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Dangote Cement Ibese Fetes Senior Citizens in Host Communities

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DSC9925; (L- R  from Back), Novia Hospital CEO, Erelu Yeye Abiye, Inegbenijie. Lydia  David; Dangote Cement Ibese Plant Chief Finance Officer, Akin Abe; Dangote Cement Ibese Plant Director, Roy K. Uttam; Dangote Cement Plc, Group Head, Social Performance, Wakeel Olayiwola; Dangote Cement Ibese Plant, General Manager, Human Asset Management / Admin, Olugbemiga Aina; (Beneficiaries in front), Modupe Olaoluwa Bankole and Hakeem Akinsola, during the Presentation of WheelChairs and other mobility aids to the some  Senior Citizens at the Dangote Cement Ibese Plant at the 2024 Edition of One - Day Care Program for the Host Communities Senior Citizens, an Ibese Plant, Ogun State at the weekend.

Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant at the weekend extended the frontier of its social investments in the wellbeing of its 17 host communities when it hosted the senior citizens in the communities offering them free medical services and mobility equipment for the people with disabilities including wheelchairs

The Company said the gesture was aimed at complementing the effort of the government in improving the lives of the people of Ogun state especially those in whose territory the leading cement manufacturer operates.

Tagged “A Day-Out with Senior Citizens 2024”, the well-attended annual event saw the elderly ones being led in physical exercise, receiving health talks, medical checks, free drugs and other food and household items like rice, semo, honey, beverages, bathing soaps, detergent, clothing and cash incentive.

In his address of welcome, the Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant Director, Roy Uttam said the event was aimed at increasing the level of socialisation, engagement, emotional and mental wellbeing among the elderly around its host communities.

Uttam, pointed out that the management of Ibese Plant remain deeply committed to its responsibilities under the Community Development Agreement signed in 2022, saying “we will continue to prioritise the transfer of both economic and social benefits to our host communities, focusing on areas such as health, education, infrastructure, and empowerment.

“It is gratifying that our social investment strides are making meaningful impact in the lives of people across the host communities. We are determined to keep improving and broadening our initiatives, as we work together for the benefit of all.

“As elders who have devoted your youthful lives to the growth and development of your communities, the focus now should be on your health and well-being and the overall goodness of the society. This event is designed with your health in mind, as well as to offer an opportunity to reflect and connect with one another to promote longevity,” he said.

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While reveling on the success of the maiden edition last year, Mr Uttam recalled that “we hosted 50 elderly members of our host communities for the first time in the history of this Plant. It was a memorable event filled with activities that demonstrated deep recognition for this all-important people in our society and promoted healthy living among them. It was a significant milestone for the Plant and the communities.

“We have made significant improvements this year, including the identification of five persons with disabilities from our host communities, who will each receive mobility aids to enhance their quality of life. This is just one example of how we continue to expand the scope of our social investments to create even greater impact”.

Uttam assured the host communities that the Plant would continue to live up to its responsibilities as regards the execution of the existing Community Development Agreement (CDA) even much more beyond  saying some of the social investment initiatives of the Plant when well appraised, go beyond the letters of the signed CDA.

The Dangote Cement boss noted with nostalgia that the company’s social investment strides are making meaningful impact in the lives of people across the host communities and promised that the management was “determined to keep improving and broadening our initiatives, as we work together for the benefit of all.”

The Plant Director noted that In line with the company’s local content initiative, it had retained the services of Novia Hospital Services, a local healthcare provider, to assist in making this event a success. He assured the people of Dangote Cement’s continued support and believe that with the people’s cooperation and collaboration, the management will continue to build on “our shared vision of peace and prosperity”.

In his own comment, the Group Head of Social Performance, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Wakeel Olayiwola said the whole idea about hosting the elderly ones in the host communities borders on carrying along the old ones who are the foundation upon whom the new generations are building on. “They also need to be active in their old age”, he stated.

Responding on behalf of other elders, a beneficiary, Pa Michael Oderinlo from Ijako-Orile host community thanked the management of Dangote Cement for the gesture especially for reaching out to the elders which he said was not a common practice among business organizations.

Said he:” it is a very rare gesture by a business organization to take special interest in the old people and cater to their wellbeing”.

Also another beneficiary of the wheelchair, Modupeola, Olaoluwa Bankole described the wheelchair donation as very touching and timely saying she now has a new lease of life with the mobility aid andtanked the Dangote Cement management for coming to her aid.

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President Tinubu Counters Police Academy in Kano, Establishes New Campus in Ogun

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new campus of the Police Academy in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area in Ogun State.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President,
Information & Strategy, says President Tinubu also approved a special take-off grant of N15billion for the college.

The President’s approval was in fulfilment of the provisions of the Nigeria Police Academy (Establishment) Act, 2021, particularly with respect to the expansion of the Police Academy based in Wudil, Kano state, into multiple campuses across the country.

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The intervention fund will be sourced from the TetFund 2026 allocation to finance priority infrastructure, academic facilities, student accommodation, and core training assets.

A high-level consultative meeting involving the Minister of Police Affairs, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Inspector-General of Police and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) recommended the siting of the new campus in Erinja.

The meeting considered student intake capacity, funding realities, academic quality assurance, and the long-term needs of the Nigerian Police Force, which is currently recruiting more men.

President Tinubu believes the expansion will strengthen institutional governance, modern policing education and national security.

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Retired Police Storm Villa Gate, Call Contributory Pension Scheme a ‘Killer Disease’

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Retired police personnel and their families, under the umbrella of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, on Monday blocked one of the gates of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in protest.

The retirees are demanding the removal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they described as “fraudulent, illegal, inhumane and obnoxious.”

Protesters carried placards reading “End CPS,” “If military, DSS were removed from PENCOM, why not police?” while many were chanting, “Police dey work, PenCom dey chop.”

They said the protest was aimed at urging President Bola Tinubu to assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on December 4, 2025, and transmitted to the Presidency on March 16, 2026.

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According to them, the bill, if signed into law, would exempt police personnel from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

Speaking in a video of the protest posted by Channels Television, a retired ASP, Nurudeen Dahiru, said, “We are not begging anybody. We have come to fight for our rights. We have suffered.

“We are not here to fight anybody. We are just here to demand for our rights. We have served for 35 years.

“According to the Constitution of the country, when you serve your country for 35 years, you should go home and rest. But see us suffering now. We are not able to take care of our children.

“We have no food to eat. We are dying. Silent killing. So this contributory pension scheme is a killer disease. 35 years is not easy. We are not here to fight anybody.”

Another retired officer said, “We don’t have anything to train them. As I retired 20 years ago, how much are they paying me?

“It is 24,000 that I am paying you because I retired with the inspector. So they have to sign our bill and give us all our money.

“So that somebody can use it for something. You can buy a house. And then now we don’t have a house.

“How can an ASP, a DSP, a CP retire and they are paying him how much? No, no, no. Enough is enough. It is a do or die. Even if some people are killed today, others are coming.”

Speaking to reporters, the National Coordinator of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria, CSP Raphael Irowainu (retd), who led the protest, said the group was at the Villa to press for the President’s assent to the bill exiting the police from the CPS.

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Court Admits Nine Exhibits Against Malami and Family

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja and presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Monday, April 20, 2026 admitted nine exhibits against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami.

The exhibits were presented before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in its ongoing trial of the former Minister and some family members.

The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8,713,923,759.49 (Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine Naira, Forty-Nine Kobo), contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The exhibits, which are documentary in nature, were tendered through the fourth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. S. Okutepa, SAN, the witness told the court that, in the course of his official duties, he received correspondence from the EFCC requesting documents relating to several accounts linked to the defendants and associated entities.

“I work as a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, Maitama branch. My duty includes receiving correspondence from law enforcement agencies and responding accordingly,” he said.

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Bata further disclosed that the bank complied with EFCC’s requests by providing both soft and hard copies of documents relating to accounts belonging to the defendants and companies such as Rayhaan Hotels Limited, Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited, Nashab Limited, Golden Age Global Ventures, and Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

“My lord, the documents are nine,” he stated, confirming his ability to identify them when presented in court.

Upon application by Okutepa, the court admitted the documents, dated between July 19, 2024 and March 12, 2026, as Exhibits D1 to D9, despite an initial objection by defence counsel, J. B. Daudu, SAN, who noted that “the dates are almost all in March.”

Continuing his testimony under further examination by prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the witness provided details of transactions contained in the exhibits.

He identified Exhibit D1 as containing account opening documents and statements for accounts belonging to Abubakar Malami and A.A. Malami & Co, including a naira account and a dollar account.

According to him, the statement of account for one of the accounts covered the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2023.

The witness confirmed that the accounts were active between 2015 and 2023, noting that “there were transfers within that period.”

He further revealed that total credits into one of the accounts stood at N383,637,21.55 between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2023, while total credits from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015 amounted to N560,506,465.12.

On debits, he stated that N384,322,120.85 was recorded between 2016 and 2023, while N571,891,174.08 was debited between 2012 and 2015.

Giving further breakdown of transactions, the witness told the court that on November 11, 2020, the account received N194,791,608.00 from New Horizons Limited, and on June 24, 2022, it received N622,500,000.00 from Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

He added that on July 1 and July 7, 2022, the account received N250 million each from Rayhaan Hotels Limited, while on December 22, 2022, there was an inflow of N500 million linked to Rayhaan Bustan Agro Allied Limited.

Continuing in that format, the witness identified so many transactions running into billions.

Following the testimony, the defence counsel, J.B Daudu SAN sought an adjournment to enable him study the exhibits and prepare for cross-examination.

“My lord, we need time to go through the nine exhibits tendered,” Daudu said.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter till May 13, 2026, for continuation of trial.

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