Folarin Kehinde

A few hours after her suspension, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Halima Shehu.

She was still being detained as at press time last night.

Halima Shehu was picked up in connection with the movement of N17 billion from NSIPA account to some suspicious accounts within one week.

The interception and recovery of the cash followed some alleged payments of billions of naira by the agency without presidential approval.

It was learnt that the EFCC might have recommended Halima Shehu’s suspension to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Her suspension, based on preliminary investigation, was to pave the way for an unfettered probe of the infraction.

Operatives of the commission, who were drafted to the National Coordinator’s private office and home, arrested her at about 8pm yesterday.

After searching her home and office, she was taken into custody at about 9pm for interrogation.

It was also learnt that the EFCC was closing in on a director of the agency, who was allegedly complicit in the huge payments into the suspicious accounts.

But, some crack operatives of the EFCC will today interrogate a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar-Farouq, for allegedly laundering N37, 170,855,753.44 during her tenure through a contractor, James Okwete.

The ex-minister has disowned the implicated contractor.

She might be quizzed today by a team of interrogators.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that following intelligence, the EFCC uncovered “unusual movement of billions of naira” from NSIPA’s account.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The EFCC raised a red flag on the suspicious payments of billions of Naira into some individual and corporate accounts. Preliminary investigation showed that there was no presidential approval for the payment of such humongous funds.

“Pre-emptive steps were immediately put in place to track the suspicious funds. So far, about N17 billion has been intercepted and recovered from some accounts by this commission.

“Our team is working round the clock to trace the remaining billions of Naira suspected to have been laundered from the Social Investment cash.”

An EFCC source told our correspondent how the NSIPA boss was arrested.

He said: “Shortly after her suspension, EFCC operatives laid siege to her office in Maitama District but it took almost two hours to arrest her. While the siege lasted, the EFCC chairman directed that the operatives should not break into her office or her residence.

“Eventually, she was arrested and detained by our team. Her grilling immediately started based on preliminary findings.”

As at press time, it was gathered that the EFCC might have recommended Halima Shehu’s suspension, pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation.

Before Halima’s appointment, she worked as the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme .

She also served with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development between 2017 and 2022.

Investigation confirmed that the President wielded the big stick yesterday because Halima Shehu had earlier defied a presidential directive to work with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu, to pay the outstanding and statutory stipends to beneficiaries of the N-Power programme before Christmas.

The N-Power programme was created by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari to address youth unemployment with the beneficiaries earning N30,000 monthly.

A total of 30 people have so far died in a recurring cult war between Eiye and Black Axe confraternity groups in Edo state.

The latest violence has claimed the life of a vigilante commander simply known as Osagie in Ekosodin community in the state.

The incident occurred at a Keke Napep park along the Benin-Ore express road in Ovia Northeast local government area.

Osagie’s untimely death prompted a surge in anxiety within the community. Security networks and community elders responded by imposing a ban on the traditional December 31 crossover night service, signalling the gravity of the situation.

The distressing event unfolded just a week after a similar incident claimed the life of another vigilante commander in Ogiso community, Oredo local government area, on Christmas Eve.

The resurgence of violence stems from the ongoing clash between the confraternity groups.

Police reports indicate the retrieval of deceased bodies from several areas, including Okhoro, Medical Stores, Uwelu, Siloko, and Ebvaeke, marking the grim toll of the escalating cult war.

The origins of this recent violence trace back to December 16, sparked by an organized Internet scam’s financial proceeds, where a targeted individual had seized the illicit gains.

This action prompted retaliatory actions from hoodlums searching for their target, culminating in an attack where the target’s mother was reportedly shot.

The reprisal attacks on Christmas Eve saw the death toll rise, claiming four lives initially and subsequently escalating with additional casualties.

The State Police spokesperson, SP. Chidi Nwabuzor affirmed a considerable number of arrests made among the suspected cult members.

Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara, reiterated the commitment of law enforcement to staunchly combat this surge in crime, emphasizing the imperative of restoring peace and tranquillity in the state.

Akindele Egbuwalo, the National N-POWER Program Manager has been appointed as the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

Leading reporters reports that President Tinubu suspended Halima Shehu as NSIPA national coordinator on Tuesday, January 2, over allegations of corruption and financial malfeasance during her tenure.

Shehu had assumed office in October 2023 following her confirmation by the Senate on October 18, 2023.

Egbuwalo steps into the role from his previous position as the National N-Power Programme manager. His appointment is seen as an interim measure, pending the outcome of the investigation into the allegations against Shehu.

The appointment of Egbuwalo, with his background in managing the N-Power Programme, is seen as a strategic move to ensure continuity and expertise in the crucial area of social investment.

The United Kingdom through its Home Office has announced the commencement of the implementation of its dependant visa ban which prohibits Nigerian students and other foreigners from bringing family members.

The announcement was made via X by the UK’s Home Office on Monday reiterating that only foreign students in postgraduate research or government-sponsored scholarship could bring their dependants through the study visas.

“We are fully committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. From today, new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK. Postgraduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt,” the Home Office said.

Recall that the Home Office under Suella Braverman, in May 2023, instituted the policy to stop Nigerian students, and others studying in the UK from bringing family as dependents except under specific circumstances.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery speaking on the policy explained that it was formulated to check the influx of immigrants to address the housing problems.

With the new policy, the UK will remove the permission for foreign students to switch out of the student route and into work routes before their studies have been completed to prevent misuse of the visa system.

A report by Sky News said, “There will also be a review of the maintenance requirement for students and dependents and a crackdown on ‘unscrupulous’ education agents who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education.”

The Home Office, in a statement on the official site, disclosed that the dependant visa ban policy was to reduce migration.

It read, “Restrictions to student visa routes came into effect yesterday, as the government continues to slash migration and curb abuse of the immigration system.

“International students starting courses this month will no longer be able to bring family members on all but postgraduate research courses and courses with government-funded scholarships. The changes, first announced last May, have also seen people banned from using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK and will see an estimated 140,000 fewer people come to the UK.

“The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that net migration was 672,000 from June 2022 to June 2023. In the year ending September 2023, 152,980 visas were issued to dependants of students, a more than 930% rise from the 14,839 in the year ending September 2019.

“The changes to student dependant rules are part of a wider package of measures to come into force that will drastically bring down the high numbers of migrants coming to the UK to sustainable levels, and crack down on those who take advantage of the flexibility of the UK’s immigration system.”

President Bola Tinubu on Monday disclosed that the 2024 budget includes N100 billion allocation for the school feeding programmes.

He made this statement during the signing of the 2024 appropriation bill into law in the State House in Abuja.

Tinubu stated that the provision will serve as a stimulant to encourage attendance in schools and reduce the problem of out-of-school children.

“One of the priority areas of the bill we just passed is the N100 billion provision for the feeding of school children. I believe that is a stimulant that will encourage school enrolment and also address malnutrition among school children.

“I will be meeting with local government at sub-national levels so that we can collaborate and jointly implement an all-inclusive programme,” the President said.

The President also confirmed that the budget, christened “Renewed Hope” is anchored on reducing the recurrent expenditure, but increasing capital expenditure.

Earlier in December, Tinubu ordered the reintroduction of the school feeding programme and mandated its transfer from the Humanitarian Ministry to the Education Ministry.

The programme, previously halted under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now fall under the Education Ministry’s purview, aiming to not only provide nutritious meals to pupils but also encourage attendance and enhance learning.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023 senatorial candidate for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has commended Governor Hyacinth Alia, over what he termed the honest, fair and equitable distribution of the palliatives released by the Federal Government to cushion the effects of the policy on fuel subsidy removal.

Onjeh spoke in Otukpo, while supervising the continuation of the distribution of FG palliatives in Benue South.

Onjeh, who stated that he was in Otukpo to supervise the activity to ensure the palliatives get to the targeted indigenes of Benue South, said the gesture was an initiative of the President Tinubu-led Federal Government, which Governor Alia has painstakingly implemented across Benue State to the benefit of its teeming citizens.

“Governor Alia a Governor of the people, with the people and for the people. There has never been a bountiful distribution of palliatives in Benue State as being done under his watch. This noble activity today is a clear demonstration of this fact, and just one amongst the several other channels that were used for the distribution,” Onjeh stated.

While the relief materials distributed at the event were 1000 bags of corn and 300 bags of rice, all weighing 50 kg valued at N65million; Onjeh stated that the beneficiaries were the less privileged, the widows, the orphans, the poorest of the poor as well as the vulnerable members of the society.

The distribution, according to Onjeh, transcends political boundaries, as members of all parties and even the non-partisans, benefitted equitably from the largesse.

“In fact, Governor Alia carried the entire Benue along in the distribution of the palliatives,” stated Onjeh.

The former Chairman, Governing Board of PRODA, Enugu, reminded the gathering that in his message of appreciation to the Benue South people for their support during the last general elections, he informed them that he would continue to promote and serve their best interests in any capacity he finds himself in the future; adding that the current assignment was one of such opportunities, and he intends to discharge the mandate given to him by the State Governor diligently and optimally.

Onjeh further informed the motley crowd of excited beneficiaries at the venue of the distribution that he was reliably informed that the Federal Government has also released well over N150m to each federal legislator, to enable them procure additional palliatives for distribution to the masses in their various constituencies during the yuletide season.

Onjeh further noted that while some federal legislators may take the full credit for such palliatives, others are not even magnanimous enough at heart to judiciously use the all funds released by the Federal Government to purchase the relief materials while there were those that only ensure that the palliatives get to their families, friends and political associates, to the exclusion of the teeming masses that truly deserve the relief.

“We hope some selfish politicians and public office holders will not hoard such palliatives in secret warehouses across the country, with the ignoble intent of using them to entice voters during their next political campaigns as was done with COVID-19 palliatives,” Onjeh stated.

He asked the National Assembly members distributing palliatives to their constituents to also do well to tell the citizens exactly where they got the support for the palliatives from as that will encourage the citizens to be patriotic enough to support Mr. President in his policy drive and policy direction.

According to Onjeh, in the subsidy regime, only a few people were benefitting at the expense of the generality of Nigerians.

Onjeh stated that as soon as the Federal Government had given an indication of its policy direction, it behooves every political actor to be patriotic and loyal enough to the cause, so that Nigeria can get it right.

He added that if all the palliatives released so far by the Federal Government were truly getting to the masses, and in the full measures released, the suffering across the land would have been tremendously alleviated.

He further advised the Federal Government that in releasing such palliative funds to federal lawmakers or political office holders in the future, it shouldn’t be a carte blanche but a bold tag should be placed on it.

“The details of what should be done with the funds should be spelt out, so that even the average electorate can be aware of what to expect, and therefore be able to hold their elected officials to account,” Onjeh advised.

On the importance of the removal of fuel subsidy, he stated that the money that will be saved in the process will help to advance our national infrastructure, to aid our development in the area of building more road and rail networks, power plants to boost electricity supply, and other social amenities that would boost local production and attract more direct foreign investment into the country in the long run.

The former student activist and President of NANS advised the people not to be deceived by the antics of egocentric public officials who may wish to take full credit for the palliatives released to them during the yuletide season, adding that the relief materials actually belong to the people; having been released by the federal government; and the public officials were only discharging the mandate of conveying the items to the right people at the grassroots.

A Japan Airlines jet was engulfed in flames at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday after a possible collision with a Coast Guard aircraft.

The airline said all 379 passengers and crew had been safely evacuated, Reuters reports.

Live footage on public broadcaster NHK showed the aircraft erupt in flames as it skidded down the tarmac despite feverish efforts by rescue crews to control the blaze.

The Coast Guard said it was investigating the possibility that one of its aircraft collided with the passenger jet.

Five out of the six crew of the coast guard aircraft are unaccounted for, while one escaped, public broadcaster NHK reported.

A spokesperson at Japan Airlines said the aircraft had departed from Shin-Chitose airport on the northern island of Hokkaido.

Haneda has closed all runways following the incident, a spokesperson for the airport said.

President Bola Tinubu has suspended Mrs Halima Shehu, the National Coordinator and chief executive of the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA).

The president approved Shehu’s suspension with immediate effect and ordered her replacement.

According to reports, her replacement is Dr Akindee Egbuwalo, who will be in the position of acting capacity for now.

This action comes merely three months after her confirmation for the appointment by the Senate.

Shehu worked as the National Coordinator of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, using her banking and career expertise to see to the digitalisation of the programme.

The former banker worked at the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development from 2017 to 2022.