Connect with us

Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS: Finnish court didn’t mention IPOB during Ekpa’s conviction – Abuja lawyer points out

Published

on

BREAKING NEWS: Did You Miss The 400 $ex T4pe of Equatorial Guinea senior official Baltasar Ebang Engonga? Quickly W4tch! Before They Are deleted Be The First Person To See The Full Videos. Now!

Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Barr. Christopher Chidera, has claimed that the court in Finland did not mention the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, while convicting self-styled IPOB Prime Minister, Simon Ekpa.

The lawyer, while trying to break down the judgement to some journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland convicted Ekpa for incitement, tax fraud, and professional misconduct, none of which, according to him, was linked to IPOB.

He raised serious concerns on what he called “malicious propaganda” being orchestrated against Nnamdi Kanu and what he called a legitimate campaign by IPOB.

The lawyer specifically noted “the malicious article published on iBrandTV and authored by Marshal Bassey under the false and misleading headline ‘Simon Ekpa’s Conviction: How the Igbo Biafra Dream Died a Natural Death’” on Monday, describing it as a “hatchet piece.”

He noted that the “fabrication collapsed under the weight of verifiable judicial records. It is propaganda designed to dampen the resilient spirit of Biafrans but instead exposes the intellectual emptiness of its author and his sponsors.”

He explained that the Finnish Court Judgment did not find IPOB wanting while it sentenced “Simon Ekpa personally to six years’ imprisonment on charges of participation in a terrorist organization, incitement, tax fraud, and professional misconduct.”

He pointed out that, “The Court never mentioned IPOB in its ruling. IPOB testified under oath that Ekpa was never a member and held no office in the movement.

“Ekpa himself admitted under oath that he was only a ‘content creator’ and had long disowned IPOB. If IPOB were guilty, Finland had the perfect opportunity to indict it. The Court declined to do so because no evidence exists against IPOB. This silence is itself exoneration,” he stated.

He frowned at what he called the article’s “reckless attempt to bury the Biafra dream through falsehood,” describing it as “pitiful.”

He said the author of the article “deliberately ignored the legal reality that IPOB is a lawful registered movement in Finland, operating transparently within the ambit of international law.

“His article is nothing but a paid smear job designed to launder Nigeria’s image while defaming IPOB.

He restated that, “IPOB is not, and has never been, a terrorist group. IPOB is a global self-determination movement anchored in law and justice.”

He warned that, “Any further attempts to defame IPOB will be met with lawsuits, international petitions, and reputational demolition.”BREAKING NEWS: Did You Miss The 400 $ex T4pe of Equatorial Guinea senior official Baltasar Ebang Engonga? Quickly W4tch! Before They Are deleted Be The First Person To See The Full Videos. Now!

 

Continue Reading

Breaking News

National Pension Commission (PenCom) changes price disclosure rule

Published

on

National Pension Commission (PenCom) has directed Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to discontinue the publication of daily unit prices for Retirement Savings Account (RSA) and Retiree Funds on their websites, replacing the requirement with a six-month disclosure of returns based on a three-year rolling average.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the commission.

Under the new guideline, PFAs must stop implementing Section 2.0 (iv) of the Commission’s March 23, 2013 circular, which required them to display daily unit prices for the last seven days.

Instead, they are to publish on their websites the last six months’ rate of return — calculated as a 36-month compounded rolling average in line with the Circular for the Calculation and Reporting of Rate of Returns by Licensed Pension Fund Operators (LPFOs).

According to the commission, the rate of return must be clearly displayed on the homepage of each PFA’s website.

For instance, the six-month disclosure covering April to September 2025 would reflect the 36-month compounded returns ending in each of those months.

This has however raised transparency concerns in the pension industry.

The 2013 circular on Minimum Information to be displayed on PFA Websites formed part of PenCom’s transparency framework for the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The latest addendum modifies that requirement but does not remove PFAs’ obligation to disclose performance information.

Industry watchers say the development may reignite debate over the balance between long-term investment reporting and real-time transparency in Nigeria’s pension industry.

All enquiries on the addendum, the Commission said, should be directed to its Surveillance Department.

An industry analyst who does not want her name mentioned said the move could reduce contributors’ access to real-time performance data.

She said: “Daily unit prices allowed RSA holders to independently track short-term movements and detect fluctuations in fund valuation.

“With only a three-year rolling average now required, contributors will no longer see recent performance in isolation”, she noted.

The analyst added that while pension funds are long-term vehicles, removing daily disclosure raises concerns about information asymmetry.

“PFAs will still compute daily valuations internally. The issue is whether contributors should be denied access to data that already exists,” the analyst said.

However, another pension expert defended the directive, noting that pensions are structured for long-term accumulation and should be assessed over extended periods.

“A 36-month rolling average smooth’s out short-term volatility and provides a more accurate reflection of sustained performance,” the expert said, warning that excessive focus on daily fluctuations could encourage reactionary fund switching.

Continue Reading

Breaking News

Dollar rises in black market on Monday, traders quote new exchange rate

Published

on

Dollar edges higher against the naira in black market trading Dollar edges higher against the naira in black market trading

The United States dollar at the parallel market increased in value on Monday, Febuary 23 with traders quote at N1,375/$ as the new selling exchange rate.

The new rate is a slight depreciation for the naira when compared to N1,343 a dollar market closed on Friday, February 20, 2026.

Abdulahhi, a forex dealer, told Legit.ng that the new exchange rate follows renew demand in the market.

“I am currently selling dollars at N1,375/$1 and buying at N1,355/$1. The pound is trading at N1,845 to sell and N1,805 to buy, while the euro is also moving steadily in the market.

“It seems this week the dollar will return to over N1,400. I have been getting a lot of request.”

The fall of the naira comes as BDC operators continue to face difficulties in accessing dollars from commercial banks.

BDCs can get dollar

The apex bank had previously issued a circular allowing licensed BDCs to access foreign exchange through authorised dealers at the prevailing market rate.

Under the directive, each BDC is permitted to purchase up to $150,000 weekly, subject to Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and due diligence checks, Punch reports.

Leadership reported that despite a policy announcement, some operators disclosed that no transactions have been completed under the new arrangement.

A BDC operator, who requested anonymity, said the directive remains largely unimplemented. According to him, the circular provides that disbursements will be made through settlement accounts, a provision that has raised operational concerns.

He questioned the feasibility of seamless, real-time transfers between domiciliary accounts across different banks, noting that such infrastructure may not yet be fully in place.

The operator added that while commercial banks appear supportive of the policy, many are still developing internal processes to align with the CBN’s directive.

He explained that BDCs are required to submit bid orders through their banks, which would then access the market on their behalf.

Naira in the official market

Meanwhile, in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), the naira closed against the US dollar on Friday, February 20 at N1,346.32/$1 from N1,341.35/$1 a day earlier.

At the GTBank FX desk, the naira weakened by N7 against the dollar to quote N1,356/$1.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2026 Naijacoaded | All Right Reserved | Powered by Naijacoaded.com |