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  • Niger State ARC-P: Bridging the Healthcare Gap for Vulnerable Children Abubakar Sadiq Mustapha

    Niger State ARC-P: Bridging the Healthcare Gap for Vulnerable Children Abubakar Sadiq Mustapha

    Fatima Yusuf was in her room which she shared with her husband and five children and was getting ready to go to Kpakungu Junction in Minna, Niger State, where she begs for alms, when her children rushed into the room, crying and shouting. They informed her that her son, Hussaini Yusuf, had fallen from a tree and injured his lip. Fatima quickly rushed out of the room, her mind racing with worry. Having lost two of her seven children in the past, she couldn’t bear the thought of losing another. When Fatima met her son outside, his clothes were soaked in blood, and a sharp millet stem had pierced through his lip. She removed the stem and rushed him home, but due to financial constraints, she couldn’t take him to the clinic. Instead, she applied charcoal and local herbs to the wound, which marked the beginning of her nightmares. The wound refused to heal, even after a year, and Fatima and her husband’s financial situation remained dire; their income from begging barely covered food and rent, and seeking medical attention seemed like an unaffordable luxury.

    My husband and I are beggars, and we were unable to afford medical care for our son when he fell and injured his lip. I was worried when the wound failed to heal even after a year” Fatima Yusuf’s voice filled with concern as she narrated.

    Help Arrives

    In November 2024, Fatima was excited when she learned that the Niger State At-Risk Children Program, led by Aisha Umar Tafida, was visiting her neighborhood of Barkin Sale, Minna, Niger. The program, an initiative under the Niger State Ministry of Budget and Planning, aimed to rescue vulnerable children from the streets and provide them with free medical care, education and skills. Seizing the opportunity, she rushed Hussaini to the Barkin Sale Primary School, Minna, where the enrollment was taking place. Since then, Hussaini has received access to free medical care,

    “I heard rumors that a team would be visiting our neighborhood to register vulnerable children, providing not only education but also free medical care and skills training. I was skeptical, having heard empty promises before from many organizations. That morning, we made our way to Barkin Sale Primary School, and to my surprise, Hussaini was registered, and his treatment began immediately” Fatima Yusuf’s face lit up with a smile as she recalled. 

    Hussaini Yusuf, accompanied by his mother Fatima Yusuf, and siblings, on their way to visit the Primary Health Care Center in Kpakungu.

    Primary Health Care Center Kpakungu, Minna Niger state.

    Hussaini Yusuf, 7 years old, a beneficiary of the ARC-P, His Mother, Fatima Yusuf, and his siblings waiting for a nurse to attend to him at  the Primary Health Care Center Kpakungu

    Hussaini Yusuf’s treatment record book

    “I heard rumors that a team would be visiting our neighborhood to register vulnerable children, providing not only education but also free medical care and skills training. I was skeptical, having heard empty promises before from many organizations. That morning, we made our way to Barkin Sale Primary School, and to my surprise, Hussaini was registered, and his treatment began immediately” Fatima Yusuf’s face lit up with a smile as she recalled. 

    Hussaini Yusuf, 7 years old, a beneficiary of the ARC-P, receiving care from Nurse Fatima Dokochi, a staff of Primary Health Care Center Kpakungu, Minna Niger state.

    Hussaini Yusuf, 7 years old, a beneficiary of the ARC-P, receiving care from Nurse Fatima Dokochi, a staff of Primary Health Care Center Kpakungu, Minna Niger state.

    Before ARC-P’s intervention, Hussaini Yusuf endured pain, which made eating challenging. Even the slightest irritation, such as a speck of pepper entering the wound, would intensify his agony.

    “I used to feel pain and struggle to eat, but since I started treatment, I’m feeling much better,” Hussaini shared with a smile.

    HelpMopping Up Streets, Bringing Children Into School
    and Learning Hubs

    A 2023 UNICEF report revealed that about 42% of female children and 39% of male children in Niger State are out of school. This is an indication that there are tens of thousands of children missing out on education and may be potential recruits for street gangs within the Minna metropolis involved in crime and violence. The Niger State At-Risk Children Program adopted an inclusive strategy, partnering with key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that are key to the implementation of the ARC program, this includes the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Ministry of Agriculture and its sister agencies, Ministry for Religious Affairs, Ministry of Sport, SUBEB, FOMWAN, CAN, community and traditional leaders, and the CSO were able to register more than a thousand at-risk children in 3 pilot Local Government areas: Paikoro, Bosso and Chanchaga. After an intensive trauma and psychosocial evaluation, these children are enrolled in school and various learning hubs created by ARC-P providing free access to education. In the coming months, learning activities will commence at the hubs with focus on basic literacy and numeracy, home gardening, climate change awareness, health and nutrition, sports and wellness as well as guidance and counseling. 

    When I resumed office in 2024, we trained 20 facilitators across our 11 hubs in our 3 pilot LGAs in areas like basic literacy and numeracy, digital skills, home gardening and climate change, Health and nutrition, sports, and guidance and counseling. To identify vulnerable children 

    we got data on vulnerable households from the State Operating and Coordination Unit (SOCU), we did pre-intervention visits to communities in Paikoro, Bosso, and Chanchaga LGAs, and also through our youth facilitators who are from the communities. Through advocacy visits and community awareness campaigns, we have engaged with stakeholders and the results are huge. One of it is that we were able to get 1081 vulnerable children covered freely under the Niger State Contributory Health Agency Program (Nicare). By the second quarter of 2025, it is our hope to expand the number of hubs as well as the facilitators as we enroll more beneficiaries InshaAllah” Aisha Umar Tafida, the Niger State  ARC-P coordinator and team lead explained.

    Aisha Umar Tafida, the Niger State  ARC-P coordinator

    Grace Okpabi, Deputy Director at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, poses with staff from Niger State’s ARC-P team and 20 trained ARC-P Facilitators during the launch of the youth facilitator training program in Minna, Niger state.

    Empowering
    At-Risk Children’s Parents
    Through Incentivization

    Aisha Umar Tafida, Coordinator of the Niger State At-Risk Children Program (ARC-P), identifies economic vulnerability and poverty as the root causes of children’s vulnerability. To address this, ARC-P has implemented an incentivization program to empower parents of at-risk children.

    We recognize that the vulnerability of parents is a contributor to the vulnerability of their children,” Aisha Umar Tafida explained. “Through incentivization, we aim to provide parents with a means of survival and economic stability. Our program focuses on sustainable initiatives such as animal husbandry and home gardening.

    This corner of the room serves as the sleeping space of Fatima Yusuf, her husband, and her children.

    Some Items in Fatima Yusuf’s room.

    In February Hussini is expected to start school at the Barkin Sale Primary School, just a short walk from his home. With education, he may break free from the cycle of poverty and begging that has defined his parent’s lives.

    Some Items in Fatima Yusuf’s room.

  • Justice Delayed, Representation Denied: Gov Adeleke’s Unkept Promises To Osun Women

    Justice Delayed, Representation Denied: Gov Adeleke’s Unkept Promises To Osun Women

    By Boluwatife Adedokun

    April 12, 2025, started as a regular day for 20-year-old Ogundele Abigail until she was sent on an errand and her simple task turned into a nightmare when a neighbour dragged her into his room and raped her.

    By the time the man who raped her walked freely, Abigail had already decided to abandon her pursuit of justice, not because justice was served, but because the very system meant to protect her failed at every turn. Confronted with delays, indifference, doubt, and subtle mockery from those entrusted with upholding the law, she became exhausted, frightened, and ultimately alone in her fight.

    “If there was a mobile court or system that delivered justice immediately, the case wouldn’t have been delayed, and he wouldn’t have had the guts to keep threatening me with charm, both physically and in my dream,” the Ede resident said quietly in a sober voice.

    Abigail’s experience reflects a broader pattern in Osun State, where survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) continue to face delayed justice amid unfulfilled promises made by Governor Ademola Adeleke to strengthen legal responses and include women in governance.

    Pictorial representation of a child raped

    When rethoric outpaces action

    Long before Abigail’s case, Governor Adeleke publicly promised to strengthen justice systems, protect women, and ensure their inclusion in governance, including a stated commitment to women’s empowerment initiatives and broader participation in public life.

    On March 27, 2024, he announced plans to establish mobile courts in Osun State , special tribunals expected to fast-track cases of sexual and gender-based violence, harmful practices and child abuse, and to expedite trial processes for detained women and children, directing his Commissioner for Justice to prepare an executive order to free “unjustly incarcerated” women as part of the effort.

    A woman who experienced domestic violence and her child

    Yet, nearly two years later, no single mobile courts have been operationalised in the state, leaving survivors still trapped in slow, overburdened court processes. Around the same period, Adeleke framed his administration as committed to women’s empowerment, saying his government had prioritised women’s inclusion and was “not joking” about uplifting women through programmes like grants and training.

    These commitments to include meaningful representation of women in governance, aligned with the 35 per cent affirmative action target under Nigeria’s National Gender Policy.

    However, when Adeleke submitted his list of commissioner nominees to the Osun State House of Assembly, only two women were included out of 25 nominees, drawing strong criticism from civil society groups who said this fell well short of the 35 per cent benchmark he was expected to uphold and suggested a disconnect between his rhetoric and actual appointments.

    Out of the 38 Special Advisers officially listed by the Osun State Government, only about eight are women, representing roughly 21 percent of the total. While the governor has also appointed Senior Special Assistants, including actress Laide Bakare as SSA on Entertainment, Arts, Culture and Tourism, there is no publicly available comprehensive list of all SSAs to determine the full gender breakdown in that category.

    Survivors Left Waiting

    While explaining her ordeal, Abigail said “When it happened, I went to deliver a message around his neighbourhood. The man forced me inside his room and said I should write the names of my parents and boyfriend, and subjected me to inappropriate physical contact before raping me,” she said.

    Abigail, noted that the rapist used charm on her and threatened her not to speak.

    “He said if I tell my parents, I will die,” she said.

    For fear of death, Abigail didn’t tell her parents until two days later, when she realised she was losing weight rapidly.

    After informing her parents, they reported the incident to the police. Officers arrested the suspect and found items linked to charms in his house.

    Abigail said police asked if she wanted to withdraw the case, but she refused. “I told them I can’t withdraw it. I want justice,” she said.

    As part of the investigation, a medical examination was conducted in Osogbo, but she never had access to the report or its details.

    Although a court, which Abigail cannot recall, ordered the suspect remanded for three months, he was, however, released within a week, which she alleged was due to bribery.

    Continued threats left her exhausted and afraid. “That’s why I’m not interested in the case again. I got tired,” she said.

    She later withdrew the case, requesting only a written undertaking for her safety.

    Reflecting on the failure of the system, she added, “If there were a mobile court, the case wouldn’t have been delayed. If they took it seriously, he wouldn’t be using charm to chase me after, because he doesn’t fear the law.”

    A Pattern Of Delayed and Denied Justice

    Abigail’s story is not isolated. Semilore Oguntoye*, 32, has lived the consequences of gender-based violence firsthand, enduring abuse that went largely unchecked. Now, the trauma has repeated itself through her 12-year-old daughter, who was recently raped, again with no justice in sight.

    Her former husband, she said, took carnal knowledge of the child after secretly taking her away. The suspect was arrested and is currently in remand, but court strikes have stalled proceedings.

    “The court is on strike, and we were asked to return on February 24, 2026” she said, stressing that the absence of mobile courts has prolonged their ordeal.

    Another survivor from Iwo, who asked not to be named, said she struggled to pursue justice after being raped at 16.

    “The long delays and lack of updates made me feel tired and discouraged. At some point, it felt like pursuing justice was causing more harm to my mental and emotional well-being,” she said.

    She was unaware of any mobile courts or fast-track mechanisms for GBV survivors, and their absence compounded her isolation.

    Similarly, Olatokun Praise* who was 15 when she was raped in January 2021 at her parents’ house, said faster justice mechanisms could have prevented her parents’ dismissal of her case.

    “If mobile GBV courts had existed, I would not have been held back. Authorities should focus on proper implementation of existing laws so others don’t face what I faced,” she said.

    A National Crisis, Local Consequences

    Nigeria recorded 27,698 sexual and gender‑based violence cases between 2020 and 2023, with thousands of open and unresolved matters logged on the now defunct national GBV dashboard.

    Between January and September 2025, the Federal Government reported 10,326 gender‑based violence cases nationwide, with more than 2,400 survivors receiving care.

    According to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, 15.5% of women in Osun has experienced physical violence and 5.5% has experienced sexual violence.

    For many of the survivors, justice remains elusive.

    Gender Inclusion On Paper Only

    While GBV survivors struggle to access justice, women’s absence from decision-making spaces continues to weaken accountability.

    Official records show that out of 25 commissioners appointed in Osun State’s current cabinet, only two are women, falling far below the administration’s stated commitment to gender inclusion. This shows the gap in the gender-inclusion pledge made by the administration.

    Nationally, women’s political representation remains low. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, female representation in Nigeria’s national assemblies has rarely exceeded 7.2 per cent, despite women constituting nearly half the electorate.

    These representation gaps have led to the low implementation of gender-sensitive initiatives in the state, like the failure to set up the mobile courts.

    “Women constitute the majority of SGBV survivors, yet their lack of representation in the State House of Assembly means these issues are not prioritized,” said Citizen Lola Wey, a gender advocate.

    Women In Politics: Seen During Campaigns, Missing In Power

    Hon. Funmilayo Olasehinde, a long-serving political figure in Osun State, says women remain sidelined in appointive and elective positions, despite years of participation.

    Hon Olasehinde, who has contested elections across multiple parties since 1997, including for the Osun State House of Assembly and local government head, said cultural bias still fuels the low representation of women in power.

    “Many people believe that because I am a woman, I am not meant to lead men. I am told that leadership belongs to men alone, that I should remain under my husband,” she said.

    Reflecting on Governor Adeleke’s administration, Olasehinde noted the persistent sidelining of women despite high-profile pledges of gender inclusion.

    “Women are more seen during the campaign exercise than they are seen in government. One major reason is that our society believes leadership is meant for men only, and unfortunately, many women lose these government positions to men, either because they succumb to pressure or they lack certain educational qualifications,” she said.

    Mercy Ayodele, a 2018 governorship candidate under the Restoration Party, criticised the stark underrepresentation of women across governance structures. She also berated the Governor for failing to fulfil its promise of appointing women to 35 per cent of key positions.

    “Women are being used during campaigns and then dumped when it comes to appointments,” she said.

    Changing The Narrative For Inclusion and Justice

    To improve the participation of women in governance, Hon Olasehinde stressed the need for structured support from the government to encourage and empower women in politics.

    She urged the governor to fulfil his promises and not just leave them as mere campaign manifestoes.

    Also, Ayodele urged inclusive governance and greater institutional support, stressing that women have the capacity and ability to lead effectively.

    “Women are multipurpose. They have the mental ability and power to serve,” she said.

    On access to justice, Wey recommended that the government must strengthen its response to gender abuse.

    “Each local government should have a dedicated agency with professional lawyers and judges to handle cases. Gender-based violence must be understood in its full scope, both sexual and non-sexual, to ensure all survivors are accounted for,” she said.

    She also attributed delays and failures to weak institutional support and limited political will.

    “Many government functionaries do not understand the gravity of the offence or its impact on survivors, their families, and society. Cases are often treated with levity because everything affecting women is secondary,” Wey explained.

    Government’s Response

    In line with journalistic due diligence, several efforts were made to obtain comments and explanations from government officials, especially the Commissioner for Information.

    FOI requests were also submitted to the Ministry of Justice and the Secretary to the State Government, and messages were sent to Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Hon Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information, and Hon. Ayobola Elizabeth Fadeyi Awolowo, Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs. However, no response has been received as of the time of publication.

    Editor’s note: all the names in asterisks are pseudonyms. The real names of survivors have been changed to protect their identities.

  • Eroded Future: The Untold Story of Kano’s Fishery Center Crippled By Sand Miners

    Eroded Future: The Untold Story of Kano’s Fishery Center Crippled By Sand Miners

    Lukman Abdulmalik

    From a beacon of hope for young Nigerians who had dreams of a future in aquaculture, the School of Fisheries now lies in ruins with its classrooms buried under heaps of sand and the foundations exposed to the sun.

    What was supposed to nurture knowledge has been transformed into a wasteland carved out by illegal sand miners.

    Dredging machines, replacing students along the riverbanks, have left behind gaping craters and shattered dreams where once a place of learning and sustainable livelihoods thrived.

    On the dusty plains of Tassa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State stands the shell of what was once a beacon of hope: the Entrepreneurship Fishery Center, established in 2019, was a school meant to train young people in modern aquaculture and open up new vistas for rural livelihoods.

    Student at the Entrepreneurship Fishery Center in Tassa, Dawakin Kudu LGA, before it was turned into a dusty plain PC: Stallion Times

    Today, the structures are cracked, the ponds caved in, and the access road turned into a jagged trail carved by the relentless movement of trucks hauling sand from illegal mining sites.

    For Ibrahim Bala, the founder of the center, the devastation is not just physical, it is deeply personal.

    Sitting on a wooden bench beside what used to be his demonstration fish pond, he recounts the years of sweat invested in the project, his voice tinged with resignation.

    “I think today fishery is actually a multi-billion-naira venture,” he says.

    “That has always been my aim.

    “But the dreaded activity that spoiled the road and destroyed our investments brought that entire era to an end.

    “If we are able to get an intervention to stop the illegal mining, things can return. But for now, nothing can survive here.”

    The Entrepreneurship Fishery Center had been envisioned as a rural innovation hub, a place where youths and farmers could learn hatchery management, pond construction, feed formulation, and value addition.

    Its ponds were stocked, its hatchery was built, and its training plans were approved.

    But all of that was short-lived and destroyed in 2022.

    The miners who came at night

    Residents say that destruction started gradually. First, a few trucks rolled in at sundown to scoop sand from the riverbanks.

    Miners at work close to the Entrepreneurship Fishery Center PC: Stallion Times

    Then more came. With each passing day, grooves on the road grew deeper.

    Each week, houses shook with more force, as tippers roared through the village. In a few months, both the road approaching and the land abutting the school started to collapse.

    Bala desperately tried to fight back. “I personally sponsored some journalists to investigate. I hired lawyers.

    “But nothing was done, the cost of standing up to the miners, he explains, was too high.

    “I’m just a private entrepreneur trying to survive.”

    A school buried before it could grow

    For a rural training institution, Bala invested massively: the land was purchased for N4 million, and another N6 million was used to carve out the primary hatchery pit, a heavy engineering job involving excavators, drainage channels, and reinforced walls.

    One of the many ponds at the Entrepreneurship Fishery Center before it collapsed PC: Stallion Times

    The pond collapsed after repeated vibrations from the excavators weakened the soil.

    “That site alone had about N20 million sunk into it,” he explains quietly.

    “If you calculate everything, the total cost today would be running into hundreds of millions.

    “But how do you quantify the value of the fingerlings we lost? The broodstock? The equipment? The years we put in?”

    He pauses, staring at the rubble from the collapsed fish pit, a 20-meter stretch of earth now swallowed by a gaping hole.

    “This was supposed to train young people. It could have changed lives,” he adds.

    Usman Haruna, a resident of Tassa who voluntarily served as a security guard, narrated that he watched the center “die slowly.” From his post at the gate, he saw the first sand trucks arrive at night, then multiply until the ground trembled with every trip.

    “The day the main wall cracked, I heard it like a gunshot,” he recalls.

    “I tried to raise the alarm, but what could one man do?” Usman still visits the site, though the gate he once guarded now hangs crooked. “I protected this place from thieves,” he says, “but I couldn’t protect it from the people destroying the land.”

    Malla Ibrahim Bala, the founder of the center, with students at one of the fishery ponds PC: Stallion Times

    Villagers left to count their losses

    For the people of Tassa, the collapse of the fishery school is only one among many wounds.

    Aisha Abdullahi, a mother of four whose children had been hoping to study at the center, speaks of the frustration the community feels.

    “This school was our pride,” she says.

    “My son wanted to learn fish farming so he wouldn’t have to run to Kano city looking for work.

    “When the illegal miners destroyed the road, they destroyed our children’s future.

    “Now nobody wants to come here to teach or invest.”

    Another parent, Malam Shuaibu Nuhu, said authorities’ silence made him angry.

    “Every day these trucks pass, the ground shakes. Our houses have cracks.

    “The water sources are drying up because the miners have diverted the river. Nobody cares.

    “The school that was supposed to help our youth is gone.”

    Even students who once trained briefly at the center before it shut down have been left with nowhere to continue.

    “We were learning fish breeding and how to run small ponds,” says 19-year-old Rabi’u Ibrahim.

    “Now the place is empty. We just stay at home.”

    For 15-year-old former student Salisu Ibrahim, the school was the first real dream he ever had.

    He had hoped to learn hatchery management and start his own small fish farm.

    “When I held a fingerling for the first time, I thought I was holding my future,” he says.

    “But as the mining activities grew louder and the classrooms shook, learning became impossible.

    “The day he arrived to find the school was wrecked, he knew the dream was gone. “I still keep my notes,” he says.

    We lost more than a school, we lost a purpose – Instructor

    Before the school collapsed, the hatchery manager, Musa Abdullahi, lived for the sound of splashing water inside the training ponds.

    EThe remains of the Entrepreneurship Fishery Center, Tassa PC: Stallion Times

    Every morning, he would arrive before sunrise, check the oxygen levels in the tanks, feed the broodstock, and prepare his materials for the day’s lessons.

    Today, he stands in silence before the same place which is now a broken crater.

    “I still go there sometimes,” he admits quietly.

    “Maybe because part of me refuses to believe it’s gone.”

    Musa was one of the first instructors hired to teach hatchery operations. He had left a job in Kano city because he believed so strongly in the rural development mission of the school.

    “When the center opened, we saw excitement in the students’ eyes,” he recalls.

    “Many had never seen a proper hatchery before.

    “Some had only heard about aquaculture on radio programmes. To teach them was a privilege.”

    But the day the main pond collapsed, Musa says he felt something collapse inside him too.

    He shakes his head.

    Musa now does odd consulting jobs in neighbouring communities, but he admits nothing matches the sense of purpose the school gave him.

    “I didn’t just lose a job,” he says softly. “I lost a place where I felt I was making a difference.

    “The future we were building together was destroyed before it even started.”

    Experts warn of looming enviromental disaster

    Environmental scientists say that the situation in Tassa is not unique: Illegal sand mining has turned into a national threat, destabilizing soil structures, damaging farmlands, contaminating waterways, and rendering infrastructure unusable.

    Dr. Nafisa Shehu, a geographer at Bayero University, explained that sand extraction that lacks regulation weakens the natural cohesion in the soil.

    “When heavy mining occurs near roads or buildings, truck vibrations spur erosion.

    “As land starts to cave in, the channels for water shift. What happened in Tassa is a predictable result of unregulated sand removal,” she says.

    She added that besides causing damage to the school, the activity is a long-term danger to the entire community.

    “They could experience flooding. Their groundwater could be polluted.

    “Houses could collapse. And if the miners continue, the village may become uninhabitable in the coming years.”

    The loss of the center is also seen by fisheries experts as a setback for rural economic empowerment.

    Dr. Yahaya Adamu, an aquaculture specialist in Kano, says the center could have helped hundreds of young people start sustainable fish businesses.

    “A functional fishery school provides technical skills, reduces youth unemployment, and boosts protein supply in the state,” he says.

    “Losing such an institution to illegal sand mining is a tragedy for both the community and the state’s agricultural development.”

    A struggle between power and survival

    Despite years of petitions, community protests, and media reports on the issue, residents claim the sand miners remain active and protected by what they describe as “big names in government.”

    One of the village elders who has been actively pursuing to end this ming, Tsoho Abdulwahab, says,  “We have tried all we can. Those controlling the sand business are powerful.

    Mallam Abdulwahab Tsoho, a village elder in the community PC: Stallion Times

    “When we complain, police come but nothing changes. They even threaten us.”

    Tsoho recalled that violent clashes erupted between villagers and miners in June 2022 and again in November 2023, following what residents described as unauthorized excavation of their farmlands.

    “The situation became so tense that we blocked the road leading to the riverbank,” he said. “After some hours, security operatives intervened, dispersed us, and allowed the miners to continue.”

    Tsoho, who also heads the Tassa Farmers’ Association, alleged that influential figures including some traditional rulers within and outside the area were backing the mining activities and had links to the state government.

    Entrepreneurship Fishery Center, Tassa washed away PC: Stallion Times

    According to him, residents have been dealing with harassment and destruction of farmland for more than 15 years.

    He listed those allegedly involved as: the Ward Head of Tamburawa, Auwalu; the Village Head of Tassa, Sani Umar; the Ward Head of Yanbarau, Abdullahi Dikko; and the Village Head of Fagi, Hassan Chiroma.

    Others he mentioned included: Ado Garba, Musa Umar, Adamu Abdulmumuni, Nura Yunusa, Abubakar Umar Dantube, and Kabiru Danmaje.

    He alleged that these individuals are among those suspected of benefiting from illegal mining activities with the backing of political interests.

    To verify the claims, this reporter contacted several of the individuals named. However, they either declined comment, ended the calls, or questioned the reporter’s interest in the matter.

    The fear is confirmed by Bala, its founder. “Their lives are at risk,” he says of the villagers.

    “The activity sweeping their land can sweep their life.

    “That is why whatever is done should focus on their own testimonies.

    “I have my documents and evidence, but the priority should be the people.”

    The Kano State Commissioner of Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Hamza Safiyanu, expressed concern over illegal sand and mineral mining in the state, particularly the involvement in loss of properties.

    “We are aware of the situation and taking steps to address it.

    “We are working with stakeholders to identify and regulate these activities.”

    A community waiting for justice

    Today, it is almost impossible to pass through the road leading to the Entrepreneurship Fishery Center.

    The craters from where sand was illegally taken away are like open wounds on the landscape.

    The dream of an aquaculture training hub had been buried under the weight of unchecked greed.

    What remains is a community pleading for help, for the government to enforce environmental regulations, for security agencies to stop the intimidation, and for development partners to step in where private investment has been destroyed.

    “We just want our land back,” Aisha says softly.

    “We want our children to have opportunities. If the fishery school can be revived, it will save this village.”

    The future of Tassa hangs in the balance for now, eroded like the land that once held so much promise.

    On 26 December 2025, this reporter visited the Ministries of Agriculture and Education to seek clarification on the demolition of the fishery project in Tassa.

    After waiting for about an hour at the reception, no official attended to him.

    He was later directed to the Public Relations Units of both ministries, but no staff members were available.

    A staff member eventually provided the phone contacts of the Commissioners for Agriculture and Education.

    On 28 and 29 December, calls were placed to both ministries, but although the phones rang, there was no response or call-back.

    Follow-up text messages were also sent, yet no reply was received.

    This report was published with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroots News Project (GNP)

  • How Ondo State Government Deliberately Exposes Rural Dwellers To Attack Through Casualisattion And Underfunding of Amotekun Corps.

    How Ondo State Government Deliberately Exposes Rural Dwellers To Attack Through Casualisattion And Underfunding of Amotekun Corps.

    By Alaba Adeyemi |

    The joy and the sense of relief that filled the hearts of Ondo State residents when the Amotekun Corps was established have now melted into a sense of despair as the morale of the men becomes weakened by government negligence, suppression of dissenting voices, and an uncertain future.

    On the 11th day of August 2020, the Ondo State Government established the Ondo State Security Network, Codenamed Amotekun, as a solution to the incessant killing of farmers and rural dwellers across the state. The establishment was hailed as a master stroke that would permanently solve the problem.

    Able-bodied men were hurriedly recruited and trained in makeshift training centres for six weeks and deployed to the field. They were not given any form of ranks, letter of appointment, or a clearly spelled-out letter of appointment.

    Filled with passionate zeal to serve and protect their ancestral land, many of these men, who were initially placed on a 30,000 Naira monthly stipend, swung into action, arresting bandits, destroying terrorist camps, and criminal enclaves. Their hope that in due time everything will be taken care of and they will be treated like real public servants is now in tatters.

    Disjointed establishment

    On the 9th day of January 2020, governors across the southwest region came together to launch the outfit in Ibadan without a proper law in place in any of the states.

    With the presidency represented by the then Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, breathing down their necks, the establishment was put in place without a proper legal, administrative, and logistics structure.

    Issues such as the kind of weapon such an outfit can bear became a subject of debate that has lasted till today.

    Despite all uncertainty the Ondo State Government assured the men that every issue related to their employment would be settled in due time.

    Expectations turn into nightmare

    When the men were recruited, unlike their colleagues in other states, none of them was given an employment letter; all they got was a document called a “warrant,” and that is all each one of them still has now as proof of their employment and contract with the Ondo State Government.

    Every attempt made to demand this legitimate right has been met with a lack of attention.

    Investigation by DNN Media revealed that the Ondo State Amotekun corps, unlike other southwest states, operates without a clearly defined salary structure; therefore, there is also no basic formula and plan for a severance package.

    In August 2025, three of the officers, Abu Taiwo, Akinsipe Victor, and Ekujimi Victor, commenced a form of protest, releasing several videos on social media and demanding that men of the corps should be given employment letters and other benefits enjoyed by public servants.

    They subsequently engaged the service of human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, who wrote to the Ondo State House of Assembly stating the demands of the men of the Ondo Amotekun.

    The Ondo State House of Assembly received the petition but did not do anything significant with the petition.However on October 27th, 2025 the commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye declared the three men wanted for allegedly “blackmailing” the organisation.

    “All that you have seen on the social media on the 15 points they raised are all false allegations, and as we stand today, the three of them have been reprimanded.

    They have been declared wanted and due diligence in handling such in a security environment where oaths of allegiance and secrecy to the state cannot be thrown away.”

    Adetunji claimed that the men are acting in isolation and are sponsored by persons he didn’t name but provided no proof to counter the allegations raised by the men.

    “We refuse to be dragged into the controversies surrounding each one of them because the fact remains that they are acting in isolation.

    “The three of them have been suspended from the corps, and we are looking for them to come and answer as a way of giving them free access to criminal justice. If they are innocent, everybody the corps as an entity will not be dragged into social media controversy with such people that are acting in isolation.

    “Especially now that we are sure and we have proof to show that they are being sponsored,” he said

    The three men subsequently went into hiding.

    From his hiding place, one of the men Victor Ekujimi continued to drop several allegations in series of video where he accused Adeleye of nepotism, corruption gun running and inflation of the number of officers of the corps.

    “I saw a news headline where Adeleye claimed the 2,000 men have been deployed to keep Ondo State safe during the Salah celebration. It’s a lie; the entire men and women of the corps are not up to 2000. It’s all a lie. Ekujimi said

    In what seems like an attempt to silence Ekujimi, two documents were circulated among officials of the corps. One of them is an apology letter supposedly written by him in 2021 for offences for which the details were left opaque.

    I wish to sincerely apologise for all my gross misconduct and embarrassment to the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, the Commander, all the Officers and members of the Corps due to my unprofessional behaviors, uninformed decisions, assaults of officers, unprovoked attacks on public structures, unlawful destruction of private properties, unlawful protests, absenteeism, acts of gross insubordinations to the constituted authorities, among others.

    “I hereby undertake to be of good character henceforth and to be a good ambassador of the Corps everywhere I find myself, either on official duty or otherwise. On behalf of the principal members of my family and wife (who have collectively accepted to subscribe to this letter and guarantee my undertaking), I hereby acknowledge that any act of gross misconduct, indiscipline, or violation of the Corps’ rules and regulations shall attract every necessary administrative consequence and application of the applicable legal action including criminal litigations for all the offences that are pending against me. I am committed to repairing any damage I caused and reimbursing any costs incurred by the Ondo State Amotekun Corps.

    Again, I take full responsibility for all my faults, deeply regret my misconduct, and apologize for any harm caused to the Ondo State Amotekun Corps. I promise to be a better person and a cultured officer of the Corps. Please accept my sincere apology, as I want to assure you that this type of issue will never present itself again. “The letter stated.

    The second documents also alleged Ekujumi to have committed various offences from minor offences to murder.

    “Criminal acts and insurbordination of Julius Ekunjuni“

    1. On 15th October 2021, he fought with his Coordinator Ifeniyi Olatokunbo and tore his uniform.
    2. On Wednesday 11th August 2021, he fought with officer Aguda Banji, hit his ribs with stone which led him having fracture and stayed weeks in the hospital.
    3. He left the State Headquarters to Okitipupa without permission and went to stab somebody to death claiming that the person stole his phone. The incident happened on 25th October 2021 and the Criminal Charge of Murder is still pending with the Police.”

    The copy of the second documents obtained by this report was not signed by anyone. The “apology letter” was however signed by Ekujimi,one Reverend Ekujimi who claims to be the head of the family and another person whose name was not mentioned on the letter on 6th of December 2023.

    Efforts were made to reach Ekujimi and his colleagues but it was not successful. However their legal representative,when asked to comment on the letter said ” they have been fabricating a lot of things but everything will be settled buly the court”.

    Ondo Governemnt unperturbed

    On 5th of December 2025 while commissioning the Amotekun control centre in Akure, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa expressed satisfaction with the leadership of Adetunji Adeleye. He also said that he won’t remove him as some persons were demanding.

    The governor also used the opportunity to announce that additional 500 men will be recruited.

    Temokun queried the intention of the Ondo State Government wondering why more men will be recruited when the old ones have not received employment letters.

    “For the sake of those of those who may genuinely seek to know, Amotekun is not a voluntary para military club. It is not Boys’ Brigade. It is not Boy Scouts. It is a statutory security agency, created by law, funded with public money, empowered to arrest, detain, and collaborate with formal law enforcement. Amotekun is a creature of law, established by a law passed by the Ondo State House of Assembly. It is a formal, quasi-policing institution with defined powers, duties, disciplinary procedures, and statutory obligations. Its personnel are not volunteers or scouts; they are state-engaged operatives. As such, they are entitled to proper letters of engagement, service records, and the full rights of public employees. Statutory security agencies are not run on verbal engagement,” he said.

    “Some of the issues raised by these ‘wanted” officers, beyond appointment letters, are issues of State concern, that touch on allegations of ghost workers, payroll irregularities, and incomplete personnel records, issues that have never been subjected to transparent audit or official explanation. Announcing new recruitment in the midst of these unresolved questions risks worsening administrative decay rather than resolving it,” he added.

    Adeleye seems to be more interested in convincing the men of the corps that they do not need an employment letter. In a leaked audio of his conversation with men of the corps, he gave various reasons they can’t have an employment letter.

    (You are shouting) Letter of appointment, letter of appointment, you don’t fall into the civil service structure. If you fall into the civil service structure and you don’t have a primary six or a school cert, {Secondary School Certificate}, you can be in the civil service. It is where your education stops that’s where your salary will stop. Number three, some of us who have previously retired, such as Ikunowa they can not come back into the structure as a full-blown civil servant. But the government employed you as ……branch of government. The government has employed you as a …. Amotekun is the only security agency of the Ondo State Government. Do not let them deceive you. Your warrant card, we have written on it, the power embedded in sections 5,6, and 7 of the Ondo State law entitles you to all that civil servants have and what paramilitary forces have. What else do you? Because they want to deceive you, we have now embossed the logo of the Ondo State Government on it. The card is now two times powerful as the previous one.”

    However, the investigation revealed that the commander of the corps was issued a letter of appointment signed by the secretary to the Ondo State Government.

    Morale low

    An officer of the corps who spoke to this journalist lamented that many of the men in the corps are now frustrated and dejected as they do not know what the future holds for them and their children.

    “We don’t know what is happening again; many of us are frustrated.”

    Many of the men of the corps, which was established to fight banditry and kidnapping, now prefer to be deployed to towns where they arrest and extort commercial motorcycle riders or to provide security at events.

    It’s now easier to find an Amotekun officer sitting in a roadside shed in Akure than to find them in communities they were originally intended to protect

    The corps appears to also suffer from paucity of funds as they did not receive a kobo out of the 2.9 billion Naira budgeted for its capital expenditure for the year in the first nine months of 2025.

    In 2024, only 258 million Naira was used for capital expenditure out of the 900 million budgets for that purpose, while the Ondo State Government splashed 1.9 billion Naira on the purchase of a bulletproof car for the governor and a luxury jeep for the secretary to the state government

    The people suffer

    In the last 15 months, the rate of kidnapping and killing of farmers has increased astronomically in Ondo State.

    In April 2025, farmers from Ajagbusi, a community not more than 25 minutes’ drive from the governor’s office, brought three fresh corpses of their colleagues who were brutally murdered on their farms by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    This is not an isolated protest as another set of farmers from Aba Oyinbo had also protested, carrying five corpses of their colleagues killed by bandits overnight.

    “Amotekun is no longer as active as before; it’s as if the men have abandoned the farmers to their plight,“ a resident said.

    “I have abandoned my farm, in which I invested over two million Naira. It’s a painful decision that must be taken,” he added.

    The general disposition of the Ondo State Government towards the safety of rural dwellers in the state was succinctly captured by the Special Adviser to the Ondo State Government on Security Matters, Olugbega Ale, on a radio program monitored by this journalist.

    He affirmed that security is a collective business and asked what the farmers are doing to protect themselves.

    “Security is everybody’s business. Our people want the government to come and build a police station in their homes. What are the farmers doing to protect themselves before calling on the government?”

    “Anyone who wants to do farming should be asked what plan they have for security.

    “In advanced countries, where there are sophisticated technologies like the internet, farmers usually have drones, firearms, and dogs, but our people want the government to do everything for them.”

    He also told the farmers that they shouldn’t expect Amotekun to abandon securing Alagbaka (where the seat of government is located) and come to secure the rural areas.

    Several unanswerd questions

    Why has the Ondo State Government not issued the men of the Amotekun Corps a proper letter of appointment?

    Why is the commander of the corps, who has a letter of appointment, denying his men appointment letters?

    If Ekujimi actually committed murder and other serious crimes as alleged in those documents, why did the corps sweep such cases under the carpet?

    How many crimes have been committed by the men of the corps against innocent citizens that have been covered up?

    ***************

    This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroots News Porject (GNP)

  • How Graceland Polytechnic Offa Admitted Students For Unaccredited Courses, Left Them To Their Fate After Graduation

    How Graceland Polytechnic Offa Admitted Students For Unaccredited Courses, Left Them To Their Fate After Graduation

    By TheInformant247

    After graduating with a Distinction (CGPA 3.70) from Mass Communication at Graceland Polytechnic Offa in 2022, Ibrahim (not his real name) believed, just like thousands of students every year, that the road to a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a Direct Entry (DE) admission into the university would be a normal step ahead.

    He pictured himself moving to a university classroom, swapping ND courses outlines for 300-level lecture notes, introducing himself as a university student. That was the dream he held on to while struggling through project deadlines, cramped hostel rooms, and a part-time job that barely fed him.

    “I finished with Distinction, a 3.70,” he began, his voice tightening as though the weight of the experience was still pressed on his chest. “I hoped that crossing to the university would be easy considering my result, but that was nothing more than a dream that’d never come to fruition.”

    Statement of Result


    The first sign came when he tried to begin his Direct Entry process, only to be told at the JAMB office in Ilorin that he had never been offered admission in the first place. Not by JAMB. Not on CAPS. Not anywhere in the official system.

    Following the instruction from his school management, Ibrahim had visited the JAMB office to regularize his admission and begin the process of securing admission into the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

    “When one of the officials checked my admission status on JAMB CAPS, she told me that I was never offered admission and encouraged me to go back to my school for clarification… that the school must first upload my result on CAPS to validate my admission,” he recalled.

    The shock left him unsettled. Still trying to make sense of the discovery, he reached out to his department. “I quickly contacted my HOD, Mr Areh Samuel, and one of my lecturers who works in the ICT unit, Mr. Abayomi, to inform them about the development, but none of them was able to offer a solution,” he said. “I got really terrified and frustrated that I gave up on trying to pursue admission any further.”

    From that moment on, Ibrahim’s story became one of frustration, confusion, and helplessness; one shared by countless other students trying to transition into higher institutions.

    More students lament inability to pursue higher education, recount experience

    Ibrahim’s case is not isolated. Multiple students across departments told The Informant247 that similar inconsistencies have crippled their plans to progress academically.

    Another student from the Mass Communication department, Stephen (Not his real name), expressed deep frustration over the school management’s handling of the issue. “I am afraid to further my studies because the issue in the school still remains unresolved. I am even tired of them. Are they trying to ruin our future with their own selfishness? They are the one delaying me, I would have moved further”.

    Also, expressing his plight, Kenny from the same department revealed that he decided to focus more on his business since the accreditation issue remains unresolved. “The illegitimacy of our results is the reason I never proceeded yet. I have decided to focus on my business. I no longer bother myself with it again, but I know my head will judge them given all the time, resources wasted.”

    Not only Mass Communication

    Students in the Science and Laboratory Technology department who experienced a similar situation explained that they had already advanced in his academic programme before the department eventually secured accreditation.

    Certificate


    I have already further in my programme before they did the accreditation of our department, so I don’t need the school certificate or result,” said Kay, who doesn’t give his full name.

    Another student from the same department, Delight, reinforced the concerns, saying “Graceland ruined so many lives. Wasted our time, resources, funds, and efforts. It’s advisable to just start afresh”.

    Graceland polytechnic, built on deceit!

    Established in 2013, Graceland Polytechnic Offa was initially conceived by its late founder, Princess (Dr.) Ayodele Olufemi Oyeleke, with the intent to further widen the landscape of tertiary education in Nigeria and offer hope to admission seekers.

    The institution began full operation in 2019 after gaining approval from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). The approval followed the Board’s assessment of the institution’s facilities, granting it access to run as a licensed Polytechnic and offer Polytechnic programmes.

    However, what appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel later turned out to be an everlasting nightmare for the students. A school that promised to help its students secure a brighter future and build a solid academic foundation ended up being a symbol of lies and deceit.

    Between late 2020 and early 2021, prospective students seeking admission into Graceland Polytechnic Offa (GPO) were assured that the courses were “fully accredited.”

    The admission for students studying Mass Communication, Science and Laboratory Technology (SLT), Accountancy, Library and Information Science, Computer Science, were eventually found to be unaccredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

    In early 2022, during the ND2 academic session, the truth began to unravel. Shortly after students returned from their compulsory SIWES programme, concerns emerged about the status of the department. Multiple students discovered that the course had never been accredited, contradicting repeated assurances issued by various members of the school’s management.

    Attempts by concerned students to seek clarification were met with vague explanations and further promises that accreditation would be secured “in no distant time.” But months passed with no action, prompting growing frustration among the affected students.

    As of 2021-2022, students were paying N60,000 to N70,000 per session. “Purchase of handouts is highly mandatory, and it forms part of the students’ continuous assessment (CA),” said a student who doesn’t want to be named.

    Admission Letter

    “Apply for a fresh JAMB”, school officials tell graduate students in leaked conversation

    In an audio conversation exclusively obtained by The Informant247, the former HOD of Mass Communication department, Mr. Mumeen Ameed could be heard talking to a student about the state of the school, advising her to “use the certificate from polytechnic to gather money and apply for another institution with accredited courses”.

    Leaked Conversation Between HOD and Student

    “The status of the school is really hurting my feelings. The HOD of SLT has run away because he did not know what he would face. I’m not like him. I can not run away. The accreditation of that department failed. My advice for you now is to use that certificate to get a job, gather some money, and apply for another JAMB to process admission into the university so you can start afresh from 100 level.

    “I know that the knowledge you have gained from us will assist you more in performing excellently as you start. If you decide to continue here (Graceland Polytechnic), they’ll just be deceiving you. If you call them now, they’ll deceive you to go for DPT or whatever. NO way!

    “If that school still exists, those that will enjoy it are the ones who came after the course was accredited. They tried hiding the truth from me, but I later found out. Explain the situation to your parents and your colleagues who will understand you. All I know is that you will make money with the knowledge and certificates we have given to you.

    “I told my brother in Lagos whose daughter is also a victim that the school was good, but now I don’t know how to face him. Tell your friends that I warn them to use that certificate to work and gather money. If I had known all of you would suffer after accreditation, I would have asked you to go home. Just take heart.

    “You can only use that certificate to work, or you add it to your CV that you have ND. But if you want to go for HND, that certificate will not move you. I won’t advise you to restart ND. Don’t disturb yourself with this polytechnic again because they will keep collecting money from you.”

    ‘Accreditation only done this year’ – School management admitted

    When The Informant247 contacted the new Registrar of the school, Mr Oladokun Obolanle, for comment, he noted that accreditation of courses, including Mass Communication, was only done in early 2025.

    He further added that the accreditation does not cover students who graduated before the effective date.

    “I think we did some accreditation this January for all the courses offered. But, the accreditation does not cover the set of students who graduated before the accreditation date, which is 2025. For mass communication and SLT in particular, the accreditation was done this January (2025) and doesn’t cover the earlier graduates.”

    When questioned about what would be the fate of affected students, he responded, “Yes, I am aware of the situation that students have not been able to proceed for HND or Direct Entry, but I inherited the problem from the previous Management.”

    Efforts to reach the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to get an official reaction to the development proved abortive.

    Calls across to the Board’s official lines did not go through as of the time of this report.

    This report was published with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroots News Project (GNP).

  • How To Scam 101: Exposing Kano’s Hidden Fraud Training Hubs

    How To Scam 101: Exposing Kano’s Hidden Fraud Training Hubs

    By Lukman Abdulmalik

    In the busy Jaba community, East of Sabon Gari, a section of Fagge Local Government area in Kano, a quiet threat has been brewing for years, hidden behind closed doors and the promise of quick wealth. Here, offline classes teach young people the skills of cybercrime.

    Unlike online fraud rings often highlighted in the news, these classes take place in physical spaces, such as rented rooms and private homes, where mentors guide eager students on how to trick unsuspecting victims.

    A key centre for these operations is a house known as Gidan Komai da Ruwana, an unremarkable building in Jaba.

    Here, the classes function almost like a formal school, but instead of math or literature, students learn manipulation, deception, and financial exploitation.

    Stallion Times’ investigation reveals a troubling mix of deception, peer pressure, and misguided ambition, driven by economic hardship and the desire for quick money, which has contributed to the growing number of cybercriminals, many of them are just entering adulthood.

    Unlike typical online-only scams, these schemes operated through physical classes that provided face-to-face instruction, homework, and structured guidance.

    Mentors trained participants in techniques such as phishing, social engineering, and the creation of fake social media profiles, before assigning them their first “practice” victims.

    Hashim Usman: A Personal Story Of Temptation And Consequences

    Hashim Usman, 22, sits in a small, dim room in Jaba, fidgeting as he shares how he got caught up in Kano’s offline cybercrime scene.

    He admitted to defrauding numerous people on the streets of Kano, estimating that he had victimised over 100 individuals.

    “I didn’t want to steal at first,” Usman admits, his voice filled with regret.

    “I was curious. I saw friends making money from their phones, sending emails, manipulating transfers and thought, maybe this is my chance too.”

    Umar first learned about offline cybercrime from a childhood friend, who promised him mentorship and easy cash.

    “The first time I scammed someone, it was just N10,000,” he confesses.

    “I have made over N16,000,000 from defrauding people.

    “I recall scamming one Alhaji in Nasarawa G.R.A. for N5,800,000 and another individual for N3,263,000.”

    “It felt powerful, like I had control. But later, I realised the pain I had caused people I would never meet.”

    Usman recalls the environment: “There’s a schedule, there are lessons, and even homework.

    “We practised sending fake emails, creating fraudulent accounts, and simulating business deals. It felt like a criminal academy.”

    The Victims Of Kano’s Scam Classes

    While the people committing these scams often see themselves as savvy or entrepreneurial, the victims are real individuals suffering real losses.

    Maimuna Bello, a shop owner and crypto trader in Kano, lost over N550,000 after responding to a phishing email.

    “They made it look so real,” she says, her voice heavy with frustration.

    “I trusted them, and they took everything. I didn’t even know what hit me.”

    Another victim, Musa Ibrahim, a 25-year-old graduate, fell for a fake investment scheme promising high returns.

    Musa Ibrahim, a scam victim in his shop PC: Stallion Times

    “I thought I was building my future,” Musa recalls.

    “I transferred my savings, and when I asked for my money back, it was gone. I realised I had been scammed.”

    Some victims are more vulnerable than others.

    Elderly residents and small business owners, who know less about digital transactions, have become frequent targets.

    The emotional impact is significant, with many victims reporting anxiety, depression, and a loss of trust in both online and offline business interactions.

    How The Classes Operate

    What makes these classes especially dangerous is that they operate offline.

    Unlike online fraud rings that can be tracked, these groups meet in various homes, constantly moving to stay under the radar.

    Gidan Komai da Ruwana is one of many such locations, but law enforcement officials who spoke on anonymity said there is no single hub.

    Inside the classes, the curriculum is relatively structured.

    Mentors assign students tasks, teach psychological manipulation, and even create real-world scamming scenarios.

    “We learned how to approach people, get their trust, and convince them to send money or share sensitive information.

    “They even showed us how to cover our tracks from burner phones to fake emails and social media accounts.”

    “Payments for lessons often come as a share of the initial scams, leading to a continuous cycle.

    “Recruits are led to believe that scamming is a valid way to achieve financial independence, which is a dangerous idea that attracts jobless, underemployed, and curious youths in Kano,” Usman narrated.

    What The Law Says

    Based on publicly available sources, at least 66 suspected internet fraudsters have been reported arrested in Kano between 2021 and 2025 in major EFCC-led operations.

    However, because of limited, fragmented reporting and likely unreported or lower-profile arrests, the true figure could be significantly higher.

    Isah Abdulazeez Umar Esq., of Abu Ruqqayya Legal Consultants, noted that “Cybercrime is punishable under the Nigerian Cybercrime Act of 2015, and other sections of the Criminal Code.

    “We are committed to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting offenders. But the challenge is that these classes are decentralised and constantly moving.

    “The legal framework in Nigeria makes both the act of scamming and the facilitation of cybercrime illegal.

    “Mentors running offline classes can be charged with conspiracy, fraud, and cybercrime-related offences.

    “Reports indicate that many classes operate unnoticed until a victim files a complaint or an informant steps forward,” he disclosed.

    The Human Cost And Struggle For Redemption

    For Hashim Usman, the personal cost has been huge. “I have lost friends, trust, and a part of myself,” he said remorsefully.

    “Some of the people I scammed were struggling to feed their families. I see them in my dreams. I want out, but it’s not easy to leave once you are in.”

    Rehabilitation programs are emerging as important interventions.

    Authorities and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) are working to help young offenders reintegrate into society, offering counselling, job training, and mentorship for legal work.

    Usman, participating in one such program, hopes to become a voice against scamming.

    “I want to help young people avoid the mistakes I made,” he says.

    Experts stress that preventing offline cybercrime means addressing the underlying social and economic issues.

    “Many of these youths turn to scamming because they see no other opportunity,” says Dr Amina Yusuf, a criminologist in B.U.K.

    “If we provide education, jobs, and mentorship, we can reduce the appeal of these classes.”

    The Bigger Picture

    Kano’s offline scam schools highlight a larger issue: cybercrime isn’t just a digital problem.

    It thrives in areas where poverty, unemployment, and peer pressure come together.

    By moving offline, fraudsters take advantage of gaps in law enforcement, social awareness, and digital literacy.

    From victims’ narratives, Stallion Times observed that the mobility of these scammers means the problem continues, as they do not have a permanent base.

    One day it’s a rented house, the next day it’s someone’s apartment. They are very adaptable.

    Despite the challenges, the personal stories of both perpetrators, like Usman and victims, like Aisha and Musa, show the real cost of these underground operations.

    Each scam leaves behind not just financial loss but emotional scars, shaking trust and lives.

    The tale of Kano’s offline scam schools serves as a warning about ambition gone wrong, peer influence, and systemic weaknesses.

    For every young man like Usman, there are many victims and a law enforcement system struggling to keep up with ever-changing methods of fraud.

    As Hashim reflects, “I hope my story serves as a warning.

    “Scamming might seem like easy money, but it destroys lives both for others and for yourself.”

    EFCC Responds

    Idris Isiyaku, Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kano, speaking on behalf of the Director of the Kano Zonal Command, disclosed that between 2023 and 2025, the Command has publicly recorded the arrest of over 70 suspected internet fraudsters.

    He added that the Kano Command has also made several arrests related to other basic fraud offences.

    Responding to the offline scamming pattern, “some of these groups operate quietly from rented apartments and frequently change locations, making them difficult to track.

    “We are now prioritising the masterminds who recruit and train others. They face stiffer charges as facilitators of organised fraud.”

    “The Kano Zonal Command has recorded several cybercrime arrests now before the courts, following investigation and recovery of proceeds where possible.”

    “Prevention remains essential. We are engaging schools, communities, and faith leaders to discourage youths from embracing fraud

    “Many offenders are young and influenced by peers.

    “Through partners, we support counselling and legal skills training to reduce re-offending while ensuring accountability,” the commission added.

    This report was published with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroots News Project (GNP).

  • Ghost Vouchers Of Bauchi: How Govt House, Sa’adu Zungur Varsity, ATAP Poly, Key MDAs Spent ₦2.9bn Without Records (Part 1)

    Ghost Vouchers Of Bauchi: How Govt House, Sa’adu Zungur Varsity, ATAP Poly, Key MDAs Spent ₦2.9bn Without Records (Part 1)

    By Haruna Mohammed Salisu

    Danjuma Babaji received neither salary nor pension for nine months after retiring from the Bauchi State public service in November 2022. With no access to his retirement benefits and many dependents to support, he survived by tending a small farm and rearing livestock.
    “It was really tough,” he said. “I don’t know anyone here, and I didn’t give a bribe to anyone; I waited”, he said. Pensioners sometimes pay a bribe to expedite the processing of their payments.

    Babaji eventually began receiving a monthly pension in July 2023. His gratuity worth N3.7 million remains unpaid.

    For Adamu Ibrahim, who retired in 2017, the waiting has stretched into years. He said he spent eleven months after retirement without income before his pension started. Now older and frequently ill, he depends on his children for food and medication. “After giving my productive years to the service of the state,” he said, “I am still waiting for what is mine.”

    Adamu Ibrahim and Danjuma Babaji, retirees in Bauchi

    Government payments are supposed to be documented at every step, from request to approval, voucher, and receipt. These records separate legal spending from money that goes missing. Without them, it becomes impossible to hold anyone accountable.

    The experiences of Babaji and Ibrahim are not isolated cases. They sit at the end of a public finance system in which money is released without documentation, approvals are bypassed, and records go missing—patterns WikkiTimes unearthed in the Bauchi State Auditor-General’s reports.

    WikkiTimes reviewed the Bauchi State Auditor-General’s reports for major ministries and executive offices. The findings show how quickly missing paperwork can lead to questionable government spending.

    The Auditor General’s report for Bauchi State’s 2024 accounts revealed widespread failures in financial accountability, affecting both ministries and top officials. The audit found that substantial sums of public money were spent without the required legal documentation to demonstrate their purpose or legitimacy.

    For example, auditors found that the Office of the Chief of Staff and key ministries spent public money without proper documentation

    According to the report, ₦182,857,491 was spent without supporting documents. A separate finding in the audit report indicated that ₦104,500,000 was paid without approval, and ₦261,712,376 was disbursed without the authorisation of the Accounting Officer, in breach of “Financial Regulation No. 0603 of 2001.”

    At the Office of the Chief of Staff alone, more than half a billion naira was expended without recourse to due process.

    Dr. Aminu Gamawa is the Chief of Staff to the Bauchi State Government. A trained lawyer at Harvard Law School, Dr. Gamawa earned postgraduate law degrees and conducted research and policy analysis on governance, the rule of law, and public institutions.

    Before assuming his current role, he served as Bauchi State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning. Long before entering government, Gamawa was a well-known public commentator on platforms such as the BBC, DW Radio, and Al Jazeera, where he consistently voiced opposition to corruption in Nigeria. In a Facebook post from 2014, he stated that he was “against corruption, corrupt leaders and corrupt practices,” adding that he supported “transparency and accountability.”

    Dr Aminu Gamawa, Chief of Staff, Bauchi State

    At the Ministry of Finance, auditors found that ₦38,071,686.50 was paid without proper documentation, contrary to Financial Regulation No. 0704, which requires that all payments be supported by relevant documentation prior to disbursement. The audit did not record vouchers, receipts, or other records sufficient to verify the expenditure.

    Dr Yakubu Adamu is the Bauchi State Commissioner of Finance. The audit findings at his ministry will raise further questions, given his continued detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

    Adamu was allegedly being held in connection with a ₦4.6 billion fraud dating back to 2023 and alleged terrorism financing. While the audit itself identifies institutional “undocumented payments,” the documentation of missing vouchers and unapproved spending at his ministry raises further questions about his credibility and the manner in which his ministry is supervised.

    Similar findings were recorded at the Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning, and Multilateral Coordination, where ₦11,716,750 was paid without proper documentation. At the Ministry of Women Affairs, auditors documented ₦17,210,000 paid without supporting records. In each case, the audit language was consistent. Payments were made, but the documentation required to verify their authenticity was absent.

    The Ministry of Religious Affairs was also flagged in the audit report. According to the audit, ₦22,691,352 was paid without any supporting documents to verify the payments. Without these documents, auditors noted, it was not possible to determine the purpose of the expenditure or confirm the beneficiaries. Established to promote moral guidance and ethical conduct in public life, the ministry appears in the audit as a custodian of faith, preaching righteousness. At the same time, its expenditures left no trace.

    In the Ministry of Education, the figures were significantly higher. Auditors recorded ₦121,681,853 in payment vouchers for payments made without supporting documentation. In addition, vouchers worth ₦15,263,553.54 were not presented for audit scrutiny, in violation of Section 125 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Bauchi State Public Sector Audit Law of 2021. When vouchers are not presented for audit, the audit process itself is compromised, as auditors cannot verify expenditure after the fact.

    The Ministry of Housing and Environment recorded some of the largest figures in the report. Auditors documented ₦565,276,040.32 paid without acknowledgement receipts. Acknowledgement receipts serve as evidence that funds reached their intended recipients. Without them, auditors could not confirm whether the payments achieved their stated purpose.

    The 2024 audit report identified several financial breaches at the Bauchi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Auditors recorded ₦2,590,000 as paid for work that was not executed. Another ₦2,795,000 was paid without retirement documents. The report also flagged ₦2,000,000 supported by a fake acknowledgement receipt, and ₦2,642,000 described as diverted funds with a phony receipt attached.

    Other ministries showed variations of the same problem. At the Ministry of Agriculture, auditors identified payments made without approval, payments without supporting documents, and ₦3,573,000 paid using fictitious receipts. The use of fictitious receipts, as noted in the audit, meant that fake documents were presented to justify payments.

    At the Ministry of Health, auditors recorded two different categories of violations. First, ₦265,623.64 in taxes due was not deducted or remitted to government coffers, contrary to tax laws. Second, ₦167,349,286.04 was paid as unentitled salaries and allowances, in violation of public finance rules.

    The audit findings also show that the Bauchi State Pension Board was involved in multiple questionable transactions. These include ₦23,556,392.10 paid as gratuity and five years’ pension without approval, ₦14,438,640.14 in unremitted loan deductions, and ₦354,701,864.27 arising from discrepancies between the receipt cash book and bank statements.

    At the Bauchi State Destination Hotel, ₦16,200,000 earned between February 2023 and February 2024 was not remitted to the government as required under the lease agreement. At the Bauchi State Oil and Gas Academy, Alkaleri, ₦1,642,320 in revenue due to the state for 2024 was similarly unremitted. Auditors also cited ₦700,000 paid by the Bauchi State Mining Synergy and Exploration through vouchers without supporting documents.

    The audit queries, grounded in various financial regulations, highlight serious lapses in approval procedures, remittance practices, and basic financial record-keeping by the board. Audit figures alone do not explain how payments without approvals, documentation, or evidence of execution move through government systems.

    Aminu Tukur, a former member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, said the audit exposes a legislature that has abandoned its constitutional duty. The House has become “just a mere rubber stamp or an arm of the executive that can be used at any given time,” he said, recalling how the same expenditure once appeared simultaneously in submissions from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, and the SSG’s office.

    Such duplications, he noted, only fail when lawmakers insist on scrutiny. He said if there is proper parliamentary responsibility, “all the wrongdoing will be checked”, but regretted that, “the lawmakers are just after their own personal benefit rather than the collective interest of the citizens of Bauchi state.”

    The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly declined to comment. Several calls and WhatsApp messages sent to him were ignored.

    Seun Justin O., the executive director of Young Leaders Network, an organisation that has worked with the Bauchi State government at different levels to strengthen transparency and accountability, said the deeper failure begins after audits are published. “Audit reports seem to only be on paper and not fully implemented”, he said.

    Highlighting the lack of consequences for financial irregularities, he asked, “How many of those prosecutions have we seen happen in Bauchi State year in, year out because of these malpractices in financial appropriations in the state?

    Interviews conducted by WikkiTimes with serving civil servants directly involved in voucher processing and payment approvals help explain how these control failures occur in practice. Both officials requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. One of the officials, who worked on payment vouchers and preliminary approvals at Government House, said scrutiny often ended once files carried the expected signatures. “Once the voucher leaves my desk with the right signature, nobody asks how it started,” he said.

    According to him, documents were sometimes prepared for projects that had not been executed. “If the file looks clean and moves fast, people assume the work was done,” he added. At the Ministry of Finance, another official involved in processing payment releases described how figures were adjusted and approvals granted on the basis of submitted paperwork. “Due process slows things down. What they want is approval, and that’s exactly what I give them,” he said.

    Rules on paper, breaches in practice

    The audit shows a clear gap between public finance rules and how they are actually followed. Nigeria’s financial regulations explain how to approve, document, and audit spending, so that public money can be tracked at every step.

    The audit report cited Financial Regulation No. 0704, which requires that relevant documents support all payments before funds are released. Yet auditors repeatedly found payments processed without such documents across multiple ministries. Financial Regulation No. 0603 requires Accounting Officer authorisation for expenditure. This safeguard was disregarded in payments amounting to hundreds of millions of naira at the Office of the Chief of Staff.

    WikkiTimes’ investigation found that approval processes also failed at multiple points. Payments without approval were recorded not only at the Office of the Chief of Staff but also at the Sustainable Development Goal Office, where ₦28,856,050 was paid without approvals attached to authenticate the payments. Similar findings were recorded across other MDAs, suggesting that approval procedures were either bypassed or not enforced.

    Audit findings further show that the Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities paid ₦4,759,500 without proper supporting documentation. At the Ministry of Education, vouchers worth more than ₦15 million were not presented for audit.

    When vouchers are withheld, auditors cannot confirm whether payments complied with regulations, undermining the accountability process.

    WikkiTimes found many cases in the audit report where auditors raised concerns that were never resolved. The report lists the violations, but does not show that any money was returned, approvals were later obtained, or penalties were given during the audit period. The failures were mostly due to poor procedures: payments were made without documents, approvals were skipped, and audit rules were ignored.

    At Government House, auditors found ₦22,125,200 and another ₦11,130,000 in payments recorded as “unreceipted”. In addition, ₦10,995,200 was paid without supporting documents.

    In each instance, the audit noted the absence of receipts or records showing how the funds were used. In audits, payments without receipts are a serious violation of the rules. Without receipts or proof, auditors cannot tell if the money reached the right people or was used as intended.

    In several instances, particularly those involving missing vouchers or a lack of documentation, the issues remained unresolved at the time of the audit.

    The report does not show that any of the disputed amounts were recovered, corrected, or penalized during the audit period. Because of this, many issues are still unresolved in the public accounts.​

    A repeated pattern

    WikkiTimes’ previous reporting has documented a long-standing pattern of corruption in Bauchi State. For instance, in September 2024, WikkiTimes reported that the Office of the Secretary to the State Government spent more than ₦29 billion within six months, exceeding its approved annual budget and raising questions about budgetary control. The same SSG office also spent another N67.38 billion on the security vote, exceeding the combined capital expenditure for education and healthcare over the four years under review.

    In July 2025, WikkiTimes reported that another ₦17.4 billion was spent on security votes, consultancy, welfare, and related items within three months, with limited public detail on how the funds were allocated. Speaking during an interview on Channels TV, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed confirmed WikkiTimes’ previous investigations, describing his former SSG as “fraudulent.” Our reporting found that most of the expenditures were outside government-approved budgetary provisions.

    The 2024 Auditor-General’s report officially confirms a pattern of unclear spending, poor controls, and ongoing corruption in government.

    WikkiTimes sought official responses from the Bauchi State Government on the audit findings. This medium contacted Muktar Gidado, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, and Abdulwahab Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant on Communications. The duos ignored repeated calls and messages. WikkiTimes also sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Usman Shehu Usman, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Information, and to Alhassan Dambam, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor. They also ignored WikkiTimes. Separate reminders were sent, but were ignored as of press time.

    Editor’s note: In Part Two of this series, we shift the spotlight from ministries to Bauchi’s higher institutions and parastatals, revealing how bodies meant to model discipline instead lost paper trails, ignored controls, withheld revenue, and spent billions through forged vouchers

    This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroot News Project (GNP).

  • How Coal Miners Pollute The Only Source Of Water For 15,000 Inhabitants Of Enugu Community 

    How Coal Miners Pollute The Only Source Of Water For 15,000 Inhabitants Of Enugu Community 

    By Chinedu Aroh

    The Nnam River has been the sole source of water for over 15,000 inhabitants of the Mgbagbu-Owa Community in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State. The arteries of the river connect all the villages of the community. The natives rely on it for drinking, domestic uses, and irrigation. It also provides a fishing career for the residents. 

    Nnam River has, however, become an agent of death and poverty following its pollution by coal miners at Awha, a neighbouring community where the river passes. The company, Rathings, is alleged to have channelled waste from its coal site to the river, hence making the water toxic for human use and farming activities. Ben AROH investigates how the pollution affects the inhabitants. 

    Many residents still drink water from the Nnam River despite its darkish colour

    Our occupation is destroyed, Mrs Egwuatu, Abacha Seller

    Mrs Loveth Egwuatu stands helplessly at Orie Mgbagbu-Owa, a popular market where abacha is sold in Ezeagu. She complains of poor patronage of her products due to the poor quality caused by the Nnam River’s water toxicity. 

    Mrs Egwuatu claims pollution has killed abacha trademark of Mgbagbowa people

    “I have been producing and selling abacha since my childhood,” Mrs Egwuatu says. “From the proceeds, I train my children and solve our family problems. But all is gone in the past months. Water from the Nnam River is now polluted. Coal miners at Awha channel their waste to the Nnam River. You can see that my abacha and others here are not looking good. Buyers have abandoned us. It has collapsed our occupation.”

    Mrs Egwuatu explains that abacha is processed in water. “We wash them and set them to dry. Because of the waste being channelled to the Nnam River, when we use the water to wash our abacha, they lose their original colours and taste. We have endured this enough. The coal miners should channel their waste to other places, not the Nnam River.”

    The plight of Mrs Egwuatu is shared by Mrs Elizabeth Aniamalu, another native. “I am from Ozom Mgbagbu-Owa,” she says. “Our abacha gets rotten after being washed with water from Nnam. Traders who buy would return to abuse us for faking Abacha. They won’t come back again. It is our only source of livelihood. Our water is polluted. At times it will become blackened and heavy.”

    Mrs Aniamalu recalls when abacha produced at Mgbagbu-Owa was highly sought after. “Time was when you didn’t see space here because of the influx of Abacha major dealers coming from far and near. This market is called Ozom Mgbagbu-Owa Orie market. It is where local farmers market their products. It holds every four days. It attracts traders from Onitsha, Port-Harcourt, Enugu, Aba and even Abuja and Lagos. Our people use water sourced from the Nnam River to process abacha. The quality has been destroyed by this company at Awha. Our abacha is being rejected by buyers.” 

    Our abacha is tagged ‘bad commodity’, says Mrs Aniamalu

    Strange illnesses are being reported in Mgbagbowa, the Traditional Ruler

    Chief Tony Emeka Okoye is the regent of Ozom Mgbagbu-Owa Kingdom. He says if urgent measures are not taken by relevant agencies, the people of his community, who are mainly farmers, might face health risks. 

    “It started about six months ago,” narrates Chief Okoye. “It is the major source of drinking water for the entire community. There are about 15,000 people in our community. We are now at health risks because our natural water has become impure. It can damage human organs. We have made appeals to the state government over this lingering issue. We shall continue to cry until something happens.”

    He laments that despite the impurities of the river, the natives still source water from it. “As I speak,” says Chief Okoye, “My people are still drinking from the contaminated river. Our people are getting sick here and there. Many can’t afford to buy bottled water or ‘pure’ water daily. We don’t know what is being channelled for use. We are afraid of our health.” 

    Chief Okoye said the Abacha occupation of the natives is under threat. “It is in this river that our people wash abacha during processing. The pollution has contaminated our water, thus making our abacha rot shortly after washing. Traders no longer come to buy abacha from our people.”

    Chief Okoye says the same toll is on the natives who are fishermen. “Very often you see corpses of fish floating on the sea due to water contamination.” He regretted that the Nnam River, which once served as a blessing to the people of the Mgbagbu-Owa community has been turned into a disaster by the mining company. “Nnam River has been there for a long time,” notes Okoye. “Our ancestors discovered the river from time immemorial, and have since then been preserving it for the benefit of the inhabitants. In fact, it is this river that attracted our ancestors to migrate from Imezi Owa, our ancestral home, to this place. The Nnam River has also attracted many non-native farmers to our community. Nnam River has been desecrated, and needs urgent cleansing.”

    Okoye however admitted that his community has not formally informed the management of Rathings about the pollution. “I don’t know the name of the company,” he says. “But the government is aware of their mining activities. I earlier thought they were illegal. The truth is that the mining site is in another community called Awha. We are neighbours.” 

    They are pushing us to the wall, Community Leader 

    Engr Vitalis Ike is the chairman, Ogwofia Ozom Mgbagbu-Owa. He warns that the development might provoke the people of his community, especially the youths, who have perceived the reluctance of the mining company to correct the anomaly. 

    “We are law-abiding citizens,” Engr. Ike said. “We don’t take laws into our hands. It is not in our character to be violent. Our youths once threatened to destroy the equipment of the mining company to draw attention to our plight. But we have been restraining them. We know the implications of restiveness. We are wondering if these miners are doing legal work. We also wonder if they did their environmental impact assessment.”

    According to him, nothing survives in the Nnam River anymore because of the pollution. “Our people also irrigate their farms from that river for all-year farming,” Ike states, adding that, “Those activities are now gone. Where will they eat and get resources to train their children?” 

    Some of the elders of the community, including Hyacinth Nwude, begged the state government and other relevant agencies to intervene. Quoting Nwude, “I beg the government to come to our rescue. Nnam is the only source of drinking water in Mgbagbu-Owa. The pollution is bad. Our fish and abacha are gone. The government should regulate these miners. Some people’s occupation is threatened. This community pays its dues to the government. This is the time for the state to come to our rescue. We can no longer help ourselves.” 

    It’s a spurious allegation, General Manager, Rathings

    THE WHISTLER observed that two companies are involved in the business: Afri Metals Trading Company Ltd is the buyer of the coal while Rathings is the title-holder. 

    Mr Abdulazeez Olowokere is the General Manager, Rathings. He claims no water pollution has been reported to his company from the Mgbagbu-Owa people. “This Mgbagbu-Owa story is strange because we don’t know them,” Olowokere states. “It is only when one makes a case that we know how to alleviate the problem. They have never written to us on that. They know where our company is. We do receive letters from community stakeholders. Some demand road repairs, some boreholes, and we do intervene. We are not aware of such pollution.”

    Olowokere said he is only familiar with Awha, the host community. “I didn’t know that there was another community aside from Awha. Let Mgbagbu_Owa people write to us officially. We will take our environmental experts and representatives of our supervising parastatals to evaluate their claims and determine what should be done. We have our workers who monitor the water every morning. Whenever there are changes, we address them. Mgbagbu_Owa never called our attention. The allegation is spurious.”

    He claims that Rathings is a reputable mining company, and “among the best two operating in Enugu State”. In his words, “Rathings has the mining lease. We are the number one. We are licensed by the federal government and the state. Federal and state agencies monitor our activities. We try to resolve all issues to avoid problems. This Mgbagbu-Owa, I never heard anything like that before. Ask them if they had ever informed us.” 

    He however, admits reports of water pollution, though not from the Mgbagbu-Owa community. “We do send our experts to carry out inquiries,” he explains. “We have people mandated to bring water samples to us every morning. Is Mgbagbu-Owa under Awha?” he asks, noting that, “It is not enough for them to just make allegations in the media.” 

    The GM’s account slightly differs from the Manager, Human Resources of Afri Metals, Lawal Ahmed. “The pollution they talk about is only during the beginning of rainy seasons when rains flush some waste to the river,” says Lawal. “It changes the colour of the river, but it does not last for long. We have some people who bring us water on a daily basis for analysis. We do inform the natives that because of the mining, the water might change colours but it won’t last for long.”

    He explained that following complaints by the natives, the government of Enugu State earlier directed his company to drill some boreholes in the affected communities. “We did,” he said. “You can verify from the people of Aguobu. We built four boreholes at Iwollo. They are solar-powered. At Awha, we are building two, one has been completed.”

    He recalled that in July this year, there was a heavy downpour, which washed some impurities from the mining site into the river. “We are not deliberately polluting the water,” according to him. “We are abreast of the rule of engagement. The locals exaggerate it.” 

    Enugu State government keeps mum

    A request for the position of the state government directed to Enugu State Commissioner of Environment under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law, duly received on 24/11/2025, was not responded to. An insider in the ministry, on condition of anonymity, however, said “big people in the state are behind the mining activities in Ezeagu. The natives carry out protests from time to time, but the company is legitimate and highly protected by the government.”

    Add-on

    An assessment of Nnam River by this reporter showed the presence of black and brownish substances in it. The impurities were spotted at all the visited wings of the river that runs for kilometres. Some locations hitherto used for fishing were also abandoned, an indication that the fish might have been killed or forced to relocate. 

    This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroot News Project (GNP).

  • The Missing Road: How FG Paid N556 Million For A Project That Doesn’t Exist

    The Missing Road: How FG Paid N556 Million For A Project That Doesn’t Exist

    By Ogar Monday

    The truck lurches violently as its front wheels slam into yet another crater on Ogbuma Junction section of the Ogoja–Katsina Ala road. Inside, Musa Adamu grips the dashboard as the load of yams he is moving to Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, shifts dangerously. He’s been on this road for fifteen years, but the past year has been some of the worst he’s ever seen.

    “Look at this,” he says, gesturing at the windshield as another truck tries to crawl past the section where his truck just passed. The asphalt on this part of the road has completely disintegrated, leaving jagged rocks and red earth, and holes at least two feet deep. “This is supposed to be a federal highway o. Is this how goods and food are supposed to move within a country?” he asked rhetorically.

    What Adamu might not be aware of is that on paper, this road should have been fixed. In August 2024, the Federal Government of Nigeria paid five hundred and fifty-six million Naira (₦556,000,000) to Dylancia Concept/Solution Nig. Ltd and Emma Ventures Investment Ltd to fix the road, but more than a year after the money was released, the road looks exactly the same, barely motorable. Communities along the 186-kilometer corridor say there are no contractors on-site, no machines, not even a project signboard, and they have been left to deal with the accidents and all the troubles that come with the bad roads.

    The Road Nigeria Cannot Afford To Lose

    The Ogoja–Katsina Ala–Jalingo Road is an economic artery connecting Nigeria’s food basket to the south of Nigeria. The road also serves trucks moving petroleum products from fuel depots in Calabar, Cross River State, to the North-East and some parts of the North-central. Between 2023 and 2024, average transport costs on the route have increased by at least 87 percent, according to interviews with several drivers in Ogoja, Vandekya, and Katsina-Ala. What used to cost ₦80,000 to move a 20-ton truckload of yams from Zaki-biam to Ogoja now costs ₦150,000, and sometimes more, depending on how many times a vehicle breaks down.

    Musa Adamu, the yam trader who has used the route for fifteen years, says business has never been worse. “We spend more money repairing our vehicles than making profit,” he says, standing beside his truck at a fuel station in Katsina-Ala. “A four-hour trip now takes eight or ten hours. By the time we arrive, half of the yams are already damaged from the constant shaking and the heat.”

    Transporters report similar patterns. Samuel Oche, a driver, said sometimes drivers abandon the corridor entirely. “They’re taking longer routes through Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, or even through Gboko,” he says. “Those routes waste fuel, but at least the vehicles survive.”

    The abandonment of the direct route has created a secondary crisis: fuel waste and increased carbon emissions. A truck traveling from Katsina-Ala to Calabar via the direct Ogoja route covers approximately 186 kilometers. The alternative route through Makurdi adds an extra 134 kilometers, increasing fuel consumption by an estimated 45 percent per trip.

    “People think it’s just inflation, but half of what you’re paying is because the road is bad,” says Comfort Nwosu, a yam seller who buys yams in Zaki Biam and sells them in Oil Mill Market in Rivers State. “The drivers are not cheating us. Their vehicles are being destroyed. Someone has to pay for it, and it’s the final consumer.”

    Following The Money

    Data from Tracka, an open treasury portal, reveals that between August and October 2024, the Ministry of Works disbursed ₦556 million for the rehabilitation of the Ogoja–Katsina Ala–Zaki Biam stretch up to the Taraba border. Both contractors were expected to mobilize to the site immediately.

    According to the project scope, the rehabilitation work was intended to include clearing drainage channels, repairing culverts, patching potholes, grading uneven sections, and laying asphalt on the most critically damaged stretches.

    However, CrossRiverWatch’s field verification conducted in November 2025 across Ogoja and Katsina-Ala showed no signs of activity. Not a single culvert had been touched. No drainage cleared. No portion of the road was scraped or graded. Not one meter of asphalt was laid by either company.

    Local sources say they were never contacted. “We are only hearing about this now,” says Terver Ihugh, who loads vehicles in Branch, Vandekya, Benue State. “No contractor has come here to introduce themselves. There is nothing on the ground: no workers, no equipment, nothing. It’s as if the project doesn’t exist.”


    Attempts to reach the two companies were largely unsuccessful. Physical address associated with Dylancia Concept/Solution Nig. Ltd led to a nondescript location in Shomolu, Lagos State, where building staff and neighboring tenants claimed never to have heard of the company.

    Emma Ventures Investment Ltd’s address in Bauchi also does not exist.
    Records confirm both companies are registered and legally recognized entities. Dylancia Concept/Solution Nig. Ltd was incorporated in 2018, while Emma Ventures Investment Ltd has been registered since 1999. But beyond these basic details, little is publicly known about their track record or previous projects.


    When CrossRiverWatch repeatedly contacted the Federal Ministry of Works office in Calabar, officials said the Controller of Works, Engineer Yinka, was not in his seat. Several calls placed to his official phone number were not received.


    Abdullahi Adebayor, a public finance analyst, said the economic impact of abandoned projects like the Ogoja–Katsina Ala road is felt almost immediately. “Farmers can’t move their produce to markets because the roads are impassable. Crops rot on the way or never leave the farm at all. Small businesses suffer because customers can’t reach them, and in emergencies, people struggle to access health facilities,” he explained.
    Adebayor warned that abandoned projects also fuel unemployment. “One stalled project can push hundreds of people out of work in places where jobs are already scarce,” he said, drawing a link between joblessness and insecurity. “Young people with no prospects are far more vulnerable to being recruited by criminal gangs.”


    He added that repeated project failures erode public trust in democracy itself. “People watch contracts being announced and groundbreaking ceremonies held. Then nothing happens. When those projects are abandoned, citizens stop seeing democracy as a tool for development and begin to see it as a system designed to enrich a few.”


    Adebayor argued that part of the problem lies in how government budgets are prepared. “We need to budget based on the money we actually have,” he said. “This culture of deficit budgeting, where we approve a hundred projects knowing we can only fund twenty, is fiscally irresponsible. It’s exactly how we end up with half-finished and completely abandoned projects scattered across the country.”


    He also stressed the need for stronger community involvement. “Development should be planned from the bottom up. Communities should help identify their most urgent needs and be involved from conception to completion,” he said. “When people see a project as their own road, they monitor it and demand accountability. But when projects are decided in offices in Abuja by people who have never been to these communities, nobody feels responsible when they are abandoned.”

    This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab under its Grassroot News Project (GNP).

  • From Lifeline to Liability: How Oil Pollution Ruined a Community’s 20-Year-Old Water Well.

    From Lifeline to Liability: How Oil Pollution Ruined a Community’s 20-Year-Old Water Well.

    By Omowumi Abraham

    The residents of Omikunle, Yemetu, in the Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, have cried out over the government’s failure to deliver on a promised borehole after their only reliable source of water became contaminated.

    Many residents have been waiting for a long time for the borehole, as they continue to suffer from a lack of potable water, essential for their daily survival in the community.

    “The government promised to provide a well, but we’ve not heard anything from them since then,” said a resident, Alhaja Falilatu Raji.

    “We want the government to help us build another well,” Ade Aderiyigbe in his statement, said this during a visit by this reporter to the community.

    HOW THE CRISIS BEGAN

    On September 6, 2025, news spread about the discovery of crude oil in Yemetu. The Oyo State Police Command also confirmed a report at about 6:50 p.m. the same day, that an unusual liquid had appeared in a community well. Officers from the Yemetu Division arrived shortly after and discovered a thick, diesel-like substance inside the water source.

    As residents gathered around the well, some attempted to fetch the strange liquid, but the police cordoned off the area, while the Oyo State Ministry of Environment conducted tests confirming it was diesel, and not crude oil.

    As a temporary measure, the Oyo State Water Corporation supplied 5,000 liters of clean water to affected residents.

    However, what was once a hopeful assurance that clean water would soon return has turned into deep frustration, as months have passed without a single sign of progress and action.

    The affected well, co-owned by three wives in their 80s, who also now lack water supply, had served the community for more than two decades before suddenly turning oily and unsafe for use.

    One of the wives, and the spokesperson for the three women, Alhaja Falilatu Raji Faramade, narrated their ordeals despite government promises. She said, “We just woke up one morning to fetch water for ablution and discovered that our water had turned into something we could not comprehend (due to the oily substances). It was surprising, so we raised an alarm. It’s been 20 years since we drilled this well, and nothing of such had happened before.”

    Speaking of government intervention, the octogenarian said, “The government promised to provide a well, but we’ve not heard anything from them ever since. We had to start buying water at ₦200 per washing container, also known as Tub. That’s how we cook, bathe, feed, and do other necessary things that need water.”

    Alhaja Falilatu Raji Faramade

    Recounting their discomfort since the incident, Alhaja Falilatu said things have not been easy due to their old status. “The well, even though privately owned by us, serves the whole community. We used to cook with it, drink, bathe, and so on.  Now, the government instructed us not to drink it or use it for any purpose. They pumped out everything in the well, hoping to get fresh water, but the water remains contaminated.”

    The Nation newspaper had reported on the 17th of September that investigators under the directives of the Oyo state Ministry of the Environment also inspected a telephone mast located less than three meters from the affected well, but confirmed there was no evidence of linkage of the facility to the affected well.

    However, the owners of the mast have been directed by the ministry to provide a borehole for the community as part of their corporate social responsibility.

    As to whether the mast was being purportedly regarded as the source of the contamination, Alhaji Falilatu expressed uncertainty and appealed to the government for help.

    She said, “We cannot say for sure. Only the policemen and government agencies who came can confirm that. I don’t understand how it happened. The transformer beside it has been there for a long time and nothing happened until now. Getting water has been stressful for us at this age. The government should help us with a new borehole.”

    The elderly women, too frail to fetch water themselves, now depend on neighbors and daily purchases of water to survive, a burden made heavier by rising costs and limited finances available to them as they cannot work again to earn an income.

    NO ALTERNATIVE

    Sharing the events as they unfolded, a woman in her mid-40s, Ade Aderiyigbe, took a deep breath as she began to recount the events she witnessed.

    “The very day it happened; I went there to fetch water but was told some substances had been poured into the well. Surprisingly, when I tried, the first draw was like diesel, the same as the second draw.

    “Then we stopped and made a video of it that went viral and drew the attention of government agencies. When the government came, they drew out everything until it was dry. They also supplied us with a tank of water and promised to fix the well, but since then, we have not heard anything from them.”

    Recounting how useful the well had been and how difficult life has become without it, she said, “The well serves everyone in this community. We even drink from it, but now that there is no alternative, we’ve been left to fend for ourselves by buying water from another community. We want the government to help us build another well.”

    Another resident, Motunrayo Akanji, shared her ordeal, corroborating the accounts of other witnesses.

    “That day, we noticed that the surface of the water looked unusually shiny. Out of curiosity, we drew out what we thought was water, but it turned out to be pure diesel. The police later secured the well until government officials arrived. They evacuated the contaminated water and left it overnight to see if fresh water would emerge. Unfortunately, the new water that surfaced the next day was still contaminated. Since then, we have been left to our fate; the well has become completely useless.

    She further stressed that, “The owners of the well are elderly women who can no longer move around, so they depend on us, their neighbors’, to fetch water from another community not just for them but for ourselves as well

    Speaking of the effort of the Oyo State government, she said “After the government removed the oily substances and took it away, they supplied us with water that lasted only a day. Since then, we haven’t heard anything from them.”

    Another eyewitness, Kabirat Adebiyi, while expressing her distress, lamented the situation with clear frustration, saying, “It was like a miracle when we opened the well to fetch water that morning. We did not even know what it was, despite lots of speculations, until government agencies came and said it was diesel.

    “We thought it was the mast beside the well, but there is no link or connection between the mast and the well. Since then, we have not been able to use the water. Despite promises made by the government to build another well for us, nothing has been done.”

    “Please help us to do something about it. We are tired of buying water for our daily use. I sell tomatoes, and I need a lot of water to wash them before sale. Its not been easy,” she pleaded.

    A student, Olamide Faramade, who also is as a resident of the community, shared her ordeals during a brief interaction with this reporter.

    “The government promised to give us water, but we have not heard anything from them. They said the diesel was from the mast close to the well. They pumped out the content and left. It has been taking a toll on me in particular as a student because I have to buy water to cook and so on and I have no choice,”, she stated.

    According to Chapter II, Section 20 (Environmental Objectives) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution, “The State shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria.” This implies that the government is responsible for ensuring safe and adequate water resources.

    The Oyo State Water Corporation Edict (1977, amended 2006) also empowers the state government to provide potable water to residents.

    As the government-maintained silence on the stalled intervention, a call was placed to a top official in the state’s Ministry of Environment, who requested anonymity.

    In his brief response, he said: “I’m not permitted to speak on this matter, but as colleagues, I can tell you this: the crude-oil claim is a rumour. It appears someone may have poured something into the well; no crude oil was discovered. I’m also not aware that the government promised them another well. However, through the Ministry and the Oyo State Water Corporation, a water tanker was provided for the community’s use.”

    When asked if the mast owner had been directed to take responsibility for the well, as earlier reported by The Nation, he declined to respond, simply stating: “No comment.”

    When contacted, the Oyo State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade said he’s sure something is being done.

    Oyo State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade

    According to him, the government doesn’t promise something and does not fulfill it. So if it was claimed that crude oil was discovered and it was later disclaimed, not even that will stop the governor from fulfilling his promise if he had said so. “So, the only thing I can confirm for you is to seek an audience with the Ministry of Environment or Ruwassa, the people in charge of water in Oyo state, and I will do that presently. They are the only people that can confirm it. I’m sure something is being done.  I will confirm after my meetings today.  If the governor promises, the governor fulfills and that’s what he’s been doing for over six years.”

    In a separate interview with a water rights advocate, Gideon Adeyeni, he spoke about the contamination while sharing his experience in advocating for access to clean water.

    He said, “Based on my experience over the past years advocating for access to clean drinkable water, especially in marginalised communities, contamination, aside from privatisation (of public water assets) is another means through which communities are denied access to clean drinkable water.

    The water rights advocate noted it was the government’s responsibility while also highlighting the impact on the communities. He said, “Sometimes, as is the case here, contamination aids privatisation.  It is not uncommon to find communities where the underground water has been contaminated, usually with petroleum or some other chemicals, leaking through a poorly maintained or burst pipeline or storage.

    “Whichever way the underground water gets contaminated, it is the duty of the government to ensure that people have access to clean drinkable water by ensuring the prevention of such contamination or quick cleanup.

    “Unfortunately, the government and its agencies have been negligent in preventing or cleaning up such contamination, leaving many marginalised communities across the country without access to clean drinkable water for a long period of time.

    Adeyeni linked contamination to privatisation, calling for resistance to water injustice. “This often leads to a situation in which communities are left at the mercy of private water providers, indicating how contamination could aid privatisation in the denial of the right to clean drinkable water.

    “The denial of the right to clean drinkable water to any individual or community constitutes water injustice, and must be resisted. The way forward is for us to continue to demand water justice, that is, the fulfillment of the right to clean drinkable water for all, which means challenging water privatisation and calling out the government to prevent and clean up contamination, and thereby build the water justice movement.”

    An Environmental Health Officer, Daniel Akande, raised concerns from a professional standpoint. He said, “I must say that clean and safe water is a fundamental right, and continued exposure to petroleum-contaminated water can cause severe health challenges and environmental hazards. So, this needs urgent intervention.”

    Sharing his view on who should be taking the lead in addressing this issue, Akande said the government has a legal and moral responsibility to immediately provide a replacement borehole as promised, conduct proper remediation (risk assessment) of the polluted well, and hold whoever is responsible for the contamination accountable.

    He added, “The government directly or indirectly profits from the telecommunications that own the mast that is allegedly responsible for the pollution.”

    The Environmental Health Officer advised the community to take proactive measures by petitioning the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria or some climate change groups or NGOs, if the local or state government is already aware of the incident and takes no sustainable measures to address the menace.

    With the growing crisis of climate change, which has caused droughts in some communities, access to potable water continues to be a major concern for many, especially community dwellers who have always relied on local sources of water.

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    This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab