There was a large turnout of people on Tuesday at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Abuja with the commencement of the auctioning of 35 cars. The exercise followed the order of the final forfeitures secured by the anti-graft agency from courts. Channels Television observed that prospective buyers trooped into the EFCC office in the Federal Capital Territory, where the cars are displayed pictorially for prospective buyers to choose from. EFCC Deputy Director, Department of Proceeds of Crime Management, Umma Sulaiman said there are 35 cars for grab in this auction, and the proceeds from the exercise will be deposited in a special account of the Federal Government at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The EFCC also held a similar exercise last week in Lagos where over 400 were auctioned. According to the agency’s spokesman, the auctioning exercise for forfeited assets would take place across its commands. He explained that the cars are subjects of final forfeiture orders of the court in Lagos, adding that the exercise was in line with the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004; Public Procurement Act 2007 and the Proceeds of Crimes (Recovery and Management) Act 2022 The cars auctioned are available in four locations in Lagos: 40, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; 14 Cameroon Road, Ikoyi Lagos and CVU Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos.

  Senator Abdullahi Adamu, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has declared that the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, is President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor. He made the declaration at the North West Presidential Campaign rally of the APC in Kaduna on Tuesday. Senator Adamu said the flood of human beings that attended the rally showed the popularity of the party. “Let me introduce our next president, that’s President Buhari’s successor, to you, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. By February 25, 2023, you should all come out en masse to vote for Tinubu and all candidates of APC,” he said. He further thanked party loyalists from Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto and Kaduna for coming out in huge numbers to attend the rally. In his remarks, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna said the APC had set the standard with the large crowd as he thanked all those that came out to grace the occasion, particularly women and youths. Earlier on Monday, Tinubu vowed to end banditry and killings if elected president. He said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Alhaji Jibril Mai Gwari. He equally promised to construct industrial dams for the people to ease their water problem, saying he will do his best to make Nigeria a better place, even though it will be difficult. He donated N50 million to the victims of banditry in the local government area. “We will give you peace, for those who have been victims of security problem, may Allah grant those who passed Aljannatul firdausi (paradise). ” I stand before you because there is a good opportunity coming, the election is nearer; I don’t know whether bandits know that or not, but we will serve them notice again. We will not relent in our effort to eliminate banditry and killings in Nigeria. I assure you it will be our priority,” he said.

  Sam Bankman-Fried, former chief executive officer (CEO) of FTX, has been arrested in the Bahamas. FTX was an exchange platform that investors used to trade cryptocurrency for other assets, including digital currencies or cash. Investors could also store their cryptocurrencies in digital wallets, similar to a bank. Bahamian authorities said Bankman-Fred was picked up on Monday at the request of the US government.   His arrest followed criminal charges filed against him by the US government. Damian Williams, US Attorney of the Southern District of New York (SDNY), confirmed in a tweet on Monday night. Williams said the arrest was based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY.   “We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time,” Williams tweeted. The FTX founder is under investigation over allegations of wire fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and money laundering following the collapse of FTX last month. The firm filed for bankruptcy on November 11, when it ran out of money after the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run.

  The Senate has postponed its debate on the cash withdrawal policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) till Wednesday, December 14, 2022. This is because of the absence of the Chairman of the Committee on Banking and Finance, Senator Uba Sani, who is away attending the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential rally in Kaduna. A member of the Committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, in a Point of Order told his colleagues that the report which was to be presented at Tuesday’s plenary had to be withheld because Sani is away APC rally in Kaduna. Adetumbi assured the Senate that the report of the Committee on the CBN withdrawal policy is ready, noting that the Committee’s chairman had to attend the APC Zonal rally in his capacity as governorship candidate of Kaduna State. Responding, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, appealed to lawmakers to be patient as the findings of the Committee will be unveiled within 24 hours. Uba is also expected to brief his colleagues on the outcome of the screening of Edward Adamu and Aisha Ahmad as deputy governors of the CBN. However, another lawmaker, Senator Muhammed Bulkachuwa warned that the Senate should not sweep the issue under the carpet because of the significance of the policy, noting that the House of Representatives has invited the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele to appear before the House to discuss the policy. Background The CBN on Wednesday pegged maximum daily withdrawals via Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and Point Of Sale (PoS) terminals at N20,000. The CBN said the new policy is sequel to the launch of the redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 notes by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 23, 2022. It directed banks to ensure that weekly over-the-counter (OTC) cash withdrawals by individuals and corporate entities do not exceed N100,000 and N500,000, respectively.

  A middle-aged man simply identified as Mr Sunday is now cooling off in police custody in Anambra state for allegedly impregnating his 13-year-old house help. The incident, according to the source, came to the limelight when the teenage girl who hails from Akwa Ibom state delivered a baby at a hospital in the Adazi-Nnukwu community in Abaocha Local Government Area of the state and was detained by the hospital management as a result of her inability to pay her hospital bill because Mr Sunday abandoned her. According to the source, information concerning her detention in the hospital leaked to officials of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Children’s Welfare and on enquiry, she informed them that she was impregnated by Mr Sunday, her guardian adding that the same Mr Sunday was equally sleeping with another seven-year-old girl. At this juncture, the source further stated, the ministry officials rescued her from the hospital, took her to safe custody and went after Mr. Sunday and consequently arrested and. handed him over to the police for further interrogations. Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the ministry, Miss Chidimma Ikeanyionwu told newsmen that Mr. Sunday started having an affair with the teenager when Hus wife, simply identified as Madam Ghana traveled out of town. Ikeanyionwu also quoted her as saying that Mr. Sunday started forcing her to sleep with her when she began to see her menstruation and she once reported him to his wife, Madam Ghana about it, and she cautioned her husband, but when it continued, she could not do much any longer. Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Women and Children’s Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, revealed that the culprit, Mr Sunday has been arrested and would be charged in court soon. Obinabo warned that the state government would not tolerate such indecent action and that as many people indulge in such action, the government will ensure that they do not go free. She expressed appreciation to those who raised the alarm over the anomaly that led to the rescue of the girl, saying it shows that people are becoming sensitive to issues of violation of the girl’s child. She also assured that the state government is committed to pursuing the matter to a logical conclusion. “If the suspect is claiming that he is not responsible, we will continue to pry until we find whoever is responsible. “The reality of the matter is that someone slept with the girl and put her in the family way and that is totally wrong. “So, whoever it is must be brought to book and this government is committed to doing that,” Obinabo added. When contacted, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that the suspect is under police custody and that investigations have commenced. “We have the suspect in our custody and the investigation is still ongoing,” Ikenga added.