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Banditry: IGP launches special squad in FCT

Ijeoma OPARA
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Banditry: IGP launches special squad in FCT

INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has launched a Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following spiralling cases of abductions in the territory’s sprawling communities.

Egbetokun launched the squad at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, January 17.

The SIS is a standby team of officers specially trained to provide rapid response to significant crises and violent attacks in border communities within the FCT.

In October 2023, The ICIR reported that the NPF would launch the SIS in 10 pilot states and the FCT, after which it would be launched in the remaining 26 states.

Egbetokun said the first ten states were selected based on the assessment of recent violent crimes carried out across the country.

“The squad will be deployed in each command to deal with the state’s salient security challenges,” Egbetokun had said.

The ICIR reports that FCT has recently witnessed a surge in kidnappings, particularly within the Bwari Area Council and other border communities.

Separate successful kidnappings have been carried out in recent weeks, with many abductees dying at the hands of their captors.

Residents of Bwari, especially those who live in the developing parts of the area council, have vacated their homes out of fear.

The most recent case of kidnap in the area council occurred on January 10 in Kawu. This community shares boundaries with Niger and Kaduna states, and about 23 residents were whisked away by the abductors.

Apart from Bwari, many other parts of the FCT have also become targets for kidnappers.

In December 2023, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) named three Area Councils, Kuje, Abaji and Bwari, as places with the highest records of kidnapping in the FCT.

Several kidnap cases were recorded within these areas in the past weeks, including the mass abduction of about 23 residents of Dei-dei, Bwari, and 12 others in Gbaupe, a rural community along Airport Road, Abuja.

Shell to rest operation on Nigeria’s onshore oil after 86 years

Ehime ALEX
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Shell to rest operation on Nigeria’s onshore oil after 86 years

‘Take a bow and go,’Rivers Assembly clears 9 commissioners who resigned from Fubara’s cabinet

Bankole ABE
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‘Take a bow and go,’Rivers Assembly clears 9 commissioners who resigned from Fubara’s cabinet

THE Rivers state House of Assembly on Wednesday, January 17, cleared all the nine commissioners who resigned their positions from the cabinet of the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

They were asked to ‘take a bow and go’ during their rescreening.

The ICIR reported that the Assembly invited the appointees who quit Fubara’s government last year for rescreening and reconfirmation.

The officials who had earlier been sworn in resigned at the peak of the crisis between Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

They are the Commissioner for Special Duties, Emeka Woke; Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Inime Aguma; Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN); and Commissioner for Works, Des George-Kelly.

Others are the Commissioner for Transport, Commissioner for Education, Chinedu Mmom, Commissioner for Housing, Gift Worlu Jacobson Nbina and Commissioner for Environment, Austin Ben-Chioma.

They are expected to produce 40 sets of photocopies of their curriculum vitae and original copies of their credentials to the State House of Assembly and Legislative Quarters (the screening venue).

During their appearance before the House on Wednesday, January 17, the House’s Majority Leader House, Major Jack, moved a motion stating that the nominees should “bow and go” as they had already undergone screening.

The deputy speaker, Dumle Maol, backed the motion. Therefore, the lawmakers allowed the nominees  to “take a bow and go.”

During the session, the Speaker, Chike Amaewhule, expressed dissatisfaction with the refusal of Government House officials in Port Harcourt to receive mail from the Assembly.

He issued a warning that the House would not receive any mail from Fubara if the Governor’s Office refused to accept correspondence from the Assembly.

The ICIR reports that a wave of resignations rocked the state’s executive council on December 16, 2023, due to the political impasse between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.

To prevent the crisis from further escalating, President Bola Tinubu waded into the crisis and brokered a truce between the two leaders, resulting in the signing of an eight-point resolution.

One of the issues in the agreement was the reinstatement of the previous commissioners who had quit their positions.

The ICIR reported that during the crisis, Fubara presented the 2024 budget to only five members of the state House of Assembly after 27 of the 32-member Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor signed the budget into law a few days later.

Implications of Shell divestment from Nigeria’s oil business – Experts

Ehime ALEX
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Implications of Shell divestment from Nigeria’s oil business – Experts

ANALYSTS have said that SHELL’s exit from the Nigerian onshore oil business will attract varying consequences for indigenous firms and the country’s foreign exchange market.

On Tuesday, January 16, Shell Plc disclosed its consent to sell its Nigerian onshore oil and gas subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), to a consortium of local companies for up to $2.4 billion.

A Bloomberg report says the British multinational company will sell its SPDC for a consideration of $1.3 billion. At the same time, the buyers will pay up to $1.1 billion for prior receivables at completion.

“This agreement marks an important milestone for Shell in Nigeria, aligning with our previously announced intent to exit onshore oil production in the Niger Delta, simplifying our portfolio and focusing future disciplined investment in Nigeria on our Deepwater and Integrated Gas positions,” Shell Head of Upstream, Zoë Yujnovich, was quoted to have said.

The buyers, Renaissance Africa Energy, made up of a consortium consisting of ND Western Limited, Aradel Holdings Plc, the Petrolin Group, First Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited, and the Waltersmith Group, had in a statement on Tuesday confirmed the acquisition of Shell SPDC.

“The completion of the transaction is subject to the requisite regulatory approvals,” Renaissance Africa stated.

Sharing his thoughts on the development, an economist, Kalu Aja, said, “Shell leaving onshore Nigeria is bad.”

Aja tweeted this on his X handle, explaining that onshore or offshore was not what investors read, but that what they read was “Shell is leaving the largest oil exporter in Africa; things must be bad for investors in Nigeria.”

He said Shell or any multinational operating in a country attracts others, which is all about branding and national pride.

That said, Shell lost a case in the Netherlands, and they were asked to “reduce” their oil footprint; Nigeria’s onshore divestment is their response, Aja said, lamenting that open stealing of oil onshore was a significant factor in Nigeria.

On his part, the Head of Financial Institutions rating at Agusto&Co, Ayokunle Olubunmi, told The ICIR that divesting the international oil company (IOC) to the Nigerian indigenous firms could come in the form of a two-edged sword.

It could relieve key technical competence areas in the oil and gas operations to Nigerians as there are specialised positions the IOCs reserve for expatriates and have never been occupied by Nigerians, Olubunmi said.

“It is important to us to be able to handle our oil and gas assets,” he added.

According to him, whatever profit the indigenous firms make will be retained in Nigeria, stressing that it could improve the stock market’s performance if the companies are listed on the country’s stock exchange.

“We can see it from Seplat Energy, which is listed on the Nigerian stock exchange. The company has helped significantly in the stock exchange. For instance, Nigerians that want to hedge against the naira buy Seplat’s shares because the company pays even its dividends in dollars,” Olubunmi said.

In contrast, he said the major downside to the divestment would be the capital requirements to finance, explore and even optimise the oil fields, as investments in oil and gas are capital-intensive.

“That is why all those IOCs have contacts with banks and financial institutions worldwide that provide funding for their operations. These funds are dollarised as all the equipment and other items needed for operations are sourced in dollars.

“So, it is likely going to be difficult for the local firms to be able to raise the dollar amounts to explore the oil fields and maximise them,” Olubunmi said.

Commenting on how the divestment could impact foreign exchange in the economy, he added, “I do not think the impact will be that much. The acquisition will not affect the firm’s operations directly but indirectly because when we realised that many banks are shying away from dollar notes and cutting down on Euro-bonds exposures.

“The ability of the banks to adequately finance oil and offshore operations has reduced. That is to say that banks’ appetite toward dollar exposure has reduced.”

In their statement on Tuesday, Renaissance Africa said the acquisition marked a significant milestone, establishing its strategic position in the Nigerian market.

Renaissance Africa is “committed to ensuring a smooth transition and looks forward to leveraging its expertise, in partnership with SPDC’s industry-leading staff and working in partnership with all the stakeholders in the SPDC-JV to drive continued growth and success in Nigeria and beyond,” the consortium added.

Ibadan explosion kills 2, injures 77

Mustapha USMAN
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Ibadan explosion kills 2, injures 77

AT least two people died, and 77 others were injured from an explosion at the Bodija area of Ibadan, Oyo state, on Wednesday, January 16.

The state governor, Seyi Makinde, who gave the update via his X handle on Wednesday, January 17, said preliminary investigations by the security agencies revealed that illegal miners occupying one of the houses in the area had stored explosive devices, which caused the blast. 

Read also: Tragedy as explosion hits Ibadan

The cause of the explosion, which affected several buildings, was unknown when it happened on Wednesday. 

Sources told The ICIR that the explosion affected some houses and buildings in Old Bodija, Agbowu, the University of Ibadan, and other parts of the state.

There were viral videos showing smoke billowing, with many residents scampering for safety.

Giving an update on the incident, the governor said that the state government had deployed first responders and all relevant agencies within the state to carry out comprehensive search and rescue operations. 

According to him, the injured persons are already receiving treatment in both private and government-owned hospitals, noting that he had directed the medical bills of all victims would be covered by the government.

“Earth-moving equipment, ambulances, emergency lights, and security were deployed to the scene of the incident. The wounded and injured are being treated and moved to public and private hospitals within Ibadan. Medical personnel are on standby at these hospitals to provide all needed assistance to the injured. We have visited UCH (University College Hospital) to see some of those injured during the incident.

“In total, we have 77 injured victims so far, most of whom were treated and discharged and two fatalities. May their souls rest in peace, and may God give their loved ones the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

“I have directed that the medical bills of all victims be covered by the government. We will also be providing temporary accommodation for those whose houses were affected and ensuring that they are supported to rebuild their lives,” he wrote.

Makinde reassured residents that the investigation was ongoing to bring all culpable persons to justice.

He further urged the residents to remain calm, stay away from the explosion scene and allow rescue operations to be carried out without interference.

Besides, he advised residents to call 615 for any emergencies.

“We are grateful to the first responders, security personnel and all those who are at the scene to assist with the rescue operations as well as the medical personnel taking care of the injured,” he added.

Army reacts to soldier’s alleged suicide in Abeokuta

Bankole ABE
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Army reacts to soldier’s alleged suicide in Abeokuta

NIGERIAN Army (NA) has reacted to the controversial death of a soldier attached to Headquarters 35 Artillery Brigade Abeokuta, Ogun state, on Monday, January 15.

Multiple reports say the late soldier, Boyi ThankGod, suddenly shot himself in the head while on duty.

The incident reportedly happened on Monday, January 15, a day set aside to mark the “Armed Forces Remembrance Day”.

According to a report, before taking his own life, ThankGod allegedly complained about not getting his allowances paid and had depressive symptoms.

The soldier’s corpse, in the pool of his blood, was seen in an image sent to The ICIR.

Responding to the incident in a statement signed on Tuesday, January 16, by the acting deputy director of Army public relations, 81 Division, Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, a lieutenant colonel, said the deceased soldier reportedly handled his weapon negligently and misfired, which resulted in his death.

Ayeni said the attention of Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army ( NA) was drawn to “insinuations making the rounds on social media”, alleging that the soldier terminated his life due to non-payment of ration cash allowance (RCA).

“Nevertheless, for the sake of posterity, it needs to be mentioned that the late soldier was deployed at the Brigade Standby Force on Monday, 15 January, alongside his colleagues for daily cantonment duty, and they were adequately fed in line with NA’s standard for troops’ on duties.

“However, the investigation into the immediate cause of the incident indicated that the deceased soldier reportedly handled his personal weapon negligently and misfired, which resulted in his death. His colleagues who heard the sound of gunshot had rushed to the scene of the incident, only to find the soldier in the pool of his blood with gunshot wounds on the head,” the statement reads.

The Army added that further investigation had since commenced to unravel the circumstances and possible remote cause of the unfortunate incident, while the remains of the soldier had been evacuated and deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.

According to the Army, the Division, through the Commander 35 Artillery Brigade, had informed the deceased family and also expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy over the incident.

The Army said the Division was committed to providing the necessary welfare required to boost troops morale in line with the Chief of Army Staff Command’s philosophy.

It promised not to take the welfare of its troops lightly under any guise as insinuated.

The ICIR reports that in the past few years, a few Nigerian military soldiers have taken their own lives.

Alphonsus Alexander Kalthy Bazza, a captain in the Nigerian Army, committed suicide in Akwa Ibom state in November 2023.

According to reports, another soldier hanged himself in Abuja in 2019.

Despite spending multibillion naira on NIMC, Pantami embraces failure, aids ransom payment

Mustapha USMAN
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Despite spending multibillion naira on NIMC, Pantami embraces failure, aids ransom payment

In 2021 and 2022, the federal government earmarked over N50 billion to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for the procurement of various equipment, including biometric capture equipment, backend and frontend systems, and verification equipment crucial for the registration of National Identification Number (NIN), among other necessities. Despite this substantial investment, coupled with the hardships many Nigerians endured to meet the registration deadline and link their NIN with SIM cards, the former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, faces backlash due to the project’s ‘ineffectiveness and inefficiency’ in addressing insurgency and kidnapping cases.


In February 2020, the then Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Isa Pantami said the military and intelligence agencies could use big data to fight the war against terrorism in the country.

Pantami also noted that embracing technology to clamp down on insurgency is due largely to the recent development by terrorists, who exploit social media to spread propaganda, recruit followers, and coordinate attacks.

Since then, throughout Buhari’s administration, the minister made several attempts putting many Nigerians through hardship to register for the National Identification Number (NIN) and link it to their SIM card, which, according to him, would help the Nigerian government in the fight against insurgency and banditry. 

This was as the Federal Government earmarked over N60 billion for the said project, with high expectations and promises of transforming the country’s technological landscape and also helping fight against insecurity.

For instance, in the 2021 approved budget, N12.8 billion was earmarked for the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, with N7 billion on capital expenditure on projects and equipment that would fastrack the NIN-SIM card linkage, including implementation of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy in NIMC.

Similarly, in 2022, over N52 billion out of the total N159.8 billion allocated for the Communication and Digital Economy Ministry was budgeted for the same National Identity Management Commission, out of which N46 billion was for capital projects. 

It is not clear how much was eventually disbursed, but there are several reports of approvals and disbursements.

While there were several public discontents regarding the policy and the multimillion naira funding, the ex-minister insisted on the implementation, emphasizing that it was part of the efforts to fight insecurity.

The ICIR reported that the Federal Government, in April 2022, directed telecommunications operators, including MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile, to immediately bar outgoing calls from Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards not yet linked with the National Identification Number (NIN).

The development was at the heel of the directive mandating telecommunications subscribers to link their SIMs with their NINs in December 2020.

As of the time of the directive, over 125 million SIM cards had their NINs submitted for linkage, verification, and authentication, with at least 72.8 million subscribers at risk of disconnection from telecommunication services.

However, the surge in cases of kidnapping and ransom payments raised questions about the effectiveness of the NIN-SIM linkage in enhancing national security.

Many Nigerians believed that politicians and public figures exploited the policy to have the police pursue their interests.

In one of its tweets, the Nigerian Police Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi publicly acknowledged that the police can track down anyone in the space of two hours. Interestingly, when the wife of the then president, Aisha Buhari, felt slighted by a post on X, security personnel swooped in, tracked and located the user who was a student and detained him.

Nigerians expected such dexterity to be applied in cases of kidnapping where the perpetrators are in constant digital communication with the victims’ families.

Meanwhile, for more than ten days since the abduction of several families in the federal capital territory, the police have not secured their safety.

This was despite the exchange of calls from the family and the kidnappers.

The situation escalated on January 13 when Nabeeha, a daughter of one of the families, was killed by her abductors for failing to meet the N60 million ransom payment deadline, sparking public outcry with many Nigerians, including ICT experts asking what is the use of the SIM-NIN linkage.

In a twist of event, while the issue was generating reactions, on Sunday, January 14, Pantami on X stated that he has raised a sum of N50 million through his friends to secure the release of the remaining Nabeeha’s siblings still in captivity.

This made Nigerians query the rationale of queuing for hours and days to get NIN and or link it with their sim.

In reaction Pantami stated that he was frustrated that the security agencies are not using the implemented policy to fight against insecurity, adding that he sacrificed his life to get the project done.

“NIN-SIM policy has been working. However, the relevant institutions fighting criminality are to be requested to ensure they utilize it effectively when a crime is committed. Lack of utilizing it is the main problem, not the policy. While in office, I know 3 instances where the policy was utilized, and it led to the success of their operations. 

“On the lack of utilisation, I am more worried than anyone, as my life was threatened by criminals for reintroducing it, including on BBC Hausa & and national dailies, I resisted and ensured its implementation. If it is not being utilized by the relevant institutions in charge of securing lives and property, then I am more frustrated than any person, as I sacrificed my life and ignored all the threats to my life. This is just a point out of 100 on the policy,” he added.

Experts weigh in, say NIN-Sim card linkage policy failed Nigerians

Speaking with The ICIR about the policy, Information Technology and Communications Olasunkanmi Junior, who works in the ICT space, said that with modern technology, there shouldn’t be anything Nigerian security operatives can’t achieve.

According to him, registering sim cards with NIN details should have helped address the identification problems in Nigeria.

“I don’t believe there’s anything impossible to achieve with the modern-day technologies. NIN-SIM linkage may not eliminate insurgency in Nigeria but it would have been a very good start, but I’m not certain it was properly utilised.

“It’s supposed to be a joint effort between the government, network providers, the police, and maybe some special task force group who should be operating together in terms of tracking kidnappers because surely the kidnappers are using a registered sim card which is already linked to NIN to place calls,” he said.

He further said that paying ransom would empower kidnappers and bandits to keep on with their terrorist activities.

“I mean, raising ransom for kidnappers is a terrible thing because they are giving more power to the kidnappers; for how long do we want to keep doing that?

“I believe there’s always a solution to everything, and solving a problem requires a start. Kidnapping is becoming a business in Nigeria, and it’s been lingering for years now, and there’s still no headway on solving this,” he added.

Junior stressed that the ex-minister failed as he couldn’t depend on his technological strategy to fast-track the apprehension of the kidnappers through the NIN-SIM linkage.

Also, Gobir Abdulazeez another ICT personnel, stressed that Pantami’s action contradicted what his project was meant to solve, adding that ‘he clearly shows that the policies he made about the NIN-SIM linkage are a waste of time if the kidnapper’s phone call can’t be tracked or traced.”

Tragedy as explosion hits Ibadan

Mustapha USMAN
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Tragedy as explosion hits Ibadan

MANY casualties are feared after an explosion rocked an area in Ibadan, Oyo state.

The blast occurred on Tuesday, January 16, at about 7:30 pm and has damaged properties. 

Read also: Ibadan explosion kills 2, injures 77

Although other details about the explosion are still sketchy, the state government, in a statement via its X handle, said it was aware of the explosion that happened in part of the state.

It further urged residents to remain calm, adding that security agencies are investigating the incident to determine the source and its cause.

“The Oyo State Government is aware of reports of an explosion in Ibadan. Residents are urged to remain calm as security agencies are investigating this to determine the source  and cause of the incident,” it wrote.

The ICIR observed several videos, showing the extent of damage caused by the blast in locations believed to be close to the explosion site.

Some sources disclosed to The ICIR that some houses and buildings in Old Bodija, Agbowu University of Ibadan, and other parts of the state.

There were also videos online that showed a dusty cloud, with many residents running for safety.

While the extent of the casualties hasn’t been confirmed, some popular medical practitioners on X have announced the need for medical personnel and blood in Adeyi Avenue, Bodija.

One of the users, The_Bearded_Sina, who’s a medical doctor, wrote “Please Retweet if you see this. If you are a Medical personnel in Ibadan & close by. Please our help & assistance is needed at Adeyi Avenue, Bodija. There are serious casualties there. Please help share.”

A resident of Bodija, who simply gave her name as Shukurah, said she thought it was a bomb when she heard about the loud sound from the blast.

“I was inside watching movies because there was light in my area when I heard about the explosion. At first, I thought it was a bomb because it was a very powerful noise,” she said.

Buhari apologises for painful policies in his tenure

Harrison EDEH
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Buhari apologises for painful policies in his tenure

FORMER Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has apologised to Nigerians over some of his policies that were considered unfavorable to the people.

Buhari made this remark at a book launch authored by his former Spokesperson, Femi Adesina which was held on Tuesday, January 16, in Abuja.

The book titled: “Working with Buhari: ‘Reflections of a Special Adviser’ was presented alongside five volumes of another book titled ‘Muhammadu Buhari, The Nigerian Legacy, 2015 to 2023.’

The book launch which was held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, marks Buhari’s first official visit to the federal capital since May 29, 2023, when he handed over to Tinubu.

The former President admitted that there was no how he could have intentionally inflicted pain on the People with his policies.

“In our journey to nationhood, there would be hard decisions taken and the people will bear some cost. We can only seek their understanding and let me state that there was no intent to deliberately inflict pain and anguish on anyone.

“Government is a continuum. It is like a relay race, you run your course and hand over the baton to the next person,” he added.

He further said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has his support in the quest to have a  dream country where there is emancipation for the people.

Some of the policies considered harsh during Buhari’s tenure include the unpopular Naira redesign policy, over lending of over N23 trillion to the Federal Government, and disobedience to court orders.

Earlier in his remarks at the book launch, President Bola Tinubu lauded the former  President on his promise of not interfering in his administration.

“You don’t hear from him intrude or interfere in the cabinet. Thank you for being who you are. When you left the office, you left a bunch of tasks for me for continuity. I told people that I inherited the assets and liabilities of my predecessors.

The event had in attendance former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo former First Lady Aisha Buhari, and the President of the Senate Godswil Akpabio.

 

Insecurity: Wike berates council chairmen over inaction, unnecessary travels

Mustapha USMAN
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Insecurity: Wike berates council chairmen over inaction, unnecessary travels

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesome Wike, has criticised the area council chairmen for inaction in the fight against insecurity and unwarranted travels.

The minister berated the council chairs while addressing stakeholders at an emergency security meeting in his office on Tuesday, January 16, expressing deep concern over the apparent lack of proactive measures taken to address the rising insecurity issues within their jurisdictions.

Wike also questioned the rationale behind council chairmen traveling abroad, especially at a time when their local areas are grappling with challenges.

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“This time around we will not be happy, where Area Council Chairmen will leave their responsibilities and travel out. We have gotten reports that Council Chairmen travel anytime and then, if anything happens, they will not call anybody’s name except the FCT Minister.

“Recently, NUT embarked on strike and it is not our fault but the Area Councils’. Primary schools are under the body of the Area Councils but again, it will look as if the Ministers are doing nothing but that is not our responsibility. However, we can’t fold our hands and we have invited them to this meeting to see how we can resolve the problem.

“So council chairmen should know that they must live up to their responsibilities. It is not everything that happens, they would say that it is the Ministers that have not taken steps.”

This development came in response to the appeals from many Nigerians following the rising spate of kidnapping in the FCT.

The ICIR reported how Nigerians called on the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, and the Minister to fastrack the ransom donation and prioritise rescuing the remaining children. 

On Sunday, January 14,  the Nigerian security operatives, particularly the police and Army, also came under fire for failure to rescue abducted family members over ten days after they were kidnapped in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. 

The ICIR observed widespread outrage among Nigerians on social media when it was reported that the gunmen had killed one of the six children kidnapped.

The killing occurred after the release of their father, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, two days after their abduction. It was reported that the father and the six siblings, who are all females, were abducted on Wednesday, January 3, 2024. 

Their abduction and the subsequent release of their father led to the initiation of a crowdfunding campaign (with the hashtag #Najeebaandhersisters) to raise the ransom money as the kidnappers demanded N60 million for the release of the children.

This case of abduction was one of several other kidnapped cases reported in the last few weeks.

 

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