2022 IN REVIEW: Train, church attacks, emilokan, new naira and other issues that affected Nigerians

Searching for positivity in a majorly dreary 2022 seems an arduous task even for the most finicky of fact-checkers as Nigeria seems to lurch from one calamitous situation to another.

From the Kaduna train attacks to the gruesome attacks by terrorist on church worshippers in Owo, Ondo State; there was a lot of happenings that made headlines with differing perspectives amongst Nigerians, and here are ten of such news that triggered controversies in 2022:

1. Kaduna Train Attacks/Abductions

On 28 March 2022, an Abuja–Kaduna train was attacked by terrorists in Katari, Kaduna State, Nigeria. In response, the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) briefly halted operations along the route.

According to eyewitness accounts, the train was bombed twice before the armed bandits opened fire on the passengers.

Sixty-two passengers were abducted in the attack.

One of the captives, Acting Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Ali-Hassan was freed on the 6th of April. Eleven other passengers were freed on the 11th of June. Seven passengers were released on the 9th of July. Four passengers were freed on the 25th of July. Five passengers were released on the 2nd of August. Seven passengers were freed on the 10th of August. Four passengers were released on the 19th of August. The final twenty-three passengers were released on Thursday the 6th of October, after over six months

Following the assault, the Nigerian Air Force carried out raids in the forest near the border between Niger State and Kaduna State, where they killed some terrorists.

Later, according to government officials, security forces’ investigations and information indicated that the attack was likely carried out by a coalition of bandits working with Islamist rebel organizations like Boko Haram.

2. Lynching Of Deborah Yakubu

On May 12, 2022, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a second-year Christian college student, was killed by a mob of Muslim students in Sokoto, Nigeria, after being accused of blasphemy.

She allegedly made a comment on WhatsApp, criticizing the religion-related posts that Muslim classmates discussed in the study group she believed should have been reserved for academic purposes.

Yakubu was kidnapped from the security room of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto as she was being escorted to safety at the police station by a cab that had been waiting outside the school.

A group of fellow students attacked her inside the college grounds, stoned her, dumped tires on her, and then burned the body beyond recognition.

Security personnel allegedly used warning shots and tear gas to try to disperse the crowd, but this did not deter the blood-thirsty mob. The dying words of Yakubu, according to a student who observed the lynching, were “What do you intend to gain with this?” Christian students reportedly fled the area while the lynching was taking place.

3. Gruesome Terrorist Attacks On Owo Church

In the Nigerian city of Owo, located in Ondo State, a bomb and mass shooting incident took place at a Catholic church on June 5, 2022.

The death toll was at least 40, with 80 being the maximum estimate.

The attack took place at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in the Owo local government area and began at around 12:30 PM as worshippers inside the church were attending Mass and celebrating Pentecost.

A group of gunmen entered the church disguised as congregants, carrying bags that contained firearms. Another group took positions outside the church. Improvised explosive devices were detonated outside the church and both groups began firing on worshippers.

Father Andrew Adeniyi Abayomi, the associate pastor, in an interview with ACN International said, “I could not run as I was surrounded by children, while some adults clung to me, some even inside my chasuble. I shielded them just as a hen shields her chicks.

“I heard the voices of my parishioners: “Father, please save us; Father, pray!” I encouraged them and calmed them, and said they should not worry, that I was praying, and that God would do something. I heard three or four explosions, one after the other. The whole attack was well planned and lasted about 20-25 minutes.”Read more

The local hospital’s morgue was home to at least 22 attack victims, including two children, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), which also reported that at least 58 people had been hurt.

A larger death toll is suggested by the fact that several of the corpses in the church had been taken by their relatives for private burial at home. At least 40 deaths were officially reported by the authorities as of June 9; 61 injured survivors were treated in hospitals. Later, another injured victim passed away from his wounds. There at least five confirmed deaths of youngsters.

Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, who cancelled his trip in Abuja to visit the scene of the attack, called it “vile and satanic”, as well as a “black Sunday in Owo”.

President Muhammadu Buhari, condemned the massacre saying it was a “heinous attack on worshippers”. Pope Francis prayed for the victims who were “painfully stricken in a moment of celebration”.

A state funeral for the victims was organized by Nigerian authorities on 17th June.

The Amotekun Corps on 23 June announced that it had arrested some of the suspects and seized evidentiary weapons and vehicles. In August 2022, the Nigerian military announced the arrests of another six suspects and added that one of them was an ISWAP leader who was planning more attacks.

4. Entrenchment Of Electoral Act

President Muhammadu Buhari on February 25, signed into law the reworked bill for the Electoral Act Amendment transmitted to him by the National Assembly on January 31, 2022, with a call on the legislative arm to amend Section 84 (12) of the Act which bars political office holders from participating in their parties’ primaries.

“No political appointee at any level shall be voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.

“This provision has introduced qualification and disqualification criteria that ultra vires the Constitution by way of importing blanket restriction and disqualification to serving political office holders of which they are constitutionally accorded protection,” it reads in part.

The law had a cascading ripple effect ahead of the parties’ primaries with some serving Ministers resigning their positions in order to contest for various elective positions — this precedent could only augur well for the long-term well-being of the country’s democracy.

5. Rise Of The OBIDients

Peter Obi, a former state governor and still only 61 years old, has stirred up the contest to succeed departing president Muhammadu Buhari.

He has gained the backing of a young, “Obidient” movement weary of a lavish elite with his pledges of thrift and accountability. Given the power of Nigeria’s established political parties and their considerable funds, a victory by a candidate from a smaller party would be a major shocker.

But Obi has excited parts of a disillusioned electorate, topping three recent polls, leading by eight points in a poll by NOI, a leading local pollster.

“People like his frugal attitude and his message about cutting the cost of governance,” said Idayat Hassan, director of the Centre for Democracy and Development think-tank.

READ ALSO:Bauchi Assembly advocates for more youths participation in politics

“But beyond that, young people are using him as a vehicle to channel their frustration with the Nigerian system. He’s not running just for himself, if you check online sentiment, you’ll see he’s running on behalf of young people,” Hassan said.

Two political parties, the APC and PDP have dominated Nigerian politics and Obi is the first credible “third-force” candidate since the return to democracy in 1999.

Young urban voters’ support for Obi is also a response to Buhari’s second term in government, which has seen widespread demonstrations against police brutality, 33% unemployment, and a Twitter ban that has stifled expression among a generation that is adept at using social media.

6. Tinubu Scathing “E Mi Lokan” Offensive

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, launched a tirade against the party’s apparatchik, amidst plots that he might be edged out in the race to be the party’s presidential candidate.

Tinubu, in June, while canvassing for the support of his party members in Abeokuta, Ogun State before the presidential primary election which was held on June 6 and 7 at Eagle Square, Abuja uttered some Yoruba words that have been subjects of debates since then.

The words ‘emi lokan’, ‘eleyi’, and ‘olule’ meaning ‘it’s my turn’, ‘this one’ and ‘beaten down’ respectively were used by the former Lagos governor while speaking with an emotional outburst at the gathering of APC stalwarts which had Governor Dapo Abiodun in attendance.

APC National Leader used ‘emi lokan’ to say it was his turn to become the nation’s president to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. While speaking about how he had contributed to the political ambitions of some politicians, he called Abiodun ‘eleyi’ saying I made ‘this one’ to become governor too.

Nigerian airwaves vibrated with frenzy when Tinubu’s pitch spilled beyond his intended audience, provoking a range of reactions among a population exhausted by the malign combo of a plague, economic decline, and growing insecurity. These reactions ranged between awe, derision and perhaps a collective sigh.

7. Impeachment Threat Against Buhari

It was akin to a jolt out of the blues when opposition lawmakers moved a motion to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari, in July 2022, demanding an improvement in the security situation of the country or a resignation.

Senate minority leader Philip Aduda, raised the Senate motion threatening the impeachment proceeding.

But the Senate president, Ahmed Lawan, who is a member of the majority All Progressives Congress (APC) immediately shut down the motion and moved on with other matters.

He said Aduda should have discussed the motion with him first before presenting it to lawmakers.

Aduda told journalists outside the plenary that the decision was backed by a majority of the lawmakers, including some lawmakers from the APC.

The lawmaker said the Senate has convened security meetings at various levels on a variety of security issues.

8. Kuje Prison Break

On July 5, a well-protected jail in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, was successfully attacked by the Boko Haram offshoot group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The group engaged in a coordinated assault against security personnel before shooting their way into the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre.

According to the authorities, 879 prisoners—including all 68 Boko Haram members who were in custody—escaped. About half the escapees were recaptured, one confirmed to be from the violent extremist group.

Defence Minister Bashir Magashi told reporters the attack had “mostly likely” been carried out by militant group Boko Haram and that 64 jailed jihadists had escaped from the prison.

“None of them are inside the prison, they have all escaped,” he said.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari blamed the failure of the country’s security forces’ intelligence system for the attack.

He also questioned the level of security at the prison and demanded a “comprehensive report” into the jailbreak.

9. PDP Internal Fracas

The G5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said in November, that they will endorse a candidate from the south in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, signaling a worsening of the party’s internal conflict.

Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the current government, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party are the two leading candidates in the election who are from the south.

The G5’s position has made it more difficult for PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to reconcile the breakaway group, which is led by the party’s losing candidate for president, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

The other G5 members are Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State).

The G5, before now, had been demanding the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to pave the way for a southerner to lead the party in order to create a “regional balance”.

The group’s argument is that the PDP presidential candidate, Mr Atiku, and the PDP chairman, Mr Ayu, are from the north.

The members of the G5 rejected their inclusion in the Atiku presidential campaign council and have continued to boycott the activities of the campaign – they instead prefer a PDP state-level rally in their various states.

It remains to be seen whether there will eventually be a reconciliation, considering the apparent strength of the APC and the LP.

10. Furore Over Redesigned Naira Notes

There was a collective opposition and anger amongst Nigerians in the aftermath of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s mandate to redesign the Naira notes (N200, N500 and N1000 denominations) in order to incorporate more security features.

The CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele had on October 26 announced plans to redesign N200, N500 and N1,000 notes. He said it would take effect from December 15 and Nigerians have till January 31, 2022, to exchange their old naira notes.

Emefiele explained that the redesign of the local currency became necessary to tackle inflationary problems, currency counterfeiting, insecurity and other issues plaguing Nigeria. He also stated that the naira redesign was targeted at controlling currency in circulation as well as ransom payments to kidnappers and terrorists.

While explaining the features of the redesigned notes, the CBN Governor also told State House Correspondents that it was in line with global best practices, noting that it was mandatory for the naira to be redesigned and re-issued every five to eight years.

The apex bank last redesigned the naira’s appearance in 2014, when it modified the look of just the 100-naira note to mark Nigeria’s centennial.

Emefiele claimed that the 19-year delay in the naira’s redesign is regretful and is the result of previous administrations’ lack of political determination.

“In the past, I have to confess that attempts by the CBN to redesign and re-issue the naira notes have been resisted. It is only President Muhammadu Buhari that has exhibited the courage to do so,” he stated.

Some experts have faulted the rigid timelines and called for a flexible process that would allow the old naira notes to phase out over time.

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