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CBN in Trouble for Recruiting PMB Relatives, Others

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Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria
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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has come under attack by some civil society leaders and lawyers who accused managment of the apex bank of secretly recruiting dozens of family members of top government officials, including children of ministers and a nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The activists, according to Premium Times have ‎demanded the immediate withdrawal of employment offers secretly awarded by the bank over several months to hundreds of beneficiaries – amongst them family members of serving and past government officials.

According to news website, SaharaReporters, the CBN hired children and relatives of politically-exposed Nigerians without advertising the positions to allow other Nigerians apply, as required by law.

“What this thing has told us is that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others,” said Achike Chude, Deputy Chairman, Joint Action Front.

“And this is what we see in virtually every aspect of our national life.

“This tells us once more that there are two Nigerias: a Nigeria for the rich, the powerful, and the influential, and a Nigeria for those who do not have privileges, who do not have what it takes.”

Debo Adeniran, executive director of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, ‎said, “It is a manifestation of the old order whereby people of privileged class are given undue advantage over others.”

“The Buhari administration must be seen to live up to its mantra of change and‎ equal opportunity must be given to everybody.”

The CBN had responded to the scandal by saying it did nothing illegal in hiring without advertising the positions, claiming the bank sought to employ “specialists” and therefore got a waiver to recruit without advertising.

The beneficiaries of the recruitment, according to a list released by SaharaReporters, include a nephew of President Buhari, daughter of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; son of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu; daughter of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’aba.

Others include the daughter of Nigeria’s Police Inspector-General, Solomon Arase; son of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Abdulrahman Danbazzau, among others.

Isaac Okoroafor, CBN’s acting Director of Corporate Communications had told PREMIUM TIMES, that the bank got a waiver from the Federal Character‎ Commission, allowing them to recruit with advertising.

“In the last two years, we have had cause to recruit specialists, and what the law says is that if we are going for that kind of recruitment we should apply for waiver, so that we can do targeted recruitment,” Mr. Okoroafor said.

But Monday Ubani, former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja chapter, said those who were recruited without advertisements ought to be shown the door.

“The law says there must be a proper advertisement of vacancies for such positions and every Nigerian should be in a position to compete for such a very sensitive position. And it should reflect federal character,‎” said Mr. Ubani.

Mr. Ubani also said the manner of the recruitment showed a faulty process and “that something is hidden.”

‎”Why will you go and begin to head-hunt only big men’s children into the banking sector? That is discriminatory, that is contrary to the provisions of the Constitution. That is nepotism of the highest order.”

‎Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman of Civil Society Network Against Corruption, called on the CBN to make public the provisions of the law that allowed the Federal Character Commission to grant it employment waiver.

“It is the beginning of accountability in the process, though the response from the CBN is still very ludicrous in terms of saying that they are catchment areas under federal character and that they deliberately refused to advertise,” Mr. Suraju said.

“It is a challenge to the current government to ensure that they probe the recruitment process and if it is found to have violated any of the extant laws, then they need to actually sack all those that are beneficiaries of the recruitment.

“Thereafter they should conduct a highly publicised recruitment process that gives access to every other person that is qualified.”

Last week, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project gave an ultimatum to the CBN to withdraw the letters of employment it issued to the beneficiaries of the “seriously flawed recruitment process”.

Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director, SERAP, said the procedure for engaging people into public institutions is to make adequate notice and then allow eligible Nigerians to compete for positions.

“We are talking about equity, justice, and fairness to all Nigerians,” Mr. Mumuni, a lawyer, told PREMIUM TIMES.

“It doesn’t matter to me if the cousin of the president was eventually chosen, provided the process was fair and all other Nigerians were also allowed to compete on the same level.

“Why would it be that you want to recruit into a body as important as CBN and some Nigerians who are also equally qualified, even more qualified than those that were eventually selected will not know about it? That is short-changing an overwhelming population of Nigeria.”

Mr. Mumuni said the waiver granted the CBN by the Federal Character Commission was a violation of the Constitution.

“The Federal Character Commission cannot be superior to whatever the Constitution provides,” he said.

“The Constitution says you cannot conduct the business of the any institution of government in Nigeria in a matter that deprives some Nigerians the opportunity to participate.

“In any case, the Federal Character Commission itself is a creation of the Constitution and the Federal Character Commission cannot give a waiver that flouts express constitutional provisions. So that waiver is an illegal waiver.”

SERAP had given the CBN a 14-day ultimatum‎ to put in place a system of recruitment based on non-discrimination and transparency or face legal action.

“We have evidence that we had written to them, we have evidence that the letter is with them, all that remains is that we wait for them to react. But we won’t wait for them forever,” said Mr. Mumuni.

“Like we said in our letter, if nothing happens positively as we expected, in the interest of overwhelming majority of Nigerians, we would go to court and test this matter there.

“So they would come and put it as part of their defence, that the Federal Character Commission gave them a waiver, then we’ll take it from there.”


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E-Financial

CBN to Simplify Bank Alerts over Rising Customer Complaints

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Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and commercial banks are reviewing the large number of transaction alerts sent to customers and the complaints about bank charges.

CBN to Simplify Bank Alerts over Rising Customer Complaints

So called bank alert refers to real-time SMS or email notifications from your financial institution about transactions, balances, or security updates.

Olayemi Cardoso, governor, CBN, said this in Abuja after the 305th Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

He explained that many bank customers are confused because they receive too many debit alerts for a single transaction.

To address this, the CBN has created a quarterly meeting system involving its consumer protection team, commercial banks, and the top 10 microfinance banks. The goal is to resolve customer complaints faster and improve banking services.

Cardoso said one major issue being studied is how banks send multiple notifications for one transaction.African Politics Analysis

He said this often confuses customers and suggested that alerts should be simplified and combined so people can clearly understand what each debit is for.

He added that the issue is still being worked on and solutions will be proposed soon.

On the N50 stamp duty charge, the CBN governor explained that it is not a bank charge.

He said the charge comes from tax authorities, while banks only collect it and send it to the government.

He advised customers who notice wrong charges to first complain to their bank. If the issue is not resolved, they can escalate it to the CBN’s consumer protection department.

Cardoso also said the CBN has strengthened its monitoring system to ensure banks handle complaints properly, compensate customers when needed, and improve customer service.

The CBN is also reviewing how banks apply rules on charges and customer complaints, with the aim of improving transparency and reducing repeated issues in the banking system.

 


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Griffin Capital Group Launches Integrated Financial Services Group Positioned to Strengthen Capital Formation in Nigeria, Africa

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Griffin Capital Group Limited has announced its official market entry as a fully integrated financial services group, bringing together investment banking, asset management, trusteeship, lending, and insurance capabilities under a unified institutional platform.

The launch reflects a deliberate response to the evolving demands of Nigeria’s financial ecosystem, where the need for disciplined capital deployment, stronger Corporate Governance frameworks, and deeper market liquidity continues to shape the next phase of growth.

Structured as a multi-business financial services group, Griffin Capital is designed to operate across the full spectrum of capital formation, from origination through innovatively structuring complex financial transactions in a simplified manner; to execution, distribution, and investment management. This enables us to both advise on and actively participate in transactions.

The Group enters the market with a leadership team whose experience spans investment banking, Insurance brokerage, capital markets, corporate finance, development finance, and investment management across Africa and global financial centers.

Griffin Capital’s operating model reflects a clear emphasis on institutional discipline, combining advisory expertise with balance sheet strength to support more efficient capital allocation and improved transaction quality.

As Nigeria’s economic reforms continue to unlock new opportunities across infrastructure and project finance, financial advisory, and private capital markets; the Group is positioned to support both issuers and investors through a structure designed for scale, transparency, and execution.

Commenting on the launch, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Babatunde Obaniyi said: “The opportunity in Nigeria’s financial markets is significant, but unlocking it requires more than capital. It requires structure, governance, and the ability to deploy capital with discipline. Griffin Capital Group has been built to address these fundamentals. Our model allows us to operate across the full lifecycle of transactions from advisory to execution, while maintaining a strong focus on risk management and long-term value creation.

“We are entering the market with a clear sense of responsibility, particularly in how capital is structured, deployed, and preserved. Our ambition is to build an institution that contributes meaningfully to market development while maintaining the highest standards of governance and execution.”

The Chairman of the Group, Musa Bello added: “Financial institutions play a critical role in shaping economic outcomes, particularly in emerging markets where capital must be deployed with both precision and purpose. Griffin Capital Group represents a long-term commitment to building an institution that combines local market understanding with global standards of governance and execution.

“As Nigeria continues to deepen its capital markets and expand private sector participation, institutions with the capacity to structure, mobilize, and manage capital effectively will be essential. Our focus is not only on participating in this evolution, but on contributing to it in a meaningful and sustainable way.”

With a medium-to-long-term strategy focused on growth in assets under management and expanded participation across key sectors, Griffin Capital Group intends to play an active role in facilitating capital flows within Nigeria and across the African continent.

The Group’s integrated platform is expected to support a broad range of clients, including retail, corporates, institutional investors, development finance institutions, government institutions, and high-net-worth individuals, through tailored financial solutions and disciplined execution.


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Court Orders Globus Bank to Pay Firm N256m for Breach of Contract

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A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, presided by Justice Christopher Oba, has ordered Globus Bank Ltd to pay a total of N256 million to an Abuja-based company, Haril Global Solutions Ltd, for breaching a contractual agreement.

Court Orders Globus Bank to Pay Firm N256m for Breach of Contract

In the suit marked; FCT/HC/CV/1456/2026, Haril Global Solution Ltd, Chinedu Mba, Idris Olayiwola and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were listed as Defendants to the counterclaim filed by the bank.

The Claimant filed the suit by way of Writ of Summons, wherein it complained of breach of contractual agreement and wrongful deductions running into millions of naira by the bank.

Delivering judgement on the matter, Justice Oba declared that there was a valid and subsisting contract between the Claimant and the Defendant, pursuant to the letter of offer of facility dated July 4, 2023, signed by both the Claimant and the Defendant and the Overdraft Facility Agreement executed between the Claimant and the Defendant dated July 4, 2023.

Subsequently, the Court made a declaration that the Claimant is entitled to the return of the Debt Service Reserve Fee Sum of One Hundred and Nine Million Naira (N109M) wrongfully withdrawn by the Defendant from the Claimant’s Debt Service Reserve Account with account number 4000006572 and transferred to the Claimant’s Overdraft with account number 1000085336 on December 29, 2023, contrary to the Overdraft facility Agreement executed between the Claimant and the Defendant dated July 4, 2023 and the letter of offer of facility dated July 4, 2023.

The Court also mandated the Defendant to return the sum of Twenty-Six Million, Seventy-Six Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira Thirty-Two, kobo (N26,076,388.32) wrongfully withdrawn on January 31, 2024, from the account of the Claimant with account number 1000085336 as interest despite the fact that a Post-No-Debit has been placed on the Claimant’s account as a result of which the Claimant could not carry out his business.

In addition, the Judge ordered Globus Bank to return the sum of Fifteen Million Naira (N15,000,000.00) wrongfully withdrawn from the account of the Claimant on February 6, 2024, with account number 1000085336, with interest despite the fact that a Post-No-debit has been placed on the Claimant as a result of which the Claimant could not carry out its business.

The Court equally ordered the Defendant to pay the Claimant Five Million Naira (N5M) as general damages for breach of contract, as well as pay the Claimant the sum of One Million Naira (N1m) as the cost of this suit.

According to the Court, the Defendant breached the accepted Letter of offer of facility dated July 4, 2023, overdraft facility agreement executed between the Claimant and the Defendant dated July 4, 2023.

“A declaration of this honourable court is hereby made that the contract between the Claimant and the Defendant pursuant to the Letter of offer of facility dated the 4th July, 2023, and the Overdraft Facility Agreement executed between the Claimant and the Defendant dated 4th day of July 2023, is discharged by the breach occasioned by the Defendant.

“A declaration of this Honourable Court is hereby made that the defendant is liable to the Claimant for breach of contract thus liable to pay the Claimant general damages for breach of contract.

However, the court dismissed the counterclaim by Globus Bank on the ground that it failed to adduce credible evidence to establish its claims for fraud or unlawful interference with the contract terms by Haril Global Solutions Ltd.

The Counter-Claimant had alleged that the Claimant manipulated the system by debiting other merchants to credit its own account.

“However, no evidence was led to show which specific merchants were debited or to provide testimony from such third parties, the court stated.

Regarding the Police investigation report (Ex Q1-2), the court stated that the report did not indict the Claimant for the alleged fraud, noting that the report mentioned a figure of N900 million, which was vastly different from the N2.5 billion sought in the Counter-Claim.

The Judge held that the Police Investigation Report was a mere report and not a judicial pronouncement that the court can use to determine the allegation of fraud against the Claimant.

“Consequently, the Counter-Claimant has failed to provide cogent, credible, and compelling evidence to establish its claims for fraud or unlawful interference with trade.

“The reliefs sought in the Counter-Claim are declaratory and monetary in nature, and such reliefs cannot be granted on the basis of unsupported allegations or documents that have been expunged by the Court.

“In the circumstances, I find that the Counter-Claimant has failed to discharge both the legal and evidential burden of proof required by law.

“I hereby dismiss the counter-claim in its entirety for lack of merit. On the whole, the case of the Claimant succeeds” Justice Oba said.


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