Nigeria and Foreign Intervention in Mali

Also published in Daily Trust

Ever since the takeover of northern Mali by some Muslim rebels, the country’s political turmoil has been getting worse, and the growing insecurity threatens to spill over to some other countries within the region and beyond, while some major western countries have been pushing for an international military intervention in order to sack the rebels, who are generally regarded as terrorists.

Final Notes by Mr Ragon Sallah

Also published in Daily Trust

I would like to congratulate you for having me as your ragon sallah on this occasion, because you had apparently hustled desperately before you finally managed to get me, which was quite obvious from the way you breathed a sigh of relief when you got hold of my horn, and indeed the way you (while dragging me) exuded the satisfaction of a victorious warrior dragging his handcuffed captive.

Re: Hajj and the Saudis (II)

Also published in Daily Trust

Inasmuch as I recognize Malam Adamu Adamu’s right to castigate the Saudis, which he is obviously obsessed with, I can’t make sense of how he often tries, in disguise, to refute some fundamental aspects of Islamic creed and practices under the pretext of criticizing their policies. Incidentally, from my personal experience with them, I believe that even if they are actually aware of his campaign they will not give a damn because they are probably too busy handling some more influential critics around the world.

The Married Woman’s Surname

Also published in Daily Trust

While searching for any pretext to justify their decision to deport hundreds of Nigerian female intending pilgrims back to Nigeria, the Saudis were reported to have cited some instances of inconsistency between the surnames of some married women amongst the affected intending pilgrims and the names of their husbands. By the way, I exposed the Saudis’ real reason for that action and indeed the reasons why they didn’t want to cite them officially, in my last week’s article entitled “Forbidden Truth in the Hajj Scandal” {Daily Trust, Friday, 05 October 2012}.

Forbidden Truth in the Hajj Scandal

Also published in Daily Trust

Much has been said about the detention and deportation of hundreds of Nigerian female intending pilgrims back to Nigeria by Saudi Arabia after they had arrived in the country to perform Hajj, which provoked the anger of many Nigerians and set Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on a diplomatic collision. However, what is particularly interesting is that, though both parties are aware about the actual reasons behind such measures, neither party is willing to address it out in the open, which makes it a forbidden truth of a sort.