Afenifere, a prominent Yoruba socio-political organization, held a world press conference yesterday to raise alarm over the abduction, detention, and violations of the constitutional rights of Dele Farotimi, a respected human rights lawyer and member of the group. The organization decried what it called an unjust and unlawful treatment of Farotimi by the Nigerian Police and legal authorities, which it described as a significant blow to Nigeria’s democracy, free speech, and personal liberty.

Farotimi, a vocal advocate for civil rights, was arrested under contentious circumstances on December 3, 2024, when plainclothes officers reportedly stormed his office in Lagos. Eyewitnesses recounted a chaotic scene as police officers, armed and unannounced, forced their way past staff and confiscated their phones, before taking Farotimi into custody.

Afenifere’s deputy leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, detailed the sequence of events, noting that the arrest followed an earlier invitation from the Zone 2 Police Command on November 11, which Farotimi had complied with. He had been questioned in relation to a defamation petition filed by Tony Elumelu, the chairman of UBA Group, over comments allegedly made by Farotimi.

Despite being told that he was the subject of a defamation case in Ekiti State, Farotimi’s whereabouts were initially unknown after his arrest. The Ekiti State Police Command later confirmed that they were holding him on charges of defamation and cyberstalking. However, the organization highlighted the irregularities of his detention, noting that Farotimi had been transported from Lagos to Ekiti without following proper legal protocols or informing his family or legal representatives.

Afenifere raised serious concerns about the practice of “rendering” suspects—transporting them across state lines for questioning or trial without proper legal documentation or prior notification to family members, a practice it said undermines the rule of law and often causes undue hardship for families who are left in the dark about the whereabouts of their loved ones.

On December 4, Farotimi was arraigned in Ado-Ekiti, where he faced 16 counts of criminal libel. Despite the offense being bailable, the presiding Magistrate refused to consider his bail application, insisting on a written request. The matter was adjourned until December 10 for further consideration. However, Afenifere criticized the handling of the case, pointing out that the charges were unfounded and that the legal proceedings were politically motivated.

Further compounding the situation, the Nigerian Inspector General of Police filed additional charges of cyberstalking and cyberbullying against Farotimi, which were presented in a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti. Afenifere condemned the use of handcuffs in Farotimi’s court appearance, which it called an unnecessary act of humiliation for an individual known to be non-violent and not a flight risk.

The organization also drew attention to the failure of the court to address a critical preliminary objection raised by Farotimi’s legal team, which pointed out that the charges against him were not recognized under the laws of either Ekiti or Lagos States. Despite this, the Magistrate went ahead with the adjournment, further detaining Farotimi until the next court session on December 20.

In a stern statement, Afenifere condemned the actions of the Nigerian Police and the judiciary, accusing them of operating under extrajudicial and political pressures. The organization reiterated that Farotimi, like any accused person, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and his rights must be respected throughout the legal process.

“Afenifere calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Dele Farotimi.

“We demand a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his abduction and unlawful detention. This case is not just about Farotimi; it represents a watershed moment in the ongoing struggle for justice, accountability, and the rule of law in Nigeria.”

The group also expressed concerns about the broader implications of the case for free speech and democracy in Nigeria, with many seeing it as an attempt to silence dissenting voices critical of the government and powerful figures.

As of now, Farotimi remains in custody, awaiting the next court session on December 20, 2024.

Gaza mediators intensify ceasefire efforts, Israeli strikes kill 20 people

The United States, joined by Arab mediators, sought to conclude an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the 14-month-old war in the Gaza Strip, where medics said Israeli strikes killed at least 20 Palestinians on Wednesday.

A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said on Wednesday that mediators had narrowed gaps on most of the agreement's clauses. He said Israel had introduced conditions which Hamas rejected but would not elaborate.

On Tuesday, sources close to the talks in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, said an agreement could be signed in coming days on a ceasefire and a release of hostages held in Gaza in return for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Medics said an Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 people in a house in the northern town of Beit Lahiya while six were killed in separate airstrikes in Gaza City, Nuseirat camp in central areas, and Rafah near the border with Egypt.

In Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said four people were killed in an airstrike on a house. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military spokesman.

Later on Wednesday, medics told Reuters that an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia killed at least 10 people.

Israeli forces have operated in the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya as well as the nearby Jabalia camp since October, in a campaign the military said aimed to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping.

Palestinians accuse Israel of carrying out acts of "ethnic cleansing" to depopulate the northern edge of the enclave to create a buffer zone. Israel denies it.

Hamas does not disclose its casualties, and the Palestinian health ministry does not distinguish in its daily death toll between combatants and non-combatants.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it struck a number of Hamas militants planning an imminent attack against Israeli forces operating in Jabalia.

Later on Wednesday, Muhammad Saleh, director of Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia, said Israeli shelling in the vicinity damaged the facility, wounding seven medics and one patient inside the hospital.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment.

In the Central Gaza camp of Bureij, Palestinian families began leaving some districts after the army posted new evacuation orders on X and in written and audio messages to mobile phones of some of the population there, citing new firing of rockets by Palestinian militants from the area.

CEASEFIRE GAINS MOMENTUM

The U.S. administration, joined by mediators from Egypt and Qatar, has made intensive efforts in recent days to advance the talks before President Joe Biden leaves office next month.

In Jerusalem, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met Adam Boehler, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s designated envoy for hostage affairs. Trump has threatened that "all hell is going to break out" if Hamas does not release its hostages by Jan. 20, the day Trump returns to the White House.

CIA Director William Burns was due in Doha on Wednesday for talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on bridging remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas, other knowledgeable sources said. The CIA declined to comment.

Israeli negotiators were in Doha on Monday looking to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas on a deal Biden outlined in May.

There have been repeated rounds of talks over the past year, all of which have failed, with Israel insisting on retaining a military presence in Gaza and Hamas refusing to release hostages until the troops pulled out.

The war in Gaza, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw more than 250 abducted as hostages, has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and left Israel isolated internationally.

Israel's campaign has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the 2.3 million population and reduced much of the coastal enclave to ruins.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia detains suspect over murder of chemical weapons chief Igor Kirillov

Russia said on Wednesday it had detained an Uzbek man who had confessed to planting and detonating a bomb which killed a top general, Igor Kirillov, in Moscow on the instructions of Ukraine's SBU security service.

Kirillov, who was chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside his apartment building on Tuesday along with his assistant when a bomb attached to an electric scooter went off.

He is the most senior Russian military officer to be assassinated in Russia by Ukraine. Ukraine's SBU intelligence service took responsibility for the killing after Ukraine accused Kirillov of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops - something Moscow denies.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said in a statement on Wednesday that the unnamed suspect had told them he had come to Moscow to carry out an assignment for Ukraine's intelligence services.

In a video published by the Baza news outlet, which is known to have sources in Russian law-enforcement circles, the suspect is seen sitting in a van describing his actions.

It was not clear under what conditions he was speaking and Reuters could not immediately verify the video's authenticity.

Dressed in a winter coat, the suspect is shown saying he had come to Moscow, bought an electric scooter, and received an improvised explosive device.

He describes placing the device on the electric scooter and parking it outside the apartment block where Kirillov lived.

Investigators cited him as saying he set up a surveillance camera in a hire car which, they said, was watched in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro by people who organised the killing.

The suspect, who is thought to be 29, is shown saying he remotely detonated the device when Kirillov left the building. He says Ukraine had offered him $100,000 and residency in a European country.

MOSCOW TO RAISE INCIDENT AT U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said Moscow would raise the assassination at the United Nations Security Council on Dec. 20.

"We see that the Kyiv regime has taken responsibility once again for a new terrorist attack. All these SBU losers and the mad Kiev regime are all tools managed by the Anglo-Saxons," she said, using a term Russia uses to describe the United States and Britain. "They are the main beneficiaries of Kyiv's terrorism."

The U.S. State Department said Washington had no connection to the killing or any prior knowledge of it. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Kirillov had "propagated an illegal invasion and imposed suffering and death on the Ukrainian people."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not commented publicly on the killing. Dmitry Peskov, his spokesperson, praised the work of the Russian intelligence services in investigating the case and accused Ukraine of using "terrorist methods."

Former President Dmitry Medvedev criticised an editorial in the London Times newspaper which called the killing "a legitimate act of defence by a threatened nation".

He said the same logic would imply Western officials providing Ukraine with military aid would be legitimate targets for Russia and called the management of The Times "lousy jackals" who could also be considered accomplices and military targets.

"So be careful," he said. "After all, a lot of things happen in London."

The Times quoted Starmer's spokesperson as saying London took Russian threats "incredibly seriously" and would do whatever it took to protect its citizens.

British foreign minister David Lammy wrote on social media: "Russia’s Medvedev’s gangster threat against Times journalists smacks of desperation."

Moscow holds Ukraine responsible for a series of killings on its soil. Ukraine says Russia's war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state and has made clear it regards such killings - intended to weaken morale and punish those Kyiv regards guilty of war crimes - as legitimate.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Moscow accuses Kiev of using white phosphorous

Russian law enforcement and the Defense Ministry have collected “irrefutable evidence”of repeated use of white phosphorus munitions by the Ukrainian military, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

The spokeswoman made the remarks during a regular media briefing on Wednesday, stating the use of white phosphorus incendiaries by Kiev’s troops had been repeatedly observed in September. The munitions were primarily deployed by drones, Zakharova said. She added that the uptick in white phosphorus use indicated Kiev was capable of producing the compound, and is using it in contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“The white phosphorus-filled incendiary munitions used by the Ukrainian Nazis are indiscriminate weapons and are prohibited by Protocol III of the Geneva Convention on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons in populated areas and their environs,” she said.

Ukraine was quick to deny the accusations, with the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy dismissing them as “false and nonsensical.” “Ukraine has always been and continues to be a reliable participant in multilateral regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” the spokesman asserted in a statement.

Moscow and Kiev have repeatedly accused each other of the use of white phosphorus, as well as other controversial munitions. The chemical is used in certain types of smoke and incendiary rounds and has long been the subject of controversy due to its properties.

White phosphorus ignites on its own in contact with air and produces thick white smoke, which is useful for obscuring troop movements. The chemical burns at extremely high temperatures and tends to stick to surfaces, including clothing and skin, while being very hard to extinguish.

The properties of the substance effectively mean ‘smoke’ rounds may double as incendiary munitions should they not be used with necessary precaution. White phosphorous and the smoke it produces are highly toxic and capable of entering the bloodstream.

The Pentagon has long contemplated supplying Ukraine with phosphorus munitions, NBC reported in September, but the White House shot down the idea. While the broadcaster did not elaborate, the proposed shipment would have likely involved the so-called ‘smoke’ or ‘marker’ M825 rounds – 155mm NATO artillery shells filled with felt wedges saturated with white phosphorus.

Reuters/RT

Nigerians who feel slighted by UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s disparaging comments about their country are free to respond to her in whatever manner suits them. When someone like Badenoch makes denigrating comments about Nigeria, it is its people who suffer the indignity of such talk. A country might be an abstract entity, but it is also occupied by real-life people who deserve some courtesy. So, yes, I do understand the Nigerians taking her comments badly. What I vehemently disagree with is Vice President Kashim Shettima joining them. He is just as opportunistic and should have no mouth to talk.

Since he seems to have forgotten his priors, let me remind him—again—that just 10 years ago, he and some northern governors pulled a similar stunt against President Goodluck Jonathan in Washington, DC, USA. Media reports tell us that then Nigerian Ambassador, Ade Adefuye, restrained them as they backstabbed the country before Western observers. Now, the same Shettima is wailing because someone else is doing it. If denigrating Nigeria for gain worked well enough to make him the vice president, who is he to tell anyone else not to use the same tactic? What has Badenoch said that is substantially different from what All Peoples Congress had said about Nigeria when they were in the “opposition”?

Whether “Yoruba” or “Nigerian”, Badenoch can identify as she pleases. Even though it does not make sense to me that one can be one without the other, burning emotional fuel over someone else’s choices is not worth it. Who knows the sacrifices they have had to make to be who they are? What I do know for sure is that however Badenoch chooses to identify, she has something in common with Nigerians who speak indecorously of Nigeria when they are seeking the benevolence of white power. Some of those excoriating Badenoch (like Shettima) have either done so themselves or will do so if the prize is right.

Some years ago, I was a judge on a committee that awarded a prize for fiction to young writers, and I ended up traumatised by the entries from Nigerians. From the violence of Boko Haram to child marriage, sexual assaults, and other horrors, Nigeria came across as an entirely joyless place in its writings. None of the aspiring writers envisioned a world where dysfunctionality was not the Nigerian norm. In my report, I had to urge the prize organisers to reconsider the themes they put out so that entrants would be forced to think differently. Still, they are no different from the Nigerians seeking asylum in North America/Europe, who claim they are escaping from whatever horror is trending. At a time, it was genital mutilation. Nowadays, they are either fleeing homosexual persecution or Boko Haram/maniacal herdsmen. Whatever story touches the hearts of white Western powers, they will trade their country for it.

In January, humanist Leo Igwe wrote an article lamenting how Nigerians predate on stories of persecuted humanists like Mubarak Bala to seek asylum abroad. Recently too, a Nigerian couple in the UK escaped deportation by claiming to the court that they needed to stay because the wife would be unable to access IVF facilities in Nigeria. Saying a country lacks IVF clinics in 2024 is tantamount to claiming it is behind in time, but yes, people will say anything that gets them ahead. Perhaps some of such people also genuinely think Badenoch is “throwing Nigeria under the bus”.

By virtue of my job, I have been solicited to testify in court on behalf of some Nigerians seeking asylum in the USA. When you hear the stories about Nigeria these applicants have told the oyinbo lawyers fighting on their behalf, you will be embarrassed. While I will not lie under oath on behalf of anyone, I also do not go around puncturing their claims. While their stories might not be factually true, they might also not be substantially false. Who knows what battles they fought to get where they are?

Whatever one thinks of Badenoch’s politics, we should also accept that it is part of the tactics that brought her so far. For instance, in the interview where she related her experience with the Nigerian police, the question was about the British police. She dragged in the Nigerian police to make them a foil of their British counterparts. She tactically deflected issues since an uncomplimentary comment about the police could be ideological suicide for a right-wing politician like her. To praise the British police, she had to justify it by bringing the inept Nigerian police. It could not have been that hard for her to find a story to tell. Anyone who trawled the internet during #EndSARS will be spoilt for choice of which distressing police encounter to narrate. We can console ourselves by pulling up statistics of violence in the UK to relativise issues, but in our quiet moments, can we also acknowledge to ourselves that no situation has arisen in the UK that their nationals are selling their worldly goods to escape to Nigeria?

Whatever we might think of Badenoch’s rhetorical manoeuvres, we cannot deny it works. It has brought her far; why should she change now? Politicians generally say what their constituents want to hear and until that kind of talk stops exciting her audience, no amount of glowering by Shettima will change anything. No reasonable person alters a method that works.

Shettima and his fellow travellers need to think beyond an individual. Between June 2022 and 2023, about 141,000 Nigerians migrated to the UK alone. Within that same period, another 22,000 Nigerians also settled in Canada. Most of them are young. Add other countries, and you will see a large pool of who will breed children of hyphenated nationalities you will be hearing about in the next 30 years. The probability that one of them might become the leader of a first-world nation rises as the number of migrants increases. Is Nigeria going to wait until one of them attains a political height before sending Abike Dabiri-Erewa to stick their “Nigerianness” on them? They had better start cultivating relationships with them while still young.

Years ago, I learned from a friend (who is French) that France has schools for its citizens in the USA where they learn French culture, history, and politics. They are taught in French, so they speak it fluently. It got me thinking about how forward-looking Western governments can be. They know that some of those kids will one day rise to strategic places in the USA, and they are already looking out for France’s interest by inculcating “Frenchness” in them. The USA, Israel, and other powerful countries all do the same. When Shettima compared Badenoch to former British PM of Indian heritage Rishi Sunak, what he did not factor in is the relationship India must have built with him before he got that far.

Someone of Badenoch’s profile badmouthing Nigeria should be a wake-up call for leaders to move conversations beyond whether Nigerians should japa or not. They should have realised by now that it cannot be taken for granted that children of Nigerian heritage will be sentimental towards their parents’ country. As more children are being born abroad, you should start an outreach to get them on your side as they grow. You cannot guarantee that every single one will be your ambassador, but when that day comes someone says something disparaging, you will have a solid structure that will overwhelm that individual defector. Even better, you will not need to disgrace yourself in the international media by asking that person to change their name. Imagine someone with a “non-Nigerian” name like “Kashim Shettima” asking a Yoruba woman to change her name because he disagrees with her politics. Yeye!

Punch

Melissa Houston

Many people dream of starting a business but they don’t know how to start a business from nothing. It can feel overwhelming and intimidating to think about where to begin, and many talk themselves out of it before they even give their idea a chance.

There are more than 33 million small businesses in the United States accounting for more over 99% of all U.S. firms. The American economy is driven by small businesses, so what is holding you back from starting a business?

The good news is that it is possible to start a business from nothing, provided you have the right strategy, you are determined and you possess a certain amount of creativity.

Let’s explore some tips on how to start your business from nothing:

1. You need an entrepreneurial mindset

The journey of entrepreneurship requires having a positive mindset. The right mindset will propel your business to success, while a negative mindset can sink your business. It can feel very scary to start a business and limiting beliefs will surface, but you need a strategy to reframe those doubts so you can overcome them. Entrepreneurship requires resiliency and an openness to learning new things.

2. Start with what you have

There are resources out there on starting a business that you can access for free. Start by making a list of the skills that you have, the networks you have access to and the tools you need to start your business. Starting a business is expensive, but you can begin with minimal investment and grow your business as your customer base increases. Bootstrapping your way to growth is an approach that many successful entrepreneurs start with.

3. Choose a profitable niche

The importance of choosing a profitable niche cannot be understated. You need to identify a niche with market demand, because if nobody buys your product or service, your business will fail. Before you invest too much time or money into a business idea, be sure to validate your offer. When people are willing to pay for it, you have a proven offer and can start planning for bigger.

4. Create a business plan

A business plan is your roadmap for turning your business idea into a viable business. It clarifies your vision, identifies your target audience, and helps guide you in the strategic decision-making process. If you are seeking investors or loans, stakeholders will want to see a business plan. The business plan reduces risk and uncertainty and defines the financial goals and projections of the business.

5. Build your brand and business on a budget

Your brand goes beyond basics of having a logo, website and brand colors. Your brand helps you build credibility and trust. When you use consistent messaging and stories, you build brand awareness that helps people to know, like and trust you. When those factors have been established, customers are more likely to buy from you. Leverage social media at the outset to get your message out there. Social media is free to use and has been proven to be effective.

6. Learn as you grow

You will never stop learning as a business owner if you stay open to continuous learning and adapting. There are free resources such as YouTube tutorials that can help you learn how to deal with problems that arise in your business. Networking with likeminded business owners can offer a community where you help each other with issues that arise.

7. Scale strategically

When you start small and prove your offer, you can start scaling your business. If you want to avoid taking on debt in your business you can grow your business by reinvesting those profits back into your business. If you need faster growth you can consider taking on debt, but be careful as to how much debt you take on and how much equity you give away in the process. Find the right debt instrument that works best for you and your business.

The bottom line is it is scary to start a business, but you need to feel the fear and do it anyways. A strong entrepreneurial mindset can be your biggest asset on this journey. Success is achievable when you have a strategy in place, stay persistent and consistent, and listen to what your customers want. Take your first step today by finding that profitable niche and creating your plan!

Forbes

A recent National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey has exposed alarming crime trends in Nigeria, revealing that citizens paid an estimated N2.23 trillion in ransoms between May 2023 and April 2024.

The comprehensive crime experience and security perception report documented approximately 51.89 million criminal incidents across Nigerian households during the one-year period. The data paints a troubling picture of security challenges facing the country.

Regional Breakdown of Crime Incidents:

- North-West emerged as the most crime-prone zone, reporting over 14 million cases

- North-Central followed with 8.7 million incidents

- South-East recorded the lowest number of crimes at around 6.2 million

Notably, rural areas experienced slightly more criminal activities (26.5 million incidents) compared to urban areas (25.4 million incidents).

Kidnapping and Ransom Highlights:

- 65% of households experiencing kidnapping paid a ransom

- Average ransom payment was N2.67 million

- Total estimated ransom payments reached a staggering N2.23 trillion

Home Robbery Statistics:

- 4.14 million households were victims of home robbery

- Only 36.3% of robbery victims reported incidents to the police

Individual Crime Experiences:

- 21.4% of Nigerians reported being crime victims

- Phone theft was the most common crime, affecting 13.8% of individuals

- 90% of phone theft victims reported to the police

- Only 50% of victims expressed satisfaction with police responses

Reasons for Low Reporting:

The study identified key factors discouraging crime reporting, including:

- Lack of confidence in law enforcement

- Belief that police intervention would not yield meaningful results

The report underscores significant security challenges facing Nigeria, highlighting the urgent need for improved law enforcement and crime prevention strategies.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

In a significant fiscal development, major international technology companies, including Google, Facebook, Netflix, and others, have paid N3.85 trillion in taxes to the Nigerian Federal Government during the first nine months of 2024.

Tax Collection Highlights:

- 68.12% increase from N2.29 trillion in the same period of 2023

- Comprises Company Income Tax (CIT) and Value Added Tax (VAT)

- Quarterly progression shows consistent growth in tax revenues

Detailed Tax Breakdown:

1. Company Income Tax (CIT)

   - Total collection: N2.57 trillion

   - 43.65% increase from N1.789 trillion in 2023

   - Quarterly progression:

     * Q1: N598.13 billion

     * Q2: N1.12 trillion

     * Q3: N852.29 billion

2. Value Added Tax (VAT)

   - Total collection: N1.28 trillion

   - Remarkable 157.03% surge from N498.34 billion in 2023

   - Quarterly progression:

     * Q1: N435.73 billion

     * Q2: N395.74 billion

     * Q3: N448.85 billion

Regulatory Context:

- CIT: 30% tax on company profits

- VAT: 7.5% consumption tax

- Government initiated tax collection from digital service providers in 2020

Targeted Digital Service Providers:

- Video streaming platforms

- Social media sites

- Digital content download services

- Companies like Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, Alibaba, and Amazon

Compliance Status:

- Google, LinkedIn, and Meta have met tax compliance requirements

- TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) are yet to comply with tax filing regulations

The significant increase in tax collection reflects the Nigerian government's enhanced efforts to capture revenue from digital service providers operating in the country, even without physical offices.

Experts anticipate further revenue growth as more social platforms begin remitting their statutory tax obligations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has introduced new regulations for point-of-sale (PoS) transactions, setting a daily withdrawal limit of N100,000 per customer as part of its ongoing efforts to promote a cashless economy.

Key Withdrawal Restrictions:

- Maximum daily cash withdrawal per customer: N100,000

- Weekly cash withdrawal limit: N500,000

- Daily cumulative cash-out limit for agents: N1,200,000

The comprehensive directive, issued through a circular to deposit money banks, microfinance banks, mobile money operators, and super-agents, aims to:

- Address industry challenges

- Combat potential fraud

- Establish uniform operational standards

Detailed Compliance Requirements:

1. Agent Banking Terminal Limitations

   - Daily transaction cash-out capped at N100,000 per customer

   - Strict demarcation between agent banking and merchant activities

   - Mandatory use of Agent Code 6010 for banking activities

2. Account and Transaction Monitoring

   - Transactions to be conducted exclusively through designated float accounts

   - Monitoring of accounts associated with agents' Bank Verification Numbers (BVN)

   - Electronic reporting of daily transactions to the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS)

Regulatory Oversight:

- Principals will be held fully responsible for their agents' actions

- CBN will conduct unannounced back-end configuration checks

- Non-compliance may result in monetary and administrative sanctions

The move represents a significant step in the CBN's strategy to digitize financial transactions and reduce cash circulation in the Nigerian economy.

Banks and financial institutions have been directed to implement these guidelines immediately, marking a new phase in Nigeria's financial regulatory landscape.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Gaza ceasefire talks gain momentum as officials push for deal

An agreement to halt the 14-month-old war in Gazaand free hostages held in the Palestinian enclave could be signed in the coming days with talks in Cairo making progress, sources briefed on the meeting said on Tuesday.

The U.S. administration, joined by mediators from Egypt and Qatar, has made intensive efforts in recent days to advance the talks before President Joe Biden leaves office next month.

"We believe - and the Israelis have said this - that we're getting closer, and no doubt about it, we believe that, but we also are cautious in our optimism," White House spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with Fox News.

"We've been in this position before where we weren't able to get it over the finish line."

The sources said a ceasefire deal could be days away that would stop the fighting and return hostages held by the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

CIA Director William Burns, a key U.S. negotiator, was due in Doha on Wednesday for talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on bridging remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas, other knowledgeable sources told Reuters.

The CIA declined to comment.

Hamas said in a statement a deal was possible if Israel stopped setting new conditions. A Palestinian official close to the mediation efforts said negotiations were serious, with discussions under way about every word.

Sources briefed on the meeting said Netanyahu was on his way to Cairo, but a statement from Netanyahu's office said he had a meeting on Tuesday with senior military and security officials on Mount Hermon, a strategic plateau just inside Syria.

Separately, his spokesperson messaged Israeli correspondents to say: "The prime minister is not in Cairo."

Two Egyptian security sources said that Netanyahu was not in Cairo "at this moment" but that a meeting was under way to work through the remaining points, chief among them a Hamas demand for guarantees that any immediate deal would lead to a comprehensive agreement later.

The Egyptian sources said they were making progress and felt that Tuesday night could be decisive in setting the next steps.

Netanyahu had been excused on Tuesday from giving previously scheduled testimony at his corruption trial. He met in Israel on Monday with Adam Boehler, designated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to be his special envoy for hostage affairs.

At a press conference in Florida on Monday, Trump reiterated his threat that "all hell is going to break out" if Hamas does not release its hostages by Jan. 20, the day he takes office.

Later, Trump said that if no ceasefire deal is reached by the time he takes office, "It's not going to be pleasant." He did not elaborate.

U.S. and Israeli officials have expressed growing optimism that negotiations brokered by Egypt and Qatar could produce a deal by the end of the month but have also cautioned that the talks could fall through.

Israeli negotiators were in Doha on Monday looking to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas on a deal Biden outlined in May.

There have been repeated rounds of talks over the past year, all of which have ended in failure, with Israel insisting on retaining a military presence in Gaza and Hamas refusing to release hostages until the troops pulled out.

The war in Gaza, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on communities in southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw more than 250 abducted as hostages, has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and left Israel isolated internationally.

Israel's campaign has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the 2.3 million population and reduced much of the coastal enclave to ruins.

Israeli airstrikes killed extended families in homes in two parts of the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, medics said.

At least 10 people were confirmed killed in an airstrike on a house in Gaza City that destroyed the building, while further north in the town of Beit Lahiya at least 15 people were believed to be dead or missing under the rubble of a house hit around dawn.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine kills Russian chemical weapons chief Igor Kirillov in Moscow

A top Russian general accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine's SBU intelligence service on Tuesday morning in the most high-profile killing of its kind.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside an apartment building along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off, Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said.

An SBU source confirmed to Reuters that the Ukrainian intelligence agency had been behind the hit. "The liquidation of the chief of the radiation and chemical protection troops of the Russian Federation is the work of the SBU," the source said.

The source said that a scooter containing explosives was detonated, killing both Kirillov and his aide, as they stepped out of a building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow.

Unverified video footage of the attack circulating on social media showed two men exiting the building to get into a car followed by a large explosion as the two men remained on the pavement. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.

Kirillov, 54, is the most senior Russian military officer to be assassinated inside Russia by Ukraine and his murder is likely to prompt the Russian authorities to review security protocols for the army's top brass.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now a senior Russian security official, told a meeting shown on state TV that Moscow would avenge what he called an act of terrorism.

"Law enforcement agencies must find the killers in Russia," said Medvedev. "Everything must be done to destroy the masterminds (of the killing) who are in Kyiv. We know who these masterminds are. They are the military and political leadership of Ukraine," he said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking to Russian news agencies, dismissed a comment from the U.S. State Department that Washington had no connection to the killing or any prior knowledge of it.

The United States, she said, "created the Kyiv regime, sponsors it, provides money and sends weapons endlessly. The proof is clear: Washington has not once condemned a single terrorist act or planned murder committed by the Kyiv regime."

There was no immediate comment from President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow holds Ukraine responsible for a string of high-profile assassinations on its soil designed to weaken morale and punish those Kyiv regards guilty of war crimes. Ukraine, which says Russia's war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state, has made clear it regards such targeted killings as a legitimate tool.

Reuters photographs and video from the scene showed a shattered entrance to an apartment building with bomb-blackened bricks and the doors hanging off their hinges and what looked like two bodies lying beneath black plastic sheets on the snow.

KIRILLOV WORKED 'FEARLESSLY FOR THE MOTHERLAND'

Russia denies Ukrainian allegations it uses chemical weapons on the battlefield and Kirillov, who was married with two sons, was himself sometimes shown on state TV giving briefings at the Defence Ministry in which he accused Ukraine of violating nuclear safety protocols or the West of various alleged crimes.

Britain in October imposed sanctions on Kirillov and his nuclear defence forces for using riot control agents and over multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield.

Such agents, Ukraine has alleged, are used to disorient its troops, leaving them unable to defend themselves against Russian attacks.

Sergei Sitnikov, a regional Russian governor, said Kirillov was his friend and had told him he was aware of a threat against him.

"Some time ago, he told me that he had already been warned that the hunt for him had begun," Sitnikov said in a statement, saying he believed Kyiv wanted to kill Kirillov for various reasons, including his involvement in the development and use of a heavy flamethrower system.

Kirillov was murdered a day after Ukrainian state prosecutors charged him in absentia with the alleged use of banned chemical weapons, the Kyiv Independent cited the SBU as saying.

The lieutenant general was also listed in a sprawling unofficial Ukrainian database of people considered to be enemies of the country called Myrotvorets (Peacemaker). A photograph of Kirillov on the website was overwritten with the word "Liquidated" in red letters on Tuesday morning.

Russia says Ukraine has carried out a string of targeted assassinations since the start of Moscow's full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022.

The most high-profile cases include the 2022 killing of Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, the murder of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a 2023 cafe bombing, and the shooting last year of a Russian submarine commander accused of war crimes by Kyiv.

Russia's radioactive, chemical and biological defence troops, which Kirillov commanded, are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination and who are tasked with protecting ground forces operating in extreme conditions.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

What we know about Russian general killed in Moscow blast

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces (RChBZ), has died in a blast together with his aide. According to investigators, an explosive device hidden in a scooter was detonated on Tuesday morning near the entrance of a residential building in Moscow’s south-east.

Here’s what is known about Kirillov:

• From September 2014 to April 2017, he served as the head of the Military Academy of the RChBZ named after Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko.
  
• In April 2017, Kirillov became the chief of the RChBZ troops.
  
• Kirillov dealt with anti-terrorism both domestically and abroad. He exposed the provocations of the controversial White Helmets volunteer organization in Syria, and participated in mitigating the consequences of natural and man-made disasters.
  
• Since the beginning of the military operation against Ukraine in February 2022, Kirillov has spoken at briefings held by the Ministry of Defense, where he shared information about Ukrainian developments in the areas of radiological, chemical, and biological weapons. In March 2022, he announced that Ukrainian biolaboratories were studying the potential for transferring highly dangerous infections through migratory birds.
  
• The same month, Kirillov presented copies of documents that, according to him, confirmed the Pentagon’s funding of biological laboratories in Ukraine.
  
• In June 2024, Kirillov stated that spent nuclear fuel and hazardous chemical waste were being imported into Ukraine for a potential “dirty bomb” creation. He added that radiochemical substances were still being brought into Ukraine for disposal. According to him, these supplies were overseen by Andrey Yermak, Vladimir Zelensky’s right-hand man, with primary routes passing through Poland and Romania.
  
• In October 2024, the UK slapped Kirillov with sanctions after he accused Ukraine of preparing a false-flag chemical weapons attack with the aim of framing Russia and undermining its position at the OPCW. Kirillov noted that NATO had provided Ukraine with a much larger amount of chemical protective equipment than the country actually needs, calling it further evidence of an impending plot.
  
• In November 2024, Kirillov said that Ukraine planned to seize a nuclear power plant during its large-scale incursion into the Kursk Region.
  
• Kirillov was killed in the blast one day after Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) formally declared him a suspect in the alleged use of chemical weapons against Kiev’s military. The general rejected claims that Russia had been attacking Ukraine with riot control agents and chemical weapons, recalling that the OPCW had confirmed the complete destruction of all Russian chemical weapons stockpiles in 2017.

Reuters/RT