Author: CSNews

N990m Forex Deal Gone Wrong Lands Brookfield Boss in Court

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 has arraigned Olatunji Oluwaseun Adebola, Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Group Holdings and known by the alias Whitelion, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama over an alleged N990 million fraud. Adebola, alongside his company Brookfield Mining Limited, faces a four-count charge covering conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and dishonest misappropriation of funds. The case followed a petition filed through BB Dan Habu and Co Solicitors, alleging that the defendants collected the funds from a client under the guise of facilitating a foreign exchange transaction worth $750,000. Adebola pleaded not guilty when the charges were read. Prosecuting counsel Oluwakemi Yemi Makinde asked the court for a trial date and his remand, while defence counsel informed the court of a pending bail application. Ruling on the application, Justice Ngozi ordered Adebola to produce two sureties, one a civil servant on Grade Level 15 and the other a civil servant who owns landed property in Abuja. The matter was adjourned to September 15, 2026 for further proceedings. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Uniform Off, Gratitude Never Fades: CDS Takes Welfare Message to Northeast Veterans

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The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed the Defence Headquarters’ commitment to the welfare and dignity of Nigeria’s veterans during an interactive session with retired personnel from the Northeast Zone in Yola, Adamawa State, the second in a series of planned zonal consultations. Addressing concerns over salary increments, Oluyede assured veterans the exercise is fully inclusive, explaining that implementation is ongoing and that adjustments to serving personnel’s pay carry a consequential increase to veterans’ pensions under existing policy. He outlined ongoing welfare initiatives, including a partnership with the Bank of Industry to give serving and retired personnel and their families access to low interest business loans, alongside the construction of a Defence Hospital that will reserve a share of its capacity for veterans. He said both initiatives carry the backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Commander in Chief. Veterans used the session to raise other welfare concerns, which the CDS addressed directly, promising continued attention going forward. The engagement drew veteran leaders including RANAO President Major General HA Salihu (rtd), Major General LP Ngubane (rtd) and Air Vice Marshal NE Nzokala (rtd), with the RANAO President thanking the CDS and urging fellow veterans to support the leadership’s welfare efforts. Closing the session, Oluyede paid tribute to the veterans’ sacrifices, saying the nation’s gratitude for those who served will never fade. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Your Data, Your State: NDPC Pushes Governors to Lock Down Personal Information

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The Nigeria Data Protection Commission and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have joined forces to strengthen data governance at the state level, responding to the massive daily exchange of personal data driven by Nigeria’s expanding digital economy. The collaboration centers on a two-day workshop in Abuja focused on the NDPC Act General Implementation Directive of 2025 for state governments, given that states remain the primary custodians of sensitive biometric and personal data captured through civil service records, resident registration agencies and local health programmers. National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, alongside Kano State Deputy Governor Murtala Sule Garo and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, stressed that data compliance must now become a built-in institutional capacity rather than an afterthought, extending modern protection standards beyond federal agencies into state level governance. The workshop has brought together delegates from ministries, departments and agencies across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, working alongside data privacy experts to share experiences and identify practical fixes for better data management. The push is aimed at protecting citizens’ personal information, closing regional gaps in enforcement and building public trust in Nigeria’s fast growing digital economy. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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US Praises NDLEA Over Drug War Wins, Signals More Support Ahead

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The International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for its recent operational successes, pledging continued support for the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria. At a meeting held at NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, INL Nigeria Country Director Derek Tolliver congratulated the agency’s leadership, describing its recent achievements as phenomenal. He said the United States government remains committed to deepening the existing partnership and advancing joint programmes with the NDLEA. NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa, highlighted the impact of vehicles and modern forensic equipment donated by the US, particularly in aiding investigations into illicit drug production across the country. Marwa appealed for further American support, especially in logistics, operational equipment and training, as the agency intensifies its campaign against drug trafficking and illicit drug production nationwide. The exchange underscores the growing role of US backing in Nigeria’s anti-narcotics efforts, as the NDLEA leans on international partnerships to sustain the momentum of its recent operations. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Fixing the Skills Gap: Alausa Launches Overhaul of Nigeria’s Technical Education Board

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Nigeria’s technical and vocational education system is buckling under outdated curricula and thin funding, with more than 55 per cent of assessed programmes described as no longer fit for purpose even as 93 per cent of the workforce operates in informal employment and roughly 12 per cent of young people sit outside education, jobs or training altogether. Against that backdrop, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has begun repositioning the Monotechnic and Technical Education Board, known as MBTE, to strengthen its ability to supervise and coordinate polytechnics, monotechnics and other technical institutions across the country. A KPMG led assessment is currently underway to pinpoint institutional gaps and design a functional organisational structure and operational framework for the agency, part of a broader push to turn MBTE into what Alausa calls a fit for purpose body capable of driving practical skills, industry relevance, employability and productivity. Alausa said polytechnic education sits at the heart of the wider TVET ecosystem, pointing to an ongoing curriculum review backed by one billion naira from TETFund that has already produced 27 new National Occupational Standards and revised four existing ones, taking the total to 31. The standards are meant to map out a clearer skills pathway running from artisan level training through National Certificate, OND and HND programmes. KPMG Partner and Head of Tax, Regulatory and People Services, Adewale Ajayi, noted that despite the system’s structural troubles, Nigeria still performs strongly on graduate employability, ranking second only to Singapore among the markets assessed. The reform effort signals growing pressure on Abuja to align technical education with the realities of an economy where formal jobs remain scarce and youth unemployment continues to weigh on national development. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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IGP Tells Vanguard at 40: Police and Press Must Be Partners, Not Just Source and Reporter

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Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, attended the public presentation of the Vanguard Chronology at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, an event marking the newspaper’s 40th anniversary under the theme Fighting Insecurity in Nigeria, The Need for Media Collaboration. The event drew dignitaries from politics, business, diplomacy, security and media. As guest speaker, the IGP praised Vanguard Media Limited’s enduring legacy, singling out founder and publisher Sam Amuka as a benchmark figure in Nigerian journalism. Disu argued that national security is not the exclusive business of law enforcement but a shared responsibility, insisting the relationship between police and press must grow beyond the traditional source and reporter dynamic into a genuine strategic partnership. He warned against the dangers of misinformation and disinformation in security reporting, calling for credible journalism, media literacy and swift official communication to counter false narratives. The IGP also pressed for accountability and transparency in handling cases of personnel misconduct, noting that a partnership cannot survive if one side demands cooperation while resisting scrutiny. Describing public trust as one of the Force’s most valuable assets, Disu urged media stakeholders to deepen collaboration with the police, framing a secure Nigeria as a victory shared by all. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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No Label, No Sale: FCCPC Fires Warning Shot at Manufacturers Over Fake Product Info

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has raised the alarm over a growing wave of consumer goods circulating in the market without proper labelling, warning manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to clean up their inventories or face enforcement action. Acting under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, the Commission said market surveillance and routine inspections have uncovered products carrying misleading claims or missing basic details such as production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer information, ingredient lists, allergen warnings and country of origin. The Commission said it is empowered to enforce strict compliance with labelling standards set alongside regulators such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, stressing that deceptive labelling strips consumers of their right to make informed choices and can expose them to real health, safety and financial risks. It directed all businesses in the supply chain to immediately review their stock and pull any non-compliant goods from shelves, warning that continued distribution of such products would attract regulatory action. Consumers, for their part, were urged to inspect labels carefully before buying and steer clear of products with missing, altered or illegible information, and to report suspected violations through the Commission’s official complaint channels. The FCCPC said it would keep tightening market surveillance and enforcement nationwide in partnership with other regulatory bodies to protect consumers. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Japan Pledges N20bn to Rescue Lagos Power Grid, Apapa Substation Gets Lifeline

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The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has committed N20 billion to expand and rehabilitate Nigeria’s national electricity grid, with the Apapa Transmission Substation in Lagos among the biggest beneficiaries. JICA Chief Representative in Nigeria, Ishigame Keiji, disclosed the funding, valued at 2.35 billion Japanese yen, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. He said the money would cover construction, equipment procurement, engineering services and operational training. Keiji said the intervention targets critical transmission infrastructure in Lagos, where rising electricity demand and ageing facilities have strained the system, adding that work already done on the Apapa substation has boosted transmission capacity, improved reliability and eased bottlenecks in electricity distribution across the state and its neighbours. Beyond Apapa, Japan is running a separate concessional loan project to upgrade the transmission network spanning Lagos and Ogun states, while JICA continues to provide technical advisers to the Ministry of Power to support broader sector reforms. Keiji said Japanese companies and other investors remain drawn to Nigeria’s large market but called for stronger government support and deeper private sector participation to sustain that interest. He also revealed that JICA is partnering with the World Bank on mini grid development for rural communities, alongside ongoing efforts to strengthen policy and institutional reforms across Nigeria’s power sector. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Bank Access Codes for Sale: Two Nabbed in FCMB Cyber Breach Trial

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The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Gideon Bakpa Aghogho and Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka before Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over the alleged unlawful supply of bank access credentials. The duo appeared alongside a third suspect, identified only as Scott, who remains at large, on an eight count charge bordering on the illegal supply of access codes to a bank database, contrary to the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 as amended in 2024. Prosecutors allege that between July 24 and July 26, 2026, the trio conspired to supply Aghogho’s administrative access code to the FCMB system, credentials capable of unlocking the bank’s Virtual Centre Platform, with intent to commit an offence. A separate count claims Aghogho had earlier, between April and May 2025, disclosed the bank’s server IP and domain credentials without authority in exchange for fifteen thousand dollars. Aghogho pleaded not guilty, while Chukwuebuka entered a guilty plea when the charges were read. Prosecuting counsel Bilkisu Buhari asked the court to fix a trial date for the first defendant and to remand him in custody, while seeking to review the facts of the case against the second defendant following his admission. Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter to August 27, 2026 for further proceedings and ordered that both men be held at a correctional centre in the interim. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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Defence Chief Tours Kaduna Ordnance Factory, Bets Big on Made in Nigeria Weapons

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The Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede, has visited the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Ordnance Factory in Kakuri, Kaduna, as part of efforts to build up Nigeria’s local defence production capacity and reduce reliance on foreign military hardware. The visit included a tour of the Corporation’s production and research facilities, where the CDS was briefed by Director General DICON, Major General BI Alaya, on the factory’s manufacturing capabilities, ongoing projects and future plans. General Oluyede inspected key production lines and received updates on efforts to expand local output and support the Armed Forces. At DICON’s Research and Development facility, several indigenous products were put on display for the CDS. He commended the management and workforce for their commitment to advancing the country’s defence technology and manufacturing base. General Oluyede said the Federal Government’s renewed push for local defence production is key to improving operational readiness, cutting dependence on foreign equipment, conserving foreign exchange and securing sustainable logistics for the military. He reaffirmed Defence Headquarters’ commitment to helping DICON grow into a world class defence manufacturing institution capable of meeting the needs of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, calling local production a strategic priority for a more self sufficient military. The CDS was accompanied on the visit by the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General OT Olatoye, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Major General ASM Wase, and other senior officers. By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed

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