Crime
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
Crime
Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports

Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
…72-year-old Grandma, Beninese, Ithers Nabbed in NDLEA Raids in Delta, Kwara, Lagos
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former football player Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport last Tuesday, when his carry-on bag was searched, 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grammes were seen to be concealed therein.

Babafemi said investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.
He said further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin was said to have claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.
Another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.
He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.

Babafemi said Okoro, who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria, claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would have taken a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilogrammes and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.05 kilogrammes.
He revealed that the 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.
He noted that another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage. The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.

The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250 kilogrammes, the
suspect who is a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.
NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos last Tuesday intercepted a 26-year-old Beninese Vode Jean-Luck while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5 kilogrammes from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
In Kwara state, a notorious drug dealer Mary Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi) was arrested last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun local government area of the state where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.
Babafemi said a 72-year-old grandma Mrs. Christy Ejaro was last Tuesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state, with several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size recovered from her.
The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country 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, Delta, Kwara, and Seme commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
Crime
Troops repel armed herdsmen attack on farmers in Benue

Troops repel armed herdsmen attack on farmers in Benue
By: Zagazola Makama
Farmers and residents along the Daudu–Makurdi Expressway in Benue State were thrown into panic on Saturday following an attempted attack by armed herdsmen at Atson Village.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident, which occurred at about 3:18 p.m., led to chaos as people fled in different directions some towards Agan Toll Gate and others toward Gbajimba Road after reports emerged that armed herders were invading farms and destroying crops.
The sources said the attackers were heavily armed and had begun chasing farmers from their farmlands when security surveillance teams patrolling the area intervened.
On sighting the troops, the armed herdsmen reportedly fled into the bush.
Calm has since been restored to the affected area, and a joint patrol by security operatives is ongoing to ensure the safety of lives and property and to prevent a recurrence.
Troops repel armed herdsmen attack on farmers in Benue
Crime
Troops repel coordinated attacks on three Plateau communities

Troops repel coordinated attacks on three Plateau communities
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) along with other security forces, successfully repelled coordinated attacks on three communities in Riyom Local Government Area by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias.
Zagazola Makama report that the affected communities Rim, Angwan Wereng, and Cum came under attack between 10:50 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. on Thursday night.
The troops responded promptly to distress calls and engaged the attackers, forcing them to flee the area.
“On receipt of the information, army troops and other sister security agencies moved swiftly to the scenes and repelled the attackers,”said the sources.
No official casualties were confirmed as of the time of this report, but the situation is said to be under control while normalcy has returned to the affected areas.
Troops repel coordinated attacks on three Plateau communities
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