Musa Aliyu, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), says the anti-graft agency “recovered and remitted the sum of N10.986 billion in value-added tax (VAT)” to the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) within one year.

Aliyu spoke on Tuesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja while marking his one year in office.

He said the commission also recovered N29.700 billion in cash and N10 billion meant for the production of COVID-19 vaccines.

He said the agency secured final forfeiture of assets to the tune of N2.5 billion and “foreign currency recoveries of $966,900.83”.

 

“The commission just completed the tracking of 1,500 projects, valued at N610 billion, nationwide under CEPTI Phase 7,” he said.

“The ICPC, under my stewardship, continues to adapt to evolving trends in fulfilling its mandates, including equipping its workforce with digital strategies to combat corruption. The current administration’s anti-corruption agenda and my policy thrust encapsulated in the acronym ‘CARE’ for impact, have further motivated the commission to enhance its tools, approaches, and engagements.”

The ICPC boss said 851 petitions were processed under the year in review, with 342 assigned for investigation, 95 fully investigated, 72 cases filed in court, and 16 convictions secured.

 

“In this regard, we are streamlining our processes to ensure faster and more effective prosecution of cases, leading to the resuscitation of 10-15-year-old cases in courts,” he said.

“As part of its commitment to institutional accountability, the commission assessed 323 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) through its ethics and integrity compliance scorecard (EICS). It also established 80 anti-corruption and transparency units (ACTUs) across MDAs to reinforce its anti-corruption efforts.

“While doing these, the commission stopped the diversion of public funds to the tune of N5.882 billion. The report of the EICS exercise conducted middle of this year is ready and will also be released to the media to the public.

“In the year under my leadership, the ICPC brought together the 36 states’ attorneys-general under one roof to brainstorm and had robust conversations on developing effective strategies that would enhance the commission’s capacity in the fight against corruption at the sub-national level and within the current justice system.

“This initiative is yielding results as the regional editions of this engagement, aimed at establishing a community of practice and strengthening capacity for corruption prevention, have since started with the north-west conference of attorneys-general.”

Aliyu said while the commission has made significant progress, there is still much work to be done.

He noted that in the coming year, the anti-graft agency will focus on improving efficiency, enhancing public engagement, strengthening institutional frameworks and leveraging technology.

Bolaji Owasanoye, former ICPC chairman, urged Aliyu to reflect on his first year in office, pinpoint areas for growth, cultivate resilience, and develop a forward-thinking approach to tackle future challenges.

The ICPC chair was commended by the anti-corruption agencies of Zambia, Uganda and Sierra Leone for his efforts in tackling corruption in Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has set a daily withdrawal limit on point-of-sale (PoS) terminals to N100,000 per customer.

In a circular to all deposit money banks (DMBs), microfinance Banks, mobile money operators and super-agents, titled ‘Cash-out limits for agent banking transactions,’ CBN said the restriction is in line with the apex bank’s ongoing efforts to advance a cash-less economy.

According to the circular, the interventions aim to address identified challenges, combat fraud and establish uniform operational standards across the industry.

“In view of the above, ALL principals of agents are to comply with the following directives immediately:
i. Issuers shall set a cash withdrawal limit (cash-out) per customer (regardless of channel) to N500,000.00 per week,” the circular reads.

 

“ii. Ensure that all agent banking terminals are set to a daily maximum transaction cash-out limit of N100,000.00 per customer.

“iii. Ensure that each agent’s daily cumulative cash-out limit shall not exceed N1,200,000.00.

“iv. Ensure that agent banking services are clearly demarcated from merchant activities and that agents apply the approved Agent Code 6010 for agent banking activities.

 

“v. Ensure that agency banking activities are consummated exclusively through agent float accounts maintained with the principals.

“vi. Monitor accounts associated with the agents’ BVN(S) with a view to identifying agent banking activities which may be conducted outside the designated float account(s).

“vii. Ensure that all agent terminals are connected to a PTSA

“viii. Ensure that all daily transactions per agent, including withdrawals, limits of transactions and balances in the float accounts of each agent, are sent electronically to NIBSS as a repot to the CBN. The template of this report will be sent to principals.”

CBN said as stated in the guidelines for the regulation of agent banking and agent banking relationships in Nigeria, principals would be held fully responsible and liable for all actions and omissions of their agents related to agent banking services.

The apex bank also warned that it would conduct oversight activities, including impromptu back-end configuration checks to ensure compliance.

CBN said breach of the directives contained in the circular will attract appropriate penalties including monetary and/or administrative sanctions.

The 2024 Best FIFA Football Awards winners were honoured on Tuesday during a spectacular evening at the Aspire Academy, located in Qatar’s Education City.

Naija News reports that this prestigious ceremony acknowledged the finest talents in football, celebrating exceptional players, coaches, and teams that excelled throughout the year.

Aitana Bonmatí from Spain was awarded the Women’s Player of the Year, while Brazilian sensation Vinícius Jr. took home the Men’s Player of the Year accolade.

The event also highlighted the achievements of top coaches and goalkeepers and celebrated remarkable goals in a dazzling atmosphere.

The awards brought together football’s finest talents, affirming their exceptional performances and contributions to the sport on the global stage.

Below is the complete list of winners from the 2024 awards.

• Women’s Player of the Year: Aitana Bonmatí  – FC Barcelona, Spain
• Men’s Player of the Year: Vinícius Jr  – Real Madrid, Brazil
• Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Alyssa Naeher – Chicago Red Stars, USWNT
• Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Emiliano Martínez – Aston Villa, Argentina
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes – Chelsea & USWNT
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti – Real Madrid
• FIFA Marta Award (Best Goal in Women’s Football): Marta – Brazil vs. Jamaica
• Best Men’s Goal: Alejandro Garnacho – Everton vs. Manchester United

FIFA Women’s World XI:

• Goalkeeper: Naeher
  Defenders: Battle – Paredes – Girma – Bronze
  Midfielders: Aitana – Horan – Guijarro – Portilho
  Forwards: Paralluelo – Hansen

FIFA Men’s World XI:
Goalkeeper: Dibu Martínez
Defenders: Carvajal – Rüdiger – Dias – Saliba
Midfielders: Bellingham – Kroos – Rodri
Forwards: Lamine Yamal – Haaland – Vinícius Jr

FIFA Fair Play Award: Thiago Maia – Internacional

FIFA Fan Award: Guilherme Gandra Moura

Honey Berry, one of the mothers of Portable‘s children, appears to have found love again.

Berry, who was previously in a relationship with the controversial singer, had a public spat with him in January 2023.

During the fallout, she accused Portable of neglecting their son and failing to provide for his welfare.

But on Monday, Berry took to Instagram to share a loved-up video of herself and her new partner.

In the caption, she expressed her love for him and described their bond as “eternal”.

She also said she wished she had met him “before the wrong person” and thanked him for bringing “immense happiness” into her life.

“It’s Monday. I want you to know that you are the love of my life, that your soul and mine are the same, and I will love you a million lifetimes from now! You have no idea how happy you make me, sweetheart. I will spend my life making you as happy as you make me,” she wrote.

“I love you so much. We share such an amazing, pure, and true love. Tonight, you have my heart overflowing. I wish you were here so I could cook for you and watch a movie together.

“Sweetheart, I cannot wait to be holding you again. I love you, baby. I love you from the very depth of my soul. I wish I had met you before the wrong person.”

Berry and Portable welcomed their son in December 2022.

The singer, who rose to fame in 2021 with his hit single ‘Zazoo Zeh’ featuring Olamide and Poco Lee, has remained in the spotlight for controversial reasons.

Portable has previously revealed his desire to marry up to 12 wives before turning 40.

The father of Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, has credited his son’s success in winning the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award to his humility, unwavering focus, and dedication to football.

The prestigious award was presented to the Atalanta forward during a grand ceremony held in Marrakech, Morocco, marking a major milestone in Lookman’s career.

Speaking after the event, Lookman’s father expressed pride in his son’s achievements, highlighting the personal qualities that set him apart.

“I am so proud of him as a father, because he is a very committed player, he is very humble, he does not like too much publicity, because he really wants to focus on his football. And that is what has taken him to this level,” he said.

Lookman’s performances for both his club, Atalanta, and the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, have earned him widespread praise throughout the year.

His consistency and work ethic have been pivotal to his rise in African football.

With this latest honour, Lookman becomes the sixth Nigerian player to win the coveted CAF Player of the Year award, cementing his place in the history of African football.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Enugu zone, says it has arraigned two bankers for allegedly selling mint naira notes (valued at N500,000) to customers.

In a statement on X on Tuesday, the EFCC said the bankers, Ekpe Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, staff of one of the new generation banks.

The commission said the bankers were arraigned before Mohammed Umar, the presiding judge of a federal high court in Enugu state, on December 12.

According to the EFCC, the defendants were arrested on November 15, 2024, following actionable intelligence linking them to the sale of naira mints in the state metropolis.

The anti-graft agency said the defendants (arrested at their workplace located at 18 Okpara Avenue, Enugu) allegedly sold N500,000 mints in N200 denominations, to a customer identified as Husseini Ibrahim.

“That you, Ekpe Anayaoha Okoronkwo and Umeonuoha Onyinye, sometime in October 2024 at Enugu, Enugu state, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did sell a total sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) mints in Two Hundred Naira Notes (N200) denominations, issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria to one Husseini Ibrahim and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and punishable under Section 21 (1) of the same Act,” the one count charge reads.

According to the statement, while Okoronkwo pleaded guilty to the charge, Onyinye pleaded not guilty.

In his response, Rotimi Ajobiewe, counsel and chief superintendent of the EFCC, asked the court for a short date to review the case regarding the first defendant.

“In respect of the second defendant, we pray for a date for trial to enable the prosecution to prove its case,” Ajobiewe said.

However, counsel to the second defendant, C. N. Agama prayed the court to remand Onyinye at the EFCC custody, pending the hearing of the bail application.

After listening to the prayers of the counsels, Umar adjourned the matter to January 15, 2025, for Onyinye’s bail application hearing and the conviction and sentencing of Okoronkwo.

The defendants were remanded at the Enugu correctional facility.

Faithia Williams, the Nigerian actress, has tackled an unidentified colleague, claiming she was blocked on Instagram.

In a video shared via her TikTok page, Williams questioned the colleague’s motive, although she did not mention names.

“Hey, they said you blocked me. Please if you blocked me on earth did you block me in heaven,” Williams said.

“Or even if you blocked me, did the God I serve block me? Or if you blocked me are you the God that I pray to who answers me?”

The identity of the colleague who allegedly blocked Williams has not been revealed, but speculation is rife that it may be actress Funke Akindele.

While neither of them has publicly confirmed the purported rift, there are rumours that Williams allegedly skipped Akindele’s ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ premiere on Sunday in retaliation for the filmmaker’s absence at her father’s funeral.

Checks by TheCable Lifestyle on Tuesday also showed the movie stars are not following each other on Instagram.

Williams, who hails from Urhobo in Delta state, was born in Ikeja, Lagos into a polygamous family of nine.

She attended Kwara State Polytechnic and earned a diploma certificate. In 2016, she furthered her education in film at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago Iwoge, Ogun state.

Faithia ventured into acting by chance when her uncle invited her to stand in for an actress who could not make it to one of their film productions. This marked her debut in the film ‘Ta Lo Pa Chief’.

She has also starred in several Nollywood productions including ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, ‘Aje Meta’, and ‘Mokalik’.

The 55-year-old actress was previously married to Saidi Balogun, with whom she shares two children, a son and a daughter.

The couple divorced in 2014, after which Faithia retained her husband’s surname until 2017 when she reverted to Williams, her maiden name.

President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration’s policies are carefully designed to foster long-term national wealth and prosperity.

Delivering a message through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at the 2024 Nigerian Media Merit Awards held at the Muson Centre, Lagos, Tinubu highlighted the critical role of reforms in reshaping Nigeria’s future.

According to the president, the push for tax reform is one of the most significant steps towards economic renewal.

While there may be differing views on specific details of the reform, Tinubu maintained that there is a collective agreement on the need to overhaul Nigeria’s outdated tax system.

Tinubu emphasized that the proposed tax reforms are aimed at reducing the number of taxes, easing the financial burden on vulnerable citizens, and increasing revenue allocation to states.

These measures are also expected to boost business growth through targeted incentives.

“I will say with every sense of conviction that our policies are deliberate and well thought-out.

“We are headed toward the restoration of Nigeria, on a path requiring a comprehensive approach that addresses economic diversification, human capital development, infrastructure development, wealth creation, and inclusive growth.

“Among our various landmark reforms is the one focused on tax, by far one of the most profound steps necessary for setting Nigeria onto the path of enduring national wealth and prosperity for all our people.

“There is a consensus that the tax administration system in Nigeria requires reform. We may not all agree on every detail of the required reform, but there will be many areas of convergence,” he said.

Highlighting the tangible impact of the reforms, Tinubu referenced the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee’s (FAAC) recent revenue distribution, which recorded the highest amount in Nigeria’s history.

“Just days ago, the federation accounts allocation committee recorded the highest-ever revenue distribution figure in the history of our country.

“These are the much-needed resources being freed up for investment in critical areas of the economy.

“At the federal level, these revenues are already financing impactful initiatives like the consumer credit scheme, students loan fund, presidential grants & loans scheme, the MSME clinics, 3 million technical talent programme (3MTT), presidential CNG initiative, massive road infrastructure projects, among many others.

“In the spirit of our federation, the various state and local governments also have their policies and programmes, meant to complement ours,” he added.

Tinubu noted that state and local governments also have their own programs and policies that align with the federal administration’s agenda.

This alignment, he said, would ensure that the positive impact of these reforms is felt across all levels of society.

Former presidential spokesman Garba Shehu has taken a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a birthday tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, who turns 82 today.

In his birthday message to his former boss, Shehu criticised Obasanjo for undermining his successors while praising Buhari for staying away from Abuja to give the new administration space to stabilise.

“On the other hand, since leaving office, first as a military leader and subsequently as an elected president after two terms, President Olusegun Obasanjo has called and written to every head of state after him to put them to shame or disgrace, and in some cases, outrightly asking for their resignation or ouster in the next election,” he said.

He also noted that since completing his tenure on May 29, 2023, Buhari had only visited the nation’s capital twice, keeping his word to let the new administration function without distraction.

“The former president said to the hearing of everyone that once he handed over to his successor on May 29, 2023, he would be as far away from the nation’s capital, Abuja, so as not to cast a shadow over the new administration, to give them the space to effectively take off and stabilise without distractions. Being willing to renounce power is his extraordinarily admirable trait.”

“Since leaving office, he visited Abuja just twice: first to officiate at the launch of Femi Adesina’s brilliant book Working With Buhari, and the second time as a guest of President Bola Tinubu when they convened a meeting of the Council of State.”

Shehu highlighted that Buhari now enjoys a simple routine, which includes staying updated with the news, spending time with his grandchildren, meeting guests, and inspecting his farm, while also indulging in his love for reading and watching TV shows.