The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has reported significant decline in crime rates across Nigeria attributing the development to effective strategies deployed by the police force.
According to Egbetokun, major crimes have decreased substantially, with a notable drop from 734 in May to 416 in the last month.
Addressing Commissioners of Police in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun praised the dedication and passion of police personnel, stating that their commitment has led to remarkable results, contributing to the country’s internal security stability.
He said, “It is gratifying to note that the strategies deployed and duly executed by our officers and their undiluted passion and commitment have yielded significant results across the length and breadth of our nation. Undoubtedly, the results achieved by our men and officers within the past months have accentuated the stability of the internal security order of the country. This is clearly evident by the steady decline in crime rates over the past few months.
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“A review of the monthly major crimes returns table revealed a significantly positive outlook. A drop in the major crimes reported in the last month, which stood at 416, compared with 734 and 530 for May and June, respectively.”
The data reveals a steady decline in crime rates over the past few months, with a notable reduction in major crimes.
According to the police boss, the police have also achieved significant successes in combating criminal activities, resulting in the arrest of 1,284 suspects, recovery of 284 firearms, 6,702 ammunition rounds, 107 vehicles, and the rescue of 97 kidnapped victims.
Egbetokun’s remarks suggest a positive trend in the country’s crime landscape, but it remains to be seen if this downward trajectory will persist.
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IGP, Egbetokun, claims crime rate dropped as police strategies yield results
Ubah commends Tinubu for assenting to Southeast Development Commission Bill
The senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, has commended President Bola Tinubu for signing the Southeast Development Commission Bill into law.
Ubah in a press statement praised Tinubu for his commitment to addressing the challenges facing the development of the South East.
The statement, which was signed on Ubah’s behalf by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications, Mr Kamen Chuks Ogbonna, said the bill would foster rapid development and unity in the region.
He said: “The passage of this bill marks the culmination of the Southeast’s tireless efforts to establish a development commission that will address the region’s critical needs.
“The bill’s signing (into law) reverses the disappointment caused by former President Mohammad Buhari’s denial of assent, which had reinforced feelings of injustice and hindered APC’s progress in the region.
“He commended President Tinubu for paving the way for meaningful collaboration between the Southeast and the federal government, ensuring the region’s growth and prosperity.”
Ubah said the bill aimed to establish a commission responsible for managing funds allocated from the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damage suffered by the region due to the civil war.
He said the commission would also tackle ecological problems and related environmental or developmental challenges in Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi States.
Ubah commends Tinubu for assenting to Southeast Development Commission Bill
SDP dissolves Kogi working committee
The Social Democratic Party has dissolved the Kogi State working committee and appointed a caretaker committee to run the party’s affairs for the next 90 days.
The party announced the composition of the caretaker committee in a letter signed by the Chairman and National Secretary of the party, Ibrahim Gabam and Dr Olu Agunloye respectively addressed to the Independent Electoral Commission.
Members of the committee are, Chief Sam Ranti Abenemi Chairman; Alhaji Jimoh Mohammed -Secretary; Mrs Rabi Emaiku-member; Alhaji Abubakar Karmar-member; Alhaji Sheik Ibrahim Jubril-member and Mr Fehinti Dada-member.
The letter sighted by our correspondent in the early hours of Wednesday read, “This is to officially notify you that the national working committee of SDP has received and considered the report of the activities of the Kogi state working committee of the Social Democratic party, and has accordingly dissolved the state working committee in line with the 2022 Constitution of the party as amended.”
The statement added, “Consequently, the NWC has therefore approved the Constitution of a caretaker committee for the Kogi state.
“The tenure of the caretaker committee shall be 90 days or as may be deemed fit by the NWC. This appointment shall take immediate effect.
“The INEC chairman is hereby formally informed that the Kogi state working committee has been dissolved and replaced by a caretaker committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Sam Ranti Abenemi as per the provision of the SDP Constitution.”
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FG slashes stranded foreign scholars’ allowances
The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has announced a slash in allowances of foreign scholars who are currently stranded in Russia, Morocco, and Algeria, among others by 12.7%.
The ministry attributed the development to economic crises.
The According had earlier reported that Nigerian students studying in Russia, Morocco, Algeria, China, Hungary, and other countries, on the Federal Government’s scholarship lamented their unpaid stipends for eight months running.
The students are studying under the Federal Government’s Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship.
The BEA scholarship is for the purpose of education exchange between Nigeria and the partnering countries.
The Federal Scholarship Board is supervising the scholarship under the Federal Ministry of Education.
The government’s decision to slash the scholars’ allowances was contained in a memo signed by the Director of the Federal Scholarship Board, Ndajiwo H.A., on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
“After due consultations, the Federal Scholarship Board has come up with adjustments in line with budgetary provisions in the payment of BEA scholar’s supplementation allowances for the 2024 academic year,” the memo, dated July 23, 2024, and addressed to the scholars’ association, read.
According to the memo, the monthly allowances were slashed from $500 to $220; the graduation allowance from $2500 to $2000; and the PG research allowance was slashed from $1,000 to $500, among others.
The total for the payments initially paid was $5,650 per student but will now be $4,370
“The Scholars’ Association is hereby notified that due to the prevailing economic situation, the payment mandate for the BEA scholars’ allowances will be as per the new adjustment.
“The balances for the years 2023 and 2024 owed to scholars will be paid as soon as the funds are made available,” the ministry said.
Recently, the President of the Union of Nigerian Students under the Federal Government-controlled Bilateral Educational Agreement Scholarship, Ayuba Anas, said the scholars had not been paid for close to eight months.
Anas said, “For the past six to eight months, scholars enrolled in various institutions abroad have endured financial strain due to the delay in receiving their stipends.
“In addition, from the last payments we received (March-August), there was a shortfall of practically two and a half months’ payment. Moreover, some students in China have not received any stipends since they arrived in April and May 2023.“
Naira slumps again, trades N1,590/$1 at black market
The Nigerian currency, the naira, slumped again on the second day of trading this week against the American dollar on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
The domestic currency shed N48 to trade at N1,548/$1, data from the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) has shown.
This is against the rate of N1,500/$1 it traded on Monday July 22, 2024.
The intra-day high and low recorded during the day were N1,610/$1 and N1,470/$1 respectively, representing a lean spread of N140$1.
READ ALSO:Naira sheds N30 to trade N1,596/$1 at official window
The naira also slumped against the dollar at the parallel section of the FX market as the local currency shed N20 against the dollar to trade N1,590|$1, as against the rate of N1,570/$1 it traded the previous trading day.
The naira also shed N10 against the British Pound to trade at N2,060£1 as against the previous trading day’s rate of N2,050£1 representing a loss of N10 for the local currency.
The Canadian dollar continues to close flat against the naira to trade at N1,200| CA$1 same as the previous trading day rate of N1,200| CA$1.
The naira also lost N50 against the Euro to trade at ₦1,700/€1 as against the previous trading day’s rate of ₦1,650/€1.
By: Babajide Okeowo
The post Naira slumps again, trades N1,590/$1 at black market appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Come and invest in Gabon, President Nguema tells Dangote
The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has been invited by President Brice Nguema of Gabon to invest in cement and fertiliser production in the country.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the media office of Dangote Group, the billionaire was invited to explore investment opportunities in cement and fertiliser, at a time the Nigerian government is accusing him of plans to monopolise the oil sector in the country.
“President Brice Oligui Nguema of Gabon has invited the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Aliko Dangote, to invest in cement and fertiliser production in Gabon.
“The president urged Dangote to explore potential investment opportunities in the country’s cement and fertiliser sectors, specifically urea and phosphate production,” the Dangote Group stated
According to the statement, Dangote had talks with Nguema and other top government officials during the visit.
“The talks focused on how Dangote Industries could contribute to Gabon’s economic growth by establishing cement and fertiliser plants, which are vital for the country’s infrastructure development and agricultural productivity.
“President Nguema expressed enthusiasm about the potential partnership, highlighting Gabon’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for foreign investments.
“He noted that the collaboration with Dangote Industries would bring significant benefits, including job creation, technology transfer, and enhanced industrial capacity,” the statement added.
Dangote had underscored his company’s dedication to fostering economic development in the continent.
He emphasised that investing in Gabon’s cement and fertiliser sectors aligns with Dangote Industries’ strategic vision of expanding its footprint and supporting sustainable development across Africa.
We expressed excitement about the opportunity to invest in Gabon, saying the goal was to contribute to the country’s economic diversification and industrialisation efforts.
“By leveraging our expertise in cement and fertiliser production, we aim to support Gabon’s infrastructure and agricultural sectors,” the richest man in Africa noted.
Dangote Group said the visit signifies a significant step towards deepening economic ties between Nigeria and Gabon.
The company said as Dangote Industries continues to explore and finalise investment opportunities, both nations anticipate mutual benefits that would propel economic progress and regional integration.
The statement added, “The potential investment by Dangote Industries in Gabon is expected to bolster the country’s industrial landscape, ensuring a steady supply of essential materials for construction and agriculture.
“This development aligns with President Nguema’s vision of transforming Gabon into a diversified and self-sustaining economy.
“In the coming months, further discussions and assessments will be conducted to finalise the investment plans. The collaboration between Dangote Industries and the Gabonese government holds promise for a robust partnership that will significantly impact Gabon’s economic landscape.”
Recall that Dangote recently said the company would no longer invest in steel to avoid being tagged a monopolists.
This came after the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, that the diesel produced by the Dangote refinery had higher sulphur content than imported ones, a claim Dangote described as an attempt to demarket his refinery.
Ahmed also said the country would continue to import fuel to stop the Dangote monopoly.
Plane crashes on takeoff in Nepal with 19 aboard
A passenger plane carrying 19 people crashed during takeoff in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Wednesday morning, with fire crews working to douse the flaming wreckage.
The Saurya Airlines plane crashed at around 11:15 am (0530 GMT), Nepal’s military said in a statement.
“Rescue work is going on” with the army’s quick response team lending assistance, the statement added.
Further details were “still being confirmed”, Kathmandu airport general manager Jagannath Niroula told AFP.
The Kathmandu Post newspaper said 19 people including air crew were aboard the flight.
News portal Khabarhub reported that the airplane had caught fire after skidding on the runway and was “releasing a significant plume of smoke”.
The plane was en route to Pokhara, an important tourism hub in the Himalayan republic.
Saurya Airlines exclusively flies Bombardier CRJ 200 jets, according to its website.
Nepal’s air industry has boomed in recent years, carrying goods and people between hard-to-reach areas as well as foreign trekkers and climbers.
But it has been plagued by poor safety due to insufficient training and maintenance.
The European Union has banned all Nepali carriers from its airspace over safety concerns.
Nepal’s woeful record on aviation safety has been compounded by its treacherous geography.
The Himalayan country has some of the world’s trickiest runways to land on, flanked by snow-capped peaks with approaches that pose a challenge even for accomplished pilots.
The weather can also change quickly in the mountains, creating treacherous flying conditions.
Nepal’s last major commercial flight accident was in January 2023, when a Yeti Airlines service crashed while landing at Pokhara, killing all 72 aboard.
That accident was Nepal’s deadliest since 1992, when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane died when it crashed on approach to Kathmandu airport.
Earlier that year a Thai Airways aircraft had crashed near the same airport, killing 113 people.
Authorities have yet to release the identity of those aboard.
AFP
Hardship: We don’t support protest – Lagos students
Students of tertiary institutions in Lagos State have disclosed their stand on the planned nationwide protests expected to commence on August 1.
TVN reports that Nigerians, particularly youths, have vowed to stage mass protests across the country beginning from August 1 to August 10 to draw the attention of the government to the plight of citizens.
According to the organizers, the protesters are expected to converge at state government houses across the country and the National Assembly complex in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to express their anger over the hardship in Nigeria.
However, Mr Alimi Lekan-Idris, President, National Association of Lagos State Students, NULASS, said on Tuesday that the students will not join the protest.
Addressing journalists at a press conference held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital College of Medicine, Ikeja, Mr Alimi urged Nigerian youths to embrace dialogue.
He said, “It is crucial that we remember the importance of peace and stability and use dialogue to achieve our collective goals.
”Given these significant contributions and progress we have witnessed, we wish to state that we are not in support of any protest against the government of Lagos State”.
Hardship: We don’t support protest – Lagos students
UK blues icon John Mayall dies at 90
John Mayall, the British blues pioneer whose 1960s music collective the Bluesbreakers helped usher in a fertile period of rock and brought guitarists like Eric Clapton to prominence, has died at 90, his family said Tuesday.
Mayall, a singer and multi-instrumentalist who was dubbed “the godfather of British blues,” and whose open-door arrangement saw some of the greats in the genre hone their craft with him and his band, “passed away peacefully in his California home” on Monday, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page.
It did not state a cause of death.
“Health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally led to peace for one of this world’s greatest road warriors,” it said. “John Mayall gave us 90 years of tireless efforts to educate, inspire and entertain.”
Mayall’s influence on 1960s rock and beyond is enormous. Members of the Bluesbreakers eventually went on to join or form groups including Cream, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and many more.
At age 30, Mayall moved to London from northern England in 1963. Sensing revolution in the air, he gave up his profession as a graphic designer to embrace a career in blues, the musical style born in Black America.
He teamed up with a series of young guitarists including Clapton, Peter Green, later of Fleetwood Mac, and Mick Taylor who helped form the Rolling Stones.
In the Bluesbreakers’ debut album in 1966, “Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton,” John Mayall enthralled music aficionados with a melding of soulful rock and gutsy, guitar-driven American blues featuring covers of tunes by Robert Johnson, Otis Rush and Ray Charles.
The blues music he was playing in British venues was “a novelty for white England,” he told AFP in 1997.
That album was a hit, catapulting Clapton to stardom and bringing a wave of popularity to a more raw and personal blues music.
Mayall moved to California in 1968 and toured America extensively in 1972.
He recorded a number of landmark albums in the 1960s including “Crusade,” “A Hard Road,” and “Blues From Laurel Canyon.” Dozens more followed in the 1970s and up to his latest, “The Sun Is Shining Down,” in 2022.
Mayall was awarded an OBE, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, in 2005.
AFP
FG releases over N438bn to 34 states, FCT
The Federal Government has released over N438 billion in reimbursement to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus programme.
The Information and Communication Officer of the Federal CARES Support Unit, Suleiman Odapu, stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Odapu quoted the National Coordinator of NG-CARES Programme, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje, as saying this, explaining that the funds were disbursed based on the results achieved by the states and FCT during the third Independent Verification Agency assessment carried out in January 2024.
He stated that from the earned results, Zamfara, Nasarawa, and Plateau states emerged as the first three earnings with N49bn, N27bn and N26bn, respectively.
Obaje, however, said that Kaduna and Anambra States did not present results for verification during the exercise.
The national coordinator expressed the hope that all 36 States and FCT would participate in the fourth IVA exercise scheduled for Sept. 2024.
“This huge reimbursement is aimed at supporting the state governments and the FCT in addressing the pressing challenges of multidimensional poverty.
“It will also enable them to deepen efforts at improving the livelihoods and resilience of the poor and vulnerable segment of the population,” he said.
Obaje further stated that the resources were targeted at social intervention programmes in the States and FCT.
He expressed confidence that the resources would be deployed generously to bring succour and meaningful improvement to the lives of many poor and underserved Nigerians.
Obaje thanked the federal government, particularly the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, for the initiative and sterling leadership provided to the programme.
This, according to him, enabled state governors and the Minister of FCT to invest heavily in NG-CARES.
He specially commended the the FCT minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, governors and staff of NG-CARES nationwide for the successes recorded so far under the programme.
The NG-CARES programme is designed to mitigate the negative impact of the socioeconomic shocks occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also aimed at addressing other shocks through the provision of grants and basic social infrastructure services in poor communities.
The funds are channelled towards various projects, including; social safety nets, food security, and small business support, adding that efforts were being made to ensure that the assistance reaches the most indigent and vulnerable Nigerians.
The programme, which started in 2021, will close by Dec. 2024.
NAN