News
Zulum receives 2022 HLF award for “excellence” as Anyaoku calls him performer

Zulum receives 2022 HLF award for “excellence” as Anyaoku calls him performer
By Michael Mike
The Hallmark of Labour Foundation (HLF), a collection of highly respected elder statesmen and women amongst them technocrats, academics and diplomats, has presented Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, with its 2022 “Role Model Award for Excellence in Leadership and Good Governance”.
The HLF’s board of trustees is chaired by Professor Emeritus Umaru Shehu with members that include Dr. Christopher Kolade, Professor Grace Alele Williams, Professor Itse Sagay and other eminent Nigerians.
The foundation’s core objective is “to identify worthy role models and use the achievements of these role models as examples to educate the youths that success through genuine labour is more rewarding and fulfilling”:
The HLF annual awards began on 28th of November, 1997, with its first winner: late Prof. Adeoye Lambo, first African Psychiatrist and first Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The 2022 awards which coincided with the foundation’s 26th anniversary, took place at Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday and it was attended by prominent intellectuals including Professor Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, presented Governor Zulum with the award.
“Our recipient for the award for Excellence in Leadership and Good Governance, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, is without any doubt, a performing Governor”, Anyaoku declared before a thunderous applause of guests at the event.
Zulum’s choice, HLF’s board said, was “in recognition of his outstanding performance in leadership and good governance which has greatly enhanced the well-being of the good people of Borno State” and which “has set him (Zulum) apart as a Great Nigerian Role Model”.
The Zulum administration is credited for executive 120 capital projects in its first 100 days, 326 capital projects and 49 capital-intensive programmes in his first year; 556 capital projects by the second year and over 600 capital projects in the third year.
These were beside Governor Zulum assuming the role of Borno State’s chief humanitarian officer, traversing all communities even at risk to his personal safety, to supervise security deployments, humanitarian responses, reconstruction of communities destroyed by insurgents and safe resettlements of Internally Displaced Persons and refugees from the state.
Zulum, in his response to the award, said: “I dedicate this award to my team, and most especially to the men in uniform who work with us, supporting us to achieve and deliver good governance to our people.”
He also said the award would not make him relent but rather “encourage us to do more for the good of Borno State”.
The governor noted that “there is [still] so much to be done” promising that God willing, his dream is “to build a society that works for everyone (in Borno State)”.
The HLF award was one of over 20 prominent awards and honours received by Governor Zulum since 2019.
The governor has, within the last three months, been presented with three awards by President Muhammadu Buhari at different occasions.
Meanwhile, at Saturday’s Hallmark of Labour Foundation (HLF) awards, Zulum was not the only recipients as 10 persons amongst them judges and professors were also presented with different categories of the 2022 role model awards.
The winners include: former judge at the International Criminal Court, Judge Dr. Chile Eboe-Osuji- recognized for “HLF-Emeka Anyaoku Life-Time Achievement Award”; Honourable Justice Paul Adamu Galumje- honoured for “Courageous Service to the Advancement of our Legal System”, Otumba Olasubomi Michael Balogun- honoured for “Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Governance”, and Professor Ekanem Ikpi Braide for “Consistent Advocacy for Positive Change within the University System”.
Other recipients were Professor Peter Akinsola Okebukola for “Contributions in the Field of Education”, Professor Frank Osato Giwa-Osagie for “Contributions in the Field of Medicine”, Professor Oladapo Adenrele Ashiru also for “Contributions in the Field of Medicine”, Professor Dennis Edokpaigbe Agbonlah also for “Contributions in the Field of Science”, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo for “Contributions in the Field of Science” and Professor Tonnie Osa Iredia for “Excellence in Leadership and Professionalism in the Media”.
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
News
Armed bandits abduct resident in Bature Daji, in Niger narrowly miss vigilante target

Armed bandits abduct resident in Bature Daji, in Niger narrowly miss vigilante target
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits in large numbers stormed Bature Daji community in Niger in the early hours of Saturday, abducting a resident while narrowly missing their original target, a local vigilante member.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. when the attackers invaded the residence of one Dani, a known vigilante operative in the area. He was reportedly the primary target of the assault but managed to escape.
However, the gunmen kidnapped one Attahiru Ibrahim, popularly known as Sarki Daji, from the same neighborhood and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
Local sources revealed that the assailants later moved toward Gorogawu Village, a border community near the Republic of Benin, raising concerns of cross-border movement and security challenges.
A joint team of security forces, including military and other operatives, has launched a pursuit operation to rescue the victim and apprehend the attackers.
News
Teenager dies in Kano after fight with friend over tap water

Teenager dies in Kano after fight with friend over tap water
By: Zagazola Makama
A 17-year-old boy, Musa Muhammad, has died in Kano following a fight with his childhood friend over tap water.
Zagazola Makama learnt from sources that the incident occurred on Saturday at Rijiyar Lemo Quarters, Kano, according to a statement issued by the Kano State Police Command.
The father of the deceased, Muhammad Haruna, reported the matter to Bachirawa Police Station, stating that his son had gone to fetch water around 11:00 a.m. when he encountered his friend, Muhammad Aliyu, aged 16.
The duo reportedly had an altercation that escalated into a physical fight, during which the suspect allegedly struck Musa in the face, causing him to collapse.
Police sources said the victim was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
The corpse was later released to the family for burial in line with Islamic rites.
The police say the suspect is currently in police custody, and investigation is ongoing.
Teenager dies in Kano after fight with friend over tap water
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