NLC Chairman Lands In Prison For Diverting Palliative Funds

Comrade Muktar Tarbutu, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Yobe State, has been remanded in prison following accusations of diverting palliatives intended for union members. Tarbutu faced arraignment before Magistrate II Damaturu on Wednesday, responding to allegations of misappropriating palliatives provided by the North East Development Commission (NEDC). According to Barrister Mohammad Mohammad Ngumurumi, Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Yobe, the NEDC had allocated various essential items, including rice, sugar, spaghetti, and textiles, for distribution among several unions, which Tarbutu allegedly failed to fulfill. “The North East Development Commission (NEDC) had distributed these items to the NLC, TUC, NUJ, and NBA for distribution among their members. However, the accused did not distribute the items allocated to the NUJ and NBA,” Ngumurumi stated. Tarbutu, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was remanded in custody until April 18, 2024, awaiting further legal proceedings, as ordered by Chief Magistrate II Damaturu, His Worship Hasiya Abubakar.

FG, IOM repatriate 21 irregular Nigerian migrants from Libya

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has repatriated 21 Nigerian irregular migrants who were held in Libyan detention facilities. Amb. Kabiru Musa, Charge D’Affaires En Titre of the Nigerian Mission in Libya disclosed this in a statement made available to the NIGERIAN ANCHOR in Abuja. According to Musa, the stranded Nigerians are being evacuated to Nigeria under the Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) exercise. Musa said that the exercise was part of the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure that none of its citizens, irrespective of their migration status, was left stranded in Libya. He said that the returnees, who would be evacuated via commercial flights; Egypt and Ethiopian Airlines are expected to arrive the Murtala Mohammed International Airport on June 20. “The IOM in collaboration with Embassy of Nigeria Tripoli has repatriated  21 stranded Nigerians through the Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) June 19, from the Benghazi International Airport Libya, aboard commercial Egyptian Airline no. S830 to Cairo. “Commercial Ethiopian Airlines will airlift the returnees from Cairo to Addis Ababa and from Addis Ababa to Lagos, Nigeria with flight nos. ET453 and ET901 respectively. “The Egyptian airline is expected to depart Benghazi on the 19th June 2023 at 11:10 p.m on transit to Addis Ababa, and the Ethiopian airline will leave Addis Ababa on 20th June 2023 at 09.00 a.m local time,” he said. According to him, the flight is expected to arrive in Lagos at 12:25 p.m. local time. He said that the exercise was the 7th voluntary evacuation exercise that would be conducted this year, with about total number of 5000 stranded Nigerians repatriated under the VHR. “We are working closely with the Libyan authorities and we appreciate their support always,” Musa said. Thousands of Nigerian irregular migrants are locked up in detention centres across Libya for migration offences.