…Says killers of slain soldiers’ll not go unpunished

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday told the leadership of the 10th Senate that the integrity of the National Assembly remains intact in the thick of allegations of budget padding over the last few weeks.

He said his administration will always encourage cooperation between the executive and judiciary for the advancement of the nation.

Tinubu said this when he hosted the leadership of the Senate to a dinner on Thursday to break the Ramadan fast at the State House, Abuja.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement released in the early hours of Friday titled ‘President Tinubu: We will not allow anyone to undermine our security; killers of soldiers in Delta State will face certain justice.’

Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP) had alleged that the Tinubu-led government is implementing a budget other than the one approved on January 1, 2024.

Ningi, who chaired the Northern Senators’ Forum and Senate Committee on Population, had contended in a BBC Hausa Service interview that a N25tn budget was debated and passed, not the N28.7tn that is currently being implemented.

He maintained that N3.7tn could not be accounted for in the 2024 budget.

However, at plenary on March 12, the Senate suspended Senator Ningi for three months over this claim.

Reacting to the allegations for the first time in public, Tinubu said, “I know the arithmetic of the budget and the numbers that I brought to the National Assembly, and I know what numbers came back.

“I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much.

“Those who are talking about malicious embellishment in the budget; they did not understand the arithmetic and did not refer to the baseline of what I brought. But your integrity is intact.”

Tinubu thanked the lawmakers, adding that Nigerians are at the “turning corner” of the economic challenges.

“The natural challenge we are facing will be over. On the current economic difficulty, we are about turning the corner.

“Our revenue has improved. All we have to do is to control expenditures and manage ourselves better.

“Light is at the end of the tunnel, and Nigerians will soon smile again,” the President affirmed.

Tinubu also thanked members of the National Assembly for the speedy attention given to the Student Loan Amendment Bill, urging more tolerance, forgiveness, and charity during Ramadan.

He said the perpetrators of the killing of soldiers in Delta State will face certain justice, warning that his administration will not tolerate attacks on the military and security infrastructure.

The President also affirmed that the military would continue to enjoy the support of his administration in neutralising security threats across the country.

“Our armed forces are working hard, and we will not allow attackers to undermine the integrity and value of our armed forces and its leadership.

“We will continue to encourage and fight for our sovereignty, our individual rights to exist, and we will succeed in banishing poverty from our land,’’ the President stated.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, thanked the President for hosting the lawmakers, noting that regular interactions would enhance understanding and productive governance.

“We bring you greetings from the 10th senate. We bring you assurances of continuous collaboration because we believe strongly that for us to have two brothers from the National Assembly as President and Vice-President, and even the Chief of Staff as our member, we have no option but to work with you, and to do everything possible for this administration to succeed,’’ said Akpabio.

Formerly dominated by men, the Nigerian banking industry is gradually being overtaken by female banking gurus as the number of women leading the major banks in the country has increased in recent years.

Nigeria currently has 25 major banks with the number of female bank chief executives  soaring from just one in 2019 to 10 in 2024, representing 36 per cent of Nigerian major banks’ chief executive officers.

Other women who presided as CEOs of banks include Bola Adesola, MD/ CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Limited, Nigeria, who in 2011 was appointed by the bank as the first Nigerian, and first female CEO of the bank. In 2012, Sola David-Borha was anointed as chief executive of Stanbic IBTC and served until 2017. 

The latest addition of Dame Adaora Umeoji as the group chief executive of Zenith Bank further extends the list, which has been on the rise since 2021. Besides the managing director of Unity Bank, Mrs. Tomi Somefun, who has stood tall in the midst of men since 2015, the banking industry rarely had female representation at the CEO level. At least 10 of the 26 commercial banks in the country are currently being led by women.

However, the list has consistently grown with the additions of Miriam Olusanya, Yemisi Edun, and  Halima Buba, among others.

Speaking on the development, MD/CEO of Arthur Steven Asset Management Limited, Olatunde Amolegbe, said the transition into an equal gender industry is a welcome development.

According to him, the female gender has proven themselves as support cast in the finance industry for a long time and it is time they take the reins eventually.

“My personal belief is that the natural trait of fairness, probity, and sense of responsibility will stand them in good stead to make a positive impact in the industry, as did their predecessors such as Mrs. Kuforiji-Olubi who led UBA sometimes in the 80s. I support this transition 100 percent,” he said.

On how women have been able to take their place in the male-dominated banking industry, Amolegbe said, “I would like to put it down to a coincidence of succession planning and, in some cases, possibly deliberate institutional policy to uplift and empower the fair gender. It could very well be that these two scenarios just happen to be playing out at about the same time.”

The vice president of Highcap Securities Limited, David Adnori, said, “Businesses are not bound by whether the head is male or female; they are bound by performance. All the female CEOs appointed are highly qualified and with experience in their field.”

He added that “we are having more women who are educated and occupying high places.” 

According to Adnori, while progress has been made in recent years, women still face numerous challenges and barriers to advancement in many industries. Employers have a crucial role to play in creating an environment that empowers and supports women to thrive professionally.

1 Miriam Olusanya, MD, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank)

Miriam Olusanya made history as the MD of Guaranty Trust Bank, becoming the first woman to ascend to this prestigious position in the bank on June 2021. Graduating with a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Ibadan and later acquiring a Master of Business Administration (MBA)  from the University of Liverpool, Olusanya’s academic prowess laid the foundation for her remarkable career. Joining GTB as an executive trainee in 1998, she steadily climbed the ranks, culminating in her recent appointment as managing director. Prior to assuming this pivotal role, she served as an executive director at the bank, showcasing her leadership acumen and strategic vision. Olusanya’s appointment marks a significant milestone for GTB, heralding a new era of diversity and excellence at the helm of one of Nigeria’s foremost financial institutions.

2. Yemisi Edun, MD, First City Monument Bank (FCMB)

Yemisi Edun was appointed MD in July 2021. She has a background in finance and extensive experience in the banking sector.

Edun has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and strategic vision in steering FCMB towards growth and innovation. Known for her commitment to excellence and integrity, she has played a pivotal role in positioning FCMB as a leading player in the Nigerian banking industry. Edun’s leadership has been marked by a focus on customer satisfaction, employee development, and community engagement, making her a respected figure in the Nigerian business community.

3. Halima Buba, MD/CEO, SunTrust Bank 

Halima Buba was appointed the MD/CEO of SunTrust Bank in January 2012. Halima Buba, a seasoned banker with over 22 years of cognate experience obtained from working in All Sstates Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, Inland Bank Plc, Oceanic Bank Plc, and Ecobank Nigeria Limited, is one of the few women to have attained that height as an MD in the industry.

Prior to her appointment to suntrust bank ltd as md/ceo, halima was a co-founder and former executive director in Taj Consortium, an organization of young dynamic technocrats and financial advisory experts.

She was also a member of the Board of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) as a non-executive director and a director on the Board of Adamawa Homes and Savings Ltd.

She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Business Management from the University of Maiduguri and an MBA from the same University.

4 Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, MD, Citibank Nigeria

Ireti Samuel-Ogbu was appointed in September 2020. It is the first time a woman has been appointed to the lender’s top post after 36 years of operating in Africa’s largest economy.

She had served as managing director of payments and receivables, treasury and trade solutions for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the lender’s office in London.

5 Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank

 Mrs Onyeali-Ikpe assumed the office on January 1, 2021

She has been an integral part of the transformation team at Fidelity Bank in the last six years. She was formerly executive director, Lagos and South West, overseeing the bank’s business in the six states that make up the South West region of the bank. She led the transformation of the directorate to profitability and sustained its impressive year-on-year growth, across key performance metrics, including contributing over 28% of the Bank’s PBT, deposits, and loans.

She is a consummate professional with over 30 years’ experience across various banks, including Standard Chartered Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, and Citizens International Bank Limited.

6. Tomi Somefun, MD, Unity Bank

Tomi Somefun was appointed as MD in August 2015.

 She obtained a B.Ed. in English Language in 1981 from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State, and is an alumna of Harvard Business School and the University of Columbia Business School, New York.

Somefun began her professional career with Peat Marwick and Co. and later moved to Arthur Andersen (now KPMG) before becoming an executive director at Unity Bank Plc.

7. Kafilat Araoye, Pioneer MD, Lotus Bank 

Kafilat Araoye was appointed MD since May 2021.

She holds a first degree in History from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (1985), and an M.Sc. in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management from the University of Lagos (1987), graduating as the best student in her class. She also holds Islamic Finance certifications issued by Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance, the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment/Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance, as well as the Islamic Research & Training Institute.

She has attended various executive management courses at the Cranfield School of Management (UK), Lagos Business School, Institute of Management Development (Switzerland), INSEAD (France), and Ross Business School, University of Michigan (USA). 

8. Bukola Smith, MD, FSDH Merchant Bank 

Bukola Smith heads FSDH Merchant Bank, leveraging her B.Sc. in Economics and an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School. 

Her expertise in investment banking fosters FSDH’s growth, while her mentorship supports aspiring female leaders in the finance sector. She became the MD of FSDH Merchant Bank in April 2021 and still serves in this capacity.

9. Yetunde Bolanle Oni, MD,  Union Bank

Yetunde Bolanle Oni recently assumed the role of MD/CEO of Union Bank in January 2024, marking a significant milestone in the bank’s leadership. With degrees in Economics and Business Administration, including executive training at Oxford University, her appointment is poised to shape Union Bank’s strategic direction.

10. Dr. Adaora Umeoji, GCEO, Zenith Bank

Dr. Adaora Umeoji’s appointment as group managing director/chief executive of Zenith Bank becomes effective June 1, 2024. Umeoji’s appointment makes her the first female to take up the position.

Before her appointment, Umeoji has been the deputy managing director of the bank since October 28, 2016, and has close to 30 years of cognate banking experience, of which 26 years have been with Zenith Bank.

Umeoji is an alumna of the prestigious Harvard Business School where she attended the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) and an alumna of Columbia Business School with a Certificate in the Global Banking Programme.

 She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Jos, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, and a First-Class honours in Law from Baze University, Abuja. She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar, and a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.

She also attended the executive programme in Strategic Management, and has a Certificate in Leading Global Business, all from Harvard Business School, USA.

Analysts said the increasing presence of female MDs within Nigerian banks highlights the acknowledgment of women’s capabilities and their significant role in driving the country’s economic progress. This trend, according to them, signifies a progressive movement towards gender equality and inclusivity in corporate governance, marking a departure from conventional patriarchal norms towards a more balanced and diverse leadership landscape.

For six days, hundreds of women and children from Okuama community, Ewu Kingdom, in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, who fled their homes in fear of their lives as Nigerian Army troops began demolishing the community following the killing of 16 soldiers last Friday, have been stranded in the forests without food.

This is even as a young man from one of the warring communities, suspected to be a militant, dared the Federal Government to declare him wanted in a viral video yesterday, saying the soldiers were killed because they allowed commanding persons to use them to oppress the people of Okuama.

At the coastal town of Igbomotoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, the siege imposed by troops on the manhunt for a militant leader suspected to have masterminded the killings is pushing the community towards starvation. It could trigger a humanitarian crisis if it persisted.

Some days ago, the Okuama women cried out that they fled into the forests when soldiers allegedly opened fire on the villagers in the town hall after the community refused their attempt to take away the community leaders.

As of yesterday, Okuama is out of bounds as only the military could enter in and out of the town. The place is deserted, the state governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori confirmed he could not visit the place because of the situation.

Vanguard learned that the neighboring communities to the abandoned Okuama refused to accept the fleeing residents as refugees in their homelands because of the persecution by soldiers, who come around searching for the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Because of how they escaped into the forests, the women could not take food items with them, and they could not return to the community either, as soldiers had taken over the town.

One indigene of a bordering community in the Ewu Kingdom said the situation of the victims of the military onslaught on culprits of the Okuama killings was pitiable.

“Hunger is taking a toll on them, especially the children they are carrying. This is a humanitarian crisis, and the government has to open a refugee camp for these people and provide them with food.

“Soldiers molest innocent people in neighboring communities of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area. As I am speaking with you, soldiers are still in the Orere community in the Ewu kingdom, molesting innocent people in the search for perpetrators.

“The fact is that neighboring communities of Okuama in the Ewu Kingdom are not receiving fleeing indigenes of Okuama, who are mostly women and children, for fear of harassment and molestation by the military.

“As we speak, neighboring communities are living in fear because the military has set up drones watching over all communities”.

A resident of the Orere community said that people in neighboring communities have had sleepless nights over the presence of soldiers in their domains.

“We are having sleepless nights over what happened at Okuama because the military is after the perpetrators fleeing from the scene of the incident. To be candid, nobody is happy over what happened to the soldiers at Okuama.

“But, the issue has degenerated, and we are all affected. They would come to your community, brutalizing innocent people over their onslaught of fleeing perpetrators.

“I want to use this medium to call on the federal government to consider setting up refugee camps for women and children displaced from the Okuama community, which nobody wants to accommodate because of the fear of the rampaging soldiers in neighboring communities.

“This is a clarion call on the Federal Government to save these victims. The government should set up Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps to accommodate these vulnerable victims so they can be identified and avoid the harassment of neighboring communities.

“I want to conclude by saying that nobody supports the killing of soldiers at Okuama, and the federal government should do something to save these innocent victims”.

Some concerned indigenes of Igbomotuoru, who spoke to Vanguard, called on the relevant authorities to prevail on the troops to relax restrictions on free movement in and out of the community to allow the people to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Igbomotoru has been under military lockdown since last Sunday by troops in pursuit of militants allegedly behind the killing of some soldiers in Okuama, Ughelli South local government area of Delta State.

Many lives were reportedly lost during the Sunday morning invasion of Igbomotoru, with houses used by the militants razed.

According to local sources, the usually lively community is now a show of its old self; shops are shut down, and many of the natives who fled their homes are still taking refuge in the forest, while some relocated to other communities before the present lockdown in the area.

People cannot come into the community with goods and foodstuffs, and those trapped cannot leave the area.

It was, however, learned that the few persons in the community, especially the old, who could not run away are being denied access to their farms and fishing traps, a development informed sources said could trigger famine, as the people are facing hunger caused by restriction in movement.

Many are disturbed that five days after the invasion, no government official has visited the area to sympathize with the people or send relief materials to ameliorate their sufferings.

Access to food and water in the area is diminishing due to the military blockade, a source lamented, noting that the people may be compelled to source water from the polluted river.

“If two sachets of water are being sold for N50 in Yenagoa, you can imagine what it will cost at Igbomotoru where people are not allowed in and out. You can imagine what the local people are going through,” our source added.

A man who abandoned his wife in the village and escaped with two kids told our correspondent from his hideout that he trekked all through the day and night backing one of his kids and carrying the other on his shoulder through the forest to neighboring Tebideba, but that they were denied stay by the people for fear that soldiers may also invade their community.

“I trekked for one and half days through the thick of the forest, running away from the invading soldiers with one child strapped on my back and another lifted on my shoulder. I left my wife behind in that moment of confusion.

“When we got to Tebideba, I thought relief had come, but we were denied a stay by the people who said they did not want to have an issue with the military. Understating their fear, given the tense situation in the area, we had to return to the forest and continue our search for succor until we saw somebody paddling a canoe and pleading for assistance.

“The Good Samaritan paddled us to the boundary with the Sangana community, and there we got another lift through a local canoe to Sangana, from where we boarded a boat and left. You can imagine carrying two kids for one and a half days trekking through the thick forest, using the sun as a guide.

“It was just by the grace of God that we escaped. My worry now is about my wife, particularly, as I have been unable to reach her on the phone since I fled the town.”

Lamenting the plight of the people, an environmentalist, Alagoa Morris, who is also from the Southern Ijaw local government area, urged the authorities to protect the law-abiding people of the community, saying, “With the restriction in Igbomotoru, a situation where nobody is allowed to go about, our people’s traditional means of livelihood – ‘fishing and farming’ the people may die of hunger, if not by a bullet.”

“The federal and state authorities should step in and save the lives of law-abiding Nigerians in the community. Even in the ongoing war in Gaza, humanitarian workers are going in with drugs, food, and water, while criminals should pay for their crimes. The innocent citizens should enjoy the protection of the law.”

Also, a community leader and former councilor who represented Igbomotoru in the Southern Ijaw legislative council, Hon Ayebatari Easterday, said: “Although I am not at Igbomotoru, whatever information I am giving is not an eyewitness account of what has befallen my people but I have people who give me a report on daily basis.”

“I have been their representative as a councilor; they have confidence in me; they send the daily occurrence of the invasion of the community by armed soldiers. As of this morning, nobody living in the community can travel out, and nobody outside can also travel to the community.

“When I got the first report, I intended to go home and see how my people can be saved and how I can counsel them on ways of relating with the government, and particularly the security agencies. Several lives have been lost, but my appeal to everybody is to remain calm.

“As of yesterday, I talked to some government functionaries, and they said the government is on top of the matter to see how peace can return. Several people cannot be accounted for, and many people who ran into the forest are yet to be seen.

“They could have died of hunger in the forest. The children with no parents to cater to them may also die of starvation in the community.

“Our mothers are now helpless in the community and cannot go to their farms, and you know the source of livelihood in our communities is fishing and farming. They do not even have access to food anymore.

“Those who have shops cannot open not to talk of people coming to buy. When you cannot go fishing and farming- the only source of money to buy food to feed the family, these are some of the predicaments my people are passing through.

“The soldiers could have acted out provocation, but the beginning of every action determines the end. They should put their legs in the shoes of the community. Some of the victims are people who committed no offense.

“My candid appeal to the government headed by Senator Douye Diri and assisted by his capable deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo is to ensure that relief materials are timely sent to the people.

“These our brothers and sisters have no food to eat and water to drink, and you know that we live in an environment where the water is so polluted that they do not drink from it.

“These people have been helpless and could be forced to drink from the polluted river where they defecate, where the polluted oil flows, and also there could be another incident of unhealthy living for the people of the area.”

In the viral video, the militant claimed that Okuama and Okoloba communities were having a land dispute but some Ijaw people empowered by the federal government used the army to escort and carry out their crude oil business but decided to betray their brothers.

He disclosed they used soldiers to ‘carry’ three people and slaughtered them, adding, “The day the soldiers were killed, they came to carry our community leaders, and the youth knew that once the community leaders were captured, they would be powerless.”

From his explanation, they killed the soldiers to stop them from taking away the community leaders and making the youths ineffective.

“That is why the action took place – some people said the soldiers came for peacekeeping. Point of correction – no army came for peacekeeping. They are fighting in support of somebody (names withheld) who ordered them to do so.

“This is my last video; my father is a retired army captain; he died last year, and I have lost over six of my friends and relatives in Nigeria.

“So if you like, take the matter to the next level. If they like, let the Federal Government declare me wanted, I am proud of it. You people are saying show my face; if I show my face, what will you do to me.”

Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has made an accusation against the Nigerian military.

He accused the military of being ‘very hard’ on bandits in the northern part of the country.

Gumi said both the Army and Air Force have launched ground and air strikes that have killed the bandits’ families.

He spoke on Wednesday while fielding questions during an X Space titled, ‘When will there be an end to Nigeria’s recurring abductions?’, organised by Daily Trust.

Gumi insisted that it is only a non-kinetic approach that can halt the activities of bandits in the North.

“To them (military) they are fighting a war. Honestly, the military has been very hard on them, the Air Force is killing their families,” Gumi said.

He said, “To them (military) they are fighting a war. Honestly, the military has been very hard on them, the Air Force is killing their families.

“When you think of synergy, you can’t rule out the military, but there has to be synergy. Let the non-kinetic approach be in the front. When it fails, then the kinetic can come in.

“And in fact, it will come in a better position because the non-kinetic approach will give access to have a better intelligence, better knowledge and with that kind of intensive engagement in negotiation.”

Gospel singer Theophilus Sunday has once again taken netizens by surprise as it is revealed that he is legally married to his Jamaican partner, Ashlee White.

Recall that the music minister trended on social media a few days ago after it was discovered that he is engaged to be married to Ashlee, a US-based realtor.

Many expressed surprise by the news as they never suspected that he had a woman in his life, while others acknowledged that they expected him to get married at some point.

Well, while netizens are still reeling over news of his engagement, it has been announced that he and his partner are already legally married. They quietly got married in Abuja in January 2024.

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Popular filmmaker and clergyman, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye has told husbands the right step they should take if their wives are not submissive.

He spoke in a lengthy post on his Instagram page.

According to him, when a woman chooses to be arrogant, proud, and unsubmissive to her husband, she has broken the commandment of the Lord, which demands her to respect her husband and be submissive to him.

He stated that there is no way a woman who lives in perpetual disobedience to the laws of God can make heaven no matter how spiritual she may look before people.

He urged men to keep holding on to the Lord, noting that he has seen women becoming completely transformed and highly submissive to the man and becoming helpful in his ministry.

He added that he has seen such a woman becoming a royal gem in the hand of her husband, after a long time of struggles in a contentious marriage.

He further admonished the men to keep praying for their wives, loving them, and keep playing their own spiritual roles of a Godly man.

Bamiloye said: “When a woman chooses to be arrogant, proud, and unsubmissive to her husband, she has broken the commandment of the Lord, which demanded from her to respect her husband and be submissive to him, as the Head, just as the Church does to Christ.

“When a woman chooses to punish a man by denying him access to her body, when the Bible says a wife should not do so in I Corinthians 7, she has broken the Commandment of the Lord and sinned against God.

“When a woman is trying to be the head of the home when God says it is the spiritual role of the man, but trying to take over the control of the home, demanding that whatever she says must be done, turning the husband into a puppet; such woman has flagrantly discarded the law of the Most High God by disrespecting and dishonouring her husband.

“Now, when a woman lives like this, be on the Lord’s side. Such is definitely working for the devil, no matter how dedicated she may be to the service of the Lord. Even some Pastors’ wives are in this category. They believe their husbands are hooked and caged; they believe the man would never do anything to tarnish the name of the Lord or allow any scandal to their long-term ministry, SO HE DARE NOT CRY OUT, therefore, they maltreat the men at home and call the shot at home while the man calls the shot in the church. Some ministers of God are crying inside their hearts while they smile at their church congregations.

“There is no way a woman who lives in perpetual disobedience to the laws of god can make heaven, however spiritual she may look before people.

“What is my last word to the men who are in the cage of contentious women, keep holding on to the Lord. I have seen such women becoming completely transformed and highly submissive to the man and becoming helpful in his ministry. I have seen such woman becoming a royal gem in the hand of her husband, after a long time of struggles in a contentious marriage. God can do it. Let the woman become your prayer point. Keep loving her. Keep playing your own spiritual roles of a Godly man: love her, cherish and honour her, and keep praying for her. So that you don’t lose your soul. May the Lord heal such a marriage.”

A former Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mike Ejiofor has called for a full investigation into the killing of 17 military personnel in Okuama, Delta state.

He said an objective inquiry will incriminate some very important personalities.

Making the demands during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Thursday, Ejiofor wondered why a lieutenant colonel, two majors, one captain and 13 other military personnel would be deployed to settle a land dispute.

The former Director urged the Federal Government to set up a “high-powered, independent investigation” to explain the reasons behind the deployment of 17 military personnel including the Commanding Officer of the 181 Amphibious Battalion on a peace-keeping mission to the communities engaged in a land dispute.

“The federal or state government should set up this or harmonise: the state government brings representatives, the federal government brings representatives to form a very high-powered, independent investigation that will come up with an objective report of what happened because as it is now, people are scampering, some people that might be indicted in this investigation, because a lieutenant colonel, two majors cannot on their own just move out on a peace-keeping mission in a community.

“There is so much to this incident that must be found out.

“The military is a party interested; they cannot undertake such an investigation.

“By now, the Federal Government or the state government must have set up an investigative panel to look into this matter because time is running out.

”We need to get to the root of this matter to know what really happened,” he said.

Ejiofor added that for future operations, the military should involve the Police and DSS operatives in such civilian assignments.

He said, “If there is a peacekeeping, two parties must be involved; people from the two communities must be involved and a neutral ground will be taken, possibly the local government headquarters, if you are talking of peace initiative."

Popular Kannywood actress, Amal Umar, has been arraigned before a Magistrate Court No. 24 in Gyadi-Gyadi area of Kano metropolis.

The actress was accused of attempted bribery involving the sum of N250,000 offered to a police officer identified as ASP Salisu Bujama of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Zone 1 headquarters in Kano State.

According to the prosecutor, the alleged bribe was aimed at halting Police investigation into alleged financial misappropriation perpetrated by the actress’ boyfriend, identified as Ramadan Inuwa.

The saga unfolded when a complaint was filed by one Alhaji Yusuf Adamu through his lawyer, H.I. Dederi, to the Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Umar Mohd Sanda, on August 18, 2022, detailing how Ramadan Inuwa allegedly misappropriated a substantial amount of money, totalling N40million, in his cell phone business

The petition led to a subsequent police investigation, which revealed that N13million was transferred to the Kannywood actress Amal Umar’s bank account by Inuwa.

According to the spokesperson for the Nigerian Police Force, Zone 1, Kano, CSP Bashir Muhammed, the actress was consequently summoned for questioning and was thereafter granted bail, but was not allowed to leave in a car allegedly purchased by her boyfriend.

The actress confessed that the money in her bank account belonged to her boyfriend, though she claimed that he only transferred N8million to her

Following her bail, Amal Umar sought legal redress by approaching the High Court of Kano State to halt further police investigations against her.

The court’s decision temporarily restrained the police from pursuing the investigation against the actress, a development that allegedly provided an opportunity for Amal to attempt to bribe the Police investigator, ASP Salisu Bujama.

The attempt was thwarted by the Police, who arrested the actress with evidence of the alleged bribery, leading to her subsequent arraignment before the Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The offence allegedly committed by the Kannywood actress violates Section 118 of the Penal Code, which prohibits the bribery of a police officer

The Federal Government has commissioned the Mines Marshals, a paramilitary squad to curb the menace of illegal mining in the country.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, launched the Marshals at an event in Abuja on Thursday.

Alake said the squad was formed from a unit of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

The minister added that the unit would also curb the smuggling of solid minerals from the country to foreign nations.

Recall that the minister said on Tuesday that no mining license would be issued to prospective investors without requisite plans for value addition on minerals.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, Alake said the federal government had resolved to ensure compliance before permitting investors to operate.

He said that his Seven-Point Agenda for the ministry had placed the mining sector on global front burner since assuming office, which had generated renewed interest from the international community in Nigeria’s mineral resources.

He said the support of the executive and the legislature had enabled the ministry to showcase the solid minerals sector globally, resulting in his election as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to him, with the pact that led to the formation of the AMSG, there is now unity of purpose on the African continent regarding the issue of local value addition.

He said: “We are no longer going to allow anybody or license any company that wants to go into the mineral sector without giving us a plan for local value addition, like processing, refining and this has a multiplier effect on the economy.

“It instantly generates employment rather than a few people carting away lithium, gold, and the likes to other countries to sell.

“These minerals must now be processed in Nigeria, creating more value and beneficiation for local communities where they are sourced.”

Foreign airlines operating in the country have criticized the announcement made by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) stating that it has cleared all outstanding backlog of valid foreign exchange claims.

Daily Post reported on Wednesday that the CBN said it has cleared the balance of $7 million pending valid forex backlog.

Also, in January this year, the apex bank disclosed that it had concluded the payment of all verified claims by foreign airlines with the payment of an additional $64.44 million to concerned airlines.

However, the President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, AFARN, Kingsley Nwokoma, in an interview with Leadership on Thursday stated that about $700 million belonging to foreign airlines was still trapped in the country.

He challenged the CBN to show evidence of payment, if it truly cleared the backlog of FX belonging to the foreign airlines.

“This statement is just like the same thing they said the last time.

“If they say they cleared all forex backlog, and which include the foreign airlines’ backlog, it’s easy, it’s just for them to show everyone evidence to see that the foreign airlines backlog has been paid.

“However, it’s still the same amount they paid.

“They paid twice and we all know that the foreign airlines are complaining that they are still being owed over $700 million.

“If they say they have cleared it, then they should be transparent because transparency means showing how much they have paid to each sector, they should let us know,” Nwokoma stated.