When William Wilberforce and other abolitionists achieved their aim of ending slavery, little did they know that this act of man’s inhumanity to man would continue in other forms, long after they had departed this world.

Similarly, in the early 60s, Herbert Marshall McLuhan, a globally-acclaimed scholar of media studies posited that the world would soon become a global village, where electronic media predominates as the world gets more digitally connected with new technologies driving connectivity and making experience sharing easier than before. 

However, McLuhan did not see how the baser elements in society would take advantage of the global village for pecuniary benefits. One such area is human trafficking, where perpetrators have used visual technologies to paint rosy pictures of life in other climes, with the intent of luring undiscerning people into conditions from which only the perpetrators can profit.

In particular, traffickers have taken advantage of increasing unemployment, worsening mass poverty and economic crisis in Nigeria, to cajole hordes of people to Ghana and other countries, for personal gain

As the world gets more digitally connected than ever before, human traffickers are taking advantage of the increasing rate of unemployment, mass poverty and economic crisis in Nigeria, to export droves of her citizens to Ghana and other West Africa countries, for personal gains.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, said Nigeria has the highest number of unidentified victims of trafficking in West Africa.

Investigation revealed that not less than 180 Nigerian youths board vehicles weekly, from the ECOWAS garage located at Mile-Two, on the Lagos-Badagry expressway, Nigeria, where vehicles conveying passengers to the Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Morocco and other West African countries, are stationed.

A good percentage of these youths : males and females between 19 and 35 years, were discovered to be heading for the Republic of Ghana, either on the promise of a scholarship to study in some tertiary institutions or job opportunities.

But they realize too late, upon arrival, that they are victims of human trafficking for cybercrime. 

Victims’ ordeal

One of the victims who was rescued by the Ghanaian authorities in 2023, Gladys Osayande, was traced to Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, said she was lured through fake job recruitment to Ghana.

The 28-year-old lady said , “ the traffickers resorted to various forms of physical torture and abuse to coerce us into Business Email Scam, BEC and cybersex.

“They made us pose as management staff of a corporate network to convince targets into sending money to an account. Targets were usually companies that used wire transfer to pay international clients.

“I was fed twice a day, by 12 noon and 10 pm. I worked all day on the internet. I was given a target to make at least $10,000 a week. If I didn’t make it, the sanction was starvation for two days. In addition, they would invite some men to have sex with me, while they streamed the process and downloaded it in porn apps in exchange for an undisclosed amount. I was told that was the only way to make up for the target I failed to meet.”

For the males, they would spray tear gas into their eyes and  use electric shocks on them. I was among those rescued by the Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, EOCO in collaboration with the Ghana Police in Accra, in 2023″.

Another victim

Another victim, was 23- year-old Uchedun Ndidi, who hails from Ohii community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State. She left her home town for the first time in 2022, after receiving an offer of admission via email, to study Communication in a popular university in Ghana.

She ”I arrived Accra, Ghana on March 3, 2022. A man who identified himself as Abeiku came to pick me up in a car to an apartment he said was a hostel. He told me they had done the online registration on my behalf. I believed him because when I checked the school’s calendar online, it corresponded with the information they gave.

“Besides, they said I would pay just 20 percent of the school fees which was N80,000 and that I could spread the payment in four installments before the end of the session. I jumped at the offer because it was cheaper than what I would have paid in any of the Nigerian universities. Besides, it came at a time when an indefinite strike was embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

“ The next morning, I quickly got up to take my bath and get ready for school but another man whom we called boss, came in, took the cash meant to pay my fees from me, with my luggage.

“Without any explanation, he took me to a room upstairs where there were many laptops. Immediately he entered, everyone stood up and chorused: ‘Good morning boss.’ He walked with an air of arrogance to a corner and beckoned on me to come. Thereafter, he instructed one of the young men in the room to put me through. They taught me how to work on some of their social media apps and how to lure men from any part of the world with whom I would go into a fake online relationship, to scam them with fake business proposals.

“They created a new Facebook page for me and posted my real picture on it. They changed my name to Louisa Hamadou, a Cameroonian studying in Ghana. They had over 15 corporate bank accounts where money was paid into.

“ Three of us, all females , attempted to escape once. We were beaten and starved for days. We were drugged and gang-raped, while the process was streamed live for cybersex. From that day on , we were forbidden to speak with each other.

“We were only allowed to sleep for three hours a day. Those hours of rest were broken into 30 minutes each, both in the day and at night. I was only allowed to speak with my widowed mother once a week, under supervision and I was forbidden to tell her the true position of things. 

Escape at last

“ In January 2023,  I saw them rushing out of their rooms. This was after the ‘boss’ received a telephone call. In his deep baritone voice, he ordered in pidgin English: ‘Everybody find your way o. Officer just call, him say Ak dey come o ( Everyone should escape. I just got a call that policemen were on their way here.).

“ One of them came back, ordered three of us- all females ,  to follow him.    

We entered the car without carrying our bags. They dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, threw some wads of naira notes and Ghana cedis at us and told us to find our way, that the Police were after us..

“ We left Ghana that night for Togo, for fear of being arrested. Next day, we boarded a vehicle  from Togo to Benin Republic and thereafter, to Nigeria. On reaching home, I fell sick and was diagnosed with an overdose of drugs which I suspected was put in my food and drinks back in Ghana to keep me awake.”

Emerging trend

Director-General of the  National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP,  Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi,  described this trend as alarming, while discussing emerging trends in human trafficking for the year 2024, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

She  said:  “As part of our comprehensive enlightenment strategies to equip Nigerians with timely and accurate information to reduce their vulnerability, we have received reports indicating that traffickers have adopted new tactics to lure unsuspecting victims, predominantly to Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, and other West African nations.”

She continued: “Under the guise of lucrative employment opportunities in gold mining and oil companies, victims are enticed with promises of monthly incomes as high as nine hundred dollars ($900.00), which, as always, are blatant lies. Victims are often instructed to bring about eight hundred and fifty thousand naira (N850,000) for documentation and other logistical expenses. Upon arrival at their destination, traffickers confiscate this money with the victims’ phones and other personal belongings.”

Porous borders

The Seme and Idiroko borders in Lagos and Ogun states in the South-West region of Nigeria, have been identified as the commonly used borders by human traffickers to convey victims to Ghana by road, because of the porous nature of the borders.

Victims are also trafficked through the waterways of Ode Jetty in Lagos en-route Benin Republic, to Ghana.

While the English language could also be attributed to the choice of Ghana as the destination point for human trafficking for cybercrime, investigation during a two-day visit to the Seme and Idiroko borders revealed that border security and control are being compromised by some security officials.

Corrupt practice such as bribery by the different border security officials, was evident. Some of these officials of government institutions collect between N3,000 and N15,000 ( $2 – $10) from travellers, especially those without travel documents, at the exit points.

They employ civilian agents who act as intermediary between them, the traffickers and the trafficked persons, to collect this bribe which waives off checking of travelling documents. Most times, these civilian agents are drivers  conveying trafficked persons to Ghana.

In some cases, trafficked persons are taken through illegal and unmanned routes through both borders, into Benin Republic from where they will board the next available vehicle to major cities in Ghana.

Victims taken through these illegal routes are those promised scholarships to study in Ghana. They are made to believe that the decision to take the routes is to cut down on transportation cost.

Officials mum

Several attempts made to get reactions from the Nigeria Immigration Service ,NIS responsible for border security and migration management, on why victims were taken freely through the land border without travel documents, failed, as this reporter was told to wait endlessly for response.

During a visit to the NIS, Lagos State Command, in Ikoyi ,Lagos, on February 15, 2024, the spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, DSI, Ego Esemena, could not attend to this reporter as she was busy with her boss who played host to senior officers from other services.

She promised to attend to this reporter  later but never did as several calls and text messages sent at different times to her were not responded to.

The same was the case with the NIS national spokesman, DCI Adedotun Aridegbe, as he did not pick his calls or respond to the text messages sent on several occasions , until he was replaced by an officer who was yet to be officially announced as at March 20,2024.

But when contacted, the Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, “We are working with the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs Service to address some of the security challenges along our border corridors in Nigeria. The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, will embark on some on-the-spot assessment of our border communities and routes soon. We will update you accordingly. Human trafficking and other criminal activities at borders will be collectively tackled as soon as possible”.

Arrests

Not less than 100 Nigerian victims have so far been rescued in three years, according to a collation of published reports on arrests made at different times in three years by Ghanaian authorities.

Among these arrests were two Nigerians alleged to be engaged in human trafficking for cybercrime in Ghana. Their arrest was effected by the Central Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, GPS at Gomoa Pomadze.

Ghanaian Regional Police Public Relations Officer and Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, DSP Irene Oppong, in a report published by Ghana News Agency, revealed that 39 victims, all Nigerians in their twenties, were rescued in the process, adding that thirty-six laptops were retrieved from the house. 

Sixteen of these suspects, all Nigerians, were deported by the Ghanaian Government for the same offence, in 2022, according to the former Comptroller, Seme Border Command, Nigeria, Dr. Chukwuemeka Dike.

In 2023, data released by the NIS revealed that 522 suspected migrant smugglers were handed over to NAPTIP . Of this number, 12 suspected traffickers were recommended for prosecution.

In addition, four suspected traffickers were repatriated from Ghana and handed over to the NAPTIP, in 2024.

But sources at the NIS information office disclosed during an earlier visit to its headquarters in Sauka, on Abuja International Airport Road, Federal Capital Territory, that there were no available data on Nigerians arrested for trafficking victims from Nigeria into forced cybercrime in Ghana, from 2021 to 2023.

Prosecution

Trafficking of Nigerians to Ghana for cybercrime still goes on with impunity due to the slow prosecution process. Findings revealed that when suspects are granted bail in court, they  continue  with their stock-in-trade, capitalizing on the slow court procedure. 

Such cases take one year or more before judgment is passed. The delay sometimes could be due to the transfer of Judges handling the matter to other states, or another court. And the new Judge will have to start hearing of the case all over again.

At other times, victims get frustrated due to the long process and may decide to discontinue with the case, either out of threat and coercion by suspects or lack the fund needed for the logistics of judicial process. With this, the whole process is jeopardized.

At different times the NAPTIP had advocated for a special court that would handle its cases , in order to address this challenge.

Institutions like Expertise France, a French public agency with funding from the European Union ,initiated the ALTP Project to support the authorities and civil society in six Gulf of Guinea countries (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Togo) in the fight against human trafficking, with a view to assisting them meet up with the 2030 planned year of ending modern slavery.

The Police in Zamfara State have apprehended seven suspected killers of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Mada after he was taken to an unknown destination in the name of answering some questions.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Shehu Muhammad Dalijan who paraded the suspects before journalists and members of the Izalatul Bidi’a wa’ikamatus Sunnah, said the operatives arrested a certain Kabiru who was one of the terrorists who attacked Kasuwa Daji, where they burnt a police operational vehicle and attacked the residence of the former chairman the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Zamfara State.

CP Dalijan disclosed that the Police have also nabbed two suppliers of ammunition to one terrorist kingpin, Bashari, who has been operating in the Shinkafi and Kaura Namoda axis of Zamfara State.

The suspected suppliers of the ammunition were identified as Anas-Ruwa Tukur and Tijjani Aliyu.

The Police Commissioner assured that the police would charge all the suspects to court for diligent prosecution to ensure justice, and to serve as a deterrent to others.

The Police vowed to rid the state of criminals and criminalities and restore peace for the people to go about their normal activities without hindrances.

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has approved N2.19 billion as subsidy for the 2,290 intending Muslim pilgrims from the state for the 2024 hajj.

The governor said the action is to facilitate the beneficiaries’ religious obligations and enhance their welfare in the holy land.

He explained that the move was sequel to the recent announcement by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCOM) on the adjustment of the 2024 hajj fare where intending pilgrims are to pay an additional N1.918 million.

Against this backdrop, Governor Mohammed said his administration has resolved to subsidize each pilgrim with the sum of N959,025 which stands as 50 percent of the additional fare for the 2,290 intending pilgrims from the state.

In a statement issued by his media side, Comrade Mukhtar Gidado, the governor said he had approved the immediate release of the sum of N2.196 billion for the payment of the fare subsidy.

He said the development underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring that Muslim faithful in Bauchi State have the opportunity to fulfill their sacred duty of performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam.

He said, “By subsidizing the hajj fare, the government aims to alleviate the financial burden on intending pilgrims, thereby enabling more citizens to participate in this revered religious obligation. This initiative also aligns with the government’s efforts to promote inclusive governance and ensure that every citizen has equal access to opportunities and resources.”

The governor charged the intending pilgrims to perform the hajj with sincerity, devotion, and reverence.

He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering support for the religious freedom and practices of all citizens and pledged to continue working towards the welfare and development of the state.

King Charles' funeral plans are already set amid his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Though he has been the British monarch for only 18 months, following his ascension to the throne on May 6, 2023, plans have been laid out for the eventual demise of King Charles III.

When Queen Elizabeth II died, Operation London Bridge was activated to facilitate the smooth transition of power to her son, then-Prince Charles.

Now, with Prince Charles' cancer getting worse, royal insiders tell In Touch that Charles’ final resting plans are of timely prioritization.

The plans have been dubbed “Operation Menai Bridge”, named after the world's first iron suspension bridge in Anglesey, Wales.

“It’s a fairly common thing to do among the British royalty, but in Charles’ case expediency is necessary,” says the source, who notes that “some courtiers believe Charles’ cancer is worse than they’re making it out to be.”

"Operation Menai Bridge” is set to include familiar protocols. When the monarch dies, Charles’ body will be moved from the throne room at Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. He will lie in state, and his official funeral will take place nine days later. He will likely be buried in the royal vault at Windsor Castle.

The update comes shortly after a separate high ranking royal insider told In Touch that Charles is not only battling pancreatic cancer – a timely update given that he did not share what kind of cancer he was diagnosed with – but has a mere two years to live.

“King Charles is much sicker than the palace lets on and simply isn’t up to the job of running his fractious family, the crown’s business interests and fulfilling the daily duties of the monarchy,” the member of the royal inner circle revealed in early March.

“His cancer is eating him alive. He’s very frail. The situation is desperate.”

Even Queen Camilla is said to be frustrated by Charles’ declining health and weakened status.

“Behind the scenes, Camilla is disgusted by the king’s apparent weakness and is providing him little comfort as he battles his fatal cancer,” a palace courtier told In Touch in early March.”

Buckingham Palace announced in February that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer. The form of cancer was not disclosed and there were speculations it was prostate cancer because the condition was identified during an operation that treated the British monarch’s benign prostate enlargement. However, a palace spokesperson clarified that Charles does not have prostate cancer.

The high-ranking royal insider who spoke to In Touch has now claimed that Charles is battling pancreatic cancer and has been given a short time to live.

The Internet was practically set ablaze this week following the events that unfolded when a controversial cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, was crowned the ‘best dressed female’ at the premiere of actress and filmmaker, Eniola Ajao’s  movie titled, ‘Ajakaju (Beast of Both Worlds)’, last Sunday.

Amusa, Adebayo trade words  

Actress, Dayo Amusa’s criticism of the decision to give Bobrisky the award ignited a firestorm of reactions, as she lambasted a fellow actor, Femi Adebayo, for making the announcement.

Amusa claimed that it was an insult to the ladies that were at the premiere for the award, which allegedly came with a cash prize of N1m, to be given to Bobrisky. According to her, if the organisers felt that cross dressers deserved to get an award, they should have created a category for them.

However, Adebayo’s wife, Aduke, was having none of that as she accused Amusa of hypocrisy, and stirring up further tension. She stated that if Amusa was not happy with the award, she should have directed her grievances at the organisers of the event, rather than her husband, who was only called upon to announce the winner.

On his part, Adebayo accused Amusa of not being happy with his success. He added, “You can never have peace of mind, because I have just started. You better channel your energy to your career.”

Bobrisky also sued for peace, urging critics to focus on the judges’ decision, rather than targeting Femi Adebayo. 

Reacting to the call-out, some fans accused Amusa of unfairly targeting Adebayo.

A fan, City Girl, wrote, “But, he only presented the award. What’s his own?”

Kiki Sanchex opined, “She is trans(gender) and now identifies as a woman. I am not necessarily a fan, but she (Bobrisky) went there as a woman, dressed the part and won fair. I see no problem here.”

Omowunmi wrote, “Even if Bob(risky) did not win, Dayo you had no chance of winning.”

However, another fan, Lady Que, shared Amusa’s opinion. She wrote, “A man winning the best dressed female is disrespectful to women who attended the event.”

Portable, Bobrisky fight dirty

However, the drama took another dimension when controversial singer, Portable, condemned the decision to name Bobrisky the winner. Taking to his Instagram page, Portable asked Bobrisky to stop referring to himself as a woman. This led the duo to trade expletives in several voice notes.

Expectedly, Bobrisky did not take Portable’s criticism lightly, as she cursed the singer and his family.

As tensions continued to rise, one of Portable’s baby mothers, Honey Berry, issued a stern warning to Bobrisky, saying that she would hold him accountable if any harm befell her child due to the curses he had cast.

Not done, Portable went ahead to release a ‘diss’ track titled, ‘Yansh like Fufu’, which has been gaining traction online.

Ajao makes U-turn, tenders apology  

Apparently overwhelmed at the turn of events, Eniola Ajao tendered a public apology to the people who felt offended by the decision to name Bobrisky the winner of the award. She added that it was nothing but a publicity stunt. A statement she released read in part, “I write to you today with a heavy heart, filled with regret and remorse over the events that unfolded at my movie premiere. I address you all today, taking full responsibility and seeking your pardon with my deepest regrets for the distress and turmoil caused by the events surrounding the premiere of ‘Ajakaju’.

“First, I want to extend my sincerest apologies to the Muslim community, especially during this sacred month of Ramadan. To the women in our society, I (also) want to express my profound apologies. I want to assure you that I have the utmost reverence for womanhood, and I would never intentionally engage in any behavior that diminishes or disparages the role of women in society.”

She also apologised to Femi Adebayo and his wife for the undue backlash they faced as a result of the announcement he made. 

Ajao went on to withdraw the award from Bobrisky and named actress, Iyabo Ojo, and a social media influencer, Raheem Halimah, aka Papaya Ex, as the new winners, awarding them a cash gift of N1m each.

Operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, arrested seventy-four (74) suspected internet fraudsters in Ogun State.

The anti-graft agency said the alleged fraudsters were arrested at Government Residential Area, G.R.A, Shagamu, in Ogun State.

According to the Commission in a statement on its Twitter page, their arrest followed surveillance and intelligence exposing their suspected internet-related offenses.

Items recovered from them include seven exotic cars, three laptops, 124 mobile phones, one PlayStation 3 game, two motorcycles and other incriminating documents.

The statement added that the suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Following the recent exponential rise in the rate of banditry and kidnapping in the country, Nigerians have been speaking against the development.

One of the vocal voices against the ugly trend is the Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Kukah, who feels that those who have close affinity or ties with the bandits have questions to answer.

He believes that the comments coming from such persons, as disturbing and suspicious as they are, equally exacerbate the situation, and that such persons should be thoroughly interrogated.

Kukah, who expressed his worries over the spate of kidnappings across schools in the country, raised questions about the Federal Government’s failure to investigate the individuals that claim to have close ties with bandits.

The Catholic cleric made his position known in an interview on Tuesday.

Berating the Federal Government for failing to take a decisive action to end the incessant abductions, which he noted, could have a psychological effect on the children, he said: “It is clear that the Federal Government at the highest level knows what is going on, at least the intelligence community has an idea.

“There are key Nigerians, who are saying openly that they know more than they think the rest of us know, and I think that it is the business of the Federal Government to find out those who claim to know where the bandits are, those who are collaborating with the bandits.”

Kukah’s call came barely 48 hours after 137 schoolchildren, who were kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State, were released from captivity.

In the last one month, cases of kidnapping have assumed a dangerous and frightening dimension.

The month of March appears to have been the worst period for the country as the bandits have been riding roughshod over the country since the beginning of the month.

It started on March 3, with the kidnapping of 112 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from their camp in Gamboru Ngala area of Borno State.

On March 7, bandits struck again in Kaduna State, where they abducted schoolchildren from primary and secondary schools. This was coming four days after the Borno incident.

Again, on March 10, bandits reportedly kidnapped no fewer than 15 Tsangaya students at Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area in Sokoto State.

However, in the midst of all these, a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has been consistent in his message that the use of force on the bandits would only aggravate the already bad situation.

He has repeatedly and emphatically advised the Federal Government to approach the bandits, find out what their grouse is, and possibly, adhere to their demands if the country wants to experience peace.

Gumi’s position has been interpreted in some quarters to mean that he knows where the bandits that have been terrorising the country are located and should be able to help the government flush them out once and for all.

Others are of the view that Gumi could allegedly be working in cahoots with the bandits.

Those on this side of the argument are of the view that Gumi should be arrested and interrogated if the country wants to get to the root of banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria.

Perhaps, that accounts for Bishop Kukah’s call that all the people that have links with the bandits, including Gumi, should be properly interrogated.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government said Gumi has been invited for questioning over his comments on the activities of bandits in the country.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while addressing journalists at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

He said: “The security agencies are up and doing. Sheikh Gumi or any other person is not above the law.

“If his suggestions are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take, but if they think that he is also making some statements that appear to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded.

“There is nobody that is above the law in this regard. And I am aware that he has been a guest of the security agencies to answer questions. When you make remarks that border on our national security, it is incumbent on the security agencies to dig further.”

The controversial cleric had on several occasions faulted the Federal Government on the continued use of force or kinetic means to secure the release of victims of kidnapping, saying, “The government ought to go closer to the bandits and study them to provide them with better living conditions.”

However, Kukah’s call has elicited reactions from well meaning Nigerians, with many saying he was apt on his call.

Applauding Kukah for speaking out the minds of many Nigerians, the President of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr. Pogu Bitrus told DAILY POST that it was a popular voice because that is the right thing to be done by any civilised society.

“In any organised society, anybody associated with a criminal should be investigated. Investigation is to find out if it is true that there is such an association between an individual or individuals and the bandits, as well as the extent of such an association?

“In other words, it is to establish if such an individual is really an accomplice. So, it is necessary for the government to investigate these people because we have suffered enough in this country,” he said.

He blamed the government for allowing insecurity to fester in the country.

He said: “Due to the government’s inaction, these bandits and terrorists have become law unto themselves, and it is the state that has now become the victim instead of the criminals.

“They kidnap at will; we go and pay ransom to secure the release of our people, who had been kidnapped, and by doing so, we finance and keep them in action.

“In a normal society, they would have been fished out a long time ago one by one and eliminated or put to jail depending on the legal system that is in operation.

“But in Nigeria, they have their big brothers wherever they are, which may include these people, who are claiming that they have ties with them, and they ensure that they are protected.”

He disagreed with the views in some quarters that the bandits bear more sophisticated weapons than the country’s security agents.

He said: “That is why I don’t agree that these people are too powerful or that they have more sophisticated weapons than our military.

“It is a lie; it’s all propaganda by the same people promoting insurgency.

“So, these people should be apprehended and interrogated to find out their level of involvement and any other person, whether in the security forces or in the government; whether the person is a former president or whatever, who is suspected to have a hand in the insecurity that is plaguing the country, must be interrogated because we have suffered enough.

“Ordinary Nigerians are paying the price; people are living in fear. Some people cannot travel again because of fear.

“And due to fear, people can’t go to the farms anymore because the bandits will either kill them or abduct them and force their relatives to sell properties or borrow money to pay for ransom. So, criminality has to be addressed and fought head on; not all these rhetoric.

“We thank God that the current president must have shown the political will and that is why, as far as I am concerned, the military is now doing the job better than before.”

He called on the government to go all out in the fight against the criminal elements and their sponsors.

“The president should go further; there should be no sacred cow or superiority of anybody in the north.

“All these things started from the north; whether it is the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency from Borno or the herdsmen militia from the Northwest coming into the Middle Belt and going down South; they are all problems of the North. Nobody should be above the law; they should be brought to book and let us have peace,” he stated.

He challenged the president to prove his mettle by going after the criminal elements terrorising Nigerians anywhere they are.

He said: “If Tinubu has the balls to say he is the president, he should get these people to book. And when that is done, others will either fall in line as their boys in the bushes to lay down their arms and become normal citizens if they are Nigerians or leave Nigeria, else they will be dealt with.

“So, Kukah’s call is in order because that is the way forward and the way a sane country which is not a banana republic should react.”

In his contribution, a former lawmaker in the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon Shehu Yusuf also expressed total support for Bishop Kukah’s position, saying, “I totally support Kukah’s view.

“What he said should be properly looked into because I cannot understand how an individual or some persons within a community would claim to have ties with bandits that are living in the bush and who have been kidnapping, terrorising and collecting ransom from the people, and the government is keeping quiet.

“The government should rise to the occasion, and bring the people to answer questions about their relationship with the bandits.

“And if possible, they should assist the government with the locations of the bandits, their modus operandi, and why they are doing what they are doing. The call is in order and Nigerians should put pressure on the government to listen to Bishop Kukah’s call,” he said in an interview with DAILY POST.

For the President of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the Catholic Bishop has not said anything outside what Nigerians expected.

“No Nigerian citizen today will tell you that they are happy with the situation, where criminals would be encouraged to hold the country to ransom as a sovereign nation; it is not done anywhere.

“Bishop Kukah has just re-echoed what many Nigerians have been saying.

“The government should go all out to find the sponsors of these criminals, their friends, and those who have dealings with them and punish them once and for all,” he told DAILY POST.

Godswill Akpabio, senate president, has hinted that the upper legislative chamber may consider lifting the suspension on Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central.

Akpabio spoke on Friday upon his return to Abuja from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) general assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND

Early this month, Ningi sparked controversy when he alleged that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets concurrently.

Subsequently, the senate debated the matter at the “committee of the whole”.

The senator was thereafter suspended for three months for allegedly not providing evidence to back his allegations.

NINGI THREATENS TO SUE AKPABIO

In a letter dated March 27 and addressed to Akpabio through Femi Falana, his counsel, Ningi gave the senate president a seven-day ultimatum to lift his suspension from the upper legislative chamber.

Ningi described his suspension as “illegal”, saying he would approach a federal high court for his reinstatement if the suspension is not lifted within seven days.

“Apart from violating our client’s fundamental right to a fair hearing, the Senate violated the right of the entire people of the Bauchi Central Senatorial District to representation in the Senate for three months,” the letter reads.

“This is a breach of section 111 of the Constitution and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Act.

“As you are no doubt aware, the Federal High Court had struck down the suspension of some members of the Senate and the House of Representatives who had accused the leadership of both houses of corruption or abuse of office.”

‘NINGI WILL JOIN US IN A FEW DAYS’

Speaking on Friday, Akpabio said although he was yet to receive the letter, he believes that Ningi will rejoin the senate in a few days.

“It is a parliamentary decision. I have not seen the letter yet,” Akpabio said.

“But senator Ningi is one of us. I mean what is suspension? I believe that in a few days, he will join us.

“So, there is no problem. It would be resolved amicably. The senate is a family.”

The Governor of Kebbi, Nasir Idris, has called for a change in how the nation’s revenue is shared.

The governor opined that states should receive a greater share than the federal government.

Idris said that a reassessment of the distribution formula of federal allocations would address the democratic aspirations of the people.

He said that this should be carefully examined, especially in the area of having the police force under the administration of state governments nationwide.

He said this during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Friday, expressing concern that the revenue-sharing formula heavily favoured the federal government at the expense of the states.

“A situation where the federal government takes 55 per cent of the total share of the revenue was, to say the least, unfair. We must look at the formula in order to meet our campaign promises to our citizens,” he said.

“When you look at it, the states and local governments are the closest to the people and most of the challenges faced directly by citizens are handled by the states and local governments.

“It is in the state that you find the farmers, the artisans, and the poorest of the poor and it is our responsibility as governors to make life meaningful and worth living for them.

“So, I believe that the federal government has fewer responsibilities in terms of direct interaction with Nigerians. Governors and local government chairmen deal directly with the people and that is a huge burden on them.

“Our revenues should be shared in such a way that state and local governments that often have direct interactions with the Nigerian people should collect a higher percentage to meet their yearnings and aspirations,” Idris said.

The Labour Party, LP, 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed claims of dumping the party.

Obi said he’s still a member and will never be involved in an anti-party.

He spoke while addressing Nigerians on X Space hosted by Parallel Facts on Friday.

“I am still a member of the Labour Party and I don’t and will never do anti-party,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor also insisted that he didn’t lose the 2023 presidential election.

He said the impact of his followers known as Obidients were felt in Nigeria and the globe.

“We did not lose the election of 2023, we won, your (Obidients) impact was felt all over the world and you can’t take that for granted.

“It’s actually a stepping stone, hold your head high and celebrate. Together, a new Nigeria is possible,” he added.