News

Practitioners endorse JRB move to stop roadblocks, illegal sticker sales

Published

2 months ago

April 25, 2026

Practitioners in Nigeria’s mobile advertisement and allied revenue collection sector have thrown their weight behind the directive of the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) prohibiting roadblocks, illegal sticker sales and all forms of extortion on highways across the country.

The endorsement was contained in a joint communiqué issued after an emergency national consultative meeting held at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, on April 14, 2026.

The communiqué was electronically signed by Andrew Oare, Chairman of the Coalition of Mobile Advert Practitioners, on behalf of participating organisations.

The meeting, convened by Otunba Mike Osimen Eboziegbe, brought together major professional bodies in the sector, including the Forum of Mobile Advert Practitioners of Nigeria (FORUM), the Mobile Advert Collectors Association of Nigeria (MACAN), the National Association of Branded Vehicle Operators (NABVO), the Mobile Advert Agency of Nigeria (MOAN), the EERECON Group, as well as other allied organisations.

At the end of the meeting, the coalition reaffirmed its commitment to sanitising the sector and aligning with the JRB directive, describing the body as a “union of equals” working to promote professionalism in the industry.

The practitioners maintained that mobile advertising remains a lawful and constitutionally recognised activity, citing provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which empower local governments to regulate outdoor advertising, alongside the laws establishing State Signage and Advertisement Agencies.

However, they raised concerns about the increasing activities of unauthorised individuals and groups who mount illegal roadblocks, harass motorists and extort money while posing as mobile advertisement enforcement agents.

According to the communiqué, such practices have damaged the reputation of the sector, endangered public safety, disrupted business activities and undermined the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business initiative.

To address the situation, the coalition announced the immediate suspension of all forms of highway interception by its members and affiliates for revenue collection purposes.

“The era of roadblocks and selling stickers on Nigerian highways is over,” the communiqué stated.

The group further resolved that all legitimate mobile advertisement activities would henceforth be conducted strictly through designated offices of statutory state and local government agencies, in line with harmonised regulatory frameworks.

It also warned the public to be wary of impostors, distancing itself from touts and criminal syndicates operating on highways. The coalition stressed that anyone stopping vehicles to demand payment for mobile advertisement levies should be treated as fraudulent.

Stakeholders noted that the move marks an important step toward restoring order, professionalism and public trust in Nigeria’s mobile advertisement sector.

News

Edo cracks down on cultists, kidnappers

Published

3 days ago

June 27, 2026

The Exclusives

Monday Okpebholo

Edo State Government has established a Special Criminal Court to expedite the prosecution of cultists, kidnappers and other criminal offenders as part of efforts to tackle rising insecurity in the state.

The Chief Registrar of the Edo State Judiciary, Benson Osawaru, disclosed on Friday that the court was established at the request of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

According to Osawaru, the Special Criminal Court will handle cases relating to cultism, kidnapping and other matters that may be assigned by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Daniel Okungbowa.

He said the initiative was aimed at ensuring speedy dispensation of justice and curbing the growing wave of cult-related violence and abductions across the state.

“The move is expected to address the rising cases of cult-related violence and kidnappings by ensuring quick prosecution of offenders and serving as a deterrent to criminal elements,” Osawaru stated.

Edo State has in recent months witnessed a surge in violent crimes, particularly incidents of kidnapping and cult clashes in several communities.
Meanwhile, Governor Okpebholo has reiterated his administration’s commitment to eliminating kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality from the state.

Speaking at the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government election campaign for the Edo Central Senatorial District at the Uromi Town Hall in the Esan North-East Local Government Area, the governor assured residents that decisive measures were being taken to restore security and public confidence.

He said efforts were underway to create a safe environment that would enable farmers displaced by insecurity to return to their farmlands without fear.

The governor stressed that criminal elements terrorising communities would be made to face the full weight of the law.
“Governors are ready to fight insecurity across the nation. The perpetrators will be exposed, and they will run away from the country. In Edo State, there will be security, and our farmers will be able to return to their farms,” he said.
Okpebholo added that his administration would not allow kidnappers and bandits to find refuge in the state.

“I am determined to ensure that kidnappers and bandits do not find a haven in Edo State. Our decisive action against criminals will serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

The governor further declared that tough measures against convicted criminals would discourage others from engaging in crime.

“I am serious about the fight against insecurity. By the time we execute one, two, three and more of these criminals, others will run away from Edo State,” he stated.

News

Why insecurity persists in the north, by Nasarawa governor

Published

3 days ago

June 26, 2026

The Exclusives

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has identified some of the reasons for the incidences of insecurity and out-of-school crisis in the northern part of Nigeria.

Speaking at a Summit on enhancing human capital development in Northern Nigeria in Abuja, Sule said the Almajiri system is “the single largest structural contributor” to Nigeria’s education emergency.

The Almajiri is a traditional system of Islamic education prevalent in northern Nigeria, where young boys leave their families to study the Quran under the guidance of religious teachers (Mallams). Originally a respected scholarship tradition, it has devolved into a socio-economic crisis, leaving millions of out-of-school children vulnerable to destitution and exploitation.

The country has an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children, and recent data shows Almajiri children make up roughly 72% to 81% of that total, concentrated in the North.

He, therefore, urged the National Assembly to permanently outlaw the Almajiri system.
“Many minors recruited into banditry graduated from the Almajiri system,” Sule said.

Nasarawa accounts for about 430,000 out-of-school children.

At the event, the governor recalled the 2020 mass repatriation of Almajiri children by Nasarawa and Kaduna states but said enforcement alone isn’t enough without alternatives.

He is proposing a total ban on the Almajiri system, replaced with mandatory formal education and skills acquisition.
Sule is seeking total collaboration of the Northern intelligentsia, the political class, and the traditional system.

He urged Northern leaders to turn summit discussions into actionable draft bills, arguing that “policy changes are the only way to defeat regional poverty.”