By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Kaduna State Chapter of Retired Police Officers has announced plans to stage a peaceful protest over the non-passage of two pension bills currently before the Senate next Tuesday in Abuja.

The Chairman of the Retirees, Kaduna State Chapter, CSP Mannir Lawal Zaria (retd), stated this in a press statement issued to the media shortly after their monthly general meeting held at the Police Officers’ Mess in Kaduna.

The retired police officers are urging the passage of two bills currently pending at the National Assembly.

These bills seek to exclude the Nigeria Police from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and establish the Nigeria Police Pension Board.

CSP Zaria announced that the planned peaceful protest will take place at the premises of the National Assembly in Abuja next Tuesday.

According to him, the protest is intended to press home their demand to exclude police retirees from the Contributory Pension Scheme and to establish the police pension board.

The statement further read, “During the meeting, we received reports of the alarming number of deaths among police retirees. Within one week, seven retirees were buried due to extreme poverty,” he lamented.

“Our children are out of school, from nursery to tertiary institutions. Our members can no longer afford medical expenses, let alone provide for their families. As a result, we have lost all respect from our families.”

In a related development, the retirees accused the Nigeria Police of allegedly planning to introduce a new pension scheme called the “100 and 80% Pension Scheme.”

According to the retirees, the scheme would grant police officers from the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police to Commissioner of Police 100% of their salaries as a pension, while officers from Chief Superintendent of Police to Constable would receive 80% of their salaries. (Nigerian Tribune: Text, Excluding Headline)

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Kidnappers have killed a Nigerian Army non-commissioned officer, Abdulfatai Odutola, over a delay in ransom payment.

Recall that Odutola, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO), was abducted on February 15, 2025, along the Abuja-Jos highway.

He was reportedly travelling to Yola, the Adamawa State capital, at the time of the incident.

His kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N20 million for his release.

A military internal memo earlier obtained by SaharaReporters had read, “Pls information reaching me now from this sldr whisky that MWO Abdulfatai Odutola (CC 23 BDE Yola) was kidnapped yesterday along Abuja-Jos Road, while returning to Yola. He left Ilorin on Friday 14th of Feb 2025 and slept at Abuja. He continued his movement from Abuja yesterday b4 the incident happened to him.

“Currently they are demanding N20,000,0000 for his release. Pse appropriate authority should help the sldr.”

However, another internal memo revealed that the body of the senior personnel has been recovered.

“Information reaching us now from Yola is that the above MWO Abdulfatai Odutola’s body was discovered by police from Jos forest killed by his kidnappers after passing deadline for payment of 20 million naira ransom payment demanded by his kidnappers. Also his car was discovered. Kindly take action.”

SaharaReporters recently reported that Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists killed three army personnel during an attack on a military base in Borno State.

The terrorists reportedly attacked the military facility in Isige town, Gwoza Local Government Area, for several hours.

According to a source, the terrorists destroyed several buildings and stole two gun trucks during the assault.

“There was an attack recently in Borno, one Staff Sergeant with two private soldiers were killed. However, the army authorities are silent over the attack which happened at a base in Isige Town, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

“They burnt one military vehicle while they went away with two gun trucks, later reinforcement came from nearby unit but then the Boko Haram fighters have left,” the source said. (SaharaReporters: Text, Excluding Headline)

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Canada’s immigration authorities have clarified that seeking asylum does not provide an automatic exemption from immigration laws.

The Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) emphasised that individuals seeking asylum must demonstrate that returning to their home country would subject them to serious harm in order to avoid deportation.

The asylum system is designed to offer protection to those fleeing threats such as torture, persecution, and inhumane treatment.

IRCC has reiterated that the asylum process is not a shortcut to entering the country.

Applicants must provide verifiable evidence of persecution and undergo multiple checks, including medical examinations, biometric data collection, and security screenings.

The statement reads, “It is a rigorous process to determine whether you have a legitimate need for refugee protection according to Canadian and international laws. Our rules-based system will determine the validity of your claim. It’s important to understand that not all claims will be accepted. If you make an asylum claim in Canada, you will need to:

Have health, criminal, security and other background checks
Get a medical exam
Provide personal and biometric (photo and fingerprints) information
Provide concrete evidence of persecution and the risks of being in your home country
Declare on your application if you are working with a representative, even if you’re not paying them
“Providing false information on your refugee claim application is considered lying, and your application may be refused.

“You’ll be removed from Canada if you don’t have a legitimate claim or are not eligible to make a claim in Canada. It can take a long time to get a final decision on your asylum claim. There’s no guarantee that you will be allowed to stay in Canada.”