News

Over Thirty Young Ladies Accuse Edo Migration Agency Of Raid, Extortion, Agency Denies Allegation

Published

4 months ago

August 6, 2025

Young ladies numbering over thirty have accused the Edo State Migration Agency of forcefully picking them along the Ihama Street, GRA, Benin to the agency’s office where the officials of the agency allegedly filmed, extorted them ranging from ₦15,000 to ₦50,000.

The young ladies in voicenote made available to journalists in Benin on Wednesday alleged that after reaching agreement with the officials of the agency that their videos should not be shared to a third party after the payment of an agreed amount, the agency violated the agreement and shared their visuals on social media.

The young ladies showed evidence of receipts of payment to one Uyinmwen Uyigue, who happens to be the Coordinator GRA Hospitality Forum

According to one of the voice notes, they were picked at Ihama Street, drove to the agency’s office where they were asked to cooperate by paying the sum of ₦50,000 and that after that they (agency) will not share their video, which they did, yet they were shown on social media.

One of the ladies in a sobbing voice noted: “I’m still in shock since on Thursday. Edo State Migration Agency, they video us, but they told us they are not going to post the video if only we could cooperate and pay the ransom they ask for. They told us to pay 50k each person which we did, but they still posted the video online, which is not nice. I was shocked when I saw myself trending online. People called me from different places. They told me they saw me on Tiktok, Instagram, etc. I am in shock because they told us they were not going to post the video if we could cooperate, and we cooperated and paid the money they asked for. I even have proof of the transfer. This is not nice.”

Another lady in a voicenote wept and spoke in broken English, “On Thursday evening, around 8:30, I come come out Ihama. And Before I know, where I for stand for there, na so all those Edo State Migration officers just come. Dey just come hold me and some others of my friends. As dey hold us, I was like ‘oga, why you go hold me nah, him come say make I check time, wetin I dey find for night at dat time, naim I come say oga, 8:30 naim you dey tell me wetin I dey find for night?’ Before I know, these people push me inside bus, carry us go their office, as we reach their office dem come begin dey harass us, dey disgrace us, dey call us names. Dey ask us where we for dey come, dem come dey video is. We sleep for d rooms dem put us, as day come break, dey carry all of us come outside, dem come still video us again. Dem come say na fifty, fifty thousand naim we take bail ourselves. We pay, but before I know, I see myself for internet the next day. My family don dey call me since. My family members don dey say I be disgrace to d family. Dem just dey curse me say see wetin I dey do, me wey be orphan. Dey just disgrace me. My uncle and aunty don dey call me say I am an embarrassment.”

Another lady in a voice noted said: “You know when they took our statement, we were trying to tell them that what happened is that we just came out from the club and dey say no, we must say that they catch us (sic) from the street. We must say that we were standing in the street to do prostitution. We were telling them that is not what happened, they didn’t even allow us to say anything, they were just writing statement for us.”

Another lady in her voice note said she and her friends went to the club but were hungry, went outside to buy Suya but in the were raided: “It was Thursday last week, me and my friends went to club at Ihama. There is one club called ClubQ. So, we went out to get Suya opposite Victorious Kitchen and still ate there because we were hungry. So, on our way coming out, I think they are called Edo Migration Agency, they picked us, we were trying to explain to them we are not doing Street, that we are not prostitutes, that we are just coming out from the club that we came to get Suya and food, but they did not listen. They even picked one girl that was waiting for her boyfriend. The girl was trying to call the guy. So, they took us to Edo Migration Agency, yes that is the name. They took us there, video us, they were asking us questions. We begged them they should not post the video, that we have family members that are on social media, they should not post it. They said they were going to cover our face if they want to post the video. So, I was thinking that after filming us they will just leave us to go, they kept us, delay us till around 6 in the evening. We were more than 30 girls that they carry. They now collected fifty, fifty thousand each of us. We begged them to that fifty thousand. They started with hundred thousand, but we begged that we don’t have that amount. We begged them that we don’t have money that they should let us go that we have not done anything wrong. They said they are going to take us to prison if we don’t pay, so we were scared. We now begged for 20k, they said no, that 50k last, we were more than 30. They collected 50,000 each from us. My sister saw the video, they are calling me, my dad is very angry for me. I don’t even know how to explain to them because I have told them my own side of the story.”

Contacted, the Director General of the Migration Agency, Lucky Agazuma, on the allegation of extortion, while absolving his agency and officials said those arrested were profiled and later released to go.

He said the agency was well funded and would not resort to extorting money from sex workers.

Agazuma said the agency never extorted sex workers but worked towards rehabilitating them back to society.

“We have had several engagements with brothel owners. We told them we will not be after their brothel but they should not bring underage into their brothel.

“In our raiding, we discovered that they kept underaged girls. Those persons who were involved in this act are in prison, including the native doctor who took them on oath. They also do organ harvesting. Even as I speak to you now, there’s a husband and a wife who just trafficked a little girl to Mali. They are in prison right now.”

Contacted, Mr. Uyigue confirmed collecting money from four sex workers but he said the money he collected was fine paid by owners of lodge where the sex workers stays.

He said the lodge owners under the auspices of GRA Hospitality Forum agreed on a fine of N50,000 for any of their girls caught in the street hawking sex.

News

FULL LIST: FG Shuts 41 Unity Schools Over Insecurity

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government on Friday ordered the temporary closure of 41 unity schools over the rising cases of abduction across the country.

The decision was announced in a circular issued by the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Binta Abdulkadir.

“Sequel to the recent security challenges in some parts of the country and the need to prevent any security breaches, the Honourable Minister of Education has approved the immediate closure of the listed Federal Unity Colleges.

“Principals of the affected colleges are to ensure strict compliance. Please accept the warm regards of the Honourable Minister,” the circular read.

The affected schools are FGGC Minjibir; FGA Suleja; FTC Ganduje; FGGC Zaria; FTC Kafancha; FGGC Bakori; FTC Dayi; FGC Daura; FGGC Tambuwal; FSC Sokoto; FTC Wurno; FGC Gusau; FGC Anka; FGGC Gwandu; FGC Birnin Yauri; FTC Zuru; FGGC Kazaure; FGC Kiyawa; FTC Hadejia; FGGC Bida; FGC New Bussa; and FTC Kuta-Shiroro.

Others are FGC Ilorin; FGGC Omu-Aran; FTC Gwanara; FGC Ugwolawo; FGGC Kabba; FTC Ogugu; FGGC Bwari; FGC Rubochi; FGGC Abaji; FGGC Potiskum; FGC Buni Yadi; FTC Gashau; FTC Michika; FGC Ganye; FGC Azare; FTC Misau; FGGC Bajoga; FGC Billiri; and FTC Zambuk.

Recall that some students from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, were kidnapped by terrorists.

The incident comes just days after a similar attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were kidnapped, heightening concerns over the deteriorating security situation in educational institutions across the region.

On Thursday, over 50 schools were shut down in Kwara State following attacks by bandits.

President Bola Tinubu had also cancelled his scheduled trips to South Africa and Angola to coordinate the government’s response to the worsening insecurity.

News

Why FG Hasn’t Prosecuted Terrorism Financiers – Minister

Published

6 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says the Federal Government has not prosecuted individuals suspected of financing terrorism because the process requires extensive and delicate investigations that cannot be rushed.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Idris explained that contrary to public perception, the matter was not as simple as having a list and immediately taking suspects to court.

The minister’s statement came against the backdrop of growing concerns over alleged government complicity in the escalating insecurity ravaging the country.

Successive governments have faced public pressure to identify and prosecute individuals suspected of financing terrorism, particularly Boko Haram, ISWAP, and bandit groups operating in the North.

Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, officials disclosed that some suspected financiers had been identified, raising expectations that trials would soon follow.

However, no high-profile prosecution has taken place, fuelling criticism from civil society groups and security analysts who argue that the delays strengthen public distrust in government efforts against insecurity.

Addressing the matter, Idris said, “It is not a question of having the list or not having the list; it is not as simplistic as that. Investigations have to be conducted. In some cases, there are merits in what they said.

“You don’t say, ‘because pronouncements have been made, let me take you to court directly.’ There must be sufficient investigation carried out.

“Unfortunately, when you are fighting these kinds of battles, it is not something that you just sort out within a day or two. That is why, all the time, we are calling on our partners within and outside this country to understand the complexity and diversity of the situation we have here.”

The minister maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was “working assiduously” to end terrorism and other security threats.

He noted that significant progress had been made since May 2023, adding that many Nigerians were inclined to overlook the gains.

“Sometimes we forget the successes we have recorded in the fight against bandits, criminals, and some of these jihadists. From May 2023 to date, over 13,500 of these criminals have been neutralised and taken off our society.

“Over 17,000 of them have been apprehended. Even as we speak, some of them are having their day in court, and some have been sentenced. I think we should recognise these efforts.”

On the delayed appointment of ambassadors, the minister said President Tinubu was already finalising the list, adding that the nominees were undergoing security vetting.

The minister also confirmed ongoing diplomatic engagements between Nigeria, the United States, and other countries, explaining that misunderstandings about Nigeria’s security challenges were being clarified.

“We agree that ambassadors should be there (US), and the President has agreed that he is going to release this list. As I speak with you, the President is finalising it. They have passed them to security agencies for checks. I can tell you that ambassadors are going to be appointed pretty soon.

“There is diplomatic engagement happening between Nigeria and the United States and other countries. What we feel is that there is no proper understanding of what the situation is about.

“This is the message we are taking to them. We are open to any kind of cooperation—regional, international, American or anybody who wants to see that there is an end to this crisis in Nigeria.”

News

Why Niger Delta Suffers Most — Jonathan

Published

6 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has blamed the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta on weak political will and the personal ambition of some political office holders.

Jonathan, who spoke in Abuja on Friday at the launch of The Hidden Treasures, a 202-page book written by former Delta State governorship aspirant Chris Iyovwaye, stated that political rivalry and the scramble for power have repeatedly stalled progress in the region.

This was echoed by ex-presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, and former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana, who also highlighted the failure to act on long-standing regional plans as a challenge to the region’s development.

Jonathan, who chaired the event, was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe.

In his address, the former president recalled several abandoned regional economic initiatives that could have boosted the Niger Delta’s growth.

He also traced past attempts to coordinate South-South governors and federal lawmakers on regional development, noting that personal ambition often overshadowed collective interest.

The former president said, “A lot has been said in the past and even now. But when you don’t bring action to it, it will remain a potential. Deep inside here, we can have tonnes of gold, diamonds, and uranium. But it will remain zero until they are mined and brought out.

This book corroborates what we have heard.

“In the past, when I was a deputy governor between 1999 and 2007, we had this same great commission. We used to have meetings of South-South governors. At one point, it was enlarged to include members of the National Assembly, and initiatives were held from state to state.

“But action could not be taken because of competition for power and control of that commission. At one point, everybody in the Niger Delta wanted to be the vice president to an unknown president.

“That was because Obasanjo was president from the South, and the next president was going to come from the North. But nobody knew who he would be. So, everybody started scrambling to become the vice president to whoever was coming.”

Expressing hope in the new revival of the South-South governors’ commission, he warned that only “practical action” backed by political will can rescue the region’s growth prospects.

“Our advice on this occasion is to send a message to them that there is a need for action. And it has to be in practical terms, not just saying it without showing the right political will. They should move further to create the vehicle that will detail the investment opportunities, save up, and market them across the region.

“The Niger Delta is supposed to be the economic hub of this country, with the potential to build the biggest seaport in Nigeria. From the Niger Delta, you can reach every part of the country, particularly the Middle Belt and the North. There is a need to harness our resources at this point in time for proper and physical development.”

Adebayo, in his remarks, described the Niger Delta as a vast, mismanaged economic paradise.

According to him, the region is too richly endowed for its citizens to remain poor.

“If there is no Niger Delta, there is no Nigeria. To some, every treasure is hidden because the person is blind. It is believed that some of the treasures in the region are hidden because we have had blind leadership over time.

“In truth, every part of the Niger Delta is brimming with human, material, liquid, and solid resources. So, if you are from the Niger Delta, it will be an oxymoron to say you are poor. It is impossible to be poor in that paradise.

“I come from a family that has 100 years of experience in making fortunes out of the Niger Delta. Most of my uncles and aunties were born there and served in great capacities. That is why we are always grateful to the Niger Delta.

“I also personally went to the region and found my own fortune. That’s because I married my wife from the Niger Delta, and my life has turned for the better since then.”

He added that the region’s wealth “is 18 times more than all the productivity of the United States from 1776 to date,” urging a return to responsible and visionary leadership.

“The author and others like him are sent to us like prophets in our time to remind us that a leadership or generation consumed by appropriating surface wealth, farming out the country’s resources to foreign enterprises, and collecting rent to make big men out of themselves is not the shepherd God sent to this land. This generation will have to turn away from that,” he said.

Gana, who as Information Minister in 1999 conceptualized the Niger Delta Development Commission, said the commission had fallen far short of its founding vision.

“During Obasanjo’s administration in 1999, I was mandated to organize a seminar on the Niger Delta at the ECOWAS Secretariat. It was a very well-attended event that was chaired by the former president of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere.

“He came in person, and papers were brilliantly presented on how we need to proceed with developing the Niger Delta. And we proposed the creation of a Niger Delta Development Commission as a platform to provide important infrastructure.”

But he lamented that the commission has not justified its mandate.

“I must confess that despite the tremendous hope that the meeting generated, I have not been personally impressed by the results of the commission, especially when I see them building primary schools and other minor projects.

“This vision was to transform the Niger Delta into one of the most beautiful places in Nigeria, with excellent infrastructure.”

He urged current managers of the commission to “arise and do something great for the people of the Niger Delta region.”

The Niger Delta, Nigeria’s main oil-producing region, has faced decades of environmental degradation, unemployment, poverty, and infrastructural neglect despite contributing the bulk of the nation’s revenue. Oil spills, gas flaring, and weak regulatory enforcement have devastated livelihoods, while recurring conflict over resource control has deepened instability.

The commission was established in 2000 to drive large-scale infrastructural transformation and address developmental gaps, but it has been plagued by allegations of mismanagement, abandoned projects, corruption, and political interference.

Multiple presidential audits have cited poor project delivery, weak accountability structures, and diversion of funds—leaving the region’s core problems largely unresolved.
(PUNCH)