National News
THE GEN CHRISTOPHER MUSA SHAIKH LAWAL ABUBAKAR TRIUMPH SHOULD KNOW

THE GEN CHRISTOPHER MUSA SHAIKH LAWAL ABUBAKAR TRIUMPH SHOULD KNOW
By Zagazola Makama
Nobody is better placed to champion the cause of unity, peace and stability in the society than he who commands spiritual authority.
Riding on a high moral pedestal, such a leader possesses the capacity to mold the character under his moral influence into a force for good.
Spiritual leaders are like torch-bearers. Through their sobered preachments and pious disposition, they hold out the light in place of darkness, inspire hope in times of despair and provide moral compass for the people to navigate the truth.

It becomes concerning and indeed disappointing when such a moral or spiritual leader decides to turn his pulpit into a platform of misinformation, mischaracterisation and misrepresentation, for whatever reason.
It is even more dangerous when the object or subject of such misinformation, mischaracterisation and misrepresentation has to do with sensitive matters such as the defense and security of the country.
The video clip of a sermon by a revered Imam, Mallam Lawan Triumph surfaced over the weekend and not a few people were incensed by the content of what ought to have been a ‘sobered preachment’. For whatever reason, the good Imam veered off the spiritual upliftment of the congregants to pander to the highly inflammable Nigerian politics.
Not only was he trying to mix religion with politics, he went as far as diminishing the choice of Gen Chris Musa as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff; not on account of his competence but for where he hails from and the religion he professes!
In the reckoning of the good Imam, Gen Musa’s pedigree as a thorough-bred military officer, who has distinguished himself with a track record of excellence, does not matter while considering him for appointment as Chief of Defence Staff. What is paramount, in his estimation, is where the General hails from (Zangon Kataf) and where he worships!
As a matter of fact, the good Imam made a lot of inflammable submissions in that sermon which we will not bother to rehash here. It is, however, apropos to remind him and those other clerics who show no restraint in inciting their audience with divisive rhetoric, that they are not living up to their calling.
Their calling is to be fair-minded, unbiased, selfless, tolerant and peaceful. It is not to stoke ethno-religious division, nor to make inciting statements capable of igniting ethnic or religious conflagration.
Pray tell, how is it fair to say that General Christopher Musa is not worthy to be the Chief of Defence Staff simply because he is a Christian from a minority ethnic group of Kataf? How did were Gen Musa (or any Service Chief for that matter) hail from or where he worships determine his experience, competence, capacity and readiness to discharge his duty in accordance with the expectations of the Nigerian people?
In the face of mounting internal security challenges assailing the country and the north in particular, does the good Imam really care about who will produce results, or he is more interested in provincialism? More importantly, who says that the CDS or the Service Chiefs must come from any particular region or religion?
In any case, the crux of my intervention with this article is to allay the fears of the Imam (and those who share his views) about the choice of Gen Chris Musa as Nigeria’s 18th Chief of Defence Staff.
As a Counterinsurgency Expert who has covered Nigerian military’s counter insurgency and anti-banditry operations across the Lake Chad region and the northwest region of Nigeria in the last decade, I believe I stand in good stead to tell the Imam more about Gen Musa.
Like a professional colleague aptly captured it, the history of battle between the insurgent Boko Haram/ISWAP and the five countries around the lake Chad region can never be completely written without the mention of General Christopher Musa.
A warrior in all ramifications and a defender of the good of our common humanity, Gen Musa is a courageous gentleman officer whose structure and name alone send cold chills down the spine of terrorists.
Winner of the prestigious Collins Powell Meritorious Award for Soldiering, Gen Musa became the Theatre Commander, North East Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, in 2021.
His time at the North_East was marked by the ruthless decimation of tens of high-profile terrorist commanders and hundreds of their foot soldiers by troops of the Nigerian Military. Working in active synergy with sister-services and other security agencies, the troops under his Command consistently dealt deadly blows to the terrorist groups in his areas of responsibility.
With a combination of kinetic and non kinetic approaches targeted at the adversaries, it was under his command that over a hundred thousand Boko Haram members and their families laid down their arms and voluntarily surrendered to the troops of the Nigerian military. The efforts of the military under his command also led to the return of more than 1.5 million IDPs taken refuge in Maiduguri, Borno State capital back to their ancestral homes.
He facilitated the reopening of federal roads in Borno State that were closed due to insecurity and ordered the dismantling of a roadblock set up by security to boost economic activities in the state as well as to ease the hardship being faced by commuters and transporters on the highway.
His legacies at the North-East theater of operation also include the excellent management of man and material which saw to exponential improvement of troops’ welfare and good relationship with the civil populace.
His trajectory in the military made former President Muhammadu Buhari to confirm him with the prestigious National Award in the category of Officers Of the Order of the Federal
Republic.
At the end of his tour of duty at Operation Hadin Kai, Gen Musa was posted to Command the Infantry Corps, the position he held until his appointment as the Chief of Defence Staff.
What Nigerian Expect From Gen Chris Musa
It is the desire of every distinguished battle-tested General to command the entire Army one day if God so approves. But the God of General Musa rather chose another path for him, and which is that he should rather suprintend over the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria.
As the Chief of Defence Staff of a country where 34 out of 36 states are involved in one crisis or the other, only God can guide this General in this onerous task ahead of him. His ascension to the highest military rank in Nigeria is surely not by chance.
It is obviously the result of his track record of excellence. With the partnership and cooperation of the Service Chiefs, it is expected that the military under his superintendence will get on top of the current security challenges across the country and possibly contain them.
Residents of Plateau and Kaduna states respectively will be returned to their ancestral lands snatched from them by dare-devil bandits. That is ongoing because Nigerians have seen the new Army Chief, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, launch operation “Hakorin Damisa ” to take out daring bandits who have taken over more than 200 communities from residents.
Many internally displaced persons in Jos and environs know that they will soon return to their ancestral homes with this renewed zeal.
Above all, with the new GOC of 3 Division, Maj. Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar, who has already hit the ground running by relocating his Operational Headquarters to Mangu, it is expected that the terrorists will be rooted out soon and most residents will spend Christmas in their homes already taken over by foreign bandits.
He is going into the Plateau war theater from his wealth of experience as GOC 7 Division and former Commander Sector 3 Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) of the North-East war theater. The state will soon have a big sigh of relief.
In Kaduna State, the ongoing wave of onslaughts against criminals in their enclaves has already drawn significant praises from the residents for completely clearing the bandits terrorising commuters along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway; so also the bandits tormenting Kuriga, Manini Chikun, Pole Wire, Birnin Gwari, Ungwan Namama, Kwalba, Rafin Dawa Dende,Ungwan Madaki, Buruku, Udawa, Doka, Maganda, Dogon Dawa, Sabon, Layi-Kuriga-Maganda-Farin Ruwa, Sabon Birni, Kuyelo,Farin Ruwa, Damba to Kangon Kadi, Labi,Udawa river Apewohe, Dakwala and Kunai villages among others.
The troops deployed in the areas artfully ensured that flashpoints within the Kaduna General area were also kept in check to prevent any form of dissent or criminal activities from any quarter.
The killings in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger states respectively will end and residents will return home. That is the expectation of people in Niger Shiroro, Birnin Gwari, Kuta and up to Sokoto.
In Kogi state, the sleeper cells of terrorists in Kogi, Okene Forest, Eyima, Okehi and Adavi, from where they are carrying out their heinous crimes, have been dislodged while 12 Brigade with two battalions with several FOBs are currently being mapped out to sustain the gains.
A lot of military watchers expect that some of the rusty conventional doctrines of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) will be deliberately tampered with to ensure new recruits understand right from the depot how to engage in asymmetric warfare, banditry and any other form of reinvented criminality.
The revered Imam, Malam Lawal Abubakar Triumph should be learned enough to know that Allah exalts whosoever He wishes, Muslim or Christian, to any position in the human society.
Malam should also know that the military’s constitutional duty and responsibility is to protect the territorial integrity and secure the country from internal and external insurrection.
So constitutionally sacred and exceptional are the military’s duties and responsibilities that whoever, Muslim or Christian, is adjudged most capable and competent to perform any task is assigned to do so without any bias whatsoever.
Gen. Christopher G Musa, who is exceptionally committed to the peace and security of Nigeria, was appointed CDS on the grounds of sheer credibility, capacity and competence, not on the grounds of his religion and region.
Zagazola Makama is a Counter-Insurgency expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region.
THE GEN CHRISTOPHER MUSA SHAIKH LAWAL ABUBAKAR TRIUMPH SHOULD KNOW
National News
Seyi Tinubu storms Damaturu to consult with the youths

Seyi Tinubu storms Damaturu to consult with the youths
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Following after his agenda of connecting with the young people in Nigeria, Sheyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, yesterday visited Damaturu, the Yobe State capital to engage with the young people of the state while breaking fast.
The “iftar” engagement was aimed at connecting with the young stakeholders in the polity in the state with a view to possibly watering the ground of any form of latent tension by rallying support for his father Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The visit, seen as a strategic move in the buildup to the pending political season, was heralded with a courtesy call on the Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni before settling into the banquet hall of the government house for an interactive session with stakeholder from all over the state who gathered in the hall hours before his arrival.
Although he did not settle down to have the iftar with the mammoth crowd waiting for him in the hall, it turned out to be a bold reaffirmation of his father’s commitment to youth development and national progress as he went round the tables and acknowledged the guests waiting for him.
The iftar in the banquet hall though a bit rowdy in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, was the second half of the visit of the scion of the billionaire magnate and President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu was held amidst tight security as he was ushered into the hall for the business of the evening.
The visit actually marked a significant political outreach by the inner caucus of the presidency, with the son of Tinubu engaging mostly young people in what many observers described as a prelude to a broader political campaign lying ahead to usher in his father’s desired second term proposed for 2027 just two years from now.
Seyi accompanied by the Minister of youth development Olawande Emmanuel had earlier visited the Emir of Damaturu
Dr Shehu Hashimi El-Kanemi to receive royal blessings from the monarch before his private talks with Governor Mai Mala Buni at the Government house.

At the banquet hall in the government house Damaturu, the youth minister Emmanuel had addressed the crowd shortly after their arrival at Banquet Hall galvanizing support for his Principal President Bola Tinubu.
Some of the stakeholders who interacted with this reporter during the goodwill visit posited that the young Tinubu was indeed trying to learn the ropes politically creating friendship aimed at pacifying the north after the last altercation the region had with his father over sweeping proposals within the revenue sector of the country.
They however agreed that the visit was both symbolic and strategic, noting that it was beyond just politics, but a call for young people to participate in national development and assist in the stabilization of the polity.
Seyi Tinubu storms Damaturu to consult with the youths
Health
We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria – Prof. Tahir

We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Medical Director of the ultra modern Police Hospital Damaturu Prof Bashir Tahir has said that his facility has one of the best Ophthalmology departments in North East Nigeria.
He made this declaration while speaking with this reporter in Damaturu recently.
Professor Tahir stated that having met the facility in a near comatose state, he and his team have been able to create a department of Opthalmology plus six others and set it on a very high standard ready to serve the people in the catchment area.

Tahir who spoke through his Director of Administration Mallam Hamza Saleh stated that “Our Opthalmology dept is one of the best in the North East of Nigeria and you can get a recommended glasses within an hour because of the state of arts machines in that very department in the hospital.”
Speaking on the current expansion going on in the facility the MD stated that “We have ENT and consultants coming from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH alternatively during the week to do routine consultations, ward rounds and even operations in the theatre.

“We recently spent about N10m to buy equipments in the ENT and we do hope that all the equipments will be available before the end of the year.
On the revitalization of the facility, he went on: “We actually met the three theatres in bad shape but we have been able to put them into functional use by restructuring them accordingly. For now all three are functioning including the O and G theatre where routine operations have been conducted.

“When we came on board also the hospital was not departmentalized. So we did that and opened the way for more doctors to come by creating these seven departments for them to work in an organized way.
“All the departments are functional with seven consultants who man these departments to the satisfaction of all the patients who visit the facility.
This new facility can also boast of two Eye Nose and Throat surgeons and others as the support staff to support the facility.
“We have about 100 nurses with one that is a police officer. We also have some of them with specialized techniques and that has contributed to the progress of the place.
On medical lab scientists, the MD posited that they now have six lab scientists in different areas, two pharmacists and a couple of technicians that assist them on the ground on a daily basis.

They have a solid Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with a pharmacy company in the supply of drugs which is used to stabilize the availability of drugs in the hospital.
On supply of drugs, he noted that they make sure that people served well and patient are the priority of anything that happens in the facility adding that they now have satellite pharmacies in the facility to ensure quality time is not wasted.
The MD said that it was part of their plan to get most of the major equipments before any fresh employment of any professional commences so that all hands will be on deck to ensure the best.
We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir
National News
The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers
By: Our Reporter
A shocking revelation has come to light, exposing the true origins of foreign military deployment in Niger. Contrary to popular belief, it was not President Mohamed Bazoum who initiated the permanent presence of foreign troops in the country. Instead, classified documents and insider accounts reveal that it was the 2010-2011 military junta—the same type of government Niger is under today—that secretly invited French forces into Niger and granted them unrestricted military access.
The Secret Deal That Changed Niger Forever
On September 18, 2010, General Salou Djibo, then head of Niger’s ruling military junta, was preparing to leave for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before his departure, he held a closed-door meeting with his second-in-command, Colonel Abdoulaye Badié, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (FAN), General Salou Souleymane. The main topic of discussion? Whether to allow a permanent French military presence in Niger. Whether to permit French military aircraft to land, refuel, and operate from Nigerien soil.
At first, both Badié and Djibo rejected the idea of allowing a French military base in Niger. However, what they didn’t know was that General Salou Souleymane had already made promises to France behind their backs. Weeks before this meeting, General Souleymane had personally assured the French Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Édouard Guillaud, that Niger would approve France’s request to deploy its military forces.
This secret arrangement was not debated in public, nor was it disclosed to the Nigerien people. Instead, the decision was made in total secrecy, away from the eyes of the nation. With General Djibo about to leave for New York, the situation escalated. Prime Minister Mahamadou Danda and Defense Minister General Mamadou Ousseini were pressured into granting France full permission to deploy its forces in Niger. The final approval was given on the night of September 18, 2010.
Colonel Badié was personally tasked with informing French Ambassador Alain Holleville that Niger had given France the green light. The same night, General Salou Souleymane personally called the French Military Attaché in Niamey, Hervé Pilette, to confirm the authorization.
Within hours, the French military had already begun its deployment: Two Breguet Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft with five full crews. One Falcon 50 aircraft with two crews. A total of 115 French soldiers, including special forces and intelligence officers. By September 19, 2010, French forces were officially operating in Niger, under the justification that they were there to search for hostages kidnapped in Arlit a region rich in uranium, heavily exploited by French company Areva (now Orano).
The Junta’s Internal Crisis: How The Truth Was Buried
Upon returning from New York on September 26, 2010, General Salou Djibo found a top-secret report on his desk from his special staff. The report was alarming:
It said “The positioning of French troops on Nigerien territory seriously harms the image of Niger and the credibility of the Armed Forces (FAN). It creates the perception that our military is weak and unable to defend the country from threats like AQIM without French intervention.”
The report further warned that the French presence was no longer necessary, since it had become clear that the kidnapped hostages were already in Mali, not Niger. In other words, the original justification for allowing French troops into Niger was no longer valid.
However, by this point, the junta was trapped. The French military was already in Niger, and any attempt to remove them would have led to a diplomatic crisis. The truth was buried, and the Nigerien people were never informed of the secret deal that had been made.
This one decision set off a chain reaction that led to years of escalating foreign military presence: 2013: The United States established a drone base in Niamey to conduct operations across the Sahel. 2017: The U.S. expanded its presence by constructing Air Base 201 in Agadez, one of the largest drone bases in Africa. 2014-2019: France launched Operation Barkhane, stationing thousands of troops in the region, including in Niger. 2022: Following France’s expulsion from Mali, French troops redeployed to Niger, solidifying their military footprint.
By the time President Mohamed Bazoum took office in 2021, the foreign military presence was already deeply entrenched, making it nearly impossible to reverse.
The Hypocrisy of the Current Junta
Fast forward to 2023: General Abderrahmane Tiani overthrows President Bazoum, claiming that his government was too dependent on foreign powers. However, the same military elite that now calls itself “patriotic” was directly involved in the original plans to bring in foreign partners starting from 2010-2011.
It the military is so opposed to foreign troops, why did they allow French forces into Niger in 2010? Why has the military remained silent about its role in secretly authorizing foreign military deployment? Why did it take a coup d’état for them to suddenly oppose a policy that they themselves initiated?
A Nation Deceived for 13 Years
For over a decade, Nigeriens have been misled into believing that foreign military forces were imposed on them by civilian governments.
The truth is far more sinister: Niger’s own military leaders were responsible for inviting foreign troops in the first place. Today, General Tiani and his junta claim to be “restoring sovereignty.” But their own predecessors men they once served under were the original enablers of foreign intervention.
Foreign military forces never left instead, they expanded their presence under different pretexts. The so called betrayal of Niger’s sovereignty did not start with Bazoum or Issoufou it started in 2010, under military rule.
Nigeriens must ask themselves: If this was covered up for 13 years, what else has been hidden from them? If military rule brought foreign troops, why should you trust them to remove them now? If sovereignty is truly the goal, why has no one been held accountable for the original betrayal?
The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers
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