News
FATF Delist Nigeria From List of Global Financial Crime Countries
Bakari, who led the implementation of the reform plan, described the delisting as “a true test of Nigeria’s resilience, coordination, and unwavering commitment to reform.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), has officially removed Nigeria from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, also known as the grey list.
Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and South Africa were also removed from the grey list at the FATF October 2025 Plenary in Paris, France, following the countries’ successful implementation of a 19-point action plan aimed at strengthening their Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) frameworks.
The Director/CEO of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit , NFIU, Hafsat Bakar , announced the development on Friday.
She disclosed that Nigeria was placed on the grey list in February 2023 after the FATF identified strategic deficiencies in its AML/CFT systems.
Over the past two years, the Federal Government worked with the FATF and the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa to address the identified gaps through legislative reforms, institutional strengthening, and enhanced inter-agency coordination.
Key reforms cited by the FATF include the enactment and enforcement of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; the operationalisation of the Beneficial Ownership Register; and improved supervision of designated non-financial businesses and professions.
She emphasised that Nigeria had enhanced the capacity of its intelligence and law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes, while deepening international cooperation and intelligence sharing.
“The NFIU is pleased to announce that the FATF, at its October 2025 Plenary in Paris, France, has officially removed Nigeria from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, commonly known as the grey list.
This milestone marks a historic moment in Nigeria’s fight against serious financial crimes.
The delisting of Nigeria underscores the country’s commitment to global standards in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.
“Nigeria has demonstrated a sustained commitment to financial transparency and integrity.
Key milestones include the enactment and enforcement of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; the operationalisation of the Beneficial Ownership Register, improving corporate transparency and accountability; implementation of stronger supervisory and preventive measures by public and private sector authorities to prevent abuse of Nigeria’s financial system; increased international cooperation and cross-border intelligence exchange with regional and global partners; and improved supervision of Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions.”
She noted that a high-level Nigerian delegation — including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Ministers of Finance and Interior, and the Director of the NFIU — represented the country at the plenary.
Bakari, who led the implementation of the reform plan, described the delisting as “a true test of Nigeria’s resilience, coordination, and unwavering commitment to reform.”
She commended President Bola Tinubu for his leadership and thanked key government institutions, the National Assembly, the judiciary, and the private sector for their roles in achieving the milestone.
Bakari urged all stakeholders to sustain the reform momentum to ensure Nigeria maintains compliance with global financial integrity standards.
News
UK court jails Nigerian man for masturbating in front of a woman
British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”
•A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola
A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola has been jailed in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train travelling towards Manchester.
Odutola, 36, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and breaching a suspended sentence order.
The incident occurred around 7pm on Friday, September 11, on a train travelling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”.
A fellow passenger intervened and escorted the distressed woman from the carriage.
According to police, CCTV footage showed Odutola continued masturbating as other passengers walked through the carriage.
British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was subsequently prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident
News
Digital Economy Minister Says NDPC Now Properly Functional With New HQ
” An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .
Abuja| NDPC new headquarters commission , Tuesday, 15 September,2026.
An EFCC-recovered property allocated to the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, has been transformed to the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja, as its headquarters.
Speaking during the commissioned ceremony of the building, the Honourable Minister incharge of the ministry, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, described the facility as a tangible demonstration of the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his commitment to building strong institutions that can support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
The Minister emphasised that said the occasion represented more than the opening of a new office, but a reflection of the administration’s commitment to strengthening the institutions required to protect Nigerians and build trust in the country’s digital economy.
Dr. Tijani said, “Shortly after assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law, giving the NDPC the appropriate legal foundation and authority to protect the data and privacy rights of Nigerians.
The President also directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to comply with established data protection laws and frameworks, demonstrating that government must lead by example in upholding the standards it expects from citizens and businesses.”
He added, “In the early days of the Commission, it was difficult to ask an institution to protect the data of over 200 million Nigerians and support one of Africa’s largest digital economies without the institutional resources to do so.
President Tinubu recognised this challenge and moved to solve it, approving the resources required for the NDPC to become properly operational and functional, while building towards becoming a sustainable institution in its own right.
He also directed that an EFCC-recovered property be allocated to the Commission as its headquarters.
“An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .
News
Boko Haram Denies Ceasefire with FG, Vows Continued Attacks
Boko Haram has strongly denied reports of a ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government and insisted that it will continue its campaign of attacks.
In a statement released by the group, the militants dismissed claims of any truce or negotiated pause in hostilities, describing such reports as false and misleading.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing operations against government forces and other targets, vowing that its attacks will persist without interruption.
The denial comes against the backdrop of persistent insecurity in the northeast and other affected regions, where the group has maintained a long-standing insurgency.
Security sources note that the latest statement appears aimed at clarifying the group’s position and rejecting any suggestion of dialogue or de-escalation with the authorities.
Military and government officials have not issued an immediate detailed response to the claim, though security operations against the militants remain active. Authorities continue to urge vigilance as the group signals its intention to sustain violence.
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