₦airaland Forum

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has urged the Senate to make the conduct of investigation on the alleged missing firearms a closed session for security reasons.

Mr Egbetokun stated this in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and read at plenary on Thursday.

He commended the Senate’s efforts to conduct a thorough investigation on the alleged missing firearms.

“We appreciate the Senate committee’s probe into the alleged missing firearms,” said Mr Egbetokun. “We urge the committee to conduct future hearings on sensitive security issues in camera so that wrong impression will not be created in the minds of Nigerians and the minds of the international community.”

Mr Egbetokun stated that this would ensure national security and prevent misinformation.

“Conducting hearings on these sensitive security issues in camera will help prevent the spread of misinformation and protect national security interests.

“It will also allow for more candid discussions and fact-finding,” he said.

The inspector-general of police expressed his commitment to maintaining a strong partnership with the National Assembly to drive positive changes in the country and improve the lives of Nigerians and the country’s security.

After reading the letter, Mr Akpabio said the IGP’s letter was very clear: “It speaks for itself.”

He said that while the investigation would be done internally by the police, further investigation would also be conducted by the Senate.

(NAN)

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed recent reports alleging that 3,907 firearms are missing from its armouries, stating that the claims are misleading and do not reflect the reality of the situation.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, emphasised that the allegations stemmed from a 2019 audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and do not indicate an actual disappearance of arms.

“The report appears to stem from an assessment of the 2019 audit, which likely reflects records compiled before the tenure of the current Inspector-General of Police.

“The report states that 3,907 arms were ‘unaccounted for,’ not ‘missing,’ as speculated in the news,” Adejobi stated.


This clarification follows a February 11 report, which detailed how the Senate Public Accounts Committee grilled the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over discrepancies in police armoury records.

During the hearing, the committee expressed concern that 178,459 firearms, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles, were allegedly missing from police formations across the country, citing findings from the Auditor-General’s 2019 audit report.

However, the police on Thursday, maintained that such figures do not reflect the current status of their armouries, noting that weapons assigned to officers for operations may not always be present during audits.

“We also note that when auditors conduct visits to our armouries, they may not find all arms present at the time due to the issuance of weapons to personnel for operational purposes, some spanning months, depending on the nature of such operations.

“Consequently, this may lead to misconceptions regarding the accuracy of audit reports,” Adejobi explained.

He also highlighted that some arms were lost due to attacks on police formations, particularly during civil unrest, a point the police reiterated in their response.

“It is important to acknowledge the challenges faced by the police during periods of civil unrest, where several officers were killed and their arms carted away.

“However, every effort has been made to recover these arms, and many have already been accounted for,” the police statement read.


Adejobi also clarified that Egbetokun was not present during the Senate’s discussion on the missing firearms, contrary to reports suggesting otherwise.

PUNCH Online had reported that Egbetokun attending to the committee had chosen a representative to appear on his behalf at future sittings.


Thus, Adejobi on Thursday asserted that the IG had only appeared briefly before the committee on Tuesday to address concerns about previous invitations, after which the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Accounts and Budget, Abdul Sulaiman, remained to respond to audit queries.

“The IGP was asked to take the usual oath and explain why he did not honour previous invitations by the committee.

“He responded to the satisfaction of the committee members and was thereafter excused, while the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Police Accounts and Budget, stayed back to answer the queries,” the statement clarified.

The Senate Committee has now postponed further hearings on the audit to Monday, February 17, 2025, allowing the police time to reconcile discrepancies in the records.

Meanwhile, the police have expressed concern over what they described as misinformation aimed at undermining public confidence in law enforcement.

“The proliferation of misinformation, especially against institutions like the Nigeria Police, has far-reaching consequences, including compromising public safety, damaging reputations, and hindering the NPF’s ability to effectively maintain law and order,” Adejobi warned.

Also, the FPRO emphasised that these issues of missing arms from 2019 and 2020 do not in anyway relates to the tenure of the current IG, Egbetokun.

PUNCH Online reports that on June 19, 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Egbetokun to replace Usman Alkali Baba.

“These queries related to the period that predated the administration of the current IGP.

“For emphasis sake, no such outrageous number of firearms is missing in the armouries of the NPF within the stated period,” the report further noted.

wiseone28:
And you come disgrace yourself here

wiseone28:
It is spelled "Liverpool" go school you say na gala you want sell

Hon Sada Soli, the member representing Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was poorly advised on the tax reform bills

Soli stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

He said that the North acted on the bill in the interest of Nigeria.

Soli added that the bill was not drafted by professionals, saying it did not follow the due drafting process.

He said, “Let us be fair to Mr President. For a President to take a decision, he has to rely on certain advice. I think the president was poorly advised. People that drafted these bills in the first place, the draft was poorly done because they were referring to the bills as acts. When I read these bills I know that they were poorly drafted and were not subjected to professional drafters.

“We have to be fair to the President. He is an individual. He was advised by his consultants. And the bill did not go through the normal process it should have followed. Bola Tinubu, anybody that knows him knows his political sagacity.

“He is an inclusive politician. I have to be fair to him. When he realizes that the bills are capable of causing some problems, he subjected them to all scrutiny. Governors looked at them. He said that the Senate should go and sit down with the Attorney General of the Federation. He discussed with the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives to widely look at them, before he tried to consider the bills.”

Kano-based politician and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Alhaji Abdulmajid Dan Bilki commander, has said he regrets campaigning for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general election.

In a telephone chat with Daily Trust, Commander said based on the performance indicators available to every Nigerian, President Tinubu has failed many Nigerians who voted for him in 2023.

He explained that in his entire life, he had never regretted an action the way he is regretting campaigning for President Tinubu.


“It pains me, but it is the truth and let the truth be told. I am an active member of APC, but I must admit that Nigeria’s administration under APC has failed Nigerians and as an individual who had dedicated his time and resources in convincing people to vote for the party, I want to state here that I am regretting my action,” he said.

Commander also stated that as a representative of the masses, he has to seek for their forgiveness as what he had promised them from the APC-led government were not been delivered to them.


He explained that Nigerians were suffering and their expectations from the APC government were not met.

“Nigerians are hungry and angry. Their security not guaranteed and governance lopsided, they couldn’t afford two square meals per day,” he said.

2027: SOUTH WEST, TINUBU'S SUPPORTERS PLAYING WITH FIRE - Part 1

It is actually premature to be talking about 2027 elections less than 2 years into our first tenure, but what is happening in the political arena is forcing me to speak to it, for as they say, 'a stitch in time saves nine'.

As an APC member, I naturally would want my party to win re-election in 2027.

However, as a realist, I have my concerns.

I recall that during the 2019 party Primaries, when I saw the way our party was handling the Primaries, I wrote that if the party wasn't careful, it could go the way of the PDP which lost power after 16 years.

I predicted then that if we didn't return to our promised progressive path and ideology and instead stayed obsessed with just winning elections at any and all cost, just like the PDP, we could lose power at the federal level by 2031.

When I wrote that, we were not faced with the current situation we are faced with. Indeed, I never imagined that we would be in the current situation any time soon, surely not under President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Note: I am not talking about the present economic situation and the likes. I am talking about the current and increasing 'ghaghagha' in our party and among APC members and supporters of the PBAT administration.

Incidentally, many Nigerians have a short memory. Permit me to juggle the memories of some short memoried and uninitiated political neophytes.

Many will recall that, as we approached the 2023 presidential election, with the conduct of some individuals, I desperately cautioned that we should be careful and not play with the North. Somehow, common sense prevailed, and we succeeded, unarguably and undeniably with the unquantifiable help of the North (the records of the election results prove so).

Less than 2 years into the tenure, we are witnesses to how the relationship between the North and President Bola Tinubu or rather his administration is quickly deteriorating, driven by the words and conduct of unfortunately, many from the President’s geopolitical zone and tribe. Truth be told.

I have read and heard the arrogant posturing and braggadacio by some people who I refer to as political rabble rousers, but I get more worried each day as it keeps looking more and more like a movie we had seen before.

May I remind some persons that, more than the performance or lack thereof of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, it was his attitude, and that of people around him, towards the North that ultimately brought him down and by extension the PDP that had boasted that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years.

In the lead up to the 2015 Presidential election, inspite of the popularity of General Muhammadu Buhari Rtd and the gathering of political heavyweights under the umbrella of the then newly formed APC, one key factor that led to former President Jonathan and the PDP losing that election was underestimating the North and the disrespect and insult directed towards to North, notably led by the then first lady and accentuated by elements from the South South geopolitical zone and particularly his Ijaw kinsmen, many of them with little or no political weight and many of whom were living full time in NICON and Sheraton hotels Abuja then (with newly found free money).

Funny enough, many of these individuals contributed little or nothing to Jonathan's victory in 2011.

Indeed, many of them forgot that it was the agitation by groups like the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), spearheaded by the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Mr Yinka Odumakin (RIP) and co that eventually led to then VP Goodluck Jonathan becoming the acting President in the first place following the incapacitation of former President Shehu Musa Yaradua (God rest his soul).

2027: SOUTH WEST, TINUBU'S SUPPORTERS PLAYING WITH FIRE - Part 2

Driven by ego and the arrogance of power, these South South and PDP elements increasingly and I dare add naively went against the North, where the PDP still had considerable influence and support then, in the most condescending manner and in so doing gradually lost the support of the North to the advantage of Buhari and the APC coalition. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, as I Iook at the rambunctiousness of some APC members and fellow supporters of President Bola Tinubu, especially from the south west geopolitical zone, I wonder if people have any sense of history and if they truly understand Nigerian politics.

I read some people say that President Tinubu is not former President Jonathan, Jagaban is a political juggernaut and master strategist, etc. All that I totally agree with. No question whatsoever. However, politics is not a one champion show.

While fPGEJ lacked equivalent political gravitas and sophistication (with all due respect to him) as PBAT, he had the then formidable PDP behemoth which could have actually seen him through but for the grievous 'political mistake' of messing with the North.

Love or loathe that fact, the North remains the kingmaker in Nigerian politics, at least, as of today. Any politician or political party that plays with that reality might pay a steep political price for it.

People who ignore history are bound to fall victim and to repeat mistakes of the past.

I just want to prod our political senses, in case some of us are forgetting, in the euphoria of tribal and geopolitical politics.

I hope better sense will prevail and soon too. It is whom you love that you chastise.

In all, I continue to wish PBAT and my party, the APC well.

With almost exactly two years to the month to the 2027 general elections, let's focus and continue to deliver the promised dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

#GodBlessNigeria

©️ Uche Diala


10th February 2025

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday lamented that most governors abandon their states and live permanently in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, while the people they were supposed to govern are facing hardship.

President of the NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, stated this in what appeared to be a town hall meeting with workers at the NLC Secretariat, Lokoja, Kogi State.

The NLC leadership is in Kogi State to deliver and commission 10 Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, buses provided to the state chapter of the congress to ease transportation problems.

The town hall meeting was organised primarily for the workers to present their problems and demands to the NLC leadership, so the matters could be taken to the governor.

Ajaero, who noted that the leadership had visited five zones, regretted that the governors were always absent, having travelled to Abuja.

While stressing that workers were feeling the heat of the harsh economic realities, with the high cost of living, Ajaero said for government to contemplate increasing tariff on telecom, was pushing workers too far.

He said the leadership would take to the governor the problems and demands workers reeled out, even as he said of the five zones visited, it was only in one the governor was around.

Ajaero said: “However, there is a problem we are having in trends because most governors are now living permanently in Abuja. We have moved to about five zones, Kogi is about the fifth zone. We have met governors in only one state. Each time you go there, they are in Abuja and this is affecting governance.

“I think we should be able to manage the center and the units, so people will have the feeling of democracy, the dividend of democracy, so that people can talk to their leaders.

“So if we capture all these things, the information you are going to give us will be conditional if the governor is around. If he’s around, we will convey your information to him. If he’s not around, whosoever he’s going to send, we pass it to him.”


He said that Kogi State was strategic to the Congress because it had union leaders as governor and deputy, adding that Governor Usman Ododo was one of his officials in Niger State and the deputy, an official of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT.

He said: “So, we want to make this as a town hall meeting to listen to you to know what has been done and what has not been done properly, so we take it to them.

“To us, it is like home coming. We want to come and interact with them to find out whether they are doing those things we are criticising others for.”

On the proscription of labour unions in state-owned tertiary institutions by Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration, the NLC President, who expressed surprise that such thing exists in the state, said the state government lacked the right to proscribe unions under the exclusive legislative list.

He said: “Let me say here, union practice falls under the Exclusive Legislative List in the Constitution. No governor has powers to ban them, you don’t ban what you don’t have control over. Unions are registered nationally by the registrar of trade unions. For administrative convenience, they may choose to have branches in states, so what are you now banning?”

Earlier, the workers told the NLC President that over 10 years, the Kogi State Polytechnics, Kogi State University, the State Colleges of Education, Technology and Nursing had been under proscription by the state government.

Other demands workers wanted the intervention of the NLC were non- implementation of annual salary increase, non-provision of housing for workers, as well as shortage of teachers in primary and junior secondary schools, among others.

LAGOS—Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Sheikh Ridwan Jamiu, has called on Muslims to reject any governorship candidate who refuses to commit to establishing Shariah courts in the state.

While delivering the Jumaat sermon at Lekki Central Mosque last Friday, Dr Jamiu emphasized the importance of holding candidates accountable for their stance on Shariah courts. “Elections are coming, and any governorship candidate seeking your vote must be committed to establishing Shariah courts.

“It is time we assert our constitutional rights. Shariah courts in the Southwest states are long overdue."

The Imam highlighted that the Nigerian Constitution recognizes Shariah citing sections 38 and 40, which guarantee freedom of religion and association, respectively.

Dr. Jamiu also addressed concerns about Shariah panels, stating that they serve as Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. “Section 177 allows any state to establish Shariah courts, which will adjudicate on marriage, divorce, custody of children, property law, inheritance, wills, and other civil matters,” he explained.

The Imam emphasized that Shariah courts are essential in Yoruba land and should be established in all Southwest states. “We have Shariah courts in the North, and it has not caused any harm to non-Muslims. It is not the business of non-Muslims; it is meant for Muslims alone,” he said.

Dr. Jamiu added: “It is time we assert our constitutional rights. Shariah court in the South west states is long overdue. Any candidate who refuses to commit himself into establishing a sharia court in your state, don’t vote for him.

TemplarLandry:
Aftermath of empty overconfidence. 😁

gabbytabby:
From the same people who are engaging in genocide of the Palestinians.

The drop box visa processing option is no longer available for US visa applicants in Nigeria, marking a significant shift in the visa renewal process.

Nairametrics sources confirm that the service, which previously allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been quietly removed from the appointment booking system.

While the US Embassy in Nigeria has yet to issue an official statement on the change, applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have reported that the drop box feature is no longer an option on the appointment booking platform.

Appointment backlogs
Applicants who spoke to Nairametrics stated that they have not been able to access the platform suggesting that it may have been removed.

However, Nairametrics sources confirm the feature may have been removed as a slew of executive orders from Donald Trump started to impact the world.

This development is coming amid a backlog of visa applications, with many applicants waiting months to secure drop box appointments before this removal.

Some even reported waiting nearly a year to get a physical appointment, adding to the frustration of an already tedious process.

This change comes at a time when many applicants had already been struggling with long wait times—some as long as a year—to secure an in-person visa appointment.

As of January, dropbox appointment slots were unavailable in Lagos, pushing many applicants to seek alternatives in Abuja.

Now, with the complete removal of the drop box feature, all applicants will have to go through in-person interviews, returning to the process that was in place before 2020.

What you should know

The drop box (Interview Waiver) program in Nigeria was initially introduced to ease the visa renewal process by allowing certain applicants to submit their documents without attending an in-person interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.

To qualify, applicants had to meet specific criteria, including:

Having a prior US visa that expired within the last 24 months.
The previous visa must have been issued in Nigeria as a full-validity, multiple-entry visa.
Applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa.
No record of overstaying, working without authorization, or having criminal convictions in the US.
In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of State expanded eligibility, allowing those whose visas expired within 48 months to apply through the drop box system.

This measure aimed to streamline visa renewals and reduce in-person interactions amid pandemic restrictions.

However, the drop box service in Nigeria has faced previous suspensions. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first administration, the US government removed the option, citing concerns over visa overstays by Nigerian travellers.

At the time, the US mission mandated in-person interviews for all applicants, leading to longer processing times and delays in securing visa appointments.

With the recent removal of the drop box feature, Nigerians applying for US visas will now revert to full in-person interviews, adding to the already extended wait times for visa appointments. This policy shift may significantly impact business travelers, students, and frequent visitors who previously relied on the drop box system for faster renewals.

The wife of President Bola Tinubu, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday, said skewed messages projected by some movies, social media and religious organisations are fueling the get-rich-quick syndrome which is also driving Nigeria’s high rate of trafficking in persons.

Tinubu also pledged her support to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons in the agency’s ongoing fight against human trafficking.

She stated this when the Director-General of the agency, Binta Bello, led the top management of NAPTIP to her office at the State House, Abuja.

Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, revealed this in a statement signed on Friday titled ‘First Lady reiterates call for re-orientation for hard work and patience.’


The First Lady, who was briefed on the activities of the Agency, particularly the recent raid on a baby factory in Abuja, where 19 pregnant young girls were rescued, called on youths to stop making themselves easy targets for traffickers and other criminally minded people by embracing the virtues of patience and hard work.

She said, “The get rich quick syndrome is not helping matters. Even our religious institutions are doing prosperity preaching and even the bible talks about work. Social media is also not helping. Nollywood as well.

She pledged her support to the agency, starting with interfacing with wives of State Governors to assist in enhancing awareness and advocacy about its activities.

Earlier, the Director General of the Agency solicited the First Lady’s support for NAPTIP’s renewed campaign against human trafficking and GBV.

Bello explained that it is top of the agenda of the agency, as the trend of trafficking is getting alarming.


“Trafficking in persons is the second largest transnational organised crime in the world after drug trafficking.

“It is also a huge menace in Nigeria and it requires the buy-in and active engagement of critical stakeholders to fight it,” she stated.

She pointed out that despite the agency’s string of successes including the recent rescue of 21 young victims taken from Niger State, en route Republic of Niger, gaps in resources mobilisation and legal frameworks are some of the challenges confronting the operations of the agency.

She highlighted skills acquisition, awareness advocacy, provision of adequate shelter and safe homes, and legislative and policy support as some of the areas of intervention needed from the First Lady.

The First Lady also gave an audience to the new national executives of the National Council for Women Societies of Nigeria, led by its new National President, Princess Edna Azura.

The delegation was in her office to thank her for her motherly support to the council, especially after the passing of its immediate past National President, Lami Lau.

While commending them for working together in unity, the First Lady encouraged the council to do more for their members by taking advantage of the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI programs at the subnational levels.

Tinubu reiterated her commitment to building better families through the Renewed Hope initiative.

A Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer has been allegedly shot and wounded by an unidentified person dressed in a police uniform during an enforcement operation in Lagos.

The incident reportedly occurred during the nationwide launch of an FRSC crackdown on fake number plates under the Lagos Sector Command.

Channel TV reports that the enforcement team was actively conducting checks when the shooting took place.

Meanwhile, the Lagos Sector Commander, Corps Commander Kehinde Hamzat, who was overseeing the operation, declined to provide details on the shooting.

He urged journalists to remain patient while investigations unfold.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether the assailant is a member of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and police officials in Lagos have not issued any statements regarding the incident.

Following the shooting, the Lagos State FRSC has suspended the enforcement operation on fake number plates.

Commander Hamzat, while addressing journalists on Thursday, said the suspension was necessary in light of the unfortunate event.