No more than 130 pan-Yoruba groups have concluded plans to discuss the state of the nation.

Leaders from civil rights and community-based organisations from Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Delta and Edo states will be in attendance.

They are set to meet in Lagos on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at a summit themed: ‘Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria: The Role of Non-state Actors.’

The gathering, according to its organisers, is expected to draw some 1,500 participants including but not limited to the media, professional groups and representatives of the South-West state governors among others.

General Secretary of the groups, Mr Popoola Ajayi, in a statement, said: “Leaders of Yoruba associations in West African Coast and Northern, Middle Belt and South Eastern Nigeria will be attending the event. Nigeria is passing through a critical moment in its history. As you may be aware, the AYDM is the largest coalition of Pan Yoruba groups made up of 130 coalition members drawn from community-based, artisan and professional groups.

“AYDM coalition members include but are not limited to South West Professional, (SOWPROF); O’odua Peoples Congress, (OPC); Agbekoya; South-West Farmers Forum,(SWFAF); United Itsekiri Peoples Congress, (UIPC); ANAMMACO, representing Okada Riders in the South West; South West Students Coalition, (SWSC); O’odua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC); Yoruba Community Association in Northern Nigeria, (YOCANN); Ilaje Peoples Assembly; Igbimo Omo Oodua in Diaspora, Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, (NATA), with some 5million registered members of mechanics established in 1953; Covenant Group of South-West Professionals (SOWPROF); Association of Yoruba Communities in West Africa (AYOCWA); Yoruba Artisan and Traders Association, (NATA); O’odua International Democratic Movement, (OIDEM); O’odua Muslim-Christian Dialogue Group,(OIDEM) among many others.”

A group of elder statesmen under the aegis of The Patriots and led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku visited President Bola Tinubu to demand for a new, People’s Constitution. Specifically, the statesmen made two demands: “We urged him to send a president’s Executive Bill to the National Assembly, a Bill that will call for two essential measures: One the convening of a National Constituents Assembly, to be mandated to produce a new Draft Constitution. 

And we suggested that such National Constituents Assembly should consist of individuals elected by the people on non-party basis”. Anyaoku revealed what the group told Tinubu during their session with him in an interview with State House reporters. Excerpts:

We had a very constructive meeting with the President. We The Patriots are a non-partisan group of eminent Nigerians who are committed to the unity of our country and good governance of our country under a legitimate People’s Democratic Constitution.

So, we came to convey this view that Nigeria needs a People’s Democratic Constitution. Nigeria, we affirmed to Mr. President, is a pluralistic country.

And you all know that pluralistic countries exist all over the world. Those of them that addressed their pluralism by having true federal constitutions have survived. Example is India and Canada. But those pluralistic countries that failed to address their basic challenge of pluralism through federal constitutions have ended up disintegrating.

Examples of that are Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia and here in Africa Sudan. These countries existed in the case of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia for about 100 years as one country, but they eventually disintegrated because they could not manage their pluralism through truly federal constitutions.

And we put some proposals to Mr. President and we urged him to send a president’s Executive Bill to the National Assembly, a Bill that will call for two essential measures: One the convening of a National Constituent Assembly, to be mandated to produce a new Draft Constitution. And we suggested that such National Constituent Assembly should consist of individuals elected by the people on non-party basis.

Say for example, three individuals per each of the 36 states and one from the Federal Capital Territory and they should be mandated to produce a new Draft Constitution. And we also suggested that in the Bill, the National Assembly should be asked to legislate for a national referendum because as our laws stand at the moment, we have no provision for a national referendum.

And we concluded by saying that the Draft Constitution to emerge from the Constituent Assembly should be subjected to national referendum in order to give the peoples of Nigeria a chance to determine the new Constitution.

On the cost of Constituent Assembly, we’ve had similar meetings in the past. I do not believe that, with the challenges facing this country, the challenge of national unity, challenge of insecurity, the challenge of poverty and hunger, the cost of setting up a Constituent Assembly, with the mandate to produce a Constitution due to the inappropriateness of the Constitution that we have at present, is too much. (There is) the inappropriateness of the governance system we have at present. And I’m sure that, when a Constituent Assembly looks at all these and looks at all the recommendations of past efforts to call a National Conference and produce a Draft Constitution, their job will be easier.

Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), has resigned.

Abubakar tendered his resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu on Saturday.

Speaking to State House correspondents, Abubakar said his letter had been accepted by the president, but did not specify the reason for his resignation.

“It’s a routine thing from time to time to brief the president on situations, and today is no exception. After the briefing today, I tendered my resignation and Mr. President graciously approved and accepted the resignation,” he said.

“I thanked him for giving me the opportunity to serve Nigeria under his transformational leadership for a period, for an extended period of 15 months. It is very rare, by the way, to have the opportunity to serve two presidents. So, I thanked him very well, and I promised to remain professionally dedicated to our country and noble causes.

“I’m very, very grateful for the opportunity that the president gave me—actually to serve the country and his leadership—the encouragement I got, the confidence he had in me and my service, the opportunity to listen to me, to read briefing notes and advice, and so on. I think this is everything to me, and I have had the opportunity to mentor officers and staff for all the time I have been DG. This is the seventh year, by the way.” 

When asked the reason for his resignation, Abubakar said: “There are quite a number of reasons one will do that, some personal family issues, but nothing very serious, actually, and the friendship will continue. I discussed this with Mr President, and he understood very well.”

He attended Bayero University in Kano, where he bagged bachelor’s and master’s degrees in French. He also speaks English and Arabic.

Abubakar, a 71-year-old retired career foreign service officer from Katsina state, was appointed head of the agency by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2018. His tenure was extended in 2021.

Abubakar joined the security department of the Nigerian Foreign Service in 1993. In 2015, he was appointed senior special assistant to the president (SSAP) on international relations and foreign affairs.

The Nasarawa state police command has arrested one Hauwa Sani with 124 rounds of suspected anti-aircraft ammunition concealed in a gallon of palm oil.

The woman, alongside a two-year-old child were arrested in Keffi LGA of the state on Friday.

Rahman Nansel, spokesperson of the command, said the woman received the ammunition from Doma LGA and was arrested on her way to Katsina.

“On 23/8/2024 at about 1710hrs, based on credible information, police operatives attached to Keffi division intercepted and got one Hauwa Sani ‘F’ alongside a 2 years old child of Doro village, Katsina state arrested,” he said.

“Consequently, one hundred and twenty-four (124) rounds of anti aircraft ammunition concealed in a gallon of palm oil, one Tecno mobile phone, and cash sum of Seventy-eight thousand and five hundred Naira (N78,500) were recovered from the suspect as exhibits.

“Preliminary findings revealed that the suspect received supply of the ammunition at Rafin Sanyi village of Doma local government area of Nasarawa State, and concealed the items in a gallon of palm oil en route Katsina State before nemesis caught up with her.”

The spokesperson said Umar Shehu, commissioner of police in the state, has ordered the transfer of the suspect and exhibits to the force intelligence department in Abuja for further investigation.

The Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, has paraded two suspects who specialised in the printing of fake documents to facilitate the sale of stolen crude oil in the Niger Delta region.

JTF Commander John Okeke, told journalists on Saturday at the command headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, that Magaji Musa and Umar Musa were arrested when troops stormed their Port Harcourt residence early on Tuesday.

Okeke said, “This syndicate specialised in printing fake documents for stolen crude oil in the Operation Delta Safe Joint Operation Area. This syndicate is responsible for procuring fake documents to provide free passage for oil thieves’ activities in the Joint Operation Area.

“Such act has made it possible for oil thieves to evade arrest, which has indeed contributed largely to the reported illegal oil bunkering operations in the oil-producing region.

“However, acting on intelligence on the activities of the syndicate, troops of Operation Delta Safe stormed the Port Harcourt residence of the ring leader, one Mr Magaji Musa and Umar Musa, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 20, 2024, and apprehended him.

“Subsequently, documents were recovered from his house bearing fake stamps of some associations and waybills and forged identity cards were recovered from his house.

“The suspects had confessed to procuring fake waybills, illegal sales of crude and diversion of stolen crude oil from pipelines.

“Presently, the culprits are in the custody of the Joint Task Force, South-South Operation Delta Safe, and they will be paraded before the media and subsequently face prosecution in due course.”

Okeke assured all that no stone would be left unturned until criminality is eradicated or reduced to the barest minimum in the oil-producing region.

He also reiterated the commitment of the Joint Task Force towards stamping out illegal oil refining and oil facility vandalism in the region.

Musa, who is said to be the ring leader of the syndicate, revealed to journalists that he has been in the stolen crude oil business since 2011.

How we get fuel from Nigerian smugglers – Niger petrol dealer

Petrol hits N850/litre at depots, filling stations raise prices

While many Nigerians are keeping vigil at filling stations to fuel their vehicles, motorists in the neighbouring countries of Benin Republic and Niger are enjoying fuel smuggled from Nigeria, a Saturday PUNCH investigation has shown.

Our correspondents, who visited the two countries discovered that the smuggled petrol was being sold by black marketers, whose rates were cheaper than those operating in filling stations.

Findings show that drivers often patronise the black marketers because their rates are cheaper than those who buy from the filling stations.

Saturday PUNCH gathered the higher value of cefas (CFA) to naira made the Nigerian smuggled fuel attractive to citizens of the two countries.

Nigeria is witnessing the fifth major fuel crisis since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, following his removal of the fuel subsidy.

The removal led to a sharp rise in fuel prices, causing panic buying, widespread fuel scarcity, and a subsequent hike in the cost of living. Petrol pump prices jumped from around N200 to over N500/litre.

A second fuel scarcity unfolded around September 2023 as a result of another surge in petroleum pump prices, leading to queues in major cities, including Lagos.

In January 2024, Nigeria experienced another scarcity due to distribution challenges and rising global oil prices.

Just before Tinubu’s one-year anniversary, the country witnessed the fourth fuel crisis, which brought about high transportation costs and disruptions in daily activities across the country.

The ongoing August fuel scarcity is the fifth in the petroleum crisis.

Fuel surplus in Benin

In stark contrast to the persistent petrol scarcity in Nigeria, findings by one of our correspondents showed that Benin Republic has stable fuel supply from smugglers and government-authorised dealers.

One of our correspondents, who visited the country, discovered that petrol was priced at 700CFA per litre, which converts to approximately N1,850.

During a visit to Cotonou and Calavi, two prominent cities in the West African country, Saturday PUNCH observed a well-functioning fuel supply system.


At various filling stations in the cities, there were no long queues.

For instance, at the Benin Petro Filling Station located at Saint Michelle Roundabout in Cotonou, the scene was notably calm.

When our reporter arrived, only one car and two motorcycles were seen refuelling at the two available pumps.

Similarly, at the Oryx Filling Station in Dantokpa, absence of customer activity was striking as attendants sat idly.

During a 30-minute observation, only three cars and one motorcycle were seen driving into the station. The situation at Jehova Nissi Petroleum Filling Station in the Vedoko area was the same. Although the station was open and had fuel, there were no customers present at the time of the visit.

A similar scene was observed at the MRS Filling Station and the Ewell Filling Station in the Agontinkon area, where fuel was available; but the customer turnout was low. At the SCB and Sylfrec filling stations in Calavi, fuel was also available, but the number of vehicles being attended to was limited.

Philip Umo, an attendant at the Sylfrec Filling Station, who spoke in French, said while fuel was consistently available, the challenge was finding buyers.

Despite the stable fuel supply at the filling stations, black market sellers were prevalent on the streets of both Cotonou and Calavi.

The vendors were seen selling fuel in jerrycans at 600CFA, which is lower than the official price of 700CFA. This discrepancy made many motorists opt for the black market.

A motorcyclist, Justin Asoba, described the situation as a “surplus,” explaining that the abundance of fuel led individuals to enter the black market trade.

A Nigerian trader based in Benin, Wasiu Olawale, said, “There is enough fuel, and everyone knows that much of it comes from Nigeria, but it is cheaper here.”

One black market trader, Kabiru Usman, indicated that he received regular supplies of fuel and offered to provide insights into the business for a fee.

Yusuf Bala, another motorcyclist, revealed that a significant portion of the fuel sold on the black market is smuggled from Badagry, Lagos State, into Benin Republic.

He said, “It is a booming business. The fuel is smuggled into Benin. Since their currency is stronger than the naira, they make substantial profits.”

How we get smuggled fuel – Niger dealer

Boisterous Illela town, the headquarters of illela Local Government Area in Sokoto State, is a border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic, which is about 120 kilometers away from Sokoto town.

One of our correspondents, however, discovered that while a litre of petrol was around N1,000 in Illela, the border town, a litre of the product was sold for between N1,250 and N1,300 in Konni, Niger Republic.

It was also observed that Niger Republic did not experience any scarcity.

A commercial motorcycle rider in illela, Mallam Abubakar Bello, while narrating his experience said the cost of fuel in Sokoto and Illela is the same.

He said, “We are buying the product here at N1,000 per litre and it’s about same price in Sokoto. Here at Illela, most of us don’t patronise filling stations because there is no difference between their price and black market.”

A motorist in Konni, Niger Republic, Mahmoud Sanusi, said there was not much difference in the cost of fuel in both countries.

He said the removal of subsidy by the government of Nigeria hit them in Niger Republic than even people of Nigeria.

“Though we have our fuel here, our filling stations are largely patronised by government officials, who have the purchasing power. We all prefer to get fuel brought from Nigeria, which used to be more cheaper than our own here,” he added.

More findings by our correspondent in Konni revealed that smuggled fuel was mostly sold by the roadside by black marketers. It was sold for 1,250 per litre equivalent to their currency. But the fuel supplied by the Niger Republic government to registered oil marketers in the country sold for N1,300.

A manager of one of the filling stations in Konni, Kaseem Sani, said the registered oil marketers in the country could only access the product through the government.

He said none of the filling stations in the country could be caught selling smuggled fuel from Nigeria.

“Yes, we know it’s cheaper to sell Nigerian fuel even after the removal of subsidy; Nigerian fuel is cheaper than our own,” he added.

Sani said the Niger government had outlawed fuel smuggling from Nigeria, adding that the black marketers usually found a way to beat security.

Corroborating the story, Hassan Muhammad, a black marketer in Konni, said they got their products through smugglers in Nigeria.

“We get our supply from Nigeria but not through legal means; most of the people that supply us are Nigerians who make the fuel available to us here.

“They use the bush path and atimes, through the waterways but not through the legal land border.

“It is a smuggled product and their prices differs. Some sell for us like 1,100 naira per liter, or less sometimes.

“It all depends on your relationship and bargaining power with the smugglers.”

He further confessed that the smuggle fuel used to be concealed in jerrycans and not tankers.

“They don’t use any tanker for the supply, but one thing I can also add is that there are some vehicles with an additional bigger tanker which can contain close to 200 litres of fuel at a go.

“I am not supposed to be telling you this and that is why I would not allow you to take my picture, to prevent a possible attack by my people.

“We have a lot of ways and the only reason we can attract customers is to sell a bit less than the government price and that is why you see those differences in the price between us and those that source their supply from the government of Niger Republic.”

Meanwhile, a source from Tawa, another major city in the Republic of Niger confirmed to our correspondent that majority of private car owners in the country patronised the black markets for fuel while only companies and government officials bought fuel from the filling stations.

The source added that some of the smugglers of Nigerian fuel also took it beyond Niger Republic up to Mali on some occasions.

Petrol hits N850 at private depots

Meanwhile, the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, aka petrol, at Nigerian private depots has increased to N850/litre.

Oil marketers said the ex-depot price was about N780/litre last week, but the cost increased to between N840/litre and N850/litre on Friday due to low petrol imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The high petrol price by the private depots has led to increased pump prices at filling stations operated by independent oil marketers, as some outlets dispense the commodity for as high as N1,000 per litre, particularly stations in the North.

This came as the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, vowed to shut down filling stations caught dispensing petrol at exorbitant rates.

Also, the queues for petrol by motorists at filling stations were still visible on Friday in parts of Lagos, Abuja, Niger, and Nasarawa, among others.

Marketers said while the petrol price at NNPC depots was less than N600/litre, the cost at private depots had increased to about N850/litre.

“Independent marketers are not getting much from the products imported by NNPC. So, we scout for products with the DAPPMAN (Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria) members that have been allocated the product,” the National Operations Controller of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mustapha Zarma, stated.

IPMAN controls more than 80 per cent of the filling stations nationwide and has its members operating the bulk of retail outlets across the country.

Zarma added, “They (depots) sell the product to us above N800; it is N850 today. So, the product is now about N850 at the depots in Lagos. The private depot owners, that’s how they sell. And they are collecting the product from NNPC at less than N600.”

On whether the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has been informed of this, the IPMAN official said, “If you ask them, they will say bring the receipt.”

He explained that such receipts were not readily available most of the time, as payments were usually not made directly to the accounts of the private depots due to certain arrangements.

He stressed that many dealers need products to dispense to keep their businesses running, and since they can’t get it from NNPC, they have no choice but to buy from private depots despite the high cost.

“Today, the price is about N840, N850. It has been high since last week. That is why you see the product selling for N900 and N950 in Lagos. It may increase to about N1,000,” Zarma stated.

The Executive Secretary of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Olufemi Adewole, had yet to respond to an enquiry on the matter till this report was filed.

The spokesperson of the NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, however, argued that the petrol price reports that the regulator gets from its officials at the depots were different.

“Our depot people see a different price because we ask them to publish the prices at the depots every day and it is not N850/litre. Our field agents at the depots give us a different figure,” he said.

When told that some filling stations operated by independent marketers in Lagos and many other states dispense their products for as high as N900 and N1,000/litre, the NMDPRA official said such outlets would be brought to book if apprehended.

“If we get these outlets, all we do is to try and shut them down, because NNPC is the company that brings in the product and they tell us how much they sell as their ex-depot prices to off-takers. And we sit down together and work out the margins and there is no way it should be that high,” Ene-Ita stated.

Queues persist

Fuel queues have persisted across the country, Saturday PUNCH observed.

In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the situation has remained the same for over two months, driven by the lingering fuel scarcity.

In Kuje Area Council of the FCT, Baka sold fuel for N950/litre on Friday, while AA Rano sold it for N720/litre.

A motorcyclist, Nura Dauda, noted that he bought fuel at a BOVAS station in the area council for N670/litre, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation sold it to him at N617/litre.

In Lugbe, Abuja Municipal Area Council, fuel stations like Rain Oil had heavy queues, with numerous commuters waiting to access the station.

Heavy queues were also observed at NNPC and Shafa stations in Bwari Area Council.

A resident, Obaje Samson, lamented the poor circulation of fuel within the FCT, stating, “I wonder why we still experience fuel scarcity in the FCT despite several promises by the government to circulate enough fuel.”

Lagos residents keep vigil

At the Total Energies Filling Station on Ikosi Road in the Ketu area of Lagos State, Saturday PUNCH observed motorists keeping vigil at the gate on Thursday night.

Our correspondents gathered that many car owners slept in their cars, while others arrived as early as 2am or 3am the next day to buy petrol.

A commercial bus driver, Mr Sammy Okechukwu, who spoke to our correspondent at 11.15pm on Thursday, noted that he always came to the station at night so he would be among the first to buy when it opened the next day.

“This is my routine. Once I close by 10pm or so, I drive down here and wait for them to open,” he said.

He further lamented that he had not spent one night at home in the last six days since he began the routine.

“It was one of my colleagues who gave me this new strategy, and it has been working for me. By 8am or so when they open, I’ll be among the first five or six to buy,” he said.

Another commercial driver, who gave his name only as Mr Okere, said he had already spent two nights at that filling station before Thursday.

“That is what we go through to get fuel o. We sleep here at night and by morning, as they open, we will just buy so we can work,” he said.

Another driver who refused to give his name lamented that he was not going to leave because the fuel he had would not take him to his home in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“I am supposed to be driving to Ibadan, but no way. I will just sleep here,” the source said.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night around 10.49pm, our correspondent observed drivers and petrol customers laying siege to the NNPC Filling Station in the Obalende area of the state.

One of the customers, Toluwalope Olaseinde, who came with four kegs, said, “I will sleep here. I don’t have a choice.”

A motorist, Emem Osung, said if she did not get fuel before the station closed, she would sleep at the station.

“I am ready to sleep here. It won’t be my first. This is what the government wants – to make us suffer,” she said.

On Monday, NNPC attributed the current fuel scarcity in the country to evacuation challenges from Apapa, Lagos, assuring that the issue would be resolved.

The NNPC’s spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, had said, “It’s just an evacuation challenge out of Apapa from the vessel. But we are working on it; it should be resolved.”

Soneye, who sought to reassure Nigerians at the time he spoke on Monday, stated, “I’m very sure that it (queues) will be cleared out by Wednesday.”

But despite the national oil firm’s assurances, the queues for petrol have failed to disappear.

Wife of Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, on Saturday, called on women in the state to shun spending money on “bleaching creams”, but should rather spend more on “regular health checks and eating balanced diets.”

This is as she decried the low uptake of immunisation in the state, urging mothers to prioritise the health and future of their children.

Soludo made the call at the 2nd Anambra State Women Health Summit organised under her Healthy Living Initiative in collaboration with the World Health Organisation in Awka.

She said that immunisation was important to protect children from life-long illness.

“I’m not happy to hear that our state is recording low in immunisation uptake. Mothers need to create time and take their children to health facilities to get them vaccinated.

“These childhood vaccines are free, safe and effective. Mothers should see immunisation as a top priority because when your child is healthy, you are free from stress and expenses experienced when a child is ill.

“Since Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration started the free antenatal and delivery policy, Anambra state is now one of the states with the lowest maternal mortality. We want to record the same in the area of immunisation too,” she said.

Soludo urged women to appreciate their God-given skin colour and shun spending so much on bleaching creams.

“Instead of spending so much on bleaching creams, women should spend more on regular health checks, eating balanced diets and engaging in regular exercises to stay fit and healthy,” she said.

Also speaking, Dr Uju Obiagwu of the WHO, lamented that immunisation coverage was gradually reducing in Anambra.

“The state government is doing so much in partnership with WHO to ensure availability of all the childhood vaccines across the health facilities but we are not happy that the uptake is low.

“These vaccines help to prevent acute paralysis, measles, polio, meningitis, Lassa fever, yellow fever, cholera and neonatal tetanus.

“We recorded several outbreaks of Measles at Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru and Ayamelum, because they do not take their children to the hospital for immunisation.

“Our mothers have a huge role to play in ensuring that children in Anambra are vaccinated. So, spread the message in your various communities to help our children live healthier and longer lives,” she said.

Also, Anambra Coordinator, WHO, Dr Mohamed Bonos, appreciated the state government for providing the enabling environment and partnership that promoted the health of residents.

In his presentation, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Brian Adinma, urged women to prioritise their reproductive health.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health in Anambra, Dr Afam Obidike, said the health summit was a demonstration that the state government recognised the health and welfare of women and children in the state.

NAN.

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed, on Friday, that over 22, 500 Nigerians are parading fake certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023.

He said that over 21, 600 obtained the certificates from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic within the time frame, while about 1,105 also obtained theirs at some unaccredited Universities in Togo.

The Minister disclosed the information at a press conference in Abuja, to mark his first anniversary, adding that some of the numbers were harvested from records from the National Youth Service Corp and other sources.

He said, “From all indications, the figure is higher than what we have already. This is because some of the people choose not to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme and other engagements that would have enabled us to harvest their data.


“Sadly, these people have used the fake certificates to apply and secure job opportunities in government and private organizations with the mindset that they schooled abroad, while people who studied day and night are out there looking for job opportunities.

“Even within the countries, Benin and Togo, these universities are not accredited to offer degree programmes. I don’t know how Nigerians chose to go to unaccredited institutions abroad to ‘study’. Our investigations also indicated that many of the people never even attended the school physically. ”

The Minister, however, confirmed that a circular is being prepared from the Office of Head of Service of the Federation that would enable the fish out of these people for due prosecution.

“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtained from these countries between 2019 and 2023 is fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution. Because the circular from the Head of Service will also be binding on private sector operators.”

Nevertheless, he confirmed that only five Universities in Benin and three in Togo were accredited to offer degree programmes, and people who passed through those schools were exempted from the punitive measures.

Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that about four million out-of-school children have been pulled off the streets back to the classrooms through several of its programmes majorly championed by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children.

He added, “Our target is the see about 3 to 4 million children leave the streets and return the school annually, and if that is successfully achieved, then by the end of the administration, significant achievements would have been made as regards the out-of-school children.

The PUNCH reports that the activities of degree mills once again came to the centre of discussions in Nigeria, following an investigative report by a reporter, Umar Audu, with the Daily Nigerian newspaper on the activities of degree mills in Benin Republic and Togo.

The reporter revealed how he obtained a degree within six weeks and even proceeded to embark on mandatory youth service under the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

Audu, who reached out to the syndicate that specialises in selling degree certificates in December 2022, graduated in February 2023 and was issued a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication certificate from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The report which exposed the illegalities perpetrated by some tertiary institutions in the West African states led to the Nigerian government placing a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman having received the report of the Committee, noted that holders of fake degrees from Nigerian and foreign universities will be flushed out of the system.

Some of the recommendations of the committee stressed the need for universities in the country to conduct their admissions via the Central Admissions Processing System popularly known as CAPS and the mandatory submission of matriculation list.

Former Sweden national team coach Janne Andersson has expressed a strong interest in leading Nigeria’s senior men’s football team. 

The 61-year-old, who successfully guided the Swedish squad to the quarterfinals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has cited his admiration for the Super Eagles’ talent and their potential to excel on the global stage.

As a former forward with a wealth of coaching experience, Andersson sees the Super Eagles as a team brimming with promise. He is eager to leverage his experience and vision to help them achieve new heights in international football.

“It’s a huge footballing nation. I can confirm that I have had a dialogue with the Nigeria Football Federation,” Andersson said.

He added, “It’s a huge footballing nation, so I’m extremely flattered to be in the running to be their next national team coach. Dialogue is ongoing, and I don’t really want to say more than that. I have been in this industry for so long and know that things can happen in different ways. So we’ll see what happens in the future.”

Despite Andersson’s interest, the Nigeria Football Federation has yet to make an official statement on who will lead the Super Eagles as they prepare for crucial matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda in September.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that a new coach will be announced soon, with Augustine Eguavoen being heavily linked to temporarily lead the team in their upcoming clashes.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his independent presidential campaign activities for the forthcoming United States of America elections.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Kennedy said he was not terminating his presidential campaign as his name would be on the ballot in many states.

Kennedy asked his supporters to vote for him in the “red and blues” states in case of a “contingent” election.

The independent candidate added that if any of the two major parties did not meet the threshold in the election, he could become the president in the “contingent” election.

He asked his supporters not to vote for him in the “10 battleground states,” where his presence will be a “spoiler”.

“I want everyone to know that I am not terminating my campaign. I am simply suspending it and not ending it,” Kennedy said.

“My name will remain on the ballot in most states. I encourage you to vote for me, and if enough of you do vote for me and neither of the major party candidates win 270 votes, which is quite possible in fact today, our polling shows them tying at 269 to 269.

“I could conceivably still end up in the White House in a contingent election.

“With a sense of victory and not defeat that I’m suspending my campaign activities.

“Three great causes drove me to enter this race in the first place primarily, and these are the principal causes that pressured me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent and now to throw my support to President Trump.

“The causes were free speech, a war in Ukraine, and war on our children.”

He said the promise of former US President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine when he becomes president justifies his support for him.

Kennedy added that he left the Democratic Party because it has become a “party of war, censorship, corruption, big pharma, big tech, and big money”.

Kennedy Jr. is a member of the Kennedy family. His father, Robert F. Kennedy, was the 64th US attorney-general. He is a nephew of John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the US.

Some members of Kennedy’s family have distanced themselves from the decision of RFK Jr., saying their support is for Kamala Harris.