National News
219 Nigerians Rescues from Forced Cybercrime in Ghana

219 Nigerians Rescues from Forced Cybercrime in Ghana
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has lauded Ghanaian authorities for rescuing at least 219 young Nigerians who were trafficked to the West African country and forced into cybercrimes.
It also restated its commitment to providing the youth with technical education and skills to curb growing unemployment.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu made the commitment when she visited the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) in Accra, Ghana, where the victims of trafficking were being detained.
In a closed door meeting with the Executive Director of the agency, Mr. Bashiru Dapilah and two of his directors, the minister expressed gratitude to the operatives for doing their job professionally especially treating the victims with dignity.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who was in Ghana for the official launch of the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers on the withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, described as callous and inhuman, the exploitation of innocent young people.
She said that trafficking was modern slavery, obnoxious and man’s inhumanity to man.
She however urged Nigerian youth to shun people who promise irresistible job offers outside the shores of the country, decrying the most times these are just baits to lure them into slavery.
She stated that the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana had last Thursday, alerted her of the incident and how the victims were held under inhuman conditions by the perpetrators before the sting operation that burst the evil syndicate.
She said: “Prior to their rescue, these boys had been locked up in about 25 rooms within the estate where they were used to perpetrate cybercrimes. At the time of their arrest, many of them, being locked inside confined spaces with computers for weeks on end without being let outside, were even unable to get their eyes to adjust to the sun when they were led outside those dark rooms. Some had been serially abused with visible lacerations inflicted on them by their criminal ‘don’ while one had his legs broken for not tendering all the proceeds of his cybercrime.”
Addressing the victims at the premises of the agency, the minister said that they were lucky to have been rescued, disclosing that many had lost their lives in similar circumstances while others rot in jails in parts of the world.
She said: “Count yourselves lucky as next time, it may not be a benevolent country like Ghana. It may not be a circumstance within a location where we have excellent bilateral relations. There are countries that take cybercrimes very seriously and by the time they lock you up, they will throw away the key. We are still trying to this day to ensure that Ethiopia signs our exchange or transfer of sentenced persons MoU so that we can bring those nationals who are trapped in their prisons back to Nigeria. So we don’t lose even more of them.
“We are happy that this commission has excellent relations with NAPTIP and they have been kind enough. I was really humbled when the Executive Director said their interest is not for these young men to get back to Nigeria into the prison system; because that’s what usually happens. Under that situation, they are obliged to hand you over to law enforcement, correctional facilities in Nigeria and then you know what will happen. It’s another cycle of your relatives coming to prison to bring you food,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
She however highlighted that the Nigerian government was committed to citizen-centred diplomacy as a cardinal thrust of the foreign policy of President Bola Tinubu-administration.
She said that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration has laudable programmes particularly those that give skills to the youth so that they do not indulge in crimes of this nature.
She, therefore, urged the victims, to take advantage of this second chance that God has made possible for them by keying into some of the intervention programmes of the federal government.
She admonished: “Know that East, West, home is best. So, when you get home, give the government opportunity to equip you with skills.
“I am also using this opportunity to commend other Nigerians who are industrious, hardworking and law-abiding in Ghana.
“I can assure you that Ghana will have the support and cooperation of the Nigerian Government in the fight against organised crimes.
“It’s something that our own Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will want to be part of to ensure that we are not seen as headquarters of economic crimes.”
She described what happened as a success story, a model to how bilateral relations should be pursued in addressing economic and financial crimes.
Executive Director of the agency, Dapilah explained how his team acted on intelligence to achieve the feat.
He said: “We are not looking at this as a Nigerian crime because you have some backing of Ghanaian. The estate where they lived, we arrested the owner and he will be prosecuted.
“We require collaboration between our two countries. The crime is committed here in Ghana but we know that somebody in Nigeria was behind it. So, these persons have been rescued but the next thing is the collaboration to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended.
“As you go home, take the message to our counterpart in Nigeria that we will be needing collaboration to to roundup the perpetrators,” he said.
The Ghana anti-graft boss extolled majority of Nigerians in the country who he said were law-abiding and contributing significantly to the development of Ghana and its economy.
“We have a large Nigerian population here that are law-abiding especially where they are selling spare parts. We have a lot of them running restaurants where we go to eat Nigerian delicacies,” Dapilah said.
He also thanked the Nigerian High Commission for working closely with the agency for long, detailednoting that the Chargé D’Affaires, Ambassador Dayo Adeoye collaborated with them.
Adeoye daid that over 3 million Nigerians reside in Ghana and many of them are doing well, helping the economic development of their host country.
He called for aggressive enlightenment to curb the spate of trafficking involving Nigerians.
About 231 young Nigerians are expected to arrive Lagos on Friday from Ghana and handed to government officials.
219 Nigerians Rescues from Forced Cybercrime in Ghana
National News
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.
The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.
In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.
“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.
Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
National News
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
By: Michael Mike
The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.
A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.
“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”
According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.
The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.
Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
National News
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp
By: Michael Mike
Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.
Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.
“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.
“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”
Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.
“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”
She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
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