News
Abdulkarim Chukkol Assumes Office As Acting Chairman of EFCC

Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol has assumed office as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following the indefinite suspension on Tuesday, June 14, 2023, of Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa as Executive Chairman of the Commission by the Federal Government.
A pioneer staff of the Commission and an illustrious member of the EFCC Cadet Course One, Mr. Chukkol is a consummate and vastly experienced investigator with specialty in cybercrime and money laundering.
His Command appointments in the Commission include spells as Head of the Advance Fee Fraud and Cybercrime Sections of the Lagos and Abuja Zonal Commands between 2011 and 2016, pioneer Commander of the Uyo Zonal Command in 2017 and Commander of Port Harcourt Zonal Command in 2020.
Until this new role, he was the Director of Operations of the Commission.
Chukkol has participated in several special operations with international law enforcement organizations and maintains close relationship with law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, UK National Crime Agency, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Secret Service, Australian Federal Police, Dutch Police, German Police, South African Police etc.
The acting EFCC boss has worked closely with other governments to develop law and infrastructure for carrying out law enforcement actions. He is Nigeria’s Contact person at the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group representing key Government regulatory, law enforcement, prosecution, immigration and customs, financial intelligence, consumer protection agencies as well and trade and competition bureaus dealing with mass marketing-related issues from Spain, Nigeria, Belgium, Europol, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.
He has attended several courses, seminars and workshops on Public Corruption, Advance Fee Fraud and other economic and financial crimes both locally and internationally, including the Oxford University, United Kingdom, in 2022.
His work and initiatives over the years have earned him several awards and commendations both locally and internationally, including “the Most Outstanding Award in Operations” by the EFCC and the “Outstanding Performance Award” by the United States Department of Justice, among others.
The acting EFCC Chairman holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Maiduguri (2000) and Post Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia, United States as well as Graduate Diploma in Cybersecurity and Spectrum Management from the United States Telecommunication Training Institute, Washington DC, United States.
He is also an alumnus of the FBI National Academy, Quantico; European Center of Security Studies, Germany and a Fellow of the War College, Nigeria.
News
AI in the Newsroom: Tool, Not Talent

By: BABS DARAMOLA
I watched in disbelief today as one of Nigeria’s top national TV stations used AI to voice a news report. Let me be clear: AI has its place in journalism. It can help gather data, fact-check, and streamline production. But reading the news? Delivering it to the public? That’s a strp too far. Presentation must remain human work.
Broadcast journalism is more than a recitation of facts; it is a craft built on experience, judgment, and empathy. Great stations pride themselves on the caliber of their reporters; their pedigree, their training, and their ability to probe beyond the script. These are professionals who have spent years in the field, enduring challenges, asking the hard questions, and ensuring that the public receives information that is accurate, contextualized, and ethically presented. AI can never replicate this.
The danger of using AI to replace human reporters is not hypothetical; it is immediate and tangible. Machines lack intuition, moral judgment, and the ability to read between the lines. They cannot adjust tone to convey urgency, nuance, or empathy. They cannot interview sources in ways that build trust, challenge authority, or uncover truths hidden beneath layers of bureaucracy. They cannot, in short, report with the credibility and humanity that audiences deserve.
Globally, respected outlets -BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Reuters- have integrated AI as a supporting tool, never as a replacement for journalists. These organizations recognize that technology can enhance reporting but cannot supplant it. Audiences respond to human storytellers because humans bring context, understanding, and accountability. Replacing journalists with algorithms risks turning news into sterile, impersonal content, and diminishes public trust at a time when credible information is most needed.
There is also a deeper concern for the next generation of journalists. Broadcast journalism curricula are carefully designed to teach ethics, storytelling, and professional judgment. By sidelining practitioners in favor of AI, media organizations risk creating a generation of journalists for whom the craft is theoretical rather than practical; a generation unprepared to navigate the moral and practical complexities of reporting.
Beyond education, this trend threatens the very ethos of journalism. Reporting is not merely about speed or efficiency; it is about truth, accountability, and service to the public. Lazy shortcuts erode these principles. The allure of AI must not blind us to the foundational role that human reporters play in democracy and civil society.
Using AI responsibly is innovation. Using it to replace reporters is laziness disguised as progress. The stations involved in this cheap practice must ask itself: are we committed to serving the public with integrity, or are we willing to cheapen our journalism for convenience?
Reporting is human. Let us ensure it remains so.
Babs Daramola is a Lagos-based broadcast journalist with over 35 years of experience on radio and TV.
News
Court to Begin Hearing ADC Leadership Dispute on September 30

The Federal High Court in Abuja is set to commence hearings on September 30 in a case involving a leadership dispute within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The suit, filed by Nafiu Bala, a former ADC Deputy National Chairman, challenges the appointment of former Senate President David Mark as interim National Chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Secretary.
Respondents in the case include the ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu.
At Monday’s proceedings, plaintiff’s lawyer Michael Agber informed Justice Emeka Nwite that court documents had been served on Mark and Aregbesola through the ADC’s office. The ADC’s counsel, Shuaib Aruwan (SAN), clarified that he represents only the party, not the individual respondents.
Justice Nwite adjourned the hearing, directing that all respondents be properly served with court processes.
Earlier on September 4, the court denied Nafiu Bala’s request for an immediate injunction against Mark and Aregbesola but ordered that all parties be notified to respond.
Crime
Terrorists Kidnap 40 Worshippers During Dawn Prayers in Zamfara

About 40 worshippers were abducted by suspected terrorists at a mosque in Gidan Turbe village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, during early morning prayers.
The attack reportedly occurred around 5:30 a.m. when gunmen stormed the mosque, surrounded it, and took the worshippers hostage. The captors are said to have taken the victims into nearby forests around the Gohori axis in Tsafe LGA.
This incident has plunged the rural community into fear and despair, especially as local leaders and some armed groups had recently engaged in peace talks aimed at reducing violence during the farming season.
Efforts to obtain confirmation or comment from Zamfara Police authorities were unsuccessful.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Yazid Abubakar, did not respond to calls or messages seeking information on the abduction.
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