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Five Lagos State Mobile Court Officials Nabbed By IGP Monitoring Unit For Extorting Motorists

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The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, on Thursday, arrested five officials of the Lagos State Mobile Court for allegedly extorting motorists.

It was gathered that the officials had paraded themselves as personnel of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences to extort motorists over the use of face masks.

Our correspondent learnt that the modus operandi of the officials was to write on their vehicles ‘taskforce’ and move in convoy to arrest and extort motorists on the pretext of enforcing the state government’s directive on the use of face masks.

It was learnt that the officials had on Tuesday extorted a motorist, Clara Oguguo, in the Ikeja area of the state for allegedly not wearing a face mask.

Oguguo told our correspondent that the officials impounded her vehicle and claimed that she would be issued with a ticket of N50,000.

She added that the officials later collected the sum of N10,000 from her.

She said, “I was on my way to the market on Tuesday when I met the task force officials around the Guinness area and they stopped me for not wearing a face mask and I told them that I forgot it at home.

“They took my car to the PWD area and parked it there, and when I asked them what I should do, the junior officers said I would have to meet their boss.

“When the boss came, he said he was supposed to issue a ticket of N50,000 to me but I should just pay N10,000, which I paid on Thursday.

“After paying the money, I reported to the IG Monitoring Unit and they came to arrest the officers.”

When contacted, the Chairman of the task force, Olayinka Egbeyemi, denied the involvement of officials of the agency in the scam, adding that his personnel were currently in charge of preventing possible attacks on residents.

He said, “The suspects are not from the task force, but they are from the mobile court and are supposed to be protecting the magistrates. What happened was that some vehicles were just donated to them and instead of painting the vehicles black, they used our colour to mislead people that they are task force officials. I have planned to resolve that issue.”

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JUST IN: CBN Increases Banks Capital Base To N500bn, N200bn For National Commercial Banks

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The capital basis for commercial banks with international permission has been raised to N500 billion by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The policy change was confirmed by Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, CBN’s acting director of corporate communications. in a declaration.

She added that commercial banks with regional authorization are expected to reach a capital floor of N50 billion, while those with national authority must meet a ceiling of N200 billion.

Announced on Thursday, March 28, 2024, this comprehensive financial reform requires significant increases in banks’ minimum capital bases, which vary depending on the size of the bank.

The latest policy directive specifies that commercial banks with international authorization are now required to shore up their capital base to N500 billion.

In a bid to tighten the financial fabric, the CBN has not overlooked merchant banks, which are now subject to a N50 billion minimum capital requirement.

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Detained Binance Executive Gambaryan Drags EFCC, NSA To Court

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Tigran Gambaryan, the CEO of Binance who is currently in detention, has claimed that he has been violated in his fundamental human rights by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser.

Gambaryan, in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24 sought a declaration that his detention and seizure of his international travel passport, contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of 1999 Constitution.

He urged the court to order the NSA and the EFCC to release him from their custody and return his international travel passport with immediate effect.

Gambaryan also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further detaining him in relation to any investigation into or demands from Binance.

He also urged the court to order the respondents to issue a public apology to him.

Gambaryan averred that he was in Nigeria alongside fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to honour the invitation of the ONSA and EFCC to discuss issues relating to Binance in Nigeria.

Anjarwalla escaped from the guest house where he and Gambaryan were being held

He argued that he had not committed any offence during the meeting, and neither was he informed in writing of any offence he personally committed in Nigeria at any other time.

“The only reason for his detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company,” he added.

The fleeing Anjarwalla also filed a similar suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/355/24.

At the proceedings on Thursday, T.J. Krukrubo (SAN) appeared for the plaintiffs, while the respondents had no representation.

Krukrubo informed the court that the respondents were served two days ago.

Shortly after that, he announced to the court that he was withdrawing from the matter as counsel for the fleeing Anjarwalla.

He did not give reasons for his withdrawal.

The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter till April 8.

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Federal Government To Arraign Binance Executives Over ‘Tax Evasion’ On April 4

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On April 4, the federal authorities will file charges against senior executives of the cryptocurrency company Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, for allegedly engaging in “tax evasion.”

Anjarwalla is Binance’s regional manager for Africa, while Gambaryan oversees the company’s compliance with financial crimes.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) charged Binance with a crime on March 25th for “tax evasion.”

The service claims that the action is intended to maintain national economic integrity and fiscal discipline.

The lawsuit, designated as suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, is said to “implicate Binance with a four-count tax evasion accusation”.

However, on Thursday, NAN reported the federal government will charge the three defendants before Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, at the federal high court (FHC) in Abuja on a four-count charge.

Despite not being a vacation judge, according to the report, the chief judge granted the fiat for the judge to oversee the case during vacation because it is a matter of critical national interest.

The lawsuit comes a month after Anjarwalla and Gambaryan were detained by the Nigerian authorities.

Anjarwalla and Gambaryan had flown into Nigeria but had their passports seized by ONSA.

On March 12, Anjarwalla was transferred to a local hospital after he fell ill while in detention in Nigeria.

However, on March 25, Anjarwalla escaped from custody and fled Nigeria with a smuggled passport.

Meanwhile, Gambaryan, on March 28, sued Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA) and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

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