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Fintiri re-unites 14 abducted children with parents

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Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Wednesday reunited 14 abducted children who were trafficked to the state.

Fintiri, who warned parents against sending children below the age of 10 on errands and going to school alone, said that the government would no longer tolerate such careless acts.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Kaletapwa Farauta, at the official handing over ceremony in her office, said that the children had undergone several medical tests and treatment before they were handed over to their parents.

Farauta stated, “I welcome you to a mixed feeling of sadness and joy. It is sad that today, Adamawa State is on the map of an unfortunate monster which has been ravaging the nation.

“The monster of child trafficking. This is an infamous story we hear happening far away from the state. Unfortunately, it has caught up with us.

“In July, 2025, we got an intelligence report of cases of missing children, most of them minors.”

She said that the government swung into action, with the cooperation of security operatives, the Police, the DSS and the NSCDC.

“We launched a combined manhunt on the menace. Our combined effort paid off with the arrest of the heinous human trafficking ring leader, a middle-aged woman of Ibo extraction identified as Ngozi Abdulwahab.

“This notorious trafficker has perfected the art of trafficking minors aged 4-9 years from various communities in Adamawa State to the southeastern region of Nigeria, where she sold the victims for paltry sums ranging from ₦800,000 to ₦1.7m per child.

“She operated from a small provision shop which she owned at Jambutu ward, Yola-North LGA, where she used snacks and gifts to lure unsuspecting children,” she added.

Farauta stated that the monstrous crime is not only traumatic to the victims and their parents, but a sad and strange reality to the state.

She vowed that the perpetrator would not go unpunished, pointing out that the government must not rest until the suspects come face to face with the full weight of the law.

“We have ordered the immediate prosecution of the suspects under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 (Federal Law), Adamawa State Child Protection Law (2008), Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2021 and the Penal Code of Adamawa State.

“The message of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to the human traffickers and those who aid them in this heinous act is clear: Adamawa State is the wrong place to come to. We shall flush them out and dismantle their networks, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“Our citizens are our most cherished assets and under no condition should anybody convert them into commodities of trade.”

Each of the parents of the abducted children got ₦100,000 and food and non-food items to cushion the effect of the reunion and set up a small enterprise to cater to the household.

“To parents across the state, I call on you to take parenting more seriously.

“Children are sacred blessings from God. We must treat them with the deserved responsibility,” she said.

She urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious signs to the appropriate authority for immediate action.

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Uganda reaches agreement with US Govt to take in migrants

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Uganda has entered an agreement with the United States to take in nationals from third countries who may not get asylum in the U.S. but are reluctant to return to their countries of origin, the foreign affairs ministry said on Thursday, August 21.

President Donald Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, and his administration has sought to increase removals to third countries, including by sending convicted criminals to South Sudan and Eswatini.

“This is a temporary arrangement with conditions including that individuals with criminal records and unaccompanied minors will not be accepted,” Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said in a statement.

Waiswa added that Uganda would prefer to receive people from African nationalities under the agreement.

“The two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented,” he said.

On Wednesday, another Ugandan foreign affairs official had denied a U.S. media report that the East African country had agreed to take in people deported from the United States, saying it lacked the facilities to accommodate them.

Uganda, a U.S. ally in East Africa, also hosts nearly two million refugees and asylum-seekers, who mostly hail from countries in the region such as Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Sudan.

In July, five immigrants from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba, who Washington said had been convicted of serious crimes, were flown to Eswatini, where they are now in a high-security prison. The deportations are being challenged by a group of Swazi and southern African NGOs, with a high court hearing scheduled for Friday.

Also in July, eight men from various countries were deported by the US to South Sudan, via Djibouti, where they were held for weeks in a shipping container. Meanwhile, more than 250 Venezuelans were repatriated to Venezuela after being sent to a notorious El Salvador prison in March without due process.

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FRSC rewards officer for rejecting 104 bribes in one month

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The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has honoured Assistant Route Commander Babatunde Owoeye of the Osun State Sector Command for his exemplary integrity in July 2025.

The commendation was held during a ceremony on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at the Osun State Command headquarters.

Records show that Owoeye rejected bribes from traffic offenders on 104 separate occasions.

He also turned down bribe attempts 18 times in May and 38 times in June, reflecting a consistent commitment to ethical conduct in service.

Speaking during the ceremony, Sector Commander Leye Adegboyega lauded Owoeye, stating that his conduct mirrors the FRSC’s long-standing policy against corruption and extortion among its personnel.

Adegboyega added that the recognition aligns with the anti-corruption agenda of the Corps Marshal, Sheu Mohammed, as well as the commission’s broader efforts to promote professionalism and accountability.

“For his exceptional integrity, Assistant Route Commander Babatunde J. Owoeye has been awarded a commendation and a cash gift of N250,000. He recorded 104 ‘Attempt to Corrupt Marshal on Duty’ (ACS) cases in July alone — a feat that is unprecedented in the command’s history,” Adegboyega said.

The FRSC reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on bribery and assured the public that honesty and discipline within its ranks would continue to be recognised and rewarded.

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Africa could become a renewable superpower – UN chief

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United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for greater investment in green energy across the Africa, saying the continent has everything it takes to become a “renewable superpower.”

Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Guterres stressed the need to mobilize finance and technology to ensure Africa’s natural wealth benefits its people and to build a thriving renewable energy and manufacturing base.

“Green power in Africa lowers energy costs, diversifies supply chains, and accelerates decarbonization for everyone,” he said.

Guterres warned that mounting debt should not hinder development and urged increased concessional finance and greater lending capacity from multilateral development banks.

He added, “Africa has everything it takes to become a renewable superpower, from solar and wind to the critical minerals that power new technology.”

The conference brought together African leaders and Japanese officials, with discussions on clean energy, economic partnerships, and long-term investment opportunities.

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