Re-branded Nigerian

Further findings by Saturday Vanguard on the seeming indifference of security agents in the fight against kidnapping showed that some were deliberately withdrawing even when given directives. Interaction with most of them revealed that they were reluctant to go after the kidnappers because of the significant risks involved and the limited technology available to support their efforts. Pursuing kidnappers, according to them, often requires venturing into dangerous forests and remote areas, where the risk of ambush, injury, or even death is high. Furthermore, they complained that policemen are often deployed to these high-risk missions without adequate resources, including specialized allowances, vehicles and equipment. One of them, an Inspector, said: “Policemen are frequently forced to spend days in the forest without proper support or infrastructure, relying on basic survival skills and makeshift arrangements to carry out their duties.” Frustration Many Rank and Files from differe...

The Nigeria Police Force, being the leading security agency in Nigeria, launched Intelligence-led Policing in 2015, with the installation of a tracking device that was installed by the then-Inspector-General of Police office, Solomon Arase. Real-time tracking devices like GPS trackers or cell phone trackers provide critical information during an investigation, such as the location where a kidnapping occurred or the route taken by the kidnappers. There was also the Operation unit code-named Intelligence Response Team (still in operation) which monitored the kidnappers’ movements in real-time, with the information from the device, thereby helping them stay one step ahead. This device also helped investigators analyze the locations and patterns of calls made by the kidnappers, the routes, and potential safe houses. In addition, the device provided valuable evidence, such as call records, location data and communication patterns, to build a strong case against the kidnappers. The devi...

74-year-old Emir of Gobir in Gawata town of Sokoto state, Alhaji Isah Muhammad Bawa was abducted by bandits on Sabon Birni road last month alongside his biological son on his way to his native town of Sabon Birni, near the border with Niger, after attending a meeting in Sokoto. His abductors demanded N1b ransom while they tortured and dehumanised him. The traditional ruler, in a viral video, was shown tied up by his abductors, pleading with the state government, his friends, brothers and sisters to pay the ransom to the bandits for his release. When he couldn’t pay the ransom after about three weeks in captivity, his abductors eventually killed him and when his family members requested his corpse, the bandits again demanded N60 million and six motorbikes as ransom. The incident triggered a nationwide outrage as people expressed shock at the inability of the security agencies to rescue the abducted monarch as negotiation for his ransom was going on until he was eventually killed by hi...

Kelechi Ndukwe has made history as the first Nigerian to command a US Navy warship. Kelechi was promoted to the rank of Commander in the US Navy on Thursday August 29 2024. Sharing the news on his official X, a US Army Officer, Victor Agunbiade congratulated Ndukwe on his achievement. Sharing pictures from the promotion ceremony, Ogunbiade wrote; “Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the newest US Navy Captain Kelechi Ndukwe. The first Nigerian to have a command of the US Navy War Ship! Congratulations on your promotion Captain! Well deserved.” Reacting to the news on X, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, congratulated Ndukwe on his achievement. “A hearty congratulations to Navy Captain Kelechi R Ndukwe who has been promoted to the rank of Navy Captain from Commander, in the US NAVY.” Daily post

Bichi’s resignation elicited reactions from DSS staff and the public. Some DSS officers, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, described his exit as ‘freedom from unprofessionalism’. The DSS officers listed Bichi’s alleged misconduct to include undue interference in the service’s operations by his wife and son, Yusuf Bichi. A video of some DSS staff members allegedly celebrating Bichi’s resignation surfaced online immediately after his departure. However, an X user, Sanusi Jibrin, said the clip was recorded at the Kogi State DSS office, where personnel were celebrating Ajayi’s appointment, as he was a former director at the state command. A DSS officer, however, said personnel of the agency were happy with his removal. “We believed his regime was a punishment for us. He impeded the career advancement of many officers by extending the service years of those due to retire. Some senior officers, who were due for retirement in 2021 and 2022 were retained in the servi...

The reasons the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the DG of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, resigned from their positions have been revealed. Sources within the Presidency told Saturday PUNCH that President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, questioned the intelligence gathering mechanisms of the two agencies following the violent nature of the #EndBadGovernance protests in some northern states and the seizure of three presidential aircraft in France. While Bichi was held responsible for lack of functional intelligence on the protest, Abubakar was reportedly queried for the NIA’s inability to have reports ahead of the seizure of the jets by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited. According to credible sources, Tinubu and Ribadu were embarrassed by the turn of events on the seizure of the presidential jets and the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. “The seiz...

Fire gutted part of a three-storey building at the Lagos State Government Staff Quarters in Odunsanmi Street, off WEMPCO Road, Ogba area of the state. By Henry Oladele Fire gutted part of a three-storey building at the Lagos State Government Staff Quarters in Odunsanmi Street, off WEMPCO Road, Ogba area of the state. Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), confirmed this in a statement. Oke-Osanyintolu said that LASEMA received distress calls through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines at about 2.39 a.m. He said that the agency activated its response team from the command and control centre, Alausa. “Upon immediate response, it was confirmed that one of the two-bedrooms in Flat 5, of Block 21, a two-winged, three-story building of 16 two-bedroom flats, was engulfed. “Investigation conducted by the agency’s response team, revealed that the fire originated from the children’s room as result of powe...

he Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has given traders and other market stakeholders involved in exploitative price practices a one-month ultimatum to crash the prices of goods. The newly appointed Executive Vice-Chairman of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said this at a one-day stakeholders engagement on exploitative pricing on Thursday in Abuja. According to Mr Bello, the commission will begin enforcement after the moratorium. He said that the meeting addressed the growing trend of unreasonable consumer goods and services pricing and the unwholesome practice of market associations. Mr Bello described the commission’s finding that a fruit blender known as Ninja was being sold at a popular supermarket in Texas for $89, but the same product was displayed for N944,999 in a supermarket in Victoria Island, Lagos. Mr Bello wondered about the basis for the arbitrary hike in the price of the blender compared to Texas. He said unwholesome practices, including price fix...

Abdullahi Ganduje, national chair of All Progressives Congress (APC), says the party will win the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. Ganduje said a “political machinery” has been put in place to pave the way for a landslide victory of the party’s candidate in Edo. Speaking during a visit by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano correspondents’ chapel, Ganduje said the APC is ready to recover the state from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). “I believe our campaign is in high spirit, we are getting ready for that election and we believe we will be able to recover our state,” he said. “If we win Edo, we will be getting an additional state for the party. It will be 21 states out of 36. “This is because it was an APC state but because of internal bubbles, we lost it to PDP but we are sure we will recover that state. ”For Ondo state, it’s already an APC state and when the former governor died, he left a number of problems,but we wer...

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, on Thursday, said he had since long known the challenges associated with being a labour leader in Nigeria, which is a movement that checks the government’s high-handedness, saying the movement is worth dying for. He, however, said neither the congress nor him would be intimidated, harassed or cowed by any external forces with allegations he described as “baseless”, while asserting that the NLC remains committed to defending the rights of Nigerian workers. Ajaero, who stated this at Labour House, Abuja after he left the headquarters of Intelligence Response Team located at Guzape junction in the nation’s capital, maintained that his ordeal would not be the first as labour leaders had encountered such scenario in the past. Ajaero, who was invited last week by the police to come and provide explanations to the allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony, arrived at the...

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that only 36.3% of Nigerian households prefer an increase in interest rates to control inflation. This is according to the July 2024 Inflation Attitudes Survey (IAS), part of the broader Household Expectations Survey, which was carried out by the CBN’s Statistics Department from July 22 to 26, 2024, with a response rate of 99.7%. The survey, which sampled 1,665 households across the nation, sheds light on the complex dynamics between inflation, interest rates, and public sentiment in Nigeria. 50.6% prefer lower rates Notably, the survey highlighted that 50.6% of respondents would prefer a reduction in interest rates, even as inflation continues to rise, while 13.1% were undecided. This divide shows the challenge faced by the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in balancing the need to curb inflation with the public’s demand for more affordable borrowing rates. The majority of respondents expressed a desire for lower interest rates,...

An employee of the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), Auwal Dankode, has been praised for his integrity after returning $10,000, approximately N16 million. Dankode, a worker at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, was said to have found the money while cleaning the aircraft. According to a post by the security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makaman, on the X platform on Wednesday, Dankode discovered the cash during his routine cleaning duties and immediately reported it to the airline company’s manager. Zagazola stated that Dankode, a native of Kode in Kano State, is known for his strong fear of God and integrity. His selfless act, he said, has highlighted the importance of honesty and accountability in the workplace. Zagazola added that as investigations continue to identify the owner of the lost money, “Auwal’s actions serve as a shining example of the positive impact that even small acts of kindness can have.” The post read: “This boy, Nam...

Johan Rupert, a South African luxury goods tycoon has become Africa’s richest man, overtaking Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group. Rupert, 74, controls the world’s largest luxury watchmaker, Cie Financiere Richemont, through a family trust, with the Bellevue-based company owning renowned brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre and Cartier. According to the latest data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Rupert’s net worth has increased to $14.3 billion, surpassing that of Dangote, whose fortune has decreased to $13.4 billion. Dangote, the owner of the Dangote Group, has experienced significant losses, with his net worth dropping by around $1.69 billion year-to-date, largely due to the severe impact of Nigeria’s challenging macroeconomic environment on his conglomerate. Dangote’s fortune primarily comes from his 86% stake in publicly traded Dangote Cement, held directly and through his conglomerate, Dangote Industries, and includes investments in Dangote Sugar, Nascon Al...

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has revealed that the country earned $2.7 billion from non-oil exports in the first half of 2024. The Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, made the disclosure yesterday in Abuja at a press briefing, adding that cocoa bean was top on the list of exported products. She said, “It is noteworthy to state here that non-oil export revenue generated in the first half year of 2024 was 3.834 million metric tonnes, representing the sum of $2.7bn. This shows an increase of 6.26 per cent as against the sum of $2.539bn for the first half of 2023. “Similarly, a total of 211 products were exported in the first half of 2024, ranging from agricultural commodities to extractive industries. “Based on information received from Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs), of the top 15 products exported in the period in review, cocoa bean was the most exported commodity with 23.18 per cent in percentage value, followed by urea/fertiliser which was 13.78 ...

LAGOS: More than 31.8 million Nigerians are acutely short of food due to security challenges and the removal of fuel subsidies, the government said on Tuesday, citing a study by several of the country’s international development partners. The scale of the shortages, which have led to malnutrition among women and children, was set out by the development partners at a meeting with the government on Monday and Tuesday, the ministry of budget and economic planning said in a statement. The findings indicate a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people assessed as vulnerable to acute food insecurity from October to December 2023 by the UN World Food Programme. “The surge in food commodity prices, which is as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy in addition to security challenges, has placed millions of Nigerians in a precarious situation,” the ministry said. Raids by bandits wielding guns and machetes have forced many farmers to leave their fields, contributing to higher food prices and...

The House of Representatives has written a letter to the Canadian government, imploring it to probe a Nigerian, Amaka Patience Sunnberger, based in Canada, over threats and hate speech against Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin ethnic groups. The letter signed by Biodun Omoleye and Tochukwu Chinedu Okere, stated Sunnberger’s comments constitute threat to Nigerians. “On behalf of the Nigeria-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group and the House Committee on Diaspora Matters, we are writing to express our deep concern regarding the actions of Ms. Amaka Patience Sunnberger, a Nigerian citizen residing in Canada. “Ms. Sunnberger has recently been recorded making inflammatory statements that incite violence against the Yoruba and Edo ethnic groups in Nigeria, including advocating the poisoning of food and water supplies to achieve their mass genocide. The letter added that Sunnberger’s recorded statements constitute a direct threat to the lives and safety of millions of Nigerians. “Her incitem...

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the federal government’s directive that admission to tertiary institutions should not be given to candidates less than 18 years old. Atiku who made this known to journalists in a statement on his Facebook handle, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government as behaving like a lost sailor on a high sea. Recall that Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, had directed that admission to tertiary institutions should not be given to candidates less than 18 years old. He noted that the 18-year benchmark is in line with the 6-3-3-4 system of education. Tahir said: “The minimum age of entry into the university is 18, but we have seen students who are 15, 16 years going in for the entrance examination. “Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards too much. Mostly, it is the pressure of parents that is causing this. “We are going to look at this development because the candidates are too young to understand what the whole un...

Rivers state government has expressed readiness to partner promoters of this year’s international film festival, Desgol Entertainment Worldwide scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt, the state capital next month. Disclosing this much during a courtesy call on him by the promoter of the event, Kate Ezeigbo in Government House Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara said “we are happy that you are holding this for the second time here in Rivers State. “The creative industry has a special place in our hearts because when you are done with a hectic day, the next thing you need is relaxation and the movies is one best way to relax. It’s a youth oriented program and it will benefit Rivers people”. Responding, the founder and festival director of the 2024 film festival, Kate Ezeigbo thanked the Governor for his exemplary leadership in Rivers state. “Thank you for being so exceptional in your style of leadership. “This festival will rewrite the false story told beyond abou...

A deepening of mutual understanding between Nigeria and the BBC World Service is critical to a more informed society, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said, during a working visit to the British Broadcasting Corporation headquarters in London. Idris’s visit to the BBC is part of a bridge-building and cooperation efforts between Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation and foreign and local media houses. According to the press statement signed by Special Assistant ( Media ) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation , Rabiu Ibrahim stated that at a meeting with the BBC’s top management, headed by Mr Jonathan Munro, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the BBC News and Director of the BBC World Service, Idris canvassed for fostering understanding as a key element in driving development. ”The media plays an indispensable role in shaping the right narratives, fostering understanding, and driving development, a...

The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine to Nigeria. This donation was announced in a statement by the US consulate in Nigeria on August 27 to support Nigeria in its efforts to curb the ongoing outbreak of Mpox virus. Speaking at the handover ceremony to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills expressed optimism about the impact of the donation. “We are pleased to know that this is a timely donation that will reach the affected areas across the country and those who are most vulnerable to mpox infection,” he said. The donated vaccine is a two-dose primary series for individuals who have never received the smallpox vaccine, with a single booster available for those previously vaccinated. The vaccine will be administered primarily to those most at risk, including close contacts of confirmed mpox cases and frontline healthcare workers, with provisi...

The Home Office said the four made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between 2019 and 2023. They were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday. Four people have been jailed after forging more than 2,000 marriage certificates to help people live in the UK illegally. Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Tuesday. The Home Office said the four were part of an organised criminal group that made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals. They carried out the enterprise between March 2019 and May last year, and were also found to have provided false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documentation to help applicants remain in the country. An investigation from the Home Office in the UK and Lagos found more than 2,000 false marriage documents were facil...

The National Emergency Management Agency has confirmed receiving 171 stranded Nigerians from Libya. The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, on Tuesday, according to a statement on NEMA’s social media handles. The returnees were brought into the country on an Al-Buraq aircraft Boeing 737-500 with registration no: 5A-DMG. Officials of the NEMA Lagos Territorial Office, along with other stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Immigration Service, International Organisation for Migration, Port Health, Federal Airport Authority, and others, were on the ground to provide basic humanitarian support for the returnees upon their arrival. “The repatriated Nigerians are 41 female adults, 115 male adults, one female child, six male children, four female infants and four male infants. No medical case was recorded. “In addition to the reception given, the returnees are expected to undergo basic business skill training, counselling and necessary medica...

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to wave many conditions of its forex policy for Manufacturers in the country. Chief Bioku Rahman, the outgoing Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Kwara and Kogi, revealed this in Ilorin on Tuesday during the Association’s 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM). He also called on the Bank of Industry (BOI) to approve and promptly implement further reductions in its lending rates for industries. He also asked the CBN to reduce the interest rate by at least 1% while noting that the apex Bank should He said, “We are asking the CBN to wave many conditions for its foreign exchange policies to local manufacturers.” “Similarly, CBN can widen the window of foreign exchange to local industries, while urging the Federal Government to harmonise taxes and levies at Federal, State and Local Government levels.” “We therefore ask the Federal Government to urgently direct the ...

The Nigerian government, including the federal and state governments, plans to spend N100 billion in finance to import electricity meters into the country amid metering gap challenges. Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this while addressing broadcasters in Ibadan, Oyo State recently, noting that this was under the Presidential Meter Initiative program. According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been making efforts to close the meter gap in Nigeria, adopting various initiatives. “In the PMI, we have made good progress in sourcing the fund for this, and it is going to be by a combination of the federal and state governments. “Today, we have received, and we have seen about N100bn that will go into the procurement of meters,” he said. He added that the World Bank decided to support Nigeria with the procurement of almost two million meters in the next two years through the distribution sector recovery program. Consequently, he noted that $200m out of the...

Fresh from his recent trip to France, President Bola Tinubu is gearing up for another international trip, this time to China. Scheduled for the first week of September, the state visit will coincide with the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, where President Tinubu will engage in high-level discussions and strengthen bilateral ties between Nigeria and China. President Tinubu returned to Abuja, the nation's capital, from Paris on Friday, August 23, 2024, following a brief work stay in France. He arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at approximately 2:25 am. Hours after his arrival, the President administered the oath of office to Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, formally inaugurating her as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria, subject to Senate confirmation. The ceremony took place at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja on Friday at around 11:40 am, where Kekere-Ekun signed the oath register, marking the beginning of her tenure. Last Monday, t...

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced a new coach for the Super Eagles. According to the federation, it has with immediate effect appointed German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, as the new Super Eagles coach. Labbadia’s appointment was made public in an early morning tweet on Tuesday via the NFF’s X handle, tweeting as #thenff. The statement read, “The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, Super Eagles.” "The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development sub-committee to appoint Mr Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles,” according to the federation’s General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi. Labbadia becomes the 37th Head Coach of the Super Eagles after the resignation of former coach, Finidi George. This development brings to an end long specul...