More than 50,000 Russian military personnel have died during the Ukraine conflict, the BBC reported Wednesday, citing its own reporters, independent media group Mediazona and volunteers.

They found that more than 27,300 Russian soldiers died during the second year of the war, a 25-percent increase on the first year.

BBC Russian, Mediazona and volunteers have been counting deaths since February 2022, using open-source information from official reports and the media, as well as using satellite images of Russian cemeteries to estimate the number of new graves.

The figure of more than 50,000 is eight times higher than the official toll acknowledged by Moscow in September 2022. It does not include deaths of militia in Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine said in February that it had lost 31,000 soldiers, but that figure is also likely to be significantly lower than the true toll.

Russian losses spiked in January 2023 as it launched a large-scale offensive in Donetsk and again months later last year during the battle for the city of Bakhmut.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” at dawn on February 24, 2022, which has since turned into a bloody and attritional war, isolating Russia from the Western world.

Responding to the report, the Kremlin said it did not disclose any information on military deaths and casualties, which falls under the remit of the defence ministry.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added official secrets laws and those covering what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine meant it was “absolutely understandable” that the ministry did not release the figures.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has disclosed that 95 million Nigerians need to enroll for the National Identification Number (NIN) to meet its target of 200 million enrollments by 2025.

Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, emphasised the importance of this enrollment during an interview on X over the weekend.

He stated, “For NIMC to meet the 200 million target by 2025, 95 million Nigerians need to register for the NIN.”

Adegoke revealed that over 105 million NINs have been issued to Nigerians and legal residents so far.

He assured Nigerians of the commission’s commitment, saying, “We want to assure Nigerians that within the next one or two years, we will reach our target of enrolling all Nigerians.”

“The NIN serves as a unique identifier for each citizen and has become increasingly important for various government initiatives aimed at improving security, governance, and service delivery.”

Adegoke highlighted the efforts to streamline the modification and enrollment processes under the leadership of Abisoye Coker, the director-general of NIMC. He announced the development of a self-service platform, allowing Nigerians to make necessary modifications such as changing names, dates of birth, email addresses, and phone numbers from anywhere, using different devices.

Emphasising the convenience of the self-service modification portal, Adegoke encouraged Nigerians to utilize this innovative solution.

He noted the evolution of the process, citing the past requirement for applicants to visit NIMC offices for data corrections.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state  was in Ido town, headquarters of the Ido Local Government to campaign for himself on Monday. 

Local Government Election have been slated for April 27 of this year and the Governor is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that he is declared winner by OYSIEC.

Do I sound confusing? Definitely not.

Governor Makinde is the contestant for the position of Local Government Chairman in the 33 Local Governments in Oyo state.

Reason? The Governor doubles as the State’s Chief Executive as well as the de facto Chairman of the 33 Local Governments while the 33 clowns parading themselves as the Councils’helmsmen are just Chairmen de jure.

What the Yorubas call “Esin inu iwe”.

I will use two incidents that happened simultaneously today to prove what is already known and accepted by the general public, albeit, arguably.

While Governor Makinde was dancing to some Fuji music in Ido town  during the campaign rally, the chairman of Ibadan South West Local Government, one Hon. Kehinde Akande was in a live debate at Fresh FM with the APC candidate, Dr. Abogun and his statements were quite revealing.

A direct question regarding his view about autonomy and independence of Local Governments was put to him by the moderator, Isaac Brown and his response leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

The fellow, sadly and slavishly said that he has no problems with the decision of the Governor (Seyi Makinde) to directly monitor the expenditures of the Local Governments, since, according to him, it was for the purpose of probity and accountability!

This was coming from the Chairman of one of the most populous if not the most populous in Oyo state.

Like his peers who have one time or the other appeared on Radio, he could not point to any tangible project done by him and why would he?

The Governor calls the shots.

This is just on a lighter note, Hon. Kehinde Akande can not correctly identify the collation centre for ward 12 in a Local Government where he had been chairman for almost four years.

That underline the level of redundancy of this fellows parading themselves as Council Chairmen and on whose sake Governor Makinde incurred billions of Naira as judgment debts.

Now, to Governor Makinde’s campaign in Ido.

Is it not interesting that the Governor was in Ido and he didn’t Commission any project done by the Local Government?

In the times of his predecessors, such occasions were used to Commission projects done by the Local Government Chairmen but what will Governor Makinde Commission?

Nothing.

Nothing, because all the projects he mentioned during the campaign rally like the Omi Adio – Ido Road and others were attached to the state Government, even though, the funds were that of the Local Government.

Similarly, all the projects he promised to embark upon in the coming months within the Local Government like the modernisation of the Omi Adio market are projects he will usurp as usual, using the Councils’funds.

If not for the fact that Governor Makinde requires some pliant individuals who will sign out the Councils’funds for him to expend, I bet, there won’t be Local Government Chairmen during his tenure.

A lot of examples abound to confirm Governor Makinde’s illegal usurpation of the functions of the Local Government Chairmen.

Akesan Market is another typical example.

The April 27 Local Government Election is between Governor Makinde as grand Chairman of the 33 Local Governments and the opposition political parties.

The 33 gentlemen flying the tickets for the PDP are just necessary proxies.

I will not dissipate energy on the Governor’s uncharitable boasts that the opposition should wait for another three years, when he would still be the Governor to conduct another election.

I will rather call on the people of the state to be united in removing the “Ajeles” he has foisted on the Local Governments.

Oyo state can not afford another three years of Governor Makinde’s mismanagement of the Local Government resources.

He has bled the state enough through over bloated contracts and debts.

All residents of the state should consider the April 27 Local Government Election as an opportunity to at least salvage the 33 Local Governments from the suffocating hold of the Governor.

Like I said earlier, Oyo state can not afford another three years of continual looting of the Local Governments through the proxies of the Governor.

One would wonder what business the Governor has in the ” modernisation” of Omi Adio market.

Maintenance of the market is purely the responsibility of the Local Government Chairman but under Governor Makinde, even the Parks and abattoirs are directly run by the Governor.

That is the reason why the Local Governments have become comatose.

They have no means of generating IGR as all avenues have been taken away from them by the Governor.

Now, you tell me, Isn’t Governor Makinde not the one contesting on April 27?

Sola Abegunde writes from Oyo State