Edo State has recovered 30 government-owned vehicles allegedly held by former officials of the previous administration.

The Edo State Vehicle Recovery Committee has successfully reclaimed 30 vehicles owned by the government from officials of the former administration.

This information was conveyed by the committee’s chairman, Kelly Okungbowa, through a statement from Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, on Thursday.

Okungbowa emphasized the significant contribution of whistleblowers in aiding these recoveries, which included four vehicles taken from the residence of a former senior official and another vehicle retrieved from a different individual.

The retrieval of these vehicles reflects the state government’s dedication to accountability and effective resource management.

Okungbowa praised the citizens who provided crucial information and encouraged others to report similar incidents to prevent the misappropriation of public assets.

He detailed that among the recovered items were two Land Cruiser Jeeps and two Toyota Hilux vehicles, one of which contained campaign materials.

He assured residents that further recoveries would occur before the committee’s two-week deadline and called for additional public assistance, promising rewards for useful tips.

The committee is also prepared to extend its efforts nationwide to locate state-owned vehicles.

It is noteworthy that the committee had previously recovered three vehicles, including a Hilux van and two Toyota Hiace buses, one of which was found to contain bags of rice intended for distribution as palliatives to Edo residents.

The House of Representatives summons the CBN and banks over concerns about unverified POS operators across Nigeria.

The Nigerian House of Representatives has decided to summon Olayemi Cardoso, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), along with the Chief Executive Officers of commercial banks, to discuss the inadequate documentation of Point of Sale (POS) users nationwide.

This resolution emerged from a motion introduced by John Okafor, the representative for Ehime/Mbano/Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency in Imo State, during a plenary session on Wednesday.

Okafor pointed out the escalating issues linked to the undocumented identities of POS users, which create significant obstacles for security and financial regulations.

He urged his fellow lawmakers to endorse the motion, stressing the necessity for a unified approach to address the issue.

He noted that there have been instances of fraudulent activities associated with POS users, asserting the urgent need to combat such illegal practices to protect the integrity of financial transactions in Nigeria.

He remarked that the House recognizes that undocumented POS transactions present a vulnerability to fraud, including identity theft and money laundering.

By mandating the documentation of users’ identities, the prevalence of fraud could be substantially diminished, thereby enhancing the security of financial transactions in the country.

Furthermore, he emphasized that proper documentation would promote accountability among operators and users, facilitating the tracing of transactions back to individuals and holding them responsible for any illicit activities.

In a critical remark directed at the apex bank, the All Progressives Congress lawmaker highlighted what he termed regulatory bias and enforcement challenges faced by relevant authorities.

He called for immediate action to prevent this troubling situation and to protect Nigerians from criminal exploitation through the POS system.