General
Acting IGP Orders CPs to Take Control of SARS
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Commissioners of Police in each of the 36 Police Commands in Nigeria as well as the FCT have been directed to immediate take full control of operations of the dreadful Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS).
This directive was given on Monday in Abuja by the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Abubakar Adamu.
The nation’s police chief said the decentralisation of FSARS was part of efforts aimed at making the force a better organisation.
He further said the FHQ Unit should now be under the command of the DIG FCIID., explaining that the “import of this is that the DIG FCIID and Command CPs shall from this date, not only assume administrative and operational control of SARS in their respective Commands, they shall also be directly held liable for any professional misconducts resulting from the operations of the Units in their Commands.
“Consequently, they are to immediately undertake a detailed evaluation of the Units in their Commands and submit a report to my Office within the next two weeks.”
Mr Adamu also said today that “all quasi-investigation and operations outfits including the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and Special Tactical Squad (STS) or any other such Teams under whatever name are hereby disbanded.
“The DIG FCIID is to takeover and review all cases that such Teams are currently handling as well as official assets on charge to them and submit a detailed report to my Office within two weeks.
“Similar comprehensive reorganisation will be undertaken in the investigative, intelligence and special operations arms of the Force comprising of the Police Mobile Force, Counterterrorism Unit and the Special Protection Unit.
The acting IGP tasked his men to “remain dedicated to your professional calling, exhibit the highest possible level of leadership and the strongest possible quality of character towards advancing our common mandate of ensuring internal security and guaranteeing a peaceful and credible electoral process. I thank you all and wish us a rewarding deliberation.”
He said he was bringing reforms to the police in order to “restore order and apply a break to the current slide in policing standards, discourage the proliferation of multiplicity of outfits competing for operational space in the most unprofessional manner.”
Mr Adamu stressed that, “We shall enhance the capacity of the Force towards situating our operations within the principles and practice of Intelligence-led policing and human rights standards, and align our operations to modern dynamics.”
On the next month’s general elections, the chief cop said he has tasked all Commissioners of Police across all the 36 Police State Commands and the FCT to galvanise their personnel and mobilise logistics towards ensuring a peaceful and credible exercise.
“They shall also be tasked to identify possible threats and apply all legal and professional means to neutralise them ahead of the elections.
“Let me reiterate that while the Police in all Commands will secure law abiding political actors, party faithful and citizens in the course of the elections, nobody should be in doubt as to the capacity and renewed determination of the Police to deal decisively with elements that attempt to test our will by engaging in political violence or other electoral offences including vote buying which could threaten our democratic values.
“Any citizen that intends to offer himself or herself to be used negatively as cannon folders for political actors should either have a rethink or be ready to face the consequences.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Salary increases of between 30 and 80 per cent have been approved for Nigeria’s armed forces personnel by President Bola Tinubu.
This was confirmed by a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
About 250,000 personnel are to benefit from the new deal, which takes effect on September 1, according to the statement. Officers above the rank of colonel will enjoy a 30 per cent salary increase. This applies to Brigadier-Generals, Major-Generals, Lieutenant Generals and Generals.
Personnel from colonel down to warrant officer will have a 50 per cent increase, while Private to Staff Sergeant will have an 80 per cent increase.
The President’s spokesman stated that the pay package will increase the yearly salary bill for the country’s armed forces personnel from N660 billion to N924 billion.
President Tinubu has always praised the courage and sacrifices of members of the armed forces as they confront the scourge of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in some parts of the country.
“The men and women who help to keep us safe in our homes must be supported and appreciated in the course of their duties to our nation.
“Our administration will continue to prioritise troop welfare and modernise the armed forces by providing the weapons and technological tools needed to discharge their duties.
“Our administration believes that no nation can achieve greatness without security. We therefore remain resolute in mobilising all military and law enforcement assets to eliminate security threats and protect the lives and property of all Nigerians
“I urge our servicemen to take our gesture as a sign of our deep appreciation of the services they render to our fatherland. Together we shall prevail over the enemies intent on destroying the fabric of our nation,” Mr Tinubu was quoted as saying.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has issued a data protection compliance circular to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to promote public trust through data-driven governance.
The compliance directive is contained in Circular No. 59805/S.I/74, dated 27 July 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr George Akume, according to a statement by the Head, Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye.
The initiative forms part of a continuum of regulatory measures that will be vigorously pursued as Nigeria advances towards the decisive frontiers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The circular drew the attention of MDAs to a statement of President Bola Tinubu, where he said: “Data is the new oil”.
Mr Akume then directed all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments and Agencies to capture the information rigorously and safeguard it under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).
The circular also directed MDAs to ensure full compliance with the NDP Act, Regulations, Guidelines, and Directives issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in relation to the processing of personal data.
To this end, the Circular directs MDAs to, designate suitably qualified officers as Data Protection Officers (DPOs) to oversee data protection compliance and advise management on all matters relating to the lawful processing of personal data, ensure that the names and contact details of their designated DPOs are communicated to the NDPC for registration and official records; engage licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs), where required, to facilitate compliance with the NDP Act and support the conduct of statutory compliance audits.
It also directed them to provide adequate budgetary allocation for data protection compliance activities, including capacity building, awareness programmes, deployment of appropriate technical safeguards, and periodic compliance audits; and submit all mandatory Data Protection Compliance Audit Returns and other statutory returns to the NDPC within the timelines prescribed by law.
The circular further states that “Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Chief Executive Officers of all MDAs shall be personally responsible for ensuring institutional compliance with the Circular and the provisions of the NDP Act.”
The National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Mr Vincent Olatunji, expressed the commission’s commitment to supporting data-driven governance.
Mr Olatunji maintained that data accountability is pivotal to achieving the eight Presidential Priorities. To provide full technical support to MDAs for the purpose of achieving compliance, the commission has constituted a regulatory clinic.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Yellow Card, a global stablecoin infrastructure provider, has raised $40 million in a strategic funding round to accelerate its international expansion and strengthen its digital payment infrastructure.
The funding round attracted investments from SC Ventures, the innovation and investment arm of Standard Chartered, Sony Innovation Fund, Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, and other strategic investors. With the latest raise, Yellow Card’s total equity financing has now exceeded $120 million.
The company said the fresh capital will be used to scale its Global US Dollar Accounts, an end-to-end dollar account designed for businesses, while expanding the stablecoin payment rails that connect businesses to markets around the world.
Yellow Card’s chief executive, Mr Chris Maurice, described the investment as a strong endorsement of the company’s long-term vision, noting that the company has spent years building infrastructure that allows businesses to move money globally without relying on traditional correspondent banking systems.
He added that the next phase of growth will focus on helping banks connect directly to stablecoin payment rails, enabling faster and more efficient cross-border transactions while expanding access to US Dollar services for businesses.
SC Ventures chief executive, Mr Alex Manson, said stablecoins are becoming an important part of global payments, but noted that widespread adoption will depend on reliable infrastructure and practical use cases.
He said Yellow Card has built the payment rails businesses across Africa need to move money efficiently across borders and expressed confidence in the company’s ability to expand both within Africa and internationally.
The investment also marks growing interest from global institutions in stablecoin-based payments. Sony Innovation Fund said its backing reflects confidence in Yellow Card’s ability to build digital payment infrastructure for emerging markets.
Mr Austin Noronha, Managing Director at Sony Ventures-US, said the company believes Yellow Card is creating the technology needed to help banks, financial technology firms and enterprises move money faster and more securely.
He added that the company looks forward to supporting Yellow Card as it expands beyond Africa into Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Yellow Card said the funding will also support the wider rollout of its Global USD Accounts, which allow businesses to hold U.S. dollars, manage treasury operations, swap stablecoins, and collect or make payments in local currencies across more than 50 countries.
The company noted that the platform is already being used by major customers, including Visa and Western Union.
Founded to simplify cross-border payments through digital assets, Yellow Card has processed more than $10 billion in transactions across its network. The company supports over 50 currencies and holds licences, authorisations and registrations in 22 jurisdictions across North America, Europe and Africa.
Yellow Card has also established strategic partnerships with global payment companies including Visa, Mastercard, PayPal and Coinbase as it positions itself as a key infrastructure provider for international digital payments.
