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Alleged N8.7b Fraud: Malami’s Bankers Filed Suspicious Reports On His Transactions-Witness

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SKye Bank

Alleged N8.7b Fraud: Malami’s Bankers Filed Suspicious Reports On His Transactions-Witness

The Fourth Prosecution Witness, PW4, in the trial of the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, that Zenith Bank Plc, where the former AGF had account, filed Suspicious Transaction Report, STR, in respect of his transactions.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Malami alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, on amended 16-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities to the tune of N8,713,923,759.49 (Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Nine Naira, Forty-Nine Kobo), contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

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The witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc, made the disclosure while being cross-examined by defence counsel, Adebayo Adedeji, SAN.

When asked whether all the deposits reflected in the account statements were within the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the witness answered in the affirmative, adding, “but we had to file Suspicious Transaction Report. We did file.”

Under re-examination, prosecution counsel, J.S. Okutepa, SAN, asked the witness to explain the meaning of a Suspicious Transaction Report. The defence objected to the question, arguing that there was no ambiguity in the witness’s testimony to warrant clarification.

Okutepa, however, argued that Section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness and urged the court to allow the question for proper explanation.

Justice Abdulmalik overruled the defence and permitted the witness to answer the question.

In his explanation, the witness said: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.” The NFIU is the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, which is an autonomous unit of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and a central agency for analysing and disseminating financial intelligence reports for combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

SKye Bank

Fraud

The witness’s schedule of duty as bank compliance officer, he said “comprises receiving correspondences from law enforcement agencies,” and that he was neither the account officer, nor relationship manager of the defendant’s accounts under investigation.

Following the conclusion of his testimony and with no further questions from either counsel, the witness was discharged from the witness box.

Justice Abdulmalik, thereafter, adjourned the matter till May 22, 2026, for continuation of trial.

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EFCC Arraigns Businessman Over Alleged Employment Scam In Ilorin

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EFCC Arraigns Businessman Over Alleged Employment Scam In Ilorin

The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, arraigned a 45-year-old businessman, Kazeem Akinwunmi Bolaji, on an eleven-count charge bordering alleged employment scam and retention of proceeds of unlawful activities before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.

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The defendant allegedly collected various sums of money from unsuspecting victims under the guise of securing employment for them with the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

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Nigeria’s Digital Switch Over Ready For June 17 Launch – Mohammed Idris

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Mohammed Idris

Nigeria’s Digital Switch Over Ready For June 17 Launch – Mohammed Idris

The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has announced that Nigeria’s long-awaited Digital Switch Over (DSO) project is now fully ready for nationwide launch, describing it as a major milestone in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda for the broadcast industry.

The Minister made this known during a tour of facilities at NIGCOMSAT located at the Obasanjo Space Centre, on Wednesday, alongside the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen.

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Describing the development as a turning point for Nigeria’s broadcasting sector, the Minister said: “I think this is a new dawn for our country. The promise that President Tinubu made to reform all sectors is now being seen in action in the broadcast industry.” He noted that after many years of delay, Nigeria is finally set to complete the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, adding that the DSO platform is scheduled for official commissioning on June 17, 2026.

Speaking further on the benefits of the new digital broadcasting ecosystem, the Minister stated: “This is going to bring a lot of advantages to broadcasters, viewers, and advertisers. If you are viewing any particular station, you know who is viewing, what they are watching, and how many people are watching.” According to him, the new system will provide accurate audience measurement and analytics that will help advertisers and broadcasters make informed programming and investment decisions while improving content delivery to Nigerians.

The Minister also highlighted the broader economic and technological impact of the initiative, stressing that the platform would deepen competition in the broadcasting industry, expand access to free television services, and improve viewing quality across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. “The monopoly has been broken. Everybody is going to compete.

Content is going to grow, viewership will grow, and Nigeria is now moving from SD to HD broadcasting,” he said. He added that Nigerians will now enjoy cleaner television signals through satellite and mobile applications powered by NIGCOMSAT technology.

The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, said the upgraded DSO framework was designed to align with emerging technologies and modern viewing habits. He explained that the new system leverages satellite broadcasting and mobile applications to ensure wider accessibility beyond the pilot cities previously covered under the earlier DSO experiment.

“We’re going to have 100 channels by the day of launch and even more because more content producers are talking to us. We want to create one market and one platform for Nigeria,” he stated, while also highlighting the establishment of regional production studios and multilingual customer support centres across the country.

Also speaking during the tour, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen, described the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT and NBC as a strategic partnership that has strengthened service delivery and raised operational standards within Nigeria’s digital broadcasting ecosystem.

Mohammed Idris

Mohammed Idris

According to her, ongoing investments and satellite expansion plans under the current administration will guarantee reliable and continuous service delivery. “The work has only just started. The work has only just begun,” she said.

Among those who accompanied the Honourable Minister on the tour were the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA), Salihu Abdullahi Dembos; Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, (VON), Jibrin Baba Ndace; Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, (FRCN), Mohammed Bulama; and Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, alongside other senior government officials and dignitaries.

Rabiu Ibrahim, mnipr
Special Assistant, Media, to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation.

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Information Minister Commends Compendium Project Showcasing Nigeria’s Vast Economic, Tourism Potentials

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Information Minister

Information Minister Commends Compendium Project Showcasing Nigeria’s Vast Economic, Tourism Potentials

The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strategically project Nigeria’s economic, cultural, and tourism potentials to the global community through a comprehensive national compendium documenting opportunities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Minister stated this when he received a delegation from the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), led by its Executive Secretary, Dr. Dili Ezughah, on a courtesy visit to Radio House on Tuesday, to brief him on preparations for the official launch of the national publication scheduled for June 17, 2026, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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Speaking during the meeting, the Minister commended the Nigerian Press Council and its partners for conceptualising what he described as a timely and strategic national project aimed at showcasing Nigeria beyond negative narratives.

“This project is important because it highlights the enormous economic and tourism potential of our country at a time when some people focus only on negative narratives about Nigeria. What you are doing is helping to showcase the rich opportunities that abound across the 36 states and the FCT,” the Minister said.

Idris noted that the initiative aligns strongly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially the administration’s ongoing efforts to diversify the economy through tourism, culture, investment promotion, and the expansion of the non-oil sector.

“We are not just known for oil; we are known for our rich culture, our tourism assets, and the immense opportunities spread across this country. President Tinubu understands the importance of culture and tourism in national development, which is why this administration has continued to give the sector renewed attention and focus,” he stated.

The Minister further praised the collaboration between the Nigerian Press Council, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, and other stakeholders involved in the project, describing it as a reflection of the government’s commitment to partnership-driven national development.

“The President is opening up the economic base of Nigeria beyond oil, and the increasing international interest in our non-oil sector is a clear indication that the Renewed Hope Agenda is yielding positive results. This kind of documentation is essential because it provides investors and the international community with credible information about Nigeria’s economic strengths and opportunities,” he added.

Idris also assured the delegation of the full support of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation towards the successful hosting of the launch event, while commending Vice President Kashim Shettima for giving the project national visibility and institutional backing.

“The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is fully ready to support this national project because it will help reposition Nigeria positively before the global community. We also appreciate the personal interest of the Vice President in ensuring that this initiative succeeds as a truly national undertaking,” the Minister said.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council, Dr Dili Ezughah, informed the Minister that the project was conceived following consultations aimed at promoting collaboration among government institutions to project Nigeria positively to the world.

“This project was inspired by the need to synergise efforts across government institutions to project Nigeria positively, and we are pleased that the Vice President has endorsed it as a national initiative. We have made substantial progress and are now at the final stage ahead of the official launch,” he said.

Dr. Ezughah explained that the publication would serve as strategic reference material for investors, diplomatic missions, development partners, chambers of commerce, and Nigerians in the diaspora, providing detailed economic and tourism information on every state of the federation.

Also speaking, the Lead Consultant for the project, Mr Tajudeen Toyin-oke, disclosed that the compendium contains comprehensive profiles of all the states and the FCT, including information on investment opportunities, tourism assets, mineral resources, population data, infrastructure, and business incentives.

“The compendium captures the economic and tourism profiles of all the 36 states and the FCT, including investment opportunities, tax incentives, mineral resources, and tourism assets for both local and international investors. It is designed to become a global reference document for anyone seeking credible information about Nigeria,” he said.

In his remarks, the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Ola Awakan, described the initiative as a major step towards promoting Nigeria’s rich tourism and cultural heritage to the international community. “Nigeria is a microcosm of stories with enormous tourism potential, and this project will help change the negative narratives about our country while showcasing our strengths to the world. It aligns perfectly with the mandate of the NTDA and the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu,” he said.

Information Minister

Information Minister

The delegation also informed the Minister that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to write the foreword to the publication, while Vice President Kashim Shettima will write the preface. The launch is expected to attract governors, members of the diplomatic corps, investors, development partners, and key stakeholders from across the country and beyond.

Also, in attendance at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Dr. Binyerem C. Ukaire; Director, Public Communications and National Orientation, Barr. Henshaw Ogubike; Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA), Dr. Ola Awakan; Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), Dr. Dili Ezughah; Deputy Director, Public Relations and Protocol Department, Ms. Folasade Fatoke; as well as other senior officials from the Ministry and members of the project team.

Rabiu Ibrahim, mnipr
Special Assistant, Media, to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation.

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