New Sect Linked to Human Trafficking Emerges in Nigeria

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has uncovered a sect in Kaduna, northwestern Nigeria, linked to human trafficking and child separation. Known as ACHAD Life Mission International, the group “neither believes in Islam nor Christianity but preaches the restoration of African tradition and support to humanity,” said A.A. Aridegbe, Principal Staff Officer to the NIS Comptroller General, in a statement seen by HumAngle.

The NIS identified Yokana, who resides in Jos, Plateau State, North-central Nigeria, as the sect’s leader. “The sect has been canvassing for members both within and outside Nigeria,” Aridegbe added.

Plateau State has recently been identified as a hotspot for human trafficking, particularly affecting children. Olivia Dazyem, Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, revealed that over 100 trafficking victims were rescued in the past year.

“The insecurity challenge which bedevilled the state for some years now exposed our vulnerabilities to the point that we have more widows and more orphans on our hands,” Dazyem said. “We have internally displaced camps in the state, and the situation has been exploited by people who do not mean well for our state and our children; they came under the guise of offering help. In their ignorance and lack of awareness, some parents unknowingly allow their children to be trafficked. Many times, with the slightest information on an organisation, most parents bring their children to them.”

These gaps are fertile ground for groups like ACHAD Life Mission International to exploit.

On Dec. 2, 2024, the Nigerian Police Force arrested a child-trafficking syndicate led by Dayo Bernard, a pastor with the End Time Army Ministry in the Jos-Bukuru metropolis. The operation resulted in the rescue of five children, aged 2 to 4, who had been abducted from their homes in Kwande, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area, Plateau State.

“He [referring to Dayo] went [to Kwande] in the disguise of evangelism, where he told the parents that he had an orphanage and convinced them to release their children to him for sponsorship from nursery schools to higher institutions,” said Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force.

Bernard confessed to abducting and selling 13 other children at varying prices.

Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, National Coordinator of Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS), a faith-based organisation that has been at the forefront of combating child trafficking in the state, revealed that the children are usually sold for amounts ranging from ₦350,000 to ₦750,000.

In Dec. 2024 alone, the CWEENS rescued 13 trafficked children in Plateau State. The children received shelter and psychological support before reuniting with their families through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

Local authorities say efforts to combat human trafficking in Plateau State remain ongoing, but the emergence of groups like ACHAD Life Mission International underscores the persistent challenges faced by authorities and advocacy groups in protecting vulnerable families and children.

The NIS has directed its border formations to “stay vigilant, and report immediately any sign of the sect, and where possible arrest,” Aridegbe added.

By Johnstone Kpilaakaa, HumAngle

Nigerian gasoline tanker explosion death toll rises to 86, with 55 others injured

The death toll from a gasoline tanker explosion in north-central Nigeria has risen to 86, the country’s emergency response agency said on Sunday.

The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from a crashed oil tanker into another truck using a generator.

The fuel transfer sparked the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the gasoline and bystanders.

In an update, Hussaini Isah of the National Emergency Management Agency told the Associated Press that an additional 55 people were injured and are receiving treatment at three different hospitals in the Suleja area.

“There were people that were burnt to ashes. How can we get that figure?” The official said, indicating that the death toll might be higher than 86. “We won’t know the exact figure without forensics.”

The blast claimed so many victims because a crowd had gathered at the scene, including people taking pictures, bystanders, and others attempting to scoop gasoline, Isah said.

Gasoline prices in Africa’s most populous country has soared after the administration of President Bola Tinubu removed subsides on the product more than a year ago in an attempt to channel the resources to more developmental purposes. However, the policy has caused untoward hardship.

Scooping gasoline from a fallen tanker is common in Nigeria as some people see that as an opportunity to get free product that they could either use or resell for a profit.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, ABC

Related story: Death Toll rises to 153 from Nigeria fuel tanker explosion

Nigeria aims to become aviation hub of Africa

Nigeria’s full ratification last year of the Cape Town convention will help the nation reach its goal of becoming the “aviation hub of Africa”, according to its aviation minister.

Speaking at the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers conference in Dublin on 13 January, Festus Keyamo said the convention’s legal safeguards will lower risks for lessors leasing aircraft to local airlines.

“Those who bring their equipment to Nigeria are safe, because we are compliant with the Cape Town convention,” says Keyamo, who is also responsible for aerospace development. “I can give my personal guarantee on that. We are here to let the world know that we are open for business.”

Nigeria – Africa’s biggest country by population and its fourth largest economy, with a rapidly expanding middle class – has long struggled with attempts to establish an international flag-carrier, or even a strong home-grown airline sector. Many lessors have been deterred from financing aircraft because of concerns that the Nigerian legal system has not been robust enough to allow them to recover their assets.

However, Keyamo says there are 23 private airlines in Nigeria, and several of these have the potential to become a future national carrier. “Our role is to empower these local operators to grow,” he says. “We have a free-market economy that allows all private operators to come in. There is no reason now why some of these local operators cannot grow.”

Nigeria’s position on the map – equidistant from north, southern, and east Africa – and the fact that Lagos-London is one of the busiest routes in Africa mean it is well placed to become a crossroads for air travel within the continent, he says. And as well as Lagos, Keyamo is keen to encourage the development of other airports. “We will be inviting the biggest players in the world to manage our airports with the aim of making them transit hubs,” he says.

As part of its efforts to put Nigeria more firmly on the international map, the government is hosting a three-day industry convention in December called the Nigeria International Airshow at a Lagos airport hotel.

“The aviation sector is making a key contribution to [Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s] ambition to create a trillion-dollar economy,” says Keyamo. “We are seeing a lot of transition into the middle class and the aviation sector must be ready. Nigeria is on a transformational journey.”

In August last year, the government and Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at making it easier for the country’s airlines to acquire new-generation aircraft from the manufacturer and its network of lessors and financiers, as well as access training and maintenance services.

By Murdo Morrison, Flight Global

Video - Experts urge diversification of Nigeria’s economy

Under its crude-for-loan arrangements, Nigeria allocated 272,500 barrels of oil daily to service debts until 2029. While these deals provided much-needed liquidity after the naira's devaluation, they limit oil available for domestic consumption, sparking concerns.

CGTN

U.S. Donates New Office Space to NDLEA, Boosts Nigeria’s Counter Narcotics Efforts

The United States Government, through the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has donated an office space to the Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos.

Acting U.S. Consul General JoEllen Gorg formally handed over the keys to the new office space to NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retired), during a ceremony attended by representatives from AFRICOM and the DEA.

Acting Consul General Gorg noted that the donation of a new office, equipped with a solar power system, represents a significant step forward in U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation. She noted that the new facility will provide NDLEA officers with a secure and professional environment to carry out critical investigative functions, including processing detainees and conducting post-arrest interviews.

“The U.S.-Nigeria security partnership remains strong. This donation is the latest example of the robust and productive cooperation between the U.S. government and the NDLEA,” Acting Consul General Gorg said. “Over the years, our joint efforts have helped build the capacity of Nigerian authorities to disrupt drug trafficking networks, dismantle clandestine meth labs, and conduct advanced forensic analyses of synthetic drugs.”

NDLEA Chairman/CEO Marwa lauded the U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation in the fight against illicit drugs and countering narcotics trafficking. He described the United States as a steadfast ally in Nigeria’s fight against drug-related crimes and noted that that the collaboration has significantly enhanced the NDLEA’s operational efficiency.

In 2024, the U.S. government invested approximately $500,000 to modernize and equip the chemical forensic laboratory at the NDLEA zonal office in Lagos. The upgraded laboratory, now equipped with cutting-edge technology, enhances the NDLEA’s capacity to analyze suspicious substances and process evidence from crime scenes and suspects.

Since the establishment of the NDLEA in 1990, the U.S. Mission to Nigeria has partnered with the agency to combat narcotics trafficking. Through training in intelligence, evidence collection, management, and tactical skills, including equipment donation, the U.S. Mission continues to deepen its cooperation with the NDLEA.

U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria