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The child was rescued at a hotel in Abia State after police allegedly uncovered a plot to traffic her for financial gain.

The Abia State Police Command has arrested a father and three other suspects over an alleged attempt to sell and traffic his 16-month-old daughter for financial gain.

The suspects were arrested on September 7, 2026, by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Gender Unit, at a hotel in Obi, Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, disclosed the development on Friday while briefing journalists on the command’s achievements since he assumed office on August 10.

Afolabi said the suspects were transferred from the Central Police Station, Umuahia, in connection with alleged conspiracy and child trafficking.

According to the commissioner, preliminary investigations established that one of the suspects was the biological father of the child.

He added that further investigation indicated that the alleged attempt to traffic the girl was motivated by the suspects’ desire to make money.

The child was rescued and handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs for protection, while the four suspects remained in police custody as investigations continued.

Police rescue nine kidnapped victims

Afolabi also disclosed that the command had recorded more than 152 criminal cases and arrested over 220 suspects since his assumption of office.

He said several of the cases had been investigated and charged to court.

According to him, the command also rescued nine kidnapped victims, recovered 101 rounds of ammunition and cartridges, recovered six stolen vehicles, including tricycles and motorcycles, and dismantled two criminal networks during the period under review.

Abducted doctor rescued

The commissioner further disclosed the rescue of a medical doctor who was allegedly abducted by armed men on August 19.

Afolabi said the doctor was forced into his vehicle by the assailants, who subsequently fled towards Imo State.

He explained that vehicle-tracking technology and coordinated intelligence operations involving the Abia and Imo State police commands led to the recovery of the vehicle and the rescue of the victim in the early hours of August 20.

Several suspects allegedly linked to the incident, including individuals suspected of assisting with the movement or distribution of ransom money, have been arrested.

The police, however, said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the alleged criminal network.

In another major operation, Afolabi disclosed the arrest of a suspect allegedly linked to an armed robbery and kidnapping incident along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in Aba.

The suspect was reportedly arrested after a female victim was robbed of her Toyota Highlander, mobile phones, handbag and other personal belongings.

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The Federal Government has approved the takeover of admissions into Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in a major reform aimed at sanitising the admission process in polytechnics and other institutions offering HND programmes.

The decision means prospective HND students will, from the current admission session, have their admissions processed through JAMB under a centralised system.

The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) disclosed this in a circular dated September 9, 2026, signed by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Bugaje, and obtained by LEADERSHIP Weekend.

The directive followed a meeting involving the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa; JAMB; NBTE; the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); and officials of the Federal Ministry of Education.

According to the NBTE, the new system is designed to tackle illegal, irregular and compromised admissions, particularly cases that could leave students stranded after completing their programmes.

The board said some students admitted through questionable channels had faced difficulties securing NYSC mobilisation after obtaining their HND certificates.

“All HND admissions in all institutions shall from this session be taken over by JAMB to provide centralised process and avoid illegal and compromised admissions, jeopardising students’ mobilisation for NYSC after HND,” the circular stated.

The Federal Ministry of Education is expected to issue a detailed statement on the new policy next week.

NBTE also directed that comprehensive guidelines for HND admissions be developed immediately and submitted to JAMB to guide the implementation of the new digital admission platform.

The proposed guidelines will cover important issues, including the waiting period required for National Diploma (ND) holders before progressing to HND programmes.

They will also clarify exemptions applicable to certain ND health-related programmes.

Part-time ND admissions capped at 50%

The government also approved a new limit for part-time National Diploma admissions following the decision to bring all part-time ND admissions under JAMB.

Under the new arrangement, institutions will be permitted to admit part-time students up to 50 per cent of their approved full-time admission quota.

“Now that all part-time ND admissions are under the JAMB, the proportion of part-time students is pegged at 50 per cent of the approved full-time quota,” NBTE stated.

The Federal Government further reaffirmed an earlier NBTE directive concerning candidates holding combined National Certificate in Education (NCE) and HND qualifications.

In a separate circular issued on September 7, NBTE directed that candidates with an NCE/HND combination should not be presented for NYSC mobilisation.

The latest reforms are expected to strengthen central oversight of admissions into Nigeria’s technical and polytechnic institutions while reducing irregular admission practices and protecting students from complications after graduation.

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… says abuse is a menace to society

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has said Nigeria must punish drug pushers to have a better society, saying the abuse is a menace to society.

“We must punish those who profit from drugs. We must also treat those who have become trapped by them. The dealer needs the law. The dependent person needs care,” he said, adding that, “The government is present. The law is active. The public must also participate.”

Speaker Abbas stated this on Saturday at the close of a three-day sensitisation programme against drug abuse and domestic violence held in Kaduna. The programme, which is part of the Speaker’s constituency outreach, was organised in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

He said, “Parents must watch for sudden changes in conduct. Schools must provide counseling and report warning signs. Pharmacists and medicine vendors must reject the unlawful sale of controlled substances.

“Traditional and religious leaders must reject silence around addiction and abuse. Neighbours must report violence. Market and transport unions must report suspicious movement of drugs. Young people must reject pressure and seek help when needed.

“Victims should seek safety, obtain medical care, preserve evidence, and report abuse. Communities must protect them, not punish them with blame or shame.”

Speaker Abbas recalled the last edition of the programme in February 2025, which heralded a four-month campaign across the North-West. “We promised to take the message beyond conference halls. We promised to engage traditional rulers, religious leaders, teachers, parents, young people, and community organisations,” he said.

He noted that Saturday’s edition of the programme showed that “we have kept that promise.”

The Speaker said NOA has taken the campaign into Kaduna’s streets and communities, while its officers are engaging market leaders, transport workers, youth groups, and traditional institutions “because prevention begins with proper information.”

While commending the Director General of NOA, Lanre Issa Onilu, and his team, Speaker Abbas equally appreciated the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the state agencies.

He said, “Drugs can impair judgement, increase aggression, and deepen poverty. But drugs never excuse violence. Every person remains responsible for his or her actions. Domestic violence is not discipline or culture. It is abuse. It harms the victim, frightens children, and weakens the community.

“The damage caused by drugs does not stop at the family door. It spreads into our streets, schools, markets, and security system. Drug trafficking gives criminal networks money. The same hidden routes can carry drugs, illegal weapons, criminal funds, and violent offenders. Drugs do not explain every crime, but they are part of Nigeria’s wider security challenge.”

The Speaker stated that “every shipment stopped can deny criminals money for weapons and recruitment,” stressing that “every person rescued from addiction is one less person exposed to violent groups.”

Speaker Abbas explained further that drug control is part of the fight against banditry and kidnapping in the North-West. “Security forces may clear the camps. Communities must help cut the supply lines,” he said, adding that, “Enforcement stops the shipment. Education reduces the demand. Treatment restores the individual. Community vigilance protects the neighbourhood.”

Speaker Abbas commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for retaining Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.) as Director-General of the NDLEA and supporting enforcement, international cooperation, public education and treatment, including a new 50-bed rehabilitation centre in Maiduguri.

He said, “The National Assembly has consistently played its part. In 2024, the House called for a preventive drug testing programme in secondary schools and directed NOA and NDLEA to expand student awareness.

“The House also moved against the indiscriminate sale of prescription medicines. We called for illegal outlets to close and for stronger joint enforcement by the responsible agencies.

“We have considered bills to strengthen the NDLEA Act. In 2025, the House called for faster investigation and prosecution of femicide, homicide, and related violence. We will continue to fund enforcement and treatment, close gaps in the law, and demand results through oversight.”