The Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent intention of imposing a cybersecurity fee on bank clients has been strongly opposed by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).

The forum voiced its displeasure with the policy in a statement issued by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, Director of Publicity and Advocacy at the NEF. The statement cited the rising expenses linked to banking transactions due to additional charges.

The NEF urged the government to reevaluate the program and look into other options to lessen peoples’ financial burdens while encouraging the usage of electronic payments.

The forum made the point that people who deal electronically now incur an intolerable financial burden due to the imposition of cybersecurity levies on top of already-imposed expenses like value-added tax, stamp duty, transfer fees, and SMS charges.

While recognizing the critical role cybersecurity plays in protecting electronic transactions, the NEF stressed the need for a more balanced strategy that makes sure security measure costs are fair and do not unduly burden bank customers.

The Nigerian Economic Forum (NEF) encouraged the government to come up with a long-term plan that strikes a reasonable balance between improving cybersecurity and easing the financial burden on Nigerians.

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“It is imperative that the administration takes into account the concerns raised by a vast majority of Nigerians and priorities policies that protect the interests of the people while also fostering economic growth and development.”

“It is crucial that the government listens to the concerns of organisations like the NEF and works towards implementing policies that benefit all Nigerians, rather than burdening them with additional costs and hardships.

“It is essential to strike a delicate balance between enhancing cybersecurity and easing the financial burden on the populace, particularly at a time when the Nigerian economy is facing significant challenges due to inflation and other economic factors.”

The Tiv group’s migration to a new location has brought an end to the long-running land dispute between them and the Hausa community in Taraba State’s Bali Local Government Council.

Alhaji Abubakar Mahmoud, the Jibu chiefdom’s traditional ruler, moved the Tiv settlement of Dugwer to a different area of the chiefdom.

He announced the action on Thursday in Taraba with the intention of putting an end to the protracted hostilities between the Tiv and Hausa people in the region.

Mahmoud clarified that the move is a component of an endeavor to reach a settlement outside of court and establish peace in the area. “By allocating this new land, we hope to resolve the land dispute amicably, allowing the Tiv community to continue their farming activities without any hindrance,” Mahmoud said.

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The dispute was earlier filed in court, as reported by Dailyreports, but it was later withdrawn in order to promote a peaceful settlement.

The Tiv community was warned by the traditional ruler to be on the lookout for those who might try to instigate more confrontations in order to further their own agendas.

Additionally, he urged state-level Tiv officials to make sure that their local leadership fosters harmony and collaboration with surrounding communities.

Aper Agera, the Tiv community’s representative, was thrilled with the outcome and praised the king, the council’s leadership, and the state government for resolving the long-standing conflict. Agera accepted the new property on behalf of his people.

But he also pointed out that the new land allotted to the Tiv group was only about 200 square kilometers, compared to the approximately 600 square kilometers of land seized from them.

He informed them that the differences in land sizes would not meet the needs of the Tiv, thus the authorities would have to find more square kilometers of land for them in the new area.

Oluwateniola Omidiji, a 300-level Nursing Science student at Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, who was detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of debt, missed her exams.

Due to a purported debt that her mother, Mrs. Omoniyi Omidiji, owed to a business partner, the 19-year-old was taken into custody by agents of the anti-graft agency.

On April 26, 2024, she was taken from the school grounds by EFCC agents from the Lagos zone due to a business deal her mother, who was widowed in 2020, had carried out.

Miss Omidiji claimed in a basic rights complaint filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos under the case number FHC/L/CS/759/224 that she was kidnapped by EFCC agents in relation to a debt her mother allegedly owed him from a business transaction.

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Nwoko stated that at some point in 2020, after Mrs. Omidiji left for an overseas trip, he put N100,000,000 into her company, in which Oluwateniola is a partner.

According to information obtained, the EFCC’s inquiry at the Corporate Affairs Commission turned up four directors of a business named Elisto Global Services Limited, which Mrs. Omidiji is said to have used to accept the money from Mr. Nwoko, the complainant.

Oluwateniola, who has been detained by the EFCC, has protested to the court that she has been there for ten days while her school is conducting exams.

According to court documents seen, the EFCC allegedly argued that Oluwateniola, 19, should account for her mother’s alleged wrongdoing in the joint venture with Mr. Nwoko because she was designated by her mother as a director of Elisto.

Chijioke Emeka, SAN, Oluwateniola’s attorney, is requesting that her fundamental human right be upheld, pointing out that Oluwateniola was just 16 years old when her mother entered into a commercial partnership with the plaintiff.

Oluwateniola’s lawyer is requesting N10,000,000 in damages in court documents, claiming that her fundamental rights to human dignity, personal liberty, a fair trial, and freedom of movement have been violated.

An attempt to contact the EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, was unsuccessful, and a date for a follow-up hearing on the case has not yet been set.