National News

Tinubu Expresses Commitment to Fight Against Illicit Drug

Published

2 years ago

September 26, 2023

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Tinubu Expresses Commitment to Fight Against Illicit Drug

By: Michael Mike

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to the ongoing fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country, insisting that there is need for conceited efforts from all across the world to curtail the global drug problem.

The President also assured he would continue to provide necessary support and tools for the nation’s anti-narcotics agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA to fulfil on its mandate.

Tinubu, gave the assurances on Tuesday while declaring open the 31st meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF) in Abuja.

Represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, the President said: “This administration will continue to provide the necessary support, motivation, and tools for the NDLEA to fulfill its mandate.”

He said: “We understand the connection between the success of the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking and the attainment of a number of goals on our socio-economic and security agenda.

“For us, the commitment to the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse is not just a matter of policy; it is a moral imperative. We recognize that a population at war with drugs is not a dividend but a liability. We believe that the future of our youth, the strength of our institutions, and the well-being of our communities depend on our ability to eradicate this threat.

“So, I must appeal to you to see this gathering as an avenue for the exchange of novel ideas and the development of practical strategies. We must consolidate established contacts, operational partnerships, and cooperation to ensure that the outcomes of this four-day deliberation advance public safety and the emergence of drug-free African communities.”

He noted that: “Our strength has always been our proactive actions to prevent any individual or group from turning our countries into a minefield of drug trafficking. So, we must prioritize prevention, education, and rehabilitation to empower our youth with knowledge and opportunities. We must steer them away from the treacherous path of drug abuse and trafficking and protect our economy from the consequences of their actions.”

The President while emphasising the threat posed to countries by drug scourge, urged participants attending the conference to seize the opportunity of the gathering to come up with novel strategies to dismantle drug cartels across the African continent.

He said: “We are at the mercy of a threat that knows neither race nor geography, neither gender nor social class. This threat has crossed borders and destroyed societies and dreams. Without the moral commitment of the men and women in this room, this threat would have left cities, countries, and even civilizations erased. So, I must commend you for your sacrifices in the bid to keep our world drug-free, sane and safe.”

He said the choice of Nigeria to host the conference and its drug czar to chair the meeting is a profound recognition of the campaign and fight against illicit drugs led by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

“We are hosting the 31st HONLAF meeting here to reassure you of our promise to participate in building a world not threatened by the infiltration of illicit drugs. Over the decades, criminal organizations have attempted to breach our security measures in their business of polluting nations and minds. But while it’s a compliment that drug-law enforcement organisations are a threat to their criminal empires, their desperation must never be taken for granted,” he added.

The President stated that: “Without you as gatekeepers of healthy nations, humanity as we know it would have long been perverted. So, on behalf of the world, I say: thank you, thank you to all of you who have kept us from being polluted and destroyed.”

In his remarks, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) who was elected to chair the conference, while citing the details of the 2023 world drug report as a challenge for Africa, charged his counterparts across the continent to strengthen operational networks and raise the bar in the drug war.

He said: “Drug use disorders are harming health, including mental health, safety and well-being,” adding that the harms caused by drug trafficking and illicit drug use are enormous, insisting that they are also contributing to many of these threats, from instability and violence to environmental devastation.

He said: “Young people are using more drugs than previous generations, and the majority of people being treated for drug use disorders in Africa are under the age of 35. What is worse, the availability of treatment and other services has not kept pace with these developments, and women in particular are suffering from treatment gaps.

“The world drug problem, in all its forms and manifestations, affects all of us. The stakes are especially high for Africa. No one country can tackle a problem of this magnitude alone; just as well, the world drug problem cannot be tackled solely through international policymaking; it also requires effective implementation and collaboration among practitioners. This is where the HONLAF comes in. The meeting is very important, as it enables its parent body, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, to learn about current regional drug trends, threats, and emerging challenges from practitioners and law enforcement experts, from all parts of the continent.

“We need regional perspectives to enrich the global policy discussion, and HONLAF is the opportunity to bring the African perspective to the global level. The sessions provide a platform to share knowledge and practices and learn from each other.

“The 31st meeting will indeed provide an opportunity for us to raise the bar and break new ground in different areas of our operations and collaborative efforts. I am as excited as a lot of us in this hall are to make presentations, listen to others, and share experiences that will positively shape our operations and redefine our cooperation at the end of this conference.”

In his remarks at the ceremony, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by the Director, International Criminal Justice Cooperation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Nkiruka Jones-Nebo said “It is imperative that this conference remains proactive in addressing the legal complexities that may impede seamless cooperation in intelligence sharing, joint operations, and training. These barriers must be dismantled to prevent any loopholes that could potentially facilitate the activities of drug cartels operating across our borders.

“The Federal Ministry of Justice stands committed to providing unwavering support and efficient systems to empower NDLEA in its mission.”

The Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe on his part, said the drug problem has changed from what it used to be 20 years ago, noting that: “Today, the picture is different, local consumption is increasing, and increasingly problematic. We need a balanced approach to supply and demand reduction. We need to invest in prevention and in treatment. And, we need alternatives to imprisonment for drug users that are more effective and help decongesting prisons. At the same time, we need to strengthen cooperation between countries along drug trafficking routes with the aim of dismantling the ever more sophisticated trafficking networks.”

The Executive Director, UNODC, Ghada Waly and the Chairman, UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs who both spoke via video messages expressed support for the gathering and charged delegates to maximise the opportunities provided by the platform.

One of the highpoints of the ceremony was the presentation of a report on Organised Crime in Nigeria: A Threat Assessment (NOCTA) produced by the National Institute for Security Studies in collaboration with security agencies and supported by the UNODC. Speaking on the report, Commandant of NISS, Ayodele Adeleke said “With investigations to connect transit and production countries, the report is hoped to encourage other partnerships to create a coalition that fights organised crime in partnership and collaboration. We must not give up, let us give Nigeria the true future it deserves.”

Tinubu Expresses Commitment to Fight Against Illicit Drug

National News

El-Rufai Puts Ribadu on Trial

Published

9 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

El-Rufai Puts Ribadu on Trial

By Frank Tietie

A man who is neither drunk nor high on drugs, but in his clear and sane mind, goes on a prime-time show on a continental television network like the Arise News Channel and proclaims that he got information from someone who tapped the phone line of the National Security Adviser (NSA) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. How should the Nigerian government react?

It becomes a Catch-22 for the Nigerian government whether to respond to El-Rufai’s latest tirade. But to react hastily would fail to see the damning point Nasir El-Rufai is trying to make, which is to show the ineptitude of Nuhu Ribadu as NSA. The government should have seen through the former Kaduna State governor’s bravado.

Of course, El-Rufai knows the possibility that Ribadu would fall for the trick and might actually order his detention, either for statements made on live international television or for the bared waiting fangs of the EFCC. Sonit appears he had prepared for the worst, but probably not for death in the hands of his sworn enemies through poisoning. Hence, he immediately alerted the world to the Gestapo treatment that is usually given to some government enemies when they are in detention. So he quickly accuses the same Nuhu Ribadu of importing thallium sulphate, a lethal poison suitable for eliminating political enemies quietly. This he has done, in case he, himself or any other opposition politicians die in detention as 2027 approaches. What a way to shift the burden?

The choice of the government to charge El-Rufai for cybercrimes over the claims he made on live on Arise News Prime Time show about tapping the NSA’s phone is a tacit yet loud acknowledgement that any NSA whose phone can be tapped so easily is not only incompetent, but highly undisciplined and lackadaisical on national security matters. Tell me, which serious country, like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, or Saudi Arabia, would take the National Security Adviser of Nigeria seriously if they knew that an ordinary citizen could easily tap his phone?

What Malam Nasir El-Rufai has done is not to present technical evidence of interception. Rather, he has thrown a political gauntlet designed to provoke a reaction. The trap is simple: once the state moves against him, the conversation shifts from the accuracy of his claim to the conduct and capability of those charged with safeguarding national security.

A hurried resort to criminal prosecution risks missing the wider implication that public officers, particularly those occupying sensitive security positions, are expected to inspire confidence, not anxiety.

Therefore, if the state frames a prosecution around a claim that the NSA’s line could be tapped, the unintended consequence is that the allegation receives international circulation, renewed media life and diplomatic attention. In effect, the courtroom becomes a megaphone for the NSA’s failures.

Consequently, if the charge against El-Rufai is driven by reputational discomfort or the political embarrassment that he has caused Ribadu or the Tinubu government. It risks being counterproductive, especially in a democratic setting that has a high tolerance for speech directed at public officials.

Statements that are provocative, speculative or even reckless are often part of political contestation, especially as 2027 approaches. They should not be the basis for criminal charges. Such statements are best answered by clarification, transparency, and institutional reassurance, rather than the coercive weight of arrest, arraignment, and trial.

To prosecute El-Rufai in circumstances such as this may therefore produce the exact opposite of deterrence. It can elevate and transform him into a cause, especially among Northern Nigeria elements, and suggest that the government is more eager to punish criticism than to disprove it.

The other dimension is the possibility that such a trial would invite scrutiny, arguments, cross-examinations, and global reporting, further exposing Ribadu or the government. Meanwhile, silence would have buried it faster.

Instead of dismissing El-Rufai as someone probably chasing political clout, the choice to charge him would validate his point and expose Nuhu Ribadu as unfit to be NSA.

El-Rufai is no ordinary politician. He combines the arts of casuistry, statecraft, populism and activism for political relevance, and he is yet on another journey to reinvent himself politically to the detriment of his foes like Ribadu. But he also wants to come out alive. And even if he dies in the process, he seems not to care much, as long as such would deal the maximum blow to the political careers of his traducers.

If anyone thinks El-Rufai is being diminished by his latest travails, they should think again. In fact, it is he who is putting some persons on trial in the court of reason.

Frank Tietie
Lawyer and Public Affairs Commentator,
Writes from Abuja

El-Rufai Puts Ribadu on Trial

National News

Civil Society Escalates Pressure on Senate Over ‘Conditional’ Electronic Transmission Clause

Published

10 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Civil Society Escalates Pressure on Senate Over ‘Conditional’ Electronic Transmission Clause

By: Michael Mike

Tension over proposed changes to Nigeria’s electoral framework deepened on Monday as the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room demanded the immediate adoption of unconditional electronic transmission of results in the amendment to the Electoral Act, warning that any dilution of the reform could erode public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At a protest held at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, the coalition accused the Senate of weakening critical safeguards in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2025 by introducing what it described as “conditional transmission” of results.

Addressing demonstrators, Co-Convener of the Situation Room and Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, said Nigerians were demanding a clear, mandatory provision that compels real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units without exceptions.

“Our future is in our hands because we voted for these representatives. On behalf of Nigerians, we are stating unequivocally that electronic transmission of results must be mandatory and without conditions,” Mamedu declared.

The coalition argued that the Senate’s version departs from earlier understandings reached during consultations between stakeholders and the Joint National Assembly Committee on Electoral Matters. It warned that inserting discretionary clauses could create legal ambiguities capable of being exploited during elections.

Specifically, the group urged the conference committee reconciling the Senate and House versions of the bill to adopt the House of Representatives’ position making real-time electronic transmission from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal compulsory.

According to the protesters, anything short of mandatory transmission risks reopening controversies that trailed previous elections and could undermine voter confidence in the electoral system.

They also called for the retention of the 360-day election notice timeline contained in earlier drafts of the amendment, stressing that predictable timelines are essential for planning, voter education and logistics.

In a letter presented to lawmakers, the coalition stated: “Instead of strengthening Nigeria’s electoral framework, the Senate amendment weakens key safeguards necessary for credibility and public trust.”

On concerns about network coverage and technical feasibility, the group insisted that real-time transmission is achievable. It cited previous off-cycle governorship elections in states such as Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa, where high transmission rates were recorded.

The coalition dismissed claims that connectivity gaps would cripple the system, noting that telecommunications data show that areas without network access constitute only a small fraction of polling units nationwide. It explained that results are first collated at polling units before being uploaded, and where connectivity is unavailable, the system can securely store data and automatically transmit once network access is restored.

Civil society organisations also faulted remarks attributed to the Senate President questioning the practicality of real-time transmission, maintaining that the infrastructure and technology required are already in place.

At the rally, women’s advocacy groups broadened the protest, calling for the expedited passage of the special seats bill for women as part of ongoing constitutional amendments. They argued that electoral integrity must go hand in hand with inclusive representation.

Responding on behalf of the House of Representatives, spokesperson Akin Rotimi assured protesters that their concerns would be conveyed to the leadership of the chamber. He said the Speaker supports the amendment, while the Deputy Speaker is among its sponsors.

Rotimi acknowledged the low representation of women in the legislature as a “serious injustice” and pledged that constitutional amendment proposals, including provisions for reserved seats for women, would be subjected to electronic voting.

Despite the assurances, the Situation Room vowed to sustain advocacy until a final version of the bill guarantees compulsory, real-time electronic transmission of results and restores what it described as the “spirit of reform” demanded by Nigerians.

“This is about protecting the people’s mandate,” the protesters said. “We will not relent until the law reflects the will of the citizens.”

Civil Society Escalates Pressure on Senate Over ‘Conditional’ Electronic Transmission Clause

National News

VP Shettima Attends AU Heads of State Plenary Session

Published

3 days ago

February 14, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

VP Shettima Attends AU Heads of State Plenary Session

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima is attending the plenary of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The opening session has drawn leaders from across the continent and beyond, as delegates convene to address critical issues under this year’s theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”