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Operatives from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have stopped suspected human traffickers who were found with 59 children. The FCT Police Commissioner, Tunji Disu, announced the news on Wednesday in Abuja. He explained that a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sarki Umar intercepted a white Peugeot 15-seater bus, commonly known as J5, on January 6 while it was en route to Nasarawa State. The commissioner noted that the bus was carrying children aged between four and 12, who were believed to have been trafficked from Kano. He confirmed the arrest of the driver, Ali Ibrahim, and his assistant, Alhassan Ibrahim, both from Kano State, at the scene. Disu emphasized that initial investigations indicated that the children were being taken to Nasarawa under the pretense of receiving training. “On January 6, 2025, at approximately 3:30 PM, a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sarki Umar intercepted a white Peugeot 15 bus with registration.” No. KMC 12 ZJ on the Abuja-Kano route. “The vehicle was operated by Ali Ibrahim, a man from Kano state, along with his assistant, Al-Hassan Ibrahim, who is also from Kano state. “The bus was discovered to be carrying 59 male children aged 4 to 12 years. Initial inquiries indicated that the children, who belonged to various families, were being transported by Idris Usman, a male from Nasarawa State. “He supposedly went to Kano State to gather the children on the way to Nasarawa State under the guise of training them,” he stated.

American singer Chloe Bailey shared her experiences from a recent trip to Nigeria and her outing with Burna Boy, which led to rumors about their relationship. Remember that Burna Boy and Chloe ignited speculation about their romance when they were seen holding hands while leaving a Lagos club last December. In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, Bailey reflected on her time in Nigeria, saying she had “the best time” there. “Nigeria was so beautiful,” she added. I enjoyed myself greatly. Yes, I was at the club with Burna Boy. “The nightlife was filled with vibrant colors, bright lights, and numerous cameras,” she stated. When questioned about whether her outing with Burna Boy was for enjoyment or if they were in a relationship, Bailey replied: “I am an adult.” I enjoyed my time in Nigeria.

Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, of defamation and encouraging his supporters to make death threats against APC spokesperson Felix Morka. Ganduje claims that Obi is being dishonest by stating that Morka threatened him and his family in a recent interview. Obi alleged that Morka threatened his life after Obi criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration on New Year’s Day. He questioned whether he had “truly crossed the line” after reportedly receiving threats to his life, family, and associates from Morka. Obi’s claim came after Morka’s comments during an interview on Sunday, in which he stated, “Peter Obi has crossed the line numerous times, and he will face the consequences.” He should handle whatever he receives. In response, Morka claimed that Obi had misrepresented him, stressing that he never threatened Obi’s life, and urged the former Anambra State governor to clarify the situation. Meanwhile, Ganduje deemed Obi’s allegations as unfortunate and misleading. In a statement he personally signed, the APC Chairman declared that Obi’s statements were pure mischief and outright falsehood, which would have been overlooked if it weren’t necessary to counter such unfounded claims. According to Ganduje, “By wrongfully asserting that Morka threatened his life, Mr. Obi has severely defamed Morka and incited his online followers to issue death threats against Morka and his family.” He stressed that Obi, as a public figure, has a duty to deliver accurate and truthful information, noting that disseminating false information damages public trust. The APC National Chairman mentioned that Morka was merely fulfilling his role as the party’s National Publicity Secretary by holding opposition figures accountable for their claims, which is a normal aspect of a democracy. He continued, “Morka’s remarks during the interview were solely in answer to a question about ‘prophets of doom’ and ‘voodoo economics.’” “His statement did not contain or imply a threat to Obi or anyone else.” Ganduje reiterated the significance of free speech, a “right safeguarded by Nigeria’s Constitution,” that extends to all Nigerians, including those in the ruling party. He urged Obi to avoid spreading misinformation and to embrace criticism as a fundamental part of democracy. “Does Mr. Obi anticipate that the APC will silently tolerate the opposition’s false claims without responding?” Ganduje raised questions and cautioned that the APC would respond to unfounded claims with factual information about the government led by Tinubu. He emphasized the party’s dedication to maintaining democratic values while ensuring that opposition figures are held accountable when needed.

Hello! Here is today’s overview from Nigerian newspapers: 1. A minimum of 11 individuals died, and 31 huts were completely destroyed by fire in Gululu village, located in the Jahun and Miga local government areas of Jigawa State. Suleiman Abubakar Jahun, a Fulani elder who lost five of his children, described the traumatic event, stating that he was at home when he received news about a clash between the Hausa and Fulani communities. Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, stated that telecom tariffs will rise soon, but not by as much as 100 percent. After a stakeholders’ meeting with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) on Wednesday in Abuja, Tijani stated that discussions and interactions were still in progress. On Wednesday, the Lagos State Special Offences Court rejected an application from former Central Bank of Nigeria governor Godwin Emefiele, which questioned the court’s authority to hear the $4.5 billion and N202.33 billion fraud charges leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice Rahman Oshodi ruled that the court had the authority to hear the case against Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile.

Six months after the Nigerian government promised to address soaring food prices, citizens have yet to witness the results of this intervention. DAILY POST recalls that in July 2024, the government introduced what it termed strategic measures to tackle the issue. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, announced these plans on his verified X account last July. Kyari mentioned that the initiatives were set to be executed over the following 180 days, with the goal of reducing high food costs. He detailed that the measures included a 150-day Duty-Free import window for food products, along with the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on imports of certain food items such as maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpea, across both land and sea borders. “Our administration has launched a variety of strategic initiatives designed to tackle the rising food prices impacting our nation,” he stated. These measures will take effect within the next 180 days. They include a 150-day period during which food commodities can be imported duty-free, as well as the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for importing certain food items via land and sea borders. The Minister mentioned that the commodities consist of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpea. DAILY POST reported that the countdown of 180 days starting on July 10, 2024, concluded on Tuesday, January 20, 2024. Before the Minister’s announcement, DAILY POST highlighted that the increase in prices of garri, yam, and other food items had driven Nigeria’s food inflation to 40.87 percent in June 2024, up from 40.66 percent in May. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed in its Consumer Price Index and Inflation report that food inflation in Nigeria rose by 15.62 percentage points compared to June 2023, which had a rate of 25.25 percent. The report indicated that increased prices of whole grains such as millet, garri, guinea corn, yam, water yam, groundnut oil, palm oil, and fish contributed to this annual hike. A comparative analysis of the NBS’s Consumer Price Index report showed that in July 2024, the food inflation rate was 39.53 percent on a year-on-year basis, marking an increase of 15.03 percentage points from July 2023, which was 26.98 percent. In August of the same year, the NBS Consumer Price Index report indicated that food inflation dropped to 22.025 percent from 22.024 percent in July. The NBS attributed this decrease to falling prices of tobacco, tea, cocoa, coffee, groundnut oil, milk, yam, Irish potatoes, water yam, cassava tuber, palm oil, and vegetables. Nonetheless, according to the NBS, the food inflation rate in September was 22.025 percent. Nigerians are experiencing hunger, which is evident from the stampedes in Ibadan, Anambra, and Abuja, areas that are relatively well-off in the country. This raises concern about the situation in other states where prosperity may not be as strong as in Abuja, Ibadan, or Anambra. The reality is that our situation is extremely serious. Nigeria is struggling and находится на дне. The food security index is based on four criteria, and Nigeria is struggling significantly in two of them, ranking among the lowest globally. The first is food availability, and the second is food affordability, where Nigeria stands as the worst in the world. The issue of food security isn’t new, but it is worsening. Previously, under the last government, there was an initiative to encourage all Nigerians to engage in farming. I don’t know of any place on earth that has successfully tackled food insecurity by encouraging everyone to become a farmer; it’s just avoiding the issue. What is missing is the fact that we have not automated and updated agriculture in Nigeria. “In the 2025 budget, agriculture was not given the attention it requires.”

A joint security patrol team, consisting of Nigeria Police officers and members of the Sokoto State Community Guard, has successfully interrupted a kidnapping attempt involving a commercial vehicle by gunmen believed to be armed bandits. This incident occurred at Kwanar Mahalba along the Goronyo-Sabon highway in the troubled eastern senatorial district of Sokoto State. Reports indicate that seven passengers, including children, were rescued by the security operatives, while other passengers fled into the bushes prior to the arrival of the authorities. Unfortunately, one of the passengers was shot and killed by the bandits. The rescued individuals were presented to the state deputy governor, Muhammad Idris Gobir, who praised the efforts of the security team, mentioning that, over the last four days, a total of 63 victims have been saved from bandits. The deputy governor detailed that 24 victims were rescued on Sunday, 39 on Monday, and 7 on Wednesday. Gobir also noted that the state government, in collaboration with the Federal Government, is intensifying efforts to combat the activities of Lakurawa terrorists and that security measures are being strengthened in regions known to have Lakurawa members.

Tottenham Hotspur beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. Liverpool entered the match as clear favorites, having previously defeated Spurs 6-3 in a Premier League game in December. Meanwhile, Tottenham was struggling with several defensive injuries and lost midfielder Rodrygo Bentancur early in the match. Bentancur’s injury led to a slowdown in play, and the first half ended without any goals. The second half appeared to be heading for a goalless draw until Dominic Solanke had a goal disallowed by VAR. However, Solanke then assisted Lucas Bergvall for a late goal. Tottenham will carry this slim lead to Anfield next month. Earlier on Tuesday night, Arsenal lost 2-0 to Newcastle United at the Emirates.

Former Real Madrid player Roberto Carlos has dismissed claims that he is living at the club’s training facility following his divorce. Rumors suggested that Carlos had relocated to the Valdebebas site after parting ways with his wife, Mariana Luccon. The couple, married since June 2009, has two daughters named Manuela and Mariana. It is thought that Luccon remains in their main residence, while her parents are living in another property owned by Carlos. The divorce proceedings are complicated due to Carlos’ wealth, which is estimated at £133 million. However, Carlos took to his X account to refute these allegations, stating, “Recently, I have become aware of false and harmful stories about me and my family. While I value privacy, I feel it is necessary to clarify the unfounded rumors regarding my living situation.” These made-up tales are completely untrue and appear to be aimed at attracting attention. “I am staying in a private home, with assistance from my family.” “My legal team is examining these allegations and will respond as needed.” “I request privacy concerning personal issues and am grateful to those who are supporting me during this period.”

Barcelona secured their place in the Super Cup final with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night. This marks the third consecutive year the Catalans will compete in the final. Goals from Gavi and Lamine Yamal ensured Barcelona’s success in Jeddah. Gavi scored first in the 17th minute, followed by Yamal who extended the lead seven minutes after halftime. With 14 trophies, Barcelona is the most successful team in the Super Cup and will face the winner of the second semi-final between defending champions Real Madrid and Mallorca on Sunday. That match will take place on Thursday. “I am very happy with the 2-0 victory, it’s great for us,” stated a Barcelona representative. We have reached the final; this is our objective. We are pleased to have a clean record as well. “The team did well, and I’m satisfied.” “We earned our victory today,” said Hansi Flick, the manager of Barcelona, after the match.

On Wednesday evening, at least five buses were spotted unloading unfamiliar men with characteristics typical of individuals from the Sahelian region of West Africa in the Agoi Ibami community within the Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State. Community sources reported that the men were offloading various items, including head pans, shovels, machetes, mattresses, beddings, cooking utensils, and weapons. Last week, DAILY POST exclusively covered the significant influx of illegal miners believed to be from Niger Republic, Mali, and other Sahelian countries into the Agoi areas of Agoi Ekpo, Ekom Agoi, and Agom Ibami, posing a threat to the safety and security of locals. Agoi Ibami resident Mr. Great Andrew Bassey stated that these large arrivals are a major concern, causing fear among the residents. He mentioned, “Around 4:20 pm today, two buses entered the Agoi Ibami community, likely for mining activities at the Akpa plantation in Yakurr Local Government Area.” Additional buses have arrived, packed with non-Nigerians. “The situation unfolding in Agoi Ibami includes a group of Hausa people and other foreigners who are not from Nigeria.” They have arrived by bus, possibly for mining operations. “This requires immediate action from the government.” “The arrival of these illegal miners in the Agoi communities of Agoi Ekpo, Ekom Agoi, and Agom Ibami is endangering the safety and security of the residents.” Agoi is a large but mostly overlooked reservoir of natural resources, such as forests, gold, and other minerals, which have drawn in illegal miners and loggers. Commissioner of Police Augustine Grimah stated that there is no reason to worry, as police units are present in those communities to monitor the situation. A community chief and former presidential aide, Obol Obono-Obla, emphasized the need for the Cross River State government and the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the security issues and criminal activities caused by these illegal mining groups in the Agoi area of Yakurr Local Government Area before it escalates into a crisis similar to that in Zamfara. I call for urgent measures to address these dangers and protect the welfare of the people in this area in order to prevent another situation like Zamfara.