By ENUBUZOR CHUKWUDI Biafra and the Minority Question: Revisiting a Fractured Secession WHEN Nigeria descended into civil war in 1967 following the declaration of the Republic of Biafra by Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the conflict was widely framed as a struggle between the Federal Military Government and a secessionist Eastern Region. But beneath that national […]
A First Lady’s Final Journey WHEN Stella Obasanjo travelled to Spain in October 2005 for cosmetic surgery, the procedure was expected to be routine. Instead, it ended in tragedy that would prompt a cross-border legal battle and renewed scrutiny of private medical practice. Mrs. Obasanjo died on 23 October 2005, following complications from liposuction surgery […]
By ENUENWOSU IFEANYI KINGSLEY A State Defined by Diversity DELTA State stands as one of Nigeria’s most ethnically diverse states, structured into three senatorial districts that broadly reflect its five recognised ethnic nationalities. The distribution of these groups has shaped political zoning, electoral contests and debates over identity for decades. While the state operates under administrative […]
IKHIDE R IKHELOA Soldier of Fortune: Early Years and Formation BORN on 8 November 1938 in Kano, Murtala Ramat Muhammed emerged from the elite Barewa College, Zaria, into a generation of young officers who would shape Nigeria’s post-independence history. Trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he was commissioned in 1961 and quickly developed a […]
By AROH ANTHONY Re-examining the Origins of “Onicha” FEW place names in southern Nigeria generate as much historical debate as “Onicha,” more commonly rendered today as “Onitsha.” Across Delta and Anambra States, several communities bear the prefix — Onicha-Ugbo, Onicha-Ukwu, Onicha-Olona, and the well-known commercial city of Onitsha. But what does “Onicha” actually mean? Is it […]
By OGHENETEGA PINTO When History Meets Law: The Sapele Land Controversy and the Limits of Narrative A well-researched essay by historian Odjegba Victor recently struck a chord in Delta State’s ongoing debate over land ownership in Sapele Local Government Area. It touched on centuries of settlement, jurisprudence and recorded tradition — not just folklore or contemporary […]
A Kingdom at a Crossroads: Ovonramwen’s Early Reign WHEN Oba Adolo died in 1888, his eldest son, Prince Idugbowa, ascended the throne as Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, taking a name that signified grandeur: “The Rising Sun” and “which spreads over all.” By most historical accounts, he was imposing in stature and voice—tall, stout, commanding. Yet beneath the […]
Beyond Tuition: The Hidden Housing Burden in Nigerian Universities HIGHER education in Nigeria has long been framed as an affordable alternative to private institutions. Federal tuition remains comparatively low. Yet for thousands of students, affordability ends where accommodation begins. A new financial hierarchy now defines university life — one where landlords, agents and property developers […]
By HON IBRAHIM KABIRU GAGARAWA A Summit Meant to Fix a Region — But Who Showed Up? WHEN stakeholders gathered in Kaduna for the North-West Development Commission Summit — a meeting billed as a turning point for a region battered by insecurity, poverty and unemployment — expectations were high. The North-West is not just another geopolitical […]
By IKHIDE R IKHELOA A Different Voice from the Villa IN moments of political turbulence, tone becomes as important as policy. And few figures in Nigeria’s current power structure project tonal contrast as sharply as First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains the lightning rod for criticism over economic hardship and security […]