Page 4 - Michael Olugbode News Today

Emma Okonji, Nosa Alekhuogie in Lagos and Michael Olugbode in Abuja The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over growing attacks on schoolchildren, as well as child abductions in Nigeria, with a call on authorities in the country to do more to ensure that children can safely live and go to school or fetch water without fear of being attacked or taken from their families. UNICEF, in a statement yesterday by its Executive Director, Ms. Henrietta Fore, lamented that no ...

The ECOWAS Parliament has cautioned against the use of cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange and commerce. Rising from a meeting of its joint committee in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso yesterday, the ECOWAS Parliament stated that there is a cause for concern with regards to the risk factors involved. The meeting, which highlighted the prospects of cryptocurrencies as a facilitator for investment in West Africa had in attendance cryptocurrency experts and resource persons. The meeting added that t...

Michael Olugbode Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kamina Johnson-Smith has commended Nigeria for initiating the Technical Aid Corps, (TAC), Scheme where professionals in different fields are sent to some developing nations. Johnson-Smith gave the commendation when the Nigerian High commissioner to Jamaica, Ambassador Dr Maureen Tamuno, presented her Letter of Credence to her and the Governor-General of Jamaica, His Excellency, Patrick Allen. The minister noted that TAC had contributed t...

Michael Olugbode in Abuja The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has advocated for the amendment of necessary legislation to provide for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users, as well as the adoption of non-custodial measures for appropriate cases in order to avoid human rights violations. Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, who gave this position via zoom at a side event on ‘Strengthening the Role of the UN Human Rights System in Drug Policies: The Case of Arbit...

Michael Olugbode in Abuja Former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima has thrown his weight behind the call for power shift to Southern Nigeria in 2023. He said it was only proper for the North, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC), to allow power to shift to the South, insisting that there was a gentlemen’s agreement that power must oscillate between North and South at the formation of the ruling party. Shettima, who is now a Senator representing Borno Central, made the ca...

Michael Olugbode Canada has shown interest in increasing both bilaterally and multilateral cooperation with Nigeria and subsequently increases the volume of trade with the country. Addressing journalists in Abuja recently to mark the Canada independence from the British on July 1, 1867, the acting High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria, Nicolas Simard, said: “We look forward to broadening and deepening our cooperation with Nigeria both bilaterally and multilaterally.” Nigeria presently stan...

Michael Olugbode The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has again alerted the public on the activities of some scammers taking advantage of the recent employment screening exercise to demand payments from shortlisted candidates for narcotic officers and narcotic assistants before they could be employed. This will be the third time in recent times that the agency would be raising such alarm, having done same on May 12 and June 6, 2021. The agency has also notified the public and job se...

Michael Olugbode in Abuja The federal government has declared Monday, June 14, 2021 as public holiday to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebration. The Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated Nigerians on the occasion and urged all citizens to support the present administration in its efforts at ensuring a United and prosperous Nation. Aregbesola, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of...

Michael Olugbode in Abuja Brazil-based drug kingpin has been nabbed with 36 blocks of cocaine, weighing about 30 kilogrammes with a street value of over N8 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). A statement issued yesterday by NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi said the drug lord, Ejiofor Enwereaku, who leads a syndicate, was arrested at the airport on Friday, May 14, 2021 for importing 27.95 kil...

By Michael Olugbode A former Vice Chairman of Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Asekun Kehinde Sakiru, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. Asekun, according to a statement issued yesterday by the NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, is a notorious drug baron, and has been on the wanted list of the agency. The former council vice chairman was on the agency’s blackl...