Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), has reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to developing a technology-driven system aimed at enhancing easy and equitable access to student loans.

Sawyerr gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing representatives from Polytechnics, Monotechnics, and Institutes during a Stakeholders Engagement Session and Technical Workshop on NELFUND System Automation and Loan Application Processes.

He explained that the Fund was working towards a seamless, transparent platform that allowed students to confidently access loans without unnecessary stress.

“At NELFUND, our mission goes beyond disbursing loans.

It’s about opening doors and ensuring every young Nigerian with a desire to learn and grow has a real opportunity, regardless of their background, location, or field of study.

“For too long, students, especially in technical institutions, have faced significant financial barriers. Many have had to drop out, while others never even considered applying.

“That’s the gap we at NELFUND aim to close but we can’t do it alone. This is a shared mission involving government institutions and the private sector,” Sawyerr said.

Sawyerr emphasised that NELFUND was not only providing financial support but also building a technology-driven infrastructure that enabled easier application processes, institutional verification, and fast, fair disbursement.

“We’re striving for stress-free access a system students can trust.

“Transparency is key so that no applicant is left in the dark. We rely on you, our institutional partners, to help bring this vision to life,” he added.

He urged institutions to partner with NELFUND, saying the goal was to build a system that would not only be functional and sustainable but also truly transformative.

“As we integrate NELFUND processes with institutional systems and standards, we must remember that at the centre of all this is the student, a young Nigerian with dreams and ambition. Everything we do must serve that student.

“The only way forward is through collaboration, open communication, and practical solutions,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Iyal Mustapha, Executive Director of Operations at NELFUND, said that more than 320,000 students had received funding so far, with further verifications ongoing.

Mustapha clarified that discrepancies between registered students and those whose applications were successfully processed often stemmed from incomplete applications on the students’ part.

“We have 576,000 registrations on our portal, but only 516,000 completed applications. Some may have dropped out due to data issues or just wanted to test the system.

“We want to bridge this gap, and with your support, we can ensure more students access the institutional loan,” he said.

Mustapha further explained that the institutional loan, which is different from the monthly upkeep loan of N20,000, was disbursed directly to institutions.

He added that NELFUND was considering integrating directly with institutional portals to simplify the process for students.

“We’re exploring the possibility of deploying our IT teams to institutions to enable direct connection with your portals.

“Ideally, students should be able to apply via your platforms without having to come through NELFUND, making the process smoother and more accessible,” he said

From Dan Amasingha, Minna 

In continuation of its onslaught against  criminals in Niger State, the Niger State Police Command has arrested another set of Twelve  suspected  car snatching  syndicate and rescued  Seven kidnapped  victims. 

The State Command  public Relations officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun in a crime bulletin  made available  to newsmen on Tuesday  said the Command  is determined  to dismantle  criminal network in the State.

” in continuation  of our effort to decimate crime and criminality in the State, the following breakthroughs were recently recorded “

He disclosed that, as on Sunday,  the 4th of  May, 2025 at about 12.

30am, Police operatives attached to Tafa Div arrested three suspects, namely;

“Umar Mukhtar 25yrs of Okada Road, Minna 

-Shuaibu Ahmed 30yrs of the same address, and 

Mohammed Ibrahim Abba 25yrs of Tafa, Kaduna State”

According to him, the suspects were arrested at Dikko junction with a white Toyota Camry vehicle suspected to have been stolen, and during interrogation, Mukhtar confessed that on 3rd May, 2025 at about 8pm, one Mustapha of Angwan-Kaje area of Minna led him and Shuaibu to a residence in Bosso Estate for robbery.

He narrated that Mustapha was armed with a toy gun, while he and Shuaibu used screwdrivers as weapons. He said further that they requested for money but as there was no money, the wife of the victim drove in within the period of the robbery incident, and the vehicle with Reg. No KNT 785 SN was snatched.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that Mukhtar and Shuaibu drove the vehicle away, while Mustapha stayed back and locked the victims in the toilet to ensure that nobody raised an alarm.

” The said Mustapha linked Mukhtar and Shuaibu to Mohammed Abba at Dikko junction who was contacted to take them to Kaduna to dispose the vehicle”

The State Polic however  recovered  the vehicle and the suspects are under investigation, and effort to arrest Mustapha who is presently at large is ongoing.

Similarly,  On 3rd May, 2025 at approximately 2.30pm, acting on credible information, Police operatives attached to Maje Div arrested two suspects who specialised in theft of tricycles, the suspects namely Abdulaziz Salisu 19yrs of Madalla, Suleja, 

Abubakar Mohammed of Chachi village, Sabon-Wuse.

SP Wasiu Abiodun  said Investigation revealed that on 2nd May, 2025 at about 5am, the said Abdulaziz went to a mosque at Dakwa with the pretence to observe morning prayers, and when the prayers commenced, he ran out of the mosque and made away with a tricycle with Reg. No. GUS 16 VC.

Police operatives on stop and search at Maje Bridge intercepted the tricycle suspected to have been stolen, and during interrogation, he confessed that he stole the tricycle and that he was taken it to Abubakar Mohammed who would facilitate the movement of the tricycle to Katsina State to the buyer.

Meanwhile, on the 1st May, 2025 at about 6pm, information was received that there was a robbery incident at APC Quarters, Suleja where victims were robbed of their handsets and other valuables

” Consequently, Police operatives of ‘B’ Div Suleja were led to the scene by the DPO and one Mubarak Mohammed 16yrs was pursued and arrested.

In the course of investigation, the suspect confessed to taking part in the armed robbery and that there were thirteen of them as a syndicate. He led operatives to the arrest of others, who are; Ibrahim Mohammed 20yrs of Guaraka, the gang leader,  Abdullahi Yakubu 18yrs,Mohammed Abubakar 18yrs,Nasiru Musa 17yrs,  Shamsudeen Musa 18yrs

-Ahmed Ali, all of Galadima area of FCT, Abuja

The investigation led to the recovery of six cutlasses, three torch lights, charms, fourteen handsets, and four bags from their hideout under a mango tree along Abuja-Kaduna Express Road. All suspects are under investigation and they will soon be transferred to SCID Minna for further investigation and prosecution accordingly.

However on a cheering note, On 3rd May, 2025 at about 7am, a group of suspected kidnappers invaded Tungan-Boka and Masaha villages of Mashegu LGA and kidnapped seven persons. Unfortunately, one Garba Mohammed was shot dead during the attack.

However, at about 5pm of same date, a team of Policemen led by the DPO with vigilante members mobilised for a rescue operation, and trailed the suspected kidnappers to a forest within Tungan-Boka village where the hoodlums were engaged in a gun duel.

 As a result of this, the seven kidnapped persons were rescued unhurt as the hoodlums escaped from the scene. Effort is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing miscreants.

 Iran has launched video surveillance in several major cities to monitor compliance with its mandatory headscarf law, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The surveillance had been introduced in the capital Tehran, as well as major cities like Isfahan and Shiraz.

Women seen in public without the compulsory headscarf reportedly received warnings via text message.

Previously, video surveillance was mainly used for traffic monitoring.

It remains unclear which government agency or official authorised the expanded surveillance. In an interview with local media, Iran’s Vice President Zahra Behrouz pledged to investigate.

“We are working to clarify where these SMS messages originate, what their purpose is, and the legal basis for their issuance.

“The development comes as growing numbers of women in Iran’s urban centers openly ignore the Islamic dress code, often as a form of protest and a statement of self-determination,” she said.

This shift in public behaviour was spurred by the 2022 nationwide protests under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom.”

Conservative hardliners regard the public defiance as a provocation.

While President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in mid-2024, had promised a more pragmatic approach to societal issues, he had not proposed repealing the mandatory headscarf law.

The headscarf requirement had been a core ideological element of the Islamic Republic for over four decades. A proposed reform to Iran’s penal code that could impact enforcement of such laws was currently stalled.