Olanrewaju Farinloye is the candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun State. In this interview with Gbenga Olumide, he speaks on his ambition and how he will bring development to the state. Excerpts: IT is often observed that politicians become close to the people during electioneering period but abandon […]
The post We must retire old political culture in Osun —Farinloye, AA guber candidate appeared first on Tribune Online.
Swift intervention by the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed mni, has led to the full restoration of free vehicular movement along the ever-busy Abuja–Kaduna Expressway following a major obstruction at Azara Bridge, Jere axis.
The traffic disruption, triggered by ongoing road construction activities and the breakdown of an articulated vehicle conveying a crane on a narrow diversion point, caused a severe gridlock that threatened to paralyse movement on the corridor.
Acting promptly on Corps Marshal’s directives, personnel of the FCT Sector Command, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and construction officials, immediately mobilised to the scene and coordinated the successful evacuation of the obstructing vehicle.
The decisive and coordinated response by the FRSC not only cleared the obstruction within record time but also prevented further escalation of traffic congestion and associated risks on the highway.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 arraigned one Salifu Olije Mustapha before Justice A.I. Akobi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kubwa, for allegedly posturing and parading himself as an officer of the Commission
He was arraigned on a four- count charge bordering on impersonation and misrepresentation.
Count two of the Charge reads:
“That you, Salifu Olije Mustapha sometime in March 2026, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while falsely pretending to be a Nigerian Air Force officer did abet the duo of Abubakar (now at large) and Haruna Mamuda (currently undergoing investigation with another law enforcement agency by conveying them fully dressed in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s operational uniforms as operatives of Commission in a Toyota Corolla with Registration No. KTU399GT to Sheriff Plaza, Wuse II, Abuja to defraud unsuspecting members of the public and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 84(c) and punishable under Section 132 of the Penal Code Act”
Count three reads: “That you, Salifu Olije Mustapha sometime in March 2026, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, impersonated a Public Servant by falsely presenting yourself as officer of the Nigerian Air Force and in that assumed character defrauded unsuspecting members of the public and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 132 of the Penal Code Act”
The defendant pleaded guilty to all of the four count charges when they were read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, R.U Adaga to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Akobi thereafter adjourned the matter to June 1, 2026 for sentencing of the defendant.
Mustapha was arrested by operatives of the EFCC following actionable intelligence linking him with impersonation of EFCC officers. He was specifically spotted in a fake EFCC uniform, alongside two other suspects, harassing motorists and defrauding them in the process.
Fidelity Bank Plc says it recorded a 37.9 percent growth in its gross earnings as it reached N434.95 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026.
The financial institution, in a statement on Tuesday, said its gross earnings rose from N315.42 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
“The top-line performance was driven by impressive growth in the bank’s core business operations with interest incomes rising by 22.8 percent to N314.48 billion in first quarter 2026 as against N256.10 billion in first quarter 2025,” Fidelity Bank said.
“With net interest income at N180.97 billion, the bank closed the period with profit before tax of N92.48 billion. After taxes, net profit stood at N74.47 billion for the three-month period.
“Earnings per share remained high at N5.69, underlining the capacity of the bank to reward its shareholders.
“The balance sheet of the bank also emerged stronger.”
The bank further said its total assets crossed the N11 trillion mark to N11.35 trillion in March 2026 compared with N10.46 trillion recorded in December 2025.
“Customers’ deposits increased from N6.89 trillion to N7.38 trillion, while total equity rose by 27.5 percent from N1.09 trillion in December 2025 to N1.39 trillion by March 2026,” Fidelity Bank added.
Speaking on the performance, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Fidelity Bank, said the Q1 2026 results reinforce the resilience of the bank’s business model.
“We are on a stronger footing and confident that we will set new growth records that are reflective of our legacy and the future we are working on,” the CEO said.
Onyeali-Ikpe also said following the successful completion of its recapitalisation programme, the financial institution has entered a new era of growth.
US President Donald Trump has increased the refugee admissions ceiling by 10,000 for this year to allow more white South Africans to come into the country, Reuters reports.
Citing a signed presidential determination, Reuters reports that Trump based the decision on claims that white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity face an emergency situation due to the “incitement of racially motivated violence” by the government and political parties in the majority-Black country.
The report added that the presidential document, dated May 21, did not list specific examples of South Africa’s government allegedly inciting racial violence.
Reuters noted that a state department spokesperson declined to confirm the 10,000-person increase to the refugee cap but said the programme is a Trump priority, adding that the president would determine the refugee levels.
The development comes weeks after data from the Refugee Processing Centre showed that nearly all refugees admitted in the US since last October were white South Africans.
Of the 4,499 refugees resettled in the US, 4,496 were South African, while only three were from Afghanistan.
Trump has accused the administration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of persecuting Afrikaners. Ramaphosa has denied the allegations.
In Trump’s presidential determination, he cited “new disruptions” of refugee operations in South Africa as contributing to the urgent need to bring in more Afrikaners.
Citing a US official and an internal government email, Reuters said the Trump administration plans to bring white South African refugees to the White House for World Refugee Day on June 20 to emphasise the programme.
DISCLAIMER
The Nigerian Army (NA) has observed with concern a publication by Sahara Reporters titled: “Retired Nigerian Army General Arrested in Abuja After Criticising Senate President Akpabio Over 2027 Comments,” wherein one Haruna Garba Gololo, popularly known as Garus Gololo, was described as a “Retired Nigerian Army General.”
The Nigerian Army wishes to categorically state that Mr Haruna Garba Gololo is neither a retired officer nor a General in the Nigerian Army. Accordingly, the portrayal of the individual as a retired General of the Nigerian Army is false, misleading, and capable of creating wrong impressions in the minds of the public.
Consequently, it is imperative that media organisations exercise due diligence and uphold the principles of accuracy, fairness, and responsible journalism in matters relating to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and national institutions.
The public is therefore urged to disregard the misleading attribution and be properly guided. The Nigerian Army further calls on relevant media platforms to correct the misrepresentation in order to prevent the spread of misinformation capable of undermining public trust and institutional integrity.
The Nigerian Army remains committed to professionalism, transparency, and the defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria in line with its constitutional responsibilities.
Anicho Stella is a photographer of repute but she sees photography as more than just pictures. To her, it is a way of showing genuine care for people, stories, and impact by using her gifts to inspire, empower, and create meaningful change. In this interview with ADEOLA OJO, she speaks on her journey, evolution, gender […]
The post One of the hardest realities is understanding that passion alone is not enough —Anicho Stella appeared first on Tribune Online.
NIGERIAN ARMY DISMISSES RECIRCULATED FALSE REPORT ON THE 2021 DEATH OF LATE MAJOR GENERAL HASSAN AHMED
The Nigerian Army has noted with concern a misleading social media report currently circulating, falsely claiming the recent killing of Late Major General Hassan Ahmed and the abduction of his wife near Abuja. This report is completely false and is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
For the avoidance of doubt, the tragic incident involving Late Major General Hassan Ahmed occurred on 15 July 2021 along the Abuja–Lokoja Road. Security agencies promptly investigated the matter, leading to the arrest of the assailants and the due administration of justice.
The Nigerian Army condemns in the strongest terms the irresponsible recycling of this five-year-old incident by mischief makers to create unnecessary panic and distort facts. Such actions are mischievous and aimed at undermining public confidence.
Members of the public are strongly advised to disregard the false report and refrain from sharing unverified or outdated information. The Nigerian Army remains fully committed to its constitutional duties of defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity and maintaining peace and security.
The Verdict
Gowon And The ‘Old Wounds’ By Olusegun Adeniyi
May 21, 2026
_Following his capitulation, (Major Chukwuma) Nzeogwu was brought to Lagos and admitted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where I went to see him. I asked why they killed all senior officers in Lagos and Kaduna, and further asked, ‘do you realise the damage this has done to the esprit de corps of the army and the Nigerian armed forces?’ After I asked, ‘why did you kill Ademulegun?’, I realised I should not have bothered because the answer to the question was obvious. Everyone knew he was hostile to Ademulegun; they never agreed on several issues, especially because of what he termed the Brigade Commander’s romance with the Northern political leaders. I then asked: ‘What about Shodeinde, one of the most decent and gentle officers we had?’_
_At that point, Nzeogwu visibly became truly angry but not with me. He was quite upset with his other colleagues in Lagos, his co-conspirators in the South, especially (Major Emmanuel) Ifeajuna and others at the core of the planning. He said there was no such plan for a one-sided execution, that is, killing of the officers from the North. I was not too convinced, but he sounded quite sincere and it truly sounded like he was double-crossed by his colleagues. I then made him realise, just in case he didn’t know, the enormity of the problem they had created. I said: ‘Do you realise what you have done? You’ve taught other people what they could do, and it could go against anybody or group in the future’…My well-known position remains that Nzeogwu was ‘a misguided but gallant soldier with principles’, which was a primary reason I ordered that he be buried with full military honours after he died in battle during the civil war…_
===================
The foregoing is an excerpt from the 855-page memoir/autobiography of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon. I obtained a copy of ‘My Life of Duty and Allegiance’ on Monday evening and by Tuesday afternoon I had completed the reading of what is, without doubt, a very important account of our national history. Having for decades said he would not write a memoir so as not to ‘open old wounds’, Gowon admitted at the presentation on Tuesday that he changed his mind to “preserve institutional memory through a truthful documentation of my experience.” He also responded to people he said have peddled misinformation about him. The people to whom Gowon ‘replied’ include Alexander Madiebor, Murtala Muhammed, Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Godwin Daboh, Chinua Achebe and of course, those he described as ‘Biafra propagandists’ like the late Frederick Forsyth, Uche Chukwumerije and Cyprian Ekwensi.
It is clear from Gowon’s book, as it is with most accounts of that era, that the crisis of Nigeria started from the 15 January 1966 military coup and the selection of military and civilian targets for execution by the planners. That coup led to the countercoup of July the same year and the train of events that culminated in a three-year civil war. Gowon began by recalling the 1964 jostle in the military for succession to the then departing British head of the army and the role he played at the time. Four men were in competition: Brigadier Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, NA 3; Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun, NA 4; Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, NA 6 and Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari (the only Sandhurst trained officer), NA 8. “In my position as Adjunct General, my counsel was sought on who I thought was best suited for the office. I was lucky in the sense that Alhaji Muhammed Ribadu, the Minister of Defence at the time, had high regard for me. He asked the Permanent Secretary, Mr Abdulaziz Atta, to sound me out. I gave him my honest assessment of all the officers under consideration. With me, Ademulegun’s highly temperamental disposition knocked him off. Ogundipe, I felt, would have command-and-control issues. Although I believed Maimalari was very capable as an officer, I was more favourably disposed to having Ironsi appointed as GOC because he was a good officer and given the situation at hand, it made a lot of sense to respect seniority within the officer’s corps so as not to create any bad blood amongst us. Ironsi matched my inclinations. I recommended him.”
However, Gowon’s faith in Ironsi began to shake on 15th January 1966 after the first military coup that took out many northern leaders and military officers. The story of how one of the plotters saved his (Gowon’s) life for an intervention he once did regarding foreign posting is quite revealing, but the lopsidedness of the killings was an issue. “All the officers affected happened to have come from the same school—Barewa College and from the same region—the North and of the rank of Lt Col and above. All were the most senior officers from the North and were believed to be loyal to the country’s leadership and Maimalari.” Meanwhile, seven months earlier in May 1965, Gowon had gone on a military training at the Joint Services Staff College (JSSC) in Latimer, UK and, as he recalled, returned to Nigeria on 13th January, “hours before a catastrophic occurrence which changed the history of Nigeria and the story of my life.”
On 14 January 1966, a day after Gowon returned to Lagos, a party had been organized by Maimalari with many officers, including Ironsi, in attendance. Gowon did not spend much time at the party before leaving. Not long after, the same Ironsi was at Ikeja Cantonment rallying troops in a manner that would later arouse Gowon’s curiousity, if not suspicion. “The harvest of deaths yielded answers to some of the questions that had bothered my mind a few hours earlier. I instantly recalled I had asked Martin Adamu why it was the GOC, Ironsi, and not the Brigade Commander, Maimalari, that arrived at the barracks in Ikeja immediately after the H-Hour the coup planners struck. It now seemed clear to me that the GOC, General Ironsi, must have known what was happening and what happened to the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, Chief Festus Okotie Eboh, and Brigadier General Maimalari who had all been killed.”
It was not only Ironsi’s sudden appearance in Ikeja that worried Gowon but what transpired between them earlier at the same party, as he (Gowon) was leaving with his girlfriend. “Ironsi’s statement to Edith (Ike but later, Okongwu) and me when we took our leave from him at the party a few hours earlier came back to me. On our way out, he had said to us, ‘Have a nice time; you never know tomorrow.’ Of course, I knew that the GOC’s remark was vulgar but, given my state of mind then, I had easily waved it aside. However, in the situation that we were in before dawn and with what happened, Ironsi’s reference to ‘tomorrow’ suddenly took on a new meaning.”
After highlighting the circumstances under which Ironsi became Head of State, Gowon detailed the misgivings within the military of some actions taken by their C-in-C, especially when the report of the investigative panel revealed that the January 15 coup “bore heavy ‘Igbo’ stamp because no officer from the North was involved and no Yoruba officers, apart from Major Wale Ademoyega were named as primary accomplishes.” The details of the second coup, how he (Gowon) tried to save Ironsi and the roles played by the actors are quite revealing. So is how he was made the Head of State (at age 31 and a bachelor) against his wish and the disagreements with Ojukwu which eventually led to the civil war. Gowon’s recollection of the civil war is insightful but also measured. The roles of the UK, United States, France and Soviet Union are also documented.
Gowon’s conclusion is that Biafra lasted as long as it did basically due to a well-oiled propaganda machine which, as he argues, continues till today. “Although the war ended more than half a century ago, remnants of Biafran propaganda still pop up in a lot of literature purveyed by writers from Eastern Nigeria, especially by the late Chinua Achebe. His stories were easily digestible because they appeared so palatable, yet they were so far away from the truth,” Gowon wrote. “Later day writers, too, have rehashed some of these stories in enchanting prose that made pretensions to speaking truth about war-time Nigeria too subjective and well-off mark. God knows if we had behaved in the way some crude leaders did or if we had acted like some other countries would have done, there would have been no talk of reconciliation or keeping the country together. In the end, to parody the writer, Chinua Achebe, there really would have been no country.”
In January 2013, I started what I thought would be a long series, Memories of Biafran Nightmares, following my encounter with the late Rev Moses Iloh, who headed the Red Cross in Biafra. Given the responses I received after publishing the first part, I knew I was embarking on a dangerous mission. Former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President, Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN did not take kindly to Iloh’s account of how his car was seized by the late Justice Geoffery Ubaka Agbakoba, a former Chief Justice of the defunct East Central State, who happened to be Olisa Agbakoba’s father. I ended the second part, Still on the Biafran Nightmares…, with a terse line: “I am done with Biafra.”
Apart from governance and the reforms initiated, Gowon also recounted the circumstances surrounding the coup that topped his administration and the Dimka-led coup against Murtala Muhammed to which he was linked. But it is in how he was toppled that Gowon gives himself away. “The coup that terminated our administration made me more aware of the fickleness of human nature…it is not my style to want to expose people, especially close friends, who might have betrayed my trust. Instead, I leave them to the pangs of their conscience.” But Gowon did not leave some of them, especially two, to their conscience. He took his pound of flesh, albeit in a subtle manner. Both are now of blessed memory: Joe Garba and Abdullahi Mohammed who were Colonels at the time. The former was Commander of the Federal Guards Unit while the latter (who would later be Chief of Staff to both Presidents Obasanjo and the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua) was the Director of Military Intelligence.
Gowon also did a character reference on many of our famous retired Generals since they all, at one time or another, served under him. There were many references to Obasanjo whom Gowon said would never willingly agree to be number two to anybody—not even to himself, Obasanjo! But it is the portrait of the late Murtala Muhammed whom Gowon described a “temperamental, contentious and highly impulsive individual” that I find most interesting. He was Murtala’s senior at Barewa College. “Many a time in school, he would pick fights with some of his colleagues, especially Hamza Zayyad who would later chair Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE). Both would typically injure each other before reporting to the school’s dispensary where I was in charge.” But that did not prevent Murtala from fighting Zayyad or somebody else the next day!
Despite their differences, Gowon also attested to Ojukwu’s sense of humour, citing a particular one to make his point. In June 1968, the then British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Malcolm Shepherd, visited Gowon in Lagos and Ojukwu in Enugu. Displeased with the report the minister took back to London, Ojukwu reportedly retorted, ‘Certainly, this Lord is not my Shepherd!’ Gowon remarked: “Even in anger, Ojukwu still maintained some of his edgy humour as he played on the title of the life and peer, The Lord Shepherd.”
Gowon ruled for nine years and it was under his administration that Nigeria started to reap the oil windfall. The current generation of Nigerians will marvel at a story told by Gowon on the day he received a call from then Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Dr Clement Isong, a Harvard-trained economist, seeking appointment on an emergency situation. Having cancelled all his appointment to see Isong, Gowon said he was surprised to see the CBN Governor walk in with excitement. “Governor, what was so important that you could not tell me on the red line? And why are you looking so happy with yourself?” Gowon reportedly asked, especially considering that he had been worried. “My question did not erase the smile on his (Isong’s) face. Instead, he sounded far happier than I had thought when he began to explain the purpose of his earlier call. ‘Sir, I have come to tell you that we’ve got so much money and I do not know what to do with it?’”
I leave readers to find out the interaction that followed at period when Nigeria had more money than sense. But let me drop this from Gowon: “Indeed, this was at a time the World Bank came to borrow money from our government to finance industrial developments in some developing countries. We obliged the World Bank on the condition that there would be no delays in repayment whenever we needed our money to finance various obligations on our national development plans.”
I know what usually follows whenever I write on a book like this. For that reason, I called Dotun Eyinade yesterday to ask whether they have copies of Gowon’s book and he assured me they do. So, whoever wants to read the book should contact RovingHeights Bookstores.
In his review at the presentation on Tuesday, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah broke down the book into five key themes: The Three Coups; Times of Trials and Tribulations; Truth and Redemption; Victoria Gowon: Wife, Shield, Diplomat and Chief Security Officer and Nigeria: Who Next, What Next? But as insightful as Kukah’s take, BOOK REVIEW: Inside Yakubu Gowon’s “My Life of Duty and Allegiance”, By Mathew Hassan Kukah is, it still doesn’t capture the whole essence of the book.
However, whatever one makes of Gowon’s account, and there will be contestations, as there should be with any memoir that touches on such defining moments in our national history, it is a reminder that the past is never really past in Nigeria. The ghosts of 1966 and the civil war continue to haunt our present, shaping how we see ourselves and one another more than half a century later. That Gowon, now in his nineties, finally decided to put pen to paper suggests he understood that silence, however well-intentioned, is not always golden, and sometimes, the old wounds must be reopened, examined, and properly dressed if they are ever to heal. Whether ‘My Life of Duty and Allegiance’ will contribute to that healing or add another layer to our contested narratives remains to be seen. But the conversation it provokes is important, especially at a time when the centrifugal forces threatening our union seem stronger than the bonds holding us together.
Adeniyi Olusegun is an editor with ThisDay Newspaper
Based on public statements from 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗢𝘄𝗼 in May 2026, the University says it uncovered a fee payment fraud involving about 𝗡𝟰𝟱𝟳.𝟱 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 affecting 320 students.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱:
1. 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱
The 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 named 𝗢𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮, described as an 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗮 of the 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 who was later employed in the 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁. She resigned in April 2025.
The 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 alleges she received 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝘀 into her 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 and 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 on the 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹 without the 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆.
2. 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀
The Audit reportedly found:
𝟭𝟭 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 and 𝟯𝟰 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 who acted as 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 to recruit other 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 into the Scheme.
𝟭 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 working at the 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲, 𝗢𝘄𝗼, also indicted as an agent.
The University said Students were lured with offers of discounted Fees/Commission.
3. Current status
The Principal Suspect is under Police Investigation for possible Prosecution.
Affected Students and Student Agents are to face the Students’ Disciplinary Committee.
Implicated Staff will face the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee.
This is based on the University’s Internal Audit and Public Statement.
Police investigation is ongoing, and the allegations have not resulted in court convictions yet.
Here’s the Press Statement text as released by Achievers University Owo
ACHIEVERS UNIVERSITY, OWO
COMMUNITY ON THE STUDENTS PAYMENT FRAUD
1. Recall that on 14th April, 2026, I informed the University Community of a disturbing discovery of a fraudulent hacking of our Students’ Fees Payment Portal in order to defraud the University. I also informed you of the Students Fees Payment Audit Exercise which required every student to appear before an Investigative Committee. The arduous exercise for our current students was concluded on Friday 22nd May, 2026.
2. The exercise has revealed the following:
The fraud was master-minded by one Olanike Mary Asabia, an Alumnus of the Department of Accounting of our University, who was later employed to work at the University Bursary. She resigned from the services of the University in April 2025.
The 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 affected three academic sessions: 2023/2024, 2024/2025, and 2025/2026 Academic Sessions.
320 Students paid a total sum of N457,508,645.00 School Fees into the Personal Account of the said Olanike Mary Asabia, who in turn fraudulently cleared such students on the Portal without the University receiving the money. Many of the students were lured to pay into her account by offer of Discounted Fees/Commission.
11 Members of Staff and 34 Students were used as Agents of the said 𝗢𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗮 to ‘Recruit’ Students for the Fraudulent Activities.
One External Person working at Federal Medical Centre, Owo was also indicted as having served as Agent of the fraudulent activities.
3. The affected Students have been directed to pay their full fees into the University Accounts as officially provided. This must be done promptly with the usual penalties for late payment of School Fees.
4. All the 320 indicted students, and the 6 students that acted as 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 will be made to face the 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 to further explain to the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 what motivated them to disregard the well laid down fees payment procedures.
5. The 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 is currently under Police investigation for possible prosecution.
𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙧 𝙊𝙮𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙟𝙞 𝘼𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙪, 𝘼𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙑𝙞𝙘𝙚-𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙧.