Son, Husband, Dad, Citizen. (shaa luguden mahassada). Damuna ba ki muganta. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some battle Plato
Criticising public officials is a constitutional right, not a crime.
I call for an immediate, impartial investigation and the prosecution of anyone found culpable.
No one is above the law.
Gombe State deserves governance anchored on law, restraint, and respect for human dignity.
I am deeply disturbed by the viral video and reports of the assault on the Shamaki Ward Councillor, Hon. Abdulrahman Abubakar Sheriff, allegedly by a government aide in Gombe State.
Violence, intimidation, and humiliation have no place in a democracy.
I have just been informed of the arrest of human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, @sowore, by the Nigeria Police, as well as the arrest of several other citizens who were peacefully protesting in different parts of the country.
I am shocked and disappointed, but not surprised. Shocked that in 2025, decades after we defeated military rule, this government still treats dissent as a crime. Disappointed because those in power today once thrived on protests. But not surprised, for Bola Tinubu continues to show Nigerians exactly who he is and what he intends to be, if we allow him.
Sowore’s arrest inside a courtroom is a new low, an open assault on democracy and a grave symbol of this administration’s contempt for the rule of law. The arrest of other peaceful protesters across the country only deepens the stain. Protest is not a crime; it is a constitutional right.
I therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore and all those arrested during and after the protest. This government must end its persistent harassment of dissenting voices.
Democracy cannot coexist with tyranny. -AA
Sarcastic Sunday: Tinubu’s Amnesty — But Who Will Pardon The President? - Part 1
October 12, 2025
By Mohammed Bello Doka
Welcome to Sarcastic Sunday with Mohammed Bello Doka, where we study Nigeria’s political gymnastics sarcastically — because doing otherwise will choke us to death.
Another Sunday, another miracle from Aso Rock. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has opened the gates of mercy wide enough to let even the devil stroll through with a presidential handshake. In one sweeping act of compassion, he has granted amnesty to a long list of convicts — from drug traffickers to murderers — because, apparently, Nigeria has become a land where crime not only pays but also gets state-sponsored forgiveness.
Yes, it’s official: repentance is no longer the path to redemption — all you need now is a presidential signature. Some say it’s an act of grace, others call it national comedy. I call it what it truly is — "The Federal Republic of Forgiveness, Unlimited."
Among those pardoned were convicted drug offenders, financial criminals, and even a woman accused of killing her husband. Only in Nigeria can a widow-maker receive state mercy while widows are still waiting for food palliatives. Maybe it’s all part of our gender equality agenda — equal opportunities for everyone, including killers.
And let’s not pretend the irony isn’t loud enough to wake the ancestors. For a president once accused of forfeiting $460,000 to the U.S. authorities in a drug-linked investigation, pardoning drug dealers feels less like compassion and more like a class reunion of the cartel alumni association. The man was never convicted, yes, but the whispers have never faded — especially now that his government is doing everything possible to block the FBI from releasing the files.
Nigeria, oh Nigeria. We are now a country where forgiveness is selective and justice wears designer sunglasses. When a poor man steals a loaf of bread, he becomes an example; when a rich man steals the bakery, he becomes a motivational speaker.
“In Nigeria, sin is not the problem — it’s poverty that makes sin unforgivable.”
They told us it was about decongesting the prisons, but we all know that’s a lie. Our prisons were full of the wrong people anyway — the small thieves, the unlucky youths, the street hustlers who couldn’t afford lawyers. Now, the presidential broom has swept them aside to make room for a new kind of elite: the VIP ex-convicts, freshly laundered and ready for political appointments.
“Our democracy has evolved — from government of the people to government of the pardoned.”
Let’s not forget the economic theatre in which this pardon was staged. Inflation is currently hovering around 24.23%, food inflation sits at 21.79%, and the naira, our beloved national symbol, is now ₦1,600 to a dollar. That means the newly approved ₦70,000 minimum wage amounts to a majestic $43.75 per month — or roughly $1.45 per day.
Congratulations, dear Nigerian worker. You are now officially poorer than the World Bank’s global poverty line of $2.15 per day. Even your suffering has gone international.
“The naira didn’t just fall — it fainted, revived, and fainted again.”
Over 54% of Nigerians now live below the poverty line. In rural areas, it’s 75.5%, while 41.3% of urban dwellers are also broke with dignity. But don’t worry — the government insists that better days are coming. The only problem is, those days are coming by road, and bad roads don’t let progress arrive on time.
And while citizens tighten belts they no longer wear, insecurity tightens the noose. Banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism have become part of our national anthem. Every day, Nigerians are abducted faster than policy promises. Yet, in the middle of it all, the government found time to pardon criminals. Maybe they’re freeing the bandits so they can come back and register for next year’s empowerment programmes.
@hadizel 2.“Nigeria’s economy is in shambles” - This version is more common in American English, where “shambles” is treated as a plural or uncountable noun.
@hadizel Both sentences are correct, but they have slightly different nuances based on regional English usage:
1.“Nigeria’s economy is in a shambles” - This phrase is more common in British English, where “a shambles” is treated as a singular noun.
I have visited the FCT school for the deaf children and I have visited the FCT school for the blind Children.I looked at the face of a Child who cannot see for the rest of his life.They will never know how a human being looks like and will never know how the Sun,the plants,the rocks,the sand and even water looks like.They will live their lives in a World they will never know.Always be thankful to your God that one of the most precious things He has given you is the power of sight.There is something more valuable than money,that is your eyes.Nobody will choose to gain the whole riches of this world and be blind.