By Mohammed Bello Doka
14 May, 2026
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen. Wa salatu wa salamu ala ashrafil anbiya wal mursaleen.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. And may peace and blessings be upon the noblest of prophets and messengers.
There comes a moment in the life of a people when the weight of suffering finally breaks the silence of patience, and the heart of the nation cries out for deliverance. That moment has arrived in Kebbi State.
Today, as the sun rises over the banks of the River Niger and the ancient city of Birnin Kebbi stirs from its slumber, a new dawn is breaking. It is not the false dawn of empty electioneering or the flicker of broken promises. It is the blazing light of Operation Rescue Kebbi – a movement born of desperation, forged in competence, and consecrated by the prayers of mothers who have lost too many children.
Abubakar Malami, SAN – former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice – has stepped forward not as a politician hungry for power, but as a servant hungry for solutions. He has looked upon the ruins and declared: “This collapse shall become a comeback.”
And the people of Kebbi, long accustomed to disappointment, are daring to believe again.
The Ancient Wisdom of Rescue
The great Greek philosopher Aristotle once wrote: “The greatest virtue of a leader is to see not what lies before his eyes, but what lies before his people’s future.” For years, those entrusted with leadership in Kebbi have looked but not seen. They have watched 67 percent of our children wander the streets while classrooms stood empty. They have received reports of 608 malnourished child deaths in nine months – and did nothing. They have collected over one trillion naira in federal allocations – and left no trace of transformation.
But the ancient Roman statesman Cicero reminds us: “The budget of a government is not a collection of numbers. It is a moral document. It tells you what that government truly values.” When a budget of over N235 billion fails to provide antenatal care for 71 percent of pregnant women in rural areas, the moral verdict is clear. When billions are spent but malaria still ravages 81.5 percent of children under five, the value system is exposed.
Ibn Khaldun , the immortal scholar of statecraft and civilisation, wrote in his Muqaddimah: “Dynasties and governments rise only when justice is established, and they fall the moment oppression and neglect take root.” He taught that asabiyyah – social cohesion – is the lifeblood of any thriving polity. Today, Kebbi’s social fabric lies in tatters. Farmers have abandoned their ancestral lands. Bandits dictate terms in rural communities. The Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly was kidnapped. Where is the asabiyyah when brothers no longer feel safe walking beside brothers?
The Chinese sage Confucius said: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done and his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” But a leader who is invisible in crisis is not a leader – he is a ghost. The people of Kebbi do not need ghosts. They need a visible, capable, compassionate hand to pull them from the abyss.
And that hand belongs to Abubakar Malami, SAN.
The Leader Who Emerged from Prayer
Let us speak plainly, but with the reverence that befits our faith. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “The ruler is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.” (Sahih al-Bukhari). For years, the flock of Kebbi has been scattered – children without schooling, mothers without healthcare, youth without work, elders without security. The shepherd has been absent.
But Allah, in His infinite mercy, does not abandon a people who turn to Him. The Qur’an declares: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11). The people of Kebbi have prayed. They have fasted. They have cried out in the night for a deliverer. And now, by the grace of the Almighty, that deliverer has arrived.
Abubakar Malami, SAN, is a man who understands that all authority comes from Allah and that every public office is a amanah – a sacred trust. He does not seek the governorship for wealth or title. He has already held one of the highest offices in the land. He comes instead to fulfil a debt he owes to his homeland.
The great military strategist Sun Tzu wrote: “The wise leader does not rush into battle. He prepares, he studies, and he strikes only when victory is certain.” Malami SAN has spent eight years at the federal level, studying governance from its highest perch. He has seen how national resources are mobilised, how security architecture is designed, how accountability systems are built. He is not a novice. He is a tested commander.
And Niccolò Machiavelli , often misunderstood, offered this timeless insight: “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” But Malami SAN has already taken that perilous step. By submitting his nomination form under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) – a rising platform rooted in accountability, inclusion, and development – he has chosen the harder path, not the easier one. That alone speaks to his character.
The Blueprint of Restoration
Operation Rescue Kebbi is not a collection of vague promises. It is a detailed, actionable covenant between a leader and his people. Built on five pillars, it directly answers every prayer that has risen from this land.
First: Security, the Foundation of All Progress.
The philosopher Thomas Hobbes argued that without security, life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Kebbi has tasted that brutality. Banditry has displaced farmers, kidnappings have paralysed commerce, and fear has replaced hope. Malami SAN will deploy his federal experience to coordinate a comprehensive security surge – community intelligence networks, rapid response units, and the restoration of safe corridors for agriculture and trade. He will work with the military, the police, and local vigilantes under a unified command. No more abandoned farms. No more ransom payments.
Second: Education, the Light That Ends Darkness.
Nelson Mandela taught: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” With over 67 percent of children out of school and a net attendance rate of just 38 percent, Kebbi is disarming itself. Malami SAN will declare a State of Emergency on Education – building new schools in every neglected ward, training and recruiting teachers, providing free meals and materials to keep children in class. Every child, whether in Argungu or Yauri, Birnin Kebbi or Zuru, will have a desk and a future.
Third: Healthcare, the Mercy That Preserves Life.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “Your body has a right over you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari). Yet in Kebbi, bodies are dying of hunger . 608 malnourished children perished between January and September 2025. Maternal mortality haunts every delivery. Malaria steals children under five. Malami SAN will equip all primary healthcare centres, deploy mobile clinics to every rural community, and ensure that no pregnant woman is turned away from antenatal care. He will work with development partners to end malnutrition through targeted feeding programmes and nutritional support for vulnerable families.
Fourth: Agriculture, the Engine of Prosperity.
Plato , the father of political philosophy, wrote: “The true leader is not the one who distributes land, but the one who makes the land fruitful.” Kebbi is blessed with some of the most fertile soil in West Africa. Under Malami SAN, agriculture will be mechanised, subsidised, and secured. Farmers will receive high-yield seedlings, modern equipment, and guaranteed access to markets. The state will become the breadbasket of Nigeria once again – creating thousands of jobs and ending the cycle of poverty that has trapped generations.
Fifth: Youth and Women, the Heartbeat of a New Kebbi.
The Roman philosopher Seneca observed: “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” Malami SAN will dare to create a Kebbi where young people have digital skills, entrepreneurship grants, and meaningful employment. He will empower women through micro-credit schemes and leadership opportunities. The era of idle hands and desperate hearts will end.
A Spiritual Seal on a Sacred Mission
Let no one doubt that this mission is bathed in prayer. The people of Kebbi have raised their hands to the heavens. They have recited Surah Al-Fatihah for their children. They have made dua in the last third of the night. And Allah, who never breaks His promise, is answering.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “The best of leaders are those whom the people love and who love the people, and who pray for them and for whom the people pray.” (Sunan Ibn Majah). Abubakar Malami, SAN, has already begun his consultations across every local government area – not as a distant campaigner, but as a man listening to the cries of his people. He has prayed Salat al-Istikharah seeking Allah’s guidance. He has placed his trust in Tawakkul – knowing that success comes only from the Almighty.
And now he issues this pledge, as solemn as an oath on the Noble Qur’an:
“There will be no retreat and no surrender in the collective struggle to rescue our state. Together, we will rebuild Kebbi into a safer, stronger, and more prosperous state for all.”
The Comeback Has Begun
There are those who will mock. There are those who will spread rumours and cling to their failing ways. But the people of Kebbi are not fooled. They have seen the numbers. They have felt the pain. They know that over one trillion naira has flowed into this state in recent years – and yet they have no new schools, no functioning hospitals, no security on their farms.
They know that the only thing worse than a problem is a leader who refuses to acknowledge it.
But Mahatma Gandhi gave us this immortal truth: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Malami SAN has been ignored by a government that fears the truth. He has been laughed at by propagandists who prefer empty boasts over real results. Now they are fighting him with ad hominem attacks and 1,500-word statements that refute nothing.
The final stage is coming. And the people will win.
Operation Rescue Kebbi is not a campaign. It is a jihad – not of the sword, but of the pen, the ballot, and the unbreakable will to reclaim a state from the brink of total collapse. The rescue has officially begun. The train is moving. The dawn has broken.
And every citizen who has ever prayed for a better Kebbi is hereby called to board.
Rabbana atina fid dunya hasanah wa fil akhirati hasanah wa qina adhaban naar.
Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
Ameen. Ameen. Ameen.
Mohammed Bello Doka can be reached via [email protected]
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