The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said on Friday that the crime rate in the country is on the decline.
The IGP addressed State House reporters after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in the company of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
According to him, the president wants the security heads to synergise and bring crime to the barest minimum.
“Mr President is satisfied with our report; he has challenged us to continue to work together and improve our synergy,” he said.
“We have records of all reported crimes across the country and can tell you that crime rate is declining in Nigeria.
“Records don’t lie; the records are there so I can assure you that we will continue to do what we are doing to maintain the decline in the crime rate.”
Also speaking, the Chief of Defence Staff called on citizens to join hands together in the fight against crimes.
He said that President Tinubu is aware of the ills and cries of the oil-producing communities, insisting that the Nigerian leader is not going to let them down.
“For the criminals, those that are hell-bent on stealing our infrastructure, stealing our crude for whatever reasons their days are numbered,” he added.
He warned criminals stealing the nation’s natural resources that “we are coming after them.”
He further urged Nigerians: “We all need to put our heads together to achieve this success. Nobody can do it alone, no single service, no single individual can do this.”
Crime in Nigeria has reduced – IGP Egbetokun
Crime in Nigeria has reduced – IGP Egbetokun
Cholera vaccine to arrive Nigeria soon – GAVI
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, Gavi, said on Friday that cholera vaccines will soon arrive in Nigeria.
The chief executive officer of Gavi, Sania Nishtar, confirmed this in a statement on his X page.
According to him, GAVI is ready to work with its partners, UNICEF and WHO, to help curb the ongoing outbreak.
“We stand ready to work with our partners, UNICEF and WHO, to support Minister Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s federal ministry of health, and the NCDC’s timely efforts to contain this outbreak and protect those at highest risk.
“Despite the large number of cholera outbreaks this year, our stockpile is now fully replenished, and production continues at maximum capacity,” he said.
Meanwhile, a total of 3,623 suspected cholera cases and 103 deaths have been recorded in 34 states in Nigeria.
Cholera vaccine to arrive Nigeria soon – GAVI
CBN finally takes over dormant accounts, to invest funds in treasury bills
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a fresh directive to banks and financial institutions operating in Nigeria about dormant accounts.
In the new directives, the apex bank will take over the funds in such dormant accounts and invest them in treasury bills and other securities.
This was contained in a circular FPR|DIR|PUB|CIR|002|011 released on Friday by John S. Onojah, Acting Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department and titled: “Guidelines On Management Of Dormant Accounts, Unclaimed Balances And Other Financial Assets In Banks And Other Financial Institutions In Nigeria”.
The apex bank unveiled the draft stage of the guidelines in April.
However, in the latest circular the apex bank noted that it would open and maintain an account earmarked for the purpose of warehousing unclaimed balances in eligible accounts.
“CBN shall treat unclaimed balances (dormant accounts and financial assets) as follows: Open and maintain an Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund (UBTF) Pool Account’, maintain records of the beneficiaries of the unclaimed balances warehoused in the UBTF Pool Account; invest the funds in Nigerian treasury bills (NTBs) and other securities as may be approved by the ‘Unclaimed Balances Management Committee’.
“Refund the principal and interest (if any) on the invested funds to the beneficiaries not later than ten (10) working days from the date of receipt of the request. Where it is imperative to extend the timeline, a notice of extension shall be communicated to the requesting FI stating reasons for the extension,” it stated.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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Ebonyi Police Command confirms abduction of 11 travellers
The Ebonyi Police Command has confirmed the abduction of 11 travellers by armed bandits.
The Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu, stated that the Command is actively working to address the situation, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Augustina Ogbodo, was collaborating with her Enugu State counterpart, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, to combat the surge in kidnappings along the stretch of the highway.
The victims include students from tertiary institutions in the state traveling in a commercial bus from Awka, Anambra State to Abakaliki, the state capital.
The abduction, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday, occurred when the hoodlums intercepted the bus at the Amechi-Idodo area in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu.
Ebonyi Police Command confirms abduction of 11 travellers
Russian artillery fire kills two women in Ukraine
At least two women were killed and several others injured by Russian artillery fire that travelled across the Dnipro River and hit a village in southern Ukraine.
One of the injured persons is a doctor.
The military governor of the Kherson region, Olexander Prokudin, disclosed this on Telegram Friday.
He said Russian troops fired 40 shells from a rocket artillery launcher at the village of Biloserka on the north bank of the Dnipro during the night.
Meanwhile, around 60 houses were damaged in the attack.
One woman was killed in her house while the body of a second woman was discovered under the rubble.
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Obasanjo congratulates Rwandan President, Kagame on re-election
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has described the re-election of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda as an affirmation of trust and confidence reposed in him.
Obasanjo made this disclosure in a congratulatory message released by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, to newsmen on Friday.
In the congratulatory letter, the former Chairman of the African Union (AU) congratulated and rejoiced with the re-elected Rwandan President for securing the new mandate of the people to lead the country for another term.
The letter, signed by Obasanjo, reads: “I have just received the happy news of Your Excellency’s resounding victory in the Presidential election that was held in your country on July 15, 2024. Permit me to congratulate and rejoice with you on your securing the mandate of your people to lead the country for another term.
“Your Excellency’s re-election is, no doubt, an affirmation of the trust and confidence, which the generality of your countrymen repose in your ability to continue to steer the ship of State aright through your vision and leadership qualities, which, no doubt, will further strengthen the peace, security and prosperity of your country.
“While praying for Your Excellency’s continued good health to enable you consolidate and build upon the good results so far achieved, please accept, Mr. President and Dear Brother, the assurances of my highest consideration.”
Obasanjo congratulates Rwandan President, Kagame on re-election
Anambra govt shuts 30 health facilities
The Anambra State government has shut down over 30 health facilities run by quacks in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, stated this on Friday at the 2024 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State Chapter.
He said the government set up the State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency to fight quackery and eradicate illegal medical services in the state.
He said: “The issue of quackery is a major concern in the government and we are doing all we can to eliminate it.
“So far, we have closed down over 30 health facilities in the state and we discovered that the owners and operators of these hospitals are not even medical doctors.
“These quacks were making so much money because they do not have conscience. They were carrying out surgeries and toying with the health and lives of our people.
“We are appealing to the NMA to partner with the state government to eliminate quackery in the health sector to save people from untimely death and improve their life expectancy.”
The commissioner said the state government was committed to improving healthcare delivery in the state.
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Russia targeted US journalist, Gershkovich with 16 years imprisonment – Biden
United States President, joe Biden, has accused the Russian Government of targeting American journalist, Evan Gershkovich.
Biden said the Russian Government targeted Gershkovich because he’s an American.
He was reacting to the 16 years jail term handed to Gershkovich by a Russian court.
A Russian court had found Gershkovich guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.
This was after a secretive trial decried as a “sham” by his employer, his family and the White House.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter was first arrested last March while on a reporting trip in the city of Yekaterinburg, about 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Moscow, by security services.
Prosecutors accused him of working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), accusations that Gershkovich, the WSJ and the US vociferously deny.
It marks the first conviction of a US journalist for espionage in Russia since the Cold War ended more than 30 years ago.
Reacting, Biden posted on X: “Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime.
“I will not mince words: he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American.”
Russia targeted US journalist, Gershkovich with 16 years imprisonment – Biden
Crime rate reducing in Nigeria, IGP boasts as Tinubu meets security chiefs
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has said the rate of crime in the country is reducing.
He said this on Friday following a routine security meeting held at the Presidential Villa Abuja, where all the Service Chiefs brief the President on security situation in the country.
According to Egbetokun, the security personnel will continue to deploy synergy to ensure they maintain the tempo so far.
Asked about the outcome of the meeting with the President, the IGP said, “It is a routine security meeting we had with Mr President where we had the opportunity of giving him security briefs, this we have been doing regularly.
“Mr President is satisfied with our report, he has challenged us to continue to work together and improve our synergy.
“As Inspector General of Police, we have records of all reported crimes across the country and I can tell you that crime rate is declining in Nigeria. Records don’t lie the records are there so I can assure you that we will continue to do what we are doing to maintain the decline in the crime rate.”
Corroborating the Police IG, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa said they have been handed a mandate to restore full oil production benchmark of 2.1m bpd and are bent on achieving the target.
He said Nigeria relies on the revenue generated from oil, hence they cannot afford to back down on securing oil installations in the country.
“Nigeria relies a lot on what we produce and it’s mandate is for us to restore full produce ,we are targeting 2.1m bpd which is achievable so we are taking steps to ensure that all that is required to be done is done.
“The President is aware of the ills and cries of the communities and he is not going to let them down, the communities should be rest assured that steps are going to be taken to address their grievances so that productions will continue.
“For the criminals, those that are hell bent on stealing our infrastructure, stealing our crude for whatever reasons their days are numbered they should be rest assured that we are coming after them and we want to assure Nigerians that we all need to put our hands together to achieve this success.
“Nobody can do it alone – no single service, no single individual can do this alone. We all need to work together including the states. we understand that the communities are doing so much the President will address those issues to ensure that we have full production.”
Crime rate reducing in Nigeria, IGP boasts as Tinubu meets security chiefs
Reps warn against lopsided recruitment in varsities
The House of Representatives Committee on University Education on Friday warned against lopsided recruitment in the country’s universities.
The chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata, gave the warning in a statement in Abuja after the committee’s visit to the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State.
The committee had recently visited some federal universities including University of Abuja and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Abuja.
The lawmakers also visited the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi and University of Ilorin, Kwara.
The chairman decried a situation where the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, and Registrar would come from the same state in a federal university.
He said flagrant disobedience to federal character principle would no longer be accepted by the authorities.
Fulata said: “The Constitution of Nigeria is very clear on the percentage to be recruited which is between 2.5 to 3 percent.
“But giving one state about 65 to 70 percent of the entire workforce, both teaching and non-teaching staff, is a clear violation of the federal character principles and the constitution of the country.”
He also warned against spending without appropriation in the universities.
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