Nigeria
Boko Haram, Bandits, IPOB, Kanu: CAN, regional groups take Kaduna’s Gov el-Rufai to task
Published
5 years agoon
Hard knocks, weekend, greeted comments by Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, that the Federal Government could not decisively tackle Boko Haram insurgents, bandits and kidnappers the way it handled Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because they are different from the case of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, leader.
Following the arrest of Kanu in Kenya and re-arraignment in Nigeria, some critics of the Federal Government alleged that the Buhari Administration is pampering bandits and Boko Haram insurgents and tasked the government on prompt action on these issues.
In an interview with BBC Pidgin, El-Rufai had said it is wrong to compare bandits with Kanu.
“Nnamdi Kanu is the leader of IPOB, a proscribed organisation. He is identifiable, in constant communication and everyone knows where he is. Let’s take Boko Haram for instance. Shekau was in hiding and for the past 10 years the military had been waging a war to get him.
“It is not like Shekau was in Saudi Arabia, sitting in one place, tweeting about the break up of Nigeria or asking Boko Haram to go and kill Helen and Nasir el-Rufai. Nnamdi Kanu is in one place while Shekau is waging guerrilla warfare. The insurgency is still going on and the Federal Government is not giving up.
“Regarding bandits, they are not centralised under one leadership. Who is the head of the bandits? Who is the equivalent of Nnandi Kanu with banditry? Bandits are just collections of independent criminals. It is a business for them. It is not a case of Nigeria must break up. I want to challenge anyone to tell me the central leader of bandits in the same position as Kanu,” the governor had said.
El-Rufai’s view, however, elicited sharp criticisms from Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Middle-Belt Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Elder Statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, who said the insurgents and bandits constituted more dangers to the country than Kanu and IPOB.
However, the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, said the matter should be left for the courts to determine.
El-Rufai turning logic upside down– Afenifere
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, faulted Governor el-Rufai for allegedly trying to turn logic upside down.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jare Ajayi, said: “It is quite regrettable that a person of Governor el-Rufai’s status, having been a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and now a governor, could reason the way he has reasoned.
“He said, for instance, that militants or agitators like Nnamdi Kanu, including, of course, by implication, Sunday Igboho, are not in the same category with Shekau and other bandits in the North.
“Yes, to us, they are different. Nnamdi Kanu, Sunday Igboho and the likes are drawing attention to the rights of their people that are being denied and for that reason, they said that if the Nigerian nation can no longer guarantee the rights of their people, they should be allowed to go.
“That is the summary of the agitations of the Nnamdi Kanus, Sunday Igbohos. One may or may not like their style but that is the summary of their objective.
“On the other hand, the position of Shekau and Boko Haram is that they want to gain territory in the Federal Republic of Nigeria by force. They are kidnapping, raping and killing. They are quite different from the approach of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho.
“So, for a governor, who is supposed to be a leader, to now compare the two and even try to exonerate and justify the position of Shekau and Boko Haram, is a pity and regrettable.
“It is also a reason we may not be able to quickly get out of this mess because those who are supposed to know better and advise the Federal Government in a better way are turning logic upside down and it is regrettable. Afenifere disagrees with his position because it is not the correct position.”
El-Rufai’s comparison’s wrong – Ohanaeze
On its part, the apex Igbo Socio-Cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, according to its spokesman, Chief Alex Ogbonnia, said: “Agitation is expression of illicit deprivation.
“Agitation means they have taken things which you are supposed to have, things that belong to you which they have not given to you.
“It is an expression of relative deprivation, the extreme of agitation is what they call secession.
“What is required in agitation and secession is a bargain, dialogue, diplomatic talks, what you may call negotiation or diplomatic form of relationship. In this situation, you hear out the other side which is very clear.
“On the other hand, you talk about banditry, kidnapping and so on which is crime and criminality. When you talk about killing, kidnapping and so on, it is the highest form of terrorism. While this one is talking about criminality, kidnapping terrorism; the other one is talking about agitation because of illicit deprivation.
“They are two set of things and not related at all. So whatever El-Rufai may have said, he is entitled to his opinion but I will like him to judge the two things, the difference between them. They are not related at all.
“To think about secession and agitation and equating it to banditry is to say the least. It is unexpected of a governor to say.”
El-Rufai may be right—ADF
In its reaction, Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF, in a statement by its spokesman, Abia Onyike, said: “Governor El-Rufai may be right, even if for a different reason.
“We see the IPOB as one of the groups agitating for the restoration and self-determination of the Biafran people. They want Biafra to become an independent republic within the African Union.
“Boko Haram is fighting for the enthronement of an Islamic state all over Nigeria. They want to Islamize Nigeria. These are two different political tendencies. Bandits are plain criminals, who are involved in kidnapping and plundering.
“We are witnessing the politics of warlordism in Nigeria because the Nigerian state is on the verge of failure and collapse, hence Boko Haram and the Islamic state of West Africa have sprung up to seize power.
“Those fighting for self-determination are forced to do so because of the extremist and isolationist policies of the Nigerian state, which has failed to recognize and respect the fundamental rights of the federating units in the federation.
“And strangely enough, even the murderous campaign of herdsmen was not checkmated by the federal government’s security agencies.”
On the issue of where Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, ADF said that “if Kenya says that Kanu was not arrested in their country, let the Nigerian government tell us where he was arrested.”
Allow the court to decide— ACF
Reacting, Mr. Emmanuel Yawe, spokesman of ACF, said: “That is left for the courts to decide. What El- Rufai said is his personal opinion. On issues such as this, only the courts are mandated to determine what is an offence.”
El-Eufai’s making mockery of his intelligence— PANDEF
To the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Governor El-Rufai’s position is ridiculous and made mockery of his intelligence.
Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson, said IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and leader of the Yoruba secessionists group, Sunday Igboho, were not killers but freedom fighters as against the killer herdsmen and others in the North.
Robinson noted that Kanu and Igboho do not go about killing people but are committed to the fight of saving their people and holding government accountable.
He said: “It is ridiculous that El-Rufai with all the intelligence attributed to him and his knowledge of state affairs will make such absurd statement.
“All Sunday Igboho is doing is to defend the lives and property of his people and call for self-determination that Yoruba should decide their destiny. He has not been going about killing and kidnapping people, destroying livelihoods and making life unbearable for people.
“All IPOB is doing is calling for Biafra State. All these are manifestations of the disaffection in the country, the lopsided nature of the affairs of government in terms of appointments, projects and programmes and resource distribution.
“People are angry, the young people are angry. Citizens are not happy and the reaction of government is to cause more provocation, raiding the homes of some citizens in the night, killing people and destroying property.
“Just because people are asking that they decide how they live their lives, killer herdsmen in their forest should leave and let their people live in peace, the response by the government is to look for these people to kill and persecute them.
Then, on the other hand you have people; violent, criminal bandits marauding and killing people, kidnapping school children at will. No forest, no home, no community in the North has not been invaded in terms of the insecurity that is perpetuated across the country.
“In the Middle-Belt, communities are being decimated, livelihoods are completely devastated and people are finding it difficult to live. Nobody has been arrested, but government has the boldness to abduct somebody and forcible repatriate him to the country.
“It all boils down to the selectivity and nepotism that this administration has continued to perpetrate to the annoyance of Southern Nigerians.
“The government is too biased and discriminatory and it is the greatest danger to the unity and cooperate existence of Nigeria. Unfortunately, they have continued to carry on as bemused spectators in a theatre not minding that the country is collapsing.”
Yes, IPOB, Kanu ‘re different from Boko Haram, bandits but… – MBF
On its part, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, agreed with Governor El-Rufai that IPOB is different from Boko Haram, killer herdsmen and bandits’ operation in the North, saying while the former is fighting to liberate its people, the latter is after the lives and well being of Nigerians.
National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, who spoke to Vanguard in Makurdi, said: “I agree that they are not the same. Nnamdi Kanu and his likes are freedom fighters. They are fighting for the liberation of their people.
“While the Boko Haram, bandits, killer herdsmen militia and their likes are not fighting for the liberation of anybody, they are just bunch of criminals killing and tormenting Nigerians. In that regard, I will say they are different.
“Therefore, concerning Governor El-Rufai’s statement, I agree that they are different. But you cannot justify the action of Boko Haram, killer herdsmen or bandits and because of that, you cannot arrest them.
“So in that regard I disagree with him because these people are more dangerous. They are operating as killer gangs who are just after the lives and well-being of Nigerians.
CAN knocks El-rufai over comment on Nnamdi Kanu’s rearrest
Slamming el-Rufai, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN’, Vice Chairman (Northern region), Reverend John Hayab, said the senseless killings and attacks going on in the country will end when the government stops categorising enemies of the state and treating some of them with kid gloves.
His words: “What I know is that every criminal is a criminal and every murderer a murderer.
“When elected leaders start calling some criminals and murderers that they know as angels while they say the murderers they do not know are the devil, then we will need to know from which dictionary they get their selfish definition.
“Nigeria will only overcome evil and stop the senseless killings going on in our land when we stop categorizing enemies of the country by treating some with kid gloves, and others with bullets. Every enemy that has taken the life of even just one citizen of this country should be treated the same way.”
El-Rufai’s wrong – Mbazulike Amechi
Also speaking, Elder statesman and First Republic Aviation Minister, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, lashed out at Governor El-Rufai.
Chief Amechi, who ironically noted that El Rufai might be right to say that IPOB and Boko Haram are not the same, said sarcastically: “El-Rufai is not wrong in saying that Boko Haram and IPOB cannot be compared because Boko Haram is devilish.
“Boko Haram kills people, burns villages and does all sorts of atrocities to human beings, while IPOB is not devilish, does not kill or burn anybody’s house, but only speaks, carry flags and demonstrates in the day without harming any Nigerian.
“Boko Haram, throws bomb at people not minding who will be victims, they are blood suckers backed by people like him. Therefore, you cannot compare them with IPOB members that only carry flags and march on the streets without harming or molesting any Nigerian.
“Law-abiding Hausas and Fulanis are in Igbo land, can any one of them come out to say that he or she was attacked by IPOB? So you cannot compare Boko Haram with IPOB, because Boko Haram is evil and devilish, while IPOB is not, and does not shed blood.
“So El-Rufai, ironically is right to say that IPOB cannot be compared with Boko Haram.”
Culled from the Vanguard News Nigeria
You may like
-
Membership Surge Continues as Dr. Nkem Ugwu Joins People’s Club
-
Membership Interest Soars After Sugar Land People’s Club’s Successful Induction
-
People’s Club Sugar Land Celebrates Landmark Induction of 16 New Members
-
Houston Ready as People’s Club National President Arrives for Historic Sugar Land Branch Induction
-
Sugar Land People’s Club Welcomes a New Generation Into a Legacy of Unity, Love and Service
-
From Noise to Votes: Nigerian Youth Must Turn Online Fire into Electoral Power
Houston
Membership Surge Continues as Dr. Nkem Ugwu Joins People’s Club
Published
2 days agoon
September 20, 2026
Following a successful induction ceremony, the First International Branch continues to attract new members drawn to its tradition of friendship, service, culture, and community
SUGAR LAND, TEXAS — The Sugar Land People’s Club of Nigeria International (SLPCNI) is continuing its membership expansion following its recently concluded induction ceremony, with Dr. Nkem Ugwu becoming one of the latest community members to join the organization.
Ugwu, a Sugar Land resident originally from Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, is an entrepreneur and mother of three sons, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. She describes service to others, family, and community engagement as important parts of her personal and professional life.

Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu addressing the September Conference of the Sugar Land PCNI
Her membership comes on the heels of the branch’s successful bi-annual induction ceremony, during which 16 new members were formally sworn in by PCNI National President Atty. Fidelis Onyebueke. The celebration attracted national leaders, patrons, and members representing branches from across the People’s Club network.

Photo from left: Hon. Chief Sir Michael Okeke; Hon. Anaeto Okakpu “Oranwezuluaku”; Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu; Hon. Dr. Nkem Ugwu ; Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, Group Chairman; Hon. Chief, Sir Basil Mbuba; Hon. Chief Sir Dr. Uche Egbuchuam “Akudo World Wide.”
Ugwu said joining the organization provides an opportunity to develop meaningful relationships while contributing to its mission.
“I am truly excited and honored to join the prestigious People’s Club of Nigeria International, Sugar Land Branch. I look forward to getting to know fellow members, building lasting friendships, and becoming actively involved in this vibrant and welcoming community. I am especially drawn to the Club’s tradition of fellowship, service, and mutual support, and I hope to contribute my experience, energy, and passion for serving others to its continued growth.”
Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu welcomed Ugwu, describing continued interest in membership as encouraging for the historic First International Branch.

Membership Chairperson Hon. Chief Udoji Achebe and Hon. Ndidi Chidume
“When people of accomplishment and community spirit continue to identify with our organization, it tells us that the values upon which People’s Club was built remain relevant. We welcome Dr. Ugwu and look forward to the experience and fellowship she brings to our family.”
Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, Group Chairman, said the branch’s recent induction helped showcase an organization that continues to combine Nigerian cultural heritage with community engagement in Houston.
“Our successful induction created tremendous enthusiasm, but our focus goes beyond ceremonies. We are building a stronger organization rooted in friendship, responsibility and service. Dr. Ugwu’s decision to join reflects that continuing momentum.”

One of the meeting hosts, Hon. Professor Keih George, introduces the co-meeting hosts.
Membership Chairperson Hon. Chief Udoji Achebe said the branch remains interested in individuals prepared to participate actively in its programs and fellowship.
“Membership is about belonging, but it is equally about participation and contribution. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ugwu and other prospective members who share the principles and aspirations of People’s Club.”
For SLPCNI, the growing interest following its induction represents another chapter in the evolution of a branch with a special place in the organization’s history.
And for Ugwu, it marks the beginning of a new journey—one centered on friendship, community, and service.
Houston
Membership Interest Soars After Sugar Land People’s Club’s Successful Induction
Published
2 weeks agoon
September 8, 2026
Branch considers annual induction as August celebration of prestige, culture and comradeship inspires growing community interest
HOUSTON, TEXAS — Membership requests to the Sugar Land Branch of People’s Club of Nigeria International (PCNI) have risen significantly following its successful August induction ceremony, prompting the organization to consider making the event an annual affair.
Group Chairman, Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, confirmed the surge in interest, saying the branch has received numerous inquiries from prospective members since the ceremony that formally admitted 16 new members to the organization.
“The response since the induction has been remarkable. We have seen a significant increase in people asking about membership and how they can become part of the People’s Club family,” Ulasi said. “Many of them attended the event or heard about it afterward and were impressed by the fellowship, dignity, cultural pride, and genuine comradeship they witnessed.”
Ulasi said the development, including a possible change from the current bi-annual induction arrangement to an annual ceremony, would be discussed at the branch’s September general meeting.
The renewed interest in membership comes on the heels of an elaborate induction that attracted national officers, patrons, branch chairmen, members, and guests from across the People’s Club family.
National President, Atty. Fidelis Onyebueke, who presided over the swearing-in of the 16 inductees, described the event as a total success and commended the Sugar Land Branch, PCNI’s First International Branch, for what he called an exceptional celebration of fellowship, culture, service, and unity.
During the formal ceremony, each inductee was invited to the podium to take the membership oath and receive a certificate from the national president, who was assisted by PCNI Attorney Chukwuka John Ukadike.
Beyond the admission of new members, however, the event offered guests a public display of the traditions that have historically defined the People’s Club: prestige, love, service, and comradeship. Those characteristics were reflected throughout the ceremony, from the reception of national officers and interaction among members to the formal induction, cultural presentation, and extended social celebration that followed.
Grand Patron, Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu, said the growing interest in membership was an indication that the organization’s values resonated with guests who experienced the event.
“What people witnessed was the character of People’s Club—the love among members, respect for one another, willingness to serve, and the comradeship that brings us together,” Mbachu said. “Prestige is not simply about appearance; it is about how we conduct ourselves and how we treat people. When the community sees those values demonstrated, it is understandable that others would want to become part of the organization.”
The cultural presentation was among the most visible features of the evening. Women members and associates appeared in coordinated traditional attire featuring red-pinkish blouses with matching head ties and white wrappers bearing the PCNI logo. The men wore all-white outfits complemented by customized PCNI cap pins and distinctive PCNI sashes worn as neckpieces.

The coordinated appearance created a colorful expression of Nigerian cultural identity while reinforcing the sense of unity that characterized the gathering.
As the formal program concluded, the ceremony transitioned into an extended social celebration. Members, inductees, and guests shared food and drinks before taking to the dance floor, with music and festivities continuing into the early hours of Sunday.
The presence of members and officials from different branches also gave the ceremony broader significance for Sugar Land, whose status as the First International Branch places it prominently in PCNI’s history outside Nigeria.
For Ulasi, however, the strongest indication of the event’s impact came afterward, as inquiries from prospective members continued to reach the branch.
He said that while the organization welcomes the increased interest, prospective members would be expected to understand the responsibilities and traditions associated with belonging to the People’s Club. “Membership is about much more than attending social events,” Ulasi said. “It is about service, friendship, responsibility, and commitment to one another. Those are the values we intend to preserve as the branch continues to grow.”
The September meeting is expected to consider how the branch will respond to increased membership interest and whether the success of the August ceremony provides sufficient grounds to move to an annual induction schedule. For the Sugar Land Branch, the aftermath of the August induction may prove as significant as the ceremony itself: 16 members entered the People’s Club that evening, but the celebration appears to have inspired many more to seek a place within its ranks.
Houston
People’s Club Sugar Land Celebrates Landmark Induction of 16 New Members
Published
4 weeks agoon
August 24, 2026
National President Atty. Fidelis Onyebueke hails First International Branch for a spectacular celebration of culture, fellowship and service
HOUSTON, TEXAS — The Sugar Land People’s Club of Nigeria International (PCNI), the organization’s First International Branch, has been declared a total success following a spectacular bi-annual induction ceremony that brought together national leaders, branch chairmen, patrons, members, and guests from across the People’s Club family.
National President Atty. Fidelis Onyebueke, who presided over the swearing-in ceremony, commended the Houston branch for delivering an outstanding event that reflected the organization’s enduring traditions of friendship, fellowship, service, and community.

Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, SLPCNI Chairman, leads the grand entrance of the national leadership during the induction ceremony, followed by National President Atty. Fidelis Onyebueke and his wife.
“The Houston branch has once again demonstrated what People’s Club represents at its very best. This was a beautifully organized and highly successful event, rich in culture, fellowship, dignity, and unity. I commend the leadership, members, and entire Houston family for an exceptional celebration worthy of the First International Branch.”
The ceremony witnessed the formal swearing-in of 16 new members, each of whom was individually invited forward to receive a certificate of membership from the national president. Onyebueke was assisted in administering the oath by PCNI Attorney Chukwuka John Ukadike.

Group Photo: Women Members and Associates of SLPCNI
The inductees joined an impressive gathering that reflected the diversity and strength of the People’s Club community. Members and guests traveled from various branches across the United States and beyond, transforming the Houston ceremony into a truly international gathering.
The cultural elegance of the occasion was equally striking. Women appeared in colorful, coordinated traditional attire, featuring red-pinkish blouses and matching head ties paired with white wrappers prominently designed with the PCNI logo. The ensemble created a distinctive and dignified traditional look. Men complemented the occasion with elegant all-white outfits, customized PCNI cap pins, and special PCNI sashes worn as neckpieces.
Among those in attendance were Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu; Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, Group Chairman; patrons and chairmen from various branches, and People’s Club members representing chapters across the globe.
The formal proceedings eventually gave way to an extended celebration of friendship and camaraderie. Food, drinks, music, and dancing carried the festivities well beyond the scheduled program, continuing for hours into the early morning of Sunday.
For the Houston branch, the celebration represented more than the admission of new members. It reaffirmed the historic importance of the First International Branch and demonstrated the continuing strength of People’s Club as a transnational fellowship rooted in Nigerian identity, friendship, service, and mutual support.
The successful ceremony also underscored the organization’s ability to bring generations and branches together while preserving the cultural traditions that have sustained its membership across continents.
By the end of the celebration, Houston had delivered more than an induction. It had delivered a memorable demonstration of unity, culture, friendship, and organizational excellence—an event that fully embodied the People’s Club spirit.
Membership Surge Continues as Dr. Nkem Ugwu Joins People’s Club
Membership Interest Soars After Sugar Land People’s Club’s Successful Induction
People’s Club Sugar Land Celebrates Landmark Induction of 16 New Members
Emotional Conflict: Is She Toying with Me?
Corruption at the Nigerian Consulate Atlanta – A Victim’s Nightmarish Experience
Gowon’s Book and the Dangerous Politics of Selective Memory
Video: Omambala Cultural Association in Houston Celebrates Motherhood with Joyous Igbo-Inspired Mother’s Day Event
VIDEO: Chris Hollins Opens Cartoon Art Showcase at TSU’s CommWeek
Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy speaks about the African-American Memorial Event
Trending
-
Houston1 month agoHouston Ready as People’s Club National President Arrives for Historic Sugar Land Branch Induction
-
Houston2 weeks agoMembership Interest Soars After Sugar Land People’s Club’s Successful Induction
-
Houston4 weeks agoPeople’s Club Sugar Land Celebrates Landmark Induction of 16 New Members
-
Houston2 days agoMembership Surge Continues as Dr. Nkem Ugwu Joins People’s Club

