₦airaland Forum

A United Kingdom (UK) court, Woodwich Crown
Court, has sentenced a 59-year-old Nigerian
pastor, Kayode Samuel, to nine years
imprisonment for stealing £4.1 million (equivalent
of about N1.6 billion) from the accounts of some
state schools.
Samuel, an accountant, was arrested in October
2012. His conviction on Friday came after almost
one year of trial. Samuel, a part-time pastor, was
told by the court to pay £4.1 million back to the
Haberdashers’ Aske’s chain of academies more
than a year ago. He, however, failed to do so. The
fraud had been kept secret, for almost two years.
It was described as Britain’s biggest ever
education fraud. During the hearing, it was
revealed that Samuel spent the stolen loot on
women; his late wife, a second wife and two
mistresses.
He was also believed to have transferred some of
the stolen money to Nigeria. Samuel was said to
have acquired expensive cars such as Mercedes,
Audi TT sports car and Infinity, £500 Gucci shoes
and Louis Vuitton briefcase for himself and his
women. During the hearing, Samuel denied
complicity in the fraud, insisting that his late wife,
Grace, and an office junior set him up and
transferred the money to their joint account just
to punish him for his extramarital affairs.
The court heard how Samuel spent seven years
carrying out the fraud and steadily picking
accounts of Haberdashers’ Aske’s state schools in
south London, now an academy chain acclaimed
by the government. Samuel spent tons of money
on his real wife Grace’s private healthcare – until
her death, aged 53, in 2013. It was also revealed
that he signed documents showing he was
making investments with Miss Halima, and
renting flats in Kent for ‘partners,’ Toyin Lawal
and Yetunde Turtak.Samuel went to work at
Hatcham in 1997 and rose to become accounts
manager for the whole chain.
According to Dailymail, Samuel was paid £57,000
a year, and told colleagues of his work as a pastor
in the Christ Apostolic Church, South London,
peppering his conversations with ‘praise the
Lord’. In October 2012, it emerged that a large
sum of money was missing from the academies’
funds. Dailymail reported: “Kayode’s assets and
those of his wife, Grace, who died aged 53 last
year, were then frozen.
It appeared that huge sums of school money had
been paid into a bank account in Nigeria and a
company called Samak, which is said to be run in
Nigeria by Kayode’s second wife, Yoni, although
he denies any wedding has taken place.
“The trust launched a High Court case to reclaim
the missing cash but the accountant denied
wrongdoing and claimed ‘all transactions had
been authorised by the finance director.’
However, the judge found in the trust’s favour
last July and ordered Kayode and the estate of his
late wife to pay back more than £4 million plus
interest.”

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said 13 states have been identified to produce rice that will feed the nation in the next 18 months.
Buhari spoke during the breaking of fast dinner with the business community.
According to him, unless the economy is set right, Nigeria will continue to be in trouble.
Despite the ongoing implementation of the flexible policy which has systematically devalued the nation’s currency, President Buhari insisted that he does not see any benefit in the devaluation of naira.
He said: “How much benefit have we derived from naira devaluation in the past? I don’t like the returns I get from the CBN because that coupled with the demand that let us devalue the naira. In August 1985, the naira was N1.3 to a dollar. But now you need N300 or N350 to a dollar.
“What do we derive from that? And how much benefit can we derive from this ruthless devaluation of the naira? I’m not an economist neither a businessman, I fail to appreciate what is the economic explanation.
“What has happen to us now is that we have maneuvered ourselves into mono economy which led to the collapse we are seeing now.
“A lot of responsibilities now fall on your shoulders now. You have a lot of investments and a lot of people to employ.”
Giving a vote of thanks on behalf of the group, Chairman of Unilever, Kola Jamodu, pledged the support of the group to Buhari’s administration as it strives to take the Nigerian economy out of the woods.

Yoruba leaders under the aegis of Afenifere and Ijaw leaders have summoned stakeholders to a joint emergency peace summit in reaction to the increased attacks on some communities in Ogun and Lagos states. A statement on Monday by the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, on behalf of its leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, and leader of Ijaw Worldwide, Chief Edwin Clark, said the summit of the two nations would take place in Lagos on Friday, July 1, 2016. The statement reads, “The recent spate of mindless killings of innocent people in some Ogun and Lagos communities by some bandits have created worries in the Yoruba and Ijaw nations because of the shared respect of the right to life and given the insinuations about the identity of these killers. “The allegation that the killers are from Niger Delta without proper investigation and apprehension of any suspects is capable of creating conflicts between the peoples of the two nations if responsible leaders do not quickly step in to ensure that justice is done for the victims and measures evolved to ensure that such a situation never recurs. “Leaders across the two nations have out of serious concern for precious lives lost in these cold-blooded murders launched investigations into what happened in those communities with the aim of nudging the state to apprehend the perpetrators and put a stop to such callousness. “Arising from such efforts and high level contacts, Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark and Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, have agreed that a joint consultative meeting of Ijaw and Yoruba nations must hold quickly to nip this crisis in the bud and reaffirm the joint humanity of both nations against wanton destruction of human lives symbolised by the atrocious carnage.” They called on residents of affected communities to be vigilant.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy,
Ike Ekweremadu and former clerk to the National
Assembly, Salisu Maikasua have all pleaded not
guilty to a two count charge leveled against
them.
Saraki alongside his deputy and the former clerk
of the National Assembly took their plea at an
Abuja FCT High court sitting in Jabi on Monday.
The plea followed an application by the lead
prosecution counsel, M.S.Diri who told the Justice
Yusuf Halilu-led court that the matter was for
arraignment and urged the court to direct that
the two count charge be read to the accused
persons.
Saraki, Ekweremadu and Maikasua are facing a
two count charge bordering on conspiracy and
forgery of senate rule in 2015.
Justice Halilu has stood down the matter to allow
the prosecution file a counter affidavit against the
motion for bail of the accused persons.
Prior to the stand down, Halilu denied asking
reporters to vacate the courtroom.
“I will not ask journalists to leave my court room,
don’t report what is not correct. I represent
everybody; my work is to do the best I can,”
Halilu said.

mrvitalis:
What's wrong with u? ?
Are u a Nigerian??
They better u understand that there will be no other countries for u other than Nigeria the better for u

ConOil, owned by Nigeria’s second richest man is
being pursued for a combined debt of over $
140.5 million by two foreign and one local
companies, PREMIUM TIMES has learned.
Despite making several pledges to pay, ConOil
and other companies owned by Mr. Adenuga
have reneged on paying the debts, multiple
sources in the oil and gas sector have told this
newspaper.
Things have got so bad that some of the creditor
companies have either commenced or are
considering commencing legal actions to force
the billionaire businessman to pay up having
exhausted all options to make him honour
promises and agreement to pay.
In fact, one company has successful secured an
interim order from a federal court to place one of
Mr Adenuga’s companies under receivership.
The increasing debt profile of the telecom and oil
mogul, who increased his net worth by almost $5
billion in the last year, according to luxury lifestyle
magazine, Forbes, has hit some his creditors so
hard that they had to shut down some of their
operations.
One of such companies is Depthwize, a local oil
servicing company, which is owed $40 million by
ConOil.
The refusal of the management of ConOil to pay
Depthwize, a small drilling contractor has forced
the company to lay off workers and shut down
services on two of ConOil’s rigs until the money is
paid, those familiar with the matter said.
“Depthwize says it can no longer afford the day to
day running cost of working on the rigs,” one
source said.
Similarly, American oil and gas firm, Baker
Hughes, was forced to lodge a court petition to
wind up one of Mr Adenuga’s company, Belbop
Nigeria Limited, over a USD $12.09 million bill
they had been unsuccessfully trying to get the
company to pay.
Baker Hughes argued that in 2009, Belbop
awarded it a contract for the provision of
directional drilling, MWD/LWD services and supply
of drilling fluids and drilling bits, Logging cabin
and surface acquisition system.
The company told the court that after it duly
discharge its obligation and rendered all requisite
services, Belbop refused to pay. Baker Hughes
said it incurred a liability of $9.4 million in the
course of executing the contract.
On April 12, 2016, Babs Kuewumi of the Federal
High Court in Lagos placed an interim injunction
on the accounts of Belbop pending the
determination of suit.
The judge therefore appointed the Chief Registrar
of the Federal High Court as the receiver/manager
of Belbop until the substantive suit is determined.
Mr Adenuga has also been given multinational oil
firm, Total, the runaround over a $28.5 million
debt it owed the French oil giant since 2009.
Although Total has been trying to resolve the
debt without litigation, the refusal of Mr. Adenuga
to pay the debt has forced the company to stop
work at OML 136 gas field. Total is ConOil’s
technical partner in the project.
At a meeting held with Total in November 2015, it
was agreed that ConOil would pay the $28.5
million dollars owed before January 31 2016.
That meeting, which minutes is in the possession
of PREMIUM TIMES, was chaired by Mr. Adenuga
and attended by four executives from Total.
But those familiar with the matter told this
newspaper Mr. Adenuga’s company is yet to pay
up. All attempts by Total to make him release the
money have also failed, insiders said.
Some said they are baffled by Mr Adenuga’s
refusal to pay Total the $28.5 million, which
would have seen work commence on the lucrative
oil field.
The OML 136 asset is considered to be one of the
largest gas fields in Nigeria, with a proven reserve
of 11 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas. The
exploration of the oil assets would have boosted
Nigeria’s economy by creating jobs and would
have yielded massive return to Total and ConOil,
they explained.
When contacted, Total’s spokesperson, Charles
Ogan, in an email to PREMIUM TIMES, said the
matter is an “obvious internal administrative
subject.”
Also, ConOil is engaged in a decade-long dispute
with British oil firm, Vitol, over its alleged failure to
pay a $60 million debt incurred from lifting of
cargoes of refined petroleum products.
Vitol secured a court judgement in the UK in
respect of the debt but has been unable to
enforce it in Nigeria because ConOil got a stay of
execution from a Nigerian court.
Conoil’s financial problems, PREMIUM TIMES
gathered, may have been caused by Mr
Adenuga’s slowness in taking advantage in
potential money earners for the company.
For instance, in 2005, ConOil was granted
exploration licence for OPL 257 by the federal
government, but the company surprisingly left
the block fallow until its licence expired. Now it is
frantically asking the government for a two-year
extension of its expired licence to enable it
explore the field.
On January 22, 2016, Taiwo Olushina, the
managing director of ConOil, wrote a letter to the
National Petroleum Investment Management
Services (NAPIMS) blaming insecurity, high cost
of drilling and technical hitches for its failure to
explore the field before the expiration of the
licence.
“Having attended to technical and financial
challenges peculiar to ultra -deep offshore blocks,
this approval will provide us with ample time in
drilling three identified prospective locations in
preparation for further development towards
boosting national oil and gas reserves and
production,” the letter read in part.
The spokesperson for Mr. Adenuga, Bode
Opeseitan, could not be reached to comment for
this story. He did not answer or return calls
seeking comment.
Another spokesperson ducked when approached
by this reporter to comment for this story.
Despite being identified by Truecaller app, Mike
Oduniyi told PREMIUM TIMES that we had reached
a wrong number and promptly terminated the
call.


Tax palaver and bad loan
Mr Adenuga’s companies have also had tax issues
in the recent past. In 2009, the Federal Inland
Revenue Service (FIRS) sealed the Lagos office of
ConOil, and Continental Oil and Gas, another
company owned by the businessman, over the
non-remittance of $610 million tax to
government.
Last month, seven years after his companies were
first sealed, the FIRS shut the Lagos office of
Globacom, the second largest mobile telephone
company in the country, owned by the billionaire,
for allegedly failing to remit Value Added Tax
worth N24.3 billion.
Earlier in February this year, the Osun State
Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) sealed the offices
of the telecommunication firm in the state for
failing to pay outstanding taxes and other levies
in respect of mast/ base stations and laying of
fibre optics.
The state said several meetings were held with
the company’s representatives in the past three
years to resolve the issue, but that the company
failed to comply.
The Asset Management Company of Nigeria
(AMCON) also listed Mr. Adenuga as one of the
country’s biggest debtors for a N2.4billion loan
his real estate company, Convenant Apartments
Complex Limited, took from Wema Bank.
AMCON acquired the loan from the bank in 2010,
after Convenant Apartments failed to pay up.

SOLDIERS from the 222 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, have arrested two persons in Idheze community, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, following the suspected vandalization of a major Nigeria Agip Oil Company, NAOC, pipeline in the area. It will be recalled that the pipeline was allegedly vandalized in the early hours June 13, 20l6 with the resultant oil spill causing a heavy fire outbreak which led to the destruction of farmlands and economic crops in the community. Community sources, however, said they were still confused as to whether the oil spill was as a result of vandalism of the pipeline or equipment failure, noting that the incident was still subject to investigation by security agencies. A source who preferred anonymity told Vanguard that one of those apprehended by the soldiers “is an indigene of the community whose house is very close to the place where the incident took place. “The other person is the youth leader of the community. He was working in a community in Bayelsa State, when the incident happened. As a youth leader, he was called home after the oil spill and when he got home, he was invited by the soldiers. Thereafter, he was arrested and still being detained. “As we speak, investigations are still on and they want to go to Bayelsa to find out if he was actually there working as at the time of the incident.” Confirming the arrests, a security source said that matter was still under investigation.

4C2215131:
The VP should be careful with his utterances as Nigerians will hold him to it. Gone is the mumu Nigerians of yesterday.

THE Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Church of Nigeria,
(Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Adebola
Ademowo has appealed to Nigerians not to lose
hope in the ability of President Muhammadu
Buhari to turn things around in the country,
especially in tackling the menace of Fulani
herdsmen.
Ademowo made the appeal while briefing
newsmen in Lagos ahead of the first session of
the 33rd Synod of the Diocese of Lagos sched-
uled to begin on May 1 with a theme; “Marks of
the Church.”
The opening service of the Synod will take place
in the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos,
with the House of Clergy and the House of Laity of
diocese in attendance.
According to the cleric, President Buhari is not a
leader that will overlook acts of wickedness in any
part of the country.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is not someone
that will condone wickedness. He will not condone
anything evil. He is not silent,” he emphasised,
adding that Buhari is highly focused, and that it is
not right to wrongly accuse Mr. President.
Calling on Christians to live according to the
dictates of God by not yielding to the challenges
of modernisation, Ademowo lamented that
proliferation of churches with attendant
preponderance of fake doctrines has made
majority of Christians to shift ground, causing
disunity in the Body of Christ.
Ademowo, however, urged well-meaning
individuals and people with high moral standards
to rise up “and swim against these tides of
unwholesomeness.”
In his words: ”Daily, we witness the challenges of
deviations and peregrination totally different from
what Christ, the early church fathers and political
builders of our nation shed their blood and laid
down their lives to preserve

obo389:
thats if those militants allows those refineries to function with this new development abi?
seriously i still dont understand why govt should make news about these sensitive issues that concerns the citizens well being?it should be best kept secret .
saboteurs will take advantage of it and those who want to make contracts out of it nko after been vandalised again nko!

webhostbiz:
for 8 year, he refused to conduct local council election but when he has less than 8months to go he now realised he had to conduct election. who is deceiving who.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and
Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, Ibe Kachikwu, has
recommissioned the Escravos-Warri-Kaduna
pipeline stressing that both Warri and Kaduna
refineries are now receiving crude simultaneously
for the first time in many years.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs
Division, Garba Deen Muhammad, in a press
statement, quoted Kachikwu as saying that Warri
has started working while Kaduna will start
production at the end of the month.
The Minister noted that this means that for the
first time in many years, all the three refineries
and major crude pipelines will be working at the
same time.
Dr. Kachikwu stated that Escravos terminal is the
heartbeat of the downstream sector of the
industry and critical to local supply of finished
petroleum product as both refineries in Warri and
Kaduna are majorly fed from Escravos crude
stock.
“The challenge of this country is the challenge of
focus and stewardship. For the first time in many
years, the three refineries are going to be working
and it will help in a great deal with the issue of
fuel supply and distribution across the country
and it will go a long way to manage the fuel
crisis,” Mr. Kachikwu said.
He enjoined Nigerians to be more patient as the
corporation is working hard to end fuel shortage
across the country.
“I appreciate the patience of Nigerians and I am
committed and focused to make petrol available
to all nooks and crannies of Nigeria,” the minister
said

When I sighted the girl near my compound, my
body changed and the devil ministered unto me
that the girl would be sweet like her elder sister
whom I had earlier dated and I quickly called her
inside my room.” These were the words of a 39-
year old man, Nurudeen Owolabi from Ilorin
Kwara State while confessing to defiling a 12 year
old primary pupil in his house at No 5, Alhaji
Yinusa Street Bariga, Lagos.
Like other rapists, Owolabi who is cooling off at a
cell of Special Anti Robbery Squad, (SARS), Ikeja
blamed the devil for misdirecting him. According
to him, since her elder sister relocated out of
Lagos, his eyes had been on her younger sister
because her elder sister was a bundle of joy on
bed.
He recounted to our reporter that he once
summoned the courage to tell the 12-year old girl
his intention to date her at a ripe age to replace
her elder sister and that the girl agreed to the
proposal.
The Ilorin-born suspect argued that it was in line
with the sealed agreement between them that
made him to buy cabin biscuits for the girl so as
to water their plans and help himself.
He said before the incident, the relationship
between him and the girl was cordial and smooth
but that the parents of the girl who lived the next
yard were not privy to it.
“Honestly, I was waiting for her to add another
year to start full-blown relationship with her. But
on April 14, when I saw her wearing one tempting
dress, I lost control and all my body stood up and
I lured her into my room with biscuit and asked
her to make love with me and she consented.
“I hurriedly pulled her clothe and had carnal
knowledge of her. You know what? She did not
cry. Instead, I noticed she enjoyed it which even
made me to wonder whether I am the first
person.
“After the encounter, she left but did not clean
her body well. I suspect that was how her mother
discovered and queried her,” he narrated.
He confirmed to us that the girl was sent on
undisclosed errand in his own yard when he
accosted her
Pleading for mercy, Owolabi said the incident had
taught him a lesson of his life as his fiancee whom
she planned to marry may no longer accept him.
He said ”I have now known the voice of the devil
and it will never again deceive me. ”
Speaking on the issue, Commissioner of Police in
the state, Mr Fatai Owoseni decried the rate at
which young girls are frequently abused.
The police boss said the victim (names withheld)
has been traumatised as a result of the act and is
currently being medically attended to at Mirabel
Medical Centre

President Mumuhadu Buhari has told universities that they should watch their spending because he will soon unleash his anticorruption agencies on them.
The President was speaking at a 32nd convocation ceremony which he attended at Bayero University Kano