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Opinion: Zero As a Nation, Hero As Great Nation

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By Tolulope A. Adegoke

“It takes rising up to the call(s) of destiny for any group or individuals of any nation or community(s) to reach the destination of their quality state! You cannot change the world that you live in until you change yourself from within! You can get up, yes! You must get up! Be inspired! Be responsible!” – Tolulope A. Adegoke

Here, we shall be painting Japan of the year 1945 after the Second World War as a picture of a Zero on the descriptive canvass of a nation, but her story didn’t end there. The Second World War started in 1935 and ended in the year 1945 as a result of the political and military intervention of the United States of America who formally adopted the policy of Isolationism. Her involvement before the war was mere economic participation; through which she was able to accrue financial strength for herself in building what was needed for her global recognition. During the war, Germany, Italy and Japan wanted to form a “tripartite policy” so as to have hegemony over all nations of the world. Germany under Adolf Hitler wanted to have total control over Europe; Italy under Benito Mussolini wanted to control entire Africa, while Japan intended to take over the whole of Asia. However, Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini were eventually conquered while Japan was ordered to step down so as to end the war, but she remained adamant (stiff-necked); The United States of America saw this as a threat to their global intentions because Britain and France had been weakened as a result of the war. America, therefore, took the responsibility of participating in the Second World War politically and militarily by launching the ‘Weapon of Mass Destruction’ against Japan. Japan’s two largest economic cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed to the ground which recorded countless of lives and properties that were lost. The effect of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing by the United States of America is still real till date on the Japanese to show the extent of the destruction of the former popular and fertile land into deserts (Zero).

In the early 2000s of the 21st century, the Prime Minister of Japan at the anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing said: “If they gave Japan enough time to move her people, they can bomb Japan anyhow they like, and even, if they put Japan in the desert, they would rebuild Japan to the second-largest economy in the world in a short time.”

Japan is an example of a nation that does not have enough steel to produce bonnets, they do not have enough silicon to produce side-mirrors, and Japan does not have rubber to produce steering-wheels but Japan is the highest exporter of cars in the world. Where am I driving at, Japan rose up to be responsible from Zero, despite the odds and pains to climbing the ladder of being a global Hero among nations of the world against all odds of being crushed to a Zero. Every Zero has a bounce-back power if dutifully worked upon. The wealth of any nation, therefore, will not be found under the feet of its people but in-between their “ears” i.e. the contents of their brain and character (applicability capacity)!

Life is the undeniable mysterious (powerful) gift given to man by God embedded with so many hidden treasures…its usage (maximization) is up to us (Man), but only the deeds of men pollutes it! There is always a reason for doing something and a reason not to doing it…it is called ‘EXCUSE’. It is God’s duty to deposit valuables, treasures in the form of talents, potentials or gifts into our Earthen vessels, but it is left to us as individuals to search very deep with the true light for its unveiling, utilization and maximization to our own advantages for His (God Almighty) glory.

Nigeria as a nation fits into this context described above in order to re-orientate her leadership and followership, especially the young ones via this blatant truth in the utmost reality of existence and living. It is important to state clearly that the wealth of Nigeria is not in the Niger-Delta (South-South region), the wealth of Nigeria is not anywhere in the ground, neither is oil our wealth, it is none of the mineral resources that we have around us, but it is the people that you can see around, right where you are…We are the wealth of Nigeria, because in us lies the grace, splendour and prowess to harness and utilize those mineral resources and one another to meeting the sure demand of the Creator! The so-called natural resources that we so much crave for under the ground are not really the ‘true resources’, but the remnant i.e. the left-over qualities of the untapped ‘divin-istic treasure’ of those that died before their time with their treasure in them… These ones did not die empty! A working resource(s) is the quality treasure(s) that is encrypted in a living bodily sized being called Man, located in-between his two ears (his brain)! These treasures that were given to Him by God is unlimited because he was created for specific purposes towards meeting needs, thereby delivering possibilities (beyond the norm) of Peoples, Corporates and Nations. The human brain is a mysterious (powerful) biological machine through which we can connect our heart(s) to the supernatural. We must therefore, be determined, and be prepared to die empty by exhausting the treasures that lies within us for the glory of God Almighty and the betterment of mankind and its environment).

When a man prays to God for money, God gives him a downpour of ideas that would turn his destiny around, then connect him with fellow men who were created to chart causes that are Earthly or supernaturally related to the fulfilment of the desired purposes of these ideas…These people are called helpers of destinies!

The more we pray to God for solutions, God sends another man in form of babies who are carriers of divine solutions via divine order or inspires, reveals and illuminate another grown man with the relevant and required capacity to fulfil the solution in an active and visible manifestation! The more man fails due to Earthly distractions or forces, He sends another man to replace and function in His desired intentions. God is never in a shock as a result of man’s failures or loopholes…He always has alternatives prepared to continue the missions of delivery(s) of purpose(s). 

We ensure that we per time carry within us this mentality that ‘we are the wealth our generation(s), located at a specific geographical area for the divine purpose(s) of fulfilling a divine mandate all to the glory of God and for the reliefs of men from grieves and agonies and pains.  Your nation(s) needs your endowments to be engaged for her to prosper, without you there will always be loopholes in that specific area of your calling(s) as a result of your refusal to yielding to it! I charge you now, to rise up to your divine calling(s). And it is then; you can end up a LEGEND (Hero)! You can only take control (charge) of your gifts…Do not die a Zero! It is the gifts of a man that will make a way for him…he shall stand before kings and not mere men! This blatant fact is this; your nation will remain a Zero without your positive impacts! It takes rising up to the call(s) of destiny for any group or individuals of any nation or community(s) to reach the destination of their quality state! You cannot change the world that you live in, until you change yourself from within!

You can get up, yes!

You must get up!

Be inspired!

Be responsible!

Learn and Apply. Thank you!

Watch out for the Book titled: “The Power of an Empowered Zero” (From Zero to HERO) by Tolulope A. Adegoke. Foreword by Dr Yomi Garnett (CEO/Chancellor, Royal Biographical Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S.A., U.K., Abuja, Nigeria.) Edited by Ola Aboderin.

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El-Rufai to Remain in ICPC Custody Till June

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Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court has adjourned the bail hearing of former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the first week of June, 2026.

El-Rufai is being arraigned on multiple charges bordering on alleged financial crime and abuse of office by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“Similarly, another charge, number KDH/KAD/ICPC/01/26, against Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i and one Amadu Sule (LEDA) has also been filed before a Kaduna State High Court in the Kaduna Judicial Division,” the ICPC said last month.

“The charges in the State High Court case range from abuse of office, fraud, and intent to commit fraud to conferring undue advantage, among others. Both charges were filed by the ICPC on the 18th of March, 2026.”

Speaking after the court session, counsel to the former governor, Ukpon Akpan, kicked against the lingering adjournment of the bail hearing by one presiding judge as politically motivated.

The high-profile case has drawn significant public attention, with heightened security presence observed around the court premises.

The former governor had arrived at the court at about 9 am in a convoy accompanied by ICPC officials and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

During the proceedings, supporters of the former governor gathered outside the courtroom, while security agencies maintained order and restricted movement within the vicinity.

Inside the courtroom, journalists, as usual, were not allowed, as proceedings are expected to focus on arguments presented by both the defence and prosecution regarding the bail request.

At the last sitting, the defence team had maintained that their client poses no flight risk and is willing to comply with all conditions set by the court.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has urged the court to carefully consider the gravity of the charges.

The 66-year-old former governor of Kaduna has been in ICPC custody since February 19 following his release by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

El-Rufai, a former minister of the FCT, was, however, released on March 27 based on compassionate grounds following his mother’s death

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Court Admits Nine Exhibits Against Malami, Family in EFCC Fraud Trial

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Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, admitted nine exhibits against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.

The exhibits were presented before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), in its ongoing trial of the former Minister and some family members.

The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8.7 Billion contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The documentary exhibits were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, (SAN), the witness, told the court that, in the course of his official duties, he received correspondence from the EFCC requesting documents relating to several accounts linked to the defendants and associated entities.

“I work as a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Maitama branch. My duty includes receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies and responding accordingly,” he said.

Bata further disclosed that the bank complied with EFCC’s requests by providing both soft and hard copies of documents relating to accounts belonging to the defendants and companies such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

“My lord, the documents are nine,” he stated, confirming his ability to identify them when presented in court.

Upon application by Okutepa, the court admitted the documents, dated between July 19, 2024 and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection by defence counsel, J. B. Daudu (SAN), who noted that “the dates are almost all in March.”

Continuing his testimony under further examination by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), the witness provided details of transactions contained in the exhibits.

He identified Exhibit D1 as containing account opening documents and statements for accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co, including a naira account and a dollar account.

According to him, the statement of account for one of the accounts covered the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2023.

The witness confirmed that the accounts were active between 2015 and 2023, noting that “there were transfers within that period.”

He further revealed that total credits into one of the accounts stood at N383,637,21.55 between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2023, while total credits from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015 amounted to N560,506,465.12.

On debits, he stated that N384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while N571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.

Giving further breakdown of transactions, the witness told the court that on November 11, 2020, the account received N194,791,608.00 from New Horizons Limited, and on June 24, 2022, it received N622,500,000.00 from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

He added that on July 1 and July 7, 2022, the account received N250 million each from Rayhaan Hotels Limited, while on December 22, 2022, there was an inflow of N500 million linked to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

Continuing in that format, the witness identified so many transactions running into billions.

Following the testimony, the defence counsel, J.B Daudu (SAN) sought an adjournment to enable him study the exhibits and prepare for cross-examination.

“My lord, we need time to go through the nine exhibits tendered,” Daudu said.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 13, 2026, for continuation of trial.

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Police Retirees Block Aso Rock Gate, Demand Action on Pension Scheme

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Some retirees of the Nigeria Police Force under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) have staged a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja demanding President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly in December 2025.
The bill seeks to withdraw the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The protesters, under the scorching sun, walked from the Three Arms Zone in Abuja through the street in front of the Police Headquarters.

They carried placards with various inscriptions, in addition to the Nigerian flag and the flag of the Nigeria Police Force.

Led by its National Coordinator, CSP Raphael Irowainu, the protesters described the retention of the NPF in the Contributory Pension Scheme as fraudulent and illegal.

They also said the CPS is inhumane and obnoxious.

According to them, the protest seeks to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to the President on 16th March 2026.

They said that when signed into law, the Act will totally exempt the police from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

The protesters, accompanied by some of their spouses and children, also blocked Gate 8 leading into the Presidential Villa, causing obstruction to vehicular movement.

Efforts by Villa security personnel to dissuade them from the protest proved abortive as they insisted on seeing the President.

They laid their mats in front of the gate, singing songs of solidarity, while some of them lay on the floor.

As of the time of filing this report, no one from the Villa had addressed the protesters.

CSP Irowainu said that their main purpose is to prevail on President Tinubu to sign the bill exiting the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS, which he said has been passed and transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

He lamented that while other security agencies in the country such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, SSS and others have all been exited from the scheme, the police remain trapped in it.

“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill—the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme—passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to him on 16th March, 2026, into law, nothing more than that.

“The soldiers have been exited, the SSS has been exited, the Air Force has been exited, the Navy has been exited, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been exited. The police, who are the father of them all, are trapped in this obnoxious Contributory Pension Scheme,” CSP Irowainu said.

It is not the first time retired officers are staging a protest over the CPS. In July last year, they demonstrated at the National Assembly to demand their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The demonstrators, mostly elderly, stood in the rain holding placards and chanting anti-government songs.

Some of the retired police officers also besieged the Force Headquarters in Abuja to protest against the CPS.

Addressing the protesters at the time, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said the welfare of retired police officers was being addressed, but that the exit of the Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme was not something that could be implemented immediately.

He, however, advised the leaders of the protest to refrain from spreading misinformation, stressing that the Force could not abandon its own.

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