 Welcome back, you're still watching the Breakfast on Plants TV Africa and of course we have a guest joining us to analyze the next issue right here on the program. And this has to do with the release of the privilege of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, his Eminence, Dr. Samuel Kalu Uche. Well the privilege of the Methodist Church in Nigeria who was abducted by hoodlums in Abia State has said that 100 million Naira was paid by the church to secure his freedom. Like Cleric who spoke during the press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday said the kidnappers showed him decomposing bodies of some past victims of kidnap. Kalu Uche who was abducted on Sunday along the Inugopot Hakel Expressway in the Umonerchi local government area of Abia State Axis said he was taken together with his chaplain, a very reverent Abidemi Shitu and the Bishop of Oweri, right Reverend Dennis Mark. Now, earlier the Abia State Governor Okezeik Pazou had released a statement attributing the safe release of the Kidnap Prelate of Methodist Church in Nigeria to quote the grace of God, the fervent prayers of the Christian community and what he called the well-coordinated response from the security agencies in Abia State. Let's welcome at this point our guest Muhammad Abdulahi who is a public affairs analyst as we analyze some of the things that were said by his eminence, most of his eminence Dr. Samuel Kalu Uche the Prelate of Methodist Church in Nigeria. Muhammad Abdulahi good morning to you, thanks for your time. Good morning Nigeria, thanks for having me. There's a lot to unpack from what the Prelate of Methodist Church said but let's start from what the Abia State government said in a statement release that was signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezeik Pazou. The Governor is saying that he's attributing the release of this clergyman to the grace of God, that's number one, number two, the fervent prayers of the Christian community. Number three, he talked about well-coordinated response of the security agencies in Abia State. Now forward, fast forward some moments later the clergyman holds a press conference and says hey, we paid 100 million Naira before we released. We raised 130 million Naira but paid 100 million Naira in five sacks of 20 million Naira each and this money was counted cash by the abductors before we released even at gunpoint. What do you say to this? I think the government in the government is only trying to save its face but we all know I'm sure an upgrade citizen in this country understand that we are just waiting for catastrophe or negativity to happen because we really do not have our security apparatus are not really up to the task. We must say this as it is. So like you mentioned what the government of Abia State did like usually even the federal government would do and all other types of government what they usually do is just to put out the propaganda statement you know to see or to see him as if they are working but it is even so late now because Nigerians are wiser. Nigerians understand how these things are played out. Nigerians understand that even when government is to mention that ransom is paid we know heavily that ransom has been paid and to confirm that the abductee himself came out to narrate his codeal in the hands of this deadly evil devil. You know so it is really unfortunate that government is abdicating its duties of securing lives most importantly and then properties which is another important thing of its citizens is very very unfortunate because if you live, you stay indoors, you travel within Nigeria, you are at risk. So it is so so unfortunate that we find ourselves in this kind of precarious situation. I must say that the major cause of this insecurity is the fact that we have refused as a people and as a government to plan ahead. We have been very visionless as a government and as a people. Let me give you a small example. I just arrived in Nigeria last, yesterday afternoon from Kigali, a very small country you know. The topography of Wanda and Kigali as a whole is very healing, you understand, it heals everywhere and you wonder how this would get to develop such topography. But what am I trying to say? Because they understand that if you are going down the hill, it is very likely that you lose your break and so on and so forth. Then if you are also going uphill, it is very likely that you are able not to drive well so there is speed limit everywhere in Kigali. And the global standard is 100 km, 100 km, the speed limit is 100 km, you understand. What they do is that it is 60 km everywhere in Kigali and how do they enforce this necessity in every major world? So you don't need to say no policeman is standing there to police you, to say you must, but they know every Kigali. And even as a policeman you know, it is inviting you, that discipline is there, you can't move beyond 60 km, you understand. So what am I trying to say? But here we've seen this right from when we fought the civil war. I wasn't born, but I heard that we've seen the issues that we have issues with ethnicity, we have issues with religion, we have issues with tribalism. But for the past 30 or so years, even after the civil war, we have refused to plan, you understand. And so these hoodlums, these kidnappers, these deadly evils people have seen that you have a very serious government, whether present or even the incoming one. We must tell ourselves the truth, very serious government, very serious people, so we can continue to do what we want. So how many times have we heard of kidnappings all across Nigeria, people paying huge amounts and these kidnappers go scot free. So this is quite, I mean, you were saying the governor was just trying to say face. We are aware that Governor Iqbalzou may have been a war at the PDP presidential primary in Abuja, which held on Sunday. This particular kidnap took place on Sunday and the man was released next day being Monday. So I don't know, maybe the governor may not have been on ground to order that the security apparatus be deployed in his full weight. Like they normally say to release this man who the privilege himself is an indigent of Abuja state. And like you said, maybe this was a move to say something about how do you go say what didn't happen? I mean, your government, you can just place a call and say, oh, police, military, did you were you involved in this or not? Because the privilege categorically said, neither the federal government, nor the state government, nor the police, nor the military were involved in his rescue. So what does this say about our leaders, the governance, the governance in Nigeria that such a blunder, you know, can be committed in trying to just put out a statement you assume. I mean, you wouldn't make that, even a secondary school student cannot make such a mistake. What does this say about governance in the country? It is not a mistake, sir. It is not a mistake. It's not a mistake at all. Like I said before, it's a well thought out plan, you know, always by government, whether from federal government, state government, local government, you know, to always put out propaganda. You know, we see black and they tell us it's red or blue, I think we are dull people, I think we are not even educated at all to differentiate right from wrong. So it's, it's quite unfortunate. You know, the best word is like, like I mentioned earlier, the government trying to save its face because it has failed in statutory duty of protecting lives and properties. All right, Mr. Abdullah, can you please hold the thought? As I mentioned, whether you traveled far north in Nigeria, you traveled far east, south, you know, wherever, you are at the risk of being abducted. That is so shocking. Yeah, Mr. Abdullah, can you please hold the thought? In terms of even the economy. Yeah, please hold the thought, let's quickly roll the tape, listen to a few seconds of what his eminence had to say, we'll come back to you and then we round up. An eminence to catch the people that are homeless by some point and contact people like to, to go to the airport. We believe there are some people that cannot value a lot of people. And as to incentive, to live, live in Zinagya states, this is a book about profit. They buy this, they sell it in three places. Some people wear the bags, some people wear the same bags. Those who shop, they fire at us. And there was another group involved. Make sure that we didn't run away. They fire shots at our vehicles. And eventually, they abducted us. They are forced. The communication man of the church was able to escape. The driver of them escaped. They captured me. The Bishop of Oware and my chaplain took us into the bush. I was torturing us. But it was in the process of not torturing, but I hit my eye on it. Anyone blood was flowing and I was soaking my hand. Usually, like anything happened. All they say that we should follow them. That they are not actually against the government. But that government is a bad government. They are flanty boys. All the hate are flanty. They are flanty boys. And that if they, any day they see the president, they will chew him. And they are proud that they have appointed them and appointed them. They will chew him raw. Or any of his representatives. They will chew him raw. But I said, go and do that part of government. But I am a church man. I am a man, please tell me. I am not a government official. That is what I said to you. You have to do that right. You are not asking for any ransom. Now that you are a church man, let's go. So we moved and moved and moved. And took up to 15 kilometers. But I knew that it all started from my area. I knew that we were admiring and winding and winding. And we said that okay now we can do six. Each of us will pay 15 million. And we are going to pay 15 million. They claim that Nigeria belongs to Flamie. They said that is why we are afraid of, You know I have been talking about this open raising. And this work. The boys will carry one gram of gold. They will put it up. And they will give 100 million. After they have earned 100 million. They said okay, we can do. So that is how we came back. So the people have been saying, I don't know what day it was that I said. But you guys see me to say that it was I called and it is me. Why did I say I called? I didn't say that. So I don't know. They were trying to bring in political power. And it was just follow-up. So what I know is that. In fact, when they were talking like that. I didn't know what it meant. For all that work I did for two to three hours. No food. Nothing to drink. Nothing to eat. And I was lying on the ground. All right. Mohammad Abdullahi, I'm sure you had some of what he said there. And he's claiming that his abductors were Nigerians. Or full on the extraction. And that they said that Nigeria belongs to them, et cetera, et cetera. That they are against President Buhari. That if they see him, they will chew him alive. He made a lot of, he said a lot of things. And made a lot of revelations. We can't go into all of it because of time. But what do you say to this? Some people have jumped on it to say that. Oh, it shows that those who are shooting and killing and maiming. And crossing carnage in the southeast. In the name of unknown government. I need from the north. Yeah, it's required to be a lot. But again, I don't want us to draw a conclusion that. All the carnage is the. And evil things that has been happening across our country. It's from a particular region or a particular tribe. Like we ascribe to full admits. In fact, there are very bad people everywhere in all of our region. And there are good people as well everywhere. So I think it's even very important that we don't play tribe and ethnicity. What we most as a people do is to confront evil. At all of our regions, whether it be in the north, south or west, we must confront evil and destroy it collectively. By the time we begin to ascribe a particular tribe or a particular region with all the years that is happening or confronting our country, it doesn't speak well for our future. You know, so I think it's very important that we understand that whether it be south, east, west, as I mentioned earlier, there are good people and there are bad people. All we need to do as Nigerians is to confront the bad eggs around us. And again, we must also tell our government that they must rise up to the equation of saving lives and properties. In fact, it is very, very important that this incoming election is an issue that we put into the front burner for all of the candidates aspiring to be. You can't, as a president, be promising heaven on earth, turning Nigeria into Dubai. What a major issue for now. I think everyone agree, a major issue for now is the fact that we lack security. I was trying to give you an example before we went for the clip earlier. I told you I'm from on those days. My parents based in the north, we were born in the north. I speak Hausa better than my emu Yuba. But prior to 2018, I used to travel with my family every December from Lagos. I would drive down to those states. Say hello for about three, two days to my grandparents. Move to Abuja where my parents are. Another two weeks also. I'm coming back, I would drive to Kaba where my mother is from. Say hello to my grandparents there. Then before I drive to Lagos, all driving. But I tell you since 2018, I can't bear. In fact, when I pick the call to call my parents I'm bringing down my parents. My father would tell me, hey, just sit down. Stay where you are. Because everyone is afraid. Everyone is scared. How do you have a country where citizens are scared to move around in their own country? Not even for foreigner. So you're so shocking. So government will rise to its location of saving lives and properties. And we as people also must be disciplined. We know some of these people that live, that they live around us. It's unfortunate that you find out now that you're causing your nephew whenever they know your movement. They also contact these deadly guys. You say, okay, a social worker is moving around this corridor by this so time and time. So it's so unfortunate. We must be disciplined as people. We must also be sure and help the government in fishing out these bad eggs and devilish people in our midst. All right. Mohamed Abdullah, thank you very much for your time. It remains to be seen if the situation will improve or if President Buhari will go down in history as the general who couldn't secure his country. Thank you very much for your time. And that's the sides of our pocket. Don't forget you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram handle. Simply search for Plus TV Africa on YouTube. We add Plus TV Africa. And for a live stream on YouTube, you can find us at Plus TV Africa. Live stuff from all of us here, the entire team, including those you can see on the screen. My name is Kofi Bartels. We'll be back tomorrow. Keep watching Plus TV up next. We'll have the news at nine.