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From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Igbo Community Association of the Federal Capital Territory (ICA), the apex body representing over 2.8 million Igbo residents in the FCT, has condemned what it described as the continued failure of Nigeria’s security and investigative agencies to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute Senator Shehu Buba, representing Bauchi State in the National Assembly.
The group, in a statement signed by its President-General, Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, and Secretary-General, Mazi Chinwoke Emmanuel Onah, said the alleged inaction by the security agencies was becoming increasingly difficult to explain. The association said the silence was no longer appearing to be a matter of oversight, alleging that it could be interpreted as protection, and demanded that Nigerians be told why no decisive action had been taken. The ICA said the Department of State Services (DSS) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had reportedly been alerted to what it described as alleged security concerns surrounding Senator Buba and his purported associations with known and wanted terrorists.
According to the statement, “Multiple sources close to the Senator have alleged direct contact between him and confirmed terrorist suspects, including claims that such persons have had access to his residence and have received money from him.
“These are not vague rumours; they are specific, serious allegations of terrorism financing against a man entrusted with oversight of the nation’s security architecture. Every day that passes without investigation is a day the Nigerian state chooses convenience over the safety of its own people.”
The association also drew a comparison between the alleged inaction against Senator Buba and the treatment of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The group alleged that Kanu was arrested and prosecuted despite what it described as the absence of proof that he funded, armed or directed any attack on the country.
It argued that if the Nigerian state could move swiftly against Kanu, it should also demonstrate the same commitment in investigating allegations against a serving senator.
“If the machinery of the Nigerian state can move with such speed and finality against Kanu on that record, it has no excuse for its paralysis in the face of far more direct allegations against a sitting senator,” the statement said.
The group said Nigerians were entitled to question whether justice in the country was being administered based on evidence or influenced by ethnicity and political connections.
It described the alleged disparity as a threat to national unity and called on President Tinubu to ensure that all Nigerians were treated equally before the law.
“This double standard is an insult to the intelligence of every Nigerian and a direct threat to national unity.
“President Tinubu cannot continue to preach one Nigeria while allowing a two-tier system of justice — one for the ordinary citizen and the politically inconvenient, and another for the well-connected — to fester under his watch,” it said.
The association demanded the immediate arrest and thorough investigation of Senator Buba by the DSS and other relevant security agencies if there were sufficient grounds for such action.
It also demanded full public accountability from the Tinubu administration on what action, if any, had been taken following the alleged alerts it reportedly received.
The group further called for the prosecution of the senator if an investigation established the allegations against him, stressing that he should be made to face the law irrespective of his position.
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“Senator Buba should face prosecution with the same speed and severity applied to Nnamdi Kanu, should the investigation substantiate these allegations — and he should be made to answer for them inside the walls of a Nigerian correctional facility, not the chambers of the Senate,” the statement added.
Kano PPMV cries out over PCN pressure, threatens strike
From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMV) in Kano State has threatened to embark on a warning strike if the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) fails to halt what it described as undue pressure on its members.
The Chairman of the association in the state, Aminu Hikima, disclosed this in an interview with Dala FM Radio, saying industrial action could become the only option available to the association to draw attention to its grievances if the situation remained unresolved.
Hikima, however, stressed that a strike was not the preferred option of the association, noting that its members would rather see the issues resolved through dialogue and intervention by relevant authorities.
He appealed to the PCN to reconsider its approach and stop actions he said were placing unnecessary pressure on patent medicine vendors operating across the state.
According to him, members of the association remained willing to cooperate with regulatory authorities and comply with all lawful requirements governing their operations.
He urged the Pharmaceutical Council to ensure that its regulatory activities did not disrupt the operations of legitimate medicine vendors, stressing that compliance with regulations should be achieved without harassment.
Hikima also called on the Kano State Government to urgently intervene in the dispute to prevent the situation from escalating into an industrial action.
He said government intervention was necessary to bring the two parties together, address the grievances and find a lasting solution to the issues.
The PPMV chairman warned that any disruption to the activities of medicine vendors could have serious consequences for residents who depend on them for access to medicines, particularly in communities where they serve as a major source of pharmaceutical products.
He urged the state government to treat the matter as a priority, stressing that an escalation of the dispute could negatively affect access to medicines across the state.
Hikima reaffirmed the association’s commitment to working with the government and regulatory authorities to ensure that medicine-related businesses operate within the law.
He, however, maintained that while members were prepared to comply with legitimate regulatory requirements, their interests and businesses must also be protected from what the association considered undue pressure.
