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Tinubu Should Fear Bangladesh-Style Unannounced Protests, Don Warns

Published

1 year ago

August 17, 2024

Renowned Professor of History and African Studies, Toyin Falola, says the President Bola Tinubu government has failed to address the major triggers for the #EndBadGovernance protests that reverberated in most states in Nigeria earlier in August.

The septuagenarian professor at the University of Texas was a guest on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television on Friday.

He said the protesters were charitable to announce their protests weeks ahead, giving the government time to map out strategies to stifle the impact of the rallies.

Falola, however, said the Tinubu administration should fear spontaneous and uncontrollable protests like those being experienced in South Asian country Bangladesh where young demonstrators are against the policies of fleeing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Between August 1 and 10, young demonstrators held rallies in most cities in Nigeria, protesting high cost of living and soaring food prices. The protesters also asked Tinubu to reverse the subsidy on petrol for prices of basic commodities to drop.

On August 4, 2024, Tinubu addressed Nigerians and ruled out the return of petrol subsidies, a major demand of #EndBadGovernance campaigners.

Speaking on the programme, the don faulted the presidential statement on the #EndBadGovernance protests, saying the major issues of hunger, skyrocketing energy costs, high standard of living and insecurity raised by young demonstrators were not addressed by the President.

READ: Gen. Abdulsalami’s Peace C’ttee Reveals How It Was Pressured To Ask INEC To Cancel 2023 Presidential Elections

“When the President issues his own, no issue around fuel subsidy, no issue around infrastructure, no talk about electricity, no talk about security – – all the elements that drove the protests.

“Aṣọ Rock’s fundamental reaction was: ‘we don’t want anyone to destabilise the government’. Nobody wants to destabilise the government.

“Of course, some elements took advantage of protests with the Russian flags, calls for coup, but the protest was not about destabilising the government; the protesters were not calling for a coup. Of course, in Kaduna, they did but that was not the original intention which was to say, ‘we are very hungry’. Are they not hungry? They are.”

He said there is no way Tinubu won’t know about the rising cost of living in Nigeria, fuelled by persistent inflationary pressure in the country.

Falola said, “He (Tinubu) knows, and making excuses is not the way to govern but at the end of the day, we are lucky that there were no damages. People were expecting Igbo-Yoruba warfare in Lagos (but) it didn’t happen.

“The fundamental things that produced the protest are still there. What the government should pay attention to is that undated or unannounced or unplanned protest that is more dangerous. Because you cannot control that one. This one that there was notice and you can put your police or bullies on the streets. But the protest to fear is like that of Bangladesh.”

News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

26 minutes ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

35 minutes ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”