Leading Reporters
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • Business
  • Exclusives
  • Investigation
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Hot
Police reportedly remove force PRO Hundeyin 6 months...
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Taiwo Oyedele as Minister
“If I Run for President, Nigerians Will Vote...
Fuel Price in Nigeria Set to Increase amid...
INEC Shifts 2027 General Elections to January, February...
TINUBU DECORATES DISU AS ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF...
Gunmen invade church in Ondo, abduct six worshippers
FCT Bye-Law: Court bans AMAC from arresting private...
Alleged Attack on Obi: Enough Is Enough —...
Bayelsa gov picks RCCG Pastor as Deputy
  • About Leading Reporters
  • Contact Us
Leading Reporters
Advertise With Us
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • Business
  • Exclusives
  • Investigation
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
Hot
Police reportedly remove force PRO Hundeyin 6 months...
BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Taiwo Oyedele as Minister
“If I Run for President, Nigerians Will Vote...
Fuel Price in Nigeria Set to Increase amid...
INEC Shifts 2027 General Elections to January, February...
TINUBU DECORATES DISU AS ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL OF...
Gunmen invade church in Ondo, abduct six worshippers
FCT Bye-Law: Court bans AMAC from arresting private...
Alleged Attack on Obi: Enough Is Enough —...
Bayelsa gov picks RCCG Pastor as Deputy
Leading Reporters
Leading Reporters
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • Business
  • Exclusives
  • Investigation
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
Copyright 2024 - All Right Reserved
Home > Archives for
Author

Leading Reporters

Leading Reporters

Africa & World

US, Israel attack Iran live: Israeli claims Khamenei killed, Iran denies

by Leading Reporters February 28, 2026
written by Leading Reporters

• JUST IN: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in today’s massive US and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to Israeli sources. The news comes shortly after Iran claimed its leaders were “safe and sound.”

• About the attack: US President Donald Trump has indicated the ongoing military operation is aimed overturning Tehran’s government. More than 200 people have been killed in Iran, according to state media.

• Unprecedented retaliation: Iran unleashed strikes on US military bases, Israel and other targets across the Middle East, rocking densely populated areas and disrupting air travel and oil shipments.

• Latest from the US: The military has reported no combat-related American casualties. FBI counterterrorism teams are on high alert, and the State Department advised US citizens around the world to “exercise increased caution.”

• A region on edge: The United Arab Emirates called the conflict a “historic moment” in the Middle East, saying world leaders had failed to ensure the region’s stability.

February 28, 2026 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Headlines

FCT Bye-Law: Court bans AMAC from arresting private vehicles not used for commercial purposes while using Abuja roads The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has barred the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from arresting private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the AMAC Territory. In a suit filed by an Abuja resident, Salimon Abdulhakeem Abiodun through his counsel Qousim A. Opakunle Esq. against the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and its chairman over the arrest and confiscation of his vehicle or any other private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the territory of the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Delivering judgment on Wednesday, 4th February, 2026, in the suit number No: CV/1157/2025, Justice Y. Halilu said, “consequently judgement is hereby entered for the claimant against the defendants as follows; “An order of this honourable court prohibiting the Defendants, their agents, partners, subordinates from arresting the claimant`s vehicle or any other private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the territory of the Defendants is hereby ordered. Other orders granted by the court also include; * A declaration that the arrest and confiscation of the Claimant`s car with Chasis Number 5TDZA23C75S264195 and registered with private plate number KWL-63CE is unlawful, oppressive and clear violation of Claimant fundamental right to own a private property. * A declaration that the forceful collection of the sum of N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) on 11th January 2023, N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) on 8th of February 2024 and sum of N20,000 (twenty thousand naira only) on 3rd of March 2025 from the Claimant by the Defendants for Mobile Advert fees and Daily and Yearly Ticketing fees are illegal, oppressive and amount to extortion. * An order directing the Defendants to refund with immediate effect all the sum of N120,000 (one hundred thousand naira only) being the amount of money forcefully and unlawfully collected by the Defendants from the Claimant in the year 2023, 2024, and 2025 for Mobile Advert Fees and Daily and Yearly Ticketing The court also awarded general damages of the sum of N2.5 million in favour of the claimant. It would be recalled that Abuja resident, Salimon Abdulhakeem Abiodun, has in March last year sued the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and its chairman over the arrest and confiscation of his vehicle Among other things he sought for interpretation of the bye-laws of the Abuja Municipal Area council.

by Leading Reporters February 25, 2026
written by Leading Reporters

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has barred the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) from arresting private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the AMAC Territory.

In a suit filed by an Abuja resident, Salimon Abdulhakeem Abiodun through his counsel Qousim A. Opakunle Esq. against the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and its chairman over the arrest and confiscation of his vehicle or any other private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the territory of the Abuja Municipal Area Council. LR DOCS AMAC

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, 4th February, 2026, in the suit number No: CV/1157/2025, Justice Y. Halilu said, “consequently judgement is hereby entered for the claimant against the defendants as follows;

“An order of this Honourable court prohibiting the Defendants, their agents, partners, subordinates from arresting the claimant`s vehicle or any other private vehicles not being used for any commercial purposes while using Abuja roads within the territory of the Defendants is hereby ordered.

Other orders granted by the court also include;  A declaration that the arrest and confiscation of the Claimant`s car with Chasis Number 5TDZA23C75S264195 and registered with private plate number KWL-63CE is unlawful, oppressive and clear violation of Claimant fundamental right to own a private property.

A declaration that the forceful collection of the sum of N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) on 11th January 2023, N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) on 8th of February 2024 and sum of N20,000 (twenty thousand naira only) on 3rd of March 2025 from the Claimant by the Defendants for Mobile Advert fees and Daily and Yearly Ticketing fees are illegal, oppressive and amount to extortion.

An order directing the Defendants to refund with immediate effect all the sum of N120,000 (one hundred thousand naira only) being the amount of money forcefully and unlawfully collected by the Defendants from the Claimant in the year 2023, 2024, and 2025 for Mobile Advert Fees and Daily and Yearly Ticketing

The court also awarded general damages of the sum of N2.5 million in favour of the claimant.

It would be recalled that Abuja resident, Salimon Abdulhakeem Abiodun, has in March last year sued the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and its chairman over the arrest and confiscation of his vehicle

Among other things he sought for interpretation of the bye-laws of the Abuja Municipal Area council.

February 25, 2026 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
ExclusivesHeadlines

CBN Governor sacks Adesoji Ogungbesa, Mustapha Oladeji Jimoh from MINT’s board over criminal infractions; may hand them over to anti-corruption agencies

by Leading Reporters February 22, 2026
written by Leading Reporters

The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Olayemi Cardoso has sacked Mr Adesoji Ogungbesa and Mr Mustapha Oladeji Mohammed-Jimoh from the board of the Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting company for gross abuse of office and violations of laid down principles, a discreet has revealed to LeadingReporters.

The source also hinted on possible prosecution of the duo by the anti-corruption agencies over abuse of office, and mismanagement of funds. Recall that LeadingReporters has previously made publications on the illegal employment of Adesoji Ogungbesa and Mustapha Jimoh, whose employment were said to have been facilitated by one Mr. Olakunle Abiola, a former aide to a deputy governor Emem Usoro of central bank of Nigeria.  Mr Olakunle Abiola was later sacked for falsification of his credentials.

ALSO READ: Employment scam in MINT:  Group petitions CBN, National Assembly, CCB, others:  CBN Deputy Governor Emem Usoro; her aide Olakunle Abiola indicted

The CBN source who revealed this to LeadingReporters hinted that the Central Bank Governor may not end at just dismissing the duo but may hand them over to the anti-corruption agencies for proper investigations and possible prosecution if found culpable.  The source said that despite series of intervention from politicians and top religious personalities from South West Nigeria, the governor was quoted to have said that sentiments had no place in his quest to position MINT and other affiliate organisations to perform optimally under his watch.

“The governor bluntly refused all the overtures made to him to upturn his decisions about the sacked board members. He has vowed to personally ensure that MINT lives up to expectation in terms of service delivery.

Meanwhile, LeadingReporters investigation revealed that both Adesoji Ogungbesa and Mustapha Oladeji Jimoh were beneficiaries of a backdoor employment arrangement as both lacked the prerequisite qualifications to sit on board of MINT.

A copy of the panel of interviewers’ report dated 22nd of December, 2023, following an interview conducted on the 21st December, 2023 exclusively obtained by LeadingReporters revealed that both Adesoji Ogungbesa and Mustapha Oladeji Jimoh did not qualify for the positions of Executive Directors. While Mustapha, a Chartered Accountants with long practicing experience was said to have been limited by his age (63 at the point of interview), Adesoji Ogungbesa was said to have no verifiable credentials to enable him work for the position of Chief Financial Officer which he was vying for at the time of interview.  Another limitation was the salary he claimed to have previously earned (N71m/pa which our investigation revealed is false) from his former employer, Sahara Group, as against N11m/pa payable for position of a senior manager in MINT.

Adesoji Ogungbesa, despite not qualified for the position of a Chief Financial Officer was said to have approached his friend Olakunle Abiola who manipulated the process that eventually landed Adesoji as an Ag. Executive Director, Corporate Services.

The source said that Mr Olayemi Cardoso is currently sourcing for highly technical and competent hands to join the board in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renew Hope Agenda.

February 22, 2026 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
InvestigationHeadlines

BURSTED: NSITF CEO MOVES On ₦297Billion Fund, Operates Over 100 Bank Accounts Linked To One BVN

by Leading Reporters February 9, 2026
written by Leading Reporters
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Oluwaseun Mayomi Faleye, is accused of operating more than 100 bank accounts linked to a single Bank Verification Number (BVN) and granting himself “unlimited spending powers” to siphon and misappropriate funds belonging to Nigerian workers.

Multiple internal documents, bank records, and testimonies obtained by allege that Faleye unilaterally conferred these powers on himself and authorised the disbursement of hundreds of billions of naira belonging exclusively to Nigerian workers, without lawful approval, board oversight, or adherence to federal financial regulations.

₦297 Billion Workers’ Funds, ₦243 Billion Allegedly Spent Without Approval

According to documents reviewed by US, between January 2 and October 9, 2025, the NSITF recorded total lodgments of ₦297,019,145,288.60.

The funds, insiders stressed, were derived entirely from compulsory employer contributions under the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA), a statutory scheme designed to protect Nigerian workers injured, disabled, or killed in the course of employment.

Within the same period, records show that ₦243,203,518,621.17 was spent. Multiple senior officials alleged that a significant portion of this expenditure was carried out without the approval of the NSITF Management Board, in violation of the Act establishing the Fund and existing federal financial regulations.

“This is not government money. This is workers’ money, contributed mandatorily under the law,” one senior NSITF official said.

“Every kobo is supposed to be protected by layers of checks and balances. What we are seeing here is a complete collapse of those safeguards.”

‘No Approval Limit’: How Faleye Allegedly Gave Himself Unchecked Spending Powers

Central to the allegations is a document dated March 4, 2025, signed by Mr. Faleye and obtained by .

The document is an extract from the minutes of the 46th Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting held at the NSITF Boardroom, and chaired by Faleye, detailing approval limits for financial transactions within the Fund.

According to a document obtained by US, the EXCO resolution set clear limits for other officials: other general managers, ₦25,000; General Manager (Finance), ₦50,000; other executive directors, ₦750,000; and the Executive Director (Finance and Investment), ₦1,000,000.

However, under the same resolution, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Faleye, and the chairman, approved no limit for his own spending authority.

Nsitf

According to multiple sources, this effectively gave Mr. Faleye unrestricted power to approve payments of any amount, without recourse to the Management Board or external oversight.

“He simply wrote and signed a document granting himself ‘No Approval Limit’,” a senior official disclosed. “There is absolutely no legal basis for this in the NSITF Act or in federal financial regulations.”

Another insider added, “This amounts to usurping the powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Under existing rules, even Managing Directors of parastatals are capped. They cannot wake up and approve unlimited spending.”

Current federal thresholds reportedly allow Managing Directors to approve up to ₦30 million for works and ₦10 million for goods and services, and even those approvals remain subject to board oversight.

“What happened here defies every known rule of public finance management,” a source said.

Several NSITF insiders described deep distress over the alleged abuses.

“This is the most reckless abuse of power I have witnessed in over 20 years in the public sector,” a senior official told Our Reporters.

“He effectively sidelined the Board, ignored the law, and treated workers’ funds as personal cash. The emotional toll of witnessing this level of corruption is enormous. I can’t even sleep.”

Millions of Dollars Allegedly Traced to Faleye, Linked Entities

In a separate document exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, investigators traced alleged inflows of millions of dollars and hundreds of millions of naira into bank accounts linked directly to Mr. Faleye and entities reportedly associated with him.

The transactions listed include: Faleye Oluwaseun Mayomisola, GTBank USD Account 0111206422 – $336,917.00

Faleye Oluwaseun Mayomisola, GTBank USD Account 0004754113 – $6,743,421.00

Faleye Oluwaseun Mayomisola, GTBank NGN Account 0004754096 – ₦291,182,605.00

Fides & Fiducia Client Account, Access Bank NGN Account 0718896883 – ₦584,950,000.00

Fides & Fiducia, Access Bank USD Account 0690403396 – $626,279.00

Fides & Fiducia, Zenith Bank NGN Account 1013806407 – ₦93,757,500.00

Pluschess Limited, Zenith Bank USD Account 071315271 – $20,000.00

Faleye Oluwaseun Mayomisola, GTBank USD Account 3001101016 – $75,558.00

Nsitf

The total dollar inflow alone is estimated at over $7.3 million, excluding naira-denominated transactions.

“These are not small transfers. The volume, frequency, and structuring suggest deliberate efforts to move and possibly conceal funds,” a source familiar with the documents said.

Over 100 Bank Accounts, One BVN

Perhaps most alarming is another document obtained by US, which reportedly shows more than 100 active bank accounts linked to a single BVN belonging to Mr. Faleye.

The BVN profile details are as follows: The registration date is June 10, 2015. The first name is Oluwaseun, the middle name is Mayomi, and the last name is Faleye.

Ndit

The date of birth is August 28, 1977. The enrollment bank is Guaranty Trust Bank, and the enrollment branch is Ajose Adeogun.

Sources allege that many of these accounts received funds traceable to NSITF operations.

“The scale is staggering,” one insider said. “You don’t run over 100 accounts accidentally. This points to systematic structuring.”

‘₦5.5 Billion Commission Payments Approved Without Board or Ministry’

Beyond personal accounts, sources allege that Mr. Faleye authorised speculative commission payments totalling over ₦5.53 billion without approval from either the NSITF Management Board or the Ministry of Labour.

The payments, allegedly ranging between 15% and 20% commission, include: “09/10/2025, Assurance Services ST ADBA Ltd: ₦1,379,186,010.00, 18/03/2025, TAGG Global Resources Ltd: ₦865,000,000.00, 17/09/2025, Rate Seal Support & Project Ltd: ₦683,777,666.40, 16/05/2025, Rate Seal Support & Project Ltd: ₦659,303,810.50.

“16/05/2025, Rate Gold Solution Nig Ltd: ₦648,750,000.00, 01/08/2025, Gold Solution Nig Ltd: ₦648,750,000.00, 01/08/2025, TAGG Global Resources Ltd: ₦648,750,000.00, Total: ₦5,533,517,486.90.

“This money was approved and paid without lawful authority,” a source said. “No board resolution. No ministerial approval.”

Board Absence and Alleged Exploitation of Governance Gap

Sources further disclosed that Mr. Faleye was appointed Managing Director in July 2023, while the NSITF Management Board was not constituted until around January 2025, a gap of more than one year.

“NSITF is not meant to operate without a board,” a top official explained.

“The Act expressly forbids Executive Management from spending funds without board approval. If there is no board, spending should not take place.”

Although the Ministry of Labour has historically attempted to fill temporary governance gaps, insiders insist this does not override the law.

“At no point has Executive Management been allowed to approve financial transactions for itself,” a source said.

“What happened here is unprecedented. This is not mismanagement. It is misappropriation and outright theft.”

‘This Is Workers’ Money, Not National Cake’

Multiple officials emphasised that NSITF funds are distinct from regular government revenue.

“Government contributes nothing except as an employer like everyone else,” one source said.

“Under the law, every employer pays one percent of payroll. The money belongs to Nigerian workers, not the government.”

However, to safeguard this fund, the Act established a strict tripartite governance structure. This structure involves three key stakeholders: the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Federal Ministry of Labour.

“These stakeholders jointly crafted the law,” a source said. “The structure was deliberately designed to prevent exactly this kind of abuse.”

When we contacted the NSITF Chief Executive Officer, Faleye, he said he was not aware of the allegations.

However, when asked about the dollar account and how $7.3 million was allegedly transferred into it, he abruptly hung up the call.

Efforts to get him to respond to the allegations afterward were unsuccessful.

We also reached out to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Salihu Usman, to ask whether they approved a ₦5 billion commissioning project and how ₦240 billion was allegedly mismanaged.

He denied being aware of the allegations.

When we contacted the Chairman of the NSITF Board, Shola Olofin, he said, “Please give me time to verify this information and claims.”
News credit: saharareporters.com

February 9, 2026 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Business

NNPCL: Group Urges EFCC To Probe Alleged $1.5m Crude Oil Systemic Fraud

by Leading Reporters January 23, 2026
written by Leading Reporters

The Nigerian Accountability and Leadership Alliance (NALA) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Police to investigate alleged $1.5 million crude oil supply fraud involving some top officials in the NNPCL.

Speaking during a protest in Abuja, spokesperson of the group, Comrade Lion Agorry, said the EFCC and police need to give swift attention to the investigation and see to its conclusive end.

The group said: “We have through series of investigations uncovered myriads of documents and petitions indicting some serving and non-serving members of staff, lawyers and certain individuals who through false pretense collected $1,536,000 million dollars in a manner that epitomises the classic advance fee fraud known popularly as 419.

“In documents already in the public domain, it was revealed that one Mr Luckson Emmanuel of L/J Holdings (the purported seller and representative of the NNPC) on June 2, 2025 in a purchase and sales agreement signed by Licena the DMCC (the victim) brazenly used the logo and particulars of the NNPC to collect funds for the purpose of crude oil sales.

“In these documents, the Executive Vice President (Upstream) Mr Udobong Ntia, signed in his capacity, while Danny Kwon signed in the capacity of the Escrow agent/attorney for the NNPCL. These actions consolidated the faith of LICENA on the authenticity of the deal.

“In fulfilment of the Escrow agreement, Licena transferred the following funds to the law office of Danny Kwon, the purported lawyer to escrow funds of the NNPC to wit: $136,000 on August 10 2025; $200,000 on November 13, 2025; $645,000 on September 26, 2025; $500,000 on November 12, 2025 and $55,000 on November 13, 2025 totalling $1,536,000.

“In a letter signed by the NNPC Limited General Counsel and Company Secretary, Mrs Adesua Dozie, dated January 13, 2026, the NNPC denied involvement in the deal.

“According to the letter, the NNPC is not involved in the fraud scheme adding that the documents in question did not emanate from the NNPCL.

“Meanwhile, contrary to the NNPC’s position in another letter signed by the Chairman/CEO of the LJ Holdings LLC, Mr Luckson Emmanuel, dated January 20, 2026, he insisted that the particulars and documents including those from the NNPC are very valid and authentic to the parameters of the deal.

“However, the Executive Vice President (Upstream), Mr Udobong Ntia, whose name featured prominently in the deal has till press time refused to respond to letters sent to his desk.

“The law is trite on the use of false pretense (a lie of misleading act) to dishonestly obtain property that can be stolen or induce someone to deliver it. Section 419 of Nigeria’s Criminal Code Act deals decisively with obtaining by false pretences, making it a felony to use false statements or conduct, with intent to defraud, to get anything capable of being stolen, punishable by imprisonment for three to seven years.

“The federal republic of Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, is employing tremendous effort to not only get things right but to reshape the narrative surrounding the good image of our beloved country, Nigeria.

“It is thus ignoble on the part of any public officer, particularly the management of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, under the leadership of Mr Bayo Ojulari, which is a major economic hub of Nigeria, to sabotage the efforts of this government.

“Given Nigeria’s battered image abroad, and the rampant fraud allegations within and outside the NNPCL, we humbly call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigerian Police to give swift attention to the investigation and see to its conclusive end.

“We also call on the management of the NNPCL, particularly, the GCEO Mr Bayo Ojulari, and the Executive Vice President (Upstream), Mr Udobong Ntia, to better exonerate themselves by officially writing to relevant anti-graft agencies to investigate the use of the logo and particulars of the NNPC by unauthorised persons.” News credit: Independent.ng

January 23, 2026 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
An image taken from video released by the US Department of Defense showing the strike on alleged Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on December 25. Dept. of Defense
Africa & WorldHeadlines

Trump launches Christmas night airstrikes on ISIS ‘Terrorist Scum’ in Nigeria after killings of Christians

by Leading Reporters December 26, 2025
written by Leading Reporters

President Donald Trump has said the US launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria.

The US leader described IS as ” terrorist scum”, accusing the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”.

Trump said the US military “executed numerous perfect strikes”, while the US Africa Command (Africom) later reported that Thursday’s attack was carried out in co-ordination with Nigeria in the Sokoto state.

December 26, 2025 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
HeadlinesAfrica & World

India Orders $570 Million Payout in Major Fraud Case Against Nigeria’s Sterling Oil

by Leading Reporters November 27, 2025
written by Leading Reporters

In a sweeping move, India’s Supreme Court has allowed billionaire siblings Nitin and Chetan Sandesara to evade full prosecution in a massive alleged bank-fraud scheme if they settle with a payment equal to about one-third of their assessed debt.

The ruling, which allows the pair to settle for about $570 million on liabilities pegged at $1.6 billion, could end years of criminal proceedings that New Delhi has pursued across multiple jurisdictions.

The ruling could open the way for economic offenders to strike similar settlements, leaving lenders struggling to recover their entire dues, said Debopriyo Moulik, a Supreme Court lawyer in independent practice, told Reuters.

“This is very similar to the approach adopted in foreign countries where fines are an alternative to facing trial,” Moulik said.

For the industrialists, the decision marks the closest India has come to resolving a scandal that has stretched from Mumbai to Abuja and into the offshore oil fields of West Africa.

Yet the brothers’ fortunes have never been brighter.

Far from the Indian courts that have hounded them since 2017, the Sandesaras have built one of Nigeria’s largest independent oil producers, turning a once-minor set of onshore licenses into a sprawling African energy empire delivering tens of thousands of barrels of crude a day.

Their success in Africa, combined with Nigeria’s persistent refusal to extradite them, has long frustrated Indian authorities and underscored how geopolitical and commercial interests have shielded the pair from consequences at home.

Nigeria, Africa’s top crude producer, has embraced the Sandesaras even as India brands them fugitives responsible for what investigators call “one of the largest economic scams in the country.”

Their flagship companies, Sterling Oil Exploration & Production Co. and Sterling Global Oil Resources Ltd, pump roughly 50,000 barrels of crude daily, according to a 2023 Bloomberg report, operating under contracts with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company.

The brothers’ rise in Nigeria accelerated after they pivoted away from India in the mid-2010s. What began almost 20 years earlier with two modest onshore licences in the Niger Delta matured into a vertically integrated drilling and crude-export business.

The Sandesaras transferred operations to Lagos, hired the former head of Nigeria’s petroleum regulator to oversee their expansion, and secured major state contracts that cemented their standing in the country’s energy sector.

Their companies now rank among Nigeria’s top oil exporters, and in 2019 the government said taxes and royalties paid by Sandesara-linked entities accounted for 2 percent of national revenue.

According to the Indian Times, their operations have also cleverly sidestepped the endemic sabotage of Nigeria’s pipeline network by shipping crude via barges to a floating offshore storage vessel. The approach has allowed them to keep exports steady even as peers disrupted by oil theft and militant activity scaled back.

Nigeria has also doubled down on the Sandesaras’ involvement in its future oil ambitions. Government officials last year announced the discovery of as many as 1 billion barrels of crude in the country’s arid northeast, part of a multi-billion-dollar hydrocarbons push that relies partly on drilling contractors connected to the brothers.

To New Delhi, the brothers are not pioneers but perpetrators of a sweeping financial fraud. Indian agencies allege the Sandesaras built their now-collapsed domestic conglomerate, Sterling Group, with the help of fabricated documents, inflated valuations, and an intricate network of shell structures designed to siphon overseas cash.

The brothers deny any wrongdoing and say they are victims of political persecution.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims the group owed more than 140 billion rupees ($1.7 billion) to state-owned lenders, including State Bank of India, Union Bank of India, and Bank of Baroda.

A 2019 charge sheet accused the family of channeling loan proceeds into offshore ventures, including their Nigerian oil operations.

The same banks later pursued the group abroad, winning two UK High Court rulings in 2018 and 2021 that ordered Sandesara-linked companies to repay nearly $60 million after defaulting on obligations related to the Sterling Oil business.

India also sought the brothers’ extradition from Nigeria. But in a blow to New Delhi’s efforts, Nigerian officials in 2018 refused to arrest them, saying India’s allegations “appeared to be political in nature,” according to correspondence published by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and reviewed by Bloomberg.

The brothers subsequently applied for Nigerian citizenship, according to CBI filings.

November 27, 2025 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
HeadlinesOpinion

Group hails Remi Tinubu’s National Library Project; appeals to FCT minister to make library/ICT centers mandatory for estate approvals

by Leading Reporters September 26, 2025
written by Leading Reporters

A pro-literacy, pro-vocational group, Books Across Borders Initiative, has hailed the First Lady’s effort at completing the national library project and her other pro-literacy activities.  Speaking during a media chat, the Chairman Board of Trustees of Books Across Borders Initiative, Light Shedrack, said that literacy and skills acquisition are the only antidote to poverty and insecurity, a belief that the First Lady has validated through her pro-literacy activities. Mr Shedrack also appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and other urban planners to ensure that every neighbourhood and estate is integrated with a functional library/ICT center to serve as a gathering place for the youths and adults alike.

”The First Lady has demonstrated and validated the widely accepted fact that literacy and skills acquisition are the only cures for poverty and insecurity. Poverty and illiteracy are interconnected. A nation that fails to promote a reading culture among its young population will likely be poor and restive. Poverty is a byproduct of illiteracy and a lack of skills. It breeds insecurity. Literacy, on the other hand, broadens and enlightens the mind. It promotes tolerance and human dignity.  A well-informed mind understands human unity and the sanctity of life. Skills acquisition makes us self-sufficient. A literate, innovative, and self-reliant society will effortlessly combat terrorism and other forms of insecurity.

“Let me use this opportunity also to appeal to the Minister of FCT Nyesom Wike, to integrate it into the FCT policy framework that each estate within the Federal Capital Territory should have a spot that serves as a functional library/ICT center as well as a gathering place for the youths. Even if it is a modular library.

“The First Lady has set the pace.  It would be ideal if the other States’ First Ladies toe the same line and ensure that literacy and ICT advancement are prioritised in their respective states, as their pet projects.

Speaking further on the activities of Books Across Borders Initiative, Mr, Shedrack made a case for skills acquisition, calling on organised private sectors, the governments, the religious bodies and other stakeholders in nation building to wade into the educational deficiency bedeviling the country.

“No efforts would ever produce any positive result if we do not prioritise education and skills acquisition.  Today, the world is migrating to AI and robotics.  How prepared are we as a people?  The time to make decisive efforts in advancing education, skills acquisition, especially in the areas of ICT, robotics and AI, has come.  Religious organisations such as Mosques and Churches, traditional organisations, NGOs, governments at all levels, as well as the organised private sectors should be at the fore of this indispensable message and support of mass education and skills acquisition.  This has been our central message and activity in the Books Across Borders Initiative and Academy for Creating Enterprise.

September 26, 2025 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Anti-Corruption Fight: The moral dimension of the job, and the towering guts of Mr. Ola Olukoyede
HeadlinesOpinion

Anti-Corruption Fight: The moral dimension of the job, and the towering guts of Mr. Ola Olukoyede

by Leading Reporters September 15, 2025
written by Leading Reporters

The task of combating corruption in a country like Nigeria requires exceptional morality and rare bravery. It demands a willpower that surpasses the challenges of everyday work. Fighting corruption is a risk endeavour because you are not only dealing with corrupt individuals but also their destructive ideologies, inflated self-entitlements, ruthless manoeuvres, and moral decay. You are confronting a menace that has become ingrained in our collective consciousness.

Since President Ahmed Bola Tinubu appointed Mr Ola Olukoyede, precisely two years ago, as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, he has brought with him an untamed courage, not only to dare the corrupt elements but to unclutter the bureaucratic bottlenecks that embolden corruption and everything that pushes the ideology of corruption. Corruption in Nigeria transcends stealing of public funds; it is a social aberration and a retrogressive menace that has permeated every aspect of our lives – social, economic, political, and even religious.

Perennially, the big question has been whether Nigeria can upturn this devastating trend and build a true nation where the principles of accountability, stewardship and morality in service delivery become an integral part of our existence. So many will answer “NO”, while most, especially those who have taken time to understand the journey of true nationhood, believe it is achievable. To achieve this tall order, Nigerians need to understand that a true change is mostly self-induced. A change comes when we reflect on our collective consciousness.

Without this self-introspection and self-awareness, no angel can effect the needed change we desperately desire. Nigerians have realised the dangers of corruption. We have understood the many great things and opportunities we have lost as a result of untamed corruption in Nigeria. Now is the time to re-engage our minds and choose the greater good. True change comes when we are ready and willing to do the right thing. Change comes with self-reformation. The moment we stir our collective consciousness to act on the greater right, change will come.

Talking about self-reformation, a story about America’s early days towards greater nation-building comes to mind. It was said that an agency of the American government once put out an advert that read ‘Reformers Wanted”. Within days, countless applications flooded the agency. Many applicants copiously quoted their qualifications and why they believed they were the best fit for the job as nation-reformers. Days and months went by, and there was no response from the agency that placed the advert.

The applicants, tired of waiting for a response, besieged the agency’s office to enquire why there was no response from it, many months after it posted an advert for an appointment. The agency pacified them with the assurance that the official response would be released in a matter of days.  A few days afterwards, as promised, the agency released another advert. This time, the tone of the message changed from “Reformers Wanted” to “Reformers of Selves Wanted.” To its surprise, the agency did not receive one single application.

The import of this story is that we all want a society that is reformed. We want politicians who are reformed. We want leaders who will be as flawless as angels, but we are not ready to introspect on our own weaknesses as individual citizens. We hype frivolity over virtue. There is no conscious effort towards creative statecraft. We act like tuna fish, flowing with the waves of the social media frenzies. We criticise others even when we have the tendency to act worse than they do if allowed to occupy the positions that those we criticise occupy.

I always ask myself, would I have done better than those I accuse today? Would I have had the courage to stand out and do better for the sake of greater nation-building, or am I just screaming corruption because I have not had the opportunity to be in a position that is morally demanding?

Not digressing, every keen observer who has been following the activities of Mr. Ola Olukoyede-led EFCC will understand the enormous load on the shoulders of one man against countless Nigerians. From those in elective and appointive positions to the yahoo-boys; from the civil servants to ordinary Nigerian business owners, corruption has nearly become our new normal. Unlike what we were used to in the past, Mr. Ola Olukoyede seems more concerned with ridding Nigeria of corruption and rebranding the battered image of the country within the polity of nations. His approach to the fight against corruption seems more subtle, incisive, and result oriented.

He does not seem to be a fan of media frenzies. In Nigeria, the loudest is assumed to be the toughest. Media toughness has not reduced corruption. The corrupt elements, too, are louder in the media. This seems to have prompted Mr. Olukoyede’s subtle approach to getting the job. This is by far a better approach, and it is expected that with more Nigerians understanding their roles in the anti-corruption fight, Nigeria can and will become the country of our collective dream.

Light Shedrack light is a life-skill coach, an ideation specialist and a public issues manager. He resides in Abuja and can be reached via mclightlogistics@gmail.com

 

 

September 15, 2025 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
MINT
Headlines

Shame of a country: MINT Disqualified from Printing WAEC Papers for lack of contract performance

by Leading Reporters July 13, 2025
written by Leading Reporters

A Nigerian government company, Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting company also known as MINT has lost the bid to print this year’s West African Examination Council WAEC examination papers, on safety concerns and unpreparedness, LeadingReporters can authoritatively report.

This comes as a result of reported perennial inefficiency of the current acting leadership of MINT.  A discreet source from the WEAC office who spoke to LeadingReporters said that WAEC management had been patronizing MINT prior to this time, but had to withdraw their patronage after what he described as the MINT management’s unreadiness to deliver on time amongst ‘other concerns’.

LeadingReporters gathered that just a few weeks before the examination, MINT could only deliver less than 50% of the total printing contract awarded it by WAEC, a situation that irked WAEC.  The contract was invalidated due to a lack of performance and ineptitude.

“We have been a MINT client for a very long time.  However, this time around, we did not get guarantees of timely delivery and efficiency.  We had a series of meetings, and they gave a lot of complaints, which bordered on internal issues.  We felt that would not be in our best interest.  So we resorted to handy alternatives.

An insider source in MINT confirmed internal wrangling and corruption as the reason why MINT’s fortune continues to decline.

“When you throw expertise to the winds and allow your thoroughbred technicians and professionals to walk away, you cannot get it right.  Most of the staff of MINT who left recently were all professionals who were trained on the technicalities of the job.  MINT is a purely technical outfit.  You do not pick technicians and currency experts on the road or from beer parlours.  These men and women have been trained and retrained for and on the job. Some of them have been trained in Nigeria and overseas, and suddenly, you are throwing these ‘assets’ away and hoping to achieve results.  No way!

The source also stated that MINT of yesteryears has gone and would only be revitalized if the right people are at the helm of affairs. The source said that there are cliques in MINT working against the CBN Governor’s plan to reposition the company for optimum performance.

“We have management team members who were picked from the back door.  Some of the Executive Directors working in MINT and claiming to pilot the affairs of the company are just busybodies who come to enrich themselves.  You can never get it right when there is no synergy, fairness between management and staff, as well as sound professionalism.  That is the bane of MINT’s growth today, as it were”.

July 13, 2025 0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestThreadsBlueskyEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts

Recent Posts

  • Police reportedly remove force PRO Hundeyin 6 months after serving as Ex-IGP’s apologist

    March 5, 2026
  • WIDEN empowers women with inclusive AI solutions

    March 4, 2026
  • BREAKING: Tinubu appoints Taiwo Oyedele as Minister

    March 3, 2026
  • Chicwave By Rophie Redefines Thrift Fashion with Global Reach

    March 3, 2026
  • “If I Run for President, Nigerians Will Vote for Me Massively” — Wike Boasts

    March 2, 2026

Usefull Links

  • Contact Page
  • About Leading Reporters
  • Contact Us
  • Headlines
  • Investigation
  • Exclusives
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by PenciDesign


Back To Top
Leading Reporters
  • Featured
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Contact