The National Agency For Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged journalists to collaborate with the agency in the fight against the circulation and use of bleaching creams in the country.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General (D-G), NAFDAC, made the call while sensitising journalists in the North Central States on the dangers of bleaching creams.

She made the call at a North Central Zonal Media Sensitisation Workshop on the dangers of bleaching creams and regulatory controls which was organised for the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists on Friday in Jos.

Adeyeye said the workshop was aimed at educating and challenging health journalists in Nigeria to play frontline role in the agency’s effort to eradicate the menace of bleaching creams.

The D-G was represented by Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research of the Agency.

 “Bleaching creams damage vital organs in the body, cause skin irritation, allergy, skin burn, rashes, wrinkles and prolong the healing of wounds.

“Black is beautiful, we don’t need to change our color.

“NAFDAC will constantly engage the mass media as we strive to bring down to the grass root levels positive impact of our regulatory activities,” she said.

On his part, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, Director,  Public Affairs of the Agency, said: “The workshop was meant to educate the mass media with the right information and campaign against the use of bleaching creams in Nigeria.

“Public ignorance is not an excuse before the law. The role of the mass media in the promotion of public health is very important not only for cosmetics and all other NAFDAC regulatory products”. 

In a remark, Mr. Hassan Zaggi, President, Association of Nigeria Health Journalists, said: “Skin bleaching cream is a serious concern among the citizens in the country.

“Why would somebody use his hard-earned money to buy a cream that will endanger his skin?.

“As journalists, we have a responsibility to educate people on the dangers and as well shape the opinion of the people,” Zaggi said.

He appealed to the journalists to pay attention to the workshop for onward circulation of learning outcomes to members of the public. 

The Defence Headquarters says Nigerian troops have eliminated 46 terrorists, bandits and other criminals across North East, North Central and North West in the last two weeks.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami said this during the biweekly news conference on the operations of the armed forces on Thursday in Abuja.

Danmadami said the troops also apprehended more than 50 terrorists and other criminals as well as rescued 97 kidnapped victims within the period.

In the North East, Danmadami said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) had sustained and continued to dominate the theatre of operation with commendable successes.

He said the troops had within the weeks in focus, neutralised 18 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists, arrested six logistics suppliers and rescued 119 abducted civilians.

He added that a total of 1,506 terrorists and members of their families comprising 154 adult males, 514 adult females and 838 children, surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of operation.

According to him, troops also recovered 16 AK 47 rifles, one 60mm mortar bomb, 10 Dane guns, 12 dummy rifles, 280 rounds of 7.62mm special, 118 rounds of 7.62 x 50mm NATO, 13 rounds of 5.56mm ammo and 10 rounds of 7.62 x 54 mm NATO ammo.

“Also recovered are one round of 12.7mm NATO, 17 AK47 magazines, one firing pin, one mechanic tools box, two knives, six motorcycles, 24 mobile phones, 41 livestock, assorted food items, one vehicle, four sim and other sundry items as well as the cash sum of N2.2 million.

“All recovered items, rescued civilians and apprehended suspects have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action, while surrendered terrorists and members of their families are been profiled for further action,” he said.

Danmadami said the air component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted several air interdiction operations against terrorists enclaves and logistics in support of ground operations during the period.

He said that several air interdictions operations were carried out in some forests in Borno and Yobe where several terrorists were neutralised in the airstrikes.

According to him, the ground forces on mop-up operations, recovered one gun truck, three AK 47 rifles, one PKM gun, one PKM metal link with 19 rounds, two Improvised Explosive Devices, 129 rounds of 7.62mm (39mm) ammunition, 60 solar panels among others.

Danmadami added that two terrorist logistic depots were destroyed.

In North Central, the defence spokesman said troops of Operation Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke, apprehended 28 bandits, criminals and political thugs during the March 18 election across the zone.

He added that a total of eight bandits were eliminated in different operations while five kidnapped victims were rescued.

Danmadami said the troops had on March 12, apprehended two suspected kidnappers while attempting to collect ransom at Gegu-Beki village in Kogi Local Government Area, Kogi

According to him, a preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect was sent to collect the sum of N2 million.

Danmadami said the troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, between March 16 and March 22 neutralised eight terrorists, recovered arms and ammunition, rescued five kidnapped civilians and arrested seven other criminals in Benue.

“In another development, troops conducted fighting patrol to the Independence National Electoral Commission office in Ilorin-West Local Government Area of Kwara on March 18 and intercepted some armed thugs.

“Troops search the area where the thugs were seen and recovered two pump action guns, four locally made dane guns, two machetes, four mobile phones and one vehicle, as well as arrested six thugs,” he said.

In North West, Danmadami said the troops of Operations Hadarin Daji, within the period neutralised 14 terrorists, arrested 12 logistics suppliers and rescued 16 abducted civilians.

He added that the troops recovered a large cache of arms, hard drugs, assorted food items and the sum of N9,670.

According to him, all recovered items, arrested suspects and rescued civilians have been handed over to relevant authorities for further action.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed an application filed by suspended DCP Abba Kyari seeking an order dismissing the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)’s charge against him.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, held that the court had the exclusive right and jurisdiction to hear drug-related cases as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the NDLEA Act.

Justice Nwite had on Jan. 18, adjourned for ruling in the application filed by Kyari and three other co-defendants in the suit bordering on drug offence.

The applicants are Kyari, ACP Sunday Ubia, Insp Simon Agirigba and Insp John Nuhu.

They had prayed the court to quash the criminal charge against them, in fresh motions on notice filed by their lawyers on the grounds that the suit was incompetent.

They urged the court to stop their trial because they had not been subjected to the internal disciplinary action of the Nigeria Police Council (NPC) and the Police Service Commission (PSC), as provided by the constitution.

They said that the failure of the complainant (NDLEA) to await the disciplinary action against them rendered the charge incompetent and deprived the court of jurisdiction to entertain the charge.

But the NDLEA counsel, Mr. Joseph Sunday, opposed the application.

He argued that most of the cases cited by lawyers to the defendants did not relate to Police Service Act, saying the instant charge against the defendant was a criminal matter.

He submitted that the defendants through their applications had not, by way of affidavit or legal argument, established any condition precedence required for the filing of this charge.

“To that extent, their application must fail and be bereft of any factual evidence,” he said.

Sunday urged the court to dismiss the application and proceed to the hearing of the matter.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite held that the powers of the Police Service Commission did not supersede the powers of the FHC.

He said that the subject matter of the case was within the jurisdiction of the court.

According to the judge, Section 251(2)(F) and (3) of the Constitution confers the court the power to hear and determine the charge.

It would be recalled that on Sept. 5, 2022, in a fresh suit filed at the federal high court, the NDLEA accused Kyari of non-disclosure of assets.

According to the fresh 24 charges, the NDLEA said Mr. Kyari failed to declare his ownership of the property in different locations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Maiduguri.

The anti-drug agency also said over N207 million and 17,598 Euro were also found in his various accounts in three banks.