The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained ten officers of its Lagos Zonal Command following investigation regarding some missing items linked to them.

The officers, who were arrested last week on the directives of the Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede are answering questions relating to the theft of some operational items for which that they could not be accountable.

EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale stated that investigators are making good progress.

He stressed that those found culpable will be subjected to internal disciplinary processes.

[Leadership]

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, has expressed gratitude to Allah for the privilege to grow from an Almajiri school pupil into becoming the head of NNPCL.

In a post via X on Wednesday to celebrate his 60th birthday, the NNPC Boss expressed appreciation for the “exceptional” privilege given to him by former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu to serve as the last Group Managing Director of the NNPC and the pioneer CEO of the NNPC Ltd.

In the post, he stated that reflecting backwards alone cannot account for the profoundly eventful life he has spent on earth.

According to him, walking through good and bad times, travails and triumphs, pains and happiness, fails and successes, and many more are the events that only the sufficiency of Allah will explain.

Kyari stated: “Allah, by his grace, spared my life to this exceptional day, making it my 60th year from birth, even much earlier on the Hijri calendar.

“I am profoundly grateful to my country for giving me the opportunity to grow from an Almajiri (Tsangaya) school pupil to become the CEO of Africa’s largest energy company.

“Even more particular, I deeply appreciate the exceptional privilege given to me by Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Ahmed Tinubu to serve as the last GMD of the NNPC and the pioneer CEO of the NNPC Ltd.

“Reflecting backwards alone can’t account for the profoundly eventful life I spent to this date, walking through good and bad times, travails and triumphs, pains and happiness, fails and successes and many more that only the sufficiency of Allah will explain.

“At this milestone, I feel the obligation to serve with even greater conviction and with elevated expectation of eternal recompense so deeply pleasing.

“I am hugely indebted to my family for being nearly absent for most of my later years serving our nation and the common good.

“My deep appreciation to my family, friends and associates, my colleagues at work and my teachers (western and of Almajiri extractions), and many unmentioned people who account for many of my accomplishments, unconditional support and my overall wellbeing.

“This is a turning point, and I seek forgiveness from anyone I might have hurt unintentionally or unavoidably.”

[DailyTrust]

The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has confirmed that Nigeria’s telecommunications tariffs will soon increase.

He, however, assured Nigerians that it will not be the 100 percent that telecom operators are pushing for at the moment.

TIjani disclosed this at the end of a stakeholders meeting with Mobile Network Operators, MNOs on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said that very soon, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, would approve the new tariffs and make it public to Nigerians.

“You have seen over the past weeks that there has been agitation from some of these companies to increase tariffs. They are requesting a 100 percent tariff increase.

“But it will not be by 100 percent. We are still looking at that study, and NCC will come up with a clear directive on how we will go about it.

“We want to strike the balance as a government to protect our people but also protect and ensure that these companies can continue to invest significantly.

“We need to ensure that as a sector, we get our acts together and ensure that from the regulation side, we put the right regulations in place that can ensure the growth of this sector.”

The minister also noted that the federal government would no longer leave investments in infrastructure in the sector to private companies alone.

“As a country, over time, we have left this investment in the hands of the private sector. They typically invest where they can see returns in the short to medium term.

“We will not want this conversation to just be about tariff increase. I think what the world is talking about today is meaningful connectivity.

“You want to have access to very good quality service.

“A part of it that the consumers may not be aware of is the investment that needs to go into the infrastructure that is used to deliver these services,” he said.

The Executive Vice-Chairman, EVC, of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the meeting with stakeholders was about the sustainability of the industry.

“We have looked at all of these factors, and that is why, like the minister said, it is not likely that we are going to approve a 100 percent tariff increase.

“I know that Nigerians are agitated to hear the exact percentage approved. There is still some stakeholder engagement that we are going through, but you will hear from us within a week or two.”

He said that the NCC had put a number of tools and instruments into place by revising its quality of service regulations for compliance service quality.

He noted that the MNOs must comply with simplified templates to show Nigerians charges per minute for voice calls, SMS, and a megabyte of data.

“We are moving away from the regime where you will have a main rate, and then you will now have a bonus that is at a different rate.

“It makes it often complicated and difficult for Nigerians to actually understand what they are being charged for.

“This is one of the things that, when we took a lot of time over the past year looking at data, there was this agitation that the MNOs are stealing our data,” he said.

Earlier, DAILY POST reported that Tijani was meeting with telco stakeholders amid increased pressure for a telecom tariff hike.

Meanwhile, telecom subscribers had also urged telcos to consider alternatives to tariff hikes.
This comes as telcos, including MTN and Airtel, had recently written to the NCC for fresh tariff hike approval.

DAILY POST recalls telcos recently threatened a shutdown of the sector if telecoms tariff hike is not approved.

Meanwhile, telecom subscribers had also urged telcos to consider alternatives to tariff hikes.

[DailyPost]

…suspect in our custody for further investigation – FCT CP  

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), police command has intercepted a white Peugeot 15-seater bus popularly known as ‘J5’ transporting 59 children suspected to have been trafficked.

The children are between four and 12 years old.

A team of policemen led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sarki Umar was said to have stopped the vehicle with registration number KMC 283 ZJ along the Abuja-Kano route on January 6.

The driver, Ali Ibrahim, a Kano State resident, and his assistant, Alhassan Ibrahim, were apprehended on the spot.

Briefing reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, (CP) Tunji Disu said preliminary investigations revealed that the children, who hail from different families in Kano State, were allegedly being transported to Nasarawa State under the guise of receiving training.

He said: “On January 6, 2025, at about 1530 hours, a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sarki Umar intercepted a white Peugeot 15 bus with Reg. No. KMC 283 ZJ along the Abuja-Kano route. The vehicle was driven by ALI IBRAHIM, a male resident of Kano State, accompanied by his motor boy, AL HASSAN IBRAHIM, also of Kano State.

“The bus was found to be transporting 59 male children aged between 4 to 12 years. Preliminary investigations revealed that the children, who came from different families, were being transported by one Idris Usman, a male resident of Nasarawa State.

“He allegedly travelled to Kano State to convene the children en route to Nasarawa State under the pretext of training them.”

Disu added that the incident has been classified as a case of suspected child abuse and trafficking, given the circumstances and the absence of proper documentation or parental consent for the movement of the minors.

“At present, the suspects, the vehicle, and all the children are in custody while a thorough investigation is underway. The Police Command is working closely with the FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS) to ensure that the children are safely reunited with their families and to bring all those involved in this act to justice,” Disu added.

The CP reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups, particularly children, from exploitation and abuse in line with the Child’s Rights Act 2003.

Disu said: “We appeal to parents and guardians to remain vigilant and ensure the safety of their children”.

[TheNation]

The Oxford English Dictionary has expanded its lexicon with 20 Nigerian words and expressions in its latest update.

The newly added entries include popular terms like “japa,” “agbero,” “eba,” “419,” and “abi,” among others.

These words, deeply rooted in the everyday lives of Nigerians, highlight the influence of Pidgin English, street slang, and cultural expressions that are increasingly gaining global recognition.

Notably, some of the words, such as “japa” and “jand,” appear as both nouns and verbs in the dictionary.

Pronunciation guides have also been provided to assist non-Nigerians in accurately articulating the words.

A Nigerian English consultant to the Oxford English Dictionary, Kingsley Ugwuanyi, announced the update on LinkedIn on Tuesday.

He expressed excitement over his role in drafting the words and recording their pronunciations.

Ugwuanyi wrote, “I’m thrilled to announce that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Oxford Languages | OUP has officially published its latest updates, featuring an amazing collection of Nigerian English words that beautifully reflect Nigeria’s culture, creativity, and the unique ways we express ourselves as Nigerians.

“This time, I not only drafted most of the words but also had the incredible opportunity to provide their hashtag#pronunciations! So, when you explore the OED online and click on the pronunciations, you’ll hear my hashtag#voice bringing these words to life.”

Among the entries, “japa” is defined as “the emigration of Nigerians to other countries (esp. those in Europe or North America) in search of further education, employment, or economic opportunity.”

“Agbero” is described as “a person (usually a boy or young man) who works as a tout, typically at car parks and bus stops, collecting money from passengers and drivers, and ushering passengers onto vehicles. ”

The term “419,” widely known in Nigeria, is defined as, “Fraud (now usually perpetrated on the internet) involving requests for advance payment in return for a substantial share of a large amount of money, which ultimately is never given. Frequently as a modifier, as in 419 email, 419 scam, etc. Cf. yahoo n.2”

Here is the complete list of Nigerian words added to the OED:

1. 419
2. abi
3. adire
4. agbero
5. area boy
6. cross-carpet
7. cross-carpeting
8. eba
9. Edo
10.  gele
11.  jand (noun, verb)
12. janded (adjective)
13. Japa (noun, verb)
14. Kanuri
15. Kobo
16. Naija
17. suya
18. Yahoo
19. yahoo boy
20. Yarn Dust

….express concerns over low implementation of 2024 budget

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has charged the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Shakirat Madein to submit the 2022 Consolidated financial statement of the Federal Government to the Auditor General of the Federation in line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution.

This is also as the Committee also expressed concern at the low implementation of the capital component of the 2024 budget, which the Accountant General put at twenty-five per cent, which the committee observed was not helping the attainment of desired economic growth.

These were some of the outcomes of an interactive engagement between the office of the Accountant General and the Public Accounts Committee led by Rep Bamidele Salam on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said: “It is regrettable that from recent studies conducted in Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda, Nigeria is still lagging in submission and consideration of audit reports largely due to the non-submission of Financial statements by the Accountant Generals office as required by law.

While considering the submissions of the Accountant General on the low revenue remittances by many government-owned enterprises, the PAC Chairman said there was a need for stricter measures to block revenue leakages through automation of processes and regular audit exercises.

The House Committee also asked the Accountant General, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior to immediately resolve all outstanding issues on the non automation of revenue collections from Foreign missions in order to ensure transparency and accountability in the process.

The committee Chairman disclosed that the 2021 Auditor Generals report which was recently submitted to the National Assembly will receive accelerated consideration immediately after the passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill currently before the House.

Earlier in her speech, the Accountant General of the Federation attributed the delay in the submission of the consolidated financial statement to lack of sufficient data of government revenue from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

While assuring that efforts are at advanced stage to get the CBN submit necessary information, the Accountant General gave an undertaking to conclude the exercise within two months.

Madein informed the committee of several initiatives of her office to strengthen existing regulations and initiate new ones to promote greater accountability in public expenditure management.

She assured that the Financial Regulations 2009 has been reviewed and only awaiting the approval of the Federal Executive Council to be operational.

[Vanguard]

A federal high court in Abuja has granted the interim forfeiture of N228.4 million linked to Theodore Orji, the former governor of Abia, over alleged money laundering.

Orji was the governor of Abia state from 2007 to 2015.

He also served as a senator representing Abia central district between 2015 and 2023.

NAN reports that Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, ordered the interim forfeiture of the fund following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Fadila Yusuf, counsel to the anti-graft agency, moved the application.

The judge ordered the EFCC to publish the order on its website and a national newspaper to allow interested parties to show cause why the fund should not be permanently forfeited within 14 days of the publication.

The judge adjourned the case to February 3.

THE APPLICATION

In the ex parte application dated December 30, 2024, and filed on January 2, Yusuf sought an order of the court for the interim forfeiture and freezing of the fund domiciled in an account with Keystone Bank.

In her five-ground argument, the EFCC lawyer argued that the fund, being in possession of Effdee Nigeria Ltd, is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

Yusuf told the court that the company allegedly conspired with others to defraud the Abia state government.

“Effdee Nigeria Ltd is alleged to have conspired with others to defraud Abia state government to wit: conspiracy, abuse of office, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering and diversion of public funds,” the lawyer said.

“Effdee Nigeria Ltd, in whose possession the monies were found, is reasonably suspected to have conspired with Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji, the former governor of Abia State, some officials in the former governor’s administration and his family members.”

The EFCC lawyer said there is a need to preserve the fund in the account pending the conclusion of the investigation and prosecution.

She added that the agency is investigating Orji following an intelligence report against the former governor.

Supporting the application, Tahir Ahmed, a litigation officer with the EFCC, told the court that Effdee Nigeria Limited, a waste disposal company, was allegedly used by Orji and officials of his administration to divert and launder funds belonging to Abia state government.

Ahmed said during the investigation, it was discovered that Austin Akuma, the divisional head of Keystone Bank in Abia, was the middleman between the company and Erondu Uchenna Erondu, an aide to the former  governor.

The EFCC officer said Akuma told the agency that he and Erondu agreed that the company’s account would be used to receive funds from the accounts of the Abia state government.

He added that an analysis of the company’s account showed substantial inflow from various agencies in Abia state government leaving a balance of N228, 497, 773.12.

In August 2021, the anti-graft agency interrogated Orji and his son for allegedly diverting funds of the state while he was governor.

[TheCable]

The Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, recently praised the resilience of Ghana politicians, like (part-time Nigerian and) former President John Mahama, who remained with his party despite losing the 2017 presidential election, until he was re-elected President of Ghana two weeks ago.

Yakubu observed: “Rarely in Ghana do you see people moving from one party to another with every general election… It provides stability. It also provides their supporters (with) stability. So, there are people who have supported political parties for years. So, whether the party is in power or opposition, they stick to the political party.”

The professor is probably unaware of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke’s opinion that Nigeria did not quite have political parties in the classical sense, but some kind of special-purpose vehicles used by politicians to get political offices.

Maybe the strength of the Ghana electoral process is in the provision for independent candidates in its Constitution, which also does not require candidates to belong to or be presented by political parties to contest elections. An independent candidate won a parliamentary seat in Ghana’s 2020 general elections.

Another possible cause of the stability of Ghana’s political parties is that independent candidates, who obviously do not belong to the ruling party or the main opposition political party, can become principal officers in Ghana’s legislature.

These two allowances may be the reason Ghanaian politicians do not cross the political carpet. In the 8th parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, Asaimah Iddrisu, an independent candidate, became a minority leader, instead of a member of the main opposition, the National Democratic Congress.

In Britain, Betty Boothroyd and Michael Martin, members of the Labour Party, served as Speaker whereas the Prime Minister was a member of the Conservative Party. Also, John Bercow of the Conservative Party was Speaker of the parliament under Labour and Conservative prime ministers.

The Chairman of the British Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, which ensures scrutiny, accountability and oversight checks over public expenditure and the government’s financial management, is usually appointed from the opposition party.

Even if the appointment of Prof Yakubu as INEC Chairman will prevent him from counselling Nigeria’s National Assembly to amend the Constitution to allow independent candidates to contest for public offices, his pedigree as a professor of history and international relations should persuade him to tutor them on the expediency of such an act.

His specialisation in guerrilla warfare would have adequately prepared him to survive the treacherous terrain of messing around with the constitutional device that protects the privileges of members of Nigeria’s political establishment.

Nigeria’s political elite has cleverly woven Sections 65(2b), 106(b), 131(c) and 177(c) into the Constitution so that “A person shall be qualified for election… as (federal legislator, state legislator, President of Nigeria and State Governor only) if he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.”

Nigeria’s political parties have become a quilt of secret societies and political cartels that dispense political offices as privileges to anointed vassals, who will play ball as dictated. That anointing system is aptly captured in the Yoruba phrase, “Baba so’pe”, or the big boss has proclaimed.

In addition to commending “the process and the outcome so far”, and pledging “to continue to support our colleagues in Ghana’s Electoral Commission”, Prof Yakubu attributed the success of the election to Ghana’s adoption of Nigeria’s system of announcing election results at the constituency level.

Hitherto, election results throughout Ghana, be they presidential or legislative, were forwarded to the headquarters of the Ghana Electoral Commission in Accra, from where they will be centrally announced to Ghanaians.

Of what special value is the announcement of election results at the constituency level? Perhaps collation and announcement of results at the constituency level may prevent scoundrels from switching election results before they get to the Accra headquarters of the Ghana Electoral Commission.

But that is not really something to beat the chest about; there is no big deal about where election results are announced, especially in a country like Ghana, with a population of a mere 35 million citizens, in a small land area of 239,567 square kilometres.

Some think that Prof Yakubu’s much ado about nothing concerning Ghana’s successful election was just a ploy to divert attention from the institutional weaknesses of his INEC, which has generally held disputed elections.

Prof Yakubu must find a way to erase INEC’s liability of trust deficit by striving to conduct, especially presidential and gubernatorial, elections in a more credible manner and to the satisfaction of the electorate and the candidates.

It is a shame that candidates need court judgements to validate the elections they fought for and won through expensive and sometimes violent political campaigns. Unfortunately, the need for the judiciary to validate election results comes with its own challenges.

Apart from practically compromising the operations of democratic processes—from party memberships to party primaries, elections, collations, announcements and swearing-in of winners of elections—it turns the spotlight on judicial officers.

Unfortunately, many of the judges, who have been compromised by the temptations dangled at them by the political elites who want to be in elective offices by all means, have lost the dignity and self-respect associated with their offices.

It is a matter of grave regret that the judiciary, the temple of justice, is so morally challenged that it almost commands no iota of respect from within its hallowed chambers or among the citizens who have to bear the brunt of a system that delivers judgement without justice.

The other day, the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, felt so challenged that she was compelled to practically make an undertaking that her Supreme Court, and the National Judicial Council that she heads, shall actively look for ways to sanitise the judiciary system.

That is commendable, and it shows that the judiciary that she wants to lead will be a listening and sensitive one, though it is in the enlightened best interest of their lordships to run a clean stable. If the judiciary regains its respect, the consequence will be an ability to deliver and guarantee the rule of law upon which Nigeria’s democracy will rest.

Nigerians of the older generation remember, with fond nostalgia, judiciary icons, like Justices Kayode Esho, Chukwudife Oputa, Louis Mbanefo, Akinola Aguda, Darnley Alexander, Mustapha Akanbi, Augustine Nnamani, Olakunle Orojo, Idowu Conrad Taylor and Rosaline Omotosho, who all made indelible marks in the delivery of justice in Nigeria.

Of course, Nigerians also remember those judges who awarded the twelve two-thirds judgment to a preferred presidential candidate and those who brought a governorship candidate from a fourth position right to the first, to become a substantive two-term governor of a state!

If Prof Yakubu’s INEC handles its part of the election exercise without blemish, election contestants will not need to approach the courts for “unnecessary begging” for justice. A lot depends on the INEC, to whom so much financial and moral resources are entrusted.

Above all, the moral weight upon whoever is the chairman of INEC is probably heavier than that on the chief justice of the federation when it comes to elections. If INEC impeccably does its job, their lordships will have no place in the electoral arena.