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GSM Operators Lose N360m to Generator Thieves

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l-r: Consultant Pediatrician in Charge of Special Care Baby Unit Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Dr. Zubaide Farouk, Director Administration, Alhaji Mohammed Suleiman AKTH; Chief Medical Director, AKTH, Professor Aminu Zakari Mohammed; MD/CEO, UBA Foundation, Ijeoma Aso; and Directorate Head, Far North Bank, UBA Plc, Abubakar Bello, during the presentation of Incubators to the Hospital by UBA Foundation, in Kano on Tuesday.
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Leading Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) operators lose N360 million every month as a result of theft of their equipment, especially generating sets, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations can now reveal.

Further findings showed that the three operators are losing at least two sets of generators to thieves on daily bases across the country.

The operators use 1.8 KVA generators (soundproof) in their base stations at the cost of N2million each.

The development is already frustrating efforts of the operators to expand their networks and address network congestion as well as the attendant poor quality of service.

Theft of power generating set at a Base Trans-receiver Station (BTS) results in the station being cut- off from the network.

This means that the network subscribers within the coverage area of that base station will be experiencing poor service quality because the microwave equipment that transmits calls from subscriber’s mobile phone within such base station to the nearest switching centre for completion, will cease to work as a result of power outage.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that operators are worried by ineffective security at their various stations and are considering using soldiers to provide security at the stations.

The choice of soldiers, it was learnt, was informed by increased cases of attacks by armed robbers who wield sophisticated weapons, which often times had resulted to death of security men deployed at base stations.

There is concern that the number of generating sets being stolen daily is likely to increase if nothing is done to address the situation, especially as operators are increasing the number of base stations they have in an effort to improve quality of service.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can also reveal that the three GSM operators had total of 11, 900 base stations as at the end of July this year. A breakdown of this figure shows that MTN has 4,200, Glomobile: 4,100 and Zain: 3,600 with installed 23,800 generators.

GSM operators resorted to the use of generating sets because of the notoriously unreliable nature of Nigeria’s public power supply.

Mr. Bayo Ligali, chief executive officer, Zain said that apart from countries where they have witnessed wars and other major conflicts, Nigeria ranks highest among countries that have recorded rampant vandalism of telecommunications equipment in the world.

 


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

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Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, director general, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP),  has expressed displeasure over the level of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) losses by Nigerian researchers due to insufficient knowledge of the benefits of IPR protection.

NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

Speaking at a one-day Coordinator’s Forum organized by the Office in Uyo for the South-South geopolitical zone of the country, the Director General, represented by Mrs. Caroline Anie-Osuagwu, director of Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination (TARC) department,  said that prior to the establishment of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in Nigerian knowledge establishments, Nigerian researchers had no deep knowledge of the importance of IP protection, hence losing their IP rights.

In a statement signed by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu for the head, Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP, the DG advised researchers to always file for a patent each time they anticipate a breakthrough and avoid publishing before patenting, as any research work published in a paper is already in the public domain and can no longer be patented.

“IP rights are rights granted to a researcher or inventor by the government to have a monopoly over the financial exploitation of their inventions for a period of time to recoup the expenditure on their research undertaking”. the DG said.

She challenged patent owners to license or commercialize their inventions, adding that patents that cannot metamorphose into tangible products and services are not worth keeping, as they are liabilities to the owners.

The DG said that researchers with patented inventions can license their invention for royalty purposes or sell them outrightly to venture capitalists if they cannot commercialize.

“Over the years, the nation has depended on the consumption of products from foreign research, while Nigeria is blessed with skilled human resources but only needs to be strategic in their research understanding”.

“The aim of organizing the IPTTO coordinator’s forum was to interact with the coordinators, know their challenges and achievements, and encourage the centers that are not very progressive to strengthen their centers.” She added.

The DG stressed that while a number of centers are performing well, some are struggling to find their fit, occasioned by bureaucratic bottlenecks.

She expressed confidence in the ability of the research communities engaging in demand-driven and market-driven research to fast-track development adding that technology development is a product of research work, and knowledge institutions are duty-bound to engage in critical research to advance the IPR ecosystem in Nigeria.

Participants from the South-South Zone took turns to commend NOTAP for the impactful program and requested the Office to assist them with links to venture capitalists for the commercialization of their research results.

All the IPTTO coordinators presented their scorecards and were advised to get ready for the 2026 IPTTO ranking that would be organized by the Office.

 

 

 

 


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FBI Busts Alleged Cyber Fraud Ring Led by Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’

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A Nigerian tech enthusiast known online as the “tech queen,” Sapphire Egemasi, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a massive fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.

Egemasi, a programmer with an active Devpost profile, was apprehended around April 10, 2025, in the Bronx, New York, reports The Nation.

She was arrested alongside several alleged co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, believed to be the ringleader of the syndicate.

The arrests follow a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, which charged the group with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering. The crimes allegedly took place between September 2021 and February 2023.

According to prosecutors, the syndicate defrauded the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars by creating spoof websites that mimicked official U.S. government portals. These fraudulent platforms were used to harvest login credentials and redirect funds into accounts under the group’s control.

Investigators say Egemasi served as the technical lead of the operation. She allegedly designed the fake websites and managed the coordination of wire transfers.

Records show that in August 2022 alone, the group rerouted $965,000 into a PNC Bank account and funneled another $330,000 into a Bank of America account.

Before her arrest, Egemasi was reportedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, though authorities believe she previously lived in Ghana, where she may have forged ties with other members of the syndicate.

To mask the origin of her wealth, Egemasi claimed on social media and professional platforms to have held internships with multinational corporations such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.

Her LinkedIn profile portrayed a polished image of a successful tech professional, while her social media accounts featured images of lavish vacations to destinations like Greece and Portugal —trips prosecutors allege were funded by illicit gains.

Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently in federal custody, awaiting trial in Lexington, Kentucky. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison, hefty financial penalties, and likely deportation upon completing their sentences.


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Abbas Jega, Ex-AMCON ED, Testifies, Says Arik Never Cooperated With AMCON

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A former Executive Director at Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Abbas Muhammed Jega, has shed light on the financial dealings between Arik Air and Union Bank, revealing that the airline’s debt to AMCON was over N100 billion as of 2015 and remained unpaid.

Testifying as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ahmed Kuru, former AMCON MD/CEO, and four others, Jega disclosed that AMCON acquired Arik’s loans from Union Bank and Keystone Bank, but not Zenith Bank, which was purchased after his exit.

According to Jega, AMCON discovered in a London meeting that Union Bank had sold them a guarantee rather than a loan, which was meant to cover foreign lenders in case Arik defaulted.

“We invited Arik to resolve the issue with Union Bank, but the arrangement disclosed by me never existed,” Jega said.

Jega attributed Arik’s inability to repay to over-trading, which led to their inability to service existing debts. He revealed that AMCON attempted to restructure Arik’s debt and even offered additional loan facilities to help the airline with working capital problems.

However, Arik failed to meet repayment obligations, prompting AMCON to propose two solutions: a debt equity swap and management control. Both options were rejected or delayed by Arik.

Under cross-examination, Jega confirmed that Kamilu Omokide and Captain Roy Ilegbodu played no role in the loan purchase or London meeting.

The matter has been adjourned to June 30, July 1, and July 2, 2025, for further cross-examination.

The case involves alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N76 billion and $31.5 million, with Ahmed Kuru, Kamilu Omokide, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank Ltd, and Super Bravo Ltd as defendants, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.


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