Author: Naija Daily News

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has implicated a new-generation commercial bank, six fintech companies and several microfinance banks in a large-scale financial fraud involving cryptocurrency transactions valued at N162 billion. The Commission disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing at its headquarters in Abuja, where its Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, accused the affected financial institutions of failing to carry out proper customer due diligence, thereby enabling fraudsters to launder illicit funds through the financial system. Uwujaren said EFCC investigations revealed that the institutions allowed suspicious transactions to pass through their platforms during the 2024/2025…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday evening held a closed-door meeting with the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed that the engagement was ongoing behind closed doors. According to Onanuga, no official details have been released regarding the agenda or issues under discussion. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in a closed-door discussion with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,” he said. The meeting has drawn political attention, coming amid heightened national…

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested three suspected armed robbers in Ibadan, the state capital, following a security operation by its monitoring unit. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday. He identified the suspects as Abdulrahman Rasheed, 19; Biodun Fatai, 18; and Muiz Salawudeen, 18. According to the police, the suspects were intercepted while riding an unregistered tricycle, popularly known as Keke Maruwa, which was allegedly used to convey them during their operations. A locally fabricated single-barrel gun, modified into a short arm for easy concealment, was also…

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command from the Obiaruku Division have arrested five suspected cultists during a raid in Amai Community, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of the state. The suspects, identified as Frank Etiyemonu, Chinedu Emeka, Festus Nwadiche, Azuju Onowu and Ozor Blessing, were arrested in the early hours of Thursday, January 22, 2026, at about 2:56 a.m. Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrests in a statement made available to journalists in Warri. He said the suspects were apprehended during a targeted operation carried out on a suspected cultists’ hideout in the…

The escalating political crisis in Rivers State took a decisive legal turn on Thursday as the Chief Judge of the state, Hon. Justice Simeon C. Amadi, declined a request by the Rivers State House of Assembly to constitute a seven-member investigative panel to probe allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu. Justice Amadi hinged his decision on subsisting interim court injunctions and pending appeals, a move that has effectively put the Assembly’s impeachment process on hold for now. In a letter dated January 20, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker of the…

The Federal Government has confirmed the payment of N152 billion to contractors for verified contracts, even as indigenous contractors resumed protests in Abuja over alleged unpaid debts estimated to run into trillions of naira. The confirmation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Finance and shared by presidential aide Dada Olusegun on X, formerly Twitter. The development comes amid renewed accusations by contractors that the government has failed to fully settle obligations for completed capital projects, despite repeated assurances and budgetary provisions. According to the Ministry of Finance, the N152 billion payment followed due…

Air Peace Limited has confirmed disruptions to flight operations across its network following a bird strike involving one of its aircraft at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Thursday morning. The incident occurred when an Air Peace flight operating from Lagos to Port Harcourt struck a bird upon arrival at the airport, prompting immediate safety inspections on the affected aircraft in line with standard aviation procedures. In a statement issued on January 22, 2026, the airline said it had begun measures to reduce delays resulting from the incident by deploying a replacement aircraft to continue scheduled operations. Air Peace spokesperson,…

About 5,000 individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism-related offences are currently being held in pre-trial detention facilities across Nigeria, creating a significant backlog of cases. The figure was disclosed in the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, which acknowledged the pressure the volume of cases has placed on the country’s justice system. According to the document, the NCTC’s legal team is working in collaboration with the Defence Headquarters and the Federal Ministry of Justice to review case files with the aim of fast-tracking prosecutions or dismissing cases that lack sufficient evidence. “At present, there are approximately 5,000 individuals…

The Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Major General Warrah Idris, has said notorious bandit leader Bello Turji is in panic and confusion as intensified military operations close in on him and other armed group leaders in the North-West. Idris disclosed this while briefing defence correspondents during a tour of the operations theatre, noting that Turji is under sustained pressure from coordinated ground offensives, human intelligence, and technology-driven surveillance. “Based on the most current intelligence received, Bello Turji and others are currently in confusion and panic because of the intensity of our current operations.…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has voided Julius Abure’s claim to the office of National Chairman of the Labour Party, declaring former Minister of Finance, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as the party’s valid leader. Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment delivered on Wednesday, relied on the April 4, 2025 decision of the Supreme Court to hold that Abure’s tenure had expired and that the leadership of the party now rests with the caretaker committee headed by Usman. The court subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately recognise the Usman-led Caretaker Committee as the only lawful authority…