Category Nigeria News

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in partnership with the British High Commission Abuja, has rescued and returned 23 Nigerians trafficked to scam centres in Southeast Asia as part of efforts to combat cyber-enabled human trafficking and support survivor recovery.

The agency disclosed this at a survivor-centred event in Abuja titled “Confronting the Global Scam Centre Crisis: Perspectives of Nigerian Survivors.”

The event brought together victims recently repatriated after being trafficked to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand under false job promises.

The rescue followed coordinated interventions by NAPTIP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, and British NGO EDEN. On-ground triangulation at the Thai–Myanmar border and welfare visits to detained Nigerians in Bangkok facilitated their release and safe return.

According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 2026 report titled “A Wicked Problem,” at least 120,000 people are trapped in forced scam operations in Myanmar, with over 300,000 victims across Southeast Asia. The report stated that between 2020 and 2025, about 74 per cent of identified victims globally were trafficked into scam centres in the region after being lured with fake employment opportunities.

Speaking at the event, UK Deputy High Commissioner to Abuja Gill Lever said: “We are here today to listen to survivors who have shown remarkable bravery in sharing their experiences. The UK is working closely with NAPTIP, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EDEN and IOM to ensure survivors receive trauma-informed care and safe repatriation. Their courage will help prevent others from being harmed, and we stand firmly with Nigeria and all African Commonwealth partners in confronting this rapidly evolving threat.”

NAPTIP’s Director of Public Enlightenment, representing the Director-General, added: “The courage these survivors have shown in sharing their stories is remarkable. Their experiences expose the brutal reality of trafficking into scam centres, a crime that strips people of their dignity and freedom.”

One of the survivors stated: “I was promised opportunity, a good job and a chance for a better life. Instead, I was trapped and forced to do things that went against everything I believe in.”

The House Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs of the United States Congress have recommended a series of measures aimed at addressing what they described as the “persecution of Christians” in Nigeria.

The recommendations follow the formal submission of a report to the White House outlining the committees’ findings and proposals. The submission comes after President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

In the report released by committee chairman Riley Moore, lawmakers proposed several steps to address the alleged crisis and improve security and religious freedom.

READ ALSO: US Congress Submits Report On Nigeria, Recommends Sanctions Over ‘Christian Persecution’

One key recommendation is the blocking of beef exports from Nigeria, a measure intended to encourage Fulani herdsmen to disarm amid reports of increasing attacks on Christian communities.

The committees also recommended continuing visa restrictions on individuals involved in violence against Christians and violations of religious freedom.

The full recommendations include:

Recommendations

➤ A bilateral agreement between the United States and the Government of Nigeria to protect vulnerable Christian communities, eliminate jihadist activity, enhance economic cooperation, and counter regional adversaries such as the Chinese Communist Party and the Russian Federation. The agreement should include:

Commitments by the Government of Nigeria to co-fund humanitarian assistance, including through faith-based organisations, and prioritise Internally Displaced Persons and host communities in the predominantly Christian Middle Belt region;

Support for early-warning systems to prevent attacks and kidnappings, including the deployment of capable security forces to respond rapidly and hold those who ignore warnings accountable;

Removal of Fulani militias from confiscated farmland and facilitation of the voluntary return of displaced communities, with security and infrastructure support to encourage agricultural productivity;

Expansion of security cooperation with the United States, including divestment of Russian military equipment in favour of American systems through sales and financing.

➤ Technical support for the Nigerian government to reduce and eliminate violence from armed Fulani militias through:

A demobilisation, disarmament, and reintegration programme to address illicit weapons while enabling lawful self-defence;

Support for the Ministry of Livestock and ranching initiatives alongside land reform efforts;

Strengthening the recruitment and operational capabilities of security forces to respond to violent attacks.

➤ Enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation to eliminate foreign terrorist organisations posing security threats, including the provision of defence equipment and relevant drawdown authorities.

➤ Measures to counter the influence of Chinese illegal mining operations and their alleged practice of funding Fulani militias through protection payments.

➤ Implementation of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, including:

Accountability mechanisms requiring demonstrable progress before additional funds are released;

Programmes to strengthen religious freedom, legal reforms, policing, and anti-money laundering capabilities;

Efforts to disrupt terrorist financing and recover illicit funds linked to militias;

Oversight of U.S. aid through a Government Accountability Office audit;

Investments via the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, particularly in the Middle Belt.

➤ Public enforcement of directives under the Country of Particular Concern designation to identify and hold perpetrators accountable.

➤ Sanctions on individuals and groups involved in violence against Christians or religious persecution.

➤ Continued visa restrictions for those implicated in religious violence.

➤ Calls for the repeal of Sharia-based codes and anti-blasphemy laws.

➤ Use of leverage, including restrictions on beef and cattle product exports to countries such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, and Senegal, to encourage disarmament by Fulani herdsmen.

➤ Strengthening of diplomatic staffing in Nigeria.

➤ Improvements to the Foreign Military Sales process to expedite procurement of defence equipment.

➤ A National Intelligence Estimate on sectarian and communal violence in Nigeria and consideration of classifying Fulani militia groups linked to terror activities as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.

The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has confirmed the appointment of Peter Akpe as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.

Akpe, who until his confirmation served as Chief of Staff at Government House, Yenagoa, was nominated by Governor Douye Diri following the vacancy created by the death of the former deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.

A seasoned public administrator and politician, Akpe is a former two-term member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

He rose through the civil service to the rank of Director before moving into senior political roles, including Deputy Chief of Staff and Acting Chief of Staff.

He holds a PhD and is also known as a Christian minister, often addressed as Hon. (Dr) or Pastor Peter Akpe.

READ ALSO: Diri Orders Autopsy To Reveal Cause Of Deputy Governor’s Death

Akpe’s confirmation follows the death of Ewhrudjakpo in December 2025.

In a statement issued by the state government, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, announced the passing with “deep regret and profound shock”.

“The Deputy Governor was active and carrying out official duties earlier in the day. He collapsed while proceeding to a scheduled meeting within his office and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where he was later confirmed dead,” the statement read.

Governor Diri subsequently declared three days of mourning, directing that flags be flown at half-mast and describing the loss as “a great loss to the Government and people of Bayelsa State and the nation”.

He also directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of the death of the state’s deputy governor.

Diri extended condolences to the late deputy governor’s wife, Beatrice, his children, the Ewhrudjakpo family, the Ofoni Federated Community, former governor Henry Seriake Dickson, and the people of the state, praying for comfort and strength for them.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also described Ewhrudjakpo as “a principled and consistent politician… a person of conviction, not convenience; a leader whose life was anchored on belief, integrity and strength of character”.

On the fourth anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, voiced concern over what he described as a disturbing development — Russia’s recruitment of Nigerians and other Africans to fight in the war.

Mignot, speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Tuesday, said reports from civil society organisations indicate that the recruitment is becoming a growing phenomenon.

“There is another important phenomenon which is impacting Africa, which is recruitment of African men and women by Russia. Women to be sent and work in military plants in Russia and men to be sent as cannon fodder on the front. Of course they are being lured with job promises,” Mignot said.

READ ALSO: Five Key Moments Four Years Into The Russia-Ukraine War

The EU ambassador stated that Russia is recruiting from Africa because it is running out of soldiers, describing the practice as crude and harmful to individuals with no connection to the conflict.

“Russia is running out of soldiers, so they have been growingly doing that including with Nigerians, and it’s extremely crude sending these people who have absolutely nothing to do with this war to die on the front.

“Some of them have been captured by the Ukrainian army, and this is something I think African countries have started to react to. We have seen even the Nigerian government publish a communique on this phenomenon of recruitment into war — they did not mention Russia,” he added.

On perceptions that Russia is winning the war, Mignot dismissed the claim, calling it a false impression.

“There are other false perceptions about this war, the impression that Russia is winning the war little by little — no, it is not. There is a stalemate at the front. Actually in the last few weeks it is Ukraine which has reclaimed a few hundred square kilometres of territory,” he said.

He noted, however, that the war is unlikely to be resolved by military means soon and argued that lasting peace requires international pressure on Russia to engage in dialogue.

Russia has denied reports of recruiting Africans for the war in Ukraine, describing the allegations as unfounded.

Mignot maintained that testimonies from Africans recruited for the war support the reports and dismissed Russia’s denial as untrue, saying it reflects an unwillingness to stop the practice.

On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognises the independence of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014.

Three days later at dawn, Putin announces a major military offensive in Ukraine, which he calls a “special military operation” to “de-Nazify” and “demilitarise” its neighbour.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the death of one of its officers and two other citizens in a fatal road accident at the Badagry Roundabout inward Seme on Monday.

In a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, the authority described the incident as tragic and deeply saddening.

According to LASTMA, the crash involved a truck which reportedly suffered brake failure while travelling at high speed.

“The driver lost control of the vehicle, which then struck the LASTMA officer who was diligently performing his traffic regulation duties and a pedestrian at the roundabout.

“The truck continued on its path, tragically taking the life of another individual before coming to a stop approximately 200 meters from the initial point of impact. The driver fled the accident scene but, was later apprehended by other LASTMA personnel and handed over to the Police.

“Emergency response teams, including LASTMA officers, the Badagry Police Division, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Defence Corps and concerned citizens were immediately mobilised to the scene. The victims were rushed to the General Hospital Badagry, where they were sadly pronounced dead,” the statement read.

READ ALSO: Troops Kill 25 ISWAP Fighters, Recover 13 AK-47s

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed grief over the loss, saying, “This is a heartbreaking incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims during this incredibly difficult time.”

He described the fallen officer as “a dedicated public servant who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the people of Lagos,” adding that the agency honours his courage and professionalism.

Bakare-Oki also stressed the need for stricter vehicle maintenance across the transport sector, noting that the tragedy underscores the consequences of mechanical failure. He urged haulage and logistics companies to conduct regular and rigorous checks, particularly on braking systems.

The accident vehicle has been impounded and transferred to the Badagry Police Division for investigation.

The media adviser to former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, Muyiwa Adekeye, has said the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has not responded to his principal’s bail application eight days after his detention.

In a statement posted on X on Monday night, Adekeye wrote, “Today marks eight days since Malam Nasir El-Rufai was detained. He voluntarily reported at the EFCC in the morning of Monday, February 16, 2026, in response to an invitation.”

According to him, El-Rufai was initially held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until the night of February 18, when he was moved to ICPC custody.

“As at today, his lawyers have not received any response from the ICPC to their application for bail; and they have not been shown any remand order as the 48-hour window for holding a person without charge has expired,” Adekeye added.

READ ALSO: El-Rufai Sues ICPC For ₦1bn Over Alleged Abuja Home Invasion

Court Proceedings

The aide said at least two court matters involving the former governor are scheduled for hearing this week.

He stated, “The hearing in his fundamental rights case against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the DSS has been fixed for 25th February. This case, which is before the FCT High Court, is seeking an order to admit him to bail.”

He added that El-Rufai “is scheduled for arraignment on the same date on the widely publicised charges filed by the DSS.”

Adekeye also disclosed that El-Rufai has approached the Federal High Court to challenge the legality of a search conducted at his Abuja residence on February 19.

He said the suit seeks a declaration “that the search warrant is invalid, for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth and lack of probable cause.”

The former governor is also asking the court to rule that the search violated his fundamental rights and to restrain authorities from using items recovered during the operation in any proceedings against him.

Detention Timeline

Providing a chronology of events, Adekeye said ICPC officials searched El-Rufai’s residence on February 19, after which he underwent further interrogation on February 20.

He noted that a bail application was filed after the interrogation, but “has had no response, so far.”

On his earlier detention by the EFCC between 16 and 18 February, the aide said El-Rufai was granted administrative bail with conditions, including a serving federal permanent secretary as surety, while his lawyers sought a variation of the terms.

Adekeye also relayed complaints by El-Rufai’s counsel, Ubong Akpan, who described his continued custody at the time as “unlawful detention without justification.”

He further alleged that access to the former governor by lawyers and family members was difficult, adding that “his lawyers have reported that he suffered an overnight episode of bleeding from his nose.”

The statement further claimed that on February 12, El-Rufai’s passport “was snatched at the airport, during a failed attempt to arrest him,” an action his lawyers reportedly condemned as unlawful.

Adekeye said the ICPC later issued a letter inviting him for questioning, to which his lawyers responded that he would honour the invitation on February 18.