General
Obiwanne ‘Invictus Obi’ Okeke Risks 30-Year Jail Term
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian entrepreneur, Mr Obinwanne Okeke, who was recently arrested in the United States of America for an alleged $11 million fraud, could spend up to 30 years in jail if found guilty of the charges levelled against him.
Mr Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, was charged with two counts of computer fraud and wire fraud, which carry a maximum 10 and 20 years respectively under American law.
He appeared before Michael Nachmanoff, a magistrate with the District Court of Eastern District of Virginia, on August 7 to answer charges of wire fraud.
The charges were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and filed against Mr Okeke by the U.S. Department of Justice, with both authorities saying they were convinced that Mr Okeke duped a UK subsidiary of Caterpillar up to $11 million in business email fraud, amongst other charges.
It was learned that Mr Okeke has since hired John Iweanoge, a Washington D.C. criminal attorney of Nigerian origin, as his lead defence counsel.
Mr Okeke, however, did not enter a plea at his initial arraignment, but was remanded in custody indefinitely in accordance with the U.S. federal laws on the nature of the criminal complaints against him.
A spokesperson for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mr Joshua Stueve, disclosed that the detention of the Nigerian would last until a jury has been selected to look into the charges against him, which may take several weeks.
“It may take another two weeks before a new date is fixed for him to appear in court again,” Mr Stueve said on Wednesday. The spokesperson, however, hinted that Mr Okeke would likely get below the maximum sentence.
“Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors,” Mr Stueve said.
Mr Okeke is being remanded at 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314, the district headquarters of the U.S. Marshall Service following a remand order which was issued at a preliminary hearing shortly after his arrest.
He was arrested on August 6 in Alexandria, Virginia, just moments before he was scheduled to return to Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government will next Tuesday unveil a $1 billion social protection programme targeting 7.2 million of the country’s most vulnerable households through emergency cash transfers and other interventions aimed at helping them withstand economic shocks and transition towards self-reliance.
The programme will be unveiled by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. It is part of the efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to strengthen social protection and ensure that vulnerable Nigerians are protected while being supported towards resilience and economic self-reliance.
Mr Abimbola Fasanu, the Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Mr Bernard Doro, said in a statement that the unveiling goes beyond the launch of a single programme, as it introduces a more coordinated approach to humanitarian response, social protection and poverty reduction, with the household placed at the centre of intervention and measurement.
A major component of the event will be the launch of the Federal Government Emergency Shock-Responsive Cash Transfer Programme, targeting 7.2 million of the most vulnerable households nationwide.
The event will also feature the launch of the One Humanitarian One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), Nigeria’s integrated framework for humanitarian response, social protection, poverty reduction and economic inclusion; the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Ministerial Blueprint; and Humanity First Magazine.
Mr Doro said OHOPRS addresses a longstanding challenge in which different government institutions, development partners and other organisations may intervene without sufficient visibility of who has already received support, what assistance was provided and whether the intervention improved the household’s condition.
“Nigeria cannot continue with a system where one vulnerable household receives interventions from several institutions while another equally vulnerable household remains unseen. We must know who has been reached, what support they received, whether it worked and what they need next,” the Minister said.
Under the new approach, a household receiving emergency assistance following a flood, conflict, economic shock or other crisis should not simply disappear from Government’s radar once the immediate emergency has passed. Where necessary, that household can be connected to appropriate social protection, livelihood support, skills development and economic opportunities, with progress towards resilience and self-reliance tracked over time.
“Our objective is not to keep Nigerians permanently dependent on assistance. We are moving from palliatives to pathways, from fragmentation to coordination, and from vulnerability to prosperity,” he stated.
He said the reform reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that economic reforms ultimately translate into improved welfare and greater opportunities for Nigerian households.
The Minister added that the First Lady’s role in unveiling the programme provides an important connection with her commitment to improving the welfare and economic opportunities of women, young people, families and vulnerable Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Initiative.
“The true measure of success is not simply how many Nigerians receive assistance, but how many become stronger, more resilient and ultimately able to sustain themselves and their families,” the spokesperson said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Tuesday, August 25, 2026, has been declared a public holiday by the federal government to celebrate this year’s Eid ul Mawlid.
A statement on Friday by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Ms Magdalene Ajani, said the holiday is in commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Announcing the holiday on behalf of the federal government, the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, extended warm felicitations to Muslims in Nigeria and across the diaspora.
“Every Eid ul Mawlid gives us reason to pause and draw lessons from a life defined by compassion, humility and service to others.
“These are qualities our nation needs now more than ever, and I encourage every Nigerian, not just our Muslim brothers and sisters, to reflect on them,” he was quoted as saying in the statement, adding that the period should also serve as a time for collective prayer for the peace and cohesion of the country, noting that national unity remains a shared responsibility.
Mr Tunji-Ojo further charged citizens to observe the celebration with restraint and mutual respect, wishing the Muslim community a joyous and peaceful Eid, restating the resolve of the present administration to safeguard lives and property across the country and to ensure that peace is maintained at all times.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new interim board of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KAEDC) has been inaugurated by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The body was inaugurated by the regulator on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, pursuant to its intervention order issued recently.
NERC had, through Order No. NERC/2026/08, dissolved the board of directors of KAEDC following repeated failures to meet market obligations and other prescribed performance indices.
It subsequently constituted a five-member interim board of Special Directors, chaired by Mr Abdullahi Garba, for an initial period of one year, alongside an interim administrator, Mr Abubakar Umar Hashidu, appointed for an initial six-month period, to drive the reset of the distribution company.
The new team has been tasked to restore sanity into the energy distribution firm and deliver quality service to consumers within its franchise area.
It was gathered that shortly after the inauguration at midweek, a joint delegation of NERC, the newly inaugurated board, KAEDC’s management and staff paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of One Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna.
At the military facility, the delegation was received by the General Officer Commanding and senior officers of the Division.
Thereafter, the team visited the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, where the Commandant and principal officers of the military institution received them with open arms.
At both visits, discussions centred on ways to collaborate for better efficiency.
