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Tinubu welcomes the delisting of Nigeria from the FATF Grey List, says Nigeria is committed to global financial transparency

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has welcomed Nigeria’s delisting from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

The FATF announced the delisting at its Plenary in Paris, France, today.

The FATF is the world’s foremost standard-setting body for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.

The announcement formally removed Nigeria from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, commonly referred to as the “grey list”.

President Tinubu described the development as “a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards economic reform, institutional integrity and global credibility.”

This decision follows Nigeria’s successful and timely completion of its FATF Action Plan, marking over two years of sustained effort, reform and inter-agency coordination aimed at strengthening the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework.

In February 2023, the FATF placed Nigeria on the grey list. The message from the global community was clear: the nation needed more vigorous enforcement, better coordination, and greater transparency. Rather than treat this as a setback, Nigeria viewed it as a call to action.

Under President Tinubu’s strategic leadership and in line with the economic transformation agenda of his administration, Nigeria implemented far-reaching legal, institutional and operational reforms.

This was achieved through the coordination of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), working in conjunction with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance, and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Minister of Interior.

President Tinubu applauded the vital support from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Minister of Aviation, the Minister for Budget and Economic Planning, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Solid Minerals, the Minister of State for Finance, the National Security Adviser as well as the leadership of the National Assembly and the Judiciary, in the attainment of the laudable achievement.

President Tinubu commended the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, Ms Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, and the staff for their diligence in ensuring the complete and timely implementation of the country’s Action Plan. He noted that the NFIU’s work has led to the recognition by the international community of the strides Nigeria has made in strengthening its measures to tackle serious crimes.

“Without their dedication and sacrifice, today’s success could not have been achieved. I thank them for their efforts and urged other stakeholders to emulate their standards”, President Tinubu said.

President Tinubu also commended all Ministries, Agencies, their heads and private sector representatives who contributed to the delisting through their active participation in the National Task Force on AML/CFT.

Among these are the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, the National Coordinator National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the Chairman National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Managing Director Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, the Inspector-GeneralNigeria Police Force, and the Director-General Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as all their dedicated staff

Nigeria’s efforts in completing the Action Plan were complemented by the country’s close partnership with the FATF and the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

President Tinubu acknowledged the strong support of international partners, the Governments of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Nations and the European Commission, for their steadfast technical assistance during Nigeria’s reform process.

According to President Tinubu, Nigeria’s removal from the FATF grey list is “not just a technical accomplishment, it is a strategic victory for our economy and a renewed vote of confidence in Nigeria’s financial governance.

“The exit from the FATF grey list marks the beginning of a new chapter in the nation’s financial reform agenda as Nigeria will sustain the already institutionalised reforms, deepen institutional collaboration and continue to build a financial system that Nigerians and the world can trust”.

News

Missing 3-year-old girl found dead in soak-away pit in Minna

A 3-year-old girl, Saudat Nasir, has been found dead in a soak-away pit a day after she was reported missing in Minna, Niger State.

Her lifeless body was recovered from the soak-away on Sunday, October 26, 2025.

Her remains have been laid to rest according to Islamic rites at Kpakungu Burial Ground in Minna.

A Facebook user, Abdulazeez Akintola, who confirmed the sad development said the Sadat had disappeared while her mother, Hafsat, was praying during a visit to a friend that recently gave birth.

“Her mother, Hafsat, lives in Gbeganu area. Due to illness, she went to her family house in Soje B to recover. While visiting a friend who recently gave birth in the same area. Hafsat left little Saudat playing within the compound during prayer time. Sadly, by the time she finished praying, Saudat had disappeared to an unknown location. All efforts to trace her have been unsuccessful, despite reports made to the nearest police station and Prestige FM Minna,” he wrote.

“INNALILLAHI WAINNA ILLAHI RAJU’UN. With deep sorrow, we announce that little Saudat Nasir, the young girl we reported missing a few hours ago, has been found in a soakaway lifeless. No one can truly explain how it happened, but Allah knows best. She has immediately been laid to rest according to Islamic rites at the Kpakungu burial ground, Minna, Niger State. Include her in your du’a when this pop up your timeline. Jazakumullahu khairan.”

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Group demands NNPCL’s explanation on alleged missing N22.3bn, $49.7m, others

Osun Election: Take Responsibility, End Impunity For Vote Buying Now, SERAP Tells INEC

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, to explain the whereabouts of alleged missing oil funds amounting to N22.3bn, $49.7m, £14.3m, and €5.2m, reportedly unaccounted for in the company’s financial records.

The civic group, in a letter dated October 25, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the missing sums were documented in the 2022 annual report recently published by the Auditor-General of the Federation on September 9, 2025.

SERAP urged Ojulari to identify and hand over those responsible for the alleged diversion or misappropriation of the funds to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for prosecution.

It also demanded that the missing funds be recovered and returned to the national treasury without further delay.

“These grim allegations by the Auditor-General suggest a grave violation of public trust, the Nigerian Constitution, anti-corruption laws, and the country’s international obligations,” the organisation stated.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General’s findings point to “systemic corruption” within the NNPCL, which has “undermined Nigeria’s economic development, trapped millions in poverty, and deprived citizens of access to essential public services.”

The group noted that the Auditor-General has, over the years, consistently documented similar reports of unremitted or missing oil revenues, lamenting that “ordinary Nigerians continue to bear the brunt of widespread corruption in the oil sector.”

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Police arrest herbalist, step-brother over murder of 22yr old yahoo boy in Delta

Police detectives from Agbor Area Command have arrested a twenty year old herbalist, Amechi Okwuokenye and his elder step-brother over the alleged abduction and murder of a suspected internet fraudster, Friday Liberty, aged 22 years in his shrine at Owa-Alidima in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State.

The herbalist was arrested at his shrine on 23rd October 2025. He and his suspected accomplice are currently in police custody.

The Police also recovered the corpse of the deceased from the suspect’s shrine and deposited same in the mortuary.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe confirmed the report in a statement sent to newsmen in Warri.

The statement said, “It was a case of the hunter becoming the hunted, when on the 30th of September 2025, Mr Friday Liberty, aged 22 years old, visited his herbalist, whom he had known for some time now, but this time, he never returned. The family, who initially didn’t know what had happened to their brother, started looking for him.”

“The girlfriend of the deceased then informed the family that she heard a conversation about the said Friday liberty and a certain herbalist, and advised that they should reach out to the said herbalist.

“The family contacted the herbalist, who denied seeing him but promised to do some spiritual incantations so their brother could return alive.

“Having spent money on the herbalist, and the result was not forthcoming, they then reported the matter at the Agbor Area command via a petition on 14th October 2025.

“And this decision proved to be the turning point in the case as the area command detectives embarked on an intelligence-led investigation.

“During the course of the investigation, the detectives uncovered the last person whom Friday Liberty contacted, and found out it was the same herbalist who denied knowing his whereabouts.

Surveillance was laid around his shrine at Owa-Alidima in Ika North East LGA, for days, until he was arrested on 23rd October 2025, in his shrine while hiding inside a refrigerator.

“Upon his arrest of the herbalist Amechi Okwuokenye, aged 20 years, confessed that both he and his brother Smart Okwuokenye, aged 26years, kidnapped the victim liberty Friday and the motorcycle rider identified as Isioma Ugbeje, who carried him to the shrine.

“They further stated that Friday Liberty has been his long-time customer who frequently visits him to hypnotise clients so they could give him money easily( in his words, ‘to tie clients ‘).

“The herbalist said his elder brother approached him that he needed money and advised him to lure any of his clients so they could kidnap him and ask for ransom, and the unlucky person they could lure was Liberty Friday.

“They kidnapped him and the Okada Rider and demanded a ransom of N10,000,000. When they noticed that the plan was not working, they murdered him and the motorcycle rider and dumped their bodies in a soak away pit by the shrine.”

SP Edafe stated that the suspects are in custody, and the remains of the victims have been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.”

He added that, “The commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda assures the public that the command will ensure that justice is served in this case.”