Nigeria's prisoner transfer deal with Ethiopia aligns with Renewed Hope Agenda
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The Federal Government of Nigeria announced that the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia, designed to repatriate Nigerian citizens incarcerated there, aligns with President Bola Tinubu鈥檚 citizen diplomacy framework under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, described the agreement as a significant diplomatic achievement that prioritizes the welfare of Nigerians abroad and reflects ongoing efforts to assist citizens facing difficulties in other countries. She refuted a circulating list of Nigerian inmates in Ethiopian prisons as fake, stating that Nigeria does not have 136 inmates in Ethiopia and that some attributed crimes are unfounded. The minister emphasized the government's commitment to bringing inmates home to serve sentences with dignity, away from inhumane conditions. Efforts to secure their return have been ongoing for years, despite challenges in obtaining accurate data. Inmates are held in Kaliti and Aba Samuel prisons, both maximum-security facilities. Odumegwu-Ojukwu explained that the agreement allows prisoners sentenced in one country to return to their country of origin to complete their sentences, addressing the inmates' long-standing desire to return due to precarious living conditions, health issues, inadequate medical facilities, poor feeding, denial of visitation rights, insufficient legal services, and language barriers. She noted that four Nigerian prisoners died while the agreement was bei
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Must ReadNigerian banks and their customers collectively lost N134.48bn to fraud between 2020 and 2025, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria鈥檚 Nigeria Payments System Vision 2028 document. During this six-year period, attempted fraud across the banking and payments ecosystem totaled N187.79bn. The losses occurred across various payment channels, including over-the-counter, ATMs, cheques, e-commerce, Internet banking, mobile banking, Point of Sale terminals, and web channels. Fraud losses steadily increased from N11.61bn in 2020 to N12.77bn in 2021, N14.32bn in 2022, and N17.67bn in 2023, before surging to N52.26bn in 2024, which accounted for nearly 39 percent of the total losses. This significant rise in 2024 was largely attributed to a major internal fraud case involving N30bn. While attempted fraud also peaked in 2024 at N86.36bn, both attempted fraud and actual losses declined in 2025 to N37.57bn and N25.85bn, respectively. The report indicated that electronic payment fraud decreased by 51 percent in 2025 due to stricter regulations, increased industry cooperation, enhanced prevention strategies, and improved monitoring. The CBN, under Governor Olayemi Cardoso, acknowledges that while digitalization has improved financial inclusion, it has also introduced new risks requiring stronger cybersecurity and fraud-monitoring systems. The Payments System Vision 2028 aims to prioritize security, trust, innovation, interoperability, inclusion, and collaboration to address thes
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, unveiled two new Boeing 737-800NG aircraft belonging to United Nigeria Airlines, named after the late literary icon Professor Chinua Achebe and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe. The ceremony took place at Nesto Aviation Services in Ikeja, Lagos. Governor Otti commended Professor Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman and Founder of United Nigeria Airlines, for honoring distinguished Nigerians. He also praised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for promoting private-sector participation in aviation and for supporting the establishment of an aircraft leasing company to strengthen local airlines. Otti noted the advanced stage of work on the Abia Airport project runway and reaffirmed Abia State's readiness to serve as a hub for United Nigeria Airlines. Professor Okonkwo stated that the aircraft acquisition reflects growing confidence in Nigeria鈥檚 aviation industry, attributing the naming of the aircraft to Chinua Achebe's global literary legacy and Igwe Alfred Achebe's exemplary traditional leadership and contributions to national development. Minister Keyamo outlined the Federal Government鈥檚 aviation reform agenda, emphasizing collaboration with stakeholders, and commended Governor Otti鈥檚 commitment to the Abia Airport project, highlighting Otti's advocacy for a full-fledged airport with counterpart funding from Abia State. Igwe Alfred Achebe expressed appreciation for the recognition, describing it as humbling and meaningf
Iran's national football team plans to lodge a complaint with FIFA regarding alleged travel restrictions during the World Cup in North America. According to the Iranian football federation spokesman, despite submitting their preparation schedule in advance, the team has faced limitations imposed by organizers, affecting their technical staff's plans. The federation claims their request to travel from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles, United States, two days before their match against Belgium was denied. This early travel was intended to allow players sufficient time to adapt to match conditions, complete training, and finalize preparations for the game scheduled for 12:00 pm local time in Los Angeles. The spokesman stated that the technical reasons presented by the federation for the request were denied.