Chinedu was first arraigned in September 2015 on a one-count charge marked FHC/L/227c/2015 for unlawfully importing 6.250 kilograms of cocaine.

He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail, but jumped bail midway into trial and remained at large for nearly 10 years.

He was eventually re-arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday 24th June 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to smuggle 800 grams of cocaine on an inbound Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

He was a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey.

Investigation showed that the convict was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria. Further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be a former professional footballer, Segun George Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia.

Both Chinedu and Hunkarin were subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge marked FHC/L/669C/2025 for unlawful importation of 800grams of cocaine. Delivering judgment on Friday 24th July 2026, Justice Kakaki sentenced Chinedu to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine for the unlawful importation of 6.250 kilograms of cocaine, and a further two years, also without an option of fine, for conspiring with Hunkarin to unlawfully import 800 grams of cocaine, bringing his total sentence to 22 years. Hunkarin was sentenced to two years imprisonment on the conspiracy charge, bringing the combined jail terms to 24 years imprisonment.
Reviewing the facts of the case, prosecuting counsel, Barrister Adekunle Adebajo, reminded the court that Chinedu had earlier been arraigned before Justice Salihu Saudi (now retired) in 2015 on the same importation charge but vanished after being granted bail. Citing a plethora of legal authorities, the NDLEA prosecutor urged the court to sentence the convicts in line with the relevant provisions of the NDLEA Act.
Defence counsel, Chief Benson Ndakara for Chinedu and Chief Emefo Etudo for Hunkarin, had pleaded with the court for leniency and urged that fine options be considered in lieu of custodial sentences. The court, however, after a careful review of the submissions, cited authorities and tendered exhibits, sentenced both convicts to prison terms without any option of fine.
Reacting to the conviction, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the judiciary for the judgment, describing it as a reaffirmation of the courts’ commitment to ridding the country of drug trafficking and those who perpetrate it, no matter how long they evade justice.
Marwa also commended the officers, men and women of the Agency involved in the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the case, noting that the eventual re-arrest of Chinedu after nearly ten years on the run demonstrated the doggedness, patience and thoroughness of NDLEA operatives in tracking down fugitives and ensuring that no drug trafficker escapes the long arm of the law.
He restated the Agency’s resolve to continue working closely with the judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that persons involved in drug trafficking, regardless of their status or how long they attempt to evade justice, are brought to book.

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According to the commission,the report which was published  by various media organizations lon July 15, 2026, misrepresented the legal status of Niger Insurance Plc, whose operating licence was revoked in 2022.

The commission disclosed this in a statement made aviation to BusinessTodayNG  that it remains the only Federal Government agency established by law and vested with the exclusive statutory powers to license, regulate, and cancel the licence of any insurance institution in Nigeria.

It said due to the insolvent state of affairs of Niger Insurance and its persistent inability to pay verified insurance claims, NAICOM, in the exercise of its statutory mandate to protect policyholders, cancelled the its licence in 2022. Consequently, Otunba Sanya Ogunkuade, Esq. was appointed by NAICOM as the Receiver/Liquidator of the Company.

NAICOM added that “Following the cancellation of the licence, some former directors of the Company instituted a suit at the Federal High Court in 2022, purposely to challenge the cancellation of the Company’s licence and the appointment of the Receiver/Liquidator.

“The  suit was struck out by the Federal High Court on 31 January 2023 on the grounds that the Plaintiffs lacked the power to institute the suit after the appointment of the Receiver/Liquidator, whose appointment had been duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“The decision of the Federal High Court validated the cancellation of the Company’s licence and the appointment of the Receiver. An appeal by the Plaintiffs to the Court of Appeal by the Plaintiffs in the above suit was also struck out on 27th February 2025 by the Court of Appeal. A further appeal by the Plaintiffs to the Supreme Court is still pending

It added that an appeal against the judgment was also dismissed by the Court of Appeal on February 27, 2025, while a further appeal remains pending before the Supreme Court.

NAICOM noted that another suit filed by the same group of former directors resulted in a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court on June 5, 2026.

However, the Commission said the judgment is already being challenged at the Court of Appeal, where applications for a stay of execution have also been filed by both NAICOM and the Receiver/Liquidator.

The regulator maintained that the June 2026 judgment cannot override the earlier Court of Appeal decision, which upheld the cancellation of Niger Insurance’s licence.

The Commission also disclosed that some former directors whose names appeared as plaintiffs in the latest suit had written to disclaim any knowledge of the action, alleging that their names were used without their consent.

It further revealed that it has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over what it described as the unlawful activities of individuals allegedly parading themselves as the management of Niger Insurance Plc.

According to the Commission, the petition seeks to prevent attempts to interfere with or dispose of the company’s assets, which are meant to satisfy legitimate insurance claims and other obligations.

The Commission reiterated that Niger Insurance Plc remains prohibited from underwriting new insurance business and that its affairs continue to be managed exclusively by the Receiver/Liquidator.

The commission also advised the  general public  to distance themselves from any person or group of persons purporting to act for or on behalf of the Company, other than the lawfully appointed Receiver/Liquidator

While reassuring that the company’s licence remains revoked, its former board and management remain dissolved, and the Receiver/Liquidator will continue to administer the company’s assets pending the final winding-up of its affairs.

The post NAICOM Dismisses Niger Insurance Claims, Says Company’s Licence Remains Revoked appeared first on Business Today NG.

His release was secured on Tuesday by human rights lawyer Prince Wayne Chikeze, Esq., following proceedings at a court in Abuja.

Dennis is alleged to have created and circulated an AI-generated voice recording that impersonated President Tinubu.

However, despite regaining his freedom, his legal battle is far from over. The Nigeria Police Force has reportedly filed fresh charges against him before the Federal High Court, signaling a continuation of the prosecution.

Reacting to the development, Chikeze said his legal team would continue to defend Dennis against the new charges, describing the prosecution as unjust.

He also urged authorities to encourage innovation among young Nigerians rather than criminalise the use of emerging technologies, stressing that youths should be given opportunities to develop their skills and contribute positively to society.

The fresh charges are expected to be heard at the Federal High Court in the coming weeks.

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The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026 and dated and filed on June 22 by the Commission’s counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, listed Dikko and Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited as first and second defendants respectively.

Dikko, who led the Port Harcourt Refining Company for about four years, pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge filed against him by the Commission on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

The EFCC accused Dikko of laundering N1,322,839,112.7 (One Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty-Two Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty-nine Thousand, One Hundred and Twelve Naira, Seven Kobo) in proceeds allegedly linked to contractors engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, through cash property purchases, undisclosed bank retentions, third-party fund concealment and unauthorised currency conversion, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count one reads in part: “That you AHMED ADAMU DIKKO… did directly make cash payment of the dollar equivalent of the sum of N218,375,000.00 to one Hadeija Bashir for the purchase of Plot 558, Abubakar Umar Street, Katampe Extension, Abuja without passing through a financial Institution and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 2(1)(a), 19(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”

Count eight reads: “That you AHMED ADAMU DIKKO, former Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd (PHRC) on or about the 26th of June, 2023 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court disguised the origin of the sum of N328,710,337.50 (Three Hundred and Twenty Eight Million, Seven Hundred and Ten Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Seven Naira, Fifty Kobo) paid into the GTBank Account Plc No. 0123201507 operated by Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited by OMSA Integrated Services Limited from the transactions involving NNPC Limited allocation of Vacuum Gas Oil for export when you knew that the said sum of N328,710,337.50 constituted proceeds of unlawful activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary Section 18(2) (a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

Count eleven reads: “That you AHMED ADAMU DIKKO between October, 2022 and May, 2025 did convert the aggregate sum of $77,080 through Ibrahim Isa Yaro which amount did not form part of your known lawful earnings as a former public officer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Thereafter, counsel to the defendant, Okechukwu Ajunwa, SAN urged the court to grant the defendant bail pending the determination of the suit. Iheanacho, however, opposed the bail application.

In his ruling on the bail application, Justice Ekwo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N150,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) with a surety who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and with a landed property valued at not less than the bail sum. He ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC pending when he’s able to meet the bail conditions.

The matter was therefore adjourned to October 12, 13 and 14, 2026 for trial.

The post EFCC Arraigns Former MD Of Port Harcourt Refinery for Alleged N1.32bn Money Laundering appeared first on Business Today NG.

The apex court struck out Appeal No. SC/CV/248/2026 after the appellant, Mr Blessing Elujiuba, voluntarily withdrew the case, bringing the challenge to a close.

This decision leaves intact earlier judgments delivered by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the party’s legal recognition.

The ruling was delivered on May 12, 2026, by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Inyang Okoro, who noted that the matter was withdrawn without objection from other parties.

The court subsequently dismissed the appeal following its withdrawal, formally ending the proceedings at the apex level of the judiciary.

The case involved the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Action Peoples Party (APP), and the party’s National Chairman, Uche Kingsley Nnadi.

The initial legal action had sought to force INEC to remove APP from its register on the allegation that it failed to meet constitutional requirements under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution.

However, earlier rulings had found that APP met the necessary legal conditions for continued registration, citing evidence of electoral participation and victories at local government level.

The courts also upheld the interpretation that fulfilling any of the conditions outlined in Section 225A is sufficient for a political party to retain its registration status.

With all tiers of the judiciary aligned in its favour, APP’s legal standing remains intact, clearing the party to continue preparations for the 2027 elections without any outstanding court challenge.

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The defendant is facing a two-count charge filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N36 million.

During the hearing of the bail application, counsel to the defendant, P.I. Nwafuru, urged the court to grant his client bail on the most liberal terms.

Opposing the application, prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman, informed the court that the EFCC had filed a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by the investigating officer, Bufa Regina Okangbe, on May 29, 2026.

“We rely on all the depositions contained therein and the exhibits attached. At some point during the course of the investigation, the defendant stopped honouring invitations extended to her by the Commission.

We urge Your Lordship not to accede to the request of the defence and instead order an accelerated hearing of the matter,” Suleiman submitted.

After listening to arguments from both parties, Justice Dipeolu reserved ruling on the bail application until June 9, 2026.

Earlier in the proceedings, the prosecution presented its first witness, Bufa Regina Okangbe, an investigator with the EFCC. She narrated a trail of bank transactions, property records, and witness statements that allegedly revealed how the defendant received N36 million from the petitioner for a property she did not own.

According to Okangbe, the Commission received a petition which was assigned to her team for investigation. She stated that a Bank Verification Number (BVN) search conducted on the defendant revealed several bank accounts linked to her.

“Following this, letters of investigation were sent to the banks, while another letter was forwarded to the Lagos State Land Bureau to determine whether the property belonged to the defendant.

“The Commission also wrote to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) regarding the defendant’s company, Break or Makeup Limited.

“After analysing the defendant’s statements of account, she was invited to the Commission’s office and confronted with transactions traced to her and the petitioner.”

The witness further testified that the defendant made statements under caution in the presence of her lawyer and husband, admitting that the petitioner paid her the sum of N30 million.

Okangbe told the court that the response from the Lagos State Land Bureau revealed that the property in question did not belong to the defendant but to one Mr. Tunbosun Osobu.

“The Commission invited Mr. Osobu, who appeared with his lawyer and son. He confirmed that he had leased the property to the defendant for three years and that the lease expired in 2023 before it was renewed in 2025,” she stated.

The witness also informed the court that the petitioner submitted the lease agreement executed between the petitioner and the defendant, along with a tenancy acquisition form.

During the proceedings, prosecution counsel Suleiman sought to tender several documents through the witness, including the petition dated February 18, 2025; statements made by the defendant on December 10, 11, 12, and 16, 2025; the tenancy acquisition form submitted by the petitioner’s lawyer; the petitioner’s Zenith Bank statement of account in the name of Pipes and Barrel Limited; and the defendant’s GTBank and Access Bank statements.

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The containers, which were intercepted at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, on 4th September; 14th August; 13th August; 29th July; 13th June; 30th May; 29th May; 28th May; 20th May; 19th May; 14th May and 29th April, all in 2025, contain a staggering haul of Nineteen Million Six Hundred Thousand (19,600,000) pills of Tramadol, Tafrodol, Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, as well as Two Million Four Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand Four Hundred (2,496,400) bottles of Codeine Syrup.

The combined street value of the seizures is estimated at Thirty-Three Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety-One Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N33,691,200,000).

The forfeiture order was issued by Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, following a motion exparte filed by the NDLEA on 10th February 2026 in suit number FHC/PH/MISC/25/2026.

Ruling on the application, Justice Adamu said “An order is hereby made forfeiting in the interim to the Federal Government of Nigeria seventeen (17) shipping containers containing a total, of three hundred and sixty-five thousand, six hundred and seventy-five (365,657kg) of various types of psychotropic substances, as well as other items as stated in the schedule to this application, illegally imported into Nigeria through the Onne Sea Port, Onne, Eleme, Rivers State by unknown persons.”

He further ruled that “⁠An order is hereby made vesting custody and possession of the said containers and their respective contents to the Applicant/Complainant untiI the final determination of this Suit.”

Reacting to the court’s order, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) described the forfeiture as a death knell for the financial nerves of the criminal syndicates involved.

“This is not just a seizure, it is a total dispossession of the resources the drug cartels intended to use in destroying the lives of our youths and funding further criminality. By stripping the criminal syndicates of assets worth over N33.6 billion, we have struck at the heart of their operations. This sends a clear message: the Nigerian state will not allow the proceeds of death to circulate to fund terrorism and other forms of criminality in our country.”

While commending the Nigerian Judiciary for its steadfast support and timely intervention in granting the interim forfeiture, Marwa noted that the partnership between the temple of justice and the agency is critical to winning the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

He further lauded the officers, men and women of NDLEA, particularly those attached to the Onne Port Command, for their vigilance, professional integrity, and eagle-eyed scrutiny that led to the discovery of the concealed drugs.

The NDLEA Chairman also acknowledged the vital role played by sister security agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other port stakeholders whose cooperation ensured a seamless interdiction process.

He also commended international partners for their continued intelligence sharing and technical support which remains a cornerstone of the agency’s success, adding that the Agency remains resolute in its mission to dismantle drug networks across the country.

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The convicts, alongside one Friday Audu were among a syndicate of 792 fraudsters arrested for cryptocurrency, investment and romance fraud on December 19, 2024 in Lagos in a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation” by EFCC operatives.

Investigations revealed that Friday allegedly incorporated Genting International Co. Ltd. on the directive of Huang Haoyu to facilitate the fraudulent scheme.

The defendants were found to have procured and employed Nigerian youths to falsely represent themselves as foreign nationals for the purpose of defrauding unsuspecting victims through online platforms.

They were subsequently arraigned alongside a company, Genting International Co. Ltd., by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a seven- count charge bordering on cyber-terrorism, internet fraud and money laundering to the tune of N3,407,824,740.78 (Three Billion, Four Hundred and Seven Million, Eight Hundred Twenty-Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty Naira, Seventy Eight kobo), and $2,562,203 ( Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Three United States Dollars).

One of the counts reads: “That you, Huang Haoyu, a.k.a Ken, Audu Friday, An Hongxu, Duliang Pan (at large) and Genting International Co. Ltd, sometime in 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired to willfully cause to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the economic and social structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) when you, with intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and cronies, procured and or employed Nigerian youths to falsely represent themselves as persons of foreign nationalities, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024) and punishable under Section 18 of the same Act”.

They initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them.

At the resumed sitting on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, counsel to the first and third defendants, Bridget Omateno, informed the court that the defendants would like to change their pleas from “not guilty” to “guilty.”

When the charges were re-read to them, both Haoyu and Hongxu pleaded “guilty” to the charges filed against them, while Audu maintained his plea of “not guilty.”

Following the guilty pleas of both Haoyu and Hongxu, who are directors in the company, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala- Buhari stated that the prosecution had earlier called two witnesses before the change of plea.

She urged the court to impose the maximum punishment of life imprisonment on counts 1, 2 and 3, and 14 years’ imprisonment on counts 4 to 7.

The prosecution also prayed the court to order the forfeiture of all items recovered during investigation from the four properties listed in the charge (Items 1–135) to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The items are: 1,596 mobile phones, 2,120 office chairs, 544 office tables, 194 routers, 43 computer systems, a network server, 126 air-conditioning units, several generators and vehicles, hundreds of mattresses and bunk beds, thousands of SIM cards across different networks, and numerous other electronic devices and household items recovered from premises at No. 7 Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island; Plot 1220 Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island; 54A A.J. Marinho Drive, Victoria Island; and No. 14A Modupe Alakija Crescent, Ikoyi.

Delivering judgment, Justice Osiagor convicted and sentenced the first and third defendants to a cumulative term of 46 years’ imprisonment each, with an option of fine of N56,000,000 (Fifty-Six Million Naira).

The court also ordered that they undertake three days of community service and be repatriated after serving their sentences and completing the community service.

The matter was adjourned till April 29, 2026 for the continuation of trial involving Audu Friday, who maintained his not guilty plea.

The post Court Jails Two Chinese 46 Years Each for N3.4bn, $2.5m Cyberterrorism, Internet Fraud in Lagos appeared first on Business Today NG.