Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan was to be inaugurated on Monday, with the internet still blocked after election protests in which the opposition says hundreds were killed by security forces.

The electoral commission says Hassan won 98 per cent of the vote.

But the main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from competing, has rejected the results and called for fresh elections, calling last Wednesday’s vote a “sham”.

State television said the public would not attend the inauguration, which would be held in the State House in the capital, Dodoma, rather than at a stadium as usual.

A total internet blackout has been in place since protests broke out on election day, so only a trickle of verifiable information has been getting out of the East African country.

A diplomatic source said there were credible reports of hundreds — perhaps even thousands — of deaths registered at hospitals and health clinics around Tanzania.

Chadema told AFP it had recorded “no less than 800” deaths by Saturday, but none of the figures could be independently verified.

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The government has not commented on any deaths, except to reject accusations that “excessive force” was used.

Schools and colleges remained closed on Monday, with public transport halted.

The diplomatic source said there were “concerning reports” that police were using the internet blackout to buy time as they “hunt down opposition members and protesters who might have videos” of atrocities committed last week.

Dar es Salaam and other cities were much calmer over the weekend as a near-total lockdown was in place.

An AFP reporter said police were stopping almost everyone who moved around the city, checking IDs and bags, and allowing shops to open only in the afternoon.

AFP journalists on the island of Zanzibar — which has greater political freedom and saw few protests — saw masked armed men patrolling without visible insignia or identification in the days after the election.

A rights group in neighbouring Kenya presented gruesome footage on Sunday that it said was gathered from inside Tanzania, including images of dead bodies piled up in the street.

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The images could not be independently verified.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for prayers for Tanzania, where he said post-election violence had erupted “with numerous victims”.

“I urge everyone to avoid all forms of violence and to pursue the path of dialogue,” the pope said.

– ‘Wave of terror’ –

Hassan was elevated from vice-president on the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021.

She wanted an emphatic election victory to cement her place and silence critics within the ruling party, analysts say.

Rights groups say she oversaw a “wave of terror” ahead of the vote, including a string of high-profile abductions that escalated in the final days.

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Despite a heavy security presence, election day descended into chaos as crowds took to the streets across the country, tearing down her posters and attacking police and polling stations, leading to an internet shutdown and curfew.

Polling stations had been largely empty before the violence broke out, AFP journalists and observers saw, though the electoral commission later said turnout was 87 per cent.

UN chief Antonio Guterres was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Tanzania, “including reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations”, his spokesman said last week.

Punch

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund has announced that applications for the student loan scheme have surpassed one million, marking one of the largest uptakes for a government-backed social intervention since the beginning of the Tinubu administration.

In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Strategic Communications, Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, said the milestone was achieved less than a year after the programme was launched on May 24, 2024.

He described it as evidence that the scheme is gaining strong national traction and public trust.

According to the agency, over N116bn has so far been disbursed to students across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria, covering both institutional charges and upkeep allowances.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the milestone reflects the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda in expanding access to higher education.

“Crossing the one-million mark represents more than data; it symbolises renewed hope for a generation of Nigerians determined to rise above financial barriers to education,” Sawyerr said. “It is a testament to visionary leadership, sound policy design, and the collective effort of all stakeholders driving this transformative agenda.”

NELFUND reiterated its commitment to continuous improvement in service delivery, ensuring that “every qualified Nigerian student, regardless of background or location, can access education funding with transparency, efficiency, and dignity.”

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The agency emphasised that the student loan programme is non-discriminatory, benefiting Nigerians across religious and ethnic backgrounds, and helping to promote unity through equal learning opportunities.

“NELFUND remains focused on ensuring that no Nigerian is denied the opportunity to learn, grow, or contribute to national progress because of financial limitations,” the statement added.

The United States (US) Department of War has released an artificial intelligence (AI) video simulating how it will storm Nigeria to kill “Islamic terrorists”.

The defence department of the US, which President Donald Trump renamed the Department of War, insinuated that it is “preparing for action” in Nigeria.

Dominik Tarczyński, a member of the European Parliament, shared the video on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle late on Saturday night, November 1.

Tarczyński tweeted: “Nigerian Christians will be rescued very soon!”

Trump said on Saturday, November 1, had asked the Defence Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if Africa’s most populous country fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.

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The recent statement by President Donald Trump regarding a potential intervention by the United States in Nigeria has elicited a range of reactions among Nigerian citizens, provoking a contentious debate.

THE PAPERS reports that President Trump cautioned that if the Nigerian government fails to address the alleged persecution of Christians, the United States military may take action against those responsible for these alleged atrocities.

While various activists, both domestically and internationally, have condemned this assertion, they have urged the Nigerian populace to remain vigilant against any such measures from the United States, citing concerns based on the historical context of U.S. military interventions in other nations.

US Invasion By Records

The United States has invaded numerous countries, with some notable examples including Afghanistan, Iraq, Panama, the Philippines, and Mexico. Invasions have occurred throughout history, from early conflicts like the Mexican-American War to more recent ones in the Middle East. Others are: Nicaragua, Japan, Iraq, Korea, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Grenada, Bolivia, Liberia, Vietnam

Meanwhile, Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has explained why the threat by the administration of United States President Donald Trump to invade Nigeria militarily should not be regarded as a welcome development.

However, Sowore, in a statement on Sunday, cautioned that the threat should not be celebrated, explaining that a military intervention could cause more harm to the nation.

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According to him, the US President “does not care about Nigerians, not Christians, Muslims, or anyone else.”

Sowore stressed that the nation’s deliverance will “never come from abroad; it must come from within, through real leadership, not the Tinubus of this world, and national renewal.”

The statement reads: “The latest threat by US President Donald Trump @POTUS to launch military action in Nigeria, allegedly to protect Christians, may sound appealing to some. Still, history has shown this to be perilous.

Whether you are Christian, Muslim, animist, or non-religious, no one should celebrate such rhetoric. The United States and its allies have a long record of military interventions that leave nations more unstable than before.

They failed to secure peace in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, or Syria, and they will not bring salvation to Nigeria through bombs or boots on the ground.

What Nigeria truly needs is not a foreign savior, but legitimate accountable leadership, one that protects all citizens, upholds justice, and ends the cycles of corruption and violence that have left the nation broken.”

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to carry out attacks in Nigeria in response to purported anti-Christian violence, saying he instructed the recently renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action”.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the United States would immediately cut off all assistance to the African country “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians”.

The US “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities”, Trump added, without specifying which groups or alleged “atrocities” he was referring to.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” he wrote.

The Nigerian government did not immediately respond to Trump’s threat.

The social media post comes a day after the US president announced that Nigeria would be added to the Department of State’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern”, which is set up to monitor religious persecution around the world.

In recent months, right-wing lawmakers and other prominent figures in the US have claimed that violent disputes in Nigeria are part of a campaign of “Christian genocide”.

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While human rights groups have urged the Nigerian government to do more to address unrest in the country, which has experienced deadly attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups, experts say that claims of a “Christian genocide” are false and simplistic.

Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow for Africa Studies at the Washinton, DC-based Council on Foreign Relations, said that Trump was right in identifying a lacking response from the Nigerian government towards Boko Haram.

Obadare said that those facing persecution in Nigeria included “not just of Christians…but Muslims, non-Christians, agnostics, everybody in between”. He added that the Trump administration should work with Nigerian authorities to address the “common enemy”.

“This is precisely the moment when Nigeria needs assistance, especially military assistance,” Obadare said. “The wrong thing to do is to invade Nigeria and override the authorities or the authority of the Nigerian government. Doing that will be counterproductive.”

A few hours before Trump’s threat, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu released a statement stressing that his government “continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions”.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” Tinubu said on Saturday.

“Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths,” the statement continued.

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“Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”

Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed his country’s commitment to protecting all of its citizens.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” Ebienfa wrote in a statement on Saturday.

“Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”

As the Nigerian Army intensifies its crackdown, authorities find themselves on high alert, mobilizing their resources in a determined effort to track down and apprehend those believed to be behind this audacious plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.

The atmosphere is charged with tension, as whispers of betrayal and conspiracy ripple through the community, leaving many on edge about what the future holds.

Military investigation into the alleged coup plot has reportedly uncovered a trail of N45 billion disbursed from the bank accounts of the Niger Delta Development Commission to some politically exposed persons and the soldiers detained in connection with the rumoured conspiracy to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Earlier this month, Sahara Reporters reported that 16 Nigerian Army officers were detained for allegedly planning a coup d’etat to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.

The online newspaper had linked the alleged coup to the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day by the Federal Government.

However, the military, in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, denied the report linking the detention of the 16 military officers to a failed coup.

Multiple reports on Tuesday stated that some Nigerian Army personnel raided the Abuja residence of ex-governor Timipre Sylva, also a former Minister of State for Petroleum, in connection with the alleged coup plot currently under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency.

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Sequel to the discovery, the Defence Intelligence Agency investigators grilled some top NDDC officials about the sources of the fund, beneficiaries and how it was utilised.

The development has set off panic alarms at the NDDC headquarters over alleged links to the financing of subversive activities.

The Federal Government had also denied the coup plot against Tinubu’s administration. The Defence Headquarters described reports of a coup attempt as “false, misleading, and malicious” and stated that 16 military officers in custody are being investigated for professional misconduct, not a coup plot.

While details of the interrogation of the NDDC officials remain unclear, investigators are said to be scrutinising a series of high-value transactions carried out in recent months allegedly linked to politically-exposed persons.

They include a shoreline project awarded to a former governor in the South-South to the tune of N45bn, some of which allegedly found its way to the account of some of the detained officers.

Security sources with knowledge of the ongoing probe confirmed that the interrogation of the NDDC top shots was “part of a broader intelligence-based inquiry into the movement of public funds.”

Sources in the NDDC disclosed to The PUNCH that many top officials are apprehensive that the development may trigger a broader probe into the commission’s financial dealings.

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They affirmed that the invitation of the top NDDC executives had triggered widespread anxiety among senior officials.

According to one insider, who spoke on condition of anonymity, “Since the news broke about the interrogation of the top shots, the atmosphere here has been uneasy. Many directors are being cautious about their movements and communications.”

Some executive directors who maintain close administrative ties with the embattled NDDC top shots are said to be worried about the development.

The development has sparked intense speculation within the commission, with staff expressing concern that the investigation could widen and implicate other senior officials.

The NDDC spokesperson, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, declined comments when asked about the quizzing of the commission’s officials.

Meanwhile, Sylva has denied alleged involvement in the coup plot.

His Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Julius Bokoru, said the rumour in some quarters is the handiwork of ‘’desperate and self-seeking politicians trying to actualise their ambitions in 2027.’’

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Bokoru explained that no reason was provided for the raid. He further clarified that the former governor’s Yenagoa residence was not raided by the operatives.

He confirmed that Sylva and his wife, Alanyingi, were out of the country at the time.

Explaining their absence, Bokoru said Sylva was in the United Kingdom for routine medical checks and would soon be on his way to Malaysia to attend “a professional conference.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters. During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property.

“Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid. To the best of my knowledge, the officers involved did not provide any categorical explanation for their actions, either at the time or subsequently.

“It is important to state unequivocally that His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, and his esteemed wife, Her Excellency, Alanyingi Sylva, were both outside the country at the time of the incident.

“As at my last communication with His Excellency, he was engaged in a routine medical check-up in the United Kingdom, after which he was scheduled to proceed to Malaysia to attend a professional conference.

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“The next development I was made aware of, regrettably, were reports circulating across social media and other platforms concerning the raid on his residence.

“While the Defence Headquarters has already debunked the swirling rumours of a coup in Nigeria, it is important to state emphatically that Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, has no involvement whatsoever—either in planning or in logistics—with any such plot.

Meanwhile, investigations have progressed into the alleged attempted coup by some Nigerian soldiers arrested in September, with more than 30 suspects now set to face trial, according to PREMIUM TIMES.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the suspects, including senior military officers, are expected to be tried in both civil courts and military court martials.

The officers allegedly planned a violent takeover in which top government officials were marked for assassination.

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that a special panel was investigating individuals implicated in the failed attempt. The panel has now prepared a preliminary report that will be submitted to President Bola Tinubu, according to a source.

The report indicates that more than 30 suspects may face trial, while about seven others remain at large. Those found not to have a case to answer are expected to be released.

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“The seven people could not be found in their homes, and their telephone numbers have been dead since this matter started,” one source said. “So they are still on a manhunt.”

It is unclear whether Timipre Sylva, a former Bayelsa governor and petroleum minister, is among the seven people at large. Mr Sylva recently confirmed that his home was raided by soldiers but denied any involvement in a coup plot.

“During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property.

“Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid. To the best of my knowledge, the officers involved did not provide any categorical explanation for their actions, either at the time or subsequently,” Mr Sylva’s spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, said.

Mr Bokoru also confirmed that Mr Sylva was not in the country during the raid and did not disclose when he plans to return to Nigeria.

Next Step by Investigators
The Chairman of the Special Investigative Panel, Emmanuel Undiendeye, a major general who is also the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), is expected to meet with the Chief of Defence Staff and other service chiefs in the coming days to determine next steps.

“The president will also be briefed,” another source confirmed.

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Military officers among the suspects will first face court martials before possible civil proceedings, while civilians implicated in the alleged plot will be tried in civil courts, our sources said.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier published the identities of 16 top military officers allegedly involved in the failed attempt. The officers were arrested in late September after intelligence reports indicated they were holding secret meetings and planning to overthrow the government. Fourteen of the detained officers are from the Nigerian Army, while two are from the Navy and Air Force.

The identities of the newly arrested suspects remain unclear.

Although the Defence Headquarters had released an ambiguous statement on the alleged coup attempt, sources said military authorities now appear ready to make categorical statements about the coup and those arrested.

“In the days to come, the Defence Headquarters is likely to issue a statement telling Nigerians about the findings from the investigation so far,” one source said.

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