E-Business
Court Stops Mastercard from Issuing Cards as Chams and CCL Seek N114Bn Damages

Mastercard and her agents have been told to stop issuing the National Identity card by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
This order was made following an exparte motion filed by Chams Plc and Chams Consortium Limited (CCL) on August 28, 2019.
The exparte which also include an Anton Pillar order was issued on November 7, 2019. In their Statement of Claim they are asking Mastercard to pay the sum of 114 billion naira (=N=114B) for damages.
Other defendants in the case include Ajay Banga, president & chief executive, Mastercard international; Omokehinde Ojomuyide, country representative of Mastercard in Nigeria; Daniel Monehin, staff of Mastercard, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and 22 commercial banks as respondents.
The order of the court states interalia, “An order of interim injunction restraining the defendants, whether acting by themselves or by their directors, officers, servants, agents, technical managers, or otherwise however from further manufacturing, producing, designing and or printing or authorizing the manufacturing, production, designing and or printing of any National Identity Card with MasterCard logo as described in paragraph 16 of the supporting affidavit in Exhibit CC9 pending the determination of the motion on notice filed for hearing,”
Similar order was given to 22 respondent banks in Nigeria restraining them from honouring or giving effect to any transaction from Mastercard.
The Anton Pillar Order has empowered the prosecuting solicitor Kemi Pinheiro SAN of Pinheiro LP, Inspector General of Police (IG) or any senior police officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police to search any of their premises, take into possession and remove any document relating to the said affidavit.
They are also empowered to inspect, take pictures or arrest any body found to be contravening the orders of the court.
A breakdown of the Statement of Claim shows that 84 billion naira is for special damages as a result of loss of expected revenue for 8 years, N10 billion for general damages of fraud perpetrated jointly and severally against the claimants and N20 billion for inducing the breach and termination of the Concessions awarded to the Claimants by 3rd Defendant which occurred as a result of the 1st and 2nd Defendants’ fraudulent actions.
It will be recalled that in 2006, Chams was invited by the Federal Government to bid for the National ID project. It competed and emerged the preferred bidder for the Nigeria National Identity Card (NIC) concession.
Before and upon the execution of a concession agreement with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Chams Plc pursued the implementation of the NIC concession by incorporating Chams Consortium Limited (CCL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with the sole purpose of implementing the NIC concession.
Chams Plc also invited MasterCard to work with the ChamsConsortium as one of its technical partners on the NIC concession.
Surprisingly and to the disappointment of Chams and other stakeholders, MasterCard went on to collude with others using technical information and design shared with them by Chams to frustrate the concession won by Chams and the more than US$100m Chams/CCL invested in the project
In an open letter published earlier in the year to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chams PLC and CCL asked MasterCard to accept wrong doing, apologise for the breach of contract and pay compensation to CCL and Chams Plc for their more than US$100m Investment and accumulated losses.
E-Business
Konga launches Jara sales with 25% discount on Starlink kits, free delivery

Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce platform, has launched its inaugural 2026 shopping campaign, Konga Jara, offering 25 per cent discount on Starlink internet kits alongside free nationwide delivery.

Konga
The campaign, drawing from the Nigerian concept of “jara” — the extra value traders add to purchases — aims to deliver exceptional deals across categories, helping shoppers turn new year aspirations into reality through affordable technology and value-driven shopping.
To qualify for the Starlink discount, customers must purchase kits on Konga.com, activate them at starlink.com/activate, and email activation details to [email protected] for verification against Starlink’s records. Discounts are subject to terms and conditions.
Konga said spotlighting Starlink underscores reliable internet’s role in Nigeria’s digital economy, supporting work, learning, entrepreneurship and communication for households and businesses.
Mr Onochie Melvin, Head of Commercial Planning at Konga, said: “We listened carefully to what Nigerians said they needed to truly kickstart 2026 on the right footing. Reliable internet connectivity emerged as the foundation upon which other aspirations depend.”
He added: “Students need it for online learning, entrepreneurs need it to scale digital businesses, and professionals rely on it for remote work. This Starlink offer is not just about selling products; it is about removing barriers that prevent Nigerians from fully participating in the digital economy.”
Beyond connectivity, Konga Jara provides genuine products from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with transparent pricing, warranties and authenticity guarantees.
As a composite e-commerce ecosystem, Konga integrates shopping, payments and logistics for seamless nationwide access, with exclusive deals shared via its social media channels throughout the campaign.
Shoppers can explore offers at www.konga.com and follow Konga’s official pages for updates across the Konga Group.
E-Business
Firm Identifies Global Scam Activity Linked to the Release of Avatar 3

The premiere of Avatar 3 has taken place in several countries and has been accompanied by a noticeable increase in online interest. Amid the heightened attention surrounding the release, Kaspersky experts identified an increase in cyber-scam campaigns that exploit the movie’s launch and users’ desire to watch it online. The fraudulent websites target users across multiple regions, indicating attempts by attackers to reach a global audience.

The scam operates as follows: cybercriminals create suspicious websites that offer online access to the Avatar 3 movie. Attackers place particular emphasis on localisation, publishing the sites in multiple languages to attract users from different countries. However, the translations are often poorly executed and contain grammatical errors and inconsistencies, which may serve as indicators of fraudulent activity.
When users attempt to start the video, they are presented with a fake media player and prompted to register in order to obtain “full” or “unlimited” access to the film. As part of the registration process, users are asked to provide personal information, including an email address and mobile phone number.
At later stages, scammers may request additional data, including payment details, under the guise of activating a “free trial.” This creates risks of credential compromise, particularly if users reuse passwords across multiple services, and may also lead to financial losses.
“Cybercriminals consistently exploit major movie premieres to capture users’ attention and increase the effectiveness of their schemes. We advise accessing films only through official platforms and exercising caution when encountering websites that request personal or payment information. It is also important to use reliable security solutions to protect all devices, including mobiles,” comments Olga Altukhova, Senior web content analyst at Kaspersky.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone Celebrates the Federal Government’s Paperless Civil Service Milestone

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.

The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
News3 days agoCourt Sends Faleti, Ex-Lagos Director to Jail for Stealing ₦48.9m from Access Bank
E-Financial3 days agoRemita Powers over ₦100 Trillion in Payments as Nigeria’s Digital Economy Expands
E-Financial3 days agoWhy 2026 Must Be the Year Nigeria’s Economy Works for All
E-Financial3 days agoFlutterwave Acquires Nigeria’s Mono in $25m-$40m All-Stock Deal
E-Financial3 days ago2026: SEC to Review Rules to Incentivise SME Listings
General News3 days agoNigeria Targets Satellite-to-Mobile Services in Draft Spectrum Roadmap
Telecom2 days agoSamsung Plans to Double AI Mobile Devices to 800 million Units this Year
Telecom3 days agoMENXTT NG to pre-install Bitdefender Antivirus on all laptops from 2026



















