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Pick Pockets Relocate From Bus Stop

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14 years ago

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Commuters and traders at Mararaba bus stop in Nasarawa, have breathed a sigh of relief following the sudden disappearance of pick pockets in the area.

An investigation carried out by our correspondent recently showed that the traffic hold-ups witnessed in the early hours of the day, as a result of the activities of hoodlums at the bus stop had subsided.

Mr Njoku Uwalaka, a road side trader at the bus stop, told newsmen “I am happy that the notorious incident of pick pockets at this bus stop, have reduced considerably.’’

“The regular complaints of handset, hand-bag and wallet snatching have not been so rampant for about two months now. In fact, it is a brand new turn of events.

“For some few years, I have been operating here, there have been rampant cases of hand sets, hand bags and wallets snatching by hoodlums at this bus stop, and that gave this place a very bad name anywhere you go.

He said that for about two months now “we have heaved a sigh of relief because the frequent lamentations by commuters and our customers have subsided”.

Uwalaka noted that the experience was as a result of the presence of policemen positioned at the spot every morning and evening, as they always monitor the movement of people at those peak periods.

“I want to believe that the situation would be sustained and even improved upon by the police to bring sanity to this Mararaba bus stop in particular,” he said.

Mr Nelson Emmanuel, a commercial bus operator, told newsmen at the bus stop that his passengers lost handsets to the pickpockets in April.

“The hoodlums, who always pose as commuters, snatched the handsets at hold-ups through the window of the vehicle and disappeared.

“We are now happy, because in the past one month, the situation has changed since the police have been taking positions at this bus stop to check the menace,” he said.

On the contrary, Miss Favour Okorie, a student of Nasarawa State University, Lafia, was of the opinion that the situation has not changed as “the pick pockets are still around.”

“Just last week, I was coming with a bike from Ado to this bus stop, I didn’t know that one boy was pursuing me, it was when I got down, I noticed that the boy was after me to snatch my handset.

“I quickly changed the position of my handset, so as he couldn’t reach me again, he changed direction and moved away.

Okorie said that another experience she had was when she arrived the bus stop under the pedestrian bridge that same week, two men attempted to snatch her hand

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Transport

Automated Points Concession : FAAN Workers Gave 72hrs To Revise Decisions In PH

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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The trapatriate Unions conprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (ATSSSAN),  has given 72 hours Ultimatum to Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN, Omagwa Airport, Portharcourt to revise its recent decision on the concession of Tollgates and Parks to private hands.
The chairman of the Trapatriate Union, Comrade Felix Ohwoefe gave the Ultimatum yesterday immediately after the joint Unions meeting held at the Airport office of the union, Omagwa, Portharcourt.
Comrade Ohwoefe who double as the chairman of the National Union of NUATE said the two Unions have agreed to take drastic actions if the Authority of the Airport declined to step down it’s decision of concessioning the major revenue points to private hands.
According to the Union chairman, the  two union was not aware of the  concession plans, and that there were no due process to the procedures.
Comrade Ohwoefe said any attempt for the Airport Management to decline it’s demands towards the concession will result to barricading all entrance and access points of the Airport.
Expressing the  the challenges associated to the concession, the Union Chairman said the gesture might resulted to massive sack of workers in the Airport.
The chairman also expressed foul play on the part of either individuals or government in the terms and conditions so given to the concessionaires, demanding the reasons of contracting the automated points to private hands for only 14 millions, when the FAAN is presently generating over 28 million naira monthly, even when the tariff was not  reviewed upwards.
He describes the process to the procedures as fraud with intention to increase unemployment in the state.
“We are not against the concession of the Automated points, but due process must be followed. If government is concessioning the place, we are asking what will happen to our workers in the existing units.
“Secondly, if the concessionaires is taken over, they must pay higher than what the FAAN is generating presently, we are generating to the Management over 28 Millions monthly, but we had that the private company is required to pay only 14 Millions monthly, which is far below 5 percents of what we are generating presently, even when the tariff is increased, which means there is a foul play.
“The process is fraud either on the part of individual in the Government, or Government itself.
” The unions is saying no to the Concession until we come to a terms of understanding ourselves., we are afraid of loosing workers, we don’t want to loose any workers if due process is not followed in this hard of economy,  we even demanding for employment of more workers in FAAN.” Comrade Ohwoefe said.
The Union used the opportunity to called on the minister of aviation, and the President of the Country, Bola Tinubu to intervene.
When contacting the Management of the Airport Authority through the head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Ngozi V. Onyeanwuna-Nwosu,  she said the management has not given her the approval to say something.
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FAAN Announces Pick-Up Points for Go-Cashless Cards

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2 weeks ago

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March 2, 2026

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced designated pick-up points for individuals wishing to obtain their Go-Cashless cards ahead of the March 1, 2026 deadline.
This was announced in a statement signed by the Director Public Affairs and Consumer protection, Henry Agbebire  and made available to the Tide last Friday in Portharcourt.
According to the statement,  Go-Cashless cards is at all  FAAN commercial offices and access gates of Airports in the country .
The release further stated that cards will also be available at designated branches of Fidelity Bank Plc from March 16, 2026.
FAAN in the statement said the cashless policy followed the Federal Government directive mandating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to transition to a cashless system to enhance transparency and reduce revenue leakages as well improve transaction traceability in the Aviation sector.
FAAN  reiterated its commitment to full compliance with the directive, appealing to the public for their understanding and cooperation during the transition period.
FAAN also inform that the Go-Cashless cards can still be obtained at the designated points after the March 1, deadline.
The Authority assures airport users that the initiative will promote faster, safer, and more convenient transactions across its airports nationwide.
By: Enoch Epelle
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Nigeria Rates 7th For Visa Application To France —–Schengen Visa

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2 months ago

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January 28, 2026

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Nigeria was the 7th country in 2024, which filed the most schenghen visa to France, with a total of 111,201 of schenghen visa applications made in 2025, out of which 55,833, about 50.2 percent submitted to France
Although 2025 data is unavailable, these figures from Schengen Visa Info implies that France is not merely a preferred destination, but has been a dominant access point for Nigerian short-stay travel into Europe.
France itself has received more than three million Schengen visa applications, making it the most sought-after Schengen destination globally and a leading gateway for long-haul and third-country travellers. It was the top destination for applicants from 51 countries that same year, including many without visa-exemption arrangements with the Schengen Zone, and the sole destination for applicants from seven countries.
Alison Reed, a senior analyst at the European Migration Observatory said, “France’s administrative reach shapes applicant strategy, but it also concentrates risk. If processing times lengthen or documentation standards tighten in Paris, the effects ripple quickly back to capitals such as Abuja.”
The figures underline that this pattern is not unique to Nigeria. In neighbouring West and Central African states such as Gabon, Benin, Togo and Madagascar, more than 90 per cent of Schengen visas were sought via French authorities in 2024, with Chad, Djibouti, the Central African Republic and Comoros submitting applications exclusively to France.
“France acts as the central enumeration point for many African and Asian applicants,” said Manish Khandelwal, founder of Travelobiz.com, which reported the consolidated statistics. “Historical ties, language networks and established diaspora communities all play into that concentration. But volume inevitably invites scrutiny, and that affects refusal rates and processing rigour.”
That scrutiny is visible in the rejection statistics. Of the more than three million French applications in 2024, approximately 481,139 were denied, a rejection rate of about 15.7 per cent. While this rate is lower than in some smaller Schengen states, the sheer volume of applications means France contributes significantly to the total number of refusals within the zone.
For Nigerian applicants and policymakers, one implication is the need to broaden engagement with other Schengen consular hubs. “Over-reliance on a single consulate creates what one might call administrative bottleneck effects,” said Jean-Luc Martin, a professor and expert in European integration and mobility law at Leiden University. “If applicants from Nigeria default to France without exploring legitimate alternatives in countries like Spain, Germany or the Netherlands, they expose themselves to systemic risk
Martin added that the broader context of Schengen visa policy is evolving, with the European Commission’s preparing roll-out of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) aimed at harmonising pre-travel screening across member states.
For Nigerians seeking leisure, business or educational travel to Europe, these trends suggest that strategic planning and consular diversification could become as important as the completeness of documentation and financial proof. Governments and travel consultancies in Abuja, Lagos and beyond are already advising clients to explore alternative consular pathways and to prepare for more rigorous screening criteria across all Schengen states
By: Enoch Epelle
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