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Nigeria to Build Monument from the Ashes of Crushed Elephant Tusks, Ivories

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Nigeria to Build Monument from the Ashes of Crushed Elephant Tusks, Ivories

By: Michael Mike

The federal government is set to build a monument in Abuja from ashes of crushed elephant tusks and ivories to show the importance of the animal to the country and to announce it’s zero tolerance to illegal trading in ivories and tusks.

Speaking at the crushing of 2.5 tonnes of elephant tusks and ivories with market value put at N9.9 billion in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako said the ashes of the crushed ivories and tusks would be used to build a monument in Abuja to show to the rest of the world the importance of elephants to that nation and the government’s willingness to do everything to preserve them.

Salako, in his speech at the public disposal of confiscated wildlife stockpiles under the custody of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), noted that sometimes back, Nigeria was suspended from CITES trade because of increase in illegal wildlife trade and lack of adequate enforcement. This suspension was later lifted by CITES Secretariat in 2011 through a well-coordinated effort of the then Nine (9) membership Inter-Agency Committee on CITES enforcement in Nigeria that was chaired by NESREA.

He said Nigeria has opted for the outright destruction of stockpiles at the NESREA through pulverisation of elephant tusks and ivories, while pangolin scales and other skin products were earlier incinerated on 16th October 2023.

The Minister said the option of outright destruction is aimed at showing the entire world that Nigeria is zero tolerant to illegal wildlife trade at any level and to serve as a deterrent to the illicit wildlife traffickers who uses Nigeria as their transit route.

He said: “We are proud to stand at the forefront of the fight against the illegal ivory trade. Today’s ivory crush is a symbol of Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to wildlife conservation and the protection of our natural heritage. By destroying these confiscated ivory stockpiles, we send a strong message that wildlife trafficking will not be tolerated in our country.

“Nigeria is taking a firm stance, and we call on the global community to join hands in eradicating this illicit trade that threatens the very existence of our elephants.”

The Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of NESREA. Professor Aliyu Jauro, on his part, said: “The destruction of the confiscated ivory is a tangible step towards stamping out wildlife trafficking.”

He said: “We stand united against the illegal ivory trade, and our actions today are not only crucial in preserving the majestic elephants for future generations but also in sending a clear message that Nigeria will do whatever it takes to protect our elephants and other endangered wildlife.”

The illegal ivory trade poses a severe threat to elephant populations across Africa, contributing to a steep decline in numbers of these majestic creatures and fueling organised crime. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks, despite a ban on the international trade in ivory since 1989 by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The most recent African Elephant Status Report estimates that about 415,000 elephants remain in Africa today compared to over 1.3 million elephants found in the continent in 1979. As few as 400 remain today in Nigeria.

The CEO of the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation (EPIF), John Scanlon, said: “The Elephant Protection Initiative is honoured to stand with the Government of Nigeria at today’s ivory crush. The destruction of confiscated elephant ivory in Abuja will not, in itself, put an end to the trafficking of elephant ivory. It will, however, ensure that no one will ever profit from this contraband. When coupled with the recent seizures of ivory and the prosecution and conviction of offenders, it also sends a powerful message that Nigeria does not tolerate this illegal trade, and is taking important steps to protect its remaining elephant population.

“We look forward to continuing our support to Nigeria with stockpile management and other conservation-related issues.”

Nigeria to Build Monument from the Ashes of Crushed Elephant Tusks, Ivories

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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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

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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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

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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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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