In a manner reminiscent of the Gestapo styled oppressive invasion characteristic of the military era, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, stormed the venue of an event organized to empower women in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, interrupted and canceled the event.

The brazen action was carried out with the assistance of the nation’s homeland intelligence agency, the State Security Service (SSS), popularly known as Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday, August 8, 2024, in what concerned watchers deem a return to the dark days of military dictatorship.
The Minister stated that she was executing the orders of the President, asserting that President Bola Tinubu had earlier ordered the cancellation of the event, but the organizer proceeded with it.

Curiously, Tinubu was a victim of military dictatorships and was even forced to go on exile from the country during the General Sani Abacha regime.

His mentor, Moshood Abiola, his wife, Kudirat, and several other members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) were either killed, tortured, or forced into exile by the oppressive government, which deployed fully the Nigerian Security Organization (NSO), which later metamorphosed into the State Security Service (SSS).

She explained that the event had not been approved by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and as such was not supposed to hold, noting that the event organizer has been taken into custody by the DSS for alleged impersonation of the Ministry.

The event, which was organized by Mela-Chiyoma Pat Limited, was tagged ‘Unveiling the power of women and food security’ and attended by women from within and outside Abuja.

“There is an impersonating thing going on here. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs did not plan this. The lady, I have arrested her. Right now, she is with the Department of State Service (DSS),”

“After we wrote that we were canceling, the president approved that we should cancel until further notice; she still went ahead to print this thing.”

“This is impersonation. As far as this thing was given out there, that makes it a fraud. That is why I am standing here to explain this to everyone. She has been arrested.”

The Minister further stated that the organizer of the event should have organized the event on her own and in her name, explaining that the reason for the interruption is that the Ministry of Women Affairs was tied to an event they were not part of.

“She should have organized it herself, used her name to make an invitation, and used her name to do this and not to use the federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

“I am saying this. Let the media cover it; I don’t care. You don’t do this. You don’t take the ministry for granted.”

“I can’t allow this programme to move on. I am sorry about it because this is pure impersonation, and the president is not happy about it.

This action of the Minister again signposts a fearful descent into dictatorship by the Tinubu administration, which has continued to exhibit its sterling credentials in insensitivity, human rights abuse and citizen antagonism.

Just days ago, the Nigerian Army shot and killed a 16-year-old boy in Zaria, Kaduna State. The boy, Mohammed, was one of the peaceful protesters involved in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest. Several other citizens were also shot and killed during the protests in different states of the federation.

In May 2024, the military occupied and sacked Okuama Community in Delta State, South-South, Nigeria, on the pretext of fishing out youths who killed some of its officers and men.