Ali Ndume, the Chief Whip of the Senate, has explained the difference between corruption by politicians and other people.

Ndume said corruption by Nigerian politicians should not warrant any serious punishment, noting that it is People-Driven.

The senator admitted that politicians “steal and share with the people”.

He stated this on Tuesday when he featured on Channels TV Politics Today while speaking on the death penalty as the deterrent for those caught with drugs.

He said when politicians’ corruption is compared to others, it is a “small one’

He stated, “If you compare us, politicians, to all the corruption, it is very small. Our corruption is people-driven. If you steal it, you will go and share it with the people. If you don’t, you are not coming back for four years. There is no reason for stealing.

“I have been to the National Assembly, I can’t say because we are on TV now and not tell the truth. If the death penalty is supposed to be included in corruption, I will support it but you don’t go and kill someone that stole one million or one billion, no. But someone who steals one trillion of government money should be killed.

The senator said he supports death punishment for drug dealers.

“The death penalty is the best deterrent for those being caught for drugs. If you do drugs, you are killing people.

“In fact, that means you have destroyed the lives of so many people and killed so many people,” he said.

Recently, the Senate passed a bill, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act (Amendment Bill) 2024 passed by the Senate.

The bill prescribed death penalty for persons found guilty of trading in hard drugs and narcotics.

This has, however, been debated and faulted by many stakeholders on whether or not President Bola Tinubu should accent the bill.

On Saturday, some legal practitioners expressed different opinions on the debate over the bill. Some of them urged President Bola Tinubu not to assent to the bill passed by the Senate while others pressed for it to be signed into law.

Some of the lawyers stressed that the death penalty was not a solution to drug trafficking and other drug-related offences in the country.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the arrival of 150 stranded Nigerians repatriated from the Chad Republic.

The agency, in a statement on Wednesday, said the repatriated Nigerians include 71 children, 48 females, eight infants, and 23 men.

It said the evacuated Nigerians arrived at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday at about 8:30 pm.

“The Nigerians were assisted back in a voluntary repatriation exercise programme by the United Nations International Organisation for Migration (UN’IOM) on Tuesday, 14th, 2024,” the agency said.

“The flight Air Cargo with registration number SU-BUR landed at the cargo wing of Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 2030 hours.

“The profiles of the returnees indicate that 23 males, 48 females, 71 children, and 8 infants arrived in Nigeria aboard the flight.

“Some of the returnees demonstrated their joy at the success of their return back to Nigeria. Agencies on the ground to receive the Nigerians were NEMA, Immigration Services, Nigeria Port Health Services, FAAN, and the Nigeria Refugee Commission.”

Last year, 104 stranded Nigerians were repatriated from N’Djamena, the capital of the Chad Republic.

The house of representatives, on Wednesday, expressed its concern over the status of the presidential air fleet.

Following a resolution by House Committee on National Security and Intelligence Chairman Satomi Ahmed to conduct a “comprehensive investigation” to determine the airworthiness and technical status of the presidential fleet, the MPs addressed the issue during Wednesday’s plenary session.

Following a malfunction with the presidential plane, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly took a rented aircraft from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia.

Vice President Kashim Shettima had to postpone his travel to the US at the beginning of this month because of an aeroplane malfunction. Shettima was supposed to speak for Tinubu at the US-Africa business summit in 2024.

“Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was originally scheduled to represent the President, was unable to make the trip following a technical fault with his aircraft, forcing him to make a detour on the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet,” Stanley Nkwocha, a media aide to Shettima, said in a statement.

The president was, instead, represented by Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, at the event.

While moving the motion, Ahmed said the faulty aircraft in the presidential fleet “pose a clear present and imminent threat to the lives of the president, the vice president, and other very important personalities who use the fleet from time to time”.

The lawmaker said the situation has brought “shame and embarrassment” to the country.

Ahmed said the “ugly situation” should be “arrested” to “forestall any fearful tragedy that might pose an existential threat to the peace and unity of this country”.

In his contribution, Ali Isa, the minority whip, said the president and the vice-president do not need to use a presidential aircraft for their official trips.

Julius Ihonvbere, the majority leader, said due to security implications, the safety of the president must not be left in the hands of commercial airlines.

“Don’t take anything for granted. We must ensure that the officers leading the country are protected and given the dignity they deserve,” Ihonvbere said.

Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, said there is no harm if the president uses commercial flights.

The lawmaker said the parliament should not spend legislative time discussing whether or not the president of his vice should fly commercial flights.

“I have not seen anything wrong with public office holders using public aircraft. The prime minister of the UK uses British Airways. It is commercial. We should be thinking of how to resuscitate the Nigerian airway,” he said.

“British Airways is not a British Air Force; it is a British private company. If we have planes in the presidential fleet, they should be maintained, and the president and vice president can use them.

“If for any reason we have failed to maintain them, it is not for it to be discussed on the floor of the house.”

Sada Soli from Katsina countered Chinda, saying that the UK prime minister uses a special British Airways plane.

“Today is a very sad day for me to speak on this issue. The life and security of our president and vice president are very important,” Soli said.

“What is going on in the presidential air fleet?” You know how much money this House budgeted for the president’s fleet. What is going on?”

The motion was, however, stepped down.

The house said the security committee has the power to invite Nuru Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), to explain why the presidential air fleet is not functioning optimally.

Addressing journalists after plenary, Ahmed said the committee would summon Ribadu and the commandant of the presidential air fleet over the development.

“So, therefore, it is a shame. When Mr President wanted to leave on official duty from Riyadh to the UK, he used a chartered flight. In the 21st century? Come on. Not Nigeria. Let’s be serious, please,” he said.