The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the killings of 16 persons in Edo, describing it as barbaric.

The caucus, in a statement jointly signed by the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, Minority Whip, Rep. Ali Isa and Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Aliyu. Madaki, in Abuja on Tuesday, expressed shock and grief over the incident. “We find such brutal killings of innocent Nigerians in any part of the country by lawless mobs very reprehensible. “If allowed to fester without being put in check by responsible organs of the Federal Government, such actions could threaten the peace and unity of the country,” the statement said.The caucus urged Nigerians against resorting to such jungle attacks on their fellow citizens, but to always employ the services of lawful authorities whenever they noticed any issue of concern.“Nigeria is a nation under the rule of laws, with viable law enforcement agencies that are always available to partner with every Nigerian to assuage their concerns,” it said.The lawmakers called on President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to investigate the matter and bring all those involved in the killings to book in order to prevent its reoccurrence.They also called for payment of adequate compensation to the families of the victims.The caucus called on Nigerians to remain calm, peaceful and law abiding, while allowing the federal and state governments to get to the root of the matter, in the interest of justice and peace.“We express our sincere sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims.“We assure them and all Nigerians that the minority caucus of the house of representatives will remain eternally vigilant until justice is done on this matter,” the caucus said. (NAN)

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has announced the revocation of the offer of provisional allocation of houses under the National Housing Programme (NHP) of defaulting subscribers.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, made this known in a statement signed by Mr Salisu Haiba, Director, Press and Public Relations on Tuesday in Abuja. According to Belgore, the revocation affected all recipients who failed to make full and outright payment within the stipulated period of 90 days and the additional eight-week grace granted. “This decision aligns with the terms and conditions outlined in paragraph 2 of the provisional offer of allocation letter issued to beneficiaries.“It reinforces the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring transparency, compliance and efficient management of the National Housing Programme.“The revocation strictly applies to those who did not fulfill the payment requirements within the designated time-frame,” he said.Belgore further clarified that all beneficiaries who successfully completed their payments on or before Feb. 28, 2025, remained unaffected by the action.He also advised that they should come to the Ministry to collect their letters of allocation and proceed to take possession of the houses immediately.The permanent secretary said that for ease of reference and public accountability, the full list of individuals whose provisional offer of allocation had been revoked would now be available on the Ministry’s official website https://fmhud.gov.ng.He added that it would also be published in the Daily Trust, Nation and Leadership newspapers, in the first week of April, 2025.The Permanent Secretary noted that the Ministry remained dedicated to providing accessible and affordable housing to Nigerians, and the measure was part of ongoing efforts to streamline the housing allocation process for greater efficiency and fairness. (NAN)

Operatives at the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, have detained a syndicate for allegedly trafficking girls from Nigeria to Mauritania for prostitution and sexual exploitation.

The Zonal Public Relations Officer (ZPRO), CSP Umma Ayuba, confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos. She said the syndicate was apprehended on March 22 at the Command in the Meiran area of the state. “Operatives of the Zonal Intelligence Response Squad (ZIRS), led by SP Francis Kpoughul, stormed their base where two suspects were apprehended,” Ayuba said. The ZPRO stated that the suspects confessed to the crime. “The first suspect said she was introduced to a woman based in Mauritania by another woman, who has been prosecuted for the same offence and is currently serving a jail term. “She said the woman in Mauritania contracted her to recruit young girls below the age of 22 to be used as sex workers there. “She added that she received ₦50,000 as commission for each girl sent to Mauritania. “She confessed that, among the girls she recruited, was her 19-year-old daughter. She also admitted to receiving over ₦500,000 from the woman in Mauritania,” Ayuba said. The ZPRO stated that her accomplice, the second suspect, admitted being contracted by the first suspect to recruit girls as domestic staff in Mauritania. “She said that, upon further questioning, she discovered the girls were to be used as sex workers and decided to withdraw from the business. “She added that the only girl she sent to the first suspect was rejected due to her age and body size. That was when she realised something was wrong,” Ayuba said. According to the ZPRO, the investigation is ongoing, and the suspects will be charged to court upon completion. (NAN)