The Ogun State Police Command said it had arrested a septuagenarian landlord, identified simply as Adesina, for allegedly defiling and impregnating his tenant’s 14-year-old girl (name withheld) at Akegbeyale Street in Ifesowapo Akute, Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the residents and other tenants were thrown into a state of shock when the septuagenarian suspect was found on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, having sexual intercourse with the 14-year-old girl at about 10:15 pm in the house bathroom.

The minor, according to a police source who was part of the team that arrested the 71-year-old suspect but was not permitted to speak for the command, was said to have made her way to the apartment’s bathroom to take a shower.

Our correspondent learnt that a few seconds later, the landlord was said to have gained entrance into the same bathroom and was believed to be having sexual intercourse with the teenager before he was caught in the act.

After this shocking discovery, some members of the community and other neighbours who witnessed the scene raised the alarm, leading to the arrest of the landlord by the men of the Ajuwon Police Division.

PUNCH Metro gathered that upon advice by the police and others on the need for the minor to be treated to avoid any infection, the father was said to have taken the 14-year-old girl to the hospital for medical examination.

However, the result of the test was said to have indicated that the minor was about six weeks pregnant.

Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Omolola Odutola, told our correspondent the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, where all parties would be grilled.

“The landlord has been arrested and detained. The father reported that he was caught defiling his 14-year-old daughter in their bathroom in the morning. The teenager was taken to Tamara Hospital in Akute for a medical examination.

“However, the medical report further showed that that wasn’t a first-time act because the test showed that the teenager was already six weeks pregnant. The state CID in Eleweran will soon take up the matter for further investigation,” Odutola stated.

In November 2023, the operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps reportedly apprehended another 76-year-old man, David Ogunsanwo, for allegedly defiling a 16-year-old girl in the Abeokuta area of the state. The teenager was also reportedly five months pregnant.

The Federal Government has said mandatory registration of Point-of-Sales operators nationwide will reduce kidnapping and help security agencies arrest recipients of ransom payments from kidnap victims.

It also vowed that security agencies would go after PoS operators who fail to comply with the directive to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission after July 7, 2024.

The Registrar-General, CAC,  Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this at the formal launch of the CAC registration of agents and merchants of fintechs on Wednesday in Abuja.

The event also marked the unveiling of a 24-hour service centre to help prospective applicants get a prompt response to enquiries and approvals. 

The government had through the commission on Monday issued a two-month registration deadline for PoS operators to register as corporate bodies with the commission in line with the legal requirements and directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The action backed by Section 863, Subsection 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA 2020 as well as the 2013 CBN guidelines on agent banking aims to safeguard businesses and strengthen the economy.

It also came against the backdrop of frequent fraud incidents involving PoS terminals and plans to stop trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

PoS terminals accounted for 26.37 per cent of fraud incidents in 2023, according to a fraud report by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.

Last week, the CBN stopped major fintech firms like Kuda, Opay, PalmPay and Moniepoint from onboarding new customers. The fintech firms later warned their customers against trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency on their apps, threatening to block any accounts found engaging in such activities.

Speaking at the event, Hussaini reiterated the government’s resolve to fully implement the mandate by providing a fully digitised service centre for easy registration.

He emphasised that the registration process aligns with both legal requirements and the directives of the CBN mandating individual, merchant or business entities to be captured in its database.

He further warned that the 60-day deadline would not be extended while stressing that defaulters would receive adequate punishments after the deadline.

He said, “We have launched a 24-hour service centre to accommodate enquiries from Point of Sales operators and agents who may want to register as directed by the new policy. The secretariat is filled with staff members who have the responsibility of availability, and some are being saddled with the responsibility of approving requests. We have equipped the secretariat with the necessary facilities.

“This is to show you how the government is taking this issue seriously and the centre will be open for a 24-hour service. It will be open for compliance and any feedback from the public especially PoS operators who have been mandated to register their businesses with the commission.” 

He added, “We have trained our staff to accommodate these activities and these staff can work from home and that’s why we said 24-hour service. We have equipped them with facilities and they can work from home for approvals and availability segment. The deadline remains 60 days and it will end July 7th.”

The CAC boss further stated that the timeline was not intended to target specific groups or individuals but genuinely aimed at safeguarding businesses.

The CAC boss explained, “Of course, the mandatory registration will reduce crime and fraudulent practices, the commission is hosting data and if any crime is committed anywhere, the security agencies would have to reach us to know the people behind the company and the fraudsters. But if they are not registered, we can’t do anything and that’s the essence of the registration.

“We have had a situation where a ransom is being paid with a PoS terminal and a lot of fraud but after the registration, if anything happens we can provide the details of the persons behind the company to the government. We will capture the picture and other relevant information and this is a good development for the country.”

He stressed that “after the deadline, we would go after defaulters, If you have been identified as a criminal, security agents will go after you, we will go after them because some are being chased by the security agencies already.”

He elaborated on the benefits of registration, emphasising that it goes beyond taxation to encompass access to loans, legality, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

“The law has stated that for any person to carry out business activity in the country, your business must be legitimate and for your business to be legitimate you must register, either you are doing your business as an individual or as an agent, you must register with us.

“The POS terminal holders are doing business, and we are now enforcing part of the provision of the Company and Allied Matters Act.  We have been on this issue since December and extending it to July means they have six months. We have provided a timeline in the interest of their business.

Meanwhile, PoS agents have reacted to the order asking them to register with the CAC.

While some agents agreed with the CBN, many said it would place more burden on the operators, especially those in rural communities.

The National President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Sarafa Fasasi, in a reaction on his handles, said the directive was confusing.

 “The memo got me confused because the current CBN agent banking regulations allow individuals to be onboarded as agents under the sub-agent category.  Currently, Nigeria has over 1.9 million agents of which over 70 per cent are sub-agents without registered businesses, operating under an agent network – super agent arrangements. They are the most penetrating channel of financial inclusion. Now, we want to eliminate them with CAC registration?” he queried.

Fasasi noted that the nation should be able to achieve payment security without reversing the 74 per cent financial inclusion rate.

He posited, “On the suspension of top service providers, majorly non-banks like Opay, Palmpay, Moniepoint, Kuda bank and others from account creation due to alleged foreign exchange and crypto transactions; it would be recalled that before Binance controversies, FX/crypto transactions, at one point or the other, terminated in several accounts or wallets, across all service providers, bank and non-banks. So, all service providers may be guilty and should be suspended to be fair.

“I cannot imagine suspending all commercial banks from opening new bank accounts because of pre-regulation transactions.”

In a similar vein, a Point-of-Sale agent, Ogunfowokan Temitope, located in the Ilasa area of Surulere, Lagos State, said the move was unfair against the agents.

She said, “It is not fair because most of the PoS agents only have a small amount of money. Some even borrowed money to start a business. These set of people, how are they going to cope, and do you know how much it costs to register a business now?”

However, the immediate past president of the association, Victor Olojo, backed the move by the CBN, stating that it was the measure needed for standardisation and enhanced security.

He said, “Because it is a financial matter, the CBN needs to ensure the financial system is well galvanised. Today we see people hawking and handling PoS terminals, who should not even have any business handling.

“Also, this move would weed them off, and enable those with capacity to focus on the business, hence Nigeria being better served.”

He noted that it is a plus for the CAC, adding that millions of unregistered PoS agents are adequately regularised.

“We would begin to have a unique business identity or identifier generated for a specific PoS agent. This means that all PoS accounts opened would now have the proper Know-Your-Customer tier 3 standard where you have all the needed verifications plugged into your account.

“That way, if there are any issues, the PoS agent can be easily traced and arrested, therefore curbing fraudulent practices by agents,” he added.

Corroborating Olojo’s position, a PoS agent located in the Berger area of Lagos State, Sunday Samuel, said the move was laudable as it aimed to standardise the businesses of agents.

He said, “The move is going to help the agents to make their businesses more standardised, however, it is not everybody that would understand it from this perspective.

“There are agents in the rural areas that are not aware of what the Corporate Affairs Commission is all about nor the importance. So, they might find it difficult, and it takes a lot of stress going through the registration procedure. However, looking at it in a normal way, having one’s business registered is a good move”.

Meanwhile, another agent located in the Mowe-Ibafo area of Ogun State, Taiwo Shobowale, argued that the new directive would affect the operators because most of them are not oriented on what it means to be registered with the CAC, adding that these agents take it as a daily source of income.

“Most agents do not see this business as an entity, however, rendering financial services can be very sensitive, as the government wants to be involved. The market is already saturated and fraudulent transactions are rarely traced due to the inadequate KYC rule and a lack of proper documentation.

“In addition, the notice is sudden, and the time frame given is short because it is a project that should last for the rest of the year. The rush would lead to a slowdown in the commission’s system, hence resulting in delays,” Shobowale added.

According to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, there are over 1.9 million PoS terminals deployed by merchants and individuals nationwide.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has restrained Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from appointing or nominating any person to replace Umar Damagum as its acting national chairman, pending the determination of a suit brought before it by two chieftains of the party.

The court in a ruling delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, made the order on the strength of “an affidavit of extreme urgency” that was filed by the plaintiffs.

The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, was brought before the court by Senator Umar Maina and Alhaji Zanna Gaddama.

Cited as 1st to 5th defendants in the matter, are the PDP, its National Working Committee, NWC, National Executive Committee, NEC, Board of Trustees, BOT, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Aside from the Originating Summons, the plaintiffs, in a motion ex-parte filed before the court, sought an interim order to retain Damagum in his position as the acting national chairman of the party until their substantive suit is heard and determined.

After he had listened to the plaintiffs’ team of lawyers led by Mr. M. O. Onyilokwu, Justice Lifu, granted the prayers.

Specifically, the court held that: “The Defendants/Respondents are hereby restrained in the interim, from appointing, selecting, nominating any person to replace Amb. Umar llliya Damagum as National Chairman or Acting National Chairman of the the 1st Defendant/Respondent, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed which is herein fixed against the 14th of May, 2024.”

The Federal Government is set to commence a fresh audit of the N2.8tn fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

An audit firm, KPMG had conducted an initial audit reducing the claims from N6tn to N2.7tn.

The Federal Government is also considering either engaging an external audit firm or directing the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation to verify the claims made by the corporation regarding the amount the government owes the oil firm.

The latest plan was revealed in the minutes of the Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting held in March 2024, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent.

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

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

He said “Since the provision of the N6tn in 2022, and N3.7tn in 2023, we have not have not received any payment whatsoever 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.”

But giving an update on the issue during the FAAC meeting, the Minister of Finance and Chairman of the committee, Wale Edun, said Tinubu was committed to ensuring that the forensic audit of NNPC Limited was conducted and the results analysed.

NNPC’s claim

He stated that the audit would span from 2015 to 2021, aiming to verify the authenticity of NNPC/Federation Account claims on the N2.7tn.

Edun further proposed that the OAuGF be considered for the fresh audit over any other external audit, considering their expertise in auditing.

The minutes read in part, “The Chairman informed the members of Mr President’s commitment to ensuring that the forensic audit of NNPC Limited was conducted. He, however, proposed that since the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation had expertise in the areas of auditing, the Office would be considered first before any other external audit firm. He added that where external support would be required, an independent firm could be engaged, accordingly.”

However, the suggestion was dismissed by the Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, who argued that engaging an independent auditor would mitigate potential conflicts of interest during the exercise.

Other commissioners, such as Isaac Kamalu of Rivers State and Lawal A. Maikano of Niger State, contributed additional perspectives to the discussion.

Ultimately, consensus was reached to prioritise the OAuGF, with the proviso to engage an external audit firm when deemed necessary for additional support.

The minute later read in part, “The HCF, Ogun State observed that given the diverse nature and objectives of the proposed audit exercise and to prevent conflict of interest, it would be better to engage an independent auditor to conduct the exercise so that other tiers of government will benefit from that level of independence. The HCF, Niger State supported the position and stressed the need to ensure inclusiveness and objectivity in conducting the exercise. On his part, the HCF, Rivers State observed that the engagement of an independent auditor would not necessarily guarantee the success of the exercise. He, therefore, suggested the need to combine both OAuGF and external firms to ensure the success of the exercise.

Federation account

“Contributing, the Federal Commissioner, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission/Chairman, Indices and Disbursement observed that the proposed audit was in respect of some outstanding claims which include the N6tn against NNPC Limited that was subsequently reduced to N2.7tn after initial reconciliation. He informed members that KPMG which carried out the earlier audit exercise of NNPC had looked at some of the claims and recommended further audit to resolve them.

“Concluding, the meeting agreed that OAuGF would be considered first and an external audit firm would be engaged when necessary to provide additional support.”

Efforts to reach the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd., Olufemi Soneye, for comments, proved abortive as of press time on Wednesday. He neither picked up calls made to his telephone line nor replied his WhatsApp messages.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Finance, Delta State, Okenmor Tilije, at the meeting, raised concerns over the alleged utilisation of multiple exchange rates by agencies of the Federal Government in the conversion of revenue inflow.

According to him, the practice affects the revenue remitted into the Federation Account.

The commissioner claimed that NNPC Limited applied three different rates to convert the revenue earnings from oil, saying this cumulated in an exchange rate differential of about N2.83tn between August 2023 and February 2024.

He highlighted the different rates including the CBN Mandated Exchange Rate of N1,185, the rate of N853 applied to Domestic Oil Payables, and the Weighted Average Rate of N714.50 on NNPC Limited Royalty and Taxes.

The minute read, “The HCF, Delta State raised concerns over the multiple exchange rate being applied by the agencies to convert the revenue inflow due to the Federation. He pointed out that NNPC Limited applied three different rates to convert the revenue earnings from oil. He observed that the sum of N2.83tn was the Exchange Rate Differentials from August 2023 to February 2024 and stressed the need to put in place a single exchange rate that would be applicable across the board.

David Akanmu, who was the Best Graduating Student at the 54th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, has been selected as a 2024 Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University in the United States.

Akanmu’s selection was announced yesterday.

It was the third time a graduate of the university would be clinching the award.

UNILAG is the only African university among the 60 from where the 2024 cohort of 90 new scholars emerged.

According to the announcement, Akanmu is one of five Africans, the only one from an African-based tertiary institution, selected to join the 2024 cohort, which is is the seventh and largest cohort since the inception of the award.

Perfect CGPA

He will be pursuing a Ph.D in Energy Science and Engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

He graduated with a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA, of 5.0 in Civil Engineering at the UNILAG Convocation Ceremonies held in January.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate fellowship programme spanning all seven schools at Stanford University.

Knight-Hennessy scholars receive up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford while engaging in experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world.

Scholars are selected based on their demonstration of independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset.

Application for the 2025 cohort will open on June 1, 2024, and end on October 9, 2024.

The Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has congratulated Akanmu on his feat.

The father of the late 12 year-old student of Dowen College, Lagos who was allegedly bullied to death by some students of the same school, Sylvester Oromoni Snr, has rejected the Coroner’s report on the death of the young boy, accusing the coroner of “covering up the cause of death” of his son.

In the five page review of the Coroner’s Report made available to Vangaurd, the father of the deceased said: “During the reading of the verdict of 325 pages, the Coroner shed crocodile tears not less than seven times in open court. In fact, he had to rise twice and retired into his chambers to cry more than the bereaved. The coroner claimed that my son died of natural cause. The Coroner deliberately delayed the case in order to cover up the cause of the tragic death of my son as I will explain below”.

Mr Oromoni said this “dubious verdict” will not discourage him from pursuing justice especially to ensure that all other students in Dowen College and other schools do not suffer the same fate his late son did.

While narrating what happened at the inquest, Mr Oromoni disclosed that despite the request of his legal team led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, for a visit to Dowen College to enable the Coroner to ascertain the state of the school before the death of his son, it took the Coroner about 17 months to finally carry out the visit, ostensibly to give the management enough time to fix up the physical deficiencies in the school.

“In his desperate bid to exonerate Dowen College of any liability, the Coroner turned round in his verdict to applaud the authorities of the school for upgrading the facilities during the proceedings,” Oromoni Senior stated.

He also accused the Coroner of suppressing material facts of the bullying of his son by a clique of students, in order to further exonerate the management of Dowen College of any liability.

Mr Oromoni noted that though the coroner proceeded to blame the cause of death on “parental negligence”, it is on record that no witness indicted him as he took all steps recommended by the family doctor to save the life of his son.

In rejecting what he called “the wicked and heartless conclusion of the Coroner”, Mr Oromoni detailed areas in the Coroner’s findings where he alleged vital evidences were suppressed as well as the alleged negligence of Dowen College which led to his son’s death.

He also narrated how his son was allegedly killed as well as the role of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution which gave two contradictory legal opinions, one recommending the prosecution of Dowen College and another exonerating the school and its management even in the absence of fresh proof to back same.

While thanking the good people of Nigeria who stood by the family, Oromoni Senior also called on the Lagos State Government to investigate several cases of bullying in Dowen College.

He said, “Since the coroner decided to cover up the killers of my son, we shall take appropriate actions to unravel the mystery surrounding his death. Finally, I am compelled to call on the Lagos State Government to take urgent steps to investigate the several cases of bullying of students in Dowen College. The students and management staff involved in inflicting torture on helpless students in the school should be brought to book without any delay”.

Nigerian singer, Inetimi Timaya Odon, popularly known as Timaya pulled an unusual stunt during a recent performance.

In the video, Timaya was seen leading praise and worship at a club in Lagos.

In the viral footage, Timaya initially performed his 2008 classic, “Ogologoma,” from his debut album.

However, he abruptly transitioned into singing a worship song, “It shall be permanent, what the Lord has done for me.”

This unexpected shift sparked enthusiasm among the audience, who eagerly joined in singing along to the song.

Watch the video below:

The Nigerian military has pulled out of Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

According to sources in neighbouring Akugbene and Okoloba communities in Bomadi local government area, the soldiers pulled out of the embattled community, Tuesday, 7th May, 2023, suddenly without any prior information to do so.

Confirming the development, Governor Oborevwori expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the military high command for the withdrawal.

“My dear good people of Delta state, I have the pleasure to announce to you that, upon many deliberations and collaborations between the state government and the military leadership, the Nigerian Army has agreed to withdraw its officers and men from Okuama.

“I spoke with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja on Monday, 6th of May, and as at today, 8th of May, 2024, the military have withdrawn from Okuama.

“With this development, the people of Okuama can now safely return to their homes and begin the process of reintegration and rebuilding their homes.

“I want to express my deep and profound gratitude to Mr. President, the Chief of Army Staff, and the hierarchy of the Nigerian Army for their understanding and cooperation.

“In my engagements with them, they demonstrated the highest level of concern and care for the plight of the displaced persons. To God be the glory that we have achieved an amicable resolution,” Oborevwori said.

He also commended members of the National Assembly, other distinguished Nigerians, traditional rulers and other leaders of thought who stood with the state throughout the Okuama saga.

He added, “Let me assure all Deltans and residents in the state that this administration is irrevocably committed to enhanced peace and security in the state as contained in our MORE agenda.

“It is also pertinent to point out that matters of security are better handled with tact, wisdom and patience; it is not meant to be a subject of daily media discourse as some would have wanted.

“As the people of Okuama start the process of returning to their homes, I pledge the commitment of the Delta State Government to make that process smooth and seamless.

“We shall render all the necessary assistance they need to enable them settle down quickly and joyfully in Okuama,” the governor said.

He prayed that Delta State would never “experience the kind of tragedy that happened in Okuama.”

“Security, as we all know, is a shared responsibility. So, we will continue to count on the support and cooperation of every citizen to ensure that our state remains safe and peaceful.

“Once again, I commiserate with the families of victims of the Okuama incident,” the governor stated.

The House of Representatives has opted against proceeding with the proposal to suspend the cybersecurity levy.

Naija News reported that CBN had issued a new directive to all financial institutions, including commercial, merchant, non-interest banks, payment service banks, and mobile money operators, mandating the implementation of a 0.5% cybersecurity levy on all electronic transactions.

This move is in line with the provisions of the recently amended Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2024.

The directive, detailed in a circular, instructs that the levy be applied at the point of electronic transfer origination, with the deducted amount to be reflected in the customer’s account as a “Cybersecurity Levy.”

The cybersecurity levy has received criticism from Nigerians.

During Wednesday’s session, lawmaker Manu Soro expressed concern over the proposed levy, citing its inappropriate timing given the ongoing challenges facing many Nigerians.

The lawmakers argued that the National Security Adviser (NSA) should not be responsible for handling funds as it is a political role.

However, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, encouraged the lawmaker to withdraw the motion.

He said that the House leadership will discuss the situation and determine the best course of action.

The naira further depreciated against the US dollar despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s clampdown on foreign currency speculators in the FX market.

FMDQ data showed that the naira dipped to N1,421 per dollar on Wednesday from N1416.57 on Tuesday.

The figure represents a N4.46 depreciation against the dollar on a day-to-day basis.

Similarly, the naira dropped to N1438 per dollar on Wednesday from N1430 the previous day in the parallel market section.

A Bureau De Change operator in Zone 4 Abuja, Mistila Dayyabu, told DAILY POST that operators of the anti-graft agency raided and arrested some BDC operators on Wednesday.

“EFCC operators came again today; they arrested selected BDC operators who have cash. On Wednesday, the dollar was sold at N1438 and bought at N1432,” he said.

DAILY POST recalls that EFCC resumed clampdown on illegal BDC operators and cryptocurrency platforms to defeat the FX crisis.

On Tuesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission delisted naira from the cryptocurrency market to tackle naira instability in the FX market.