General
NSCDC to Launch Response Squad in South West
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has disclosed that it is set to inaugurate a Zonal Rapid Response Squad in the South-Western states of Osun, Ekiti and Ondo to combat crimes.
The NSCDC Zone J comprises the three states, with the headquarters in Osogbo, the Osun capital.
Mr Fasiu Adeyinka, Assistant Commandant General (ACG) in charge of Zone J, during his routine tour to the Ondo State Command of the corps in Akure, said the squad will boost security in the region.
He explained that the squad, which had gone through requisite, thorough and rigorous training, would soon be deployed in the three states.
He called for the support of state governments and other critical stakeholders to collaborate with the NSCDC, as the “issue of security has now become a collective responsibility which must not be taken with levity”.
Mr Adeyinka re-affirmed the commitment of the NSCDC to the training and re-training of personnel for manpower development and improved performance as well as ensuring adequate staff welfare to enhance the discharge of her statutory mandate.
“The need for an improved, credible and proactive intelligence gathering in order to curtail the overwhelming rate of criminality in the country cannot be over-emphasised.
“We must safeguard all critical national assets and infrastructure; fight vandalism of oil pipelines, telecommunication equipment and power installations, monitor private guard companies, as well as monitor disasters, among others,” he said.
According to him, the only way to key into and support the efforts of the Commandant General, Mr Ahmed Audi, in his plan to rejig, revamp, rejuvenate and reposition the corps, is to strengthen its intelligence base.
While addressing the corps personnel, Mr Adeyinka lauded the Commandant General for his magnanimity and unprejudiced gesture of considering a good number of personnel in the South West for promotions after many years of waiting.
He commended the level of transparency in the promotion examinations conducted since the assumption of duty of the NSCDC Commandant General.
NSCDC Raises Alarm over Fraudulent Recruitment
In another development, the Commandant-General of NSCDC, Mr Audi, has warned of the activities of fraudsters offering non-existing jobs to unsuspecting members of the public.
Mr Audi said some individuals have been circulating a fake 2019/20121 recruitment list on social media, claiming that it is the list of those offered employment by the agency, adding that the list was meant to swindle the public.
“The purported list of successful applicants for NSCDC job going viral on social media came as a shocking news to the corps who has not released or published any recruitment list whatsoever, hence, the need to alert members of the public to this fake, mischievous, misleading and perfidious list capable of sending wrong signals to Nigerians especially applicants from different parts of the country,” he said.
He further stated that the corps wish to set the record straight and state unequivocally that the list did not emanate from the corps nor the civil defence, fire, immigration and correctional service board but the handiwork of some unscrupulous elements who are taking advantage of the economic situation in the country to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
He said, “Members of the public are therefore warned to disregard the fake recruitment list currently being circulated across the country as a ploy by nefarious individuals and mischief makers to defraud innocent job seekers, some of whom have been made to part with different amount of money in their desperation for NSCDC recruitment.
“The NSCDC recruitment list will be published in the mainstream media once it is ready, however, assured Nigerians that in due cause, the perpetrations of this callous act shall be nabbed and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
Meanwhile, a committee of inquiry has been set up to investigate the ongoing fake recruitment with the aim of exposing the individuals behind it.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Osun State Government has announced plans to institute legal action against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following an alleged freezing of the state’s bank account, describing the action as unlawful and capable of disrupting governance.
The Governor of the state, Mr Ademola Adeleke, through the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwole Jimi-Bada, made this disclosure on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Governor Adeleke has directed him to challenge the anti-graft agency’s decision at the Federal High Court.
It was widely reported that the anti-graft agency issued a “Post No Debit” directive to the management of First Bank, where the state’s accounts are domiciled, effectively restricting transactions.
He argued that while the commission has the authority to investigate financial records, it cannot freeze a state government’s accounts without first obtaining a court order.
“I have the mandate of the governor to proceed to the Federal High Court to challenge this move. EFCC can investigate the accounts, but it can’t freeze the accounts without an order of court.
“This step will affect government running, but we will challenge the move and ensure that the agency acts within the ambit of the law,” Mr Jimi-Bada said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Sola Ogungbile, alleged that police officers stormed the main branch of First Bank in Osogbo and arrested some members of the bank’s staff.
Mr Ogungbile maintained that Governor Adeleke was not deploying state resources for his re-election campaign and urged the EFCC to consider the potential impact of its actions on public services and the welfare of residents.
Governor Adeleke had earlier raised concerns over an alleged plan by the EFCC to freeze all Osun State Government accounts, including those of senior government officials.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as unlawful and politically motivated.
He alleged that the planned freezing of the accounts was intended to cripple government operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor Adeleke further insisted that there was no legal justification for freezing the state’s accounts, arguing that the EFCC lacks the authority to take such action against a state government without due legal process.
The EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
