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FRAUD SAGA : CBN probes 71 for suspected forex deals

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THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has launched a massive investigation into foreign exchange transactions by 71 companies after preliminary reviews raised suspicions of possible infractions and contravention of extant foreign exchange laws and rules.

Sources close to the apex bank yesterday confirmed the investigation of many leading companies in key sectors of the economy including healthcare, food manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas, energy, financial services and trading, among others.

This is the largest forex probe in recent period. The apex bank in August launched two separate investigations.

A source explained that the investigation was based on credible suspicion, although no conclusive indictment has been reached, against any of the companies.

The apex bank was said to be worried that rather than the companies patronising banks for their forex transactions, they opted for the black market.

In the light of the heightened security situation in the country, the apex bank was alarmed that recourse to black market by formal sector operators may be conduit for illegal transactions, including transmitting funds to terrorists, money laundering, under declaration and shortchanging of extant government rules and policies, among others.

A source said the apex bank was ready to clamp down on any company found to have contravened any of the extant laws and policies on forex.

The source explained that the companies are in two groups – those which specific forex accounts are being investigated and others which have all their accounts being investigated.

The companies under investigation include: Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Stallion Nigeria Limited, Bhojraj Nigeria Limited, Interswitch Nigeria Limited, Far East Mercantile Limited, Afrab Chem Limited, Multichem Industries Limited, Daraju Nigeria Limited, Dover Engineering Limited, BCL Trading Services Limited, Amarava Agro Limited, Shivlula Nigeria Limited, Deeplast Nigeria Limited, Givanas Industry Nigeria Limited, Godrej Nigeria Limited, Malok Nigeria Limited, Nagode Industries Limited, Prima Corporation Limited, Regal Chem Nigeria Limited, Vista International Limited, Budha Logistics Limited, Mitoch Global Link Ventures and Solem Agro Limited.

Others included Deekay & Sons Limited, Hana Nigeria Limited, Emel Nigeria Limited, Sonnex Nigeria Limited, Montana Nigeria Limited, Dasco Nigeria Limited, Savvy Corps Limited, Pan-Cat Nigeria Limited, Mustafa-Multipurpose Services, Olayfis Global Resources Limited, Pals Interchange Concept Limited, 2015 Petroleum & Investments Limited, Manann Nigeria Limited, Brollo Pipe & Profile Ind. Limited, Altrunk Nigeria Limited, Dartford Energy Services Limited, Global Links Ventures Limited, Elemental Integrated Associates, New Home Distribution (Africa), ACCI Ventures (Nig) Limited, John Kell & Associate Nigeria, Maaway Ventures Limited, Good Metal Enterprises, Medlog Logistics Services Limited and Beirut Hill Construction Limited.

Also being investigated are CMA CGM Nigeria Shipping Limited, Agrinexus International Limited, Sylvangel Maritime Resources Limited, Unimer SRL Limited, SCIB Nigeria & Company Limited, Domenik LLC, Petro-Afrique Energy Services, Silver Dome Enterprises Limited, Ajibola Bankole Adebutu, Petro-Afrique Energy Services Limited and Steel Force Far East Limited.

Others included Cavendish Mechanicals Limited, Aquashield Oil & Marine Limited, Haitch & Elf Integrated Services Limited, Fenog Nigeria Limited, Hatford Resources Nigeria Limited, Don & Chyke Nigeria Limited, Omniworx Export Enterprises, Stemcor London Trading Limited, Fix Nigeria Limited, SA Turutu International Ent, New Brand Metals Global Limited Ventures and Auto Petroleum Company Limited.

Faced with twin-shock of global crude oil decline and COVID-19 pandemic, the CBN has struggled to balance its developmental mandate with regulatory role of maintaining stability in the financial system.

Amid sustained forex pressure, the apex bank has battled global and national headwinds to ward off knee-jerk devaluation of naira. It had created the Investors & Exporters (I & E) window as an official window to attend to forex requirements of formal sector operators.

The apex bank in August secured a court order freezing the accounts of companies, which it alleged were behind forex volatility.

The CBN alleged that the companies were engaging in the importation of some items exempted from official foreign exchange and also manipulation of the forex market.

The apex bank said the companies were “the cause of the current volatility and imbalance in the foreign exchange regime in Nigeria with the attendant negative impact on the economy”.

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GTCO Brings Google Pay to Both Sides of the Checkout As Google Pay launches in Nigeria

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…….GTBank customers can now pay with it and businesses on HabariPay’s Squad gateway can now accept it.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or “the Group“) today announced that two of its subsidiaries are live with Google Pay on the day it launches in Nigeria. Customers of Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (“GTBank”) can add their GTBank debit cards to Google Wallet and pay with Google Pay online, in Nigeria and internationally. Businesses that use Squad, the payment gateway run by the Group’s payments subsidiary HabariPay, can now offer Google Pay to their customers at checkout.

The Group is therefore present at both ends of the same transaction: with the person paying and with the business being paid.

For GTBank customers, the change is simple. They add their GTBank debit card to Google Wallet once. After that, they choose Google Pay at checkout, pick the card and confirm, without typing a card number, expiry date or CVV again. Google Pay replaces the card number with a secure digital token, so the merchant does not receive the actual card details. The card can be used wherever Google Pay is accepted online, including for subscriptions, travel bookings, food delivery, bills and digital services.

For businesses on Squad, “Pay with Google Pay” now sits at the top of the Squad checkout, alongside card, bank transfer, USSD, bank payments and Squad’s buy-now-pay-later options. A customer with a card in Google Wallet selects Google Pay, chooses the card, confirms, and is returned to the merchant’s site once the payment is verified. Google Pay is switched on by default for every business on Squad, and a merchant can choose to turn it off. Merchants set up for international payments can accept Google Pay from customers anywhere in the world, which opens Nigerian businesses to buyers abroad, including the diaspora. Fewer fields mean fewer points at which a customer can abandon a purchase, which matters most to the small and growing businesses that make up much of Squad’s merchant base.

Commenting on the launch, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO, Mr Segun Agbaje, said: “Most failed online payments are not refused, they are abandoned. Somewhere along the way the customer gives up, and the business never learns about the sale it lost. As a customer centric Financial Services Group, we are committed to ensuring that we continue to deliver payment solutions that make transacting safe and simple for our various customer Groups. With Google Pay, what matters to us is that we are ready on both sides from the first day: a GTBank customer can pay with it, and a business on Squad can accept it.”

He added: “This is what a group structure is for. Our Bank and our Payments Business were built to do different jobs, and today they meet at the same checkout. We will keep putting the full weight of the Group behind those small moments where people decide whether paying digitally is worth the effort. When it is, everyone in the transaction wins: the customer, the merchant and the wider economy that depends on both.”

The Managing Director of HabariPay, Mr Eduofon Japhet, said: “For a merchant, every extra field at checkout is a reason for a customer to leave. Squad businesses now get Google Pay inside the checkout they already use, so their customers can pay in a few taps with a card they have already saved. A merchant set up for international payments can now be paid with Google Pay by a customer anywhere in the world, with nothing new to integrate.”

Availability. GTBank customers can add an eligible GTBank debit card through the Google Wallet app on Android or through their Google Account. From today, Google Pay is on by default for all businesses on the Squad payment gateway, and merchants can choose to turn it off. Squad merchants set up for international payments can accept Google Pay from anywhere in the world. More information is available at www.gtbank.com and www.squadco.com.

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ZENITH BANK SET TO HOST SIXTH EDITION OF ANNUAL TECH FAIR

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Zenith Bank Plc is set to host the sixth edition of its flagship technology event,
Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026: Future Forward 6.0, on Thursday, November 5, 2026, under the theme, “AI: Embrace or Extinct.”

Renowned for its scale and showcase of technological innovation, the annual Tech Fair has evolved into a platform for connecting ideas, talent and opportunities. Over the years, the event has brought together technology leaders, entrepreneurs, and young innovators to explore emerging technologies, showcase solutions and examine the future of the digital economy.

Conceived by the Bank’s Founder, Jim Ovia, CFR, the initiative reflects his vision of empowering young Nigerians through technology and nurturing inventors capable of developing solutions with global relevance. It also reinforces Zenith Bank’s commitment to digital advancement and the growth of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.

The impact of the Tech Fair is evident in the solutions emerging from its competitions. Previous winners include JumpnPass, which developed a self-checkout solution for retail, and CreditChek, which uses artificial intelligence and open banking to streamline credit verification. At the 2025 edition, TrustLoopwon the hackathon for its digital identity verification solution, while Cubbes Technologies won the startup pitch competition with its AI-powered EdTech learning platform. Through millions in prize funding and mentorship, the Tech Fair continues to support promising innovators in developing practical solutions to real-world challenges.

For the first time, the Tech Fair will be held virtually, opening participation to a wider borderless audience across Nigeria and beyond. This year’s theme explores the growing influence of AI and challenges individuals and organisations to consider howbest to harness its potential in an increasingly technology-driven world. The event will offer participants an opportunity to discover emerging innovations, gain fresh insights and engage with ideas shaping the future of work and business.

The Tech Fair will be accessible via Zoom, Instagram, X, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.

Be part of the future of technology. Register now at www.zenithbank.com/techfair and experience the possibilities of AI at Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2026.

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AUBA Commences Comtempt Proceedings Against WEMPCO Directors over Alleged Disobidence of Court Order

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Mr. Lewis Tung and his brother Robert Tung

The Federal High Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Aluko, has granted an application by United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc for substituted service of Form 49 on directors of Wempco named as alleged contemnors in the case of UBA v. Wempco.

The application forms part of proceedings seeking to determine whether the named individuals disobeyed an order of the court and whether they should be committed to prison for contempt.

The directors named as alleged contemnors are Lewis Shui Ngor Tung, Phillip Shui Chei Tung, M.A. Ola Yusuf, Tung Lawrence Blake, Aali Aare Hadji Tokunbo, Paul Shui Po Tung, Tung Robert, C.L. Ip and Taiwo Alli.
In advancing the application, counsel to UBA argued that service of Form 49 on the alleged contemnors was necessary to enable them to appear before the court and show cause why an order of committal should not be made against them.
He also argued that the Directors of Wempco and some members of staff took illegal steps in an attempt to disobey the Order of Court.

The court’s decision to grant substituted service provides a procedural step towards bringing the notice to the attention of the individuals concerned in accordance with the court’s directions.

Form 49 is a notice requiring an alleged contemnor to show cause why an order of committal to prison should not be made against them for alleged disobedience of a court order.

The Federal High Court had earlier made an Order of Mareva Injunction and appointed a Receiver/Manager over some of the Assets of Wempco following the indebtedness of Wempco to UBA in the sum of N61,445,695,993.76 (Sixty One Billion FourHundred and Forty-Five Million Six Hundred and Ninety Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Three Naira, Seventy Six Kobo).

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