General
Hunger Eases First Time Since Boko Haram Crisis
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
For the first time since the onset of the Boko Haram crisis, hunger has considerably declined in north eastern Nigeria. In the three states ravaged by the violence, the number of people facing acute hunger has halved since June-August – from 5.2 million to 2.6 million people – according to the latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis.
This is a major step forward thanks to an overall improved security situation, and the scaling-up of humanitarian and longer-term livelihoods assistance by the government and its partners.
The report warns, however, that without sustained and timely assistance, all good work could quickly be undone; more than 3.5 million people could battle again with acute hunger, including a risk of famine, by next August.
FAO provided cowpea, maize, millet, sorghum, vegetable seeds and fertilisers to 1 million people – internally displaced populations (IDPs), returned refugees and host communities – to help them get through the last rainy season (June-September) when food stocks are low.
Now, as the harvest season is winding down and communities transition into the dry season and a new planting phase, FAO is aiming to further boost local production through distributions of vegetable seeds, farming kits, fertilisers and irrigation equipment to some 780,000 people across the three states.
In Yobe, one of the three states affected by violence, the villages are still a bustling field of yellow as farmers cut the last millet and sorghum and pile them in neat bundles. The smell of freshly cut crops lingers in the air.
Everyone takes part in the harvest – the children cut the head of the millet, the women thresh it, the men bundled it and carry it home. For many, this is the first time they have enough food to eat.
“This will be enough food for the family, and with the money from my knitting business, I will plan for my children’s education,” said 37-year-old Aisha Ibrahim who was forced to flee her village three years ago and has been displaced ever since.
“Families in my village help about five to six displaced people each. They depend on our assistance. Good harvest brings joy to all of us. It reduces the pressure and makes us stronger,” said Malam Mohammed, a local farmer from Ngalda village who supports IDPs.
By supporting host communities to plant during the rainy season, FAO has also brought relief to displaced, landless populations who could work in the fields and earn an income.
“The local communities have helped me; I could work on their farms and got paid,” said 40-year-old Hajanuwe Sulieman, a widowed mother of eight children who has been displaced by violence three years ago and is now taking refuge in an informal settlement of Mainok. This is a considerable support for Hajanuwe who, at times, has had to resort to begging to make ends meet.
Across north eastern Nigeria, violence aside, farmers have been through a lot these past few months; some have had to deal with a dry spell, others with flooding. Others still with pest infections that ate their crops.
But now the fields are dry and farmers like Malam and Hajanuwe are getting ready to plant again.
Sustained support – from rainy to dry season – builds vulnerable communities’ resilience, strengthens their capacity to grow both staple and cash crops, and reduces the need for food assistance.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed January 7 to hear the bail application of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, over alleged money laundering.
Recall that the same court had ordered the remand of Mr Malami at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Mrs Bashir Asabe, are standing trial predicated on a 16-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trio, who are accused of laundering N8.7 billion, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned on December 29, 2025.
Following their plea of not guilty, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre till January 2, 2026, when their written bail application would be argued by his legal team.
In the charge, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the defendants were accused of conspiring to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds from illegal activities.
The indictment claimed that they used multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, and high-value real estate transactions over nearly ten years to indirectly acquire the illicit funds.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences took place between 2015 and 2025, primarily within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during Malami’s time as the country’s Attorney-General.
The EFCC alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide N1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account from July 2022 to June 2025.
They were also accused of depositing an additional N600.01 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
The properties in question include a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, purchased for N500 million; a property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, bought for N700 million; and another in Jabi District for N850 million.
Additional acquisitions include real estate on Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million); in Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million); and at Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million).
The EFCC further alleges that Mr Malami used unlawful proceeds totaling N952 million to acquire multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023.
The acquisitions were allegedly made through proxies and corporate entities to obscure ownership.
The commission claimed that the alleged actions violate the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Association of Plant Operators (NAPO) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations of tax deduction and non-remittance fraud linked to the NLNG Train 7 project.
Train 7 is a major expansion project of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) facility on Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. It involves building a seventh “train” (processing unit) at the LNG plant to significantly increase Nigeria’s LNG production capacity and strengthen the country’s role as a global supplier of cleaner energy.
NAPO’s President General, Mr Harold Benstowe, alongside four other officials, appeared at the EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Office in Port Harcourt, to adopt a petition accusing Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria and others of alleged unlawful tax deductions from workers on the multibillion-dollar NLNG Train 7 gas plant construction project.
According to NAPO, the EFCC received the delegation and guided them through the formal adoption of the petition, paving the way for what the union described as a “proper forensic investigation” into the alleged financial misconduct.
“The EFCC has assured the victims that it will conduct a thorough investigation to get to the root of the matter,” Mr Benstowe said, describing the development as a major step toward accountability in the construction segment of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It also raised that the allegations strike at the heart of compliance risks surrounding one of Nigeria’s most strategic gas investments, with potential implications for contractors, regulators and investor confidence in large-scale energy projects.
Mr Benstowe called on workers involved in the NLNG Train 7 project to actively support the investigation by submitting documentary evidence, particularly payslips allegedly showing tax deductions by Daewoo E&C Nigeria.
“We encourage all affected workers to freely come forward with more evidence to assist the EFCC in carrying out a comprehensive investigation,” he said.
He also dismissed reports of intimidation, warning that the union would resist any attempts to suppress whistleblowers.
“All victims should ignore threats or discouragement from any quarters. This is no longer business as usual. We are prepared for a big showdown to ensure everyone involved is brought to book,” Mr Benstowe declared.
The NAPO leader framed the petition as part of a broader struggle for financial transparency and workers’ rights in Nigeria’s oil and gas construction value chain, stressing that the outcome would send a strong signal to contractors operating on high-value energy projects.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled its institutional brand identity as it officially transition from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the newly established revenue collection agency as gazetted.
The transition was marked with the unveiling of the agency’s new logo, according to a statement from Mr Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser to the chairman of NRS, Mr Zacch Adedeji.
Speaking at the unveiling event in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Adedeji said the new identity represents a significant milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s revenue administration framework.
The taxman said the unveiling reflects a renewed commitment to a more unified, efficient, and service-oriented revenue system aligned with Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda and global best practices.
He said the new identity signals continuity of purpose, strengthened institutional capacity, and a forward-looking approach to supporting taxpayers and national development.
According to the statement, the NRS said it remains committed to transparency, partnership, and service excellence.
“The unveiling of this new identity represents not an end, but the beginning of a strengthened relationship between the revenue authority and the Nigerian public—built on trust, clarity, and shared prosperity,” the statement reads.
It was also stated that the service came into operation following the signing of its enabling law — the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 — by President Bola Tinubu in June.
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