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Aregbesola To Correctional Centres: Ensure That All Escaped Inmates Are Arrested, Brought Back To Custody  

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The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) to spare no effort at ensuring that all escaped inmates are arrested and brought back into custody.
The Minister made the call at the opening of a two-day retreat for senior management of the service in Sokoto, Sokoto State on Monday, 27 June, 2022.
He said the strategies and deliberations at the retreat should be centered around solutions on recapturing all escaped inmates to safeguard communities who may become prey to criminal activities of escaped inmates.
The Minister also noted with dismay, the negative impact of the #EndSARS protests which later turned violent leading to attacks of custodial facilities which gave rise to the attacks on the facilities.
He said “Retreats are for bonding, contemplating purpose and setting future goals” and a  major issue that must be considered during the this retreat is the decongestion of custodial facilities.
He pointed that during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, “one of the policies we quickly put in place then was the decongestion programme under which thousands of inmates were released on compassionate ground.”
The follow up to that is the consideration that we should find further ways to keep decongesting our facilities. We started work on the idea of compiling the list of convicted inmates serving light terms for not too serious offences, who were in custody because they could not pay their fines”
While commending the service for being able to manage the centres during the pandemic without recording a single infection, Aregbesola said the agency did a good job of keeping the virus away and must continue to keep the facilities safe and sound from inside and out.
Continuing, he urged that as the officers deliberate, strategize and set target for the next five years, it must  ensure that the biodata of all inmates are harmonised with sister agencies, the Nigeria Financial Unit (NFIU), all banks and the INTERPOL to track all escaped inmates.
He said “It is also very important to have their fingerprints, pictures and other details you have with you to be harmonised with them.”
The Controller General of the service, Haliru Nababa, said that the two-day retreat will not only afford the hierarchy of the agency the opportunity to restrategise and bond towards efficiency in service delivery,  it also serves to provide clear perception on set targets.
He said the current capacity of the 244 custodial facilities in the country stands at 58,278 as against the population of 75,000 inmates it now holds, leading to congestion of inmates, worsened by recent incessant attacks which were externally organised and executed.
“Drawing from the above, the NCoS has taken measures that will forestall future attack such as the formation and activation of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) initiate, more intelligence sharing with other security agencies,  the sensitization and encouragement of State Governments to implement non-custodial measures as well as the scaling up of the capacity of Armed Squad and Intelligence personnel on the use of high calibre weaponry and intelligence gathering.”
Whilst declaring the retreat open, the Governor of Sokoto State, Alh. Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by his deputy, Manir Dan’iya, stated that his government will continue to support the Nigeria Correctional Service in achieving it goal of reforming and rehabilitating its inmate.
“As a government, we will continue to support you in your role as one of the critical operators in the administration of criminal justice system. The role of reforming and rehabilitating inmates cannot be overemphasized in order for us to have a crime free society.
“I wish you a successful deliberations and on behalf of the Governor, I hereby declare this retreat open,” the governor stated.

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PTD, NUPENG, deny purported strike action

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The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has denied the news making the rounds that it will exit the umbrella body and embark on a nationwide protest to enforce the resignation of the NUPENG’s President, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale. 

The statement which was credited to one Gbenga Olawale who was said to be a PTD Ibadan depot ex-officio. He directed in the statement that PTD members across the country should move with leaves in front of their trucks to warn NUPENG and police against interference and incessant harassment of their leaders.

However in a swift response to the statement of the purported unrest, the National Chairman of the PTD Comrade Augustine Egbon dismissed any form of planned protest. 
According to the statement by Egbon he urge the public to disregard any protest statement, in his words “I wish to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals to cause unfounded and dangerous panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the Country through spreading of fake and false news items. 

‘The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us” He said.
He declared further that there is no division in their Union and the Branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers. As all members are fully committed and united in their collective struggles as believe that workers united, can never be defeated. 

”The general public are implored to ignore these mischief makers and Security Agencies are hereby called upon to fully investigate this panic creating news items as the citizens are already going through enough tough times and situations.’ He added.

Sources within the Ibadan Branch of the PTD have also revealed those behind the news of the protest are not original members of the Union, a member who would not like to be mentioned explained that Gbenga Olawale and Adekunle Rufai are not bonafide members of the PTD and that their names are not on the list of the Ibadan depot executives of the PTD and also not on the list of ex-officio of the PTD as they claimed.

The crisis was due to the issues emanating from the outcome of the leadership election into the umbrella union the NUPENG, where Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, emerged as President and General Secretary as Against Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga being supported by another group. The crisis is to solicit legitimacy for their various faction even amongst the PTD branch

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PTD, NUPENG, deny purported strike action

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The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has denied the news making the rounds that it will exit the umbrella body and embark on a nationwide protest to enforce the resignation of the NUPENG’s President, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale. 

The statement which was credited to one Gbenga Olawale who was said to be a PTD Ibadan depot ex-officio. He directed in the statement that PTD members across the country should move with leaves in front of their trucks to warn NUPENG and police against interference and incessant harassment of their leaders.

However in a swift response to the statement of the purported unrest, the National Chairman of the PTD Comrade Augustine Egbon dismissed any form of planned protest. 
According to the statement by Egbon he urge the public to disregard any protest statement, in his words “I wish to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals to cause unfounded and dangerous panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the Country through spreading of fake and false news items. 

‘The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us” He said.
He declared further that there is no division in their Union and the Branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers. As all members are fully committed and united in their collective struggles as believe that workers united, can never be defeated. 

”The general public are implored to ignore these mischief makers and Security Agencies are hereby called upon to fully investigate this panic creating news items as the citizens are already going through enough tough times and situations.’ He added.

Sources within the Ibadan Branch of the PTD have also revealed those behind the news of the protest are not original members of the Union, a member who would not like to be mentioned explained that Gbenga Olawale and Adekunle Rufai are not bonafide members of the PTD and that their names are not on the list of the Ibadan depot executives of the PTD and also not on the list of ex-officio of the PTD as they claimed.

The crisis was due to the issues emanating from the outcome of the leadership election into the umbrella union the NUPENG, where Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, emerged as President and General Secretary as Against Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga being supported by another group. The crisis is to solicit legitimacy for their various faction even amongst the PTD branch.

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Presidential Yacht: Senate Halts Procurement as OGD Intervene

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The Nigerian Navy has halted the plan to procure a multi-billion Naira presidential yacht which has sparked widespread controversy. 
The suspension of the presidential yacht, it was reliably gathered, followed the intervention by the Senate Committee Chairman on Navy, Senator Olugbenga Daniel. 
Although President Bola Tinubu was not privy to the decision to buy the yacht which was listed under the Nigerian Navy’s proposed capital expenditure in the N2.1 trillion supplementary budget submitted to the National Assembly, authoritative sources revealed yesterday that the procurement plan has been shelved.
According to media reports, a sum of N5.09 billion was allocated for the yacht while N2.9 billion was earmarked for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the Presidential Villa.
The reports added that a sum of N2.9 billion was proposed for the replacement of operational vehicles for the Presidency.
As the reports continued to generate angry reactions among Nigerians, this newspaper gathered on Thursday that the Senate promptly waded in to douse growing tension. 
An impeccable source, who is familiar with the development but not authorised to speak to the media on the matter, confirmed that Senator Daniel actually met with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to discuss the burning issue. 
The source stated that it was regrettable that the yacht, which is an operational boat with specialised security gadgets, was mired in controversy. 
According to him, the equipment was ordered by the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. 
The source, however, revealed that the yacht had been replaced with more critical equipment required to support operational efforts against oil theft, oil bunkering, and pipeline vandalism. 
He said, “The yacht is an operational boat but with specialised security gadgets suitable for high profile operational inspection, not necessarily for Mr President. 
“It was ordered by the previous administration and the equipment delivered though not yet paid for.
“It was part of the committed obligation submitted by the office of the Chief of Naval Staff to the Ministry of Defence, the total of the submitted requests was in excess of N200billion out which no more than N62billion was graciously approved by the President. 
“At a meeting between Senator Gbenga Daniel, as the Chairman Senate Committee on Navy and the Chief of Naval Staff this morning, the priority list was reevaluated and the yacht has been replaced with more critical equipment required to further support operational efforts against oil theft, oil bunkering, and pipeline vandalism etc.”

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