News
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.
News
FG Awards Lagos-Abuja, Lagos-PH Super, Coastal Highway Contracts To AEC, Hitech
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to embark on a 460km superhighway project that would cut travel hours from Lagos to Abuja from about 14 hours to four-and-a-half hours and the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway.
While the Abuja-Lagos Superhighway project was awarded to Advanced Engineering Consultants (AEC), the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway was given to Hitech Construction Company Limited.
According to the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, who addressed a press conference at Eko Signature Suites in Lagos on Saturday, September 23, the road would be built with concrete, not asphalt, and the construction through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) would be on a Build Operate and Transfer (BoT) arrangement with a consortium led by Advanced Engineering Consultants (AEC) under the chairmanship of Chief Kenny Martins.
Umahi announced that the highway running from Abuja through eight states to kiss the Fourth Mainland Bridge in Lagos will be completed in four years.
He said, “The President has approved that I should FastTrack this project.”
The minister said that at completion, an average vehicle traveling at 100km/hr could get to Lagos from Abuja in four and half hours.
“This is a journey that is more than 14 hours presently, so people found it hard to believe when this idea was introduced, but that is the Renewed Hope agenda of our divine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is what God has brought him to do. He is the last hope for Nigeria, no matter what people say… Things that couldn’t have been done are being done under this administration… Nobody can fix Nigeria like Tinubu.
“This project is going to be two lanes, but the two lanes will be two carriageways – 14 meters; the only carriageway that is equivalent to this is the Third Mainland Bridge where each carriageway is 14 meters. It’s going to be built on 275-millimeter thick concrete… The lifespan will be 100 years. Bridges will be built and there will be tolling points.”
Umahi, who was accompanied by top officials from the Federal Ministry of Works and contractors, said, “We are here to FastTrack the development of the Greenfield of the PPP development under a new program of the Federal Ministry of Works which is the HDMI Programme (Highway Development and Management Initiative).
“Under this programme, there are two kinds, we have the Greenfield, and we have the Brown Field. The Greenfield is the one we are doing with the Advanced Engineering Company. They identified the project; they came up to discuss it with us; we threw the idea to the market; we invited investors; they made proposals… They won the bid to further engage us.”
The superhighway will pass through the FCT, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos – Abuja, North-Central, and South-West.
Umahi said that the government would not put money into the project but would give the bid winners every support.
He commended the promoters of AEC, who he described as brilliant people.
“I’m very satisfied with their concept and what they have put in place. The next stage is to bring their business proposal so that we can negotiate on what the cost of the project will be. And then, they’ll go to the Ministry of Finance to negotiate the cost.
“We are building on concrete, so we can predict the cost; with asphalt, you cannot predict the cost. The cost of asphalt roads changes every month. Today, the dollar is almost a thousand naira. The oil price is almost $100 per barrel.
“Concrete roads are more durable and cheaper than asphalt. I’ve directed that the remaining jobs on all the ongoing projects that have not advanced up to 80percent must change to concrete.”
The minister also spoke on failed roads across the country putting the blame on civil servants.
He warned that any controller that allowed trucks to fall on the road under his supervision would go on indefinite suspension, and the director in that region would be recalled.
He said, “Hold civil servants responsible for failure of road projects. Civil servants in other parts of the country apart from Lagos stay in the office and issue certificates to contractors.
“I’ve inspected roads in South-West and South-East. I spent 14 hours traveling from Abuja to Benin. I had pains, and I was so happy having the pains because Nigerians are going through the pains on a daily basis.”
Umahi also blamed the failed road projects across the country on lack of supervision; “contractors took money and didn’t do the work. They constructed failed roads. Roads that could not stand three years. They could not even maintain the roads. Trucks are falling. Travelers pass through communities. People are being kidnapped. I went to Warri. I went to Bayelsa, the story is the same.
“In every contract, there’s provision to maintain the roads. If a contractor is greedy to take a project of 150km that should go to three contractors, he should be prepared to maintain it. I’ve created a platform where I have all the contractors and the directors inside. Everybody is back to work. It’s the directive of Mr. President. He said that he must not see vehicles falling on highways again. I will get whoever flouts the directive out of the way.
“I have just informed Mr President that in 30 days if no urgent attention is given to the road, nobody will pass from Bayelsa or Port Harcourt to Warri. And that is very dangerous. So, he directed that I should go and inspect the roads and bring comprehensive information on what should be done immediately.
“He is a man who listens. He’s in a hurry to solve people’s problems in this country. He’s very much in a hurry to change the story. From Bayelsa, I went to Port Harcourt, to Akwa Ibom, to Cross River, and from there I flew to Enugu yesterday evening by 6 o’clock to discuss this road matter with the governor of Enugu State.
“I’m also to reinspect the Third Mainland Bridge and start work on it immediately, and then discuss with the Ogun State governor on the HDMI.”
Fielding questions from reporters on challenges that PPP projects have been facing in Nigeria, Umahi said that things would be different this time.
“We will tie ourselves very well with irrevocable agreement. On the issue of Right of Way, they own the entire land until they recover the money invested. If the Federal Government reneges, they have to pluck their investment directly from the Federation Account.
“If the investment must work, it must not be subjected to political dynamism. It has to be a business venture. That’s why I like President Bola Tinubu. He inherited 18,000 km of roads, and 2,640 projects; there are still constituency projects that are over another 2,000 in number. So, you have over 64,664 Federal Government projects that are ongoing.
“He has not stopped any contractor. He wants to complete all those things. Certain leaders will say we want to do our own, that is gross irresponsibility.
“They (bid winners) are going to give me a letter of comfort; if they back out, they must pay us $10million. My coming here is at a cost, and nobody should waste our time.”
In his response, Chief Kenny Martins assured that the road would be the first of its kind with communication cyber cable, rail lines, and coastal areas.
“The road will be ICT complaint so that electronic vehicles can operate on the road; there will be all kinds of security and there will be solar lights, the whole 460kilometres of the road,” he said.
The minister also mentioned that the Federal Government is working to actualise another project, the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway.
He said that Hitech Construction would fund the project under the PPP model.
Hitech is a division of the Chagoury Group, a business conglomerate in Lagos that oversaw the construction of the Lekki-Epe expressway and the Ajah flyover.
Umahi added that upon completion, the highway would have multiple spurs connecting major towns and cities, including a spur connecting Ogoja-Ikom-Cameroon Road.
“There will be a spur that will connect the proposed fourth mainland bridge in Lagos,” he said.
“It is also connected to the deep seaport road being constructed by Hitech, under the concrete technology and it is also connected at Lagos-Badagry to the proposed Lagos-Abidjan superhighway.”
He said there would also be multiple connections with roads leading to the northern parts of the country.
“There is a proposal for connection to Sokoto. I think about four to five connections to northern Nigeria,” he said.
Umahi described the project as a brainchild of President Tinubu, who asked him to also “fast track this project because it is going to be a catalyst towards the economic development of this country.
“Let me announce that it is under PPP. The Hitech Group is going to look for the money. They have already found the money and that is the good news because we don’t waste our time talking and holding meetings and wasting resources,” he said.
“We are engaging seriously because we have seen the financial capacity and capability of Hitech and this project is going to be delivered in phases.
“Any section that we complete, we will toll it, and then business and transportation will start.
“The right of way of this project is about a 100-meter corridor. There is provision for a rail line in the middle of the road which is about 20 meters.
“The road has four carriageways. Each of the service lanes is 10 meters wide. The main carriageway is 14 meters.”
News
FG Awards Lagos-Abuja, Lagos-PH Super, Coastal Highway Contracts To AEC, Hitech

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to embark on a 460km superhighway project that would cut travel hours from Lagos to Abuja from about 14 hours to four-and-a-half hours and the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway.
While the Abuja-Lagos Superhighway project was awarded to Advanced Engineering Consultants (AEC), the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway was given to Hitech Construction Company Limited.
According to the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, who addressed a press conference at Eko Signature Suites in Lagos on Saturday, September 23, the road would be built with concrete, not asphalt, and the construction through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) would be on a Build Operate and Transfer (BoT) arrangement with a consortium led by Advanced Engineering Consultants (AEC) under the chairmanship of Chief Kenny Martins.
Umahi announced that the highway running from Abuja through eight states to kiss the Fourth Mainland Bridge in Lagos will be completed in four years.
He said, “The President has approved that I should FastTrack this project.”
The minister said that at completion, an average vehicle traveling at 100km/hr could get to Lagos from Abuja in four and half hours.
“This is a journey that is more than 14 hours presently, so people found it hard to believe when this idea was introduced, but that is the Renewed Hope agenda of our divine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is what God has brought him to do. He is the last hope for Nigeria, no matter what people say… Things that couldn’t have been done are being done under this administration… Nobody can fix Nigeria like Tinubu.
“This project is going to be two lanes, but the two lanes will be two carriageways – 14 meters; the only carriageway that is equivalent to this is the Third Mainland Bridge where each carriageway is 14 meters. It’s going to be built on 275-millimeter thick concrete… The lifespan will be 100 years. Bridges will be built and there will be tolling points.”
Umahi, who was accompanied by top officials from the Federal Ministry of Works and contractors, said, “We are here to FastTrack the development of the Greenfield of the PPP development under a new program of the Federal Ministry of Works which is the HDMI Programme (Highway Development and Management Initiative).
“Under this programme, there are two kinds, we have the Greenfield, and we have the Brown Field. The Greenfield is the one we are doing with the Advanced Engineering Company. They identified the project; they came up to discuss it with us; we threw the idea to the market; we invited investors; they made proposals… They won the bid to further engage us.”
The superhighway will pass through the FCT, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos – Abuja, North-Central, and South-West.
Umahi said that the government would not put money into the project but would give the bid winners every support.
He commended the promoters of AEC, who he described as brilliant people.
“I’m very satisfied with their concept and what they have put in place. The next stage is to bring their business proposal so that we can negotiate on what the cost of the project will be. And then, they’ll go to the Ministry of Finance to negotiate the cost.
“We are building on concrete, so we can predict the cost; with asphalt, you cannot predict the cost. The cost of asphalt roads changes every month. Today, the dollar is almost a thousand naira. The oil price is almost $100 per barrel.
“Concrete roads are more durable and cheaper than asphalt. I’ve directed that the remaining jobs on all the ongoing projects that have not advanced up to 80percent must change to concrete.”
The minister also spoke on failed roads across the country putting the blame on civil servants.
He warned that any controller that allowed trucks to fall on the road under his supervision would go on indefinite suspension, and the director in that region would be recalled.
He said, “Hold civil servants responsible for failure of road projects. Civil servants in other parts of the country apart from Lagos stay in the office and issue certificates to contractors.
“I’ve inspected roads in South-West and South-East. I spent 14 hours traveling from Abuja to Benin. I had pains, and I was so happy having the pains because Nigerians are going through the pains on a daily basis.”
Umahi also blamed the failed road projects across the country on lack of supervision; “contractors took money and didn’t do the work. They constructed failed roads. Roads that could not stand three years. They could not even maintain the roads. Trucks are falling. Travelers pass through communities. People are being kidnapped. I went to Warri. I went to Bayelsa, the story is the same.
“In every contract, there’s provision to maintain the roads. If a contractor is greedy to take a project of 150km that should go to three contractors, he should be prepared to maintain it. I’ve created a platform where I have all the contractors and the directors inside. Everybody is back to work. It’s the directive of Mr. President. He said that he must not see vehicles falling on highways again. I will get whoever flouts the directive out of the way.
“I have just informed Mr President that in 30 days if no urgent attention is given to the road, nobody will pass from Bayelsa or Port Harcourt to Warri. And that is very dangerous. So, he directed that I should go and inspect the roads and bring comprehensive information on what should be done immediately.
“He is a man who listens. He’s in a hurry to solve people’s problems in this country. He’s very much in a hurry to change the story. From Bayelsa, I went to Port Harcourt, to Akwa Ibom, to Cross River, and from there I flew to Enugu yesterday evening by 6 o’clock to discuss this road matter with the governor of Enugu State.
“I’m also to reinspect the Third Mainland Bridge and start work on it immediately, and then discuss with the Ogun State governor on the HDMI.”
Fielding questions from reporters on challenges that PPP projects have been facing in Nigeria, Umahi said that things would be different this time.
“We will tie ourselves very well with irrevocable agreement. On the issue of Right of Way, they own the entire land until they recover the money invested. If the Federal Government reneges, they have to pluck their investment directly from the Federation Account.
“If the investment must work, it must not be subjected to political dynamism. It has to be a business venture. That’s why I like President Bola Tinubu. He inherited 18,000 km of roads, and 2,640 projects; there are still constituency projects that are over another 2,000 in number. So, you have over 64,664 Federal Government projects that are ongoing.
“He has not stopped any contractor. He wants to complete all those things. Certain leaders will say we want to do our own, that is gross irresponsibility.
“They (bid winners) are going to give me a letter of comfort; if they back out, they must pay us $10million. My coming here is at a cost, and nobody should waste our time.”
In his response, Chief Kenny Martins assured that the road would be the first of its kind with communication cyber cable, rail lines, and coastal areas.
“The road will be ICT complaint so that electronic vehicles can operate on the road; there will be all kinds of security and there will be solar lights, the whole 460kilometres of the road,” he said.
The minister also mentioned that the Federal Government is working to actualise another project, the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Highway.
He said that Hitech Construction would fund the project under the PPP model.
Hitech is a division of the Chagoury Group, a business conglomerate in Lagos that oversaw the construction of the Lekki-Epe expressway and the Ajah flyover.
Umahi added that upon completion, the highway would have multiple spurs connecting major towns and cities, including a spur connecting Ogoja-Ikom-Cameroon Road.
“There will be a spur that will connect the proposed fourth mainland bridge in Lagos,” he said.
“It is also connected to the deep seaport road being constructed by Hitech, under the concrete technology and it is also connected at Lagos-Badagry to the proposed Lagos-Abidjan superhighway.”
He said there would also be multiple connections with roads leading to the northern parts of the country.
“There is a proposal for connection to Sokoto. I think about four to five connections to northern Nigeria,” he said.
Umahi described the project as a brainchild of President Tinubu, who asked him to also “fast track this project because it is going to be a catalyst towards the economic development of this country.
“Let me announce that it is under PPP. The Hitech Group is going to look for the money. They have already found the money and that is the good news because we don’t waste our time talking and holding meetings and wasting resources,” he said.
“We are engaging seriously because we have seen the financial capacity and capability of Hitech and this project is going to be delivered in phases.
“Any section that we complete, we will toll it, and then business and transportation will start.
“The right of way of this project is about a 100-meter corridor. There is provision for a rail line in the middle of the road which is about 20 meters.
“The road has four carriageways. Each of the service lanes is 10 meters wide. The main carriageway is 14 meters.”
News
Reps Resume Plenary On Tuesday

The House of Representatives has said it would resume from its annual recess on Tuesday to continue the first legislative year of the 10th Assembly.
The Clerk of the House, Dr Yahaha Danzaria, said this in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
The 10th Assembly proceeded on its annual recess on July 27.
This followed a plenary session during which Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, announced the leadership of the standing committees of the house.
Commenting on the resumption, the Spokesperson of the House and House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon Akin Rotimi, said the 10th Assembly had been prolific.
He said since its inauguration, the house had recorded 470 bills, with all passing first reading, while four passed second reading.
He added that there had been 175 motions considered by the parliament.
He said in spite of the recess, it had continued to function, as various ad hoc committees continued to carry out their crucial mandates.
He said this had generated significant positive public interest.
Rotimi said some of the key early developments expected on resumption was the conclusion of the work of all ad-hoc committees and the submission of their reports.
He said this was for the consideration of the House in line with the directive of the speaker.
He said the house would get the final draft of its Legislative Agenda developed by the ad hoc committee, led by the Majority Leader, Hon Julius Inhonvbere.
He said it would be considered and adopted by the house, adding that the draft agenda was developed following extensive consultations with critical stakeholders.
He also said that the membership of the standing committees would be announced and fully constituted.
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