By Dipo Olowookere

Eight persons, comprising four Nigerians and four foreigners, believed to have promoted the failed Ponzi scheme, Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), in Nigeria have been declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Recall that a few weeks ago, several investors lost their hard-earned funds in the investment scheme, which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it did not authorise.

The platform crashed and went away with investors’ money after it made it impossible for them to withdraw their funds. It later asked them to pay an activation fee of $100 and $200, depending on what was in their wallets.

The crashing of CBEX triggered attacks on its offices, especially in Ibadan, Oyo State, by aggrieved investors, whose funds’ were trapped in CBEX.

Already, the EFCC has swung into action, arraigning the promoters of the investment scheme in court, though four of them are at large.

In a notice on Friday night, the agency said it was looking for the fugitive, asking members of the public with information about their whereabouts to come forward to aid their arrest.

The anti-money laundering organisation listed the wanted persons as Seyi Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowowa Oluwanisola, and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun, and listed Johnson Okiroh Otieno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro Kabera, and Serah Michiro as the foreign accomplices.

“The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are suspected foreign accomplices wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX)

“Anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, llorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies,” the notice signed by its spokesman, Mr Dele Oyewale, stated.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria’s National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the establishment of Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Board as part of efforts to drive non-oil revenues.

This was disclosed by the Governor of Imo State, Mr Hope Uzodinma, while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the 149th NEC meeting chaired by the Vice-President, Mr Kashim Shettima, on Thursday at Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He explained that in order to make the board function effectively, the council approved a proposal for Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Mr Uzodinma stated that the chairman of the board would be selected from the private sector, adding that the body would be funded from import levies on textiles.

“The National Economic Council, among others things, received a representation from the members and leadership of Cotton, Textile and Garment Development Forum.

“These are private sector operatives who are into the cotton business, garment and textiles and the presentation highlighted their proposal on how to revitalise the cotton industry in Nigeria.

“The council endorsed the presentation and approved the establishment of a National and regional Offices for the board in each of the six geopolitical zones for proper coordination,” said Mr Uzodinma.

On his part, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa said the council also received proposal from the Minister of Livestock Development on acceleration strategy for the livestock industry.

He said the presentation was on on a plan to transformation the livestock industry between 2025 and 2030, stating that the strategy was built on the national livestock growth acceleration plan, which is expected to transform the sector to create jobs, export products and serve as an engine room for internally generated revenue.

“The projection is that the strategy will generate between $74 billion down and $90 billion in that sector by the year 2035.

“It will be a direct partnership with the state governors, the private sector and foreign investors under a very sound federal regulatory umbrella,” said Mr Diri.

He added that the investment would be prioritised into five key pillars between 2025 and 2026, saying the pillars are: animal health and zones control, feed and further development, water resources management, statistics and information and livestock value chain development.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has announced plans to commence the disbursement of the $700 million Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) within the next four months.

Last week, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, instructed the maritime regulator to initiate the long-awaited disbursement process for the fund.

This directive marked a significant shift from over two decades of administrative stagnation and ushers in a new era of strategic repositioning of Nigeria’s indigenous shipping.

Speaking on Wednesday, NIMASA’s Director General, Mr Dayo Mobereola, providing a timeline for the disbursement said this will happen within the next four months, which by calculation, is August 2025.

He made the announcement during an oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime Safety, Education, and Administration in Abuja, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“We are acting in accordance with the directive of the Minister to ensure indigenous shipowners finally have access to this critical funding. The guidelines have been streamlined based on the Minister’s approval, so beneficiaries can access the funds within three to four months,” he said.

“To effectively manage the $700 million intervention fund, the number of Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) has been expanded from five to twelve.”

The CVFF, established under the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act of 2003, was designed to empower Nigerian shipping companies through access to structured financing for vessel acquisition. However, successive administrations failed to operationalize the fund—until now.

According to Minister Oyetola, the disbursement of the CVFF will represent not just the release of funds, but a profound commitment to empowering Nigerian maritime operators, bolstering national competitiveness, and fostering sustainable economic development.

“This is not just about disbursing funds. It’s about rewriting a chapter in our maritime history. For over 20 years, the CVFF remained a dormant promise. Today, we are bringing it to life—deliberately, transparently, and strategically,” he stated.

NIMASA, in alignment with the Minister’s directive, has already issued a Marine Notice inviting eligible Nigerian shipping companies to apply.

Qualified applicants can access up to $25 million each at competitive interest rates to acquire vessels that meet international safety and performance standards.

The fund will be administered in partnership with carefully selected and approved Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs), ensuring professional and efficient disbursement.