News
CBN Gov, Others Risk Arrest over Alleged Financial Violations

House of Representatives may issue a bench warrant against Godwin Emiefele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 53 other heads of government agencies for gross violation of the provisions of the Financial Regulatory council on rendition of audited account.

Godwin Emiefele, governor of CBN
This was contained in a report which also recommended past and present Chief Executive Officers of several government agencies and their Directors of Finance and Account should be handed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.
Non submission of audited account to the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation is considered an offence under the laws of the land.
Some others are to be sanctioned for delays in the submission of their audited accounts despite receiving money annually from the nation’s budget.
The 161- page report submitted to the House by its Committee on Public Accounts also listed all subsidiaries of the NNPC, including Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, Pipeline and Products Marketing Company Limited, West Africa Gas Limited, Nigerian Gas Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, and National Petroleum Investment & Management Services (NAPIMS) as culpable.
Also included on the list are Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA); Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN); Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC); National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Niger Delta Power Holding Company (National Integrated Power Project).
The report also recommend that all accounting officers of the 54 government agencies that refused to appear before the House Committee to defend their positions should be issued warrant of arrest to compel their appearance within a week in line with Section 89 (d) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
The report was supposed to have been considered before the House embarked on its summer vacation but was stepped down along with others owing to controversy arising from the consideration of the Electoral Act amendment bill.
The report accused the management of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of “recklessly and deliberately” refusing to render their audited accounts from 2005 – 2019) in violation of Section 85 (3) (b) of the 1999 Constitution and recommend that “all those in Office that were responsible should be disciplined and referral to the EFCC in line with Financial Regulation 3129 of 2009”.
Also to face the EFCC are all the Director-Generals and DFAs as well as the various External Auditors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) from 2006 to 2019 for refusing to render the audited accounts for the last 13 years.
Also, Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC); University of Calabar; Nigeria Communication Satellite (NigComSat); Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (including the former Vice Chancellor); Federal Housing Authority, Federal Mortagage Bank of Nigeria among others are to face the EFCC for investigation and prosecution.
The report is the outcome of an investigation into the allegation of deliberate and reckless refusal by Non Treasury funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to remit audited accounts covering 2014 – 2018 to the Auditor General for the Federation ordered by the House following a motion by the Deputy Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Rep. Abdullahi Sa’ad Abdulkadir and 44 others.
The investigation was to identify the Chief Executive Officers of these agencies, whether in active service or retired, found to have violated the provisions of section 85(2)(3) and (4) of 1999 Nigeria Constitution and hold them liable for their actions.
It was to determine the procurement process of engagement of the External Auditors by these Non-Treasury Funded Agencies and whether they made up their professional ethics in turning in their reports for prompt remission to the Auditor General Office as at when due.
The report said over 300 MDAs were invited to appear before the committee, out of which about 54 refused to appear to defend their positions.
The report commended management of the National Examination Council (NECO), Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) among others for rendering their audited account on schedule.
On the National Health Insurance Scheme, the report said “the NHIS has not rendered its audited accounts for past 13 years.”
News
Aliko Dangote Signs out @ Dangote Sugar Refinery as Chairman

In a major leadership transition, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc (DSR) has announced the retirement of Aliko Dangote, its founder and chairman, from the Board, effective June 16, 2025.

Aliko Dangote
The announcement was made in a regulatory filing with the Nigerian Exchange Ltd on June 11, highlighting the company’s commitment to sound corporate governance and structured succession planning.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Temitope Hassan (FCIS), company secretary and legal adviser, the Board praised Dangote’s extraordinary leadership and lasting contributions to the company.
“Alhaji Aliko Dangote is one of the founding Directors of the Company and has served with exceptional leadership, integrity, and vision since 2005,” the statement read.
“Under his stewardship, Dangote Sugar Refinery transformed significantly, navigated industry changes, consistently delivered value to shareholders, and upheld strong governance principles.”
Widely regarded as Africa’s most influential industrialist, Dangote led DSR’s evolution into a dominant player in Nigeria’s sugar value chain.
His strategic initiatives, particularly the Backward Integration Projects (BIPs) across Adamawa, Taraba, and Nasarawa States, advanced the company’s self-sufficiency goals and aligned with the federal government’s national sugar master plan.
While stepping down from DSR, Dangote will continue as President of Dangote Industries Limited.
His legacy at DSR is marked by industrial innovation, strategic foresight, and sustained operational excellence.
To ensure a seamless transition, the Board has appointed Mr. Arnold Ekpe, a seasoned independent non-executive director, as the new chairman, effective June 16.
Ekpe is renowned for his tenure as Group CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, where he championed pan-African financial inclusion and institutional growth.
His extensive experience in banking and corporate governance is expected to strengthen DSR’s next phase of development.
The leadership change signals continuity of vision, with DSR reaffirming its focus on operational efficiency and long-term value creation in a dynamic market.
For shareholders and industry observers, Dangote’s exit from the Board marks the end of a transformational era—one defined by bold ambition and strategic execution—while opening a new chapter under Ekpe’s leadership.
News
Report Reveals New Malware Posing as an AI Assistant Steals User Data

Kaspersky Global Research & Analysis Team researchers have discovered a new malicious campaign which is distributing a Trojan through a fake DeepSeek-R1 Large Language Model (LLM) app for PCs.
The previously unknown malware is delivered via a phishing site pretending to be the official DeepSeek homepage that is promoted via Google Ads.
The goal of the attacks is to install BrowserVenom, a malware that configures web browsers on the victim’s device to channel web traffic through the attackers servers, thus allowing to collect user data – credentials and other sensitive information. Multiple infections have been detected in Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, India, Nepal, South Africa and Egypt.
DeepSeek-R1 is one of the most popular LLMs right now, and Kaspersky has previously reported attacks with malware mimicking it to attract victims. DeepSeek can also be run offline on PCs using tools like Ollama or LM Studio, and attackers used this in their campaign.
Users were directed to a phishing site mimicking the address of the original DeepSeek platform via Google Ads, with the link showing up in the ad when a user searched for “deepseek r1”.
Once the user reached the fake DeepSeek site, a check was performed to identify the victim’s operating system. If it was Windows, the user was presented with a button to download the tools for working with the LLM offline. Other operating systems were not targeted at the time of research.
After clicking on the button and passing the CAPTCHA test, a malicious installer file was downloaded and the user was presented with options to download and install Ollama or LM Studio.
If either option was chosen, along with legitimate Ollama or LM Studio installers, malware got installed in the system bypassing Windows Defender’s protection with a special algorithm.
This procedure also required administrator privileges for the user profile on Windows; if the user profile on Windows did not have these privileges, the infection would not take place.
After the malware was installed, it configured all web browsers in the system to forcefully use a proxy controlled by the attackers, enabling them to spy on sensitive browsing data and monitor the victim’s browsing activity.
Because of its enforcing nature and malicious intent, Kaspersky researchers have dubbed this malware BrowserVenom.
“While running large language models offline offers privacy benefits and reduces reliance on cloud services, it can also come with substantial risks if proper precautions aren’t taken.
Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the popularity of open-source AI tools by distributing malicious packages and fake installers that can covertly install keyloggers, cryptominers, or infostealers.
These fake tools compromise a user’s sensitive data and pose a threat, particularly when users have downloaded them from unverified sources,” comments Lisandro Ubiedo, Security Researcher with Kaspersky’s Global Research & Analysis Team.
News
World Bank Maintains Nigeria’s Growth at 3.6% Amid Trade Tension

The World Bank has retained Nigeria’s annual growth at 3.6 percent in 2025 despite heightened trade tension and uncertainty that has dragged the global economy’s GDP to its worst levels in decades.
The Washington-based lender sees Africa’s most populous nation’s GDP improving by 0.2 percent this year up from 3.4 percent recorded in 2024 with services sector being the major growth driver.
“Growth in Nigeria is forecast to strengthen to 3.6 percent in 2025 and to an average of 3.8 percent in 2026-27,” the development lender said in a report released Tuesday.
“Services activity will continue to be the main driver of growth, while the industrial sector will remain constrained by subdued crude oil production as last year’s slight rebound wanes.”
Nigeria saw its fastest growth in at least a decade last year, primarily driven by financial and telecommunication services, a recovery in the transportation sector, and a slight rebound in oil production.
That momentum is expected to continue this year amid global headwinds and escalating trade tension that cut World’s growth from 2.7 percent to 2.3 percent.
Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators have been mildly affected by the trade faceoffs triggered by President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that have shocked economies and shifted dynamics of the global markets.
While Africa’s biggest oil producer suffered a declining oil prices that saw the naira fall slightly in the past months, the local currency is gaining and so is inflation easing, thanks to reforms that have put the country in a better position to weather global shocks.
According to the World Bank, the country’s bold reforms, including floating of the naira and scrapping fuel subsidy, has strengthened Nigeria’s fiscal position and led to a surge in revenues at the state level, and higher remittances from government-owned enterprises.
“Domestic reforms have helped spur investment, supporting growth in the services sector, especially in financial services and information and communication technology,” the World Bank said.
The multilateral lender sees inflation declining “gradually” this year as the monetary authorities continue to remain hawkish in a bid to rein in rising prices and ensure the naira remains at its fair value.
In response to high inflation, the central bank raised its policy rate six times last year. Although inflation has cooled somewhat in recent months, it remains elevated relative to the central bank target and pre-pandemic trends.
But the CBN continues to monitor the trends and has remained committed to its core mandate of price control.
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