At least 800 Nigerians have been arrested and detained by the Saudi Arabian government for issues bordering on illegal migration. In a statement on Friday, Gabriel Odu, spokesperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said the Saudi Arabian government intensified a clampdown on irregular migrants in October 2022. “The attention of the management of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has been drawn to a communication from the office of the secretary to the government of the federation on Saudi Arabian authorities intensifying crackdown on undocumented foreigners in their country,” the statement reads. “The letter stated that the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has between October and December 2022, intensified joint operations across the country targeted at riding the kingdom of undocumented irregular migrants. “In the communication to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi Arabian government noted that about 45,458 foreigners ranging from violation of residency rules, illegal border crossing attempts and irregular migrants for labour-related offences are in the country. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has about 800 Nigerians arrested and detained for various offences particularly consular issues since the clampdown began in October 2022.” Odu said although the Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia is intervening in the matter, it would be necessary for Nigerians to avoid breaking the laws of other countries to prevent similar situations. He urged Nigerian citizens to travel legitimately and with necessary documents, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari is in talks with President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to lift the suspension of the visa ban on Nigerians travelling to the country. In 2021, Nigeria evacuated hundreds of its citizens from Saudi Arabia. after they overstayed their visas and were left stranded.

  The spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), Festus Keyamo, has alluded to President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive on the naira swap policy being ill-advised. Buhari, in a Thursday national broadcast on the controversial policy, ordered that the old N200 banknotes remain in circulation till April 10, while the old N500 and N1,000 bills no longer serve as legal tender. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) first set the policy in motion in October 2022, issuing a redesign of the three highest denominations of the naira, which was officially completed and unveiled in November 2022. The initial deadline of January 31, 2023 was later extended to February 10, but with the governments of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara approaching the Supreme Court, an interim order was given putting the policy’s implementation on hold. The ensuing currency scarcity has led to protests across the country with several cases of ATMs destroyed, as well as banking facilities and property damaged. “My view is that the President acted honestly without intention to slight the Supreme Court,” Keyamo said during a live appearance on Channels Television’s The 2023 Verdict on Friday. “But he may have acted on wrong advice.” He added, “I did not give that advice; it is not my responsibility. I don’t know who gave that advice. I want to say this openly because tomorrow, people will ask me where I stood at this time.” The Minister of State for Labour stated that Buhari’s speech acknowledged that there were certain matters in court and that the President believed he was playing safe by purportedly intervening to quell the growing tension across the country. “He thought he was playing safe by saying, ‘Before you decide this matter in court, may I just provide some middle ground so that country burning, there are riots everywhere, so let me just try and provide some succour to the people, whilst acknowledging the matters are in court.’ “Now, if I were to advise him, I would have advised differently. I did not advise him. It’s not my responsibility; I don’t know who.” Asked what his counsel to the President would have been, Keyamo said it would be for him to “comply strictly with the terms of the order of the Supreme Court, [which is that] all the old notes should circulate for now side by side with the new notes because that is the order of the Supreme Court.” He added that by virtue of the constitution, “all authorities in Nigeria must obey the orders of the Supreme Court, “adding that anything to the contrary is “a descent to anarchy.” According to him, the day people begin to disobey the order of the Supreme Court is an invitation to “revolutionary intervention or other kinds of interventions” in the nation’s democracy. He described the judiciary and the Supreme Court as the last bastion to defend Nigeria’s democracy. ‘True Federalism’ Keyamo also addressed the allegations of treason against governors, including those of Kaduna and Kano, who have warned that severe action would be taken against corporate entities in their states that reject the old notes. “It’s federalism in action. Those who are clamouring for true federalism – this is true federalism in action. People are thinking that this is the first time that governors of the APC are taking the President to court. It’s not,” he said. “On various issues, they have always challenged the President in court. It doesn’t affect their amity; it doesn’t affect the cohesion of the party; it doesn’t affect the cohesion of these individuals.” In his assessment, the minister stated that the President “at times” approves of the institutions set up by the constitution to resolve disputes, adding that the courts are there to resolve disputes. “Don’t forget that the governors took the President to court over certain executive orders that he gave, I think regarding the state judiciaries and legislature and they won at the Supreme Court,” he said.

  Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has accused the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr Godwin Emefiele, of having an ulterior motive behind the the recent monetary policy which has caused many Nigerians great discomfort in the passing weeks.   In his official state broadcast on Thursday, El-Rufai alleged that Emefiele and his supporters within the presidency plan to make life difficult for Nigerians, undermine the works of the government and see to it that the forthcoming elections do not hold. According to El-Rufai, the final goal is to see that the military takes over Nigeria even as they would be made to step in as to stop the imbroglio occasioned by a life made unbearable for millions of Nigerians. Security, Corruption At Stake With New Cash Policy, Says Buhari What Governor El-Rufai said: “They also sought to achieve any one or more of following objectives: a. Create a nationwide shortage of cash so that citizens are incited to vote against APC candidates across the board resulting in massive losses for the Party in all the elections; b. Ensure that the cash crunch is so serious, along with the contrived and enduring fuel shortage existing since September 2022, that the 2023 Elections do not hold at all, leading to an Interim National Government to be led by a retired Army General; c. Sustain the climate of shortage of fuel, food and other necessities, leading to mass protests, violence and breakdown of law and order that would provide a fertile foundation for a military take-over.   The governor further asserted that in the pursuit of these objectives, “the Central Bank of Nigeria and these other disgruntled Federal officials have so far convinced the President that it is fine for ordinary citizens to be dispossessed of their hard-earned money, and starved if need be, while small and medium-sized businesses are deprived of access to their capital, thereby bringing trade and exchange to a grinding halt”. El-Rufai said all efforts to modify implementation of the policy to avoid what was assumed to be unintended consequences were unsuccessful, adding that he chose to speak out first as one person that has been particularly close to the President, believing that his actions were motivated by innocence, and mindful of his legacy. The governor said he has no regrets for doing his duty in this regard, stressing that one day, the president will appreciate what he and his fellow governors are being insulted for today. Below is a transcript of the full broadcast as shared by the governor on his official Facebook Page.

  Thirty-one bodies buried in two clandestine graves have been exhumed by authorities in western Mexico, officials said Thursday, in a region hit by violence linked to organized crime.   The first grave was found on February 1 in the town of San Isidro Mazatepec in Jalisco state. A second grave was found after several days of investigation and the extraction of bags containing bodies. “We have already counted 31 victims,” Jalisco state prosecutor Luis Joaquin Mendez told reporters, adding that authorities have evidence to identify about half of the bodies so they can be returned to their families. Jalisco, which is controlled by the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is among the Mexican states most heavily impacted by organized crime violence.   Last year, 301 bodies were discovered in the state in 41 clandestine graves, and 544 bodies were found in 2020, the highest number to date. Mexico’s homicide rate has tripled since 2006 — when an intensification of the government’s war on drug cartels triggered a spiral of violence — from 9.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants to 28 in 2021.

  The spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council (PDP-PCC), Daniel Bwala, has accused the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai of inciting Nigerians against the order of President Muhammadu Buhari on the naira swap policy. Buhari had in a national broadcast on Thursday, ordered that the old N200 banknotes remain in circulation till April 10, while the old N500 and N1,000 bills cease to serve as legal tender. However, in a later broadcast, El-Rufai faulted the President’s directive and ordered Kaduna indigenes to continue spending the old notes, citing the Supreme Court order which had stopped the central bank for barring use of old notes. Speaking on Channels Television’s The 2023 Verdict programme on Friday, Bwala alleged that El-Rufai himself had violated court orders in the past and was not in the best position to berate Buhari for the alleged violation of a court order. “Governor El-Rufai sat and addressed the people of Kaduna State and by extension the members of APC throughout the federation of Nigeria that they should disobey the orders of President Buhari who stands as the symbol of the sovereignty of the country. “The El-Rufai that is inciting Nigerians to rise against the government because the government violate orders, let me tell you, as the FCT Minister, El-Rufai disobeyed all court orders and demolished houses,” Bwala alleged. The PDP campaign spokesperson also said that the APC has never at any material time in the last eight years demonstrated their sympathy to Nigerians. He argued that their behaviour that seems “as if they care” was a belated act. Bwala, who is of the school of thought that the APC wants to give the impression that they are considerate to Nigerians so that they would be voted for, called it a ploy to deceive the people.

  A pair of lawmakers have called on the United States to rescind a nearly $1 billion helicopter sale to Nigeria, saying that allegations of a forced abortion program have renewed concerns on human rights. Congress had delayed the sale over concerns about the Nigerian army’s commitment to protect civilians as it battles a jihadist uprising in the northwest, as well as the bloody repression of protests against police violence in 2020.   But President Joe Biden’s administration approved the sale of the 12 Viper attack helicopters last year, saying the equipment would promote security in Africa’s most populous country. Representatives Chris Smith, a Republican active on human rights and strong opponent of abortion, and Sara Jacobs, a Democrat who formerly worked for the State Department, said that Nigeria’s armed forces had a consistent record of abuses and that past aid had done little to boost security. “Therefore, we believe continuing to move forward with the nearly $1 billion arms sale would be highly inappropriate and we urge the administration to rescind it,” they wrote in a letter to Biden this week. An investigation by Reuters last year found that Nigeria’s military has conducted a years-long illicit program to carry out abortions among victims of jihadists, with some girls and women who refuse being beaten, held at gunpoint or drugged. The military denied the report. The US lawmakers’ call comes amid sporadic violence ahead of February 25 elections in Nigeria. A State Department spokesperson, asked about the letter, said that the United States vets Nigerian forces before they receive US assistance. “The Department does not provide assistance to a security force unit if there is credible information indicating the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights,” she said. “We consistently raise concerns about credible allegations of human rights violations and abuses at the highest levels and urge the Nigerian government to thoroughly and transparently investigate and hold to account those responsible for wrongdoing.”

  The Director, New Media of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode on Saturday describe the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai as ‘hero of the moment’. Recall that the Governor in a statewide broadcast in Kaduna on Thursday night insisted that the N500 and N1000 notes remain legal tender in the state despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive opposing same. The former Minister in a series of tweets via his verified handle @realFFK on Saturday morning said the Governor El-Rufai spoke truth to power. He also blasted those ‘plotting’ to scuttle the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in the polls slated for next week Saturday saying they have failed. Fani-Kayode expressed his opinion using the various pictures of the Kaduna State Governor. See tweet below: …our nation ablaze & destroy our democracy have failed. Next Saturday this matter will finally be concluded, the hopes of the conspirators shall be dashed & our collective enemies shall not only be roundly humiliated & convincingly defeated but also confined to the dustbin..2/ pic.twitter.com/1KBLF7AA0H— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) February 18, 2023 ..& Peter the Pooh shall go back to selling condoms, beer, toothpaste, tomatoe puree & toilet paper. Never forget that we are WARRIORS, we have NO fear & we always WIN! Bola Ahmed Tinubu SHALL, by the grace of God, be the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria! pic.twitter.com/Jyzd4v0qgz— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) February 18, 2023