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Download The Full Lobbying Agreement: Image Abroad, Insecurity at Home: Think tank seeks FOI clarity on $9m lobbying deal

The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought (TAS) has formally filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), demanding full disclosure over a controversial $9 million lobbying contract reportedly approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria for engagement with United States policymakers.

The move follows widespread public reports that the Nigerian government, through a US lobbying firm, DCI Group, and a Nigerian law firm, Aster Legal, entered into a high-value agreement aimed at influencing Washington’s position on Nigeria—particularly on issues relating to religious freedom and counterterrorism.

In a statement signed by Dr Sam Amadi, Director of TAS, the organisation said its decision to invoke the FOI Act was driven by the gravity of the issues involved, noting that the matter touches directly on public finance, national security, foreign policy, and democratic accountability.

“These are not trivial concerns,” Amadi said. “They go to the heart of how public funds are spent, how sensitive national decisions are taken, and whether due process and transparency were followed.”

According to documents reportedly filed with the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Government may have approved a $9 million lobbying arrangement, with an initial payment of $4.5 million already released. The contract, signed on December 17, 2025, is said to run for an initial six-month period ending June 30, 2026, with an automatic renewal clause unless terminated.

Under the agreement, the Nigerian government is reportedly paying $750,000 per month to DCI Group to assist in “communicating” Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christian communities and to maintain US support for its counterterrorism operations, amid sustained scrutiny from sections of the US government.

Nigeria was redesignated in October 2025 as a Country of Particular Concern under the US International Religious Freedom Act, a label the Nigerian government has rejected, insisting that insecurity affects Nigerians of all faiths.

However, TAS said that despite the scale, cost and sensitivity of the reported contract, key details remain shrouded in silence, raising legitimate public concern.

“There is limited public information about who authorized the contract, how the $9 million fee was determined, which government offices were involved, and how the funds were transferred,” the statement noted.

The FOI request seeks answers to several core questions, including whether the Office of the National Security Adviser authorised or directed the engagement, why a private law firm was used to act on behalf of the Nigerian government, what procurement or selection process was followed, and whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs played any role in the decision.

TAS is also demanding clarity on who paid the reported $4.5 million already released, through which financial institutions, and under whose formal approval.

Dr Amadi stressed that the request does not amount to an accusation, but rather reflects the public’s right to know how decisions of such magnitude are taken—especially at a time of severe economic strain.

“At a moment when Nigerians are facing deep hardship and are being asked to make sacrifices, transparency in government spending is not optional; it is essential,” he said. “Openness builds trust. Silence erodes it.”

The controversy has ignited public debate, particularly as insecurity continues to worsen across large swathes of the country. While millions of dollars are reportedly being spent to shape Nigeria’s image abroad, communities at home continue to grapple with kidnappings, mass killings, banditry and terrorist attacks, raising troubling questions about priorities.

Critics argue that no amount of foreign lobbying can substitute for tangible security outcomes on the ground. They note that there has been no public briefing, cost-benefit analysis or official justification explaining why such funds could not be deployed directly toward strengthening security operations, supporting victims or improving intelligence and policing capacity.

Equally striking, observers say, is the absence of official communication from the Presidency, the ONSA or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifying the objectives, scope and expected outcomes of the lobbying contract.

TAS said it expects a response from the Office of the National Security Adviser within the timeframe stipulated by law, adding that any reply received will be made public in the spirit of transparency and informed civic debate.

“The Freedom of Information Act exists to promote openness and accountability,” the statement said. “Our request is made lawfully and in good faith. Accountability strengthens institutions, transparency strengthens trust, and an informed citizenry strengthens democracy.”

As scrutiny intensifies, the $9 million lobbying deal is fast becoming a test case—not just for transparency under Nigeria’s FOI regime, but for whether government is prepared to answer hard questions about governance, priorities and responsibility in a time of national distress.

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Celebrating ASUU-FG’s historic reset with caveats

By Farooq Kperogi


After sixteen years of stalemate, serial strikes and ritualised brinkmanship, the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have finally signed a renegotiated agreement that replaces the moribund 2009 pact. This is at once historic, consequential and praiseworthy.

For the first time in a generation, Nigeria’s public universities have a framework that promises industrial harmony, predictability of academic calendars and an end to the cruel cycle in which students lose years of their lives to shutdowns that have nothing to do with them. If implemented faithfully, the agreement will allow students to graduate on time, restore confidence in public universities and begin the long task of rebuilding Nigeria’s battered higher education system.

Credit is due to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for pushing this through. In fact, the ASUU agreement is about the only major promise Tinubu made in the poetry of campaign that he has clearly kept in the prose of governance.

The symbolism is even more striking when contrasted with the immediate past. The Muhammadu Buhari administration presided over one of the most destructive eras in the history of Nigerian university education.

This was made all the more tragic by the presence of Adamu Adamu as Minister of Education. Before his appointment, Adamu, for whom I had enormously unconditional respect, was a well-known public defender of ASUU in his intrepid newspaper columns in the Daily Trust. Once in office, however, he turned out to be one of the most hostile ministers Nigerian academics have ever encountered.

On October 9, 2022, at the height of that administration’s war with ASUU, I wrote on social media: “Adamu Adamu, an erstwhile ASUU ally, is turning out to be the deadliest foe ASUU has ever had. With help from Ngige, he’s dealing the union one crushing blow after another…. Lesson: the fact that someone is your friend today doesn’t mean they can’t be a murderous foe tomorrow.”

The Tinubu administration has, at the very least, reversed that posture of antagonism and replaced it with negotiation, compromise and a willingness to reset the relationship between government and academia.

At its core, the new pact addresses the three issues that have driven nearly two decades of conflict: pay, welfare and the structure of university funding.

First is a 40 percent salary increase for lecturers, effective January 1, 2026. Someone rightly remarked that it’s the single largest upward review of academic salaries in over a decade. It’s a long-overdue correction after years of erosion by inflation and currency collapse.

For professors, this comes with a new professorial cadre allowance of about 140,000 naira monthly, while readers (roughly equivalent to associate professors) receive about 70,000 naira. Earned academic allowances have also been restructured and tied more clearly to actual academic labour, such as postgraduate supervision, fieldwork and research coordination.

Second is a major reform of retirement benefits. Professors who retire at the statutory age of 70 are now guaranteed pension benefits equivalent to their full annual salary. This provision alone is transformative. It ends the shameful tradition of professors retiring into poverty after decades of service and sends a powerful signal to younger academics that a life devoted to teaching and research will not be punished at the end.

Third is the institutionalisation of research funding through the proposed establishment of a National Research Council, funded at not less than one percent of GDP. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, research financing is being embedded in national planning rather than left to donor whims and sporadic government interventions.

If implemented properly, this could anchor doctoral training, strengthen laboratories and libraries and finally position Nigeria as a serious knowledge producer.

Fourth is a new funding structure for universities that links capital funding, infrastructure development, and staff development to long-term planning rather than emergency interventions. TETFund remains central, but funding is now part of an overarching reform framework.

Fifth is a recommitment to university autonomy and academic freedom, including protections against political interference in hiring, curriculum and internal governance. If faithfully implemented, which is never a guarantee but noteworthy nonetheless, vice-chancellors may not be the glorified political appointees that many of them are now, and universities may cease to be extensions of the civil service.

Finally, the agreement formally buries the 2009 pact that haunted the system like a zombie document. The new framework, produced by the Yayale Ahmed Committee after fourteen months of negotiations, is structured, phased and subject to periodic review. This gives ASUU leverage and gives government predictability.

Yet it is important to separate celebration from illusion. The new agreement is a noteworthy improvement on the living and working conditions of Nigerian university lecturers. But it is not yet competitive by continental standards, and it is unlikely, on its own, to halt academic brain drain.

Before the agreement, a full professor in a federal university earned roughly 525,000 naira to 630,000 naira monthly. With a 40 percent raise and the new 140,000-naira professorial allowance, a senior professor will now earn in the range of 1 million naira to 1.1 million naira per month, depending on rank and allowances.

That sounds impressive in naira terms. In continental terms, however, it remains deeply uncompetitive.

In South Africa, professors earn the equivalent of about $4,500 to $5,000 per month. In Kenya, professors earn around $1,300 monthly. In Uganda, the figure is about $1,100. In Ghana, professors earn roughly $700 to $800 monthly. In Egypt and Morocco, senior academics earn well above Nigeria’s new scale.

At current exchange rates, a Nigerian professor earning 1.1 million naira a month makes roughly $700. That places Nigeria near the bottom of Africa’s academic pay ladder, ahead of only a handful of fragile economies.

This is why Nigerian universities continue to hemorrhage talent. Professors are leaving for South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana, the Gulf, Europe and North America not because they dislike Nigeria but because Nigeria does not value academic labour competitively. A Nigerian professor now earns in a month what a South African professor earns in a week.

The salary increase is therefore a necessary correction, not a strategic solution. It slows the bleeding. It does not stop it.

There is also a potential booby trap embedded in the agreement that deserves sober reflection. The guarantee of full-salary pensions for retired professors has been widely welcomed, and rightly so. But pension experts have warned that this provision resembles a return to the old defined-benefit pension system that Nigeria abandoned two decades ago because it was fiscally unsustainable.

A January 16, 2026, report by TheCable highlighted the controversy sparked by the Director-General of the National Pension Commission, who defended the ASUU deal amid fears that it could undermine the contributory pension scheme. Critics argue that guaranteeing pensions equivalent to full salaries without a clearly defined funding mechanism risks recreating the very problems that forced Nigeria to reform its pension system in the first place.

If the new pension promise is not carefully structured, transparently funded and legally insulated from political manipulation, it could become a future flashpoint for industrial conflict that unfairly punishes students and parents.

Expectations will rise. Budgetary pressures will mount. Regulators will resist. And another round of industrial disharmony could follow.

There is one more omission in the agreement that deserves attention. My friend Prof. Moses Ochonu and I have long argued that the federal government should not simply accede to ASUU’s demands, however legitimate, without also insisting on mechanisms for instructional accountability, research productivity, service delivery and innovation.

Without a system to institutionalise accountability and transparency, students will always be shortchanged, and the nation will be betrayed by lecturers who show little commitment to their craft or to genuine knowledge production and dissemination.

It has become a disturbing culture in Nigerian universities for lecturers to show up in class whenever they please without consequence. In my undergraduate days, I took courses where lecturers appeared only twice in the entire semester, first to introduce themselves and last to set an exam on material they never taught. My conversations with today’s undergraduates suggest that this still happens.

Of course, not everyone is guilty of this. Many Nigerian academics are dedicated teachers and serious scholars working under brutal conditions. But not even one person should be allowed to get away with such negligence.

University lecturers should also not be allowed to publish in substandard, pay-to-play, predatory journals simply to climb the academic ladder. Promotion should reward intellectual rigor, not transactional publishing.

If Nigeria is going to invest billions in salaries, pensions, and research funding, it must also demand excellence in return. Anything less is a betrayal of students and of the country’s development aspirations.

This agreement gives Nigeria a chance to rebuild. Whether it becomes a renaissance or another chapter in the long story of squandered opportunity will depend on what happens next.

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

FortLugard University advances campus development with law faculty, multipurpose hall groundbreakings

The proposed FortLugard University has continued to gather momentum in its drive toward full academic operations, beginning the year with the groundbreaking of two major campus projects following a special thanksgiving service held to usher in its 2026 activities.

The projects—the Faculty of Law complex and a Multipurpose Hall—were formally launched during a ceremony that highlighted the institution’s vision to blend academic excellence, leadership development and moral formation.

Dr Onoja, SAN, and Wife, Mrs Rosemary Onoja, during the thanksgiving service preceding the groundbreaking ceremony.

Founder and Visioner of the university, Chief Dr Ogwu James Onoja, SAN, performed the groundbreaking for the Faculty of Law, describing the project as a strategic investment in elite legal education and the grooming of future leaders of the Bar and Bench.

According to him, the Faculty of Law is designed to deliver rigorous legal scholarship anchored on professional ethics, public service and national development.

The Onojas at the event.

In a parallel ceremony, Evangelist (Dr.) Sunday Oguche, General Overseer of God’s Care Mission, Okpo, Kogi State, performed the groundbreaking for the Multipurpose Hall, a facility intended to serve as a hub for worship, academic gatherings and major institutional events. He noted that the hall would reinforce the university’s commitment to holistic education that integrates intellectual and spiritual growth.

The event, which symbolised FortLugard University’s commitment to academic excellence, legal scholarship and leadership training, attracted a distinguished audience, including the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Hon. Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo, clergy, education stakeholders and other well-wishers.

Dr Onoja, SAN, laying the foundation for the law faculty

The latest groundbreakings build on a series of landmark developments recorded in December 2025, when the university reached one of its most consequential milestones. In a moment heavy with symbolism, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen (Rtd.), laid the foundation stone for the University Senate Building, affirming the institution’s commitment to strong governance and academic autonomy.

At the same ceremony, the foundation stone for the Faculty of Computer Sciences was laid on behalf of the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Hon. Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo, by the Director of Finance and Administration of the Ministry, marking a significant step in the university’s science and technology agenda. The dual ceremony underscored FortLugard University’s steady progression from vision to reality.

Goodwill messages delivered by Evangelist Sunday Oguche, Hon. Jisalo, and other speakers stressed the importance of visionary leadership, faith, and strategic planning in building a university capable of making meaningful contributions to national development and academic advancement.

With these successive developments, the proposed FortLugard University continues to strengthen its institutional foundation, reinforcing its mission to emerge as a centre of learning, character formation and innovation, as preparations intensify toward its official dedication later in the year.

My husband demands sex 8 times every night, woman tells court

Photo by Darina Belonogova:

A Harare woman, Melocia Gwata, has sought legal protection from her husband, George Kusotera, citing his excessive demands for intimacy and abusive behaviour as her reasons.

Melocia revealed her ordeal to the Harare Civil Court, Zimbabwe, describing how her husband coerced her into having intercourse up to eight times per night, resorting to violence whenever she refused.

The matter came to light after Melocia appeared before the magistrate, Judith Taruvinga, at the Harare Civil Court.

She disclosed that her husband, George, had been making excessive demands for sex daily, even waking her up in the middle of the night after multiple encounters on the same day.

“He wants to have s3x every day and wakes me up in the middle of the night, even after we’ve been intimate countless times on the same day,” she recounted, expressing how this has taken a toll on her physical and mental health.

Melocia further explained that when she could no longer endure his demands due to fatigue and physical pain, her husband would assault her.

She recounted how George threatened to divorce her if she continued to reject his advances, with the abuse even occurring in front of their children.

“He has been assaulting me in front of our children, shouting obscenities and telling them I don’t deserve to be called their mother,” she added.

In response to the accusations, George acknowledged his wife’s concerns, apologising for his actions and attributing his behaviour to his love for her.

 “I didn’t realise I was making her uncomfortable. I apologise and promise not to physically abuse her anymore,” he stated.

After hearing both sides, the magistrate, Taruvinga, granted Melocia a protection order against her husband, ensuring her safety from further abuse.

Tribune

Dissecting The Character Of Dignity & Integrity In Public Service: A peep into Joseph Akinlaja’s story, By Emmanuel Ajibulu

Akinlaja is indeed a household name in Nigeria, predominantly in the South-West region of the country.

Historically, the family is linked to the Yoruba culture and tradition with many indelible milestones. The family has played a crucial role in the political and social landscape of Nigeria.

With notable and iconic figure like Hon. (Comrade) Joseph Iranola Akinlaja; he literally demonstrated capacity and rare distinctions in public service, both as a trade unionist and also in the political circle. He embodies reputation for integrity, a spartan lifestyle, and always of the belief that public office is a trust and not a windfall.

He is one leader who has consistently praised the character of discipline and high moral rectitude in his own leadership. He has described himself as a leader of quiet strength, discipline and enduring grace, and has urged those very close to him particularly his mentees to emulate these unblemished qualities that characterise the virtues of ‘Omoluabi’, a commitment rooted in honor, hardwork, diligence, loyalty, decorum, patience, forgiveness, wisdom, and self-restraint even at the risk of personal disadvantage.

Akinlaja is one of such few leaders who act out of compassion, altruism, empathy, and love, he is undeniably a key contributor to the moral good of humanity and community. For him, cooperation across differences is not weakness; it is wisdom. As a democrat, he is convinced that nation-building demands that political players should compete passionately and govern responsibly while also giving room for posterity to judge them kindly.

Akinlaja is a thorough bred public intellectual, a delight to every journalist in an interview, a devoted churchman, elder statesman, consummate Alternative Dispute Resolution expert, passionate federalist, ardent conciliator, and an indomitable rock of the progressive tradition of Yoruba politics.

Apart from his electrical electronics engineering background from the prestigious Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos in 1979, he proceeded to read Political Economy from Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). He attended various Labour Relations course at the International Institute of Labour Studies (ILO) Geneva, Switzerland 1981.

He further attended a course in Economic Development in Africa by organization of African Trade Union Unity OATUU (1982), Industrial Relations Course at University of Ibadan 1982, a course in Financial Analysis of Enterprises, ILO Training Centre, Turin, Italy, 1992, a course in Trade Union Development by OATUU in Congo Democratic Republic (1993), a course in Management of Enterprises in De- Mofort University Johannesburg, South Africa 1998, a course in Management at London Management Centre (2003), a Training/Course in Mediation /Conciliation by Swedish Labour Institute 2006.

Subsequently, the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb) conferred on him qualified mediator’s status and was officially decorated as a Chartered Arbitrator on Thursday December 6, 2018 during the NICArb annual investiture and awards ceremony.

This highly revered septuagenarian also has a penchant for demonstrating commitment to the welfare of the underprivileged. Through his visionary initiatives and philanthropic endeavors, Akinlaja has solidified his position as a champion of progress, a beacon of hope, and a paragon of selfless service to various vulnerable segments of the society including indigent students, wisdows and the physically challenged.

Recounting his value to humanity, this Ondo-born entrepreneur who was born in April 1, 1950 succeeded in revolutionising the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) both administratively and operationally when he held sway as the General Secretary of the Union between year 2000 to 2004.

During his tenure, he spearheaded numerous struggles and negotiations that significantly improved the welfare of oil and gas workers. He is particularly credited, alongside other NUPENG leaders for fully organizing the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG (PTD-NUPENG), the “mechanized” arm of the union.

His dedication and leadership saw him rise to the position of Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). After a distinguished career in trade unionism, he voluntarily retired from NUPENG in 2004 and essentially transitioned into active politics.

He contested and won a seat in the Federal House of Representatives, representing Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency from June 2011 to June 2019.

He was a vocal voice in the hallowed chamber whose quality representation attracted many laurels locally and internationally. Akinlaja’s wealth of experience in the Nigeria Oil and Gas industry informed the decision of the then Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 8th Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara to appoint him as Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream).

Beyond his political and achievements in trade unionism, Comrade Akinlaja is also an accomplished businessman and author. He has documented his experiences and insights in several books, including NUPENG: An Example in Progressive Unionism, The Place of Petroleum Tanker Drivers in NUPENG, and his autobiography, LABOUR, POLITICS AND GRACE.

It is believed that good character is essential for effective leadership in public service, as it fosters a positive culture, enhances growth opportunities, and helps navigate uncertainties and challenges. Moreover, great leaders are a unifying force in organisations. They inspire people toward a shared vision for something better.

Great leaders equally create the conditions for making a meaningful impact. They elevate leadership consciousness, engender collaboration, and ensure everyone feels valued. By creating a sense of belonging, they create a pull towards contribution, empowering everyone to contribute, turning collective efforts into transformative change, that is what Akinlaja stands for and represents.

-Emmanuel Ajibulu is the editor-in-chief and publisher of Veracity Desk (veracitydesk.com), a general purpose online news platform ([email protected]).

Enough of The Rivers State Crisis: Nigerians are tired of the drama — it is time to govern, not grandstand

By Sylvester Udemezue

  1. First, and without equivocation, there should be NO further attempts to impeach anyone. Such a course of action, in the present circumstances, is both unnecessary and ill-conceived. It would deepen divisions, inflame passions, and distract further from the urgent task of governance, without delivering any tangible benefit to the people of Rivers State.
  2. At the same time, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his Deputy must resist the temptation of triumphalism, bravado, or symbolic victory laps. This is not the season for chest-thumping or political theatre. It is the season for quiet, focused, and results-driven governance, anchored on the delivery of the promises made to the people of Rivers State.

Frankly, many Nigerians are already exhausted by the seemingly endless political crisis in Rivers State. At this point, one is compelled to ask, without malice, but with genuine concern:
Is Rivers State the only state in Nigeria?

🚶‍♀️ Yesterday, it was Rivers State crisis.
🚶‍♀️Today, it is Rivers State crisis.
🚶‍♀️Tomorrow, Rivers State crisis.
🚶‍♀️The next day, still Rivers State crisis.

Enough is enough!

The unrelenting cycle of political conflict has become draining, not only for the good people of Rivers State, but for Nigerians across the federation. At a time when the nation is grappling with escalating insecurity, economic hardship, worsening unemployment crisis, rising living costs, education deficits, and healthcare challenges, it is neither reasonable nor sustainable for the political quarrels of one state to repeatedly dominate national attention. Nigeria has too many urgent problems for this level of avoidable distraction.

  1. Let Mr. Nyesom Wike focus fully on his responsibilities and achievements in Abuja, where he presently serves the nation and where his energy, experience, and political capital are now best deployed. And he’s doing well at it.
  2. Let Governor Fubara, in turn, concentrate wholly on governing Rivers State: on infrastructure development, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, healthcare delivery, education, youth empowerment and reorientation, innovativeness, advancement of science and technology, and economic growth. That, ultimately, is what the people voted for, not endless political brinkmanship.

All parties to this dispute should, by now, recognise that national patience has worn thin. I would not be surprised if even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself is no longer pleased that the crisis has dragged on for so long without a decisive and dignified resolution.

This intervention is not animated by hostility, nor by partisanship. It is made in the broader interest of Rivers State and the Nigerian nation.
Even those of us who, from the very beginning, have carefully analysed the crisis (its general contours, constitutional dimensions, and legal implications) are frankly tired of revisiting it. The issues have been thoroughly ventilated, exhaustively debated, and endlessly dissected. Very little new is being said; only the same conflicts are being recycled. It is time to draw a line.

Governor Fubara, Chief Wike, and all their supporters and political allies should spare the public further turmoil.

  1. Rivers State deserves peace, stability, and purposeful leadership, not perpetual political tension.
  2. Nigerians deserve relief from avoidable political drama.
  3. And democracy functions best when leaders choose restraint, responsibility, and service over perpetual conflict.

This moment does not call for victory laps or political battles. It calls for pragmatic governance, emotional intelligence, maturity, and true statesmanship. History will not remember who won the quarrel. It will remember who chose peace, and who delivered results.
Long live Nigeria!
Long live Nigeria!
Respectfully,
Sylvester Udemezue (Udems)

  1. [email protected]
    (15 January 2026)

Kogi N1.1bn Commission Payment: Tax consultant acted within CBN rules, EFCC witness tells court

A prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr David Ajoda, has told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, that the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KSIRS) paid a total of ₦1,164,929,569 as commission to a tax consultant within eight months.

Ajoda disclosed that the payments were made between January and August 2019, shortly after KSIRS engaged the tax consultant.

Testifying on Friday in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, alongside Umar Shuaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, Ajoda further revealed that the consultant subsequently withdrew ₦952.4 million from the account within the same period, leaving a balance of ₦212,525,569.

According to the witness, the multiple withdrawals were carried out by one Phillip Unar.

Ajoda, a Compliance Officer with Sterling Bank, appeared as a witness for the EFCC before Justice Maryann Anenih, and was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Prof. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN.

While tendering the tax consultant’s bank account statements, which were admitted by the court, the witness stated that the withdrawals followed a consistent pattern. He added that before the engagement by KSIRS, the consultant’s account balance stood at just over ₦2 million, noting that inflows increased significantly once the consultancy arrangement commenced.

However, Ajoda admitted under examination that he was not privy to the details of the tax consultancy agreement between the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service and the consultant.

Under cross-examination by Joseph Daudu, SAN, counsel to Yahaya Bello and Umar Shuaib Oricha, the witness conceded that the name “Kogi State Government” did not appear in any of the bank transactions linked to the account.

He also acknowledged that the bank account belonged solely to the customer and that withdrawals could be made freely, provided they complied with existing banking regulations.

Ajoda further confirmed that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regulations permit a maximum cash withdrawal of ₦5 million for individuals and ₦10 million for corporate entities per transaction, adding that the tax consultant’s withdrawals did not breach these limits.

“As a result, no suspicious transaction report was filed against the tax consultant,” he said.

The banker also admitted that neither Yahaya Bello nor his co-defendants appeared as beneficiaries of any of the withdrawals reflected in the bank statements.

He further clarified that the Kogi State Government and Kogi State Internal Revenue Service are distinct entities, stressing that the two operate separately.

Meanwhile, Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned further hearing in the matter until February 10.

‘She Will Not Be a Statistic’: NBA, FIDA vow accountability over lawyer’s murder in Abuja

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja Branch, and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Abuja Branch, have condemned the killing of Princess Mediatrix Chigbo, a lawyer and former Treasurer of the NBA Unity Bar, describing her death as a damning indictment of the persistent insecurity plaguing Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.

In a joint commitment statement issued at a tribute session held in her honour, the two professional bodies said the violent killing—suspected to have been carried out by “one chance” criminals—goes beyond a personal tragedy and represents a profound failure of public safety in a city meant to be the safest in the country.

“Her death is not merely a personal loss,” the statement read. “It is an indictment of a security failure that continues to endanger ordinary citizens, particularly women, commuters, and the vulnerable.”

Princess Chigbo was a longstanding member of both the NBA Abuja Branch and FIDA Abuja Branch. Her killing has reignited public outrage over the resurgence of “one chance” criminality in Abuja, a menace that has claimed multiple lives and left residents increasingly fearful of routine commutes.

Speaking jointly, NBA Unity Bar Chairman Steve Emelieze and FIDA Abuja Chairperson Chioma Onyenuchaya-Uko vowed that the case would not fade into obscurity.

“This death shall not be reduced to a statistic or a fleeting headline,” the statement declared, stressing that justice must extend beyond arrests to diligent prosecution, conviction and deterrent sentencing.

The organisations confirmed that while the Nigeria Police Force has announced the arrest of suspects linked to the killing, public confidence will only be restored through transparent, time-bound prosecution and accountability.

“We emphasise that public trust in law enforcement and governance is sustained not by arrests alone, but by justice that is seen, felt, and completed,” the statement said.

Beyond the specific case, the NBA and FIDA warned that the killing highlights a broader crisis of insecurity in the FCT, calling for intelligence-led policing, improved urban transport safety, enhanced surveillance, street lighting and rapid-response mechanisms in identified crime hotspots.

They urged the FCT Minister to treat “one chance” criminality as a security emergency requiring coordinated inter-agency action, and called on the National Assembly Committees on the FCT and Security to exercise robust oversight over security operations, funding and performance benchmarks.

The organisations also appealed to the Judiciary to prioritise cases arising from violent crimes of this nature, noting their wider societal impact and the need for swift justice.

As part of concrete follow-up measures, the NBA Abuja Branch and FIDA Abuja Branch announced the formation of a joint monitoring and advocacy committee to track the prosecution of the case and assess the implementation of security reforms aimed at dismantling violent criminal networks operating within the capital.

They reaffirmed their commitment to protecting women, commuters and other vulnerable groups, insisting that public safety is not a privilege but a constitutional obligation of government.

“We commit to memory.
We commit to action.
We commit to accountability,” the statement concluded.

In their final words, the organisations underscored the broader stakes of the tragedy.

“We mourn her.
We honour her.
We owe her—and all residents of the FCT—a safer city, governed by law, vigilance, and accountability.”

Kwara Police label poly student a ‘Yahoo Boy’ for possessing black soap

Seven mobile police officers attached to Kwara State Police Command Headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara State have robbed Gbemileke Olayiwola, a student of the Kwara State Polytechnic, of N70,000 meant for his school fees on Tuesday.

Olayiwola was on a bus from his hometown to the school on Tuesday when he encountered seven policemen at a checkpoint at Garage Offa in Ilorin.

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Supreme Court ends 13-year legal battle, upholds conviction of ex-governor Lamido’s son over undeclared $40,000

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has dismissed the final appeal filed by Aminu Sule Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, affirming his conviction for failing to declare $40,000 in foreign currency while attempting to leave the country.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, January 16, 2026, a five-member panel of the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit and upheld the decisions of both the Court of Appeal in Kaduna and the Federal High Court in Kano, which had earlier found Lamido guilty.

The Supreme Court held that the lower courts properly evaluated the evidence before them and correctly applied the law, leaving no basis for overturning the conviction.

Airport Arrest, Undeclared Cash

Lamido was arrested on December 11, 2012, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to board a flight to Cairo, Egypt.

Prosecutors told the court that Lamido declared $10,000 to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)—the maximum amount allowed without disclosure under Nigerian law. However, further checks allegedly uncovered an additional $40,000 concealed in his possession, which he failed to declare on the currency declaration form.

The EFCC subsequently charged him before the Federal High Court in Kano on a one-count charge of false declaration of foreign currency, an offence under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

Lower Courts Agreed

In a judgment delivered on July 12, 2015, the trial court convicted Lamido and ordered the forfeiture of 25 percent of the undeclared sum to the Federal Government.

Lamido challenged the ruling at the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, arguing that the conviction was unsustainable and that the forfeiture order should be set aside. But in December 2015, the appellate court dismissed the appeal in its entirety, affirming the trial court’s findings.

Undeterred, Lamido took the case to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn both judgments. The apex court’s decision on Friday effectively ends the 13-year legal battle.

A Broader Signal

Legal analysts say the ruling reinforces the judiciary’s stance on financial disclosure violations at Nigeria’s borders, particularly in cases involving politically connected individuals.

With the Supreme Court’s decision, Lamido’s conviction stands, closing one of the country’s longest-running foreign-currency declaration cases and underscoring the legal consequences of breaching Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.

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