Latest news with #BenEzeamalu
Daily Maverick
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Nigerian former President Muhammadu Buhari dies in London
Buhari first served as military ruler in early 1980s Won elections in 2015 and 2019 Insecurity became widespread under Buhari He focused on corruption, infrastructure development Critics view his record on the economy as patchy By Ben Ezeamalu and MacDonald Dzirutwe 'President Buhari died today in London at about 4:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), following a prolonged illness,' President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson said in a post on X. Buhari, 82, first led the country as a military ruler after a coup in the 1980s. He earned a devoted following for his brand of anti-corruption conviction politics. He referred to himself as a 'converted democrat' and swapped his military uniform for kaftans and prayer caps. 'I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody,' was a constant refrain Buhari told supporters and critics alike. Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 in what was judged to be Nigeria's fairest election to date. Many hoped the retired major general would crack down on armed groups, just as he had as the country's military head of state. Instead, violence that had mostly been confined to the northeast spread. That left swathes of Nigeria outside the control of its security forces as gunmen in the northwest, armed separatists and gangs in the southeast roamed unchecked. Much of his appeal lay in the anti-corruption ethos that was a central plank of his agenda both as a military and civilian ruler. He said endemic corruption in Nigeria's political culture was holding people back. 'BABA GO SLOW' But Buhari quickly disappointed after his 2015 win. He took power as Nigeria was reeling from jihadist group Boko Haram's kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls from the northeastern town of Chibok. He took six months to name his cabinet. During that time, the oil-dependent economy was hobbled by low crude prices, prompting people to call him 'Baba Go Slow'. He retained his popularity in poor, largely Muslim northern Nigeria, where voters propelled him to his second victory in 2019, despite his first term being blighted by Nigeria's first recession in a generation, militant attacks on oilfields, and repeated hospital stays for an undisclosed illness. On the economy, Buhari applied the same approach that failed when he was in power in the 1980s – keeping the currency artificially high, as a matter of national pride. Just as in his first stint in power, the president ignored the IMF's advice to devalue the naira. In 2022 the production of oil – by far Nigeria's greatest export – fell to its lowest level in more than two decades due to crude theft in the Niger Delta. His anti-corruption crackdown also ran into criticism and failed to yield high-profile convictions. Rights groups said Buhari never let go of his autocratic tendencies. In a major flashpoint, unarmed demonstrators protesting against police brutality were gunned down in 2020. Nationwide street violence followed, marking some of the most widespread civil unrest since military rule ended in 1999. KIDNAP PLOT Born on December 17, 1942, in Daura in the northwestern state of Katsina, Buhari enrolled in the army at 19. He would eventually rise to the rank of major-general. He seized power in 1983 as a military ruler, promising to revitalise a mismanaged country. He took a tough line on everything from the conditions sought by the International Monetary Fund to unruliness in bus queues. In 1984, his administration attempted to kidnap a former minister and vocal critic living in Britain. The plot failed when London airport officials opened the crate containing the abducted politician. His first stint in power was short-lived. He was removed after only 18 months by another military officer, Ibrahim Babangida. Buhari spent much of the following 30 years in fringe political parties and trying to run for president until his eventual victory over Jonathan in 2015. Buhari said he aimed to improve the lives of Nigerians through social welfare programmes, the construction of train lines, roads, dams, airports and power infrastructure. The infrastructure projects laid the foundation for a strong Nigerian economy, he said.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Separatists' sit-at-home protests lead to 700 deaths in Nigeria's southeast, report says
By Ben Ezeamalu LAGOS (Reuters) -A sit-at-home order by banned separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra in Nigeria's southeast has led to the death of over 700 people in the region over the past four years, an intelligence consultancy said in a new report. The IPOB, campaigning for the secession of the southeast that is predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group, has been labelled a terrorist organisation by Nigerian authorities. SBM Intelligence reported that the fatalities resulted from the killing of civilians who defied the weekly stay-at-home order every Monday and on other specific days, as well as from clashes between the IPOB and Nigerian security forces. "IPOB's enforcement tactics, including arson, looting and targeted assassinations, have created a climate of fear," the SBM report said. "While there was a high rate of compliance with sit-at-home orders in 2021 (82.61%), surveys reveal that actual support is much lower (29%) now, with many complying under duress." An IPOB spokesperson denied the group was responsible for the deaths. "Those causing the killings are the kidnappers and criminals recruited by government to blackmail and demonize IPOB," the spokesperson said. The government did not respond to a request for comment. The IPOB launched the sit-at-home protest in August 2021 across the five states of Nigeria's southeast, using it as leverage to demand the release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing trial in the capital Abuja on terrorism charges. The group suspended the weekly protest days later, citing a "direct order" from Kanu, who has been in custody since 2021, and reinstated it only on days the IPOB leader would be appearing in court. However, other armed groups claiming allegiance to IPOB and factions within the group have persisted in enforcing the weekly protest, launching attacks on government facilities and perceived pro-government individuals. Despite IPOB's attempts to disassociate itself from the region's violence, the police have accused the group of involvement in several incidents, including a 2021 attack on a prison and the murder of over 30 travellers earlier this month. The IPOB denied responsibility for those two attacks. The SBM report added that beyond the deaths, the sit-at-home order, which suspends economic activities in the southeast every Monday and on days when Kanu appears in court, has resulted in economic losses surpassing 7.6 trillion naira ($4.79 billion). Civil war engulfed the restive Biafra region in the late 1960s, killing more than 1 million people. ($1 = 1,598.5100 naira)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gunmen kill 30 travellers in Nigeria's unstable southeast, Amnesty says
By Ben Ezeamalu LAGOS (Reuters) - Gunmen shot dead at least 30 travellers in an attack in Nigeria's southeastern Imo state, Amnesty International said on Friday, raising fresh concerns about violence in a region rife with insecurity. More than 20 vehicles and trucks were set ablaze by the attackers, who were suspected to be members of the banned separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Amnesty said in a post on X. Imo police spokesperson Henry Okoye confirmed the attack occurred in Thursday's early hours, but declined comment on the number of fatalities. One of the assailants was killed by the police, Okoye told Reuters on Friday. A police statement said the gunmen, operating in three groups, barricaded the highway at about 0400 GMT and shot sporadically before setting vehicles ablaze. "A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding," the police said in the statement. IPOB campaigns for the secession of southeastern Nigeria, where the majority belong to the Igbo ethnic group. Nigerian authorities have labelled IPOB a terrorist organisation. Civil war engulfed the Biafra region in the late 1960s, killing more than 1 million people. Thursday's attack coincided with a visit by President Bola Tinubu to the region, occurring in the same week that IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu appeared in federal court where he is facing trial on terrorism charges. Amnesty called on Nigerian authorities to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
