NEWS
BREAKING: Hundeyin Surrenders To Ribadu
The continual hounding of independent voices by the Nigerian Government has seen investigative journalist, David Hundeyin throw in the towel.
Hundeyin vented his frustration with failure to raise Nigeria’s national consciousness to desired levels, despite dedicating over six years to the project.
He made the disclosure in a statement on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Monday.
According to him, the Nigerian Government has been busy networking with other nations on his repatriation while Nigerians snore because “my fundamental objective – to help uplift the consciousness of my people – has not had any success. Basically, I have failed. Whatever I’ve been doing is not working.”
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He wrote, “At the end of the day, if people tell themselves a lie long enough that they start to believe it and make real-world decisions based on it, the loser is not me.
“My life is an open book. Literally. A 590-page book you can find on Amazon or Roving Heights. There’s nothing about me, my personal history, or my motivations that is a secret.
“If the urge to believe things about me that came out of someone’s hallucinations outweighs the importance of the value that I create, then I’m clearly not creating enough value for my people, which is fine.
“The thing is that I cannot really do more than I have already done. I’m already at my physical and mental limits. I have gone through things and put myself through experiences that normal people will never witness in 3 lifetimes.
“One thing I have always been very clear about is that my motivations are internal. I have always believed that I have to do what I have to do because it is nobody else’s job to fight for my future and that of my unborn children. I’ve never done any of this for external validation. I live way too much inside my own head for any of that to matter anyway.
“So if the situation now is that the ability of a noisy minority to poison the well of public opinion with some of the most malicious and mean-spirited lies in existence outweighs the urgency of what I try to do in a space where 200 million people are being constantly manipulated and casually exterminated like they’re 200 million ducks or catfish, then I have to acknowledge that I have failed.
“Even right now, Nuhu Ribadu’s NSA Office has been busy speaking to the authorities in Kenya, Ghana and the UK as recently as last week, while they continue to work on their obsession of bringing me to Abuja as a trophy for Emperor Bola Ahmed.
“And yet what is apparently important for public discussion is who I married or who I had sex with, plus some malaria hallucinations from a failed former journalist who never accomplished anything in his career. These are the things my people are discussing. Even at this late hour, we don’t know who our enemies are and who is on our side.
“This can only mean that my fundamental objective – to help uplift the consciousness of my people – has not had any success. Basically, I have failed. Whatever I’ve been doing is not working. I’ve spent nearly 6 years of my life on a project that hasn’t moved public consciousness forward one single inch from where I met it in 2019. I put myself into a lot of trouble along the way, but it didn’t really amount to much.
“So this is a message to @NuhuRibadu. You can leave me alone and stop talking to Ruto and Akufo-Addo about refouling me. I will not disturb you people anymore. I’ll focus on my Pan-African political commentary and news about the Sahel region, but I’m leaving the Nigerian space for you. I clearly overestimated both myself and my people.
“The mistake was mine.”
As part of efforts to curb kidnapping in Edo State, the State Government, security operatives stormed a major hideout used by kidnapper in Esan North-East Local Government Area, Edo Central Senatorial District.
The action was led by the Task Force against Kidnapping, according to a government house statement in Benin City transpired on Friday.
It was gathered that the Task Force during the operation cleared abandoned structures and thick bushes along the Uzea-Itakpe railway corridor in used by kidnappers.
It added that the exercise was aimed at eliminating criminal hideouts, with a view to improving visibility for enhanced security surveillance.
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The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Akhere Paul described the area as a notorious transit point for kidnappers operating along the railway axis, Esan forests, and parts of Etsako West.
He explained that criminals used the abandoned structures as temporary holding camps for their victims before relocating them.
“If they kidnap people here, they bring them to this hideout, rest, and then move them to other locations, including Itakpe in Kogi State and Ama Community in Etsako West. This area has been a hotspot for kidnappings, affecting both the wealthy and poor, including farmers who use this route. As a government, we will not rest until kidnapping is eradicated in Edo State,” he stated.
The Commander of the Task Force, SP Michael Anetor, emphasized that intelligence reports and recent arrests informed the demolition exercise.
“The DPO covering this area and the local government authorities have investigated, and our findings confirm that this location is a strategic point for kidnappers. They ambush victims, and if moving them immediately is not feasible, they hold them here before proceeding. These abandoned houses and dense trees serve as their operational base,” Anetor explained.
He further assured residents that security agencies would sustain their crackdown on criminal elements to restore safety in the area.
Citing some residents who preferred to remain anonymous, the statement added that the abandoned structures and overgrown vegetation had long served as hideouts for criminals, allowing them to monitor potential victims before launching attacks.
Tragedy struck on Thursday as an unidentified woman plunged into the Lagos Lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge near the University of Lagos (UNILAG) waterfront.
Despite prompt efforts by marine police officers stationed nearby, she was recovered lifeless.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 4 p.m., prompting an immediate response from the marine police unit.
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However, despite their swift intervention, the woman was confirmed dead by UNILAG medical personnel upon arrival.
Confirming the incident, Lagos State Police Command spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin provided details of the recovery operation.
“Today, March 13, 2025, at about 1600 hours, an unidentified woman reportedly jumped from the Third Mainland Bridge into the water near the UNILAG waterfront at approximately 1500 hours.
“She was recovered at the University of Lagos shore slipway by a team of marine police officers stationed in the area. Despite their efforts, she was confirmed dead by a team of UNILAG medical doctors in the presence of officers from the Sabo Police Division.”
He further disclosed that the body had been moved to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Mortuary in Yaba for preservation.
Although the motive behind the incident remains unclear, some witnesses suspected suicide. The authorities have yet to establish any conclusive reasons for the tragic act.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has articulated the rationale behind his administration’s economic reforms, saying the primary motive was protecting the interests of future generations.
This view was shared in a statehouse statement on Thursday, in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President, (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.
He declared thus, “For 50 years, Nigeria was spending money of generations yet unborn and servicing the West coast of our subregion with fuel. It was getting difficult to plan for our children’s future.”
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President Tinubu was receiving a delegation of former National Assembly colleagues from the aborted Third Republic, during which he served as a Senator representing Lagos West, when he bared his mind.
He highlighted the challenges faced at the beginning of his administration, especially economic and social issues, and expressed his gratitude for the delegation’s support in addressing these difficulties:
“We faced serious headwinds when I took over, very challenging times. Nigeria would have been bankrupt if we had not taken the actions that we took, and we had to prevent the economy’s collapse,” he added.
President Tinubu made it clear that the administration had been able to stem the tide and expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their collective support in turning things around.
“Today, we are sitting pretty on a good foundation. We have reversed the problem; the Exchange rate is stabilising. Food prices are coming down, especially during Ramadan. We will have light at the end of the tunnel.”
He said firm adherence to democratic tenets is the best route to economic, social, and political development.
“I am happy that you are holding to your belief in democracy. I thank you for keeping faith and remembering how we started. Some people missed the ball.
“Some leadership failed, but we kept the faith with our democratic beliefs and freedom and the right to aspire to the highest office in the land. I am benefitting from it.”
Senator Emmanuel Chiedoziem Nwaka, who spoke on behalf of the group, expressed his delight at some of the programmes that the Tinubu administration had implemented, especially the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and at what the two organisations were offering Nigerians.
“I appreciate you for what you are giving to students because the student population is the largest demographic in the country. I’ve spoken with many of them, and many have benefited from it.
“And the next one is the CREDICORP. That’s a major way of fighting corruption. You see a young man, you come out of school, you want to buy a car, you have to put down cash, you want to buy a house, and you are not married, but with the CREDICORP, you can get things done. I’m following their activities; we are delighted,” he said.
Other members of the delegation were Sen. Bako Aufara Musa, Hon. Terwase Orbunde, Hon. Wasiu Logun, Hon. Amina Aliyu, High Chief Obi Anoliefo and Hon. Eze Nwauwa.
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