB. GODSON ONYEMACHI ECHEGILE FORMER AMBASSADOR OFR
PROF. WILLIAMS BARNABAS QURIX VC, KADUNA STATE UNIVERSITY OFR
ALAHAJI SANI SIDI D.G . NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (NEMA) OFR
SHEIKH ABDULHAFEEZ ABOU RELIGIOUS LEADER OFR
BRIG. GENERAL NNAMDI OKORIE AFFIA FORMER D.G. NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE CORPS OFR
RT. HON. BATHEL NNAEKA AMADI SPEAKER, PAN AFRICAN PARLIAMENT OFR
DR. ALEX C. OTTI M.D. DIAMOND BANK PLC OFR
ENGR. M. A. K. ABUBAKAR, MFR DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT OFR
LT. GEN. CHIKADIBIA ISAAC OBIAKOR CHAIRMAN UNITED NATIONS BOARD OF INQUIRY IN ABIYEI OFR
MR. MIKE OMERI AGBO-OMERI DG. NATIONAL ORIENTATION AGENCY OFR
UKURA SAMUEL TYONONGO, FCA AUDITOR GENERAL FOR THE FEDERATION OFR
MR. JONAH OGUNNIYI OTUNLA ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF FEDERATION OFR
BASHORUN SEINDE AROGBOFA EDUCATIONIST/AUTHOR OFR
MR. JOHN KENNEDY OPARA PUBLIC SERVANT OFR
DR. VALERIE AZINGE SECRETARY, NATIONAL CONFERENCE OFR
MR. DAVID SHIKFU PARRADANG COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF IMMIGRATION OFR
HONOURABLE ARUA ARUNSI MEMBER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE OFR
PROF. BARTHOLOMEW OKOLO FORMER VC, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA OFR
MRS. CATHERINE UJU IFEJIKA MANAGING DIRECTOR, BRITENIA–U NIG. LTD OFR
FAITH TUEDOR MATHEWS GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO MAINSTREET BANK OFR
PROF. KIMSE AMAEBI BIYE OKOKO CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE OF PRO-CHANCELLORS OFR
PROF. EPIPHANY AZINGE DIRECTOR-GENERAL, NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NIALS) OON
DIG SULEIMAN DAUDA FAKAI DIG OON
ATIKU YUSUF KAFUR DIG OON
EMMANUEL ONYEDIKACHI UDEOJI DIG OON
PETER YISA GANA DIG OON
DIG. MARVEL ENAJERO AKPOYIBO DIG OON
ABDEL RAHMAN OLAJIDE AKANO DIG OON
PHILEMON IBRAHIM LEHA DIG OON
JALAL AHMAD ARABI STATE HOUSE COUNSEL OON
HON. JUSTICE GABZIU ADEMOLA BAKRE RTD. JUDGE OON
MAJ. GEN. FELIX O. A. IORSHASE (RTD) FORMER PROVOST MARSHAL NIGERIA ARMY OON
ADAMU MUHAMMED GARIN GABAS PERMANENT SECRETARY IN JIGAWA STATE OON
CHIEF (DR.) FABIAN NWAORA BUSINESS MAN OON
PROF. OSITA OGBU ACADEMICIAN OON
MR. AKINSANYA SUNNY AJOSE RETIRED HEAD OF SERVICE, LAGOS STATE OON
MAJ. GEN. SUNDAY NLEMCHUKWU CHIKWE FORMER GOC 81 DIVISION, NIGERIA ARMY OON
PROF. ISRAEL OLATUNJI ORUBULOYE ACADEMICIAN OON
PROF ANDREW JONATHAN NOK ACADEMICIAN OON
PROF. CYPRIAN OGBONNA ONYEJI VICE CHANCELLOR, ESUT OON
PROF. OPEOLUWA OLADEINDE ADEKUNLE
MEMBER POST GRADUATE COMMITTEE, ACADEMIC HEALTH SERVICE COMPUTER OF
EASTERN CAPS OON
MR. OSCAR ONYEMA CEO, NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE OON
DR. PATRICK I. OKPAH BUSINESS MAN OON
AMB. ALIYU DALA HASSAN DIPLOMAT OON
FOLUSHO OLANIYAN (MRS) MANAGING DIRECTOR, UTC NIG. PLC OON
MOHAMMED SANI KALLAH RESEARCHER OON
OTUNBA THEOPHILUS OLUWOLE AKINDELE ENGINEER OON
BEN MURRAY – BRUCE (MR) BUSINESSMAN OON
HRM. OVIE RICHARD L. OGBON TRADITIONAL RULER OON
SIR STEVE B. OMOJAFOR CHAIRMAN ZENITH BANK PLC OON
MR. CHUKWUEMEKA GODSWILL ONWUKA CHAIRMAN ENTERPRISE BANK OON
ALH. SULEIMAN YAHAYA CHAIRMAN NAHCO OON
CHIEF (SIR) EMMANUEL UMEOHIA CEO, EMABUMEH AND SONS LTD OON
ABUBAKAR LADAN ZARIA MUSICIAN OON
MR. BERNARD O. N. OTTI GED FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS NNPC OON
DR. AMINU LADAN SHAREHU DG/CEO, NATIONAL TEACHERS INSTITUTE KADUNA OON
MR. JOSEPH OLUREMI AKANDE COMMISSIONER FCSC, ABUJA OON
AMB. CHUKWUDI N. OKAFOR NIGERIA’S AMBASSADOR TO THAILAND OON
MR. ADEYEMO M. TUNDE ACCOMPLISHED CIVIL SERVANT OON
DR. SHEHU YAHAYA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB) OON
CECILIA AKINTOMIDE SECRETARY, ADB TUNISIA/ IVORY COAST OON
MAHMOOD AHMADU CEO. OLS SERVICES OON
DR. ADO JIMADA GANA MUHAMMAD CIVIL SERVANT OON
DR. ABDULLAHI Y. SHEHU DG. INT. GOVT. ACTION AGAINST MONEY LAUNDRING IN WEST AFRICA
OON
AMB. BINA CITIP SELCHUM DIPLOMAT OON
AMB. ESTHER AUDU (MRS) NIGERIA’S HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE GAMBIA OON
MANU GARBA (MFR) CHIEF COACH, UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM OON
MRS. BEATRICE E. JEDY-AGBA EXECUTIVE SECRETARY NAPTIP OON
OBONG MICHAEL A. AFANGIDEH ENTREPRENEUR/ POLITICIAN OON
HIS EMINENCE IME A. UMOETTE RELIGIOUS LEADER OON
HRM OFFONG (ENG) EFFIONG ROBIN ASABI TRADITIONAL RULER OON
ALHAJI MUHAMMADU NADADA UMAR FORMER DIRECTOR-GENERAL SMEDAN OON
ALHAJI GIMBA YA’U KUMO MANAGING DIRECTOR, FEDERAL MORTGAGE BANK OF NIGERIA
OON
BOMA OZOBIA, LLM FORMER PRESIDENT COMMONWEALTH LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OON
PROF. SHEHU ARABU RISKWA FORMER VC, USMAN DANFADIO UNIVERSITY, SOKOTO OON
DR. (CHIEF) DAVID OGBA ONUOHA ENTREPRENEUR OON
IBRAHIM MOHAMMED MERA PUBLIC SERVANT/DCG CUSTOMS OON
PETER DEDEVBO COACH UNDER 20 NATIONAL FEMALE FOOTBALL TEAM OON
DR. AKILU NDABAWA SECRETARY PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL CONFERENCE OON
PROF. ABDUL GANIYU AMBALI VC UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN OON
IDRIS ABIODUN JAWANDO RETIRED DIRECTOR ENGINEERING CIVIL AND SANITARY INFRASTRUCTURE
OON
STELLA UGBOMA PROMINENT LAWYER, FMR. PRESIDENT OF FIDA OON
MRS. KATHERINE PHILIP ADAMU CHIEF CATERING OFFICER, STATE HOUSE MFR
HAMALAI JUMMAI GWALEM HOUSE KEEPER, PRESIDENTIAL WING, NNAMDI AZIKIWE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MFR
MR. FELIX IKUMAPAYI, FDC DIRECTOR, DIRECTORATE OF STATE SERVICE (DSS) MFR
OLALEKAN ODUGBEMI, FDC DIRECTOR, DIRECTORATE OF STATE SERVICE (DSS) MFR
HON. FARUK MALAMI YABO HON. COMMISSIONER IN SOKOTO STATE MFR
HON. GABRIEL HAMADAMA HON. COMMISSIONER, IN ADAMAWA STATE MFR
ELDER (DR,) MRS. HANNAH ODEPO-YAMA RETIRED SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL MFR
MR. KNUT ULVMOEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DANGOTE GROUP MFR
ENG. YUVAL LEVY GM. SCC NIGERIA LTD. MFR
HAJIYA ZAINAB ABU BELLO EDUCATIONIST MFR
ALH. KABIR ALKALI MUHAMMED ACCOUNTANT MFR
PROF. HAFEZ ABUBAKAR EDUCATIONIST MFR
DOUKPOLA FRANCIS AMAEBI BANKER MFR
ALH. NUHU ABDULKADIR TRADITIONAL RULER MFR
MR. N. G. PATEL INDUSTRIALIST MFR
AMB. ADAMU SAIDU DAURA POLITICIAN MFR
CHIEF (MRS.) LEILA EUPHEMIA APINKE FOWLER LEGAL PRACTITIONER MFR
KENNETH EMEKA NWABUEZE (ENGR.) CONSULTANT MFR
BARR. JOEL SABO ANINGE TRADITIONAL RULER MFR
BLESSING OKAGBARE ATHLETE, GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MFR
BISHOP DR. (MRS.) IREYEESORISEONE AKUMAGBA CLERGY MFR
CHHIEF (DR.) CHRISTIAN OBIDINNA OGEDAZI, BL LEGAL PRACTITIONER MFR
IDRIS IBRAHIM GINSAU DIRECTOR IN JIGAWA STATE CIVIL SERVICE MFR
CHIEF (MRS.) DOHERTY BOLAJOKO BIMBOLA EDUCATIONIST MFR
MR. UDEME ONOFIOK UFOT BUSINESSMAN MFR
PROF. OLUWOLE DANIEL MAKINDE SCIENTIST MFR
MRS. MAIDEN IBRU PUBLISHER GUARDIAN NEWS PAPER MFR
MR. IMEH USUAH TAXI DRIVER MFR
DR. JOE OKEI-ODUMAKIN HUMAN RIGHT ACTIVIST MFR
PROF. NIYI AKINNASO LECTURER MFR
ALH. AHMAD BADAMASUIY RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT MFR
CHIEF (DR.) MURTALA ADEBAYO LEGAL PRACTITIONER MFR
PROF. KEVIN MICHAEL OGON ETTA EDUCATIONIST MFR
RT. HON. ATOZA IHINDAN POLITICIAN MFR
ADEDAPO OLUSEUN ABIODUN AKANDE BUSINESS EXECUTIVE MFR
MR. EBERE YOUNG ACHARAIKE MEDIA CONSULTANT MFR
CHIEF (MRS.) MOJI MAKANJUOLA JOURNALIST MFR
ELDER URUM KALU EKE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR, FIRST BANKS PLC MFR
MUHAMMAD BABANDEDE DEPUTY COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF IMMIGRATION MFR
DAVOU TIMOTHY PWAJOK EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF AFRIMINES LTD MFR
HRH. HARUNA TANKO JIBRIN KUJE TRADITIONAL RULER MFR
HRH. ALH. HASSAN ATTAHIRU BUNGUGU TRADITIONAL RULER MFR
EMMANUEL AMUNEKE ASSISTANT COACH, UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MFR
NDUKA UGBADE ASSISTANT COACH, UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MFR
EMEKA AMADI GOALKEEPER TRAINER MFR
MR. ENGENIUSZ LAC HOWSKI CHAUFFER, NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSION, CANADA MFR
PATIENCE OKAEME CAPTAIN, UNDER 20 NATIONAL FEMALE FOOTBALL TEAM MFR
CHIEF MRS. NKECHI OKEMINI MBA NATIONAL PRESIDENT, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN SOCIETIES MFR
HAJIA RAMATU BALA USMAN FORMER NATIONAL PRESIDENT, NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN SOCIETIES MFR
MR. KENNETH NNEBUE ACTOR MFR
OMOTOLA JALADE EKEINDE FILM MAKER /ACTRESS MFR
AJOKE SYLVA JACOBS ACTRESS MFR
NNIMMO BASSEY ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST MFR
CHIEF OLADEJI FASUAN RETIRED PERMANENT SECRETARY MON
SE-ALABO (AMB) DAGOGO CLAUDE-WILCOX FMR. AMBASSADOR MON
ABRAHAM NDANA YISA LEGAL PRACTITIONER MON
HASSAN MUHAMMAD LIMAN ESQ, SAN LEGAL PRACTITIONER MON
CHIEF (DR.) SYLVANUS O. EBIGWEI MEDICAL DOCTOR MON
SALIHU SINTALMA ABUBAKAR PUBLIC SERVANT MON
ALIYU OMAR CIVIL SERVANT MON
HRM. OBA JACOB OLUFEMI OMOLADE JP TRADITIONAL RULER MON
HRH. EZEKWO SAMUEL CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT MON
ONUH ISAAC MICHAEL HEAD, PRESIDENTIAL STEWARDS MON
ADO AHMAD G. DABINO PUBLIC SERVANT MON
CPL. SOLOMON DAUDA TRAFFIC WARDEN MON
MRS.MAIRO I. LONDON EDUCATIONIST MON
ODO CLAIRE KALANGO ADMINISTRATOR MON
DR. NATHANIEL CHIDI NWANERI ACCOMPLISHED TEACHER MON
OBA MICHAEL ADESINA TRADITIONAL RULER MON
ALH. SHITU MUHAMMED BUSINESS MAN MON
YUSUF KUNLE POLITICIAN/YOUTH MOBILIZER MON
EGBAIYELO TEMITAYO TEAM SECRETARY, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
AYODEJI OLARINOYE TEAM DOCTOR, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
GABRIEL OYENUGA TEAM PHYSIOTHERAPIST, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN TEAM MEDIA OFFICER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
SULEIMAN ABUBAKAR TEAM COORDINATOR, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
MOHAMMED KAFA EQUIPMENT MANAGER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
MUSA MUHAMMED PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
SUNDAY ALAMPASU PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
ABDULAZEEZ ABUBAKAR PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
UZOHO ODINAKA PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
ZAHARADEEN BELLO PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
ALIU ABUBAKAR PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
OBASI CHIGOZIE PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
MUSA YAHAYA PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
SAMUEL GODWIN OKON PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
CHIDIEBERE NWAKALI PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
AKINJIDE IDOWU PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
SALIHU A. BABA PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
GODWIN SAVIOUR PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
ALFA ABDULLAHI PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
MAKANJUOLA HABEEB PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
CHIDERA EZEH PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
SUCCESS ISAAC PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
KELECHI IHEANACHO PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
AWONIYI TAIWO PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
DENNIS OKON NYA PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
JAPHET RAYMOND PLAYER, 2013 NATIONAL UNDER 17 FOOTBALL TEAM MON
PROF. ALASHILE ABIMIKU EDUCATIONIST MON
ASISAT OSHOALA HIGHEST GOAL SCORER, 2014 UNDER 20 FIFA FEMALE FOOTBALL COMPETITIONS MON
AMINAT ADENIYI GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
ABDULAZEEZ IBRAHIM GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
ESE BRUME GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
LOVELINE OBIJI GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
MARYAM USMAN GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
ODUAYO ADEKUOROYE GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
OLUWATOYIN ADESANMI GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
PAUL KEHINDE GOLD MEDALLIST 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES MON
ADEKOYA JAMIU POLICE INSPECTOR FRM I
SGT. JAFARU WADZANI POLICE OFFICER FRM II
Gunmen believed to be kidnappers attacked a commercial vehicle belonging to Benue Links, the state-owned transport company.
About 17 candidates travelling to Otukpo for their examination centres in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are feared to have been abducted, although the exact number of victims remains unclear.
Information available to our correspondent says that the incident took place between 7–8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, along the Benue Burnt Bricks in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
According to sources, the assailants waylaid the bus and robbed the occupants of their belongings before whisking them away into the bush.
An eyewitness, who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said the Benue Links bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, ran into the kidnappers at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.
“The passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.
When contacted, the General Manager of Benue Links, Mr Alexander Fanafa, confirmed the incident, noting that the driver of the bus is presently undergoing interrogation at the police station in Otukpo for violating the company’s safety policy not to travel beyond 6:00 p.m.
He said, “As I speak with you, the driver has been arrested and is under investigation for traveling against company directive. I have warned all drivers to stop night journeys, as they would be held as first suspects if anything unfortunate happens.”
The General Manager further stated that the driver took his vehicle and loaded the passengers who were heading to Otukpo after official hours when the park manager, Mr Amedu, had closed, and ran into trouble, so he has been arrested.
The Executive Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident, saying that it occurred between 7 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
He added that security agents have been mobilized to rescue the victims, stating that the victims are all young people coming to Otukpo to write JAMB examinations.
“It is true, I’m just coming out from a security meeting, and security operatives have been moved into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims.
“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB,” Ogiri said.
However, when contacted, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the situation, but said 14 passengers were kidnapped, while one passenger escaped.
The commissioner disclosed that he had already arrived in Otukpo and is conducting the rescue operation.
“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush, and I am heading the operation.
“What happened was that one Benue Links bus carrying passengers coming to Otukpo was stopped and attacked by hoodlums, and 14 passengers were kidnapped, but one was able to escape,” he said.
According to him, the command had commenced an investigation into the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the journey.
He maintained that Benue Links management has a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly picked up passengers after official hours.
“We know that Benue Links has a policy and don’t usually drive at night. So from what I got, they have already closed, but the driver, for reasons best known to him which we are still trying to find out, picked passengers along the road, and when he came here, the story you have is what we are having.
“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” Emenari said.
News
There are governments that save for the rainy day, governments that prepare for the storm, and governments that, when the heavens open and money falls like tropical rain, rush outside with buckets full of holes. Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu, has perfected a fourth category: the government that borrows during a windfall. It is a feat of fiscal acrobatics so astonishing that even the most cynical observers of Abuja’s budgetary theatre must pause in admiration. For decades, Nigeria has squandered oil booms with the reliability of a metronome. But this administration has achieved something more ambitious: it has managed to squander a boom before it even finishes arriving.
The US–Iran war has sent oil prices soaring to $115 per barA Government Addicted to Debtrel, nearly double the government’s benchmark of $64.85. Nigeria is earning an extra $92 million every single day; a torrent of unbudgeted cash that would make even the most jaded petro state accountant blush. In barely a month, Abuja has pocketed almost $3 billion in windfall revenue. If the conflict drags on, the country could rake in $30–$36 billion this year alone. And what has the Tinubu administration done with this unexpected bounty? Why, it has gone on a borrowing binge, of course.
In the past week alone, the National Assembly approved: a $5 billion loan from First Abu Dhabi Bank; a $1 billion UKEF backed loan for Lagos ports; a $6 billion external borrowing package, rubber stamped in under four hours, and a N68.323 trillion budget; the largest in Nigeria’s history. This is not fiscal policy. This is a national credit card with no spending limit. Nigeria’s public debt now hovers around $115 billion, and debt servicing will gulp N20.5 trillion in 2026; more than the budgets of health, education, and infrastructure combined. Yet the government borrows as though it were a teenager discovering online shopping for the first time. One might have expected that a historic oil windfall would inspire restraint. Instead, Abuja behaves like a gambler who wins the lottery and immediately takes out a loan to buy more lottery tickets.
The Senate: From Upper Chamber to Upper Cashier
The Senate’s role in this farce deserves special mention. Once conceived as a check on executive excess, it now functions as a conveyor belt for presidential loan requests. The $6 billion borrowing package was approved with the speed of a fast food order; no debate, no scrutiny, no hesitation. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, hardly a stranger to Nigeria’s fiscal melodramas, described the approval as “reckless urgency.” He is being polite. The Senate has not merely abdicated oversight; it has embraced its new role as a ceremonial stamp of approval, a kind of legislative rubber chicken waved over every loan document. One wonders whether senators even bother to read the fine print anymore, or whether they simply check the exchange rate, sigh, and sign.
The Oil Windfall That Will Not Be Saved
Other countries treat oil windfalls as blessings. Norway built a sovereign wealth fund so large it could buy entire countries. Saudi Arabia uses its surpluses to diversify its economy. Even Angola; long mocked for its corruption, has learned to stash away a portion of its oil riches. Nigeria, by contrast, treats windfalls as invitations to spend more, borrow more, and plan less. The Excess Crude Account, once envisioned as a rainy day fund, is now emptier than a politician’s promise after election day. The Sovereign Wealth Fund is a polite fiction. And fiscal discipline is a rumor whispered in the corridors of the Ministry of Finance. The tragedy is not that Nigeria is poor. The tragedy is that Nigeria is mismanaged.
The revised N68.323 trillion budget is a monument to fiscal optimism. It allocates N15.8 trillion to debt servicing; N15.4 trillion to recurrent expenditure, and N32.2 trillion to capital projects, many of them rolled over from previous years because the government failed to implement them. This is not a budget. It is a wish list. The government insists that the spending spree will “stimulate growth,” “unlock infrastructure,” and “stabilize the economy.” These are the same phrases Nigerian governments have used since the 1970s, usually moments before the economy collapses under the weight of its own contradictions.
Borrowing to Service Borrowing
The most farcical element of the Tinubu administration’s fiscal strategy is its reliance on borrowing to service existing borrowing. Nigeria now borrows to pay interest on previous loans, borrows to refinance old debts, borrows to fund recurrent expenditure, and borrows to cover budget gaps. This is not fiscal management. It is a Ponzi scheme with national colors. The administration insists that the debt is “sustainable.” So did Greece in 2008. So did Argentina in 2001. So did Nigeria in the 1980s; right before the IMF arrived with structural adjustment programs (SAP) that Nigerians still curse today.
Nigeria’s economy is a house built on sand: the naira remains fragile, inflation is suffocating households, foreign investors are fleeing, debt service consumes most of national revenue, oil production is unstable and non oil revenue is anemic. And yet, in the middle of this storm, the government has chosen to borrow more; at a moment when it should be saving aggressively. The oil windfall is a gift. But gifts require stewardship. And stewardship requires discipline. Neither is in abundant supply in Abuja.
Conclusion: A Nation at the Edge of a Fiscal Cliff
The expanded budget includes lavish allocations to the judiciary ahead of the 2027 elections, feasibility studies for politically convenient infrastructure, and capital projects that conveniently align with electoral maps. This is not economic planning. It is election year choreography. Nigeria is not being prepared for the future. It is being prepared for the polls.
The Tinubu administration inherited a difficult economy. But it has chosen to make it worse. Instead of using the oil windfall to rebuild reserves, strengthen the currency, reduce borrowing, and stabilize the economy, it has embarked on a reckless spending spree financed by loans that future generations will be forced to repay. Nigeria is earning billions, and saving nothing. And it is borrowing everything. History will not be kind to this moment. Nor will the bond markets. In the end, Nigeria’s tragedy is not that it lacks resources. It is that it lacks restraint. And in Abuja today, restraint is as scarce as electricity.
Business
In The Spotlight
On Friday, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters confirmed the death of the Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade in Benisheikh, Borno State, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, and three other soldiers, following a ruthless attack on the military formation. Though this confirmation calmed initial reports that more than 17 soldiers were killed in the April 9, 2026 attack, it, however, ignited a deeper cause for concern among Nigerians, considering the fact that just about five months earlier, another brigadier general, Musa Uba, was murdered in cruel but avoidable circumstances near Wajiroko, in the same Borno State.
The attack on the military formation was not the only terrorist strike that week. That same Thursday, the devastating news of the soldiers who paid the supreme price had not been fully digested when another report filtered in, at night, that no fewer than eight persons had been killed by gunmen, in Mbwelle village, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. This was besides the bloodshed recorded in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State on Easter Sunday, where 24 people were killed, according to the Kontagora Catholic Diocese, and in Kebbi and Kwara states, where 49 villagers were reportedly killed on Friday.
Despite the confusion, mourning and grief that followed the killing of these helpless civilians in various communities, described by authorities as some of the deadliest incidents recorded in recent months, the report of the military formation invasion and the killing of soldiers specifically caused panic attacks among citizens and gave a “hopeless situation” slant to the worsening security crisis. And this has become a trend since the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009.
It is true that Nigeria’s security forces under the current administration have been dismantling bandit networks and killing scores of terrorists. But the relentless attacks on innocent citizens, which have led to the death of over 10,000 people in two years, and the kidnapping of more than 1,100 people in northern Nigeria, in just four months, appear to have enveloped security agencies’ efforts and boxed the current All Progressives Congress administration into a more precarious corner than previous opposition governments.
A few analysts have tried to compare the security situation under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari with the situation now. While some scored the President Bola Tinubu administration above his predecessor’s, others like Olu Fasan, in his article: “Recurring bloodbath: Nigeria is too fragile, too fractured to be safe”, said, “It has taken Tinubu less than three years in office to achieve a worse security situation than Buhari did in (his) eight years in power.”
I may not directly agree with this notion, but I know that the prevailing economic hardship or widespread poverty in the country, despite significant, growth-targeted policy reforms like exchange rate unification, subsidy removal, and fiscal coordination, can be justifiably linked to rising insecurity.
The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, in a 2024 study brief, titled: “Insecurity takes the lead as the key driver of poverty in Nigeria”, said, “Once a country experiences conflict and insecurity, it faces a reversal of economic development, which in turn increases the likelihood of further conflict, resulting in a cycle economists refer to as doom-loop. By undermining household livelihood activities on massive scales in Nigeria, increasing insecurity in the last five years has not only intensified poverty in the country, but has also opened up new frontiers of multidimensional poverty across Nigeria.”
Insecurity, according to NISER, drives poverty by disrupting and destroying livelihood activities and by reducing access to basic needs, thereby stifling meaningful improvement in the quality of life in Nigeria. This argument can be better appreciated if one considers how many Nigerians have abandoned leisure or commercial farming, especially in rural areas, owing to rising insecurity.
It would be unfair to pin the blame for this lingering crisis on the current administration; past governments were not also able to do much to stem the tide. But the fact that political IOUs seemed to have trumped competence during the initial formation of President Tinubu’s cabinet inadvertently gave room for unpalatable political treatment of delicate security matters across the states.
The Ministry of Defence, according to analysts, was the worst hit until recently, as analysts found it difficult to decode the consideration behind the choice of the two ministers who were initially saddled with such a priority responsibility. Perhaps, if the issue of security had been given the kind of attention it is being given now, from the beginning of the current administration, the terrorists might not have been this emboldened amid international focus.
The result is that, unlike when Nigeria was ranked the Number One Destination for Investment in Africa for two consecutive years (2012 and 2013), other African countries have, since then, continued to displace the nation, owing to a combination of factors, including accessibility and innovation, economic stability and investment climate, among others.
Of the 31 countries that were tracked in the 2024 edition of the “Where to Invest in Africa” report, published by Rand Merchant Bank and the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Nigeria was ranked as the ninth most viable destination for investment in Africa, behind South Africa, in fourth position; and Ghana, sixth. The 2025 report sadly reflected a further decline for Nigeria, by nine places, to the 18th position.
It doesn’t take an economist to understand that banditry, kidnapping, killings, among other forms of security crisis being witnessed on a large scale in Nigeria, can seriously damage the investment climate and trigger capital flight. Any government that picks the socio-economic well-being of its citizens as Number One on its priority chart must, therefore, go all out to first ensure the security of lives and property, against all odds.
That the Federal Government has published a list of 48 individuals linked to terrorism financing is a step in the right direction. That it has also secured 386 convictions, out of 508 cases in a mass terrorists’ trial, is another feat that can deter others and stem the tide, but politicians must, in the interest of the masses and the well-being of the nation, stop playing politics with this sensitive issue of insecurity.
Rather than mock or blame the APC administration for the current predicament, opposition figures and Nigerians as a whole must converge on the need to be united against this monster. However, the Tinubu administration must also avoid actions or statements that could trigger a revolt at this period. With the economic challenges from almost every angle, Nigerians seem to be constantly on edge.
In March 2014, the APC, then the main opposition party, lambasted the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration for trying to cover up its “incompetence and cluelessness” in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency.
The APC, in a statement signed by Lai Mohammed, its interim National Publicity Secretary at the time, said, “A country that has no discernible counter-terrorism strategy that will clearly identify the multiple means for preventing, responding and defeating terrorist groups, including the alignment of political, military, social and economic instruments and objectives, cannot expect to successfully battle any insurgency.”
Now that the APC is the ruling party, and Nigeria is still not out of the woods, should citizens still agree with the party’s assertion? How the authorities handle the situation will determine the answer. What goes around comes around!
In The Spotlight
Nearly 40 years ago in London, I was invited to dinner by a Nigerian woman I knew in Lagos.
She had described the place in general terms, but I arrived at an upscale home with some serious luxury. She was kind enough to show me around, and following a stylish dinner, she described how she had acquired the place, mentioning headline Nigerian names.
I had no reason to doubt her: some of them called during the evening. I declined her offer to share her conversations with them.
It was my personal introduction to the scale of Nigerian property in the English capital, as she described who owned what or lived where.
While my visits to England at the time were work-related and I had little time to socialise, I did meet several teenage Nigerian students whose parents were glad to send them abroad for education.
They patrolled the streets of London in exotic cars, and I thought it was ironic that, in isolation away from Nigeria, the young ladies were often being manipulated by their fathers’ friends.
In the decades that followed, I read stories of politically exposed Nigerians, particularly state governors, for whom the UK was the first address in money laundering.
On a few occasions, I have alluded to that phenomenon in this column. They acquired expensive homes, cars and even gold phones. One, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, fled London disguised as a woman. Another, James Ibori, was tried and jailed.
Keep in mind that there have been about 185 governors since May 1999, and that London is nearly always their first port of call.
It is humbling to reflect on what percentage of this number has, in the past 26 years, sunk Nigerian wealth into the soil of England, with considerable swathes lost to middlemen and smooth women.
Remember: in 2006, the then-Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, criticised governors, saying that they disappeared abroad just days after receiving state allocations and after visiting Bureau De Change operators.
In 2007, a famous Human Rights Watch report, “Chop Fine,” described the case of Rivers State in grim detail.
The problem is that it is not always governors, as demonstrated by the story, “Abuja on Thames,” which appeared in the British monthly, Private Eye, in March 2019. That month, I commented on that story, which involved the astonishing wealth in that country of Paul Ogwuma, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The full Nigerian picture of capital flight, elite consumption, and political patronage was on display when the Panama Papers in 2016 and the Pandora Papers in 2021, two massive international media investigations in which our Premium Times participated, uncovered how the world’s rich and powerful deploy offshore mechanisms to hide their possessions.
As always happens, no Nigerian lost a kobo, let alone a heartbeat, as a result of those investigations, because in Nigeria, crime and hypocrisy quite literally pay.
And then in 2024, a list appeared of 58 deceased Nigerians with unclaimed assets in the UK, as part of a daily-updated “Bona Vacantia” (BV) list, meaning that having remained unclaimed, they are now considered the property of the Crown.
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The Nigerian government does not inform Nigerians about the BV list or the claims process, so those properties are probably lost forever.
Remember also, the case of Nigerian “government” property on the verge of forfeiture in the UK a few years ago. In New York and Maryland, in the US, Nigerian governors and diplomats have left behind a long trail of property issues. In 2012, Alamieyeseigha forfeited $401,931 in traceable assets to the US government when President Jonathan’s government failed to claim them.
And so, the rich continue to flourish, and in January 2026, Tax Policy Associates of the UK published the extensive investigation, ‘Who secretly owns Britain? The hidden offshore owners of £460bn of UK property.’
A report in The Londoner, based on that investigation, peeled back the layers to link the late Herbert Wigwe, the former chief executive of Access Holdings, to about 106 properties. That placed him at No. 7 on a list of “The overseas power players in London’s property market,” with each property registered under shell companies outside the country, leaving none of them directly traceable to him.
While some of these practices are legal, especially on the part of private businessmen, the problem is that Nigeria has, for decades, been burdened by an army of much smaller ants eating away at her. Most of them are pillars of society, either claiming sainthood or praying for it, while the people from whom they amassed their wealth starve to death.
But there is another side: in Nigeria, the Tax Policy Associates investigation, like the arrests of Dariye and Alamieyeseigha and the trial of Ibori, would have been impossible.
“Abuja on Thames” would never have been investigated or published. Not the Pandora Papers. Not the Panama Papers.
Because we are traders. We are either buying or selling. When the aroma of money or power is present, some would sell their very souls. It is why we are where we are.
The system, of course, is in many ways pre-rigged. On real estate matters, we operate a fragmented administrative system with multiple overlapping authorities, incomplete digitisation, and overwhelming opacity. The FCT and state capitals are stories of greed.
This is because the Land Use Act vests all land in each state in the governor (and the President for the FCT). This means that, technically, no one “owns” land outright; one only holds a Certificate of Occupancy. That creates enormous scope for discretionary allocation and corruption, since governors and the FCT minister can grant or revoke rights, and often do.
This is why an FCT minister is a king. He can allocate land to whomever he pleases:
Relatives of the First Lady were thrice removed.
His wife.
Fourth cousins.
Underage children.
Governors, again.
EFCC officials.
ICPC officials.
Code of Conduct Bureau officials.
Girlfriends and their friends.
Supreme Court judges.
Court of Appeal judges.
INEC officials.
Senators.
Top police officers.
Among others, remember the FCT land scam of 2004; the Ministerial allegations involving the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike; and the 57 multi-billion-naira properties linked to former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami.
Just imagine what a Tax Policy Associates-style investigation of real estate ownership in Nigeria’s big cities would reveal.
Because in Nigeria, power is deployed into service only when we pray in the mosque or the church. Outside that, power is for the self.
And if you can export that power abroad in funds that belong to the commonwealth, to deprive other Nigerians of it and make you live like a king forever, so much the better!
Sonala Olumhense


