₦airaland Forum

Ibidunni Ituah-Ighodalo, event planner and wife of Lagos-based clergyman has passed away.

It was reported that the prestigious event planner died in Port Harcourt where she went to work.

Though unconfirmed, cardiac arrest is allegedly responsible for the death of the one time beauty queen and maiden Face of Lux.

Ibidunni was a beacon of hope to many marriages and a woman who was seen as an amazon.

She was the founder of Elizabeth R, an Events Planning and Public Relations company of high repute in Nigeria.

She was also the founder of the Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF), through which she has been able to help many marriages have a child of their own.

Ibidunni Ighodalo was known for her beauty, and great love for children, adopting many kids during her lifetime.

Having gone through 11 Invitro-Fertilization and waiting 11 years to have a biological child, her story has touched many lives and lifted many marriages till today.

Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ibidunni-ighodalo-is-dead/

The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, known as Ojaja II who is the traditional ruler and spiritual leader of the Yoruba people, claims that he has been defamed in video clips and other posts, that have appeared on Facebook and YouTube, by Esther Esabod Aboderin. Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ooni-of-ife-drags-popular-blogger-essabod-to-court-in-republic-of-ireland/

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A man shot dead in west London, has been named by police as 20-year-old Alexander Kareem, who was the younger brother of ex-BBN contestant, Khafi Kareem.

Alexander was killed after suffering gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen on Askew Road in Shepherd's Bush at 12.40am on Monday .

According to detectives, a white Range Rover Evoque linked to the murder was later found burnt out three miles away. The police said they were yet to make any arrests. More here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ex-bbn-contestant-khafis-brother-shot-dead-in-the-u-k/

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A man shot dead in west London, has been named by police as 20-year-old Alexander Kareem, who was the younger brother of ex-BBN contestant, Khafi Kareem.

Alexander was killed after suffering gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen on Askew Road in Shepherd’s Bush at 12.40am on Monday.

According to detectives, a white Range Rover Evoque linked to the murder was later found burnt out three miles away. The police said...

Read full story:
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/ex-bbn-contestant-khafis-brother-shot-dead-in-the-u-k/

This is not the best of times for the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents as an upsurge of coronavirus is reportedly ravaging their camp like wild fire.

An impeccable source who is familiar with the activities of this dreaded terrorists, confirmed to our reporters that Abubabar Shekau’s Second in command, Bashir Umar has been confirmed dead as a result of COVID-19 complications.

It is no longer news that the Nigerian government has been trying everything possible to capture the sinister Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and his boys for years running into decades now.

Meanwhile, The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai had earlier reported that Nigeria has achieved “tremendous success” in its fight against Boko Haram and the morale of troops is very high.

Mr Buratai addressed journalists at the State House, Abuja, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, June 8, whom he said he briefed on the security situation in the North-east.

However, just recently, 81 civilians were killed and scores injured when suspected members of the Boko Haram sect on Tuesday, June 10, invaded Zowo village, 34km away from Gubio town, the headquarters of Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State.

In February 2020, Shekau threatened the Nigerian Communications Minister, Hon. Isa Ali Pantami, in a viral video forcing the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to issue an order directing the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to change its policy on SIM card registration and usage. This did not go down well with the Boko Haram commander.

Read full story: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/coronavirus-epidemic-hits-bokoharam-camp-abubakar-shekau-second-in-command-bashir-umar-dies-from-covid19-infection-complications/

Nigeria's Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu have denied having any rift between them.

This reaction was in response to an online publication which claimed that Aregbesola launched the dissolution of political groups in Lagos in order to fuel his 2023 presidential ambition.

It was reported that this was the reason for the "cold war" between the former Osun Governor and his political godfather. Read more here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/tinubu-takes-all-the-glory-apart-from-god-rauf-aregbesola/

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The hearing of a suit filed against Nigeria's former vice president and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar has been adjourned to July 28 by a High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory.

The suit was filed on January 22, 2019, by the 2nd plaintiff, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim. The first plaintiff, who happens to be President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as Mallam Ibrahim prayed the court to order Atiku to pay N40million.

The N40million is for alleged libellous claims published on December 27, 2018, to the effect that President Buhari and members of his family own substantial shares in telecoms giant, 9mobile, and Keystone Bank respectively.

It would be recalled that the Supreme Court had on October 30, 2019, dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The Supreme Court led by Justice Tanko Muhammad held that the appeal lacked merit after reading all the documents brought before it.

"We have examined all the briefs and the exhibits for over two weeks and we agree that there is no merit in this appeal," Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad.

"The appeal is dismissed," he concluded in a decision made unanimously with six court justices.

The Apex court judgement ended the strong legal battle that ensued between Buhari and Atiku after Buhari was re-elected for a second term with 56% of the votes.

Atiku who came second with 41 per cent branded the result a "sham" immediately.
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/2019-election-drama-buharis-libel-suit-against-atiku-adjourned-to-july-28/

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The Justice Department of United States of America (USA) is relying on the extradition treaty between her and Nigeria to get a serving General, Brigadier Charles Nengite, back on her soil to face multiple criminal charges of conspiracy, money laundering and stealing of over $16m (N6,208,000,000.00). He is wanted in the USA on indictment already filed before the district court in the district of Maryland, on charges of conspiracy, money laundering and illegal transfer of over $16m to the USA to his wife's bank account in the USA.

Brigadier General Charles Nengite is renowned for his brilliance, one of the finest of them all, but he is presently cooling his heels in detention.

To those who knew him, he was a very brilliant officer who was the best overall at the Army War College, USA three years ago.

According to reports, he allegedly benefitted billions of naira in contracts while he was serving as a Chief Security Officer to NDDC. Continue reading here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/america-demands-extradition-of-nigerian-serving-general-who-embezzled-16m-nddc-funds/


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A new case of domestic violence has seen a woman named Maureen allegedly bathing her husband, Oyinkro Miebode with boiling water in retaliation for a slap he dealt her while they were having an argument.

The incidence occurred on June 3, 2020, at the couple’s residence in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State. Mrs Maureen was alleged to have poured the hot water on her husband while he was sleeping, leaving her husband in serious pains. Continue reading and view graphic photos here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/domestic-violence-woman-retaliates-husbands-slap-by-pouring-hot-water-on-him-whilst-he-slept-graphic-photos/

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Boko Haram insurgents are planning to bomb key structural facilities across the country and Abuja in particular, The Street Journal learnt.


This planned attacks by the terrorists was uncovered in an intelligence report made available to all Police Mobile Force (PMF) across the country.


The terrorists were said to attribute their decision to the failure of the Government at Federal and State levels to share funds and other incentives donated to fight against Covid19 pandemic nationwide.

This was contained in a police wireless messages dated, 30 May 2020, to MOPOLS TRG ILA- ORANGUN/GWAOZA/ENEDEHU/1-77.

He was quoted as saying that the group are targeting major National economic interests such as Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Towers, International Conference Center (ICC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs building and other critical infrastructures. CLICK HERE AND SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW INTEL REPORT ==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/revealed-boko-haram-terrorists-plan-to-bomb-nnpc-cbn-key-structural-facilities-in-abuja-lagos-rivers/


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This is the very tragic story of Captain Hadiza Oboh, a girl who had the dream of conquering the skies. She was basking in the manifestation of her dreams when she was cut down in her prime by the very people she fed, clothed and trusted with her own life.


The late Captain Hadiza Lantana Oboh was the first and only female pilot of the defunct Nigeria Airways.


LOVE, FAMILY AND MARRIAGE


Hadiza was single and lived alone in her residence where she enjoyed every available luxury and was hardly visited by friends, relations or associates. She seemed to have been very much focused primarily on her career and might have been very introverted.


FLYING CAREER


A hardworking and focused lady, Captain Hadiza Oboh was reputed to have checked out as a Flight Officer (F/O) aboard a Boeing 737 of the Nigeria Airways in 1984.
By 1989, she was already a well-established pilot and remained an aviation superstar all through the 1990s. She was always a point of reference and source of pride for all women associations in Nigeria and Africa.


THE PLOT AND THE MURDER


The cold-blooded murder of Captain Hadiza Oboh still sounds like a scene right out of a movie, even 22 years after her unfortunate exit from the world. On that fateful day, around 8.00 pm on the 8th of February 1998, Captain Oboh drove straight from the airport to her 40A Bourdillion Road home in Ikoyi, a high-brow part of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial centre. A very lively lady, she was full of sparkle and was probably famished after a hectic day (pilots are some of the most worked and stressed-out professionals), she made for her kitchen to prepare a quick meal to line her stomach.


Inside the kitchen, she set a pot of soup on the electric cooker. She never had a taste of the meal she was cooking. Unknown to one of Africa’s few female captains; her domestic servants were already putting finishing touches on how to send her to the Great Beyond.


As stated earlier, Captain Hadiza Oboh was single and lived alone. The only people staying with her at her Ikoyi residence were her domestic servants who were males. They worked as the gateman (Abdullahi was the maiguard or security watch), the gardener in addition to handling some other household tasks.


As she approached the entrance of her posh residence, Abdullahi flung open the big gates to her residence and she drove in, parked her Santana car and strode in. As Hadiza entered her well-furnished duplex, she did not suspect a thing. She headed for her bedroom while one of the domestic workers helped her with the flight bag. CONTINUE HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/tragic-how-nigerian-female-pilot-captain-hadiza-oboh-was-murdered/

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The Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano has approved a new burial law in the state effective May 14, 2020.

Anambra is a state known for carrying out expensive burial ceremonies, however, that might be coming to an end with this new burial law that the governor has assented to.

Details of the Anambra New Burial Law

According to the new law, all the communities in the state must have burial grounds. Also, funeral ceremonies of indigenous deceased persons must be registered with the town union at a fee of N1,500, while the erection of any billboard, banner or posters of any kind of deceased persons would attract N100,000 fine or six months jail term or both.

However, the deceased's family will not be fined or jailed if directional posts leading to the venue are not erected before seven days to the burial date and removed not later than seven days after the burial date. If the family does otherwise, they would be liable to pay the fine or be jailed.

The new burial law requires that the Commissioner for Lands in Anambra State create burial grounds in every community where rejected corpses and unidentified corpses would be buried.

Also, there would be monitoring and implementation committees and members of the committees would be paid a remuneration to be determined by the town union.

The law provides that the monitoring committee would be responsible for registering all deaths in the town, and giving clearance for every burial/funeral ceremony, as well as submitting records of the implementation of the law to the Department of Town Union and Chieftaincy Matters in the state.

Other provisions of the law read in part:

”The corpse must not be deposited in the mortuary or any other place beyond two months from the date of death;

”No blocking of road/street because of burial except with the approval of the appropriate local government authority; CONTINUE READING HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/gov-obiano-approves-new-burial-law-in-anambra-state/

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The National Universities Commission (NUC) has noted that some Nigerian Universities are running unapproved post-graduate programmes even to awarding Masters and PhD degrees.

In a bid to combat this, the commission has released an update on the list of approved post-graduate awarding institutions in Nigeria.

This is contained in a bulletin released few days after the Federal government asked all schools in Nigeria to shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The bulletin added to the list of former federal, state and private universities currently allowed to offer post-graduate programmes at the Masters’ and PhD levels in Nigeria.

Nigeria as at March 2018 had 162 universities: 41 are federal, 47 are state-owned while 74 are privately owned institutions.

Currently, Nigeria has 170 universities, 43 are federal, 48 are state-owned while 79 are privately owned.

Out of the 43 federal universities, 32 are approved by the commission for postgraduate programmes. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LIST==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/nuc-releases-approved-nigerian-universities-for-post-graduate-programmeslist/

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Lagos State reported eight COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, bringing the total number of COVID-19 mortalities in the State to 67.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed this on his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday, adding that the COVID-19 deaths occurred on Monday.

It will be recalled that the Lagos Health Commissioner disclosed that 9 COVID-19 related deaths were recorded on Sunday, May 31.

With an additional 142 new cases recorded in the State on Tuesday, Lagos now has a total of 5,277 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

With the total number of deaths standing at 67, the State has, however, not given information about the sex, age, nationality or underlying medical conditions of the deceased.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on Tuesday announced that the country recorded 241 new cases of Coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in Nigeria to 10,819.

According to the NCDC, Nigeria recorded 15 deaths on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. The Health Agency also noted that most of the deaths were associated with co-morbidities, adding that three out of four of those who have been discharged were without co-morbidities.

The World Health Organization have said that individuals with underlying health conditions like hypertension, diabetes and other chronic non-communicable diseases are at greater risks of contracting the coronavirus disease.

Furthermore, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha has revealed that about 812 health workers have contracted the coronavirus disease.

The PTF and the NCDC have continually enjoined Nigerians to adhere to the guidelines that have been put in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, even as the lockdown is gradually being eased.
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/lagos-17-covid-19-associated-deaths-recorded-in-2-days/

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The Bayelsa State Governorship Electoral Petition Tribunal on Tuesday in Abuja ordered that the state’s Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo appear before it on Thursday to produce the original copy of his disputed certificate.

The order of the Tribunal followed a subpoena earlier issued on Ewhrudjakpo to appear and produce the original of the exemption certificate issued to him by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 1998.

The subpoena was issued on the request of the candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, Vijah Opuama, who is challenging Ewhrudjakpo’s qualification to stand election,

He is alleging that the deputy governor submitted a forged exemption certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.

Although, Ewhrudjakpo had, by a motion filed at the Tribunal on May 17, 2020 challenged the competence of the subpoena and prayed the Tribunal to set it aside.but, his counsel Chukwuma Machukwu Ume (SAN) changed his mind yesterday and withdrew the motion.

The senior counsel said that his client was no longer challenging the subpoena and was ready to attend the Tribunal’s sitting.

Lawyers to the petitioner, Pius Dande Pius and other parties in the matter did not object to the application to withdraw the motion, challenging the subpoena.

In its ruling, the Tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo struck out the motion and ordered Ewhrudjakpo’s appearance on Thursday, the 4th of June, 2020.

The Tribunal rejected the request that Ewhrudjakpo be allowed to appear next week on the grounds that since Bayelsa State does not have an Airport, it would be difficult for the Deputy Governor to travel in view of the lockdown.
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/tribunal-orders-bayelsa-deputy-gov-to-appear-june-4-over-alleged-certificate-forgery/

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A 9-year-old boy, identified as Emma, who has been missing for two days, was found dead on Monday, June 2, in a parked car in Suleja, Niger State with his both eyes plucked out.

According to a source , “Emma’s mum sells roasted corn very close to where he was found dead.

He was found in the car belonging to a driving school. The police were invited and they discovered his two eyes were plucked out.

His body has since been moved to the Suleja morgue.”
Pictures (Graphic) ***

Source: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/missing-boy-found-dead-in-a-parked-car-with-eyes-plucked-out/

Tuesday, June 2, a Federal High Court in Lagos, granted a motion by a former Governor of Abia, Orji Uzor Kalu, seeking his release from the Kuje Prison custody.

Justice Mohammed Liman before who the applicant’s motion was pending, granted the prayer of applicant, and ordered the release of Kalu, from prison.

The Street Journal had earlier reported that Kalu was sentenced to 12 years for N7.2billion fraud.

The verdict was handed down by Justice Mohammed Idris on Dec. 5, 2019, while his co- defendant, Jonnes Udeogo had bagged a 10 years jail term.

Justice Idris who delivered the verdict , had been ceased of the case from the time of Kalu’s arraignment, but he was subsequently, elevated to the court of appeal.

However, following a fiat authorising him to continue with the case, Idris conducted and concluded the trial of Kalu and his co-accused.

He, had consequently, delivered his verdict on Dec. 5, 2019 handing down a jail term of 12 years and 10 years, on Kalu and Udeogo respectively.

Following an appeal by Udeogo, the Supreme Court had on May 8, held that the fiat issued to Justice Idris to conclude the trial of the defendants after he had been elevated to the Court of Appeal was “a nullity”.

The apex Court had set aside Idris’ verdict “as it relates to the appellant (Udeogu)”, and had ordered Udeogu’s freedom and the re-trial of his case

In reaction to the decision of the apex court, Kalu consequently, hired a 12 man team of lawyers, including six Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, to prosecute his freedom bid.

In his motion, Kalu contended that no legal basis existed for his continued incarceration following the Supreme Court’s judgment which declared his trial a nullity and freed Udeogu

He had filed the motion on May 12 asking the court to nullify his conviction, while the court reserved the case for June 2 (today)

In his ruling, on Tuesday, Justice Liman held that the motion was meritorious and that he was bound by the judgment of the Supreme Court.

He, consequently, ordered the immediate release of Kalu from the Kuje Correctional Centre where he is currently being detained.

Source: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/breaking-court-orders-immediate-release-of-orji-kalu-from-prison/

A suspect linked to the murder of 22-year-old Vera Uwaila Omozuwa. has been arrested by the police.

Uwa, a 100 level Microbiology student of the University of Benin was found dead in her church parish on May 27, 2020, after being hacked with a fire extinguisher.

Her death has elicited outrage and sparked a renewed campaign against rape on social media, with the police and the Edo state government promising to find her killers and bring them to justice.

According to the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, “Police arrest suspect linked to murder of UNIBEN student.

“According to the spokesman of Edo Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, the suspect was arrested after the fingerprint on the fire extinguisher she was attacked with was examined.”

#JusticeForUwa.

Source: The Street Journal

https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/justiceforuwa-polie-arrest-suspect-linked-to-uwas-murder/

Following the Bayelsa Gubernatorial Scandal, the Department of State Service (DSS) confirmed on Monday that its investigation revealed alteration in the exemption certificate issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo.

Abdulsalam Ibrahim, the Head, Legal Department, DSS, who represented DSS’ Director General, told the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal in Abuja that his agency was ordered by an Abuja court to investigate allegation of certificate forgery against Ewhrudjakpo.

According to The Nation, Ibrahim was at the tribunal to tender documents and testify for the petitioner upon a subpoena issued on the DG, DSS by the tribunal.

The candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, Vijah Opuama had petitioned the tribunal, alleging that Ewhrudjakpo submitted forged exemption certificate and documents that contain false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.

Ibrahim, led in evidence by petitioner’s lawyer, Pius Danbe Pius, said: “My lord, on the 22nd of February 2020, we received a letter from an Area Court in Lugbe, Abuja asking the DSS to investigate the NYSC exemption certificate of Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the present Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.”

He said his agency conducted investigation by reaching out to the NYSC.

He said the DG, NYSC wrote to the DG, DSS confirming alteration in the surname in the exemption certificate issued Ewhrudjakpo.

Ibrahim however told the tribunal that the alteration was done by the NYSC at the instance of Ewhrudjakpo.

The petitioner’s lawyer later tendered a copy of the subpoena, a copy of the letter from the Area Court and two investigation reports dated May 27 and 28, 2020, including an annexture from the NYSC, through the witness.

Respondents’ lawyers, including Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), Chris Uche (SAN) and Chukwuma Machwkwu Umeh did not object to the tendering of the documents, following which the tribunal admitted them and marked them Exhibits P1, P2, P3 and P4.

Upon a request by Pius, Ibrahim read the conclusion of the report of the investigation conducted by his agency, which the tribunal had admitted in evidence.

The conclusion of the report, as read out by Ibrahim, went thus: “Based on the foregoing and the relevant documents forwarded to this service, it is evident that the subject altered the spelling of his surname to reflect the letter D as against the letter O in the certificate of exception earlier issued by NYSC.”

Under cross-examination by lawyer to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emmanuel Enoidem, Ibrahim confirmed that the alteration in the certificate was effected by the NYSC.

The witness agreed with Enoidem that it is the bearer of a name that knows how best to spell his/her name.

Under cross-exemination by Chris Uche (SAN), lawyer to Duoye Diri (the Bayelsa State Governor), the witness said the alteration was done by the NYSC upon the request by Ewhrudjakpo.

Uche later asked the witness to read paragraph 7 of a document marked “P3” (one of the reports the investigation by the DSS), which Ibrahim read,thus: “it is based on this recent finding, that we wish to bring to the notice of the DSS that we (the NYSC) corrected the certificate of exemption to read Ewhrudjakpo. Only the last letter A was corrected to read letter O.”

When asked to identify an attachment to the report, the witness identified it as “Annexture 2,” which he explained “is a letter to the NYSC seeking a request for correction, following which the correction was now made.”

At the conclusion of the witness’ testimony, Pius said his next witness is Ewhrudjakpo, who he said has been subpoenaed to produce the original copy of the certificate of exemption.

Pius said, by his case plan, the Deputy Governor was the next appropriate witness for the petitioner.

The tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo adjourned till Tuesday (June 2) for the hearing of a motion by Ewhrudjakpo, challenging his invitation as the petitioner’s witness.

Earlier the tribunal in a ruling, rejected an application by LM to be made a party in the case.

Justice Sirajo upheld the arguments of the respondents, to the effect that the party failed to justify why it filed the application late.

Justice Sirajo held that there was no exceptional circumstances to warrant the granting of the applicant’s request to have its application heard outside the tribunal’s pre-hearing session.

He noted that the time for the hearing of such application has elapsed, with the applicant not being able to justify why it delayed in seeking to be made a party in a petition filed by its candidate.
Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/bayelsa-certificate-scandal-dss-confirms-ewhrudjkpors-certificate-was-altered/

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Following the Bayelsa Gubernatorial Scandal, the Department of State Service (DSS) confirmed on Monday that its investigation revealed alteration in the exemption certificate issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo.

Abdulsalam Ibrahim, the Head, Legal Department, DSS, who represented DSS’ Director General, told the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Tribunal in Abuja that his agency was ordered by an Abuja court to investigate allegation of certificate forgery against Ewhrudjakpo.

According to The Nation, Ibrahim was at the tribunal to tender documents and testify for the petitioner upon a subpoena issued on the DG, DSS by the tribunal.

The candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM) in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa, Vijah Opuama had petitioned the tribunal, alleging that Ewhrudjakpo submitted forged exemption certificate and documents that contain false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election.

Ibrahim, led in evidence by petitioner’s lawyer, Pius Danbe Pius, said: “My lord, on the 22nd of February 2020, we received a letter from an Area Court in Lugbe, Abuja asking the DSS to investigate the NYSC exemption certificate of Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the present Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.”

He said his agency conducted investigation by reaching out to the NYSC.

He said the DG, NYSC wrote to the DG, DSS confirming alteration in the surname in the exemption certificate issued Ewhrudjakpo

Ibrahim however told the tribunal that the alteration was done by the NYSC at the instance of Ewhrudjakpo.

The petitioner’s lawyer later tendered a copy of the subpoena, a copy of the letter from the Area Court and two investigation reports dated May 27 and 28, 2020, including an annexture from the NYSC, through the witness.

Respondents’ lawyers, including Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), Chris Uche (SAN) and Chukwuma Machwkwu Umeh did not object to the tendering of the documents, following which the tribunal admitted them and marked them Exhibits P1, P2, P3 and P4.

Upon a request by Pius, Ibrahim read the conclusion of the report of the investigation conducted by his agency, which the tribunal had admitted in evidence.

The conclusion of the report, as read out by Ibrahim, went thus: “Based on the foregoing and the relevant documents forwarded to this service, it is evident that the subject altered the spelling of his surname to reflect the letter D as against the letter O in the certificate of exception earlier issued by NYSC.”

Under cross-examination by lawyer to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emmanuel Enoidem, Ibrahim confirmed that the alteration in the certificate was effected by the NYSC.

The witness agreed with Enoidem that it is the bearer of a name that knows how best to spell his/her name.

Under cross-exemination by Chris Uche (SAN), lawyer to Duoye Diri (the Bayelsa State Governor), the witness said the alteration was done by...

Read more:

https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/bayelsa-certificate-scandal-dss-confirms-ewhrudjkpors-certificate-was-altered/

It’s a lucky coincidence that May 29 celebrated as the 21st anniversary of our civilian democracy was also the birthday of a man many have come to see as the embodiment of the hopes and dreams of millions of Akwa Ibom people for transformational change.

Obong Nsima Ekere, popularly referred to as ONE, businessman and politician, former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last general election, turned 55.

Read also
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Anguish Trails UNIBEN student Raped and Murdered in Church
The Agony of A Nigerian Family Kidnapped by Bi-Sexual Terrorists
How Corrupt Politicians Hire Senior Lawyers, Journalists to Frustrate EFCC – Magu
As he has done since year 2000, the day went unmarked consistent with his position that Nigerians should rather focus on how to make democracy to serve the greatest good of the most people.

Doing good to the greatest number of people was the major undertone of his campaign for governor under the APC. Friday would have been his first year in office as Governor if he had won the elections in which he showed a formidable presence, mustered massive bipartisan support and fearlessly challenged the state’s seeming religious attachment to the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP and the political status quo.

Because he didn’t win, it is needless imagining what he would have done in one year. So I’d rather look at the beautiful life that he has lived these past 55 years and the indelible marks he has imprinted in areas providence thrusted his feet upon.

Ekere embraced entrepreneurship very early in life, using his professional background in real estate to launch into diverse fields such as construction, power and alternative energy, oil and gas, finance and investments and technology.

While you are more likely to associate him with the Real Estate firm that bears his name, Ekere and Associates, his extensive national and international network and partnerships have ensured his active play in many high yielding fields.

While his public service role dates back to the early days of Akwa Ibom State where he served in various asset management and distribution roles, the first major stage for his executive leadership came with his appointment as Executive Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Investment and Industrial Promotion Council, AKIIPOC, (the precursor to today’s Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, AKICORP). There, he conceived and implemented some remarkable ventures including the first private sector driven gas-to-power projects in Nigeria.

His position paper on how states should play in the power generation and distribution space was a major highlight of final decisions by the National Council on Power headed by then Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo.

As Deputy Governor, and Acting Governor for a month, he showed remarkable courage, loyalty, sound judgement and innovation in service delivery.

While he was Managing Director of the NDDC, he challenged long established statutes and took the Commission on a long road to redemption. It is instructive that since he left in January 2019, NDDC has had four managing directors with plenty of motion but little movement.

As Managing Director, Nsima Ekere was a member of a 16-man board headed by a diligent, successful and development-oriented leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba. Less than 2 months into his tenure, he launched his roadmap, called the 4R Strategy to firstly, restore the balance sheet of the commission; secondly, reform governance protocols; thirdly, restore the commission to its core mandates and lastly, reaffirm the commitment for operatives of the commission to do what is right and proper. That roadmap was the product of extensive interaction with stakeholders across the region.

Nsima found the 4R Strategy expedient as the situation he met on assuming office was to say the least despicable. Abandoned jobs littered everywhere in the region; the funds of the commission was at its least ebb; staff and contractors morale was low and the core mandate of the commission was completely ignored. Working on changing the template at the commission was very challenging. Without noise, he carried out an audit of projects. In one fell swoop, he cancelled over 600 non-performing projects; and threatened to cancel more, especially those that had 0 to 5 percent completion status.

Seeing that he meant business, contractors who had abandoned projects went back to site. By the next assessment, over a 100 abandoned jobs were at over 50 percent completion status. He restructured the governance system at the place, especially the financial aspect. Contractors who finished their work were paid promptly after passing through stages of project auditing and verification, over 11 stages in all.

To fund his plans for the region, Nsima Ekere knew he had to find the resources. When he arrived, NDDC was reeling under the pressure of more than N2 trillion in liabilities. He knew from the books that both the federal government and the international oil companies, IOCs, were grossly under-funding the commission.

So in April 2017, Ekere petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Senate seeking intervention for the payment of over N1.8 trillion unpaid statutory allocations and ecological funds accruing to the Commission for the years 2000 to 2015. Of this amount, the sum of N1,797,713,966,652.29 was for unpaid statutory allocations while N45,091,075,401.66 was for unpaid ecological funds.

Ekere who signed the letter urged President Buhari to prevail upon then Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun to commence full implementation of the funding provisions of the NDDC Act 2000 section 14(2)(a) & (c). This resulted in Mr President’s directive to the Ministries of Finance and Budget & Planning to sit with NDDC, reconcile their books and agree and acceptable payment plan. Unfortunately successive managements have not followed through this initiative.

Working with members of the National Assembly for the region, a review of the
Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Act was accomplished, ensuring for the first time in 19 years, that the NLNG contributed to the development of the region through the Commission. His principled stance, completely devoid of needless publicity reminds me of what Obong Victor Attah and Senator Udo Udoma did with the political solution to the onshore-offshore oil dichotomy.

The success of this fight can only be quantified when you recall that on resigning to contest the Akwa Ibom Governorship, he left a more than N150 billion in the NDDC account.

NDDC runs on conventions that allocates it’s resources to member states on the basis of their oil production quota. Akwa Ibom being the number one oil producing state should naturally receive the highest value of projects every budget year. That’s not what Ekere met on ground. Akwa Ibom was a distant third, after Rivers and Delta.

He quickly engaged his colleagues on the Board and pushed for an agreement to correct the injustice. That explains the flurry of jobs that came to Akwa Ibom. They weren’t political. Nsima Ekere was simply righting a wrong that robbed our state of its benefit as the number one oil producing state in the country. Akwa Ibom people who fought him and stopped those jobs from being executed are not different from those who for years fed the state with meat crumbs.

While he led for less than 3 years at the Commission, more than 100 roads were constructed or rehabilitated including life touching ones like the Hospital Road in Abak which had cut a community into two; school blocks in all the 31 local government areas were renovated; water projects; flood control; maintenance and dredging creeks and shore protection works were also on the cards .

Overall, in the area of projects, Obong Nsima Ekere created two main focal points: The quick fixes like roads, (rehabilitation and construction), school rehabilitation, water projects, etc and the strategic long term initiatives like the Niger Delta Power Pool, the Niger Delta Development Bank, Digital Learning Project,The Niger Delta Broadband Project, Modular Refinery, the Coastal Road Project, Rice Milling and Manpower Development. Most of these projects were at the embryonic stages when he left the Commission to contest the governorship. We challenge the current management to key into some of these lofty projects for the good of the region.

Early in life, Obong Nsima Ekere had known that politics provides a platform for service to humanity. Since contesting and winning election into the State House of Assembly in 1998 under the Grassroots Democratic Movement, GDM, for the still bird Third Republic, he has been consistent in service to community and humanity through politics. His formidable presence in the 2007 race for Governorship of Akwa Ibom State, provided some buffer and boost for the eventual emergence of Senator Godswill Akpabio as Governor through financial and material commitment and provision of some extra leeway to national political patronage.

In the run up to the 2019 election, Obong Ekere joined the race for Governorship on the strength of his popularity and positive impact through public service. He became the face of the APC in Akwa Ibom State. The APC then, as it is today, was, visibly divided along the camp of its leaders. Nsima Ekere’s ability to put aside differences enabled him to bridge the enormous philosophical and political divides at play, and reach decisions for the best interest of the party. He shared friendship that went beyond disagreements with other leaders and members of the party. Party members trusted him. Party leaders looked up to him.

The elections brought out the best in his capacity for high level leadership. He maintained the poise of a calm, collected and highly prepared (for that level of leadership) contestant throughout the elections.

His manifesto was one in a million, highlighting a “New Vision for Our Collective Prosperity.” The vision, predicated on what he termed ‘Five Pillars of Change;’ highlighted great templates for interventions in the areas of Economic Prosperity; Infrastructural and Rural Development; Education; Health and Social Protection; Security; and Governance and Institutional Reforms. Key features under these broad themes included a N25,000 yearly bursary for all students of Akwa Ibom origin in higher institutions; full autonomy for Local Government Councils; N20 billion fund for entrepreneurial development and complete overhaul of the education sector. He also listed some must-do projects in his first 180 days in office, to include massive public works to create employment for artisans and get the state’s dilapidated infrastructure fixed, payment of all outstanding pensions and domestication of federal government’s economic programmes like the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.

One year has gone by and these are now in the realm of wishes and the missed impact it would have had on the people of the state.

For Nsima Ekere, it’s been a year of break from public service; a year to reflect on the grace of God for him in the past 55 years and a year to look forward to exploring further opportunities in public service and successful runs in business. Indeed, for him, life goes on.

This Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers; member of the Institution of Revenue, Ratings and Valuation, Minnesota, USA, is big-hearted. His extensive social investments in such areas as education, healthcare, capacity building, etc are largely unreported. You won’t find his names emboldened on it, but next time you visit the Accident and Emergency Ward/Trauma Centre to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, you will be at a place he helped to put up.

So here’s to ONE at 55; here’s to ONE highly principled and religious humanist. Here’s to a Knight of John Wesley, a leader in the Methodist Church. Here’s to ONE good man, Obong Nsima Ekere. The future, they say, is an opportunity. I know you will grab it when it comes for the benefit of all who look up to you to lead.

Source:
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/06/i-left-over-n150-billion-in-nddc-account-nsima-ekere/

Major Hamza al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer to former Nigeria Head of State, military dictator General Sani Abacha is a man known for many things, including talking tough.
He is a favourite for the no-holds-barred interview, where he is not afraid to open a can of worms.


He opened a can of worms when he spoke on how former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
General Abubakar is a military general who served as the de facto President of Nigeria from 1998 to 1999.
He was also Chief of Defence Staff between 1993 to 1998. He succeeded General Sani Abacha upon his death.
"When General Abdulsalami came to power, he exhibited an accumulated and accentuated thirst for money. I stumbled on some documents and video cassettes even while in retirement,” al-Mustapha noted of the former leader.


He detailed how Abdulsalami was involved in some shoddy deals.


$40 million Abacha’s transmutation funds


"There was the case of $40 million contributed by multinationals for General Sani Abacha’s transmutation to civilian president. I gave the cassette of his disclosure to help him clean the system not knowing that he would use it to clean me out of the system because three days later I was arrested. I urge the commission to investigate this money contributed by multinational towards Abacha’s self-succession.


NMA’s N5 billion


"There was also the case of Engineer Buba Galadima, Director of NMA whom General Abdulsalami Abubakar directed to release N5 billion from the NMA to the minister through Chief Hope Ozodinma. But Galadima refused saying it was beyond his power to do so. That same afternoon, a lorry load of soldiers invaded his house managed him and took him to an unknown destination. He was ordered to put in his letter of resignation so as to look as if he resigned voluntarily but he refused and asked General Abubakar to fire him. He was fired and he was given two hours to vacate his official quarters.


"The N5 billion was to be shared like this: "1.35 to be given to the minister, Chief Hope would be given N265 million and $18 million would be given to General Abubakar. I have documents to prove this (He then tendered the documents).


Printing of new naira denominations


"There is the issue of the printing of new naira denominations, of 100, 200 and 500. I shared Mustapha’s opinions on this which he explained in his testimony that it was a booby trap for President Olusegun Obasanjo to fail. I have 13 documents to prove this which I shall tender, before this commission.
"When General Abacha was alive the idea of the printing of new naira denominations was mooted. Three companies bided for the contract - J.B. of Munich; Thomas & Co. Of London, and Bodous of Germany. They all submitted their quotations. They all agreed on $30 per one thousand pieces but General Abacha said it was too much. The agreement was not sealed before his death. When General Abdulsalami came on board, he said it should be printed at $45 per thousand. G & D was given the contract of printing and here was the company reputed for tax evasion. The company has offices in Germany, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Argentina and other places, but only has a liaison office in Nigeria. The company evaded tax to the tune of 2 million Dutch marks in Germany. This is the same company given the job to print the money I commenced investigations into the activities of this company but General Abubakar ordered me to stop it. All these were known to him.


"The NTA in its news at 7 and 9 p.m. on January 11, 2001, reported that a container load of fake naira notes was discovered in Jos and Maiduguri. This is what I am talking about.
"During Abdulsalami’s time, our soldiers in ECOMOG were not treated well at all. General Victor Malu then ECOMOG Commander once had cause to complain of adulterated fuel sent to them. When the contract for the supply of food to our soldiers was changed, it was given to one lady, I will mention her name later.
“When General Abacha was alive 45 dollars was approved a day for each of our soldiers but when Gen. Abubakar came to power he increased it. But instead of giving them the money, they were given the old rate, where is the balance?


"There is the issue of parting gift to each PRC member. N1 million was agreed as parting gift for each PRC member or 500,000 dollars. I inquired from two PRC members later differently. I asked them jokingly that I learnt you were all given ½ a million dollars as parting gift. Where is my own share now? But they told me it was only 50,000 dollars. So what happened to the remaining 450,000 dollars per each PRC member times the total PRC members?


$9.7bn Foreign Reserve


Before General Abacha died, he left a foreign reserve of 9.7 billion dollars. There are papers to show this. But Abubakar claimed that only 7.17 billion dollars was left in the reserve what happened to the balance? This reserve that Abacha accumulated in five years, Abdulsalami depleted if in nine months.
"Eagle Square here in Abuja was being renovated yearly when General Oseni was FCT Minister. Consultants were appointed for the renovation at N230 million. But General Abdulsalami rejected this and opted for upward review of N2.3 billion as against N230m.


"Also through 59 million dollars he siphoned from government coffers he bought a house in London at 5 million pounds renovated it at 1 million pounds.
"Before General Abacha died he approved 66 million Dutch marks for the maintenance of Alpha jets and other aircraft. When Abubakar took over he wrote another memo for the sum of 44,275,000 dollars for the same maintenance. I would have wished he was here to cross-check if this signature on these documents were his.
"There was also another memo from the CGS dated March 17 1999 at the injury time of the administration. There was request for the purchase of boats at 45 million dollars, purchase of amphibious plane at 21,747,660 dollars; and 5,000 raincoats jacket to cost 14,500,00 dollars. The normal cost of one raincoat to pocket were from rain is 45 dollar per piece and the total cost for the 5,000 raincoats should be 2,9000 dollars. It was signed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar to be purchased on ECOMOG issue, apart from the naval personnel that used to transport the food items, it was later given to merchant ships.


"There is the issue of Engineer Ibrahim Ali, MD of NPA. General Abubakar called him one day and told him since General Abacha did not give you free hand to do your duties, bring your quotation and I will give you the wherewithal to execute it. He brought it to Abdulsalami. He met Alhaji Gidado Idris, former Secretary to the Federation there. Abdulsalami approved it for execution but when Ali left Abdulsalami ordered Gidado Idris to fire Ali when Gidado wanted to refuse, he told him that if he didn’t do it somebody else would do it and that was how he was fired”.


• Al-Mustapha made the disclosure during the Oputa Panel
Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/abachas-cso-major-al-mustapha-exposes-how-ex-head-of-state-abdulsalami-stole-over-2b-nigerias-tax-payers-money/

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Nigeria marked 21 solid years of democratic rule on Friday, May 29, 2020, yet it seems Nigeria keeps moving in a vicious circle with its kind of leadership and activities.
The current President, Muhammadu Buhari marked five years in office and the Presidency made available a list of achievements marked by the President. Top of his achievement was winning the fight against corruption and insecurity.
The administration of former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in an interview with CNN also claimed to be winning the war against insecurity and corruption.
It is now five years since President Muhammadu Buhari was elected as President to rule Nigeria, yet the insecurity in Nigeria has graduated to a level which the masses believe the government is not capable of controlling. His fight against corruption may seem to be yielding positive results, but is it enough?
In an interview with Christiane Amanpour of CNN, former, President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged the fact that Boko Haram had the potential to pose a threat to the very existence of Nigeria.
Jonathan said, “If Boko Haram is not contained, it would be a threat not only to Nigeria but to West Africa, Central Africa and of course to North Africa. “Elements of Boko Haram link up with some of Al Qaeda in Northern Mali and other North African countries.”
Jonathan also noted that the increase in Boko Haram attacks was linked to the free flow of weapons out of Libya since the fall of the dictator, Moammar Gadhafi.
Jonathan agreed that Boko Haram, which started as a religious sect, took Nigeria unawares and said his administration worked tirelessly to contain the “Boko Haram saga.”
An Economic report in 2012 placed death toll from Boko Haram attacks at 1,099. Commenting on the figures, Jonathan said, “If you look at the last six months, incidents of killing started dropping.”
Jonathan insisted that his government was gaining control over the insurgents, denying suggestions from the U.S. State Department that the Nigerian government has conducted a large number of arrests and killings that have been indiscriminate, possibly driving more people into the hands of Boko Haram.
“The United States of America is completely wrong. No security agency arrests anybody just for the love of arrest. We have intelligence that enables us to arrest the people who have been arrested,” Jonathan said.
Eight years later, the death toll from Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria has exceeded 10,000 with thousands of people being displaced from their habitation.
The insecurity has worsened to the point where we have Armed Bandits attacking many villages and town outskirts in the North West and North Central parts of Nigeria, Boko Haram merging with the Islamic States of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to form the Islamic States of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and many people being scared of embarking on journeys due to the activities of Kidnappers and armed herdsmen on the highways.
Many have asked questions of what the Boko Haram sect is fighting for.
Jonathan insisted that poverty and unemployment was not a major factor that was fueling the violent terrorists’ activities in Nigeria. Rather, he cited religion as the primary motivation of this jihadist group.
When former President, Goodluck Jonathan assumed office in 2010, he told same CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that power supply was going to be his major focus.
However, in 2013, Nigeria Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission reported that 60% of Nigerians lacked access to power.
Jonathan arguing that his administration had made significant strides said, “That is one area where Nigerians are quite pleased with the government – that our commitment to improving power is working. I promise
you before the end of this year, power outages will be reasonably stable in Nigeria.”
It is quite laughable that in 2020, Nigeria generates about 4,000 MW of electricity and only about 3,000 MW is transmitted to households for use.
The administration of Goodluck Jonathan has been described, both nationally and internationally, as the most corrupt administration Nigeria has ever had. Several top government officials are alleged to have stolen public property and looted the country’s treasury.
In this same 2013 CNN interview, Jonathan said, “You cannot change the mindset of people by waving your hand. You must take means to make sure that you don’t create an environment where everyone will be corrupt and we are doing it very well.”
Jonathan cited the 2011 elections as signs of success against corruption, saying that International observers, The African Union, and the Independent National Electoral Commission all praised the polling.
There was widespread corruption in the oil industry under the Jonathan-led administration. His Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in April 2013 said that 400,000 barrels of oil a day were looted from the country in just one month.
“Frankly speaking, speaking I want the international community to support Nigeria because this stolen crude is being bought by refineries abroad and they know the crude oil was stolen,” Jonathan told Amanpour.
“The world must condemn what is wrong.”
Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s election in 2015 and his determination to fight corruption, several corrupt officials have been arraigned with many forfeiting stolen properties and funds to the government.
What Nigerians can do at this time is to hope and pray that everything gets better. This vicious cycle by our leaders must stop.

Source: thestreetjournal.org

The Street Journal Magazine

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, says the anti-graft agency is winning the fight against corruption, recalling how a lawyer “defeated” 34 Senior Advocates Nigeria (SAN) in a corruption case.

Magu accused some senior lawyers, who benefitted from the federal government’s scholarship opportunities, of turning round to work against the country by defending corrupt individuals.

He also said some corrupt persons were in the habit of hiring journalists to write against the EFCC, but said the commission would remain relentless in its quest to restore sanity to the country.

He was speaking to a coalition of civil society groups who visited the headquarters of the commission in Abuja on Tuesday.

“One of the big challenges we have in the effective prosecution of the war on corruption is that of very senior lawyers who Nigeria has been very kind to: Those who went to good schools here, when Nigeria was good, many of them, on government scholarship; those who Nigeria has given so much opportunity,” he said.

“When we have corruption cases, cases of people who have stolen food from the mouths of our children; when we have cases of people who have stolen money meant to build hospitals and buy drugs; when we have cases of people who have stolen all the money meant to buy guns for our soldiers to fight Boko Haram, when we have all these cases of wicked people who have stolen Nigeria’s money, they run to these same senior lawyers, give them part of the stolen money and mobilise them to fight us, to delay us in court and to deny Nigerians of justice. These are the people who do not want justice for the common man.

“The other day, 34 Senior Advocates of Nigeria fought against only one small EFCC lawyer in court and he defeated all of them! What we are doing today is not by our power, it is the power of the Nigerian people and the power of God behind us!

“Corrupt people hire journalists to abuse us every day, they say we are not doing the work according to the law. But, that is not true. There is no agency that follows the law more than EFCC. None.

Before we arrest you, or seize your property or do anything to you, we check the law, we go to court and get court order. That is why we are winning; that is why we are defeating them everyday.”

He urged the public to continue supporting EFCC’s “just cause”, saying all the stolen wealth recovered by the agency had been returned to the government.
“We want the Nigerian people to continue to support us, continue to support Mr. president’s war on corruption,” he said.
“We have many corruption cases in court. We are getting them every day from everywhere and we are recovering stolen money and taking corrupt people to court.

“The money we have recovered and the money we are going to get...

Read more: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/how-corrupt-politicians-hire-senior-lawyers-journalists-to-frustrate-efcc-magu/

The sad news of the death of immediate past Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), Maikanti Baru moved the nation after it broke.

His death was announced Friday by the present GMD of the corporation, Mr Mele Kyari via his twitter handle @MKKyari.

He died on Friday night, May 29, 2020, at the age of 60 from complications of the novel coronavirus, a source disclosed to The Street Journal.

Here are five facts about Baru you need to know.

1. Baru was born in July 1959 in Misau, Bauchi State.

2. He attended Federal Government College, Jos for his secondary education where he graduated in 1978.

3. He obtained his bachelor of engineering degree from Ahmadu Bello University in 1982 and a doctorate in Computer Aided Engineering from the University of Sussex.

4. Baru was appointed as the 18th Group Managing Director of NNPC, on 4 July 2016. On reaching the statutory age of 60, he retired on 7 July 2019 and was succeeded by Mele Kyari.

5. He lost three immediate members of his family; his mother, sister and son —all in one year.
READ HERE==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/5-facts-about-late-ex-nnpc-gmd-maikanti-baru/

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Following alleged moves by some party leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to expel former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, from the party, the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been thrown into despair.

According to Thisday, leaders of the party in the state, loyal to the former Governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, are putting pressure on executives of the party in his Ward two and Saki West Local Government Area to expel him.

This started when four APC local government chairmen, representing Forum of APC Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, paid a visit to the former minister about a month ago preaching the need for reconciliation in the party which he did not object to.

A source at the meeting, however, said Shittu told the chairmen that to achieve genuine reconciliation, there are conditions which must be met in order for the aggrieved members to have a sense of belonging.

The former minister gave the first condition to be that members of the party, particularly those who belonged to the Unity Forum group, who purchased nomination forms during the last state congress but not allowed to be part of the party primaries, must be refunded their money.

His second condition was the dissolution of the party executives at all levels and to be reconstituted at the ratio of 50/50 between members loyal to Ajimobi called SENACO and the aggrieved members, who belonged to Unity Forum, which Shittu insisted were the only ones who bought forms during the last state congress.

The former minister also said the state chairman of the party must come from the Unity Forum, noting that the SENACO group has continued to produce the chairman since the formation of the party in the state.

The party chairmen then assured Shittu that since they had the blessings of the leadership of the party in the state for their meeting with him, they would deliver his message which they agreed to in its totality to the right quarters.

“It was a candid discussion that the former minister had with the party chairmen, who told him that the meeting had the blessings of the leadership of the party in the state and that the conditions he gave were important and necessary for genuine reconciliation in the party.

“They then assured him that they would get back to him after reporting back to the leadership of the party with a promise that the meeting with him was a step in the right direction,” he source said.

The party chairmenreported back to the leadership of the party in the state. However, owing to his conditions which they agreed to, the party leadership in the state accused them of trying to hand over the party to Shittu and his group in Unity Forum at the detriment of members in SENACO group.

In a bid to stop further agitation for genuine reconciliation by Shittu,  a marching order was given to the executives of the party in his ward-Ward two and Saki West local government area-to expel him from the party which the executives resisted, insisting that the former minister is an important and reliable member who has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the party. Read here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/crisis-as-apc-plans-to-expel-ex-minister-adebayo-shittu/

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has renewed its partnership contract with Argus media, a london based independent provider of energy and commodity price benchmarks.

Argus Media claims that their prices are used as trusted reference points that bring transparency to physical supply and derivative contracts, for mark-to-market purposes, as an indication of value for tax assessment, for risk management and strategic analysis and planning in oil and gas industry.

Continue reading here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/nnpc-ignores-buharis-directive-renews-controversial-2-6m-deal-with-british-company/


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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate reorganization of the Nigeria Police Force.

These adjustments as approved by the President who also serves in the capacity of Chairman, Nigeria Police Council are aimed at expanding and strengthening the Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police Force towards driving the intelligence-led policing strategy of the Force leadership.

The reorganization also aims to enrich community Policing practices as approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In a letter signed by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, dated 27th May 2020 and addressed to Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs), Assistant Inspector Generals (AIGs), Commissioners of Police and the Commandant, Police College Ikeja, Kaduna, Oji-River and Maiduguri,  the IGP outlined and explained the patterns of reorganization approved by President Buhari. Continue reading here==https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/exclusive-buhari-approves-immediate-reorganization-of-the-nigeria-police-force/

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Maron Gebru, a 26-year-old father of two who tricked his way into a terrified pensioner’s flat to sexually assault her has been jailed for 18 months.

Maron Gebru, 26, twice sneaked into the block of flats in Smethwick, Birmingham, where the 74-year-old woman lived alone in August 2017.

In the first instance, the victim had been waiting for a male relative in her ground floor flat when Gebru, unknown to her, rang the buzzer to the block’s communal doors.
The victim asked ‘who is it?’, to which a man’s voice replied ‘me’, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Expecting a visitor, she buzzed the doors open, but when nobody knocked she opened her flat door, looking out into the corridor to see Gebru standing ‘about two metres from her door’.

‘She told the police he looked dirty and spoke in broken English,’ Cathlyn Orchard, prosecuting, said. ‘He put his hands together as if in prayer and said “please, please, please”.

‘She thought he needed help and she approached him.’

Ms Orchard added: ‘He turned to her and kissed her on the lips.’

The victim tried to get back to her flat, but Gebru followed then ‘leaned in very close and took hold of her hands’.
‘She pushed him away but he continued to move towards her,’ added Ms Orchard.

‘She went inside her flat and tried to close her front door but he put his hand in the way to stop her and used force to open the door, then came inside her flat.

‘She told him “you can’t come in here”, he got onto his knees and repeated “please please, please”.

‘She told him her husband would be back any minute to try and scare him away.’

Gebru walked to the door, but as he did so ‘turned to face her and pulled down the zip of his trousers and exposed his penis’

As he left, the victim slammed the door behind him.

When police checked CCTV footage it showed Gebru, originally from Eritrea in East Africa, in the corridor ‘with his trousers undone’.

Gebru returned a second time to the victim’s front door, but was again told to leave.

The CCTV also showed Gebru, minutes before the attack, following another resident into the block and once in the building’s corridor, looking through the victim’s letterbox.

He was then recorded on camera, outside the block, ‘gazing through the window of another flat’.

Gebru’s image was circulated and following a media appeal, he handed himself in to police in June 2018.

In an interview, he told officers he ‘must have been drunk’, had no reason to be at the flats, but answered ‘no comment’ when asked what he was doing there.

‘He denied he would have gone to the flats for a sexual purpose but could not explain what he went there for,’ added Ms Orchard.

In a victim personal statement, read to court by the prosecutor, the pensioner said the incident had left her ‘so frightened’ she had been left a ‘changed’ woman.

‘Every time her door knocks she’s worried who’s there,’ added Ms Orchard.

Simon Hanns, representing Gebru, said his client had arrived in the UK as a refugee from Eritrea in 2012.

He added Gebru, from Newtown, was ‘a family man’ who was currently living with his partner and had not been in trouble since the ‘unpleasant’ incident.

Judge Mark Wall QC, who declined to suspend Gebru’s jail term, told him: ‘This was a serious offence which has had a lasting effect on your victim.

‘The only way of dealing with somebody who forces their way into the flat of an elderly person, living alone, in order to sexually assault them is an immediate sentence of imprisonment.’ https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/26-year-old-father-sentenced-for-sexually-assaulting-septuagenerian/


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Prosecutors are reportedly using statements by a victim’s parrot as evidence in an upcoming in a rape and murder case in Argentina.

A 46-year-old woman, Elizabeth Toledo, was raped and murdered in San Fernando in December 2018.

A police officer was reportedly guarding the crime scene on December 30 while waiting for forensics experts to arrive when he heard the parrot say: “Ay, no, Por favour, soltame!” (“No, please, let me go”).

The police believe...

Read more:
https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/parrot-to-give-evidence-at-owners-rape-and-murder-trial/

The State Commissioner for Education, Folashade Adefisayo disclosed that the Lagos State Government plans to employ 2,000 teachers in its public primary schools.

This was disclosed while giving scorecard of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration within the 360 days during an online show, Covinspiration show, moderated by a United Nations (UN) Youth Ambassador, Dayo Isreal.

Folashade mentioned that the move to employ more teachers was aimed at improving the standard of public primary school education in the state stating that the pandemic has held the ministry of education back in the completion of its plans for the sector.

Adefisayo said, “The administration after assumption of office decided to address the challenges in education aggressively in 2020 but the pandemic which country’s index case happened in Lagos has halted various plans for education in the state.”

She said that administration went back to the drawing as soon as President Muhammadu Buhari lifted the lockdown earlier imposed on Lagos and other states so as to fast track completion of 2020 plans which includes recruitment of teachers.

Adefisayo said, "The most important aspect of learning is the quality of teachers and we did not have enough teachers to actualize the set plan for learning in our public schools."

“And one of the earliest things we requested for and was granted by the governor was the recruitment of teachers.

“We have concluded the recruitment of 1,000 secondary school teachers. And we are currently working on the recruitment of 2,000 teachers for public primary schools.

“And we are looking at employing teachers every quarter because the rate of retirement of teachers is very high in Lagos.

“The administration has granted the ministry permission to replace retired teachers.

“Aside from recruitment, we have sent a lot on the training of current teachers to improve their teaching skills in classrooms. And this COVID-19 period was the time when we were able to do a lot of things in the education sector of Lagos state,” she added.

Speaking on school reopening, Adefisayo explained that governor Sanwo-Olu does not have the authority to unilaterally give directive for the reopening of schools, saying, “Like other sectors already approved by the Federal Government to reopen, the state government is meeting with officials of the Federal Ministry of Education to design guidelines that must be adopted before the schools will be reopened.

“We are watching the behaviour of the pandemic to see what happens next and we are working with the Federal government on the reopening of the schools in the country as soon as possible.

“This is not a decision that any state can unilaterally take on its own. If we are certain that the children are safe, we will reopen the schools for learning to resume.

“We are already working with the Federal Ministry of Education and they are working with National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on the guidelines that could be adopted when the need arises for the schools to reopen.

“After the protocol is completed and health officials assured us that the coast is clear, we will give the schools some days to adjust their premises in accordance with the guidelines on commencement of academic activities”.


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VISIT www.thestreetjournal.org

Lady who was 'Stripped' for Rejecting Boyfriend's Proposal Gets Engaged to his Friend in Germany

A lady who rejected her boyfriend's proposal in February, has just recently been engaged by her Ex's friend who resides in Germany.

The Street Journal had earlier reported that a man who happens to be the lady's boyfriend, went down on his knees and asked her to marry him in a restaurant where the duo had gone to spend quality time.

She however rejected the proposal and continued eating.

The heartbroken and embittered boyfriend got up and pulled off the shoes she had on, claiming they were his properties, then he emptied the food she was eating into a bag and finally walked away.

Months after, it has been reported that a close friend of her ex-boyfriend who's proposal she accepted has relocated her to Germany where he resides.

Read more: https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/05/lady-who-was-stripped-for-rejecting-boyfriends-proposal-gets-engaged-to-his-friend-in-germany/