National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has said that Nigeria is now dealing decisively with all the financiers and sponsors of Boko Haram and other violent extremism. Speaking today, April 22, at the African High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja, Ribadu said that intelligence gathering is at highest peak through enhanced inter-agency collaboration and confidence building with citizens. He said Nigeria is strengthening its judiciary to effectively deal with cases of terrorism and has earmarked a fund to boost counter-terrorism efforts. “We have resumed the prosecution of Boko Haram suspects across the country.” The NSA observed that terrorism in Africa is driven by a number of factors, including organized crime, foreign terrorist financing and training, poverty, inequality, prolonged conflicts, among others. This was even as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina Mohammed suggested that one of the ways to remove the causes of terrorism on the continent is for Africa to work to rebuild its social contract with its citizens, and deliver good governance. “Rebuilding the social contract is necessary for recovery. “We must pay attention to women and girls who are greatly impacted by terrorism, including the youth. Providing support and healing for those impacted by terrorism is important.” Also, the Under- Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), Vladimir Voronkov commended Nigeria for its leadership in counter-terrorism in Africa and for hosting the meeting. “Terrorism is a threat to peace and security, particularly in Africa where its impact is mostly felt. The success of UNOCT in Africa hinges on its support for Africa-led programmes and solutions.”
President Bola Tinubu has identified illegal mining as one of the major causes of terrorism in Nigeria and across Africa and called for the establishment of a regional counter-terrorism centre that will serve as a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building throughout Africa.
The President, who spoke today, April 22, at the African High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja, insisted that Africa must attack the roots that feed on terrorism, which he said, are ransom and illegal mining.
“Look at the illegal mining that plagues so many of our nations today. Those who think illegal mining has no connection with financing terrorism are sorely mistaken. “The international community has both the moral and legal obligation to help in this cause because it is external finance, not African money, that fuels these illegal operations. We shall be knocking on this door of the international community to answer this call for justice, peace, and fair play.” Tinubu stressed the need for Africa to take a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism, not only through might, but by addressing the root causes of the scourge, which include poverty, inequality, and social injustice. “Not only does it kidnap people, it kidnaps precious resources. Billions upon billions of dollars that legitimate governments should be using to sculpt better societies by providing education, healthcare, and food for its people now go to pay for weapons and response to mayhem. “Key to our collective efforts against terrorism is the urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre.” The President asked that the African region should strengthen the existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) in Abuja, the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers, and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in Addis Ababa. He stressed the importance of a regional standby force that includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate. “It must not be abandoned. “I am mindful of the funding, legal, and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force. However, with a prudent and clearly defined mandate that accords with the international law and respects national sovereignty, such a force can serve as a rapid deployment mechanism, capable of swiftly responding to major threats and bolstering the security of our region. “Such a force can stand as a strong deterrent to large scale and protracted terrorist operations and the capture, occupation or disruption of strategic land and resources. We must continue to make careful yet meaningful progress toward this goal. “Establishing an all-inclusive African Union Ministerial Committee on Counter Terrorism is also a high priority as envisaged in the Declaration of the 16th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly two years ago in May 2022. This would ensure that a forum of high-level government officials meets regularly to assess our counter-terrorism efforts and provide guidance on how to further improve.”
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has cautioned against state controlled police which he said the country is not yet riped for. According to him, bedsides the fact that state governors may engage them in oppressing opposition, the centralized police as it is currently, is battling with inadequate training as well as lack of adequate manpower. Speaking today, April 22, at the National Dialogue on State Policing in Abuja, the IGP said that also most of the police barracks have dilapidated due to lack of maintenance and renovation. “This has had a negative impact on the performance of the policemen.” Egbetokun insisted that with the situation on the ground, Nigeria should not be talking about state police, adding that state police would create avenues for state governors to suppress the opposition in their states. He said that creating state police would also lead to the problem of jurisdiction, which would bring about conflicts of interests. According to him, state police would not be able to combat terrorism, kidnapping and banditry, because they require enormous resources to combat. He stressed the need to improve the training of personnel to enable modern policing, adding that funding is necessary to help maintain internal security. He suggested that instead of state police, the Federal Government should merge the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) with the police for effectiveness. Egbetokun argued that the NSCDC and the FRSC are a duplication of the police. The IGP was represented at the event, organised by the House of Representatives, by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Ben Okoro. Also speaking at the event, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, said that there is the need for a comprehensive and effective security framework to tackle rising security challenges in the country. General Musa said that the security and safety of the country is paramount, saying: “it is imperative that we come together to find sustainable solutions. ”It is through collaboration and a shared commitment to the common good that we can develop policies and strategies that will enhance the security infrastructure of our dear nation.” General Musa said that it is imperative to create a security framework that would be inclusive, responsive, and capable of safeguarding the rights and freedoms of all Nigerians.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Zack Orji, has narrated how he slumped in the bathroom, leading to him undergoing two brain surgeries in Nigeria. Speaking in an interview on Channels TV on Sunday, Zack Orji said: “I slumped in the bathroom, and I can only say that it’s by the grace of God that I’m alive today because I passed out. I was out for like five and a half hours before help came. “Benedict Johnson rushed to the house, and I was there on the floor, incoherent. I couldn’t even stand because when he raised me, I slumped again and he had to call another colleague whom we call Labista. “So the two of them lifted me on their shoulders from the second floor to the ground floor and took me to the National Hospital.” It was learnt that Orji’s wife, who was in Lagos at the time, flew to Abuja upon receiving the news, and on January 1st, the first surgery was performed by Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, a neurosurgeon. It was gathered that a month later, after scans revealed a residual blood clot, Orji underwent a second surgery by the same doctor. Orji said that he received support from prominent figures, including the President of Nigeria, the President’s wife, the Vice President’s wife, the President’s son, and various ministers. “But in all of it, I’m grateful to God Almighty and I’m also grateful to so many people who stepped in. “The President of Nigeria, the First Lady, the wife of the Vice President, the President’s son, the Minister for Women’s Affairs, the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, the Minister for Works and a whole lot of other people. “I was receiving calls from South Africa, from the UK, from the US, some of them were willing to; they were asking me, how can we help? How can we be of assistance? So it was overwhelming the way people responded to the whole thing.” The ace actor later went to the United Kingdom to seek post-surgery assessment with Dr. John Yeh. “I’m grateful to God Almighty and I’m also grateful to so many people who stepped in.”
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has predicted that social media will very soon play pivotal roles in driving electoral processes both in Nigeria and other countries. He said: “it requires little clairvoyance that with the spike in upheavals instigated by economic dysfunctions across the world, social media will certainly play more consequential roles in driving electoral choices going forward.” Dr. Aminu Maida, who spoke today, April 19, at a special Book Reading and Further Reviews of “Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria” at the University of Ibadan, said that the preponderance of data these days more easily reveals the impact of social media on political engagement and elections, both in emergent and evolved democracies. Book, titled: “Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria” is authored by the Head of the Media Relations Management at the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan. The NCC Boss said that Dr. Ibietan’s book speaks to the reality of how the demographics of voting is now in favour of digital natives, whose engagements are set to upend the traditional media approaches, hence the great value in seeking an understanding of the growing interface across cyber politics, social media networks and social demography. “Specifically, the author utilises tested theoretical models and research methods to scrutinise the impact of social media on contemporary politics. “Most significantly, the cutting edge of this vibrant scholarly endeavour is its proposal of a bold new methodology and approach to communications, described as the Channel-Factor Model, which situates the relationship among social media and other variables within a political environment. It is a framework for re-engineering political communication in Africa that is as radical as it is innovative. “Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria is an absorbing and persuasive book that adds huge insightful value to an understanding of the interactions between politics, social media networks and other variables that influence the behaviour of voters in a democracy.” Dr. Maida noted that Internet and its associated technologies and tools, including software applications, have created some of the most radical possibilities in the human experience, particularly in the last decade. “These have certainly extended the frontiers of human freedoms and expression, while similarly enabling innovation across different forms of utilisation, and more so serving as catalyst to the ability of citizens to engage with political processes – for good and for bad. “Despite an earlier period in which there were deliberations on the possible roles and impacts of digital platforms, such as the social media, on political participation and elections, the increased access to the Internet and broadband, alongside the wider uptake of social media as essential to human reality, have made the interface between these platforms and elections a lot clearer.
… the author… “This has especially been evident in the last few electoral cycles, whether in the United States, Europe, or Nigeria.” He recalled that the 2008 presidential election in America was the watershed moment for a new form of voting behaviour, evolving with the widespread usage of platforms like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, podcasting and mobile messaging in the communication of political interests with citizens. He said therefore that Dr. Ibietan’s path-breaking book, Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography, and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria, has broached a radical new territory in bridging psephology (the study of elections) and communications scholarship through an examination of the interface between social media networks and voting behaviour in the country. “It draws its insights from a deeply methodical study of Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election, unearthing the intersections of social and demographic factors, digital social mediation and the remarkable impact of these variables on the voting behaviour of the electorate. “It is worthy of note that the referenced national polling presented one of the most significant evidence of how social media use can shape the course of an election, having the then political opposition gaining huge mileage from its ability to deploy social media platforms towards shaping and controlling public debates, and hence triumphing at the ballot.”
Former Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Monster of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke has attained victory against Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed the the Commission’s money laundering charge against him. In a ruling on Adoke’s no-case submission, Justice Inyang Ekwo said that the EFCC had not been able to prove the essential ingredients of the evidence adduced in counts one to four of the 10-count charge filed against the ex-AGF and his co-defendant, Aliyu Abubakar. Justice Ekwo, who held that the evidence were manifestly unreliable, consequently upheld Adoke’s no-case submission. He declared Adoke discharged and acquitted of the money laundering charge. The EFCC had sued Adoke and Abubakar on a 10-count amended charge bordering on money laundering offences. The matter, which began in 2017, had lasted for about 7 years Source: NAN.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning to parents to stay away from Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres during the 2024 UTME exercise. Parents who flout this directive risk being arrested, and their wards will be disqualified from sitting for the examination.
According to JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, this decision follows the intrusive behavior of some parents during previous exercises. Some individuals even disguise themselves as parents to infiltrate centres and perpetrate infractions.
Security operatives have been directed to work with CBT centres to apprehend any meddlesome parent who comes near the centres.
The Registrar, Prof Isha’q Oloyede, emphasized that candidates must have attained the age of 17 years, as stated in the national policy on education. Parents who accompany their wards to the examination venue aim to compromise examination officials and have likely “smuggled” underage children into the examination.
JAMB also advises candidates to guard their personal details, email addresses, registration, and phone numbers to avoid falling prey to fraudulent websites. Candidates found with such sites will be treated as accomplices and prosecuted.
A devastating helicopter crash in Elgeyo Marakwet county, Kenya, has claimed the lives of Defence Forces Chief General, Francis Omondi Ogolla and nine other senior military officers.
President William Ruto announced the tragedy on April 18, expressing deep sadness and convening an urgent meeting of the National Security Council.
The helicopter burst into flames after crashing, with only two survivors. Ogolla, 61, was a respected commander and trained fighter pilot who had served since 1984.
He was appointed Defence Forces Chief by President Ruto in April last year. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the military and the nation, with President Ruto describing it as a “tragic air accident.”
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the Presidential Conditional Grant Programme, launched by the federal government to combat economic hardship.
In a press statement today, April 18, NANS PRO Sen. Mimidoo Joy Gundu questioned the programme’s advertisement, timeline, and beneficiary selection criteria.
She noted that unlike previous social security programmes, this grant’s communication lacked clarity and accessibility.
NANS demands to know when the grant scheme was initiated and communicated to Nigerians, the criteria used to select beneficiaries and why the students’ community was not engaged in stakeholders’ discussions
The association urges the Minister of Trade and Investment to put a hold on disbursement due to a flawed beneficiary selection process, open registration for at least 30 days and Advertise the process on TV, radio, national dailies, billboards, and major cities
NANS calls for an expanded stakeholders meeting and transparency briefing session to provide clarity on the programme’s inception, communication, and beneficiary selection.
For some days now, there have been altercations between the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering to the tune of over N80 billion. Yahaya Bello is just one of the people involved in the alleged deal, for which the EFCC operatives are seeking legal solution. Those who were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite are Yahaya Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19- count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246, 470, 088.88.
One of the charges which EFCC filed before the court reads: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Ali Bello, Dauda Suliman, and Abdulsalam Hudu( Still at large), sometime, in February, 2016, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to convert the total sum of N80, 246,470, 088.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eight Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended.” Count 17 of the charges read: “That you Yahaya Bello between 26th July 2021 to 6th April 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided E-Traders International Limited to conceal the aggregate sum of N3, 081, 804,654.00 (Three Billion, Eighty One Million Eight Hundred and Four Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Four Naira) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access BankPlc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.” Count 18 of the charges reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello sometime in November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly procured E-Traders international Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Dollars) to account number 4266644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit, criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15( 3) of the same Act.” Of course, from the initial stages, ex Governor Yahaya Bello and Kogi State government brushed the allegation aside, describing it as a move to embarrass the former governor. The whole thing took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, April 17, when officials of the EFCC went to the Abuja residence of the former governor to effect his arrest, ahead of the hearing in a case filed against him and others in court. Relying on the judgment of another court stopping EFCC from arresting him, Yahaya Bello refused to be “arrested” with his police orderlies and loyalists engaging EFCC in what obviously was a battle for and against. The incumbent Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo arrived at the residence of his predecessor in good time to drive him back to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital: probably to the government house for him to enjoy immunity that flows from the incumbent. Yes, in all the drama that has played out so far, and from the facts available, Yahaya Bello is right to refuse to submit to EFCC, based on the judgment of a competent court of justice. Similarly, governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is right too for standing up to shield his “master” from perceived danger. Remember that Yahaya Bello singlehandedly fished him out of the lot, brushed him and made him to be elected as governor. So, he’s only just playing a “good-boy” role in the whole scenario. If there is part of the law establishing the EFCC that cancels out court’s injunction restraining it from arresting any suspect or offender, it goes without saying therefore that the commission is also right in pursuing it’s mandate. As a way of digression, if it turns out that the commission violates or defies the court order as in the case of Yahaya Bello, it ought not to be the reason for the former governor to begin to play hide-and-seek game. After all, he can use the law to establish his case, either now or later. In other words, he could have submitted to the EFCC and simultaneously, in consultation with his lawyer, sue the commission for contempt of court. More seriously, why would Yahaya Bello dodge EFCC as if it is some kind of diety with the power of life and death; as if he doesn’t know that most of the governors in the past were arrested for questioning immediately after their tenures? Even Nasir el-Rufai and others have at one time or the other, visited EFCC, on invitation, without much public attention. As a matter of fact, EFCC has since made it a norm to invite, especially, immediate past Governors and their likes for questioning, one way or the other even if it is for public display, known as media trial. Ex Governor Yahaya Bello has all the advantages to fall back on if he submits himself to the EFCC, advisedly, by himself. He should not allow a situation where he would be arrested and “terribly embarrassed” by the angry EFCC. He needs to ask his team of lawyers where those advantages he has against the EFCC are hiding, including the latest one about him being declared wanted, as if he’s a dangerous criminal. These are the things even none professionals can gleen out.
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