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Meet Members Of New Fake Agency Discovered By ICPC.

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The alleged fake National Brands Development and Made in Nigeria Special Project Office had a structure spanning several states and two foreign countries, with an acclaimed national coordinator, zonal directors, state coordinators and representatives in China and the United States.

A check by Punch on Saturday found that the office’s website listed Hon. Nwabueze George as its “Executive Director, National Coordinator,” alongside a director of national administration, three zonal directors, 20 state coordinators and representatives for the United States and China.

Recall that the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, disclosed on Friday that President Bola Tinubu had ordered the immediate arrest of George Nwabueze, identified by the commission as “the promoter” of the alleged fake office.

It was had earlier reported that Tinubu also ordered the immediate suspension of three permanent secretaries, M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah, following the discovery of the office, which the ICPC said had been allocated space within the premises of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) without presidential authorisation.

The ICPC said the promoter was also found to have operated under several variations of his name, including George Nathan Nwabueze, George Nwabueze, George Buchi Nwabueze, Prince George Buchi Nwabueze and George Nwabueze.

The website listed Nwabueze as the “Executive Director, National Coordinator.”

It also listed Dr Bassey B. Unaowo as Special Assistant to the Permanent Secretary on Political and Economic Affairs, OSGF; Dr Hajara Njidda Amoni as Director, National Administration; Mr Oladunjoye Musiliua as Zonal Director, South-West; Hafsat Sahabi Dange as Zonal Director, North; and Mrs Ugochi Akudo Nwosu as Zonal Director, South-East.

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The website also claimed that the project operated under the OSGF. Its framework page described the project as being overseen by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, in the OSGF.

However, this claimed government connection is significant in light of the ICPC’s finding that the office was operating without presidential authorisation.

20 State Coordinators

The website listed the following as state coordinators:

Katsina: Dr Babangida Kabir Ruma

Kaduna: Hon. Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim

Delta: Hon. Dr Godwin Adolor

Kebbi: Hussaini Abdullahi, Esq., FSI

Osun: Hon. Olugbemi Adetola Adelowokan

Anambra: Hon. Chiamaka Nnake

Nasarawa: Hon. Osolafia Muhammed, PhD

Plateau: Mrs Salome Audu Bidda

Benue: Hon. Orduen Andrew Ikon

Ondo: Amb. Orioye G. Benedict

Ogun: Hon. Engr. Kehinde Akintonide, FNSE

Sokoto: Hon. Ibrahim Umar Aliyu

Abia: Hon. Mrs Nwosu Chinyere R.

Zamfara: Hon. Ibrahim Bello Marafa

Niger: Haj. Zainab Mohammed

Kano: Hon. Abubakar Ahmad Bichi (Khalifa)

Taraba: Hon. Justin Aondoaseer Tyopuusu

Oyo: Alhaji Bello Kolawole Ghaffar, FCA

Bauchi: Hon. Farouq Siyi

Kogi: Hon. Olorukooba Bidemi

According to Punch, it also found indications that some of those listed had previously held public positions or had links to established political, governmental or community structures in their respective states.

In Taraba, Tyopuusu has been identified in recent reports as a Special Assistant to Governor Agbu Kefas on Digital Economy, while serving as the state coordinator of the Made in Nigeria Special Project.

Their inclusion on the website does not, by itself, establish that they knew the organisation had allegedly lacked government authorisation.

The website also listed Hon. Emmanuel Enemali Achema as “Country Rep./Coordinator, U.S.A.” and Hon. Ameh Enedugbojo Glory as “Country Rep./Coordinator, China.”

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The claimed international structure was presented alongside the state and zonal network as part of the organisation’s purported nationwide and international operations.

The office’s website described its activities as including trade exhibitions, economic forums, promotion of Nigerian products and support for small and medium-sized enterprises, claims ICPC disputed.

The development is the latest in an investigation into purported fictitious government bodies.

The ICPC had previously identified the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and two other alleged fictitious bodies: the FCT Investment Promotion Agency and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency and Public-Private Partnership.

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Crime

PHOTOS & VIDEO: Mob sets BRT Bus ablaze after motorcyclist’s death in Lagos

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An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus ablaze after it reportedly crushed a motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.

The incident reportedly triggered an outburst of anger, with some members of the mob attacking the bus driver before police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) intervened and rescued him unharmed.

NewsClick Nigeria Media reported the incident on X, stating that the motorcyclist was riding alone at the time of the accident.

A video circulating on social media showed the BRT bus engulfed in flames as the fire consumed the vehicle.

The footage captured the intensity of the fire, which left the bus burning by the roadside. However, the circumstances surrounding the crash and the subsequent attack on the vehicle remain unclear.

The incident also raised concerns about the safety of public transport operators and the risk of violence following fatal road accidents, particularly when members of the public resort to taking the law into their own hands.

However, the identity of the deceased motorcyclist, the circumstances that led to the collision and the extent of the damage caused by the fire had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.

It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident.

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Troops rout Lakurawa fighters, destroy camps in Sokoto

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Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have neutralised several Lakurawa terrorists and destroyed their camps during a clearance operation in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The operation, conducted on Thursday, October 15, also led to the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles from the terrorists’ enclave.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

Danja said troops of Sector 2 advanced through identified terrorist hideouts around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages towards Waria Forest, where they made contact with the armed group.

According to him, the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight and overpowered them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deeper into the forest.

“Troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, neutralising some of them in the process,” he said.

Danja added that further exploitation of the area destroyed the terrorists’ camps and their life-support structures, alongside the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles.

He said troops had sustained their operational presence in the area through continued clearance and domination operations aimed at denying the terrorists freedom of movement and preventing them from using the forest as a haven.

“The latest success underscores the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to dismantling terrorist enclaves, denying terrorist elements safe havens and restoring lasting peace and security across the Joint Operations Area,” Danja said.

He commended the troops for their courage, resilience and sustained efforts, while urging residents to provide timely and credible information about suspicious movements and activities in their communities.

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The military did not disclose the exact number of terrorists killed or specify the types and quantities of weapons recovered during the operation.

Source: punchng.com

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Fintiri warns Boko Haram, ISWAP remain major threats

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Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has warned that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain major security threats in the sub-region, urging security chiefs to intensify efforts to combat insurgency.

Declaring open a two-day meeting of federal and state security administrators in Yola on Thursday, Fintiri said the threats posed by the groups remained persistent, dynamic and ideological.

“While our gallant armed forces have significantly degraded their conventional capabilities, these insurgents continue to exploit vast rural terrains, asymmetric tactics and cross-border vulnerabilities to strike at soft targets.

“However, let me speak with political candour: we cannot afford the luxury of premature victory speeches. Furthermore, we must confront emerging threats that endanger our socio-economic fabric,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said security was not merely about weapons but also grassroots presence, social justice and inclusive governance.

“It was this conviction that drove our historic decision to create seven new emirates and chiefdoms across Adamawa State,” he said.

Fintiri added that the battleground had shifted to digital spaces, where vulnerable youths were targeted for recruitment and misinformation.

He said the security of Adamawa State was inseparable from that of Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to urgently modernise the country’s international borders.

“We need the deployment of advanced surveillance technology, drone coverage, joint border patrols and the expedited establishment of one-stop border posts to control illegal cross-border migration, arms proliferation and smuggling,” he said.

The governor also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for security agencies to enable them to intensify the fight against insecurity.

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“Our frontline officers, the police, the military, the Civil Defence, the DSS and Customs, are doing heroic work under difficult conditions.

“However, their operational funding, tactical equipment and welfare packages must be significantly upgraded by the Federal Government,” he said.

To defeat the insurgency, Fintiri called for genuine inter-agency cooperation and an end to rivalry among security services.

He said the operational disconnect between intelligence-gathering units and field tactical teams must be addressed.

“Victory belongs to unity, not institutional ego,” he said.

Fintiri added that hosting the meeting of the nation’s top security policy strategists reflected Adamawa’s progress in restoring peace and stability.

“For us in Adamawa State, hosting this august gathering of the nation’s top security policy strategists is not just an administrative assignment; it is a testament to our transformation.

“A few years ago, convening a gathering of this magnitude in the North-East was met with hesitation. Today, through visionary leadership, community resilience and divine grace, Adamawa stands tall as a beacon of relative peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.

He challenged the security administrators to move beyond what he described as diagnostic speeches and develop an actionable, pragmatic roadmap to address security challenges in the sub-region.

He also advocated the adoption of unified digital freight and transit-tracking platforms across states and national transport corridors to eliminate illegal checkpoints, trace suspicious cargo and secure trade routes.

The governor donated 300 motorcycles and 16 security vehicles to support policing across the state’s 15 chiefdoms and 21 local government areas.

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The meeting was attended by security administrators from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

However, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was absent from the meeting.

Source: punchng.com

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