Anyone can buy your NIN

4,326 lives lost to violence in Q1 2026. 5,091 in Q2. That's a 17.7% increase in a single quarter, and it's not contained to one region. The North West alone saw a 45% jump, with Zamfara's death toll more than doubling from 338 to 800. The violence is spreading, not slowing. And the quieter we get about it, the easier it becomes to ignore. We're sharing this because these numbers deserve more than a scroll-past.

A Looming Constitutional Crisis of Dates Lest we forget, we are heading toward a constitutional time trap if not handled properly. The Constitution is clear: elections must not hold earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of tenure. In practical terms, all elections, including runoffs and reruns, must be concluded by April 29, 2027. The February 20 date currently fixed for the presidential election coincides with Ramadan and the Lenten season in 2027. Ramadan lasts 30 days; Lent spans 40 days. If election dates are adjusted to avoid both fasting periods, we will have exactly 30 days before the constitutional deadline. That is dangerously tight for conducting all elections except we revert to conducting elections on one day. What happens in the event of a runoff? What if there are widespread reruns? The earliest constitutionally permissible window is 29th January. The available time between 29th January and 7th February 2027 when Ramadan is scheduled, is extremely narrow for the conduct of a general election. I wish INEC clarity and wisdom as it undertakes its consultations, and I hope the upcoming extraordinary session of the Senate & House of Representatives deliver an outcome that truly serves citizens’ interests and strengthens our democracy.

Congrats on being Presser of the Day for January 25, Mabel Adekola! 🎉 @maybellyne09 thewp.world/potd/

I shed tears of pain two weeks ago, the first time this year. I do not recall crying last year. My good friend and colleague, Justice John (@legalbreed01), lost his wife, Mrs. Akudo Lovelyn John, in a very questionable circumstance. I attended their civil wedding a year ago, precisely on Wednesday, 18th December, 2024. Justice and I have been good friends since we met in the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus. My friend, Justice, is seeking justice. Below is the personal account of the tragic death as written by Justice . THE AGONY OF LOSING MY BELOVED AND NEWLY WEDDED WIFE AT GYNESCOPE SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, LEKKI My wife went to Gynescope Specialist Hospital, Lekki for childbirth and died from mismanaged Primary Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH). The same hospital where she registered and had her antenatal care without any underlying illness. In her third trimester, during one of the antenatal visits, the Consultant and attending doctor, Dr. Joseph Aliyu Yahaya, disclosed the considerable size of the baby. We raised concerns regarding safe delivery options and the possibility of an elective Cesarean Section (CS) owing to the fetal size. The Consultant dismissed CS and insisted on SVD. On Wednesday, 3rd December 2025, my wife went into labour. The Consultant performed episiotomy on my her, and our baby was delivered weighing 4.2KG. Immediately after delivery, the consultant left the labour ward and my wife’s episiorrhaphy was done by his subordinate. My wife complained of a dripping sensation inside her body. After observation, the Consultant noted that the vulva was unusually swollen and the sutures were too tight. The Consultant re-sutured her. After this second procedure, my wife looked lifeless, pale, and unconscious for hours, while the bleeding continued unabated. The Consultant confirmed she was bleeding internally yet took no active steps in referring or seeking specialist help outside the primary facility. There was a clear 15-hour window between the delivery of our baby and my wife’s eventual passing. Blood transfusion was done without first identifying and repairing the source of bleeding. At about 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, 4th December 2025, my wife complained of discomfort and began convulsing. It is important to note that at this critical moment, no medical personnel were in sight. Minutes after I screamed for help, doctors and nurses arrived from the ground floor. There was notably no oxygen in the ward where my wife was admitted. At this time, I requested for a transfer of my wife to another facility, but the Consultant said no facility would accept her without a pulse. Minutes later, the Consultant then agreed for her to be moved. MY OBSERVATIONS DURING THE EVACUATION OF MY WIFE Firstly, the Hospital brought a stretcher without side guards or straps to evacuate my wife. While moving her, she fell off the stretcher onto the hard floor of the tiled walkway on the 3rd floor. (I have challenged the Hospital to release the undoctored CCTV footage of the 3rd floor showing when my wife was being stretched out in the early hours of Thursday, 4th December 2025). I rushed to help lift her back up. The staff seemed confused about whether to use the stairs or elevator, thereby wasting valuable time during such an emergency. Secondly, upon reaching the ground floor, I expected the ambulance to be positioned at the entrance of the hospital door, ready to receive her. Sadly, the ambulance was stationed about 80 metres away, still covered in a tarpaulin showing no readiness. Only then was the cover removed. When I asked the driver to open the ambulance, I heard the most shocking thing - the keys were with Human Resources (HR) Manager. It took considerable time to retrieve the keys. When the driver finally opened the bus, he stated he needed to connect the battery. Throughout this chaos, my wife lay in the open on a stretcher, unattended and without oxygen.