BY SUNDAY SAMUEL—Operatives of Ifo Division, Ogun State Police Command, on Monday arrested two suspects, Adeola Mathew ‘M’ aged 47 years and Rasheed Omoniyi ‘M’ aged 48 years, over conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearm, following a credible intelligence-led operation at a criminal hideout in Ifo area of Ogun State.
The arrest was effected on Friday, 9th May 2026, at about 6:30 a.m., when detectives attached to Ifo Division acted on credible intelligence and stormed a criminal hideout along Ibogun Road, NITEL Area, Ifo.
During the operation, Adeola Mathew was apprehended at the scene, while a search conducted at the hideout led to the recovery of one locally made pistol concealed within the premises.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the recovered firearm was allegedly handed over to the suspect by Rasheed Omoniyi, who was subsequently tracked and arrested by the operatives.
The recovered locally made pistol has been secured as exhibit, while investigation is ongoing to ascertain the source of the firearm and the suspects’ possible involvement in other criminal activities.
The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further discreet investigation and prosecution.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, psc, FCSS, MNIPR, commends the operatives for their swift response and reiterates the Command’s commitment to combating crime and ensuring the safety of residents across the State.
Members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through the Ogun State Police Command emergency lines: Gateway Shield (Toll-Free): 0800 000 9111; Emergency Lines: 0906 283 7609, 0912 014 1706, 0915 102 7369, 0708 497 2994.
BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—Buying and managing insurance policies in Nigeria is about to get as simple as sending a text message, thanks to a new digital initiative aimed at putting complete insurance coverage directly onto smartphones.
CBI Partnering Insurtech Limited, a newly licensed web aggregator and subsidiary of Baywood Holdings Limited, has unveiled an app-driven, web-based marketplace built to dismantle the traditional bottlenecks of the local insurance sector.
Speaking at a media briefing, Executive Chairman Emperor Chris Baywood Ibe explained that the platform was designed with the modern mobile consumer in mind, ensuring that insurance is easy to discover, purchase, and manage from anywhere.
“Whether you are at home, in the office, or traveling across the country, insurance should be entirely accessible via your mobile devices,” Ibe stated.
“For decades, adoption in Nigeria has been constrained not by an absence of products, but by accessibility, complexity, and a lack of customer confidence. We are changing that by bringing the entire ecosystem onto a single digital interface.”
To achieve this, the company is deploying an ecosystem powered by generative AI, advanced algorithms, and interactive chatbots. While clarifying that CBI Partnering Insurtech is a technology marketplace rather than an insurance underwriter, Ibe emphasized that the platform will handle everything from policy creation to seamless claims support right on a user’s phone.
The move comes at a critical time for the industry. With a newly assented Federal Government policy driving digital financial inclusion, Ibe issued a strong warning to legacy underwriters still operating on paper-heavy, offline business models, stating that companies must innovate or face corporate extinction within the next five years.
To ensure consumers have immediate access to a wide variety of mobile-ready products, CBI Partnering Insurtech announced it will provide technical “hand-holding” to traditional insurance companies and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs).
The tech firm plans to build custom Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for operators lagging behind digitally, allowing them to connect directly to the mobile platform.
This collaborative framework aims to give retail consumers, micro-businesses, and corporate organizations instant, transparent access to insurance protection at the swipe of a finger
BY NKECHI NAECHE -ESEZOBOR—The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially inaugurated a new committee dedicated to fast-tracking the countrywide migration to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). The establishment of this specialized board, which took place during an industry event in Ikeja, Lagos, marks a decisive regulatory effort to modernize the nation’s digital infrastructure and secure its electronic future.
A prominent telecom executive, Olusola Teniola of ipNX, has been appointed to the newly formed panel. He joins a distinguished group of private sector pioneers and public sector representatives, including Funke Opeke, panel chairman Muhammed Rudman, vice chairman Chris Uwaje, Mary Uduma, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, and Latif Ladid. Together, this collaborative body will work alongside key government institutions to oversee the technological shift.
Reflecting on the initiative, Teniola emphasized that upgrading the nation’s internet framework is an immediate necessity rather than a long-term goal. He noted that with skyrocketing data usage and the rapid proliferation of next-generation technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT), Nigeria must build a scalable, secure, and globally competitive foundation to support its expanding digital economy.
The newly formed committee is charged with a comprehensive mandate, which includes drafting a national deployment blueprint, monitoring adoption metrics, and providing regular progress updates. Additionally, the team will focus on overcoming existing structural bottlenecks, enhancing local technical capacity, and recommending policy incentives to encourage universal participation.
Achieving widespread implementation will require deep alignment across network operators, internet service providers, corporate enterprises, academia, and state authorities. Industry leaders stress that this transition is a collective responsibility, requiring deliberate investment in public awareness and skill development to ensure Nigeria remains a frontrunner in the global digital landscape.