Nwawuzor and his company, Moonlink Pharmaceuticals Limited, were docked on a three-count charge bordering on fraud and laundering of proceeds believed to be derived from criminal activity on Wednesday, December 3, 2025,....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Gabriel Celestine Nwawuzor, the Managing Director of Moonlink Pharmaceuticals Limited, before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, over alleged involvement in a ₦55 million money laundering scheme.

Nwawuzor and his company, Moonlink Pharmaceuticals Limited, were docked on a three-count charge bordering on fraud and laundering of proceeds believed to be derived from criminal activity on Wednesday, December 3, 2025,

The anti-graft agency accused the pharmaceutical executive of diverting and concealing the sum of ₦55,000,000 (Fifty-Five Million Naira) in April 2021 through a Zenith Bank account, before allegedly channeling the funds into the acquisition of a property in Delta State.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Gabriel Celestine Nwawuzor and Moonlink Pharmaceuticals Limited, sometime in April 2021, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured the account number 2170235882 domiciled in Zenith Bank to retain the sum of ₦55,000,000.00 (Fifty-Five Million Naira), which sum you knew forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 21(a), 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

Another count accused the defendant of channeling the money to a real estate purchase to conceal its source: “That you, Gabriel Celestine Nwawuzor and Moonlink Pharmaceuticals Limited, sometime in April 2021, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly disguised the origin of the sum of ₦55,000,000.00 (Fifty-Five Million Naira) to the purchase of a property located at No. 23, Okenwa Okolo Street, Opana, Asaba, Delta State, which sum you knew forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Following the plea, EFCC counsel, S.I. Suleiman urged the court to fix trial dates and order the immediate remand of the defendant in a correctional facility pending trial. Suleiman argued that the gravity of the offence and the alleged deliberate concealment of illicit funds warranted strict custodial restraint.

But Nwawuzor’s defence counsel countered, moving an oral bail application and pleading with the court to grant his client bail on “liberal and reasonable terms,” insisting that the accused would not jump bail and had credible sureties prepared to stand for him.

Justice Osiagor ruled in favour of bail but imposed stringent conditions. He granted Nwawuzor bail in the sum of ₦100 million, with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be property owners within the court’s jurisdiction and must present verified tax records and sworn affidavits of means.

Despite the bail ruling, the court ordered that Nwawuzor be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) pending full compliance with the bail conditions. Prison officials immediately took custody of him following the adjournment.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to March 11 and 12, 2026 for commencement of trial.

The Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, Femi Emmanuel, says many politicians seek meetings with popular General Overseers not for spiritual purposes but to secure the support of their large congregations.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Speaking with journalists on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Emmanuel said politicians often value the electoral influence of religious leaders over their spiritual guidance.

“When politicians visit popular General Overseers, they come mainly for political reasons, to get their members to vote for them,” he said. “I tell my congregation all the time: it’s your votes they’re after. And when they say, ‘Dad, pray for me,’ Dad will pray, but Dad can’t change anything. Politicians only listen to those who help them win their primaries.”

The cleric urged Nigerians to understand the political system better, stressing that critical decisions are made at the grassroots by people who often lack the capacity for such responsibilities.

“I want Nigerians to listen. Good Nigerians don’t attend ward meetings, we are too sophisticated. But if you attend ward meetings, you will cry. People fight over ₦1,000 sent to them, yet these are the people who choose delegates. Delegates determine candidates, and candidates determine leaders. If you don’t have delegates, you can’t have candidates,” he said.

Emmanuel also called on the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to be more focused and prioritise national security.

“You are bold and courageous, but you have found yourself in a very difficult situation,” he said, addressing the president. “He didn’t start this terrorism, but he must ensure that peace returns to every part of Nigeria.”

He argued that returning Nigeria to a regional system of government would resolve most of the country’s challenges.

“Our problem will be 90 per cent solved if we return to regional government. If we don’t, the problem will persist and may worsen,” he warned.

A former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has vehemently rejected allegations linking him to terrorism financing, following a report by SaharaReporters that named him among Nigerians allegedly connected to terror financiers.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The report, published on Friday, claimed that two suspects arrested in a counter-terrorism investigation were “linked to” Malami and other prominent Nigerians.

In a statement shared on his Facebook page, Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), denied any involvement in terrorism financing. He emphasised that neither Nigerian nor international agencies have ever accused, investigated, or charged him in connection with terrorism financing.

“The retired military officer cited as the principal source did not accuse me of any wrongdoing,” Malami said, clarifying that the report misrepresented his role.

While Malami was never personally accused of any terrorism-related activities, his role during the Muhammadu Buhari administration has come under scrutiny. His tenure as AGF was marked by criticism over the government’s alleged concealment of the identities of high-profile terrorism financiers.

In May 2021, Malami publicly announced that investigations had revealed the involvement of many highly placed Nigerians and businessmen in terrorism financing. He assured the public that these financiers were being profiled for prosecution.

“We shall certainly and aggressively pursue those people that are involved in terrorist financing as far as the Nigerian State is concerned,” Malami had said.

However, despite these assurances, the identities of the suspects remained undisclosed, and the promised prosecutions were not publicly known to have taken place before the administration ended in May 2023.
Malami’s EFCC Questioning And Denial Of Mismanagement Claims

The allegations against Malami come amidst reports of his recent questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged mismanagement of national funds, including portions of the Abacha loot.

Malami was invited for questioning on November 28, 2025, and was later released on administrative bail. He denied the allegations and has not been charged with any crime related to the EFCC investigation.

In defense of his record, Malami pointed to his role in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) framework during his tenure.

He highlighted his involvement in the passage and implementation of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which he said bolstered Nigeria’s legal regime against terrorism and updated penalties for terrorism-related offenses.

“These reforms were later assessed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the FATF ‘grey list’ of jurisdictions under increased monitoring,” Malami stated, stressing that the reforms confirmed Nigeria’s compliance with global AML/CFT standards.

Malami urged media outlets to engage in responsible reporting on national security issues, reiterating his commitment to the rule of law and justice. He expressed concern over the potential damage caused by such allegations, stressing that his engagement with various stakeholders in his public capacity does not imply criminal involvement.

“Independent international evaluations of that nature are entirely inconsistent with any suggestion that those leading such reforms were, at the same time, colluding with or protecting terror financiers,” he stated.

The former AGF concluded by urging the media to avoid damaging reputations and undermining public confidence in state institutions.

He reaffirmed his dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s justice and security institutions, emphasizing that any engagement with stakeholders during his time in office was in line with his duties and did not suggest criminality.