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Nigeria Ranks Fifth Among Countries Affected By Organised Crime -Buratai
A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), yesterday, said Nigeria currently ranked fifth globally in countries affected by organised crime behind the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Myanmar, and Mexico.
According to him, Nigeria also ranked second among 54 countries in Africa and first among 15 countries in West Africa.
While quoting the Global Organised Crime Index, Buratai, who spoke during a one-day international conference on organised crime in Abuja also revealed that other affected countries included Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
The conference themed, “Organised crime network as emergent threats to national security,” was organised by Igbinedion University in collaboration with the Buratai Centre for Contemporary Security Affairs.
He said, “Nigeria has a criminality score of 7.15 out of 1 to 10 and it is ranked 5th out of 193 countries. It is 2nd of 54 countries in Africa and 1st of 15 countries in West Africa according to the Global Organised Crime Index.
“As the index results show, the countries with the highest criminality levels are those experiencing conflict or fragility. The Democratic Republic of Congo was identified as the country most affected by organised crime, followed by Colombia, Myanmar, Mexico and Nigeria.
“Other high-scoring countries include Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, where conflict countries have decimated the formal economies, led to mass displacement and an influx of weapons.”
Buratai said of the 54 African countries, 30 were assessed as having a human trafficking market whose influence was either significant or severe, demonstrating the immense reach of this illicit economy, not least amid the pandemic when economic devastation across the continent made people increasingly vulnerable to trafficking.
“In this context, arms trafficking was found to be the second-most pervasive criminal market across Africa as a whole (5.56), followed by nonrenewable resource crimes (5.44) and fauna crimes (5.39),” he said.
Buratai blamed Nigeria’s porous border, prolonged conflicts in countries like Somalia, DR Congo, Libya, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Sudan, and poverty as primary contributors to organised crime.
According to him, the influence of jihadist groups in the Sahel, who exploit vulnerable populations and use violence to achieve their agendas, including greed and the pursuit of personal gain also contribute to the proliferation of criminal networks in the country.
Buratai added that the absence of effective law enforcement, weak deterrence mechanisms, and weak governance structures further enabled criminal organisations to operate with impunity.
He said, “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a significant transformation in organised crime. One notable consequence was the exponential growth of cybercriminal activities, taking advantage of the large number of individuals compelled to operate online for work, leisure, and commerce.
“Exploiting this situation, drug traffickers resorted to innovative methods of smuggling their illicit merchandise, discreetly hiding them within shipments of essential pandemic supplies that passed through understaffed ports.
“Furthermore, the economic hardships resulting from the implementation of anti-contagion measures made some of the world’s most vulnerable populations more susceptible to human trafficking and various forms of exploitation. Later in the year, the oil market experienced a dramatic collapse primarily caused by a decrease in demand. As a result, vessels transporting oil cargo became exposed to the risk of piracy.”
The former army chief observed that the alarming reality of ongoing criminal activities, ranging from the illicit theft of about 500 barrels of crude oil daily to the calculated displacement of communities for mining minerals could not be ignored.
He said the multifaceted crimes not only undermined the stability and well-being of affected regions but also perpetuated a cycle of violence and exploitation.
“It is imperative that governments, international organisations, and law enforcement agencies collaborate to address these issues comprehensively. By implementing stringent measures, conducting thorough investigations, and promoting sustainable development initiatives, we can strive towards creating a safer and more equitable world for all,” he said.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.