Business

Judge Throws Out Evidence in Alleged $35m NCDMB Fraud Case

Published

2 months ago

April 14, 2026

Preport

The trial of Akindele Akintoye, alongside Platforms Capital Investment Partners Limited and Duport Midstream Company Limited continued on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 before Justice Ekerete Akpan of the Federal High Court, Abuja, with the court refusing to admit in evidence, a document tendered by Akintoye, containing his request to buy off the shares of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB.

The defendants are facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on an amended six-count charge bordering on dishonesty and conversion of $35million belonging to NCDMB.

The application for the admission of the document was filed by counsel to the first and second defendant, E.O. Adekwu, SAN, on March 10, 2026, during his cross-examination of the Fourth Prosecution Witness, PW4, Isaac Yalah, but met a strong objection from the prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, who asked the court to dismiss the application and reject the document on the ground that it was a mere photocopy and not a certified true copy.

“I have an objection to the admissibility of this document, the ground is that, this document is a photocopy of an original and it is addressed to NCDMB which is a public institution and such document should have been certified. The only admissible document in law of a copy of a public document is a certified true copy. We rely on Section 89 of the Evidence Act and Section 102 of the Evidence Act, and we also commend the case of Adeyefa against Bamgboye 2013,

10NWLR, part 1863 page 532. We also commend the case of Onwuzuruike against Edoziem 2016 6NWLR Part 1508, Page 205. We urge the court to discountenance it and dismiss it,” he said.

Delivering ruling on the admissibility of the document on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Justice Akpan aligned himself with the position of the prosecution counsel and threw it out on the ground that it is a photocopy of a public document and not the original.

He adjourned the matter till May 18 and 19, 2026 for continuation of trial.

Related Topics:Judge Throws Out Evidence in Alleged $35m NCDMB Fraud Case

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NCC Chief Aminu Maida to Keynote 2026 DigitalSENSE Forum in Lagos

Published

1 hour ago

June 11, 2026

Preport

The Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, is set to deliver the Keynote Address at the upcoming 2026 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D). Scheduled for this Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Banquet Hall, Welcome Centre Hotels in Lagos, the landmark 17th milestone edition will anchor its deliberations on the crucial theme: “Sustaining WSIS Vision with Multistakeholder Synergy in Nigeria.”

Dr. Maida’s address will focus on the regulatory frameworks required to preserve the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) vision through inclusive, multi-stakeholder partnerships. The high-level forum and its prestigious industry awards have rallied robust support from the foundational pillars of Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital infrastructure ecosystem.

Major public and private sector players are heavily backing the forum as part of their commitment to promoting critical national infrastructure and securing Nigeria’s digital possibilities. Among the leading sponsors driving this momentum are IHS Nigeria—the nation’s premier digital infrastructure champion boasting over 16,000 telecom towers and 15,000km of fiber optic cables—and data center colocation leader Digital Realty.

Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, the Editor-in-Chief of host media organization ITREALMS Media Group, commended the immense institutional support flowing from the industry ahead of the event.

“Achieving sustainable internet governance and digital trust requires an intentional alignment of regulation and infrastructure,” Nweke remarked. “The active collaboration of the NCC, IHS Nigeria, and Digital Realty ensures that the 2026 forum will move beyond mere dialogue to produce clear, actionable policy recommendations for our digital economy.”

The event will be presided over by Dr. Olusola Teniola (hon), Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX Nigeria and former President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), who will deliver the Chairman’s Opening Speech on the 2026 NDSF blueprint.

A broad coalition of leading telecommunications, technology, and internet governance stakeholders have also thrown their weight behind the event. These include ICT infrastructure leader MTN Nigeria; the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); premier software and DNS infrastructure firm Upperlink Limited; and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), managers of the .NG country code Top Level Domain name.

The post NCC Chief Aminu Maida to Keynote 2026 DigitalSENSE Forum in Lagos appeared first on Business Today NG.

Business

Stanbic IBTC Holdings disclaims WhatsApp scheme offering investment opportunities

Published

9 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Preport

Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has disclaimed responsibility for social media advertisements, asking the public to join WhatsApp groups that purportedly offer them investment opportunities with “guaranteed returns” in “high-quality stocks.”

The financial services group disclosed in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that such advertisements are fraudulent, false and unauthorised.

The announcement followed the circulation of social media posts featuring the image of Busola Jejelowo, the CEO of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, together with the Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers logo.

“They do not originate from Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC or any of its subsidiaries, and they have not been approved, endorsed, or issued by the group in any form,” the financial institution said.

“The use of our name, logo, brand identity, and the images of our executives in these materials is fraudulent and intended to deceive unsuspecting individuals,” it added.

The bank holding company disclosed that it has already reported the fraudulent activities to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria.

Victims

Stanbic IBTC Holdings advised people who have already fallen prey to such dubious schemes, or who have made payments or disclosed any personal or financial information, to report the matter immediately to the nearest law enforcement agency.

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It urged the public to be cautious of unauthorised communications by individuals purporting to be associated with Stanbic IBTC, especially when they relate to investments and promises of financial returns.

Customers should rely only on authentic and verified information about Stanbic IBTC communicated through its official communication platforms, it said.

“Such messages should be treated as suspicious unless independently verified through our official channels,” Stanbic IBTC Holdings stated.

“For authentic and verified information about Stanbic IBTC and its products and services, please rely only on our official communication platforms, including @StanbicIBTC on Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube.”

It further expressed its commitment to taking all appropriate steps to safeguard its brand and customers from fraudulent and deceptive activities.