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National Protest: Governor Adeleke Conveys Dialogue with Organisers, Stakeholders

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By Ebinum Samuel

Governor Ademola Adeleke has fixed today Monday for a comprehensive dialogue with organizers of upcoming national protests alongside stakeholders from the security and civil societies.In a directive handed down on Sunday morning, the state Governor instructed his team members to reach out to representatives of various civil society groups and student bodies for a dialogue session on the state of the economy.

Stressing the importance of dialogue in state governance, the State Governor further requested key commanders of Police and other security services to attend the session where stakeholders will be free to make recommendations on grievances and expected responses from government at all levels.“I have instructed my team to organise a dialogue session on Monday where stakeholders can jaw jaw as part of peacemaking in the exercise of constitutional rights. The session will afford parties to list grievances and what they expect the government at all levels to do.“ We will convey outcomes of the session to government leaders from myself to Mr President in Abuja.

It will also be an opportunity to tell stakeholders what we are doing as a government to resolve the economic hardship facing our people”, the Governor was quoted as saying.While reaffirming his firm belief in the national constitution and rights and.liberties enshrined in it, Governor Adeleke preaches the need for peace and non-violent actions among which are dialogue sessions slated for Monday.According to the State Governor, “Osun is a peaceful state where proactive steps are ongoing on food security, economic revival and state building to deliver good governance and dividends of democracy.“We have to sustain the peace even as we make our feelings about the state of the nation known to the leadership. We will listen and we will act in the best interest of the citizenry.“In the midst of positive transformation ongoing in our dear state, we cannot afford any criminal hijacking of liberty processions. That is why the Monday dialogue promises to achieve a lot”, the Governor submitted.

Spain-bound cocaine consignment recovered from businessman’s sandals at MMIA

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As NDLEA nabs Lagos-Ghana tramadol syndicate kingpin; intercepts bandits’ supplier in Kaduna; destroys 31,600kg cannabis, arrests 17 in Osun forest raid

By Ebinum Samuel

A Spain based businessman, 50-year-old Francis Akajiobi, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, after parcels of cocaine weighing 1.20 kilograms were discovered in his pair of sandals while attempting to board his Royal Air Maroc flight to Madrid, Spain.


The two parcels of cocaine were concealed in the soles of a pair of black sandals Akajiobi was wearing to board his flight when NDLEA operatives intercepted him on Thursday 25th July 2024. During his preliminary interview, he claimed the consignment was delivered to him at a bar in Port Harcourt, Rivers state and was to deliver it to his friend and neighbour in Spain for a fee of Five Thousand Euros (€5,000) upon successful delivery to the recipient.


In the same vein, a suspect: Makinde Sodiq Lekan has been arrested in connection with the seizure of 99 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 51.60kg that arrived the SAHCO Imports shed of the Lagos airport on a Turkish Airlines flight from Canada via Istanbul, Turkey.


Meanwhile, operatives of a Special Operations Unit targeting syndicates that specialize in shipping large consignments of opioids into neighbouring countries from where they attempt smuggling them into Nigeria in smaller quantities through transport companies, have arrested one of the kingpins, Chukwuemaka Obodozie. He was arrested in the early hours of Sunday 21st July at Cele bus stop along Oshodi-Apapa express road, Lagos with 100,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg loaded in two bags shortly after his arrival from Ghana via one of the transport companies plying the Lagos-Ghana route. The intelligence led operation followed five months of surveillance around Chukwuemeka.
No fewer than 17 suspects were arrested on Friday 26th July when NDLEA operatives raided the Owena forest in Oriade LGA, Osun State, where they destroyed 31,250 kilograms of cannabis on 12.5 hectares of farmland, while 84kg of processed cannabis sativa was recovered along with a single barrel Dane gun. Those arrested include: Peter Osuya, 51; Zebron Ode, 46; Dogo Reuben Matthew, 35; Isaac Terna; Joseph David Lawrence, 27; Ugochukwu Victory, 24; Olamilekan Abolarin, 26; Dele Ayibo, 44; Ojo Moses, 21; Nini Ayila, 27; Msughve Clement, 23; Chuks Ogeneku, 40; Dada Aribo, 20; Uche Endurance, 30; Patrick Agba, 21; Osakwe Kennedy, 45; and Ojo Babatunde, 29.
In Kaduna state, NDLEA operatives on stop and search patrol along Kaduna-Zaria highway on Saturday 27th July intercepted a 32-year-old lady, Ubaida Aliyu in possession of 573 rounds of 7.60 live ammunition, which she claimed she was attempting to deliver to bandits in Sokoto.
While a suspect, Godwin Udochukwu, 35, was arrested in connection with the seizure of 25,000 ampoules of Pentazocine injection by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kaduna-Zaria highway, another suspect, Alkasim Mikailu, 35, was nabbed in Kano on a follow up operation following the seizure of 37,880 ampoules of Diazepam injection along Abuja-Kaduna highway.


Two suspects: Abioye Adeniyi, 39, and Rafiu Lekan, 41, were arrested with 55 jumbo wraps of Ghana Loud by NDLEA operatives at Oloko along Badagry-Seme road, Lagos on Friday 26th July, while Samson Ifeayi Egwutouhi, 30, was nabbed same day by officers on patrol along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja express way with 20 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa that weighed 10.500kg. In Bauchi State, two suspects: Suleiman Yahaya, 50, and Ibrahim Bello (a.k.a Special), 35, were on Thursday 25th July arrested with 315 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 204.750kg along Maiduguri bye-pass, Bauchi town.


With the same drive, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students of Government Secondary School, Gada, Sokoto state; pupils of Holy Trinity Primary School, Aroje, Ogbomoso, Oyo state; students of Holy Innocent Juniorate, Nkpor Onitsha, Anambra state; students of Government Christian Secondary School, Shuwa Madagali, Adamawa state and commercial motorcycle riders at Oke Afo, Badagry Lagos state, among others.


While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Osun, Bauchi, Kogi, Seme, and Kaduna Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised their pulverizing onslaught against drug cartels across the country. He also expressed delight in the balance of their drug supply reduction efforts with drug demand reduction activities while urging them not to rest on their oars.

NEED TO SUPPORT MULTILEVEL OPTIONS FOR NATIONAL FUEL SUFFICIENCY

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BY BOLAJI AFOLABI

After blossoming into formidable players and conglomerates in Nigeria’s business firmament, some actors in the private sector diversified into the complex, intriguing, but superbly viable petroleum sector. With globally-acclaimed business mogul, Aliko Dangote as the head of the orchestra, these entrepreneurs appeared into the industry with gusto, fervour, and can-do-it spirit. Their financial capacities, institutional vision, and economic blueprint determined the level of their investments in the sector.

Dangote and these visionaries, actually took the plunge into the uncertain oil and gas sector with minimal or zero-sum knowledge and experience. Not many industry watchers took them seriously though.Dangote, for one, said he was serially discouraged by friends who had unpleasant experiences and who shared negative narratives about the sector. Fired by inexplicable factors, however, Dangote etal, began a silent and salient revolution geared towards transforming the sector, and ensuring national economic development. Since all of Nigeria’s four refineries became dysfunctional, the country has been importing almost all of its petroleum product requirements. Nigeria has always had four refineries, two of which are located in Port Harcourt and one each in Warri and Kaduna.

Put together, all four refineries should optimally produce a total of 445,000 barrels of petroleum products daily.A visionary Dangote who has remained a very key player in the nation’s economy for three decades now, latched on the tardiness and sloppiness of government in keeping its refineries working and conceived of a 650,000 barrels per day, ultra-modern refinery. This would surpass the maximum capacity of state-owned refineries with surpluses to service the nation’s needs. While Dangote was envisioning a mammoth, $20Billion refinery reputed to be the second largest in the world, the liberalisation of the petroleum sector encouraged smaller, more compact refineries. Modular refineries were popular in parts of the world but were novel in our own parts. In instances, these potential private investors in the petroleum sector coursed through man-made labyrinths in relevant governmental departments.Nigerians who have been at the receiving end of serial petroleum products scarcity and arbitrary pricing were recently jolted when NNPC, through one of its agencies declared that Dangote is just about 45 percent completed! As if that was not enough, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) through its chief executive officer, Farouk Ahmed, labelled preliminary products from the humongous maze of technological wizardry as “substandard!” Ahmed seemed to be spearheading a conspiracy to discredit industry-wide local petroleum production, which will naturally involve smaller players like the now popular more compact refineries. Ahmed’s unguarded comments infuriated not a few watchers of Nigeria’s economic scene.

These include foreign investors who are daily bated by the federal government to look in the country’s direction.President of the African Development Bank, (AfDB), Nigerian-born Akinwumi Adesina weighed into the fracas and cautioned state players. He admonished that the whole wide world was watching Nigeria demarket its own, while goading foreign interests to invest in Nigeria. He expressed concern to the effect that if big players like Dangote who has Africa-wide manufacturing presence can be so unfairly treated, what will be the fate of other contributors to the nation’s gross domestic product, (GDP)? The administration of President Bola Tinubu has moved in to calm the storm by calling for a truce between the “warring” camps. Heineken Lokpobri, Minister of State for Petroleum, (oil) convened and chaired a meeting of the various interests last week. In the aftermath of the bad faith shown a mega-player like Dangote, industry watchers are calling for protection for modular refineries. At the last check, about 25 of them had been licensed by government much as not all of them are in operation. Expectedly, most of the refineries are located within the territories of oil producing states and communities in the country. They are mostly to be found therefore in: Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia and Imo states. By their configurations, they are less complicated than the monstrous pipes and trunks which weave and wind in serpentine motions, around the mega refineries.

They produce automotive gas oil, (AGO); household kerosene, (HHK); marine diesel oil, (MDO); high pour oil, (HFO) and naphtha. Modular refineries have become popular in parts of the world now because they operate from as close to the wellhead of their mining sites as possible. They are not be-laboured by cross-country piping which are not only expensive but risky. Oil pipeline networks across Nigeria have serially suffered from wilful vandalism and destruction impacting the delivery of feedstock. Over time, Nigeria’s daily crude oil supplies have been atrociously abridged by the antics of miscreants. Such tampering with supply lines is minimised in the case of modular refineries. Typically, they meet the needs of their contiguous geo-locations which reduces the risks of moving inflammable products on the highways. Technocrats in the oil and gas sector may yet guide policy makers about the possibility of having modular refineries in every state in the country.Just while avoidable bile was being vented on the recent Dangote saga, invitations have been coming from neighbouring countries intent on doing business with Nigerian moneybags. Gabonese president, Brice Oligui Nguema recently beckoned on Dangote to extend his entrepreneurial benevolence to the oil-rich country. To underscore his seriousness, Nguema promised to create a conducive environment for Dangote, whom he believes would bring enhanced industrial capacity, immense job creation, and technology transfer to the french speaking country. Elsewhere, the government of Equatorial Guinea which is also in Central Africa, is making every effort to support the Nigerian promoters of the modular refinery in the country. Elsewhere in Sao Tome and Principe, a Nigerian brand once powered the oil-rich country in the small country. These are classic confirmations of the old saying about a “prophet not recognized at home, but treasured, honoured, and beautified abroad.”The very fact that some of these “small” African countries have a higher per capita income than the “big brother Nigeria” is the more reason our government is doomed to support local investment. Primarily, investors need assurances on policy consistency and political stability. Once these are in place, they are ready to activate their programmes and deploy their resources. We must be guided by the recent departures of certain popular brands, notably in the manufacturing and retailing sectors from our country. Such exits have been expedited in the wake of asphyxiating economic conditions, flowing over from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The bragging refrain about Nigeria as the “giant of Africa” is only plausible if our touted size translates into the overall wellbeing of our people.Fact is Nigeria is in dire need of visible and tangible growth, and downstream, spectrum-wide transformation.

Given the numerous benefits derivable from privately investments, it will be imperative that these refineries be seen as “Nigerian-projects” by government and it’s agencies. They must be supported and protected to grow and contribute towards national development. Bickerings, power-play, influence-peddling, mud-slinging are not the needs of Nigerians at the moment. The citizenry expects government to continue with every commitment to strive towards tangible improvements in their quality of lives. They want government to fight poverty. They seek practical reduction in inflation rate. They want to see a cutting down on over reliance on foreign exchange which stifles meaningful development.

BOLAJI AFOLABI, a Development Communications Specialist, was of the Office of Public Affairs, The Presidency, Abuja

Inspiration for Cyber Security Centre drawn from upsurge in internet fraud – DIG Alabi

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By Ebinum Samuel

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police incharge of Investigation, DIG Sylvester Abiodun Alabi has disclosed that Inspiration to establish a police cyber security center was drawn from the upsurge in crime in the country and the need to save Nigeria from the embarrassment occasioned by internet fraudsters and identity thieves.

The DIG, who is the supervising officer of the newly established centre, noted that the unit under him is one of the best in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The DIG underscored the importance of a cyber security policing department in checking the illicit activities of rampaging online criminals popularly called ‘yahoo boys’.

Speaking at the commissioning of the centre, the police boss said: “It is an honour and great privilege to welcome Your Excellency on this special occasion of the official commissioning of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC), a national monument and one of its kind in the entire Sub-Sahara Africa.

“What we witness here today is indeed a dream come true and timely response to the evolving wave of cybercrime and its consequential effects on our national ecosystem.

“The vision for this Center was conceived in a small Container, famously called “THE CONTAINER LAB” at the Force Criminal Investigation Department with a collection of naive yet enthusiastic personnel operating with obsolete gadgets.

“The inspiration was largely drawn from the upsurge in cyber and cyber-enabled crimes and apparent knowledge and skill gaps in the force in tackling the scourge.

“Furthermore, there was increasing volume of complaints being received from INTERPOL involving Nigerian threat actors. Considering the number of threat Actors identified or suspected to be of Nigerian descent, the need for a concerted and proactive police action to salvage the dwindling integrity of the country vis a vis the international rating of the country on the index of ease of doing business became imperative.

“Within a short period of operation, the Center has quickly evolved into global reckoning with numerous groundbreaking successes in the fight against cybercrime and other transnational organized crimes in joint operations with INTERPOL and international partners leading to the arrest, prosecution of high-profile threat actors and dismantling sophisticated Cybercrime syndicates globally.

“Your Excellency, Sir, I wish to proudly inform you that the Nigeria Police Force
under the leadership of our amiable Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun Phd, NPM can boast of the largest assemblage of Forensic and cybercrime subject experts in the entire Sub-Saharan African Law Enforcement Community comprising of Certified Ethical Hackers, Computer Forensic Investigators, and a host of specialized Cybercrime investigator.

“For Administrative and Operational convenience, the Center is structured into seven Directorates with five functional digital forensic laboratories, vis; Administration, Defense and Protection, Threat Response, Network Analysis, Intelligence, Cybercrime/ Forensic Laboratory and Legal
The Center is designed to serve as a Cybercrime Fusion Center (CENTER OF EXCELLENCE) in cyber and cyber-enabled crime investigations not only for the Nigeria Police Force, but for all law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in the country and beyond.

“The facility is fitted with the most modern robust digital forensic tools with capacity to provide Real-time interventions on cyber enabled crime and cybersecurity threats in both public and private sectors of our national ecosystem.

“I humbly wish to express my deepest appreciation to your
administration for bequeathing this innovative facility to the Nigeria Police Force
that will ultimately revolutionize the art of policing in our polity in line with international best practices.

“This resonates with the Renewed hope Agenda of this administration and made possible through the intervention of the Central Bank (CBN) corporate social responsibility initiative.

“NPF-NCCC is evidence of promise made and promise kept and will stand as one of the enduring relics of your stewardship to the nation and history will perpetually be kind to you on this.

“However, digital forensic is an evolving and multi-billiondollar investment that requires constant review of trends and renewal of software tools license as well as operational knowledge to keep the pace.

“I passionately appeal for the intervention of Your Excellency on the establishment of special intervention fund for renewal of existing licenses, acquisition of new tools, solutions, training and re-training and general maintenance of the Center running into millions of dollars which may be beyond the financial scope of the Force.

“While appreciating the Inspector general of Police for midwifing thing project and finding us worthy of this herculean task, I wish to commend the CBN Governor and implementing Partners for their professionalism, dedication and sacrifices for quickly aligning with the vision of this administration.

“As we pledge our total allegiance to the Nigeria Police Force and unwavering commitment to our dear nation, once again, I say thank you, Mr President and all the special guests.”

My Mom Was A Baddie — Davido

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Music star, David Adeleke aka Davido, has revealed that his late mom, Veronica Hailey Imade Adeleke, was a “baddie.”Baddie in Nigerian slang means an attractive female who effortlessly stands out from the rest.Sharing a picture of his late mother, Davido celebrated her memory and legacy.“My mom was a baddie,” the ‘OBO’ crooner captioned the picture.

Davido’s mum, Mrs Veronica Adeleke, died on March 6, 2003, at the age of 39.Before her demise, Veronica worked as a lecturer at Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria.She had also founded a band known as David’s Band, which released a few tracks.While Veronica did not get to see her son soar to the heights of the music industry, she remains immortalized in his songs.

The singer’s two daughters, Imade and Hailey, are named after her.

Actress Dakore denies alleged affair with Akpabio, takes legal action

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Popular Nollywood actress Dakore Egbuson-Akande has denied a report that she had an affair with the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio.A viral report by an anonymous blog on Sunday named Dakore among other female celebrities that are allegedly Akpabio’s ‘side chicks.’In a post on her official Instagram page on Monday, the actress denied the allegations, stating that she had never met Akpabio before.“I saw text messages and calls this morning, alerting me to a very wicked lie from the pit of hell. I must say that I’m very disappointed, shocked and appalled. And I want to categorically state that I have never ever met the Senate president in my life.

“I have not had any cause to be in the same room with him, not to talk of being his side chick. I’m happily married with two beautiful children. So for a jobless, wicked blogger to decide to put my name amongst women who have been with this man is totally wicked and unfounded.“It is a lie and I am ready for any legal action because, at this point, you have messed with the wrong person. I keep to myself, mind my business, I drink water and I do my work. So for someone to want to tarnish my hard-earned name and image for some clicks, no way.“I’m not going to accept it or going to be quiet about it. I want to put it out there.

Anyone who can provide video or audio evidence that I have been with this man, I would give you N5 million right now,” she wrote.Dakore went further to initiate a legal actions through Olisa Agbakoba Legal, her legal representative giving the blog 24hrs to retract its claims.

Poor Registry Management: PSC Urges Paradigm Shift In Deployment Of Personnel By MDAs

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By Ebinum Samuel

There is a demand for the deployment of personnel with proven integrity to man the Registry Units of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to safeguard its sanctity and credibility. This is as Government battles to ensure that violations of laws, rules and regulations related to Registry/Records ethics are minimised or completely eradicated.

These are some of the highpoints of the third edition of the ‘Arena of Knowledge ‘ lecture series of the Police Service Commission held today, Wednesday, July 24th, 2024 at the Commission’s DIG Parry Osayande Auditorium in Jabi, Abuja. It was presided over by Commission Chairman and initiator of the Programme, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd.According to Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission Spokesman, the Director, Department of Police Discipline, Ponfa Wuyep and the Special Adviser to the Chairman, CP Chika Maidamma rtd, presented lectures on the “Key Essential Functions of Office Registry And Attributes of Registry Personnel: Offences Related to Registry Records and Consequences of the Violations”.In his presentation, the Director Department of Police Discipline noted that there are offences peculiar to Registry personnel with daring consequences such as mutilation of records, falsification and alterations.

He recommended that while deploying staff to man the Unit, consideration should be given to the integrity, capacity and knowledge of the personnel, stressing that personnel of the Registry should guard against easy access to the Unit offices especially confidential or secret Registry “which could lead to the alterations of records by the personnel or their fronts”.Mr. Wuyep also advised that in the Nigeria Police Force where the Commission carries out oversight functions ” it is equally important that search lights should be beamed on the calibre of personnel deployed to manage such section/unit”.Speaking on the same topic, CP Chika Maidamma rtd, ex-rayed the standard conducts of Registry Personnel which he said included prompt obedience to lawful orders; strict regard to the correctness of his general behaviour; ability to resist temptation to abuse of office; transparency, integrity and fairness.He also looked at the attributes of a Registry personnel to include loyalty to the organisation, courteous but firm, confidentiality, accessibility, impartiality, tact and honesty. CP Maidamma also traced the key offences related to Registry Records and Consequences of violation of Laws, Rules and Regulations. He mentioned falsification of records, suppression of records, withholding of files, false claim against government officials, unauthorised disclosure of official information, bribery, corruption, violation of oath of secrecy among others.

The PSC Chairman commended the Staff for their commitment to the lecture series and noted that it would assist their service delivery and excellence in the Public Service. DIG Argungu said these lectures are valuable resources for career development. He pledged to see to the improvement of the working conditions of the staff.

WANTED BY EFCC, POLICE, YAHAYA BELLO HOLDS COURT IN KOGI- GROUP CLAIMS

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By Yinka Adaranijo

Security agencies in Nigeria have been accused of a care-free approach to the handling of the alleged corruption case involving the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello. Bello is wanted for stealing over N80Billion from the coffers of state government during his eight year rule. A human rights group, Network for Truth and Justice, (NTJ), based in Kogi State has berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede and Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun for their seeming nonchalance in bringing the fleeing Bello to book. Heads of security agencies, the judiciary and Kogi political leaders, especially those in the National Assembly have also been labelled in the grand conspiracy to protect Bello.

According to NTJ, Bello has only been declared wanted to deceive and hoodwink Nigerians. The group lambasted the EFCC chairman for suddenly going cold after his public resolve to grab and prosecute Bello.paying lip service to the commission’s avowed intent to bring the fugitive former governor to book. The nation’s apex anti-corruption agency claimed it had no clue about the whereabouts of Bello. It proceeded nonetheless to request the International Police, (INTERPOL) to keep a keen eye on Bello who was rumoured to be planning to escape Nigeria to North Africa. The group said evidence abounds to the effect that the EFCC has been playing to the gallery. Bello is said to have been walking freely and unhindered, and even enjoying state protection. According to NTJ, Bello, under the watchful eyes of security agencies, has been staging and chairing meetings in high places.The most recent of Bello’s involvements, was a meeting which he allegedly held with the “Kogi State Caucus in the House of Representatives.

” The meeting reportedly held in an undisclosed location. Bello at the event allegedly ordered the “Kogi State House of Representatives Caucus” to ensure that the caretaker chairmen he handpicked preceeding the outlawed local government transition committtees, be returned as elected Council Chairmen. He directed compliance in all 21 local government areas in the state. Bello, although not physically present at the forum of APC stakeholders in Lokoja on Tuesday, all the decisions arrived at had his imprimatur.He was said to have rubbished the Supreme Court judgment which granted financial autonomy to the 774 LGAs in Nigeria. Bello, who was said to have laughed at the foolery of the federal government in trying to arrest him, was quoted as boasting that nothing will change the diversion of council funds into the Joint Allocation Account, (JAAC). He vowed to ensure that the councils remain under the firm grips of the state government which he is steering by proxy. According to a source, Bello stopped short of saying President Bola Tinubu has been engaging in mere soliloquy, talking to himself on the matter of financial liberation for the subnationals. Under Bello governance, local government funds were stipends split between his pocket and those of his select cronies.Spokesperson for NTJ, Hajarat Maimunat Ahmed, an educationist turned human rights advocate, revealed parts of Bello’s contributions during the stakeholders pre-meeting.

According to her: “While Bello insisted that all former caretaker chairmen must be returned to full executive capacities, he is quoted to have mandated the party executives to ensure that all vice chairmanship candidates are women. He also decreed that 40 percent of the councillors must also be women.” Speaking further, Mallama Ahmed said: “It is inconceivable that a common criminal like Bello, a man who has been declared wanted by the now toothless EFCC, the Nigerian Police Force and placed on immigration watchlist by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has not only been walking free but is also having the audacity to confront the establishment. Bello’s sheer effrontery to challenge the orders of the Supreme Court, albeit from his closet, is unimaginable.” Further still, Ahmed said: “It is a shame that our representatives in the National Assembly are all part of this grand conspiracy, shielding Yahaya Bello from prosecution instead of reporting him to the authorities. By their actions, Kogi State parliamentarians have not only acted dishonorably but have made themselves accomplices of Yahaya Bello’s unforgivable sins committed against God and the people of Kogi State.””Usman Ododo is not in charge in Kogi State.

With the exception of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, it is a shame that our NASS representatives are collectively pandering to the antics of a common fugitive. They are in alignment with the scheme of a kleptocratic wanted man, who wants to retain Kogi State as his “automated teller machine,” (ATM). Senators Sunday Karimi and Jibrin Echocho, as well as all members Kogi State Reps Caucus in the National Assembly, will need to explain to their constituents why they have chosen to maintain sealed lips in the aftermath of Yahaya Bello’s excesses, even out of office. Most of the members of the House of Representatives have completely been bought over mainly because they think it is politically expedient to their 2027 ambitions, without considering the sensitivities of the masses. We are not unmindful of the lip service paid to Yahaya Bello being declared a wanted person by the EFCC Chairman. We have also noted the familial banters and dramas in the courtrooms in Abuja. Judges and lawyers, have deliberately deviated from the main focus which is Bello’s affront to the law of the land. Hallowed chambers of law have now become performance theatres.For a record seventh occasion, Yahaya Bello bluntly rebuffed court summons, such that defense and prosecuting lawyers have been dancing naked in the market space. The hitherto boastful EFCC Chairman suddenly has become a spectator. Nigerians, once again, have been taken for a ride by the the judiciary, the EFCC, in particular and their collaborators-in-crime in the corridors of power.

The EFCC Chairman, Olukoyede told the world he would resign if Yahaya Bello is not prosecuted. Why is he still in office today? We challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to show cause why the federal government should not be seen as part of this grand conspiracy to continue placing Yahaya Bello above the law.”‘

Bello’s Legacies to Continue in Kogi?

To further spite the nation’s apex anti-graft police, state chairman of the APC in his speech during Tuesday’s APC stakeholders meeting meeting at Lokoja, Abdullahi Bello idolized Yahaya Bello. He insisted the legacies of the man who EFCC has declared wanted for stealing over N80bn public funds would be perpetuated in Kogi State. The speaker also confirmed reports that the former governor has been up and doing and is on the driver of all engagements ahead of the council polls in the state. The party chairman broke protocols by mentioning former governor Bello before the sitting Governor Usman Ododo. He began thus: “I must begin my speech today by appreciating the Almighty God that has sustained and protected us all to witness the event of today, Alhamdulillah. My appreciation also goes to our overall leader and father, His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello, who has laid a solid foundation upon which we thrive and are making profound development are progress in our great party.”Delivering Bello’s orders to the stakeholders, the party chair declared: “At this juncture, please permit me to highlight the key factors and steps that will be observed in our preparations and conduct of the APC primary and the selection process of our candidates. Our watchword shall be “inclusiveness and gender sensitivity.” This agenda was already set out by our leader and father, His Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello. The present Governor, His Excellency, Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo will not only build upon it, but improve on the already set foundation. In this direction, I wish to announce that the 239 councillorship positions of the 21 LGAs shall be shared in the ratio of 60/40 percent between our men and women! This is to consolidate and improve on the 35 percent allotted to our women in the last local council elections. This will be in addition to their positions as Vice Chairpersons and Council Leaders! Speaking further, the Kogi APC chairman said: “In addition, the selection process will take into account past contributions of party members to the success of the party, particularly during the last Governorship election.

Those members of our party who took risks and displayed uncommon bravery and commitment will be recognized and compensated”.Meanwhile, Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that Governor Usman Ododo and the APC are plotting to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy. In a statement signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Dansofo, the PDP accused Governor Ododo of planning to install his loyalists as local government chairmen to maintain control over local government accounts. The party claimed that Ododo’s declaration that the Joint Allocation Account (JAC) is constitutional shows his ignorance of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which abolished JAC. The PDP also recalled the era of Yahaya Bello’s administration, where local government chairmen would withdraw funds and deliver them to the government house. The party alleged that Ododo, as the then Auditor General in charge of Local Government, was complicit in this practice. The PDP expressed no surprise at Ododo’s stance on Local Government autonomy, given his past record.

The party accused Ododo of having already rigged the upcoming local government election.It will be recalled that the results of the last local government elections are still being permanently witheld by KOSIEC to the extent that those coronated started and ended their three years tenure without figures on how they got to office, however fictitious.

After years of evading arrest, NDLEA nabs most wanted Lagos drug baron, Temo

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Marwa commends officers for professionalism, urges them to intensify the heat on drug cartels

By Ebinum Samuel

After many years of wearing the toga of invincibility, the overall head of the Mushin, Lagos drug cartel, 57-year-old Alhaji Sulaiman Jimoh (alias Olowoidiogede, populary known as Temo), has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at his enclave after an initial resistance from him and his horde of hoodlums.
In the last two years, the NDLEA had intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth billions of naira owned by Temo but he has remained largely evasive while a few encounters with him and his armed gangs in his Mushin enclave had resulted in gunfight.
Some of the recent seizures of his shipments include: a 14, 524.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana in two trucks and a J5 bus intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024; two truck-loads of the same substance weighing 8,852kg intercepted at Eleko beach, Lekki Lagos on 4th May 2023 and 252kg of Loud seized from his enclave in Mushin on Wednesday 26th July 2023. Indeed, in the last two encounters, his men engaged NDLEA operatives in gunfight.
The drug kingpin was very notorious for always being on the move to evade arrest but with persistence and determination of the Agency aided by modern tools and intelligence, the concerted effort to get him paid off at 10am on Monday 22nd July 2024 when NDLEA’s surveillance teams on his trail tracked and pinned him down at Igbarere street, Mushin.

A reinforcement of about 50 operatives was immediately mobilized to the area while he was attempting to escape in a Mercedes Benz SUV GLE 350 marked 01G-300G. His attempt to escape by mobilizing hoodlums to engage and distract the operatives however failed after which he was overpowered and whisked away from the chaotic scene while his men surrendered to the superior firepower of the anti-narcotic agents who also succeeded in recovering the Mercedes Benz SUV the suspect was found in.
In his reaction to the arrest of Temo, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Special Monitoring Task Force and other formations tasked with the assignment of getting Temo arrested for their resilience, vigilance, and professionalism.

He urged them to intensify the heat on all drug cartels wherever they are located. “I’m particularly delighted because the arrest was eventually effected in his enclave without any casualty despite the attack on our men. This is therefore a clear message to others still involved in this criminal trade of illicit drugs that if they don’t opt out now, we’ll get them because we’re just steps away from their doorsteps and more importantly they can only run, they can’t hide forever”, Marwa states

Police uncover fake sachet water company in Lagos

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The Lagos State Police Command has busted a fake sachet water-producing company at Oluwole Market in the Apapa area of the state.The suspects were said to be fraudulently using another company’s brand name to sell their products.The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who disclosed this in a post on his X.com handle said the perpetrators also duplicated the NAFDAC number of the company.Hundeyin noted that their activities were discovered after a tip-off by residents in the community.

He wrote, “Thank you, Lagosians, for giving us information and safeguarding the health of others.“These suspects fraudulently used the brand name and NAFDAC number of another sachet water producing company to produce their sachet water inside Oluwole Market, Apapa.”In the video attached to the post, one of the suspects caught on duty was seen conducting a team of policemen around the facility where they operated.

The suspect also showed them some of the bags of sachet water stored in the refrigerator, opening about three while the officers inspected.A heap of other bags of sachet water was also seen stored in a separate room in the facility in the video. The suspect went further to operate the machine used in producing them on the instructions of the officers present.Meanwhile, Hundeyin who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Monday about the discovery said the security operatives invaded the company on Friday, July 19.According to him, only one worker was found in the building while the owner of the facility absconded.“The facility was raided on July 9 and only was suspect was arrested in the process. The owner is now at large and efforts are ongoing to apprehend him.

The suspect is in our custody and helping with investigations.”The suspect also showed them some of the bags of sachet water stored in the refrigerator, opening about three while the officers inspected.A heap of other bags of sachet water was also seen stored in a separate room in the facility in the video. The suspect went further to operate the machine used in producing them on the instructions of the officers present.

Meanwhile, Hundeyin who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Monday about the discovery said the security operatives invaded the company on Friday, July 19.According to him, only one worker was found in the building while the owner of the facility absconded.“The facility was raided on July 9 and only was suspect was arrested in the process. The owner is now at large and efforts are ongoing to apprehend him. The suspect is in our custody and helping with investigations.”