The Abia police command says its operatives have arrested a couple – Blessing Emebo and Sunday Emebo – for operating an unregistered home in their apartment at Ikot Ekpene road, in the Aba area of the state.

In a statement issued on Monday, Maureen Chinaka, spokesperson of the command, said operatives also rescued 12 children from the home on May 19.

Chinaka said the children, who are between two months and 14 years, are from different villages in Arochukwu LGA of the state.

The police spokesperson added that the rescued children have been handed over to the state ministry of women’s affairs for custody.

“Nine male children were found with the duo, which includes Ojiugo Caleb, 14; Christian Okoro, 12; Samuel Okoro, 13; Clinton Nkemakolam, 9; and Godwin Emmanuel, 10,” the statement reads.

“Others are Osinachi Nkemakolam, 6; Marvellous Emmanuel, 5; David Emmanuel, 7; and Testimony Emebo, 2 months old.

“The females among the children are Ogechi Nkemakolam, 9, Chinaza Okoro, 9, and Anointing Okoro, 7.

“The suspects are currently undergoing interrogation at the State CID, Umuahia, and will soon be arraigned in court at the conclusion of the investigation.

“The command is committed to ensuring the reduction of crime and criminality in the state, and so we advise the public to stay security-conscious and ensure children’s safety.”

The house of representatives committee on federal capital territory (FCT) area councils and ancillary matters has summoned Mariya Bunkure, the FCT minister of state.

Fredrick Agbedi, chairman of the committee, issued the summons during the panel’s sitting on Monday, citing the minister’s alleged failure to appear for the FCT budget defence.

Agbedi said if Bunkure and other department heads fail to appear on Tuesday, action will be taken against them.

“It is the resolve of this committee that the minister of state and all the agencies appear before this committee by 4pm tomorrow, the 27th day of May 2025,” he said.

“Failure to do that, this committee will involve appropriate legislative powers against the minister of state and the agencies.

“It is also worrisome to see that this all-important budget session is only being attended by three agencies out of 14 departments under the jurisdiction of this committee.

“How do you expect this committee to conclude our work and make recommendations for the house? It means that Mr President has to take some further steps to ensure that his appointees handling some of these very important assignments with levity are directed to wake up to their responsibilities.”

President Bola Tinubu transmitted N1,783 trillion as the FCT budget for the 2025 fiscal year to the national assembly early this month.

Tinubu asked the national assembly to ensure expeditious consideration of the FCT appropriation.

Last week, Nyesom Wike, minister of FCT, appeared before the senate and house of representatives’ committees on appropriation to defend the budget.

Wike said out of the N1.78 trillion budget, N1.28 trillion, representing 72.3 percent, is allocated to capital projects, while N494.1 billion, 27.7 percent, will cover recurrent expenditure.

Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, says no local government area in the state will be allowed to fall into the hands of insurgents.

Zulum spoke on Monday while addressing journalists after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

The governor said the meeting was to brief the president on the security challenges in Borno and other parts of northern Nigeria.

“Things are not getting very well in northern Nigeria, particularly in the north-east,” he said.

Zulum said insurgents have recently stepped up attacks in the state, targeting military formations and civilian populations.

He said the federal government had been responsive to the state’s plea for intervention.

“We made a plea to the federal government, and I believe within the last couple of days, the Nigerian armed forces have taken certain decisions that will curtail the imminence of the insurgency,” he said.

Zulum said one of the major responses under consideration is the creation of forest guards to provide ground-level intelligence and defence.

“That will be a game-changer,” he said.

He noted that terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP are deploying advanced weaponry in their operations.

The governor said his administration would continue to mobilise local volunteers to support the military and protect communities.

“On my own part, as the governor of Borno state, I will not relent in my effort in strengthening the resilience of our community,” he said.

He vowed that no part of the state would be surrendered to insurgents.

“It will never happen now. I believe, inshallah, with the support of the Nigerian Army and with the support of the Armed Forces, we will not leave a single local government to fall into the hands of the insurgents,” he added.

Zulum expressed confidence that the joint efforts of federal and state authorities would yield the desired results.

On May 21, the governor of Borno accused some Nigerian politicians and members of the armed forces of acting as informants for Boko Haram terrorists.

“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian armed forces, within the politicians, and within the communities. What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly,” Zulum said while speaking to News Central TV

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three employees of Wema Bank over the alleged N8.5 billion fraud.

The bank employees — Samuel Ihechukwu, Fabian Chizaram and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim — were arraigned on Monday at the federal high court in Lagos on an eight-count bordering on alleged conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.

They were arraigned alongside their alleged accomplices, Hanna Okunlola, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Chukwuka Ubaku and Sunday Osademe.

“That you SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU, EJIM KINGSLEY KELECHI, HAMZA ZAKARIA, ONYEIMACHI FABIAN, ACHIONU CHUKWUKA UBAKA, ADESOKAN, HANNAH OKUNLOLA, Nurudeen Ibrahim (at large). Alhaji Sulaiman (at large) and other persons at large sometime in January 2025, conspired amongst yourselves to cause loss of property to bank accounts domicile in Wema Bank Nigeria Plc. in order to confer economic benefit to yourselves, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act,” the charge sheet reads.

“That you SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU and other persons at large, sometime in January 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court knowingly and without authority caused the loss of an aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 (Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-eight Milion, Ninety Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) property of Wema Bank Plc. by altering, erasing and inputting data held in accounts domicile in Wema Bank Pic. computer for the purpose of conferring economic benefit on yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.”

When the charge sheet was read, they pleaded not guilty.

After the defendants took their pleas, Aso Peters, the prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the defendants be remanded in the correctional facility.

However, the defence counsel appealed to the court that Okunlola be remanded in the EFCC custody because of her ill health.

The request was granted by Daniel Osiagor, the trial judge.

Osiagor adjourned the matter to June 6 for trial and remanded five of the defendants in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), while Ejim was to continue on his existing bail

John Adetola, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told an Ikeja high court that there was no documentation of the $400,000 he allegedly handed to Godwin Emefiele, the former Central Bank Governor (CBN).

Adetola, an executive assistant to the former CBN governor, testified on Monday while being cross-examined by Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Emefiele.

Emefiele is standing trial on a 19-count charge bordering on receiving gratification and corrupt demands while he was the CBN governor.

Henry Omoile, Emefiele’s co-defendant, is facing a three-count charge bordering on unlawful acceptance of gifts by a public officer.

During cross-examination, Adetola admitted that he did not provide the EFCC with WhatsApp chats or phone call records to prove he had informed Emefiele about collecting the money on his behalf.

He recounted that in 2018, a man identified as Eric Odoh sent a WhatsApp message, instructing him to collect the money from one John Ayoh and deliver it to Emefiele upon his arrival in Lagos.

“I went to John Ayoh’s house at Lekki; he gave me an envelope. I came back to the office and gave it to the former CBN governor,” Adetola told the court.

He denied entering into any agreement with the EFCC to testify against Emefiele in exchange for immunity from prosecution, adding that the agency confronted him with WhatsApp printouts related to the transaction.

While being cross-examined by Adeyinka Kotoye, counsel to the second defendant, the witness stated that he had no dealings with Omoile.

During re-examination by Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC counsel, Adetola was asked why he failed to document the alleged $400,000 transaction.

“I didn’t see any need for it,” he replied.

Rahman Oshodi, the presiding judge, discharged the witness and adjourned the case until May 27 for the continuation of the trial.

A suspected suicide bomber has died in Abuja on Monday.

This comes after an explosion suspected to have been caused by the bomber.

Another person was reportedly injured in the explosion, said to be triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED).

AIT reports that an eyewitness – a military personnel who did not give his name – said the man, believed to be a suicide bomber, was killed by an explosive contained in a rubber can close to Mogadishu Barrack in Abuja

However, military authorities present at the scene said the situation could be an explosion from a phone device and not IED.

At the time of this report, personnel of the military, DSS, police and officers of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, are still taking inventory of the situation.

A senior economist at the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Wilson Erumebor has given his verdict on President Bola Tinubu's administration.

On Nigeria’s economy, he said it is worse under President Bola Tinubu’s administration than under his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

He disclosed this in a recent X space organised by financial analyst Kalu Aja.

According to him, Nigeria’s economy, gross domestic product, slumped to below $200 billion from $450 billion in 2023.

“It is economy; you can only have mixed pictures. There are areas with improvement and stagnation.

“For instance, as an example, If you go to the Ministry of Finance website, there is a document there. In 2030, Nigeria’s economy will be above $8 trillion in terms of size. At that time in 2023, the GDP was estimated at around $450 to $410 billion. So today that same GDP is under $200 billion. You can certainly say that this is not progress based on the goal and target they have set. It is worse off than when the government came in. If you look at the growth rate, it was 7 percent per annum. Recently we are doing 3.4 percent. The IMF outlook projects 3 percent growth.

“In thatt, they said they plan to lift 100 million out of poverty. In fact, from the reforms and what we have, more Nigerians have been thrown into poverty. 50 million jobs—I am sure we can see the jobs.

“N550-600 per dollar but now around N1,500 per dollar,” he stated.

He, however, noted that there was improvement in Nigeria’s external reserves, foreign exchange stability, balance of trade, and others in the last couple of months.

“But if you compare it with the last couple of months,. There are areas that have improved gradually. Looking at external reserves, we were doing $30 billion then, now around $38 billion. There is some stability in the exchange rate, the same with the balance of trade."

Recall that Tinubu was inaugurated as Nigeria’s president on May 29, 2023.

Recall that Tinubu’s presidency attacked the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Femi Adesina, over his comment that Nigeria’s per capita GDP will be worse in 2025 than in 1960.

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has built a new Islamic learning centre in Kaduna State.

It named it, the Tinubu Centre for Islamic Studies.

The facility, which aims to promote education, religious harmony, and community development, was officially commissioned by the Sultan of Sokoto.

The Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, said the project is part of the agency’s broader strategy to counter terrorism and subversion through community engagement and social development. Represented by retired DSS Director Ahmed Zalmar at the commissioning, Ajayi explained that the agency is focusing on building schools, places of worship, and sporting facilities to reach vulnerable and underprivileged communities across Nigeria.

He stated that the newly commissioned, fully furnished Islamic school was made possible through the support of friends and associates, reflecting what he described as the core mandate of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to Ajayi, the initiative is designed to build trust between the government and the public, and to reinforce internal security by fostering constructive citizen engagement.

“It is also part of my policies to improve the nation’s internal security architecture through conventional and non-conventional engagements,” he said.

Ajayi further added that he has consistently directed elements of corporate social responsibility and financial contributions from stakeholders toward such development efforts, as part of the DSS’s ongoing commitment to national stability and peacebuilding.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced it has recovered some funds and made arrests linked in the Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) platform fraud.

The fraud tatalled a massive N1.3 trillion.

The revelation was made by the agency’s chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede.

In a recent interview with TVC, Olukoyede said the EFCC has made significant progress investigating the CBEX scam, which defrauded many Nigerians through its digital investment scheme.

“We have gone far with CBEX. We have been able to recover a reasonable amount of money,” Olukoyede stated.

Although the stolen funds were in cryptocurrency, the EFCC has traced and recovered part of the money.

However, he noted that converting crypto back to cash is complex due to the nature of digital currency.

“Even though it’s in the crypto wallet, the same way the money was taken from them, there is no way you will get it in dollars. There is no way you get the dollars in cash without necessarily going through the same process,” he explained.

The EFCC boss also confirmed that some suspects have been arrested, while others remain at large.

“We have made reasonable arrests. We are not going to give out much because we don’t want the process to be disrupted. We are still after quite a number of people we have declared wanted,” he added.

One major challenge in the investigation, Olukoyede explained, is that the fraudsters used “non-custodial wallets,” which do not require identity verification (KYC), making it difficult to trace the criminals.

“We are still investigating many wallets, and the wallets they created are called noncustodial wallets; in other words, no KYC. So, you can’t trace them to anybody.

“So, from the noncustodial wallets, they moved the money to wallets in Europe, Eastern Europe, particularly Cambodia, and from there, they dispersed the funds. We have been able to block some of these wallets where money has not been dispersed.

“That is as far as we have gone. I even learnt that there are still some of these perpetrators and Nigerians are still falling victim. I believe people should learn from this,” he said.

CBEX collapsed in April after users experienced repeated withdrawal problems, eventually losing access to their accounts and millions in funds.

The platform’s collapse led to losses estimated at over N1.3 trillion and sparked outrage among investors and social media users

Tension engulfed Rano Local Government Area of Kano State on Monday after a violent protest led to the death of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and one other individual, following the controversial death of a suspect in police custody.

According to a statement from the Kano State Police Command, the unrest began on Sunday evening when Abdullahi Musa, a motorcycle mechanic, was arrested for allegedly riding dangerously under the influence of intoxicants.

While in custody, Musa reportedly developed health complications and was taken to Rano General Hospital, where he died early Monday morning.

News of his death triggered outrage among local youths, who stormed the Rano Divisional Police Headquarters, setting parts of the facility ablaze and destroying multiple vehicles.

“The attackers looted and torched sections of the station, burned two vehicles, destroyed ten others, and seriously injured the DPO,” said SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, Police Public Relations Officer for the Kano Command.

The DPO, whose identity was not immediately disclosed, was rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries.

In response, the police launched a crackdown and arrested 27 suspects linked to the violent attack. Authorities have since restored calm to the area.

Kano State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, described the situation as tragic and assured the public of a transparent investigation.

He also visited the Emir of Rano, His Highness Mohammed Isah Umar, to express condolences and reaffirm law enforcement’s commitment to justice.

He said: “We are committed to uncovering both the remote and immediate causes of this tragic sequence of events.

“Those responsible—whether through direct action or incitement—will face justice.”

The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid reprisals, emphasizing that due process must take its course