Deep Thought

 Insecurity: One-on-One with the CDS, General C.G. Musa. By   Prof. M. K. Othman   The complexity of Nigerian security challenges seems beyond human comprehension, defying logic and common sense. If not, how do we explain that some citizens work against the national collective successes just for a pot of porridge? Our challenges are mainly man-made and primarily driven by selfish reasons. A critical reflection on the insecurity in Nigeria shows, on one hand, criminals-the architects of the problems and the direct beneficiaries—parading themselves as warlords fighting their motherland for worldly gains, pleasure, adventure, and unknowingly playing the tools of neo-colonial masters, destroying their country. On the other hand, some Nigerians are working hard and relentlessly to overcome these issues. Others, responsible for addressing the problems, benefit from the largesse of heavy security investment and blood money. They are thus apprehensive of the logical end of the is...

 Nigeria's Violent Crimes: Urgent Need to Nip it in the Bud By Prof MK Othman I was once a victim of 30-minute banditry. My household and I, and a few others, were held captive for 30 minutes in my house by a bunch of 8-armed men in a hellfire traumatic experience from about 8:30-9:00 pm on June 12, 2018. It was an experience you could not pray for your worst enemies to undergo. Watching a video clip of an abducted victim of banditry is much more disgusting until you put yourself in the shoes of the victims and imagine the harrowing experience. How many people can survive such scenes? Some were lucky to make it, but Sarkin Gobir of Gatawa, Isa Bawa, was not that lucky; he was helplessly and gruesomely murdered in cold blood by his abductors, who may still be at large. Many of us wept after watching the video clip showing his helpless plea to save his life with his hands tied behind his back, pleading in the most piteous tones.  He was dressed in blood-soaked clothes, earnestly...

 ABU@62: Giant, Still Briskly Walking in the Right Direction By Prof. M. K. Othman On Friday, 4th October 2024, my Alma Mater, my means of livelihood, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, was 62. However, there is no better time to pay this tribute than this week of April 28th, 2025, as the university leadership is transitioning from the 13th Vice-Chancellor to the 14th. As we fondly call it, the great ABU has transformed from a regional citadel of learning to the most cosmopolitan, diverse, and nationalist breeding ground for the intelligentsia. Thanks to its founding fathers, who had a clear vision of how knowledge could conquer the world without firing a shot.  Their vision made them realize that achieving educational excellence requires merit, hard work, and dedication. There should be no room for nepotism, racism, tribalism, and religious inclination. This vision became the central pillar on which ABU was built. Sixty-two years later, this academic octopus has lived up to...

 Re: Dan Bello - leaving the message, mutilating the messenger? By Prof M. K. Othman Dan Bello, Dan Bello, Dan Bello- this name I called three times has become very frightening to those with skeletons in their cupboards. Very soon, Dan Bello will be an invisible, powerful force lurking in government houses and the offices of political office holders, with the occupants barking at the subordinates and contractors, “Do it correctly because Dan Bello is watching.” The assertion results from a confessed top government functionary who read my article and commented, “When Dan Bello did that clip for our governor, Oga was furiously fuming, looking very sad, and why did this boy, Dan Bello, do this to me? We must clip his wings, gather ourselves in a secret location for two days brainstorming to counter the ‘terrible allegation’ against Oga. Ultimately, we could not bring tangible evidence to counter the allegation, so we left it to die down.” One can imagine a one-minute video clip disrup...

 Dan Bello: leaving the message, mutilating the messenger? By Prof M. K. Othman You may love comedy, or you may not; you may use social media, or you may not, but you cannot ignore Dan Bello's treat. It is short, crisp, impactful, sensible, enjoyable, and sometimes funny, especially when it involves other people. I encountered a prominent politician commenting on Dan Bello's comedy, insinuating that the fear of Dan Bello is the beginning of wisdom. I take life too seriously to be a lover of comedy, but the politician's comment made me shine a Klieg light on Dan Bello's actions, which have gradually turned me into a comedy lover. Dan Bello is a one-person battalion armed with data, short video clips, pictures, a sharp tongue, a disfigured target character's resemblance (you need to see how he cartoons your governor), and an articulated message packaged and presented for collateral impacts in less than one minute.  His messages are so powerful that one cannot help but...

 Re: IBB Memoir- Is the Cat Getting Out of the Bag? II BY Prof. M. K. Othman His corporate appearance was American, but his amiable disposition was African, and his intonation reflected northern Nigerian influences. I promptly greeted him in Hausa before you could say, 'Jack Robinson, 'and we embraced like old friends who hadn't seen each other for decades. Within minutes after the occasion, I was lavishly treated to Chinese dishes at a classic restaurant in downtown Des Moines, Iowa State, USA. I was hosted in his smothered house in the next few hours but missed his wife. He took me to his friend's house, Dr. Yusoupha, a Gambian working in the same university. That was the Kingly reception accorded to me when I coincidently met Prof. Ahmadu Baba-Singhri, a Nigerian-American, on October 18, 2017, during the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate, which was awarded to Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of African Development Bank. Dr. Adesina is a pride to Africa and a motivat...

 Saudi Arabia's Unfair Visa Treatment to Nigerians By Prof MK Othman With the benefit of hindsight—drawing from my diverse experiences in a successful postgraduate program in Europe and visits to several countries in Africa, America, and Asia—I believe that no nation merits my strenuous effort to visit except Saudi Arabia (SA). Earlier, I made three unsuccessful attempts to visit Saudi Arabia until 2010, when I persevered and performed my first Hajj operation. After that, I visited Saudi Arabia thrice, with my last visit occurring this year, between March 16 and 27, 2025. On each trip, one of my prayers on the last day of my stay before the Masjid Haram in Mecca was to have the ability to return as many times as possible. My desire for frequent visits to Saudi Arabia reflects the wish of every Muslim in Nigeria and other Muslim countries to perform one of the five obligatory acts of the Islamic faith. For a Muslim, performing Hajj, which takes place only in Mecca, Minna, and Medina...