General News
Court Jails ‘Colonel’, ‘Major’ of Global Money-Laundering Ring
A “colonel and a major” in a “worldwide highly sophisticated money-laundering syndicate on a breathtaking scale” have been jailed for nine years and 7 and half years respectively.
Ejike Francis Ogbuefi (42) of Clonard Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, and Steven Silvester (32) of the Paddocks, Morristown, Newbridge, Co Kildare, were both convicted of directing the activities of a criminal organisation following a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in February.
Ogbuefi was also convicted of 32 counts of money laundering and seven of conspiracy to launder money.
The jury also convicted Silvester of five counts of money laundering, two of attempted money laundering, four of conspiracy to launder money and one of using a false instrument.
Both defendants had no previous convictions here or in another jurisdiction.
The court heard that both men were assessed to be above mule herders and money mules in the operation, with Ogbuefi having a more active role.
During the sentence hearing, Judge Martin Nolan suggested to the investigating garda that the men were a “colonel and a major”, which Det Garda Steven Kelly agreed with.
Imposing sentence on Friday, the judge said both men were involved in the offending and played certain roles.
He noted that the scheme’s ambition was to “get accounts to launder illicit monies” which were “undoubtedly the product of criminal behaviour” and that third parties unknown to the court suffered as a result.
“Both men were reasonably experienced in how the banking system works” and aware of its weaknesses which they tested, sometimes successfully, the judge said.
The judge said he had considered the mitigation and there was a “good chance” the men would not reoffend in future, but that the court could not be certain.
The judge noted that money laundering is a “serious problem” and the court often dealt with cases of people who provided their bank details to be used in these schemes.
“These bank accounts are absolutely necessary for all fraud, because monies have to come to earth somewhere,“ the judge said, noting that the defendants’ main role was to procure bank accounts so that money could be sent to others who profited.
He imposed on Ogbuefi a sentence of nine years and imposed a 7½ year sentence on Silvester, whom he considered to be at a lower level.
Kelly told Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing, prosecuting, that the Garda investigation looked at various bank accounts, transactions and online communications.
Evidence suggested both men were receiving requests, often from phone numbers in Nigeria, to launder money from different types of frauds.
Kelly agreed with Conor Devally, defending Ogbuefi, that his client is from Nigeria and his family is law-abiding.
Garda Kelly agreed with Maurice Coffey, defending Silvester, that his client became involved in this criminality some time after his arrival in Ireland in 2015 and had no record of shopping in high-end stores or trappings of wealth.
It was also accepted that Ogbuefi appeared to have a more active role than Silvester.
Defence counsel told the court their clients accepted the verdicts of the jury and were remorseful.
Testimonials were handed to the court on behalf of both men.
Mr Devally asked the court to view Ogbuefi as being “appointed to a position of local authority in a wider organisation”.
Mr Coffey said Silvester was under pressure and desperate at the time.
He asked the court to consider that his client did not come to Ireland to get involved in this offending, but fell into temptation at a time of vulnerability.
Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) has warned of possible floods in parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Borno states within the next seven days.
According to information posted on NIHSA X handle, the Agency announced medium flood advisory in force for the next 7 days across Adamawa, Bauchi, and 11 other States.
“Localised inundation is forecast along the main channel; named communities below sit on the projected footprint. Stations: Saminara on the Karam river, Waya Dam Site on the Waya river, Amber on the Amber river.
“Adamawa; Lemsa, Lamurde, Numan Exposure: 147 comm. 49 schis 40 hith 6 mkts17 relig. Bauchi-Bauchi, Ningi, Shira. Exposure: 4 comm. Kaduna; Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaura, Kauru, +6 more. Exposure: 1 comm.
“Borno-Gubio, Mobbar. Exposure: 680 comm. 8 schls 6 hith 5 mkts 21 relig. Edo-Akoko-Ed, EtsakoEa, EtsakoWe, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmw, OviaNort, OviaSo.. Exposure: 3 comm.
“Imo-Aboh-Mba, Oguta, Ohaji/Eg, Okigwe, Owerri North, Owerri West. Exposure: 3 comm. 7 more states affected and severity LGAs”.
NIHSA advised people in the affected areas to “do NOT cross flooded roads, bridges, or fast-moving water on foot or by vehicle.
“Clear drainage channels and river-mouth blockages; avoid building or living in the floodplain and move people, livestock and valuables from the floodplain to pre-identified higher ground,” NIHSA stated.
General News
First Trustees Advocates Estate Planning as an Essential Tool in Every Wealth Creation Strategy
First Trustees Limited, a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc., and a leading provider of fiduciary and trusteeship services in Nigeria, is encouraging individuals, professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors to view Estate Planning not as an end-of-life exercise, but as a strategic investment tool for protecting, preserving, and transferring wealth across generations.
As more Nigerians focus on wealth creation through businesses, real estate investments, and other income-generating assets, experts are emphasizing that building wealth is only one part of the equation.
Equally important is creating structures that ensure those assets remain protected, properly managed, and seamlessly transferred to succeeding generations in accordance with the asset owner’s wishes. Importantly, Estate Planning is not solely for the wealthy, it is a prudent step for anyone with assets, dependants, or a business to protect, regardless of age, profession, or net worth.
Speaking on the importance of Estate Planning, Ereifemi Akeredolu, Managing Director/CEO, First Trustees Limited, noted that Estate Planning should be considered a core pillar of every long-term financial strategy.
“Many people focus on creating wealth but give litle thought to preserving it. Estate Planning is a wealth protection strategy that helps individuals safeguard their assets, secure their family’s future, and ensure that the value they build today continues to benefit future generations.”
Using tools such as Trusts, Wills, and advanced succession plans, individuals can build structures that support wealth preservation, business continuity, asset protection, and intergenerational wealth transfer.
For entrepreneurs and business owners, Estate Planning serves as a powerful tool for ensuring business sustainability, helping organizations remain stable and operational regardless of unforeseen circumstances.
First Trustees continues to emphasize and educate on the importance of Estate Planning as a comprehensive strategy for proactive planning. It remains one of the most important financial decisions an individual can make: it provides clarity, minimizes uncertainty, and protects assets from unnecessary erosion and disputes. It also creates financial security for loved ones, supports business succession and continuity, and facilitates long-term investment and legacy planning.
General News
Nearpays, Nigerian Fintech Becomes First African Startup to Win UN’s AI for Good Innovation Factory
Nearpays, Nigerian fintech, has won the AI for Good Innovation Factory grand finale — the first African startup ever to take the global title in the competition, which runs as part of the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit.
The competition drew more than 500 startups worldwide, each pitching AI solutions aimed at social and economic challenges.
The summit itself is organised by the UN through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with several UN agencies, convening governments, researchers, startups, and technology companies around AI’s role in development.
Nearpays’ route to the title ran through Johannesburg, where it won the African regional competition, before advancing to the global finals in Geneva.
There, the company progressed through the semi-finals and claimed the grand finale — a first for the continent.
The company describes the win as bigger than a corporate milestone, calling it a victory for African innovation and proof that technology built to solve local problems can compete, and win, on the world stage.
Nearpays was founded to close a stubborn gap in African payments: small and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford or access traditional point-of-sale terminals.
Cost, availability, and deployment hurdles have kept many merchants — particularly in rural and underserved communities — locked out of digital payments.
Its answer is SoftPOS: an AI-powered platform that turns compatible Android smartphones into payment acceptance devices, letting merchants take contactless card payments with nothing more than their phones. AI is embedded across the platform, supporting payment processing, compliance, fraud detection, and business operations.
Crucially, the platform was built for African infrastructure realities — it works both online and offline, so merchants can keep accepting payments even without internet connectivity.
The company credited its team’s years of product development and customer engagement for the result, and thanked the UN, the ITU, and the AI for Good initiative for building a platform where innovators can apply AI to real-world problems.
It also said it hopes the win encourages more African founders to build technology that answers local needs while competing internationally.
For Nearpays, the title closes one chapter and opens another, as the company pushes on with expanding digital financial infrastructure across Afric
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