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NDLEA Intercepts 64,000 Pump Action Gun Cartridges, 34 Kids From TraffickersOperatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted 64,000 pump action gun cartridges and a new pump action gun at a store located at Success Line, Marine modern market, Onitsha, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra state. The discovery, which led to the arrest of an arms dealer, 34-year-old Donatus Onyemachi Igwebudu followed credible intelligence on drugs and arms deal in the location. Backed by soldiers from the military, NDLEA operatives stormed the store on Wednesday 15th December 2021 and moved the arm and ammunition to the Agency’s office in Awka. In a related development, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja expressway in Kogi state have intercepted 34 children between the ages of 8 and 14 being trafficked from Ijebu Ode, Ogun state to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The minors packed in two commercial buses; Toyota Sienna and a 12- Seater Mazda with registration numbers Lagos LND124FV and Oyo BDJ-683YK respectively, were recovered in the early hours of Thursday 16th Dec from the human trafficking syndicate. The bus drivers confirmed that the kids were handed over to them by a woman at Ijebu Ode to be conveyed to Abuja, adding that on arrival in FCT, the woman is to call another bus driver who will convey the children to Riyom in Plateau State. It was further revealed that the children were initially trafficked from Plateau state to Ijebu Ode, where they were distributed to different households as domestic servants. Some of the children were discovered to have served for two years and their rewards sent to woman’s agent in Jos. While commending the officers and men of Anambra and Kogi state commands of the Agency for their vigilance and preparedness to work in synergy with other security agencies in their areas of responsibility, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them to sustain the tempo. He also directed that the arm and ammunition along with the suspect arrested in Anambra be transferred to the police while the 34 trafficked children are to be transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP for further investigation.

Ugochi Emmanuel December 17, 2021

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted 64,000 pump action gun cartridges and a new pump action gun at a store located at Success Line, Marine modern market, Onitsha, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra state. The discovery, which led to the arrest of an […]

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5G: NCC Organises Capacity Building For Media Executives In The Northern & Southern Region

Ugochi Emmanuel December 17, 2021

Ahead of the anticipated 2022 rollout of Fifth Generation (5G) network in Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has organised capacity building workshops for media executives in the northern and southern divides of the country, as part of efforts to support their continuous professional development critical stakeholders in the telecommunications […]

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We’re Committed To Consumer Protection – Danbatta The Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero, influential individuals, who visited the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) pavilion as well as telecom consumers, who participated at the ‘NCC Special Day’ at the recently-concluded 42nd edition of the Kano International Trade Fair, 2021 in Kano State, have commended the Commission for its various consumer-centric initiatives. Bayero engaged the Commission’s staff at the NCC Pavilion while asking series of questions about the activities of NCC as it relates to service delivery and subsequently commended Management of the Commission led by its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, for being consumer-focused in its regulatory activities. He charged other regulatory organisations across the country to emulate NCC’s template of constantly creating platforms, leveraging different fora and emplacing frameworks and initiatives to enhance consumer protection in their respective sectors which they supervise. Another eminent visitor to the Commission’s pavilion on the exhibition ground at the trade fair was the Karaje in Kano State, Alh. Ibrahim Abubakar II. Several other telecom consumers also thronged the NCC’s Stand where representatives of various mobile networks, namely MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile were on hand to resolve all complaints referred to them by the Commission’s official at the pavilion. Aside having their complaints resolved, the NCC officials also shared Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on various topical telecom issues to consumers both at the NCC Pavilion and, more importantly, at the ‘NCC Day’ event which held later in the afternoon of December 6, 2021. Addressing a large gathering of telecoms consumers at the NCC Day event, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, thanked the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), organisers of the fair, for the constant invitation to NCC to leverage the trade fair platform as an avenue for engaging telecom stakeholders, especially the consumers. Danbatta, who was represented by the NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, spoke on the theme of the trade fair: ‘Consolidating the Challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic to Opportunities for Growth and Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria,” and promised that the Commission will continue to stimulate the increased access to digital infrastructure to support businesses and individuals, as well as constantly protect consumer rights and privileges. According to Danbatta, telecommunications sector has been a major driver of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government, as it continues to provide the needed digital sinews that support the economy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant restriction period. “Since the outbreak of the pandemic, government institutions, businesses and individuals have relied heavily on telecoms services to carry out their daily operations and official routines. In response to the increased demand for telecoms services, the Commission put a number of regulatory measures in place to ensure seamless access by Nigerians to telecommunications services and protect them against any adverse impact on the quality of service enjoyed by consumers,” he said. He said as the Commission continue to drive the remarkable digital transformation being witnessed in the Nigerian economy, one area that the Commission pays greater priority to is how consumers are treated by the service providers. “This is why at NCC, we continue to treat consumers as Kings and Queens. Of course, that is who they are because without the consumer, both the regulator and the service providers have no business being in business,” he said. Danbatta reiterated NCC’s commitment to protecting and empowering consumers – whether individuals and corporate consumers – from unfair practices willingly or unwillingly orchestrated by the service providers. “This is based on our regulatory mandate of ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services deserve to get value for their money, and to be treated right as very important stakeholders in the scheme of things,” he added. In the same vein, the NCC’s Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Efosa Idehen, in his address, took a great deal of time enlightening the consumers on various consumer-centric initiatives put in place by the Commission to protect consumer rights. The initiatives, explained in great details, include the NCC’s various channels of lodging complaints, the NCC toll-free Number 622, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) short code 2442, the NCC’s Emergency Number 112, among several other consumer-focused programmes. In his remarks, KACCIMA President, Dalhatu Abubakar, applauded NCC for prioritising consumer protection in all that it does. “I commend you for your efforts in ensuring that telecoms continue to play a critical role in not only transforming the way people live, work and play but also contribute significantly to the growth of Nigerian economy, as evidenced in the sector’s impressive contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said. Telecom consumers, who won various prizes in a raffle conducted to excite them at the event, also expressed appreciation to the Commission for being one of the leading public institutions championing the interest of the consumers.

Ugochi Emmanuel December 16, 2021

We’re Committed To Consumer Protection – Danbatta  The Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero, influential individuals, who visited the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) pavilion as well as telecom consumers, who participated at the ‘NCC Special Day’ at the recently-concluded 42nd edition of the Kano International Trade Fair, 2021 in Kano State, have […]

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5G Auction: NCC Declares Not Being Aware Of Senator Bola Tinubu’s Connection To Mafab Communications Ltd.

Ugochi Emmanuel December 16, 2021

In the course of its routine media review, today, December 15, 2021, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) became aware of publications in some online media channels alleging the involvement of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, in Mafab Communications Limited, one of the winners of the 5G […]

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Digital Media, Veritable Platform To Enhance National Security – DG NITDA

Ugochi Emmanuel December 15, 2021

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa  has said that digital media provides a veritable platform to enhance National Security, and can be used to gather security intelligence, coordinate activities of security agents, promote social interaction amongst citizens and enhance social harmony. Inuwa stated that the […]