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Independent Report indicts Zamfara, Kano Governors as major sponsors of recent nationwide protests
A recent independent report has indicted Governors Dauda Lawal and Abba Kabir Yusuf of Zamfara and Kano states as major sponsors of the recently held nationwide protests.
The report condemned the roles played by the two governors in escalating the protests into violent and destructive actions.
The report was released at a press briefing on Monday in Abuja, by the Independent Coalition for Democratic Governance in Nigeria, led by its convener, Dr Ben Omale Amodu.
According to the report, the governors of Zamfara and Kano states, both from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), mobilised hoodlums to target political rivals, wreak havoc on public and private property, and loot valuables.
The report specifically highlights the destruction of the APC secretariat in Zamfara State, the vandalism and arson of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Industrial Park in Kano State, and the attempted arson of the residence of the immediate past governor of Zamfara State.
The report’s findings suggest that the protests, which began as a peaceful expression of discontent with the government’s economic policies, were hijacked by anti-democratic forces and opposition elements seeking to destabilize the government.
The actions of the Zamfara and Kano state governors have been widely condemned as a blatant attempt to exploit public unrest for personal and political gain.
The Independent Coalition for Democratic Governance in Nigeria called on the Federal Government to take decisive action to address the demands of the protesters, prevent future occurrences of such destructive protests, and hold accountable those responsible for the violence and destruction.
“It was noted that a significant number of the states with high incidences of hijacked protests were under the governance of opposition parties, notably the PDP and NNPP. Conversely, states with APC governors exhibited minimal to no records of violence, instead witnessing peaceful protest demonstrations as compared to the former,” the report said.
“In the case of Zamfara state, where insecurity has reached alarming levels, with numerous youths succumbing to violence, and banditry and kidnapping being perpetrated in broad daylight, it was expected that grievances and protests would be directed towards the governor’s state house. However, this was not the case, as APC leaders, secretariats, and businesses were targeted, suggesting the involvement of the state government in exploiting the protests as a covert means of targeting political rivals and opposition.
“On the fourth day of the protests, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the nation, expressing empathy and solidarity with the citizens, while assuring the nation of his commitment to implementing effective policies to address the economic downturn. He reiterated his dedication to working tirelessly to meet the needs of all, prioritizing the greater good.
“Furthermore, it was observed that the original objectives of the protests had been hijacked, with the movement now appearing to be driven by an agenda to undermine the government and plunge the country into chaos.
“This stark transformation in the protests’ narrative raises concerns about the presence of external influences and political machinations aimed at destabilizing the government. The initial grievances and demands of the protesters appear to have been supplanted by a more sinister agenda, one that seeks to exploit the unrest for political gain.
“As the situation continues to unfold, it becomes increasingly evident that the protests have devolved into a political tool, wielded by opposition forces to discredit the government and create an atmosphere of instability. The President’s assurances and commitments to addressing the nation’s challenges seem to have fallen on deaf ears, as the protests persist in their altered form.
“There exists compelling evidence to unequivocally suggest that the ongoing protest has been commandeered by nefarious elements, who have exploited the situation to perpetrate attacks on political opposition, engage in rampant looting, and wreak havoc on both private and public property,” the report said.
“This bad turn of events serves as a stark testament to the fact that nationwide protests are often hijacked by anti-democratic forces and opposition elements, whose ultimate goal is to destabilize and destroy the very fabric of a united nation.”
… intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books,
. ..recovers 563kg skunk, meth, heroin in Bayelsa warehouse, arrests 4; destroys cannabis farms in Edo forest
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia.
The cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500grams and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday 15th April 2025 when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.
At another courier company same day, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilograms hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.
In Kano, a 22-year-old supplier of illicit substances to bandits, Muhammad Mohammed, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi – Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with Sellotape. He was intercepted on Sunday 13th April, while another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30kg.
Not less than 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and 29.8grams of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises on Wednesday 16th April. The four suspects arrested during the raid include: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46.
While a total of 1,100 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos on Thursday 17th April, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on Friday 18th April raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered.
In Kebbi, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bagudo road on Friday 18th April intercepted a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 97kg skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal. Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
A 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5kg skunk at Abatete, Anambra state while NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state on Tuesday 15th April arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids recovered from her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital.
Two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state were raided by NDLEA operatives who destroyed 3,717.8625kg of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5kg of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a suspect Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, who has been at large for two years was arrested by NDLEA officers in connection with the seizure of 107kg Loud imported from Cannada in 2023, while another suspect, Dauda Yakubu who distributes illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives on Monday 14th April.
The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of St. Michael Anglican Primary School, Epe, Lagos; Community Grammar School, Ipoti Ekiti, Ekiti state; College of Education, Minna, Niger state; traders at Igbona market, Osogbo, Osun state; traders at Marian Market, Calabar, Cross River; drivers and others at Peace Mass Transit park, Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Zone 13, Edo and Tincan Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Dr Emomotimi Agama, the Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), has explained that there is nothing the Commission can do to help victims of the CBEX scam recover their lost investments.
CBEX or Crypto Bridge Exchange, an unregistered online trading platform vanished last Monday with about N1.3 trillion invested by about 600,000 investors.
CBEX which had operated under ST Technologies International Ltd lured its victims with a 100 percent returns on investment after 30 days.
Asked by Sunday Vanguard if there is anything the Commission can do to help victims recover their money in part or in full, Dr Agama said: “There is nothing the Commission can do”.
He however expressed concern that Nigerians continued to invest in an unregistered digital entity without drawing the attention of the Commission.
“We are worried that this went on for long without anyone drawing our attention to it. That is why we are doing more enlightenment and asking people to come forward to report this for early detection.
How Nigerians can identify a Ponzi Scheme
He warned Nigerians against investing their money in Ponzi Schemes, saying such schemes make promises that are not real.
“You can identify a Ponzi Scheme when an entity makes offers that appear certainly untrue and are bogus. The definition we have in the ISA (Investments and Securities Act, 2025) clearly tells you that when an investment firm makes any promise that is almost totally unattainable, you will know that that is clearly a Ponzi scheme”.
SEC disclosed that preliminary investigations have revealed that CBEX engaged in promotional activities to create a false perception of legitimacy, in order to entice unsuspecting members of the public into investing monies, with the promise of implausibly high guaranteed returns within a short timeframe.
The Commission stated that CBEX, which also operates under the corporate identity of ST Technologies International Ltd, Smart Treasure/Super Technology, had held itself out as a digital asset-trading platform, offering high returns to investors in Nigeria.
According to the SEC, “The Commission hereby clarifies that neither CBEX nor its affiliates were granted registration by the Commission at any time to operate as a Digital Assets Exchange, solicit investments from the public or perform any other function within the Nigerian capital market.
The SEC emphasised that pursuant to the provisions of Section 196 of the Investments and Securities Act 2025, the Commission would collaborate with relevant law enforcement agencies to take appropriate enforcement action against the CBEX, its affiliates and promoters.
“The Commission uses this medium to remind the public to refrain from investing in or dealing with any entity offering unrealistic returns or employing similar recruitment-based investment models. Prospective investors are advised to verify the registration status of investment platforms via the Commission’s dedicated portal: www.sec.gov.ng/cmos before transacting with them”, the SEC added.
How I lost N500,000 in 7 days – Victim
Narrating how he got involved in the doomed platform, an Abuja based journalist told Sunday Vanguard that he invested N500,000 on April 4, 2025 with the hope of receiving N1 million after 30 days.
The journalist who requested not be named said: “I was involved for just seven days and lost N500,000 to the scam. I have a friend who has been pressuring me to invest on CBEX since December last year and I actually have been resisting because of my past experience with MMM.
“But he kept telling me and showing me how much he was making. So, I decided to give it a try and I got involved and finally transferred N500,000 on April 4. I was admitted into a Telegram group chat. Then the story began. The only luck I have is that my wife refused to be involved after I asked her to. I would have been in serious trouble by now.
“Immediately I got wind of troubles especially when people were locked out of the Telegram group, I tried to withdraw my money which had risen to N616,000 but I couldn’t”, he narrated.
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