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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has urged the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to strengthen measures to protect persons with disabilities and guarantee their participation in the 2027 general elections.
The commission said electoral security arrangements must address the specific challenges faced by voters with disabilities, including intimidation, inaccessible polling units, communication barriers and threats of violence.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the appeal on Friday during a high-level technical engagement on disability-inclusive election security and protection protocols in Abuja.
The meeting, held at the Abuja Inter-Continental Hotel, brought together security agencies, the European Union, TAF Africa, organisations of persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to develop strategies for safer and more accessible elections.
Amupitan said the success of an election should be measured not only by the conduct of voting but also by whether all eligible citizens could exercise their rights without fear or discrimination.
“The credibility of our elections depends not only on the voting process but also on the ability of every eligible citizen to participate freely, safely and without discrimination,” he said.
He warned that persons with disabilities remained vulnerable to obstacles that could restrict their participation and called for stronger safeguards against harassment, intimidation and insecurity.
“Persons with disabilities must be protected against intimidation, harassment, insecurity and other barriers that could prevent them from exercising their franchise,” the INEC chairman said.
Amupitan identified the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Electoral Act 2026 and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 among the legal instruments supporting inclusive electoral participation.
He also cited Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and INEC’s 2026 Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, which provide for priority access, assistance and appropriate voting materials for persons with disabilities.
The chairman urged the police to maintain professionalism and impartiality while ensuring that security operations did not undermine the dignity or independence of voters requiring assistance.
“Appropriate assistance must preserve the dignity, independence, privacy and freedom of choice of voters with disabilities,” he said.
He called for disability-related concerns to be integrated into security assessments, personnel training, deployment plans and emergency-response procedures before election day.
According to him, such preparations should include identifying polling locations that are difficult to access, areas prone to congestion, potential security flashpoints and communication challenges that could prevent voters from casting their ballots.
Amupitan also advocated improved cooperation among INEC, the police and other security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.
He said the collaboration should facilitate timely information-sharing, clarify the responsibilities of participating agencies and ensure swift responses to emerging security threats.
The INEC chairman listed the development of clear disability-inclusive security protocols, specialised training for police officers, accessible incident-reporting channels and continuous engagement with organisations of persons with disabilities among the measures required ahead of the 2027 general elections.
No voter should be denied voting rights due to disability, insecurity – INEC
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EX-JOS STEEL WORKERS CELEBRATE EFCC ARREST OF ZUMA STEEL BOSS AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS OF UNPAID ENTITLEMENTS
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Former workers of the defunct Jos Steel Rolling Company in Plateau State have expressed renewed hope following the reported arrest of Dr. Innocent Ozoemena Ezuma, Chairman of Zuma Steel West Africa Limited, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $120 million fraud involving a Ukrainian investor.
The former employees, including widows and orphans of deceased workers, expressed their reactions during an emergency meeting held in Jos on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. The meeting provided an opportunity for the workers to review their longstanding grievances over unpaid salaries, employment entitlements and other unresolved issues dating back nearly two decades.
According to a report by Democracy Newsline, more than 30 former employees attended the meeting to discuss the EFCC investigation and the status of their petition before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.
HOW THE CRISIS BEGAN
The controversy dates back to 2006, following the privatisation of the Jos Steel Rolling Company and the subsequent involvement of Zuma Steel West Africa Limited.
The former workers alleged that they were re-engaged by the company after the takeover but were subsequently left without regular employment and payment of their outstanding entitlements.
According to accounts provided by the workers, they received only a limited period of full and half salaries before being instructed to stay at home.
They maintain that the situation left many employees and their families in prolonged financial hardship, with some of their former colleagues dying without receiving the benefits they had expected after years of service.
The workers are now seeking answers regarding their employment status, unpaid salaries and other entitlements they claim remain outstanding.
WORKERS SEEK EFCC INTERVENTION
The reported arrest of Ezuma has renewed the workers’ calls for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the company’s takeover and subsequent operations.
The workers want the anti-graft agency to examine their complaints alongside its investigation into the alleged $120 million fraud involving a Ukrainian investor.
They are also seeking scrutiny of allegations relating to the management of the former industrial facility, the handling of its assets and the treatment of employees following the takeover.
However, the workers’ grievances over unpaid entitlements are separate claims that will require appropriate investigation and determination. The reported arrest does not, by itself, establish that the allegations made by the former employees have been proven.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PETITION AWAITS FURTHER ACTION
The former workers have also been pursuing a petition against Dr. Ezuma and Zuma Steel West Africa Limited before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.
Their leader and lead petitioner, Danjuma Samuel Agbo, a former Public Relations Officer of the company, reportedly told the meeting that the committee concluded its hearing on the petition on September 30, 2026.
The workers are now awaiting the committee’s report and any subsequent action by the House of Representatives.
They hope the legislative process will help address their complaints and clarify the outstanding issues surrounding their employment and entitlements.
FORMER WORKERS RECOUNT YEARS OF HARDSHIP
During the meeting, former employees reportedly recounted their experiences following the takeover.
David Isaiah, who said he was among the first 55 workers recruited by the Federal Government and sent to Germany for training in May 1981, described the development as a source of renewed hope.
Another former employee, Signor Ben, reportedly said the difficulties began after the workers were re-engaged by the company and subsequently instructed to stay at home.
Sani Baba, a mechanical engineer who joined the company in 1983 and worked on spare parts and production-line maintenance, also recounted the challenges faced by former employees.
According to the report, the workers alleged that they had received only a few months of salary payments before their employment situation deteriorated.
They further raised concerns about the treatment of former staff occupying company quarters, alleging that some were asked to pay rent or leave the premises.
These accounts represent the workers’ claims and have not been independently established in their entirety.
📌 WHAT IS THE $120 MILLION FRAUD INVESTIGATION ABOUT?
The EFCC reportedly arrested Ezuma at his Abuja residence on October 19, 2026, over allegations that he obtained more than $120 million from a Ukrainian investor between 2007 and 2015 for mineral exploration and power projects that were allegedly not executed as agreed.
The allegations under investigation reportedly include advance-fee fraud, criminal breach of trust, criminal conversion, obtaining money under false pretences, theft and money laundering.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria but declined to provide further details about the investigation.
Media reports have also linked the broader investigation to questions surrounding the handling of investment funds and earlier business dealings associated with the businessman.
It is important to note that these are allegations under investigation, not proof of guilt. The reported investment-fraud investigation and the former workers’ employment claims should not be treated as the same case unless the relevant authorities establish a connection.
📌 WORKERS CALL FOR JUSTICE
The former employees have reportedly welcomed the EFCC’s intervention, expressing hope that the investigation will not be compromised and that their longstanding complaints will receive appropriate attention.
For the workers, many of whom say they have waited nearly 20 years for their outstanding entitlements, the immediate concern remains whether their grievances will finally be addressed.
They are looking to the EFCC, the National Assembly and other relevant authorities for a thorough examination of their complaints and any necessary action in accordance with the law.
The case has once again drawn attention to the challenges that can arise when public assets are privatised and questions emerge about the protection of workers’ rights, the management of industrial facilities and accountability.
For Plateau State, the future of the former Jos Steel Rolling Company and the welfare of its former employees remain important issues.
As the investigation continues, the former workers are hoping that their long wait for answers and justice will finally yield results.
Jos Events will continue to monitor developments surrounding the EFCC investigation, the National Assembly petition and the former Jos Steel workers’ demands.
#JosEvents #JosSteelRollingCompany #PlateauState #EFCC #JosNews #WorkersRights
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