Headline

[EXPOSED] PAP Office: Where Students’ Scholarships Are Withdrawn For Expressing Their Minds

Published

3 years ago

February 7, 2023

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Section 39 Subsection (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria says, “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”

These sections of the Constitution are supposed to be applicable to all Nigerians but this seems not to be the case for Etolor Peter Papems and Patrick Ipidei, of the office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

Papems, a Masters degree student of Baze University, Abuja and Patrick Ipidei of Novena University, Ogume, Delta State, both had their scholarships withdrawn recently by the PAP office headed by its Interim Administrator, Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd.).

Papems’ withdrawal letter was dated January 12, 2023, while Ipidei’s was dated January 17, 2023. Both letters were titled ‘Notification of Withdrawal of Presidential Amnesty Programme Scholarship due to Unruly Behaviour,’ and sent to both students respectively. Papems withdrawal letter was signed by Mrs Oyintarela Umeri, Head, Formal Education Unit, PAP, while Ipidei’s withdrawal letter was signed by Flight Lieutenant Terry Ekugbene Ajobuna (Rtd.), on behalf of the Interim Administrator, PAP.

In the withdrawal letters with similar content, they were accused of using words in a WhatsApp platform aimed “at provoking outrage and inciting protest amongst the PAP-sponsored Student community against the PAP Office and the Federal Government of Nigeria, with regards to the Office’s decision to temporarily suspend awarding of fresh scholarships.”

The withdrawal letters read further: “As approved by the Interim Administrator, due to your unruly and acceptable behaviour, this is to inform you that your PAP scholarship is duly withdrawn with immediate effect. You are therefore no longer a PAP-sponsored student and no longer entitled to any benefits or privileges that this involves. As your tuition fees have already been paid in full by the PAP Office, you will no longer be paid in training Allowance or Book Allowance until you graduate.”

Trouble was said to have started when an online publication with the headline ‘Amnesty: Ndiomu suspends ex-militants, agitators’ University scholarship programme,’ was shared to the WhatsApp platform on the 6th of January, 2023 at about 8:06pm. The said publication was said to have caused outrage and attracted comments including that of Papems and Ipidei in the WhatsApp platform of no fewer than 463 participants.

It is, however, worth noting that the affected students were not offered a query nor was any panel set up to hear the case and investigate the alleged offences.

Records also proved that since the inception of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the initiation of the scholarship scheme, this is the first time a student’s scholarship is withdrawn.

While speaking with our Reporter, one of the affected students, Papems said he never made comments to insult anyone or instigate a set of people, but that he only expressed his mind as a citizen of Nigeria and as his civil rights. He added that after making the comment, he was called and threatened after which his scholarship was withdrawn.

He said, “I must say this, I never made a comment to insult anyone, but I made a comment as a way of expressing my civil right.”

He continued: “Someone actually suggested in the group that we should mobilise to ensure that students protest against this injustice (winding down of scholarship). So, I, being a student leader, supported the motion and I said based on my civil right, I was going to join the move. And that I was going to mobilise as many as possible to join the protest. So, immediately I dropped this comment in the group chat, I was called on WhatsApp by Mr. Winfred Musa, the head of integration. He threatened me and said I should go ahead to do whatever I intend to do if I am the son of my father. He said I was going to regret it. After this, I was called on the phone that my scholarship has been withdrawn; I said they should put it in formal writing, and it was written and sent to my box, I have the letter.”

Some of the comments by Papems which the Presidential Amnesty office tagged as inciting and consequently withdrew his scholarship read: “Niger Deltans should be illiterate because the 7 billion naira scholarship program is not sustainable. God forbid bad things, Ijaw people are a curse upon themselves.” Another comment by the student in the group chat reads: “Lol, out of the 60 something billion naira allocation, 7 billion naira for Niger Delta youths surf for education is not sustainable. Shaking my head for the Ijaw man.”

Papems added, “The Interim Administrator had erred. The Presidency, Niger Delta and the whole of Nigeria will know of this evil perpetrated on the Niger Delta youths. This will not stop the action that we will take. Someone who loves Niger Delta will not stop youths’ development in education. The Presidency is not aware of this scam. He knows what he is doing. They want to be stealing the 7 billion naira.”

He further reacted to a call: “I will join you, alongside all my key men and strong bones.”

Meanwhile, our Reporter gathered that the other victim, Ipidei, was said to have made few comments and voice-notes in the WhatsApp platform while his other comments were made on his Facebook timeline. His comment on the WhatsApp platform: “The cooperation of every student in the programme is paramount at this point.” His other comments from Facebook on January 6 which the PAP office regarded as inciting reads: “It is High time Ex-agitator leaders, other eminent leaders rise against the Amnesty Interim Administrator over suspension of educational scholarship.” He further commented on January 7 on his Facebook timeline: “The Presidential amnesty program has failed, as the process of rehabilitating and reintegrating ex-agitators has not been done from 2019 till date.”

But a check into the WhatsApp platform with the title ‘Nigeria PAP Info’ by our Reporter, it was discovered that Papems and Ipidei were not the only students who reacted to the online publication on the planned winding down of the scholarship. Then a right thinking reader may want to know why these two students were singled out for punishment. More so, a further check by our Reporter revealed that the victims were not the first to even react to the online publication. Findings further revealed that the students in question were not the first to call for a protest against the planned winding down of the scholarship scheme.

A look at a comment by the contact: 090**12*83** in the platform reads: “Time to mobilise the entire student’s community to protest seriously against this draconian policies of the Interim Administrator. The essence of the Amnesty office is to reintegrate ex-agitators. Education is the core of reintegration, and if educational scholarship is suspended, then it is a subtle move to wind down this programme. His actions are different from his words, hence we can’t take Gen. Ndiomu seriously again. I call on National Executives to meet virtually or physically to take far reaching decisions which include mobilising for total protest.”

A student participant with the contact 070**6*97** also commented: “Who is this man in the first place? Our programme got suspended and we are taking it soft. First of all, if we don’t act fast and immediately, this will be solidified. We have to suspend anything about verification and fight this out asap! Else it’s over.”

Another comment from a participant with 081**14*”0*: “My question is, who is the present IA (Interim Administrator) trying to impress from the Federal Government with all the harm he is doing to his people.”

A comment by: 070**10*0**: “Maybe he’s under a spell… let the gods of Izon land punish any IA that doesn’t want the success of the Niger Delta Region. He will never find peace of mind until he joins the ancestors because there’s no peace for the wicked. If I may ask, how many people he rendered help when active in service b4 he got retirement …? Selfish Niger Delta leaders.”

08***9018** “We need to take drastic action before it is too late.”

Another comment by 081**03**8* reads: “I knew from day one that the intention of the IA is evil towards the good people of Niger Delta .His words and actions are always contradicting themselves. Hence he should be giving what he deserves from the people of Niger Delta.”

081**14*9** also commented: “They want to steal the money so that the next person coming will suffer it… why are we people like this. He wants to exit people considering the few months he has to stay in office. Will such a policy work? To start with first, since his assumption into office, can we mention just one thing that has worked out for the good of the programme.”

Contacted, Special Adviser to the Interim Administrator on Media, Mr. Freston Akpor confirmed the PAP office action. Akpor who was apparently reading from the withdrawal letter when contacted via telephone said: “Yes, the scholarship was withdrawn for making a comment “aimed at provoking outrage and inciting protest amongst the PAP-sponsored Student community against the PAP Office and the Federal Government of Nigeria, sponsor of the scholarship.” The action goes against rules and regulations students’ handbooks given to all PAP students, which they all signed.”

But in a swift reaction, Papems said there was no such handbook. He said the only book given to each student is notification of admission which does not contain such regulations as claimed by Mr. Akpor.

Findings from other PAP students, it was gathered there was/is no such handbook. The students contacted by our Reporter said the only book given to students by the PAP office is notification of admission. Such notification of admission letter was also sighted by our Reporter.

Meanwhile, a source confided in our Reporter that the students were later requested to apologize to the PAP office and the Interim Administrator. While Papems was said to have refused to apologize, insisting that he committed no crime or offended anybody, Ipidei, our Reporter gathered, succumbed to the request and apologized. His scholarship has been consequently restored and he is to continue with his education. Contacted on telephone, Ipidei confirmed his scholarship has been restored. He, however, denied he was compelled to apologize. He added: “Yes, my scholarship has been reinstated. That is a lie, no one compelled or forced me to apologize to the PAP office. I willfully apologise and my scholarship was reinstated.”

According to Premium Times, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government increased the allocation to PAP office from N20bn to N60bn in 2017. According to a release from the spokesperson to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, the increment was in sustenance of the new understanding between the Federal Government and the oil-producing communities.

Part of the release reads: “President Buhari has now raised the funds, and as appropriated, to N55 billion with a recent release of additional N30billion. There is also a planned release of another N5 billion later,’’ the release said.

Headline

Eswatini Jails 10 Africans Deported From US

Published

5 hours ago

October 6, 2025

Editor

The African kingdom of Eswatini said it received and jailed 10 more deportees from the United States on Monday as part of a US scheme to expel undocumented migrants.

Eswatini took in a first group of five men in July, with Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan also accepting US deportees in recent months in a programme criticised by rights groups.

The tiny southern African nation agreed in May to accept up to 160 deportees in exchange for $5.1 million to “build its border and migration management capacity”, according to a deal signed with the United States and seen by AFP.

Its correctional services department said in a statement Monday it “confirms the arrival of ten (10) third country nationals from the United States of America”.

It did not give details but said they had been “securely accommodated in one of the country’s correctional facilities” and the government would “facilitate their orderly repatriation”.

A US-based attorney representing some of the deportees said the new group included “three Vietnamese, one Filipino, one Cambodian”.

The lawyer, Tin Thanh Nguyen, represents two of the Vietnamese nationals who arrived Monday.

“One of my clients … tried to assert a reasonable fear of harm being deported to Eswatini, but ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) ignored him and put him on the plane anyways,” he told AFP.

He also represents a Vietnamese and a Laotian who were part of the first group which also included nationals from Cuba, Jamaica and Yemen.

– ‘Legal black hole’ –

The deal that Eswatini signed with the United States on May 14 says that the US deportees may include third country nationals “with criminal backgrounds and/or who are designated suspected terrorists”.

Washington said the first group of men had been convicted of crimes in the United States, including child rape and murder, but their lawyers told AFP that all five had long finished serving their sentences.

Eswatini jailed them in its maximum security Matsapha Correctional Centre which is notorious for holding political prisoners and for overcrowding.

One of them, a 62-year-old Jamaican who had reportedly completed a sentence for murder in the United States, was sent back to his country around two weeks ago.

Nguyen said Eswatini was a “legal black hole” and the deportees were denied legal counsel.

His two clients had been detained since mid-July without a charge, he said.

“I cannot call them. I cannot email them. I cannot communicate through local counsel because the Eswatini government blocks all attorney access,” he told AFP.

Lawyers and civil society groups in Eswatini have gone to court to challenge the legality of the detentions.

A local lawyer on Friday won a court ruling allowing him to visit the four men still detained, but the government immediately appealed, suspending the ruling.

US President Donald Trump has overseen a drastic expansion of the practice of deporting people to countries other than their nation of origin, notably by sending hundreds to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

But rights experts have warned the deportations risk breaking international law by sending people to nations where they face the risk of torture, abduction and other abuses.

Human Rights Watch last month urged African governments to refuse to accept US deportees and to terminate deals already in effect, saying they violated global rights law.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland and landlocked by neighbours South Africa and Mozambique, has been led by King Mswati III since 1986 and his government has been accused of human rights violations.

Headline

Russian Strikes Kill Five In Ukraine, Cause Power Outages

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2025

Editor

Russian strikes Sunday on Ukraine killed five people and badly damaged energy infrastructure, temporarily severing power supplies to tens of thousands and prompting neighbouring Poland put ground defence on high alert.

Russia has stepped up strikes on energy networks, increasing fears Moscow would resume its widespread campaign of attacks on power facilities, which have plunged millions into darkness in past winters.

Russian forces fired 496 drones and 53 missiles at Ukraine, the majority of which were shot down, according to the Ukrainian air force.

“Sadly, five people were killed. My sincere condolences to everyone who lost loved ones to this terror,” Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Strikes killed four people near Lviv, which lies in western Ukraine and is hundreds of kilometers from the front line, and has been largely spared the attacks that have hit cities further east.

“Near Lviv, an entire family of four was killed in their home, including a teenage girl,” Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.

Emergency services released photos showing firefighters battling flames in a destroyed building, and helping elderly residents to safety.
Attacks also killed one person in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia and wounded people near the eastern front, local authorities said.
“Russians once again targeted our infrastructure -– everything that ensures normal life for our people,” Zelensky said.

The strikes cut power to over 110,000 subscribers across several regions, Ukraine’s emergency services said, with the hardest hit being Zaporizhzhia.

– ‘Gas, heat and light’ –
Overnight, more than 73,000 people in Zaporizhzhia were left without electricity, regional head Ivan Fedorov said, though power had been partially restored by the afternoon.

Ukraine’s state-run gas company Naftogaz network also reported damage to its network.
“These maniacal terrorist strikes are aimed solely at one thing — depriving Ukrainians of gas, heat, and light,” Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi said in a statement.

The Russian army said it launched an attack “against enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and gas and energy infrastructure facilities that ensured their operation.”

Russian attacks have also rattled Ukraine’s European allies after a spate of alleged Russian airspace violations into Europe.

NATO boosted its defences along its eastern borders throughout the month as it accused Moscow of testing the alliance’s air defences with drone incursions into several members and by flying military jets in Estonian airspace.

Overnight Poland’s armed forces said on X that they had mobilised planes and put ground defences on high alert to secure the country’s airspace, especially in areas close to Ukraine.

Ukraine also said Russia was intensifying a campaign of air strikes on its railway network in an attempt to isolate frontline communities ahead of winter.

Russia launched drones at two passenger trains in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region on Saturday, killing one person and wounding dozens, according to Ukrainian officials.

Headline

Badenoch Unveils Strict UK Immigration Plan, Targets 150,000 Yearly Deportations

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2025

Editor

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, has unveiled an aggressive immigration reform plan aimed at detaining and deporting 150,000 illegal migrants annually, in what she described as the “toughest reforms Britain has ever seen” in border policy. The announcement was made in a video message posted on her X account on Sunday.

The plan, dubbed the Radical Borders Plan, envisages the establishment of a new Removals Force modelled after the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which would replace the current Home Office Immigration Enforcement unit. According to Badenoch, the Removals Force will have a mandate to remove all illegal entrants, foreign criminals, and undocumented migrants, while also monitoring illegal work. She stated, “My message is clear: if you’re here illegally, you will be detained and deported.”

Badenoch sharply criticised previous administrations, accusing both Conservative and Labour governments of failing to manage the migration crisis effectively. “Successive governments have failed on immigration. Labour promised to smash the gangs. Instead, in just a year, they delivered record small boat crossings, over 50,000 illegal arrivals, 32,000 people in asylum hotels, billions wasted. It’s pure weakness. Britain needs a serious, credible plan and the backbone to deliver it,” she said.

The proposed plan includes several controversial measures. Asylum claims from illegal entrants would be banned, the Human Rights Act repealed, and the United Kingdom withdrawn from the European Convention on Human Rights. Badenoch added that all new illegal arrivals would be deported within a week, with legal obstacles to mass removals removed and visa sanctions imposed on countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens. She also pledged to “shut down the asylum hotel racket,” which she said would save taxpayers billions and restore public confidence in the UK’s border controls.

The Removals Force, if approved, will operate with an annual budget of £1.6 billion, double that of the current Immigration Enforcement unit, funded by savings from the closure of asylum hotels and other measures within the asylum system. The force will have sweeping powers, including the use of facial recognition technology without prior warning, and will integrate closely with the police. Priority for removals will include new illegal entrants, foreign criminals, failed asylum seekers, visa over-stayers, and others identified as residing in the UK illegally.

In an interview on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch faced criticism for her refusal to specify the destinations to which deported migrants would be sent. She responded, “I’m tired of all of these irrelevant questions about where they should go. They will go back to where they should be or another country, but they should not be here.” When pressed further, she added, “They will go back to where they came from.”

According to the Conservative Party document detailing the plan, the proposed measures are intended to increase removals from the current 34,000 per year to approximately 150,000, marking a five-fold increase in enforcement activity. The party argues that the reforms are necessary to address what it describes as uncontrolled migration and to strengthen public trust in the country’s border system.

Badenoch’s announcement has intensified the ongoing debate in the UK over immigration policy, balancing border security with human rights considerations. Critics have expressed concern over the repeal of the Human Rights Act and the use of facial recognition technology without oversight, while supporters have welcomed the proposed measures as a decisive step in tackling illegal immigration.

The Radical Borders Plan is expected to be submitted for parliamentary consideration in the coming months, with its implementation contingent on legislative approval and coordination with existing law enforcement structures.