Economy

By Oluwatoyin Adegoke 

Nigeria is collaborating with the Republic of Benin to enhance the potential of cross-border trade in fostering economic growth, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation.

Representatives of both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnerships for economic integration at the annual Festival of Art for Economic Development, held at Idiroko border town with the theme “Cross-Border Trade: What It Is and Why It Matters”. 

Addressing the participants, the Customs Area Controller, Ogun 1 Area Command, Mr Mohammed Shuaibu said the transformative power of cross-border trade would promote sustainable economic activities through trade and cultural diplomacy while fostering peace and mutual understanding among the people. 

Mr Shuaibu said the Nigeria Customs Service would not relent in sustaining the efforts at enhancing trade facilitation and economic development in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.

In a keynote address, the Executive Producer of the Festival, Dr. Bonny Botoku described cross-border trade as the lifeblood of regional economies, aimed at generating employment, increasing revenue, and enhancing market access for businesses. 

The Arts Festival featured presentations by the Nigeria Customs Service on the history, benefits and challenges of cross-border trade as well as calls for policy harmonization, technological integration, and improved border security to address the persistent challenges of informal trade, revenue loss, and illegal migration.

Participants also showcased an array of artistic expressions, reflecting the vibrant cultural and economic ties between Nigeria and the Benin Republic, while reaffirming their commitment to strengthening economic integration, promoting legal trade practices, and leveraging art as a vehicle for sustainable development.

The event attracted traditional rulers, border community leaders local government authorities, students and representatives of various interest groups from both countries.

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Education

By Patience Olumati (Abuja)

The Federal Government has suspended the evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from Benin and Togo Republics.

This is pending the outcome of an investigation that would involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the two countries as well the Department of State Security Services and the National Youths Service Corps.

A statement from the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by Mrs. Augustina Obilor-Duru for Director Press and Public Relations on Tuesday, 2nd January, 2024
explains that the suspension is coming on the heels of a recent online publication of how an undercover reporter bagged a degree at a Cotonou university in 6 weeks and participated in the NYSC scheme.

It says the Federal Ministry of Education vehemently decries such acts and has also commenced internal administrative processes to determine the culpability or otherwise of her staff for which appropriate Public Service Rules would be applied.

According to the statement,the ministry will continue to review its strategy to block any loopholes, processes and procedures.

It states that the Ministry has been contending with the problem including illegal institutions located abroad or at home preying on unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians and some desperate Nigerians who deliberately patronize such outlets.

The statement assures Nigerians and the general public of putting in place mechanisms to sanitise the education sector.

Edited by Olaolu Fawole

Crime

A 50-year-old Beninese farmer, Poni Bada, left his country home for Nigeria, with his unsuspecting nine-year-old son, who he intended to use for money rituals.

Three other men: Ige Koselu, Benjamin Balovi and Segun Shile, accompanied the farmer to a herbalist’s home in Owode area of Ogun State, where the money ritual was to be carried out.

The trio contributed N100,000 needed to start the ritual process, with an agreement to have their share of the loot when the ritual is successful and money start to roll in.

But that was not to be, as a team of policemen from the Zone 2 Command, Onikan Lagos, who acted on intelligence, stormed the herbalist’s shrine and effected the arrest of all the suspects, while the would-be sacrificial lamb was rescued.

Vanguard learned that the nine-year-old boy, Agbe, was brought from Benin Republic in May, 2023, to work in a farmland where he was paid N5,000.

A month after, his father was said to have called his contact in Nigeria, Benjamin Balobi, complaining that the money paid to his son was too small compared to the farm work.

Father speaks

Explaining how he came up with the idea of using his son for money rituals, the father of the boy, Bada, said: “I have 10 children from three wives.

“The situation of things kept going from bad to worse. I could not feed my children. I then decided to use my last child, Agbe, for a money ritual, so that I could train the other children and have better living conditions.

“In May 2023, I left my home town in Jakotome, Benin Republic for Nigeria, to visit my brother, Benjamin Balobi, at Ilaro, Ogun State, who earlier told me he was doing well as a farmer and that the owner of a farmland was looking for labourers.

“That was how I brought Agbe to Nigeria to work.

“But the thought of using him for a money ritual came up when I realized that the money paid as salary to my son was very poor.

“I told Balobi to help me get a herbalist that would help me with the money rituals; he said he knew no one but promised to help me find a herbalist who might have information on it.

“He informed Ige Koshelu (one of the suspects) who found someone that promised to take us to the herbalist’s place in Sango. But we were taken to another herbalist’s place in Owode, where we were arrested.”

The deal

Also speaking, one of his accomplices, Segun Shile, a commercial motorcyclist, said four herbalists earlier contacted declined engaging in money rituals sacrifice.

He expressed regrets, saying, “If I had known, I would have withdrawn. We were warned by the herbalist I took them to at Owode, Ogun State, not to use the boy.

“When I called the herbalist on the phone, he said there was nothing like money rituals. Few days later, he invited me to bring the person that would be used for the rituals.

“Immediately he sighted the boy, he stated categorically that the child’s head was too strong to be used for rituals.

“He, however, demanded N100,000 to take to another herbalist who would perform the rituals.

“Three of us: Balobi, Koshelu and myself, who accompanied the father of the boy there, then went outside to discuss how to raise the money.

“Balobi brought N50,000, and Koshelu and I added N25,000 each. We told the boy’s father not to pay since he was donating his son for the ritual.

“The agreement was for him to give us out of what would come out of the process. When we handed the money to the herbalist, he picked up his phone and called someone. To our surprise, the next thing we saw were policemen.”

Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Command, AIG Muhammed Ali who confirmed the arrest of the suspects and rescue of the minor, said the latter would be taken to a juvenile home at the end of investigation.

Vanguard/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Sport

Tunisia and the Benin Republic have booked their places in the ongoing Under 20 African cup of Nations quarter-finals, AFCON in Egypt.


They join Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia, Uganda, Congo and South Sudan in the quarter-final stage.
The quarter-final stage will begin on Thursday with two matches.


Senegal will play the Benin Republic, while Nigeria tackles Uganda.
Oluwakayode Banjo

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News

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State wants the Federal Government to immediately secure the release of a Nigerian Pastor, Kunle Garb who, according to him, is currently languishing in detention in Benin Republic.

Governor Abiodun who made the call in a statement in Abeokuta explained that Pastor Garb, a resident of Igbokofi village, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, was abducted at the village market by Beninoise Police who crossed illegally into the Nigerian territory.

In the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kunle Somorin, Governor Abiodun described Pastor Garb as an activist who had consistently campaigned against incessant harassment of Nigerians by the Beninoise in the attempts to forcefully annex the Nigerian territory.

He also called for prompt action by the relevant Federal authorities to prevent further harassment of Nigerians and encroachment on the Nigerian territorial borders.

Governor Abiodun who also called on the National Boundary Commission to clearly demarcate Nigeria’s international borders with Benin Republic, urged Nigeria’s security agents to properly secure Nigerians in the border communities.

Bolanle Adesida

Politics

The Ogun State House of Assembly, OGHA, has called on the State Attorney General to explore all necessary legal mechanisms including international treaties and protocol of the ECOWAS Court to secure the immediate release of a Nigerian activist, Dr. Kunle Garb, who was reportedly arrested by security operatives from Benin Republic. 

Dr Garb, is a resident of Igbokofi, a Nigerian border town with the Republic of Benin in Yewa-North Local Government Area of the state. 

He was alleged to have been arrested over boundary-related disputes between the two countries and had been reportedly arraigned before a court in Benin Republic. 

Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Mr Olakunle Oluomo while reacting to the issue, called on the relevant authorities to rise to the responsibility of securing the release of Dr. Garb. 

The lawmaker representing Yewa North II State Constituency, Mr. Wahab Haruna had told the House during plenary that the Nigerian Activist, Dr. Garb was at the forefront of efforts to resist plans by the Beninnoise government to further encroach on the Nigerian territory before his arrest on accusations of building on a piece of land acclaimed by Benin Republic within Ogun State. 

He maintained that the authorities of Benin Republic had repeatedly encroached on Nigerian land and the moves were being resisted by villagers in the area, led by the activist. Oluwatoyin Adegoke 

Security

Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Oyo State Command has reunited a twenty-one-year-old lady, Khadija Borogu with her family from the Benin Republic after fourteen years of child labour in Nigeria.

NIS Comptroller in Oyo state, Mr Babangida Usman performed the handing over of the lady to the Benin Republic Consulate in Ibadan.

He said the lady was brought to Nigeria at the age of seven through an illegal route by her aunt, simply known as Madam Gona and was taken to Kishi, Lagos, and was later brought to Ibadan for child labour.

Mr Usman said, with the assistance of the woman and Benin Republic Consulate, Khadija was able to link up with her parents.

The human trafficking victim, Khadija said she was so happy to be reunited with her family and promised to come back to Nigeria to further her education.

Meanwhile, Immigration Wives Association, IMWAN, had also empowered twenty homeless children in different skills acquisition as their own way of contributing their quota to the development of society.

Rasheedah Makinde