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Insecurity: Police, Amotekun After Criminals On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

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In response to public outcry and fears about kidnappings on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Ogun State Police Command has told the public that it has devised ways to outpace the kidnappers and chase them out of their axis of operation.

Three victims were kidnapped on Sunday morning in Ogunmakin, Onigaari, and Ishara, according to the axes.

DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state Police Public Relations Officer, responded to the command’s move to stop the fresh kidnapping incidents by saying that the command was not merely initiating operations along the Lagos-Ibadan Highway.

“We have been everywhere along the road. We have our Operation Safer Highway, Federal Highway Patrol, and teams of anti-kidnapping units there. What just happened was just an opportunistic drive by the hoodlums who saw an opportunity to strike when they saw a broken down vehicle being fixed,” he said.

Oyeyemi recalled the killing of two of the kidnappers at the same axis two months ago, with the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, saying: “We are not resting on our oars because we are not oblivious of the fact that Lagos-Ibadan Highway is one of the busiest roads in the country, and it is our duty to protect the lives of commuters on the road.

“We are making every effort to make sure that the hoodlums are fished for and flushed out.”

The PPRO also disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, was at the place being used by the kidnappers to assess its security architecture, “and he has given the necessary directive to ensure that those hoodlums have no place to hibernate.

Oyeyemi added that operatives from the command also embarked on operations of combing the bush, saying “the forest is a very vast one linking Ogun and Oyo. We try as much as possible to involve border boundary security stakeholders such as vigilantes, local hunters, and others who know the terrains very well. And they have been assisting us. It was even through their efforts that we were able to locate their hideouts two months ago.’

“We are still carrying them along in this operation as well. And I’m very sure that very soon, our people will hear good news about our breakthrough in that axis. We are determined to flush the hoodlums out and we are going to achieve that.”

But in his response to the return of the kidnappers to the highway, the convener of Southwest Security Stakeholders Group and the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams said the attacks will go into oblivion if the police commands in Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, as well as Directors of Department of State Services (DSS) and security advisers to the governors in the states, approve a collaboration with group members to join police operatives in patrolling the axes and the vast forests surrounding them.

Adams, who spoke in a telephone conversation, made it known that nine groups, including OPC, Agbekoya, hunters, vigilantes among others, formed a unit of all relevant security groups in the Southwest.

“They were working with the Police. We started coordinating them and wrote a letter to all monarchs in the South West at the local government levels. We discovered that kidnappers have shifted their attention to the Lagos-Ibadan highway. And it is the busiest road in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, has said that there is an ongoing joint operation involving the police and Amotekun in Ogun and Oyo states at identified criminal hotspots on the Lagos-Ibadan highway.

Mr. Oyeleye stated this during a conversation with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday evening. He said in particular, security agencies had identified the group of people terrorizing people plying the end of Isara to the Onigaari axis and were already closing in on them.

He said that with several high-level meetings and joint operations of security agencies, there would be no further attacks on motorists and passengers plying the Lagos-Ibadan highway.

Oyeleye said: “Yes, we have had two or three incidents, but our security agencies are on top of the situation. The security agencies have met and as I am speaking, there is a joint operation going on among the Amotekun in Ogun and Oyo states and the police.

“Yes, it is already one or two incidents too many because the Lagos-Ibadan road is a critical artery for the South-West and indeed, Nigeria, and, if we don’t move in quickly, God forbid, we may have the situation on the Abuja-Kaduna road on the Lagos-Ibadan road. There have been high-level meetings and the security agencies are working jointly.

“Largely, the entire stretch of the road has been secured. You find police presence, but there is that particular notorious point between the end of Isara approaching Onigaari.

“The security men have identified that this is a hotspot and there is a joint operation going on. ‘We cannot afford to have insecurity on that road; it will be a major disaster for the South-West. That is why the authorities are not folding their hands.

“From my office, I have personally spoken with the commandants of Amotekun and I know joint operations are ongoing to ensure that people can drive and travel safely on that road.”

BIG STORY

“JAPA”: Canada Increases Minimum Proof Of Funds To N17m For Immigrants

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Foreign nationals aiming to migrate to Canada through the Express Entry system will now need to meet a higher minimum financial requirement, following a recent update from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Based on the new guidelines effective from July 7, 2025, a single applicant is now required to show access to at least CAD $15,263 (about N17 million), an increase from the previous CAD $14,690. For a family of two, the new minimum required amount rises to CAD $19,001 (N21.2m).

This update in the financial threshold is part of IRCC’s annual review of settlement fund requirements, calculated at 50% of the low-income cut-off figures determined by Statistics Canada.

These funds are meant to prove that applicants can financially support themselves and their families after arriving in Canada.

Applicants must provide official letters from their financial institutions, printed on the bank’s letterhead. For those applying with a spouse, funds in joint accounts may be combined.

To stay eligible in the Express Entry pool, candidates must update their proof of funds in their profile no later than July 28, 2025. This update will not affect the original submission date and time of the profile, meaning it will not impact tie-breaker situations.

Proof of funds remains a mandatory requirement under both the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. However, it is not required for applicants under the Canadian Experience Class or for those already authorized to work in Canada with a valid job offer, even under other Express Entry categories.

Submitting an Express Entry profile is only the initial step and does not guarantee permanent residency. IRCC continues to invite the highest-ranking candidates from the pool approximately every two weeks, using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assess and rank applications.

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BIG STORY

UK Introduces eVisas For Nigerian Study, Work Visa Applicants

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The British High Commission in Abuja announced on Wednesday a new change in the United Kingdom’s immigration process for Nigerians applying for study and work visas.

Effective from 15 July 2025, most applicants in these categories will start receiving digital eVisas instead of the traditional visa stickers in their passports, according to a statement from the BHC.

The new policy applies only to applications submitted on or after 15 July 2025. Those who apply before that date will still follow the current process, which involves submitting a passport at a Visa Application Centre and receiving a vignette.

The statement reads, “From 15 July 2025, most individuals applying to enter the UK on study or work-related visas will no longer receive a physical visa sticker (vignette) in their passport. Instead, successful applicants will be issued an eVisa, a secure, online record of their immigration status. This change marks a major step in the UK Government’s transition to a modern, digital immigration system. This change applies only to study or work visa applications submitted on or after 15 July 2025. Applicants who apply before 15 July will continue with the current process, including leaving their passport at the Visa Application Centre and receiving a vignette. Visit visa applications will continue to receive the visa vignette sticker for the time being.”

Applicants are still required to visit a Visa Application Centre to provide biometric data.

Once approved, applicants will receive an email from UK Visas and Immigration with the decision and instructions for creating a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

The statement continues, “Despite the removal of the vignette for study or work visas, all applicants must still attend a Visa Application Centre to provide their biometric information as part of the visa processing procedure. Once a decision is made on their visa application, applicants will receive an email from UK Visas and Immigration with the outcome and instructions to create a UKVI account, to access their eVisa.”

Chargé d’Affaires at the British High Commission in Abuja, Gill Obe, stated, “We’re making it easier and faster for Nigerians to travel to the UK. From 15 July 2025, most people applying for study or work visas will get a digital eVisa instead of a visa sticker in their passport. This is a further big step to a fully digital UK immigration system, making the process more secure, more efficient, and more convenient for students, professionals, and families.”

She explained that not all applicants would be affected immediately.

“However, if you’re applying as a dependant, like a spouse or child, of someone who is studying or working in the UK or if you are applying for a visitor visa, you’ll still receive a visa vignette sticker in your passport for the time being,” she said.

The High Commission clarified that eVisas have already replaced Biometric Residence Permits for individuals granted leave for more than six months. Those with a UKVI account can use the “View and Prove” service to share their immigration status with third parties, such as employers or landlords in England.

To obtain an eVisa, applicants must apply online via the official UK government website (gov.uk), attend a Visa Application Centre to provide biometrics, take their passport home the same day if no vignette is required, and follow instructions in the decision letter, including creating and linking a UKVI account if needed.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Ganduje Appointed FAAN Board Chairman

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Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has been appointed “Chairman of the Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),” shortly after resigning as “National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The announcement was made on Tuesday at the official inauguration of newly appointed FAAN board members in Abuja.

Ganduje resigned from his role as APC national chairman last week, citing “urgent personal reasons.” He has been succeeded by Ali Bukar Dalori.

 

More to come:

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