Crime Facts

13 Nigerian new governors borrowed N226.8bn in six months

  In the first six months after taking office, 13 new state governors collectively borrowed N226.8bn from domestic and external financiers. This emerged as findings by Sunday PUNCH showed that 16 state governors also increased the debt profile of their states by N509.3bn with domestic and external debt of N243.95bn and $298.5m (N265.37bn), respectively. The external debt was calculated based on the exchange rate of N889/$ used by the Debt Management Office in its report. This is according to an analysis of the latest sub-national debt reports released by the DMO.   The sub-national debts are classified into domestic borrowings from local creditors and external borrowings from international creditors like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The domestic and external debts published on the DMO’s website were as of December 30 and June 30, 2023, respectively. The states, which include Benue, Cross Rivers, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory, got N115.57bn from domestic creditors, while governors of Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara states borrowed $125.1m (N111.24bn) from external sources. For the sub-nationals, a further breakdown of the data showed that Cross Rivers Governor, Bassey Otu, took the highest loan, with N16.2bn from domestic and $57.95m from foreign creditors between June and December 2023. Katsina State followed with the debt surging by N36.93bn from N62.37bn to N99.3bn by December 2023. Third on the list is Niger State, with a domestic debt of N17.85bn, surging from N121.95bn in June 2023 to N139.8bn by December of the same year. Plateau got N16.32bn; Rivers borrowed N7.07bn; Zamfara, N14.26bn; and the FCT under the leadership of Nyesom Wike borrowed N6.75bn from domestic creditors. For foreign debt, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State accumulated external debt of $37.54m, while Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State borrowed $17.69m from external financiers. Similarly, the governors of Kano borrowed $6.6m; Niger, $1.27m; Plateau, $831,008; Sokoto, $499,472; Taraba, $1.51m; and Zamfara, $655,563, from external sources. Despite declarations by the administration of President Bola Tinubu that it would not continue with the massive borrowings of the previous government to fund its expenditures, the latest developments show that the new government is sticking to the controversial policy amidst increased revenue. In 2023, state governors got the most Federal Account Allocation Committee allocations in at least seven years. The rise in FAAC allocations to the three tiers of government, especially the states, followed the removal of subsidy on petrol and currency reforms by the Tinubu administration. The reforms have reportedly led to a 40 per cent boost in income. An analysis of the 2023 FAAC monthly allocations revealed that the sub-national and local government councils got the highest allocation of N627.73bn in September, followed by N610.5bn in December, N555.75bn in August, N533bn in November, N514bn in July and N497.97bn in October.

NIN-SIM linkage: NCC extends deadline for subscribers with over four SIMs to July 31

  The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended the deadline for the disconnection of unlinked lines from April 15 to July 31, for subscribers with more than four SIM cards. The deadline for those with less than four SIM cards expired on March 29, as reported by TheCable. According to a source, the March 29 deadline “has been effected”. The source said telcos have been given a deadline of July 31 to verify the national identity numbers (NINs) of subscribers, and “are expected to bar any line whose NIN fails verification on or before then”. TheCable understands that the new deadline followed requests for “long extensions” by operators. On February 29, the commission said a total of 45 million lines in the country would be barred for not linking their SIM cards with their NINs from February 28, 2024. The agency said out of the 45 million, 42 million lines have neither made a call, had a data session or sent an SMS in over one year. But the deadline was extended to March 29. The NCC, reiterating its position, asked telcos to bar unlinked lines on March 29, saying there would be no more extensions for subscribers to comply with the NIN-SIM policy. The agency said telecommunication companies have been directed to bar owners of more than four SIM cards whose registration failed to match their NIN data.

Gunmen abduct 3 UNICAL students

  The Police Command in Cross River, on Sunday, confirmed the abduction of three students of the University of Calabar (Unical). The spokesperson of the command, SP Irene Ugbo, who gave the confirmation, said the students were abducted on Thursday night at one of the university hostels inside the campus. Ugbo, who didn’t give details of the abduction, however, said the police were working in collaboration with other agencies to rescue the students. A source who pleaded anonymity gave the names of the students as Ojang Precious Ebejin, a 200-level student of the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Ugwu Chukwuemeka, a 300-level student of the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, and Damilola Dickson, a final-year student of the same Department.

Police arrest 25-year-old man for abducting, defiling minor in Rivers

  The Rivers State Police command announced at the weekend the arrest of a 25-year-old man simply called Prince for allegedly abducting and defiling a 13-year-old girl in Ogbogoro, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state. The suspect, also known as Don P, was alleged to have abducted the 13-year-old girl for two days and repeatedly defiled her. According to the mother of the victim, who gave her name simply as Ify to protect her privacy, she sent her daughter on an errand on Monday, March 18, 2024, before her sudden disappearance. “I told my 13-year-old girl to go buy charcoal and vegetables for me last Monday at about 5 pm. Till 8 p.m., I did not see my child, so I became worried that she was yet to come back from the errand I sent her. “Me and my husband’s brother started looking for her. I went to the place where they sell vegetables and charcoal and was told they had not seen my daughter. “As I and my son continued searching for her street to street, on Wednesday afternoon, at about 12 p.m., we saw our daughter running, and she held my son immediately when she saw him. We asked her where she had been and why she was running, and she said one brother was pursuing her. “We ask her to take us to the place where the brother is staying; she said the brother’s name is Prince; he stays around the White House area in Ogbogoro. “We saw the brother, and he said he was the one who took and held our daughter for two days while she was on an errand. I checked on my daughter as a mother, and she has been deflowered.”. Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, said, “Yes, I can confirm the arrest of the suspect by the Ozuoba Police Division. She said that the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for further and discreet investigation.” Reacting to the incident, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, disclosed that the parents of the teenage girl contacted him three days after the minor regained freedom from her abductor, and the matter had been reported to the Ozuoba Police Division. The rights advocate expressed concern over the safety of young girls in that area of Ogbogoro due to the seeming reoccurrence of such incidences and tasked the police with ensuring the perpetrators of the heinous crime were held accountable. The incident comes barely one month after a twelve-year-old girl was abducted in the same Ogbogoro area and taken to an uncompleted building, where she was repeatedly defiled by a 42-year-old man and his cronies for two days. The man is presently standing trial in Rivers State Family Court. The suspect will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, for further and discreet investigation.”

Teenager kills friend and dumps his body in a septic tank in Niger

  Nineteen years old Yakubu Tanko has been arrested by the Niger state Police Command for killing his friend and dumping his body in a septic tank in a bid to cover up the crime. It was learnt that Tanko entered into his friend, 14-year-old Sikiru Tajudeen’s room in the Tundun Fulani area of Minna and hit him with a stick he took from the kitchen. Tanko confessed that after he hit the deceased with the stick, blood rushed out and he left his friend lying dead on the bed and went away. “I returned two hours later and I got a sack where I put the body inside till around 8 pm. I then borrowed a wheelbarrow which I used to take the dead body and took it to a soak away that is open close here and put the body inside the soak away. I thought nobody would see the body again”, he confessed. Speaking on why he killed his friend, the suspect said that there was no reason and he was not sent by anyone, “I personally planned it and did it.” The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun said that the deceased was reported missing at the Bosso Police Division as his family said that they found the trouser of his school uniform, a stick, and a stone with blood stains inside the room of the deceased. He disclosed that a day later, the community found the body of the deceased after tracing a strange odour coming from a septic tank within the community, and on inspection, a sack was found and the lifeless body of Sikiru was found inside when it was opened. “Further findings from the community pointed to Yakubu Tanko and he was immediately arrested. He confessed to the homicide during interrogation while he admitted that the deceased was his friend”, Abiodun said. The PPRO said that the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

Ondo police arrest man for killing friend, stealing motorcycle

  The Ondo State Police Command, on Sunday, said it has arrested a 39-year-old man, Dolapo Babalola, for allegedly killing one Opeyemi Oyelakin, 34, after stealing his motorcycle. The police said the suspect killed the victim in Oke-Igbo town in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of the state on March 15, 2024, after which he allegedly took away the victim’s motorcycle. Speaking on the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo, said that the victim, who was a commercial motorcycle rider, was lured by the suspect and one other who is currently at large under the pretence of patronising him from Ondo town to a farm in Oke-Igbo town. Oladipo also stated that his men were able to arrest the suspect after the motorcycle owner reported at the police station that the deceased and his motorcycle were missing. He said, “On March 25, 2024, a complainant reported at police headquarters that the motorcycle he gave to a rider was not seen since March 15, 2024, and every effort to trace the rider proved futile. Consequent upon the report, police moved into action and through technical intelligence, the suspect was arrested. “Upon interrogation of the suspect, he confessed to how the rider who incidentally happened to be his (suspect) friend, was engaged from Ondo town to take him and one other who is currently at large to a farm area in Oke-Igbo. “They brought him to the area we are standing which falls within Ile-Oluji /Oke Igbo Local Government. On getting to this point, they came down under the pretence that they want to inspect their farm. The other suspect, now at large, gripped the okada rider at the back and the suspect that we apprehended hit him with a stone on the head and consistently used wood to hit his head.” The CP stated that “thereafter, they dragged the already dead body into the bush, threw him into a pit and used leaf to cover him and left him there. Having been interrogated, he led operatives to this particular location where the dead body of the deceased was found.” The suspect, Babalola, when asked the reason for killing his friend after stealing his motorcycle, said he could not explain the reason, blaming the devil. Babalola revealed that he started stealing motorcycles since 2021 and had stolen over 15 motorcycles which he sold to a buyer in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He, however, said that this was the first time he would kill his victim and could not explain the reason why. He said, “Truly I can’t explain, it’s just the work of the devil. This person we are talking about is a close friend of mine, his bike is not the first bike I will ever snatch, but I have never killed before. Even those that are not related to me, I snatched bike from them and I did not even do anything harmful to them. “I can not count the number of bikes I have stolen specifically but it’s more than 15. The person that used to buy the bike is at Ibadan. “The amount we sell the stolen bikes depend on how clean the bike is, but no matter how clean the bike is, he (the buyer) has never bought anyone more than N200,000. This particular one was sold for N130,000.”

Lagos police arrest 19-year-old attempting to snatch patrol bike

  Policemen attached to the Lagos Rapid Response Squad, on Sunday, foiled an attempt to hijack their patrol bike in Ikeja. A 19-year-old suspect, Akinjobi Wahab, was arrested as four accomplices escaped. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. Hundeyin stated that the officers were on a patrol in plain clothes when the machete-wielding suspect tried to snatch their patrol bike.   He wrote, “Rapid Response Squad operatives in plain clothes, patrolling on a motorcycle, have arrested a robbery suspect, Akinjobi Wahab, aged 19 while trying to snatch their motorcycle. “The machete-wielding suspect was arrested at about 4am on Acme Road, Agidingbi, Ikeja in company of four others now at large. “This is coming on the heels of the emplacement of regular foot and vehicular patrols in the area by the Commander RRS, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, in response to repeated complaints that robbers operate around Agidingbi, Ikeja very early mornings.” PUNCH reported last week how one Sodiq, said to be a member of a notorious gang of robbers that specialises in snatching motorcycles, was arrested at the Ilesa Garage area of Osogbo, Osun State.

NDLEA intercepts Qatar-bound drugs, officers reject N5m bribe

  Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue, after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of Cannabis Sativa weighing 10.70kg to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State. The illicit drugs were said to have been concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha; and dried vegetables. The operation was carried out in conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Services. The anti-narcotics operatives also reportedly rejected a N5m bribe from another suspect in Lagos State. Brutality: Nigerian Man Demands Court-Granted Compensation From Togolese Navy | Punch0.00 / 0.00 The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed the development in a statement on Sunday while detailing arrests and recoveries made by the agency over the past week. Babafemi said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue after she was caught attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70kg concealed in African salad popularly called Abacha and dried vegetables to Doha, Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos state. “NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport working in partnership with men of the Department of State Services had on Thursday, March 28 intercepted Chidinma, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha, on Qatar Airways during clearance of passengers at the screening point of Terminal 11 of the MMIA. “Preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration. She said preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in Ikotun area of Lagos where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country,” Babafemi further noted that two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were on Tuesday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly. He said, “Two suspects; Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka were on Tuesday, March 26, arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.   “Attempt by Okeke to bribe the NDLEA officers with N5m cash was rebuffed while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.” In Bayelsa, the bid by three suspects: Ebuka Eze, 31; Ugochukwu Okoro, 44; and Kingsley Uzim, 27, to smuggle opioids including codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam weighing a total of 73.425kg to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of the state was thwarted on Wednesday by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa where Eze and Okoro were arrested while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow-up operation. The drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle. Meanwhile, two suspects: Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib were arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71kg during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun State on Friday. NDLEA operatives in Taraba recovered 39,980 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Abubakar Mohammed, 33, in Lankaviri village, and another suspect, Apaji Vincent, 29, arrested in Wukari on Thursday with 131kg cannabis sativa. In Abia State, Nwachukwuu Chinedu, 28, was arrested on Friday at Akara Ahuba, Isikwuato LGA by NDLEA officers. Recovered from him include 46.65kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine and rohypnol as well as N71,500 monetary exhibit. At least, 127.5kg cannabis loaded in a Volkswagen Vento saloon car marked NTT 215 AA was recovered along Isua/Kabba Road, Idoani area of Ose Local Government Area, Ondo State, while a 30-year-old female suspect, Chinasa Christopher, was arrested with 400 bottles of codeine syrup in Sabon Gari area of Kano. Babafemi added that, “The owner of a consignment of illicit drugs intercepted along Zaria-Kano Road, Bakura Goni was arrested at Mile 2 market in Lagos on Tuesday in a follow up operation and flown to Kano to face charges. The consignment consisting of cannabis and tramadol weighing 73.8kg was earlier seized in a truck conveying it from Lagos to Kano,” Meanwhile, 278kg of cannabis going to Idoani in Ondo State was recovered during a raid at Oloma-Okpe forest, Akoko-Edo LGA, Edo State, while not less than 3,065.255kg of the same psychoactive substance was razed on two farms at Amahor waterside forest in Igueben area of the state where three suspects: James Thankgod; Wisdom James and Akpa Festus were arrested on Thursday.

Nigerian leaders like men in ‘drunken stupor’ – Kukah

  The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, on Sunday, said for over 60 years, Nigerian leaders have looked like men in a drunken stupor who stumble and fumble while searching for the way home. Kukah, in his Easter message made available to newsmen, called on the Federal Government to come up with a robust template for how it wishes to reverse and put the country on a path of national healing. He said, “Our leaders chose the feast rather than the fast. We are today reaping what we sowed yesterday. For over 60 years, our leaders have looked like men in a drunken stupor, staggering, stumbling and fumbling, slurring in speech, with blurred visions searching for the way home. “The corruption of the years of a life of immoral and sordid debauchery has spread like cancer destroying all our vital organs. The result is a state of a hangover that has left our nation comatose. “Notwithstanding, Easter is a time to further reflect on the road not taken. It is a time to see if this Golgotha of pain can lead us to the new dawn of the resurrection. Nigeria can and Nigeria will be great again. Let us ride this tide together in hope.” As part of measures to curb the current economic woes and curtail hunger among the citizens, the bishop urged the government to come up with some urgent steps to put the nation on the path of healing. These, he said, must include a deliberate policy of inclusion that will drastically end the immoral culture of nepotism. He said, “The government must design a more comprehensive and wide-ranging method of recruitment that is transparent as a means of generating patriotism and reversing the ugly face of feudalism and prebendalism “There is a need for a clear communications strategy that will serve to inspire and create timelines of expectations of results from policies. “There is a need for clarity over questions of the who, what, when, and how national set goals are to be attained and who can be held accountable.” The bishop added, “Second, the notion of rejigging the security architecture is a hackneyed cliché that is now at best, an oxymoron. It is difficult to fathom our current situation regarding the ubiquity of the military in our national life.   “It is impossible to explain how we can say we are in a civilian democracy with the military literally looking like an Army of occupation with an octopussean spread across all 36 states and Abuja. “This has very serious consequences both for its professionalism, its integrity and perceived role in protecting society. No other person than the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who recently referred to the military as facing the dilemma of what he called ‘see finish.’ It is now difficult to say whether the persistence of insecurity is a cause or a consequence of military ubiquity. ” Trillions of naira continue to go into bottomless pits with little measurable benefits. Our military’s professionalism cannot be diluted by the recruitment of hunters, vigilante groups, and other unprofessional and untrained groups.” Kukah noted that “this is not sustainable because it leaves the military open to ridicule and perceptions of surrender. Fighting insecurity is now an enterprise. I believe our security men and women can defeat these criminals in a matter of months. All we hear and see are fingers pointing to the top. No, this must end.” The bishop expressed delight that President Bola Tinubu recently announced that kidnapping and banditry are now to be treated as acts of terrorism. “If so, we need to see a relentless and implacable plan to end this menace with a definite deadline for bringing these terrorists to their knees, no matter what it will take,” he said. Kukah encouraged the President to continue on the path of probity, to take further steps to cut down the overbearing costs of governance and to put in place more comprehensive plans towards achieving both food and physical security across the country. He said merely distributing money through already corruption-riddled structures is not enough and diminishes the dignity of citizens. The cleric argued that no one needs to line up to receive aid when the nation is not in a war. “Give our people back their farms and develop a comprehensive agricultural plan to put our country back on the path of honour and human dignity,” he said.

SERAP gives 36 Govs, Wike 7 days to publish loan agreements, account for N5.9trn, $4.6bn loans

  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Nigeria’s 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mr Nyesom Wike to “widely publish copies of the loan agreements and spending details of some N5.9 trillion and $4.6 billion loans obtained by their states and the FCT, including details and locations of projects executed with the loans.” SERAP also urged them to “promptly invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the spending of the domestic and external loans obtained by your state and the FCT.” SERAP’s request followed the disclosure last week by Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State that the immediate past administration of Nasir El-Rufai left $587m, N85bn debt and 115 contractual labilities, making it impossible for the state to pay salaries. In the Freedom of Information requests dated 30 March 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “It is in the public interest to publish copies of the loan agreements and details of how the loans obtained are spent.” SERAP said, “Nigerians have the right to know how their states are spending the domestic and external loans obtained by the governors.” SERAP said, “Widely publishing copies of the loan agreements and spending details of the loans obtained would ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties in the management of public funds.” The FoI requests, read in part: “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and your state to comply with our request in the public interest.” “SERAP is seriously concerned that many of the country’s 36 states and FCT are allegedly mismanaging public funds which may include domestic and external loans obtained from bilateral and multilateral institutions and agencies.” “Transparency in the spending of the loans obtained by your state is fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.” “According to Nigeria’s Debt Management Office, the total public domestic debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is N5.9 trillion. The total public external debt portfolio is $4.6 billion.” “Many states and the FCT reportedly owe civil servants’ salaries and pensions. Several states are borrowing to pay salaries. Millions of Nigerians resident in your state and the FCT continue to be denied access to basic public goods and services such as quality education and healthcare.”   “Several states including your state are also reportedly spending public funds which may include the domestic and external loans to fund unnecessary travels, buy exotic and bulletproof cars and generally fund the lavish lifestyles of politicians.” “SERAP is seriously concerned that the domestic and external loans obtained by your state and the FCT are vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. Your government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any loans obtained by your state are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.” “Publishing copies of the loan agreements obtained by your state and the FCT would allow Nigerians to scrutinise them, and promote transparency and accountability on the spending of public funds including the loans obtained.” “SERAP believes that providing and widely publishing the details of the spending of the domestic and external loans obtained by your state and the FCT would enable Nigerians to effectively and meaningfully engage in the management of the loans.” “SERAP believes that the constitutional principle of democracy also provides a foundation for Nigerians’ right to know the details of loan agreements and how the loans obtained are spent. Citizens’ right to know promotes openness, transparency, and accountability that is in turn crucial for the country’s democratic order.” “The effective operation of representative democracy depends on the people being able to scrutinize, discuss and contribute to government decision making, including on the spending of loans obtained by your state and the FCT.” “To do this, they need information to enable them to participate more effectively in the management of public funds by their state government and the FCT.” “The public interest in obtaining information about expenditures relating to the loans obtained by your state outweighs any privacy or other interest. Moreover, the oversight afforded by public access to such details would serve as an important check on the activities of your state and help to prevent abuses of the public trust.” “SERAP is concerned that there is a significant risk of mismanagement or diversion of funds linked to loans obtained by state governments including your state. The accounts of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT are generally not open to public scrutiny.” “Your state has obligations under international anticorruption and human rights law, including a responsibility to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, prevent mismanagement or diversion of public funds, and redress any abuse of public trust.” “The Nigerian Constitution, human rights and anticorruption treaties to which Nigeria is a state party also impose obligations on your state to prevent mismanagement or diversion of public funds including the loans obtained.” “SERAP is seriously concerned that years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public funds including the loans obtained by states have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services.” “Opacity in the spending of loans obtained by states has continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.” “Transparency would ensure that these loans are not diverted into private pockets, and increase public trust that these loans are used and any future loans would be used to benefit Nigerians resident in your state. “The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter