The Police Command in Cross River has apprehended one Victor Eyop, 35, for alleged trafficking of girls from Nigeria to Libya.

CP Gyogon Grimah, Cross River Commissioner of Police, confirmed this on Monday at a news conference in Calabar.

Grimah explained that on Nov. 9, one Mr Chidi Samuel, in Calabar, reported a case of human trafficking against the suspect.

He said that on that date, Samuel claimed that the suspect and his wife, Mrs Esther Eyop, allegedly recruited Ms Deborah Nyong, 25.

“They also recruited two others, Ms Anita Lawrence, 25, and Ms Mabel Tom, 16, for human trafficking to Libya after they were tested for the Human Immune Virus (HIV) and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs).

“After the test, the suspect took them to his house and the next day gave them a substance they were to mix in their bath water for cleansing before embarking on the journey.

“On Nov. 12, the suspect and his wife drove the girls to Bogobiri Street in Calabar, where they booked tickets and transported them to Kaduna with arrangements with one Hajiya (names unknown) to receive the girls in Kaduna,” he said.

The commissioner noted that while in Kaduna, a taxi driver was sent to pick up the girls and further transported them to Katsina. However, along the road to Katsina, the vehicle developed a fault.

Grimah said it was at this point that the victims realised that they were being trafficked, started contacting people for help and the complainant, Samuel, sent money to them through a Point of Sale (POS) operator along the road.

He said, with that money, they boarded a taxi back to Kaduna and found their way back to Calabar on Nov. 15.

Grimah said that court prosecution would begin the moment the investigation was concluded.

On his part, the suspect claimed that he did not know that what he did was an offense noting that he was only assisting people to travel out.

“I am not a travel agent, but my sister is in Libya, it is through her that the girls are being taken to Libya.

“The girls were aware of the plan from inception that they would be taken to Katsina and from where ‘Hajiya’ would direct them on how to get to Libya,” he narrated. (NAN)

An economist, Prof. Bright Eregha, has urged the federal and state governments to adhere to fiscal discipline and support import substitution to combat rising inflation.

Eregha, who lectures at the Economics Department, Pan Atlantic University, expressed this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Monday.

He said that over the past year, the allocation of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to various subnational governments had surged significantly due to economic reforms implemented by the government.

Eregha said that this increase in allocations had raised the money supply within the economy.

According to him, this can also lead to a rise in the current inflation rate if these funds are not channeled into productive sectors.

He stressed the necessity for the governments to invest in mechanised agriculture as a solution to the prevailing food insecurity.

“An increased budgetary allocation to mechanise our agriculture is essential to boost food production, irrespective of whether it is harvest season or not,” he stated.

Eregha argued that such investments would aid the country in achieving self-sufficiency in food production and help mitigate the food-induced inflation currently being experienced.

Also, Prof. Tunde Adeoye, Senior Lecturer, Economics Department, University of Lagos, advocated  import substitution to curb the inflation rate.

He stated, “The government should adopt macroeconomic policies that will encourage indigenous companies to commence the production of some imported items locally and be patronised by our people.

“This will strengthen our local capacity and reduce our volume of imports over time, which is exerting too much pressure on our foreign exchange,” he explained.

According to Adeoye, the surge in inflation rate is more of a structural challenge within the general economy.

He said, “The situation has gone beyond the apex bank’s belief that raising interest rates alone will check the inflation rate.

“Our increase in inflation is more of an economic dislocation which is worsened by the government’s current economic reforms.”

He further emphasised the need for the government to be more innovative in addressing the security headwinds that negate food output in the country.

“The government addressing the herders-farmers disputes over the years in food belt states might ameliorate the situation,” Adeoye said.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s inflation rate increased to 34.6 per cent in November, up from 33.8 per cent in October.

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, released on Dec.16, highlights a 0.72 per cent rise in inflation within a month.

The NBS reported a significant year-on-year increase of 6.4 per cent, compared to the 28.2 per cent inflation rate recorded in November 2023.

On a month-on-month basis, inflation rose by 2.638 per cent in November, a marginal drop of 0.002 percentage points from October’s 2.64 per cent. (NAN)

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The National Leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the weekend, said it is disturbed by the tragic events at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama on Saturday morning.This was contained in a statement issued by CAN signed by Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and made available to journalists in Abuja.