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Victor21
BBNaija Star Vee Flaunts Her Beauty, Says She's Got The Good Looks, Photo Stirs Reactions
~1.4 mins read
Popular BBNaija star, Vee, has served her followers a banging-body photo as she showed off her beauty.
In a Twitter post on Friday, February 19, the reality TV show personality said that though she knows that good looks do not mean one possesses everything, she still has them regard.
 
   The lady came across as one with a confident self with her assuring and alluring poise.
Many of her fans thronged her comment section with positive reactions with some saying that she combines beauty with brain well.
Young lady buys new house for herself, photo shows inside the ultra-modern kitchen
See her tweet below:
 
 Her photo has gathered over 13,000 likes with about 3,000 retweets as at the time of writing this report. Legit.ng compiled some of the reactions below:
@EvinceSammy said:
"Beautiful Vee."
@NdeogoBen said:
"Vee looking beautiful."
Vee was greatly admired by her fans as she posted a new photo on social media. Photo source: veeiye
@HildaIliyas4 said:
"Someone's daughter is looking so yummy."
@sidi_john said:
"I concur... Especially when you wore that Iro and Buba in Bbnaija house."
@JLanamo said:
"Ehnmm your truely beautiful vee , Neo you better come carry this soft ebony good looking babe woo before you go start to dey cry say heartbreak . vee your so gergerous.
 
   Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Vee recently advised fans on social media regarding the race for wealth and riches in life .
In a post which she shared on Twitter, the ex-housemate stated that if people found out how some wealthy people made their money, they would stop being hard on themselves and just keep working. Vee also advised her followers to be patient and trust the process.
 
She said:
"If you found out how some people make their money, you’d stop being so hard on yourself. Be patient."
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Sammyesx
Concern In Gombe Over Scarcity Of Husbands For Single Women
~11.3 mins read
In September 2013, hundreds of single women led by Suwaiba Isa stormed the streets of Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, protesting scarcity of husbands for more than 8,000 of them. A similar protest earlier planned by Hajiya Altine Abdullahi for widows and unmarried Kano women in August 2009 was averted by Kano State Government which quickly arranged mass wedding for 1,000 women in the state.



It had looked as if the trend was restricted to the Northwest part of the country and the Muslim population until a pastor in one of the churches in Gombe State raised concern over their unmarried ladies’ choice of men from outside the region, especially the Southwest part of the country who came to take their women away.



Reports say that 60 per cent of the non-indigene population in Gombe State is made of people from the Southwest part of the country, who the Oba of Yoruba in Gombe, Abdulrahim Alao Yusuf, said have been living in the area for more than 150 years.



At 35, Godiya Adamu is yet to find a husband; a situation she blamed on her inability to find a man who is serious about marriage.



“What would I do? I can’t force myself on men if they do not come,” she said, revealing that she had been in about five relationships without meaningful results before she eventually gave up. “As far as I am concerned, life continues with or without a husband,” she said.



On her part, Abigail, a mother of two, said she deliberately chose to be a single mother so that she might have peace of mind. “I live in my own house in this Gombe with my children. I am their mother and their father,” she said.



Abigail said she chose to be single because she could not play the second fiddle in a marriage.



She said: “I have friends who prefer that the man should not make their existence known to the wife at home and they are comfortable with it.



“What I want to say is that one should go for whatever will make one happy. There is nothing new again under the sun.



Esther, a 45-year-old single lady, said the new trend now is for ladies to go out of their state and culture to marry. “I was in a wedding where a pastor here in the North complained bitterly that Yoruba men are taking their girls away. He said when they marry them, they don’t stay in Gombe but take them to their part of the country.



“So I said why will this not be so because some of the young men that you see out there are into drug addiction, and who wants to marry a drug addict?



“The truth is many of them are not serious. It is not only men that are looking for decent and serious ladies, ladies too are also seeking decent men to marry, and that to me is scarce right now in this generation.”



For Amina, a Fulani woman, her problem was that she had education. She said she had discovered that many men in the North are reluctant to marry educated women. “Probably because they felt it might not be easy for them to have control over such a woman. So to me, the option is of course to remain single and be both the mother and father to my children.”



Rev. Adamu Dauda of ECWA Gospel Church Gombe said when he noticed that the situation was becoming alarming, he called for a meeting with all the youths in the church.



He said: “I lead a congregation of over 1,500 members out of which we have over 800 youths. During the meeting, we discovered that out of the 800 youths, 487 were not married, so I began to take the initiative to talk to them one on one.



“The shocking discovery is that some of the ladies told me that nobody had proposed to them. Then I asked, did you not see anyone that you liked? Some said yes, but they could not go to the man because it is against African culture. That is the area we are now looking into.



“If a lady likes a man, why not go to the man herself? If that will give you better results, why not? Because I can tell you for sure that the church is already getting overwhelmed.”



Rev. Dauda also blamed the situation on the inability of many young men to use their hands to make ends meet because they are thinking of white collar jobs and other privileges that will come through the government.



He said: “You would believe me that the economy of our country is in serious problem. Many people are struggling. People would tell you that they have spent two or three days without cooking in their homes. In other words, they are looking for what to eat.



“They would come to the church and plead, and because we are one family, the church encourages giving and supporting one another.



“Today, most of our children, especially the boys, graduated and have nothing to do. When you ask them, they would say they are looking for government jobs. Many of them have failed to use their hands to make ends meet. They are thinking of white collar jobs and other privileges that will come through government but these are not forthcoming.



“Since they have no job, they have no means of taking care of wives. Many of them you can see walking on the streets with their files instead of taking vocational jobs where they can earn money and make themselves employers of labour.”



He said another reason for the delay in marriage for many men and women is modernization, which he said has led to trial marriage, which he said is directly opposite to African culture.



He said: “In those days, because you could not touch a woman before you married her, it encouraged a man to desire to marry. But what is happening today is not good for the ears at all.



“If they could try marriage before they get married then what would prompt them to want to marry again? Because what they are looking for in marriage, they can get it outside marriage.”



He also blamed some of the women for living care-free life. “Some of the women do not have self control, and if you do not have self control, somebody will come and get what he wants to get from you and find his way out. Then another person will come and it goes on like that in a vicious circle. At the end of the day you find out that nobody wants to marry you.



“Hardly will such a lady find a man to marry her, because even if a man is not decent and not faithful, he is looking for a faithful woman to marry. Once a man hears so much about you concerning indecency and other things, they will go away and not want to stay with such a woman.



“Another factor is on the side of the parents. Most parents do not want their daughter to marry until she attains a certain level of education. In those days, after secondary school, a girl can get married and then both husband and wife can go and struggle together and they will be whatever they want to be together. But today, the parents will say she will not marry until she obtains first degree.



“Another thing is that some parents also do select for their children, saying they should wait for a well established family with the hope that marriage with their daughter will get them out of poverty, and the lady will keep on waiting. Parents’ intervention in issues of marriage is causing a lot of problems.”



The Chief Imam of Government House Mosque in Gombe, Sheik Dr. Zakariya Hajiya, blamed the scarcity of husbands for women in the state on poverty. According to him, the huge expenses of marriage for men with regard to the bride, her family, mosques and churches have become a huge burden on them. He said the biting economic situation occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the security challenges in the Northeast region have further worsened the situation.



He said: “The expenses on those things like dowry, clothes, necklaces, kitchen appliances, bed, television, refrigerator and other household appliances, which a would-be husband would provide for both the bride, her family and faith houses, are so huge for him.



“Another problem is the death of many men due to insurgency which have turned many women into widows and with children to cater for. The situation is further compounded by the huge number of widows of soldiers and policemen who died in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.



“These women are also part of the society. Most of the time, men are victims of insurgency attacks, banditry, kidnapping and the rest. In fact, recently, men have become vulnerable and endangered species in our society as a result of these crises in different parts of the country.



“So, scarcity of husband, which leads to delay in marriages for women, is not limited to the Northeast; it is all over. And it is also not limited to women in Islam; it also affects Christians too.”



Another factor raised by Zakariya is the fact that most women of nowadays do not want to play the second fiddle or allow their husbands to marry another woman after them.



“This is another big problem, especially for polygamists. Some women even killed their husbands for marrying or trying to marry another woman. Yes, it is as bad as that, but it is a deviation from the teachings of Islam.



“Islam allows a man to marry as many as four wives. But these days, once you marry a woman, they hardly agreed for another woman to be married after them. Except you have a very strong hold on a woman, it could be very frustrating to put two or more of them under the same roof.



“Some, apart from trying to kill their husbands, even take him to court for divorce. It is as bad as that.”



He said the society is facing a huge problem in this regard now because the scarcity of husband is forcing many women into fornication, adultery and even prostitution in order to survive.



“Some of these women are even the ones approaching men now because they are looking for means of survival.”



He explained further that most women who prevent their husbands from marrying another woman have forgotten that they also have female children.



“Some of them even have as many as four, five or more daughters at home. If you marry one off and that one did not allow her husband to marry another woman, who will marry her sisters?” he asked.



This, according to him, is what many women who are against polygamy do not understand.



He said: “I am a teacher, and I know that girls in schools outnumber boys. It also means that the population of girls is more than boys.”



But the Statistician General of the Gombe State Bureau of Statistics, Hammed Gidado, would not agree with Sheik Zakariya. Gidado said there is no empirical statistics on ground to support the notion that there are more women than men and that is why there is scarcity of husbands or delayed marriage for women.



To him, available statistics showed that male children still outnumber fema le children, according to latest population statistics.



He said: “There is no empirical statistics on ground to support the notion that there are more single ladies than single men in Gombe State for now. However this could be true on assumption.



“There are five factors which could be responsible for this. First is the spiritual cost of marriage. If you are doing it according to Islamic marriage, it will not go through without cost. The same also applies to church wedding. The pastor and the Mallam will get something.



“Secondly, the parents will do K’aya hauri or lepe in Hausa, and this will involve buying clothes, boxes, jewellery, etc. The minimum you have to spend on this is nothing less than N200,000. Those are on the side of the person getting married.



“But the cost is even more on the side of the parents who have to buy bed, refrigerator, television, carpet, furniture, cooking utensils and other domestic tools to use at home. So the expenses are even more on the side of the parents.



“These are extreme costs which can run into not less than N600,000 or more than a million naira.



“Another is the cost of reception for invited guests at the wedding. You have to provide food for people. If you are popular, you will expect not less than 100 guests. The cost of what they will eat and drink is more than the dowry.



“In Islamic law, dowry is now pegged at a minimum of N25,000. If you put all these costs together, you will discover that it is one of the things deterring people from getting married.



“Another aspect that is neither cultural or religious is the issue of courtship or trial marriage, where a would-be husband and wife will live together and do everything that is expected in marriage. By the time they eventually get married in a matter of three to six months, they go for divorce.



“Another thing is the issue of death among men. When a husband dies, the wife becomes a widow and the number of single women increases. However, these are assumptions; there are no empirical statistics to back it up.”



Gidado however said the upsurge in single women occurs more in the urban areas than rural areas and it is not restricted to Gombe State. He added that in rural areas, a lady could marry up to three or four times.



“But if it is in urban areas, like Ibadan or Lagos, or Kano, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Abuja, who will marry her? In those urban areas, a lady could live up to 50 years without having a husband. Whenever it comes to the issue of marriage, what will be going on in the mind of the man is where would I get money? Especially now that everyone is looking for white kola job and government cannot provide job for everybody.



“Even when you get the job, the minimum wage is N30,000. Can you manage a home on N30,000 per month? There are also contemporary issues which are not religious, cultural or traditional.”



Gidado concluded that “this issue, sadly, appears to have no solution. Because even when government intervened and carried out mass weddings, many of the women ended up marrying another woman’s husband and the marriage may not last more than six months.”



He said the worrisome aspect is the rate of divorce which is borne out of contemporary issues and is now a common phenomenon all over the country.



“In the South-south and Southeast, ladies now stay away completely from marriage for life. If it is children, they can get their own children and remain single parents. This however is not according to our culture and religion in the North.”
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RachaelB
Military Aircraft King Air 350 Crashes In Abuja,6 Passengers Feared Dead
~1.0 mins read
A military aircraft King Air 350 has just crashed short of our Abuja runway after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. It appears to be fatal. We should remain calm & wait for the outcome of investigation by the military, while we pray for the departed soul/souls if any.�����
Hadi Sirika 

A Nigerian Air Force NAF201 jet, a B350 aircraft, which departed Abuja at 1033UTC with six persons on board, including two crew, has crashed at the Abuja Airport.

All six persons on board are reported dead.

The aircraft was said to have reported engine failure at 1039 and crashed landed on the final approach path of Abuja Runway 22 at time 1048UTC.

Fire services are already at the scene of the accident.
This Day 

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Sammyesx
Sanwo-Olu Cautions Religious Leaders Against Incendiary Comments
~2.5 mins read
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Saturday cautioned religious leaders and opinion moulders against reckless utterances that could further aggravate the security crises in the country.



Sanwo-Olu gave the admonition at the 2021 Lagos State Interdenominational Divine Service organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the Apostolic Church, Ketu.



The governor said the nature of the crises required all religious leaders to refrain from making incendiary comments that could stoke divisions and violence.



According to him, a crisis in Nigeria will be catastrophic for Africa.



He said the nation had faced a difficult period in the past year following economic downturn occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19 and accentuated by youth restiveness.



Sanwo-Olu, who said Lagos State became the epicentre of the crises, which kept the government on its toes, stressed that religious leaders must use their pulpits to preach peace and discourage war.



The governor said it was time citizens came together and gave Nigeria the new beginning it deserved in surmounting contemporary challenges.



“It is time for sober reflection that must bring a new beginning for our nation. We have all witnessed the challenges of our country, but we need to be careful not to turn the observed crises into ethnic or religious war.



“We need to guard against utterances that may stereotype anyone or tribes. We have a duty to isolate criminals in our communities rather than introducing tribal spin into every crime.



“Nigeria is the largest country in Africa. Where will we go to?



“That’s why I said we need a new beginning and there are no other people that can help us lower the temperature and calm frayed nerves than our religious leaders whose voices are well respected,’’ he said.



The governor added that Nigerians must not add political instability to the many battles the country was fighting.



Sanwo-Olu said that the crises bedevilling the nation required collective action from every segment of the country toward evolving solutions.



He said that in spite the COVID-19 crisis and the destruction that trailed the #EndSARS protest in 2020, Lagos had weathered the storm with strong determination to sustain the progress it recorded.



He commended religious groups for sustaining Lagos State with prayers, and particularly praised CAN for its spiritual support towards his administration.



“As a government, we will continue to play our part and deliver projects that are critical to the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.



“The duty of CAN and our church leaders is to continue to support us with prayers and populate messages that promote unity within our communities and state,’’ Sanwo-Olu said.



The Southwest leader of CAN, Rev. Fr. Raphael Osegboun, decorated Sanwo-Olu as Grand Patron of the Lagos chapter of the association.



Osegboun said that the appointment was based on the Christian body’s resolve to naturally fill the position with any sitting governor of Christian faith.



Also, the lawmaker representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, was named the Matron of the association, while Rev. Mother Esther Ajayi was appointed as Grand Matron.



The theme of this years’ service is: “A New Beginning, A New Dawn and A New Glory,’’ (NAN)

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Sammyesx
2023: Cracks In Jonathan's Camp
~8.0 mins read
Efforts by some stakeholders to drag former President Goodluck Jonathan to the 2023 presidential race on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has caused a sharp division within his camp, reports ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor.



Allies of former President Goodluck Jonathan are sharply divided over an alleged plot by some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to drag the ex-President into the 2023 presidential race on the platform of the ruling party. The Nation gathered that while Jonathan is reportedly yet to take a decision on alleged pressure on him by the APC chiefs, many of his known allies are said to be already working with the promoters of the plot in preparation for the 2023 elections. This is just as a good number of his associates have also made it clear they will not support him should he leave the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).



Though the leadership of the ruling party has denied it is planning to field Jonathan as its next presidential candidate, sources within the party told The Nation that some APC governors are actually toying with the idea of backing the former president to return in 2023 on the platform of the party. It was gathered that many of Jonathan’s associates are said to be on their way to the ruling party as part of the plan to facilitate his emergence as the presidential candidate of the party come 2023. According to sources, one of the APC governors may also be supported to emerge as the vice presidential candidate of the party.



“The plot is to bring Jonathan in and support him as a presidential candidate on the agreement that he will do just a term in office and allow power to return to the north. Constitutionally, he cannot vie for another term. So his choice is being promoted by some northern governors and chieftains of the APC as a way to douse the agitation for zoning and also truncate the presidential ambition of a particular southerner. Many meetings have been held on the matter and though the former president is yet to consent to the plan, there are strong indications that he may consider the offer and join the APC eventually.



“As part of the moves, some associates of the former president are expected to leave the PDP and join the APC soon. Once that start happening then you should know the deal is struck and Jonathan will be coming to try and get the ticket of the party ahead of 2023,” our source said, adding that “and to make things easy, the APC, influenced by the governors, has amended its rules to pave way for new comer into the party to vie for tickets. That move is part of the strategies to soften the ground for Jonathan and others would be defectors into the APC.”



The body language of the former president, according to political observers, has also changed since talks about the possibility of his seeking a return to the presidency in 2023 gathered momentum. When asked recently by journalists whether he would be joining the presidential race in 2023, he stated that “It is too early to talk about that.” Analysts have also been pointing to the increased rapport between the former president and President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as the not too cordial relationship he maintains with the leadership of the PDP, as indications of things likely to come as 2023 draws nearer.



Sources said a group led by an ally of the former President, who is also a chieftain of the APC in Bayelsa State, is already working with the promoters of the idea on how to fly the project. The parties are said to have met on occasions to discuss the modalities. “The APC governors want the campaign to start from the South-south, being Jonathan’s base. It is expected to be taken to other parts of the south before they will give support to it up north as agreed. They have also assured us that they will convince the APC to give its 2023 presidential ticket to the former President. A lot of individuals and groups will be part of it all,” our source claimed.



The Nation gathered that as part of the plot to sell the candidacy of the former president within and outside his zone, an agitation for the South-south to be allowed to present a candidate that will complete its second tenure in 2023, will be mounted. “This is to make the people of the South-south see the project as theirs, and to also appeal to pro-zoning elements across the country. Jonathan was denied a second term in 2015 and by extension, the South-south is now the only zone that wasn’t allowed to rule for eight years. That is something we intend to capitalize on as we sell his candidacy,” our source added.



But Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, who is also the Chairman, APC Caretaker and Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, said the party is not wooing Jonathan for the 2023 presidential race on its platform. He added that APC governors’ visit to Jonathan was solely to congratulate him on his birthday and to honour him as a former Nigerian leader. He however said the party is open to people who are willing to join, recalling that his committee’s efforts have attracted many erstwhile leading opposition figures like Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State into the APC.



On his part, Jonathan recently reacted to the stories making the round when he said he is still in the PDP. According to him: “PDP has been a very friendly party. I am a member of PDP and I know from the beginning till today, it has been a very friendly party. PDP is a party that carries everybody along and we should extend that to Bayelsa State.”



Discordant tunes



But it appears that the alleged plot, especially indications that it is being promoted by largely northern chieftains of the ruling party, is not being viewed the same way by the former president’s supporters. While The Nation gathered that some of his allies are already working as a group to push the idea and convince Jonathan to make the move into the APC when the time comes, some very close associates of the former governor have expressed objections to the plot, warning the ex-president to be wary of those urging him on. According to reliable sources, many of them are former coordinators of Jonathan’s campaigns in the past.



During the week, supporters of the former president under the auspice of Goodluck Jonathan Support Group (GJSG) state coordinators, called on him to shun all entreaties “aimed at luring him to dump his political home which is the PDP, and jump into the danger-laden uncertainties of the ruling party.” The group, speaking after a meeting in Port-Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, reiterated its earlier threat to withdraw support for Jonathan, should he leave the PDP for the APC. “We want to say it again that as loyal members of the PDP, we will not follow anybody to the APC just because we adore him or her,” GJSG said.



The Nation gathered that the meeting of the coordinators was convened following fears that the rumoured talks between Jonathan and some APC governors may turn out to be true. According to the Chairman of the coordinators, Hon. Alfred Emiloju Esomijumi, “we have made efforts to get to the root of the rumour and we are not convinced that it is all lies. On a daily basis, we are getting indications that something may be going on behind the curtains and that is why we deemed it important to quickly speak our mind and make our position on the unfolding political drama known.



“It is not for fun that some of the people we see as leaders in the ex-President’s camp will be favouring the ruling party against our own party on some issues. It is not also mere co-incidence that some people who left us in the past are now regular visitors to some of our leaders. We have waited long enough for somebody to clear the air on all these happenings but nothing has been done. We remain solidly committed to the politics of Dr. Jonathan as he remains a leader yet to be equaled in this country. But we will not sacrifice our loyalty to our dear party for our love for his leadership and person.”



Also, Comrade Zik Gbemre, National Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition, wants Jonathan to be careful of the many offers coming his way ahead of the 2023 presidential election. “He is a citizen of this country who enjoys all rights to vote and be voted for in the 2023 presidential election. He still has the window to contest since he ruled for just one term. However, if I were Goodluck Jonathan, I will not accept the pressure from the North or anywhere else to contest any election again. Knowing the type of politics played in Nigeria, it may just be an attempt to dent his image further.



“Jonathan achieved a lot when he calmly conceded defeat and accepted the outcome of the 2015 presidential election. What else does Jonathan want to achieve? What is it that Jonathan could not do well, with nearly six years as the President of Nigeria? Jonathan should be very careful not to accept any Greek Gift, either from any person or any other geopolitical zone of the country,” he said.



But on Thursday, another group of Jonathan’s supporters, in a release signed by Comrade Godknows Kpodoh, lambasted Esomijumi and his group over their stand on the matter, describing him and others with him as ‘impostors who are out to truncate our leader’s steady march back to political leadership.” Kpodoh said his group, Coalition for President Goodluck Jonathan (CPGJ), “unlike GJSG, is well known and recognised by Jonathan and his associates all over the country. “We will support Jonathan anywhere he goes. He is the hope of this country and we the young ones will not fold our hands at this crucial time. It is unfortunate that some impostors are already paid to truncate this steady march,” he lamented.



The Nation also gathered that some allies of the former president, dissatisfied with certain developments and determined to do all they can to forestall any plan by Jonathan to switch camp ahead of the 2023 elections, discreetly urged some PDP leaders to visit the ex-president in Abuja recently. The immediate past Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has led the high powered Reconciliation Committee of the PDP to the meeting. The visit, according to the committee, is geared towards closing ranks, settling rifts and bringing about consolidation ahead as intrigues relating to the 2023 general elections unfold.



Others on the trip included former governors of Gombe, Katsina and Cross River states; Ibrahim Dankwambo, Ibrahim Shema and Liyel Imoke respectively. Others are ex- Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; and former House of Representatives leader, Mulikat Adeola-Akande. Sources told our correspondent that the PDP leaders used the opportunity of the parley to urge Jonathan to ignore all entreaties to him by the APC as it will not be in his favour politically



.Meanwhile, it is yet to be ascertained whether the meeting has finally ended speculations about what the former President will do next.
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Butterscotch
Interview With Auwal Daudawa, Kidnapper Of Kankara Schoolboys
~14.3 mins read
ankara Schoolboys by Mynd44: 9:37pm On Feb 20
His name suddenly shot into public reckoning when he was unmasked as the kingpin who orchestrated the kidnap of 340 schoolboys from a boarding school in Kankara, Katsina State.

In this exclusive interview with Daily Trust, Auwal Daudawa, originally from Zurmi in Zamfara State, recounted how he picked up arms and why he decided to lay down his arms under an amnesty programme by the Zamfara State Government.

The husband of three insisted that he was not more than 26 years. In about 30 minutes of interview and more time of off the record conversation, Daudawa came across as loquacious, yet tactically evasive.

‘This is the actual ransom for the Kankara schoolboys’

For someone born and brought up in a remote hamlet in the suburbs of Zurmi, he came across as smart and even suave for his background.

In his first elaborate interview, the repentant bandit spoke on revealing issues.

DT: Why did you decide to pick up arms and engage in banditry? 

It was because of injustice.

DT: What do you mean by injustice?

Daudawa: It was injustice in the sense that you had your own property and was taking care of your family, then officials would be sent to cart away everything.

What would I do? Am I expected to survive on sand?

I had a herd of cattle I inherited from my parents, but security operatives were sent to take them from me and brought here (to Gusau). So I was challenged to sit up too.

DT: Who ordered the confiscation?

Daudawa: It was security agents who did it. I wouldn’t know who sent them, but it was during the last administration in Zamfara State.

Security personnel and ‘yan-sa-kai ­(vigilantes) were the ones who took away the cattle.

I told them that they should scrutinise the herd, and if they found any cow belonging to another person they should not spare me.

They did not find any stolen cow, but they kept the entire herd.

They were stolen. Tell me, what would I do with my life then?

DT: Which year was this?

Daudawa: It was five years ago.

DT: How many cattle were in the herd?

Daudawa: They should be around 40, with their calves.

Some even belonged to some other persons who gave me to rear for them. I was dependent on Allah and those cattle, but they took away everything.

This was why I sold off my remaining assets and bought a gun to start banditry.

DT: Where did you get your first arm?

Daudawa: I got it around.

DT: How? Where exactly?

Daudawa: I got it around me.

DT: Is it easy to get a gun?

Daudawa: Yes! It is just like you going to buy bread.

DT: Where do these arms come from?

Daudawa: They come from all over. It is just like cars that come from all over the world.

Arms come from all angles: Niger, here in Nigeria; they are everywhere.

DT: After you got the gun, what did you begin with? Did you go into kidnapping or cattle rustling?

Daudawa: I did not engage in either of those at first. We just engaged members of the vigilante in battle.

Whatever village we overran, we carted away whatever there was, which we considered as booty. It was from there that we also began kidnapping.

For us, we did that to avenge the atrocities committed against our people.

People are being killed in the South but we did not hear of retaliation. But here in the North, one tribe is singled out for attack; for what reason?

Why are we not being fairly treated? The way we were being killed and our property stolen, we just decided to take up arms.

We would intercept people on the road and kill anyone we saw with a weapon as a vigilante.

DT: How many villages did you sack?

Daudawa: Only God knows.

DT: Can you estimate how many persons you killed?

Daudawa: I cannot say. When there is an encounter, you cannot determine how many people are killed since ammunition has no control.

DT: How many of those you kidnapped or stole from did you kill?

Daudawa: In all the years I engaged in armed activities I never killed anybody after abduction.

And I never killed anyone just to take over his belongings. Our targets were mainly vigilantes.

DT: How much were you able to collect as ransoms?

Daudawa: I cannot say because this is something that happened over the years.

DT: Where is the money you accumulated?

Daudawa: I have no money. I spent all the money we got in buying arms, which I now surrendered to the government.

DT: In which areas did you operate?

Daudawa: There was nowhere we did not take our battle to till the time God touched my heart and I decided to lay down my arms.

The way Allah touched my heart, I am ready to embrace peace, even if I would lose my life.

Some of the people were crying, thinking I would lose my life, but I told them to submit to the will of Allah.

In fact, I prefer that God take my life at this time. I thank God, even if I die today.

If I were to be asked to run or be gunned down now, I swear by God that I won’t go. I cannot run away.

God has shown me the way and I have repented. And I did not do it because of anything. I don’t want a dime from anybody.

What I only desire is forgiveness.

DT: Are you in contact with your ilk still in the forests?

Daudawa: I am in touch with many of them. Some of them are looking forward to coming out the way I did if they see how I end up.

Some who didn’t hear from me began to foment trouble, but I told them not to do any of that.

They should not bother, whatever happens to me. My intention is to also show them the way to lay down their arms for all of us to have this amnesty.

This is the advice I have been giving my brothers in the forests, and a lot of them are giving me positive feedback.

DT: What earned you public attention was the abduction of schoolboys in Kankara, Katsina State. Why did you abduct those boys?

Daudawa: I did that to demonstrate that I had the capacity to do it and I was not afraid of anybody other than Allah.

It was for the government and the whole world to know that we could do it but were not interested in something like that.

We were also conscious of God despite all we were doing. It was even the fear of God that restrained us from doing other things.

DT: How many of you participated in that operation?

Daudawa: It was done by the people in my gang. I cannot precisely give you the number because we were many.

It was basically my team and a few of my good friends that came together to do it.

We took a vow to carry out the operation; it was like a suicide mission. We were ready to lose our lives, but were determined to get to the place.

After the abduction, you could see that I was not difficult to come around during talks because I did not do it because of money.

If it were for money I would not have released them, even for N2 trillion.

DT: You mean you did not get ransom?

Daudawa: What was given to me? The whole world knows that if I was given money it would be known; if I was not given, it would also be known. It cannot be hidden.

DT: But some people say you got a ransom but were asked not to talk about it.

Daudawa: They are liars. There is nothing you can give me as ransom for over 300 persons.

How much would that be? Let them tell me how much they gave me.

Those who claimed they gave me money should come out and tell the world how much it was.

Liars should continue spreading the lies; we will all go before God who knows everything.

DT: Why did you release the boys?

Daudawa: It was because I wanted peace. I did that to draw attention to the mass killing of our people, which I wanted to stop.

When I was contacted by Ardo Kiriwai on the issue, I did not hesitate because he is a brother we respect a lot.

Whatever he begs of me, even if I don’t like it, inasmuch as I can make it happen or influence it, I will make sure it is done.

Another reason for releasing them was also the justice and fairness of Governor Bello Matawalle.

If not because he is a fair-minded person, by Allah, I wouldn’t have released them. I have never done that kind of mass abduction in Zamfara.

I did that in Katsina because the governor came out to say he would not dialogue again with our people.

So since they said they were not interested in any peace deal and were sending military jets to torment our people and destroy what we had, we decided to take the battle to them. Trouble was a pastime for us.

DT: At the time of the abduction, a video recording emerged, showing that the boys were kidnapped by Boko Haram. Was it a collaborative operation?

Daudawa: It is a lie! I had no relationship whatsoever with Boko Haram, and I have never sent out any video of my operation to the media.

I am from Zamfara. All my parents are here. I have never been to any place, but suddenly, lies were manufactured and circulated, linking me with Boko Haram

DT: You mean you didn’t know how they came about the video?

Daudawa: I don’t know how it got to them. It was made up; even you (journalists) do it.

DT: Could it be that some of your boys did it without your knowledge?

Daudawa: How could my boys have links with Boko Haram members without me knowing about it? It is impossible.

DT: But didn’t you investigate when you saw the video to find out how it leaked out?

Daudawa: What would I investigate since I knew it was impossible and a lie?

What I know is that I was the one who took the boys and they were with me, so whatever anybody did was stupid and inconsequential.

DT: Were the boys you saw in the Boko Haram video the students you kidnapped from the school?

Daudawa: I cannot say, because none of them was my child.

All I know is that after we herded them off, I attached them with some of my people to look after them.

I am also sure that nobody could have entered that place and began to take pictures without seeking my consent.

DT: How did the video go out then?

Daudawa: Only God knows. If I knew, I would have told you the truth.

DT: How is life in the forest?

Daudawa: Perhaps the only difference between life here and the forest is that here you bath in a roofed bathroom and don’t feel the breeze.

Other than that, I also enjoy anything a person living in the town enjoys.

DT: Like what?

Daudawa: Everything. Anything money can buy.

There is nothing you can buy in the city that I cannot get in the forest if I desire it.

DT: You spoke about peace deal, but there are allegations that your people routinely jettison peace pacts by launching attacks. Why is it so?

Daudawa: That is about individuals. In everything there are individual differences.

Not everyone is fair-minded. Anyone you see going back to launch attacks after peace pacts was not whole-hearted from the outset.

There are many other persons who have accepted peace and are living their normal lives.

Whoever went back did not repent sincerely for the sake of Allah.

DT: You mean you didn’t know how they came about the video?

Daudawa: I don’t know how it got to them. It was made up; even you (journalists) do it.

DT: Could it be that some of your boys did it without your knowledge?

Daudawa: How could my boys have links with Boko Haram members without me knowing about it? It is impossible.

DT: But didn’t you investigate when you saw the video to find out how it leaked out?

Daudawa: What would I investigate since I knew it was impossible and a lie?

What I know is that I was the one who took the boys and they were with me, so whatever anybody did was stupid and inconsequential.

DT: Were the boys you saw in the Boko Haram video the students you kidnapped from the school?

Daudawa: I cannot say, because none of them was my child.

All I know is that after we herded them off, I attached them with some of my people to look after them.

I am also sure that nobody could have entered that place and began to take pictures without seeking my consent.

DT: How did the video go out then?

Daudawa: Only God knows. If I knew, I would have told you the truth.

DT: How is life in the forest?

Daudawa: Perhaps the only difference between life here and the forest is that here you bath in a roofed bathroom and don’t feel the breeze.

Other than that, I also enjoy anything a person living in the town enjoys.

DT: Like what?

Daudawa: Everything. Anything money can buy.

There is nothing you can buy in the city that I cannot get in the forest if I desire it.

DT: You spoke about peace deal, but there are allegations that your people routinely jettison peace pacts by launching attacks. Why is it so?

Daudawa: That is about individuals. In everything there are individual differences.

Not everyone is fair-minded. Anyone you see going back to launch attacks after peace pacts was not whole-hearted from the outset.

There are many other persons who have accepted peace and are living their normal lives.

Whoever went back did not repent sincerely for the sake of Allah.

DT: Some people argue that there should be no amnesty for people like you after you have spent years terrorising and killing other people.

Daudawa: That is between us and Allah, who accepts the repentance of anybody.

It is when we get to the Hereafter that we would know if He has forgiven us, but we have repented from this work.

Whoever repents sincerely, Allah sees it, and whoever is not sincere too.

But you know there is also our burden on other people, the sins of killing our own relatives.

Our destiny is in the hands of God. Since He has decided to change the course of our lives, we are ready to leave this world.

DT: Would you be willing to submit yourself to justice if there is a decision to punish you for what you did?

Daudawa: Whatever it is, I am ready. If I am told now that I would be killed and burnt, by God, I will not move an inch since I have decided to change for the sake of Allah.

Even if I were to be skinned, I will not resist in any way.

Remember that I turned myself in; I was not arrested or forcefully brought here.

I brought myself and I was fully aware that I could face death.

Whoever would face a detachment of troops surely knows that death is a strong possibility.

I have repented and submitted myself. I don’t want to look back at all.

If some of us at some point came out to renounce violence and go back and continue their old ways, that is their own choice.

If someone repents but has arms in the bush, you know it cannot be a sincere one.

In my case I carried myself and the arms I had and turned myself in, what should I go back and do? If I do anything Allah sees it.

DT: It is said that bandits get high on substances before committing some of these atrocities. How do some of you in the forests get access to drugs and other intoxicants?

Daudawa: It is Hausa people from major towns around that supply drugs to those of us in the forests.

People shy away from the truth, if not, the cattle rustling attributed to us, we don’t do it alone.

We act in cahoots with Hausa people. Have you ever seen a Fulani man butchering a cow?

Anywhere you see stolen cows, it is the Hausa who brought them out to the towns.

DT: In what ways do drugs aid crimes?

Daudawa: I cannot say because I don’t take drugs

DT: I don’t mean now, in the past…

Daudawa: Even in the past, I was not doing drugs.

I have never taken any drug. I only take hemp. In fact, in our area, all those dealing in hard drugs were killed at a point because we didn’t want them.

About six dealers were killed around Zurmi.

DT: How true is the allegation that there are some foreign Fulani who take part in banditry?

Daudawa: It is not true. We did not work with any foreigner. Whatever happened was by the indigenous Fulani.

There is nowhere we don’t have our people.

Was there any collaboration between some of you and the Fulani who engaged in kidnapping in Zamfara, Kaduna and other neighbouring states?

Anywhere we see our brothers, we have understanding and unity.

We are all into the same thing. It is like governors for various states; in the event one goes astray there could always be someone that can appeal to him.

What did you do with all the ransoms paid to secure the release of your abductees?

Daudawa: We must use the money we had to buy arms to protect our lives and continue fighting.
https://dailytrust.com/why-i-quit-banditry-abductor-of-kankara-schoolboys
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