National
SERAP Asks Court To Halt CBN’s ATM Fee Increase
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to stop the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from implementing the recent increase in Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction fees.
SERAP, in the suit, which is yet to be assigned to a judge, is asking the court for an interim injunction to prevent the CBN, its officers, agents, associates, or any other individuals acting on its behalf from enforcing this decision until the motion for an interlocutory injunction is heard and determined.
The civil society organisation is also praying to the court to determine whether the CBN’s decision to increase ATM transaction fees is arbitrary, unfair, unreasonable, and contrary to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 provisions.
The plaintiff further seeks a declaration from the court stating that the CBN’s decision to raise ATM transaction fees violates sections 1(c) and (d), 104, 105, and 127(1) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which applies to the CBN.
SERAP said its lawsuit results from the CBN’s directive that ATM withdrawals made at a machine owned by a bank but located outside its branch will now incur a fee of N100 for every N20,000 withdrawn.
Additionally, the apex bank had also directed that withdrawals at shopping centres, airports, or standalone cash points will attract an N100 fee plus a surcharge of up to N500 for every N20,000 withdrawal.
In an affidavit attached to the suit, the plaintiff contends that the fee increase cannot be justified under the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended), the CBN Act, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, or Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
SERAP also argues that the increase creates a two-tiered financial system that discriminates against poorer Nigerians who may struggle to afford the higher ATM fees. According to SERAP, this unjust increase contributes to human rights violations of socially and economically disadvantaged Nigerians.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the organisation’s lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo, states: “The CBN is compromising its stated mission to manage the country’s economy and, ultimately, foster sustainable development.
“The CBN also fails to comply with the Nigerian Constitution, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, and the country’s international human rights obligations in exercising its state functions.
“The complaint emphasises that the financial burden of the ATM fee increase should be borne by affluent banks and their shareholders rather than the general public.
“CBN policies should not disadvantage poor Nigerians while favouring banks that continue to report trillions of naira in profits—often at the expense of their customers. The increase in ATM transaction fees would only exacerbate hardship for impoverished Nigerians and contribute to human rights abuses.
“Imposing exorbitant ATM transaction fees on socially and economically vulnerable individuals while many banks declare trillions of naira in annual profits is both manifestly unfair and unreasonable.
In a circular issued to all banks and financial institutions on February 10, 2025, the CBN stated that it has reviewed and increased the ATM transaction fees outlined in section 10(7) of the CBN Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial Institutions, and Non-Bank Financial Institutions 2020.
According to sections 1(c) and (d) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, the Act’s objectives are to protect and promote consumer interests and welfare and prohibit restrictive or unfair business practices, such as the CBN’s unreasonable increase in ATM transaction fees.
The provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act are binding on the CBN and govern the exercise of its statutory powers and functions.
Section 2(1) of the Act stipulates that its provisions apply to all undertakings—including the CBN—and are relevant to all commercial activities within Nigeria.
Section 2(2) further states that the Act is binding on (a) corporate bodies or agencies of the Government, (b) corporate entities, and (c) all commercial activities aimed at profit generation and catering to public demand.
As per section 70(1) of the Act, an undertaking such as the CBN is considered dominant if it can operate without regard for customer reactions.
The Act prohibits the CBN from abusing dominant market positions, including imposing excessive ATM transaction fees that harm consumers.
We’ve Finalised 2025 Hajj Operations Preparations – NAHCON
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that it has finalised all preparations for the 2025 Hajj operations and is set to ensure a smooth and successful pilgrimage.
The commission’s chairman, Professor Abdullahi Seleh Usman, announced this after signing an amended contract with Mashariq Al Dhahabia. This Saudi-based company will provide services for Nigerian pilgrims during the 2025 Hajj.
The ceremony for signing the amended contract took place over the weekend, following a visit to the NAHCON headquarters at the Hajj House in Abuja by a delegation from the Saudi-based service provider, led by its chairman, Muhammad Hassan.
Professor Usman assured prospective Nigerian pilgrims that the commission is fully prepared to conduct a seamless and successful Hajj operation, dismissing any claims regarding contract cancellation.
“I would like to take this opportunity to assure all intending Nigerian pilgrims for this year’s Hajj that the commission has concluded all arrangements for a smooth and successful operation by the grace of Allah. Any contrary information is unknown to the commission, and we have not cancelled any contracts with any company,” he stated.
Regarding signing the amended contract with the Saudi firm, the NAHCON chairman explained that the adjustment was necessary to clarify ambiguities in the original agreement and facilitate efficient Hajj operations.
The Nigerian military has called for stronger collaboration with relevant agencies to ensure proper documentation of individuals entering the country, citing the role of foreign herders in escalating violence in regions like Plateau and Benue States.
Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, made the appeal during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
“There are agencies responsible for this, and we need to collaborate effectively,” Kangye said, emphasizing the importance of a joint framework to tackle insecurity.
“Those entering Nigeria must be properly documented and accounted for.”
He said recent attacks by armed herders in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country have left dozens dead and displaced thousands, particularly in farming communities.
Kangye revealed that investigations point to foreign herders as the primary perpetrators of these violent attacks, with their distinct speech patterns and physical features setting them apart from local herders.
“The Hausa language spoken in Nigeria differs significantly from that in Mali, the Central African Republic, or Ghana,” he explained.
“When we apprehend these herders and terrorists, their speech and appearance—sometimes even their hair—indicate they are not from Nigeria.”
He noted that the Shuwa Arabs in Borno are the only Nigerian community with some similarities to Sahel-region herders, but even they are distinguishable.
While acknowledging that some Nigerian herders contribute to conflicts by encroaching on farmlands, Kangye stressed that the majority of the violence is driven by foreigners crossing Nigeria’s porous borders.
“The ongoing killings reported in certain areas are primarily committed by individuals who have infiltrated our borders,” he said.
Catholic cardinals have elected Robert Prevost, the first Pope from the United States of America, who has taken the new name Pope Leo XIV after the conclave decided in just four rounds of voting on Thursday.
Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi said it took cardinals only four rounds of voting to pick a new pope and that white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney after a day’s voting is “a clear sign of the unity of the Church. ”
The Pontiff, picked even faster than his predecessor, Francis, appeared on the Vatican balcony amid enthusiastic cheers from thousands of faithful who packed St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday to witness the historic event.
“May peace be with all of you,” he said from the Vatican balcony after paying tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his life to the service of humanity. He stressed that he wants to deliver his blessing to the people as Pope Francis did in his last appearance in St Peter’s Square.
After concluding his speech, the new Pope started reading a religious passage in Latin, paying homage to the saints and the Madonna. The pope continued with a message of peace and noted, “God loves us all, unconditionally”.
“Humanity needs Christ as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us, and help each other, build bridges.
“Without fear, united hand in hand with God, we are the Disciples of Christ, and the world needs his light.
“Brothers and sisters dearest, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected. I want to offer a greeting of peace to your families, all of you, wherever you are. May peace be with you,” he said.
Chicago-born Prevost, 69, is seen as a reformer who worked for many years as a missionary in Peru before being made an archbishop there.
The cardinals strongly perceived that the new pope would need to carry forward Pope Francis’s legacy of reaching out to those on the margins and bring along with him a wide spectrum of those within the Church, including those with whom Pope Francis was sometimes at loggerheads.
Observers considered Cardinal Robert Prevost a candidate who could fulfil that role—someone who could be a bridge between different worlds.
The fact that the conclave decided in just four rounds of voting suggests that the cardinals agreed with that assessment.
Robert Prevost will be the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter. Although he is the first American to fill the role of Pope, he is considered as much a cardinal from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru before becoming an archbishop there.
Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Ecuadorian and French descent, Prevost served as an altar boy and was ordained as a priest in 1982. Although he moved to Peru three years later, he returned regularly to the US to serve as a pastor and a priest in his home city.
He has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges. He spent 10 years as a local parish pastor and teacher at a seminary in Trujillo in northwestern Peru.
He is well known to cardinals because of his high-profile role as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America, which has the critical task of selecting and supervising bishops. Francis made him a cardinal less than two years ago.
As Francis appointed 80% of the cardinals who took part in the conclave, it is unsurprising that someone like Prevost was elected, even if he was only recently appointed.
He will be seen as a figure who favoured the continuity of Francis’ reforms in the Catholic Church. Prevost is believed to have shared Francis’ views on migrants, the poor and the environment.
He will be fully aware of the divisions within the Catholic Church, and his Latin American background also represents continuity after a Pope who came from Argentina.
During his time as archbishop in Peru, he did not escape the sexual abuse scandals that have clouded the Church. However, his diocese fervently denied he had been involved in any attempted cover-up.
Before the conclave, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that during gatherings of the College of Cardinals in the days before the conclave they emphasised the need for a pope with “a prophetic spirit capable of leading a Church that does not close in on itself but knows how to go out and bring light to a world marked by despair”.
Top 10 Things to Know About the New Pope, Robert Francis Prevost
1. First American Pope
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, is the first pope from the United States, born in Chicago, Illinois.
2. Elected as the 267th Pope
He was chosen after a swift two-day conclave, becoming the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
3. Age and New Namel
At 69 years old, he adopted the papal name Leo XIV upon his election.
4. Deep Missionary Experience in Latin America
Prevost spent over a decade in Peru as a bishop and seminary educator, gaining respect for his pastoral leadership and cultural fluency.
5. Leader of the Augustinian Order
He led the Augustinians globally for over ten years, managing an international religious community.
6. Key Vatican Roles
Before becoming pope, he was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America—two influential positions in Church governance.
7. Academic and Legal Scholar
He holds degrees in mathematics, theology, and canon law, and has taught canon law in Latin America.
8. Calm, Reform-Oriented Leader
Known for his consensus-building style, Pope Leo XIV is seen as a clear-headed reformer continuing the legacy of Pope Francis.
9. Advocate for Women’s Inclusion
He supports meaningful female participation in Church governance, emphasising their real impact within Vatican bodies.
10. Mission-Driven Papacy
Pope Leo XIV remains committed to missionary work, global outreach, and addressing challenging issues like clerical abuse with humility and resolve.
Catholic cardinals have elected Robert Prevost, the first Pope from the United States of America, who has taken the new name Pope Leo XIV after the conclave decided in just four rounds of voting on Thursday.
Italian Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi said it took cardinals only four rounds of voting to pick a new pope and that white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel chimney after a day’s voting is “a clear sign of the unity of the Church. ”
The Pontiff, picked even faster than his predecessor, Francis, appeared on the Vatican balcony amid enthusiastic cheers from thousands of faithful who packed St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday to witness the historic event.
“May peace be with all of you,” he said from the Vatican balcony after paying tribute to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who gave his life to the service of humanity. He stressed that he wants to deliver his blessing to the people as Pope Francis did in his last appearance in St Peter’s Square.
After concluding his speech, the new Pope started reading a religious passage in Latin, paying homage to the saints and the Madonna. The pope continued with a message of peace and noted, “God loves us all, unconditionally”.
“Humanity needs Christ as a bridge to be reached by God and his love. Help us, and help each other, build bridges.
“Without fear, united hand in hand with God, we are the Disciples of Christ, and the world needs his light.
“Brothers and sisters dearest, this is the first greeting of Christ resurrected. I want to offer a greeting of peace to your families, all of you, wherever you are. May peace be with you,” he said.
Chicago-born Prevost, 69, is seen as a reformer who worked for many years as a missionary in Peru before being made an archbishop there.
The cardinals strongly perceived that the new pope would need to carry forward Pope Francis’s legacy of reaching out to those on the margins and bring along with him a wide spectrum of those within the Church, including those with whom Pope Francis was sometimes at loggerheads.
Observers considered Cardinal Robert Prevost a candidate who could fulfil that role—someone who could be a bridge between different worlds.
The fact that the conclave decided in just four rounds of voting suggests that the cardinals agreed with that assessment.
Robert Prevost will be the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter. Although he is the first American to fill the role of Pope, he is considered as much a cardinal from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru before becoming an archbishop there.
Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Ecuadorian and French descent, Prevost served as an altar boy and was ordained as a priest in 1982. Although he moved to Peru three years later, he returned regularly to the US to serve as a pastor and a priest in his home city.
He has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges. He spent 10 years as a local parish pastor and teacher at a seminary in Trujillo in northwestern Peru.
He is well known to cardinals because of his high-profile role as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in Latin America, which has the critical task of selecting and supervising bishops. Francis made him a cardinal less than two years ago.
As Francis appointed 80% of the cardinals who took part in the conclave, it is unsurprising that someone like Prevost was elected, even if he was only recently appointed.
He will be seen as a figure who favoured the continuity of Francis’ reforms in the Catholic Church. Prevost is believed to have shared Francis’ views on migrants, the poor and the environment.
He will be fully aware of the divisions within the Catholic Church, and his Latin American background also represents continuity after a Pope who came from Argentina.
During his time as archbishop in Peru, he did not escape the sexual abuse scandals that have clouded the Church. However, his diocese fervently denied he had been involved in any attempted cover-up.
Before the conclave, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that during gatherings of the College of Cardinals in the days before the conclave they emphasised the need for a pope with “a prophetic spirit capable of leading a Church that does not close in on itself but knows how to go out and bring light to a world marked by despair”.
Top 10 Things to Know About the New Pope, Robert Francis Prevost
1. First American Pope
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, is the first pope from the United States, born in Chicago, Illinois.
2. Elected as the 267th Pope
He was chosen after a swift two-day conclave, becoming the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
3. Age and New Namel
At 69 years old, he adopted the papal name Leo XIV upon his election.
4. Deep Missionary Experience in Latin America
Prevost spent over a decade in Peru as a bishop and seminary educator, gaining respect for his pastoral leadership and cultural fluency.
5. Leader of the Augustinian Order
He led the Augustinians globally for over ten years, managing an international religious community.
6. Key Vatican Roles
Before becoming pope, he was Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America—two influential positions in Church governance.
7. Academic and Legal Scholar
He holds degrees in mathematics, theology, and canon law, and has taught canon law in Latin America.
8. Calm, Reform-Oriented Leader
Known for his consensus-building style, Pope Leo XIV is seen as a clear-headed reformer continuing the legacy of Pope Francis.
9. Advocate for Women’s Inclusion
He supports meaningful female participation in Church governance, emphasising their real impact within Vatican bodies.
10. Mission-Driven Papacy
Pope Leo XIV remains committed to missionary work, global outreach, and addressing challenging issues like clerical abuse with humility and resolve.