The Investor & Exporter forex window recorded a turnover of $53.02m on Friday, following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s forex ban lift on 43 items. The CBN on Thursday, lifted the ban on importers of 43 items restricted from accessing foreign exchange on its official platform. It disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘CBN restates commitment to boost liquidity in forex market’, signed by the Director, Corporate Communications, Isa AbdulMumin. “Importers of all the 43 items previously restricted by the 2015 circular referenced TED/FEM/FPC/GEN/01/010, and its addendums are now allowed to purchase foreign exchange in the Nigerian foreign exchange market,” the statement said. Figures obtained from the FMDQ on Friday revealed that there wasn’t improvement in turnover on the official trading platform, as it recorded $53.02m turnover from $60.30m on Tuesday. The naira however appreciated slightly as it exchanged at 764.86/$ from 766.70/$ on Thursday. Analysts at Cordros Securities said in a report on Friday on the forex ban lift that, “In our view, while this is another step forward, we think FX liquidity should take prominence to avoid further FX pressures at the official and parallel markets, more so that the FX queue will now be longer at the official market without liquidity. “Perhaps this is a signalling tool by the CBN to shift attention away from the parallel market and reduce the pressure of the official market playing a catch-up game with the unofficial exchange rate. “Hence, in terms of impact, we think FX pressures will increase in the official market in the near term, while the parallel market rate is likely to appreciate as the importers of these 43 items move to the official market.”

  Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have attacked a Benue Links bus conveying passengers to Otukpo along Naka Road in Gwer West LGA at Tyolaha village. Although details of the incident are sketchy reports indicate that three passengers were killed and several others injured. Member representating Gwer West State Constituency, Gyila Terlumun in a statement by his media aide, Akem Peter condemned the incident and consoled the families of victims noting that many passengers were still missing. He also called on security agencies to provide a check point at Tyolaha village which has become notorious for such attacks. The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Anekwe Catherine, who also confirmed the incident however said “a bus belonging to Benue Links which was heading to Otukpo was attacked by unknown gunmen and three persons including women were wounded and one person died.” It will be recalled that in September, gunmen had attacked a Benue Links bus and abducted about 11 passengers along the Ogbokolo-Otukpo section of the federal road.

  A40-year-old Nigerian, Alex Ogunshakin, is now awaiting trial in the United States for allegedly swindling 70 American businesses to the tune of $6 million. Ogunshakin was recently arrested in Nigeria and extradited to the US for trial. He had been at the top of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Cyber’s Most Wanted List since 2019. The accused, according to the charges against him, defrauded more than 70 businesses in Nebraska and across the U.S. of over $6 million. His mode of operation was a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. He and his co-conspirators were said to have, between 2016 and 2017, posed as the chief executive officer, president, owner, or other executives of the targeted companies. He and his co-conspirators were said to have, between 2016 and 2017, posed as the chief executive officer, president, owner, or other executives of the targeted companies. Using spoofed email accounts, they directed business employees to complete wire transfers. Two unnamed companies in Nebraska lost more than $530,000 in the scam, The London Mail reports. Ogunshakin provided his co-conspirators, including Richard Uzuh, who led the BEC scheme, with bank accounts that were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers. He also assisted in sending spoofed emails to businesses used to solicit fraudulent wire transfers, according to the indictment. Some of Ogunshakin’s co-conspirators have also been arrested. One of them is Adewale Aniyeloye, who sent the spoofed e-mails to the target business. He was sentenced in 2019 to 96 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $1,570,938.05 in restitution. Another is Pelumi Fawehinimi, a bank account facilitator, who was also jailed in 2019 for 72 months and ordered to pay $1,014,159.60 in restitution. There is also Onome Ijomone, a romance scammer, sentenced in January 2020 to 60 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $508,934.40 in restitution after his successful extradition from Poland

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has advised the Igbo people of the southeast to reject calls for sit-at-home insisting that the policy is for lazy people. He said the Igbos were known for their industry, hard work and perseverance and could not afford to embrace sit-at-home. This is just as the president general of Ohanaeze Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has called for the unconditional release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kalu for peace to reign in the southeast. Kalu who gave the advice when he hosted the leadership of the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo Worldwide in his office on Friday said that observance of sit-at-home, unknown gunmen and other social vices are alien and abhorrent to Igboland socially, economically and culturally. He however revealed that his office has unveiled a mechanism that will ultimately end insecurity in the southeast and restore normalcy in the economic and social life of Ndigbo. Unveiling the mechanism as Peace In The South East (PISE) project, he said that soon his office in agreement with all the lawmakers from the region irrespective of the political parties will reach out to the State governors and other critical stakeholders for the launch and implementation of the project. He also said that the project will feature a regional security integration and political leadership that will streamline an agenda for the promotion of the Igbo cause and growth in terms of infrastructure. He added that the sit-at-home observed in the region every Monday has crippled businesses and left the region empty. Kalu who vehemently objected to the sit-at-home order stated that Ndigbo must extend their handshakes across the federation to restore confidence. The deputy speaker also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his benevolence to Ndigbo by ensuring that the people of the southeast were accorded a place in the political hierarchy of the country. Kalu also remarked on his cordial relationship with the Speaker of the House, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, saying he would be delighted to accommodate the requests of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in stamping out insecurity in the southeast. He said: “Let me also state that, in our pursuit of these noble objectives, it is imperative that we draw a clear distinction between a legitimate call for justice, equity and fairness against criminal activities. There is a difference between the two of them. “Criminal activities cannot be taken to mean legitimate call. Secession is not a legitimate call. We want to remain as one Nigeria! “It is a distinction that our people must be able to make. And together we must ensure that the line is firmly drawn. The Igbo Community has always been at the forefront of nation-building and positive change. Go to any part of Nigeria, and if you don’t see an Igbo man there, it means that place is not progressing, it means that place is not prosperous. We are everywhere, nobody is as patriotic as the Igbo man. “I’m here today, not just as the representative of the people of Bende, but as a representative of all Nigerians. The House of Representatives is actually named the House of the People for a reason. The 10th House of Representatives led by my Principal, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, who is currently in India and who has sent his greetings and who would love to host you when he is back, as we arrange your next visit, the Honourable Speaker himself will be here. “And I want to say that I have a good working relationship with the Speaker of the House of Representatives. “I want to report to you as the father of Igbo land that, I have a good relationship between me and this North Westerner, who is the Speaker. He does not discriminate, he does not undermine me, he sees the potential and we are working together like twins to help Nigeria in the House of Representatives. “With him, we will ensure that there is justice, with him, we will ensure that there is fairness, with him, we will ensure that there is equity to all, including the Igbos. “We are not known for self-destruction that is evident in the idea of sit-at-home or unknown gunmen. “It is not our thing. It is alien to us. We don’t kill one another. We love our trade, we love our farms. We don’t sit at home. “Sitting at home is for lazy people. Igbo people are not lazy people. Those in support of sit-at-home are not Igbos. “There is no true son of the soil of Igbo land that would support laziness and call it a strategy for secession. If you sit at home, you are a lazy man. Igbos are not known to be lazy. We are industrious, we are entrepreneurs, and we work hard to succeed. “The tradition of collective action and communalism has been a hallmark of the Igbo people throughout history, from building schools and hospitals to markets and farms. We are not known for self-destruction which is evident in the idea of “sit-at-home” or unknown gunmen. These tendencies are alien and abhorrent to how the Igbos are constituted; socially, culturally, and economically. “In addressing our present challenges, we have the opportunity to draw on the things that pull us together. We may have different political platforms, but we must realize that the commonwealth and common good are ultimately the same. Onye aghana nwanne ya”, he said. Earlier in his presentation, the President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu called for the release of the leader of defunct Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, saying it will help restore peace in the South East. “Ohaneze has decided that we want Nnamdi Kanu released. We think that every effort should be made to release Nnamdi Kanu. If he’s released, it’s going to make it easy for us”, he said. Iwuanyanwu highlighted some of the proposed projects of the apex socio-cultural to include inter-state rail, airports

  The Ghanaian and South African governments have announced a visa waiver for holders of ordinary passports in the two countries. The visa waiver agreement is expected to take effect from November 1, 2023. In a statement on Friday, Ghana’s ministry of foreign affairs and regional integration said citizens of both countries who are travelling can stay in each other’s territory within 90 days without work. “The ministry of foreign affairs and regional integration wishes to inform the general public that the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of South Africa have entered into an agreement on a visa waiver regime for holders of ordinary passports,” the statement reads. “Travellers may transit through, depart from and stay in the territory of both countries for a cumulative period of up to ninety (90) days without recourse to work. “The travelling public is thereby advised to take note of this development.” In a separate statement, the South African High Commission in Ghana said that ordinary passport holders are expected to apply for visa to enter South Africa at the end of 90-day stay.

  Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has said he inherited an empty treasury and no single note was handed over to him by his predecessor, former Governor Aminu Tambuwal Aliyu was responding to the deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kanu, who asked how the Governor was able to execute 100 projects in his first 100 days in office during a condolence visit to the state on Thursday. Aliyu, who spoke through his deputy, Engineer Idris Gobir, said it was just a sacrifice as there was nothing in the treasury when they took over about five months ago. We inherited an empty Treasury and nothing to show, not a single paper was handed over to us. “We made sacrifice to change the narrative of the state and we have succeeded in changing it within the last 100 days,” he said. He described the relationship between the state government and the legislature as cordial, saying they were groomed by the current leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. Aliyu, however, thanked the leadership of the green chamber who sent a powerful delegation to condole the government and people of the state over the demise of their colleague and member, representing Isa-Sabon Birni Federal Constituency, Jelani Danbuga. He described the late lawmaker as patriotic and a complete gentleman. Earlier, Kanu said they were amused by the number of projects so far executed by the state government, noting that it was a thing of joy to see leadership at the state level was making a positive impact on the lives of the people. He stated that they were in Sokoto to commiserate with the people of the state over the death of their colleague who believed in the unity and progress of the country.

  A 34-year-old man, Oluwatimileyin Olubunmi, arrested by police detectives in Ondo state, for illegal possession of firearms, has confessed to buying them for N85,000.   Olubunmi was arrested with two guns by a team of policemen attached to the Commissioner of Police Special Squad on stop and search duty at Wesco Estate Junction along FUTA North Gate, in Akure, the state capital. Police source said that the suspect was flagged down by the police detectives while riding in a blue Lexus ES330 saloon car with registration number AKD 869 ES with five male occupants. The source added that “in the process of searching the vehicle, one fabricated Barretal Pistol and a locally made Double mouth cut to size gun with one live cartridge and one expended cartridge were recovered. “Three among the occupants took to their heels while two suspects, Oluwatimileyin Olubunmi ‘m’ aged 34yrs and Joshua Oluwadare ‘m’ aged 25yrs were arrested and taken to the station. Police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami confirmed the arrest of two of the five suspects. Odunlami said that “During interrogation, Olubunmi claimed to be the owner of both guns and bought the guns at the rate of N30,000 and N55,000 respectively. Oluwadare knows nothing about the two guns found in his custody. Effort is ongoing to arrest all involved in the proliferation of these firearms”. …17-year-old boy arrested for burglary Meanwhile, a 17-year-old boy Alaba Temitope, has been arrested for burglary and stealing of goods worth N5m. Police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, said that “a case of Burglary and Stealing was reported to the Police, one of the victims claimed his goods (Mobile Phones and accessories)worth over N5m were stolen while another victim lost goods worth N577,000.00. “Through intelligence gathering, one Alaba Temitope male, aged 17 was arrested. “The suspect confessed to have burgled the shops and sold the phones with the sales receipt he stole from the shop while some were sold to online buyers. Investigation is on going to know if the suspect has other accomplices”. …Man kills friend over N7000 Odunlami, also said that one Adamu Aseck stabbed one Zanda to death during a dispute over sharing of N7000, at a cattle market, in Akure. According to her,”On the 20th of September, 2023, one Aseck Adamu ‘m’ and one Zanda ‘m’ had a dispute over the sharing of N7,000.00 at Zango cattle market along Ado road, Akure. “In anger, Adamu removed his Jack Knife and stabbed Zanda on the left side of his chest. “Victim died on the spot while the suspect has been arrested and will be charged to court at the end of investigation