The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested nine individuals suspected of engaging in internet fraud in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the arrests were made at two locations — Sunnyville Estate in Lokogoma and Open Heaven Estate, in Dawaki.
During the operation, law enforcement officers seized several items, including four luxury cars, laptop computers, iPads, and mobile phones, which are believed to have been used in fraudulent activities.Related News
“EFCC, have arrested nine suspected internet fraudsters in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“They were arrested on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Sunnyville Estate in Lokogoma and Open Heaven Estate in Dawaki areas of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
“Items recovered from them include four high-end cars, laptop computers, iPads, and phones. They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the statement said.
The Police Service Commission has approved the appointment of six Deputy Inspectors General of Police and the promotion of the Commissioner of Police Enugu State Command, Uzuegbu Kanayo to the next rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.The new Deputy Inspectors General of Police are Sadiq Idiris Abubakar, Commandant Police Academy , Wudil, Kano. He was former Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory; CP Peace keeping Operations and Coordinator, Police Special Forces; Benjamin Nebolisa Okolo, former AIG, Zone 16, Yenagoa and presently AIG Department of Information Communication Technology, Force Headquarters Abuja and Williams Adebowale, Commandant, Police Staff College Jos.Others are Bzigu Yakubu Kwazi Bali, AIG FCID, Annex Enugu; Idegwu Basil Ukuoma, AIG Zone 14, Katsina and Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, AIG Zone 16 Yenagoa and former Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command.
He was also a former CP Border Patrol, Force Headquarters, CP Crime Prevention and Community safety; Deputy Force Secretary and currently AIG in charge of NPF Counter Terrorism Unit, CTU, Force Headquarters Abuja.CP Kanayo Uzuegbu Commissioner of Police Enugu State Command promoted to the next rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police was a former Assistant Commissioner Operations Zone 9, Umuahia; Area Commander, Owerri; Area Commander Karu, Nasarawa state; Commander Switch Operation Switch, Portharcourt; Deputy Commissioner Finance and Admin Edo State Command, DCP, state CID, Osun State and Commissioner of Police Operations, Communication, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The Commission also approved the appointment of Commissioners of Police for Oyo and Enugu State Commands. CP Adenola Johnson, Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police was appointed CP Oyo State. He was also a former Deputy Commissioner of Police Delta State Command. CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa was appointed CP, Enugu State to take over from newly promoted AIG Kanayo Uzuegbu. CP Giwa was former DCP Operations Kaduna and Imo State Commands; ACP Police Mobile Force, Force Headquarters Abuja; and CSP A, Commissioner of Police Mobile Force, Force Headquarters among other postings in the Police Mobile Force.According to Ikechukwu Ani, the Head, Press And Public Relations, the Commission also approved the promotion of eight Chief Superintendents of Police to the next rank of Assistant Commissioners of Police. They are Abdullahi Kamba Usman; Sani Abdu; Ifeanyi Owo; Vincent Orole; Elisha Atikinkpan and Margaret Okonkwo. Others are Alhasan Aliyu Guga and Imo Owinizi Ezekiel.
The newly promoted senior Police Officers were subjected to Written examinations and interactive oral interview. The Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu rtd mni, presided over the sessions with Justice Paul Adamu Galumje, Justice of the Supreme Court rtd and Honourable Commissioner representing the Judiciary in the Commission; DIG Taiwo Lakanu rtd fdc, Honourable Commissioner representing the Police and Chief Onyemuchi Nnamani, Secretary to the Commission in attendance. DIG Argungu charged the new DIGs to give the Inspector-General of Police the required support and cooperation to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force would be in a good position to secure the Nigerian space and ensure that law and order are maintained.
Nigeria has been gripped by a series of revelations and events in recent times, that have brought her political history and leadership under intense scrutiny. One such phenomenon making headlines is the publication and launching of an autobiography that seeks to exonerate Nigeria’s former head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida Badamasi, from the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election—a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey. This autobiography, coupled with the chilling revelations surrounding the late General Sanni Abacha, has reignited debates about accountability, betrayal, and the moral bankruptcy of Nigeria’s political elite.
The June 12 election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, was won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, a businessman and philanthropist. However, the election was annulled by the Babangida regime, plunging the nation into political turmoil. For decades, the question of who was truly responsible for this annulment has lingered. In a twist of fate, General Babangida’s autobiography attempts to shift the blame onto his late colleague and ally, General Sanni Abacha, who succeeded him as head of state. According to Babangida, it was Abacha who orchestrated the cancellation of the election. This revelation has sparked outrage and disbelief, as many Nigerians view it as an attempt to rewrite history and absolve oneself of guilt.
The irony is palpable. General Abacha, who passed away in 1998, is no longer here to defend himself. Babangida’s attempt to “wash his hands” of any wrongdoing and cast the blame on a dead man has been met with skepticism and condemnation. It raises the question: can the dead truly bear the sins of the living? As Nigerians grapple with this revelation, one cannot help but wonder what the angels must be thinking as they witness this final duel between the victim, Abiola, and the alleged perpetrator, Abacha. The annulment of June 12 remains a dark chapter in Nigeria’s history, and the quest for justice and closure continues.
It is important to beam the light on the speech of General Mamman Vasta, a celebrated poet, astute writer, and close confidant of General Babangida. His speech is adding another layer of complexity to the current narrative. Vasta, who was executed during the Babangida regime, delivered a chilling final speech that continues to haunt the collective consciousness of Nigerians. His words were not just a plea for mercy but a profound reflection on the nature of power, betrayal, and the human condition.
In his speech, Vasta said: “However, I shall remain my witness before your judgment, and the testimony before its justice. Before you pass your sentence on me, I’ll request you to see all sides of everything before you decide. And while you do, I will like you to keep the lessons in view still yet. I believe the sentence shall not be my final hour. I have God’s promise on that. May I appeal to you to also take note that I am a married man with a family. I have other dependents that I have the obligation of looking after. I will hate to think that by the time you finish with me, my children shall be so scared of the system that they shall never come near it, for a lean liberty is better than fat slavery.”
These words, dripping with both defiance and vulnerability, offer a glimpse into the mindset of a man facing his mortality. Was it bravery that fueled his speech, or was it fear? Perhaps it was a combination of both—a marriage of convenience between courage and despair. His plea for his family and his warning about the systemic rot in Nigeria’s political landscape remain eerily relevant today. His execution underscores the treacherous nature of political power in Nigeria. A reminder that in the quest for power, loyalty is often sacrificed at the altar of self-preservation.
Years after his death, Vasta’s words continue to resonate with Nigerians who are disillusioned with their leaders. His execution, seen by many as a betrayal of the highest order, serves as a metaphor for the broader betrayal of the Nigerian people by their political elite. Today, as General Babangida attempts to rewrite history and absolve himself of guilt, one cannot help but wonder what Vasta would say if he were alive. Perhaps he would be sitting among the angels, watching in dismay as Nigeria’s leaders continue to enmesh the nation in chaos and corruption.
The tragedy of Nigeria’s political leadership is not confined to the past; it is very much a present reality. The National Assembly, which ought to be a bastion of democracy and accountability, has become a theater of absurdity. Recent allegations against the Senate President, who is accused of using his position to harass women, have further eroded public trust in the institution. Of the 109 senators, only four are women, highlighting the glaring gender disparity in Nigerian politics. Among these women is Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, who has alleged frequent victimization and harassment in the Senate. Her ordeal has been likened to that of a student who refuses the advances of her lecturer, an analogy that underscores the abuse of power and the vulnerability of women in Nigerian politics.
This is not the first time the Senate President has been accused of such misconduct. The recurrence of these allegations raises serious questions about the moral integrity of Nigeria’s political leaders. If those entrusted with the responsibility of governing the nation cannot uphold basic ethical standards, what hope is there for the average Nigerian? The fear is that by the time these leaders are done ruining the country, the younger generation will be so disillusioned and afraid that they will steer clear of politics altogether. Already, there is a growing sense of apathy and despair among Nigerians, with many opting to migrate in search of greener pastures where they are presented with equal opportunities and a chance at a better life.
The exodus of young Nigerians to other countries is a damning indictment of the failure of leadership in Nigeria. The political and elite class must take urgent steps to address the systemic issues plaguing the nation. Corruption, nepotism, and a lack of accountability have become entrenched in the fabric of Nigerian society, and the consequences are dire. The world is watching as Nigeria, a nation with immense potential, teeters on the brink. It is time for the leaders to put their heads together and rescue the nation from complete ruin.
In conclusion, the revelations surrounding General Babangida’s autobiography, the chilling speech of General Vasta, and the ongoing scandals in the National Assembly are a microcosm of the broader challenges facing Nigeria. They underscore the need for ethical leadership.
The annulment of the June 12 election, the betrayal of allies, and the harassment of women in politics are all symptoms of a deeper malaise—a failure of leadership and a betrayal of the people’s trust. As Nigerians, we must demand better from our leaders and hold them accountable for their actions.
Nigeria’s political and elite classes have a moral obligation to craft a new narrative – one defined by hope, opportunity, and justice. The world is watching, and the future of Nigeria’s children hinges on their ability to learn from past mistakes and build a brighter tomorrow. The time for decisive action is now.
Halima Abdulazeez is a poet and a writer of the poetry collection “Soul Rants” A Journey from Within. She is the treasurer, of PEN International, Nigerian Center, and resides in Lagos, Nigeria. +234-8034816865 umuhfaisal@gmail.com
The Oyo State Government has denied media reports suggesting that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, is dead.
Some media reports on Monday night claimed that the revered monarch was dead at the age of 89.
However, in an interview with PUNCH Online correspondent on Monday night, the Oyo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Wasiu Olatunbosun, refuted the rumours.
Olatunbosun stated that the Olubadan of Ibadan is alive, hale and hearty.
“Yes. Olubadan is alive, hale and hearty. I spoke with one of the sons who represented the family at the coronation committee, Prince Olaseke Owolabi Olakulehin,” he said.
Also, in a chat with our correspondent, the Chief Press Secretary to the Olubadan, Gbenga Ayoade, debunked the death rumours, saying that the monarch is hale and healthy.
“By the time I left the palace around 8 pm, there was nothing of such incident. Things were moving well. There was no crisis. And when I contacted the palace after I left, they told me Baba is hale and healthy.
“The Olubadan just finished eating amala. He is hale and healthy. It is just a rumour. There is nothing of such,” he said.
Ayoade further debunked the rumour that the traditional ruler had been flown out of the town for medical attention.
He added, “Baba is still in Ibadan. He was not flown anywhere. He is doing very fine ”
Oba Olakulehin, who received the staff of office from the State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on July 12 2024, will clock 90 years on July 5.
He succeeded the 42nd Olubadan, Oba Mahood Lekan Balogun, who died on March 14, 2024 at the age of 81.
Tragedy struck in Ibadan early Tuesday as a fire outbreak at the Orita Challenge outlet of GABSTAB Petrol Station claimed two lives.
According to a statement by Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, the victims were a petrol tanker driver and his motor boy, who lost their lives in the inferno.
The fire service was alerted at 5:15 a.m., and emergency responders were immediately deployed to the scene to contain the blaze.
“We got information about the GABSTAB Mega Petrol Station, Orita Challenge, fire incident at 5.15 a.m. and deployed our men immediately.
“The driver and motor boy were burnt to death,” he said.
The general manager, however, said the fire had been controlled, and more details about the incident would later be provided.
Fresh allegations have been heard on how the decision to sack over 197 police officers (courses 18,19 and 20) also known as Force Entrants, was taken by two members of the Police Service Commission.A member of the Commission who pleaded anonymity disclosed that some legal processes were not followed.The inside source further alleged that the Attorney General of the Federation, who ordinarily should be part of those to take such a decision, was not consulted over.
The Commission was accused by the member of disobedience to court judgements.According to him, several officers ordered to be reinstated have not been reinstated by the Commission.The source said: “What we have here is a two-man show. Most of the decisions taken so far were decisions by two men,” he claimed.
After 17 years of hiding in the dark to ship illicit drugs worth billions of naira across the world, the reign of a wanted 59-year-old drug baron Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff has been brought to a halt following his arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA at his hideout in Ojo area of Lagos. Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday 3rd March 2025 detailed how operatives of its Special Operations Unit had been on the trail of Ogbonnaya following an Interpol red notice against him and information from the National Intelligence Service of South Korea. According to Marwa: “The major development that warranted this special briefing pertains to the arrest of a drug lord who’s wanted across the world as the leader of an international drug trafficking organisation. I am therefore pleased to announce this significant breakthrough in our efforts to dismantle drug trafficking syndicates operating within the country. As we have said four years ago when we began the reform of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), our prime targets are drug barons and other important figures that organise drug trafficking rings. “On Wednesday, 12th February 2025, we achieved that objective in the successful arrest of Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff, a 59-year-old drug baron. The suspect was arrested at his hideout at No. 3, Ibukunoluwa Taiwo Close, off LASU Road, Lagos. He has been under NDLEA investigation before his arrest. As a result, we have comprehensive intelligence on his activities, and incontrovertible facts that he is a notorious drug lord who recruited young Nigerians as couriers to smuggle illicit substances into the Republic of Korea (South Korea). “Our records reveal that many Nigerians apprehended outside the country for drug-related offences were linked to him. Furthermore, we have established that he laundered drug proceeds through the importation of electronics and other goods. Following his arrest, a search of his residence led to the recovery of multiple Nigerian international passports belonging to different individuals, many of which contained Korean visas. Additionally, we recovered some illicit substances in a storehouse at the back of his house.” While unmasking the suspect’s leadership role in the drug underworld, the NDLEA boss said “Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff is not a typical domestic drug baron; he is an international trafficker operating both from Nigeria and abroad. His dossier indicates that he served a one-year prison sentence in the Republic of Korea in 2007 and was deported to Nigeria in 2008. Despite this, he continued his illicit trade, remaining actively involved in drug trafficking operations to the Far East. “Presently, he is wanted in the Republic of Korea for multiple drug trafficking offences in collaboration with his accomplices. An INTERPOL Red Notice was issued for his arrest and extradition to the country for offences committed between 2023 and 2024. From a series of interdictions, it has been established that Ogbonnaya Kevin Jeff is the ringleader of a drug trafficking organisation responsible for smuggling narcotics into the People’s Republic of Korea. He has been orchestrating operations remotely by giving instructions to drug mules and domestic suppliers who are members of his syndicate spread across Cameroon, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Liberia and other East and Southern African countries.” He further gave insights into what investigations had unearthed about Ogbonnaya’s illicit trade activities. “On 5th October 2023, at a location in Burkina Faso, the suspect dispatched 6,051.06 grams of skunk, concealed in dried chillies and jujube, to a Korean, Kim Dong Wook at a designated address in Jinju City, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. The package arrived at Incheon Airport on 19th October 2023 at 07:20 am via Air France. “Investigation reveals that while residing in Nigeria, he directed his drug couriers, Santa Elizabeth Pieterse and Carl Yohan Stephan Brisman, to smuggle a total of five kilograms of methamphetamine into South Korea via overseas flights, between December 2023 and April 2024. In recent time alone, he has sent illicit drugs worth over N1.4billion in street value to South Korea. “Ogbonnoya maintains another domestic carrier, identified as “Asa”, who delivers for him drug consignments to a warehouse operated by Okori Emmanuel, a Nigerian who is his supply manager in South Korea. As of now, two arrest warrants have been issued against Ogbonnaya by the Seoul Central District Court in January and June 2024. These warrants charge him with importing narcotic drugs in violation of Article 3-7 of South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act, an offence punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.” Marwa assured of NDLEA’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria does not serve as a base for international drug trafficking operations. “We will continue our relentless fight against illicit drug networks and their financiers, in line with our mandate to safeguard public health and national security. The arrest of Ogbonnaya is therefore an affirmation of our resolve to work with our international partners to ensure no drug baron finds Nigeria a comfort zone to distribute illicit substances within the country or traffic them to other countries.
I was initially going to predicate this piece on notable developmental milestones I’ve followed in recent weeks and months, in some states in Nigeria’s South. Indeed, in two separate treatises, I’ve interrogated the endeavours of Chukwuma Soludo, Alex Otti and Umaru Bago of Anambra, Abia and Niger states. I’ve been enamoured by reports of advancements in sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, investment and security among others, coming from the nation’s global South. You often get this feeling of positive peer rivalry between some states especially those below the Niger and Benue rivers, as they strive to improve the lots of their constituents, while also etching their imprimatur on the sands of time. It became imperative, however, to restructure my thoughts in the wake of certain very contemporaneous happenings, especially in the North, and juxtapose them with news from the South.
In August 2024, I wrote a piece titled The North of Nigeria after the Protests. It was my reaction to the thoughtlessness and idiocy manifested in parts of the North during the 10-day “hunger protests.” Internet videos and visuals are replete with the mindlessness which characterised youth outings those few days of insanity. Multibillion naira public properties and private investments were wilfully attacked, looted and vandalised. Road infrastructure including concrete pallets laid over public drainages were chiselled with axes just to steal the steel meshes binding and solidifying the platters. About a dozen fatalities were recorded between Borno and Niger states, as security personnel attempted the containment of the ensuing mayhem. Elsewhere, the Nigerian Police received plaudits for its demonstrated professionalism in the management of the fracas, mitigating injuries and minimising casualties, even as swarms of brigands held sway those days of utter madness. You watched these jarring scenes on national and global television and couldn’t but ask yourself: What ends were such barbarity, such primitivity meant to serve?
The hunger protests were also observed in parts of the South. But there was greater circumspection and decorum than was witnessed in many theatres of bedlam in the North. Indeed, governments in many states in the South were proactive. Authorities cautioned before the dates scheduled for the protests, that lawlessness in the form of unruly and riotous protests and processions will not be condoned within their boundaries. The October 2020 #EndSARS protests which snowballed into shootings of the processions by the Nigerian Army, remain fresh in popular consciousness. Amnesty International reported at least a dozen deaths from that incident, despite rebuttals by the Lagos State Government and the military authorities.
The government of Kano State in its 2025 budget, has made provision for the conduct of mass weddings. The sum of N2.5 Billion has been earmarked for the quarterly mass wedding programme across the 44 local government areas of the state. The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, invested N854 million on the mass wedding of 1,800 couples in 2023. Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, recently committed N54 million on the wedding of 300 couples in his state. Budget and Economic Planning Minister, Atiku Bagudu who attended the programme, availed each couple N50,000 as “startup.” Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State, has also accommodated mass weddings as a major project in the 2025 budget of his state. Immediate past President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan who is also from Yobe State is also reputed to have sponsored mass weddings in his catchment area, ostensibly as part of his “constituency projects.”
Ahead of the Ramadan fast which began Saturday May 1, 2025, a number of state governments in the North, shut down educational institutions, especially primary and secondary schools. The closure is for a period of five weeks which is the duration of the fasting season. Beginning with Bauchi State in the North East, states in the North West including Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara, have promptly followed suit. The various governments have proffered that the closures are to ensure focused and unimpeded observance of the Ramadan by the entire gamut of the peoples and populations of their various entities. These school closures have not taken into account the conveniences of non-Muslim students who are also students in these various states.
Before the wholesale mismanagement of Nigeria’s sociocultural diversities by particular leaderships, especially the eight-year regime of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians had always been very adventurous. They quested socioeconomic opportunities beyond the perimeters of their traditional origins. This has been said to have accounted for the flattening of Bola Tinubu in his home state of Lagos during the 2023 presidential election which brought him into office. Indeed, a specific settler-ethnicity in Lagos, was fingered for that near electoral humbling of the President. The academic calendars of many of the northern stares under discourse, have reportedly been tweaked to ensure the reopening of schools after the Ramadan-induced forced break.
While parts of the North are prioritising the observance of a religious obligation over and beyond every other consideration, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, (NBS), reminds us that the core North has the highest numbers of out-of-school children. Urchins, more famously known as almajiris in tens of thousands are permanently resident on the streets of several northern towns and cities, clutching begging bowls. The North is equally notorious for the high prevalence of child marriages, where clearly and visibly underage girls are married off to men old enough to be the age of their grandfathers. This accentuates the very high occurrence of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula, (VVF), among young northern females. Even if comprehensive health education were to be available for young girls, pervading illiteracy remains inimical to orientation and reorientation to stem the trend.
Nigeria’s core North remains averse to the trade and consumption of beverages of certain brands. Yet they desire the perpetuation of the fiscal allocation status quo, which privileges them higher dividends from national Value Added Tax, (VAT), than southern states which actually generate the chunkier taxes. Members of the Hisbah corps which enforces the Shariah are videoed regularly destroying huge consignment of alcoholic drinks, crippling the businesses of traders in such beverages. This is just as Saudi Arabia the global exemplar of Islamic religion, has relaxed its laws on alcohol. Non-Muslim diplomats can now procure and savour alcohol stuff. This is a major shift from the total ban on alcohol, which has been in place since 1952. The original law against alcohol provided for the prosecution and incarceration of offenders, while foreigners were summarily deported.
Down South, many governors and governments are pursuing visionary projects to impact on the well-being of their people. Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Seyi Makinde are investing massively in agricultural development to ensure sustainable food sufficiency and security. Surpluses will be warehoused in silos and storages, while overflows will be sold. Among other initiatives, Lagos State is partnering with the Origin Tech Group, to develop a five-year agricultural strategic plan. For starters, the partnership has initiated a Food Logistics Hub in Epe, Lagos State. Part of the plan is to gradually develop 4.2 million square metres of an agricultural village. A 60-kilometre network of roads are to be built in the settlement out of which about 30% is ready. It is a measure of the seriousness behind this plan, that a five-storey administrative block; a sprawling parking area capable of taking 1,500 trucks per day; a weighbridge, cold and dry storage areas, are already in place.
Makinde has revisited the hitherto moribund Fashola Farms Estate which used to be the epicentre of agricultural development in the primordial Western region. The luminous project which runs into several kilometres, sits between Oyo and Iseyin, Makinde has rechristened it the Fashola Agricbusiness Industrial Hub. Investors are expressing interest in cultivating a myriad of crops, notably cassava, maize, soybeans, cowpeas, tomatoes, banana and even dairy production. Well over N11 Billion has been committed to revamping the primordial farm with the provision of road infrastructure, factories and warehouses, among other structures. At least a dozen companies have already been established in the agribusiness zone, including Friesland Campina West African Milk Company Ltd, (WAMCO), and Brown Hill Farms Ltd, which is cultivating vegetables by deploying the Green House model.
Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, has identified over 12,000 hectares of arable land in his state, out of which the cultivation of 200 hectares last year, returned exponential yields. Abiodun at the harvest of rice from the demonstration farm located at the Magboro rice farm in Obafemi Owode local government area, boasted that Ogun State could conveniently feed the whole country. The pilot project yielded 1400 metric tonnes of rice, equivalent to 20,000 bags of milled rice, capable of gifting farmers with returns of N1Billion naira every quarter of the year. A cargo airport has been developed by the Abiodun government and approval secured from President Tinubu for the physical area of the airport to serve as a Special Agro-Cargo Processing Zone and a Free Trade Zone. The project has the potential to create about 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Who will grow or provide on a sustainable basis, the food which will feed the newly weds in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and elsewhere? Who will cater for the almajiris, dan iskas and yan dabas being bred like rabbits out there, who have unwittingly become human furniture on northern streets? Mass weddings, early marriages, school closures for the observance of religious rites, freewill breeding of children without a plan for their futures, are not the pathways to socioeconomic progress. True, members of the elite like the senior parliamentarian representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada federal constituency in Kano, Ado Doguwa, may have four wives and 28 children. He is a fifth-term member of the legislature who has been Chief Whip and Majority Leader, respectively. Not everyone from his part of Nigeria, however, is as fiscally fortunate as he is.
As things stand today, the core North cannot aspire to catchup with, let alone overshoot the multisectoral mileages already attained by the South. It needs pursue immediate, intentional and conscientious rethinking, reorientation and recalibration, to get off the starting blocks.
Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja.
The Bauchi State Police Command has apprehended a 50-year-old businessman on suspicion of culpable homicide after a domestic altercation led to the death of his 24-year-old second wife.
In a statement released on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, CSP Ahmed Wakil, revealed that the incident occurred in the Fadaman-Mada area of Bauchi during an argument over food supplies and fruits intended for breaking the Ramadan fast.
“Reports indicate that the argument escalated, leading to the husband allegedly striking his wife with a cane.
“She reportedly collapsed and lost consciousness within their home. “Authorities rushed the victim to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, where medical personnel pronounced her dead,” he said.
Wakil further disclosed that officers had recovered the cane allegedly used in the assault, and the deceased’s body was placed in the mortuary, pending an autopsy.
He added that the Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa, assured the public of the command’s commitment to delivering justice and addressing cases of domestic violence with the seriousness they deserve.
“The Police Command remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens while holding perpetrators of criminal acts accountable,” he stated.
A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Zamfara State as Zarah Abubakar Shehu, a 21-year-old student of Federal University Gusau, died in a bandits’ camp four months after being kidnapped, despite her family paying a ransom for her release.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagozola Mama, Zarah, a 300-level student, was abducted along with her two siblings from their home in the Damba area of Gusau in the early hours of Sunday, November 3, 2024.
The kidnappers initially demanded ₦35 million for their release but later reduced the amount to ₦10 million after negotiations.
Despite receiving the ransom, the bandits refused to free Zarah and her siblings, insisting on an additional payment of four motorcycles (Boza) and four cartons of engine oil.
After months of desperate efforts, the family managed to gather the items. But when the kidnappers’ leader was informed, he contacted his men, who delivered the devastating news — Zarah had died and was buried two days earlier.
The young student, the only daughter of her mother, endured four months in captivity before her tragic death, leaving her family and community in mourning.
