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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has commended the government of Sierra Leone for facilitating the return of Ernest Bai Koroma, former President to the country, describing the development as an important step towards national reconciliation, unity and lasting peace.

The regional bloc, in a statement, praised Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leonean, for the government’s decision to facilitate Koroma’s return following the withdrawal of charges against the former president.

ECOWAS said the decision to drop the charges against Koroma demonstrated the government’s commitment to promoting reconciliation and strengthening peace and national unity in the West African country.

‘The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission commends, on this 6th of September 2026, the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone, in particular, Julius Maada Bio, for facilitating the return of former President Ernest Bai Koroma to Sierra Leone,’ the commission said.

According to the regional organisation, Koroma’s return followed the Sierra Leonean government’s decision to discontinue the charges against him, which it said was taken in the interest of national reconciliation, unity and lasting peace.

The development marks a significant moment in Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts to strengthen political stability and promote dialogue among key political stakeholders.

Koroma, who served as Sierra Leone’s president from 2007 to 2018, had been outside the country amid legal proceedings stemming from allegations linked to an attempted coup in November 2023.

ECOWAS also expressed appreciation to regional leaders who contributed to efforts aimed at resolving the situation, particularly Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

The commission praised Tinubu for his role in hosting Koroma in Nigeria and supporting efforts that ultimately facilitated his safe return to Sierra Leone.

‘The Commission also expresses its gratitude to ECOWAS leaders, particularly His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for his leadership and support in hosting former President Koroma and facilitating his safe return to Sierra Leone,’ it said.

His return is expected to ease political tensions surrounding the former president and could provide further room for dialogue between the government and opposition political actors.

For ECOWAS, the development also reinforces the regional bloc’s emphasis on peaceful resolution of political disputes, dialogue and reconciliation as mechanisms for preserving stability among member states.

The commission said the decision by the Sierra Leonean government represented an opportunity to deepen national unity and consolidate peace.

The Enugu United Palm Products Limited (UPPL), a public-private partnership between Pragmatic Palms Limited and the Enugu State Government, has commenced commercial production of palm oil for the Nigerian market, with plans to expand into refined products and establish a new industrial complex.

The development was disclosed on Monday by the Managing Director of the company, Prof. George Nwangwu, when he led other directors of the firm to Government House, Enugu, to brief Governor Peter Mbah on the progress of the company since the commencement of its operations two years ago.

Nwangwu said the company had restored its plantations in Ibite-Olo, Umulokpa and Ugwu-Oba, located in Ezeagu, Uzo-Uwani and Oji River Local Government Areas of the state, respectively, to productive use.

According to him, the company has so far replanted over 1,000 hectares and is gradually replacing old palm trees, some of which are more than 50 years old.

‘When we took over, the place was thick forest and nothing but a dead place. We came in and turned the place from being a forest into a plantation.

‘We have cleared the whole place, pruned the trees that were there and started replanting. The trees we met were very old, over 50 years old, and so they needed to be replaced. Gradually, we are replacing them. So far, we’ve planted over 1,000 hectares. The idea is to keep planting until we replant the entire plantation and renew all the trees that are there,’ he said.

The UPPL boss said the company was moving beyond primary agricultural production by investing in processing and value addition, noting that it had installed mills and improved the quality and volume of palm oil production.

He disclosed that the company was also investing $2.2 million in a refinery that would process Crude Palm Oil (CPO) into olein and stearin, while refining palm kernel oil.

‘We also understand that this is a business and not just planting. Agriculture has moved beyond planting alone. We need to process because value addition is important. So, we’re milling our oil now. We’ve improved the quality and quantity of the oil that we’re producing.

‘We have installed mills and also invested heavily in refining the products further down the line. We’re investing about $2.2 million to install a refinery. The refinery will not only refine our Crude Palm Oil (CPO) into olein and stearin, it will also refine our palm kernel oil,’ Nwangwu said.

He added that the company was developing a new industrial complex to consolidate its production and processing operations.

Nwangwu further disclosed that the company’s palm oil brand, EVOP, had been launched and was already available in open markets and supermarkets across Nigeria, with sachet packaging expected to hit the market within two weeks.

He explained that the EVOP name was chosen to connect the product with the region’s agricultural and industrial heritage, particularly the former AVOP vegetable oil brand produced in Nachi, Udi LGA.

‘We chose the name EVOP to make sure that we keep in touch with our historical foundation. Some of us who are old enough would remember AVOP vegetable oil being bottled in Nachi, Udi. We feel that this is the product of our people and we had to connect with our historical beginnings.

‘That’s why we called it EVOP, to connect with and remind people of our historical AVOP,’ he said.

According to him, the company’s objective is to make the product accessible to households across Nigeria while maintaining strict standards of quality, natural production and traceability.

‘The important takeaway about this palm oil is that it’s natural. Our plantations are in Ibite-Olo, Umulokpa and Ugwu-Oba. You can see the trees there. If you go there, you can see where we harvest the fruit bunches, how we mill the fresh fruit bunches and how we package them.

‘Everything is done in-house. Nothing is contracted. We are end-to-end, and we also have certification from NAFDAC, SON and all the relevant agencies.

‘If you look at our product, you’ll see a barcode there, and you’ll also see a code that you can scan to tell you where the product is from. For us, traceability matters, and that is the fundamental advantage of our palm oil,’ Nwangwu added.

He said the company’s expansion was expected to contribute to employment generation, local economic activity and the development of the state’s agricultural value chain.

Responding, Governor Mbah described the partnership between the Enugu State Government and Pragmatic Palms Limited as a model worthy of emulation, saying it demonstrated the administration’s commitment to reactivating dormant government assets for the benefit of Ndi Enugu.

He assured the company that the state government would fulfil all its obligations under the partnership and provide the necessary support to enable UPPL achieve its full potential.

Mbah also expressed support for the company’s plan to list on the Nigerian stock market within four years, saying Enugu needed companies capable of attracting public investment and creating greater value for the state.

‘This is consistent with the state’s ambition, to optimise these assets and to grow them and make them big. We are talking about an investment outlay of over N100 billion, and if in four years you are targeting going to the market, we are with you on that. We will give you all support,’ he said.

The governor disclosed that the state government was at the verge of awarding two major road projects to improve access to the company’s plantations, including the road from Umumba Ndiagu to Ebenebe, adding that the projects would be fast-tracked.

He also said he had directed that the headquarters of the state’s Forest Guards be located at Ibite-Olo to strengthen security around the plantation, while assuring the company that the government would address any encroachment on its acquired land.

Mbah further assured UPPL that the government would

provide the 6,700 hectares committed under the partnership and work with the company and the host communities to secure additional land if it decides to expand its target to 10,000 hectares.

He stressed the importance of maintaining transparent and credible financial records ahead of the proposed listing and said the government would hold regular briefings with the company to identify and swiftly resolve challenges.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Osaretin Osagiede before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over an alleged N700 million fraud involving Best Start Micro Finance Bank.

Osagiede was arraigned on Friday, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC before Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi on a three-count charge bordering on unauthorised access to computer material and receiving stolen property.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Osagiede, alongside Zacharia Lorshe, who is currently at large, compromised the two-factor authentication (2FA) security mechanism of Ravenpay user accounts to gain unauthorised access to banking data.

According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed between March 2025 and January 2026 in Lagos.

One of the counts alleged that Osagiede and Lorshe ‘intentionally caused the Ravenpay user accounts’ two-factor authentication (2FA) method to be bypassed’ with the intention of gaining unauthorised access to the bank’s data.

The commission said the alleged offence contravened Section 387 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

In another count, the EFCC accused the defendant and Lorshe of dishonestly receiving N700 million belonging to Best Start Micro Finance Bank, despite allegedly having reason to believe that the funds were stolen property.

The alleged offence, according to the commission, contravened Sections 411 and 328(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

Osagiede pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, asked the court to fix a date for trial and urged the judge to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the hearing of his bail application.

Ogunjobi subsequently ordered that Osagiede be remanded in a correctional facility.

The judge adjourned the matter until September 16, 2026, for hearing of the defendant’s bail application.

The case adds to the growing number of financial crime prosecutions involving alleged exploitation of digital banking platforms and unauthorised access to financial systems.

The EFCC, in a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, its Head of Media and Publicity, said the defendant would remain in custody pending the determination of his bail application.