CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Lagos State Command, has described how men from the command turned down a N500,000 bribe allegedly offered by suspected cultists.

This was stated in a press release titled, “Armed Robbery Suspect, Cultist Nabbed; Arms, Ammunition Recovered.”

An anti-crime patrol team from Area ‘J’ Command, Elemoro, arrested an armed robbery suspect and a suspected cultist with a locally made double barrel gun and three cartridges, according to the PPRO.

“The armed robbery suspect, Alabi Timothy ‘m’, 23, of 9, Baale Street, Majek, Ajah, was arrested at General Paint, Garden area, Lekki, at about 0030hrs on 4/9/2021 during a routine stop and search by the police.

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“The suspect was found with a locally made double barrel gun and two live cartridges, including an expended cartridge hidden in a bag.

“Similarly, on the 4th of September, 2021, a self-confessed cultist, Badmus Toheed (male), 22, of the Aye Confraternity, was arrested with a live cartridge in the General Paint ghetto area of Ajah at about 0045hrs. In June of 2021, the suspect confessed to being initiated into the Aye Confraternity.”
“Two suspects have been arrested for offering bribes to the police in order to secure the release of the two suspects and pervert the course of justice,” Ajisebutu continued.
While Adariku Sunday ‘m’, 34, of 66, Henry Smith Close, Abidjan GRA, Ajah, offered a cash bribe of N400,000 to secure the release of the robbery suspect, Folorunso Akeem, (m), 43, offered a cash bribe of N100,000 to secure the release of the suspected cultist.

“Determined to ensure justice through a thorough investigation, the case’s unyielding police officers turned down the bribe.

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“While praising the police officers’ professionalism and unwavering actions, Commissioner of Police (Hakeem Odumosu) cautions other officers to follow in the footsteps of the incorruptible ones.”

Odumosu directed that the case be transferred to the Command’s Tactical Team for further investigation and prosecution, according to Ajisebutu.

Mr. Edward Kallon, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, has strongly denounced the ongoing attacks on schools and kidnappings that have impacted hundreds of children across the country.

In a statement commemorating the 2021 International Day to Protect Education from Attack, Kallon stated that school attacks are a direct attack on the future generation, adding that it is traumatic for the children, undermines their individual dignity, and sometimes leads affected families to withdraw their children from school entirely.

He condemned the attacks and called on the federal and state governments to do more to protect schools and guarantee that teaching and learning are safe and conducive in all Nigerian institutions.

When teaching and learning are disturbed, the impact on human capital development is huge, according to the Resident Coordinator, because the recovery phase is always tortuous and longer than the duration of the initial disruption.

Nigeria, he believes, cannot afford to allow the ongoing attacks on schools to continue unabated. “Children have been traumatized; parents have been terrified; teachers and school administrators have been terrified; and school attacks are increasingly extending to locations where insurgencies are unknown. Nigeria’s collective future is jeopardized because of attacks on education. This has to come to an end right now.”

He urged the government to assess progress in implementing the declaration’s safe school provisions and to fully implement commitments made in 2019 by taking decisive measures to protect education and allow “our wonderful nation’s youth the chance to achieve their promise.”

Kallon explained that the right to education was frequently violated, particularly in conflict-affected places where entire populations may be denied access to education.

“With over 10 million children already out of school, violence has exacerbated the situation and had a significant impact on education and the future of many young people, particularly the most vulnerable,” he continued. In Nigeria, it is believed that 1.3 million children were affected by school attacks or abductions during the previous academic year.”

According to the statement, over 600,000 children are still out of school in the north-east region, with 1.1 million need educational assistance to stay in school. All of this has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic’s setbacks.

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“UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has been working hard to expand the availability of classrooms and teachers in Nigeria’s most conflict-affected regions,” according to the statement. In addition, the Agency has been assisting the Nigerian government in implementing the Safe Schools Declaration, which was ratified in 2019. According to UNESCO, there have been 13,400 instances of assaults on educational facilities globally in the last five years, with more than 22,000 students and instructors injured or killed.

“The International Day to Protect Education from Attack aims to raise awareness of the plight of children growing up without access to education in conflict-affected countries. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes education as a fundamental human right. It is a critical factor in promoting peace, building just societies, and encouraging long-term development.”

On Wednesday, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, praised Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for signing the state’s anti-open grazing bill into law.

Governor Ugwuanyi signed the bill into law on Tuesday at Government House in Enugu, according to reports.

The Enugu State House of Assembly recently passed a bill prohibiting open grazing, regulating cattle ranching, and for other related purposes.

The President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, described Gov. Ugwuanyi as a shining example in a statement made available to journalists.

“We have always said that governance is not about making noise, but it is a lot about action,” Okwu said. Governor Ugwuanyi is a man who does a lot for the people but says little in the media.

“While governors are squabbling over open grazing, he has once again demonstrated that he is a man of the people. He has engraved his name in gold, and history will remember him for it.

“When it mattered most, he put politics aside and stood up in defense of Enugu people’s lives and property. In Igboland, he is now a mirror, a shining light.

“We, the millions of Igbo youths, salute his extraordinary bravery and pledge our unwavering support. He must remain unwavering in his commitment to the safety of our people. He has proven to be a man we can put our trust in when it comes to power at any level.”
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The OYC, on the other hand, was dissatisfied with other states in the zone, accusing them of only paying lip service to the open-grazing ban.

Since the Southern Governors announced a total ban on open cattle rearing, no other state in the South-East has passed the anti-open grazing bill into law, with the exception of Enugu.

“This is unacceptable, and we have previously stated that if anything bad happens to any Igbo community, the governors will be held responsible. They cannot put our people’s lives on the altar of politics,” Okwu warned.

He urged the Southern Governors, who will meet in Enugu on Thursday, to persuade all of their members to support the ban.

He went on to say, “We heartily welcome them to Enugu, a very peaceful State, and urge them to ensure that the resolutions they make during these meetings are implemented by all member states.”