Folarin Kehinde

The Nigeria Police Force has opposed the establishment of state police, saying the country was not ripe for such.

Speaking at a one day dialogue on state policing, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun said the establishment of state police will exacerbate ethnic tension, leading to divided loyalty in the states.

Represented by AIG Ben Okolo, the Inspector General of Police said the establishment of state police will also lead to multiple command structures in the states.

He also said that state governors are likely to abuse the privilege of state police by using it for political gains, leading to possible abuse of power and abuse of huma rights.

He argued that the state government lack thereof required funding that will give birth to the type of policing that the nation requires.

Rather than estabalisibg state police, he recommend the merging of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Road Safety Commission to form a department in the Nigeria Police Force.

He also said there is the need for a yearly recruitment of about 30,000 police personnel into the force annually to meet the UN requirements for morden policing, while also increasing annual budgetary allocation to the force.

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President Bola Tinubu has opened the African Counter-Terrorism Summit at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Abuja.

Special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale in a statement on Sunday informed a high-level summit, organised by Nigeria in collaboration with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), will take place from April 22 to 23.

The Nation reported that the objective of the summit is to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international community’s collective response to terrorism in Africa, emphasizing African-led and African-owned solutions.

Special guests present at the security summit include: Mr Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary General, United Nations office of Counter-Terrorism; Ms Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General United Nations and Patrice Talon , President of the Republic of Benin, among others.

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The two wives of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, are currently trying to outshine each other, with both of them laying claim to the Office of the First Lady of the state.

The two women, Ngozi and Titilola, have printed different posters that have gone viral with their names and pictures welcoming Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to the state.

Mrs Tinubu is billed to be in Osogbo, the state capital on Tuesday for the turning of sod of the Alternative High School For Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road.

In her poster, Ngozi Adeleke wrote, “Welcome to the state of living spring. Experience the beauty of Osun State’s landscape” and signed off as the First Lady of Osun State.

Titilola Adeleke, in her separate poster, also welcomed Mrs Tinubu to the “Official turning of the sod ceremony of the Alternative High School For Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road, Osogbo”

She also signed off as the First Lady of Osun State.

The Kenya Police Service has arrested fleeing Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, as the International Criminal Police Organisation moves to extradite him to Nigeria within the week.

Government sources familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter confirmed the development to our correspondent on Sunday night.

One of the sources said, “Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has been arrested by the Kenya Police Service, and he would be extradited to Nigeria this week by INTERPOL.”

Another source noted, “As we had said before that Anjarwalla would be extradited, he has been arrested in Kenya, and he’ll be extradited to Nigeria this week.”

The PUNCH had exclusively reported that the Federal Government had traced Anjarwalla to Kenya, following his escape from lawful custody in Nigeria.

Following the development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the International Criminal Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Kenyan Police Service have deepened talks to quicken Anjarwalla’s extradition.

In the earlier report, Saturday PUNCH reported that Anjarwalla, whose cover has now been blown, went into hiding immediately after he landed in Kenya.

“We have found him. We know where he is; he is in Kenya, and we’re working with the authorities to bring him back to Nigeria.

“All hands are on the deck, the government and all the security agencies are working hard in conjunction with the Kenyan authorities and INTERPOL, to ensure his return to Nigeria to face the charges brought against him,” the report had quoted a source as saying.

The governor of Ondo State Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been declared the winner of the APC ward primary and the candidate of the party in the coming governorship election in the state.

Aiyedatiwa amassed a total of 48,569 votes in the primaries while fellow contender, Mayowa Akinfolarin, polled 15,343 votes, with Olusola Oke coming in third position with 14,865 votes.

He was declared the winner by the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, in the early hours of Monday, who also noted that the electoral process went ”smoothly” with little skirmishes recorded.

”I can confirm that the direct mode of primary election adopted in the 2024 Ondo state governorship primary elections held in all 203 electoral wards in all the 18 LGAs in Ondo state,” Ododo said while announcing the winner.

The Ondo state governor coasted to victory in 16 of the 18 LGAs losing out on Ilaje LGA to third-placed Oke.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed optimism that the Naira would continue to appreciate against the dollar at the forex market.

Mr Stanley Nkwocha, spokesperson of the vice president in a statement on Saturday, said Shettima stated this at a meeting with officials of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), at the President Villa, Abuja.

He said President Bola Tinubu ended the fuel subsidy and ensured the unification of the multiple exchange rate because the former arrangement was producing billionaires overnight.

“Naira went haywire and some people were celebrating but inwardly we were laughing at them because we knew that we have the leadership to reverse the trend.

“Asiwaju knows the game, and truly the Naira is gaining and the difference will drop further.”

He recalled that the quality of leadership provided by President Tinubu as governor of Lagos laid the foundation for the massive development witnessed in the state.

Shettima assured that the Tinubu administration is doing its best to address challenges in the power sector.

According to him, Tinubu’s administration is aware that power is absolutely essential for development.

“We are determined to ensure that we generate jobs for our youths. Honestly, the President’s obsession is to live in a place of glory, to transform this country to a higher pedestal.

“He wants to leave a legacy, one of qualitative leadership because the hope of the black man, the hope of Africa rests with Nigeria.

‘ I want to assure you that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of you. He understands your ecosystem. In this government, you have an ally and a friend.”

Following a public complaint received from concerned residents, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office has sealed off the administrative and kitchen complex of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Jesus Sanctuary, Masha, Surulere, Lagos for indiscriminate discharge of wastewater into the environment.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, revealed this through his X handle on Saturday.

The statement read, “Following a public complaint received from concerned residents, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office #lswmomedia in enforcing the provisions of the Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, sealed off the administrative and kitchen complex of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Jesus Sanctuary, Masha, Surulere, Lagos for indiscriminate discharge of wastewater into the environment.

“Illegal discharge of wastewater into the environment endangers the lives of citizens as it leads to soil pollution and groundwater contamination; causing waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and diarrhoea.

“The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office encourages all Lagosians to desist from such acts and report all illegal activities leading to the pollution of the environment.”

Violence broke out at Ward 1 at Stella Maris College, Okitipupa, between rival supporters of two aspirants of the All Progressives Congress who are contesting to be the party’s candidate for the November 16, Ondo State Governorship election.

Accredited party members, who had gathered in large numbers to participate in the candidate selection process, fled the scene when violence erupted among the rival factions.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accreditation and election process had not begun when the violence erupted as voters scampered for safety.

One of the accredited voters, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that one of the agents of an aspirant came to the ward, snatched the validation and accreditation papers and ran away.

“One of the agents came here, snatched the validation and accreditation papers and fled the venue in his car.

“They chased him, but could not catch him. This caused the violence,” he said.

The security agents at the ward were unable to contain the violence and everyone fled the scene.

Fleeing governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has perfected a plan to flee the country to a North African country, multiple sources confirmed to SaharaReporters on Saturday.

According to SaharaReporters, Bello, 48 years old who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for over N80billion fraud, plans to flee to the North African country where one of his wives presently resides and manages their “investments.”

A family member further revealed that Bello actually possessed two passports which are of the North African country and one Arab nation where he also allegedly has multi-million dollars investments.

“He is planning to go to Morocco. He also has investments in Dubai. Under Bello’s administration, apart from Okene local government and probably two or three local government within his Senatorial district, that enjoy projects like hospital of 50 beds respectively, no other local government does”, the source revealed.

“We challenge his media team to point out if in the remaining 16 local governments, there was a single borehole for water, road project or any housing scheme construction work done by Yahaya Bello administration in the last 8 years apart from housing estates constructed by his predecessor and landmark properties.

“Kogi State was enslaved under Yahaya Bello due to occultic powers and unreported killings due to fear,” another source added.

“Former governor, Yahaya’s administration was a disaster, characterised by mismanagement, stealing, misplacement of priorities, misappropriation, corruption, nepotism, killings and oppression.”

“The other option is that Bello is set to travel out of Nigeria as he has prepared for his bail in court with millions of dollars,” another source added.

Leading reporters earlier reported that the Nigerian police detained the female police officer who served as the aide-de-camp to Bello as well as other security details for aiding his escape from the EFCC operatives in Abuja.

The ADC was arrested, along with other police officers assigned to 48-year-old Bello, and they are being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Their arrests and incarceration came after the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, issued an order on Thursday night requiring their immediate departure from the former governor.

“The ADC and the other police details attached to Yahaya Bello have been arrested and detained.

“They were arrested on the order of the IG, on the suspicion that they aided and abetted the former governor’s escape from the EFCC on Wednesday,” one of the sources had said.

Another source said, “Yahaya Bello’s female ADC and other police officers attached to him were brought to the command this morning, and they’ve been detained for aiding and abetting (the governor’s escape).”

Source: Saharareporters