Connect with us

News

News Analysis: Emergency Rule on Return to Democracy

Published

1 year ago

on

 

By Abbas Yushau Yusuf

When Nigeria returned to democracy on May 29, 1999, General Olusegun Obasanjo was the first beneficiary of the country’s return to civilian rule. A four-star general who had handed over power to President Shehu Shagari on October 1, 1979, twenty years later, destiny beckoned on Obasanjo, and he took charge again as Nigeria’s President.

But before General Obasanjo’s return in 1999, Nigeria, especially the northern part of the country, experienced serious religious upheavals and uprisings, starting from the Maitatsine riots of 1980 in Kano and the Zangon Kataf religious crisis of 1987 in Kaduna State, in which former Governor of Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot, was the mastermind.

Then another religious crisis engulfed the city of Kano over the visit of a Christian monk in 1991, Reverend Rent Harnboky. The people of Kano resisted the visit because earlier, a renowned Islamic scholar of comparative religion, Sheikh Ahmad Deedat, intended to visit the state. He was denied, and when that of Rent Harnboky was approved, it turned into serious attacks on non-Muslims in the state.

It took the military Governor of Kano state retired Major General Idris Garba to deploy soldiers in Mosques and churches across the city.

Another deadly religious riot that shook northern Nigeria again was the 2000 religious Shariah crisis in Kaduna when former Governor Ahmad Makarfi intended to introduce Shariah in the state. An unaccounted number of people were killed during the Obasanjo regime. Another killing took place in Lagos by the Odua People’s Congress during the time of Governor Bola Ahmad Tinubu, now President Tinubu, in the year 2000.

In 2001, the once peaceful northern city of Jos, Plateau State, was rocked with a serious crisis of unprecedented proportion in which many Muslims and Christians were killed.

Advert

During the second term of President Olusegun Obasanjo, a local government in the depths of Plateau State, Yelwa Shendam, was thrown into religious conflict during the time of Governor Joshua Chibi Dariye, where Muslims were killed in unprecedented proportions.

On May 11,2004 , the Yelwa Shendam crisis spilled over to Kano, where reprisal attacks took center stage, in which many Christians were killed.

On Tuesday, May 18, 2004, President Olusegun Obasanjo addressed the nation, in which he declared a state of emergency in Plateau State and removed democratic structures in the state.

President Obasanjo accused Governor Joshua Chibi Dariye of aiding the Plateau crisis. He appointed General Chris Alli as the administrator of the state for six months, where it ended on November 18, 2004.

Analysts say the removal of Governor Dariye by President Obasanjo was because the crises were threatening the whole country, hence his decision to take decisive action.

In his address, Chief Obasanjo said the crisis had already reverberated to Kano and was now threatening the FCT and some parts of Katsina State. While his state was boiling, Governor Joshua Dariye was somewhere in Abuja attending the National Sports Festival.

Another political crisis in 2006 engulfed Ekiti State, where President Obasanjo suspended democratic structures, including Governor Ayodele Fayose, and appointed an administrator.

Obasanjo’s state of emergency differs from that of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who declared a state of emergency in three northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe in 2013 as a result of the Boko Haram crisis that turned the states into a killing field.

Governors Murtala Nyako, Kashim Shettima (now Vice President), and Governor Ibrahim Gaidam were not affected, as President Jonathan did not suspend the democratic structures, only massively deployed the military.

Jonathan’s approach, analysts say, is more in tandem with Nigeria’s constitution than Obasanjo’s. Now, President Tinubu’s declaration in Rivers State, where Governor Fubara and the state assembly were suspended on March 18, 2025, through a presidential broadcast, has sparked debate.

Some lawyers flayed President Tinubu’s declaration as autocratic and partisan because the Minister of the FCT is being accused of fueling the Rivers crisis due to the lack of influence he has over his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Many international human rights associations did not back President Tinubu’s declaration in Rivers State because they see it as more political than aimed at returning peace to the oil-rich state.

Of the four Presidents Nigeria has had from 1999 to date, only the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and President Muhammadu Buhari did not declare a state of emergency in crisis states like Zamfara, Borno, and Yobe during the term of President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2023, when banditry took a serious toll on the lives of many.

 

Related Topics:

News

EFCC Secures Arrest Warrant for Former Humanitarian Minister, Permanent Secretary

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 16, 2026

By

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has ordered the arrest of a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, following her failure to appear for arraignment.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie issued a bench warrant for the ex-minister on Thursday after the prosecution informed the court that she had repeatedly failed to attend proceedings. The judge also ordered the arrest of Bashir Alkali, a former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, who is facing trial alongside Farouq.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the two defendants on a 21-count charge that includes criminal breach of trust, abuse of office, and diversion of public funds. According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged sums involved are approximately $1.37 million and ₦748 million.

Advert

At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) told the court that the defendants had been granted administrative bail and served with the charges. “However, they have failed to appear before this honourable court for their arraignment,” he said.

Jacobs added that efforts to secure their attendance had proved unsuccessful, with only one of the defendants present in court. He also drew the court’s attention to the former minister’s failure to return her international passport after being permitted to travel abroad for medical reasons. “The first defendant has failed to return her international passport after travelling abroad on medical grounds, and no medical report has been presented before this court to justify her absence,” Jacobs stated.

Defence counsel Abdul Ibrahim (SAN) attributed his client’s absence to ill health and urged the court to consider an affidavit to that effect. He further requested a six-week window to produce the former minister in court.

Justice Onwuegbuzie rejected the request and granted the prosecution’s application for a bench warrant.

Continue Reading

News

Dangote Spotlights Refinery, Vision 2030, Others, At Nasarawa Trade Fair

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 16, 2026

By

Regional Director/Senior Adviser to Aliko Dangote, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman.

 

Africa’s leading conglomerate will feature its flagship Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company at the 2026 Nasarawa Trade Fair, which will be officially declared open by the State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, on April 20.

Dangote Industries Limited will also showcase its Vision 2030, which focuses on driving innovation and Africa’s industrialization.

The Dangote Group is the major sponsor of the Nasarawa Trade Fair and Exhibition (NASTFE) with the theme: Unlocking Industrial Synergy: Deepening the Value Chain and Driving Inclusive Growth in Nasarawa State.

A statement from the company’s spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, said other Strategic Business Units of the company will be participating at the annual event in the state capital, Lafia.

Anthony Chiejina stated that products to be featured at the Fair will include those from the Group’s Strategic Business Units, such as Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, Dangote Salt and seasonings, Dangote SinoTruk, Dangote Packaging, and Dangote Fertiliser.

Advert

The statement quoted the Regional Director/Senior Adviser to Dangote Group President, Fatima Wali Abdurrahman, as saying that Nasarawa State is key to the Group’s overall investment in Africa.

“It is home to Dangote’s Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited (NSCL). The sugar project, when completed, will be one of the biggest sugar investments in Africa,” she said.

Mrs. Wali-Abdurrahman noted that the Trade Fair provides a valuable platform for the company to engage with key stakeholders and Nigerians interested in exploring business opportunities with the organization.

She stated that a dedicated Help Desk will handle inquiries, enabling the company to effectively engage participants on the Dangote Group’s Strategic Business Units.

Speaking to newsmen in Lafia, Chairman and Council members of the Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Nasarawa State Chapter, Nidan Sambo Manasseh, said the theme for this year’s Trade Fair aptly aligns with Dangote Group’s vision.

“We align strongly with the vision of Aliko Dangote, whose leadership continues to shape Nigeria’s economic future. His focus on industrialization, local production, and value creation inspires our efforts to connect MSMEs to structured value chains.

“Through this partnership, we are building a bridge between grassroots businesses and large industries, driving inclusive growth,” he said.

He said the third edition of NASTFE is designed as a practical business, industrial, and human capital development platform, adding that it is not just an exhibition.

According to him: “A major highlight of this year’s programme is the Empowerment Skill Acquisition Programme (ESAP), now structured as a package project for sponsorship support.

“ESAP is a yearly initiative from July-December targeting 2,000 beneficiaries across the 13 Local Government Areas of the State.

“The programme is strategically designed as a mobile training system, moving from one Local Government to another to ensure inclusive grassroots participation.”

Speaking on the Dangote Group’s Vision 2030, he said: “Our strategy is to align local enterprise development with large-scale industrial systems.”

Continue Reading

News

Al-Istiqama University Secures Full Accreditation for 11 Academic Programmes

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 16, 2026

By

 

The Management of Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano State, is pleased to announce that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has granted Full Accreditation status to a total of eleven (11) academic programmes following the comprehensive accreditation exercise conducted in November and December 2025.

According to the official report released by the NUC, the programmes were assessed based on the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), with emphasis on curriculum content, quality of academic staff, physical facilities, library resources, and employers’ rating.

The programmes granted Full Accreditation are:

Faculty of Health Sciences:
• Community Health Science
• Nursing Science
• Public Health

Advert

Faculty of Arts, Social and Management Sciences:
• Shari’ah
• Criminology and Security Studies
• International Relations
• Sociology

Faculty of Science and Computing:
• Biology
• Biotechnology
• Computer Science
• Software Engineering

This achievement affirms the University’s unwavering commitment to delivering quality education and reflects the dedication and professionalism of its academic and administrative staff in building a centre of excellence. With this development, all accredited programmes have secured full recognition for a period of five (5) years.

The Management expresses its profound appreciation to the Founder, Senator Sulaiman Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, OFR, Ph.D., the Governing Council, Faculty Members, Heads of Departments, staff, and students for their collective efforts and commitment, which made this milestone possible.

Al-Istiqama University remains resolute in sustaining and further enhancing the high standards that have earned it this prestigious recognition.

Signed:
Professor Abdulhadi Sale Kumurya
Vice-Chancellor
Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano State

Continue Reading

Trending