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Human Trafficking: Osinbajo calls for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders

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Human Trafficking: Osinbajo calls for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders

Human Trafficking: Osinbajo calls for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders in the fight against human trafficking and migration.

The Vice President made the call on Monday in Abuja at the grand finale of the 2022 UN Day Against Human Trafficking.

Represented by Mr Adéọlá Ipaye, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, stated that it was only by working together that the war against human trafficking could be won.

According to him, human trafficking is a global phenomenon and encourages everybody to rekindle their commitment so that the fight against the menace can be won.

He said that President Buhari administration had continued to deploy political will in the fight against human trafficking, saying that the drive would continue in that direction.

Osinbajo congratulated NAPTIP for the progress it had made in the fight and other stakeholders for the support it had given the agency for the feat it had achieved.

He said that the policy documents would continue to set the agenda and reverse human trafficking in order to ensure the safety of Nigeria in the Federal Government standard procedure.

“All organisations offering shelters and homes to trafficked persons must ensure people are not exploited, we will continue to scale our efforts in the areas of protection, prosecution and others.

“We can only win this fight by working together with a common vision,” Osinbajo stressed.

Earlier, the Director General of NAPTIP, Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, said that the agency had recently commenced a nationwide establishment of trafficking in persons and violence against person vanguard across the 110 Federal Government Colleges.

She said that the vanguard was intended to increase the capacity of students to identify and report incidents of human trafficking and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, in and outside schools.

She stated that the idea was to raise a generation of young people empowered to advocate against these crimes and promote safe migration as an option rather than irregular migration.

According to her, we can do a lot of prevention work just by opening their eyes to the problem.

Waziri-Azi said that the theme for the 2022 UN Day Against Human Trafficking “Use and Abuse of Technology” which featured debate for and against between Baze University, Abuja and Veritas University, Abuja, was timely.

According to her, traffickers are misusing technology to drive their agenda in trafficking many young Nigerians, saying that, there is a need to change the narrative.

“Human traffickers now operate online as much as they operate offline. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the re-enforcement of the need for digital channels of communication.

“Human traffickers have also caught on to this digital transformation, there is an obvious shift from physical to virtual recruitment as traffickers have kept pace with technology, becoming proficient at using the internet for their trafficking operations.

“The theme: “Use and Abuse of Technology” for the 2022 human trafficking day. This theme focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can enable, as well as impede human trafficking.

“This theme is timely, could not have come at a better time considering the fact that at NAPTIP, we are seeing an increase in fake job advertorials and fake scholarships via social media.

“Traffickers use it to recruit and catfish unsuspecting victims,” she said.

Waziri-Azi said that NAPTIP in partnership with the US- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) will enhance tracing and diligent investigation of all cases relating to online child abuse, human trafficking and other related crimes.

She said that the partnership would also help detect persons who use social media platforms to electronically distribute pornographic materials to either blackmail or exploit victims.

According to her, the agency is currently investigating its first “sextortion“ case, adding that it has set up a cybercrime task team that is dedicated to tackling online crimes. 

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Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

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Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

By: Zagazola Makama

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the sudden death of an unidentified man who collapsed and died at Government House Lodge, Minna. Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 2, 2025.

Sources said that the deceased had visited House No. 8, Government House Lodge, in an attempt to see Mr. Sammy, Chairman of Niger Foods. However, upon meeting his host’s absence, the man suddenly took ill.

Medical doctors were reportedly contacted from the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, for urgent attention. Unfortunately, by the time the doctor arrived, the man had already passed away.

Following the report, a team of police operatives from GRA Division visited the scene. The body was photographed and evacuated to the IBB Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge

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Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

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Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

By Amina Ahmed Dankawuwa

The Senator representing Bauchi South at the national assembly, Senator Shehu Buba Umar has accepted the calls by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial District to contest for Governorship come 2027.

The Director General of the campaign for the actualisation of Sen Buba’s Gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Muhammad Sade (Usman) accepted the calls on behalf of the Senator during a town hall meeting held on Saturday by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial in Azare.

He appealed to members of APC to maintain peace with all other aspirants within the party.

“Let’s respect other aspirants, such that anybody who win the primary election can have will be assisted by others, so we must value and respect each other”, he reasoned.

Muhammad Sade also called on party members to commence looking for delegates for ahead of the party primaries.

“It is now that we have to look for those that have votes. I call on our esteemed supporters to start mobilizing for delegate”, he emphasized.

He also advised social media handlers (citizens journalist) to avoid creating problems for personal gain, adding that social media some times create a lot of problem within and out side the party endorsed Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Shehu Buba Umar for Bauchi Governor come 2027.

Baushe Daily Times reports that members of the APC gathered in thousands during the meeting in Azare during which they unanimously agreed to support Senator Shehu Buba for Governor come 2027.

Earlier in a welcoming address, former majority leader in the Bauchi state house of assembly, Hon Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, the choice to support Sen Shehu buba Umar’s Governorship ambition was due to his concern and care he has for the people of Bauchi state.

“He respects us, he values our people politically and he also call on party members to respect each other because politics shouldn’t be considered as a do or die affair”, he said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Bashir Bukar Rimin Zayam charged the youth to cast their votes for the youth only and avoid voting older politicians who will always be going abroad for medical attention.

He therefore, appealed to members of APC to mobilised people to support Sen Shehu Buba for Governor.

Among those who attended the town hall meeting include state assembly member Azare/Madangala Hon Zakariyya sale maigero, comr sabo Mohammed S A to Sen Shehu Buba on media and communication, Hon kasuwa Shehu Damana, Hon Adamu Fanta Misau, Hon maiwada Misau,Hon Mohammed Hassan, Barr Muktar Umar, Alhaji Nura Adamu among others.

Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027

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NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

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NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned in strong terms the closure of Badeggi Radio in Niger State by the State Governor Mohammed Bago, discribing it as not only a suppression of press freedom but an affront to democracy.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission Dr Tony Ojukwu, condemned the action while reacting to the ugly incident. He said the governor’s decision to shut down the radio station without following due process is disappointing and a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Ojukwu noted that the consequences of suppressing press freedom are far-reaching and can lead to increased government opacity, reduced citizen participation, creat obstacles to accountability, and weakening of democratic institutions.

He said: “The arbitrary shutdown of media outlets undermines the checks and balances essential to a functioning democracy.”

He called on Governor Bago to immediately unseal the Radio Station and allow it to resume full operations, asking him to channel issues concerning any alleged unconstitutional operations of the Radio Station to the appropriate authority and not act with impunity.

He said: “This is both a moral imperative and a democratic requirement.”

Ojukwu who is also the president of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa ( NNHRI-WA) urged the governments to protect journalists and media freedom, foster a culture of tolerance, and support independent media. “Journalists must be able to operate without fear of harassment, intimidation, or violence,” He emphasized.

He lamented that the media has severally come under attack in various forms, a situation he termed as unacceptable in a civilized society.

He called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to be firm in carrying out its Statutory mandate which must not be abused at any slight opportunity.

He used the opportunity to ask media practitioners to be professional at all times in order to prevent needless censorship by political office holders.

He also called on Nigerian Guild of Editors to provide professional guidance at regular intervals as this will curb the use of hate speech, fake news and other unprofessional conducts capable of adversely affecting the media houses.

He insisted that the Commission remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria and would continue to monitor the situation closely.

NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy

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