The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit has uncovered 27 cells belonging to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra in 22 countries across the globe, including the United State of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The NFIU said the US and the UK house the largest numbers of these IPOB cells per country, with seven and six operating IPOB cells respectively in both countries.

Details of the development were revealed in a newsletter exposing the funding of terror activities in Nigeria by IPOB, bandits, and other terror groups through global crowdfunding and on sports betting platforms.

The Federal Government had in 2017 proscribed IPOB and designated the self-determination group a terrorist organisation. Its leader, Nnmadi Kanu, is currently being tried on terrorism charges by the government.

The NFIU, in the document, titled “Counter Terrorism Financial Newsletter,” linked the running of IPOB to 54 individuals across the globe.

The document revealed: “The NFIU confirmed that the diaspora affiliates of the IPOB group have spread over 22 countries across the globe. Further analysis exposed 27 entities across the globe registered in the name of the group, the US and the UK had the highest number of registrations, having seven and six registered entities, respectively.

“The analysis further indicates that the group has several bank accounts in different countries where funds are being received from various contributors with the narrations ‘Monthly Dues, Services and for ESN’, among others, then later disbursed for various operations.

“It was confirmed that one of the major sources of revenue for the group is crowdfunding by several individuals abroad, mostly Nigerians.

“It was observed that over $160,000 was disbursed to Transmission, Media, and Broadcasting companies in Bulgaria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The analysis profiled the leader of the group, his addresses, and mobile numbers abroad with other 53 individuals associated with the dissident group. The report was forwarded to Law Enforcement for further investigation.”

The NFIU further revealed that a betting platform, simply identified as ‘XC’, filed a Suspicious Transaction Report on a 24-year Nigerian customer from North-Central, Nigeria.

“This 24-year-old from Nigeria’s North-Central region received over N350,000 in his betting wallet, believed to be ransom money from a kidnapping,” the NFIU said.

In another case, the financial intelligence unit exposed a terrorist attempting to evade being detected. It noted that the individual made structured cash withdrawals from different Automated Teller Machines and purchased flight tickets to high-risk areas, using credit cards.

The NFIU explained that whenever the individual exceeded his withdrawal limit, he would adopt alternative methods of travel.

“The terrorist then attempted suspicious transfers exceeding €1,000 to a local charity with potential links to terrorism. These transactions, along with others for luxury goods and escort services, raised red flags,” the newsletter stated.

The NFIU urged law enforcement agencies to investigate transactions by individuals linked to known terrorists or financiers; unauthorised tax collection or forced donations in terrorism-prone areas and Bureau de Change operators facilitating transfers within suspected networks.

Other areas the unit wants security agencies to beam their searchlights are multiple cash deposits in bank accounts; Point of Sale operators receiving large deposits followed by cash withdrawals; money transfers from Nigeria to high-risk countries; recruitment of individuals to open multiple bank accounts; and financial transfers to charities linked to terrorism.

A former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, has called on the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu to negotiate with bandits to offer them a hopeful future.

Shittu, who appeared on Channels Television Politics Today, emphasized that many of these bandits are capable individuals the government should consider keeping.

The former minister highlighted the significance of adopting a nonviolent approach to addressing banditry, which would yield fruitful outcomes.

“If I am in a position, it is not too late to use non-kinetic measures in negotiating with bandits, giving them a promising future. Let us retain them. Many of them are very intelligent, many of them are able-bodied,” Shittu said.

Naija News reports that the former minister expressed concern over the large number of children not attending school in Northern Nigeria, stating that it contributes to the rise of banditry in the country.

Shiitu’s statement coincides with a recent call by controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who urged the Federal Government to engage in negotiations with bandits.

overlay-clevercloseLogo
Gumi also advised against following the approach of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to negotiate with bandits.

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara has said the state has now become the epicentre of banditry in the North and in the country at large.

The governor said the rising insecurity in his state may consume the northern part of the country if not urgently addressed.

He stated these in a chat with State House correspondents on Tuesday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said the President is pleased with the discussion they had and the government is looking for more military personnel as well as the equipment for them to be able to function effectively and take care of the security situation.

Lawal said: “There have been several attacks in some of the local government communities. I feel as a responsible governor, I should make this known to Mr. President, who is pleased with the discussion we had and we are looking for more military personnel as well as the equipment for them to be able to function effectively and take care of the security situation.

“Zamfara has become the centre of banditry as we speak today, and if nothing is done in Zamfara state, I don’t think we will be able to solve the situation in the entire northern Nigeria.”

Lawal confirmed that the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren and a few other victims of banditry were rescued in Zamfara.

The governor added that the situation has spurred the state to be more proactive in changing the narratives.

He said: “Most of the guys or the girls kidnapped in Kaduna state, ended up in Zamfara state, that is not good for us, and therefore we’re doing everything to change the narratives and that is one of the reasons I came to see the president today.

“That is why I am here today I have informed Mr. President and I have his assurance that something drastic will be done to take care of the situation as soon as possible.

“As you are fully aware, governors don’t have control over the military and the police. It is the responsibility of the federal government.

“Therefore, at any point, we need to inform Mr. President so that we can get his blessing either to direct them or to do something else that will help them take care of that situation.”

The senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Konbowei Benson, was arraigned before the FCT High Court in Abuja on Tuesday for allegedly forging exemption certificate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Mr Benson, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was arraigned on a three-count charge for acting contrary to provisions of Penal Code Act, forgery of the NYSC exemption certificate and submitting the forged certificate to secure admission into the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State University, Owerri.

In February, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, instituted a forgery suit against the lawmaker.

In the suit marked: CR/028/2023, the IGP specifically accused the senator of forging a document titled ‘Certificate of Exemption’ with number 000256454 and dated 4 July 2008.

Mr Benson was subsequently charged to court and was to be arraigned on 12 February at the FCT High Court in Abuja, but his absence, due to ill health, stalled the arraignment.

The senator’s counsel, Gordy Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court on that day that his client was “medically indisposed” and submitted a medical report to substantiate his claim.

“My lord, the defendant is medically indisposed and cannot be in court. He is on a drip. I pray the court for an adjournment. I promise to provide him at the next proceedings,” the counsel pleaded.

At the resumed proceeding on Tuesday, Mr Benson and his counsel were present.

Count one of the charges against the senator was that he acted contrary to the provisions of sections 366,156 and 158 of the Penal Code Act CAP 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and was liable to punishment under Section 364 of the same Act.

Other charges are “That you, Benson Friday Konbowei, sometime in March 2014 within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory fraudulently used as genuine a certain document to wit: Certificate of Exemption Number 000256454 dated 4th of July 2008 signed by the Director-General, NYSC, Directorate Headquarters, Abuja to the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest election into the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in 2015 election, which you won and represented Southern Ijaw Constituency IV and the Bayelsa Central Senatorial District National Assembly election conducted on February 25, 2023, which you won and currently a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“And you also submitted four copies of the same forged NYSC certificate to gain admission into the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State University, Owerri, which you then knew to be a forged document and you submitted four copies of the forged Certificate of Exemption Number 000256454 dated July 4, 2008, as a compulsory requirement to the School of Postgraduate Studies of the Imo State

University Owerri, which is a compulsory requirement to get admission into the school of postgraduate studies to study.”

Mr Benson, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him.

The trial judge, Christopher Oba, adjourned the case till 28 March for the commencement of trial.

The Nigerian Presidency emphasized the administration’s resolve to address the country’s infrastructural deficit on Tuesday, urging citizens to play their part in national development beyond relying solely on prayers.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today,” the Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Aliyu Audu, highlighted the necessity of practical efforts over divine intervention in overcoming Nigeria’s numerous challenges.

Audu criticized the previous failures to save and prepare for the future, despite warnings from economic experts.

Naija News reports that he stressed the importance of collective action in national development, stating, “Nigeria works when Nigerians work. Prayers don’t fix problems. It takes time. We need to get used to that. It is not magic.”

This call follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, a strategic initiative aimed at driving infrastructure development across critical sectors such as agriculture, transportation, ports, aviation, energy, healthcare, and education.

The fund is designed to foster economic growth, local value addition, job creation, technological innovation, and increased exports.

The Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund plans to adopt various investment strategies, including direct project financing through budget allocations, public-private partnerships, collaborations with multilateral development institutions, and equity investments.

This multifaceted approach aims to ensure comprehensive and sustainable infrastructure development across the nation.

Controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said there was “no cause for alarm” after he was invited by the security agents on Monday over the nation’s insecurity, especially banditry in the North.

The Kaduna-based cleric said he had a fruitful discussion with Nigerian security agents who invited him over security issues.

Recall that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had on Monday told reporters at the State House, Abuja, that Gumi had been invited by the security agencies.

Reacting to the invitation, Gumi issued a statement on his Facebook page that there was no animosity in the meeting with the security agents, but respect.

“Last night I got many frantic calls from well-wishers and journalists about a news item that I was interviewed by security. There is no cause for alarm,” Gumi wrote.

“Yes, we had a productive interaction on how to curb banditry as we are all trying -each in his sphere – to tackle the monster bedevilling the nation. There was no animosity but courtesy and full of respect.

“We all need as a nation to unite and work in synergy to achieve an everlasting peace. Thank you for your concern. May Allah continue to protect us all from all evil. Amin.”

Gumi has appeared as a controversial personality following his disposition in persuading the federal government to have negotiations with the bandits terrorising the North West of the country.

The scholar had said many times that the government should give amnesty to bandits so that they can drop their arms, as it was done by former President Musa Yar’Adua to the former militants in Niger-Delta.

While Nigerians decried the worsening insecurity in the North in which bandits kidnap women and children for ransom, Gumi said negotiating with bandits is the solution to the problem.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has raised an alarm.

NAPTIP some suspected human traffickers lure Nigerians with fake jobs in Ghana, Ivory Coast, and other countries in West Africa.

The Agency explained that the suspected traffickers exploit coordinated global brand trademarks and present unrealistic oil and gas job offers to traffic youths and other groups of people to neighbouring countries in the region for various forms of exploitation.

NAPTIP said victims are enticed with promises of monthly incomes of $900 under the guise of lucrative employment opportunities in gold mining and oil companies.

According to the agency, the victims are trafficked through the waterways of Ode Jetty in Lagos en route to Benin Republic and other parts of the West African region

It added that some victims are also trafficked through the land routes.

The Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof Fatima Waziri-Azi, revealed this at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja while discussing emerging trends in human trafficking for the year 2024.

Giving details of how the traffickers operate, Waziri-Azi in a statement in Abuja by the Communication Officer of NAPTIP, Adekoye Vincent stated: “NAPTIP has uncovered a new ploy by some suspected human traffickers who are exploiting coordinated global brand trademarks and offering unrealistic Oil and Gas job offers to traffic unsuspecting youths and other classes of people to neighbouring West African countries for various forms of exploitation.

“In recent times, NAPTIP has redoubled its efforts through enhanced partnership, collaboration, diligent prosecution, and extensive awareness campaigns aimed at bolstering its operations, resulting in a significant increase in convictions of human traffickers.

"As part of our comprehensive enlightenment strategies to equip Nigerians with timely and accurate information to reduce their vulnerability, we have received reports indicating that traffickers have adopted new tactics to lure unsuspecting victims, predominantly to Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, and other West African nations.”

Waziri–Azi added: “Under the guise of lucrative employment opportunities in gold mining and oil companies, victims are enticed with promises of monthly incomes as high as $900.00, which, as always, are blatant lies.”

“Victims are often instructed to bring up to N850,000 for documentation and other logistical expenses. Upon arrival at their destination, traffickers confiscate this money, along with the victims’ phones and other personal belongings.”

On the category of people targetted, she said: “The targeted demographic includes male and female victims aged between 15 and 35 years old.

“They are typically trafficked through the waterways of Ode Jetty in Lagos en route to Benin Republic and other parts of the West African region. Some victims are also trafficked via land routes.”

Prof. Waziri-Azi while calling on Nigerians to be careful, stated: “I urge you to exercise caution, ask questions, and seek a second opinion before accepting any tempting offers. Do not allow desperation to cloud your judgment.”

She expressed NAPTIP’s commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting the rights and dignity of all Nigerians.

Former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, has rejected claims that Nigeria is the poorest country in the world.

Aliyu noted that Nigeria has so many negative narratives attached to it and if they are not stopped it would infringe on the positive things the country plans on doing.

Aliyu shared his concerns at the National Spokespersons Summit organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations on Tuesday in Abuja.

He stated that his country home in Nupe land has no street beggars, adding that Nigerians at the sublevel still have strong values.

He queried the value system in the country asking if it’s “true that we never had value as a country? We might have had values as a community, maybe as a tribe to say.

“Honestly, I can tell you this from Niger State, I have not seen a beggar from the Nupe speaking area of Niger State, a beggar sitting on the street begging ditto Yoruba.

“So you see, it means that at the sublevel, we have some values but that has not transcended to be a national value. Sometimes, we say we have values for the respect of elders, values for honesty and co. If we have values for honesty, we will not be where we are as a country today.”

Speaking further, the former governor insisted that Nigeria is not world’s poverty capital, adding that the country has only failed to properly harness its wealth for the benefit of all.

“Is it true that we are the capital of poverty? I don’t think so.

“I think what we have been doing was not harnessing our wealth properly to the extent that people can see. That is why I don’t blame anyone who goes to mortgage his four years for N200 or for two years for a sachet of indomie.

“Why? Because many of our elected leaders never go back or even if they do they only go to show off.

“Some people say give me, I won’t see you again. This narrative says we must find a way to make it and the only way to make it is to force those elected people to go back to their constituencies,” he added

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the reprehensible acts perpetrated by kidnappers across the country, declaring that individuals involved in such despicable crimes must be treated as terrorists.

The President made the declaration on Tuesday at a Ramadan dinner with members of the Federal judiciary led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

The dinner was attended by serving and retired judicial officers, including two former CJNs, Justice Mahmud Mohammed and Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Reiterating the government’s resolve to defeat banditry, the President said those who resort to kidnapping children are cowards, incapable of confronting the might of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

President Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, was quoted as saying, ”We must treat kidnappers as terrorists. They are cowardly. They have been degraded. They look for soft targets. They go to schools and kidnap children and cause disaffection. We must treat them equally as terrorists in order to get rid of them, and I promise you we will get rid of them.”

On the review of salaries of judicial officers, the President pledged that his administration would continue to implement necessary reforms to improve the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers.

He said, ”I recognize that the judiciary has one of the most unrewarded responsibilities. They are yet to modernize equipment and recordkeeping, and their progress towards improvement is slow.

”When you look at the career path of a judicial officer, they cannot practice the vocation for which they were trained after retirement.

”While the framers of the law may have their reasons, I perceive this differently and see this from a fair compensation angle that should benefit all.”

President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the judiciary for their dedicated service to the nation, acknowledging their role in upholding the respectability of the judicial arm of government.

“We will continue to support one another and bring Nigeria to that glorious dawn,” the President concluded.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria commended the President for the honour of hosting judicial officers to a Ramadan dinner, his commitment to judicial reforms, and for improving the welfare of judicial officers in the country.

“May the Lord continue to bless you and your administration. Let your ship land and berth beautifully. We shall continue to pray for your administration because there are many good things in the pipeline for Nigerians,” he prayed.

Justice Ariwoola commended the administration for achieving a significant milestone by appointing a full complement of 21 justices to the Supreme Court, a feat he described as unprecedented.

Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, expressed gratitude to the President for forwarding the executive bill titled, “Judicial Office Holders, Salaries and Allowances, etc, Bill 2024” to the National Assembly.

Highlighting the stagnant state of judges’ salaries and emoluments since 2007, Fagbemi commended the President’s courage, determination, and compassion in taking decisive action.

”It takes a man with a great heart, determination, and consideration to do what the President did. More than 300.3 percent increase has been given to the judges. The President has done his own part, never mind that the bill is still with the National Assembly.

”In my short stay as the Attorney-General, I have come to observe that anything that concerns the judiciary, you are very much interested in it, and I thank you for your abiding interest in the judiciary,” the Minister of Justice said.

The producer of Ajakaju, Eniola Ajao, has explained why controversial cross-dresser, Bobrisky was handed the best-dressed award for the female category at the movie premiere over the weekend.

Naija News recalls that netizens had continued to criticise the movie premiere organisers for handing cross-dresser Bobrisky the best-dressed award for the female category at the event.

However, in an interview with Arise TV, Ajao explained that the decision to award Bobrisky the best-dressed female award category was a publicity strategy.

She described the move as a joke stating, “It was just all jokes anyway, we just wanted to have fun, and we wanted people to talk about the movie; My SIM and I decided that we need to talk about this, it needs to be in the faces of people, so I have been taking it upon myself to protect the image of a lot of people at the same time I have been doing it all alone all alone by myself, I taking it upon myself to do it and I wasn’t getting any help that I feel I needed, so I said okay what can we do for people to talk about this film and we decided okay let us give it to Bob, Bob is always a controversial person, then at the end of the day people started talking about it…” she said.