The Nigerian Navy has rescued eight female victims of human trafficking in the country.
The Navy Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the victims were rescued between Saturday and Tuesday.
He said the Service operatives also rescued two drowning fishermen and arrested eight stowaways on the Nigerian water.
According to Adams-Aliu, the feats were recorded by the Navy units across the country’s maritime domain in different operations.
He added that a sea robbery attempt was also foiled within the same period.
The spokesman said: “On Saturday, the Quick Response Team of the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base in Badagry, intercepted a wooden passenger boat with eight females aged between 18 to 23 years en route to the Benin Republic.
“It became obvious that the victims were being trafficked by a yet-to-be-identified agent upon interrogation.
“The victims were handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) while further investigation to identify the agent and trafficking syndicate was ongoing.
“The personnel of Forward Operating Base IBAKA in Akwa Ibom on Wednesday intercepted suspected sea robbers attempting to rob a supply vessel along Uyenghe River in Mbo Local Government Area.
“The robbers opened fire on the Naval troops, prompting them to respond with heavy gunfire.
“The robbers later retreated into the creeks and the robbery attempt was effectively foiled.
“Also, on July 12, the personnel from Forward Operating Base LEKKI rescued two drowning fishermen around Lekki Anchorage Area, about 10 nautical miles from Dangote Refinery at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State.
“Findings revealed that the fishermen were fishing within the area when their boat capsised due to the rough sea state.”
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Navy rescues eight victims of human trafficking, 2 drowning fishermen
First Lady visits Saraki’s family ahead of mother’s burial
First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has paid a condolence visit to the family of a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, ahead of the funeral of his mother, Florence Saraki, in Lagos.
According to a statement by her media aide, Bukola Kukoyi, on Tuesday, the First Lady condoled with the children, noting that her visit, which has the permission of President Bola Tinubu, was a way of letting the family know that they love them.
She was quoted as saying, “We are one family. You know that politics aside, Mr. President will always look out for you.
“Mama lived a good life. I know it hurts so much, but we thank God for the good life she lived.”
In his response, Saraki was said to have noted that he was not surprised by the visit of the First Lady, whom he described as a passionate and loving woman.
He was quoted as saying, “You always see the bigger picture all the time. I know you are a passionate woman who is full of compassion. I know you are here with the knowledge of the President. I thank you very much.”
The statement further mentioned others present during the visit, to include Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Mrs Tope Edu and Laolu Saraki, alongside other members of the extended family.
According Online reports that Mrs Saraki died on June 18 at the age of 89.
The funeral service is set for Friday, July 19, at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, and to be followed by a private interment.
Court orders forfeiture of 20 cars stolen from Canada
Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of 20 cars stolen from Canada to Nigeria.
The cars are forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge gave the order following a motion on notice filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
A statement on Tuesday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, read, “The forfeited cars are Black colour SUV 400, White 4MATIC Mercedez Benz; SUV MDX SH-AWD Acura; Grey colour SUV RS 350L Lexus; Deep Blue SUV RX 350 Lexus, White Toyota 4Runner 2015; White 2020 model Lexus RX 350; White 2019 Lexus RX 350, Black 2020 Model Lexus RX350, and Black Honda Ridgeline 2017 Model.
“Others are White Lexus RX 350 SPORT 2019 Model; Grey Lexus RX 350 2019 Model; Grey Toyota 4Runner 2018 Model; White Lexus RX 350 FS Sport 2019 Model; White Toyota Highlander XLE AWD 2017 Model; Black Toyota Highlander 2020 Model; Black Toyota Highlander 2018 Model; Black Mercedez Benz G550 2019 Model; Red Lexus Rx 350 2016 Model and White Mercedez Benz GLA 250 2018 Model.”
The statement added, “ At the sitting on Monday, the EFCC, through its counsel, R.A. Abdulrasheed, told the court that the commission had complied with the order of the court regarding the publication.
“Moving the motion for the final forfeiture order, Abdulrasheed told the court that the application was supported with a 17-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Olufemi Olukini, an investigator with the EFCC, and a written address.”
The EFCC, in the affidavit, stated that sometime in April 2022, during an official meeting held at 7A Okoti-Eboh Street, Ikoyi Lagos between officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Lagos Zonal Command of EFCC, officials passed a credible intelligence to the commission which alleged, “That over 350 vehicles, which were comprehensively listed out on an excel sheet with their respective vehicle identification Number (VIN), were stolen from various locations in Canada and shipped to Nigeria.”
The statement further read, “These vehicles have been sold and/or are being sold on an online website, www.ii.com, by some online vendors/agents, while others are displayed for sale at various car stands across the country.
“The cars are listed in a comprehensive Excel sheet alongside some pictures and information on them. And that some of these vehicles are intercepted at the point of entry into Nigeria at Tincan Island port, Lagos.
“Our team commenced preliminary investigation into the case by identifying the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of each of the said stolen vehicles and subjecting them to analysis using Open Source Intelligence.
“That preliminary results from the analysis revealed the vehicles were largely located across Lagos State metropolis, particularly Lekki at different car stands and places and the Nigerian ports pending clearance into the country. That surveillance was, thereafter, carried out on the identified locations, followed by sting operations which led to the physical location and identification of these vehicles.”
Continuing, the commission further stated in the affidavit “that about 40 of the stolen vehicles were initially located by the intelligence team, who thereafter brought a similar application in suit no. FHC/L/CS/2051/2023 between Economic and Financial Crimes Commission V. WILMON AUTOS NIGERIA LIMITED & 177 ORS wherein a final forfeiture order was granted by Honourable Justice D. I. Dipeolu on 6 March 2024.
“That soon after the above order was granted, the intelligence team further located the vehicles listed in schedules 1 and 2 of this application, which necessitated this present suite.
“That the 13th to 20th respondents described in schedules 1 and 2 attached to this application were recovered as part of the stolen vehicles and shipped to Nigeria. And that the VIN of the vehicles corresponds with those of the stolen vehicles contained in the intelligence received from RCMP and no person has come forward to claim ownership of these vehicles.
“Investigation carried out revealed that the motor vehicles described aforesaid were stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria between March and June 2022. And that most of these vehicles were insured and the insurance companies involved had indemnified the respective owners of the vehicles.
“The insurance companies now stand in the position of the owners and delegated their interests to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police liaison officer with the Canadian Embassy in Nigeria to pursue their interests.
“Based on the facts stated in paragraphs 1-13 above, this Honourable Court on 27th May 2024 granted an application for interim forfeiture and Order the Publication of the order. “
Justice Dipeolu, after listening to the submissions by Abdulrasheed, ordered the final forfeiture of the cars.
FRC, MOFI reveal how Nigeria can achieve $1tr economy
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) identified how President Bola Tinubu can achieve its $1 trillion economic projection.
They identified corporate governance in both public and private institutions as a catalyst to achieving this goal.
Consequently, FRC and MOFI unveiled the draft code of corporate governance for the public sector which provides rules on how board members and directors should approach governance in their respective organisations.
The draft was unveiled at a press briefing held in Lagos State on Monday ahead of the upcoming national corporate governance summit to be held by FRC in conjunction with MOFI and the Institute of Directors Centre for Corporate Governance (IoDCCG).
The summit, expected to be held later this month, is themed,
“Institutionalising Corporate Governance for National Transformation: The Imperative for Public Private Sector Collaboration.”
The FRC said the summit would highlight the significance of fostering partnerships between government entities and private businesses to drive sustainable development, enhance service delivery, and promote economic growth.
In his address at the briefing, Urum Eke, the chairman of IoDCCG, said the importance of imbibing corporate governance in both public and private institutions to act as a catalyst to achieving the $1 trillion economy cannot be over-emphasized.
He said: “For us, we are looking at an issue of $1 trillion, and one of those things that will enable it is the right corporate governance.
“As we begin to entrench the right corporate governance, then we’re going to enhance shareholder value because it has been proven, that has a direct positive connotation, between corporate governance and corporate performance.
“If you look at corporate failures, whereas on account of technical insolvency, you have to put corporate governance at the centre to understand why the business crashed.”
On his part, FRC’s chief executive officer, Rabiu Olowo, said the theme of the summit was apt because of the importance of the public sector.
“It is high time that corporate governance also looks into the public space.
He said: “We have enjoyed the success of corporate governance in the private sector and that’s why the summit will expose to the public the work that the financial reporting council is doing to come up with a code of corporate governance for public institutions.
“The summit is designed to be a distinguished and impressive gathering of minds examining changes, trends, challenges, and best practices in corporate governance in Nigeria with a focus on the impact on national transformation.
“It serves as a premier platform that assembles practitioners, industry leaders, experts, and professionals to discuss critical issues that shape the governance landscape in public and private organizations while offering unmatched networking opportunities that promote knowledge exchange, brand recognition, and collaboration.”
By: Babajide Okeowo
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Tinubu has been fair to all regions on appointments
The ruling All Progressives Congress has said President Bola Tinubu has been fair to all regions of the country regarding appointments to key offices.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, made this statement on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today.
According Online reports that Tinubu has been criticised for not being fair to the North and South East in his recent appointments.
However, Morka appealed for calm, noting that many offices have yet to be filled and more appointments are forthcoming.
Morka stated, “President Tinubu is trying to be fair. We have some fairness in the key offices.”
The APC spokesman said it was premature for critics of the ruling party to express disapproval of the President’s appointments.
He continued, “This is a government that has just done one year in office, that has yet to even exhaust all of the opportunities for people to be invited to serve in this government. There are so many offices that are yet to be filled. There are more to come.
“We have the President, we have the Vice President. We have the defence, we have the finance. The defence is mostly staffed by people from the northern side, while the minister of finance and the CBN governor are from the southern side.
“It’s always premature to make that assessment. Hold your breath till a lot of the key positions are filled.
“For those who want to make an issue of ethnicity, the President has the country as his constituency. The President is not the President of the South-West, or the North or the South; he is the President of Nigeria, and every part of this country deserves to be effectively represented, consistent with the Federal Character flavour of our constitution.”
N’Assembly mulls stricter laws to tackle crude oil theft
The National Assembly has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited’s ongoing efforts to boost crude oil production and grow its reserves, saying it will consider stiffer consequences for crude oil thieves and vandals of the nation’s critical hydrocarbon infrastructure.
According to a statement obtained from the Chief Corporate Communications Officer NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye on Tuesday, after the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) paid an oversight visit to the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services , an upstream arm of the NNPC Ltd, at its headquarters in Lagos, jointly led by the Committee Chairmen from both chambers, Senator Eteng Williams and Alhassan Doguwa, described the menace of crude oil theft and vandalism of critical oil and gas infrastructure as major challenges to Nigeria’s revenue generation and budget targets, which must be curtailed.
Williams said: “It is imperative for the National Assembly to come up with legislative action that will help stop crude oil theft and increase Nigeria’s crude oil production.
“What we found at NUIMS, it is duty-bound on the legislature to come up with decisive measures that will help the government to achieve its set targets in the oil and gas sector.”
On his part, Alhassan Doguwa said by virtue of their duties as aa legislature, the lawmakers will fast-track the strengthening of a legislative framework to be able to check the excesses bedevilling the nation’s oil and gas sector.
Doguwa, who commended NNPC Ltd’s efforts for its industry-wide security collaboration against the nation’s hydrocarbon infrastructure said more needs to be done to ensure the Company increases Nigeria’s crude oil production and grows its reserves.
He said, “The legislature will consider deploying the stick and carrot approach towards addressing the issue, but where it becomes necessary, the stick approach must be emphasised to rise vehemently against any encumbrance standing in the way of Nigeria’s economic growth and development.”
Earlier in his presentation to the lawmakers, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mr. Bala Wunti, described NUIMS as a trustee of Nigeria’s upstream investments which ensures the country maximises returns through effective supervision of its Joint Venture, Production Sharing Contracts and Service Contracts operating partners.
Wunti, who commended the lawmakers for their consistent support to the NNPC Ltd, said engagements with the National Assembly are crucial as they will help the NNPC Ltd in the attainment of its mandate.
“We are here to see how the NASS will help us produce more barrels and deliver value to our shareholders. Increasing production is the new narrative and your support is needed to enable us to achieve our set targets based on our key principles of safety, speed, compliance and efficiency,” Wunti informed the legislators.
He said so far, the industry-wide security collaboration against crude oil theft and vandalism of Nigeria’s critical hydrocarbon infrastructure through the four-way strategy of “Detect, Deter, Respond and Recover” have been instrumental in the recent restoration of some of the nation’s lost barrels.
Naira gains N1, trades N1, 576/$1 at official window
The naira reversed its slump against the United States dollar on Tuesday.
Data from the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) showed that the domestic currency gained N1 to trade N1,576/$1, down from N1,577/$1 recorded at the official window on Monday.
The intra-day high and low recorded during the day were N1,592/$1 and N1,492/$1 respectively, representing a lean spread of N100$1.
The naira lost N20 against the dollar at the parallel section of the market to trade N1,585|$1, as against N1,565/$1 recorded the previous day.
The naira lost N10 against the British Pound to trade N2,060£1 as against the previous N2,050£1.
The Canadian dollar continues to close flat against the naira to trade N1,200| CA$1.
The naira lost N10 against the Euro to trade ₦1,700/€1 as against the previous ₦1,690/€1.
By: Babajide Okeowo
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Akpabio harps on enforcement of town planning laws in Plateau
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has advised the Plateau State government to ensure that the laws governing town planning are reinforced to forestall a recurrence of the recent tragic incident of a collapsed building in which some students lost their lives.
Akpabio made the remarks when the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, accompanied by some traditional rulers, paid him a courtesy call in his office on Tuesday.
The Senate President told his guests: “We want to condole you on the building collapse. Such a horrific sight and the building was not even built during your tenure. What it means is that you have to take steps to reinforce the town planning laws and take a lot of interest in the building industry.
“No sentiments attached. No matter whose ox is gored, if somebody does not follow the rules, if somebody erects a building on a passage for stream water, once the foundation is questioned, such building should be brought down.
“We know what has happened in the past. It is as if the high and mighty in society should construct a building, nobody would want to touch the building out of respect for them.
“We will continue to mourn the demise of those children. The entire country is very sad. So on behalf of the 10th Senate, please accept our condolences. We are with you in this period of mourning,” he said.
Governor Mutfwang said he and his entourage were at the National Assembly to participate in the public hearing on the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2024.
The bill is expected to upgrade the Mining and Geoscience Institute to a full-fledged university and the governor expressed the hope that his state would be the host for the university.
Akpabio harps on enforcement of town planning laws in Plateau
Ondo NNPP petitions CJN over governor’s appointment of caretaker committees
The New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, over the appointment of a transition committee by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa across the 18 local governments and 33 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, in the state.
According to the opposition party, the action of the governor negated the judgement of the apex court, which recently ordered that allocation should only be paid to councils with elected chairmen.
While describing the development as a gross violation of the judgement of the court, the petition signed by Ondo NNPP Chairman Peter Olagookun and the State Secretary, stressed that the appointment of the transition committees also rubbished the June 20 ruling of Justice A.O. Adebusuoye of the Ondo High Court in line with the Local Government Creation Law 2023.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, had earlier justified the appointment by the governor, as he maintained that it was done within the constitutional rights of his boss.
NNPP, demanding that Ajulo be stripped of his Senior Advocate of Nigeria title over his action, stated: “We are constrained to bring to your attention the report of gross misconduct and flagrant disobedience of court judgement against Dr Kayode Ajulo, the Attorney-General and the Commissioner of Justice of Ondo State, bordering on the ignoble role he played in the matter.
“In flagrant disobedience to the validly given judgement of the Ondo State High Court on June 20, 2024, and in an attempt to overreach the judgement of the Supreme Court delivered on July 11, 2024, the governor of Ondo State announced the constitution of caretaker committees for the 33 LCDAs and the 18 LGAs and, under the cover of the night, surreptitiously swore them in, in flagrant disobedience to these subsisting orders of the Court.
“This act of Dr Kayode Ajulo has been widely criticised by the people of Ondo State, and there have been calls for him to resign his position as the Attorney-General and the chief law officer of the state.
“This act is, to say the least, unbecoming of the person occupying the exalted position of the office of the Attorney-General, the chief law officer of a state, and also a member of the inner bar.
“It is, therefore, reasonable to say that his membership in the inner bar and position as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria are unmerited and therefore should be withdrawn.”
Ondo NNPP petitions CJN over governor’s appointment of caretaker committees
Six foreigners found dead in Thailand hotel room
Six foreign nationals were found dead in a luxury hotel room in central Bangkok on Tuesday, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said, with police suspecting they were poisoned.
“There were no signs of a struggle,” Srettha told a press conference at the Grand Hyatt Erawan hotel in the upscale Pathum Wan district, where the incident took place.
“We need to conduct an autopsy to see if they had ingested anything,” he said, dispelling rumours the deaths were connected to a theft and had involved a shooting.
The prime minister said all six of the deceased were Vietnamese, two of whom had dual US nationality.
The case was reported at 4:30 pm (0930 GMT) after cleaning staff discovered the bodies when they arrived to make up the room on the fifth floor, police said.
Srettha arrived on the scene shortly after. He said it was believed a seventh Vietnamese person could have been involved in the incident.
The chief of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police, Bureau Thiti Sangsawang, said the guests had failed to check out of the hotel that afternoon.
A preliminary examination found no evidence of injuries related to a fight or theft but suggested all six had ingested a toxic substance, Thiti said.
“We need to find out the motives,” he said, adding that the deaths were not the result of suicide, but of a “killing.”
– Investigation ongoing –
Earlier a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity denied initial reports that the six had been killed in a shooting, saying the investigation was currently focused on a “link with a toxic substance.”
Some of the six foreigners appeared to be on their first trip to the country, while others appeared to be return visitors, he added.
In a statement, the police said they were still investigating the scene and cause of death.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed “our sincere condolences to families on their loss” and said the agency was “closely monitoring the situation” and was “ready to provide assistance to those families.”
The area where the crime took place is popular with tourists and home to several upscale shopping malls and the Erawan shrine, a visitor draw.
Last October, a 14-year-old boy opened fire at the Siam Paragon mall in the area, killing three people.
The shooting came just days before the anniversary of a massacre at a nursery in northern Thailand that left 36 people dead and amid government efforts to bolster tourist numbers.
Some 28 million people visited Thailand in 2023, up from 11 million the year before, but still well down from the 40 million who came in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
Travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic hammered the kingdom’s vital tourism sector and arrivals have not bounced back as quickly as officials hoped.
Officials are hoping to hit 35 million visitors in 2024, with a target of $55bn in revenue.
AFP