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State-of-the-Nation: ActionAid Accuses FG of Paying Lip Service to Fight Against Corruption

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State-of-the-Nation: ActionAid Accuses FG of Paying Lip Service to Fight Against Corruption

State-of-the-Nation: ActionAid Accuses FG of Paying Lip Service to Fight Against Corruption

… Insists It has Performed Poorly

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria has accused the federal government of paying lip service to the fight against corruption and the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

The organisation at a press briefing on Saturday, also slammed the government over what it called poor handling of the economy, excessive borrowing, hunger, swelling unemployment rate, endless killings and kidnapping in the country.

Speaking at the press conference in Abuja which was also used to award some retired board members of the organisation, the Convener of ActionAid Nigeria General Assembly, Hassana Yahaya-Bello, further lambasted the hike of cost of nomination and expression of interest forms during the last primaries by some political parties.

Yahaya-Bello, while flaying the outcome of primaries in which only one female emerged as a governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, said: “Following the conduct of primary elections by political parties, we note with concern the unrestricted use of huge sums of money to influence delegates to win nominations for the 2023 General Elections. 

“In some cases, unsuccessful aspirants are said to have asked for refunds. 

“This ugly development casts a shadow on Nigeria’s democracy. It means that the next administration is being built on a shaky foundation if nothing is done to change this narrative.”

She added that: “The outrageous cost of expression of interest and nomination forms by political parties for the primaries amid the debilitating poverty in the country is insensitive and condemnable. 

“Moreso, women’s exclusion remains evident in Nigeria’s political landscape; only one female candidate emerged for the governorship position in the Northeast (Adamawa State) under the APC platform. 

“No female candidate emerged for governorship position for the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

She lamented that: “The current ASUU strike might be the longest in history if urgent steps are not taken. From 1999 when Nigeria transitioned to democracy, to 2022, university teachers have gone on nationwide strikes 16 times, covering 51 months. 

“This excludes strikes declared by local branches of ASUU over local disputes, some of them lasting several months. The impact of protracted strikes is not limited to the university system alone. It also affects the entire spectrum of society.

“The unabating insecurity in the country poses a drawback to the progress being made by Nigeria in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.”

She, however, advised “the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, to seize the current momentum by citizens to register to vote by extending the ongoing continuous voter Registration exercise by at least sixty days to give prospective voters the opportunity to exercise their franchise during the 2023 elections.

Also Read: June 20 deadline for land vendors’ registration stands…

“The Federal Government (FG) should show genuine commitment to improving the quality of education in Nigeria by promptly implementing the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA). 

“Furthermore, FG should declare a state of emergency on education to rebuild it and ensure that young Nigerians get quality education in public institutions, especially the children of the poor. 

“This is part of government’s investment in human capital to develop the economy.”

She noted that: “It is important to restore the quality of the educational system that graduated most of the politicians and exceptional working-class citizens Nigeria boasts of today and attract students from different parts of the world.

“To end insecurity, the Nigerian government should decentralise the Police Force, encourage and invest in community policing, and leverage advanced ICT to combat crime and criminality. 

“To rebuild the peaceful dream country of our founding fathers, political elites, religious leaders, and traditional rulers must also prevail on violent groups in their domains to stop needless bloodshed and tension

State-of-the-Nation: ActionAid Accuses FG of Paying Lip Service to Fight Against Corruption

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Two killed, two abducted in bandit attack in Zamfara

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Two killed, two abducted in bandit attack in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have killed two persons and abducted two others in an attack on Ruwan Bore village, Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Monday when a group of armed men invaded the village, shooting sporadically.

“Two persons were shot dead while two others were abducted to an unknown destination,”said the sources.

The sources added that upon receipt of the report, troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were mobilised to the area in search of the perpetrators and to rescue the abducted victims.

The sources said assured pf efforts track the attackers.

Two killed, two abducted in bandit attack in Zamfara

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Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking

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Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking

By: Michael Mike

A fleeing founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele (alias Abbas Ajakaiye) after months underground has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for masterminding multiple shipments of illicit drugs into Nigeria.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Prophet Adefolusho was arrested at his church located in Okun Ajah, Ogombo road, Lekki area of Lagos on Sunday 3rd August 2025 by NDLEA officers who waited for him since morning to conclude the Sunday worship service in the evening before moving in on him the moment he stepped out of the church premises.

He noted that the arrest came after he had evaded arrest twice and fled to Ghana to hide since June when operatives started trailing him following the seizure of two shipments of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis linked to him.

He said the first seizure of 200 kilogrammes of the psychoactive substance was made at Okun Ajah beach on 4th June 2025 while another consignment of 700 kilogrammes of Whitten substance was recovered from his delivery van on 6th July 2025.

He was said to have admitted in a written statement, ferrying the illicit consignments through the waterways from Ghana into Nigeria, adding that he had fled to the West African country to hide after he escaped arrest twice in the recent past.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Thursday raided an apartment at Kishi House 11 Layi Ajayi Bembe street, Parkview Estate Ikoyi where they arrested a suspect Benjamin Ukoh and recovered 32 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of Cannabis with a total weight of 15.63 kilogrammes.

In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives last Saturday recovered a large consignment of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 3,093 kilogrammes from the trio of Emmanuel Asoquo, 51; Okem Raphael, 33, and Chekwube Odo, 25, at New Karu area of the state.

While 29-year-old Nura Yahaya was nabbed at Geza area of Kumbotso Kano State with 639 blocks of skunk weighing 359 kilogrammes last Friday, another suspect Umar Adamu Umar, 27, was taken into custody last Wednesday by NDLEA officers after seizing 9 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis from him along Zaria-Kano road, Kano.

In another interdiction operation in Kano, 20,000 pills of tramadol and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection were recovered from a suspect Usman Musa, 30, at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano road last Friday.

A raid at an uncompleted building located at Tudun Wadan Pantami in Gombe town, Gombe state last Friday led to the recovery of 550,266 pills of opioids mainly tramadol, while a suspect Usama Isah was arrested.

The following day Saturday another suspect Ibrahim Adamu, 23, was arrested by NDLEA officers along Potiskum road, Bajoga with 50,000 capsules of tramadol.

In Edo state, a white Toyota Hiace bus marked YAB 5522 K coming from Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Isanlu in Kogi was last Wednesday intercepted at Ewu junction, Edo by NDLEA operatives who after a search recovered 23,940 capsules of tramadol, 1,100 tablets of same opioid and 400 ampoules of pentazocine injection with a suspect Taiye Jethro arrested.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking

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Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

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Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

By: Zagazola Makama

A 47-year-old Chinese national working as a supervisor at BN Ceramics in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, has died after slumping at his duty post, the police have confirmed.

Sources said that the expatriate, identified as Mr. Luo Zhi Mao, collapsed on Aug. 2 at about 6:30 p.m. while working at the Press Department of the factory.

He was immediately rushed to Covenant Hospital, Ajaokuta, and subsequently referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja. However, due to an ongoing strike by doctors and nurses at FMC, he was later moved to Shifaah Hospital in Lokoja.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, Mr. Luo was confirmed dead at Shifaah Hospital.

His body has been deposited at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

Sources said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of death, though no foul play has been suspected at this stage.

The management of BN Ceramics has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.

Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

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