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Prof. Gambari, Eyong, El Ayanoui, Bala Usman, Tijjani inducted into Realnews Hall of Fame

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Prof. Gambari, Eyong, El Ayanoui, Bola Usman, Tijani inducted into Realnews Hall of Fame
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FIVE distinguished guests were on Tuesday inducted into the prestigious Realnews Hall of Fame during the 12th anniversary lecture of Realnews in Lagos.
The Hall of Fame is exclusively reserved for Realnews guest lecturers and discussants for their services to the organisation.
The five new inductees, included three Nigerians, one Cameroonian and a Moroccan, who have made immerse contributions in their fields of endeavor and they joined 46 others who had been inducted since 2015.
The new inductees were Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Dr. Karim El Ayanoui, Mrs. Hadiza Bala Usman, and Engr. Shehu Tijjani
Prof. Gambari, who was the Guest lecturer at the event, is a Nigerian academic and diplomat. He had served as Cchief of Staff to former President of Nigeria from 2020 to 2023. Before the appointment, Prof, Gambari was the longest serving Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations from 1990 to 1999, under five Heads of State and Presidents, and he was also a Minister of External Affairs from 1984 to 1985. While at the UN, Gambari was the President of UNICEF in 1999 and became Under-Secretary-General and the first Special Adviser on Africa to Secretary- General, Kofi Annan from 1999 to 2005. He was the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2007 Under Secretary-Generals to Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. His last appointment in the UN was from January 2010 to July 2012, when he was appointed by Ban Ki-moon as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Joint African Union-United Nations Special Representative for Darfur.
Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Chairperson of the Lecture, is a Country Representative of the UN WOMEN, Nigeria, a Cameroonian national and an experienced gender specialist with over 39 years of professional working experience in promoting gender equality and women empowerment in different countries in Africa.
She has a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Extension from the University of Reading, UK specializing in Gender analysis and planning, Production of media for extension and training, Microfinance for rural development and the management of extension staff.
She is the UN Women’s Resident Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS. Before coming to Nigeria, she was the Resident Representative of UN Women, Mali, and has also worked in countries like Niger and Democratic Republic of Congo. She has over 15 years of experience as an agronomist, microfinance officer, and gender specialist for the Cameroonian government in different development programmes.
Dr. Karim El Ayanoui, who was the Keynote speaker at the event, is the Executive President, Policy Center for the New South, Rabat, Morocco. He is also the Executive Vice-President of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Dean of its Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences Cluster. El Ayanoui is an economist. From 2005 to 2012, he worked at the Central Bank of Morocco where he held the position of Director of Economics, Statistics, and International Relations. At the Central Bank of Morocco, he was in charge of the Research Department and equally a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. Previously, he worked for eight years at the World Bank as an Economist for its regional units in the Middle East, North Africa, and Africa.
El Ayanoui has published books and journal articles on macroeconomic issues in developing countries. His recent research has been focused on growth and the labour market in Morocco, as well as on reforming the international development economy. He holds scientific and advisory positions at various institutions. He is currently a member of the Malabo Montpellier Panel, the Scientific Committee of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, the Scientific Council of the Moroccan Capital Market.
Engr. Tijjani, who was a discussant at the event, is a technologist, innovator, visionary entrepreneur, dedicated to transforming Nigeria’s technological landscape.
He is a First-Class graduate in Information Technology and Business Information Systems from Middlesex University. With a background in embedded engineering (hardware & firmware), he founded Amal Technologies Nigeria Ltd an end-to-end electronics manufacturing company in 2018. He is deeply passionate about the semiconductor industry and its transformative potential for Nigeria. He recognizes that semiconductors are the foundation of modern technology and has made it a core focus of Amal Technologies. Under his leadership, Amal Technologies has become a leader in innovation, driving research and development in Nigeria.
Beyond entrepreneurship, Tijjani has completed numerous professional courses that enhance his expertise. He is passionate about empowering Nigeria’s next generation, leading training programmes that equip Nigerians with skills in hardware, firmware, material science, and fabrication. His efforts contribute to Nigeria’s growth, ensuring the country becomes a key player in the global technology industry. Through his leadership, Amal Technologies is driving Nigeria toward a more self-reliant and prosperous future.
Mrs. Bala Usman, a special guest and a discussant, who joined the event virtually, is the Former managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, (2016-2021) was appointed special adviser on policy coordination to President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.  She previously served as the chief of staff to the governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2016. She is one of the co-founders of The Bring Back Our Girls campaign in 2014, and she is also a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Bala Usman grew up on the campus of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where she had her education at the university staff school and went ahead to complete secondary education. In 1996, she rolled at the university and bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 2000. She later got a Master’s Degree in Development Studies

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Police arrest three Anambra women over alleged sale of child for ₦2 million

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The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three women for their alleged involvement in child trafficking and the sale of a four-year-old boy for N2m.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, were arrested by operatives attached to the Awada Divisional Headquarters at a motor park in Onitsha.

Ikenga alleged that the suspects belonged to a child trafficking syndicate that specialised in trafficking children and selling them to buyers for various sums of money.

According to him, the suspects were arrested during a raid on their hideouts on Saturday evening, while other members of the syndicate escaped. He added that some children were rescued during the operation.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Police Command, on the evening of July 11, recorded another breakthrough in its sustained fight against child trafficking with the arrest of three female suspects, Florence Nnakuzie, 45; Hannah Ugah, 52; and Chinasa Daniel, 27, at a motor park in Onitsha by police operatives attached to Awada Divisional Headquarters.

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“Preliminary information revealed how Chinasa Daniel allegedly brought two children, a two-week-old baby and a four-year-old child, on two separate occasions between June and December 2025 and handed them over to Hannah Ugah.

“Chinasa further disclosed that the four-year-old child was subsequently handed over to Florence Nnakuzie and allegedly sold for the sum of N2 million, while the two-week-old baby was allegedly sold to another woman, who is currently at large.”

According to him, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, described child trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and a crime against humanity and directed the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, for a comprehensive and discreet investigation.

“The CP has also ordered operatives to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend every member of the trafficking syndicate and to commence coordinated operations aimed at locating, rescuing, and reuniting the trafficked children with their biological families.

“The Command appreciates members of the public whose timely and credible information led to the successful operation and urges residents to continue supporting the police with useful intelligence,” the statement added.

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Soldiers intercept illicit drugs on Lagos-Calabar road, arrest driver

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Troops of the 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army have intercepted a truck conveying a large consignment of illicit drugs along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and arrested its driver.

The interception followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on July 9, 2026, after troops received actionable intelligence from a credible source.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Musa Yahaya.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the illicit consignment was being transported to the Berger general area of Lagos State.

“However, the suspect could not provide satisfactory information regarding the ownership or intended recipient of the drugs,” the statement read.

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It added, “In line with established procedures, the suspect and the recovered illicit drugs were subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, for further investigation and prosecution.”

The handover was carried out by the Commanding Officer of the 65 Battalion, Lt. Col. S. Adeojo.

Commending the troops, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, praised their vigilance, professionalism and operational effectiveness.

He urged them to sustain the momentum of ongoing operations and intensify efforts to deny drug traffickers and other criminal elements freedom of action within the division’s area of responsibility.

The Army said the operation underscored its continued collaboration with relevant security agencies in tackling drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

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Three brothers charged with murder after beating mother’s boyfriend to death

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Three brothers have been charged with murder in Eswatini after allegedly beating their mother’s boyfriend to death over claims that he was involved in a romantic relationship with her.

The accused — Mlondi Mbuli, 25, Sakhelwe Mbuli, 18, and Lindani Mdziniso, 23 — appeared before the Mbabane Magistrates Court in connection with the killing, which reportedly occurred on June 28, 2026, in Hholoshini, located in the country’s Hhohho Region.

During the hearing, Principal Magistrate Sfiso Vilakati ordered that the three men remain in custody until July 10, 2026, while prosecutors prepare to transfer the case to the High Court, where murder cases are typically tried.

According to investigators, the suspects allegedly attacked the victim, identified as Njabulo Ngwenya, using bricks, stones, sticks, punches and repeated kicks, inflicting injuries that proved fatal.

Police believe the alleged assault stemmed from accusations that Ngwenya was having an affair with the
brothers’ biological mother.

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The incident came to the attention of authorities after Sibongile Motsa reported finding her son dead inside her sister’s home in the early hours of June 28.

Court documents state that Motsa discovered Ngwenya’s body at about 1 a.m. before notifying the Royal Eswatini Police Service, which subsequently launched an investigation and arrested the three suspects.

Following their first court appearance, the accused were remanded in custody pending the next hearing and the formal transfer of the matter to the High Court.

Authorities have not disclosed additional information beyond the facts presented during the initial court proceedings.

The case has drawn widespread public interest across Eswatini as investigations continue.

Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland before Mswati III officially renamed the country in 2018, is a landlocked nation in southern Africa bordered by South Africa and Mozambique. Under the country’s judicial system, serious criminal offences such as murder are generally transferred from the Magistrates Court to the High Court after the initial hearing.

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