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Wike, AGF seek amendment of TETFund Act to include Law School

Published

2 years ago

December 10, 2024

FG Opens N10 Billion TETFund Research Grant Applications — How Lecturers Can Apply

Wike, AGF seek amendment of TETFund Act to include Law School

Minister of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, have jointly called for the amendment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Act 2021 (as amended) to incorporate the Nigeria Law School as one of its beneficiaries.

The duo spoke on Monday in Abuja at the flag-off ceremony of the Design and Construction of 10 Staff Quarters for the Nigerian Law School Bwari, Abuja and presentation of vehicles to the Law School Management.

Fagbami highlighted the unique status of the Nigerian Law School, stating it cannot be classified simply as a university or an ordinary institution. He called for an amendment of the TETFUND to include the law school as a university eligible for funding, emphasising its distinct role among educational institutions.

“One thing about the law school is maybe because of the placement, you cannot really place the Nigerian law school as a university or as an ordinary institution. I said this because if you look at the law setting up TETFUND, the Nigerian law school is not included. And I think the time has come that an amendment should be made to include the Nigerian law school as a university that can take, you know, benefit from TETFUND. There are other institutions, but I think Nigerian Law School stands out.”

Fagbemi urged individuals of means to come to the aid of the school which he said has various campuses across the country.

According to him, the issue of accommodation is very important. “If the staff do not have where they will sleep, it will affect their minds and the quality of the students they turn out,” the AGF added.

While commending the FCT minister for his impactful projects for the Judiciary, the Attorney General highlighted the minister’s consistent support since his days as governor of Rivers State. He remarked that the former governor is known for his transparency, excellence in execution of projects and clarity regarding his positions on various issues.

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“Whether or not you like him, you cannot dispute the fact that he is a performer. He is one person where you know where he stands. He does not pretend. He is one person who also does not abandon projects. At the Federal Executive Council FEC meetings, he will always advocate that you don’t start a project if you don’t have the money to complete it. And he is a man of taste and quality.”

In response to the inclusion of the Nigeria Law School in TETFUND, Wike expressed urgency for amending the fund’s regulations to support the institution. He stated, “It is getting too late for the amendment of the TETFUND so that the law school can be included for funding.”

Emphasising its status as a professional training school, he pledged full support for this initiative, asserting that such recognition would significantly enhance infrastructure funding. He added that a review of the law school’s budget would reveal its dire financial situation, prompting laughter at its inadequacy.

“Attorney General, I want to say it is getting too late for the amendment of the TETFUND in order for the general law school to be included for the funding. This is a professional training school, so we will give you all the necessary support that that fund should be amended for the law school to benefit from it as a special intervention fund. If that happens, I’m sure you will see that the difference will be clear. They will have money to provide infrastructure. If we can check their budget, you will laugh.“

He recalled what the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, who represented the chairman at an earlier event, said, where he expressed a strong commitment to supporting the judiciary. He urged, “According to him, he used the word jack. He said they jack the budget up. Please I want to also send this message, try and jack up that of the Nigerian law school so that they can have adequate funding.“

He praised the leadership at the law school, noting that their professionalism attracts much-needed support.

The FCT Minister also made a commitment to improve accommodations for law students, stating, “I saw something that looked like a hostel and questioned how it could serve as housing for lawyers in training.”

He announced plans to allocate funding in the 2025 budget for the construction of separate hostels for male and female students. Wike emphasized his determination to enhance the legal profession’s infrastructure, asserting, “If anyone is angry with us, let them wait for their turn. I will not be intimidated.” He reiterated the importance of contributing to his constituency and ensuring quality training for future legal professionals.

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Wike expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support. “It’s one thing to receive an appointment; it’s another to get full support,” highlighting that every request he made for effective governance was met positively by the President.

Wike emphasized that Tinubu views governance as a business, aiming for progress and positive impact on the people. He credited the President’s foresight in enabling financial independence for the FCT, which has led to significant infrastructure improvements. Wike concluded by thanking Tinubu for his essential backing in advancing the capital’s development.

The Construction of 10 Staff Quarters for the Nigerian Law School Bwari, Abuja, funded by the FCT Administration, whixh include furnishings, ancillary services, and landscaping, are set to be completed in six months, according to the contractor, instead of the originally planned nine months due to the availability of funds.

The FCT minister also donated three coaster buses and four Hilux vehicles to the law school.

Chairman of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) in Nigeria, Emeka Ngige, addressed the recent eviction of 20 staff members from their official residences in Lagos. This eviction followed a 2011 High Court judgment that excluded the CLE from proceedings, leading to significant distress among staff.

Ngige expressed that the handover of vehicles and the commencement of new staff quarters have provided a much-needed psychological uplift to the management and staff, who are still reeling from the December 7 eviction. “This development has brought some relief, but we must acknowledge the ongoing struggles faced by our colleagues in Lagos,” he stated.

The evicted staff were removed from their homes at No. 213, Igbosere Road, Lagos, after a warrant of possession was executed.

Ngige lamented that the matter was conducted without involving the CLE as a party, despite efforts to contest the ruling at various judicial levels. “The painful aspect is that our council was not included in this process, leaving us powerless to defend our rights,” he noted.

Ngige warned that unless urgent accommodation solutions are found for the affected families, academic activities at the Lagos campus could be severely disrupted. He appealed to both the Federal Government and Lagos State authorities for immediate assistance: “We urge them to come to our aid and address this pressing issue of accommodation for our staff.”

During his speech, Ngige also acknowledged the contributions of the Federal Capital Territory’s Minister towards enhancing legal education infrastructure. “History will record your excellency as a significant contributor to the growth of the legal profession in Nigeria,” he remarked, praising ongoing support for infrastructural development.

As part of efforts to improve security and facilities at the Nigerian Law School, Ngige highlighted recent enhancements implemented since the minister took office.

Wike, AGF seek amendment of TETFund Act to include Law School

Related Topics:AGF law school TETFund Act Wike

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Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

Published

1 hour ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has offered a scholarship to Yusuf Aliyu, the teenage artisanal miner from Niger State whose account of conditions at a gold-mining site went viral following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the state.

Atiku made the scholarship offer after a video of the teenager speaking about his experience at the mining site attracted widespread attention.

The offer means Atiku intends to provide the teenager with financial support for his education, although specific details such as the level of education covered, the duration of the scholarship and the institution where Yusuf would study were not immediately disclosed.

Atiku said the teenager should have the opportunity to pursue his education rather than remain dependent on mining to support himself and his family.

The teenager reportedly said that young people at the mining site engaged in the activity because of poverty and the need to support their families and pay school fees.

Yusuf also alleged that personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been shooting at miners at the site. He questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the detained miners and disputed the initial explanation that the fatalities were linked to a disease outbreak.

The allegations made by the teenager have not been independently established and remain subject to investigation.

The teenager’s comments came after 37 suspected illegal miners died while in NSCDC custody in Niger State.

The victims were among people arrested during anti-illegal-mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on September 15 and 16.

The Niger State NSCDC Command initially said the detainees died following a suspected disease outbreak. However, accounts from survivors and families have raised questions about the conditions under which the detainees were held.

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Reports have cited allegations of overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and difficult conditions inside the detention facility, while the actual cause of the deaths remains a matter for investigation.

The Federal Government has since ordered an independent investigation into the incident.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the circumstances surrounding the deaths be thoroughly investigated, while Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo constituted a 10-member independent committee to examine the incident.

The government also suspended the Niger State NSCDC Commandant and 20 other NSCDC officers pending the outcome of the investigation. The committee was given two weeks to complete its work and submit its report.

The panel includes representatives of the Niger State Government and Minna Emirate Council, as well as a representative of the Miners Association of Nigeria, lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, former Assistant Inspector-General of Police Hosea Hassan Karma and other members.

The deaths have generated public concern over the treatment of people arrested during illegal mining enforcement operations, particularly following reports that some of those detained were teenagers.

The controversy has also renewed attention on the difficult circumstances surrounding artisanal mining in Niger State, where some young people reportedly enter mining because of limited economic opportunities and the need to support their families.

Atiku, while announcing the scholarship, also questioned the continued poverty in communities with significant mineral deposits.

He called for greater attention to the welfare and education of children involved in mining and raised questions about the Federal Government’s handling of artisanal mining.

The former vice president also referred to the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) introduced under the Muhammadu Buhari administration and questioned what had become of the programme in Niger State.

His comments represent his political position on the incident and the Federal Government’s handling of artisanal mining. The independent committee is expected to establish the facts surrounding the deaths and determine whether any official or other person should be held responsible.

Meanwhile, Yusuf’s story has drawn attention to the wider challenge of keeping children out of hazardous work and ensuring access to education for vulnerable children in mining communities.

Atiku’s scholarship offer is specifically intended to help Yusuf continue his education and pursue opportunities outside artisanal mining. Details of how the scholarship will be administered have not been publicly provided.

The allegations against the NSCDC personnel and other claims surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.

Atiku Offers Scholarship to Viral Niger Teen Miner After 37 Miners’ Deaths

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NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000kg of cannabis, in a series of operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The agency said the seizures had an estimated street value of more than N3.4 billion, while its operatives also arrested a man accused of impersonating a senior police officer while allegedly transporting illicit drugs.

The operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the Federal Capital Territory, according to a statement issued by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

One of the biggest seizures occurred at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted 603.75kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.

The consignment, according to the agency, was valued at about N1.811 billion.

The 40-foot container carrying the drugs reportedly originated from Montreal, Canada, and arrived in Nigeria on September 12.

Following intelligence received by the NDLEA, the container was placed under surveillance before a joint examination by NDLEA personnel, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on September 16.

The Canadian Loud was allegedly concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.

In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on September 16.

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The agency said Ekpe was found with 292.48kg of skunk, allegedly concealed inside a silver Toyota Sienna bus.

According to the NDLEA, preliminary investigation indicated that Ekpe allegedly presented himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, and used a forged police identification card to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs.

A 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai at an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road in Benin City.

The agency alleged that the workshop was being used as a cover for storing illicit drugs.

Officers recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud, 152 grammes of methamphetamine and a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.

Another major seizure was recorded in Niger State, where NDLEA operatives intercepted more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, in addition to codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.

The drugs were allegedly concealed in eight sacks being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

Two suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested along the Abaji-Abuja Highway on September 18 in connection with the consignment.

The agency also reported an earlier interception on September 15 along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.

Three suspects — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested during the operation.

The NDLEA said officers recovered two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol and magazine, and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on September 18 and recovered 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg.

The agency also intercepted seven cartons of cannabis weighing 59kg at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of a suspect identified as Luke Ugokwe.

Another suspect, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbon, where NDLEA officers recovered 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

In Gombe State, operatives recovered 154,480 capsules of tramadol from two suspects identified as 27-year-old Sabi’u Umar and 19-year-old Hassana Muhammad.

NDLEA personnel in Imo State also arrested 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk, according to the agency.

Meanwhile, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during an operation targeting a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo State.

The NDLEA said about 5,000kg of cannabis was destroyed on the two-hectare farm, while 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered as exhibits.

The agency said the latest operations demonstrate its continued efforts to disrupt the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across Nigeria.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain intelligence-led enforcement activities.

The suspects remain under investigation, and the allegations against them have not been established by a court.

NDLEA Seizes N3.4bn Drugs, Arrests Fake Police Officer in Nationwide Crackdown

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Oyo: Police Arrest Serving Air Force Personnel Over Alleged Robbery, Abduction

Published

2 hours ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Abimbola Olugbenga.

Oyo: Police Arrest Serving Air Force Personnel Over Alleged Robbery, Abduction

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a serving Nigerian Air Force personnel over an alleged armed robbery and abduction in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The arrest was made on September 17, 2026, as police operatives investigated the reported incident, according to the Force’s latest operational update.

A blue Toyota Camry allegedly used during the operation was also recovered by the police and taken as an exhibit.

The police did not disclose the identity, rank or unit of the Air Force personnel, nor did they provide details about the alleged victim or explain the circumstances under which the robbery and abduction occurred.

The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Ibadan, for further investigation.

The arrest was among several security operations recorded by the police in Oyo State and other parts of the country between September 17 and 20.

In a separate development in Oyo State, police operatives arrested three suspected members and associates of a kidnapping syndicate.

One of the suspects was arrested on September 18 at Kanbi Village in Atisbo Local Government Area following what the police described as credible intelligence.

Two other suspects were also arrested for allegedly concealing or facilitating the activities of the kidnapping group.

The police said the investigation into the three suspects was also being handled by the SCID in Ibadan.

The two Oyo cases are separate in the police operational summary, and there was no indication that the Air Force personnel arrested over the alleged robbery and abduction was among the three suspects linked to the kidnapping syndicate.

The latest arrests form part of wider police operations targeting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, sexual offences and other criminal activities across several states.

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The Force reported arrests and recoveries in Oyo, Kogi, Kano, Delta, Cross River, Nasarawa, Gombe and Bayelsa states during the period under review.

In Kogi State, police detectives arrested a suspect following a fatal shooting at Ohunene Community in Ajaokuta Local Government Area and recovered a barrel gun allegedly linked to the incident. Another suspect was arrested in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area, following a reported missing-person case.

In Kano State, a female suspect was arrested in connection with the death of her husband at Katsalle Quarters in Rogo Local Government Area.

Delta State police reported separate arrests involving alleged sexual offences, including cases involving minors. Officers also arrested three suspects during a raid on a suspected criminal black spot at Umusadege, Kwale, in Ndokwa West Local Government Area, where the suspects were allegedly linked to drug trafficking and cult-related activities.

In Cross River State, police operatives tracked and arrested a suspect following the circulation of a video allegedly showing a cult-related firearm discharge in Calabar.

In Nasarawa State, police recovered a white Toyota Camry allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident at Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area.

Gombe State police also recovered a blood-stained machete from the scene of a suspected culpable homicide at Duggari Hills in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.

In Bayelsa State, a murder suspect was moved to the SCID in Yenagoa for protective custody following unrest at Ebedebiri, Sagbama Local Government Area. Tactical teams were subsequently deployed to the community to restore law and order.

For the Oyo State Air Force personnel, the police investigation remains ongoing. The recovered Toyota Camry is being treated as an exhibit while detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery and abduction.

Similarly, the three suspects arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping syndicate remain under investigation.

The allegations against all the suspects have not been established by a court, and the investigations are expected to determine whether they will face criminal charges.