The Nigeria Communications Commission says it will approve a 50 percent tariff increase following a request from telecommunication operators in the country, in line with rising costs.
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Video - Nigeria’s regulator hikes tariffs for telecoms
The Nigeria Communications Commission says it will approve a 50 percent tariff increase following a request from telecommunication operators in the country, in line with rising costs.
Authorities in Nigeria Take Down Child Trafficking Syndicates
Nigerian authorities announced the rescue of over 200 children and the dismantling of multiple gangs and human trafficking networks in a series of nationwide crackdowns that were primarily targeting child exploitation.
Police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi revealed that one of the key operations took place in Akure, Ondo State, where a human trafficking network was dismantled, and 14 children, aged between 1 and 7 years old, were rescued.
“Acting on intelligence regarding a missing child, the police uncovered a syndicate responsible for trafficking over 200 children across various locations in the country,” Adejobi said in a statement.
The Nigeria Police Force has ramped up its initiatives to combat human trafficking and illegal baby factories, focusing on intelligence-led operations to disrupt organized networks.
The announcement follows another major breakthrough two weeks ago in Plateau State, where authorities arrested a prominent pastor linked to a large child-trafficking syndicate. In that operation, 13 children were rescued, highlighting Plateau State as a growing hotspot for trafficking activities.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has also exposed trafficking activities in Kaduna State involving a group called ACHAD Life Mission International. The organization, which claims to promote African traditions and humanitarian aid, is accused of exploiting vulnerable individuals under the guise of charity. NIS officials noted that these groups often operate covertly, making detection challenging.
In a statement, Plateau State’s Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission raised concerns about the region’s rising child trafficking crisis, revealing that over 100 victims were rescued in the past year alone. The commission emphasized the urgent need for stronger institutional frameworks and community engagement to prevent exploitation and protect vulnerable children.
Local authorities pledged to continue their efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and ensure the safety of children. However, they acknowledged the need for greater resources and public awareness to combat the growing threat of human trafficking in Nigeria.
These operations underline the scale of the challenge in addressing trafficking in the country, but they also demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to fighting organized exploitation and protecting its most vulnerable citizens.
By Nneoma Omeje, OCCRP
Police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi revealed that one of the key operations took place in Akure, Ondo State, where a human trafficking network was dismantled, and 14 children, aged between 1 and 7 years old, were rescued.
“Acting on intelligence regarding a missing child, the police uncovered a syndicate responsible for trafficking over 200 children across various locations in the country,” Adejobi said in a statement.
The Nigeria Police Force has ramped up its initiatives to combat human trafficking and illegal baby factories, focusing on intelligence-led operations to disrupt organized networks.
The announcement follows another major breakthrough two weeks ago in Plateau State, where authorities arrested a prominent pastor linked to a large child-trafficking syndicate. In that operation, 13 children were rescued, highlighting Plateau State as a growing hotspot for trafficking activities.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has also exposed trafficking activities in Kaduna State involving a group called ACHAD Life Mission International. The organization, which claims to promote African traditions and humanitarian aid, is accused of exploiting vulnerable individuals under the guise of charity. NIS officials noted that these groups often operate covertly, making detection challenging.
In a statement, Plateau State’s Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission raised concerns about the region’s rising child trafficking crisis, revealing that over 100 victims were rescued in the past year alone. The commission emphasized the urgent need for stronger institutional frameworks and community engagement to prevent exploitation and protect vulnerable children.
Local authorities pledged to continue their efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and ensure the safety of children. However, they acknowledged the need for greater resources and public awareness to combat the growing threat of human trafficking in Nigeria.
These operations underline the scale of the challenge in addressing trafficking in the country, but they also demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to fighting organized exploitation and protecting its most vulnerable citizens.
Nigeria needs to double economic growth within a year or two, finance minister says
Nigeria needs to double economic growth within the next year or two from an annualized rate of 3.5% in the third quarter to lift its population out of poverty, its finance minister told Reuters on Thursday at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.
Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Wale Edun said Nigeria was on the path to growth after a year of tough economic reforms that sent inflation soaring, but should open the door for more investment.
Edun said he had been meeting in Davos this week with business leaders in the areas of consumer goods, food and beverages, financial services and infrastructure to promote investments, he said in a Thursday interview.
"It's a steady trickle now. What we want is a stream and at the end of the day a flood of investment," he said.
Nigeria has been trying to encourage private investment rather than rely on borrowing to create jobs, as the government searches for a solution to sluggish growth, double-digit inflation and a heavy debt burden.
President Bola Tinubu has vowed to expand the economy by at least 6% a year, create jobs and unify the exchange rate, while also tackling rampant insecurity.
Tinubu scrapped a popular but costly petrol subsidy and lifted foreign exchange trading restrictions. That contributed to consumer inflation, but Edun expressed confidence that Nigerians would soon be past their cost of living crisis.
Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso on Thursday said he expected the economy to expand by 4.17% this year, driven by ongoing reforms and stabilising inflation.
By Chijioke Ohuocha, Reuters
Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Wale Edun said Nigeria was on the path to growth after a year of tough economic reforms that sent inflation soaring, but should open the door for more investment.
Edun said he had been meeting in Davos this week with business leaders in the areas of consumer goods, food and beverages, financial services and infrastructure to promote investments, he said in a Thursday interview.
"It's a steady trickle now. What we want is a stream and at the end of the day a flood of investment," he said.
Nigeria has been trying to encourage private investment rather than rely on borrowing to create jobs, as the government searches for a solution to sluggish growth, double-digit inflation and a heavy debt burden.
President Bola Tinubu has vowed to expand the economy by at least 6% a year, create jobs and unify the exchange rate, while also tackling rampant insecurity.
Tinubu scrapped a popular but costly petrol subsidy and lifted foreign exchange trading restrictions. That contributed to consumer inflation, but Edun expressed confidence that Nigerians would soon be past their cost of living crisis.
Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso on Thursday said he expected the economy to expand by 4.17% this year, driven by ongoing reforms and stabilising inflation.
Huntsville man admits to laundering money for Nigerian sextortionists
Authorities say a Huntsville man is set for sentencing after he admitted he laundered money for Nigerian sextortionists.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced on Wednesday that Dinismore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after he laundered money for Nigerian Sex extortionists.
His sentencing before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker is scheduled for April 24.
The indictment states a group of money launderers, including Robinson, used online payment systems to collect sextortion proceeds and send them to Nigerian sextortionists.
Other money launderers in the group were:
By Tony Cortes, News19
Almost 800 arrested over Nigerian crypto-romance scam
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced on Wednesday that Dinismore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after he laundered money for Nigerian Sex extortionists.
His sentencing before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker is scheduled for April 24.
The indictment states a group of money launderers, including Robinson, used online payment systems to collect sextortion proceeds and send them to Nigerian sextortionists.
Other money launderers in the group were:
. Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, Stone Mountain, Georgia
. Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, McDonough, Georgia
. Kendall Ormond London, Jr., 32, Lithonia, Georgia
. Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, Stone Mountain, Georgia.
According to the indictment, the sextortionists had boys and young men create nude images. After they received those images, they had the victims send funds to the U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App and Zelle.
The money launderers would keep about 20% of the money, convert the rest to bitcoin and send the bitcoin back to Nigeria.
The indictment specifically said one of the money launderers, Green, laundered the funds of Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school student from Marquette, Michigan after he was extorted by the three Nigerian men.
Officials said that the sextortion scheme caused DeMay’s death. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2022.
In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan charged the three Nigerian nationals in the sextortion scheme that targeted DeMay and more than 100 other victims.
. Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, McDonough, Georgia
. Kendall Ormond London, Jr., 32, Lithonia, Georgia
. Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, Stone Mountain, Georgia.
According to the indictment, the sextortionists had boys and young men create nude images. After they received those images, they had the victims send funds to the U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App and Zelle.
The money launderers would keep about 20% of the money, convert the rest to bitcoin and send the bitcoin back to Nigeria.
The indictment specifically said one of the money launderers, Green, laundered the funds of Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school student from Marquette, Michigan after he was extorted by the three Nigerian men.
Officials said that the sextortion scheme caused DeMay’s death. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2022.
In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan charged the three Nigerian nationals in the sextortion scheme that targeted DeMay and more than 100 other victims.
UN seeks $910 million for humanitarian crisis in Nigeria
The United Nations will this week appeal for $910 million to help tackle a humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, which has been in the grip of an Islamist insurgency since 2009 and was hit by flooding last year, documents showed on Wednesday.
The UN documents seen by Reuters showed that 7.8 million people need help in the three northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and the UN aims to help 3.6 million of them.
At $910 million, it is the most expensive humanitarian crisis in West and Central Africa, ahead of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, the documents showed.
Nigeria is also grappling with a cost of living crisis that has seen inflation accelerate to its highest level in nearly three decades, propelled by skyrocketing food prices.
The UN has previously said Nigeria's northeast risks becoming a forgotten crisis as the humanitarian focus has shifted to crises elsewhere such as Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.
A joint report by the government and UN in November said Nigeria faces one of its worst hunger crises with more than 30 million people expected to be food-insecure this year.
President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, including scrapping a fuel subsidy and foreign exchange controls, have been blamed for worsening Nigeria's economic troubles. He says the reforms will put the economy on a stronger path to growth.
By Ope Adetayo, Reuters
The UN documents seen by Reuters showed that 7.8 million people need help in the three northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and the UN aims to help 3.6 million of them.
At $910 million, it is the most expensive humanitarian crisis in West and Central Africa, ahead of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, the documents showed.
Nigeria is also grappling with a cost of living crisis that has seen inflation accelerate to its highest level in nearly three decades, propelled by skyrocketing food prices.
The UN has previously said Nigeria's northeast risks becoming a forgotten crisis as the humanitarian focus has shifted to crises elsewhere such as Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan.
A joint report by the government and UN in November said Nigeria faces one of its worst hunger crises with more than 30 million people expected to be food-insecure this year.
President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, including scrapping a fuel subsidy and foreign exchange controls, have been blamed for worsening Nigeria's economic troubles. He says the reforms will put the economy on a stronger path to growth.
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