The year 2024 may have come and gone. However, the events of the outgone year will linger in the minds and lives of Nigerians for a long time. PAUL OMOROGBE shares some of them:
The Ibadan explosion
IT was barely two weeks into the New Year when confusion rocked the city of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. An evening explosion in an upscale area of the city sent residents into panic and confusion as the exact site and cause of the blast remained unknown for several hours the night of Tuesday, January 16.
Eventually, it was discovered that the blast took place at Dejo Oyelese Street, Adeyi Avenue, Bodija area of Ibadan. The effect of the blast was felt far across the city. Over 77 people were injured, while at least five others reportedly died due to the explosion. At least 58 houses were damaged by the explosion.
In an interview with the Nigerian NaomisophyBlog, a former Dean of Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan, Professor Lucas Olabode, said, “I was watching football, Namibia versus Tunisia. It was the second half. In fact, that day, I said, my day is set for me. After that match, I will watch Mali versus South Africa because I had my sabbatical in South Africa, so I was interested in the South African match. I was anticipating it. After the matches, I planned to watch my favourite TV programme on BBC, that is Hard Talk. Then I go to sleep.
“But around 7.30pm, while the match between Namibia and Tunisia was still on, I heard a deafening noise. I even thought it was thunder. My househelp came. She heard me shouting, ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!’
“My wife would have been a victim but for the intervention of a telephone call.”
Even as 2024 has ended, several victims of the blast are still in the process of appropriating the assistance of the Federal and State governments for them to return to their various homes.
“It is an understatement to say that we are in distress as many of us have not been able to return to our homes and are still squatting with relatives and friends,” the affected residents under the aegis of Dejo Oyelese Vigilante Group, DOVG had said through their chairman, Yakubu Adedigba.
Death of Herbert Wigwe
In February 2024 came the shocking news of the death of Herbert Wigwe, the co-founder of Access Bank, one of the largest banks in the country.
He was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in California on Friday.
Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and a former president of the Nigerian stock exchange were all killed in the crash.President Bola Tinubu described the death of Mr Wigwe as an “overwhelming tragedy”.
The chartered helicopter was on its way from Palm Springs to Boulder City in Nevada when it went down about 96km (60 miles) from Las Vegas.
According to reports, Wigwe, 57, was on his way to Las Vegas to attend a Super Bowl event. His wife and son were also victims.
Dangote Refinery
The commencement of operations of Dangote Refinery in 2024 was one the most anticipated events that year. Following the removal of subsidy in 2023, announced during President Tinubu’s inaugural speech as president, Nigerians had looked to Dangote Refinery in the hope that it would provide petrol at far cheaper prices than what was prevailing.
However, the owner of the refinery, Mr Aliko Dangote and the refinery itself would later become enmeshed in controversies over various issues including pricing, quality of products, distribution and more.
A report by BBC said that by undertaking the $20 billion refinery project, Dangote was ‘taking on the oil mafia. According to the report, “It is hoped that the arrival of Mr Dangote’s oil refinery will help bring a measure of transparency to the sector.
He knew he would be upsetting some of those who benefit from the murky status quo when the $20bn project began.
But, he says, he underestimated the challenge.
‘I knew there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil, they are stronger than the mafia in drugs, Mr Dan-gote told an investment conference in June.”
Even up until this year, there has been news about the refinery. It is, however, interesting to see that after Dangote Refinery began its operations, the government-owned refineries at Warri and Port Harcourt have reportedly begun operating after decades of being comatose.
The End Bad Governance protests
The End Bad Governance protests, widely known by the hashtags #EndBadGovernance or #EndBadGovernancelnNi-geria, were a series of decentralized mass protests in that happened from between August 1 to 10, 2024, triggered by the rising cost of living in the country. The protests began peacefully but turned violent in some states like Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto, leading to deaths and destruction of property. The #EndBadGovernance protests were met with an intense crack-down, involving mass arrests.
It was only in November 2024 that respite came the way of 119 #Endbadgovernance protesters as a Federal High Court in Abuja terminated the treason charge brought against them by the Federal Government.The defendants included over 40 minors.
Local Government Autonomy
When it comes to governance, the Supreme Court judgment on Local Government Autonomy, was major news.On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils.
The seven-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, unanimously upheld a suit brought by the federal government aimed at reinforcing the independence of local governments across the country.
The court also rejected the stance of state governments that sought to dissolve democratically elected local government councils.
It has been described as a significant milestone in promoting grassroot development, good governance, and democratic decentralisation in Nigeria.
Supporters of the judgement have said that the outcome of the decision will boost the independence of the local governments and bring direct accountability to the electorates, adding that local councils will now be able to focus on delivering services and development projects that will lead to better governance and accountability.
Last year’s judgement has continued to cause ripples till date, with President Tinubu recently announcing that he has no disagreements with state governors over local government autonomy.
VDM and Bobrisky
The controversy involving Martins ‘Very-Darkman VDM’ Otse and cross-dresser Okun-eye Idris Olarenwaju also known as Bobrisky, over an alleged phone recording of the latter shook the nation’s institution and garnered intense public attention.
The entertainment industry, and indeed the country, was gripped by the intriguing allegation that Bobrisky resided in an apartment while he was supposed to be serving a six-month sentence at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Apapa, Lagos.
VeryDarkMan, had released a recorded call between Bobrisky and another. In the call, Bobrisky had alleged that he was in an apartment, and that popular rapper, Folarin Falana, aka Falz, was trying to help him secure a presidential pardon.
The entire controversy led to VDM appearing not only at the House of Representatives to the defend his releasing the recorded call, but also before a Lagos High Court where the Falanas had instituted a suit against him.
Bobrisky in the midst of the controversy has since fled the country.
The man from Equatorial Guinea
The list of hit stories from 2024 will not be complete without the infamous account of a man from Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, former Director-General of the country’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), who faced severe backlash after investigators discovered over 400 explicit videos involving him and the wives of prominent national figures.
The scandal surfaced amid a fraud probe into Engonga, leading ANIF officials to search his home and office.During this search, investigators reportedly uncovered CDs containing the explicit recordings, which have since leaked online, sparking a national outcry and widespread media coverage.
In response, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo issued a decree on November 4, officially dismissing Engonga, citing “irregularities in his duties and inappropriate family and social conduct incompatible with public office.”Ondo and Edo elections
Two off-cycle gubernatorial elections took place in 2024 in Edo and Ondo States. It was a test of the popularity of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with the ruling party coming out tops in both elections.
In Edo State, APC’s Monday Okpebholo, emerged winner in the September 21, 2024 election having Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party as top contenders.
In Ondo, the former acting governor, now elected, Lucky Ayedatiwa, survived the challenge from the PDP’s Agboola Ajayi in the November 16, 2024 election.
Emergence of Lakurawa terrorist group At a time when the army had announced that insurgency was in its twilight, Nigerians were shocked to hear that a new insurgency group known as Lakurawa was gaining ground.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, on November 7, 2024 briefed journalists on the development.
“The new terrorists began incursion into northern parts of Sokoto and Kebbi States from the Niger Republic and Mali axis, particularly after the coup in the Niger Republic.
Before the coup, there were joint border operations with Nigerien security forces, which kept the terrorists at bay,” Buba explained.
He said that the members of the group were being accommodated by the locals who thought that the group meant well.
Read Also: How Nigerians spent 2024 ‘crossover night’
Dele Farotimi’s travail
It began last year, and the trails continue this year of Dele Farotimi, a prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer and activist, whose controversial book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, led to his arrest on December 3, 2024, by the Ekiti State Police Command and detention.
Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, alleged that Farotimi defamed him in the book. The accusation arose from a Supreme Court judgment involving a land dispute that spanned over two decades.
Afe Babalola claimed the book contained several defamatory statements that questioned his integrity and accused his law firm of unethical practices, including corrupting the judiciary.
Farotimi recently broke his silence on his travails by posting a YouTube video titled “The Walk to Freedom.” He highlighted the power of collective action, attributing his bail to the voices of Nigerians who rallied for his release after about 20 days in detention.
December stampedes
The year 2024 was to end on a sad note for many families in the country after a series of stampedes in different parts of the country that led to the deaths of persons young and old. Starting with Ibadan, on December 18, 35 minors died at what was meant to be Christmas funfair for children, organised by ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Sileku-nola Ogunwusi, in collaboration with Oriyomi Hamzat, owner of a popular radio station in Ibadan.
Three days later, on December 21, in Anam-bra State, during a rice distribution event at Amaranta Stadium in Okija, Ihiala LGA, 22 people died in a stampede at the event.
That same day in Abuja, 10 people, including four children, were killed in a stampede in the capital city as a large crowd gathered to collect food items distributed by a local church at a Christmas event.
The stampede occurred in the early morning hours at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, the police said in a statement.
