THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned Nigerians sternly against investing with Risevest Technologies Limited, stressing its high-fraud risk status.
The firm is a digital dollar/fund manager in the Nigerian capital market.
In a public notice released by the Commission on Tuesday, January 28, the SEC declared that Risevest is not registered to operate in any capacity within the country’s regulated capital market.
The public notice read, “The attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“The Commission”) has been drawn to the activities of Risevest Technologies Limited, which holds itself out as a Digital Dollar/Fund Manager in the Nigerian Capital Market.
“The Commission hereby notifies the public that Risevest Technologies Limited is NOT Registered by it to operate in any capacity in the Nigerian Capital Market.
“Accordingly, the public is advised to refrain from engaging with Risevest Technologies Limited or any of its representatives in respect of any business pertaining or relating to the Nigerian capital market,” the notice stated.
The regulatory body noted that the firm’s activities pose significant risks to investors, as transacting with unregistered and unregulated entities increases the likelihood of fraud and financial losses.
The Commission, therefore, advised the public to exercise caution and verify the regulatory status of companies before making investment decisions.
The SEC emphasised that dealing with unapproved investment platforms could result in serious financial risks, reiterating that its role as the apex regulatory body in the capital market is to protect investors and ensure the credibility of investment platforms.
The Commission urged Nigerians to always confirm the regulatory status of investment firms via its dedicated portal (www.sec.gov.ng/cmos) before engaging in any financial transactions.
This verification process, the SEC insists, is crucial to safeguarding funds and avoiding fraudulent schemes disguised as legitimate investment opportunities.
“The Commission uses this medium to reiterate that transacting in the Nigerian Capital Market with unregistered and unregulated entities exposes investors to the risk of fraud and potential loss of investment.
“The investing public is therefore reminded about the need to confirm the status of companies and entities offering investment opportunities on the Commission’s dedicated portal – www.sec.gov.ng/cmos, before transacting with them,” SEC further warned.
The latest SEC advisory comes amidst growing concerns over online investment schemes promising high returns, with many unsuspecting Nigerians falling victim to fraudulent platforms that operate without regulatory oversight.
The ICIRreported that SEC has earlier blacklisted six e-commerce companies for operating without registration and for engaging in dubious financial services not authorised by the commission.
The unregulated online trading platforms SEC blacklisted are Prime Invest, FXBoxed and New Finance LLC & New Fx Limited.
The commission noted that unlisted firms were not registered by the SEC Nigeria, and the financial services offered by them are also not authorised.
THE Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, led by Ayo Adebanjo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Afenifere called on Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu in a communiqué signed by its deputy leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan.
The group described Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as a political detainee whose continued detention was unjustified.
The decision followed a meeting at Adebanjo’s residence in Ogun State on Tuesday, January 28.
According to the regional body, Kanu’s fair trial is no longer guaranteed due to the courts conflicting and controversial legal proceedings against him.
It argued that the IPOB leader’s detention without trial was unreasonable, given the circumstances surrounding his case, including his abduction in 2021 and repatriation to Nigeria.
“In the interest of justice and national reconciliation, Afenifere urges President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu forthwith. There is no justifiable reason to continue to keep him in detention without trial,” part of the communiqué read.
At the meeting, Afenifere also announced the appointment of human rights activist Dele Farotimi as its new national organising secretary.
Farotimi’s appointment came barely 24 hours after a legal luminary, Afe Babalola, agreed to drop a defamatory suit filed against him.
Recall that Babalola had dragged Farotimi to court for allegedly defaming him in his book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, Afenifere sounded the alarm on the state of insecurity in Nigeria, saying it was as bad as it was under the previous administration led by Muhammadu Buhari.
It called on the president to take serious action to protect the lives and property of people in the nation.
The group recalled the recent warning from Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde about an influx of bandits as an example of why something needed to be done about insecurity.
Afenifere said Nigeria’s vast territory, population, and federal structure made it impossible to secure the country effectively with a single unitary police command, which it said made restructuring and state police imperative.
The meeting was attended by delegates from the South West, Kogi, and Kwara states, including Kofoworola Bucknor Akerele, Sola Ebiseni, and Akin Onigbinde, among others.
HUMAN rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been formally charged by the Nigeria Police Force (IGP) for alleged cyberstalking and false publication against the inspector general of police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, and shared by Sowore’s handle on X, on Tuesday, January 28, show that the lawsuit stemmed from Sowore’s posts on X, where he was said to have referred to Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP.”
According to the charge sheet seen by The ICIR, the police accused Sowore of making statements capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
The three-count charge alleged that on December 13, 2024, and December 20, 2024, Sowore knowingly transmitted messages via his verified X account to “cause a false publication against the inspector general of police.”
Part of the charges read, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, that on the 13th day of December 2024, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did intentionally and knowingly send messages through your verified X handle account “Omoyele Sowore” and cause a publication against the inspector general of police where you called him “…illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun” which you know to be false, for the purpose of causing breakdown of law and order and you caused the message to be sent and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as Amended (2024) and punishable under section 24(2)(c) (ii) of the same Act.
“That you, Omoyele Sowore, that on the 13th day of December 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did intentionally and knowingly cause the transmission of messages through your verified X handle account “Omoyele Sowore” links and cause a publication against the inspector general of police where you called him “…illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun” which you know to be false and tagged the verified Nigeria Police Force X handle @policeNG, containing threats to insight (sic) the Nigerians against the Nigeria Police Force and harm it (sic) property or reputation of the inspector general of police or the Nigeria Police Force and thereby committed an offence and punishable under section 24(2)(c) (ii)of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as Amended 2024.”
The ICIR reports that the NPF had invited Sowore to its headquarters in Abuja on Monday, January 27, for allegations of “resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful order, acts intended to cause grievous harm or prevent arrest, compelling action by intimidation, reckless and negligent acts, refusal to assist public servant, and cyberstalking.”
He has since been kept in custody after he rejected the bail conditions by the police.
In a tweet on his X handle, hours after he honoured the invitation, the activist said the NPF requested that he deposit his international passport and provide a level 17 civil servant as a guarantor for bail.
He said he rejected the conditions and opted to remain in custody.
Consequently, the police re-evaluated his bail conditions and requested the production of a level 16 civil servant. The police also directed him to surrender his international passport, which he declined outrightly.
Controversies surrounding Egbetokun’s tenure
In a series of tweets in December 2024, Sowore dubbed Egbetokun illegal IGP. This followed earlier concerns raised by many Nigerians over the legitimacy of his continued stay in office after he had reached the mandatory retirement age of 60.
However, the Senate, in a swift move, on July 23, passed a bill extending his tenure, allowing President Bola Tinubu to retain him in office beyond the previously established retirement age.
The bill, widely criticised by many, including civil society groups, was seen as a move by Tinubu to consolidate his control of the police ahead of the 2027 elections. Egbetokun was Tinubu’s chief security officer (CSO) when the president was Lagos State governor.
Despite dissenting voices, the bill passed its first, second, and third readings in less than 20 minutes.
To incorporate the new provision, the Senate amended Section 18 of the Nigerian Police Act 2020 by substituting sub-section (8) with the following revised clause:
“(8) Notwithstanding any other provision, every police officer shall serve in the Nigeria Police Force for 40 years or until they reach the age of 65, whichever comes first.”
Whereas, the amended Section 18 (8) of the Nigeria Police Act stated: “Every police officer, upon recruitment or appointment, is required to serve in the Nigeria Police Force for a maximum of 35 years or until they reach the age of 60, whichever occurs first.”
THE Lagos State Government said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Government to kickstart exploratory work on the 68-kilometre Green Line rail project.
The state commissioner for information and strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, announced this during a citizen/media stakeholders forum on Monday, January 27.
He said the agreement was reached with the Federal Government’s Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) on behalf of the federal government.
The green line project will connect Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, traversing key areas such as Victoria Island, Lekki, and Ajah.
“The Lagos State Government has said it has signed an MoU with the Federal Government’s Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to kickstart exploratory work on the development of the Green Line project,” Omotoso said
The rail project is expected to enhance connectivity, support economic activities and contribute to the state’s infrastructure development.
It complements the progress made in the Blue Line and Red Line projects.
The ICIR can report that the first phase of the Blue Line, spanning 13 kilometres from Marina to Mile 2, commenced operations in September 2023.
The Red Line, covering 27 kilometres of its planned 37-kilometre route from Agbado in Ogun State to Oyingbo in Lagos, began operations in 2024. It covers eight strategically located stations: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, and Oyingbo.
Construction is ongoing in the second phase of the Blue and Red Lines to meet the transportation needs of the state’s growing population.
The Federal Government has already proposed N146.14 billion in its 2025 budget estimates as counterpart funding for the Lagos Green Line Metro Rail Project, findings have shown.
The funding will be transferred to MOFI to manage on behalf of the Ministry of Transport for the project’s development.
In September, the Lagos State Government formalised an agreement with MOFI and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the Green Line’s development.
Omotoso added there are plans for the Lagos state government to connect the Red Line with the Blue Line, noting that work has also commenced on the second phase of the Blue Line, extending it from Mile 2.
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s decision to halt U.S. foreign aid funding for 90 days has sparked global concerns, particularly for life-saving health programmes like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The funding freeze puts millions of people, including Nigerian HIV patients, at immediate risk, with fears of treatment disruption and possible deterioration of the health of people with the virus.
The PEPFAR, established in 2003 under former President George W. Bush, provides antiretroviral therapy (ART) for over 20.6 million people worldwide. Its interventions also help to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and have saved an estimated 26 million lives.
Nigeria, one of the countries most reliant on the programme, faces severe crises if the pause continues.
The ICIR reports that Nigeria bears the heaviest HIV burden in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over about two million people living with HIV in the country. In 2020 alone, AIDS-related deaths in Nigeria were estimated at approximately 49,000 across all age groups.
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Nigeria’s contribution to HIV fight is less than 20 per cent of its required funding.
According to the World Health Organization, WHO, an estimated 39.9 million people lived with HIV at the end of 2023.
The agency noted that 65 per cent of these people were in the WHO African Region. In the same year, about 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes and an estimated 1.3 million people acquired the virus.
While there is no cure for HIV infection, access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, has made HIV infection a manageable chronic health condition and enabled people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
The funding freeze stemmed from an executive order signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, directing a review of all foreign aid programmes to align with his “America First” policy.
According to a report the State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, stated that “Consistent with President Trump’s executive order on reevaluating and realigning United States foreign aid, Secretary Marco Rubio has paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for review,”
He added that Trump “is initiating a review of all foreign assistance programmes to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda.”
According to NPR, while PEPFAR, funded solely by the U.S. government with a $6.5 billion annual budget, was not specifically mentioned in the announcement, a source at USAID confirmed that the stop-work order applies “100 per cent to PEPFAR.”
It, however, noted that the State Department, on Sunday, January 26, confirmed the halt in an email to NPR, stating that the United States “is no longer going to blindly dole out money with no return for the American people.
The freeze has also been projected to impact USAID staff, with many contractors at risk of losing their jobs during the review.
“This is a matter of life or death,” warned Beatriz Grinsztejn, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS). “PEPFAR provides lifesaving antiretrovirals for more than 20 million people – and stopping its funding essentially stops their HIV treatment. If that happens, people are going to die and HIV will resurge.
“It makes no sense to suddenly stop this incredible catalyst of our global progress towards ending HIV as a threat to public health and individual well-being.”
FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have raised alarm over what they described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Abuja on Monday, January 27, the leaders warned that if urgent action was not taken, the country could lose its hard-fought democracy.
Abubakar highlighted the erosion of democratic values, arguing that Nigeria was at a crossroads.
He criticised the growing influence of the judiciary in determining electoral outcomes, arguing that the courts, not the people, decided candidates and winners.
“We really are at a crossroads in this democratic experiment. We either decide we want to be democratic or we decide to abandon it,” he said.
Abubakar also expressed frustration with the National Assembly, calling for legislative reforms to empower political parties and ensure the people determine who governs them.
He further accused the Federal Government of undermining opposition parties through financial inducements, adding that some political party leaders were given N50 million each.
“I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each.
“Where do we go from here? This means that if we are not careful, we are talking to some of you here, but you are recipients of the N50 million from the APC government.
“Do we really want to fight for democracy? If we don’t, we all go back to our homes. But if we do, I have been in this struggle for over 30 years, an attempt was made on my life, and I escaped. I went into exile, but I never gave up. My businesses were taken over, and I am still surviving. So, you need to make up your mind. I am not doing it for myself. For me, I have lived my life. I am doing it because of you,” the former PDP presidential candidate said.
On his part, El-Rufai said he shared similar concerns with Atiku, describing the current situation in the country as a “national emergency.”
He warned that the opposition risks extinction unless it unites.
“The way and manner opposition political parties are being targeted for destruction and the style and quality of governance in this country today is a national emergency. It should concern everyone. And I think this is a problem for all of us to think about and play a role in changing it because, as His Excellency (Abubakar) said, we stand the risk of losing democracy itself,” he said.
El-Rufai cited alarming voter apathy, referencing a poll that indicated 75 per cent of registered voters do not intend to participate in the 2027 elections.
He called on opposition parties to form a united platform to challenge the ruling party and save the nation’s democracy.
“We know what it is, and we don’t want a military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their ‘babarriga‘ and suits. So, this is a national emergency,” he warned.
The former Kaduna state governor further claimed that there was a deliberate effort to destroy parties like the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
He urged opposition leaders to prioritise internal democracy and adopt stricter standards for party delegates and candidates.
“The problems are still there. However, I no longer believe that my party believes in confronting those problems. So, the distance between me and APC is widening, but I remain where I am because these problems remain the living problems of Nigerians and they have to be addressed. The only way to address them is through the instrumentality of the political parties,” he added.
THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has asked participants in the foreign exchange market to submit compliance reports to the Nigeria FX Code on or by January 31.
The directive is contained in the FX Code document it released on Monday, January, 27.
It stated, “Market Participants will be required to conduct a self-assessment and submit to the CBN a report on the institution’s level of compliance with the FX Code by January 31, 2025.
“All Market Participants will thereafter be required to submit to CBN a detailed compliance implementation plan that is approved and signed by its Board along with the extracts of the Board meeting.”
The apex bank had on Wednesday, January 22 approved the release of the FX code to promote market participation and ethical conduct in the Nigerian FX market, The ICIR reported.
The code is also intended to offer clearer directives on the expectations for market participants and ensure that the market operates fairly and transparently.
It is to be formally launched at the CBN Head Office Auditorium in Abuja on Tuesday, January 28.
In the document released on Monday, CBN reiterated that its directive is part of efforts to strengthen ethical practices, governance, and transparency in the market.
The FX Code, which became effective on December 2, 2024, sets out principles of good practice to ensure a robust, fair, and transparent foreign exchange market.
It applies to authorised dealers licensed under the CBN Act of 2007, the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act of 2020, and other entities engaged in wholesale FX business in Nigeria, the apex bank stated.
It further mandated market participants to conduct a self-assessment and submit detailed reports on their level of compliance with the FX Code.
It said the reports must be endorsed by their bank’s board of directors and include an implementation plan for addressing any gaps in compliance.
Part of the directives also is that market participants will be required to file quarterly compliance reports with the Financial Markets Department of the apex bank.
The reports are to be submitted within 14 days after the end of each calendar quarter, starting from March this year.
To ensure adherence to the code, CBN outlined enforcement mechanisms, including monetary penalties as provided under the CBN Act of 2007 and the BOFIA Act of 2020.
The measures are designed to address any non-compliance and to promote integrity in the foreign exchange market.
The code is modelled on the Global FX Code and incorporates global best practices while addressing the specific dynamics of the Nigerian FX market.
It covers key areas such as ethics, governance, execution, information sharing, risk management, and settlement processes.
It expects market participants to maintain high ethical standards, establish sound governance structures, handle transactions fairly, protect confidential information, and implement robust risk management frameworks.
A FORMER African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, said he rejected a stringent bail condition offered to him by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Monday, January 27.
The NPF had invited Sowore to its headquarters in Abuja following his confrontation with some of its officers on the Lagos Airport Road.
The police said the invitation, dated January 23, 2025, was in connection with allegations of “resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful order, acts intended to cause grievous harm or prevent arrest, compelling action by intimidation, reckless and negligent acts, refusal to assist public servant, and cyberstalking.”
The invitation letter, signed by Ibitoye Rufus Alajide, requested Sowore to report to the Force Intelligence Department (FID) at 10 a.m. on January 27.
But in a tweet on his X handle, hours after he honoured the invitation, the activist said the NPF requested that he deposit his international passport and provide a level 17 civil servant as a guarantor for bail.
He said he rejected the conditions and opted to remain in police custody.
“I have rejected a bail condition asking me to present a level 17 permanent secretary. Instead, I have offered to remain in police custody pending when the joke is over,” he posted.
The ICIR reports that the police action followed a video posted by Sowore on January 9, in which he confronted some officers for blocking the Airport Road.
In the video, some gun-wielding policemen directed the vehicle conveying Sowore to park.
The activist declined the order and said it was wrong for the police to block an airport road.
“We are not parking. You are not supposed to be here. We are not parking. You are not supposed to be causing traffic on the Airport Road. We are not parking. Go and bring your Oga. You people should calm down.”
However, despite Sowore’s objections, the officers stood in front of his car, demanding he park, but the activist refused and insisted they clear the road.
Eventually, one of the officers standing by the roadside instructed his colleagues to let him proceed.
The activist is known for his outspokenness on governance and social justice through his #RevolutionNow movement.
BANDITS attacked the Chikakore community in Kubwa, Abuja, on Sunday, January 26, and abducted five residents.
According to Vanguard, police sources said the bandits raided the Health Centre extension area of Chikakore at around 11 pm, abducting a family of four, including one Adesiyan Akinropo, his wife, their son, and a person who visited them. A neighbour to the abducted family was also whisked away.
Reports say a woman was brutally hit with a gun butt during the attack, leading to a severe head injury that left her bleeding profusely, and she had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment.
By the time police operatives from the Byzahin Division arrived at the scene, the bandits had escaped with their hostages.
The FCT Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement through its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, a superintendent of police.
Adeh said the command received a distress call from the community at about 1:00 am on Monday, January 28, and promptly deployed its operatives to the area.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that seven unknown men, disguised as vigilante members and armed with machetes and sticks, attacked the residence of the victim. The suspects deceived him into opening his gate, after which they abducted him and three members of his family. A neighbour who attempted to intervene sustained injuries during the attack and was promptly rushed to Kubwa General Hospital for medical attention.
“The FCT Police Command has commenced a comprehensive search and rescue operation aimed at securing the safe recovery of the abducted victims and apprehending the perpetrators of this criminal act.”
It urged the public to help with any useful information that could help to apprehend the abductors.
The ICIR reports that the incident is just one of several recent attacks in the area, including a similar kidnapping in neighbouring Bwari town where police officers were injured.
Kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria, including the FCT, has been a major problem, with kidnappers targeting highways and apartments and even snatching pupils from schools.
In January 2024, the abduction of five young Nigerian sisters in Bwari sparked a national outcry and raised fears about insecurity in the country’s capital.
According to a family member, the sisters were kidnapped by armed men who burst into their home.
The attackers later killed one of the sisters, 21-year-old Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, after they failed to meet the ransom deadline.
The FCT police commissioner, Olatunji Disu, said the command dealt with a significant number of crimes, including 104 kidnappings and 268 armed robberies in the nation’s capital in 2024.
Disu said this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
The CP said 216 kidnapping and 132 armed robbery suspects were arrested during the year.
DESPITE billions of naira spent on the reconstruction of federal highways across the country, many of the projects have either been stalled or abandoned. Ironically, authorities have failed to hold to account contractors or the supervising ministries. Investigation reveals that one of such projects, the Nung Udoe-Etinan-Ekom Iman Federal Highway in Akwa Ibom State, has remained a pipe dream for over a decade, even though the Federal Government claims it has been 100 per cent completed.
In the morning of April 13, 2022, a 33-year-old sculptor and designer from Mbak Ekpe in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Akaninyene Eyo, woke up like every other day with high hopes. He prepared to go out in search of his daily bread without the faintest inkling of what lay ahead. As he rode on his motorcycle to work, tragedy struck along the Nung Udoe-Etinan-Ekom Iman Federal Highway.
An approaching vehicle, attempting to dodge potholes on the road swerved out of its lane and knocked down Eyo. His motorcycle was badly crushed. But that was the least of the damage from the accident. Eyo was left soaked in a pool of blood and gasping for breath. Although the car which hit him drove off immediately, he was rushed by good Samaritans to the Federal Teaching Hospital in the state capital, Uyo.
After he was stabilised and his wounds attended to, Eyo woke up to confront other serious injuries that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life. The accident had left him with a broken his arm and leg. He was informed that the nerves on this part of the body had been seriously damaged and would take time to heal.
Since then, Eyo had been bedridden, unable to walk or use his right arm despite treatment at a government owned hospital, including other private hospitals.
His brother, Innocent Eyo, recalls that his treatment had gulped up to N3.9 million as the family was forced to sell off their piggery, and plots of lands to save him.
“I even had to withdraw my four children from a private school to public school just to have money to take care of him. He is my only sibling,” he said.
Innocent Eyo pointing to the piggery farm they sold to save Eyo.
Eyo only returned home in September 2024 after spending 30 months receiving treatment even though one of his legs remained swollen and twisted, depriving him of standing on his feets beyond a few minutes.
“I cannot work because of my condition. I am now a burden to others, and my life ambitions are all buried. But I still thank God for my life because I am aware of at least five people who died instantly due to similar accidents on the Nung Udoe-Etinan Road,” he said with tears dripping down his cheeks.
Eyo showing his swollen leg
During a visit to a private orthopedic hospital, called Efi-Ekpaha Bone Specialist Hospital, along the highway, there were several survivors of accidents. Six victims who were receiving treatment either due to fractured legs or arms were sighted among them. Some blamed their accidents on the Nung Udoe -Etinan- Ekom Iman Highway.
The head of the hospital, Aniefiok Ekpaha, said in 2024 alone, he treated 16 accident victims from the highway. He noted that there was consistent inflow of victims during the rainy season when the ditches and potholes became multiplied.
Signpost of the orthopaedic hospital
A death trap
Eyo and others who recounted their close encounters with death on the Nung Udoe -Etinan Highway were among the lucky ones who survived. Several others were not so fortunate.
On the evening of October 2, 2024, a 45-year-old man from Mbak Ekpe, Aniedi Udonnwa, while taking a walk along the road to a meeting, was hit by a speeding vehicle. The accident occurred as the vehicle attempted to dodge a pothole and lost control, hitting Udonnwa. He died, leaving behind two teenage daughters that have become orphans as they lost their mother eight years earlier.
A family member pointing to the grave of a deceased.
Also, Mary Udoh, a pregnant woman from Afaha Offiong, which is along the Nung Udoe-Etinan highway, did not survive to tell her story. In June 2023, on her way from the farm directly at the market where she went to sell produce to take care of her family, a vehicle knocked her down from behind. It was trying to avoid a ditch around Afaha Offiong roundabout along the highway.
Insight into FG reconstruction contract award
In December 2013, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Nung Udoe-Etinan-Ekom Iman Federal Highway in Akwa Ibom State to Mothercat Limited. According to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request response by the Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office, the commencement date of the project was January 30, 2014.
The project, which cuts across three local government areas, namely Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Ibom and Etinan, is 33.5km long, and 7.3m wide.
According to the information on the job, as contained in the contract document, the contract was awarded at N2.38 billion and the contractor was expected to clear the existing road, carry out earthworks, improve pavement, provide 200mm lateritic sub-base on the carriageway and shoulders, provide 200mm crushed rock base, provide prime coat on carriageway and shoulders and provide surface dressing on shoulders (2.75m on each side).
Others include provision of 60mm asphaltic concrete binder course and tack coat, provision of 40mm asphaltic concrete wearing course, provision of culverts and concrete lined drains, provision of kerbs along high embankments as directed, and construction of 1 No.30m (2X15m span) bridge.
Project abandoned five years after contract award
The FOI response by the Principal Civil Engineer, Madaki Illyasu, on behalf of the Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office shows that the project was to commence on January 30, 2014 with a 14-month duration to be completed on April 29, 2015.
The FOI response revealed that the contract was further extended for 38 months with a completion date of June 30, 2018. Again, the project was not not executed. According to the Federal Ministry of Works, the contract deadline was extended by the ministry for Mothercat for another 18 months with a completion date slated for December 30, 2020.
It was only in 2019 that the contractor mobilised to site for the construction of a bridge as part of the project, it was gathered
Billions spent on project
In response to a FOIA request to the Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office in March 2024 seeking information on payments made to Mothercat Limited on the project, it said its office in Abuja was in possession of the information.
A request made to the works and housing, minister, David Umahi, in March 2024 on the payment was not responded to.
This left this medium with no option than rely on payments published on the Federal Government’s Open Treasury Portal which provide public access to collated data on government spending at the federal level for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The portal launched on December 9, 2019 does not have information on payments made before 2018.
Analysis of the day to day payments on the portal shows that between 2020 through 2023, Mothercat Limited received N1.096 billion for the reconstruction project. The payments breakdown is:
April 20 2020: N174.19m
May 31, 2021: N89.29m
July 24, 2021: N218.17m
Dec 2, 2021: N125.67m
Feb 4, 2022: N219.93m
June 2, 2022: N179.5m
June 15, 2023: N89.77m
Data on the portal also shows that the company received additional payment of N376.97m on March 18, 2020 and N172.4m on June 24, 2022 although it is not indicated for which project it received the payments.
However, information on what the company had been paid between 2014 when they were expected to commence work and 2017 could not be accessed. A request for information to the company seeking clarification on the total amount they have so far received was not honoured.
The Federal Government has also spent millions of naira on the supervision of the project.
Checks on the Open Treasury Portal show that on June 15, 2022 and November 3, 2022 the sums of N8.65m and N10.7m respectively, were paid Amana Consortium Limited as part payment for the consultancy services supervision for the reconstruction of the road project.
Project Status Report
The Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office in its FOI request response noted that the reconstruction project was 100 per cent executed.
The ministry noted that the following had been done; earthworks for pavement improvement, 200mm thick lateritic sub-base on carriageway and shoulders – executed to 1.943Km, 200mm thick crushed rock base course executed to 2.328km, priming of carriageway and shoulders with bitumen emulsion, 60 mm thick asphaltic concrete binder course executed to 1.220km
Others are, bituminous tack coat on carriageway executed to 1.220Km, 40mm thick asphaltic concrete wearing course executed to 1.695km, surface dressing of shoulders 12.2km (on both sides of the road), concrete lined drains 11.5km, 1 No. 30m (2x15m span) bridge, road marking executed to 2.1Km, and signages 16Nos installed.
Status Report exposes 100 per cent completion as misleading
An analysis of what the government said has been done with the scope of the work raises questions on its 100 per cent completion claims. For instance, according to the scope of the work, the road must be cleared and earth work must be carried out. Yet, in the status report, the government said earthworks were only done for pavement improvement.
The general state of the road.
Although the scope of the work states that there will be provision of 200mm lateritic sub-base on the carriageway and shoulders on the 33.5km long and 7.3m wide road, the status report said this was executed to 1.943km.
While the scope of work provides that there will be provision of 200mm crush rock base on the stretch of the road, the status report said this was executed to 2.328km
While the scope of the work noted that there will be provision of surface dressing on shoulders (2.75m on each side), the status report said this was executed up to 12.2km on both sides of the road.
The scope of the work provided for a 40mm asphaltic concrete wearing course. Yet, the status report said this was executed to 1.695km.
While the scope of the work provided for culverts and concrete lined drains, the status report claimed this was executed to 11.5km.
The scope includes provision of kerbs along high embankments as directed. This was not included as executed in the status report.
Government claims versus what is on ground
When our reporter visited the entire stretch of the road, it was observed that a few sections were stable but, in most parts, it was characterised by alligator cracks, portholes, eroded shoulders and pavement failures.
The portion of the road from Nung Udoe to Afaha Offiong roundabout is riddled by potholes and ditches.
It was observed that a bridge has been constructed by Mothercat at the river that separates Ikot Obio Etan and Ikot Iwud in Nsit Ibom local government area.
The road was only well constructed around the bridge. Google Map, an Open-Source App, was used to measure the kilometers of work implemented.
The bridge constructed by Mothercat
From the bridge facing Etina, the road was asphalted to the drains at 500 metres while the asphalted portion which the width does not reach the drains was 300 meters.
There was surface dressing on the shoulders with crushed rocks on this portion.
Down the bridge facing Nung Udoe road, the asphalted portion with width to the drains was measured 600 metres while the asphalted portion without width to the drain was measured at 200.6 meters. The total kilometers of work executed aligns with the status report by the ministry but with discrepancies on the width not covering up to the length.
The crown Prince of Ikot Iwud, Akpaobot Isong, who hails from one of the villages where the width of the asphalted road is not executed to the drains said when they noticed the standard was dropped and the road was becoming thin in width, they approached Mothercat over it but nothing was done.
Also, while the government claimed that the drains have been provided up to 11.5km which would have been 34.3 percent of the stretch of the road, what was actually measured through the use of the Google map app was 6.5 kilometers. The drain covers intermittent stretches from Afaha Offiong down to the bridge and from Afaha Offiong roundabout to the road leading to the council secretariat still at Afaha Offiong.
There were a few remnants of some crushed rocks poured by the shoulders of the road around Ikot Annung and Ikot Ediom villages along the highway. However significant portions of the rocks have been washed away suggesting shabby execution.
Residents of these areas said that the construction of the bridge by Mothercat commenced in 2019 while they carried out other works in 2021.
State government intervenes
Due to the poor state of the road, the government of Akwa Ibom State under the Udom Emmanuel administration had to intervene on the Etinan-Ekom Iman section of the road project. The road project completed by the state in 2023 has being dualised. This leaves the Nung Udoe -Etinan section still characterised by alligator cracks, several portholes, eroded shoulders and pavement failures leading to accidents that claimed many deaths.
Etinan-Ekom Iman section dualised by the government of Akwa Ibom State
Due to the significance of the road in connecting other parts of the state including Governor Umo Eno’s hometown; Nsit Ubuim, the state government in November 2024 intervened on the road by filling the potholes that riddled the road in preparation of the burial of the late Governor’s wife, Patience Umo Eno.
The state government has announced plans to dualise the Nung Udoe -Afaha Offiong section of the road to link with Eket -Etinan-Ekom Iman highway which has already been dualised. This project, as captured in the 2024 approved state budget, cost N1.5bn.
Government claims contract review affected project completion
When the findings of this investigation were shared with the Principal Civil Engineer of the Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office, Madaki Illyasu, an engineer, that the stretch of the road has not been completed against government’s status report of the project which claimed 100 per cent completion, he admitted that only about 15 kilometres (km) out of 33.5km stretch has experienced various forms of intervention by Mothercat.
Going by the about 15km intervention admittance, it implies that only 44.7 percent of the entire stretch received attention from government.
While noting that Mothercat had initially surveyed the entire 33.5km stretch, did bush clearing for shoulder improvement on the road, the Principal Civil Engineer said that the failure to complete the reconstruction of the stretch of the road stemmed from the ministry’s decision in Abuja to review the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME) thrice. BEME is a list of work items, their quantities, and their estimated costs. He said the review was caused by the variation of prices and inflation.
Illyasu, whom investigations reveal had worked as a staff of the contractor, Mothercat Limited between April 2009 to January 2013 before his work with the Federal Ministry of Works, said the main target of the project was the provision of the bridge as the project was facilitated by Senator Ita Enang. He added “The level of work executed on the road is based on the quantity of items provided on the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation. We have reviewed that BEME up to three times. The contractor worked based on the last review. Our directors from Abuja came and confirmed that those items as provided for in the last reviewed BEME are there. They had a one-year maintenance period and they used it to maintain the road. After one-year maintenance period, the contractor is not liable again.”
The claim by the government is questionable. In March 2024 this medium had requested for all the contract documents and information associated with the project. The documents on the BEME reviewed thrice were not shared. It only came into the picture when the newspaper queried how the ministry said the work was100 percent completed as against the provisions in the scope of the work provided by the ministry.
Also, the ministry’s claim of 100 percent completion of the “Reconstruction of the Nung Udoe Etinan-Ekom Iman Road in Akwa Ibom State” is misleading as less than a half of the stretch is worked upon and consequently diverted federal government attention on the need to complete the project.
When contacted, Senator Ita Enang who facilitated the project said it was not correct that the main purpose of the reconstruction was the bridge as claimed by the ministry. He said the reconstruction was to cover the entire 33.5km stretch.
Enang said he has observed that the project is not yet completed hence he plans to meet the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over the abandoned part and assured that even though the project is not captured in the 2025 budget of the federation, he hopes to explore other sources of funding to ensure the road is revisited and completed.
Mothercat silent over discoveries
Findings show that this is not the first time Mothercat Limited has failed to follow its scope of work in project execution. For instance, the contract for the dualisation of the Obajana-Benin Road awarded to Mothercat and two other companies in 2012 was recently terminated for non-performance.
A release signed by the the Minister for Works, David Umahi, said Mothercat and other contractors abandoned the project, showing no genuine commitment or good faith towards executing the projects.
Checks into the Open Treasury Portal show that between October 2018 and February 2022, Mothercat Limited alone had received N1.28bn for the road project yet showed no commitment in implementation as reported by the works minister.
In mid, late December 2024 and January this year several attempts were made to reach Mothercat Limited for response to the findings in this investigation. Mothercat currently does not have an office in Akwa Ibom State. The two phone lines provided on its website were not reachable. A mail sent to the Managing Director of the company through its official mail address on December 27, 2024 sought the company’s response on the findings.
The request specifically sought to know when the company plans to complete the project as captured in their scope of work, how much the company has so far been paid for the project and what is limiting the completion of the project and any other remarks from the company. This was not responded to before press time despite a reminder on January 13, 2025.
As stated earlier the Federal Government had also spent N19.35 million to Amana Consortium Limited to supervise the work which is expected to give a report about the state of the project.
When the company was reached through the phone lines provided on its website in mid and late December for information on their report about the status of the road, the phones rang unanswered. Text, WhatsApp messages, and mail sent to the company on December 27, 2024 were not responded to. This newspaper visited their Ewet Housing Estate office in Uyo on January 13, 2025. Throughout the two hours of waiting at the security post of the company, no one attended to the reporter after filling the visitor’s note.
Despite its deplorable state coupled with the 100 per cent completion report, checks into the 2024 Appropriation Act and 2025 proposed bill of the Federal Government, the Reconstruction of Nung Udoe -Etinan- Ekom Iman Federal Highway is no longer captured, implying that attention is no longer on the road having been adjudged as completed in the books.
National Assembly to investigate project
The National Assembly has assured that the controversies in the contract execution of the project by Mothercat Limited will be investigated.
The Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East, Aniekan Bassey, assured that he will undertake findings and ensure the Senate investigates it.
Also, the member representing Uyo/Ibesikpo Asutan/Uruan, Nsit Atai Federal Constituency, Mark Esset, expressed shock over the fact that the reconstruction of the road was awarded and money paid without impact.
He assured that he will personally undertake on-the-spot assessment and cause the project to be investigated by the House of Representative if he discovers issues of concern.
