By Anthony Ochela

Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has explained why he  could not write a confessional statement during interrogation by  operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in preparatory of the alleged N33.8 billion fraud charge filed against him.

Mamman disclosed this to Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a video clip played in the open court during a trial-within-trial to ascertain if the statements sought to be tendered by the EFCC were voluntarily made by the ex-minister. 

Justice Omotosho had ordered that the video clip of the interview session conducted by the commission’s officials during their investigation be played in the open court, following allegations that the ex-minister did not voluntarily make the statement.

Mamman’s lawyer, Mr Femi Atteh, SAN, had opposed the application by the anti-graft agency’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, to tender the statement in evidence, arguing that his client did not make the statement voluntarily.

The judge consequently ordered that the video clip be played to ascertain the veracity of the argument.

It would be recalled that on Monday, the two-hour video clip was played for 30 minutes before the judge adjourned for continuation of trial-within-trial.

Upon resumed hearing, the former minister, in the video, said after he came back from a foreign medical trip where he had surgery, he was confronted with  allegations of money laundering.

When he was asked if he could write a statement, he said he was indisposed.

Mamman, who spoke in Hausa Language during interrogation but was interpreted in English Language by an interpreter of the court, said he honoured the commission ‘s invitation despite his ill-health.

“You know I am not strong,” he said.

In the video, another investigator came into the room    mid discussion and exchanged pleasantries with the ex-minister.

When the officier asked him how his health was, Saleh said he was getting better.

He said he had surgery and that  about a month or two, he had been battling with the illness.

He said that was why he travelled.

When the officer asked him where he travelled to, he said “Saudi Arabia.”

By Uche Onyeali 

Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA said 1,249 communities in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, are at high-risk of severe flooding.

The agency added that 2,187 communities in 293 local government areas fall within the moderate flood risk states.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday, during the unveiling of the 2025 annual flood outlook, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev said flooding remains one of the worst natural disasters in Nigeria, with climate change accelerating its frequency.

Utsev named the key states to be affected by severe flooding to include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers and Jigawa.

The minister said the agency also unveiled its community-based predicting initiative to provide location-specific and community-focused forecasts across the country.

“1,249 communities in 176 local government areas LGAs across 30 states and the FCT fall within high-risk flood zones this year, while an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs face moderate flood risks.

“As part of this year’s Annual Flood Outlook AFO, NIHSA adopted a new and effective approach to flood forecasting mechanism to ensure that critical risk information is clearly understood and actionable for vulnerable communities.

“Recognising that early warning is only impactful when properly communicated, the flood prediction has been refined to provide not only seasonal and monthly forecasts, but location-specific and community-focused forecasts,” Utsev said.

He also announced the rollout of several projects including the National Flood Insurance Programme, NFIP, — a first-of-its-kind insurance plan to protect vulnerable households, farmlands, and livestock — with Kogi and Jigawa as its pilot states.

Others are the Integrated Climate Resilience Innovation Project, I-CRIP, aimed at improving food security, energy production, and water resource use through climate-smart strategies, and the NigerFLOOD Project — for flood control and river management among others.

In 2024, flooding claimed 321 lives, affected over 1.37 million people, and displaced more than 740,000 across Nigeria.

By Uche Onyeali 

Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam has charged security agencies to adopt a holistic and multifaceted approach to end terrorism and violent crimes in the country.

Gaidam pointed out that implementing the international standard and good practice of sound, modern, integrated and cooperative border management would go a long way in addressing the threats of terrorism in the country.

According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Bolaji Kazeem, the minister spoke at a stakeholders conference on security, with the theme: ‘A Path to Regional Cooperation,’ organised by the Ministry of Police Affairs in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and National Central Bureau, NCB, in Abuja.

He urged all stakeholders to work in collaboration towards a shared vision of security. 

“We can overcome these challenges and emerge as a beacon of stability and progress in Africa if all hands are put on deck,” he said.

Gaidam hinted that the conference was meant to deliberate on the way forward to achieving stable regional security thereby focusing on strategies to strengthen collaboration among Interpol member countries in West Africa with a view to fostering partnerships to share intelligence, expertise and approaches for combating trans-border crimes.

The minister also revealed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had worked immensely to curb the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, bandits and other transnational crimes, listing some of the measures to include a biometric system at border checkpoints, integration of data analytics into border security operations and deployment of surveillance drones along critical border regions.

He, however, observed that despite the government’s efforts to end the menace of terrorism and violent extremism in the country, the threat posed by the menace had risen significantly, adding that Nigeria was ranked the 6th most impacted country globally according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index.

Gaidam said the government’s efforts to mitigate insecurity include deploying the military, cooperating with international partners, implementing counter-terrorism legislation; adopting a legal framework related to the West African Police Information System, WAPIS; providing  WAPIS terminals to allow security agencies access to critical information and establishment of National Criminal Data Fusion Center, NCDFC, for the Nigerian Police Force.

Also speaking, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by the Director of Intelligence, Kennedy Zirangey, stated that the conference came at the right time when the nation is faced with insecurity like terrorism, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, community conflicts and myriads of other security challenges, noting that the catalyst behind these insecurity threats is drug usage by the foot soldiers.

Earlier, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Deputy Inspector General, Logistics and Supplies, DIG A. A Hamzat, said the convergence of illicit drugs, small arms, and light weapons in the hands of criminal elements continues to fuel organized crime and extremism, adding that weak border enforcement mechanisms and fragmented intelligence sharing systems exacerbate the situation.