Nigerian medical doctor and author Kelvin Alaneme has vowed to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for defamation, insisting that allegations against him are false.

Alaneme, accused of running an immigration scam through his agency CareerEdu, maintained that he is helping Nigerians relocate abroad, stating, “I have never scammed or defrauded anyone in my life, and I never will.”

A BBC ‘Africa Eye’ investigation claims Alaneme charged $13,000 for fake UK care job visas. A secretly recorded BBC report exposed the operations of UK immigration fraudsters, revealing a surge in scams since the UK expanded its visa scheme in 2022 to include care workers. The scheme requires applicants to secure a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK employer, a process that has fueled fraudulent activities.

Between July 2022 and December 2024, the UK government revoked over 470 care sector licences, affecting more than 39,000 foreign medical professionals and care workers recruited since 2020.

The BBC linked Alaneme to fraudulent relocation services, alleging that he provided job placements that did not exist.

In an undercover recording, Alaneme, believing he was speaking with a business partner in the UK care sector, attempted to recruit her, saying, “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire.”

He explained he would pay £2,000 ($2,600) for each care home vacancy she secured, plus a £500 ($650) commission. These positions were allegedly sold to Nigerian applicants.

The BBC also found that Efficiency for Care, a company tied to the scam, issued 1,234 CoS between March 2022 and May 2023 despite employing only 16 people in 2022 and 152 in 2023.

The UK government revoked its sponsorship licence in July 2023, preventing it from hiring foreign workers.

In another secretly filmed meeting, Alaneme detailed how migrants could obtain CoS for non-existent jobs, with fake payroll records disguising the fraud.

One alleged victim, Praise, claimed he paid Alaneme over £10,000 ($13,000) for a job with Efficiency for Care in Clacton-on-Sea, only to discover upon arrival that the job did not exist.

Denying the allegations, Alaneme emphasised that CareerEdu does not employ care workers but only connects candidates with legitimate recruiters.

“We are not Care Job employers in the UK. We have always made this clear. Our job is to link qualified employees to legitimate and licensed employers and recruiters who do provide Certificate of Sponsorship,” he said, adding that some recruiters charge additional costs for training, transport, and accommodation.

“In the event that these clients are not successful, they do get a full refund of these extra costs, no questions asked.”

When challenged online to sue the BBC if his business was legitimate, Alaneme responded, “We’ll do that.”

The Nigerian doctor further accused the BBC of bias, saying, “If the BBC really wanted to do a ‘real story,’ there are many individuals exploiting people, issuing fake CoS, and outrightly scamming people… We have done none of this, yet they insist on putting out this one-sided falsehood. I believe that the truth will win and posterity will vindicate the just.”

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Olatunbosun Tijani, has described President Bola Tinubu as a leader who is capable of tackling the country’s multifaceted challenges.

Tijani made the remark on Monday while speaking to newsmen at the inauguration of a solar-powered community ICT centre in Abeokuta, facilitated by the National Information Technology Development Agency.

He claimed that his criticism of political leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, was borne out of his desire for a better Nigeria.

The minister said his decision to serve under Tinubu was driven by his belief in the President’s leadership.

Tijani stated, “It was not about how easy, it was about intention, because leadership is about intentions.

“When you come close to President Bola Tinubu, you will know that Nigeria is fortunate to have someone like him. Let’s leave politics aside and examine the development trajectory under his administration.

“This is the first president who has made it easier for every young Nigerian to access education, regardless of their background, through the student loan scheme.

“This is also the president who removed the fuel subsidy, a long-standing burden on Nigerians, and is now redirecting those resources to national development.

“He has significantly reduced the country’s debt servicing obligations, freeing up funds for critical projects.

“So, for me, it was not difficult to accept to work under such a man. I wasn’t critical of past governments because I was a politician but because I wanted a better society. And there is no better person to work with to achieve that than President Bola Tinubu.”

Tijani’s remarks come after Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during a special Iftar marking Tinubu’s 73rd birthday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, recalled that the minister’s nomination was met with strong resistance due to his previous criticisms of the government.

The second term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Monday, got a boost with the Founder, Tantita Security Services Limited, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (a.k.a Tompolo) and the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM)  announcing the endorsement of Tinubu by the Niger Delta for a second term come 2027.

While contending that no leader anywhere in the world can build the future in four years, they said this had made it imperative to allow the president another four-year tenure.

HOSTCOM National President Dr Benjamin Styles Tamaranebi and other supporters of Tompolo, made the position known at a press conference in Abuja.

He said the decision was arrived at by the Niger Delta stakeholders following Tinubu’s track record in the last two years.

Tamaranebi said: “When he assumed office, oil production was plummeting, and debt servicing consumed nearly all revenue. Many doubted his ability to lead, but Tinubu rolled up his sleeves and got to work. In less than two years, the results speak for themselves.”

Declaring a ‘no vacancy’ stand in Aso Rock, they said their choice of Tinubu was informed by how the Nigeria leader halted the twin evils of oil theft and pipeline vandalism, which according to them, had made Nigeria’s economy comatose in the last 20 years.

Tamaranebi said:  “We, leaders and indigenes of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas in collaboration with our grand patron, High Chief (Dr) Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, are fully endorsing and committed to supporting Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027.

“We took this position after a thorough evaluation of Tinubu’s performance in less than two years of his first term and in obedience of clearly unambiguous directives of our patron, Ekpemupolo, who also scored “Mr President high in human development Indices, especially as they favoured the Niger Delta region and believed our President should remain in office till 2031 to enable him to conclude ongoing development initiatives across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“The Tinubu administration is not just fixing the present; it is building the future. Alongside Tompolo, we endorse Tinubu for 2027. Our reason is simple: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has delivered. He has steadied the ship. He has empowered local communities and needs more time to finish what he started.”

They further said: “For decades, oil theft and pipeline vandalism crippled our economy, devastating the lives of host communities. Through strategic partnerships with Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) and other security agencies, Tinubu has reduced oil theft to historic lows.

“Oil production has surged from a mere 600,000 barrels per day to 1.8 million. Nigeria is reclaiming its rightful place in the global oil market. More importantly, security in the Niger Delta has significantly improved, curbing crude oil theft and ensuring that resources serve the nation.

“Politics is about choices. In 2027, Nigerians must choose between continuity and chaos, between stability and the unknown.

“The future cannot be built in four years. It takes patience, persistence, and vision—qualities Tinubu has consistently demonstrated. His leadership has been a turning point for Nigeria, setting the nation on a path to prosperity. It is crucial to consolidate these gains rather than disrupt progress,” the group also noted.  

HOSTCOM also applauded the Tinubu administration for successfully implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), ensuring billions of naira flow into community trust funds for local development projects such as schools, hospitals, and water schemes in nearly 200 locations across the Niger Delta.

Tamaranebi, who cautioned against disrupting the ongoing initiatives said: “But stability requires time and continuity. A change in leadership now would bring uncertainty and risk reversing the progress made so far.”

They also listed the infrastructure development under the administration to include; “ Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, now under construction;     Sokoto-Badagry Highway,  set to enhance connectivity between the North and South-west;     East-West Highway, Benin-Warri Highway, Asaba-Benin Highway, and Abuja-Benin Highway, under construction or rehabilitation, and     Second Niger Bridge Access Road , officially flagged off last week.”

Additionally, the group acknowledged the administration’s focus on energy security, citing successes in the Dangote Refinery as well as the revival of the Warri and Port Harcourt Refineries.

The stakeholders who also commended Tinubu for signing the South-South Development Commission Bill into law, appealed to him on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers state, and urged all parties to embrace peace.

The HOSTCOM leader highlighted Tinubu’s economic policies and strategic reforms, particularly in tackling dwindling crude oil production and excessive debt servicing.

“When he assumed office, oil production was plummeting, and debt servicing consumed nearly all revenue. Many doubted his ability to lead, but Tinubu rolled up his sleeves and got to work. In less than two years, the results speak for themselves,” the communities said.

…On Rivers political crisis

While commending President Tinubu for signing the South-South Development Commission Bill into law, the stakeholders appealed for his intervention in the ongoing political crisis in Rivers state which recently led to the proclamation of emergency rule in the state.

“We want to seize this opportunity to appeal and beg Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to use his good offices to ensure an amicable resolution of the political imbroglio, which has engulfed River State. We urge Mr. President to prevail on the warring groups in Rivers State to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the people.

“We know and trust that Mr. President has the capacity to restore peace and sanity in the crisis-torn state. We are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that even his detractors are now better informed as he has silenced them and changed the landscape of our beloved country for good,” they pleaded.

At the media parley were Chairman Traditional Rulers of the People of South-South Chief Ese Omafuakpo; Chairman Council of Chiefs Chief Obong Udo and the Adua Tein 1 of Ijaw Izonbe Timi Alaibe.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police Force have approved April 12, 2025 as the commencement date for the training of successful candidates in the ongoing 2025 recruitment of constables.

The head of Press and Public Relations at the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, stated this in a statement weekend in Abuja.

He urged applicants who participated in the recently concluded medical screening, held from 26 February to 12 March, to check their application status.

He said such candidates must print their training call-up slip by logging onto the recruitment portal at https://apply.policerecruitment.gov.ng.

“The portal will be open from March 31.

“Successful candidates must report to their designated police training institutions on the date and time indicated on their call-up slip for documentation,” Ani stated.

He stated that the documentation period at training schools was scheduled for between 12 April and 19 April.

“Candidates who fail to report within this time frame will be considered to have declined the offer.”

He added that candidates must report in a clean white T-shirt and shorts.

The candidates are also to bring their training call-up slip, application form, submission slip, NIN slip, BVN slip, original and photocopies of certificates, and other required documents listed on the recruitment portal.

The PSC chairman, Hashimu Argungu, congratulated the successful candidates and urged them to dedicate themselves to ensuring the security of lives and property. (NAN)