Business
Rebuttal: Aiteo Debunks Pointblanknews’ Fictitious Report
Rebuttal: Aiteo Debunks Pointblanknews’ Fictitious Report
The attention of Aiteo Group (“Aiteo”) and Mr. Benedict Peters (the Founder/Executive Vice Chairman of Aiteo Group) (“Mr. Peters”) has been drawn to a false, misleading and defamatory media report/publication made on 12th July 2022, by the online news portal, Pointblanknews.com, under the headline “AITEO BOSS, BENEDICT PETERS, LINKED TO MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL FRAUD, MONEY LAUNDERING (PART 1)”, which has been further circulated by other online media platforms.
In the publication, Pointblanknews.com made a number of absurdly spurious and defamatory allegations against Aiteo and Mr. Peters, citing unnamed, unspecific and unverifiable sources (in common with its other publications), in what is ostensibly an orchestrated smear campaign against Mr. Peters and a number of Aiteo entities.
The publication makes several false statements seeking, forlornly, to embellish its headline that Mr. Peters is currently “linked to massive international fraud, money laundering…” and alleges, without any particulars whatsoever, that he is the subject of various indictments within and outside Nigeria. The article offers no facts, information or explanation as to what it says either Mr. Peters or some of the entities that it names has done; done wrong or improperly either in contravention of any laws or business practices.
In short, other than to publish a list of names and throw bare accusations lacking any form of content or credibility, the article represents the worst form of hollow journalism of the sort that the publisher appears to be regularly associated with. The article misguidedly and malevolently derided ours and Mr. Peters’ activities and in so doing, demonstrated irresponsible journalism as it is plainly evident that its writers undertook no proper investigation or inquiry, prior to publication, as they did not even make the professional effort to contact us despite our very well publicised locations and contact details.
Essentially, the article represents outcomes of a maliciously conceived concoction of untruths designed to embarrass, humiliate or disgrace both Aiteo and Mr. Peters, without any foundation whatsoever. These statements are completely false and fabricated; defamatory and highly damaging to our image and reputation, and that of Mr. Peters as an international businessman of considerable repute, in the minds of reasonable and right-thinking members of the society.
Arising only from the undeserved necessity to refute allegations that have no substance whatsoever, we are constrained to confirm that that the basis of the article is a collation of maliciously conjectural fiction. The article pathetically fails to state that any of the transactions represented by the names to which the relate or the contents represent evidence of any inappropriate undertakings.
It is plainly evident that the said words were uttered and published deliberately, maliciously, falsely and willfully with the intent to cause damage to the character, profession, and reputation of the Aiteo entities and Mr Peters.
The publishers knew or ought to know that NONE of these assertions are true because there are no alleged financial crimes considered, proffered or in existence based on any facts or documents involving our client; any companies in which he has any interest, family members in any of the countries that the article mentions or involving the banks named or any other banks whatsoever. The sheer lack of specificity regarding the nature or type of any such gifts given in the documents that you have provided speaks to the incontestable lack of credibility of the allegations.
The truth is that Mr. Peters has been assiduously working in the Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria for over 30 years. Mr. Peters is the founder of the AITEO, an integrated global-focused energy conglomerate comprising a number of corporate entities that provide jobs and enhance meaningful indigenous participation in the energy sector.
The core area of Aiteo’s business, at its inception, was trading and distribution of all kinds of petroleum products but grew to include upstream exploration and production of crude oil condensate and gas, bulk petroleum storage, refining of petroleum products, trading, marketing and supply as well as power generation and distribution. Under Mr. Peters’ leadership, Aiteo has grown rapidly and steadily over the years, becoming a significant player in the Oil and Gas industry in Africa. We have successfully expanded our business footprint into Power, Mining, Real Estate, Agriculture and Health.
Inherently, the overwhelming malice and inaccuracies in the article confirm that the writers’ objectives were undisguisedly spiteful. Many of the statements contain untrue and highly inflammatory comments. Indeed, some of them contain incontrovertible malicious falsehood. These circumstances lead to the inescapable conclusion that the writers have pursued this course specifically with the intent to cause maximum damage and embarrassment. It is not known what writers motivation was.
We have referred the matters arising to our lawyers for further decisive action against the publisher and all those who have irresponsibly disseminated the article. In the interim, Aiteo and Mr Peters hereby urge members of the public as well as business partners, associates and well-wishers globally to disregard the as well as any previous and future defamatory reports or publications associated with this article or any comments therein including the re-publication by other online media outlets that used Pointblanknews.com as their source.
We assure the general public that Aiteo and Mr Peters remain committed to upholding the true values of transparency, excellent service delivery and accountability at all times for which we have come to be known.
Signed
Aiteo Group
Business
BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025
BUA Foods Records 91% Surge in Profit After Tax, Hits ₦508bn in 2025
By femi Oyewale
Business
Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards
Adron Homes Unveils “Love for Love” Valentine Promo with Exciting Discounts, Luxury Gifts, and Travel Rewards
In celebration of the season of love, Adron Homes and Properties has announced the launch of its special Valentine campaign, “Love for Love” Promo, a customer-centric initiative designed to reward Nigerians who choose to express love through smart, lasting real estate investments.
The Love for Love Promo offers clients attractive discounts, flexible payment options, and an array of exclusive gift items, reinforcing Adron Homes’ commitment to making property ownership both rewarding and accessible. The campaign runs throughout the Valentine season and applies to the company’s wide portfolio of estates and housing projects strategically located across Nigeria.
Speaking on the promo, the company’s Managing Director, Mrs Adenike Ajobo, stated that the initiative is aimed at encouraging individuals and families to move beyond conventional Valentine gifts by investing in assets that secure their future. According to the company, love is best demonstrated through stability, legacy, and long-term value—principles that real estate ownership represents.
Under the promo structure, clients who make a payment of ₦100,000 receive cake, chocolates, and a bottle of wine, while those who pay ₦200,000 are rewarded with a Love Hamper. Payments of ₦500,000 attract a Love Hamper plus cake, and clients who pay ₦1,000,000 enjoy a choice of a Samsung phone or a Love Hamper with cake.
The rewards become increasingly premium as commitment grows. Clients who pay ₦5,000,000 receive either an iPad or an all-expenses-paid romantic getaway for a couple at one of Nigeria’s finest hotels, which includes two nights’ accommodation, special treats, and a Love Hamper. A payment of ₦10,000,000 comes with a choice of a Samsung Z Fold 7, three nights at a top-tier resort in Nigeria, or a full solar power installation.
For high-value investors, the Love for Love Promo delivers exceptional lifestyle experiences. Clients who pay ₦30,000,000 on land are rewarded with a three-night couple’s trip to Doha, Qatar, or South Africa, while purchasers of any Adron Homes house valued at ₦50,000,000 receive a double-door refrigerator.
The promo covers Adron Homes’ estates located in Lagos, Shimawa, Sagamu, Atan–Ota, Papalanto, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osun, Ekiti, Abuja, Nasarawa, and Niger States, offering clients the opportunity to invest in fast-growing, strategically positioned communities nationwide.
Adron Homes reiterated that beyond the incentives, the campaign underscores the company’s strong reputation for secure land titles, affordable pricing, strategic locations, and a proven legacy in real estate development.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Adron Homes encourages Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to take advantage of the Love for Love Promo to enjoy exceptional value, exclusive rewards, and the opportunity to build a future rooted in love, security, and prosperity.
Business
Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital
*Why Nigeria’s Banks Still on Shaky Ground with Big Profits, Weak Capital*
*BY BLAISE UDUNZE*
Despite the fragile 2024 economy grappling with inflation, currency volatility, and weak growth, Nigeria’s banking industry was widely portrayed as successful and strong amid triumphal headlines. The figures appeared to signal strength, resilience, and superior management as the Tier-1 banks such as Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTBank, UBA, and First Bank of Nigeria, collectively reported profits approaching, and in some cases exceeding, N1 trillion. Surprisingly, a year later, these same banks touted as sound and solid are locked in a frenetic race to the capital markets, issuing rights offers and public placements back-to-back to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s N500 billion recapitalisation thresholds.
The contradiction is glaring. If Nigeria’s biggest banks are so profitable, why are they unable to internally fund their new capital requirements? Why have no fewer than 27 banks tapped the capital market in quick succession despite repeated assurances of balance-sheet robustness? And more fundamentally, what do these record profits actually say about the real health of the banking system?
The recapitalisation directive announced by the CBN in 2024 was ambitious by design. Banks with international licences were required to raise minimum capital to N500 billion by March 2026, while national and regional banks faced lower but still substantial thresholds ranging from N200 billion to N50 billion, respectively. Looking at the policy, it was sold as a modern reform meant to make banks stronger, more resilient in tough times, and better able to support major long-term economic development. In theory, strong banks should welcome such reforms. In practice, the scramble that followed has exposed uncomfortable truths about the structure of bank profitability in Nigeria.
At the heart of the inconsistency is a fundamental misunderstanding often encouraged by the banks themselves between profits and capital. Unknown to many, profitability, no matter how impressive, does not automatically translate into regulatory capital. Primarily, the CBN’s recapitalisation framework actually focuses on money paid in by shareholders when buying shares, fresh equity injected by investors over retained earnings or profits that exist mainly on paper.
This distinction matters because much of the profit surge recorded in 2024 and early 2025 was neither cash-generative nor sustainably repeatable. A significant portion of those headline banks’ profits reported actually came from foreign exchange revaluation gains following the sharp fall of the naira after exchange-rate unification. The industry witnessed that banks’ holding dollar-denominated assets their books showed bigger numbers as their balance sheets swell in naira terms, creating enormous paper profits without a corresponding improvement in underlying operational strength. These gains inflated income statements but did little to strengthen core capital, especially after the CBN barred banks from using FX revaluation gains for dividends or routine operations. In effect, banks looked richer without becoming stronger.
Beyond FX effects, Nigerian banks have increasingly relied on non-interest income fees, charges, and transaction levies to drive profitability. While this model is lucrative, it does not necessarily deepen financial intermediation or expand productive lending. High profits built on customer charges rather than loan growth offer limited support for long-term balance-sheet expansion. They also leave banks vulnerable when macroeconomic conditions shift, as is now happening.
Indeed, the recapitalisation exercise coincides with a turning point in the monetary cycle. The extraordinary conditions that supported bank earnings in 2024 and 2025 are beginning to unwind. Analysts now warn that Nigerian banks are approaching earnings reset, as net interest margins the backbone of traditional banking profitability, come under sustained pressure.
Renaissance Capital, in a January note, projects that major banks including Zenith, GTCO, Access Holdings, and UBA will struggle to deliver earnings growth in 2026 comparable to recent performance.
In a real sense, the CBN is expected to lower interest rates by 400 to 500 basis points because inflation is slowing down, and this means that banks will earn less on loans and government bonds, but they may not be able to quickly lower the interest they pay on deposits or other debts. The cash reserve requirements are still elevated, which does not earn interest; banks can’t easily increase or expand lending investments to make up for lower returns. The implications are significant. Net interest margin, the difference between what banks earn on loans and investments and what they pay on deposits, is poised to contract. Deposit competition is intensifying as lenders fight to shore up liquidity ahead of recapitalisation deadlines, pushing up funding costs. At the same time, yields on treasury bills and bonds, long a safe and lucrative haven for banks are expected to soften in a lower-rate environment. The result is a narrowing profit cushion just as banks are being asked to carry far larger equity bases.
Compounding this challenge is the fading of FX revaluation windfalls. With the naira relatively more stable in early 2026, the non-cash gains that once flattered bank earnings have largely evaporated. What remains is the less glamorous reality of core banking operations: credit risk management, cost efficiency, and genuine loan growth in a sluggish economy. In this new environment, maintaining headline profits will be far harder, even before accounting for the dilutive impact of recapitalisation.
That dilution is another underappreciated consequence of the capital rush. Massive share issuances mean that even if banks manage to sustain absolute profit levels, earnings per share and return on equity are likely to decline. Zenith, Access, UBA, and others are dramatically increasing their share counts. The same earnings pie is now being divided among many more shareholders, making individual returns leaner than during the pre-recapitalisation boom. For investors, the optics of strong profits may soon give way to the reality of weaker per-share performance.
Yet banks have pressed ahead, not only out of regulatory necessity but also strategic calculation.
During this period of recapitalization, investors are interested in the stock market with optimism, especially about bank shares, as banks are raising fresh capital, and this makes it easier to attract investments. This has become a season for the management teams to seize the moment to raise funds at relatively attractive valuations, strengthen ownership positions, and position themselves for post-recapitalisation dominance. In several cases, major shareholders and insiders have increased their stakes, as projected in the media, signalling confidence in long-term prospects even as near-term returns face pressure.
There is also a broader structural ambition at play. Well-capitalised banks can take on larger single obligor exposures, finance infrastructure projects, expand regionally, and compete more credibly with pan-African and global peers. From this perspective, recapitalisation is not merely about compliance but about reshaping the competitive hierarchy of Nigerian banking. What will be witnessed in the industry is that those who succeed will emerge larger, fewer, and more powerful. Those that fail will be forced into consolidation, retreat, or irrelevance.
For the wider economy, the outcome is ambiguous. Stronger banks with deeper capital buffers could improve systemic stability and enhance Nigeria’s ability to fund long-term development. The point is that while merging or consolidating banks may make them safer, it can also harm the market and the economy because it will reduce competition, let a few banks dominate, and encourage them to earn easy money from bonds and fees instead of funding real businesses. The truth be told, injecting more capital into the banks without complementary reforms in credit infrastructure, risk-sharing mechanisms, and fiscal discipline, isn’t enough as the aforementioned reforms are also needed.
The rush as exposed in this period, is that the moment Nigerian banks started raising new capital, the glaring reality behind their reported profits became clearer, that profits weren’t purely from good management, while the financial industry is not as sound and strong as its headline figures. The fact that trillion-naira profit banks must return repeatedly to shareholders for fresh capital is not a sign of excess strength, but of structural imbalance.
With the deadline for banks to raise new capital coming soon, by 31 March 2026, the focus has shifted from just raising N500 billion. N200 billion or N50 billion to think about the future shape and quality of Nigeria’s financial industry, or what it will actually look like afterward. Will recapitalisation mark a turning point toward deeper intermediation, lower dependence on speculative gains, and stronger support for economic growth? Or will it simply reset the numbers while leaving underlying incentives unchanged?
The answer will define the next chapter of Nigerian banking long after the capital market roadshows have ended and the profit headlines have faded.
Blaise, a journalist and PR professional, writes from Lagos and can be reached via: [email protected]
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