war | Zikoko!

There’s not a lot to be happy about right now if you’re a Nigerian. Most recently we’ve had to deal with a terrible fire tragedy, terror alerts, a rapidly declining naira and in the background of it all, our worst flooding crisis in a decade.

So when there’s any whiff of good news to uplift the mood, we won’t hesitate to share. Which is why we’re delighted to announce, ladies and gentlemen, that former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, aka OBJ, has scored a big win for himself and Nigeria on the African scene.

What did OBJ do?

It’s easy to forget Nigeria isn’t the only country facing shege. Thousands of people have died in the ongoing war in Ukraine and we really can’t wait for it to end. But closer to home in Africa, Ethiopia has been at war with itself for the past two years and over half a million people are dead. On November 2, 2022, the Ethiopian government and rebel forces agreed to stop fighting.

Acting as an African Union (AU) mediator, our very own OBJ led the team who made that truce happen.

Obasanjo arriving at the signing ceremony [Image source: Reuters]

OBJ preached caution about the full implementation of the peace agreement,but the koko is, as of this moment, the Tigray War has ceased.

Why is this significant?

This isn’t the first time Nigeria has played the mediator role on the African continent. Another former president, Goodluck Jonathan, received Mali’s highest honour in 2013 for providing humanitarian support during a time of crisis. In 2021, Jonathan’s efforts ensured the release of Mali’s president and prime minister from detention after a military takeover.

The scale of the Tigray War makes the truce signed in South Africa significant. One estimate notes that the war has claimed 600,000 lives since it started in 2020. The war also displaced millions of people and created a worrying humanitarian crisis. Remember that Ethiopia is the second largest African country by population, after Nigeria, and whatever happens spills into surrounding countries.

The United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has already commended OBJ for his work on ending the crisis, and it further proves his legacy in Nigerian foreign policy remains unmatched. So we can’t blame him if he decides to buga.

Ultimately, OBJ’s significant role in helping to resolve the crisis, in a way, affirms Nigeria’s place as the continent’s big brother. We may be some distance away from truly assuming that African giant status, but this is a timely reminder of how important Nigeria can be when it decides to gbera.

ALSO READ: History Lesson: Nigeria’s Past Presidents

Stephen Agwaibor

November 3, 2022

Citizen

Ethiopia, obasanjo, OBJ, war
‘76′ is definitely one of the most anticipated Nollywood movies of all time and it’s almost here!
The historical movie which has been in the works since 2012, was shot in the ancient city of Ibadan.

’76’, which is set 6 years after the Nigerian civil war features real life and archived footage, in addition to that, scenes from the movie were shot in an actual military barracks.

Also, the cast members were trained in the Nigerian Defence Academy for 21 days and the entire production received approval and backing from the Nigerian military.

’76’ tells the story through the eyes of a soldier, played by Ramsey Nouah, who was accused of assassinating General Murtala Mohammed, and his pregnant wife, played by Rita Dominic.

Although the movie is yet to be released for public viewing, former President Obasanjo was treated to a private screening with some of the film actors on August 15.

The movie is coming soon to cinemas. Meanwhile, you can watch the trailer below:

Maryam

August 16, 2016

Gist

cinemas, Nigeria, Nigerian movie, Nollywood, war
Boko Haram terrorists, in the past 5 years are responsible for the death of thousands of Nigerians. As a result of their several violent attacks, over 800,000 Nigerians are currently displaced including orphaned children.
Gallant soldiers such as Air force Commander, Chinda Stephen Hedima, chose to protect Nigerians by fighting off these terrorists.

He and his co-pilot were sent on a combat mission when their aircraft was shot down by Boko Haram terrorists.

He was captured and later executed by the terrorists but unfortunately, the Nigerian military refused to acknowledge his death even after members of Boko Haram released a video of his execution.

The late commander had his combat simulator training on the Alpha Jet with Aero Vodochody in Czech Republic.

And two years after his death his widow, Dr Hedima was awarded a post-graduate scholarship to study Epidemiology by the Czech Republic government.

The Czech government recognised her late husband’s sacrifice for his country especially because of the great diplomatic relations the country has with Nigeria.

Although the Nigerian military authorities are just confirming his death after two years, we wish her all the best in her studies.

There are scores of widows whose husbands died while serving and protecting Nigeria and its citizens from the brutal terrorists. It’s sad that it takes an international country to appreciate one of them.

We hope the Nigerian government honours these soldiers for their sacrifice.

Maryam

May 17, 2016

Gist

boko haram, Nigeria, Nigerian soldiers, Nigerians, soldiers, terrorists, war
In two months, Mr and Mrs John who have been affected by war will mark the one year anniversary of their marriage.

War transcends the blood pumping action and excitement portrayed in movies. Rape, mass genocide and destruction are only a few of the things accompanied by war.

The ones who manage to survive war, never remain the same afterwards.
The deadly Boko Haram insurgency in 6 years has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 Nigerians and displacement of another 2.3 million people.

Not to mention the kidnapping of over 200 school girls, sexual abuse of women and children and the 1 million pupils currently out of school.
And even in the midst of so much strife and pain, this Nigerian couple managed to find and eventually seal their love.

Hauna and Ibrahim got married at Minawao camp for Nigerian refugees, Cameroon.
The couple who had previously been engaged before getting separated by the war, reunited at the Cameroonian camp.

Hauna had fled to Cameroon while Ibrahim who was keen on his education stayed back to complete his final exams.
Their reunion was emotional and in Ibrahim’s words…

“It wasn’t easy for me to be separated from the one I love. But I had to be strong to pull myself together because I knew the separation was because of the Boko Haram attacks. So I had no option. The very first day we met in the camp, I could not resist her. I had to hold her to my cheek. Really it was a great moment that day. Heaven was very close to me that day

Hauna’s unhappiness and worries were put to rest when they reunited.

The married couple have plans to start their own family even without any steady means of income and challenges that await them while living in the refugee camp.

This goes to show that hope and love can still shine through during times of strife. However, there are thousands of other people who may never see their loved ones again. We hope the Boko Haram insurgency is completely eradicated soonest.

Maryam

February 18, 2016

Gist

boko haram, insurgency, love, marrriage, Nigerians, war

What did OBJ do?

Why is this significant?

The historical movie which has been in the works since 2012, was shot in the ancient city of Ibadan.

’76’, which is set 6 years after the Nigerian civil war features real life and archived footage, in addition to that, scenes from the movie were shot in an actual military barracks.

Also, the cast members were trained in the Nigerian Defence Academy for 21 days and the entire production received approval and backing from the Nigerian military.

’76’ tells the story through the eyes of a soldier, played by Ramsey Nouah, who was accused of assassinating General Murtala Mohammed, and his pregnant wife, played by Rita Dominic.

Although the movie is yet to be released for public viewing, former President Obasanjo was treated to a private screening with some of the film actors on August 15.

The movie is coming soon to cinemas. Meanwhile, you can watch the trailer below:

Gallant soldiers such as Air force Commander, Chinda Stephen Hedima, chose to protect Nigerians by fighting off these terrorists.

He and his co-pilot were sent on a combat mission when their aircraft was shot down by Boko Haram terrorists.

He was captured and later executed by the terrorists but unfortunately, the Nigerian military refused to acknowledge his death even after members of Boko Haram released a video of his execution.

The late commander had his combat simulator training on the Alpha Jet with Aero Vodochody in Czech Republic.

And two years after his death his widow, Dr Hedima was awarded a post-graduate scholarship to study Epidemiology by the Czech Republic government.

The Czech government recognised her late husband’s sacrifice for his country especially because of the great diplomatic relations the country has with Nigeria.

Although the Nigerian military authorities are just confirming his death after two years, we wish her all the best in her studies.

There are scores of widows whose husbands died while serving and protecting Nigeria and its citizens from the brutal terrorists. It’s sad that it takes an international country to appreciate one of them.

We hope the Nigerian government honours these soldiers for their sacrifice.

In two months, Mr and Mrs John who have been affected by war will mark the one year anniversary of their marriage.

War transcends the blood pumping action and excitement portrayed in movies. Rape, mass genocide and destruction are only a few of the things accompanied by war.

The deadly Boko Haram insurgency in 6 years has been responsible for the death of over 20,000 Nigerians and displacement of another 2.3 million people.

And even in the midst of so much strife and pain, this Nigerian couple managed to find and eventually seal their love.

The couple who had previously been engaged before getting separated by the war, reunited at the Cameroonian camp.

Their reunion was emotional and in Ibrahim’s words…

Hauna’s unhappiness and worries were put to rest when they reunited.

The married couple have plans to start their own family even without any steady means of income and challenges that await them while living in the refugee camp.

This goes to show that hope and love can still shine through during times of strife. However, there are thousands of other people who may never see their loved ones again. We hope the Boko Haram insurgency is completely eradicated soonest.