Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of a parcel of land measuring 2348.072 square metres in Enugu State recovered from the duo of Babatunde Said Adeola and Kingsley Ifeanyi Adonu to the federal government.

Adeola and Adonu, owners of S. Mobile Netzone Limited, Biss Networks Nigeria Limited and Pristine Networks Mobile Networks Nigeria Limited, had presented themselves as telecommunications experts with flourishing businesses and joint ventures with MTN Nigeria and other companies.

The Commission, however, received a petition alleging a case of conspiracy and obtaining the sum of N510,000.000 (Five Hundred and Ten Million Nara) against S. Mobile Netzone Limited, Biss Networks Nigeria Limited and Pristine Networks Mobile Networks Nigeria Limited.

The funds, investigation revealed, were invested by the petitioners in the telecom businesses owned by the respondents.

Investigation further revealed that the respondents, rather than refund the petitioners or pay them interests on their investments, converted the funds into their personal use, acquired pieces of land across the country, including the property measuring 2348.072 square metres described in survey plan No. CSS/EM164/2005 along Enugu-Ezike/Obolo-Afor Road, Ogrute Enugu Ezike in Igboeze Local Government Area, Enugu State.

In view of this, the Commission, in a motion ex parte, had approached the court seeking an interim forfeiture of the property.

In a 16-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Adekunbi Mojisola, an investigator with the EFCC, the Commission prayed the court to grant the forfeiture of the property.

In granting the application, the Judge had, sometime in July, 2023, ordered the interim forfeiture of the property and also directed the publication of the same in a national newspaper.

Following the order, the Commission  published the forfeiture order in the Punch newspaper of November 8, 2023 for interested parties to show cause why the property should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.

In the absence of any contestation, the court today ordered the final forfeiture of the property, sequel to the application filed by the EFCC on December 13, 2023.

Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the project was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during its meeting earlier in the day.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has approved the conversion of a government property in San Francisco, United States of America into the Nigerian Digital Technology Exchange Program Hub.

The hub will be called Nigerian Startup House.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the project was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during its meeting earlier in the day.

He said, “Another development from FEC today, which sits firmly in our desire as a Ministry to position Nigeria as a significant player in the global technology landscape, is the approval for the conversion of an existing property of the Federal Government in San Francisco, USA to a Nigerian Digital Technology Exchange Programme Hub (Nigeria Startup House).

“As we work towards achieving key elements of our Trade and IEC Strategic Blueprint Pillars, the Nigerian Startup House will play a critical role in promoting Nigeria’s economic interest, attracting Foreign Direct Investment and improving the visibility and positioning of Nigeria’s Startup Ecosystem to attract funding and expertise from global markets and organisations represented in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

“The San Francisco Bay Area, and nearby Silicon Valley, is recognised globally as a major source of startup ecosystem funding, with a combined GDP value of just over $929 billion and is home to over 200 of the largest companies in the world by revenue.

In addition, most of the $1.3 billion funding sourced by Nigerian technology startups in 2023 alone came from Venture Capital funds in the Bay Area.

“While the ownership of the Nigeria Startup House will remain with the Federal Government, represented by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it will be managed by a consortium of Nigerian digital technology companies who will provide non-public funding for the operations of the Startup House.”

ALX Nigeria, a tech accelerator has embarked on a dynamic journey across multiple universities in Nigeria fostering awareness and offering students unparalleled opportunities to enhance their tech skills and careers.

ALX Nigeria is part of a global organisation, ALX Africa, which is also present in South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, Egypt, Ethiopia, and other African countries and is actively building the #ALX9jaCommunity.

With successful events hosted at Babcock University, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Landmark University, and LAUTECH, with a final stop at Ibadan Polytechnic, ALX is setting the stage for a new era of engagement and intellectual discourse among students as well as inspiring them to take tech seriously.

As part of its mission to revolutionise learning and empower the next generation of leaders, ALX provides students with a transformative opportunity to connect with innovative tech courses and reach their full potential.

Seun Babajide-Duroshola, ALX Nigeria, Country Marketing Manager, stated, “We are strategically doing this to engage students through thought-provoking conversations, and this is happening across various universities.

“We want to inspire and push them to take charge of their life, and careers, and go all out on a tech-driven lifelong learning journey. Just imagine how powerful it will be for university graduates equipped with tech skills by the time they complete their degree.”

One of the highlights of ALX’s campus tour was the Inter-School Debate, where six universities—Thomas Adewumi University, Landmark University, Redeemers University, Afe Babalola University, University of Ilorin, and Obafemi Awolowo University—competed head-to-head in a battle of intellect and eloquence.

The event highlighted the intellectual prowess of the participating students and fostered friendly and healthy competition among universities.

After rounds of intense deliberation and passionate arguments, Alex Olafisoye, a 500-level student at the University of Ilorin, emerged victorious in the Inter-School Debate.

His team’s dedication, intellect, and rhetorical finesse captivated the audience and demonstrated the remarkable talent nurtured within university campuses. This victory earned his team a coveted cash prize and a brand-new laptop and provided Alex with a unique platform to network and share his ideas.

Alex Olasfisoye, the winner of the competition, expressed his joy as he stated, “This was a unique opportunity for me to network and talk about ideas that I have in mind for a while, and I’m grateful to ALX for providing a platform like this for me to unleash my skill.”

Regarding the Inter-School Debate Competition, Babajide-Duroshola expressed profound enthusiasm and gratitude, stating, “We are excited to witness the incredible response from students across universities.

“The energy and passion displayed during the Inter-School Debate competition were truly inspiring. It reaffirms our belief in the power of tech learning to transform lives and shape the future.” Events like these not only foster academic excellence but also nurture leadership qualities and teamwork skills essential for success in the modern world,” she added.

With its unwavering commitment, ALX Nigeria remains at the forefront of equipping the next generation with the necessary knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital sector. It does so by providing a diverse range of tech programmes and offerings designed to meet the evolving needs of the industry.