Headlines

EFCC arrests Instagram comedian, 34 others for alleged internet fraud in Lagos

Owolola Adebola

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC)have arrested an instagram comedian and social media Influencer, Nwagbo Oliver Chidera, also known as Pankeeroy, alongside 34 others for their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud in Lagos.

The other suspects are Chinedu Omesu Christian, Gafar Kunle Adedamola, Chuka AnieboRichard, Nwagbo Chidera Oliver, Dibo Ayomide Samson, Rotimi Segun Damilola, Habeeb Banire Damilola, Afolabi Bolutife Michael, Adekanbi Elijah Adeola,Emeka Christian Egwuatu, Adeyemi Adedamola Olumide, Awokoya Moyosore Iyaniwura, Efunnuga Dmilola Samuel, Samson Makinde Egwuatu, Gbemileke Jide Simeon,Omoyemi Fashola Owolabi, and Farouk Ibiwoye Olatunde.

Other are Orapitan Yomi Segun, Oladunjoye Taiwo Olawale, Ibrahim Ajani Olanrewaju, Wasiu Olamilekan Sola, Olamiposi Toheeb Damilola, Isieq Qudus Olamilekan, Abel Ndubuisi Junior, Emmanuel Nonso Martins,Timilehin Oladipo Jesse, Kelvin Okpere Kendal, Omotola Oluwatobi Emmanuel,Rasaq Toyosi Farouq, Oyelere Olawale Shakiru, Timileyin Odeyemi Damilare,Kelly John Nwanou, Adedeji Emmanuel Olayinka, Balogun Subomi Ibrahim and Makinde Adewale Benjamin.

They were arrested on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at their hideout in James Court, Lekki, Lagos, following verified intelligence received by the Commission about their alleged criminal activities.

Until his arrest, Chidera, who claimed to have gone into Bitcoin scam after he suffered depression, had been presenting himself as a vendor who redeems bitcoin vouchers using the bitcoincoretrading.com platform to defraud his unsuspecting victims.

Investigations revealed that one of the suspects, Christian, allegedly defrauded an aged Asian-American lady of over $475, 000 (Four Hundred and Seventy -Five Thousand US Dollars).

In his statement to the Commission, Christian confessed to having been posing as one
Dave Federick, a 58- year-old United States national on a mission in Syria, in order to lure his unsuspecting victims and defraud them of their hard-earned money.

Upon his arrest, a Mercedes Benz AMG GLE model worth N36,000,000( Thirty-six Million Naira) was recovered from him.

Investigations also revealed that the suspect has N22, 300, 000. 00 (Twenty- two Million, Three Hundred Naira ) worth of Bitcoin in his blocked chain account.

Items recovered from the suspects include exotic cars, iPhones, laptop computers, Android devices, and Macbook devices.

The suspects will soon be charged to court.

Headlines

MWUN threatens to picket shipping companies, terminal operators over manipulation of pension remittances of seafarers, dockworkers

Gloria Odion

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria(MWUN) has accused terminal operators, shipping companies and ship owners of shortchanging dockworkers and seafarers in their employment in the remittance of their pensions to the appropriate authorities.

In a statement by the union led by Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, the erring service providers were allegedly either holding back the deductions made from the salaries of their staff into the pension funds scheme or under- remitting the deductions.

The union warned of dire consequences for such act which it regarded as unethical and illegal and threatened to shut down any service provider found culpable in this illegal act.

“The leadership of the Union recently got the wind of these employers of labour and terminal operators over their acts of irregular remittance of their employees pensions to its appropriate quarters.

“Thus shortchanging the Seafarers and the Dockworkers, both categories of workers from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.

“It was also learnt that some Ship Owners and Terminal Operators have allegedly stopped the remittance of Dockworkers and Seafarers’ PSA in their employ, which is a gross violation of labour laws.

” As a result, the President -General of the Union, Comrade Bunu, stated that the Union will have no other option than to descend heavily and bring to book all the earring managements of these companies working against the ethics and practices of labour rules in their various companies.

“The Delta State- born labour leader made this point known, stressing that it’s unlawful to deny workers their pensions rights either by crook or hook,; and may not hesitate to call out these Concessionaires and Shipping Companies that have defaulted in the payment of the statutory pensions of the Union Members.

“Comrade Bunu also said that these erring companies in the Maritime sector would be shut down if this ugly trend is not reversed to status quo.” the statement concluded.

Headlines

Tantita Security to bankroll 2025 OTC in USA

Gloria Odion

The foremost security provider in Nigeria, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) has been confirmed as the official sponsor of the 2025 Offshore Technology conference scheduled to hold in Houston Texas, United States on 5-8 May , 2025 .

Executive Director, Technical and operations , Tantita security services Limited, Captain Wareddi Enisuoh in an interview with journalists on Friday, said the company attracted the OTC conference lucrative sponsorship deal in recognition of its capacity to deliver on the conference.

Founded in 1969 , Offshore Technology conference is a series of conferences and exhibitions, focused on exchanging technical knowledge relevant to the development of offshore energy resources , primarily Oil and Natural Gas.

The conference also serves as the meeting place for the brightest minds to share ideas , discuss, debate and build consensus around the most pressing challenges and innovations in the offshore energy sector.

This year’s exhibitors , speakers and attendees represent some of the highest calibre professionals from more than 100 countries .

Customs

Customs shuns N12 trillion inflated revenue target imposed by National Assembly

— focuses on realising N6.5 trillion 2025 target

Funso OLOJO

The Nigeria Customs Service may have tactically shrugged off the imposition of the N12 trillion revenue target by the National Assembly.

It could be recalled that government gave the NCS ₦6.5 trillion revenue target for 2025.

This followed the impressive revenue performance of the service in 2024 when it surpassed that year’s target of N5.07 trillion by 20.2 percent.

However , in January, 2025, the National Assembly joint committee on Finance led by its chairmen, Senator Sani Musa and Hon. James Faleke, believed that the projection of N6.5 trillion revenue target given to the customs was conservative and encouraged the NCS to aim higher.

Consequently, the joint committee slammed a whooping sum of N12 trillion as revenue target, doubling the initial N6.5 trillion projected revenue.

This humongous target sparked off an outrage among perplexed stakeholders who felt the target imposed by the law makers was outrageous and unrealistic which they feared may stretch the capacity of the customs to a breaking point and put unnecessary pressure on the men and officers of the agency.

Indication that the Customs authority may not be well disposed to the imposed target of N12 trillion by the National Assembly emerged recently when the Comptroller -General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was giving account of the activities of the service in the first quarter of 2025.

While giving the analysis of the revenue performance of the service during the period under review, Adeniyi benchmarked the revenue generated by the service during the first quarter of 2025 by N6.5 trillion revenue target given by the Federal Ministry of Finance, thus jettisoning the N12 trillion imposed by the National Assembly.

“ Against our annual target of ₦6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at ₦1,645,000,000,000.00.

“I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded this target by ₦106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of our quarterly projection.

” This outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96% increase compared to the same period in 2024, where we collected

₦1,347,705,251,658.31″ Adewale stated, while giving the analysis of the performance of the service in the first three months of the year.

Analysts believed that from the analysis of the revenue performance of the NCS in the first quarter of the year which was predicated on the N6.5 trillion revenue target, it was obvious that the service was not paying much attention to the imposed N12 trillion, but rather focusing on how to meet the more realistic target of N 6 .5 trillion.

” You can see that the CGC did not make mention of the N12 trillion imposed by the National Assembly which presupposes that the unrealistic amount is not in the reckoning of the Customs” a customs broker who plies his trade at Apapa port, said, pleading for anonymity.

” Where on earth do they want the Customs to realize such an humongous amount of money in a depressed economy, in a country where importation has plummeted due to the unfriendly policies of government?

“It is unfortunate that these people (the law makers) have lost touch with the current economic realities in the country.

” All what they are after is to witch hunt government agencies to go and hunt for money for them to share.

” If not, how could they sit down in the comfort of their air conditioned offices and imposed such amount of revenue for customs to realize.

” Of course, the pressure would be on the men and officers of the service who will in turn go after the hapless importers and their agents in the most brutal way to raise the imposed target.

” It is unfortunate that the lawmakers, who are expected to make laws that will encourage export drive of the Federal government, are those asking the customs to focus more on the import goods where such money could be realized” another freight forwarder, who did not want his name in print but based at Tin Can Island port, declared.