A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday, fixed July 31, 2018, to deliver ruling on the no-case submission filed by the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor-Kalu, and other defendants.

At the last hearing on the case, Justice Mohammed Idris, the presiding judge, dismissed the defendants' application seeking to throw out the amended charge instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In dismissing the application, Justice Idris made reference to Sections 216 and 217 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that allows the prosecution to amend the charge at any stage of the trial.

The trial judge further stated that the prosecution could not be shut out from filing a second amended charge as the defence had not shown that the amendment would be prejudicial to it.

Immediately after the ruling, Uzor-Kalu, Slok Nigeria Limited and Udeogu, were subsequently re-arraigned on the new charge to which they pleaded not guilty.

After the defendants' not guilty plea, their lawyers notified the judge of various “no case submissions” which had been served on the anti-graft agency.

The defence team also pleaded with Justice Idris for adequate time to respond to the EFCC's written address.

The court then adjourned till July 25, 2018, to entertain arguments on the “no case’’ submissions.

According to the amended charge filed by the commission, Uzor-Kalu and other defendants were alleged to have committed the offence between August 2001 and September 2006.

In specific terms, the former Governor was accused of using his firm, Slok Nigeria Ltd., to retain N200 million in an account domiciled in First Inland Bank, now First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

The said sum, according to the EFCC, formed part of funds illegally derived from the treasury of the Abia State Government.

The anti-graft agency insisted before Justice Idris that Uzor-Kalu, his company (Slok Nig Ltd), one Emeka Abone and Michael Akpan, who are now at large, allegedly collaborated to commit the offence between 2001 and September 2006.

The former Governor and others were equally alleged to have concealed the genuine origin of a total sum to the tune of N7.2 billion, which the anti-graft agency declared formed part of funds illegally derived from the Abia State treasury, and converted same into several bank drafts, which were subsequently paid into the account of Slok Nigeria Ltd.

Even in counts one to 10, the EFCC pointed accusing fingers at the defendants for retaining about N2.7 billion in different bank accounts — funds said to belong to the Abia State government.

In all, Uzor-Kalu and others were alleged to have diverted over N7.1 billion from the Abia State government’s treasury, when he was Governor of the state.

The offence, according to the EFCC, contravenes Sections 14, 15(6), 16, 17 and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005.

The commission further insisted that the offence flouts the provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No. 9 of 2002 and Section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990 http://mognews.com/2018/07/25/orji-uzor-kalu-to-appear-in-court-for-7-1bn-fraud/

National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has reacted to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) statement, saying he was licking his vomit after the ‘no loss of sleep’ comment on the Reformed-APC faction.

Oshiomhole told State House Correspondents who asked if he was indeed losing sleep, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“You have seen me. Do I look like I’m losing sleep?”

Oshiomhole had said he could not lose sleep over the breakaway faction of the APC.

Reacting to the comment, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, said Oshiomhole dismissed R-APC yet went ahead to pay a nocturnal visit to Buba Galadima, its chairman, “in what appeared a fence-mending gesture”.

Details later… http://mognews.com/2018/07/23/oshiomhole-asks-pdp-if-they-actually-think-hes-loosing-sleep/

Despite the Lagos State Government’s effort to remove trucks and tankers from highways and bridges, the main carriageway of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway is still blocked as at yesterday.

A visit to the expressway yesterday revealed that stationary tankers were still parked on the main carriageway from Ijesha to Sanya Bus Stop from where there is a diversion to the service lane where also a corridor leads to Mile 2.

On the service lane, however, tankers and trailers are parked on the service lane stretching to Mile 2.

This was even as a joint operation, involving security agencies and stakeholders in the maritime sector, set up by the government was able to free the service lane from Cele Bus Stop.

On Friday the state government started the removal of all containerised trucks and tankers parked along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

Meanwhile, the state government said over 2,000 articulated vehicles were removed from the roads, including Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue and Mile 2-Orile and taken to seven designated holding bays in the past 72 hours.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan and Commissioner for Transportation, Ladi Lawanson, in a joint statement yesterday, said it was gratifying to report that the task force has opened up the service lane along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway to ease traffic from Toyota to Mile 2.

“Personnel for the operation were mustered at the state headquarters of the police in Ikeja at about 2200hours of Friday, July 20, where they were addressed by the Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal.


“This was followed by their deployment to the locations for the evacuation of the petroleum tankers and flat belt trucks causing gridlock from the service lanes and the expressway to seven holding bays at Ijora, Isolo, Amowu-Odofin, Orile, Apapa and Ijesha with the help of two Goliaths deployed by Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).”

The commissioners said though it was a common knowledge that the issues which gave rise to the chaos were mainly about breakdown of activities at the ports and lack of holding bays by some tank farms and shipping lines operating in the axis, the state government, nonetheless, was taking it upon itself to come up with palliative measures to free the road.

On his part, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Imohimi Edgal, has called on drivers of light vehicles plying Funsho Williams Avenue and the Oshodi/Apapa expressway and other major roads to use service lanes as they were free of traffic.

The police boss, however, warned truck driver not to use the service lane, as any attempt to do so would incur the wrath of the force.

A joint task force, was set up by the government involving security agencies and stakeholders in the maritime sector to remove all containerised trucks and tankers parked along the dual carriageway.

Tagged: ‘Operation Restore Sanity On Lagos Roads,’ the task force involving 2,271 personnel drawn from the police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), LASEMA, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and Nigerian Military, including army, Air Force and the Navy.

The operation also involved relevant unions within the maritime sector such as Amalgamation of Container Truck Owners Association, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NATO), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO).

The commissioners said to build on the gains so far recorded, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had already extended the operation of the task force for another 48 hours, while he would also host a meeting involving all the stakeholders in Alausa today to come up with lasting solution to the menace.

“Tomorrow, (today) the governor will be meeting with the Nigeria Ports Authority, Shippers Council, Tank Farm Owners, Department of Petroleum Resources, among others because that is where the problem is really emanating from,” the commissioners said. http://mognews.com/2018/07/23/apapa-oshodi-main-carriageway-still-blocked/

A 23-year-old victim of child trafficking, Falodun Damilola, has advised children on vacation to beware of peer groups and always stick to wise words of their parents at every point in time. Falodun told newsmen in Lagos that the vacation period should be a time for children to get closer to their parents and wards instead of hanging out aimlessly on the streets.

“This vacation period is very delicate because devourers are out there looking for which child they could confuse for their selfish interests. “This is the period that child traffickers go out en mass to convince young girls and even boys of better life through foreign trips,” she said. According to Dami, as she’s popularly called, children should tell their parents about their going out and their coming in. “It is very important that the children should share their decisions at every point in time to avoid making a life time mistake that may result to destruction.



“Young boys and girls should not respond to promises of foreign trips if it is not a scholarship programme or you have a relative over there. “These are just tricks to send you to foreign countries and use you for slavery of all kinds, it is very terrible out there,” she said. Dami, a native of Ekiti State, described her experience of travelling out as “being saved from hell”, which she said must not happen to any Nigerian child. “I am sharing my experience because I am lucky to have escaped, so many did not have this opportunity to live and share their ordeal.



“This period of long vacation must not be treated with levity by our parents because of evil perpetrators among us. Please, get closer to your children through any means. “Do not keep them with people you cannot trust, everyone is a suspect, your children should be your uttermost priority before your work,” she advised. Dami recalled that she traveled to Oman, Nizwa, an Arabian country in June 2016, after she lost her parents and had no one to assist her.

“I lost my parents in 2014 after which I tried to assist myself and so I worked with some organisations where I got in contact with these agents. “I got convinced of their promises because I was helpless and then I gathered my money to travel out thinking changing of environment would be the best option,” she said.

According to her, the agents “advised me that travelling out will be the fastest way to make money but I ended up being a slave out there.

“I urge young girls and boys to use this holiday period to learn skills instead of hanging out with unhealthy peer groups’’. She said that her luck was a slim opportunity she got to run back home, adding that she became rehabilitated when she got in contact of Princess Ronke, the ambassador to Queen Moremi. “It took the Grace of God for me to escape; there are several girls out there who would love to come back home, but no one to help them.

“Am grateful to Princess Ronke Ademiluyi who linked me to the Ooni of Ife, who is currently sponsoring my university education in Open University, taking care of my accommodation and feeding,’’ she said. Dami appealed to relevant authorities to check any young lady going out and authenticate her mission before she could be allowed out especially during vacations. Newsmen report that schools had commenced their eight weeks vacation period which gave room for children to either travel to visit relatives or stay back for holiday coaching and skill acquisitions

http://mognews.com/2018/07/22/victim-of-child-trafficking-urge-parents-to-monitor-children/

[url][/url]http://mognews.com/2018/07/22/heart-doctor-for-former-president-george-h-w-bush-killed-in-bicycle-drive-by-shooting/