By Modupe Gbadeyanka

President Bola Tinubu has promised to protect the country and work very hard to ensure every form of terrorism in Nigeria is defeated.

Mr Tinubu gave this assurance during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

He disclosed that Nigeria remains on a steady growth trajectory, with more promise of stability and prosperity as economic reforms continue to yield results and gain national and international acceptance.

Speaking in reaction to the threats by President Donald Trump of United States to raid terrorists’ camps in Nigeria, Mr Tinubu asked, “Do we have problems? Yes. Are we challenged by terrorism? Yes. But we will defeat terrorism. We will overcome the CPC designation.

“Nigeria is one happy family, and we shall spare no effort until we eliminate all criminals from our society. We want our friends to help us as we step up our fight against terrorism, and we will eliminate it.”

The President also disclosed that the federal government was engaging with the world diplomatically, noting, “The most important thing is the fact that despite the political headwinds and the fear of our people, we will continue to engage with partners.”

Commenting on the economy, he said, “The success of the $2.3 billion Eurobond that was oversubscribed by 400 per cent is the most assuring. So, the task ahead is immense; we are engaging the world diplomatically, and we assure all of you that we will defeat terrorism in this country.

“The task ahead is immense, but it is our resolve to move forward with unity and purpose, guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda to build a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Nigeria.”

Mr Tinubu directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, to brief the council on the nation’s economic performance, stated that the government will continue to sustain and consolidate the gains.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

One Captain Nuhu Haruna has been brought before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged foreign exchange (FX) fraud.

The suspect was accused of duping his victim of about N1.02 billion under a false pretence sometime in December 2023 in Kaduna.

At his arraignment on Wednesday, the EFCC informed Justice Khobo that Mr Haruna, while being the Managing Director of Maphutha Oil and Gas Limited, obtained about N782.3 million from one Mr Sheriff Zailani Shanono, promising to provide him an equivalent in United States Dollars but failed to deliver as promised.

According to the anti-money laundering agency, his action contravenes Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He was also accused of getting another N125.0 million from the same victim.

When the two-count charge bordering on advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretence were read to him, Mr Haruna pleaded “not guilty,” following which the prosecution counsel, M.E. Eimonye urged the court for a trial date, while the defence counsel, M.T Mohammed informed the court of the defendant’s bail application, already before the court.

Justice Khobo, after listening to both counsels adjourned the case till November 19, 2025, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Centre.

The EFCC revealed that Mr Haruna was arrested following a petition from Mr Shanono in which he alleged that he was introduced to the defendant sometime in December 2023, having claimed that he could provide him with a dollar equivalent of a sum of N1.02 billion in two instalments of $600,000 and $400,000.

Following the agreement, he alleged that he then provided the defendant with a foreign bank account into which he would pay the dollar sums and proceeded to transfer the funds into accounts provided by the defendant.

The petitioner further claimed that shortly after his transfer of the sum, the defendant provided him with evidence of payment of the dollar equivalent he claimed to have made into his foreign bank account, only for him to discover that the payment evidence was not real as the money never dropped.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The payment solutions platform of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Zest, scored a brace at the recently-concluded 2025 MSME Finance and CEO Awards.

The MSME Finance and CEO Awards celebrate organizations and leaders driving meaningful progress in financial services, technology, and enterprise support across Africa.

At the event organised by the Africa Global Economic Forum, Zest was honoured as the MSME Fintech Payment Platform of the Year and its chief executive, Mr Stanley Jacob, emerged as the MSME Digital Finance CEO of the Year.

The first was in recognition of its innovation, reliability, and impact in driving seamless payments for businesses of every size across Nigeria and beyond, while the second was for Mr Jacob’s visionary leadership, strategic excellence, and commitment to advancing digital transformation in Africa’s financial ecosystem.

These recognitions reaffirm Zest’s unwavering dedication to excellence, payment innovation, and customer-focused solutions that empower entrepreneurs and MSMEs to thrive in an increasingly digital economy.

“This honour underscores the collective effort of our incredible team and partners who share our mission of redefining payments for MSMEs.

“At Zest, we remain committed to building inclusive, technology-driven solutions that simplify business growth and strengthen the digital economy,” Mr Jacob stated.