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NDLEA seizes 6 vehicles, 40ft trailer load skunk in Abuja
A 40ft trailer load of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,217.6 kilograms has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, while being distributed into six vehicles at an abandoned fuel station in Kagini, Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja for onward distribution to some Northern states. The intelligence-led operation, which took place at 1:20am on Saturday 11th January 2025 led to the seizure of not only the large illicit consignment but also the trailer and the six vehicles: Toyota Van, Toyota Camry car, Toyota Sienna bus, JAC 4-wheel-drive Hilux truck, Toyota Corolla car and a Vento Passat car as well as the arrest of a suspect: 42-year-old Isaac Monday Desmond. The consignment was loaded into the trailer at Uzebba in Owan local council area of Edo State. In another raid in the FCT, two suspects: Anthony Nnamdi, 42, and Abba Ali, 27, were arrested by NDLEA officers at Nyanya, where a combined 1.398kg cocaine and a precursor substance used in preparing crack cocaine were recovered from them. No fewer than 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330grams have been recovered from a cargo going to Australia at a logistics firm in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in NDLEA. The cocaine parcels were concealed around the body of face cream containers in the shipment. A total of Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred (338,200) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth more than One Billion One Hundred and Ninety Million One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred Naira (N1,190,168,200.00) in street value, were intercepted in two containers watch-listed by the Agency following processed intelligence. The illicit consignments were discovered during joint examination of the containers by NDLEA operatives, Customs and other security agencies on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th January 2025 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state. In Lagos, the traditional chief priest of the Igunuko shrine, Alpha beach Ajah Lekki where 2,760kg skunk was recovered on 25th October 2024, Bariu Aliu (alias Malo) has been arrested by NDLEA operatives after over three months of manhunt for him. Though two of his accomplices were earlier arrested at the shrine last year and had since been charged and convicted in court, Bariu was said to be the leader of the syndicate. A suspect, Habibu Ya’u, 23, was nabbed by NDLEA officers who raided Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria road, Kano on Thursday 9th January where they recovered 45 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.2kg; and 40,800 pills of opioids including tramadol from him. With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Ijaye Housing Estate Junior Secondary School, Lagos state; surrendered Boko Haram members at Hajj camp, Maiduguri, Borno state; Muslim faithful during their Juma’at prayer at Kamba Central Mosque, Kebbi state, while Kano state Command paid a WADA advocacy visit to the District Head of Danbatta, Dr. Mansur Mukhtar, among others. While commending the officers and men of DOGI, FCT, PHPC, Lagos, and Kano Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
SERAP sues Tinubu, governors over misuse of Cybercrimes Act
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the government of President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria’s 36 governors over “the repressive use of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 to criminalize legitimate expression and violate the human rights of Nigerians, including activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users.” The ECOWAS Court had in its judgment dated 25 March, 2022 “ordered Nigerian authorities to stop using section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2015 to prosecute anyone on the grounds of insulting or stalking public officials online.” The Court declared section 24 as “arbitrary, vague and repressive” and ordered Nigerian authorities “to repeal it in conformity with the country’s human rights obligations.” But while the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024 has repealed section 24, it has not cured the arbitrary, vague and repressive nature of the provisions. In the suit no: ECW/CCJ/APP/03/2025filed last week before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, SERAP is challenging “the legality and compatibility of the provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024 with the rights to freedom of expression and information.” SERAP said, “The provisions of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 have opened the door to criminalizing legitimate expression and punishing activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users.” According to SERAP, “What constitutes ‘causing a breakdown of law and order’ in section 24(1)(b) of the amended legislation is unclear and undefined, threatening to punish peaceful and legitimate expression and opening the provisions up to abuse.” SERAP also said, “Rather than using the amended legislation to make cyberspace and its users safer, Nigerian authorities are routinely weaponizing it to curb Nigerians’ human rights and media freedom.” SERAP is arguing that, “The Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024, in addition to its arbitrary, vague and repressive section 24 provisions, broadly defines ‘cyberstalking’ in section 58 as ‘a course of conduct, directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.’” SERAP is also arguing that, “The provisions of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 represents a harshly punitive attempt to address the problems relating to stalking and harassment and fails to provide sufficient safeguards against misuse, particularly for peaceful and legitimate exercise of human rights.” SERAP is arguing that, “The use of section 24 of the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024 to harass those who are deemed critical of the government directly threatens the staff, members and supporters of SERAP, particularly given the nature of the organization’s advocacy for human rights.” The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Mrs Adelanke Aremo and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part: “The amended legislation is abused to threaten and stifle people’s human rights and livelihoods. “The vague, arbitrary, and repressive provisions on ‘cyberstalking’ in section 24 of the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024 are routinely abused to suppress factual reports by activists, journalists, bloggers and social media users, thereby leaving a chilling effect on human rights and media freedom. “Nigerian authorities not only have a negative obligation to abstain from unduly interfering with human rights and media freedom but also have a positive obligation to facilitate and protect these rights. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and full enjoyment of this right is central to achieving individual freedom and to developing democracy. It is not only the cornerstone of democracy, but indispensable to a thriving civil society. “Whether labelled as cyberstalking, criminal defamation, seditious libel of government officials or false news, the provisions of section 24 of the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024 disproportionately penalize the accused and inevitably limits protected public discussion and debate on matters of legitimate public concern. “The ECOWAS Court had on 25 March 2022 ruled that section 24 of the Cybercrime Act 2015 is arbitrary, vague and repressive and therefore, is in contravention of Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. “The Court also ordered the Federal Republic of Nigeria to amend Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 in accordance with its obligations under Article 1 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. “The National Assembly amended section 24 and other provisions of the Cybercrime 2015 in 2024 but the new Cybercrime (Amendment) Act, 2024 still criminalizes ‘cyberstalking’. The provisions remain vague, arbitrary, and frequently misused by Nigerian authorities to crackdown on human rights. “Since the amendment of the Cybercrime Act in 2024, Nigerian authorities at all levels have consistently used the provisions of the Cybercrime Act to harass, intimidate, arbitrarily arrest and detain and unfairly prosecute users of social media, activists, journalists, and bloggers solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights. “Stories published online have been deemed ‘offensive’, ‘obstructive’, ‘insulting’ or ‘annoying’ with actionable consequences under provisions of section 24 of the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024 even when the stories are true and factual. “According to the 2023 and 2024 Freedom House Reports on Nigeria, internet freedom of expression declined due to an unprecedented pattern of arbitrary arrests and detention of bloggers after the enactment of the Cybercrime (Amendment) Act 2024. “There are several reports on the recent abusive use of the arbitrary, vague and repressive provisions of section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024. “For example, the police filed ‘cybercrime charges’ against activist Dele Farotimi under the arbitrary, vague and repressive provisions of the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024. “Journalist Agba Jalingo of the Cross River Watch Newspaper was charged with ‘cyberstalking’ over a report that a relative of a former governor of Cross River State had engaged someone to sit for law exams on her behalf. “Chioma Okoli was arrested following her comment on Facebook complaining about the sugar content of Nagiko tomato mix. Funke Adeoye was also reportedly summoned by the police for alleged cyberbullying due to a statement she shared on her X account. “The Nigeria police also reportedly re-arraigned four bloggers on fresh charges of alleged cyberstalking. The police also arrested ‘a famous singer’ for alleged cyberstalking…
EFCC arrests Four Chinese, 101 Others for suspected internet fraud in Abuja
In its ongoing efforts to clean the nation of internet fraud and other acts of corruption, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested four Chinese and 101 Nigerians in a business apartment in the Gudu axis of Abuja. They were arrested on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The suspects, comprising 67 males (including four Chinese) and 38 females were allegedly involved in a hotel review job scam targeting victims and hotels in Europe and other parts of the world. The suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigations.
AGF embarks on aggresive revenue drives to improve personnel cost funding
The Accountant General of the Federation Dr. Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein has expressed it’s willingness to tackle the shortfall of revenue confronting the nation ‘s economy by the introduction of Aggressive Revenue drives which has resulted in the improved funding of the personnel Cost , Overhead and Capital in 2024. Madein stated this while playing host with Federal House of Representatives Committee on Public Account in her office Abuja during their oversight visit to the Treasury House on 8th January 2024. She revealed that since her resumption in May 2023, the FGN Consolidated Financial Statement has been prepared and audited up to 31st December 2019, “In collaboration with the Auditor-General of the Federation, we have prepared and Audited 2020/ 2021 CFS while 2022 is ongoing.” “It would have been completed but for problems we have regarding the reconciliation of Bank Statement for the Consolidated Revenue Fund with the Central Bank of Nigeria,” she added. The AGF revealed that OAGF has proposed some enhancements to GIFMIS and IPPIS that will be more robust with the support and cooperation of National Assembly. In his response, the House Committee Chairman on Public Accounts Hon. Bamidele Salam has urged the AGF to submit the 2022 Consolidated Financial Statement of the Federation as provided in the 1999 Constitution. Salam stated that from the submission of Accountant General of the Federation on the low revenue remittance by many Government-Owned Enterprises suggested that there was a need to stricker measures to block revenue leakages through automation of processes and regular audit.
Gov. Sanwo-Olu signs N3.366trn budget into law
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday signed the 2025 Appropriation Bill tagged “Budget of Sustainability.” Sanwo-Olu signed the budget, which is N3.366 trillion, at the Lagos House, Ikeja, during a ceremony attended by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hazmat; Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Barr (Mrs.) Bimbola Salu-Hudeyin; members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, led by the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh; and members of the State Executive Council, among others. Speaking after signing of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the budget was structured around five key pillars, which are Infrastructure Sustainability; Economic Diversification; Social Inclusion and Human Capital Development; Environmental Sustainability; and Governance and Institutional Reforms. The Governor urged Lagos residents to join hands with his administration as it deploys resources in line with the provisions of the budget. He said, “It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I perform this task of signing the budget into law. This is the second of four budgets that I will have the honour of assenting to during my second term, and it represents another opportunity to advance our vision of a Greater Lagos for the benefit of all Lagosians and Nigeria at large. “As I noted during my budget presentation speech in November 2025, the Lagos State Budget is structured around five pillars: Infrastructure Sustainability; Economic Diversification; Social Inclusion and Human Capital Development; Environmental Sustainability; and Governance and Institutional Reforms. These five pillars fully capture our determination to build on the gains of the past and scale up impact for the future. “I would like to call for continued collaboration between the Executive, who will implement the budget, and the Legislature, who will provide the much-needed monitoring and oversight and ensure that we achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of our people with the limited resources available to us. “On our part as the Lagos State Government, we will also live up to the responsibility of delivering governance that is respectful of and responsive to the people at all times. I am charging the civil service and all other concerned stakeholders to once again deliver an impressive level of budget implementation in 2025.” Sanwo-Olu commended the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, the state lawmakers, unseen heroes, and everybody who participated from the preparation of the budget to the presentation, the passage, and the signing of the Appropriation Bill. Also speaking, the Chairman of the House of Assembly Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh, said the budget will focus on the development of Lagos State. He said, “I want to say categorically that the THEMES agenda in the first term of Mr. Governor and the THEMES+ agenda have been meticulously packaged, and Lagosians have been benefitting from the agenda of Mr. Governor. “We can see that Lagos is the first in almost everything that is done in this country. For the first term, our internal revenue service has crossed the N1 trillion mark in terms of IGR. That tells the dedication and purposefulness in your (Governor Sanwo-Olu) leadership, and I want to celebrate you. “I want to also celebrate your excellent relationship with the House of Assembly. The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has always been in the forefront of ensuring that whatever Mr. Governor wants the House to do, it is done, and we will continue to do that to ensure that Lagos moves forward. “This budget was meticulously looked through during the budget defence period. Everything we did, we did it together to ensure that we got to where we are. We have carefully looked into the Electricity Bill. We have looked into the issue of variation, and we have looked into so many things that are dear to the government. We celebrate you and appreciate what you have done in terms of road infrastructure, and we want to pray that you continue in this light.” Speaking earlier, the Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Ope George, said the budget is not only the largest in history but also positions Lagos as the first sub-national government in Nigeria to pass a budget of the magnitude. George said the 2025 budget reflects the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration unwavering commitment to economic growth, infrastructural development, and the welfare of all Lagosians. He said: “This historic budget underscores our commitment to prioritising infrastructure with 62 percent allocated to capital expenditure and 38 percent to recurrent spending. This allocation represents our focus on driving long-term investments while maintaining efficient delivery of essential services. “Our revenue framework, which projects N2.342 trillion from total Internally Generated Revenue and N626.137 billion from federal transfers, is anchored on innovation, accountability, and fiscal sustainability. A deficit financing of N398.662 billion has also been carefully structured to ensure financial prudence.” It would be recalled that the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday approved a budget of N3.366 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year, injecting an additional N360.88 billion into Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s initial proposal of N3.005 trillion. The budget allocates N1.3 trillion for recurrent expenditure and N2.07 trillion for capital projects, with the financial year ending on 31st December 2025.
Police arraign Stella Nwadigbo for indecent child treatment
The Lagos State Police Command has arraigned Stella Nwadigbo, aged 45, for indecent treatment and assault of a child. The suspect, who was arraigned in Magistrate Court 1, Ogba today, January 9, 2025, had been captured in a viral video indecently treating and assaulting a three-year-old pupil of a primary school in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. Following receipt of the video, the Family Support Unit (FSU) of Ikorodu Police Division promptly arrested the suspect on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 and transferred her to the Gender Unit of the Command Headquarters same day after preliminary investigations. The victim was taken to a medical facility for adequate medical attention. The suspect has since been remanded to Kirikiri Correctional facility till February 18, 2025 when the case comes up for continuation of hearing. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olanrewaju Ishola, psc(+), mnips, while commending Nigerians for promptly alerting the police to the situation, assures them of the ever-readiness of the Command to respond quickly and appropriately to situations towards ensuring the safety and security of resident and visitors to Lagos State.
Trump asks US court to halt sentencing in criminal case
Donald Trump has asked the US supreme court to pause criminal proceedings in his New York hush-money case, according to a filing released on Wednesday. This follows a New York appeals court denying his bid to halt sentencing on Friday in his hush-money case, Reuters reported, in which he became a felon last spring. The president-elect on Monday lost an attempt to put off his sentencing on Friday for his criminal conviction stemming from money paid to an adult film star to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump years ago. In a filing released on Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers asked the nation’s top court to immediately order a stay in the case, as he sought an appeal to resolve questions of presidential immunity following an earlier supreme court ruling. That appeal effort could reach the supreme court as well, his lawyers noted. They also urged the court to issue a temporary “administrative stay” while it considers the request for a broader pause, the filing said. Trump won another term in the White House and is set to take office on 20 January. He has who denied any wrongdoing but was convicted by a jury last May of a plot to influence the 2016 presidential election. The hush-money case made Trump the first US president, sitting or former, to be charged with a crime and also the first to be convicted. Since the verdict, his lawyers have made two unsuccessful attempts to have the case tossed.
Cybercrime: Nigeria Police recover N8bn
In the relentless efforts of the Nigeria Police Force to tackle every form of crime in all spheres, the Force has recorded an outstanding achievement for the year 2024 in retrospect, particularly in the area of combatting cybercrime. In the year 2024, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) successfully recovered a staggering N8,821,001,881.80 (Eight Billion, Eight Hundred and Twenty-One Million, One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-One Naira, Eighty Kobo), 115,237.91 USDT, and $84,000 (Eighty-Four Thousand Dollars). These significant amounts have been restituted to the victims of cybercrime, reaffirming the commitment of the Force to protecting citizens and ensuring justice for those affected by fraudulent activities. Similarly, in the past year, the Cybercrime Unit has actively engaged in strategic operations, resulting in the arrests and prosecutions of over 751 individuals involved in cybercrime. The unit has successfully recovered a total of 685 devices that were used in these nefarious activities, which include 467 mobile phones, 137 laptops and computers, 46 routers, 4 servers, 1 drone, and 4 Starlink devices. Additionally, the operations led to the confiscation of 16 houses, 39 plots of land, 14 land documents, and 26 vehicles, further dismantling the infrastructure supporting cybercriminal activities. In recognition of its outstanding performance and dedication, the NPF-NCCC has been awarded the title of the Best Cybercrime Unit in Africa for 2024 by the INTERPOL Cybercrime Directorate based in Singapore, securing the top position among 54 participating African countries. These achievements reflects the dedication of the Nigeria Police Force to fighting cybercrime and enhancing the safety of citizens in the digital space. In furtherance to efforts towards keeping the cyberspace safe, operatives of the NPF-NCCC have apprehended 4 suspects identified as Douglass Victor ‘m’, Egbo Efe Martins ‘m’, Lucky Adesunloye ‘m’, and Ndifreke Joseph Moody ‘m’, for various cyber-related offences. The Nigeria Police remains committed towards combating cyber threats, staying steps ahead of cybercriminals, thereby enhancing the nation’s overall cybersecurity framework and protecting the welfare of its citizens in the digital era. Citizens are advised to remain vigilant and exercise caution when sharing sensitive data or interacting with unfamiliar online entities, cultivating a culture of cyber awareness and promoting responsible online behavior are essential components in fortifying the defenses against cyber threats.