Folarin Kehinde

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has banned the use of Point-of-Sales (POS) and other electronic mobile money transaction devices within police stations across the country.

Egbetokun said the ban has became necessary due to public outcry over alleged illegal and illicit transactions of POS machine operators within some police operatives.

The police boss, who spoke through the force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the ban was aimed at preserving the integrity and security of police operation.

He stressed that the directive was also to forestall perceived corrupt practices, adding that it was to clear the Commands or Formations of possible criminal intrusion under such guise, and maintaining discipline within the Force.

The police boss said any command or formation caught flouting the order would be severely dealt with while police officers and POS operators involved would face dire consequences.

The statement reads in part: “Despite previous directives, it has come to the attention of the Force leadership that some Commands and Formations continue to flout this regulation.

“As such, the IGP warns that any violation of this ban will attract severe sanctions on the leadership of the affected Commands and Formations.

“The IGP notes that the use of electronic payment devices within police facilities poses significant risks, including the potential compromise of sensitive information, financial irregularities, and the facilitation of illicit activities, therefore, strict adherence to this directive is non-negotiable.

“The IGP urges all officers and personnel to comply with this directive without exception, and warns that any police officer or POS operator found contravening this order, or conniving to conduct illicit financial transactions will face appropriate disciplinary and criminal action in accordance with the extant laws and regulations, and the Command/Formation leadership will equally be held responsible.”

President Bola Tinubu has concluded his state visit to Qatar and departed from Doha to return to Nigeria.

During his visit, President Tinubu engaged in diplomatic discussions and explored areas of cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar.

The state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and fostering partnerships that will contribute to the socio-economic development of both nations.

President Tinubu participated in high-level meetings with Qatari officials, discussing issues of mutual interest, trade, investment, and collaboration in various sectors.

President Tinubu’s expected return marks the conclusion of a successful diplomatic mission to Qatar, with expectations of positive outcomes for Nigeria’s continued progress and development.

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have again stopped a truck loaded with palliatives in the De-Dei area looting items in the vehicle.

According to a video seen by our reporter on Monday morning, the suspected hoodlums were seen walking hastily with their loots (bags of grains) on the busy road to unknown locations.

“This is Dei-Dei, Gwagwa. The masses stopped some trailer loads of palliatives and everyone is carrying bags of rice, they are carrying everything,” the narrator said.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU) have threatened to shut down higher institutions in the country over federal government’s refusal to approve their demands.

In an interview with ChannelsTV on Sunday evening, SSANU president, Mohammed Ibrahim, noted that the unions have issued the government a seven-day ultimatum adding that failure to meet their demand would lead to the closure of university in the country.

Ibrahim noted that both bodies would embark on a strike if nothing was done by the government at the end of the ultimatum.

“We are in charge of security, we are in charge of administration, we are in charge of medicals, we are in charge of hostels, we are in charge of electricity, we are in charge of everything apart from teaching. So, once our members down tools, no university can function in Nigeria,” Ibrahim said.

“It’s quite unfortunate. No union member wants to go on strike but when you are pushed to the wall, what would you do? You have to push back.

“You can see what is happening in the country. The economy is in dundrums and everybody is suffering. Most of our universities are located far outside the township and our members have to commute every day. Fuel cannot be accessed, food is scarce, our medicals can not be attended to, and members are suffering quite clearly,” he added.

Speaking about the union’s grievances,Ibrahim said: “It’s quite absurd that we have to speak like this and it is because we have been clearly shown that we do not matter in the system while we all know that there is no university that can function without the non-teaching staff.

“We are populated by professionals, we oil the engine in the administration of every university and therefore treating a segment of staff with disdain does not speak well of the system.

“In 2022, all the university-based unions were on strike – four of us. For us in NASU and SSANU, we went on strike on the 27th of March and we called it off on the 27th of August after the intervention of the then Minister of Education, Mal Adamu Adamu.

“We had an agreement that we signed with the government to review the situation and ensure that justice is done,” he added.

Ibrahim said the last part of the agreement was that no one should suffer for taking part in the strike and salaries should not be withheld.

He said the government however stopped the salaries of all non-teaching staff in May and was only restored in September of the same year, adding that the current government decided to pay the withheld salaries of only ASUU members.

“Today, as I speak to you, our colleagues in ASUU have been able to get theirs and no one is saying anything about NASU and SSANU,” he lamented.

Police operatives in Abuja have arrested 15 suspects in connection with the looting of food items at a warehouse belonging to the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration on Sunday.

Among those arrested were two security guards who “actively participated” in the looting of food and other items at the facility.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, some foodstuff and other items were recovered from the suspects.

“Exhibits such as twenty-six (26) bags of maize, five (5) motorcycles, and some vandalized aluminum roofings were recovered from the suspects,” Adeh said in a statement on Sunday evening.

She added: “The FCT police command is fully informed about the impulsive attack on Agric Department Strategic food store located at Tasha, Abuja, on 2/03/2024 by some irate mobs, which resulted in the vandalism and looting of the warehouse.

“The Command wishes to state that normalcy has since been restored to the environ and the situation is very much under control

“Fifteen(15) suspects were arrested, including two local securityguardsd employed by the warehouse management.”

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has dismissed claims that it’s warehouse was looted by some hoodlums in Abuja.

“This is to clarify that the looted warehouse does not belong to NEMA. However, the Agency sympathizes with owners of the looted facility,” NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel said on Sunday.

“To forestall any security breach at NEMA facilities, the Director General Mustapha Habib Ahmed has directed Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations to strengthen security in and around the Agency’s offices and warehouses nationwide.”

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, will declare open the Expanded National Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Business Clinics in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Tuesday.

Shettima, who will embark on a one-day visit on Tuesday, will be hosted at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

The Expanded National MSMEs Business Clinic is an initiative of the Federal Government executed in collaboration with state governments.

The clinic, the government said, would allow small business owners to meet regulatory bodies like the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and others as well as feature grant presentations to qualified MSMEs.

The Vice President, Sunday PUNCH learnt, would also be opening the Fashion Hub project at the Old OGTV auditorium, where over 150 pieces of state-of-the-art tailoring equipment have been provided for stakeholders in the fashion industry.

Shettima will also unveil the Adire shared facility at Asero, Abeokuta.

Meanwhile, Shettima was in Katsina State on Saturday during which he met former president, Muhammadu Buhari, the Emir of Daura, Umar Faruq, and the Emir of Katsina, Dr Abdulmumin Usman.

Although it was said to be a private visit, the Vice President was welcomed to the state by Governor Dikko Radda at the Musa Yaradua International Airport shortly after which he moved to Daura.

The Vice President arrived at the former President’s residence around 1 p.m. and stayed with him for about 30 minutes.

Those who accompanied the Vice President to the former President’s residence included the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu; the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Abubakar, and former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.

The team later left for the Emir of Daura’s palace where the Vice President also briefly met the royal father.