News
Amnesty International Slams FG Over Six-year Silence On Missing Activist Dadiyata
Published
3 weeks agoon
By
Editor
Six years after the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, Amnesty International on Saturday took a swipe at the Federal Government over what it described as “deafening silence and shameful inaction” in resolving the activist’s disappearance.
According to The PUNCH, Dadiyata, a university lecturer, fierce government critic, and online political commentator, was reportedly taken by masked men from his home in Kaduna on August 2, 2019.
He had just returned from work when the armed men whisked him away in his own vehicle.
Since that night, neither he nor his car has been seen again.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna during a press conference organised to mark the sixth anniversary of the incident, Amnesty International’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, described Dadiyata’s case as a disturbing metaphor for the Nigerian state’s growing hostility to dissent.
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“His family waited that night, hoping he’d walk back in. They waited the next day. Then weeks, months, now six years.
“We are still asking the same question — Where is Dadiyata?” he said.
Sanusi described the government’s posture since 2019 as negligent and complacent
“Even if the government claims it didn’t take him, it failed to protect him. That is a fundamental breach of responsibility,” he declared.
He accused the security agencies, particularly the police and the Department of State Services, of issuing “weak and weightless promises” and treating the case with levity.
“Till today, there has been no credible update, no official report, no accountability. Just silence. Shameful silence,” Sanusi said.
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He warned that the nature of the abduction bore the hallmark of “enforced disappearance,” a tactic associated with authoritarian regimes aimed at stifling dissent and intimidating civic voices.
“This is not just about Dadiyata. It’s about a dangerous trend. This is a warning to anyone who dares to speak truth to power in Nigeria,” Sanusi said.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to break the silence and direct a full, independent investigation into the case, noting that the Buhari administration failed woefully in that regard.
“Time is running out. The family needs closure. The country needs answers. The government must be the search party,” he said.
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Also speaking, Dadiyata’s brother, Usman Idris, painted a grim picture of a family torn apart by trauma and unanswered questions.
“Our mother died with a broken heart. She waited and waited. Our uncle couldn’t take the pain — he passed too. And now, our father is barely holding on,” he said.
Fighting back emotion, Usman insisted that his brother was never a criminal, but a patriot who dared to believe in a better Nigeria.
“Abubakar believed in using his voice, not violence. He believed the pen could change this country. And he paid the price for it,” he said.
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Usman noted that the family had written to every relevant authority — from the Inspector-General of Police to the Director-General of the DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation — but none had provided any credible answers.
“Six years. Not one official explanation. Not one apology. Just silence,” he lamented.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking moment came from Dadiyata’s wife, Khadija Ahmad Lame, who broke down as she shared how their children had lived in confusion and grief.
“They ask me every day, ‘Where is Daddy?’ And I have no answers. Six years of pain. Six years of helplessness. Six years without closure,” she said.
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Amnesty International said it would continue to push for answers and justice not only for Dadiyata but for every Nigerian who has suffered similar violations.
The rights organisation also warned of worsening attacks on civil liberties in Nigeria, including online harassment, arbitrary arrests, and state-sponsored intimidation of journalists and activists.
“Justice delayed must not become justice denied. The Nigerian government must stop pretending. Someone must be held accountable. Six years is enough.
“Dadiyata’s disappearance is part of a broader climate of fear. It sends a message — ‘speak, and you vanish.’ That must not be allowed to stand,” Sanusi said.
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News
‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book
Published
30 minutes agoon
August 23, 2025By
Editor
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the Nigerian judiciary, saying it has been “deeply compromised” and that corruption among judges has turned courts into “a court of corruption rather than a court of justice.”
In his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, Obasanjo laments the steady decline of the Nigerian judiciary’s integrity, warning that justice has become commodified in Nigeria.
“The reputation of the Nigerian judiciary has steadily gone down from the four eras up till today. The rapidity of the precipitous fall, particularly in the Fourth Republic, is lamentable,” Obasanjo wrote.
He expressed concern that the judiciary’s decline poses a significant threat to the nation’s stability.
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Obasanjo recounted an incident where a governor showed him six duplex buildings belonging to a judge who allegedly acquired them from money made as chairman of election tribunals. This anecdote, he said, illustrates the depth of corruption in the judiciary.
The former president also accused Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, of undermining the electoral process since 2015.
“No wonder politicians do not put much confidence in an election which the INEC of Professor Mahmood Yakubu polluted and grossly undermined to make a charade,” he said.
Obasanjo further alleged that politicians believe the outcome of election disputes depends on the will of tribunal judges, court of appeal judges, and supreme court judges.
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“No matter what the will of the people may be, the Chairman of INEC since after the 2015 election had made his will greater and more important than the will of the people,” he added.
Moreover, Obasanjo directly accused the late former President Muhammadu Buhari of colluding with the judiciary during his election cases.
“Buhari threw caution to the wind, no matter what had transpired between him and the judges who did his bidding. In his election cases, financially, he topped it up with appointments for them no matter their age and their ranks,” Obasanjo alleged.
The former president concluded that the current state of the judiciary and electoral system in Nigeria is alarming, saying, “After a false declaration of results, making losers winners and winners losers, the victim of the cheating is advised to go to court, which is a court of corruption rather than a court of justice.“
News
Sanwo-Olu Unveils Leather Hub, Eyes 10,000 Jobs
Published
45 minutes agoon
August 23, 2025By
Editor
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday inaugurated a state-of-the-art leather processing and manufacturing hub in Mushin, projected to create 10,000 direct jobs and generate over $250 million in annual export turnover when fully operational.
In a press release sent to PUNCH Online, the governor said the facility was formally inaugurated on Saturday by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, during her three-day official visit to Lagos.
He added that the hub was named in her honour to recognise her grassroots initiatives in social investment and economic empowerment, with 70 per cent of its employment slots reserved for women and youths.
The hub is equipped with modern machinery to support Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (NMSMEs), enabling mass production of shoes, bags, belts, packaging materials, and other leather products.
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It is designed to ease production bottlenecks, scale operations, and position Lagos as the leather logistics capital of West Africa.
Speaking at the inauguration, Tinubu described the hub as a “trailblazing project” aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversify Nigeria’s economy through industrialisation, manufacturing, and innovation.
The Lagos State Leather Hub in Mushin, formally commissioned by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday, 23 August 2025.
“Leatherwork is a traditional craft that has stood the test of time. This facility will empower artisans, scale up leather goods production, and enable them to compete confidently in both local and international markets,” she said, urging entrepreneurs to dedicate themselves to excellence and continuous learning.
Sanwo-Olu said the project would provide training and start-up support to over 150,000 artisans, boost the local economy, attract investments, and strengthen trade links with fashion districts, e-commerce platforms, and future rail services.
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“Hides and skins that once left our shores unprocessed will now be transformed here in Lagos into world-class footwear, garments, and accessories proudly stamped ‘Made in Lagos, Made in Nigeria’,” the governor said.
He pledged to expand the facility through transparent regulation and continuous infrastructure upgrades, adding: “True dividends of democracy are best felt when they reach the cobbler in Mushin, the tanner in Oko-Oba, and the young fashion designer in Yaba.”
Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, said the hub would lower production costs and raise quality standards, positioning Lagos-made leather products for dominance in both local and export markets.
News
Peter Obi’s Son, Oseloka, Speaks On Gay Allegations
Published
13 hours agoon
August 23, 2025By
Editor
Oseloka Obi, son of the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, has responded to viral allegations linking him to homosexuality after photographs of him with London-based British-Nigerian Kent Okwesa, circulated online this week.
The pictures, which emerged on Wednesday, showed Oseloka and Okwesa sitting closely at a restaurant in the United Kingdom, sparking a wave of online speculation and gossip.
In a detailed statement, Oseloka dismissed the rumours as malicious falsehoods driven by his father’s involvement in Nigerian politics.
He noted that while he rarely responds to such narratives, the persistence of gossip and unfounded claims made it necessary to address the matter.
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“Because of my father’s involvement in Nigerian politics, there has been a persistent curiosity and, at times, malicious obsession with me.
“I have no social media presence and no interest in maintaining one, so I rarely correct these falsehoods. But perhaps it is time I address them,” he wrote.
Oseloka stressed that the photos of him in circulation were being misrepresented, insisting they were ordinary snapshots with friends and colleagues.
“The truth is simple: Peter Obi’s son appears in photos with his friends and colleagues, nothing more. If people wish to invent otherwise, I hope they sleep soundly knowing they are spreading lies,” he added.
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He further emphasised that neither he nor his father is perfect, but attested to his father’s integrity and commitment to Nigeria’s future.
“My father has my vote, not because he is my father, but because he is the right man for the job. If others wish to go low, invent scandals, or attack me to wound him, they are free to do so. But we will go high, and we will continue to focus on the future of Nigeria.”
Concluding, Oseloka urged Nigerians to redirect their attention from idle gossip to the pressing socio-economic challenges facing the country.
Read the full statement below:
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