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POS operators may return to villages as CBN slashes withdrawal limits
According to a memo issued by the CBN to banks on Tuesday, individuals will only be able to withdraw N100,000 per week (from over-the-counter, point-of-sale machines or automated teller machines), while organisations can access N500,000 per week.The memo signed by the CBN’s Director of Banking Supervision, Haruna Mustafa, directed banks to load only N200 and lower denominations into their ATMs. This means Nigerians will only be able to withdraw N20,000 per day from ATMs when the directive becomes effective.
The memo read, “The maximum cash withdrawal over the counter by individuals and corporate organisations per week shall henceforth be N100,000 and N500,000 respectively. Withdrawals above these limits shall attract processing fees of 5 per and 10 per, respectively.
“Third-party cheques above N50,000 shall not be eligible for payment over the counter, while extant limits of N10,000,000 on clearing cheques still subsist.
“The maximum cash withdrawal per week via Automated Teller Machine shall be N100,000 subject to a maximum of N20,000 cash withdrawal per day. Only denominations of N200 and below shall be loaded into the ATMs. The maximum cash withdrawal via the point of sale terminal shall be N20,000 daily.”
However, there is an exemption that allows up to N5m for individuals and N10m for corporate organisations once a month with certain requirements.
The CBN warned banks that any bank that would aid and abet the circumvention of this policy will attract severe sanctions.
PoS operators kick
Following the new directive, the National President, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents of Nigeria, Victor Olojo, has said that point-of-sale operators would plan to protest as the policy was targeted at killing their source of livelihood.
While speaking in an exclusive interview, Olojo disclosed that the newly announced policy would have a negative impact on their business as it translated to the shutting down of PoS terminals.
He said, “This news is just breaking and a lot of PoS agents are already complaining bitterly. Some are calling for protests as this policy, which limits PoS transactions to N20,000, sends them out of business. Hence they have to return to their villages.”
Speaking on the impact of the new policy on individuals and the economy, the president said it would be really tough as Nigeria was still a cash-dominant society.
He said, “Nigerians should brace up, as this is a challenge that CBN is putting out to Nigerians to embrace technology. However, the difficulty would be felt as we still have a lot of transactions done with cash, especially those that are below the pyramid such as the market women and men who are petty traders, because this in essence means that once a bag of rice or flour is to be bought, which is above N20,000, it has to be via e-banking. Looking at it, how many of these people are technology-savvy?
“The CBN wants to achieve an agenda which is not exactly bad. However, a longer notice should have been given to those at the bottom of the pyramid. I believe that, eventually, the adoption would scale and people would have to get acquainted irrespective of the difficulty, embracing it in the long run.
“However, it is still very difficult because the technological infrastructure is still not there yet, and there are those who have had bad experiences with technology as well. The implication of this policy would slow down a lot and affect a lot of things, particularly those earning more than N20,000 daily.”
Olojo noted that his fears and concerns were that the policy was coming at a harsh period when the Nigerian economy was ill-prepared for it. He added that there should be an adequate alternative before any process would be scrapped.
Also, a PoS operator, simply identified as Christian Onyema said, “The new CBN policy will affect our business because pegging daily transaction limit to N20,000 is not helpful for us. For instance, a customer who wanted to transact business came to withdraw N500,000 today, I made my gains and he was able to do his own business. This will no longer be possible by January when the policy takes effect. The economy will suffer and insecurity will rise too because some operators will definitely go out of jobs.”
Another operator who gave his name only as ‘Small’ said, “This will really affect PoS business, a situation where customers can’t withdraw more than N20,000 daily means those who withdraw more than that normally will be limited.”
Transporters react
The Deputy Managing Director of ABC Transport, Jude Nneji, however, lauded the project.
He said, “At least, it will limit some of these crimes. If somebody knows he can’t get cash from you, he won’t bother to attack you. If you also consider the cost of printing this money, you’ll want to use electronic means.”
When asked if this would not affect his transport business, he said, “No doubt, it’s going to encourage people to hoard funds but for people like us whose customers pay through electronic means, we don’t have a problem. However, we hope that government has good intentions too.”
The Chief Executive Officer, Rivers Link, Mr Obinna, said, “This will affect our business, some of us are businessmen and there may be things you want to buy that will be more than N20,000, and some of us may prefer cash, so it will surely affect businesses.”
Residents and businesses in several parts of Enugu State were plunged into darkness on Friday evening following an explosion at the Gariki Injection Substation.
MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited (MEDL) confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Head of Communications, Mr. Emeka Ezeh.
According to the company, the explosion occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026, and damaged the indoor 11kV breaker at the Gariki Injection Substation, resulting in a power outage across multiple communities served by the Army and Gariki 11kV feeders.
The affected areas under the Army 11kV feeder include Army Barracks, One Day Road, Meniru, Upper Meniru and Joe Continental.
Communities affected under the Gariki 11kV feeder include Gariki Market, Mayor Market, Roban Stores along Agbani Road, Crunchies on Agbani Road, Mobile Police Barracks, Amechi Road, Upper Mount, Ikiriki, Emeka Ebila, Ozalla Street, Egbonnaji, Nnaji Ogbodo, Idaw River, Igbariam Street, Liberation, Mount, Umuchu, Achina, Vance, Unubi, Enugu Agidi, Amawbia, Amokwe, Kenneth, Amah and Hill Crest.
MEDL said its technical team has commenced a comprehensive assessment of the damage and is working to restore electricity supply to the affected areas as quickly as possible.
The company apologised for the disruption and appealed to customers for patience and understanding while repair work continues.
News
Habila Family Lawyer: Umahi Repeatedly Requested Autopsy, Family Declined; Petitions IGP Over Delay in Releasing Body (Video)
The lawyer to the family of late nurse Mary Habila, Barrister Yusuf, has disclosed that Minister of Works David Umahi repeatedly requested that an autopsy be conducted to determine the cause of her death, but the family consistently declined the request, citing personal, cultural, and traditional reasons.
Speaking during a press briefing at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, Yusuf said the family had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over the continued refusal of the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police to release Habila’s body for burial.
According to him, Mary Habila, who died on June 27, 2026, was a registered nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, before she was seconded to the Minister of Works’ office, where she had worked for about three years.
He dismissed claims circulating on social media about her profession and character, insisting that Habila was a civil servant with employment records and payslips to support the family’s position.
“It is imperative to state that late Mary Habila was not a physiotherapist. She was a nurse and a civil servant who worked in the minister’s office after being seconded from the university,” Yusuf said.
The lawyer alleged that despite the family’s compliance with police procedures to retrieve the body for burial, it has remained in custody without any explanation from the Ebonyi State Police Command.
He further accused unnamed individuals of attempting to politicise Habila’s death.
“From all indications, some people want to use her death as a pawn in their political manoeuvring just to score cheap political points,” he said.
Yusuf also confirmed that Umahi had, on several occasions, requested that an autopsy be carried out.
“The minister has repeatedly called for an autopsy, but the family has consistently rejected it because of personal, cultural and traditional reasons,” he stated.
He also rejected allegations questioning Habila’s character, describing them as false and defamatory.
“Mary Habila was never a ‘runs girl’ or anything of that nature. She was in Abuja working with the minister in her official capacity,” he added.
Yusuf said the family, accompanied by Habila’s parents, relatives and one of her colleagues, visited the office of the Inspector-General of Police to formally submit their petition seeking the immediate release of her remains.
He expressed hope that the IGP would intervene and direct the Ebonyi State Police Command to release the body so the family could give her a befitting burial.
The petition comes amid growing public interest and controversy surrounding the circumstances of Habila’s death, with the family insisting that their immediate concern is recovering her body for burial.
See Video:
Mary Habila’s Family Petitions IGP over CP’s Refusal to Release Corpse for Burial
The family of late Mary Habila has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over the alleged refusal of the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police to release her body for burial more than two weeks after her death.
In a petition dated July 17, 2026, and submitted through their solicitors, K.A. Yusuf & Associates, the family accused the Ebonyi State Police Command of unlawfully withholding Habila’s remains despite their compliance with all legal requirements for its release.
The petition, addressed to the IGP at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, stated that Mary Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, died on June 27, 2026, under circumstances that were reported to the police. Since then, the body has remained in a designated mortuary under the authority of the Ebonyi State Police Command.
According to the family’s lawyers, repeated applications, personal visits and full compliance with every lawful requirement communicated by the police have failed to secure the release of the corpse for burial.
The petition described the continued detention of the body as arbitrary and oppressive, arguing that it has denied the family the opportunity to perform customary and religious burial rites while inflicting emotional, psychological, financial and cultural hardship.
“It is our client’s respectful position that the continued detention of his daughter’s corpse without lawful justification is arbitrary, oppressive, and inconsistent with the principles of justice, fairness and respect for human dignity,” the petition stated.
The family further expressed a loss of confidence in the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, urging the IGP to intervene.
Specifically, the petition requested the IGP to transfer the case from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, direct the immediate release of Mary Habila’s body for burial, order disciplinary or administrative action against any officer found to have acted unlawfully, and issue any further directives necessary to ensure justice is served.
The lawyers also urged the police authorities to communicate the legal basis for withholding the body and provide a timeline for concluding investigations instead of keeping the remains indefinitely.
The petition follows growing public attention surrounding Habila’s death, with her family insisting on the release of her remains.
The family had earlier said they suspect no foul play in her death and preferred an end to police investigations.
News
NWOBODO VS OGBUANU: Drama in Enugu High Court as Former Governor Substitutes Legal Team, Halts Proceedings
ENUGU, NIGERIA — A high-stakes legal battle involving the former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Senator Jim Nwobodo, his wife, and a prominent Enugu medical practitioner, Dr. Basil Kenechukwu Ogbuanu, was unexpectedly stalled at the Enugu State High Court following a dramatic, last-minute change in the defendants’ legal representation.
The abrupt shake-up in the defense lineup forced a halt to the scheduled proceedings, preventing the court from hearing key applications in the multi-party land and property dispute.
The presiding judge, Justice C.C. Ani, was forced to adjourn the matter on Thursday to October 22, 2026, to allow the plaintiff’s legal team sufficient time to study a wave of newly substituted court processes filed by the defendants’ new counsel.
The legal battle, registered under Suit No. E/328/2026, pits Dr. Ogbuanu against Chief Senator Jim Nwobodo, his wife, Barrister (Mrs) Patricia Nwobodo, and seven other corporate and individual defendants.
The co-defendants in the sprawling suit include Linkana Hotels Limited, Mr. Gerald Asogwa, Kingsley U. Chime, Surveyor G.C. Ishiwu, Millennium Construction & Estate Developers Limited, Hon. Titus Okechi, and Moss Island Limited.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the court was officially notified that the Nwobodos and their co-defendants had formally debriefed their former legal representative, the distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Iyom A.J. Offiah of Obra Legal.
In her place, the defendants briefed Chief C. Chuma Oguejiofor, Esq., of Chuma Oguejiofor & Co. (House of Law), based on Carter Street, Ogui Road, Enugu, to take over their defense.
Upon taking charge of the defense, Chief Oguejiofor immediately moved to withdraw all legal processes previously filed on behalf of the defendants by their former counsel on July 6, 2026.
The defense then substituted those withdrawn documents with a brand-new set of applications, affidavits, and objections, which were formally filed in the court’s registry on July 16, 2026.
Dr. Ogbuanu’s lead counsel, Onyechi Araka, did not oppose the sudden withdrawal and subsequent replacement of the defense’s processes, recognizing the defendants’ constitutional right to choice of counsel.
Araka, however, strongly urged the court for an adjournment, stating that his team required adequate time to meticulously study and analyze the newly filed processes, which they intend to vigorously contest.
Recognizing the fundamental principles of fair hearing and the plaintiff’s right of reply, Justice Ani granted the application for adjournment, scheduling October 22, 2026, for the hearing of all pending applications.
Among the new filings introduced by the Oguejiofor-led defense team is a crucial Notice of Preliminary Objection aiming to terminate the plaintiff’s lawsuit at its foundational stage.
The objection, brought pursuant to Section 86(6) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and various provisions of the High Court Rules of Enugu State 2020, prays the court to set aside the service of the originating processes on the defendants.
Alternatively, the defendants are asking the court to strike out or dismiss the entire suit in limine (at the threshold), arguing that it is entirely incompetent and constitutes a gross abuse of the judicial process.
In the grounds listed for the application, the defense contends that the originating and other vital processes in the suit were never properly served on the defendants.
The defense further launched a scathing critique of the lawsuit’s drafting, describing the plaintiff’s pleadings as “unnecessarily verbose, circumlocutory, imprecise, windy, and mostly lacking in meaning.”
Crucially, the defendants argue that Dr. Ogbuanu’s lawsuit is a direct and abusive replication of an active, pre-existing lawsuit.
According to court documents, a prior lawsuit, Suit No. E/244/2025, between Dr. (Mrs) Patricia Nwobodo & Anor vs. Dr. Basil Ogbuanu, was filed on March 1, 2026, long before the present suit was instituted, involving the same parties and subject matter.
The defense also raised a structural jurisdictional issue, asserting that the police and other public officers whose presence is imperative for a comprehensive and final determination of the dispute were not joined as parties.
Furthermore, they argue that the suit is legally barred by Section 9(1) of the Actions Law, Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004, and that requisite pre-action notices were never served on the public officers involved.
In a supporting affidavit sworn to at the High Court Registry, Chidinma Edeh, a litigation clerk at Chuma Oguejiofor & Co., averred that she had the explicit consent of the defendants to depose to the facts of the change of counsel and the preliminary objection.
As both legal teams retreat to their chambers to draft their respective responses, members of the Enugu legal community and public observers are keeping a close watch on the High Court ahead of the high-stakes showdown on October 22.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has spoken publicly for the first time on the death of 26-year-old nurse, Mary Habila, describing her as “like a daughter” and dismissing attempts to link him to the incident as politically motivated.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Umahi said Habila had worked closely with him for about three years and was one of his most trusted staff members. He maintained that there was no evidence of foul play and urged Nigerians to allow security agencies to complete their investigation.
The minister clarified that the deceased was a nurse employed by the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ebonyi State, and not a physiotherapist as previously reported.
According to Umahi, Habila had a history of medical challenges and had been receiving treatment at a Turkish hospital, with her medical expenses fully covered by him.
He revealed that shortly before her death, Habila reportedly informed her boyfriend during a telephone conversation that she was experiencing a nosebleed. The boyfriend allegedly advised her to seek medical attention, but communication ceased after she said she was going to take a bath.
Umahi explained that after repeated calls to her phone went unanswered, concerned colleagues forced open her room and found her lifeless, while the bathroom tap was still running.
The minister emphasized that the guest house where the incident occurred was designated for staff and medical personnel and was located some distance from his private residence, insisting that attempts to personally implicate him were unfair and unfounded.
Describing Habila as a hardworking and dedicated employee, Umahi said her death had deeply affected him.
He appealed to the deceased’s family to consent to a forensic autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, disclosing that he had directed that her body should not be released for burial until the examination is conducted.
According to him, the autopsy has been delayed because the family objected on cultural grounds.
Umahi also disclosed that he requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to ensure a more comprehensive and transparent probe, while facilitating discussions with the bereaved family.
He further stated that Habila had experienced similar episodes of nosebleeding during previous official trips and urged investigators to examine the telephone records between the deceased and her boyfriend, saying they could provide valuable insight into her final moments.
While reiterating that investigations should proceed without interference, the minister said the preliminary information available to him did not suggest any criminal activity.
He also condemned the circulation of photographs allegedly taken at the mortuary, accusing some individuals of exploiting the tragedy to spread misinformation and tarnish reputations.
Umahi warned that his legal team would take action against individuals and media organisations found to have published or circulated false or defamatory information regarding the case.
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