By Adamu Yohana , Sokoto

In a bid to protect the nation’s economy from the hands of smugglers, the Nigeria Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have agreed to deepen collaboration against economic sabotage and financial crimes.

The Customs Area Controller, DC Haliru Abdullahi, led the move on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, when he paid a courtesy visit to the EFCC Sokoto Zonal Directorate.

The visit, according to the Command, was in line with the policy thrust of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, anchored on Collaboration, Consolidation and Innovation.

Speaking during the visit, Abdullahi emphasised the importance of a strong working relationship between the two agencies in tackling crimes that threaten national security and sustainable economic development.

He listed economic sabotage, money laundering, illicit financial transactions, smuggling and other related offences as serious threats that require joint action.

He stressed that effective collaboration remains essential in addressing these challenges and protecting the nation’s economic interests.

The Customs boss further highlighted the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to supporting the EFCC through intelligence sharing, information exchange and coordinated enforcement operations.

According to him, closer collaboration would enhance the detection and prevention of financial crimes associated with cross-border trade and other illegal economic activities.

In his response, the Acting Zonal Director, EFCC Sokoto Zonal Directorate, Mr. Nwanneka Nwonkike, appreciated the Customs Area Controller for the visit and commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its contributions to national economic protection.

He emphasised the need for sustained partnership, particularly in intelligence gathering, investigation and the prosecution of economic and financial crimes.

Both agencies acknowledged that economic saboteurs exploit operational gaps and weaknesses in institutional cooperation to perpetrate illegal activities. They therefore underscored the need for stronger communication channels, joint capacity building and coordinated strategies to identify, investigate and dismantle criminal networks, while reaffirming their commitment to professionalism, transparency, accountability and the promotion of national economic stability.

By Johnson Alabi with Agency report

New York authorities said Thursday that eight people, including two children, were killed after a residential building collapsed a day earlier, prompting a frantic overnight search by firefighters to pull people from the rubble.

The three-storey property in Brooklyn fell Wednesday afternoon into a neighbouring excavation site where construction workers had been preparing foundations for a planned development.

“This has been a devastating morning and evening for our city,” said New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who announced the latest death toll and said over a dozen more were injured.

One of those killed was Ecuadoran national Gabriel Siguencia, 22, whose stepsister said in a tearful interview that he was working overtime at the construction site when the building collapsed.

“We went from hospital to hospital, trying to find him, showing pictures, but nobody knew anything until they told us he passed,” Kayla Chimborazo, 20, told AFP and other journalists.

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“He just came here to do work to be able to provide for his family back in Ecuador. He’s just the sweetest person,” she added, saying he had a wife and son.

The New York Times reported that the youngest victim was aged nine, and that nationalities included Ecuador, Guatemala and Guinea.

New York’s fire department declared Thursday afternoon there were no further victims at the site after emergency workers spent hours searching with drones and canine units.

Officials said the cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

‘Devastating’

The building, a three-storey structure dating from 1930 with four apartments and a commercial space on the ground floor, collapsed on to the nearby excavation site.

An adjacent building was left ripped open with one of its walls torn away, exposing a staircase, bedroom and a wardrobe full of clothing.

Shop worker James Williams, 60, told AFP he witnessed the building collapse after hearing loud banging noises throughout the morning.

“I smelled the smoke from the fumes, and I was watching bricks fall. But to see, like two minutes later, to see the building collapse and fall, it was just devastating,” he said.

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“There were people trying to get out … I saw somebody on the side of the staircase, and I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t even really want to think about that.”

Another witness, 14-year-old Kenneilia Reid, told AFP: “When I was walking by, I started seeing dust all of a sudden, and I was like, what is going on? When I turned my back, I saw the whole building collapse.”

‘Fully accountable’

According to documents from the city’s building department reviewed by AFP, the construction site had been issued a stop-work order in April due to potentially dangerous demolition conditions.

However, work continued, resulting in a $10,000 fine for the company involved. No link has yet been established between these violations and the building collapse.

Mamdani said five main entities were involved at the site and that authorities had started “sweeping” 100 other construction sites they are associated with around the city.

The mayor promised a thorough investigation and to hold anyone responsible “fully accountable”.

Some people in Flatbush, a mostly Black neighbourhood where the building collapsed, voiced their anger at gentrification and development after the incident.

“It’s just all about making money. They didn’t care about the danger,” businessman Winston Bowen, 54, told AFP on a pavement opposite the collapsed building. (France24)

By Ebel Okechukwu, Kaduna

As part of effort to empower unskilled persons,the Provost of the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development (KIVTSD) has commended Governor Uba Sani for creating an enabling environment for vocational training and skills acquisition, describing the initiative as a major step towards addressing unemployment and youth restiveness in Kaduna State.

The Provost gave the commendation while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing screening exercise for prospective learners at the institute’s main campus in Rigachikun, Kaduna. He said the establishment of KIVTSD reflected the governor’s vision of empowering young people with practical skills that would enable them to become self-reliant, create businesses and contribute meaningfully to the state’s economic growth.

According to him, the institute has already recorded significant progress, with 4,050 learners recently graduating from various trade areas, a development he said had positively impacted the state’s economy and opened up employment opportunities for thousands of people.

He disclosed that about 3,500 prospective learners were currently undergoing screening across the institute’s three campuses in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf, ahead of their admission into different vocational training programmes leading to the award of National Skills Qualification (NSQ) certificates.

The Provost explained that the training programmes were designed to equip learners with industry-relevant competencies, noting that approximately 80 per cent of the training was practical and hands-on, supported by modern, world-class equipment.

He urged young people across the state to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the institute, stressing that acquiring vocational skills remained an important pathway to economic independence, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.

Some of the prospective learners also expressed appreciation to the Kaduna State Government for providing them with the opportunity to acquire skills that could improve their economic prospects.

One of the applicants, Kamaldeen Ishola, who expressed interest in solar installation, said he hoped to establish his own business after completing the training and create opportunities for others.

“I want to learn solar installation, and when I graduate, I intend to set up my business and help others,” he said.

Another prospective learner, Stephen Aaron, who was admitted to study painting and Plaster of Paris (POP), described the initiative as an indication of Governor Uba Sani’s commitment to inclusive development.

“I am very grateful to our Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for this opportunity. It shows that he is a detribalised leader who wants to see everyone succeed,” he said.

Similarly, Aisha Hussaini expressed excitement over the opportunity, assuring the government that she would make good use of the training to improve her future.

“My happiness knows no bounds. I just want to assure everyone that I will make good use of this opportunity,” she said.

The ongoing screening exercise underscores the Kaduna State Government’s commitment to expanding access to vocational education, promoting entrepreneurship and developing a skilled workforce capable of driving economic growth.

Through KIVTSD, the administration is seeking to empower more young people with practical and marketable skills, while creating pathways for self-employment, job creation and sustainable development across the state.

Ends…