Category: News

PSC also approved the appointment of Betty Enekpen Otimenyin as the substantive Commissioner of Police for Edo State.

According to a statement issued by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani: “The Commissioners of Police for the two states are due for retirement; CP Chukwuka Bertrand Onuoha, Commissioner of Police for Kogi, is expected to retire from service on the 22nd of January 2025, while CP Peter Umoru will be due for retirement on the 25th of January, 2025.

“CP Dantawaye, the new Commissioner for Kogi, was formerly AC Operations, FCT Police Command; AC Field Studies, Police Academy, Wudil, Kano; Area Commander, Karewa Adamawa State Police Command; and AC CID, Oyo State Police Command.

“He was also AC Admin, Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Abuja; Area Commander, Area ‘H’ Ogudu, Lagos State; DC Operations, Yobe State Police Command, Damaturu; DC Operations, Edo State Police Command, Benin; and later CP, Information Technology (IT), Force Headquarters, Abuja.

“CP Betty Enekpen Otimenyin started her career in Bauchi State Command and has served as DPO in various divisions within Plateau and Edo Commands, served as Assistant Commissioner of Police Administration in Kebbi State, and Nigeria Port Authority Western Port, Lagos State; also as Area Commander in Eleme, Rivers State, and Mbaitolu in Imo State. She was the Deputy Commissioner of Police Administration for Zone 13, Dunokuofia, Anambra State, and Zone 5, Benin, Edo State. She is currently the Commissioner of Police Administration, Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja.”

Ani said the Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), has called on the new State Command Commissioners to be dedicated and committed to the service of their fatherland.

Argungu said they should quickly settle into their duties and ensure that they improve the state of security in the two states.

He said the Commission will continue to monitor their performance and will also encourage them to give their best.

Ani said the approval for the appointment of the two Commissioners has been conveyed to the Inspector General of Police for implementation in a letter signed by Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary to the Commission. Nation

The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Wilfred Afolabi, in a statement on Thursday in Akure by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Funmilayo Odunlami, said the directive was for security reasons.

According to him, commuters, who may have a reason to use the state as passage, are pre-informed of the restrictions to help adjust their plans ahead of the d-day.

“However, security personnel, health workers, firefighters and other essential service providers are allowed free movement to carry out their duties. Cases of emergency are also considered for movement.

“We urge all eligible voters to abide by the rules guiding the electoral process while carrying out their civic duties.

“All intending miscreants who may want to cause mayhem on election day are warned to stay clear.

“All machineries are in place to nip any untoward act as they raise their ugly heads,” he said.

The CP also said that adequate security had been put in place for both human and material resources to ensure smooth passage of the electoral process. (NAN)

Sympathisers also joined the parents in sobbing as Justice Bilkisu Gambo Yussuf handed down the sentences to Amina Aliyu, Aishat Mohammed and  Zainab Aliyu, all of the same parents and resided at Barkin Saleh area of Minna, the Niger State capital.

For three years, the siblings had faced a two-count charge of joint act and culpable homicide punishable with death, contrary to Sections 97 and 221 of the penal code brought against them by the state  Attorney-General.

Aishat Aliyu was said to have on March 23, 2021,  killed her rival, late Hafsat Aliyu, after hitting her with a pestle and setting her corpse on fire in the kitchen.

Four witnesses, including the husband of the deceased, Alhaji Mohammed Sani, testified for the prosecution.

The defence counsel pleaded for leniency on behalf of one of the accused persons  Zainab Aliyu,  who was a teenager at the time the offence was committed and going by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ACJA, which the state had domesticated, she could not be sentenced to death (being under age when the offence was committed).

Justice Bilkisu in her judgement agreed with the defence counsel that “as at 2021, when the offence was committed, the administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) was already domesticated which really excluded somebody below the age of eighteen to be convicted for capital related offence, therefore the third convict, Zainab Aliyu, is hereby convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Justice Yussuf sentenced Amina Aliyu and Aishat Aliyu to death by electrocution.

“May the Lord have mercy on their souls,” she prayed.

At this stage, the parents burst into tears, joined by sympathisers. Thisday

This was disclosed by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, during his appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Wednesday.

Prof. Yilwatda revealed that the ministry aims to deploy the program across all 36 states of the federation by the end of January 2025, targeting the registration of up to 18.1 million Nigerian households through the National Identity Number (NIN) system.

“We want to deploy by the end of January across 36 states to ensure we start harvesting the NIN number of up to 18.1 million Nigerian households that we need to capture as fast as possible so that we can make payment for them,” the minister said.

“The target of the president is that we should target 15 million households. And an average household is about 4 to 5. We are discussing here roughly about 70 million households with about N75,000 per person this year,” the minister noted.

The initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to address extreme poverty and create a more inclusive social safety net.

Yilwatda noted that each household in the program would have an average of 4 to 5 individuals, translating to a target of roughly 70 million individuals nationwide.

The program will also enhance the digital identities of low-income Nigerians by collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to increase NIN registrations. According to Yilwatda, this will help streamline the process and ensure the most vulnerable populations are included in the database.

“We are doing the data capturing, but for now, the poorest of the poor that we have in our data is only 1.4 million with NIN. We are working with NIMC, deploying resources, and conducting training. NIMC has brought in more devices under a program with the World Bank to assist us in data capturing for those without NIN numbers.”

The Minister detailed ongoing efforts, saying, “We are training in some states like Rivers, Kwara, Abuja, and Nasarawa, among others, and deploying to these states in the first round. By the end of January, we want to deploy across the 36 states to start capturing the NIN numbers of up to 18.1 million households. This will enable us to make payments to them for Conditional Cash Transfers.”

The minister emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to make the cash transfer program efficient, transparent, and accountable. He added that digital registration would reduce errors, improve tracking, and ensure that funds are disbursed to those most in need.

On January 12, 2024, President Bola Tinubu suspended all programs managed by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA) and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation due to allegations of misappropriation, including those under the direct cash transfer initiative.

Earlier, on January 8, 2024, President Tinubu had suspended Betta Edu, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, over allegations of funds mismanagement within NSIPA.

In a directive signed by Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, and obtained by Channels Television on Tuesday, it was noted that the affected banks must settle their outstanding debts by January 27, 2025, or face the loss of access to their USSD codes. However, the NCC did not disclose the specific amount owed by the nine banks.

The NCC’s public notice revealed that of the 18 financial institutions involved, nine had failed to comply with regulatory requirements. While other banks have settled their debts, the total amount owed by the institutions was reported to exceed N200 billion. Some invoices have remained unpaid since 2020.

The notice further stated, “As of the close of business on Tuesday, 14th January 2025, of the 18 financial institutions, nine have significantly failed to comply with the directives in the Second Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the commission dated December 20, 2024, for settling outstanding invoices due to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), some dating back to 2020.”

The nine affected financial institutions are Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank, Jaiz Bank Plc, Polaris Bank Limited, Sterling Bank Limited, United Bank for Africa Plc, Unity Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, and Zenith Bank Plc.

USSD codes such as 770, 919, and 822 may be reassigned to other applicants if the debts remain unpaid.

The NCC also highlighted that the failure to adhere to the CBN-NCC joint circular means the affected banks cannot meet the requirements for renewing their USSD codes. The commission stated, “In line with its consumer protection mandate, the commission wishes to inform consumers that they may not be able to access the USSD platform of the affected financial institutions from January 27, 2025.”

Furthermore, the NCC reiterated that the financial institutions had been notified of the need to comply immediately and warned that consumers could face service disruptions if the issues are not resolved.

In related news, data from the CBN showed that 252.06 million USSD transactions, totaling N2.19 trillion, were conducted between January and June 2024.

“This agreement recognizes the close law enforcement relationship between the United States and Nigeria and Nigeria’s vital assistance that contributed to the successful forfeiture of millions of dollars of corruption proceeds,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

“Our strong coordination with international partners to trace and recover assets leaves corrupt actors few places to hide their ill-gotten gains. Today’s agreement to return nearly $53 million in forfeited funds to support Nigeria and its people through electrification projects and cross-border efforts to combat terrorism demonstrates forfeiture’s power as a tool to help remediate the harms of corruption and to invest in our global fight against terrorism.

“The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to the global fight against corruption,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division.

“By ensuring these forfeited funds are repatriated to Nigeria to benefit the Nigerian people through critical projects and counterterrorism efforts, the FBI reaffirms our dedication to promoting transparency and dismantling the systems that enable corruption to thrive.”

“The repatriation of these funds to Nigeria to benefit the citizens of Nigeria is one of the primary goals of the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

“IRS-CI is proud to partner with the global law enforcement community in this initiative to restore these vital resources to the projects and programs that promote Nigeria’s continued prosperity.”

These assets were forfeited as part of an investigation by the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative of the International Unit of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), a dedicated team that seeks to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, repatriate those assets to the countries harmed by corruption for the benefit of their people.

According to court documents, from 2011 to 2015, Nigerian businessmen Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Olajide Omokore conspired with others to pay bribes to Nigeria’s former Minister for Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. In return, Alison-Madueke used her influence to steer lucrative oil contracts to companies owned by Aluko and Omokore. Proceeds from the scheme of more than $100 million were then laundered into and through the United States and used to purchase various assets, including luxury real estate in California and New York as well as the Galactica Star, a 65-meter superyacht.

The real estate was also used as collateral for loans to Aluko and shell companies he controlled. As part of the forfeiture process, those lien holders were paid. The assets were forfeited as a result of corruption, bribery, money laundering, and other illegal acts in violation of Nigerian and U.S. law. The Federal Repubic of Nigeria provided crucial assistance to the United States leading to the forfeitures, including providing extensive evidentiary and investigative support.

The agreement was signed in Abuja, Nigeria by Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of Nigeria Lateef O. Fagbemi, SAN, and U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard M. Mills Jr.

Under the agreement, $50 million of the recovered funds will be dedicated to an expansion of the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-Up project, an existing electrification project funded, in part, by the International Development Association and implemented by the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency. This program is intended to increase access to electricity services in Nigeria with renewable energy generation.

Approximately $2.88 million of the forfeited funds will be used towards Nigeria’s contribution to the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ) and used to support capacity-building for criminal justice sector practitioners and relevant stakeholders in the region, including through activities focused on countering the financing of terrorism, development and implementation of the Counter-Terrorism Academic Curriculum of the IIJ, and institutional support for the IIJ particularly in the North, West, and East Africa regions.

The agreement contains key measures designed to promote transparency and accountability. Under the agreement, the $50 million dedicated to electrification programs will be managed and disbursed through a World Bank trust fund, subject to World Bank oversight controls, auditing, and publication requirements. Similarly, the IIJ counterterrorism and rule of law programs will be subject to external auditing, periodic progress reporting, and public reporting.

The CGC also disclosed that N1.622trn was lost as concession to businesses to stimulate economic growth and enhance the business environment under the federal government’s import duty exemption scheme.

Adeniyi made the disclosure on Tuesday at a media briefing on the update of activities of the Service in 2024.

He said Customs facilitated import and export trade with a total financial value of about N196.94trn in 2024 alone. In detail, he said the NCS processed imports with a value of N60.29trn, higher than the 2023 record of trade facilitation.

Adeniyi said that was done through 1,262,988 total import transactions. He announced that the trade volume of import and export for the year stood at N196.94trn. “It indicates the increasing competiveness in Nigeria made products,” Adeniyi stated.

The National Assembly yesterday lamented the poor remittances of revenues generated in 2024 by ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government (MDAs) and some government-owned enterprises (GOEs) to the Federation Account.

The Chairman, Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, expressed the concern at an interactive session on the MDAs’ revenue projections for 2025.

The federal agencies and ministries whose accounting officers and Chief executive officers attended the meeting were the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

They also included the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC).

Sani said the National Assembly was not satisfied with the widening disparity between the substantial revenue accruals to the MDAs and their consistently low remittances to the federation account.

He added, “This trend undermines the government’s capacity to fund critical infrastructure and social services, calling to question issues of inefficiency, mismanagement and possible revenue leakages.”

The Committee Chairman explained that his committee’s mandate was to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency in the financial operations of the agencies.

He said the committee would continue to scrutinise MDAs’ revenue projections, performance and adherence to statutory remittance obligations.

This, he said, was to identify systematic doubts and recommend actionable results to reverse the troubling patterns.

Musa sought the cooperation and understanding of all stakeholders at the interactive session.

He said it was imperative that accurate data, comprehensive records and open data were presented for the benefit of Nigerians.

He added, “Let us approach these tasks with a shared commitment to building a stronger, more accountable fiscal framework for Nigeria.

“I call on all of us to please be very open on all those areas that we know, even if they are not presented to us.”

He therefore directed all heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to appear in person for the defense of their 2025 budget proposals, instead of merely submitting documents.

He said the exercise was important to fulfill the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly and to ensure accountability.

He added, “This hearing is a critical step in addressing the fiscal challenges confronting the nation.

“We are committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the financial operations of government enterprises.

“The goal is to scrutinise budget projections, assess agency performance, and identify gaps in adherence to statutory remittance obligations, while proposing actionable reforms to address troubling trends.”

However, during the budget defence, a member of the committee, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC/Edo North), queried the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over its spending in 2024.

Oshiomhole asked JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to justify the N850 million spent on security, cleaning and fumigation last year.

He said: “You spent N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments. Are you being freely fed by the government? What this means is that you are spending the money you generate from poor students, many of them orphans.

“You also spent N850 million on security, cleaning and fumigation in 2024. What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?”

Oshiomhole further condemned JAMB for spending N600 million on local travels

Oloyede had earlier disclosed that JAMB remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 while it received a grant of N6 billion from the Federal Government.

Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abiodun Faleke, wondered why JAMB, a revenue-generating and self-sustaining agency, should rely on federal allocations.

Faleke said, “You remitted N4 billion and got N6 billion from the federal government. Why not keep the N4 billion and we stop the government from funding JAMB?”

He then threatened that the National Assembly might remove JAMB’s allocation in subsequent budgets unless convincing justifications for its continued reliance on government funding were provided.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has queried the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for not remitting the sum of N8 billion it generated in 2024.

This followed the presentation by the Deputy Corps Marshal, representing the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, who said though they had a target of N10 billion, they generated N13 billion.

The  joint committee is co-chaired by Musa and Hon. James Faleke made this known during an investigative hearing held  on Monday in Abuja.

“You had a target of 10 billion but generated N13 billion, but only remitted N5 billion. So you just bring the balance. You need to furnish this committee with details of the unremitted fund,”  Sani directed.

Also, joint committee threatened to stop the federal government’s grant to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in the 2025 budget proposal.

The committee also constituted a special committee to probe a shortfall of over N4 trillion revenue due to indiscriminate waivers by agencies of government.

The decision to set up a panel to probe the shortfall followed a motion moved by Senator Adamu Aliero during the hearing to probe the revenue profiles of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs) ahead of the 2025 budget.

Moving the motion, Aliero said, “Due to the issue of waiver, there is a serious shortfall between what is supposed to be collected as revenue and what is actually collected.

“From our record, over N5.9 trillion was supposed to be the consolidated revenue fund of the federation. But we only have N1.9 trillion. We need to set up a special committee that will investigate this serious anomaly.

“We cannot continue to allow revenue agencies to be spending money without the National Assembly. If someone is given a waiver, we have to find out who gave that waiver.

“A shortfall of over N4 trillion is not a small amount. We found out that over N 4.9 trillion has not been remitted. We should set up an investigative committee that would investigate all the money that has not been remitted,” he said.

He noted that the Committee was aware that a lot of GOEs collect revenues from other sources and they never disclose them.

His words: “Some of them did even disclose to the budget office. We’ve been able to get all those and we have all done our own scrutinisation and we believe that GOEs and heads of departments that are here will be able to open up to give us more details of how these revenues are sourced. We have also looked at their expenditures. You can imagine an agency collecting revenue whereby it is expected that sales is self-funded.

“Funds that are supposed to be remitted to the consolidated revenue fund and it’s never done. I think from now on we are going to block that leakage and we will do the needful.

“We will scrutinise the expenditures of these GOEs because a GOE will collect 100 percent revenue and in its expenditure, you see that it’s spending about 95 percent of that revenue it collected. So this is the avenue at which we are able to find a lasting solution to those leakages.” Thisday