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Niger: It’s African revolution not a coup, ex-AU boss *Our children are taking their countries back!
Arikina Chihombori-Quao, former Chairman of the African Union-African Diaspora Health Initiative (AU-ADHI), on Thursday gave thumbs-up to the new military leaders in Niger, saying rather than accusing them of carrying out a coup, they were actually taken their country back from those holding it back through decades of exploitation.
A guest of The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise Television, the Zimbabwean-born activist, described the action of the soldiers, who sacked former President, Mohamed Bazoum, on July 26 as “ideological realignment of economic, political and social values.”
She laid the blame for a phenomenon that is sweeping through the West African sub-region on the shoulders of France, which she said had exploited its former colonies in the region to a great extent resulting in mind-boggling poverty in the midst of stupendous wealth, adding that it was exciting that the younger generation, was not expressing their readiness to take their lands back.
She said: “You’re seeing a situation where people are desperate. They know they’re rich in natural resources and yet majority of the people are extremely poor. How long will that be sustained before the people finally wake up and rise up. That’s what is happening.
“I’ll like to call what is happening in these poor countries as an ideological realignment of their economic, of their political, of their social values. At some point, if you look at the situation with the former French colonies, before even a President comes to power, there are certain no-go areas that the President dare not touch, because if you do, you may not live to see the end of the day – areas like the military, areas like the finances, of course the reserves that must be deposited with French treasury, areas like the natural resources.
“So if you’re an African President coming to power and you’re told as long you stay away from discussions pertaining to their presence and military presence in their country, training of your military by France, equipping of your military by France, don’t talk about the natural resources, which the French companies have the first right of approval, make sure you continue to deposit your bank reserves with the French Central Bank, if you avoid those areas, then you’re free to run your country any which way you want.
“Now, what kind of leader is that? What environment are you going to be occupying and managing in running your country, with all those major areas of economic development no longer accessible to you? The whole thing is so mind-boggling that the leaders in Africa have been unable to undo the agreements that were taking place when African countries were being given their independence.
“It is unbelievable that today, you can have a country like Niger to be the second poorest country in the world and yet all their resources are going to France. Most of Niger is not electrified, while their uranium is electrifying France and Europe. You can take one of them after the other. At every level, it’s unfair, it’s unacceptable. I don’t really know how the Western powers could really go to sleep everyday knowing the carnage and the harm they’re creating in Africa and hope that this will go on forever. The time has come. The children of Africa have now awaken. They can see clearly now and they’re simply standing up and saying, enough is enough.
“So, yes, we don’t like coups, but the last four coups are different in the sense that the children of Africa are very clear because they’re the ones standing up and saying, we’ve got to stand up and take back our country. We need to defend our turf. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. We can no longer continue to be exploited. That’s what makes this different.
“It’s not influenced by France. The coups are not influenced by any nation. It’s simply people standing back and saying, we’re taking back what belongs to us. And that’s what makes this coups different and I’m uncomfortable calling them coups. I’m calling them instead, ideological realignment of economic, political and social values.
“The children have risen and the children are speaking and the citizens themselves are backing those who have led the uprising and it is a warning to the Western powers that the African revolution has begun. And those who are going to align themselves with the people are those who are going to survive the revolution that is taking place in Africa.
“The same is true with African leaders themselves. Those who will align themselves with the wishes of the people, are the ones who are going to survive this revolution as well. I do believe that the African revolution has begun and those who cannot see the handwriting on the wall cannot survive this revolution. There is no turning back.
“The children of Africa are rising, the children of Africa understand the issues and this time, they’re going to the streets not along party lines, they’re going to the streets united as citizens of Niger, as citizens of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, because they understand that this particular fight has to be dealt with from a national level in the hope that in time it will be dealt with from the continental level. The exploitation of the continent has got to stop and this time, it is the children of Africa who are speaking and the world better listen up.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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