NEWS
Nigeria’s Security Agencies Collaborate To Tackle Smuggling, Food Hoarding
In a coordinated effort, Nigeria’s Customs Service, Immigration, Department of State Services, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have joined forces to combat the rampant issues of smuggling and food hoarding across the country.
Responding to the urgency of the situation, President Bola Tinubu’s dedicated team has ramped up surveillance measures, particularly focusing on key border areas in Borno, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Jigawa states.
According to a source “There is an ongoing inter-agency operation involving the Customs, DSS, EFCC and other agencies. They moved to grain markets, especially markets around northern Nigeria, and they were able to discover large-scale smuggling of grains outside of Nigeria and most of these grains are actually being round-tripped. So, there are cartels specialised in round-tripping food items across Nigerian land borders.
“What they do is that they buy grains, say from Jigawa, enter into Niger Republic with them, then bring them back and sell at higher prices and they use foreign currencies, especially the CFA, so that they can be able to buy more food and then take it back to these countries and then bring back and sell here. So, it is a sophisticated smuggling chain. So, they (security agencies) have been able to bust a number of them.
“Now, the Federal Government has beefed up security across the borders to stop smuggling in Borno, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Jigawa states because these are the major dark spots. Even yesterday (Thursday) at the President’s meeting with governors, the Niger State governor raised an alarm about these same cartels. That was why he recently announced the banning of food moving outside of his state.”
The source further stated that Security agencies have uncovered substantial reserves of stored food items, particularly by prominent companies that assert their involvement in the production of animal feed and other products,
The source said, “One of the stores even contained about 50,000 tonnes of grains. A lot of the cartels have been busted in Kano, Borno and Katsina states. And in one grain market alone, five illegal Bureau De Change operators were discovered and arrested. They were exchanging CFAs and naira and were being used by these cartels to move money easily.
“The government is going through a process to ensure that harmful hoarding is stopped. Of course, storage is permitted…but hoarding that harms the economy and creates hardship and hunger is being stopped.”
Highlighting the ongoing efforts, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service, emphasized that the service has adapted its strategies and bolstered monitoring systems at the borders.
He said, “Last week, the Comptroller-General of Customs held a meeting with all area comptrollers in the border areas and he has given marching orders to man these borders and ensure that there is no form of smuggling in their territories. It is emphatic that we are taking action.
“We have re-strategize. It will warrant our presence, the use of intelligence-driven operations, and our visibility in terms of increased patrol and non-kinetic approaches such as engagement.
“It is not all about using force or our physical arsenals to fight smuggling. We are also exploring engagement with the populace to tell them why they should not support smuggling. In the next few days, we will reveal further strategies we are taking.”
A celebrity landlord, Isaac Fayose, has issued threats to tenants occupying one of his houses in Abuja over his claims of their owing him three years’ rent.
Fayose, a brother to former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, vented his threats in a video which has gone viral on microblogging site, X.com on Tuesday.
From the video footage, Fayose, expressing himself in pidgin said the tenant(s) refused to pay him rent for three years.
He was also experiencing frustration, as the tenant(s) opted to involve the law court, which has resulted in adjournments to elongate their living in the house.
He said, “Three years, you never paid rent. You dey do gra-gra inside the court. Na your house? Na your baba house? God go punish you.”
Another person suspected to be a tenant in Fayose’s apartment was heard in the viral video responding, “You dey craze. God go punish you.”
Fayose also called out the tenants over an alleged plan to claim ownership of the property.
He vowed that he would demolish the property and damn the consequences.
“The tenant said na dem get the house. Ole tenants.
“I will demolish the house. Let the Nigerian government jail me if they want to. How can I get a house and tenants go dey owe me to the tune of three years and dem go dey hide for court?
“No justice. No be by forced to stay in Abuja o. If you cannot pay rent in Abuja, go to your village and stay.
“No dey play wayo-wayo game inside the court and be staying inside person property for free. Let me commit the offence. Let me break the house. Make dem detain me for one week after they will bail me.
“But una go don comot first. The rest go be history,” he stated.
As if to drive his message to the erring tenants home, Fayose had earlier shared a video of himself ordering the removal of the doors and roofs of a recalcitrant tenant who he claimed refused to pay rent for four years.
He claimed in that post that the tenant had the guts to take him to court despite owing rent.
In the video he shared, artisans could be seen removing the doors and windows of the apartment.
In a bid to halt the marriage of 100 orphaned girls orchestrated by Speaker Abdulmalik Sarkindaji of the Niger State Assembly, Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has officially petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for legal intervention.
The controversial move by Speaker Sarkindaji aims to provide marital support for girls orphaned by bandit attacks in the Mariga Local Government Area, scheduled for May 24th.
Mrs. Kennedy-Ohanenye’s opposition was made clear during a press conference in Abuja, where she announced the initiation of a thorough investigation into the matter.
She said, “I want to let the honorable speaker of house in Niger states to know that this is totally unacceptable by Federal Minister Of Women Affairs and by the government totally unacceptable. Because there is something called the Child’s Right Act and I said it from the onset, that is no more business as usual.
“These children must be considered their future must be considered the future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered. So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG of police.
“And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th, until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them.”
A Nigerian journalist, Ibraheem Hamza Mohammed, was on Friday released from prison after the Nigerian National Committee of the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria) intervened in his case.
This was contained a statement issued by the Legal Adviser/Chairman, Advocacy Committee, IPI Nigeria, Tobi Soniyi.
Recall that the Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Police had arrested Mohammed on 1 May after he was accused of falsely publishing that N40 million was stolen from Governor Abdullahi Sule’s bedroom.
The article was published on 22 February 2024 on First News, a Lagos-based online newspaper.
The police then charged him with violation of the Cybercrime Act and secured an order for his remand at the Medium Security Custodian Centre in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, pending commencement of trial.
However, the journalist was released Friday after a Nasarawa High Court sitting in Doma granted him bail.
He spent 10 days in jail.
He was to remain on bail till 13 May when the police are expected to withdraw the charges against him and discontinue the trial.
To secure his release, IPI Nigeria’s delegation led by the President, Musikilu Mojeed, visited Lafia on 6 May, meeting with top officials of the Nasarawa State government, including Governor Sule, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Labaran Magaji and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Addra.
The delegation also visited and conferred with the journalist, Mohammed, in prison.
Meanwhile, the management of First News has apologised to Governor Sule over the story, saying it has since found “that the said story lacked any form of truth in it and that the reporter merely concocted the story in his bid to pursue a personal vendetta against the governor.
“While tendering an unreserved apology to the Nasarawa State Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Abdullahi Sule, we wish to assure him that such will not repeat itself ever again,” the newspaper added.
IPI Nigeria is hereby admonishing Nigerian journalists to always uphold the ethics of their profession, desist from publishing false news, and continue to observe a high degree of standard in their practice.
Isaac Fayose Bullies Tenants, Threatens Demolition Over Rent
Minister Opposes Speaker’s Marriage Plan For 100 Orphaned Girls In Niger
Spurs Fans Prefer Losing To Man City To Arsenal Winning Trophy
IPI Secures Release Of Detained Nigerian Journalist
Community Engagement, Sustainability Take Centre-Stage At Dangote Cement
DYAN Courtesy Call At Dangote Industries
Sahara’s Tonye Cole resigns from GPHCDA
Oando opens ultra-modern petrol station in Lagos
Niger Delta Avengers: President Buhari Reads riot Act …considers the carrot and stick option
Adeosun: We are investing in infrastructure to grow the private sector
Shell launches Nigeria campaign on energy efficiency
