The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) convened a forum on Tuesday with stakeholders to discuss the increasing concerns regarding unclaimed and unused subscriber recharges.

This forum represented a significant regulatory initiative aimed at safeguarding telecom consumers while providing operational clarity for service providers.

The executive vice-chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, underscored the necessity of achieving a balanced approach that respects consumer rights while promoting industry sustainability.

Maida, who was represented by the executive commissioner for stakeholder management, Rimini Makama, stated that this engagement is vital for developing policies that prioritize consumer protection while fostering a dynamic and competitive market.

“As the telecommunications sector continues to advance, it is essential to tackle emerging challenges, such as the status of prepaid balances on inactive lines.

The forum concentrated on a draft guidance framework that details the procedures for managing unutilized airtime on churned lines, specifically those disconnected after 12 months of inactivity,” he explained.

He noted that under the proposed regulations, affected subscribers would be granted a 12-month grace period to reclaim their unused credits, contingent upon verifying their ownership.

Chizua Whyte, the head of legal and regulatory services at the NCC, emphasized the commission’s legal responsibilities and the importance of the new guidelines in promoting transparency and accountability within the telecommunications industry.

“This draft seeks to ensure subscribers maintain rightful access to their purchased credits while operators gain clarity in their responsibilities.

“It also prohibits monetisation of unclaimed airtime, instead mandates service-based redemptions such as data or voice bundles,” she said.

She also mentioned that the commission has specified essential provisions in the draft guidelines, which mandate operators to inform subscribers about the forfeiture of airtime and related policies.

Whyte emphasized that consumer education initiatives would be essential to promote widespread understanding.

Additionally, she noted that operators must conduct audits of churned accounts and report any unclaimed balances.

Whyte indicated that a compliance period of 90 days has been established, with penalties for non-compliance, while the NCC is expected to finalize audit reviews within a span of 10 days.

A summary of the forum highlighted the importance of aligning with international best practices, as countries such as the U.S., the EU, and India prioritize transparency and alternative service options instead of cash refunds.

This forum is part of a larger initiative aimed at enhancing billing transparency, building consumer trust, and ensuring regulatory clarity as outlined by the NCCE.

Attendees at the forum included mobile network operators, consumer advocacy organizations, legal professionals, and various industry stakeholders

Rajitha, a 30-year-old teacher has killed three children.

The lady from Ameenpur Mandal in Sangareddy district, India, killed the children—12-year-old Sai Krishna, 10-year-old Madhu Priya, and 8-year-old Gautam—to start a new life with her former classmate, Sooru Shiva Kumar.

She initially claimed that they had fallen ill after eating curd rice on March 27, but investigations later revealed that she had suffocated them one by one to clear the way for her to marry Shiva.

She staged their deaths as food poisoning to cover up the crime.

Rajitha’s unhappiness in her marriage to A. Chennaiah, a 50-year-old water tanker driver 20 years older than her, had been growing for some time.

Chennaiah’s first wife had passed away during childbirth, and in 2013, he married Rajitha, with whom he had three children.

However, reports indicated that Rajitha resented her life with Chennaiah and longed for an escape.

Her affair with her former classmate, Shiva Kumar, who she hoped to marry, became the driving force behind her tragic actions.

Driven by a desire to build a new life with him, Rajitha decided to eliminate any obstacles standing in her way. She killed her children and pretended they had died from food poisoning, hoping to deceive everyone around her.

The police investigation, led by Sangareddy DSP Paritosh Pankaj, soon uncovered the truth.

When her motive became clear, the case sent ripples through social media, and concerned individuals flooded the comments section, expressing disbelief over the horrific crime.

The Achimota Circuit Court has sentenced a 22-year-old hairdresser, Nicky Isabella, to five years in prison for trafficking two young Nigerian women into Ghana under the guise of employment.

Isabella, popularly known as Bella, lured the victims to Ghana under the pretext of offering them jobs, but upon arrival, she forced them into prostitution.

Isabella, widely known as Bella, deceived the victims, aged 22 and 23, by promising them supermarket jobs in Adjiringanor, Accra. But upon their arrival in May 2024, the narrative took a dark turn: instead of employment, they were forced into prostitution and stripped of their earnings.

The case was heard before Mrs. Akosua Anokyewaa Adjepong, who delivered the judgment on Friday, April 4, 2025, after a full trial.

According to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, prosecutors disclosed that Isabella, in collaboration with an accomplice named Nelly (still at large), orchestrated the cross-border trafficking.

Upon arrival, Isabella reportedly seized their earnings and forced them to swear an oath on a Bible. As part of the oath ritual, she cut pieces of their pubic hair and threatened to use them in rituals if they disobeyed her instructions.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Isaac Babayi, who led the prosecution, described the crime as premeditated, exploitative, and deeply harmful, urging the court to hand down a firm sentence as a deterrent.

In her ruling, the trial judge considered several factors, including Isabella’s young age, her status as a first-time offender, and the period she had already spent in custody. However, she also noted Isabella’s lack of remorse and the severity of the offence.

Isabella, who had no legal representation throughout the trial, broke down in tears as the sentence was handed down.

Court documents confirmed that Isabella admitted to forcing the women into sex work, taking their money, and using spiritual threats to control them. A search of her residence revealed a notebook tracking the victims’ earnings and a bundle of human hair, believed to be part of the coercive tactics she employed.

The two victims have since been rescued and are now receiving psychosocial support.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service has launched an investigation to apprehend Nelly, her co-conspirator

Commenting on the case, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) William Ayariga, Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, reiterated the country’s zero tolerance for human trafficking.

“Ghana is not a haven for human traffickers. Those who lure vulnerable people into Ghana and force them into prostitution will face the full force of the law,” he stated.DSP Ayariga revealed that the Unit secured nine convictions last year, including a landmark 20-year sentence, and reaffirmed its resolve to continue pursuing traffickers with full force.

“We are not slowing down. We will continue arresting, investigating, and prosecuting offenders. No form of human trafficking or migrant smuggling will be tolerated in Ghana. Justice will prevail,” he said.

Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Digital Media Strategy, Demola Olarewaju, has revealed the biggest mistake allies of former President Muhammadu Buhari will make with President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Olarewaju, whose principal was the 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said Buhari’s boys in the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC bloc of the All Progressives Congress, APC, are making a grave mistake by trusting Tinubu in 2027.

He warned that Tinubu would use and dump them, just as he did with the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai.

Posting on X, he wrote: “The biggest mistake Buhari Boys in the CPC bloc would make ahead of 2027 is to trust Tinubu. Anybody, in fact, shouldn’t make that mistake, including old ACN allies.

“If he gets what he wants, he’ll dump them like El-Rufai and consolidate power more than anyone ever before him.”

Olarewaju also alleged a plot to replace the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, with someone from the Southwest.

“Lagos Boys want an INEC Chairman from the SW that they can control easily and directly for Tinubu while also being in a position to use him to manipulate state gubernatorial elections and sell it to the highest bidder for themselves – they just want to cash out at this point.

“The agenda for the next INEC Chairman is for one person to control him on behalf of Tinubu, but also still use him to influence and sell state gubernatorial elections.

“Those two men both want to be President after Tinubu, on the idea that the SS still has 4 years to go from GEJ,” he added.

Youths of Igbo ethnicity under the aegis of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately withdraw the name of former presidential aide Reno Omokri from the list of ambassadorial nominees, citing what it described as a glaring contradiction and a failure of integrity checks.

The development follows reports suggesting that Omokri, alongside other political figures including Senator Shehu Sani, and former governors Okezie Ikpeazu and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, are among those being considered for ambassadorial appointments by the Federal Government.

In a statement issued Monday, the National President of the OYC, Comrade Igboayaka Igboayaka, condemned Omokri’s nomination, describing it as “an institutional endorsement of hypocrisy and political opportunism.”

He expressed disbelief over the clearance of Omokri by security agencies, insisting that his past remarks about President Tinubu should have disqualified him from such a sensitive national assignment.

“It is contradictory that somebody that distrusted the president is now deemed fit to become Nigeria’s ambassador,” Igboayaka stated.

He referenced a series of Facebook posts made by Omokri in December 2022, in which the nominee described President Tinubu as “a known drug lord, who belongs in jail, not Aso Rock.”

“Clearing Reno Omokri by security agents for ambassadorial post is an indication that his allegations against Bola Ahmed Tinubu is factual, because according to Reno, ‘Tinubu is a known drug lord’,” the statement read.

The OYC leader further questioned the credibility of the screening process and the oversight of intelligence agencies. 

“If Nigeria’s security agencies cleared Reno to represent Nigeria, does it imply that Reno’s allegations of a drug-related issue involving Tinubu (have been) substantiated?” he queried.

Igboayaka cited another post dated December 17, 2022, in which Omokri claimed: “I went to Chicago myself and obtained verified documents. It will be a shame if this man gets anywhere close to Aso Rock.”

In the same post, Omokri added: “If anybody can get close enough to Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take a sample of his hair or urine this election will be over! Because with his hair and urine sample, a laboratory can analyze if he still takes drugs and what type of drugs he takes.”

The OYC has now urged security agencies to “maintain their credibility (and) demand that Reno Omokri furnish them with the ‘verified drugs documents from Chicago’ which he asserted he acquired in 2022 and furnish the drug deal business to Nigerians.”

The Lagos State command of the Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a baby factory in the Ijegun region of the state, leading to the rescue of ten individuals.

Three individuals have been apprehended in connection with the operation, as disclosed in a statement issued by the spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin.

According to Hundeyin, the illegal operation was brought to light following a tip-off received by the police last Saturday.

In response, officers promptly arrived at the site and arrested the primary suspect, Mariam Vincent, 35, along with two accomplices, Orie Ruth, 23, and Ujunwa Ifeanyi, 18.

Naija News understands that during the raid, law enforcement officials rescued several victims, including three children aged seven, five, and two.

In total, the operation resulted in the rescue of seven adult women and three children.

The adult victims include Precious (24), Magdalene (25), Adaobi (23), Princess (22), Ifeanyi (25), and Amaka (26).

The rescued children are identified as Destiny (7), Miracle (5), and Success (2).

All individuals rescued are currently receiving appropriate care and support.

Hundeyin stated that the suspects confessed during interrogation to having kidnapped the victims from various locations within the state to operate the baby factory.

He further noted that the investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be charged in court.

While giving updates on police efforts over the past two weeks, Hundeyin said, “A total of 39 suspects who engaged in various crimes, including murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, child stealing, vandalism, illegal operation of a baby factory, illegal possession of firearms, and illicit drugs were arrested.”

In a separate incident, law enforcement successfully freed two individuals who had been kidnapped in the Igbe Alagemo area of Ijede, Ikorodu.

The abduction occurred during a nighttime raid on the community on March 26, 2025.

According to police reports, the victims were safely recovered on March 29, thanks to a collaborative effort involving local teams and security personnel.

A distress signal was received around 9 p.m. on the evening of the incident.

Hundeyin detailed that armed kidnappers stormed the peaceful neighborhood, forcibly entering the home of a 40-year-old man named Dare. The assailants tragically shot and killed his guard dog before taking him hostage.

“Not stopping there, the kidnappers proceeded to a neighbouring house, where they seized a second victim, 25-year-old Rodiat, under similarly violent circumstances,” the police spokesperson said, adding that the force and other security teams worked non-stop for three days before rescuing the victims at about 11:56 p.m. on March 29.

“The victims were immediately reunited with their families, and the area is now relatively calm.

“Surveillance continues, and an investigation is underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the crime,” Hundeyin added.

Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj has been named the greatest female rapper of all time by Billboard.

The list of the Best Female Rappers of All Time, released by Billboard staff, also featured hip-hop greats such as Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and Queen Latifah.

Surprisingly, Nicki Minaj’s rivals, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, ranked outside the top 10.

Minaj topped the list, followed by Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, Lil’ Kim, and Queen Latifah at numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively.

MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Roxanne Shanté, Eve, and Foxy Brown completed the top 10.

Cardi B was ranked at number 11, while Megan Thee Stallion came in at number 15.

Despite being widely regarded as the greatest female rapper in history by many music enthusiasts, Nicki Minaj has yet to win a Grammy.

Her rivals, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, have both won Grammys in rap categories.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is aware of what could end his reign and is actively taking significant steps to tackle the issue, as stated by the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Director of Media and Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, in a recent interview.

Ibrahim expressed confidence that the president will secure victory in the 2027 presidential election, despite concerns regarding insecurity.

He highlighted that, in contrast to former President Goodluck Jonathan, whose tenure was marked by rising violence leading up to the 2015 elections, Tinubu is already enacting strategies to mitigate security challenges.

The APC chieftain affirmed that the party recognizes the existing security threats and is committed to ensuring they do not influence the results of the upcoming election.

“If that was what was responsible for the downfall of Jonathan, I can tell you Jonathan was defeated by the APC, and the APC cannot blindfold itself and allow itself to defeat itself,” Ibrahim told THISDAY on Monday, April 7.

“President Bola Tinubu is already aware of the kind of problem that could lead to defeat, and he will not allow it.”

Ibrahim pointed to the deployment of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to the North-West and the continued efforts of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity.

“In a nutshell, the President will not allow himself to be defeated by himself.

“He’s taking measures to ensure that results are obtained… and he’s assuring Nigerians that the safety of the country is at the forefront of his agenda,” Ibrahim stated.

He also linked the recent spike in insecurity to geopolitical tensions with Nigeria’s Francophone neighbors, arguing that these diplomatic rifts have weakened regional security cooperation.

“Nigeria is literally left alone to fight this war without the collaborative effort of its neighbors,” he explained.

Meanwhile, a Labour Party (LP) senator representing Edo South senatorial district in the national assembly, Neda Imasuen, has advised northern politicians to shield their presidential ambition till 2031.

Naija News reports that the lawmaker, while speaking during a chat with newsmen in Benin City, stated that the advice has become necessary following the unwritten constitution that zoned the position of the presidency between the North and South.

The Federal Government has barred heads of tertiary institutions in an acting capacity from contesting to fill the same position.

Naija News reports that the new policy bars acting Vice Chancellors (VCs) of universities, Rectors of polytechnics and Provosts of colleges from joining in the contest for substantive heads of the institutions.

In a statement on Monday, signed by Boriowo Folasade, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, noted that acting VCs, Rectors, and Provosts, in most cases, take advantage of the selection process, thereby compromising fairness and transparency.

Alausa stated that acting VCs, Rectors and Provosts intending to contest the position must resign from their acting capacity within six months to qualify.

He added that the Ministry was committed to entrenching transparency in the tertiary education system to enhance quality education.

It read: “In line with the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Education to promote equity, transparency, and integrity in the appointment process of Federal Tertiary Institutions, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, has approved the implementation of a guiding policy on eligibility for the appointment of Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts.

“This policy has become necessary following a pattern of undue advantage observed over the years, where officers serving in acting capacities often leverage their positions to influence appointment outcomes, thereby compromising the fairness and transparency of the selection process.

“To eliminate this practice, ensure a level playing field for all qualified candidates, and strengthen institutional governance, the policy stipulates that any officer serving in an acting capacity as Vice Chancellor, Rector, or Provost shall not be eligible to apply for the substantive position while still holding the acting appointment. However, in the interest of fairness, such officers may choose to recuse themselves from their acting positions before the expiration of their non-renewable six-month tenure, thereby becoming eligible to apply for the substantive roles.

This policy is designed to complement the existing Federal Ministry of Education Guidelines for the Appointment of Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Provosts (2013), along with all other extant regulations governing appointments in federal tertiary institutions.

“Governing Councils, Managements, and relevant stakeholders are hereby requested to ensure strict compliance with the new directive.

“The Ministry appreciates the continued dedication and cooperation of stakeholders in upholding good governance and maintaining the integrity of leadership appointment processes within the education sector. It is our belief that this policy will bring about the desired reforms and enhance public confidence in the selection of principal officers in our institutions.”

Operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested one Olawole Sunday, a suspected fraudster who specialised in buying bank account details from individuals to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

Sunday’s modus operandi involved encouraging young people to open multiple bank accounts, paying them either N25,000 or N50,000 for each account, and collect their bank details including Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.

Sunday allegedly employed the account details of one Uyi Godstime Eghosa to defraud a petitioner of the sum of N2 million under the guise of trading in forex.

The account owner, Eghosa was arrested and his disclosure that he was unaware that his account was used to defraud members of the public, led to Sunday’s arrest.

Eghosa explained that he relinquished his account details, including his ATM card, to Sunday after an N25,000 payment to him.

Sunday confessed to the crime and would be charged in court as soon as investigations are completed.