Banking
Investigation Links Global Banks to $2trn Dirty Money Scam
By Adedapo Adesanya
Some of the world’s top banks have been found to be complicit in aiding criminals move $2 trillion in dirty money around the world, according to leaked government files.
The exposition was done by Buzzfeed News and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a group that brings together investigative journalists from around the world, which distributed them to 108 news organisations in 88 countries.
In the revealing documents, they said: “global banks including JPMorgan, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank, Bank of New York Mellon, among others defied money laundering crackdowns by moving staggering sums of illicit cash for shadowy characters and criminal networks that have spread chaos and undermined democracy around the world.”
It was also revealed that they kept profiting from these powerful and dangerous players even after the United States authorities fined these financial institutions for earlier failures to stem flows of dirty money.
FinCEN is the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These are the people at the US Treasury who combat financial crime. Concerns about transactions made in US dollars need to be sent to FinCEN, even if they took place outside the US.
Known as the FinCEN files, these are more than 2,600 documents which banks sent to the US authorities between 2000 and 2017 which help show that these banks raise concerns about what their clients might be doing.
They have also been regarded as some of the international banking system’s most closely guarded secrets.
Some of what has been found so far showed that JPMorgan, the largest bank based in the United States, moved money for people and companies tied to the massive looting of public funds in Malaysia, Venezuela and Ukraine, the leaked documents reveal.
The bank moved more than $1 billion for the fugitive financier behind Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, the records show, and more than $2 million for a young energy mogul’s company that has been accused of cheating Venezuela’s government and helping cause electrical blackouts that crippled large parts of the country.
JPMorgan also processed more than $50 million in payments over a decade, the records show, for Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager for President Donald Trump. The bank shuttled at least $6.9 million in Manafort transactions in the 14 months after he resigned from the campaign amid a swirl of money laundering and corruption allegations spawning from his work with a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.
It was also revealed that one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest associates used Barclays bank in London to avoid sanctions which were meant to stop him from using financial services in the West. Some of the cash was used to buy works of art.
HSBC allowed fraudsters to transfer millions of dollars around the world even after it had learned of their scam, leaked secret files show.
Britain’s biggest bank moved the money through its US business to HSBC accounts in Hong Kong in 2013 and 2014.
The United Arab Emirates’ central bank failed to act on warnings about a local firm which was helping Iran evade sanctions.
Deutsche Bank moved money launderers’ dirty money for organised crime, terrorists and drug traffickers.
Standard Chartered moved cash for Arab Bank for more than a decade after clients’ accounts at the Jordanian bank had been used in funding terrorism.
The FinCEN Files represent less than 0.02 per cent of the more than 12 million suspicious activity reports that financial institutions filed with FinCEN between 2011 and 2017.
Mr Fergus Shiel from ICIJ said the leaked files were an “insight into what banks know about the vast flows of dirty money across the globe”. He said the documents also highlighted the extraordinarily large amounts of money involved.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In recognition of its strategic leadership in advancing the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Union Bank of Nigeria Plc has been honoured by the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON).
The lender was rewarded by the group for its suite of solutions designed to enable business expansion and long-term value creation.
At the Nigeria National SME Business Awards, held recently in Lagos, Union Bank was given the Best SME Growth Banking Initiatives Award for 2025.
The ceremony was organised by ASBON in partnership with the Lagos State government through the Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment.
The event convened stakeholders from the public and private sectors to recognise individuals and organisations driving meaningful impact across Nigeria’s SME ecosystem.
Receiving the award on behalf of the bank, its Head of SME Segment, Mr Ayokunnumi Abraham, described the recognition as a strong endorsement of the organisation’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses.
“We are honoured to receive this recognition, which reflects Union Bank’s continued commitment to helping SMEs grow by making banking simpler, faster, and more accessible.
“Through enhancements to our specialised platforms such as Union360, we have meaningfully reduced the time it takes for businesses to come on board and begin transacting.
“These improvements have shortened onboarding, increased digital adoption among our SME customers, and supported the acquisition of new business clients. Our focus remains on delivering practical solutions that help Nigerian businesses thrive,” he stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The stellar contributions of Polaris Bank Limited to youth employment, talent development, and workforce empowerment across Nigeria have not gone unnoticed, as the company was recently recognised at an event in Lagos.
At the 2026 Jobberman Partners’ Convening, the financial institution was bestowed with the Private Sector Champion Award.
The award recognises private sector organisations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in advancing youth employability through impactful recruitment initiatives, graduate trainee programmes, executive hiring support, candidate assessment programmes, and strategic partnerships that create sustainable career opportunities for young Nigerians.
Themed From Impact to Action: Collectively Designing the Future of Youth Employment in Nigeria, the convening focused on fostering collaboration between the private sector and other stakeholders to expand access to meaningful employment opportunities and equip young Nigerians with the skills and opportunities required to succeed in an evolving economy.
On the recognition, Jobberman commended Polaris Bank for consistently going beyond transactional partnerships to deliver measurable impact within Nigeria’s employment ecosystem. The renowned recruitment firm described Polaris Bank as a credible and purpose-driven institution committed to advancing youth employability and supporting the future of work in Nigeria.
The Head of Talent Management at Polaris Bank, Ms Cynthia Sanyaolu, reaffirmed the lender’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians and strengthening the nation’s workforce through strategic people-focused initiatives designed to create long-term economic and social impact.
“This recognition reflects Polaris Bank’s unwavering belief in the potential of the Nigerian youths and our commitment to building platforms that enable them to thrive professionally and economically.
“At Polaris Bank, we see talent development and youth empowerment as critical drivers of national growth and sustainable development,” she stated.
Over the years, Polaris Bank has continued to invest in initiatives that promote learning, career growth, workforce inclusion, and economic empowerment.
Through strategic Graduate Trainee recruitment programmes via its flagship Polaris Graduate Intensive Training (PGIT) and Polaris Tech Ignite Training (TechIGNITE), among other talent development initiatives, and collaborative partnerships, the bank remains committed to supporting the next generation of Nigerian professionals while contributing to national development.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Plans are underway by Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) to approach the international debt market for a capital raise.
The parent company of the Ecobank Group intends to use proceeds from the proposed exercise to refinance “the concurrent any-and-all tender offer of the ETI $350 million 8.750 per cent tier 2 notes due June 2031.”
However, the issuance of the notes is subject to prevailing market conditions and the conclusion of the necessary transaction documentation, a statement signed by the organisation’s chief financial officer, Mr Ayo Adepoju, stressed.
After issuance, the debt instrument may be listed on the London Stock Exchange, with the expectation that the bonds will be traded on its regulated market.
Ecobank noted that it would allocate an amount equivalent to the full net proceeds of the issue of the notes to finance or refinance, in part or in full, new and/or existing eligible assets as described in its Green Bond Framework (Ecobank-Sustainability), as amended and supplemented from time to time.
Ecobank, which has banking operations in 34 countries in Africa, is listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, the Ghana Stock Exchange and the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (Stock Exchanges).
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