Education Ministry Pledges Renewed Drive Against Sexual Harassment, Abuse of Power in Schools in Edo

The Edo State Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating sexual harassment, abuse of power, and other forms of misconduct from educational institutions across the State.
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The pledge was made recently during a stakeholders’ engagement between the Ministry and the Edo State Office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), held at the Ministry’s premises in Benin City.

The meeting, led by the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner (RACC) for Edo State, Ebenezer Shogunle, Esq., centred on strengthening collaboration between the Commission and the Ministry in the dissemination and institutional adoption of the approved Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy for Educational Institutions in Nigeria. Discussions also covered the training and strengthening of Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committees in tertiary institutions across the State.

Speaking at the engagement, the RACC explained that the Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy was jointly developed by the ICPC and the Gender Mobile Initiative as part of the Commission’s preventive mandate to address systemic vulnerabilities that facilitate sexual harassment and abuse of power within educational institutions.

He noted that the Policy, designed to provide educational institutions with a comprehensive framework for preventing, reporting, investigating and responding to sexual harassment, has been approved by the Federal Ministry of Education for dissemination and adoption by tertiary institutions nationwide.

According to him, effective implementation of the Policy requires robust collaboration among regulatory authorities, educational institutions and other relevant stakeholders.

He further stated that ICPC, under the leadership of its Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, remains committed to making educational institutions safer environments for learning, teaching and human capital development through preventive interventions, institutional reforms and strategic partnerships.

The ICPC Commission therefore solicited the Ministry’s support in facilitating the dissemination and adoption of the Policy across tertiary institutions in Edo State, as well as in building the capacity of members of the Independent Sexual Harassment Prohibition Committees.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Education, Sir Enodolomwanyi Otamere, welcomed the initiative and pledged the Ministry’s full support and cooperation towards ensuring that educational institutions in the State provide safe, respectful and harassment-free environments for students and staff.

Education Ministry

The Permanent Secretary expressed the Ministry’s readiness to work with the ICPC and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen existing mechanisms for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and abuse of power within the education sector.

The engagement is expected to pave the way for deeper collaboration between the ICPC and the Edo State Ministry of Education in strengthening institutional safeguards, promoting ethical conduct and protecting the rights and dignity of members of the academic community.
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EFCC Declares Ex-pension Boss Abdularasheed Maina Wanted Again

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdularasheed Maina, wanted over an alleged case of receiving stolen property.
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The anti-graft agency made the announcement in a wanted notice issued on its X handle and signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.

The commission said Maina, aged 61, is an indigene of Biu in Borno State, and he is wanted in connection with an alleged case of receiving stolen property.

“The public is hereby notified that Abdularasheed Abdullahi Maina, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of receiving stolen property,” the commission said.

The agency urged members of the public with information on his whereabouts to assist in locating him.

“Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices,” it added.

The EFCC also advised anyone with relevant information to contact the commission through its designated telephone line or email address, info@efcc.gov.ng.

It further asked members of the public to provide information to the nearest police station or other security agencies.

However, the commission’s notice did not provide further details on the alleged stolen property case or state when the alleged offence occurred.

The latest development comes against the backdrop of Maina’s long-running legal troubles over allegations relating to pension funds.

Recall that Maina was previously declared wanted by the EFCC after he failed to appear for his trial in a case involving alleged N2 billion fraud linked to the pension reform programme.

He was subsequently arrested in Niger Republic in 2019 and brought back to Nigeria to face trial.

In November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Maina and sentenced him to eight years in prison for money laundering offences.

Abdularasheed Maina

Reports on the case said the prosecution had linked him to the handling of funds allegedly derived from unlawful activities.

The Nigerian Correctional Service later disclosed that Maina was released from custody on February 25, 2025, after serving part of his sentence.

The service attributed his release to good conduct in prison and said the decision was made in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
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Navy Uncovers 182,000 Litres of Suspected Stolen Crude Oil in Rivers Community

The Nigerian Navy has uncovered approximately 182,000 litres of substance suspected to be stolen crude oil in Bethel Creeks, Rivers State, in another major disruption of illicit crude oil storage and transfer activities within the area.
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The discovery was made by FOB BONNY on 22 September 2026 during a follow-up operation based on actionable information concerning suspicious activities around the creeks. The operation uncovered 8 dugout pits, 5 of which contained the suspected stolen crude oil, while 3 were empty. Hoses associated with the movement of crude oil were also discovered and subsequently handled in accordance with established procedures.

The latest discovery comes barely two weeks after FOB BONNY uncovered approximately 87,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at 4 newly activated illegal refining sites around Aworkiri on 8 September 2026. The earlier operation also exposed 19 dugout pits and associated infrastructure, indicating attempts to establish facilities for the storage and handling of stolen crude oil.

The successive discoveries highlight the Nigerian Navy’s expanding focus on denying criminal operators the storage and transfer infrastructure required to sustain crude oil theft, rather than allowing illicit activities to become re-established after previous disruptions.

Navy

The latest operation further constrains the availability of crude oil and supporting infrastructure for illegal exploitation within the area.

ABIODUN FOLORUNSHO

Navy Captain Director Naval Information Nigerian Navy
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