Ola Olukoyede, The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has appointed Michael Nzekwe as his Chief of Staff.

He also appointed Zonal Directors for each of the 14 Zonal Commands of the Commission as part of the restructuring of the EFCC.

According to Olukoyede, the ongoing restructuring is meant to reposition and strengthen the EFCC so that it can deliver optimally on its assigned mandate.

The anti-graft agency’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, announced the new appointments and changes in a statement on Saturday.

Nzekwe, who he described as a top-notch investigator, lawyer and former Commander of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC, is a course one officer of the Commission.

He has served in various departments in the Commission, including Legal and Prosecution Department, the Department of Operations (now the Department of Investigations), the Department of Internal Affairs ( the Department of Ethics and Integrity), Servicom, and the Asset Forfeiture Department.

“A seasoned administrator, he has attended several trainings and courses home and abroad, including the Advance Defence Intelligence Officers Course organised by Defence Intel Agency, DIA. The appointment takes immediate effect and he has assumed duties,” the statement added.

In restructuring and repositioning the EFCC, Olukayode upgraded all the Zonal Commands of the commission to the status of departments, with each of them headed by a director.

“To this effect, 14 new Directors have been appointed to head each of the Zonal Commands,” Oyewale wrote in the statement.

“Additionally, to bolster and fortify the security architecture of the commission, the Security Unit of the EFCC has been upgraded to a Department with a seasoned officer appointed as Director, Security and Chief Security Officer.”

Also, a new department has also been created in the Executive Chairman’s office, and it is headed by former Makurdi Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Mr. Friday Ebelo, who also doubles as Director and Coordinator, Special Duties, at the corporate headquarters of the commission.

In addition to that, the former Department of Internal Affairs has been renamed Department of Ethics and Integrity and minor reshuffling effected in some departments at the headquarters.

As part of efforts to improve the value of the naira, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) attached to the Taskforce on Currency mutilation, Dollarization of the Economy and Forex Malpractice, have arrested 34 suspected currency speculators over alleged foreign exchange fraud.

They were arrested on Friday, April 26, in a sting operation following credible intelligence about illegal sale of dollars at the Wuse Zone 4 area of the FCT, Abuja.

EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, listed the names of those arrested as: Usman Mohammed, Abdullahi Nasir, Abubakar Saleh, Mohammed Kabir Ibrahim, Abubakar Ghadafi, Muktar Usman, Umar Abubakar Abba, Yakubu Sani, Aminu Abubakar, Muhammed Suleman Abara, Yusuf Tahir, Usman Lawal, Usman Lawal, Usman Umar and Amina Garba Rola.

Other suspects as: Muhammed Aliyu, Murtala Haruna, Sani Mohammed, Umar Farouk, Muhammed Sagiuru, Aminu Salisu, Lawal Bello, Munzali Hashim, Jamilu Suleiman, Mustapha Umar, Mubarak Tanimu, Adamu Garba, Mohammed Usman, Bello Musa, Saleh Mohammed Naseer, Zaharadeen Yau, Musa Umaru Adamu, Usman Machido and Abdulaziz Abubakar Abba.

Oyewale said the arrests came on the heels of the EFCC’s consistent efforts to sanitise and stabilise the foreign exchange market.

He said that the suspects would soon be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigations.

A human rights lawyer representing the four victims of an explosion at the AIRTEL Networks Limited base station at Ikotun Lagos has written to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) seeking sanctions against the major telecoms provider.

In a letter dated 22nd April, 2024, the Lead Counsel for the victims, Dr. Olubunmi Odeniyi urged the telecoms regulator to “Levy appropriate sanctions by way of fines as a deterrence” to others.

The letter was titled “OFFICIAL REPORT/COMPLAINT OF NEGLIGENT AND RECKLESS OPERATION OF AIRTEL AT ITS BASE STATION BTS LAG 767) AT NO. 15/19, ABIODUN IBIDAPO STREET, ASALU BUS-STOP, ABARANJE, IKOTUN, LAGOS STATE ON TUESDAY, 19 MARCH, 2024 CAUSING AN INFERNO RESULTING IN SEVERE LIFE-CHANGING BURNS ON FOUR (4) PEOPLE.”

Odeniyi urged NCC to “Order the immediate closure and cessation of operations at the site to maintain the integrity of the site for appropriate investigation by your Commission and other concerned statutory bodies.”

The human rights lawyer, who stated that “Airtel management have refused to engage the injured in any manner to assuage their desperate medical emergency,” also pleaded with the telecoms regulator to “Direct AIRTEL management to immediately initiate urgent and rehabilitative medical remediation of our Clients.”

The letter reads: “We are Solicitors/Counsel to the four (4 Nos.) innocent passers-by who were severely burned in a fire that broke out at the AIRTEL BASE STATION at No. 15/19, Abiodun Ibidapo Street, Asalu Bus-stop, Abaranje, Ikotun, Lagos State on Tuesday, 19 March, 2024. They are Messrs. FERANMI NURENI OLUWATOBA; SAHEED ADELEKE; FRANKLIN OBADE; and SAHEED RAJI.

“Our Clients were rushed to various hospitals in the vicinity where sporadic and altogether inadequate services are being done hamstrung by the lack of financial capacity by the victims and their families.

“The cause of the explosion was the reckless manner of operations on the site whereat a welder was welding a tank and a diesel supplier making a delivery of fuel at the same AIRTEL site.

“We have brought this dire situation to the attention of Airtel by our duly acknowledged letter dated 2 April, 2024 but Airtel management have refused to engage the injured in any manner to assuage their desperate medical emergency. Our Clients are currently undergoing intense pain and suffering, discomforts, disfigurement, neglect, losses of income and unplanned daily mounting medical bills.

“Our humble request to your Commission is to pro-actively intervene in the following manner:

1. Order the immediate closure and cessation of operations at the site to maintain the integrity of the site for appropriate investigation by your Commission and other concerned statutory bodies;

2. Direct AIRTEL management to immediately initiate urgent and rehabilitative medical remediation of our Clients;

3. Further direct AIRTEL to promptly and adequately compensate the injured; and

4. Levy appropriate sanctions by way of fines as a deterrence.

“Our Clients rely on your Commission as their conditions cannot survive with a protracted court litigation which will only favor AIRTEL.”

It was unclear at press time whether Airtel Networks has been notified of the petition.