Category: Nigerian Tribune

itel, the technology empowerment brand for masses, officially unveiled its new product A300+, brand’s first interactive dual-screen smartphone in its price range. itel A300+ comes with a comprehensive set of features – a 7000mAh marathon battery, IP65 military-grade durability, and satellite communication capability, demonstrating that innovation and complete product strength can coexist at an accessible price point.

A First-of-Its-Kind Rear Screen Experience: Interactive Innovation for a New Generation

itel A300+ coming with an interactive rear display is a rare feature in this price category, designed to deliver a smart entertainment experience for young generations. Far from being a cosmetic gimmick, the rear screen provides practical functions built around real everyday scenarios. Users can frame selfies using the higher-quality rear camera with a live preview on the back screen, glance at incoming messages and alerts without waking the main display, and play, pause, or skip tracks directly from the rear screen. The rear display also supports customizable clocks, photos, and designs, giving users a personal window to express their individual style. Complementing the rear screen, the A300+ features a 6.78-inch immersive punch-hole main display, offering a cleaner, more expansive viewing experience for streaming, gaming, browsing, and social media.

Performance and Value in Balance: Delivering Fresh Technology Despite Industry Pressure

Even amid rising industry costs, itel has chosen to bring fresh technology to its products while continuously improving performance and keeping pricing accessible. The A300+ is powered by a 7000mAh marathon battery engineered for long-term reliability, supporting up to 1,200 charging cycles – far exceeding the industry standard, and designed to retain healthy capacity. AI Charging Protection intelligently manages charging patterns to reduce battery degradation, while Smart Power Management optimizes power consumption across apps and hardware to extend usage time between charges.

The device also features 300% ultra-volume DTS stereo speakers, delivering rich, room-filling sound for music, videos, FM radio, and everyday entertainment. Built to withstand daily life and beyond, the A300+ carries IP65 water and dust resistance certification and meets military-grade durability standards, resisting splashes, dust, and accidental drops. Notably, the A300+ includes satellite communication capability, ensuring users can still send basic messages via satellite when cellular networks are unavailable – a safety net in remote areas, during natural disasters, or in other critical situations, setting it apart in its price segment.

The A300+ is built on a clear product philosophy, rather than relying on a single headline feature, it combines its key strengths into one complete product story. The rear screen captures attention first, while battery life, durability, and practical usability make the overall value proposition convincing. With the A300+, itel once again demonstrates its commitment to using innovation to meet the needs and desire for novelty among young users in emerging markets.

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday has reaffirmed that the Agency is working to ensure that the banking system in the country remains safe, sound and resilient.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, Sunday said ‘over three decades, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has remained a critical pillar of Nigeria’s financial safety-net architecture.

‘Through our mandate of deposit guarantee, bank supervision in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria, failure resolution and bank liquidation, the NDIC has worked to ensure that the banking system remains safe, sound and resilient.

‘These responsibilities have direct bearing on the resilience of the nation’s economy as every thriving business needs a trusted financial system that can safeguard its working capital, facilitate payments and support access to credit for investment and expansion. This is where the NDIC comes in’.

He explained that to ‘strengthen confidence in the banking system, the Corporation enhanced its deposit insurance coverage in 2024 with the maximum insured limit increased to ?5 million per depositor per Deposit Money Bank (DMB) and Mobile Money Operator (MMO), and ?2 million per depositor per Microfinance Bank (MFB), Primary Mortgage Bank (PMB) and Payment Service Bank (PSB).

‘This significant enhancement provides full coverage for over 98 percent of depositors across the insured institutions, thereby protecting households, small businesses and other vulnerable depositors from the immediate consequences of bank failure.

‘For depositors whose balances exceed the insured limits, the NDIC continues to pay liquidation dividends from recoveries realised through the recovery of debts owed to the failed institutions as well as the disposal of their physical assets. Our objective is straightforward: no depositor should lose confidence in the banking system merely because an insured institution has failed.

‘We are also transforming the way depositors are reimbursed. Through the deployment of technology, including the Bank Verification Number (BVN), Single Customer View (SCV), NIBSS infrastructure and other digital solutions, the Corporation has moved from cumbersome, manual processes towards faster and seamless reimbursement. Today, verified depositors of failed banks receive their insured deposits within days of bank closure’.

The MD reiterated that the NDIC has positioned itself to serve as not merely a payer of claims after bank failure, but as a Risk Minimizer. ‘One that identifies vulnerabilities early, strengthens safeguards and works to prevent institutional problems from escalating into systemic crises.

‘Accordingly, the Corporation has continued to re-set and strengthen its institutional framework in line with global best practices. These initiatives include the deployment of Risk-Based Supervision (RBS), an enhanced Differential Premium Assessment System (DPAS), the Single Customer View (SCV) Framework, a full Distress Resolution suites, and the Bank Liquidation Management System (BLMS), alongside stronger inter-agency collaboration, particularly with the Central Bank of Nigeria and other members of the financial safety net architecture.

‘It is against this backdrop that I wish to seize this opportunity to make a simple but important appeal to Nigerians. Please, keep your money in licensed and regulated financial institutions.

‘There are still Nigerians who keep substantial funds outside the formal banking system or entrust their savings to unlicensed fund managers, attracted by promises of extraordinary and unrealistic returns. Please note that the consequences of this can be devastating.

‘The proliferation and collapse of Ponzi schemes have demonstrated, time and again, the enormous financial and emotional cost of placing hard-earned resources in unregulated schemes. If an investment promise sounds too good to be true, Nigerians should pause, ask questions and verify before committing their money’ he stated.

Sunday therefore encouraged businesses and members of the public to strengthen their financial literacy, embrace digital financial services responsibly, maintain sound financial practices and engage with relevant regulatory institutions whenever they require guidance. ‘The more informed the public becomes, the stronger our collective capacity to build a resilient financial system’.

The bid by the member of the House of Representatives representing Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency of Gombe State, Ali Isa JC, to return to the House has suffered a temporary setback as a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe on Wednesday nullified the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election which produced him as the party’s candidate.

In a ruling delivered by Justice Vera E. Ibrahim, the court ordered the APC to conduct a fresh primary election within 30 days and barred Ali Isa JC, a former Chief Whip of the House, from participating in the rerun.

The court held that Ali Isa JC was not eligible to contest the primary because his name was not contained in the APC membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the period prescribed by law.

The court found that Ali Isa joined the APC 16 days before the party’s primary election held on 16 May 2026, and that there was no evidence before it establishing that his name was included in the membership register submitted to INEC 21 days before the primary, as required under Section 77 of the Electoral Act.

Justice Vera Ibrahim further said the issue before the court was not merely whether Ali Isa was a member of the APC, but whether the party complied with the statutory requirements governing the submission of its membership register to INEC.

The court consequently nullified the primary that produced him as the APC candidate and directed the party to conduct a fresh primary in accordance with the law.

Ali Isa, who was elected to the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), served as Minority Whip before defecting to the APC shortly before the party’s primary.

He subsequently emerged as the APC candidate for the Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency.

The legal challenge was instituted by Alfred John Atajiri, who approached the court after Ali Isa was declared the winner of the APC primary.

Alfred Atajiri had argued that Ali Isa was not a valid member of the APC at the time of the primary and therefore lacked the qualification to participate in the election.

Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Alfred Atajiri, Mr Ibrahim Aliyu Nassarawa, welcomed the decision, saying it was consistent with the reliefs sought by his client.

The judgment has now paved the way for a fresh APC primary to select the party’s candidate for the Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency, subject to any appeal arising from the decision.

Efforts to get the reaction of Ali Isa JC failed, as he could not be reached as of the time of filing this report. Neither could any of his legislative aides be reached.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade I, has called on politicians to eschew primordial sentiments and be more pragmatic in finding solutions to the myriad of problems confronting the country.

The monarch said national growth and development depend largely on justice, moral worth, responsibility, conscientiousness, devotion to duty, selflessness, probity and honesty exhibited by both leaders and the led.

Oba Owoade gave the charge in a statement to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, released by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, on Tuesday.

According to the monarch, a nation’s value system is sacred and extends beyond its boundaries, noting that all nations are proud of their value systems just as individuals are proud of their upbringing and character.

‘It is assumed that a nation’s value system is sacred and could extend beyond that nation’s boundaries. All nations are supposed to be proud of their value systems, just as a person is proud of his or her upbringing and character and would try to impress that behaviour and beliefs on others. Basic values are traditional and historic, reflecting aspects of the experience that each nation went through since its inception as a national unity,’ he said.

The first-class monarch stressed that politicians must close ranks and logically brainstorm to arrive at an in-depth and coherent understanding of the contending state-building issues in the country.

Tracing Nigeria’s history, Oba Owoade noted that the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates in 1914 brought together peoples of diverse historical and cultural backgrounds into one political space to chart a new future.

‘Despite this obvious challenge of diversity, the commitment of the colonial government towards ensuring the unity was demonstrated in a number of policies aimed at fostering cultural, political, social and economic ties among the various groups in the new nation.

‘Thus, from the time of amalgamation of the two protectorates with the colony of Lagos, till the period of regional administrations, Nigeria became committed to a united federation. Its commitment arose from its acceptance of federalism as a particular kind of functional arrangement between diverse communities for living together and working together nationally whilst preserving a measure of separate entity.’

He added that the quantum of unification and quality of unity achieved in the First Republic were evident in the provision of education, solid infrastructure, gainful employment, social welfare programmes and sound healthcare delivery by nationalists such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Sardauna of Sokoto.

Alaafin further argued that traditional institutions must be preserved and constitutionally recognised, saying that if Britain, which colonised Nigeria and introduced liberal democracy, still preserves its traditional institution by making the King the ceremonial head of state with powers over the British Armed Forces, there is no justifiable reason to throw traditional rulers in Nigeria into the dustbin of modern politics and governance.

According to him, since citizens, who are the major determiners of the success or otherwise of democratic and development programmes, are under the traditional influence of Obas, the position of traditional rulers as potent mobilisers, advisers, mediators, facilitators, adjudicators and nominators should be greatly harnessed.

‘It is, therefore, suggested that the traditional institutions which are the only remnants of our pre-colonial political system must be preserved, promoted and strengthened through official constitutional recognition and acknowledgement,’ he said.

Oba Owoade lamented that traditional institutions have gone through thick and thin, noting that they have been strengthened and weakened, elevated and humiliated, empowered and disempowered by the emergent political class from the pre-colonial era through colonialism to the post-colonial period.

‘Before the coming of the Europeans, traditional rulers held sway not only as the recognised political rulers of the states and kingdoms in Nigeria but also as custodians of the people’s history, culture, religion and economy,’ he stated.

‘The traditional institutions in the pre-colonial Yorubaland had all elements of modern governmental systems and they perfectly suited the social, political and economic situations of the era with the overall goal of the welfare of the generality of the people.

‘The advent of colonial rule and the imposition of Western styles of government not only reduced the powers and relevance of the traditional rulers but also made them subservient to their subjects, the educated elite. Since independence in 1960, the political status of traditional rulers has gone from bad to worse with far-reaching consequences for governance and administration in the country.’

The monarch also lauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for focusing on rebuilding and laying the foundations for a sustainable country, noting that though Nigeria has undergone avoidable levels of deprivation, it can be surmounted if all work together.

The House of Representatives has unveiled plans to investigate alleged job racketeering in Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).

The resolution was passed during plenary, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

In his lead debate on the motion of urgent national importance, Hon. Abdullahi Halims expressed grave concern over the allegation leveled against Federal Government Agency created by the Act of Parliament to serve, meet the needs and aspirations of greater majority of the Nigerian people including job opportunities for qualified Nigerians.

He specifically expressed grief over the crisis bedeviling the ‘current recruitment exercise which is ongoing in the Agency is allegedly shrouded in secrecy and racketeering with the highest bidders clinching job slots.

‘The House is worried that his alleged dubious practice is against the spirit of our federal character principle and portends the danger of depriving and denying qualified Nigerians of getting employed into the Agency to contribute their quota to national development.’

While noting that the Parliament is the only constitutional safeguard to checkmate such unwholesome practice and an act of deprivation, Hon. Halims solicited for the House intervention with a view to being the alleged dubious process to a halt.

To this end, the House resolved to setup an Ad-hoc Committee that will investigate the alleged job racketeering with a view to prescribe appropriate sanctions to the culprits.

Hence, the House resolved to summon NAQS management to appear before the House Committee on Federal Character chaired by Hon. Ahmed Wase for a review of the staff disposition list.

Similarly, Hon. Kalu mandated the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure adherence.

The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has approved an N1 billion solar mini-grid project for the Federal University Dutse (FUD), Jigawa State, to improve electricity supply on the university campus.

The project, approved under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Solarization Agenda for Alternative Energy, will involve the installation of a 0.5-megawatt (500-kilowatt) solar mini-grid.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Acting Director of Public Affairs of the university, Mr Abdullahi Yahaya Bello, and made available to Online Tribune in Dutse, the state capital.

According to the statement, work on the project is expected to commence soon and be completed within three months.

It said the solar mini-grid would provide additional electricity to the university and improve power supply for teaching, learning, research, and other activities on campus.

The statement also disclosed that the Energy Commission had approved 100 solar-powered streetlights for the university, with 50 already ready for installation.

Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor of FUD, Professor Ahmad Mohammed Gumel, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Director-General of the Energy Commission, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, for the initiative.

Gumel also said the commission was prepared to partner with the university on renewable energy research.

He said the partnership would enable the institution to strengthen research and innovation in renewable energy while contributing to efforts to promote sustainable power solutions.

Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, has commenced a free shuttle bus service in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, aimed at reducing the transportation burden on residents.

The initiative, known as Karimi Cares Free Shuttle Bus Service, commenced on Wednesday, with the initial route covering the Army Barracks-Lokoja New Market/Nataco Junction corridor.

The service is expected to benefit commuters, civil servants, students, traders and other residents who travel along the route daily.

The initiative comes amid rising transportation costs, which have increased the financial burden on households and individuals who depend on public transportation.

According to the organisers, the intervention is designed to provide immediate relief to residents by helping them save money on daily transportation expenses.

A statement by the Chief Musa Bakare described the initiative as an example of people-oriented representation, stressing that the impact of political representation should be felt in the everyday lives of citizens.

Bakare said the free shuttle service would provide practical assistance to workers travelling to their places of work, students going to school and traders heading to markets, among others.

He noted that for low-income families struggling with food, education, healthcare and transportation expenses, any reduction in daily transport costs could provide meaningful relief.

The media strategist said the initiative was not only about providing transportation but also about bringing constituency representation closer to the people.

He added that the commencement of the service in Lokoja could stimulate further discussions about Senator Karimi’s programmes and interventions in Kogi West.

The shuttle service, according to the statement, is expected to operate along the designated corridor as part of the broader Karimi Cares initiative.

Bakare said the intervention reflected the principle that public service should respond to the immediate needs of citizens, particularly during periods of economic pressure.

He added that the free transportation service would provide residents with an opportunity to experience a direct intervention targeted at one of their daily challenges.

The initiative is part of the activities associated with Senator Karimi’s representation of Kogi West in the National Assembly. Senator Sunday Steve Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, has commenced a free shuttle bus service in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, aimed at reducing the transportation burden on residents.

The initiative, known as Karimi Cares Free Shuttle Bus Service, commenced on Wednesday, with the initial route covering the Army Barracks-Lokoja New Market/Nataco Junction corridor.

The service is expected to benefit commuters, civil servants, students, traders and other residents who travel along the route daily.

The initiative comes amid rising transportation costs, which have increased the financial burden on households and individuals who depend on public transportation.

According to the organisers, the intervention is designed to provide immediate relief to residents by helping them save money on daily transportation expenses.

A statement by the Chief Musa Bakare described the initiative as an example of people-oriented representation, stressing that the impact of political representation should be felt in the everyday lives of citizens.

Bakare said the free shuttle service would provide practical assistance to workers travelling to their places of work, students going to school and traders heading to markets, among others.

He noted that for low-income families struggling with food, education, healthcare and transportation expenses, any reduction in daily transport costs could provide meaningful relief.

The media strategist said the initiative was not only about providing transportation but also about bringing constituency representation closer to the people.

He added that the commencement of the service in Lokoja could stimulate further discussions about Senator Karimi’s programmes and interventions in Kogi West.

The shuttle service, according to the statement, is expected to operate along the designated corridor as part of the broader Karimi Cares initiative.

Bakare said the intervention reflected the principle that public service should respond to the immediate needs of citizens, particularly during periods of economic pressure.

He added that the free transportation service would provide residents with an opportunity to experience a direct intervention targeted at one of their daily challenges.

The initiative is part of the activities associated with Senator Karimi’s representation of Kogi West in the National Assembly.

Billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote has explained why his first grandson is not ready to join the family business, saying the young electrical engineer wants to gain work experience elsewhere before joining the Dangote Group.

Dangote disclosed this on Tuesday, September 29, while speaking at an investor engagement in Nairobi, Kenya.

The event brought together institutional investors from Kenya and other parts of East Africa as part of engagements around the planned initial public offering of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Speaking about the future of his businesses and the involvement of his family, Dangote said his grandson was not interested in working directly with him for now.

‘And my first grandson, he’s not finding it interesting to work with me for now. He wants to go and get experience with KPMG or PWC. Then after he’ll come and join us. He’s an electrical engineer, but he wants to go and learn about money first,’ Dangote said.

The businessman also spoke about other members of his family who are already involved in the conglomerate.

His eldest daughter, Mariya, and her husband, Alassane, were present at the Nairobi event, where Dangote introduced them to the audience.

Mariya is one of Dangote’s three daughters, alongside Halima and Fatima, who have responsibilities within the family’s business interests.

Dangote also spoke about the group’s plans for the future, saying the company works with five-year targets rather than a 10-year vision.

According to him, setting goals too far into the future could encourage complacency. He said senior officials across the group are involved in developing and implementing the company’s shorter-term plans.

The Dangote Group has interests in sectors including cement, sugar, fertiliser, petroleum refining and manufacturing.

Dangote has previously said the future of the business does not depend on having a male heir, expressing confidence in his daughters’ ability to take leadership responsibilities within the conglomerate.

The senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Ondo Central District, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, on Wednesday, dismissed speculation that his recent political moves were the product of an alliance with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Akinyelure, who stated this in Akure during a media parley, explained that he had no political understanding with Governor Aiyedatiwa or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), maintaining that his decision to leave the party followed its refusal to give him the ticket to contest the 2027 senatorial election.

Akinyelure, who represented Ondo Central in the 7th and 8th National Assemblies, said his recent meeting with Aiyedatiwa was neither a political negotiation nor an attempt to secure the governor’s backing, stressing that the meeting was unrelated to any political alliance between them.

The Senator, who has since joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the clarification became necessary following speculations that his recent meeting with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was an indication of a political alliance between them.

Akinyelure said Aiyedatiwa had been direct with him that the APC had already settled on its preferred candidate for the Ondo Central senatorial ticket and that he would not be given the opportunity to contest the primary.

He said rather than make false promises, the governor told him the situation as it was, a development he said he appreciated.

‘The only thing I needed was to know whether the party would give me the ticket back to the Senate because I believe I am the most qualified person to represent Ondo Central.

‘The governor told me they had already considered who they wanted to give the ticket to and that I could not get it.

‘I thanked him for telling me the truth. If he wanted to deceive me, he would have promised support during the primary. At least, he was honest with me, so no political pact.’

The former lawmaker said the development left him with the choice of either abandoning his political ambition or seeking another platform, adding that his decision to join the ADC was driven by his desire to remain politically relevant and continue representing the interests of his constituents.

According to him, political relevance was necessary for him to continue attracting opportunities and contributing to the development of Ondo Central.

‘It’s only when you stay there for long that you become very relevant to your constituents. I want to remain relevant and continue to serve my people.

‘If a political party refuses to give you a ticket, you look for where your interest and the interest of your people will be protected.’

Akinyelure also sought to draw a distinction between his present political movement and his previous experience in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressing that he remained with the party even after losing its primary election.

He said he rejected pressure from political associates to immediately defect after losing the primary, arguing that his decision was guided by what he described as political integrity.

‘In my training, integrity is the highest calling. PDP gave me a mandate, and I completed that mandate before leaving,’ he said.

Akinyelure said he resigned his PDP membership on May 30, 2023, with the resignation taking effect on June 12, after completing his four-year mandate.

He said the ADC subsequently approached him with an offer to join the party and contribute to its development, adding that his movement to the opposition platform became necessary after his exit from the APC.

‘Before then, ADC came to me and said there was a seat for me and that they needed my political value to help build the party. Since APC gave me a red card, I had to move to where my interest and the interest of my people would be protected,’ he said.

The former senator also rejected suggestions that his defection was necessarily tied to any emerging opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said his immediate concern was securing a platform through which he could seek another mandate and provide what he described as effective representation to the people of Ondo Central.

According to him, voters should judge candidates based on their records and capacity to represent them rather than solely on party affiliation.

‘Anybody in Ondo Central who believes I represented them well can vote for me irrespective of their political party. Whether APC, ADC, Labour Party or SDP, what matters is good representation,’ he said.

Akinyelure also explained his meeting with Aiyedatiwa at the Government House Chapel, saying he used the occasion to urge the governor to protect the integrity of the electoral process in the state.

He said his message to the governor was that, as the state’s chief security officer, he should ensure that voters were allowed to freely determine who represented them at the federal and state levels.

‘I told the governor, as the chief security officer of the state, to ensure that the votes of the people count in the North, Central and South Senatorial Districts. That was my message. I was not invited for any political arrangement,’ he said.

The former senator further said he remained more interested in elective office than political appointments, arguing that elected officials were directly accountable to the electorate and enjoyed constitutionally defined tenure.

‘If you are given a federal appointment today, you can be removed tomorrow. But when you are democratically elected, it is only death or constitutional processes that can remove you before the end of your tenure. That is why I prefer elective office,’ he said.

Akinyelure said his ambition to return to the Senate was also motivated by what he described as unfinished legislative business from his previous tenure.

He said some bills and initiatives he started while in the National Assembly remained incomplete and that he hoped to revisit them if given another opportunity to serve.

‘There are bills that I am supposed to conclude. That will be one of my priorities when I return to the Senate. I have unfinished work in the National Assembly and many things on my mind for the development of Ondo Central,’ he said.

On the 2027 political contest, Akinyelure said his priority would remain the development of Ondo Central irrespective of the individual who eventually emerges as Nigeria’s president.

He maintained that his experience in government and political relationships at the national level would enable him to pursue federal projects and opportunities for the senatorial district.

‘Whoever becomes president, I know how to navigate and get what belongs to Ondo Central. My concern is the welfare and development of my people,’ Akinyelure said.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government after the devices were linked to a cyber-fraud operation involving foreign nationals and local recruits.

Justice Deinde Dipeolu granted the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which established that the phones were acquired with proceeds of crime and used to carry out internet fraud.

The application was brought as a civil forfeiture action in rem under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.

According to an affidavit filed by EFCC investigator Christopher Augustine, the devices were recovered as part of a probe into an organised crime hub known as ‘HK,’ situated in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The facility-allegedly established by foreign nationals from China, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan-housed hundreds of laptops and mobile phones used to execute romance, cryptocurrency, and fake investment scams targeting victims across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

A major crackdown on December 10, 2024, led to the arrest of over 700 suspects, including 148 Chinese nationals and around 500 Nigerian youths who were allegedly recruited online and trained to execute phishing schemes.

Investigations revealed that a registered firm, Genting International Company Limited (GICL), controlled by Chinese national Huang Haoyu (alias Ken), managed the recruitment and operations.

Recruits were assigned foreign WhatsApp accounts and instructed to direct victims to a fraudulent online platform, with accounts linked to Huang receiving over ?3.4 billion in illicit funds.

Huang and GICL were charged on March 7, 2025, with cyber terrorism, money laundering, and illegal foreign exchange transactions. Both pleaded guilty and were convicted.

Following the discovery of the additional 431 mobile phones purchased for the operation, the EFCC obtained an interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2026.