News
Massive N197bn Contract Fraud Uncovered in MDAs by Auditor-General

A recent report by the Auditor-General of the Federation has uncovered financial irregularities totaling over N197.72 billion across various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria.
The report, which highlights systemic lapses in financial compliance and procurement processes, focuses on activities between 2020 and 2021.
The findings are detailed in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses and aim to assist stakeholders, including the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees, in addressing the identified lapses and recovering lost funds.
One of the key revelations involves irregularities in the award of contracts amounting to N7.39 billion across 32 MDAs. These breaches contravened Paragraph 2921(i) of the Financial Regulations (2009), which mandates open competitive bidding for all procurement processes.
“The sum of N7,386,551,051.09 (seven billion, three hundred and eighty-six million, five hundred and fifty-one thousand, fifty-one naira, nine kobo) was the amount of irregularities in the award of contracts by 32 ministries, departments, and agencies,” the report stated.
The Rural Electrification Agency, Abuja, recorded the highest irregularity in this category, amounting to N2.12 billion, while the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPM) accounted for the lowest irregularity, at N11.72 million.
Another major finding was the payment of N167.59 billion for jobs or contracts that were either partially executed or not executed at all, violating Paragraph 708 of the Financial Regulations.
“The sum of N167,592,177,559.40 (one hundred and sixty-seven billion, five hundred and ninety-two million, one hundred and seventy-seven thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine naira, forty kobo) was the amount of payments for jobs/contracts not executed by 31 ministries, departments, and agencies,” the report noted.
The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Abuja, accounted for the highest irregular payment at N100 billion, while the National Centre for Women Development recorded the least irregularity at N2.17 million.
Violations of due process in contract awards were also highlighted, totaling N20.33 billion across 24 MDAs. Section 16(21) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 requires strict adherence to procurement plans and mandatory approvals before contract awards. However, the report found these requirements were often ignored.
“The sum of N20,334,104,016.27 (twenty billion, three hundred and thirty-four million, one hundred and four thousand, sixteen naira, twenty-seven kobo) was the amount of contracts awarded in violation of due process by 24 ministries, departments, and agencies,” it read.
The NSPM, Abuja, accounted for the highest amount of violations in this category, totaling N14.14 billion, while the Corporate Affairs Commission recorded the least, at N8.98 million.
Additionally, contracts worth N2.41 billion were awarded above approved financial thresholds without obtaining the required “Certificate of No Objection” from the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“The sum of N2,407,710,913.92 (two billion, four hundred and seven million, seven hundred and ten thousand, nine hundred and thirteen naira, ninety-two kobo) was the amount of contracts awarded above the threshold by five ministries, departments, and agencies,” the report added.
The Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, recorded the highest amount of violations in this category at N1.06 billion, while the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, accounted for the least amount, at N9.9 million.
The report categorized these issues as “cross-cutting,” indicating systemic flaws across multiple MDAs. It criticized weak internal controls within the agencies and called for stricter enforcement of financial regulations to prevent future occurrences.
The revelations have raised concerns about the government’s ability to manage public funds efficiently, especially amid economic challenges such as inflation and rising debt.
In response to the report, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has demanded a thorough investigation into alleged misappropriation of N4.64 billion by the Ministry of Works and Housing, under the leadership of Babatunde Fashola.
The Auditor-General’s report identified financial irregularities in the housing sector between 2020 and 2021, including payments made without proper documentation, extra-budgetary expenditures, mobilisation fees exceeding approved thresholds, and contracts awarded without following due process.
These findings underscore the urgent need for reforms to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s financial management system and ensure accountability for public funds.
News
NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

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

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

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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