Between January and December 2022, WikkiTimes published 36 investigative stories which held many authorities and individuals accountable.
The first WikkiTimes investigative story in the outgoing 2022 was published on January 5, documenting How N41m disappeared through failed, abandoned skills acquisition centres in Bauchi North Senatorial district.
The story documented how Senator Nazif Gamawa representing Bauchi North at the upper legislative chamber nominated several projects for his constituency in 2019, among them; two skills acquisition centres to be erected in Giade and Gamawa LGAs.
But findings by WikkiTimes revealed that millions were released for the construction of the acquisition centres in the two LGAs. Specifically, the sum of N41 million was released for the construction of the centres on December 31, 2019.
In another investigation, WikkiTimes uncovered how imaginary streetlights were allegedly used to steal over a billion naira in Adamawa State under Buhari’s nose.
The story published on January 6 revealed that four out of five contractors that received over N1 billion for the installation of solar streetlights in the state were the same individuals but the projects were never executed. Further, the story revealed that four of the five companies belong to the same individuals and the streetlights were never installed as proposed. It is an alleged stealing of public funds in a brazen manner.
In its third investigation, WikkiTimes investigated how Bauchi politicians betrayed trust to plunder the state’s forest. Published on January 19, the story unveiled that local politicians enable massive felling of trees in Ningi’s forest reserves in Bauchi State despite Nigeria’s pledge to protect its forests and stop deforestation as part of the country’s measures to combat climate change.
The fourth investigation uncovered how Bauchi pensioners agonised over unpaid pensions and regretted ever serving the state.
Contrary to claims by the Bauchi State Government of paying pensioners, the story uncovered how retired civil servants in the state have been denied payments and subjected to untold hardship.
Many of the senior citizens who had served the state said they now regret wasting their productive years working for the state. WikkiTimes found that many of them have not been getting their pension as the government is yet to clear backlogs amounting to about N21 billion.
Failure by the state government to give them their entitlements, frustration from government officials and endless waiting time to process their payments have forced many of them into poverty.
WikkiTimes’ fifth investigative story was published on April 6 and it detailed the tragic ordeal of children with disability in Sokoto state where they are all seen as beggars.
READ: Bauchi Education Ministry Updates Website After WikkiTimes’ Story
We documented the horrible conditions of children living with disability and how consistent societal discrimination in the state exacerbated their conditions over the years.
Subsequently, WikkiTimes investigated how hard drugs is turning minor girls into sex workers and hardened addicts.
The undercover investigation discovered that proliferation of hard drugs is on the high with young minds, particularly girls being robbed of their brilliant future in Lagos state. It documented how young girls abusing weedy substances like ‘Loud, Ice and Pawpaw’, become drug-induced sexual addicts.
In its seventh investigation, WikkiTimes probed how government ineptitude and cover-ups was exacerbating banditry in Kebbi State.
Wikkitimes learned that the gunmen continued to operate in many areas of this local government unhindered, making monstrous demands from the residents.
The eighth investigative story documented how Gembu-Serti Road in Taraba State remained ‘a death trap’ despite N36.3 billion in releases. Published on July 8, the story unearthed what looks like collaborative deceit and corruption, both the Federal Government and Taraba state have comfortably wasted over N36.3 Billion but failed to deliver the 230km Gembu road in Taraba years after it was awarded to different contractors.
Not only did the governments fail to deliver the road, but the story revealed that officials at both levels have also turned the road into a cash cow; siphoning billions in yearly releases while commuters continue to perish amid other socio-economic bruises.
READ: After WikkiTimes’ Story, First Bank Refunds Customer’s N100,000 Deducted Last Year
Similarly, the federal government failed to deliver 90km Panyam-Bokkos-Wamba Road 15 years after millions were disbursed.
The tenth investigation was on how Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kebbi State sufferered from acute hunger amid government’s denials.
The 11th investigation was on How Neglected Numan-Jalingo Road deprives Adamawa, Taraba investments and exposed motorists to fatalities .
In what looks like an endless circle of deception, the federal government continues to release billions of naira for the rehabilitation of Numan Jalingo road, but commuters continue to perish amid other economic consequences taking a toll on residents of both Adamawa and Taraba States.
‘Bello Kaoje Constituency Fraud: FG Awards One Project In Bagudo/Suru 4 Times to Dubious, Inactive, Companies’ is the title of the 12th story published on August 6.
WikkiTimes revealed that only one of the four companies supplied the materials, which have not been distributed yet, eight months after delivery. The Lawmaker Kaoje, threatened to assault WikkiTimes’ reporter for “poking into his business.
The 13th story in the WikkiTimes’ investigation series discovered How Contractors Pocketed Over N78 Million Meant For Road Projects In Bauchi.
Published on 9th August, the story revealed in what appears to be a safe money-laundering channel for corrupt and dubious reasons, how two companies – AJ & N Multi-Ventures Limited and Amis & S Global Service Limited – individually cornered the total sum of N78 million meant for the rehabilitation of Yana-Shira-Azare Road and Adamami-Madakeri road both in Bauchi State.
‘Explosions, Cracks, Asthma… What Triacta Construction Company Gives Birshi Fulani Community In Bauchi’ is the title of the 14th story published on August 20.
READ: Heavy Trucks on Gembu Road as FG Commences Construction After WikkiTimes’ Story
It documented how Triacta Nigeria Ltd is building infrastructure in Bauchi State — giving it an outstanding look while residents of Birshin Fulani are paying the price.
The 14th story featured the Multimillion-naira Fund Transforming Jigawa’s Primary Healthcare. Published on August 24, the story documented that says five years after the Basic Health Care Provision Fund was initiated in Jigawa, its implementation has helped transform the primary health system in the state.
As the 2023 election draws nearer WikkiTimes investigated how Extortion By INEC Officials, Insecurity Mar Voters’ Registration In Niger Villages.
The story is the 15th in the series and was published on 24 August, the story titled documented the travails of residents of some communities in the insurgents’ ravaged Niger State where some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were found to be extorting as high as N50,000 per polling unit to register just 30 voters. The 16th story revealed How Nomadic Education Commission, Contractors Siphoned About N290m In Classroom Projects In Kano state.
It was published on August 31 and revealed that six briefcase companies were used by Nomadic Education Commission to divert N290 million. Two of the companies belong to the same individuals; WikkiTimes investigation revealed that the last set of schools either constructed or established in Kano State by the National Commission for Nomadic Education was in 2016, two years even before the current projects were conceived.
Eleven Years After, Lanle Travel & Tour Yet To Refund Swindled Intended Pilgrims In Niger was the WikkiTimes’ 18th story in the series and was published on September 3.
In 2011, Lanle Travel & Tour, a private company, milked millions of naira from some intended pilgrims in Niger State, with the promise of airlifting them to the Holy Land, Saudi Arabia. For unclear reasons, they were not airlifted after spending weeks in Shiroro Hotel and Hajj Camp in Minna, the capital of Niger State. In this report, WikkiTimes’ Yunusa Umar documented their plights and how they were doubly victimised.
The 18th story revealed that Between Federal Ministry Of Power And Former Niger State Minister, Villagers’ Hopes Dash Over Abandoned Mini-grid Solar Project In Lapai. It was published on 14 September.
WikkiTimes’ undercover story came 19th in the investigation series in the outgoing year. It discovered How Bauchi Health Workers Connive With Drug Vendors To Divert, Sell Medicines Distributed By Government, NGOs and published on September 15.
Bauchi State government and a host of non-governmental organisations have for years been distributing both free and subsidised drugs across its healthcare centres to support the less privileged. But the generosity is thwarted by a syndicate of corrupt and selfish healthcare workers who connive with drug vendors to shortchange the local beneficiaries.
WikkiTimes went undercover; tracked and documented how the criminal syndicate consistently connive with vendors to divert and sell the drugs; leaving those in need in excruciating pain and forcing them to dive deeply into their pockets to afford treatment. Many who cannot afford it have perished in the process.
Another undercover story came 20th in the series published on 25 September. It uncovered a Genotype Scam where Health Workers in Gombe Issue Fake Genotype Certificates for a Token.
WikkiTimes reporter spent several weeks investigating fake genotype certificates to pass medical assessments that can be obtained in Gombe State.
The Leaking Roofs, Inadequate Equipment and Drugs… Many Loopholes In Niger Primary Healthcare Centres was the 21st in the series. Published on 28th September, the story revealed how some primary healthcare centres in Niger State are yet to feel the impact of the Federal Government’s Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which seeks to improve Nigeria’s healthcare coverage, especially for the vulnerable.
The 22nd investigative story revealed how FG Wasted Over N1bn In Emergency Repairs, on Bauchi-Gombe Road: In Questionable, Shoddy Execution, but the Road Still Death Trap. The story was published on October 4 and revealed that in its desperate move to siphon money, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing not only failed to execute the work but paid contractors that have nothing to do with road construction; some of them are oil companies.
In Tackling Climate Challenge, Scavengers Contribute to Global Solution in Kano. This story is the 23rd in the series and was published on October 6.
Amid Govt’s Failure To Complete Multi-million Naira Project, Shagari Dam Is Creating an Outsized Crisis for Villagers in Sokoto is the title of the 24th story in the series and was published on October 17.
It revealed the inability of successive governments to complete the multi-million naira Shagari Dam in Sokoto State continues to cause monumental hardships, and loss of lives and property for residents in the affected communities; some of them have perished in the process.
The 25th story: The Black Sticky Stuff Contaminating Southwestern Nigerian Villages was published on 18th October. It discovered that at least 16 billion barrels worth $657 billion, according to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), liein Ondo State, in Nigeria’s southwestern axis. But the left-to-waste resources in southwestern Nigeria are polluting the region’s atmosphere and disturbing residents who bare its disastrous consequences.
The 26th in the series documented How INEC Officials In Gombe Disenfranchise Residents of Hard-to-reach Communities Who Fail to Bribe Them as the 2023 election draws closer.
It was published on 23 October discovering residents of some hard-to-reach communities in Gombe state cannot participate in the general election. They were disenfranchised by INEC officials who accepted kickbacks in order to travel long distances to capture potential voters.
The 27th story documented how the Abandoned Water Project Continues to Hunt Gombe Community as Residents Decry Water Scarcity, Water-borne Diseases. It was published on November 8.
Published on November 9, WikkiTimes unearthed how former Bauchi Police boss attempted to cover-up a murder case. Multi-million Naira Contracts by FERMA, Bauchi-Jigawa, Azare-Katagum Roads was another scandal documented and published on 12th November is the 29th in the series.
‘Extrajudicial Killings, Torture, Robbery… Excesses of ‘Ba Beli’ Armed Group Turning Bauchi-Plateau Border into a Bloodbath Field’ is the title of the 30th story which was published on November 18.
The story on how Locals’ Hopes were dashed as FG Fails to Deliver Constituency Roads in Dass, Bauchi After Wasting Billions was also published on the 18th became the 31st in the series.
In another undercover story, WikkiTimes dived Inside Oyo Islamic Torture House Where Children Are Chained and ‘Maltreated Like Animals.’ The story was published on 23 November as the 32nd in a row.
Negligence of Nomadic Schools in Bauchi Dwindles Pupils’ Hopes, Turns Them Farmers is the 33rd story which was published on 24th November.
Established to ensure basic education for nomadic children and adults, nomadic schools in Bauchi State are not only abandoned but not serving their purposes anymore. WikkiTimes documented the enormous consequences of the negligence suffered by nomadic primary schools in the state, forcing pupils to abandon schools and resort to farming.
The 34th story published on November 28, revealed How Jigawa Govt Abandoned Multi-Million Naira Electrification Projects, Deny Youth, Women Opportunities, Cripples NTA Hadeja. It reported that years after Jigawa State Government via Rural Electrification Board released funds to contractors to execute multi-million naira Askandu and NTA Hadeja electrification projects, the projects were abandoned and a mirage accordingly. WikkiTimes reports that Askandu youths and women toil in poverty and misery as they cannot operate profitable businesses requiring electricity just as NTA Hadeja folded up.
Over N175 Million Water Project Mysteriously Disappeared In Bauchi North As Residents Trek Kilometres To Get Water, Battle Diseases is the story published on December 6 and is the 35th in the series.
The investigation discovered that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, with funding from the COVID-19 Intervention Fund, claimed to have executed a multi-million naira solar-powered water boreholes across six local government areas in Bauchi north. WikkiTimes’ investigation authoritatively revealed that residents in the affected LGAs still trek long distances to source water for domestic use from unclean and dirty sources despite the release of funds to address their water needs.
Recruited to Suffer: Over 12 months Unpaid Salary, Arrears, Frustrate NBAIS Workers is the 36th in the series and last in the 2022 series of WikkiTimes investigative stories.
READ: After WikkiTimes’ Story, Minor Kano Boy Suffering Eye Disease Gets Help
The story was published on 14th December and revealed how the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) in December 2019, carried out a massive staff recruitment exercise based on replacement which actualised the employment of about 1,000 employees.
However, WikkiTimes’ reports that despite observing protocols that come with the job appointment-including documentation, IPPIS registration, letter of assumption of duty, and biometric capture which took place in subsequent months, many of the staff are still yet to receive their posting letters, salary payments and arrears.
