On Fri, Apr 17, 2026 at 2:40 AM, Chukwuemeka Okala<reu...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:This is heartbreaking and urgent.
A student from University of Jos, JOHN ARUM has been kidnapped while traveling to Kaduna. A disturbing video was recorded with his own phone and sent to his school WhatsApp group chat. Since then, there has been no clear contact with his family, and we don’t even know if they are aware yet.
The kidnappers are demanding ₦30 million.
Worse still, from what we saw in the video, he is going through serious torture and abuse. This is inhumane. No one deserves to be treated like this.
Reports indicate he was kidnapped by Fulani criminals. This is why the government must act decisively to get rid of criminal networks terrorizing innocent Nigerians, regardless of who they are.
This is not just a story this is someone we know. Someone we attend classes with. Someone whose life is now in danger.
We are calling on everyone to help share this information across platforms so it can reach his family and the appropriate authorities quickly. Time is critical.
Please don’t ignore this.
Share it.
Raise awareness.
Let’s do everything we can to help bring John back safely.
#SaveJohnArum
#StopKidnapping
#EndInsecurity
#NigeriaSecurity
#PrayForJohn
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On Apr 21, 2026, at 10:59 AM, Gee Kay <gke...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>I didn’t know you were this dumb even though I suspected it<< (GK)
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24 April 2026 3:15 am WAT

President Bola Tinubu
By Chinwendu Obienyi
President Bola Tinubu has sought Senate approval for a fresh $516.3 million external loan, pushing total borrowing requests under his administration beyond $30 billion. The move is intensifying concerns over Nigeria’s rising debt profile and its limited impact on economic stability.
The latest request, read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is aimed at financing sections of the proposed Sokoto–Badagry superhighway, a 1,000-kilometre project designed to link key commercial corridors from the North-West to the South-West.
According to the request, the facility, to be arranged by Deutsche Bank AG, is expected to support early phases of construction, with additional backing from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit.
While the government has framed the project as critical infrastructure under its Renewed Hope Agenda, analysts say the broader pattern of borrowing reflects deeper fiscal challenges.
Since assuming office in 2023, Tinubu has repeatedly turned to both domestic and external markets to bridge budget deficits, with cumulative loan requests now estimated at over $30 billion, alongside more than N1 trillion in domestic borrowing plans.
Commenting on the latest development, economic experts warn that the pace of borrowing could worsen Nigeria’s already fragile debt sustainability metrics. With government revenue underperforming, a significant share of earnings is already being used to service existing obligations, leaving limited room for developmental spending.
Furthermore, citizens are of the opinion that there is little progress. According to them, taking a $516 million loan for a road while the common man struggles is heartbreaking.
A development enthusiast named Sankara on X (formerly twitter) asked, “Is this country so broke that every èke market day, a request to borrow from somewhere must be submitted to the ‘elementary’ National Assembly?
What is happening to the humongous declaration of revenue generated or the already collected loans?”
Head, Research at FSL Securities, Chiazor Victor said, “The concern is not just the borrowing itself, but the capacity to repay without crowding out essential sectors.
The risks are particularly pronounced for foreign loans, which are denominated in dollars. Continued volatility in the naira could significantly raise repayment costs, especially as Nigeria’s foreign exchange (FX) earnings remain heavily dependent on oil exports”.
The growing debt burden comes at a time when government spending has yet to deliver meaningful relief to households. Despite a surge in food imports and multiple fiscal interventions, food prices remain elevated across the country, highlighting a disconnect between policy measures and real economic outcomes.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that food and beverage imports rose sharply from N3.83 trillion in 2023 to N6.58 trillion in 2024, reaching N7.65 trillion in 2025. This increase has been driven in part by government efforts to stabilise supply through importation, including a temporary zero-duty policy on selected food items.
However, these measures have had limited success in easing price pressures. Food inflation, while moderating from peak levels of over 40 per cent in 2024, still stood at 14.31 per cent year-on-year (y/y) as of March 2026, contributing significantly to overall inflation of about 15.38 per cent.
In parallel, direct fiscal interventions have also expanded. Government spending on food palliatives reached N9.74 billion in 2024, following an earlier N185 billion intervention in 2023 to support the distribution of grains across states. Yet, market surveys indicate that affordability remains a major challenge for households, particularly in urban centres.
Victor argued that the persistence of high food prices despite rising public expenditure points to structural inefficiencies in the economy, including supply chain constraints, insecurity in farming regions, and currency weakness. “Importing food is a short-term fix, but it does not address the underlying productivity issues in agriculture”, he said.
Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Asset Management Ltd, Johnson Chukwu warned that Nigeria’s rising borrowing could swell external debt by over 50 per cent, cautioning that loans must be efficiently deployed or risk becoming a fiscal burden.
“I have said this before, borrowing is not inherently bad. What is important is if the money borrowed is used to address the problem.
If borrowed funds are invested in assets that generate value higher than the value of the loan, then it is worth it,” he said.
He urged the government to prioritise partnerships with the private sector for infrastructure projects to reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and ensure better value for money.
For investors, the combination of rising debt and weak transmission of fiscal policy raises concerns about Nigeria’s medium-term outlook. Higher borrowing levels could increase the country’s risk profile, potentially leading to more expensive financing in the future.
As the Senate considers the latest loan request, attention is likely to focus not just on the viability of the Sokoto–Badagry project, but on the broader question of how effectively borrowed funds are being deployed.
For now, the trajectory suggests a government balancing urgent infrastructure needs against tightening fiscal constraints, an approach that economists say will require careful management to avoid long-term macroeconomic strain.
>>It is a relief to now find out that a gentleman (relative to Nebu) George Kerley is as human as Nebu -- as to be irritated by Femi Olajide who exhibits absolute stupidity whenever he masquerades as a Yoruba!<< (Nebu)
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The visitors were in Calabar alongside other foreign nationals for weeklong spiritual activities organised by the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star.
Beyond participating in the spiritual activities during their stay in Calabar, many of them also visited local markets, malls and social spots where they bought goods for personal use and commercial purposes.
A Ghanaian visitor, Jacklyn Asare, said Nigerians often underestimate the economic advantage they enjoy despite complaints about the high cost of living.
“I now understand why many Nigerians keep complaining about their government and the economy. Perhaps it is because of the country’s huge population, which contributes to the pressure on living costs,” she said.
“But honestly, things are far cheaper in Nigeria than in my country and even in many other West African countries.
“I regularly travel to Lagos, Onitsha and Aba to buy goods, and sometimes I place orders from Ghana in smaller quantities.”
She explained that after reselling the products in Ghana, the profit margin is usually significant, noting that one Ghanaian cedi currently exchanges for over N82, which boosts returns for traders.
According to her, many Nigerian traders who export goods to Ghana have become wealthy because Nigerian products are cheaper and highly marketable across West Africa.
She added that the national minimum wage earned by many Nigerians would barely buy a single major household item in Ghana.
Asare also noted that petrol in Ghana currently sells for over GH¢15.77 per litre, which is equivalent to about N1,900 per litre when converted to naira.
A Liberian visitor, Samuel Ator, supported her position, saying he visits Nigeria at least once a year and often buys goods through his daughters who live in Calabar and Lagos.
“Nigerian goods are everywhere in West Africa because they are affordable and of good quality. Sometimes my daughters help me buy and send items to Liberia,” he said.
A Cameroonian clergyman, Oru Denis, who visits Calabar at least once every two months, said he often comes with affordable devices to sell in Nigeria and returns with Nigerian goods for resale in Mamfe, Cameroon.
“After converting CFA to naira, I can buy more goods here at cheaper rates. The profits are often worthwhile,” he said.
Similarly, Orji Igwe, who lives in Gabon, said he used his visit to Calabar to purchase food items such as afang and editan vegetables, as well as other made-in-Nigeria products for sale back home.
He said the business remains profitable depending on the quantity of goods he is able to transport.
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