Dubai

By Mohammed Mohammed

Like many others, I was shocked when I recently saw an advisory by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declaring Alhaji Auwalu Tijjani Rabi’u wanted for alleged money laundering involving over $1.9 million.  

My shock, and that of many others, stemmed from the general belief in Alhaji Auwalu’s reputation as a businessman of integrity over the years and across his business constituencies in Nigeria, the UAE, and beyond. 

Having gone through the details of the transactions in question, including the reports of a reputable audit firm, which audited the transactions between Alhaji Auwalu and the purported petitioner, one Ifeanyi Ezeokoli, it’s quite clear that the former took advantage of Alhaji Auwalu’s tendency to trust people even without due diligence sometimes, which stems from his sheer clean-mindedness.   

According to the available records, Alhaji Auwalu made an overpayment of more than $3 million to  Ifeanyi Ezeokoli in 2022 as part of a business transaction that spanned a year. And though Ifeanyi was aware of the mix-up behind the regular overpayment, he turned a blind eye and continued receiving payments not due to him. 

And knowing that the bubble would burst one day, he continued to use different companies’ bank accounts, most of which were for third parties, apparently to complicate the auditing of the transactions. Yet, when it appeared to him that his game was over, he came up with an allegation that Alhaji Auwalu owes him over $1.9m, and even went ahead to file a case at the EFCC, which, in turn, declared him wanted. 

However, now that the Federal High Court in Kaduna has issued an interim order restraining the EFCC from taking any measures against Alhaji Auwalu pending the determination of his complaint before it, things have begun to take the right direction, which will undoubtedly culminate in not only absolving Alhaji Auwalu but also enabling him to recover his money from Ifeanyi. 

After all, if for nothing, Alhaji Auwalu is a man whose life seamlessly blends the acumen of business with the compassion of philanthropy. Known across communities not just for his remarkable business success, but more so for his boundless generosity, Auwalu stands tall as a symbol of service and humility. 

Alhaji Auwal’s journey in the business world is one of resilience and integrity. He has built an impressive legacy, earning respect not only for his achievements but for how he achieved them, with fairness, foresight, and a deep sense of responsibility. Yet, what truly sets him apart is that he never allowed success to cloud his sense of duty to others.

Through quiet acts and major initiatives alike, Auwalu has touched countless lives. From supporting the vulnerable and other acts of charity, his contributions have brought light and hope to individuals and entire communities. For many, he is not just a benefactor; he is a lifeline, a silent force who sees a need and responds with action, not applause.

His philanthropy is not showy or self-serving. It is driven by sincere empathy and a belief that every life uplifted enriches us all. Whether in times of ease or crisis, Auwalu has remained steadfast, ever ready to give without hesitation and serve without seeking recognition.

To speak of Auwalu is to talk about impact. His name inspires admiration, but more importantly, it inspires others to give, to build, and to believe in a better world.

Auwalu is more than a businessman. He is a builder of dreams, a guardian of dignity, and a blessing to many.

Mohammed Mohammed wrote from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

By Aliyu Nuhu

Mal Kwalisa (not his real name) is an acquaintance. He has never travelled outside Nigeria. He was a money changer. One day he made a big kill and came into some big money and decided to visit UAE. He only told me he was travelling to Dubai for two weeks, and off he left via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.

Three days after, Mal Kwalisa was back with us in Kano. I asked what happened. He was a bit ashamed, but later he blew the lid.

When he arrived in Dubai he booked into a hotel. After hours of rest, he went to one shop and saw a very beautiful Arab woman. He told her he came from Nigeria and he had plenty of money and promptly invited her to his hotel room. She smiled and told him she was married and that in UAE, women don’t visit men in hotels.

Mallam didn’t buy her story. He thought she could be persuaded by the promise of more money. He went back to his hotel and returned after lunch. He made the same offer again, and she smiled and told him to come back after closing hours, by 5 pm.

He went back at the appointed time only to find three askaris (police) waiting for him. They asked what his mission was, and he said he came to see his friend, pointing to the woman. The police asked him her name, and he didn’t know. They took him back to the hotel, packed his bag and drove him to the airport. He was lucky they did not chain him. They put him in the next available plight leaving UAE to Africa, Air Moroc. He landed in Casablanca.

After some hours, he was again put on the next available flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. After a long delay at midnight, he was bundled into a plane going to Lagos.

Our man had to find his way to Abuja by road after becoming Vasco da Gama overnight. He asked what could possibly be his offence.

I told him in UAE, adultery is punishable by death. The woman reported him to the police. He was lucky that she did not trick him and reported him while in his hotel room. And she didn’t mention rape.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Ramon Abbas, better known by his online handle Hushpuppi, has had his verified Instagram account banned.

Recall that a joint team from the Dubai Police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, detained Hushpuppi in June 2020 in Dubai for alleged online fraud. He now faces charges in the US.

Other charges he is facing include hacking, impersonation, scamming, banking fraud, and identity theft.

Hushpuppi was detained and put on trial, but Instagram still permitted him to post videos and pictures as long as he did not represent any harmful entities or people.

The social networking site, however, appears to have reconsidered its choice to keep Hushpuppi’s account active.

By Muhammad Aminu

Dubai authorities have opened a unique modern nine-in-one library that gulped over $272 million to establish.

The library named after Dubai’s ruler ‘Mohammed Bin Rashid AlMaktoum Library’ is at par with the pantheon of world-class book repositories such as London’s British Library and Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Al Maktoum announced the construction of the new library in 2016, which now houses more than 1.1 million print and digital books in its 54,000 square-meter facility.

CNN reports that the library has a beautiful oasis of calm contemplation, where visitors can curl up with a good book, plug in laptops for study or work, or marvel at the rare manuscripts and first-edition books displayed in the exhibition space.

The library reportedly houses nine separate libraries containing almost all areas of expertise, from sciences to arts and entertainment.

“The facility is home to nine separate libraries, dedicated to everything from media and the arts to business titles, international periodicals, maps and atlases, books for children and young adults, and a collection of precious archival treasures,” it said.

“The collection of works is still being built, but it already boasts some impressive numbers. Alongside its multilingual print and digital books, visitors can access more than six million dissertations, 73,000 musical scores, 75,000 videos, 35,000 printed and digital international journals, and over 5,000 historical periodicals spanning 325 years.

The library, which has a cafe for a break, also contains a database of thousands of digital titles that can be downloaded from machines in each of the nine libraries.

There are books in braille for visually impaired readers and a quiet space with reading pods for visitors with special needs.

It also has an Auto Book Store, a subterranean storeroom for the 400,000 titles that don’t appear on the library’s shelves, but members can request a book via the library’s app.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

A Nigerian lady, Aisha Abubakar Hassan, has emerged as the second-position winner in the just concluded sixth edition of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Holy Qur’an Competition for women in Dubai. 

Fifty countries participated in the competition that was held from the 1st to the 7th of October at the Dubai Culture and Science Society.

Aindati Sisi from Senegal came first, while Aisha Abubakar Hassan from Nigeria and Shima Anfal Tabani from Algeria took the second and third places, respectively.

According to the organisers, the participants were women Quran memorisers with mastery of tajweed. They also have to be under 25 years old. 

The first position-winner received 250,000 dirhams; the second got 200,000 dirhams, and the third 150000 dirhams. Other participants who performed brilliantly in the competition were also handsomely rewarded.  

The Dubai International Holy Qur’an Award, DIHQA, hosts and organises the event for women worldwide annually.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Ruler and President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed, is dead.

The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced the sad news on Thursday, May 13.

The Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and the Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE, ” the statement reads.

The late president was born in 1948. He was the second president of the UAE and the 16th Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He succeeded his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, who was UAE’s first president upon his death in 2004.

By Muhammad Sabiu

The police have charged four Chrisland School teachers in the Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos State.

Teachers who accompanied several Chrisland students to the World School Games in Dubai were summoned before the court on Tuesday.

After a scandal over the alleged wrongdoing of some of its students while on a trip to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Lagos State authorities ordered the closure of all Chrisland Schools branches.

In a statement issued on April 18, the government stated that all complaints were being investigated by relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Justice, and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency.

After reviewing the administrative investigation into the incident, the authorities reopened the schools a week later.

The government stated that the reopening was necessary to ensure that pupils had access to learning when the new semester began on April 25.

The Lagos police command said at the time that it had launched an investigation into the case to determine the identities of the players in the video, the actual incident in the video, the geographical location of the incident, the alleged threat to life against a school student, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged repeated pregnancy tests conducted on a student without parental consent.