Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has extended hands of fellowship to defeated opposition at the poll, inviting them to join up with him in the task of build the state.

Buni, who had another four years mandate renewed at the last election, while receiving his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Damaturu on Wednesday said: “It is with a great sense of honour and humility that l most respectfully express my profound gratitude to Almighty Allah (SWT) for the peaceful and successful conduct of the just concluded general elections in the state.”

He added that: “It is gladdening that we, the people of Yobe state have conducted ourselves peacefully and maturely in both the Presidential and National Assembly elections, as well as, the Governorship and State Assembly elections, making our dear state proud,” insisting that: “We have truly exhibited that Yobe state is the home of peaceful elections built on the concept of ‘Politics Without Bitterness’ as propagated by our revered political icon, the late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim.”

I, therefore, wish to extend our hands of fellowship and to invite you all to join us in the task of building our dear state. We will continue to maintain an open-door policy to give everyone a sense of belonging and the opportunity to contribute to the development of the State.

He said: “It is also heartwarming that politicians and their supporters in the state have refused to give room to political violence and thuggery, which further made Yobe state a role model of peaceful electioneering for other states to copy. I thank you all.”

Buni said: “Now, with the elections over, l congratulate all those who participated. Although only some were returned elected, l commend the other contenders for putting in a good contest with a passion to serve the state. I also wish to commend the opposition Political Parties and their candidates for showing interest and passion to serve our dear state through healthy politicking.

“The success of this election is therefore general, and collectively ours. I humbly dedicate this victory to Allah (SWT) and the entire people of Yobe state.”

The governor said: “I, therefore, wish to extend our hands of fellowship and to invite you all to join us in the task of building our dear state. We will continue to maintain an open-door policy to give everyone a sense of belonging and the opportunity to contribute to the development of the State.”

Buni while thanking the people of Yobe state for reinvesting their faith, and entrusting their mandate in him again for another term of office, he promised not to fail or disappoint them, stating that: “We shall be more committed to improve on the achievements recorded in the last four years, to make the next four years more fruitful and rewarding for our people.”

He reassured that: “We shall in the years ahead, strive to strengthen the ‘Yobe first’ policy, for economic empowerment, and to have value for monies expended on government projects.”

He however appealed for continued support of government policies and programmes in order to effectively and efficiently improve the lives of the people.

Worried about the number of out of school children and it’s negative effects on the society, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Bothers Across Nigeria (BAN) has presented scholarships to 10 indigent secondary students.

This is just as the NGO expressed concern over the low budgetary allocation to education, which it said has contributed to decay in the system.

Speaking with journalists at the Biannual Conference of BAN, with the theme: ‘When Education Cannot Wait’, the Global President of BAN, Engr. Azubuike Onowu called on policymakers to vote more money into the educational sector.

Lamenting the spate of out of school children, Onowu expressed concern that the future of Nigerian children, who he described as the leaders of tomorrow, may be jeopardised.

He said: “We call on policymakers to increase educational scholarships, get more funds to support indigent Nigerians. We tried to reach out to schools and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and today we are going to give scholarships to indigent students.

“I advise the policymakers to make efforts to get the children out of the streets and take them back to schools because they are the leaders of tomorrow, we cannot ignore them, it is important we improve the educational infrastructure for Nigerian children.”

He however, said as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with the intent to assist the government, BAN is giving out scholarships to 10 indigent students in Nigeria.

The BAN Global President further stated that the organisation which has presence across the globe has been engaging in series of humanitarian activities, with the donation of relief materials to victims of earthquake in Turkey as one of its recent interventions.

He said: “We are giving out scholarships for 10 indigent students in government owned schools. We tried to pay for their SSCE, but we learnt that the exams are far gone but we are paying for their NECO.

“This is just the beginning, we plan to identify more schools and many states. Our organisation is present in Europe, America, Asia and different parts of the world, and we have carried out a lot of interventions globally, during the last earthquake in Turkey, our chapter in the country sent some relief materials to the government of Turkey and they sent us letter and certificate of appreciation, so it it not all about education, we are giving back to the society.”

The Keynote speaker, Dr Jekwu Ozoemene, who is also the Chairman of Tony Uranta Corporate Social Responsibility Board urged individuals and organisations to support government in advancing education in Nigeria.

“If you look at what we have today, the United Nations has said that at the very minimum, we should expect that 15 to 20 per cent of your budget should be allocated to education.

“What we are saying today as a responsible organisation is that we are going to support government and encourage other organisations to ensure that we inch up the support or the funding of education from that 5 per cent of the budget where we are today to about 20 per cent.”

While highlighting the areas of focus for BAN in terms of educational interventions, Ozoemene said “there are three implementation programmes of what we are doing, one of them is scholarships, we are going to see an increased number of scholarships coming out from BAN to students across Nigeria, we are going to see an increased volume of support in terms of financial incentives coming out from BAN to support teachers to upscale and to be able to face the education of the future, we are going to see increased support from BAN going into infrastructure in support of education, those are the three programmes that we are focused on.

“When you enhance infrastructure, when you enhance capacity of teachers, when you increase scholarships, you are going to bring a lot of these children who are out in the street back to the school system.”

He added that: “You cannot grow an economy without education, you can’t grow an economy where the children are barely literate, you can’t grow an economy where you have over 20 million children out of school, so we encourage government to adopt the United Nations proclamation that 15 to 20 per cent of the country’s annual budget be allocated to education, but we understand the constrains, and this is why we are doing what we are doing and we are calling on all well meaning individuals and private sector organisations to support government to fund education.

“All our chapters across the world will be giving scholarships, provide interventions in terms of infrastructure and training of
teachers for the next two years and by the time we finish, you will see a sustainability report and a breakdown of how much we have spent.”

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)‘s Borno Central Senatorial Candidate in the last election, Hon. Mohammed Kumalia has petitioned the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu over alleged tampering of electoral materials in the custody of Borno State office of the electoral body a month after the conduct of the Presidential/National Assembly elections.

Kumaila in the petition personally signed by him, noted that: “Based on the outcome of the elections, I have filed a Petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Maiduguri. We obtained a court order to inspect materials used for the elections which includes the Ballot Boxes, used and unused ballot papers as well as obtain Certified True Copies of the result and collation sheets among others.”

He said: “I wish to draw your attention to the commission of electoral offence by some Ad – Hoc staff of the Borno State Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in collaboration with the Electoral officer in charge of Mafa Local Government, who were caught thumb printing and stuffing Ballot Boxes within the premises of the Maiduguri INEC Headquarters on Tuesday 22nd March, 2023, almost a month after the Presidential and National Assembly elections that was held on 25th February, 2023, in order to tamper and distort evidence to be presented before the Election Petitions Tribunal.”

He added that: “While our team of lawyers were undertaking the inspection of materials on 22nd March 2023 in the premises of the INEC Headquarters, our inspectors discovered some INEC Ad Hoc Staff within the same premises, sorting out and rearranging and counting ballot papers and stuffing them in different Ballot Boxes in respect of Mafa, Ngala, Kala Balge and Dikwa Local Governments. Our inspectors immediately raised alarm and accordingly reported the incident to the Borno State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC). They drew the attention of the REC that the actions of the Ad-Hoc staff amount to tampering with evidence.

“The REC assured our team that the Ad Hoc Staff were only rearranging the documents that were dumped on them by the respective Local Government Electoral Officers who brought the materials from the local governments. Although we were not satisfied with the explanation, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and continued with the inspection.

“To our surprise, by the next day, Thursday 23rd March, 2023, our inspectors this time caught red handed some Ad-Hoc staff actually thumb printing ballot papers and stuffing them into Ballot Boxes for Mafa Local Government right inside the premises of the INEC office in Maiduguri. Our Inspectors immediately arrested the two staff involved in the thumb printing and stuffing of Ballot Boxes and took them to the Bulumkutu Police Station together with the bundles of Ballot already thumb printed papers and the indelible ink they were using. We were surprised that no official of the Maiduguri INEC office took interest to accompany our team to the police station in order to ensure the arrest of the Ad-Hoc staff and undertake investigation of any possible crimes.

“The police officials took the statements of the complainant and the two Ad Hoc staff and arrested the two Ad-Hoc staff. They also invited the Electoral Officer for Mafa Local government who brought the materials to the Maiduguri INEC office from Mafa Local Government to give a statement. Our team was informed by the police at Bulumkutu Police Station to come back the next day so that the case will be transferred to the Maiduguri Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation and prosecution.”

Kumalia informed the INEC Chairman that: “Sir, you are aware that the main reason the court gave the order for inspection is to determine whether the results as recorded on the result sheets and announced at the polling units are the same with the actual ballots that have been cast by voters. This will be achieved through counting of the ballot papers in each Ballot Box and accounting for the valid, invalid, rejected votes as well as the unused ballot papers. Therefore, any attempt by any official, permanent or Ad-Hoc to thumbprint or move ballot papers from one ballot box to another amounts to tampering with evidence.

“When our team arrived the police station the next day as requested, for the case to be transferred to the CID, the DPO informed our team that the suspects have been released and the bundle of Ballot papers and the indelible ink (Exhibits) have been returned to the INEC office in Maiduguri. They opined that the case is not within their jurisdiction, forgetting that they had on the day of the complaint informed our team that the case will be transferred to the Maiduguri CID department. The action of the DPO in our opinion amounts to obstruction of justice and failure to carry out his lawful duty.

“One issue that begs for an answer is who are the INEC officials that came and collected the bundles of Ballot papers from the Police station and returned to the INEC office? Those INEC officials that collected the ballot papers from the police station and returned them back to the INEC office are as complicit as the Ad-Hoc staff that were caught thumbprinting the ballot papers. It is therefore obvious that the INEC officials and the DPO are involved in suppression, concealment and aiding of crime as well as tampering with evidence.”

He also alleged that: “A similar situation occurred on Thursday 16th March, 2023 when the ANPP Governorship candidate caught some Ad-Hoc staff thumb printing and stuffing ballot papers in respect of Limanti Ward of Maiduguri Metropolitan, right inside the Maiduguri Metropolitan INEC office. The incident was also captured on video and has been circulating in the social media in the last one week.”

He said: “With these actions, it is apparent that the INEC officials that were involved in manipulating the results of the elections of 25th February 2023 are hell bent on tampering with evidence to ensure that the work of the Election Petitions Tribunal is frustrated.”

Kumaila told the INEC Chairman that: “Sir, we believe that there is collusion and conspiracy between the INEC Headquarters in Maiduguri, the Ad-Hoc staff and the Electoral officer for Mafa Local Government to commit the offence of tampering with evidence and they found the DPO Bulumkutu Police station willing to help them cover their tracks. We also believe the same level of connivance, collusion and conspiracy took place between the respective Electoral officers, the Ad-Hoc Staff and the INEC officials in the Maiduguri Head office in respect of Dikwa, Ngala, Kala Balge and Maiduguri Metropolitan Local governments, all within Borno Central Senatorial District.

“We have already petitioned the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Directorate of State Security Services (DSS) to investigate the matter and bring any culprits to book.

“We therefore call on you sir to undertake an urgent and independent investigation into this matter in order to fish out bad eggs from within the INEC administration who are hell bent on tarnishing the image of the electoral umpire.”

The European Union has released €150,000 (N75 million) in humanitarian funds to prevent the spread of diphtheria and assist the most affected communities in the states of Kano, Katsina, Lagos, and Osun.

A statement on Monday said the EU funding will enable the Nigerian Red Cross to provide emergency assistance to reduce the impact of diphtheria on affected and at-risk communities through risk communication, outbreak control activities, surveillance, patient referral and hygiene promotion, and early case detection in affected areas

There has been significant increase in diphtheria cases in Nigeria since the beginning of the year.

According to the statement, humanitarian assistance will directly and indirectly target around 1,585,080 people, with a particular focus on vulnerable people at risk of diphtheria, those living in sheltered communities or hard-to-reach locations.
 
This funding is part of the EU’s overall contribution to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
 
The statement recalled that on 20 January 2023, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) officially declared an outbreak of diphtheria in Kano and Lagos states after several suspected cases appeared a month earlier. The disease then spread rapidly to other states. From 136 cases in the first week of 2023, the country now records a total of 733 suspected cases,and deplores 89 fatalities.
 
The outbreak is described as one of the most serious occurrences in Nigeria in recent years with children aged between 5 and 18 years being the most vulnerable group.
 
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection transmitted between humans. It causes an infection of the upper respiratory tract, which can lead to breathing difficulties and suffocation. Those most at risk are children and people who have not been fully vaccinated against the disease.
 
The European Union, together with its Member States, is the leading donor of humanitarian aid in the world. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent, and alleviate human suffering and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.
 
The European Union through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department helps millions of victims of conflicts and disasters every year. Through its headquarters in Brussels and its global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people based on humanitarian need alone.

The European Commission has signed a €3 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), to support the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to ‘small-scale’ disasters, those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.
 
The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (within its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businessman, Molokwu Nwachukwu at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for concealing 36 parcels of cocaine in different parts of his check-in bags, hand luggage and two pairs of slippers, while heading to Southeast Asia.

Molokwu who is a frequent traveler to China, Dubai, Pakistan, and Vietnam was arrested at the screening point of the MMIA Terminal 2 while attempting to board a flight to Vietnam last Wednesday.

Babafemi said a total of 36 parcels of whitish powdery substance that tested positive to cocaine with a gross weight of a kilogramme were recovered from the handles of his bags and soles of two pairs of slippers in his luggage.

The suspect claims he travels frequently to China, Dubai, Pakistan and Vietnam, from where he imports baby wears he distributes from his Onitsha, Anambra state base.

NDLEA operatives, also at the Lagos airport have thwarted attempt by a suspect, Chimezie Nwafor to export 2.1 kilogrammes of methamphetamine to Brazil.

According to Babafemi, a follow up operations led to the arrest of three more suspects linked to the consignment at Oyingbo market, Yaba, Lagos. They include: Ifeanyi Onu; Simon Nwuzor and Omini Peter, noting that the meth consignment was molded into 25 bars of local black soap called Dudu Osun and packaged in a carton for export to Brazil.

A similar attempt to export a cocaine consignment consisting of 300 grammes of raw cocaine and 200 grammes of phenacetin, a chemical agent used to adulterate and increase the volume of cocaine, concealed in packs of air freshener, going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, was also foiled by NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed at the Lagos airport on last Monday. A suspect, Onyeze Obiora has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.

Another bid by an intending passenger to Reggio, Italy, Osasere MacDonald, to export 500grams of tramadol 225mg concealed inside a carton of indomie noodles last Tuesday was equally frustrated by vigilant officers who seized the drugs and arrested him.

He said on the same day, operatives of the Tincan Port command of the agency also intercepted 107 kilogrammes of cannabis Indica popularly known as Colorado hidden in a container bearing four used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada, adding that few days later last Friday, Apapa Command of Customs Service was able to apprehend and hand over to NDLEA two suspects: Ademola Adekunle and Dayo Olatunji linked to the consignment.

In Edo, operatives last Friday intercepted in Auchi, Etsako West local government area, a DAF trailer marked ZUR 378 XJ (Kebbi) with 69 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 700 kilogrammes concealed under bags of fertiliser. While the bags of fertiliser were to be delivered in Funtua, Katsina state, the cannabis consignment was to be dropped in Kaduna, according to the spokesman who said both the driver of the truck, Babangida Mande and his assistant Mandir Abdullahi are already in custody. Another suspect, Ijarekhai Ogbewee was arrested last Thursday at Ishokha Quarters, Otuo, Owan East local government area, with 32 kilogrammes of the same substance.

A female drug dealer, Mrs. Kudirat Bello was nabbed in Igbesa area of Ogun state last Monday, with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and rophynol along with N119,600 monetary exhibit.

In Delta, 96 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 82 kilogrammes concealed inside jumbo bags of cassava flour were recovered at Basket Market, Asaba, while a total of 164,750 pills of opioids mainly tramadol were seized from two suspects: Henry Abuchi and Daniel Ugwoke, in parts of Taraba state. No fewer than 45 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 23 kilogrammes were recovered along Okene – Abuja highway from Abubakar Muhammad, in a Toyota Hiace bus coming from Lagos and going to Maiduguri last Tuesday in Kogi state.

In Lagos, a total of 1,030.6 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from at least three suspects: Bolaji Adesina; Femi Ojo and Jamiu Useni during raid operations in Mushin area of the state.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commended the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, Edo, Ogun, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for their vigilance and excellent working relationship with other security agencies in their areas of responsibility, however charged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars.

-By Austen Akhagbeme:

It has become increasingly interesting to understand the hoopla associated with the recent journalistic encounter between Oseni Rufai of Arise TV and his guest, the former Governor of Ekiti State, His excellency, Peter Ayo Fayose.

Just like everything Nigerian, there are always two antagonistic sides to any issue, nay this particular one. While some ran off with the malapropism of Rufai being “unprofessional” in his professional duty as a journalist, others went with the opinion that good journalism includes the ability of a good interviewer to throw a ” jab” that will cause a politician to have a meltdown and uncontrollably let out newsworthy information outside the normal script.

Oseni Rufai is a polymath who refuses to let go of his interviewees or guests when he feels he had them where he wants. In the course of squeezing his guest to get more answers to probing questions, he’s often being taken as unkind, uncouth and unprofessional.

He’s known to speak truth to power yet he’s often dismissed as unnecessarily antagonistic, subjective and intentionally pugilistic. No one seems to look at the emotional resilience of his guests and their premeditated attack on Oseni in form of responses, too.

In this particular case, Ayo Fayose confirmed that he came with a mindset that has been so concerned about Rufai’s ” usual attack on people” and complained about him to his equally cerebral but stinging colleague, Dr Reuben Abati. What happened to Fayose’s emotions? No one seems to be asking even when he went personal with Rufai.

But that is the stuff with which good interviews are made; the ability to draw your guest out from his hibernating cocoon to the listening glee of your public.

Dr Abati did it to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso when he asked a question that seems to suggest that Kwankwaso could be a descendant of a mystical “Okonkwo and sons”, an Ibo man who was alleged to have founded the present-day Kwankwaso village in Kano state. The politician took it in his stride and was never thrown off- balance like the proponent of ” stomach infrastructure” did.

The fact that Oseni Rufai’s interview continues to be a topic of discussion, especially in many virtual fora, the business of Journalism for the owners of Arise TV benefits as more eyes are drawn to the station for good. Let the young man be. All great Journalists are “rude”. Some others do have them.

• Austen Akhagbeme is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online

No fewer than 35 officers of the Marine Command and Seaports Operations of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have undergone diverse trainings organised by the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, HOIO, in recent weeks.

According to a statement on Saturday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi of the number, five are currently undergoing a two-week Maritime Patrol and Tactical Coxswain training by the UK’s Central Maritime Training Unit based in Southampton.

He said the trainings, according to the HOIO, are to enhance the border control capabilities of the NDLEA by providing specialised training, mentoring and advanced drug detection equipment, disclosing that key areas covered so far include: boat handling, weapons handling, riverine operations, boarding and vessel search, among many others. Some of the trainings have been facilitated by the British Military, Nigerian Navy and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP).

He said the ongoing two-week training of five NDLEA marine officers including their first female coxswain will enable them to plan maritime deployments, pursue, stop and board vessels on the high seas.

He said the Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd),
while thanking the UK government for its continued support and commitment in helping the NDLEA to enhance its capacity and capabilities to tackle drug trafficking, urged the officers to remain steadfast in their professional calling and ensure they bring to bear the essence of the training on their formations and colleagues.

He assured them that he will continue to prioritise training and retraining for all officers, men and women of the agency.

Kris Hawksfield, the Home Office International Operations Regional Manager for West Africa, in his remark during his visit to the team undergoing training in Southampton, stated that HOIO was immensely proud and honoured to work with and support the work of NDLEA.

He added that the UK remains committed to strengthening the mutually beneficial work of the agency to interdict, seize and destroy illicit substances and drugs which would otherwise harm Nigeria and the UK.

A lawyer from Reuters, Clifford Kalu, walked into the hearing session of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East on Friday, despite the international media organization’s refusal to appear before the panel.

Earlier, the panel’s Secretary, Mr. Hilary Ogbonna, had invited Reuters to appear before the panel to substantiate its allegations of abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, massacre of children, and other forms of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence against the Nigerian military in its counter-insurgency operations in the North East.

The National Human Rights Commission expressed concern about the curious manner in which the lawyer came to the panel, having earlier declined to appear. The Commission is therefore of the view that Reuters’ behavior suggests foul play because when a member of the secretariat of the panel asked him to wait in the waiting room, as the panel cannot have both Reuters and the Army in the hall while the cross-examination of the top military official is going on, Mr. Clifford left, again unannounced, and never came back.

Before Clifford’s unexpected visit to the panel, his client, Reuters, had written to the Commission explaining its inability to honor the summons. This is unfortunate because Reuters seem not to cooperate with the Commission and this is unexpected for such a news agency.

On March 21, 2023, Reuters, through the services of Olumide Babalola chambers, wrote a letter to the Commission titled, “Notice of objection to summons to witnesses dated the 16th day of March 2023 issued on Paul Carsten, Reade Levinson, David Lewis, Libby George, and Christophe Van Der Perre brought pursuant to Section 6 (2)(b) (e) of the National Human Rights Commission Act 2010. In the letter, Reuters claimed that the witnesses do not have any physical or business presence in Nigeria and, by extension, are outside the territorial jurisdiction of the panel.

Meanwhile, the panel heard the testimony of Mr. Emmanuel Ajah, country director of Marie Stopes, an international organization that provides family planning services. Marie Stopes was alleged to have been involved in the abortion saga. In his testimony, Mr. Ajah said that his organization does not conduct illegal abortions but provides post-abortion care and that the Reuters allegation is a pure misrepresentation of facts.

Mr. Ajah, who said his organization collaborated with public offices in the country in the course of their services, the country director, and Dr. Kingsley Odogwu, a specialist gynecologist with Marie Stopes in their oral evidence before the panel said that they only had cases where women who are at risk of their lives are given medical assistance to save their lives during complicated medical conditions.

No fewer than 35 officers of the Marine Command and Seaports Operations of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have undergone diverse trainings organised by the United Kingdom Home Office International Operations, HOIO, in recent weeks.

According to a statement on Saturday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi of the number, five are currently undergoing a two-week Maritime Patrol and Tactical Coxswain training by the UK’s Central Maritime Training Unit based in Southampton.

He said the trainings, according to the HOIO, are to enhance the border control capabilities of the NDLEA by providing specialised training, mentoring and advanced drug detection equipment, disclosing that key areas covered so far include: boat handling, weapons handling, riverine operations, boarding and vessel search, among many others. Some of the trainings have been facilitated by the British Military, Nigerian Navy and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP).

He said the ongoing two-week training of five NDLEA marine officers including their first female coxswain will enable them to plan maritime deployments, pursue, stop and board vessels on the high seas.

He said the Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd),
while thanking the UK government for its continued support and commitment in helping the NDLEA to enhance its capacity and capabilities to tackle drug trafficking, urged the officers to remain steadfast in their professional calling and ensure they bring to bear the essence of the training on their formations and colleagues.

He assured them that he will continue to prioritise training and retraining for all officers, men and women of the agency.

Kris Hawksfield, the Home Office International Operations Regional Manager for West Africa, in his remark during his visit to the team undergoing training in Southampton, stated that HOIO was immensely proud and honoured to work with and support the work of NDLEA.

He added that the UK remains committed to strengthening the mutually beneficial work of the agency to interdict, seize and destroy illicit substances and drugs which would otherwise harm Nigeria and the UK.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Borno Central Senatorial election, Hon. Muhammed Kumaila has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are still thump printing ballot papers in its keep barely a month after the election.

Kumaila who said this amounted to destroying and tampering with evidence that would be presented before the Election Petitions Tribunal, alleged that some adhoc staff of the commission in Borno were caught thumb printing and stuffing ballot boxes within the premises of Borno office of INEC in Maiduguri last Wednesday almost a month after the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Kumaila said following the outcome of the National Assembly election, where he lost to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kaka Shehu Lawal, he had filed a petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Maiduguri.

He added that he subsequently obtained a court order to inspect materials used for the elections, which he said included the ballot boxes, used and unused ballot papers as well as obtain Certified True Copies of the result and collation sheets among others.

When contacted, Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Abba Liberty, said the issue was beyond him.

“I am not in a position to respond. I think you should contact the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC). I have restrictions to what I can respond to please. That is the nature of my work and that is my stand”, he stated.

Kumaila, however, disclosed that while his team of lawyers were undertaking the inspection of materials on March 22, 2023, they discovered some INEC ad-hoc staff sorting out, rearranging and counting ballot papers and stuffing them in different ballot boxes in respect of Mafa, Kala Balge and Dikwa Local Governments.

He said: “Our inspectors immediately raised alarm and accordingly reported the incident to the Borno State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC). They drew the attention of the REC that the actions of the Ad-Hoc staff amount to tampering with evidence. The REC assured our team that the Ad Hoc Staff were only rearranging the documents that were dumped on them by the respective Local Government Electoral Officers who brought the materials from the local governments. Although we were not satisfied with the explanation, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and continued with the inspection.

“To our surprise, by the next day, Thursday March, 23, 2023, our inspectors this time around caught red handed two ad-hoc staff actually thumbprinting ballot papers and stuffing them into ballot boxes for Mafa Local Government right inside the premises of the INEC office in Maiduguri. Our Inspectors immediately arrested the two staff involved in the thumb printing and stuffing of ballot boxes and took them to the Bulumkutu Police Station together with the bundles of ballot papers that were thumb printed and the indelible ink they used.

“We were surprised that no official of the Maiduguri INEC office took interest to accompany our team to the police station in order to ensure the arrest of the ad-hoc staff and undertake investigation of any possible crimes.

“The police officials took the statements of the complainant and the two ad-hoc staff and arrested them. They also invited the Electoral Officer for Mafa Local government who brought the materials to the Maiduguri INEC office from Mafa Local Government to give a statement. Our team was informed by the police at Bulumkutu Police Station to come back the next day so that the case will be transferred to the Maiduguri Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation and prosecution.”

Kumaila explained that since the ballot and results sheets would serve as evidence in court, any attempt by any official, permanent or adhoc to thumb print or move ballot papers from one ballot box to another after the elections have been concluded amounts to tampering with evidence.

He added: “When our team arrived the police station the next day as requested for the case to be transferred to the CID, the DPO informed our team that the suspects have been released to the officials of the Maiduguri INEC office and the bundle of ballot papers and the indelible ink (Exhibits) have been returned to the INEC office in Maiduguri.

“They opined that the case is not within their jurisdiction and that we should go to the police station at Mafa Local Government to complain, ostensibly forgetting that they had a day earlier informed our team that the case will be transferred to the Maiduguri CID department. The action of the DPO amounts to obstruction of justice and failure to carry out his lawful duty.

“One issue that begs for an answer is who are the INEC officials that the suspects were released to and also collected the bundles of Ballot papers from the Police station and returned to the INEC office? Those INEC officials that collected the ballot papers from the police station and returned them back to the INEC office are as complicit as the Ad-Hoc staff that were caught thumbprinting the ballot papers. It is therefore obvious that the INEC officials and the DPO are involved in suppression, concealing and aiding of crime as well as tampering with evidence.
We have video evidence of the suspects when they were caught thumbprinting the ballot papers.

He urged the Inspector General of Police and the Director General, Department of State security Service (DSS) to immediately direct investigation into this matter with a view to apprehending the culprits and prosecuting them in accordance with the law.

He said the IGP should direct the Borno State Commissioner of Police to arrest the two ad-hoc staff of INEC by names that were caught thumb printing and stuffing ballot boxes in respect of Mafa local government right inside the premises of INEC office in Maiduguri.

He also urged security agencies to investigate the culpability of the INEC officials that caused the release of the suspects and also took back the ballot papers and indelible ink that were handed over to the police as exhibit.

By Harrison Akamule 

The victory of the governor elect, Rt. Honourable Sheriff was as result of governor’s elect respect, obedience, commitment and openness to Deltans and the party’s leadership, saying his antecedents spoke for him and the PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY PDP at the poll . says Hon. Krifagha, Trophy, PDP, Delta State Chapter Treasurer.

In his congratulatory message to the governor elect, Hon. Trophy described Rt. Honourable Sheriff  the governor elect as an embodiment of peace, love and friendliness who is always desirous to deliver quality service to humanity.

Hon. Trophy who was also a member of PDP reconciliation Committee pointed out that Rt. Honourable Sheriff leadership qualities that has brought peace, harmony and brotherliness to the Delta state of Assembly, would be  replicated when he finally sits on the governor’s seat.

According to him the massive turnout of masses to vote for him was unprecedented and is worthy of commendation, and also a testimony of the good character, unassuming disposition the governor elect posses, saying that the governor elect will bring true satisfaction to Deltans irrespective of party affiliations.

In his words ” that the governor elect respect for party leadership and commitment to democratic norms added value to him and democratic Journey of Delta state” 

Hon. Trophy reiterated that PDP family leadership headed by the Governor His Excellency, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa timely inauguration of reconciliation Committee paid off because PDP family members put the Party first.

The State Chapter PDP  treasurer prayed that God should grant wisdom, strength and good health to pilot the affairs of the state and continue the good works of governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

He also appealed to Deltans to be supportive of the in coming administration without hesitation, saying the success of the in coming Government depends on the positive disposition all Deltans have for it,. He stressed that Deltans should believe,  have confidence and support him.

Namibia has expressed willingness to collaborate with the incoming Nigeria’s administration to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Speaking at the event marking the 33rd Independence Anniversary of Namibia In Abuja, the High Commissioner of Namibia to the country, Humphrey Geiseb said his country would be eternally grateful to Nigeria for its independence and development.

He said: “Allow me to express our gratitude to H.E. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Government, for working closely with the Government of the Republic of Namibia to strengthen the Namibia-Nigeria bilateral relationship and friendship between our peoples. Namibia also looks forward to a good working relationship with the incoming government of President-Elect H.E. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

The envoy said: “During the past three decades, our two countries elaborated many projects and programmes based on the solid foundation provided by friendship initiated during the liberation struggle.

“This year, Namibia will host the 5th Session of the Namibia-Nigeria Joint Commission of Cooperation. This meeting will allow our two countries to review and build on the outcomes of the 4th Session which was held in 2010. Furthermore, there will also be a review of number of Agreements signed during the past decade.”

He added that: “During the past four years, I have witnessed the blossoming of two Charcoal factories owned by Nigerian investors in Namibia. These two companies, Premier Charcoal based in Outjo and King Charcoal in Walvis Bay, are an excellent demonstration of utilising African expertise to develop African raw materials.

“This is indeed a great stepping stone to robust intra-African trade that all African countries will enjoy under the African Continental Free Trade Area. It is our hope, Your Excellency Amb. Zubairu Dada, that you will find time from your busy schedule to visit these two factories during your forthcoming official visit to Namibia.”

He noted that: “Our two countries have worked on more than 10 Agreements that are ready for signature during the 5th Session of our Joint Commission. It is our hope that the Memorandum of Understanding between our Port Authorities, the Namibia Port Authority and the Nigeria Port Authority and our Investment Promotion Agencies, will be concluded.”

The High Commissioner said: “A fruitful relationship between our port authorities will facilitate increased trade and allow for more exports from Nigeria to Namibia and vice versa. Namibia currently export salt and electronics to Nigeria. The value of salt export currently stands at USD 6 million.”

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has alerted that two-third of the world’s population could face water shortages by 2050.

This is even as the federal government warned that the demand for water will exceed 40 percent in the country by end of the decade.

FAO lamented that global water availability and quality are deteriorating, calling for immediate action to halt the development.

FAO representative at a press briefing to mark the World Water Day 2023 organised by United Nations in Abuja. Fred Kafeero, raised the alarm in his message at the event.

He said: “Over 700 million people face high and critical water stress and over 90 per cent of natural disasters are water related. The situation is
worsening. Global water availability and quality are deteriorating. Climate change is intensifying. Competition between sectors and countries is increasing.

“By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population could face water shortages.”

He noted that agriculture currently accounts for 72 per cent of freshwater withdrawals, insisting that on current trends, an additional 35 per cent in water resources will be needed by 2050 to meet growing demand for food, fibre and feed.

Kafeero said: “At the same time, demand for other uses is increasing. These numbers clearly don’t add up. This is hugely worrying for efforts to end hunger and poverty, because there can be no food and agriculture, and the livelihoods it supports, without clean and sufficient water – for irrigation of crops, for livestock, and for the many species that live in aquatic ecosystems.

“Agriculture – including forestry, fisheries and aquaculture – also plays a crucial role in the management of surface water, ground water recharge and even circulation of atmospheric water, thanks to forests.

“If we are to protect the future of food, and meet the Sustainable Development Goals, the needs and role of agriculture must be supported.

“The key is to act now with integrated water resource management approaches to produce more food, fibre, feed and biofuel with less water, more sustainably,” he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu said the demand for water will exceed 40% by end of the decade.

The Minister, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Agnes Aneke, said “drop by drop, this precious lifeblood is being poisoned by polusion with water demand expected to exceed supply by 40% by decade end.

He said the objective of the global event was to galvanize action towards active response to water crisis and seek out a way to take measures to improve access to potable water supply while achieving the target sets out in the sustainable developing goal six – water and sanitation for all by the year 2020.

He said: “Let me reiterate the commitment of this administration to continue collaborating with development partners and donors in engaging with a range of stakeholders and supporting government’s strategic approach to proper execution of water policies in the country.”

He reaffirmed his commitment to assembling key players for discussion and development of proposed suggestions to direct the implementation of programmes, policies, and measures aimed at enhancing the water sector.

He lamented that the world is off track on Sustainable Development Goals 6, adding that dysfunction throughout the water cycle is undermining progress on all major global issues from health to industry, disasters, and peace.

He stated that the day symbolizes a call for action on the part of each and everyone in protecting and using water sustainably for the present and future generations.

On her part, Jane Bevan, chief WASH Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said an estimated 78 million children in Nigeria were suffering from poor water access at the moment.

She said: “At least, a third of all of the children in Nigeria do not have access to water at home and do not have access to basic sanitation.

“So we need to do more not less than the children of Nigeria we owe it to them to really come together, invest more in water and do our best to reach everybody.”

The United States has called on Nigeria government to bring to justice everyone that was involved in violence including intimidation of voters and suppression of voting during the last election.

It also said it was considering taking all available actions, including additional visa restrictions, on individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Nigeria.

A statement on Tuesday by the United States Embassy in Nigeria read: “We call on Nigerian authorities to hold accountable and bring to justice any individuals found to have ordered or carried out efforts to intimidate voters and suppress voting during the election process.

“The United States likewise will consider all available actions, including additional visa restrictions, on individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Nigeria.”

The statement while recalling that Nigeria carried out the second round of its electoral process with gubernatorial and state assembly elections on March 18, stated that the United States was deeply troubled by the disturbing acts of violent voter intimidation and suppression that took place during those polls in Lagos, Kano, and other states.

It added that: “Members of the U.S. diplomatic mission observed the elections in Lagos and elsewhere and witnessed some of these incidents first-hand. The use of ethnically charged rhetoric before, during, and after the gubernatorial election in Lagos was particularly concerning. We commend all Nigerian political actors, religious and community leaders, youth, and citizens who have chosen to reject and speak out against such violence and inflammatory language, affirming Nigerians’ commitment to and respect for the democratic process.

“We call on Nigerian authorities to hold accountable and bring to justice any individuals found to have ordered or carried out efforts to intimidate voters and suppress voting during the election process. The United States likewise will consider all available actions, including additional visa restrictions, on individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Nigeria.

“Following the February 25 national elections, the United States joined other international observers in urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve voting processes and technical elements that experienced flaws in that voting round. The March 18 elections appear to have had significant operational improvements, as polling stations generally opened on time and most results were visible on an electronic viewing platform in a timely manner.

“The United States renews its call for any challenges to election results to go through established legal processes, which must not be interfered with. We further call for Nigeria’s people to work together as they participate in and continue to strengthen the country’s vibrant democracy.”

-From Harrison Akamule:

Dedication, consistency, loyalty and obedient to political leadership earned the governor elect , Rt. Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori’s well deserved victory, says Simeon Daregha, Senior Special Assistant to Delta state Governor on Political Matters.

Speaking to journalists via Telephone interview, Hon. Simeon Daregha noted that Deltans have guaranteed their future by voting for the governor elect who is an embodiment of loyalty, good character and respect for others.

Hon. Daregha appealed to Deltans to celebrate their victory,  and cultivate the culture on how they can give back to the state with their uniquely endowed potentials, talents, knowledge and experience to enhance growth and development of the state.

According to him, what should concerns Deltans now is on how they can  jointly come together with one mind in unity to  work out the modalities to attract investors for more development to the nook and cranny of the state.

He pointed out that “the success of the forthcoming administration largely depended on how Deltans would avail themselves to support the incoming government “. He prayed that God should give the governor elect all the enablement to succeed.

Daregha thanked Deltans for massively turning out to cast their votes. He also commended the state Governor, His Excellency Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for providing conducive atmosphere for Electorate to exercise their franchise.

He opined that INEC performance in terms of organization and preparation was great.

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has approved the release of N14.9 million as grants to about 149 firemen in the state.

The governor gave the approval in appreciate of the gallantry at arresting the inferno at Gamboru Market in Maiduguri over the weekend.

The state is still battling with the rebuilding of the Monday Market, which is expected to gulp several billion Naira, after it was consumed by inferno on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly election.

Fire fighters from both Borno State and Federal Fire Services did an outstanding job at the weekend to ensure that the inferno that erupted at the Gamboru Market caused minimal damage.

Zulum who paid a ‘thank you’ visit to headquarters of the Borno State Fire Service in Maiduguri on Sunday told the firemen he was impressed with their gallantry.

The governor said for their gallantry, he has approved the release of N14.9 million as grants to about 149 firemen operating under both the federal and state fire services.

He said: “I am here purposely to convey my deep appreciation to all of you for the great work you have been doing. Yesterday (Saturday) we had another fire disaster at Gamboru market and I was informed of your efforts towards quenching the fire. This goes to show how committed you are and we want to once again extend our appreciation to you.”

The beneficiaries comprised of 60 firemen working with Borno State Government, 49 working with the Federal Fire Service, as well as 38 volunteer-fire fighters.

Zulum directed that each of the 149 fire men be given N100,000 and a bag of rice, as part of appreciation from Borno State Government.

Meanwhile, he directed the employment of the 38 volunteer- firemen into the Borno State Fire Service as permanent staff.

The volunteers, 20 of them with the Maiduguri International Hotel and 18 with Borno State Fire Service were offering supportive services without
receiving salaries which permanent staff are entitled to.

The governor also directed the management of Borno State Fire Service to immediately send to his office all of their requirements that will ensure the optimal performance of firemen in prevention and responses to fire incidents.
He also extended similar gesture to the Federal Fire Service, asking them to submit requirements in order to get some intervention from the state government.

–From MICHAEL J. EKOKORUWE:

The chairman of Isoko South local government area of Delta State, Hon. Victor Asasa said, Odiologbo of Olomoro Kingdom, HRM Isaiah Isike Edhekere 1, is alive, hale and hearty and wishes him good health and longlife, at the palace of Olomoro Kingdom, Isoko South local government area.

Asasa represented by the secretary to the local government council, Mr. Vantus Ogboghro, made the hint when he paid courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the area to see and chat with him. He noted that it’s been long he had interactions with the monarch.

Asasa said, “I had interactions with the monarch and he prayed for the people of Olomoro and Isoko Nation. We are satisfied as he shared good memories with us and we are happy to be with the traditional ruler”.

He maintained that, “there is no other evidence to show that the monarch is alive and healthy. He sat with us, ate and drank with us, took photographs and blessed kola nut for us”.

Asasa prayed God to grant the monarch good health and long life even as he wishes to continuously tap from his wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Asasa prayed for the immediate family of the traditional ruler, and noted that the monarch prayed like a pastor.

The local government boss commended members of the family for the care and love and appealed to the immediate family to earnestly continue the care to enable him live longer, adding that Olomoro people and Isoko Nation will rip from the monarch wealth of wisdom.

For his part, the secretary Isoko South traditional rulers committee, Mr. Victor Amare said, “I came to confirm if the monarch is alive contrary to insinuations that he was dead, but to my surprise, I meet him alive”.

Continuing he said, “I will take the message back to the traditional rulers committee that I came and saw the monarch alive, hale and healthy”. Amare prayed for Longlife , good health prosperity for the immediate family members.

He commended members of the family and urged them to do more, just as he prayed for blessings and long life.

In his remark, Chief Odoko mathais, commended hon victor Asasa for the courtesy visit and urged that it continues. He urged the people of Olomoro Kingdom to see before making utterances on the monarch.

Odoko noted that the monarch is alive and urged those behind the rumors of death to desist and wait for their time, and stop throwing stones of confusion in Olomoro Kingdom.

The highpoint of the event was the Monarch’s prayer for the people of Olomoro and Isoko Nation. He noted that some persons never wished him to be the traditional ruler of the kingdom, just as he thanked God and commended the government of Delta State for the coronation.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized no fewer 1,205,260 pills of opioids in two interdiction operations in Kogi and Gombe states

The anti-narcotics officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos also disrupted the activities of a drug syndicate that operates between Nigeria, East Africa and Europe, with the arrest of two members of the cartel.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said that operatives at the Lagos airport had last Monday intercepted a member of the drug syndicate, Ejezie Ifeanyi, during screening of inward passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight from Malawi via Addis Ababa at the arrival hall.

Babafemi said when a search was conducted on Ifeanyi, it was discovered that one of his two bags has a false bottom concealment, and during preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed that a member of the syndicate was waiting at the airport carpark to pick him, prompting an immediate follow up operation which led to the arrest of Chukwu Bright, who was waiting in a grey colour Mercedes Benz C180 coupe, marked EKY 973 GQ to receive the drug consignment.

He said after the arrest, a proper search of the bag was conducted before the two suspects leading to the recovery of 3.00 kilogrammes of heroin, subsequent findings revealed that the drug syndicate networks between Nigeria, two East African countries of Malawi and Mozambique and Europe.

He revealed that while Chukwu who lives in Lagos is responsible for the recruitment and coordination of the activities of mules on behalf of other members of the cartel based in Mozambique and Malawi, another set operates from the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA last Wednesday intercepted a jerrycan of palm oil going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At the point of examination, it was discovered that 600 grammes of cannabis sativa were concealed inside the jerrycan of palm oil. A suspect, Tunde Ogunbowale who presented the consignment for export to Dubai was immediately arrested.

In another case, ab attempt to export 2.7 kilogrammes cannabis packaged as part of dried onions to Dubai through a postal service firm was frustrated by NDLEA officers attached to the courier company, who seized a carton filled with colourful sachets of dried onions, used to conceal the illicit consignment.

In Kogi state, a total of 530,160 pills of tramadol and 99,000 tabs of diazepam were seized along Okene-Abuja highway from a bus driver, Suleiman Oyedokun, 41, coming from Onitsha, Anambra state and going to Kontagora in Niger State last Monday. Same day, 576,100 pills of tramadol concealed in bags of rubber slippers were intercepted by NDLEA officers at trailer garage, old Mile 3 road area of Gombe metropolis, Akko local government area, Gombe State. Four suspects: Usman Suleiman; Ya’u Yusuf; Saidu Suleiman and Abubakar Umar have so far been arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Kaduna, 367 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa were recovered from a vehicle with registration number FKJ141DX. Two suspects: Monday Suleiman, 62, and Sama’ila Mohammed, 30 were arrested while a bribe of N1,200,000 reportedly offered NDLEA officers were documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects.

Operatives in Delta state also last Wednesday arrested a local female distiller of cannabis sativa and dry gin, Ebi Akpotudua, 52, she specializes in producing a cocktail drink popularly known as monkey tail. She was arrested at Ugboroke by river road, Warri with 19.5 litres of monkey tail and 22.2 kilogrammes cannabis.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officers of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Kogi, Gombe, Kaduna, and Delta Commands for their professionalism and for staying focused, charged them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the heat on drug cartels.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has raised an alarm over the potential for the expansion of cocaine market in Africa and Asia.

The UNODC, in a new report on Thursday, also decried the growing cultivation of coca bush and improvements in the process of converting coca bush to cocaine hydrochloride, warning that West and Central Africa are increasingly being used as key transit zones for the drug.

The new report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), read: “Global production of cocaine has jumped dramatically over the past two years following an initial slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Global Report on Cocaine 2023 details how coca cultivation soared 35 per cent from 2021 to 2022, a record high and the sharpest year-to-year increase since 2016, with the rise being a result of both an expansion in coca bush cultivation and improvements in the process of converting coca bush to cocaine hydrochloride.

According to the report, the steep growth in supply has been matched by a similar swelling in demand, with many regions showing a steady rise in cocaine users over the past decade. While the cocaine market remains quite concentrated in the Americas and parts of Europe, the report warns that there is a strong potential for a large expansion in Africa and Asia.
Nevertheless, interceptions of cocaine shipments by law enforcement around the world have also risen sharply, with seizures reaching a record high of nearly 2,000 tons in 2021.

“The surge in the global cocaine supply should put all of us on high alert,” stated UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly in reacting to these findings. “The potential for the cocaine market to expand in Africa and Asia is a dangerous reality. I urge governments and others to closely examine the report’s findings to determine how this transnational threat can be met with transnational responses based on awareness raising, prevention, and international and regional cooperation.”

The report examines the emergence of new hubs for cocaine trafficking, noting that countries in Southeastern Europe and Africa – particularly those in West and Central Africa – are increasingly being used as key transit zones for the drug. Ports on the North Sea like Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Hamburg, meanwhile, have eclipsed traditional entry points in Spain and Portugal for cocaine arriving in Western Europe. Traffickers are also diversifying their routes in Central America by sending more and more cocaine to Europe, in addition to North America.
The modalities of cocaine traffickers are also examined in the report, with findings showing that the criminal landscape is fragmenting into a myriad of trafficking networks. The demobilization of fighters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) – who had previously controlled many of Colombia’s coca-growing regions – created an opening for others to step in, such as new, local actors; ex-FARC guerillas; or even foreign groups from Mexico and Europe. Additionally, the report reveals that so-called “service providers”, i.e., specialized groups that lend their services at all stages of the supply chain for a fee, have proliferated.

“With its latest knowledge and trends on the routes, modalities, and networks employed by criminal actors,” noted Angela Me, chief of the Research and Analysis Branch at UNODC, “it is my hope that the report will support evidence-based strategies which stay ahead of future developments in cocaine production, trafficking, and use.”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission said it is deploying 163 observers to monitor next Saturday’s Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections in Nigeria.

A statement on Wednesday read that: “The President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission), His Excellency Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, is deploying an ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (ECOWAS-EOM) to monitor the Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections in Nigeria to be held on Saturday, 18 March 2023.”

According to the statement, the deployment of the 163 observers is in line with the provisions of Articles 42(2) and 44(b) of the 1999 ECOWAS Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security: Article 12 of the 2001 Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and Article 53(c) of the 2008 ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework.

The statement further revealed that the observers will be drawn from the Community Institutions (the Commission, Parliament, and the Court of Justice); West African Ambassadors accredited to ECOWAS; Member States’ Electoral Commissions and Ministries of Foreign Affairs; and electoral experts from civil society. It will also include a 13-member Core Team of electoral experts that has been in Nigeria prior to the presidential and national assembly elections.

The statement added that the mission will be backstopped by an ECOWAS Technical Team under the overall coordination of Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.

The statement said that: “The 18 March elections will complete the current electoral cycle in Nigeria, following the 25 February presidential and national assembly elections to which ECOWAS deployed 250 observers across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“The 163-member ECOWAS EOM will be deployed from 15 to 21 March 2023 to eighteen (18) States, identified on the basis of a technical assessment and analysis of trends and hotspots, to physically and remotely monitor the elections.

The States were the observers would be deployed include: South-West: Lagos – Ogun – Oyo; South-South: Rivers – Edo – Delta; South-East: Enugu – Ebonyi – Imo; North-Central: Nasarawa – Plateau – Benue; North-West: Kano – Kaduna – Sokoto; and North-East: Borno – Adamawa – Taraba

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has assured candidates seeking to participate in its ongoing recruitment exercise that concerted efforts are being made to resolve challenges they are facing on the application portal with a view to make the process seamless any moment from now.

A statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi while stating that barely hours after the online application portal was opened last Sunday, it began to experience glitches due to the heavy traffic of over 200,000 applicants trying to access the system.

He said to resolve this, the agency upgraded the infrastructure on Tuesday to accommodate the large volume of applicants after which over 53,170 applicants had successfully logged into the portal.

He however said: “At the moment, the system is synchronizing the data at the back-end of the infrastructure in order to adjust to the server upgrade. The agency’s management therefore wishes to apologise to the applicants for the hitches being experienced and urge them to exercise patience while the system completes synchronisation to serve them better.”

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) said it has put in place a robust security arrangement geared towards the success of the forthcoming Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections

A statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu read that: “Following the review, analysis, and processing of reports and observations from the field on the Presidential and National Assembly elections held on the 28th of February, 2023, the management of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has put in place a robust security arrangement geared towards the success of the forthcoming governorship election.”

He noted that the tightened security approach is to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, election materials and citizens are secured during the elections.

Odumosu said the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi, while addressing some personnel ready for deployment to states for the Governorship and State Assembly election, said that efforts to curb disruption of the voting process necessitated the deployment of personnel to old and newly discovered flashpoints.

The NSCDC Commandant General ordered his men to ensure the protection of critical national assets and infrastructural in their domains where vandalism of public utilities frequently occurred.

The CG affirmed that the already deployed 102,000 officers and men who had been properly trained in regimentation, crowd control, arms bearing and election management techniques are to ensure full security coverage of the election.

He assured that the Corps will continue to work with members of the public to obtain credible information to nip criminal activities in the bud before, during and after the election.

Audi charged all personnel on election duty to observe the rules of engagement and get themselves acquainted with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), code of ethics, and the electoral law as amended.

He however warned against any form of misconduct, compromise, or accidental discharge, insisting that such acts are unpardonable under his administration.

He said: “You must be professional, apolitical, and non-partisan, respect the fundamental human rights of the citizens, and avoid Intimidation and harassment of voters.

“Personnel must respect fundamental human rights of citizens, protect voters against political thugs, arrest vote buyers, election fraudsters.

“You are to ensure the obedience of law and order, be good ambassadors and maintain the integrity of the system.”

Audi reiterated the need for continuous partnership with the police and other security agencies involved in election security duties, advising them to avoid unnecessary confrontation but to handle misunderstandings (in case of any) with maturity.

Audi warned mischief makers who may intend to perpetrate violence to take lessons from the last Presidential and National Assembly election where many political thugs lost their lives while snatching ballot boxes amongst other electoral crimes

He urged personnel to attract only good comments to the service with their conducts and performances during the polls as anyone found wanting will not be spared and assured those yet to receive the second tranch of the election allowance to exercise patience as glitches in the network is seriously affecting most financial transactions.

He said: “Except for those who supplied wrong account details, and some network glitches, many personnel had received the second credit alerts.”