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NPF partners Hungary Police to arrest suspected cyber criminal in PH

Bankole ABE
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NPF partners Hungary Police to arrest suspected cyber criminal in PH

THE Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the  Hungarian Police have collaborated to arrest members of an international cyber crime syndicate which specialises in scamming unsuspected people of thousands of United States dollars.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement released late on Monday, May 1, said the leader of the gang was apprehended in Rivers State.

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According to Adejobi, the Police National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC), through the National Central Bureau (NCB) of the Force, received a message on the syndicate’s activities from the Hungary Police on July 15, 2022.

The leader of the syndicate, according to the police spokesperson, is 21-year-old George Gift Ikata.

“The intelligence enumerated the activities of a suspected fraudulent platform called “AMC Stock Experts” and how the said platform had succeeded in defrauding unsuspecting members of the global Cyber Community to the tune of thousands of dollars.

“Upon the receipt of this intelligence, Seasoned Cybercrime Forensic and Intelligence Assets under the supervision of DCP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, the Director NCCC, were deployed on the Case.

“The painstaking effort of the team led to the arrest of one George Gift Ikata, a 21-year-old male indigene of Abua Local Government Area in Rivers State,” Adejobi stated.

The Police spokesperson added that the suspect, Ikata, who resides in the Iwofe area of Rivers State, voluntarily created the platform for fraud.

“While effort has been intensified to apprehend other members and affiliates of this criminal venture, the Inspector-General of Police wishes to urge the entire Cyber community and internet users, in general, to be wary of phantom and unverified investment platforms and schemes,” Adejobi added.

He said that in the eventuality of fraud, members of the public should take advantage of the e-reporting portal of the Police, https://incb.npfgovng, to register their complaints for immediate intervention.

The Police PRO said investigations into the matter continues, and emerging developments will be communicated to members of the public.

NiDCOM reacts to allegations of tribal discrimination in Sudan

Ijeoma OPARA
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NiDCOM reacts to allegations of tribal discrimination in Sudan

THE Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has reacted to a video circulating on the social media alleging that some stranded citizens of Igbo extraction were left behind during the evacuation in Sudan.

Speaking to The ICIR on Monday, May 1, Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NiDCOM Abdur-Rahman Balogun described the allegations as ethnic-baiting.

“False. They were arranged alphabetically, and all Igbo states: Abia, Anambra etc, were evacuated before Kano and Zamfara.

“If we went by “states and capital” in its order, Abia and Anambra appeared in the first four. Kano, with (most likely the highest) number of students, isn’t even in the first 17 priority list. Zamfara, with a significant number, is the last. All the five Igbo states appear before Kano,” he noted.

An unidentified man in a video circulating on the social media who claimed to be a resident of Sudan said Igbos had been ordered to disembark from a bus moving Nigerians out of the Sudan capital, Khartoum.

“I am calling on the Igbos. We are at the University of Khartoum in Sudan. They said they are doing an evacuation project in which Nigerians will be evacuated out of Sudan. They came and carried some people and then abandoned us Igbos. We boarded the bus that left two days ago but were asked to get off the bus. Everything is now politics,” he said.

The man also called on prominent Igbo in Nigeria to assist with the evacuation from Sudan.

“Now, we are pleading with our Igbo people who can help us. Our brother Air Peace who brought Airplane to help evacuate Nigerians, might feel everything is fine. But I want them to know that things are not going fine. See our bags here. This is where we’ve been abandoned. Somehow, news has spread that we have been evacuated, but we are still here.”

Thousands of foreigners, including at least 10,000 Nigerian students, were trapped in Sudan following the violence between two rival forces.

On Wednesday, April 26, the first batch of Nigerian students stranded in Egypt began the journey out of the Sudan capital by road, as efforts to airlift them directly out of the country were frustrated by the crisis.

While some Nigerians were conveyed to the Egyptian border hoping to be airlifted to Abuja from Aswan, the students were refused entry into the country for four days.

Although the Egyptian authorities eventually granted the evacuees access on Monday following interventions by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, other batches of students are being moved to safety through Port Sudan.

United Nations video competition seeks entries

Blessing OTOIBHI
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United Nations video competition seeks entries

THE United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are seeking entries for the PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival competition.

Videos must be less than five minutes long, include English subtitles, and be produced after January 1, 2020.

There are three age-based categories as well as Special Recognition for Combatting Xenophobia and Discrimination, Sport for One Humanity, and Migrants’ Contributions to Societies.

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Winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the PLURAL+ 2023 Festival and Awards Ceremony late in 2023 in a location to be announced.

Filmmakers aged 25 and younger are invited to submit films on migration, diversity, social inclusion, and the prevention of xenophobia.

The deadline for the submission of entries is June 30, 2023. Interested applicants can apply here.

Cambridge Digital Humanities offers social data school

Blessing OTOIBHI
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Cambridge Digital Humanities offers social data school

CAMBRIDGE Digital Humanities at the University of Cambridge is inviting applications to the Social Data School.

This year’s Social Data School will focus on machine learning, social media, and decoloniality.

The school is an intensive teaching program structured around the life cycle of a digital research project, covering principles of research design, data collection, cleaning and preparation, methods of analysis and visualisation, and data management and preservation practices.

Teaching modules will cover the following topics: Methodology for Digital Investigations, Introduction to Computer Vision and Machine Learning for Investigations, Basic Automation for Investigations, and more.

The organiser says applicants must propose a project to work on during the five days of the Social Data School.

The school will be held in person at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Several bursaries are available to those who can demonstrate financial need.

Journalists worldwide are invited to enroll in the Social Data School, from June 26, 2023, to June 30, 2023.

The submission of the application deadline is May 13, 2023. Interested applicants can apply here.

Sudan: Bus evacuating Nigerians suffered tyre burst, did not catch fire -– NIDCOM

Ijeoma OPARA
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Sudan: Bus evacuating Nigerians suffered tyre burst, did not catch fire -– NIDCOM

THE Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has debunked reports that a bus conveying Nigerian students to Port Sudan from Khartoum, the Sudan capital, caught fire on Monday, May 1.

Head, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NIDCOM Abdur-Rahman Balogun debunked the reports in a chat with The ICIR on Monday, May 1.

However, he revealed that the vehicle suffered tyre burst.

“It was a tyre that got burst. No bus caught fire,” he said.

The NiDCOM spokesman also noted that payments had been settled for the evacuation of the Nigerians leaving through Port Sudan, adding that they would be leaving early on Tuesday, May 2.

“They cannot move tonight. It is not safe. They will proceed first thing tomorrow morning,” he stated.

He added that clearance was still ongoing for Nigerians at the Egyptian border, as the conditions given for their entry into the country were quite stringent.

There were reports that a tyre on one of the buses moving Nigerians from Khartoum to Port Sudan exploded in the early hours of Monday, resulting in a fire.

The Federal Government had contracted bus operators to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Sudan following the violence that broke out between two rival forces in the country.

The journey by road became necessary after efforts to airlift Nigerians directly from Khartoum were frustrated by the crisis within the country.

READ ALSO:

Some Nigerians had been conveyed to the Egyptian border in hopes that they would be airlifted to Abuja from Aswan, Egypt.

However, the Nigerians remained unable to gain access into the country for four days.

Though the Egyptian authorities opened the border on Monday following interventions by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, other batches of students are being evacuated through Port Sudan.

Why UniAbuja charges N225,000 for medical students, N82,000 for Arts — VC

Marcus FATUNMOLE
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Why UniAbuja charges N225,000 for medical students, N82,000 for Arts — VC

THE Management of the University of Abuja (UofA) has explained why it raised the tuition paid by students of the institution.

In a message on Monday, May 1, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah appealed to students to accept the hike, claiming it was part of efforts to offer them the best training.

The ICIR reports that returning students in the Arts and related faculties in the university pay N82,000, while their medical counterparts pay N225,000.

The fees differ from the acceptance fee of N30,000 and other departmental and Students’ Union Government (SUG) fees.

On Monday, students who spoke with The ICIR said new students would pay between N85,000 to over N100,000 in the Arts faculties, while medical students pay above N225,000.

Further findings by this organisation showed that students in social sciences paid less than N60,000 in the previous session, while those in medical faculties paid about half of what they will now be paying.

The VC said his goal was to make the institution’s student the best, and the dream required making sacrifices.

He explained that the university’s Governing Council approved the tuition hike on the recommendation of a committee headed by the school Bursary. The committee included the Students Affairs Unit, the Students Union Government (SUG) and other stakeholders across the management.

He, therefore, warned any student planning to disrupt the peace in the school because of the hike to consider the consequences of the action. According to him, any student caught engaging in violent activities on campus would face the penalty, including expulsion.

“The repercussion is swift and merciless. If anyone is caught anywhere destroying anything or simply disturbing the peace of our campus, I promise you I will descend heavily on such a person by showing him or her a way out. 

“It will pain me to take such action but trust me, I will do so. And those faceless people who might not be our students and are being sponsored from outside, some former students, should just think for a moment what the UofA has turned into in its march to becoming world-class.”

He did not rule out the option for dialogue, which he said was better than violence or protest.

“It is unthinkable for the University of Abuja Management to accept that because some people did not go to American University in Yola or Nile-Turkish University in Abuja where they pay millions of naira per academic year as tuition, that those people should be condemned to a second class education.

“Our goal at the UofA is a world-class education, and even with N82,000 per year or N225,000 per session being asked for academic programmes in Arts or Medicine respectively, the UofA is determined to provide for our dear students a standard education that is respected globally.”

The VC argued that the school had enjoyed infrastructural lift with new projects being executed, including computer laboratories, sports arena, indoor sports hall, and upgrade of the university library.

“We are providing counselling and career services to students. We are employing our own students, and student workers are becoming the norm on the campus of the great UofA. We are strengthening the student mentoring programme on campus. The face of our campus is changing, whatever part of campus you go.

“Many students now get funds for undergraduate research work from the Centre for Undergraduate Research, the Centre for Entrepreneurship is working hard with the university management to create incubation where students, as they graduate and need help, would get the help they need to get their companies on a strong footing, and the list is truly very long.”

Further justifying the hike, Na’Allah said, “The University of Maiduguri and the University of Ilorin and the Federal University Lokoja etc, all have charges more than your UofA, even while they are not Abuja where costs of goods are crazy! Yet they go about academic sessions peacefully and making progress.”

The VC assured that the school portal would be open to students for weeks before the end of the semester to give them time to pay their tuition without a hurry. But whoever does not pay before the portal closes will forfeit their admission for the academic year.

Na’Allah also appealed to parents and philanthropists to support quality education in the university by launching scholarships for indigent students.

The ICIR reports that except for the recent ASUU strikes that affected public universities, including UofA, the institution has enjoyed relative peace since 2014 when it was shut down.

Ex-NBA President, Okey Wali regains freedom 2 weeks after abduction

Bankole ABE
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Ex-NBA President, Okey Wali regains freedom 2 weeks after abduction

A FORMER President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Okey Wali has been freed by kidnappers who abducted him two weeks ago.

Wali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was kidnapped on April 17 at Obiri-Kwere junction of the East-West Road, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Chairman of the Port Harcourt branch of the NBA Viktor Benibo said Wali was released by his abductors in the early hours of Monday, May 1.

“He is in his house. He was released in the early hours of today (Monday),” Benibo told Punch Newspaper.

The Police spokesperson in the State, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a chat with The ICIR, said she cannot confirm the release yet but promised to issue statement on the matter later.

The ICIR reported that Wali was abducted by armed men on Monday, April 17, in Rivers State.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Rivers Command Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident to The ICIR, saying the Police is working towards Wali’s release.

“We are aware of it. It happened along the Obiri Ikwerre area. We are investigating to actualise his freedom,” she said.

In a statement on Tuesday, April 18, President of the NBA Yakubu Maikyau clarified the abduction as a sign of the country’s weak security system and pleaded with the abductors to release Wali to his family, untouched.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and the River State Police Command to make every effort to secure Wali’s release.

This is the second time unknown gunmen would abduct Wali.

In October 2014, he was kidnapped by unknown persons in the Port Harcourt area of Rivers State.

The NBA, at the time, also pleaded for his immediate release to his family.

Wali was released after 13 days in captivity, although it remains unclear if a ransom was paid to secure his freedom.

Wali served as the NBA’s 26th President between 2012 and 2014.

Despite murder allegation, Doguwa joins race for Speaker

Mustapha USMAN
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Despite murder allegation, Doguwa joins race for Speaker

THE Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, has declared his intention to become the Speaker of the 10th National Assembly.

Doguwa, who represents Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State, was reelected during the recently concluded general elections.

He made his intention to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives known in a letter addressed to members-lect, on Sunday, April 30. 

The lawmaker explained that his interest in the position was borne out of his passion for nation-building. 

Doguwa is currently undergoing a murder trial after he allegedly shot some persons dead and ordered the burning of a New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) office during the election.

According to residents and survivors who spoke to The ICIR, some members of the NNPP were caught in a fire attack by political thugs while the collation of results was ongoing on Sunday, February 26.

The NNPP office located in Sabon Gari Ward was set ablaze, resulting in multiple fatalities and burns while some residents were also shot dead.

Eyewitnesses and survivors of the attack had accused Doguwa, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the poll, of sponsoring the attack and called on the National Human Rights Commission and relevant authorities to investigate the incident.

Following the allegation, Doguwa was subsequently arrested and charged to court, after which a federal high court in Kano granted him bail of N500 million with two sureties. 

However, despite the allegation of murder hanging on his neck, Doguwa has expressed his intention to become the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.

Parts of the letter he addressed to members-elect read: “The call to leadership is one laced with responsibilities and unalloyed commitment to the commonwealth of Nigerians expressed through a unanimous ballot casting which led to your victories in your various states.

“The journey to nation-building has commenced and we are here once again to steer the ship where the collective voices of the Nigerian people whose trust has been vested in us, have been total to an admirable end.

“I want to use this opportunity to communicate my desire to contest for the office of the Speaker of the House. My passion for nation-building has fueled my desire to seek this office at this critical time when various divergent views of governance exist in different zones in the nation.

“Now is the time to align all our interests, aspirations, and trust to work together for the common good of Nigerians. At the same time, discard ethnic, geographical, religious, or political bias that could hinder our collective efforts in this representation.

“As we look forward to formulating impactful policies for the growth of our nation, I implore us all to bear in mind that all back home will see the results of our stay at the Assembly, thus the need to come together to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.”

Reactions trail Doguwa’s declaration

Some concerned Nigerians have expressed concern on social media over Doguwa’s declaration.

While many expressed displeasure over the development, some felt he is one of the few deserving persons to lead the 10th Assembly.

Onuoha Ebere wrote on Twitter: “Murder case on his neck and he is vying for speakership position. We are really playing in this Country.”

@Emmybage2 said “Someone who supposed to be in jail for killing innocent Nigerians, is here contesting for leadership of the national assembly.”

Another tweep, Black Budafly tweeted that she deserves a better leader at both the executive and legislative arms of government.

She wrote: “Nigeria!!! “President-elect” and his vp, horrible allegations. Akpabio and OUK, horrible allegations. Now Ado Doguwa, horrible allegations. As a Nigerian, I deserve better leaders at the executive and legislative branches of the Federal Government.”

Another tweep argued that Doguwa has the right to contest since he has not been convicted. 

“On trial u said. Well he is not convicted yet and if his constituents voted him. What exactly is your headache about that? Besides, I think immunity clause never covers members of legislative house. So boy go and rest. If he is find guilty he will go for it but for now nothing yet.”

Mujahid Ahmad explained that Doguwa possesses leadership characteristics and should be allowed to vie for the seat.

“Despite his shortcomings, I believe he’s more eligible than that Wase guy. Doguwa get brains, finesse and ruthlessness. That’s all it takes for one to get to a speaker seat.”

Sanusi: Ganduje replies Kwankwaso, says new emirates are permanent

Mustapha USMAN
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Sanusi: Ganduje replies Kwankwaso, says new emirates are permanent

KANO State governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Monday, May 1, said four new emirates created by his administration are permanent and cannot be revoked.

The governor spoke during the 2023 Workers’ Day celebrations held at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

The ICIR had on Sunday, April 30, reported that the incoming administration in the state had promised to review the dethronement of former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Muhammadu Sanusi, the 14th Emir of Kano.  

National Leader and candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the February 25 presidential election, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, announced the plan to review Sanusi’s dethronement.

Kwankwaso said in a viral video: “As elders, we will continue to advise them to do the right thing. We tried not to intervene in the issue of bringing or removing any Emir, but now, an opportunity has come.

“Those who were given this opportunity will sit down and see to the issues. They will look at what they are expected to do. Beside the Emir, even the emirate has been divided into five places. All these need to be studied. Usually, a leader inherits good, bad and issues that are hard to reconcile.

“Any of you that visits the headquarters of these new emirates will believe me that we have brought development to these places. These emirates were created for unity, progress, history, and also for the recovery of the reputation of the traditional institutions. We created them to honour the people of these regions.”

In an apparent reaction to Kwankwaso’s statement, Ganduje, while speaking at the Workers’ Day celebration, reassured residents of the state that the new emirates will be protected.

According to him, God will protect the new emirates against evil.

“I want to assure you that these emirates are permanent, they have come to stay. And anybody that will destroy them, God Almighty will not bring him to Kano State. We assure you that these emirates were created because of you, because of your progress.

“Even if we are not in government, we are praying and we will keep praying for God to protect these emirates from all evils,” Ganduje said.

Sanusi’s dethronement and creation of four new emirates

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was appointed during the tenure of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, following his removal from the position of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in April 2014.

He was removed from the CBN due to his allegation that some individuals stole $49 billion during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. 

However, on March 9, 2020, the current Kano State governor, Ganduje deposed him for insubordination and sent him to Awe in Nasarawa State. 

According to Ganduje, Sanusi’s appointment was made out of spite towards Jonathan, stressing that he removed Sanusi from his position in order to protect the system and traditional institutions from being abused. 

Additionally, he criticized Sanusi for publicly speaking out about missing funds and believed that he should have discussed the matter privately with the former President. Ganduje suggested that the former President could have then directed an investigation into the allegations.

Subsequently, the Kano State Government dethroned Sanusi and banished him to Awe, Nasarawa State, where he was detained in a private home until March 13 when he obtained an interim order of the court for his release from house arrest.

The former CBN governor did not challenge his dethronement but, on March 12, 2020, he sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General, State Security Services (SSS) over what he called “unlawful detention/confinement”.

His detention/confinement was later deemed illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional by the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2021.

While delivering his judgment, the judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere, awarded N10 million compensation to Sanusi and against the respondents comprising the police, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Attorney-General of Kano State.

She also ordered them to tender a public apology to Sanusi in two national dailies.

Meanwhile, before Sanusi was removed as the Emir of Kano, Ganduje, in 2019, approved a bill for the creation of four new emirates for Gaya, Rano, Karaye and Bichi, all of which were previously under the Kano Emirate Council. 

Emirs were immediately appointed for the new emirates.

“By signing this law, we are bringing more developments closer to the people of Kano in our efforts to take the state to the next level,” Ganduje said, adding that all the emirate councils would be independent of each other under the Kano State government.

“We thank the state assembly for passing the bill into law and the people of Kano who have been yearning for this kind of development. I urged the new emirates to continue to render services to their subjects in the area of education, health, agriculture and socio-economy.”

Even though the Kano High Court nullified the creation of the new emirs, Ganduje rejected the decision, noting that it is the constitutional responsibility of the State House of Assembly to create new emirates.

Sudan crisis: Egypt opens border for stranded Nigerians

Ijeoma OPARA
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Sudan crisis: Egypt opens border for stranded Nigerians

THE Egyptian authorities have opened the country’s borders, granting access to Nigerians being evacuated from Sudan.

Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this via her official Twitter handle on Monday, May 1.

“The border has just been opened, (with stringent conditions) after President Buhari’s intervention with the Egyptian President. So, the processing of evacuees by the Nigerian Embassy in Egypt will begin,” she tweeted.

The ICIR reported that Buhari was in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, over the issue of Nigerians who have been stuck at the Egyptian border for days.

Nigerians in Sudan had left Khartoum, the country’s capital, for Aswan, Egypt, on Wednesday, April 26, by road.

The journey had become necessary after numerous calls for a ceasefire between the warring parties had failed to yield results, frustrating efforts of the Nigerian and other governments to airlift citizens directly from Sudan.

Sudan eventually declared a ceasefire, although fighting had continued across the country.

The students arrived at the Egyptian border on Thursday, April 27, hoping to proceed to the Aswan airport, from where they would be airlifted to Abuja, Nigeria.

However, they were denied access to the country by the Egyptian authorities, who demanded visa processing fees before the borders could be opened.

The ICIR also learnt that the Federal Government was considering changing the route through which the second batch of Nigerians will be evacuated from Sudan due to the hassles experienced at the Egyptian border.

Thousands of foreigners, including at least 10,000 Nigerian students and over five million Sudanese of Nigerian origin, were trapped in Sudan after intense fighting between two rival forces in the country broke out.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 400 people have died in the fighting, and almost 3,500 more have been wounded in Khartoum, the western region of Darfur and other states.

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