The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A , Ikeja of the Nigeria Customs Service says it intercepted 30, 900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol and 6,861 bags of foreign parboiled rice equivalent to 12 trailer loads and others with a duty paid value of N1bn in May 2023.

The unit, in a statement on Monday, said the contrabands were intercepted at different times and locations within border corridors of the South-West Zone.

The Acting Customs Area Controller in charge of the unit, Hussein Ejibunu, explained that some of the contrabands were intercepted for either violating the guidelines on the importation/exportation of goods, concealment, undervaluation or wrong classification and smuggling.

He said others were seized for contravening policy directives as in the case of foreign parboiled rice.

Ejibunu said, “Detentions and seizures recorded within the period under review amounted to 79 seizures, with a total duty paid value of N1bn. These were products of surveillance, intelligence gathering and regular patrols of our officers.

“These contrabands were intercepted at different times and locations within border corridors of the South-West Zone.

“Some of the seizures include, 6,861 bags of foreign parboiled rice by 50kg each equivalent to 12 trailer loads, 1,236 jerry cans of petroleum by 25 litres each equivalent to 30,900 litres, 9,857 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 5,338 kg, two X 20 containers of unprocessed wood, four units of tokunbo vehicles, 40 X five jerry cans of vegetable oil, 54 bales of second-hand clothing among others.”

He added that four suspects were arrested in connection with some of the intercepted goods.

“For ongoing prosecution of suspects, the Federal High Court at Abeokuta, Ogun State sentenced Musa Oloyede, Godwin David and Adeniyi Alaye, to two years imprisonment for assaulting our officers while carrying out their statutory duties,” he said.

He added, “On revenue, N38.4bn was generated through conscious and thorough documentary checks, followed by the issuance of demand notices on consignments that were found to have paid lesser amounts than the appropriate customs duty.

“It is very worrisome that a total of 9,857 parcels of cannabis sativa were seized in a single swoop. Crime experts have found a direct relationship between the intake of this controlled plant and violent crimes.

“We are conscious of this challenge and will continually cut the supply chain of illicit drugs and other prohibited substances.”

The Customs boss urged the public to promptly share useful information that will assist to checkmate smuggling with operatives.

“Since smuggling is a crime that deals in illegal trade, such as illicit drugs and prohibited weapons, Nigerians should see insecurity and other crimes as products of smuggling,” he said.

[Punch]

Microsoft will pay $20 million to settle government charges that it collected personal information from children without their parents’ consent, officials said Monday.

The Federal Trade Commission alleged that from 2015 to 2020 Microsoft collected personal data from children under age 13 who signed up to its Xbox gaming system without their parents’ permission and retained this information.

To open an account, users had to provide their first and last names, email addresses, and dates of birth.

The FTC said Microsoft violated a law called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA.

“Our proposed order makes it easier for parents to protect their children’s privacy on Xbox, and limits what information Microsoft can collect and retain about kids,” said Samuel Levine, head of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

“This action should also make it abundantly clear that kids’ avatars, biometric data, and health information are not exempt from COPPA,” Levine added.

The decision still needs the approval of a federal court before it can be implemented.

The FTC said Microsoft will be required to take several steps to bolster privacy protections for child users of its Xbox system.

Under the COPPA law, online services and websites aimed at kids under 13 must notify parents about the personal information they collect and obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting and using any personal information collected from children.

Microsoft did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.

AFP

Karma – loosely refers here as nemesis or retributive justice – connotes “cause and effect” in Indian religions; “measure for measure” in Judaism; “one reaps what one sows” (Galatians 6:7) in Christianity; and “what goes around comes around” in Western culture.

Essentially, Karma, as a “concept of action, work, and deed, and its effect or consequences,” isn’t a respecter of persons, no matter their status or station in life.

This is what President Bola Tinubu is about to be visited with, barely one week after his epochal inauguration as 16th Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria on May 29.

The organised labour has served notice of a nationwide strike to protest Tinubu’s announced removal of fuel subsidy from the economy, beginning in July – but oil marketers have marked up pump price to about 300% of subsisting official price of N175 per litre.

Tinubu, as a leading opposition figure, had railed against President Goodluck Jonathan’s removal of fuel subsidy in 2012, which led to “Occupy Nigeria” street protests across the country, and in front of the Nigerian High Commission in London, United Kingdom.

On January 1, 2012, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) issued a statement on removal of subsidy on petroleum products, with a 120% increase in pump price of petrol.

Reacting to the government action that ruined the New Year celebrations for Nigerians, the “Occupy Nigeria” movement – spearheading the protests – used the opportunity to highlight corruption in government and the public service, inhuman treatment of Nigerians by government and security agents, and high rate of poverty in the land.

According to Wikipedia, the protests that lasted 12 days (January 2-14, 2012) were defined by “civil disobedience, civil resistance, strike actions, demonstrations and online activism,” aimed at “reversing the subsidy on petroleum products, and a review of the Federal Government budget, with cut-backs on politicians’ allowances.”

By the time President Jonathan was forced to reverse the decision, 16 people were reportedly killed by the Police in several states.

In a January 8, 2012, lengthy article, entitled: “Removal of Oil Subsidy: President Jonathan breaks social contract with the people,” as published in guardpost.ng, Tinubu queried the timing of the subsidy removal, Jonathan’s non-consultation with relevant stakeholders, and the ripple effects on the voters and the economy at large.

Let’s take some extracts from the opinion piece, and consider if Tinubu followed his observations and recommendations therein, to declare on May 29 that, “subsidy is gone,” during his inaugural speech. He wrote:

“As Nigerians gathered with family and friends to celebrate the New Year, the federal government was baking a national cake wrapped in a scheme that would instantly make the New Year a bitter one.

“Barely had the public weaned itself from last year when the government dropped a historic surprise on an unsuspecting nation. PPPRA issued a statement abolishing the fuel subsidy. By this sly piece of paper, the federal government breached the social contract with the people.

“The government, which owes its very existence to the people’s desire to be governed by someone more humble than elitist, has turned its back on the collective will.

“By bureaucratic fiat, the government made the most fateful economic decision any administration has made since the inception of the Fourth Republic and it has done so with an arrogant wave of the hand as if issuing a minor regulation.

“Because of the terrible substance of the decision and the haughty style of its enactment, the people feel betrayed and angry. At this moment, we do know not where this anger will lead.

“In good conscience, we pray against violence. Also in good conscience, it is the duty of every citizen to peacefully demonstrate and record their opposition to this draconian measure that is swiftly crippling the economy more than it will ever cure it.”

Continuing, Tinubu descended on Jonathan, saying: “This crisis will bear his (Jonathan’s) name and will be his legacy. The people now pay a steep tax for voting him into office. The removal of the subsidy is the ‘Jonathan tax.’

“The situation shows that ideas count more than personalities. People may occupy office but how that person performs depends on the ideas that occupy his mind.

“Though someday, Nigeria will have to remove the subsidy, the time to do it is not now. This subsidy removal is ill-timed and violates the condition precedent necessary before such a decision is made.

“First, the government needs to clean up and throw away the salad of corruption in the NNPC.Then, proceed to lay the foundation for a mass transit system in the railways and road network with long-term bonds and fully develop the energy sector towards revitalizing Nigeria’s economy and easing the burden any subsidy removal may have on the people.”

Fast forward to May 29, 2023. It’s a reversal of roles between President Tinubu and the organised labour: He issuing off-the-curf declaration – as he’d accused Jonathan of doing in 2012 – and the labour unions reacting as he did in his epistle to slam Jonathan’s subsidy removal.

Tinubu simply proclaimed that, “subsidy is gone,” without much thought to the effects the policy would have on the voters that gave him the mandate to realise his “lifelong ambition” to be President of Nigeria.

All Tinubu accused Jonathan of doing is what he blatantly exhibited as the new Sheriff in town at his inauguration on May 29.

Indications point to the President taking Nigerians for a ride, and only embarking on dialoguing with labour to fulfill all righteousness.

Despite his holier-than-thou posturing in 2012, Tinubu had made up his mind to remove fuel subsidy, even as President Buhari’s government aided the course by not providing for subsidy beyond June 2023.

For the record, the three main contenders in the February 25 presidential poll: Tinubu of the APC, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of Labour Party campaigned to remove fuel subsidy.

Tinubu said it wasn’t sustainable  and had to go, “no matter the protest” by Nigerians; Atiku said he would remove the subsidy, and also sell off the NNPC Limited; and Obi described the policy as “organised crime,” and pledged to remove it on day one of his administration.

Now, the President, as a minority,  has had his say; will he also have his way with the organised labour, as he literally stares down the gun’s barrel till Wednesday, June 7?

“Return petrol to old pump price or face nationwide action,” the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajero, roared on June 2 after a meeting of the union’s National Executive Council in Abuja, following a deadlocked parley with government.

Accusing the NNPCL of lacking the monopoly to fix fuel price (at N488 to N500 per litre, depending on the zone of the country) even as a private company, Ajero said labour would embark on strike if the NNPCL failed to revert to the original template.

“Consequently, NLC has decided that if by Wednesday, the NNPCL, a private Limited Liability Company, that illegally announced the price regime in the oil sector, refuses to revert itself for negotiation to continue, the Nigeria Labour Congress and its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protest nationwide until this is complied with.”

Will President Tinubu succumb, and flip-flop like his predecessors, who didn’t possess the political will to tame the fuel subsidy that gulped N13.7trn in 15 years (figures supplied by Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI)), with most of the scarce revenue funnelled into the pockets of oil crooks.

Tinubu says he’s going to be different, and Nigerians wait with baited breath to see how strong he’s to grab the fuel subsidy bull by the horns, and land it on its side to surrender. Good luck to the President!

Mr Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria

Historically, Nigeria has played a significant role in the global oil industry as a major producer. However, one notable challenge the country has faced is its limited refining capacity.

In a recent independent audit report released by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), it was revealed that over N13.697 trillion ($74.3862 million) was disbursed as subsidies to marketers between 2005 and 2012.

This situation has had severe repercussions on Nigeria’s economy, leading to substantial debt accumulation. The total amount paid out in fuel subsidies from 2005 to 2021 is equivalent to the combined budgets allocated for sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and defense.

Addressing this issue of fuel subsidies is crucial for Nigeria’s economic stability and sustainable development.

Here are seven important facts to know about the ongoing removal of fuel subsidy.

1. Fuel subsidy removal means that the government stops providing financial support to reduce the cost of fuel for consumers.
2. The purpose of removing fuel subsidy is usually to reduce government spending and promote more efficient use of resources.
3. When fuel subsidy is removed, it often leads to an increase in fuel prices, meaning that people have to pay more for petrol.
4. Removing fuel subsidy can help the government save money and allocate resources to other important areas such as education, healthcare, or infrastructure.
5. Fuel subsidy removal can also encourage people to use less fuel or explore alternative energy sources, which can have environmental benefits.
6. The decision to remove fuel subsidies is often part of broader economic reforms aimed at improving the overall health of the economy.
7. The impact of fuel subsidy removal can vary across different income groups, with lower-income individuals and families potentially facing more significant challenges due to the increased fuel costs, but it is important to note that the success of fuel subsidy removal depends on effective communication, transparent policies, and the implementation of measures to support vulnerable groups during the transition by the government.

Arabinrin Aderonke, an award-winning investigative journalist, good governance, gender rights, and peace advocate, writes from Abuja. She can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Usman Baba, the inspector-general of police (IGP), has warned police officers against interfering in land and matrimonial cases.

At a meeting with senior officers on Monday, Baba spoke about the menace of criminalising civil matters by police personnel.

The IGP added that his leadership would not tolerate the “continuous violation” of the force regulations, especially the social media policy.

“Another critical issue to deliberate upon at this meeting is the menace of criminalising civil matters by police officers,” he said.

“Since the commencement of my administration as the inspector-general of police, I have maintained a stand and rolled out several directives and correspondences to abreast you all on the need to streamline our investigations and caution officers and men against meddling with civil matters such as land cases, debt collection, matrimonial case and matters already pending in court.

“It is the same reason why I forbid transferring of cases from lower commands to higher ones indiscriminately,” he added.

The IGP said 3,619 suspects were arrested for various crimes across the country between January and May.

“Three hundred and sixteen victims of kidnapping were rescued during the same period, while 486 assorted firearms consisting of AK-47 rifles and locally fabricated automatic weapons were recovered,” he said.

“Equally, 4,072 assorted calibres of live ammunition and other incriminating items linked to various major crimes were also recovered within the same period.”

Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has constituted a committee to review workers’ wages in the state.

The committee, which was constituted during a meeting with labour leaders in the state at the Executive Chambers, has eight weeks to turn in its report.

This is contained in a statement Governor Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Suleiman Olanrewaju, stating that following the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), it became imperative for the government to take another look at the salary structure to cushion its effects on workers.

He said, “For us, with all sincerity, I think it is time to engage and ensure that we are proactive, irrespective of what is coming from the federal level. We are already prepared for it here and we can run our own programmes.

“Yes, the fuel subsidy removal is going to affect all of us but we do have control over certain things in Oyo State, and one of these is to be proactive and engage ourselves. They may call for strike or certain actions at the federal level but the labour leaders in Oyo State must be aware of our own situation.

“So, we must appreciate the fact that our economy is fragile. We must be proactive and set the tone without prejudice to whatever negotiation that is happening at the federal level.”

At the meeting attended by Oyo State chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kayode Martins and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Olatunbosun Olabiyi, the governor also said, “I can say it to the whole world that in Oyo State there is no trust deficit between the government and labour leaders. It actually goes both ways. If we agree on what to do, I don’t look back, and if you have my commitment on anything, you should not look back. Whatever that is happening at the national level should not create any trust deficit between us. So, I welcome you all to Omituntun 2.0.”

The Governor also seized the opportunity to express his appreciation to the Labour leaders for their support during his first term in office.

In his reaction, the NLC chairman said minimum wage review was overdue. He then called on the state government to work towards its quick realization.

The meeting had in attendance Labour unions leaders, the Deputy Governor, Barrister Bayo Lawal; Head of Service, Bunmi Oni; former Deputy Governor, Ambasador Taofeek Arapaja; former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; former Special Adviser on Labour, Bayo Titilola-Sodo; wife of former governor, Alhaja Mutiat Ladoja; and traditional leaders, among others.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arraigned two bankers, Freeman Austin Jacob and Umar Abdullahi and two others – Ahmed Bashir and Abdulhakim Musa (aka Gandu) before Justice Simon Akpah Amobeda of the Federal High Court, Kano on a three count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to produce an ATM card in the name of one Sani Muntari and used same to steal the sum of N20 million from his bank.

The defendants perpetrated the fraud by using the SIM card of the account holder which was stolen by Mr Bashir, the third defendant, to produce an ATM card with the help of the first and second defendants.

Investigation traced some of the proceeds of the theft to the bank account of the fourth defendant, Abdulkarim Musa, a friend to the third defendant, Ahmed Bashir.

One of the charges reads, “That You, Freeman Austin Jacob, Umar Abdullahi, sometime in February 2020, at Kano within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, connived with Ahmed Bashir and Abdulhakim Musa (aka Gandu) to prime and issue ATM card from UBA account no 2062903187 belonging to one Alhaji Sani Mutari without the knowledge or consent of the said customer and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (7) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc,) Act, 2015.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty after listening to the charge.

Counsel for the prosecution, Aisha Tahar Habib requested that the defendants be remanded and urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.

Counsel representing the 1st and 2nd defendants made an oral bail application on behalf of his clients which was opposed by the prosecution counsel on the grounds that the application ought to formal.

L.A Umar who represented the 4th defendant informed that she intends to file a formal bail application and subsequently prayed the court for a date to do same and serve the prosecution.

After listening to the submissions of the parties, Justice Amobeda agreed with the prosecution that bail applications should be made formally as the court is a court of record.

He subsequently remanded the defendant and adjourned the matter till June 26, 2023 for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial.

Amid claims that Nana Shettima, wife of Vice President, rejected a female Aide-De-Camp (ADC) assigned to her, a former aspirant for the post of the national youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ameen Amshi, explained why.

Recall that a news report making rounds on social media alleged that the vice president’s wife had rejected the orderly, stating that she is very beautiful and single at the time same.

However, Our correspondent could not ascertain when the lady was assigned to the vice president’s wife.

But reacting to the claims in a statement shared via Twitter handle on Sunday, Amshi claimed Nana only turned down the orderly because she preferred her former ADC who served her during her husband’s reign as Borno State governor.

“It is important to correct the news of the alleged rejection of a female police ADC by HE Nana Shettima, Vice President’s wife, during her inauguration. The news has been circulating on social media, but it is not accurate,” Amshi tweeted.

He continued: “Assigning security details or aides to VIPs follows specific procedures that vary across security agencies. It is a process that involves selecting at least three competent personnel and scrutinizing their service records. The most suitable candidate is then presented to the VVIP/VIP for approval, and upon acceptance, the personnel is officially assigned to the individual.

“It’s worth noting that HE Nana Shettima is not new to the corridors of power and has previously worked with an ADC when she served as the governor’s wife for eight years in Borno. Therefore, the same ADC who worked with her in Borno as the governor’s wife was present at her inauguration.

“The Shettima family is known for maintaining long-term relationships with their staff and workers, like retaining the security details that served the Vice President when he was Governor. Given this track record, it’s unlikely that his wife would act differently, and she has always prioritized following due process in her official dealings, including assigning security personnel to VIPs and VVIPs.”

The Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, admitted as exhibits, more certified true copies of polling unit results (INEC Form EC8As) tendered by the presidential candidate of the Labour party, Peter Obi, in eight states.

Again, the admissibility of the documents were objected to by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bola Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and All Progressives Congress, APC.

Obi is disputing the presidential election results declared in favor of President Tinubu in over 17 states and over 18,000 polling units with his petition also alleging overvoting in parts of the South West.

Before today’s proceedings, Obi’s legal team has tendered INEC Forms EC8As for 12 states, including Rivers, Niger, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River and Ekiti states.

This is apart from five documents earlier tendered as evidence, including a United States District Court judgement on Tinubu’s forfeiture of 460,000 US dollars allegedly linked to drug trafficking.

Objections were raised against all the documents by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress.

At the resumption of sitting on Monday, Chief Ben Anichebe SAN told the five-man panel of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, that he would be continuing with the tendering of INEC certified Forms EC8As and some EC8C and EC8D (as they are available) for 8 states.

He went on to tender the INEC Form EC8As(polling unit results) for Ebonyi state with 13 LGAs (Exhibit PP1- PP13), Nasarawa (13 LGAs), Delta (25 LGAs), Kaduna State(23 LGAs), Imo (26 LGAs).

When Dr Mrs Valerie Azinge SAN took over from Anichebe, she tendered CTC of polling unit results for Ondo (18 LGAs), Sokoto (7 LGAs) and Kogi states(21 LGAs).

Lawyers representing the INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and APC, opposed admission of the documents sought to be tendered, saying the reasons for their opposition will be advanced before their final address.

Justice Tsammani subsequently admitted the polling unit results as evidence while marking them as Obi’s exhibits against the respondents.

Earlier in the proceedings, a member of Obi’s legal team, P.I. Ekweto SAN brought to the attention of the court to an interrogatory application which they filed seeking certain answers from INEC regarding accessing electoral materials.

He argued that for the petitioners’ case, the issues and answers the team seek to extract from INEC are germane for the trial.

“I am aware that before your pre-hearing report on May 23 , before that date, the petitioners’ filed an application on May 22 seeking leave to serve or deliver interrogatories on the first respondent.

“There are indeed about 12 questions which we indeed put down for them in that application.

“On the June 2, we filed an application for my lord’s leave, to enable us hear the application outside the pre-hearing session,” he said, praying the court to grant it urgently in view of the time bound nature of the PEPC.

But counsels for INEC and Tinubu opposed the application saying they are still within time to file their responses.

INEC counsel, A.B. Mahmoud described the application as a waste of time.

The panel held it would rule on it after the respondents have responded to the application.

The case was subsequently adjourned to Tuesday for continuation of hearing.

Last week, Mr Obi tendered electoral documents comprising result sheets from 12 states of the federation.

Despite winning the presidential election in Lagos, Nasarawa, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo and other states, Mr Obi argued that votes accruing to him were significantly suppressed in favour of Mr Tinubu.

Also, in aid of his case, the Labour Party candidate has called one witness.

He had indicated his intention to call 50 witnesses and tender tons of electoral documents to substantiate his claims of rampant fraud during the presidential election on 25 February.

Mr Obi has three weeks to prove his case against INEC, Mr Tinubu and the APC respondents in the suit.

A Senegalese Koran teacher suspected of raping 27 of his female students was arrested on Monday after several weeks on the run, a police source told AFP.

The man is accused of assaulting the students at his school in the holy city of Touba in central Senegal, a local police official said.

The suspect went missing after the accusations emerged earlier this year following a complaint from alleged victims who produced medical certificates, the source added.

He was arrested on Monday “after handing himself over to the police. After questioning, he was handed over to the gendarmerie,” the official said.

The source said the teacher is accused of “raping 27 students” but did not provide precise details on the dates of the alleged crimes or the age of the complainants.

Local media reported that the alleged victims were “minors”, implying they were under 15, and that the Koranic school has been closed.

The newspaper “Le Jour” wrote last week that the affair came to light when one of the girls refused to return to the school, where students learn about Islamic teachings, because the teacher “had sexual relations with her and all the other girls”.

Touba is considered a holy city by the Mourides, a major Islamic brotherhood in the Muslim-majority West African country.

The arrest comes after opposition figurehead Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in jail for inciting a young woman to “debauchery”, although he was cleared of a rape charge.

Sonko’s legal battles over the rape allegations had captured media attention for two years, but the issue of sexual violence faded into the background as the affair became increasingly politicised.

Senegal criminalised rape in 2020.