Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police, has ordered the expansion of the operations of the national cybercrime centre to existing force criminal investigations department (FCID) annex offices.

The select FCID annex offices are in Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, and Enugu states.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) national cybercrime centre is the police unit established to combat cybercrimes in the country.

The cybercrime centre was only domiciled in Abuja. Persons who allegedly violated the Cybercrimes Act are often taken to Abuja for questioning.

In a statement on Monday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said the directive means that the centre will now have operational offices at the FCID annex in the aforementioned states.

Adejobi said the move will “help in professionally coordinating and monitoring smooth investigations of cyber-related infractions reported to the police”.

“Following the recent upsurge in the creation and circulation of misinformative and dis-informative materials and other cyber-related crimes, capable of causing a breakdown of law and order and attempting to discredit the country, using the various social media platforms, it has become expedient to take proactive and strategic steps to nip this trend in the bud in order to prevent damage to the peaceful coexistence of well-meaning citizens and residents of our great country,” the statement reads.

“To this end, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has ordered the expansion of the activities of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) to the existing Force Criminal Investigations Department Annex offices to facilitate the efficient handling of matters related to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act 2024.”

Some analysts have criticised the police for allegedly hiding under the Cybercrimes Act to clamp down on journalists and activists.

Umar Bago, governor of Niger state, says he will pay the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state ₦200,000 each in allowance bonus.

The governor spoke during the 2024 Batch B, Stream 1 orientation ceremony which was held at the temporary camp in Paikoro, Niger.

Bago said the bonus is to enhance the corp members’ comfort during their service year in the state.

He also approved the donation of ₦5 billion for the construction of a permanent NYSC orientation camp in the state.

“All corp members serving in Niger state today are entitled to N200,000 bonus from Niger farm,” the governor said.

“So you have ₦200,000 each of you, I understand you all are 1,600 so we are going to credit your account with the money. This is to enhance your comfort during your stay in Niger state.

“Again, to the director of NYSC Niger state, we want to build a brand new NYSC camp. So today, we are putting N5bn for your new camp. Niger state is giving N5bn to the honourable minister and DG to build a new camp for you all.”

At the moment, corps members under the NYSC scheme earn ₦33,000 in monthly allowance from the scheme.

The NYSC was set up in 1973 during the military regime of Yakubu Gowon to reconcile and rebuild the country after the civil war.

Alison Madueke, a former chief of naval staff, has filed a petition before the Lagos state high court, seeking to stop Diezani, former minister of petroleum, from using his last name.

Madueke, a former military governor of Anambra and Imo states, married Diezani under the Marriage Act on June 30, 1999.

However, in Madueke’s petition for jactitation of marriage, he claimed Diezani had filed for divorce at the Nasarawa State High Court in Mararaba Gurku in November 2021, citing the “irreconcilable breakdown” of their marriage.

He said since May 2015, he has lived apart from the respondent after she travelled to the UK.

Madueke said he did not object to the divorce, which led to the marriage being formally dissolved by the court on April 13, 2022. However, Diezani continues to go by his last name.

“The said dissolution of marriage has now become absolute by the operation of law,” the petition reads.

“Even though the marriage has been dissolved and is now legally finalised, the respondent continues to use the petitioner’s first name (Alison) and surname (Madueke) as her own without any justification or consent from the petitioner.

“It is now more than two-years that the respondent continues to use the name of the petitioner to his embarrassment.”

Madueke said he directed his legal representatives to serve Diezani a formal request on December 14, 2023, demanding that she cease using his surname and revert to Agama, her maiden name.

He said the former minister failed to respond to the legal notice and continues to use his name.

“The respondent has continued to hold out herself as the wife of the petitioner even when the marriage has been dissolved,” the petition reads.

“The respondent is undergoing criminal trials in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom. The charge in Nigeria is Suit No. FUC/ABI/CR/208/2010.

“The respondent faces public allegations of corruption and financial misconduct, for which trials are ongoing for both.

“The persistent portrayal of the respondent as the spouse of the petitioner is creating embarrassment, a misleading impression and tarnishing the reputation, integrity, and public image of the petitioner.

“The respondent’s continued use of the petitioner’s first and surname falsely suggests to the public a continuing relationship between the parties though same has since legally ended.

“The respondent’s continued use of the petitioner’s first and family names poses a significant risk of legal and financial harm to the petitioner.

“The petitioner seeks the intervention of this honourable court to prevent the respondent from further using his first name and surname, thereby safeguarding his image, personality, and reputation.”

DIEZANI ON TRIAL AT HOME AND ABROAD

In October 2023, Diezani appeared at the Westminster Magistrates Court in the UK over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

Michael Snow, the district judge, granted her bail in the sum of £70,000.

Snow however imposed other conditions on Alison-Madueke after deeming her “a flight risk”.

In October 2015, Diezani and four other persons were arrested in the UK over alleged bribery and money laundering.

A magistrate court in the UK granted Alison-Madueke bail but her passport was seized. She was asked to report at the Charing Cross police station afterwards.

Diezani was minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

She left the country in 2015 shortly before Jonathan handed over power to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the former minister stole $2.5 billion from federal coffers as minister.