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 Court  Jails Internet Fraudster for N12m Fraud in Maiduguri Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced one Habila Dzarma Ishaku to nine years imprisonment. Ishaku was re-arraigned on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, on two-count charges bordering on money laundering and cybercrime to the tune of N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira). Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Habila Dzarma Ishaku between 2023 and 2024 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did directly take possession of aggregate sum of N12, 000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) into your Opay Digital Services Ltd Account No. 8146406944, Habila Dzarma Ishaku , being the naira equivalent value for the Cash App, Pampay, and Gift Cards denominated in United States of America Dollars that you fraudulently received,  which sum you knew or reasonably ought to have known

 PRESS STATEMENT GOVERNOR DAUDA LAWAL BANS ALL NON-STATUTORY DEDUCTIONS FROM ZAMFARA WORKER'S SALARIES Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has ordered the immediate suspension of all non-statutory deductions, notably cooperative associations & commodity vendors deductions.  Zamfara state employees have raised multiple complaints regarding deductions made through the State Payroll system. In a statement issued in Gusau, the spokesperson for the governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, disclosed that the directive aimed at banning all non-statutory deductions made through the Zamfara State Government payroll. The statement reads in part: “In his resolve to sanitize the Zamfara State Payroll system for more efficient management of state civil servants' remuneration currently inundated with a lot of unauthorized and illegal deductions, Governor Dauda Lawal has ordered an immediate halt to all Non Statutory deductions from workers' salaries. “The decision was made due to numerous comp

 Enugu Withdraws from Governors' Lawsuit Against EFCC and NFIU The Enugu State Government has withdrawn from the ongoing lawsuit filed by 16 state governments in the Supreme Court, which challenges the authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and other anti-corruption agencies over state governments, particularly questioning their legitimacy since the states did not consent to their creation.   Enugu's withdrawal follows a similar move by three other states—Ebonyi, Anambra, and Adamawa—on October 23, reducing the number of plaintiffs in the case. Despite these withdrawals, the seven-member panel of justices at the Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the matter.   According to court documents obtained by our correspondent, Enugu State's Attorney General, Kingsley Udeh, filed an application for the state's withdrawal on October 21. However, the application could not be processed by the court on Oc

 NAAT threatens indefinite strike, gives FG 14-day ultimatum The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding immediate action on its pending demands or face an indefinite strike. NAAT President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, announced this decision on Wednesday during a peaceful protest at the University of Maiduguri. Nwokoma expressed disappointment at the Finance Minister’s refusal to pay withheld salaries, despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval. He described the situation as “unfortunate and regrettable” and questioned the government’s commitment to resolving issues affecting NAAT members. According to him, “The refusal by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to effect this approval raises more questions than answers on the true commitment and sincerity on the part of Federal Government in resolving the issues and in alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians, particular

 ECOWAS Court and ICRC Strengthen Partnership to Promote International Humanitarian Law in West Africa The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice (CCJ) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the domestication and enforcement of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) across West African nations.   In his opening remarks at the ICRC-ECOWAS IHL Workshop in Abuja, Justice Ricardo Claudio Monteiro, President of the ECOWAS Court, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the two organizations, noting the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ECOWAS Court and the ICRC in Nigeria. The MoU is intended to bolster the implementation of IHL in the Lake Chad region and West Africa at large. Yann Bonzon, Head of the ICRC Delegation in Nigeria, emphasized the critical role of IHL in alleviating the suffering of civilians caught in armed conflicts. He also praised the ECOWAS Court for its key role in upholdin

 Olukoyede  Commissions  EFCC's  Chemical Forensics Laboratory in Port Harcourt   The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr.  Ola Olukoyede, on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, commissioned  a Chemical Forensics Laboratory in its Port Harcourt Directorate,  Rivers State to enhance and fast-rack its oil and gas investigations and strengthen its Extractive Industry Fraud  Section.     The Laboratory, which took two years to build, would enable the EFCC to conduct comprehensive analysis of  petroleum products and crude oil samples for investigative and prosecutorial activities.  Olukoyede described the project as a significant milestone in the history of the Commission in its journey towards advancing transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector. "We celebrate a significant milestone in the Commission's journey towards advancing transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector”, he said. He explained that the Commission