General
Politicians Bringing in Stolen Funds for Elections—EFCC
By Dipo Olowookere
Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, has raised an alarm over a sudden rise in the repatriation of looted funds in Nigeria by some politicians ahead of the next month’s elections.
Mr Magu made this disclosure during the general meeting of the Association of Chief Compliance Officers of Banks In Nigeria (ACCOBIN), which held on Thursday, January 31, 2019 in Lagos.
The EFCC chief, who called on financial institutions in the country to desist from laundering illicit funds for corrupt politicians and criminals, said many of them who had stolen the nation’s commonwealth had begun to repatriate the funds to the country for the purpose of influencing the elections through vote buying and compromise of election officers.
He charged members of the group to join hands with the agency to ensure that the coming election was not compromised, adding that the impact could be grievous and devastating.
“We are all under a civic duty to comply with our various responsibilities and ensure that we do the needful to obey the laws and regulations governing the elections,” Mr Magu said
He added that political inducement had now taken other forms and tagged in different names such as “stomach Infrastructure”, “empowerment schemes”, “non-interest yielding loans” and “outright cash handouts”, among others.
Mr Magu, who described members of the group as stakeholders in the fight against corruption, said, “Your obligations are not different from your usual filing of suspicious transactions reports to the relevant authorities, and the prompt filing of currency transaction reports as well as foreign transaction reports.
“We have also observed the upsurge of illicit financial flows into the country through the borders and it is disheartening to see the role financial institutions play in facilitating the flows of these funds into the country.
“It is obvious now that financial institutions serve as intermediaries between law enforcement agencies and the criminals.
“At a simple push of the button, so much is moved to any jurisdiction of their choice.”
He added that no country could combat the flow of illicit funds without the cooperation of financial institutions, adding that “in most cases, it is the financial institutions that provide the means, logistics and strategy for the criminals to thread on.”
He said investigations revealed that foreign properties bought with proceeds of crime were sold, and the proceeds transferred to Nigeria through international banks as legitimate funds that could be used to finance several activities including elections.
He said, “Goods bought with proceeds of crime abroad are sent to Nigeria to support empowerment programmes during election periods.
“The goods are mostly cleared with deficient trade documents processed through the international banks.”
According to him, the condemnable practice also includes moving proceeds of crime that had been taken across the border to neighbouring countries back to Nigeria by depositing such funds in banks with corresponding banking relationship with local banks in Nigeria.
These funds, he said, could be used to finance elections in the country by physical distribution of the funds for political inducement or financing empowerment schemes to solicit votes from citizens.
Mr Magu also said that private bankers for international banks had been found to be facilitating the movement of proceeds of crime, that is physical movement of cash to the country, via charted airlines under the cover that it belonged to the banks.
He, however, said the activities of the criminals could be checkmated by increased transaction monitoring by bank officials, while also reporting suspicious transactions to the relevant agencies without delay.
He urged the group to cooperate with the Commission to ensure that criminals were not given the chance to take over the government and, by extension, the economy of the country.
He re-iterated the fact that the EFCC would prosecute anybody or institution found breaching the provisions of the law.
In his remarks, the Vice President, ACCOBIN, Mr Wumi Adeniyi, expressed his gratitude to Mr Magu for honouring the invitation to the event.
Mr Adeniyi, who is also the Chief Compliance Officer, CCO, Heritage Bank Plc, commended Magu for what he described as his “boldness to fight corruption and economic and financial crimes in the country”.
He also highlighted some of the challenges facing banks’ compliance officers in the country and sought the assistance of the EFCC to tackle them. He said, “We encounter a lot of legal burdens, particularly as it concerns the arrest and detention of compliance officers, among others.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Young bloggers, online content creators and digital influencers have been charged to embrace ethical journalism, responsible storytelling and fact-based reporting as they shape public opinion in the digital age.
This task was given by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, during the Niger State Bloggers, Online Publishers and Content Developers Forum on Monday in Abuja.
In a statement on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Rabiu Ibrahim, the Minister said digital platforms offer enormous opportunities for innovation and civic engagement but must be used responsibly to promote truth, national unity and constructive public discourse.
He urged bloggers and content creators to verify information before publication, reject misinformation and disinformation, avoid sensationalism, and use their platforms to educate, inspire and promote national development.
Mr Idris also encouraged young Nigerians to see digital content creation not only as a source of income but also as a tool for civic engagement and nation-building, stressing that ethical communication is essential to strengthening democracy and public trust.
He further encouraged aspiring bloggers and digital entrepreneurs to continue developing their skills and uphold professional standards that will strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s online media ecosystem.
“There is no democracy that can thrive without a responsible media. You cannot carry freedom and abandon responsibility,” he stated, adding that the government remains committed to protecting press freedom while encouraging ethical journalism.
The Minister also highlighted the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), the world’s first UNESCO Category 2 Institute dedicated exclusively to Media and Information Literacy, describing it as a major step in promoting digital literacy and responsible online engagement.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed that Mr Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, signed agreements committing himself to serving only one four-year term if elected in 2027.
Mr Kwankwaso explained that the documents comprised a formal agreement involving the political party and a separate personal accord between himself and Mr Obi.
According to Mr Kwankwaso, the deal stipulates that the presidency will return to Northern Nigeria in 2031 upon the completion of an Obi-led administration’s four-year tenure, if elected next year.
“We have agreed to formalise it in writing,” Mr Kwankwaso stated. “We have executed one document for the party and another between the two of us,” he revealed during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today late on Monday.
He reiterated that Mr Obi would honour his pledge and resist pressure to seek a second term, expressing confidence in the former Anambra State governor, noting that his interactions had convinced him that he would respect the agreement.
“I personally believe him, and, based on what I now know about him, I do not believe he will change his mind when the time comes,” he said. “We are all gentlemen.”
Mr Kwankwaso added that he and Mr Obi would continue to collaborate after the proposed administration completes its term.
“The agreement is that after four years, we will continue to work together as a group, as a party, and as friends and brothers,” he said. “After our four-year term, from 2027 to 2031, power returns to the North. That is the consensus.”
The former defence minister did not state that he would be the NDC presidential candidate in 2031; his comments referred broadly to the presidency returning to the North, rather than to his personal political ambitions.
Mr Obi has repeatedly pledged to serve only one term if elected; however, he has yet to publicly confirm the specific details of the documents described by Mr Kwankwaso.
In the 2023 Presidential polls, Mr Obi was the Labour Party presidential candidate while Mr Kwankwaso contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 1.14 million hectares of degraded land have been restored by the Nigerian government, with more than 1.5 million trees planted across the country in the past year.
This information was revealed by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal, at the 2026 Top Management Retreat and National Tree Planting Campaign in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He said these achievements were made through initiatives of the federal government like the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
According to him, the restoration of the land and the planting of trees demonstrate a clear national commitment to securing environmental sustainability while advancing economic growth.
The Minister reemphasised that the environment is not an abstract concept, pointing out that “it is the air we breathe, the land that feeds us, the rivers that sustain communities, and the climate that shapes the future.”
He praised Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State for his giant strides in the environment sector in the state, urging other state governors to emulate him by providing sponsorship for their students to the various Federal Colleges of Forestry Resources Management institutions located across the six geo-political zones of the country to encourage and boost Forest education in the country.
He described the decision of Mr Zulum to sponsor 540 indigenes of the state to a forestry college in Maiduguri as commendable.
Mr Lawal also informed the participants of the programme that the Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, is a key policy instrument under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it protects Nigeria’s forest resources, curbs illegal logging, and encourages tree planting as a national duty.
He pledged the Federal Ministry of Environment’s continued partnership with state governments on afforestation, ecosystem restoration, and other interventions tailored to their needs.
“Nigeria’s environmental future can be secured by protecting natural heritage, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing inclusive and sustainable development for present and future generations,” he declared.
