Mrs. Igwe made this known during the Awba-Ofemili Community Health Awareness Campaign held on Thursday, October 23, 2025 (Nkwo Market Day) at the Civic Centre, Awba-Ofemili, themed “Buruli Ulcer (Elu-Ulee or Ulee-Okpa): Know the Signs, Stop the Spread.”

She explained that Buruli Ulcer, locally known as Elu-Ulee, is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans; the same bacterial family responsible for tuberculosis and leprosy.

The disease, she said, often begins as a painless swelling, nodule, or plaque on the skin, which can progress into large ulcers and severe deformities if left untreated.

“Early detection and correct information remain our strongest tools in reducing the burden of Buruli Ulcer, especially in rural communities where myths and misinformation delay treatment,” Mrs. Igwe said.

Accompanied by the Head of the Primary Health Centre, Awba-Ofemili, Mrs. Justina Ofuonu, Mrs. Igwe warned that misinformation, including beliefs that the disease is caused by witchcraft or spiritual attacks, continues to endanger lives and hinder timely medical intervention.

“Many people waste precious time seeking spiritual help instead of visiting health facilities. This allows the infection to spread deeper, causing severe damage that could have been easily prevented with early care,” she said.

She commended the Awba-Ofemili Development Union, ADU, Health Committee, led by Ogbuefi (Sir) Remmy Nweke, for organising the campaign in collaboration with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (Anambra State Branch) and the ASPHCDA, describing it as a “timely and impactful initiative that brings health education to the grassroots.”

Mrs. Igwe further noted that the State TBL Unit had intensified outreach and surveillance efforts across Awka North to identify early cases and improve community health literacy.

She urged residents to report any unusual skin swellings or ulcers at the nearest Primary Health Centre, assuring them that treatment was available within the state at St Joseph Specialist Hospital Adaziani.

“With awareness, early detection, and prompt treatment, Buruli Ulcer can be effectively controlled, saving lives and preventing disability,” she emphasized.

In her remarks, Mrs. Justina Ofuonu, Head of the Primary Health Centre, Awba-Ofemili, pledged continued collaboration with the ADU Health Committee and community volunteers to strengthen early diagnosis, referral, and follow-up care.

The event featured sensitization talks by Red Cross educators, free medical checks, and distribution of First Aid boxes to schools and local institutions, with wide participation from community leaders, teachers, and students.

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The Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Henry Igwe, confirmed the incident on Monday, saying that it occurred at about 7.30 p.m.

Igwe also said that the crash involved a commercial Toyota bus with Registration Number UWN 429 ZY and an articulated vehicle, with Registration Number XW 294 ENU.

He said: “20 persons were involved in the crash, consisting of six males and two females.

“The dead include four males and three females, while two females were injured.”

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According to him, 11 persons, comprising two males, eight females and one child, escaped unhurt.

The FRSC chief also said that the crash was caused by speed violation.

He said that while the injured were taken to St. Saviour Hospital, Onueke, for treatment, the remains of the deceased were taken to the Onueke General Hospital’s morgue.

He said that investigation into the crash had commenced.

“We still urge drivers to drive carefully and obey road signs because it is only those alive that travel,” he said.

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Abuba who is from the Zaire province in Angola was arrested on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey via Cairo.

After his body scan result confirmed he ingested illicit drug, he was thereafter placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms in seven excretions.

In his statement, the suspect claimed he was into the business of township delivery services in Angola before delving into the illicit drug trade.

A similar attempt by an auto spare parts dealer, Okeke Ebuka Igwe, to send two parcels of 1.10kg cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, was thwarted by NDLEA operatives who arrested him on Monday, February 24, following credible intelligence.

During an interview with the suspect, he claimed that he was a businessman selling auto parts in ASPANDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos.

The bid by another suspect, Ezechi Iyke Cyprian, to move a large consignment of cocaine weighing 5.40 kilogrammes to Owerri, Imo State in his Toyota Sienna bus on Sunday, February 23, was frustrated by operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA who arrested him following weeks of intelligence and surveillance.

At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 28th February discovered a total of 128 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in two matrasses in the trunk of a Toyota Venza car imported from Canada.

The discovery of the 63.75kg consignment was made during a joint examination of a targeted container marked TCNU 1945861 from Montreal, Canada, by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies.

The consignee of the shipment, 44-year-old Bamidele Joseph has been arrested and taken into custody.

In Delta state, NDLEA operatives supported by the military on Thursday, February 27, stormed a forest in Innam-Abbi/Orogun community, Ndokwa West local government area where they destroyed over 50,000kg cannabis on a 20-hectare farm land.

Five suspects arrested during the raid include Augustine Subaru, 45; Ukoba Malachukwu, 53; Odalonu Emmanuel, 40; Esuabom Macaulay, 35; and Itoje Safe, 54.

In another operation in Delta, NDLEA operatives on Friday, February 28, intercepted a Mercedes Benz truck marked AWK 791 ZJ along Abraka-Orogun road.

A search of the truck led to the recovery of 101 bags of skunk with a total weight of 1,111kg.

In Edo State, NDLEA officers supported by the military on Saturday, March 1, raided the Okpuje community in Owan West local government area where they destroyed over 100 jumbo bags of skunk in warehouses and recovered a total of 1,409.5kg of the psychoactive substance for the prosecution of arrested suspects: Oikelomen Osere Monday, 38 and Glory Iroyo, 42.

While a suspect, Michael Omoloki, 46, was arrested with 58.5 kilogrammes of skunk at the Ibadan end of the Lagos -Ibadan Expressway, Oyo State, operatives in Kwara State on Monday, February 24, nabbed a Beninoise Lawali Mohammed with 2,980 tablets of tramadol and dozens of diazepam pills at Eiyenkorin Expressway, Ilorin.

In Osun, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Ibadan/ Gbongan Expressway on Thursday, February 27,  intercepted a consignment of 1.05kg skunk concealed in detergent soap and biscuit carton, while Sunday Ogbu, 45, was arrested in connection with the seizure. A suspect Ayuba Mustapha, 30, was arrested at Tsafe, Zamfara State with 24,700 pills of tramadol on Sunday, February 23.

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In Borno State, Mustapha Shettima, 50, was arrested by NDLEA operatives with 31kg skunk, 1,000 pills of tramadol and N720,000 monetary exhibit along Bama road, Maiduguri on Wednesday, February 26, while Adamu Idris, 40, was nabbed along Zaria road, Kano, same day with 140 blocks of cannabis weighing 73.5kg.

With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Ansarudeen Junior Secondary School, Ojuelegba, Lagos; Loretto Girls Special Science School, Adazinnukwu, Anambra State and Tudun Murtala Special Primary School, Nasarawa local government area, Kano State, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, MAKIA, SOU, Tincan, Delta, Edo, Oyo, Kano, Osun, Borno, Zamfara and Kwara commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts were well appreciated.

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Egbetokun gave the order at the PCRC’s maiden executive national training, with the theme, “Strengthening The PCRC System For Optimum Service Delivery,’’ on Thursday in Abuja.

Represented by the AIG in charge of Zone 7, Mr Ben Igwe, the I-G said the action was necessary in view of the significant role of PCRC in community policing.

He said that the Nigerian police was unwaveringly committed to strengthening the capacity of PCRC operations especially on combating criminal activities in the country.

“All Commissioners of Police, Divisional officers and Area commands have been duly informed to provide security and support to the PCRC in their respective areas of responsibilities,’’ he said.

Egbetokun said that as part of the government’s policing agenda, his office and the Police Service Commission had been making efforts to change the pattern of policing in Nigeria, silently, diligently, and authoritatively.

“The changes will give us the leverage to do more policing for Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole,’’ the I-G said.

He also enjoined the PCRC members to adopt a new approach to community policing, adding that policing was everybody’s business that required the involvement of all members of the society including the security agents.

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“As an individual citizen or resident of Nigeria, you have power of arrest, the constitution has granted you authority to do that.

“It is not in everything you call the police, the law gives two or three of  you powers to arrest, and before or within 24 hours take you to the nearest police,’’ he said.

The Police boss, therefore, congratulated the National Chairman and other PCRC members for the association’s achievements within the last 4O years of its existence.

Also speaking, the Minister of Police Affairs, Sen. Ibrahim Gaidam, said community policing remained central to the nation’s strategic plan for fostering safe and resilient communities.

“Through PCRC, we aim to deepen collaboration between the police and the public, build mutual trust and share a sense of responsibility,’’ he said.

According to him, technology has become a game changer in modern policing which necessitates the adoption of new approaches to crime control mechanisms.

“To enhance operational efficiency the federal government had invested in advanced technological tools such as surveillance systems and crime databases to improve intelligence sharing,’’ Gaidam said.

Earlier, the national chairman, Alhaji Mogaji Olaniyan, said the conference was to encourage PCRC members towards rendering selfless service to the country especially in the area of security,

“The training is also designed for stakeholders to use the PCRC platform to suggest ways the community can support the police and achieve a better service delivery to the community,’’ he said.

Olaniyan thanked the I-G, Ministry of Police Affairs and other stakeholders for sustainably promoting the activities of PCRC nationwide.

Source: NAN

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CUPP, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said that there was no excuse valid enough for committing those two errors of judgment by the EFCC on the day the former governor reportedly submitted himself to the commission.

The statement was signed on behalf of the Coalition by 10 members of its Media, Strategy, Steering, Financial Contact and Mobilisation Committees and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Signatories to the statement include Barrister Emeka Igwe; Alhaji Hamisu Santuraki; Prince Frank Ukonga; Prof. Godswill Nnaji; Alhaji Takai Adamu; Amb. Abah Lewis; Chief Abayomi Runsewe; Mrs. Grace Ishaku; Mrs. Gift Yusuf and Mayor Japhet Anyanwu.

The CUPP statement reads: “It is with utmost disappointment that the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has viewed the ongoing drama between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

“We are aware that there has been some inexplicable back-and-forth between the EFCC and the former Governor for some months now, which has generated considerable public interest across Nigeria. Not a few Nigerians have been eager to see the day that the former Governor would be brought in to defend the allegations of humongous corruption allegations levelled against him by the anti-graft agency.

“The commission went all out to declare him wanted and put him on an international watchlist with the assistance of the INTERPOL that anywhere he was found he was to be promptly arrested.

“It is quite intriguing that the same man you have been hunting for, walked into your headquarters in Abuja and you let him walk away without as much as interrogating him under the pretext of some extremely ridiculous and flimsy excuses, one of which was that he came with a sitting Governor among others.

READ ALSO: FEC approves construction of 14 roads in flood affected states

“A smart and intelligent head of a security agency like the EFCC would have tactically taken the former Governor into custody without much ado. But, clearly, the current leadership of the EFCC is totally clueless about the masterful art of intelligent policing. An agency like the EFCC is way above his training as a legal practitioner.

“When the current chairman of the EFCC was appointed, many legal pundits pointed out that the office of EFCC’s chairman should legally be occupied by a serving or retired senior police or any security agency officer. All those observations fell on the government’s deaf ears. The result has been the reversal of the gains made in the past on the anti-corruption efforts of successive governments since the current leadership of the EFCC took office.

“If you couldn’t arrest the former Governor in the presence of his predecessor, why send armed operatives to the official abode of the same sitting Governor to start shooting in the middle of the night under the guise of you wanting to effect the arrest of someone who had earlier made himself available to you. That incident could have ended fatally with serious consequences for our democracy. It would have overheated the polity beyond control.

“There is no excuse valid enough in the world for committing those two errors of judgment by the EFCC. First, you let the man you declared wanted get away from your premises under a very suspicious game plan.

“Secondly, you later mobilized at night to go and effect arrest of the same man. EFCC needs to come out and tell Nigerians what they are hiding and their real interest and intentions on this matter.

“Everything looks suspect on this matter. Since Mr Olukoyede took over as EFCC chairman, it has been one controversy or the other. If it is not about EFCC operatives committing gross human rights abuses against Nigerians, it would be arrogant disrespect for due processes and Court orders.

“With this kind of leadership, the EFCC will remain handicapped to effectively fight corruption. It is in this regard that we sincerely feel that, if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is truly desirous of fighting corruption in the country, the current EFCC Chairman should be sacked immediately and a real professional senior security officer from any of the real security agencies be appointed as replacement to avoid this type of local and international embarrassments that this chairman has brought to the current administration and the country at large.

“His is a case of a square peg in a round hole. The geometry can never align. What happened two days ago makes the insinuation that the former governor is being persecuted now believable, rightly or wrongly. These people should stop playing politics with our collective sensibilities. Enough is enough!”

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Being lecture to mark 10th year anniversary of the death of Dimgba Igwe, the pioneer Deputy Managing Director of The Sun, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver on September 6, 2014.

Some thirty-five years ago, in 1990 or thereabout, I was in the office of Dr. Doyin Abiola at her invitation. Dr Abiola was then the Managing Director of Concord Newspapers. As I stood up to leave after our meeting, she asked me if I had seen their new look Weekend paper. ‘Please check it out. It’s our joker’. She concluded with a smile.

I needed no further invitation. I was impressed but not surprised at what I saw when I eventually had a copy in my hands. Impressed because the paper fitted what I thought a weekend newspaper should be at that time. Not surprised because I knew the inclination and ability of Mike Awoyinfa, its Editor. I had known of Mike before I met him and in fact, unknown to him, I had thought of working with him on a project. Although he was the leading light, the paper was not all about Mike however. There were some very intriguing writers I was meeting for the first time on its pages. One of them was Dimgba Igwe, the man in whose honour, we are all gathered today.

In some ways, it would feel strange and surprising to many that I was chosen to present a professional paper on the 10th year of the passing of Dimgba, given that we never worked together. Although I had followed his career and writings since my introduction on the pages of the Weekend Concord, I can’t recollect meeting him let alone having a conversation with him at any time.  Yet, it is as if I knew him well. This is because we shared a kinship. We both believed in the same genre of journalism. This perhaps, was what decided the organisers of this outing on me. It was also part of what made me to accept.

When Mr Femi Adesina called to make the request, my immediate reaction was to decline. Those who know me well enough know that I am not much given to public outings let alone, public speaking. But Mr Adesina’s polite insistence, gave me an opportunity to rethink. My acceptance two days later, was based on three things; my respect for Dimgba Igwe as a person and what he had achieved in his relatively short but impactful life, the anguish we all shared at the manner of his passing and finally, the chosen topic for the lecture.

Like Igwe, I believe in liberal journalism. I believe in anchoring stories around people and humanizing what otherwise would have been abstract facts. I loathe long, tedious write-ups and tend to push for brevity. I love photographs that can tell their own stories. I look out for empathy in stories and I seek the uncommon in common everyday lifestyles. I love interviews and the vista they allow into people’s souls. Although I am not that much into labels, I think these are the essence of what is known as tabloid journalism, which is what I have been asked to speak on today.

The future of tabloidization is secure for as long as there continues to be changes in social and demographic patterns in the world and human beings being human, continue to find storytelling and issues of morality appealing if not irresistible…

A few decades ago, the country witnessed a rise in, and an acceptance of a class of weekly publications based in part, on the principles and ethos I had earlier mentioned. It was labelled Soft Sell Journalism by some and derisively but erroneously labelled Junk Journalism by others, including those I felt should know better. I dismissed this characterization at the time as envy and therefore a phase that would soon pass. I was wrong. It persisted and not only did it tarnish a genre of our profession, it tarnished the reputation of those who were involved in that genre. It also misguided younger journalists into believing Junk Journalism was another name for Tabloid Journalism. I will give an example. I wrote an article around the period of the June 12 annulment which was published by The Guardian. A young writer at the Guardian, one of those who had been fed on the bias of junk journalism and who obviously didn’t know I had existed before Prime People, expressed his surprise at my article. ‘Oh, he writes so well’ he told his boss. It was the turn of his boss who incidentally had worked with me at The Punch to be surprised ‘What were you expecting?’ asked the boss. That the young journalist thought so little of me – my intellect and my composition skills – meant the campaign of junk journalism against practitioners of a genre of journalism had scored a bull’s eye. They had succeeded in lowering the esteem of a certain class of journalists in the public eye and among fellow journalists. If this was not actionable, then I don’t know what defamation is.

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So today, I will start my definition of Tabloid Journalism by stating what it is not.  First of all, it is definitely not Junk Journalism. Junk, by its very definition, is something of such a low quality that it is of no value or use – I am not sure anybody can honestly say that about Tabloid Journalism. Junk Journalism or Yellow Journalism, is therefore low quality journalism. It is a disrespect for facts and an aversion for accuracy. It panders to conspiracy theories and promotes primordial fears. These are shortcomings that can be found in many publications irrespective of the genre. It is therefore safe to say that Junk Journalism exists in all genres of journalism and indeed all channels of mass communication where practitioners allow their professional standards to be lowered.

Although it must be said that some tabloids tend to blur the lines in their quest for exciting, and often sensational news. Many of them cast headlines that have little relevance to the body of the story. I often remind my younger colleagues of the old dictum that a headline must tell the story no matter how creative you want it to be.

There are many definitions of a tabloid depending on who you are listening to and what that person seeks to highlight. To some, tabloid journalism is a form of journalism that focuses on pop culture, crime and society in a sensational way. To some others, a tabloid is a condensed newspaper with a long history of sensationalizing lives of celebrities – and stories, particularly of crime and society – that catch attention. Still some others see tabloid journalism as stylish and distinct with bold headlines and short, catchy articles with lots of photographs. But the definition I like and one which has influenced me the most, belongs to Alhaji Babatunde Jose, the doyen of Nigerian tabloid journalism. He simply described tabloid journalism as ‘a vivid presentation of news and views’. Note that there was nothing like distortion of news and views in his definition. Or of headlines not representing the body of the story.

It is interesting to note that tabloid came into existence as a medical word. Coined from tablet- alkaloid, it was trademarked in 1884 by an English pharmaceutical company to describe a pill containing compressed powder. Over time, it became a buzz word for anything that was compressed. Newspapers almost completely took the name over when at the turn of the century, the search for quick sales led publishers to compacted, easy to read articles. Broadsheet journals which typified serious reading were seen as cumbersome and tedious. Seen then as new journalism before the likes of Tom Wolfe redefined the phrase around 1975, this new trend was associated with, if not pioneered by Pullitzer, yes, of the Pullitzer Prize fame, and Hearst at the beginning of the century. The trend soon caught up throughout the world in different shapes and forms. The common feature being brevity in size and style. The common aim being commercialization of their products for higher profits through increase in sales. For them, newspapers had become products and their readers, consumers.

We must remind ourselves that journalism itself is the report of news of the day in an easy to digest manner designed to attract the attention of often impatient readers. So tabloid journalism didn’t necessarily re-invent the wheel in this aspect. And to be fair, many tabloids used the commercial success of their publications to advocate societal changes and speak truth to power. We all are aware of the role Nigerian tabloids played in the struggle for independence and fight against oppressive military rulers. We also remember that the battle for the actualization of June 12 was fought on the streets as well as in the newsrooms. Many in this room still carry the scars of that battle.

Some, like ‘The Mail’ in the UK, took on an ideological if not a political stance. It was by the side of Margaret Thatcher, a Conservative, in her battle to reduce the hold the British Unions had on the economy.

With the roaring success of tabloid newspapers – The Mirror reached its peak at 5.2 million sales per day in 1967 as a modern tabloid – came fierce, almost cut-throat competitions. The frontiers were extended to include sleaze, sex and the bizarre. We all remember ‘The Sun’ in the UK, not our own Sun, with the famous, or infamous Page 3 girls that almost became nude pin-ups. As competition increased, the frontiers continued to be extended and distended. And professional standards continued to be lowered. Investigative journalism became checkbook journalism; kiss and tell journalism and long-lenses journalism. The long cherished role of the tabloid as the true voice of the people had been overshadowed by consumerism. The death of Diana, the Princess of Wales in August 1997 at the hands of the paparazzi became a wake-up call of some sort as tabloid ethics came under discussion.

Although the era of tabloid newspapers is fading and their power waning due largely to digital pressure, the idea behind it is not. Now known as tabloidization, this idea has found its way into TV in the form of ‘Talk-shows’ ‘Reality TV’ and ‘Lifestyle’. Tabloidization is also strong online with what is sometimes called clickbait journalism where the success of a story is determined by its number of clicks. Besides, some tabloid newspapers have transited online fairly successfully. Mail-online which was launched in 2003 had 13 million daily browsers by 2019.

The future of tabloidization is secure for as long as there continues to be changes in social and demographic patterns in the world and human beings being human, continue to find storytelling and issues of morality appealing if not irresistible; and if tabloidization continues to serve the need to reach bigger audiences by evolving ideas around shifting priorities in journalism and the media landscape as a whole. Instagram and Twitter now known as X are classic examples of how tabloidization has evolved in the present and possibly for the future.

Let me conclude by saying a few words about the man for whom we are all here. From all accounts, he was a quintessential, well rounded reporter, Editor, Columnist, Media Manager and Publisher. Many in this room today would still recollect where they were and what they were doing when they heard of his gruesome death. His death was second perhaps only to that of Dele Giwa in our world. Time heals. I pray that God – and time – have healed the wounds in the hearts of those he left behind. The quality of those here today shows that he is still remembered by many of his colleagues. More importantly, he lives on in his books, his devotion to his craft and devotion to God. I read the article Isaac Igwe wrote to his father last year and I smiled. What a chip off the old block. We definitely have not seen the last of the Igwes.

*Adetiba, a seasoned journalist, was publisher of Prime People, Vintage People and an evening newspapers, TNT (Today’s News Today).

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Mr Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said the eight promoted CPs were Benneth Igwe, Suleiman Abdul, Augustina Ogbodo, Stephen Olanrewaju, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, Fayoade Mustapha, Adegboyega Adegboye and Mohammed Labbo.

Ani said 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police, DCPs, were promoted to the rank of CP while 52 Chief Superintendents of Police were promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP).

According to him, 525 Superintendents of Police, SP, were promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police, CSP, while 84 Deputy Superintendents of Police, DSP, were promoted to SP.

The PSC spokesman said the eight CPs and 15 DCP were subjected to some form of assessment and examination, a condition now precedent for their promotion to the new ranks.

He said the decisions were reached at the first plenary meeting of the new board of the commission, presided over by the chairman, Mr Hashimu Argungu.

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Ani said the PSC boss had enjoined the newly promoted officers to engage in deliberate self-development through constant knowledge acquisition to be better equipped to face the challenges of 21st century policing.

Argungu said police officers would henceforth be subjected to formal examination before consideration for the promotion, adding that it was a requirement for promotion in civil service as stipulated in the civil service rule.

The PSC chairman said police officers would not be an exemption, adding that promotion in the police would continue to be merit based and predictable.

He assured that the commission would not for any reason delay the promotion of deserving officers but insisted that it must be earned.

Argungu congratulated the newly promoted officers, adding that the promotion was a call for greater dedication to the service of their fatherland.

He urged the officers to be deliberate, committed and focused in the fight against insurgency and banditry in the country.

Source: NAN

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Professor Anene Moneke, Director of the NNPC/SPDC/TotalEnergies/NAOC Joint Venture Centre of Excellence in Environmental Management and Green Energy (CEMAGE) and holder of the NNPC/SPDC JV Professorial Chair in Environmental Management and Control at the University of Nigeria, made the observation during a visit to SPDC’s headquarters in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Accompanied by Professor Charles Igwe, the university’s immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Professor Moneke, emphasised the pivotal role of the Centre in developing sustainable energy solutions and commended SPDC’s commitment to fostering academic excellence and environmental sustainability, highlighting the immediate and long-term benefits for the country.

The SPDC-operated joint venture established the Centre of Excellence of Environmental Management and Control, CEMAC, and later the Professorial Chair in Environmental Management and Control now upgraded to the NNPC/SPDC JV Centre of Excellence in Environmental Management and Green Energy, CEMAGE, to equip the next generation of Nigerian leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle the nation’s energy crisis.

“The introduction of the Green Energy programme in the Centre, will further position it to play a pivotal role in proffering sustainable energy solutions,” Professor Moneke said, adding that SPDC’s commitment to fostering academic excellence and environmental sustainability would yield immediate and long-term benefits for the country.

The delegation expressed gratitude for SPDC’s decision to upgrade the Professorial Chair to the Centre of Excellence, recognising the positive impact on the university and the wider community.

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The Centre, established with a $1 million SPDC-funded building in 2014, will now offer postgraduate programmes in Environmental Management and Green Energy, thanks to increased funding from the joint venture.

Since its inception in 2021, CEMAGE has achieved significant milestones, including the production of 22 doctorates, 37 master’s degrees, and 13 postgraduate diplomas.

The Chairholder and research team have published five journal papers and conducted three critical habitat assessments for SPDC.

SPDC Director and Country Head of Corporate Relations, Igo Weli, who received the delegation emphasised the company’s commitment to developing Nigerian leadership.

“Nigeria urgently needs strong leadership, and we believe academia can play a vital role in this area,” he said.

SPDC’s support for education extends beyond CEMAGE, encompassing scholarships, infrastructure development, and industry experience opportunities for students and lecturers.

SPDC’s broader support for education, including scholarships and infrastructure development, is seen as a catalyst for positive change.

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The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

She said the Commissioner of Police in charge of the FCT, Mr Benneth Igweh, led the operation that foiled the robbery attempt that happened on Thursday.

Adeh said security forces had engaged the 15-man robbery gang in an intense gun duel after the robbers had attacked the bank with dynamite in an attempt to rob.

She said the gun duel forced the armed robbers to scamper to safety with various degrees of bullet wounds, while the security forces succeeded in apprehending three of the gang members.

The FCT police spokesperson said the suspects were arrested with various degrees of bullet injuries.

According to her, a yet-to-be-identified suspect was set ablaze by an irate mob at the scene after being neutralised by the security forces.

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“A police operative and the gang leader, with bullet injuries were rushed to the hospital, but later confirmed dead by the doctor on duty, while others are still receiving treatment,” she said.

She said search operation was still ongoing to apprehend fleeing members of the gang with bullet injuries.

Adeh said the commissioner commended the effectiveness of the combined operation, and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to continue to make FCT unsafe for criminals.

Source: NAN

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The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said during a media briefing in Abuja on Saturday that three members of the gangs had been arrested.

He said the suspects were arrested on January 17 by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, following credible intelligence.

Adejobi said the IRT on January 15 received credible intelligence that a GSM number under surveillance belonging to one of the suspects called another GSM number, informing the recipient of a plan to carry out a kidnap operation.

According to him, in the GSM conversation, the suspect also told the recipient that he had invited other kidnapping gangs and promised to carry out the operation with him.

Adejobi said the suspect also called another  person on phone, who was later discovered to be a member of the gang, informing him that a civil servant in their custody was a very wealthy man with a lot of assets.

He told the gang member not to release the civic servant unless he paid a minimum of N50 million ransom.

According to him, in the same conversation, the suspect said he was still carrying out surveillance on a polytechnic in Niger State to kidnap students.

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“Investigation has shown that the suspects have been involved in several kidnapping operations in the FCT, including some that happened in Bwari axis.

“Our operatives are intensifying efforts to rescue the kidnap victims in their captivity and ensure that other members of the gang are arrested,” Adejobi said.

The force spokesman said police operatives had also arrested a suspect on Thursday in Kaduna over armed robbery and kidnapping.

Adejobi said the arrest followed a report that a man was abducted by four armed men from his house in Abuja and driven away in his Hilux van, registered RBC 90 DL.

The four armed men were said to have blocked their victim with their Mercedes Benz car.

“But luck ran out of them as they were intercepted by police operatives at a filling station in Kaduna where three of them escaped while one was arrested with the Hilux van recovered.

“The victim was being taken to Kano, but they stopped at Kaduna where they dispossessed him of his ATM cards and transferred N500,000 from his account,” he said.

He added that investigation had revealed that two of the four armed men were based in Abuja.

Adejobi recalled that the suspect and his accomplices were earlier arrested in November 2023, but granted bail by an FCT High Court.

Adejobi denied that the suspected kidnapper was shot dead to cover up investigation.

“We are here to correct some misinformation being circulated in the social media that the Police have killed the arrested suspects to silence some facts.

“With the inauguration of Special Intelligence Squad (SIS), the game has changed, there is no need to cover up for anybody or deceive Nigerians when we have cases like this.

“For those who have been spreading rumours on social media, listen carefully now.

“The arrested suspect is still alive on a stretcher because he has bullet injury during the operation but he is alive on a stretcher,” he said.

Adejobi said the suspect was arrested in Kaduna but handed over to the Police Command in the FCT for further investigation.

Meanwhile, the police spokesman said 16 suspects have been arrested by IRT operatives and the Anti-Violent Crime Unit, FCT Command, over alleged kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide and other criminal offences.

He said the suspects had all given confessional statements and providing police operatives with relevant information to ensure the arrest of other criminals.

Adejobi said five AK 47 riffles, 11 pistols, two pump action guns, one English made berretta pistol, 65 rounds of AK 47 live ammunition, and seven rounds of live ammunition for berretta pistol were recovered from the suspects.

In a related development, the Commissioner of Police in charge of SIS, Mr Ben Igwe, said operatives of the squad had been deployed to all areas of the FCT, including Bwari, which has witnessed high level of kidnapping recently.

Source: NAN

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