By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The abducted Chairman of Abia state Independent Electoral Commission ( ABSIEC) at the last concluded Abia Local Government Election and Abia State University Lecturer, Prof. George Chima, popularjy called RAGA JONES abducted on Thursday morning, January 30, 2025 by gunmen numbering four in his residence at Okigwe, Imo state has been released, reports

Recall that, the ABSIEC Chairman was playing host to some lecturers from Abia State University, Uturu in his Okigwe residence when about four armed men suspected to be kidnappers stormed the house, harassed his visitors and took away him away.

The gunmen snatched an on passing passst vehicle carrying wood after attempts to use his car being washed by his driver failed.

Now, it has been confirmed that Prof. Chima has been released by his abductors without any ransom paid and they returned his phones, our source told www.newsmirrorng.com

News Mirror has put a call to Prof. Chima George and he confirmed his return and thanked God, despite his sad experience at the hands of his abductors.

As of February 1, 2025, the exchange rate for the U.S. dollar to the Nigerian naira in the parallel (black) market is as follows:

Buying Rate: ₦1,605 per USD
Selling Rate: ₦1,615 per USD
These rates may differ slightly depending on location and specific forex dealers. Reports from January 31, 2025, indicated a buying price of ₦1,610 and a selling price of ₦1,620 in some markets.

CBN Exchange Rate
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has a different rate for official transactions:

Highest Rate: ₦1,517 per USD
Lowest Rate: ₦1,490 per USD
Important Notes
The CBN does not recognize the black market and advises individuals to use official banking channels for foreign exchange transactions.
Exchange rates fluctuate frequently, so it is advisable to check with reliable sources before making any transactions.

Colombia has offered to pay for the “dignified” deportation of its citizens from the United States, the foreign ministry said Friday, a week after a public spat between presidents Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump over the removal of migrants.

The two leaders had issued threats and counter threats of major trade tariffs of up to 50 percent, and Washington’s embassy in Bogota stopped issuing visas from Monday to Friday in retaliation for Petro’s refusal to allow US military planes to return Colombian migrants to their country.

Petro had accused the United States of treating the migrants like criminals, placing them in shackles and handcuffs.

Colombia’s foreign ministry said Friday it had proposed to Mauricio Claver-Carone, Trump’s special envoy for Latin America, that Bogota would “immediately assume the transfer of all citizens deported by the United States,” covering transportation costs for its nationals, according to a statement.

Petro has said his government would not allow expelled migrants to travel in handcuffs.

The Trump administration had announced this week a series of sanctions against Colombia, before backtracking, with the White House saying Bogota had accepted its conditions and reversed course.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Colombian military and civilian aircraft repatriated the first groups of migrants to Bogota.

According to Petro, hundreds of Colombians, including several children, were returned to their country in “dignified” conditions. None of them were “confirmed criminals,” he added.

Colombia is expecting the return of around 27,000 migrants whose deportation orders have been signed in the last six months by the Trump administration or that of his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, a Colombian presidential source told AFP.

Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history, vowing to expel millions of undocumented immigrants, many from Latin American nations.

The United States is Colombia’s largest trade partner and it has provided millions of dollars in aid over decades to fight drug trafficking and terrorism.

AFP