New list to include former govs, ministers, bankers



Secondus sues Lai Mohammed , demands N 1 . 5bn damages

By Olusola Fabiyi and Jesusegun Alagbe

As controversy continues to trail the release of looters ’ list by the Federal Government in the last one week , there are strong indications that government is compiling fresh names of people alleged to have looted the nation ’ s treasury .

Our correspondents learnt that the fresh list might contain names of those who have yet to be arraigned in courts for corruption .
The list may also include names of former governors , ministers and even bankers.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed , had in the past said 55 persons stole N 1 . 34tn under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Last week , he released 29 names , who he said took money from the office of the former National Security Adviser , Col. Sabo Dasuki (retd . ).

Many of the names he released were , however, those already undergoing trial for alleged corruption while the names of members of the former ruling party , the Peoples Democratic Party , who had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress were conspicuously omitted from the list .

The two lists contained names of those in the main opposition party , the PDP. The PDP had subsequently criticised the government , accusing it of being biased and diverting attention from its alleged incompetence.

But a source close to the Presidency , who spoke on condition of anonymity , told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday , that the government , through the Ministry of Information and Culture, would soon release another list .

He said that the next batch would be more comprehensive and would contain the names of those who either took money from the office of the former NSA or directly from the Federal Government before the 2015 elections.

He said the government was aware of the controversy that surrounded the release of the first two lists , adding that the names of some persons considered to be close to the government could be in the third list .

The source said , “ Between you and me , I can authoritatively tell you that we are compiling a fresh list . We won ’ t release it until we are satisfied with it . We want to be thorough. People will be shocked when we release the fresh names.

“Those who accused us of being biased will know that we know what we are doing . The first list was a fraction . When the second one came out , people were surprised . As for the next one, people will be shocked . I won ’ t say more than that. ”

Efforts made to reach Mohammed on the issue were unsuccessful as calls made to his mobile phone indicated that it was switched off .


Our list includes former governors , ministers, bankers –Sagay

However , the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption , Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), in an interview with Saturday PUNCH confirmed that the names of 55 persons that allegedly looted N 1 . 34tn under Jonathan’ s regime were not in the lists of looters released by the Federal Government .

He said he was very sure that the Federal Government would publish the names of these alleged looters . He said , “ Yes , I’ m sure. In fact , there is a paper containing all their names, the charges against them , how far their cases have gone , some of them have never been charged .
“ That list includes former governors , ministers , bankers and so on. That is another list entirely. ”

He, however , refused to mention any of the names on the list , saying , “ No, I don’ t want to mention any names for now . There are people on that list that the court declared that the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) had no right to prosecute for technical reasons , not for substantive reasons . ”

Secondus sues Lai Mohammed , demands N 1 . 5bn damages

Meanwhile , the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus , has dragged Mohammed to court for defamation of character.

Mohammed had on Friday, last week , identified Secondus as one of those who looted the nation ’ s treasury in the first list .

He alleged that Secondus collected N 200 m from Dasuki , an allegation that was denied by Secondus , who said he was embarrassed by the minister ’ s claim .

He claimed through a letter from his lawyer, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN ), that he did not collect money and asked the minister to retract his statement . He also asked for the payment of N 1 . 5 bn as damages and a public apology within 48 hours.

The letter told Mohammed to note that if he failed to meet their demand after 48 hours , “ We shall within 72 hours from today , proceed to a court of competent jurisdiction to ventilate our client ’ s rights under the law and shall further seek the protection of the court against you . ”

Having failed to meet the demand , Secondus on Friday , made good his threat and filed a suit at the High Court , Port Harcourt, Rivers State, asking the court to award the sum of N 1 . 5 bn to him as damages for humiliation, castigation , vilification attack on his person and integrity as a result of the publication.

According to a statement by the PDP National Chairman ’ s Media Office , which was signed by his spokesperson , Mr. Ike Abonyi , Secondus , in the suit numbered : /PHC/ 1013/ 2018, is also claiming that Mohammed ’ s publication is defamatory .

He, therefore, asked the court to direct Mohammed to retract the said publication and apologise to him in writing .

He asked the court to compel the minister to publish the retraction and apology in the
Nation , This Day, The Sun , The
Guardian and The PUNCH as well as on television stations like Nigerian Television Authority and Channels TV , among others, where the “ defamatory ” report was published .

Secondus is also asking the court for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further publishing defamatory materials against him .

Joined in the suit are the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Attorney General of the Federation and the Vintage Press Limited , publishers of The Nation Newspapers .

Also included in Mohammed ’ s first list were a former PDP National Publicity Secretary , Olisah Metuh , who is on trial for allegedly collecting N 1 . 4 bn from NSA office; Dr . Raymond Dokpesi , who is on trial for taking N 2 . 1 bn from NSA office ; and a former Senior Special Adviser to President Jonathan , Dudafa Waripamo - Owei , who is on trial over N 830 m kept in accounts of four different companies
In the second list , the minister said based on EFCC’ s investigation , N126 bn , $1.5 bn and £ 5.5 m were allegedly embezzled through Dasuki ’ s office . He said the amounts were not part of the ongoing $ 2 . 1 bn military equipment scandal .

http://punchng.com/looters-list-fg-compiles-fresh-names/

Its almost three year since the commencement of this administration that boasted on their so called fight against corruption and all we now should be debating is a 'list'...?



Lets assume for a moment that there were 52 major looters
How many are already in Court?
How many have been convicted and jailed?
How many are on their way to jail?

Technical reasons not to prosecute a thief.

Bunch of idiots.

How can a seemingly confused govt. Do anything meaningful, just name compilation they are going back and forth

FG should stop this their foolishness,enough of all these rubbish.

Evablizin:



FG should stop this their foolishness,enough of all these rubbish.

I thought you campaigned vigorously for barber?


I am very much surprised my name is omitted from the list.




Somebody sai barber.

VanNistelrooy24:
I thought you campaigned vigorously for barber?


I am very much surprised my name is omitted from the list.




Somebody sai barber.

Please patiently wait for another list,your name must be there,no be sai barber again

Any list without APC front liners is that one a list?

Evablizin:


Please patiently wait for another list,your name must be there,no be sai barber again

I hope so....

>

Waiting for It to labelled as one of buhari achievements

Sick old dullards

How I wished death is by age

How many convictions We deserved wat we get in this country. Pmb till 2023 abeg

Episode 2 season 3..spreading mat to watched to new actors and actresses

Who gives a fûck about a fake list that nobody is going to do anything with?
Why not jail them instead of writing their names as if it were a noise makers list in primary school

My pipu say seeing is believing so....till i see am
Hope say d omitted apc names go dey dia

Rubbish. Names and then what?? And then what? Rubbish. Publishers association of Nigeria

So this is the new preoccupation now? Why are they turning it into a ceremony? Smh.

Some people looted. So? You take their asses to court with enough proof. You don't overflog the issue. Why are they making it sound like what they are doing is so magnanimous? How does this one act benefit the average life of the average Joe?

They are confident in doing this because they they know that the court of law is in their power.




They know that no judgment against them will work.


Very confident in their moves to intimidate their opponents.

In the normal sense, such lists should have been released after conviction.

Hmmm. My country; a place where the poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer.

Useless and visionless govt.
Let's see how they will win 2019 election with their usual fake cries against corruption with their useless corruption list. The same corruption they have perfected in NNPC like never before to the point that they now pay N1.4 Trillion in subsidy annually.

If this is strategic for re-election campaign then you are in for total plunge in failure.

Useless list.
Show Nigerians your project.
List it.
Foolish govt

List without conviction! Abeg this is just political show for Nigerians to enjoy.
When there is proper case concluded with jail term then I will know this government is serious.
Till then all of this is a joke.

List! List! List! Arrant nonsense. South Korea impeached and removed their president in late 2016, charged her court for corruption in 2017, convicted and sentenced her to 24 years imprisonment just yesterday. A former president! While EFCC is still unable to record a conviction against a mere former lawmaker in the person of Lawan (for the past 6 years)!

Honestly I'm still struggling to understand the need for all the so-called "looters list", are the looters going to be persecuted? Or the lists are just made for the sake of it? This government is a joke smh.

Even Obanikoro They Hounded And Threatened With Extradition Is Now Exonerated And Forgotten. No Mention On "Looters List".

This Change Good o!

TheTrueSeeker:
Its almost three year since the commencement of this administration that boasted on their so called fight against corruption and all we now should be debating is a 'list'...?



Lets assume for a moment that there were 52 major looters
How many are already in Court?
How many have been convicted and jailed?
How many are on their way to jail?

Seriously, I dnt blame this government. Nigerian Law is so week that it’s just too sure for a rich man to walk away from justice anytime. It’s so bad that a case can take as long as 2 generations.

Until the law is reformed, no government can win this war.

Start from the presidents.

If you say Goodluck Jonathan regime was corrupt, then no need protecting Goodluck, arrest him and prosecute him according to the law of the land, and if found guilty, jail him at least 25yrs in jail without parole. That will send a shocking message to incoming presidents in Nigeria, but all I see is a dangerous political blackmail to silence the opposition in order to get Nigerians worked up against PDP members to guarantee APC victory in 2019.

Because I still wonder why no politician or government official in APC is found guilty or even accused of corruption despite the fact that 99.999% of all past and present Nigerian politicians, presidents, governors, senators, ministers, commissioners, LGA chairpersons, etc are all corrupt.

If I am president Buhari and I am sure that my hands are clean and free of corruption or crime, I will shock APC and write my name in the sands of history by opening corruption books of top APC chieftains like:

1. Tinubu
2. Saraki
3. Kwankwaso
4. Tambuwal
5. Rochas Okorocha
6. Adams Oshiomhole
7. El Rufai
Etc, etc and watch all Nigerians irrespective of their tribe hail and support the president with their last drop of blood, but will he do this Hell no!

So if he can't do this, then he is not ready to fight corruption but only being partisan with his alleged corruption fight which will surely backfire someday

Can you guys just stop this expensive comedy? Its not funny anymore.

all eyes are watching and all ears are listening...

APC and Buhari should stop deceiving themselves. Compiling a list of looters shouldn't be an achievement

So this is all this lying govt plan to distract Nigerians with? they should let me know when the list includes Yusuf buhari