• Gunmen in Police uniform abduct 17 people, including pregnant women and children in Abuja
• Report reveals Ebonyi siphoned COVID-19 funds for personal estate development
• Nigeria loses $1.7 billion JP Morgan case
• Court sentences ‘Mama Boko Haram’ to 5 years imprisonment over ₦71.4m fraud
• ADC to petition EFCC over Moghalu’s conduct during primary, says presidential candidate

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

Gunmen in Police uniform abduct 17 people, including pregnant women and children in Abuja

Ameerah Sufyan, an Abuja-based educator Tuesday, sent out an emergency message on Twitter saying she had been kidnapped at gunpoint with 16 others from different locations in Abuja.

In the tweet, Sufyan wrote: “We were abducted by people with police uniforms and a van from our houses from different parts of Abuja.

“We’re about 17 including three pregnant women and two little kids.”

Please whoever has my WhatsApp number I sent a broadcast message of my location, we were abducted at gun point by ppl with police uniforms and a van from our houses from different parts of abuja, we’re 17 including 3 pregnant women and two little kids, they didn’t see my phone

— MINDCOACH (@Ameerah_sufyan) June 14, 2022

She sent another message hours after saying the gunmen had split them, taking one half to Ilorin and another to either Ibadan or Ikeja:

They’re 4 yoruba and two fulani men They divided us up an hour ago we’re 7 here
The other vehicle they said they will reach illorin and ours will reach ibadan or ikeja as they said

— MINDCOACH (@Ameerah_sufyan) June 14, 2022

In response, the FCT Police handle responded saying investigation has begun:

“Investigation is in progress. We thank everyone for the many helpful information coming in from all quarters and urge all to exercise calm and patience as we get to the root of this.”

Our message might just be reaching the social media space but If a thousand action has been taken on locating her, our last comment on her post would probably be the 999th.
While physical action has since been deployed, this is just to assure everyone that we are on it .

— NPF FCT Command (@policeng_fct) June 14, 2022

Report reveals Ebonyi siphoned COVID-19 funds for personal estate development

The Ebonyi Government reportedly paid ₦400 million of its COVID-19 funds to public officials for personal estate development in breach of its law and international guidelines, according to Premium Times.

The report says the fund was appropriated by the Ebonyi House of Assembly in August 2020 for the state’s COVID-19 expenditure in the 2020 Revised Budget.

According to records obtained from the ‘Ebonyi Government Audited COVID-19 Monthly Budget Execution Report’, the funds were, however, paid to the officials of the executive, judiciary, and legislative arms of government.

Nigeria loses $1.7 billion JP Morgan case

Nigeria Tuesday, lost its $1.7 billion claim against JP Morgan Chase Bank over the transfer of proceeds from the sale of OPL 245 in the controversial Malabu oil deal.

Judge Sara Cockerill ruled Tuesday that the Nigerian government couldn’t show that it had been defrauded in the case.

Earlier in February, Nigerian lawyer, Roger Masefield, argued that the nation’s case rested on proving that there was fraud and JP Morgan was aware of the risk of fraud.

In the suit, Nigeria is claiming more than $1.7 billion for the bank’s role in the controversial deal. Nigeria also alleges that JP Morgan was “grossly negligent” in its decision to transfer funds paid by oil giants Shell and Eni into an escrow account controlled by a former Nigerian oil minister, Dan Etete.

Court sentences ‘Mama Boko Haram’ to 5 years imprisonment over ₦71.4m fraud

A high court in Borno has sentenced Aisha Wakil, better known as ‘Mama Boko Haram’, to five years imprisonment over fraud.

The Maiduguri zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned Wakil, alongside Tahiru Daura and Prince Shoyode, in September 2020, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense up to ₦71,400,000.

Aisha Kumaliya, the presiding judge, also ordered the convicts to pay ₦30,500,000 as compensation to the victim.

ADC to petition EFCC over Moghalu’s conduct during primary, says presidential candidate

Dumebi Kachikwu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has, on Tuesday during an interview with Channels Television, accused Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), of “financial inducement” during the party’s presidential primary.

After losing the primaries, Moghalu resigned from the Party citing improprieties.

“As you are well aware, I have consistently resisted pressures to join the APC or the PDP precisely to avoid “cash-and-carry” politics. For me to remain a member of the ADC therefore, after what thousands of party members participated in at Abeokuta, would be to endorse political corruption of a most obscene order,” Moghalu had said.

Reacting to the claim of financial inducement made by Moghalu, the presidential candidate denied paying delegates and alleged that it was the former CBN deputy governor who induced some party chairmen.

The presidential candidate also said the party will forward a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the alleged financial inducement.