The government made 15 new synthetic opioids illegal on Wednesday, and they would now be classified as class A drugs.
It meant that anyone found with the drugs could face up to seven years in jail, an unlimited fine, or both, while dealers could be handed a life sentence or a fine.
The move followed advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and would see five other drugs, including three stimulants, also banned.
The UK Home Office said the drugs being banned had similar effects to heroin and fentanyl.
The drugs were highly addictive and incredibly dangerous and posed a higher risk of accidental overdose, which has become a widespread problem in other countries.
Announcing the plans in November, the department said while there was “no current evidence’’ to show that the substances were prevalent in the UK, there have been some deaths linked to the drugs.
UK Home Secretary James Cleverly said, “We are highly alert to the threat from synthetic drugs and have been taking a range of preventative action. This is learning from experiences around the globe to keep these vile drugs off our streets.
“Our plan is working the overall quantities of synthetic opioids reaching the UK remain lower than other countries, but we are not complacent. Placing these toxic drugs under the strictest controls sends a clear message that the consequences for peddling them will be severe.’’
The synthetic opioids to be added to Class A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 areMetonitazene,, protonitazene, isotonitazene, butonitazene, flunitazene, metodesnitazene (metazene) and Etodesnitazene (etazene).
Others are N-Pyrrolidino-etonitazene (Etonitazepyne); N-Piperidinyl-etonitazene (Etonitazepipne); N-Pyrrolidino Protonitazene; Ethyleneoxynitazene; N-Desethyl protonitazene; N-Desethylisotonitazene; N-Desethyl-etonitazene and Brorphine.
Five other drugs have also been banned, including cumyl-PeGaClone, a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist, which can cause complications such as seizures and liver failure.
Three stimulants that have similar effects to ketamine piperidine, phenetidine and methoxphenidine would be made class B drugs.
A benzodiazepine drug named remimazolam would be classified as a class C drug.
Its legitimate medical uses will be allowed through changes to drug rules.
It is amazing what sweeping delusions triggered the wiles of Adaobi Jennifer Alagwu.
If one lie has the power to tarnish a thousand truths, imagine what a thousand lies could do. Imagine the magnitude of taint they would cast if contrived by a delusive mastermind.
It is amazing what sweeping delusions triggered the wiles of Adaobi Jennifer Alagwu. For the 32-year-old, fair skin, fierce lust, and crafty femininity were all she needed to command the love, good name, and fortune of billionaire magnate Tunde Ayeni (at least so she believed).
In her desperation to get hooked on the billionaire magnate and former bank chief, Alagwu fabricated a plot to get pregnant by him and, so doing, implant herself and her child as beneficiaries of his estate.
Alagwu, a trained attorney, was misled by the belief that she had the upper hand on Ayeni. She thought she had him by the balls. Like all frantic liars, she thought she had gained a victory over Ayeni simply by claiming that she was pregnant for him and her baby girl belonged to him (but she was mistaken).
Ayeni has since refuted her claims and continues to do so. He also proclaims that he will continue to disgrace her and let the world know how terribly skewed her lies have been, however unpopular it is in Nigeria for a man to out a woman.
Long before now, Ayeni had lost interest in her and, even so, was just being a typical Nigerian man who was just having fun with an available girl of cheap standing. His understanding of the relationship’s definition was far different from Adaobi’s.
He thought it was casual, underestimating how lowly Adaobi, her sister, and her mother were and how big he was to them. Without him, she had no identity, and while he didn’t count it as anything, she made sure to paint a picture of them being very much together.
Alagwu has probably not learnt her lesson that a lie is an act of self-abdication because one surrenders one’s reality to the person to whom one lies, making that person one’s master, condemning oneself from then on to faking the sort of reality that person’s view requires to be faked.
Her lies had no limit. She’s renowned in Abuja social circles for sleeping around for cars and bags and letting everyone believe he bought them for her. She lives in a rented house in Jabi but claims he gifted her.
Unknown to Alagwu, a woman who lies to the world becomes a slave to the world and her lies from then on. As she gets outed in a lie, she digs deeper into the sludge of infamy in her desperate bid to fabricate a more believable lie.
According to Ayeni, the necessity to set the records straight and, thus, protect his estate and legacy spurred him to conduct a DNA test to establish whether he was the father of Alagwu’s daughter.
In the wake of the disclosure of the DNA result, which established Alagwu’s paternity fraud, let’s dive deep into a detailed expose of the genesis and intrigues of Alagwu’s convoluted plot to get hitched to the billionaire magnate and profit from his massive estate.
Once upon a time, in 2017, Ayeni met a young, unambitious Alagwu. Alagwu was all over him. Being a man in his early 50s, he felt flattered and revelled in the attention, and they became an item in consonance with Alagwu’s plot.
Two years later, Ayeni discovered that Alagwu was 27 years old; by that time, it was established that she was more of a liability to him, as he had to shoulder all of her financial responsibilities, including those of her mother, family, and sister, who is based in the United States.
To Ayeni’s chagrin, Alagwu’s demands were outrageous and unending. Furthermore, he discovered that she had previously dated his very close friend, who is also a billionaire and energy magnate. Angered by the discovery, Ayeni broke off the relationship.
In 2021, Ayeni went to a party, and Alagwu was waiting for him there. One thing led to another, and they both ended up at his house that night. This time around, though, Alagwu came prepared to stay hitched to him. She had become desperate, having lived for too long in the wilderness of want and without the security she had been used to as his girlfriend.
She persuaded him to help set up her legal chamber, promising to be of good behaviour; she vowed that she would never go back to her philandering ways anymore.
Ayeni reluctantly agreed (at this point, he had already lost interest in her and her antics) and set her up in one of his office properties, located at 36 Birao Street, Abuja. Unknown to him. However, Alagwu was always in the habit of flaunting her bags, wristwatches, and cars and presenting them as gifts from Ayeni.
The latter’s absence on social media prevented him from discovering Alagwu’s plot. Thus, she persisted in her quest, taunting Ayeni’s daughter and wife to no end. She made sure to let everyone in Abuja and Lagos know that she and Ayeni were an item, not minding how badly this affected his reputation and relationship with his wife for many years.
(Photo Of Adaobi At The Police Station)
By the end of 2021, Alagwu, realising Ayeni no longer seemed interested in her, moved up her plans to entrap him as she told Ayeni that she was late with her period. Ayeni took the news lightly at first, thinking it wasn’t an issue to lose sleep over. According to him, she had collected money to handle such incidents in the past.
Eventually, they agreed that she would terminate the pregnancy. She, however, suggested her preferred doctor was in London, United Kingdom (UK), and that she would like to go have it there and even take on a course. Ayeni gave her exactly USD 25,000 plus ticket fare, and on November 22, 2021, she departed for London.
She was supposed to be gone for a few weeks, but she stayed longer, thus inciting Ayeni’s worry. Four months later, Alagwu’s mother called Ayeni and told him that her daughter was still very much pregnant and that she would not do anything to jeopardize her health.
She threatened should he refuse to take responsibility for the pregnancy; they would take him to the streets. Ayeni reminded the mother that he was very much married and had no plans to father a child outside of wedlock. He also said that he would not want to jeopardize Alagwu’s future with an unwanted pregnancy, but the mother remained adamant, stating that her daughter would not abort the pregnancy.
This infuriated Ayeni, and he shut them out of his life. Two months later, Ayeni started hearing rumours on the street and in social circles that he had married a second wife and even had a child with her.
Fearful for his reputation and his marriage, he reached out to the family to manage the situation, but the covetous mother and daughter, believing they had a big man wrapped around their fingers, started making frivolous and unending demands purportedly to keep him quiet.
Ayeni played along and did all of their bidding. They even blackmailed him to visit the United States when Alagwu was put to bed, and he went. The week she returned to Nigeria, however, was when all hell broke loose, as Alagwu made sure that everyone in Abuja knew that she had a love child with Ayeni. Anytime she was asked about the child’s name, she would respond with “Baby Ayeni.”
Ayeni’s wife and children got wind of the news, and all hell broke loose. Yet that wasn’t even the sad part, Ayeni suddenly got a call from a not-so-close friend of his that they should meet. On getting to the man’s house, thinking it was about business, the man took him to his study and proceeded to let him know he had been asked by Alagwu, his girlfriend, to speak to him.
Ayeni was shocked because, before that time, he had no clue that Alagwu and his friend had a relationship. The friend then proceeded to call her, and they chatted; all through their conversation, he didn’t tell her that Ayeni was there.
Ayeni, still in shock and having heard with his ears that Alagwu was the one spreading the news of goings-on between them, thanked his friend and got up to leave.
But while his host walked him out of the door, he noticed a striking resemblance of the man’s neck to that of Alagwu’s child. Then it dawned on him that his host and Alagwu had set him up to be the father of their lovechild.
He was livid, but he felt liberated at the same time. He drove straight home to his wife, apologized to her, and put a call to the Alagwu family, telling them he wanted a DNA test carried out. He also told them that since his fear of being found out was already defeated by how they had abused his peace, he was no longer interested in being part of their lives. Alagwu refused vehemently to subject her child to a DNA examination; this further fuelled Ayeni’s fears that he had been blackmailed.
Curiously, it was then that he understood why she had made it her duty to let everyone know that they were in a relationship, painting a picture that he was obsessed with her and they were more serious than they were.
Just to manage the situation, he had previously endured the humiliation of Alagwu coming unannounced to his house several times, even when he was in meetings, to show off.
She shouted at all the staff members and intruded on his meetings. Recalling all her antics, he became very angry with himself repeatedly for failing to see through her plot on time.
Finally, he barred her from coming to his house and office. He also blocked her on his phone lines and started telling anyone who cared to listen that he was not in a relationship with her. He then got the child’s sample and did a DNA test which turned out negative. Thus came his freedom. The test result showed that he wasn’t the father of Alagwu’s daughter. Armed with this new information, he waited patiently for Alagwu’s next step.
When the latter and her mother realized that Ayeni was truly keeping to his words and was no longer associating with them, they reached out to say that they were ready for the test.
They agreed on an Indian-owned facility and did the test there. However, four days later, the test result was yet to be released. The Ayenis then wrote to the centre asking why there was such a long delay. Two days later, they got a notification on Yahoo email address that the mailbox was being accessed – the kind of notification you get when your email is being hacked.
That was how Alagwu claimed she had a DNA result that indicated Ayeni was her daughter’s father. Unknown to her, Ayeni already had a copy of the test result in her possession, which revealed that he wasn’t the father of her child.
Notwithstanding, Ayeni condoned her lies, more out of amusement and patience. He then requested that they go for another DNA in a reputable centre in London, and she and her family flatly refused. Of course, Ayeni stood his ground and made it clear that he no longer wanted anything to do with her and her family.
At this juncture, he had established that Alagwu was a walking cesspit of lies and deception. He had already denounced most of her lies; contrary to her claims, he didn’t buy her the car she was driving, he didn’t buy her any property, and he had already booted her out of the office space he gave her.
Even the office she was booted from disgracefully, she had initially opined he gifted her and transferred deeds to her. She got so desperate as to lie he paid her bride price, not minding how this looked on the fact he was legally and traditionally married. She will spend all her time then between his office and his house. She was so lowly.
To leave no one in doubt, he engaged very reputable news outlets, Premium Times, This Day, and Punch to mention a few, to state his side of the story in black and white.
Further findings also revealed that Alagwu, to hide her shame at forcing a man’s name on her child – which is against the Igbo tradition that says a child can only bear the actual father’s name if the mother’s bride price had been paid – had to lie that Ayeni had paid her bride price. Ayeni again vehemently refuted this lie.
Not a few people have acknowledged Ayeni’s courage in tackling Alagwu and quashing her plot in an era when women like her have been known to utterly ruin their male victims or bully them into complete acquiescence.
Adaobi’s acknowledged copy. A copy was also sent to the NIS
By decisively neutering Alagwu’s plots, Ayeni has become a poster icon of sorts to many Nigerian men who are currently suffering in silence as they experience a raw deal from desperate concubines.
Ayeni painstakingly made Alagwu understand that there was no way she could replace his wife and that he would never accept an illegitimate child from her. Realizing this, Alagwu went for broke and resorted to more desperate antics, part of which was her invasion of Ayeni’s premises and breaking into the office from which he had evicted her months ago.
In an unwise display of braggado, Alagwu broke the padlock on the gate and forced her entry into the office, claiming she did so to retrieve her air conditioner.
Irked by this, Ayeni petitioned the police and was arrested and detained. There is no gainsaying the billionaire magnate is no longer willing to take chances with Alagwu or feed the flimsiest delusion that they are still together. The fact that Alagwu kept referring to her daughter as his child whilst she was being interrogated at the police station informed his decision to issue a “Cease” legal notice to her.
As Alagwu recoils to lick her wounds, several questions persist in public space and the saner court of public opinion concerning her overall conduct throughout the imbroglio.
These questions reference the veracity of her claims while also casting scrutiny on her reputation.
They are as follows:
First, if the office address from which she had been evicted more than six months ago is still what she has on her website, does it not mean that she has not been working or professionally engaged?
Where are her parents? Why are they so comfortable watching their daughter mortgage her future for the material satisfaction of today? Why wouldn’t they encourage her to focus her attention on younger men of her age group who have prospects?
If, at 32, she can be so shameless as to go back to the same office from where she was kicked out disgracefully, does it not speak to her lack of self-worth? What if the man’s wife was there?
Why would Adaobi’s mother encourage her daughter and even join in gleefully leeching on to a man they know is very married? Almost twice her age and try to force an illegitimate child on him? The only answer is greed and money!
Ayeni, even before now, had made his wife a go-between between Adaobi and himself and Adaobi’s mother. In fact, it was in the presence of Mrs Ayeni that all initial conversations and DNA test was carried out, and it appears the importance of this denigration of AdaObi and her family by Ayeni was lost on her. Because by so doing he was telling her he had lost all interest in her and whatever they might have shared. Even now Ayeni insists he must carry his wife along in everything he’s doing. Immediately after her arrest, he had the officer’s space redecorated and given to his wife. Talk about the ultimate rejection.
A former associate of Alagwu, who simply described herself as Becky, stated that it would have been wiser of her to pawn her ‘designer’ bags and buy air-conditioning units with the proceeds instead of subjecting herself to the ridicule of going to the same property from which she was chased away in disgraceful circumstances. “It was very wrong and desperate of her to break into someone’s premises just to retrieve two AC units. My friend can certainly do better. She needn’t be so desperate,” said Becky.
According to Becky, Alagwu has become very broke, and breaking into Ayeni’s property was simply one of her frantic attempts to get his attention. She said, “Adaobi thought going to the property would get him to talk to her, but her plan failed. Why would a 32-year-old beautiful lady like her continue to subject herself to such embarrassment? Is it simply because she needs to keep up appearances that she’s a baby mama to a billionaire?”
And why would a 32-year-old continue to put herself up for such embarrassment simply because she needs to keep up appearances that she’s “baby mama” to a billionaire?
Ayeni has publicly dissociated himself from her more than five times, yet she desperately seeks to force his name on her child and covet his attention. Does she not care about the dignity of acceptance and love from the man, if not for herself, for her child? As it is the vehemence with which Ayeni denies the child or a need for association leaves nothing to be salvaged in the relationship, this still seems lost on Adaobi, and her clique as all they continue to insist on is that the child is his even at the mercy of his rejection.
Ayeni, on his part, vows to continue to discredit and disgrace Adaobi and her family if they continue on their trajectory of lies, tarnishing his image and attempting to force an illegitimate child on him.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), FCT Command, have arrested a dismissed soldier, Gabriel David Elihu, of Apo Mechanic Village, and Alex Iorjaa of Gboko L.G.A of Benue State, for armed robbery and kidnapping in Abuja.
FCT Police Commissioner, CP Ben Igweh, made this known during a media briefing on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.
According to the CP, the suspects were arrested on March 17, after receiving a distress call at about 02:30pm, through the Mabushi Division from two victims; Blessing Mafulul Damia and Haliru Zakari, that some men in an unregistered Toyota Hilux trailed them while on their way home from a medical store in Gwarimpa to Gishiri village, robbed them of their valuables and attempted to kidnap them.
“Upon receipt of the information, Police operatives of the Division swung into action, trailed the vehicle and arrested the two suspects Elihu and Iorjaa. A black coloured Toyota Hilux with Reg No. NBB 03 AH (Nasarawa), a jackknife, and some military accoutrements were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged to court soon,” the CP stated.
The Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Igboho, has urged traditional rulers in the Southwest to support him in flushing out criminality and banditry from the region.
Igboho said he would collaborate with traditional rulers to put a permanent end to insecurity in the Southwest.
In a statement he signed, he lamented that insecurity was responsible for death and farmer-herder crisis in the region.
“I welcome the idea, and assure them that I will do my best to checkmate incidence of insecurity provided I receive the backing of the relevant security agencies, Yoruba monarchs and other stakeholders.
“Insecurity and threats precipitated by banditry, herders/farmers clashes, leading to deaths and massive destruction of farmlands have driven away farmers and agric entrepreneurs from farm settlements in Yorubaland.
“We need to flush out criminal elements, who have occupied our forests using the place as launch pads to jeopardize the peace in our communities, towns, villages and amulets. I am ready to lend my support in this regard,” he said.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command has arrested one Samaila Wakili Fafa, a wanted kidnap kingpin in Abuja.
Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesperson, in a Tuesday statement, said Fafa was arrested on February 24 after the command raided Sardauna forest in Nasarawa State after receiving credible intelligence.
According to her, the suspect was one of those who FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had placed bounty on.
The spokesperson also said Fafa has confessed to being responsible for the abduction and murder of Chris Agidy, a senior legislative aide to Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta North.
Nwoko had said his aide was among 19 people abducted from their homes by kidnappers in Galadimawa area of Abuja in 2023.
“The suspect is one of the two kidnappers the Honorable Minister FCT placed bounty on, as the other one namely Saidu Abdulkadir A.K.A Dahiru Adamu, had earlier been arrested by the Command.
“He confessed that his syndicate masterminded and executed several kidnappings in FCT and its environs, including the abduction of Barr. Chris Agidy, the legal aid to Senator Ned Nwoko and Mr Sunday Yahaya Zakwai, the district head of Ketti Village who were later killed by them.
“Samaila Wakili further led police operatives to where the remains of Barr. Chris Agidy is. The remains was recovered and deposited in Gwagwalada General Hospital.
“While investigation is still ongoing, the Commissioner of Police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, wishes to reiterate his unflinching commitment to combat crime and criminality in all its manifestations and to ensure safety of residents.
“He equally urges residents to report suspicious activities through the following emergency lines; 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883; PCB: 09022222352,” the statement disclosed.
Former US President, Donald Trump has appealed his $454m New York civil fraud judgment, challenging judge Arthur Engoron's finding that the former president lied about his wealth as he grew the real estate empire that launched him to stardom.
Trump's lawyers filed notices of appeal on Monday, February 26, asking the state’s mid-level appeals court to overturn Judge Engoron’s 16 February verdict in the lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James, and reverse staggering penalties that threaten to wipe out Trump’s cash reserves.
Trump’s lawyers wrote in court papers that they were asking the appeals court to decide whether Engoron “committed errors of law and/or fact” and whether he abused his discretion or “acted in excess” of his jurisdiction.
Trump’s appeal paperwork did not address whether Trump was seeking to pause collection of the judgment while he appeals by putting up money, assets or an appeal bond covering the amount owed to qualify for an automatic stay.
Engoron found that Trump, his company and top executives, including his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr, schemed for years to deceive banks and insurers by inflating his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and make deals. Among other penalties, the judge put strict limitations on the ability of Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, to do business in New York.
The appeal ensures that the legal fight over Trump’s business practices will persist into for the time being, as he tries to clinch the Republican presidential nomination in his quest to retake the White House.
If upheld, Engoron’s ruling will force Trump to give up a sizable chunk of his fortune. Engoron ordered Trump to pay $355m in penalties, but with interest the total has grown to nearly $454m. That total will increase by nearly $112,000 a day until he pays.
Trump’s appeal was expected. Trump had vowed to appeal and his lawyers had been laying the groundwork for months by objecting frequently to Engoron’s handling of the trial.
During the trial, Trump’s lawyers accused Engoron of “tangible and overwhelming” bias. They have also objected to the legal mechanics of James’s lawsuit. Trump contends the law she sued him under is a consumer-protection statute that is normally used to rein in businesses that rip off customers.
Trump’s lawyers have long argued that some of the allegations are barred by the statute of limitations, contending that Engoron failed to comply with an appellate division ruling last year that he narrow the scope of the trial to weed out outdated allegations.
If Trump is unsuccessful at the appellate division, he can ask the state’s highest court, the court of appeals, to consider taking his case.
In January, a jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3m to the writer E Jean Carroll for defaming her after she accused him in 2019 of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. That is on top of the $5m a jury awarded Carroll in a related trial last year.
The funeral service for Late Governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu was held at St. Andrew's Cathedral Church, Owo, Ondo State yesterday where his remains was committed to mother earth in Owo, his home town.
It would be recalled that the late Governor Late Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu visited Toronto, Canada about five years ago where he was entertained by his kinsmen led by Elder Franklin 'Soji Adeyeri who is The Chairman of Owo Community Association, Toronto, Canada. During his visit, the late Governor went to memory lane with Elder 'Soji Adeyeri his youthful days when he would come to Late Pa Adeyeri's house to play with other kids. He even reminded Elder 'Soji Adeyeri of Faleye Printing Press besides Pa Adeyeri's house. According to Late Akeredolu, Faleye Printing Press was adjudged to be the only existing Printing Press in Owo and its environs then.
During Late Akeredolu's visit he took all by surprise when he opened up to his kinsmen that only three prominent schools were in Owo in the 60s; Adeyeri Grammar school, founded by Late Pa Adeyeri and Owo High School founded by Former Ondo State Governor Late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, he added that Imade College was already in place before these two schools
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Elder Franklin "Soji Adeyeri
Chairman, Board of Directors
Owo Community Association, Toronto. Canada.
Elder Franklin 'Soji Adeyeri expressed his sympathy on behalf of Owo Community Association, Toronto to the family, friends, political associates, kinsmen both home and abroad and prayed for the repose of the soul of the Govenor.
Early this year, The President of Yoruba Community Association; Mr. Michael Kehinde Abiodun in his Press release spoke on the death of Late Akeredolu, "On a sad note, on behalf of the Yoruba Community in Canada, I condole with the immediate family of the late Governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, the people of Owo and the entire people of Ondo State Nigeria on the passing of Aketi who died late last year at a time when his service to the state and the country was still much needed. Without any doubt, Governor Akeredolu’s legacy of selfless service, exemplary leadership, humility and statesmanship will be remembered for a long time by the entire people of the Sunshine State as he has left a vacuum too difficult to fill. May his gentle soul rest in peace."
"The Late Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu possessed leadership qualifications that could strike, attract, and fix the attention of mankind positively. Aketi had really lived and tried in the furnace of unique events, his personality, exceptionally strong by nature, had been miraculously politically matured and strengthened. He towered above others to fight invaders in Yoruba land. His style preserved, even under the President Buhari, Aketi had a touch on security revolutionary with emphasis on security of the Yorubaland with his backing and the introduction of Amotekun Security Outfit that lives up to date" Abiodun affirmed.
He went further to say that "Late Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu was a man of his words. He was very pragmatic such was the miraculous quality of his brain, he was a man of intellectual activity. His intellect was too alert not to recognise his own limitations. The most astonishing characteristic of his intellect was the multi-lateral combinations of idealism, realism and pragmatism. Aketi was indeed extra-ordinarily realistic".
May God comfort his family, friends, well-wishers, Owo people, Ondo State people, Yorubas and Nigeria as a whole. May his soul Rest In Peace.
As a student of and believer in federalism, I fully support the principle that federal political systems should have police forces controlled by the federating units - states, and in the past I have strongly campaigned for State Police. Today, I am very frightened of the idea because the evidence that it would be abused is massive. Nonetheless, widespread insecurity in the country has pushed many Nigerians into supporting the idea...
The Federal Government, alongside the governments of the 36 states, are considering the creation of state police. This followed an emergency meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors in the Aso Rock Villa yesterday. According to reports, Thursday's meeting follows the recent hike in food prices, economic hardship, and rising insecurity all over the country. In other words, there is fear of widespread insurrection. Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process is still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders.
As a student of and believer in federalism, I fully support the principle that federal political systems should have police forces controlled by the federating units - states, and in the past I have strongly campaigned for State Police. Today, I am very frightened of the idea because the evidence that it would be abused is massive. Nonetheless, widespread insecurity in the country has pushed many Nigerians into supporting the idea of a State Police based on the justification that states are closer to local dynamics of insecurity and might be more effective in combatting them.
The reasoning is that members of the police, being local and therefore knowledgeable about the community, would be more effective in fighting crime, terrorism, civil unrest and insurgency. The key idea, therefore, is that they would know or be able to easily find out the bad boys and girls and deal with them. In my view, that is where the trouble begins; who will define the bad boys and girls?
The problem we have is that the police are not as effective as they should be and the way forward is to improve their efficacy.
State police would be established by State Houses of Assembly and that means the enabling laws defining their mandates, structures and control would be determined by state governors because, as we all know, State Houses of Assembly are essentially puppets of their governors and they do as they are instructed. For state governors, the bad boys are clear and they fall into two categories. The first category comprises politicians who want to contest state power with the governors or their chosen successors, for those in their second term.
The second category consists of all persons who dare to criticise the governors or question their misdeeds. Over the years, many critics, including journalists and civil society activists, have been placed in arbitrary detention for daring to speak the truth about their governors. The governors cajole law enforcement offices to "deal" with their perceived enemies, without having a police force totally under their control. I am convinced that most (not all) governors would jail all their "enemies" if they have police forces they can control totally.
I have heard people argue that currently, the Nigerian Police Force are direct puppets of the president and they do exactly what they are told to do in dealing with the president's enemies, so State Police could be a counter weight to presidential control of the Nigeria Police Force. I think it's uncharitable to argue that the Nigeria Police are completely partisan in their actions. Federal institutions are, in general, much more capable of handling issues in an even-handed manner, relative to state-level institutions.
When in 2018 there was a summit to consider the establishment of State Police, there was a counter argument by the late Abubakar Tsav, a retired police commissioner, that the "establishment of state police will signal the beginning of the disintegration of the country," as governors would use the institution "against their perceived political opponents." State and federal police commands are also likely to work at cross-purposes, he added.
My additional reasons of concern are that we have very serious ethnic and religious divides in the country at this time and many governors believe that if they have their own police, they can deal with the other. For example, the pastoralists and farmers conflicts have been intensifying in many states and some governors have clear proclivities of seeking to expel or protect pastoralists in their states, opening the doors to a new dimension of identity conflicts that would deepen the crisis facing the Nigerian state today. As Commissioner Tsav argued in 2018: "Our politicians are not civilised enough and tolerant of opposing views and cannot preside over a competent and impartial police force."
I have heard people argue that currently, the Nigerian Police Force are direct puppets of the president and they do exactly what they are told to do in dealing with the president's enemies, so State Police could be a counter weight to presidential control of the Nigeria Police Force. I think it's uncharitable to argue that the Nigeria Police are completely partisan in their actions. Federal institutions are, in general, much more capable of handling issues in an even-handed manner, relative to state-level institutions. The more effective separation of powers between the executive, legislature and judiciary at the federal level, in relation to the state level, means that there are more effective control measures. The National Assembly, for example, can call the Inspector General of Police to order in a way that no State House of Assembly can do with any institution obeying the state governor.
I know that the structure of the police is defective, as a significant slice of the police budget is consumed at the headquarters and very limited resources go to State Commands where most police operations actually take place. State Police Commands then become dependent on state governors, who give them some money and in return get the Command to do their bidding. It is however easier to address this problem in comparison to a fully state police force.
I know that the structure of the police is defective, as a significant slice of the police budget is consumed at the headquarters and very limited resources go to State Commands where most police operations actually take place. State Police Commands then become dependent on state governors, who give them some money and in return get the Command to do their bidding. It is however easier to address this problem in comparison to a fully state police force.
The problem we have is that the police are not as effective as they should be and the way forward is to improve their efficacy. One of the core problems is that about 150,000 of the 350,000 of the nation's police force are engaged in VIP protection, rather than routine policing. Every Police IG has promised to stop renting out police officers to those who can pay for their services but failed to do so. Successive presidential directives that police personnel attached to unauthorised persons and VIPs in the country be withdrawn and deployed to confront the security challenges in the nation have been disregarded. The police are ineffective because too many of them are not available to do core police work, as they spend their time in the service of a few privileged Nigerians. President Tinubu should start by addressing this challenge.
A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.
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