Day: January 22, 2025

FCT High Court Jails Abuja Bishop 20 Years for Rape, as NAPTIP Rescues Nine Pregnant Girls in Baby Factory Raid

Lukman Laleye Babalola

A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gudu has sentenced Bishop Kenneth Duke, the founder of a popular church in Abuja, to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine for raping a 12-year-old girl entrusted to his care. The judgment, delivered by Hon. Justice Adebiyi Osolo, came after Bishop Duke was charged by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in case no. CR/702/2023. The 52-year-old convict, an indigene of Cross River State, faced a two-count charge of rape and intentional emotional and psychological…

NAPTIP DG hosts U.S. Embassy Delegation, strengthens Partnership against Human Trafficking

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, earlier today received a delegation from the American Citizens Services, U.S. Embassy, Abuja, led by their Chief, Tom Finken. The visit was aimed at familiarizing the delegation with NAPTIP’s operational strategies and emphasizing the need for information-sharing on trafficking in persons (TIP) cases involving American citizens. Mr. Finken reaffirmed the U.S. Mission’s commitment to partnering with NAPTIP in the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria. He lauded the agency’s efforts in combating…

CAC Registrar-General charges Media Practitioners to uphold Professionalism

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Registrar-General/CEO of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, has called on media practitioners to maintain high standards of professionalism and adhere strictly to ethical practices in their reportage. Magaji made this call while hosting the Group Chief Executive Officer of Media Trust Limited, Ahmed I. Shekarau, in his office. He emphasized the critical role of the media in delivering accurate and reliable information to the public, urging journalists to prioritize truth and professionalism. The Registrar-General also spoke on the Commission’s ongoing transition from a manual to an…

NAPTIP, UNODC Train Officers, CSOs on Data Tools for Human Trafficking

Emporium Reporters

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has commenced a five-day capacity-building workshop in the North East. The workshop is designed for NAPTIP officers, civil society organizations (CSOs), and state task force members, focusing on harmonized data collection tools as part of the 2022-2026 National Action Plan (NAP) on Human Trafficking.   The project, From Policy to Action, is co-funded by the Swiss Government and implemented by NAPTIP and UNODC. Speaking during the event,…

Troops Neutralize 7 Turji Commanders, 24 Bandits in Week-Long Northwest Offensive

Emporium Reporters

By Fatima Abubakar   In a major victory against banditry in the Northwest, troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA have neutralized 24 bandits, including seven top commanders of the notorious Bello Turji gang, during a week-long operation targeting bandit hideouts.   The operation, carried out by Special Forces of the Nigerian Army’s 1 Brigade and the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Services, took place in Gebe village, Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State, on January 22, 2025. It also extended to Shinkafi and Isa LGAs, areas known for high levels of…

Edo Governor ,Okpebholo approves Recruitment of 500 Teachers to Boost Education

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the recruitment of 500 new teachers as part of his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of education across the state. The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, on Tuesday in Benin City, shortly after his assumption of office at the Ministry of Education. Dr. Iyamu revealed that the recruitment, which will be carried out in phases, is aimed at addressing teacher shortages in public schools across the state’s three senatorial districts. He emphasized the administration’s…

MURIC denounces opposition to shari’ah panels in Yorubaland, calls for religious tolerance

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused extremist Christian groups and Yoruba nation agitators of spreading falsehoods about Shari’ah panels in the South-West. The group described the ongoing opposition to the panels as evidence of religious intolerance and discrimination against Muslims in the region.   In a press statement issued on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC clarified that the panels were established to address family disputes among Muslims and not to enforce full Shari’ah law or target non-Muslims.   Akintola pointed to recent…

University of Ibadan Students Protest 82-Day Power Outage at UCH

Emporium Reporters

By Ibrahim Netwon   Hundreds of students from the University of Ibadan (UI) staged a peaceful protest today over the ongoing 82-day power outage at the University College Hospital (UCH), a key facility for medical training. The protest, led by the President of the Students’ Union (SU), Bolaji Aweda, was fueled by frustrations over the hospital’s prolonged blackout due to unpaid electricity bills.   UCH, which is the teaching hospital for UI’s medical students, has been without power since November 2023, with the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) disconnected its…

Witness Admits Errors in Testimony At Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal resumed its sitting today with the petitioners calling their fourth witness, Destiny Enabulele, in case EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, involving Ighodalo Asuerinme & Anor vs INEC and two other respondents. Enabulele, a 48-year-old development worker, admitted that his statement contained errors.   Enabulele, whose 2023 election to the Edo State House of Assembly (Ovia South-West constituency) was annulled by a tribunal over allegations of electoral malpractices and irregularities, acknowledged the mistakes in his testimony under cross-examination.   Despite the admission, the tribunal provisionally accepted the statement as…

Senate moves to boost NIMC’s 2025 Budget, summons Ministers over inadequate allocation

Emporium Reporters

By James Isaac   The Senate Committee on National Identity Management and Population, chaired by Senator Abdul Ningi, has called for an upward review of the 2025 budgetary allocation to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). This decision was reached during a budget defense session with NIMC officials on Tuesday, where the Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the insufficient funds allocated to the commission for 2024. Senator Ningi questioned the logic behind using an “envelope budget template” for a critical agency like NIMC, responsible for securing the data of over 200…