General News
Air Peace Expands Operations to 3 more Countries
Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, is set to spread its wings to three more West African countries, with inaugural flights from Lagos to Freetown in Sierra Leone, Banjul in The Gambia and Dakar, Senegal on Feb 19.
The airline, in a statement signed by Mr Chris Iwarah, Communications Manager, in Lagos, said the new routes constitute the second phase of the expansion of its network on the West Coast of Africa.
The airline had earlier fixed Dec. 15, 2017 for its inaugural flights to the three countries.
This was, however, suspended at the last minute due to the industrial unrest by air traffic control (ATC) in Dakar.
Iwarah said the airline had to wait until the issue was resolved before making announcement for the new date.
He said: “We can confirm that our inaugural flights to the three destinations will now take place on Feb. 19.
“The new routes constitute the second phase of the expansion of our network on the West Coast of Africa.
“This is an exciting step in fulfilling our promise to unlock the economies of the region, offer air travellers on business and leisure trips seamless connectivity as well as create jobs for the people. Iwarah said the routes would bring the airline’s network to a total of 14 destinations.
“Air Peace made its first scheduled commercial flight out of Nigeria from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos into the Kotoka International Airport, Accra-Ghana on Feb. 16, 2017.
“The airline plans to operate flights to five other regional routes as well as six international destinations comprising Dubai, London, Guangzhou-China, Houston, Mumbai and South Africa soon,” he said.
According to him, the airline, which recently embarked on a project to increase its fleet size to 24 aircraft, will deploy a Boeing 737 aircraft on its Freetown, Banjul and Dakar routes.
Innovative financial institution and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, Wema Bank, has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s empowerment by partnering with the SheCan Conference for the fifth consecutive year.
The collaboration has announced it would empower women with N2 million grant during the 6th edition of SheCan 6.0. conference, that will be held on July 18, 2025, at Balmoral, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.
The event is expected to host over 7,000 women under the theme “SheCan Do More.”
Announcing this partnership, Wema Bank through its women-focused platform, SARA by Wema, said it will be awarding ₦2 million in business grants to support women entrepreneurs within the SARA Community.
This grant is to support small and medium businesses within the SARA Community to scale up their business.
Ayodele Olojede, Head, Retail and SME Banking at Wema Bank, said, “Wema Bank is committed to empowering women entrepreneurs by providing the financial backing, tools, training, and networks they need to scale sustainably. Year after year, we’ve seen the incredible ripple effect that access, and opportunity can create in the lives of women and their communities.
“Through SARA by Wema, our goal is to create an environment where Nigerian women can dream bigger, build stronger, and lead the economy with confidence. This partnership with SheCan is a statement of belief in the power of women to transform society.”
“This year’s partnership represents more than sponsorship; it is a tangible investment in helping Nigerian women build sustainable businesses, scale their impact, and contribute meaningfully to economic growth.
“Eligible applicants must be women-led businesses with active Wema Bank accounts and must be registered members of the SARA Community.
“Interested participants are required to submit a written pitch of no more than two pages, detailing their business and founder story, the problem being solved, target audience and competitive advantage, proposed use of the grant, and the expected outcomes and community impact. Entries must also include the applicant’s Wema Bank account number, full name, and the email address used to join the SARA Community.”
Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted two companies, FARM360 Limited and MCBHADMOS Trans-Atlantic Trade Limited, for illegal capital market operations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the companies were arraigned on June 16 by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on a five-count charge for operating collective investment schemes without valid licences from either the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The charges allege that between 2021 and 2022, the firms collected approximately N80 million from several investors but failed to refund the money or pay accrued interest. One of the counts stated that the companies operated without a valid licence to conduct investment management, violating Section 57 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020.
The companies pleaded not guilty, but EFCC investigator Nnadikwu Izuchukwu Collins presented evidence that included a petition from investors who claimed the firms promised high returns through agricultural and forex trading investments. The petition revealed the group invested a total of N93 million.
Investigations showed neither FARM360 nor MCBHADMOS held the necessary licences from the SEC or CBN. A Fidelity Bank statement revealed that the N80 million received was used for personal purposes. The directors of both companies remain at large, with efforts underway to apprehend them.
The prosecution submitted bank statements, the investor petition, and official correspondence with the CAC, CBN, and SEC as evidence, all of which were admitted by Justice Dipeolu.
The court convicted both companies on all counts and imposed fines of N5 million per count.
In a related case, the court also convicted Quintessential Investment Company Limited for similar illegal capital market activities, following its arraignment on two counts of operating collective investment schemes without CBN approval.
Burna Boy, Grammy-winning Nigerian artist, has publicly distanced himself from a meme coin circulating online that falsely uses his name and image for promotion.
Burna Boy
In a statement shared via Instagram, the Afrobeats star made it clear that he has no involvement in any cryptocurrency ventures, describing such schemes as fraudulent.
His comments come amid growing traction of a meme coin allegedly linked to him, which has been circulating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“I don’t do any internet ‘coin’ business. I see it as fraud and I have no interest in any of that,” Burna Boy wrote. “So if you see anyone using my name for such, please disregard or report them.”
The singer urged fans to remain vigilant and to report anyone promoting the crypto project under false pretenses.
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