Senate Turns Down Bill Seeking To Regulate Private Investigation in Nigeria

The upper chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate, has rejected a bill aimed at setting out the rules and conditions for operating and practicing private investigations in Nigeria.

The bill, introduced by Senator Osita Ngwu ( PDP,Enugu West),voted down by most members during the discussion in the Red Chamber.

In his opening remarks, Senator Ngwu, who serves as the Senate Minority Whip, explained that the bill’s main goals include establishing a structure for the licensing and regulation of private investigators, as well as setting standards for their professional conduct.

He mentioned that private investigation is a well-established field in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada.

Senator Ngwu pointed out that some private investigators have backgrounds in law enforcement, while others come from the military and intelligence sectors.

He also highlighted the growing global trend of requiring licenses for private investigators to uphold ethical standards.

“The objectives of the bill include fraud prevention, detection, assessment and resolution; corporate fraud and risk management services; insurance fraud and claims investigation; aviation accident and loss investigation; marine loss investigation; occupational health and safety incident investigation; and witness location and bail bond defaulters etc.

“The bill defines the scope of the profession; ensures standards; provides penalty for professional negligence; prescribes offences for operation without a license and encourages industry-based training to maintain capacity.

“The bill essentially seeks to professionalize the industry and has no financial implication,” Senator Ngwu noted.

However, during the debate on the bill, while the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Olalere Oyewumi, and Senator Victor Umeh supported the bill, others like senators Adams Oshiomhole, Iya Abbas, and Mustapha Saliu kicked against it, describing it as a recipe for a personal fight.

Having watched different arguments from his corner, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, called on the bill’s sponsor to withdraw it for further legislative inputs, which he hurriedly did.

Over 600 Schools Closed Nationwide Due To Insecurity — Investigation

 

The new school year started in Nigeria this month, but more than 600 schools are still closed because of a surge in kidnappings and attacks by armed gangs, according to authorities.

In the small town of Sabo, south of Kaduna state, a group of schoolchildren are united by a common enemy: armed conflict. Most of the children arrived at this temporary shelter with their parents last November, 

One resident, Abayo Iliya, said it was the last time his 6-year-old son attended school.

Iliya said his village was attacked, and their homes, farms and the school were burned. Iliya's son's school has since been closed.

Iliya's wife, Alheri, said they would like to enroll their son in a safer school but cannot afford it. They lost everything, she said, so they don't have the money to go to another school.

This month, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO, reported that more than 20 million Nigerian children are out of school, up nearly 2 million compared with a similar survey announced by UNICEF in May.

But Nigerian authorities dispute the figures, saying the situation has improved and that the government has been spending much more on education.

Authorities also say UNESCO's estimates did not capture the number of children attending unconventional schools in northern Nigeria.

But Abdulsalami Ladigbolu, the head of UNESCO's Read and Earn Federation in Nigeria, said many factors that contribute to the problem were considered before publishing the report.

"It's a complex situation. Really, insurgency can be part of it. Secondly, the death of their parents or guardian responsible for tuition. Another factor we can consider is early marriage," Ladigbolu said, adding that that issue is specific to girls.

Last week, dozens of worshippers were kidnapped in Kajuru, and their abductors are demanding more than $450,000 as ransom.

Nigerian authorities have been intensifying crackdowns on armed gangs and say there has been some success, including a recent airstrike that killed about 200 suspected bandits in the north.

But until insecurity is addressed, the threat will remain and people like Iliya will have a hard time educating their children

Embattled EFCC Boss Magun Detained After He Was Drilled By The Presidential Investigation Panel

Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC was reportedly detained after he was quizzed for many hours by the presidential panel set up to investigate the allegations of corruption leveled against him and the agency by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

Few weeks ago, Malami wrote a letter to President Buhari asking for the sack of Magu whom he accused of corruption, insubordination among other crimes.

The Nation reports that the panel which is headed by Justice Isa Ayo Salami, a retired president of the Court of Appeal, drilled Magu for many hours before he was whisked away from the Presidential Villa where he was interrogated by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) at about 10.15pm shortly after the investigative panel ended its sitting. His escort mobile policemen and security detail were stood down before he was taken into custody.

It was learnt that shortly after emerging from the sitting, Magu was led into a waiting white Hilux van marked 371D. Magu insisted on sitting in the open space at the back of the Hilux. The police team persuaded him to sit in the first cabin. The ding-doing over his relocation to the FCID lasted about 25 minutes. Magu was later allowed to go to the FCID in his official car.

“In the light of the ongoing investigation, it became expedient to detain Magu at the FCID. We do not want him to return to the office while he is being questioned, because he is likely to have another session with the Justice Salami panel.” a source told The Nation
It was also learnt last night that Magu might be suspended from office.
“By not allowing him to go back to his office was an indication that he might be suspended. It is obvious that the Presidency has concluded plans to look for a new candidate for the office,” the source added
At the FCID around 10.50pm, Magu rejected an offer to take him into an office to stay the night. He told the officers in charge to treat him like a suspect by putting him in a cell.
Sitting on a chair, he said:
“I won’t go and sleep in any office, I prefer to be in a cell. Kindly put me in a cell. That is what Allah wants for me. I can’t question God.”

On Monday July 6, Magu was intercepted on the road along Fomella Street while moving out of the Wuse II office Annex of the EFCC in Abuja. His invitation was then extended to him by a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).

Some of the 22 allegations Magu is being investigated for include:
Alleged discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on recovered funds
Declaration of N539billion as recovered funds instead of N504b earlier claimed
Insubordination to the office of the AGF by not seeking his approval on some decisions
Not providing enough evidence for the extradition of ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke
Alleged late action on the investigation of Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) leading to legal dispute
Not respecting court order to unfreeze a N7billion judgment in favour of a former Executive Director of First Bank
Alleged delay in acting on two vessels seized by Nigerian Navy leading to the loss of crude
Alleged favouring of some investigators called Magu’s Boys
Reporting some judges to their presiding officers without deferring to the AGF
Alleged sales of seized assets to cronies, associates and friends
Alleged issuance of investigative activities to some media prejudicial to some cases.

A top source told the publication;
Magu and his officers had spent the last two weeks looking at all the allegations and compiled appropriate responses to them with documents. It is the compendium of evidence that he took to the panel to prove his innocence. Whatever you may accuse Magu of, it is not corruption or self-enrichment.

All those who have worked with Magu know him for his incorruptibility. He is also a hardliner who stepped on many toes. It is good that a panel is looking into the allegations. Take the case of sales of assets, Magu never sold any assets since he came into office. Instead, the seized properties were allocated for use by government agencies.

The P&ID matter preceded Magu in office because the judgment debt was during the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. Magu only investigated the criminal aspect instead of supporting the Settlement Agreement. And he gave the case all his strength to get the best for the nation. At the appropriate time, the details of what Magu did in office and what really transpired before the panel will be known to Nigerians for posterity.”