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Reps Panel Summons Customs Boss, Threaten To Arrest NIMC DG Over Noncompliance

By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has directed the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, to appear before it on Tuesday February 18, 2025, and respond to allegations regarding the continued service of certain senior officers beyond their retirement dates.
The Obasi-Pherson Help Foundation had petitioned the 10th House, claiming that some Assistant Comptrollers and Comptrollers—identified as Imam, Umar, and Egwu, as well as Awe, Fatia, and Faith had reached their mandatory retirement dates but refused to step down.
In issuing the summons, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Mike Etaba stressed the importance of transparency in public service.
He said: “Nigerians deserve to know the true situation, and only the Customs Comptroller General can provide clarity.
“With many young Nigerians seeking employment, it is unacceptable for those due for retirement to hold onto positions meant for fresh recruits”.
Rep. Etaba emphasised that the Committee remains impartial, committed to ensuring justice based on the merits of each case.
In a related matter, the Committee has warned that it may issue an arrest order for the Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) if she fails to appear in person to respond to allegations of a breached software agreement.
Truid Limited, a private firm, claims that NIMC failed to honour a license agreement for a tokenization system it developed and deployed at no initial cost to the commission.
The agreement, signed in 2021, allowed Truid to recoup its investment through service provider transactions, with revenue shared between both parties over a ten-year period.
However, the petition alleged that the new NIMC DG has been attempting to terminate the arrangement, leading to a dispute.
Chairman Etaba expressed dissatisfaction over the DG’s repeated absence despite multiple invitations.
“If she fails to appear at the next hearing, we will have no choice but to request the Inspector General of Police to compel her attendance.
“Government officials cannot continue to disregard constituted authority”, he stated.
News
Trump declares war in Ukraine could end after productive discussions with Putin

US President Donald Trump has disclosed that the war between Russia and Ukraine could end soon.
According to Trump, this comes after productive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump stated this in a post on his Truth Social, adding that he had requested that Putin spare the lives of completely surrounded Ukrainian troops.
“We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Trump said.
The Truth Social post did not say whether Trump and Putin had spoken to each other.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had used the meeting to convey to Trump through Witkoff.
Peskov added that Russia and the US would work out the timing of a phone call between their presidents once Witkoff had briefed Trump.
The US president has said he wants Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a swift ceasefire to pause fighting in a conflict which he has warned has the potential to spiral into World War Three and has already cost many lives on both sides.
News
MEET Nigerian born Joshua Beckford, youngest person to attend Oxford University

Joshua Beckford gained worldwide recognition as the youngest person ever to study at Oxford University.
The youngster was admitted at age six (taking part in courses which were part of an online learning platform for gifted children) and gained distinctions in both Philosophy and History.
When Beckford’s father, Knox Daniel, wrote to Oxford University advocating for his son’s admission, it was a bold move to challenge the conventional age limits for a programme aimed at children aged eight to 13.
His record remains unmatched, with the next youngest Oxford student being at least two years older at the time of admission.
By 10 months old, Beckford could already identify letters and numbers. At age two and a half, he could read fluently using phonics and had begun learning Japanese and some Mandarin.
Aspiring to become a neurosurgeon, Beckford has already demonstrated remarkable medical knowledge.
Using the Microsoft Surgery Simulator, he has mastered complex surgical procedures, including cataract removal, hernia repair and leg fracture correction. His proficiency with surgical instruments showcases his extraordinary abilities beyond his years.
Beyond medicine, Beckford is multi-talented, excelling in art, Information Technology (IT), sports and foreign languages.
In 2017, Beckford was named Positive Role Model of the Year at the UK’s National Diversity Awards.
The Illumination Foundation of North Carolina also listed him among the Top 30 Most Extraordinary People worldwide who have made societal impact.
Beckford serves as an ambassador for the Boys Mentoring Advocacy Network (BMAN), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to mentoring young boys and adolescents in Africa. Within BMAN, he holds the role of Low-Income Families Education (L.I.F.E) Support Ambassador across six countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and the United Kingdom where he was born.
Joshua Beckford also serves as the face of the National Autistic Society’s Black and Minority (BME) campaign. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism himself, he helps to spread the campaign’s mission.
In 2019, Beckford and his father travelled to Nigeria to launch a live mentoring session, delivering a keynote speech at the University of Lagos before an audience of nearly 5,000 people. Their visit was to raise funds for building a secondary school in Kaduna State, providing education to children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
According to a statement on UNILAG’s website, the proposed school was to include classrooms, an administrative block, a laboratory, an ICT Centre and an agriculture green garden and was to be named Joshua Beckford Community School.
News
Dayo Amusa opens up on alleged affair with KWAM 1

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Nollywood actress Dayo Amusa has opened up on alleged romance with Fuji music icon King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, better known as K1 De Ultimate (KWAM 1).
Speaking on Oyinmomo TV, she dismissed the rumors, made it clear that what they share is far from romance.
She described their connection as one built on deep respect and unwavering support, a bond that has nothing to do with the assumptions people make when they see a man and a woman close.
Amusa spoke of K1 not just as a friend, but as a father figure, a guiding force, and an unwavering pillar in her life..
The movie star revealed how he became her silent anchor in ways she never saw coming, wiped her tears, and pushed her forward when everything seemed to be working against her especially in her movie career, where his influence and support gave her the strength to rise beyond limitations.
For Amusa, a man like that is a presence to be cherished, no matter how many times the world tries to twist the narrative.
This follows her fiery social media outburst in November 2024, where she fiercely shut down relentless speculations and invasive questions about her newborn’s father.
What began as a wave of congratulatory messages quickly spiraled into a frenzy of gossip, fueled by none other than the notorious blogger Auto Bola. The actress soon found herself at the center of a paternity storm, her joy overshadowed by whispers and relentless online probing.
Auto Bola, with her never-ending videos, refused to back down, hammering Dayo with demands to unveil her child’s father.
In her relentless pursuit of a scandal, she dragged King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, assumed he is Amusa’s baby daddy.
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