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Federal Government Budgets N552.6bn For Arms, Anti-Terror Fight

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The Federal Government has set aside N575.6 billion in its special finance budget to bolster the fight against insecurity and continue the anti-insurgency struggle.

A total of N184.25 billion was approved for the procurement of military equipment, weaponry, and ammunition under this.

This most recent amount was included in the N2.18 trillion supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2023, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday.

Details of the 2023 supplementary budget obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday indicated that out of this N552.6bn, the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces have been allocated over N147.03bn to upscale internal operations against Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, and other anti-insurgency wars.

Of the eight military and defense agencies allocated the total sum, the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, and the Nigerian Navy will get N211.5bn, N112.2bn, and N62.8bn, respectively. The three forces got the largest chunk of the military budget.

Out of this amount, recurrent expenditure will gulp over N245.1bn and capital expenditure, N329.99bn.

Speaking at the end of this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Villa, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, said the budget is to “fund urgent issues, including national defense and security.”

Bagudu said, “N605bn for national defence and security is to sustain the gains made in security and to accelerate and these are funds that are needed by the security agencies before the year runs out.”

Equally, a sum of N300bn was provided to repair bridges, including Eko and Third Mainland Bridges, as well as the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of many roads nationwide before the return of the rainy season, while N18bn was provided for the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo elections and N5.5bn for the funding of the take-off of the student loans board, which begins loan disbursement in January 2024.

The document stated that N49.99bn was allocated to the Ministry of Defence, out of which N33.6bn was given as recurrent and N16.4bn as capital.

Out of the Nigerian Army’s N211.5bn, recurrent got N116.3bn while N95.2bn will go to capital expenditure. Also, N49.04bn was earmarked for the Department of State Services.

…plans purchase of arms and ammunition worth N184.25bn

Prominent among the capital projects of the Nigerian Army is the purchase of arms and ammunition, including the refurbishment and up-gunning/upgrade of 155mm self-propelled Howitzer Palmaria, artillery guns at the cost of N27.1bn, arms, ammunition and ancillary equipment for the Nigerian Navy at N8.92bn.

The Nigerian Air Force, which is also acquiring aircraft arms and ammunition budgeted N80.48bn.

The Department of State Services also listed N36.99bn for the acquisition of an IMSI catcher upgraded version at N1.19bn, MMG556 at the cost of N5.96bn, AK Alpha Rifle at N1.40bn, RPG 7V2 (40MM) at the cost of N1.53bn.

Other security agencies including the Ministry of Defence, the Nigerian Navy and Police got N7.5bn, N11.93bn, and N20.33bn respectively.

Our correspondent also observed that N31.59bn was budgeted to boost the morale of security officers in the form of allowances and severance packages.

This follows reports that 186 security operatives in the country have paid the supreme price while carrying out their duties in the country between January and September 2023

The security operatives including personnel of the military, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Police Force paid the ultimate price while fighting crime in Zamfara, Niger, Borno, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Benue, and Enugu states, among others.

The government approved payment of N1.13bn for the insurance of the Nigerian Police Force critical assets for 2021/2022 policy, security debarment allowance for 37 and 38 regular courses at the cost of N18bn, N5bn was approved for the payment of outstanding group life assurance to the deceased for personnel from year 2011 to 2023 while N795m was appropriated for the burial expenses of deceased officers between  August 2021 and March 2023 amongst other welfare packages.

To boost oil theft fight with N16.03bn

Meanwhile, the federal government has approved the sum of N16.02bn to boost the fight against oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

The project code-named Operation Dakatar da Barawo means  ‘stop the thief’ in Hausa language and is domiciled under the Nigerian Navy.

The operation launched in September 2022  is a special operation launched by the Nigerian Navy in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Limited to stop oil thieves from further sabotaging the nation’s oil and gas installation in the Niger Delta region.

The government also plans to spend N5.09bn on the president’s yacht.

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Ibrahim Shatta Loses Son Few Days After Peju Ogunmola Lost Only Son

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Popular Yoruba actor and filmmaker, Ibrahim Chatta, has announced the death of his son.

The actor broke the news on his Instagram page on Saturday, expressing grief and submitting to the will of God.

“Inna liLlahi wa inna ileyhi rajiun. Ya Allah, You are the Knower of all things. Rest on Dear Son, Champ,” he wrote.

Chatta’s loss comes only days after fellow actress Peju Ogunmola also lost her only son with veteran actor Sunday Omobolanle, popularly known as Papi Luwe.

The twin tragedies have thrown Nollywood into mourning, with condolences pouring in from colleagues and fans of both families.

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BIG STORY

Ignore Sujimoto’s Crocodile Tears, He Scammed Us N5.7bn And We’re Recovering Every Penny — Enugu Government

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  • all projects never left foundation stage

 

The Enugu State government has accused the CEO of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Olasijibomi Ogundele, of defrauding the state of nearly N6bn, noting that Ogundele vanished into thin air after he was paid the said sum for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools in different parts of the state.

The government also accused Ogundele of premeditated fraud, explaining that while he presented a bond issued by Jaiz Bank to secure the contract, he used the company’s Zenith Bank account registered with the state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to receive the said payment, making it impossible for the state to hold Jaiz Bank liable.

The statement said, “For the avoidance of doubt, on July 2, 2024, the Enugu State Government awarded a contract in the sum of N11,457,930,950.52 to Sujimoto Luxury Construction Ltd for the construction of 22 Smart Schools (buildings only) in six months starting from the date of the acceptance of the award.

“The Enugu State Government paid the sum of N5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, in order to fast-track the projects at all the sites.

“Rather than play to the rules of the contract to deliver quality projects for furnishing and equipping ahead of September 2025 school resumption, in line with the priority placed on the Smart Green Schools initiative by the government, Mr. Ogundele resorted to shoddy jobs and the use of inexperienced workers and quack engineers. None of his sites met the structural integrity of the projects as specified in the structural drawing.

“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable to discuss the quality and progress of work proved abortive. He equally refused to attend the periodic projects briefing organised by the state government for all contractors or take numerous calls and messages put across to him. In fact, he practically abandoned the sites, leaving the Enugu State Government with no other choice than to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds paid to him.

“A joint team of officers of the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites to evaluate the progress of work on May 8 and 9, 2025, where it was clearly established that there had been minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award. In some cases, he fraudulently did not do excavation for all the blocks in site.

“It is also on record that he has not shown up at the sites or made himself available to either the state government or the law enforcement agencies even after those site visits.

“It is also pertinent to state that it was discovered in the course of investigation that whereas he presented a bond from Jaiz Bank, he used Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited’s Zenith Bank account number 1312731196 to receive the said payment and draw down the fund without deploying it to the projects. This clearly shows a premeditated intent to defraud the state ab initio.

“The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, who has no choice than to start the construction afresh. Tremendous progress has been made to keep the determination of the Mbah Administration to migrate Enugu children to Smart Green Schools by September on track.

“Nigerians should therefore disregard his theatrics and crocodile tears, as Enugu State Government is determined to and will surely recover every penny of Ndi Enugu fraudulently obtained by Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele (Sujimoto).”

The Enugu State Government’s statement was accompanied with pictures of the project sites as abandoned by Sujimoto, which were taken by the joint team of officials of the state and operatives of the EFCC during the May 8 and 9 site visits. The pictures clearly showed that the project sites were mostly at the levels of foundation and DPC, with a few at the stage of block work.

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BIG STORY

‘Miracle Money’ Gospel Undermining Nigeria’s Development — Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

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Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has cautioned Nigerian churches against promoting messages centred on miracles and prosperity without responsibility, saying such teachings undermine national development.

Osinbajo spoke in Lagos on Thursday at the 80th birthday lecture of Mike Okonkwo, presiding bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM). The 24th edition of the Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture was themed “The Nigeria Of Our Dream: Today’s Reality and a Responsible Pathfinder.”

Delivering a lecture titled “Church as a Responsible Pathfinder in Attaining the Nigeria of Our Dreams,” Osinbajo said only values of integrity, productivity, and responsibility can transform the nation and curb corruption.

“If the gospel is preached correctly, it will create renewed, regenerated men and women. We cannot build a nation on the doctrines of miracle money and shortcuts. True gospel preaching instils diligence, honesty, and responsibility. That is what changes societies,” he said.

The former vice-president warned that Africa’s failure to add value to its natural resources has kept it poor despite vast endowments. He cited cocoa production as an example, noting that while Africa grows the raw material, countries without cocoa dominate global profits by processing it into chocolate.

Osinbajo also drew lessons from the Puritans in Europe, who, he said, transformed their societies by emphasising integrity, hard work, and ethical living.

In his remarks, Bishop Okonkwo urged Nigerians to reflect on the country’s progress nearly 65 years after independence, stressing that every citizen has a role in nation-building.

“The Nigeria of our dreams can be realised, but every one of us must play our part. Responsibility cannot be shifted; we all must take it,” he said.

The chairman of the occasion, retired Major-General Ike Nwachukwu, described Nigeria as “a land of immense promise” constrained by poverty amidst plenty. He called for leaders and citizens who would rise above self-interest to pursue the common good.

At the event, Davina Phillips, winner of the Mike Okonkwo Essay Competition, received a cash prize of ₦1 million.

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