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Kano: Security Agencies Take Battles To Criminal Elements, As Katsina Calls For Robust Vigilance

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Alhaji Mohammad Husseini Gumel - Kano CP

By Daniel Maduka

With banditry and other violent criminal activities continuing to ravage most Northern States of Nigeria, Police authorities in Kano have initiated plans aimed at nipping in the bud chances of the scourge engulfing the ancient commercial center.

This is just as Katsina State Governor Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda has called on the State’s residents to imbibe the culture of vigilance and sharing of intelligence as effective ways of combating and overcoming incidents of banditry and other related criminal activities in the State.

Alhaji Mohammad Hussaini Gumel , the Kano State  Commissioner of police in a release issued snd signed by the Command’s Spokesperson,  Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on Sunday, January 28 2024, said ,a joint Task force has been set up to leverage on the Kano State Government and the residents support to check mate banditry, and other isolated incidences of kidnappings and related criminal activities along Local Council borders with sister Northern States like katsina ,Kaduna Jigawa and Bauchi .

According to Alhaji Gumel, in implementing the initiative,which has the support and inputs of the sister security agencies in the State, the task force has commenced clearance operations in identified areas where pockets of threats and kidnappings have been occurring.

In particular, he noted that such known areas like the Falgore and DanSoshiya Forests have been raided and cleared of criminal elements, most of whom will soon be prosecuted for offences ranging from kidnappings, cross border armed robbery, vehicles theft   abduction, illicit drug dealings etc.

“We want to assure the public that the Police Command will remain steadfast towards fighting all forms of crime and in providing a safe and more secured environment for all residents of Kano State .

“But this can only be achieved when all hands are on deck as the issue of security is a collective responsibility that requires the commitment of all” Gumel noted.

Governor Radda who spoke  at the occasion of the  inauguration of  three Islamiyya Schools constructed and donated by  a philanthropist Alhaji Abubarkar Dardisu  ( Wambam Mani) to the people of Malumfashi and Mani  Local Councils of the State said with a robust vigilance and cooperation of the people , the menace of banditry ,and other criminal activities in katsina and the Northern Region will be defeated.

How The First Hearing Impaired Monarch Emerged In Abia

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Eze Anthony Chukwunyere Ohaeri

By Daniel Maduka

For Eze Anthony Chukwunyere Ohaeri, disabilities of any hues can not translate  into incapabilities of any forms.

Thus, for the 64 year- old  Monarch, the common truism that ” there is ability in disability” has continued to define his being .

Despite being heralded into this earthly and mortal journey of life as a  hearing-impaired person, Eze Ohaeri has  braced the odds to make his modest mark, after qualifying as a Computer Scientist in the United States Of America USA.

Last Saturday, January 27 2024, history beckoned, when His Royal Highness Eze Ohaeri was formally coronated as the Traditional Ruler of Umuawa Alaocha Autonomous Community , in Umuahia North Local Government Area,Abia state, making him, in the process, the first hearing Impaired (deaf) person in recorded history  to occupy such a position in Abia State ,if not in the entire SouthEast Region.

That much was aknowledged by the newly installed Monarch ,who is the first son of the Community’s late traditional ruler, Eze Anyiam Ohaeri.

“This is the first time in the history of this community, Abia state ,Nigeria, and even in the Bible that some one with such a disability ( hearing Impairment ) is being  put in this kind of position.” Eze Ohaeri noted in his acceptance speech.

The State Governor, Dr Alex Oti, said it is the desire of his administration to remove all  known  impediments on the way of persons living with disabilities , with a view to creating a conducive environment for them to realize their full potentials in life .

Represented at the coronation ceremony which held at the open field of Umuawa Alocha Primary School by, Mr David Anyaele his Special Assistant  on Persons Living with Disabilities, Governor Otti  further assured that no segement of the society will be left behind in the task of creating a new Abia of the peoples, dream.

He promised that issues relating to the well being of challenged persons will continue to be accorded priority by his administration.

Eze Chukwunyere Ohaeri  further in his remarks appreciated his people for the confidence reposed in him to lead them ,despite his challenges , assuring that he will make every iota of their trust to count .

” Iam grateful to the Governor of Abia state ,,Dr Alex Otti for founding me worthy for selection as the traditional ruler of my People.

“I thank my people for their  trust in my abilities.

I promise that my reign will bring peace and development to the  community, and the entire Abia state.

“I urge all to continue to lend their hands of support ,so that together we can achieve our desired objectives of building and sustaining a more peaceful and prosperous Society” Eze Ohaeri stated.

Abuja: What Tinubu Is Doing To Tackle Security, Economic Challenges

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By Mohammed Idris
There is no downplaying the reality of the challenging season that we find ourselves in as a nation: the impact of inflation on personal and household budgets, and the threats to security in parts of the country.
But that is only part of the story. Just as important are the various bold measures that the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is taking to decisively confront all of these challenges. We fully acknowledge the duty and the responsibility of care that the Federal Government owes to every Nigerian, across the lines of age, gender, religion, ethnicity, and social class.
In the area of security, all threats are being boldly confronted. We are taking the fight to the criminals’ dens, with promising results. Within the last week, several bandits, kidnappers and militants have been neutralized or arrested.
The resurgent crisis in Plateau State is indeed highly regrettable, and we assure that all perpetrators of violence there, and everywhere else in the country, are being brought to book. Justice will be done, and peace will be restored in all affected communities. We salute the gallantry of security and intelligence agencies who are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we are safe in our homes and on the highways, and that criminals have no breathing space.
Regarding the economy, all relevant Ministries and Agencies of the Federal Government are working in coordinated fashion, to bring down inflation, stabilize foreign exchange rates, and create a truly enabling environment for business and investment. The Nigeria that President Tinubu seeks to build is one where no one is left behind.
Impactful interventions are being rolled out, including a Students’ Loan Scheme, a Presidential Initiative to deploy lower-cost CNG mass transit buses to provide alternatives to petrol and diesel, and various low-interest loan schemes for businesses. The CNG interventions will bring down the cost of transportation by more than 50 percent. We urge Nigerians to take advantage of these opportunities as they emerge, as they have been designed for the benefit of all.
Even as we tackle our challenges with urgency and dedication, it is also necessary to remind all Nigerians of the need to resist all forces and narratives of misinformation and division.
For example, it is not true that the relocation to Lagos of the Headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and of certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), are political moves aimed at marginalizing a section of the country. These allegations are unfounded. Instead, these are pragmatic administrative steps to improve operational efficiency and reduce operating costs.
I would like to urge all Nigerians to be especially mindful of all persons and groups at home and abroad, who specialize in making false and inciting claims on radio, TV and social media, as well as in peddling altered videos and images for viral dissemination. We must all stand together as one, against these forces that constantly seek to test and break the bonds that hold us.
Nigeria belongs to all of us, and the work of building the Nigeria of our dreams is one that must be done by everyone, regardless of our religious faith or ethnic group or geopolitical zone. It is for this reason that we have produced the Nigerian National Values Charter (NVC), a documentation of the social contract between Government and the citizens, as one of the ways to restore a national sense of hope, trust and solidarity.
As part of this focus on earning the trust of Nigerians, the fight against corruption will continue, and will intensify. Determined to ensure that there are no sacred cows, and that public funds are applied wholly for the public good, President Tinubu is providing the anti-corruption agencies with the support required to fulfill their mandate.
We will not succeed at building the Nigeria of our dreams if we insist on focusing only on our challenges and problems, and not the abundant opportunities and positive narratives that we are surrounded by. We recognize the fact that the country continues to enjoy genuine enthusiasm for investment from local and foreign investors.
In the opening weeks of 2024, our Stock Market has already put us on the global map for the impressive returns being delivered. The Indian businesses that pledged $14 billion in new investment in Nigeria on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in India in September 2023 have since started making good on those pledges. Across oil and gas, agriculture, consumer goods, renewable energy, healthcare, ICT and many other fields we are seeing global and local businesses demonstrating unshakable belief in the limitless possibilities that Nigeria embodies.
The heartwarming exploits of our beloved Super Eagles at the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire are another case in point; a timely reminder that the things that bind us together as one are much deeper than the things that separate and divide us.
Let us never forget what is truly possible: that instead of division and hatred, we can live and thrive in unity and hope, assured that, despite the temporary challenges and setbacks that we face from time to time, a glorious dawn is just around the corner.
Idris, is Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation

OPINION: Kogi: Governor Ododo’s Sacrilegious Beginning

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Okutepa and Usman Ahmed Ododo

By J.S. Okutepa, SAN

Dear Usman Ahmed Ododo

I watched you on TV and listened to your inaugural address as governor of Kogi State today, the 27th of January 2024. In that address, you committed unpardonable blunders.You started your address by undermining the Igala people and our paramount ruler and the father of all Igalas, the Ata Igala and president of Kogi State Council of Chiefs.

In the order of protocol, and in acknowledging the royal fathers present, you intentionally, sacrilegiously and in the most disgraceful and abusive manner started with the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland and Vice President of the Kogi State Council of chiefs.

After acknowledging other royal fathers, you then claimed that you forgot the number one Traditional Ruler in Kogi State, the Ata Igala. What an insult. For your information, no sensible human being will believe your feeble and insultive excuses that you forgot the President of the Kogi State Council of Chiefs, Ata Igaala, but you can vividly remember his Vice and the  salutations of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland.

Your action on this first day and first assignment to do as governor clearly showed your intentions . It is clear to any decerning mind that you started your temporary occupation of the office of Governor of Kogi State with hatred for the Igala race.

In case you may not know, the stool of Ata Igala is the pride of the Igala people. It is not a stool of recent origin. It is a very revered stool of considerable antiquity of formidable pride. As a people, Igalas are the majority tribe in Kogi State.

Truth be told, you seem to have inherited the hatred of Igala people from Yahaya Bello, who treated us with such disdain and audacity of arrogance. The Igala race will no longer fold hands and see their royal father insulted by those who lacked legitimacy.

Be warned that any further show of disrespect to our royal father, Ata Igala, will not be telorated. That the Igala people have shown maturity and tolerated the adolescent government you just replaced, should not give you a licence to start on the same footting. I hope you will not test the willpower of the Igala people by further display of disrespect.

Accept my professional respect always

Chief J.S.Okutepa SAN
27th January 2024

ECOWAS Commission Reacts, Says It’s Yet To Be Notified About Withdrawal Of Three Countries

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Africa Military Putsch

By Ayodele Oni

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS) has reacted to the decision of its three member-countries to pull out of the sub-continental body.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic had earlier announced the decision citing uncooperative attitude with the Military Governments in those Countries.

An unsigned statement Sunday evening from Abuja stated that the affected countries have not officially informed the commission about the decision.

The statement reads “The attention of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission) has been drawn to a statement broadcast on the National Televisions of Mali and Niger announcing the decision of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS.

“The ECOWAS Commission is yet to receive any direct formal notification from the three Member States about their intention to withdraw from the Community.

“The ECOWAS Commission, as directed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, has been working assiduously with these countries for the restoration of constitutional order.

“Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse.

“The ECOWAS Commission remains seized with the development and shall make further pronouncements as the situation evolves.”

LASG Give Quit Notice To Squatters Under Ijora, Blue Line Bridges

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Ijora Causeway Bridge

By Akinwale Kasali

The Lagos State Government has read the riot act to squatters under the Ijora Causeway Bridge and Lagos Blue Rail Line overhead bridge in Ijora to remove all their shanties for constituting a danger to the Lagos Blue Line corridor or risk demolition.

The Government gave them a-five day notice to vacate the shanties with immediate effect.

Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, on behalf of the State Government issued the quit notice when he led a delegation that included the Chairman, the Special Intervention Squad on the Restoration of the Lagos Badagry Rail Corridor Clean-Up, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Bayo Sulaiman, and Special Adviser on the Environment, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu on an inspection of the Ijora and the under bridge.

Wahab lamented the security risk that the occupation of the underneath the Blue Rail Line bridge by mini buses, block moulders, fuel sellers, and miscreants posed to the safe operation of the Blue Rail Line service, said the government would not allow the menace to continue.

The Commissioner stated that the State Task Force on Special Offences would take full possession of the whole expanse of land under the Ijora Causeway Bridge and would be sustained by the state government.

Wahab also gave a 24-hour quit notice to all those selling petroleum products under the Ijora Bridge to move all their trucks and containers or risk confiscation, adding that they posed enormous dangers to the infrastructure and human presence in the area.

He reiterated that no form of enforcement must be carried against distributors and sellers of styrofoam products until the expiration of the three-week moratorium granted them.

Wahab maintained that the three-week window would allow all producers and distributors to mop up all the stock they have before the enforcement of the ban takes effect.

The Environment team was also at the Park View Estate in Ikoyi where a secondary collector has been infringed upon from the upstream by building across and fencing it off.

He directed the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance Department to serve proper notices to all the property owners asking them to give unfettered access to the state to monitor its secondary collectors and remove any impediments if any.

Wahab said monitoring and enforcement of the laws on the environment will be an everyday affair and this explains why the ministry has picked up from where it stopped last year.

Beauty Queen, Aderinoye, Escapes NDLEA’s Arrest, Declared Wanted

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Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye

By Akinwale Kasali

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has declared former Beauty Queen, Aderinoye Queen Christmas, also known as  Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye wanted over her alleged deals in illicit substances.

She was declared wanted after she escaped from her Lekki, Lagos residence when NDLEA operatives raided her apartment at Oral Estate, Lekki, on Wednesday 24th January, 2024 following credible intelligence reports that she deals in illicit substances.

The NDLEA disclosed that what was recovered from the residence of the former Miss Commonwealth, Nigeria Culture 2015/2016, and founder of Queen Christmas Foundation, witnessed by the estate officials include: 606 grams of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, an electronic weighing scale, large quantities of drugs packing plastics, a black RAV 4 SUV marked Lagos KSF 872 GQ, and her picture frame among others.

Femi Babafemi, Spokesman of NDLEA, who disclosed this said Operatives also arrested a Brazilian returnee, Udechukwu Ekene Theophilus at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos for ingesting 60 big wraps of cocaine.

“The suspect who was arrested during inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the D-Arrival Hall of the Lagos airport on Sunday 21st January 2024, initially refused to undergo body scan, raising health concerns in a desperate bid to evade arrest.

“When he was however offered other options, he accepted to be placed on excretion observation and shortly after he was ushered into NDLEA observatory, he excreted the first set of cocaine pellets, after which he expelled a total of 60 wraps of the class A drug weighing 1.279 kilograms in five excretions.

“In his statement, Udechukwu claimed he ingested the consignment in Brazil and was to discharge everything at the airport in Addis Ababa but could only excrete 15 pellets which he handed over to another member of his syndicate before his connecting flight to Nigeria was called.

“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport on Tuesday 23rd January recovered a total of twelve (12) cartons of tramadol 225mg containing five hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred (599,900) pills weighing 385.40kg from an overstayed cargo at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport after a joint examination with other agencies.

“The tramadol consignment had come into the country in two batches on KLM Royal Dutch Airline flights from Karachi, Pakistan between 27th July and 1st August 2023.

“They were however placed under watch by NDLEA operatives since then”.

He continued, “Not less than 822 kilograms of cannabis sativa hidden in a fuel station located at Ashipa community along Badagry-Seme road were recovered by operatives of the Seme Special Area Command of NDLEA, while a suspect Sani Audu, 35, was arrested with 111.3kg of same substance at Maigatari town in Jigawa State on Tuesday 23rd January.

In Yobe state, two suspects: Mohammed Usman and Adamu Ma’azu were arrested on Saturday 27th January with 49 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 50kg at Damaturu motor park, Damaturu.

The duo of Paul Obor, 38, and Dennis Fuokorighe, 48, were arrested on Wednesday 24th Jan. at a Navy check point, Itobe, Ofu LGA, Kogi state with 318 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 190.8kg concealed in a gold colour Honda Accord Car marked RBC 449AE, and were handed over to the Kogi state command of the Agency on Friday 26th Jan. by men of the Nigeria Navy Ship, Lugard, Lokoja.

In Kano, a suspect, Shamwilu Idris, 29, was arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area on Thursday 25th January with 271kg cannabis following the seizure of an abandoned 28.1kg of same substance at Rijiyar Lemo area of the state on Wednesday 24th January.

Another suspect, Abubakar Haruna Salisu, 24, was nabbed at Kotun Wambai, Yan Awaki, area of Kano on Friday 26th January with 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup while a total of 1, 306 blocks of cannabis weighing 886kg seized by the Police at Kwanar Dangora, area of the state were transferred to the Agency on Wednesday 24th January.

A total of 87 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 73kg as well as 21, 346 pills of tramadol and 3,800 tablets of diazepam were recovered from a suspect, Musa Galadima on Friday 26th January when his DAF truck marked GME 971 XD was intercepted at Lafiyawo, along Gombe – Bauchi road by NDLEA operatives. In Plateau state,

Aminu Ubanta, 35, was nabbed on Saturday 27th January with 5.355kg cannabi at Layin Zana area of Jos.

Two members of an international drug trafficking syndicate: Sunday Michael Owoborode, 52, and Valentine Anene were arrested the next day Thursday 25th January at Edu Orita, Ogun state where Valentine was being prepared to travel with some drugs to Qatar same day on board a Qatar airline flight from Lagos.

At the time of their arrest, 1.8kg of cannabis, an electronic weighing scale and other illicit substances were found on them.

In another interdiction operation by operatives in Lagos, a 50-year-old Sunday Adediran, was arrested on Wednesday 24th January with 20kg cannabis sativa found in one of the rooms in his house at Mushin Olosha.

With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

Some of them include WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Government Day Primary and Secondary School, Jiddel Michika, Adamawa State; students of Soltab Comprehensive College, Abeokuta, Ogun state; pupils and teachers of Sangotedo Primary School, Ajah, Lagos State.

Others were pupils and teachers of ADS Basic Primary School 1&2, Ogbomoso, Oyo state; students and teachers of Farfanu Malami community secondary school, Magama Jibia, Katsina state; and WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Highness, Dr. Gibson Nwabueze Nwosu, Eze Uzu 11 of Awka, Anambra State, among others.

FG Set To Recover Debts Owed By Licenced Miners, Engages Consultants

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By Ayodele Oni

The Federal Government is set to engage services of consultants to block leakages and assist in recovering trillions of naira being owed government by licenced miners in the country.

Minister of the solid minerals resources, Dele Alake disclosed on Sunday that the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission ( RMAFC), would strengthen collaboration to block revenue leakages in the mining sector.

Speaking while welcoming the RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Bello, and his team to his office, the Minister commended efforts of the commission to boost revenue accruing to government coffers through mining operations.

” From our efforts so far, we discovered to our chagrin that we are owed trillions of naira in unpaid royalties and taxes by legalized operators.

“We are committed to recovering these funds and also in the process of engaging internationally certified auditors to look at the system and automate the whole gamut of the revenue collection processes.”

Alake restated the resolve of government to sanitize the mining environment, ensure it contributes substantially to the nation’s revenue, and ultimately make the sector rival oil in contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.

“We are ready to collaborate with you, states, and host communities to maximize the potential of the mining sector for the benefit of all Nigerians. Our focus is to ensure that the industry translates to greater good for the greatest number of our people.”

Media Aide to the minister, Segun Tomori, in a statement, stated that RMFAC chairman, Mohammed Bello in his remarks stated that the commission’s visit was hinged on pledging support for efforts of the Minister to transform the mining sector and also extract commitment that the commission will get his cooperation to carry out its statutory monitoring activities.

“The commission was instrumental to getting the 10% monthly payment from the Natural Resources Development Fund to the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF).

“We know we can do much more together under your guidance and leadership to sanitize the sector, plug all loopholes and ensure the mining industry becomes a big chunk of our nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”

In his submission, the commission’s chairman of solid minerals committee and commissioner representing Zamfara state, Abubakar Sadiq stressed the need for improved collaboration with the RMAFC to address shortfall in revenue remittance by mining operators.

” Our evaluation of mining operations across the country has shown a shortfall in revenue to government. There is a monitoring gap. Government and RMAFC should strengthen collaboration to seal this gap and plug leakages in the system.

“We are also making a case for proper supervision and documentation of minerals exported through our borders whilst also urging that the environmental impact of mining operations should be looked into and minimized.”

Aftermath Of Military Putsch: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Quit ECOWAS

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Africa Military Putsch

By Ayodele Oni

The three West African countries now under military regime, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have announced their immediate withdrawal from the West African bloc, ECOWAS.

The leaders of the three Sahel nations issued a statement on Sunday, saying it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay”.

Since the forceful overthrown of democratically elected regimes in those countries, coupled with jihadist violence and poverty, the regimes have had tense ties with ECOWAS.

Military seized power in Niger last year July, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020.

All three were suspended from ECOWAS with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.

They have hardened their positions in recent months and joined forces in an “Alliance of Sahel States”.

The prime minister appointed by Niger’s military regime on Thursday blasted ECOWAS for “bad faith” after the bloc shunned a planned meeting in Niamey.

Niger had hoped for an opportunity to talk over differences with fellow states of ECOWAS, over imposition of heavy economic and financial sanctions, following the military coup that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum.

AFCON: National Assembly Boosts Super Eagles Morale

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Super Eagles of Nigeria

By Ayodele Oni

Nigerians across ethnic and religious divide are thrilled by the victory of the Super Eagles against the Cameronians in the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast, with the national assembly lending its commendation on the feat.

Chairman senate committee on sports, Suleiman Kawu Sumaiola  commended the Super Eagles outstanding display in their Round 16 tie at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast.

The Eagles defeated their arch rival 2-0 to book a date with Angola in the Quarter final.

The Chairman said the team’s exceptional performance against the Cameroonians has received commendations from every nigerian around the World.

‘We expressed great appreciation for the remarkable display of skill, determination, and teamwork by the boys.

“They showcased their utmost dedication and skill, making the entire nation very proud.

“Our football team’s success on the international stage does not only bring joy to millions of Nigerians but also serves as an inspiration to young talents aspiring to pursue careers in sports.

“It is a testament to the hard work and commitment put forth by the players and coaching staff.”

He urged the team to maintain their high level of performance and to approach the remaining matches of the tournament with determination and focus.

“As we progress through the competition, I encourage our football team to continue giving their best. Let this victory serve as fuel to propel us forward. The entire nation stands behind you, and we have full faith in your ability to bring glory to Nigeria.

”We expressed full confidence in the team’s capabilities and promised continuous support from the Senate Committee on Sports and the entire 10th Senate.”

He further assured the team and the Board of the Nigeria Football Federation that they will not lack any form of support from both the Senate Committee on Sports and the entire senate led by the Senate President Senator Godwill Akpabio.