News
CAC registration: Police to go after illegal PoS operators
By Francesca Hangeior
The Federal Government has said mandatory registration of Point-of-Sales operators nationwide will reduce kidnapping and help security agencies arrest recipients of ransom payments from kidnap victims.
It also vowed that security agencies would go after PoS operators who fail to comply with the directive to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission after July 7, 2024.
The Registrar-General, CAC, Hussaini Magaji, disclosed this at the formal launch of the CAC registration of agents and merchants of fintechs on Wednesday in Abuja.
The event also marked the unveiling of a 24-hour service centre to help prospective applicants get a prompt response to enquiries and approvals.
The government had through the commission on Monday issued a two-month registration deadline for PoS operators to register as corporate bodies with the commission in line with the legal requirements and directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The action backed by Section 863, Subsection 1 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA 2020 as well as the 2013 CBN guidelines on agent banking aims to safeguard businesses and strengthen the economy.
It also came against the backdrop of frequent fraud incidents involving PoS terminals and plans to stop trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
PoS terminals accounted for 26.37 per cent of fraud incidents in 2023, according to a fraud report by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc.
Last week, the CBN stopped major fintech firms like Kuda, Opay, PalmPay and Moniepoint from onboarding new customers. The fintech firms later warned their customers against trading in cryptocurrency or any virtual currency on their apps, threatening to block any accounts found engaging in such activities.
Speaking at the event, Hussaini reiterated the government’s resolve to fully implement the mandate by providing a fully digitised service centre for easy registration.
He emphasised that the registration process aligns with both legal requirements and the directives of the CBN mandating individual, merchant or business entities to be captured in its database.
He further warned that the 60-day deadline would not be extended while stressing that defaulters would receive adequate punishments after the deadline.
He said, “We have launched a 24-hour service centre to accommodate enquiries from Point of Sales operators and agents who may want to register as directed by the new policy.
The secretariat is filled with staff members who have the responsibility of availability, and some are being saddled with the responsibility of approving requests. We have equipped the secretariat with the necessary facilities.
“This is to show you how the government is taking this issue seriously and the centre will be open for a 24-hour service. It will be open for compliance and any feedback from the public especially PoS operators who have been mandated to register their businesses with the commission.”
He added, “We have trained our staff to accommodate these activities and these staff can work from home and that’s why we said 24-hour service. We have equipped them with facilities and they can work from home for approvals and availability segment. The deadline remains 60 days and it will end July 7th.”
The CAC boss further stated that the timeline was not intended to target specific groups or individuals but genuinely aimed at safeguarding businesses.
The CAC boss explained, “Of course, the mandatory registration will reduce crime and fraudulent practices, the commission is hosting data and if any crime is committed anywhere, the security agencies would have to reach us to know the people behind the company and the fraudsters. But if they are not registered, we can’t do anything and that’s the essence of the registration.
“We have had a situation where a ransom is being paid with a PoS terminal and a lot of fraud but after the registration, if anything happens we can provide the details of the persons behind the company to the government. We will capture the picture and other relevant information and this is a good development for the country.”
He stressed that “after the deadline, we would go after defaulters, If you have been identified as a criminal, security agents will go after you, we will go after them because some are being chased by the security agencies already.”
He elaborated on the benefits of registration, emphasising that it goes beyond taxation to encompass access to loans, legality, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
“The law has stated that for any person to carry out business activity in the country, your business must be legitimate and for your business to be legitimate you must register, either you are doing your business as an individual or as an agent, you must register with us’.
All 13 passengers abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State have been successfully rescued.
The victims were reportedly freed in the early hours of Sunday, following what sources described as a coordinated effort.
Meanwhile, official confirmation and operational details are still being awaited at the time of filing this report.
The abduction had earlier raised concerns among residents and commuters along the busy Makurdi–Otukpo axis, a route that has witnessed sporadic security challenges in recent times.
Security agencies are yet to issue a formal statement on the circumstances surrounding both the abduction and the subsequent rescue.
It also remains unclear whether any arrests were made or if ransom was involved.
Local sources, however, expressed relief over the safe return of the victims, describing the development as a significant breakthrough amid ongoing security concerns in the area.
The spokesperson of the Benue state Police command, DSP Udeme Edet could not be reached to confirm the story as at the time of filing this report.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced the arrest of two candidates and a parent for allegedly falsifying the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results using Artificial Intelligence and other electronic tools.
The announcement was made on Friday as the board released the results of 632,788 candidates who sat for the examination on Thursday, April 16.
In a statement issued by JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the suspects were apprehended for tampering with official SMS result notifications to alter or fabricate scores with the intention of deceiving others, including parents and guardians.
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement said.
Benjamin emphasized that such actions constitute serious criminal offences and warned that the board would ensure that all those involved are prosecuted in accordance with the law.
He further cautioned candidates against interfering with result messages sent through JAMB’s official SMS platforms, 55019 and 66019.
Candidates who took the examination on Thursday can check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number linked to their registration. Printing of official result slips is not yet available but will be enabled later.
The 2026 UTME commenced on April 16 and is scheduled to run until April 22 across examination centres nationwide. Results will continue to be released in batches as the exercise progresses.
News
How NDLEA operatives uncovered cocaine, loud in food flasks, snacks, nabs fashion designer, others(Photos)
. Raids Edo, Cross River forests, destroys over 17,000kg skunk; recovers large consignments in Lagos, Delta, Kaduna operations
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted 12 large parcels of cocaine concealed in false bottom of food flasks heading to the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic Airline flight from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
The cocaine consignment with a gross weight of 2.80 kilograms was intercepted on Thursday 9th April 2026 by NDLEA operatives attached to the export shed of the Lagos airport while two cargo agents involved in the export bid: Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39, were swiftly arrested. Further investigation revealed a 52-year-old freight and forwarding agent Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola as the sender of the consignment and he was arrested in a follow-up operation.
In a similar operation, NDLEA officers at the import shed of the Lagos airport on Wednesday 8th April intercepted a consignment of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, with a gross weight of 2.90 kilograms and concealed in snack food packs, which arrived from the United States of America aboard a Delta Airlines flight.
Two cargo clearing agents: Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were initially arrested in connection with the seizure before the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, was nabbed in a follow-up operation at 3 Oba Ogunji road, Ogba, Lagos, on Monday 13th April.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kaduna-Zaria highway by Gwargwaje Zaria on Monday 13th April intercepted a trailer conveying cement heading to Hadeja in Jigawa state. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 760 blocks and 33 jumbo bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 847 kilograms. The truck driver Umar Garba Haruna, 33, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
A 53-year-old female suspect, Alice Sunday Udoh, was arrested on Thursday 16th April when NDLEA officers supported by soldiers raided a forest in Uwet community, Akamkpa LGA, Cross River state, where 15,000 kilograms of skunk on six hectares of farmland were destroyed and 119kg of same substance recovered.
Another cannabis farm was raided on Tuesday 14th April at Saboro camp, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state where NDLEA operatives destroyed 2,281.43kg of same psychoactive substance, while three suspects: Nweke Smart, 27; Christopher Egbe, 62; and Monday Ayan, 45, were arrested, with the duo of Christopher and Monday caught with 38.5kg cannabis and its seeds. Two suspects: Sunday Odili, 49, and Ijenebe Joshua, 39, were nabbed with 87.838kg skunk and seeds at Powerline area of Okwo, Delta state on Friday 17th April.
In Lagos, two suspects: Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Aloukou Bienvenu were arrested on Wednesday 15th April at Mile 2, Lagos/Badagry expressway while conveying 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection in a truck to Ghana. Same day, NDLEA operatives raided a two-storey building at Petti, Lagos Island, where a total of 95.8kg skunk was recovered.
With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Alfurgan Islamic School, Paiko, Niger state;
Edgerly Memorial Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River; Heritage Model School, Ankpa, Kogi; Government Day Junior and Senior Secondary School, Kankia, Katsina; Government Senior Secondary School, Rano, Kano, and De Ambassador Secondary School, Epe, Lagos state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Kaduna, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the current tempo.
All 13 kidnapped Otukpo passengers, successfully rescued
Board cautions candidates after arrest of suspects over doctored UTME scores
How NDLEA operatives uncovered cocaine, loud in food flasks, snacks, nabs fashion designer, others(Photos)
-
News23 hours agoExpulsion: Bala, Abejide vow to battle Mark-led ADC faction to finish
-
News20 hours agoJAMB: See How To Check, Print 2026 UTME Result Slip
-
News23 hours agoJust in: Iran seals Strait of Hormuz again, blames US
-
News20 hours agoTroops nab nine suspected terrorists in Plateau, recover arms, ammunition
-
Metro9 hours ago
Bandits Demand N9m Per Benue JAMB Victim As Police Nab Seven
-
News23 hours agoJust in: Bandits reportedly kidnap newly installed monarch, wife, one other in Kwara
-
Sports9 hours agoReal Sociedad Beat Atletico On Penalties To Win Copa Dey Rey
-
Politics9 hours agoADC crisis deepens as Binani-led bloc quits Adamawa chapter
You must be logged in to post a comment Login