The house of representatives says its probe into the dispute between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) is to protect the country’s national assets.
Speaking with journalists on Saturday in Abuja, Philip Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the house, said the investigation also involves the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) Limited.
NMDPRA and Dangote refinery have been embroiled in a dispute that began recently.
The dispute peaked on July 18 when Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive officer of NMDPRA, said local refineries, including the Dangote refinery, produce inferior products compared to the ones imported into the country.
Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, denied the allegations by testing diesel from his refiner on July 20 when federal lawmakers visited the plant.
He also called for a probe into the allegations of the NMDPRA.
On July 22, the lawmakers launched investigations into Ahmed’s claims.
They said allegations that the international oil companies (IOCs) in Nigeria are frustrating the survival of the Dangote refinery will also be probed.
On July 23, the house of representatives asked the federal government to suspend Ahmed over his “unguarded comments”.
‘DANGOTE REFINERY IS A CRITICAL ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE’
Agbese said the probe aligns with the lower chamber’s commitment to protecting all critical economic infrastructure, such as the Dangote refinery.
He said the dispute has led to uncertainties that caused fuel queues to resurface, which he deemed totally condemnable.
“We have been seeing a lot by way of demarketing campaigns to discredit the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and given the negative impact of this, which has caused panic in the country,” Agbese said.
“Unfortunately, what we have learnt is that the NNPC and NMDPRA play major role in these plots to discredit the refinery, which is unacceptable.
“The bigger aspect of our concern is that there are concerns that false narratives are being peddled by certain interests that are bent on importing dirty fuels into the country.
“As a proactive institution, committed to the wellbeing of the nation and Nigerians, the position of the house is to investigate the allegations.”
Agbese said the house aims to resolve the issue to pave the way for economic stability.
The spokesperson said the leadership of NMDPRA must be removed, asserting that both agencies have shown interest in destroying the refinery.
He added that if evidence of an attempt to sabotage the Dangote refinery is found, the house would call for the dismissal of Kyari.
“It is on record that the house had directed the president to sack NMDPRA, so the house will also not hesitate to call for the sack of Mele Kyari, the Group chief executive officer of NNPCL if need be,” he said.
According to Agbese, many Nigerians have called off the proposed hardship protest, but they demand Kyari’s dismissal if it will ensure the smooth functioning of the country.
[TheCable]
Grammy-winning Afro-fusion singer Burna Boy marked the 5th anniversary of his critically acclaimed album “African Giant” with a thrilling YouTube Live show.
The event, supported by YouTube Music, featured Burna Boy performing songs from the album, which has become a cultural phenomenon and a testament to African pride.
The album, released in 2019, is a genre-bending blend of Afrobeat, dancehall, pop, and hip-hop, featuring international collaborations with artists like Jorja Smith, Jeremih, Future, Damian Marley, and YG.
Burna Boy expressed excitement about the event, saying it was an “incredible experience” to celebrate the album’s anniversary with his fans.
He thanked YouTube Music for helping create the memorable event and his fans for their unwavering support.
He said: “Celebrating the 5th anniversary of ‘African Giant’ with a special performance in London, supported by YouTube Music, has been an incredible experience.
“This album holds a special place in my heart as it represents a pivotal moment in my career and a powerful statement of African pride.
“Performing these songs for my fans, who have supported me every step of the way, is a reminder of the journey we’ve shared and the cultural impact we’ve made together. I’m grateful to YouTube Music for helping us create this memorable event and to all my fans for their unwavering support. Here’s to many more years of making music that resonates and inspires.”
Head of Music at YouTube in Africa, Addy Awofisayo said: “We are thrilled to present Burna Boy on YouTube Music Nights, celebrating the 5th anniversary of his groundbreaking album, African Giant.”
'Tinubu working to bring back National lost glory' - Youth groups says, plan solidarity support march from August 1
AFOLABI
The Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders, an umbrella body of all the youth groups across the six geopolitical zones, have concluded arrangements to stage a solidarity march from August 1-10.
The solidarity march, according to them, is in support of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, who, they said, has been working round the clock to put the nation back to lost glory.
A statement signed by Comrade Goodluck Ibem, National President of CONYL and Junaid Abubakar, National Publicity Secretary said: “The act of governance is not a magic show where what we expect just happen immediately at the same time for viewers on the show.
“Governance demands we show some patience and tolerance by all waiting for our expected good results.
“President Tinubu is currently doing his best via different policies and programmes which in due course, will bring about good tidings for our dear country. What we need now is a little patience to enjoy what the future holds for us.
“Nigerian youths should be aware that some criminals are out there who will want to seize any little opportunity to perpetuate crime by looting and destroying private and public businesses and establishments currently putting food on the table of our follow Nigerians.
“Though protest is the right of citizens in a democratic setting,,but now, is a wrong timing to engage in such given the current situation at hand.
“We appeal to all aggrieved youths to shun any form of protest and join us who have seen the good things the future holds in a solidarity march in the 36 states of the federation including Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on 1st August to 10th August, 2024 in support of our nation headed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Nigerian comedian Anita Alaire Afoke Asuoha, popularly known as Real Warri Pikin, has shed light on the challenges female comedians face in Nigeria’s male-dominated stand-up comedy scene.
Speaking during an interview with Channels Television, Real Warri Pikin, 34, highlighted the systemic barriers that contribute to the scarcity of female comedians in the country.
According to Real Warri Pikin, female comedians must overcome significant hurdles to achieve recognition and success.
She described the comedy industry as heavily skewed towards men, requiring women to exert double the effort to stand out.
Despite her own notable success, she admitted facing criticism and derogatory comments from fans, critics, and peers.
Real Warri Pikin recalled her experience during a show in Abuja last year, where she was surprised to find a lack of female comedians among her guests.
She took to social media, asking her followers to recommend female comedians, which led to numerous tags and messages from aspiring performers.
However, she noted that many of these women were struggling due to the male dominance in the industry.
In her words:
“There are not many women that are doing standup comedy right now. I can actually count them. When I did my show in Abuja last year, I was like “no female comedian?” So I did a post on my page and said, “if you know any female comedian wey good, tag am” and I was shocked. I saw a lot of people tagged and I reached out to them via their DMs.
It was only a few of them that had videos of themselves doing standup here and there. I had conversations with them and they will tell you, it’s a male dominated industry. It is hard.
For woman to dey male dominated industry, you need to work twice as hard before they go come talk say na because you fine na why you funny. So I started having conversations with them, talking to them. It’s not easy for this male dominated industry, but you need to know the craft, and you need to be very strategic. I feel like for more female comedians to fill up the space, we need more encouragement.
I remember when I won standup comedian of the year, no be small curse them curse me for comment section, and if other female comedians see those comments, they will go back to their shell. There are a lot of very funny female comedians but there are a lot of factors.
First, you’re a woman. For you to be woman for this part of the world, the world don give you 1-0. And then the society, and then there’s how people see women.
Even till now, I still get it, as big as I am. You just need to ojiri as a woman. When you don understand the dynamics around the industry, you need to chop ojiri tell yourself all die na die. I must do it regardless.“
Several reactions have followed a video interview of a popular Yoruba movie actor, Femi Adebayo, in which he narrated his experience slapping his father, Adebayo Salami, better known as Oga Bello, on a movie set.
The Jagun Jagun hero shared his experience while he was a guest on a show and spoke about acting with his father.
According to Femi Adebayo, the event happened when he acted the role of a notorious armed robber in the 2008 hit movie Taiwo Taiwo, a movie by Box Office queen, filmmaker and actress, Funke Akindele.
According to the movie star, he had gone into a man’s house to rob, which was his father. On getting there, he demanded the money they had come for, but the man [Oga Bello] was stubborn.
Femi Adebayo remarked that he subconsciously raised his hand and landed it on his father’s cheeks. The actor affirmed that his action was not in the script and felt quite sorry afterwards. In his defence, he perpetrated the act to give more life to his role as a notorious armed robber in the movie.
Nonetheless, Femi Adebayo, who recently won a piracy case, confessed to tendering an apology to his father after the scene. However, his father commended him and told him that he would have been in trouble if he had not slapped him.
Another man impregnated my ex-fiancee weeks to our introduction – Damola Olatunji speaks on split with Bukola Arugba
AFOLABI
Actor Damola Olatunji has revealed personal information on his past relationship life.
He disclosed this to Biola Bayo on her show Talk To B, that his ex-fiancée became pregnant with someone else’s child just weeks before their introduction, leaving him heartbroken.
Olatunji also addressed the rumors surrounding his marriage to colleague Bukola Arugba, stating that he never abandoned his family and continues to pay their children’s school fees.
He emphasised the importance of co-parenting and warned against bashing each other on social media, as it can harm their kids in the long run.
The actor surprisingly revealed that he receives advances from both men and women, acknowledging that he’s not perfect.
He said: “My fiance got pregnant for someone else, weeks to my introduction.
“As a matter of fact, this will be the first time anybody will say I’m talking about my divorce. Some said Damola left his marriage, Damola left the house, and I will be like, these are my kids.
“Feelings die, and love fades. If things are not working in a relationship, it’s better to go separate ways than to become physical. Couples that have kids together should not come online and fight dirty.
“Your kids will grow up one day to read about the things you have said. I am not a deadbeat father. Despite our separation, I still pay my kids’ school fees and attend to their needs. My kids will tell you, ‘My dad is the best in the world. They can never lack as long as I am alive. When you have kids with someone, something will always bring you together for life.
“I get toasted the way ladies get toasted. Both from male and female. Hey, listen, I am not a saint, but I will not do what I will not do”.
The Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property under the administration of former President, Muhammadu Buhari, Barrister Okoi Obono-Obla, has revealed how he investigated multibillion-dollar fraud cases while in office.
Obono-Obla, in an interview with Vanguard, noted that part of the cases he investigated that landed him in trouble was when they found 80 armoured-plated Mercedes Benz S Class in the premises of an Abuja-based federal director.
He further stated that he made an effort to recover $7 billion CBN bailout, before he was eventually removed from office.
Speaking on the cases he investigated, he said, “I can not pinpoint all the cases that landed me in trouble. But I can speculate on some of them, including the effort to recover $7 billion CBN bailout, the investigation of the failure of an oil company to pay the balance of $1.9 billion from an oil block it purchased in 2014 for $2.5 billion; investigation of the 80 armoured plated Mercedes Benz S Class found in the premises of an Abuja based federal director.
“Investigation of some Directors in the defunct Petroleum Equalization Fund whom we found had over five billion and hundreds of thousands USD in their accounts, including properties abroad, investigation of $12.5 million contract awarded by the Nigerian Ports Authority to a company owned by a former Senator and present Governor to dredge the channel leading from the Atlantic Ocean into Calabar port which was not executed.
“Investigation of oil companies that refused to remit over $3 billion as royalties to the federal government, investigation of the purchase of a House in Asokoro Abuja by a then serving federal permanent secretary in the name of her 8-year-old son, investigation of offshores assets of some members of the National Assembly, investigation of the failure of commercial banks to remit over N38 trillion collected by them as stamp duties as at 2019 to the federal government, and investigation of the take over illegally of the building belonging to National Board for Technical Education in Maitama, Abuja by a Nigerian billionaire from Katsina State to mention just but a few.”
No fewer than 6, 700 applicants were currently jostling to take up 380 teaching jobs at various Secondary Schools in Enugu State.
The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent who monitored the examination on Saturday in some of the designated centres for the examination, reports that the applicants turned out in large numbers.
Fr. Hilary Mgbodile, the Chairman, Enugu State Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB), told NAN that the board received more than 12,000 applications.
He said that out of the number, 6,700 people were shortlisted for the 380 positions needed to replace those who had retired.
Mgbodile disclosed that five centres namely Union Boys Secondary School, Queen School, Enugu, Holy Rosary College (HRC), College of Immaculate Conception (CIC) and Trans Ekulu Girls Secondary School, Enugu were selected as the venues for the examinations.
He said that the shortlisted applicants were being tested in English, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
According to him, over 2,000 applied to teach English while in ICT, the board needs only 80 but 1,700 applied for the subject.
“So we are picking the best of the best which is the only consideration and parameter for the selection of the teachers,” he said.
He added that after the test and the needed competent teachers were not found, the board would call for another application, stressing that he was optimistic that with the number of applicants, the board would get the qualified ones.
“We cannot lower the standard because we cannot get what we want.
“The recruitment is being done by PPSMB but in order to reduce pressure and to ensure meritocracy and absolute objectivity, we decided to seek the assistance of independent recruiting company,” Mgbodile said.
On why they dropped a large number of applicants, the clergyman noted that after sorting out the applications, it noted that some were non indigenes and some were over aged as they pegged the aged requirement at 45 years.
“While some did not have the requisite qualifications for the subject they intend to teach, those that studied Social Studies may apply to teach English which is not incompatible,” he said.
The chairman also said that those people who were awaiting their statements of result and others who could not provide their certificates were excluded from the examination.
Explaining the idea behind the recruitment, the chairman said the board observed upon assumption of office in 2023, that Secondary Schools in Enugu were lacking teachers especially in the rural areas.
He said that at the instance of Gov. Peter Mbah’s directive, the board posted some teachers from the urban to the rural areas.
“As we are doing that, we discovered that we lacked teachers in some key subjects like sciences and other core subjects
“We made a recommendation to Gov Mbah on the need to recruit teachers to fill the shortfalls of science teachers which he approved.
“That is why we want to recruit competent professionals who studied Engineering, to teach Chemistry.
“I want to restore the legacy of teaching and learning and make it easier for parents to stop borrowing while taking their children to private and mission schools.
“I want to restore confidence in the public schools and Mbah is a pathfinder in this regard and we want to follow his mantra,” he said.
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam(JNI) led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar lll, has acknowledged that Nigerians were faced by difficulties but embarking on nationwide protest is not the solution.
The Muslim organisation appealed to the protest conveners, stakeholders and the Federal Government to engage in dialogue before the situation escalates.
JNI in a statement issued by its Secretary-General, Prof. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu in Kaduna, explained that the global landscape showed that protests had led to uncontrollable scenarios in countries like Libya, Syria and Iraq.
The Sultan of Sokoto implored Nigerians to be introspective and honest, acknowledging that discontentment and disillusionment needed to be addressed by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
JNI called on the government to secure the country to ensure access to land and cultivation, provide subsidised farming materials and promote industrialization
as well as enhance quality education, especially primary, technical, and vocational education
“The JNI advocates for sober reflection, sincere humility, and continued prayer to Allah, while citing Qur’anic guidance and the Prophet’s teachings on supplication.”
“Arising from the recent calls and counter-calls for protest in Nigeria, occasioned by food insecurity, inflation, abject poverty and escalating national security challenges, it becomes very worrying and requires immediate attention.”
“Therefore, JNI under the leadership of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar with all sense of responsibility appeals to the protest conveners, their covert and overt benefactors, as well as other critical stakeholders and the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to urgently engage in critical and realistic dialogue before the situation degenerate or snowballs into an uncontrollable scenario.”
“Nigerians no doubt are passing through difficult challenges, but protest might not be the panacea. The global landscape is replete with sordid tales of repercussions of protests in Libya, Syria, Iraq, US (Capitol Hill), Ukraine, Tunisia, Sudan, Russia, among others did not yield desired results, rather they rendered most of these countries either ungovernable or partly destroyed.”
“A glance through the events in Kenya gives some glimpses of what might envelop our dear nation Nigeria, which is struggling to survive the multiple challenges that dot the landscape of the country! Undoubtedly, protests in Nigeria could mar our efforts at addressing these challenges.”
“Be that as it may, we should learn from the bad experiences of protests in other climes and we should avoid the bobby traps they had fallen into, in their bids to achieve good governance against the notion that protest is the only way out, because that is the language the government is said to understand.”
“The FGN should make more frantic efforts to secure the country, such that the citizens would have access to their lands and cultivate them; provide subsidised farming materials, promote industrialization, create self-sustaining agro-business in the six geopolitical zones. The government should also enhance quality education, especially primary, technical and vocational education,” t
he apex Muslim body added.
He opined that local government autonomy is a misnomer and aberration in a federal system of government.
Fayemi shared his reservation at the launch of St. Racheal’s People Consulting 2024 Leadership and Economic Summit-1.0 on Thursday night in Lagos.
Speaking on how the country could navigate out of its current socio-economic and security challenges, Fayemi said the Federal Government’s suit against state governors and the ruling in its favour was not the solution to the challenges at hand.
“We cannot return to a unitary state. But unfortunately, we are gradually going back to a unitary from of government even though it is being dressed up as restructuring.
“The President (Bola Tinubu) is a federalist, he is a leader in my party, we share quite a lot in common, but I do not know any federal entity anywhere in the world where the federal government becomes the driver of what happens in the local government.
“It does not happen anywhere in the world and the Nigerian Constitution in Section 2 is very clear that Nigeria is a federation of the federal (central government) and the state. it is not three tier,” he said.
Speaking further, he argued that it was a display of ignorance to describe the local government as the third tier of government.
He added, “The principle of federalism is clear, it is a principle of dual federation units.
“Anywhere in the world where we have federalism, it is the state or province or region either in India, U.S., Canada,or Australia.
“It is now up to the state to determine whether it wants to have 20 counties, or 50 or 200 local authorities based on its own local needs. This is a misnormer ,it does not happen anywhere in the world.
“With this latest strategy, I assure you, in the first instance, I don’t see how workable it is; it not going to work.”
He said that if some governors had not done well in the administration of local governments, solutions should be proffered and tamper with what federalism entails.
[NaijaNews]
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The inspector-general of police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, has said it has identified foreign sponsors of this planned protest with the ulterior motives of causing mayhem and violent demonstrations, which could lead to massive destruction of lives and properties across the country.
The IGP, however, did not reveal the identities of the alleged sponsors
He also said the leaders of different groups intending to protest on August 1, 2024, must register with the police command in their respective states.
The IGP stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja on the preparations for the upcoming protests nationwide.
The IGP, who acknowledged the rights of citizens to protest, said all peaceful protesters must protected, and those who fail to meet the guidelines means they have ulterior motives.
IGP Egbetokun further said all protesting groups must also provide the protest movement’s intended venue, routes and locations for proper coordination.
Meanwhile, in anticipation of the planned nationwide protest by some human rights activists and Nigerian youths to publicly express their displeasure over hunger and hardship, the Nigeria Police Force, FCT command has deployed 4,200 personnel.
The police spokesperson FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said the deployment of the FCT deployed material and human resources at the command’s disposal across the nooks and crannies of the nation’s capital.
She said the proactive deployment aims to ensure public safety, protect protesters, and prevent non-state actors from hijacking protests. The deployment, added, is characterised by visible policing and the deployment of explosive ordinance devices (EOD) experts and personnel at various strategic locations, raids on identified black spots, uncompleted buildings/shanties, stop and search, vehicular and foot patrol and synergy with sister security agencies.
Also, the commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth Igweh, while acknowledging residents’ right to protest, advised that it should be peaceful.
The FCT police boss also vowed to resist all forms of violent protest and lawlessness, as the police will not be stampeded into allowing the destruction of public and private properties or loss of lives.
Residents are also urged to be vigilant and take advantage of the Police emergency lines to report suspicious activities through:
08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, 07057337653PCB: 09022222352, CRU: 08107314192.
Tompolo Appeals To Nigerians To Shelve Proposed Protest
The Chairman of Tanita Security Services Nigeria Limited and the Ibe-Ebidouwei of Ijaw Nation, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), has appealed to those behind the planned August 1st to 10th, 2024nationwide protest to shelve it in the interest of the nation and people
In a press statement on Friday, August 26th, 2024, the Tanita boss, while adding his voice to all-meaning Nigerians, including traditional rulers, on call to shelve the proposed hardship protest, admitted that hunger and hardship exist in the country.
But he quickly pointed out that hunger and hardship never started today, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was working hard to revamp the economy with well-thought-out policies and programmes. These addressed the issues of the economy and security, which are the basis of other problems in the country.
“I am aware of Mr. President’s efforts to get things right in the country, and things are improving. For instance, there has been significant improvement in the oil and gas sector in the last year, which is still the primary source of our economy.
“I know the citizenry’s right to protest government policies and programmes in any country. It is one sure way for the citizens to participate effectively in governance by checking the excesses of any government.”
“However, the organisers of this proposed hardship protest must know that the timing is wrong, and the protest may cause more harm than good, as security reports have indicated that unscrupulous elements will hijack it.
“Against this background, I have joined other Patriotic Nigerians to appeal to prospective protesters to call off the proposed protest and engage governments at all levels to find lasting solutions to the country’s problems’.
“You must agree with me that the threat of protest only has achieved its aim, as Mr President has said loudly and clearly, that he has heard the voice of prospective protesters. After all, it is better to chatter than war-war,” the Tantita boss said.
NANS To Shun Protest
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has pledged not to get involved in the protest over hardship in the country on August 1.
NANS National President Lucky Emonefe disclosed this in a Friday meeting in Abuja with the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
Sunday, Asefon, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, led the meeting.
Emonefe acknowledged the significant hardship being experienced by citizens across the country due to the government’s implementation of recent reforms and policies.
He said the measures, though aimed at steering the nation towards sustainable development, had undoubtedly brought about economic challenges that had impacted every Nigerian household.
Emonefe urged President Bola Tinubu to establish a mechanism to alleviate Nigerians’ hunger caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy in 2023.
“We want to say that there is hunger in the land, and Nigerian students are most affected. We are aware that palliatives were given to governors.
“We are saying that as the government distributes palliatives, they should remember the student constituencies.
“Though we have challenges, we want to say that we have resolved to be law abiding and not to join any chaos in society,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, acknowledged the rising cost of living in the country.
Mamman said that the government had been rolling out palliatives and measures to cushion the hardship on Nigerians.
According to him, the federal government has launched an expanded transformative scholarship programme to support the education of 45,000 students nationwide.
Mamman said the initiative highlighted the federal government’s commitment to broadening educational access and advancing Nigerian youth’s academic and professional growth.
Additionally, Mamman outlined the critical initiatives of President Bola Tinubu, including improvements in campus infrastructure, welfare packages for unemployed graduates
He also mentioned considering discounted electricity bills for universities and updating the curriculum to cover all education sectors under the DOTS Project.
“The DOTS framework aims to enhance educational data management, support and development for teachers, skills infusion, and training from primary through tertiary education.
“The government is also focusing on integrating out-of-school children into the education system and supporting job-seeking graduates.
“Furthermore, the federal government has established Safe Schools Centres to ensure the safety of students,’’ he said.
Youth Group Calls For Suspension Of Planned Nationwide Protest
The North East Youth Ambassador, a political pressure group, has called on the Nigerian youth to suspend their planned peaceful protest scheduled for next week and resort to dialogue for an amicable solution to the biting being experienced by Nigerians commonly.
“We urge all youth in the country, particularly the North East, to halt their plan for the mass protest against President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, especially the fuel subsidy removal and its consequences’.
According to the group zonal chairman, Comrade Haruna Usman Muhammad, the Northeast geo-political zone is known for its love of peace and respect for elders and thought leaders.
Comrade Haruna Muhammad, in a press statement made available to journalists in Bauchi yesterday, said that the youth should instead be encouraged to pray to Almighty Allah for His guidance out of the present mess-up among Nigerians
He observed that the planned protest appears to be an orchestrated effort by those who do not support the government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, thus aiming to distract the government from the remarkable development work it has already accomplished.
“This government has achieved significant progress, and we must support its efforts rather than hinder them. Therefore, on behalf of the North East Ambassadors, we call on all Nigerian youth to cease any plans for protests. This movement is nothing more than an attempt to destabilise our country”.
Muhammad explained that for the betterment of the country, Nigerians must stand together, support the government, and continue to pursue peace and progress.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Bauchi have distanced themselves from participating in the planned nationwide protest to end hunger and hardship.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that organised labour agreed to a new N70,000 National Minimum Wage with the Federal Government.
Similarly, the National Assembly passed the new National Minimum Wage bill early this week. Currently, the bill awaits the assent of President Bola Tinubu to become a law and implementation.
Bauchi NLC Chairman Comrade Dauda Shuaibu told journalists that organised labour has constitutional means of addressing grievances and that they will strictly adhere to them.
He insisted that the union would not participate in the scheduled protest.
Comrade Shuiabu acknowledged the difficulties facing the citizens due to the biting economic crisis but urged members to remain law-abiding.
He encouraged the union members to report to their various places of work rather than engage in the protest.
It should be remembered that the Bauchi State Government banned the protest in the state and urged the organisers to think twice.
Sokoto NLC, Not In Support Of Planned Nationwide Protest – Comrade
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Sokoto State Council say the union does not support the planned nationwide protest and has called on all its members not to participate.
According to the State Chairman of the Council, Comrade Abdullahi Aliyu Jungle, this was given the negative aspect of such protests, which he said sometimes turn to violence, which can cause destruction and loss of lives.
However, on behalf of the organised labour unions, the Chairman called on governments at all levels to consider the current hardship citizens are experiencing and devise various palliative measures to cushion the situation’s effects.
He said, “The government could do this by providing food items and other essential commodities and distributing them to people free of charge to reduce the prices of such items in the market for the benefit of the common man.”
Comrade Jungle also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the new national minimum wage of N70,000, which the National Assembly passed.
Christian Youths Distance Self From Planned Protests Against Bad Governance
The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has dissociated itself and its members from any form of forthcoming protest organised to demonstrate against hardship or bad governance by unknown individuals across the country.
The Christian youths expressed hope that with the steps taken so far by the government and with the constant support and cooperation of all Nigerians, the county shall get through this challenging moment.
YOWICAN stated these in a communique issued at the end of its second quarter National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Friday.
Reading the communique’ before journalists, the YOWICAN National Chairman, BelusoChukwu Enwere, said the NEC has resolved to prayers and constant engagement with the Government until things get better for the nation.
Kaduna CSOs Distance Self From Protest, Urges Tinubu To Address Hardship
The Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has distanced itself from nationwide protests slated for August 1, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and address the country’s hardships.
The Coalition warned Nigerians about the dangers of organising or joining the protest, saying it might lead to destruction.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Kaduna, the coalition spokesperson, Ambassador Kamaladdeen Kabiru, said, “We shall plan a better protest with a clear mission at a better time provided the government did not do the needful.”
“We want to use this medium to express our withdrawal from the planned nationwide protest from 1st to 10th August 2024, not because we are happy with the government policies but because the mission behind the said protest is ambiguous, and the protest organisers refused to make it clear.”
[Leadership]
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has told the planners of the August 1–10 protests to submit their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states.
He spoke while addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday.
IGP Egbetokun’s demand comes hours after human rights activist Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa notified the police and Department of State Services, DSS, requesting protection for a group known as Take It Back Movement.
Egbetokun, however, said it is important for intending protesters to provide their details to the commissioners of police in their respective states to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said: “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
Earlier, DSS, in a statement on Thursday claimed to have uncovered plans by some plotters to hijack the planned protest.
“The plotters desire to use the intended violent outcome to smear the federal and sub-national governments, make them unpopular and pit them against the masses,” DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya said.
[DailyPost]
- Asks police, DSS, NSCDC to enforce directive
- Ousted Rivers LG chairmen accuse govt of disobeying court judgments, orders
A fresh court order has been issued by the Rivers State High Court preventing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from going ahead with its planned congresses in the state.
The court halted the congresses planned by the party to hold in the wards, 23 local government areas and the state on July 27, August 10 and August 31.
The new order dated July 25 was, among series of other injunctions, issued by Justice CN Wali in a suit marked PHC/2400/CS/2024 filed by 21 members of the PDP in Rivers State.
Named as first, second and third sets of defendants in the matter were the PDP; National Chairman, Amb. Iliya Damagum; party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; National Organising Secretary, Umar Nature and the party’s National Financial Secretary, Daniel Woyegikuro.
Others were Aaron Chukwuemeka; Dr. Benibo George; Solomon Ogbonna; Lenebari Inaania; Enia Harris; ThankGod Owhorji; Inspector-General of Police; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State; Director-General, State Security Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The judge gave the order after hearing a motion ex-parte file by the claimants/applicants.
The court said: “An order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the 1st, 2nd and 3rd sets of defendants, their agents, servants, privies and hirelings from gathering in the 319 wards of the 23 local government areas in Rivers in howsoever and whatsoever manner for the purpose of conducting, and/or from conducting the PDP ward, local government or state congresses in Rivers State on the 27th July, 10th August and or 31st August 2024 respectively,
“Or on any other date and place in Rivers State or Nigeria or anywhere and/or from conducting any election of the PDP ad-hoc delegates at any forum wheresover or howsoever pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction already filed herein.”
The court further directed the police, DSS and NSCDC to enforce its orders by preventing the PDP and its agents from holding the ward, local government and state congresses in the state or anywhere else pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The court said: “It is further ordered that the motion on notice and the originating summons including this order be served on the respondent forthwith by substituted means, by publication in any national newspaper that is widely read in Rivers State.
“It is further ordered that the applicants are to pay damages to the respondents as will be assessed should this application be found to be frivolous”.
The court adjourned the case to August 1st, 2024 for motion on notice.
Ousted Rivers LG chairmen accuse govt of disobeying court judgments, orders
THE tension that is brewing in Rivers State escalated further yesterday as the ousted local government chairmen, who are still battling for tenure elongation, accused the state government of flagrantly disobeying court orders, including those of the Supreme Court.
The removed chairmen, who spoke to reporters under the auspices of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers chapter, said the government had refused to dissolve the local government caretaker committees and their chairmen despite the recent Supreme Court judgment.
Reading their position, the chairman of the group, Allwell Ihunda, urged President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, the judiciary and the security agencies to pay attention to what they described as the ongoing abuse of power and contempt of court that is ongoing in the state.
He particularly said the state government had continued to engage in persistent illegality and crass contempt of judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court delivered on the 4th of July 2024 and July 2024 respectively.
He said: “We are taken aback and saddened by the blunt inclination and rebellious stance of the Governor of Rivers State against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the explicit judgment of the highest courts in Nigeria.
“We believe that it is a major paradox and an aberration for the governor to be the major breaker of the laws of our land. The socio-economic and political consequences of such executive lawlessness are dangerous.
“We make these bold assertions without fear of contradiction and in the overriding long run interest of peace in our dear state.”
Ihunda said going by the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule & 24 others Vs Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo & 5 others, the court held that section 272 (3) of the 1999 Constitution vests on the Federal High Court the power to determine whether the seat of a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly had become vacant or not.
He also recalled that in January, the Federal High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Omotosho clearly nullified all acts of the purported four-man assembly led by Edison Ehie, including Victor Oko Jumbo, and affirmed Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule as the only Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Ihunda, the ousted Chairman of Port Harcourt City, further said that the Court of Appeal in its recent decision also voided all actions earlier taken by Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo before and during the pendency of the matter before the state High Court.
He said such actions of the Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo led Rivers State House of Assembly included the screening and confirmation of commissioners and caretaker committee members for the 23 local government areas in Rivers.
He said: “The governor of Rivers State has intentionally disobeyed this judgment. You all are aware of the judgment of the Supreme Court in Attorney General of the Federation Vs the 36 State Governors delivered on the 11th of July 2024, which legalised and affirmed the autonomy of the 774 local government areas in consonance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
“Among several orders, the Apex Court abolished the powers of the state governors to set up caretaker committees in any guise to govern the local government councils in Nigeria as enshrined in section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution. This order also extricated the local government councils from the suffocating grip of the various state governments.
“In other words, by this judgment, the Local Government Areas are no more departments of the state governments.
“Be that as it may, in sharp contrast to the obvious implications of this historic judgment, which has prompted many state governors to step down caretaker committees across the nation, the situation in Rivers State is totally different.
“Ours is another example of flagrant disobedience of the Supreme Court judgment. What we are seeing is repugnant to the provisions of the Constitution.
“In Rivers State, the state government is busy promoting these illegal caretaker committees by encouraging the illegal caretaker committee chairmen and members to parade themselves as heads of the local government administration in the 23 local government areas.”
Ihunda listed the actions of the caretaker committee chairmen, saying they were involved in a dubious quest to generate internal revenue thereby ravaging the pockets of the citizenry by collecting all sorts of illegal revenue from the unsuspecting public.
He said they were also threatening to dethrone traditional rulers if they failed to subordinate their stools to their whims and caprices.
Ihunda said they had lavished about N40 billion confiscated from the local government councils’ accounts, being moneys due to the councils between April 2024 and June 2024.
He said: “It is sad that this enormous financial resource has been squandered on all sorts of frivolous activities. What a waste!
“To impose themselves without any atom of legitimacy, these illegal caretaker committees are relying on threats to perceived opponents to perpetuate themselves in power in the various local government councils.
“This is increasingly generating tension among competing youth groups in the communities in the state.
“Unfortunately, Governor Sim is also adopting the same ugly tactic of using the apparatus of state power to silence perceived opponents.
“Only recently, he is threatening perceived opponents with sealing their properties, relying on trumped-up charges.
“The illegal caretaker committee chairmen in some local government areas are violently stopping communal projects promoted by the traditional heads of their respective communities and dictating where and what to build on community lands.
“Acts of this nature are already fuelling tension and threatening the peace and sanity of the communities in the local government areas.
“These illegal caretaker committee chairmen and members are busy on a daily basis convoking politically motivated stakeholders’ meeting in the capacity as the administrative heads of the local government areas to legitimise their fraudulent status in the local government areas.”
Ihunda said such meetings were brewing tension and mutual suspicion among members of the communities, adding that the unfavourable environment existed because large sections of the communities questioned the legal basis for the existence of the caretaker committees as heads of their local government areas.
He said: “The Rivers State House of Assembly, in order to be thorough in ensuring stark conformity of the Rivers State Local Government Laws to the Nigerian constitution as amended, had altered the relevant sections of the Rivers State Local Government Law which made provisions for the establishment of the caretaker committees.
“This bold amendment was carried out even before the recent pronouncement of the Supreme Court.
“Instead of obeying this law, the Rivers State governor is doing everything in his power to delegitimise the existence of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“He is still doing so even though the Court of Appeal has declared Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule as the bona fide speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This is a direct attempt to create lawlessness in the state and dysfunctionality of the local government system in Rivers State.
“The extent to which the governor of Rivers State is disobeying court orders and even tagging decisions of superior judicial bodies as unconstitutional is alarming. To this end, we call on the law enforcement agencies to swing into action and salvage the situation, lest the acts of the Governor and threats of the caretaker committee chairmen tear the state apart.
“The judgment of the Supreme Court is law. It must be obeyed by all and must be enforced timeously. We believe in the power and ability of the Police and the DSS.
“All defaulters of our laws should be brought to book as timely as possible as not to do so will result to citizens sourcing and settling for self help, which would most likely degenerate into chaotic retaliations from interested parties, thus further escalating the already existing tension and threat to the law and order in Rivers State.”
It was, however, observed that all the judgments had continued to elicit different interpretations from the two warring political camps.
The ousted local government chairmen and their supporters have continued to kick against continued operations of caretaker committee chairmen in the 23 local government areas in spite of the Supreme Court judgment.
Recently, the Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly asked the police and other security agencies to arrest the caretaker committee chairmen and withdraw personnel attached to them for violating the judgment of the apex court.
On Wednesday, there were violent clashes between the supporters of the caretaker committee chairmen and those of the ousted elected chairmen over programmes designed to empower residents at the grassroots, especially in Ikwerre and Obio-Akpor local government councils.
The caretaker committee chairman of Obio-Akpor, Chijioke Ihunwo, had accused Amaewhule of sending his thugs to disrupt the programme and unleash violence on residents, who came out to benefit from it.
He called on President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene and call the former chairmen and their supporters to order.
Caretaker committee chairs accuse former chairmen of heightening tension
In their reaction yesterday, the caretaker committee chairmen, who spoke under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State Chapter, accused the former local government chairmen of trying to cause anarchy and engineer a climate of lawlessness in the state.
Speaking on their behalf, the Caretaker Committee Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, Prince Ichemati Ezebunwo, condemned the rising attacks on CTC chairmen and supporters of the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
They warned those involved in perpetrating acts of violence and intimidation in the state to desist forthwith and toe the path of peace, saying that their desperation was becoming unacceptable to the generality of Rivers people.
They said: “We recall that earlier today, the immediate past local government chairmen made inciting statements bordering on claims to perpetuating themselves in office they had constitutionally ceased to occupy at the effluxion of time on June 17, 2024.
“We hereby warn these impostors to desist forthwith and also call the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu to call them (immediate past LG chairmen) to order.”
The caretaker chairmen urged the police to be professional, apolitical and neutral in the discharge of their duties, and avoid compromising themselves by aligning with some impostors and desperate politicians to destabilise the state.
They also condemned, in strong terms, the dastardly attacks on their members in Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor local government areas, where they alleged that the immediate past chairmen and a former lawmaker led armed thugs to inflict deadly harm on their members and vulnerable people in the communities.
They specifically mentioned the incidents in Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, and Eliozu in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where they said pregnant women, vulnerable children and people with disabilities were ferociously attacked, tear-gassed and injured while vehicles and valuable medical consumables and hospital equipment were damaged.
They said that it was callous for the past local government chairmen to hire thugs and mindless policemen to attack law-abiding people, who were reportedly responding to a key Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda programme aimed at providing healthcare services to the people at the grassroots.
They wondered why any politician and former elected public office holder would disrupt a Federal Government-sponsored primary healthcare programme designed to improve the health status of rural dwellers, who they had claimed to serve.
They warned that the police must not deliberately create an atmosphere of crisis by openly or clandestinely showing support for and protection to the immediate past chairmen.
They also called on the Inspector General of Police, and the Commissioner for Police, to respect the will and the fundamental rights of the people at the LGAs by allowing legitimate workers at the local governments unfettered access to their offices to perform their lawful duties unhindered.
They argued that by denying the local government workers access to their offices to carry out their legitimate duties, the police were deliberately allowing themselves to be used to deny the people at the grassroots the opportunity to enjoy the dividends of democracy and good governance.
They also dissociated themselves from the planned nationwide protest scheduled for August 1 across the country, saying that they were totally against the planned protest because it was capable of being hijacked by hoodlums to loot and destroy valuable properties and cause breakdown of law and order.
Ezebunwo said that the state had been peaceful and that it was unnecessary to allow agents of destabilisation to plunge it into instability, anarchy and chaos with needless protest and disorganised demonstrations.
Ezebunwo also reiterated the unalloyed support and commitment of the members to the implementation of the key objectives of Mr President’s policies and programmes as enunciated in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
He said: “Sequel to the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting of June, 2024, where intense deliberations were held and resolutions reached on measures to adopt in improving the lives of our people at the grassroots, and the swift release of allocations due the local government councils, we, the members of ALGON, Rivers State Chapter, state that “we thank Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the timely and unhindered release of allocations for the various local government councils.
“We want to thank our peace-loving Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who has instructed us to remain peaceful in the face of unwarranted provocation, and to dispense the local government funds in line with the local government laws for the overall benefit of our people.
“ALGON, Rivers State, dissociates itself from the planned protest from August 1, 2024, by faceless individuals against the government and policies of President Tinubu.
“We state categorically that we are committed to cascading the key objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President in our various local government areas.
“We hereby call on the people to discountenance any planned protest as measures are being put in place to cushion the effects of the economic situation in the country today”.
[TheNation]
The EFCC officials, acting on a tip-off about some suspected fraudsters residing in an estate in the Lugbe area, invaded their compound and in the process, caused a commotion that woke the 26-year-old, making his heart pound rapidly.
Confused and disoriented, Marcel peeked through his curtains, saw an EFCC van parked outside and heard the law enforcement officials moving into his neighbour’s apartment.
With a sense of urgency, the Imo State indigene picked up the phone he had been using for over two years to scam unsuspecting people and rushed to the restroom.
“My hands were shaking but my brain was working like a clock. An idea came into my head to wrap my phone in a nylon bag and that’s what I quickly did. A voice in my mind told me to hide the phone in the toilet tank, but another voice told me they would find it and I would be busted.
“I decided to dip the phone in the toilet bowl and shove it in the connecting pipe. That phone is what I used for ‘bombing and grinding’ and if EFCC finds it, I’m done,” Marcel confessed to Saturday PUNCH.
In Nigeria, Internet fraudsters, aka Yahoo boys or G-boys, are known to make a living by defrauding people online and offline.
Two of the slogans used by members of this criminal network are “bombing” which means finding a victim online and “grinding” which refers to chatting with a victim. These victims are often called “clients” or “magas.”
Before Marcel could fully comprehend what was happening to his neighbour – whom he claimed to be a G-boy – the door to his room was flung open with a force that sent it slamming against the wall.
Several EFCC officers stormed in, their flashlights sliced through the darkness that permeated Marcel’s room. One of the officers stepped forward, and with a stern expression, he said, “We are EFCC, stay where you are.”
As the young man sat there, frozen in a mixture of fear and bewilderment, the officers began their meticulous search. They rifled through his drawers, upended his mattress, and scattered his belongings across the floor.
“Show me your phone,” one of the officers shouted, his tone brooking no argument. Marcel told our correspondent that he denied having a phone as he had recently lost it.
He said, “I don’t think they believed my lie. One of them quickly pointed at my charger which was still plugged into an electric socket and told me ‘Is that not the charger to your phone? What are you charging with it?’
“As I tried to lie, I felt a slap across my face which made me see stars and planets. I started to cry, begging them that I was not a Yahoo boy and that I was just a shoemaker. I showed them the set of sandals I recently made, and they took it and flung it to a corner of the room. It was then I knew it was over for me.
“They started to rummage through my room, searched my drawers, and threw down all the boxes on top of my wardrobe. My room looked like a tornado had swept through it. Then one of them went into the restroom. From where I was seated, I could see him looking through the toilet tank and checking the toilet bowl but didn’t see my phone. Eventually, they all left my room.”
After an hour, when the EFCC enforcement officers had left, Marcel borrowed a phone from one of his neighbours and called his mother, Bridget, who resided in Lagos.
Bridget, a fervent member of a popular Pentecostal church is aware of her son’s involvement in Internet fraud. She had been functioning as a spiritual adviser who prayed for Marcel’s protection from the authorities.
Marcel added, “My mother was almost weeping on the phone. She thought I had been arrested because she had a dream earlier that month that EFCC arrested me and she warned me. She prays for me and I believe so much in her prayers. I believe it was what saved me from being arrested on that day.
“Most of the G-guys living in our flat and estate were arrested, they even arrested some innocent people. One teenage boy who came to stay temporarily with his aunt was one of those arrested. I’m very sure that if they had seen my phone, I would have been caught because it is my hustle pack.”
‘Nigerian princes’
In the early 2000s, a phrase known as ‘Yahoo boys’ was coined to describe young, financially driven persons who utilised Yahoo.com’s email accounts to execute phishing scams, also known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ or ‘419 fraud’ in the Nigerian slogan.
According to Infosecurity Magazine, Internet fraudsters are the original ‘Nigerian Princes,’ who have shifted in recent years to conduct elderly fraud, fake job scams, and romance scams.
Meta clampdown
In its Q1 2024 Adversarial Threat Report on Wednesday, Meta Platforms Incorporated, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced that it removed 63,000 accounts associated with the notorious ‘Yahoo boys’ scammers.
The accounts, deleted over the past few weeks, were used for financial sextortion scams and distribution of blackmail scripts.
Meta reported that a smaller network of 2,500 accounts, linked to around 20 individuals, primarily targeted adult men in the United States using fake identities.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that Nigerian Internet fraudsters operate in different ways ranging from fake job scams to business email compromise and transnational fraudulent schemes.
A notable example is 40-year-old Ramon Abbas, also known by his Instagram handle, Ray Hushpuppi, who was sentenced to 135 months in United States federal prison sometime in November 2022.
A prolific international fraudster, Abbas laundered tens of millions of dollars through a series of online scams and flaunted his luxurious, crime-funded lifestyle on social media till his arrest in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020.
Tainted luxury life
In Nigeria, G-boys are often known to flaunt their luxurious, crime-funded lifestyles on social media. They often show off their luxury cars, posh houses, sultry mistresses, and dainty feasts in expensive hotels, clubs, or resorts.
They are mostly bejewelled from head to toe, adorned in designer clothes, and spend money lavishly with their friends – an activity that is called “balling” within their circles.
Other slang used by Internet fraudsters include ‘gbenusi,’ a Yoruba word that is used to connote celebrating or throwing a big party after a successful deal, ‘sana wole’ which means beginning a party with fireworks, and ‘picker,’ a code-word for someone who helps in opening foreign bank accounts and receive money, then helps them forward such money to Nigeria.
EFCC incessant raids
Earlier this month, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that several international companies had shut down their Nigerian operations following massive theft of their finances through local wire fraud.
According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the EFCC chairman noted that in 2022, over $500m was lost due to the activities of Internet fraudsters.
He said, “The alarming statistics continued with Nigerian banks losing over N8bn to electronic transfer fraud in the first nine months of 2022.”
Acting based on intelligence reports of Yahoo boys who lodge in hotels and lavish money at nightclubs, EFCC operatives have been raiding hotels to arrest cybercrime suspects.
In June, EFCC officers, in the early hours of Saturday, raided two hotels and event centres located in the Alagbaka area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, and arrested over 50 suspects including a soon-to-be groom who was celebrating his bachelor’s eve at one of the targeted clubs.
The anti-corruption agency also allegedly seized numerous vehicles, laptops, high-end smart phones, and other items during the operation.
On March 11, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of EFCC also arrested 45 suspected Internet fraudsters in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, following an intelligence report on the activities of an organised cybercrime syndicate network, operating in that axis of the state.
Items recovered from them at the point of arrest included exotic vehicles, sophisticated mobile devices, and laptops.
Similarly, in February this year, EFCC operatives arrested 36 suspected Internet fraudsters in the Gbokoniyin and Yetedo areas of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
In the same month, officials of the anti-graft agency also arrested 14 suspected fraudsters at a ‘Yahoo Academy’ (believed to be a training centre for soon-to-be Internet fraudsters) in Makurdi, Benue State.
Similarly, in July 2021, about 30 suspects were also arrested by EFCC operatives during a raid on the Parktonian Hotel in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Concealing identities
However, to hide from the eagle eyes of the anti-cybercrime institution, our correspondent gathered that many suspected Yahoo boys have resorted to adopting different tactics to conceal their illegal professional identities.
Some tactics include modifying their public appearances and living a modest lifestyle, a strategy at variance with the stereotypical ways of affluence funded with the proceeds from their fraudulent activities.
When our correspondent reached out to several suspected G-boys, all except a few vehemently declined to speak about their involvement for fear of being hunted down by the EFCC.
Deceitful tactics
During a conversation with a suspected fraudster, identified simply as Olalekan at an eatery in Ibadan, Oyo State, this reporter observed that he looked nothing like the stereotypical image of a Yahoo boy.
The graduate of a public university in Kwara State, who was dressed in a grey flowing robe known as Jalabiya, sported a punk hairstyle and a full-grown beard, while a silver wristwatch adorned his wrist.
A string of prayer beads hung awkwardly from Olalekan’s pocket, and he clutched an Android phone.
“I have to be careful now,” he told our correspondent as he munched on his food. “I was arrested four years ago whilst still in school. I was in my finals but had joined the G-boys because the peer pressure was too much. EFCC officials raided our off-campus hostels one early morning and I was among the G-boys they arrested.
“They seized all our cars, gadgets, and phones and packed all of us to their station. It wasn’t easy there at all. They looked into all of our phones and e-wallets to see something incriminating to link us with cybercrimes.
“They caught me red-handed and I was charged to court and had my photo posted on the EFCC’s Instagram account. They seized my car and laptops and I paid a fine of N800,000.”
After his release, Olalekan said he stayed away from cyber fraud for a while, but according to him, he could not adjust to living as a common citizen.
“Now I dress like a Muslim cleric and use my clean phone when I go out during the day and that protects me from the watch of suspicious security operatives. They all know how we typically look, so I disguise myself so I don’t end up in their net again,” he said.
Fraudulent doctor
In the case of an Ogun State-based suspected Yahoo boy who preferred to be identified as Isaiah, he was introduced to cyber fraud in 2019.
He said, “The street is not smiling; you hustle so your charger doesn’t blow. Most of my neighbours here are not aware of what I do. I hang a lab coat in my car when I go out and I have an ID card to present, so everyone calls me a doctor. But that is a format and only my guys know the update.”
Narrating the ordeal of one of his friends, Isaiah suggested that some compromised security operatives help them recover their seized property but only under the condition of parting with a humongous sum of money.
Isaiah recounted, “One of my close friends, a confirmed G-guy, came in from Kenya in 2022. He rented an apartment here in Ogun State and the house was furnished with N15m. He lived with his sister and grandmother.
“When these EFCC guys came for him, they dried him up of almost N58m, he was reduced to zero. We had to contribute money for him to return to Kenya. He felt insecure because some policemen also raided his house.
“He did a shady deal with them so they didn’t take him to the office and they released him. He returned to Kenya last year and since then we have not heard from him.”
Isaiah further stated that some cybercrime suspects posed as movie producers and set up foundations, and non-governmental organisations that they used as fronts for money laundering.
“When the EFCC asks for the details, they will point to this and that projects in so and so place and tell them that these are where they make their money, but it’s all a format,” he added.
Hiding in plain sight
An Abuja-based cybercrime suspect who gave his name as Charles, in a voice note sent to Saturday PUNCH, narrated how he was arrested by EFCC operatives in 2022.
He said, “I served here in Abuja and rented an apartment at Lugbe. The choice of this location was deliberate because the word on the streets is that the EFCC usually raids the big areas like Maitama, Asokoro, and Katampe, among other areas where flashy G-boys live.
“The day these guys busted me, they seized my car and everything I had, including all my home gadgets. They asked for the receipt of all these things. I can’t lie to you my brother, a total of N21m was taken from me.
“When I was released, my bank account was reduced to zero, including my Bitcoins wallet. But I found a way to liaise with them to get my vehicle back. They have informants. I know who gave them information about my moves and I was able to track him. It was my landlord’s son who is also a Yahoo guy. They’ve nabbed him too.”
Explaining how Internet fraudsters disguise to evade being detected by the EFCC, Charles said some of the fraudulent suspects secured government employment to conceal their criminal identities.
He said, “Some guys hide under the guise of having government jobs, especially the type of work that enables them to wear uniforms. Some are into big business ventures and some pass them off as family businesses.
“We are in a country where the system doesn’t challenge you for the source of the income you use in starting a business. So you can create a business as a front to protect yourself. Some guys also hide under forex trading and they will tell you they are into crypto.
“Some of these guys parading themselves as tech guys are in our community. And I’m not talking about those boys collecting gift cards or into romance scams, I’m referring to the higher levels like hacking mail, spamming, rendering fake services, and fake investments. They will approach you as investors and insurance gurus and from there they swindle you.
“Some pose as content creators to the public. You will also find big men and children from wealthy homes in the circle too, and there are times you will need their help when you get caught because they have connections. There are different updates involved in this game.”
Cryptocurrency fraudsters
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, a Crypto trader, Damilola Afolayan, lamented how cyber fraudsters adopted crypto trading as a disguise for their illicit activities.
He said, “They pose as legitimate traders of crypto coins on social media, claiming to buy Bitcoins and other coins at attractive rates. This deceptive behaviour is meant to present them not as Yahoo boys but as crypto traders.
“While the allure of quick gains through cybercrime may seem enticing, the risks and consequences associated with such activities can have lasting repercussions on individuals and society.
“Instead of falling prey to the temptations of fraudulent schemes, I urge these individuals to consider redirecting their skills and ingenuity towards the world of cryptocurrency.”
Afolayan said cryptocurrency offers a decentralised and transparent financial ecosystem where innovation and creativity are celebrated.
“By leveraging their technical prowess and entrepreneurial spirit in the crypto space, former Internet fraudsters can find a legitimate outlet for their ambitions and aspirations,” he added.
Rites for protection
Our correspondent, while carrying out discrete investigations, also discovered that many Yahoo boys seek solace in personal prayers, and protection rites performed by their parents, girlfriends, wives, or religious clerics, who are well aware of their source of income.
Several sources who confided in our correspondent revealed that while physical associations of Yahoo boys exist, there are also virtual ones, whose parents created groups on WhatsApp.
“In these groups, you find parents of G-Boys who call themselves Iya awon omo ologo, meaning parents of glorious children, and they all come together to seek spiritual assistance, strategise, and organise parties to support their children involved in cybercrimes,” a source told Saturday PUNCH.
Also speaking, Michael Hassan, who was acquainted with several cyber criminals, pointed out that most of these Yahoo guys are either involved in voodoo themselves or have their mothers or wives performing the rituals for them.
He added, “I used to have a friend who has been a G-boy since 2012 and he shuttles between Malaysia and Nigeria. One day in 2017, he came around and I visited him in his family house.
“That day we held a welcome party for him and I handled the cooking for the party. While in the market, his mother called to inform me that they had bought chicken for him and that I should just get pepper and other things.
“At home, he was called into the room by his mother while gisting with us and after a while, I wanted to ask him for the chicken his mother was talking about and to also charge my phone in his room.
“As I approached the room, I just felt the urge to peek through and I saw his mum circling the chicken around his head while he knelt. I was surprised. His mother killed the chicken and brought it to me in the kitchen. They eventually served everyone except me. I made up an excuse not to eat it.”
An economist, Oluwaseun Wusu, told our correspondent that economic hardship and the desire for a fast life pushed many youths into cybercrime.
Wusu said, “The major reason for the increase in fraudulent practices is unemployment. I know a guy who stayed for three or four years without a job and resorted to becoming a Yahoo boy. Again, there is economic hardship.
“For instance, during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, one dollar was N140, but as of 2022, it was N162. Now we have a dollar at N1,520. Additionally, most of our guys don’t want to start small; they want to use the iPhone 14 Promax. Some celebrities are also involved and they use ladies for money laundering.”
Worship centres fingered
Highlighting the influence of religion, Wusu said, “Many Yahoo boys tend to flock to white garment churches, but it should be pointed out that these churches are owned by individuals and are not often officially registered.
“The same applies to these non-uniformed churches and many of them incorporate African traditional rites into their worship. As a member of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, we have strict rules and regulations and these tend to curb the influx of Yahoo boys into our gatherings.”
A member of a white garment church, Sola Omilani, while speaking with Saturday PUNCH, said the claim that G-boys love attending white garment churches is true.
He said, “Many of our clerics perform certain rituals for these guys. Although I think most of these clerics are simply scamming the scammers. I also believe that these clerics merely exploit the desperation of these G-boys and give them fake soaps. These guys inherently believe in voodoo, so they are easily exploited.
“Many of these G-boys perform rituals for protection, yet they still get arrested by the EFCC. Additionally, some G-boys use fetish soaps and flaunt spiritual objects that they believe would protect them from the authorities. I know this because I have friends who are into Internet fraud.”
However, a Lagos-based white garment prophet, Taiwo Lasisi, told our correspondent that the claim that G-boys frequent the church cannot be substantiated.
He said, “There are different people who come to the church and one can’t easily tell who they are. You can’t be going to each member to start asking their occupation. In the church, we will see good and bad people and we embrace all. Our church is not judgemental.
“What usually influences people to join our church is our white garment; the way we sing, and dance, and how we love to be adorned with jewellery. Some people might not be Yahoo boys but with the way they are attired and spend money to fund God’s work, some people would tend to insinuate that they are Yahoo boys.
“We don’t encourage unethical actions, but we welcome people as long as they are our brothers in the faith. We must not alienate people even if they are not clean because they came to meet God for salvation.”
The EFCC spokesman, Mr Dele Oyewale in a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH, noted that the strategies deployed by Internet fraudsters are well known to the agency.
“These disguising tactics by Yahoo boys are well known. It is impersonation and identity theft. That is why they are charged in court.
“This is why if you read many of the charges against them in court, you will find, impersonation, identity theft, and obtaining money under pretenses as part of the charges levied against them. Some of them will pose as engineers, but they will be secretly involved in cyber fraud,” Oyewale said.
[Punch]