Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Babaji Sunday, has debunked a video making the rounds on social media platforms about an incident said to have happened in Lugbe, FCT Abuja.
“The CP wishes to state categorically that there is no such incident in Lugbe as he is currently on patrol with operatives around the Lugbe-Airport Road axis.
A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh said that the Commissioner had asked all well-meaning members of the Abuja Community to go about their lawful duties as the police is on its toes to ensure the safety of their lives and property.
International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group have expressed concern over the looming food crisis across the globe as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The two world financial institutions have therefore come together to working on arrangement to tackle the crisis.
In a statement, IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, on the publication of the Joint International Financial Institution Plan to Address Food Insecurity said: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created a crisis on top of a crisis around the globe with countries facing food shortages and sharply higher prices for food, energy and fertilisers.”
This is coming on the heels of a meeting of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and global leaders convened by the US Treasury on April 19 “Tackling Food Insecurity: the challenges and call to action, “the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have worked together to formulate a joint action plan to address food security. According to the plan, the IFIs will pursue actions to step up, surge, and scale their work across six priority goals: (i) support vulnerable people; (ii) promote open trade; (iii) mitigate fertiliser shortages; (iv) support food production now; (v) invest in climate-resilient agriculture for the future; and (vi) coordinate for maximum impact.
According to Georgieva, “these pressures occur at a time when countries’ public finances are already stretched from the pandemic and debt burdens are high. With inflation reaching the highest levels seen in decades, vulnerable households in low- and middle-income countries are most at risk of acute food insecurity. And history has shown that hunger often triggers social unrest and violence. If we have learned one lesson from the 2007-08 food crisis, it is that the international community needs to take fast and well-coordinated actions to tackle a food crisis by maintaining open trade, support vulnerable households, ensure sufficient agricultural supply, and address financing pressures. I am glad that the heads of the International Financial Institutions worked together to propose concrete actions ( add hyperlink to the action plan).
“Coordination between us will be critical for the plan to have maximum impact in quickly alleviating food insecurity, especially for the most vulnerable households in the most vulnerable countries. Working closely with the World Bank and other International Financial Institutions, the IMF will provide policy advice, capacity development assistance, and financial support to help further catalyze and complement financing from other institutions. The IMF is investing in its monitoring capacity to allow for timely identification of countries with the most pronounced financing pressures, especially fragile and conflict-affected states, which will particularly be affected by food insecurity.
“The IMF is working with country authorities on macroeconomic frameworks and policy priorities. A critical area of focus is to assist countries in their efforts to rapidly improve social safety nets to protect vulnerable households from the imminent threat of hunger. Helping members identify ways to safeguard food security without resorting to export restrictions has been another priority. These policy objectives are reflected in the IMF’s program engagement. IMF financing support for Moldova and Mozambique, for instance, includes a focus on strengthening social safety nets for vulnerable households. The IMF will also bring to bear its new Resilience and Sustainability Trust, which will provide affordable longer-term financing for countries facing structural challenges, and intensify efforts with the World Bank and others to support debt restructurings where needed.”
The duo of Aminu Lawal (aka Kano) and Murtala Dawu (aka Mugala), both working in synergy with the kidnap kingpin known as Yellow Ashana, have allegedly confessed to the police, of the kidnap of the students of the Greenfield University in Kaduna State a couple of months ago.
According to a statement from the Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the duo also confessed to the murder of two police officers and one vigilante in 2021. “They equally confessed to the kidnap and the mindless murder of five victims before the payment of ransom, and eventual release of the others.”
He said that the two suspects, who were among the 31 criminals arrested within the week, have been operating around Dan Hunu, Kekebi, Dan Busha Rido, Maraban Rido, and Kumi Sata, all in Kaduna State.
The Force spokesman said that the Force Intelligence Bureau Special Tactical Squad (FIB-STS) operatives, working with the directives from the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, clamped down on the perpetrators of crimes and criminality, as well as cutting off their supply of arms.
He said that among the 31 suspects arrested are those connected with major violent crimes, including Kidnapping, Culpable Homicide, Rape, Unlawful Possession of Firearms, adding that the FIB-STS operatives caught up with them in March, 2022, after being on their trail upon the mention of their names in connection to the kidnapping of Bethel Baptist School students in 2021.
According to him, another five-man trans-border syndicate who carries out kidnapping operations in between Adamawa State in Nigeria, and Burha, Fituha, and Kesu in Cameroun were also arrested in the operations.
“The gang, which comprises Abubakar Mohammed aged 28 years old, Shehu Mohammed aged 38 years old, Abdullahi Ali aged 30 years old, Abubakar Ali, aged 18 years old, and Hussaini Sule aged 18 years old, all males from Mubi, Adamawa State, targets wealthy individuals who possess beautiful houses or cars.
“They confessed to the kidnap and multiple rape of a newly wedded woman at Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno state whom they released upon receipt of a million Naira ransom. “They were apprehended by operatives of the FIB-STS after collecting a ransom sum of 2 million Naira for one Alhaji Moni of Buladega Village on the 11th of May, 2022.
“The FIB-STS equally recovered a total of 61 firearms including 41 AK rifles, 8 Type 06 rifles, 4 Light Assault Rifles (LAR), 4 pump action guns, 2 locally made firearms, 1 G3 rifle, 1 dane gun, 376 rounds of live ammunition of different calibres, and cash sum of two million Naira, from the suspects in the course of investigations.
“Operatives of the FIB-STS equally apprehended the duo of Umar Muhammed aged 40 years old from Mitchika in Adamawa State, and Musa Buba aged 29 years old from Hong in Adamawa State, who are famous for their kidnapping activities. They were arrested at the market, upon credible intelligence that they would be there to buy food items for their kidnap victims. They confessed to many heinous crimes including the killing and beheading of one Alhaji Mai Gome, even after ransom payment had been made.
“The Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc, while commending the FIB-STS operatives for the successes recorded, assured that all criminal elements will be smoked out of their hiding places and would answer to their crimes in due course.
“All the suspects will be arraigned in court on completion of investigations.”
All Progressives Congress National (APC) national leader and leading presidential aspirant, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, displays his new dress in Tiv traditional attire, yesterday, May 17, when he visited Benue State to meet APC delegates. With him are former Senate President Ameh Ebute and Mrs. Regina Akume, wife of the former governor of the state, Senator George Akume.
The Governor of Kano State, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje has once again sounded a note of warning that the President of Nigeria from 2023, should be a person from the Southern part of the country.
The governor, who received in audience today, May 18, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at his Kano government House, said: “We believe in that (zoning of the Presidency), and respect that and we shall vote for that.” Ganduje described Professor Osinbajo as a committed second in command and loyal deputy to President Muhammadu Buhari. “Having been a deputy governor for eight years and now governor for seven years, I know what it takes to be a deputy. I congratulate you for being a successful deputy of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“Your Excellency, thank you for coming to Kano, which I can say is your home, because you have visited here several times.”
Professor Solomon Adekunle Bello, a Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has explained the reasons behind poverty within the Christians community and the steps to take to escape poverty.
Professor Solomon Bello, who is in charge of Lagos province 71 in a lead paper at the Business Summit of the Redemeers Men’s Fellowship of the LP71, Divine Connection Zone with the theme: “For Christians Not Be Poor, To Avoid Conflicts And Financial Crises” said: “poverty is not for any true child of God. As long as men continue to sin against God, they will continue to struggle.”
At the summit which attracted participation from members in all the areas and parishes in the Divine Connection Zone and beyond, Prof. Solomon, Bello, also a lecturer at the University of Lagos, described prosperity as a birthright of Christians while poverty is a curse.
He listed the major factors that brought about poverty as sin, laziness, curses, ingratitude, devourer, extravagancy, and procrastination.
“Cursed and blessings are the results of the obedience or lack of it on the part of a man. The Bible informs us that poverty is a curse. It was the resultant effect of man’s separation from God in the Garden of Eden. Gen. 3:17-19.
“As long as men continue to sin against God, they will continue to struggle. Roman 6, Prov. 28:13 Obadiah 1:17. It takes two to succeed you and God. (Isaiah 49:17, Psalm 1:1-3, Haggai 1:9).”
He said that some of the problems people experienced in their lives were caused by sheer laziness.
“Some people are actually under curses. They labour in the same office others are working in, they sell wares other are selling farm where others are farming, but when it is time for them to reap as harvest, they find themselves in trouble,” he said.
“What work for others does not work for them. Where others put their hand and record profit, when they put their hand there, that is the day the government will pass a decree, or their goods will be stolen or impounded, or fire will burn their store.
“When they have an interview, they want to attend so as to get a job, they fall sick and by the time they recover, the examination would have been over.
“Such people are laboring under terrible cruses which have been inflicted on them. They may be hard workers, yet they find themselves working like elephants and eating like ants. Jabez was such a person. (I Chronicles 4:9-10).”
On gratitude, he said: “a man who knows how to show God appreciation is a man who is destined for great heights.
“An ungrateful man cannot go far in life. Gratitude will open the doors of breakthrough and success to you at any time. Appreciation of God’s goodness leads to an appreciation of your blessings and worth before God and man. Luke 17:12-19.
“Appreciation of God leads to success in life. It is the shortest cut to victory. If you want the heavens to be opened for you, if you want to be made whole, then you must be ready to appreciate Him. When you return to give glory to God He will return to make your life worth living. Divine upliftment comes in the place of gratitude.”
Expectations are high; rightly so. 2023 has been roundly described as a make-or-mar year for Nigeria. Citizens seek change. Things have to change. The current socio-economic tailspin must be arrested. But we have to be pragmatic with our expectations. Good things do not come easy. No single individual can magic Nigeria into an El dorado in four years. Nigeria’s problems, which are functionally in situ, are age-long. But one ‘’Alexander the Great’’ can actuate the process to cutting the systemic Gordian knots.
According to legend, Gordius, king of Gordium, tied an intricate knot and prophesied that whoever untied it would become the ruler of Asia. It was cut through with a sword by Alexander the Great in 333 B.C. Alexander went on to conquer most of Asia. So, the term ‘’Gordian knot’’, which means difficulty, snag, setback, problem or obstacle, came from the artful tapestry of the king of Gordium.
What are Nigeria’s Gordian knots? Pervasive insecurity, omnipotent corruption, nepotism, prostrate economy, acutely divided citizenry, decrepit health infrastructure, wobbly education, ubiquitous poverty, unchecked killings, indiscipline, persistent workers’ strikes, capricious and avaricious petrol subsidy regime, and general societal malaise.
Nigeria’s next president will be coming at a time the country is agonisingly sundered along ethnic and religious contours; at a time of unseething anger and great uncertainty; when the economy is in shreds; corruption at the apogee; at such a perilous a time when Nigerians cannot commute from one part of the country to another for fear of being killed and kidnapped; at such a vulnerable time when a dollar is N600 at the parallel market, and when over 13 million children are out of school. Nigeria’s next president will be coming at a time of anomie.
In the column, ‘Why are ethnicity, zoning dominant issues of 2023 elections’, I said while we fixate on primordial concerns, we lose sight of the most important matters. We dispense too much energy on trivialities, and leaving little to interrogate those who have come forward to represent us. Even if ethnicity, region and religion are to be criteria for selecting Nigeria’s next president for the sake of ‘’justice, equity and fairness’’ as propounded by those calling for an orbiting in the geography of power, this should not take precedence over the principal issues of leadership.
The task ahead is humongous and Nigeria desperately needs the right people in government to get the right fixes.
A critical concern today is insecurity. How would the next president tackle the hydra of insurgency, banditry, terrorism and kidnapping? What measures will the next president take to address the galloping debts, oil revenue shrinkage and freewheeling inflation? How will the next president provide elixir for our health sector and get our wobbly education kicking again?
What are the plans to take the edge off youth unemployment? What will be the policy on petrol subsidy, considering that N4 trillion will be spent on this Venus flytrap in 2022? What is the plan to oxygenate Nigeria’s power sector and make it less of an embarrassment? How will ASUU demands be addressed for good? How will sectional agitations and omnipresent corruption be tackled?
These are some of the issues that the next president will have to contend with. The task ahead is immense. If we are serious about getting out of the doldrums, then we must make this election about real issues – with gravitas.
Who will begin the process of cutting Nigeria’s many Gordian knots? As a matter of fact, people with the capacity for governance are not in short supply here. But if we are seeking some flawless individuals or celestial beings to turn Nigeria around, we will only be chasing a will-o-the-wisp. Again, we have to be realistic and measure our expectations.
No single government can fix all of Nigeria’s problems. What we need is successive corrective leadership. One government addresses some critical challenges, and the next comes to build on the successes of the other. Governance should be a progressive continuum.
If 2023 is really a make-or-mar year for Nigeria, then we must begin to make every bit of the process to electing a new leadership count. We must prioritise the real issues and interrogate those who have come forward for elective office. It is facile to assume that because delegates, who are often bribed, will nominate the candidates for elections, the choice of the uninitiated population is already compromised. It is not a fait accompli. Delegates do not exist in isolation. They are everyday Nigerians encumbered by the same quotidian problems.
I believe the zeitgeist; the mood of the time, (among other factors), will govern the nomination of presidential candidates by the parties.
And if I am reading the mood of the country correctly, Nigerians are tired.
My sympathies in advance to anyone who takes up the job of leading Nigeria under this reign of babel.
By Fredrick Nwabufo; Nwabufo aka Mr OneNigeria is a writer and journalist.
Five persons were reportedly killed and houses set on fire in a violent clash between traders and commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okoda at Dei Dei, a community in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to a resident, an accident involving an Okada man led to the clash in the community.
“Five persons that I know have been killed in this incident. We have been calling for security intervention to no avail. We are really worried that this crisis is tilting towards ethnic dimension.”
The traders were said to have attacked the Okada rider, whom they blamed for recklessness which led to the death of the passenger. The okada riders colleagues reportedly moved to rescue him from the attackers and the situation degenerated afterwards.
Another account has it that the driver of the trailer which crushed the passenger to death was attacked and some persons mobilised to defend him.
The incident occurred on the same day Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu banned the operation of commercial motorcycles in six Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement while briefing heads of security agencies in the state at a meeting at the State House, Ikeja on Wednesday.
The governor stated that the total ban on Okada in the six local councils takes effect from June 1, 2022, and would be fully enforced.
Sanwo-Olu pointed out that the ban in the six local councils is part of the phase banning okadas in the state.
Recall that the ban was imposed over the killing of a sound engineer by some Okada riders.
The engineer was killed and set ablaze in the Lekki axis of the state last weekend.
Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris has been hit with both arrest by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and suspension from office.
Idris was arrested by the (EFCC) for alleged N80 billion fraud, just as the minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed ordered for his suspension today, May 18
The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has disbursed N394.575 billion to beneficiaries on the National Housing Scheme from 1992 to 2022.
The Group Head, Corporate Communications (FMBN), Lawal Sauri disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, May 16 in Abuja.
Giving the breakdown of the total amount, Lawal Sauri said that the Home Renovation Loan disbursed N68.571 billion to 84,088 beneficiaries.
“The home renovation loan is given to contributors that want to renovate or refurbish their existing homes to make it more appealing and comfortable.
“In Construction loans, we disbursed N145. 414 billion for the building of 34,158 unit of houses to 34, 158 beneficiaries in 30 years.
“On mortgage loans, 23,300 contributors benefited N128.861 billion and NHF refund to retirees was N51.729 billion to 386,045 retirees,’’ Sauri said.
The spokesman said that the bank had registered 5, 500, 72 contributors and registered 1,230 cooperative societies.
“We have 23,120, cooperative members and a total of N533.932 billion NHF collection in 34 states of the federation.”
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Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Babaji Sunday, has debunked a video making the rounds on social media platforms about an incident said to have happened in Lugbe, FCT Abuja.
International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group have expressed concern over the looming food crisis across the globe as a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Nigeria’s Next President Deserves Sympathy, by Fredrick Nwabufo