Alleged N2bn North East Development Commission Fraud: Judge Frowns at Defence Team's Delay Tactics

Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Kubwa, Abuja, on Friday, April 24, 2026 expressed displeasure at the delay tactics of the defence counsel in the trial of the National Coordinator of Multi-Sectional Crisis Recovery Projects, MCRP, North East Development Commission, NEDC, Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, who is facing prosecution alongside two others, Prince Achem and Aminu Alhaji (at large) for fraud.

Counsel to the first and second defendants, M. S Ibrahim, SAN and J.J Usman, SAN had at the proceedings voiced out their unwillingness to cross-examine the First Prosecution Witness, PW1, Kenneth Ifekwudu Ejiofor for reasons the judge did not find to be cogent.

The Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting the threesome on amended 54 count charge, boarding on fraud, conspiracy, false pretence and forgery to the tune of N2,280,000.00 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Eighty Million Naira).

At the stage of cross-examination, the defence counsel told the court that they were not ready to question the witness and rather sought adjournment to enable them apply for certified true copies of exhibits, already tendered.

Justice Ogbonnaya frowned at the adjournment request, describing it as unnecessary as the exhibits tendered were original copies, which their clients didn’t deny their originality. According to the judge, requesting for a certified true copy in place of the original copy, was strange in legal practice, wondering why the deteriorating health of the first defendant was not a thing of concern to the defence team and enough to push them to rather seek the hastening of the progression of the case.

“I see no reason why you cannot cross-examine this witness today. There is no need to request for a certified true copy when the originals are intact and nobody has said they are missing. A certified true copy stands in the stead of the original when it cannot be found. If this request is granted that means there will be two originals. All the documents have been served to the defendants who have not opposed. No court certifies any document that has been admitted. It means that there are two originals. As for your defendant that have not been granted bail, I would have thought that you will want to proceed and finish with this witness but since you want to go home to have adequate time to prepare while this matter lingers, I will grant your request, but people should not say that judges are the ones wasting time. I don’t waste time,” she said.

The prosecution witness, who is the victim of the alleged fraud of the defendants, while being led in his testimony by prosecution counsel O.O Adeola, revealed that he was given some letters of contract award by the defendants following an agreement his company entered with the defendants. He also revealed that the second defendant, Prince Achem, addressed some letters to him and his company, requesting some funds which he allegedly provided for him.

The documents in support of this claim were tendered and admitted in court.

Justice Ogbonnaya adjourned the matter till May 14, 21 and June 25, 2026 for continuation of trial.



2 Court blocks Trump from barring asylum seekers at US border

A US federal appeals court ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump cannot prevent migrants from seeking asylum at the border.

The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld a lower court ruling that Trump exceeded his legal authority by banning migrants who have illegally crossed the US-Mexico border from making asylum claims.

“Congress did not intend to grant the Executive the expansive removal authority it asserts,” the judges said.

“Congress enacted the asylum statute… to grant all foreign individuals ‘physically present’ in the United States a right to apply for asylum and have their individual applications adjudicated,” they said.

“If the Government wishes to modify this carefully structured and intricate system, it must present those arguments to the only branch of government able to amend the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act): Congress.” District Judge Randolph Moss had ruled last year, in a case brought by immigrant rights groups and asylum seekers, that Trump’s proclamation barring asylum requests was a violation of the INA.

Trump campaigned for president promising to expel millions of undocumented migrants from the United States. Punch



3 Sanusi faults continued borrowing despite petrol subsidy removal



In an assessment of Nigeria’s current fiscal trajectory, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has questioned the Federal Government’s continued reliance on borrowing despite the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Speaking in an interview posted by News Central TV on Friday, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, stated that while the removal of fuel subsidy and the liberalisation of the exchange rate were necessary, the timing and lack of fiscal discipline are threatening to erase the potential benefits.

According to the monarch, Nigeria’s practice of supporting foreign refineries while its domestic refining capacity remained dormant was a systemic failure that needed to be addressed.

“I have always said the subsidy regime was unsustainable. We cannot continue supporting foreign refineries. We’re an oil-producing country. Keeping refineries open abroad while we’re not doing our own,” Sanusi said.

He, however, expressed optimism over the current shift toward domestic production, noting that the country has moved from a heavy importer of petroleum products to an exporter.

“Today, we have a situation where we have our own domestic refinery. We’re not importing petroleum products. We’re even exporting to Europe, and this is very good for the economy,” he added.

While backing the policy shifts, the former apex bank chief raised concerns over the timing and the sequence of the reforms. Punch



4 N36.54bn, $30m fraud allegations: EFCC arrests ex-Skye Bank chairman Tunde Ayeni



Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a former chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, over alleged money laundering, misappropriation and diversion of funds amounting to N36.54bn and $30m.

Ayeni, a businessman, was arrested in Abuja on Thursday, and is currently being held at the commission’s facility.

The arrest followed an EFCC probe into alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds said to have been obtained from Polaris Bank through multiple entities linked to him.

“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a former board chairman of defunct Skye Bank Plc and businessman, Tunde Ayeni, in connection with alleged money laundering, misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N36,540,058,400.00 and $30m.

“Ayeni was arrested sequel to the investigation of the EFCC into alleged misappropriation and diversion of funds to the tune of N36,540,058,400.00 and $30m obtained from Polaris Bank Plc by different entities linked to him. “The funds were loans obtained allegedly for specific investment projects but subsequently transferred to other entities’ accounts. Investigations showed that, though the loans were obtained for purposes such as finance of marine security activities, electricity distribution contract, estate development, they were diverted to the NITEL/MTEL asset acquisition through NATCOM account,” one of the sources said.

Another source said the commission is currently probing 12 companies allegedly linked to Ayeni, which it said were used to obtain the loans from Polaris Bank.

“Twelve different companies linked to Ayeni are being investigated by the EFCC. They are entities he allegedly used to obtain loans from Polaris Bank for his shady activities. The loans are depositors’ funds fraudulently obtained and frittered into diverse wasteful purposes. Ayeni will be arraigned in due course upon conclusion of investigations,” the source said.

When contacted, EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale confirmed the arrest but declined to give further details. Punch



5 Poor service: MTN begins airtime compensation to subscribers

Some MTN subscribers have begun receiving airtime credits from the telecom operator as compensation for poor quality of service experienced in January 2026.

Messages seen by PUNCH Online showed that affected users received notifications such as: “Dear Customer, your account has been credited with N341 airtime for quality of service issues in January 2026. Thank you for your understanding.”

However, subscribers confirmed that the amount varies, with some receiving N20, others N91, while others got higher credits, such as N341.

It was also not immediately clear whether all MTN subscribers affected by the service disruption have begun receiving the compensation.

The development follows earlier regulatory action requiring telecom operators to address complaints over poor network performance and comply with quality-of-service standards, including compensating affected customers where necessary.

MTN had previously said it would comply with regulatory directives and continue to invest in network upgrades to improve service quality across its coverage areas.

Further details on the total number of affected subscribers and the criteria for the compensation were not yet clear. Punch





6 Third-party insurance: Court bars police, FRSC from imposing fines



A federal high court in Abuja has ruled that the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) cannot impose fines on motorists over third-party motor insurance without a court order.

Hauwa Yilwa, presiding judge, delivered the judgment in a suit filed by Deji Adeyanju, the activist and lawyer, against the inspector-general of police (IGP), the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), and the FRSC.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/291/2025, sought clarification of the powers of law enforcement agencies to enforce compliance with motor vehicle insurance laws.

In her ruling, Yilwa drew a distinction between enforcement and sanctioning powers, holding that while the police and the FRSC can check compliance, they do not have the authority to penalise offenders without recourse to the court.

Marvin Omorogbe, counsel to the applicant, said the court affirmed that both agencies can enforce the law but cannot impose fines.

“The police and the road safety may enforce compliance but outrightly lack the powers to impose fines on third parties or vehicle owners,” he said.

“The court went further to restrain the IGP, the police force and all their officers, including the FRSC, from imposing fines on motor vehicle users or Nigerian citizens.”

The suit was initiated through an originating summons, invoking provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, the Insurance Act, and the FRSC (Establishment) Act.

Adeyanju had asked the court to determine whether the police could enforce third-party insurance, impose fines, and whether such enforcement infringes on constitutional rights.

Speaking to journalists after the judgment, he said the decision addressed the core issue raised in the suit.

“The sole reason why we came to court is because we wanted the court to make a positive declaration that the police and the road safety do not have the right to impose fines on any Nigerian over motor vehicle insurance. And we have succeeded,” Adeyanju said.

He added that the ruling would help curb what he described as arbitrary fines imposed on motorists.

On the other hand, Victor Okoye, counsel to the defendants, said the judgment was only partly favourable and indicated plans to challenge it at the court of appeal.

Okoye argued that the suit was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it, noting that the matter ought not to have been commenced by originating summons.

“We envisage that we will likely challenge the proceedings at the court of appeal to determine if the court ought to have determined a case where the originating summons is incompetent,” he said.

He also maintained that the suit was improperly constituted, adding that the IGP was sued instead of the Nigeria Police Force as a legal entity.

Despite the objections, the court proceeded to deliver judgment.

Okoye, however, acknowledged that the ruling affirmed the powers of both the police and the FRSC to stop and verify compliance with third-party insurance requirements. Thecable



7 Telecom upgrades drive better service quality, surge in data usage - NCC



Mobile network operators are delivering measurable improvements in service quality and user experience nationwide, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Aminu Wada Maida, said on Friday.

Maida disclosed that data consumption has risen by more than 170 per cent, driven by extensive upgrades of telecom infrastructure and tower sites across the country.

He revealed that one operator alone invested about $1 billion in network upgrades, in addition to industry-wide investments exceeding $1 billion in the previous year.

According to him, over 3,000 tower sites and related infrastructure were upgraded last year, while the Commission has set a target of 12,000 site upgrades in 2026. Of this figure, about 2,800 had been completed as of April.

Maida said the investments have resulted in significant improvements in service delivery, with consumers reporting better network experience. He noted a sharp decline in complaints, from 351,000 recorded in January 2025 to 76,000 in January 2026.

Speaking at a media parley in Abuja, he urged Nigerians to remain patient as reforms in the sector continue to yield results, expressing optimism that current trends point to sustained improvements. He added that the Commission is working to support local assembly and manufacturing of smartphones to enhance affordability and promote digital inclusion. Maida further stated that 52 per cent of telecom users have migrated from 2G and 3G networks to 4G, reflecting increased smartphone adoption among Nigerians. On regulatory standards, he emphasised that Nigeria will continue to align with global best practices, noting that phone numbers are managed internationally by the International Telecommunication Union. He explained that inactive numbers may be withdrawn after one year of non-use. The NCC boss also said the Federal Government is tackling security challenges through coordinated efforts led by the Office of the National Security Adviser, focusing on cybercrime and the misuse of digital platforms by criminal elements.

Responding to questions on the difficulty in tracking criminals using mobile devices, Maida said stakeholders are developing a comprehensive cybersecurity framework, but declined further details due to the sensitive nature of the issue.

He added that the Commission has introduced a revised internet code of practice for mobile network operators to ensure compliance and facilitate the removal of harmful online content.




“I can assure you that all stakeholders are working together to address some of the issues. The Nigerian Film and Censor Board, the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the National Broadcasting Commission, all these agencies are working in synergy to address the challenges.

“There are occasions where inappropriate contents have been taken down some platforms to protect the citizens and children,” Dr Maida said.

To protect children from inappropriate contents on the social media, the EVC also advised parents to take necessary actions on the kinds of smartphones and sites their children have access to while using smartphones, saying inappropriately exposure to some contents could have far reaching implications on the society. Nation



8 Police confirm abduction of medical doctor in Niger

The Niger Police Command has confirmed the abduction of Dr Tony Eghagagara, the Head of the Medical Services, General Hospital, New Bussa in Borgu Local Government Area (LGA).

The command’s Spokesman, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, on Friday.

Abiodun stated that Eghagagara was kidnapped at about 9:30pm on Wednesday by suspected bandits in his private hospital in Wawa, also in Borgu LGA. He stated that a police tactical team had been mobilised for the rescue operation.

He promised that further developments would be communicated to the public in due course. Vanguard



9 Federal executions:

Trump Justice Dept adds firing squads



The Trump Justice Department said Friday it is seeking to expand the use of the death penalty in federal capital cases and add the firing squad, electrocution and gas to lethal injection as methods of execution.

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Under President Donald Trump, “the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims,” Blanche said in a statement. The Republican president ended a 17-year pause in federal executions in 2020, during his first term in office.

There were 13 executions by lethal injection during Trump’s final six months in power, more than under any US leader in 120 years.

Before leaving the White House in January 2025, Democratic president Joe Biden, an opponent of the death penalty, commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row.

Trump, on his first day in the White House for his second term, called for an expansion of the use of the death penalty “for the vilest crimes.”

The death penalty is normally carried out at the state level in the United States but the federal government can also seek execution for a limited set of crimes.

Five US states currently authorize the firing squad for executions but only one — South Carolina — has used the method in recent years.

Nine states allow electrocution but this method has not been used since 2020. Vanguard



10 Former Arsenal star opens up on struggles, separation from children





Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué has spoken emotionally about his struggles, revealing the pain of being separated from his children.

Eboué said his post-football life has been marked by personal hardship, including limited contact with his kids.

According to ESPN Africa on Friday, he said, “Up till now, I don’t have any recent pictures. The pictures that I have are the old ones, when they were kids. Even when I ask their mum for new pictures, she refuses to give them to me.

“I have their numbers every time I’m messaging them. I don’t know if it’s them reading, but I can see that they read my messages, but they don’t answer.”

The former Ivory Coast international explained that the separation has had a deep emotional impact on him, adding that his greatest wish is to rebuild his relationship with his children. Eboué also reflected on the wider challenges he has faced since leaving the game, suggesting that life after football has been far more difficult than many people realise.

Despite his struggles, he expressed hope that his situation could improve in the future, particularly if he is able to restore family ties.

Eboué, who was once a key figure in Arsenal’s squad during his time in the Premier League, has previously spoken about the difficulties faced by some former players after retirement, including financial and personal challenges.

His latest comments add to growing conversations around player welfare and life after football, especially for professionals who struggle to transition out of the sport. Punch



11 Police arrest hoodlums over machete parade in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested several suspected hoodlums following a viral video showing armed youths causing panic along a major road in the Lekki area of Lagos.

The video, which circulated widely on Friday, captured a chaotic scene along the busy Lekki axis, with young men seen running across lanes and medians, some wielding machetes and cutlasses, while motorists swerved to avoid them and pedestrians fled for safety.

The footage showed the suspects disrupting traffic flow in broad daylight, sparking outrage and concern among residents over safety in one of the city’s busiest corridors.

Reacting to the development, the state command said it had swiftly moved to contain the situation and restore order.

“The Lagos State Police Command is aware of the trending video and wishes to inform the general public that it is presently on top of the situation, and necessary actions have been taken. “Members of the public are hereby urged to remain calm, as the situation is under control,” the command said in a statement posted on its official X handle.

Providing further details on the operation, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that security operatives carried out a targeted intervention following the incident.

“Following the videos circulating online with reports of unrest in Lekki today, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police carried out a rapid investigation and launched a sting operation between the axis, Chisco and Osakpa bus stop. This led to the successful identification and arrest of a number of hoodlums,” Wahab said.

He added that the swift response was part of ongoing efforts to maintain law and order across the state.

“The Commissioner of Police has assured law-abiding citizens that the security of their lives and properties is guaranteed under his watch,” Wahab said. Punch