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Nigerians And The Failed Coup In Turkey By Reuben Abati
Nigerians know what it means to have a constitutional order derailed by military intervention. Between 1960 and 1999, Nigeria moved from one form of military rule to another, characterized by obstinacy, and absolutism, experiencing only short spells of civilian rule. Similarly, the military in Turkey have since 1960 intervened directly at least four times (1970, 1971, 1980, 1997). And in all instances, the Turkish coup plotters always claimed that their role was to restore order and stabilize the country. This is a rhetoric that is quite familiar to Nigerians. Every military coup is justified on messianic grounds. In the latest onslaught in Turkey, the plotters claim they want to establish a “Peace Council.”
Between 1993 and 1999, Nigerians fought the military to a standstill, insisting on a definite return to civilian rule and the institutionalization of democracy. Sixteen years later, the democratic spirit is well established among the people, if not the Nigerian leadership elite. The people have seen what a demonstration of people power can achieve: they used it to get the military out of power, they relied on it to insist that the Constitution be respected and obeyed when a President died in office and certain forces did not want his successor to get into office, and again, they have seen people-power at work in removing a sitting government from power. Right now in Nigeria, to toy with this power of the people in any form is to sow the seeds of organized mass rebellion.
Not surprisingly, in the past few years, every display of the people’s supremacy in other parts of the world has attracted either interest or a copy-cat instinct among Nigerians. First, there was the Arab Spring, which resulted in calls for the Nigerian Spring, which later found expression in the politically motivated Occupy Nigeria protests of January 2012. And now from Turkey, the major point of interest for Nigeria has been in my estimation, how the people took to the streets to confront soldiers. The coup failed in Turkey because it lacked popular support. Turkey has for long been considered an embarrassment in Europe. A successful coup in 2016 would have put the country in a worse shape and done further damage to the country’s reputation. The people stood up for their country, not President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They stood up for an idea: The idea of democracy. The three major political parties disowned the coup. Mosques called on the people to go to the streets and fight for democracy. Even Erdogan’s critics, including the Kemalists and the Glulenists, denounced the coup plotters. The images that came across were images of the police confronting the soldiers and disarming them (This was intriguing- can anyone ever imagine the Nigeria police protecting democracy: they would have since collected bribe from the coup plotters, there is massive corruption in Turkey too but their police fought for the nation). Ordinary citizens lay down in front of the coup plotters’ tanks and asked to be crushed; brave citizens disarmed the soldiers and took over the city squares.
It is the kind of bravery that Nigerians find surreal. The coup attempt in Turkey comes at a time when the civil society in Nigeria is beginning to lose the spirit to stand in front of tanks, and guns: the people have been battered to a point where their strongest protection is their power of the ballot and so the average Nigerian endures suffering, convinced that when again it is time to vote, no one can rob him or her of his power to choose. But the situation in Turkey reminds us of the kind of danger that any democracy, with troubled foundations can face, hence Nigerians ask if they too can be as courageous as the Turkish have been, with both Turks and the much abused Kurds, and other divided groups, uniting, momentarily, on one issue.
Not that Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan deserves the victory over the coup plotters, though. Outsiders, including Nigerians, consider him a bad guy; and even if he is still popular and blindly followed by the majority of his people, his 13-year record in office falls far short of standards. He came to office on the wave-crest of popular appeal. In Istanbul where he was a city mayor at a time, he remains immensely popular, and he is also probably the most popular leader, not in Europe, but the Arab world. Thrice, he and his party, the AKP, won nationally organized elections. But success soon got into Erdogan’s head, as he descended into the lower depths of arrogance and dictatorship. He started having issues with neighbours and allies.
He became undemocratic, shamelessly alienating civil society, the press and the judiciary. He is so temperamental and intolerant of criticism and alternative views, he is now surrounded mainly by sycophants and relatives. In his attempt to dominate everything and everyone, he became known as the “buyuk usta”, that is “the big master”, and of course, he now lives in a $615 million Presidential palace with 1, 150 rooms! In addition, he wants to acquire US-style executive Presidential powers and he is busy battling, real and imaginary enemies. He may have been saved by the people’s rejection of the coup attempt, but perhaps Erdogan has been saved more by his own cleverness. The coup attempt against his government was an amateur, unorganized effort. It lacked the support of the military command, which Erdogan had cleverly subjected to civilian control, and among whom he had built centres of personal loyalty. Over the years, he weakened the military and strengthened the police and the intelligence services. The coup plotters over-estimated their capacity and misread the people’s mood.
Their failure may embolden Erdogan and even make him more authoritarian: he is already sounding off about being in charge and dealing with the coup plotters (over 2,000 of whom have already been rounded up and arrested, even judges have been fired). But Turkey is in a very bad shape. Resentments run deep. There are deep fears about threats to the country’s secularism, and attempts to Islamicise the country. A paranoid Erdogan could worsen the situation. Both the United States and the European Union should take a keen interest in what happens in Turkey after the coup attempt, to ensure that rather than dig deeper into authoritarianism, Erdogan would see the need to run a more open, inclusive and democratic government.
The coup may have failed, and democracy may have won, but whatever issues led to a group of ill-prepared soldiers taking the law into their hands cannot be wished away. To tell the truth, Recep Erdogan acts very much, in all respects, like an African leader in Europe – that probably explains the keen Nigerian interest. The key lesson, all told, is that the importance and survival of democracy relates to the importance of civic virtue, this is why leaders must rely not just on the people’s commitment to an idea, but must seek to make democracy work for all the people.
The North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has distributed 1,330 electric vehicles across Nigeria’s North-East region as part of efforts to reduce transportation costs, create employment opportunities and promote environmentally friendly mobility.
The vehicles comprise 1,000 electric tricycles, 300 electric taxis and 30 electric buses, which are expected to improve transportation services across the region’s six states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
The NEDC Adamawa State Coordinator, Khalifa Lawan, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement and sensitisation workshop on electric mobility and seamless commuting held in Yola.
Initiative Targets Affordable Transportation
Lawan explained that the initiative was designed to make transportation more affordable while creating business opportunities, particularly for young people seeking sustainable sources of income.
According to him, the commission’s intervention forms part of its broader mandate to accelerate development in the North-East through investments in infrastructure, education, skills acquisition and other essential sectors.
He said Adamawa State was expected to benefit from the deployment of electric tricycles, taxis and buses, which could help improve mobility and support economic activities within communities.
The programme is also expected to generate employment opportunities across the electric mobility sector, including vehicle operations, repairs, maintenance and charging services.
Charging Stations Needed for Success
Lawan stressed that establishing adequate charging infrastructure would be critical to the success of the project.
He disclosed that the commission planned to provide at least two or three electric vehicle charging stations in each of the six states, with the possibility of expanding the facilities as demand increases.
The Adamawa State Commissioner for Transport, Rumpe Anthony, also emphasised the need for sufficient charging points, raising concerns about the state’s unreliable electricity supply.
She said proper planning and infrastructure would be necessary to ensure that the vehicles operate efficiently and deliver the expected benefits to commuters and operators.
Electric Vehicles Offer Environmental Benefits
The Chief Executive Officer of Attahir Enterprise Nigeria Limited, Umar Bunu Abacha, described the initiative as an effort to develop a more efficient and sustainable transportation system.
He said stakeholder engagement was important to ensure that beneficiaries and transport operators understood how the programme would work and the responsibilities involved in maintaining the vehicles.
Workshop facilitator Emmanuel Mwada Wapah highlighted the potential environmental benefits of electric vehicles, including reduced exhaust emissions and noise pollution.
He added that the vehicles could travel up to 300 kilometres on a full charge, while charging could take approximately one hour under specified conditions.
The NEDC urged beneficiaries to maintain the vehicles properly to ensure their durability and long-term usefulness.
The initiative comes amid broader efforts by the Federal Government and state governments to promote alternative-energy transportation as a means of easing the burden of rising transport costs.
Its success will depend partly on the availability of reliable charging infrastructure, effective vehicle maintenance and the extent to which operational savings translate into lower fares for commuters.
The Rivers State Police Command has removed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Abuloma Division and the officer overseeing the Abuloma Police Outpost following allegations that suspected cultists renovated the facility.
The command also ordered a full investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the renovation, identify those who financed the project and determine whether any police personnel violated professional standards.
The development followed the circulation of a video on social media showing suspected cultists visiting the renovated outpost in Abuloma, Port Harcourt, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to celebrate the completion of the project.
In a statement issued on Friday, the police said Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju had directed that both officers be queried and relieved of their duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
The statement was signed by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Agabe Kaborlo.
Police Investigate Funding and Approval of Renovation
According to the command, investigators will establish the identities and backgrounds of the individuals or groups that financed or facilitated the renovation.
The investigation will also determine which police officers authorised the project, whether the required procedures were followed and whether any personnel compromised the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force.
The police condemned any action or association capable of undermining the force’s discipline, professionalism and public confidence.
It warned that police facilities must not become platforms through which suspected criminal groups seek public recognition, influence or legitimacy.
Police Clarify Position on Community Donations
The command acknowledged that members of the public are permitted to support improvements to police facilities under Section 26(1)(d) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, which provides for gifts and contributions to the Police General Fund.
However, it stressed that such contributions must follow established procedures and must not compromise police independence, security or professional standards.
The police added that accepting donations does not exempt anyone from investigation or prosecution where evidence of wrongdoing exists.
It also promised appropriate disciplinary and legal action against anyone found culpable after the investigation.
Viral Video Sparks Questions
The controversy emerged after videos circulated online showing a group of men at the renovated police outpost alongside some police officers.
The footage reportedly showed the individuals participating in what appeared to be a ceremony marking the completion of the renovation.
Some social media reports identified the group as members of a suspected cult organisation. However, the allegations surrounding their identity, involvement in the project and relationship with the police have yet to be conclusively established.
The police said the ongoing investigation would determine the facts of the incident and whether any laws or professional regulations were breached.
The command urged residents to remain calm and provide credible information to support efforts to tackle cultism and organised crime across Rivers State.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has announced plans to install surveillance cameras at strategic locations across Lagos State as part of efforts to curb indiscriminate waste disposal and strengthen environmental law enforcement.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed the initiative during an interview on Lagos Talks 91.3 FM on Monday, October 12, 2026.
According to him, the planned deployment will complement an existing partnership with the Lagos State Command Centre to monitor environmental violations and identify individuals involved in illegal dumping.
Gbadegesin explained that the cameras would strengthen surveillance, discourage improper waste disposal and support the identification of offenders for appropriate sanctions under the law.
LAWMA to Strengthen Waste Collection
The LAWMA chief stressed that improving waste collection infrastructure alone would not guarantee a cleaner environment, noting that residents must also adopt responsible waste disposal habits.
He said the authority was combining technology, enforcement and public awareness campaigns to address persistent environmental sanitation challenges across the state.
Gbadegesin also disclosed that the arrival of 150 new waste trucks would improve waste collection and evacuation services in Lagos.
He added that LAWMA had introduced house-to-house waste collection interventions to address accumulated refuse following the disengagement of underperforming Private Sector Participants responsible for waste collection in some areas.
Residents Warned Against Illegal Dumping
The authority urged residents to patronise approved waste collection operators, package their refuse properly and report cases of indiscriminate dumping.
Gbadegesin emphasised that government investments in waste management equipment and infrastructure must be supported by public cooperation to achieve lasting improvements in environmental sanitation.
The authority is also pursuing improvements to waste transfer stations, material recovery facilities and recycling infrastructure as part of broader efforts to improve waste handling across Lagos.
LAWMA has further highlighted the potential of converting organic waste into useful energy, including electricity, through proposed waste-to-energy initiatives.
The planned surveillance camera deployment is expected to strengthen the authority’s monitoring and enforcement capacity as Lagos intensifies efforts to maintain cleaner communities and discourage environmental violations.
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