The head of Nigeria’s treasury has been arrested for alleged involvement in fraud and money laundering worth 80 billion naira ($190m), the country’s anti-graft agency said.
Ahmed Idris, Nigeria’s accountant-general, was arrested on Monday “after failing to honour invitations” to respond to the allegations, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said.
The EFCC said Idris “raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates”.
The proceeds were invested by Idris in real estate in the capital Abuja and in his home state of Kano in northern Nigeria, it said in a statement issued late Monday.
Idris has not commented on the accusations.
President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015 on a pledge to end endemic graft, but has barely made a dent in corruption on a national scale.
Under his watch, the EFCC has secured a string of high-profile convictions, including ministers, state governors, senior public servants and prominent political figures.
But last week, the president announced a pardon for two ex-governors jailed for corruption, despite public outcry.
Last year, the agency said it had recovered 714 million euros ($750m) that had been plundered from the nation’s coffers.
The government has been accused of targeting the opposition in its anti-corruption drive, an allegation it denies.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Nigeria’s treasury chief arrested over multimillion-dollar fraud
Monday, May 16, 2022
Video - Court stops Central Bank of Nigeria Governor's bid to run for a political seat
The court in Nigeria has dismissed the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor's bid to run for political ambitions.
Nigeria, others witness lunar eclipse today
Centre Director, Dr. Bonaventure Okere, stated that the lunar eclipse would be visible from across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, as well as in several other countries of Africa, North and South America, Europe and parts of Asia.
He added that the lunar eclipse has remained one of the most interesting astronomical events/phenomena for sky-watchers globally over the years.
The natural phenomenon, according to him, occurs “when the Earth blocks the Sun’s light, which otherwise would have struck and reflect off the moon’s surface. In other words, the moon passes into the umbra/deep shadow of the Earth.
“When this happens, the short-wavelength light from our planet is scattered/absorbed while the light of longer wavelength (red colour) is refracted around the edges of the atmosphere while falling upon the moon’s surface, thereby turning the moon reddish in colour (the Blood Moon).”
Friday, May 13, 2022
Video - Nigeria Food Festival: fans enjoy roasted plantain in Abuja
Nigeria is a culturally diverse country known for various delicacies, this has seen food lovers converge for the Bole Food Festival, where there was some roasted plantain on cards.
Nigeria withdraws from international basketball over NBBF crisis
Following the leadership crisis that has dogged Nigerian basketball for more than eight years, the Federal Government, yesterday, withdrew the country from international competitions for a period of two years.
Citing the “unending crises that have plagued and nearly crippled basketball development in the country,” the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development said President Muhammadu Buhari approved the action for the period to enable the country tackle the issues.
Speaking in his office yesterday, Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare, said the move would also provide government opportunity to revamp the sport from the grassroots, as well as revive the domestic leagues, which have become moribund.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, Dare said the withdrawal will also allow for the setting up of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to oversee the management and development of domestic basketball leagues and further address other related issues around the advancement of the game in the country.
He added: “Government intends to utilise this period of break to address all contentious issues among stakeholders. The Terms of Reference (TOR) and membership of the Interim Management Committee will be announced in due course.”
Dare also reiterated “government’s interest and commitment to the development of basketball in Nigeria, as well as huge talents of our youth domestically in an atmosphere that is free of rancour and squabbles.”
He called on players, officials, fans, and other stakeholders of the sport to remain calm “as government embarks on far-reaching initiatives to reposition, sustain and stabilize the game of Basketball for growth and success in the long term interest of the country.”
Recall that some basketball players had on Tuesday converged on the minister’s office to register their displeasure with government over its seeming unwillingness to resolve the post election crisis rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).
Two separate NBBF elections were held on January 31, 2022 in Abuja and Benin with winners of the polls claiming to be the authentic leaders of the body.
The Abuja NBBF faction election produced Igoche Mark as the body’s president, while the polls in Benin returned Musa Kida as the federation’s boss.
The angry players, led by Players Representative on the Abuja factional board, Stanley Gumut, told journalists that the procession to the minister’s office was part of resolutions reached at their meeting held last week.
Gumut said players were not happy that the ministry appeared indifferent, while the leadership tussle was taking a toll on their careers, adding that the situation is hampering the growth of the domestic component of the game.
By Alex Monye