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Ben Peters: What we know about Nigerian billionaire arrested by National Security
Nigerian businessman, Benedict Peters, widely known as Ben Peters, was reportedly arrested in a joint operation involving operatives of Ghana’s National Security, the Ghana Police Service, and the Ghana Armed Forces.
Ben Peters, together with about 25 unidentified men, were reportedly arrested for allegedly blocking access to an apartment building close to the seat of government, the Jubilee House, and also for blowing a police siren on one of his vehicles, on Monday, April 7, 2025.
But this is not the first time the Nigerian billionaire business tycoon has made news headlines in Ghana.
During the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ben Peters, who is believed to be a friend of the Akufo-Addo family, came up in a number of corruption scandals.
He is the owner of Frontiers Healthcare Services Limited, the company that was responsible for the COVID-19 testing at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) during the COVID 19 pandemic.
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In 2022, now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzete Ablakwa, claimed that Ben Peters amassed a profit of GHC984,7 million (US$130 million) from COVID-19 testing in just 18 months, at the expense of the Ghana Airport Company, which made only US$8 million..
In 2023, Ben Peters’ name came up again in the ‘Heaven Scandal, also shared by Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is the Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency in the Volta Region.
Ablakwa claimed that 62.14 acres of airport lands priced at over US$6.3 million per 1.7 acres in 2019 were sold to Heaven Builders Limited, a company owned by the Nigerian billionaire, who he said is a friend of Edward Akufo-Addo, alias “Bumpty,” a younger brother of Akufo-Addo, at US$1.3 per 1.7 acres.
Aside from the two companies mentioned above, Ben Peters owns extensive assets in the oil and gas and mining industries in several countries, including Ghana.
He is the founder and CEO of Aiteo, which is believed to be Africa’s largest indigenous oil producer, and Bravura Holdings, a vertically integrated mining company developing platinum, lithium, steel, copper, and gold assets in countries throughout Africa.
News of the arrest of Benedict Peters sparked wild jubilation among residents at Aurora Apartments in Kanda, close to the Jubilee House.
The jubilation stems from reports by the residents that, Mr. Peters who is wanted by the Nigerian Government for criminal activities, including corruption, has terrorized them for several years now and was being protected by the erstwhile government.
According to some of the residents who spoke to online portal (not ThePapers), the fugitive businessman has constituted a huge nuisance to them and all within the area since he pitched camp there several years ago, and has bragged and boasted about his connections in high places, for which reason no one could apprehend him.
One elated resident, Jacob Asamoah said Mr. Peters even had in his possession, vehicles belonging to the National Security, parked in his basement, and was in cahoots with the immediate past administration.
He said they lodged several complaints and sent many petitions to law enforcement agencies and the erstwhile government on the reckless conduct of Mr. Peters to no avail.
He said ‘’Today we are extremely happy and grateful to President Mahama and his government for this big move. They have done us a great deal of good and this residential area will see some sanity, after several years. That Peters guy is a fugitive. He is wanted in Nigeria and should be deported there immediately to face justice. He has terrorized us for far too long’’.
Mr. Asamoah added that ‘’He has used the place as a brothel, a night club and avenue for perpetrating various criminal activities in the full glare of the law enforcement agencies who have benefited from his dubious largesse. We are happy that under this government, National Security, the Military and the Police are all involved, and the fact that he has been smoked out of hiding and apprehended, gives us hope that peace has come to stay in this area’’.
Mr. Peters’ arrest was prompted by complaints by residents of the area who said he had, together with some acquaintances, blocked the entrance of the apartments with his vehicles, denying many access to the apartments. He was reported to have gone into hiding after he got wind of his imminent arrest and only surfaced when the younger brother of President John Mahama, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama appeared at the scene, eventually culminating in his arrest.
Mr. Peters and his men were said to be fully armed and engaged the security operatives in a heavy battle before they were subdued and apprehended, and this has been corroborated by video evidence, as they were seen brazenly resisting arrest.
Deputy General Secretary of the governing NDC, Mr. Mustapha Gbande who was part of the operation that led to the arrest of Mr. Peters in an interview with the media observed that Mr. Peters run his own army, had military-like vehicles and motorbikes that should not be owned by individuals, and was basically a nuisance to the society.
Mr. Peters, together with his associates, were arrested and some of his vehicles were seized by the National Security, led by the Director of Special duties, Mr. Richard Jakpa.
Mr. Peters owns Aiteo Group of Companies in Nigeria, who was entangled in a web of controversy on allegations of corruption and questions surrounding the COVID-19 testing contract in Ghana a few years back.
A civil society group dragged Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to court, demanding Peters’ arrest and prosecution over corruption allegations. The lack of transparency regarding the USD 150 COVID-19 test at Kotoka International Airport in Accra left travelers and Ghana’s political landscape in turmoil.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu and Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who revealed some details of the Frontier contract with the Ghana Airports Company (GACL) at the time, stated that GACL made $10 out of every $150 collected for COVID test at Ghana’s Airport.
According to him, Frontier is estimated to have made a colossal $130m from the 2-year contract.
The Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) has alleged the killing of a 58-year-old Nigerian cleric, Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Fakunle, an indigene of Iye, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was allegedly killed on at his residence in Kensington, Johannesburg.
National President of NICASA, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying the circumstances surrounding the cleric’s death had left his family, friends and members of the Nigerian community devastated.
According to him, two suspects allegedly gained access to Fakunle’s residence and opened fire on him, reportedly shooting him more than seven times.
Onyekwelu described the incident as a “horrific and senseless act of violence” and condemned the killing, expressing concern over the continued loss of Nigerian lives to violent crime in South Africa.
He said, “This was not merely an ordinary loss of life; it was a horrific and senseless act of violence that has robbed a family of a loved one and the Nigerian community of another precious life.”
Onyekwelu said NICASA had reported the incident to the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, adding that a murder case had been opened at Jeppe Police Station.
He called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.
“We demand a thorough and credible investigation that will establish exactly what happened, identify all those responsible, apprehend the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought before the courts to face the full might of the law,” he said.
NICASA also urged Nigerian diplomatic authorities in South Africa to continue engaging with relevant South African authorities and monitor the progress of the investigation until justice is served.
NELFUND has rejected allegations that the Federal Government’s student loan scheme is being used to favour supporters or children of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr, dismissed the claim as “completely ridiculous.”
Moreover, he said the structure of the application system does not allow political affiliation to determine who receives the loans.
Sawyerr spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
He explained that the loan scheme is operated through an electronic application process.
Applicants are required to provide personal and academic information, including their names and matriculation numbers.
According to him, the system is designed to establish whether an applicant meets the requirements for the programme.
It does not collect information that would enable NELFUND to determine whether a student belongs to the APC or supports another political party.
“I have not heard this allegation, but I can tell you that it’s a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party. We are talking about students; many of them are yet to vote, some of them are going to be voting for the first time, [and] many of them are not party members.
“How, in any event, do we determine who is a party member and who isn’t? Even if you are running a manual process, how do you do that? You can’t. It’s unlikely to yield you any result.
“It is a process you have to apply for this loan electronically. If you don’t have a name, you can’t apply for this loan. You provide your matriculation number; you have to be in a public institution,” he said.
The NELFUND boss said the allegation also failed to take into account the nature of the beneficiaries targeted by the programme.
He noted that many students accessing the loans are young people who have not yet participated in an election. Some are also not members of any political party.Executive Branch
Sawyerr therefore maintained that using political affiliation as a basis for deciding beneficiaries would be impractical under the existing system.
He said NELFUND’s focus is on Nigerian students who meet the conditions for the loan and are enrolled in eligible public tertiary institutions.
Sawyerr described the demand for the scheme as “overwhelming”, saying many students and their families were struggling to meet the financial demands of tertiary education.
“The demand has been overwhelming, because clearly a lot of people have struggled to get into these institutions,” he said. “They are hanging on by the skin of their teeth to stay in the institution, and this programme came as a rescue for them.”
He disclosed that NELFUND had so far disbursed about N162 billion in upkeep allowances to students.
The fund is also examining application and disbursement figures as demand increases, with the agency seeking to understand the financial requirements needed to sustain the programme.
The student loan initiative was introduced by the Federal Government as part of efforts to reduce financial barriers to higher education.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans Act into law in April 2024, paving the way for the current NELFUND structure. The scheme provides interest-free financial support to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions.
It covers approved institutional charges and upkeep support for qualified beneficiaries.
The programme was designed to give students access to funding without requiring them to depend entirely on their parents or guardians to remain in school.
NELFUND has repeatedly stressed the importance of an electronic process in managing applications and disbursements.
The system allows applicants to submit their information for verification before their applications are processed.
Sawyerr further insisted that the system does not discriminate based on religion, ethnicity or gender.
“We have a system that is focused on people who are Nigerians and meet the standard. The system doesn’t recognise your gender. There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end.
“This is a system that doesn’t care whether you are of one tribe or the other. This system does not have a view or an opinion on whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, or an African traditional religionist; it doesn’t want to know.”
The NELFUND chief also spoke about the impact of the scheme on student retention.
He said available figures indicated that the programme had contributed to a reduction in the number of students dropping out of tertiary institutions, with the reduction put at about 20 per cent.
Sawyerr also addressed concerns surrounding repayment of the loans.
He maintained that beneficiaries would not be subjected to an unreasonable repayment burden, noting that repayment would be tied to their ability to pay after completing their studies.
Under the current structure, repayment is expected to commence two years after beneficiaries complete the National Youth Service Corps programme.
The NELFUND boss also disclosed that funds President Tinubu announced would be recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and channelled into the student loan scheme had not yet been received by the fund.
The UK Government has appointed Alastair Long as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, with a mandate to deepen economic ties and expand commercial partnerships between Britain and the continent.
The UK Department for Business and Trade welcomed Long to the position, according to a statement issued on Monday by the British Deputy High Commission.
The mission said Long would work with African governments, investors, businesses and institutions to strengthen economic relations between the UK and African countries.
It added that his responsibilities would include expanding commercial partnerships, supporting UK and African businesses, attracting investment and helping to build sustainable, resilient and productive economies across the continent.
“Long returns to a region he knows well, having previously served as Deputy Trade Commissioner and then HMTC for Africa between 2019 and 2022.
“Before taking up his current position, he served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain from August 2023,” the mission said.
Long said he was thrilled to resume his work in Africa.
He described Africa as the future, saying he had witnessed the continent’s “boundless energy and ambition” during his previous assignments.
“The UK is committed to being a partner that supports African and British growth by listening to African priorities and bringing the very best the UK has to offer.
“I look forward to engaging across the continent, with the UK business community, and with the UK Government team, to realise as many mutual opportunities as possible.”
Long succeeds John Humphrey, who had served as the UK Trade Commissioner for Africa since June 2022.
The British Deputy High Commission said Long inherited strong UK momentum in Africa and would bring extensive trade expertise to the role, as well as the focus and energy required to deepen partnerships and unlock further opportunities for mutual benefit.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the HMTC leads the UK’s overseas efforts to promote trade, investment, export opportunities and trade policy objectives.
The Commissioner works closely with the wider diplomatic network and other government officials to coordinate Britain’s overseas efforts to promote UK trade and prosperity.
The office also has responsibility for the Department for Business and Trade’s work in Africa, including growing the overall trade and investment relationship, improving market access for British companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, and developing trade policy.
Long joined the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 2002 and has held previous postings in the Middle East and North Africa.
He was educated at Clare College, Cambridge University, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
NAN
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