Uncategorized
INEC Distributes Sensitive Materials in Bayelsa

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Bayelsa state ahead of state Assembly Election on Saturday 18th March 2023 has distributed sensitive materials to the eight (8) local government area that make up the 24 constituencies in the state.
The materials which was distributed at the state Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria witnessed Party agents and other political actors, thought journalists were not allowed into the premises to see for themselves the distribution process.
Speaking to journalists at the gate of CBN, INEC Head of Voters Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah said, they were at the CBN to retrieve the sensitive materials which comprises result sheet and ballot papers for Bayelsa state House of Assembly Constituency elections.
He said for the local government on Land, their materials will get there today while that of Southern Ijaw and Brass local government area will be moved to INEC head office for onward movement Friday morning to the local government headquarters.
“We know in Bayelsa we are not having governorship election, so right now we are moving the materials to the various local government headquarters so that the distribution can be early enough on Saturday.
“We have 24 Constituencies in Bayelsa. Each of the local government has three except southern Ijaw, which has 4 and Kolokuma/ Opokuma with 2. All necessary arrangements have been put in place. BVAS has been reconfigured for this particular Election. So far so good we are good to go”.
Ifogah said to make the system smoother, a refresher training for the supervisor presiding officers has been organized, saying hopefully that of collation officers will also take place.
“Just before today, we actually reviewed the election we had on the 25th and we look at some of the lapses and what actually caused them. As we speak today, we are trying to break the chain. That is why we are moving our materials early enough so that they can go to the various local government headquarters, especially those on lands.
“The result sheet of state Assembly Election also has a seal on it, thought the seal is different from that of presidential election. This is to prevent people that want to be funny possibly want to compromise having seen that of the presidential. We don’t play with that at all, so we design a different seal for this particular one,” Ifogah said.
One of the party agent comrade Martins Bago who spoke with Journalists said, they went inside and inspect the materials and from there finding, constituency 2 has 8 cartoons, constituency 1is 11 cartoons while constituency 3 also has 11 cartoons totaling 30 cartoons.
“I want to believe that the materials are correct, we are moving them to Sagbama to separate them and send them to various wards to see how complete they are”.
Also speaking, the state chairman of New Nigerian People’s Party, comrade Joel Tubonimi, said the materials were already parked before they got there but that they insisted that all materials must be dropped down for proper inspection to know whether they are correct before moving them out which they actually inspected for confirmation.
He said they insisted because of what happened during the presidential election where some result sheet were missing.
“So we insisted that we want to see everything and we were showed some of them. At Sagbama our agents are also going to inspect the materials again to make sure nothing has happened in the course of transit”.
“We hope that INEC will keep to their promise by giving us free, fair and credible election on Saturday because we were not satisfied with the presidential election and others”.
Uncategorized
NIMC Inaugurates NIN Authentication Service

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) inauguration of the NIMC NIN Authentication (NNAuth) for secured and seamless identity verification and authentication.
This is contained in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, by the Head, Cooperate Communications, NIMC, Dr Kayode Adegoke.
Adegoke said that similarly, the presidency had directed the use of NIN Authentication for verification and authentication across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He explained that this was in line with the commission’s mandate of regulating a reliable national digital identity for citizens and legal residents to affirm their identity
According to him, the inauguration of the NIN Authentication (NINAuth), a cutting-edge suite of services that include web, API and mobile verification is designed to enhance data security, protect privacy, and simplify access to government services.
”This is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on strengthening the national identity management system.
”The NIMC NINAuth application is the official service for integration with the commission’s back-end infrastructure.
”It introduces a robust layer of protection, empowering individuals with greater control over their personal information.”
He added that it required explicit consent before data is shared for Know Your Customer (KYC) processes or other verifications.
He said that the platform fosters trust, transparency, and user autonomy in digital identity management.
Adegoke also said that with the NINAuth, individuals could securely verify their identity and access key government services which include Sim registration, replacement, applications and passport processing
Others he said include tax filings and financial transactions, government Intervention Programmes in various MDAs, driver’s licence renewals and other regulatory processes.
The NIMC head of cooperate communications further said that the key features and benefits include enhanced Security, Protects personal data from unauthorised access, empowers individuals with the freedom to manage their data sharing preferences.
According to him, other key features and benefits include seamless access, provides a secure single sign on solution for convenient access to services.
He added that the innovation reaffirms NIMC’s commitment to advancing secured and efficient digital identity management, ensuring a more accessible, transparent, and secure identity verification system in Nigeria.
He said that the NINAuth application also provided a secured, scalable, and interoperable interface for identity verification through API integration.
According to him, it is designed to facilitate real-time authentication of NIN records, thereby promoting effective service delivery, database harmonisation, and compliance with the National Identity Policy.
He said that the NINAuth service had been designated as the exclusive platform for all NIN-based verification and authentication integration processes for optimal services.
”The implementation guide and process flow of the NIMC NIN Authentication are available at https://ninauth.nimc.gov.ng,” he said.
CRIME
Army Arrests Human Parts Trafficker, Drug Peddlers In Ogun State
By Oladapo Udom
Lagos, April 27, 2025 (NAN)Troops of the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, operating under the 35 Artillery Brigade, have apprehended a man for allegedly trafficking human parts at Kulanla Odomola in Ogun.
The division’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, disclosed this in a signed statement on Sunday.
Ayeni said the troops rescued the suspect from an angry mob that had attempted to lynch him.
“The suspect, along with the exhibits, has been handed over to the Nigeria Police at Noforija for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he said.
The spokesman further revealed that troops operating in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Government Area of Ogun, arrested and detained three suspected drug peddlers during a patrol.
According to him, the suspects were found with two packs of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, concealed under 60kg of cargo in a white J5 vehicle.
“The suspects and exhibits have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ilaro Area Command, for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Ayeni said.
He reiterated the division’s commitment to deploying every legitimate means to protect law-abiding citizens from criminal elements within its area of operation.
Tanker Explosion: Reps presents N18m cheque to victims in Enugu
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, Tuesday, presented a cheque for N18 million to the Enugu State Government as support to the victims of tanker explosion.
Report says that many people and families lost their lives and eight vehicles burnt in that fire accident after a tanker laden with fuel fell and exploded in the Ugwu- Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Jan.
25.Presenting the cheque, the Speaker described the incident as a huge loss, not only to the Government and people of Enugu State, but also the nation as a whole,
Abbas was represented by Mr Nnolim Nnaji (Nkanu East/West) who led the Enugu State Caucus in the Green Chamber.
The speaker said that the support was in keeping with the tradition of the House of Representatives to ensure that governments and people of Nigeria were not alone in the face of such challenges.
Other Enugu State Caucus in the house that accompanied Nnaji include Messrs Martins Oke, Dennis Agbo, Mark Obetta, Anayo Onwuegbu, and Chimaobi Atu.
Abbas commended Mbah for his sterling leadership of the state and the prompt effort to comfort the families who lost their loved ones and supported the injured.
“On behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, we commiserate with the Government and people of Enugu state over the tanker incident at Ugwu Onyeama.
“We acknowledge that you have done a lot to support both the injured and those who lost their loved ones.
“So, this is a cheque for N18 million to assist the state to further ameliorate their losses and challenges occasioned by the incident.
“We send our heartfelt condolences, once again and you can continue to count on our support,” he said.
Reacting, Gov. Peter Mbah thanked the Speaker and the Enugu State Caucus of the House of Representatives for the show of concern, assuring them that the donation would go straight to the purpose for which it was made.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Enugu State, I express profound gratitude and deep appreciation for this wonderful gesture.
“I recall that when the Ugwu-Onyeama incident occurred, taking the lives of several of our loved ones, the Speaker called and assured us that he was with us in prayers.
“Today, he has also shown us that he is not only with us in prayers, but also materially. He has equally come to mourn with us.
“This cheque of N18 million will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the incident on those affected and their families.
“Rest assured that as a government, we will ensure that this gets to them in a transparent, accountable, and just manner,” Mbah said. (NAN)