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It is no news that Nigeria negotiates with terrorists.  In most cases, hundreds of millions of Naira are parted to terrorists in form of ransom. But asking for national honors and recognition, a demand recently made by Dr. Abdulmalik Attah, for terrorist-negotiators is repulsive for most Nigerians. 

Many believe that the way and manner President Muhammadu Buhari’s has been handling the menace of insecurity in the country has exacerbated it and thus embolden the terrorists more than it has abated it. Just most recently, Dr. Abdulmalik Attah, one of the Presidential Committee members who negotiated and got the abducted Kaduna-trained passengers released has validated the claim that negotiation with terrorists is not new to President Muhammadu Buhari-led Government.  He went as far as considering a national honor and recognition for his committee.

In fact, Dr. Attah praised his members so well and gave account of how the security apparatus of the country aided their mission of getting the abducted passengers released.  He did not stop there, he asked for a national honor for his committee for interfacing, on behalf of the Federal Government, with the terrorists and getting the passengers released. . 

 Dr AbdulMalik Attah went as far as accusing his co-negotiated Malam Tukur Mamu of frustrating previous efforts of the government at releasing the abducted passengers.  He made the clain during an interview with
Channels TV. Atta’s father was among the abducted passengers of the ill-fated train abducted midway by terrorists, popularly called bandits by the Government.

Atta said Mamu did everything within his reach to thwart the federal government’s efforts at rescuing the hostages for his own interest.  Daily Trust had reported that Attah said the families of the abducted passengers have parted with over $200,000 previously to the terrorists without having the passengers released.

“Because of Mamu’s introduction of money into the rescue process, the victims’ families had parted with over $200,000 prior to the chief of defence staff’s intervention.

“The Presidential Committee made life-threatening sacrifices, as we had to go into the forest to meet with the terrorists and even slept in the bush.

“It has been six months and one week, but we thank God everything has come to an end now, thanks to the support from the federal government through the office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). We were able to go into the bush and bring back the remaining of our family members.

“We achieved this not through somebody who betrayed the committee and the government, I am talking about the person of Tukur Mamu who did everything within his reach to thwart the efforts of the government for his own interest. As we all know, he is in the hands of the government now. But we thank God, all our family members are back now.

“The bandits never asked for money ab-initio, Tukur Mamu introduced money into the whole thing and derailed the process and kept everybody for the past six months.

“We parted away with about 200,000 US Dollars. Thank God the CDS took it upon himself and put in place a committee that never asked a kobo. Every sacrifice being done so far has been personal towards ensuring the release of the victims.

“In the committee, I can assure you that I worked with credible people of the highest order. If I have my way, all of them would be given national honors.  We risked our lives, went to the bush, we slept there in the bush.

“We heard the complaints of those people (the terrorists), even though we knew what they have done is wrong, but we had to engage them.

“Going forward, our security agencies must synergize their operations and the government should open more room for further engagements.” 

President Vladimir Putin has declared martial law in the four  of Ukraine where Russia controls territory after Russian officials warned of a looming Ukrainian assault on the key southern city of Kherson.

The Russian president said in televised remarks to members of his security council that: “We are working on solving very complex, large-scale tasks to ensure a reliable future for Russia, the future of our people,”

The law, published on the Kremlin website, gives far far-reaching emergency powers to the Russian-installed heads of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces, which Russia recently proclaimed as annexed after sham referendums.

The Kremlin decree also puts Russia on a stronger economic war-footing. Putin ordered an “economic mobilisation” in eight provinces bordering Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Putin said he was granting additional authority to the leaders of all Russian provinces to maintain public order and increase production in support of Moscow’s war, which is entering its eighth month. The law also limits the freedom to move in and out of eight Russian provinces bordering Ukraine.

In his speech, Putin also hinted at a further escalation of the war, calling the Ukrainian authorities “satanists” who have ignored Russia’s warnings.

“Russia has repeatedly given a chance to the command of the satanists to come to their senses. But we were not heard or ignored. Now everything will be different, we will dictate the terms,” Putin said.

Shortly after Putin’s statements, his spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the government was not planning on closing the country’s international borders.

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has made its commitment towards leveraging partnership within the D-8 to promote, encourage, advance and support the activities of MSMEs at the national level as well as within the D-8 region to further strengthen economic, trade and commercial integration and linkages.

D8, also referred to as Developing-8, is an international organisation specifically established for the development cooperation among countries like Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

The Director-General, SMEDAN, Olawale Fasanya, stated that with a proposal for a D-8 centre already submitted, the agency is optimistic that the establishment of the D-8 Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will unleash substantial development impacts.

Fasanya has also promised to work with key stakeholders to cause a positive shift in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) development narrative in Nigeria, given its critical but highly endangered status in the economy.

Fasanya made the remark at an interactive session with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (Gocop) and editors, where he shared his vision and approach to ensure regular inter-agency cooperation and networking with stakeholders to leverage on available opportunities to close the gaps among key players within the MSME space.

Emphasising how important the sub-sector is to national economic growth and the several challenges which the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia have further worsened, Fasanya said the challenges of MSMEs usually border on access to finance, market, equipment, information, technical and entrepreneurial skills and workspace.

Reeling out his vision for the sub-sector, he said he had already started engaging with the staff of the agency and other MSMEs-enabling stakeholders, as a continuous exercise both locally and internationally.

“I will be meeting some key stakeholders in Lagos to enable me to harvest inputs directly from real MSMEs players. I am however aware that they were consulted during the process of reviewing the National Policy but the MSME space is very dynamic requiring regular engagements and feedback.”

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has donated the sum of N300 million to the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, COWLSO.

Governor Wike announced the donation at the ongoing 22nd National Women’s Conference (NWC) holding in Lagos.

The donation is coming on the backdrop of recent devastating flood that has submerged some communities in the State, rendering thousands homeless, and without food.

Recall that over 200 communities in four local councils of Rivers State, namely – Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA), Ahoada West, Ahoada East and Abual Odual – have been displaced by ravaging flood.

In an address at the occasion, Wike said the involvement of women in politics and decision-making in Lagos State is what is making it continue to set the pace in the country.

He said he was amazed at all that COWLSO is doing in Lagos State and promised to replicate all that he had learnt from the conference in his State as well.

Governor Wike also used the opportunity to declare total support for the re-election bid of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the 2023 general elections.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has issued an advisory to travelers from Abuja and Lagos.

Acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu informed the public on Tuesday through the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Bisi Kazeem.

The agency advised vehicle owners and commuters from Abuja, via Ondo, to ply Akure-Ondo-Ife-Ibadan or Lagos-Ibadan-Ife-Ondo-Ore-Benin.

Those traveling from Lagos and other parts in the South-West, also through Ondo, to the North were asked to ply same route.

The FRSC noted that the advisory was issued because the Igbara-Oke-Ilara-Mokin route is totally blocked for now.

Biu assured that operatives and logistics have been adequately deployed to ensure speedy removal of the obstructions on that route for ease of movement.

Factors including bad roads and the heavy floods Nigerians are witnessing, the worst in a decade, have made some routes impassable.

Automobile manufacturing company, BMW China has recalled its K1600 and K1600 GT Motorcycles with production dates of between 28 June, 2017 to 19 September, 2018 due to faulty shock absorbers.

The Federal Road Safety Corps made this call to the motoring public, particularly those who are presently using aforementioned motorcycles by BMW.

According to the memo circulated by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the BMW (China) Automobile Trading Company Limited disclosed that the withdrawal of the motorbikes started from 7 September, 2022.

In the statement, the withdrawal was premised on the fact that the hinged tie rods at the rear shock absorber could not reach the designed strength and may break over time, posing a safety hazard.

The Acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu, by this notice, warned the general public, particularly dealers and riders of these categories of motorcycles, to stop selling or using the identified motorcycles on Nigerian roads so as to avoid any accident.