News
Suspected FG Thugs Attack Anti-govt Protesters, Brutalise Activists in Abuja
Suspected miscreants on Monday attacked and disrupted a peaceful protest organised by a coalition of civil society groups over the continued detention of #RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore.
The attack happened despite the presence of policemen who were unable to manage the situation.
The activists had gathered at the National Human Rights Commission headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, to present a letter to the Executive Secretary of the commission when they were attacked by the hoodlums who were carrying a large banner with the inscription, ‘Support Buhari, say no to saboteurs.’
The coalition members were singing and wielding placards with inscriptions such as ‘Stop silencing dissenting voices,’ ‘Save our democracy,’ and ‘NHRC must protect our rights,’ when the pro-government group emerged from one of the streets and disrupted the rally, shouting ‘Sai Baba’ and praising the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
A few minutes later, they attacked the activists and journalists who scampered for safety.
The men pounced on one of the coalition leaders, Deji Adeyanju, and two other members and assaulted them with sticks and other objects.
The men sustained some injuries and were subsequently taken to an unidentified hospital for treatment.
The police team arrested one of the unruly elements and gave him a few slaps.
The convener, Free Nigeria Movement, Ralph Adebayo, described the attack as unfortunate and “a sign of things to come in 2020.”
He said the attackers were sponsored by the government, stressing that Nigerians must defend their constitutional rights and save democracy in the country.
Adebayo stated, “What happened today (Monday) is a tip of the iceberg; it is a sign of things to come in 2020. Everybody should brace up for the battle to save and defend democracy in Nigeria.
“This is not a battle for activists alone, but for every citizen to defend their constitutional rights. What happened is very sad and unfortunate. The police were standing by watching the miscreants attacking us. This incident should be investigated by the police authorities,” he insisted.
But Ibrahim Dala, who led the suspected miscreants, denied ordering his cohorts to attack the coalition members, noting that the assault was in reaction to the verbal insults from the activists.
Dala, who described himself as the co-convener of the Centre for Leadership and Development Initiatives, said, “We would not allow foreign mercenaries and opposition to come and sabotage the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He noted, “We are here in solidarity with the military for what they are doing in combating Boko Haram, banditry and other forms of insecurity. Nobody asked anybody to be violent; it (the attack) happened because they (the activists) were insulting our people and they also have the right to protest, they are Nigerians.”
The Peoples Democratic Party in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan condemned the attack on the activists.
The Punch
A Chief Magistrate in the Rivers State Judiciary, Mr. Ejike George, has resigned his appointment.
He hinged his decision on the unease over the appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of the State.
His resignation was contained in a letter dated April 11, 2025, and addressed to the Honourable Chief Judge of Rivers State through the Secretary of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission.
The letter was titled “Voluntary Retirement From Service.”
George, who disclosed that he had put in 16 years in the judiciary, said the appointment of a Sole Administrator is tantamount to a “quasi-military administration.”
He expressed dismay over the direction of the governance of the State, which he said is “alien” and “antithetical” to the values of the legal profession.
The statement read: “This present is intended to convey my decision to voluntarily retire my appointment as Magistrate of the Judiciary of Rivers State.
“This difficult and regrettable decision is informed largely by my discomfort with the recent appointment of a quasi-military administration to run the affairs of a modern state like ours.
“Milord will agree with me that this type of governance system is not only alien but also runs antithetical to our hallowed profession as legal practitioners and adjudicators.
“Having put in a whopping 16 (sixteen) out of my 22 (twenty-two) years of legal practice into this Judiciary as Magistrate under successive democratic administrations, I find it difficult to work with the current setting, as doing so would amount to a tacit and naive acquiescence.
“Thanks Milord, for the opportunity to serve.”
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has launched a manhunt following the theft of a black Toyota Hilux vehicle belonging to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nuhu Ribadu, which was stolen during Friday’s Juma’at prayers in Abuja.
Reports said that the vehicle was parked around 1:05pm opposite the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) complex in Area 10, while the official attended prayers at a nearby mosque.
Security source, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, revealing that the ONSA official returned from the mosque only to find the vehicle missing.
According to him, a sources said the theft was immediately reported to the Garki Police Division at approximately 2:00pm, leading to a swift response by law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command promptly activated a stop-and-search operation at various checkpoints and across all entry and exit points in the capital city.
Police authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and all efforts are being made to apprehend the culprits and recover the vehicle.
The Command said it had intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects and recover the stolen Hilux.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Sometimes, we don’t know the potentials and power we carry within us. This is because we have not had the opportunity to thrive in the right atmosphere. But given every equal opportunity, every person is a potential achiever because we don’t have dull brains, only undeveloped brains. You are a genius; I am a genius, but only the one who utilizes his available opportunity, brings out the genius in him.
There is no doubt some environments are conducive for opportunities and business to thrive; however, it is instructive to note that there’s no perfect time and place for a determined mind to thrive. Isn’t it true that no matter how hard the waves and torrents hit the ship, the ship will always find a way to thrive.
Life will not always be perfect; we just have to do our best in any place, and time we find ourselves, with what we have and where we are. Whichever way one looks at it, done is always better than perfect, especially when perfect is not done.
Sometimes, uninformed minds think some people have more opportunities than others. They fail to realize that while some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them, while some others put in the hard work.
On a personal note, in all honesty, my level of smartness is that of an average man, who is intentionally working a little bit harder. Sometimes I must read repeatedly just to get a basic understanding of a piece of work, and when I understand it, some people will think I am smart. When you compare the scene with one with an ingenious mind, you’ll discover the difference is clear.
Let’s take a practical case of my writing skills. Ordinarily, someone will think I’m very intelligent publishing articles every week, however what they won’t understand that it takes determination, persistence and most importantly the grace of God for me to do what I do every week. Some people might have more understanding than me, but they lack the grace of God to be consistent. The moral here is that regardless of what you supposedly think you have or know, one has to be humble about life otherwise life will humble you.
Everyone of us has a genius inside of them waiting to be unleashed. The genius in you won’t pop out unless you challenge it by leaving your comfort zone. Most of the people the world celebrates didn’t just become extraordinary; they had to put in the work which can entail strategic and intentional working, constant reading and researching just to add value to their work, exploring opportunities, failing and trying again, taking risks, etc. Trust me, the list is endless.
It is generally said great men are people who do ordinary things in an extraordinary manner. These sets of great minds can be very detailed in their thought process and approach to life. They do know that any opportunity not properly handled can affect all the work they have built overtime.
Let me share a practical example, imagine building a house on a faulty foundation, it won’t take long for the house to crash. Then contrast it with building a house on a solid foundation where original structures and equipment where used, one can confidently sleep quietly knowing fully well the right things has been done.
Imagine a contractor who is considered a genius used a substandard product for reasons best known to him to build a house or construct a road, and imagine a second-class contractor builds the same house or construct the same road with the right products. If an examination is done on both work and the examiner determines that the genius contractors work is faulty, while the second-class contractors work is good, who do you think will be considered a genius contractor? Of course, the second-class contractor simply because his work lasted overtime.
That’s exactly how extraordinary people succeed. They are very thorough in their work. They do ordinary things in an uncommon manner. They know a single mistake can destroy all their hard work Realizing that little things can mean a lot. They don’t take chances and take nothing for granted.
In the same way, if one is privileged to meet great people or have access to great minds who have distinguished themselves, it will be unwise to beg them for money, rather seek for ways to learn from them by adding value to their life. If one can cultivate and nurture the relationship very well, the tendency for the person to thrive will be high and if the opportunity comes and one utilizes it, the world might think the person is lucky or blessed, some might even attribute it to their location or the role of mentors in the person’s life.
They might contribute to some extent, however, they won’t see the big picture which can be the process, skill and most importantly the ingenious strategic work the person put in place to attract the opportunity.
It should be noted, no serious mentor will recommend somebody for opportunity based on mediocrity. One must be competent in addition to doing the needful to show competency.
If we are honest to ourselves, we all have made one mistake or the other that if properly managed would have given us greater opportunity. I can vividly remember meeting the Miss universe in 2014 in Washington during President Obama’s administration. This lady sits on the board of Warren Buffet and has access to other world leaders. At one point in time, our discussion was centered on how we will travel to Nigeria for a business meeting with the former President of Nigeria (President Olusegun Obasanjo).
We had a couple of meetings with some of her mentees and colleagues in Columbia University. In all honesty and sincerity, I had access to privileged information. Quite unfortunately, I couldn’t manage the relationship very well and it slipped off my hand. Imagine, if I had managed the friendship, who knows where I would have been now, the genius in me would have blossomed. Lessons learned.
The moral here is that we are all geniuses as opposed to what is peddled out there. The only difference is how we package and present ourselves. If you package yourself as a hungry man, the genius in you will not manifest. If you present yourself as an ambitious, disciplined and intentional man, the universe will connect more with you, and when all people see your accomplishments, they will regard you as a genius.
In conclusion, as you step out to live your life, endeavour to figure out the genius in you. Figure out what makes you unique, what makes you stand out and what makes you attractive. When you figure it out, the world will celebrate the genius in you.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
