News & Announcements

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the federal government has identified 100 high-risk financiers of Boko Haram and the financiers have links to at least 10 countries of the world.

Aregbesola stated this at the 3rd Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing, with the theme, “No Money for Terror”,which took place in India.

The minister, who disclosed this in a statement by his aide, Abdulmalik Suleiman, yesterday, said: “The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, has played a significant role, in supporting all our intelligence, security, and military services.

”The unique ability of the NFIU to work with counterparts in the region and across the world, particularly through the framework of the Egmont Group of FIUs, is a key asset for our country.

”In particular, I would like to take a few minutes to discuss some recent results achieved with the support of our partners. In 2019, the NFIU commenced an in-depth analysis of the financing of the Boko Haram group.

”This analysis, which took almost 18 months to complete, resulted in the identification of almost 100 high-risk financiers and identified links to 10 different countries.

“The NFIU was able to build a thorough picture of the transnational sources of the group’s finance, using intelligence from several countries, including our immediate neighbours, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Togo.

”Ultimately, the results of the analysis resulted in the arrest of 48 of the financiers and the ongoing prosecution of a number of them.”

Aregbesola also canvassed for improved welfare for Nigerians living, studying, or seeking business opportunities and advocated a change in the Indian visa policy for Nigerian students.

He made a four-point demand from the Indian government for the improved well-being of Nigerians living in that country.

The minister added, “This is to allow Nigerian students to have visas for study programs and not on six monthly bases which are burdensome in cost and time.’

The former Osun State Governor equally canvassed granting of special visas for Nigerian businessmen and women to facilitate trade between the two nations.

He urged the Indian government to, as a matter of urgency, reciprocate Visa on Arrival policy for Nigerians visiting India.

A Nigerian Army officer has run into trouble for posting a video clip of his wedding on social media.

The Nigerian Army has been asked to punish E. Ali, a lieutenant, as well as 13 other officers who attended the wedding, for allegedly flouting army traditions at the event.

In an internal memo dated 28 October, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the military police said the officers violated the army traditions regarding social media usage, dressing, and etiquette on military marriage.

The Military Police said an investigation revealed that the officers breached the Nigerian Army code of ethics in the incident. It also charged them with “disobedience to standing order” and recommended punishment for the alleged infractions.

The memo was signed by NH Longpoe, a lieutenant colonel in the Military Police, and was received by the Nigerian Army on 7 November.

According to the memo, the groom posted video clips from the wedding on a WhatsApp group page he shares with his coursemates.

The memo did not state the names of other affected officers, or when and where the wedding took place.

“Lt E Ali (N/18406) should be charged with Disobedience to Standing Order punishable under Section 57(1) of the AFA CAP A20 LFN: 2004 for contravening Paragraph 11 (g) of the DHQ Policy on the use of Social Media for the FN 2018 by posting his wedding video clips on D$SC Course 25 WhatsApp forum,” the memo reads.

A United States woman,19, will not be able to witness her father’s execution after a judge upheld a Missouri law that states she is too young for such an experience.

Kevin Johnson faces execution on Tuesday for the killing of a police officer in 2005 when he was 19.

He requested that his daughter, Khorry Ramey, attend.
BBC reports that the American Civil Liberties Union had filed an emergency motion on her behalf, arguing that the state law violated her constitutional rights.

They said that the age requirement in the Missouri law – barring anyone under the age of 21 from witnessing an execution – served no safety purpose.

Johnson, 37, has been in prison since Ms Ramey was two years old.

The pair built a bond through visits, phone calls, letters, and emails. She brought her newborn son to prison to meet his grandfather last month.

“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be able to be with my dad in his last moments,” Ms. Ramey said in a statement, adding that her father had worked hard to rehabilitate himself in prison and that she was praying for the Missouri governor to grant him clemency.

Johnson was convicted of the fatal shooting of Missouri police officer William McEntee, a father of three.

Lawyers for Johnson have filed appeals seeking to spare his life. Although they do not challenge his guilt, they argue that racism played a role in the death penalty sentence.

Osun State is experiencing a new dawn, and a new sheriff has arrived. After being sworn in as governor yesterday, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got right to work making difficult choices.

First, he gave the order to form a panel of investigation to look into any hurried placements and appointments made by Adegboyega Oyetola, his predecessor.

Along with freezing all state finances immediately, he also ordered that the name of the state be changed from State of Osun to Osun State.

At 11.45 a.m., Senator Adeleke took the oath of office to become the new governor of Osun State.

Justice Oyebola Adepele-Ojo, the State Chief Judge, administered the oath of office to the Governor.

Governor Adeleke strolled around the stadium after entering the area, followed by his nephew David Adeleke, aka Davido, to accept cheers from the ecstatic throng in the main bowl.

The state’s name was changed to State of Osun by the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration in 2011, and its motto was changed from State of the Living Spring to State of the Virtue.

Adeleke, the sixth executive governor of the state, promised to right the wrongs committed by his predecessor in his inaugural speech after being sworn in.

“I, hereby, issue the following directives which will be backed up with appropriate Executive orders: 

“Immediate freezing of all government accounts in banks and other financial institutions; an immediate reversal to the constitutionally ecognized name of our state, Osun State. All government insignia, correspondences and signages should henceforth reflect Osun State rather than State of Osun, which is unknown to the Nigerian constitution.” He said.

Thugs destroyed 340 ballot boxes and an unknown number of Permanent Voters’ Cards, or PVCs, when they set fire to the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, office in the Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner for INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, made this announcement in a statement yesterday.

Although there were no injuries, he claimed that the main building and all of its moveable and immovable contents were destroyed. There are also unspecified numbers of Permanent Voters’ Cards, as well as 340 ballot boxes, 130 voting cubicles, 14 electricity generators, sizable water storage tanks, various office furnishings and fixtures, and 130 voting cubicles.

“The attention of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies has been drawn to the incident and have commenced investigation,” Okoye said.

After similar attacks in Ogun and Osun states on November 10, 2022, this is the third time in less than three weeks that INEC’s local government offices have been targeted.

Two people who were in possession of 468 Permanent Voter Cards were detained by the police.

Festus Okoye, national commissioner and head of the information and voter education committee for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced this in a statement on November 27.

The culprits, who were only identified as Nasiru Idris in the statement, were discovered in possession of 367 PVCs in Kano State and 101 PVCs in Sokoto State, respectively.

According to Okoye, their offense violated Sections 117 and 145 of the Electoral Act of 2022.

The statement added that the offenders were currently receiving their due punishment.

“In the last couple of weeks, the Nigeria Police has arrested some individuals found to be in illegal possession of voter cards in some States of the Federation.

“The Commission wishes to reiterate that it will continue to pursue all violators of the Electoral Act and ensure their diligent prosecution.” The statement read.

The All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, has stated that it is shameful for both the Nigerian government and Nigerians to accept food aid from the war-torn Ukraine as hunger grips Nigerians hard.

In accordance with a decree signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, Ukraine agreed to send 125 000 tonnes of grains as humanitarian aid to Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, and Yemen. According to Ukraine Agro Consult, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine and the State Emergency Situations Service signed the decree “on the provision of humanitarian aid to the countries of Africa and Asia.”

Reported shortly after Ukraine sent 125,000 metric tonnes of grains to Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya, and Yemen as humanitarian aid in accordance with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decree, National President of AFAN Arc Kabir Ibrahim questioned how Africa’s largest economy could accept food aid from a country amid intense fighting that has lasted for months and has resulted in its citizens fleeing in their millions to various countries in Europe for safety and as refugees.

“Nigeria is claiming to be the biggest economy in Africa so how can we justify accepting food aid from a war-torn country like Ukraine.

“It is shameful to every proud Nigerian. We must be food sufficient by walking our talk, invest properly in Agriculture and appoint people who are capable of producing good results from our efforts.

“It is a good gesture by Ukraine to send food aid to African countries shamefully including Nigeria.” AFAN’s national president.

“If I was the President of Nigeria, I would decline the gift but probably grudgingly open the doors to importation”, he added.

Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, the minister of transportation, stated over the weekend that the train service between Abuja and Kaduna 90% ready.

After the start of the Abuja-Kaduna train services in a few days, he reversed course on his prior position to hide some security measures that had been put in place to ensure the protection of the lives and property of train subscribers traveling between Abuja and Kaduna.

In response to questioning from reporters, the minister said that fewer journeys will be made each day and that tight requirements would be placed on using the National Identity Number.

He announced that the Ministry would start profiling every railway passenger in collaboration with the NRC and other organizations.

He claimed that steps have been taken to increase security personnel, including the deployment of hi-tech security equipment.

Additionally, he stated that train tickets would increase and that the start of new train service was approaching.

“I think we are 90 per cent ready as far as what we are set out to do is concerned. The remaining 10 per cent I am sure would be achieved in the next couple of days for full resumption of train services.

“My assurance to Nigerians is that even I myself will be using the train, and other of my counterparts who have homes in Kaduna, in fact from next week they will start using this train so I am giving Nigerians full assurance that a human being can give that this train is safe for them to be used”. He said.

“There is absolutely nothing to fear. We have learnt from what has happened and life is about learning lessons and adopting measures with the lessons. As a responsible government, we have seen those lessons and we have devised appropriate measures to counter it, and like I always say that I was not going to allow this train to resume until everybody in captivity was released and to the glory of God, I have achieved that.

However, the Minister expressed pleasure with the Rigasa station in Kaduna’s infrastructure, noting that more will be done to improve rail services.

According to local media, an Iranian bank manager who served a woman who was not wearing a head covering has been fired as protests over the requirement to cover one’s head rock the Islamic Republic.

The more than 80 million-person nation has a law requiring women to cover their heads, necks, and hair, which is upheld by the morality police.

Mahsa Amini, 22, was killed on September 16 while being held by morality police for allegedly breaking dress code regulations. This led to widespread protests that the government has labeled “riots.”

The bank manager in the province of Qom, close to the capital Tehran, “had provided bank services to an unveiled woman on Thursday,” according to Mehr news agency.

As a result he was “removed from his position by order of the governor,” Mehr quoted deputy governor Ahmad Hajizadeh as saying.

The majority of banks in Iran are run by the government, and according to Hajizadeh, it is the managers’ duty to enforce the hijab rule.

The protests, which Iran claims are being backed by its Western “enemy,” have resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, mostly protestors but also security personnel.

Four years after the 1979 revolution that established the Islamic Republic and toppled the US-backed monarchy, the headscarf was made obligatory.

Later, as fashion standards changed, it became commonplace to see women wearing loose, colorful headscarves and tight jeans.

But in July this year ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi called for mobilisation of “all state institutions to enforce the headscarf law”.

Many women continued to bend the rules, however.

Following his arrival at Enugu’s Akanu Ibiam International Airport yesterday evening, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State immediately traveled to Eha Amufu to get information firsthand about the problems that contributed to the recent crises in the Aguamaede and Mgbuji communities.

Governor Ugwuanyi visited the Mgbuji community, various forests, markets, village squares, and other locations in Eha Amufu with the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, the Garrison Commander, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. M.K. Ibrahim, and the Anglican Bishop of Nike Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Christian Onyeka Onyia. He interacted with the locals to determine the root cause of the situation.

The governor expressed sympathy for the populace, inquired about their well-being, and reassured them of his administration’s dedication to their security and well-being as well as the resolution of the farmers’ and herders’ conflict.

The natives of Eha Amufu expressed their gratitude to Governor Ugwuanyi for making the unusual visit, especially at night, and emphasized that the action showed his commitment to resolving the farmers/herders problems in Eha Amufu.

They emphasized that Ugwuanyi was the first governor to travel to Eha Amufu in response to the ongoing situation there and commended him for, among other interventions, releasing N10 million for the victims’ immediate needs.