By Israel Adebiyi

October 20 has become a date etched in the consciousness of modern Nigeria, a day that reminds us of two enduring truths: that power without accountability breeds resistance, and that a people’s voice, no matter how suppressed, never truly dies. Five years after the #EndSARS protest shook the very foundations of Nigeria’s civic conscience, the echoes still resound, muffled by fear perhaps, but alive in the restless hearts of a generation that refuses to be silenced. Coincidentally, on the same day, the #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters returned to the streets, invoking another chapter in the complex narrative of a nation walking a dangerous tightrope between governance and grievance.

It is, in every sense, a delicate balance, a thin line between hope and disillusionment, between democracy and dissent, between the people’s voice and a system that has perfected the art of defiance. For a nation that once seemed on the verge of awakening, the past five years have offered a sobering reflection of regression. The promises that trailed the tragic aftermath of the Lekki Toll Gate shooting have dissipated like smoke, committees inaugurated, panels convened, reports shelved, and justice deferred. The police reforms that were loudly proclaimed never saw the light of sincerity. The same system that promised change rebranded itself into old habits, more impunity, more tone, deaf leadership, more disconnection from the people it swore to serve.

The irony of it all is how Nigeria has managed to move forward in time but backward in essence. Inflation has soared, wages have stagnated, and the once fierce flame of civic optimism has dimmed under the weight of economic despair. The average Nigerian today stands not merely at the mercy of governance failure but at the edge of psychological exhaustion, caught between surviving a collapsing economy and maintaining faith in a country that constantly betrays its citizens’ expectations.

Yet, beneath the fatigue lies a simmering truth: the voice of the people does not die; it only waits. History teaches us that when systems become deaf to the cry of justice, they unwittingly orchestrate their own reckoning. The youth of 2020 were not the first to cry out, and they will not be the last. In Madagascar, a fresh generation took to the streets, chased away its leadership, protested poor governance, erratic energy supply, and economic mismanagement. The message is global, the pattern unmistakable, the age of passive citizenship is ending. The people’s patience is thinning, and when voices are ignored, they find other ways to be heard.

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This is where Nigeria stands today, at an intersection of lessons unlearned and warnings unheeded. The government’s defiance in the face of legitimate grievances has become systemic. Those in power seem trapped in an echo chamber of self-congratulation, insulated from the grinding realities of those they lead. Policies are drafted in air-conditioned rooms far removed from the dusty markets and crowded bus stops where their effects are felt. Governance, instead of being a conversation, has become a monologue of decrees.

But the people are not voiceless. They are watchful, wounded, waiting. Every protest dispersed, every promise betrayed, every hardship endured adds to a growing moral deficit that no propaganda can offset. The defiant system may appear powerful, but it is brittle, its strength is sustained by fear, not legitimacy. And fear, history reminds us, is a poor foundation for governance.

The enduring lesson of #EndSARS is not in the streets that were filled or the hashtags that trended, it is in the awareness it birthed. For the first time, an entire generation understood the anatomy of their oppression. They saw how power could distort truth, how justice could be delayed into oblivion, how institutions could serve as shields for impunity rather than sanctuaries for justice. That awareness, though bruised, remains one of Nigeria’s most potent democratic gains.

It is this awareness that leaders must now reckon with. The youth of today are no longer satisfied with slogans; they demand systems that work. They will not be pacified by token gestures or cosmetic reforms. And as economic conditions worsen and social discontent deepens, the thin line between silence and resistance grows ever more fragile.

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To govern a people effectively is to listen, not merely to their words but to their pain. Yet, Nigeria’s ruling class has mastered selective deafness. The cry for justice from 2020 still lingers unanswered; the call for Nnamdi Kanu’s fair trial remains shrouded in political calculation. Each unresolved grievance chips away at the credibility of the state, reminding the people that the system has learned nothing, and forgotten nothing.

Still, there is a flicker of hope, because awareness, once awakened, cannot be unlearned. The people’s voice may be subdued, but it is not silenced. It reverberates in conversations at bus parks, in social media threads, in the weary sighs of market women and the angry essays of students. It is the heartbeat of a nation that refuses to surrender.

Nigeria stands at a crossroads, between renewal and rebellion, between dialogue and discontent. The path chosen will determine whether this democracy deepens or disintegrates. For now, the system continues to walk the thin line, defiant and detached. But as the events of October 20 remind us, every silence imposed today becomes the shout of tomorrow.

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To begin to heal the widening gap between the governed and the governors, leaders must rediscover the essence of empathy and accountability. Governance should no longer be an exercise in survival or personal enrichment but a genuine pursuit of the collective good. The first duty of leadership is to listen, not for applause, but for the silent groans beneath the noise of daily life. It is time to confront the uncomfortable truths about unemployment, insecurity, and the erosion of dignity among citizens. This means investing in human capital, rebuilding trust through transparency, and showing humility in leadership. When leaders engage citizens as partners rather than subjects, they ignite hope even in the face of hardship.

Equally, there must be a deliberate reawakening of public trust through the strengthening of institutions. Leaders must stop governing by impulse and start building systems that outlast individuals. Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done; public resources must be managed with integrity; and the young must see that honesty still pays in Nigeria. True leadership is not in silencing dissent but in understanding it, not in suppressing opposition but in channeling it toward progress. To assuage a weary people, the nation’s rulers must first acknowledge their pain and then chart a new path, one that replaces defiance with dialogue, and arrogance with accountability.

Because in the end, the people’s voice is not noise, it is the nation’s conscience. And no system, however defiant, can drown a conscience forever.

The Enugu State Government, on Tuesday, demolished yet another building used for kidnapping in the state, an action it said is in line with the laws of the state.

Security agencies had, during the week, rescued a kidnap victim at the demolished property, a bungalow at Umueze Awkunanaw in Nkanu West LGA of the state, used by the prime suspect, Igwenagu Ogbodo, and his gang for holding victims captive.

Ogbodo and some of his gang members, however, escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds when security agencies stormed the property.

Speaking to newsmen during the demolition, the Council Chairman of Nkanu West LGA, Hon. John Ogbodo, commended Governor Mbah for consistently demonstrating political will in the war against insecurity.

“The prime suspect and his gang kidnapped the person and brought him here. He was rescued and his vehicle recovered. Some arms and ammunition were equally recovered.

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“I thank His Excellency, Dr Peter Mbah, for his political will and demonstration of capacity in line with what he told Ndi Enugu that any house that harbours criminals or is used to aid criminality will be demolished. That is exactly what is happening here today and it is in line with the laws of Enugu State”.

“This is not the first house to be demolished in Enugu by this administration, neither is it the second nor the third. But this is the first one to be demolished in Nkanu West, and I know this is going to be a deterrent to other criminal elements.

“I urge every community and Presidents-General to be very mindful of people around them. They should keep an eye on the people and report any suspicious movement to security agencies.

“Again, I want to use this opportunity to advise anyone who has a property in Enugu State to be mindful of his or her tenants and any activities ongoing in their property. This is because any house used to harbour criminality like kidnap victims stands demolished,” he stated.

He said the demolition would serve as a deterrent to the remaining criminals in the state, as there was no hiding place for them given the level of technology and manpower deployed by the governor to stamp out insecurity and criminality from Enugu State.

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The guy who did this is still on the run, but I k “now that Enugu State Government has the capacity and the equipment to capture him.

“Others who are into criminality should know that there is no hiding place in Enugu State of today because the arm of the government will catch up with them,” he concluded.

Some community members who witnessed the demolition testified to the suspect’s criminal ways and antecedents, noting that he was an ex-convict.

Ikechukwu Amos, who spoke to newsmen, said: “I can’t deny it, he is a criminal. I am their elder and I know how all of them behave. We have been advising him, but he refused. You have seen the resultant effect of his unholy character.

“This same boy returned from prison not too long ago. Since then, he has been maintaining bad company, using this place for all manner of illicit activities like smoking Indian hemp and other hard substances. I am not surprised that something of this nature will happen, and it has happened.”

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Another indigene of Umueze Awkunanaw, Edeh Chidera Kingsley, also spoke about the prime suspect’s criminal records: “Any young man who doesn’t want to work to get money but chooses kidnapping should face the music.

“Fela, as he is also known, is a lazy man. If you call him for work, he would say that he would not go. He finds pleasure in drinking.”

The Councilor of the ward, Uchenna Jideofor, thanked the governor for putting into effect the harsh measures prescribed by the laws of Enugu State against kidnapping, describing the demolition as a welcome development for the people and leaders of Umueze Awkunanaw.

“The guy is notorious in criminal activities. In my first tenure, I made sure that some of them were remanded in prison, but after everything he was later released by some people from the community. And any time they come back, people will be witnessing insecurity in the community. The guy is involved in so many things.

“This morning, I had a confrontation with the neighbours, telling them that they are not doing us good by not giving us information on what is happening. But what is happening here now will serve as a lesson to others that have chosen the fast lane,” he said.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a new digital platform that will make its drug integrity test and visa clearance process seamless, more accessible, and help curb the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.

The portal was unveiled at a press conference to flag off the digitisation of the agency’s Drug Integrity Test and Visa E-Administration System (DITViCAS) yesterday in Abuja.

Speaking at the forum, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), said the symbolic launch signifies “a paradigm shift in the fight against the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.” He said it was a moment where enforcement meets efficiency, and commitment merges with cutting-edge technology.

Represented by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna, he said in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the agency has maintained an aggressive, balanced, and uncompromising approach to tackling the scourge of illicit substances, with a focus on two critical fronts: drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.

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“For years, the process of obtaining an NDLEA visa clearance certificate, required by certain source and transit countries, has been characterised by documentation, physical appearances, and lengthy verification cycles. This manual process was no doubt prone to human interference, delays, and a host of other issues. We are bringing an end to those bottlenecks. The system delivers automation across all processes and operations associated with the administration of the drug integrity test and visa clearance, with interfaces for effective collaboration with partner agencies,” he said.

He added: “It is also important to note that we have made provision on the system for private medical centres to partner with the agency as accredited centres for the drug integrity test. The system brings efficiency, flexibility, and convenience to the process. Following this ceremony, applicants for the drug integrity test and visa clearance can now apply from home and choose any preferred location, booking a date convenient and available for both the applicant and the desk officer of the NDLEA, without having to go and wait the whole day at the NDLEA office.

“With the e-certification and verification system, it also eliminates drug and visa clearance certificate falsifications and establishes the reliability and transparency of the process with supervisory dashboards across our commands, formations, and at the headquarters.”

The extension of the service to students of tertiary institutions and others, he said, is to significantly foster drug demand reduction across the country without any attempt to stigmatise any student or anyone, while rehabilitation and counsellingcentres are open for those who test positive to ensure that no one is left without care.

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The NDLEA boss further explained that the essence of the platform is to integrate sophisticated background check protocols, ensuring that the certificate remains a robust security instrument that safeguards Nigeria’s international reputation and prevents drug syndicates from exploiting legitimate travel channels.

He said: “This new digital portal allows institutions, organisations, and individuals, including parents and prospective couples, to apply for drug integrity tests seamlessly. It provides a verified, standardised, and secure process for testing and issuing certificates.

“It is a non-judgmental pathway designed to support our national drive for Demand Reduction, fostering healthier communities, safer workplaces, and a more secure national labour force. This is the future of our War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign: proactive, compassionate, and data-driven.”