General
Dangote Releases N7b to Support Boko Haram Victims
By Dipo Olowookere
Africa’s richest man, Mr Aliko Dangote, has so far released not less than N7 billion to provide succour to displaced persons affected by the Boko Haram crisis in the north eastern part of Nigeria.
This disclosure was made in a statement issued by the Aliko Dangote Foundation this week and syndicated to media house.
Since the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, thousands of people have been displaced from their homes, with several others killed by the terrorists, who have also killed security operatives.
Apart from the Boko Haram crisis, the country has recently had the farmers-herders clash and sporadic attacks by cattle rustlers, which have led to thousands of persons displaced.
Recently in Zamfara State, armed bandits struck, killing some people and others displaced, many of whom are currently seeking refuge at Maradun Local Government Area of the state.
According to official reports over 3,000 people have been killed, about 100,000 displaced, of which about 30,000 are in Maradun LG, and over 500 people kidnapped.
This week, precisely on Monday, in yet another massive intervention, the Aliko Dangote Foundation officially launched a major philanthropic programme in Zamfara State, doling out food items, including semolina, sphagetti, sugar, wheatmeal and macroni, running into several millions of naira to support victims of insurgency.
Group Executive Director Government Relations and Strategic Relations, Mr Mansur Ahmed, presented food items on behalf of the Group President, Mr Aliko Dangote, to the displaced persons.
He said the Foundation was supporting the government and traditional leaders in meeting the needs of the IDPs.
Only recently Mr Dangote was rated world’s 6th largest donors, and Africa’s richest person for almost a decade. His Aliko Dangote Foundation has been endowed with a staggering $1.25billion. He was also listed by Forbes Magazine among the 75 people that make the world turn.
Mr Ahmed, an Engineer, said Mr Dangote was very disturbed about the plight of the displaced persons and quickly directed that everything possible be done to provide succour.
He said the company was building a 2000 ton capacity of rice mill in Maradun and that when completed this year it would create hundreds of job opportunities for the people of Zamfara State.
Responding, the Emir of Maradun, Muhammad Garba Tambari, said he was highly elated as the company is the first to intervene by providing food support for displaced persons.
He commended Mr Dangote for the gesture and promise to help secure his investment in his Emirate.
Chairman of Maradun Local Government, Mr Yahayah Shehu Maradun, thanked the Dangote Foundation for the gesture and pray God to continue to bless the Dangote business.
Victims at the IDP camp who recounted their ordeal described the crisis as the worst in the country in the past five years.
They regretted that state have been neglected by government and mainstream media.
Mrs Inno Usman, 50, from Mallamai District lost a husband to the crisis and has eight children at the IDP camp. She said five men including her husband were killed by the marauders.
Mrs Usman described the intervention of Mr Dangote as timely, while urging other donors to emulate the the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Another victim, Mrs Kenan Usman said her husband was also killed in a gruesome manner and that she escaped with her five children by the whiskers.
She said before the coming of Dangote Foundation they have been accommodated at the IDP camp in Maradun since November 2018, regretting that there is no date for their return as the insurgents still hold sway in their various villages.
For Inno Aliyu Sani, 60, 21 people were killed including four women, and cows running into hundreds were stolen by the rustlers.
“We can’t go back. The killers are still there,” she said.
Abubakar Garba from Rudun village said for the past five years marauders had sacked everyone in the village but that government was doing anything address the situation until now.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr Mele Kyari, has disclosed that his organisation remitted about N10 trillion into the purse of the federation last year.
Speaking on Wednesday during a presentation on NNPC Limited’s 2024 revenue performance and 2025 projections to the National Assembly’s joint committee on Finance, Mr Kyari the NNPC was the highest taxpayer in the country in 2024 with the N10 trillion paid to the nation, claiming the state-oil company remains the only in Nigeria to publish 100 per cent of its account statements annually.
The NNPC boss also called for a forensic audit of the funds spent by the company on fuel price stabilization and ensuring uninterrupted petrol supply between January and September 2024.
“Until October 1, 2024, NNPCL, as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), acted as the supplier of last resort for fuel supply,” he boasted.
“A forensic audit is needed to determine the financial obligations of NNPCL and any owed entities. Our transactional accounts are transparent and published annually, reinforcing our status as the top taxpayer and the highest contributor of royalties and dividends,” the NNPC chief added.
Regarding the company’s 2025 revenue projections, Mr Kyari indicated that a definitive figure would be provided after the upcoming board of directors meeting in two weeks, assuring the committee that the parameters for the 2025 budget were both realistic and achievable.
Recall that last year, the NNPC claimed that the 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refinery was operating at 60 per cent capacity and will focus on producing and storing critical products, including Straight Run Kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and heavy and light Naphtha. after the first 110 barrels per day refinery in Port Harcourt was operational.
The NNPC also noted that Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 barrels per day second refinery in Port Harcourt will consolidate Nigeria’s position as a global energy provider.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Boko Haram must put an end to its vicious killing spree in the northern part of Nigeria, the Amnesty International (AI) has declared.
In a statement to condemn the killing of more than 40 civilians by the terrorist group, AI said Boko Haram must be held to account for its years of atrocities, including war crimes in the country.
On Sunday, January 12, 2025, members of the terror organisation attacked the victims on farming communities in Borno State, killing the inhabitants at close range.
In the statement, AI condemned in strong terms “the executions of these civilians which, once again, shows Boko Haram’s utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and for rules of international humanitarian law.”
“Boko Haram must be held to account for its years of atrocities, including war crimes,” the organisation declared in the statement.
“Our findings show that Boko Haram rounded up the farmers and fishermen, separated the men and shot them at close range.
“Those who attempted to flee were pursued and killed while dozens more were injured. A search for dead bodies is still ongoing while a mass burial is being planned for those killed.
“As well as killings targeting civilians, Boko Haram continues to abduct women and girls and extensively loot property.
“The fact that such atrocities remain commonplace shows that more needs to be done to protect civilians and ensure that families of victims receive reparation and justice,” it stated.
Over the weekend, Boko Haram fighters executed over 40 farmers and fishermen at Dumba community near Baga Borno state northeast.
A resident of Baga told AI that dozens of people have been injured and many are missing. Those killed have been buried.
Since 2020, Boko Haram has been targeting farmers and farmers around the Lake Chad. The armed conflict in northeast Nigeria has been ongoing since at least 2011 and it has created a humanitarian crisis, with more than 2 million people displaced, according to the United Nations.
Amnesty International has repeatedly documented crimes under international law and other serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by both Boko Haram and the Nigerian military in the context of the conflict in northeast Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United States government has renovated the laboratory of the Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos as part of continued efforts to boost Nigeria’s counter-narcotics efforts.
The US government, through the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), handed over the facility to the agency to complement efforts.
This follows the investment of approximately $500,000 by the American government to modernize and equip the chemical forensic laboratory at the NDLEA zonal office in Lagos in 2024.
The upgraded laboratory, now equipped with cutting-edge technology, enhances the NDLEA’s capacity to analyse suspicious substances and process evidence from crime scenes and suspects.
Acting US Consul General, Ms JoEllen Gorg formally handed over the keys to the new office space to NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mohammed Buba Marwa, during a ceremony attended by representatives from AFRICOM and the DEA.
Acting Consul General Gorg noted that the donation of a new office, equipped with a solar power system, represents a significant step forward in US-Nigeria security cooperation.
She noted that the new facility will provide NDLEA officers with a secure and professional environment to carry out critical investigative functions, including processing detainees and conducting post-arrest interviews.
“The U.S.-Nigeria security partnership remains strong. This donation is the latest example of the robust and productive cooperation between the U.S. government and the NDLEA,” the Acting Consul General said.
“Over the years, our joint efforts have helped build the capacity of Nigerian authorities to disrupt drug trafficking networks, dismantle clandestine meth labs, and conduct advanced forensic analyses of synthetic drugs,” she added.
On his part, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Marwa lauded the US-Nigeria security cooperation in the fight against illicit drugs and countering narcotics trafficking.
He described the US as a steadfast ally in Nigeria’s fight against drug-related crimes and noted that the collaboration has significantly enhanced the NDLEA’s operational efficiency.
Since the establishment of the NDLEA in 1990, the US Mission to Nigeria has partnered with the agency to combat narcotics trafficking which it has done through training in intelligence, evidence collection, management, and tactical skills, including equipment donation.
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