Nigerian youths who are scamming unsuspecting people are enemies of the nation’s progress, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said on Friday.

The EFCC’s South-East Zonal Commander, Mr Aliyu Nuhu, stated this in Enugu while speaking on this year’s International Anti-Corruption celebration, which holds on Dec 9 every year.

He said such youths, popularly called ‘Yahoo Boys’, create a bad image of Nigeria both within and outside the country.

According to him, “We lay much emphasis on Yahoo Boy, the same way we check both public and private sectors. Some of them call their victims on the phone, claiming to be bank officials.

“They demand certain codes sent through phones, and when they get what they want, they empty their victims’ bank accounts. Some of their victims work day and night to save money, and suddenly, they are swindled.

“We fight such. Yahoo boys affect our integrity as Nigerians. You travel outside the country, and you are seen as fraudsters. We do everything to fight this scourge. There is no justification to resort to ‘yahoo yahoo’ because one has no job. We should stop thinking towards that perspective. Unemployment is no justification to scam. EFCC will continue to fight cybercrimes.”

He said complaints at EFCC attract no charges, adding that, “We provide our services free of charge. What we need is credible information. We carry out investigations and prosecute. Even when stolen funds are recovered, we don’t demand charges.”

International Anti-Corruption day is observed annually, on 9 December, since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31 October 2003 to raise public awareness on anti-corruption.

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Audi, Thursday launched a special squad, the Safe School Response Team to protect schools from all forms of attacks in the North Central region of the country.

This is coming on the heels of the urgent need to strengthen security operations across schools and colleges of education in the region.

The squad, which includes officers from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Police Force, and the Department of State Security Services, among others are expected to tame the spate of attacks on schools, students and teachers in the six states of the North Central region, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Audi, while speaking in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital at a one-day sensitisation workshop for strategic stakeholders in the North Central geo-political zone on activities of the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre and Safe School Project In Nigeria, said the federal government had domiciled the coordination of the project with the Corps.

The CG expressed confidence that the smooth implementation of the initiative would reduce the burden of out-of-school children in the region while calling on stakeholders to support the Safe Schools implementation project to enable the security agencies to achieve their set objectives.

“The National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre is a product of the National Plan on Safe Schools in Nigeria. The menace of violence and attacks on schools in Nigeria is not a new phenomenon to us. For more than a decade, Nigeria has experienced deliberate targeting of education and destruction of facilities; disrupting schools and keeping children out of school.

“The risk of keeping children out of schools continuously and the consequences thereof can only be imagined. It is in an attempt to address this ugly situation that the Centre was created by the government and domiciled under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps with the responsibility of coordinating safety and security responses against violence in schools and host communities.

“So far, about 48 cases of planned attacks on schools have been thwarted through the collaborative efforts of the Centre. This workshop is one in the series of several advocacies, awareness creation and sensitization programmes being carried out by the Centre to galvanize support, synergy and collaborations towards tackling the challenge of school attacks and violence which has kept a lot of our children out of schools over a long period,” the NSCDC Commandant General added.

On his part, Brigadier General MBG Martins said in a keynote that the issue of kidnapping and banditry in schools across the nation will soon be a thing of the past while commending the federal government for initiating the National Safe Schools Response Coordination Centre.

“The prevalent state of attacks around the world and schools in particular has been on the rise in recent years. This activity being undertaken by the NSCDC is in response to having safe, secure and violent-free schools. The proactive step taken by the Corps to organise this programme will remain a noble and outstanding one,” he said.

Corroborating him, the Nasarawa State Commandant of the NSCDC, Abbas Bappa-Muhammed, stated that all personnel in the command are committed to ensuring the protection of schools across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

Earlier, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, donated a building structure to the Commander of the NSSRCC, Tersoo Shaapera, and his team for the smooth take-off of the project in the state. Governor Sule was represented by his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe at the occasion.

The founder of a branch of Celestial Church of Christ in Lagos State, Aderemi Dabiri, has said the reason why he invited Fuji singer, Alabi Pasuma, and street-hop artiste, Portable, was to gain new converts.

The cleric made this known in a video where he was seen addressing a delegation of the church’s task force who visited his parish to have an audience with him.

The white garment church came under heavy criticism recently for inviting secular artistes to its praise night event.

While explaining the rationale behind the decision, Dabiri revealed that the choice of the two artistes was to attract deviants in the society.

According to him, the pattern of evangelism had worked for him over the years and also resulted in the growth of his church membership.

He said, “It is not our first time inviting guest artistes. We have been doing it without a problem and I can give you a series of instances. We cannot go where they sell palm wine or alcoholic drinks and ask them to accept Jesus Christ. If I don’t apply wisdom, they will hit a bottle on my head. That was why I thought of a way to bring them into the church.

“I also noticed that there are some notorious boys who cause trouble in the community, disturbing the authorities and engaging in cultism. I wondered how can we draw their attention so that they would have a change of heart. We have gone to places where they are and they ended up beating us. Most of the members of my church are new converts and it was through that pattern that I converted them.”

Dabiri, who criticised some gospel ministers for being disrespectful said he preferred to invite secular musicians.

“Some gospel ministers are rude. If you talk to some of them, they respond rudely, but the day I called Pasuma, he sounded respectful on the phone and also agreed with my stance,” he said.

Responding to the concerns raised by the task force team about the raging controversy caused by the development, Dabiri indicated that he had no plans to cancel the invitation.

However, he explained that he would reduce the excesses of the artistes at the event, especially Portable.

He said, “We will tell Portable not to dye his hair and he should not sing vulgar songs but to sing gospel music. We will also caution him not to dress inappropriately or climb the speakers.

“We will also warn him not to allow his boys to smoke here. We have invited close to 30 military personnel to man the event.”

The cleric also appealed to the Celestial Church worldwide to support his vision, as he would use his style of evangelism to make the church proud.

The Senate has taken a swipe at the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCS, saying it is disheartening to hear that dogs in the service of the Nigeria Correctional Service are better fed than any of the over 81,000 inmates in correctional centres across the country.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during the 2024 budget defence session with the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Interior, Chairman of the Committee and former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, APC, Edo North expressed surprise at the very ugly situation that the NCS has 900 dogs across its custodial centres and it spends N800 every day to feed them while N750 is spent on an inmate.

He wondered why “dogs are better fed than inmates in correctional centres, many of whom are awaiting trial.”

Oshiomhole who noted that this explained why some inmates, who are convicted on simple cases, leave prisons as hardened criminals because of the inhuman treatment meted out to them, adding ” with the high cost of living, we suspect that these inmates are not fed three times a day. It is not your fault, don’t try to be defensive. It is an appropriation issue,” he told the CG.”

Earlier, the Comptroller General of the Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa had told the Committee that the service spends N800 per day to feed each of the 900 dogs in the service while just N750 is allocated to feed each prisoner, majority of whom are awaiting trials, at N250 per meal.

Nababa who told the lawmakers that there are over N81,000 inmates across the custodial centres nationwide, with more than 53,000 of them awaiting trial, said that his Service spends N750 to feed an inmate per day, an amount he said was grossly inadequate, just as he said that they had proposed an upward review of N3,000 daily feeding cost for an inmate and the proposal had been submitted to the Minister of Interior.

Nababa said, “The total number of inmates in 2023 is 81,354 nationwide while 53, 352 are awaiting trial. We feed each inmate with N750 daily and they are fed 3 times daily (N250 for each square meal). We have 900 security dogs and to feed a dog each day is N800 daily.”

He also said that the correctional service has 900 dogs across its custodial centres, and that it spends N800 to feed each of them daily, just as he pleaded with the lawmakers to come to their aid as they have already requested an increase in the feeding amounts for the inmates.

“Nababa said, “We wrote a letter to the President to review 3,000 per day for each inmate. We want this committee to assist us in putting in words for us. The money is grossly inadequate. The budget for feeding each of them per day is N751 per day at N250 per meal, per inmate.

The CG explained that the feeding allowance per day would be reduced to N720 after the reduction of VAT and tax

Speaking further, Oshiomhole said that 53, 352 or more are not convicted yet, they are awaiting trial. They are not guilty of any offence known to law. They are innocent under our laws. For an innocent Nigerian who is being held in a correctional home N250 per meal is grossly inadequate. I wonder what you are feeding them with. They are obviously underfed.

Oshiomhole lamented that while the fault might not be that of the Correctional Service, it was heart-wrecking to know that the Nigerian government has been dehumanizing her citizens, adding, “The figures given here suggest that you have been dehumanizing Nigerians. If it was the policy of the Federal Government to appropriate more money to feed dogs than human beings, we must correct errors of the past.”

According to him, the government must scale up efforts to address unemployment as prisoners from other countries have made matters worse by taking up jobs meant for Nigerians, describing the situation as an inhumane act to inmates.

Oshiomhole who requested a breakdown of the number of inmates and security dogs they have at the moment and how they are fed on a daily basis, said, ” I would like to see a breakdown of how you feed these inmates, if you say you feed inmates three times a day with N250 each. How many dogs do you have and how much does it cost to feed them daily?”

Not happy with explanations by Nababa, Oshiomhole who emphasised that the committee will not be in a hurry to “rubber stamp” or approve any budget until they receive satisfactory answers, said, “Your name has been changed from prison to correctional, but you are dehumanising.

“It’s not just your fault because the government appropriates little money for you but it is either that you don’t feed these prisoners or you feed them only once and even at that, very miserable food.

“This is why they have completely emaciated and some can never live a decent life again even when they did not commit an offence. It is not correct to tell us that you feed prisoners a day with N750, how?

“You all know the prices of these food items in the market, so how can you look us eye to eye and tell us that you feed a man in Nigeria awaiting trial or even committed an offence with N750 a day, how much is a bottle of water,” he questioned.

“The Minister of Interior said yesterday that the NCS rather than being correctional is dehumanising. I am surprised that the 2024 budget is still based on old figures. I am surprised the CG cannot, based on the market forces, present before us, the realistic amount that could feed an innocent Nigerian who has not been pronounced guilty by any court of law. You mean the chart is so complicated that you will need to read a book to tell us?”

Oshiomhole who asked the NCS team how much it costs them to buy the quantity of the foodstuff and ingredients needed to prepare the meal of a prisoner, said, “This is a very important assignment. A lot of Nigerians under your care are innocent. They are in prisons, courtesy of big men and women who want to “teach them a lesson”

“Many of them are there on an offence they knew nothing about. However, the system has put them under your care.

“Somebody said if Mandela was in a Nigerian prison for 27 years, he would have lost his sanity by the time he was released to govern South Africa. Our prisons are meant to correct the behaviours of the people. They are not condemnation centres. They are not to dehumanised.”

In her contribution, Senator Ireti Kingibe, LP, FCT who was not satisfied with Nababa ‘s response, questioned the welfare of the inmates, asking, “How many doctors and veterinary doctors do you have taking care of these inmates and dogs,”

Prior to answering this query, Nababa and his team were seen chatting amongst themselves before they could answer the question, giving the impression that they were lacking the necessary information.

Minutes later, Nababa responded, saying, “We have 75 Medical doctors and consultants, 6 veterinary doctors who cover Lagos, Kaduna, Owerri and some of them cover more than one state and they move from place to place. The veterinary doctors have different nurses under them.”

Other Lawmakers present at the joint sitting were; Rep. Adebayo Balogun, APC, Lagos); Francis Fadahunsi, PDP, Osun East), Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, PDP, Kebbi North; Ezenwa Onyewuchi, LP, Imo East); Ireti Kingibe, LP, FCT, Abdulaziz Yari, APC, Zamfara West, amongst others.

[OpinionNigeria]

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Wednesday, revealed how he caught an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) watching Big Brother Naija reality TV show instead of screening foreign passengers at an undisclosed airport.

Tunji-Ojo stated this during an interview monitored by THE WHISTLER on Human Rights Radio, popularly known as ‘Brekete Family’

According to the minister, he caught the officer while he was arriving in the country from a foreign trip. The unnamed officer was said to be watching the reality TV show instead of attending to passengers seeking visa on arrival to the country.

Tunji-Ojo said there was a need for better service and efficiency in NIS operations, especially in dealing with foreign visitors who are capable of bringing economic benefits to the country.

He called for collaboration among stakeholders to improve the image of the country in the international community, admitting that it is difficult for one individual to bring the desired change.

“Anybody that’s entering Nigeria, the way our people will talk to you is no longer like before. Just two weeks ago I came in from Italy, and as I was coming out, they came and welcomed me and wanted to carry my bag but I said no.

“I told them not to call their colleagues and that they should return to their duty post where they call for a visa on arrival. The plan that President Tinubu has, if all of us join hands, this country will be better.

“One person cannot bring change, all of us must change Nigeria. So, when I got there to see what they’re doing, because they didn’t know I was coming, I saw people waiting in the queue, people that wanted to collect visas, and foreigners that wanted to enter Nigeria were not being attended to.

“I walked to the place because I appeared casual and I didn’t go with any convoy escorts. When I got there, I looked at the computer, the officer was supposed to give people visas, what I saw was Big Brother Naija. Immediately, I told the officer to leave, since you like the air conditioner at the airport, they will redeploy you to another place.

“I know what the president tasked the ministers with. He said we must be briefing him on everything we are doing and how we achieve them because he wants the country to be better. How do you explain keeping foreigners that brought money to spend in our country? You kept them waiting while you watched BBNaija with the computer the government bought for you to do its work.”

Speaking further, the Minister revealed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has cleared additional 52,000 passport backlog within one week

“All pending passports within three weeks were cleared on October 2nd. However, there was a new backlog of 52,000 due to increased applications by Nigerians. Fortunately, this backlog was cleared within a week. It’s expected that the backlog will be under 10,000 within the last week, and the system will be fully stabilized, ensuring passport processing within two weeks at most.”

The minister further said that the present government is committed to protecting Nigerians’ rights.

“This particular government cares about you and will protect your rights, nobody should treat Nigerians’ rights as a privilege,” he said

[thewhistler.ng]

Nigerian banks have received a circular from the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) instructing them to remove non-deposit-taking financial institutions, such as switching companies, payment solution providers, and super agents, from their NIP fund transfer channels.

The NIP channels encompass USSD, mobile banking apps, POS, ATMs, as well as web and internet platforms.

The NIBSS circular states, “listing non-deposit-taking financial institutions such as switching companies (switches), Payment Solution Service Providers (PSSP), and Super Agents (SA) as beneficiary institutions on your NIP funds transfer channels contravenes the CBN Guidelines on Electronic Payment of Salaries, Pensions, Suppliers and Taxes in Nigeria dated February 2014.”

The circular clarifies that while the financial institutions will be barred from receiving inflows, they are permitted to process outflows as inflows to banks.

“For clarity, Switches, PSSPs, and SAs may process outward transfers as inflows to Banks but are not to receive inflows as their licences do not permit them to hold customers’ funds.”

The policy enforcement aims to remove Fintechs without banking licences from banks’ fund transfer channels. Under this new arrangement, these platforms are expected to facilitate outward transfers to banks but won’t be able to receive fund inflows.

[Leadership]

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has reacted to the recent decision of multinational giant, Procter & Gamble to divest from Nigeria.

Reacting to the report, the former Anambra governor lamented that the continued exit of multinational companies from Nigeria was an indication that the country’s business environment was deteriorating continually.

Obi said that “A few months ago, I lamented the exit of one of the top global Pharmaceutical giants, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from Nigeria. GSK remains a top global pharmaceutical manufacturer and has had 51 years of operations in Nigeria. The reason for their exit was that there was no longer a perceived growth in Nigeria anchored on productivity. Today, Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest personnel care and household products company, makers of iconic brands like Pampers, Gillette, etc, is again leaving Nigeria, for the same reason GSK left.

“Following this also are French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, and top Energy firm, Norwegian behemoth Equinor which has sold off its Nigerian business development associates Fifteen years ago, P&G, as they are commonly called, viewed Nigeria as a strategic country of importance and invested millions of dollars in an ultra-modern chain supply structure in Agbara which, sadly, is now up for sale. The presence of these iconic companies in any economy is not only that they signify trust and confidence, as well as belief in the medium to long-term socio-economic prospects of such countries, but they massively create jobs, invest in Research and Development, as well as pieces of training which smaller players in the industry learn from and adapt. They help, to a great extent to develop local talents for both local and global jobs.

“The exit of these top global companies shows that our medium to long-term prospects strategy is in the negative. Our investment profile is not attractive and our business environment is deteriorating continually. The purchasing power of most Nigerians is nose-diving every day. In the face of the absence of the rule of law, and a conducive business environment, it will be difficult to retain such iconic companies and talk more about attracting new ones. Governments at all levels in Nigeria must therefore take immediate steps to ensure that institutions of governance are put in place and actively engaging to show that the situation is reversed. National greatness and development cannot be pursued in an atmosphere that is scaring away strategic international investors.”

Naija News had earlier reported that Atedo Peterside suggested that the investors who are leaving Nigeria are those who cherish the rule of law, policy consistency, macroeconomic stability and a level playing field.

Peterside, in a post via his official X handle, lamented that good investors were being replaced only partially by investors who know how to partner with politicians or game the system through waivers and exemptions.

[NaijaNews]

THE Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has stated that the Federal Government is determined to completely investigate the accidental bombing by the Nigerian Army in Tudun Biri village, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and to punish anyone found responsible.

He also promised that the Federal Government would assist the victims of the disaster.

The Vice President visited the victims of the attack at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna State’s capital.

“There is no gain in dwelling too much on this incident that has happened. I am here because the President is deeply concerned; he was deeply touched by what happened.

“Let’s not talk about the numbers, one life lost in cold blood is as gruesome as millions lost in a pogrom. The heart of the President is with the bereaved families. We were at the hospital to sympathise with the victims and be rest assured that the Federal Government stands by the community affected and the government and people of Kaduna State on this unfortunate incident.

“It is already directed by Mr President, an investigation is being conducted with a view to preventing a re-occurrence of the incident and we expect a report to be submitted in the shortest possible time,” Shettima said days after the incident threw the nation into mourning.

The Vice President has paid a visit to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital to express his condolences and solidarity to the victims and families of the recent Kaduna bombings.

Those killed in the airstrike have been buried.

He further stated that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Tinubu, is determined to eradicating terrorism and banditry throughout the country.

Governor Uba Sani welcomed Shettima upon his arrival in Kaduna State and accompanied him to the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, where he commiserated with the victims.

Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of Defence, and Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were among Shettima’s entourage.

The Vice President’s visit comes four days after a deadly airstrike in the North-Western state killed over 85 people and injured many more.

Local and international watchdogs have uniformly condemned Sunday’s sad tragedy, demanding for investigations and a standardized assessment of procedural actions.

Following the airstrike, there was much confusion, with many blaming the Nigerian Air Force. The agency, on the other hand, was ready to exonerate itself of culpability for the occurrence. Hours later, the Kaduna State government announced that the Nigerian Army had taken responsibility for the unintentional bombing in Nigeria’s North-West region.

The Army has since taken responsibility for the incidence, with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, pleading with the people and committing that such occurrence will not repeat itself.

“My assessment of that unfortunate incident of Sunday, December 3, 2023, is that it is grave, regrettable. We will do everything possible to prevent such an occurrence from happening again in the conduct of our operations going forward,” he said about one of the country’s deadliest military bombing accidents.

Both the federal and state governments in Kaduna have demanded an investigation into the incident.

The Kaduna state incidence is happening months after another fatal airstrike on Kwatiri, a Nasarawa village which left at least 39 persons were killed and six others injured in the 24 January incident.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the State Minister of Petroleum, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri as chairman of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB). 

The president also appointed eight other Nigerians as part of the governing council and management team of the board. 

This was disclosed in a statement by the Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, on Thursday. 

According to the statement, the president expects that the following appointees discharge their duties judiciously to enhance indigenous participation in the energy sector.  

What the President Said 

Speaking further, the president, through his spokesperson, noted that the appointment is in line with Sections71(1), 72, and 73 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (201Saidl 

The president also noted that the listed names are regarded as qualified Nigerians who can serve as stakeholders to pilot the affairs of the oil and energy sector, particularly as it relates to the indigenous people in the country.  

He said, 

• “In conformity with Sections 71(1), 72, and 73 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act (2010), President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of qualified Nigerians to serve on the Governing Council and Management team of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB): 

1. Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri — Chairman / HMS, Petroleum Resources 

1. Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe — Executive Secretary 

1. Oritsemyiwa Eyesan — Member / EVP Upstream, NNPCL 

1. Gbenga Komolafe — Member / CEO, NUPRC 

1. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens — Member 

1. Nicolas Odinuwe — Member 

1. Rapheal Samuel — Member 

1. Sadiq Abubakar — Member 

1. Olorundare Sunday Thomas — Member 

• “President Tinubu expects this highly qualified body of experts to discharge their duties with his patriotic resolve to significantly enhance indigenous industry participation in the energy sector as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda’s mandate to achieve the goal of 70% indigenous content and participation in the nation’s energy industry during the lifespan of this administration” 

What you should know 

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) was established by the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act which came into effect on April 22, 2010. 

The NOGIC JQS was created in line with section 55 of the NOGIC Act which states that the Board shall establish, maintain and operate a joint qualification system (JQS) in consultation with industry stakeholders which shall be administered by provisions set out in the regulations to be made by the Minister by the provisions of this Act. 

Key functions of the Board include:  

To review, assess and approve Nigerian Content plans developed by operators. To set guidelines and minimum content levels for project-related activities across the oil and gas value chain. 

[Nairametrics]