Category: Nigerian Tribune

The menace of drug abuse among the youth, particularly secondary school students across the South-West states is becoming alarming with stakeholders expressing concern over the negative effects of the development on the society.

Findings by the Nigerian Tribune in Oyo Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states showed that many of the students between age 14 and 17 are now involved in drug usage.

Investigations also revealed that the menace of drug abuse among secondary school students is more rampant in the urban centres with public schools mostly affected.

Apart from this, further findings showed that the involvement of large number of young people in the region in drug abuse has led to increase in mental health issues with many parents having to visits hospitals to seek remedy for their wards.

Oyo State

In Oyo State, the heinous act has become a source of serious concern not only to the people but the government as well.

Patients on admission at the Psychiatric Section of both the Adeoyo State Hospital and University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and private hospitals are on the increase.

A record obtained from one of the hospitals showed that a higher percentage of the patients are between the age of 12 and 18 years. This further confirmed that they are mostly primary and secondary schools students.

The affected students and adults have been alleged to be involved in reported cases of gang violence, rape, cult attacks in their respective areas

Earlier this year, property worth millions of naira were destroyed while passerby and residents suffered injuries when students under the influenced of hard drugs and alcohol unleashed terror on residents at Orita Aperin axis of Ibadan, Oyo State.

It was reported that a multi-million naira newly equipped science library was vandalized. 56 pupils were arrested in connection with the incidence which was dubbed as gang violence.

The incident is not restricted to Orita-Aperin, as some school compounds in some local government areas have been turned to Indian helm and gambling joints

People living in the neighbourhood of the affected schools are always scared of returning to their respective homes after office hours.

Decrying the development, the immediate past Commissioner for Education in Oyo State, Professor Salihu Adelabu, submitted that gang violence, rape, cult attacks, drug abuse have become recurring decimal in the public schools

He, however, differed on the submission that reported cases of drugs abuse is triggered by the environmental factors.

The former commissioner said: ‘I learnt that people are relating the incidents to environmental factors. Our findings have revealed that the environment has nothing to do with the issue on the ground. Let us look at the internal environment. Did the teachers, as well as the pupils, play any role in the reported cases?’

However, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder of the Asido Foundation, Professor Jibril Abdulmalik, urged secondary school students to resist peer influence in prevention against drug abuse .

He stressed the need for young ones to prioritise prevention in tackling drug abuse, warning that mental health problems among young people are on the rise.

Professor Abdulmalik noted that one in every four persons is at risk of developing a mental health disorder in their lifetime, adding that ‘for Nigeria’s population of about 200 million, this means at least 50 million Nigerians may be affected.’

According to him, the challenges of adolescence such as anxiety, depression, peer pressure, social media addiction, and family dysfunction often push students into experimenting with drugs, which may spiral into abuse.

‘The best treatment for drug abuse is prevention .Don’t even go near it, young people must resist peer influence and learn resilience in the face of life’s challenges,’ he said.

Ondo State

In Ondo State, drug abuse among school children is becoming frightening as statistics shows that a high percentage of school children in the state have already experimented with drugs or alcohol and other stimulants.

This is just as the doctors at the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Akure, said they are already overwhelmed with younger boys and girls who are still in school, in school uniforms flooding the facility on a daily basis.

One of the attendants, while speaking with our reporter, disclosed that most of the under-aged rushed to the facility engaged in harmful drug use, with secondary school students among the most vulnerable. He said: ‘We are seeing younger and younger patients, boys and girls still in school uniforms.’

He listed most of the commonly abused substances in Ondo’s to include; palm wine and spirits, Cannabis, Colorado, Tramadol opioids, codeine-based syrups, monkey tail and Skushis with concentration of local mixtures and inhaling glue, burnt plastics, faeces fumes.

One of the doctors, Dr Dele Arowolo said: ‘We are overwhelmed, we are treating more teenagers with drug-induced depression, anxiety, psychosis, and even violent behaviour.

‘The cases are increasing every month, and many of these young people come back after relapsing. I think it’s high time parents and government curb these sales of these drugs in the state’

He warned against the effects of long-term use of drugs by the teenagers, noting this could damage memory, decision-making, and impulse control, saying it’s a harm that can be permanent.

He advised parents to watch some behavior and signs in their wards, and listed the signs to watch out for to include, loss of interest in hobbies secretive behaviour, bloodshot eyes, frequent requests for money and aggression or mood swings.

A Guardian Counselor in one of the public schools in Akure, Mrs Folake Adeyeye, linked drug abuse among students to peer influence, parental influence and curiosity.

‘Teenagers see idols sipping codeine or boasting about cannabis, and they want to copy them, It starts as fun, but quickly becomes something darker.

‘The change is heartbreaking, students who were once bright and promising now skip classes, fight with classmates, and their grades keep falling. Some eventually drop out,: she said.

Father of a 16-year-old, Mr Ojo Johnson said that it took months before noticing his son but said the first sign he noticed is that his son became secretive.

‘He locked himself in his room, avoided eye contact, and his moods changed overnight. We didn’t understand what was happening until it was almost too late and we landed here. We have been coming here for the past three months,’ Ojo said.

The state is Health Commissioner, Dr. Banji Ajaka, admitted the growing number of patients at the Akure Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital. He also condemned patients inhaling substances as bizarre as burnt plastics and faecal matters.

While speaking on the state government’s efforts to curb the rising wave of drug abuse, especially among teenagers and young adults, Ajaka said that government has begun sensitisation campaigns in secondary schools, warning students about the dangers of substances such as tramadol, codeine syrup, ‘monkey tail,’ and inhalants, saying we cannot afford to lose our future leaders to addiction,’

As part of broader interventions, the state has announced plans to build a dedicated rehabilitation centre to treat people battling substance use disorders and mental illness. A newly inaugurated specialist mental health and drug rehabilitation hospital in Akure also aims to expand access to affordable care.

Ajaka explained that the ministry is pursuing evidence-based prevention programmes, school outreach, community health walks, and partnerships with NDLEA and NGOs to raise awareness and reduce the availability of harmful substances.

He warned that Ondo’s Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, built decades ago, was never designed to cope with the surge of drug-related cases now flooding its wards. ‘Without urgent investment in counselling and rehabilitation, the system will collapse under the weight,’ he cautioned.

However, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has stepped up efforts to curb rising drug abuse among teenagers in the state through school sensitisation, community outreach, and stakeholder engagement.

The NDLEA in recent months embarked on crusade against drug abuse in secondary schools across Akure, Ile Oluji/Oke-Igbo, and Odigbo Local Government Areas of the state, warning students about the dangers of cannabis, tramadol, and codeine syrup.

Speaking on the initiative, the NDLEA Public Relations Officer (PRO) in Ondo State, Mr. Solomon Adebayo, said the agency has also partnered with youth groups, sports associations, and school principals to promote awareness and early intervention.

He said public walks, lectures, and collaborative campaigns with the state Ministry of Health have further taken the anti-drug message to grassroots communities saying the campaigns were already yielding results.

He said: ‘Our strategy is to reach teenagers where they are, in schools, on the field, and in their communities. Awareness is the first step, but we are also working with parents and teachers to identify cases early and provide support. The fight is tough, but we are making progress.’

Ekiti State

In Ekiti State, the story is the same as menace is on the increase, especially among the youth population. While many attributed this ugly trend to lack of societal and parental values, others said the consumption is due to the availability of the substances in the market.

Most troubling of the situation, is the level of involvement of young adults, especially those in secondary schools across the state, notably in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

According to findings by the Nigerian Tribune, top of the substances being consumed by some of the students are cannabis sativa (weed) and tramadol tablets.

Also, investigation revealed that the commodity is most times displayed publicly for interested buyers around the Atikankan area of the state capital. This has made more people especially students to engage in the act because of its availability around residential homes.

A school principal in one the public secondary schools in Ado-Ekiti, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, explained that the school management in recent time reported cases of drug abuse to the law enforcement agencies.

Expressing worries over the trend, he advised government, parents and other stakeholders to step up sensitization efforts towards discouraging youths from the dangerous act of drug abuse.

He said: ‘To be sincere with you, we had cases of drug abuse by some of our students and we reported the incident to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for necessary action.

‘The situation is worrying and we want the government especially parents to do more in talking to their wards at home. Some of these things can be traced to family failure.’

The PRO of the NDLEA in Ekiti State, Ifeoluwa Fabiyi, confirmed the existence of drug abuse among secondary school students in the state, disclosing that the high rate of cultivation of cannabis sativa in the state has been identified as one the reasons for the increase in substance abuse in the state.

He revealed that leadership of the schools have reported cases of drug abuse, specifically cannabis sativa by the students at the premises of their schools, adding, ‘ after the report, we moved in to do our job including sensitization at the level for the young ones.’

Fabiyi revealed that under the leadership of state commander, Aina Sunday Rufus, the NDLEA has initiated programmes aimed at encouraging parents to engage their children on the dangers in drug consumption.

Fabiyi said: ‘We’ve had several occasions where principals from secondary school reported that some of their students were caught abusing substances, local weeds (Cannabis Sativa) maybe in one corner of their school.

‘So once the report came, we always reach out to the school, what we try to do is not necessarily to punish the students, it’s more of how to assist the students through orientation. So we from time to time organize program for the school to sensitize them, sensitize their parents on how the parents can look out for their children and the signs they have to look out for to help them discover early, because early detection helps.’

On how parents can help in addressing the dangerous situation, the Ekiti NDLEA spokesman added: ‘My advice to parents in Ekiti state would be that, number one Ekiti is notorious for cannabis cultivation, it is one of the states in the country where cannabis is cultivated in commercial quantity. So, because of that it makes it readily available, we have arrested an individual that planted it in their own compound for you to know how freely available it is in the state.

‘So, what we tell parents is for them to be available for their children because most times these children face peer pressure in school, but most times the parents are not available. One of the early signs of drug use is possession of drug paraphernalia.These are the things, the tools and the material they use in consuming drugs. For instance syringe riesler, which is wrapping paper, another one is crusher used in crushing cannabis sativa into powder form.’

Ogun State

One major issue confronting students in the high schools across the states of the federation, Ogun, the Gateway State, not an exception, is abuse of drug substances amongst the youths.

This development, has become a source of concern to all stakeholders, vis a vis, parents; guardians; religious bodies; Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) among others to tackle the menace and be brought to minimal level.

It is a known fact that secondary school students are into smoking substances suspected to be cannabis; ‘colos’; an indication that they have attained a certain status in life.

Findings had it that peer influence, lack of parental guidance, societal influences were factors responsible for this societal ill among students.

Worried by this development, the Drug Free Project, an NGO is at the forefront of campaign against drug abuse in the state.

The Team Lead of DFP, Bamidele Ifeoluwayinka, expressed worries about how secondary school students engage in drugs, submitting that such action portends grave consequences, not only on the mental health of those involved, but the general society at large.

He, however, advocated for periodic sensitisation campaign against drug abuse, saying such move would help in reducing usage of drug among the youths.

Speaking, the state Commissioner for Sports, Hon.Wasiu Isiaka, expressed deep concern about abuse of drugs among youths in the state, saying the ministry was is working on various initiatives to address the challenge through sports.

‘To address the challenges of drug abuse, there is need for massive advocacy and enforcement to address the scourge. For us in the Ministry, we are engaging the youths through sporting activities to keep their minds off things that could jeopardise their lives,’ he added.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu, informed our correspondent that the state government is working with various stakeholders to enlighten students on the adverse effects of using drug substances.

He said that the state government has established drug free clubs in many schools in the state in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

‘We, are doing our part as government, to address the scourge among our youths. We counselled them at every opportunity, especially during school devotions. We have zero tolerance for all anti social activities and that is why parents and students were asked to sign undertakings,’ he added.

Osun state

The situation in Osun state is not different as drugs abuse is now rampant among our secondary schools students who freely involve themselves in the inhuman act.

Investigations among secondary schools in the state revealed the practices of the menace among the students who regard the act as ‘one of those things in life.’

To compound the situation, findings further revealed that, the act, at time being exhibited in the school premises, make the students to be ‘high’ making them to believe they are above every other students in the schools..

However, in its desperate move to address the menace, Osun state government under the leadership of governor Ademola Adeleke recently, flagged off ‘Imole War Against Drug Abuse’ in Osun public schools’.

Speaking at these public schools across the three senatorial districts in the state, the governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to tackling drug abuse in the state and urged those battling with drug abuse not to lose hope, promising that his administration would ensure a healthier and brighter future for them.

Represented by the Commissioner for Federal Affairs, Mrs Adenike Adeleke, the governor said the goal of the campaign was to ensure that no student or youth is left unaware of the dangers of drugs and their devastating effects.

He said: ‘Today marks the beginning of the Imole War Against Drug Abuse campaign. We are starting here at your school, and we plan to visit all schools across the three senatorial districts of the state. Our goal is simple: no student or youth should be left unaware of the dangers of drugs and their devastating effects. You may have heard about drug abuse, but let me emphasise this.

‘It is a slow poison that destroys your future. Once you engage in drug use, it damages your relationship with your family, friends, and peers, and it can derail your academic and personal aspirations.

‘We are not here to condemn anyone. Instead, we want to offer support to those who are struggling with drug abuse, to help them break free from these harmful habits and build a better life for themselves.’

THE past week showed how people can easily misconstrue well-intentioned actions of the government. After the presidential pardon and clemency were handed down to some Nigerians and a few foreigners, intense controversy had erupted. Indeed, some commentators and analysts have been so vocal against the clemency, particularly as it relates to drug trafficking and capital offence convicts. Following the consultation with the Council of State on Thursday, October 11, President Bola Tinubu granted some reprieve to 175 persons. The reprieve was based on the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, headed by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi. Pardoned posthumously by President Tinubu were foremost nationalist Sir Herbert Macaulay; poet and soldier Major-General Mamman Vatsa; the writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and his eight fellow Ogoni activists, as well as the four Ogoni leaders considered his antagonists. Also pardoned were some jailed illegal miners, public officials found guilty of corruption, remorseful drug offenders and capital offence convicts, including Maryam Sanda, who is on death row for killing her husband in 2017 in a matrimonial row. The last two categories are the most controversial. I will dwell on them shortly.

The list of beneficiaries of the presidential reprieve is long and comprehensive. The committee went as far back as what transpired during the pre-independence era. For instance, the pardon granted to Macaulay corrected the historic injustice done to him by the British Colonialists. The case of the Ogoni 4 and Ogoni 9 killings that occurred in November 1995 during the military dictatorship of late General Sani Abacha was to engender complete reconciliation in Ogoniland. This presidential gesture has been widely applauded in Ogoniland and the entire South-South geopolitical zone. Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga had explained in the statement announcing the pardon that President Tinubu granted the clemency because most of the convicts had shown sufficient remorse and good conduct. Others were due to old age, acute medical conditions, acquisition of new vocational skills or enrolment in the National Open University.

It must be pointed out that the presidency fully disclosed the pardon as a matter of full disclosure and transparency. Some other governments will typically mask the complete list, knowing it would generate controversy. This open gesture signifies that the Tinubu government has nothing to hide. Contrary to the erroneous suggestions by some people, there was no ulterior or political motive to the pardon. However, whether in Nigeria or other jurisdictions where presidents have the power to exercise the prerogative of mercy, the exercise is always controversial. A similar storm was ignited during the Second Republic when President Shehu Shagari pardoned former warlord Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu for his role in the country’s 30-month civil war. Public outrage also greeted the full and unconditional pardon granted in 2013 by former President Goodluck Jonathan to his former boss and ally, the late Bayelsa governor Diepreye Alamieyesiegha, who was convicted of stealing millions of dollars.

The presidential pardon and the response it usually elicits are no different internationally, particularly in the United States. President Bill Clinton reportedly signed 140 pardons on January 20, 2001, his last day in office. This included one for his younger half-brother, Roger Clinton, who was convicted in 1985 for cocaine possession and drug trafficking. According to Newsweek, such was Roger Clinton’s notoriety that the US Secret Service codenamed him ‘Headache’ because of the constant trouble he gave President Clinton in office. Former US President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, after he had publicly pledged not to do so. Hunter Biden was convicted between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024, of offences, including gun running. President Biden also reportedly pardoned his other relatives who were convicted of sundry offences. In his first term, President Donald Trump, in December 2020, pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to his daughter, Ivanka Trump. Jared Kushner was convicted of illegal campaign funding, tax evasion and witness tampering. All the pardons were intensely controversial.

Back home, the present clemency for some drug offenders, along with that of Maryam Sanda, has emerged as the most contentious. For instance, in his seeming desperation to nail the government over Maryam Sanda’s pardon, last Tuesday, October 14, a columnist in Leadership newspaper, Abdulrauf Aliyu, went overboard in an article centred on Sanda’s pardon. It was titled ‘The Theatre of Presidential Pardon.’ The columnist lied that the pardon was granted to Sanda before the final determination of the case, claiming that the case was still pending before the Supreme Court. He proceeded on that wrong premise and argued that the government tempered the law for mercy. Nothing can be further from the truth! This is a rather sad commentary for a columnist who should know better. The Supreme Court has since affirmed the judgment of the Appeal Court confirming Sanda’s conviction. Sanda’s pardon is well-intentioned. Apart from the reports that Sanda had shown remorse in prison, it has also emerged that her father-in-law, Alhaji Ahmed Bello Isa, the father of the late Bilyaminu Bello, sought clemency for her. Alhaji Isa has disclosed that he personally appealed to both Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu to grant her pardon so she can take care of the two children left behind by his son. He said the continued stay of her daughter-in-law or indeed her death would not bring back Bilyaminu.

Also, the convicted drug offenders have spent time in jail. Some of them have even enrolled in the Open University or learned a new trade. It would be unfair to argue that former drug trafficking offenders who have shown remorse and turned a new leaf do not deserve mercy or forgiveness. Clemency for them, in my view, does not mean the war against drug trafficking has been compromised. The law remains that anyone indulging in illicit drugs will have a date with the law. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) under General Buba Marwa (rtd) is doing a yeoman’s job trying to ensure drug traffickers are brought to book and the country is free of hard drugs and their menace. Instructively, the AGF and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, whose committee recommended the pardon, has affirmed that the list is still subject to review.

None of the pardoned inmates has been released. He said the process is undergoing the final administrative review to satisfy the required legal and procedural standards before the release instruments are signed and issued. The list of those pardoned has to be gazetted by the government. Until that is done, there is still ample room for review. President Tinubu will not be averse to any required review

The President was moved by compassion and his legendary kind-heartedness in approving the pardon. There is no evidence that he has an offspring, blood relation, or known associate on the pardon or clemency list. The opposition politicians, who have also been very strident in criticising President Tinubu over the pardon, will continue to do so even when confronted with the fundamental justification for the action. However, those who benefited from the pardon and their families will continue to appreciate the President’s humane gesture.

IS there any other manifestation of the consequences of the collapse of the moral value system in a society other than the preponderance of aberrant behaviour amongst citizens and the frequency of criminal activities? It is terrifying that some people are innately wicked and selfish, and do not care how their toxic conduct affects other people, not even when the latter are impressionable minors. It is as if they have not been raised to behave otherwise, and have no fear of the criminal justice system. The consistent commission of heinous crimes against humanity, including the violation of the innocence of minors, is evidence of how low the society has sunk. Yet, such incidents are a recurring decimal in this clime. Just last Wednesday, the Jigawa State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) identified the lifeless body of a three-year-old girl dumped in a bush in Kiyawa Local Government Area. The toddler, Harira Yakubu Bala, a resident of Sabon Gari, Kiyawa Local Government Area of the State, had been reported missing a day earlier but her corpse was discovered in the bush by the NSCDC operatives, who evacuated it to hospital for examination and investigation.

Sadly, following medical examination, it was confirmed that the deceased child had been raped, molested and murdered by a yet-to-be-identified person! Is it not strange that a demented, callous and irresponsible adult could violate the innocence of a three-year-old girl who was not capable of having any sensual feelings, let alone understanding what the wicked outlaw did to her? But even at that, she was ‘tortured’, as it were, before being murdered as her lifeless body was reportedly riddled with injuries. Alas, such cases are not new. For instance, in June, we addressed the case of a demented pervert who defiled a four-year-old child in Niger State. The girl’s distraught parents had woken up from sleep in front of their house after receiving natural breeze during hot weather, only to later discover that their four-year-old girl had been abducted and sexually assaulted. Like that terrible incident, the current horrendous incident is an eloquent exemplification of moral decadence in the society. It is really saddening and disturbing. The disheartening, wicked and barbaric incident reflects very badly on the community where it occurred, the state and country at large. An innocent baby molested, raped and killed in a 21st century Nigeria is an abomination, the recurrence of which must be prevented by all lawful means.

The motivation for killing the child after brutally abusing and violating her is yet unclear because even without being traumatised, Harira couldn’t have been in a position to identify her assailants given her impressionable age. She was a baby by every definition. The likelihood that the outlaw most probably defiled the child until she gave up the ghost is sickening. And that possibility makes the incident even more ignoble, pathetic and horrendous. What is the society becoming? An animal kingdom? Is the society sliding into the Hobbesian state of nature where life is brutish and where beastly and bestial conduct and occurrences are prevalent?

The horrific incident necessarily raises other posers: Who was the last to see Harira before her abduction, defilement and murder? Who was with her in the first instance? At three, the victim still needed utmost care, love and affection and so it is unthinkable that her parents allowed her to be by herself to the extent that they were oblivious that she had been taken away from them. Just where were her parents before the incident? And where were other adults and neighbours? After all, African culture encourages collective care in parenting. Or is that vital aspect of the society’s quasi-communal living diminishing? This incident didn’t happen in an urban centre, so why is it that no member of the rural/semi-urban community where everyone knows each other fairly well saw what happened? Or has the inclination towards individuality that prevails in the urban centres taken over the countrysides too?

The action of the rapist is tragic. That an infant was raped and murdered speaks volumes about the mental state of her violator. Indeed, it takes a depraved mind to even think of, let alone commit, such a horrendous crime. The prevalence of similar incidents in the society is distressing. We, therefore, urge parents and guardians to brace up to their role in the lives of their children and wards. It is instructive that while security agencies have a duty to protect lives and properties, parents should be the first line of defence for their children, especially the impressionable ones. Thus, such a sad occurrence as the instant case, which could have been prevented if the parents of the deceased had been alive to their responsibility, is most unfortunate and intolerable. Truth be told, no form of dereliction of duty in parenting should be condoned if children are to stay alive and/or grow up to become responsible adults. Meanwhile, we urge the NSCDC and the police to launch a painstaking inquiry into the incident and apprehend the defiler and murderer without further delay.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State is set to depart for Germany on Tuesday for an official working visit. The purpose of this trip is to strengthen the state’s partnership with the construction giant, Julius Berger.

Mr. Charles Aniagwu, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, revealed this information during a press briefing in Asaba on Monday. He indicated that the Governor will be accompanied by himself and the Governor’s Technical Assistant.

Flanked by the Chief Press Secretary ( CPS) to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, and the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Public Enlightenment, Projects and Policies, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, Aniagwu explained that the visit was strictly a working mission designed to deepen technical collaboration and secure more favourable project terms for Delta State.

‘The purpose of this visit is to strengthen our ongoing partnership with Julius Berger. His Excellency is known for his negotiation skills, and this trip will help us secure better deals and concessions that will benefit the state,’ Aniagwu added.

He emphasized that the visit was not for leisure but part of the administration’s continuous efforts to enhance project delivery and cost efficiency.

Recalling the state’s previous engagement with China, Aniagwu noted that it led to the award of major contracts, including the ?59 billion Agbor flyover and the ?39 billion Otovwodo Junction, Ughelli flyover on the Warri-Patani Expressway.

The Commissioner also announced that the forthcoming 2026 budget, estimated at ?1.5 trillion, would prioritize capital projects, social welfare, and infrastructure expansion.

He said: ‘Following the approval of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, ministries are fine-tuning their submissions before presentation to the State Executive Council’.

Aniagwu added that the Governor had directed that all upcoming empowerment programmes, scheduled to begin next month, must be transparent and inclusive across all 25 local government areas.

He said the initiative would be coordinated by key ministries and agencies to create sustainable livelihoods and boost productivity.

According to him, the state would, in the coming weeks, perform several groundbreaking ceremonies for new projects worth billions of naira, including the Otovwodo Junction Flyover, underscoring the government’s determination to sustain momentum in infrastructure development.

He assured that Governor Oborevwori’s administration would not allow political timelines to slow governance, insisting that contractors had been instructed to maintain steady progress on all ongoing projects.

The University of Ilorin has produced 316 First Class graduates out of a total of 11,886 graduates for the 2024/2025 academic session.

Speaking with journalists as part of activities lined up to mark the institution’s 40th convocation ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN), gave a breakdown of the graduating students as follows: 316 will graduate with First Class Honours, 4,120 with Second Class Upper Division, 5,939 with Second Class Lower Division, 1,078 with Third Class, and 11 with a Pass in the First Degree/Diploma category.

The Vice-Chancellor also said that the convocation would feature the graduation of 175 individuals with MBBS degrees, 94 in Nursing, 40 in Optometry, 36 in Veterinary Medicine, and 64 in Physiotherapy. Additionally, 13 individuals will receive Diplomas.

Speaking on the ongoing crisis between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Egbewole called for continued dialogue among stakeholders to ensure smooth and quality educational development in the country.

The Vice-Chancellor, who attributed the current labour situation to a communication gap between ASUU and the Federal Government, added that measures were being put in place by concerned stakeholders to end the strike action.

Egbewole also said that he would not support any call for a second term for university vice-chancellors, adding that a five-year tenure is sufficient to make a desirable impact in any university system.

‘If you work hard, you won’t call for a second term because that one term could be quite exhausting. My wife and other members of my family can no longer wait for me to conclude my tenure,’ he said.

Speaking on the recent changes to the university’s transportation system and the attendant challenges faced by staff and students, the Vice-Chancellor explained that the institution was merely implementing its master plan.

‘Ultimately, if allowed to take its course, the challenges will be obliterated. The master plan of the university does not approve temporary measures that had become permanent before now. The measure is not to cause inconvenience to students or staff in any way but to ensure security, among other reasons,’ he said.

The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the school benefited from an intervention fund of ?2.6 billion from TETFund in 2025 alone. He said the university had continued to enjoy uninterrupted financial and moral support from TETFund, NELFUND, and other academic partners over the last three years.

He noted that the fund covered 11 areas, including physical infrastructure and programme upgrades, academic staff training, ICT support, entrepreneurship, and career services, among others.

Egbewole further stated that the university also received ?300 million for zonal interventions to execute various projects.

‘Equally, a Special High Impact Project (SHIP) was granted to our university to upgrade facilities in the sum of ?4 billion at the College of Health Sciences, and another ?750 million for the construction of a hostel at the College,’ he said.

According to him, the university also benefited from NELFUND, saying: ‘I am happy to report that the University of Ilorin has secured ?1.6 billion for 12,983 students in the 2024/2025 academic session.

‘This loan was across all disciplines, including medical students. This laudable programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria has guaranteed that no student will drop out as a result of funding.’

The Commuters across Federal Capital Territory on Monday were left stranded as a result of heavy barricades mounted by combined security operatives at strategic points causing traffic snarl.

The blockade is to restrict movement following the planned protest being spearheaded by Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, and other activists demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Many workers in the capital city from Keffi-Nyanya axis returned to their homes in anger after waiting for several hours and unable to access their workplaces because of the gridlock stretching from AYA to Mararaba in Karu local government in Nassarawa.

Combined security operatives of Nigerian Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps and soldiers barricaded the Keffi-Nyanya expressway at different points making it difficult for free flow of traffic.

Checks by Nigerian Tribune revealed that the barricades were mounted at Nyanya-Mararaba boundary checkpoint and Kugbo military checkpoint.

Similar frustrating experiences were reported at Bwari, Dutse and parts of Kubwa and the Airport road as commuters spent hours in traffic jam while many of them were unable to access the city centre.

Many residents of FCT feared that the protest could spark violence just like what happened during ENDSARS protest and advised their loved ones to stay indoors.

A civil servant working at the Federal Secretariat, Josiah Odu, told Nigerian Tribune at the Mararaba-Nyanya checkpoint that he would return home for the gridlock to subside before going to work later.

He wondered why security agencies would have to block all roads into the capital city for a peaceful protest to demand release of Nnamdi Kanu.

When the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently revised Nigeria’s economic growth outlook upward, it was more than just a routine statistical adjustment. It was, in many ways, an endorsement of the sweeping reforms introduced under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, and a recognition that Nigeria’s economy is gradually finding its footing again after years of instability.

For months, analysts had wondered whether the painful reforms launched since 2023 – exchange rate unification, monetary tightening, and a decisive break from unorthodox financing – would bear fruit soon enough to justify the economic discomfort they brought.

The IMF’s latest verdict suggests they have. With inflation easing, the naira holding firm, foreign reserves climbing, and investor confidence gradually returning, the signs point to a slow but measurable transformation in Nigeria’s economic landscape.

At the 2025 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, Cardoso, who led the Nigerian delegation, articulated the logic and outcomes of these reforms. He explained that Nigeria’s economy had been ‘restructured and resilient,’ equipped with ‘huge buffers against global risks,’ and guided by policies designed to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen domestic production. His confidence reflected a shift from crisis management to steady consolidation, a phase that many observers believe has restored credibility to Nigeria’s economic institutions.

Cardoso’s remarks followed the IMF’s October 2025 World Economic Outlook report, which raised Nigeria’s growth projection to 3.9 percent in 2025 and 4.1 percent in 2026. The Fund cited improved oil production, rising investor confidence, and a supportive fiscal stance among the key drivers of this outlook.

Also noted were the relative stability of the naira, an expanding foreign reserve position, and the country’s limited exposure to higher U.S. tariffs – factors that together gave Nigeria a rare edge amid global volatility.

To the CBN Governor, these were not coincidences. ‘We were very fortunate because a lot of the things that needed to be done, we did them much earlier,’ he said during a G-24 press briefing in Washington. ‘As a result, we were able to create resilience and buffers against potential shocks.’

He described a ‘complete restructuring of the economy,’ where domestic production is being encouraged, imports are being curtailed, and the naira has emerged as a more competitive currency – reflected in Nigeria’s first positive trade balance in years, expected to reach six percent of GDP.

While the IMF acknowledged that many emerging and developing economies have suffered declining export volumes and foreign currency earnings, Nigeria’s trajectory stood out. G-24 Chairman, Pablo Quirno, warned that ‘rising policy uncertainties’ and ‘substantial medium-term headwinds’ continue to challenge global growth, yet he conceded that countries like Nigeria, which have embraced proactive reforms, are better positioned to weather the storm.

The IMF’s Economic Counsellor, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, elaborated that supportive domestic factors, particularly the CBN’s focus on exchange rate transparency and prudent monetary policy, have helped restore balance. ‘Whereas growth in Nigeria is revised upward on account of supportive domestic factors, many other economies see downward revisions,’ he noted, underscoring the contrast between Nigeria’s reform momentum and the stagnation elsewhere.

The global economy, meanwhile, remains in a delicate state. The Fund projects global growth to slow from 3.3 percent in 2024 to 3.2 percent in 2025 and 3.1 percent by 2026, with advanced economies expanding by a modest 1.5 percent and emerging markets averaging slightly above four percent. Yet within that average, Nigeria’s upward revision represents a meaningful divergence – a sign that domestic policies can still trump external constraints when well designed and consistently implemented.

This evolving confidence in Nigeria’s reform path is rooted in how the CBN tackled structural distortions over the past two years. When Cardoso assumed office in 2023, the economy was in distress: inflation was spiraling, foreign reserves were thinning, investor confidence was at an all-time low, and the naira had lost much of its credibility. Fiscal and monetary boundaries had blurred, and the financial system struggled under the weight of excessive interventionism. ‘It was a moment that demanded not just technical skill, but leadership rooted in courage, credibility, and accountability,’ Cardoso recalled during a recent lecture at the Lagos Business School.

His administration responded by raising interest rates by more than 800 basis points to tame inflation and restoring orthodoxy to the CBN’s operations. Crucially, the Bank ended direct financing of the government beyond statutory limits, reestablishing its independence and focusing again on price stability. These moves, while unpopular, restored credibility to Nigeria’s monetary policy and reassured both local and foreign investors that the days of blurred fiscal lines were over.

In the foreign exchange market, the reforms were even more dramatic. The introduction of a ‘willing-buyer, willing-seller’ framework and the unification of multiple exchange rate windows removed distortions that had long undermined investor confidence. The CBN also cleared a $7 billion backlog in verified FX obligations – a gesture that many businesses, especially airlines, manufacturers, and multinationals, saw as a turning point.

As liquidity improved and confidence returned, the naira began to stabilize, allowing the CBN to build reserves now above $42 billion. The Bank also created new channels for diaspora inflows, including the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (BVN) platform, which allows Nigerians abroad to open accounts seamlessly. Together, these efforts helped attract new inflows while plugging previous leakages that had drained the system.

Beyond the market mechanics, the CBN’s data-driven approach has started to yield results on a macro level. Nigeria’s real GDP expanded by 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2025, indicating that the economy is regaining momentum after several years of stagnation. Capital inflows are rebounding, sovereign credit ratings have improved, and the cost of insuring Nigeria’s debt has fallen.

‘These shifts suggest more than a cyclical adjustment. They mark the outlines of a developmental inflection point, where investor confidence is gradually restored, and Nigeria positions itself at the threshold of long-term transformation,’ Cardoso remarked.

Still, the CBN governor is under no illusion about the challenges ahead. The gains are fragile, and ensuring that they translate into ‘durable prosperity’ remains the greater task. That, he insists, will require consistency, fiscal discipline, and structural reforms beyond the central bank’s purview. ‘The real task is to ensure that these hard-won gains translate into prosperity, especially for the next generation,’ he said.

Part of that transformation involves reducing Nigeria’s historic overreliance on foreign exchange subsidies. Under the previous regime, multiple exchange rates and opaque FX allocations cost the country dearly. Estimates show that in 2022 alone, potential revenue losses from the rigid FX regime reached about N6.2 trillion, far exceeding the N4.5 trillion spent on fuel subsidies the same year. The new reforms, though difficult, are designed to prevent such distortions from recurring and to channel those resources into education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

To sustain these gains, Cardoso has called on Nigerian banks to play a stronger role as market makers rather than passive intermediaries. ‘An FX market defined solely by when and how the Central Bank buys or sells dollars is inadequate for a dynamic economy like Nigeria’s. Now is the time for banks to step up to their intermediation and market-making responsibilities,’ he noted.

The IMF shares this sentiment, emphasizing that while monetary and fiscal policies are crucial, lasting stability will depend on institutional credibility and continued structural adjustment. The Fund’s latest report warns that global uncertainties – from trade disputes to climate-related shocks – will continue to test emerging economies. Yet it acknowledges that Nigeria’s proactive steps, particularly the early tightening of monetary policy and the unification of exchange rates, have insulated it from the full brunt of these external pressures.

In a world where many economies are struggling to stay afloat amid shifting trade policies and volatile markets, Nigeria’s gradual return to stability stands as a case study in disciplined reform. The path has not been easy, nor have the benefits been instantaneous, but the direction is clear: a more transparent, competitive, and resilient economy is emerging from years of turbulence.

For the IMF, that resilience is proof that Nigeria’s reforms are not just working on paper – they are beginning to reshape the real economy. And for Cardoso, it is a validation that the painful but necessary decisions of the past two years are laying the foundation for a stronger, more confident Nigeria ready to compete on the global stage.

Commercial activities were partially grounded in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Monday, as Igbo traders joined the nationwide protest demanding the unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

From the early hours of the day, major markets and business hubs in Akure were deserted as most shops owned by members of the Igbo community were under lock and key in solidarity with the embattled IPOB leader.

Shops and business outlets owned by Igbos along major commercial corridors such as Oyemekun Road, Adesida Road, Arakale Road, NEPA area, Old Garage, and Carl Street were under lock and key throughout the day.

A visit to the affected areas by Nigerian Tribune revealed that while most shops run by Igbos remained shut, those owned by traders from other parts of the country opened for business as usual.

Shops affected include, auto parts dealers, supermarket operators, and electronics merchants of Igbo origin were among those who complied with the sit-at-home directive in solidarity with Kanu.

A tour of major commercial corridors such as Oyemekun Road, Adesida Road, Arakale, NEPA Junction, Old Garage, and Carl Street revealed that shops dealing in auto spare parts, electronics, household items, and supermarkets operated by Igbos remained closed.

The development disrupted business flow in several areas as customers who had visited popular markets for purchases met empty corridors and locked gates.

Only shops owned by Yoruba and Hausa traders were seen open for business, while some petty traders of Igbo origin were also seen standing by their locked shops to monitor developments.

A trader at the Arakale area, who identified himself as Chukwudi, said the action was to show solidarity with their leader and demand justice.

He said ‘We are not fighting anyone. We just want the Federal Government to hear our voice. Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention for too long despite court orders for his release. This is our own peaceful way of supporting him,’

Another trader along Oyemekun Road, Mrs. Ngozi Umeadi, said the decision to shut down their businesses was a collective one taken across several states to draw attention to the continued detention of Kanu.

She said ‘It’s not only in Akure. Everywhere, our people are observing this protest. We believe the government should obey the court and let him go. We want peace, not trouble,’

Meanwhile, there was a heavy presence of security operatives around major intersections and public areas in Akure metropolis, including Cathedral area, Old Garage, and Oja-Oba, to prevent any possible breakdown of law and order.

The Ondo State Police Command was said to have deployed officers from various units to ensure that the demonstration remained peaceful and to protect lives and property.

As of the time of filing this report, no incident of violence or confrontation had been recorded, and the protest remained largely peaceful.

However, commuters and business owners not involved in the protest expressed concern over the economic implications of the continued agitation, urging the Federal Government and IPOB to seek dialogue and end the standoff.

‘We can’t keep losing business days like this. The government should find a political solution,’ a commercial driver, Sunday Adebayo, said.

A legal luminary and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun has advised the National Assembly to stop further action on the amendment of the 1999 constitution and prepare the nation for a new acceptable constitution.

Olanipekun who traced the foundation of the 1999 and other constitutions in the country, noted that the country would find it difficult to achieve greatness and development unless there is a new generally acceptable document for the country.

To achieve this, he appealed to the federal lawmakers to suspend the ongoing process for amendment of the constitution and set the country for a transition after the 2027 general election, where they will be a referendum for a new document in 2031.

In making a strong case for the conduct of a national referendum, he described it as ‘a solemn act by which people collectively speak in unison to decide matters of grave national importance.’

He argued that sovereignty, as enshrined in Section 14(2)(a) of the existing1999 Constitution, resides in the people, who therefore have an inalienable right to determine how they wish to be governed.

Olanipekun made these known on Monday while delivering the convocation lecture for the 13th convocation ceremonies of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), titled ‘ Nigeria – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Imperative of a Sober and Definitive Recalibration’

He said the current constitution had outlived its usefulness and legitimacy, describing it as a mere document that ‘tells lies against itself’ and has failed to represent the core ideals, diversity and aspirations of Nigeria’s federating units.

‘The National Assembly should, for the time being, stay action on the ongoing amendment or any further amendment to 1999 Constitution. This Constitution needs a new rebranding, a complete overhaul, a substitution altogether. It has to be a negotiated document that will pave the way for a new social order.

‘Needless restating the obvious that Nigeria, as day, needs to be rebranded, re-orientated, restructured, revamped renegotiated, reorganized, reawakened, re-eng bered, resuscitated and, by extension, recalibrated. One cannot make omelets without breaking eggs; one cannot play Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark and one cannot stage an orchestra without fixing the crescendo.

‘What is the relevance of the foregoing? Right from the get-go, particularly. since this present Constitution was said to be in the ‘bakery’ or ‘oven’ during the General Abdusalam Abubakar regime, I had joined the vanguard of those clamoring for a people’s constitution; a constitution peculiar to the antecedents and nuances of Nigeria; a constitution that will emerge through consensus or near consensus; a constitution that will be negotiated upon during cross-fertilization of ideas; a constitution of mutual understanding and collaboration; a constitution that will be subjected to a referendum, after which most Nigerians will be able to assert that this is our Constitution.

‘I must not be mistaken to be suggesting that every Nigerian must participate in the making of the Constitution, but any Nigerian who wants to must be able to do so , either through his elected representative or by airing his views,’ he said.

The former president of the Body of Benchers, added that the country’s foundational challenges stem from a faulty constitutional structure that concentrates power at the centre, emasculates the states, and perpetuates inequality in all its entirety.

Olanipekun recalled that since the 1999 Constitution was midwifed under the General Abdulsalami Abubakar military and became operational, he had been part of the vanguard advocating for a people-oriented constitution that would emerge from public participation, and referendum.

He revealed that as far back as 2002, during his tenure as the NBA President, he had openly engaged former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the inadequacies of the 1999 Constitution, describing it as far removed from realities of Nigeria’s plural society.

Olanipekun recommended a transitional phase between now and 2031, to allow Nigeria to gather, review, and harmonize previous constitutional efforts including the reports of the various conferences, and committees on restructuring ahead of the drafting of a new consensual document.

He said, ‘During the transitional period, elections will still hold and the winners will serve their terms, but with the understanding that come May 29, 2031, Nigeria will operate under a new Constitution, a new structure, and a fresh dawn.’

The former NBA President drew parallels with international examples from the Italian referendum of 1946 that ended monarchy, to Britain’s 2016 Brexit and Equatorial Guinea’s 2025 Constitutional Referendum, which recorded over 90 percent voter approval.

According to him, referendums are not alien to Nigeria’s political evolution, recalling the 1961 plebiscite that allowed Southern Cameroons to choose between Nigeria and Cameroon, and the 1963 referendum that led to the creation of the Mid-Western Region.

‘What then is the way out? Some within this audience might have been stunned by my earlier suggestion for a transitional period between now and May 29, 2031; a suggestion or recommendation that is not only made in good faith but out of the realities of the conundrum we have found ourselves.

‘It is now time for the federating units to take charge of the reconfiguration, redefinition, repair, restructuring, remodeling and reengineering of Nigeria for stability in all forms, including but not limited to security, constitutional architecture, form or type of government (whether presidential or parliamentary), etc. It is the Referendum, rather than the National Assembly that will decide whether or not, Nigeria

needs a National Assembly, and if yes, whether full or part-time membership; their tenure, remunerations, et al.

‘In other words, this National Assembly cannot act as that Referendum since one cannot be a judge in his own cause. It is the federating units that will make arrangements for the Referendum being suggested; how it will hold, through which means it will hold, what will be the parameters or undertakings, etc,’ the legal icon said.

On the growing wave of defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the country, Olanipekun identified the lack of clear cut ideologies among the political parties, adding, ‘ If this is the position, it might be very difficult or not so easy for people from one party to migrate to the other so often with remarkable ease as we witness nowadays.’

He urged the opposition political gladiators to emulate the steadfastness and commitment of President Bola Tinubu when he was the face of the opposition since 1999 till 2015, despite the intimidation and harassment by the then PDP ruling party.

‘Had President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whether as Governor Tinubu or thereafter as ‘Citizen Tinubu’ succumbed to the harassment and intimidation of the then PDP ruling party, Nigeria would have become a one-party state as far back as 2023 or immediately thereafter. Even when he was arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on some criminal charges, he did not blink or panic, rather, he instructed his Legal Team, led by my humble self to apply for service of the Charge on his behalf, before he was formally served, since the news had already filtered to the press and public.

‘Until he was discharged and acquitted, he was physically present at all the proceedings of the Tribunal. Tinubu not only withstood and survived the PDP Tsunami, he also encouraged opposition figures to come together, ultimately birthing the APC in 2013.

‘May we not readily forget that the great Abraham Lincoln contested the US Presidency seven times before he finally succeeded and became one of the greatest global statesmen. All through, he did not defect from his

political party,’ he said.

On security, the legal icon who reiterated the urgent need for state and community policing, criticized the over-centralized system that leaves governors as ‘chief security officers’ without real control over police operations in their states.

Referencing the United States, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland, the elder statesman argued that decentralized policing aligns with federal principles as well as enhances the responsiveness to local security challenges.

‘The idea of police is basically local or communal and cannot be central or regimented from outside the immediate community as such. The point being made is that, it is equally the inalienable right of every community to have its own rural or community police.

‘Without prejudice to the earlier submission that the National Assembly should stay action on the amendment of the Constitution, state, community, provincial and zonal police formations should be established now, without further ado,’ Olanipekun said.

He further advocated a reconfiguration of Nigeria’s federal structure through the geopolitical zones, which he said should be empowered to drive the country’s renaissance and recalibration.

Olanipekun noted that the six-zone arrangement, introduced under General Sani Abacha, has now gained practical expression under President Tinubu through creation of regional development commissions.

He maintained that it is the federating units, not the Federal Government, that should determine the structure and governance framework of the nation.

‘It is the states that give birth to the centre, not the other way round,’ he declared. Nigeria needs healing, reconciliation, and rebirth and it is through the engagement of the zones that this renaissance can begin,’ he added.

Speaking, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN saluted the dexterity of the convocation lecturer for his well researched lecture he presented, adding that it has been his consistent advocacy for the country to have a new constitution which would set the stage for overall development and growth.

He lamented that the current situation of the country is troubling with the socio-economic challenges mitigating against its progress, suggesting that urgent steps must be taken for the nation to stand and compete favourably with countries of the world.

Babalola promised to send a copy of the lecture and accompanying letter to President Bola Tinubu and the two chambers of the National Assembly, ‘ for an urgent action because Nigeria is in crisis at the moment.’

On his part, a former Minister of Education and Pro-Chancellor of ABUAD, Professor Tunde Adeniran while lauding the depth of Olanipekun’s lecture on the way forward for the nation, called for a change of mindset by the citizens for a potential new constitution to achieve its desired results.

As early as 7 a.m. on Monday, security operatives comprising police and military officers took over the protest grounds.

In a viral video, Sowore could be seen running for his life alongside other protesters.

The protesters had intended to march to Aso Rock Villa to demand the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The security operatives fired tear gas canisters at the protesters, including Sowore.

The protest was planned to take off from the Transcorp Hilton area and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory, but the police moved in early, firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse participants and passers-by.

The operatives, who had cordoned off the hotel and adjoining streets, began firing tear gas even before protesters arrived in large numbers.