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NDLEA Intercepts $4.8m Fake Currency, Apprehends Drug Barons

October 15, 2023

By Akinwale Kasali

Two Drug Barons have been arrested by Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for their involvement In transnational criminal organisations with a multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs.

Before now, the drug barons had been declared wanted by the agency as they were on the run.

In a statement by the Agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, at the Headquarters in Abuja, it stated that the men who concealed cocaine and heroin in their stomachs, were arrested after its operatives intercepted consignments designated to Paris, France and Doha, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The statement read in parts, “Operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday 10th October, succeeded in taking into custody, Hakeem Babatunde Salami, the arrowhead of “Tajudeen Babatunde Abioye Transnational Criminal Organisation” involved in the illicit trade of several narcotics including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ephedrine between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.

“He fled Nigeria to South Africa upon the arrest of a member of his syndicate, Suleiman Babatunde Oba at the Lagos airport on August 25 over an attempt to export 25.10kgs of ephedrine to South Africa.

“Hakeem Babatunde Salami was however smoked out of hiding through partnership with South African authorities and other intelligence and investigative mechanisms. While some of his luxury vehicles have been seized and his home in Surulere, Lagos, sealed, other members of the cartel are already in custody including Suleiman and Godwin Edet Mathew.

Babafemi stated further: “In his statement, he claimed he was into the importation of building materials from China to Nigeria and used to sell gold in South Africa before delving into the illicit drug trade about two years ago.

“The head of another cartel, Okafor Ikechukwu Williams (aka Jantu) and his wife, Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace were also taken into custody on Thursday 5th October when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout at 9 Awa Street, Ago Palace, Okota area of Lagos, where they recovered 27.566 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a blue box and two sacks, ready for export to Europe and Asia.

“Their Lexus RX350 marked ABJ 512 AY parked in the house was also seized during the operation. Their arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering about the activities of the criminal network.”

According to the statement, “At the Abuja airport, operatives on Friday 6th October arrested a drug trafficker, Nwofor Ejiogu Charles, 45, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Doha. After a body scan revealed he ingested cocaine, he was placed under observation during which he excreted 75 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.653 kgs. At the point of his arrest, Nwofor who was the last passenger to board his flight offered to compromise an NDLEA officer with $3,000 to free him.

“The following day, Saturday 7th October, another trafficker, Nwufo Charles Okwudili, 45, was also arrested while attempting to board Lufthansa Airlines flight LH 0595 to Paris, France via Frankfurt, Germany. After being put through a body scanner, he was taken into a recovery room where he excreted 96 wraps of heroin he ingested with a total weight of 1.413 kgs.

“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene -Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Tuesday 10th October, intercepted a commercial bus coming from Lagos to Kano. A search of the bus led to the seizure of four million, eight hundred and eighty thousand US dollars ($4,880,000), and fifty-seven million Céfa, (CFA57,000,000) suspected to be counterfeits.

“In Sokoto, the Federal High Court in the state capital presided over by Justice Ahmad Mahmud has sentenced an acting district head, Alhaji Umar Mohammed (aka Dan Bala) to five and a half years in jail on four counts of possession and dealing in 436.38 kgs cannabis and 7 kgs psychotropic drugs brought against him by NDLEA in October 2022.

“He was convicted and sentenced to two years on each of counts 1 and 2 with an option of a N1 million fine, and eight months on each of counts 3 and 4 without an option of fine.”

Furthermore, “Operatives in Edo state on Wednesday 11th October stormed the Orue forest, Owan West LGA where they arrested Happy Akashili, 37, and Solomon Uwesue, 40, in a hut located inside a cannabis farm measuring 2.367308 hectares which was destroyed, with 92 kgs already processed skunk recovered, while 49 kgs of same substance were also seized at Ogbeturu camp.

“The Commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

“Some of these include WADA sensitisation lecture on Drug Use and Mental Health for students of 15 secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state; WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Ascension College, Iworo Imeke, Badagry Lagos; WADA sensitisation lecture at Modern Comprehensive College, Amokwe, Udi LGA, Enugu; WADA sensitisation lecture for students of National Secondary school, Awka; Students of JIBWIS Islamic Science Secondary school, Herwagana, Gombe; students of Government College, Makurdi, Benue; students of Government secondary school (Boys), Kafin Maiyaki, Kano and students of JNI Special Model primary School, Gusau, Zamfara.

“While commending the efforts of the NAIA, MMIA, Kogi, Sokoto and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as the Special Operations Unit targeting the drug cartels, for jobs well done in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa assured that officers and men of the Agency will never let down their guards no matter the tricks and distractions orchestrated against it by criminal networks.”

MURIC Slams Pastor Adeboye For Bad Prayer Points

Akinwale Kasali

October 15, 2023

By Akinwale Kasali

Islamic Group, Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has slammed the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye for taking sides in the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine:

The Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, faulted Pastor Adeboye for praying for Israel rather than praying for the whole world.

In a Statement Akintola, slammed Adeboye for failing to pray for the failure of the oppressors between the two nation in the battle for Gaza.

The statement by the MURIC leadership is coming days after Adeboye openly supported Israel against Palestine in the ongoing war.

The statement reads: “We have been reliably informed that the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has declared support for Israel in the ongoing war between the Zionist nation and Palestine. He also said he was praying for Israel to be victorious.

“We are bewildered that a religious leader of Pastor Adeboye’s standing can ignore the sufferings of a people who have been under occupation, siege, arbitrary arrests, long imprisonments accompanied with severe torture, family separations, demolition of homes without warning, extra-judicial killings on a daily basis and the most horrendous dehumanization and violation of fundamental human rights.

“Nigerians must therefore realise that the conflict between Israel and Palestine is not rooted in religion but in land-grabbing.

“That is why Nigerians should not exchange hostilities over the conflict in the Middle East. We should not be divided along religious lines. Good Muslims and good Christians should continue to interact, love and share.

“The Palestinians know that the Israelis are not Christians and they are not fighting Israel on grounds of religion. They are merely defending themselves and asserting their fundamental human rights after being under zionist occupation for 75 years.

“Instead of praying for Israel’s victory specifically, we invite Pastor Adeboye to pray for failure for the oppressor between Israel and Palestine.

“He should pray for an end to slavery and apartheid in the Middle East and in other parts of the world. Finally, he should pray for peace in Nigeria and the world as a whole.

“On these three prayer points, therefore, we pour out our hearts. We humble ourselves before the Almighty Creator. Oh God of All Nations, the Invincible, God the Invissible, God the All-Knowing, God the King of Kings, the Judge of all judges, the Most Powerful of all powers, we call upon You today that You ensure that failure shall be the portion of whoever is the oppressor between Israel and Palestine. We pray for peace in Nigeria and the world at large.

“All we are asking our G. O. to do is to join us as we say ‘Amen’ to those prayers. It will be enough for the G. O. to tweet the same prayer to Nigerians so that they may be convinced that he has no intention of backing the oppressor.

“As we speak, 1,800 Palestinians have been killed, more than 6,000 have been wounded and there are no drugs to treat them. Gaza medical facilities have been stretched to their limit. Half of Gaza is already in ruins.

“1,300 Israelis have died and a few hundreds wounded but the injured ones in Israel are receiving medical attention whereas the Palestinians have had no food, no water, no fuel and no electricity for six days. Children and pregnant women are among the Palestinian victims deprived of essential facilities.

“In the midst of this colossal human catastrophe, we are miffed that Pastor Adeboye is praying for a country with a powerful military that locked up all exits of a weaker country that has no standing army and no single fighting aircraft, bombards it for six days and it is now preparing for a ground assault, to be victorious in its bloodthirsty drive for a pogrom.

“Tramadolised religiousity in arrogant ignorance has always been a major problem of Nigerians. Adeboye is praying for the extermination of poor Palestinians without knowing that thousands of Christians are most likely to be victims of the massacre inside the same Gaza.

“Palestine has a population of 12 million people and Christians constitute 7% of that figure, about 840,000. How is Adeboye certain that the merciless bombing and leveling of whole neighbourhoods has not killed many Christians already in Gaza? How is he sure that the coming gruesome ground assault will not affect any of the Christians?

“Compared to the number of Christians in Palestine, Christian population in Israel is a meager 185,000 which is just 1.9% of Israel’s 9.3 million people. This means that contrary to the belief of many Nigerians, the Israelis are not Christians.

“Also, the population of Muslims in Israel is 1.7 million, representing 18% of the total population. This also means there are more Muslims in Israel than Christians”, the statement reads.

Tension As Graduates Of Ondo Varsity Distance Learning Programme Can’t Mobilize For NYSC

Ayodele Oni

October 15, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Uneasy calm now prevails at the campus of the Ondo state owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, (AAUA) Ado Ekiti campus, as students produced at the institution in the last three years, are not enlisted in the mandatory national youth corps service.

The situation has compelled the students to embark on massive protest at the weekend at the premises of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti Campus being used as venue for the off campus programme by AAUS.

The students have given the vice chancellor of the university, Prof Olugbenga Ige an altimatum to quickly address what they described as breach of trust and agreement in the admission process and the entire arrangement of the affiliated programme.

The protesters, who embarked on protest, displayed different placards having different inscriptions, accusing the AAUA management through the Directorate of University Affiliated Program of railroading them into the programme by assuring them that it was a full time and that they would be mobilized for the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) at the completion of their four years courses.

Expressing their sadness and total disappointment in what the outcome of school arrangement is becoming, they said that many of them that graduated as the first set of the school are yet to be mobilized for NYSC programme, three years after, while some of them were given letter of exclusion, different from the initial made-belief arrangement during admission.

The students who said that they are currently stuck, expressed frustration saying the programme instead of emboldening them to face life is hindering their paths forward.

“Our parent and guidance are beginning to doubt us, they committed very huge investment in sending us to this institution believing that we had the same opportunity with those on the main campus.

“The AAUA Directorate of Affiliated Programme kept assuring us of a standard in the arrangement, there was even a time that the VC and the registrar came to us here and told us not to panic and that everything was in order.

“What other assurance do we need to have when authorities have assured? Where is integrity? Here we are now and the AAUA/ FEDPOADO reality is dawn on us. Or may be the school management at the main campus is unaware of this whole thing because if they are aware, it should not be this way, the VC as we know is a man of repute and a seasoned administrator under whose watch such should not be happening.

However, the Directorate of AAUA affiliated programme FEDPOADO campus has reassured the students that efforts are on to resolve the issue and that the students has nothing to fear.

President Tinubu Has No Hand In Sunday Igboho’ s Release From Benin Republic Prison – Leader, Yoruba Group

Ayodele Oni

October 14, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

The Leader of Yoruba Group, Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof Banji Akintoye, has clarified that President Bola Tinubu has no hand in the recent release of the Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, from protective custody in the Republic of Benin.

While reacting on Saturday, to a viral video on social media, which allegedly claimed that Tinubu should ensure the release of the leader of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, just as he facilitated Igboho’s freedom, Akintoye stated: “President Tinubu had no hands in Sunday Igboho’s freedom.”

In a statement, the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua contended that “this is imperative in order to correct the wrong impression in some quarters that President Bola Tinubu facilitated the freedom of Chief Sunday Adeyemo in Cotonou last week Sunday.

The statement was signed by the spokesperson for Akintoye, Mr Gani Alagbala.

According to the statement, “this is in response to the viral video of an Igbo militant leader, proclaiming that Nigeria President, Bola Tinubu should release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, just has he (President) has released Chief Sunday Igboho

“Although we will not fault our Igbo brothers, nor criticize them for seeking the freedom for the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu in any way.

“However, we must set the record straight. The Nigerian authorities and administration under the presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has got no hands in the release and total freedom of our frontliner, Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Igboho

“We give the credit to the Almighty God, then the efforts of our leadership in this Yoruba nation struggle supported by well-meaning friends at home and abroad.

“This had been a tedious and tasking process, but we give glory to God that granted us success in Sunday’s freedom at last.

“We strongly deny the involvement of any politician or officials of the Nigerian government in all these processes, for simply there was none.

“Our appreciation again goes to the Republic of Benin government for not denying us justice at last , despite some political pressures.

“And we wish our Igbo brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu a quicker release from the Nigeria incarceration.”

Interior Minister Sets Up Border Protection Committee

Akinwale Kasali

October 14, 2023

By Akinwale Kasali

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has set up a 13-man Committee to conduct an assessment of the nation’s borders.

Members of the Committee were drawn from officials of the Ministry, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service, Border Community Development Agency, Community Boundary Commission, and a consultant.

The Committee named, “Integrated Border Governance Committee”, was charged by the Minister to develop a plan to adequately secure Nigeria’s borders.

The Committee was given 18 weeks to deliver on its mandates.

A statement on Saturday by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Afonja Ajibola, said the Minister set up the Committee during a presentation on border management and control by a consultant in his office.

It partly read: ”Tunji-Ojo instructed that the Committee should endeavor to have a robust deliberation and create a border management plan that is implementable to secure the country.

“The Minister said what is of importance to him about border management is the aspect of internal security which he said is a massive task which requires the synergy of all critical stakeholders.

“He painted a scenario of Nigerians community at borderline attending school in the neighboring foreign country. Tunji-Ojo, added that the loyalty of that Nigerian would naturally be with the foreign country, he then queried, how would the country achieve security.

“The Minister said the country must stop paying a lip service to border management. He said that enough budgetary allocation must be made available for the provision of social infrastructures to these contiguous border communities for the people to feel belonged to their country.”

Adepoju Remains NIPOST CEO As Presidency Reverses Odeyemi’s Appointment

Ayodele Oni

October 14, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

Nigerian Postal Services, (NIPOST) announced on Saturday that President Bola Tinubu has reinstated the sacked Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, Sunday Adepoju.

Adepoju’s sack and replacement was announced by the Presidency on Wednesday alongside the EVC/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and that of Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited.

A new CEO, Tola Odeyemi was named as the new Postmaster General of NIPOST in the changes announced by the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale.

However, a statement from NIPOST on Saturday said Adepoju has been reinstated.

According to the NIPOST’s statement issued on X former Twitter, stated that Adepoju’s reinstatement was “due to his exceptional leadership and performance.”

It is unclear yet what becomes of Odeyemi that was appointed to the same position on Wednesday.

The statement reads; “Rt. Hon. Sunday Adepoju conveyed his appreciation to the President and other key supporters.

“He pledged to redouble his efforts to elevate NIPOST into a world-class digital postal service & align his vision with that of the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy in contributing significantly to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

“This reinstatement is a testament to Adepoju’s leadership skills and unwavering commitment to service.

“Nigerians can anticipate enhanced value & quality services from NIPOST, an agency dedicated to providing efficient, reliable, and effective postal services across the nation through a network of over 3000 post offices, offering a wide range of services including mailing, logistics, courier, and financial services.”

Adepoju was first appointed by former President Buhari in October 2022. In celebration of his reinstatement, NIPOST listed Adepoju’s achievements in the last one year to include:

Development of Modern Digital Postcode System; Integration of the Address Verification System (AVS); Procurement of 20 operational vehicles and 100 motorbikes to enhance last-mile delivery.

“Remodeling of several post offices for e-government and financial services; and Commitment to transforming NIPOST into a world-class postal service.”

House Of Rep Urges FG To Declare State Of Emergency In Health Sector

Akinwale Kasali

October 14, 2023

By Akinwale Kasali

The worrisome state of the nation’s Health Sector has prompted Lawmakers at the House of Representatives to urge the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to declare a State of Emergency in the sector.

Lawmakers at the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly said that the pathetic state of the Health Sector needs to be addressed with significant votes pumped into the sector in the 2024 Budget Estimates.

Hon. Fayinka Oluwatoyin of the All Progressives Congress, APC, representing Mushin Federal Constituency II, Lagos State moved the motion titled, “Need for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to collaborate with relevant health agencies in states and Local Governments to ensure the functionality of Primary Healthcare Centres”, during plenary.

The Lawmaker lamented the dilapidated health facilities, urging the FG to address this with urgency.

He estimated that Nigeria has about 39,983 hospitals and clinics as of 2020, with the primary healthcare centres accounting for about 34,000 which is 86 per cent.

He, however, said that only 20 per cent of these primary healthcare centres are functional, particularly in rural areas lacking adequate facilities and staffing.

He said the lack of medical equipment, drugs, qualified personnel, electrical systems, beds, and road networks had increased the death toll in healthcare centres.

This, according to him, necessitated revitalisation with a budget of US$80 million for additional bed spaces.

He said the Federal and State Health Ministries’ inaccurate representation of primary healthcare centres hindered proper budgeting and access to quality healthcare in rural areas.

This, according to him, often leads to premature deaths.

The House, in its resolution, urged the Federal Ministry of Health to encourage States to resuscitate the comatose primary healthcare programmes at the grassroots level.

It urged the ministry to also provide qualitative and affordable Medicare for the masses.

The House further urged the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with State ministries, LGAs and other stakeholders to establish a task force to eradicate sharp medical malpractice.

This, he said, should particularly be in the rural areas and furnish the Committee on Healthcare Services with the summary reports in evaluating the standard of the primary Healthcare Centres from 2016-2022.

Nigeria’s Finance Minister Gets International Appointment

Ayodele Oni

October 14, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

For the first time, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, will sit atop African Finance Ministers known as Governors Forum of the World Bank

This followed his appointment as the Chairman of the African Governors’ Forum of the World Bank.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday.

The ministry in the statement said that this marks the first time Nigeria has assumed the role of Chairman in 60 years.

It also noted that the appointment presents a unique opportunity for Nigeria and the implementation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The African Governors’ Forum of the World Bank and International Monetary Forum (IMF) is made up of the continent’s finance ministers and central bank governors.

AFDB President Says Corruption Not Peculiar To Africa Alone

Ayodele Oni

October 14, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

President of the African Development Bank, (AFDB), Dr Akinwuni Adesina, has said that corruption is a global phenomenon and not peculiar to Africa alone.

Adesina, a former minister of agriculture, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, was of the view that what is important is to continue to improve transparency, accountability, and the use of public resources.

According to him, “The global financial crisis that brought the world down in 2008 was not in Africa. We have no Wall Street. That collapse came from greed, from corruption, from fraud.

“You have people cooking the books that are in the financial industry in Europe, not in Africa. Corruption is not an African issue.

“The issue is that is not to say that there’s none. What you have to do is to continue to improve transparency, accountability, and the use of public resources.”

NUC Rejects Top Up Degree By NBTE For HND Graduates

Ayodele Oni

October 14, 2023

By Ayodele Oni

The National Universities Commission, (NUC) has rejected a move by the National Board for Technical Education, (NBTE) to launch a “top-up degree” scheme for graduates of Nigerian polytechnics at the level of Higher National Diploma.

The Universities ’ Commission in a statement on Saturday, signed by its Acting Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, noted that the move was in clear violation of its mandate.

The NBTE had announced a partnership with foreign universities where HND graduates could convert their diplomas to degrees through a one-year conversion course, following the dichotomy which has continued to exist between graduates of universities and polytechnics.

Some universities in the country had announced that holders of HND certificates should approach them for conversion.

The move had received praise from HND graduates across the country, but the NUC in a strongly-worded statement urged the NBTE to stay put on its plan.

The statement reads, “The attention of the National Universities Commission has been drawn to the news (online) that the National Board for Technical Education has officially introduced a one-year top-up degree programme in Nigerian Polytechnics to enable holders of the Higher National Diploma to convert their certificates to the first degree with foreign accredited universities.

“The online news, which was credited to the Executive Secretary of the NBTE, Prof Idirs Bugaje, and the Board’s Head of Media Unit, Mrs Fatima Abubakar, revealed that the action was in furtherance of the advocacy for the removal of the existing dichotomy between degree holders and HND graduates in their various places of work, and to enhance the beneficiaries’ opportunities for further studies.

“The NUC wishes to inform the Management of the NBTE and the general public that the “Bill for an Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination between First Degree and Higher National Diploma in the Same Profession/Field for Employment, and for Related Matters”, which was passed by the 9th National Assembly in 2021, is yet to be assented to by Mr President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So, even though agitation continues to grow for the abolition of the dichotomy in Nigeria, there is, at the moment, no law that has removed the dichotomy between a university degree and the HND.”

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