According to VDM, the businessman was approached by individuals who claimed that the containers had been seized by Customs and were available for auction at N12 million per container.

He said the eight containers were valued at a total payment of N96 million, adding that the businessman initially agreed to the deal because it was presented as an official Customs auction and therefore appeared legitimate.

VDM said the businessman, however, insisted that payment should not be made privately and requested that the transaction be taken to the Customs office for confirmation.

He alleged that the individuals subsequently travelled with the businessman to Abuja, where they went to the Customs headquarters in Maitama.

According to him, the businessman became convinced that the transaction was genuine after he was taken to the office of an Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, who allegedly confirmed that the containers were to be auctioned.

VDM further alleged that the ACG directed the officers involved to minute the transaction to his office, after which the businessman proceeded with the payment.

He claimed that the money was subsequently paid into an account allegedly linked to an individual identified as Fawole Abiola Aremu.

However, VDM alleged that after the payment was made, the businessman did not receive the containers and has continued to wait for the transaction to be fulfilled.

The influencer said the businessman has demanded the return of the N96 million and has threatened to expose the individuals involved if the money is not refunded.

VDM also alleged that the businessman had approached the court over the matter but claimed that the case had not produced the desired outcome.

He further made allegations concerning the relationship between the judge handling the matter and the wife of the Customs official involved. Those claims have not been independently established.

VDM called on the Assistant Comptroller-General to refund the money, warning that he would continue to pursue the matter publicly and expose those he accused of being involved.

He also claimed that the Customs official is expected to retire in January and warned that he would continue to demand that the full N96 million be recovered.

Oyedele made the call while addressing the United Nations Dialogue on Solutions to Climate Finance on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The minister said Africa’s development ambitions, particularly in the energy sector, remain constrained by high financing costs, currency risks and limited access to affordable long-term capital.

According to Oyedele, African countries also face what he described as a “prejudice premium” and “narrative cost” when seeking financing for critical infrastructure, despite the continent’s relatively low contribution to global carbon emissions.

He identified currency risk and what he termed a “stereotype tax” as additional challenges that increase the cost of raising capital for energy and other development projects.

Oyedele therefore advocated a strategic shift in the global approach to climate finance, including simpler access to affordable capital for developing countries and financing arrangements that better reflect their development realities.

He also urged increased investment in gas and other transition energy sources in Africa, saying such investments could expand access to reliable and affordable energy while helping to address global energy poverty.

The minister said greater investment in Africa’s energy sector could also diversify global energy supplies and reduce concentration risks, particularly amid disruptions affecting the Gulf region.

He stressed that Africa’s energy transition must take into account the continent’s significant energy-access deficit. He called for increased investment that would enable African countries to meet their development needs while pursuing a practical transition towards cleaner energy sources.

For Nigeria, Oyedele said the immediate priority was to develop and implement policies and programmes aimed at reducing poverty, expanding economic opportunities and accelerating the distribution of shared prosperity.

He added that achieving these objectives would require stronger international cooperation and a financing framework that allows developing countries to mobilise the capital needed to invest in infrastructure and improve living standards.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this in a statement following the commissioning of the new headquarters of the NDPC.

Tijani said the property was recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission through its investigations into corruption cases before President Bola Tinubu approved its use by the data protection agency.

He said the development demonstrated how assets recovered from corruption could be redirected towards productive public service.

According to the minister, the Federal Government has provided consistent support to the NDPC since the agency was established, including the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law in 2023.

Tijani also noted that the administration provided intervention funding to support the commission before it became capable of generating its own income.

He added that the President had directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies to comply with the NDPC’s data protection framework.

The minister said the support had contributed to the growth of the commission and its increasing recognition for data protection work in Africa and globally.

He further linked the development to the government’s broader digital economy agenda, saying the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product had risen from about 16–18 per cent when the administration assumed office to approximately 21 per cent.

Tijani said the conversion of the recovered property into an office for the NDPC represented a shift from corruption-related use to protecting Nigerians and their personal data.

VDM praised the police after the Force Criminal Investigation Department reportedly took up a petition concerning allegations that a woman paid N190m for different parcels of land but was allegedly unable to recover her money.

According to VDM, the woman claimed she paid N50m for 30 plots around Anambra Airport City, N80m for 50 plots at Ogbaru, around the Second Niger Bridge, and N60m for land in Abuja.

He said the woman had been seeking to recover her money since making the payments in 2020.

The social media personality further alleged that an attempt was made to settle the matter by offering the police N40m, but that the offer was rejected.

According to him, the police instead insisted that the alleged victim should recover her money.

Reacting to the development, VDM thanked the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, saying the handling of the matter showed what he described as positive reforms within the institution.

He said the development represented a departure from what he referred to as the previous police regime, adding that he was encouraged by the manner in which the authorities handled the petition.

Umar visited the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

During the visit, the NMDPRA chief toured key NASENI facilities, including the Centre of Excellence, Innovation Hub and HatchBox, where he received insights into the agency’s efforts in technology development, innovation and commercialisation.

The engagement also focused on potential areas of collaboration, particularly the deployment of homegrown technologies and innovative solutions to support Nigeria’s energy and industrial development.

Umar commended NASENI for its efforts in advancing Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem and transforming research, engineering and technology into practical solutions capable of supporting economic growth and national development.

In his response, Halilu expressed NASENI’s readiness to deepen collaboration with relevant institutions in line with the agency’s mandate to promote technology transfer, commercialisation and sustainable industrialisation.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, noting that another baby girl had also been abandoned in Gwagwalada community.

Adeh expressed concern over the recurring cases of child abandonment in parts of the FCT, questioning the circumstances responsible for the increasing trend.

She said the rescued baby would be handed over to the relevant social welfare authorities for proper care, adding that the previously abandoned baby had also been taken into social welfare custody.

Speaking on the development, the Chief Special Officer of the FCT Child Development Department, Suleiman Lawan, identified the influx of young girls into Abuja without adequate support or knowledge of how to survive in the city as one of the challenges contributing to the problem.

Lawan said some young women end up falling victim to individuals who take advantage of them, resulting in unwanted pregnancies, after which the men responsible may abandon them to cater for the children alone.

He called for increased sensitisation among young people, urging women to take necessary precautions and protect themselves from situations that could result in unwanted pregnancies and subsequent abandonment.

According to him, the rescued newborn will be placed in protective custody under the Child Development Department of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat.

He explained that the baby would first be taken to a hospital for medical examination before being kept in protective custody for between three and six months.

Lawan added that if no family member or claimant comes forward within the stipulated period, the child could subsequently be shortlisted for adoption by prospective parents in accordance with relevant procedures.

Obi, who met with some of the affected traders, said many were still clearing debris and attempting to salvage what they could from the ruins.

He expressed sympathy with the victims and pledged his support as they begin rebuilding their livelihoods.

“For many of these traders, their shops represent years of hard work, savings, sacrifice and hope. What was lost is therefore far more than physical structures and merchandise; livelihoods have been disrupted, dreams have been set back, and families have been placed under additional hardship,” Obi said.

He stressed the need for governments to support citizens, particularly during periods of hardship and vulnerability.

“My consistent position has been that government must always care for its people, particularly in moments of difficulty and vulnerability,” he said.

“In times like this, leadership must be measured not only by what government builds, but also by how it stands with citizens when they lose what they have painstakingly built.”

Obi prayed for the affected traders and expressed hope that they would receive the strength, resources and opportunities needed to recover and rebuild their businesses.