News

Hausa Community Petitions Edo CP, Demands Justice For Truck Driver Killed Over N1,000 Fee

Published

6 months ago

March 10, 2025

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

Hausa Community in Edo State has petitioned the State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Betty Enekpen- Otimenyi, over the killing of a truck driver, Suleiman Bala.

Bala was killed by revenue collectors in Ahor Community, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state over alleged refusal to pay N1000.00( one thousand naira ) revenue ticket Ahor Community Development Association.

He was said to have loaded his truck with his conductor from Jos, Plateau State, to Benin City on the 23rd of February, 2025 and off- loaded his vehicle.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity said on the said date, about 12.00am, some boys who were said to be revenue collectors for Ahor Community Development Association, acting on behalf of Ahor Community Development Association Chairman woke- up Suleiman Bala’s conductor, demanding for N1000.00 ticket.

The conductor, surprised by the revenue collectors’ act in such a nocturnal period offered them N400.00 but they refused the offer.

Thereafter, it was gathered, the boys in anger collected their wheel spanner, which made the conductor call the attention of his driver, Bala, who was sleeping.

The deceased, it was gathered, followed the revenue collectors alongside his conductor, pleading for the release of the wheel spanner, while he reportedly offered the revenue collectors the balance of N600.00.

However, in anger, the boys (revenue collectors) were said to have used the wheel spanner to hit the driver repeatedly until the driver fell and died, while they reportedly disappeared immediately.

Consequently, in a petition dated February 24, 2025 by the Chairman, Hausa Community, Alhaji Saleh Badamasi, appealed to the Edo State Commissioner of Police to bring the perpetrators to book.

The petition written by his lawyer, S.O. Osazuwa & Co, urged the CP to investigate and arrest the chairman of Ahor Community Development Association, on whose instructions the boys were collecting illegal revenue.

The petition reads: “That our Client informed us that Late Suleiman Bala who is a member of Hausa Community was brutally attacked and murdered in cool blood by some
boys (Agents) of Ahor Development Association Acting on the instructions of Ahor Development Chairman.

“That our Client further informed us that the Late Suleiman Bala who is a bonafide gentle member of Hausa Community, is a Businessman from Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

“That our Client further informed us on the 23rd day of February, 2025 while en route from Jos to Lagos and also delivered some goods in Benin which was close to 8:00pm on that same fateful day decided to stay and spent a night in Ahor Kara Market along Lagos Express Way.

“That our Client informed us that at about 12:00am midnight when Late Suleiman Bala, Driver and the Motor Boy were sleeping inside the Trailer (Truck) were woken up by a group of boys holding and parading a ticket bearing Ahor Community Development Association purporting to be acting on the
instructions of Ahor Communiy Development Chairman to collect revenue of One Thousand Naira (N1000) of any Truck even at that unholy hour.”

“That our Client reliably informed us that both Late Suleiman Bala, the Driver and the Motor Boy pleaded and offered them Four Hundred Naira (N400) in order to make peace reign even when they know they were acting illegally.

“That the boys who are Agents of the Chairman of Ahor Community
Development Association, ignored their Pleas by taking laws into their hand grabbed and seized their wheel Spanner of the Truck and were going away with it.

“That we are informed by our Client that while they were begging them
(Agents), the Boys got angry for disturbing with their insistent plea and attacked Late Suleiman Bala with the wheel Spanner by continuously beating and hitting
him with the same wheel Spanner which led to his internal injury and bleeding.

“That we are further informed by our Client that the late Suleman Bala collapse
and died on the spot as a result of the internal bleeding and injuries he
sustained from the attack particularly from the force and hitting on him with the wheel Spanner.

“We are by this Petition calling on your good Office as the Commissioner of Police, Edo State to investigate, arrest the Chairman of Ahor Community Development Association on whose instructions his boys (Agents) carried out such illegal Act to produce his boys (Agents) against the background of the banning of such activities by the Executive Governor of Edo State and more so acting at such an unholy time
to perpetuate these illegal, devious and murderous activities which has culminated into taking an innocent life who engaged in his lawful Business by name Suleiman Bala.
Be assured of our highest commendation in this regards.”

Contacted, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Moses Yamu said, he was not aware of such an incident.

He said: “I don’t know about that, such a thing did not happen in this place, I can assure you that such a thing did not happen here.”

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

2 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

4 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

4 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.