₦airaland Forum

Contd..

Contd

Contd..

DonPiiko:
Story, once you join APC your sins are forgiven and you become a saint. Most people in NIMASA were believed to be Jonathan's allies, that's why there are persecuted. Chief Obi was a local govt chairman under Ngige and he was an inactive member of APC. Trust me, he will go scotfree, our justice system is dysfunctional

If you follow the cases, you will understand that the charges have not been dropped. EFCC is still lining up witnesses against Orji Uzor Kalu and Obanikoro has not been let go.
Agreed the justice system in Nigeria is very slow, but it does not mean that it is totally dysfunctional. Most of the cases been decided and looters sent to prison (like those involved in subsidy scam), some started 5 -7 years ago. The NIMASA cases started since 2016..

Useless DSS that could not get the intelligence on the abduction of over 100 school girls in Dapchi....

DonPiiko:
If only you knew, he is close friends with the minister of labour and he has refunded some monies

APC is strategic in their dealings. You mean despite knowing the Minister, he is still refunding money?
I remember what Buhari said, that you need not be afraid of me, but be very afraid for the consequence of your actions. There is still no guarantee that your friend will not go to jail, even if he decamps to APC, like Obanikoro.
First APC will collect the loot, then ask the judge to still jail them. This is why many looters are afraid of the second term of Buhari.

The fear of Tinubu is the beginning of ...... within APC. That is why they cannot attack him publicly. Oro hun hun, inu elede lo n gbe.
They know that without Tinubu to mediate in between them, most of them cannot tolerate each other. It was Tinubu that brought them all together.

DonPiiko:
My close friend, he annoyed me by distancing himself after he got this appointment

Your good friend chop alone, now he must face the consequence alone..
Maybe you will pay him a visit in prison

Kog45:
Honestly you are a typical Nigerian

You dey mind those people? Their childish rants that they can not present before a judge.

rottennaija:
Did you read the article?

Yes, I read the article, which made me understand why looters will fight with everything they have in order to prevent Buhari from running again in 2019.
Looters also have realised that their best bet is for Buhari not to run, because if he contest, he will win.

Mynd44
Lalasticlala

micfoley:
May God punish all these looters. I just wish government could recover all this money and immediately deploy it to projects like railways and power

Many projects are currently on going. It's just that a lot of these capital projects takes upward of 3 / 4 / 5 years to complete. And that is after Engineering, Procurment and Construction award.

This is why Buhari must not contest the 2019 Election..

Eden Hazard

Hazard = Danger

Alleged Demolition Of Abuja Property: Patience Jonathan lied, EFCC tells Court

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

…says disputed building still intact, …..as court adjourns for ex-first lady to tender evidence

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA

– The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, accused the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, of lying before the Federal High Court in Abuja that her property was illegally demolished. Patience Jonathan EFCC, in a 14-paragraphed counter-affidavit that was deposed to by one of its lead investigators, Mr. Kolawole Mukaila, told the court that the said property which was registered in the name of Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation/Women For Change and Development Initiative, a pet project initiated by the former first lady, was still intact. Mukaila said he was a member of a special task force investigating alleged amounts of money laundered by Mrs. Jonathan, “into various accounts and properties purchased, which are disproportionate to her known source of income”. It will be recalled that the high court had on January 22, ordered an inquiry into the alleged illegal demolition of the property which has been subject of litigation between Mrs. Jonathan and the anti-graft agency. EFCC had approached the court for an order of interim attachment/forfeiture of assets and properties of the foundation. In an ex-parte motion that was signed by its lawyer, Mr. Benjamin Manji, the agency prayed the court to grant it the ownership of Plot No. 1960, Cadastral Zone A05 Maitama District and Plot No. 1758, Cadastral Zone A00, Business District in Abuja. It equally sought for “An order stopping any disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienation or otherwise of the property/asset”. However, Mrs. Jonathan, in a swift reaction, filed a motion to challenge the powers of the Commission to take possesion of assets of the Foundation.


The former first lady said she got wind of EFCC’s plans and decided to file a counter-motion in opposition to the interim forfeiture order request. She prayed the court to strike out EFCC’s ex-parte Originating Motion dated September 20, 2017, on the ground that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the application which she said was legally defective. Meanwhile, when the matter came up for hearing at the last adjourned date, Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, accused EFCC of resorting to self-help, alleging that it instigated the demolition of the disputed property. Following a denial by EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Rimamsomte Ezekiel, that the agency was not aware of the alleged demolition, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba adjourned to get a report on the actual state of the said property. At the resumed proceeding on Monday, EFCC, in its report, told the court that contrary to Mrs. Jonathan’s claim, it said the property it applied to seize from the Foundation was still standing. The Commission which tendered four picture-exhibits to prove its claim, told the court that the Federal Capital Development Authority/Development Control, only demolished “a mini Chalet” that was constructed without approval. It insisted that most of the depositions Mrs. Jonathan made in the affidavit where she claimed that the disputed property was demolished, “were untrue, false and aimed at misleading the court”. According to EFCC, “The property which the applicant applied to this court to forfeit, known as Plot No. 1758 Cadatsral Zone, A00 Central Business District Abuja, is still existing and was never demolished by any person or group of persons”. It alleged that Ozehkome misrepresented facts by making the court to believe that the entire structure was demolished by EFCC officials in conjunction with the FCDA, “whereas it was only a mini Chalet situated behind the main structure that was demolished by FCDA/Development Control, due to non approval”. “That upon enquiry from FCDA/Development Control, I was reliably informed that Development Control under the FCDA carried out the said demolition of the Chalet and the reason is that the building of the Chalet has no government approval as specified by law. “That I know as a fact that the Applicant or any of its officer has no hand in the said demolition. That the FCDA/Development Control is a different and distinct unit of the Federal Government from the Applicant, with different mandates”, Mukaila added.


However, Ozehkome, who told the court that he was only served him with a copy of the counter-affidavit on Sunday, discribed EFCC’s claim as “a lie from the pit of hell”. He told the court that out of four buildings belonging to the former first lady’s Foundation, two were “wantonly demolished”. “My lord, what they did was to go to the back to take pictures of the ones still standing. Thank God we have pictures of the demolished building and we even have the CD of the demolition. “More so, even if it was only one room that was demolished in a matter that was already before a court, does that not amount to a gross abuse of the principle of lis-pendis? “We are going to show that they resorted to self-help and took laws into their hands. EFCC which is an agent of the government cannot claim that it did not insitigate the demolition of the property by another agency of the same government. “In view of the lies contained in this counter-affidavit, my lord we shall be asking for an adjournment to enable us to file additional affidavit and also tender more evidence to prove that EFCC resorted to self-help”, Ozehkome pleaded. Owing to the request, Justice Dimgba adjourned the matter till April 12. EFCC had in an affidavit it filed to support its bid to take over assets belonging to Mrs. Jonathan’s Foundation, told the court that it had sometimes in 2016, received via inteligence report to the office of its Executive Chairman, an alleged case of conspiracy and money laundering. According to Mukaila who also deposed to the affidavit, “My team swung into action to conduct a descreet investigation by writing letters to Ecobank, Diamond bank, Corporate Affairs Commission and AGIS. “That in the course of investigation, it was revealed from the responses from the C.A.C and Abuja Geographical Information Systems that the plots of land were allocated to Ariwabai Aruera Reach out Foundation belonging to the former first lady, Patience Jonathan and her allies. “That investigation further reveals the accounts held by Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation had the former first lady, Patience Jonathan as one of the trustees and signatories of the account. Copies of the response from Diamond bank and Ecobank are herebu attached and marked as Exhibit EFCC 2A- 2B respectively. “That investigation also revealed that the plots of land were allocated in 2010 and the Certificate of Occupancy was issued in 2011. “That all the above stated payment/transfers/purchases had no contract award backing it up whatsoever and as such was reasonably suspected to be fraudulent payments and an illegal dissipation of the nation’s resources”, he added.


In a counter-motion, Mrs. Jonathan and the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, argued that EFCC’s application was an abuse of court process. She said it was filed “to overreach the Fundamental Human Rights suit pending before this court in suit no. FHC/CS/586/2017, filed by one of the trustees of Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation, against the said EFCC, with respect to the assets/properties of the said Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation, sought to be forfeited by the EFCC through the instant ‘Exparte Originating Summons”. In a six-paragraphed affidavit that was deposed on her behalf by one Chinedu Maduba, Mrs. Jonathan told the court that the NGO was founded in 2006 when she was the first lady of Bayelsa state, in conjunction with other trustees. “That the said NGO was registered as a charitable organization and in the last 10 years, it has carried out several charitable programmes, in line with its objectives. Some of the programmes include vocational training for women, treatment of people with heart and kidney problems within the country and abroad, as well as assisting less priviledged generally. “That recently, the Respondent herein began to harrass Mrs. Patience Jonathan, her relatives and the NGO, by indiscriminately freezing their accounts, even without court order, breaking into their properties, sealing off the NGO’s properties without an order of court. That the actions of the Respondent led to the filing of a Fundamental Human Right suit against the Respondent by Mrs. Patience Jonathan”, the deponent added

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/alleged-demolition-abuja-property-patience-jonathan-lied-efcc-tells-court/

Jonathan’s wife, banks trade blame over funds trapped in 10 accounts
Posted By: Eric Ikhilae.

February 26, 2018

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Former First Lady Patience Jonathan, some firms and groups linked to her and their bankers are engaged in a blame game over their inability to retrieve huge sums trapped in the banks in the wake of a freezing order obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mrs. Jonathan, the firms and groups accused the banks – First Bank, Skye Bank and Diamond Bank – of withholding their funds despite an order of court vacating the freezing order. But the banks argued that the way the ex-First Lady and others sought to retrieve the trapped funds violated existing financial regulations.

The firms and groups include: Incorporated Trustees of Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation, Fagmat Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM PM Global Network Limited and Magel Resort Limited.

Others are: Incorporated Trustees of Women for Change and Development Initiative Nigeria, Seagate Property Development Investment Company, Globus Integrated Services and Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited.



Although the total amount involved could not be immediately ascertained at the weekend, some documents filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja revealed the distribution of the accounts.

Mrs. Jonathan is said to own the account marked: 2022646664 with First Bank, with a balance of about $3.6million ($3,626, 273.71). Globus Integrated maintains account: 210002269 domiciled in Skye Bank.

Incorporated Trustees of Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation, Fagmat Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, Finchley Top Homes Limited, AM PM Global Network Limited and Magel Resort Limited are said to maintain accounts: 0024351569, 0026838491, 0019213687, 0026718889, 0024351590 with Diamond Bank.

Also, the Incorporated Trustees of Women for Change and Development Initiative Nigeria is said to maintain three accounts: 0035481691, 0025879578 and 0019213632 with Diamond Bank.

Mrs. Jonathan, the firms and groups are contending that the banks’ alleged refusal to release the money amounted to flouting the December 5, 2017 order of a Federal High Court in Abuja, vacating the freezing order got by the EFCC on May 30, 2017.

They subsequently initiated contempt proceedings against the banks’ heads, who they accused of disobeying the December 5, 2017 order by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which was to the effect that the freezing order obtained by the EFCC on the affected accounts has lapsed.



Mrs. Jonathan, the firms and groups stated, in a supporting affidavit filed with the committal application, that they attempted to make withdrawals from the accounts after the December 5, 2017 order, but were denied access to the accounts by the banks.

They added: “The respondents/contemnors all refused to obey the court order and thus, bluntly refused to pay the applicants or allow them operate their accounts. Despite the service of the orders and Forms 48 and 49 of this court on the respondents/contemnors, they have bluntly refused to obey the orders of this honourable court.”

They prayed the court to commit the bank chiefs to prison for “the persistent and flagrant disobedience of the order of this honourable court made on the 5th of December 2017 in suit No: FHC/CS/821/2016 between Incorporated Trustees of Ariwabai Aruera Reachout Foundation and 10 others vs. EFCC.”

Dr. Adesola Adeduntan (described in the application for committal as the Group managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Bank); Mr. Tokunbo Abiru (Chief Executive Officer, Skye Bank) and Uzoma Dozie (Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Bank) have denied any wrong doing.

The bank chiefs claimed that their banks complied with the December 5, 2017 ruling unfreezing the accounts. They have also challenged the competence of the contempt proceedings.

In a counter-motion, Adeduntan challenged the competence of contempt proceedings on grounds of incompetent service. He argued that no processes in relation the proceedings were served on him personally as required by law.

The First Bank CEO denied flouting any order of the court. He stated that his bank has complied with the December 5, 2017 order and has lifted the restriction on Mrs Jonathan’s account with the bank.

In a supporting affidavit, First Bank stated that “upon confirming the authenticity of the order of court and advice from its legal department, the bank forthwith complied with the order of court by defreezing the account on 16th December 2017.

“This was communicated to 11th judgment creditor/respondent (Mrs. Jonathan) vide a letter dated 18th December 2017. The bank also informed the 11th judgment creditor/respondent that its management had taken a decision to close the account with it and therefore requested her to provide the details of an account into which the balance in the said account should be transferred.

“Upon receipt of the letter, the 11th judgment creditor/respondent and her counsel, Granville Abibo (SAN), vide letter dated 20th December 2017 respectively informed the bank that the 11tth judgment creditor/respondent could not provide detail of any account into which the balance in her defreezed account with the bank should be transferred and thus demanded that she should be paid in cash.

“The bank, having complied with the order of court to unfreeze the account, no longer owe the 11th judgment creditor/respondent any obligation as regard assisting her to violate the provisions of the Money Laundering Laws of Nigeria and normal banking practice of delivering foreign currency in large quantum in cash.

“In response to letters dated 20th December 2017 the bank, vide letters dated 21st December 2017 to the 11th judgment creditor/respondent and her counsel respectively, informed them of the bank’s inability to accede to their request for cash payment, but advised that a bank cheque will be issued in the name of the 11th judgment creditor/respondent for the balance in the unfreezed account if she fails to provide detail of account into which the said balance should be transferred on or before 4tth of January 2018.

“In response, the 11tth judgment creditor/respondent and her counsel respectively informed the bank that the 11tth judgment creditor/respondent does not have any account in her name where monies can be transferred and would prefer cash to be paid to her as the lodgements made into that account were done in cash.

“The 11th judgment creditor/respondent further wrote the bank on 277th December 2017 supplying three separate accounts of her counsel, telling the bank that the said sum be paid into those three named accounts of solicitors who are third parties and the balance paid to her in cash.

“In line with the bank’s letter of 21th December 2017, upon the failure of the 11th judgment creditor/respondent and her counsel to provide any account detail in her name to transfer the funds in her unfreezed account, the bank on 17th January 2018 issued, in her name, a bank cheque no: 014602 in the sum of $3,626,273.71 representing the total balance in her account with the bank, less applicable charges.

“Further to the above, the bank also informed the 11th judgment creditor/respondent and her counsel vide letters dated 17th January 2018 to visit a designated office of the bank in Abuja to pick up the cheque. The 11th judgment creditor/respondent refused to collect the letter, but her counsel received his own copy,” the bank said.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Jonathan, the firms and groups have taken steps to frustrate a renewed move by the EFCC to have the accounts frozen again. They have challenged the competence a fresh motion filed by the EFCC to that effect.

They urged the court to strike it out for not only being incompetent, but constitution an abuse of court process. They noted that the EFCC has among others, filed similar application before the Lagos division of the Federal High Court.

When the two cases marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2016 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1207/2017 came up last Friday, the court could not take any of the pending application because the EFCC was not represented.

Justice Nyako noted that the EFCC was served with a hearing notice just the previous day, which the judge said was insufficient.

Following agreement by lawyers in the cases, including Mike Ozekhome, SAN, (for Mrs. Jonathan), Justice Nyako adjourned further proceedings to April 11.

http://thenationonlineng.net/jonathans-wife-banks-trade-blame-funds-trapped-10-accounts/

gidgiddy:
Why does any Igbo man think that an Igbo emerging President of Nigeria will up lift the Igbo nation?

Did OBJ's Presidency uplift the Yoruba nation?

Did GEJ's Presidency uplift the Ijaw nation?

So what is this noise about the useless office of President of Nigeria that has done nothing but produce one cluless idiot or the other for the last 50 years?

You are speaking from both sides of your mouth. Today, you want the Presidency, tomorrow you "don't care". As if anyone is fooled by your double speak, coming from a forked tongue. Today, you complain of marginalisation and cry for political appointment. Next tomorrow, it is Biafla or death. Just keep at it.

Hahaha. There you have it. Igbos are lazy thinkers for a fact.

McTobe:
My brother forget that one abeg, no matter how calculative you are you dont know where and what you will be tomorrow, your profession has nothing to do with your destiny. So you can marry a doctor today and she will get fedup with the profession just three years down the line and switch to fashion designer. one thing we shoud not miss is to be focused in whatever thing we do and try to be diligent at it, where that thing we are diligent in doing could lead us we know not. wonderful wknd

You have a point bro. Happy weekend.

When you dey marry, dey think of ya tomorrow

Good move. Tomorrow, you will hear mischief makers says that no herdsmen has been arrested or convicted despite the fact that this case is not the first nor the second case of herdsman to be arrested and convicted.

Mansions seized from Ihejirika

Former Chief of Army Staff Returns To EFCC For More Interrogation


Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuika Ihejirika (retd) was at the Abuja office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for more questioning on the roles he played in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKFEB 23, 2018


Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuika Ihejirika (retd) was at the Abuja office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) for more questioning on the roles he played in the $2.1 billion arms procurement scandal under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday.

The spokesperson for EFCC, Wilson Uwajuren, confirmed to this website that Mr. Ihejirika returned to answer more questions on the roles he played in the arms procurement scandal.

The retired General was released on administrative bail after answering questions from EFCC operatives on Wednesday for over nine hours.


Azubuike Ihejirika
It was also learnt that Mr. Ihejirika will also be quizzed on the contract scandal in the Lagos office of the anti-graft commission.

It is however unclear when the Lagos panel will invite him.

EFCC is interrogating the former army chief based on his indictment by a committee led by AVM Jon Ode (Rtd) set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to probe contracts awarded by the Federal Government for procurement of hardware for the Nigerian military from 2007 to 2015.

The Committee had in its report recommended further investigation of the former Chief of Army Staff, over findings which indicated his involvement in corrupt dealings in the arms procurement contracts.

http://saharareporters.com/2018/02/23/former-chief-army-staff-returns-efcc-more-interrogation

[BREAKING] N650m fraud: EFCC rejects ex-FCT minister, Akinjide’s settlement terms
Published February 22, 2018

Oladimeji Ramon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday opened its case against a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, who was charged with an alleged fraud of N650m.

The anti-graft agency called its first witness in the case, after rejecting the proposal by the ex-minister and her co-defendants to settle the case out of court.



Counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Nnaemeka Omewa, told the court that as the settlement terms proposed by the defendants did not comply with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act on plea bargain, the anti-graft agency was opting for full trial.

Details shortly…

EFCC has sealed off this beautiful estate belonging to ex-chief of army staff, Ihejirika (Photos)


Published on January 28, 2016

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sealed off an estate along Jabi Airport road junction in Abuja, belonging to the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Azubuike Ihejirika (CFR).

EFCC operatives sealed off the property today, January 27 amid heavy security. There are reports that an eyewitness who was believed to have taken photos as the EFCC officials operated was manhandled and his phone searched, but the photos were not seen.



Azubuike Ihejirika, CFR is a retired Nigerian Army Lieutenant General and one of the ex-military men President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the EFCC to probe over the $2.1 arms scam.

See Photos below:


http://www.thescoopng.com/2016/01/28/ihejirika/

dukecharles:
Mugu don't get it twisted, snake swallowed money in 2016, Aso Rock Rat 2017, 9.4 billion for electricity maintainance in Aso Rock scandal 2017, under the watch of your. your incompetent messiah PMB. This govt is hyper corrupt, don't be a fool

Apart from calling yoursslf a mugu and a fool, there is nothing worthwhile in your empty skull.

Thieves and enemy of the state

Wealthandjobs:
His name and alleged involvement in the Dasukigate has been mentioned all these months. It's still surprising that as a retired general,he hasn't gotten his documents to clear his name ready,in both hardcopy and soft copy backed up online for access even in the middle of the night and he still "has to go home" according to him.
No wonder they are never prepared for anything. I suspect that he has no strong evidence to establish his innocence. To be on the safe side,EFCC better hold him well well like Col. Dasuki before he escapes like Alhaji Maina.
I expect a General to always be ready. This is excuse is fishy.

Under Field Marshall Gutluck Jonathan, every animal ranging from snakes, monkey, rat, etc fed on the Nigeria treasury to their satisfaction..

Dasukigate: EFCC grills Nigeria’s former Army Chief Ihejirika

February 21, 2018

Samuel Ogundipe


Mr. Ihejirika, a retired lieutenant-general, arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja around 11:00 a.m. Wednesday and was subsequently ushered into an interrogation room, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Mr. Ihejirika, 62, led the Nigerian Army from September 2010 to January 2014 when he was dropped by President Goodluck Jonathan over his handling of the Boko Haram war.

His visit to the EFCC comes about 20 months after President Muhammadu Buhari said Mr. Ihejirika and others should be prosecuted after they were indicted by a panel of inquiry that probed the arms scandal, now widely dubbed the Dasukigate.

“He is being questioned as related to the procurement of arms and ammunition during the time he held sway as Chief of Army Staff,” an EFFC official told PREMIUM TIMES under strict anonymity because he was not an authorised spokesperson for the anti-graft agency.

“He will be released on administrative bail as soon as preliminary interrogations are over,” another source under anonymity said.

EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren did not respond to requests for comments.

Mr. Ihejirika said he didn’t immediately have answers to some of the questions thrown at him and sought the permission of his interrogators to go back home and retrieve more details relating to the arms purchase affairs, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The arms panel suspected Mr. Ihejirika of using family members and fronts to procure arms contract.

Mr. Ihejirika was eventually released on administrative bail on Wednesday night. He was asked to return on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/breaking-military-rescue-abducted-yobe-schoolgirls-inside-bush.html

Good job by the military..