Crime Facts

FAAN arrests over 90 ‘touts’, hands 89 over to Police

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Monday, arrested over 90 persons said to be touts at both the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for carrying out illegal activities. Confirming the arrest, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs , FAAN , Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, said the arrests is part of efforts to rid the nation’s airports of touting and extortion. She also said of the total arrested, 59 were handed over to the airport police command in Abuja for prosecution, while 30 were handed over to the police force in Lagos for same. According to Yakubu, “the touts were arrested for various acts of illegality including Fake Covid-19 test results, Touting, Unauthorised entry, Trespass, Illegal Facilitation, Forgery, Loitering, Theft, Public nuisance and arguments, amongst others.” “Some of those arrested are staff of Patovilki Nigeria Limited, Lakewood Services, NAHCO Plc, and other airport staff.” “We are using this opportunity to warn those that do not have any legitimate business at the airports, as well as airport staff carrying out illegal duties to desist from such acts, as the Authority will not hesitate to arrest and hand over such individuals for prosecution,” FAAN Spokeswoman warned Meanwhile, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO has asked FAAN to disclose the identity of its staff arrested for illegal activities at the airports. A statement from the company’s management yesterday while reacting to the arrest read, ” NAHCO is in support of the arrest of airport staff for touting and other vices. We commend the move. NAHCO is a responsible player in the industry, as such, will not condone any form of illegality. We urge FAAN to always carry us along in this fight. The current move will in no small measure help our industry to grow as well as bring sanity to the airports”. “We will however engage FAAN, to provide us the our personnel alleged to be involved, to enable us to activate our internal disciplinary process as we currently do not have any clue as to who is involved, when, and in what capacity,” the statement added.

Bitcoin Slides Below $40,000

Bitcoin slid below $40,000 on Monday, falling to its lowest level since the end of September as the world’s leading cryptocurrency showed no end to its volatility. Bitcoin dropped to $39,663.18, down from a record high of above $66,000 in October. After taking a tumble Monday, it recovered some ground, rising to $41,198. Its recent decline meanwhile continues to drag down other cryptocurrencies. “The main culprit behind the slump in crypto prices is the Fed’s decision to withdraw massive liquidity, which has been pumped into markets since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic,” Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Avatrade, said. AFP

Kano University Suspends Exams Over Keke Riders Strike

The Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano has suspended all examinations earlier scheduled for 8-11 am of Monday and Tuesday, 10th and 11th of January 2022. The university announced the decision in a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman, University Examination Committee, Dr Yau Datti. Tricycle riders across the state had embarked on the strike overpayment of some taxes to the Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA). ”Following an emergency meeting with the University management, the following decisions have been taken; that all examinations earlier scheduled for today, Monday the 10th of January, 2022 have been suspended, and all examinations scheduled for 8 – 11am (morning session) of Tuesday, the 11th January, 2022, have also been suspended. “That all the Examinations scheduled for 11:30 – 2:30 and 3:00 – 6:00 pm will hold as scheduled.” The statement added that the University had approved the release of its buses to be stationed at strategic routes in order to ease the transportation of students to and from the University. While noting that all the remaining examinations remain as scheduled, the university assured that all suspended examinations would be conducted at a time and date to be specified later. Daily Trust had earlier reported that thousands of people were stranded in Kano, with many trekking to various places as a result of the Tricycle riders strike.

EFCC recovers N152Bn, $386m in 2021

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in continuation of the review of its operational activities for 2021 has disclosed that it recovered the aggregate sum of N152, 088,698,751.64, (One Hundred and Fifty-two Billion, Eighty-eight Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-eight Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-one Naira, Sixty-four Kobo), $386,220,202.84 ( Three Hundred and Eighty-six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Two Hundred and Two Dollar, Eighty-four Cent), £1, 182,519.75 ( One Million, One Hundred and Eighty-two Thousand, Five Hundred and Nineteen Pounds, €156,246.76( One Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand, Two Hundred and Forty-six Euro), 1,723,310.00 Saudi Riyal, 1,900.00 South African Rand, and 1, 400.00 Canadian Dollar between January and December 2021. The recovery basket also included a digital currency component with 5, 36957319 Bitcoin and 0.09012 Ethereum. Headquarters Operation dominated the recoveries with N67, 249, 744, 994.89, $375,662,223.59 and £1,151,539.75. It is closely followed by the Lagos Command which led the Naira recoveries with N70, 315,611,260.52, $9,286,497.83 and £21,500.00. The Kaduna Zonal Command emerged third in terms of Naira recoveries with a total sum of N3, 339,405,723.93 while the Ibadan Zonal Command took the same position in terms of Dollar recoveries to the tune of $387,385.00. Giving an overview of the performance, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, explained that the monies included direct and indirect recoveries for the different tiers of government (Federal, State and Local Governments), corporate organizations and individuals (victims of crime) within the year under review. He commended the personnel of the Commission for the performance while urging them to redouble their efforts to ensure that perpetrators of economic and financial crimes are denied the benefit of the proceeds of crime.

Kaduna Security: Troops Foil Attack, Neutralize Five Terrorists In Giwa LGA

Troops of the Nigerian military have neutralized five terrorists in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State. According to a statement on Monday by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, the terrorists were neutralized after the troops foiled an attack by the terrorists in Kwanan Bataro community of Giwa local government area. According to the operational feedback, the troops who were conducting clearance patrols in Giwa LGA received credible intelligence of terrorists’ movement towards Fatika town, and immediately, they mobilised to Marke and Ruheya in response. He explained that the outlawed gang were sighted and attempted to escape the advancing forces. The troops, however, cut off their escape route at Kwanan Bataro and engaged the terrorists in a firefight, during which five of them were neutralized. Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i has expressed satisfaction with the operational feedback, and commended the troops for their proactive and sharp response to the intelligence received. He encouraged them to keep up the intensity in the ongoing offensives against terrorists in the area.

Lassa Fever Kills WHO Doctor In Benue

A medical doctor working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Benue State has reportedly died of Lassa fever. Our correspondent reports that the doctor whose name was given as Samuel Tagher Nyitor, succumbed to death on Sunday from the disease after being referred to Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State. There were however reports that two other people treated by another medical doctor (himself now in isolation) also died last week in the wake of the outbreak in the state. But the State’s Commissioner of Health and Human Resources, Dr Joseph Ngbea, confirmed to journalists in Makurdi on Monday that only the doctor that was taken to Irrua died. Ngbea said one other confirmed case receiving treatment at the Benue State Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) is stable and that there was no cause for alarm. “One doctor died. Nobody else is in critical condition. The other person there (BSUTH) is very stable. “Before the Lassa Fever outbreak, the ministry through the governor released money so even when they made the diagnosis, we wanted to take over the payment but the hospital said no, they will be the one to pay. “As we speak, they have released the purchase of drugs worth N600,000. Anybody that had contact with him (deceased) should make themselves available at the teaching hospital,” he said. The commissioner urged residents in the state to keep away anything that will encourage rats and when in doubts about fever not responding to the treatment they should immediately report to the hospital for early medical attention.

Irabor: With bandits now declared terrorists, we’ll give them bloody nose

Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff, says the official declaration of bandits as terrorists will enable the armed forces to take necessary action against them. The defence chief said the gazette proscribing bandits as terrorists was long desired by the armed forces. Irabor spoke on Monday when he featured on ‘Good Morning Nigeria’, a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme. The federal government had on January 5 released a gazette proscribing bandits as terrorists — over one month after a federal high court in Abuja had declared the activities of all bandit groups in the country as acts of terrorism. The defence chief said the military will amend its tactics, given the latest development, adding that the criminals would be given “the bloody nose they so desire”. “The issue of gazetting the bandits as terrorists is a news that is quite gladdening. That has always been what we had desired,” he said. “What it means is that our tactics, techniques and procedures that we use in handling them certainly would have to change and that is why, I believe going forward, I am sure you will be reading what the outcome of those engagements are. “Gazetting them as terrorists give it a global disposition that will enable other key global actors to now take certain action against them. For me, it will only get better and we will give them the bloody nose that they so desire.”

Why we banned Fulani cattle in South-East — IPOB

The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has cleared the air over the ban it placed on consumption of beef from Fulani cattle in South-East. Recall IPOB, in a statement on Monday, 3 January, by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said the ban would take effect from April, 2022. Following this, a group under the auspices of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) through its Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, described IPOB’s directive as “a grave provocation and serious threat to northern commercial interests in the South-East and by extension, to the physical wellbeing of Northerners living as minorities among Igbo communities”. The CNG, therefore, called for a total boycott of all businesses operated by the Igbo all over the North. READ ALSO: Release Nnamdi Kanu now or else…, IPOB warns Buhari Reacting, IPOB in a statement forwarded to Vanguard Monday, by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said; “We did not ban cow meats but those cows that were destroying our farms and those raping our mothers, wives and sisters in the farms, Biafrans can foreign cows not the ones that can bring terrorists in our territories”. The group further condemned the comment made by the Northern groups saying “the CNG should have first questioned some herdsmen on why they have s3x with cows, film such abominable act by themselves and post the video to the world. What is the reason for such beastly behaviour? Who do they want to hypnotise?” Why is it that the Northern coalition never cautioned their people to stop sleeping with cows and sell the defiled animals for people to eat?” “The baseless claim by Northern coalition group and Arewa youth groups that IPOB has declared war against the North cannot fly because they started it by destroying archole and hotels belonging to Igbo people in the North while it does not belong to the fulani only. “IPOB is wise and knowledgeable enough to know what it means to declare war. We are, and remain a peaceful movement,” IPOB added.

FREDERICK NWABUFO: The Christianisation of Nigeria by Buhari

In the heat of the 2018 killings by criminals, I received a deluge of broadcast messages steeped in conspiracy theories of how the government was backing certain criminal groups in their festival of bloodletting. According to one of the well-noised fibs, the government was paving the way, through militias, for the occupation of Nigeria and for the domination of ethnic nationalities by the Fulani. One notorious conspiracy theory claimed the killings were the surreptitious agenda of a powerful clique in government who were working at conquering territories and forcibly converting Nigerian locals to Islam. Another canard said the government was contriving how to take over lands of citizens and hand them over to the Fulani by stoking the crisis. Too many lies. Doctored videos and photos rippled on social media purportedly showing the military dropping arms and supplies from helicopters to bandits. The criminals were alleged to be enjoying protection as ancillaries of the government. Really, conspiracy theories in Nigeria come with the ethnic origin of the leadership of the day. The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is Ijaw and from the south-south, was accused of sponsoring Boko Haram to depopulate the north. Murtala Nyako, former governor of Adamawa state, at a meeting with Susan Rice, former US national security advisor; US officials and some northern leaders, at the White House on March 8, 2014, said Jonathan was eternalising the Boko Haram crisis to whittle down the voting power of the north ahead of the 2015 elections. Azubuike Ihejirika, former chief of army staff, who was the first army chief of Igbo extraction since the civil war of 1967-1970, was also accused of sponsoring Boko Haram as a way to exact vengeance for the perils the Igbo suffered in the war. He was alleged to be deploying arms and ammunition to the insurgents. Nigeria has always been fertile with conspiracy theories. Since 2017, the Buhari administration has been accused of angling to Islamise and Fulanise Nigeria. In fact, the allegation was so intense that some Nigerians wrote to foreign bodies asking them to sanction the country. In September 2017, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) claimed the government’s issuance of N100 billion Sukuk bonds (an instrument of Islamic financing) was an attempt to pawn the country to Arab nations. According to the association, the government was accelerating the process of islamising the country. Islamic financing is celebrated globally for its interest-free and equitable fundamentals, and has been advanced as a better financing alternative for developing countries. Ironically, the Sukuk funds over which CAN raised a hue and cry have been used to finance the construction of a road (Kolo-Otueke-Bayelsa Palm road) in former President Jonathan’s hometown. 44 other road projects have also been funded with Sukuk. Instead of uniting against the bogey of kidnapping and banditry, Nigerians were divided – and some coloured the tragedies in ethnic complexions. Ethnic knights rose up, threatening the survival of the country. Nigeria was in chaos. Only the heavens know how the country escaped the plunge to certain doom. And all of this for what? Politics? Because the president is of Fulani ethnic origin? I believe our predatory and pernicious politics was at the heart of the labelling and conspiracy theories. It is nearly seven years in the life of the Buhari administration and about a year to the next presidential election, but the conspiracy theories of Islamisation and Fulanisation appear to be vapourising. Perhaps because the government is inching towards the departure lounge and the ruses no longer serve any political purpose. The Buhari administration is at its twilight, but Sunday is still a ‘’holy day’’ for Christians. The foundational Christian elements on which Nigeria is built are still the same – and Islamisation has not happened. There is no Fulanisation or Islamisation of the civil service, the military or anywhere. It has been all propaganda. As I have always said, Nigeria is a Christianised country. This is largely due to British colonialism. Islam had made an in-road into northern Nigeria by the 11th century – before Uthman Dan Fodio’s Jihad of 1804, which was the climactic denouement. Borno was among the first disciples of Islam in the 11th century. There was a literate population, a well defined system of government and codified laws. But the British yanked off a prodigious part of this heritage, imposing its own systems which were fore-grounded in Christian values and practices. We have become so used to our Christian ways that any blip of the obverse sends us, top gear, into panic and revulsion. President Buhari has left the orthodoxies the way he met them – and by dint of that, I think he has contributed in the Christianisation of Nigeria. By Fredrick Nwabufo; Nwabufo aka Mr OneNigeria is a writer and journalist. Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @FredrickNwabufo

Buni Lifts Ban On Use Of Motorcycle In Yobe 10 Years After

Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has lifted the ban on the use of motorcycles across 10 local government areas of Yobe North and South senatorial districts in the state. Buni made the announcement on Monday at Nguru Emir’s Palace while commiserating with residents over the recent fire incident at Nguru market. Buni noted that residents are now free to use their motorcycles for easy access to their farms among other legitimate purposes. He pointed out that the new measure was a result of the improvement in security situation witnessed in those areas. Yobe State government banned the use of motorcycles in January 2012 during the peak of the Boko Haram crisis. Areas free to use motorcycles now include Bade, Nguru, Karasuwa, Yusufari, Machina, Jakusko, Fune, Fika, Nangere and Potiskum local governments areas respectively.