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We’ll Reveal Sponsors of Terrorism at the Right Time – EFCC Chair, Bawa

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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, on Thursday, said Nigerians will know the identities of terrorism financiers in the country at the right time.

He spoke on as a guest on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ current affairs programme monitored by The PUNCH.

Bawa, who collapsed during an official function at the Aso Rock Villa earlier on Thursday, also said he had seen his doctor and “everything about me is okay, except for the fact that I’m a bit dehydrated and I need to take a lot of water”.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had on February 16, 2021, named 41-year-old Bawa as the fourth chairman of EFCC following the corruption allegations levelled against embattled ex-acting EFCC chair, Ibrahim Magu, and his subsequent suspension.

The EFCC was established in the early 2000s during the administration of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo to combat economic and financial crimes like advance fee fraud (419), money laundering, terrorism financing and miscellaneous offences.

On Monday, the United Arab Emirates named and prosecuted six Nigerians and 32 others for allegedly financing terrorism.

Nigerians on the UAE’s terrorism list include Abdurrahaman Ado Musa, Salihu Yusuf Adamu, Bashir Ali Yusuf, Muhammed Ibrahim Isa, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan and Surajo Abubakar Muhammad.

The Nigerians were said to have transferred up to $800,000 in favour of Boko Haram between 2015 and 2016.

The six persons were said to have been tried and sentenced to at least 10 years in jail in the UAE.

Also in March 2021, presidential aide, Garba Shehu, had said the Nigerian Government arrested 400 Bureau De Change operators for allegedly funding Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

He had said the Nigerians were transferring money to the sect from the United Arab Emirates.

Asked specifically on the television programme on Thursday to reveal the people financing terror and unleashing mayhem on Nigerians in the last 12 years, the EFCC chairman replied the interviewer, “If you are my adviser, will you advise me to come on national television to tell the whole world regarding matters of sensitive national security issue? Certainly, not. But what I want to assure is the fact that we are working tirelessly with other sister agencies to ensure that this country is free of terrorism.”

When further asked whether it was appropriate for the government to conceal the identities of terror financiers whose activities have led to the killing of thousands of innocent lives, Bawa said, “Of course, transparency is one of the bedrock(s) of this administration, of course, I am not a spokesman for this administration, but I believe that at the right time Nigerians will get to know those that are financing terrorism in this country and beyond as well.

“These are issues that are beyond the borders of this country and of course we are working tirelessly with our partners overseas as well as other sister agencies at home. We are working, it is not something we should come out to say that these are the modus operandi that we are adopting.”

Terrorism financing has become a concerning issue in Nigeria in the last few years as some unnamed politicians have been fingered of complicity with the marauders.

This newspaper had earlier reported that a former Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi, said that Boko Haram terrorists mentioned names of current governors, senators and Aso Rock officials as sponsors during interrogation but the President has demonstrated an unwillingness to go after the high-profile politicians for reasons best known to him.

Last September, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, also claimed that a serving northern governor was a Boko Haram leader and moneybag.

For over a decade, the Boko Haram terror group had killed thousands of Nigerians in the North-East, especially in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. The Nigerian Army and the Presidency had at several times claimed the group had been ‘technically defeated’ and ‘weakened’ but the bloodthirsty terrorist faction continues to strike with daring effrontery and crude savagery.

The Punch

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Glo Partners Samsung to Offer Customers the Exclusive Galaxy S-25

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Digital solutions company, Globacom, has teamed up with Samsung, world’s leading manufacturer of electronic devices, to bring a new offer to Glo subscribers. This tantalising deal allows Glo customers to pre-order the highly sought-after Samsung Galaxy S-25 smartphone and enjoy unique benefits.

Samsung Electronics unveiled its newest flagship smartphones: the Galaxy S25 series which comes with cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and was designed to elevate user experience and set new standards in the industry on January 22, 2025.

The pre-ordering exercise kicked off on January 22 and closes on February 18, 2025 at Gloworld shops across the country. It gives customers the opportunity to select from the Galaxy S25 lineup, including the S25 Ultra, the top-tier and most sophisticated model, as well as the S25+ and the standard S25. They, however, come with different processors and storage options.

Customers who pre-order the Galaxy S25 or S25+ will receive complimentary gifts, including a Buds FE, a suit cover, and Samsung Care, while those opting for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, will receive a free Buds 3, a standing grip case, and Samsung Care.

Globacom is also delighting customers who purchase any model from the Galaxy S25 series with 18GB bonus data for 6 months under smartphone festival data plans, while they can also secure their pre-order at any Gloworld shop with an advance payment of ₦500,000. Pre-ordered phones will be delivered to customers from February 19 onwards.

“We are thrilled to bring this offer to our subscribers, who will enjoy unparalleled benefits, including innovative packaging. This partnership with Samsung reinforces our commitment to providing value-added services that cater to the evolving needs of our customers”.

The company advises other phone lovers who are yet to pre-order the new device to visit any Gloworld outlet close to them and join the list of the new owners of the Samsung S-25 phone before the expiry date.

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Another Gloworld Retail Office Opens in Maiduguri

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Technology company, Globacom, on Wednesday opened another Gloworld retail outlet in the Borno State capital, Maiduguri.

The new Gloworld shop is the latest in Globacom’s trademark customer interface shops, and is equipped with the latest technology for fast and efficient customer service and complaints resolution.

According to Mr. Augustine Mamuro, Globacom’s Regional Sales Coordinator, North East, the opening of the centre is in line with its “desire to bring its services closer to the people, create more platforms for customers to have access to Globacom’s wide range of products and services and give them more exciting experience on the network.”

He added that Globacom’s approach to customer service “is one that is underpinned by innovation and total inclusiveness. This is why we are consistently seeking innovative channels to make available our array of services to them”.

Mamuro assured the people of Maiduguri that the office is manned by well-trained, polite and customer-friendly staff who will provide first-class services and attend to customers’ enquiries as well as their service and product needs.

He also said the new shop will offer affordable Glo products, devices, smartphones and accessories, adding, that the people are assured of quick and satisfactory resolutions of all issues ranging from SIM replacement and registration to recovery of over-scratched cards, refill, unblocking of phones and laptop configurations for internet, as well as post paid bill payments and purchase of all Glo and other complementary products”.

The Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Umar Umar Kadafur, who was the Special Guest at the event, eulogised Globacom for deeming it fit to open a new Gloworld in Maiduguri for the benefit of the people.

He lauded the management of the company for its thoughtfulness in bringing its products and services close to the people of the state.

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I Don’t Belong to Wike’s Camp, Dakuku Peterside Declares

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Dakuku Peterside has publicly declared his political leaning in Rivers State, saying he does not belong to the camp of the former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Instead, Peterside, a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said he aligns with Wike’s predecessor and estranged former godfather Rotimi Amaechi.

“I am a friend to Rotimi Amaechi,” the former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship hopeful said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

“I am not on the side of Nyesom Wike,” Peterside submitted, adding that he is also not politically aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

He, however, said he was ready to provide advice for the incumbent governor on how to move the state forward.

“When Nyesom Wike was governor, recall that I was doing open letters to him consistently, giving him my advice. I did that for some time. If Governor Fubara seeks my advice, of course, I am willing to give that, like many governors,” he said.

Rivers is one of the politically charged states in Nigeria, a situation which could be attributed to the chunk votes and fat purse of the oil-rich state.

Like a coat of many colours, fragmented political camps make up the diverse and intrigue-filled state dominated by pugilists in the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where the incumbent governor belongs.

Leaders of the camps include Wike, a PDP powerbroker and two-term governor of the state from May 2015 to May 2023. Another political gladiator in the state is Amaechi, a former APC presidential hopeful and ex-transport minister who previously governed the state from May 2007 to May 2015.

There are also those loyal to Fubara and former governor Peter Odili; while former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus; Magnus Abe; and Tonye Cole; amongst others, have their die-hard followers too. For over a decade, political crises have been Siamese to the State with followers of the various camps always at loggerheads.

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