₦airaland Forum

As part of its tourism investment drive, the Cross River State government has concluded plans to float an airline.

Governor Ben Ayade revealed this in Calabar when he hosted a consortium of Indian investors.

According to him, the airline to be called Cally Air would be managed by Dana Group under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The governor said the airline was expected to debut in November and would fly Calabar, Obudu, Lagos and Abuja routes.

Ayade said the state was in a haste to get the airline started while Dana Airline would serve as its technical partner.

Mr Jackies Hartmani, the Managing Director of Dana Group, applauded the joint partnership between his group and the state government.

“My company is very impressed with what Gov. Ayade is doing to transform the state in terms of investment and we are committed to ensuring the success of the partnership,’’ he said.

Investigation by New Telegraph showed that the arrangement, which government entered into in February, began to have issues in July with considerable improvement in refineries’ efficiency.

The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources is at crossroads as the $7.4 billion cash call debts to Joint Ventures (JV) with Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil and other international oil companies (IOCs) go bad. The recession facing the country, according to a document of the ministry seen by New Telegraph, will, if not stemmed, raise the cash call debts to $27 billion in the next 10 years.

Cash call is the counterpart funding the Federal Government pays yearly through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the 60 per cent equity shareholding it owns in various oil and gas fields operated by IOCs and indigenous oil firms (independents).

The debt overhang in cash calls by the NNPC to multinational and indigenous oil companies it operates Joint Venture (JV) project with, had already hit $7.4 billion as at last July, the document showed. “The cash call deficiency is $2 billion every year, about $200 million ($0.16666667 billion) monthly and this will be $20 billion in the next 10 years if nothing is done,” the document stated. “The cash call was $6 billion in 2015, but now $7.4 billion (approximately) as at July 2016.

While the NNPC is having difficulty to clear the backlog, the cash call will continue to accumulate if nothing is done,” it added. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had earlier hinted that it was becoming tougher for the government to finance its 60 per cent shareholding in the JVs. Stating the NNPC’s commitment to balance up the debts, Kachikwu told New Telegraph on the sidelines of a forum in Lagos, that the government planned to deploy other mechanism to finance the JV.

“The cash call is $2 billion every year,” he confirmed, adding: “This will continue to accumulate if we keep evading our shareholding financing.” He said: “I spend every night trying to get solutions and the best we can have is to get our production back to full capacity. “Capital expenditure (capex) world over is shrinking and absolutely we need to compete for that cash deficiency. To do this, we need to fulfill our obligations to Joint Ventures in terms of cash calls.”

The NNPC had, over the years, been battling to clear the cash call arrears. “The Federal Government is determined to settle the arrears to the operators of the various JVs,” Kachikwu had said. The recession, buoyed by oil price rout, had reduced the nation’s revenue from oil, and it is a major hurdle for government to accomplish its desire to settle the over $7 billion debt.

As at last January, NNPC, the oil ministry document revealed, owed the IOCs cash call arrears of $5.5 billion, while their indigenous counterparts are owed $1.1billion, and an estimated $800 million that had accrued between January and April.

“The ministry is considering the adoption of zero funding model for the JV operations from January 2017 to halt the growth of the cash call arrears,” the document added. New Telegraph had earlier reported concerns raised by stakeholders about this model.

Managing Director of Seplat, Austin Avuru, had told New Telegraph that the zero funding model being contemplated by the ministry will cost the government more. The operators, he said, would source funding from banks, and interests paid on such loans secured by the oil firms will be factored into the cost of production.

“The zero JV funding seeks to empower the operators not to wait for the NNPC counterpart funding before going on with operations and projects implementation. “Therefore, the operators will source funds and go ahead with projects’ implementations, while the NNPC’s bureaucratic processes of approval, including endorsement by the National Assembly, continue.

“The operators of the JVs will deduct costs at the end and remit what is due to NNPC at the end of the deal,” Avuru said. “If government lacks capacity to pay its cash calls, let it choose from some alternative options including divesting some of its equity holdings to indigenous firms, adopt crude for cash calls or privatise the NNPC,” he said.

NNPC has, according to him, been able to meet only 30 per cent of the 60 per cent cash call it is supposed to pay. “As long as the funding issues exist, production will adversely be impacted,” Avuru said, warning that JV oil production has since dropped to one million barrels per day (bpd) as against about 2.5million bpd in the past due to JV budget delay.

lalasticlala

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The Department of State Services said in Abuja on Sunday that some members of the dreaded Boko Haram were already making plans to join the army.

It, however, said that two members of the sect, who it described as specialists in the making of Improvised Explosive Devise, had been nabbed before they succeeded in joining the army.

Spokesperson for the DSS, Mr. Tony Opuiyo, who stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the suspects were arrested in Kano.

He said, “In response to the regrouping of Boko Haram elements in Kano State, the Service in concert with the military, carried out coordinated operations in the state which led to the apprehension of two high profile members of the sect.

“They are Ibrahim Abubakar and Idris Audu. Audu is an IED specialist who was being groomed to penetrate security agencies in the country.

“Audu had already perfected plans to seek for recruitment into the next recruitment scheme of the Nigeria Army, before his arrest.”

He attributed the success recorded in the arrest of these two suspects to the secret police’s sustained tactical and counter-terrorism operations.

Opuiyo also said that the service on August 22 arrested one Samuel Asuquo, who was described as a kidnap kingpin, at Nasarawa Bakoko village in Cross River State.

He said that the suspect was the mastermind of the kidnap of three Australian staff of Lafarge Cement Company, for which his gang received ransom of N150m.

Similarly, he said that on August30, the trio of Bamaiyi Mustapha, Aminu Isa and Hassan Shehu, who he alleged were members of a notorious kidnap gang operating around the Abuja-Kaduna axis, were arrested at Lafia, Nasarawa State.

He said that the gang had earlier kidnapped five Igbo women and collected the sum of N13m as ransom, but added that the suspects were arrested by the Service while planning a high profile kidnap in Abuja.

The Ogun State Police Command yesterday paraded some suspects recently arrested.

Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, at the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, said no fewer than 21 assorted guns, which included three AK 47 rifles, were recovered.

Among the suspects was a 54-year-old woman, Idowu Olupinla, the founder of a white garment, Adura migba Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Ijoko, Ota.

The prophetess was paraded for allegedly running a prostitution ring, using teenagers.

Three of her victims confirmed that she used one of the rooms in her apartment as a brothel, where different men, including male members of the church slept with them.

The Commisioner said one Haruna Saidat aged 16 years and three others lodged complaints against the suspect for using them for prostitution and sending other young girls to neighbouring countries for the same purpose.

Also paraded was a member of a gang of robbers/kidnappers terrorising residents of Oyo, Lagos and Ogun states, Richard Abraham.

Iliyasu assured that all the suspects will be charged to court after investigations.

CrazyQuinn:
mass weapon of destruction

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, on Friday evening raised the alarm that if something urgent was not done, a war worse than the Boko Haram insurgency looms in Borno State and the North East generally.

Ndume raised the alarm at a cocktail organised to mark the official inauguration of ‘Get Involved Initiative’, a pet project of the Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari.

The project is aimed at combating malnutrition in the North East.

Ndume said Nigeria might have a larger crisis on its hands if all stakeholders failed to do something urgent on the malnutrition being experienced among children in the affected area.

He said about 500,000 children would die of malnutrition if something urgent was not done.

He said, “The situation in Borno State particularly in the North East and in the country as liberated generally is very very serious.

“If we do not do something concrete now on these children that are growing up malnourished, sick with hunger, poverty and malnutrition in Borno State, then we are going to have another war that is worse than the Boko Haram war.

“So I want you to give the Wife of the President all the support. As estimated, if we don’t do something, for sure more than 50,000 children are going to die of malnutrition.

“That is beside the people that are dying right now because of hunger in Borno State.”

The Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, lauded the President’s wife for the initiative.

Shettima urged other well-meaning Nigerians to join the crusade of bringing new lease of life to the people of the region, especially children.

He said, “We cannot thank you enough. You deserve special commendation for your giant strides towards assisting the less endowed in our society.

“She has so far given 30 trucks of assorted commodities to our people. We want to call on other well-to-do Nigerians to come out to give to her cause.”

The President’s wife said she was not comfortable with the magnitude of malnutrition being experienced especially among children.

He urged all and sundry to join her in reversing the trend.

“This is the time for all of us to once again renew our intentions and commitments towards ending the problem of malnutrition facing our country,” she said.

Mrs. Buhari also called on traditional and religious leaders as well as members of private sector, civil society and the media to be part of the Get-Involved Initiative

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), have arrested some men who confessed to have received over 100 exotic cars from suspected kidnappers and robbers.

The suspects, without mincing words, said they bought the cars, quite aware they were stolen. They also admitted to have received the cars from kidnappers and armed robbers. The men said always fraternised with suspected robbers and kidnappers.

The suspects have been identified as Abdulrahman Hassan 42, aka Risi, Abubakar Datti 45, aka Baballiya, Aminu Adamu Yakasi, 49 and Shuaibu Yahaya 48. The suspects were said to have been arrested in Kano State. One of them, Yakasi, confessed to have sold a stolen car to the leader of the gang that kidnapped Mikel Obi’s father.

Yakasi said: “I sold a Peugeot 607 to one Dogo who took part in the kidnap of John Mikel Obi’s father. When the police arrested Dogo he told them that I sold a vehicle to him. The police came after me. I ran to Niger Republic. I hid there for a week before I returned to Nigeria. I was arrested after I returned.”

The crackdown on the suspects began after IRT operatives arrested some suspects for the kidnap of the Deputy High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Major- General Alfred Claude-Nelson and the Executive Director of Dangote Group, Engineer Alhaji Mansur Ahmed.

A police source said: “It was after the arrest of those that kidnapped the Deputy High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Major-General Alfred Claude-Nelson and the Executive Director of Dangote Group, Engineer Alhaji Mansur Ahmed, that further revelations were made by suspected kidnappers.

“The suspects mentioned syndicates that specialised in receiving victims’ cars from them. It was based on follow up to their confessions that IRT operatives moved to Kano State. The four suspects were arrested.

They confessed to have received more than 100 exotic cars from different gangs of armed robbers and kidnappers. One of the cars is the 4-Runner Jeep belonging to the Deputy High Commissioner. The syndicate usually moves the cars to Niger Republic and other neighbouring countries.

They hand the cars over to various agents. One of the agents has been identified as an Alfa. The Alfa is the one in possession of the 4-Runner Jeep of the Deputy High Commissioner. Other agents are Garba, Dauda and Mallam Haruna.”

Hassan said he used to sell rams at Dei- Dei Market, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, before one Usman Zamfara initiated him into the business of receiving and selling stolen cars in 2009. He was first arrested in 2011 by policemen from Delta State, charged to court and jailed for receiving a stolen Honda CRV from one Ebele, in Warri, Delta State.

Hassan said that after Ebele was arrested, he led policemen to arrest him. Rather than quit buying of stolen vehicles, Hassan went back to his old ways after leaving prison. Hassan said: “I got bailed a year later and went back to my business. In 2015, I met Suraju, who is now dead.

He promised to always supply stolen cars to me. He gave me two cars; a Toyota Lexus 300, which I bought for N350, 000 and Honda Accord Hennessey, which I bought for N150, 000.” According to Hassan, before Suraju died, he linked him to Balarabe Mohammed who sold a stolen Toyota Corolla 2002 model, to him for N450, 000 and 2009 model Toyota Four Runner, which he bought for N1.2m. Hassan said: “I sold these vehicles to one Alfa who is based in Niger Republic.

I sold the Toyota Corolla for N700, 000 to Alfa. He also bought the Toyota Four Runner for N1.6m. Alfa paid N650, 000 for the Lexus and N330, 000 for the Honda Hennessey. I knew the vehicles were all stolen.
That was why I didn’t sell them in Nigeria. I took them to Niger Republic.” He explained that Mohammed also brought a 2014 model Audi Squadron Saloon car for N700, 000.

He later sold the car to Garba Maradi, living in Maradi Town, Niger Republic, for N1m.
Hassan said: “I received two Honda Hennessey cars, 1998 Models from Babagana. I bought each for N400, 000. I bought a Volkswagen Golf car, from Alhaji Tasiu of Plateau State for N350, 000. I gave these vehicles to my ‘boy,’ Abubakar Datti, who moved them to my new buyer, Maradi, in Niger Republic.

I was paid N1.4m for the three vehicles. I gave Datti, N170, 000 as his share and kept the rest. After my arrest by the IRT operatives, I assisted on recovering one of the vehicles, which was the 2014 Audi Squadron.

I was forced to refund the sum of N500, 000 to Maradi. My son went to Niger and brought the vehicle to the police.” Another suspect, Yahaya, an engine oil merchant, who also sells spare parts, said he ventured into buying and selling of stolen cars in 2012.

He said his friend; Ali Yahaya, introduced him to the business. He said Ali supplied him four vehicles: Honda Haller, Brama Honda, Honda Civic and Honda Arcadia. He sold the Haller to a medical doctor for N220, 000, the Brama for N270, 000, the Civic for N180, 000 and the Arcadia to a banker for just N200, 000. Yahaya said: “I got my commissions from the proceeds of the sale of the cars. But a few months later, Ali was arrested by policemen from Zone 1 Police Command, Kano State. He led them to arrest me.

I was charged to court and sentenced to three years.” Just like his friend Hassan, Yahaya went back to his vomit after leaving prison. He said that moments after leaving prison, a contact supplied him a 2013 model, Toyota Camry car. He sold it to Daudu Maradi in Niger Republic for N400, 000.

He said the car was supplied by Suraju. After selling it, he gave Suraju N350, 000 and took N50, 000 as his commission. He said this happened just five months ago. Yahaya said: “Later, I met one Abubakar Datti. He gave me one Toyota Sienna, which I sold to Maigida, residing in Nassaraw State. Maigida paid N400, 000 for it. Datti also brought another Toyota Camry, which I took to Maidiga again.

He paid N350, 000.” Narrating his own story, Yakassi said he started receiving stolen cars in 2008. In 2010, he bought a stolen 1986 model Honda Accord Saloon car from one Alhaji Mohammed. He paid N300, 000 for the car. Alhaji Mohammed was later arrested and he led the police to Yakassi. Yakassi recounted: “After I was released, I went back to my business.

I received a 2010 Toyota Camry from one Dikko. I paid him N1m. I drove the car to Niamey in Niger Republic and sold it to one Iliya for N1.5m. I was later arrested by policemen from Kano State and charged to court. I spent eight months in prison before I was granted bail.

A month ago, I received a Toyota Hilux from one Jibril Danfulani, who had links with a notorious robbery and kidnap gang. I paid him N900, 000. I drove the vehicle personally to Maradi Town and sold it to one Mallam Haruna. I sold it to him for N1.3m. I also bought three vehicles: two Toyota Carina E cars and one Mercedes Benz.

One of the Toyota Carina cars was from a certain Baffa. I bought it from him for N300, 000 and bought the second one from Afamtama, in Bauchi State, for N130, 000. I bought the Mercedes Benz for N500,000. When I was arrested by IRT, they recovered the last three vehicles from me.” Yakassi further confessed to have also assisted a syndicate that specialised in hijacking loaded trucks on expressway, to get buyers.

by Precious Igbonwelundu,

A furniture maker, Ateju has been accused of beating up his wife for using his phone charger.

The incident was said to have occurred at 22, Orishigun Street in Ketu, where the couple live.

It was gathered that the man who came home around 10:30pm on August 8, found Temitope, his wife of 20 years, using his phone charger.

He was said to have been angry and removed the charger.

According to the victim, an argument ensued between them and her husband descended on her, beating her to a pulp.

“He is always beating me. It was not the first time. It was not even the 100th time.

But what caused the beating was that I used his charger to charge my phone. When he came back, he was not happy about it and it caused a fight.

“We have been married for over 20 years and we have three children. I did not report him because I don’t want him to be arrested. His relatives and other people also pleaded with me that I should not report him.

“But I have not returned to the house since then because I told him that he will have to sign an undertaking to never touch me again and should also refund the money I spent in the hospital, but he has refused to do any of them.

“I do not want to make any case with him. He’s my husband. But he should just do the things I have asked and things will be alright,” she said.

lalasticlala

Decryptor:
The OP's English is appalling!

An 18-year-old man, Segun Adeyefa , whose 'hustle' is to sell bar soaps in the guise of mobile phones to unsuspecting people in traffic, has been arrested by operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), of Lagos State Police Command, while on a routine patrol of Ikorodu Motor Park on the night of Tuesday, August 30, 2016.

Adeyefa who confessed to the act said he was on a revenge mission after he was also swindled in the same manner about a year ago by his likes, adding that he had successfully sold the bar-phone to a man at N3,500 before he was caught that day.

Hear him:
“My action was prompted when I was swindled by two guys about a year ago by this way. That very moment I promised myself to revenge. I learned those tactics by understudying the material. The item contained cut-to-size soap, carton and wrapped all together with a cello tape.

What I usually do is called exchange. My prospective victims will have the mind of buying the handset from me but unknowingly to them, I would have changed the real handset to soap wrapped with a cut to size carton put inside an envelope."

"I will engage them in discussion after showing them the real phone initially, and in the process of bargaining for the price, I will change it.

And, I will tell them to keep the phone inside their pockets immediately that people are watching us."

Olaleye Aluko

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old security guard, Ossai Sylvester, for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in the Victoria Island area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Sylvester, who was employed to guard a private apartment on Teslim Elias Close, was arrested on Monday by the Victoria Island Police Division for allegedly sucking the breast of the victim, who is also his employer’s daughter.

A police source told our correspondent that the suspect also inserted his finger into the private parts of the 10-year-old, before the employer caught him and reported to the police.

He said, “The incident happened at about 11.30pm on Saturday. The guard allegedly lured the girl to a secluded spot in the house and sucked her breast. He also dipped his left finger into her private parts. He has confessed to the crime.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed Sylvester’s arrest.

She said, “The matter was reported and the suspect has been arrested. The victim has been taken for a medical examination.

“The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has directed that the case be transferred to the gender unit at the state command headquarters for further investigation.”

Blessing Anaro,

The hope for improved power supply in Nigeria is getting brighter with plans by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote’s company to generate about 12,000 megawatts of electricity for Africa’s most populous country by 2018.

There has been an increased despondence in the country due epileptic power supply to industries and other electricity users, including private individuals who spent millions of naira on independent generation.

Many firms are running on alternative power supply, raising cost of business, while some have closed shop because they could not sustain the additional cost spent on power generation.

“Our gas project would have our gas pipelines on the seabed. The output should be able to provide about 12,000MW of power. We see a lot of transformation when we are done with most of our projects by 2018,” Dangote told a conference in Lagos on Monday.

He also said that his business estate would start selling foreign exchange to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by 2020.

“We are looking at a situation that by 2020, we will be the one selling FX to the CBN. Our projects are mainly import substitution. We are working to be self-sufficient to grow about a million tonnes of rice over the next five years.

“We have 15 countries in the ECOWAS community that are duty-free. The export market is big and profitable if you have the capacity. Players in the manufacturing (sector) should be encouraged to export if they have the capacity. We must also meet local consumption.”

Dangote said the fall in crude oil price was not a curse and that the nation must use the opportunity to explore the potential in other sectors of the economy.

He said, “This is the right moment to pursue the diversification of the economy, which we have been talking about. I know that once oil gets back to $80 per barrel, we will go back to the same misbehaviour.

“But I think this is the right time for that. Government must come up with the right policy, because if we don’t do it now, we may not do it. But low prices do not mean doom. In 1998-1999, the price of oil was $9. What we need to do is just to block the leakages and pursue diversification.”

According to Dangote, the monthly revenue inflow from oil, which used to be $3.2bn, is now around $1bn, and this has caused a number of challenges for businesses in the country.

“There are some areas where we are facing serious challenges and there are some where we are not. It depends on your business model. If your business model is to import 100 per cent, definitely, you will be facing challenges, because the inflow of foreign exchange is not where it used to be a year and a half ago,” he added.

The Group Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, on his part, said a number of manufacturers were facing hard times due to their inability to access forex to buy raw materials.

According to him, there was a need to explore import substitution, while efforts are being made to boost forex supply in the country.

Wigwe said, “We have a lot of manufacturers who have to rely on forex for their raw materials but who are going through tough times. However, are there opportunities? I believe there are. I think it is time for us to move towards import-substitution. But I think we need to do things to support the supply side of forex and liberalise the market.

lalasticlala

To reduce the huge recurrent expenditure in the country, the Federal Government has ordered the military, paramilitary outfits and other government agencies to key into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) electronic platform. The action is basically to eliminate ghost workers in the affected institutions and agencies.

It is also in line with government’s rigorous process to clean up the huge finances being gulped by the military, paramilitary and thousands of ghost workers scattered across the public sector.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who revealed this to New Telegraph, said that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was seriously worried over the high number of ghost workers in the public sector.

According to him, the payroll of workers is the biggest problem facing the current administration, as there are still thousands of ghost workers in agencies of government and military.

He said that government had resolved not to sack workers in the public sector in spite of economic meltdown, but would rather merge various agencies of government as part of the policy to save cost.

The vice president, however, said that the discovery of thousands of ghost workers was growing daily and, regrettably, distorting recurrent expenditure. His words: “The most obvious and largest portions of the recurrent expenditure are the payroll, overheads and others; but the payroll is the largest component.

Now, we promised over time not to lay off workers even where we have tried to merge ministries and in some cases merge the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“The several thousands of ghost workers we have seen is one sure way of reducing the recurrent expenditure. We are confident that once we are able to get the military, all of the services into the IPPIS, we would be able to clean up their payrolls as well.

“But just like the other agencies that are not currently on the electronic platform, we are going to enroll them and we think that a lot can be done in terms of reducing the recurrent expenditure.”

The vice president also explained that in order to safeguard jobs and prevent further increases in unemployment, the Federal Government paid priority attention to assisting the states and local governments to enable them pay the salaries of their workers.

He said: “We have had three such interventions, including the latest loan of N90 billion as part of a fiscal responsibility plan for states. In order to access these funds, states are required to comply with a fiscal responsibility plan, which includes cleaning up their payrolls, the use of TSA and showing clear plans for improving IGR.

“These interventions have helped to boost household and social spending, which are key steps to preventing the economy from falling into deep recession. “One of the first areas in which we brought about change is in public finance management. This has had a consequential effect of saving jobs as well as money. The reality is that every ghost worker eliminated at the federal level is a job saved.

“Other policy instruments used in this regard include the TSA, which has brought transparency into inflows and outflows of government monies. “The ongoing implementation of the IPPIS is bringing about monthly savings of N8 billion, while the creation of the Efficiency Unit is projected to save N14 billion in 2016 fiscal year.”

lalasticlala

PussyMechanic:
Hehehe.
Maybe he's been lookng 4 a way to brk up with you so he bribed d pastor
That may even be d reason he invited you

Olulinks:
She didn't have any knowledge. Please analyse the gel's statement first, according to report, “The girlfriend said she told him not to come because he was married, but he insisted on passing the night at her house."

Is the girl saying she just got to know the man was married because the man wanted to sleep over at her place?
Or the girl is trying to let us think that was the man's first time of sleeping over even when she knew he was married?

So, you see the girl is just trying to play on the intelligence of millions of Nigerians reading the news.

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari developed interest in Malabu Oil deal following the ruling of a London Court judge, Justice Edis of the Southwark Crown Court, London, on December 14, 2015.

The judge stopped payment of N17billion to Malabu Oil and Company.

The judge said he was “not sure that the Goodluck Jonathan administration acted in the interest of Nigeria by approving the transfer of the money to Malabu.

He said, “The man was married, but he had a girlfriend who lived in Abule Egba.

On August 23, he had finished from work when he called her on the telephone that he would be sleeping at her place.

“The girlfriend said she told him not to come because he was married, but he insisted on passing the night at her house.

By Vincent Ujumadu

THE land dispute between Abagana in Njikoka local government area of Anambra State and Ukpo in Dunukofia local government area, reached the climax last week when hundreds of youths, suspected to be from Abagana, attacked a police post located on the border between the two communities. The attack claimed the life of one of the security men guarding the large expand of land, while the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, for Dunukofia and three other policemen sustained various degrees of injury.

The area where the incident took place was like a war zone when Sunday Vanguard visited the place as two patrol vans belonging to the police and five buildings under construction were destroyed with explosives suspected to be dynamites.

Several dangerous weapons, including live ammunition, three AK47 rifles and dynamite, were said to have been recovered from suspects arrested in connection with the attack by the police.

It was gathered that two prominent indigenes of Abagana and Ukpo respectively were behind the struggle for the land and that, at the peak of the dispute, the land allocated to the police to build a post to serve the area. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the decision to allocate the land to the police was in the overriding public interest as it was thought that it would help to end the dispute.

What was said to have angered Abagana people was the building of a gate, with bold inscription, “Welcome to Ukpo”, by an Ukpo billionaire at a place they considered to be their territory. An indigene of the town said that, as if that was not enough, a police security post was mounted at the place, while construction work was taking place on the massive disputed land.

On their part, Ukpo people said the land belongs to them, adding that they donated it to the Federal Government for the building of the police post and wondered why a group of people should have the audacity to destroy government property.

The policemen, who were on duty when the incident happened, said they were overwhelmed by the crowd, adding that a large number of people would have been killed if the police had decided to challenge them.

Anambra State new commissioner of police, Mr. Sam Okaula, said the command had arrested 23 persons in connection with the incident, adding, however, that investigation into the matter was continuing.

Okaula said those involved in the dastardly act had murdered sleep and vowed that they would never go free. The CP said: “Hoodlums, numbering over 200, from Abagana and fully armed with explosives and other dangerous weapons, invaded Ukpo and descended on a police post, while engaging in heavy firing. They overwhelmed the four policemen on duty and instantly shot and killed the security guard, Emmanuel Okafor.

“The assailants went further to bomb the police post and ten-room self-contained police barracks, after burning two police vehicles.

“The DPO Ukpo, who led a patrol team to the scene, was overwhelmed and shot. Three other policemen received various degrees of bullet wounds from the assailants. The DPO and the policemen are presently on admission in hospital.

“I led a team to the scene and, based on intelligence report, arrested ten of the assailants in Abagana. Detectives further arrested eleven other suspects from their various hideouts. It is to be noted that a team of Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) identified and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device, IED, and recovered another one at the scene. “Also, four pump action guns, with two live cartridges, three AK 47 rifles, three locally made pistols, cutlasses and other arms were recovered.

“It could be seen from the magnitude of this unwarranted attack that the perpetrators obviously embarked on what appears to be like an act of terrorism. Investigation is currently in top gear and those found culpable will definitely face the full wrath of the law. Those arrested have also made very useful statements to the police.”

The CP said that prior to the attack, a meeting was held in an hotel belonging to a prominent indigene of Abagana where the dastardly plan of attack was allegedly hatched. However, while the 23 persons arrested in connection with the incident were being paraded at the police headquarters in Awka, some of the denied being among those behind the mayhem.

One of the suspects, who is in his late 20s, said he was in his house close to the area when the police came and arrested him. “I am innocent. I work somewhere else and I was getting ready to go to work when the police came and dragged me into their vehicle and took me to the station,” he said amid sobs.

In the meantime, people passing through Abagana -Ukpo road since the incident have had ugly stories to tell as they claim security operatives harass them to the point of asking them to UnCloth to be searched. “I don’t know why our big men should cause us this problem at this time,” one of them said.

by Robert Egbe,

The police have arrested a United States of America (USA)-based businessman, Uzoukwu George, for allegedly obtaining N7 million from a couple under false pretence.

The police alleged that George, from Imo State, but resides at No. 22 Ogunlana Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos was arrested while he was trying to flee to the US.

George, 31, was accused of obtaining the N7m from his business partners, Mr and Mrs Joachim Ezirim, on the pretence of forming a joint venture business with them.

The police said after collecting the sum, George left for the US, and remained there for some time while the couple were searching for him in Nigeria.

“The suspect sneaked into Nigeria, sold all his property and was about to leave the country with his family when he was arrested by detectives of the Area ‘A’ Command Lion Building, Lagos,” a police source told The Nation.

George was arraigned on Tuesday before Mrs Abimbola Komolafe of the Lagos Magistrates’ Court in Igbosere, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, conversion and issuance of dud cheques.

Prosecuting Inspector Abass Abayomi told the court that George and others at large conspired to commit the alleged offences sometime between 2011 and 2014 at No. 6, Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island.

He said the defendant “obtained the sum of N7m from the couple on the pretence to form a joint venture business with them but converted same to his personal use.”

“George issued post-dated FCMB cheques No. 03002064 and 03002066 in the sum of N1 million and N2.5 million to Joachim Ezirim for the refund of the money invested in the business, knowing full well that there was no money in the account and the cheques were rejected on presentation,” the prosecutor said.

The offence, he added, were punishable under Sections 409, 312 and 319 (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The defendant denied the charge and his lawyer, Chief M. C. Ikwunoh, urged the court to grant him bail in liberal terms. “The defendant was granted administrative bail by the police and he did not jump abscond.

He came to court voluntarily,” Ikwunoh said.
This was opposed by the prosecutor on the grounds that the defendant had already concluded plans to leave Nigeria.

“He is currently based in the United States of America and it was very difficult for the police to get him arrested,” Abayomi said.

In a bench ruling, Magistrate Komolafe granted the defendant N5 million bail with two sureties in the like sum, who must be gainfully employed and one of whom must be a blood relation.

They were also ordered to make a deposit of N250,000 to the court registrar’s account while the defendant must deposit his international passport in the court’s custody.

The case was adjourned till September 27, for mention.

Peter Dada, Akure

A 28-year-old woman identified as Mary Mathew has been arrested by the men of the Ondo State Police Command for child abuse.

The suspect allegedly caged her four-year-old foster daughter inside the bush for over five months at Imafon Village in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Mary said she ‘quarantined’ the young girl identified as Precious Michael when she suspected that the girl was possessed with witchcraft and also suspected that the four-year-old girl must have been infected with HIV, which reportedly killed her mother last year.

The suspect was said to be a relative of the girl’s late mother and brought the little girl to Imafon in December 2015 after the death of her mother.

Parading the suspect at the headquarters of the command in Akure on Thursday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Hilda Harrison, said the suspect was arrested following a tip off.

While Mary was paraded, her husband was not, but the police boss said both of them were in their custody.

The commissioner said, “Mary Mathew and her husband alleged that the girl was possessed and thus decided to lock her outside the house. On receipt of the information, personnel attached to Juvenile Welfare Centre of the police command visited the scene and met the girl in the cage as reported.

“She (the girl) was immediately rescued and taken to police clinic for medical attention, while the suspects are under interrogation and will soon be charged to court “.

Harrison added that the victim would be taken to the state welfare home of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.

Also speaking, the police officer at the JWC of the command, Mrs. Olayemi Ojumu (ASP), who led the team that rescued the girl, told our correspondent that Precious had actually tested negative for HIV.

Mary, a farmer and indigene of Enugu State, said she only confined the victim to a corner in her shop.

She said she confined the four-year-old in the morning and released her in the evening whenever she came back from the farm.