₦airaland Forum

By Nicholas Kalu,

Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd) on Thursday said drug barons were assassinating operatives of the agency in the renewed fight against drug abuse in the country.

Marwa said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee of Drugs and Narcotics to defend the agency’s 2022 budget performance and 2023 proposal.

Against this background, he emphasised the need for the urgent provision of barracks for operatives of the agency.

“The barracks issue is very critical to us because as we all know the NDLEA is very aggressive now against drug traffickers and the drug barons and when you arrest and prosecute them and send them to jail, they are not happy. So they come after our personnel and with our personnel living in the town and cities and among them, we have been recording casualties and assassinations against them,” he said.

He said with the approval of the President, NDLEA is in the process of building barracks for its personnel for the first time.

He said it was also in the process of building three rehab centres, two forensic laboratories and procurement of security equipment.

He said the agency has concluded the acquisition of land in Adamawa, Abuja and Lagos for the barracks and the Private Public Partnership process is rounding off.

Marwa also said there was also a need to enhance the purchase of more arms and ammunition for the Agency.

“We need to be fully armed with modern weapons that would outmatch that of the cartels, especially as we go after them in the deep forests,” he said.

He said N24 billion was allocated to the barracks project in the 2022 budget and rued that it had been slashed to N13 billion in the 2023 budget proposal.

He called for an additional N10 billion for the projects.

By Adeyemi Adepetun


The Group Chief Executive Officer, MTN, Ralph Mupita, has asserted that the quality of service offered by some network operators in Nigeria, South Africa, and other African countries is far better than offerings from players in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and other European countries.


Mupita said as a top management executive, privileged to head operations of MTN in 19 African countries and the Middle East, travels frequently and is able to experience telephone services across: “I can say authoritatively that network quality in Nigeria, South Africa and other African countries is better to what is obtainable in countries like UK, USA and others.”

Speaking in Lagos during an interaction with journalists that just concluded the MTN-sponsored Media Innovation Programme (MIP), a six-month capacity building at the School of Media and Communication (SMC), Pan Atlantic University (PAU), Lekki, Mupita said “telephone networks in UK, USA are usually congested, with increased drop calls, undelivered SMS, among others, but in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa, I can say we are better.”

While calling for more investment in infrastructure, especially digital, the MTN GCEO, said the telecommunications firm is thinking about the future, reason for investments in the Fifth-Generation (5G) network and other expansions currently going on across countries of operations.

“We believe that the 5G network is for Africa and Africans and we are ensuring that we don’t build an inferior infrastructure, but one that can satisfy the entire region. It must be noted that investing in digital infrastructure remains critical to unlocking the future and countries must invest,” he stated.

Mupita said sooner, about five years from now, 5G would enable economies including Nigeria, South Africa and other countries in the region to accelerate their development.


On his part, MTN Nigeria CEO, Karl Toriola, informed that massive work and investments have gone into MTN’s deployment in the country, which, according to him, is evident in some parts of Lagos, already activated and other areas, including Abuja, Ibadan, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Kano, which are to be activated in quarter one 2023.

He disclosed that the firm would densify the existing locations of MTN’s 5G coverage as expansion continues with focus on where there are terminals already, demands for the network and students’ population locations.

Though Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, ordered reversal of recent 10 per cent tariff hike implemented by some telcos, MTN inclusive, Toriola, who said MTN has reversed it, however, restated that there was need for operators to increase tariff going by various challenges plaguing the economy.

Toriola, who said cost of deployment has risen, noted that MTN, despite the challenges, has continued to invest hundreds of millions of dollars and naira into these networks at a period where the naira is devalued and operators earn 100 per cent in naira.

“There is no industry in Nigeria today that has seen anything less than 60 per cent increase in tariffs, whether airline ticket, road transport, price of bread, garri and even electricity tariffs, which are also regulated. Every single industry in Nigeria in the past 12 to 18 months has had a significant increase in their prices. We are the only sector that has consistently, over the last 20 years, had a consistent decline in tariffs and it is not so long that this can go on before it starts affecting our quality of service and ability to invest in the future.


“So, over time, under the guidance of the regulator, which is the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and policy supervision by the Minister, we would continue to ask and expect that there would be a gradual and reasonable uplift in prices to enable us to first absolve the inflation shocks we have experienced across the country on power, especially diesel. We operate on Microsoft, Huawei licenses, which are dollar denominated, and increase in staff salaries, among others. These equally need attention.“
Lending his voice to the issue, Mupita said globally, not just in Nigeria, even in Ghana, South Africa, the cost to invest has really gone up. He said MTN spends about $2 billion on capital expenditure every single year to keep the network at top class. He said half of the investment is the dollar index, “and you know what has happened to the dollar and other currencies, which have gone up even by 50 per cent. It means that the input cost of running the networks has increased significantly.

“So, operators globally are asking for honest price increase to enable them to continue to invest because without investments, the quality of the network will go down. I must say that the quality of the network here is pretty much nonexistent. We have some of the best broadband services in this part of the world, even better than AT&T. AT&T and Horizon would earn from a customer probably about $50 per month, which is the average revenue per user (ArPU). But across our markets as MTN, we are doing between $3 and $5 and we all are buying the same equipment. So, you can see that the economies are quite different, especially in one that you need to constantly deploy CAPEX of about $2 billion, of which Nigeria does about $800 million.”


MEANWHILE, while 515 million people across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have subscribed to mobile services in the region, representing 46 per cent of the population, the figure is expected to rise significantly as operators plan $30 billion network expansion between now and 2025.

The Global System for Mobile telecommunications Association (GSMA), which disclosed this in the just unveiled, “Mobile Economy sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) report 2022,” said by the end of 2022, operators across SSA should have invested $8.4 billion in Capital Expenditure (CAPEX); $7 billion in 2023; another $7 billion in 2024 and $7.1 billion by 2025.

On the mobile adoption milestone in the region, which is on the rise, GSMA revealed that by the end of 2022, there are now nearly 1.5 million 5G connections; 4G adoption reaches 20 per cent and smartphone adoption peaked at 50 per cent.

For 2023, the telecoms advocacy body revealed that 3G adoption will begin to decline, while across all networks, there should be one billion mobile connections with 80 per cent mobile broadband adoption.

By 2024, GSMA estimated 200 million 4G connections; 5G adoption to reach two per cent and 600 million smartphone connections. In 2025, there would be 40 million 5G connections, while 4G adoption reaches a third of total connections with 50 per cent mobile subscriber penetration.

By Jim Ochetenwu

A man in Adamawa State has been sentenced to death for killing his girlfriend and harvesting parts of her body for a N10 million prize allegedly offered by a buyer.

The Adamawa State High Court sentenced Abubakar Mohammed to death by hanging for killing Christiana Augustine, removing her eyeballs, cutting her breast and removing her tongue.

Facts of the matter gathered on Wednesday, revealed that Abubakar, who is a father of seven children [/b]and who hails from Jauro Tukur village in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, relocated to Shagari Phase II, Yola South LGA of Adamawa State in search of a means of livelihood.

He became a water vendor and along the line fell in love with Christiana.

He had also, in the course of time, come in contact with a man known as Buhari Mohammed, also a resident of Yola, who allegedly hinted him about [b]a man who had indicated interest to buy eyeballs at N10 million.

It was gathered that Abubakar thought of where he could get it and finally settled on his girlfriend, Christiana.

This initial stage of the story dates back to the 26th January in 2019 when Abubakar went to Christiana’s house to see her and to get her to meet him where they used to meet for their amorous adventure.

Christiana turned up at the uncompleted building where they had met in the past, but instead of the usual love making, Abubakar took out his knife, slit her throat and plucked one of her eyeballs while damaging the other one in the process of trying to remove it.

The following day, the convict took the eyeballs to Buhari who, it was said, expressed shock and chased Abubakar away with the eyes.

Abubakar was thereafter trailed and arrested after the lifeless body of Christiana was found in the uncompleted building the following day; hence, his arraignment and prosecution.

The Adamawa State High Court, presided over by Hon. Justice Bulila Ladokiya Ikaro, at the most recent sitting on the case on Tuesday, sentenced the convict for culpable homicide after he was tried and found guilty for being in possession of the human parts.

By Umar Audu

A Nigerian-born Canadian, Khadijah Haliru, has emerged winner of the Ingersoll Town councillorship election in Oxford county, Ontario, Canada.

The chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed this on her verified Twitter handle on Wednesday.

DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that Mrs Haliru is the first black woman to serve on Ingersoll Town Council.

In a short video posted on her Facebook page, Mrs Haliru expressed gratitude to the people of Ingersoll Town for electing her.

“I just want to say congratulations to all the winners tonight. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to represent Ingersoll, and I look forward to doing this with heart and all the dedication and devotion into this duty that you deserve.

“So thank you, and yes we have a voice. We did it. We won,” she said.

According to a heartfm.ca, Mrs Haliru moved to Ingersoll six years ago.

She is the CEO of K Business Group Inc and she’s also the owner of Hanak Foods, K Body Blends, and K Coaching Academy.

“I feel like we just really have to open our hearts and minds to a different way of thinking so we can bring some change. I’m not saying anything about whether the current council is right or wrong, but having an additional perspective is fair,” Mrs Haliru said in a recent interview.

“Being really strategically located we have the opportunity to be a center of attraction for tourists. Our downtown is suffering, so we need to bring more attention to our businesses and I have a few ideas on how we can engage youth more.”

Divorce in Nigeria is on the rise and is a major cause for concern. Divorce can occur for a variety of reasons, many of which are still being discovered. 

Few Nigerians divorce in a courtroom. Either the wife is separated from the husband, leaves unexpectedly with the children, or one of the couples separates from the other. When one or both couples insist on continuing their separate lives, the home is no longer intact. These are the top 10 reasons for divorce in Nigeria.


1. The issue of infidelity

A relationship can end when one partner leaves it to satisfy their needs, whether they be physical or sexual. Infidelity is a significant contributor to divorce. It is one of the legal reasons for divorce in addition to the longer-than-a-year separation and abuse of your spouse (mental or physical). You only share everything with the person you are married to.

The majority of sad people may even die as a result of marital infidelity because it causes so many negative emotions like anger, betrayal, hurt, and pain that are sometimes difficult to forgive and forget.


2. The lack of communication 

Marriages require excellent communication, and failing to do so quickly can result in dissatisfaction and anger on both sides, which negatively affects the marriage in all respects. However, effective communication is the backbone of a healthy marriage. When two individuals are living together, they must be able to communicate their wants, as well as comprehend and make an effort to meet those of their partner.

Couples who cease communicating with one another may also feel alone and isolated and stop showing affection to one another altogether. The relationship can end as a result of this.

3. Unforgiveness

This is yet another major cause of divorce. No sin is too great to be pardoned. When one partner has vowed in his or her heart never to pardon the other for an error made, an offence committed, or injustice committed, they are unable to continue living happily together. Unforgiveness generates grief and resentment, which develops wickedness and hatred. This is the explanation for why partners are murdered in their sleep by their spouses. Without forgiveness, nothing and no one can endure in any marriage. 

4. Lack of love

Every relationship, including marriage, needs to have love. Forgiveness, communication, understanding, tolerance, patience, happiness, belief in one another, compromise, the oneness of heart, and trust are all characteristics of love. Without love, marriage is merely a contract and will lack the qualities of love listed above. Only love can motivate two people to be married.

There is love between couples in today’s world, but it can be love for what and not for who. It might be a love for an eight-figure financial account or a figure-eight body. They will undoubtedly look outside to fill the void left by the absence of what they love. Thinking of your spouse before yourself is a sign of true marital love. Always put your spouse first and be willing to support them no matter what.


5. Lack of mental preparation 

Anyone who doesn’t plan is planning to fail. Without mental preparation, financial, spiritual, and bodily preparedness falls short. In a marriage, a lot of unexpected things might happen. Your mental readiness will alert you to be on the lookout for the unexpected and nothing will catch you off guard.


6. Lack of courtship

Young people frequently get married without taking the necessary time to get to know each other better; instead, they simply meet, become drawn to one another, and assume they are in love. The opportunity to court someone allows you to learn more about their personality, lifestyle, and worldview. You will learn about your HIV status, whether you are both fertile if you are compatible, and other things during the courtship. Before getting married, all of these things need to be taken into account because they are also major contributing factors to divorce.


7. The issues of infertility

Nigerians have a particular attitude about having children; after two years of marriage, couples frequently worry about starting a family. Infertility is sometimes attributed to women even when the man is to blame. This can be a major source of conflict in certain marriages.

When one partner becomes fed up with the situation and decides to have children outside of the marital home, it frequently results in divorce.

NIGERIAN indigenous Shipowners under the aegis of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) has warned that except the Nigerian Government addresses the lack of capacity confronting indigenous shipping, foreign vessels might dominate freight carriage of crude oil at the $19bn Dangote Refinery when the facility becomes operational by mid 2023. 

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Lagos, President of SOAN, Dr. MkGeorge Onyung, explained that the Dangote Refinery is located within the nation’s waters, and thus falls under the country’s Cabotage regime. 

According to the SOAN President, “The Dangote Refinery is set to be operational by mid 2023, and once that facility becomes operational, there will be increased activities there as regards vessel call for petroleum products lifting. 

“The question we indigenous shipowners keep asking ourselves is that, are we ready to partake in the crude oil lifting business that will boom around the Dangote Refinery by mid next year? 

“We are definitely not ready due to a lack of capacity. Indigenous shipowners are struggling to make ends meet. The $350m Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) which is expected to improve capacity for indigenous shipowners is yet to be disbursed. 

“Government keeps playing politics with the disbursement of the CVFF. Is this how we will continue until the Dangote Refinery becomes operational? 

“If we continue this way, foreign vessels will be the major players at the Dangote Refinery. Imagine foreign vessels scooping away all the benefits from an investment that is in our country. We have told government to disburse the CVFF to enhance local capacity. We want to be active players and not spectators when the Dangote Refinery becomes operational, but without funding, this might not be possible. 

“Government needs to disburse the CVFF now to ensure that Nigerian shipowners are not mere spectators when the Dangote Refinery becomes operational.” 

Dangote’s 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil refinery being built in Nigeria is due to begin production by the middle of 2023. The refinery, which is being built at a cost of $19billion in Lagos, has 4.74 billion litres storage capacity and 75% of its products will be moved by sea within Nigeria.

Presidential Candidates contesting next year’s election will have the opportunity to confront each other on how they would handle the political, security and socio-economic challenges facing the country.

The Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG), organisers of the presidential debate, at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, said the debate which begins on November 15, would focus on the nation’s economic challenges.

NEDG Executive Secretary, Mr. Eddie Emessiri, who addressed the media on Friday explained that Abuja, the nation’s capital, his organization would host the first debate on November 15. Emessiri said the debates would be brought closer to the people with Port Harcourt, Lagos and Kano, hosting the other debates.

“During these debates, the candidates will be taken closer to the electorate in the South-West, South- South, and North-West geopolitical zones. “They will discuss varying issues of national importance such as foreign relations, governance structure, national defence and security, education, information technology and health among others,” he said.

According to him, the NESG is collaborating with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and civil society partners to cohost debates. Emessiri stated that Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, will host the second debate on December 15, while it will be the turn of Lagos on January 19, 2023, and Kano on February 16, 2023. He said the debate would seek to address the state of the economy, the concerns of the citizens to choose from among the presidential candidates and other related leadership positions. This, he added, will help the electorate have a better understanding of how the candidates were prepared to keep the country on the path to prosperity.

Emessiri said candidates who would feature in the would be selected from opinion poll results to allow public input, which he disclosed was ongoing. “The final list with the names of selected candidates and the methodology for the selection process will be announced on Nov. 8, a week before the first debate,“ he said. He assured candidates of a fair platform for engagement, saying that all stakeholders would be carried along, adding that “This presidential debate on economic policy will serve as a launching pad to discuss the roadmap towards an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.

A 45-year old pure water seller, Chidi John, has landed in trouble in Lagos State after he went to supply pure water to a top business man’s wife and he was lured into a sex romp by the woman.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Rasheed Balogun Street, Isheri Olofin area of Idimu, Lagos, where John went to supply pure water to Mrs. Chika Udeh.

After the husband, Mr. Udeh, got the information over the dastardly act, the wife, Mrs. Chika, then confessed that the pure water seller, Mr. John, has been having sex with her without her consent from August 2022 till October 2022 within the period she engaged him to be supplying pure water to the family.

The husband became angry and went to the Police at Idimu Division and reported that John raped his wife in his matrimonial home and demanded N5m from John as compensation.

According to their neighbours, trouble started after they informed the husband that whenever he goes to work, his wife usually brings John to his apartment under the false pretence of supplying pure water while they will lock the doors and stay for several hours before he will go.

The man, Mr. Udeh, was said to have asked his wife about it but she denied initially before the husband contacted a Pastor and she eventually confessed. She revealed that she had done it several times with John, who allegedly lured her into the act without her consent.

Both John and Mrs. Chika were asked to write statements over what happened before the Police.

In the statement to the Police, Mrs. Chika said that she asked Mr. John to be supplying them pure water and whenever he supplied, he would lure her into sex but she did not tell her husband and that it had happened several times before her husband knew about it.

While John, in his own statement, told the Police that he met Mrs. Udeh in bar joint and she requested that he should be supplying her pure water, which he was doing. But whenever he went to supply the pure water, he would have sex with her before she will pay him.

He also confessed that he had done it on several occasions and did not know she was a married woman because at the initial stage, when he met her, she told him that she was a single mother.

However, the Police found John culpable for engaging in the act on her matrimonial bed and subsequently charged him before the Ejigbo Magistrates Court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.

He pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, then told the Court that it was a case of rape as claimed by the complainant and asked the Court that the charges be amended in the next adjournment.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. K.A. Ariyo, granted John bail and directed the prosecutor to amend the charge on the next adjourned date slated for 10th October, 2022.

On the adjourned date, the matter was struck out as the complainants told the Court that they were no longer interested in the matter and the pure water seller was set free.

Prominent chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were absent on Friday at the unveiling of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the party and its Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu’s Action Plan at the Presidential Villa.

Those absent at the well-attended event include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi. Also absent was Ameachi’s former counterpart in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogboonaya Onu, but those present include the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. Others include the Director- General of the PCC and Plateau State governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, his Kaduna State counterpart, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i a former National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande and a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani among others. National Chairman of the APC, Senator Adamu Abdullahi led other members of the National Working Committee as well as other relevant organs of the party to the event.

Sources close to Tinubu told Saturday Telegraph during the week that efforts were being made to ensure that aggrieved members of the party are brought on board to ensure a comprehensive victory at the forthcoming general elections.

“We are aware of some discontent within the party over the emergence of Asiwaju as the candidate of the party and we are not resting on our laurels on this. We are indeed working on it. We have secured the needed assurances from Governor el-Rufa’i to help in this regard,” a source close to Tinubu told one of our correspondents.

A source very close to Osinbajo told one of our correspondents that his principal stayed away from the event due to a presidential order that some officials of state should stick to the work schedule to avoid distraction.

“The spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Council has answered this question that you are posing to me and I need not speak further on it. The Vice President stayed away from the event because the President asked him and certain public office holders not to be part of the PCC,” the source who pleaded not to be mentioned said in a telephone chat with one of our correspondents. This notwithstanding, President Muhammadu Buhari personally presided over the event that took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday amid pomp. Addressing party members present, Buhari said Nigeria would be safer with the ruling party beyond 2023 pledging that to be at the forefront of electing Tinubu as his successor. According to him, electing Tinubu would consolidate on the achievements of his administration, saying the presidential candidate has the capacity, visionary leadership and track record to do more for the country.

Taking a poke at the opposition, Buhari said, “It would be disastrous to allow a situation that will lead to the reversal of the progress our country has made. Let me add that I joyfully accept the position of the chairman of the campaign council we are unveiling today. ”Our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is too well known for his capacity and can-do spirit. He stands tall in his track records as a democrat, a champion of the rule of law, a man at home in every part of our country, and a truly visionary leader. All you need to do is think of Lagos in 1999 and 2022!

”I, therefore, want to assure all party members and supporters of our government that I will be at the forefront of this campaign. ”This election is even more important than the election of 2015 that brought us into power. The cost of losing the gains our country has made is much more than the need to stop the haemorrhage that led to our coming together nearly nine years ago.

”I want to charge every member to put in all their efforts during the next four and half months of the campaign to ensure we record a resounding victory in all our elections nationwide. The future of this country is safer in our hands, ” he said. The President also thanked party officials in the National Executive Council, the Zonal, State, Senatorial, Local Government, and Ward executives for their unalloyed support to his administration and the great efforts and outstanding commitment to the cause of the party and democracy. He urged them to be mindful of the importance of building a strong and purposeful political party, recounting that the project of pulling ”Nigeria back from the precipice in 2015 was made possible by putting together a formidable party peopled by many who have made a vow to work for a Nigeria we all can be proud of.”

In his remarks, Tinubu declared, “It is, therefore, fitting that we are unveiling the Tinubu/Shettima Action Plan for a Better Nigeria today. This Plan is not only a roadmap to a prosperous future, it serves as notice to the Nigerian people that, if elected, Senator Shettima and I shall work tirelessly to reach that promised future from the first moment of the first day we enter office.

“The doors to security, prosperity and greatness are open to us. We must step through these portals, guided by a torchbearer with the experience and mettle to shoulder the task ahead. Nothing short of this will suffice. “I seek to become the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because I know the way. My experience and past performance have shown that it will be through collective efforts and national endeavour that we join hands, cross the divides and achieve our vision. I ask you to join Senator Shettima and I on this journey.”

He added: “The country does not need fancy promises or foreign experiments. Nigerians seek sustained progress and reform through stable governance and proven leadership. “We need true and innovative solutions that address the specific challenges of each of our 36 states and our over 200 million people. We need our own Miracle on the Niger River.”

On his Agenda for Renewed Hope for Nigeria, he said standing on the foundation emplaced by the current administration, his administration will among other things build a country, especially for the youth, where sufficient jobs with decent wages will be in place to create a better life. He said his administration would export more and import less in order to earn more foreign exchange and strengthen the naira.


”We will deliver food security and affordability by continuing to prioritise agriculture and assist farmers and other players in the agricultural value chain through the enlightened agricultural policy that promotes productivity and guarantees robust income. ”We will modernise and expand public infrastructure to stimulate economic growth at an optimal rate. Generate, transmit and distribute affordable electricity to give our people the necessary power to drive their businesses and brighten their homes. ”Our national economy will grow, succeed and be respected. We will embolden and support young people and women to participate more in politics and governance, harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy, entertainment, tourism, sports to build today, for the Nigeria of tomorrow.”

Tinubu also promised to provide economic opportunities to people living with disability, the poor and vulnerable, saying ”we will build a Nigeria where no parent is compelled to send a child to bed hungry.” He added that his administration will also make basic healthcare, education, and housing accessible and affordable for all. On security, Tinubu promised to establish ”a bold and assertive policy that will create a strong yet adaptive national security architecture and action to obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and other crimes from the face of our nation.”

National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, said the APC is set for self-succession, saying his optimism is buoyed by ”the dint of hard work, perseverance, discipline, good governance and far-reaching policies of the Buhari administration which have pulled Nigeria back from the brink and stabilised the country.

By Muawiya Shuaibu

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, hit the social media space for the wrong reason on Monday when he was caught up in a gaffe while delivering a speech at KadInvest in Kaduna State.

In what one of his campaign media aides later described as a Freudian slip, Tinubu said Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s vision, creativity and resilience in “turning a rotten situation into a bad one are necessary at this critical time.”

Earlier on Saturday, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had also goofed while addressing Arewa Joint Committee at Arewa House in Kaduna, saying Nigeria did not need a Yoruba or an Igbo president.

While they could be embarrassing, public figures in Nigeria, including President Muhammadu Buhari, and beyond are occasionally trapped in bloomers. Daily Trust highlights some of such goofs made by notable Nigerian politicians.

Buhari addresses Osibanjo as Osibade

President Muhammadu Buhari has committed a couple of blunders which have attracted public derision. Among them was during the 2015 presidential campaign in Owerri, Imo State, where he addressed his then running mate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo as “Osibade.”

During his introductory remarks, while acknowledging the dignitaries present, Buhari said, “The Chairman of our great party, Chief Oyegun. Your Excellency, my vice presidential candidate, Professor Yemi Osibade….”

Also during a panel discussion at the Climate Action Summit of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019, Buhari went off the tangent while responding to a question from the moderator.

The moderator had asked: “President Buhari, Nigeria has a very young population; perhaps you might highlight what a pathway for a resilient future looks like?”

Responding, the President began reading from a prepared speech that detailed Nigeria’s entire policy around climate change.

“Your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I share the sentiment expressed by the secretary-general that the world is on the verge of climate catastrophe. Undeniably, climate change is a human-induced phenomenon….”

Ngige mistakes Fayose for Fayemi during campaign

During the governorship campaign in Ekiti in 2018, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, unwittingly implored the Ekiti people to vote the then Governor Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) instead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

The minister made the gaffe at APC mega rally held in Ado-Ekiti ahead of the governorship election. Fayose was not one of the contestants in the July 14 governorship election. He backed his deputy, Prof. Kola Olusola, the candidate of the PDP.


Speaking in Pidgin English, Ngige unknowingly said Fayose, a staunch critic of APC and President Muhammadu Buhari, was the better choice.

He said, “Will it happen on Saturday? Those who want Saturday with Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) and everything to happen raise your hands.

“Mr. President and leaders of our party, the people have agreed and on Saturday, it will happen. We thank the leaders of our party, especially those from the South-west for forgiving Ekiti people for the mistake they made in 2014.

“They won’t make that mistake again. If you marry two wives, you will know the better wife. Fayose (sic) is the better wife. Fayose cooks and gives her husband food. She doesn’t give him trouble. So you must bring Back Fayose on Saturday.”


Atiku’s ethnic comment

Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate, goofed on Saturday when he declared in Kaduna that the North should shun southern candidates in next year’s presidential election.

In an interactive session with a group of northern political leaders under the Arewa Joint Committee at Arewa House, Kaduna, Atiku was asked by the spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, why Northerners should vote for him.

He replied, “What the average Northerner needs is somebody who’s from the north and also understands that part of the country and has been able to build bridges across the country.

“This is what the Northerner needs; it doesn’t need a Yoruba or Igbo candidate. I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin.”


Rotten to bad by Tinubu

Tinubu, the presidential candidate of APC, was goofed when he gave a speech on his plans for Nigeria at the Kaduna Economic and Investment summit on Saturday.

During the speech, he then curiously said Mr El-rufai could turn a rotten situation into a bad one.

“I am openly begging Nasir El-Rufai not to run away for additional degree and excuse. He is going to Cairo—PhD and everything. There are a lot of educated relics. We are not going to let you run away, your vision, creativity and resilience in turning a rotten situation into a bad one are necessary at this critical time. That is why we are here today,” he said.

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South, and Akpokona Omafuaire


OPERATIVES of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, and security officials have uncovered a key illegal underwater pipeline and platform connected to the 48-inch Trans-Forcados Export Trunk Line in Delta State from which bunkers, together with government and security accomplices, directly siphon cleaned crude oil into ships and export overseas.

The unearthing of the criminal pipeline and platform attached to the trunk line, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, is a major breakthrough in the renewed bid by the Federal Government, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Ministry of Defense and other stakeholders to stop oil theft in the country.

Sources said professionals fabricated the illegal pipeline attached to a crude oil pipeline abandoned by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, NAOC, and bunkers generously pump cleaned crude oil into their own vessels from the nation’s trans-Forcados pipeline at the rear of a military post in Ogulaha, Burutu local government area of Delta State.

SPDC operates the Forcados Terminal in Ogulagha which has a nameplate capacity to export 400,000 barrels per day. It takes delivery of crude from the Forcados Oil Pipeline System and is the second largest pipeline network in the oil-producing region after the Bonny Pipeline System in the eastern Niger Delta.

Some IOCs and Nigerian independents operating in Western Niger Delta pump oil to the Forcados Oil Terminal for export.

The newest discovery is like the earlier illegal 4-km pipeline also attached to the same Trans–Forcados Export Trunk Line, earlier discovered by Tantita operatives.

Meanwhile, the Oil Spill Victims Initiative, OSPVI, has threatened to sue NNPCL and SPDC over the illegal pipeline connections used to siphon the country’s crude oil.

How we unearthed illegal pipeline, platform – Tantita

Marine Intelligence Consultant to TSSNL, Captain Warren Enisuoh, who briefed journalists in Ogulagha on the discovery, yesterday, said: “What has happened was that the perpetrators of this organized crime attached pipeline into a Shell Petroleum Development Company 48-inch export line. The crude in this line has been cleaned up and is ready to go.

“So, they tapped into it, the place was initially filled with water, but, technologically, they were able to connect their own pipe underwater.

“We trotted the line on foot to the point it was tapped, we had to create something on either side of the pipeline so that the water could be pumped out.

“For days, we pumped the water out before the illegality was exposed. You see that riser behind me is operated by another joint venture company called AGIP, so these fellows piped the crude through the abandoned oil field that belongs to AGIP, which they used to pipe crude oil to the Beniboye Flow Station.

“What happened is that instead of piping crude to Beniboye Flow Station, the oil bunkers export crude.

‘That particular jacket you see outside there is a very old one, they cut the Agip line, connected their own through the extreme riser out to that other jacket.

“Then at night, the usual thing happens, which is that they bring ships to that particular platform, connect their modernized lines to the ships, which they bring in, and off they go from there.

“Well, they are not smarter than Nigeria, NNPCL, Tantita. We discovered this about a week ago, and we had to employ a whole lot of machinery to be able to bring you (reporters) in to see it. It is not a yesterday thing.

“We knew about the platform and started working on it when we had the support of NNPCL and government. Nigeria has suffered enough, we have to stop these illegalities.

“The distance from the illegality to the point we are standing is about one kilometer and from here to the jacket is approximately four kilometers.

“Therefore, what they do… because the whole line is a six-inch pipe, each time they pump, they open their own valve and the crude stored on this line; then, they close if off so that when their ships are sucking, you would not feel the effect from the pressure on the other side.

“Therefore, it is a smart design, I do not know how long. With the intelligence we have been getting about ships coming to that particular area, which led to this find, it has been going on for a while, more a year perhaps.

“We share our intelligence with the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta and Operation Delta Safe.”


It’s a joint collaboration – Buduwar, NAPIMS GM

The General Manager of Joint Venture Operations, National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, Zakariya Budawara, also briefed reporters:

His words: “NNPCL has been on its toes in trying to bring stability to the host community. And the host community has been helpful in trying to see that we secure all oil and gas facilities, especially the one we saw, which has to do with the crude evacuation line.

“Today, for me, is just any other day, but we feel that the media should come and see the efforts of the NNPCL, stakeholders, including the community, government security agencies, private and community contractors, especially the one in the Western corridor, Tantita, are making.

“Tantita has been doing a great job, all these we are doing to assure Nigerians that we are working to curb crude oil theft.

“We know the direct impact on the revenue and on the people of the host communities and the environment.

“All you have seen is in demonstration of the collaborative efforts of everybody. Nobody can do it alone; it is the efforts of all the stakeholders.

“I am here on behalf of the Group Managing Director, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and his lieutenants.”

Sources informed Sunday Vanguard that some International Oil Companies, IOCs, oil bunkers, and security officials jointly steal crude oil through the major pipeline connected to the 48-inch Export Trunk Line through an abandoned pipeline belonging to NAOC.

By Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu


A popular Kano-based Islamic cleric, Aminu Daurawa, has revealed how a Chinese, Geng Quandong, who killed his Nigerian girlfriend, Ummulkulsum Buhari, converted to Islam to marry her but the lady’s parents did not approve of the union.

Mr Daurawa, who was speaking at a religious gathering, said the late Ms Buhari, told him after Mr Quandong converted to Islam to marry her.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Quandong, 47, allegedly murdered Ummukulsum, 23, at Janbalu quarters on 17th September for allegedly refusing his hand in marriage and exploiting him.

The police arraigned Mr Quandong before High Court No.17 at Miller Road in Kano’s metropolis. He is being charged with culpable homicide.

Mr Daurawa said a week before she was killed, Ms Buhari called in on the telephone asking for his counsel after Mr Quandong converted to Islam.

“Your parents said the right thing because you can’t marry someone without knowing his background,” he claimed to have told her.

Mr Daurawa said he supported the marriage but advised that certain things must be considered before the marriage because Islam is against racism and tribalism.

“Islam is against racism and tribalism but make sure you involved Nigeria Immigration in the marriage process because I witnessed how men with unknown family backgrounds got married and fled, leaving women with children’s responsibilities, the cleric narrated the phone conversation between him and the deceased.

“You have to contact Immigration whether he is legally staying in Nigeria, the business he is into, involved the Chinese Community in Kano authentic where he comes from, his background is important,” Mr Daurawa added.

He said he also advised her to notify the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria about the planned wedding and involve the Kano Hisbah board to teach him how to practice Islam.

Mr Daurawa said once these steps are completed, he will meet with her parents to convince them to allow the marriage to take place.

“It’s unfortunate, one week later, I leant that she was killed, it’s a very sad development, may her soul rest in peace,” the cleric prayed.

He urged Nigerian authorities to ensure that justice is served to serve as a deterrent to others and prevent the reoccurrence of the ugly incident.

A 35-year old trader, Chigozie Ojinaka, has landed in trouble in Lagos State after he visited his friend and at night, he mistakenly engaged his wife in sex claiming that he thought she was his own wife at home.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 22nd August, 2022, at Apena Street, Ojulegba area of Lagos, where his friend resides with his wife.

There was no light and the friend’s wife was said to have relaxed thinking it was her husband until the light was switched on, only for the woman to discover that it was Ojinaka that had been on top of her while it lasted.

The ugly incident was reported to the Police. Then Ojinaka, who resides at Ayelara Street, Surulere, Lagos, was arrested and detained for interrogation over his conduct.

During interrogation, he informed the Police that it was a mistake as he woke up at night thinking that he was in his own house and engaged his friend’s wife in the romp because the light was switched off.

However, the Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrates Court for statutory rape.
When he was arraigned in Court, the prosecutor, Inspector Felicia Okwori, informed the Court that Ojinaka raped a 28-year old wife of his friend while she was asleep beside her husband.

Okwori explained that the light in the room was put off, so the woman mistook Ojinaka for her husband and relaxed only to discover that it was Ojinaka when the light was switched on.

The Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice because of the nature of the matter.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. H. B. Mogaji, ordered the defendant to be remanded in custody pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned till 19th October, 2022, for report of the DPP to be available, advice which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.

By Muideen Olaniyi


The Presidency, on Monday, intervened in the struggle for ownership of the Dangote cement factory in Obajana, Kogi State.

Daily Trust reports that the meeting at the Office of Chief of Staff to the President in Presidential Villa in Abuja was attended by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa).

A reliable source in the Presidency confirmed the meeting. Our reporter also saw the governor of Kogi State heading towards the Chief of Staff Office shortly after attending the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Presidential Campaign Committee at the Banquet Hall of the State House.

The intervention came after the decision of Kogi State government to shut down the Obajana factory last week over allegations of tax evasion and unresolved ownership.

Already, the management of Dangote Group is said to have concluded plans to approach the court this week over the legality of the Kogi state’s vigilante members who reportedly stormed the Obajana cement factory, where many of the company’s staff were allegedly wounded and the facility shut.

The Kogi State Government, last Thursday, presented to the public, the report of the Specialised Technical Committee on the Evaluation of the Legality of the Alleged Acquisition of Obajana Cement Company Plc by Dangote Cement Company Limited.
The detailed report, submitted to Governor Yahaya Bello, was presented to the public by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. (Mrs) Folashade Ayoade.

Citing documents, she revealed that the purported transfer of Obajana to Dangote Industries Limited was “invalid, null and void”.
Ayoade disclosed in the report that three Certificates of Occupancy for Obajana Cement Company Plc, which the Kogi State government solely owned at the time, were used to obtain a loan of N63billion by Dangote.

According to her, the committee, in view of its findings, has therefore recommended that Kogi State should take steps to recover the Obajana Cement Company from the Dangote Group.

The committee, chaired by the SSG, also recommended that the “Kogi State government should take steps to recover all accrued dividends from profits made over the years, including accrued interest on the same.

In his remarks, Governor Yahaya Bello said that he had taken the bold step, in line with his mandate to safeguard the lives and livelihood of the people of Kogi State, including residents and to ensure their wellbeing.

Bello said this was also coming on the heels of protests by the people of the state who felt they had been suppressed and marginalised by the Dangote Group who had come to rip them off.

But the management of Dangote Cement Plc in a swift reaction to the actions of the Kogi State government debunked the claims.
Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Michel Puchercos said: “We reiterate that the Obajana Cement plant is 100% owned by Dangote Cement PLC.”

In forcefully evicting the workers to enforce the shutdown, the vigilantes shot 27 of our workers and destroyed some of the company’s property at the plant.”

By Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu


The Governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru, and his Deputy, Umar Namadi, were on Saturday, booed by an irate crowd at the Gumel Local Government Area of the state.

The governor was in Gumel to celebrate the annual Maulud – marking the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

Earlier, the State’s Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwal Sankara, in a statement, said his principal will be in Gumel to attend the annual ‘Sallar Gani’ (Maulud celebration).

“The Executive Governor of Jigawa state Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar is expected to join the Emir of Gumel to celebrate Sallah Gani which will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at the Gumel Emirate.

“Sallah Gani is an age-old festival observed in Gumel emirate, every year during the Eid Maulud celebration, precisely on the 12th Day of Rabiul Awwal in the Islamic calendar, sons, and daughters of Gumel emirate origin, from all walks of life return home to take part in the prestigious festival, the official statement said.

The governor’s appearance at the event was the first public event he attended after he returned from a holiday abroad.

The governor has come under intense criticism for travelling abroad on holiday without showing empathy and visiting victims of flood disasters across the state.

Over a hundred people have died in the flood which destroyed farmlands, and houses and displaced thousands of people.

At the event in Gumel, the governor and his deputy were seen in a viral video being booed by the crowd.

The angry residents were seen shouting ‘Bamayi’ (we don’t want you) while the duo were standing waving to the crowd through the sunroof of a moving vehicle.

However, the governor was also greeted by many at the event while passing through the crowd to the emir’s palace where the event took place.

While the reason the governor was booed was not clear, many believed it was due to the governor’s nonchalance towards the victims of the widespread flood in the state.

Gumel council area is also believed to be the stronghold of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the hometown of its deputy governorship candidate, Babandi Ibrahim.

When contacted on Sunday, the governor’s spokesperson, Habibu Kila, said “it’s not true”.

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama has advised Nigerians to unite like the “lepers” to defeat what he called the socio-economic and political leprosy in the country.

Kaigama, who gave the advice during Sunday homily at St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Kugbo area of Abuja, lamented that under President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime; snakes, monkeys, and termites were looting the treasury, while students could not graduate in universities.

“In the ugly situation of our country, we must be united, particularly in making wise political choices because God can take away the socio-economic and political leprosy in the country, and the only way we can ensure this happens is by using the ballot."

The Catholic Archbishop urged Nigerians to unite in picking credible political leaders in the 2023 general elections.

While appealing to Nigerians to set aside their differences, the cleric said, “You go to school, you cannot graduate, you finish school, no work, you hear about snakes swallowing money, monkeys taking money and termites eating vouchers.”

"All these are wahala, and so they should bind us together. It should make us unite like the lepers. They came together and achieved a common good; so when we are together, we will be able to make better choices in the coming elections,” he said with optimism.

Dr AbdulMalik Atta, a member of the Presidential Committee that facilitated the rescue of passengers abducted from a Kaduna-bound train in March, has accused self acclaimed terrorists’ negotiator, Malam Tukur Mamu, of frustrating efforts to release the captives.

Atta, whose father was among the abducted passengers, made the claim in an interview with Channels Television.

Atta said Mamu did everything within his reach to thwart the federal government’s efforts at rescuing the hostages for his own interest.

He said, “Because of Mamu’s introduction of money into the rescue process, the victims’ families had parted with over $200,000 prior to the chief of defence staff’s intervention.

“The Presidential Committee made life-threatening sacrifices, as we had to go into the forest to meet with the terrorists and even slept in the bush.

“It has been six months and one week, but we thank God everything has come to an end now, thanks to the support from the federal government through the office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). We were able to go into the bush and bring back the remaining of our family members.

“We achieved this not through somebody who betrayed the committee and the government, I am talking about the person of Tukur Mamu who did everything within his reach to thwart the efforts of the government for his own interest. As we all know, he is in the hands of the government now. But we thank God, all our family members are back now.

“The bandits never asked for money ab-initio, Tukur Mamu introduced money into the whole thing and derailed the process and kept everybody for the past six months.

“We parted away with about 200,000 US Dollars. Thank God the CDS took it upon himself and put in place a committee that never asked a kobo. Every sacrifice being done so far has been personal towards ensuring the release of the victims.

“In the committee, I can assure you that I worked with credible people of the highest order. If I have my way, all of them would be given national honours. We risked our lives, went to the bush, we slept there in the bush.

“We heard the complaints of those people (the terrorists), even though we knew what they have done is wrong, but we had to engage them.

“Going forward, our security agencies must synergise their operations and the government should open more room for further engagements.”

The Minister of Transportation, Mua’zu Jaji Sambo, has said no ransom was paid for the release of the remaining 23 victims of the Kaduna train attack.

The Minister disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday.

He said although diplomacy was involved in their release, no kobo was paid.

Recall that on March 28, 2022, terrorists planted explosive devices on the rail track, forcing the train headed for Kaduna to derail.

At least nine persons lost their lives while releases were secured at various intervals till 5th October, 2022, when the last batch of 23 victims were released.

Commenting on the development, the minister said, “On 11th August, the President Federal Republic of Nigeria received at the Presidential Villa relatives of the victims and further assurances was given to the fact that Government was working assiduously to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

“Before this visit, I have also in my capacity as the Minister of Transportation, having just resumed duty a few weeks, met and addressed the relatives of the kidnapped victims where I asked them to cooperate with security operatives if the need arises and assured them that their loved ones that has been kidnapped will be released as it is paramount to Government,” he said.

He said with their release, “this day will therefore remain memorable in the annals of the country and every person who contributed in any way to the release of the victims has every reason to be happy for contributing to the Nation’s glory.”

He noted that the FG suspended Commercial train services on that route since March.

“It is now six months and 7 days that the commercial train service on the route had been suspended and it is imperative to also let you know that the reconstruction and repairs of the damaged rail line was carried out by indigenous Engineers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation” he noted.

The Minister said with the entire victims now released, the ministry will begin the process of opening the Abuja-Kaduna train service.

He however noted that before the train service will resume, appropriate security measures will be out in place for the security of train service users.

He said in the next three months, a sustainable security architecture would have been put in place for the trains to resume.
The minister also indicated that the victims are receiving treatment and rehabilitation.

He pledged government support to enable them heal.

By Daniel Ojukwu


Following the September 28 greenlight given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that campaigns for the 2023 general election could commence, speculations over the wellbeing and whereabouts of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have been rife.

While it was speculated in some quarters that he had travelled to London, the United Kingdom, for urgent medical attention, news that he was fine and was only preparing for his party’s campaign train, which will commence on October 10, also gained traction.

Amid the speculation, Tinubu released a video of himself working out on a fitness bike on Sunday. This was immediately followed by an organised women march in Lagos on Monday to show support for his candidature.

While reacting to the growing speculations concerning the candidate’s whereabouts as a guest on the Arise TV Morning Show on Wednesday, Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, Lagos APC Women Leader, said Tinubu would return to the country in 48 hours.

“He has never spent more than two weeks outside,” Okoya-Thomas said.

CLAIM: Tinubu has never been away from Nigeria for a period longer than two weeks.

“I am a women leader,” Okoya-Thomas responded when she was asked about her principal’s present location. She then went on to say, “In 48 hours, he will show up. He has never spent more than two weeks outside.”

VERIFICATION: To verify Okoya-Thomas’ claims, FIJ reviewed news reports of his recent trips to foreign countries.

We found that on October 8, 2021, Tinubu returned from London after spending three months there.


https://i0.wp.com/fij.ng/article/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FB_IMG_1628802027989.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1
President Muhammadu Buhari with Tinubu in London in August 2021


During his stay in London, no fewer than 30 politicians visited him and took pictures.

CONCLUSION: Tinubu has spent longer than two weeks while on a trip to a foreign country.

VERDICT: The claim that Tinubu has never been away from the country for more than two weeks is false.

By Christian Appolos, Clement Idoko And Tunbosun Ogundare 


APPARENTLY to whittle down the influence of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and ensure that it no longer retains the power to cripple academic activities in Nigerian universities, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, on Tuesday, said it had registered two new unions of lecturers. 

The two unions: Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), Ngige said, were registered after due consideration following series of letters written to the Ministry of Labour and Employment by the lecturers who made up the two new unions. 

He said the lecturers had in the letters complained of ASUU’s maltreatment and further declared their interest to break away from their parent union. 

Ngige, who made this known in his office in Abuja when he played host to the two unions, said that the Trade Union Act empowers him to regroup existing labour and pensioners’ unions. 

He recalled that he had carried out a similar action when he regrouped the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) into three unions for the purpose of industrial harmony. 

He added that the registration of the new unions is an action taken to ensure that no union will cripple Nigeria university education. He insisted that ASUU’s actions are not in favour of progressive tertiary education in the country. 

“Trade Unions Act CAP. T14, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 gives the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment powers to regroup an existing Trade Union of Worker or Employees. 

“In the view of the above, I Senator Chris Ngige, in the exercise of the powers conferred on me as the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, do hereby approve the registration of CONUA and NAMDA,” the minister said. 

The minister further said that the unions now have equal rights with ASUU and will be invited to all events and negotiations involving university lecturers. He added that there are now three voices (unions) in the Nigerian tertiary education and that ASUU will no longer be the only voice that speaks for Nigerian lecturers. 

He also noted that the unions applied for registration in 2017 and 2018 respectively, even as he insisted that the registration of the two unions doesn’t mean that ASUU no longer exists or that it will not enjoy its due rights. 

“These associations will exist side by side with ASUU in the Nigerian universities in the spirit and tenets of International Labour Organisation (ILO) core convention. They are accordingly entitled to all rights and privileges accruing to such academic association/ organisation including but not limited to receiving check-off dues of their members,” Ngige said. 

Furthermore, Ngige said that the Federal Government would still go on to negotiate with ASUU and resolve the lingering issues that led to the seven-month-old strike. 

To the newly registered unions, Ngige asked them to resume academic activities in the universities without further delay. 

He went on to warn the unions not to interfere in government business in the running of the universities. 

In his response, the president of NAMDA, Dr Nosa Lance Orhue, said the registration has given medical and dental academicians in the university and other tertiary institutions, where training of medical students and postgraduate doctors takes place, a legal voice in the determination of the training requirements, management of the training system, and the welfare of her members. He appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to quickly resolve the current strike in the universities. 

Meanwhile, ASUU has described as frivolous the registration of the two new academic staff unions in universities, saying it is of no consequence to the ongoing industrial action by the union. 

ASUU president, Professor Abuja Emmanuel Osodeke, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune in reaction to the presentation of registration certificates to CONUA and NAMDA by Chris Ngige. 

He described Ngige as a desperate minister who is bent on frustrating the efforts of ASUU to fight for the welfare of its members and development of Nigeria university system. 

He said, “As far as we are concerned, it is not worth responding to. They should go and reopen universities then. I don’t know why the minister is so desperate. He has tried all possible ways, he went to court and failed; he goes here and there and failed. 

“Now it is registration of unions; they should register hundreds. Our members know what the union is fighting for, not for saboteurs, people who just want to work with government. It’s so sad. There is nothing to respond to. They should go and raise membership; government wants to use them to fight the university system. 

“Even a child will see through what Ngige is doing. These people have been there. When people have problems with universities, corruption and all these things, they quickly raise those groups. That is what they have been doing all along, this has no consequence on our strike.” 

National Coordinator of CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, had been advocating for registration of CONUA as a trade union just like ASUU, saying such development would break the monopoly being currently enjoyed by ASUU. 

He had noted ASUU’s consistent strike has caused more harm than good in the university academic system. He accused ASUU of using strike as only tool to resolve its issues with the government, saying such development must stop, while adding that there were many ways of resolving issues. 

The Lagos zone of ASUU, in a reaction, said it is not in any way disturbed that the Federal Government has registered CONUA as a trade union in the Nigerian university system. 

The coordinator, Dr Adelaja Odukoya, said this on Tuesday when Nigerian Tribune asked for ASUU’s reaction to the CONUA’s registration, four years after application for same. 

He said he would not want to say much on the matter because it is irrelevant but would simply describe the Federal Government’s action as “shooting a gun at nothing”. 

Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) chided the Federal Government for registering CONUA, saying the action is just to create more confusion and crisis in Nigerian public university system. National Public Relations Officer of NANS, Giwa Yisa Temitope, told the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday that the registration was absolutely unnecessary, adding that the registration of another union among lecturers, particularly now, by the Federal Government is a demonstration of the failure of the current administration.

Ramon Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, a Nigerian Instagram celebrity awaiting sentencing by a United States court, has regretted his involvement in the fraudulent schemes for which he has been detained since June 2020.

Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE), in June 2020, and subsequently taken to the US, where he pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2021.

The trial judge, Otis Wright, has fixed 7 November as the date to sentence Hushpuppi, according to a court’s notice obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

Ahead of his sentencing, Hushpuppi begged for leniency in a three-page hand-written letter he sent to the judge from the Central Valley Annex Prions in McFarland, California.

He specifically expressed regrets for allowing greed to destroy his family name, and apologies for his actions.

Mr Abbas said he would make better choices and friends if he could turn back the hands of time.

“Your honour, I make no excuse for my actions and I take full responsibility for what I have done. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would make an entirely different decision and be more careful in the choices and friends I make.

“Since I have been incarcerated, I have had enough time to reflect on the past and I regret letting greed ruin the good name of my family, my blessing and my name,” he stated.


Apologies

He apologised to the victims of his crimes, law enforcement agencies, US government’s lawyers, and the judge handling his case.

“I will like to specially apologise to the victims in the case I am involved with from count(s) one to five and more personal to ….and her entire family.

“I apologise to the law enforcement agents who have worked tirelessly to make the world a safer place and to the US Attorney’s entire office for the great work of upholding the law against criminals like myself; And to the court and you, Your Honour, for impartial serving of justice through the years.”

In his emotional-laden letter to the judge, he also apologised to his family members, including his parents and three children aged four, five and eight.

He expressed hope that the children would forgive him by the time they fully understood the unfolding events in future.

“I also apologise to my parents, my family members, who this case has affected their lives, my friends and well-wishers, who I have disappointed, my children even though they may be too young to understand why I’m absent in their lives, I hope someday they see this and forgive me, and I hope God forgives me too,” he said.


Background

The 39-year-old, known for flaunting his opulent lifestyle on social media, was arrested in Dubai, UAE, by special agents including the Emerati police officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) operatives in June 2020.


He was flown to the US where he was charged with money laundering offences.

Mr Abbas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering in July 2021.

The FBI stated in an affidavit obtained by PREMIUM TIMES that its investigations revealed that Mr Abbas financed this extravagant lifestyle with proceeds of crime.

Hushpuppi, according to US government, “knowingly combined, agreed, and conspired with multiple other persons (“co-conspirators”) to conduct financial transactions into, within, and outside the United States involving property that represented the proceeds of wire fraud” from at least about 18 January 2019 to 9 June 2020.

His co-conspirators, according to prosecutors, targeted multiple victims and laundered and/or attempted to launder funds fraudulently obtained, and attempted to be fraudulently obtained, through bank cyber-heists, business email compromise (BEC) frauds, and other fraud schemes.

The intended victims of the conspiracy were said to include a foreign financial institution, a bank in Malta, a law firm (located in New York State), and two companies located in the United Kingdom.

Mr Abbas knew “these fraudulent schemes included bank cyber-heists, BEC schemes, and other fraud schemes”, the prosecutors said.

The foreign financial institution (a bank in Malta) was an intended victim of a cyber-heist, while the other victims identified above were victims of BEC schemes.

In some BEC schemes involving victim companies in the United Kingdom, Mr Abbas was said to have with one co-conspirator discussed on May 12, 2019, how they anticipated fraudulent payments of approximately £6 million per week.

“Once a victim deposited funds into a bank account, defendant would coordinate with other coconspirators to obtain or move the funds, and then to further launder the funds,” the U.S. government said.

In addition to admitting defendant’s involvement in the schemes intending to defraud the victims, Mr Abbas was also said to have admitted involvement in a scheme to defraud a victim company in Qatar that was building an international school (the Qatari Victim Company) and the owner of that company.


‘Ephemeral’ involvement

Hushpuppi said in his letter to the trial judge that of all the five cases of fraud listed against him, only the one perpetrated against the Qatari businessperson provided him some gains.

Denying being the organiser of the scheme, he said he was only recruited into it. He maintained that his involvement in it “was very ephemeral”.

He said, even though, the fraudulent scheme robbed the victim of about $800,000, he benefitted only $300,000 from the proceeds.

“I was recruited into an ongoing loan scheme which my involvement was very ephemeral though cost the victim a fraction of a total loss of over $800,000.

“My episode in the scheme amounts to loss of over $300,000 out of total $800,000 loss to victim which I take full responsibility for my actions and entire scheme and make no excuse (for) my mistake of ever getting involved and I have signed for entire loss in this case to be paid with my personal property not just what I profited but entire loss of over $800,000 in my P.S.R.”

But he expressed his willingness to pay full restitution of $1.7 million to all victims including those from whom he claimed not to have derived any gain.

By Eric Ikhilae,


A law lecturer and prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wahab Kunle Shittu and 61 other lawyers have been conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC).

LPPC Secretary and Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hajo Sarki Bello said, in a statement that the 62 lawyers conferred with the SAN rank this year comprised of 53 as advocates and nine from academics.

Bello said the swearing-in ceremony of the 62 SAN appointees has been scheduled for November 21, 2022.

By Nasir Ayitogo


Although his administration is known for perpetrating injustice such as human rights abuses and disregard for the rule of law, President Muhammadu Buhari last week in New York, United States, spoke about his avowed commitment to global peace and justice.

In his farewell speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as President, Mr Buhari told the 77th session that the key take home from his years in public service is to uphold values such as justice, honour and integrity at the national and global stage.

“Let me convey my final reflection from this famous podium. We live in extraordinary times with interdependent challenges but enormous opportunities. The pace of change can seem bewildering, with sometimes a palpable and unsettling sense of uncertainty about our future.

“But if my years in public service have taught me anything, it is that we must keep faith with those values that endure. These include, but are not limited to such values as justice, honour, integrity, ceaseless endeavour, and partnership within and between nations,” he said.

However, contrary to his call for justice, the actions of the Nigerian leader since he assumed office as democratic president in 2015 have been characterised by many cases of injustice and illegality.

Catalogue of Human Right Abuses
Although Mr Buhari pledged to investigate allegations of human rights abuses against the military in his inaugural address in May 2015, the administration of the former military dictator did not waste time to start scripting its own bloody chapter of state terror.

In December 2015, seven months after Mr Buhari assumed office, the Nigerian Army, which Mr Buhari superintends as Commander-In-Chief, extra-judicially killed over 350 members of a Shiite minority group, IMN. The victims included women and children.

The army accused the Shiites of blocking a road being used by the then army chief, Tukur Buratai, thus endangering his life.

The Shiites were holding a demonstration by members of the group on a major road in Zaria, north-west Nigeria, during which they blocked the road users and Mr Buratai’s convoy.

The killings occurred over two days including a late-night raid on the religious base of the Shiites in Zaria.

Apart from killing hundreds of the Shiites, the army also arrested scores of them including their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife Zeenah.

The hundreds of people killed by the army were also buried in secret mass graves.

The massacre was condemned by local and international human rights groups such as SERAP, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Also, when a court ordered Mr Zakzaky and his wife released in 2016, Mr Buhari’s government ignored the ruling and instead filed murder charges against them.

Most IMN members jailed in 2015 were released between 2019 and 2020 after the court found them innocent of all charges. But the continued detention of Mr El-Zakzaky and his wife sparked protests that turned deadly, leading the Nigerian government to outlaw the sect in 2019.

After nearly six years in illegal detention, a Kaduna State High Court eventually acquitted the couple and ordered their release in 2021.

The Nigerian government reluctantly released them but is still holding on to their international passports.

No soldier or commanding officer has been prosecuted for the massacre while Mr Buhari later appointed Mr Buratai an ambassador after the latter retired from the army.


Sowore’s detention

Similarly, the secret police, SSS, in November 2019 refused to release Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters from illegal custody despite a court order.

The SSS, which reports directly to the Nigerian president, said in a statement that Mr Sowore was still held because no one had turned up to collect him from detention.

They made the statement two days after a federal judge signed Mr Sowore‘s release order after the activist satisfied stringent bail conditions imposed on him as part of his trial.

The Nigerian government filed a seven-count charge of fraud and treasonable felony against him about 50 days after he was arrested and detained by security operatives.

It was the second time Mr Sowore would be deprived of freedom despite a court order. He previously secured bail two months earlier, but it was not honoured by the SSS, whose agents subsequently filed new charges that were used as an excuse for disregarding the first order.

His first arrest was in August 2019 on allegations of plotting to overthrow the government by organising a protest.


Like Shiites, like IPOB

Also in 2015, in Onitsha, Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, soldiers killed 12 people who were celebrating the court-ordered release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The killings had been preceded by threats by the army against the then peaceful pro-Biafra protests in the South-east. The military described the protests as treasonable.

After investigations, Amnesty International (AI), in May 2016, issued a report accusing the army of killing 17 IPOB members.

Expectedly, the army denounced the allegations as unfounded.

However, an investigation by PREMIUM TIMES portrayed an even larger scale of wrongdoing.

That heavy-handed clampdown on the IPOB members is believed to be one of the reasons the group became radicalised.

Nobody was prosecuted for the killings.

In his media parley on 30 December 2015, Mr Buhari jettisoned the idea of the police investigating the military’s excesses and defended his administration’s disregard of court orders for the release of Mr Kanu and the detained former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Like the case of Mr Kanu, the president also, for several months, disobeyed court orders for the release of Mr Dasuki.

In a subsequent interview on Al Jazeera, the president seemed unmoved and even irritated when questioned about human rights violations by security forces in the South-east region. This infuriated activists and observers in Nigeria.

“The persistent domestic deployment of the army for civilian policing tasks on domestic soil in violation of the constitutional requirement of Senatorial approval, as stated in Section 217, is a clear example of official lawlessness and impunity. Such illegally and unconstitutionally deployed troops are responsible for the massacres in Zaria and in the South-east”, Chris Ngwodo, a consultant and political analyst, wrote in an opinion article published by PREMIUM TIMES in June 2016.


Illegal Dismissal

In 2016, the Nigerian Army compulsorily retired 38 officers.

Many of them were the country’s brightest in internal and external security operations but were forced out of service without recourse to the rules of disengagement.

Most of the affected officers were neither queried nor indicted by any panel. They were arbitrarily retired in what was considered a witch-hunting and partisanship by authorities of the army.

Even after the affected officers petitioned Mr Buhari, the presidency turned a blind eye.

Apart from the injustice of wrongly dismissing the officers, the Buhari administration has also refused to obey court rulings that ordered the reinstatement of some of the officers.


The Illegal Recruitment

PREMIUM TIMES in April 2017 exclusively reported the shocking lopsidedness in the composition of newly appointed cadet officers of the SSS.

The recruitments favoured northern Nigeria, particularly Mr Buhari’s home state of Katsina.

Findings revealed that the SSS recruited 51 persons from Katsina alone, whereas all the six states in the South-south got a combined 42 candidates. Also, all five states in the South-east got less than 50 people.

The nepotism in the appointment is also contrary to section 14 (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

Despite public outcry, President Buhari refused to act on the matter, an indication he was in support of the injustice.

Several other instances of lopsided appointments continued to generate controversy among Nigerians who accused the president of marginalisation and disregard for Nigeria’s federal character policy.

In June 2020, some Southern leaders sued Mr Buhari at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over alleged marginalisation in appointments made by his administration since 2015.

But the Nigerian leader had earlier justified the nature of his appointments. In a 2015 interview with BBC Hausa, the president said he only nominates people he can trust. He added that the appointments also served as a reward for those who were loyal to him.

Similarly, Mr Buhari in a 2015 interview during his official state visit to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) said, “constituencies that gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated equally, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me 5 per cent…”


Charity begins abroad

Meanwhile, Mr Buhari’s speech reassuring the global stage of his commitment to peace and justice did not surprise close watchers of his administration.

The president has often been accused of prioritising international applause over local concerns.

In early August, many Nigerians raised concerns when it became public that their president offered about N1.15 billion to procure exotic SUVs for the government of Niger Republic despite Nigeria’s dire financial situation that has seen the country borrow to pay the salaries of public workers.

“I think it’s hypocritical for the president to have a habit of acting like the big brother at the African stage when Nigeria is facing a myriad of challenges”, said Nzube Akunna, a political analyst. “I think he is more concerned with window dressing his image on the global stage than facing the real issues at home.”

By Peter Moses


A Federal High court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has nullified all the primaries conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of next year’s election.

The primaries include governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and the House of Assembly.

The court, therefore, ordered conduct of fresh primaries for all the positions within 14 days.

The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

Justice O.O Oguntoyinbo gave the order on Tuesday while delivering a judgement in a suit filed by three members of the party, Taiwo Olabode Idris, Kehinde Akala and Alhaji Ayinde Monsuri.

They had dragged the party, Ladi Adebutu and INEC to court to challenge the authenticity of the delegates’ lists used for the conduct of the primaries.

The party had on May 25 conducted the primary election which produced Adebutu as the governorship candidate of the party.

The plaintiffs contended that the persons on delegates’ list used by the electoral panel for the primaries were not democratically elected at the ward, local government and state congresses, hence the panel “cannot unilaterally or arbitrarily impose” the list on the party for the primaries.

The plaintiffs in their originating summons, had prayed the court among others to nullify or set aside the state congress/indirect primary election, held by the 1st defendant (PDP) on 25th of May, 2022 “for the purpose of choosing the candidate which the 1st Defendant intends to nominate/sponsor at the 2023 Governorship election in Ogun State based on the list of delegates who were not democratically elected at the ward congress.”

They also sought an order directing the 2nd Defendant (INEC) “to disregard and/or refrain from giving effect to the results of the alleged 1st Defendant’s indirect primary election held on the 25th of May, 2022 based on the list of ad-hoc delegates who were not elected at the ward congresses constituted by the 1st Defendant for that purpose”.

Reacting to the judgement, the counsel to the plaintiffs, Thaddeus Idenyi, said the court nullified the election “because it was conducted using a list of adhoc delegates who were not elected.”

“The implication of the judgement is obvious, the PDP will have to put their hats together and then conduct a fresh primary as ordered by the court.

“This time around, the court was specific that they have to use the list that has been certified by INEC because after the primary, those lists were submitted to INEC as parts of its report of covering those ward congresses held, so the court has now said that is the list which must be considered in the conduct of the fresh primaries, so the PDP had to just put their house together and use those lists to conduct a fresh primary,” he said.

When contacted, the Spokesman of PDP, Akinloye Bankole, said the party would study the judgement before taking any action.

A United States District Court in Tacoma on Monday sentenced Abidemi Rufai, Special Assistant to the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, to five years in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Rufai, 45-year-old resident of Lekki, Nigeria, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington signed U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, said was jailed for his attempt to steal nearly $2.4 million from the United States government, including approximately $500,000 in pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

According to the statement, Rufai admitted a long history of using stolen identities to defraud U.S. disaster programs, including aid for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and file fraudulent U.S. tax returns. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “The motivation was greed, unrestrained greed, and callousness towards those who have suffered.”

“Mr. Rufai was relentless in his scheme to use the stolen identities of Americans for fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown.
“He orchestrated ‘mystery shopper’ scams, business email compromise attempts, and filed fake tax returns to financially harm individuals and businesses. But when disaster struck, so did Mr. Rufai. Whether it was hurricane disaster relief, small business loans, or COVID unemployment benefits, he stole aid that should have gone to disaster victims in the United States.”

”Abdemi Rufai chose to exploit the pandemic for personal gain, using stolen identities of Americans to support his lavish lifestyle overseas,” said Associate Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers, the Justice Department‘s Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and their law enforcement partners did exceptional work bringing this defendant to justice. The Department will continue to pursue fraudsters who abused these programs and seek to recover their ill-gotten gains, whether they are in the United States or overseas.”

According to records filed in the case, since 2017, Rufai stole the personal identifying information of more than 20,000 Americans to submit more than $2 million in claims for federally funded disaster relief benefits and fraudulent tax returns. The various agencies involved paid out more than $600,000.

The largest amount of fraud was committed against the Washington State Employment Security Department, which paid out $350,763 in fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims to accounts controlled by Rufai. Rufai also submitted fraudulent pandemic unemployment claims in at least 17 other states.

“The Employment Security Department deeply appreciates the tireless efforts of the Department of Justice, federal agencies and law enforcement in this matter,” said Cami Feek, Commissioner for the Employment Security Department. “We always stand ready to hold those accountable who steal public funds and we appreciate the partnership in catching and prosecuting this individual.”

Rufai also defrauded the Small Business Administration (SBA) by attempting to obtain Economic Injury Disaster loans (EIDL) tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between April 8, 2020, and June 26, 2020, he submitted 19 fraudulent EIDL applications. SBA paid out $10,000 based on the applications.

Between 2017 and 2020, Rufai attempted to obtain more than $1.7 million in IRS tax refunds by submitting 675 false claims. The IRS paid out $90,877 on these claims.

Rufai’s efforts to exploit disaster in the United States did not start with COVID-19. In September and October 2017, he submitted 49 disaster relief claims connected to Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. He filed $24,500 in false claims and was paid on 13 claims totaling $6,500.

In asking for a nearly six-year prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang noted that Rufai’s scheme damaged real people who needed help. “In this case, Rufai successfully used the stolen identities of at least 238 real individuals who qualified for disaster aid and may have needed it urgently. This number does not account for the number of stolen identities Rufai attempted to use but failed.”

Rufai has agreed to pay full restitution of $604,260 to the defrauded agencies, however he has not fully cooperated with efforts to identify and forfeit assets that could be used for restitution.

"Mr. Rufai did not care if the disaster was the pandemic or a hurricane, or if the victim was a hard-working American taxpayer, a small business, or the U.S. government," said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. "He could have used his influence to be a role model in his community. Instead, he stole the identities of Washington state residents and money meant for those in need.”

“Mr. Rufai said, ‘The choices we make are ultimately our responsibility,’ and he is correct. This sentence is a result of the culmination of choices he made funding his luxurious lifestyle. His fraud schemes began with filing fraudulent tax returns from stolen identities to pilfering economic aid designed to help disadvantaged workers and families suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Seattle Field Office Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin. “IRS-CI continues to provide our financial expertise to investigate large-scale fraud with our law enforcement partners.”

“Rufai used stolen personal identifying information of thousands of Americans in order to defraud more than $600,000 in government benefits, including approximately $350,000 from the Washington Employment Security Department. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who defrauded unemployment insurance programs during the global health crisis,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Los Angeles Region.

Abidemi Rufai has been in custody since his arrest at New York’s JFK airport in May 2021. The Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office assisted with detention hearings following Rufai’s arrest.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and the United States Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the Washington Employment Security Department (ESD).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cindy Chang and Seth Wilkinson of the Western District of Washington.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

"Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form," the statement partly read.

By Saawua Terzungwe


The bishops who met presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in Abuja on Thursday have said they were not committed to endorsing him.

Daily Trust had reported how the candidate met with Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria.

In his brief comment at the meeting, Chairman of Pentecostal Bishops Forum of Northern Nigeria, Archbishop John Praise, said, “We are not committed to endorsing anybody, but you should ask your conscience and from what you have heard and from the explanation, he (Tinubu) had given to us to make your own judgement of who will better rule and handle the country.”

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State told the bishops that his choice of a former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima was not a threat to the Christian community.

Tinubu explained that his choice of Shettima was based on competence and not religious considerations, adding that only competence can resolve the political and socio-economic challenges bedevilling the nation.

The APC presidential candidate said he has always been a friend of the Christian community and he should be considered based on his track records, plans and agenda for developing Nigeria.

“How will Nigeria develop? How do we banish hunger? How do we improve the insecurity and how do we eliminate killing one another, shedding of blood of innocent citizens, that is what we must take to the office and not our religion.

“My intention is clear, not religiosity. My intention is to develop this country, to bring prosperity to our country and I have better qualification, better track records, better exposure, better vision than any of my mates.

“When the shortlisted names came, I looked at the characters on the list, their background and everything and here is somebody (Kassim Shetimma) who is so brilliant, so committed, who, during the crisis in Borno protected Christians,” he said.

His church runs labour ward for pregnant women- Police

A pastor, Peter Michonza, of New Jerusalem Deliverance Ministry, Okene, Kogi State, has been arrested by security agents on issues concerning unethical practices.

The media aide of Okene LGA Chairman, Abdulmumin Abubakar, confirmed his arrest on Wednesday to newsmen, saying the Chairman, Hon Abduraraq Muhammad, was the one who ordered the security agents to arrest and investigate his activities.

The arrest of Pastor Michonza may not be unconnected with a video clip on the social media where the clergyman is seen selling “bullet proof water”.

Pastor Michonza’s church, located in the Ageva area of Okene, is also alleged to be running a labour ward for pregnant women.

A resident of Ageva said Peter Michonza was a popular musician in the suburb, but that he suddenly started a gospel ministry; admitting people for deliverance.

By Abiodun Alade


Nigerians will not be able to use their Naira debit cards for international transactions as scarcity of foreign exchange (forex)worsens in Africa’s largest economy and biggest oil exporter, Daily Trust learnt.

Some banks have already alerted their customers on the latest development while it was gathered that others are keenly watching activities before implementing the policy owing to the scarcity of forex.

This development is coming a few months after banks in the country reduced the monthly international spending limit on Naira cards to as low as $20. The daily international withdrawal limit has been around $100 for most banks until March when banks cut international spending.

Banks had in 2020 stopped the use of naira cards for ATM foreign currency withdrawals while reviewing monthly international spending using naira cards from $500 to $300 and ultimately to $100.

According to data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria’s external reserves depreciated by $1.37 billion (3.37%) in the first six months of 2022 to $39.16bn as of June 30 from $40.52bn it closed in 2021. This is despite the recent surge in global energy prices

A further scrutiny of the data also revealed that the external reserves fell to $38.882bn on August 11 from $39.219bn at the end of July 2022.

External reserves are assets held on reserve by CBN in foreign currencies and these reserves are used to back liabilities and influence monetary policy.

In the latest development however, First Bank announced that international transactions will be stopped on all Naira cards from September 30.

“Due to current market realities on foreign exchange, you will no longer be able to use the Naira Mastercard, Naira Credit Card, our Virtual card and Visa Prepaid Naira card for international transactions. This will take effect on 30 September 2022.

“Please use your Visa Debit Multi Currency Card, Visa Prepaid (USD) Card and Visa Gold Credit Card to continue transacting abroad with limits of up to $10,000,” it said.

Standard Chartered Bank had earlier announced the suspension of international transactions on Naira visa debit cards from August 1.

“Kindly be informed that effective August 1, 2022, International spend on our Naira Visa Debit Card will be suspended. Also, the International spend limit on our Standard Chartered Bank Credit Card however remains at $1,000 monthly and Foreign Currency Debit Card limits remain unchanged,” it had notified its customers in July.

A reliable source in one of the banks that have not implemented the latest policy said ‘it is a matter of time as we are also observing the situation’

Experts expressed worries that banks are reacting to the realities of the market, noting that the CBN has explanations to make on forex scarcity despite its many policies to encourage foreign exchange earnings.

“Are we not exporting at all? Are exporters not repatriating their funds to Nigeria despite CBN policies? Why are we having serious scarcity? The fault is not with the banks, CBN should be able to explain why we are having these challenges,” noted an analyst who does not want his name in print.

ADEFEMOLA AKINTADE

The U.S. district court for the western district of Washington has ordered the forfeiture of $604,260, proceeds of wire fraud by Bidemi Rufai, suspended special assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun.

“The defendant’s interest in the above-identified sum of money is fully and finally forfeited, in its entirety, to the United States,” stated the forfeiture document dated August 17, seen by Peoples Gazette.

“In order to satisfy this sum of money, in whole or in part, the United States may move to amend this order, at any time, to include substitute property having a value not to exceed this sum of money,” the forfeiture order signed by U.S. district judge Benjamin Settle stated.

Having pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud for his involvement in the massive COVID-19-related fraud on the Washington Employment Security Department (ESD), Mr Rufai entered a plea agreement with the American government to obtain a favourable judgment.

The Ogun governor’s aide was apprehended in May 2021 by U.S. security officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in an attempt to flee the country to Nigeria via Amsterdam.

Had Mr Rufai successfully fled to Nigeria, the U.S. government might have had trouble extraditing him to answer for his crimes. Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorma, in a letter to Ramon Reyes, the Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York, expressed fears that the APC regime might frustrate his extradition process if he was granted bail.

Mr Rufai’s chances of obtaining bail further slimmed after he presented a questionable surety, Nekpen Soyemi, a nurse once suspected of a business email compromise scam by the Bank of America.

He was accused of using the identities of over 100 Washington residents to fraudulently receive more than $350,000 in unemployment benefits from the Washington State Employment Security Department during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The federal government says it is proposing legislation to ban the consumption of animal skin, locally known as ponmo, in the country to revive tanneries.

Muhammad Yakubu, director-general, Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology (NILEST), Zaria, said this in Abuja on Sunday.

Yakubu said the litigation was necessary to revive the comatose leather industry in the country.

He said the habit of eating animal skin, which has no nutritional value, should be stopped to save the industry and boost the nation’s economy.

The director-general added that the institute, in collaboration with stakeholders in the industry, would approach the national assembly and state governments to bring out legislation banning “ponmo” consumption.

“To the best of my knowledge, Nigerians are the only people in the world that overvalue skin as food, after all, Ponmo has no nutritional value,” he said.

“At one point, there was a motion before the two chambers of the national assembly, it was debated but I don’t know how the matter was thrown away.”

According to him, the consumption of animal skin is partly responsible for the present comatose state of tanneries in Nigeria.

He also said the current National Leather Policy had addressed some fundamental problems of the sector.

“If we get our tanneries, our footwear and leather production working well in Nigeria, people will hardly get pomo to buy and eat,” Yakubu said.

“When implemented fully, it would turn around most of the comatose tanneries and ginger greater output in production.”

Yakubu appealed to stakeholders to support the legislation and the national leather policy to revive the sector.

NILEST was set up to promote leather production as provided in the Agricultural Research Institute Act of 1975. The institute conducts research the production and products of leather and the utilisation of local tanning materials in the country.

The Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, has reportedly appointed Musiliu Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence, into its ranks.

Obanikoro, an ally of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the APC, was also a former ambassador to Ghana.

His appointment into GAC was announced on Twitter by his son, Babajide, who is a currently a member of the house of representatives.

The younger Obanikoro also said [b]Demola Seriki, ambassador of Nigeria to Spain, and Femi Pedro, a former deputy governor of Lagos, were also appointed into the council.

[b]“Congratulations Daddy @MObanikoro on your well-deserved appointment to the Governance Advisory Council (#GAC). Your appointment to the highly placed Council is proof of your well-documented work ethic,” he tweeted.

“Hearty Congratulations also to Ambassador @DemolaSeriki, @femipedro (Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State), Mrs Sarah Sosan (Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State), Mrs Adejoke Adefulire @Adejoke_O_A (Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals).

“With the #GAC comprising these extremely cerebral individuals, it is clear that the party is in competent hands and will continue to work towards a great future.”

Meanwhile, the development comes months after the former minister lost the party’s ticket to represent the APC for Lagos west senatorial district in the 2023 general election.

Obanikoro lost to Idiat Adebule, former Lagos deputy governor, during the primary which held in May.

The former minister had expressed reservations over the conduct of the primary, and described the process as fraught with malpractices.

He had also said Adebule was not qualified to contest the primary.