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Institution of Marriage Faces Extinction, Former Envoy Raises Alarm
Institution of Marriage Faces Extinction, Former Envoy Raises Alarm
By: Michael Mike
The institution of marriage is on its way to extinction while infantilism and criminal propensities are fast being accepted as the new normal, former Nigerian Ambassador to Mozambique, Albert Omotayo has lamented.
The former envoy, who In a bid to strengthen family ties in Nigeria and ensure nation building presented a book titled: “Fifty Reasons Why I Love You” to the public, decried that the rate of separation and divorce in the country is soaring, insisting that this could only be checked with true love and strong marriage institution.
Speaking at the presentation of the book in Abuja on Tuesday, Omotayo who was a Private Secretary to former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he was the Federal Commissioner for Works in the 1970s and later as the Head of State said the battle against marriage and the family is fierce and sustained, yet soft and elusive.
Ambassador Omotayo who also inaugurated Qoodrat Adebola Abeni Omotayo Literary Award (QAAOLA) in honour of his wife said: “The rate of separation and divorce is soaring everywhere, the socio-intellectual movements which articulate marriage to be bondage that must be broken are gaining more ground and their disciples are fast growing.
“The world is getting drowned deeper in the sea of consumerism and instant creation, the root of world-wide economic hardship and inter-personal intolerance which is in turn pushing our humanness to a dangerous limit and making ordinary relationships increasingly more difficult to maintain.”
The former envoy also lamented that values in all walks of life are being turned upside-down in a counter-cultural protest against “old culture and tradition.”
The retired diplomat said he wrote the book not only to promote good family value system in Nigeria, but to also appreciate his wife whom he noted staunchly believes in marriage institution and transparently lives it.
On why he inaugurated a non-profit organisation for his wife who is also an Author, and who turned 50 on Tuesday, Omotayo said “The NGO is a literary award because the crusade is not about laws, it is about the reorientation of human mind which can be challenged and move to change only through writings in all manners of genre”
In his remarks, a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada commended Omotayo for coming up with a book that touches on love at the family level and advised Nigerians to read the book which he noted is capable of strengthening family ties and creating a better society.
Omotayo’s wife, Abeni who is a former Chairperson of Ekiti State Chapter of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), said she would continue to impact on lives and not relent in her efforts at promoting literary arts. She commended her husband for being a pillar of support.
A former National President of Association of Nigerian Authors, Denja Abdullahi, Chairman of the occasion, Professor Vicky Sylvester, the book reviewer, Miss Salamatu Sule, all commended Ambassador Omotayo for writing the book, and also described his wife as a virtuous woman.
Institution of Marriage Faces Extinction, Former Envoy Raises Alarm
News
Troops arrest three suspected log suppliers in Kwara
Troops arrest three suspected log suppliers in Kwara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD have arrested three suspected log suppliers in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State for alleged involvement in illegal supply activities.
Security sources said the suspects were apprehended at about 1315 hours on Wednesday by troops of Sector 1, operating from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kaiama.
The arrest followed routine operational checks and intelligence-led patrols in the area.
The suspects were subsequently handed over to troops of 22 Brigade for further investigation and necessary action.
Military authorities said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to curb criminal logistics networks and disrupt support structures aiding armed groups in the region.
They added that troops have continued sustained surveillance and patrols across border communities to prevent the movement of illicit materials and criminal supplies.
Troops arrest three suspected log suppliers in Kwara
News
Kwibuka 32: Rwanda Sounds Alarm on Evolving Genocide Ideology, Demands Global Accountability
Kwibuka 32: Rwanda Sounds Alarm on Evolving Genocide Ideology, Demands Global Accountability
By: Michael Mike
Rwanda has issued a powerful warning to the world as it marks the 32nd anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, cautioning that the dangerous ideologies that fueled the mass killings have not disappeared—but are mutating in more sophisticated and far-reaching ways.
Speaking at a solemn commemoration in Abuja, the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Moses Rugema, urged the global community to move beyond ceremonial remembrance and confront the persistent and evolving threat of genocide ideology, particularly in an era shaped by digital influence and artificial intelligence.
The event, held under the theme “Remember. Unite. Renew.”, marked Kwibuka 32, an annual period of reflection on one of the darkest chapters in modern history.
He said: “Remembrance must carry responsibility. It is not enough to honour the dead—we must actively resist the forces that made such atrocities possible.”
He recalled the scale of the Genocide against the Tutsi, in which more than one million people were systematically killed within 100 days in 1994. The envoy stressed that the genocide was not a spontaneous eruption of violence, but a calculated campaign driven by propaganda, division and state-backed extremism.
Drawing a direct line between the past and present, Rugema warned that similar patterns are re-emerging globally, now amplified by technology.
“The tools may have changed, but the intent has not. Today, hate can spread faster, deeper and more dangerously through digital platforms,” he said, noting that misinformation, denial and distortion are increasingly weaponised to rewrite history and inflame divisions.
He called for stronger international legal frameworks, improved civic education and stricter accountability measures to counter what he described as a “resilient and adaptive threat.”
Rugema also revisited the failure of the international community during the 1994 crisis, stating that early warning signs were ignored and the scale of the violence was initially downplayed. At the United Nations Security Council, only a handful of voices—including Nigeria’s former envoy, Ibrahim Gambari—pressed for recognition of the atrocities as genocide.
The killings were eventually halted by forces of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by current President Paul Kagame, ushering in a new chapter focused on national rebuilding.
Highlighting Rwanda’s recovery, Rugema pointed to deliberate policies aimed at unity and reconciliation, including the dismantling of ethnic classifications and the use of community-based justice systems such as gacaca courts, which enabled millions of cases to be heard while fostering dialogue and healing.
Yet, he warned that the work is far from over.
“Genocide ideology is not confined to history—it is a present danger,” he said, citing ongoing instability in parts of Africa’s Great Lakes region and the growing normalization of hate speech globally.
Also addressing the gathering, the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in
Nigeria, Mohamed Fall described the commemoration as a call to action for the international community to prevent future atrocities.
Represented by the UN Women Coordinator to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, Fall emphasised that the genocide was enabled by sustained propaganda and exclusionary policies.
“Mass atrocities do not begin with weapons—they begin with words,” Fall said. “And today, those words travel faster than ever.”
He warned that the unchecked spread of hate speech and incitement in the digital space poses a growing global risk, urging governments to strengthen legal protections, uphold international law and fully implement the Genocide Convention.
Both speakers stressed that remembrance must translate into concrete action, insisting that the phrase “Never Again” risks becoming hollow if not backed by political will and societal vigilance.
As the world reflects on Kwibuka 32, Rwanda’s message was unmistakable: the cost of indifference has already been written in blood—and failing to act now could allow history to repeat itself.
Kwibuka 32: Rwanda Sounds Alarm on Evolving Genocide Ideology, Demands Global Accountability
News
NIS Cracks Down on Alleged Extortion at Lagos-Seme Border, Orders Probe
NIS Cracks Down on Alleged Extortion at Lagos-Seme Border, Orders Probe
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched an immediate investigation into allegations of extortion involving its personnel along the Lagos-Seme border corridor, vowing swift disciplinary action against any officer found culpable.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, strongly condemned the reported misconduct, describing it as a clear breach of the Service’s ethical standards and operational principles.
The allegations, which surfaced through online reports, have sparked public concern over the conduct of immigration officers stationed at one of Nigeria’s busiest land borders. Responding decisively, the NIS leadership has taken the unusual step of temporarily relieving the Comptrollers overseeing the affected commands of their duties pending the outcome of a comprehensive probe.
According to the Service, the investigation will focus on identifying all officers involved in the alleged acts, with a commitment to enforce strict disciplinary measures without delay.
Reaffirming its stance, the NIS stressed that it would not tolerate any behavior capable of eroding public confidence or damaging the institution’s reputation. The Service reiterated its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and efficiency in managing Nigeria’s entry and exit points.
To strengthen accountability, the Service urged members of the public to report cases of misconduct through its official communication channels, including its verified social media platforms and dedicated contact centre lines.
The NIS emphasized that it remains resolute in upholding integrity and discipline while facilitating lawful migration, assuring Nigerians and international travelers that measures are being reinforced to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
NIS Cracks Down on Alleged Extortion at Lagos-Seme Border, Orders Probe
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