News
Closure of Dangote Cement Factory by Kogi Govt, Shocking, Hasty – NACCIMA, LCCI, ACCI
…Urge truce by BPE, NIPC
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
Sponsored by: H&H
This is just as Lagos and Abuja branches of the Chamber in separate statements described the action of the state governor, Yahaya Bello as “shocking and disappointing” at the least, regretting that for every day the factory is shut, millions of naira are lost and the reputation of Kogi state takes a negative hit.
NACCIMA expressed regret that the issues between the company and the state over tax dispute ought not to have led to sealing of the company but should have been resolved in a conciliatory and amicable atmosphere.
The body, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Olusola Obadimu and issued in Lagos, said the state government should have trodden a path of caution and called for the immediate reopening of the factory for normal production activities to resume.
Obadimu stated that NACCIMA’s position was based on some key considerations bordering on the impact of the factory’s closure on the economy and thousands of people whose means of livelihood depend on the production activities of the factory.
“It is vital to note that it is a huge production plant that supplies key domestic input (cement) into the economy and employs hundreds of thousands of Nigerians, directly and indirectly. This is aside from its substantial budget for corporate social responsibility outside of taxes.
“Shutting off the factory does not necessarily help the controversial issue of compliance on tax remittable to Kogi state government. Rather a continuous operation of the plant would more
likely facilitate a faster resolution of the dispute,” he said.
The NACCIMA boss then urged that the factory be reopened as quickly as possible to enable it continue its operation and fulfil its necessary responsibilities, not just on tax obligations, but also keep the hundreds of thousands of Nigerians in its direct and indirect employment dutifully engaged; while sustaining its crucial services not just to the people and government of Kogi State but Nigeria in general.
The LCCI, in its statement signed by its Director General, Dr Chinyere Almona said the attack on the cement factory reflected the poor handling of investment protection issues in the country.
The Chamber said it believed there are more decent ways to handle regulatory and legislative matters concerning businesses in Nigeria than resorting to violence. According to the Chamber, the invasion of the Dangote Cement Factory by youths that led to the shooting of factory workers is unfortunate, ill-construed, and avoidable.
“We advocate a win-win situation for businesses and the government. We will therefore call on all parties to exercise caution and be protective of jobs, assets of production, and government revenues from corporate organisations like Dangote Cement Factory”, she added.
The LCCI boss noted that the Federal Government and Kogi State Government had hitherto benefited from business revenues and social investments, and added that, “It is therefore expected that the government would be interested in creating an enabling business environment that can attract both local and foreign investors. And where there are infractions, handling such should be in accordance with best practices and the rule of law that protect investors’ rights and human lives.”
The body, therefore, called for a meeting of all government agencies connected with the acquisition of the cement plant to resolve any differences thereof. This process, it said, “can be taken without necessarily shutting down the factory and endangering jobs, products, and government revenues. This point is critical as wrong handling or unprofessional approaches to resolutions can send negative signals to potential foreign investors.”
The Chamber noted that the growing mining industry in Kogi State has benefitted from the production activities of the Dangote Cement Factory, which offers both infrastructural and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects to enhance the standard of living in the State.
“We see a role for the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Nigeria Investment Protection Commission (NIPC), and the Kogi State Government in resolving this issue. We, therefore, expect to see a swift intervention by these agencies toward a win-win resolution”, LCCI advised.
The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a statement signed by its Director General, Ms. Victoria Akai urged the state government to employ dialogue in resolving whatever differences it has with the cement company so as to protect the image of the state as an investment destination.
She said both the state governor and the owner of Dangote Cement Plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote are men of peace who should resolve any business dispute through consensus without jeopardizing the multi-billion naira investment and thousands of jobs of Kogi indigenes.
“We therefore call for the immediate re-opening of the factory and commencement of alternative dispute resolution. Dangote Cement is a company with commendable sustainability records. The company has blazed the trail within Nigeria and across Africa.
“Nothing should therefore be done to truncate the growing business at a time other African countries are opening their doors wide for Dangote investment. The factory has been able to take many out off the street thereby reducing unemployment that has been a major problem in the country.
“The closure of the factory will further increase unemployment. It is in the best interest of Kogi state to reopen the factory so as not to scare away local and foreign investors”, the statement noted.
News
Kwara Court Jails Tailor for Impersonating, Defrauding EFCC Investigator
Kwara Court Jails Tailor for Impersonating, Defrauding EFCC Investigator
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced a 27-year-old fashion designer, Haruna Musa Tolani, to 12 months imprisonment for impersonating and defrauding Callitus Egwuonwu, an investigating officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ilorin Zonal Directorate.
Tolani, an indigene of Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, was initially arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and cybercrime on January 28, 2025 and pleaded not guilty, but later changed his plea to guilty after overwhelming evidence was presented by counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola.
Count one of the charge reads:
“That you Haruna Musa Tolani in August,2024 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, misrepresented yourself via electronic message sent through unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) to Access Bank Plc. With respect to account number 0022643389, property of Mr Callistus Egwuonwu, with which you purchased N20000.00( Twenty Thousand naira) worth of MTN data which resulted into loss to the owner of the account and you thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(2) of the cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2015”
Similarly, count two reads:
“That you Haruna Musa Tolani sometime in August,2024 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Callistus Egwuonwu via electronic message sent through unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) to Access Bank Plc with respect to account number 0022643389, property of Callistus Egwuonwu with intention to purchase MTN data worth Twenty Thousand Naira (20,000.00) which you did purchase and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act,2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act”
In his judgment, Justice Awogboro imposed a 12-month custodial sentence on Tolani with an option of a fine of N200,00( Two Hundred Thousand Naira). The court also ordered the forfeiture of a First Bank manager’s cheque of N200,000 in favour of the victim and directed the convict to restitute the sum of N20,000, the amount he fraudulently obtained.
Tolani bagged his imprisonment when he was arrested for internet fraud. He was charged to court, pleaded guilty and convicted.
News
Two Truck Drivers Jailed for Illegal Possession of Minerals in Ilorin
Two Truck Drivers Jailed for Illegal Possession of Minerals in Ilorin
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Thursday, May 15, 2025 convicted and sentenced two truck drivers, Abdulkareem Hussaini and Aliyu Ladan to one-year imprisonment each for unlawful possession of solid minerals.
They were arraigned on one-count separate charges by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The charge against Hussaini reads:
“That you, Abdulkareem Hussaini on or about the 11th day of June 2024, at Ballah Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, comes into possession of minerals to wit: Thirty-Five Tonnes of mineral, conveyed in a Layland DAF Truck, with registration number KTG 54 XB and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1984”
Similarly, Ladan’s charge reads:
“That you, ALIYU LADAN, on or about the 13th day of September, 2024 at Ballah, Asa Local Government Area, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority, comes into possession of minerals to wit: 30 tons of mineral, conveyed in a SINO truck, with registration number: FTA 981 XB and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(8) (b) of the Miscellaneous Offices Act, 1984”
The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.
Following their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, reviewed the facts of the case, tendered evidence and thereafter prayed the court to convict the defendants accordingly.
In his judgment, Justice Awogboro sentenced Hussaini and Ladan to 12 months in prison with an option of fine of N1 million each. The judge also ordered that the solid minerals recovered from the convicts at the time of arrest be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they were found in possession of large quantities of minerals without valid authorization, an act that violates Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1984.
They were charged to court, pleaded guilty to their charges and convicted.
News
Adjudication Kicks Off for The Nigeria Prize for Science
Adjudication Kicks Off for The Nigeria Prize for Science
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
Momentum is building and adjudication is set to commence for the 2025 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Science, with 112 entries handed over today to the Prize’s Advisory Board for onward transmission to the judges.
Caption: (L-R): Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs (NLNG); Dr. Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development (NLNG); and members of The Nigeria Prize for Science Advisory Board – Prof. Barth Nnaji (Chairman), Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande (Member), and Prof. Yusuf Abubakar (Member) during the handover of entries for the 2025 edition of NLNG-sponsored prize held in Lagos…on Tuesday.
The Nigeria Prize for Science, arguably Africa’s richest and most prestigious science award, is worth $100,000.
The 2025 edition features the theme “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Technologies for Development,” seeking solutions to bolster Nigeria’s digital economy.
Sponsored by NLNG, the Prize attracts entries from scientists worldwide (Nigerians and Non-Nigerians) and aims to identify and reward groundbreaking innovations that advance industry and promote sustainable development in Nigeria.
At a press conference in Lagos, NLNG’s General Manager for External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, formally handed over the 112 entries to the Advisory Board, chaired by renowned scientist Professor Barth Nnaji.
The handover marks the start of a rigorous evaluation process, during which a panel of distinguished judges will assess entries based on merit, originality, and potential impact on national development.
The competition is expected to be intense, reflecting rising global interest and innovation in AI and digital technology.
In her remarks, Horsfall highlighted that this year’s theme reflects the global shift toward technological transformation.
She stated: “This year’s Prize seeks to spotlight pioneering research and bold solutions that harness technologies to empower industries, uplift societies, and transform Nigeria’s development trajectory.”
She further added: “These technologies hold immense transformative potential for Nigeria.
As Africa’s largest economy and a nation blessed with a vibrant pool of young talent, we have a unique opportunity to harness digital innovation to develop scalable, globally relevant solutions that will drive sustainable socio-economic development.”
Professor Barth Nnaji, while receiving the entries, expressed his appreciation for the number of submissions. “The Board is greatly encouraged by the volume of entries.
The 2025 competition is shaping up to be intensely competitive, and we are confident it will showcase outstanding innovation,” he said.
He emphasised the transformative power of AI and digital technologies across sectors: “AI is rapidly reshaping nearly every aspect of modern life, driving innovation, improving efficiency, and unlocking new possibilities across industries.”
He added; “ In healthcare, AI enhances diagnostic accuracy and speed through advanced imaging and predictive tools. In education, it personalises learning experiences, helping teachers address challenges early using intelligent tutors and automated assessments.
In agriculture, AI enables precision farming by analysing sensor and satellite data to improve crop management and forecast yields.
These sector-wide transformations underscore AI’s growing role as a catalyst for innovation and sustainable progress.”
Other members of the Board are Chief Dr. Nike Akande, a two-time former Minister of Industry, and Professor Baba Yusuf Abubakar, a professor of quantitative genetics and animal breeding.
The Prize continues to champion innovation, creativity, and scientific excellence as key drivers of Nigeria’s development, while fostering a culture of research that positions the country at the forefront of global innovation.
The winning entry for the 2025 Prize will be unveiled at a world press conference scheduled for September.
Caption: (L-R): Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs (NLNG); Dr. Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development (NLNG); and members of The Nigeria Prize for Science Advisory Board – Prof. Barth Nnaji (Chairman), Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande (Member), and Prof. Yusuf Abubakar (Member) during the handover of entries for the 2025 edition of NLNG-sponsored prize held in Lagos…on Tuesday.
-
News6 years agoBreaking: ‘Penalty’ Crooner Small Doctor Caught in Possession of Fire Arms
-
News6 years agoPDP Set To Cause Panic Days To Polls: FG
-
News6 years agoINEC Engages EFCC, FIU In Tracking Campaign Funding
-
News6 years agoTiffany Trump Is Dating a Millionaire Michael Boulos From Nigeria
-
Politics6 years agoPDP Alleges Plot by APC, Presidency to Detain Its Leaders
-
Politics6 years agoOsinbajo Has Betrayed Yorubas, Says Afenifere
-
Politics6 years agoMuslim-Muslim Ticket: I Am Proud Of My Role In Stopping Tinubu – Saraki
-
Politics3 years ago
Jandor appoints Olajumoke Olatunji as Special Assistant on Media