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PMB At The Kuje Correctional Center:Beyond The Chagrin On Culpability

Published

4 years ago

on

President Muhammad Buhari

 

By Bala Ibrahim.

Pursuant to the embarrassing attack at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, by terrorists, in which hundreds of inmates escaped, including over 60 terrorists, one of whom is the chief bomb maker for the terrorists, President Muhammadu Buhari had paid an unscheduled visit to the centre yesterday, wherein he lamented on the failure of intelligence.

Like everyone in Nigeria, PMB asked, “How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?” PMB kept asking questions un-end. But the biggest question is coming from the public, thus, would the President do anything?

The cynics, who are of the view that on security, PMB is fast turning into a weakling, that is only motivated by self-interest, as against doing what is honourable, are saying, like what had happened in the past, beyond the chagrin before the camera at the correctional centre, nothing would come out of that outrage.

The picture of the attack became more painful when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Mohammad Lamido Belgore and the Controller General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, took time to show the President the bombed-out section used to gain entry, the records office which was set on fire, and how the terrorists targeted all the cells in which Boko Haram suspects were held. They said, at the end of it, all the 63 terrorists held at the centre have been set free.

In disillusionment, PMB said, “I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organize, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?” The President said he is waiting for a comprehensive report on the attack.

FG’s lackadaisical attitude prolongs COEASU’s strike’

But the question on the lips of many is, would anything be done after the submission of the report?

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The most frightening part of the story is the disclosure by Mallam Tukur Mamu, the publisher of the Desert Herald Newspaper, and one that has been communicating with the terrorists, that he had prior knowledge of the attack on the Kuje Correctional centre, and he shared his intelligence with the security forces, but nothing was done to avert the attack. Mamu, who negotiated the release of some of the hostages that were abducted on the Kaduna-bound train from Abuja, said the same group that attacked the prison is the same group that attacked the Kaduna-bound train in March.

If PMB’s lamentation is on the failure of intelligence, Mamu, said that is not the cause of his concern. He said enough intelligence was given to the powers that be, but may be because some people are benefitting from the situation, the intelligence was treated with levity, which amounts to another crime completely.

“For me, there’s no difference between corrupt officials or contractors that are committing treason against the nation by way of stealing the resources that will benefit everybody, monies that will stop preventable deaths in our hospitals due to decaying structures, improve standards of education and even stop insecurity and crimes with the terrorists that emerged because of this sad reality and now unleashing terror on the entire society. It was after the failure of the fourth opportunity that they angrily issued the fresh threat to start slaughtering their victims yesterday, Tuesday. After much pleading with them, tolerated abuses and begged them to allow individual family members to contact them directly, they gave today, Wednesday, 6th July, that if there is nothing definite from family members, they will start executing their threat. I immediately passed this disturbing intelligence to all the relevant security agencies, the National Assembly leadership and other stakeholders. But sadly as of today, Wednesday, which is the deadline they gave, there is no word from anybody. I have nevertheless sent words to them to reconsider their threat and allow family members to reach out to them. And even on the tendency and threat to attack targets and other facilities of interest like the Kuje Correctional Centre attacks, I have shared that intelligence with the security agencies and the committee that was constituted by CDS (Chief of Defense Staff) Gen. Lucky Irabo”.

Indeed the Kuje attack is only one out of a number of coordinated attacks, that clearly aimed at embarrassing the President and those in charge of national security. To attack the advanced convoy of the President in Dutsenma, about 152 kilometres from his hometown of Daura, in the afternoon, and again attack a prison in Kuje, which is about 40 km to the Presidential palace in Aso rock, in the early hours of the night of the same day, is not only a sign of fearlessness, but a serious statement of sarcasm on the state of national security of a country.

While some are of the opinion that the President should, as a matter of urgency, sack the CG, Correctional Services, Mr Haliru Nababa and the Minister of interior, Rauf Aregbesola, methinks that would only amount to the making of some scapegoats.

If indeed the President want’s to match words with action, he should go beyond the chagrin on culpability, by showing his anger first at the office of the national security adviser.

Monguno has no business advising the President on national security, if he can not foresee the twin attacks on the President’s state of origin and the President’s city of residence. More so, when both attacks, technically took place on the same day.

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Electoral Reform Must Follow Readiness, Not Rhetoric As Connectivity Is Still Very Low In Rural Areas -ADSC Boss, Oluwafemi

Published

3 hours ago

on

February 10, 2026

By

 

President and Chief Executive
Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC) and Member, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, Sir Victor Oluwafemi has said Electoral Reforms must follow readiness, not rhetoric as connectivity is still very low in rural areas of Nigeria.

The ADSC president made this assertion in a statement on Monday declaring that:

“The Office of the President and Chief Executive of the Africa Development Studies Centre (ADSC) issues this statement as an expert governance and public policy advisory on the ongoing national discourse surrounding electronic voting and real time transmission of election results in Nigeria.

“This intervention is not political. It is institutional, evidence based, and grounded in systems thinking drawn from comparative governance practice and digital transformation experience.

He insisted that Nigeria is not yet structurally ready for real time result transmission as Nigeria’s democratic aspiration must be matched by infrastructural reality.

“At present, the push for real time electronic transmission of election results risks prioritising speed over integrity, and visibility over verifiability.

“Nigeria still conducts elections through manual voting, manual counting, and physical documentation at polling units.

“Every valid result begins with paper processes, human procedures, and environmental dependencies that technology alone cannot correct.

“Without stable electricity, universal telecom coverage, cyber resilient systems, uniform training, and legal clarity, real time transmission remains aspirational rather than operational.

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Oluwafemi explained that: “Attempting to enforce it nationwide under current conditions risks three serious outcomes:
• Disenfranchisement, particularly in rural and low connectivity communities
• Expanded cyber vulnerability, where perception of compromise alone can delegitimise outcomes
• Increased post election litigation, due to conflicting evidentiary standards

“Even advanced democracies do not prioritise instant transmission over auditability. They retain paper as the legal anchor while using technology to support verification, reconciliation, and transparency.

“The Issue Is Not Technology. It Is Sequencing.

“Electoral reform must be engineered as national infrastructure, not introduced as an election season feature.

“From a governance systems perspective, Nigeria requires a phased and platform based approach to electoral modernisation.

“This is where Policy as a Platform (PaaP) and Results as a Service (RaaS) provide practical, non partisan pathways forward.

What Policy as a Platform (PaaP) Offers INEC

“PaaP reframes electoral reform as a continuous, standards driven governance system.

Applied to the electoral process, PaaP would:
• Establish minimum national readiness thresholds for power, connectivity, cybersecurity, and device integrity
• Enable gradual, geographically sequenced deployment rather than a risky nationwide switch
• Align law, operations, technology, and dispute resolution into one coherent electoral platform
• Institutionalise transparency and auditability as design features, not post election explanations

“Under PaaP, elections are treated as engineered systems, not improvised events.

What Results as a Service (RaaS) Delivers

“RaaS shifts national focus away from how quickly results appear, towards how credibly they are produced.

For electoral administration, RaaS would:
• Treat each polling unit result as a verified service output with defined checks and validation stages
• Prioritise reconciliation, traceability, and audit trails before public visibility
• Reduce disputes by strengthening confidence in process rather than accelerating announcements
• Measure success by acceptance and legitimacy, not by transmission speed

In democratic governance, trust is built on proof, not on immediacy.

ADSC Advisory Position

“Nigeria does not need to abandon electoral technology. It needs to respect the order of reform.

“Infrastructure must come before automation. Verification must come before visibility. Trust must come before speed.

“Until foundational gaps in power, connectivity, cybersecurity, operational discipline, and legal coherence are addressed, real time electronic transmission of results should remain a medium term objective, not an immediate mandate.

“Electoral reform must be deliberate, inclusive, and system ready.

“That is how democracies endure, he added.

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Breaking:NAHCON Chairman Prof.Abdullahi Saleh Resigns 

Published

12 hours ago

on

February 9, 2026

By

The chairman of the national Hajj commission of Nigeria ,Professor Abdullahi Sale Usman has resigned

A credible source told Nigerian Tracker about the development.

Since his appointment as NAHCON chairman the source said Professor Pakistan is battling with intense pressure from some quarters despite that he did not commit any wrong.

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Experts Advocate Practical Education, Energy Innovation for Economic Growth

Published

15 hours ago

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February 9, 2026

By

 

The Faculty of Engineering, Experts Advocate Practical Education, Energy Innovation for Economic Growth University Kano (BUK), has held its 5th Engineering Conference, bringing together policymakers, academics, engineers, and industry stakeholders to examine Nigeria’s industrial future.

The conference, themed “Engineering Innovations and Economic Policies: Driving Sustainable Industrial Growth in Nigeria,” focused on Nigeria’s transition from oil dependency to a diversified, innovation-driven economy.

Delivering the keynote address, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje, stressed that energy remains the most critical pillar of national development and must be prioritised by engineers, governments, and policymakers.

Professor Bugaje lamented the dilapidated state of infrastructure in the public sector, noting that poor energy planning continues to hinder industrial productivity. He urged state governments to explore mini-grid energy solutions as a practical pathway to expanding electricity access, particularly for industrial clusters and rural communities.

According to him, innovation must be environmentally conscious, adding that engineers should move beyond inventions to sustainable innovations that align with climate realities and long-term economic goals.

Earlier, former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, delivered a lecture titled “Engineering Start-ups, Digital Economy and the Future of Industrial Growth.”

Pantami said questioning Nigeria’s education system should not be seen as an attack on the system or its products, but as a necessary step towards improvement. He observed that the current curriculum remains largely theoretical, static, and outdated, leaving little room for creativity, research, and problem-solving.

“Our education system often operates on the principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out,’ because students are not encouraged to contribute, innovate, or challenge existing knowledge,” he said.

Pantami noted that emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), datafication, blockchain technology, nanotechnology, augmented reality, and virtual reality are rapidly transforming global economies and industrial processes.

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He emphasised that to remain competitive, Nigerian students must be equipped not only with technical expertise but also with critical soft skills, including social skills, creative thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving abilities.

“These skills are essential in a digital economy where innovation, adaptability, and collaboration define success,” Pantami added.

The former minister highlighted the growing role of engineering start-ups in solving emerging societal and industrial problems, noting that small, technology-driven companies now play a significant role in global economic growth.

He disclosed that over 150 million start-ups exist globally, many of which have grown into billion-dollar companies known as unicorns.

Pantami revealed that Africa currently has seven unicorns, five of which are from Nigeria, attributing this success to an enabling policy environment during his tenure as Director-General of NITDA and Minister.

However, he identified policy implementation, rather than policy formulation, as Nigeria’s major challenge, describing poor implementation as a key driver of corruption and institutional failure.

Pantami stressed that universities and technical institutions must work closely with government, industry, and other stakeholders through sustained engagement to ensure graduates emerge as job creators rather than job seekers.

He concluded by calling for the revival of local industries through innovation-driven engineering solutions, noting that strengthening domestic production would significantly reduce import dependence and stimulate sustainable economic growth.

In his remarks, the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Engr. Prof. Okorie Austine Uchegusi, stressed the importance of appointing certified engineers to leadership positions in engineering-related agencies and parastatals.

He argued that aligning engineering responsibilities with professional expertise is vital to reversing persistent infrastructural failures and curbing unprofessional practices in project execution.

“Placing certified COREN engineers at the helm of engineering institutions is a critical step towards addressing dilapidated infrastructure, recurring project failures, and gaps in technical competence,” he said.

Professor Uchegusi expressed concern over the increasing number of young Nigerian engineering graduates leaving the country due to limited recognition and lack of meaningful projects at home.

“It is disheartening to see our young talents contributing to the development of other nations when their expertise is urgently needed here. If we continue to deny them opportunities, we are only pushing them further away,” he lamented.

He pledged to restore the dignity and integrity of the engineering profession, adding that recurring engineering disasters such as building collapses and frequent national grid failures could be drastically reduced if certified professionals were appointed to relevant positions.

He also called on policymakers to strengthen the manufacturing sector, noting that a vibrant industrial base would significantly reduce hardship and improve the overall wellbeing of society.

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