Access Bank Plc says it has completed the acquisition of a majority equity stake in the African Banking Corporation of Tanzania (ABCT) Limited, a subsidiary of Atlas Mara Limited. In July 2023, Standard Chartered Plc reached an agreement to sell its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa to Access Bank, a subsidiary of Access Holdings. In a corporate filing on June 10, Access Bank said following the completion of the current transaction, ABCT will be merged with the consumer, private, and banking business of Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania — establishing Access Bank Tanzania as an enlarged entity within Tanzania’s banking landscape. “This combination will position Access Bank Tanzania as a top-tier player that is poised to deliver a robust range of innovative banking solutions that would meet the diverse needs of our customers,” the statement reads. “With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, financial inclusion, and technological advancement, Access Bank Tanzania will be committed to driving positive change and fostering growth and shared prosperity across Tanzania.” Commenting on the transaction, Roosevelt Ogbonna, managing director of Access Bank, said the strategic move represents a significant step towards setting a railroad in Tanzania for intra-African trade within the East African region, Africa, and the rest of the world. “It underscores our commitment to creating a robust East African banking network, driving positive change and innovation,” he said. “We are excited about the opportunities this acquisition presents for our operations in Tanzania and are eager to leverage our combined strengths to deliver exceptional financial solutions and experiences to our customers.” On his part, John Imani, managing director of ABCT, said the completion of the transaction underscores the strong confidence of Access Bank in the Tanzanian market, delivering new and exciting opportunities for customers, employees, and stakeholders. “The new entity is poised to enhance our service offerings, leveraging Access Bank’s extensive resources and expertise to deliver even greater value to our clients,” he said. Imani said the organisation is looking forward to an exciting and prosperous future as part of the Access Bank family — promoting economic growth and financial inclusion across Tanzania.

  Malawian searchers have found the wreckage of a plane that was carrying Vice President Saulos Chilima, a military source said Tuesday, a day after the aircraft went missing in bad weather. The military plane carrying Chilima, 51, and nine others disappeared on Monday after it failed to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to poor visibility and was told to return to the capital, Lilongwe and there was no survivor in the wreckage. Photographs shared with AFP by a member of the military rescue team showed army personnel standing on a foggy slope near debris bearing the registration number of the Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K aircraft. President Lazarus Chakwera was due to address the nation. It was not immediately clear if there were any survivors.   Rescuers had been combing a fog-cloaked forest south of Mzuzu on Tuesday, after authorities located the last tower it transmitted to before the plane disappeared. Earlier, army commander General Paul Valentino Phiri said other countries, including Malawi’s neighbours, had been aiding the search effort, with support including helicopters and drones. The group departed just after 9:00 am (0700 GMT) from Lilongwe on Monday to attend the funeral of a former cabinet minister some 370 kilometres (230 miles) away in Mzuzu. Malawi’s former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on board. First elected vice president in 2014, the charismatic yet stern-talking Chilima is a widely loved figure in Malawi, particularly among young people. But in 2022, during his second stint in the job, Chilima was stripped of his powers after being arrested and charged with graft over a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman. Last month, a Malawian court dropped the charges and he resumed his official duties. AFP

  The civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence under the umbrella of the Joint Executive Council, have shut down the headquarters of the ministry in Abuja over alleged brutalisation of their members by soldiers. The President of the Council, Didam Joel, said a civilian staff of the ministry has been under detention for a month by military authorities, even though he is not a military personnel. Joel added that an assistant director of the ministry working at Command Secondary School, Ojo, in Lagos, was equally brutalised yesterday without recourse to civil service rules. Army civilians protesting outside the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Monday. The joint executive council is made up of all affiliate unions of civilian staff working in the Ministry of Defence. Although the Army has yet to release an official statement about the allegation, however, one of the unionists in the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) in the army, Abuja, told our correspondents, that one of the civilians brutalised on Monday by a private soldier headed by one Lt Akubor, was Ambrose Akhigbe. The victim is to be currently in the hospital. He also alleged that a laboratory scientist in the Naval Reference Hospital, at Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, was “brutally killed” barely two months. “We were at the heat of it, the person controlling the current crop of soldiers in all command schools in Lagos including some civilian PSOs, are backing these shameful acts of killing MOD staff at duty posts. “We therefore demand the complete overhaul of the command schools by returning the schools to their original structure of standard school system, to be headed by professional education officers in the Ministry of Defence and they can only provide security if they wish. “The management of MOD should be aware that we are not backing down on this as we don’t know who is next,” the ASCSN official said.

  Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have abducted passengers along Maiduguri/Kano highway. Sources told Daily Trust that the insurgents struck between Garin Kuturu and Mannanari village near Auno, which is along Damaturu highway at about 5:50:pm on Monday. They reportedly blocked the highway before forcefully taking away some passengers. The incident left hundreds of travelers and commuters stranded on both ends of the ever-busy road. They had to return to Benishek and Auno respectively. “There was an incident between Mannanari and Garin Kuturu where some Boko Haram fighters came out to block the upcoming vehicles and some passengers were abducted.” “We are not sure of the number as we speak but certainly there was an abduction on Monday evening.” Residents narrated how many commercial drivers took refuge in their community momentarily when the insurgents were operating between Garin Kuturu and Mannanari villages. They came out with three wheelbarrow and I believe they were looking for food stuff. We don’t know how many people abducted but some commercial drivers came back and later returned to Maiduguri before reinforcement of military arrived.” A passenger, who craved anonymity, said he alongside others were stranded for hours. “We were heading for Kano from Maiduguri when the driver got hinted about the attack and took a detour,” he told Daily Trust. “We have been waiting for the military to clear the road but we don’t know when. We are stranded here.”

  Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday shot two police officers at a security checkpoint on Owerri- Okigwe road in Imo state. Also, one other person said to be a civilian was shot inside a house. According to an eyewitness who confirmed the incident it happened at about 06:25 am at Akabo in Ikeduru Council Area of Imo state. In a viral video stated: “This just happened now. Unknown gunmen have shot two police officers at Akabo in Ikeduru LGA. Also, a civil war was killed.” The video showed two uniformed police officers lying helplessly on the ground and another body in a room.” Other eyewitnesses said that “Unknown gunmen in a vehicle driving roughly were shooting sporadically after killing the two police officers at a security checkpoint and also shot a man inside his house. They targeted the man and shot him.” However, the residents have scampered for safety while shop owners out of fear were seen closing their shops. According of one of the residents who declined to mention her name for security reasons, said: “We are running. Nobody knows what is the next thing to happen. So we have to take cover for the moment until everywhere is calm. The best thing is to close your shop at the moment.” At the time of filing this story, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, was yet to respond to the enquiry.

  Malawi’s president on Monday said he was sparing no resources in a search operation for a missing military aircraft carrying the country’s vice president Saulos Chilima. “I know that this is a heartbreaking situation… but I want to assure you that I am sparing no available resource to find that plane and I am holding on to every fibre of hope that we will find survivors,” president Lazarus Chakwera said. The plane, which took off just after 9:00 am (0700 GMT), was carrying 51-year-old Chilima and nine others when it failed to land due to bad weather, according to the leader who was speaking in a televised address to the nation. Malawi’s former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri (Muluzi) was also on board. The group was travelling from the capital Lilongwe over 370 kilometres (230 miles) to the city of Mzuzu for the funeral of a former cabinet minister. “Upon arrival in Mzuzu the pilot was unable to land the plane due to poor visibility occasioned by bad weather, and aviation authorities advised their aircraft to return to Lilongwe, but the authorities soon lost contact with the aircraft,” Chakwera said. The head of state dismissed claims published by local media that search operations had been discontinued for the night. Soldiers are “still on the ground carrying out the search and I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found”, he said, adding that the army would give the public regular updates. Chakwera ordered regional and national forces to conduct an “immediate search and rescue operation” earlier in the day. – International support – He said he had already contacted the governments of various countries including the US, Britain, Norway and Israel, who had all offered support “in different capacities”. “Including the use of specialised technologies that will enhance capacity to find the plane sooner.” Chakwera said that a telecommunication signal located the plane within a 10 kilometre radius of Riaply, a timber milling company in the poor southern African nation located south of Mzuzu. Soldiers are said to be looking for the missing aircraft with torches and on foot, according to local media reports. Various unconfirmed reports have circulated that eye witnesses saw a plane crashing into the forest earlier on Monday. Chakwera has cancelled a visit to the Bahamas. First elected vice-president in 2014, the charismatic yet stern-talking Chilima is widely loved in Malawi, particularly among the youth. But in 2022 during his second stint in the job, Chilima was stripped of his powers after being arrested and charged with graft over a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman. Last month, a Malawian court dropped the charges. AFP

  The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, June 12 as public holiday to commemorate this year’s Democracy Day. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in a statement on Tuesday by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Aishetu Ndayako, congratulated Nigerians on the celebration. The statement partly read, “As we mark another Democracy Day in the history of our dear country, let us all reflect on the efforts of our founding fathers and ensure that Nigeria remains a united, secured, peaceful and indivisible entity.” He urged Nigerians to remain steadfast on the tenets of democratic governance. Tunji-Ojo added that President Bola Tinubu is committed to positive reforms to revive the nation’s economy and enhance security. “The minister also called on Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to appreciate the progress that has been made, and look forward to a better future for Nigeria’s Democracy,” the statement added.

  Tuesday 11 June 2024 Minimum wage: Labour insists on N250,000, awaits Tinubu’s verdict I respect Oyebanji but won’t betray PDP – Fayose Concerns rise over teaching as over nine million fail UTME in seven years Tripartite Committee On Minimum Wage Submits Report To FG ‘We Did Not Inflate Petrol Subsidy By N3.3tn’- NNPCL Four Police Officers, 22 Others Killed As Bandits Attack Katsina Communities Tinubu Replaces Arase, Appoints Argungu As Police Commission Chair FG, States, LGs Share N1.1tn May Revenue NDDC Presents N1.911tn 2024 Budget To Senate Plane Carrying Malawi’s VP Missing – Govt Gov Eno Sacks Commissioner For Special Duties Dabiri-Erewa Visits Stranded Nigerian Girls In Ghana Plateau Governor Lifts Curfew On Mangu LGA After Five Months Rivers AG Dismisses Reports On Amaewhule, Others Being PDP State Assembly Members UN security council backs US-proposed Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal Heritage Bank shutdown: Banking system, depositors’ funds are safe, says CBN PSC: We’ve not fixed training date for shortlisted police constables South-west governors’ forum names Sanwo-Olu as chairman EFCC secures final forfeiture of 20 properties, 10 vehicles for Arthur Eze 10th NASS: 24 senators have no bill in one year Nnamdi Kanu files contempt charge against DSS DG, Bichi Democracy Day: FG declares June 12 Public Holiday Nigeria, ECOWAS, FAO move to protect goats, sheep against deadly diseases BoB crisis: Twist as ex-S’Court Justice Mary Odili disowns ex-NBA chief, Alegeh Amnesty Int’l, DHQ disagree over treatment of female victims of B’Haram Minimum Wage: We Won’t Accept N100,000 – Labour Eid El-Adha: Families Prioritise Foodstuff Over Ram Club Owners Accuse EFCC Of Right Abuse During Night Raids Dangote Sinotruk Targets 60% Local Content With New Plant Alleged N423b ‘fraud’: EFCC raises team to probe El-Rufai, others Reps propose 6-yr single tenure, power rotation, 2 VPs Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…