By: Fabian Apechihin

Former Nigerian Army officer and security expert Dickson Osajie has revealed that while Boko Haram’s main targets are Christians, the terrorist group also kills large numbers of Muslims who reject its extremist ideology.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Osajie explained that Boko Haram leaders have publicly posted online statements outlining their reasons for attacking Muslims, making it clear that the victims were targeted because they refused to accept the group’s radical and violent version of Islam.

He noted that the majority of Muslims in Nigeria and across the world do not subscribe to Boko Haram’s beliefs — a defiance that often leads the terrorists to bomb mosques, and attack Muslim communities, markets, and villages.

“I am not denying anything — thousands of Muslims have been killed by Boko Haram,” Osajie said.
“The reason those Muslims were killed was posted directly on the internet by the leaders of Boko Haram. They made it crystal clear: those Muslims died simply because they do not believe in the ideology of Boko Haram. Not every Muslim in this country or anywhere else accepts their ideology, and that is why they bomb mosques and attack Muslim areas.”

Osajie stressed that Boko Haram’s violence is not limited to Christians, but extends to anyone — Muslim or otherwise — who opposes its quest to impose a totalitarian religious rule in Nigeria.

He added that the group’s attacks on Muslim scholars and clerics, as well as the destruction of entire Muslim villages, are deliberate acts of punishment aimed at silencing dissent within the faith.

His analysis underscores that Boko Haram does not represent mainstream Islam, but rather a distorted, extremist ideology that targets all who refuse to conform to its brutal agenda.

From Hassan Taiye

Former Abia State Governor and Chairman of the Senate Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will face no real opposition in the 2027 presidential election, describing the contest as “Tinubu versus Tinubu.”

Speaking to members of the Senate Press Corps at the National Assembly foyer on Tuesday, the Abia North Senator said the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains firmly rooted across the country and enjoys the overwhelming support of Nigerians, insisting that the President’s policies are gradually reshaping the economy and national security.

“Has he gotten anyone contesting against him? The election is Tinubu vs Tinubu just like Soludo vs Soludo. The President has no options,” Kalu said. “Our party is fully on ground and fully with the people. Nobody can say we don’t have the people on ground. We will continue to do what we can to help the Nigerian masses progress.”

Kalu, who also served as Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, said the National Assembly under Senator Godswill Akpabio’s leadership remains committed to supporting Tinubu’s economic recovery plans through pro-people legislation.

“Whatever is the problem, the Senate is more interested in making laws that will help President Ahmed Tinubu overcome the economic problems that our people are going through. We are focusing on redeeming Nigerian people to see that they eat three times a day,” he said.

Kalu on U.S., Trump, and Killings in Nigeria: “Trump Told the Truth”

Reacting to comments credited to former U.S. President Donald Trump on the spate of killings in Nigeria and America’s readiness to act, Kalu said Trump “told the truth,” stressing that the attacks across the country have claimed both Christian and Muslim lives and should be condemned without bias.

“If it’s a lie, then the answer is that it’s not a lie because he said the truth. Nigerians are being killed whether they are Christians or Muslims.

There are jihadists who just want to destroy Nigeria. We should blacklist them without pity so that they will be smoked out,” he stated.

Kalu revealed that he had personally discussed Nigeria’s security situation with two former U.S. Presidents one Republican and one Democrat and six sitting U.S. Senators, who, according to him, expressed readiness to assist Nigeria in tackling terrorism.

“Before President Trump says a word, the American intelligence community must have found out where these terrorists are located,” he said. “You can see that the Nigerian Air Force is already acting, possibly using information shared by the U.S. to bomb terrorist hideouts. That’s how it should be.”

While aligning himself as “pro-America,” Kalu also noted that part of the global instability today stemmed from the U.S. invasion and elimination of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, which, he argued, led to the proliferation of arms across Africa.

“When you killed Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, it became a problem because those people were maintaining their borders. After their deaths, light and heavy arms spilled all over the world and we are suffering from it today,” Kalu explained.

He stressed that contrary to speculation, the U.S. was not targeting President Tinubu’s administration, but rather the jihadist elements responsible for insecurity in Nigeria.

“Nigerians are clapping hands and political opponents are thinking that the U.S. is after Tinubu’s government No! They are going after the jihadists,” Kalu clarified.

On Party Politics and Defections

Commenting on speculation that Abia State Governor Alex Otti may defect from the Labour Party to the APC, Kalu said neither President Tinubu nor any APC leader had pressured anyone to join the ruling party.

“Let’s be honest, neither me nor other senators, Senate President or President Tinubu have ever forced anybody to join our party. I have met with my Governor; he is my brother and used to be my banker. Whether he joins or not is up to him,” Kalu said.

“But as for me, I will work 100% for the APC, campaign in the state and ensure that we secure victory for President Tinubu and every candidate of the APC.”

On the likelihood of Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo joining the APC after his re-election, Kalu expressed confidence that the APGA governor would “eventually come home.”

“Soludo is a progressive like myself, President Tinubu, Senate President Akpabio, and the Governors of Imo, Ebonyi, and Enugu. He has no alternative than to come and join us it’s confirmed,” he asserted.

On the Economy: “Macro Economy Doing Well, But Micro Still Struggling”

Assessing the current state of the Nigerian economy, the senator acknowledged the hardship many citizens face but maintained that macroeconomic indicators are improving.

“As a businessman, I am feeling the pain too. The macro economy is doing well, but the micro economy is not. Foreign investors are coming in, and what is left is for this progress to trickle down to the masses so that people can eat daily and return to farming,” he explained.

Kalu said both the President and the Senate are working relentlessly to revive the economy and restore food security.

“President Tinubu has put his life into revamping the economy, and the Senate is also doing its best to ensure that Nigerians feel the progress.”

On Senate Stability

Addressing reports of initial moves to impeach the Senate President, Senator Kalu dismissed the tension as a “family misunderstanding,” insisting that lawmakers remain united in supporting the leadership and the national agenda.

“There were attempts, but we didn’t allow that to happen. We are one big family, and it’s not going to happen,” he assured.

Senator Kalu’s remarks underscored his unwavering loyalty to President Tinubu and the APC, his pro-American stance on counterterrorism, and his optimism that Nigeria’s economic and security challenges are surmountable through collaboration between the executive, legislature, and international partners.

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Mutawalli of Ilorin, Dr. Muhammad Alimi AbdulRazaq, has said that history will be kind to the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, for his transformative leadership and immense contributions to the development of Ilorin Emirate in the past three decades.

Dr. AbdulRazaq made this remark in a congratulatory message issued on Tuesday in Ilorin to commemorate the 30th coronation anniversary of the Emir on the throne of his forebears.

He praised the monarch for fostering peace, unity, and progress in the Ilorin community, noting that his reign has brought about significant advancement in infrastructure, education, and cultural revival.

According to him, the Emir’s leadership and administrative acumen have made Ilorin a peaceful and conducive environment for development to thrive.

“These achievements would have been wishful thinking but for the leadership skills and administrative acumen of Your Royal Highness, who made the environment clement enough for Ilorin to experience and enjoy real developmental strides,” the Mutawalli stated.

Dr. AbdulRazaq also commended the Emir for reviving the community’s cultural heritage and values, which, he said, have attracted global attention and curiosity from citizens of other nations.

“Our town is enjoying its pride of place in the global community, and this is as a result of the deliberate efforts of Your Royal Highness to change the Ilorin cultural landscape for the better,” he added.

The Ilorin title holder described the Emir’s three-decade reign as one of steady progress and transformation, saying the monarch’s resourcefulness, vision, and leadership sagacity have earned the community admiration across the world.

He prayed for long life and good health for the Emir to continue his service to Allah and humanity.

“Indeed, you are worthy of emulation for your resourcefulness and leadership sagacity, and I have implicit confidence that history will be kind to you,” Dr. AbdulRazaq said.

The Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, ascended the throne in 1995 and has since been celebrated for his role in promoting peace, cultural preservation, and development across the Ilorin Emirate.

End