Not bad, but why should our president and all his security chiefs gather for a meeting with the head of government agency in US, I find it a little demeaning though
PRESIDENT TINUBU MEETS FBI DIRECTOR, CALLS FOR STRONGER COLLABORATION TO FIGHT CYBERCRIME AND TERRORISM
President Bola Tinubu has called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the fight against cybercrime, terrorism, and other related crimes.
The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States of America, and its principal federal law enforcement agency.
The President spoke during a meeting with FBI Director, Christopher Asher Wray, at the State House in Abuja.
Security chiefs who attended the meeting include the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi; the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd); Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Major-General Emmanuel Undiandeye; Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede; and the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major-General Adamu Laka.
President Tinubu described the presence of the FBI Director alongside his team in Nigeria as a recognition of the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against financial crimes and terrorism.
''It is an honour for me to receive Director Christopher Wray, the leader of an organization that has demonstrated consistent procedural sophistication and a reputation for excellence over several years. Your visit conveys the importance of Nigeria and Nigerian partnership in the work of America's law enforcement institutions and vice-versa. For us, it is a recognition of what stage we are at, who we are, and the level of interest both countries share in eliminating crimes locally and globally.
''We cannot achieve this important feat of eliminating crimes without collaboration. Incidentally, as the Chairman of ECOWAS, Nigeria is also collaborating with other West African countries to fight economic and other related crimes,'' the President said.
President Tinubu told the FBI Director that his administration has prioritized education as a tool against poverty, which is generally believed to be a driver of criminal activities.
''We are working hard to eliminate terrorism, cybercrimes, sextortion, and I am glad that we have a good number of agencies that are involved in reducing these crimes to the barest minimum, and they are also well represented at this meeting,'' the President said.
Noting that no single country can combat financial crimes in isolation, President Tinubu called on the United States to support developing countries with the requisite technology and knowledge transfer required to combat complex international crimes.
In his remarks, Director Wray said he was in the country to enhance the "outstanding partnership" that exists between the government of Nigeria and the government of the United States.
He lauded President Tinubu for supporting the growing partnerships between various agencies of government and the FBI in order to protect the citizens of both countries.
''We appreciate the President’s vision in countering terrorism in the region, which is a dangerous threat, not only to the countries in the region but also to the United States.
''We appreciate your vision in re-engineering the role of the Office of the NSA to effectively coordinate efforts on counter-terrorism, and this has already started to bear fruits in terms of the success you are recording against ISIS in West Africa and other terrorist groups.
''We appreciate your support and collaboration on cyber-enabled crimes and sextortion, which has unfortunately resulted in a few tragic deaths in the United States.
''I want to assure you of our support whether it is on counter-terrorism, cyber-enabled crimes, kidnapping, joint investigations, and intelligence sharing. Our relationship with Nigeria is a very important one,'' the FBI Director concluded.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
The Armed Forces of Nigeria on Friday, announced the deployment of 197 personnel for the peace keeping mission in the Gambia.
This is despite the insecurity scourge raging across Nigeria with heightening cases of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping.
The Chief of Operations Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen. Boniface Sinjen disclosed the deployment in Jaji, Kaduna State, at the graduation of troops of Nigerian Company 9 Economic Community of West African States Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), report that the 197 troops began Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) on May 4, at Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC) Jaji Kaduna State.
According to him, the PDT is in line with the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt -Gen Taoreed Lagbaja and the Armed Forces of Nigeria in deploying quality peacekeepers in support of international peace and security.
He said that the training had equipped them with the necessary tactical skills and knowledge required for peace support operations. “It has prepared you for the protection of civilians and the accomplishment of assigned tasks under the ECOMIG mandate
You have learned the importance of teamwork, leadership and cultural sensitivity as well as other factors that would ensure your success in the mission area.
“You have been trained in the latest techniques and procedures for maintaining peace and stability in a complex environment and instilled with the values of discipline, respect for human rights and compassion for the people you are going out there to protect.
“Your mission comes at a critical time, as The Gambia faces a period of uncertainty and instability,“ he said.
According to him, the country’s political crisis has affected the lives of many innocent civilians and their presence will sustain the existing peace and stability to the region.
“Your role is crucial in maintaining peace, protecting lives and promoting sustainable development,” he said.
Sinjen charged the troops to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and respect for human rights.
He advised them to adhere strictly to the ECOWAS’ mandate, which “guides your mission and ensure that your actions align with the principles of peace, stability and human rights.
”Remember that your conduct will not only reflect on yourselves but also on your country, the ECOWAS region and the international community.
“You are, therefore, expected to approach all interactions with sensibility and respect. Be mindful of the local customs, traditions and socio-political dynamics of the mission area.
”You must remain vigilant in the face of potential security threats and avoid any actions that may be perceived as insensitive,” he said.
He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria had zero-tolerance on sexual exploitation and abuse in line with United Nations’ policies.
”Therefore, any form of sexual exploitation and abuse will be met with severe consequences.
“As ambassadors of the armed Forces of Nigeria and our great nation, you must uphold the esteemed values and enviable image of this country,“ Sinjen said.
Earlier, the Commandant of MLAILPKC, Maj-Gen. Ademola Adedoja, said the six weeks training had been intense, comprehensive, and was conducted in line with the Standard UN Core Pre-Deployment Training Modules.
Mr Putin, your demands are ridiculous, Ukraine might consider dropping its bid for NATO membership for peace but withdrawing their soldiers from places annexed by Russia is impossible
Russian President, Vladimir Putin on Friday said the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories annexed by his country is a prerequisite for any settlement of the ongoing war.
Putin said this during a visit to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow ahead of the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland at the weekend.
If Ukraine also renounces membership of NATO, Russia would be prepared to cease fire and enter negotiations immediately.
His speech was aimed at the current G7 summit in Italy and the Ukraine event opening on Saturday in the Swiss mountain hotel resort of Bürgenstock.
The affiliation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson to Russia is no longer in question, Putin said.
Ukraine should withdraw its army from the parts of these regions that it still controls, he added.
The Kremlin leader said he was stating Russia’s minimum demands in order not to freeze the conflict but to resolve it once and for all.
At the same time, Putin repeated the demands he made when he ordered the invasion of the neighbouring country in February 2022: The creation of a neutral, non-aligned and nuclear-free Ukraine.
The country should also be disarmed and “denazified,” said Putin, using a term widely interpreted in the West as meaning the instalment of a Russia-approved leadership in Kiev.
Russia currently occupies around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Ukraine has so far adhered to its stated goal of retaking the occupied territory, including Crimea.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is also calling for the prosecution of Russian war crimes and Russian reparations for the destruction caused.
I don't expect Russia to admit anything, but forcefully sending foreign students to fight a war that doesn't concern them is wicked, unless they are volunteers, such thing should be done voluntarily
Moscow has refuted a report that Nigerian students were being "forced" to fight in Ukraine or face deportation from Russia.
The Russian Embassy in Nigeria has denied reports claiming Nigerian students based in Russia are being coerced into signing up for the military to help Moscow in its invasion of Ukraine, Nigerian media reported on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, a Bloomberg report alleged that Russia has been forcing African students to join in the fight against Ukraine before getting a renewal for their visas.
The report by the international news agency suggested Moscow is sending thousands of migrants and foreign students, including Nigerians, to fight alongside its troops in the war against Ukraine. The Bloomberg article had also been circulated among Nigerian media outlets.
"Some Africans in Russia on work visas have been detained and forced to decide between deportation or fighting," the Bloomberg report quoted a European official as saying.
Moscow denounces 'fake news'
On Wednesday, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria released a statement, saying it was "bewildered" by the publication of the claims by Nigerian news outlets.
"The Embassy of the Russian Federation is compelled to emphasize that such news is not only false but also damages Russian-Nigerian educational cooperation by misleading numerous scholarship and grant applicants as well as their partners, who could be extremely concerned by such fakes," Nigerian newspapers The Guardian and The Punch cited the embassy as saying.
It added that "Nigerian students face no difficulties in extending their visas."
On Tuesday, the Nigerian government also responded to the media reports, also denying that Nigerian students based in Russia were being coerced into signing up for the Kremlin's mission in Ukraine.
The embassy thanked the Nigerian Foreign Ministry for "debunking the fake news aimed at undermining the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Nigeria."
Putin's scramble to get more military personnel At the end of March, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to enroll 150,000 conscripts into the military.
All men in Russia are required to serve one year of compulsory military service and, according to Reuters, Moscow has approximately 1.32 million active military personnel and two million reserve military personnel.
As of the end of May this year, the UK Ministry of Defense said over 465,000 Russian personnel had been killed or wounded since the onset of Russia's invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.
Nigerian Open University, NOUN Says Large Number Of Graduates Yearly Causes Delay In Issuance Of Certificates
This was communicated to SaharaReporters by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Ibrahim Sheme.
The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)/has explained the reasons for the seeming delay in the issuance of certificates to students who graduate from the institution.
This was communicated to SaharaReporters by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Ibrahim Sheme.
According to him, “NOUN always gives certificates to graduates starting from Convocation Day and continuing into the few days following the ceremony.”
He added that “The sheer number of students who graduate every year, which is the largest in the Nigerian university system, makes it impossible to give certificates to all and sundry on a single day or even few days."
He claimed that certificates are given depending on the emergency of such issuance.
“Sometimes the certificates are given a week or so afterwards; it depends on the exigency of the particular year.”
“Like the one of this year, the certificates will be distributed after the ongoing examinations. So if you say the university fails to issue certificates to students after graduation."
“I would ask you if there has been a single year that the certificates were not given in the last twenty years.”
Sheme also denied that some students who are transferred from one department to another department have not been graduated.
“That's not true. All these have been done, most especially the former students of Communication Technology who transferred to Information Technology.
"Those who met the requirements for graduation have graduated.”
When quipped about the instances of the students of the environmental toxicology department transferred to Environmental science cited in the story published by SaharaReporters, he failed to reply.
It would recalled that SaharaReporters noted how “multiple graduates” of the school lamented how they spent monies running into hundreds of thousands in the school but failed to have a certificate to show for their years spent.
The report had further said that all of the students of the environmental management and toxicology department who got admitted in 2017 are yet to be graduated as of 2024 , about seven years after their admission.
Another victim of this development, who finished from the Criminology department noted that despite spending about a million to undertake a degree program in the institution, he is yet to receive a certificate after graduating in July 2023.
The US secretary of state has said Hamas “cannot and will not be allowed” to decide the future of people in the region after the group proposed “numerous” changes to a US-backed ceasefire plan.
Antony Blinken made the comments in Qatar on his eighth visit to the region since the start of the war.
He said the US and its partners were working on a post-war plan and that they would put forward “proposals for key elements, including concrete ideas for how to manage governance, security, reconstruction.”
Mr Blinken is in the region to push a ceasefire proposal with global support that has not been fully embraced by Israel or Hamas.
The militant group submitted its first official response late on Tuesday, requesting “amendments” to the deal.
The Nigerian presidency has stated that the slipping of President Bola Tinubu while boarding a parade vehicle on Wednesday should not dimínish the Democracy Day's significance.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Tinubu tripped and fell while boarding the parade vehicle at the venue of the 2024 Democracy Day.
Tinubu was, however, quickly helped up by his security details.
He had approached the vehicle shortly after he arrived at the Eagles Square, Abuja venue of the programme.
Confirming the incident, the Special Assistant on social media to Tinubu, Segun Dada, said despite the slip, the President quickly regained his balance and continued with the proceedings.
He said, “Mr President missed his step while climbing into the truck at the June 12 Democracy Day celebration and tripped. It was a mild misstep. He immediately went on with the ceremonial rounds. No issues.”
However, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his social media platform on Wednesday noted that the President was not a Superman.
Bayo Onanuga stressed that President Tinubu is human, asserting that other leaders had also slipped in the past.
"President Tinubu is not a Superman. He is human like all of us. President Biden has had several slips in the last three years. Even the younger Barack Obama slipped while President. Political leaders are human. Slipping should not detract from the import of Democracy Day celebration," he said.
All 10 passengers, including Malawi’s vice president Saulos Chilima, are dead after wreckage of their Dornier 228 military plane which was reported missing shortly after 10AM on Monday was found in the Chikangawa Forest.
The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was a Nigerian Police Force unit created in late 1992 to deal with crimes associated with robbery, motor vehicle theft, cattle rustling, and firearms
Politics › Re: Tinubu Meets FBi Director, Asher Wray, Calls For Stronger Collaboration by God1000(op): 9:48pm On Jun 14, 2024*. Modified: 5:47am On Jun 15, 2024
