Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has returned over ₦3.9 billion in recovered funds to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), a move officials say underscores institutional accountability—but one that has reignited public anger over corruption, opacity, and fears of recycled looting.

The handover, confirmed in a statement by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, took place Wednesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Representing EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, Secretary Mohammed Hammajoda said the recovered sum, ₦3,936,145,822, was the outcome of “meticulous investigations” into financial irregularities within NNPC Ltd.

“We will continue to serve this country with courage and integrity,” Hammajoda said, presenting the funds.

Receiving the money on behalf of NNPC, Executive Vice President (Downstream), Mumuni Dagazau, described the recovery as evidence of “strong institutional cooperation” aimed at improving transparency.

Public Scepticism: ‘Recovered Today, Relooted Tomorrow?’

Despite official assurances, the development has triggered widespread scepticism among public affairs analysts and civil society observers, many of whom question whether the recovered funds will ultimately benefit Nigerians, or disappear again into the system.

The concerns are rooted in Nigeria’s long history of corruption scandals, including repeated allegations that previously recovered public funds, such as the infamous Abacha loot, were re-diverted.

Critics argue that without transparent tracking mechanisms, independent oversight, and prosecution of offenders, the recovery risks becoming symbolic rather than transformative.

Opaque System, Missing Details

Notably, the EFCC statement did not disclose:

• The specific fraud schemes involved
• The identities of individuals responsible
• Whether prosecutions are ongoing

This lack of detail has further fuelled concerns about accountability in a corporation long accused of financial opacity.

Over the past year, the EFCC has investigated several former NNPC officials, including ex-Group Managing Director Mele Kyari, over corruption allegations tied to refinery rehabilitation and financial mismanagement.

Kyari has denied wrongdoing, describing allegations of his arrest over a purported $2.9 billion fraud as “clear mischief.”

Other officials, including former Chief Financial Officer Umar Ajiya Isa, have also faced investigation in connection with multi-billion-dollar refinery spending. However, no direct link between those cases and the recovered ₦3.9 billion has been publicly established.

Billions Spent, Refineries Still Idle

The refund comes against the backdrop of decades of massive spending on Nigeria’s refineries, facilities that have consistently underperformed or remained idle despite trillions of naira in maintenance and rehabilitation costs.

Public frustration has intensified following recent admissions by NNPC leadership that past efforts to revive the refineries were built on “self-deception,” raising questions about how billions were spent with little to show.

Analysts say Nigeria’s inability to refine its own crude has left the country vulnerable, particularly amid global energy shocks, while private players like the Dangote Refinery increasingly dominate the downstream sector.

A Pattern of Recovery Without Closure

The EFCC has, in recent months, returned recovered funds to several government entities, including:

• ₦1.28 billion to Enugu State
• ₦387 million to Jigawa State

While these recoveries are often celebrated, critics argue they expose a deeper systemic problem: funds are repeatedly stolen, partially recovered, and rarely traced to final accountability.

The Bigger Question: Who Pays the Price?

For many Nigerians, the issue is no longer whether funds are recovered, but whether corruption is truly deterred.

With rising fuel prices, economic hardship, and persistent governance failures, citizens are increasingly questioning whether anti-corruption efforts are delivering real change, or merely recycling public wealth within a closed system.

A man who spent nearly two decades in prison for a roughly $550 robbery was exonerated and freed on Monday, after prosecutors said they now agree he didn’t commit the crime, Associated Press reports.

“It cost me 20 years, but they said they corrected it now. So that’s all that matters. So I’m good with that,” Kenneth Windley, 61, was quoted as saying as he left a Brooklyn courthouse, at liberty for the first time since 2007.

The report published on Tuesday revealed that prosecutors said new evidence, including confessions from two other men who were convicted of similar robberies, supported his longstanding claim of innocence.

“This case is really a cautionary tale of how things can seem one way but, without careful analysis, not be what it purports to be,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, a Democrat, reportedly said after shaking Windley’s hand outside court.

“Had we known what the evidence was, this case should have never happened,” he added, noting that he had apologised privately to Windley.

AP reports that Windley was arrested in 2005 after buying a stove for his mother with a money order that turned out to be stolen, while Windley denied that he was involved in the robbery.

The money order had reportedly been snatched from a 70-year-old Gerald Ross by two thieves who followed him home from a trip to a bank and a post office.

According to NBC News, a review of the case that the prosecutor’s office released on Monday revealed that two men followed the old man into his apartment building and robbed him in the elevator, stealing $485 in cash and two blank, unsigned money orders — one for $542, the other for $9.

AP added that the thieves put Ross in a chokehold and took the money orders, cash, and a bank book from him.

“Ross regularly got money orders for his rent and life insurance payments at that post office, which helped him and the authorities follow a paper trail after the robbery.

“The trail soon led to Windley, who had given his name, driver’s license and address when purchasing the stove at an appliance store.

“From the start, Windley said he had nothing to do with the robbery. He said he’d simply bought a $542.77 money order at a discount from a couple of acquaintances, who insisted that it was valid but that they couldn’t use it for a bureaucratic reason,” the report continued.

According to the review, Windley testified that he’d never used a money order before and didn’t ask whether it was stolen.

“He was duped,” one of Windley’s lawyers, David Shanies, reportedly told the court Monday.

Ross was said to have identified Windley as one of the thieves from a photo array and then a live lineup, both of which were six weeks or longer after the robbery.

AP’s report continued, “Windley testified at his trial, telling jurors how his acquaintances had approached him and sold him the money order, but the jury convicted him in 2007 of robbery. Because of prior felony convictions, he was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. His appeals failed.

“Early on, Windley told prosecutors what he knew about the men who sold him the money order: their nicknames and some information about their legal names. After his conviction, a friend and private investigators helped him flesh out the men’s identities and persuade them to come forward about what had happened, according to the D.A.’s report.

“In sworn statements and then in interviews with D.A.’s office representatives, the two men said that they had robbed Ross together and that Windley was not involved, according to the report. It called their admissions “compelling.”

“It doesn’t give their names, referring to them only as “Suspect 1” and “Suspect 2.” Both are serving prison time on other robbery convictions, according to the D.A.’s office. Those convictions all involved male victims in their 60s and older who were followed home from banks and check-cashing offices in Brooklyn in 2005 and 2006.”

Prosecutors were said to have concluded that if the jury had known those men’s identities and robbery records, the information would likely have raised a reasonable doubt about the charge against Windley.

“No new charges have been brought in the case. The legal time frame for bringing charges ran out years ago, and Ross has died,” AP added.

While heading off on Monday afternoon to celebrate with his family, Windley reportedly said he wasn’t bitter about what he’d been through.

“I’m just going to move on from there,” he was quoted as saying.

Following the multiple explosions that rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Monday, one Ba Musa reportedly lost his four sons.

The blasts, which occurred at the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the Monday Market roundabout and the Post Office area, left about 27 people dead and many others injured.

According to Daily Trust, a trader, Usman Lawan, related how his neighbour, Ba Musa, who lives at Gwange Sabon Layi, lost four sons to the incident.

He said the deceased children were caught up in the explosion when they went to buy eyeglasses for the Sallah celebration.

Speaking to our correspondent during Vice President Kashim Shettima’s visit to the UMTH, he said: “We finished our Iftar, and I was pushing my fruit-cart when the blast happened, I just found myself at the hospital. I lost everything to that attack.

“He bought them new clothes and shoes, and they came to our place to buy eyeglasses for Sallah celebrations. The blast killed all of them. They were buried yesterday,” he said.

A security guard at the hospital, who sustained injuries on his arms and legs, told the BBC how the incident unfolded.

“I was sitting outside the hospital when three people arrived on a motorbike. I noticed something suspicious and asked them to leave. They returned a second time, and when I refused to let them in, they threw a food container at me. It hit my hand and fell to the ground, threatening to explode. I lay down and heard a loud noise. As I tried to run inside, another container exploded and struck my leg,” he said.

“The bomb went off outside the hospital like a palm tree. Many others died,” he added.

Another survivor, a woman who lost her daughter in the blast, said: “We had just arrived at the hospital when the bomb went off. I fell, and my daughter fell lifeless. Her head exploded. They brought me inside and told me she was gone. I prayed to God because He took her. Her father died when she was five months old.”

Petty traders caught in the multiple bomb blasts also spoke to Daily Trust from their hospital beds in Maiduguri.

Some of them were admitted at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Specialist Hospital and Umaru Shehu Hospital, Maiduguri.

“Unless something is done to help us get our businesses back on track, most of us will be frustrated even when we recover,” said one of the traders, Alhaji Bashir, who is a patient at UMTH.

“Like this my friend, he relies solely on daily sales to feed his family, and suddenly this thing happened to him. Think about his family and his other responsibilities as a father.

“Now the blasts, in a few minutes destroyed his life savings and livelihood,” he said.

A petty trader, who visited his colleagues at the hospital, said: “We used to sell the goods and return their money after making gains. That was how I struggled to stand on our own. So, it will be very difficult for these people to recover unless help comes from the government.”

He appealed to the state and federal government to provide capital for the surviving traders to give them a new lease of life.

ACF demands overhaul of national security strategies

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called for a total overhaul of national security strategies.

It made the call while reacting to the Monday explosions. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, the ACF sought a decisive and forceful escalation in the fight against insecurity, urging authorities to prioritise action over politics.

The forum stressed that more effort must be directed at exterminating the scourge of insecurity, extremism, and banditry across the country.

It also warned that continued politicking in the face of worsening violence undermines national security, insisting that the situation demands urgent and uncompromising intervention.

According to the ACF, only demonstrable force backed by strong political will can effectively confront what it described as “terror merchants” operating in different parts of the country. It maintained that authorities must adopt firm, coordinated measures to root out criminal elements wherever they exist.

It emphasised that anything short of decisive action risks emboldening perpetrators and prolonging the crisis, saying the current response by authorities appears timid in the face of escalating threats.

He cautioned that propaganda cannot mask the severity of the situation, warning that failure to urgently tackle insecurity could push the nation toward widespread anarchy.

He urged government at all levels to abandon what it described as ineffective tactics and act decisively to restore order, stressing that the time for action is now.

The forum said it was particularly saddened by the recent insecurity incidents in Borno State and Plateau State, noting that similar attacks had earlier been recorded in Katsina, Kwara, Niger and Zamfara states.

These attacks, ACF said, have further worsened the already alarming security situation, adding to what it described as grim and growing statistics of violence across the country.

“The totality of the sordid incidents suggests a coordinated strategy by extremist terror merchants intent on disrupting the semblance of normality that communities have been managing. The cowardly attacks have remained hallmarks of tactics employed by Boko Haram, religious extremists, insurgents and criminals, as even they themselves are wont to admit and brag about.

“For the umpteenth time, ACF regrets that such attacks could be carried out so brazenly. Doubtless, the attacks are rude reminders that the fight against terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria has been ineffective and not reassuring, given the display of crude capacity to wreck misery on hapless communities,” he said.

“ACF warns, as indeed obvious to all, that Nigeria faces a potent existential threat consequent to the spate of incidents of insecurity, against the apparent timid response by concerned political authorities. No officious hubris, sterile public propaganda can whitewash the situation.

“Unless the pervasive insecurity problem is confronted soonest, Nigeria risks a catastrophic and dangerous slide into avoidable widespread anarchy and anomie. The authorities must abandon the seeming proverbial Russian Roulette tactics in confronting the problem heads on.

“The time for decisive action is now!”

Nothing justifies killing of innocent people – Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has restated the federal government’s resolve to defeat terrorism, declaring that those behind recent attacks in the country will be decisively confronted.

He said beyond the presidential directive to security chiefs, the federal government was investing more in equipment and other logistics to boost the fight against terrorism across the country.

Shettima spoke on Wednesday in Maiduguri, when he visited victims of the bomb blast who are receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

The vice president described the perpetrators as barbaric, stressing that no cause justifies the killing of innocent people.

He said his visit was to sympathise with the injured and families affected by the tragedy, assuring of government’s support through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the North East Development Commission and the Borno State Government.

Shettima was accompanied by Borno State Deputy Governor Usman Kadafur; NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar; Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Professor Ahmed Ahijo and other top government officials.

Borno, Yobe people must take ownership of the crisis – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said ending the Boko Haram insurgency requires involvement of Borno and Yobe people.

He said this in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, when he, alongside the Chief of Army Staff, General Waidi Shaibu, relocated to Maiduguri, on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, to take direct charge of the situation in the state.

Addressing North-East residents, Oluyede said, “I want to put it clearly this afternoon that for us to end this act of terrorism, the people of Borno State and Yobe must take ownership of this problem.

“Bulk of people perpetrating this heinous act are from these states, they are our brothers, sisters, cousins and we know them.

“For example, when Kukawa was attacked, and we were conducting cordon and search afterward, we realised that two of the people that came to attack Kukawa were those inside that village. That means they are accomplices,” he said.

He said to bring the Boko Haram crisis to an end, all hands must be on deck and the communities must resolve that the situation should come to an end.

“We must take ownership of this crisis. That is my message to the people of Yobe and Borno,” he insisted.

On terrorists using drones and advanced technology in attacking the military bases and civilians locations, he said, “it’s something that is evolving, and we are responding with German drones and we are getting more of the drones.”

Group alleges plot to undermine 2027 polls

The Arewa Discussion Group (ADG) also condemned the rising wave of terrorist attacks and mass killings across northern Nigeria, warning of a possible plot to destabilise the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement by its spokesman, Dr. Garba Abari, the group expressed shock over recent incidents, including a massacre in Zamfara State where at least 50 civilians were killed in Bukkuyum Local Government Area during coordinated attacks on February 20–21.

It also cited the killing of worshipers during Tarawweeh prayers in Kebbi State on February 25 as well as the March 16 bombings in Maiduguri that left over 20 people dead and more than 100 injured.

The group said the violence reflects a broader pattern of insecurity across the North, pointing to attacks in Bauchi State, Benue State, Plateau State, Kwara State and Niger State, where communities have suffered killings, abductions and mass displacement.

According to the ADG, large swathes of the region are now under the control of criminal non-state actors who operate freely, displace populations, and disrupt economic activities, particularly farming.

The group warned that the scale and coordination of the attacks suggest a deliberate attempt to create fear and instability that could be exploited to suppress voter turnout and manipulate the electoral process in 2027.

It further expressed concern over what it described as the erosion of state authority, noting that armed groups now confront security forces directly and, in some cases, overrun communities and military positions.

The ADG called on the federal government to urgently deploy stronger security measures, dismantle criminal enclaves, and end what it termed weak responses to banditry and terrorism.

It also urged authorities to investigate possible political links to the attacks, provide humanitarian support to displaced persons, and safeguard the integrity of future elections.

The group stressed that failure to act decisively could deepen insecurity and further threaten Nigeria’s democratic stability.

Troops repel attack, kill 80 terrorists in Borno

In a related development, troops of the Operation HADIN KAI neutralised more than 80 terrorists following an overnight battle in Mallam Fatori, Borno.

The troops, under the Joint Task Force (North East), repelled a coordinated five-pronged attack launched by insurgents on the 68 Battalion location in Sector 3 in the early hours of Wednesday.

The military in its operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, revealed that the attackers advanced in large numbers on foot and deployed armed drones.

The report said the terrorists attempted to breach defensive positions, particularly along the Bravo Company frontage from the Duguri axis.

According to the report, troops, who had prior intelligence of the assault, mounted a well-coordinated offensive-defensive response, engaging the insurgents with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvre.

“The attackers were overwhelmed, disrupted and forced to retreat in disarray, leaving behind heavy casualties.

“Air support from the Air Component of OPHK, alongside allied Nigerien air assets, provided precision strikes that further decimated the fleeing insurgents.

“A subsequent sweep of the battlefield led to the recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition, including dozens of AK-47 rifles, machine guns, RPG launchers, improvised explosive devices and components of armed drones.”

The report further revealed that in spite of the intensity of the encounter, only four soldiers were wounded in action and have since been stabilised, while battle damage assessment was ongoing.

“Notably, three senior terrorist commanders—Malam Abdulrahman Gobara, Malam Ba Yuram and Abou Ayyuba—were among those killed, alongside several other fighters”, the military said.

The report described the outcome as a major setback for insurgent operations in the axis, noting that the elimination of key commanders would significantly disrupt their command structure.

It reaffirmed that troops remain in firm control of Mallam Fatori and surrounding areas, and dismissing claims of setbacks as misinformation.

It urged residents to remain vigilant and rely only on verified information as operations continue in the North-East.

Daily Trust

The President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Mr. Isaac K. Ssemakadde, SC, has issued a strong and far-reaching statement aligning with the position of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) that no judge has the lawful authority to compel a lawyer or litigant to kneel in court.

In his statement dated 18 March 2026, the ULS President unequivocally condemned the reported incident at the Federal High Court, Abuja, describing any directive requiring a legal practitioner to kneel as not only unlawful, but a form of humiliation that has no place in the administration of justice. According to him, such conduct is fundamentally inconsistent with due process, professional dignity, and the rule of law.

He stressed that the authority of the court must never be exercised in a manner that degrades legal practitioners or litigants, noting that compelling a lawyer to kneel does not amount to discipline but rather represents an abuse of judicial power. In his words, when a judge resorts to such measures, it sends a dangerous signal that justice is governed not by reason and law, but by fear and coercion.

Beyond the immediate incident, the ULS President placed the issue within a broader continental context, warning of a growing pattern across several African jurisdictions where judicial authority is deployed in ways that intimidate lawyers, suppress dissent, and elevate rigid notions of “decorum” above substantive justice. He described this trend as a troubling legacy within English-speaking common law systems, where archaic practices are sometimes weaponised to silence the Bar.

Drawing from his own experience, he revealed that he was previously convicted and sentenced in absentia in Uganda for “scandalising the judiciary” after refusing to kneel and apologise to judicial authorities. He further disclosed that the circumstances surrounding that episode forced him into exile and disrupted his legal practice, underscoring the personal risks faced by lawyers who resist judicial overreach.

The ULS President also used the opportunity to propose concrete reforms aimed at safeguarding the independence of the Bar and ensuring accountability within the judiciary. These include promoting adherence to international standards such as the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, mandating judicial ethics training, establishing independent disciplinary mechanisms with balanced Bar and Bench representation, abolishing outdated offences like “scandalising the judiciary,” and improving transparency in the handling of judicial complaints.

He concluded with a call for Bar Associations across Africa to act collectively and decisively in defending the independence of the legal profession, insisting that the courtroom must remain a place of justice and not intimidation. He further emphasized that the legal profession must be anchored on courage, integrity, and the freedom to speak truth to power without fear of humiliation or reprisal.

The statement by the Uganda Law Society represents a significant continental intervention on the issue, reinforcing the principle that the dignity of legal practitioners is inseparable from the integrity of the justice system itself.

Nigeria and the United Kingdom are moving to tackle a long-standing £1.2 billion discrepancy in their trade records, with both countries agreeing to develop a structured data-sharing system aimed at improving transparency and accountability across bilateral commerce.

The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting in London on March 18, 2026, held on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu’s State Visit, under the Nigeria–United Kingdom Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP).

According to a statement by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada, the talks signal a shift toward deeper operational cooperation between both countries’ customs authorities.

At the centre of the discussions was a persistent mismatch in trade figures. While Nigeria recorded about £504 million worth of imports from the UK in 2024, British records show exports to Nigeria at approximately £1.7 billion for the same period, leaving a gap of roughly £1.2 billion.

Both sides described the discrepancy as a structural issue requiring urgent and coordinated action.

To address this, the two countries agreed to explore a pre-arrival data exchange framework that will connect their digital customs systems, with the aim of improving risk management, reconciling trade data, and strengthening compliance monitoring along the corridor.

The meeting was led by Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi and Ms Megan Shaw, Head of International Customs and Border Engagement at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and also focused on customs modernisation and data transparency.

Adeniyi underscored the broader economic implications of the initiative, noting that customs collaboration plays a central role in trade facilitation.

“Effective customs cooperation remains a critical enabler of economic growth and sustainable trade development,” he said.

He added that “customs administrations serve as the frontline institutions responsible for ensuring that trade flows between both countries are transparent, secure, and mutually beneficial.”

The Nigeria–UK trade relationship spans multiple sectors, including industrial goods, agriculture, energy, and consumer products — all of which depend heavily on efficient port and border operations.

Beyond addressing data gaps, the meeting also highlighted ongoing modernisation efforts on both sides. The UK showcased advancements in artificial intelligence-driven trade tools, digital verification systems, and real-time analytics designed to enhance cargo processing, risk assessment, and border security.

The engagement further produced plans for a Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Framework, alongside technical groundwork for capacity building, knowledge exchange, and a joint engagement mechanism under the ETIP platform.

Maiwada said the outcomes are expected to strengthen Nigeria’s trade ecosystem and support broader economic reforms.

“The NCS has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening international partnerships as part of a broader modernisation agenda designed to promote transparency, efficiency, and competitiveness in Nigeria’s trading environment,” the statement said.

The Service added that “insights from this engagement will strengthen its operational capacity, enhance trade facilitation, and support Nigeria’s economic reform objectives under the Renewed Hope programme.”

TVC

By Abimbola Adelakun

Last year, Governor Charles Soludo declared Anambra a “Christian state”. Each time a Christian or Muslim governor does that, it is a preface to an unwholesome politics of power abuse, inordinate pandering to a demographic majority, and (re-)inventions of history and tradition.

Soludo’s actions so far suggest that he fancies himself as an avenging angel of the Christian God who has appointed him to crush traditional religions. As expected of a crusader, Soludo gallops into this battle on the horse of constitutional affordances to run down the religion he sees as opposed to Christianity. Fun fact: the battle is not even a new one. The colonial government tried it in Igbo land in the early 20th century, and what they succeeded in doing was strengthening the resolve of the practitioners who took the practice underground. What does Soludo think will be different this time?

Now, I am moved to write this after witnessing the assault on one of the “sorcerers” in the state, Johnpaul Ezenagu (aka Mmuo Mmili Afuluanya), who has been accused of giving internet fraudsters magical powers. In a viral video, he is seen being taken to a river by an armed man, a cameraman, and others who demanded that he invoke his God in their presence. If the guy has committed any crime as reported, why not just focus on that? Why reduce what should otherwise be a serious legal process to frivolity?

Here is a sincere question for Soludo: if he is similarly marched into a church, stood before the statue of the Virgin Mary and with a gun to his head, instructed to invoke her to life, and he tries repeatedly but fails, will that make him—or any other Catholic/Christian—denounce their faith? If his answer is no—as I suspect it will be—then what was that drama at the river supposed to achieve? If he imagines the spectacle all it takes to discredit belief, then he has obviously not thought this crusade through.

In self-defence, Soludo insists that what he fights is “criminal idolatry”, not “traditional religion” itself. We can all agree on fighting crime, but the grounds on which he pursues this crusade are shaky. His obsession with the animists in his state imagines they are the reason crime thrives when it is, in fact, a matter of opportunism. Spiritual processes like rituals—whether carried out by the priests of traditional religions, Christianity, or Islam—that purportedly give people supernatural power or magical money do not “work” like the people who watch too much Nollywood assume. Their efficacy lies in their ability to embolden multiple people to carry out daring exploits. Based on the law of probability, a few will succeed; they will become motivational paradigms for the many others who will keep trying.

To attribute any efficacy to Afuluanya’s rituals is to use the rationality of the legal provisions of the state in the service of an irrational belief. The more the governor remains fixated on the spiritual power of the individuals who claim they empower criminals, the more he distracts himself trying to prove that the magic power they supposedly give those criminals worked. If the so-called native doctors have committed any crimes, focus on that and leave their religious beliefs alone. Why does it bother you so much?

If the law wants to hunt down those who provide spiritual services to criminals, why even start with the minority religions when the bigger culprits are the clerics of Islamic and Christian traditions who routinely give moral covering to delinquents? Charlatanism is charlatanism, regardless of the God in whose name the gimmicks are perpetrated. Religious deception is a serious ethical issue, agreed, but why pretend it is exclusive to one particular faith? What else is the nature of religion—an enterprise that promises to connect material humans to an invisible Being—if not a productive deception? Deception is to religion what crime is to capitalism—one is a natural outcome of the other, and a necessary component even.

Soludo also said something interesting. He said what he is fighting is the spiritual economy that promises people “wealth without work”. Again, that should be a noble task, but his execution is problematic. The problem of magical economies is not original; what is novel here is where Soludo seeks to dump the responsibility for the troubling phenomenon.

He blames the young people claiming supernatural power for propagating the idea that one can become exceedingly wealthy without doing any meaningful work, but the insight he really needs is to ask, “Who are their aspirational models in this regard?” Look around you and tell us what “work” many of the people who live the big life in Nigeria truly do before emptying the blame on the spiritual pretenders. In an allegedly capitalist country with a dismal record of productivity, to what extent can we truly say it is “work” that has made many of the wealthy people wealthy? What work have the rich politicians and their children who routinely flaunt wealth in our faces done that could have inspired the likes of Afuluanya?

The idea of “wealth without work” has been prevalent in Nigeria for decades, a fallout of an extractive economy in which work is no longer defined by verifiable productivity but by proximity to political power. There is a reason they say Nigeria is a place where you can go to sleep poor and wake up extremely rich. That is true if you get into bed with the right person. Karin Barber documented the phenomenon of public attitudes toward “wealth without work” in her study of popular culture as far back as 1982, and even then, it was not new. It was merely recrudescent because of the oil economy that had changed Nigeria’s political economy. With technological advancement, the idea of what we call work has further changed. You can legitimately become rich overnight if the algorithms favour you.

The idea of wealth without a rational basis has always had a political bent. If Soludo himself sits down and thinks about it, he might find that part of the reason he finds the native doctors’ promises of “wealth without work” unsettling is the uncanny recognition of the truth about how society operates in the operations of these spiritual claimants. As someone who has been governor twice—of the central bank and Anambra—I want to believe that having operated at those levels, Soludo himself has seen the magical economy of “wealth without work” at close range. Like every person who has been at the highest echelons of power at the central bank, I am certain he saw how people magically got rich through currency arbitrage. What “work” did they have to do to become stupendously wealthy, other than a mere piece of paper passed among the fraternity of thieves?

As a politician too, I know Soludo must repeatedly see how his peers unconscionably enrich themselves through “work” that consists of pocketed security votes, inflated contracts, and outright stealing of the commonwealth. Some of these people have not only benefited themselves at the expense of the collective, but they have also guaranteed the pipeline that will enable their children to continue the grift. The racket only becomes unsettling when the children of the poor also set up an elaborate ploy to profit from the magical economy. That is when the likes of Soludo suddenly realise that the grand ruse of meritocracy is crumbling and start crusading against “wealth without work.

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

At an event marking part of activities, heralding President Bola Tinubu’s two-day state visit, to the United Kingdom, King Charles III on Wednesday hosted him and First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, at a state banquet in Windsor Castle.

Delivering his speech in St George’s Hall, the British monarch, expressed his admiration for Nigeria’s rise, its people, and the nation’s influence in the UK.

He then closed the session with a flourish in Nigerian Pidgin that drew smiles from guests, saying, “Naija No Dey Carry Last!” (Nigerians Never Come Last), as he proposed a toast to the President and people of Nigeria.

Here are 10 highlights from his speech:

Nigeria has arrived

Reflecting on his 2018 visit and earlier trips, the King said Nigeria “hasn’t merely changed… it has arrived.”

He described Nigeria as a nation of over 230 million people, half under 18, full of “energy, ingenuity, ambition and resolve” to tackle global challenges.

Afrobeats, Nollywood, and Premier League stars

King Charles highlighted how Nigerian culture has enriched Britain, from Afrobeats in concert halls to Nollywood on screens.

He also mentioned Nigerian stars competing in the Premier League and adjudicating in courts.

The monarch said, “From Afrobeats filling our concert halls and Nollywood captivating our screens, to stars competing in our Premier League and adjudicating our highest courts, so much of Britain’s culture is, in truth, profoundly enriched by Nigeria.”

Nigeria as interfaith example and global leader

Praising Nigeria’s model of peaceful coexistence among faiths, he referenced support for Nigeria’s Quick Reaction Forces and aid in Northern Nigeria.

“This afternoon, I witnessed one such example of how we are learning from one another when we met leaders of the British Christian and Muslim communities.

“The gathering was a deeply meaningful symbol of what Nigeria has long shown: that people of different faiths can, do, and must live alongside one another, in peace, in harmony and in shared purpose,” King Charles said.

He described Nigeria as an “economic powerhouse, a cultural force and an influential diplomatic voice.”

Painful history between the two nations

The King addressed the “shadow” of shared colonial history.

“There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks. I do not seek to offer words that dissolve the past, for no words can.”

He, however, emphasised learning from history to build a better future.

Jollof rice

King Charles might have admitted Nigerians make the best Jollof rice in Africa, but he was diplomatic.

He shared a light-hearted anecdote about hosting a “rather lively group” of young Nigerians for a “Jollof and Tea” party at St. James’s Palace last week, joking diplomatically about the eternal Jollof debate.

“I was firmly assured that the Jollof was only the best: Nigerian, of course… or perhaps Ghanaian or Senegalese. Diplomatically, I cannot remember!”

Economic ties — Nigeria as UK’s biggest export market in Africa

The King highlighted growing investments, including Nigerian banks operating in the City of London, companies listing on the London Stock Exchange, and expanding tech partnerships.

He noted Nigeria became the UK’s biggest export market in Africa in January 2026, with mutual tourism spending hitting £178 million each way in 2024.

“I was pleased to see that visitors from Nigeria spent £178 million in Britain in 2024, and 251,000 people from Britain travelled to Nigeria and spent just as much, in return.

“In January of this year, Nigeria became the United Kingdom’s biggest export market in Africa and whilst I hear that in Nigeria the phrase ‘Made in U.K.’ has always symbolised the highest quality, it evidently now has a distinctively Nigerian flavour,” he said.

Commonwealth pride and Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo wisdom

Quoting Yoruba (“rain does not fall on one roof alone”), Hausa (“when the music changes, so does the dance”), and Igbo (“Knowledge is never complete; two heads are better than one”) proverbs, the King endorsed expanding intra-Commonwealth trade and Nigeria’s central role.

He agreed with President Tinubu that the Commonwealth’s time “has come.”

Partnership of equals with deep spiritual bonds

The King described UK-Nigeria relations as a “partnership of equals” and a “deeply spiritual connection, beyond churches and mosques.”

He said the ties strengthen shared security, prosperity, and hope for the future.

Living bridge of Nigerians in the UK

He celebrated over half a million Nigerians and people of Nigerian heritage thriving in Britain.

He described them as a “living bridge,” enriching UK culture across sectors including business, technology, academia, law, science, sport, literature, arts, and public service.

‘Naija no dey carry last’

King Charles ended his speech with the popular Pidgin phrase, declaring, “Naija No Dey Carry Last!” to applause and laughter.