Gazans speak out against Hamas for the first time in 18 years

For the first time since Hamas seized power 18 years ago, Gazans are speaking out against Hamas at great personal risk.

The abject desperation in the Gaza Strip is emboldening the population there. For the first time since Hamas seized power 18 years ago, they are speaking out against Hamas at great personal risk.

"Since Oct. 7 people have been blaming Hamas and recognizing Hamas started this war," Moumen Al Natour said.

A Gaza lawyer and former political prisoner of Hamas, Al Natour knows very well the risk he is taking by making public statements against Hamas. 

"I would be lying if I said I was not afraid," he said through a translator. "I am afraid like any citizen living as a hostage under Hamas rule for the last 18 years. If I don’t speak out against Hamas, we will certainly be exposed to something worse in the future."

While Al Natour is taking the dangerous step of speaking out – he even wrote an opinion piece published in The Washington Post – he is not entirely alone. 

On March 26, thousands of Palestinians took to the devastated streets in the Northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. They chanted, "Out, out, Hamas get out" and "The people want the fall of Hamas."

A demonstration in Gaza against Hamas would have previously been a guarantee of a heavy-handed response from the terrorist organization. Now, Hamas is weakened, partially by Israeli Defense Forces, partially by the desperation of the Gazans Hamas claims to serve. 

"Recently, anger has been increasing towards Hamas because the situation is deteriorating," said Al Natour.

Power has been a rare luxury in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. Video that comes from the Gaza Strip is an accurate reflection of the pervasiveness of the destruction. Al Natour told Fox News only buildings in the center of the Gaza Strip escaped the wrath of Israel's army.

Water is scarce. "Most of the water we have is dirty, unhealthy water," Al Natour said. "It’s very hard to have access to clean water. The water they use for other purposes is seawater, and it’s very salty. It is greatly affecting people's health over here."

Life in Gaza will only return to a healthy standard when the war ends. So, Al Natour says Gazans want to liberate the Israeli hostages. "The people of Gaza are all for the release of all Israeli hostages and sending them back to their houses. But, on the other hand, the civilians in Gaza do not have anything. They do not have the tools or any ability to help in this matter."

He also said that Gazans want an end to Hamas rule, replacing them with local leadership focused less on fighting Israel, less on political affiliation, more on providing the basics of life.

"Gaza is totally destroyed," he said. "We don’t need political affiliations or political programs right now. We only want to give the people services."

The established Palestinian leadership was quick to reject President Donald Trump's proposal to evacuate and then reconstruct the Gaza Strip and call it a freedom zone. "That’s a hell of a place," the president said last Monday.

Living in the destruction, Al Natour thinks Gazans could agree, even if it means leaving the coastal strip for good. "People welcomed Trump’s recommendation because life in Gaza is hell, and no human being can stay in Gaza forever under these circumstances."

Fox News

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

US envoy Witkoff meets Putin as Trump tells Moscow to 'get moving' on Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with President Vladimir Putin on Friday in St. Petersburg about the search for a peace deal on Ukraine as Trump told Russia to "get moving".

Putin was shown on state TV greeting Witkoff in St. Petersburg's presidential library at the start of the negotiations and state news agencies later said the talks lasted more than four hours.

"The theme of the meeting — aspects of a Ukrainian settlement," the Kremlin said in a statement after the meeting concluded.

Witkoff has emerged as a key figure in the on-off rapprochement between Moscow and Washington amid talk on the Russian side of potential joint investments in the Arctic and in Russian rare earth minerals.

The Izvestia news outlet earlier released video of Witkoff leaving a hotel in the city, accompanied by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's investment envoy.

Dmitriev called the talks on Friday productive, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

However, the talks come at a time when U.S.-Russia dialogue aimed at agreeing a ceasefire ahead of a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine appears to have stalled over disagreements around conditions for a full pause in hostilities.

Trump, who has shown signs of losing patience, has spoken of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil if he feels Moscow is dragging its feet on a Ukrainian deal.

Ukrainian officials have in recent days sent Washington a list of targets it believes Russia has struck in violation of the energy infrastructure ceasefire the two countries agreed to last month, according to two people familiar with the list.

On Friday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social: "Russia has to get moving. Too many people (are) DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war - A war that should have never happened, and wouldn't have happened, if I were President!!!"

Putin has said he is ready in principle to agree to a full ceasefire, while emphasizing that crucial implementation details remain unresolved and what he describes as the war's root causes have yet to be addressed.

Specifically, he has said that Ukraine should not join NATO, that the size of its army needs to be limited, and that Russia should get the entirety of the territory of the four Ukrainian regions it claims as its own despite not fully controlling them.

With Moscow controlling just under 20% of Ukraine and Russian forces continuing to advance on the battlefield, the Kremlin believes Russia is in a strong position when it comes to negotiations and that Ukraine should make concessions.

Kyiv says Russia's terms would amount to a capitulation.

TRUMP-PUTIN MEETING?

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Witkoff might discuss the possibility of the Russian leader meeting Trump face-to-face.

Putin and Trump have spoken by phone but have yet to meet in person since the U.S. leader returned to the White House in January for a second four-year term.

However, Peskov played down the Witkoff-Putin talks, telling Russian state media before they started that the U.S. envoy's visit would not be "momentous" and no breakthroughs were expected.

He said the meeting would be a chance for Russia to express its concerns. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of violating a moratorium on striking each other's energy infrastructure.

The meeting, the third this year between Putin and Witkoff, comes at a time when U.S. tensions with Iran and China, both close allies of Moscow, have been heightened by Tehran's nuclear programme and a burgeoning trade war with Beijing.

Witkoff, who visited a synagogue in St. Petersburg earlier on Friday, is due in Oman on Saturday for talks with Iran over its nuclear programme. Trump has threatened Tehran with military action if it does not agree to a deal. Moscow has repeatedly offered its help in trying to clinch a diplomatic settlement.

U.S. and Russian officials said they had made progress during talks in Istanbul on Thursday towards normalising the work of their diplomatic missions as they begin to rebuild ties.

A February meeting between Witkoff and Putin culminated with the U.S. envoy flying home with Marc Fogel, an American teacher whom Washington had said was wrongfully detained by Russia.

A Russian-American spa worker Ksenia Karelina, who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia, was exchanged on Thursday for Arthur Petrov, whom the U.S. had accused of forming a global smuggling ring to transfer sensitive electronics to Russia's military.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainians fear frontline encirclement – CNN

Ukrainian soldiers have been raising fear of possible encirclement as Russian forces continue to advance along the front line, CNN has reported, citing data and messages posted on social media.

The Russian military has made new gains in the southwest of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), pushing forward between strategic cities of Pokrovsk (also known as Krasnoarmeysk) and Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk), according to the Russian Telegram channel ‘Operation Z: War reporters of Russian Spring’.

Ukrainian forces still control parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions, including the regional capitals of the latter two. The two Donbass republics as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions officially joined Russia in 2022 following referendums.

Some of the fiercest fighting has recently been reported south of Pokrovsk, once a key logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the remaining parts of the DPR under Kiev’s control.

A Ukrainian officer deployed in the area told CNN this week, citing drone footage and intercepted radio communications, that Russian forces were bringing in additional manpower and vehicles, possibly in preparation for new assaults.

CNN’s analysis of combat engagements recorded by Ukraine’s General Staff reportedly indicated an increase in Russian activity along all parts of the front over the past two weeks.

Posts by Ukrainian soldiers on social media in recent days have described fears of an encirclement in one location and a breach of defensive lines in another, the news outlet wrote.

It quoted a Telegram post by a Ukrainian with a call-sign Muchnoy, who claimed the front line had entered an “active” phase and that “the Russians will not stop.”

“They will enter the Dnepropetrovsk Region – this is one of the key tasks set by the Russian command,” the post reportedly stated.

The potential encirclement of Pokrovsk could pave the way for a broader offensive into Dnepropetrovsk Region, with only six kilometers remaining to the border. Dnepropetrovsk Region borders DPR to the east and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to the south.

The report suggested that the capture of even a part of Dnepropetrovsk Region could serve as a “bargaining chip” for Moscow in future negotiations, while seriously weakening Kiev’s position.

On Friday, the ‘Operation Z’ channel shared video footage from the fighting near Pokrovsk, showing the 255th Regiment destroying NATO equipment, infantry, and positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Reuters/RT

It is legitimate to pose the question – is our State drifting towards anarchy? Do we have a social contract with State institutions that provide for our security and welfare? It is a question worth posing, as we note the dramatic breakdown in security provisioning that has created a climate of disillusion in the State as a protector of citizens. Secondly, there is a significant rise and expansion of sectarian conflicts, both ethnic and religious, fuelled in part by massive disinformation and hate speech in both the traditional and social media. Thirdly, Nigeria’s elite consensus on federalism and the federal character principle as a guarantee against group discrimination and marginalisation is badly shaken. We ALL have a collective responsibility to stop the drift and seek pathways to re-establish confidence in the nation-building project.

Beneath the multiple narratives on offer concerning the crisis of the Nigerian State is a three-dimensional crisis. The first one affects the political economy and is generated mainly by public corruption over the past four decades that has created a run on the treasury at the national and state levels threatening to consume the goose that lays the golden egg. The second one is the crisis of citizenship symbolised by ethno-regionalism, the Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder killings, agitations for Biafra, militancy in the Niger Delta and indigene/settler conflicts. The third element relates to the frustration of the country’s democratic aspirations in a context in which the citizenry believes in “true democracy” confronted with a reckless political class that is corrupt, self-serving and manipulative. These issues have largely broken the social pact between citizens and the State. This has opened the gates to actors bent on dismantling the State.

This week, the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, raised an alarm that the state seems to be losing grounds to terrorists. He was speaking during an expanded Security Council meeting which, he noted, was convened to hear the truth from major stakeholders, including traditional rulers and heads of security agencies in the state. In attendance were the General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Major General Abubakar Haruna; sector commanders; the commissioner of police and heads of other security agencies; the Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Garbai Al-Amin El-Kanemi as well as the emirs of Biu, Uba, Askira and Gwoza.

Zulum expressed concern over the recent Boko Haram attacks on major military formations across the state, saying that the state was at risk of returning to turmoil. Many military locations had been dislodged, especially in Wulgo, Sabongari, Wajirko among others he said. The peace that had been won over the years in Borno State is apparently being lost once again. It is troubling that we cannot sustain the peace.

Meanwhile, in Jos, Plateau State, Governor Caleb Muftwang also said this week that the continuous and sustained attacks in communities in the state should not be described as conflicts between herders and farmers but a genocide against the Plateau natives. This followed the killing of about 52 persons including children on Friday, 28th March, 2025, after armed men carried out attacks on communities in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas and their environs of the State. Similar stories are being told daily in other States such as Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Benue and Kaduna. Nigerian citizens are very concerned that there are no safe spaces in the country. The problem is that it appears that the Nigerian State is not aware.

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, claimed this week also that the country has recorded over 90% improvement in security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. He made this assertion in Jos, Plateau state, during a press briefing following a strategic meeting with the commander of Operation Safe Haven, Folusho Oyinlola. The meeting was convened after deadly gunmen attack on the Bokkos community, which tragically claimed the lives of hundreds of residents.

There was no surprise that Ribadu’s statement, given the context of recent violence, sparked mixed reactions from across the political spectrum. Critics argue that the NSA’s comments are aimed at shaping public perception as politicking for the 2027 general election approaches. The remarks were understood by many as part of a broader political narrative to build confidence in the administration. The problem is that we the people also live in Nigeria and we have not seen the remarkable 90% improvement in security in the country. In fact a few days before his comments, Tsiga, a retired general was released by kidnappers only after friends and relations collected money and paid a huge ransom demanded by the almighty kidnappers. Significant security improvement is tangible and would be seen by the people whose lives and livelihoods are affected. There has been some improvement in security provisioning but it has not been significant enough to be noticed by the people.

In a recent lecture, the Director-General the Department of State Services (DSS) says communities a crucial role to play in securing themselves against criminal elements, adding that they must serve as the first line of defence. He specifically stated that it was impossible for all the security agencies to protect all Nigerians across nooks and crannies of the country. If Oluwatosin Ajayi, the head of the secret police, can state this openly, it suggests that there is a shift of security responsibility at the highest level of the State. He was actually speaking in Abuja when he spoke at the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies in the presence of top echelons from the military, police and other para-military agencies in attendance, on the topic – “Mobilising Stakeholders to Curb Insecurity in Nigeria: A Practical Approach”. The DSS’ boss recounted historical instances where communities successfully defended themselves against insurgents, particularly in Azare and Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State. I understand his logic, that communities know their territory well and can mobilise themselves to take care of violence entrepreneurs. The reality however is that the said violence entrepreneurs have procured very sophisticated arms and often, the community simply does not have the fire power to confront them. It is also important to know that sometimes, the perpetrators are also from the community and know the layout. There are too many groups that have discovered that obtaining an AK47 can be their pathway to wealth because they are not in government where you can be wealthy by stealing without arms. Given the number of these disaffected young persons who are arming themselves to find solutions to their problems, we can easily fall into anarchy and were that to happen, we will ALL BE LOSERS as our lives would become nasty, brutish and short.

The State is based on a social contract in which it receives taxes and loyalty from the people and it offers them security – the protection of their lives and livelihoods. If it persists in its failure to provide its part of the bargain, then anarchy can loom on the horizon. The drift towards anarchy must be arrested.

** A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

PT

It can be tempting to prod your ears in a bid to shift wax.

But touching your ear with long, fake nails could cause a nasty bacterial infection that can even trigger tinnitus, an audiologist has warned.

While anyone who touches their ear with unwashed hands is at risk of infection, those with extended nails are especially vulnerable. 

'Long or false acrylic nails can be the worst culprit when it comes to the transfer of bacteria as they provide more surface area for bacteria and fungi to accumulate,' warned Hannah Samuels, an audiologist at Boots Hearingcare.

What's more, the 'long, sharp' digits can damage delicate tissues of the ear canal by creating small abrasions, she added.

'These tiny cuts then become entry points for bacteria or fungi, increasing your risk of infection.'

Bacterial or fungal infections trigger swelling in the eustachian tube — the narrow pathway that connects the middle ear to the back of the throat and helps drain fluid.

This can cause a build-up of fluid and ear wax that causes temporary hearing loss and tinnitus, according to Ms Samuels.

Tinnitus affects up to ten million sufferers in the UK and involves hearing noises like hissing, ringing or buzzing that do not come from an outside source.

Around 500,000 in the UK have a 'debilitating' version of the condition, research suggests, which leaves them unable to work and sleep.

For those with irritated ears, alternative lower risk methods of ear cleaning do exist, Ms Samuels said. 

'When you’re in the shower or having a bath, gently wash the external part of your ears with some soap and warm water. 

'For a more thorough clean, use a damp washcloth to gently wipe the outer ear,' she added.

'This can help to soften the wax in your ears, making it easier for it to move naturally towards the ear opening as part of the self-cleaning process. 

'Making this a regular routine should be enough to maintain cleanliness.'  

However, some people suffer from a build-up of wax, which can be down to having narrow or damaged ear canals, lots of hair in the ears, a skin condition, hearing aids or inflammation of the canal. 

For these people, ENT UK, the membership organisation representing ear, nose and throat surgery, recommends using two to three drops of olive oil once a week to soften ear wax and help it come out.

If earwax is very hard, it advises people to use sodium bicarbonate drops, which can be bought from pharmacies for around £4.

Some GP practices can remove wax by flushing it out with water, known as ear irrigation, or sucking it out through microsuction. 

However, the NHS warns that patients may have to pay for this privately after the service was withdrawn in parts of the country in 2019.

Around 2.3million people require earwax treatment per year, with most patients being hearing aid users, elderly or suffering from a learning disability, according to the NHS. 

This is not the first time experts have warned of the dangers of long, fake nails made with acrylic or gel substances.

Dermatologists have previously warned they are seeing an increase in the number of people developing 'life-changing' allergies triggered by gel nail polishes, which can stop them having some operations like cataracts, joint replacement or dental work.

The chemicals in gel nail polishes, known as methacrylates, can cause an allergic reaction if they leak into the skin, which can see nails loosen and the skin develop a severe, itchy rash.

Those who suffer this reaction are then unable to tolerate being exposed to the chemical, which is used in routine procedures such as fillings and hip replacements.

At-home gel manicures are the most likely culprit for triggering the painful reaction.

This is caused by the ultraviolet lamp that hardens polish not being used for long enough. 

But even salon nail treatments can pose a risk if the technician is poorly-trained.

Symptoms include the nails loosening and falling off, sores appearing on fingers and red and swollen cuticles. 

It can also trigger severe rash on the face, the neck, the upper chest. Simply brushing your nails against your arms or touching your face can cause symptoms to spread to those areas.

Daily Mail

The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) reversed its previous gains yesterday as market capitalization fell by ₦119 billion, primarily due to widespread selling of high-value stocks.

The All-Share Index (ASI) declined by 189.73 points (0.18%) to close at 104,187.00 points, while market capitalization dropped to ₦65.470 trillion.

This downturn was driven by losses in medium and large capitalized stocks including Unilever Nigeria, PZ Cussons Nigeria, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), and United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Sector performance showed mixed results with banking (-1.6%) and consumer goods (-0.2%) indices declining, while insurance (+2.7%) and oil & gas (+0.5%) indices advanced. The Industrial Goods index remained unchanged.

Despite the general market decline, positive sentiment prevailed with 33 gainers outpacing 23 losers. Top performers included Livestock Feeds and VFD Group, both gaining 10% to close at ₦8.03 and ₦72.60 respectively. Nigerian Exchange Group followed with a 9.86% gain, closing at ₦35.65.

Among the decliners, Learn Africa and Haldane McCall led with 10% losses each, closing at ₦2.97 and ₦5.22 respectively. ETI fell by 9.90% to ₦26.85, while PZ Cussons Nigeria dropped 9.88% to ₦30.10.

Trading volume decreased by 18.23% to 376.617 million units valued at ₦11.888 billion across 11,576 deals. GTCO dominated trading activity with 62.882 million shares worth ₦4.095 billion, followed by Access Holdings with 51.378 million shares valued at ₦1.059 billion.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Israel kills Hamas operative who led Oct. 7 massacre

An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip killed a Hamas militant who led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on a kibbutz near the Palestinian enclave that left 75 soldiers and civilians dead, Israel Defense Forces officials announced Thursday.

Haitham Razek Abd al-Karim Sheikh Khalil, commander of a Hamas terror battalion, was killed in Wednesday’s strike on a command post in Gaza City half a mile from Israeli troops.

“Several Hamas terrorists operated from within the command center in order to plan and execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDFsoldiers,” Israeli military officials said on their Telegram social media site. 

The IDF and the Israel Security Agency, commonly known as Shin Bet, said Mr. Khalil was part of Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion that raided Nahal Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel near the Gaza border two years ago.

“Throughout the war, he planned and executed terrorist attacks against IDFtroops and operated to plant explosives and bobby-trap combat zones,” IDFofficials posted on Telegram.

The officials said he assumed leadership of the Shejaiya Battalion following the death in combat of his immediate predecessor and the previous commander.

“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence,” the IDF officials said.

Israel has accused Hamas of “systematically” violating international law by “brutally exploiting” the civilian population as a human shield for its terrorism.

“The IDF and the ISA will continue to operate against Hamas to protect the State of Israel,” the IDF officials posted.

Washington Times

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

EU divided over Russian asset seizure – Kremlin

The Kremlin is aware of divisions within the EU over the fate of frozen Russian assets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Some members of the bloc are opposed to seizing the funds, citing legal risks.

An estimated $300 billion worth of Russian sovereign assets was frozen by the West following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Around €200 billion ($209 billion) of this is held by Euroclear, a Brussels-based clearing house. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has repeatedly called for the funds to be tapped for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

This week, Kallas acknowledged that some member states still oppose the move, but did not specify which ones.

Peskov told journalists on Thursday that Moscow is “aware that indeed some countries do not support such an approach, as they understand the inevitable legal consequences of such actions.” 

The Kremlin has condemned the freezing of its assets and warned that seizing them would amount to “theft,” hinting at possible retaliatory measures against Western investments in Russia.

The frozen funds have already accrued billions of euros in interest, with Euroclear transferring €1.55 billion to Kiev last July to back a $50 billion loan for Ukraine provided by the G7.

Some EU members, notably the Baltic and Nordic states, along with Poland and the Czech Republic, have pushed for the immediate transfer of the frozen funds to Kiev. Others, however – including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen – have been more cautious, citing legal concerns and arguing that the funds should be kept as leverage.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has warned that confiscating Russian assets would be considered “an act of war” and could provoke a response from Moscow. Other EU officials have also raised concerns that seizing the assets without a legal basis could set a dangerous precedent and alarm global investors.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that appropriating the funds without a clear legal basis could undermine global confidence in Western financial institutions.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine to receive $580 million of UK-led military support

Ukraine will receive fresh military support worth 450 million pounds ($580 million), Britain said on Friday, as European allies attempt to strengthen the country's position ahead of any peace deal with Russia.

Britain will provide 350 million pounds of the amount from its 4.5-billion-pound military support package for Ukraine this year, with Norway contributing further funding, Britain's ministry of defence said.

The funding comes as British defence minister John Healey chairs a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels along with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. The group includes NATO and other nations supporting Ukraine.

The funding will provide repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment as well as radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones.

"The work of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position and pile pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to help force him to end this terrible war," Healey is expected to say at the meeting.

"We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today's major package will surge support to Ukraine's frontline fight."

Healey on Thursday chaired a meeting of the defence ministers of the so-called "coalition of the willing", a British and French-led peacekeeping initiative in the event of a peace deal in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

RT/Reuters

It’s a most unlikely crime scene. I travelled by road from the Benin airport to Uromi, Esanland's most significant town, for a wedding about three years ago.

The fear of kidnappers is a constant worry for road users. I was nervous for nearly four hours of the taxi ride, especially as we turned off the busy Agbor Road and veered onto narrow, lonely roads meandering through many forested small towns and villages.

I was nervous. When the driver ran into a pothole, and a loud noise suggested we might have lost a wheel or something, I insisted he should keep moving, as long as the car could still move, until we later discovered it was the wheel cover.

Entering Uromi

It was not until we passed Ubiaja, the hotspot between Biafran and Federal troops during Nigeria’s civil war and cultural capital of Esanland, and reached Igueben, the rusty town of one of Nigeria’s famous politicians, Tom Ikimi, about 20 minutes’ drive from Uromi, that I started breathing easy. It was my first visit to Uromi, a town I had known and heard about since my teenage years.

Memories from the past

My earliest memory of this town was when my mother worked as a cook at St. Theresa’s Hospital, Kirikiri Ajegunle, Lagos, owned at the time by Dr. Okoli, an Igbo man, and his wife, a nurse and an Esan from Uromi. Occasionally, when there was some social event in Uromi, the Okolis took my mum along to cook, and she returned with plenty of palm oil, large tubers of yam, and fresh fruits.

But there’s another memory of Uromi apart from my mother’s work and travels. It’s the historical significance of this town in the old Benin Empire. More contemporary references might be about the exploits of some of Uromi’s notable people, such as the three Anthonys – Enahoro, Olubunmi-Okogie and Anenih – whose footprints in politics and liberation theology cannot be easily forgotten.  

Innocence lost to rage

Yet, these notable persons were inspired by the town’s extraordinary heritage of struggle and resistance to oppression. Uromi resisted the expansionism of the Benin Empire during Oba Ozolua's reign and fought the British colonial invaders.

Though many of the town’s original settlers are believed to have come from central Nigeria, migrants from other places also settled there, highlighting its tolerance for visitors and diverse heritage as the town grew into one of Esanland's most important agricultural trading posts.

That diversity, enterprise and welcoming spirit now seem like a story from a bygone era. After the tragic killing of the 16 travellers reportedly going to Kano to observe the Eid on March 28, the town has lost its innocence. For a long time, it will be remembered not as that place my mother frequented as a cook or the homestead of Enahoro, one of Nigeria’s greatest patriots and nationalists, but as a crime scene.

Agony of bereavement

The heartbreaking story of Hauwa Bala (whose husband, Isah, was among the Uromi 16) who went into premature labour upon hearing of her husband’s tragic death or Sadiya Sa’adu, who lost a brother and a nephew will haunt the community, as will the stories of each of the dead, and indeed the unfolding horror in Uromi now under siege and a brutal crackdown. The security services are poised to forget their complicity and instead crush the town in a mocking search for justice.

Journey to anomie

How did we get here? Kidnapping and banditry have grown from a fringe business to a N2.23 trillion naira industry, and hardly any part of the country is spared this misery. In the last 10 years, clashes among rival cult gangs have been rife in Edo State, as have been reports of severe violence as a result of farmer-herder clashes. One report said in 2020, Edo was the third most affected by violence in the Niger Delta after Delta and Rivers States.

Violent clashes between farmers and herders have led to significant loss of lives. In February alone, 27 farmers in Edo were reportedly killed by herdsmen. This figure is only a tiny part of the bloody trail that often includes grotesque stories of rape, murder and wantonness wrecking many farming communities across the country as herders roam southwards for pasture.

Politicians’ fake outrage

While the affected communities writhe in anguish, official response, especially by politicians and the police, has ranged from chewing the microphone with empty promises of justice to sheer indifference and, in fact,alleged complicity in supplying weapons to the herders in some cases. We’ve seen this repeatedly across the country, from Uromi in Edo to towns in Benue and Plateau States.

When the state, expected to guarantee security and maintain law and order, abdicates its responsibility, turns a blind eye or becomes complicit, people take the law into their own hands. What happened in Uromi on March 28 is one of the tragic outcomes.

The appearance of shock and outrage amongst politicians and the security services is hypocrisy disguised as empathy. They can fool themselves all day long. Unless they begin to rebuild trust in communities and people – whether farmers or herders – can see that there are consequences for breaking the law, Uromi will not be the last tragic crime scene.

Citizens’ dilemma

Yet, while many communities are under attack, residents are on their own. The Supreme Court recently gave ajudgment upholding the death sentence on Citizen Sunday Jackson and criminalising self-defence even in the face of a clear threat to life. The judgment is an absurdity that compounds the dilemma of communities coping with security services often unwilling, unable or unavailable to protect citizens.

If unarmed Jackson had known that self-defence against herdsman Boua Bururo, who stabbed him seven times on his farm, would not avail him, that if he didn’t die by his attacker’s knife, he would have still been killed by the law, he might have surrendered to his attacker. What a fate!

What kind of society gives the victims the short end of the stick? If communities cannot trust that the police can defend them and courts will not provide justice, self-help prevails. As things stand, respect for life and private property rights is endangered, and to pretend otherwise is to enable jungle justice further.

No excuses

What happened to the Uromi 16 stands condemned, but sadly, the fake outrage by politicians obscures the history behind the tragedy. It neither guarantees that a proper investigation will be done and the perpetrators brought to justice, nor does it assuage current tensions and paranoia in many communities across the country.

Open, unrestrained must stop. The Federal Government must also fast-track community/state policing, which will hopefully use modern surveillance tools and techniques to prevent and fight crime. The current security system is unfit for purpose.

Burden of kindness

I’m sorry for the truck driver who, after driving past the stranded passengers early on, turned back nearly two kilometres to pick up the Uromi 16 and other stranded passengers from the roadside. Even though he escaped the mob attack in Uromi, he now lives with the guilt of a bloody reward for his act of kindness, the tragic consequence of a society where trust and compassion have declined.

Neither the Uromi I read about in history nor the one my mother visited is the same as the present crime scene. Something is broken, and false outrage won’t fix it.

** Ishiekwene is the Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book Writing for Media and Monetising It.

As an entrepreneur juggling many different responsibilities, you'll likely find that any illness will seriously set you back temporarily while you recover. But there's one that may have powerful, lasting effects on your business -- and extend far beyond a simple day or two of absence.

It's called "shiny object syndrome," and if it's plaguing you, you'll need to take action if you want your business to thrive.

"Shiny object syndrome" in action

At its core, shiny object syndrome (SOS) is a disease of distraction, and it affects entrepreneurs specifically because of the qualities that make them unique. Entrepreneurs tend to be highly motivated. They crave new technology and new developments. And they aren't afraid to start new projects and create new things.

Ordinarily, these are great characteristics, but when SOS sets in, it forces you to chase project after project, and change after change, never settling with one option.

It's called shiny object syndrome because it's the entrepreneurial equivalent of a small child chasing after shiny objects. Once they get there and see what the object is, they immediately lose interest and start chasing the next thing. For entrepreneurs, rather than literal shiny objects, SBOs may be business objectives, marketing strategies, clients or even other business ventures.

When SOS gets bad

Wanting to keep your business updated, and staying abreast of new possibilities, aren't inherently bad goals. However, when SOS becomes rampant, entrepreneurs experience some or all of these serious drawbacks:

• Inability to finish projects. When you get excited about a new project before your first one is complete, you may jump ship before you can see any meaningful results. For example, if you invest in an SEO strategy for a month or two, then switch to a different strategy altogether, you'll never get to see the long-term benefits of maintaining an SEO strategy properly.
• Poorly planning your ideas and directives. People with SOS tend to focus on the novelty of pursuing a given strategy, or making a specific change, rather than the strategy or change itself. For example, they may love the idea of creating a new product and begin work on developing it, but with no long-term game plan on how to follow through on that idea. This leads to underdeveloped executions and unrealized potential.
• Burning through cash. There are hundreds of technological tools for businesses that are impressive, effective and downright fun to use. Unfortunately, if you subscribe to all those services, or you jump from platform to platform, you'll end up burning through so much cash that these tools become incredibly cost-inefficient.
• Confusing your staff. You aren't the only one affected by your decisions and constantly alternating momentum. If you change your business's direction too frequently, your staffers won't be able to keep up. They'll see projects they're working on suddenly become irrelevant when a new detail emerges, or see their goals shift almost unpredictably. Over time, this can cause serious disruptions in employee loyalty and productivity.

How to overcome it

So, what can you do to beat SOS?

• Sit on ideas before launching them. Before you have your team begin work on that new project that's going to "change everything," take a moment. Do some more research on the idea and think about whether this is the best use of your company's resources. Not every idea should be acted upon, and giving yourself this "buffer time" can spare you from an overly hasty decision.
• Communicate with your team. When you have a new idea, talk to your team members about it. Ask them what they think, and listen to their perspectives, concerns and needs. They'll be able to help you realize when you're moving too fast, and if you do decide to go through with your decision, they'll be happier that you came to them first.
• Set both long- and short-term goals with each new project. Slow down when you start to shift gears. Set long-term goals for every project, including how long you anticipate the project will last. Set short-term goals to help you close that gap and keep the team focused.
• Abandon projects only when necessary. Once your long-term goals are in place, don't abandon the project until you get there. The only exceptions would be if your project starts costing you far more money than anticipated, or the landscape has changed significantly enough to undermine the project's effectiveness entirely.

Fortunately, SOS isn't a diagnosable affliction. It's a problem with how you think about your business, and how you choose to develop it. Accordingly, once you realize you have these tendencies, you can start to correct them and compensate for them, ultimately forging a more consistent, reliable path forward for your business.

Entrepreneur

In yet another move critics see as part of a broader campaign against dissent, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has banned the protest song “Tell Your Papa” by veteran rapper Eedris Abdulkareem from being aired on radio and television.

The directive, contained in an April 9, 2025 memo signed by Susan Obi, the NBC’s Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, cites Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which prohibits content considered “inappropriate, offensive, or in breach of public decency.” The Commission labeled the song “objectionable” and declared it “Not To Be Broadcast” (NTBB), urging stations nationwide to refrain from airing it “to maintain responsible broadcasting standards.”

The track, which has gone viral on social media, directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, criticizing the worsening economic and security situation in the country. Abdulkareem urges Seyi to confront his father about the country’s hardships, rapping lines like: “Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die… this one don pass jagajaga.”

The censorship of Abdulkareem’s song marks another flashpoint in what many observers describe as a growing pattern of authoritarianism under Tinubu’s administration. Last August, nationwide protests over fuel subsidy removal and rising inflation were met with mass arrests and heavy police presence. In a widely condemned move, minors were arraigned for treason in Abuja after participating in a peaceful demonstration.

Human rights activists have also increasingly found themselves targeted under the guise of the Cybercrime Act, with online critics and whistleblowers routinely harassed, detained, or dragged to court.

Analysts warn that the ban on “Tell Your Papa”—a protest anthem echoing the frustrations of millions—reflects a deepening intolerance for criticism in a country grappling with mounting insecurity, economic hardship, and shrinking civic space.

“This is not just about a song,” one media rights advocate noted. “It’s about a government that wants to silence every voice that dares to speak truth to power—whether it’s on the streets, in the courts, or on the airwaves.”

Watch the video below: