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Suspected Abia drug kingpin arrested, remanded in prison

A 49-year-old alleged drug kingpin in Abia State identified as Chukwudi Eguzouwa has been remanded in prison following his arrest and arraignment in court by the police.

The alleged drug kingpin was arrested in Ahiaba-Ubi, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of the state, the spokesperson for Abia command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, disclosed in a statement issued in Umuahia to newsmen on Wednesday.

The Police spokesperson said Eguzouwa arrested ‘for being a notorious dealer in hard drugs and psychotropic substances’.

She explained that bags, containing substances suspected to be marijuana, ‘Scottish Loud,’ methamphetamine, cocaine, and other hard drugs, were found on him during a raid of a hideout in the area.

According to her, Eguzouwa’s arrest followed the directive of the state Commissioner of Police, on intelligence-led raids to ensure the state becomes free of criminal hideouts.

‘The operatives of the Violent Response Unit, Anti-Cultism Unit, acting on actionable intelligence, on September 18, carried out a raid on criminal hideouts in the area.

‘During the operation, the above-mentioned suspect, known as a notorious drug dealer within the community, was apprehended.

‘Upon conclusion of investigations on Tuesday, September 22, the suspect was arraigned and remanded in a correctional facility,’ she added.

She stated that the state Police Commissioner, Mr Wilfred Afolabi, warned criminal elements to shun unlawful activities or face the full weight of the law.

Climate Change: 32m W/Africans may become refugees by 2050 – ECOWAS

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says 32 million people risk being displaced from their communities due to the ravaging effects of climate change currently confronting the sub-region.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Gen. Birame Diop, disclosed this at the Second 2026 Parliamentary Seminar of the ECOWAS Parliament on Tuesday in Accra, Ghana.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the week-long event has ‘Climate Change as A Driver of Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Rising Insecurity’ as its theme.

The seminar is aimed at enabling regional parliamentarians, experts and other stakeholders to interrogate the link between climate change, population displacement and rising insecurity in West Africa.

Diop warned that the combined effects of climate change, environmental degradation and insecurity could push the number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the sub-region to about 32 million by 2050.

Citing World Bank projections, the commission’s president said women and children accounted for about 80 per cent of the figure.

Represented by Prof. Nassirou Bako-Arifari, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Diop identified climate financing as a major challenge confronting the sub-region, adding that ‘West Africa requires about 294 billion dollars to tackle the crisis of climate change.’

The president said since 2024, ECOWAS had been working towards establishing a regional carbon market platform under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to help mobilise investment for climate action.

He recalled that in 2024 alone, about two million West Africans were displaced by climate-related natural disasters.

He said more than seven million people were affected by flooding alone during the same period, resulting in the destruction of homes, roads, schools, health facilities, farms and other critical infrastructure.

Diop also disclosed that between 2025 and 2026, more than 12 million people were displaced internally across West and Central Africa due to the combined effects of climate change, insecurity and other vulnerabilities.

He, therefore, appealed to member states to adopt a comprehensive regional approach to climate resilience and human security, instead of fragmented responses.

He added that ‘climate change is not simply an environmental issue. It is a development issue, a humanitarian issue, a peace and security issue, and ultimately an issue of human survival and regional stability.

‘We must be proactive and invest in resilience before crises occur. We must protect ecosystems, create livelihoods and address grievances before they escalate into conflict.’

He also appealed to the regional parliamentarians to strengthen climate-responsive legislation and oversight.

Diop urged them to prioritise climate financing, improve early-warning and early-action systems, and promote sustainable management of land, water, forests and fisheries.

He further appealed to the governments of Member States to prioritise women and youths in their climate-resilience efforts, describing them as innovators, entrepreneurs, community leaders and agents of resilience.

StanChart and Absa lose grip as homegrown lenders gainStanChart and Absa lose grip as homegrown lenders gain

Multinational banks operating in Kenya have failed to keep pace with the rapid expansion of their homegrown rivals, resulting in a loss of market share that has seen Standard Chartered Bank Kenya drop off the list of tier one lenders.

Newly published data by the Central bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that locally homegrown institutions such as KCB Bank Kenya and Equity Bank Kenya have progressively claimed a larger share of the market as measured through net assets, customer deposits, loan book, deposit and loan accounts and shareholder equity.

Stanchart and Absa Bank Kenya, which are majority owned by UK multinational Standard Chartered Plc and South African lender Absa Group respectively, have seen their share of the market fall over the past seven years, pointing to slower growth in assets and deposits compared to the local lenders.

The most marked decline has been on Stanchart, whose market share fell from 6.37 percent in 2019 to 4.5 percent in 2025, resulting in its drop into the second tier of banks. In 2019, the lender was ranked sixth in size in the market, but has since then been overtaken by DTB, I and M Bank and Stanbic Bank.

Absa’s market share dropped from 6.8 percent to 6.4 percent over the seven years, although the bank maintained its position as the country’s fifth largest lender by market size. Stanbic, which is controlled by South Africa’s Standard Bank Group, expanded its market share from 5.64 percent to 5.8 percent in the period.

CBK segregates the banking tiers based on a market size index, with the top tier comprising those with a share of five percent or more.

Tier two or medium sized banks have a market share of between one and five percent, while those with a share below one percent each are classified as tier three or small banks.

The market is dominated by the large banks in terms of assets and profits, but this was dented last year by the movement of Stanchart into the tier two group. Sidian Bank also crossed into the medium size peer group from tier three, after doubling its market share from 0.53 percent to 1.1 percent within the space of 12 months.

‘Banks in the large peer group decreased their combined market share to 69.7 percent in December 2025 from 75.6 percent in December 2024 due to the exit of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya from large to medium peer group,’ said the CBK in its bank supervision report of 2025 that was published on Wednesday.

KCB led the banking sector with a market share of 17.3 percent as at December 2025, followed by Equity and Co-operative Bank of Kenya at 11.8 percent and 9.4 percent respectively.

KCB’s share has expanded from 13.89 percent in 2019 and Equity’s from 10.24 percent, deepening their hold on the market within a period in which their respective balance sheets have risen above the Sh1 trillion mark.

KCB grew its net assets from Sh674.3 billion in 2019 to Sh1.49 trillion in 2025 while Equity’s net assets doubled from Sh507.5 million to Sh1.04 trillion over the same period.

In contrast, Stanchart’s net assets grew by only a fifth to Sh364.5 billion from Sh302.3 billion.

Absa’s net assets meanwhile rose from Sh374.1 billion to Sh536.7 billion, a growth of 43.5 percent.

The faster expansion of the local lenders has partly drawn from their investment in digital and physical outlets to gather larger volumes of deposits and hand out more loans, in contrast to the more conservative approach of the multinationals.

Multinational lenders have also been more willing to distribute a larger share of their profits as dividends to their shareholders, while the likes of KCB and Equity have withheld more to fund growth.

In the financial year ended December 2025, Stanchart distributed Sh11.71 billion in dividends at a rate of Sh31 per share, which was equivalent to 94 percent of its net profit of Sh12.44 billion in the period.

Absa paid out 49 percent of its net profit of Sh22.9 billion to shareholders as dividends, equivalent to Sh11.14 billion, while Stanbic paid out 64 percent or Sh8.8 billion out of its net earnings of Sh13.72 billion.

KCB, at group level, meanwhile distributed 34 percent of its net profit, translating to a payout of Sh22.49 billion against net earnings of Sh66.82 billion. Equity Group had a payout ratio of 30 percent after distributing Sh21.7 billion from its net profit of Sh71.96 billion in 2025

Compounded over a number of years, the retained profits for the lenders give them a sizable capital war chest with which to lend more to customers and government, and also to fund regional expansion that further bolsters the bottom line.

Jonvic Remulla admits error on Harry Roque’s asylum status

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla admitted he was mistaken regarding his previous claims that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s asylum application had been denied.

In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, September 22, Remulla said that Roque’s status is currently “in limbo.’

‘I was wrong…status now is in limbo,’ Remulla said.

According to Remulla, while a decision on an asylum application is normally handed down within six months, Roque’s case remains unresolved despite nine months having passed since he applied.

‘In his case, it’s neither denied nor accepted. So under the eyes of the law, he still does not have asylum,’ Remulla said.

(In his case, it is neither denied nor accepted. So in the eyes of the law, he still does not have asylum.)

Remulla also said they are assessing whether an individual granted asylum would be immune from an Interpol red notice.

‘We think that there is no reason not to bring him in,’ he said.

On September 15, Remulla claimed that Roque’s asylum bid had been denied, which was disputed by the former human rights lawyer.

Roque is currently facing non-bailable qualified human trafficking charges tied to the raided Lucky South 99 POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, and remains in Austria, where he is seeking asylum.

An Angeles City court ordered his arrest in May 2025, following his undocumented departure from the Philippines in 2024 as law enforcement began hunting for him.

Banking reforms need public trust to deliver gains, says CIBN

Nigeria’s banking sector recapitalisation and other economic reforms require stronger public understanding and trust to deliver their intended gains, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has said.

The Institute said effective communication of reforms was critical to ensuring that Nigerians understood their purpose, implementation and expected outcomes, particularly as the country continues to implement changes across the banking, taxation and financial technology sectors.

Akin Morakinyo, registrar/chief executive of CIBN, stated this in a goodwill message at the annual conference of the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) in Lagos.

The conference, themed ‘Building on the Gains of Recapitalization, Tax Reforms and the Fintech Revolution,’ brought together financial journalists, banking professionals, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss developments shaping Nigeria’s financial and economic landscape.

Morakinyo said the media had a strategic role to play in ensuring that the gains of the reforms were sustained by providing accurate, timely and responsible reporting that could bridge the information gap between policymakers, financial institutions, businesses and the public.

He said reforms would have limited impact if the public was not adequately informed about their objectives and implications.

‘Whatever you have and you do not use is of no use. When you talk of reforms, the topic of this conference will be worthless without your role,’ he said.

The CIBN chief executive described the media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, stressing that its role extended beyond reporting events to influencing public understanding and shaping societal conversations.

‘We refer to the press, the media as the Fourth Estate of the Realm, not for saying sake but because of the power the press has. So my admonition on this auspicious occasion is to encourage us to keep that agenda flying,’ Morakinyo stated.

He also referenced the Agenda-Setting Theory of communication, which highlights the ability of the media to determine the issues that receive public attention and influence the direction of societal discourse.

Morakinyo therefore urged financial journalists to deploy their professional influence responsibly in reporting the far-reaching reforms taking place in the banking, taxation and technology sectors.

He said specialised financial reporting was particularly important in helping Nigerians understand the implications of economic policies while also providing policymakers and industry stakeholders with feedback from the public and business community.

‘My appeal to us is that as Nigerians, we have nowhere else to fall back on. No place is like home. As we travel outside this country, after spending two or three weeks, what are you eager to do? To go back home,’ he added.

Morakinyo also congratulated FICAN on its 36th anniversary, describing the milestone as evidence of the association’s resilience, continuity and relevance in Nigeria’s financial journalism landscape.

‘Thirty-six years is no mean feat. A child born in 1990 is already a parent,’ he remarked.

He said CIBN was pleased to identify with FICAN because of the influence wielded by its members and the contribution of financial journalism to national development.

Morakinyo explained that his decision to attend the conference personally demonstrated CIBN’s support for the association, particularly as FICAN transitioned to a new leadership.

He encouraged the incoming leadership and members of the association to build on the achievements of their predecessors while maintaining high standards of professionalism, accuracy and responsible journalism.

The CIBN’s position comes as Nigeria continues to implement reforms aimed at strengthening the banking sector, improving tax administration and accelerating digital financial innovation.

The Institute maintained that sustained collaboration among financial institutions, regulators, policymakers and the media would be important to ensuring that reform initiatives translate into greater economic understanding, confidence and inclusive development.

JAMAICA-REPARATORY-Jamaica awaiting word from Privy Council on petition

The Jamaica government says it is awaiting the ‘next steps’ from the London-based Privy Council after Kingston announced that Britain’s King Charles had referred its landmark slavery reparation petition to the country’s highest and final court.

‘We are awaiting directions from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as to the next steps to be taken in the case. We will keep the Cabinet and the Parliament updated on the developments,’ Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange told the Parliament on Tuesday.

She told legislators that the British had confirmed that Jamaica’s legal questions have been passed on to the Privy Council.

‘The King could have ignored us. The King could have delayed responding to us. The King could have made a decision not to refer the questions to the privy council, or he could make a decision to refer the questions,’ she said, adding ‘King Charles has referred the petition filed on the 7th of September, 2026, on behalf of the people of Jamaica to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

‘Indeed we went fearless and boldly into this chapter when we petitioned the King on Monday, September 7, 2026 – one day after the 245th anniversary of the commemoration of the Zong massacre, an event that captures the barbarity of chattel enslavement,’ Grange told legislators.

The petition seeks guidance on three questions: whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful; whether it constituted a crime against humanity; and whether Britain is under an obligation to provide restitution for slavery and its enduring consequences.

United Kingdom-based lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, who helped to formulate the petition as part of a team of eminent Jamaican and UK lawyers, said ‘the petition simply asks the King to refer certain points of real importance to the Privy Council for their determination.

‘There’s a special jurisdiction under section four of the Judicial Committee Act for the King to refer an issue of legal or constitutional importance to the Privy Council, for their determination…Any matter of legal or constitutional nature can be referred that cannot be determined through the ordinary judicial process. And this is obviously one of those issues,’ Fitzgerald added.

Jamaica had activated a rarely used mechanism in the Judicial Committee Act 1833, which allows the King to refer questions of ‘legal or constitutional nature’ to the privy council when they cannot be resolved through ordinary courts.

Grange said that Jamaica had decided on this route given that it did not regard going to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as an option.

‘The United Kingdom has placed specific reservations on the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ which prevent the Court from adjudicating on disputes between the United Kingdom and the government of any other country which is or has been a Member of the Commonwealth’.

Legal observers say that a Privy Council opinion would not compel the United Kingdom to pay reparations, but that it could shape negotiations and legal options and set a precedent for other Commonwealth countries seeking reparations.

Grange reminded legislators that the filing of the petition was in keeping with the instructions of the House that ‘Jamaica should pursue reparations in the name of our African ancestors who endured hundreds of years of enslavement on this island, and in the name of the people of Jamaica.

‘We have chosen to pursue a legal pathway. A matter such as this might have been considered by the International Court of Justice. However, our advice is that Jamaica is prevented from commencing inter-state litigation against the United Kingdom before the International Court of Justice’.

Grange said that London has placed specific reservations on the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ which prevent the Court from adjudicating on disputes between the United Kingdom and the government of any other country which is or has been a Member of the Commonwealth.

Grange said that she had also noted some of the criticism that followed the petition.

‘We see that commentators have taken issue with the term petition, suggesting that we are going to the King on our knees. It’s simply the name of the process which is really a right to ask the King, the Head of State, to take some action on behalf of the people of Jamaica,’ she said.

Lord Jonathan Sumption, a former judge of the Privy Council, had also dismissed the strategy as ‘nonsense’.

Lord Sumption said that Jamaica is actively taking advantage of a Britain that is ‘riven by self-doubt and guilt’ and ‘no longer confident in itself’ in order to extract a massive financial payout.

But the Deputy Chairman of the National Council on Reparations, Bert Samuels, said Jamaica has an ‘enormously strong’ case and dismissed Sumption’s arguments as ‘grossly inappropriate for any lawyer or judge who has not read the petition to comment on the petition.

‘Why didn’t he check with us to hear our view and distill our view and give his informed opinion? I think his bias has outweighed his common sense,’ said Samuels, who describes himself as a Pan-Africanist lawyer.

Grange said that the ancestors who survived the Middle Passage and were taken to Jamaica endured the most horrific experience.

‘Their status as human beings was denied. They were categorised as chattel, which means property that was bought, sold, and branded with hot irons to signify them as belonging to specific enslavers.

‘They were abused with impunity – men, women, girls, and boys. They were raped. They were made to breed. They were forced to work for free. This went on everyday for hundreds of years. It was the gravest crime against humanity.’

Grange said it was not enough for the leaders of countries that enslaved our ancestors to regret the suffering that slavery inflicted and to say to us let’s build a new future.

‘They credit themselves with ending slavery without consideration of the successful struggle for freedom by the ancestors themselves including great heroes such as the Right Excellent Nanny of the Maroons, the Right Excellent Sam Sharpe, Tacky, Kojo, Accompong, and many others. Must we congratulate the arsonist for putting out the fire?’

Ex-BFP chief pleads not guilty to indirect bribery raps

Former Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief Jesus Fernandez on Tuesday pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on one of his two indirect bribery cases before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division.

The information was relayed to the Inquirer by his lawyer, Jhufel Brañanola, in a text message. Fernandez is charged with receiving P10.7 million, part of the supposed P14.752-million bribe from Rosaverna Sangga in connection with the BFP’s procurement of 132 ambulances worth P485 million last year.

Sangga, the representative of a company that entered into an agreement with the BFP, allegedly handed over P10.752 million to Fernandez on Nov. 21, 2024, followed by P4 million on Sept. 25, 2025.

Aside from indirect bribery, the former BFP chief also faces two counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan Second Division over the same allegation.

During his recent arraignment for one of the graft cases, he also pleaded not guilty. The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Fernandez from government service on Sept. 3, although his lawyer said he has filed a motion for reconsideration.

HAITI-POLITICS-Antigua and Barbuda supports Haiti calling for renewal and deployment of GSF

Antigua and Barbuda Wednesday joined Haiti in urging the Organization of American States (OAS) to call for the renewal and full deployment of the Gang Suppression Force(GSF) in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The GSF is a United Nations-authorised multinational security and police mission deployed to Haiti to conduct intelligence-led operations, neutralize armed gangs, secure critical infrastructure, and support humanitarian access as the country moves towards holding presidential and legislative elections on December 13.

Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador to the OAS, Sir Ronald Sanders in joining the Haitian ambassador, Jean Josué Pierre, made the appeal in a Joint Statement as the United Nations Security Council prepares to consider renewal of the 5,500 GSF’s mandate before the end of September.

Sir Ronald, who is Dean of the OAS Corps of Ambassadors, said the central purpose of the proposed statement was ‘clear and urgent.

‘We call upon the United Nations Security Council to renew the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force, and upon the international community to ensure its full and consistent deployment,’ he said, cautioning that renewal of the mandate would achieve little unless governments honoured their commitments of personnel, financing, equipment and logistical support.

‘A force authorised on paper but deprived of the resources necessary to fulfil its mandate cannot deliver the security that the Haitian people desperately need. Words of support must now be matched by the resources and resolve that can turn solidarity into security,’ Sanders added.

The proposed Joint Statement calls for the GSF to support the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti in restoring lawful state authority in gang-controlled areas, securing the airport and port, reopening vital transport routes and protecting the population.

It also calls for stronger international action to stop the illicit flow of arms and ammunition into Haiti, disrupt the financial and supply networks sustaining the gangs, and identify, expose and bring to justice those who finance, arm or otherwise enable them.

‘Security must create the space in which constitutional and democratic government can be restored.It must also permit humanitarian assistance, economic recovery and opportunity for Haiti’s young people.

‘Haiti is asking us to help create the conditions in which the Haitian people can reclaim their future for themselves. Let us call with one voice for renewal of the mandate, full deployment of the Force and fulfilment of the commitments made to Haiti,’ Sir Ronald added.

Miss Universe Cambodia team admits error with Thai photos

The organisers of the Miss Universe Cambodia pageant have acknowledged their use of Thai historical photographs, saying the mistake was unintentional and resulted from ‘insufficient verification’ of the original sources.

The clarification on Wednesday came after the Thai Ministry of Culture sent a warning letter to the pageant organisers on Monday, demanding an apology and correction over its use of Thai photographs to showcase Cambodian traditional clothing.

One of the photographs showed seven Thai women in Kamphaeng Phet province in 1906, during the reign of King Chulalongkorn.

The photograph was part of a collection of glass-plate negatives and preserved at the Phra Vajirayana Royal Library. The collection was inscribed on Unesco’s Memory of the World International Register in 2017.

The Cambodian statement, signed by the pageant’s national director Prasat Davin, said the incorrect presentation was unintentional and resulted from ‘insufficient verification of the original sources of those images’.

‘We would like to emphasise that there was no intention to cause misunderstanding, controversy or offend the feelings of any member of the public, whether nationally or internationally,’ it said.

The statement, issued in both Khmer and English, said the sole purpose was to highlight the traditional ‘Sbai’ garment.

However, it made no mention of Thais or Thailand, and did not explicitly apologise for the mixup.

The team said it accepted the feedback and criticism, describing the incident as a ‘valuable learning experience’ that would encourage it to strengthen its verification procedures in the future.

President Ilham Aliyev received newly appointed ambassador of Estonia to Azerbaijan

On September 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Tiina Nirk, the newly appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to Azerbaijan.

The ambassador presented her credentials to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev then held a conversation with the ambassador.

The head of state stressed the importance of reciprocal visits and contacts at various levels in expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Estonia.

Welcoming the development of Azerbaijan-European Union relations, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted this year’s visits to Azerbaijan by President of the European Council António Costa, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Tiina Nirk, who said she was honored to have been appointed Estonia’s first ambassador to Azerbaijan, emphasized that she would spare no effort to further develop relations between the two countries, as well as between Azerbaijan and the European Union.

Noting Azerbaijan’s important position along the Middle Corridor, the ambassador pointed to the strong potential for expanding partnership in many areas, including political dialogue, business, information technology, logistics, and other fields.

Tiina Nirk also highlighted broad opportunities for cooperation in education, noting that around 200 Azerbaijani students are currently studying in Estonia.

The ambassador also commended Azerbaijan’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

During the meeting, it was underlined that the opening of the Embassy of Estonia in Azerbaijan would make an important contribution to further developing bilateral relations. The sides also addressed the activities of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic and Trade Cooperation and discussed issues of mutual interest.