Connect with us

Crime

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

Published

on

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

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crime

Police arrest UNIJOS student for killing, burying colleague in shallow grave

Published

on

Police arrest UNIJOS student for killing, burying colleague in shallow grave

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Plateau has arrested a 23-year-old student of the University of Jos for allegedly killing and burying his colleague in a shallow grave inside his room at Rusau village in Jos North Local Government Area.

Sources confirmed the incident on Sunday in Jos, citing a report received from the institution’s Chief Security Officer.

According to the sources , the suspect, identified as David Nanpon Timmap, a 300-level student of the university, allegedly attacked and matcheted Peter Mata Mafurai, aged 22, to death in his residence.

Following the distress call received at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Divisional Police Officer of Laranto Division led a team of officers to the scene, where the suspect was arrested.

The sources said investigations revealed that the suspect buried the deceased in a shallow grave he dug inside his room. The remains of the victim were exhumed and deposited at Bingham University Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.

The sources said the suspect is in custody while an investigation is ongoing to ascertain the motive behind the killing.

Police arrest UNIJOS student for killing, burying colleague in shallow grave

Continue Reading

Crime

NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater

Published

on

NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater

By: Michael Mike

A total of 70 parcels factory packed cocaine in walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers heading to London, United Kingdom have been uncovered at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with three suspects arrested in series of follow-up operations across Lagos.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday stated that the cocaine consignments weighing 3.6 kilogrammes were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight.

It added that a cargo agent Lawal Olakunle who presented the consignment for airfreight was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.

Babafemi said in a follow up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker Ogunmuyide Taiwo was arrested following which Mutiu Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, Mutiu Adebiyi & Co, was arrested at his 23 Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office last Monday.

In a similar development, attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national Lemena Mark to export 103.59 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian airlines flight from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu last Wednesday was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.

No fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro local government area of Kwara state following credible intelligence last Tuesday.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday raided Proxy Night club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island where a drug party was going on. Over 100 suspects including the owner of the club Mike Nwogu alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening.

Cartons of illicit substances including Loud, and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.

The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11pm on Saturday 25th October however disrupted the gathering at 3am on Sunday based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, were last Tuesday arrested with 450,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mubi, Adamawa state.

While NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi state seized 162.200 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck last Friday, operatives in Nasarawa state last Wednesday recovered 128 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi area of the state.

A mother of two Oyonumoh Effiong who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA operatives last Friday during a raid at her Lekki home where 500 grammes of the illicit substances were recovered.

In Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers last Thursday raided the home of a suspect Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe at Solomade estate where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.

A 75-year-old grandpa Echendu Onuoka was last Wednesday arrested at Ovum village, Obingwa local government area, Abia state with 4.7 kilogrammes skunk seized from him while a 60-year-old grandma Aukana John was nabbed with 225 grammes of same substance at Apanta village, in the same local government area.

While 150 kilogrammes skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, Ikun Akoko, Ondo state, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5 kilogrammes of same substance at Yan aya , Saminaka in Lere local government area, Kaduna last Friday just as another set of suspects: Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.

At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55 kilogrammes skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry while Amusa Oluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga Badagry.

In Zamfara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road last Monday arrested a suspect Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of AK 47 riffle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, for AK 47 and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka local government area, Zamfara. Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests, and seizures, urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater

Continue Reading

Crime

Police restore order after clash between students and host community in Bichi

Published

on

Police restore order after clash between students and host community in Bichi

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Kano State has restored normalcy following a minor disturbance between some students of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Bichi, and members of the host community.

Sources said that the incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday near the institution’s main gate.

According to the sources, five students identified as Buba Snu, Prince Snu, Kamal Snu, and two others now at large, allegedly attacked some members of the host community with stones at the More Event Centre, located opposite the college gate.

The attack, which occurred during a community event at the venue, provoked a swift reaction from residents who reportedly chased the students back to the school premises.

The sources stated that officers from Bichi Division visited the scene and quickly brought the situation under control, preventing further escalation.

“No life was lost, and no injuries were recorded. However, two vehicles belonging to the institution were damaged during the unrest,” the sources stated.

The sources added that normalcy had been restored, while monitoring and observation of the situation were ongoing to prevent a recurrence.

The Command urged both students and community members to remain calm and avoid actions capable of breaching public peace.

Police restore order after clash between students and host community in Bichi

Continue Reading

Trending

Verified by MonsterInsights