An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday sentenced a man, Abubakar Sani, to one year imprisonment for defrauding Lotus  bank of N16.7 million.

Justice Olubusola Okunuga convicted Sani following his guilty plea to an amended one-count charge of being in possession of an item reasonably suspected to have been stolen.

The charge was preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While delivering the judgment, Okunuga said she considered that the convict was a first-time offender and did not waste the time of the court.

“Having pleaded guilty to the amended information and admitted to the review of facts and exhibits tendered by the prosecutor, the defendant is hereby convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment,” she said.

The judge gave the convict an option of  one million naira fine.

She also ordered the convict to forfeit the money found in his Access and Keystone Bank accounts to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Earlier, the EFCC counsel, Mr Fanen Anum, reviewed the facts of the case.

He said that in July 2024, the commission received a petition from Lotus Bank alleging fraudulent acts from about 718 customers who took undue advantage of the malfunctioning of the bank’s E-bill pay platform to make fraudulent and illegal transfers.

Anum said the bank lost N1.1 billion to the multiple transfers to other financial institutions, exceeding the balances in their respective accounts.

The prosecutor submitted that the defendant benefited N16.7 million, some of which he transferred to his brother’s Accra Bank account.

“My Lord, the sum of N4,182,406.54 was traced to Access Bank account number 1623542076 belonging to Usman Sani, the defendant’s elder brother.

Also, N1,099,485.18 was traced to the defendant’s Keystone Bank account number 6038086328, which was frozen during the investigation,” Anum said.

The prosecutor further tendered in evidence the extrajudicial statement of the defendant, the Access bank statement of his elder brother, and the Keystone bank account statement of the defendant, as exhibits to support his review of facts.

The documents were admitted as evidence following no objections from the defence.

According to EFCC, the offence contravene Section 329 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede has said that the Nigerian Army has introduced new techniques and procedures to defeat the natuon’s adversaries and end terrorism.

He said this during a fire power demonstration exercise of the 2025 Combat Arms Training Week (CAT), on Wednesday in Bauchi.

Represented by Maj:-Gen.

He said that President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Army were working to ensure that positive changes were and reflected in the field.

“This particular event is very important because we have discussed strategies, operations and tactics and at the end, it is at the tip of the spear that all these will be reflected.

“It was very important that all the participants are brought here to come and see the capabilities which we are using to execute the various operations that we have, ” he said.

Oluyede said the enemies would feel the heat at the end of the day, adding that, “the government has bought a lot of equipment and weapons. Some are already in the field, some are still coming.”

According to Oluyede, the fire power demonstration is important as it acquaints the participants with latest capabilities the army deployed for various operations.

Maj.-Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, the Commander, Nigerian Army Armoured Corps, said the week long event provided platform to deliberate on pertinent issues affecting combat arms operations.

He commended the officers and men present, especially the retired senior officers, who attended the fire power demonstration exercise.

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Some selected journalists in Bayelsa state yesterday embarked on a sensitisation tour to Zarama Primary Health Care Center, Yenagoa local government area of the state as part of activities marking the World Immunization Week.

The sensitisation tour which was sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was to engage locals on the importance of immunization to children at every stage of their life.

It was an interactive moment between the locals and journalists at the Zarama health center to get feedback from them and to let them know the importance of immunization to their children.

It was also to let them know how UNICEF and her partners valued the life of women and children.

Some of the locals who spoke with the team of journalists include; Evidence Mathias said her son has not taken his immunization yet because it has not gotten to his turn, saying she will bring him for immunization when his is due. She commended the staff and nurses for the good job they are doing. “They are very good, they attend to us very well and anything I am asked to do I make sure I do it”.

Also, Joseph Martha said she also brought her son for treatment but that the immunization day has not reached and when the time comes she will make sure she brings him for immunization. “I always make sure to follow up all the instructions and do as I am told”.

Speaking with journalists during the exercise, acting chief of primary health care centre Zamara, Iberin Mabel Seiyefa commended UNICEF and her partners for providing the facilities, vaccines and other needed items for the smooth running of the health center.

Though she said they were posted there February this year, saying it is commendable because the turnout from the community is encouraging. “As for the last data collection, the percentage was so high, we educated them which is the major thing and they all key into it”.

“Within these three months the turnout has been good, sometimes when the health talk is not offered, they ask for it, teach us we want to know more.

“Concerning the polio week coming up, workers are on ground, we are ready and the vaccines are here and if it is not enough we will call the zip line and they will use their drone to bring it” she said .

During an interview With UNICEF SIO in Bayelsa Dr. Gbanai Orukari said, when you protect your children it helps you in the long run as a mother and a family. Saying that when “We immunize especially our children they are protected from diseases, children are more vulnerable to malaria and it can help to protect children to reduce sickness.

“We encourage everyone out there even if you don’t have a child your neighbor might have, have you given your child a vaccine because you need to protect the child and every child around you to make sure all hands are on deck”.

GAVI/UNICEF as part of their humanitarian services have supported, renovated health care centers and solarization of 10 primary Health Centers as well as provision of water and sanitation facilities, provision of cold chain equipment, provision of operational vehicles and ambulance boats for more effective delivery.