EIGHT Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have been jailed for their roles in a string of violent robberies targeting mobile phone stores across London.
In what police described as a “sophisticated, organised crime operation,” the Met’s Flying Squad that led the investigation said the group, all young men in their 20s, were sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, November 7, to a combined 55 years and four months in prison following a months-long investigation.
Detective Constable Stephen O’Connell, who led the investigation said, “Officers used forensic and digital techniques to identify and arrest those responsible and bring them to justice.
O’Connell said that between September and November 2024, the gang carried out 13 coordinated robberies, stealing high-value mobile phones and electronics worth over £240,000.
He added that most of their attacks targeted EE mobile stores, where staff were threatened and forced to open secure stockrooms.
The police noted that the convicts used forensic evasion tactics, but were caught through CCTV footage, DNA evidence, mobile phone data, and vehicle tracking.
The law enforcement agency explained that officers busted in on the gang during a planned raid at an EE shop in Kilburn, arrested four suspects while the operation was ongoing. Searches later led to the recovery of stolen phones and further evidence linking the men to multiple heists.
Those convicted include James Adodo (24), sentenced to 10 years; David Akintola (25), six years and six months; Michael Babo (25), six years and 10 months; Robert Hills (21), five years and three months; Ayomide Olaribiro (22), four years and six months; Nelson Joel (28), three years and three months; Olabiyi Obasa (29), three years and six months; David Okewole (24), seven years and six months.
Two others, Laville Bloise (25) and Mushtakim Miah (25), were convicted of attempted robbery, with Miah receiving the longest single term of eight years and six months.
The ICIR reported similar arrests that have been made across the UK involving young Nigerians drawn into cybercrime, phone theft rings, or fraud syndicates.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has moved to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, from a United Kingdom prison to Nigeria.
The delegation, which reportedly arrived in London on Monday, November 10, includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
The spokesperson to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the visit to The ICIR, stating that the team met with officials of the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice to discuss legal and diplomatic options surrounding Ekweremadu’s imprisonment.
He said, “The presidential delegation met with UK authorities to explore possibilities of Senator Ike Ekeweremadu to serve the remainder of his sentence in Nigeria. Consultations are ongoing.”
Sources within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Daily Trust that the mission was part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader diplomatic effort to secure either an early release or a review of Ekweremadu’s sentence on humanitarian and legal grounds. The discussions reportedly centre on prisoner-transfer agreements, compassionate parole, or other reliefs permitted under UK law.
Background
In May 2023, a UK court sentenced Ekweremadu to nine years and eight months in prison after finding him guilty of organ trafficking under the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act, the first conviction of its kind. His wife, Beatrice, was sentenced to four years and six months, while their family doctor, Obinna Obeta, received a 10-year prison term.
The trio were convicted for conspiring to exploit a young Nigerian man, David Nwamini, by arranging for the removal of his kidney to treat the couple’s ailing daughter, Sonia. The judge ruled that the defendants intended harm to the victim, who was misled into believing he would be rewarded for the organ donation.
During the trial, it was alleged that the 21-year-old street trader was to be rewarded for donating the organ to Sonia Ekweremadu in an £80,000 private procedure at London’s Royal Free Hospital.
The prosecution claimed the donor was offered up to £7,000 along with the promise of a better life in the UK, but the donor did not understand until his first appointment with a consultant at the hospital who he was there for a kidney transplant.
It was also claimed that the man was falsely presented as Sonia Ekweremadu’s cousin in a failed attempt to persuade medics to carry out the procedure.
However, in January 2025, Ekweremadu’s wife Beatrice was reportedly released from prison and had returned to Nigeria after serving her sentence.
FORMER Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has alleged that he is the target of a coordinated political campaign aimed at destroying his reputation, after he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sylva, through his media aide, Julius Bokoru, said on Monday, November 10, that the EFCC’s action was procedurally flawed and politically motivated.
He accused unnamed individuals of orchestrating a “relentless theatre of persecution” against him.
“His recent travails bear an uncanny resemblance to the trials of Job in Holy Scripture -each ordeal arriving with near-mathematical precision, each accusation discredited only for another to appear.
“These are no coincidences; they are deliberate machinations of those who dread Sylva’s enduring political relevance and moral resolve,” he added.
He faulted the EFCC’s action, describing the move as an attempt to sway public opinion through social media sensationalism.
“No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed – only a sudden digital proclamation designed, it would seem, to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility,” the statement read.
Sylva maintained his innocence, insisting that he had not diverted any funds and that the refinery project under scrutiny, the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, was a legitimate, transparent, and traceable venture.
“Yet, let it be categorically stated: Chief Timipre Sylva has clean hands. He has not diverted a single dollar, nor has he betrayed the trust reposed in him by the Nigerian people. The refinery project in question is a legitimate, transparent, and verifiable undertaking – subject to due process and traceable documentation.
“To our friends, allies, and well-wishers: this, too, shall pass. Truth, though often delayed, remains immutable. It neither bows to propaganda nor perishes in the tumult of falsehood. Those engineering this relentless campaign of defamation will not prevail – for light, by its very nature, must always outshine darkness,” Bokoru added.
According to the aide, Mr Sylva is currently undergoing medical checks in the United Kingdom but remains committed to due process. He will honour the EFCC’s invitation upon returning to Nigeria.
The statement also hinted on the recent military raid on Sylva’s residence over an alleged coup plot, arguing that the EFCC’s move was to “inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility.”
The ICIR reported that Silva’s home had been raided by security operatives over the alleged failed coup on Tuesday, October 28. Sylva’s media aide, Bokoru, confirmed the development in a statement, disclosing that the former Bayelsa State governor was abroad when the raid occurred.
He, however, dismissed the alleged coup plot, attributing the claims to “political desperation”.
According to him, the military operatives damaged property during the operation but did not present a search warrant or any official explanation for their actions. Bokoru emphasised that his principal had no links with any coup-related activities, describing Sylva as a devoted democrat and steadfast supporter of President Bola Tinubu.
Background
The EFCC had on Monday, November 10, declared Sylva wanted over an alleged $14.85 million fraud involving funds provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for the construction of the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
The agency said it obtained an arrest warrant on 6 November 2025 from Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The warrant, said to have been issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu, directed that “an order is made issuing a warrant to the Applicant or any Officer of the Commission, Police or any law enforcement officer for the arrest of the Respondent for the purpose of bringing him before the Commission to answer to the criminal offence he is alleged to have committed.”
AISHA* sat quietly in the crowded hall, her colourful hijab neatly around her face as a health expert spoke about the dangers of using unsafe materials during menstruation.
It was May 28, 2025, Menstrual Hygiene Day, and a coalition of civil society groups had visited the Suleja Correctional Facility in Niger State to educate inmates about safe menstrual practices.
The hall, a simple structure with bare concrete floors and iron rods holding up a rusting roof, was filled with murmurs as Aisha raised her hand when the health expert paused to catch her breath.
“Please, how can I safely use cotton wool as a pad?” Aisha asked softly.
At this point, the room went silent. The expert explained that cotton wool is not designed for menstruation and could cause infections or irritation.
“I used cotton wool and tissue paper to pad myself the first month I was brought here because there was no provision for menstrual pads,” Aisha later told The ICIR reporter, who was in the hall during the session.
In her mid-twenties, Aisha said, “I’ve been here three months now, and I’ve never been given any pads.”
Aisha’s experience reflects the sad reality faced by the 58 female inmates in the Suleja correctional facility at the time and hundreds more across Nigeria’s correctional centres, where menstruation is often treated as an afterthought.
A systemic gap
Like in many parts of the world, Nigerian prisons are plagued by severe overcrowding, resulting in poor health and deplorable living conditions for inmates.
Female prisoners make up about two per cent of the inmate population in Nigeria. However, the number of female inmates has risen in recent years.
Detailed infographics of the current number of female inmates in the 354 correctional facilities in the country
In 2022, Nigeria had 1,296 female inmates out of 70,797 prisoners. By January 2025, that number had risen to 1,688, including 34 pregnant women and 51 children under 18 months living with their mothers in custody.
However, the needs of these women are often overshadowed by the remaining 98 per cent, comprised of male inmates, the Centre for Gender Economics in Africa (CGE Africa) reported.
Advocates have raised concerns that women behind bars are forced to manage their periods without dignity, leaving them vulnerable to infections, humiliation, and systemic neglect.
A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that many female inmates in prisons across Nigeria have limited access to basic hygiene and health care products.
A cross-sectional study in Kano prisons found that 85.6 per cent of female inmates bathed only once during menstruation, while 81.4 per cent changed their absorbents just twice per day.
At Suleja, at least 10 female inmates who spoke to The ICIR confirmed that they depend entirely on donations from religious and charity groups to stay clean during their periods.
Mariam*, who had been in the facility for months, recalled borrowing pads when she arrived. “I gave money to one of the prison staff who went home after work to help me buy a pack of menstrual pads and brought it when resuming the next day,” Mariam recalled.
“I am grateful for programmes like this and for Sisters from the Convent who come here monthly to distribute pads.
Jane*, another inmate, added, “I borrow from inmates, or call family to bring it when visiting, especially in the months when we don’t receive any donations.”
Other facilities included
In Lagos, a 2024 campaign by the Blossom Flow Foundation at the Kirikiri Female Custodial Centre found that some inmates used newspapers, nylons, and rags during menstruation.
Joan Faluyi, who led the initiative, said it served as a platform to advocate against period poverty, shedding light on the challenges faced by women in accessing sanitary pads.
Faluyi noted that this struggle is exacerbated for female inmates who lack the means to procure them. “While period poverty is a significant issue for women living with their families, it presents an even more daunting challenge for incarcerated women who are unable to work,” she said.
Felicia, a former Plateau State Correctional Facility inmate, recalled the same ordeal.
The mother of three said when she was wrongfully accused and detained at the correctional facility in 2021, she and other inmates depended on occasional pad donations.
“We depended on kind Nigerians who donated pads. Without them, we used whatever we could find,” she said.
A correctional officer who requested anonymity confirmed this. “There’s no official provision for menstrual pads,” the source admitted, adding: “The women depend entirely on donations.”
Millions in budgets, nothing for pads
The Nigerian government allocates billions of naira to correctional facilities each year, yet female inmates remain excluded from the benefits.
In the 2020/2021 capital budget, over N1 billion in budget provision was allocated for Prison Biometrics, Arms, and Ammunition to enable facilities to detect, prevent, or respond effectively to internal and external threats.
The House of Representatives in 2022 resolved to investigate the deteriorating conditions of correctional service staff and inmates despite the over N165 billion budgetary allocations to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in 2020 and 2021.
The NCoS budget was not explicitly defined under the N287 billion allocated to the Ministry of Interior in 2022. Meanwhile, the federal government spent N22.44 billion to feed prison inmates in 2023.
In 2024, the government allocated approximately N120 billion to the NCoS, with breakdowns for different expenditures. The key allocations included N24.4 billion for feeding inmates, N4.2 billion for constructing fixed assets like prisons, and N1.8 billion for building new maximum security custodial centres.
The 2025 national budget earmarked N38.03 billion for feeding inmates, part of a total N45.2 billion correctional services allocation. The daily feeding allowance per inmate was also increased from ₦750 to ₦1,150.
Detailed infographics of the 2025 budget allocation.
However, nowhere in the budget is there a mention of sanitary pads or menstrual hygiene products.
Instead, such items are hidden under general provisions like “catering materials” or “healthcare supplies,” making tracking specific spending on women’s needs impossible.
To verify this, repeated attempts were made to reach the spokesperson of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Abubakar Umar, via WhatsApp, direct message, and call, but they were unsuccessful.
The ICIR submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on 14 May 2025, demanding records of procurement or contracts for sanitary pad supplies to correctional facilities nationwide.
Acknowledgement copy of FOI request. Photo credit: Nanji Nandang/ICIR
Months later, no response was received — a violation of Section 4 (7) of the FOI Act, which requires institutions to respond within seven working days or explain their reason for withholding information.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) affirm that “the provision of health care for prisoners is a State responsibility.” However, the reality in Nigeria tells a different story.
Many women behind bars are denied access to even basic health care, including menstrual hygiene supplies, a direct contradiction of those international standards.
In 2019, the late President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Nigerian Correctional Service Bill into law, mandating that all inmates must be treated humanely as part of their rehabilitation.
More than five years later, implementation remains inconsistent, and the needs of female inmates continue to be overlooked.
Rights violations and health implications
The Plateau State Coordinator and Director Legal, National Human Rights Commission, Kiyenpiya Mafuyai, said the Nigerian government, through the prison authorities, is primarily responsible for ensuring the menstrual care of female inmates.
“The accommodation of women prisoners shall have facilities and materials required to meet women’s specific hygiene needs, including sanitary towels provided free of charge and a regular supply of water to be made available for the personal care of children and women, in particular women involved in cooking and those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or menstruating” Mafuyai said, quoting Rule 5 of the UN Bangkok Rules.
She explained that, based on the available rules and laws, denying adequate menstrual care can be seen as a violation of the female inmates’ right to dignity and the neglect of hygiene needs, which may affect health.
“Obviously, menstrual hygiene is an integral part of this for women. Neglect of this indicates a lack of gender representation in governance and leadership of Correctional Services. The neglect of menstrual hygiene could increase the vulnerability of female inmates,” she added.
The human rights lawyer noted the specific inclusion of the needs of inmates, such as medication and sanitary pads, in the prison authorities’ budget as one of the policy and administrative changes that can be made to improve menstrual care of inmates.
“Deliberate attention should be paid to hygiene facilities to ensure clean spaces, sufficient water, and proper disposal practices to prevent infection and promote good health. Inclusion of reusable pad making as a vocational skill in the correctional facility for the benefit of female inmates,” she said.
A resident obstetrics and gynaecologist, Usman Isah, told The ICIR that the potential health risks of using unclean or damp cloths or infrequently changing pads during menstruation increase the risk of infection.
Isah said the kind of infections or skin conditions that can arise from prolonged use of unhygienic menstrual materials include reproductive tract infection, urinary tract infection, increased risk of Human Papillomavirus Infection, and subsequently cervical cancer.
“When pads are unavailable, and women use damp or dirty materials, they create a breeding ground for bacteria,” he explained.
Aisha told The ICIR that she would use the pack she had received from the group that led the menstrual health lecture judiciously.
“I don’t change regularly because I don’t want to lack when I need it next month,” Aisha said.
For women like Aisha, the scarcity of pads means rationing even when they have them.
“I try not to change often,” she said quietly, clutching the small pack of pads she received from visiting NGOs. “I don’t know when I’ll get another one.”
Names with asterisks have been changed to protect the identities of the inmates interviewed for this report.
This reporting was completed with the support of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given property owners in Asokoro, Maitama, Garki, and Wuse districts a final 14-day ultimatum, effective from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, to regularise their properties and comply with the approved land use and conversion terms.
In a statement on Monday, the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the decision followed the expiration of an initial 30-day compliance deadline.
“Failure to comply within the stated 14 calendar days grace period will result in enforcement actions by the FCT Administration,” Olayinka warned.
He noted that the FCTA had issued public notices on September 8, 9, and 10, 2025, through several national newspapers and online platforms, informing the public about the reviewed Land Use and Purpose Clauses for properties within the Federal Capital City (FCC).
“However, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), His Excellency, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, has magnanimously approved a final grace period of 14 calendar days from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, for all affected allottees or title holders to comply with the terms and conditions of the approval for land use change/conversion,” he added.
Olayinka noted that the affected streets and locations included Gana Street and Usuma Street in Maitama District; Yakubu Gowon Crescent in Asokoro; Aminu Kano Crescent and Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent in Wuse II; Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Gimbiya Street, and Onitsha Street in Garki II.
Others are Ogbomosho Street, Lafia Close, Yola Street, Abriba Close, Danbatta Street, Ringim Close, and Ilorin Street in Garki I District, and Ogbomosho Street, Lafia Close, Yola Street, District, Abriba Close, Danbatta Street, Ringim Close and Ilorin Street in Garki I District.
“All affected allottees/holders of properties who, without approval, converted the land use of their properties on the above listed streets/locations, having violated the terms and conditions of grant of the Right of Occupancy, are hereby (given) 30 days from Wednesday, 10th of September, 2025, to pay a penalty/violation fee (of) N5 million.
“The allottees/title holders should visit the FCTA Department of Land Administration with their original title documents and valid means of identification, for collection of their respective letters of Conveyance of Approval for the land use change/conversion containing details of the new land use and the applicable fees,” he paid.
He added that under this exercise, the minister has, approved the issuance of new title documents titled “Statutory Right of Occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy” in favour of the affected property owners, reflecting the updated land use of the properties for a fresh term of 99 years, upon fulfilling all necessary conditions.
“However, consideration for issuance of new title documents (Statutory Right of Occupancy and Certificate of Occupancy) under this exercise does not cover land and property titles earlier withdrawn/revoked due to non-development, non-payment of ground rent, and/or other reasons,” the notice stated.
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, wanted over alleged involvement in a $14.8 million fraud.
According to a statement by the Commission on Monday, November 10, Sylva is wanted in connection with a case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
The funds, according to the anti-graft agency, were injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery.
The EFCC said it secured a warrant for his arrest on November 6, 2025, at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
The warrant, said to have been issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu, directed that “an order is made issuing a warrant to the Applicant or any Officer of the Commission, Police or any law enforcement officer for the arrest of the Respondent for the purpose of bringing him before the Commission to answer to the criminal offence he is alleged to have committed.”
The anti-graft agency urged anyone with useful information about Sylva’s whereabouts to contact any of its zonal offices, the nearest police station, or other security agencies.
This development came month after the House of Representatives launched an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of $35 million invested by the NCDMB in the same Atlantic International Refinery project in Bayelsa State.
The refinery project, meant to boost local refining capacity, has been stalled for years despite the huge financial commitment.
While raising the motion Billy Osawaru recalled that in 2020, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) invested $35 million, in the establishment of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
The move, he said, was part of efforts to enhance local refining capacity and curb Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported fuel.
He explained that the investment aimed to promote the development of modular refineries across the Niger Delta, in line with the government’s policy at the time to broaden the nation’s revenue base, ease pressure on foreign exchange, and cut down public debt through increased domestic refining.
Sylva, who served as Bayelsa governor from 2008 to 2012 and as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023, is yet to respond to the EFCC’s declaration.
I had been trying for months to interview Dapsy (Dapo Olorunyomi), and he had been “running away” from me, as he later admitted when he finally agreed to a one-on-one interview at his office on Mabolo Street, Abuja.
It is easy to look past that shortcoming. Dapsy himself is a gracious man: always noble and generous in overlooking the mistakes of others. I got that impression from many people who had encountered him.
In a book of tributes titled Testimony to Courage, published when he turned 62, many of his friends, colleagues, siblings, mentees, and mentors painted a picture of a complex man.
To his teachers, he is a brilliant but confused student; to his siblings, a generous but enigmatic brother; to his friends, a bookish and bohemian spirit, yet loyal and affable; to his mentees, a warm and supportive man who puts people at ease in his company, but at the same time, too playful to offer critical opinions about character flaws; and to his staff, a compassionate and inspirational boss whose laissez-faire leadership style sometimes gets in the way of effective management.
He is Andrew Ames, the fictional character in Complex Man, who constantly seeks reconciliation with contradicting realities rather than escape. Observing him closely and from afar, and through the lens of those who work with him, I often see an individual who truly embodies the contradictions of modern man, seeking meaning in a fragmented and complex world. Testimony to Courage indeed bears testimony to the complexity of the man named at birth Adeniran Oyekunle Oyedapo Olorunyomi.
Dapo Olorunyomi, Seye Kehinde, Bayo Onanuga and Akin Adesokan at Ikoyi Prison Lagos.
Surprisingly, Dapsy, a bookworm, told me he has yet to read the book. “I’m afraid. It’s too gushing in some places,” he said in his usual playful manner. Had he read the book, he probably would have discovered that his siblings think he is a rebel and sometimes a reckless daredevil, labels, I believe, he may not contest.
During the interview, I narrated to him the account of his brother, Sola Olorunyomi, a professor at the University of Ibadan. Dapsy, his brother said, was always missing at the dinner table when other family members were seated. If he ever appeared, he would show up without a bib, unlike the others. And when they asked him why, his response was usually, “Do I look like a kid?” He was also the one often missing during morning devotion prayers. His parents were devout Christians. His grandfather, in fact, was a reverend who brought the Baptist Church to a community now known as Ijumu Local Government Area in Kogi State.
So, while one might expect him to follow in the footsteps of his forbears, observing Christian traditions and immersing himself in the Holy Books, he preferred reading dense and “godless” philosophers such as Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, and Louis Althusser.“I am just curious about knowledge,” he said. Little wonder he ended up in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Ife, where Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Biodun Jeyifo, former ASUU president, ruled the roost. Jeyifo would eventually supervise his master’s thesis.
“Without question, I always gravitate to the whole tradition of liberty and freedom, and of a just society,” he said. Unlike his schoolmate and friend Femi Falana, a human rights advocate who studied law at Ife, Dapsy found expression for these noble ideals through investigative journalism.
When he got the chance to work at The Guardian, a newspaper commonly regarded as the flagship of Nigerian journalism, Dapsy made a dent that cost him his freedom and that of others. As the assistant editor of African Concord, he wrote a cover story that landed some of his colleagues in jail. The military junta would brook no dissent from rabble-rousers, as journalists were often perceived. And when he founded The NEWS alongside other irreverent pen-pushers like Kunle Ajibade and Bayo Onanuga, they took adversarial journalism a notch higher.
When the regime of Abacha went rogue, journalists like Dapsy became targets. His friend Ajibade was jailed for life; Bagauda Kaltho went missing and has never been found. But Dapsy was lucky. He got a tip-off that helped him escape into exile through the NADECO route, where he spent years planning with other June Twelfthists to truncate Abacha’s tyranny.
Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher Premium Times.
Dapsy told me that he actually wanted to escape to South Africa, not the US. But the South African embassy then was directly opposite the Police Headquarters, and walking there would have meant walking into a trap with eyes wide open.
In the US, he worked for Freedom House, where he spent a lot of time advocating for freedom of expression, the rule of law, and human rights. He returned to Nigeria only after Abacha’s death and later took the job of Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu.
It was a tough job. He survived a couple of assassination attempts. When their tenure ended, and Ribadu himself became a hunted man, Dapsy decided to return to the US. It was around the same time that Dele Olojede, the first African to win a Pulitzer Prize, was setting up the NEXT 234 newspaper. Olojede heard that Dapsy was relocating and called him.
It was an offer to serve as the Enterprise Editor of a newly avant-garde newspaper. Olojede shared his vision, and Dapsy accepted, but not without a warning: “This business will bite you,” he said. His prophecy came true. NEXT became a gadfly to the Nigerian power elite, and they did everything within reach to kill it. Short story: NEXT folded up, and Olojede returned to his refuge in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
But it was not over for Dapsy. He founded Premium Times with Musikilu Mojeed, his trusted ally at NEXT. Learning from NEXT’s mistakes, they decided early on that PT would be a digital newspaper. They diversified PT’s revenue stream to include grant-seeking, a successful strategy.
Today, Premium Times has become a trailblazer in enterprise journalism, raising many hard-nosed journalists who keep Nigeria’s power elite in check. It is a paper that espouses the vision of one man who, very early in life, rose above the fears and unbridled greed of the plebeians who have now joined the Nigerian elite class.
Happy birthday, Dapsy.
Ajibola Amzat is the Africa Editor for the Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ) and co-publisher of WikkiTimes.
THE Nigeria Police Force is set to arraign Friday Alefia, a journalist detained for more than six weeks without trial, on alleged cybercrime charges.
Alefia is expected to appear before Obiora Egwuatu, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, November 12.
According to a report by Premium Times, Alefia, publisher of the online newspaper Naija News Today (formerly Asiwaju Media), was arrested on September 23 in Lagos after police operatives traced a phone linked to his house caretaker to his residence in Ikorodu.
He was subsequently transferred to Abuja and has since been held at the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) facility despite repeated pleas from his family and lawyers for his release or arraignment.
The ICIR reports that under Nigerian Constitution, the police are not permitted to detain any suspect for more than 48 hours without charging them to court. This provision is enshrined in Section 35(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which states that any person arrested or detained in connection with an alleged offence “shall be brought before a court of law within a reasonable time,” defined as 24 hours where a court is within a 40-kilometre radius, and 48 hours or such longer as in the circumstances may be considered by the court to be reasonable.”
Family members said Alefia’s health had deteriorated during detention, forcing the police to take him to the hospital twice at the family’s expense.
A relative, Chijioke Alefia, alleged that the journalist was being victimised for publishing reports critical of a federal lawmaker, Chinedu Ogah, who represents the Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State.
“Friday is a journalist and also a constituent. He voted and has the right to question his representation,” Alefia said.
A five-count charge filed by the police at the Federal High Court Abuja (Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/53/2025) against Alefia and Asiwaju Media Company Ltd, accused them of using online platforms, including Facebook, to publish what the police describe as false and damaging reports against the lawmaker.
The charges include several reports about the lawmaker. One of the reports was titled, “How Federal Lawmaker Ogah Snatches Village Land in Ebonyi,” which the police described as false. Another count accuses Alefia of posting a statement on Facebook quoting Mr Ogah as saying, “I rigged senatorial poll against Emmanuel Onwe.”
All charges, according to the prosecution, violate Section 24(2)(a) of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act and are punishable under Section 24(2)(c)(i).
In Nigeria, concerns over press freedom have escalated in recent years. Journalists have faced arrests, physical assaults, and threats while carrying out their constitutional duty, particularly on issues involving security agencies, corruption, and human rights violations.
Laws such as the Cybercrimes Act have been used to clamp down on dissenting voices, including journalists.
The 2024 data by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) placed Nigeria as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.
THE people of Anambra State have set an agenda for Governor Charles Soludo following his re-election.
Soludo, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)won the poll conducted on Saturday, November 8, with 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 99,445 votes.
In his acceptance speech on Sunday, November 9, after he was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the election winner, Soludo told the people of the state that he was humbled by the support he enjoyed from the electorate.
He assured the state that it would see more positive dividends of democracy from his administration.
He appreciated everyone in the state and assured them that they would not regret voting for him.
The ICIR reports that the governor won all 21 local government areas, while defeating his major rivals – George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) and Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All ProgressiveS Congress (APC), who are both from Nnewi North and South, respectively, in their strongholds.
“You spoke loudly. This election is not just a victory, it is history made and a big history in terms of percentage of votes,” Soludo said.
Meanwhile, the state’s people, including many of its leaders, have hailed the governor’s victory and demanded that he spreads developmental projects across the state during his new term.
Ngozi Okoli, a beneficiary of agri-business policy of the state government, urged the sustenance of agri-business related policies that will create more wealth for the state.
“I want him to continue the work he has done in the agricultural sector, and with that, more people will be out of poverty,” she suggested.
An Onitsha-based businessman, Solomon Akachukwu, recalled the ravaging impact of unknown gunmen in the state and urged the governor to intensify efforts on security.
“Governor Soudo has done well in the eight LGAs once occupied by gunmen, and the newly launched ‘Agunechemba’ security offensive has driven kidnappers, ritual dealers, and cultists out of town. Onitsha’s touts are now ghosts, with traders thriving,” he said.
Also, an entrepreneur, Ike Chibueze, who spoke with The ICIR in Awka, requested more investment in the education sector. He said the governor employed hundreds of teachers in his first tenure and made public schools free.
Speaking further on Soludo’s re-election victory, a Keke driver, Obinna Anyalebe, told The ICIR that the governor should intensify his work on urban renewal and spread it across the states.
“I drive my Keke in Awka, and at times I go into the neighbouring villages for work. Awka is currently wearing a new look, but he needs to expand more road access to other parts of the state, which he had already started,” he said.
Another resident, Anna Onwudiwe, who spoke with The ICIR, said the governor needed to win back the confidence of the business community with an efficient tax system.
“We don’t want officials to be harassing and stopping people by the roadside for taxation. The governor, with his team and the State Internal Revenue Service, should enforce a digital form of tax collection,” she said.
Another resident, Lotanna Agwuncha, urged the governor to tackle insecurity, which has become a huge problem in the state.
“Please remember the Ihiala Local government axis in your second tenure, which has been ravaged by insecurity in your first tenure,” Agwuncha said.
AN investigative report titled “Gas Flaring: Niger Delta Communities Suffer as oil giants fail to pay Nearly N500 billion in penalties” by Ekemini Simon has emerged winner of the 5th Ray Ekpu Investigative Journalism Prize.
The report, supported by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) is one of the organisation’s contributions to accountability journalism in Nigeria since its founding over a decade ago.
The first ICIR-supported investigation to claim the top honour was at the Ray Ekpu Investigative Journalism Prize maiden edition in 2021 with the story, “Akwa Ibom Governor, SSG in Multi-Billion Naira Scandal,” jointly reported by Simon and Abasifreke Effiong.
The recurring recognition underscores The ICIR’s role in nurturing investigative journalism that holds power to account, amplifies community voices, and strengthens public interest reporting in Nigeria.
The announcement was made during the Inoyo Toro Foundation’s 18th Teachers’ Awards and 5th Ray Ekpu Award for Investigative Journalism, held on Friday, November 7, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The chairperson of the screening committee, Nsikak Essien, said that the committee received 27 entries for the award within and outside Akwa Ibom.
“The issues handled were more diverse and rich. They were more competitive,” Essien said, noting that the entries recorded a significant rise in quality and numbers from other editions.
The winning entry, “Gas Flaring: Niger Delta Communities Suffer as Oil Giants Fail to Pay Nearly N500 Billion in Penalties, published in December 2024, is a two-part investigation that exposed multi-billion-naira shortfalls in gas flare penalty payments by oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
Simon’s plaque award at the event
It revealed how the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) failed to enforce the collection of penalties mandated under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) funds intended for environmental remediation and community relief projects.
Simon’s report further highlighted the devastating environmental and economic impacts of gas flaring on local communities and how government inaction continues to exacerbate poverty and pollution across oil-producing areas.
For his outstanding work, Simon received a cash prize of N500,000.
The second prize went to Saviour Imukudo of Premium Times, who received N300,000, while Enwongabasi Elisha of The Crest Newspaper took third place, earning N200,000.
The Ray Ekpu Investigative Journalism Prize, established in 2021 by the Inoyo Toro Foundation, honours the legacy of Ray Ekpu, veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch magazine.
The foundation also promotes quality education and media excellence in Akwa Ibom State.
The ICIR reports that this year’s victory marks Simon’s fourth time winning the prestigious award, having previously won in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and finishing runner-up in 2024.
