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NPF Gender Policy: Argungu calls for gender sensitivity and balance, says equity should be the bedrock of an all-inclusive policing

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu rtd, mni has called for gender sensitivity and balance in the management of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

 

He identified equity as the bedrock of an all inclusive policing.

 

The PSC Chairman was speaking while receiving a delegation of the Gender Policy team from the Nigeria Police Force.

 

He reiterated the need for gender sensitivity and balance in the recruitment and distribution of responsibilities in the Police.

 

DIG Argungu further explained that diversity and disparity of human nature must be recognized in every aspect of human lives to ensure a successful human endeavour.

 

He commended the Nigeria Police Force for taking the bold step towards institutional transformation and assured the delegation of the Commission’s full support in aligning its recruitment, discipline and promotion procedures with the principles outlined in the policy.

The PSC Chairman also emphasized the importance of creating a police institution that reflects equity, professionalism, and respect for human rights.

 

According to the Commission’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, the leader of the NPF Gender Policy team, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Aishatu Abubakar Baju during her presentation highlighted the rationale for the revised edition of gender policy for the NPF noting that the new Policy will ensure that the NPF as an institution and Police Officers, can better appreciate the heterogenous nature, particularly the broad range of needs and interests of their target population.

 

The Police Force has the mandate to protect all interests and groups, including women and other vulnerable groups and not just those of the most visible and privileged groups in society”.

 

She further stated that the overall goal of the policy is to promote and protect human rights, social justice, and equity; eliminate all forms of gender-based discriminatory laws, regulations and practices within the NPF, and ensure that the police Force as a major security organ of government is able to effectively deal with gender- based violence and sexual abuse with the larger Nigerian society and also within the Force.

 

The AIG also stressed that child-bearing should be regarded as national Service because in the process of procreating and it’s concomitant struggles women tend to be negatively impacted in their career progression.

 

Justice Paul Adamu Galumje JSC (Rtd) , the Honourable Commissioner representing the Judiciary in the Commission in his brief remarks at the ceremony noted that justice is not served ‘a la carte’. He maintained that gender issue should be guided by principle of natural justice and equality.

 

Justice Galumje also stressed that women have a lot to do and that the society should stop discriminating against themselves. He said “there are no laws in the country that discriminate against women”.

 

DIG Taiwo Lakanu rtd, fdc, Commissioner representing the Police in the Commission, applauded the AIG for a job well done. He said she has started well and promised that the Commission will not deter in giving all the necessary support to the Police efforts on gender policy.

Lionel Messi and Wife Antonela Capture Hearts on Kiss Cam at Coldplay Concert in Miami

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Football icon Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo made a brief but memorable appearance on the stadium’s Kiss Cam during Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour stop in Miami on Sunday, July 27.

 

The couple, seated in a reserved VIP section, appeared on the big screen to cheers and excitement from the crowd. As the camera focused on them, Messi smiled warmly and waved in response, prompting fans across the venue to break into a passionate chant of “Messi! Messi! Messi!”

 

While the couple didn’t share a kiss or react dramatically to the spotlight, the understated moment quickly captured fans’ attention online. The clip went viral, with many admiring the quiet charm of the football star and his long-time partner amid the energy of the concert.

 

 

The sighting added a touch of celebrity excitement to an already electric evening, blending global music and sports fandom in one unforgettable moment.

Ekiti Petrol Dealers Hail Dangote’s Initiative To Reduce Fuel Prices

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The Ekiti state chapter of the Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria (PEDAN) has lauded the founder and CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, for his efforts to reduce the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) through its refinery.

 

The association’s chairman, Olobele Michael Olu, praised the initiative, stating that it would bring relief to the petroleum marketers and Nigerians at large.

 

Speaking after his swearing-in as the new chairman of PEDAN in Ekiti state, Olobele described the Dangote Refinery’s intervention in the energy sector as a welcome development.

 

He noted that the reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit would empower petroleum marketers to access capital and operate their businesses efficiently, without fear of incurring losses.

 

According to Olobele, a price reduction to around ₦600 per litre would be ideal for marketers, enabling them to better manage their costs and improve their competitiveness in the market.

 

He lamented that the association still faces significant challenges in accessing capital, citing high bank interest rates ranging from 28% to 33%.

 

He appealed to petroleum marketers in the state to remain patient, assuring them that the association is committed to advocating for their welfare and ensuring they benefit from positive changes in the downstream sector.

 

The PEDAN chairman also highlighted the association’s recent achievements, including securing a rented office space, receiving furniture and office equipment, purchasing a vehicle, and acquiring landed property.

 

Olobele pledged to redouble his efforts towards building a permanent structure for the association and fostering peace among critical stakeholders to record further successes.

 

Other newly inaugurated executives include Akiola Stella Akinola (Vice Chairman), Nwache Kingsley (General Secretary), Micheal Adeniyi (Assistant Secretary) and Omodara Ayokunle (Public Relations Officer).

Billions for UNN, But Why Are Hostels and Rankings in Decline? Jacksonites 89’ Demand Answers, Proffer Solutions 

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As the 1989 graduates of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)—proudly known as Jacksonites—we are compelled to speak out on the growing disconnect between the massive public funding allocated to our alma mater and the worsening state of student hostels, dilapidating infrastructure, declining candidate preference, and UNN’s slipping position in national university rankings.

If the sordid pictures and sorry videos of student hostels of the great University of Nigeria, Nsukka, littering the social media are anything to go by, national mourners and sympathizers now need to turn their wailing attention to the fall of what was once an academic citadel that had birthed some of the most illustrious sons and daughters of Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Africa and the world.

In one of such videos, the state of one room in Eni Njoku hostel says it all—broken cupboards, peeling walls, dilapidated windows, dangling electric cables, jagged beds—this school is crying for urgent rehabilitation. Zik’s Flats is a national disgrace. This facility is more than a prized student accommodation; it is an iconic legacy bequeathed to Nigeria by the founder of the university and Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. Today, the 20 blocks of flats are in total ruins and uninhabitable.

UNN’s infrastructural deficits extend beyond poor accommodation. Heart rending images of students with plastic buckets (village style) scavenging for water, epileptic power supply, and terrible roads are regular features of the social.

But how could this be? Our Great University, Nigeria’s first indigenous university and the pride of the Black Race, has become unrecognizable.

We lived in those spaces and have inspiring recollections. During our time, UNN had some of the best student accommodation among Nigerian universities. How are the mighty fallen?

It is important to note that there is a direct correlation between a student’s residential experience and overall academic performance and self-development. A conducive university accommodation significantly impacts a student’s overall development. It promotes holistic university experiences, fosters cross-cultural interactions, and fosters global citizenship. Housing students from different sociocultural and economic backgrounds in quality campus hostels encourages active participation in clubs, events, and leadership opportunities. However, what we see in the social media postings are appalling slums unfit for students in the 21st century; it raises the pertinent question of what manner of citizens and leaders will emerge from these rat holes.

 

Funding vs. Reality: The Stark Contrast

In the 2025 federal budget, UNN received N44.38 billion, the highest allocation among Nigerian universities (see table below). That is roughly N3.6 billion each month. So, where is the money going? Since there have been no reports or sightings of pythons in the treasury department, it is

fair to say the allocated funds are not rotting in the belly of a money-eating reptilian.

N44 billion, by no means a jaw-dropping sum, should still have translated into significant improvements in infrastructure, research, and student welfare. Yet, reports from students and social media show hostels plagued by leaking roofs, overcrowded rooms, and poor sanitation—conditions that undermine both learning and dignity.

But it is not only in poor infrastructure that UNN is losing ground. A 2024 national ranking and candidates’ preference of universities showed that UNN has fallen outside the top five among federal universities.

Whereas (from the table above) the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos, which received significantly less funding, are ranked first and second, and the University of Nigeria has slipped to sixth position in the national ranking.

The decline in first-choice applications to UNN in recent JAMB admissions is a direct reflection of these infrastructural failings and the university’s eroding reputation (see table below). Students and parents are increasingly opting for universities with better facilities and transparent management, such as the University of Lagos and Covenant University.

The Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) have repeatedly emphasized the need for accountability and quality assurance in university management. The NUC’s “Quality Assurance Policy” mandates regular audits, transparent reporting, and performance-based funding to ensure that resources are used efficiently and that universities deliver on their core mandates. The Ministry’s 2024 policy statement reaffirmed that “public funds must translate into tangible improvements in infrastructure, research, and student experience.” However, the situation at UNN suggests a disturbing gap between policy and practice.

 

Our Legacy and Our Concern

As alumni, we owe our great institution a responsibility. The Jackson School of Journalism (Department of Mass Communication) has produced generations of journalists, communicators, and public intellectuals who have shaped Nigeria’s media landscape. We recall our days at Nsukka with pride, but also with the conviction that the university must live up to its historic role as a beacon of excellence. As Jacksonites, we have a duty to demand better. Our department’s alumni association has a tradition of celebrating excellence and supporting the university. But alumni contributions cannot substitute for responsible stewardship of public funds. Today, however, we see troubling signs that UNN is falling short of its mandate, despite unprecedented financial support from the federal government.

 

A Call for Urgent Action

The disconnect between UNN’s funding and its outcomes is not just a matter of statistics—it is about the future of Nigerian education and the lives of thousands of students. We, the Mass Communication Class of 1989, call on the university administration, the Federal Ministry of Education, the NUC, and all stakeholders to act decisively. Let us restore UNN to its rightful place as a leader in Nigerian and African higher education.

To rebuild the dilapidated student hostels and restore the humanity of the students living there, we propose that the National Alumni Association step up without trepidation and commission an independent assessment of student residential facilities and associated structures with the objective to unbundle them. Part of the recommendations must leverage UNN’s huge alumni network to establish companies outside the direct control of the university administration to take over the management of the hostels. There should be a realistic business plan to return UNN’s hostels to a living-learning hub that is ready and able to host future global citizens and leaders. Public-private partnership models for investing in and managing UNN hostels already exist and should now be given immediate primacy.

Clearly, funding is not, fundamentally, the root cause of the decay and underwhelming performance in the premium indicators of Nigeria’s first indigenous university.

As the legend of African literature and University of Nigeria’s icon, Chinua Achebe, succinctly put it, it is a question of leadership. We demand that the Governing Council and other authorities go beyond primordial and horizontal considerations and recruit only the best to govern our university.

We also demand that the university authorities come forth and give an account of their stewardship. The cry of students, parents, alumni, and other stakeholders has reached high heavens, and so, we request answers for accountability and responsive governance. We request that our Great University return back to the good old glory days of excellence.

 

Signed,

 

Mass Communication Class of 1989 (Jacksonites ’89)

University of Nigeria, Nsukka

 

OKUNLAND AND PROSPECTS OF “AWALOKAN” IN 2027 KOGI GUBER POLITICS

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By Tunde Olusunle

 

A titleless piece authored by a certain “Comrade Adabara Abduljelili El-Okene,” made the rounds on the social media last weekend. Shared on many platforms peopled largely by the Okun-Yoruba of Kogi State, the kernel of the piece was the insinuation of a *growing pattern of marginalisation of the Ebira people of Kogi State, by Nigerian Presidents from the Yoruba country.* Two of such Presidents, Abduljelili Okene observes in his missive, are Olusegun Obasanjo who served between 1999 and 2007, and Bola Tinubu, the incumbent who has been in office since 2023. El-Okene is an unknown quantity in national public intellection. The sole plausible claim of his script to authenticity, which should command a rejoinder, is a telephone number affixed to his payoff line at the bottom of the document. Aside from being an eternal student of Nigeria’s sociopolitics, I am myself from Kogi State.

 

Just so Abduljelili El-Okene knows a bit about me, I served three Governors of the state, the departed pioneer democratically elected Abubakar Audu, and his military successors, Colonels Paul Omeruo and Bzigu Afakirya, of blessed memory, between 1992 and 1997. For the avoidance of doubt, I was Director of Information and Public Affairs to Audu, and Chief Press Secretary to Omeruo and Afakirya. Substantially, I am a repertory of invaluable knowledge about sociopolitical fluxes in Kogi State through its evolution. In addition to this, I was a very close personal staff to Obasanjo all through the eight year duration of his regime. Having worked as his media attache during his pre-election campaign which began in the last quarter of 1998, I was subsequently appointed by him and deployed to the ante-room of his office, overlooking his oakwood desk and swivel chair in his armor-glazed office. I encountered and engaged with tons and tons of paperwork. Not many people are better qualified than I am, to perspectivise the issues raised by Abduljelili El-Okene.

 

Let me begin by educating Adabara El-Okene, that Obasanjo indeed took a well-informed decision to pragmatically mitigate the scripted exclusion and marginalisation of Okunland from state politics, during his regime. All through Obasanjo’s eight years in Aso Villa, the predominantly Igala-speaking Kogi Eastern zone, produced Abubakar Audu and Ibrahim Idris, who succeeded Audu as Governor, in 2003. All through these eight years, the *Ebiras produced the Deputy Governors in the recently transited Patrick Adaba, mni, and Philip Salawu. Salawu remained in office for eight years with Idris, both exiting office in January 2012.* A sensitive Obasanjo availed Okunland some reprieve from domestic political asphyxiation by ensuring that all four Ministers he appointed in his administration, were from that part of Kogi State. As against Adebara’s jumbled ordering of the list, General David Jemibewon, CFR, (Police Affairs); Chief Kola Jamodu, CON; (Commerce and Industry); Professor Eyitayo Lambo, (Health), and Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, CON, served the Obasanjo era in that sequence. I should add that Prince Olusola Akanmode, who was tapped by Obasanjo’s deputy, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, GCON, as his Chief of Staff, had but his solid, sterling credentials to qualify him for the job

 

Despite the fact that El-Okene’s Ebira kinsfolk locked down the position of Deputy Governor of Kogi State all through his years in office, *Obasanjo appointed other respected Ebira technocrats into key positions in his government. Former banker, Alhaji Usman Bello who vied for, but lost in his bid to be Governor of Kogi State in 1999, was promptly compensated by Obasanjo who appointed him Nigeria’s Ambassador to Sudan, a position he held for four years. Engineer Joseph Makoju, CON, and Dr Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, both sadly of blessed memory, were Special Adviser on Power, and Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, respectively. Following the privatisation of the Daily Times in 2003, Onukaba was taken up by Obasanjo’s deputy, Vice President Atiku Abubakar, GCON, as Media Adviser during Obasanjo’s second term in office. Within Obasanjo’s time in office, one of his closest aides, the late Wisdom Baiye, from Ebiraland, a career diplomat and Ambassador, was Deputy Chief of Protocol and Presidential Interpreter. You don’t get closer to a President than that.*

 

Abduljelili El-Okene remembers that Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, CFR, was Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, (AGF), under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, between 2010 and 2015. He is, however, silent on the fact that *Austin Oniwon, who is also Ebira, was Group Managing Director, (GMD), of the coveted Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), also under Jonathan. Within the Nigerian governance scheme, being GMD of the NNPC is better preferred than being Minister in several ministries. Yusuf Abubakar, a retired Army General also from the Ebira nationality, was Ambassador of Nigeria to South Korea, within the duration of the subsisting Fourth Republic.*

 

To refresh Abduljelili El-Okene’s mind, if political capital is to be measured by totalitarian capture of state power, his people have made a good job of their eventful occupation of *Lugard House, Lokoja,* seat of administration of Kogi State within the past 10 years. Yahaya Bello’s fortuitous advent as Governor of Kogi State in January 2016, has consolidated Ebira dominance of the levers of the politics of the state. Abubakar Audu who was coasting home as flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in the November 2015 gubernatorial poll during which he contested against the erstwhile incumbent, Captain Idris Wada, of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), died mysteriously before the conclusion of the election. Bello who emerged second in the primary which was to produce Audu as Governor, became the “beneficiary” of the electoral votes already garnered by Audu, in an unprecedented, most astounding, even uncanny turn of events.

 

Bello’s eight year rule dug deep gashes on the minds of the generality of Kogi indigenes, which continue to ache even till this day. He pampered his people with projects and political patronage. His style was famously totalitarian and absolutist. He privileged himself a “third term” by singlehandedly recruiting and anointing his biological cousin as they say, Ahmed Ododo, as successor. Bello, for the information of Abduljelili El-Okene, has assumed the role of self-styled godfather of Ebira politics. In Ododo’s teething weeks as Governor, he affirmed to his kinsmen, Bello is the supremo who could overrule him as Governor on any subject related to Ebira sociopolitics!

 

Bello announced while hosting political leaders from Okunland during a recent yuletide visit to him, that “discussions about power shift to that part of the state, can only be negotiated when his protege, Ododo, must have completed his second term in 2031!” This is on record. El-Okene will do well to surf the internet to find the relevant video clip. Bello is standing trial on allegations of corrupt misappropriation of over N100Billion, during his eight year quasi-fascism. His recent request to seek medical attention abroad mid-trial, was flatly rejected by the court hearing his matter, which admonished him to seek treatment in the “world class hospital” he reportedly built in Okene, the political and cultural headquarters of Kogi Central district. Bello recently unleashed a N1.2Billion, ($30million) customised *Escalade-based armored Rezvani Vengeance SUV,* reputed to be one of the “world’s toughest three-row SUVs.” He has also taken a fourth wife, consolidating his place as contemporary god of Kogi politics.

 

Abduljelili El-Okene’s disappointment with Tinubu for not consulting with the “incumbent Governor of Kogi State or Ebira stakeholders” before making appointments close to the heart of his people, is palpable, albeit laughable. That Tinubu has elected to compensate the family of late Governor Audu a major figure in Nigeria’s Third and Fourth Republic politics by appointing his son Shaibu, (Igalaland) Minister for Steel, is distressing to El-Okene. That Tinubu has also looked the way of Okunland in his choice of Professor Nasir Naeem Abdulsalam as Managing Director of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, is equally vexatious to El-Okene. It must be stated very unambiguously that it is presumptuous of him or any other person for that matter, to think the President owes them any obligations whatsoever in make his preferences and decisions. The buck stops on his desk. The database of qualified Nigerians across disciplines available to the President is humongous. His obligation to Nigerians is to make the best decisions in the interest of the generality of his constituents, irrespective of ethnicity or religion. Come to think of it, Tinubu could well have appointed an indigene of his home state, Lagos as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA), for the period of his sojourn in State House, Abuja!

 

El-Okene’s people occupy four of the five local councils in Kogi Central. They have historically and eternally locked out the smaller Ogori and Magongo ethnicities in their district from aspiring to be Senator or House of Representatives member. He has equally obliged us a sneak preview of the plan by Kogi Central to hold on to power beyond 2027, re-echoing Yahaya Bello’s earlier declaration of “No Vacancy in Lugard House, till 2027.” It has been proffered that the recent upsurge in kidnapping, banditry and the orchestrated insecurity in Okunland, is rooted in the importation of Fulani elements from the core North by Bello in his time, and their dispersal across the acreage, ahead of a time like this. The agenda is to distractively engage the Okun in repelling the marauding onslaught against its territory, as the race for 2027 gathers momentum. This is to weaken the capacity of the Okun people and their comrades in Kogi West to focusedly pursue its turn at the political helm of Kogi State. Okun people and their kith across Kogi West have previously punctured the fallacy about being the smallest voting block in the senatorial tripod in the state. This is evidenced by results from recent elections, beginning from 2015.

 

Abduljelili El-Okene’s simulated wolf-cry in the name of his brethren stems from apprehensions about the bright and plausible prospects for the emergence of an Okun-Yoruba Governor of Kogi State under the superintendence of President Tinubu. A people who have gifted Nigeria the quality of people El-Okene earlier recalled to have served Nigeria as Ministers, with legions in the wings, cannot be disregarded forever. El-Okene and his sponsors have indeed chosen the path of selective amnesia in their present campaign. They have conveniently discounted the fact that the first Governor of the Old Kwara State during the Second Republic, Alhaji Adamu Atta, who ruled for four years between 1979 and 1983, was Ebira. Bello added an eight year stretch to the Adamu Atta milieu, while Ododo’s first four years will extend this vice grip to 16 years. All of these have been at the total exclusion of Kogi West and Okunland. This is the manner in which the third component of the Kogi State sociopolitical tripod, is serially disrespectfully undermined.

 

Make no mistakes. The people of Okunland are neither a colony of *Lookmans* or consigned to forever *siddon look,* in the politics and development of their state. Until there is a national geopolitical restructuring which takes them out of the present Kogi State, the Okun people will very rightly and robustly stake a claim for the executive leadership of our *confluence state.* Across Nigeria, several states have sustainably perfected the rotation of the governorship among various senatorial districts, ensuring political inclusion. Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Edo, Delta, Enugu, Lagos, are just a few examples of states which have jettisoned “winner takes all politics” and committed to giving every section of the various states, a bite of the pie. Okun people will stake a robust and determined claim to Lugard House, Lokoja, in 2027. *Awalokan,* it is our turn, to adapt Tinubu’s 2023 *Emilokan* assertion, to the effect that it was undeniably his turn to call the shots from Aso Villa, Abuja.

 

 

 

*Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja*

Ekiti Police Chief Orders discrete investigation Into House Breaking By Security Operatives

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

..Pledges justice, calls for calm.

The Ekiti Police Command, through a press statement signed by the spokesman, SP Abutu Sunday, said its not unaware of the video circulating on the social media where some armed security personnel were seen breaking into an apartment somewhere still unknown in Ado-Ekiti.

It was alleged in the post that Operation Flush Unit, which is a Joint Task Force of some security agencies, was responsible for the act.

 

“The Ekiti State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that the Police is not part of the Operation Flush Unit as being alleged by a section of the public. The Police does not operate any unit called Operation Flush.”

 

Abutu disclosed that while the Command frowns at the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident with the view to unraveling the facts and ensuring justice, while imploring anyone with additional and useful information, particularly the victim(s), to come forward to assist the Police in the investigation process.

 

He said the Command will continue to support the rule of law, respect the rights of citizens and ensure the maximum security for the lives and property of the good people of Ekiti State.

NGO Appeals to President Tinubu for Financial Rescue of Retired Police Officer Injured on Duty

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By Ebinum Samuel

A Lagos-based human rights organisation, Africans for Human Rights International (AfriRights), has made a heartfelt appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seeking urgent financial intervention for a severely ill and bedridden retired police officer, Adetarami Adegbehin, who reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries in a 2017 accident while on official duty.

According to a letter addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Adegbehin, a former Superintendent of Police (AP/No. 54161), has been battling with the aftermath of a ghastly motor accident that occurred en route Abuja while serving as the Uyo Sector Commander of the Inspector General of Police Special Taskforce on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering (IGPSTF). The incident, which took place along the Kabba road in Kogi State on March 24, 2017, has left him incapacitated and heavily indebted after years of unsuccessful medical treatments.

AfriRights, led by Comrade Dr. Afolabi Gbajumo, disclosed that despite multiple medical treatments at several hospitals, including Primus Specialist Hospital in Abuja, the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Igbobi, Reddington Hospital, Duchess International Hospital, LASUTH, and currently B.P. Frank Trado-Medical Orthopedic Clinic in Ikorodu, the Nigeria Police Force has failed to reimburse the officer for the accumulated bills incurred during and after his service. As at July 2025, the cumulative medical expenses stand at ₦25,579,655.

The organisation lamented the officer’s condition, stating that despite his loyal 35 years of service and notable achievements, including infrastructure development and community policing across various states, he has been abandoned by the authorities he served. AfriRights recalled several milestones achieved by Adegbehin during his active years, including the construction and renovation of police buildings in Ikeja, Ibadan, Sagamu, Badagry, and Ogba, largely mobilised through his goodwill, and community engagement efforts. Even while recovering from the accident, he continued contributing significantly to police development in Ogun and Lagos States.

The letter highlights numerous awards received by the retired officer in recognition of his selfless service. These include commendations from the United States Consulate, the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), and several royal institutions across Nigeria. Despite such accolades and his dedication to national service, he remains neglected and in dire need of humanitarian support.

AfriRights has therefore pleaded with President Tinubu to act swiftly in settling the outstanding medical bills and offer further financial support to aid Adegbehin’s full recovery. The organisation argues that rescuing a man of such outstanding service and dedication would serve not only as justice but as motivation for other patriotic officers serving the country under harsh conditions.

At 59, Adegbehin, though still mentally alert and willing to contribute, remains confined to a bed in Ikorodu. The NGO emphasises that saving him from this prolonged suffering will show that Nigeria values its heroes, especially those who have risked their lives to protect others.

As of now, no official response has been made by the Presidency, the Police Force, or the Police Service Commission regarding the officer’s case. AfriRights continues to hope for urgent attention to this matter before the situation worsens.

Chinese bizman, 80-yr-old grandma arrested as NDLEA seizes Colos in moimoi sachets

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By Ebinum Samuel

Intercepts Loud consignments in processed food cans from Canada; others in Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi raids

 

A Chinese businessman Liang Tak You and an 80-year-old grandma Mrs. Grace Ekpeme top the list of arrests made by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in nationwide interdiction operations leading to the seizure of consignments of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis hidden in moimoi sachets and Canadian Loud, another strong strain of cannabis concealed in canned food items imported from Canada.

Liang was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos on Friday 25th July 2025 based on actionable intelligence. The suspect, who arrived Nigeria from Bangkok via Dubai, UAE, on Emirates Airline flight, is a Chinese national, naturalised and based in Malaysia, but flew to Thailand where he picked two suitcases filled with 50 parcels of Loud weighing 26.10kg before heading to Nigeria via UAE.

Upon his arrival at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives who were tracking his movement from his port of departure allowed him to pass through necessary protocols before picking him up on his way out of the airport. The octogenarian grandma Mrs. Grace Ekpeme was arrested at Edet-Nsa street, Base Site, Calabar South, Cross River state with over 3kg skunk in the early hours of Saturday 26th July following intelligence on her drug dealing activities.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 23rd July intercepted a suspect Chidi Agbafo along Epe – Ajah expressway while taking consignments of 21.7kg Colorado, some of which were packaged in moimoi cooking sachets and 3.8litres of codeine based syrub in a commercial bus to deliver in Warri and Oghara, Delta state.

At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, a total of 101kg Canadian Loud factory packed in 202 tins of imported food item labelled ‘Bean Salad Mix’ and concealed in two Toyota Sienna buses in a container that came from Canada, were recovered. The discovery was made during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies on Friday 25th July.

No fewer than 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from Usman Musa by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja- Kaduna highway on Wednesday 23rd July when the suspect was travelling with the consignment of opioids in a commercial bus going to Kano.

In Borno, a 30-year-old lady Binta Usman was on Wednesday 23rd July arrested by NDLEA officers who recovered 30.1kg skunk from her house at Muna Moforo area of Maiduguri.

A follow up operation later led to the arrest of her accomplice Bala Abdullahi in the same area of the Borno state capital on Friday 25th July.

Three brothers: Nanna Ozirinye, Chizom Ozirinye and Maxwell Ozirinye were on Saturday 26th July arrested when NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis plantation at bending corner forest, Idoani, Ose local council area of Ondo State where they destroyed 2,500 kilograms of skunk on an hectare of land and recovered already processed 121.4kg of same psychoactive substance.

In Edo state, NDLEA officers on Wednesday 23rd July raided the Asakpa community in Benin city, where they arrested a 26-year-old lady Bright Sunday Okon and recovered various quantities of Colorado, Loud, Arizona and skunk, all strains of cannabis as well as Methamphetamine from her.

While a total of 105.4kg skunk was recovered by NDLEA operatives from an abandoned Honda car marked ABC 204 KM in Keffi, Nasarawa state, their counterparts in Niger state on Monday 21st July arrested a suspect Bashir Abdullahi with 6,400 pills of tramadol 225mg at Kasuwan Gwari area of Minna, even as a notorious drug dealer Jamiu Omolaja was taken into custody and 113kg skunk retrieved from his enclave in Ifo, Ogun state on Thursday 24th July after a violent resistance and attack on NDLEA operatives by members of his gang.

A total of 10,910 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect Adamu Adamu (a.k.a Dankyado) by NDLEA officers on patrol along Gombe-Bajoga road, Gombe state on Saturday 26th July, while operatives in Kogi state on Thursday 24th July intercepted a consignment of skunk concealed inside garri, dried scent leaves, and other food items along Okene-Lokoja highway. A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of 27-year-old Kindness Bala who was planning to travel to Katsina state with the cargo and later to Qatar. Similarly, operatives in Kogi on Saturday 26th July recovered 23,600 pills of tramadol, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 700 grams of skunk from a truck at a motor park in Ayingba area of the state.

The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Komu/Babaode High School, Babaode, Itesiwaju LGA, Oyo state; Beacon Christian Academy, Ngodo, Afikpo LGA, Ebonyi; Government Day Secondary School, Araba, Illela, Sokoto; and Government Junior College, Agege, Lagos; while the Anambra state command of NDLEA paid WADA advocacy visit to the traditional rulers of Awka community, Obi Gibson Nwosu, Ezeuzu 11 and Ukpo community, Igwe Robert Eze, Okofia VI, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna and Kogi Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) 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.

ICPC, Gender Mobile Push for Full Implementation of Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

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Abuja — The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in collaboration with Gender Mobile Initiative and the FCT Education Secretariat, has renewed its call for full implementation of the Model Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy across Nigerian tertiary institutions.

 

At a high-level stakeholders’ engagement held Thursday at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, the Commission emphasized that institutions must move beyond mere documentation and translate the policy into full institutional adoption and cultural change.

 

Speaking through the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu, DSSRS, the Honourable Chairman of ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, described sexual harassment as not just an ethical violation but “a form of abuse of office and a crime.” He highlighted the Commission’s longstanding partnerships with Gender Mobile Initiative and the Ford Foundation, which jointly led to the development of the benchmark policy aimed at equipping institutions with preventive and disciplinary tools.

 

Dr. Aliyu further acknowledged the role of technology and community engagement in this fight, citing the Campus Safety Initiative (CSI) and the CampusPal App as critical tools in creating safer learning environments Gender Mobile, presented a comprehensive breakdown of the Campus Safety Initiative Framework. Her session spotlighted the preventive education strategy, bystander interventions, and the broader advocacy campaign aimed at institutional accountability.

 

Hon. Akintunde Rotimi, Spokesperson of the Federal House of Representatives, represented by Mr. Temidayo Taiwo Sadiq, delivered the keynote address, while goodwill messages were presented by the SSA to the President on Student Engagement, the National Female Students Association of Nigeria (NFSAN), the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE).

 

The event concluded with the presentation of a communiqué and closing remarks reaffirming the commitment of all stakeholders to sustain advocacy, institutional support, and nationwide adoption of the policy.

 

Newspot Nigeria will continue to monitor the implementation of this critical policy to ensure that Nigerian educational institutions uphold a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Why North is still backward – Col. Gwadabe

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Retired military officer and elder statesman, Colonel Lawan Gwadabe, has attributed the North’s underdevelopment to poor leadership across generations.

 

At a press briefing held Thursday to commemorate 30 years since the passing of General Hassan Usman Katsina, Gwadabe lamented what he described as a deep deviation from the leadership values once upheld by the late General.

 

“The poverty afflicting Northern Nigeria is not an accident like slave trade or apartheid,” Gwadabe declared. “It is man-made and can be reversed by the collective actions of leaders at the helm of affairs today.”

 

The event, hosted by the New Vision Development Initiative (NEVDI), served not only to honour the legacy of General Katsina but also to draw attention to what Gwadabe called a “leadership vacuum” in the region.

 

He urged Northern leaders—both political and traditional—to rekindle the selflessness and urgency that defined Katsina’s leadership style.

 

“Gen. Hassan was a leader who talked, and the entire North respectfully listened. He never hesitated to visit public officials and leaders to convey strongly his viewpoints,” Gwadabe said.

 

He praised Katsina’s legacy of compassion, courage, and service to the public, qualities he said are lacking in many of today’s leaders.

From morning to evening, General Hassan was tirelessly working for the common man. A problem at his doorstep was actually a problem solved,” he said.

 

Gwadabe also voiced concern over the current state of education and youth development in the North. He particularly highlighted the enduring presence of the Almajiri system, which General Katsina campaigned against even after retirement.

 

“General Hassan always advocated education for all because that is the key for liberation and the emancipation of the mind,” he said.

 

He emphasized the need for accountable and responsive governance, warning that the region risks deeper decline without both effective leadership and responsible citizen participation.

“Leadership is a responsibility, not a throne. The North today is practically under dire straits. All Northerners must reflect on what went wrong,” Gwadabe warned.