KAA Gent defender Jordan Torunarigha is determined to make Nigeria’s squad to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The centre-back represented Germany at youth level but later switched international allegiance.

The 26-year-old was handed his maiden invitation for Nigeria’s 2023 AFCON qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe in September.

Torunarigha, however, waited until last month before making his debut in the friendly against Mozambique.

With the Super Eagles set to compete in Cote d’Ivoire in January, the player hopes to be selected by head coach Jose Peseiro.

“I’m just doing my best and hoping for a selection. It remains an honor to represent Nigeria,” he told Belgian news outlet, Het Nieuwsblad.

“Nine boys from our team can indeed be called up in January, which is quite a lot. But first we go to Iceland. I’ve never been there before, but I’m not afraid of the temperatures. I often take ice baths”.

Letters confiscated by Britain’s Royal Navy before they reached French sailors during the Seven Years’ War have been opened for the first time.

Written in 1757-8, they were sent by loved ones for crew onboard a French warship, but never reached them.

Prof Renaud Morieux, who discovered the letters, said they were about “universal human experiences”.

The Seven Years’ War was a battle mainly between Britain and France about control of North America and India.

It ended with the Treaty of Paris, which gave the UK considerable gains.Prof Morieux, a University of Cambridge academic, unearthed the collection of 104 letters from the National Archives in Kew, and said it was “agonising how close they got” to reaching their intended recipients onboard the Galatee.

The French postal administration took them to multiple ports in France to attempt delivery, but were unsuccessful.

The Galatee was captured by the British on its way from Bordeaux to Quebec in 1758.

Upon learning the ship was in British hands, French authorities forwarded the letters to England, where they were handed to the navy and ended up in storage.

British Admiralty officials deemed the letters had no military significance.Prof Morieux said he only asked to look at the box in the archives “out of curiosity” before discovering them.

“I realised I was the first person to read these very personal messages since they were written,” he said.

“Their intended recipients didn’t get that chance. It was very emotional,” said Prof Morieux, whose findings were published in the journal “Annales. Histoire, Sciences Sociales”.

Prof Morieux identified every member of the Galatee’s 181-strong crew, with letters addressed to a quarter of them – he also carried out genealogical research into the men and their correspondents.

They include a letter from Marie Dubosc to her husband, the ship’s first lieutenant, Louis Chambrelan.

She wrote: “I could spend the night writing to you… I am your forever faithful wife.

“Good night, my dear friend. It is midnight. I think it is time for me to rest.

“Researchers say she did not know where her husband was or that his ship had been captured by the British.

He did not receive her letter and they did not meet again, with Dubosc dying the next year in northern France.

Chambrelan returned to France and remarried in 1761.

In another letter, Anne Le Cerf told her husband Jean Topsent, a non-commissioned officer: “I cannot wait to possess you.”

“These letters are about universal human experiences, they’re not unique to France or the 18th century,” Prof Morieux said.

“They reveal how we all cope with major life challenges.”

“When we are separated from loved ones by events beyond our control, like the pandemic or wars, we have to work out how to stay in touch, how to reassure, care for people and keep the passion alive.

“Today we have Zoom and WhatsApp. In the 18th century, people only had letters but what they wrote about feels very familiar.”

The territorial dispute between Ethiopia’s northern Amhara and Tigray regions will be settled through a referendum, the government says.

The row has threatened to disrupt the fragile peace following the end of the civil war in Tigray a year ago.

Tigray controlled the fertile lands before Amhara forces seized them in 2020 during the conflict.Rights groups have accused those forces of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the disputed areas.

The allegations were dismissed by Amhara’s regional government.

The disputed areas, near Ethiopia’s border with Sudan, were a key flashpoint in the two-year conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government.

The war ended after a peace agreement was signed last November in South Africa.

Many of the one million displaced people, who remain sheltered in makeshift camps throughout Tigray, are reported to have fled the contested areas.

The Amhara administration says the territory was forcibly annexed by Tigray in the 1990s when the TPLF was the dominant political force in Ethiopia.

In a lengthy report last year, rights groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said evidence collected through interviews showed that the disputed areas had been the site of some of the worst atrocities committed during the conflict and were been largely ignored.

The African Union envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has said around 600,000 people died during the conflict overall.

Researchers put the hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths down to fighting, starvation and lack of health care.

In Monday’s statement evaluating the year since the peace deal, the government said the displaced people would be returned and the federal military would assume responsibility for local security.

The federal authorities say they have “taken a position on the fate of the disputed areas to find a solution mutually beneficial to all sides”.

“A direction has been put in place for a referendum to be held in accordance with the constitution,” the government’s communication service said.

It did not say when the referendum would be held.

The statement – released in Amharic and English – also hailed progress made in the past 12 months including the formation of an interim administration in Tigray. But it accused the administration of “dragging its feet” over fully implementing the peace deal.It also suggested the administration was still keeping combatants despite agreeing to disarm.

Tigrayan forces have handed over their heavy weapons but it is believed that small and light arms have not been given up. The TPLF, in a statement last week, said the ceasefire had not been fully implemented because large numbers of people were still displaced.

This comes amid heavy fighting between Ethiopian federal troops and local militias across large parts of the Amhara region.

The fighting broke out in April after the federal government’s directive to disarm regional forces and armed groups.

Fighters from the Fano militia say they have captured several towns in Ethiopia’s second-biggest region. The federal government has not yet commented on the claims.

In August, the militias entered several of the region’s main cities, temporarily taking control of an airport in the historic town of Lalibela before they were pushed out by the army.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has accused federal forces of human rights violations in the clashes with Fano rebels.

The Ethiopian government denied the EHRC report, terming it “unbalanced”.Western countries including Britain and the US have called for a dialogue.

The captain of a dive boat that caught fire and killed 34 people in California four years ago has been found guilty of negligence.

Jerry Boylan, 69, was convicted of one count of “seaman’s manslaughter” after a 10-day trial in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said the captain failed to have a night watchman or conduct fire drills as required by law.

All 33 passengers and a crew member sleeping below deck died – among the worst maritime disasters in California.

The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning on 2 September 2019 while the Conception was moored in Platt’s Harbour near Santa Cruz Island, south of Santa Barbara.

It was hosting a diving expedition over the Labour Day holiday weekend.

Boylan was among five crew members who managed to escape the blaze on the 75ft (23m) vessel.

They escaped by jumping overboard and swimming to another vessel nearby.

The crew members told investigators at the time that the flames were too intense to save anyone trapped in the passenger quarters.

This ship captain’s unpardonable cowardice led to the deaths of 34 lives on Labor Day 2019,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.

“As the jury found, this tragedy could have been avoided had Mr Boylan simply performed the duties he was entrusted to carry out. We hope that today’s verdict brings some solace and closure to the victims’ loved ones.

“Boylan faces a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars and will learn his fate on 8 February.

Victims of the tragedy include five members of a Californian family who were celebrating a birthday.

Michael Quitasol, his daughters Evan, Nicole and Angela Quitasol, and his wife, Fernisa Sison, were all on the Conception when the fire broke out.

Other victims include marine biologist Kristy Finstad, physics teacher Scott Chan and his daughter Kendra, and Arizona couple Patricia Beitzinger and Neal Baltz.

The FCT Fire spokesman, Ibrahim Tauheed, says no casualties were recorded in the fire that gutted the popular Samsung Headquarters located near Banex Junction in Wuse 2, Abuja.

Mr Tauheed made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, “When the fire gutted the building, one Ms Ngozi, the owner of Mozini Spa, situated behind Furniture House, made a distress call to him at 7:38 p.m.’’

He explained that the fire, which was commercial in nature, engulfed a two-storey building filled with Samsung products.

The police spokesman explained further that a preliminary investigation indicated that the fire resulted from careless welding activities near a pile of empty, combustible cartons.

He said that fire-fighters from Asokoro Fire Station were the first to arrive at the scene at 7:43 p.m.

However, they faced hostility from some hoodlums who started pelting their fire trucks with stones.

“So, to ensure the safety of the firefighters and their equipment, the leader of the crew, DSF Ahmed Katsina, directed the driver to take an alternate route to Ahmadu Bello Way and alerted the police control room.

“Upon the arrival of the Nigeria Police personnel, they fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse the unruly crowd, allowing firefighters to commence their firefighting efforts, but regrettably, the delay caused the fire to intensify and spread throughout the building.

“Nevertheless, concerted efforts were made to prevent it from spreading to nearby structures and the nearby filling station.”

He further said that many had expected that the fire would spread to other buildings and the nearby filling station, but with the combined efforts of multiple stations and agencies, it did not.

Meanwhile, the fire continued to rage for over six hours, from 7:38 p.m. on November 6 until 1:37 a.m. on November 7, before it was finally extinguished.

However, both the Federal Fire Service and FCT Fire Service maintained one station each on standby until in the morning.

The acting director of FCT Fire Service, Engr. Zacchaeus Adebayo, closely monitored the operations from the onset until it was finally brought under control.

He commended the firefighters for their steadfastness and commitment, pledging to enhance operational conditions promptly.

Nollywood ‘martial arts’ actor, Natty Bruce, is dead.

Film critic, Shaibu Husseini, confirmed the news on his Facebook page late Monday.

Sharing a photo of the deceased, Husseini wrote, “I have just been reliably informed that light has dimmed on foremost Nollywood’s ‘martial arts’ actor Natty Bruce.

“The green belter was passionate about integrating Martial Arts in Nollywood movies.

“He also tried to produce a full length Martial Art movie… Good night Oga Natty…… bye bye Sir.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, has knocked reality TV star, Otabor Josephina aka Phyna, over her altercation with officers in the state.

The Big Brother Naija season 7 winner had stated that police officers filmed her and she made them delete it.

In a now-deleted tweet, she wrote, “Police bring out phone dy film me… Me sef bring out my phone dy go live.

“Some unfortanate people where busy encouraging police to deal with me. Na win I win I no kilI person bcuz of hate, y’all don’t even know when to have sense. I sha made sure he deleted it.

“He said taking pictures and video of the person they stopped is in the law. I have never heard of that….PHYNA MADE SURE HE DELETED IT!!!!!!

“Reacting to the tweet on his X page on Tuesday, Hundeyin wrote, “If you were in my shoes, somebody carries phone on your face, you’ll get angry. You’ll get angry! – a Nigerian 🙄

“You guys can’t even take what you dish out. A police officer uses his phone to record you, not randomly, but while you’re breaking a traffic rule and you’re all worked up about it, asking which law empowers him to rightfully get evidence. 🤔 You’re unusual.

“But law does not matter when you record police officers in the line of duty, sometimes just to agitate them and quickly scream harassment.”

Alan Fisher, an Irish chef and restaurant owner based in Japan, has broken two Guinness World Records related to cooking.

This was made known in a post shared by the Guinness World Records on their X account on Tuesday.

Sharing the news, GWR said, “Nigerian cooking queen Hilda Baci has been dethroned 😳

“Alan Fisher from Ireland cooked for an incredible 119 hours and 57 minutes at his restaurant in Japan 🥄

“Alan secured the title for the longest cooking marathon (individual), setting a new record with an astonishing time of 119 hours and 57 minutes.

This achievement surpassed the previous record held by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci by over 24 hours.In addition to this, Alan also claimed the title for the longest baking marathon (individual), clocking in at 47 hours and 21 minutes, surpassing the previous record held by Wendy Sandner from the USA, who had a time of 31 hours and 16 minutes.

Alan took on both challenges consecutively, spending over 160 hours in the kitchen with just a little over a day of rest in between the two record-breaking attempts.

An actor and stunts man known for his work in Black Panther and The Avengers has died in a car crash that also k!lled three of his children, including a newborn daughter.

Taraja Ramsess, 41, was driving a car full of his children when he crashed into a broken-down tractor-trailer on a highway exit in DeKalb County, Georgia, on Halloween night, October 31, 2023.

His family members have now confirmed that Taraja’s 13-year-old daughter Sundari, 10-year-old son Kisasi, and eight-week-old daughter Fugibo have all d!ed since the crash.

Taraja and his daughters died in the crash on Tuesday night while son Kisasi was rushed to hospital.

His grandmother confirmed the 10-year-old died of his injuries four days later.

Taraja’s three-year-old daughter Shazia survived and is in the hospital recovering from minor injuries.

Another 15-year-old girl who was in the car was barely hurt.

Police confirmed that Taraja was behind the wheel when the car slammed into the trailer, but the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Taraja earned stuntman roles in Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War.

Also among his 78 listed credits on IMDb were dozens of art department roles in films like The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Fast & Furious 7.

“All who knew and met him know how special Taraja was,” His mother, Akili wrote in a heartwrenching post announcing his death.

“He had a deep capacity for love and loved his children more than all.

“He loved his martial arts, motorcycles, and all things related to filmmaking.

A new statement from the family of actor John Okafor, aka Mr Ibu, disclosed that one of his legs has been amputated to keep him alive.

News surfaced in October that the veteran actor was ill and required financial assistance to aid in his treatment.

In the statement shared on the actor’s Instagram page Monday, it was revealed the actor had undergone seven successful surgeries, including the amputation of one leg, in a bid to keep him alive.

The statement read, “Good afternoon, Nigerians. We want to appreciate everyone who has come through for our dad; saying we are grateful is an understatement, and only the good Lord can thank you all enough for every help you’ve rendered.

“As of 1 pm, noon today, Daddy has gone through 7 successful surgeries, but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery, one of his legs had to be amputated.

“This development has been hard on us all, but we’ve had to accept it as Daddy’s new reality to keep him alive.

“Please, we are still soliciting support from well-meaning Nigerians as, at this stage, Daddy is still very delicate, and he needs all the help he can get.

“Thank you, everyone, the Okafor family is grateful and we don’t take you for granted. In due time, Daddy will personally acknowledge everyone who supported him during this period as soon as he’s stable.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the allegation of forgery against the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.

The court also imposed a fine of N5 million on NYSC for alleging that the corps’ discharge certificate held by Mbah was fake.

Mbah had sued the NYSC and its Director, Corps Certification, Ibrahim Muhammad, for publishing a disclaimer, denying the issuance of a discharge certificate issued to him on January 6, 2003.

But the NYSC, in its preliminary objection dated May 19 and filed May 22, sought an order dismissing or striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction and competence.

Delivering judgment on the matter on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Mbah, was authentic and validly issued by the NYSC.

Ekwo added that the Director-General of the NYSC and the corps, who were defendants in the suit, were guilty of misrepresentation of material facts.

The court said Mbah, midway into his service, sought and, after receiving permission from the NYSC to attend the Nigeria Law School, was reinstated into the NYSC in 2003.

The court held that with the unchallenged evidence of the plaintiff on how the discharge certificate was issued to him in 2003 by NYSC after serving in a law firm in Lagos and the inability of the Corps to come up with counter-evidence, it was crystal clear that the plaintiff served the mandatory one-year service.

Among others, Justice Ekwo held that the onus to prove forgery allegations lies heavily on the NYSC, stating that the organisation failed in that regard.The court found that Mbah’s evidence was heavier and more believable.

The building of the High Commission of Canada to Nigeria was engulfed in flames shortly before noon on Monday, which 0could lead to a temporal collapse of the services and consultations that the office facilitates.

FCT police spokesperson Istifanus Bako confirmed to Peoples Gazette that the commission’s building on Diplomatic Drive in the Central Business District was on fire for several minutes.

He added that the situation has been successfully controlled.

The precise cause of the fire remains unknown, but the police and sister agencies are working to understand the cause of the incident.

No casualty or injury has been recorded so far, and the responders are currently ascertaining the extent of the damage.

A Magáistrate’s Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State, on Monday, granted singer, Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, and Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, known as Sam Larry bail in the sum of N20m with three responsible duties.

Naira Marley, Sam Larry and two others were on October 6 arraigned and remanded over their alleged involvement in circumstances surrounding the death of a musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.

The magistrate, Adeola Olatunbosun told the defendants to submit their passports and ordered that they are to report weekly to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

“As part of the bail conditions, the defendants are to surrender their passports and make weekly appearances at the State Criminal Investigation Department,” Olatunbosun ruled.

She also warned that no one should contact her directly on the case.“Any attempts to contact me directly would be recorded and potentially disclosed in open court proceedings,” she added.

A multiple-car accident involving a tricycle (keke), a car, and a truck occurred on Monday at the Daleko link bridge inward LASPOTECH in the Isolo area of Lagos State.

This was revealed in photos shared on X by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.

According to LASTMA, the crash was a result of the brake failure of the loaded truck.

The photos reveal how the crash left the keke badly damaged and trapped under the truck.

The car involved in the collision also sustained significant damage to its front end.

LASTMA added that no casualties were involved, adding that police officers from the Ilasa Division, along with LASTMA officers, were fully on the ground as efforts were on for evacuation.

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army operating under 81 Division have prevented a suicide attempt by one Francesca Spark who plunged into the Lagos lagoon around the Officers’ Mess in Marina, Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, on Monday, November 6.

The statement read, “The troops of 65 Battalion NA deployed at the Officers’ Mess, who sighted Mrs Spark quickly used their military riverine skills and ingenuity to rescue her.

“She was given first aid and stabilized by the battalion medical team. After stabilization, the family was contacted and she was handed over to her husband, one Mr Spark Oghene Ovie residing at Awoyaya Lagos.

“The General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Muhammed Usman, also commended the soldiers for being observant, and for their ingenuity, and courage.

The GOC said he is pleased that soldiers brought their training in disaster management to salvage such a critical situation that could have claimed the life of a fellow citizen.

He added that the troops have been trained to support leading agencies during emergencies and assured residents of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protect them and their properties even during emergencies.

The National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed a syndicate of drug traffickers and peddlers run by blind men.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the blind run the illicit business of drug trafficking between the two most populated states of Kano and Lagos.

He said arrested by NDLEA operatives are three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.

Babafemi said the lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along Gwagwalada expressway Abuja with 12 kilogrammes of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday 28th October.

Investigations however established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

Follow up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello who is married with five children said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children.

Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind equally contributed money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano.

Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu is currently at large.

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, reaffirmed his determination to change the narrative about the bank and make its policies have a more forceful effect on the populace.

Cardoso stressed that under his watch, the apex bank would focus on its core mandate of price stability, specifically curtailing the rising inflation, which has continued to distort prices.

The CBN governor gave the assurance while playing host to former Governor of the central bank, Mr. Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Cardoso had received the Impact Investing Community, led by Sanusi, who is the 14th Emir of Kano and Khalifa of the Tijaniyyah Sufi Order of Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Cardoso expressed hope that at the end of his tenure, he would have left behind a central bank whose “policies have positively impacted people’s lives”.

Addressing the visiting team in his office, Cardoso said his team was determined to change the narrative about the apex bank and make the bank more impactful in the lives of Nigerians by curtailing inflation.

He thanked the community for visiting the CBN, stating that it represents an excellent future for Nigeria, with the potential to transform the country’s economy by tapping into the investment opportunities available across the country and the world.

Cardoso hailed the quality of leadership of the community, especially in its effort to create awareness, and build partnerships.

In a statement, Cardoso said the CBN would collaborate with the Impact Investing Community to initiate frameworks that would encourage investments as well as positively influence the lives of Nigerians, and contribute to economic growth.

Sanusi highlighted the role of the central bank in massively impacting the lives of Nigerians through its activities. He said oftentimes, people did not seem to appreciate the impact of a central bank activity until it failed.

The former CBN governor expressed concerns about the current inflation rate.

He urged the new leadership at the CBN to work persistently at driving down the rate, which he noted had severely impacted the wealth of individuals.

He also acknowledged the importance of long-term planning by the CBN in achieving its goals, stressing the need for the fiscal authorities to focus on agriculture and education, especially for the girl-child.

Sanusi pledged his continued support, along with the Impact Investing Community, to the CBN in achieving its goals.

In her remarks, Chair of the community, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, said they were at the CBN to register their willingness to support what the bank and the federal government were doing in terms of changing Nigeria’s investment climate by redirecting resources to areas where they would make the most positive impact.

Awosika said over $200 trillion was available around the globe as investment funds, with $1 trillion of it with impact investing.

She stated that the community, with a presence in over 41 countries, was willing to blend with traditional investment practitioners to make an impact in the country.

Awosika stressed the importance of social investment and sought the support of the CBN to enable the body to achieve its goal.

On his part, CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate, Dr. Bala Bello, underscored the importance of investment, stating that global capital is moving towards social investment.

Bello thanked the team for its support, pointing out that collaboration and effective communication are vital in successfully navigating the current challenges in the country.

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has bagged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission 2023 Ethics and Integrity Compliance scorecard for Ministries, Department and Agencies.

Director, Communication and Public Affairs Department of NDIC, Bashir Nuhu, said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

Mr Nuhu said that the assessment encompassed the measurement and monitoring of key performance indicators in categories such as management culture and structure, financial management and administrative systems.

Mr Nuhu said that the corporation excelled with a score of 91.30 per cent at the EIC which involved 404 MDAs.

He said, “The EICS report emphasises the ICPC’s commitment to mitigating abuse of office and corruption by promoting ethics and integrity benchmarks within government agencies, ultimately contributing to more effective service delivery.

“These achievements have been possible due to the corporation’s effective and ethical operational procedures aimed at instilling transparency and accountability.’’

Mr Nuhu said the corporation remained dedicated to ensuring the safety of deposits and contributing to the stability of the country’s financial system.

Some Islamic religious groups have called on Nigerians to adopt orphans and homeless children for them to attain their potential.

They made the appeal during the 2023 awareness walk with the theme “Fostering…Reviving Sunnah,” organised by Halal Children’s Home in Abuja.

President of the home, Hajiya Ramatu Abubakar emphasised the benefits of fostering less-privileged children and reintegrating them into homes.

Ms Abubakar said fostering the children would make them feel loved and guide them towards harnessing their potential, adding that the organisation had found several families and homes for some of the orphaned and vulnerable children.

“The increasing cases of orphans, we can do better. Being able to take a child into your home does not diminish your love, but increases your capacity to love, so let’s not let the fear of poverty stop us from doing what we can for these children.

“Our aim is to make them productive citizens. We rehabilitate them so that they can enter into society easily. So let us open our homes and let’s build a better future for our country,” she urged.

She also appealed to the government to make more provisions or modifications for fostering in the constitution that would allow Muslims take up such children legally.

“For the government, we would like to see a drive for making fostering more visible, each state has a different Child’s Rights Act.

“So we would like to see the provision for fostering as it is in the Islamic sense of the word because there are differences between the adoption process and the fostering.

“The fostering is what Muslims can do. A lot of Muslims do not go through the adoption process because our faith is an important part of us. So, if we can have the laws changed or modified to allow more Muslims take up these children and even the documentation should be made easier,” she advised.

In her contribution, Chief Executive Officer, Baynakum Family Counselling Centre, Abuja, Dr Abdulfattah Adeyemi, expressed concern over the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children roaming around the streets.

“Many of these children that we see have a bright future ahead of them, only if we contribute or do something for them.

“If we allow them to roam around the streets, they can be susceptible to criminals, who may adopt them and make them carry out some criminal activities. There are people who do a lot of nefarious activities against the law and they recruit these vulnerable children on the street.

“So, we are helping ourselves as individuals and as a nation, when we carry out the responsibility. It is godly, civic and what we need now for humanity, especially in action building,” he said.

He, therefore, urged religious leaders to encourage people to adopt or foster vulnerable, orphans and street children to enable them reach their potential and contribute to national development.

“I urge religious leaders to discuss and encourage people to foster so that the humanity in us is not just to worship God and go to paradise, we should also be concerned about humanity,” he said.

Also, Public Relations Officer, Amani Muslim Women Empowerment Initiative, Naimat Akewusola, the group came to support Halal Home and sensitise the public on ways to keep the homeless children off the street.

“With this awareness, many people are now aware that they can actually foster these children and take them into their homes as this will help to reduce the number of street children in our society,” she said.

Also speaking, a consultant neurologist, Dr Saheed Alimo, commended the organisers for engaging the public not only on religious aspects, but health talks and free medical care to improve their health and wellbeing.

Mr Alimo also advised the public to engage in regular exercise, adopt a healthy lifestyle and eat well to improve their health.

No fewer than 14,481,519 pills of tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth over N13bn in street value have been recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The anti-narcotics agency noted that the three intelligence-led operations began with the raid of House 8/10 Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace area of Amuwo Odofin on Sunday, October 29, where 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.

In a similar operation on Tuesday, October 31, the NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo, located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where 12,700,000pills of tramadol were recovered.

In the same vein, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and 1,210,000 pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed the developments in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that six suspects – Oladele Sanya-Olu; Lawal Itunu Temitope; Sanamo Daniel; Udeh Monday; Musa Mutalib and Unege Icibor, in relation to the illegal drug trade through SAHCO, were already in the NDLEA custody, while three other suspects – Sarki Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, were now on the run and wanted by the NDLEA.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the NDLEA operatives on Sunday, October 29, intercepted another businessman, 50-year-old Nwokolo Ifeanyi, during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, the Netherlands via Paris, France at the boarding gate and was body scanned.

Babafemi revealed that the result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion.

He noted, “The suspect who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kilograms.

“Similarly, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, attached to courier firms on Monday, October 30, intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in the walls of a carton containing sewn local fabrics popularly called Aso Oke, heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,”

Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives have arrested three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large.

The lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along the Gwagwalada Expressway, Abuja with 12kgs of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday, October 28.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA noted that investigations, however, established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

“Follow-up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello, who is married with five children, said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

“Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind, has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children.

Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind, equally contributes money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano.

Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu, is currently at large,” Babafemi noted.

While operatives in Osun State on Saturday, November 4, stormed the Obada sawmill forest in Owena-Ijesa, Oriade LGA where they arrested a suspect, Monday Sylvester, 37, on a 6.01 hectares of cannabis farm which was destroyed and 489.8kgs already processed plant recovered, their colleagues in Edo State raided a trans-loading point inside Avbiosi forest, Owan West LGA where 603 kilograms of the illicit substance were seized.

Also, the NDLEA officers in Ogun State on Friday, recovered a Toyota Sienna bus from a ditch, at the Ajebo area, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 460kgs of the same substance, while a total of 116.5kgs of cannabis sativa belonging to a suspect at large were seized at Olagunju, Mushin area of Lagos.