[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has sealed a warehouse and shops stocked with unfortified pasta, flour and sugar in different areas in Lagos State.It also raided major markets in the state as part of its ongoing efforts to stem the tide of substandard products in the country.

The Director-General, Osita Aboloma, said the warehouse and shops contained products that were unwholesome and therefore risky for human consumption.He said the products were smuggled in with no import documentation and registration numbers, adding that they could lead to dangerous health hazards to unsuspecting consumers who buy them.

Aboloma said the raid followed intelligence reports from sister security agencies and the cooperation of patriotic Nigerians, adding that the enforcement exercise would continue as a way of ensuring that only goods that meet the minimum requirements of the Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) or other approved standards are sold in the country.
“The seized products do not meet our standard specifications, a critical part of which is the regulation on fortification with Vitamin A. There were no documentations to show how they got into the country and evidence of being registered under our electronic product registration scheme. They are not supposed to be on our shelves,” Aboloma said.

He said the sale of unfortified pasta, flour and sugar in the country is particularly worrisome considering that there is a government policy on their fortification with Vitamin A as a way of preserving the sight of Nigerians. “Flour, pasta, vegetable oil and sugar are foods that Nigerians consume regularly and if they are not fortified with the necessary vitamins as provided in the relevant standards, the Nigerian consumers would be prone to such illnesses as blindness and other sight problems,” he said.

Aboloma, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Market Surveillance, Suleiman Issa, added that the campaign to eradicate substandard imported sugar, flour and flour products in the country would continue, assuring Nigerians that wherever these products are found, they would be removed.

“These products have not been registered with SON for traceability and quality verification. I will advise Nigerians to look out for the registration numbers of SON and NAFDAC on imported food products before purchase. Any uncertified, unregistered and smuggled product is very risky and most likely unwholesome for consumption. Any pack of these imported non-conforming flour-based products found in our markets would be removed and the owners held accountable until they take us to the source”, he said.

The State Coordinator, Lagos Office III, SON, Mrs. Ngozi Ekwueme, warned that the consumption of the products that lack Vitamin A fortification puts the average Nigerian who patronises them the most at a risk of blindness.
The Manager, Globus Supermarket, whose warehouse was sealed, said he lacked knowledge of the implications of consuming these products.

He urged the Federal Government to do more enlightenment programmes to educate the vendors and consumers.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade has decried the fallen standards and level of decay in tertiary institutions across the country. Ayade proffering solution to this fallen standard said Nigerian Government should restructure it’s educational system by focusing more on human capacity in order to graduate students who can compete with their counterparts in developed countries.

Governor Ayade, addressing the 12th Governing Council, University of Calabar, said it is saddening to discover that, most university students and graduates especially science related courses have no practical experience in order to make meaningful contributions in their line of study to the development of the country.

“Today, we have a very sad situation where products of our universities cannot hold their hands up. It is very saddening when we look at the amount of young people who are seeking to be admitted into Nigerian universities and the entire number of universities in Nigeria, 153 with almost 10 million people seeking admission at a time.

“We cannot continue to depend on foreigners to give us solutions. The black man is in a very hot climate, it takes a foreign company to provide air conditioner for us. So where are the professors and researchers in Nigeria? The council therefore has the responsibility to restructure the academic curriculum of Nigeria to reflect our core.”

The council was led by the Pro-chancellor and chairman of the council, Senator Nkechi Justina Nwogu who were on a visit to Ayade in his office in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital.

He thereby called on the 12th governing council to restructure academic curriculum and encourage expertise in schools as done in the western world.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, says he is ready to honour the invitation of the ad hoc committee set up by the Senate to probe the allegations levelled against him by the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Senator Isa Misau.

The police boss made his position known while addressing newsmen in Abuja, adding that he would appear before the panel as a mark of respect for the Senate.

The committee had, on Thursday, reported the police boss to the Senate over his non-appearance.While Idris failed to appear before the committee on Wednesday, he wrote through his lawyer, Mr Alex Iziyon, informing the panel that his appearance would be sub judice as there were pending cases in court on the matter.

Following a meeting with the President, Muhammadu Buhari, he said he was consulting with his legal team on his appearance.“These are legal issues. We are discussing with our legal team. Obviously, if there is a need, we are going to appear for the sake of having respect for the Senate. I will appear before them,” he stated.

Furthermore, the IGP explained that his mission to the Presidential Villa was to brief the President on some security challenges confronting the country and how he was fixing them.

He also noted that part of the discussion bordered on the upcoming election in Anambra State and the increased rate of kidnapping in parts of the country.

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[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Osun State Police Command, yesterday, uncovered two ritualists den in Elewonta village of Ayedire South Local Government Development Area of Iwo, in the state. According to our source, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11, Agboola Osodi-Glover directed his officers to inspect the shrine said to belong to a man popular called Melue.

The man was arrested overnight by the police following a tip off by residents of the village where the den was located.

Another den at Olanbiwonnu village purportedly belonging to the same Melue was also uncovered

[dropcap]L[/dropcap]agos State Police [dropcap][/dropcap]Command recently made a breakthrough with the arrest of the driver of a hotel operator in Victoria Island, William Olowoloju, for allegedly kidnapping his boss’ younger brother and the victim’s girlfriend. The suspects, William Olowoloju, Ayo Akinola, Segun Teluwo and one Akindamola – reportedly kidnapped the victims, Dumebi Azuka and Rebecca Omokaro, on Elegba Festival Drive, Oniru Private Estate, Victoria Island, at about 11.30pm on Saturday, October 21.

The lovers were driving out of the estate in a Ford Jeep when the abductors reportedly waylaid them at gunpoint and tied them up. They were said to have driven the victims to their hideout in Agodo Alara village, Ogijo, Ogun State, and demanded N20m ransom from the hotelier, Edwin Azuka.

Grassroots Publishers online learned that after the case was reported to the police, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad trailed the suspects to the den.The very brilliant and intelligent Acting Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Edgal Imohimi, who paraded the suspects on Tuesday, told journalists including Grassroots Publishers online that the victims were rescued unhurt and

“Apart from the Jeep with number plate, LND 995 ES, one locally-made gun, a battle knife and four Automated Teller Machine cards, among others, were recovered from them.“The suspects will soon be charged to court on completion of the investigation.”

Also paraded were 50 suspected cult members, armed robbers, and drug peddlers arrested in the Ikorodu, Oshodi and Lagos Island areas of the state.“The command once again appeals to the people of Lagos to be vigilant to make the state safe and secure. Whenever you see something, say something,” Imohimi added.

Speaking with our correspondent, Olowoloju, who hails from Ekiti State, said he had approached his boss to give him  N100,000 loan sometime in September, but the boss turned down his request.The 37-year-old driver, who said he wanted to use the money for his in-law’s burial, explained that he felt disappointed and met with a friend, Akindamola, who advised him to kidnap Dumebi.

He said, “Akindamola said I would get the money if I kidnap my boss’ younger brother, Dumebi. I agreed with him, but I did not know how to go about it. He said he knew somebody who could make it work. He discussed with Segun and Ayo and they said there was no problem.

“We did not hurt him and his girlfriend. I was not around when they (the gang members) demanded N20m. I went to buy drinks for the victims.”Olowoloju added that Akindamola was released by the police on Monday.

The command, however, denied that Akindamola was released, saying he was a “soft target” the police trailed to arrest the gang members, adding that he was still at large. Akinola, 22, an indigene of Akure, Ondo State, said the gang members spent a night with Williams on the estate to perfect their plan.

He said, “Williams invited us. He promised to give us money. We stopped the man’s car and pointed a gun at him. We drove him and the woman to Ogijo. We did not plan to kidnap the woman.“We demanded N20m but he said he did not have money. He said he just invested his money in a business. In the night of the following day, we looked for a motorcycle and took them to a place where they could find their way back home.” Teluwo, who owned the gun used for the operation, said, “I found the gun in an Ogun shrine on a construction site in Ikorodu. This is the first time I would participate in the kidnapping.”