By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The bail application of the Commissioner for Finance in Bauchi State, Mr Yakubu Adamu, has been turned down by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja.

His request for bail was rejected on Monday, January 5, 2026, alongside three others; Balarabe Abdullahi Ilelah, Aminu Mohammed Bose and Kabiru Yahaya Mohammed.

The defendants, had, through their counsel, Mr Chris Uche (SAN), prayed the court to grant bail to them on the grounds that the court has jurisdiction to grant bail and that they are family men with children.

In a counter application, prosecution counsel, Mr Chime Samuel, informed the court that the defendants are standing trial before the court on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism-related offences and money laundering.

Delivering ruling on the bail application, Justice Nwite refused to grant bail to the defendants and ordered an accelerated hearing on the matter.

“I have also taken cognizance that terrorism related offenses threatens social order and pre-trial release could endanger the public.

“In my view, the prosecution respondent have succeeded in raising a reasonable presumption of criminal responsibility on the part of the applicant, in view of the forgoing, I am of the humble view and I so hold that the interest of justice will be met by giving this matter accelerated hearing, consequently, the application is refused,” he said, and then adjourned the matter to Tuesday, January 13, 2026, for hearing.

The accused persons were arraigned on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, on a 10-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism financing contrary to Section 2(1) and Section 19(1) (d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you Yakubu Adamu (being Commissioner for Finance, Bauchi state Government), sometimes in the year 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did receive cash payments in the sum of $6,950,000 otherwise than through a financial institution, and you and offence contrary to Section 2(1) and Section 19(1) (d) and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” one of the charges read.

Egypt’s digital economy is expanding fast. From fintech and e-commerce to SaaS and online services, businesses are onboarding more users than ever. Yet a common bottleneck remains: verification. When potential customers can’t verify their accounts quickly and reliably, conversion drops and support costs rise. The solution many successful companies use is persistent, reusable registration numbers—virtual phone numbers that maintain long-term validation capabilities and work across multiple services.

This article explains why reliable registration numbers matter in Egypt’s market and how Egyptian businesses can use them to strengthen user trust and operational performance.

The Verification Reality in Egypt

Phone verification is a standard part of onboarding worldwide. However, in Egypt, traditional SMS verification often faces hurdles:

• Carrier filtering and delays: SMS from generic or foreign sources may be filtered or delayed.
• One-time limitations: Disposable SMS numbers often fail when users need to re-verify.
• User frustration: Failed verification attempts increase drop-off rates and inflate support tickets.

In markets with high mobile adoption like Egypt, these issues have measurable impacts on growth and retention.

What Makes Persistent Registration Numbers Better

Unlike temporary SMS numbers, persistent registration numbers are stable, reusable phone numbers designed to support:

• Repeated verification across platforms
• Long-term association with a user or business
• Cross-service compatibility
• Local presence perception

They act as dedicated verification endpoints and communication channels, allowing businesses to maintain consistent contact points with users.

You can explore reliable options for these numbers at https://africavirtualnumbers.com/number-for-registration/.

Why Local Egyptian Numbers Change the Game

Using virtual numbers with Egyptian country codes enhances both trust and delivery success. When users see a number with an Egyptian prefix, it:

• Signals relevance and proximity
• Improves SMS delivery reliability
• Increases user willingness to complete onboarding
• Reduces suspicion during verification

Egypt-specific virtual numbers and their availability can be found at https://africavirtualnumbers.com/country/egypt/.

For businesses targeting Egyptian customers, this local presentation significantly improves engagement metrics.

How Egyptian Businesses Benefit

1. Higher Conversion on Onboarding

Persistent, reliable numbers reduce failed verification attempts. This directly increases the number of users who complete account setup and start using services.

For example, an Egyptian fintech platform that transitioned from temporary SMS lines to persistent registration numbers saw measurable reduction in drop-off during signup, attributed to improved delivery and reduced friction.

2. Reduced Support Load

Verification failures often convert into support cases. When numbers deliver consistently and accept re-verification, support teams spend less time on account recovery and more on value-added interactions.

3. Consistency Across Platforms

Many platforms and marketplaces enforce strict verification rules. Temporary SMS numbers get blocked or rejected after initial use. Persistent numbers, on the other hand, maintain reputation and deliver consistently across sessions and services, reducing repetitive errors.

4. Stronger Fraud Control

Verified accounts backed by persistent phone numbers reduce fraudulent signups. This is especially important in sectors like digital finance and online marketplaces, where trust is foundational.

Implementing Registration Numbers Effectively

Choose true registration numbers.
Not all virtual numbers are equal. Prioritize those designed for repeated verification and long-term use.

Use local prefixes.
Egyptian country codes signal legitimacy and improve delivery.

Monitor performance.
Track delivery rates and user success to optimize your verification workflow.

Integrate with backend systems.
Tie verification logs to analytics, CRM, and fraud detection tools for end-to-end visibility.

Conclusion

In Egypt’s competitive digital landscape, verification failure represents lost users and operational inefficiency. The right solution is reliable, persistent registration numbers that work repeatedly across platforms and are perceived as local by users. These numbers increase trust, improve conversion, reduce support costs, and strengthen fraud defenses.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Former presidential candidates at the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi and Mr Atiku Abubakar, have separately slammed President Bola Tinubu on issues relating to economic conditions of Nigerians.

Mr Obi in a statement argued that taxation must be rooted in transparency, fairness, and concern for citizens’ welfare, cautioning that the ongoing controversy over the alleged manipulated tax law threatens economic growth and public trust.

Despite recent controversies, the new tax laws regime have officially kicked off.

“For the first time in Nigeria’s history, a tax law has reportedly been forged. The National Assembly itself has admitted that the version gazetted is not what was passed into law,” he said.

“Yet, citizens are being asked to pay higher taxes under this manipulated framework, without transparency, without explanation, and without corresponding benefits,” the candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 noted.

Mr Obi, who is now with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that “taxing poverty does not create wealth; it deepens hardship,” urging the government to focus instead on empowering small and medium-sized enterprises, which he said are critical for job creation, income growth, and the natural expansion of the tax base.”

“You cannot tax your way out of poverty, you must produce your way out of it,” he noted, calling for a lawful, fair, and people-centered tax system that supports production, rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and restores trust between government and citizens.

“Nigeria needs a fair, lawful, and people-centred tax system, only then can taxation become a true tool for unity, growth, and shared prosperity,” Mr Obi concluded in the statement posted on his official X handle.

On his part, Mr Abubakar, a former Vice President, warned that policy failures under President Tinubu are deepening business distress, accelerating job losses, and pushing the country toward economic collapse.

In a New Year message to Nigerians, he described 2025 as “one of the most punishing years in our recent history,” marked by what he called “economic suffocation” and governance devoid of empathy.

He said the Tinubu-led administration presided over months of fiscal drift, borrowing heavily while businesses struggled to survive.

“The past year exposed, in stark terms, the incompetence and policy bankruptcy of President Bola Tinubu,” Mr Atiku said, adding that the government governed “for months without a functional budget, relying on propaganda while borrowing recklessly.”

From a business perspective, Mr Atiku, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last presidential poll, warned that the operating environment for enterprises deteriorated sharply, with small and medium-sized businesses bearing the brunt of inflation, weak consumer demand, and policy uncertainty.

“Industries shut down. Workers were sent home. Hunger spread. Suffering became normalized,” he said.

He also questioned the credibility of the government’s reform agenda, citing what he described as a scandal involving a forged tax law.

“Nothing better captures the decay of this government than the scandal of a forged tax law, shamelessly branded a ‘reform’,” Mr Atiku, who has also now defected to the ADC, said, warning that “a government that begins reform with forgery cannot end with prosperity.”

Mr Atiku further dismissed official claims of revenue performance, arguing that worsening insecurity and debt accumulation were eroding investor confidence.

“While drowning the nation in debt, the government falsely claimed to have met revenue targets,” he said, noting that kidnappings and violent crimes had disrupted livelihoods and economic activity nationwide.

He said unemployment, labour unrest and collapsing enterprises defined the year, contradicting repeated assurances of economic recovery.

“Small businesses, the backbone of job creation, are collapsing. Workers are losing jobs,” Atiku said, arguing that policies demanding sacrifice from citizens were unjustified.

He warned, however, that weak institutions and disregard for due process could undermine future economic stability and elections. “A government capable of forging or tampering with laws cannot be trusted to conduct free and fair elections in 2027,” he said.

Calling for civic engagement, Mr Atiku urged Nigerians and the business community to organize for change through democratic means. “Democracy gives the people the power to change a failing government, peacefully and decisively, through the ballot,” he said.

He concluded with a call to action: “Let us vote out hunger, insecurity, unemployment, dishonesty, corruption, abductions, lies, and propaganda. Nigeria deserves better. Nigerians deserve dignity.”

Business Post reports that both Mr Obi and Mr Atiku are planning to work with other politicians to oust Mr Tinubu in the 2027 general elections through the ADC.