society
STILL ON THE ISSUE OF RAPE
Lately, the Nigeria public space has been buzzling with rising public concerns about the issue of rape and other sexual violence arising from the rape and murder of two females of tertiary institutions, Uwa and Barakat in Benin and Ibadan respectively.
Sadly and unfortunately, one is disturbed that it took the simultaneous rape and murder of these two innocent girls for the society to rise up to the menace of the epidemic of rape and sexual violence which has been with us from time immemorial. But the crucial question bordering one’s mind now is that, as concerned as a lot of us seemed to be, about the menace of rape in our society, are we prepared to go the whole hog in tackling this epidemic of which we are all guilty for what our society has become?
One is intrigued by the concerns raised from certain quarters and beg to disagree that rape has assumed an alarming proportion of late. This is far from the truth which is that the rampancy of rape has been with us for a long time, only that a number of factors which will be dissected later have been responsible for the low or non official reportage in the public space.
This writer can vividly recollect the menace of rape among secondary school students in the eighties, most especially during inter school house sports competition when students (boys) formed rape gangs and moved from one inter house sports competition to another raping girls as though it was a competition for medal. At the end of the day, these cases of rape go unreported because of the fear of stigmatization by the victims, notably innocent school girls, hence my disagreement that rape has assumed an alarming proportion of late.
It is important to mention that the menace of rape will be better appreciated if we can sincerely and holistically take the pains and time to understudy how this crime against humanity occurs on a per second basis at an alarming proportion in our heavily populated neighbourhoods of face me, I face you residences, then perhaps, one’s submission that the menace of rape has been with us for a long time, will be better appreciated.
As we go further in our concern to stem the tide of rape and other forms of sexual violence in our society, it is important to situate where the problem actually lies, with a view to proffering lasting solutions.
First and foremost, the primary cause of rape is the failure of the family to instill discipline in the male child just as we strive to do with the female child. The boys who later become men and indulge in this crime are a product of the dysfunctionality of the home. In most homes, the focus is on preventing the girl child from becoming wayward, while abandoning the boys to become menace to the society as a result of lack of parental upbringing.
Another cause is our warped judicial system. Rape cases take donkey years to prosecute and it is technical, thus subjecting the victim and her family to negotiations for out of court settlements by offenders family who are ready to go any length to settle out of court, even if it requires compromising the prosecuting agency, the police.
Also, the society is not helpful to the travails of the victim and her family who are often subjected to abuse and intimidation by state officials who see the victim and the family as being careless to have allowed the rape to occur as though it took place with their consent. A lot of times, victims and their families undergo physiological and mental torture, which goes a long way to discourage them from seeking justice and hence they go away, licking their wounds and the society is the worst for it.
The culture of silence and stigmatization is a big negative in the fight against rape and sexual violence. The society stigmatizes the victims in such a way that the scar becomes permanent. The society treats the victim as the one who invited the rape rather than condemning the criminal for violating the laws of the land.
Ignorance and poverty is another factor constituting to the menace of rape in our society. A lot of our citizens in our heavily populated neighbourhoods, due to ignorance and poverty, are too afraid, poor and ignorant to seek justice in view of their perception of the security agencies who are very unfriendly to the plight of victims of rape. Education and sensitization is key to unlocking the door for people to seek justice.
Having analysed the causes of rape, rather than just jumping on the ephemeral bandwagon clamour of social media activism which does not address the surface of the issue, what are the concrete steps that needs to be taken to arrest this crime if we are to have a safer society for our girls and mothers?
One, we need to rework our judicial system, such that there should be a time frame of say 3 months for the trial and conclusion of rape and sexual violence cases. In that way, we would have reduced the trauma of the victim and her family and also reduced the chances of the society not getting justice due to the compromise of both the victim and offender’s families settling out of court.
There is the need to make it a criminal offence punishable by law, for families who try to circumvent the law, by not reporting rape cases and settling it outside the scope of the law.
The need for advocacy on education and sensitization on the effect of rape and sexual violence on the victim and the society at large is very important. The culture of silence and stigmatization must be aggressively addressed.
The state can mitigate the shortcomings of the fight against rape and sexual violence by creating a desk for that purpose at police formations in collaboration with civil society organizations.
The security agencies need to be mobilized and empowered with the necessary tools and resources to cultivate their buy in into the fight against rape and sexual offences rather than what presently obtains.
While one commends the efforts of the media for bringing this menace to the front burner now, one must not forget those who have always been working to arrest this menace by proffering realistic solutions and those agencies of state who are now reworking the laws to deal with this epidemic, with the hope that by holistically examining the issue, we will be able to once and for all, frontally confront and subdue this epidemic to the glory of God and benefit of humanity.
Nelson Ekujumi,[email protected].
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE OF CHINEDU NSOFOR (CEO, WORK WHILE IN SCHOOL GROUP)
Chinedu Nsofor is a dynamic and seasoned technocrat, a visionary social worker, an International Development Expert, and an accomplished programmes development and management expert with over 15 years of diverse professional experience. He is a trailblazer in youth empowerment, job creation, and social innovation, renowned for his creative problem-solving skills and unmatched ability to transform challenges into sustainable opportunities.
With a strong academic foundation—holding a B.Sc. in Social Work from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an M.Sc. in Social Work (Industrial Social Welfare) from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso—he combines intellectual depth with practical expertise. His distinguished career reflects his unwavering commitment to tackling unemployment in Nigeria, a mission he has pursued through pioneering initiatives such as the Work While in School Programmes, the IMOFINTEC project for 5,000 youths, and several other impactful programmes across tertiary institutions, government bodies, and international organizations.
Recognized as a versatile project management expert, innovative business development strategist, creative writer, professional biographer, media consultant, and Wikipedian, Nsofor’s influence extends across social, economic, and academic spheres. His professional track record includes leadership roles in reputable organizations such as the Nigeria Association of Economists, Global Coalition for Sustainable Environment, Iwuanyanwu Foundation, the Imo State Government Committee on Science and Technology Roadmap (2020–2030), and Asia Pacific Sports International, where he has served as Nigeria’s Programmes Director.
Heiss is also currently the Country Director (Nigeria), RapidHeal International, a health intervention firm with its global headquarters in Malaysia. Beyond his rich portfolio, he is celebrated for his divine wisdom, inspirational leadership, and Midas touch in wealth and job creation, having directly empowered over 50,000 youths across Nigeria with life-transforming skills. Passionate, resourceful, and impact-driven, Chinedu Nsofor stands out as a nation-builder whose contributions continue to shape lives and institutions to the glory of God.
Customs at the Crossroads: When Lawmakers Look Away and the Executive Looks Aside
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In a democracy, legislative oversight is the scalpel that cuts through deceit, inefficiency, and corruption in public institutions. It is the people’s last institutional shield against abuse of power. But what happens when that shield becomes a shelter for the very rot it is meant to expose? And what happens when the Executive arm, whose duty is to supervise its agencies, pretends not to see?
The unfolding drama between the National Assembly and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reveals more than a policy dispute. It exposes a dangerous triangle of confusion, complicity, and economic sabotage. At stake is not only the rule of law but the survival of an economy already gasping under inflation, a weak naira, and suffocating costs of living.
The House Talks Tough
In June 2025, Nigerians saw a glimpse of legislative courage when the House of Representatives Committee thundered at Customs:
> “Nigerian Customs Service, by June 30, must not collect CISS again. You are to collect only your 4% FOB assigned by the President. Even the 7% cost of collection you currently take is illegal—it was an executive fiat of the military, not democratic law. Any attempt to continue these illegal collections will be challenged in court. The ‘I’s have it.”
The voice was firm, the ruling decisive. Nigerians expected a turning point.
But the righteous thunder of the House was quickly muffled by the Senate’s softer tone, which suggested not the enforcement of the law but a readiness to bend it.
Senate: Oversight or Escape Route?
At a Senate Customs Committee session, Senator Ade Fadahunsi admitted openly that Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023. Yet rather than demand an end to illegality, he extended a lifeline to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi:
> “If we come back to the same source… the two houses will sit together and see to your amendment so you will not be walking on a tight rope.”
But should Adeniyi be handed a loose rope while Nigeria’s economy hangs by a thread?
Instead of accountability, the Senate Customs Committee floated adjustments that would make life easier for Customs. The nation was given hints about fraudulent insurance and freight data, but instead of sanctions, what we saw was a search for escape routes. This is not oversight—it is overlook.
Smuggling and Excuses
The Senate Committee also lamented cross-border smuggling—Nigerian goods like cement flooding Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana at cheaper prices than in Nigeria. Senator Fadahunsi blamed the Central Bank’s 2% value deposit for encouraging the practice.
But where are the Senate’s enforcement actions—compliance checks, stiffer sanctions, cross-border coordination? None. The result is predictable: smugglers prosper, reserves bleed, and ordinary Nigerians pay more for less.
A Bloated Customs Budget
The Service’s 2024 capital allocation ballooned to ₦1.1 trillion from ₦706 billion. Instead of channeling these resources into modern trade systems, Customs is expanding empires of frivolity—such as proposing a new university despite already having training facilities in Gwagwalada and Ikeja that could easily be upgraded.
Oversight is not an afterthought; it is the legislature’s constitutional duty. To see waste and illegality and yet propose amendments that would legalise them is to turn oversight into overlook.
Customs has about 16,000 staff, yet many remain poorly trained. Rather than prioritise capacity building, the Service is busy building staff estates in odd locations. How does Modakeke—an inland town with no border post—end up with massive Customs housing projects, while strategic border towns like Badagry, Idiroko, and Saki remain neglected? Is Bashir Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs—or Minister of Housing?
The 4% FOB Levy: A Policy Blunder
The central controversy is the Federal Government’s plan to replace existing port charges with a new 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy on imports.
Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike the costs of cars, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—crippling industries and punishing consumers.
Already, the consequences are biting:
A 2006 Toyota Corolla now costs between ₦6–9 million.
Clearing agents who once paid ₦215,000 for license renewal must now cough out ₦4 million.
New freight forwarder licenses have jumped from ₦600,000 to ₦10 million.
Customs claims the revenue is needed for its modernisation programme, anchored on a software platform called B’Odogwu. But stakeholders describe this so-called “Odogwu” as epileptic—if not comatose. Why commit trillions to a ghost programme that will be obsolete by January 2026, when the Nigerian Revenue Service is set to take over Customs collections?
Industry Raises the Alarm
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the levy will worsen inflation, disrupt supply chains, and hurt productivity.
Lucky Amiwero, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, calls the levy “economically dangerous.” His reasoning is straightforward:
The 4% FOB levy is much higher than the 1% CISS it replaces.
Peer countries like Ghana maintain just 1%.
The new levy will fuel inflation, raise the landed costs of goods, and destabilise the naira.
He also revealed that the Customs Modernisation Act, which introduced the levy, was passed without Senate scrutiny or meaningful stakeholder consultation. He estimates that the levy could add ₦3–4 trillion annually to freight costs—burdens that will be transferred directly to consumers.
Who Is Behind the “Odogwu” Masquerade?
The haste to enforce this levy, despite its looming redundancy, raises disturbing questions. Who benefits from the “Odogwu” project draining trillions? Why the rush, when NRS will take over collections in a few months?
This masquerade must be unmasked.
The Price Nigerians Pay
For ordinary Nigerians, this policy translates into one thing: higher prices. Cars, manufactured goods, and spare parts are spiraling beyond reach. A nation struggling with inflation, unemployment, and a weak currency cannot afford such reckless experiments.
So, while the Senate looks away, the Executive cannot look aside.
The Executive Cannot Escape Blame.
It is easy to focus on the failings of the legislature. But we must not forget: the Customs Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the direct supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun.
If Customs is breaking the law, wasting resources, or implementing anti-people policies, the buck stops at the Executive’s table. The Minister of Finance is Chairman of the Customs Board. To fold his hands while the Service operates in illegality is to abdicate responsibility.
History gives us a model. In 1999, the Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, was specifically assigned to supervise Customs and report directly to the President. Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala focused on broader fiscal and economic policies. That division of responsibility improved accountability. Today, the absence of such an arrangement is feeding impunity.
President Tinubu and his Finance Minister must act decisively. Oversight without executive will is a dead letter.
A Call to Accountability
The truth is stark:
Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023 to the Senate’s own confession.
The 4% FOB levy will deepen inflation and worsen economic hardship.
The Ministry of Finance bears ultimate responsibility for Customs’ conduct.
Until importing and consuming, Nigerians demand accountability—of the Comptroller-General, the Senate, and above all, the Finance Ministry—this bleeding will continue.
Nigerians deserve better. They deserve a Customs Service that serves the nation, not a privileged few. They deserve a House that enforces its resolutions, not one that grandstands. They deserve a Senate that upholds the law, not one that bends it. And above all, they deserve an Executive that does not look aside while illegality thrives under its ministry.
Only public pressure can end this indulgence. If Nigerians keep silent, we will keep paying the price—in higher costs, weaker currency, and a sabotaged economy.
Citizens’ Charge: Silence is Not an Option
Fellow Nigerians, the Customs crisis is not a drama for the pages of newspapers—it is a burden on our pockets, our businesses, and our children’s future. Every illegal levy is a tax on the poor. Every abandoned oversight is an open invitation to corruption. Every silence from the Executive is an approval of impunity.
We cannot afford to fold our arms. Democracy gives us the power of voice, the duty of vigilance, and the right to demand accountability. Let us demand that:
The Senate and House of Representatives stop playing good cop, bad cop, and enforce the law without compromise.
The Ministry of Finance takes full responsibility for the Customs Service, supervising it in the interest of Nigerians, not vested interests.
The President intervenes now, before the Service crosses the dangerous line of turning illegality into policy.
History will not forgive a people who suffered in silence when their economy was bled by recklessness. Silence is complicity. The time to speak, to write, to petition, to protest, and to demand is now.
Customs must serve Nigeria—not sabotage it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:[email protected]
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Apostle Johnson Suleman: Firebrand of Faith, Prophet to the Nations, Voice to a Generation
By Femi Oyewale
In the beginning, there was just one man with a burning vision. Today, that man has become a global force whose voice thunders across continents, whose prayers ignite miracles, and whose mission is transforming destinies worldwide. He is Apostle Johnson Suleman, the fiery Restoration Apostle, the humanitarian preacher, and the global trailblazer reshaping the Christian faith for a new generation.
From Auchi to the World
Born in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria, Apostle Suleman’s rise from humble beginnings to international prominence is nothing short of remarkable. What started as a divine calling has now evolved into a global mandate, reaching millions through Omega Fire Ministries International (OFM).
His story is the classic tale of vision meeting conviction—of a man who dared to believe God not just for himself, but for nations. From a modest congregation, OFM has spread like wildfire, with branches in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and beyond.
The Man & The Mission
To know Suleman is to understand passion—passion for God, for people, and transformation. He lives by one mantra: populate Heaven, depopulate Hell.
His pulpit is a battlefield, his voice a trumpet, his words a sword. Through his fiery sermons, prophetic declarations, and healing crusades, countless men and women testify of divine encounters—cancers healed, destinies restored, impossibilities overturned.
But beyond the pulpit lies the heart of a humanitarian. Suleman’s mission has always extended beyond preaching. He funds scholarships for the underprivileged, empowers widows with homes, sets up businesses for struggling families, and supports countless orphans. In times of crisis, he has sent relief materials across regions, proving that true ministry is not only heard—it is seen.
The Impact
Step into one of his crusades, and the atmosphere tells its own story. Stadiums overflow. Multitudes gather, hungry for hope. From London to Houston, Dubai to Johannesburg, crowds testify to healings, deliverance, and restoration.
Through Celebration TV and other digital platforms, Suleman’s voice penetrates homes, villages, and cities, giving access to millions who may never step into a physical church. His boldness in confronting social ills and speaking truth to power has also established him as a fearless voice beyond the church walls.
The Global Moves
Apostle Suleman is not just a Nigerian voice—he is a global phenomenon. His recent international crusades draw audiences in their tens of thousands, breaking barriers of race, culture, and language.
From prophesying to presidents to laying hands on ordinary citizens, his message is universal: God still speaks, God still heals, God still restores.
Each global tour solidifies his place as one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 21st century. He is as comfortable commanding a crowd in Chicago as he is in Accra, as bold in Paris as he is in Abuja.
The Legacy in Motion
Apostle Johnson Suleman is more than a preacher—he is a movement. A man consumed by vision, driven by compassion, and equipped with an anointing that refuses to be confined by borders.
From Auchi to America, from pulpits to palaces, from widows to world leaders, his impact is undeniable. And as the Restoration Apostle continues to blaze trails across nations, one thing is certain: his legacy is still unfolding, and his global moves have only just begun.
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