Archive August 14, 2025

Following the arrest of 93 suspected internet fraudsters at a hotel within the precincts of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) will tomorrow, Friday, August 15, 2025, arraign 23 of the suspects before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to a statement by the EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, in their profiling, almost all the suspects arrested have been indicted for alleged offences bordering on impersonation, identity, and internet fraud.

The arraignment of the suspects, scheduled in batches, is coming on the heels of their arrest at a pool party where they were celebrating.

The EFCC said its intelligence report gathered that the party was initially planned to hold in two locations, but was shifted to the hotel in OOPL to escape possible arrest by operatives of the commission.

The agency said the planners got wind of the commission’s intelligence and scampered to the OOPL, expecting a sort of covering from arrest.

“The former president’s facility was not a target of EFCC’s operations. The suspects were the targets and have confessed to their involvement in internet crimes.

The Federal Government has said that at least 12 of the 246 custodial centres in Nigeria are undergoing rehabilitation.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who disclosed this on Thursday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said many of the custodial centres were built 100 years ago and were old.

“Mr President did not become President 100 years ago. We have 246 correctional centres, and none were established under this administration.

“The one in Ikoyi was established, I think, in 1956. The one where we had the jail break in Suleja, I think, was established in 1914, and there are so many correctional centres that are 100 years old.

“I can tell you that about 12 correctional centres are undergoing rehabilitation,” the minister said.

READ ALSO: Jailbreak: Gov Sule Visits Keffi Custodial Centre

He explained that some of the centres did not have medical doctors until President Bola Tinubu approved the employment of doctors for the facilities.

“What you look at what this government has been able to do in the last two years with regards to even Port Harcourt prison, which was in a bad state, what the President has been able to do in Kuje, where some weeks ago, major surgeries were held.

“That is beyond the infrastructure. When this government came on board, we had a scenario whereby in some state commands, we didn’t have a single doctor for the correctional centre.

“But the President came, approved the employment of 50 doctors, 100 nurses, and also approved that NYSC doctors should also be posted to correctional centres,” Tunji-Ojo explained.

On what the government was doing to fortify the custodial centres, the minister said, “A lot is going on. There is a lot I wouldn’t want to talk about. As I said, we have 246 correctional centres.

“You cannot expect Mr. President to fix 246 locations — in each location, you can have about 10 structures — within two years. So, what we are doing is we are collaborating.

“Yes, we are not where we want to be, but we are not where we were. And how have we been able to do this? Of course, I have to say a big thank you to the other security agencies.

The Global Senior Pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo, has apologised over his comment about the revered preacher and first general evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Joseph Ayo Babalola. 

Fatoyinbo had in a viral clip labelled the late Babalola as “anointed” but claimed that “all the grace just went like that” because the preacher “had no money” and asked, “Where are his children?”

That comment triggered a backlash with the CAC calling it “both insensitive and ill-informed”.

However, in a statement on his Facebook account late Thursday, the COZA pastor expressed regret over the remark, even though he said the comment had “been misconstrued”.

He wrote, “..I apologise if any other statement made by me has caused any form of distress, hurt, or discontentment to the CAC, the family of the late Apostle Babalola, or his associates. I will never disrespect or speak of them in that manner, either publicly or privately.”

Describing Babalola as a “most distinguished father of faith in Nigeria and indeed all over the world,” the clergyman said “many of the churches in this part of the world take their DNA either directly or indirectly from the ministry and grace over the life of Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola of which I cannot but also state categorically that I am a beneficiary”.

“Our church is known worldwide as a place of honour, and I would never in any way or manner take lightly the grace over Apostle Babalola, his children, or his ministry for granted or speak lightly of the same,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

His comment came hours after CAC’s Director of Publicity, Ade Alawode, said the Abuja-based cleric’s claim was “Biblically flawed”.

Alawole, in the CAC statement, stated, “To equate anointing or ministerial success with material wealth is biblically flawed. The words of Jesus are clear: Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses — Luke 12:15.”

“Ethically speaking, Apostle Babalola had children. Simple arithmetic should help you understand that they would be advanced in age by now — possibly your grandparents’ age. What did you hope to achieve with the mocking question, ‘Where are the children of Babalola?’

“Your statement reflects more on the kind of company you keep, but as a preacher of the Word, shouldn’t your conduct and utterances be guided by Scripture?

“Where in the Bible does your brand of prosperity theology originate — one that demeans people for not being wealthy?