Operatives of the Imo State Police Command have rescued two children from their female abductors in two separate incidents, even as they rejected a ₦1million offer as bribe.

Police spokesperson in the state, DSP Henry Okoye disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.

Okoye disclosed that on February 4th 2025, operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) arrested a 32-year-old woman, Confidence Odoh, a resident of Umuanyo Eziobodo in Owerri West local government area.

Odoh was apprehended for allegely abducting her former neighbor’s 3-year-old son, Nzubechi Ududiri, three days earlier, on February 1, 2025.

The suspect was alleged to have abducted little Nzubechi while he was playing within the suspect’s house premises.

However, the child has been reunited with his parents, Mr and Mrs Michael Ududiri.

In another development, police operatives on a routine stop-and-search operation on the Owerri-Aba express Road also nabbed a 45-year-old Eze Chika, a female resident of Obiokwara Umualoma in Ideato North local government area of Imo State for being in company of an abducted four years old boy.

Chika offered a bribe of ₦1million during interrogation to the police operatives to pave way for her release after admitting that she bought the child for ₦1.8million from a suspected child trafficking syndicate in Aba, Abia State.

Okoye said, “On February 4, 2025, detectives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) arrested a 32-year-old woman, Confidence Odoh, of Umuanyo Eziobodo, Owerri West LGA, for abducting her ex-neighbor’s 3-year-old son, Nzubechi Ududiri, on February 1, 2025. Investigations revealed she stole the child while he was playing in the compound where he resides.

“The child was rescued and reunited with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ududiri Michael, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend possible accomplices.

“In a separate development on February 21, 2025, operatives of the Safer Highway Unit, while conducting a robust stop-and-search along the Owerri-Aba Express Road, apprehended Eze Chika (45) of Obiokwara Umualoma, Ideato North LGA, found with a suspected stolen 4-year-old child. Initially, she claimed the child was hers but later admitted to purchasing the child from a suspected child trafficking syndicate in Aba for ₦1.8 million.

“In a desperate attempt to evade arrest, the suspect offered the officers a ₦1 million bribe, which was outrightly rejected. The officers proceeded with the lawful arrest and ensured the safe rescue of the child,” the police spokesman said.

Okoye added that further investigations revealed possible links to a larger trafficking network, saying more arrests are expected as efforts are underway to identify the child’s biological parents.

He expressed the commitment of the Imo State Police Command to combating child trafficking and other organised crimes.

Residents, especially parents, are also urged to stay vigilant, monitor their children closely, and report suspicious activities to the nearest Police Station or via 0803 477 3600, 08148024755.

A FinTech Executive and Techpreneur, Tope Dare, has warned that the Central Bank of Nigeria’s revised ATM withdrawal fees, set to take effect on March 1, 2025, will hurt low-income Nigerians while benefiting wealthier individuals.

“This policy ultimately favors those who can afford to withdraw larger sums, while the average Nigerian, who withdraws in smaller amounts, bears the brunt.

“For many low-income earners and small business owners, withdrawing N5,000 or N10,000 at a time is a daily necessity. Now, they face unfair charges that wealthier Nigerians can easily avoid,” he stated.

According to Dare, the new policy introduces a tiered fee structure, charging N100 per N20,000 withdrawal at ATMs within bank premises and up to N500 for withdrawals from off-site ATMs in locations like malls and fuel stations.

Meanwhile, he further mentioned that while the CBN insists the policy is necessary for banks to recover operational costs and expand ATM networks, critics argue that it disproportionately targets those who withdraw small amounts frequently.

According to the expert, a recent street survey further highlighted public frustration.

He said many respondents expressed their concerns over the elimination of three free interbank withdrawals per month, which previously allowed them to access funds from any ATM without penalty.

Also, consumer rights group Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has already taken legal action against the CBN, calling the policy “unfair, unreasonable, and unjust.”

SERAP argued that the revised fees violate sections of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, which aims to prevent exploitation and ensure fair market practices.

However, Dare said the lawsuit seeks to have the policy overturned, citing its disproportionate effect on the poor.

Beyond the direct financial impact, Dare warned of potential long-term consequences.

He stressed that Nigeria was already struggling with financial inclusion, with at least 31 per cent of the population lacking sufficient education to navigate complex banking policies.

He added that many worry that confusion over the new charges could drive people away from formal banking, increasing reliance on costly and unregulated alternatives.

“The CBN should focus on making banking more accessible, not discouraging small transactions. 

“If this policy must stand, there should be exemptions or lower fees for small withdrawals to protect vulnerable Nigerians,” he mentioned.

Dare noted that “As the implementation date approaches, public pressure on the CBN continues to mount. Whether the apex bank will reconsider the policy or push forward despite growing opposition remains to be seen.”

However, Dare stated that “Without adjustments, Nigeria’s most financially vulnerable citizens stand to lose the most.”

In its bid to enhance the liquidity of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, the Federal Government has said it is considering plans to regularise the electricity tariffs to address disparities in the current billing system for customers outside the Band A category.

The proposed hike seeks to align tariffs for customers in the Band B and C categories with the N206/kW rate paid by Band A customers, who make up approximately 15 per cent of the total 12.82 million power consumers nationwide.

However, this plan by the government was opposed by power consumers and members of the Organised Private Sector, who wondered why the government had continued to hike the cost of commodities in various sectors of the economy.

This comes as the government admitted that it currently owes the 24 power generation companies and 11 electricity distribution companies operating in the country over N4tn in electricity subsidy.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made this known at the public presentation of the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria Integrated Resource Plan on Thursday in Abuja.

The NIEP initiated in 2024 was developed through a collaborative effort involving power sector professionals and donor partners, including the De the Development Bank, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the Tony Blair Institute and the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility.

The PUNCH reports that the Nigerian electricity sector has undergone several reforms in the last year that are perceived as harmful to citizens, causing significant hardship following the government’s firm stance on adopting a cost-reflective tariff.

The latest development comes weeks after the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Energy, Olu Verheijen, had hinted that the current power tariffs would rise by about two-thirds.

Speaking in his keynote address on Thursday, Adelabu said the government is considering this option over the slow pace of migration to Band A customers, which he attributed to the reluctance of distribution companies to make the necessary investments.

He stated that the tariff regularisation would promote investment in the power sector amidst calls by potential investors for a cost-reflective tariff regime in the country.

Under the current structure, customers in Band B, who enjoy 18 to 17 hours of electricity supply, pay N63 per kilowatt-hour, while those in Band A, with only two hours more of supply, are charged N209 per kilowatt-hour.

Adelabu described this as “unfair” and stressed the need for a regularisation of the tariffs to create a more balanced and equitable pricing system.

The minister said, “We will look at the tariff again. I am not saying that we are going to increase the tariff before I am misquoted.

“We are going to look at it and see how we can improve upon our modest achievement of last year, not only to ensure that we grow the sector that we need but also to ensure that we can invest more in revamping all these dilapidated infrastructures.

“The migration to Band A should have been faster, but we found out that Discos refused to invest. They have refused to invest in this sector. A lot of investment is required for us to achieve an accelerated migration of lower-band customers into Band A. It is taking a lot of time.”

In response to this, the government is considering restructuring the tariff bands, reducing the current wide gap between them. The minister explained that a new system, proposed to encompass Bands A, B, C and eliminate D and E tariff groups would address these inequalities.

“The gap between the Band A tariffs and Bands B, C, D, and E is just too wide,” he said. “We believe it’s not fair. It is not just, and we must be able to carry out some level of regularisation.”

The minister also revealed that the Federal Government owes electricity generation and distribution companies over N4tn in electricity subsidies.

He noted that the debt had added to the already challenging situation in strengthening the power sector to deliver optimum service to consumers.

A breakdown showed that N2tn is owed to Gencos as legacy debts, while another N1.9tn is owed to them as part of the electricity subsidy for 2024, while Discos are owed N450bn for the 2024 electricity subsidy.

“How do you expect the Gencos to perform optimally? How do you expect them to pay for gas, service and maintain their turbines and other infrastructure as well as pay their staff? If a total of N4tn is owed to them,” Adelabu stated.

Consumers, OPS kick

Electricity consumers have kicked against the plan by the Federal Government to increase electricity tariffs payable by customers currently enjoying government subsidies.

The consumers, under the aegis of the All Electricity Consumers Forum, said it would be insensitive of the government to think of any tariff increase at a time when it has not succeeded in giving a stable electricity supply to the people.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the National Coordinator of All Electricity Consumers Forum, Adeola Samuel-Ilori, said the present infrastructure of the distribution companies and that of the Transmission Company of Nigeria are moribund to achieve any meaningful improvement in power generation, wondering if the government sees the masses as gullible and docile.

“Our peak generation is just 5,345 megawatts. Discos still reject loads for one reason or another. It’s purely insensitive of a ruler to think the citizens can be pummeled to a state of involuntary submission because of their passive mentality. That’s not only bad but criminal, and it can only be a government with no good intentions that will contemplate that,” Samuel-Ilori said.

He alleged that the government is imposing taxes on people to convince investors that there would be returns on investments.

The National Vice President of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, said the Federal Government is insensitive.

He lamented, “I think the government is insensitive to what is happening in the nation. The government is behaving as if they are ruling from outside, as if they are living in another country and ruling from there. The government is far from the reality of what is facing the country. The service providers just increased their own tariffs, the Nigerian Ports Authority as well by 15 per cent.

“Why is the government not working on providing alternative sources of power? Even the electricity we have is not regular; it still goes off for hours, and nobody has been jailed for the incessant blackouts. While we are not done with these, they are still talking on another increment, they are purely insensitive, and it does not show an innovative government.”

Meanwhile, a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dr Ikenna Nwosu, said the past hikes were unjustified.

He said, “The past hike was not justified with any published data. The new hike is, thus, not justified. It has a negative impact on persons and businesses are very humongous. It is crippling, and will simply worsen the current double crises if cost of living crises and cost of doing business crises.

“For a country with plenty of power sources, Nigeria should have very cheap power.”

The Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for its youth, with plans to sponsor an additional 1,002 students for overseas studies, following the successful sponsorship of 1,001 students last year.

This was revealed by the deputy governor of the State, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, during a courtesy visit by the European Union (EU) Delegation ahead of the 2025 Study in Europe Fair in Kano.

In a statement issued to journalists by his spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, the deputy governor described the initiative as a “bridge for creating a future where the youth of Kano can access world-class education and participate fully in the global knowledge economy.”

He further highlighted that the Kano State Government has prioritised education, reflecting in the highest budgetary allocation to the sector in Nigeria for 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. Additionally, the government has declared a State of Emergency in Education to ensure young people receive quality education that equips them with skills to compete in the modern world.

Deputy Governor Gwarzo, while expressing appreciation to the EU for its continued support and collaboration, recognised the Study in Europe Fair as a testament to the commitment of international partners to the development of Nigeria’s educational system.

“As a state that has long been a center of trade, culture, and education, Kano stands to gain immensely from international collaborations such as this. We look forward to a successful event that will empower our youth, enhance educational exchange, and contribute to the overall economic and social development of Kano, Nigeria, and West Africa,” he said.

Speaking earlier Gautier Mignot, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, as well as leader of the delegation, stated that they were in Kano primarily for the Study in Europe Fair, scheduled for February 27, 2025.

Accompanied by several representatives from EU member-states, he noted that the event had been organised in the past in Kano, bringing European higher education institutions to engage with academic scholars and students, providing them with information on study programs and opportunities in Europe.

According to him, the expectation was to establish new contacts, partnerships, friendships, and student exchanges, with scholars travelling to Europe and, hopefully, some European scholars coming to Kano as well.

He further mentioned that around 20 university representatives were present in Kano for the event, many of whom were visiting for the first time. He emphasized that the initiative aimed to promote people-to-people connections and strengthen educational collaboration between Europe and Kano.

Other members of the delegation included Amb. Michal Cygan of the Polish Embassy to Nigeria, Jurgew Bartelink – Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Leila Ben Mathieu – Head of Human Development, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and Kristof Korosi – Deputy Ambassador of Hungary to Nigeria.