These are the stories that drove conversation this week.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung, said President Buhari’s victory in 2015 against former president, Goodluck Jonathan, proved that one could win election in Nigeria without having money.

Dalung said there was a brewing political revolution against ‘god-fatherism’ in the Nigerian political space.

He said, “There is hope for Nigeria. The victory of President Buhari, up till now, not many Nigerians understood it; it was a political revolution.”

He urged Buhari to complete his first term and allow a new generation of leaders to take control of the affairs of the nation. Although, the said statement has led the Police to declare Babangida’s spokesman, Kassim Afegbua, wanted, as Babangida came out and said he never asked anyone to release such a statement – also releasing another statement.

Afegbua has since presented himself to the Police.

The House of Representatives discovered another $202 million to be missing from the coffers of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Then there was the $44 million allegedly missing from the NIA’s coffers which the House of Representatives mandated its committee on Public Safety and National Security to investigate.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji (APC Zamfara) said while investigating the missing $44 million as mandated by the House, a stunning discovery came to light that an additional $202 million is missing from the coffers of the NIA.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in Borno, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, said Boko Haram insurgency has been completely defeated.

According to him, troops of Operation Deep Punch II dislodged and occupied the insurgents’ tactical ground “Camp Zairo”.

Hundreds of insurgents surrendered and many fled, while over 100 civilians were rescued, Gen. Nicholas said.

But not too long after that, insurgents killed two persons and injured one in an attack carried out in Kofa village near Alau, Borno.

The attack happened on Sunday evening, some 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from Maiduguri.

President Buhari recalled the Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, who was suspended by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole.

Yusuf, who is being probed by the EFCC and ICPC, was accused of perpetrating fraud to the tune of N919 million.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said the reinstatement of Yusuf will not stop the investigation of allegations against him.

The Nigerian Army says it will launch a military operation “Cat Race” in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger and Kaduna states.

The operation, expected to last between February 15 and March 31, is to curb herdsmen attacks.

At a plenary, the lawmakers also asked Ibrahim Idris, Inspector-General of Police, to apologise for his “seeming unwillingness” to enforce the anti-open grazing law in Benue.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will transmit the results of the 2019 general elections electronically through the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT).

INEC has sought NIGCOMSAT’s help to use its Sat1-R satellite to electronically transmit the results immediately after counting at each polling unit across the country.

In an address read by the Archbishop of Jos and Conference President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Dr Ignatius Ayau, Nigerian Bishops have asked President Buhari to act as a father to all by tackling “some glaring failures of government” and lopsidedness in federal appointments to give every Nigerian a sense of belonging.

In response, the governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello taunted the Bishops saying, “And of course those that have looted the country dry and normally go to the church and mosque to pay tithe are no longing doing so. Of course, this is the category of people who are angry.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has announced that the government is examining the possible reorganisation of the security architecture of the country at a summit on national security organised by the Senate.

The Federal Government believes state police is the way to go in the face of multifaceted security challenges.

“We cannot realistically police a country the size of Nigeria centrally from Abuja. State Police and other community policing methods are clearly the way to go,” Osinbajo said.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram