Plunder, Squander and Pillage (Continuation)

Front page report in “Daily Trust” newspaper.

Headline: “BUHARI’S EIGHT YEARS OF PRINTING MONEY WITHOUT PRODUCTIVITY CAUSED INFLATION – EDUN”

“The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has blamed the current inflation in the country on the printing of trillions of naira during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “without productivity.”

The minister spoke on Wednesday during an interface with the Senate Committee on Finance, saying, “We are going to audit even the N22.7 trillion printed aimlessly.”

He said, “The N22.7 trillion printed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through Ways and Means overdraft for the federal government from 2015 to 2023 landed Nigeria into hyperinflation.

Read also: CBN yet to settle $2.4bn FX forward contract, says MAN DG

We talked about inflation. Where has it come from? It came from 8 years of just printing money, not matched by productivity. What happened was that for eight years, the weak were left to their own devices. It is the privileged few that took everything. That is the reality, so that money supply must be brought back.

In his closing remarks, the chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger), said the interactive session will be a continuous exercise so that the committee would have the opportunity of being updated on the short-term and long-term plans of the government on how to tackle the current economic situation of the country.”

 “Many fled for safety and sought refuge in the surrounding bushes as the assailants wreaked havoc on the military installation.”

Front page report in “Business Day” newspaper.

Headline: (i) “TERRORISTS ATTACK MILITARY BASE IN YOBE

§ Kill Soldier, Burn Vehicle

“Suspected Terrorists have reportedly launched a deadly attack on a military base in Gujba town in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, killing a soldier.

The incident, which occurred around midnight on Saturday, sent shockwaves through the community.

Confirming the attack, Dungus Abdulkarim, spokesperson for the Yobe State Police Command, said on Sunday that the assailants, believed to be terrorists, launched a coordinated assault on the military base, unleashing chaos and destruction in their wake.

“Alongside the tragic loss of a soldier, the attackers also set ablaze a military patrol vehicle, thereby exacerbating the intensity of the confrontation,” he said.

Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of terror as the suspected insurgents descended on Gujba town under the cover of darkness, firing indiscriminately and instilling fear in the residents.

Many fled for safety and sought refuge in the surrounding bushes as the assailants wreaked havoc on the military installation.

Read also: Scores killed as Borno terrorist groups engage each other in battle

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a resident of Gujba shared the chilling ordeal, describing how the attackers stormed the town with relentless gunfire, prompting civilians to flee for their lives.

Despite the chaos, reports indicated that the terrorists refrained from targeting civilians or looting essential supplies, focussing instead on the military base and its personnel.

Another eyewitness, Dala Bukar, corroborated the account, emphasising that the attackers specifically targeted the patrol vehicles within the military compound, resulting in the tragic loss of a soldier.

Troops and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were said to have engaged the assailants and repelled them into the surrounding bush.

As authorities continue to assess the situation and investigate the motives behind the attack, residents remain on edge, grappling with the lingering trauma of the assault and the ever-present spectre of violence perpetrated by insurgents.”

(ii) Headline: “OVER FIVE NIGERIANS KIDNAPPED DAILY

AS PLAGUE SPREADS”

“An average of over five Nigerians have been kidnapped daily so far this year as the spate of abductions has heightened tensions in the country, a new report has shown.

The report by SBM Intelligence said at least 68 incidents of large-scale kidnappings have been reported in the country since the beginning of 2024, averaging about one per day as of March 15, with a victim count exceeding the entire years of 2019 and 2020 combined.

“At the time of putting this report together, the 2024 numbers, which have reported 1,867 victims in such abductions, have exceeded the whole count for 2019 (19; 153) and 2020 (59; 1152), respectively,” it said.

Kaduna State recorded the most incidents (132) and victims (3,969), followed closely by Zamfara and Katsina. These states, located in the Northwest, are most affected by banditry.

“Outside of the Northwest, Niger, which has a significant banditry crisis, dominates the charts, with 2,138 victims in 84 incidents. This translates to 25.4 people abducted per incident between 2019 and 2024,” it said.

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Nigeria has witnessed at least 735 mass abductions, with 15,398 people abducted since 2019, according to the report titled ‘Mass Abductions: The Catastrophe of Nigeria’s Kidnap Epidemic’.

SBM defines a mass abduction event as a “kidnapping incident in which criminal gangs or terrorists seize five or more victims at once.”

“The reason for the abductions varies by region; while Boko Haram splinter groups like ISWAP still operate, their focus has shifted. ISWAP’s territorial control allows for taxation, reducing reliance on mass abductions — the Abubakar Shekau faction, however, resorts to mass abductions for survival,” the report said.