Metro
U.S Based Nigerian Prof Narrates Extortion Experience As NIS Begins Probe
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has begun investigation of the alleged extortion of a United States-based Nigerian Professor, Moyo Okediji, by men of the service.
Okediji had on Tuesday taken to his Facebook page to post about how he gave $40 to some immigration officers who accosted him at the Seme border and demanded to be “settled” after they conducted a search on him.
Okediji, a Professor of Arts and History at the University of Texas, United States, wrote that after he was released by the men of the Immigration, whom he said “were many”, he discovered that $500 had also gone missing from his luggage.
He further said his ordeal was compounded when suspected officers of the Nigeria Police in the FESTAC area of Lagos allegedly harassed him.
He wrote, “Without the intervention of a crowd of young Igbo men who saved me from the hands of the Nigeria Police attached to the FESTAC Mile Two station, I would be a dead man today (Tuesday).
“I arrived Lagos today (on Tuesday). I came in through Ghana and decided to enter Nigeria by road so I could see the lagoon landscape, riding a Jeep that I hired to drive me down. Everything went well in Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, until I stepped into Nigeria. The first immigration checkpoint that we encountered was at the Seme border, on the Nigeria side.
“One of the immigration officers took a look at me, and said, ‘Come down, oga.’ To cut a long story short, they robbed me of $500. There were many of them, and they invited me to their shed. They took my hand luggage, with all the money that I brought from the US.”
He said the official’s excuse was that they wanted to search his luggage to see if it contained contraband.
“They asked for my Nigeria passport. I told them it had expired and I was in Nigeria to renew it. They said it was an offence for me to enter the country with an expired passport. I apologised. But they wanted none of that. They said I had to ‘settle’ them. They had my wallet containing the money I brought to spend in Nigeria.
“They saw two twenty-dollar notes and said I needed to give them these notes, otherwise they would seize all the money in the wallet, and take me to their office to make a statement. I had heard stories of visitors to the country ending up dead when the police invited them to their offices to clear some issues. So, I eagerly gave them the forty dollars. They gave me back my things. But when I counted my money later, $500 was missing,” he said.
The don narrated that when he further got to the FESTAC Mile Two motor park, “three gun-toting police officers appeared.”
“They (the policemen) asked for identifications. I gave them my driving licence, the university-issued ID card, my US passport and my Nigeria passport. They took them from me. By that time, about 10 police officers had descended upon me.”
“Before you could say ‘Ki lo de?’ (what happened?), the police officers searched me thoroughly.
He said he was “rescued” by some Igbo boys at the park, numbering up to 100 before the policemen allowed him to go.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the NIS, Dotun Aridegbe, said on Thursday that “the situation is being investigated.”
On his part, the Divisional Police Officer, FESTAC, Balogun Gboyega, noted that the lecturer ought to come forward for a report so he could properly identify the suspected officers who allegedly harassed him.
Gboyega said, “The following day (of the incident), you (the lecturer) can take the pain to see the DPO or the Area Commander to make a case and identify these boys, for which we will do an identification parade of every one of them. Every one of them (officers) denied it because there was no complaint.”
Gboyega noted that policemen could search anyone but not to intimidate, harass, or embarrass such a person.
“The man feels that police officers harassed him, he can come and make a complaint,” the DPO added.
He disclosed that the police could not identify if the officers were men of the Area Command or the division because there was no evidence before the police yet.
“Only he (the lecturer) can identify those who did it,” he said, “if he can come, let’s do an identification parade for these people.”
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has charged officers to take the fight directly to criminals, stating: “It is far better to strike first and stay on the offensive than to remain only reactive.”
The IGP, who spoke on Wednesday in Kano during a strategic meeting with officers of the Kano State Command, noted that “when bandits know we fire back decisively, they will think twice. Keep pushing hard, stay sharp, and sustain this momentum”.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West region, Suleiman Abdul, the IGP announced the establishment of six core administrative pillars designed to strengthen the internal security framework.
Notable among the pillars is the operationalisation of “Handshake Patrols” between contiguous states to deny criminals jurisdictional escape routes.
IGP Disu also announced a renewed commitment to intelligence-led and technology-driven security management, adding that the police are moving away from purely conventional, reactive methods towards evidence-based law enforcement powered by data analytics, digital forensics and a centralised information framework.
The IGP further committed to restructuring elite tactical units, with operations governed by strict rules of engagement and civilian oversight.
He stressed that modern urban policing cannot be achieved through physical presence alone; it must be powered by timely, accurate and actionable information.
“Kano Command must fully leverage data analytics, digital forensics and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows that sustain gang activities,” he stated.
“Compliance with the Suspects’ Information Capturing Process within the Nigeria Police Force Incidents and Crime Database (NPF-ICD) must be enforced across all divisions and tactical offices without exception,” he said.
“This will enable you to build comprehensive criminal histories, trace syndicates and systematically isolate repeat offenders,” he added.
“The administration demands absolute professional discipline and has zero tolerance for personnel high-handedness, corruption or extortion, which alienates the public,” he said.
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pelé
I love the football game, with an abiding passion, and it has been so since my primary school days back in the early ’60s.It teaches us so much about life and how to become a success in whatever we do while here on Planet Earth. Now that the 2026 World Cup is on, one cannot but reflect on the striking similarities between the two. Even though Nigeria’a Super Eagles did not qualify for this year’s edition the nation was well represented by superstar artistes such as Burna Boy, Davido and Rema whose hit songs and dance displays marked them out as our worthy ambassadors on the global stage. That is the attraction of the football game beyond all the blitz and the bravado, the thrills and frills, the losses and the victories.
To begin with, to succeed in life it is a team game. You cannot do it all alone, neither is it a two- man battle such as a boxing or wrestling match. No! There are teachers to learn from, similar to the parents, older siblings, elders in the community and of course, the school teachers to glean from.
In fact, to maximally benefit from each and everyone of them it takes humility, hardwork, honesty of purpose, with passion. It also encapsulates character, courage, and commitment to the rules and regulations just as the footballers listen to and practice from the hands of their coaches as well as their assistants.
It is through such regular trainings and obedience to the tactics adopted and corrected mistakes that you get to identify and hone your talents; to bring out the best that is deposited deep within you. These are more like the precious gold, the pearls and the diamonds in the earth. Eventually, you get to know who you really are; as an engineer, medical doctor, architect, journalist, economist, entertainer or a teacher.
That is again similar to the footballers on the pitch ,who through their astute coaches become solid rock defenders like Gabriel Magalhaes or Harry Maguire, pace-setting
midfielders such as Declan Rice or iconic Rodri, master dribblers such as Jay Jay Okocha or Lionel Messi, wave -making wingers such as Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Junior, top goal scorers such as Christine Sinclair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haland, or shot – stoppers such as David Raya or Thibaut Courtois
As it is with life, so it plays out in the field of football; practicing and preparing for it with one game at a time. It is not a 100- metre dash but a 90-minute or more display of what you have learnt. They are usually exhibited as your skills with the team ambition of scoring the vital, game -changing goals. But there are challenges to expect and be prepared to overcome.
For instance, who are the players that others from the opposing team attack? They are those with the ball. That is exactly how life evolves for you. And who are those who get booked with the yellow or red card? Those who, like criminals attack others with premeditated brutal and brazen boots instead of going for the ball The referees, like the law enforcement agents are there to penalize the offenders, including those who cross the lines or cruelly close in on others within the 18- yard box to give the other side a penalty kick. So, as you sweat it out in life m,learn to obey the rules and regulations.
Definitely, out there at the stadium there are the spectators to support their favorite teams. From them come the cheers and the jeers but any player who gets distracted by them misses the essence of the game at hand and eventually the vital goals.
And when it comes to the unfailing factor of focus one outstanding player that exemplifies that is Cristiano Ronaldo. So committed he is to football that he arrives the training ground long before other team mates as well as always being the last to leave. Little wonder that at the age of 41 years he is not only regarded as the highest goal scorer in the history of the football game, but for the teams he has played for , his country,Portugal and is also reckoned with as an all-round soccer superstar scoring with the head, and both legs.
His passion for football is so profound that his connection to the game goes far beyond physical play. In fact, he views it as a true form of self-expression and his relentless ambition is exhibited everywhere he plays.
Describing football as an art he stated that: “I see football as an art and all players are artists. If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted.
He says that: “Without football, my life is worth nothing”. “It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring… It’s bad to have addictions. But it’s good to get addicted to progress.” But can we as individuals say that about our professions? Do we enjoy what we do virtually on daily basis? The answer is ours to give.
One other aspect that connects football and life is betting. Hours before the players sweat it out there in the field of play hundreds of thousands of fans across the world go out to bet, guessing the potential winners and losers. But yours truly stays out of football betting even if it rakes in millions of naira for the those who guessed right.But why, you may ask? It is all because as it is with life, so it is with football, there is always the Unknown Factor-X. Only God knows the end from the beginning.
My love for football is also anchored on the factors and features of fusion it brings to the fore. While the game is on the avid spectators are bound by the spirit of togetherness, hardly influenced by their differences in ethnicity, religion or politics. So it should be amongst us, because whether we like it not, we should focus more on what binds us together instead of widening the cracks of sentiments that separate us.
For us to be celebrated like the World Cup winning goal, we must identify our God-given talents , listen to our life-coaches to hone them and be good team player. We should expect and be prepared for challenges, obey me rules, make sacrifices as Pele highlighted and keep being consistent. All because, as it with football and life, to succeed there has to be constancy of purpose.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.
The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms available to it.
The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.
