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Escalating Price of Food Driving Many Nigerians Deeper into Poverty—Amnesty International

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Price of Food

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The Nigerian government has been charged to respect the rights of citizens to vent their anger through protests because of the hardship they are being subjected to due to the rising cost of living.

This advice was given to the federal government by Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Mr Isa Sanusi, in reaction to the nationwide demonstrations, which started on Thursday, August 1, 2024, across the country.

Nigeria is currently facing a crippling economic crisis, with inflation rate at 34.19 per cent and food inflation at over 40 per cent due to supply disruptions as a result of insecurity.

Also, the removal of fuel subsidies in May 2023 is driving many people into poverty, while officials have been accused of corruption.

Since July 20, many people have used social media platforms to organize nationwide peaceful protests proposed for August 1-10, and the Nigerian authorities have, at times, labelled the protests as deliberate attempts to unleash violence.

Commenting on the demonstrations, which turned violent in a few parts of northern Nigeria, Mr Sanusi said, “The Nigerian authorities must ensure that security agencies respect and facilitate the right to peaceful protest, as guaranteed by both the country’s constitution and human rights treaties including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.  Government officials must also refrain from issuing rhetoric to demonize protesters and stifle peaceful dissent.”

“Authorities must not use the proposed nationwide protests as a ploy to crackdown on human rights including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

“People must be allowed to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest. The arrests of at least three people last week for allegedly supporting the protests on social media show the authorities’  intolerance of peaceful dissent,” he added.

The Amnesty International chief noted that, “The escalating price of food is driving millions of people in Nigeria deeper in poverty while countless families are increasingly unable to afford the costs of healthcare and education.”

“The Nigerian authorities must begin seriously address the underlying issues driving the protests instead of ramping up repression and stifling peaceful dissent,” he further stated.

“Authorities must show the commitment to uphold the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations by allowing people to freely exercise their human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” he said.

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Obasa Makes First Appearance at Lagos Assembly After Impeachment

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Mr Mudashiru Obasa made his first appearance at the Lagos State House of Assembly complex on Thursday, February 27, 2025, after he was impeached as the Speaker on January 13, 2025.

The former speaker entered the chamber flanked by armed and uniformed security operatives, who ushered him into the premises.

Business Post reports that Mr Obasa was welcomed with an ovation by his supporters and well-wishers

The politician was welcomed at the entrance gate of the Assembly Complex.

The 40-member House removed the Agege I representative as Speaker by more than two-thirds of the house over alleged misconduct and corruption offences.

Mr Obasa’s then deputy, Mrs Mojisola Meranda, was immediately elected the new Speaker, becoming the first female to take charge of the legislative body in the South-West state.

With her emergence, Mrs Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency I, ended the 10-year reign of Mr Obasa on the seat.

Mr Obasa was first elected into the House in 2007. He has been in the chamber since then. He emerged as a speaker in June 2015 before his removal in January 2025. He is believed to have the strong support of President Bola Tinubu, who reportedly asked for his return and the resignation of Mrs Meranda.

It is not immediately clear what the next development will be with his return to the chamber, but Mrs Meranda has about 36 members of the state parliament as loyalists. They have all supported and passed a vote of confidence on her, insisting that Mr Obasa has no room to return to the position despite claiming he was not lawfully removed from office.

Last week, some agents of the Department of Security Services (DSS) and legislative workers clashed in the chambers.

The incident led to 36 lawmakers passing a vote of confidence in Mrs Meranda, who was teary-eyed.

Meanwhile, the police had earlier allegedly withdrawn all the escorts attached to the speaker.

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EFCC Laments Crypto Funding of Fraud Syndicates’ Cells

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, says organised foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities and recruiting youths into serious organised cybercrimes, made easy by cryptocurrencies.

This was disclosed by the anti-graft agency in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mr Dele Oyewale, on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Olukoyede said this while receiving participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 18 of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the team was led by the institute’s Director of Studies, Mr Hyginus Ngele, to the commission.

Mr Olukoyede expressed surprise at how bandits and insurgents were able to sustain their activities in the country over the years.

He noted with concern, the rate of flow of small arms and light weapons across the borders and the involvement of non-state actors in the illegal exploitation of minerals in parts of the country.

The EFCC boss said all these activities compounded the threats in the security landscape.

“Another dimension that is not given attention is the discovery, recently, that organised foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities.

”They are recruiting young Nigerians into serious organised cybercrimes, including cryptocurrency fraud.

“By the virtue of EFCC’s recent discovery, we are beginning to see the likelihood, the propensity that a lot of these people are into illegal importation of arms into the country using cryptocurrency as means of payment.”

According to him, this is an area that must interest all and sundry.

“In the special operations we carried out in Lagos recently, we arrested 194 foreigners in the heart of Victoria Island.

”They comprised Chinese, Filipinos, Eastern Europeans, Tunisians and among others in one building at a time. You can imagine what these guys are doing, 194 of them.

“Some of them don’t even have valid visas and most of the financial activities they carried out were through cryptocurrency,” he said.

He said the commission also discovered that some of the foreigners arrested were already ex-convicts in their countries.

“Some of them have been convicted and escaped from their countries and found safe haven in Africa, not only Nigeria.

“We discovered that they are also developing cells in some other African countries by virtue of the investigation we are carrying out,” he said.

The EFCC boss called for spirited efforts at both national and continental levels to combat the menace of internet fraud.

He stressed that the money laundering and national security dimension of the presence of foreign organised crime groups demanded close scrutiny.

“All security, intelligence and law enforcement organisations in Nigeria and indeed Africa, must close ranks in dealing with this challenge,” he said.

On his part, the NISS commandant, Mr Joseph Odama, who spoke through Mr Ngele, praised Mr Olukoyede’s leadership of the EFCC for the commission’s “remarkable achievements in combating corruption, money laundering, and other financial crimes.”

He noted that the achievements had not only strengthened Nigeria’s integrity but also served as a model for other nations in Africa and beyond.

He said the EFCC, under Mr Olukoyede, had been at the forefront of investigating and prosecuting financial crimes, including those involving non-state actors.

“Your commission’s exploratory activities have uncovered the intricate networks through which some NGOs and other entities channel funds to support hostile non-state actors, thereby, fueling instability in various parts of the country and the African continent.

“We recognise the critical role the EFCC plays in disrupting these networks and ensuring accountability.

“In light of this, we are particularly interested in hearing your insights on how your commission navigates the complexities of investigating and prosecuting cases involving non-state actors.

“We also seek your contributions on how Nigeria and other African nations can strengthen legal and institutional frameworks to address the challenges posed by these actors while promoting transparency and accountability in their operations.”

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NSCDC Intercepts 1,571 Litres of Petroleum Products in Zamfara

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NSCDC Fake Recruitment List

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Zamfara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intercepted 1,571 litres of petroleum products in the Northern state.

According to the security outfit, the products were illegally transported in jerry cans to banditry-prone areas.

The State Commandant, Mr Sani Mustapha, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr Umar Muhammad, revealed that four suspects were arrested in connection with the crime at two separate locations.

Among them were two filling station pump attendants and two buyers apprehended in the Birnin Magaji and Tsafe Local Government Areas of the state.

Mr Muhammad disclosed that aside from transporting fuel from unauthorised locations, the suspects also violated the Executive Order prohibiting the sale of petroleum products in jerricans within Zamfara State.

He stated that two of the suspects were caught in Birnin Magaji with 1,296 litres of fuel, while the other two were arrested in Tsafe with 275 litres of the product.

“Today, we bring before you four suspects apprehended for illegal dealings of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in large quantities, violating the National and State Executive Order of petroleum products sales to retailers in jerry cans,” he stated.

The NSCDC assured citizens that investigations are ongoing and reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the law to curb illegal fuel diversion and activities that could aid insecurity in the state.

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