News
VP SHETTIMA AT NISS GRADUATION CEREMONY: ‘We Must Form Global Alliances To End External Aggressions, Domestic Threats’

VP SHETTIMA AT NISS GRADUATION CEREMONY: ‘We Must Form Global Alliances To End External Aggressions, Domestic Threats’
- Urges graduands to move against transnational crime, terrorism, others
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, has drawn attention to the need for Nigeria and other African countries to form global alliances to tame crises caused by external aggressions and domestic threats.
Specifically, he noted that Nigeria and other countries are saddled with the responsibility of protecting their citizens from transnational crimes, including terrorism, climate change and cyber crime, among other global crises.
The Vice President who spoke on Saturday during the graduation ceremony of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 16, 2023 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja told the graduands that they are the great minds armed with the required knowledge to combat these external aggressions and domestic threats in a bid to maintain regional stability on the continent.
Delivering his speech titled, “From Crisis to Stability: Our Shared Global Responsibility,” Sen. Shettima listed cutting-edge knowledge, transformative skills and innovative ideas such as the one acquired by graduands from NISS as necessary for Nigeria and its neighbours to protect their nations from threats within their borders and beyond.
He stated: “Every part of the world today has been working around the clock to form alliances to stop external aggressions and forge solutions to domestic threats. This practical approach is crucial to tame crises and drive stability.
“However, none of these aspirations can be realised without the stewardship of trained minds at the helm of institutions tasked with the solemn duty of making decisions to safeguard lives, defend properties, and preserve peace. This is why we are here.
“You are here because you have chosen to be the custodians of this responsibility, the torchbearers of knowledge and expertise essential for steering the course towards a safer world. Your presence here today is, without a doubt, a celebration—a celebration of the integration of strategic ideas and decisive action, the cornerstone upon which a secure and harmonious world stands poised to thrive.”
Noting that past happenings in Nigeria confirm that the country is as vulnerable as the world around it, VP Shettima said “anything that disrupts wheat production in Asia, crude oil production in the Middle East or commodity market in Africa brings consequences for the entire world.
“I have learned that this cohort, the sixteenth of the flagship program in this institution, has studied the consequences of our existence in a globalized economy on our sustainable development, and I am impressed by your ambition.
“We have found ourselves not only at the crossroads of an era where the world has become a global village, connected through an invisible web of technological advancements, economic interdependence, and social exchange but also challenged to prepare for the disruptions that come with it,” he added.
The VP reminded the graduands that the task before them is to join in the bid to address the situation, saying, “We are tasked with the responsibility of protecting our people as transnational crime, terrorism, climate change, and pandemics loom large as formidable adversaries.
“We don’t need a balance of threat theorist to remind us that these geopolitical tensions demand a collective, cohesive response. We have proven again and again that we can never be an annex of any invidious group or be held ransom by any evil ideology. We have averted descent into a war economy because of this conviction, and believe that modern warfare isn’t waged on the field alone.”
Stating that they were not only coming to help Africa manage the crises, he said the graduands also have the task of ensuring no African country is short-changed in building regional economic integration amid crisis, as well as bear the mantle of fostering regional stability.
Expressing delight with the idea that the graduands are not only Nigerians, as some of them are from neighboring countries, Sen. Shettima said, “Your role, esteemed graduates of the National Institute for Security Studies, extends far beyond the boundaries of our nation.
“You are the guardians of regional stability, the ambassadors of peace, and the architects of sustainable development across and beyond the continent. Your commitment to excellence, coupled with your unwavering determination, makes you the pillars upon which the future of our region stands.”
Earlier, Commandant of NISS, Ayodele Adeleke, explained that the Executive Management Course is aimed at producing committed managers of security, describing the graduation ceremony as a milestone in the professional development of the graduands.
He said 89 participants started the course, with six of them from African countries, but died before the end of the 10 month course, even as he later conferred the prestigious title of fellow of the security institute (Fsi) on all the graduands.
On his part, the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, commended the Commandant and management of the Institute for taking the citadel of learning to greater heights.
He availed himself the opportunity provided by ceremony to admonish the people of Plateau State to eschew violence and embrace peace to give room for development.
Bichi who pledged more support for the National Institute for Security Studies expressed his commitment to improving the welfare of personnel of the Department of State Services.
Other dignitaries at the graduation ceremony were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, represented by Chairman Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Sen Shehu Umar; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of State Police Affairs, Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim; representatives of Jigawa and Yobe State Governors, and business mogul, Mr Femi Otedola, represented by Col Olusegun Oladuntoye (rtd).
Others are Group Chief Executive Officer NNPC, Mele Kyari; representatives of IGP, Chief of Air Staff; EFCC Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede; former Governor of Bauchi State, Barr Mohammed Abibakar, Ooni of Ife, HRM Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ojaja II; Dein of Agbor, Dein Keagborekuzi, and Chief Kola Karim.
VP SHETTIMA AT NISS GRADUATION CEREMONY: ‘We Must Form Global Alliances To End External Aggressions, Domestic Threats’
International
OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”

OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”
By: Michael Mike
This month, leaders will gather in Sevilla, Spain, on a rescue mission: to help fix how the world invests in sustainable development.
The stakes could not be higher. A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and many global commitments to finance them, two-thirds of the targets are lagging. And the world is falling short by over $4 trillion annually in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030.
Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing, trade tensions are rising, aid budgets are being slashed while military spending soars, and international cooperation is under unprecedented strain.
The global development crisis is not abstract. It is measured in families going to bed hungry, children going unvaccinated, girls being forced to drop out of school and entire communities deprived of basic services.
We must correct course. That begins at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, where an ambitious, globally supported plan to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals must be adopted.
That plan should include three essential elements.
First, Sevilla must help accelerate the flow of resources to the countries who need it most. Fast.
Countries must be in the driver’s seat, mobilizing domestic resources by strengthening revenue collection and addressing tax evasion, money laundering and illicit financial flows through international cooperation. This would provide much-needed resources to prioritize spending on areas with the greatest impact such as education, healthcare, jobs, social protection, food security, and renewable energy.
At the same time, national development banks, regional and Multilateral Development Banks need to come together to finance major investments.
To support this, the lending capacity of these banks needs to triple so developing countries can better access capital on affordable terms with longer timelines.
This increased access should include re-channeling of unconditional reserve assets — or Special Drawing Rights — to developing countries, preferably through Multilateral Development Banks to multiply their impact.
Private investment is also essential. Resources can be unlocked by making it easier for private finance to support bankable development projects and by promoting solutions that mitigate currency risks and combine public and private finance more effectively.
Throughout, donors must keep their development promises.
Second, we must fix the global debt system. It is unfair and broken.
The current borrowing system is unsustainable, and developing countries have little confidence in it. It’s easy to see why. Debt service is a steamroller crushing development gains, to the tune of more than $1.4 trillion a year. Many governments are forced to spend more on debt payments than on essentials like health and education combined.
Sevilla must result in concrete steps to reduce borrowing costs, facilitate timely debt restructuring for countries burdened by unsustainable debt, and prevent debt crises from unfolding in the first place.
In advance of the conference, a number of countries put forward proposals to ease the debt burden on developing countries. This includes making it easier to pause debt service in times of emergency; establishing a single debt registry to strengthen transparency; and improving how the IMF, World Bank and credit-ratings agencies assess risks in developing countries.
Finally, Sevilla must raise the voice and influence of developing countries in the international financial system so it better serves their needs.
International financial institutions must reform their governance structures to enable greater voice and participation of developing countries in the management of the institutions they depend on.
The world also needs a fairer global tax system, one shaped by all governments — not just the wealthiest and most powerful.
The creation of a “borrowers club” for countries to coordinate their approaches and learn from one another is another promising step toward addressing power imbalances.
The meeting in Sevilla is not about charity. It’s about justice, and building a future in which countries can thrive, build, trade, and prosper together. In our increasingly interconnected world, a future of haves and have-nots is a recipe for even greater global insecurity that will keep weighing down progress for all.
With renewed global commitment and action, Sevilla can spark new momentum to restore a measure of faith in international cooperation and deliver on sustainable development for people and planet.
In Sevilla, leaders must act together to make this rescue mission a success.
OP-ED: “A RESCUE PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”
Crime
Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport
By:Michael Mike
No fewer than 66 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packaged as green tea have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the seizure made last Thursday was based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May.

Babafemi, in the statement issued on Sunday, disclosed that the NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment, and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.
He said the Loud consignment weighing 62.2 kilogrammes was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.
Babafemi said in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Monday intercepted a consignment of 1,665 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects: Gidado Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Kaduna, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna expressway last Tuesday arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7 kilogrammes skunk was earlier recovered from his base.
While a total of 9 kilogrammes Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel, 45, along Auchi road, Edo state, two young women: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were last Tuesday nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57 kilogrammes skunk; 1 kilogramme Loud; 800 grammes Colorado and 302 grammes of methamphetamine.
Babafemi 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, Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport
News
One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger

One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger
By U.K. Umar
One year after armed attackers overran Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, a deepening humanitarian crisis continues to haunt the thousands of people who fled the invasion and now live in makeshift camps with no hope of return.
The silence that hangs over the once-thriving agrarian community of Allawa is not just physical, it is a silence of abandonment, neglect and despair.
Since the violent invasion of April 25, 2024, residents who escaped death have become Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), living in overcrowded primary school buildings, market stalls and half-roofed compounds in neighbouring towns such as Kuta, Erena and Gwada.
Education has been disrupted. Food is uncertain. Healthcare is nearly non-existent. And worse, hope is fading.
At an abandoned block of classrooms now serving as a displacement shelter in Kuta, Zagazola Media Netowork, met Malam Musa Yakubu, a 47-year-old farmer and father of seven. He sat quietly under the shade of a neem tree, surrounded by three of his children, all barefooted and visibly malnourished.
“This place was once my children’s school. Now it is our home,” he said, forcing a smile. “We sleep on broken desks, on bare floor. During rainy nights, we cover ourselves with nylon bags. My wife cries often because she cannot feed our children.”
Malam Yakubu said he grew up in Allawa and owned over 15 hectares of farmland before the invasion. Today, he depends on handouts from well-wishers.
“The last time we received food aid was three months ago. Since then, we have been living on roasted yam and wild leaves. My children have not seen a classroom since we fled.”
Standing nearby was Amina Ibrahim, 16, who said she dropped out of Junior Secondary School following the attack. Now, she spends her days helping her mother hawk groundnuts in Kuta. I want to return to school,” she said quietly. “But how can I go to school when we have no home, no books, and no peace?”
‘My primary school is a ghost town’
For U.K. Umar, a former resident of Allawa and the writer of this report, the tragedy is personal.
“I attended Central Primary School in Allawa, which is now in ruins,” he recalled. “My childhood friends are now scattered across IDP camps. Some lost their parents. Some were taken by the attackers. We were not just displaced. We were forgotten.”
Umar said the displacement was not just the result of one attack, but a culmination of years of insecurity that was never addressed.
“What happened on April 25, 2024, was the final blow. Security agencies left, and armed groups moved in. What followed was a complete collapse of community life. Now, we are a forgotten people.”
Terror in the shadows
Reports from Shiroro LGA suggest that terror groups now control mining activities across several wards including Kurebe, Kwaki and Kushaka. Residents allegethat the attackers collect levies from artisanal gold miners up to N2 million per site every two weeks. Those who fail to comply are barred from mining, while others are punished.
“Their boys come during the day to collect fuel and money. At night, they disappear into the bush. They even settle disputes among locals. It is like a second government,” said a displaced youth who asked not to be named.
Just two weeks ago, five persons were reportedly abducted in Kwanta Yashi. Locals say they fear speaking out, as they are caught between hunger and violence.
‘Even water is a privilege’
In the Erena IDP settlement, Hajia Halima Abdullahi, 60, spoke through tears.
“I used to be a trader. I had goats and chickens. Now, I beg for drinking water. We fetch from a stream one hour away, and sometimes, we boil it. Other times, we drink it raw.”
She said many elderly displaced persons have developed hypertension and respiratory infections due to harsh conditions.
“There are no drugs. No doctors. Sometimes, we use herbs. Our children are falling sick every day.” It was also observed that the camps lack toilets, clean water, mosquito nets, and electricity. In some shelters, more than ten people sleep in one small room.
‘We feel abandoned’
There is growing frustration among displaced residents over what they describe as state government indifference.
“All we hear are promises. No concrete plan. No official has told us when we can return. It is as if our lives no longer matter,” said Ibrahim Zakari, a youth from Allawa now living in Gwada.
He appealed to the Niger State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
We are Nigerians too. We voted. We paid taxes. We built our homes and schools. Why have we been left to suffer?”
“You cannot keep over 20,000 displaced people in hopeless conditions for over a year and expect stability. Children are out of school. Teenage girls are being married off. Boys are joining vigilante groups. Trauma is spreading like wildfire,” he warned.
He called on the Federal Government to declare a humanitarian emergency in Shiroro LGA and mobilise the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as well as development partners, to scale up food, water, and shelter support.
“There must be a concrete, time-bound plan for resettlement. These people deserve to go home with safety, dignity, and support.”
Conclusion
One year after the fall of Allawa, the question remains: how long must a people wait?
As Niger State and the Federal Government grapple with rising insecurity, the forgotten people of Allawa continue to live in limbo displaced, distressed, and dangerously ignored.
Their pain is not history. It is ongoing. And unless urgent steps are taken, the crisis may deepen further.
“We have not died,” Malam Musa Yakubu said quietly. “But we are not living either.”
One year after Allawa’s fall, displaced residents cry for help as humanitarian crisis deepens in Niger
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