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  President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to coordinate and lead the deployment of a National Plan to address the issue of out-of-school children in the country. Inaugurating the 18-member Presidential Steering Committee on Alternate School Programme (ASP) co-chaired by the Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs and Education, the President said it was unacceptable to see children abandoning formal school to engage in menial jobs and child labour in the markets, streets and workshops. President Buhari said the National Plan to be deployed by the Federal Government, through the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, would ensure a holistic and comprehensive inclusiveness of appropriate basic education for vulnerable children. ‘‘To commence this special education initiative, emphasis should be given to first provide a limited scope of subjects in Mathematics, English language, Basic Science and S...

January 26, 2021 Press Statement Appointment of New Service Chiefs Late But......., Says PDP …Demands Probe of Buratai, Others The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the appointment of new service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari as rather late in the day, when much harm had already been done to our national security. The party says the belated replacement of the outgoing wearied service chiefs, after much damage to our nation, shows President Buhari as a leader who has always refused to heed to wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians but continually leads our country to a dire strait. Such unpatriotic, self-conceited and narrow-minded approach to leadership is responsible for the escalated insecurity and avoidable loss of lives; economic recession with excruciating hardship as well as widened divisions in our land under Buhari’s watch. If Mr. President had acted when our party and other well-meaning Nigerians including the two chambers of the National Assembly impressed u...

  Trial in the alleged mismanagement of scholarship funds to the tune of N100million involving the immediate past chairperson of Kwara State Scholarship Board, Hajia Fatimoh Yusuf and two other principal officers of the Board resumed on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 with a prosecution witness, Lawal Abdulwahab, telling Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin that, he never saw the list of the beneficiaries of the 2018 bursary allowances. The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Hajia Yusuf, alongside the Executive Secretary of the Board, Fatai Lamidi and its Accountant, Ajewole Stephen, on a seven count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds. The three officers of the Board allegedly diverted state funds to the tune of N100million earmarked by government of the Kwara State in 2017 and 2018 for payment of bursary allowances to students of the state in various tertiary in...

  The Port Harcourt Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested eight individuals suspected to be internet fraudsters. They were arrested on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at their hideouts in Mandela Housing Estate, Rumuokoro and Street 1, Radio Road Estate, Ozuoba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The suspects, comprising seven young men and one lady, are: Vandross Ebre; Tochukwu Mbonu; Charles Mba; Okoroma Robinson; Ruth Allison; Timothy Godspower, Kingsley Obilor and Sampson Ajaka. Their arrest followed intelligence reports on alleged internet-related fraudulent activities. Items recovered from them include nine (9) phones, eight (8) Laptops of different brands, one (1) silver-coloured Lexus ES 330 car , One (1) maroon black- coloured Lexus ES 330 car and one (1) white-coloured Benz GLK 350 Sport Utility Vehicle. The suspects will be charged to court as soon investigations are concluded.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, on Monday, January 25, 2021, arrested 13 suspected internet fraudsters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Their arrest was triggered by intelligence reports detailing their alleged involvement in internet fraud and other related offences. The suspects are: Kayode Adeoye, Ogunleye Yemi, Adio Taheed, Olaniyi Joshua, AbdulAfeez Kehinde. Others are: Bakare Omolayo, Adesuntola Adebayo, Ridwan Gbolahan, Abdulfatai Waliu, Olayiwola Olamilekan, Raji Wasiu, Olawale Ibrahim and Tajudeen Mojeed. Four cars, Phones, Laptops and other incriminating documents used in perpetrating the crime were recovered from them. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

  Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have arrested 22 persons for their alleged involvement in internet fraud. They are: Muyiwa Adetola, Adeolu Damilade, Oritsetimeyin Abel, Ademola Lekan, Abayomi Qudus, Isaac Chibueze, Ayeni Olarewaju, Aminu Kelvin, Ajama Patrick and Nesta Olotu. Others are: Odaro Edogiawere, Balogun Ayo, Mustapha Hassan, Musbaudeen Olamilekan, Adewumi Adebayo, Charles Akpene, Joshua Ugwuomore, Ayeni Isamilola, Ogundare Kayode, Kara Uzuegbu, Akindele Samuel and Oladimeji Ashiru. They were arrested at their various residence at Terra Annex Estate, Sangoteddo in the Ajah area of Lagos, on January 23, 2021 following actionable intelligence. They have undergone further interrogation and will soon be arraigned in court.

  The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has salvaged 101 shops while 70 others were severely damaged in a fire outbreak involving 171 lock-up shops at Alade Market, Market Street, Somolu, Lagos. The Ag. Head of the Service, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen about the occurrence, explaining that the agency received a distress call at 0055hrs from Alade Market, Market Street, Shomolu, Lagos, about burning shops. Mrs. Adeseye recalled that Ilupeju and Bolade Fire Stations were swiftly alerted to visit the location and firemen doused the raging fire. According to her, on arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the average land area of 1,944 square metres, accommodating 171 shops of varying sizes, already had 70 of the shops engulfed by fire. "The affected shops, which had various items including food, gas cylinders and other perishable goods were severely damaged by the inferno, she stated. She noted that the actual cause of the incident is still...