 On the breakfast, Russia intensifies bombing in Ukraine once the West. Neto, as President Vladimir Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert. Top 10 electoral acts, amendment bill signed into law by President Mohamed Muwari. How will they profit the electorates? And as always, we'll be taking a look at the national dailies this beautiful Monday morning. It's a beautiful Monday morning. We're back with the Breakfast on Plus TV Africa bumper package of discussions and analysis for you. I'm Kofi Bartels. And I am Messi Bokvosky to be back on your screen this Monday morning. Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. Lots to talk about, lots happening. I must say, Messi, you're shining today. Thank you. You look sharp as well. Oh, wow. Thank you. Thank you. We'll try. I like to talk about, you know, the weekend was really busy. And Nigerians were busy. So we would start with a top trending, you know, segment and look at what's been talked about. I followed the NDLEA discussion online, you know, in a part of Lagos where they went on a raid. And some persons were said to have died in that raid. And not a few Nigerians came out, especially young people, to lambast the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for invading a part of Lagos Island called Pate Street in a sort of a drug bust, a sting operation, we would call it that. We had always at least one casualty. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has come out with a statement which we have and through the spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Femi Baba Femi, he has had to say that the agency and its officials, yes, indeed, went for that operation. Yes, indeed, that those that were seen in that video, viral footage shot with someone's phone, operators of the NDLEA. But he's saying that it was, they had to raid a drug then where they arrested the kingpin of a drug, a drug... Cattail. Cattail. Cattail. Because, you know... It sounds like we're in Colombia. Yeah, you know, but anyway, so six others, apart from this drug, kingpin in court, it should be more like queenpin because it's a queenpin. It's a queenpin, yeah, queenpin because she is a she. But let's stick to what we know, kingpin. So the seven in all, and the NDLEA has seen the recovered 5,826 kilograms of drugs and then they put the video out because of course, Twitter was the place where this, you know, back and forth. I think the NDLEA officials are feeling the heat of backlash from Nigerian youth, but we have the video, the viral footage, it's user generated content and then I think we also have the... we'll play rather the videos put up by the NDLEA of who they call their suspects, so let's look at that. Well, we actually saw that video and really, really, it's been a lot of conversation ongoing, so you can see the video just before, you know, we got back on screen. The question I was asking is why they've been asked as well. So, but to be very honest, there's nothing wrong if you have the NDLEA, you know, going after the drug kingpins. You say it's a queenpin. But I just think it's a generic, you know, to just describe those who are in the cartel. Yes, definitely, definitely. But, you know, I think that what's been queried here is the mode of operation. That's what a lot of people have talked about. I mean, for a second, I just wondered what's going on. It feels like what we see in the movies. And I did mention Columbia. It's already looking like words, you know. Oh, and what's his name again? The guy on Netflix. So, no, let's just continue. But, you know, that's what a lot of conversation is about. I mean, if you know that particular sport and that particular area, first of all, you look at it, it's a residential area. It has, there's a lot of commercial activities. And so, there might just be civilian casualties, the fact that you're shooting. So, the big question, and you know that with the fight against insecurity, we've constantly talked about the issue of intelligence. So, in my mind, I'm wondering, is it not possible that these drug lords and kingpin and queenpins could actually be picked out without having to, you know, put out all of that display. Even though we hear the NDLA say that we're going to make some arrests, but they were rather repelled, they were attacked, you know, because these drug lords actually enforced, had, you know, their men come through to attack them, and that was the case. But in the videos that we have seen, I haven't really seen any, you know, shooting from the NDLA, and then also being... Any gunfire going their way. Yeah, going their way. So, I'm just wondering, you know, where did the attack come from? Yeah. And so, the mode of oppression is one thing that Nigerians have questioned. A lot of people have talked about that. I'm also wondering, is there no way we probably would have carried this operation without being very loud, without looking like we're already in a battlefield, you know? And when you said loud, you didn't mean you didn't intend any ponder? No! I mean, like, just having guns, it feels like we're in a battleground. And anything can happen, you know, bullets. Now, some people say that the bullets that were actually being used were just empty bullets that were just not, you know, live ammunition and all of that. So, you got rubber bullets. Yes. But some people say that those bullets, you have no idea what, you know, impact those bullets can actually cause. Yeah, because, I mean, one of the videos, you saw someone being rushed, you know? Someone being rushed, carried by people. Let's just read a snippet of very quickly, the NDLA statement. They say, a major... This is what they put out. A major drug kingpin, you know, operating in a notorious party, Lagos Island drug haven in Lagos State, they put her name, has been arrested along with six other suspects by the NDLA with 5,862 kilograms. That's a lot. They were sort of illicit drugs. They mentioned loud. Okay. No one knew you were very particular when I said loud. Loud, yes, yes. And you look at the bench there, you see some bottles like cough syrup. So now I saw that it's probably codeine, you know? They say, following credible intelligence and full-up surveillance on illicit drug dealing in Osho, Gambari, and Bicroft Street. Bicroft Street in Calabar, by the way. A party area of Lagos Island. Lantinacotic officers stormed Gambari Street base of the drug kingpin where they arrested her in six of her accomplices at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday, 26 February. They went and said other members of the cartel attacked the operatives and mobilized hoodlums who attacked the operatives with stones, bottles, and guns in a bid to prevent the officers from arresting other kingpins marked for arrest, as well as taking the suspects away and drug exhibits away. So this is what they're saying, that they came under attack and that they had other kingpins to target, to pick up. But unfortunately they couldn't pick those other kingpins because of the attacks that they faced. Now we do know from recent history that we've had clashes between groups of agbeiro, what legosians call agbeiro, or NDLEA. Do I still feel comfortable with the NDLEA being called agbeiro? But you remember that they've had at least two fights or clashes in recent months and in at least one of them, if not both, we've had gun shots being fired. So that guns available to hoodlums or agbeiro, whoever, in that part of Lagos is not in question. The question is did the NDLEA need to fire? Did they need to shoot some radical in? How many people were affected? Did anyone die? Or how many people died? But we have a drug problem. A lot of Nigerian youth keep questioning the methods of the NDLEA. Fermi put out a law that stipulates that the NDLEA is allowed to go ahead and without a warrant, search anybody, not just the NDLEA, even the customs and police, search anyone who may be suspected to have drugs on them or any premises, you know, in the enforcement of the nation's drug laws, they're permitted to, without a warrant, search. You know, so, I mean, some have argued that this is a variance with Nigerian constitution, therefore not in void, you know, but it's left to the, what do you call it, the constitutional eggheads to argue out. But the fact is that the rights of Nigerians need to be protected so that people are not victimized, because, you know, when these things get out of hand, sometimes the innocent are the casualties and they get victimized, we call collateral damage. Also, on the other hand, we also need to realize we have a big drug problem in Nigeria, but in Lagos in particular, I think I've shared with you in recent time where on the streets of Lagos, not far from where we're seated, have been approached, you know, by boys, just young guys, just in the broad day night. Let me call it that. It's selling loud and offering to sell to me. So, maybe we should move on, because you're not far from us, you know. But just before we move away now, just quickly, this one is that people have actually said that the battle should be taken to none. If the NDLE is actually strong on, you know, this one, if we need to battle the use of illicit drugs and what have you, then the battle, I don't know, what should we call it a battle? It's not a battle. We should try to get to those who actually supply. And if you find out, if you look at the cartel... The kingpings. The kingpings and, you know, the lords of this, you know, drug business, illicit drug, you find out that they're not just poor men. That's not the word to say. They're just common people. They're not just, you know, major Nigerians. They are people who are highly placed, very influential. And if you follow also, if you look at some other countries, if you follow the story of drug and, you know, the cartels and how it's been done, you just find out that those who trade in it are not just you and I. It's just some highly placed person. And some people are saying that, you know, it feels like the organization right now is scared, is attacking the users of drugs. Why don't you go to those who are supplying it? But this is a conversation for another day. Anyway, I think for its wise to pipe down on, you know, the one that is just nearby. No, I just think that... In case they're watching. It's fine. And I walk where they do. All right, let's move on. One of the leading voices in the NSAS protests, also one of the leading voices in the Bring Back Our Girls movement, Ayeshae Sufouez, is not taking it things lightly with Issa Bayero. Issa Bayero happens to be a relative of the current mayor of Kano. And of course, this has to do with the letter written by Issa Bayero to the Nigerian authorities asking for sanctions or some sort of disciplinary measures on air peace. Following a sort of what they call disrespect, not just to the Kano Emirates, but to the people, the entire people of Kano state and subjects of the Kano Emirates. What happened was that his eminence, he sought the Emir of Kano, was on his way, I hope I got the title right, back from Banjul in Gambia to Nigeria. He is said to have had a delayed flight caused by air peace. And it's happened to me before, so I can relate. When he got to the international wing of the Murtala Muhammad Airport, or international airport, it took him, he had just about 30 minutes to get from the international wing to the domestic wing. He had just about 30 minutes. And obviously when you look at clearing your luggage and getting everything with your entire entourage and moving the entire entourage from the international wing to domestic wing, 30 minutes is definitely not enough. So Issa Bayero is said to have called Oscar O'Yema, Mr. O'Yema, the owner of air peace and told him we need you to slow down the plane because we're running behind time. He had a flight delay in Banjul, Gambia. Unfortunately that couldn't happen. And the flight left from Lagos to Kano. And this is why this letter has come out. Now, air peace had released, I'm sorry, I said Oscar O'Yema, Alan O'Yema. Air peace had released a message, a statement detailing their side of the story and calling out Issa Bayero and saying it wasn't true that they had disrespected the emir of Kano, the Kano emirate and the people of Kano. Now, what they tried to do was simply to see how they can give the emir and not put him in a position where people will, the public will castigate him. And what they said was that they feel that it would even be against the image of the emir and the Kano emirate if the news gets out that the flight, which was already about to taxi at the time they called, was stopped on the tarmac or on the runway. Because of... Yes, and then how to reverse. And they would have been there for about an hour before the emir got there. So they said, Your Highness the emir, we respect you, we value you. All we did was to protect your image and that of air peace because if people film you going into the aircraft, just because after they waited for one hour, it will be fair and to be good on you. However, the argument can be made for the emir, that he was delayed because of air peace from Panjoo, you know. Now, what Alan Iyama is saying, they didn't say they wouldn't stop the plane. He actually made calls to the head of operations, I think, of air peace lady who called those on the airport on ground and it was found out that they could not, they could not stop the plane at the time. And they wanted to get another flight. Another flight. This time, the 7 a.m. flight because this was meant to be another, I think, 6 something. 7 a.m. flight from Lagos to Abuja and then from Abuja to Cannes. That's what they wanted to do. At no expense, extra expense rather to the emir. So if you ask me which I think is actually a fair deal at the end of the day because this is actually a flight that's also transporting or conveying all the passengers who probably would have been on different assignment. And yes, we totally understand the fact that this is a very prominent person. He's an emir. But let's also look at it. That flight was not just going to be, he's not just going to be the only one. If it was an empty aircraft, then one would have said that that would have actually happened. I just think it's just, how would I even say it's just logical, it's just very reasonable and very humane that you know, air peace actually, I'm not standing holding brief for them but you also need to understand, just like you have mentioned that if they had gone the other route, then it would have actually painted a bad image. I mean, people would definitely feel like, oh yes, we waited all of these hours and all of that. So I don't really know. I don't really see any thing that should have brought about it. But you know how we can be, we're very big on titles, we're very big on ourselves and who we are and the offices and the positions that we actually occupy. And constantly we do not have regard for the other persons. So imagine how many persons who were on that aircraft who probably had an assignment, who had a meeting with the governor, who probably had some interview too. Very important things to do. Important things to do. Everyone is important. No, it just reminded me recently, I was at one of these supermarket and so wearing the queue, you know how it can be everywhere in Lagos is you have to queue up for everything because of the population and so yes, what I was even going to pick in the grocery store wasn't so much. So I just had, you know, like a pack of stuff and then I had to queue up and then this young man just walked towards. He's not pregnant, he's not a woman. I mean, let's look at it, he's not an elderly person. We're really going to move on. But you know the idea, yeah, you know because we make, we have to make excuses for this person. You call them older citizens. You know, you look at all the... He was a senior citizen. So he's not a senior citizen. He's not pregnant. He, you know, nothing is wrong with him. So why can't you wait in the queue? And then you come to say, oh, can you excuse me? Everybody is going somewhere. It's important. And this is part of the reason why we constantly, you know, need to imbibe this as we proceed in the process. Yes, but there is a case for the Emir here bearing in mind the fact that he, his flight from Banjo was delayed. I was on a flight from, from Accra some years ago with the same airline, you know. I will mention their name. But they also have a blue and red, you know, logo. And they delayed me in Accra for four hours. I got to Lagos and the flight to Lagos by the time I got to the local wing had jetted off. I was moving from Lagos to Port Hacot. They had gone. And I wasn't compensated. I wasn't giving anything back. You know, that's part of all I tried. So, so these airlines get a lot away with a lot, you know, that they shouldn't get away with. You know, so if, if it wasn't the Emir, or if he had no call, what would he have done to get back? But, but, so do you blame the, do you blame the airline now, the Niger, do you blame Epis? The next flight from Lagos to Cano was going to be at night. I think it at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. I need to check. What is on the statement that we just put on the screen. The next flight to Cano from Lagos, Epis would have been at night. So if it was anyone like you and I, or the Emir had not said anything, you're about to stay there until night. So the airlines need to also, whilst we're not saying that they should stop the flight, they should also admit and say we delayed and we are sorry for delaying you. You know, and, and work on these things, you know, to get away with a lot and it's not too good. Well, moving away from that, we're also looking at the conversation that's making the rounds in different spaces is the fact that Russia invaded Ukraine and that has affected, you know, the global community. As much as we want to look at it, Nigerian students also in Ukraine and also in Russia have been affected by this. Now we have reports saying that some students have been denied access. I mean, the rescue train that's ongoing and rescue mission ongoing because the airspace has been shut out. So we have outcry from Nigerians who are saying that they have been discriminated against as they're not being allowed, you know, to the train from different ports that you have from Poland and, you know, and other paths, you know, surrounding Ukraine and even Russia so they can get to a safe space. It calls for a lot of worry. I mean, it calls for a lot of concern. The big question here is a lot of people have said a lot, but the question here is what, what, what, what is our relationship because this is what happens when you constantly have, you know, the Nigerian ambassador to Ukraine and Russia, you have all of these relationships. What is the Nigerian government doing to ensure that, you know, at this time? Because it's a conflict. It's a period of conflicts. It's a time of war. It's a war zone. Even though some people are saying it's not the very conventional war that you want to experience or we usually would see, but however you want to look at it, it's a conflict zone. And in conflict situation as this, what is the Nigerian government expected to do to protect our citizens who are in this particular, you know, kind of conflict? If rescue mission is going on, how can the Nigerian government help? We have the embassy, the Nigerian embassy. You know, we have, you know, foreign minister. We have the Nigerian ambassador in these countries. And so what is actually going on? What efforts have been? Yes, we know that the government has come out to put several statements about how effective it is. And the issue of discrimination. So it's really, really saddening, Kofi, because you're finding that right now, even in the midst of conflict, it feels like, you know, racism or discrimination, we don't know what it is. It's still very on. And this is a time where humanity should be the watchword. Everybody should be talking about the fact that you're a human being. It doesn't matter the color that you have. As long as you have the, you know, necessary documents, which I think that these persons are not illegally, you know, leaving in this country, because that would be a conversation for another day. But fingers across. Let's see how all of this pans out. Yes, indeed. A number of Nigerians have been filmed, you know, interviewed by international, you know, media. And I did watch one. I don't know why we've not sent you to Ukraine to cover for us. It won't be about. You know, your talent should be there, you know. But anyway, so one of the young men said that, you know, he was on the queue to get across the border, I think, into Belarus. And to hungry of Belarus, I'm not sure. But he was asked to go back, you know, for the Caucasians to pass. And this is really worrying. This is really worrying. There are a lot of quite a sizable amount of Nigerians in Ukraine, you know, even while the Crimean, you know, war has been going on, the Nigerians in Crimea, the Nigerians in the next, the Nigerians in the Donbass area, you know, the Nigerians in Kirkev, the Nigerians in Kiev, in different parts of Ukraine. A lot of medical students are there in Ukraine. You know, yesterday it was a Nigerian comedian, Chris Clown, who was on Twitter, you know, telling Nigerians about his experiences in Ukraine, why he went to school there, and that he asked family, you know, his sister and others are in Ukraine. And so it was almost like a live update as to, we all knew when they crossed the border and everything. And calling on Nigerians not to condemn Nigerian students who go to these countries here, because the fees were quite affordable at the time. Niren was stronger than now. But on the part of the federal government, Geoffrey Yamada, Minister of Foreign Affairs put out a statement via Twitter yesterday. He says that I spoke on the phone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmitry Kuleba, expressed sympathy for the needlessness of live destruction. Let's just go to the major thing. He said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reverted to state, it's official, no restrictions for foreign nationals to leave the country exist. Problem is a result of chaos on the border and checkpoints leading to them. I'm personally coordinating with our missions in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Romania, and Hungary to ensure we get our citizens out of Ukraine and bring back to Nigeria those ready to return while supporting those who are ready to remain in Ukraine. Now the Minister went on to say, we understand how difficult things are at the border. We are reaching the high authorities in those countries an international organization for migration to assist people suffering at the borders. Missions have been directed to send staff and buses to border points in the respective countries to transport our citizens. So what's happening is now the authorities I think in Hungary, I think probably in Poland, but I know about them, they have brought up a new visa policy that if you are able to get into Ukraine and this is what the Minister was saying, you have to make sure you have your Ukrainian visa or resident permit and then you also have your Nigerian passport intact. So when you cross the border you have these documents, you are entitled to a three month visa in Hungary. You can stay there. And if you want to leave, you can leave from there as well. So you can look at this video of Nigerians not allowed into the rescue train. Really sad. Very disturbing scenes right there, very disturbing scenes there. You can see a rescue train with Nigerian national outside. Outside. Outside. It's about the skin color. Really. And even at war times, I mean even conflict situation, should we not be, you know, conceded that that's another human being in the code. I'm trying not to, you know, get in my feelings at this point in time. It's unimaginable. I mean a country that the entire world is coming together for, you know, a country of the entire world is banding together, including African countries. It's really sad to show that they can't even be fair and humane to other people. Well, that's so much that we can take at this point in time. We definitely will return with top trending conversations surrounding the different spaces and of course, generating conversation in our own space. When we return, it will be time for all of the press. We do have our guest, Opunabong Kotaria, who is at standby. He joins immediately.