Author: user user

Gaming by minors: Operators risk N100m fine

The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) has threatened to impose a N100 million fine on gaming operators who allow underage persons to participate in gambling activities in the state.

The Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Bashir Are, disclosed this yesterday at a press conference in Lagos to mark the inaugural Africa Safer Gambling Week.

Are said the regulator had deployed enforcement teams across the three districts of Lagos to ensure that persons below 18 are prevented from accessing gambling services.

He said the measure was part of wider efforts by the state to reduce gambling-related harm , particularly as gaming activities increasingly move online.

‘As we speak, my entire enforcement team are on the street all over Lagos. We divide them into three districts, especially to make sure that underage persons are not permitted to gamble,’ Are said.

According to him, the penalty for operators who breach the underage gambling rule is deliberately severe.

‘You can imagine if you sell a ticket of N100 to an underage, I’m going to fine you N100 million,’ he said.

Are also disclosed that the regulator was strengthening the use of technology and data to monitor gambling behaviour, saying about 70 per cent of gaming activities were now conducted online.

He said the shift to digital gambling required regulators to develop online tools capable of identifying potentially harmful behaviour and providing timely interventions.

He said: ‘We did a survey about two years ago and realised that the business is moving online. That is where we approached the issue of how we can match them online too.

‘We have to know where they are going, how they are doing it, and we can match the control online.’

One of the major tools being deployed is SafePlay, a platform that allows gamblers to voluntarily restrict or suspend their access to licensed gaming operators.

The Chief Executive Officer of Safe Play Technologies, Kayode Lawal, said more than 800 users had self-excluded from gambling through the platform within its first two months of operation.

He said the platform was integrated with operators, enabling a person who self-excludes to be restricted across participating operators.

Lawal said users could choose different exclusion periods, including three months, six months, one year and five years, depending on their needs.

He added that SafePlay did not merely exclude users but also generated data that could help identify people who might require counselling or other forms of support.

‘We take appropriate action to check up on them, to know the reason why they self-excluded themselves, to see where help is needed and to tailor support to those kinds of users,’ he said.

He said the platform also submits periodic reports to the regulator on the number of users who have self-excluded, participating operators and their compliance levels.

The Africa iGaming Alliance ( AiA), which is coordinating the Safer Gambling Week across participating African jurisdictions, said the initiative was designed to address the growing gap between the availability of responsible-gambling tools and public awareness about them.

A representative of the alliance, Olabimpe Akingba, said operators and regulators had developed several responsible-gaming mechanisms, but many consumers were unaware of their existence or how to use them.

She said the continental campaign was therefore intended to deliver a common message across African jurisdictions while allowing individual regulators to determine how the message should be implemented locally.

Akingba, who is also head of responsible gaming at PowerTech, said: ‘The big problem was that the customers knew nothing about it.

‘There are lots of things happening, how you can control your play, information out there. But customers don’t know about it.’

She said the campaign would focus on educating consumers that gambling should be treated as entertainment rather than a source of income or a means of becoming rich overnight.

The initiative is being implemented in Nigeria and other African countries, including Malawi, Tanzania and Kenya.

In Lagos, campaign messages are being taken to public transport networks, including buses and trains.

The organisers said more than 15 buses across Lagos had been branded with responsible-gambling messages, while free Wi-Fi services on some trains would require users to watch an educational video on underage gambling and gambling addiction before gaining access.

Are said the regulator was also working with non-governmental organisations and mental health professionals to provide support for people experiencing gambling-related problems.

He said the state had partnered with organisations working in addiction treatment and mental health, including the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba.

According to him, interventions funded through the state’s gaming-related social and health programmes have also supported people dealing with drug and alcohol addiction and other health challenges.

He stressed that gambling regulation was not primarily about generating revenue for government but about protecting the public and ensuring that operators complied with established rules.

‘Gambling is supposed to be entertainment. It is not a way of life. It is not a source of revenue,’ Are said.

He also rejected concerns that responsible-gambling restrictions could undermine the industry’s revenue, saying regulation and commercial activity could coexist.

Are put the value of Africa’s gambling industry at between $27 billion and $30 billion, significantly higher than the $3 billion estimate cited during the interaction with journalists.

He said the objective of regulation was to ensure that the industry’s economic activities did not translate into social harm.

He added that Lagos was deliberately restricting the establishment of casinos in residential neighbourhoods, with the preference being for casino activities to be associated with hotels, resorts and tourist destinations.

The regulator, however, acknowledged that it could not completely eliminate gambling-related harm.

Are said enforcement, technology, self-exclusion, public education and access to treatment were necessary to minimise the risks.

The Chief Executive Officer of Gamble Alert Fisayo Oke, said gambling harm should not be viewed solely through the lens of addiction, noting that some people who develop gambling problems may already have underlying mental health vulnerabilities.

He said some callers seeking help had reported gambling problems that were linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges.

Oke urged stakeholders to broaden the conversation beyond addiction to include the wider social and psychological consequences of gambling.

He said gambling-related harm could affect families through financial difficulties, relationship breakdown and neglect of children.

The stakeholders agreed that responsible gambling required shared responsibility among regulators, operators, technology providers, civil society organisations and individual consumers.

They said operators were increasingly using data analytics to identify warning signs, including unusual betting patterns, excessive playing at night and spending beyond a person’s apparent means.

They, however, stressed that technology and regulation could reduce risks but could not completely remove individual responsibility.

The Africa Safer Gambling Week is the first continent-wide initiative bringing together regulators, licensed operators, industry associations, technology providers and non-profit organisations to promote safer gambling.

The organisers said the campaign would continue with awareness programmes in tertiary institutions, public spaces and other locations across Lagos, Nigeria and participating African countries.

 50th Birthday: Hon. Lanre Oladebo Felicitates Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa

The Member of the House of Representatives representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, Hon. Lanre Omoleye Oladebo, has congratulated the Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Habitat, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.

In a congratulatory message, Hon. Oladebo described Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa as a distinguished parliamentarian, accomplished public servant and valued colleague whose dedication to legislative duties and commitment to national development remain worthy of commendation.

He noted that attaining the age of 50 is a remarkable milestone, providing an opportunity to reflect on a life defined by service, achievements, leadership and meaningful contributions to society.

Hon. Oladebo also expressed his personal appreciation for the celebrant’s friendship, collegiality and commitment to the business of legislation, noting that his wealth of experience, intellectual capacity and dedication continue to add significant value to the National Assembly.

The statement reads:

‘It is with great pleasure that I join your family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers in celebrating you as you attain this remarkable milestone of 50 years.’

‘Your journey has been marked by dedication, resilience, intellectual capacity and an unwavering commitment to public service. Beyond being a distinguished parliamentarian, you have been a dependable colleague and a leader whose friendship I deeply value.

As you celebrate your Golden Jubilee, I pray that Almighty God grants you renewed strength, sound health, greater wisdom and abundant grace to continue your service to humanity and our dear nation.

‘May this new chapter of your life bring you greater accomplishments, fulfilment and lasting impact. May the years ahead be even more rewarding than those behind you.

‘Happy 50th birthday, my dear Chairman and distinguished colleague. I wish you many more years of good health, happiness, peace and impactful service.’

Haitian Fresh And The Record That Helped Put His Name On The Map

Some artists spend years searching for the record that changes the direction of their career. For Haitian Fresh, ‘Gon Jock’ became one of the songs connected to that breakthrough period.

Known professionally as Haitian Fresh and born Jimmy Revolus, the Haitian-American rapper began building his career in Florida during the early 2000s.

At the time, Florida was developing into one of the most influential regions in Southern hip-hop. Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, and other parts of the state were producing artists, producers, DJs, and independent movements that were beginning to attract national attention.

Haitian Fresh was developing within that environment.

His Haitian background gave him a distinct identity, while his Florida upbringing connected him to the sound and culture of Southern hip-hop.

The major breakthrough came with ‘Gon Jock,’ a collaboration associated with Lil Boosie. The song helped Haitian Fresh reach listeners outside of the local Florida market and became an important part of his early catalog.

The significance of ‘Gon Jock’ went beyond the song itself. It demonstrated that Haitian Fresh could work with established Southern rap artists while maintaining his own identity.

The momentum from that period opened additional doors.

Haitian Fresh eventually developed a relationship with Wyclef Jean. Wyclef, who had already become internationally known through the Fugees and his solo career, represented one of the biggest Haitian names in American music.

Haitian Fresh’s association with Wyclef’s Sak Pasé Records gave him another important platform as he continued developing his career.

The connection also placed Haitian Fresh within a larger Haitian music conversation. His career was developing during a period when Haitian-American artists were increasingly finding ways to bring Haitian culture and identity into American hip-hop.

His career continued to develop through collaborations, performances, and relationships throughout the Florida music scene.

He later became associated with Waka Flocka Flame and the Brick Squad movement, giving him another major connection within Southern hip-hop.

Looking back, ‘Gon Jock’ remains an important reference point because it represents the period when Haitian Fresh began moving from an emerging Florida artist toward a name with a broader audience.

The music industry has changed considerably since those early releases. Streaming has replaced much of the traditional physical music market, social media has changed artist discovery, and independent artists now have more direct access to listeners.

Haitian Fresh has experienced that transition firsthand.

Now, years after his early breakthrough, he is preparing another chapter with new music connected to Worldwide and Zoe Motivation.

Rather than attempting to recreate the early 2000s, his current direction reflects an artist who has had time to develop his identity and understand the business from multiple sides.

His story shows how one record can become part of a much larger career.

For Haitian Fresh, ‘Gon Jock’ was one of those records. The work that followed helped turn that moment into a career that has continued across multiple eras of hip-hop.

APM accuses APC of silencing opposition over Obi’s convoy blockade

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has condemned the alleged obstruction of the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), during his visit to Benue State on Tuesday.

The APM alleged that Obi’s convoy was blocked by suspected state-sponsored thugs while he was travelling to Yelwata to visit families affected by the recent killings in the area.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by Anthony Ehilebo, Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication to Seyi Makinde, the APM presidential candidate, the party described the incident as ‘deeply disturbing and totally unacceptable.’

‘We strongly condemn the unwarranted obstruction of the convoy of the Presidential Candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), former Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, during his visit to Benue State on Tuesday, September 8, 2026,’ the statement said.

The campaign alleged that the incident represented an attempt by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

‘The incident, in which Mr. Obi’s convoy was obstructed by a group of suspected state-sponsored thugs on his way to Yelwata to visit families affected by the tragic killings in the area, is deeply disturbing and totally unacceptable,’ it said.

‘It marks a new low in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s desperation to stifle opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.’

The APM campaign linked the incident to Obi’s appearance a day earlier at the inauguration of the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja, where the NDC candidate joined other opposition figures to show solidarity with Makinde.

‘It is particularly worrisome that this targeted attack came barely 24 hours after Mr. Peter Obi joined other notable opposition leaders to show solidarity with our principal, the Presidential Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Engr. Seyi Makinde, at the inauguration of the Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Office on Monday, September 7, 2026,’ the statement said.

According to the campaign, recent political realignments ahead of the 2027 election had unsettled the APC.

‘Expectedly, the ruling APC overburdened by the sad reality of marketing an unpopular President Tinubu to Nigerians, is rattled by recent political developments, leading them to resort to barbaric tactics, including intimidation, harassment, and the unlawful obstruction of the legitimate activities of opposition parties and leaders,’ it alleged.

The campaign also rejected the explanation reportedly given by the Benue State Government that Obi failed to obtain prior permission before visiting the state.

The APM argued that the right to movement and association guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution did not require citizens or political candidates to seek permission from state governments before travelling within the country.

‘We therefore find the statement credited to the Benue State Government, that the NDC Presidential Candidate did not seek prior permission from the state government before his visit, completely unacceptable and condemnable,’ it said.

‘Every Nigerian, presidential candidate or otherwise, has a constitutionally guaranteed right to enter, live, and move freely within any state in Nigeria to conduct legitimate activities without prior permission or notice.’

The campaign cited Sections 41(1) and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which respectively guarantee freedom of movement and freedom of association and assembly.

‘Setting up roadblocks and engaging thugs to stop opposition candidates have no place in a constitutional democracy,’ it said.

The APM consequently called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the incident and prosecute those responsible.

‘We demand that the Nigerian Police immediately commence a full-scale investigation into this unfortunate incident and bring the culprits to book in the interest of our democracy,’ the campaign said.

It, however, pledged that the alleged incident would not deter the opposition from participating in the 2027 electoral process.

‘As a campaign, we remain committed to a peaceful electoral process; however, we state clearly that we shall not be deterred or cowed by the antics of those who seek to make peaceful participation impossible,’ the statement added.

’Give us second chance,’ First Lady woos Anambra traditional rulers for Tinubu’s reelection

Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has appealed to traditional rulers and other stakeholders to in Anambra to sustain their support for the administration of President Bola Tinubu beyond 2027.

‘Mr President believes in your capacity, and when our turn comes, we ask that you give us a second chance too,’ Tinubu said on Thursday when she visited the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council at the Light House, Awka.

The First Lady who was accompanied by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo commended the traditional rulers for their support for the Federal Government.

She noted that their backing was important to the success of the administration.

The First Lady also defended the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, describing it as a courageous decision taken by the President from the outset of his administration.

Mrs Tinubu stressed the importance of traditional institutions in preserving the culture, heritage and identity of communities.

She described traditional rulers as ‘the foundational custodians of the land,’ saying their leadership would always occupy a place of honour in society.

‘Traditional institutions are very important because you are the custodians of the land.

The First Lady recalled her longstanding relationship with Anambra, saying she had visited the state as a young girl and had family ties to the area through her sister’s marriage to the late traditional ruler of Isuaniocha.

She also expressed appreciation to the traditional rulers for conferring traditional titles on President Tinubu during his previous visit to the state.

Tinubu thanked the traditional rulers for receiving her and expressed optimism that the partnership between government and traditional institutions would continue to promote development in the state and the South-East.

She also commended Gov Soludo for the infrastructural and administrative transformation taking place across Anambra.

‘I want to commend the governor for the wonderful work he is doing in Anambra State.

‘I have seen the transformation taking place and I want to appreciate you for what you are doing,’ she said.

Recall that Governor Soludo who is a member of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA had repeatedly declared his support for reelection of President Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, Anambra is the home state of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of National Democratic Congress, NDC in the 2027 presidential election.

Obi, who is also a former governor of Anambra State is considered one of three leading presidential candidates in Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.

The NDC presidential candidate contested in the 2023 presidential election but came third in the election won by Tinubu.

However, he got over 90 per cent of the votes in Anambra and other South-East states.

Nigeria, Cameroon Customs Target Lower Cross-Border Trade

Nigeria and Cameroon are moving to cut the cost and time of cross-border trade as the two nations’ customs administrations begin a joint assessment of the Mfum-Ekok One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), a move expected to improve cargo clearance and strengthen the flow of goods along the two countries’ trade corridor.

The initiative, being driven by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Cameroon Customs Administration, seeks to replace duplicated border procedures with coordinated processing, digital customs workflows and joint risk-management systems.

The development comes as businesses across Africa continue to grapple with high logistics costs, border delays and multiple regulatory checks that raise the final cost of traded goods and undermine the competitiveness of regional supply chains.

The joint assessment, held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, was themed ‘Leveraging the Nigeria Customs Service Trade Modernisation Project to Advance Seamless Cross-Border Trade and Shared Prosperity.’

It brought together customs officials, technical experts, security agencies, development partners and representatives of communities around the border.

Adewale Adeniyi, comptroller-general of Customs, said the objective was to build on the existing relationship between the two customs administrations and develop a model that could be replicated across the region.

‘We are not building from nothing. We are taking something that works between the two of us and asking whether it can be made to work for the region and hopefully for our continent,’ Adeniyi said.

He said the geographical proximity of Nigeria and Cameroon had not translated into seamless movement of goods and people, stressing the need to remove unnecessary barriers that constrain legitimate trade.

For businesses, the proposed one-stop arrangement could reduce the time trucks spend at the border, minimise repeated inspections and lower the administrative costs associated with moving cargo between the two countries.

The two customs administrations have also begun work on a joint operational agreement, following a study tour of the Beitbridge Border Post between South Africa and Zimbabwe to examine practices that could be adapted to the Nigeria-Cameroon corridor.

The agreement is expected to be signed at the forthcoming C-PACT conference.

Fongod Nuvaga, director-general of Cameroon Customs, said the assessment represented the first concrete step towards establishing unified border operations.

He identified real-time data sharing and joint risk-management systems as critical to the success of the initiative, arguing that cargo and travellers should be processed once rather than subjected to multiple checks by agencies on either side of the border.

Such integration, customs experts say, could help address one of the major structural constraints to intra-African trade: the cost and unpredictability of moving goods across borders.

The initiative is also expected to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to increase intra-African commerce by reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers and improving the movement of goods across the continent.

The Mfum-Ekok Border Modernisation Initiative, launched at the end of the assessment, will combine customs technology with improvements to physical border infrastructure.

The project will digitise customs processes, optimise border facilities and create opportunities for businesses operating along the Nigeria-Cameroon corridor.

Development institutions, including the African Development Bank, ECOWAS, ECCAS, Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat, are supporting efforts to improve cross-border trade facilitation.

Pomp as Chad inaugurates first FIFA Arena Pitch in Koumra

Chad became the ninth African member association to benefit from the FIFA Arena Project on Wednesday, with the inauguration of the country’s first FIFA Arena mini-pitch at School 15 in Koumra, southern Chad.

The facility, installed for the Chadian Football Federation (FTFA), is Chad’s first of its kind and brings the global tally of inaugurated FIFA Arenas to 142.

Chad’s government has pledged to install 23 FIFA Arenas nationwide – one per region – with Koumra marking the first phase of that rollout. The Koumra pitch will serve around 5,000 children in a city that previously had no comparable sports facility.

The ceremony was attended by Chad’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Naïr Abakar; FTFA leadership; FIFA Deputy Chief of Member Associations and Regional Director for Africa and the Caribbean, Gelson Fernandes; FIFA Regional Development Manager Franciny Samba-Malanda; and FIFA Arena Project Manager Karishma Inayat.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the project was designed to ensure children from disadvantaged urban and rural areas worldwide ‘get the chance to enjoy and play the sport we all love.’

Minister Abakar said the Koumra facility would help ‘turn every pitch into a space for the future,’ while FTFA President Tahir Oloy Hassan called it ‘another building block in rebuilding our football, from the grassroots all the way to the national team.’

Fernandes said the Koumra Arena reflected the project’s core aim: ‘giving every child, wherever they are, the chance to play, anywhere in the world.’

Chad joins Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Gambia, Liberia, Morocco, Niger and Rwanda among African member associations to have received FIFA Arenas.

Social vanity

It is now confirmed that forty-three-year-old British-Nigerian businessman and social media influencer, Igho Ubiribo (alias Ego), who died on March 6 in Thailand, died from his attempt to enlarge his manhood. He died after receiving 40 millilitres of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine at a clinic in Bangkok.

Ubiribo was on holiday in Thailand with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, when he decided to go for the enlargement procedure.

After the procedure, he was said to have complained of chest pain during a massage session with his wife. He reportedly lost consciousness twice, following which he was rushed to a hospital where doctors recommended CT scan when they discovered a blood clot blocking a blood vessel in his lungs (pulmonary embolism).

But he lost consciousness before the scan could be done and never regained it despite the doctors’ attempts to resuscitate him for over one and a half hours.

An initial or primary autopsy conducted in Bangkok immediately after Ubiribo’s death identified a fatal pulmonary embolism as the cause of his death. According to ‘Daily Mail’, this was corroborated by the postmortem conducted in the UK which ‘found that cellular material in Ubiribo’s lungs matched the hyaluronic acid used in the penile filler injection’.

Indeed, coroner Jean Harkin concluded that Ubiribo died ‘as the result of a cosmetic procedure abroad’.

Although Ubiribo had since been buried in London in May at a high profile funeral attended by Davido and other dignitaries, he was only the latest of such people who were not satisfied with what nature endowed them with.

It is unfortunate that some men would still want to take the risk to undergo penile filler procedures despite medical experts’ concern that it could have devastating consequences for patients.

Recall the March 2, 2019 case of Ehud Arye Laniado. He too died of a fatal heart attack that was triggered by cardiac hypertrophy (an enlarged heart) during a cosmetic penile enlargement procedure.

Recall also the the tragic 2019 ‘German silicone case’ in which a 46-year-old fake medic injected silicone oil into his 32-year-old victim’s genitals, after which the ‘patient’ died of sepsis. Sepsis, according to AI Overview, is ‘a life-threatening medical emergency that happens when the body has an extreme, harmful response to an infection’.

But the problem of dissatisfaction with nature’s creation is not limited to men and penile enlargement.

It is even more pervasive among the women who attempt to recreate virtually all parts of their bodies: from their tummies (tummy tuck), breast enlargement, etc.

A good example was that of Stella Obasanjo, the wife of Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo who died in Marbella, Spain, on October 23, 2005, from complications that attended a botched cosmetic surgery (tummy tuck and liposuction).

A common denominator is that these attempts at altering the state of nature would appear an affliction of the wealthy and influential. And necessarily so because these procedures don’t come cheap.

What is more? They are not covered by health insurance because they are performed for their cosmetic value. So, anyone interested in them must be ready to cough up the money for the procedures personally.

We can only hope that humanity would stop losing people that could have helped to lift others with their wealth and influence, through these social vanities or inanities.

These sudden and untimely deaths are enough to teach people to be content with the way nature created them.

Peer influence can only apply to the living. In the same way, people should learn to be themselves and not pander to undue pressure over their physical size or the size of their manhood.

But if the rich kill themselves through these expensive procedures, we also have a word for the not-too-rich who consume all manner of local herbs or drinks to enhance sexual performance: they too may be killing themselves slowly by some of the things they consume.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (?)

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 10/09/2026 UNTIL 1200 11/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but overnight and in the morning locally increased low cloud coverage will be present at times, with risk of local mist and/or fog patches mainly over the southern and eastern coastal areas.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist and very poor in fog

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Northwest to Northeast 3, locally at first West to Northwest 4 Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, later Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3, gradually East to Southeast Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon Southwest 3 to 4 Slight

Night Southwest 3 to 4, gradually West to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3, later Northeast to Southeast Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

Night Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Over 4,000 Nigerians voluntarily depart India under Amnesty Programme – High Commissioner

No fewer than 4,000 Nigerians have voluntarily departed India, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, has disclosed.

This follows the amnesty offered by the Indian government to illegal residents.

Muhammad made the disclosure during an interactive session with diplomatic correspondents in New Delhi covering the 2026 BRICS Summit.

The Nigerian High Commissioner urged Nigerians to obey Indian laws, uphold Nigeria’s image and pursue legitimate activities.

Some Nigerians were said to have run afoul of visa offences, including overstays, renewal and extension issues, student welfare, and medical-related issues.

Muhammad said more than 4,000 Nigerians had taken advantage of the arrangement to leave India voluntarily, adding that Nigeria has requested a further extension of between three and six months to enable more citizens to regularise their status.

He commended the Indian government for granting an amnesty programme allowing Nigerians residing in the country illegally to regularise their status or leave without penalties.

According to him, the initial six-month amnesty was extended by an additional three months following his appointment.

The High Commissioner noted that he subsequently engaged officials of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, particularly those responsible for Central and West Africa, to discuss matters affecting Nigerians living in India.

He said he has highlighted progress in his first month in office, including engagement with the Nigerian diaspora, discussions with Indian authorities on immigration issues, and efforts to deepen economic relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Muhammad said he recently visited correctional facilities across India and met directly with 198 Nigerian citizens in detention as part of efforts to strengthen what he described as Nigeria’s citizen-centred diplomacy.

He said the visits aimed to understand the welfare and concerns of Nigerians incarcerated in India.

According to the envoy, he visited several correctional centres, including facilities housing 16, more than 70, and over 50 Nigerian inmates, as well as 19 women and girls in detention. In total, the mission interacted directly with 198 Nigerians over three days.

‘This is to show that our government is concerned about its citizens. We call it citizen-centred diplomacy,’ Muhammad said.

He explained that during the visits, detainees raised concerns ranging from alleged maltreatment and racial discrimination to limited access to legal representation, delays in court proceedings and inadequate medical attention.

The High Commissioner said he immediately engaged with prison authorities on the issues raised and found that many challenges stemmed from prolonged investigations and delays in the judicial process rather than from the conduct of prison officials.

‘We realised that prison officials were generally cooperative, but many detainees are awaiting trial and the judicial process takes time,’ he said.

Muhammad stressed that the mission had sought to bridge communication gaps by engaging relevant authorities and advocating for the rights of Nigerian citizens.

He emphasised that, regardless of the allegations against detainees, their fundamental human rights must be respected.

‘Universal principles require that all human beings be treated fairly. Their fundamental rights must not be abused, distorted or violated in any way, and their welfare must be taken care of,’ he stated.

The envoy said the mission submitted a detailed report to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlining the concerns raised during the visits and recommending actions to address them.

According to him, the report received prompt attention from Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who expressed appreciation for the mission’s efforts and pledged to elevate the issues to the highest levels of government.

Muhammad said the initiative reflects Nigeria’s commitment to ensuring that citizens abroad remain connected to their country, even when facing legal challenges.

‘Nigeria remembers them. That is why we are going there,’ he said.

‘We have told them that this mission is open to them. They can come here with their concerns and activities. We use those opportunities to advise them, caution them where necessary and address legitimate complaints,’ he said.

He said the mission lacks the resources to establish consular offices across the country but remains committed to reaching Nigerians wherever they reside.

‘We should have the capacity to go out and reach our people, so they know that we are here for them,’ he said.

He added that, despite resource limitations, the mission remains focused on serving Nigerians in India and on strengthening bilateral relations through people-to-people engagement.

The envoy, who arrived in India on 23 July, reaffirmed his commitment to promoting stronger Nigeria-India relations, advancing economic diplomacy and addressing issues affecting Nigerians resident in India.