Home Blog Page 44

Benin-Agbor Road Traffic Eases As Remedial Works Begin

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Traffic congestion on the Benin-Agbor Road has started to ease, about one week after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspected the troubled highway.

The improvement has brought some relief to motorists, particularly around the bypass axis, where heavy gridlock had previously caused significant delays for road users.

However, several damaged sections of the road remain, forcing motorists to navigate uneven and severely degraded portions of the highway.

The concessionaire, Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), has begun remedial works on some of the failed sections, helping to improve traffic flow along the route.

Speaking on the development, Chairman of the Ikpoba-Okha Youth Forum, Kingsley Osemwengie, said the situation had improved considerably compared with the previous week, when motorists reportedly spent hours trapped in traffic.

He, however, noted that the reduction in congestion does not mean the road’s underlying challenges have been resolved, as several bad spots continue to make movement difficult.

Osemwengie called for sustained intervention on the affected sections and urged the concessionaire to take advantage of the subsiding rains to begin permanent construction works instead of depending mainly on temporary repairs.

Another major concern is the volume of dust generated by vehicles travelling through the damaged portions of the highway.

As motorists move across the unpaved sections, large clouds of dust are raised, reducing visibility and affecting the surrounding environment. The dust also exposes motorists, commuters and residents living along the road to potential health hazards.

Although traffic conditions have improved significantly following the Minister’s inspection and the commencement of remedial works, road users maintain that the continued presence of damaged sections means the Benin-Agbor Road still requires urgent and permanent attention.

Uber Exits Nigeria After 12 Years, Ends Ride-Hailing Operations In The Country

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Global ride-hailing company Uber has announced its exit from the Nigerian market after 12 years of operations, with its services in the country ending on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

The company, which launched its service in Lagos in 2014, communicated the decision to customers in a statement sent to their email addresses.

Uber said the decision followed a review of its business operations in Nigeria.

“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026,” the service provider said in the statement.

The company expressed appreciation to Nigerians who used its platform since its launch, recalling how the service became part of the daily routines of many customers.

“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life, connecting you with independent transportation providers.

“Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience.”

Uber, however, said its help centre would remain available until September 23, 2026, to assist customers with any outstanding account-related enquiries.

Uber’s departure from Nigeria comes amid a broader restructuring by the company, including plans to reduce its global workforce by about 10 per cent as part of what it described as “significant organisational changes”.

“Today, we’re making a number of significant organisational changes across Uber,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a message to employees released on Wednesday. “As a result, we will be reducing the size of our team by about 10 percent.”

Uber has approximately 34,000 employees and operates across more than 70 countries, according to a recent filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The company said the workforce reduction is intended to make its platform “simpler and faster” while reducing delays caused by coordination across its expanding operations.

“A leaner organisation will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating,” the message said.

Founded in 2009, Uber transformed urban transportation by challenging traditional taxi and private-car businesses and creating a platform that allows individuals to use their vehicles to provide rides to customers.

The company currently operates across more than 70 countries, over 15,000 cities and more than 700 airports globally.

Uber’s exit from Nigeria represents a significant development in the country’s ride-hailing sector and is expected to alter the competitive landscape among transportation platforms.

Yobe SIEC Begins Screening Of Candidates For September 26 LG Elections

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

The Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) has commenced the screening of candidates ahead of the September 26, 2026 Local Government Elections across the state’s 17 local government areas.

The commission’s Executive Chairman, Ibrahim Yabani, announced the development during a press briefing in Damaturu, the state capital.

Yabani explained that candidates contesting the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions will be screened in Damaturu, while those seeking councillorship seats will undergo screening at the commission’s three zonal offices.

The SIEC chairman said the local government election was initially scheduled for June 2026 but had to be moved to September following the timing of political party primaries across the country.

“Our election should have taken place in June 2026, but looking at the party primaries across the country, we realised it’s going to be very stressful for us, the stakeholders, including you, the mass media. So the state government approached the state Assembly to amend the law for the election to hold in September, 2026”

He maintained that the adjustment was carried out within the provisions of the law and did not violate any legal requirement.

“This means that we are within the law; we are not breaking any law. I can tell you categorically today that we are commencing the screening of all candidates, including those vying for chairmanship, vice chairmanship, and councillorship positions; this exercise will last for 7 days,” he said.

Yabani also disclosed that the September election will be digitised for the first time as part of efforts to improve the electoral process and ensure a smooth exercise.

According to him, the commission has fully equipped its newly constructed situation room with the necessary facilities to support the digitised election.

On the recruitment of ad hoc personnel, Yabani said electoral officers are responsible for submitting the names of prospective staff.

He noted that the commission had not yet received the list for screening and approval but expressed confidence that the process would be completed within two weeks.

Oil Prices Jump Over 2% As Iran Retaliates Against Fresh US Strikes In Hormuz

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Crude oil prices surged by more than two per cent on Wednesday, extending their gains to around 10 per cent this week after fresh US strikes on Iran triggered retaliatory attacks across the Middle East.

The renewed military confrontation has also rattled financial markets, with stocks falling and bond yields remaining near multi-decade highs as investors increasingly bet on higher interest rates.

The latest escalation followed weeks of relative calm, during which peace negotiations failed to make progress. Washington had also signalled plans to pursue what it described as the “economic asphyxiation” of Iran.

With the Strait of Hormuz expected to remain effectively closed for the foreseeable future, concerns over prolonged energy shortages and higher prices are intensifying. About one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass through the strategic waterway.

Rising energy costs, combined with concerns over government spending and a surge in corporate debt issuance, have strengthened expectations of further interest-rate increases and pushed government borrowing costs higher.

The yield on 30-year UK government bonds climbed to its highest level since 1998, while the 10-year yield reached levels last seen during the 2007–08 global financial crisis.

Japan’s 10-year bond yield also touched a 30-year high, while 30-year US Treasury yields approached their 2007 levels. The US 10-year yield similarly remained around financial-crisis-era levels.

“Bond yields were already rising, and the renewed US-Iran attacks and their impact on oil prices have made investors more concerned about bonds,” Rajeev De Mello, at Gama Asset Management, said.

“At these levels, higher yields are clearly a headwind to Asian equities, especially longer duration tech stocks.”

Major Asian markets recorded losses, with technology stocks bearing much of the pressure as higher borrowing costs threaten companies that depend on cheap financing to support investment.

Markets in Tokyo and Seoul declined, while Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Taipei and Manila also recorded significant losses.

The declines followed losses across all three major US stock indexes on Wall Street.

Investors are now awaiting key employment and inflation data expected over the coming week, with the figures likely to influence the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates at its next meeting.

According to Bloomberg, traders are pricing in a 70 per cent chance of a rate hike.

Fed Governor Michael Barr added to those expectations, saying policymakers should be prepared to raise rates if inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s two per cent target.

“If trends in the data give me some confidence that inflation is moderating on a path to two percent, then I think we can take a bit more time to assess our policy stance,” he said in prepared remarks.

“However, if inflation appears not to be moderating sufficiently, then I think we should act decisively to raise rates.”

Key Market Figures

  • West Texas Intermediate: Up 1.5% at $91.60 per barrel
  • Brent crude: Up 1.9% at $96.45 per barrel
  • Tokyo Nikkei 225: Down 2.6% at 64,473.16
  • Hong Kong Hang Seng: Down 1.1% at 25,053.02
  • Shanghai Composite: Down 1.1% at 3,934.36
  • Dollar/yen: Up at 160.34 yen from 160.24 yen
  • Euro/dollar: Down at $1.1578 from $1.1589
  • Pound/dollar: Down at $1.3503 from $1.3511
  • Euro/pound: Down at 85.73 pence from 85.77 pence
  • Dow Jones: Down 0.8% at 52,766.88
  • FTSE 100: Down 0.3% at 10,789.28

Iran launched attacks against US interests across the Middle East on Wednesday, warning that Washington would face “severe” consequences for its latest military action.

The renewed fighting around the Strait of Hormuz has spread to US military installations across the region and drawn Washington’s Gulf allies further into the six-month conflict.

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened “much harder and higher” attacks if Tehran retaliated against the latest US strikes, which Iranian state media said killed 11 people in southern and southwestern parts of the country.

Iranian media reported that Tehran fired ballistic missiles at two US bases in Jordan.

The Jordanian military said it intercepted 10 ballistic missiles launched from Iran and reported no injuries or direct hits. It added that three missiles landed in remote locations.

Missile and drone attacks were also reported in Kuwait, where the military said it was responding to Iranian hostilities. Air raid alerts were also heard in Bahrain early Wednesday, according to AFP reporters.

Iran’s military said it launched drones at US forces stationed at an air base in Bahrain, a key American ally in the Gulf.

In Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they attacked US bases using missiles and drones, destroying a maintenance centre, warehouses and other equipment, state-run IRNA reported.

The latest escalation began after Washington attacked Iranian targets on Sunday, marking the first known US strikes in several weeks. Tehran subsequently targeted American troops in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, while projectiles also struck two oil tankers in separate incidents whose perpetrators remain unidentified.

Additional US strikes were reported on Tuesday, with Iranian state television reporting explosions in areas around the southern Hormuz Strait and on an island in the Gulf. US forces also reportedly struck an airport in Kerman province.

IRNA reported that “four projectiles hit areas within the counties of Chabahar and Konarak”, although it did not provide details on possible damage.

Seven people were killed and eight others wounded in a missile attack in southern Khuzestan province, according to IRNA.

Iran’s Red Crescent had earlier reported that shrapnel from a US missile killed four people, including a child, and wounded more than 50 others in Kuhestak, Hormozgan province.

The US military did not directly address reports of the wedding strike. However, US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins said “the US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC”, referring to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Trump said the “large and powerful” US strikes were carried out in retaliation for what he described as Iran’s “failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait” and Tehran’s attack involving eight missiles targeting a US military base in Jordan.

Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi warned on X that Washington “will regret its new attacks”, adding that “severe punishment awaits the aggressors”.

Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari also warned that “any country that cooperates with the aggressive American army will face more severe, more widespread and destructive responses”.

The conflict has now lasted six months, with Iran maintaining its closure of the Strait of Hormuz while the United States continues its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

Washington said its forces attacked Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday in an effort to prevent Tehran from placing mines in the main shipping lanes.

The wider Middle East conflict began in late February following US-Israeli attacks on Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A fragile ceasefire subsequently collapsed after attacks involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy route through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies passed before the war.

Trump warned on Truth Social on Tuesday that if Iran retaliated, “they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all.”

“That is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!” he wrote.

He separately said he was “not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table”, adding that he “couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement”.

He also asked: “When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”

Greek maritime risk management firm Marisks said two crude oil tankers were struck by “unknown projectiles” late on Monday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency confirmed one of the incidents but said there were no reported casualties or environmental damage.

Despite the continued diplomatic stalemate, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran would respond to any US move aimed at returning to negotiations over a deal to end the conflict.

He warned that a renewed US “policy of pressure and threats could derail the path of diplomacy”.

Niger: Borgu Residents Flee To Benin Republic As Insecurity Worsens

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Residents of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State are reportedly leaving their communities and crossing into the Benin Republic as persistent attacks by armed men continue to heighten insecurity in the area.

The development was disclosed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) House of Representatives candidate for Borgu/Agwara Federal Constituency, Murtala Haliru Dantoro, who urged President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently establish a permanent and sustained security presence in the area.

Speaking at a press conference, Dantoro raised concerns over the worsening security situation, saying communities across the emirate were increasingly living under siege. He cited killings, kidnappings, displacement, as well as restrictions on farming and movement among the challenges confronting residents.

He called on the government to prioritise preventive security measures rather than waiting for attacks to occur before responding.

According to Dantoro, residents are not asking authorities to rescue them after attacks but want adequate security capable of preventing such incidents in the first place.

“We are not asking to be rescued after the fact. We are asking for security before the fact.”

He stressed that the people of Borgu were not seeking charity from the government, but the protection and security that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to.

Dantoro also highlighted the destruction of a major bridge connecting Borgu with the Republic of Benin, Kebbi and Sokoto States, describing the infrastructure as an important economic lifeline for communities in the emirate.

He said the damaged bridge has disrupted transportation, trade and other economic activities, adding to the hardship already being experienced by residents.

The ADC candidate further warned that the deteriorating security situation was compelling some residents to cross into the Republic of Benin in search of safety.

He described the development as both a humanitarian emergency and a national security concern, urging the Federal and Niger State governments to act swiftly to prevent further displacement.

Dantoro also appealed to local and international humanitarian organisations to provide urgent assistance to displaced residents from Babanna and other affected communities, particularly women and children.

He called for support in the areas of shelter, healthcare, food and other essential needs for those affected by the crisis.

The ADC candidate urged President Tinubu and Nigeria’s security agencies to give Borgu greater security attention, stressing that residents should be able to “sleep, farm, trade and travel without fear.”

Nepal Flood Death Toll Hits 1,114 As 3,916 Remain Missing After Devastating Disaster

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

At least 1,114 people have died in Nepal following devastating flash floods and landslides along the China-Nepal border, while 3,916 others remain missing, according to the country’s disaster authority.

The updated figures were released on Wednesday, one week after the disaster struck, as rescue teams continued efforts to locate missing people and families struggled to come to terms with the scale of the tragedy.

Chinese state media reported that 16 people were killed in Tibet, while another 546 remained missing. This brings the combined toll from the August 26 disaster to 1,130 deaths and 4,462 missing people.

With thousands still unaccounted for, many Nepali families have begun holding symbolic funeral ceremonies for relatives whose bodies have not been recovered. The rituals are traditionally performed to “liberate the souls” of loved ones who are presumed dead.

In Kathmandu, 12-year-old Rozel Shrestha carried out one such ceremony at the Pashupati temple along the Bagmati River. He burned a small effigy made from straw and barley to represent his missing father, 37-year-old Krishna Shrestha.

Krishna was in the worst-hit Rasuwa district when the floods struck and has not been seen since.

“We searched everywhere, went to morgues across the country, but could not find his body,” his brother Jeevan Shrestha told AFP.

“So the family sat down… and decided we have to do our traditional rituals to liberate his soul.”

The disaster occurred after the collapse of a Himalayan glacier on the border with China triggered a tsunami-like surge of freezing water, mud and debris, leaving widespread destruction across the region.

The scale of the devastation has left many families with no bodies to bury, forcing them to turn to traditional ceremonies as they seek closure.

Chandra Bahadur Newar’s family also held a symbolic funeral after the 35-year-old truck driver disappeared in Timure, a border town where he had travelled while heading to China.

Newar last spoke with his family on the night before the floods.

“He had called after dinner as he always did,” his wife, Dolma Newar Tamang, said. “He had said he would be back in not more than a week.”

When her husband failed to make his usual morning call, Tamang initially assumed he was simply busy.

“But then I saw the news and called him,” she said. “I called repeatedly, but he never picked up.”

She and other relatives later searched hospitals and morgues in Kathmandu, while some family members travelled towards the disaster zone and others searched areas downstream where floodwaters had carried hundreds of bodies.

After days of searching, Tamang said she eventually accepted that her husband might never return.

“We had to do this to set his soul free, so that he is at peace and happy wherever he is,” she said, surrounded by her grieving son.

Another family in Kathmandu was preparing to cremate 30-year-old Mahesh Dangol after delaying his funeral in the hope of receiving information about his missing relatives.

Dangol was among the few people rescued from the almost completely destroyed town of Betrawati. However, he later died from a lung infection at a Kathmandu hospital.

His relatives had postponed his cremation while hoping for news about his parents, wife and daughter, who were swept away by the floods.

However, hospital authorities informed the family on Tuesday that they could no longer keep his body because morgue space was running out, according to Dangol’s cousin, Sunil Dangol.

More than 1,000 bodies have so far been recovered by authorities, but only a small number have been identified, placing additional pressure on Nepal’s already limited morgue facilities.

“It is unlikely anybody else will be found, so we have decided to go ahead with the rituals for the entire family,” Sunil said.

JAMB, WAEC Set ₦4,000 One-Time Fee For O’Level Result Verification

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have introduced a ₦4,000 one-time fee for candidates who need to verify their WASSCE and other O’Level results for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Under the new arrangement, candidates will only need to verify their WAEC results once through JAMB. Once completed, the verification outcome will be made available to the relevant institutions for admission screening and other administrative processes.

The initiative is aimed at reducing the financial cost and inconvenience candidates face when tertiary institutions repeatedly request verification of their academic records.

In a joint statement, JAMB and WAEC said candidates would be able to complete the verification process remotely from their homes or any location with internet access.

The statement said, “All candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions whose admissions are regulated and coordinated by JAMB will verify their WAEC results once, through JAMB.”

The organisations explained that after the verification is completed, the result would be forwarded to the institution where the candidate applied.

Clarifying the cost of the service, JAMB and WAEC said, “Candidates are to pay N4,000 only, once, for the verification of their WASSCE O’ Level results on the specified platform and not through their desired institutions.”

This means candidates will not be required to make separate payments to individual institutions for the same WAEC result verification.

JAMB and WAEC also directed tertiary institutions to rely on the verified results supplied by JAMB when conducting admission screening, processing admissions and handling other relevant administrative procedures.

The new arrangement is expected to streamline O’Level result verification for prospective students while reducing repeated costs and administrative delays during the admission process.

Plateau Diphtheria Outbreak: 23 Dead As 143 Suspected Cases Recorded

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Twenty-three people have died from suspected diphtheria in Plateau State over the past two weeks, while 143 suspected cases have been recorded as authorities intensify efforts to contain the infectious disease.

The Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this in a telephone interview with Channels Television. He said nine patients are currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos.

“So far we have 143 suspected cases, we have had 23 deaths and 9 currently on admission at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos,” Baamlong said.

According to the commissioner, affected patients are being managed in isolation as the state government works to prevent further transmission.

He said awareness campaigns have also been activated across communities, with traditional rulers and other stakeholders involved in educating residents about the disease and measures to reduce its spread.

Baamlong identified access to antitoxin and late presentation by patients as major challenges in managing the outbreak.

“The biggest challenge is getting antitoxin, and most of them are presenting late,” the commissioner said.

He explained that diphtheria can be transmitted through “contact, cough, sneezing and close association.”

The state is also experiencing difficulties confirming suspected cases because of a shortage of specialised containers needed to collect and transport samples to laboratories.

“We are having challenges with the diagnosis because the sample is supposed to be collected in a special container so that we can send it for confirmation, but we do not have such containers,” he said.

The commissioner said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has been informed about the outbreak, with the state expecting assistance to address the shortage of antitoxin and sample collection containers.

“The NCDC is aware, and we are hoping that they will assist us with the antitoxin and the special containers,” he said.

Baamlong added that the state government has intensified community-level sensitisation efforts by working with traditional institutions and other stakeholders.

“We have so far activated awareness campaigns in communities through traditional rulers and other stakeholders to curtail the spread,” Baamlong said.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can spread through respiratory droplets and close contact. Health authorities continue to encourage residents to seek medical attention promptly when symptoms occur and follow recommended preventive measures to help limit further infections and deaths.

Nigeria’s Economy Grows Faster In Q2 2026, Moves Closer To $1 Trillion GDP Goal

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Nigeria’s economy recorded stronger growth in the second quarter of 2026, with real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rising by 4.43 per cent year-on-year, compared with 4.23 per cent in Q2 2025 and 3.89 per cent in Q1 2026.

The latest figures indicate that economic growth is gaining momentum, with real GDP growth for the first half of 2026 reaching 4.16 per cent, up from 3.68 per cent during the same period in 2025.

The expansion was also more widespread across the economy. In Q2 2026, a total of 27 economic subsectors recorded real growth of more than 3.0 per cent, compared with 23 subsectors in the corresponding quarter of 2025.

Manufacturing, Agriculture and Services Drive Growth

Nigeria’s key productive sectors recorded notable improvements during the period.

Manufacturing expanded by 3.24 per cent, more than twice the 1.60 per cent growth recorded in Q2 2025, pointing to stronger industrial activity.

Agriculture also performed better, growing by 4.39 per cent compared with 2.82 per cent a year earlier. The improvement reflects stronger production and performance across the agricultural value chain.

Services remained the largest contributor to economic expansion, growing by 4.60 per cent in Q2 2026, compared with 3.94 per cent in Q2 2025.

The relative stability and appreciation of the naira also contributed to the increase in the size of the economy when measured in U.S. dollar terms.

According to the statement, the naira appreciated by more than 12 per cent between the first half of 2025 and the first half of 2026. As a result, Nigeria’s economy expanded by approximately 17 per cent in dollar terms over the same period.

The government said sustained growth, combined with its social programmes, could help strengthen dollar incomes, improve purchasing power and lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

With the economy maintaining its growth trajectory, Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its position among Africa’s largest economies and move towards the government’s target of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

The statement also noted that the International Monetary Fund has ranked Nigeria among the top 10 contributors to global real GDP growth in 2026, projecting that the country will account for about 1.5 per cent of global growth this year.

It added that continued macroeconomic stability, stronger growth across productive sectors and improving investor confidence could accelerate Nigeria’s ambition to become Africa’s largest economy by 2028.

The latest performance highlights the importance of maintaining economic reforms and policy consistency as the government seeks to ensure that stronger headline growth translates into improved living standards.

The government said it remains focused on driving inclusive growth and turning the country’s macroeconomic gains into broader prosperity for Nigerian households.

Court Unfreezes Four Accounts Linked To ₦21bn Glitch, Faults Police Over Non-Disclosure

By
Favour Enyosa
-
0

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has lifted freezing orders placed on the bank accounts of four defendants allegedly connected to a police investigation into a 2023 ₦21 billion system glitch.

The judge also faulted the police for failing to disclose important information when they obtained the earlier freezing order through an ex parte application.

The case is part of a wider investigation involving banks and financial institutions over billions of naira allegedly withdrawn from a Flutterwave account held at Wema Bank.

According to court documents, the disputed transactions occurred between October 12 and 13, 2023, following a system glitch on the Flutterwave platform.

The four defendants, through their lawyers, asked the court to cancel the restrictions placed on their accounts. They argued that the police had failed to disclose material facts required by law when seeking the freezing order.

They also pointed out that another Federal High Court had previously discharged similar restrictions placed on their accounts.

In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that a court order cannot remain in force where it was obtained on the basis of materially incomplete information.

The judge agreed that the circumstances presented by the defendants justified setting aside the earlier orders because the police had failed to disclose a previous ruling that had already removed the restrictions.

“The Court therefore finds that the failure to disclose the order of 2nd April 2026, which had discharged and lifted the restrictions affecting the Applicants’ accounts, constituted a material non-disclosure in the circumstances of the ex parte application.

“The subsequent procurement of an order imposing substantially similar restrictions without first disclosing and addressing the earlier order cannot be permitted to stand,” Nwite said.

Justice Nwite subsequently ruled that “the ex-parte Order made by the Court on 2nd June 2026, together with all consequential directives issued pursuant thereto, is hereby set aside and vacated.”

As a result, the court ordered the removal of all freezing orders, restrictions, liens, Post-No-Debit instructions and other encumbrances imposed on the accounts and properties of the four defendants under the June 2 order.

The Inspector General of Police had previously said that investigators arrested some suspected Point-of-Sale (PoS) agents allegedly involved in fraudulent transactions linked to the incident.

The police subsequently commenced investigations and legal proceedings against those suspected of involvement.

In a counter-affidavit filed before Justice Nwite, the police maintained that the four defendants “are among those whose accounts receive volumes of money from the incident that happened on the Flutterwave platform.”

However, lawyers representing the defendants argued that an earlier order issued by Justice Liman had already unfrozen their accounts and remained “valid” because it had not been appealed.

The lawyers accused the police of abusing the judicial process and engaging in forum shopping by seeking another order imposing similar restrictions without first disclosing the earlier decision.

The latest ruling therefore removes the restrictions on the four accounts while the broader legal dispute surrounding the alleged ₦21 billion system glitch and the transactions linked to it continues.

1...434445...2,701Page 44 of 2,701