General
Stratech Launches Scheme to Reduce Housing Shortage
By Sodeinde Temidayo David
As part of efforts to address the housing shortage in Nigeria, a real estate firm, Stratech Properties Limited, has launched a home ownership scheme in Abuja.
The initiative will allow medical professionals, bankers, civil servants, small business owners and others to acquire a home at affordable rates.
Stratech, which has the vision to provide one million houses in Nigeria, launched this scheme last week at the 15th Abuja International Housing Show (AIHS).
The company, which offers estate management, estate development, estate brokerage, estate agency, estate investment and estate consulting, said efforts would be made to expand the scope of the initiative.
“These products, designed specially to meet the housing requirements of doctors, bankers, civil servants, and other professionals, are a part of our overall vision for homeownership across the federation tagged Project 1,000,000 Homes in Nigeria,” the Managing Director of Stratech, Mr Moses Kolawole Obisesan, disclosed.
“When Nigerian doctors and other professionals in the medical sector are able to buy their own house here at home, it is a huge incentive for them to continue to serve in the country, rather than emigrate abroad, taking along with them their highly valuable training, expertise and experience.
“Several doctors in various medical establishments across the FCT have already taken advantage of this product, and we look forward to expanding it to many more in the weeks and months ahead,” Mr Obisesan added.
He explained that, “Project 1,000,000 Homes in Nigeria was inspired by the fact that Nigeria has a huge housing deficit which is growing by the day.
“The project was conceived and designed by Stratech Properties Limited back in 2019. We plan to use this mass housing ownership scheme to deliver the key of 1,000,000 homes to Nigerians, at home and abroad, over the next 10 years.”
Mr Obisesan further explained how the project was put in place despite the different challenges faced like the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the raising of funds and how they have embarked on an extensive stakeholder engagement nationwide to get the buy-in of the public and private sectors.
“So far, we have received over N540 million mortgage loan approvals from Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) for clients that our company has referred to it during the first year of the official launching of our flagship product, Project 1,000,000 Homes, and we are hopeful of securing approval of at least N1.5 billion mortgage loan from FMBN this business year for our prospective clients,” he also said.
Speaking at the unveiling of the scheme, the president of the Association of Catholic Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (ACMPN), Mr Matthew Ashikeni, stated that, “Promoting homeownership for medical doctors on an extensive scale is long overdue in this country.
“This initiative, if well-handled and implemented, could therefore be a major boost to the overall welfare of doctors, whether in public or private practice.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has remanded the former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Custodial Centre after he was arraigned on corruption charges brought by the federal government.
Justice Peter Kekemeke on Thursday ordered Mr Umar’s remand following his arraignment on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and corruption.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that the former CCT Chairman used his position to obtain financial benefits from contractors while in office.
The federal government alleged that in 2021, Mr Umar received N5.5 million through his wife’s bank account from a contractor engaged to repaint the CCT headquarters in Abuja.
The prosecutors further claimed that on January 25, 2024, he also received N6 million, again through his wife’s account, from a contractor responsible for the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
In another allegation, the government accused Mr Umar of directing a contractor to pay N2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
The alleged offences are said to contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Mr Umar pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Following his plea, prosecuting counsel, Christopher Mshelia, asked the court to remand the defendant to a correctional facility and fix a date for trial.
The counsel of defence, however, urged the court to admit him to bail pending the hearing of the case.
The prosecution opposed the request, informing the court that it had only just been served with the bail application and required time to file its response.
Justice Kekemeke subsequently adjourned proceedings until July 15 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje Custodial Centre pending the determination of the application.
Mr Umar served as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and presided over several high-profile cases during his tenure, including the 2019 trial of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Mr Umar was responsible for issuing the ex parte order that paved the way for Mr Onnoghen’s suspension, after which the late President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Although Mr Onnoghen later resigned from office, Mr Umar proceeded to convict him over allegations of false asset declaration and ordered the forfeiture of funds in several of the former CJN’s bank accounts while also removing him from key judicial positions.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) distributed a total of N1.5 billion to 6,129 students across three institutions in the country for the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to an update on its verified X handle on Thursday, it was disclosed that the beneficiary schools include Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology (BOUESTI) in Ekiti State, Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology in Ogun State, and the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences in Benin City, Edo State.
A breakdown of the documents noted that N1,360,920,800 was disbursed to Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ekiti State, covering 5,396 students across five tranches, N104,530,000 to Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Omu-Ajose, Ogun State, covering 680 students, and N36,485,000 to the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, Benin City, Edo State, covering 53 students.
The largest disbursement went to BOUESTI, which received N1,360,920,800 across five tranches covering 5,396 students, followed by Sikiru Adetona College, which received N104,530,000 for 680 students, and the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, which received N36,485,000 covering 53 students.
The Registrar of Sikiru Adetona College, Dr Bukola Makinde, confirmed the funds had already reached individual students.
“The said money had since been disbursed into the bank accounts of the students’ beneficiaries,” she said, describing the support as enabling students “to enjoy financially hitch-free academic progress.”
The Provost of the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, Mrs Mabel Omobude, pledged full accountability in the use of the disbursed funds.
“The disbursement will be judiciously applied strictly for its intended educational purposes in tandem with global best practices,” she said, adding that the college reaffirms its “continued commitment to compliance, transparency, and accountability in the administration of this facility.”
BOUESTI Vice-Chancellor Prof. Andrew Babatunde Omojola confirmed receipt of the full N1,360,920,800 disbursed across five tranches and commended NELFUND’s leadership for delivering the funds efficiently.
“We hereby confirm the receipt of a total sum of One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira only, being the total payment of the five tranches of student loan approved to 5,396 students of BOUESTI, disbursed for the 2025/2026 academic session,” he said.
“We want to appreciate the Federal Government and sincerely applaud the Managing Director of NELFUND and his team for their efforts and efficiency in ensuring the objectives of the scheme are achieved nationwide,” he added.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Mr Bello Bodejo, has been arraigned before Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja for an alleged $2.33 million fraud.
Mr Bodejo was brought before the court on Thursday, July 9, 2026, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering.
At Thursday’s proceedings, prosecution counsel, Mr Wahab Shittu (SAN) drew the attention of the court to a 12-count charge application dated June 24, 2026, and filed June 25, 2026, urging the court to allow the defendant to take his plea to which the judge granted his request.
“That you, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo (male, adult), on or about the 11th day of January 2022, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did knowingly and wilfully, without lawful authority or excuse, accept a cash payment of the sum of $100,000 in physical currency from one Sa’idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State who is currently in the lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force, which sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of 5 million prescribed under Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), without routing the said transaction through a financial institution as required by law, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) of the same Act,” Count one of the charge read.
The Count four stated, “That you, Bello Abdullahi Bodejo (male, adult), on or about the 7th day of February 2024, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did knowingly and wilfully, without lawful authority or excuse, accept a cash payment of the sum of $980,000 in physical currency from one Sa’idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State, who is currently in the lawful custody of the Nigeria Police Force, which sum exceeded the statutory cash transaction threshold of N5 million prescribed under Section 2(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, without routing the said transaction through a financial institution as required by law, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”
After pleading “not guilty” to the charges, the prosecution counsel asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service, while the defence counsel, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), prayed the court to admit his client to bail in respect of his bail application, filed on June, 30, 2026.
The bail application was, however, strongly opposed by prosecution counsel, who drew the attention of the court to his counter-affidavit of 28 paragraphs, dated July 6, 2026.
He pointed out that the defendant is a public risk as the Department of State Security Services (DSS) is on the lookout for him, and that being an influential person, he may manipulate the witnesses and the progress of the case.
Justice Ekwo ordered the remand of the defendant in EFCC’s holding facility and adjourned the matter till July 20, 2026, for ruling on the bail application.
