The International Criminal Police Organisation has arrested more than 300 people with links to one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks, Black Axe, and other affiliated groups.

In a series of covert missions, tagged, “Operation Jackal III” in 21 countries between April and July 2024, Interpol said the highly-coordinated cybercrime group was responsible for some of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud and many other serious crimes, BBC reports Wednesday.

While the police labelled the operation as a “major blow” to the Nigerian crime network, it equally warned of its worldwide reach and technological sophistication — making the Black Axe a global threat.

The report noted that Operation Jackal III had led to the seizure of $3 million of illegal assets and more than 700 bank accounts being frozen. 

A senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, stressed the significance of financial technology and cryptocurrency in aiding the operations of cybercrime syndicates which are renowned for multi-million dollar online scams.

He said, “They are very organised and very structured. These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies… A lot of fintech developments make it easy to illegally move money around the world.”

The Black Axe is a secretive criminal network involved in trafficking, prostitution and killing operations around the world. However, cybercrime is the group’s largest source of revenue.

The report noted that several members of the dreaded group are university-educated and were recruited into the group during their schooling.

In a 2022 report by Interpol, it said, “Black Axe and similar groups are responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud as well as many other serious crimes.”

Multiple so-called “Jackal” police operations have taken place since 2022. Dozens of Black Axe and other gang members had been arrested and their electronic devices seized during these transnational raids.

In one example, Canadian authorities said they busted a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe worth more than $5 billion (£3.8bn) in 2017.

Dealing with highly sophisticated criminal groups requires a high level of technological expertise and personnel.

Interpol said it had launched the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system which enables the authorities in its 196-member countries to freeze bank accounts around the world with unprecedented speed.

The mechanism was used to halt a $40m scam targeting a Singaporean business in July 2024, the police said.

Kaya noted, “We need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi. If we can gather this data, we can take action.”

In his view, the West Africa Regional Coordinator from the Institute for Security Studies, Dr Oluwole Ojewale, blamed the government for its laxity in curtailing criminal groups such as the Black Axe, among others.

He also said politicians use members of these syndicates for their gains, providing them with the necessary tools to defraud innocent people and commit other atrocities.

“The general failure of governance in the country has put pressure on people to be initiated (into the Black Axe). It is the politicians who are arming these boys,” he asserted.

Ojewale added that “the emphasis must be on prevention not on outright operations against these criminal groups.”

President Bola Tinubu, in February 2024, pledged increased support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to increase its capacity to tackle digital offences.

This was as he deplored what he termed “mislabelling and blanket stereotyping” of Nigeria as a country with the highest prevalence of cybercrime and other forms of corrupt practices among its population.

In November 2023, the Nigerian Senate expressed concerns over an annual loss of $500m to various forms of cybercrime across the country.

It warned that if the national cybersecurity programme was not effectively funded, the gains of the digital economy would be defeated.

The report also recalled that Interpol’s Jackal Operations originated from Ireland.

In 2020, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau identified 1,000 people with links to Black Axe and arrested several members, paving the way for the exposure of a far wider network.

A detective superintendent at the GNECB, Michael Cryan, who led the operation, said Ireland had experienced a surge in money laundering, owing to the criminal acts of the Black Axe.

“They were very under the radar, very low-key. The amount of money being laundered through Ireland was astronomical.

“Bank robberies are now done with laptops – they are far more sophisticated. This is not a typical or ordinary crime… People who make decisions need to know how serious this is,” Cryan said.

He estimated that €200m ($220m; £170m) had been stolen online in Ireland in the past five years and that only accounts for the 20% of cyber-crimes that are believed to be reported.

More than €1m in crypto-assets were also seized during one operation, the report added.

Award-winning cinematography and music producer, ThankGod Omori popularly known as TG Omori, has revealed that he had a failed kidney transplant after his brother donated to him to improve his kidney-related ailment.

Omori revealed this on Wednesday, shortly after disclosing that he was going through hell and that Nigerians should pray for him.

He wrote, “One year after my kidney crashed, I just had a failed transplant at St Nicolas Hospital Lagos. Pray for me.”

The cinematographer also noted that he had gone into the theatre three times already and that he was not just destined to die today.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Omori recounted his brother donating his kidney to him.

“Yesterday, my only brother gave me one of his kidneys so I could live again.

“Keep my spirit alive. I don’t wanna die,” he wrote.

The music producer, who has been away from the public for some time now, shared the picture of him crying on the hospital bed while receiving oxygen.

Although he has been making cryptic tweets about his health before the recent transplant.

Last month, the award-winning music producer wrote on his X handle, “If I cross your mind, sometimes say a prayer for me.

“Poor marijuana, they blame you for all my rasclaat.

“You wanna eat, I wanna live.”

These revelations have left netizens concerned about his health; many have left words of encouragement and prayers for his quick healing and recovery.

A user on X.com, who tweeted with the handle #Mr Ebony, said, “The biggest sacrifices are from families, especially brothers. Quick recovery bruh.”

Another user who tweeted anonymously with the handle #Ikorodu President wrote, “Ohh really, hadn’t been you tell me I would have gladly give you one of mine so you can live.”

“Stay strong, wishing you speed recovery. Nothing go do you in Jesus name,” A user with handle #Honest30bgfan said.

“When they tell you to stop smoking, you guys won’t listen. Thank God for giving you a second chance,” a user with the handle #Realtimmywrld opined.

One Winifred, who tweeted on X.com as Winifred, said, “Such a sweet soul he is. Wishing you a quick healing.”

TG Omori, also known as Boy Director, is a familiar name to Nigerian music lovers.

He has been active in the music industry since 2018 and has directed videos for a diverse range of music recording artistes, including Olamide, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tekno, Kizz Daniel, Fireboy DML, Falz, Naira Marley, Asake, and many others.

The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has lamented the growing insecurity in Nigeria, fuelled by the activities of terrorists and bandits.

Obi, in a statement on Wednesday, decried the collapse of the nation’s security infrastructure, lamenting that Nigerians are at the mercy of terrorists and bandits.

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent killing of the Emir of Gobir by kidnappers and the subsequent return to abduct 150 innocent people, and steal 1,000 cattle by the bandits after the brutal killing of the traditional ruler, Peter Obi described the event as beyond tragedy and now a national emergency.

The former Anambra State Governor demanded the government take decisive action on the challenges of insecurity bedevilling the country, noting that it is time to put an end to rhetoric statements without corresponding action.

“Still reeling from the shocking news of the tragic murder of the Emir of Gobir, my earlier message reflected my deep sorrow and dismay. Yet, even those words now feel insufficient to convey the weight of one’s feeling of tragic loss.

“This most recent atrocity marks the tipping point in the decline of a failing state. The fact that, according to widely circulated reports, the terrorists returned to the emir’s domain, abducted 150 innocent people, and stole 1,000 cattle, after his brutal murder serves as a grim indication of the continued collapse of our national security infrastructure. We are now at the mercy of terrorists and bandits, with a nearly ineffective government to protect us. This is not just a tragedy, but a national emergency.

“We demand decisive action, not empty rhetoric, to confront this crisis. This is why I strongly advocate for a declaration of war on insecurity, the food crisis, and poverty—a stance that some have twisted, distorted, and used for their agendas.

“It’s time for us to take collective responsibility. We cannot stand by as our nation deteriorates to this unacceptable level. We must revive our commitment to the safety and security of all Nigerians. Enough must now be enough. -PO,” Obi wrote via his account on the X platform.

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has explained why the federal government is yet to implement the Steve Oronsaye report.

Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday after a visit to the headquarters of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) in Abuja, Gbajabiamila said the federal government is working out all necessary modalities to ensure a smooth implementation of the policy.

The Chief of Staff also shut down suggestions that the report has been thrown under the carpet or is being ignored.

He, however, added that there is no timeline yet for the implementation of the Oronsaye report.

Naija News recalls the Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Bola Tinubu, in February, approved the full implementation of the Oronsaye report to merge some parastatals, agencies, and some commissions, while others will be subsumed, scrapped or relocated.

The government further set up an eight-man committee with the mandate to make recommendations on the mergers, scrapings, and relocations within 12 weeks.

However, six months later, the report has not been implemented.

The Oronsaye report is expected to reduce the cost of governance and streamline efficiency across the governance value chain.

Origin

In 2011, then President Goodluck Jonathan set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies with Steve Oronsaye as chairman.

On April 16, 2012, the committee submitted an 800-page report identifying, amongst several other things, overlapping agencies, causing wastage in expenditure.

The report said there were 541 parastatals, commissions and agencies and recommended that 263 of the agencies should be reduced to 161, 38 agencies abolished and 52 merged.

An estimated 31.8 million Nigerians are enduring acute food insecurity, a crisis that is further intensified by widespread malnutrition among women and children across the nation.

According to the 2024 Cadre Harmonise report, the surge in food prices—largely driven by the removal of fuel subsidies coupled with ongoing security challenges—has pushed millions of Nigerians into a dire situation.

In a statement released on Wednesday by Julie Osagie-Jacobs, the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, development partners including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Green Action in Enterprises (GAIN), GIZ, and Agsys disclosed these findings during a joint review meeting on the implementation of food systems in Nigeria, held from August 26th to 27th, 2024.

The report highlights a significant increase in the number of people facing acute food insecurity, rising sharply from the 18.6 million identified by the U.N. World Food Programme as vulnerable between October and December 2023.

“The surge in food commodity prices, which is a result of the removal of fuel subsidy in addition to security challenges, has placed millions of Nigerians in a precarious situation,” the ministry said.

Stakeholders at the meeting emphasized the need for a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach to address the food security crisis, stressing that such cooperation is essential to tackling the various challenges simultaneously.

They also noted the importance of involving civil society organizations and the private sector to broaden the reach of nutrition initiatives.

Despite the grim findings, the development partners pledged their unwavering support to transform Nigeria’s food system.

The report was produced in collaboration with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and the German development agency GIZ, utilizing data from the Cadre Harmonise, a regional food security framework.

Nigeria’s national convener of Food Systems and Director of Social Development in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Sanjo Faniran, stated that the study has been instrumental in identifying gaps, successes, and challenges while offering recommendations to improve the situation.

This report comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with soaring food inflation, which has now surpassed 40 percent.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said lawyers who are paid by their clients from corruption proceeds would be arrested and prosecuted.

The Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said lawyers who receive payment from clients must ensure their payment comes from legitimate sources. He argued that receiving pay from corruption proceeds is also aiding and abetting corruption.

Olukoyde stated this on Tuesday at a panel discussion on money laundering during the 64th Annual General Conference of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Conference 2024, in Lagos.

The EFCC boss maintained that international conventions would not always dictate the way the agency operates.

He emphasized that it is the duty of EFCC to trace proceeds of crime, adding that if proceeds of crime are traced as payment to a lawyer, the agency would arrest the lawyer.

Olukoyede said, “As lawyers, we are supposed to hold a position of trust in our professional conduct. While we try to comply with international laws and regulations, we should also do what is right for ourselves so as to protect the sanctity of our profession, which is very key.

“Doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily come from the way of international conventions. If you do the right things, they will automatically take you off the grey list.

“It is expedient on you to, at least, know who your client is. You are expected to be paid from a legitimate source. If you are a victim of crimes, you will understand what I am saying. As lawyers, you must not, in any way, derogate or demean your professional commitment to your clients.

“Even a part of the Money Laundering Act that we have evaluated doesn’t stop me from enforcing the regulations of the EFCC Act and other financial laws in Nigeria.

“It is my duty to trace the proceeds of crimes. And if I trace it to you, I will invite you for questioning, and it is your duty to answer my questions.

“I mean, why do we talk about aiding and abetting crimes? Why do we have accessories before and after the fact? Knowing these will assist me to determine your level of culpability or otherwise.

“We are not saying you are not entitled to your pay, but what we are saying is that the money that comes to you must not be proceeds of crimes.”

dines with Edo Governor, Obaseki and wife 

Nigerian music sensation Divine Ikubor, known to the world as Rema, was showered with overwhelming love and admiration by the Edo State government and its people during his grand homecoming welcome party.

The celebration was not just an ordinary gathering; it was a powerful reunion with his roots, filled with heartfelt moments and unforgettable scenes.

The hometown hero, who is gearing up for his much-hyped homecoming concert in Benin City, was seen sharing an emotionally charged moment with his mother, a scene that melted the hearts of many who watched the video.

On Tuesday, August 27, his record label, Mavin, ignited social media by posting a video of his arrival on X.com, accompanied by the caption, “Benin, your illustrious son; The Prince of Afrobeats – Rema is Home!” This post was just the beginning of a whirlwind of emotions and events that unfolded as the Edo boy returned to his homeland.

One particularly touching video showed Rema and his mother sharing a tender, intimate moment amid the vibrant chaos of the event. The video went viral, capturing the essence of a son’s deep love for his mother, as Rema’s mother, a picture of grace and beauty, beamed with joy while speaking lovingly to her superstar son.

Rema, clearly enchanted by his mother’s presence, couldn’t help but compliment her on her stunning attire, his voice filled with pride and admiration.

Adding to the evening’s splendor, another video emerged showing the Mavin prodigy dining with Edo State Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and his wife, Betsy Bene Obaseki.

The trio laughed heartily, sharing stories and enjoying the festivities, with Rema clearly feeling the love and pride of his people enveloping him.

SEE VIDEO BELOW

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has highlighted that Nigeria’s average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate has been steadily declining since 2014, indicating a downturn in the economic well-being of Nigerians.

Speaking at Sunday’s Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual general conference, Okonjo-Iweala noted that Nigeria’s economic fortunes reversed following a decade of positive growth between 2000 and 2014 when the average GDP growth rate was approximately 3.8%. During this period, GDP growth outpaced the nation’s population growth by around 2.6% annually.

However, the situation has deteriorated since 2014, with GDP growth showing a negative rate of 0.9%. Okonjo-Iweala attributed this to the government’s inability to sustain the positive growth of previous administrations.

“Many of the significant challenges the NBA faces today are rooted in Nigeria’s failure to maintain the rate of economic growth that consistently outpaced our population growth. We had periods of reform and faster economic growth not solely dependent on oil prices. Still, we failed to build on these gains, leading to diminished job prospects and reduced well-being for many Nigerians,” she said.

She emphasized that between 2000 and 2014, Nigeria enjoyed an average GDP growth rate of 3.8%, significantly above the 2.6% population growth rate, which improved living standards. In contrast, the following decade saw an average annual GDP per capita growth of -0.9%, indicating a decline in living standards due to a lack of sustained positive growth momentum.

To address these issues, Okonjo-Iweala called for sustained good economic policies regardless of the administration or political party in power. She argued that policy inconsistencies have contributed to Nigeria’s economic fortunes’ reversal and advocated for a social contract between the government and the people that transcends political changes.

“Maintaining good economic and social policies, ensuring policy consistency, and implementing additional reforms will help guide Nigeria towards the progress we all desire,” she added.

Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Nigeria’s GDP growth rate declined to 2.98% in the latest quarter, down from 3.46% in the previous quarter but higher than the 2.31% recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023.

Six state governments including Ekiti, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Yobe, Nasarawa, and Bayelsa have spent about N160bn on airport projects that opposition politicians and aviation professionals classified as unviable.

Stakeholders say the huge public funds expended on the facilities have amounted to waste. They condemned the state governors and asked Nigerians to hold them responsible for the waste.

However, some industry players advised that the facilities be converted into skill acquisition centres for the benefit of the citizens.

Some called on relevant authorities to probe the money spent on the unviable projects.

Checks by the PUNCH showed that the six states spent over N160bn on their various airport projects, but the facilities have not attracted a considerable number of aircraft for charter or commercial purposes.

Apart from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that generate about 80 per cent of revenues for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, other airports constitute a financial burden to FAAN.

But, despite the challenges facing most of the aerodromes in the country, more state governments have continued to pump scarce resources into the construction of more airports with most designating them as “cargo airports.”

In the last decade, no fewer than 10 state governments have mooted or commenced such projects.

Some of the states include Osun, Ebonyi, Ogun, Benue, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Abia, Ekiti, and Bayelsa. Sadly, most of these projects were never completed, while others were abandoned by their successors in office.

They include Asaba Airport, Ebonyi Airport, Bayelsa Airport, Ogun Cargo Airport, MKO Abiola International Airport, Osun, which is uncompleted, Ekiti Cargo Airport, Anambra Cargo Airport, Abia Airport, Wachakal Airport in Damaturu, and Dutse International Airport in Jigawa.

Others are Lafia Airport in Nasarawa which is uncompleted, Kebbi Airport, Auchi Airport in Edo which is uncompleted, Zamfara Airport, and Gombe Airport.

In 2017, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State commenced his move to build an airport in the state. Six years later, the governor renewed his zeal for the project, A cargo airport in Umueri, in the Anambra East Local Government Area.

Anambra State is surrounded by airports in Delta, Imo, and Enugu states but the governor embarked on the project.

Though many believed the project was new in the plans of the government and needless, the governor in April 2017 flagged off the airport project.

At the flagging-off ceremony in April 2017, Obiano said that the government wanted to create an airport city in the state with a model that would accommodate two runways, an aviation fuel dump, an airport hotel, an industrial business park, an international convention centre, as well as a facility for aircraft maintenance.

He had initially boasted that the airport with a cost implication of $2b as at when it was conceived would join some of the most advanced airports in the world with a capacity to land any of the most sophisticated vessels known to man.

In 2021, the state government said N6b was spent and not $2b as alleged in some quarters.

Also, the immediate past aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, conveyed the approval for the construction of the Ebonyi airport through correspondence to then Governor David Umahi, now Minister of Works. The letter was signed by the Director of Safety and Technical Policy, Capt Talba Alkali, on behalf of the ministry in 2019.

At the commissioning of the airport, Umahi revealed that he spent over N36bn to build the airport, located in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area. But as at the time of filing this report, the airport situation is best described as comatose.

The immediate past Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, expended N16bn public funds on the Akure airport, but the airport has also refused to attract aircraft over its non-viability.

When the governor conceived the idea, it was greeted by criticisms from stakeholders both in the state and beyond but the governor vetoed the cargo airport which is currently not in use. 

As of January 2023, the Special Adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Budget, Economic Planning, and Performance Management, Niyi Adebayo, revealed that N16.6bn had been spent on the yet-to-be-completed facility in Ekiti State.

He explained that the fund was used for perimeter fencing, completion of the runway and taxiway, terminal building, and payment of compensation for the farmers whose farmlands were acquired for the project.

In Jigawa State, ex-governor Sule Lamido, also pumped N4bn to build an airport for the state, one that was commissioned in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The airport facility is located less than 100km from Aminu Kano International Airport, making experts describe it as wasteful spending.

Also, in Bayelsa, former Governor Seriake Dickson spent N70bn on the construction of an airport which began in 2012 and was completed in February 2019.

The amount spent on the airport by the governor has been disputed by some stakeholders, among which was the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomole.

Oshiomhole had stated that the project gulped over N100bn but Dickson insisted that it was done at the rate of N70bn.

Same for Yobe State where the transport commissioner, Abdullahi Kukuwa, had recently told newsmen that the state spent more than N18bn on the unused airport project initiated in 2017.

Like its counterpart, the Nasarawa cargo airport project was initiated in December 2015 during the second tenure of a former Governor Umaru Al-Makura, who said he had the vision to open the state for investment opportunities.

The project was estimated at N10bn and was to ease cargo traffic at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, because Nasarawa is the closest state bordering the FCT.

Aviation professionals speak

The General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table, a group for industry professionals, Olumide Ohunayo, criticised the scale of some airport projects, arguing that while building airports is essential, the funds allocated and the size of these developments are often disproportionate to the immediate needs.

“I am not one of those who criticise the building of an airport. What I criticise is the size of the airport and the funds made available for such developments,” Ohunayo said.

He emphasised that airports typically start as social infrastructure rather than profit-making ventures. “It’s when it begins to develop that they now think about commercialising and maybe giving to private investors.”

Ohunayo further noted the tendency in Nigeria to start airport projects on a large scale without sufficient flight operations to justify the investment. “When you don’t have any flight and you are starting big, you want to operate internationally from the very first day,” he said.

He also pointed out the irony that some of the experts who now criticize these projects were previously involved in advising the government and securing funds for such developments.

On his part, Capt John Okakpu said aside from the Anambra airport, all of the other mentioned airports should be converted to skill acquisition centres or any form of public facility that will be of use to the people.

“Immediately these governors see a colleague that has embarked on such a project even when the fellow did not achieve success, you will see the others doing the same, but my question is, why should a right-thinking human want to replicate failure? In all, it is to steal.

“For instance, before you think of building an airport you should be able to ascertain the passenger traffic. It is not rocket science, you must do it even before any other study.”

Also, the Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security Limited, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd.), echoed similar sentiments, questioning the approval process and the lack of a solid business plan behind these airport projects.

“When were they approved by the National Civil Aviation Authority? What was the business plan behind it?” he asked, stressing the importance of having a clear operational base and understanding the potential passenger traffic.

Ojikutu also criticized the focus on building new airports in regions with low travel demand, using Ekiti State as an example. “I told the people in Ekiti not to build an airport, but to build a road to connect Ekiti and Akure. The money they will make on the road is much more than the money you will make from the airport,” he noted.

Opposition mock governors

Although the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, defended his predecessor for the construction of an airport in the state, opposition politicians said the facility was unnecessary

Oyebanji said all the airport was awaiting was certification from the regulatory agencies to begin commercial operations and promised that the airport would begin operations before the end of the year

“On access to Ekiti State, our airport is practically ready. But in Nigeria, I have learned something about technical readiness and practical readiness. Our airport is ready, but I don’t want to play politics with safety. So we are waiting for the regulatory agencies to give us all the certifications.

“As I speak today, they are in Ekiti now at the airport, trying to look at what we have put on the ground. Once we have the certification from NCAA and FAAN, then access to Ekiti State will be sorted out at least through the air. I don’t want to give a timeframe but before the end of this year, commercial operations will begin at the Ekiti State airport,” he said.

However, the state Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Alaba Agboola, said the airport was not the priority of Ekiti State for now, describing the money injected into the project as waste.

Agboola said, “Yes, I agree that Ekiti needs an airport, but if we need something, we must at the same time look at the viability of that project. Ekiti receives meagre amounts compared to other states of the Federation. I think we must be able to prioritize our needs.

“If we want to prioritise our needs in Ekiti State, the airport is not one of them because there is an airport in Akure that can be serviceable to us. We have so many needs that require government attention now. I don’t think there is any need to have an airport that is not viable, that is not commercially oriented, that is just tying down our money.

“I can term it to be wasteful spending of Ekiti resources. After the inauguration of the airport in 2022, the airport has been stagnated. An airport that is not usable.

On his part, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, Ebiowou Koku-Obiyai, defended the construction of the state’s airport but was noncommittal on whether it was viable or not.

Koku-Obiyai told our correspondent that the airport offered an alternative to people in the neighbouring states of Delta and Rivers states.

On whether it is still operating commercially, she said there was an arrangement with an airline, which seems to have been disrupted as of the time of filing this report.

But the candidate of the Labour Party during the last election, Udengs Eradiri, said he was surprised when he heard that the state was trying to procure an airplane, stressing that he was yet to understand why.

“Do they have discipline? They have not shown discipline in the management of the state assets. Are we buying a plane like Rivers State or Ibom Air of Akwa Ibom? The governor is travelling about. He should sit in the state and get the Bayelsa State economy going,” Eradiri stated.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Energy in Yobe State, Dr Mustapha Geidam, said the government is actively collaborating with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to secure the requisite clearance for the commencement of commercial operations at the state airport. In Ebonyi, a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Silas Onu, described the airport as ill-conceived, saying it was a white elephant project.

According to him, a right-thinking governor could have opted for massive industrialisation of the state seeing that agriculture was its main economic base.

He added that the project was a huge waste to the state, which had not added any economic value to its citizens.

“As an opening remark, may I indicate that the said airport was built and commissioned as a completed project by the immediate past Governor, David Umahi. The commissioning was widely broadcast with the landing of one aircraft from Air Peace. I doubt if any other plane landed at the airport after the official commission/opening of that airport.

“So I was personally shocked and taken aback when the newly sworn-in Governor Nwifuru began spending billions on the newly unused airport, for what he termed as rehabilitation or was it renovation? Whichever it was, there was absolutely no need for further needless spending on what has now become a white elephant project.”

The Federal Government has finally initiated plans to enlist the services of an external auditor to verify the N2.7tn fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited against the government.

The yet-to-be-named auditor will assist the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation in determining the real amount owed by the government.

This development comes five months after the plan was proposed at the monthly Federation Allocation Accounts Committee meeting in April 2024.

NNPC claimed an outstanding of N6tn but was reduced to N2.7tn after an initial audit by an audit firm, KPMG.

The PUNCH had reported that the audit would span from 2015 to 2021.

Although the Director of Home Finance at the Ministry of Finance, Ali Mohammed, has always provided updates at every FAAC meeting, the latest development for an external auditor indicates that no concrete step has been taken to audit the claim.

On May 30, 2023, a few hours after the “subsidy is gone” declaration by President Bola Tinubu, the NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, told State House correspondents that the Federal Government still owed the firm the sum of N2.8tn spent on petrol subsidy.

While saying the NNPC footed petrol subsidy bills from its cash flow, Kyari said the government had so far been unable to pay back the N2.8tn.

Lagos-Calabar highway demolition: 100 landowners team up for fresh legal war
He said, “Since the provision of the N6tn in 2022 and N3.7tn in 2023, we have not received any payment from the Federation.

“That means they (the Federal Government) are unable to pay and we’ve continued to support this subsidy from the cash flow of the NNPC. We are waiting for them to settle up to N2.8tn of NNPC’s cash flow from the subsidy regime and we can’t continue to build this.”

A copy of the minutes of the recent FAAC meeting obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday in Abuja revealed that a selection process for an external auditor by the procurement department of the finance ministry has begun.

The minute read, “On the forensic audit covering the period 2015 to 2021 to Authenticate NNPC/Federation Claims in Respect of N2.7tn withheld by NNPC Limited:

“The Director of Home Finance reported that the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation was still working on the matter, adding that the Procurement Department of the Ministry had also put structures in place for the engagement of an external auditor, who would assist OAuGF to carry out the assignment.”

Commenting on the issue, the Chairman of Commissioners’ Forum/HCF, Ekiti State, suggested the need to extend the period of the audit review to December 2023, considering that the exercise was yet to commence.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of Finance, Lydia Jafiya, suggested the need to limit the scope of the audit exercise to cover the period 2021 to June 2022, when NNPC was a corporation before transitioning to a Limited Liability Company.

Concluding, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, appreciated the contributions of members on the issue and expressed optimism that the exercise would be speedily executed.