News

OPINION: Michael Freeman Arise TV Interview: Censorship And Social Media Escalation

Published

1 month ago

March 22, 2026

By Tony Ehra

Television viewers across the globe, mainly Nigerians, must have been jolted that what promised to be an exciting and ‘no-holds-barred’ interview between the Nigerian Arise TV News, and Mr. Michael Freeman, Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, was ruined and escalated. Nigerian viewers had anticipated adequate exposure from the Israeli envoy, on the ranging war between Israel (backed by the United States) and Iran, and its spillover in Nigeria. The high-profile interface was also expected to expose fresh vistas on the internecine insurgency, allegedly by Muslim extremism, against the Nigerian state, culminating in killings, maiming, arson and sacking of local communities.

Alas, the interview exercise was burgled and inclined to ‘false bravado’, a guise where individuals hide their true feelings and emotions behind premeditated cover-up actions.

The traditional media – television, radio and the tabloid had been very noisy, particularly the ‘Vuvuzela’ Social Media genre. It took the dance-steps and singsongs to the gossiping streets of Nigeria and the world, that our own Rufai Oseni, the boiling cauldron of Arise TV, had done it again. But this time much bigger, as he tried to grab screaming headlines of ‘overpowering’ a mascot of the untiring Israel, said from the ‘ancient times to nowadays’, as fighting wars like a vocation.

In the unusual clime of Africa’s most populous country, things are down differently, oftentimes head-down; professionalism and ethics are the last of relevant considerations or not given any attention. Here, the freedom of self-expression and a free-human-enterprise don’t seem to matter, where press interviewers and interviewees are the cross pollination of objectivity and correctness!

Media news is more widespread on the wings of the internet and its light-years speed, than with the traditional media. Social media is the ‘all-comers’ unconventional wedlock to the internet, where all manners of reportage hold. A recent worldwide poll says that the advent of the social media has wreaked untold pains on the world.

With the social media, every Tom, Dick and Harry arrogates to being a journalist, simply because he has internet access and a browsing component, at will. The inflicted pains on society, as it may, is what some readily summon the courage to call ‘freest social media that professes to press freedom and a safer world’.

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“This renewed order is “more appealing” when the news is worthier “if a man bites a dog, than when the dog bites a man”.

The sins of Michael Freeman was ‘daring’ to voice out on the Arise set, the obvious that the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), a canopy-bulk of the country’s Shite sect, is “sponsored by the Iranian government”, another word for Iran’s mediated liability as backer of the jihadist and terror groups that had besieged Nigeria for decades, causing human massacres, religious persecution, local community sacking and its attended miseries. He also warned that undue Iran’s influence extends beyond Nigeria to other parts of West Africa

Freeman pointedly accused the recently-exterminated spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a mastermind of the unabated insurgency by backing terror groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, as well as attacks in countries such as Argentina, Bulgaria, the U.K., Australia, and Nigeria. To him, Iran’s development of ballistic missiles and nuclear ambitions were further evidence of its deadly threats to the world. He capped it that the current Israel-US defensive actions against Tehran, was morally justified.

To imagine Khamenei, with the weapons obtained from Russia, China and North Korea that mainly practice Christianity, the Chinese folk religion and Atheism, respectively, are also intended to impose Islam and sharia, to the detriment of religious practices of the same mentor-nations of Iran, should have been dismissed as vaunting ambition. But, insinuations by a cautious Freeman, was that if it was possible in Australia, UK and others, it would also be in aforesaid Iranian allies.

Set-bullying of guest interviewees is a trademark of Rufai Oseni, as again evident in his harassment of Mr. Freeman not to “interrupt him”. Unfortunately, it’s encouraged by many well-placed Nigerians, that cherish unusual doings as means to feathering their nests and religions. It is not funny having Sheik Ahmed Gumi, Asari Dokunbo, Shehu Sani and many ‘praying Mantis’ from the religious divides chanting the knell.

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Interestingly, Ruby Mohan, American writer and poet, in his satire on transcendentalism, ethics and certainty, reasons aloud; “There is a way men watch the woman they admire, and then there is a way men watch a woman they cannot believe is for real”.

Unbelievably, Owei Lakemfa, a versatile writer and theoretician, who should’ve known better, is one amidst the attackers of Mr. Freeman, for ‘daring’ to echo what is already known to the world. In journalism, external censorship and media men’s obvert, self-censorship and infringements, are setback to the press union and freedom of speech that hinders public progress, than external abusers of free expression.

It is likely that Lakemfa, and labour activist, is inclined to the learnings of the leftist East; and cold to Westernization and Zionism zeal. What one wouldn’t know is whether he is amongst the Mullahs (holy prophets) who are called and bound for the ecclesiastic red-carpet of heavenly reception that is much hyped. Still, it could be for the same reasons that Lakemfa penned a short and acerbic piece;

“The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria is irresponsible”, a heist on the Nigerian intellects, that flowed with his impossible assertion that “… Nigeria has no problems with Muslims or Shittes”.

A bird is roasted and the chickens are not happy!

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If Iran and Khamenei hadn’t been sponsoring jihadist groups in the country, as alleged, why the spontaneous wild demonstrations by IMN members, in cities, including Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Niger, Gombe, Bauchi, and Yobe, to condemn the killing of Khamenei and expression of solidarity with Iran, following US-Israeli airstrikes? There were incidents of the Israeli and American flags matched upon and burnt by the angry IMN protesters. What hatred could be more than that against the countries their protests are directed and for the country they carry out the protest actions?

A justification that the Arise TV News could also be independent in its business, Dr. Reuben Abati, a leading anchor of the crew that Rufai belongs, had rebuked the Nigerian protesters, thus questioning the benefit of Iran and its leaders to the Nigeria’s situation, where the same protesters failed to similarly protest against the worsening insecurity in the country.

The Iran’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mahdavi Raja, had spoken contrarily to the Freeman’s weighty accusations, through the same Arise TV News, arguing that Iran always solidarized with Nigeria against threats from Boko Haram and ISWAP, hence it condemns terrorism in all forms. As he buttressed his rejection of Israeli claims of Iran’s involvement in terrorism, dismissing them as “attempts to weaken Nigeria-Iran relations built over six decades”, there was no Oseni Rufai to similarly dress him down.

Whilst the public information domains are dotted with incidents of Iranian support for extreme jihadists, as well as in Nigeria, which it may not have contested, like the Michael Freeman’s accusations, however, the imposition of the sharia variant laws of Islam, which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had aggressively pursued for his country and around the world, is an aberration to secular statehood, and is hardly substituted for a country’s constitution.

News

UNIMAID, Federal Polytechnic Matriculate 82 Degree Students

Published

18 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in affiliation with the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has matriculated 82 students into the degree programmes across five courses.

Speaking during the matriculation ceremony at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi on Tuesday, Professor Muhammad Laminu Mele, the Vice chancellor, University of Maiduguri, charged the matriculated students to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations guiding the two institutions to enable them achieve the set objectives.

The VC, who was represented by Professor Muhammad Ahmad Waziri, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Services, warned that any student or group of students trying to breach the peace of the two institutions would face the full wrath of the law.

The Don further assured that the University and its affiliated institutions would continue to make easy access to higher quality education to the teeming population across the country.

In a remark, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Sani Usman, said they were affiliated with the university to pursue academic excellence, describing the affiliation as a huge pillar in the education reforms.

The Rector, who was also represented by Dr. Dalhatu Saidu, the Deputy Rector of the Polymeric, commended the university of Maiduguri for not only improving the UNIMAID’s conducive learning environment but expanding the horizon to different higher institutions of learning across Nigeria.

He therefore advised the newly matriculated students to pursue knowledge, to interact freely with the Polytechnic staff, be vigilant and be a brother’s keeper, adding that this would help to achieve the desired objectives.

The affiliated courses included BSc Mass Communication, BSc Accountancy, BSc Public Administration, BSc Business Administration and BSc Banking and Finance respectively.

News

Trouble Looms As Egbesu Group Drags FG To Court Over Resource Control, Others

Published

18 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

Group known as Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has dragged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, over failure to create additional 24 Local government councils in Bayelsa State as the need for Ijaw to control natural resources in its territory.

The Originating Summons marked: FHC/YNA/CS/63/2026 was filed on Tuesday April 21, 2026 by the plaintiffs including; Felix Tuodolo, Weri Digifa, Ebi Waribigha, Kabowei Akamade, Rosebella Jackson, Thomas Jacklloyd, Primrose Kpokposei, David Imole and Welman Warri at the Federal High Court Yenagoa.

Joined as defendants in the suit are the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation.

In the court documents, the Egbesu Assembly premised their action on the alleged failure of the federal government particularly the National Assembly to deliberate, approve and amend the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

This, according to them, is to allow for resource control as well as the creation of additional LGAs in the state to fulfil the requirements in line with the Constitution.

The group is therefore seeking, among others, the amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly to allow for the right to resource control.

The Supreme Egbesu Assembly described the suit action as a promise kept.

Mranwh, In a press statement announcing the institution of the lawsuit on Tuesday, the Egbesu Assembly recalled that, on 12th February 2026, it wrote to both the Federal Government and the National Assembly wherein its gave a 21-Day ultimatum for the duo to respond to the age-long demands for resource control and creation of additional LGAs or face a lawsuit.

The statement partly reads: “Recall that on 12th February 2026, we did inform you that we have written to the National Assembly and the federal government on the need for the creation of an additional 24 Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State as well as the control of our God-given natural resources in Ijaw territory.

“We promised that if the National Assembly and or federal government did not respond to these age-long demands, we were going to seek legal actions to address our demands.

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“We gave a time frame of twenty-one days for them to respond to us—we got no response!

“Today the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has kept to its promise.

“We instituted an action at the Federal High Court Yenagoa against the National Assembly and the Federal Government after the expiration of the 21 days. Today we were in court for the first hearing of both cases.”

According to the group, creation of additional local government areas for Bayelsa is as old as the creation of the State itself.

The SEA maintained that “there is nowhere in any democracy where a state is limited to just 8 LGAs: more pathetic is the fact that Bayelsa State is an oil bearing State.

“Bayelsa State presently has twenty four Rural Development Authorities (RDA) which can be easily converted to Local Government areas thereby making the State eligible to participate in the sharing of allocation and the development of their areas for the purpose of justice and equity.

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“Gentlemen, we wish to inform you that our suit on Resource Control is a revival of our age long agitation.”

The group further stated that Nigeria can no longer operate a system where contributors to the national coffers are not in charge of their resources.

The group added that the lawsuit is therefore for the Ijaw people.

“The Ijaw Nation must be free from all economic strangulation carried out against them by successive Governments,” they added.

The SEA called on all Ijaws to be steadfast and resolute, and continue to support the process by attending all court sessions, stating that “your solidarity is very vital at this point of time in our history. “

The group also called on other Ijaw organizations, communities, Niger Delta people, organizations and all people of goodwill “to join in the march to control and manage our despoiled and mismanaged natural resources.”

News

BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Wale Edun, Dangiwa As Ministers

Published

19 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council, removing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, from their cabinet positions.

Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, said the development was contained in a memo signed by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Also appointed is Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.

The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.

It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.

Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.

He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.

The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.