Columns

Why The Witch-Hunt? By Fatima Oiza Muhammed

Published

2 years ago

April 28, 2024

TalkJudith

Why The Witch-hunt? By Fatima Oiza Muhammed
As a Kogite from the Central Senatorial District of Kogi State (The Same Senatorial district Yahaya Bello is from), I can’t sit and watch misinformation been spread everywhere as it relates to the current faceoff between the EFCC and Yahaya Bello.
I have read lots of articles and watched many interviews where people were alleging that the EFCC is witch-hunting Yahaya Bello and that the EFCC Chairman is been used by some persons in the presidency to fight Yahaya Bello..
As a kogite and a sister to Yahaya Bello who knows almost everything about this case, I have to let the world know the truth..
First of all, I would love to state that I love my brother Yahaya Bello.. I also love my people from the Central Senatorial district more than anyone else from any other senatorial district or state..
I am unapologetic about this.. However, no matter how much we love each other where I come from, there are certain acts that we all condemn and forbid.. Real Ebira Men or Women are not thieves.. We detest stealing so much that even if the thief is my twin brother, I will not hesitate to call him out and report him to the society.
We are courageous and truthful people. If an Ebira man or woman is falsely accused of stealing, they will courageously come out to clear their names because if they do not, the stealing tag will be attached to their loved ones and their generations yet unborn..
What Yahaya Adoza Bello is doing right now offends the core values of the true Ebira culture.. Guilty or not, Yahaya Bello is expected to courageously answer the allegations against him.. No matter who wants to “persecute” him, as a former Governor and a member of the Ruling party, if he is innocent, he will walk free except of course he is not.
Yahaya Bello has become a national issue; people all over the country are now tagging we the Ebira’s as cowards who only know how to talk without actions.. I used to believe so much in the capacity of Yahaya Bello.
I never knew that a time will come where Yahaya Bello will be afraid of *Natasha Akpoti*!
I listened to the EFCC Chairman’s speech with so much tears in my eyes.. The EFCC Chairman went against the code by personally calling Yahaya Bello to offer him a safe cover to answer the allegations against him.
This case began long before the current EFCC Chairman came on board.. *How will any reasonable person tag this a witch-hunt??*
The EFCC Chairman’s video brought me to tears..
I want to at this point pray for the EFCC Chairman; for honoring us the Ebira’s and Kogites generally by offering Yahaya a safe cover to answer the allegations, You will live long.. Your enemies will never succeed… You will grow from strength to strength.. You are uplifted.. No harm will come near you or Your loved ones..
In addition to this, I also want to thank the EFCC chairman for exercising the greatest restraints at Yahaya’s house.
Mr Chairman, your actions so far have shown that you are a well bred lawyer and a true man of God.. I saw the pain in your eyes when you were talking about the money stolen from a poor state like Kogi State.. You almost cried that day.. Trust me, the pain we feel as Ebiras is much more than what you feel Mr Chairman.. By running away, it means that Yahaya is guilty of all the charges against him and more.. I know what N80billion naira can do for kogi state at this point in time.. To think that just one person diverted this huge amount of money for his personal use is sickening.
It pains me seeing my brothers and sisters going online to defend Yahaya Bello..
They are further confirming to the whole country that we the Ebiras are thieves and we celebrate the biggest thieves among us.. Those not from kogi who are taking money from Yahaya to defend this humongous theft, may God forgive you… I pray you all experience the same in your various states since you are fully in support.
The money Yahaya Bello is alleged to have stolen is not the money for just the Igalas. It is not money for just the Okuns. What he stole belongs to all kogites.. The ebiras inclusive.
We are now celebrating someone stealing from us just because he is not coming to our various houses with guns and other dangerous weapons to forcefully take these monies from us.. Those who steal with guns and weapons will never be able to steal 80 billion naira in their lifetime..
Besides been an Ebira lady, another thing that triggered me into writing this post is when I had a discussion with one of my brothers from Ebira land who is a local government worker.. because of the percentage salaries currently being paid since the past 8yrs to Local government staff in Kogi State, he had to withdraw his children from school.. Today, his children are hawking all over Okene.. The little female ones have become vulnerable to pedophiles roaming around.. Hearing this same man supporting Yahaya Bello just because he is Ebira totally broke me.. I had to tell him how Yahaya was alleged to have taken $700,000 + from the state and used it to pay the school fees of his children in advance until they graduate from the school.. That school is one of the most expensive schools in Nigeria.. I told him how Yahaya even paid in advance for one of his children who is yet to start going to school.. I asked him the personal or collective benefit himself or his community have gotten from Yahaya Bello since he became governor, he was unable to mention anything. I asked him if Okene water is working? For 8yrs that his hero Yahaya was Governor?
What about water for Eika, Ihima, Ogaminana, Ogori, Okengwe, Obangede, Eganyi etc?
I asked him if St Andrew primary school in Okene and many of its types in Okehi, Adavi, Ogori-Magongo and Ajaokuta got any attention during his 8yrs?
I asked if Yahaya increased his salary when he came in simply because he is an Ebira man?.. At this point, he was already in tears.. He wept uncontrollably.. Like I told you earlier, he was being paid percentage salary.. I asked him if in addition to all these things, he can in good conscience support a known thief who has stolen directly from him, he said NO. As I was about asking more questions, he stopped me and started raining curses on Yahaya Bello and cohorts.. Wow, how was it that he had to wait for me to remind him of his reality?? I asked what he wanted in life and for his kids.. He told me he just wanted to give them a good life and ensure that they are properly educated so that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers in the future.
I asked if he would be able to do that with the percentage salary he is currently receiving?
At this point, he went mute.. I do not want this write up to become too long and boring but a *honest* Ebira man or woman knows exactly how painful this matter is to us..
On this note, I, on behalf of the majority of *genuine/honest* *Ebira’s and genuine Kogites pledge our unwavering and total support to the EFCC Chairman Barrister, Ola Olukayode and Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their fight against corruption..*
Some people are mentioning names of persons who should also be invited by the EFCC as the excuse for supporting Bello’s cowardice.. It’s such a pity.. Hadi Sirika was recently just arrested on an allegation of stealing 8 billion Naira.. He was arrested and he is now in the process of clearing himself. Nobody from his state organized any protest against the EFCC.. They didn’t start doing interviews claiming that Sirika is being Witch-hunted. The governor of his state did not come to disrupt his lawful arrest by the EFCC.
Hadi Sirika is also a leader in the Ruling party; APC.. This is because his people will not be seen to celebrate thieves.. Yahaya on the other who is wanted over a whooping sum of 80 billion naira + is alleging witch-hunt; therefore, he will not surrender himself to be properly investigated and possibly prosecuted as if he is above the law?
My dearest EFCC Chairman, Kogites are solidly behind you!!!!! You will succeed.. You are uplifted.. Thank you for putting the good people of Kogi First.. We will not sit to applaud one man who is alleged to have stolen a huge chunk of our commonwealth just because we speak the same tribe… All those stolen monies are for himself, his immediate family, and his presidential ambition come 2027.. Kogites are supposed to suffer while one man wastes our commonwealth on a fruitless endeavor??? *GODFORBID* I am an example of what an Ebira lady with good character should be. I am courageous, I fear no one as long as I am on the side of the truth.. No hired thug or assassin can threaten me for speaking out..
In conclusion, I will never stop reminding the EFCC Chairman that all exceptionally good manner kogites are solidly behind him. We beg him to do all within his legal power and to also ask Mr President for the support of other relevant agencies so that Yahaya Adoza Bello our runaway ex-governor can be brought to justice so that this current embarrassment hovering all over Ebiraland and its good people can cleared off.
A statute of the EFCC chairman will be erected in Lokoja and we will never forget him if he helps us get justice and helps return the stolen funds to kogi state so that Kogites can benefit from their commonwealth instead of one man sitting on it.
At this point, I appeal to those alleging witch-hunt and and those taking money to speak in favor of Yahaya to desist from doing that.. If they don’t heed to this timely and humble appeal, my prayer for them is that their offsprings and loved ones will also suffer from theft whenever anything good comes to their way.. Their generations unborn will work and behave like Yahaya Bello and they will never live a happy life..
*STOP WITCH-HUNTING THE EFCC CHAIRMAN*
Hon Fatima Oiza Muhammed
National Secretary,
Kogi Youth frontier for good governance

TalkJudith
Source: GateKeeperNews

Columns

How Yakubu Gowon found himself in the Army

Published

2 weeks ago

April 7, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

How Yakubu Gowon decided to enter the Army is quite interesting. Encouraged by his British Principal and Vice-Principal to go military, he was nevertheless torn between a career in the Army and competing options as a teacher, engineer, or physician. So he wrote out the options on little pieces of paper placed them inside a Bible and prayed. Then, with his eyes closed, he opened the Bible and picked one at random. It was the Army.

Throughout his military career he would repeatedly approach issues with a r!fle in one hand and a Bible in the other. Years later he would come to be regarded by most as a model of a “kinder, gentler” soldier. Some have nicknamed him “The Preacher”.

In 1954, after passing an entrance examination, he attended several interviews before being sent to the Regular Officers Cadet School at Teshie in Ghana – along with Patrick Anwuna, Alexander Madiebo, Michael Okwechime and Arthur Unegbe. This was followed by a course at Eton Hall in Chester, UK, followed by formal cadet training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (RMAS). He was a Cadet Sergeant at the RMAS and was commissioned 2/Lt in December 1956. It was at the RMAS that he acquired the nickname “Jack,” the closest sound to “Yakubu” his British instructors could think of.

The above is part of a piece put lol together by Nowa Omoigui, Nigerian military historian and cardiologist.

Gowon later became Head of State and had one of the most troubling dispensation in the history of Nigeria. He was removed from office in 1975 by Murtala Muhammed.

On how he survived immediately after his removal from office, he said in an interview:

“I can say with absolute authority that I may not have anything today, but honestly, at least I have a clear conscience. I thank Idi Amin and (Gnassingbé) Eyadema for the help they gave me to have money to start off with.”

Ethnic African Stories

Columns

FLORA NWAPA

Published

2 weeks ago

April 5, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

The Imo State born writer and teacher who is largely referred to as the “mother of African Literature”, was the first African woman to publish a novel in English.

Flora belived that African women were unjustly portrayed (in the books of her male counterparts) as people who were doubly malleable, as people who didn’t have even a vestige voice of their own: people who must, for instance, eat fufu not exactly because they wanted to eat fufu but because men insisted that they eat fufu, people who must live in the shadows of men… So she basically did the opposite of this in her books where she gave women prime places, using her pen to unfold to the whole world, in concrete clarity, what she believed ought to be the generally accepted societal ethos.

She celebrated the strength, tenacity and courage of African women, told their success stories in glittering terms, and sang their praises to the stratosphere.

She was born January 13, 92 years ago in Oguta – Imo State, and passed away on October 13, 1993, after enduring a server bout of pneumonia.

Columns

Olorogun Michael Ibru (1930–2016): The Visionary Behind a West African Business Empire

Published

2 weeks ago

April 3, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Michael Ibru was a pioneering Nigerian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of the Ibru Organisation, one of the most influential business groups in West Africa. His life reflects ambition, discipline, and the transformation of opportunity into a diversified empire.

Early Life and Background

Born in 1930, Michael Ibru hailed from Agbarha-Otor, near Ughelli.
He was the eldest of seven children in a prominent family. His mother was the daughter of the wealthy Ovedje Osadjere of Olomu, which placed him within a lineage of both traditional influence and commercial awareness.
Growing up in the Niger Delta region, young Ibru was exposed early to trade, mobility, and the importance of enterprise in coastal and riverine communities.

Education and Formative Years

A defining stage of his early life was his education at Igbobi College Yaba, one of Nigeria’s most prestigious secondary schools at the time.
At Igbobi College, Michael Ibru distinguished himself not only academically but also in leadership, eventually serving as Senior Prefect. This position reflected his discipline, influence, and ability to lead peers—qualities that later shaped his business career.
His time at the institution helped refine his worldview and exposed him to structured education during a period when Nigeria was still under colonial administration.

Early Career and Exposure to Business

After completing his studies, he briefly worked with the United Africa Company (UAC), one of the most powerful trading firms operating in West Africa at the time.
This experience exposed him to:

Large-scale import and export systems

Corporate structure and logistics

Commercial distribution networks

However, rather than remain in salaried employment, he chose the path of entrepreneurship—a decision that would redefine his life and legacy.

The Birth of a Business Empire

In 1956, Michael Ibru founded a frozen fish business.
At the time, frozen food distribution was still relatively new in Nigeria, and Ibru identified a gap in the market: the need for affordable, preserved protein sources in urban centres.
His venture quickly expanded due to:

Strong demand for fish in growing cities

Efficient supply chain management

Strategic importation and distribution systems

This modest beginning became the foundation of what would evolve into the Ibru Organisation.

Expansion into a Conglomerate

Over time, the Ibru Organisation grew into a diversified business empire spanning multiple sectors, including:

Food and seafood processing

Aviation and logistics

Hospitality and real estate

Finance and banking

Oil and marine services

Media and publishing

Agriculture and industrial production

The group became one of the largest family-owned conglomerates in West Africa, with numerous subsidiaries operating across Nigeria and beyond.
Rather than relying on a single industry, Michael Ibru built a multi-sectoral business model, which helped the organisation withstand economic fluctuations and remain competitive for decades.

Leadership Style and Business Philosophy

Michael Ibru was widely regarded as a strategic thinker who believed in:

Identifying unmet market needs

Investing in scalable industries

Building long-term institutional structures

Empowering family-led continuity in business

His leadership approach combined traditional values with modern corporate thinking, allowing the Ibru Organisation to grow into a structured enterprise rather than a short-term venture.

Philanthropy and Social Impact

Beyond commerce, Michael Ibru was deeply committed to philanthropy.
His contributions included:

Support for education and scholarships

Community development initiatives

Investment in youth empowerment

Assistance to local infrastructure and social welfare projects

He believed that business success should translate into societal progress, particularly in education and opportunity creation.

Legacy of the Ibru Organisation

The Ibru Organisation remains one of Nigeria’s most recognised business groups, continuing to operate through various subsidiaries across sectors.
Its legacy is defined by:

Industrial diversification

Private sector growth in post-independence Nigeria

Family-led business continuity

Contribution to West Africa’s economic development

From a young student at Igbobi College Yaba to the founder of a continental business empire, Michael Ibru represents the story of vision, risk-taking, and entrepreneurial excellence.
His journey shows how observation, opportunity, and courage can transform a simple idea—like frozen fish distribution—into a legacy that shaped industries across Africa.

Source

Biographical and historical records on Michael Ibru

Public information on the development of the Ibru Organisation

Educational history of Igbobi College Yaba

Historical context of Nigerian post-colonial entrepreneurship and trade development