Don’t Expect Army, Police, Others To Protect All Of You; Mobilise To Defend Yourselves Against Terrorists –DSS Chief Tells Nigerians
He referenced past incidents in Bauchi State, where local communities successfully fought off Boko Haram insurgents without waiting for security forces.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, has stated that Nigerians must take responsibility for their own security, as the military, police, and intelligence agencies do not have the capacity to protect every community from terrorist attacks nationwide.
Ajayi made the remarks during a public engagement, which Symfoni broadcasted.
He referenced past incidents in Bauchi State, where local communities successfully fought off Boko Haram insurgents without waiting for security forces.
"Speaking seriously about the practical approach to mobilising against insecurity, I will share my experience when I was a State Director in Bauchi," Ajayi said.
"Most of you will remember an incident in Azare. A group of Boko Haram terrorists invaded Azare, shooting in an attempt to kidnap people. But the community fought back. They killed some members of the community, but in the end, the people killed all of them. Since that day, there has not been a single terrorist attack in Azare."
Ajayi went further to cite former dictator General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) as endorsing the idea of community-led resistance.
"As a matter of fact, the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, said, and I quote, ‘If we want to stop or curb terrorism, we should emulate the Azare example.’"
According to Ajayi, Tafawa Balewa Local Government in Bauchi State also serves as a case study of community defence.
He said: "The people there rose up on one occasion. They knew their terrain better, climbed up the trees and mountains, and when the invaders came, they not only stopped them but also seized their weapons. Since then, you hardly hear about attacks in Tafawa Balewa.
"What I am trying to say is that the practical approach to mobilising people is that you have to get everyone involved. You cannot expect the Nigerian Army, police, or DSS to protect every Nigerian in every community.
“It is impossible to deploy security forces everywhere. No security agency has the resources to do that."
Ajayi urged Nigerians to rethink their approach to self-defence, emphasising that communities must serve as the "first line of defence" against terrorists and other criminals.
"The military, police, and other security agencies are there to handle the bigger threats. But communities must take responsibility for defending themselves at the local level.
“Our culture is communal. We do things together—weddings, ceremonies, and everything. So why can’t we fight against some of the miscreants among us together? The community should make it clear: ‘You cannot come here.’
"This is what Tafawa Balewa has done. If you go there to attack them, you will regret it. I challenge anybody to try it."
Ajayi called on Nigerian elites and influential figures to encourage this model in their communities.
"When we leave here, those of us who have influence, the elites in society, must discuss with our communities. Come to us, get some approvals and guidance, and then we can stop these criminals,” he added.
UK imposes travel permit on Europeans from April 2
In a shake-up of long-standing travel rules, European nationals heading to the UK will from Wednesday need a mandatory entry permit, which the British government says will strengthen border security.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) can be bought online in the next few days for £10 (12 euros), but the price is rising swiftly from April 9 to £16.
It is similar to the ESTA system in operation in the United States and will be mandatory for all European visitors to Britain from April 2, following its roll-out for US, Canadian and other visa-exempt nationals in January.
“By digitising the immigration system we are paving the way for a contactless UK border,” Migration Minister Seema Malhotra said earlier this month when the website was opened for the first applications.
“Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation.”
The permit allows visits of up to six months and is valid for two years. It is required for all travellers including minors and babies.
The application, which can be made on a smartphone app or through the government website, has been open to Europeans since the start of March.
From Wednesday, nationals of some 30 European countries — including all those in the European Union except Ireland — will need to carry the electronic permit to enter Britain, which left the EU in 2020.
The applicant will need to provide a photo of their passport and their face. The process takes around 10 minutes, according to the Home Office.
In most cases, an application decision is made within minutes. However, the government recommends allowing up to three working days for the application.
If successful, the ETA is digitally linked to the applicant’s passport.
Wike To Body Of Benchers: Punish Odinkalu For “Degrading Legal Profession” Through Public Criticism
Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, has called for the punishment of Professor Chidi Odinkalu, accusing him of contributing to the degradation of the legal profession through unfounded criticisms.
He made this statement when he received the Body of Benchers, led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), during a visit to him at Life Camp, Abuja. Wike emphasized the need for discipline within the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to protect judicial integrity.
“For the first time in my life as a lawyer, I have seen an unfortunate situation where the NBA, as a body, without a court judgment, will declare that the judgment of a judge is unconstitutional. I have never seen such a thing before. Yes, I can challenge a judgment in court if I have had the privilege of reading it,” Wike stated during the visit.
“You just heard that a judgment has been delivered, yet you haven’t even had the opportunity to read it. The next thing you do is go on national television, start criticizing and maligning, and nothing happens.”
“We have instilled so much fear in our judges and justices that they can’t freely associate. If a judge is going to a mosque or church and sees someone they know, they hesitate to interact because they fear being accused. If they shake hands with someone, people will allege bribery, and a petition will be written claiming the judge was seen shaking someone’s hand,” he continued, indirectly referencing Odinkalu’s public critiques.
“On Saturday, I went to the University of Calabar. The next thing I saw in the papers was a report claiming that a justice escorted me. And someone will sit down and read such a report… Once you see that, you should be able to say, ‘Invite him.’ You don’t just write baseless accusations… If you don’t discipline people, nobody will listen.”
“We cannot continue to allow our profession to be undermined. We cannot continue this way,” Wike insisted. “If you don’t discipline someone, nobody will listen. Okay, can you please invite him? Did you write this—yes or no? We cannot allow the disparagement of our judges and justices—it’s not done anywhere. I think we have a lot of work to do, but first of all, we must instill discipline in our lawyers. Enough is enough.”
How Nigerian Doctor Defrauded Desperate Migrants, Job Seekers Of Millions Of Naira In UK Relocation Scam —Report
He said each job vacancy secured from a UK care home was worth £2,000 ($2,600), with an additional £500 ($650) commission.
Many unsuspecting Nigerians dream of relocating to the United Kingdom for a better life, but fraudulent agents exploiting the UK’s Health & Care Worker visa scheme have turned this dream into a nightmare.
In an undercover investigation, BBC Africa Eye exposed Dr Kelvin Alaneme, a Nigerian doctor and founder of CareerEdu, who has been running a fraudulent operation, charging desperate job seekers exorbitant fees for non-existent jobs in the UK care sector.
Secret recordings by the BBC captured Dr. Alaneme boasting about his operation. Believing he was speaking to a potential business partner in the UK care industry, he offered her a role in his network, saying: “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire.”
He said each job vacancy secured from a UK care home was worth £2,000 ($2,600), with an additional £500 ($650) commission. These job slots were then sold to unsuspecting Nigerian job seekers, many of whom ended up stranded in the UK with no work and no means of survival.
Under UK law, charging candidates for jobs is illegal. Yet, Dr. Alaneme openly admitted that desperate job seekers had no other option.
“They [the candidates] are not supposed to be paying because it's free. It should be free,” he acknowledged. But he justified the scam, adding: “They are paying because they know it’s most likely the only way.”
One victim, Praise, narrated his account of the ordeal. He paid over £10,000 ($13,000) to Dr Alaneme, believing he had secured a job at a care company called Efficiency for Care in Clacton-on-Sea. However, upon arrival, he discovered that the job was a lie.
“If I had known there was no job, I would not have come here. I came here to do a job,” he lamented, revealing that he was left on the verge of homelessness.
Investigations revealed that Efficiency for Care had a shocking employment record. While it officially had 16 employees in 2022 and 152 in 2023, Home Office documents showed that it had issued a staggering 1,234 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to foreign workers between March 2022 and May 2023.
In July 2023, the UK government revoked the company’s sponsorship licence, effectively banning it from recruiting foreign workers.
However, the company continues to operate and denies any involvement in fraudulent recruitment.
Dr. Alaneme also described another scheme, where fake payroll records were created to give the illusion that migrants had legitimate jobs, allowing them to remain in the UK illegally.
The BBC confronted him with the findings, but he denied running a scam. He insisted that CareerEdu only offered “legitimate services” and that the money paid by victims, such as Praise, was handed over to a recruitment agent for transportation, accommodation, and training.
He even claimed he had tried to help Praise secure another job for free.
The BBC also uncovered another scam run by UK-based recruiter Nana Akwasi Agyemang-Prempeh. Victims across the UK claimed Agyemang-Prempeh defrauded them of nearly £67,000, promising them care worker jobs that never existed.
Some of the Certificates of Sponsorship he issued were outright fakes, replicas of legitimate Certificates of Sponsorship documents from genuine care companies.
Confronted with these allegations, Agyemang-Prempeh feigned innocence, claiming he too had been “scammed” and had unknowingly distributed fake certificates.
“I am not authorised to issue Certificates of Sponsorship,” he told BBC reporters.
Matthew Bond, CEO of Borderless, a tech company specialising in immigration compliance, shed light on why the scam thrives.
“A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is issued by a business that says, ‘I’m going to sponsor this individual.’ Without that, you can't get a visa or travel to the UK for work,” he explained.
“Because so many people want these jobs, rogue agents have taken advantage of the system, charging candidates tens of thousands of pounds for these certificates.”
Another victim, Harry (not his real name), shared his heart-wrenching experience. He lost nearly £9,500 (17 to 18 million Naira) to these scams.
“I sold my properties, resigned from my job, took out loans from family and friends – all to move to the UK. Now, I have nothing,” he said, his voice heavy with regret.
“These scammers keep getting rich, using people's sweat—people that have laboured. Many of us travel with not just our dreams, but the dreams and hopes of our families. Now, everything is gone.”
The UK Home Office, responding to BBC’s investigation, vowed to crack down on fraudulent recruitment practices.
“The government has announced robust new action against shameless employers who abuse the visa system, with tough measures that will ban businesses who flout UK employment laws from sponsoring overseas workers,” a spokesperson said.
While the UK government is stepping up enforcement, thousands of victims are still struggling with the financial and emotional wreckage caused by these fraudulent schemes.
This investigation was conducted by Africa Eye and the BBC's Global Disinformation Unit.
You will not understand....I live in Rennes the capital of Brittany in Fance...95% don't understand or even care to speak English the way you cherish English reach. Travel small and you will understand the strength and love in your native lingual.
You lots in Nigeria are very pathetic people....hunger is killing you, politicians are playing gamble with your lives and you are here writing Wike and Fubara scores. Mennnñn....you guys desire what you get.
Watianoengineer: It is highly disrespectful to abuse people in power. We need to show respect for constituted Authority. The lady should be expelled and sentenced to hard prison time to serve as a detterent for others
You be mumu....did she insult the president’s wife....is the President’s wife her mother?
FreeStuffsNG: This life ehn. Pride goeth before a fall.
So all the crude oil from the South East doesn't even add up enough to the quantity of crude oil produced in Lagos yet all the VAT keeps going to South East and some ungrateful folks from the South Eaat call other Nigerians parasite. Empty barrels make the loudest noise. Smh..
Lagos State will catch up and overtake others ahead of it on this list some day.
The SouthWest is the future of Nigeria's petroleum industry. Very soon, Ogun State will join this list.
This is why we need more investments in oil and gas investments in Lagos State. Invest in Lagos today. May God bless Nigeria for ever!
This is FreeStuffsNG 100% qualities
1. You like argument and you can't win any argument....
2. You sabi half baked current affairs.
3. You dey always get radio.
4. You dey like gambling.
5. Na you dey argue about politics for Newspaper stand.
6. You sabi speak big big English but pocket dry.
7. You sabi play Draft very well.
8. Your only future plan is creating plenty belt holes incase you get fat later
9. Na electricians and carpenter work you sabi pass.
10. You body dey rough and strong kakaraka.
11. You no dey like to pay NEPA bill.
12. You no dey allow neighbourhood meeting to end on time.
13. Na you dey get 2.1 for university and end up becoming Newspaper stand Free readers Association Chairman.
14. Finally, you can never forgive anyone in this life.😀
Flight makes U-turn to US after pilot forgets passport
Passengers headed to China aboard a recent United Airlines flight faced an unexpected travel headache after a pilot’s forgotten passport prompted their return to the United States.
Flight UA198 from Los Angeles to Shanghai was out over the Pacific Ocean on Saturday afternoon when it made a u-turn and headed to San Francisco, tracking data showed.
United confirmed Tuesday to AFP in an email that the plane, a Boeing 787 with 270 people onboard, made a stop in San Francisco “as the pilot did not have their passport onboard.”
“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening,” the company said, adding that “customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation,” without specifying.
Flight tracking data showed the plane landed at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport after midnight, about six hours behind its normal arrival time.
The United flight’s rerouting came as travelers around the world continued to face disruptions over the shutdown at London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest hub, due to a power outage the day prior.
Those contracted to do the recalling job of Natasha H Akpoti are seriously lamenting in their WhatsApp group "FairWin" over those who betrayed them by recording the multiple signature manipulations sent to INEC Nigeria
The likes of one Kekere Youths were among those lamenting in the WhatsApp group. As you can see the Kekere, he is in the first picture taking instructions from those who collected the contract from Akpabio and seen in other pictures as instructions are being carried out.
Since it is a "personal business" as stated by Charity Ijese may we not go into any business that our children will not be proud of us as parents. Posterity will not forget these faces.
Take your time and read the leaked WhatsApp chats.
Crime / Re: Lynched Travellers: Tension In Edo As DSS Arrests Principal Suspects by Morbeta11(m): 8:08pm On Apr 02