Review of year 2020

The year 2020 which has become largely sorrowful and sympathetic to all humanity due to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic which has enveloped all most nooks and crannies of almost the entire universe.

During the pandemic in the outgone year many thousands of lives were lost, widespread impoverishment, economic downturn and many other calamities which many lucky ones were opportune to withstand the untold challenges, hoping to see the new year with promising and good anticipations of what 2021 might bring to humanity.

In January, the first month of the outgone year gave so many bizarre insights. Two years after killing her husband, Maryam Sanda was sentenced to death by hanging, the verdicts has become widely most discussed the issue of the month. Though the Appeal Court has upheld the verdict, she has appealed the judgement at the Supreme Court.

The royal battle in Kano resumed as the then Emir, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi ll, was probed by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission over the alleged sale of landed property belonging to the Kano Emirate Council.

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In the second month of the outgone year, February,  the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the commercial city of Lagos as an Italian citizen tested positive for the virus. As of December 29, the virus-infected 85,560 and killed 1,267 in the 36 states and the FCT.

Also in the same month,  Boko Haram insurgents set several vehicles carrying passengers ablaze, killing at least 30 in Auno, Borno State, while the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, kicked over mainstream media and comments on the social media rebuking the appearance of his four wives during his swearing-in and the fact that he has 27 children.

In the Month of March, the 14^th Fulani Emir of Kano,  Malam Muhammad Sanusi ll was dethroned over what was regarded as disrespect to the office of the governor of the state and other government agencies. The 14th Emir of Kano from the Fulani Sullubawa clan was banished to Awe, a remote area in Nasarawa State. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje appointed Aminu Ado Bayero, the son of the 14th Kano Emir, late Alh. Ado Bayero as the 15th Emir of Kano.

A blast at Abule-Ado, Lagos State, killed at least 15 people and destroyed about 50 buildings, while a mass of insurgents suspected to be Boko Haram members with rocket-propelled grenades and other heavy weaponry ambushed an army lorry and incinerated it, killing about 70 Nigerian soldiers in Gorgi, a village in Borno State.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) commenced indefinite strike following the inability of the Federal Government to address the union’s demands, in the month of March.

In April 2020, Malam Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, died at a private hospital in Lagos after battling COVID-19.

Gravediggers in Kano reported a mysterious increase in deaths. This led to controversy as the state governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje initially denied over 150 people’s death in a week. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kano tripled from 77 to 219 as health authorities step-up verbal autopsies where officials insisted that most of the fatalities were due to other diseases rather than COVID-19.

In May during the outgone year, At least 20 people were killed when Boko Haram insurgents attacked Gajigana, Borno State, as faithful were preparing to break Ramadan fast in the first attack of its kind since the Muslim holy month began.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed an executive order granting financial autonomy to two other arms of – state legislature and judiciary across the 36 states.

In June, in the year 2020, the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was arrested after allegedly shooting at Buhari’s nephew and aide, Sabiu Yusuf, when the latter allegedly refused to go into self-isolation after a trip to Lagos. President Buhari ordered a probe of the incident while the first lady urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to release her aide.

In July of 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, as the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel grilled Magu over various allegations levelled against him.

The first female combat helicopter pilot of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Tolulope Arotile, died in a road accident at the NAF Base, Kaduna, after sustaining head injuries.

The acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, fainted during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly.

In August 2020, Twenty-two-year-old musician, Yahaya Sharif Aminu, was sentenced to death by hanging in Kano State for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad. 13-year old Omar Farouq was also sentenced to 10 years for blasphemy, while in the same month, The Commander, Fagge Command of Kano State Hisbah Board, Ustaz Jamilu Yusuf, was arrested by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over-involvement in the trafficking of a one-year-old child.

September, of the outgoing year, has become the luckiest month for Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him as the winner of the Edo State governorship election. He defeated his closest rival, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, of the APC.

In October, Nigeria celebrated its 60 years Independence anniversary. A series of mass protests by young Nigerians against police brutality hit major states in Nigeria tagged #EndSars . The protests came to an end on October 20, when armed security personnel dispersed the crowd in Lekki, one of the iconic centres of the protest, leading to casualties and fatalities. This led to vandalisation and destruction of public and private properties, in many parts of the country, including the palace of the Oba of Lagos, NPA office and several police stations.

In the last November of the out-going year, Boko Haram insurgents killed over 76 rice farmers in Zabarmari village, a rice farming community in Jere.

Also on 30th  November 2020 the East University of South Carolina in the United States gave controversial appointment offer to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje into the position of mentoring scholar and visiting full professor of e-governance. An appointment which later proved to be a fake offer.

In December 2020, Gunmen abducted over 300 students of the Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State. However, the boys were later released after a week.

The Federal Government announced new measures following the resurgence of COVID-19 infections.

Interpol extradited Abdulrasheed Maina from the neighbouring Niger Republic and returned him to Nigeria to continue his trial after he jumped bail and his surety, Senator Ali Ndume spent a week at Kuje correctional centre.

In the same month, The speaker, Kano State house of Assembly Abdulaziz Garba Gafasa along with the house majority Leader, Kabiru  Hassan Dashi resigned as Engr. Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari was appointed as new speaker of the house.