Headline

Binance Executive’s Escape: Ex-DSS Chief Questions NSA Office, Security Agencies, Tells Incredible Story

Published

1 year ago

March 31, 2024

Dr. seyi Adetayo, a security and intelligence expert, and retired Principal Staff Officer of the Department of State Services, DSS, has described as national embarrassment the manner a Binance executive, Nadeem Anjawallala, escaped from Nigeria ahead of his trial for alleged tax evasion and economic sabotage.

INFO DAILY reports that the Binance executive was arrested alongside his colleague for tax evasion and other offences on February, and kept in the custody of the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu until March 22, when he escaped from the country during a Jumat service.

Commenting on the incident during an interview with Vanguard, Adetayo said for the suspect to have escaped from the Mosque and consequently sailed through the airport easily, some insiders must have helped to plan the whole process.

According to him, “it is purely an extraction operation carefully planned and sponsored using an intelligence asset domiciled in Nigeria, probably operated by a contract organization or a foreign government intelligence asset to remove the guy.

“Some of the information available clearly shows that this guy wouldn’t have found it so easy to get a passport and also be able to move through our airport without being detected.

“I have it on authority that he actually bought the ticket that he flew with at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport on that same day.

“For him to make such smooth movement, somebody must have planned it, worked out the details to ensure that the guy passed through the airport using the same name undetected; they must have checked that he was not on the watch-list; and they must also ensure an easy airline for him to use to get out of Nigeria.

“And there’s something about the airline that flew him out of Nigeria. From my experience, a lot of things used to go through that airline because the majority of the Lebanese fly through it, and there are lots of things that go on in the airport that you can just imagine.

“From the way he was able to move from the mosque easily, a vehicle probably trying to pick him up shows it is a well-planned extraction operation.”

The retired DSS chief also expressed dismay on why the Office of the NSA held the suspect in Abuja guest house rather than handing him over to the EFCC or the DSS for proper profiling and watch-listing.

He said: “I find it very hard to believe that the Office of the NSA would keep this suspect in its custody and not transfer the suspect to agencies like the EFCC or the DSS to manage and also watch-listing the suspect immediately considering the huge and enormity of accusations against them and seeing the difficulty getting an organization like Binance. What you are asking Binance to do is very big.

“The moment they provide the information, they are breaking away from what they have assured their customers, and they are going to lose credibility, customers and revenue. When you know you are dealing with such an organisation, I expect more tact from the Office of the NSA in this regard.

“Like others have said, this is not a call for the Office of the NSA; the office is bigger than this kind of operation and can provide all the support and give directives, but not personally, because when your agencies handle related tasks, you, as the Office of the NSA, supervise them.”

He also questioned the credibility and efficiency of security agencies by saying, “there’s something we need to actually look into which is the credibility, the efficiency of our security agencies.

“I think it’s actually going down in terms of employee productivity and the quality of personnel we have in the agency. I personally believe that even though Nadeem may not have been watch-listed, it is expected that officers at the airport should be conversant with what is going on in the country to be able to pick that name. This is not rocket science.

“And I am not saying something I haven’t done before. Some years ago, the government listed some people having questions to answer, and one of those people wanted to use a private jet to fly and I was on duty.”

Headline

David Lammy Appointed UK’s Deputy PM

Published

11 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in a move that could reshape the direction of his administration.

As part of the shake-up, David Lammy, a senior Labour figure and former Foreign Secretary, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, taking over key roles previously held by Rayner.

The cabinet reshuffle comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is under growing pressure from both within the Labour Party and the broader electorate.

The sudden resignation of Angela Rayner, a high-profile figure with strong working-class support, has exposed internal tensions and sparked concerns over the party’s unity and electoral strategy.

According to BBC News on Friday, the reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.

Key Cabinet reassignment

-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.

-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.

-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.

Other notable appointments include:

-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary

-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department

-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary

-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology

-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary

-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary

-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip

-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons

Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.

Political Fallout and Internal Tensions

Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.

Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.

Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.

Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.

Lammy Steps into Key Role at a Crucial Juncture

Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.

The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”

This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.

Headline

Nigerian Arrested In Poland For Using Fake Residence Permit

Published

11 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Polish authorities have confirmed the arrest of a 26-year-old Nigerian citizen on charges of using a counterfeit residence document.

The individual was detained by the Polish Border Guard, known as Straż Graniczna, as part of ongoing efforts to combat irregular migration and document forgery.

This information, which was obtained by PUNCH Online on Friday, was published on the Border Guard Headquarters’ news outlet on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

The BG HQs of Poland is the central unit which services the Border Guard Commander in Chief by supporting and coordinating actions of the BG units.

The report indicated that, “the Nigerian man admitted that he ordered the document online while still in the UK, received it by post, and paid €2,000 for it.

“It turned out that the Nigerian had no legal basis for staying in Poland as he had been in the country illegally for four days.”

Consequently, the Commander of the Border Guard ordered him to leave the country within 20 days and imposed a three-year ban on entry to the Schengen Area.

In addition, he was charged under Article 270 § 1 of the Penal Code – for using a counterfeit document.

The man pleaded guilty and voluntarily submitted to the penalty, but declined to provide further explanation.

According to sources specialising in immigration law, many individuals who use these fake documents are victims of elaborate scams.

As one legal expert noted in a report, “Until the situation was clarified, Ibrahim was detained in prison.”

Law enforcement agencies across Poland have been actively working to dismantle these criminal networks.

A recent, large-scale operation supported by Europol led to the arrest of dozens of suspects and the seizure of thousands of counterfeit documents, including residence permits, visas, and other identification.

Headline

US To Cut Military Aid To European Countries Near Russia — Official

Published

11 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The United States is to end long-running military assistance for European countries close to Russia, as it pushes the continent to play a greater role in its own defence, an official in one of the countries confirmed on Friday.

“Last week, the US Defense Department informed the countries that, starting from its next financial period, funding will be reduced to zero,” the defence policy director in Lithuania’s defence ministry, Vaidotas Urbelis, told reporters.

The decision comes as US President Donald Trump struggles to end Moscow’s three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine.

Urbelis confirmed reports in The Washington Post and The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials saying the move was part of Trump’s efforts to cut US expenditure abroad.

The FT said US officials had told European diplomats last week that Washington would no longer fund programmes to train and equip eastern European militaries along Russia’s border.

The Washington Post said the funding to be cut was worth several hundred million dollars.

In Lithuania’s case, the cuts would impact “the purchase of US weapons and other equipment, and training”, Urbelis said.

He added that it “will not have an impact on the US troop presence in the region”, which was funded through a separate US budget allocation.

A White House official said the move hewed to a January executive order Trump had signed that reevaluated US foreign aid.

“This action has been coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president’s longstanding emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defence,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Trump has long been sceptical of both US defence spending in Europe and aid for Ukraine, pushing some of Washington’s closest allies to play a greater role on both fronts.

The Lithuanian defence ministry official said that the US funding for training and equipping its military covered between a third and 80 percent of total military aid received by the country.

Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees daily that he viewed the US move as “especially symbolic, in a negative way.

AFP