The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development expresses deep concern as it confirms the occurrence of an anthrax case in Niger State, Nigeria. On July 14, 2023, the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria received a report regarding animals displaying symptoms suspected to be anthrax on a farm in Suleja, Niger State. The affected farm, located at Gajiri along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway in Suleja LGA, is a multi-species farm housing cattle, sheep, and goats. Several animals exhibited symptoms such as the oozing of blood from various body openings, including the anus, nose, eyes, and ears. A Rapid…
Author: Adewale A.
Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has handed down convictions and sentences to 37 individuals involved in the impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents. Among them, Silvar Meche Uzoeto (aka William Parker) has been sentenced to one year in prison for his crimes, violating Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015, and punishable under the same section of the Act. On Wednesday, July 13, 2023, Uzoeto pleaded guilty to the one-count charge brought against him by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission…
The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended Adeniran Ayobami Tijesunimi, an ex-cybercrime convict, along with fifty-four individuals for their alleged involvement in internet fraud and other related criminal activities. Adeniran Ayobami Tijesunimi had previously been convicted and sentenced to seven months imprisonment by Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, on February 15, 2022, for his participation in cybercrime. The arrest of Tijesunimi and the other suspects took place in Oyo town, Oyo State on July 13, 2023. Their apprehension was the result of verified intelligence concerning their…
In a recent ruling on Friday, July 14, Justice M. Itsueli of the Edo State High Court in Benin City convicted and sentenced two individuals involved in internet fraud. The offenders, namely Wisdom Osazuwa, an 18-year-old self-proclaimed tailor, and Oyegun Osadebamwen Godwin, a student, were separately arraigned by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges related to the unlawful possession of fraudulent documents. During their arraignment, both Osazuwa and Godwin pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them. Consequently, the prosecution counsel, Salihu Ahmed, requested the court to convict and sentence the defendants…
BudgIT, a foremost civic-tech organization leading the advocacy for accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery in Nigeria, is set to host the second edition of the Active Citizens Awards. This year’s award, themed ‘Trailblazers of Change: Pioneering Solutions, Shaping the Future,’ is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The Active Citizens Award is a BudgIT signature effort to honour and spotlight individuals and organizations doing ground-breaking humanitarian work in Nigeria’s civic space. Among the recipients of the maiden edition was Tunde Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums, who was presented…
…Court describes APC’s interference as a busybody, meddlesome interloper and pokenoser …Refuses to declare Owodunni as IKLG Representative …Agrees totally with the merit of the case The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, today, July 13, 2023, dismissed the suit filed by Hon Dr Sulaiman Adeniye and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Jide Owodunni and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) purely on procedural grounds and not on the merit of the case. Justice Adefunmilola Ajayi while agreeing to the withdrawal of Jide Owodunni from the 2023 election and defection to All Progressives Congress (APC) only faulted the plaintiff…
We stumbled upon this piece written by Professor Wole Soyinka. It is an open letter to Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, the 11th Emir of Ilorin. The letter was necessitated by the recent crisis over Isese Festival in Ilorin, Kwara State. Read this piece below and share your thoughts! Your Royal Highness, So soon after the Muslim season of spiritual purification, it is sad to see the ancient city of Ilorin, a confluence of faiths and ethnic varieties, reduced to this level of bigotry and intolerance, manifested in the role of a presiding monarch. The truncation of a people’s traditional festival is a…
According to Dele Alake, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to depart from Abuja on Saturday, July 8, to attend the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the capital city of Guinea-Bissau, Bissau. The summit, scheduled for Sunday, July 9, will address various crucial sub-regional matters. This includes discussing the report from the 50th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council (MSC), focusing on the security challenges faced by member countries. The financial situation of ECOWAS and the implementation of the African Continental…
During the Ogun State governorship election petition Tribunal proceedings, reports from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other relevant documents were admitted as evidence against Governor Dapo Abiodun. Ladi Adebutu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), filed a petition challenging Abiodun’s victory, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices during the election. Adebutu’s counsel, Goddy Uche (SAN), presented the BVAS reports, INEC results, and additional documents, totalling 8,000, before the three-member Tribunal. Uche requested the court to admit these documents as “exhibits” against Governor Abiodun. However, the respondents requested the opportunity to inspect the…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called upon secondary school students in Oyo State to reject involvement in cybercrime and to report any criminal activities they witness in their schools and communities. ACE I Halima Mustafa Rufa’u, the Acting Commander of the Ibadan Zonal Command, made this appeal during a pre-Integrity Club inauguration sensitization program held in selected schools in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on Wednesday, July 5. Speaking through the Head of the Public Affairs Department of the Zonal Command, DSE Egbodofo Olumide, Rufa’u expressed concern about the high prevalence of cybercrime among young people.…
The Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained convictions in two separate cases related to personation. On July 5, 2023, Canice Agabi was convicted by Justice A.Y. Shafa of the FCT High Court in Gwagwalada-Abuja, while the same judge convicted Nwozor Martins. In Agabi’s case, he presented himself as an American citizen under the username ‘Randy Sylvester’ on Instagram. He deceived Anne Fuscelaro, a United States citizen, into believing he operated a cryptocurrency company called Prime Cash Investment. Agabi fraudulently obtained $1,000 from Fuscelaro by promising high returns on investment in Bitcoin. The offence…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has received a call to forge closer ties with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fulfil its mandate and encourage public involvement in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Mr Philip Arome Omachi, President of the Safety Ambassadors Network, made this appeal on July 5 during an advocacy visit to the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Commission. He emphasized that the EFCC requires the support of Nigerians to achieve long-lasting results. In response, ACE 1 Aisha Abubakar, the Acting Commander of the Kaduna Zonal Command, assured the visitors that the Commission is committed to its…
Kabiru Mohammed Shanono was brought before Justice Aisha Mahmud of the Kano State High Court on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was charged with criminal misappropriation. According to the allegations, the defendant received two trucks of maize valued at N18,537,390 (Eighteen Million Five Hundred and Thirty-seven Thousand Three Hundred and Ninety Naira) from the complainant, with an agreement to make full payment upon the sale of the goods. However, he failed to fulfil the agreement and only remitted N13,400,000, diverting N5,137,930 for personal use. During the course of the investigation, the defendant…
BudgIT, a leading civic-tech organization advocating accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery in Nigeria, has launched its States Fiscal Transparency League (SFTL). The SFTL initiative builds on the recently concluded World Bank’s State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) Program, which promoted fiscal transparency and facilitated accountability in public resource management. Recall that the World Bank developed SFTAS (States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability), a four-year program to support the government’s objective and encourage a common set of fiscal behaviour aimed at fiscal transparency, accountability, and sustainability. Based on this, BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League initiative is designed to sustain…
On Monday, July 3, 2023, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Maiduguri Zonal Command brought charges against Isyaku Ibrahim (also known as Alhaji Isyaku Ibrahim) before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri. The amended charge accuses Ibrahim of criminal misappropriation amounting to N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira). The charge reads: “That you, Ishiyaku Ibrahim (aka Alhaji Ishiyaku Ibrahim) sometime between 2014 and 2019 at Jajere Baga Road, Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court being entrusted with dominion over certain properties belonging to Muhammad Ishiyaku (now deceased) to wit: (1) three houses,…
The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully obtained convictions against 16 individuals involved in internet fraud. The convictions were secured before Justice F.I Riman of the Federal High Court in Akwa, Anambra State, on June 27, 2023. The charges against the defendants revolved around impersonation. The convicted individuals are Ukwuoma Mmasi Joseph, Godwin John Ifeanyi, Azubuike Chimaobi Kelvin, Chukwuma Peter, Mboji Henry Chima, Ngene Chukwuma Samuel, Michael Ogbodo, Michael Elijah, Okafor Ifeanyi Gabriel, Obiozor Franklin, Agah Chukwuebuka David, and Iloabuchi Damian Okafor. Additionally, Ifeanyi Jeff Ukwuoma, Chukwudalu Marvellous Kalu, Kulugh Mbatierev Simon, and…
RivExcel Health, a leading international medical tourism facilitator, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Neuro Spinal Hospital (NSH), a renowned healthcare institution with advanced services in comprehensive oncology, orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery, and spinal surgery. RivExcel in a statement circulated to media houses said, “This collaboration aims to expand and enhance the medical tourism services provided by RivExcel Health, further solidifying their commitment to offering high-quality medical solutions to patients from Africa seeking treatment in Dubai.” The press release noted, “As part of this partnership, RivExcel Health has independently vetted and selected NSH based on their exceptional reputation, expertise,…
In a recent post on Twitter, Executive Chair Elon Musk revealed that Twitter will impose restrictions on the number of tweets users can read in a day. The purpose of this measure is to discourage excessive data scraping and system manipulation, which can lead to undesirable consequences. Initially, verified accounts were allowed to read up to 6,000 posts per day. Additionally, unverified accounts had a limit of 600 posts per day, while new unverified accounts were limited to 300. However, Musk later shared an update stating that the temporary reading limits had been adjusted. Verified users would now be permitted…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called upon real estate operators in Lagos to prioritise due diligence on their customers as a means to combat the issues of money laundering and terrorist financing in the country. Michael T. Wetkas, the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, delivered this charge during a sensitization workshop on Anti-Money Laundering, Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/CPF) organized by the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) at the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Command in Ikoyi on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Wetkas emphasized the necessity of registration with SCUML as…
On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Justice Efe Ikponmwonba of the Edo State High Court in Benin City handed down a conviction and two-year prison sentence to Idoko Innocent, a hair stylist, for engaging in internet fraud. The journey of the convict towards imprisonment began with his apprehension by operatives from the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for his involvement in online fraud. He had allegedly posed as a white man named Don Smart to deceive unsuspecting victims, an act that violated section 384(1) of the Criminal Code Law of Edo State Law, 2022. During…