₦airaland Forum

A trending video has captured the moment John Mahama mistakenly referred to Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu as the "President of Ghana" during his inauguration ceremony today, January 7.

Mahama, 65, has officially been sworn in as Ghana’s president, succeeding Nana Akufo-Addo.

This marks Mahama’s second tenure as president, having previously served from July 2012 to January 2017.

His first presidency began following the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills in July 2012. Mahama completed that term and subsequently won the presidential election in 2012.

A deadly explosion has gone off at a school located in an Abuja suburb, killing one student and injuring four others, those familiar with the incident have told PREMIUM TIMES.

A security source said the incident occurred at about noon on Monday at an Islamiyyah school in the Kuchibiyu Community of Bwari Area Council, about 42 kilometres from the Abuja city centre.

Another source said emergency and security personnel, including the police bomb disposal squad, have arrived at the explosion scene while the injured victims have been rushed to hospital.

The police are yet to comment on the incident, so details of the explosion remain sketchy. Multiple calls to the spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory’s Command of the Nigeria Police, Josephine Adeh, did not connect.

However, a security source said, “The dead student, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, bore the substance suspected to be IED while it exploded and injured the other students, thereby causing pandemonium in the centre”. Authorities at the school could not be reached at this time.

Our source added that “the students involved were recently admitted into the school and that they resumed on 3rd January 2025.”

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, started the new year with the arrest of a wanted drug kingpin and Lagos socialite, 61-year-old Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye on Wednesday 1st January 2025 in her mansion at Okota area of Lagos following the interception of a truckload illicit drug consignment from her staff same day.

Known in the drug underworld as “Iya Ruka”, Alhaja Ajoke as she is fondly called in social circle, has her true identity shrouded in mystery for years while she remained on the wanted list of NDLEA for leading one of the drug cartels operating from Mushin area of Lagos. The lid was however blown off her invincibility on Wednesday 1st January 2025 when NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence intercepted a white Izuzu truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks containing 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis and driven by one of her staff, 41-year-old Abideen Adio. Thereafter, the operatives stormed her hideout at 33 Adebayo Oyewole street, off Ago Palace way, Okota, where they arrested her.

On the surface, Alhaja Ajoke is a businesswoman who imports fabrics and shoes from China but beneath is a massive illicit drug trade. She is also recognized as the Iyalaje of Blessing Sisters, an influential club of society women in Lagos.

In another major operation, NDLEA officers on Friday 27th December 2024 arrested a US-trained Hollywood and Nollywood filmmaker, Emeka Emmanuel Mbadiwe, who is also a motivational speaker at his Lekki Hotel room following the arrest of his partner, Uzoekwe Ugochukwu James, earlier same day at a warehouse in Ajao estate Ikeja, where he was sent by Mbadiwe to collect a shipment of 33 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 17.30 kilograms, which arrived the Import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja on 24th December 2024 from the United States on a Delta Airline flight, concealed in large wooden boxes.

In Kwara state, a fresh graduate Khadijat Abdulraheem, 24, and a 20-year-old student of the University of Ilorin, Ayomide Morakinyo were on Sunday 29th December 2024 arrested by NDLEA operatives at Tanke-University of Ilorin road, Oke Odo, Ilorin based on credible intelligence that they were producing and selling drug laced cupcakes to students in the community. When their apartment was searched, 42 pieces of drugged cakes were recovered from them.
An ex-convict, Sodade Sunday Eniola, who was arrested by operatives of the Tincan Command of NDLEA in June, 2024, for drug trafficking, prosecuted and sentenced to four years in prison has been arrested again by officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency for passport racketeering. When he was convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos on 14th June 2024, the trial judge gave him an option of paying N750,000 fine, which he paid and was let go.

However, in series of operations in December 2024, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted no fewer than 52 passports of different countries from shipments going to Canada, Russia, and other countries concealed in shoe soles and food items. Further investigations led to the arrest of four members of three syndicates involved in the racket.
The arrested suspects include: Sodade Sunday Eniola; Ayinde Saheed Awwal; Salaudeen Afeez Ayode; and Sheriff Adebayo Bamigbade. Both the exhibits and the suspects were on Monday 30th December 2024 handed over to the Zonal Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Lagos for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Not less than 316, 800 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from two containers by NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne Rivers state during a joint examination of the shipments with men of Nigeria Customs and other security agencies on Tuesday 31st December 2024. The seizure followed credible intelligence processed by the Port Harcourt Port Command of the Agency.

In Kano, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 31st December 2024 raided Mafarki, Dan Dishe area of Dala LG where they recovered 149, 090 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a local dealer, 45-year-old Ismail Muhammad.

With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to traders at Ido-Osi Central Market, Ido Ekiti, Ekiti state; and Muslim faithful during their Juma’at prayer at Birnin Kudu central mosque, Jigawa state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, PHPC and Kwara Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 5th January 2025

Suspected terrorists have killed the Acting Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Katsina State, Alhaji Amadu Surajo.

The terrorists also killed three other people and injured several others.

The incident occurred in the late hours of Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday morning when the hoodlums attacked Mai Rana village in Kusada Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the terrorists abducted the first and second wives of the acting chairman, along with one of his daughters, who is an undergraduate at one of the public universities in the country.

A source familiar with the incident, however, said Surajo’s first wife was later released by the hoodlums.

Before his death, Surajo was the state Secretary of MACBAN before he was elevated to Acting Chairman.

His current portfolio came about after the National Vice President of MACBAN, who doubled as Chairman of the association in the state, Munnir Lamido, disappeared mysteriously in June last year.

According to reports, Lamido had left his Katsina residence on June 23 and was travelling to Kaduna State.

He was said to have informed family members by phone that he had stopped in Zaria to eat at a restaurant.

But his whereabouts became unknown after family and friends tried to reach him some hours later; his vehicle and two phones were later recovered along Maraban Jos, just before entering Kaduna town.

He was declared missing by security operatives a few days later, and his whereabouts have remained unknown ever since.

Following Saturday night’s incident, sources said security operatives had been deployed to the community to ensure peace and investigate the incident.

The remains of Surajo and the other deceased persons are expected to be buried later on Sunday morning according to Islamic rites, while the injured have been hospitalized and are receiving treatment.

Though several council areas face security challenges in the state, Kusada Council is not among them.

This has led to speculation from some quarters whether the attack was more than just terrorism or a banditry attack.

However, the spokesperson for the police command in the state, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, was yet to respond to inquiries about the incident at the time of the report.

Nigerian telecommunications companies have submitted a proposed 100 per cent increase in their tariffs to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

During an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, stated that the increase is to address rising operational costs, including inflation and increased service delivery expenses.

Toriola, however, expressed uncertainty about the proposal being approved by telecom regulator NCC.

He said the hike became imperative to sustain the industry bedevilled by significant financial pressures due to rising operational costs.

“We’ve put forward requests of approximately 100 per cent tariff increases to regulators.

“I doubt they’re going to approve that quantum of increases because they are very, very sensitive to the current economic situation in the country,” Toriola stated.

“I believe we’re all on the same side, the policymakers, the regulators, our Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, and the industry.

“We’re united because we share concerns about a few fundamental issues. First, human rights, are critical to driving any economy.

“Without a sustainable industry, the broader economy and the well-being of the people will be negatively impacted,” he added.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested an automobile spare parts dealer Ejiofor Nnaemeka Chiwuzie over attempt to export consignments of heroin and loud, a strain of cannabis, concealed in LED rechargeable lamps and sofa metal legs through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.

Ejiofor was arrested on Tuesday 24th September 2024 at the Trade Fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos where he sells automobile spare parts following the seizure of his cargo containing auto parts, rechargeable lamps, sofa metal legs and electronics going to Liberia at the export shed of the Lagos airport.

Concealed inside the LED lamps and sofa legs were 37 parcels of heroin weighing 1.10 kilograms and four blocks of loud with a total weight of 1.20kg. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two freight agents and then Ejiofor who sent the consignment.

In the same vein, attempts by drug trafficking networks to export consignments of loud, tramadol pills, co-codamol tablets, pentazocine injection, dihydrocodeine and promethazine tabs through some courier companies to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Thailand and Oman were foiled by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to the logistics firms.

While 2.3kg of loud hidden in a carton was going to Thailand, 749 grams of tramadol concealed in soles of locally made footwears were heading to Oman, with 60 ampoules of pentazocine injection going to the United States. No less than 200 pills of co-codamol were meant for Australia while a total of 700 tablets of dihydrocodeine, promethazine and tramadol as well as 20 ampoules of pentazocine injection concealed in soles of footwears were heading to the United Kingdom. Going to Canada were 58 ampoules of pentazocine injection hidden in female cloths. All the seizures in the courier houses were made between Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th September in Lagos.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 25th September arrested a wanted drug kingpin Ajiboye Damilare Samuel (a.k.a Na God) after 12 months of evading arrest following the raid of his warehouse in Akala, Mushin area of Lagos, where a total of 1,101 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis was recovered on 4th September 2023. The arrest of Ajiboye in a bank in Ogun state followed well-coordinated efforts by the Agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigation, which traced 20 bank accounts linked to the suspect and blocked them.

In like manner, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday 27th September took into custody a wanted community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, following the arrest of his two wives: Hauwa and Asma'u and son, Sadat as well as the seizure of a total of 226.2kg cannabis at their homes in Badagry on 18th September. In another operation in Lagos, no less than 9.7kg cannabis sativa and 50 litres of monkey tail, a fermented combo of cannabis and dry gin, were recovered from a suspect Florence Moses at Badore area of Ajah, Lekki on Tuesday 24th September.

In Kogi, three suspects: Owolabi Dele, 42; Ayodele Monday, 40; and Olawale Ojo, 22, were arrested by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway while conveying 132 sacks of cannabis weighing 2,062.00kg in a Mercedes container truck from Osun state to Dei Dei in Abuja. Another suspect Benedict Simire, 57, was arrested at Ayetoro road, Kabba, conveying 33.40kg of same psychoactive substance and a pump action gun with six cartridges on Wednesday 25th September.

On the same Wednesday, operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA intercepted a two 40HP Yamaha engines boat bearing 71 bags of Ghana Loud weighing 2,982kgs along Alfa beach, Lekki area of Lagos. Men of the Nigerian Customs Service Western Marine Command were on hand to support the NDLEA officers to recover the boat and exhibits after the two suspects in the boat dived into the water.

Also, on Wednesday 25th September, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers state intercepted 1,500 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup containing a total of 150,000 bottles during a joint examination of a targeted 40ft container, with men of Nigerian Customs and other security agencies.

While NDLEA operatives in Niger state recovered 6,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection from Chukwudi Nwanoche, 38, at the former Minna city gate, their counterparts in Kano arrested Aminu Danmanya, 31, with 15,530 capsules of tramadol at Kano residential hotel, Katsina road.

In Plateau state, operatives on Friday 27th September arrested a female suspect Jummai Luka, 58, behind Jehovah Witness junction, Kabong, Jos North LGA, in possession of 12,000 pills of tramadol while NDLEA officers in Oyo state on Tuesday 24th September nabbed
Segun Asogba, 50, with 601kg cannabis sativa and a Dane gun at Igangan town.

In Katsina, two ex-convicts: Muhammad Machido, 44, and Zakari Ya'u Buhari, 32, were again arrested by NDLEA operatives with illicit substances. While Muhammad was nabbed along Kano-Katsina highway, Kankia, on Monday 23rd September with 51,000 pills of opioids, Zakari was arrested in Daura with 14 blocks of cannabis weighing 7kg. Zakari was first arrested on 8th February 2024 and sentenced by court to 15 months’ imprisonment with an option of 15,000 fine, which he paid. In his case, Muhammad was earlier arrested with 45kg cannabis sativa and 2.5kg tramadol on 12th December 2022. He was then sentenced to two years imprisonment.
While Benjamin Benjamin Ebei, 33, was arrested at Biase LGA Cross River state, with 38kg cannabis recovered from his vehicle, operatives in Edo state on Tuesday 24th September raided a house along Okpuje road, Uzebba in Owan West LGA where they arrested a suspect
Idonuan Ajilo, 53, and seized 112.5kg cannabis from his store.

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week. Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Kafur, Katsina; students and teachers of Akinlade Primary School, Ajah, Lagos;
students of St. Patrick’s Secondary School, Ikot Ansa, Calabar, Cross River; and WADA advocacy lecture at the palace of Aree of Iree town,Osun state, Oba Muritala Oyelakin, among others.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, DAFI, MMIA, Onne, Marine, Lagos, Kogi, Katsina, Oyo, Plateau, Niger, Kano, Edo, and Cross River Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters Abuja
Sunday 29th September 2024

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a total of Thirty-One Million One Hundred and Twenty-Four Thousand Six Hundred (31, 124, 600) pills of tramadol 225mg and bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over Seventeen Billion Nine Hundred and Thirty-Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N17, 932, 200, 000.00) in street value at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state and Tincan seaport in Lagos.

The seizures were made following intelligence processed by the Agency on the movement of the shipments from their port of origin in India, leading to a demand for a 100 percent joint examination of the watch-listed containers with the Nigerian Customs Service and other sister security agencies.

A breakdown of the seizures show that 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from two containers at Tincan port in Lagos on Thursday 29th and Friday 30th August 2024. Each of the two containers had 175,000 bottles of the opioid.

At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, NDLEA operatives equally intercepted a total of 447 cartons of tramadol 225mg containing Twenty-Nine Million Eight Hundred and Forty Thousand (29, 840,000) pills of the opioid as well as 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup from three containers on Thursday 29th August. The tramadol shipments came under different brand names such as Royal Tapetadol, Carisoprodol 225mg and Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg.

The following day, Friday 30th August, another set of three containers watch-listed by NDLEA were subjected to joint examination. At the end of the exercise, a total of 3,030 cartons of codeine syrup containing 554,600 bottles of the opioid were recovered from them.
This brings the total bottles of codeine seized at Onne, Rivers and Tincan in Lagos to 1,284,600 bottles worth N8,992,200,000.00 in street value while the combined seizure of tramadol stood at 29, 840,000 pills valued at N8,940,000,000.00.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers state on Tuesday 27th August arrested a suspect, Eze Emekan Don, while attempting to board a Cronos airline flight to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea with 1,490 pills of tramadol concealed and packaged as cosmetics of different brands inside his luggage. His attempt to compromise the officers to evade arrest was rebuffed.

Meanwhile, a wanted ex-beauty queen, Ms. Aderinoye Queen Christmas also known as Ms. Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye has surrendered to the Lagos Command of the Agency after about eight months in hiding. She was declared wanted by the Agency in January after she escaped from her Lekki, Lagos residence when NDLEA operatives raided her apartment at Oral estate, Lekki on Wednesday 24th January following credible intelligence she deals in illicit substances. The suspect was Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and founder of Queen Christmas Foundation. Recovered from her home during the search 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.

The suspect who claimed she has been hiding in Akure Ondo state since January when she escaped arrest in Lekki Lagos however surrendered to the Agency on Wednesday 28th August.

No less than 1,122 kilograms of cannabis were seized from a suspect, Mustapha Ibrahim when he was arrested on Monday 26th August along Orchid road, Ajah, Lagos, while 816kg of the same psychoactive substance belonging to a suspect at large was recovered from the same location same day.

In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on Monday 26th August arrested a suspect Friday Gabriel along Minna-Suleja road while conveying 1,900 capsules of tramadol, 300 bottles of codeine syrup and 600 packets of exol-5 tablets. Similarly, operatives in Bauchi state on Saturday 31st August arrested two suspects: Garba Muhammed, 35; and Usman Yakubu Shehu, 31,
along Bauchi-Gombe road while transporting 308 blocks of cannabis weighing 246.4kg, concealed in false compartment of a J5 bus marked Edo state URM 38 ZY.

In the same vein, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to members of Amankwu community, Ohafia LGA, Abia state; WADA advocacy visit to the Vice Chancellor, University of Delta, Prof. Stella Chiemeka, Agbor, Delta state; WADA sensitisation lecture to members of Down Luggere community, Jimeta, Yola North LGA, Adamawa state; youths at the ‘Save the Children Campaign’ annual holiday camp at Community Secondary School, Aka Offot, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state; youths during their summer class at Olubadan stadium, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo state and WADA advocacy visit to Central Bank, Kaduna office, Kaduna state.

In his response to the latest seizures and arrests, Chairman/ Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended all the officers and men of PHPC, Tincan and the Special Operations Unit of the Agency that had been working on the targeted containers for their vigilance and professionalism. He equally praised the support received from other stakeholders at the ports that enabled the seamless and successful operations in the course of targeting the shipments. He also applauded operatives in Lagos, Niger, Bauchi and PHIA as well as other Commands across the country for their diligence and balance in their drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction efforts.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 1st September 2024

PRESS STATEMENT

SHI'ITE ATTACK ON FIVE POLICE OFFICERS IN WUSE:, TWO POLICE OFFICERS CONFIRMED DEAD, THREE LEFT UNCONSCIOUS.

As police effect several arrests.

The FCT police command wishes to confirm an unprovoked attack by the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as the ‘Shi'ite’ group, on some personnel of the Nigeria Police Force attached to FCT command at Wuse Junction by traffic light, where two (2) police personnel were killed, three left unconscious in the hospital, and three (3) Police patrol vehicles set ablaze.

The proscribed organisation attacked the police checkpoint unprovoked, wielding machetes, improvised explosive devices (locally made bombs in bottles with kerosene), and knives.

While several arrests have been effected, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, Psc. mni. Condemns the unprovoked attack on Police officers. He promises to bring those involved to book.
The situation is presently under control and normalcy restored.

Further development will be communicated in due course.

SP Josephine Adeh, Anipr
Police Public Relations Officer
For: the commissioner of police, FCT, Abuja.
25/08/2024

An Onitsha, Anambra state based-businessman, Ibeanusi Solomon Nosike, has excreted 68 wraps of cocaine after 12 days of excretion observation following his arrest at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

The 36-year-old Ibeanusi was arrested in the early hours of Thursday 8th August 2024 at the old domestic terminal of the Lagos airport while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja where he was scheduled to join a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja at about 10am same day.

The suspect who came under NDLEA surveillance following intelligence had arrived Lagos from his base in Onitsha, Anambra state the previous day, 7th August and lodged in a hotel where he swallowed the 68 wraps of cocaine before heading to the airport for a 6:30am flight the following morning. He was thereafter intercepted by NDLEA operatives who moved him into excretion observation where he spent the next 12 days excreting the cocaine pellets weighing 1.282 kilograms.

Another Vietnam-bound businessman, 54-year-old Paul Okwuy Mbadugha had been arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Abuja airport on Monday 12th August 2024 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine. After four days under observation, Mbadugha egested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710 kilograms.

In the same vein, another Onitsha based businessman, Aligbo Chukwudi Jacob has been arrested by NDLEA operatives following the seizure of a consignment of 1.20kg cannabis concealed in a package going to Dubai, UAE. Operatives at the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency had intercepted the shipment at the export shed of the Lagos airport while investigations revealed the cargo was sent through a courier company in Onitsha. After series of follow up operations, Aligbo was eventually arrested in Onitsha on Saturday 17th August.

Meanwhile, operatives of a Special Operations Unit in NDLEA have arrested five cross-border female drug traffickers at the Seme border while on their way back to Lagos from Ghana. Leader of the syndicate, 42-year-old Olaribigbe Bashirat Feyisara has been under NDLEA radar before being tracked and arrested on Wednesday 21st August along with other members of her gang: Abogun Fatimah Ladidi; Osibeluwo Tolulope Oluwaseun; Akanni Balikis Oluwatoyin and Ajetumobi Amudalat.

At the point of their arrest at the Seme border, a total of 14 packs of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 6.97kg, were recovered from hidden parts of their bodies.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Friday 23rd August intercepted two containers which came from Mundra port in India. No fewer than 1,596 cartons of codeine-based syrup containing 319, 200 bottles of the opioid worth Two Billion Two Hundred and Thirty-Four Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,234,400,000.00) in street value were recovered from the containers during a joint examination with other port stakeholders.

Two ladies were arrested by operatives in Edo state for online sales of illicit drugs.
While Martha Owotorofa, 26, was nabbed at Kada Plaza, Benin city with quantities of Canadian Loud, Odion Uzordinma, 21, was arrested at Ugbowo area of the city with 30 cups of cookies and 17 slices of cake, all laced with illicit substances. A raid operation at Oghada village, Uhunmwonde local government area of the state on Tuesday 20th August led to the arrest of Saturday Edobor, 50, with 288.8kg cannabis.

In Lagos, a suspect Godwill Davidson was on Wednesday 21st August arrested with 3,834 bottles of codeine syrup; 5,200 pills of Co-Codamol; and 11, 880 tablets of Rohypnol in Mushin area of the state, while another suspect, Yahaya Ibrahim, 23, was nabbed by operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway, Kogi state same day with 42,000 pills of tramadol coming from Asaba, Delta State enroute Potiskum, Yobe state.

Two suspects: Feranmi Bankole, 25, and Fredrick Tobiloba, 25, were on Tuesday 20th August arrested at Pariz Lounge, Adeoyo area in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State following intelligence. Recovered from them were 267.5 litres of skuchies, a mixture of black currant and assorted illicit drugs and 18 grams of Canadian Loud.

In the same vein, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to pupils of Dan Amus Sangaya school, Sabon Layi, Gombi, Adamawa state; workers of transport companies in Garki Enugu, Enugu state; students and staff of Kaduna State School of Nursing, Kaduna, and WADA advocacy visit to the management of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun state.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, MMIA, Tincan, Lagos, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 25th August 2024

A Vietnam-bound businessman, Paul Okwuy Mbadugha has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine.

The 54-year-old suspect was intercepted at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Monday 12th August 2024 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha. After four days under excretion observation, Mbadugha egested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710 kilograms.

In his statement, he claimed he’s a Lagos based businessman and was given the cocaine pellets to swallow by a friend at Isolo area of the state for onward delivery in Vietnam for a fee of $2,000.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos have intercepted a shipment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 800 grams concealed in noodles going to Congo. A follow up operation at the Alaba International market, Ojo area of Lagos led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Nnamani Sunday Sunny, who deals in GSM handsets.

Meanwhile, a large consignment of Loud imported from Canada have been recovered by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport. A suspect, Desalu Taophic Temitope, who arrived on board an Air France flight with six boxes was arrested by anti-narcotic officers during a joint examination by security agencies at the arrival hall.
A total of 65.80 kilograms of the psychoactive substance were recovered from four of the six suitcases. In his statement, Desalu said he and an accomplice currently at large were promised $10,000 upon successful delivery of the shipment in Lagos.

No less than Eight Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand Four Hundred (892,400) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Six Billion Two Hundred and Forty-Six Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N6,246,800,000.00) in street value were recovered from five containers by NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state during a joint examination of the containers with men of the Nigeria Customs and other port stakeholders on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th August 2024. The bottles of the opioid were packed in 5,337 cartons with a gross weight of 133,860 kilograms and shipped in five containers from India.

In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies as well as community youths on Wednesday 14th August raided the Ise forest reserve, Saalaja camp, Ise-Ekiti, where 21,800 kilograms of cannabis sativa on 20 hectares of farm land were destroyed. The following day, Thursday 15th August, NDLEA officers on patrol along Onitsha- Enugu road in Enugu intercepted a Sienna bus marked SKA-24 AG from which 200.2kg of cannabis was recovered and the driver, Okoro Emmanuel, 41, arrested.

While the duo of Joseph Apeh, 45, and Diamond Nnabuike, 21, were arrested with 145,400 pills of tramadol on Monday 12th August at Gadar Tamburawa, area of Kano, NDLEA operatives in Ogun state on Tuesday 13th August arrested 70-year-old Fidelis Egede and three others: Samuel Sylvanus, 31; Jato Samson, 33; and Francis Blessing, 28, when a cannabis plantation on six hectares was raided at Alaka village.

In Abuja, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kwali-Gwagwalada expressway on Tuesday 13th August intercepted a truck from which 30,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered and three suspects: Ifeanyi Sunday, Jeremiah Paul and Edet Ubokobong arrested.
While operatives in Niger state on Thursday 15th August arrested Ifeanyi Chukwueze in Kontagora town with 28, 500 pills of tramadol concealed in a loudspeaker, their counterparts in Kogi state on Wednesday 14th August nabbed Abba Yakubu with 40,000 pills of the same opioid heading to Kontagora. Another suspect, Tochukwu Onah, 39, was arrested by NDLEA officers at Paparanda, Lokoja on Thursday 15th August, 2024, with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection.

Across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the week. Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students of College of Nursing Science, Awgu, Enugu state; traditional rulers in Umuahia North, Abia state; WADA advocacy visit to the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunleye 111, Ondo state; and WADA advocacy visit to the Dein of Agbor, Dr. Benjamin Ikenchukwu Keagborekuzi 1, Delta state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, PHPC, FCT, Kogi, Ogun, Ekiti, Kano, Enugu and Niger Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters Abuja
Sunday 18th August 2024

Nigeria’s electricity grid collapsed yet again, as the total generation on the grid read 00:00:00 at 1:33 pm on Monday.

The total system collapse which led to total blackout in most parts of the country, is occurring for the fifth time in 2024.

NDLEA intercepts multiple drug consignments in baby food tins, cloths going to US, UK

...Seizes Loud shipments hidden in body compartments of 4 vehicles from Canada; arrests 10 in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Kogi raids

Multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in tins of Cerelac baby food and cloths going to the United States and United Kingdom have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, and a courier firm in Lagos.

No less than 36 parcels of a strong strain of cannabis concealed in six cartons of tins of branded Nestle Cerelac baby food, with six containers in each package were recovered at the SAHCOL export shed of Lagos airport on Wednesday 31st July 2024. The psychotropic substance has a total weight of 18.50 kilograms.

A freight agent, Salaudeen Suliat Abiola who presented the consignment for export to the UK was promptly arrested while a follow up operation to Ibadan, Oyo state on Saturday 3rd August led to the arrest of the sender of the cargo, Bello Motunrayo Folu at her No. 20 Mofoluwasho Estate, Elewuro, Akobo area of the Oyo state capital.

The Cerelac tins were all factory-sealed at the top while they tampered with the bottom through which they put the substances covered with loose quantities of the infant cereal meal to prevent discovery, an effort that ended in futility as vigilant NDLEA officers were able to foil the attempt.

In the same vein, five different shipments of opioids and other psychoactive substances, such as promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine concealed in cloths and other items meant for export to the US and UK were equally interrupted by NDLEA operatives in Lagos.

While one of the shipments containing 820grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections was going to the United States, the remaining four parcels consisting of over two kilograms of opioids such as tramadol 225mg, molly and NPS were heading to the United Kingdom. They were all intercepted on Monday 29th July at a logistics company in Lagos.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan port in Lagos on Friday 2nd August recovered 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis from the body compartments of four vehicles: Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Sienna imported from Canada during a joint examination of some containers with men of the Customs Service and other stakeholders.

The seized consignments have a total weight of 38.5 kilograms while two suspects: Salami Abiodun Sunday, 34 and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, assigned to clear the shipments have been taken into custody.

While Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos on Thursday 1st August with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 174 litres and 1,070 tablets of Molly weighing 600grams, no less than 50 bags of cannabis with a gross weight of 520kg were recovered in the bush at Isuada, Owo council area of Ondo state just as five suspects were arrested at Itaogbolu forest, Akure North LG area of the state. The suspects nabbed in connection with the seizure of 42kg of same psychoactive substance include: Jimoh Omotosho, 63; Donald Obi, 62; Emmanuel Patrick, 21; Kayode Oluwaseun, 39; and John Nsikan, 34.

In Edo state, twenty-two and a half bags of cannabis weighing 220kg were recovered from Egbeta community, Ovia North East area of Edo state on Tuesday 30th July while a suspect, Osayede Aghoma was arrested. Another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, 55, was on Wednesday 31st July nabbed with 40 blocks of same substance weighing 19.200kg along Okene-Lokoja highway in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Kano.

With the same drive, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Khuddam College of Health Technology, Kofar Kaura, Katsina state; staff of Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta state; youths of St. Gabriel Catholic Church, Okpuno Awka, Anambra state and WADA advocacy visit to the Lisa of Ifon and community leaders, Ondo state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Tincan, Commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the zeal and tempo.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 4th August 2024

The Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, said Tuesday that his administration cannot pay the new national minimum wage of N70,000.

Mr Yahaya, who chairs the Northern Governors Forum, spoke at a meeting with labour leaders, civil society organisations, and traders associations at the Government House in Gombe, ahead of the planned nationwide protest.

He said Gombe State’s limited allocation from the federation account makes it impossible to implement the increased wage package. This is despite the fact that the federal allocation to Gombe and all other states has increased since President Bola Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidies.

“I cannot pay the N70,000 minimum wage, and I suspect many other states are in the same predicament,” he said.

He said even the previous minimum wage of N30,000 was a struggle for many state governments to implement.

The governor also said that Gombe State has yet to receive the promised 20 trucks of rice from the federal government, intended to alleviate the suffering of its citizens.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the federal government announced the donation of 20 trucks of 25kg bags of rice to each state as part of efforts to ameliorate the cost of living crisis faced by Nigerians.

Mr Yahaya also said the state received only N2 billion, contrary to the N5 billion palliative allegedly given to states by the federal government.

The Governor attributed last year’s fuel subsidy removal, which exacerbated Nigerians’ hardship, to a decision initiated by former President Muhammadu Buhari and announced by President Bola Tinubu.

He said President Tinubu had no choice but to announce the subsidy removal, as the National Assembly was not inaugurated at the time of his swearing-in and there was no provision for petrol subsidy in the 2023 budget beyond June.

Governor Yahaya urged residents of the state to shun the nationwide protests, which, he said, could lead to violence and destruction.

The multi-billion dollars Dangote Refinery is not selling-off the crude oil it has received at the plant, and remains on course to produce petrol this August as previously scheduled, a senior executive at the group told THEWILL Friday night, in reaction to a news agency report which claimed the refinery is looking for buyers for its crude stock.

The executive, who reacted anonymously, told THEWILL that the news agency report was the handiwork of “Saboteurs targeting our 650,000 refinery. It is rubbish and this is obviously coming from the same people who would rather continue importing petrol from their refinery in Malta.”

The source further said a formal statement will be released by group to debunk the report.

After many years of wearing the toga of invincibility, the overall head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel, 57-year-old Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh (alias Olowoidiogede, populary known as Temo), has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at his enclave after an initial resistance from him and his horde of hoodlums.

In the last two years, the NDLEA had intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira owned by Temo but he has remained largely evasive while a few encounters with him and his armed gangs in his Mushin enclave had resulted in gunfight.

Some of the recent seizures of his shipments include: a 14, 524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana in two trucks and a J5 bus intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024; two truck-loads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki Lagos on 4th May 2023 and 252kg of Loud seized from his enclave in Mushin on Wednesday 26th July 2023. Indeed, in the last two encounters, his men engaged NDLEA operatives in gunfight.

The drug kingpin was very notorious for always being on the move to evade arrest but with persistence and determination of the Agency aided by modern tools and intelligence, the concerted effort to get him paid off at 10am on Monday 22nd July 2024 when NDLEA’s surveillance teams on his trail tracked and pinned him down at Igbarere street, Mushin. A reinforcement of about 50 operatives was immediately mobilized to the area while he was attempting to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350 marked 01G-300G. His attempt to escape by mobilizing hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives however failed after which he was overpowered and whisked away from the chaotic scene while his men surrendered to the superior firepower of the anti-narcotic agents who also succeeded in recovering the Mercedes Benz SUV the suspect was found in.

In his reaction to the arrest of Temo, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Special Monitoring Task Force and other formations tasked with the assignment of getting Temo arrested for their resilience, vigilance, and professionalism. He urged them to intensify the heat on all drug cartels wherever they are located. “I’m particularly delighted because the arrest was eventually effected in his enclave without any casualty despite the attack on our men. This is therefore a clear message to others still involved in this criminal trade of illicit drugs that if they don’t opt out now, we’ll get them because we’re just steps away from their doorsteps and more importantly they can only run, they can’t hide forever”, Marwa stated.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Wednesday 24th July 2024

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday presented the 70,000 Minimum Wage bill to the House of Representatives for consideration and passage into law.

The bill is to legalise the N70,000 recently agreed upon between organised Labour, the organised private sector and the federal government after a series of negotiations.

The letter from the President which was read on the floor of the House by Speaker Rep Tajudeen Abbas provides for a new national minimum wage as well as the legal framework for the implementation of the agreed wage.

Tinubu appealed to the Lawmakers to expedite the passage of the minimum wage bill to ensure immediate implementation for the benefit of Nigeria workers.

The President in another letter also wrote the Lawmaker seeking amendment to the Nigeria Police Act by section 58 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The amendment seeks to alter the Police Act on the appointment and tenure of office of the Inspector General of Police.

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE NATIONAL LOTTERY TRUST FUND

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Tosin Adeyanju as the new Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF).

Mr. Adeyanju is an accomplished administrator, and good governance advocate.

The President expects the new Chief Executive Officer to ensure transparency and efficiency in the operations of the agency to actualize the objective of the NLTF as a driver of good causes in Nigeria.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 13, 2024

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF EMPLOYMENT

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Silas Agara as the new Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

Mr. Agara is an entrepreneur and sports administrator who previously served as the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State.

The President anticipates an overhaul of the NDE for optimal performance in designing and implementing programmes to combat mass unemployment.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 13, 2024

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NIGERIA HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES AGENCY

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Umar Ibrahim Mohammed as the new Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

Mr. Mohammed is an architect, and also, a construction technology and environment professional.

The President expects improved outcomes in the agency's objective of operating and maintaining hydrological stations nationwide, as well as carrying out groundwater exploration and monitoring using various scientific techniques in order to provide hydrological and hydrogeological data needed for planning, design, execution and management of water resources and allied projects.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 13, 2024

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Baffa Dan Agundi as the new Director-General of the National Productivity Centre (NPC).

Mr. Dan Agundi is a former majority leader of the Kano State House of Assembly. He was also Principal Registrar of the Kano State High Court of Justice.

The President anticipates the Director-General's utmost dedication and patriotic zeal in driving the Centre's mandate of developing a national culture of excellence in operational efficiency and institutionalizing a performance-driven orientation toward measurable productivity in the citizenry for the overall enhancement of service delivery and quality of life across the nation.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 13, 2024

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW COORDINATOR FOR THE HYDROCARBON POLLUTION REMEDIATION PROJECT

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Olufemi Adekanmbi as the new Project Coordinator for the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP).

Dr. Adekanmbi is a former Commissioner for Special Duties, Culture and Tourism in Ondo State, and a member of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES).

He holds a Doctorate degree in Environmental Management.

The President anticipates the exercise of competence, dedication, and professionalism in fulfilling the mission of the HYPREP to restore and revitalize communities impacted by hydrocarbon pollution, with a primary focus on Ogoniland in Nigeria.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 13, 2024

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE NATIONAL PENSION COMMISSION

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Ms. Omolola Bridget Oloworaran as the new Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom).

Ms. Oloworaran is a finance and banking expert with many years of experience.

The appointment is subject to the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate.

The President anticipates a goal-oriented leadership to drive efficiency and superlative performance in the National Pension Commission as the prime regulator of the Nigerian Pension Industry.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

July 13, 2024

Many students are currently trapped in a school which collapsed in Busa Buji community of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to witnesses, the building housing Saint Academy caved in around 11 am, on Friday, leaving students who were writing exams trapped.

After the news of the collapse broke, many parents trooped to the school wailing uncontrollably.

Rescue operations are ongoing, and security personnel, including soldiers and police, have arrived at the scene.

A truck which was headed for the scene got stuck in the mud.

The Management of Media Trust Group, owners of Daily Trust, Trust TV and Trust Radio, has reacted to the threat of the Federal Government to sue the publication over a report on Samoa agreement.

At a media briefing in Abuja, on Saturday, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information, had described the report on the agreement as “baseless and sensational”.

He also accused Daily Trust of attempting to set the country on fire, saying an issue not as severe as such made other governments clamped down on the media.

“On the part of the Government, we continue on the honourable path of civility by restraining ourselves from taking self-help or draconian measures. While past governments clamped down on the media for infractions much lower than this, we are however toeing the path of civility and the rule of law.”

“The Federal Government is lodging a formal complaint to the NPAN Ombudsman on this irresponsible reporting. In addition, the Federal Government will use every lawful means to seek redress in the court of law,” he had said.

But responding in a statement signed by Maryam Aminu Bello, Esq, the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Media Trust Group, the newspaper said, “Two ministers of government, and other sundry commentators have taken us to the cleaners over our story on the Samoa Agreement in particular, and some other reports published earlier. We have followed with attention what these government officials said, and left unsaid, and we will publish that in full, for the records. We have also acknowledged lapses in our reporting on this particular matter, pointed out to us by professional colleagues, and we will review and take appropriate measures.

“As our editors understood it, the Samoa Agreement signed by Nigeria has expanded the definition of gender rights, from the traditional male-female, to a new norm, captured by the term LGBTQ (Lesbian; Bi-sexual, Gay, Transgender and Queer). That is the crux of the matter.

“If the agreement does not aim at promoting such new orientation, widely accepted in Western countries, then we are wrong in our interpretation. We will readily apologise both to the government and to the public for crying wolf.

“We expect that those qualified, by training and experience, to make such a judgement, will weigh into the matter and we will as usual, publish all sides in the discussion, including that of the government.

“We wish to add that in this story, as in others over the last 26 years, the Daily Trust tried to be guided by public interest.

“It is also important for us to clarify some of the insinuations by the information minister about other stories that Daily Trust had done. First, the statement that our newspaper had given “a banner headline to a baseless accusation that the Government was working on citing foreign military bases in the country”. Nothing could be further from the truth. We only reported in the Daily Trust of Sunday, 5th May, 2024, details of an open letter by six scholars and activists urging the president and the National Assembly to reject any bid to cite United States of America and French military bases within Nigeria.

“Also, the minister said “Daily Trust concocted and popularised a lie that the Federal Government had renamed the Murtala Muhammed Expressway in Abuja to Wole Soyinka Way”. We did publish two opinion articles in Daily Trust of Wednesday and Saturday, June 12 and 15, 2024, in which the opinion writers raised concerns over alleged renaming of the Murtala Muhammed Way, Abuja, after Wole Soyinka.

“We recall that the information minister’s press statement on that matter, which was issued on the 17th of June, 2024, with the headline “Abuja’s Murtala Muhammed Way NOT Renamed after Soyinka-FG”, was reported generously in our online and offline platforms.

“We wish to reiterate that we are an impartial media outlet. Since 1998, we have operated under six different governments, with the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration being the seventh. Throughout this period, we have consistently demonstrated a high level of impartiality in our reportage.”

Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Vatican City, Rome, Francis Cardinal Arinze has advocated for the promotion of televised debates during elections in Nigeria as a way of strengthening the country’s democracy.

Cardinal Arinze stated this during a lecture he delivered during a visit to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam.

In his lecture titled, “Promoting Social Responsibilities and Ethical Conduct,” Cardinal Arinze stated that televised debates, like in developed democracies, would give the electorate the opportunity to decide which candidate they want and also have opportunities to ask probing questions.

The Catholic Prelate also charged universities, as ivory towers and centres of research and learning, to help in the formation of leaders who cannot be bought while governments and politicians should allow the universities exercise their right of expression irrespective of party affiliation.

He said any academic who is indifferent to the truth has betrayed his or her calling urging them not to fail in their responsibilities to students and the society at large.

Taking the lead in the tree planting campaign of the university ahead of its Climate Action Summit, the Cardinal planted four trees in the campus which he said symbolised faith, hope, love and blessings for the university community.

Acting Vice Chancellor COOU, Prof Kate Omenugha in her remarks expressed great delight at the visit of the Cardinal to the institution describing him as a role model whom many people are looking up to globally. She said the university under her watch is rebranding and setting agenda in various ways through its missions of Values, Viability and Visibility.

Prof Omenugha said the university is taking a bold step towards sustainable future with the insightful climate change summit and tree planting exercise in line with Governor Chuma Soludo’s clean and green project in Anambra State and promise of a livable and prosperous homeland.