metro
ICPC arrests NAHCON director over N90bn hajj subsidy fraud
ICPC arrests NAHCON director over N90bn hajj subsidy fraud
Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has raided the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Abuja over alleged mismanagement of the N90 billion intervention for the 2024 hajj.
According to a source, the anti-graft operatives who stormed the hajj house shut down official activities in some strategic offices, including the office of the chief executive officer, finance and procurement departments.
The source who preferred to be anonymous said the sting operation, which lasted several hours has further brought the commission under public scrutiny on the appropriation of N90 billion subsidy granted for this year’s hajj.
Apparently not satisfied with the available records, the anti-graft agency went away with the commission’s director of procurement for further investigation, our source said.
When contacted, ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, confirmed the visit of operatives of the agency to the Hajj house but said it was on routine investigation.
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Although Bakare was silent over the nature of the investigation, he hinted that the raid was necessitated by the refusal of some officials of the commission to honor ICPC’s invitation.
Responding to an enquiry, Bakare said: “Yes, we are investigating the National Hajj Commission. We invited some officials who either failed or refused to honour the invitation. We therefore paid them a friendly visit.
“We didn’t shut down the Commission. ICPC operates within the confines of the law,” Bakare clarified.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had grilled the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of (NAHCON), Mal. Jalal Ahmad Arabi, over the management of the controversial N90 billion hajj subsidy.
The investigation followed series of petitions filed against NAHCON essentially on alleged poor management of services during the 2024 exercise and the utility of Federal Government intervention, the anti-graft agency said.
Nevertheless, NAHCON had clarified the doubt on the allegations and further provided record on how the federal government intervention was allocated in the last exercise.
Addressing a world press conference in Abuja, Arabi said the commission had paid over N1.6 million each to over 50,000 pilgrims and officials to subsidise the high cost of services occasioned by variation on naira to American dollar exchange rate.
ICPC arrests NAHCON director over N90bn hajj subsidy fraud
metro
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
In a tragic turn of events, kidnappers who abducted a hotel owner, his manager, and a guest in Gauraka community, Tafa Local Government Area, Niger State, have executed their captives despite receiving a ransom of N25 million.
The incident, which occurred early on August 17, 2024, has also claimed the lives of two local vigilantes, Abubakar Muhammad and Ibrahim Garba, who were killed while delivering the ransom.
According to reports from City & Crime, the bodies of the victims were found in the Dogon-Daji Forest, a border area between Kaduna, Niger State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They were subsequently transported to an air force base near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Hussaini Abubakar, the commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) in Tafa, confirmed that the remains of the vigilantes were buried on Saturday following military clearance.
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Additionally, a man previously abducted from the community about a month ago was rescued with gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment at an army medical facility in Abuja.
The abduction began around 1 am when the kidnappers raided the hotel, forcibly taking all the lodgers. Witnesses reported that the bandits fired shots while leaving, drawing attention to the crime. Despite the presence of a security hunter nearby, the individual fled upon seeing the attackers.
Community residents have expressed growing frustration over the escalating attacks, noting that the bandits frequently operate in nearby forests and along major roads, including the Ijah-Koro and Ijah-Gwari roads leading to Bwari town in the FCT.
Gauraka has experienced at least five kidnapping incidents in the past four months, underscoring the urgent need for increased security measures in the area.
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
metro
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five Chinese nationals suspected of illegal mining activities in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, located in Ibieno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
The EFCC announced the arrests on Sunday, stating that its Special Task Force on Illegal Mining, operating in Uyo, carried out the operation based on credible intelligence regarding illicit mining activities conducted by foreign companies in Eket and Ibieno LGAs.
This development underscores the ongoing efforts of the EFCC to clamp down on illegal mining and protect Nigeria’s natural resources from exploitation by foreign entities.
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The agency’s vigilance in addressing illegal operations continues to support the country’s broader fight against environmental degradation and economic sabotage.
“The five arrested Chinese suspects are Zhon Qinping, apprehended on 10 September, and Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng, arrested on 29 August.
“They were arrested at an illegal mining site, where a mineral suspected to be ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral, was being extracted.
“The suspects will face charges in court once investigations are concluded,” EFCC said.
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
(NAN)
metro
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
The Katsina Community Watch Corps (CWC) has apprehended Umar Shehu on allegations of supplying illegal injections and drugs to bandits involved in kidnappings in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The arrest was reported by Bakatsine, a security expert and Conflict and Crisis Journalist in the Northwest region, via a post on X.
Accompanying the post was a video showing a significant quantity of syringes and Umar Shehu’s confession to his involvement in the illegal activities.
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“GOOD NEWS: The Katsina Community Watch Corp (CWC) in Ɗandume Local Government Area has successfully apprehended a man named Umar Shehu, who was involved in trafficking illegal injections and drugs to supply to bandits engaged in kidnappings in Sabuwa LGA all in Katsina State,” the post reads.
“The security team gathered crucial information from Umar and others, but only Umar’s information appeared in the video while others were not recorded for security reasons, according to an insider.”
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
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