The Central Bank of Nigeria has announced a review of the loan-to-deposit ratio (LDR) for banks, from 65 percent to 50 percent to align with the current monetary tightening.
The CBN disclosed this in a circular on Wednesday titled ‘Re: Regulatory Measures to Improve Lending to the Sector of the Nigerian Economy’, signed by Adetona Adedeji, its acting director of the banking supervision department.
PS MUSLIM UMMAH LET'S REPORT @tinukevibes_ ⚠️ We are in a generation full with cursed individuals; this ignorant Yoruba girl went to the middle of the holy land(Kaaba), Saudi Arabia dancing to a music.. did you remember one Ignorant man that went there wit @officialABAT's poster?
The special boat service (SBS) is a special operation unit of the Nigerian Navy. It was modelled after the royal Navy special boat service. It is considered to be one of the most elite naval special forces units in Africa. It was established in 2006.
The establishment of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (SBS) was motivated by the imperative to address the persistent attacks on Nigeria's oil facilities by militant groups and criminal elements in the Niger Delta.
It is predominantly focused on, but not restricted to; littoral and riverine operations, including reconnaissance and surveillance; covert beach reconnaissance in advance of an amphibious assault; recovery or protection of ships and oil installations subject to hostile state or non-state action; maritime counter-terrorism; and offensive action.
The Basic Operating Course (BOC) is the foundational training program that shapes individuals into skilled SBS operatives, known for their elite capabilities. The course comprises three distinct phases, each focusing on crucial aspects of their operational readiness Operatives undergo training in range classification, handling of explosive and demolition weapons, map reading, and intelligence techniques. Upon successful completion of the BOC, operatives are bestowed with the special forces honour badge, serving as a symbol of their exceptional training and distinguishing them as elite members within the Naval personnel.
On 21 April 2020, ten SBS commandos boarded the Tommi Ritscher, a container ship captured by pirates off the shore of Benin. Benin authorities gave the SBS commandos a letter of commendation.
On 12 July 2021, 25 officers of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service completed a five-week Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) alongside a team of U.S. Army Special Forces.
They also had a joint training exercise with the 42 commando royal marines.
Keep your dollars closer! Your one thousand dollars will buy one thousand dollars worth of things whether Naira decides to go either way. And no matter the disastrous policy Tinubu’s illegitimate government decides to embark on you still have your one thousand dollars to use!
Until August 2023, Bayo Samuel worked as a product designer at a Lagos-based edtech startup. However, a failure to raise fresh funding forced the company to lay off several employees to reduce operational costs. Samuel was one of the affected workers. “It felt like my world crashed,” the 26-year-old, who had worked at the company for two years, told TechCabal.
After five months of job hunting, while living on his savings, he was hired as an analyst at an investment bank, which paid less than his previous role, where he earned ₦500,000. “The money isn’t great, so I have had to adjust my lifestyle. But it is better than being jobless.”
Samuel is one of the many Nigeria’s tech workers who are now pursuing careers in traditional industries, representing a reverse in the generational shift of young graduates who entered the tech industry due to promises of mouthwatering salaries and flexible working conditions. A major appeal of the tech industry is its low barrier to entry, unlike traditional industries that often require a level of educational qualification and skill set.
“Traditional industries offer a level of stability and structure. People want a growth plan and structured opportunities. This trend is very benefit-driven,” Chibuzo Ihentuge-Eric, a tech recruiter and human resource specialist, told TechCabal.
Nigeria’s tech industry has witnessed impressive growth in the past decade with the rise of homegrown successful startups like Paystack and Flutterwave and billions of dollars in venture capital funding. But a global tech downturn has forced investors to write fewer checks. Nigerian startups raised $398.2 million in 2023, a 66% decline compared to the previous year.
With less funding due to tough macroeconomic conditions, startups had no option but to cut costs to stay afloat. This sometimes, unfortunately, includes laying off staff. In February, Spleet, a property tech startup that raised $2.6 million in 2022 from investors, laid off an undisclosed number of employees following inflationary pressure on its business. Nigeria’s headline inflation rose to 31.70% in the same month.
Tech layoffs mean Nigeria’s tech workers are flooding an already constrained job market for a fresh start. The country’s unemployment rate is projected to cross 40% this year as the country battles an economic recession.
“People have no option; they have to take what they see. I think people now prioritise job security over job satisfaction,” said Emmanuel Faith, a people leader and talent manager.
Unlike Samuel, *Sulaimon Kehinde wasn’t laid off from his role as a senior product manager at an early-stage fintech. He resigned from the company in July 2023, citing its toxic work culture and the fear of losing his job. “I was really after job security. I wanted to switch to a more established company with processes in place,” he told TechCabal.
He had a side gig, working as a contract product manager for a retail marketplace app but later resigned to focus on his job search. In November 2023, he secured a role as a product portfolio officer at a capital markets infrastructure firm, which tripled his pay. He earned around ₦300,000 a month at his former workplace.
“The work culture is way better. The company prioritises employee well-being and offers perks such as gym subscriptions, health benefits, quarterly bonuses, and travel allowances. You’d typically get these at growth-stage startups,” Kehinde said.
The switch in career transcends beyond startups but also tech-enabled companies.
*Remi Adewunmi worked as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) administrator at a traditional bank for eight years. Though he had a “rich and eventful experience,” he left to become a partner at a real estate venture where he oversees IT services and implementation. According to him, the new role offered better remuneration and working hours.
“My experience from tech prepared me for this. The pay in my new role is much better. I earn at least 40% more than my previous annual salary,” he said.
Faith, the talent manager, believes any traditional industry that hires tech professionals is lucky: “One thing tech workers bring to the table is the fast pace of execution. This might also be a challenge, considering the nature of traditional industries. They [tech talent] may have challenges with dealing with bureaucracy and the ranks of decision-making.”
Nigerian startups lack established growth plans, which traditional industries often have in place, according to Ihentuge-Eric. To retain talent, the tech industry should work on comprehensive career development plans for employees. “When it’s known that the industry is big on developing talent, then people might consider staying,” she said.
Electricity consumers categorised under Band C, D and E have decried the sudden reduction in power supply after the increase in tariff for those under Band A feeders.
Band A customers receive 20 to 24 hours of electricity supply daily; B, 16 to 20 hours; B and C, 12 to 16 hours; D, 8 to 12 hours; B and E, four to eight hours.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had, on April 3, announced an increase in tariff for customers in B from N68 per kilowatt watt hour to N225 to allow a cost reflective tariff while the distribution companies (DisCos) to provide a premium of 20 to 24 hours of electricity.
Daily Trust had reported that the DisCos had struggled to sustain the 20 hours minimum supply leading to over 37 apologies by the DisCos for its shortfall.
Some of the DisCos had blamed technical faults from the Transmission Company of Nigeria.
Sources confirmed to Daily Trust that the DisCos now prioritise Band A customers to avoid sanctions by the NERC.
The situation is further compounded with low electricity generation, forcing the DisCos to ration 3,265 megawatts as of 3:49 pm yesterday.
Abuja Disco got the highest allocation of 611mw followed by Ikeja Disco, 603mw; Eko Disco, 513mw; Ibadan Disco, 329mw; Benin Disco, 223mw; Enugu Disco, 197mw; Port Harcourt Disco, 195mw; Kano Disco, 184mw; Kaduna Disco, 177mw; Jos Disco, 155mw and Yola Disco, 78mw.
Customers lament low supply
Christy Emmanuel, a resident of Federal Housing in Lugbe, Abuja, said: “The supply we get now is below eight hours despite being on Band C which means we are supposed to get a minimum of 16 hours of electricity daily. When the electricity is supplied now, it is mostly at night when you’re sleeping and it won’t be useful as we are all sleeping.”
Damilola Akanbi, said the same situation was the same in his estate at Life Camp as they were not getting eight hours of electricity per day despite being on Band B.
A resident of AMSSCO Platinum Estate in Galadimawa, Abdullahi Ahmed, in a WhatsApp group posted: “Please what’s happening? Since morning on Sallah day, we haven’t had supply for 5 hours, till now, we are in darkness. You reclassified our estate from Band A to B (not less than 16 hours supply), but for almost 65 hours, we have been in darkness. We have made complaints since Sallah day but to no avail.”
A resident of Kabala West in Kaduna, Ibrahim Yusuf, who said his area is on Band C, said the area had been suffering from poor electricity supply since the Sallah celebration.
“It was on the third day of Sallah, on Friday that we were given eight hours of electricity supply,” he said.
‘DisCos prioritising Band A customers’
While Daily Trust could not reach the spokesperson of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company as she neither answered phone calls nor replied to text messages; an official of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company confirmed that the DisCos were prioritising Band A customers to avoid sanctions from the NERC.
The official, who asked not to be named, said the situation was compounded with the low generation of power supply.
“The minister said if we do not give Band A customers the required supply, they will sanction us. The supply is little. As of today, the supply is little over 3,000 and they are saying whatever is available, we should give Band A not less than 20 hours. So, how will the others get?
“If we don’t give the Band A, we are going to be sanctioned. We can’t be rationing fairly as we are not the ones who generate it,” he said.
TCN tackles DisCos on low supply
Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has denied reports from the Ibadan, Benin and Yola DisCos for being the cause of power shortage to their Band A customers.
The General Manager of TCN, Ndidi Mbah, in separate statements during the weekend, said the TCN was not to be blamed for the earth fault at Amukpe and tripping due to an XLPE cable puncture at Effurun, both at TCN substations.
She noted that on April 11, 2024, the Amukpe 33kV feeder tripped at 2:31pm and was restored by 4.08pm within 1 hour and 54 minutes.
She said the cause of the outage, which was clearly under BEDC purview, was an instantaneous earth fault caused by stormy weather, which was restored on trial reclosure after the rain had subsided.
For Ibadan DisCo, Mbah said the feeders mentioned in its publication were not within the TCN network.
Abandoning services to other bands makes no sense– Experts
The Chief Executive Officer at Sage Consulting & Communications, Bode Fadipe, said the removal of subsidies for Band A consumers that made it mandatory to meet DisCos’ service commitment does not mean they should abandon their responsibilities to customers on Bands B, C, D and E.
“The DisCos’ decision does not make economic sense. The revenue generated from the bands makes a huge bulk of what sustains the sector. This is because they still have the volumetric advantage because they take 60 percent of the load on the grid.
“So, you can’t discard them. Band A alone can’t take care of the financial needs of the sector. No DisCos, in its right senses, would ignore the other bands and no regulator will encourage or advocate that,” he said.
He noted that the DisCos have a service responsibility to those below Band A as the availability of subsidy in those categories should not mean the DisCos do not have a responsibility towards them.
Founder, Spark Nigeria, Chinedu Amah, said: “These users have always had this level of supply prior to this time; the new emphasis on Band A is removing subsidy from those who had been profiled to have the capacity to pay.
“I think the whole process should be toiled for optimised supply; the industry should grow from identifying weak links to improved service levels through intentional partnerships. The customers really don’t care about who is at fault; they want improved services.”
Genesis of how the invasion started: Watch the self-proclaimed President of Yoruba Nation, Ms. Modupe Onitiri Abiola, declare their secession from Nigeria.
Nigerian Unsold Oil Starts to Build Up as Buyers Take Their Time *Backlog of unsold cargoes builds amid turnarounds, competition *Angola’s sales fare better thanks to strong buying from India
Nigeria’s crude for May loading has been very slow to find buyers so far, with more than half of the scheduled cargoes yet clear.
More than 30 of the nation’s cargoes are still looking for buyers, according to traders specializing in West African crudes.
A total of at least 53 are scheduled to load from Nigeria next month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Most of the consignments are one million barrels.
Meta has confirmed to TechCrunch that it is testing Meta AI, its large language model-powered chatbot, with WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger users in India and parts of Africa. The move signals how Meta plans to tap massive user bases across its various apps to scale its AI offerings.
The social media giant has been scrambling to roll out more AI services in the wake of big AI moves from other major tech companies, OpenAI and more.
Meta announced plans to build and experiment with chatbots and other AI tools in February 2023. India, where users have recently started noting the appearing of the Meta AI chatbot, is a very important market for the company: it is home to more than 500 million Facebook and WhatsApp users, making it Meta's largest single market.
Developing markets, where smartphone users are growing faster than developed markets like the U.S. (where growth has plateaued), are also a big target for Facebook to try out more services to engage audiences. Users in Africa are also reporting signs of Meta AI appearing in WhatsApp.
Meta confirmed the move in a statement. “Our generative AI-powered experiences are under development in varying phases, and we’re testing a range of them publicly in a limited capacity," a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Meta unveiled Meta AI, its general-purpose assistant, in September 2023. The AI chatbot is designed to answer user queries directly within chats as well as offer them the ability to generate photorealistic images from text prompts. In the case of Instagram, there's evidence it's also being used for search queries.
Meta has been somewhat late to the game for building and rolling out AI tools to its users. In part, its teams assumed that generative AI tech was not quite ready for prime time. OpenAI clearly proved that wrong, putting MetaAI on the back foot.
"The availability of ChatGPT somehow captured the attention and enthusiasm of the public," said Yann LeCun, the Turing Award winner who is Meta's chief AI scientist, speaking earlier this week at an "AI Day" that the company organized at its offices in London. "What was surprising to people like me about ChatGPT was not the technology or the performance of the system. It was how much interest it gathered from the public. That surprised everyone. It surprised OpenAI, too." Meta, he explained, thought that AI chatbots, based on its own efforts to launch them, "were not particularly welcome... in fact, some of them were trashed by people." Now, he described the company, and the wider tech community, as "more open, and more comfortable with releasing models."
And that's what Meta is doing now. More pragmatically speaking, though, there are three reasons why Meta may be forging ahead with its AI strategy.
First, for user retention (users now expect to see and want to use AI tools in their apps; if Meta doesn't offer them the worry is that those users will move away).
Second, for investor retention (investors want strong earnings, sure, but in tech they also want to see signs that Meta is committed to backing in and building what many believe will be the next generation of computing).
Third, for its own pride (it's been setting the pace for so much in areas like mobile apps, social media and advertising for the last decade, and it has outsized talent on its bench, including the celebrated AI academic Yann LeCun. Is it really going to jump the shark and miss all of this?!).
Instagram and WhatsApp's massive global user base, boasting billions of monthly active users, to be sure presents Meta with a very unique opportunity to scale its AI offerings. By integrating Meta AI into WhatsApp and Instagram, the Facebook-parent firm can expose its advanced language model and image generation capabilities to an enormous audience, potentially dwarfing the reach of its competitors -- at least on paper.
The company separately confirmed earlier this week that it will be launching Llama 3, the next version of its open source large language model, within the next month.
Princess Owowoh becomes the first-ever female officer cadet from Nigeria to graduate from the UK’s @RMASandhurst
24-year-old Officer Cadet Princess is an inspiration to many young women who dream to lead!💫
"It is a profound honour to be the first Nigerian female officer to commission from the esteemed @RMASandhurst. As I look ahead to the future, I am committed to representing Nigeria with pride, and to making a positive difference in the world."
This @officialABAT abusing the Naira at a party, spraying Wasiu Ayinde @k1theultimate, I hope @officialEFCC will prosecute him for this crime someday the same way @BobriskyIdris was prosecuted. #RevolutionNow
Again, a despicable act of @policeng abuse has been reported against one Pastor Okezie J Atani @ONsogbu;
Okezie was reported whisked away by @PoliceNG officers over what was purely a civil matter; after his illegal arrest he's being kept incommunicado and disallowed from contacting his lawyers and relatives.
@PoliceNg continues to ridicule itself as it lends itself as a mercenary for abuse of human rights across the country, meddling in a matter that carries little or no security consequences. The iG of Police is aware of these shenanigans, the team under his office is mainly responsible for them. The @PoliceNg authorities must release @ONsogbu unconditionally and immediately. #RevolutionNow
It’s been eight months and one week since a failed elevator killed Vwaere Diaso, a medical doctor at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos State. FIJ can confirm that the elevator has neither been fixed nor replaced.
The workers who reside in the 10-storey building, where the elevator is stationed, have been using the stairs since August 2023, when the doctor died and the state government sealed the elevator area.
When our reporter visited the hospital on Thursday, she found that the elevator area had been cordoned off with a wooden structure carrying a paper signpost.
The signpost bore the logo of the Lagos State Government and had phrases like “Restricted Area,” “Construction Site,” and “No Unauthorised Access.”
The signpost also had a phone number that showed the name “Lagos Safety Commission” when FIJ searched it on Truecaller, a caller identification app.
Although there was no worker or machinery in sight, close to the entrance of the doctors’ quarters was a big logo of Julius Berger, a leading construction company in Nigeria.
Close to the logo was a signpost indicating that the company was the contractor in charge of the “Rehabilitation Works at Doctor’s Quarters General Hospital Odan Lagos”. The duration written on the signpost was 32 weeks, from February 2024 to September 2024.
A female hospital staff member who stays in the building told FIJ that the elevator area had been sealed off for a while and there was no certainty on when it would be fixed.
“They haven’t fixed it. It’s been sealed for some time now. And we really have no idea when it will be fixed,” she said.
FIJ called the Lagos State Safety Commission, whose number was obtained on the signpost in the elevator area, but the calls were unanswered. A message sent to the commission has also not been responded to.
FIJ also contacted Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, and he inquired about the last time the reporter visited the hospital. When he got a response, he said, “There is work going on there. When the accident happened, we said we were going to fix not just the elevator but the whole building because there are so many other things to be fixed.”
He also said that the construction was being handled by Julius Berger and added, “I hope you know it’s not a backyard construction company.”
Aside from the Julius Berger marker, FIJ noticed no indications that the structure was undergoing any ongoing repairs.
ON IBEDC'S PUBLICATION ON ESTIMATED HOURS OF POWER SUPPLY
The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby notes that the publication circulated by IBEDC on 9th April 2024, which stated that TCN is responsible for its failure to "deliver estimated hours of supply to your feeder", due to System Outages and Tripping on TCN" 's feeders is Incorrect.
TCN took time to investigate the allegation and wishes to set the record straight and hereby note as follows:
1. That IBEDC's publication on the 9th of April 2024 across their social media platforms, attributing their inability to deliver estimated hours of supply to its customers is incorrect.
2. That the feeders mentioned in the publication are NOT within the TCN network. This means that most of the listed feeders in the publication are 11kV operated by IBEDC and completely outside TCN's Operational Control and in IBEDC's network.
3. That the reasons given for the outage on IBEDC 11kV and 33kV are earth/ over current faults, which have no bearing on TCN's frequency control operations.
4. That the staternent by IBEDC has been verified by TCN's regional management in Osogbo in conjunction with IBEDC Officials themselves and has been proven to be false, necessitating necessary corrections being made.
While TCN sees this misinforrnation of IBEDC as a ploy to undermine and mislead the public against regular power supply, we remain focused on supporting the government's move towards a more robust and efficient power supply.
Consequently, TCN assures the public of its cornmitment to continue to work hard to effectively transport the entire bulk electricity received from the generating companies to distribution load centres nationwide.
Controversial media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, aka Daddy Freeze, has threatened to write the United Kingdom authorities to deport Nigerians en masse if netizens don’t stop dragging him.
He boasted that Nigerians don’t know his influence and his closeness to the UK authorities.
Speaking in a video message shared via his Instagram account, Daddy Freeze vowed to make the UK stop issuing Certificates of Sponsorship to Nigerians.
He said, “It is you people who are pushing me to the wall. With the UK authorities, your brothers will start coming home, and they are not going to get COS visas ever again. Because of me they will end issuing COS visas to Nigerians.
“As long as I keep seeing that you are guilty and greedy, I’m going to keep getting angry and trust me, I’ve the UK authority at my beck and call. You don’t know how big Daddy Freeze is. You have no idea. If you did, you will shut up.
“I will bring Nigerians back home en masse. The airports will be full, the seaports will be full. Libya will also be full because some of them can’t afford flight tickets. They will come from Europe by road. Everywhere will be full.
“I am not God but I’ve decided to fight for myself and there will be casualties and victims.”
Aliko Dangote (Listen) GCON (born 10 April 1957) is a Nigerian business magnate who is the founder, chairman, and CEO of the Dangote Group, the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote's net worth is estimated at US$19.9 billion as of April 2023, making him the richest person in Africa and richest black person and 83rd in the world.
Early life
Dangote was born in Kano, Kano State into a wealthy Hausa Muslim family. Dangote's mother, Mariya Sanusi Dantata, was the daughter of businessman Sanusi Dantata. Aliko Dangote's father, Mohammed Dangote, was a business associate of Sanusi Dantata. Through his mother, Dangote is the great-grandson of Alhassan Dantata, the richest West African at the time of his death in 1955.
Dangote was educated at the Sheikh Ali Kumasi Madrasa, followed by Capital High School, Kano. In 1978, he graduated from the Government College, Birnin Kudu. He received a bachelor's degree in business studies and administration from Al-Azhar University, Cairo.
Business career
The Dangote Group was established as a small trading firm in 1977, the same year Dangote relocated to Lagos to expand the company. Dangote received a ₦500,000 loan from his uncle to begin trading in commodities including bagged cement as well as agricultural goods like rice and sugar. In the 1990s, he approached the Central Bank of Nigeria with the idea that it would be cheaper for the bank to allow his transport company to manage their fleet of staff buses, a proposal that was also approved.
Today, the Dangote Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Africa, with international operations in Benin, Ghana, Zambia and Togo. The Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to be the largest industrial group in Nigeria, encompassing divisions like Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Cement, and Dangote Flour. Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria, with its refinery business is the main supplier (70 percent of the market) to the country's soft drink companies, breweries and confectioners. The company employs more than 11,000 people in West Africa.
In July 2012, Dangote approached the Nigerian Ports Authority to lease an abandoned piece of land at the Apapa Port, which was approved. He later built facilities for his sugar company there. It is the largest refinery in Africa and the third largest in the world, producing 800,000 tonnes of sugar annually. The Dangote Group owns salt factories and flour mills and is a major importer of rice, fish, pasta, cement, and fertiliser. The company exports cotton, cashew nuts, cocoa, sesame seeds, and ginger to several countries. Additionally, it has major investments in real estate, banking, transport, textiles, oil, and gas.
In February 2022, Dangote announced the completion of Peugeot assembling facility in Nigeria following his partnership with Stellantis Group, the parent company of Peugeot, the Kano and Kaduna state government. The new automobile company, Dangote Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria Limited (DPAN) factory which is based in Kaduna commenced operations with the roll-out of Peugeot 301, Peugeot 5008, 3008, 508 and Land Trek."
Wealth
Dangote became Nigeria's first billionaire in 2007. Dangote reportedly added $9.2 billion to his personal wealth in 2013, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him the thirtieth-richest person in the world at the time, and the richest person in Africa. In 2015, the HSBC leaks revealed that Dangote was a HSBC client and that he had assets in a tax haven in the British Virgin Islands. As of June 2022, Dangote is the wealthiest person in Africa, with an estimated net worth of US$20 billion.
Personal life
Dangote lives in Lagos, Nigeria. He has been married and divorced twice. He has three daughters – Mariya, Halima, Fatimah and an adopted son, Abdulrahman. Aliko's brother, Sani Dangote, died on 14 November 2021 from colon cancer.
Dangote is known for his simple and austere lifestyle; he reportedly works 12 hours a day beginning at 5am and goes to the gym six times a week.
Tony Elumelu has hinted at plans by Nigerian billionaires to buy Nigerian league clubs. This he revealed while reacting to a post by a social media user, Adedayo Mustapha, suggesting that.
Can we get the President and Ministry of Sport to weigh in on the big corporations in Nigeria to buy at least one league club as part of CSR? Imagine dangote buys Kano pillars, BUA buys Kwara United, elumelu acquires rivers United, geregu takes over 3sc. Imagine the competition
Adedayo Mustapha
This is a nice idea 👍🏽.
The Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh @OwanEnoh, is already thinking along this line and has approached me and we are already evaluating viability.
The Nigerian Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has written to the Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to place Mrs. Okoli Chioma Egodi on the watchlist.
Chioma Okoli is being prosecuted by the Nigeria Police Force and Erisco Foods Limited over a review of one of the company’s products that she did on Facebook.
SaharaReporters in January reported that policemen on the alleged orders of Egbetokun invaded Okoli’s residence in Lagos State in an attempt to arrest her.
The newspaper had reported that the police team from Abuja who claimed to be acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police moved to re-arrest Okoli without serving any court order authorising them to do so.
Meanwhile, despite outcry from well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organisations including the global human rights body, Amnesty International, demanding an immediate end to the harassment and intimidation of Mrs Okoli, the Inspector General of Police, in a letter to the Immigration Controller General, Kemi Nandap, requested that she should be placed on watchlist and denied exit out of the country.
The letter which was sighted by SaharaReporters has reference number OB:3380/IGP.SEC/MU/T.6/ABJ/VOL.3/111. The letter dated April 2, 2024 is titled: "Watch Listing of Mrs. Okoli Chioma Egodi; age 37 years old,"
In the letter exclusively obtained from a highly placed source in the IGP Monitoring Unit in Abuja signed by A.A. Elleman DCP, Head, IGP Monitoring Unit of Force Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, the police boss urged the NIS to arrest her if seen and inform the IGP Monitoring Unit.
It noted that Okoli is being investigated for a case of “criminal conspiracy, de-marketing, blackmail, attempted extortion, and cyberbullying”.
Part of the letter reads: "This office is investigating a Case of Criminal Conspiracy, De Marketing, Blackmail, attempted Extortion, and Cyber Bullying reported to the Inspector-General of Police against the above-mentioned person whose photographs are attached herewith and the need to request for your agency's cooperation has become imperative.
"In view of this, you are kindly requested to watch list and deny her exit out of the Country, and if seen arrest and inform the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja through phone numbers 07036799008 or 07034779065 or the nearest Police Station.
"While anticipating your usual cooperation, kindly accept the assurances and esteem regards of the Inspector-General of Police, please."
Business › CBN Reduces Banks' Loan To Deposit Ratio From 65% To 50% by nlfpmod(mod): 5:01pm On Apr 17, 2024
