…Expert Cites Data Management Issues

It has been 48 days since over 115 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger State, following a downpour on the night of April 25, 2024.

However, the Federal Government has yet to release the identities of the escapes, thereby raising concerns about the data management capabilities of Nigeria’s correctional services.

The incident occurred when the heavy downpour caused damage to the custodial centre’s infrastructure, including a breach in the perimeter fence, which facilitated the inmates’ escape.

During an inspection on May 9, 2024, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, confirmed that several escapees had been recaptured but refrained from disclosing specific details to avoid “compromising” ongoing efforts.

“Yes, we have recaptured a lot of people and work is actually going on. We are working with other sister agencies but the details of that I won’t be able to disclose in public to avoid jeopardizing the hard work of the agencies. We want to re-emphasize that it is no longer business as usual but business unusual,” he had said.

Unlike the Kuje Jailbreak in July 2022, where the identities of 573 escapees were promptly published on the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) website, the identities of the Suleja escapees have not been uploaded to the website, checks by THE WHISTLER show.

Since the Suleja jailbreak, there have been over 10 reported attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring states like Nasarawa and Niger, with at least 50 people being kidnapped. .

The delay in releasing the identities of the escaped inmates has raised questions about the correctional service’s data management capabilities.

Expert Cites Data Management Issues

A security expert, who spoke to THE WHISTLER on the condition of anonymity, attributed the delay in releasing the identities to poor data management in Nigeria.

The expert identified the lack of digitisation in the correctional services and issues with the National Identification Number (NIN), passport numbers, and different security numbers, among others, for the inability to identify the escapees.

The expert said, “It’s a problem with National Identification Number (NIN), with passport numbers, and different security numbers. I think the minister of information technology is trying to address this. So, at the heart of all this is just a data problem. It’s a bit of a misnomer because the correctional service should be able to digitize their record, it just shows some of the analogue problems. It is a problem that the correctional service has, perhaps the minister of interior should be about efforts to digitize the correctional system.

“I know he has a strong background in technology and then we should press on what they are doing about digitisation of the systems that we have across the correctional service, that should be of interest.

“Clearly, if they had the data, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be published. One should expect that their biometrics should be captured at the point of incarceration. Those small shots should be taken and then warehoused. This issue arises from a manual system and it highlights a technological gap in our criminal justice system.”c

NCoS Promises To Release Identities Of Escapees Soon When contacted, the spokesperson for the NCoS, Umar Abubakar, assured that information on the escapees would be released soon. He cited technical issues and the need for thorough verification as reasons for the delay.

“We have been able to get a lot of their identities, which we are trying to verify because for everyone’s admission as an offender or suspect charged to court, first is a suspect. It is when the case is heard and sentenced that the person becomes an offender, then an inmate upon admission to our facility,” Abubakar explained.

He confirmed that 23 inmates have been recaptured so far and emphasised the need for a thorough verification process to avoid publishing incorrect information.

“We are also working with NIMC and NIS. We don’t want a situation whereby innocent people’s pictures are uploaded to the public space. So, we want to do our work thoroughly,” he said.

As Nigeria celebrates 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) warns leaders they will be held accountable for their actions.

In a statement signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN acknowledged the country’s democratic journey but emphasized that the government still faces significant challenges.

“Insecurity, economic hardship, and social injustice continue to afflict our citizens. We urge the government to prioritize the common good, address these pressing issues, and ensure that our democracy serves the people, not just the interests of a few,” the statement said.

The statement also stressed the importance of unity and inclusivity, valuing Nigeria’s diverse backgrounds.

“We emphasize the importance of integrity, transparency, and accountability in governance. Our leaders must recognize that power is a sacred trust, and they will be held accountable for their actions,” the CAN president added.

CAN called on leaders to work together to build a stronger, more just Nigeria where everyone has a voice and equal opportunities.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Lamuwa, has denied accusations of sexual harassment leveled against him by a married ministry employee, Mrs. Simisola Fajemirokun-Ajayi.

Mrs. Ajayi, through a petition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, filed by her lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), outlined alleged instances of harassment.

In a document seen by THE WHISTLER, Lamuwa through his lawyers, denied the allegations stating:

“We are legal representatives of Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa (hereinafter referred to as ‘our client’), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and have been authorised to make the following statement on his behalf, in response to allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by Mrs Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, an aide to the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“The media, particularly the social media has been inundated with the digital copy of a petition written by legal representatives of Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi against Amb. Lamuwa. This petition was clearly leaked in order to generate sympathy for her unsubstantiated claims.

“We wish to state categorically that our client has never made any sexual advances towards Mrs. Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, who he is aware is a married woman, neither has he ever made suggestive comments or innuendos that requested any form of untoward relationship between himself and her.

“Our client distinctly recalls the events that took place at the ministry’s retreat on October 7th 2023 where Mrs Simisola O. Fajemirokun-Ajayi claims that he invited her to his room. Our client states categorically that, he never made such an invitation and that his only communication with Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi, which was an overt one, was where he checked on her, like he did to all participants on whether they had been well-lodged in their hotels.

“He further recalls that the instance where he spoke of her as a nursing mother, during the same retreat was in a colloquial conversation they were having with other participants, where one participant even responded jokingly that when a woman says ‘her baby’ it could mean either her husband or one of her children, of which he innocuously joked asking “how big is the baby?” Our client maintains that those conversations were made jokingly and sees their misinterpretation as malicious and with ill-intent.

“Our client also maintains that it is an absurdity for Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi to claim that he invited her to Hong Kong, given that the conversation they were both having was on how Honk Kong had digitised its work processes as far back as 1999. Our client wonders how such a conversation became interpreted as an invitation for her to travel alongside himself knowing fully well that she is an aide to the minister. How can she possibly leave the minister to follow the permanent secretary, on a vacation? Would that not be the height of delusion for the one requesting, as well as the one heeding to the request?

“It is clear that the minister’s aide has misinterpreted ordinary conversations, made openly and in the presence of other participants, for untoward intentions. We believe that these allegations are directly tied to our client’s firm objections raised regarding improper requests that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi made, particularly to financial matters in the ministry.

“For example, Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi made a trip to the World Economic Forum (Davos), of which she sought a reimbursement from the ministry for. Our client firmly explained to her that while the ministry may look at avenues to refund her expenses, it is not the appropriate process for a trip to be made without an approval, and then funded with taxpayers money. after the fact.

“Further to this, is the fact of Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi’s unfamiliarity with civil service rules and processes where she had requested from our client access to policy files and even financial records of high-level activities of the ministry. By no means, should the permanent secretary, as chief accounting officer of the ministry provide such sensitive documents to an aide of the minister, worse via a WhatsApp chat. There are due processes in government, and they must be followed.

“We must emphasise that Mrs Fajemirokun-Ajayi is a political appointee, and not a civil servant. Thus, matters of finance and policy are out of bounds for her in this instance.

“It is crucial to mention that our client, in all his 32 years of service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, never received a query nor a report against him bordering on harassment, let alone, sexual harassment. In the course of this period, our client has served in Hong Kong, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Syria and more recently, Senegal, and there has never been a negative report on his conduct in any of these countries.

“Ambassador Lamuwa has also served for nine years in the State House. From the office of the vice president, to the office of the chief of staff to the president, and to the office of the president, and no negative report or allegation of any kind has ever been raised against him.”

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has called out the nation’s leadership, urging a focus on development and criticizing a culture of self-service.

Bishop Kukah stated this on Wednesday as Nigeria celebrated Democracy Day.

In his address, “Democracy and the Free Market Economy,” Bishop Kukah argued that Nigeria’s democracy is faltering because it hasn’t been adapted to the country’s context.

“Our democracy is in recession, in decline, precisely because it is evident to us that what we are working with is not something that has come from our own historical, cultural or even anthropological experiences.

“The only way democracy can work is that democracy has to be an instrument of development,’ Bishop Kukah said.

The Bishop emphasized the need for clear national goals, a strong moral foundation, and financial discipline.

“The legislators are preoccupied with determining their salaries, fringe benefits, and unnecessary foreign travels.

“As a result of our inability to cultivate the financial discipline and prudent management of our economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects.

“The corrupt, inept, and insensitive leadership in the last years have been a source of immorality and impropriety in our society,” he added.

He argued that greed is a major obstacle, not just among the political elite, but among ordinary Nigerians as well.

He said: “The challenge for many countries in Africa, beginning with Nigeria, is how to restrain the greed of the political elite.

“Not only the political elite, but the greed and the appetite of ordinary Nigerians, because it is feeding this beast that has made it impossible for this country to grow.

“We cannot talk about people being corrupt when it is clear to us that the incentives for doing the right thing doesn’t exist.”

Bishop Kukah urged a return to core constitutional principles, including religious freedom and national unity.

He said Nigerians need to “redefine what it is to be a Nigerian. But we must also make sure that the elite claim this argument and claim this space.”

The former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has withdrawn his membership of the party.

Lukman disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to Lukman, his resignation from the party stems from what he describes as a “lack of internal democracy” and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged failure to implement necessary reforms within the party.

The APC chieftain had been a critic of the party’s leadership, and accused it of straying from the founding vision of the party and ignoring calls for reform.

He said, “It is possible to remain in APC if at all President Asiwaju Tinubu will allow internal reform in the party to return it to its founding vision, which as it is, is very remote.

“But my reality now in the party is that my membership has been rendered useless and there is no need for me to continue to impose myself.”

While expressing future plans he said, “I have therefore gone back to the trenches and will try to work with all committed Nigerians who agree and subscribe to the goal of actively campaigning for the survival and development of democracy in Nigeria.

“We must grow our democracy to the point whereby elected representatives at all levels are accountable to the party and it is possible for Nigerians represented by various interests to develop strong relationship with political parties and elected governments based on which policies of governments can be made to reflect wider interests of Nigerians.

“I am confident that a strong democracy with functional political parties is possible in Nigeria. I am also confident that in our lifetime we can produce governments that are truly capable of making the lives of Nigerians better.“

Lukman acknowledged that his decision might not be well-received by party leaders, adding that he remains hopeful for the unity among all who are dedicated to advancing democracy in Nigeria.

“I don’t expect party leaders will agree with my decision. I believe that eventually, we will be united will all party leaders and other Nigerians who are committed to developing Nigerian democracy,” he added.

Former international Victor Ikpeba has challenged Super Eagles players to step up their fight to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles have endured a stuttering start to their campaign, failing to record a win in four matches.

Finidi George’s side currently occupy fifth position in Group C with a paltry three points from four games. 

Ikpeba, who represented Nigeria at two World Cups, said the players must up their game.

“The players have become too comfortable, they now have to step up and take full responsibility,” he was quoted by SCORENigeria.

“The talent is there in the team for them to turn things around next year.

“History will be kind to them when they fight back and qualify Nigeria.

“We missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and it was a special tournament.”

A five storey building under construction on Wednesday collapsed in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Sources said the building collapsed around 7:15 am.

DAILY POST was unable to confirm if there were casualties in the incident which occurred at at DMGS Junction, close to the popular Dennis Memorial Grammar School.

“I was going to work this morning when I saw it. The entire building came down in rubbles.

“I don’t think there were casualties in the building because work was not ongoing on the project this morning.

“The cause of the collapse has not been ascertained, but many bystanders who watched from across the road suspected that it may be as a result of use of substandard materials,” the source said.

A 200-level student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State has reportedly thrown her newborn baby from the upper-floor of the female hostel after giving birth.

A female student at the university confirmed to DAILY POST that the incident happened on Monday.

She said the occupants of the Morocco Female Hostel on the university campus woke up to the tragic incident.

According to her, “Early Monday morning, we woke up and saw the newborn baby girl on the floor, dead, thrown from a three-story building.”

She said the girl made the decision to bury her shame after giving birth out of wedlock.

Police spokesman, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, confirmed the incident in a statement issued to DAILY POST.

He said police received a report that a 200-level student gave birth and threw the baby from a three-story building, resulting in the infant’s instant death.

He said a team of policemen raced to the scene of the crime after receiving the report and conveyed the baby and mother to Rasheed Shekoni Teaching Hospital Dutse, where the infant was certified dead by a medical doctor on call.

Meanwhile, the suspect was admitted and is responding to therapy.

DSP Shiisu said an investigation is ongoing regarding the incident.

Controversial Nollywood star Yvonne Jegede has clarified that her recent endorsement of colleague, Yul Edochie’s second marriage was not intended to trivialise the pain of his aggrieved first wife, May Edochie.

Jegede had during a recent appearance on ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast endorsed Yul Edochie’s controversial second marriage to Judy Austin, saying the actor has done “nothing wrong”.

Her comments earned backlash, with many accusing her of trivialising the pain of Edochie’s first wife, May.

Reacting in a statement shared via her Instagram page, Jegede claimed that her words were not articulated in a way that conveyed her true intentions.

“Upon reflecting on the interview, I realize that my words were not articulated in a way that conveyed my true intentions and have been misconstrued as insensitive, particularly towards Mrs May Edochie, a woman who has endured significant pain and hardship occasioned by estranged marriage.

“I deeply regret that my comments were perceived as adding to her distress. It was never my intention to cause any pain or disrespect. I am truly sorry,” the statement said.

She continued: “I want to clarify that my remarks about polygamy were meant to reflect its cultural context and to emphasize that how it is practiced is crucial. My goal was to convey that polygamy is part of our culture, but what matters is how it is approached. Unfortunately, this message was lost in my articulation.

“I want to stress that my comments were not intended to trivialize the pain of Mrs May Edochie or any woman going through a similar struggle. I do not claim to have advanced knowledge of the personal circumstances between Yul Edochie and his ex-wife.”

President Bola Tinubu has admitted that his reforms have created hardship for Nigerians.

But he added that they are necessary to bring about the needed change the country had longed for.

Tinubu made this declaration in a national broadcast to commemorate the 2024 Democracy Day and the 25th year of uninterrupted democratic rule in the country. 

He said that as a beneficiary of the historic efforts of the heroes of democracy, he was morally bound to preserve the present form of government.

“I stand uniquely placed in this regard. I was among those who took the risk to midwife the birth of our democracy. I am now a direct and obvious beneficiary of the fruits of those historic efforts.

“As President of this nation, I am morally and constitutionally bound to preserve this precious form of governance.

“I vow to do my utmost best to protect your rights, freedoms, and liberties as citizens of Nigeria.

“Even more than that, I pledge to do whatever is necessary to cement democracy as our way of life,” he said.

The President thanked Nigerians for the opportunity to lead the country and promised not to turn his back on them.

He called on Nigerians to beware of those trying to exploit the current challenges in the country to undermine and destroy the democracy for which so much had already been given.

According to him, as Nigerians, we must remind ourselves that no matter how complicated democracy may be, it is the best form of governance in the long run.

“We must also be aware that there are those among us who will try to exploit current challenges to undermine, if not destroy this democracy for which so much has already been given.

“These people do this not to make things better but to subject all other people and things to their control and dominance until the point that, if you are not counted among their elite, then your life will be small and no longer owned by you,” he said.