General
Lagos Signs Anti-Kidnapping Bill Into Law
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Kidnappers in Lagos State now have a tough time if caught because the state Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, on Wednesday signed into law the anti-kidnapping bill recently passed by the state House of Assembly.
Mr Ambode, while signing the assenting to the bill at the Lagos House in Ikeja, pledged to ensure the full implementation of the anti-kidnapping bill to eradicate kidnapping once and for all in the state.
The Prohibition of the Act of Kidnapping Law imposes a penalty of life imprisonment on kidnapping for ransom. The law also stipulates that where a victim dies in the course of kidnap, the suspect is liable on conviction to death.
Governor Ambode said the spate of kidnapping in the State had gotten to a level that required decisive action from government, hence the need for the enactment of the law to send serious message to perpetrators of such heinous crime.
He said aside the enactment of the law, the state government was also putting in place appropriate measures particularly in the schools and other vulnerable targets to prevent kidnapping and other security breaches.
Mr Ambode said, “Security is of utmost importance to our administration and we are confident that this law will serve as a deterrent to anybody who may desire to engage in this wicked act within the boundaries of Lagos.
“Why we use this law to address the challenge and punish the criminals, we are also putting in place appropriate measures particularly in our schools and other vulnerable targets to prevent security breaches and it is important that we ensure that everything we do in respect of this anti-kidnapping law is in good faith and good spirit to eradicate the issue of kidnapping once and for all in the State.”
Governor Ambode assured that the justice system would be activated to execute the anti-kidnapping law to the letter to ensure that any criminal caught is subjected to the full wrath of the law.
The Governor, at the ceremony, also signed the Sports Trust Fund Bill and the Sports Commission bill into law, explaining that the laws were enacted to address key issues bordering on security and effectively harnessing the potentials in the sports sector.
Giving insight on the laws, Governor Ambode said: “The Sport Commission Law will give legal backing to the formulation and implementation of sport policies in the State while the Sport Trust Fund will enable government to raise money for the development of sporting facilities and activities.
“This fund will provide a platform where the State Government can enter into partnership with the private sector to finance sports infrastructure, tournaments and programmes which will in turn create employment and generate revenue for the State.”
He added that as provided for in the law, a Board of Trustees comprising all stakeholders in the sports community would soon be inaugurated for the Trust Fund, saying that with the law, government was restating its commitment to scale up sports development and make the State the hub of sports in Nigeria.
He also appreciated members of the Lagos State House of Assembly for their efforts in the enactment of the laws.
In his remarks, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, said the signing of the bills into law by the Governor was a clear testimony of the commitment of the State Government to the security of citizens and sports development.
Mr Obasa, who was represented by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, said it was particularly gratifying to note that the anti-kidnapping law was an all-encompassing one which prescribes punishment for the actual actors, those that collaborate, aid and abet and those who see the act of kidnapping being perpetrated and do nothing about it, as well as confiscation of properties attached to the heinous crime of kidnapping.
He said the passage and signing of the law was a direct response and responsiveness of the government to the spate of kidnapping in the State, adding that the expansive provisions in the law would, in no long distant future, ensure the eradication of the menace in the State.
On the bills on sports, the Speaker said: “We are happy that Lagos State is taking a very bold step at ensuring that sporting activities get a boost from the government and this is a clear demonstration to the people of Lagos State and Nigeria that the State Government is paying adequate attention to sporting activities.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
