Category Nigeria News

Lagos LG Chairman Passes On After Prolonged Illness

By in News, Nigeria News

The Chairman of Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area, Prince Musibau Asafa, is dead.

His death was announced by his Chief Press Secretary, Bodunrin Ayodele, on Saturday.

According to the statement, Asafa died after an undisclosed prolonged illness.

“Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area is in mourning following the passing of its Executive Chairman, Prince Musibau Adekunle Asafa. Prince Asafa, a respected politician, leader and dedicated public servant, succumbed to a prolonged illness, leaving behind a legacy of service and commitment to the people he served.

“According to a close family member, Prince Asafa’s passing was confirmed after a long battle with illness.

“Despite the efforts of medical professionals, he was unable to recover and passed on, leaving his family, friends, and colleagues in shock and grief,” the statement said in part.

As news of his passing spreads, Ayodele said tributes and condolences are expected to pour in from well-wishers, community leaders, and government officials who had the privilege of working with him.

“Prince Asafa’s leadership was marked by a commitment to improving the lives of his constituents, and his contributions to the local government will be deeply missed.

NAF Moves To Achieve Less Than Zero Civilian Casualties Objectives

By in News, Nigeria News

Chief of the Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar, on Thursday announced plans to ensure the ultimate objective of less than zero civilian casualties within the Operation Fansan Yamma Sector (2) theatres.

Abubakar disclosed this during a working visit to the Nigerian Air Force’s 213 Operating Base, Katsina, to sensitize the troops on the efforts made by the Nigerian Air Force aimed at putting in place policies, measures, and strategies that will mitigate harm to civilians within the theater they are operating.

He therefore urged troops of Operation Fansan Yamma Sector (2) to redouble their efforts towards ensuring that all criminal elements within the theatre are dealt with decisively.

Abubakar also commended the air component for their operations in the Northwest theatre on the efforts they have made in dealing with the criminal elements and terrorists.

While commending the troops for their efforts towards ensuring the nation’s security and curbing the activities of bandits and terrorists within the theatre, he charged them to ensure that peace is restored to the Northwest for citizens to go about their lawful activities.

The Chief of the Air Staff, represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, however, reminded troops that their operations in these areas in terms of counter terrorism and counter-insurgency operations will continually be bound by the laws of armed conflicts and international humanitarian law.

He underscored the need for greater collaboration with state, local councils, as well as other security agencies that are operating within the theatres to ensure that the intelligence that is received is what can be made confirmatory to be actionable without any disruptions along the line.

READ ALSO: Police Arrest 182 Suspects For Various Offences In Kaduna

“That is part of why I am here, for us to streamline those intelligence operations in order to get better results for the efforts and to be more effective in the conduct of our operations in line with our rules of engagement, which is also part of why we are here.

“We want to achieve the ultimate objective of less than zero civilian casualties within the theatres.

“Another reason for this visit is to further sensitize the troops on the efforts made by the Nigerian Air Force to put in place policies and strategies that will mitigate harm to civilians within the theater they are operating,” he noted.

In his remarks, Commander of the Nigerian Air Force’s 213 Operating Base in Katsina, who doubles as the Air Component Commander for the North-West Security Operations, Air Commodore Ibrahim Garba Jibia, believed that the visit will be a game changer for the troops expected to achieve additional successes.

EFCC Arraigns Top Bank Executives Over Alleged $12m Fraud

By in News, Nigeria News

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, arraigned the duo of Halima Buba and Innocent Mbagwu before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja for alleged fraud.

According to a statement by the EFCC, the defendants, who are Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of SunTrust Bank Ltd and Executive Director/Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank Ltd, respectively are being prosecuted on a six-count charge, bordering on money laundering to the tune of $12 million (Twelve Million Dollars).

Count two of the charge reads: “That you, HALIMA BUBA, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer SunTrust Bank Ltd, and INNOCENT MBAGWU being the Executive Director /Chief Compliance Officer SunTrust Bank Ltd on the 10th day of March, 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court aided Femi Gbamgboye to make a cash payment of the sum of Three Million United States Dollars ($3,000,000) to Suleiman Muhammed Chiroma and associates without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2l(a), 2(1), 19(l)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.”

Count three reads: “That you, HALIMA BUBA, the Managing Director/ChiefExecutive Officer of SunTrust Bank Ltd and INNOCENT MBAGWU, the Executive Director/Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank Ltd on the 13th day of March, 2025 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to make a cash payment of the sum of Three Million United States Dollars ($3,000,000) to Mukhtar Miko an associate of Suleiman Muhammed Chiroma without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 2l(a), 2( 1 ), 19(1 )( d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.”

READ ALSO: Court Jails Four Filipinos, Eight Nigerians For Internet Fraud, Cyber Terrorism

They pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges when they read to them, following which the lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, announced the readiness of the prosecution to proceed with the trial and prayed for accelerated hearing of the case.

The defence counsel, J.J. Usman, SAN, on his part, reminded the court of subsisting bail applications of the defendants, dated May 27, 2025 and prayed that the court should uphold the applications and admit the defendants to bail.

The prosecution counsel in his response, described the May 27, 2025 bail application of the defendants as incompetent, given that the defendants were neither under arrest, nor in detention, nor have appeared before the court, being the grounds provided by the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA that should precipitate a bail application, but rather applied for bail from the comfort of their homes or offices when nor action has been taken against them.

He therefore prayed the court to discountenance the said bail application and urged the defendants to make fresh bail applications in court.

While the position of the prosecution met opposition from the defence, Justice Nwite, however, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N100 million each as well as one surety each, in like sum.

The sureties he held must have landed properties in Abuja of which the particulars of the properties would be deposited with the court. The sureties are also to deposit their passports and two recent passport photographs with the court.

In addition, all the documents the sureties provided, including their residences must be verified by the court before approval.

Court Jails Four Filipinos, Eight Nigerians For Internet Fraud, Cyber Terrorism

By in News, Nigeria News

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Friday, convicted and sentenced four Filipinos and eight Nigerians to one year imprisonment each for offences bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

Justice Yellim Bogoro also gave the Filipinos a fine of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) each.

The convicts are a part of a larger number of the 792 people arrested during a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation” by EFCC operatives in December 2024 at their hideout in a seven-storey building called Big Leaf Building on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The four Filipinos; Reyna Mae Eriba, Chyna Samonte, Zara Fabian and Dominique Medina were arrested alongside their Nigerian counterparts, Chidera Ezechukwu, Favour Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan, Chinecherem Michael and
Oghomienor Jotham.

READ ALSO: EFCC Arraigns More Chinese, Filipino For Alleged Cybercrime

They were all arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos on separate charges of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

One of the charges reads: “That you Chynna Samonte sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishuble under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Ete) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022

Another charge reads: “That you, Chidera Ezechukwu Praise, sometime in May 2025 at Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court did retain the sum of N12,750,318.63 (Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighteen Million, million, Sixty-three Kobo) in your UBA account with account number 2330149541, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful act to wit: engaging in online dating scam and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 as amended and punishable under section 14(2) of the same Act.”

They all pleaded “guilty” to the offence when the charges were read to them and Justice Bogoro convicted them accordingly.

Upon the conviction of the defendants, the EFCC prosecution counsels asked the court to forfeit all the exhibits recovered from them. The items recovered from the 12 convicts includes, monies, cars, mobile devices etc all of which the court ordered should be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Apart from the one year imprisonment each, and a fine of N1m each, the Judge also ordered that upon completion of their sentences the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service should ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days.

For their Nigerian counterparts, they got options of fines ringing from N500,000 to N700,000.

Gbenga Shittu was sentenced to One year imprisonment or an option of fine in the sum of N700,000.00