Category: Daily Trust

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqa Rabe Darma, has assured Nigerians that no critical records or customer data were lost in the fire incident that affected a section of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria’s (FMBN’s) headquarters in Abuja on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

The Minister gave the assurance on Tuesday during an inspection of the affected section of the Bank’s headquarters, where he received briefing from the Bank’s management and technical personnel on the incident, the extent of damage and measures taken to ensure continuity of operations.

He noted that the fire was contained within a section of the second floor of the building and disclosed that preliminary findings suggest it was most likely caused by an electrical fault, although investigations by relevant experts were still ongoing.

The Minister, however, emphasised that anyone found to have been negligent in the discharge of their duties, following the conclusion of ongoing investigations, would be held accountable.

He commended FMBN’s successful digital transformation, noting that the Bank’s cloud-based data backup system had safeguarded critical records and ensured uninterrupted access to customer information and operational documents despite the incident.

Assuring Nigerians that the Bank was fully operational, he said, ‘They have actually digitised their entire system, and the fire consumed only the paperwork that was there. I assure Nigerians that they should continue to patronise the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, revealed that Nigeria lost more than $500 million to cybercriminals in one year alone.

The anti-graft agency also disclosed the real reasons many public servants resort to corrupt practices, saying workers’ earnings cannot adequately meet their basic needs.

Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the EFCC, disclosed this at the headquarters of the commission in Abuja when the Managing Director of the Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORPS), Uzoma Nwagba, visited him.

Speaking during the visit, the EFCC boss linked the rising wave of cybercrime among young Nigerians to poverty and limited educational opportunities, saying such development necessitated the establishment of the NELFund.

He said, ‘In 2022 alone, we lost over $500 million to the activities of cyber criminals, most of whom are young people who are supposed to be in school. We are not just interested in sending them to jail.

‘When we interrogate some of them, they tell us, we want to go to school. We want to graduate with a certificate, but we cannot afford it. That was how the idea of NELFund came, and we said that we needed to support the Fund.’

Commenting on why public servants have a propensity for corrupt practices, he listed housing, transportation, education and feeding for children as some of the basic needs they can no longer meet.

He explained that if workers could access affordable mortgages and consumer loans repayable over a long period, the pressure to acquire wealth through illicit means would be greatly reduced.

At an age when many women are enjoying retirement and spending time with their grandchildren, 63-year-old Furera Muhammad has returned to the classroom to pursue the education she was denied as a child.

Furera, who attends an Islamic school alongside some of her grandchildren in Rigafada, Kano State, said she still regrets missing the opportunity to receive formal education during her childhood because girls of her generation were rarely encouraged to attend school.

‘I wish I had gone to school when I was young, not now with my grandchildren,’ she said, adding that she would likely have become a teacher if she had been given the chance to pursue formal education.

According to her, the lack of educational opportunities for girls during her childhood denied many women the chance to realise their potential and contribute more meaningfully to society.

Despite her age, she said her determination to acquire knowledge remains strong, expressing hope that her experience would inspire parents to prioritise the education of their daughters and encourage girls already in school to remain committed to their studies.

Furera spoke during a community engagement programme organised by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) in collaboration with the Ford Foundation under the Grannies Network for Change (G-NEC) project in Rigafada. The programme brought together 40 grandmothers to discuss their role in promoting girls’ education and preventing gender-based violence, particularly verbal abuse against women.

The G-NEC project seeks to harness the influence of grandmothers in multigenerational households to encourage positive social norms, promote girls’ access to education and reduce gender-based violence through community dialogue and culturally appropriate messaging.

The initiative is being implemented in selected communities across Kano and Jigawa states to improve awareness of girls’ education, reduce verbal abuse in homes and encourage families to create safer and more supportive environments for women and girls.

A Magistrate Court sitting in Life Camp, Abuja, has granted bail to one Idulu Ben Oche, who is standing trial over allegations of housebreaking, theft and criminal trespass.

The defendant was arraigned by the Nigeria Police on a three-count charge bordering on housebreaking, theft and criminal trespass, contrary to Sections 287, 347 and 353 of the Penal Code.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant alleged that on July 13, 2026, at about 12:48pm, he returned to his residence in Saburi, Dei-Dei, Abuja, after receiving information from a neighbour that someone had unlawfully entered his apartment.

The prosecution told the court that on getting home, the complainant discovered that his room had been ransacked and several household items, including a compressor valued at N35,000, were missing.

Police investigations subsequently led to the arrest of the defendant, who was allegedly found in possession of the complainant’s compressor.

When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Following his plea, the prosecution urged the court to fix a date for hearing, while defence counsel applied for bail.

In his ruling, the presiding magistrate admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of ?100,000 with one surety in like sum.

The court ordered that the surety must be a responsible person residing within the court’s jurisdiction and provide valid means of identification, proof of residence and evidence of employment.

The matter was adjourned until September 22, 2026, for hearing.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced plans to remodel and restore the abandoned Life Camp Recreational Park along the Jeremiah Useni Way of the territory into a world-class facility.

Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment of the park in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to expanding green spaces and delivering modern recreational facilities for residents of the nation’s capital.

The FCT Minister highlighted that the decision to revitalise the long-neglected Life Camp Park stems from the FCTA’s alignment with the First Lady’s vision to green urban centres and transform abandoned spaces into vibrant community hubs.

He cited the recent transformation of the Abuja City Gate, which was recently commissioned, as a successful benchmark of this vision.

He disclosed that the First Lady had earlier in the day presented the FCTA with a Certificate of Commendation for keying into the ‘Green Area Challenge’ initiative of the Renewed Hope Initiative.

‘You are aware today that the First Lady of the federation has given a commendation to the FCT Administration for keying into the Renewed Hope initiatives of the green area challenges-how we should be able to turn around our facilities to be recreation centres to make sure the environment is green.

‘We made a promise to her today that this award will motivate us to key in as agents of the Renewed Hope initiative. To showcase that we are serious about it, I promised that we are going to turn around the recreation centre at Life Camp, which has been abandoned,’ Wike said.

Expressing concern over years of neglect, the minister emphasised the natural beauty and prime topography of the site, promising that the area will be developed to match modern standards seen in advanced countries.

He said the remodelled Life Camp Recreational Park will feature modern sporting, relaxation, and aesthetic amenities designed to host family outdoor activities, daily fitness routines, and eco-friendly leisure.

The minister also disclosed that the project will be treated as an emergency, with a target completion timeframe of one year, ensuring that residents do not need to travel far for high-quality leisure.

He said the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, has been directed to invite Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and other leading construction firms to submit competing, world-class designs to ensure that FCT residents get the best.

Truck drivers operating along a key international trade corridor in Borno State have expressed frustration over the persistent burning of their vehicles by Boko Haram insurgents.

The truckers, who transport essential goods, including fish and livestock, between Maiduguri and border communities such as Monguno, Marte and Kukawa, said the attacks have devastated their livelihoods.

According to the leader of the drivers’ group, Abba Muhammad, the dangerous stretch begins between Merari and Gajiram villages.

‘They always intercept our trucks between Gajiram and Merari and burn them. More than 20 trailers and trucks have been burnt within two months,’ Muhammad told Daily Trust.

He said the attacks had intensified in recent days, adding that between Friday and Monday, five vehicles-three trailers and two trucks-were set ablaze.

Muhammad added that a prominent trailer owner, Alhaji Good Going, suffered heavy losses after two of his trailers were destroyed by insurgents within three days-on Saturday and Monday.

Another driver, Malam Ali Zaki, recounted how a truck loaded with dry fish and heading to Maiduguri was burnt by the attackers.

He added that his own commercial vehicle, purchased by his father after the family fled Doron Baga following previous Boko Haram attacks, was also destroyed.

The truckers called on security agencies to replicate the patrol strategy currently deployed along the Gwoza and Chibok roads on the volatile Monguno highway.

The Ondo State Police Command has intensified its campaign against illicit drug trafficking and related crimes with the arrest of three suspected drug dealers during a routine patrol in Akure, the state capital.

The command, in a press briefing on Sunday by its spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the operation was carried out by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Squad under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu.

According to the police, the operation forms part of sustained efforts to dismantle criminal networks whose activities are often linked to cultism, armed robbery, violent crimes and other threats to public safety.

The suspects were arrested on July 24, 2026, at about 2pm during a strategic confidence-building patrol within the Akure metropolis.

They were identified as Fisayo Adedamola (F), Adeola Oluwaseun (M) and Adeogun Olumide (M), who were allegedly involved in the distribution and sale of illicit drugs.

The police said a thorough search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of various substances and pharmaceutical products suspected to be illicit or abused drugs.

The recovered items included quantities of substances suspected to be cannabis, tramadol capsules, codeine syrup and Tutolin syrup.

The suspects were immediately taken into custody, while the recovered exhibits were secured as evidence.

The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has declined to engage with criticisms from the Presidency, saying Catholic bishops had already delivered their message to President Bola Tinubu and were only interested in whether their concerns would lead to improved governance.

Daily Trust had reported how the former Archbishop of Abuja accused President Tinubu’s administration of being determined to win the 2027 elections ‘by all means’.

He also warned that the resources available to the government could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.

But in a statement on Saturday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temotope Ajayi, described Onaiyekan’s action as an abuse of privilege.

Ajayi said there was something fundamentally inappropriate about Cardinal John Onaiyekan granting a television interview to offer his own account and interpretation of what transpired during the private meeting between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and President Bola Tinubu.

The exchange followed a meeting between the CBCN and President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on July 28, 2026, during which the bishops presented their assessment of the country’s economy and security situation.

However, speaking in an exclusive interview with Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Monday, Onaiyekan said the CBCN had no intention of engaging in a public exchange with government spokespersons over the meeting.

He said the bishops’ intervention was based on their moral responsibility to Nigerians.

Onaiyekan said, ‘We didn’t go there just as Catholic bishops pushing the Catholic agenda. No. We went there as people who are with the spiritual mandate to speak to anybody in the name of God.

‘I would not even answer that question. We have no response for them. We have spoken and the only response we are waiting for is whether it is affecting the way they are governing.

‘That some of the supporters of the government and the state and spokesperson may have their own idea about what they think they should be saying on behalf of their principal, is their business, not mine.

‘As for response to the things we are hearing, I don’t even have to say anything because the social media is full of response from Nigerian people and that for me is more than enough.’

He explained that the audience with President Tinubu was initiated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria after months of waiting for approval.

According to him, the meeting was neither intended as an evangelistic mission nor an attempt to advance the interests of the Catholic Church, but an opportunity to present the bishops’ concerns about governance and the welfare of Nigerians as part of their pastoral responsibility.

He added, ‘The Bishops visited President Tinubu last week and we requested an audience. It took some months before we were granted the audience and we prepared to see him, and the main reason we wanted to see him was not to go on an evangelical mission.

‘We didn’t go there to preach to him and try to see whether we could convert him to our Catholic Church, but we went there to share our views and thoughts about the government which he heads, hoping that our ideas will be taken into consideration, So that is what took us to the statehouse.’

Onaiyekan, however, expressed hope that the government would remain open to further engagement on issues affecting Nigerians.

The Cardinal said, ‘We are hoping that our meeting with the President or our dialogue with the government of Nigeria did not end with that visit.’

According to him, the bishops were still expecting the government to create another opportunity for a more detailed conversation.

He stated, ‘We are hoping that somehow, he will invite us, not necessarily to meet him, I mean President Tinubu, but at least to open up fairness for us to give more information, more concerns that we have, than we could give in the ten minutes talk that we gave to him.’

Onaiyekan maintained that the bishops had no partisan political ambitions and urged the government to focus on the substance of their message rather than the personalities behind it.

He said, ‘I have told you already that I am not even prepared to start engaging anybody. Don’t forget that I was not defending my thesis. The document was prepared by the bishops of Nigeria, and we are a big number, and it was passed unanimously.

‘We don’t have any political ambitions for anything. Even our church does not even allow us to get engaged in party politics. So, even if I wanted to be a presidential candidate, I can’t be.’

On the economy, Onaiyekan acknowledged the government’s emphasis on macroeconomic indicators but argued that improvements should ultimately be measured by the quality of life experienced by ordinary Nigerians.

He said, ‘If we admit that the role of government is the welfare of citizens, then it means we are not going to judge the success of our government on the basis of the statistics from GDP, from the World Bank, or whatever. The important thing is, what, how is the life of the Nigerian?’

An aspirant for the Kaduna South Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Yusuf Umar Garkuwa, has rejected the emergence of Rufai Ahmad Chanchangi as the party’s candidate, alleging that no valid primary election was conducted.

Garkuwa, in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, said the publication of Chanchangi’s name by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ‘came as a surprise to many party members, supporters and seven other aspirants.

‘We reject this outcome because no valid primary election was conducted to produce a candidate in accordance with the Constitution of our party and the Electoral Act,’ he said.

The aspirant insisted that his objection was not borne out of personal differences but was aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the party.

‘Our position is straightforward. This is not about personalities or political rivalry. It is about protecting the integrity of our party and ensuring that no one emerges as the flag bearer of the African Democratic Congress without following the constitutional process laid down by the party and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ he stated.

According to him, the emergence of the candidate did not reflect the wishes of ADC members and delegates in Kaduna South Federal Constituency.

Garkuwa disclosed that he had approached a court to challenge the process, expressing confidence that the judiciary would determine the matter in line with the law.

‘For this reason, we have approached a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge the process and seek appropriate judicial reliefs. We are confident that the court will uphold the Constitution, protect the rule of law, and ensure that justice is done,’ he said.

He urged members of the party to remain committed to democratic principles, saying Nigerians expected political parties to offer credible alternatives.

‘As democrats, we must continue to stand for democracy, not autocracy. Nigerians are looking to political parties for a genuine alternative. They deserve leaders who respect due process and institutions, not leaders who ask others to obey rules they are unwilling to obey themselves,’ he said.

The aspirant maintained that the legal action was not intended to create divisions within the party but to ensure that its constitution was respected.

‘I wish to assure every supporter that this legal action is not intended to divide our party. It is a lawful effort to protect its integrity and ensure that its constitution is respected. Strong political parties are built on rules, not on individuals,’ he added.

He also appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful while the court considers the case.

‘I therefore urge all our supporters to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and respectful throughout this process. Let no one be provoked into violence or any action capable of disrupting public peace. Our confidence is in the judiciary, and we shall allow the courts to determine this matter,’ Garkuwa said.

He further assured residents of Kaduna South Federal Constituency of his commitment to pursuing the matter through legal means.

‘Our struggle is not against any individual; it is for justice, fairness, and the preservation of democratic values,’ he said.

Gunmen on Sunday night killed a former councillor, Daniel Danjuma Chong, during an attack on Rim village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Sources said the deceased was a former councillor representing Rim Ward in the local government area.

The spokesperson of the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers invaded the village at about 10:45pm.

Narrating the incident, Tengwong said: ‘The Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), under the leadership of its National President, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, is saddened by another round of last night’s terror attack that claimed the life of a former legislator in Riyom Local Government Area, and we condemn it in its entirety.

‘According to local sources in Torok, Rim community, Riyom Local Government Area, Hon. Daniel Danjuma Chong, popularly known as Hon. Star, a former councillor representing Rim Ward, was shot dead by suspected armed bandits and their collaborators who invaded the village at about 10:45pm on August 2, 2026.’

The group further alleged that the attackers, who reportedly came from Kess, popularly known as Bangai-Fulani, invaded the community and opened fire indiscriminately before fleeing.

While condoling with the family of the deceased and the people of Torok community, the group called on security agencies and the Plateau State Government to ensure the perpetrators are arrested and brought to justice.

It described the continued killing of innocent citizens as unacceptable, insisting that those responsible must be held accountable.

The spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, DSP Alabo Alfred, had yet to respond to enquiries from our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

Standard Chartered has reported a record financial performance for the first half of 2026, driven by strong growth in its Wealth Solutions and Global Banking businesses, while raising its income outlook for the full year.

The international banking group recorded operating income of $11.6 billion, its highest ever for the first half, while profit before tax increased 9% to $4.8 billion. Earnings per share also rose 17%, reflecting sustained business momentum across its international markets.

Group Chief Executive, Bill Winters, attributed the performance to the bank’s diversified international network and consistent execution of its strategy.

‘We delivered a record first-half performance in 2026, with double-digit growth in Wealth Solutions and Global Banking. Our performance demonstrates the strength of our differentiated international network and the disciplined execution of our strategy. Clients continue to turn to us to facilitate trade, investment and wealth flows across the world’s most dynamic markets,’ he said.

Winters added that the bank’s improved earnings outlook and a new $1 billion share buyback programme demonstrate confidence in its growth prospects.

Group Chief Financial Officer, Manus Costello, said the bank remains focused on delivering sustainable long-term growth through continued investment in its operations.

‘We are continuing to invest in building a simpler, faster and more connected bank while remaining disciplined on costs and capital. These strengths give us confidence in our ability to deliver exceptional growth and sustainably higher returns,’ he said.

Standard Chartered maintained a strong capital position during the period, reporting a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 14.2%.

The Board also approved an interim dividend of 20.4 cents per share, representing a 66% increase compared with the same period last year.

Following the strong first-half results, the bank upgraded its guidance for 2026 and now expects operating income growth to be around the middle of its 5-7% target range at constant currency.

The lender said the improved outlook reflects continued momentum across its businesses and confidence in delivering sustainable earnings growth over the remainder of the year.