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Food smuggling: FG intercepts 141 grain trucks, drivers threaten strike over attacks
In continuation of measures to address the food inflation and cost of living crisis, the Federal Government Tuesday said it had so far intercepted 141 trucks attempting to smuggle grains and other staples to Niger Republic, Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said that the service had within two weeks arrested about 120 trucks smuggling food items from Nigeria while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission stopped 21 food trucks from leaving the country on Tuesday.
As the CG was disclosing the measures being enforced to ensure food security at the House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday, truck drivers, who have been targets of attacks by hoodlums, had threatened to declare a strike if the situation persisted.
Several trucks and warehouses, mostly owned by manufacturers and other members of the organised private sector have come under attack from hoodlums as the food inflation and the cost of living crisis in the country spiralled.
Last week, some youths stole food items from trucks stuck in traffic along the Kaduna Road in the Suleja area of Niger State.
On Sunday, hoodlums attacked a warehouse belonging to the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration located in the Dei-Dei area of the capital city where they looted rice, grains, and other relief items.
The miscreants in their numbers also stormed another warehouse in the Idu Industrial Estate, Jabi, Abuja, but were repelled by the troops guarding the facility.
Similarly, another set of youths attacked trucks conveying building materials and spaghetti in Ogun and Kaduna states on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Worried by the unsavoury development, the organised private sector warned the attacks could lead to a shutdown of industries across the country.
Briefing the federal lawmakers on the enforcement of the Presidential directive to curtail food smuggling during the sectoral debate series, the Customs CG, Adeniyi, said President Bola Tinubu had given a directive that the arrested trucks be diverted to the local markets in the area where they were arrested to force down the prices of grains and other food items.
“We arrested in two weeks about 120 trucks of food items going out of the country. These are the food items Mr President has asked us to give back to the local markets where the arrests were made. We believe this will drive down the price of food items in these places,” he added.
He stated that the decision to halt the smuggling of food items was to fight hunger and not encourage those who wanted to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.
He warned against adopting quick-fix solutions to address the food scarcity in the country, adding that the country must put in place long-term measures to address the situation.
Adeniyi explained that the Customs were playing their part in ensuring that the problem of food security was addressed, adding that currently, most agriculture inputs attract zero duty and the value-added tax.
The CG noted that the need to learn from lessons learnt while auctioning seized food items in Lagos was the reason the service was ha to commence the program outside Lagos State.
About seven persons died in a stampede at the NCS Old Zonal Headquarters in the Yaba area of Lagos State during the auction of bags of rice confiscated from smugglers by the NCS last month.
The incident forced the authorities to suspend the exercise.
Bringing the lawmakers up to speed on the public auction, Adeniyi said President Tinubu directed the NCS to auction to vulnerable Nigerians the food items intercepted at the Nigerian borders, noting that the implementation of the programme kicked off in Lagos, but was stopped.
Adeniyi further said the seized foodstuffs were to be sold to the local markets nationwide on the President’s orders.
He said, “Mr President has directed that we sell directly to needy Nigerians food items produced locally but which were seized. This is one of the ways to address hunger and food scarcity we are facing. We have started this in Lagos.
“Also, the President has also directed that imported food items seized by the Nigeria Customs Service should be sold back to the local markets for resale to Nigerians.”
Fielding questions from lawmakers during the session presided over by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, Adeniyi gave reasons why the auction of seized grains was temporarily discontinued by the NCS.
“We started in Lagos but you know what happened. There was a stampede. No matter the number of bags of rice you share or sell, it will not be enough.
“We have to focus on one place at a time. We will use the lessons we learnt in Lagos to coordinate this programme when we resume,” he said.
In their enforcement of the Presidential directive against food smuggling, operatives of the Maiduguri zonal command of the EFCC have arrested 21 trucks loaded with food and non-food items heading towards N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central African Republic, and Cameroon.
The Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement on Tuesday, that the trucks were intercepted in a sting operation at major exit routes along Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama Roads, Borno State.
It said, “Investigation showed food items cleverly concealed in the trucks that would have gone undetected but for the eagle-eyed vigilance of operatives of the commission.
“Further checks showed that the waybills covering the goods carried by trucks indicated their destinations as N’djamena, Chad Republic, Central Africa Republic, and Cameroon, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, on Tuesday said that food scarcity came too early this year, noting that “It often rears its head in May/June but it came quite early this time.’’
This was just as he blamed the food scarcity being experienced across the country on smuggling, flooding, the naira redesign policy and the COVID-19 pandemic which ravaged the world in 2019 and 2020.
Speaking at the sectoral debate series at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Kyari noted that the naira redesign policy implemented by the government of Muhammadu Buhari denied small-scale farmers access to cash to pay for their harvest towards the end of 2022 as well as pay for cultivation during the commencement of the wet season.
He asserted that the insecurity in the country culminated in low cultivation of land as many farmers were displaced from their communities.
To address the challenges being faced by farmers nationwide, Kyari assured Nigerians that President Tinubu had mandated the agric ministry to make grains available both for cultivation and consumption.
“We have engaged the World Food Programme to help stabilize prices. We also asked them to assist our farmers to produce more food.
“But we want our farmers to take advantage of irrigation facilities to do all-season farming and the President has been very supportive of this,” he said.
The minister noted that so far, “About 5,000 tractors are working in Nigeria,” adding that the nation needs “72,000 functional tractors to meet the growing needs of Nigerians.”
He added that the ministry had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a manufacturer to supply 2, 000 tractors annually for the next five years.
In a development that could compound the social and economic situation in the country, truck owners involved in the haulage of food and fuel have declared that they may stop transporting the commodities following the incessant attacks on their vehicles by hoodlums.
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, Yusuf Othman, in an interview with The Press on Tuesday, said the truck drivers might withdraw their services if the attacks and looting of food trucks continued.
He called on the state governments to address the looting of trucks, adding that the looted food items were not insured by their owners.
In an interview with The Press on Tuesday, Othman said the recent attacks had severely impacted their operations negatively.
He stated, “We are affected negatively by these attacks and right now we are strategizing. It might interest you to know that the insurance we get does not cover riots or such fracas.
“So, we are appealing to the general public to avoid such attacks on our trucks. This is because if such kind of attacks continue, what will happen is that transporters will stop carrying food items and this will lead to food scarcity across the country.
“If you are transporting food and somebody stops you on the road and loot the food items, what will you do?”
The NARTO president expressed worries about the inadequate security on the roads, stating that the truck owners would stop operations if the attacks on truck drivers did not abate.
“We just have to stop transporting the food items, until something is done about it. Security has to be enforced. The various state governments need to act now to reduce the suffering of their citizens because this is not entirely a Federal Government issue.
“The state governments must be able to curb these concerns because it is usually the local people in states that attack our trucks and cart away food items in these trucks,” Othman stated.
On whether NARTO had commenced any form of discussion with state governments on the issue, Othman replied in the negative, stressing that some of these attackers also targeted fuel tanker drivers.
He, however, stated that the association had met with security agencies over the issue and again pleaded with the public to desist from attacking trucks transporting food and other products.
The transporter said, “As for state governments, we have not met with them because we don’t have direct access to interface with them, but are discussing with some security agencies how best to avoid this kind of incident. It is not good for everyone.
“It can threaten the distribution of food because if you load (goods) and somebody is going to stop you on the road to loot the goods, why will you continue to load? And mind you, it is not only trucks that are transporting food that they attacked.’’
Speaking further on the attacks on tanker drivers, Othman explained, “For the fuel that we load, sometimes when these trucks break down, you will see locals coming to open the tanks by force to scoop the fuel.
“If a fire breaks out during such an instance, people will attribute it to fallen trucks, not knowing that it was the locals who forced the tanks open to scoop fuel.’’
“So, it is high time people realised that as much as we appreciate the situation of the country, they must know that two wrongs can’t make a right. There is the need to address these things holistically so that we get a lasting solution,” he stated.
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Angry Ex-Senate president, Saraki slams Kwara gov, says “you never completed secondary sch education”
Ex-Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described as a “desperate ploy by a drowning politician” the move by Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to initiate a case of criminal culpability against him over the Offa robbery incident of 2018 “which I know nothing about”.
While describing the criminal case as “dirty politics taken too far and too low”, Saraki warned Abdulrazaq to desist from this despicable act of using the Offa robbery incident as a weapon anytime he came under political pressure over his poor policy conception and failure to live up to expectations as a governor of a state known as the State of Harmony.
Ordinarily, my attitude to this insidious move by the incumbent Governor of Kwara State to initiate a case of criminal liability against me in the unfortunate incident of armed robbery which happened in Offa community eight years ago should be to shrug it off and say that we will meet in court since I know I have nothing to do with the incident or any other crime for that matter.
“However, I have been inundated with calls from many well-meaning Nigerians who were surprised by this turn of events. Thus, for the benefit of the general public, let me categorically state that I have nothing to do directly or indirectly with any case of armed robbery or any criminal matter, whatsoever. The Offa robbery incident was designed under the Buhari administration with the connivance of some individuals from Kwara State as an instrument of blackmail to seize political power from our group in 2019.
“The case was investigated by the police team from the office of the Inspector General of Police. However, following the investigation, in two separate legal advices dated June 22nd, 2018, and August 23rd, 2018, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) stated that there was no evidence directly or indirectly linking me to the robbery incident.
“ The DPP in his first legal advice stated that “For the Senate President and the Kwara State Governor, this office is unable to establish from the evidence in the interim report a nexus between the alleged offence and the suspects”.
In a second report, the DPP stated that “With regards to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, since there is no departure from the earlier findings in the interim report, this office is still unable to establish any prima facie case against him for any offences of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide”.
Based on the DPP’s advice, four suspects were charged in court by the Kwara State Government. They were convicted at the trial court and the conviction was upheld by the appellate court. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.
Suddenly, the governor woke up after I granted my interview to Channels TV where I commented on the insecurity in the state and thought he could resurrect these baseless charges against his two predecessors. I noticed that in his propaganda plan to circulate his frivolous charges and other skewed documents as paid advertisements in the national newspapers, even before serving the defendants, he intentionally hid the DPP reports and other documents which put a lie to the charade he is perpetuating. These are deliberate efforts to mislead the media and induce them to give purchased publicity to the frame-up.
“Therefore, I am under no illusion that this case was a frivolous move and an abuse of court process to embarrass my person. My legal team will definitely meet this governor in court. I believe that Abdulrahman just feels that he could still use this case to harass and defame my person by abusing the judicial process. He had tried to induce the families of the victims to initiate civil litigations against the other respondents and me, but he seemed not to be making progress with that mischievous effort because the families backed out.
“I need to remind him that this vicious attack on my reputation because he enjoys the immunity of a governor is a huge joke on him. A sitting governor who is accusing his two immediate predecessors of armed robbery is only making a mockery of the institution. He is only taking the governorship of our dear state to the gutter.
This is an example of dirty politics taken too far and too low. He ought to know that nobody at the national or state level is buying his claim. He is the butt of a crude joke. Many of those involved in the plot to blackmail me with the Offa robbery case have since faced judgements of the law of karma. I do not doubt that this governor will end up the same way.
“One would have thought that a governor whose state has lost over 400 lives to banditry between January 2025 and March 2026, with over 100 others kidnapped in the worst cases of insecurity since its creation, would concentrate efforts and focus attention on taming the menace by getting the bandits arrested to face justice. No. He is fixated on filing frivolous and politically motivated charges against his predecessors.
This shows the dark mindset of the man who is the governor of Kwara State today. A man who emphasises dirty politics over development and security of life and properties of the citizenry. He started working on this plot immediately after my interview on Channels TV where I flayed his lack of capacity in tackling the security crisis in the state. He thought this case would erase his record as the governor with the worst cases of insecurity under his watch in the state’s history. It is an unenviable record he has sustained by his lack of capacity and ability to tackle serious issues of the state.
“This is a mere act of a desperate politician who is losing control in his party and knows that his days in governance are numbered.
It is the reason Nigerians should always take into consideration the level of education of those we elect into office. For a man who never completed secondary school education, it is difficult for him to appreciate the issues involved in any matter. His level of education is definitely affecting his judgement.
An Ikeja Special Offences Court has scheduled May 4, 2026, to deliver its ruling on whether an extra-judicial statement made by co-defendant Henry Omoile will be admitted as evidence in the ongoing trial involving former Godwin Emefiele.
The statement in question was allegedly made by Omoile, who is standing trial alongside Emefiele. Presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, fixed the date after both the prosecution and defence teams adopted their final written addresses during a trial-within-trial session.
The hearing is focused on determining whether Omoile’s statement was given voluntarily and is therefore admissible in court.
Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged gratification, corrupt practices, and abuse of office, involving transactions estimated at $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
Omoile, meanwhile, is standing trial on a three-count charge relating to alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts connected to dealings with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Counsel to Omoile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adeyinka Kotoye, argued that the statement should be rejected on the grounds that it was not voluntarily made. He cited provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, stressing the importance of video-recorded interrogations to ensure transparency.
The defence also raised concerns over possible coercion, inducement, and lack of proper legal representation during the recording of the statement.
Similarly, counsel to Emefiele, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), urged the court to discountenance the statement, arguing under the Evidence Act that any involuntary confession is inadmissible.
However, Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), maintained that the statement was properly obtained in line with legal procedures, adding that although it was not video-recorded, it was made in the presence of Omoile’s lawyer.
He further argued that the contents of the statement do not support claims of coercion, noting that Omoile did not implicate Emefiele and denied the allegations against himself.
After hearing all submissions, Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter for ruling on May 4, 2026, while also fixing June 26 and June 30, 2026, for continuation of the substantive trial.
Nine kingmakers of Ijebu-Ode have been re-invited by the Ogun State Police Command to appear at the command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, next Monday and Tuesday over fresh allegations of bribery and financial inducement in the selection of the new Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland.
The development marks the second time the kingmakers are being summoned by the police on the matter.
Recall that the Ogun State Government, in January 2026, suspended the selection process through a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat.
The suspension followed petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders.
The kingmakers were first invited by the Ogun State Police Command in February over similar accusations of cash inducement. However, the probe was later dropped following the intervention of superior authorities.
In the latest development, the nine kingmakers have been re-invited through a letter dated April 17, 2026, signed by Gbenga Adeoye, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
One of the kingmakers, the Kakanfo of Ijebuland, Chief Abimbola Okenla, confirmed the invitation.
He disclosed that four of them are expected to appear on Monday, April 21, 2026, while the remaining five are scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, 2026.
Chief Okenla described the repeated invitations as a distraction, insisting that the allegations are unfounded.
“It’s true that the Ogun State Police Command has invited the kingmakers to the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta.
Four of us are to be there on Monday while the remaining five will be there on Tuesday,” he said.
“None of us is happy with this frequent invitation by the security agencies over unfounded allegations. The people of Ijebuland are equally not happy about it because it is becoming more of a distraction.”
The Kakanfo appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow the kingmakers to conclude the selection process without further delay.
“We are only pleading with Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow the kingmakers to do their job and complete the assignment of picking the next Awujale of Ijebuland without any further delay,” he added.
Parts of the police invitation letter read:
“In continuation of the aforementioned case under investigation, you are kindly requested to report at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on [Monday/Tuesday] April 21/22, 2026 at 1000hrs for an interview with the Commissioner of Police, through the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department.
“This is a fact-finding invitation pursuant to the investigative powers conferred on the Nigeria Police by the combined provisions of Section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Section 4(a) of the Police Act 2020.
“Your presence is therefore required to assist in advancing the course of criminal justice delivery and fairness. Should you require any clarification, kindly contact 08038455857. Please take note that you are at liberty to come along with your lawyer.”
Angry Ex-Senate president, Saraki slams Kwara gov, says “you never completed secondary sch education”
Court Fixes Ruling Date In High-Profile Godwin Emefiele Trial
Awujale Stool: Police Again Summon Kingmakers Over Alleged Bribery in Selection Process
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