Headline

FEC Approves N392.786bn For Ministry Of Works, Customs Others

Published

3 years ago

April 5, 2023

…Okays N15.3bn for ICT digital devices for 2023 Census

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday, approved a total of N392,785,113,356 contracts to ministries, parastatals and agencies.

This was disclosed to State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Among the memoranda that received approvals were two presented on behalf of the National Population Commission (NPC), totaling the sum of N15,300,000,000, for procurement and installation of technology-based gadgets for use in the upcoming 2023 National Population and Housing Census.

Briefing on the approvals for the NPC, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said while the first memorandum was worth N10.9 billion, the second one was valued at N4.4 billion.

According to him, “among those memos that were okayed today was the award of the contract for the supply and installation of information and communication technology (ICT) components for the 2023 Population Census. This is for the National Population Commission (NPC). It is meant for census. The ICT component contract was awarded for about N10.9 billion.

“Another contract that was approved for the National Population Commission was the contract for the development and implementation of mobile device management solution for the personal digital assistance devices to be used for the 2023 Population Census. This is in the sum of about N4.4 billion”, he said.

Shehu said council also approved contract for the development of external cost of infrastructure at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) new training academy at N3.3 billion naira.

He added that the sum of one billion naira was equally approved for the contract for the procurement of 19 vehicles for the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The presidential spokesman said council okayed N65 million naira for variation in the cost for the supply of airport fire crash tenders in the Ministry of Aviation.

Shehu said council approved policy on HIV/AIDS to protect people living with the disease and new regulations on woodworking ecosystem.

According to him, “we don’t have the Minister of Labour and Employment today, but he got two approvals. One is pertaining to the woodworking ecosystem. Government has revised regulations pertaining to woodworking machinery and the entire ecosystem which dated back to 1959. New regulations have been put in place as empowered by the law. And by this approval, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will domicile and gazette these changes that have been approved.

“His other approval is on policy on HIV/AIDS. Basically, this is to guarantee personal human rights over people with HIV in work places so that they are not discriminated against and they are given equal rights.

“So, that is what it is about. They are not discriminated against and they are given all that is due to them. And they are respected, especially with regards to their personal and human rights”, he said.

Also speaking to journalists at the post-FEC briefing, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fasola, disclosed that his ministry presented three memoranda, all of which were approved.

According to him, while the first has is aimed at digitizing all records of the Ministry at the cost of N916,813,356, the other two are focused on physical road works, including the N36.459 billion Kaduna Eastern Bypass augumentation works to be executed on Sukuk Programme, and a N327.281 billion tax credit scheme granted BUA International Limited for construction of some roads in Kwara State.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, told journalists that the Council granted approvals for three contracts for the Nigerian Customs Service, all totaling N20,969,400,000.

“So this is a Nigerian Customs Service barracks and the contract was issued to two companies. Messrs AMSCO Limited is constructing 15 blocks of six numbers three bedroom flats at the Aviation Village here in Abuja. The contract is in the sum of N5.549 billion naira with a delivery period of 81 weeks.

“The second part of it is the construction of 32 blocks of six two bedroom flats with religious center at the customs service barracks at also at the Aviation Village and this was given to Messrs WARAMS Limited in the sum of N12.843 billion naira with a delivery period of 144 weeks.

“The Federal Executive Council also approved the procurement of 192 motor vehicles for the operations and administrative use of the Nigerian Customs Service. Different mix of vehicles, totaling 192, all of them Toyota brands. So there are Toyota Prado, Corolla, Camry, Land Cruiser and ambulances in the total sum of N9.649 billion naira including VAT with a delivery period of four weeks.

“The third approval that we got was for the award of contract for the purchase of 210 units of residential accommodation at plot 413 Aviation Village, Abuja, for the Nigerian Customs Service, in favour of Messrs Abdulwahab Memorial Nigeria Limited in the sum of N16.125 billion naira, including the VAT”, she said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Mines and Steels Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, said Council granted an approval for a new bill to generate a replacement for Nigeria Mineral and Mining Law 2007, which he said is obsolete.

“What we did at the council today was just to approve a new bill to go to the National Assembly to replace the old law guiding mining in Nigeria. The law we are operating on now is 2007 Nigeria Mineral and Mining Law and 2007 to date is 16 years.

“It has become obsolete. A lot of new things have come up in mining. There’s a renewed focus and everyone is coming there and as expressed today, it’s a new frontier for economic growth in Nigeria. So we need to update the law to in line modern realities and the laws with some amendments. The bill, the proposed Act, was passed in the Chamber’s with some amendments”, he disclosed.

VANGUARD

Headline

Woman Passes Out After Receiving 100 Strokes Of Cane

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

A woman has passed out after she and her partner were each flogged 100 times in public for engaging in sex outside marriage under strict Sharia laws in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, was later carried away after the punishment was carried out in Banda Aceh, located at the northern tip of Sumatra island on Thursday.

A masked official dressed in brown robes administered the caning before members of the public who gathered to witness the punishment.

Her partner was also seen wincing in pain while receiving the lashes.

The pair were among several individuals punished for violating Sharia regulations in the province.

Authorities from the Banda Aceh Sharia Court and the Prosecutor’s Office handed down punishments ranging from 25 to 100 lashes for offences including extramarital sex allegedly arranged through online applications.

Aceh remains the only province in Muslim-majority Indonesia operating under Sharia law, where unmarried couples are prohibited from having sexual relations.

Caning is commonly used in the province as punishment for offences such as gambling, alcohol consumption, same-sex relations and sex outside marriage.

Under Aceh’s Sharia regulations, child rape offenders face some of the harshest penalties, including up to 200 strokes of the cane, a prison sentence of as long as 200 months or fines equivalent to two kilograms of gold.

The punishments are usually carried out publicly as a way of shaming offenders in addition to inflicting physical pain.

Such canings are often conducted outside mosques or in open public spaces, with residents watching and taking photographs during the exercise.

Human rights organisations have continued to condemn the practice, arguing that it causes emotional trauma and violates international human rights standards.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly criticised the punishments, saying they conflict with Indonesia’s constitution and global legal obligations.

Amnesty said in a statement: “Caning contravenes Indonesia’s constitution and is in clear violation of international human rights law and standards.

‘It constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can amount to torture in violation of the UN Convention against Torture and other international covenants, to which Indonesia is a State Party.’”

Despite the criticism, local authorities have defended the punishments as part of Aceh’s religious and cultural identity, insisting they serve as a deterrent against immoral behaviour.

Earlier in January, another couple in the province reportedly received 140 lashes each after being found guilty of drinking alcohol and engaging in sex outside marriage.

(Daily Mail)

Headline

Senegal’s President Sacks Prime Minister After Months-long Feud

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has sacked Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government following months of rising political tension between the two former allies.

The decision was announced in a surprise decree read on national television by a presidential aide, stating that Faye had “ended the duties” of Sonko and “consequently those of the ministers and secretaries of state who are members of the government”.

Sonko, who remains a highly influential figure among Senegal’s youth, responded on social media, saying he would “sleep with a light heart”.

The political fallout comes at a time of growing economic strain in the country, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) putting Senegal’s public debt at 132% of its GDP.

His removal followed a tense parliamentary session on Tuesday, where Sonko openly criticised President Faye’s handling of the debt situation.

The development is striking given that Faye’s rise to power was largely tied to Sonko’s popularity and political backing.

Sonko would almost certainly have contested the presidency himself in 2024, but was barred from the race due to a defamation conviction. Instead, he threw his support behind Faye, rallying voters with the slogan “Diomaye is Sonko, Sonko is Diomaye”.

The alliance helped unseat former President Macky Sall in a dramatic electoral victory, despite both men having been released from prison only days before the vote.

Tensions between the two leaders had been building for months, with Faye reportedly accusing Sonko of excessive dominance within the ruling Pastef party, while Sonko accused the president of weak leadership and failing to defend him against critics.

(BBC News)

Headline

Six Nigerians Arrested In Thailand Over AI-Powered Romance Scam

Published

4 days ago

May 24, 2026

Editor

Six Nigerian nationals have been arrested by the Thailand Police Force for allegedly operating an AI-powered deepfake romance scam syndicate from a luxury condominium along the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi Province, following a cocaine trafficking investigation that exposed their activities.

Thai authorities said the operation began after police arrested a Nigerian suspect identified as Patrick and three associates in April over alleged drug trafficking offences. During the raid, officers reportedly seized assets valued at about 2.5 million baht.

Investigators said financial transactions linked to the suspects led them to several foreign nationals living in a high-end riverside condominium near Phra Nangklao Bridge in Nonthaburi. Police discovered that many of the occupants were staying in groups of five or six per apartment under student visas despite not being enrolled in any educational institution or engaged in lawful employment.

According to Thai police, officers executed search warrants on three condominium units on May 22. The suspects allegedly refused to open their doors, forcing authorities to break into the apartments.

Videos circulating on X captured the moment police officers forcefully gained entry into one of the apartments before arresting the suspects.

During the operation, one suspect reportedly attempted to escape by climbing over a balcony, while another was found hiding on the bathroom floor while allegedly sending warning messages to occupants in neighbouring units.

Police recovered 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers and three bank passbooks from the apartments. Authorities said some of the phones were still logged into active conversations with victims at the time of the raid.

Investigators alleged that the syndicate specialised in romance scams targeting older Thai women by using AI-generated faces and manipulated video calls to create fake online identities.

The suspects allegedly posed as pilots, United States military officers, doctors and engineers to gain the trust of victims before requesting money under false pretences.

Police said the fraudsters typically claimed that valuable packages or gifts sent to victims had been withheld by customs officials and required payment of clearance fees before release.

Authorities also said they recovered scripts for sexually explicit conversations allegedly used to emotionally manipulate victims into transferring funds. Investigators claimed the group relied heavily on artificial intelligence technology to generate realistic Western faces for fake video interactions.

Thai police said all six suspects are currently facing preliminary charges bordering on illegal association and immigration overstay, while additional fraud and romance scam charges are expected to follow as investigations continue.