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Betta Edu: EFCC arrest CEOs of Zenith, Providus, Jaiz banks over alleged fraud

The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Zenith, Providus, and Jaiz banks have been apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) amid a sweeping investigation into an embezzlement scheme linked to former and current Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu and Sadiya Umar-Farouq.

The affected CEOs are Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu (Zenith Bank), Haruna Musa (Jaiz Bank), and Walter Akpani (Providus Bank).

Sources closed to The Guardian who confirmed the development on condition of anonymity said the arrests were made on Tuesday.

According to the source, the banking executives, long suspected of facilitating the improper diversion of public funds into private accounts, are now facing the music within the confines of EFCC custody.

The anti-graft agency is dissecting a web of suspicious transactions involving hefty sums of public money funnelled into private accounts, allegedly approved by Edu and Farouq leveraging their ministerial positions.

Farouq, who led the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs under the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari, is additionally accused of mismanagement of N37 billion earmarked for the conditional cash transfer program during President Buhari’s tenure.

The source revealed that a potential deliberate lapse in flagging suspicious activity by the banks – a crucial responsibility mandated by anti-financial crime laws and Central Bank directives – played a critical role in the brazen misappropriation of public funds.

EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale was not reachable to confirm the development as at press time.

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Oyebanji appoints Justice Ogunmoye as Acting Ekiti Chief Judge

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has appointed Hon. Justice Lekan Adekanye Ogunmoye as Acting Chief Judge of the State.

This is in furtherance of the powers conferred on the Governor by Section 271 (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

The appointment of Hon Justice Ogunmoye takes effect from November 5, 2024.

He replaces the former Chief Judge, Hon Justice John Oyewole Adeyeye, who passed on November 4, 2024.

Born on November 6, 1963, Hon. Justice Ogunmoye was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987, and was appointed a judge on April 1, 2010.

Governor Oyebanji wishes the new Acting Chief Judge a successful tenure.

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International

US Presidential election: Trump At 266 Votes, Harris At 195: US Media

Republican former president Donald Trump closed in on a new term in the White House early Wednesday, just needing a handful of electoral votes to defeat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

US media have thus far projected that Trump has won in more than half of the 50 US states, including three key battlegrounds Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, two of which voted Democratic in the last election.

That gives him 266 electoral votes, just shy of the 270 needed to win the presidency. Fox News has already called the race in Trump’s favor.

Harris has so far captured 195 electoral votes, including big prizes California and New York — as well as the US capital Washington.

The magic number to win the presidency is 270. Observers expect the hotly contested race for the White House to come down to a handful of key battleground states.

The following is a list of the states won by each candidate and the corresponding number of electoral votes, based on the projections of US media including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC/NBC News, ABC and CBS.

TRUMP (266) –

Alabama (9)

Arkansas (6)

Florida (30)

Georgia (16)

Idaho (4)

Indiana (11)

Iowa (6)

Kansas (6)

Kentucky (8)

Louisiana (8)

Mississippi (6)

Missouri (10)

Montana (4)

Nebraska (4 – split)

North Carolina (16)

North Dakota (3)

Ohio (17)

Oklahoma (7)

Pennsylvania (19)

South Carolina (9)

South Dakota (3)

Tennessee (11)

Texas (40)

Utah (6)

West Virginia (4)

Wyoming (3)

– HARRIS (195) –

California (54)

Colorado (10)

Connecticut (7)

Delaware (3)

District of Columbia (3)

Hawaii (4)

Illinois (19)

Maryland (10)

Massachusetts (11)

Nebraska (1 – split)

New Mexico (5)

New York (28)

Oregon (8)

Rhode Island (4)

Vermont (3)

Virginia (13)

Washington (12)
(AFP)

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APC hails arrest of Ex-Delta Gov, Okowa by EFCC

The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the recent arrest of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, describing it as a step in the right direction in the fight against corruption in the country.

The APC, in a statement issued shortly after the news broke, emphasized that Okowa’s arrest signals a strong commitment by the current administration to address long-standing issues of financial mismanagement and corruption at both the state and national levels.

Okowa, who served as the Governor of Delta State from 2015 to 2023, was apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds during his tenure.

The charges reportedly relate to a series of financial dealings involving state funds and other questionable contracts awarded during his administration.

In the statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Valentine Onojeghuo Esq., and made available to newsmen in the state capital, Asaba, the Delta APC commended the Federal Government for its decisive action and urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to continue its thorough investigation into the financial activities of other past state governors and public officials.

The party emphasized that this move reflects a larger national agenda to clamp down on corruption, promote transparency, and ensure that public funds are used for the benefit of ordinary citizens rather than for personal enrichment.

“We in the APC wholeheartedly welcome the news of the arrest of the former governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who presided over one of the worst cases of financial recklessness and mismanagement on a monumental scale during his eight-year administration.

“His corrupt practices saw the diversion of humongous state funds for personal enrichment, establishing a bank, and financing his doomed presidential ambition, as well as the manipulative imposition of his puppet godson as governor against the wishes of the people of Delta State who desperately wanted change.”

The APC noted that the arrest serves as a warning to all public office holders, stressing that the era of impunity is over. “No one, regardless of their position or political affiliation, is above the law,” the statement read.

“The fight against corruption must be unwavering and thorough, and we are glad to see the administration taking bold steps in this direction.”

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