By Gloria Ikibah

The Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFund) has reiterated that the disbursement of N54 billion to students in 303 educational institutions has followed a clear and verifiable process, contrary to circulating claims suggesting otherwise.

Managing Director of NELFund, Akintunde Sawyerr, made this clarification during a session with the House of Representatives Committee on Students Loans on Wednesday. His comments came amid public concerns following recent statements by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

According to Sawyerr, the ICPC had released a statement the previous Friday indicating it had conducted preliminary inquiries into certain transactions involving educational institutions.

The agency reportedly noted instances that raised questions, particularly around institutional practices and student interactions relating to school fees and access to educational resources.

Sawyerr explained that the public discourse was likely influenced by a media report which mentioned 51 institutions in relation to the alleged discrepancies. However, he emphasized that NELFund’s internal documentation shows all disbursements to date amounting to N54 billion out of a total N203 billion allocated for the student loan programme have been properly tracked and managed.

He said: “I think their report followed a report in the print media that suggested that 51 institutions were erring. One were the irregularities they seem to have identified with the institutions and their relationship with the students in terms of access to education and charges or otherwise.

“We, as the NELFund, were caught up in that release by the ICPC, who indicated that they were of the opinion that funds had been diverted by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

“We immediately reacted to that report because we recognised the damage, even though we knew it was unbounded, we recognised the damage that it might do to public confidence in a scheme where there was already a great deal of scepticism.

“Our reaction led to the ICPC looking again at their statement, and within a matter of hours, they retracted the statement that suggested that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund might be diverting funds.

“They did not retract their assertion about the irregularities in the educational system and in the institutions, but they retracted wholehearted their allegation that funds have been diverted. I don’t think that has happened ever in Nigeria, where a security agency within hours reverses itself on a statement that was made. Nevertheless, a great deal of damage was done because, as you know, Honourable Members, once news is out there, you can retract all you like.

“It takes on a life of its own, and a lot of confidence has been lost in our institution, and it is sad for the institution of NELFund and for the country of Nigeria. We have worked very hard to put out the narrative that actually the new statement by the ICPC vindicates NELFund and establishes the fact that no funds have been diverted”.

According to him, in line with the mandate of NELFund, the agency is to spend 90 percen of the funds that come to it exclusively on the loans to pay the fees of students.

“Those funds cannot be touched and cannot be used for anything else. Any form of diversion in that regard would be a breach of the law. So, just going straight through to the numbers, I can confirm that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has done the following.

“NELFund has paid, as of today, 303 institutions, government-owned institutions, universities, polytechnics, colleges of education. 303. NELFund has paid out, has disbursed a total of approximately 54 billion Naira. 54 billion Naira has left the account of NELFund to go to pay for the loans that people have applied for.

“That 54 billion Naira is split into two sections. 30 billion of those, of that Naira I just talked about, the 54 billion, 30 billion has been paid to the 303 institutions that I just mentioned. 24 billion has been paid as pocket money or stipend to 293,000 students who are Nigerians, studying at tertiary level in Nigerian government-owned institutions.

“Representing direct beneficiaries of NELFund at 293,000. So far, NELFund has received 203 billion Naira in the bank account that we hold at the Central Bank of Nigeria. I’ll just break that down because those funds came in in segments”, he explained .

Sawyerr said NELFund initially received an appropriation of N10 billion from the Office of the Accountant General as directed by the Minister for Finance.

“We then received 71 billion Naira from TETFund, approximately. This was as a result of an order by the President for TETFund to release 143 billion Naira to NELFund. They released 71 billion in the first instance, plus, and then another 71 billion, making 143 when we add the top onto it.

“And then, finally, we received a further 50 billion Naira proceeds, recovered proceeds of crime, from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, again as directed as an intervention fund from His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So the total comes to 203 billion Naira received.

“I raise these, and I mention these figures because, clearly, there were errors in the, apart from the fact that the statement by the ICPC was unfounded and later confirmed by them that it was unfounded, there were also some inaccuracies in the announcement. The announcement suggested that we had received 100 billion Naira. That figure was wrong.

“The announcement suggested that 28 billion had been disbursed. That figure was wrong. It was understated. Both figures were understated. And it therefore concluded that, therefore, 71 billion Naira may have been diverted. So you can see that from even the figures they provided, which were inaccurate in the first instance, the wrong conclusions were drawn even about that.

“I have to say that we take with the utmost seriousness any issues of funds being diverted within and outside or related to in any way NELFund because we recognise that this project is a sacred project and it should not be tampered with because the people and the constituency that we are catering for really usually have nowhere else to turn to. They have no jobs. They have no opportunities and education represents probably the last bridge that they can climb to get an opportunity.

“So we recognise that we can stunt the growth of not just Nigeria but of individuals within Nigeria if we don’t behave and act responsibly”, he added.

Earlier n his address, the Committee Chairman, Rep.Ifeoluwa Ehindero said that the National Education Loan Fund has implemented the administration of the student loan scheme.

The Chairman said: The committee has been inundated with several reports, making waves on the social media, including concerns about possible diversion of loan funds and issues that have to do with the disbursement and administration of the student loan by certain federal institutions.

“This has necessitated this meeting that we have called the agency, the National Education Loan Fund, to come and make clarifications and enlighten this committee on the issues that have been making rounds on social media.

“So based on this, you have been invited to make clarifications and enlighten this committee on the issues that have been going on, on the disbursement and administration of the student loans being administered by your agency”.

Bukavu, a city already scarred by years of instability, was rocked this week by the horrific lynching of respected football referee Patrick Ngalamulume, who was beaten and set ablaze by a mob following an unproven accusation of theft.

The 36-year-old official, affectionately known as “Ngalas,” was killed in the early hours of May 6 in Bukavu’s Irambo neighborhood. Eyewitnesses say a false rumor triggered a deadly chain of events, as enraged residents took the law into their own hands and carried out a gruesome public execution.

He was widely known in Bukavu’s football community for his fairness, integrity, and calm approach on the pitch. He officiated under the Bukavu Urban Football Association (EUFBUK) and was a familiar face across local tournaments. Friends and colleagues described him as “a man of discipline and peace.”

The attack unfolded overnight, as a baseless accusation rapidly turned into mob violence. “There was no investigation, no police involvement. Just rage,” said a local resident who witnessed the violence but asked not to be named. “They beat him like he was nothing—and then set him on fire.”

The attack unfolded overnight, as a baseless accusation rapidly turned into mob violence. “There was no investigation, no police involvement. Just rage,” said a local resident who witnessed the violence but asked not to be named. “They beat him like he was nothing—and then set him on fire.”

Emergency services failed to intervene in time. The slow response has sparked outrage among civil society groups and sports officials who blame weak state institutions for enabling lawlessness.

“This is what happens when the justice system fails completely,” said a spokesperson for a local human rights coalition.

The killing has drawn condemnation nationwide. In a statement, EUFBUK called for an urgent and impartial investigation, describing the attack as “a barbaric act that must not go unpunished.” They urged authorities to arrest all those involved and restore order in Bukavu and its surroundings.

Eastern Congo has long been plagued by insecurity, exacerbated by the presence of armed groups and a faltering state presence. In the vacuum of authority, extrajudicial killings and mob justice have become tragically common. Activists say Ngalamulume’s death is a chilling reminder of how low public trust has sunk.
This isn’t just about one man,” said civil society leader Mireille Baguma. “It’s about a country where people no longer believe the police will protect them or that courts will deliver justice.”

Local officials have promised a crackdown and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. But skepticism remains high among residents who have heard similar promises in the past. “We want action, not speeches,” said a youth football coach in Bukavu.

As the city mourns the brutal loss of one of its own, Patrick Ngalamulume’s death has become more than a personal tragedy—it is a national wake-up call. His memory now stands as a symbol of both the beauty of the game he served and the urgent need for justice in a broken system.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The EU is preparing to hit US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) with tariffs in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s sweeping levies if talks fail, European diplomats revealed on Wednesday.

Trump has slapped a series of higher tariffs on Europe since March, and in his biggest move, he imposed a 20-per-cent tariff on a majority of EU goods last month — before announcing a 90-day pause that is due to expire in July.

There is currently a “baseline” levy of 10 per cent on goods from the 27-country EU and other nations around the world.

The European Union hopes to reach a deal with the United States to avoid an all-out trade war, but wants to be prepared to strike back if Trump’s tariffs kick in again.

The European Commission, which is in charge of EU trade policy, told member states last week that it would target nearly 100 billion euros worth of US goods in response to the 20-per cent tariff if negotiations fail to yield an agreement, two EU diplomats said.

The preliminary list of products is expected to be made public on Thursday.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic told the European Parliament this week that 70 per cent of the bloc’s total exports face levies at rates between 10 and 25 per cent.

He warned that with US trade probes underway into a raft of sectors, from pharmaceuticals to lumber, “around 549 billion euros of EU exports to the US, i.e. 97 per cent of the total,” could eventually face tariffs.

The EU diplomats did not say which US products would be targeted, but the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday reported Boeing aircraft would be in the firing line.

Only a day earlier, France’s Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury told AFP that Europe should impose tariffs on imports of the US company’s aircraft should talks fail.

If negotiations “do not result in a positive outcome, I imagine that there will be — and that’s what we wish — reciprocal tariffs on aeroplanes to force a higher level of negotiation”, Faury said.

The commission and Boeing refused to comment on the FT report.

AFP