The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NSDC

  • NSDC partners Indian investors on development of sugar sector

    NSDC partners Indian investors on development of sugar sector

    The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), in collaboration with Utham Sucrotech International from India, Niger Food Security Systems & Logistics Ltd, and American West African Agro (AWAA), has declared 2025 as a year of accelerated progress for sugar project development in Nigeria.

    Mr. Kamar Bakrin, Executive Secretary/CEO of the NSDC, assured investors of full support to fast-track project development, with a focus on improving yields in sugar estates.

    Bakrin made this commitment during a meeting with Indian investors in Abuja, where he inquired about Utham’s expected sugar recovery rate at the Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR).

    The investors assured him of a 12.3% recovery rate.

    The meeting also discussed Utham’s role in advancing the Greenfield project in Niger State, led by AWAA, for which Utham will provide technical services.

    Read Also: NSDC demands 250,000 irrigated land for sugar mill

    Mr. Flavio Castellari, representing Utham, affirmed the company’s expertise in managing sugar projects and its ability to fabricate equipment, noting that Utham has already achieved a 13% sugar recovery rate.

    The NSDC sees Utham’s involvement as a critical boost to Nigeria’s sugar industry.

    He reinstated their capacity and assured the NSDC boss that Utham’s presence in Nigeria would change a lot of things positively. He also gave an overview of the Brazilian Sugar industry and funding strategies that can be adopted in Nigeria.

    The Executive Chairman of Niger Foods, Mr Sammy Adigun, talked about financing arrangements through sovereign and corporate guarantees for the development of the 100,000Ha Sugar project in Niger State.

    He also spoke of the company’s record in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among others.

  • Gunmen kill Police officer in Ebonyi

    Gunmen kill Police officer in Ebonyi

    Unidentified gunmen Friday shot and killed a policeman and wounded a Civil Defense personnel and other citizens of Ebonyi state who were going about their normal businesses in the early hours of the fateful day.

    The Nation learnt that the gunmen who were returning from a robbery operation along Abakaliki-Enugu expressway started shooting sporadically and as a result killed a policeman and wounded several others.

    Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Ebonyi state Command, Jibril Shyabu who explained that his wounded staff, a driver was already at the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, (FETHA) receiving treatment described the incident as unfortunate and ugly.

    According to him, the incident has brought about the need for effective synergy among security agencies in the state and assured the members of the public of adequate protection by the security agencies in the state.

    He said his staff sustained both hand and leg injuries resulting from gunshot wounds as he is about to be taken into the theatre for emergency operation to remove the bullets inside his body.

    A source who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said that the hoodlums operated on motorcycles and killed the officer at the Mobil Filling Station of the express road.

    The situation affected vehicular movements across the capital city as heavily armed police officers cordoned the roads especially the Abakaliki end of the federal highway.

    They thoroughly searched vehicles and motorcycles which they impounded and stuffed them into big operational vans.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Peace Ibekwe-Abdallah, confirmed the incident noting that the investigation into the matter has commenced.

    She said: “The command is preparing a release on the matter and would make it available to the press soon.”

  • NSCDC parade three for cable vandalism, theft

    NSCDC parade three for cable vandalism, theft

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday in Lagos paraded three suspects for vandalising electric cables and stealing smart card prepaid meters.

    The Lagos State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Gabriel Abafi, made the disclosure while parading the suspects before journalists at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

    According to Abafi, one of the suspects, Hassan Usman, vandalised transformer cables belonging to Ikeja Electric.

    The NSCDC boss said Usman who vandalised the transformer cables belonging to Ikeja Electric located at Ketu, Lagos, was arrested on Oct. 28.

    “The two other suspects, Uzor Anyawu and Peter Etamen, who were arrested on Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 respectively, were alleged to have collected N150, 000 from a customer of Ikeja Electric.

    “The duo connived to collect money from the customer to provide and install stolen smart card meters which is supposed to be free.

    “This was detected and they were arrested after the customer complained that the meters were not working well and unable to be recharged,’’ he said.

    Abafi said the suspects would be charged to court immediately the command finished its investigation.

    “This has been going on but we are determined to put a stop to the act,’’ he said.

    He also advised anyone still perpetrating such act to desist or be ready to face the wrath of the law.

    The Head, Communications and Strategy, Ikeja Electric, Pekun Adeyanju, said the firm was also working with the police and the NSCDC to detect and arrest consumers who also bypass meters.

    “Our target is to ensure we install between 10, 000 to 12, 000 meters on a monthly basis.

    “We are targeting 300, 000 installed meters between now and 2016 and our meters are free,’’ he said.

  • April 11 poll: NSCDC deploys 2,000 officers for elections in Lagos

    April 11 poll: NSCDC deploys 2,000 officers for elections in Lagos

    The Lagos State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday said it would deploy 2,000 personnel to monitor Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

    The commandant, Mr Gabriel Abafi, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while speaking on the readiness of the organisation for the elections.

    Abafi, said that the corps’ personnel had been adequately briefed on what is expected of them in assisting other security agencies to ensure a fair and violence-free elections.

    He said that its personnel would serve in the 20 local government areas of the state.

    “We have put necessary measures in place towards effectively monitoring to ensure the elections are violence-free.

    “The command will not tolerate any form of indiscipline from anybody and anyone caught trying to cause unrest will be arrested and prosecuted,’’ Abafi told NAN on telephone.

    He also said that the command was aware of areas that are prone to election violence, adding that its officers were fully prepared for the task.

    The commandant said the NSCDC surveillance team would be moving around during the elections due to the metropolitan nature of Lagos to curtail violence.

    “Any `area boy’ or miscreant found loitering around during the elections will be arrested and taken to the appropriate place for necessary prosecution,’’ he said.

    He cautioned youth against carrying dangerous weapons around voting centres, noting that anybody found with such would be arrested immediately.

    He appealed to youths to shun vices and ensure they were not used as instruments to cause violence and disruption of the elections.

  • Abia NSDC arrests suspected fake cement dealers

    Abia NSDC arrests suspected fake cement dealers

    OPERATIVES of the Abia State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps [NSCDC] have arrested seven men, suspected to be experts in the adulteration of cement at the Asa Umunka in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of the state. The suspects were arrested with over 40,000 bags of suspected fake cement, including several empty bags of different types of cement brand, ranging from Dangote, Eagle, Unicerm and Ibeto cements among others. Speaking with newsmen in Umuahia over the arrest, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Andy Dateer, said that his men swooped on the culprits and arrested the suspects after weeks of surveillance on the compound. Dateer said that the command is alert to its responsibility in ensuring that the society is free from criminallyminded people. He said his men confiscated bags of suspected fake cement and empty bags of different brands of cement during the raid. “Different brands of assorted types of cement were seen, including empty bags they intend to use for their dastardly acts.” The Abia NSCDC boss explained that he decided to parade the suspects in order to create awareness and alert the public on the activities of the criminals. He said, “This state, which is a God’s own state, has never witnessed or heard of any incident of collapsed building. But if these type of people are allowed to operate this fake business, then we should be ready to start seeing buildings collapse here.” In an interview with newsmen, one of the suspects, 65- year old Sunday Nwokeneme said his late son was doing the business of buying and selling of cement before his death, adding that it was the late son that bought the empty bags.