A man has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly trafficking his wife and two-year-old son to Mali.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s police public relations officer, identified the suspect as Kingsley Essien.
He was apprehended after selling his son for N600,000 and fleeing the country with his wife for prostitution.
“The suspect was arrested after his wife, Bright Essien, reported to Agbara divisional headquarters that sometime in October 2021, her husband, Kingsley Essien, informed her that he had secured a job for her in Bamako, Mali, and that he has assisted many people to that country for greener pastures before,” read part of the statement released on Thursday.
“She went on to say that because she was married, she didn’t suspect anything until she arrived in Mali and discovered she had been sold to a human trafficker cartel led by a woman for one million four hundred thousand naira.”
The suspect’s wife was forced into prostitution in Mali, according to Oyeyemi, but she later found her way to the Nigerian embassy in Bamako, where she was helped back to Nigeria.
Bright discovered her son, who was in the custody of the suspect, was missing when she arrived in the country from Mali, according to the police spokesman.
After filing the report, Abiodun Salau, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Agbara division, dispatched his detectives to track down the suspect, who was eventually apprehended.
During questioning, Oyeyemi said the suspect confessed to the crime, admitting that he sold the boy for N600,000.
In response to the arrest, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, ordered that the suspect be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labor Unit for discreet investigation.
In order to recover the stolen child, he ordered that the buyer of the son be tracked down and arrested.
Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the former Governor of Kano State, has finally abandoned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Shekarau was welcomed into the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) on Wednesday by Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the party’s Presidential Aspirant and National Leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement.
Senator Kwankwaso, who has been visiting Shekarau in an attempt to persuade him to join the NNPP, registered him as a member of the party as his Mundubawa Residence.
“Shekarau decamping was destined by the Almighty Allah because Ganduje has been mounting pressure on him to stay in the APC in the last couple days.
“On the other hand, Senator Kwankwaso and some politicians, including Honourable Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, former speaker of Kano state House of Assembly and former special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Honourable Abdulrahman Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila, have been persuading him to join the NNPP,” he claims.
“Alhamdulillah, the former governor has finally defected to the NNPP,” says the source. Shekarau, it appears, will not receive justice in the APC when it comes to contesting elections. As a result, we believe it is preferable for him to join the NNPP, where we believe he will be treated fairly.”
Senator Kwankwaso purged the NNPP shortly after his registration.
resented Shekarau to Kano central residents, a development that means Shekarau will be given an automatic ticket for the senatorial seat in the general elections of 2023.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to conduct all primary elections in the state using only statutory delegates.
As a result, the crisis that the PDP is experiencing in the state has worsened.
INEC had previously declared the party’s three-member ad hoc delegates election on April 30, 2022, and a subsequent rescheduled congress on May 11th invalid.
The commission, in a letter dated May 17, 2022 to the PDP’s National Chairman, obtained by THISDAY in Abuja on Thursday, also voided the party’s one-man delegate election, claiming that no original result sheets were present at any of the congress venues.
The PDP in Imo State was then ordered by INEC, in a letter signed by its acting Secretary, Aminu Idris, to conduct all primary elections using only statutory delegates as provided for in the party’s constitution.
In response to the news, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a House of Representatives candidate, said INEC’s decision was a victory for the Imo PDP.
He described it as “a valiant rescue from an impending catastrophic end, as the party would have conducted primary elections using an illegal list of delegates, effectively nullifying the entire process.”
Ugochinyere also expressed sympathy for the state’s over 900 ad hoc delegates, who had lost their chance to vote in the party’s primaries and choose its candidates.
He also accused the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, of being to blame for the defeat.
As a result, he urged delegates and stakeholders to hold the national secretary accountable for the missed opportunity to vote.
“This situation is a mixed blessing because Imo PDP members can now sleep with both eyes closed because the desperate efforts to foist a fake delegates list on them have ended,” Ugochinyere said.
Only statutory delegates should participate in the party’s primaries in Imo State, according to INEC.”
Let me thank you deeply for the honour to present to you the revised 2022 budget which we have tagged: “Taking Off from the Blocks”. I regret however that one of you, the member representing the good people of Aguata II Constituency in the House of Assembly (my own representative) – Hon. Okechukwu Okoye, is still in the custody of the kidnappers. The security agencies are working very hard and around the clock to secure his freedom. God is on the throne and Anambra will win. Let me leave it at that.
This is my second meeting with the entire House since my swearing-in two months ago (in addition to a series of meetings with the leadership of the House), and let me use this opportunity to once again commend the cordial relationship and partnership that exist between the three arms of government. Let me particularly thank the House for its patriotic sense of duty in expeditiously screening and approving the list of Commissioners. The Executive branch will never take your partnership for granted. We are also confident that your love and passion for our state as well as your patriotic zeal for a transformed and developed Anambra will continue to propel your cooperation and partnership with the Executive branch. Irrespective of political party affiliations or other differences, we all have only one agenda in government, namely: the development of Anambra state, and together, we shall get it done for our people and for posterity.
Let me also use this opportunity to thank, for the umpteenth time, my predecessor Chief Willie Obiano, all the former governors of Anambra state, as well as the present and former members of the State House of Assembly for their contributions. We pledge to consolidate your achievements, and to work hard every day to stand upon your shoulders to take Anambra State to a much higher pedestal.
As promised, we hit the ground running from day one, putting in 8hours and 45 minutes in office on the first day, reflecting the humongous challenges facing the state as well as our full consciousness that ours is an agenda with a deadline. Our vision is to transform Anambra into a livable and prosperous smart megacity—- to become the preferred destination to live, learn, invest, work, relax/enjoy. The Agenda is predicated on four strong pillars: robust economic transformation for a new industrial-tech- leisure hub; a comprehensive social agenda for a human capital bank that is productive at home and exportable abroad; governance, rule of law and new value system; and a clean, green, planned and sustainable communities, markets, and cities. The State Executive Council was constituted within three weeks, and we have been firing from all cylinders. In some weeks to come, we shall have the opportunity to give a preliminary report on some of the foundational issues we are putting in place to kick-off and propel the journey ahead. Among the challenges we inherited, a red treasury and pervasive insecurity especially with criminals taking the seven local governments of the south senatorial zone hostage were the most acute. We have chosen to confront the foundational issue of security head-on and expected that those profiting from the lucrative criminal enterprise would viciously fight back, and they have. Suffice it to say that so far, so good. They are testing our will and resolve. Let me assure you this: Anambra will win!
Mr. Speaker, Hon members! The purpose of the 2022 Revised budget is to reflect current realities, challenges, and priorities of the new administration and Ndi Anambra. We are undaunted by the state of the treasury. We have seriously started reforming our system of tax administration to significantly ramp up our internally generated revenue over the coming years. In the meantime, the dire needs of Ndi Anambra and our transformation agenda cannot wait. We are working on a mixture of financing options (including debt that is ring-fenced to fund bankable projects and/or infrastructure with impacts on the economy) to guarantee efficient and effective service delivery to our people while ensuring fiscal sustainability over the medium to longer terms. The details of these will be laid out in our 2023 budget.
The revised budget size is about N170 billion versus the existing appropriation of N142 billion (with the capital expenditure accounting for 64% compared to 57% previously). Capital expenditure increased by 33% from N81 billion to N108 billion while Recurrent expenditure increased marginally by 0.79% from N60 billion. We left the budget on security unchanged while we count on off budget resources from donations to augment. As a reflection of our Agenda, about 60% of the Capital Expenditure is targeted at delivering infrastructure that the average citizen can feel, see, use or touch and which have the highest developmental impact within the shortest possible time.
For example, we have declared a state of emergency on rebuilding our road infrastructure and traffic management. About N52 billion or about 31% of the total budget is for the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and we intend to simultaneously invest in roads in most of the local governments, paying special attention to our urban regeneration agenda. We have requested the Federal Government to kindly intervene on emergency basis on a number of federal roads in the state that have become nightmarish death traps. We confidently expect their urgent responsive action. But in the event that the expected response does not come soon, we may have to implement urgent palliatives in some places especially at Amansea; Ekwulobia- Igboukwu- Nnobi road; Ogidi; etc where the roads are literally cutting off.
We plan to recruit qualified medical doctors and nurses for our general hospitals and upscale the infrastructure in selected ones. We have already received over 26,000 applications in response to our advertisement to recruit and train teachers for our primary and secondary schools. Visitation panels will review the operations of the State University, Polytechnic and College of Education to provide basis for our reforms to ensure that they are fit for purpose. As a precursor to our planned Entertainment and Leisure City (envisaged to be largest in Africa), we have budgeted in the interim to construct an expansive Entertainment and leisure park around the Agulu Lake. Yes, our administration is continuing with the ‘Community Choose Your Project’ initiative of my predecessor, and have raised the value of the community projects to N25 million per community.
Furthermore, to drive our “Everything Technology, and Technology Everywhere” strategy, the budget provides for a modern centralized ICT Data Centre to consolidate the State’s data and ensure business continuity in any and all circumstances. We are commencing the digitization of our land registry. Our agenda to deliberately orchestrate the emergence and empowerment of thousands of youth millionaires and a digital tribe is given its first impetus in this revised budget. We promised to reinvent the Oil Palm and Coconut revolution. We have mobilized communities and the private sector for partnership and with overwhelming demand, we plan to provide 500,000—1,000,000 seedlings this year, and millions in subsequent years. We have also provided for significant seed money to commence pre-feasibility studies and designs for bankable projects, including possible new cities. On August 27 this year, Anambra State will celebrate its 31st anniversary as a State but without a proper Government House and a Governor’s Lodge—possibly the only State with such a record. We have budgeted to correct this, to ensure the efficiency of government operations. We have also budgeted to continue the work-in-progress in our international cargo airport.
Mr. Speaker, Hon Members! In the months and years ahead, we have hard choices to make as we strive to meet the expectations of our people. Fiscal prudence will become a lifestyle as we cannot afford to waste one kobo. Transparent public finance management will be critical. That is why we have also budgeted for the full computerization of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General. Managing our over N120 billion debt, especially the contractor debt and pension liabilities in the context of the paltry Federation Account receipts and burgeoning needs of our people will task our dexterity and demand hard choices and sacrifice. We just received the preliminary report of the external consultants’ review of our local government finances which confirms that the combined state and local government gratuity liabilities to pensioners over N20 billion. We are determined to clean the books over time and align Anambra’s pension administration with the Pension Act and let our pensioners smile. In the meantime, our administration has signaled a new dawn by insisting that we won’t owe new retirees under my watch, while we have also started (albeit gradually) paying down the backlog.
Our government is very serious in forging new development partnerships with the international development partners, the federal government, as well as the local government. We are reforming our processes and ramping up our active engagements to maximize the benefits of such partnerships. For example, we have budgeted to meet our counterpart funding requirements to access federal and development partner funds. We are also working hard to restructure and reform our local government administration in conformity with the relevant laws. We will actively collaborate with the local governments in the areas of waste management; cleaner, greener and more environmentally sustainable communities; street lighting; fire service; qualitative primary school education; as well as planned modern markets, and security. Community government will be strengthened and mainstreamed. Already, the State is forging new (sustainable) economic partnership with communities not only with the ‘community choose your project’ initiative but now with the new community-based but jointly owned Oil Palm and Coconut plantations that will soon adorn the state.
In weeks to come, we will be coming to you again and again with a set of legislations required as critical building blocks for the next Anambra we all envision, as well as other critical approvals and confirmations required from this Honourable House. By July we shall also start the process for the 2023 budget, and will again come to the House once completed. I sincerely do hope and pray that despite your busy political agenda, you would find sufficient time to devote to the expeditious discharge of these responsibilities required of your offices.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, Hon Members! This Revised Budget 2022 sign-posts some of the key deliverables for this year as we Kick-off from the Blocks. It is also a call to collective action and lifestyle of Value for Money. The foundation of Anambra as a Smart Mega City will be tasking all of us to the limit. But we are Ndi Anambra! The irrepressible Anambra Spirit and the collective action of a people that loves their homeland dearly are what we will continue to call and draw upon to move ahead. This Anambra Spirit and collective action came alive during my visits to Lagos and Abuja last week to meet with our people. The enthusiasm and generous pledges of our people towards our homeland security demonstrated once again that Anambra can be anything we desire and work that it should be. I am emboldened by the massive support and solidarity of the people as we face the threat of common but organized criminals who want to run our people out of town and take our wealth and land by force. But we are Ndi Anambra, and together, we shall overcome! Give us the budget urgently, and by the time our people come home for Christmas, we will all be proud that we are serving the people well.
As Presidential Aspirant and former Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, continues to hold consultations with delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country, a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, has endorsed the former Minister, stating that his loyalty and love for Nigeria and humanity is unmatched.
According to the Campaign Organization, Gen. Buratai, who is currently Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, gave his support at a meeting with APC delegates in Bauchi on Wednesday night, when he and other dignitaries accompanied Presidential candidate Chibuike Amaechi to solicit delegates’ support ahead of the party’s primaries.
Burutai stated that Amaechi’s outstanding profile and vast experience in governance prompted him to lend his support.
“As you can see from the introduction, our Presidential aspirant has a lot of experience,” he said. Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has an intimidating profile. He has proven to be a capable administrator, a versatile leader, a good strategist, and a consummate politician in all areas where he has worked. As Speaker, Governor, Minister, and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, he was first among equals, as was the dexterity and quality of the campaign (for President Buhari) he led on two occasions. That is why I am completely behind him. ” He did so with all his determination, loyalty, and, of course, love for Nigeria and humanity, regardless of religion. This is admirable, which is why he’s here today to ask for your votes. I believe you already know he’s the man of the moment based on what you’ve heard about him. He is the best option. As a result, I implore you to make the right decision and vote for him,” Buratai said.
Addressing the delegates, Amaechi stated that he is the only candidate in the party with a track record of defeating the opposition. He urged delegates to vote for him in order to benefit all Nigerians.
“This is the moment of decision,” he claims. I’ve served in public office for 22 years, as Speaker, Governor, and Minister. And you’ll see my footprint in all of them. A railway line is being built from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. The Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway connects Port Harcourt and Bauchi. That project will be completed and jobs will be created if you vote for me. So please vote for me and elect me as the party’s candidate. I doubt the other candidates will be able to beat me; if you vote for me, I will defeat the PDP.”
Earlier, during a visit to HRM Dr. Rilwan Suleiman Adamu, the Emir of Bauchi, Amaechi used the opportunity to re-emphasize his commitment to deliver on infrastructure and combat insecurity if elected.
“Your Highness, I am here to seek your blessings and to appeal to the Bauchi delegates to vote for me on the day of the primaries, because no one in our party is as prepared to be President of Nigeria as I am.”
I possess the necessary energy, capability, knowledge, and strength to serve as President of Nigeria. I know what the problems are and what the solutions should be, and I’m asking for your help in finding solutions to those problems.” In Port Harcourt, one of the things I did to combat militancy was to create jobs. I plan to implement agricultural programmes to help people find work. If you vote for me, I will provide infrastructure in Bauchi, I have a lot of experience, and I will chase the criminals away. I’ve done it before in Port Harcourt and Rivers State, and I’m willing to do it again. I will do everything possible to restore the country’s security. Please encourage your constituents to vote for me, and I will bring my experience to bear, said Amaechi.
IPOB, the Indigenous People of Biafra, called on Pastor Williams Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church to cancel his planned crusade in Abia State on Thursday.
Due to the security situation in the Southeast, IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful warned Kumuyi to call off the planned crusade.
Powerful emphasised that IPOB would not allow anyone to die, and that any deaths incurred during the crusade would be blamed on the organisation.
“We, the global movement and family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ably led by our great leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU, wish to advise Pastor Kumuyi of Deeper Life Ministry to take note of the security situation in the South East as he travels to Aba for his gospel crusade,” Powerful said.
“Let him and the crusade organisers make sure nothing happens.” Because of the political and criminal activities in this region, we advise him to call a halt to this crusade for security reasons.”
“IPOB will not allow anyone to die as a result of the upcoming crusade in Aba. The number of criminals infiltrating events as unknown gunmen is high, and they will blame it on IPOB.”
“If he is able, we ask him to pray for an end to the insecurity in Biafra land.” We call on Christians and men of God in Biafra land to pray fervently to God to expose all those responsible for the insecurity in our land.”
“Kumuyi should also pray for evil leaders and saboteurs in Biafra and Nigeria.” They are the people’s real problems. Allow him to use his church in Lagos to pray against the powers holding people captive in Nigeria.”
In weeks five and six of the exercise, the Nigerian Navy (NN) said its troops conducting Operation Daktar Da Barawo (OPDDB) seized over six million litres of crude oil and arrested 20 suspects.
Commodore A.O. Ayo-Vaughan, Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, stated that the economic saboteurs used armed resistance between May 1 and 14, 2022.
Such developments, he said, would not deter the Service from enforcing zero tolerance for economic sabotage and criminality in Nigeria’s maritime domain, particularly in the backwaters.
“Over 6 million litres of products and stolen crude oil were seized and arrested during OPDDB Weeks 5 and 6, including more than 20 suspects, many of whom have been handed over for prosecution.
“The use of armed resistance by economic saboteurs and criminals, particularly at Okarki, a border community between Rivers and Bayelsa States, was also highlighted during the period under review.”
“This development will not deter the Nigerian Navy from enforcing zero tolerance in Nigeria’s Maritime Environment, particularly in the backwaters,” he said.
The operation, which was supposed to end after 30 days, was extended due to the gains and successes of Operation DAKATAR DA BARAWO in April 2022, in which the Nigerian Navy denied oil thieves over N10 billion worth of stolen crude oil and petroleum products.
Gov. Soludo submits 2022 revised budget to State Assembly.
1.Roads from 12bn to 50bn
2. Youth Empowerment from 500m to 2.5bn
3. Agriculture 500k to 1million palm and coconut seedlings
4. Pension and gratuity to be cleared
5. Community choose your project from 20m to 25m. And so many others.
Ndi Anambra, Solution is here😊
Farmers who have not paid back loans obtained under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) have been urged to do so by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The appeal was made in Ibadan at the Agribusiness Innovation Clinic by Mr Sadeeq Ajayi of the CBN Development Finance Office.
The clinic, titled “Fostering Innovation and Collaboration Across the Agricultural Value Chain,” was organised by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, according to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) (GAIN).
According to NAN, ABP is an agricultural loan scheme launched by the Federal Government in 2015 through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide loans (in kind and cash) to small holder farmers in order to increase agricultural production, create jobs, reduce food import bills, and conserve foreign reserves.
The majority of farmers in Oyo State who benefited from the scheme, according to Ajayi, have not repaid their loans.
He claimed that the apex bank’s inability to recover loans from defaulting farmers had jeopardised the scheme, and that it had prevented other farmers from using it.
“While the Anchor Borrowers’ Program has had some success, farmers’ failure to repay their loans has been a major setback.”
“Many of the farmers refused to repay their loans because they believed that because the CBN was the lender, the loan was a ‘national cake,’ and they did not have to repay what they considered to be theirs as citizens.”
“This attitude has made it difficult for other farmers who want to take advantage of the loan to do so,” he said.
Stakeholders, including traditional rulers, should urge defaulting farmers to repay their loans quickly for the sake of others, according to Ajayi.
“Of course, we’re talking to a lot of people,” he said, “and we expect the narrative to shift soon so that more people can get access to the fund.”
Mr Olasukanmi Olaleye, the Oyo State Commissioner for Trade, Industry, Investment, and Cooperatives, lauded GAIN’s initiative to combat malnutrition in the country in his keynote address.
Mr Mukaila Oladipo, a Deputy Director in the ministry, represented Olaleye, who stated that food fortification is one of the safest, most effective, and cost-effective ways to address the country’s micronutrient gaps.
Mr. Godwin Ehiabhi, a Senior Project Manager with GAIN Nigeria, also stated that improved access to safe and nutritious food would help to reduce the country’s high malnutrition rate.
Following his retirement, former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, was promoted to Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).
Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Police Affairs, stated this during a weekly ministerial briefing hosted by the Presidential Communication team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Police Service Commission (PSC) approved the former EFCC boss’s promotion on Monday, just days before he was set to retire from the force at the age of 60 on May 5, 2022.
Salami had since completed its report, in which it recommended Magu’s retirement in 2020.
When asked why he was promoted, the Minister stated that the PSC, which is under the Presidency, was responsible for providing the answer.
However, he confirmed that Magu has already retired, noting that his retirement will not exempt him from disciplinary action if necessary.
