₦airaland Forum

Cyriacus Izuekwe

The last may not have been heard about the lingering N100m land fraud that rocked Lekki Re-setlement Schemes in Eti-Osa Local Government, Lagos State, western Nigeria.

The latest is the arrest of Pastor Felix Olu Fadare of the Redeemed Christian church of God, RCCG, Fullers Field Parish in Ajah area of Lagos over his alleged involvement in the scam.

Fadare was arrested and charged with fraud under the Criminal Code before Igbosere Magistrates’ court by the Special Fraud Unit, SFU.

Ilara Mokin, Ondo State-born Fadare was arrested in his hideout after the police trailed him following a petition against him by one of the victims, Kehinde Ola.

According to police, Fadare allegedly conspired with Adeola Ajidahun and defrauded Kehinde Ola to the tune of N30m under the false pretence of selling some plots of land at the same resettlement in Lagos.

Ajidahun, who resides at 89, Karimu Laka Street, Egbeda area of Lagos, and Fadare allegedly brandished fake documents to convince Ola and later took him to the area in Lekki and showed him the parcels of land.

Ola, who did not suspect any foul play, paid for the land through his bank.

Unknown to Ola, the land sold to him belonged to another family in the area.
P.M.NEWS also gathered that Ola was not the only person Ajidahun and Fadare allegedly defrauded over the land. Another victim, Tony Ezeoke, also lost over N10 million on the same land.

P.M.NEWS gathered that Ezeoke was sold a parcel of the land marked by the state government as road leading to the area.
When Ola discovered the fraud, he petitioned Anti-Special Fraud Unit, SFU, and Ajidahun was first arrested and charged to court.

During investigation, the police also discovered that the suspects had allegedly swindled many other victims and was using Fadare as estate agent to defraud victims.

Fadare was arrested last week and charged to court with conspiracy, obtaining under false pretence and stealing under the Criminal Code.

When Fadare was arraigned, he pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs A. O. Awogboro admitted Fadare on bail in the sum of N5m with two sureties in like sum.
The court also ordered that the sureties must provide evidence of tax payments for three years.

Fadare was remanded in prison custody at Ikoyi pending when he will perfect his bail condition.

The matter was adjourned till 3 February, 2016.

lalasticlala

IN the face of further revelations on how ex-National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) allegedly diverted $2.1billion approved for arms purchase, notable Nigerians have added the firepower of their voice to the call on former President Goodluck Jonathan to speak up and clear the lingering mist over the matter.

The trio of Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, Senator Femi Okurounmu and Col Gabriel Ajayi (retd), spoke in response to the call made by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Abdulahi Jalo, at a press conference, where he urged the erstwhile president to shed light on the issue.

Promptly, like a person stung by a bee, Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, had tackled him, saying that Jalo’s view was not the position of the party, stressing that the PDP national officer had only bared his personal opinion.
As the dust raised by Jalo’s comments continued to swirl,
Sunday Sun sought the views of notable individuals. Senator Durojaiye, a respected Yoruba leader, gave his views a philosophical slant, saying, “Sometimes, silence may be more eloquent than oration.

What happened is beyond fiction. What excuse has anybody at the helm of affairs of any organization where so much went wrong to give? I don’t know how he can escape being asked questions. We have not known the full extent of the damage done to the economy. If by the end of the exercise he has not spoken, people will say: ‘By the way, how could you sit on the throne and all this much went wrong? What have you to say?’ He cannot keep silent forever on this issue. He has to speak sometime sooner than later. But he may decide not to talk until he is specifically asked. Inevitably, from the way things are going, he will dare to speak. What is happening is in the area of security and they say it is a tip of the iceberg.”

He, however, cautioned that Jonathan talking now may be a diversion in view of the investigation still going on. He said: “We tend to be too much in a hurry in this country. We want to correct the wrongs of 16 years in one hour. His talking now may even be a diversion. Let them go on with the investigation steadily, and speedily too, to unearth all the debris. So, we should not be too much in a haste.”

Durojaiye further maintained that Jonathan reserves the right to speak or not to speak in exercise of his fundamental right until the anti-graft body extends its invitation to him.
“He has a fundamental right to speak or withhold from speaking. Those who have been speaking have provocation to speak; they were invited to speak. If as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is going on with its work, and finds out that there is something he must answer to, nobody is above the law, they should ask him. Then, he really has to speak. But if he is not asked any question, he must maintain his dignity not to talk,” he added.

Senator Femi Okurounmu, who also spoke with Sunday Sun reporter, held similar view, saying: “Given his status, he should not maintain his silence but he should not just speak out like any ordinary person. I think he should have a way of communicating with the current Head of State and let his own position be known to President Muhammadu Buhari. Even if it is a private discussion, he should discuss with Buhari and let him know his own position. That is my view. But he needs not make it public. He should not make it a media event.”

In the same vein, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Chief Meckson Innocent Okoro, challenged Jonathan to summon courage and speak out to, at least, save his face in the unfolding drama. His words: “Jonathan was the man in charge when the whole thing came up and there is no how he won’t speak up. He would take responsibility for unfolding drama. His words: “Jonathan take responsibility for the whole thing because it all happened in his tenure. He should defend Dasuki and explain what the money was meant for, otherwise it would seem as if Dasuki was on his own and that the whole thing was planned. He should not claim he was not aware. Even if he was not, he should take responsibility because the thing happened during his tenure. That is what leadership is all about. If he refuses to speak, it means he is running away from his responsibility.”

Also, a retired senior military officer, Col Gabriel Ajayi, in his own contribution to the matter, said it had become imperative for Jonathan to keep his good reputation intact by breaking his silence and avail the nation the details of what transpired in the arms money. “At times, silence might not be golden. I think the past president has set up an ethical revolution which we all know. He did a wonderful thing by conceding defeat and that makes him honourable. He should be able to do everything possible to assist Nigeria’s development. From the point of view of his love for the country which he served for six years, he should speak up. If he keeps quiet, that ethical revolution can be lost. Apart from being a former president, Jonathan is a Nigerian like you and I; so, he owes a responsibility to contribute to the Nigerian Project. I don’t want him to see it as something targeted at him. He should see it as a process in our national development. It should not be seen as a vendetta. There’s nothing wrong in him coming out to speak. Let’s see Nigeria as our country and not as party men. He should speak and untie the knot. Maybe he is waiting for the golden time. He is not doing it because of the PDP, but for the people that voted him to rule us for six years,” he stressed.

At the said press conference called by him, Jalo had not minced words when he told newsmen: “As all of you know, no single kobo can be spent by the Federal Government without an act of the National Assembly. Money earmarked for arms purchase, some people diverted it to something else. So many people that you cannot even expect were involved. Now, darkness has come to light. Jonathan is alive; he should clarify whether he asked the ex-NSA, Dasuki, to divert money meant to fight Boko Haram into his campaign. I’m from the North east and I know the terrible security situation our people are facing there. The money was meant to fight Boko Haram and we all know that you can’t rule without peace. Now darkness has given way for the light.

He spoke further: “It was not only members of the PDP that shared the money. Members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Accord Party and the Social Democratic Party, among others, also shared. At least, Chief Olu Falae is not a member of the PDP. All of them should return the money. Then, former President Jonathan must speak on it. He is still alive. Did he ever say anything like this to Dasuki: ‘Go and take from the money meant for the war against Boko Haram and share for my campaign? It is time for him to speak up.”
His comments did not go down well with Secondus, who dissociated the party from Jalo’s comment, this way: “There was no time we discussed at the National Executive Committee (NEC) that Jonathan should speak on the arms deal scandal. There was no time such a thing came up at the NEC. So, Jalo must be expressing his personal opinion.”

When Sunday Sun sought to know the exact position of the party from Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a member of the BoT and NEC, the two highest decision making bodies of the PDP, he said the stakeholders had not taken a definite stand on the matter. He further disclosed that the BoT meeting where the matter was supposed to be discussed was postponed.

His words: “We were to have a meeting of the BoT of the party today (the past Thursday) but it was postponed. I don’t actually know the position of the PDP on the matter yet. I am both a member of the National Executive Council and the BoT. So, we don’t know yet the position of the PDP on the Dasukigate affair. And I don’t want to give any opinion outside the party’s,” he said.

lalasticlala

Kunle Falayi

Like a scene out of a horror movie, a 10-year-old girl, Damilola Fasanya, who went missing on Saturday, January 9, 2016 in Ipaja area of Lagos, came home two days later to recount horrific tales of her short time in the hands of her kidnappers.

In fact, after her captors released her, she was so traumatised by what she saw that she could not gain her memory back for two days.

If Damilola’s parents did not vouch for her truthfulness, many would have dismissed her story as mere product of an imaginative mind.

Damilola said that on Saturday, she was on her way back from the errand she ran for her father around their street at Ipaja when a vehicle double-crossed her.

She said she was about rebuking the strange men in the vehicle for blocking her path, when two of them jumped out and forced her into their car.

“There were three of them in the vehicle. I became dizzy and did not know where I was again when one of them hit me with a strange object inside their vehicle,” Damilola said.

The girl said she faintly remembered that while they were on their way, a police patrol team stopped the men but the kidnappers sped off.

“The police started chasing the vehicle but the men escaped. The police van could not catch up with them. When we got to their boss, I noticed that it was a street.
“There were many houses there but I still did not know where I was. There were other children and older people in the house too. Their boss then told them to bring me before him.”

Damilola said she noticed that none of the men sounded like Yoruba. According to her, they were conversing in pidgin English.
According to the girl, a very strange thing happened when she was brought before the man.

“Immediately I got to his presence, he became angry. I noticed that blood started coming out of his body. He told his men, ‘See blood all over my body now. You brought an abomination to me.’

“He then dipped his hand inside his clothe and brought out a gun. He shot one of his men – the man who had touched me with the object while we were in the car.

“The one that was shot then fell down bleeding. There was blood everywhere. I did not know whether he died or not. The boss was angry. He said next time, they should not bring the wrong candidate to him. He then told the rest to pack him up and throw him away.”

Damilola said the man then told his men to go and dump her somewhere too.
Later, she said they dropped her around Super Bus Stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, where some sympathisers who saw her roaming the area took her to the Isokoko Police Division.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that she was too traumatised to remember anything when the police asked her where she was.
Her father, Mr. Femi Fasanya, said her daughter could not even tell the police who her parents are.

“The police kept her with them till she regained her memory back. Two days later, she told them that if they took her to Iyana Ipaja, she would know her way back home. When they took her there, her memory came back completely. The police then brought her to us.

“I cannot stop thanking God. Her mother and I have not eaten since that Saturday she went missing.

“Damilola told us that when the kidnappers asked for my phone number, she told them she did not know it even though she does. If not because of her wisdom, they probably would have kept her with them and asked us for ransom money.

“We thank God that they did not strangle or shoot her before they dropped her somewhere. You cannot imagine what we have been through these past days. We are Christ Apostolic Church members. Our church in Lagos and Ondo mobilised for marathon prayer on our behalf while residents of our street also mobilised to help out.”

The case of Damilola, who just finished her primary education and is about starting secondary school is another evidence that kidnap-for-ransom or kidnap for ritual purpose as the case may be, has continued to fester in a city where the police struggle with other numerous forms of crime.

The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Mrs. Dolapo Badmus, who confirmed the story, said the police are working on the girl’s testimony to investigate the activities of the kidnappers.

lalasticlala

teebaxy:
what is illiteracy, if I may ask

Explorers:
18.

Explorers:
3.

Chibuzo Ukaibe , George Agba

There are indications that the internal leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have taken a deeper crisis dimension as some prominent members of the party are considering using all constitutional and security means to remove current members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

LEADERSHIP FRIDAY gathered that, at a special but secret meeting of the leaders held in Sokoto last weekend, party members from across the geopolitical divide collectively expressed anger over the continued stay in office of both the acting national chairman, Uche Secondus, and the acting chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the party.

It was also gathered that the meeting, which had some former and present members of the PDP BoT in attendance, was convened to deliberate on the next line of action ahead of the BoT meeting scheduled to hold yesterday, January 14, 2016.

An impeccable source at the meeting told our correspondent that at the secret meeting headed by a former national chairman of the party, the PDP stalwarts resolved that the members of the NWC should be encouraged to resign individually if they truly love the PDP, especially in the light of the arrest of the party’s national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, over corruption charges.

The source, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the members, however, agreed to provide details of the property the NWC members clandestinely acquired in Abuja, Lagos, Dubai and other cities, as well as bribes collected from PDP candidates to the EFCC and other security agencies with a view to getting them to forfeit the property to the federal government unless they could show evidence of work done to acquire such high profile property.

They regretted that some of the NWC members led the party to its first defeat at a general election in the country, adding that the conduct of the NWC members was contrary to all known values of democracy, which have brought disgrace to the party.

Our source further said the party stalwarts noted with dismay the current travails of the party in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government and agreed that it was due to the low quality leadership by the Secondus-led NWC.

He hinted that the party members accused the Secondus-led administration “of financial profligacy which was perpetrated through the criminal registration of the Umbrella Trust Ltd.

“The company, which has five members of the NWC as directors, was used to divert billions of Naira of the party’s funds,” he said, noting that they had secured details of the plundering of the party’s fortunes by the NWC members and would make them public at the appropriate time.

When contacted, the national legal adviser of the party, Barrister Victor Kwon, who described the plot by the party bigwigs as surprising and fantastic, however noted that he could react to mere speculations.

He said, “I cannot react to speculations. I am a lawyer, so, I don’t react to what is speculated. I need a lot more knowledge on the issue. Let me see the resolutions then we will know what to do.”

On the court case against Secondus to vacate office, he said: “the party has duly lodged an appeal against the decision of the High Court of the FCT as well as filing application for injunction pending appeal and stay of execution.

“These processes are within the rights of the party since the FCT High Court is not the ultimate court on the matter. Until the application is determined, it is not correct to say the party has no acting national chairman.”

The acting national chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, while speaking on the case instituted against him in court to vacate office, said yesterday that the party had appealed the ruling at the appellate court.
“Our constitution is very clear; in the absence of the chairman, the deputy takes over. That is what the constitution says,” he asserted.

lalasticlala

ta4ba3:
I called my Bro early in d afternoon... I was hearing gun shot couldn't hear a tin he was saying I later found out his fone was on automatic receive... when he called later he said they were under attack by Boko Haram but they managed to kill dem all... I was scared and ask him to quit d military but he wouldn't... I was always refreshing d nairaland forum to see d news which I just saw now.... please friends nigeria army really need our prayers

Following the suspects arrest, it had been discovered that Ms. Asemota had been on the wanted list of the National Crime Agency of the UK.

She said: “I was shocked when I heard that she uses hot knife on boy’s legs. Three of her own children left her when her trouble was too much. It is just her last born that lives with her and that one is something else.

Residents of Ekpan and Effurun communities in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State broke down in tears yesterday when the bodies of two young lovers who drowned in Ekpan River were recovered.

Our reporter gathered that divers, who were contracted by the communities’ leadership, removed the decomposing bodies of the couple, identified simply Kess and Onoriode, from the river at 1 pm.

They were buried beside each other at the spot from where they jumped into the river.
Their burial rites were preceded by a short traditional service, which excluded women and girls.

A youth leader, Pastor Leader Nimogha, told our reporter on phone that the deaths were unfortunate.

Nimogha, who is Kess’s uncle, said: “It is very unfortunate that the two promising lovers ended this way. There is no doubt that the tragedy is as a result of youthful exuberance. They chose to express their love in a dangerous manner because they couldn’t swim.”

A crowd comprising women, youths, friends and families of the deceased started gathering on the scene of the tragedy as early as 6 am in anticipation of witnessing the discovery of the bodies.

In line with Urhobo custom, the bodies of drowned persons would surface about 24 hours after drowning.

“It is a well known fact here that the body of a drowned person usually resurfaces 24 hours after. So, as the boy and girl sank at 2 pm yesterday, we expect their bodies to resurface today,” a resident on the scene told our reporter.

Nearly 1,000 grief-stricken residents converged on the New (Odogun) Layout and Ogbomwan suburbs in the morning yesterday.

The young lovers met at their romantic rendezvous near the river on Wednesday.

Kess was said to have entered the river first and persuaded Onoriode to join him.

But they were said to have suddenly disappeared shortly after entering the river.
Ekpan River separates the exurb Bendel Estate from New Layout and Okuisoko areas of Effurun.

It was learnt that the young lovers took a stroll to the riverside in search of quietude and from the scorching sun.
But there were conflicting accounts of how they drowned.

While a source said Kess was trying to teach his girlfriend how to swim, another claimed that they died after Onoriode fell into the water and Kess made a futile attempt to rescue her.

lalasticlala

Blackops:
Lol... Am in a similar situation but don't know if the gal is a relationship. Really love the babe been eyeing her since part one till we graduate.
Just started her paraole last year. But the thing is she at rimes she would not even reply, sometimes its all these hi, hello, yeah... Answers. Me sef lagidi... I go date this babe, I might even marry her.... The love strong ooo no be small.

Dcaliphate:
Professional toaster spotted.

missKiffy:
Wetin be Lala-sticlala own for d matter

According to Ibrahim, after she and Okpara had marathon sex all through the night, she became weak and slept off.

Olusola Fabiyi and Olalekan Adetayo

The defection of politicians accused of corruption from other political parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress will not stop them from being investigated and prosecuted, the Presidency has said.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents.

Adesina was asked if defection from PDP to the APC was enough to save those already implicated in the $2.1bn arms scandal from investigation and prosecution.

A former Minister of Sports, Chief Jim Nwobodo, who had been named as one of the beneficiaries of some funds distributed by a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, defected from the PDP to the APC on Friday.

Nwobodo said he was the Chairman of the Contact Committee of the PDP Presidential Campaign for the South-East, and the only fund received by the committee for its work was N100m from PDP’s National Chairman, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu.

Adesina, however, said the present administration’s anti-corruption fight would not be based on party affiliation, adding that the President would not encourage any cover-up.

“It is not in the nature of this administration to cover anyone who has questions to answer on corruption, irrespective of party affiliation,” he said.

The presidential spokesman explained that the release of a former military governor of Kaduna State and a chieftain of the APC, Jafaru Isa, by the EFCC had nothing to do with Isa’s relationship with the President.

Isa, who was quizzed by the commission, was said to have been released after he refunded N100m of the N170m he allegedly received from the embattled Dasuki.

“The EFCC is in a better position to tell you why Jafaru Isa was released. But it definitely has nothing to do with his relationship with the President. If that were the case, then he would not have been picked in the first place,” he said.

Meanwhile, the EFCC on Monday said it had not invited Jonathan for questioning in connection with the arms fund probe because no document had established a link between the former President and the distribution of the fund for other purposes other than arms purchase.

The acting Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, explained that the former President could not be arrested as some had canvassed as no document had been traced to Jonathan, giving any approval for the disbursement of the money for any other purpose than arms procurement.

Magu, who spoke with some online publishers in Lagos, added that those who had been quizzed so far in connection with the fund were people who either collected or redistributed the money for reasons other than the purchase of arms.

“All approvals by former President Jonathan did not mention that it was for political purposes. All the memos approved by him were for the purchase of arms,” Magu added.

lalasticlala