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[OPINION] Edo Cult Killings : A Misplaced Priority For Youths Engagement (Part II)

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Eben Enasco

In Nigeria today, a significant proportion of student activism does not present a desire by the activist students to correct campus or society ills and/ or assert alignment with an identity.

Rather, it has been abused to form cults—covert activist cum religious occultist associations that are not only dangerous to themselves but to others who are on the campus to pursue their legitimate goals.

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The distasteful sweet feeling that comes with harming someone in return for an injury is what propelled some students to join cult gang.

The need to exert revenge on a campus bully, lecturer, or a fellow student who wronged another is a prominent reason for joining among cult members.

READ ALSO:opi[OPINION] Edo Cult Killings : A Misplaced Priority For Youths Engagement (Part 1)

Cultists mostly operate underground, bestriding the campus landscape like a
colossus whenever they choose to strike.

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Surreptitiously hiding their identity from other members of the university community, members of the campus cults are bold, daring and deadly. Their activities involve murder, rape and robbery, among other forms of violent.

Those who relatively cut corners for more powers are adventurous Cult leaders who believed in lording over others.

Power gives you wing and wings that can make you fly above everyone else on campus and lord your presence over everyone.

File: Victim of the recent court clashes in Benin

This is the kind of narrative some cult groups deploy to lure innocent students, Bus drivers, dropouts and some street urchins into their midst.

And anyone who feels having such power would make him cut corners, escape lecturers punishments and feel like a lord among his peers would buy the rhetoric and get initiated in no time.

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This is where the narrative deviated from the original agenda of setting up Confraternity activism on campuses.

They missed it the moment they witnessed some level of success in campus battles, only by initiating homeless boys, those closed to friends in campuses that couldn’t gain admissions, bus conductors, land grabbers, motor park touts.

The body bags are on the increase because of poor background of those initiated with leaders losing grips over their supposed subordinates.

Most often, heads of various cult groups have no educational background yet dictates for those in campuses who are supposed to build territorial gaps.

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The land-grabber and Bus Conductors now determine how campus life works, whilst they have no idea how campuses it actually functions.

They form bulk of Zonal heads with the only orientation to avenge any opposition whenever crisis arose.
To curb these numerous excesses, the leadership must halt initiating those without perquisite and instill stringent procedures.

Failed Institutions

The basic roles of institution which include efficiency in service delivery are absolutely relegated to the background, which by extension, impact negatively on economic performance in the country.

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READ ALSO: Bullet-Riddled Bodies Litter Benin Streets As Cult Clash Remains Unabated

Unlike the widely held views that corruption is a manifestation of institutional failure, I suggest that institutional failure is rather a manifestation of corruption in the country.

It is obvious that Nigerians are not happy that the Federal Government has misplaced its priority by meddling in what should not be of concern to them.

The Standard of living in the country today, is equal to zero in ratings.

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Youths have become stranded with bad policies and the implementation of such policies by successive governments.
Government at all levels are palpable culprits culminating from bad leadership that had steered the resources’ overtime. Despite governments not leaving up to expectations, parents also have a fair share in a child up brings and this must be addressed.

File: one of the victims of the recent cult clash in Benin

Nigeria’s institutions are weak because successive governments have failed to build infrastructure stable for development and create job opportunities.

The expectation of average Nigerian who just graduated to secure career job lifeline is almost impossible. In Nigeria, jobs are created on papers.

Therefore, many of those youths who would have obeyed common ethical nubs only survive through their own efforts since Government can’t provide for them basic needs

Threats To Security Operatives, Threat To All

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If those whose first mandate is to secure lives and properties are now afraid to carry out their duties because of certain threats, then something definitely is wrong with such society.

This is the frightening moment a gang, one of whom is armed with a pitchfork, broken bottles, guns and other life threatening weapons launch a savage attack on citizens.

READ ALSO: Cultists On Rampage In Benin As Death Toll Rises

Footage of scary scenes have unfolded in most flash point areas and have become a source of worry.

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Few days ago, Police team led by an Assistant Commissioner Of Police who also heads one of the Area Commands and his boys were attacked with the officers sustaining bullets wounds occasioned in exchanges of gunfire between the suspected criminals and the police.

Police are human and also deserves protection. Most wives of Policemen have become widows and poorly treated with no end in sight of their welfare packages.

In a recent remarks by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, while on official visit to affected states to take on the spot assessments of the attacked police stations in Edo State Command post EndSARS protests, he said, “is it Good for a police policeman to die with a raffle in his hands? The response was thunderous. The IGP was right to an extent when he urged the police operatives to defend themselves considering the level at which hoodlums have continued to launch various attacks on them.

Although, some bad elements have polluted the police institution, however, that can’t underscore the values they bring in curbing criminal attacks.

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The commissioner of Police Edo State Command, Babatunde Kokumo said recently that since various police divisional stations were set ablaze, crimes have been on the increase.

His words: “Just imagine what it means that three police stations along Sokponba Road, Benin were destroyed and burnt, patrol vehicles were destroyed in many other parts of Edo State”.

Today, many of the criminal cultists openly brandishes AK-47 rifles, machetes, battle axes, broken bottles, clubs and other dangerous weapons in broad daylight, shooting sporadically throughout the night and heightening tension in Benin and its environs.

Speaking via the telephone, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, said that officers and men of the command were working within existing limitations to reclaim public space and restore normalcy to the state.
These anomalies must stop and peace must return to encourage development.

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Role Of Edo State Government

One of the major steps undertaken by responsible government is to create jobs for restive youths.

Creating an integrity base Community Policing can also help stamp-out lawlessness in the state.

However, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, recently reassured that his administration is devising a new state-led security scheme to tackle rising insecurity in an effort to safeguard lives and property in Edo State.

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Obaseki disclosed this at the Passing out Parade of 877 Special Constables under the Community Police Project, at the Police Training School, Ogida, in Benin City.

The Governor noted that it has become inevitable in the light of the flawed central policing system in the country, which makes the demand for restructuring of the nation more germane.

Obaseki added that the 877 Special Constables are part of the first batch of the 2000 constables to be trained for community policing in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force in Edo State.

“The idea of community policing is not new to us as an administration. This concept which has led to the recruitment, training and subsequent graduation of the special constables was one of the ideas I discussed with the present Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, when he served as the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police Zone 5 in Benin City, several years ago,” he said.

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There are two sides to the creation of the Community Policing.

First indication is the window of jobs creation and secondly taking Policing to the grass root were indigenous people will play a key role in Combating crimes.

By this, it would help fish out those who are not from the state and endeared the lost trust between the Government and the governed.

The Frame work for the community Policing architecture must encompass traditional institutions, Religious leaders, Community leaders and various stakeholders to bring it to fruition.

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Thus, the Nigerian economy faces enormous challenges and a bleak future unless fundamental steps are taken to redress the legacies of the past.

READ ALSO: One Burnt To Death In Early Morning inferno In Edo

Among the many requirements for curbing corruption, crimes and hopelessness, is moral regeneration through moral education.

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This would require the establishment of an institute for ethical studies for public officers, youths and business persons in the state in extension Nigeria.

It would also require Nigerians doing things in fundamentally different ways than in the past to break away from the corruption, institutional failure and poor economic performance trap.

Of more relevance is the need for government to restructure the whole system, create openings for youths engagement, perhaps reward and incentive system, especially in the public sector.

Youths must now rethink before this Generation is wiped out through their misplaced priorities and create a template for positive recognition to engage Government for proper collaborations as well as societal values.

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Gunmen Kidnap A’Ibom Monarch

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Paramount ruler in Mbo Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom state, HRM Ogwong Okon A. Abang, has been kidnapped in his palace at Ebughu.

The abduction was said to have been carried out at about 9pm on Saturday. Recall that doctors in the state have downed tools over the kidnap of their colleague, Dr John Robbin Esu, who remains in the kidnappers den nearly three weeks after.

Like the case of Dr. Esu who was kidnapped in Oron LGA, the kidnap of the Paramount Ruler of Mbo, has raised more concern over the collapsed security architecture in Oron nation.

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READ ALSO: Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Only last week, the wife of Chief Asukwo Eweme Ulap Okon, aka Levile, a prominent political figure was also abducted in Oron.

Akwa Ibom State Police Command was yet to offer a word on the monarch’s abduction, but Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara and other service Commanders were moving to the Ebughu Palace of the victim at the time of filing this report.

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Couple Declared Wanted Over Cocaine Seizures

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has arrested four members of a drug cartel who runs a cocaine cartel from India in Lagos with a Sports Utility vehicle and two houses belonging to the syndicate, already traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.

This is just as a couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), also members of the cartel have been declared wanted by NDLEA in connection with cocaine trade.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi who made this known, said “Two other members of the syndicate, Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan were arrested on April 3, 2024 following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.

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“While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.

“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who works directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday 14th May at Abule Egba area of Lagos.

“It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.

READ ALSO: Never Accept Luggage Without Knowing Its Content — NDLEA Warns Travellers

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“During a search of Hamed house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for Cocaine, weighing 900 grams.

“He confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.

“His arrest led to a follow up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20 Eyiaro street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia”.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, attached to a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday 15th May intercepted two parcels, containing Cocaine and Amphetamine concealed in steel bolts and shea butter.

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While the cocaine weighing 587 grams, was concealed in eight steel bolt screws going to China, the Amphetamine consignment packed in vape pens and hidden in shea butter was going to the United Kingdom.

Attempts by Emeka Nwadiaro (aka Mega) to export 3.6kg Loud, a strain of cannabis concealed in 36 water flasks to Dubai, UAE was also thwarted at a logistic company in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Thursday 16th May while a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro in Onitsha, Anambra state same day.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Intercepts Qatar-bound Drugs, Officers Reject N5m Bribe

While NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a mercedes benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo road, Aliade, Benue state on Friday 17th May with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.

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Two suspects: Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri – Onitsha road, Imo state following the discovery by NDLEA operatives of a big gas cyclinder used to conceal six blocks of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.

In Borno state, 70-year-old Adamu Mohammed was arrested at Mbulamel, Biu LGA on Thursday 16th May with 2kg cannabis and 33.55grams of diazepam, while Gaddafi Sani, 27, was arrested with 30 kilograms of cannabis along Abuja-Kaduna road, Kaduna.

In Yobe state, a consignment of 91.1kg opioids and 13kg cannabis going to Maiduguri, Borno state, was recovered from hidden compartments of a petrol tanker along Potiskum-Damaturu road by NDLEA officers who arrested the driver, Ismaila Ali.

No less than four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,025 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IED) materials intercepted in a Toyota hummer bus marked AGL 905 XX by NDLEA officers along Agaie – Lapai road, Niger state.

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The duo of Abdulrauf Shitu Adeyemi, 46, and Asmiyu Rahim, 45, conyeying the IED materials were arrested on the spot. Follow up operations led to the arrest of Husaini Abdullahi, 25, at Sokoto main market, Sokoto and Nazifi Abdullahi, 37, at Naibawa Motor Park, Kano on Friday 17th May.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that all four suspects and the explosive materials be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

READ ALSO: Atiku Hints On Supporting Obi For 2027 Presidential Race

In another operation, Muhammad Lawal, 42, was nabbed at Central Market Motor Park, Katsina State with 1,000 Ampoules of Pentazocine injection.

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Also, a total of 105kg cannabis was on Friday 17th May recovered from a house at Obola community, Owan West LGA, Edo state and a suspect, Gloria Oris arrested when NDLEA officers raided the area.

In Kwara state, two suspects: Abdulganiyu Karaman, 55, and Sunday Abel, 37, were on Saturday 18th May arrested with 83kg cannabis and tramadol at Boriya, Baruten LGA, and Offa respectively.

With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Girls Science secondary school, Malumfashi and Government Girls Science Secondary School, Daudawa, Katsina; Government Girls Science College, Tunga Magajiya Rijau LGA, Niger state.

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Others are students and teachers of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Government Girls Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Kano; students of Dein secondary school, Imobi secondary school and St. Columbas Grammar School, Agbor, Delta State.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Rivers, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Imo, and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the efforts have further affirmed the cardinal role of NDLEA in the security architecture of the country.

He equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures to create a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

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SERAP Sues 36 Governors, FCT Minister Over FAAC Allocations

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sued Nigeria’s 36 governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,Nyesom Wike.

They were sued for failing “to account for the spending of trillions of Federation Account Allocation Committee allocations collected by their states and the FCT since 1999″.

This was contained in a release on Sunday by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

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The release said the lawsuit followed reports that the FAAC disbursed N1.123 trillion to federal, state, and local governments for March 2024. They shared N1.208 trillion in April. States collected N398.689 billion in March while they collected N403.403 billion in April.

In the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/666/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP asked the court to “direct and compel the governors and Wike to publish spending details of the FAAC allocations collected by their states and the FCT since 1999 including the list and locations of projects executed with the money.”

READ ALSO: SERAP, BudgIT, Others Drag CBN To Court Over Cybersecurity Levy

The organisation also asked the court to “compel the governors and Mr Wike to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to probe any allegations of corruption linked to the allocations and to monitor how the money is spent”.

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It argued that, “Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds including FAAC allocations, are spent by the governors and FCT minister.”

Opacity in the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by the governors and Mr Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens,” SERAP said.

It noted that trillions of FAAC allocations received by Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT have allegedly gone down the drain.

It believes that, “Directing and compelling the governors and FCT minister to provide the information sought and widely publish the spending details of the FAAC allocations collected by them would serve legitimate public interests.”

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READ ALSO: JUST IN: SERAP Drags 36 Govs, Wike To Court Over N5.9tn, $4.6bn Loans

It added, “The failure by the governors and the FCT ministers to account for the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by them is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.”

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part, “States and the FCT should be guided by transparency and accountability principles and proactively account for the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by them.

“Secrecy in the spending of FAAC allocations collected by the governors and the FCT minister also denies Nigerians the right to know how public funds are spent. Transparency in the spending would allow them to retain control over their government.

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“The governors and FCT minister have a legal obligation to provide the information sought including the list of specific projects completed with the FAAC allocations collected, the locations of any such projects and completion reports of the projects.

“The information sought should also include details of the salaries and pensions paid from the FAAC allocations collected, as well as the details of projects executed on hospitals and schools with the FAAC allocations.

READ ALSO: Account For N5.9tn, $4.6bn Loans, SERAP Gives Sani, Wike, Others Ultimatum

“Despite the increased FAAC allocations to states and FCT, millions of residents in several states and the FCT continue to face extreme poverty and lack access to basic public goods and services”

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It added, “The reported removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the exchange rate by the Federal Government has translated into increased FAAC allocations to states and the FCT. However, there is no corresponding improvement in the security and welfare of millions of Nigerians.

“FAAC allocations received by the states and the FCT are reportedly characterised by mismanagement, diversion of funds, and abandoned projects. FAAC allocations have also been allegedly spent for other purposes such as election campaigns and political patronage.

READ ALSO: SERAP, 20 Others Sue Akpabio, Abbas, Others For Increasing Own Budget By N147bn

“Publishing the documents on the spending of FAAC allocations by the states and the FCT would promote transparency, accountability, and reduce the risks of corruption in the spending of the funds.

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“Publishing the documents would also enable Nigerians to meaningfully engage in the implementation of projects executed with the FAAC allocations collected.”

SERAP noted that the report that “some 140 million Nigerians are poor suggests corruption and mismanagement in the spending of trillions of naira in FAAC allocations collected by the states and the FCT”.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

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