₦airaland Forum

Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja



The Senior Agriculture Economist, World Bank, Dr Adetunji Oredipe, on Thursday said the neglect of the agricultural sector when Nigeria’s economy became increasingly dependent on oil has proved to be a “disaster”.

He said if Nigeria had held to its market share in palm oil, cocoa, groundnut and cotton, the country would be earning at least $10bn annually from these commodities.

Oredipe said this while delivering a keynote address at the agriculture summit Africa in Abuja, sponsored by Sterling Bank Plc.

The event was attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who was represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Shehuri; Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Paulen Talen; Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu; Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Asue Ighodalo; and the Managing Director of Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman.

Painting a picture of the country’s agricultural sector, the World Bank agric economist said Nigeria was now one of the largest food importers in the world.

He said in 2016 alone, Nigeria spent $965m on the importation of wheat, $39.7m to import rice and $100.2m on sugar importation.

Oredipe said the decision to spend $655m on fish importation seemed financially irresponsible given all the marine resources, rivers, lakes, and creeks in Nigeria.

He said, “None of the above transactions (importation of rice, fish, sugar) is fiscally, economically or politically sustainable.

“Nigeria is tragically living on borrowed time, a typical case of robbing Peter to pay.

“For instance, each time we spend money to import rice, Nigerian local rice farmers are negatively affected in terms of morale, sales, and realisable income.”

He lamented that despite the huge agricultural potential, Nigeria which used to be the major player in agriculture in the world has lost its place in the global community.

He said, “In the 1960s, we had glory. That glory was visible and significant for the global community to recognise and applaud.

“Nigeria accounted for 42 per cent of the world’s exports of shelled groundnuts. Our total export volume was 502, 000 MT.

“This declined to 356 MT by 2016. Nigeria lost her leadership position and was overtaken by the USA, China, and Argentina.

“Nigeria was also the largest exporter of palm oil in the world and accounted for 27 per cent of the global export volume for palm oil.

“Indonesia alone recorded US$16.5bn, 54.5 per cent of total palm oil exports. Unfortunately, Nigeria is not listed among the first 15 as at this moment.”

He said the huge taste of Nigerians for imported food items had also contributed to high levels of unemployment for the youths.

Oredipe said, “Food producing factories in Western world, Far East Asia and other countries employ millions of young people to produce and export food. “This is a source of livelihood and it helps the workers to live well and go to school.

To reverse this trend, he said the government must articulate a clear vision to achieve a hunger-free Nigeria, through an agricultural sector that drives income growth.

In doing this, he said the vision of the government should be to revive the rural economy by transforming Nigeria into an agriculturally industrialised economy, create wealth, jobs, and markets for farmers.

He added, “We also need to realise that it is extremely difficult to produce, process and market at the same time. It is better to specialise and pick a certain aspect to focus on.”

He also said government should rigorously and transparently evaluate all major policies and initiatives aimed at boosting agricultural development.

The economist said a closer focus on agricultural finance schemes could boost its potential to foster an enabling environment to crowd-in private investment.

“The most fundamental cause of low investment in agriculture is the low expected profitability, which stems from low productivity. Additional factors contributing to this situation include an unfavourable business climate; infrastructural deficiencies; limited access and use of long-term business credit; and the high risk of investment,” he added.

He also said there was need to address the issue of high post-harvest losses, especially for perishables such as horticulture produce.

Oredipe said Nigeria produces 1.8 million MT of tomatoes per year, accounting for 68 per cent of the total production of West Africa.

However, he added, over 45 per cent of this is lost annually due to postharvest losses.

Despite this, he said, Nigeria continued to spend over N16bn annually on tomato paste importation making the country the largest importer of tomato paste from China and Italy.

He said, “We need to find better ways to link farmers with off-takers and processers. Our off-takers imports food items being produced by our farmers because they are not aware of the products in the local market.”

The VP in his speech at the event said the Federal Government recognised the importance of the agriculture sector to food security, job creation and poverty reduction.

He said the sector was one of the priority areas of the government, adding that this was why various intervention programmes were being implemented under the Agricultural Promotion Policy.

He said, “It is heart-warming that agriculture is fast becoming the buzz across trade and investment circles particularly in the face of perennially dwindling oil prices and devaluation and the attendant desire of government to diversify the economy.

“The need to get everybody into agriculture has been one of the cardinals of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Federal Government with emphasis on developing an export-led economy.

“Our agenda is to guarantee the vibrancy of the sector; agriculture must be seen as a business and haven for investment.”

Osinbajo said the government was integrating food production, storage, food processing and industrial manufacturing to establish linkages necessary in the agricultural commodity value chain.

Olaleye Aluko, Abuja



The former General Officer Commanding of the 8 Division, Sokoto State, Maj. Gen. Hakeem Otiki, under whom five soldiers allegedly escaped with about N400m, is undergoing a course at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Badagry, Lagos State.

The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed this to our correspondent through a chat, when asked about Otiki’s whereabouts.

This is just as there is uncertainty over the probe of the funds diverted by the five runaway soldiers as the military has yet to make a public statement on it six weeks after.

The former GOC had been summoned to Abuja in the third week of July and cross-examined by the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the Special Intelligence Bureau and the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police.

Five soldiers had been confirmed to have carted away a consignment containing the money, while on an escort duty from Sokoto to Kaduna states in the first week of July.

The soldiers had been asked to escort the money and deliver it to a Very-Important Personality in Kaduna State.

The army’s spokesman in 8 Division, Lt. Audu Arigu, had confirmed the incident, adding that investigations had commenced into the incident, while identifying the runaway soldiers as Corporal Gabriel Oluwaniyi, Corporal Mohammed Aminu, one Corporal Haruna, Oluji Joshua and Hayatudeen.

When asked where Otiki was, the army spokesman, Musa, in a chat with our correspondent, said, “Posted to ASCON on course.”

The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, had on July 23 assured Nigerians during a press conference that the outcome of the ongoing investigations on the former GOC would be made public.

However, nothing had been heard of the probe six weeks after.

The acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, had said investigations were ongoing and Nigerians would be duly informed at the end.

“The event of suspected soldiers’ disappearance with some amount of money is being investigated by the appropriate authorities. As I speak to you, investigation is ongoing on the matter and at the end of it, the outcome will be made public when it is concluded. I will not like to pre-empt the outcome by speaking elaborately on it,” Nwachukwu had said.

Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Chineme Okafor in Abuja with agency reports

The trading arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Duke Oil, is leaving London to set up in Dubai to be closer to the Asian market, which is fast becoming the main buyer of Nigeria’s crude oil.

While Nigeria once sold much of its oil to the United States, the shale boom displaced that, and the US crude is now competing with Nigeria for buyers in Europe and Asia.

Reports on Duke Oil relocating broke just as oil prices rose more than four per cent yesterday, boosted by a wider market pickup on positive news from China’s services sector, after three days of losses due to fears about a weakening global economy.

It also came on the day NNPC reported a total of 45,347 pipeline breaks on its downstream pipeline network between 2001 and June, 2019.

The global benchmark crude oil was up by over $2.5 or four per cent, at $60.59 a barrel while the United States West Texas Intermediate gained 4.15 per cent, to close at $56.18 a barrel.

Reuters reported that the move by Duke Oil to relocate to Dubai also has tax advantages over keeping the office in London.

India is now the single largest buyer of Nigeria’s crude, and Asian refineries that have started over the past several years are also increasingly selling refined oil products such as petrol and diesel to Nigerian buyers.

Duke is also one of the companies that swaps Nigerian oil for fuel, primarily petrol, in order to supply domestic consumers.

Placing the traders in Dubai will also enable them to travel more easily between the new office, Nigeria, Europe and Asia.

In a filing with Companies House, Duke Oil Services, the part of the company officially registered in London, said it would wind down its operations in the second quarter of this year and move its office to an unspecified new country.

While the primary arm of the group, Duke Oil Company Inc, is registered in Panama, sources told Reuters that traders for Duke as well as the services arm are relocating from London to Dubai.

Duke, a fully owned subsidiary of NNPC, had been based at the corporation’s office in London’s Hammersmith neighbourhood.

Reports yesterday, however, showed that oil prices rose more than four per cent boosted by a wider market pickup on positive news from China’s services sector, after three days of losses.

While the global benchmark crude oil was up by over $2.5 or four per cent, at $60.59 a barrel, the United States West Texas Intermediate gained 4.15 per cent, to $56.18 a barrel.

CNBC reported that the global markets rebounded after a private survey showed that activity in China’s services sector expanded at the fastest pace in three months in August as new orders rose, prompting the biggest increase in hiring in more than a year.
China is the world’s second-largest oil consumer and largest importer.

But United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned he would be “tougher” on Beijing in a second term if trade talks dragged on, compounding market fears that trade disputes between the two countries could trigger a U.S. recession.

In a possible sign of tension easing in the energy-rich Gulf, Iranian state television reported yesterday that Tehran would free seven crewmembers of the detained British-flagged tanker, Stena Impero.

The vessel was seized two weeks ago after Britain detained an Iranian tanker off the territory of Gibraltar, which was released in August.

Meanwhile, NNPC has disclosed that it recorded a total of 45,347 pipeline breaks on its downstream pipeline network between 2001 and half year 2019.

Its Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, at the Nigeria International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference and Exhibition, organised by the Pipelines Professionals Association of Nigeria (PLAN), said yesterday in Abuja that in 2018 alone, a total of 19 fire incidents were recorded on the petroleum products pipelines.

· He added that the theme of this year’s conference: Pipeline Assets: Critical Backbone for Socio-Economic Development, resonated with the thinking at the NNPC on the need to reinforce the narrative of the critical role of pipeline assets to the nation’s energy security and economic progress.

· He said it was difficult for the oil and gas industry to deliver much value to the economy without effective and efficient pipelines operations.

“As a major player in the oil and gas industry, NNPC operates over 5,000 kilometers of pipelines traversing many communities to link terminals, three refineries and 20 depots for efficient transportation of crude oil and refined products. In addition, NNPC has over 1,700 kilometers of natural gas pipelines to supply gas to power plants and gas-based industries, including deliveries to trans-national reception points,” the GMD stated.

· He lamented that the huge pipeline assets have become difficult to operate efficiently as a result of incessant activities of vandals and other criminal syndicates that were becoming increasingly sophisticated.

· Kyari said the corporation was ready to collaborate with PLAN and all stakeholders to respond aggressively to incidence of pipeline vandalism in the country with a view to mitigating them.

· He said the current administration was determined to boost domestic gas utilisation to improve power generation and boost industrial growth, stressing that the support of all, especially pipeline professionals, was required to drive the laudable initiative to fruition.

Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun has described the” Overall Best State in Nigeria Award” given to the state as a source of inspiration to its people.

Oyetola, while receiving the award from Nigeria Africa Development Indicators Monitoring foundation (NADIM), on Wednesday in Osogbo said the award was enough motivation to do more for the people, NAN reports.

Represented by Mr Oluwole Oyebamiji, the Secretary to the State Government, the governor said it was encouraging that government’s modest efforts at uplifting the condition of the people was being recognised by the foundation.
He said: “When I was told that our state was due for an award, I was skeptical.

” I asked how a government that is less than a year be adjudged overall best in the country, beating states like Lagos, Edo, Anambra, FCT among others.

“I felt relieved when I was told the award was based on our performances in the last five years.
“At that point, I concluded that we truly deserve the award as a state.”

The governor noted that since assumption of office last year, deliberate measures had been taken to ensure that his administration’s policies and programmes were citizen-driven.

In his remarks, Prof. Taofeek Ibrahim, the founder of the foundation in his presentation entitled, “Development Performance Ranking of Nigerian States and Monitoring of African Countries,” said 18 basic development indicators were used in the selection of the overall best state in Nigeria.

Ibrahim, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Al- Hikmah University, Ilorin, said empirical analysis of data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NHDS,2013) was used to arrive at the award.

While congratulating the state for the feat achieved, he said the award was not based on outputs such as over head bridges, inter state road network and intra state comparison but on the level of health facilities, education and security.

He said Osun scored over 70 per cent as the best state, followed by Anambra , Lagos, Ekiti, FCT, Abia, Imo, Kwara and Kogi.

Ibrahim said Osun was adjudged the first in birth rate average or larger in weight, second best in Under 5 children birth certificate, second best in delivery in health facilities and employment among others.

He said bad governance and corruption were the major problems facing the country.

Also speaking, the Acting Executive Director of NADIM, Mr Abdulfatai Oyebamiji, stressed that the aim of the foundation was to promote the advancement of opportunities for national development.

By Segun Olaniyan


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Katsina – Angry youths have razed the private residence of the Secretary to Katsina State Government, Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa and the APC office in Danmusa Local government area of Katsina State.

The Youths were said to be protesting what they described as complicity by the SGS in the alleged spate of armed banditry attacks in Danmusa LGA and other areas in the central and southern part of the state.

The Protest was sparked when traders who were returning from the Danmusa market were ambushed by armed bandits at the outskirts of the town which led to the death of one of the traders.

A source told Daily Independent that, no sooner had the news of the deceased filtered into town, about one thousand youths from the town mobilized to the scene of the crisis and took the body of the deceased to the District head’s palace who fled on sighting the protesters.

The source added that the action of the District head further aggravated the annoyance of the tensed youths who turned violent and marched to the country home of the SGS and set it ablaze.

“From there they proceeded to the APC office in Danmusa which they also burnt chanting various slogans to register their dissatisfaction with the way and manner the insecurity issues were being handled in the state.

Attempts to reach the state Police command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, however, proved abortive as calls made to him were neither answered nor returned.

It would be recalled that at least not more than twenty villages have been overrun by armed bandits in Katsina state in the last one month.

At least four people have been confirmed dead and 12 hospitalized after students of the College of Education, Waka-Biu in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, returned from a Yankari Games Reserve field trip

According to witnesses who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on phone from Biu, those that lost their lives complained of abdominal pains after which they vomited blood.

Initially, the death toll was put at nine; a figure which the Provost of the school, Mohammed Audu, said was incorrect.

Biu has been thrown into confusion in the last few days as the strange illness continues to affect mainly students of the institution.

One of the dead students, Adama Dika, is the daughter of the caretaker chairman of Biu Local Government Area, Usman Dika.

The apparently griefed caretaker chairman who spoke briefly to PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that his daughter was one of the students that died of the strange ailment.

He said she died on Saturday.

The Borno State Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, who hails from Biu, has also confirmed the development.

Speaking through his Press Secretary, Bulama Alkali, the deputy governor said the Borno State health ministry and the federal ministry of health have been directed to investigate the matter.

“For now the deputy governor may not have ample information that will enable him make informed comment on the matter,” said Mr Alkali

“However the deputy governor, just like any other parent, is very much saddened and concerned about the development,” he added.


College Management Speaks

The College Provost, Mr Audu, said the students were on holiday at the time they embarked on the field trip to Yankari.

He said the “school was closed for the season on the 10th August.”

“But the students had to return to the campus to embark on the excursion because it was already planned and they had to go for the trip as part of their course work.”


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Provost of College of Education Waka Biu


He said the field trip was done in three batches, and the last batch that encountered the problem was “batch C” who travelled on August 21 and returned a day later.

The excursion has been an annual event for students, he said.

“When they returned they left for their homes and there was no issue until Saturday 31st August when the daughter of Biu local government chairman, Adama Dika died,” he said.

The provost said even when the female student died, her death was not immediately linked with the Yankari trip.

“People began to raise eyebrow some days after when three other students who were in the same trip batch died after exhibiting similar health conditions,” he said.

Mr Audu said tension began to mount when more of the students fell ill.

“Of the four that died, two were not our students but the commercial photographers that usually accompany the students on such trips,” he said.

One of the photographers was said to be asthmatic.


Medical Response

The provost explained that he wrote to the General Hospital in Biu alerting the Principal Medical Officer (PMO) of the situation in the college following the death of one of the students on Monday.

He said he also alerted the state government which deployed an emergency medical response team to Biu from Maiduguri.

“Meanwhile, the PMO in Biu had mobilised his team to the school after all the students on the last batch that contracted the unknown disease were summoned back to the campus,” Mr Audu said.

The medical team in Biu took their blood sample ahead of the Maiduguri medical team’s arrival.

Mr Audu said the students were questioned on the kind of food they ate and the water they drank.

“Though most of them said they couldn’t eat the food sold in Yankari because they were very expensive, but they all said they swam in the stream there.

“The PMO assured them that though the strange ailment has no signs of being communicable, it’s root cause has to be verified in a laboratory test.”


Students not in good health condition

The provost informed PREMIUM Times that some of the students that were examined on Tuesday exhibited symptoms of being ill.

A total of 12 of them were not feeling very well and the medics gave them some medication and asked them to return on Wednesday for further medical examination by the medical team from Maiduguri.


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Adams Dika, one of the students killed by the strange disease



“However the PMO had to refer three of the ill with more severe case of ailment to be admitted at the hospital,” he said.

Efforts to contact the Borno State health commissioner and his counterpart in the ministry of higher education were not successful as they could not be reached on their known mobile lines.


Is Yankari the problem

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the Waka Biu students’ travail may not have been isolated.

One of the medical personnel was quoted to have said that a similar case was reported in Kano after a set of students from the Northwest state visited Yankari reserve on the same day, August 21.

Though PREMIUM TIMES has not independently verified that piece of information, the medical personnel feel strongly that the strange illness has a lot to do with the popular games reserve.

The medical team from Maiduguri is expected to reexamine the students today.

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Abuja – There is pandemonium at Lugbe along airport road Abuja as police fired teargas canister to stop the protesting youths from burning down a Shoprite outlet located in the area.

The protesters who are on the verge of setting the building ablaze were stopped by armed and anti-riot.

The youth have set a bonfire on the express road and vowed not to leave the area until they achieve their mission. More armed policemen have been deployed to the area to restore law and order.

Hundreds of motorists caught up in the fracas are stranded on the road as a vehicular movement in the area has been paralyzed.

By Abiodun Fagbemi, 

The recent move by the people of Kwara State, which ousted former Senate President, Bukola Saraki from the National Assembly and broke his stranglehold on the soul of Kwara, may not have sounded the death knell on his political career.

This is because amid the news making the rounds that Saraki may have secretly called it quit with active politics, sources told The Guardian in Ilorin, that the erstwhile governor was covertly planning a return to the political scene.

Observers, however, said that his attempt to regain political relevance in the State would not be a tea party. They noted that with the new governor, Abdulrahaman Abdulrasak, already running a pro-people government and endearing himself to residents with his style of governance, Saraki’s fight back from oblivion may be an uphill task.

Among other achievements in his short time in the saddle, Governor Abdulrasak has broken the age-long jinx of lack of pipe borne water within Ilorin metropolis, as water now freely runs through the pipes into many homes. Damaged road parts have been repaired while many moribund parastatals and state-owned corporations have been revived. He has also settled some salary arrears owed workers and those of employees of local councils without downsizing the workforce.

According to Jagunmolu of Shao in Moro Local Government Area of the State, Chief Stephen Oke, “It was a long time ago that we witnessed this type of governance in the state. The pace of work is not only steady but also faster than envisaged. We hope it will continue like that so that the amiable Governor can take the state to its political Eldorado.”

These and many other hurdles are what Saraki must cross to reawaken interest in the voters’ minds ahead of the next political dispensation.

Sources said, ‘The leader’ as Saraki is fondly called by his cronies, recently held a closed-door meeting at his ‘Ileloke’ White House Ilorin residence with representatives of his followers across the existing 16 councils in the state.

An Ilorin-based political aide of Saraki, who pleaded anonymity, said, “the meeting x-rayed our past relationships with the people of Kwara. We believed that where the people had been wronged by our policies should be urgently redressed. Besides, we told ourselves the plain truth that we should move around the state to beg the people for forgiveness if they must reconsider us for a return to power. But please all I am telling you now will not be carried out until the next six months. We are studying the political terrain to enable us know the best methods to adopt in this regard.”

He added that the meeting was down to earth as many political office holders as at the time of the fall from power were scolded. “Many of them failed to release the democratic dividends to the grassroots as instructed by the leader. These and many other issues came up. It was indeed a frank meeting,” he said.

Another source, who is close to Saraki, blamed the immediate past governor of the State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, for allegedly running a frugal government for a period of eight years.

“The way he treated the issues of the Councils workers was also not too good. This does not mean that the ex-Governor did not try his best. I only brought this out as a typical example of what was discussed at the meeting,” the source said.

In the same vein, a crony of Ahmed, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that any attempt to single out his boss would be unfair. He said, “We should all accept the failure as a collective one and not to narrow it down to the former Governor.”

For the aide, the problem of economic recession started in the year 2014, thereby making it difficult for the government in power, at the time, to meet up with many of the needs of the people.

Besides, he said the same economic meltdown made the state government to owe salaries’ arrears and subventions. He noted: “If we could not settle our own debts then due to insufficient funds, what could we have done to the needs of the councils’ workers who are not our primary staff?”

The source, who worked with the Governor for eight years, added, “people have forgotten that my boss fought with the Federal government twice. Firstly, against former President (Goodluck) Jonathan and the incumbent (Muhammadu) Buhari. It was purely on political issues. Therefore, the patronage from the Federal government to the state was zero.

“The fact we should all realise at this stage is that, no empire lasts forever. Instead of buck passing, we should live with that reality. Baba Lamidi Adedibu of Ibadan political school lost his own political empire. Besides, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos, had to resort to Federal might to win the last general elections in Lagos.”

Saraki, who though has been living quietly since his defeat at the polls, may pull resources to launch back his career through wining the next ticket of Kwara Central Senatorial District. The ticket, occupied by Dr Yahaya Oloriegbe, may be easier for the former Senate President to wrestle.

He is not resting and has put machinery in motion. Some team of conciliators constituted by the former Senate President now move under cover to assuage the feelings of the people.

Speaking on the development, the state Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bashiru Omolaja Bolarinwa said, “The era of any political resurgence is over. Are we going to sleep to allow them back? All our members are up, working. There will not be any need to jettison them for another.”

His counterpart, the state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Marouf Kola Shittu, expressed optimism that the party was poised for a return to power and was working hard to achieve it.

At 56, Saraki has some age advantages in his favour and according to his aide, Suleiman Yusuf, “nobody can send him on any early retirement. He was born into politics and what do you want him to do outside politics?”

Like a proverbial cat with nine lives, can Saraki rebuild the ruined empire? The attitude of the people to ‘forgiveness’ and his ability to sustain the tempo of his welfare programmes will be key determining factors.

Bank workers in Nigeria committed 37,817 fraud cases in 2018 where they stole N26.182billion. This is contained in the National Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) report which showed that the bank employees stole N12.01 billion.

When put together, the amount stolen by the bankers in in just two years from their employers, whose major business is to keep customers’ deposits, was N38.93 billion.

The NDIC report further indicated that the actual amount lost to fraud cases in 2018 stood at N15.15 billion as against N2.37 billion and N2.40 billion in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Of the number, a total of 899 workers were involved in fraud and forgery cases in 2018 compared to 320 in 2017. The number of temporary staff involved in fraud was 394, accounting for 43.83 per cent of the total number of workers involved in frauds. This was followed by officers and executive assistants’ cadre with 206 or 22.91 per cent, supervisors and managers accounted for 119 or 13.24 per cent of the total fraud cases.

This had led to more concerns over the surge in official involvement in fraud and forgery cases in the banking industry. The figure of insider manipulation of confidential information of bank customers in the banks has been on steady increase in recent years.

LEADERSHIP gathered that lack of job security, casualisation, poor remuneration and incompetence of senior management in several Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) were among the causes of the rising incidences of fraud and forgery in the industry.

It was also attributed to the increase in the sophistication of fraud-related techniques such as hacking, cybercrime as well as increase in Information Technology (IT)-related products and usage, fraudulent withdrawals and unauthorised credit.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the percentage of contract staff in banks rose year-on-year between 2017 and 2018 by 39.8 per cent as against the 15.7 per cent increase recorded for the entire staff in the sector.

In an interview with our correspondent, a professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo, Akpan Hogan Ekpo, said that the fact that banks employ temporary/contract staff and keep them for so long is largely responsible for the ugly development.

He said that the banks do so to maximise or improve on their profit margins, noting that the contract staff do not enjoy certain benefits like the regular employees hence when opportunity avails itself for them to make money through fraudulent means, they succumb to such temptations.

“The rate is alarming. Discipline in the system has broken down; the economic hardship is also a problem,” Prof. Ekpo stated.

Other experts said the situation was reflective of the total breakdown of social values and the belief in get-rich-quick irrespective of the means in the Nigerian society.

One of the experts said that the present situation is that majority of the citizens and residents of Nigeria have no confidence in the system.

The chief executive officer of Precise Financial Systems, Dr. Yele Okeremi, said: “This is an evidence of a completely decadent society and it gets wise people very worried about what the future of the country portends.”

Okeremi said that the culture of some management treating employees like disposable machines had helped to build lack of sense of belonging in most bank workers. On the whole, Okeremi sees a situation where people are no longer interested in building institutions to last, adding that “they just want immediate results, a thing that should worry the authorities.”

To check the trend, the NDIC said that DMBs and the industry regulators need to address the problem of contract/temporary staff in terms of welfare and permanent employment in view of the risk their current status poses to bank operations.

Furthermore, banks should strengthen their internal controls and validate their recruitment process, the corporation said.

Similarly, Prof. Ekpo said that banks should hire and after probation period, make the ad-hoc workers permanent employee. He feels that the approach would reduce the number of contract staff in fraudulent practices.

Those who share his view said that there should be incentives for banks to recapitalise and not be forced to do so, adding that “the NDIC and the Central Bank need to intensify the examination of banks to ascertain why recapitalisation requirements have declined. For the banking sector, banks that cannot meet their capital adequacy should face the necessary sanctions. The authorities should not wait for the matter to degenerate before taking action particularly for banks that lend to the real sector.”

Okeremi concluded that while high capital requirement is good for banks, sound management practices are more significant for banks to survive and thrive.


ICPC To Recover N840m From Ex- Benue Judge

From the banking sector to the judiciary, the theft of public funds by officers vested with the responsibility is rife.

For instance, in Benue State, a retired judge is being asked to cough out the sum of N840m which she illegally acquired.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is handling the matter, has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to order the interim forfeiture of N840 million traced to the retired president of the Benue State Customary Court of Appeal, Mrs. Margaret Igbeta.

ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, in a statement she issued yesterday in Abuja, said that the commission, in an ex-parte motion filed at the court, sought for an order to stop Igbeta from accessing the money alleged to have been obtained through fraudulent activities in the course of her official duties.

The commission said that the request for the interim forfeiture was pursuant to Section 48 (1), (2) and (3) (a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Section 6 (6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Okoduwa said that Igbeta operated a proxy fixed deposit account in the name of her maid, one Theodora Atsu, with Ecobank Plc, where she accumulated N840.321million between 2008 and 2019.

She reportedly opened the account with her passport and the name of Atsu on 5th March, 2008 with an initial deposit of N8million.
Igbeta subsequently made several other huge deposits including N123.745million and N5 million, in the months of March and May 2008.
ICPC said that the money was far above Igbeta’s legitimate earnings both as a judge and president of the Customary Court of Appeal within the period that the account was operated and would have used to meet the infrastructural needs of the citizens and the development of the nation.

The anti-graft body therefore prayed the court to grant the order in the interest of the country.


…Probes Former Health Minister Over N300m Project

Meanwhile, the ICPC has initiated the probe of former minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, is over his alleged misappropriation of N300 million project at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, Zamfara State.
Acting on petition written against the ex-minister by some Zamfara youths, the ICPC has invited Chukwu for interrogation on the matter.

In an interaction with journalists after submitting the petition, the leader of the Health Safety and Environment Charity Initiative, Aminu Ahmad, said that the group brought to the notice of the ICPC the diversion of N300 million meant for the procurement of healthcare facilities for the FMC during Chukwu’s tenure. He served under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Ahmad disclosed that the money was for project initiated by Senator Kabir Garba Marafa for his constituency.

According to him, “the project was captured in the 2013 budget; the money was released by the Federal Ministry of Finance to the Federal Ministry of Health since 2013, and all available records indicate that all necessary funds were released.

“We are very surprised to discover that the project was not executed in Federal Medical Centre, Gusau despite the release of the N300 million to the Federal Ministry of Health.

“From available records, the former minister of Health who served from 2011 to 2014, in connivance with the former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health diverted the money,” he said.

The petition read that “we seek your intervention to kindly investigate the circumstances surrounding the diversion of the funds meant for the good people of Zamfara State with a view to righting the wrongs by ensuring full execution of the proposed project in FMC Gusau, Zamfara State to the benefit of the citizenry.”

The youths attached photocopies of documents from the Federal Ministry of Finance confirming the release of the funds to their petition.

In her reaction, Okoduwa (ICPC spokesman) said: “Now that you have submitted the petition, we assure you that we shall look into it; any offence anybody commits or had committed since the establishment of ICPC and the passing of the law in 2000 is subject to our investigation. Any offence of corruption committed falls under the purview of the ICPC and would be investigated.

“Ordinarily, ICPC will look into any petition on anything regarding corruption, whether it is constituency project or any other thing; ICPC would look into such projects. Moreso when it now fits into the format of the framework of these constituency projects we are tracking, definitely this would get some action,” she declared.

MORE riddles have beclouded the 2010 ill-fated Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA) which led to the award of a $9.6billion judgment against Nigeria.

Preliminary investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicated that the contract was signed by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources at the time the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was already in coma.

The anti-graft agency is probing the likelihood of the forgery of the signature of a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, who was known for his high ethical standards.

Detectives are after a former legal director of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Grace Taiga, who was central to the negotiation between the Federal Government and P&ID.

Also, a raid of an offices believed to be that of P&ID in Lagos and Abuja at the weekend left the EFCC detectives stranded because there were no signs of the presence of the company in Nigeria.

It was learnt that the EFCC team discovered from the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) that there is another firm registered as P&ID Nigeria Limited with two Nigerian directors.

It was learnt that when one of the directors was called on the phone last Wednesday, he admitted being on the board of P&ID Nigeria Limited and agreed to meet with the EFCC team on Friday.
The director, however, had been unreachable to the operatives.

The second female director is said to be a security agent in Qatar.

According to sources, EFCC investigators preliminary findings revealed that the contract was shrouded in secrecy.

The highpoint of the initial investigation is the fact that the contract was signed when Yar’Adua was in coma.

The former President was flown to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in November 2009 for treatment of a heart condition.

But after three months in Saudi hospital, Yar’Adua was brought back to Nigeria and he remained incommunicado till his death on May 5, 2010.

The source said: “So far, detectives have discovered that the GSPA was signed on January 11, 2010 when Yar’Adua was already in coma. There was no evidence of presentation to the Federal Executive Council(FEC).

“They took advantage of Yar’Adua’s illness and vegetable state. Even ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who took over as Acting President cannot say much about it because the agreement was done in a suspicious manner and limited to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

“The whereabouts of a former Director of Legal in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Grace Taiga was unknown. Our detectives have not been able to get across to her. We need her assistance. She superintended over the GSPA six months to her retirement.

“We are probing clues that Lukman’s signature might have been forged for the deal. He was a meticulous and an experienced international stakeholder in OPEC. Those who worked with him expressed doubts that he would sign such an agreement without FEC approval.

“We are suspecting a case of forgery. We will do forensic analysis of all relevant documents.”

By Jethro Ibileke/Benin



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the church



It was like a scene in a home movie, during a wedding ceremony on Saturday, in Benin City, Edo State, when a woman walked to the church altar, seized the microphone from the pastor, accused the groom of dumping her for his new bride, and demanded that the wedding ceremony be stopped immediately.

The dramatic scene occurred at the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, Benin City, during the wedding ceremony between a man simply identified as Dele and his bride whose name was given as Blessing, said to be a caterer by profession.

The enraged woman whose identity could not be ascertained, was said to have learnt about the wedding ceremony via a Facebook post by an unidentified user before the traditional and court wedding ceremonies were held.

It was gathered that the angry woman had stormed the church with some hefty-looking men, in an Audi car at about 6.30am, and waited patiently till the wedding ceremony began at 12 pm.

Trouble started when the officiating pastor asked the congregation if anyone knew of any reason for why the couple should not be joined as husband and wife.


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The wedding cake being conveyed to the reception



At the point when the ring bearer was about handling the ring box to the groom, the self-acclaimed jilted lover matched to the altar, seized the microphone from the pastor and shouted “no! no! this wedding will not hold.”

The shocked pastor was said to have repeated the announcement for the second time, and the light-complexion woman again answered “no” in a thunderous voice, to the bewilderment of the entire congregation.

She further narrated how the groom proposed to marry her in 2017, after a courtship that lasted for seven years, but that the relationship did not produce any child.

The enraged woman told the congregation that she entered into a covenant with Dele before the church altar where he worshiped.

According to her, “He (Dele) no longer picked my calls. He abandoned me. Why? What did I do to you?”

The new bride who watched helplessly as her joy and hope faded, collapsed on her seat, while Dele, who was clad in a cream-coloured suit on black trousers​ and a pair of glasses, broke down in tears.

Turmoil pervaded the entire neighborhood, following the suspension of the wedding ceremony by the officiating pastor.

Some of the invitees accused the presiding pastor of failing to carryout a background check on the couple, whereas others blamed the unfortunate incident on the sexual recklessness of the groom.

A member of the church who did not want to be named, claimed that the groom was sighted at the birthday celebration of his ex-lover just few weeks ago.

She added that tears were seen on Dele’s eyes even before the commencement of the wedding ceremony.

According to her, “The best man who was highly embarrassed by his action, urged him to calm down while he used​ a white handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

“Dele attended her birthday few weeks ago. It will surprise you to know that Dele was still going to see that girl at home. Why will you do such such thing when your wedding is around the corner?” She queried.

Two hours after the incident, the officiating pastor was allegedly given another directive by the authorities of the church to join the couple who later arrived in a grey-coloured SUV, in holy matrimony.

John Ameh, Abuja



The Presidency has dismissed speculation that Leah Sharibu, the Dapchi schoolgirl still held by Boko Haram, is dead.

It said Miss Sharibu was alive, while the Federal Government continue to negotiate her release from the captivity of the terrorist group.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, gave an update on Sharibu in a statement he issued on Saturday in Abuja.

Shehu assured Nigerians that the government would not give up Sharibu, a Christian, who was denied freedom by the terrorist group because of her faith.


He stated, ‘‘Instead of giving up, the government is carrying forward processes that should hopefully yield her release by her captors.”

Stressing that she was alive, Shehu added, “Lines of communications remain open with the kidnappers, ISWAP, to secure the release of Leah Sharibu.

‘‘Contrary to false reports, she is alive – given assurances from our security agencies- and the government is committed to her safe return, as well as all other hostages to their families.

“Kidnapping for ransom should never be encouraged. This means not capitulating to the demands of terrorists: refrain from rewarding their heinous crimes with payment.

“With the abduction of loved family (members) and friends, the government understands how difficult these times are for them, but government is pursuing many options to ensure the safe return of Leah Sharibu.

“We must commit to law and communication, using the breadth of strategies at our disposal: legal initiatives, stakeholder cooperation, involvement of all relevant parties and the use of the latest hostage negotiation techniques.

‘‘Kidnapping for ransom is rising across the Sahel. We must – collectively – make sure we implement best practice to prevent its exploitation.”

He called for patience to allow the government’s efforts to come to fruition.

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A fraud syndicate, which has been in operation for years, finally crumpled like a pack of cards after two of its members started fighting over a lady called ‘Precious.’ The division in the syndicate, which had offices in different states and communities, led operatives of the Inspector- General of Police Special Intelligence Team (IRT), to smash the gang. The smashing of the gang followed a series of letters to the IGP, Mohammed Adamu, in Abuja, from some victims, detailing how they were defrauded.

The IGP instructed IRT operatives, led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari, to lead the investigation. At least, 11 members of the syndicate are currently in police custody. The suspects include a 28-year-old woman, Peace Eje.

Others are Frank Pius, Nduka Innocent, Okechukwu John, Nicholas Nwosu, Chikezie Uwandu, Amos Eze, Ikechukwu John, Michael Ali, Usman Ladan and Lawrence Adams. One of the members, Ladan, 60, said that trouble started after the overall leader, Adams, made moves to snatch his lover, Precious, from him. He believed that the split in the gang was the genesis of their waterloo. He said: “It was Mr. Lawrence that led the police to arrest me because we had a fight over Precious, who is my girlfriend.

As chairman, I coordinated all operations and I have all the materials that were used for operations.” According to the police, the syndicate specialised in defrauding unsuspecting residents of Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja, of their money. The suspects were all arrested in Kabala area of Kaduna State and Jabi area of Abuja. A police source said: “The syndicate operated, using cabs. When they have a target in their cab, they start a conversation about a bag filled with foreign currencies in the boot of the car.

The cab driver will accuse the supposed owner of the bag of trying to get him and other passengers into trouble by not informing him about the content in the bag. “The (supposed) owner of the bag will confess that the money was stolen from a very powerful Alhaji. The owner will claim to be looking for a spiritualist, to help take away the charm or juju on the money. The owner will offer to share the money with everyone in the vehicle that can help in getting a powerful medicine man or woman to cleanse the money.

“If the victim is a greedy person, he will show interest in the story and from that point, he’ll be taken to a fake native doctor. At the native doctor’s place, the victim will be asked to take an oath that he will not reveal the secret and event to anyone or he would die.

From that point, the victim will be swindled.” The alleged leader of the syndicate, Adams, 45, said that he joined the syndicate and rose to become its leader. He explained that he provided details on how the syndicate carried out operations.

Adams, married to two wives, blessed with nine children, said: “I reside in Abuja metropolis, but I was formerly into tomatoes business. I would buy from Zaria and supply to different parts of the country. I fell into the hands of fraudsters and lost N850, 000. I later joined another syndicate in 2007. Members of the syndicate taught me how to do the job.”

Explaining the syndicate’s modus operandi, Adams said: “I usually sit at the front seat of the car, while other members seat at the back with the victim. When we get to a point, a member at the back will tell the driver that he wants to stop to carry his bag in the boot.

The driver will tell him that he saw that the bag or carton contained money. The owner will tell the driver that the carton or bag contained $1million and that he was trying to take the money to his sister to help him remove the charm. “The driver will start shouting that he’ll take the money to the police.
My role is to beg the driver not to call the police. I would suggest that we help the owner of the money, on the promise that we’ll share out of it.

The driver will accept our pleadings. We’ll then ask our victim, if he knows any herbalist that can remove the charm. “If he says no, I’ll mention that I have an herbalist. We’ll go there and the herbalist, who is part of us, will ask each of us to pay N80,000 for cleansing of the money. After we have achieved that, the herbalist will ask us to bring 500, 000 dollars each and then we would ask him to change the money in the bag to naira. I have lost count of the number of people I have defrauded.

We have offices in Jabi and Zango, close to Turkish hospital and at old Karimo.” Ladan on his part explained that he coordinated the Kaduna State arm of the syndicate. He said: “I was formerly a trader. I became a fraudster in 2008 after I was defrauded. My office is in Kaduna. It was formerly owned by Yusuf, who had died. I took over as the chairman. I have four boys working for me. Alex was our driver, but he had died. He was the person that used to hunt for victims. “We scout for victims along Nnamdi Azikiwe Road. Our shrine is located at Kabala area of Kaduna State.

I have lost count of the number of people I had swindled.” Amos Eze, 38, a fake native doctor of the syndicate, said: “I’m one of the group’s native doctors. When they bring a victim to my shrine, I pretend I don’t know members of our syndicate.

They’ll ask for mama, I tell them that mama was dead. I will tell them that I’m in charge of mama’s shrine.” Eze continued: “I’ll ask what brought them to my shrine, they’ll claim they have family problems and needed solutions. I will consult my oracle and tell them that they were all liars and that they all met 30 minutes ago.

I will tell them that one of them was a thief, but not a good one. I will tell them that I saw money and charms. They’ll start begging me to remove the charms for them. “I’ll ask them to go and buy an Akpobiki skin, a blind man’s walking stick with oil and water in it, and Sarri water. These are things I know they couldn’t get by themselves.

They’ll ask me to get them. I’ll ask each of them to pay N30,000, so that I can get the items to prepare the cleansing of the money.

“When the victim pays his own share of the money, I make them take an oath not to allow anyone outside their circle to know what was going on and from there, I’ll ask him to pray for long life and prosperity so that the money will not harm him.

I’ll tell the victim that the charm to cleanse the money, was prepared by seven Islamic clerics. That it was prepared around 12 midnight. And from that point, I then start extorting money from the victim.”

The partying in Abuja which followed the inauguration of ministers by President Buhari last week left me dejected. Several of the ministers had lavish receptions and gigs to celebrate their selections.

I watched clips from the gigs for some of them and became convinced that many see the appointments as “come and chop” opportunity. If these appointees are really interested in service
to the people, they won’t go about celebrating.

Any minister that is concerned about the enormity of the task ahead and keen about making an impact won’t go about celebrating.

He would rather spend quality time thinking about how to tackle the task. I am not sorry to say that a large number of these ministers are just after their stomachs. They see their appointments as invitation to a buffet instead of service to the country. We are in a “one chance” bus.

by Adegunle Olugbamila


After 25 years of existence, National Coordinator Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, said the socio-cultural group may have to spread its tentacles to partisan politics.

The move, according to him, is geared towards liberating the Yoruba nation from the shackles of poverty, oppression and other injustice that has been her lot over the last years.

Adams, who recalled how OPC started with nine members at Palm Avenue in Mushin in 1994, supposedly to liberate the Yoruba nation and restore the mandate of late business mogul cum philanthropist Moshood Kashimawo Abiola who won the 1993 election adjudged freest and fairest in the country’s history, lamented that that struggle has achieved little so far despite that it claimed over 2,500 martyrs.

Adams, who is the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, spoke on Thursday at the 25 anniversary of OPC in Lagos.

He lamented that the ultimate aim of OPC, which is the call for restructuring, has been repeatedly defeated, leaving the socio political organisation with little or no choice than to restategise so as to improve the living standard of its over 6million membership spreading across the nation, especially the Southwest.

He said: “Without mincing words, let me say categorically that the next few months will determine whether we will remain politically neutral or partisan.

“Do not forget that what gave birth to OPC was struggle for the revalidation of June 12, 1993 election.

“From there, we went to demand for the total restructuring of the country.
“The most recent irreducible for those who have followed this restructuring is for government to implement the recommendations of the National Conference convened by administration of Goodluck Jonathan.

“It is in light of this that I say that in the next few months, if there is no tangible evidence that this country will be restructured, then OPC will become partisan.

“We are still keeping the details to our chest. However, with a membership of over 6 million, even if its members of the legislature at the federal and state levels that we are able to produce, we will be in position to influence what happens in government at all levels. Time for ‘siddon look ‘ is over.’

Adams, who also bemoaned the increased wave in kidnapping and ritual killings across the Southwest, expressed confidence that the six million standing army of OPC is up to the task.

Nonetheless, Adams said the group would continue to use its cultural mileage to negotiate on behalf of the Yoruba, adding that it might then end up adopting militancy as the last option should all entreaties fail.

He expressed happiness that OPC has grown in leaps and bounds with Oodua Progressive Union as an offshoot and presence in 87 countries to protect the interest of Yoruba in diaspora.

Adams views were supported by Pa Ayo Adebanjo a member of NADECO, spokesman of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, his wife Joe Okei Odumakin, Comrade Femi Aborishade, and a professor of Political Science Tunde Babawale.
Babawale who was guest speaker, urged OPC to team up with organisations of like minds so they can, on concert, push for restructuring.

He also admonished OPC to adopt diplomatic means of engagement in its agitation, adding that militancy should be a weapon of last resort.
“For OPC, it is not yet uhuru. You can only stop your agitations once it achieves democratic governance, promotes social justice, economic equity, and the restructuring of Nigeria to make it a federation in word and in deed,” Babawale said.

Pa Adesanya recalled how the birth of OPC during the June 12 saga, suddenly changed the misconception that the Yoruba were cowards.
He said: “It was a time of a seeming hopelessness. It was a time other tribes felt Yoruba would simply fold their arms because the mandate of their kinsmen had been taken from them.

“But OPC challenged that impression and today, many have come to acknowledge the true Identity of the Yoruba.”

Odumakin demanded state police to address the myriad of security challenges nationwide.

“It’s about time the Federal Government realised that they can no longer police from Abuja. The country needs state police now,” he argued.
Odumakin continued: “Some have argued that state police will result in armed bandits: but I disagree.

“State police does not mean governors in their respective states will be given the liberty to them into armed thugs. State police will be a body that will be managed by government to ensure insecurity across all localities.”

Joe Okei Odumakin urged the Yoruba nation to establish a hall of fame for the over 2,500 that perished during the June 12 struggle.

Inspector General of Police, who was represented by AIG Adeleye Oyebade Zone X1 Osogbo, noted that owing to the wave of inssecurity nationwide, the police are adopting new strategies by emphasizing more on community policing.

By Felix Igbekoyi



Asaba – Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tuomo Ward 3 in the Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State have rejected plans by the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe to defect to the party.

There are reports that the former minister was already finalising plans to join the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following his recent clash with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.

Orubebe had recently called out Governor Okowa to give an account of the huge allocation accruing to the state under his administration after his alleged preferred candidate could not make the list of commissioners in the state.
But APC leaders from his ward, have, however, kicked against Orubebe underground plans to defect to the ruling party.

In a statement signed by the Ward 3 APC chairman, secretary and its leader, Warebi Edonyanbo, Ofumu Welkper and Peres Oloye respectively, urged the party both at the national and state levels not to admit the former minister into the party.

The party leadership said credible information at their reach indicates that the former minister, who is from Tuomo Ward 3, is plotting to defect to the party soon.

The statement said, “On behalf of members and executive of the APC in Tuomo ward 3, we would like to draw the attention of the leadership of the APC in the state and national level to a backdoor move by some clandestine individuals to register former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe as a member of the party.

“In as much as the doors of the APC are open to everyone who wishes to be members of the party, we take exception to the likes of Orubebe whose outing during the collation of result for the 2015 presidential election almost disrupted the democratic process.”

It further stated that Orubebe who alleged that APC was an anti-Ijaw party prior to the 2015 general elections should not defect to the party which it once hated and called all manner of unprintable names.

“His performance as a super minister during the tenure of Presidents Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, dictating the affairs of governance while in office for 7years after betraying members of the defunct All Peoples Party, APP, for a Special Assistant position under former Governor James Ibori calls for questioning on his personality.

“It is indeed funny that having described the APC as an anti-Ijaw party and that he will resign from politics if President Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected as president in 2019, we wonder why he is still dabbling in political matters five years after his outburst.

“We the people of Tuomo Ward 3 do not want him in the party, and are using this medium to warn those that are plotting to smuggle him into the party through the back door to desist from such actions because we will not condone such moves”, the statement added.

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja



There are strong indications that the panel set up by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to look into the circumstances surrounding the killing of police detectives by soldiers of 93 Battalion, Takum, Taraba State, has indicted an army officer, Captain Tijani Balarabe, who allegedly ordered the killing of the policemen and civilians at the Takum checkpoint.

The panel, THISDAY gathered last night, may also have recommended further investigation of alleged arms smuggling linking the suspected kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Bala Wadume, and Balarabe.

This is coming as the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, has asked the probe panel to submit its report by Friday.

THISDAY investigation revealed that the panel has also recommended further investigation by security agencies to ascertain whether there is a wider network of kidnapping and arms smuggling linking the duo and other police personnel involved in the deadly drama.

It was further gathered that the panel may also recommend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should investigate the various huge bank lodgments by the kidnap kingpin and the various assets owned by the suspect in Taraba and Kano States.

A source close to the investigation said following the admission of Wadume that he was involved in arms smuggling, the panel may recommend further investigation.

According to a reliable source, “He admitted that he was involved in arms smuggling. These arms are not just ordinary arms; they are automatic weapons, AK47. These weapons can fire 60 rounds of ammunition without stopping.

“There should be further investigation to establish the nexus between the kidnapping going on and arms smuggling and the link between the kidnap suspect, the army captain and police personnel, including the DCO (Divisional Crime Officer) in Taraba State and how they generally connect with the military and other security agencies.”

He added: “Is there a wider network connecting the security agencies? Further investigations need to unravel this.”

On sanctions, the source affirmed that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to those found culpable.

“Without doubt, those found culpable would be sanctioned and where necessary charged to court. The police have already dismissed two personnel, which is commendable. We expect that the army should do so in the case of the indicted officers as the case may be,” he said.

THISDAY further gathered that the CDS, Olonisakin, has asked the Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya-led committee to submit the panel’s report tomorrow.

The committee was due to submit the report midweek but received additional materials that required further compilation.

When contacted on the likelihood of launching a probe into the financial aspect of the Taraba killing as regards bank lodgments by the kidnap kingpin, the EFCC said the agency would wait for the panel to submit its report.

Spokesman of the agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the anti-graft agency would await the outcome of the panel’s investigation.

“A panel of investigations is already at work. We cannot conduct simultaneous investigation on it. When the panel is through we will know the next step to take,” he said.

Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

The Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun a clampdown on bankers and operators of Bureau De Change (BDC) outfits across Nigeria who are aiding cybercrimes.

The clampdown followed the indictment of 80 Nigerians in a massive cybercrime case, investigated by the United State’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

EFCC Ibadan Zonal Head, Ibadan, Mr Friday Ebelo, disclosed this during a press briefing held at the Commission’s zonal office at Iyaganku on Wednesday.

He said the EFCC is in constant collaboration with international organisations with similar mandates, especially the FBI, in an effort to curb internet crime and transfers of illicit funds, saying: “Our longstanding collaborative engagement with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies remains intact and is yielding mutual benefits.”

He stated that the Commission, which has begun background checks on the 80 indicted Nigerians, has also arrested a total of 263 cybercrime suspects in 2019, adding that 111 among them had been convicted by courts of competent jurisdiction and sentenced to various jail terms.

Ebelo commended EFCC Acting Chairman Mr Ibrahim Magu, citing his leadership as being responsible for the successes recorded so far by the Commission, stating that the Ibadan zone has recovered local and foreign currencies from cybercrime related offences. He listed the currency recoveries as amounting to N7,461,378; USD56,452; 2,400 Euros; and £65; CAD400.

He referred to the case of a banker in their custody, arrested on Tuesday, who had allegedly been clearing suspected cybercriminals, and also shortchanging them, saying: “Assuming the exchange rate is N360 to US$1, he can blackmail them by saying that the exchange rate is N200 to US$1.

“…He would threaten to report them to the EFCC. Those people (cybercriminals) would have to agree on a give-and-take in order to avoid problems. We have the banker in our custody and many more will come. Those that are aiding them – the bankers and BDC, we will get them out.”

Ebelo, who disclosed cartel involvement in cybercrime, mentioned that the cartels operate networks across various countries, further revealing that the cybercriminals use bankers and operators of Bureau De Change businesses to launder their illicit loot, away from the prying eyes of authorities.

He mentioned the cae of one suspected internet fraud kingpin, Ajayi Gbenga Festus, “who was recently arrested during one of our operations in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The suspect, according to our investigation, works with other cybercriminals abroad in a highly sophisticated web of conspiracy designed to illegally access accounts of individuals and organisations to defraud them of their money.

“We were able to establish a number of illicit transactions through his Nigerian bank account, amounting to over N223 million. Ajayi serves as conduit pipe through which proceeds of crime reach members of the syndicate. His cuts in the deals total over N75 million. The suspect is still helping the Commission in its further investigations. He surely will have his day in court as soon as investigations are concluded and the matter is ripe for prosecution.”

The steps being taken by the EFCC, according to Ebelo, were calculated to constitutionally ensure that the “interests of hardworking and law-abiding Nigerians are adequately protected, and that they are not denied the fruit of their labour by the recalcitrant few. We will also continue to work assiduously to ensure that those who engage in acts capable of tarnishing the good image of our dear country do not escape the cold hands of the law.”

Olalekan Adetayo , Abuja



President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , the National Intelligence Agency and the Inspector -General of Police , Mohammed Adamu , to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of the Process and Industrial Developments Limited which was recently asked by a United Kingdom court to seize $ 9 .6 bn in Nigerian assets .

The Minister of Information and Culture , Lai Mohammed , who disclosed this at a joint press conference in Abuja on Tuesday , also said the Federal Government was challenging the UK court’ s $ 9. 6 bn judgment in a United States of America ’s court in order to protect the country ’ s interest and its assets .

Mohammed was joined at the press conference by the Attorney - General of the Federation , Abubakar Malami ( SAN ); Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning , Zaynab Ahmed ; and the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria , Godwin Emefiele .

The minister said the President ’s decision to probe the firm and its activities was based on the fact that the Federal Government suspected foul play in the contract which was negotiated and signed under the past administration in 2010 .
He said, “ We want to place on record that the Federal Government views with serious concerns the underhanded manner in which the contract was negotiated and signed .

“ Indications are that the whole process was carried out by some vested interests in the past administration , which apparently colluded with their local and international conspirators , to inflict grave economic injury on Nigeria and its people .


Buhari orders EFCC , NIA to probe 2010 controversial contract

“ In view of the above, and in an attempt to unravel the circumstances surrounding the entire transaction, the Attorney - General of the Federation , with the approval of Mr President , has requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , the National Intelligence Agency and the Inspector -General of Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the company , the circumstances surrounding the agreement and the subsequent event, which includes commencing a full-scale criminal investigation .”

Mohammed, however , said despite the court judgment, Nigeria was not about to lose any of its assets .

He added , “ Despite the recent recognition of the award by a UK court, and contrary to some reports , Nigeria is not about to lose any of its assets to P & ID. There is no imminent threat to Nigeria’ s assets !

“ In the first instance , the enforcement of the award cannot even commence now because the judge in the UK court ordered that the P & ID cannot enforce the judgment against Nigeria until after the court resumes from its current vacation .

“ What this means is that enforcement action cannot begin until further hearing on the matter, which will take place on a date to be determined by the court upon its resumption .

“ The Federal Government therefore wishes to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that there is no immediate threat to Nigeria’ s assets as has been wrongly interpreted by a section of the media.

“ Nigerians should be assured that the Federal Government is taking all necessary steps to appeal the decision of the UK court , to seek for a stay of execution of the decision , to defend its rights and to protect the assets of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria .

“ Nigerians should be assured that the Federal Government will strongly avail itself of all defences customarily afforded to sovereign states under the United Kingdom Sovereign Immunity Act to stave off any enforcement of the award . ”

Giving a background to the judgment , Mohammed said it was the fallout of the contract purportedly entered into in 2010 between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the P &ID.

He noted that in the 20 -year Gas Supply Processing Agreement purportedly entered into with the P &ID in 2010 , the company never performed as agreed, therefore necessitating the case going to arbitration .

The minister said P & ID’s claim in the arbitration proceedings was mainly for the loss of profit for the 20 -year term of the GSPA .

He recalled that in an interim award , the Arbitration Tribunal ruled that Nigeria had breached the contract , adding that though Nigeria successfully applied to have that award set aside by the Federal High Court in Lagos , the tribunal ignored the decision.

He added that on January 31 , 2017 , the tribunal rendered its final award against the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the sum of $ 6 . 597 bn together with a pre -award interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum , effective from March 20 , 2013 and post - award interest at the same rate from the date of the award .

This interest , he explained, increased the size of the award to $ 9 .6 bn .

He added , “ After the arbitration award in 2017 , Nigeria made several attempts to negotiate the award and resolve the whole issue amicably with the P &ID but to no avail , which eventually led to the enforcement proceedings instituted , simultaneously, by the company in the UK and the US .

“ The Federal Government then engaged the services of the US law firm of Curtis , Mallet- Prevost , Colt & Mosle LLP , which took steps to defend the proceedings in the US District Court of Columbia to dismiss P & ID’ s application for the enforcement of the award on the grounds that Nigeria, as a sovereign state, has an absolute right to obtain an authoritative determination of its sovereign immunity.

“ While Nigeria has recorded some successes in that case in the US , the proceedings are currently ongoing in the US and the Federal Government will ensure that its interest and that of the people of Nigeria are vigorously defended .

“ It is worth mentioning that in challenging the award , the Federal Government relied upon an expert report analysing the damages given to the P & ID. The expert concluded that the damages were clearly unreasonable and manifestly excessive and exorbitant ; went far beyond any legitimate protection of the commercial interest of the P & ID; were completely wrong and obviously unjustifiable ; and that the damages over compensated P &ID on a frankly gargantuan scale and imposed a punitive award on Nigeria .

“ It was on this ground and others that the Federal Government took all available steps to resist enforcement before the courts of the United Kingdom. Unfortunately , the UK Court has recognised the award and given the company the authorisation to seize Nigeria ’s assets . ”


Contract designed to fail ab initio, says AGF

The AGF , in his contribution , said the contract was originally designed to fail fundamentally .
He attributed his position to the fact that there were inherent elements of hitches that were designed into it from conception .

This, he said, was the reason why Buhari ordered a probe into the contract and the firm .
Malami said , “ The President has indeed directed that full scale investigation should be carried out relating to the circumstances that gave rise to the contract in its own right , and the eventual award as well .

“ The criminal investigation relating thereto , has indeed become necessary in view of the certain antecedent relating to the contract in its own right and the eventual award .

“ Insinuations abound that the contract was originally designed to fail fundamentally against the background of the fact that there were inherent element of hitches that were designed into it right from conception .

“ When I talk of inherent element of hitches , I want to draw attention first to the fact that by composition of the parties to the agreement there were two parties – the P & ID which is the company and – the Ministry of Petroleum Resources .

“ As you rightly know very well , the Ministry of Petroleum Resources is not a producer of gas. Gas products are produced by the International Oil Companies, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation .

“ So, when you conceived, signed and executed a contract for the supply of gas products without involving IOCs, NPDC , and NNPC as parties to that agreement , you know very well that there are a lot of questions to answer arising from the execution of that agreement .

“ So, these among others , gave rise to the insinuations or perhaps certain criminal and fraudulent conspiracies right from conception of the agreement . The fact remains that you cannot sign an agreement to provide a product that you do not have .

“ The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not have oil wells , marginal fields or gas products so how can the ministry sign an agreement without bringing on board those that are the custodians or the producers of the gas products with the purpose of supply of gas products ?”

The minister explained that it was because of this that the present administration decided on a comprehensive criminal investigation for the purpose of identifying the undertones , whether they were indeed criminal or not.

“ Within the context of this appreciation that the contract was originally designed not to succeed, that the contract was entered into with the parties that are originally not entitled to execute or sign the agreement that the Nigerian state was subjected to unnecessary economic sabotage right from the conception of the agreement down to the execution level .

“ I think it is not out of place to embark on a whole scale criminal investigation with the purpose of identifying whether there exists element of local and international conspiracy for the purpose of subjecting the Nigerian state to serious economic loss that we are apparently subjected to arising from the award that has resulted from the purported breach of the agreement ,” he said.


Judgment, an assault on every Nigerian
– Finance minister

In her own contribution , the Minister of Finance , Budget and National Planning , Ahmed , described the court judgment as an assault on all Nigerians .

She said the amount awarded was enough to cover personnel cost in the nation ’ s annual budget.

She said it was important for all Nigerians to rise up to the task of ensuring that the nation and its citizens were not unfairly treated in the matter.
The minister said, “ This matter that has brought us here today is a very very weighty one, an award of $ 9 . 6 bn is equivalent to N 3 .5 tn . N 3 . 5 tn in our annual budget will be covering for us the personnel cost which is about N 3. 2 tn and some .

“ So this award that is unreasonable , that is excessive and exorbitant , is also unfair and it is an assault on every Nigerian. It is beyond trying to compensate for a commercial interest . It is an assault on each and every Nigerian.

“ For us in the Ministry of Finance , Budget and National Planning , we take comfort from the efforts that have so far been put in place by the Attorney -General and Minister of Justice to ensure that this judgment is set aside because the consequences will be unpleasant for each and every Nigerian.

“ I hope our brothers and sisters in the press will help fight the cause of our country . We will be doing that not just for this administration but for our children and their children. So, it is time for us to all to be up in arms to make sure that we are not unfairly treated as a people . ”


No record of P& ID ’ s investment in Nigeria
– CBN gov

Also, the CBN governor described the contract leading to the judgment as a “ fraudulent contract ” between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the P &ID.

Emefiele noted that contrary to its claims in the media , the foreign firm did not invest any money in the contract in Nigeria.

He said, “ We have heard and also read in the media that the P &ID or the contractor in this case had mentioned that it had invested close to about $ 40 m in the project .

“ On our part as the Central Bank of Nigeria , we note that the P & ID is a foreign company . As a foreign company , if you are investing either in a contract or a project in Nigeria , there are various options you will adopt in bringing in your investment.

“ If you are bringing in capital, in which case you are bringing in money , you will fill Form A and you will also collect a certificate of capital importation .

“ If you are bringing in machine or assets to execute your contract , then in this case you will fill Form M and also collect a certificate of capital importation to prove that you actually brought in money .

“ We have gone through our records , we do not have any information in our records to show that this company brought in one cent into this country and we have accordingly written to the EFCC and the Intelligence Department of the Nigeria Police that are currently investigating this matter. ”

Emefiele also said it was time for all Nigerians to rise against people alleging to be doing contract in Nigeria without investing a penny, all with an intention to defraud the country .

He added, “ The money that they want to take is our own commonwealth that belongs to all of us. It is very sad that you will find some Nigerian collaborators with some foreign interests under a bogus intention trying to defraud this country .
“ If they have proofs of their investment, we are calling on them to please come forward and provide us proofs of how they invested money in this project .

“ You have heard the AGF talking about the fact that it was a contract that was meant to fail from the beginning and I think , we read even some Nigerian media organisations castigating and saying Nigeria should pay .

“ This is time for us to be patriotic and rise . If you find a fault in what a governor , a minister or anybody has done , stand up and say it but not for you to collaborate and begin to join forces with people who want to defraud the country .
“ I am saying from our part as the Central Bank , we do not have any information in our records, no evidence to show that a foreign company who came into this country deserved to be awarded $ 9 .6 bn without investing a cent in Nigeria. ”

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has vowed to pressures, saying that it would likely review the screening of the Kogi governorship aspirants on a case by case basis.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the decision followed the controversy surrounding the screening of aspirants contesting the governorship primary in the state.

According to him, due to the pressure, the party may give a clean bill to some of the aspirants, especially those who have contested the party primary in the past with records of service to the party.

He, however, said that those that get disqualified have an option of approaching the Appeals Panel which is also independent of the National Working Committee.

Mr Issa-Onilu named Babatunde Irukera, Yakubu Mohammed and Hadiza Ibrahim as having contested the party’s governorship primary in 2015, but lost the ticket to late Prince Abubakar Ibrahim, while Mohammed Abubakar Audu has been an active player within the party since 2015.

He however said that one of the aspirants disqualified confided in some people that she did not sign her affidavit because the court did not ask her to do so.

“Screening of aspirants is a constitutional issue. There are clear procedures for the conduct of screening of aspirants in our party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. Screening itself is not the final stage in the qualification process.

“Aspirants who have objections to outcomes of screening have the opportunity of presenting their case before the Appeal Panel. It should be noted that both the screening and appeal committees are independent of the National Working Committee as far as their activities are concerned.

“By practice, having selected people believed to be credible as members of these committees, the NWC does not interfere in any way in their activities.

“Aspirants have the comfort that the reports would eventually be presented to the National Working Committee where a final look will be taken on a case by case basis to ensure the outcomes are in strict compliance with our party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

“There is therefore no basis for any controversy on the current screening process to choose eligible aspirants who will contest at the party’s primaries to choose our candidates for the upcoming governorship elections in both Kogi and Bayelsa states,” he explained.

by Augustine Ehikioya,



Some Presidency sources on Tuesday night faulted the alarm raised by the former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Atiku had on Monday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was bent on framing Obasanjo in order to stop him from criticising Buhari’s administration.

In a statement by his media office, Atiku had also alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was giving falsehoods to the media towards causing disaffection between him and Obasanjo on one hand, and between Obasanjo and Nigerians in general.

But a Presidency source, who spoke to The Nation on a condition of anonymity, said that Atiku had so much framed Obasanjo that nobody could beat his record.

He said “When Mr. Atiku Abubakar reflects on some of the things he said of President Obasanjo, he will realize that having framed the former President so well in the past, Obasanjo cannot anymore be framed by anyone, no matter how he tries.

“On the unresolved issue of the mismanagement of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund, PTDF under their government, Mr Atiku’s revelation before the Senate was that Obasanjo took N10 billion to kickstart his Third Term campaign.”

This source added “This is how the press captured it: “Abuja — The ill-fated third term agenda re-echoed yesterday in Abuja at the public sitting of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) when Vice President Atiku Abubakar alleged that President Olusegun Obasanjo approved the immediate release of N10 billion in the thick of the battle to push the agenda in the National Assembly.”

Another source recalled what Atiku said about Obasanjo on the 16 Billion Dollar spending on electricity, which he noted nothing to show.

He quoted Atiku as saying “The issue of electricity is a thing that I feel very emotional about it, because I believe if we had handled the issue of electricity when we were in office by 2005 we would have provided enough electricity for the people of this country; but unfortunately we did not follow that route. … I have said it in many interviews. …

I was then the chairman of Privatization Council and we commissioned international consultants to come and help us – How do we get power within the shortest possible time and they came. They went round this whole country and they submitted their recommendations. …”

Atiku, according to the source, added “The government went for the IPPs, … the President, … we collected money from local governments, states federal government and others, five set of contracts were given, some contracts were paid 100 percent, we left nothing, was achieved … ”

The source declared “Obasanjo has already been framed by Mr. Atiku. Nobody needs to do that all over again.”

When contacted on telephone on Tuesday night, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, declined to comment on the issue.

Controversy has continued to trail the ownership of six sophisticated armoured vehicles seized by Nigerian security forces in Adamawa State.

Six Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles brought into Nigeria from Cameroon were intercepted by soldiers manning a checkpoint at Konkol, a border between Nigeria and Cameroon in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

Though sources said the fighting equipment were meant to be delivered to the Nigerien authorities, security and civilian authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria have declined to comment on the actual owner of the equipment; or why those in charge of the shipment decided to pass through the Nigerian soil for onward delivery to Niger.

Some sources said the armoured vehicles belonged to Nigerien government; while others said they belonged to the Cameroonian authorities. Others said the vehicles belonged to the United States (US).

However, when the story of the interception became public, the commander of 23 Armoured Brigade, S.G. Mohammed, on Saturday, handed over the vehicles to the Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in charge of Adamawa and Taraba states, Olumoh Kamaldeen, at a brief ceremony in Konkol.

A press conference called by the Customs service in Adamawa State yesterday in Yola, the capital with a view to giving details on the vehicles, was suddenly shelved, with sources saying everything about the matter had been transferred to Abuja.

Kamaldeen neither answered his calls nor responded to text message from our reporter last night.


More investigations ongoing

But the Daily Trust leant yesterday that the Customs service had launched further investigation into the matter.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NCS, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah, confirmed to Daily Trust yesterday that the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) directed further investigation into the issue.

He said: “It is true that six mine resistant, all-terrain military vehicles were impounded at Konkol, Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State. They were impounded by a team comprising the army, DSS, and the Customs. They have been kept in the custody of the army, that is the military; but now the military has handed them over officially to the Customs.”
He also revealed that the drivers conveying the military hardware had been taken into custody.

“From the detail we got from the drivers of these six vehicles who are also with the Customs, they claimed that they were supposed to pass through Nigeria on transit.

“They had to be impounded because there was no paper documentation. If you have to pass through a country on transit, you have to do paper documentation and, in this case, there was no clear documentation,” Attah said.

But a top source in Abuja told the Daily Trust that the vehicles were a gift to the Nigerien military by the US government.

The source recalled that the US had sometimes ago donated similar fighting vehicles to the Nigerian government.

It was further learnt that all documentation between the Nigerian government and US officials to allow the vehicles to travel through Nigeria were done.
According to the source, US officials were surprised about the interception and subsequent impounding of the equipment.

The source blamed the incident on “avoidable gap in communication occasioned by lack of sharing of information among Nigeria security agencies.”
The source expressed confidence that the equipment would be released for delivery to the Nigerien military soon.

Other sources wondered why the Nigerian authorities had not made public its finding in relation to the intercepted equipment.

Another security officer involved in the operation said the military equipment were intercepted following an information obtained by the DSS that suspicious consignment of heavy weaponry was approaching the Nigerian border.

“The DSS quickly informed its headquarters in Abuja and coordinated with other security agencies. So, we got wind of the situation beforehand,” he said.

According to the source, “As soon as the equipment was ferried across the border, we asked for relevant papers which were not provided. We realized that Niger violated the procedures,” he said.

One of the soldiers that escorted the vehicles from Jamtari village at the Nigeria-Cameroon border to Yola, the capital of Adamawa State said the vehicles were imported to Cameroon from the US and were on transit to an American military base Niger Republic.
The military source added that the heavy-duty trucks carrying the armoured vehicles and the drivers were hired from Nigeria.

Meanwhile, a former councillor in the area who represented Belel ward in Maiha Local Government Council, Dauda Abubakar said residents gathered to watch the controversial weapons after the seizure at the Nigerian border in Jamtari village, adding that the vehicles were then moved to the military base in Konkol where they were kept for about two weeks.

“People were not frightened because the military vehicles did not roll into the area but were being carried on trucks. So, there was no rumour of attack,” he said.
“The trucks were able to cross through the shallow river in to the village because it did not rain for some days. Rainy season makes transportation very difficult in Maiha area. All the bridges have broken down.

Sometimes, it takes six hours to cover a distance of eighty kilometres. Federal government had been promising to fix the bridges since 1999,” he said.
But another source said the equipment were being taken to Niger at the instance of the Cameroonian authorities.

“Beside the issue of Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJF) which has Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger as participants on one hand, Cameroon and Niger have another relationship that binds them together,” the source said.

“It was based on that relationship that Cameroonian authorities gifted Niger the equipment to help it beef up its fighting capacity.

“And I want to assure you that no protocol was breached, the higher authorities in the three countries are aware of the movement, but the fact is there was gap in communication among Nigeria’s top echelon on one hand and the various security operatives in the boarder including the military and Customs operatives.
“If the military leadership in Adamawa had been alerted from Abuja, nobody would have heard of the movement of the equipment.

“Again, if really the equipment were being illegally transported through the Nigerian soil, the military will not hand them over to the Customs; they will not,” he said.


‘Similar MRAPS procured by Jonathan’

Daily Trust was also told yesterday that similar MRAPS were procured by the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan at the height of the Boko Haram crisis in 2014.

Though not all the MRAPS had been delivered, the few that arrived were used in reclaiming local governments under the control of the Boko Haram ahead of the 2015 general elections.

Wilfred Eya




Elder statesman and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ahamba, has cautioned that the deteriorating security situation in the country could force Nigerians to employing private armies to protect themselves. In this interview, he spoke on several national issues.


There is no contention that the greatest challenge facing every Nigerian today is that of security to his life and property. At the moment, no state is free from the deteriorating security situation. How do you feel as a Nigerian today?

It is very worrisome and everywhere you see two people sitting together, all you hear them talk about is the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria. It looks like the government has lost grip on security and they have to do something about it. If it means changing the service chiefs, let them be changed and let others try. The situation is horrible. Today ( Friday 23), I went to Port Harcourt and we were delayed a long time by armed robbers in the Owerri/Port Harcourt road. The officers of the Nigerian Customs Service came and the people ran away. And between Owerri and Port Harcourt, they have more than 20 checkpoints but the armed robbers took over one of the checkpoints and mounted their operation in that place. I do not want us to get to the stage of South America at a particular time when people had to have private armies in order to survive. May God not allow us get to that level! Insecurity is everywhere and it is terrible. Wherever you see two responsible Nigerians sitting now, what they are certainly discussing is the insecurity situation.


From your vantage position, do you think it is the failure of government to properly address it or there is more to the ugly development. All manner of conspiracy theories have been used to interpret the situation but do you think, it is the government that should be blamed for not doing its job?

I do not think the government has done all it can do. They have to consider the personnel who are in charge of the different sectors whether they will be sacked or retained. That is how governance is done. I do not believe that anybody is perpetrating the insecurity from outside the country. What is happening in Nigeria is local. People who are into kidnapping do that because of the bad state of the economy and it is dangerous. The government in charge should take care of the situation.


Aside the issue of security, how do you feel about the atmosphere of hopelessness and despondency among the people in the country?

The problem is the economy. There are many people who ought to be comfortable today but they are not. There is an Igbo proverb that says that all lizards are lying with their belly on the ground and you do not know the one that has bellyache. There are many prominent people in Nigeria today who like the lizards are lying down with their belly on the ground and you do not know among them who have bellyache. So, when the people who can help the poorer ones are in trouble, you know that there is calamity coming. The problem should be addressed as a serious issue. It should not be politicized or ethnicised at all.


Are you comfortable with the slow pace of government considering that most sectors need quick and urgent action? I ask this question because of the length it took the government to constitute the new cabinet. And looking at the cabinet, how do you feel?

I think that is what the president wants. He has the discretion to choose who he wants, so let us see how it works.

The divide between the North and South seems to be widening by the day; what is the problem and when are we going to achieve real unity in the country? It depends on what you mean by the North. Already, the Middle Belt people have said they are not part of the North. So, the configuration has changed a lot in the country but the conflict between the northernmost North and the rest of the country, something should be done about it because creating dichotomy is not good at all. Everybody must be realistic and objective, otherwise, the calamity will overtake all of us. People are complaining everywhere and nobody should pray for an armed conflict in this country. It will be devastating. I have said it that if it happens again in Nigeria, what happened in Rwanda will be a joke considering the depth of anger in the country now. May God not allow it to happen and government should be conscious of it.


What are your projections ahead of 2023 especially with regards to the position of some prominent Northerners that power should remain in the North after President Buhari’s second term?

It is unfortunate if they insist that it should remain in the North. I think there is a gentleman agreement among the parties on this issue that power should alternate between the North and South even though there is no such thing in our constitution. If the people you are talking about insist that it must remain in the North, it means they do not believe in the unity of this country. And if the Southerners accept it, that is their own business. They cannot enforce it if the South says no. The problem is that if the East and West start fighting over the whole thing, the North should take it. Fairness demands that the North should relinquish power in 2023 to the South, and this time, the East should have it. This is my humble opinion about the matter.

Do you think politicians in the East are prepared enough to take the opportunity when it calls? The question comes against the backdrop of the disagreements that usually characterize politics in that zone. A recent case in point was the deluge of criticisms that trailed the emergence of Peter Obi as vice to Atiku Abubakar in the last presidential election.

Where has there been a consensus on that in Nigeria? There have always been disagreements and eventually an agreement. Many people will come out; you do not expect that one person will shoot out from somewhere and be acceptable to everyone. A lot of interested parties will come and what we are saying is that when that time comes, from the nature of the popularity of that person, acceptability should I say from other parts of the country, one person will emerge from there. The last time, we left power to the North. In PDP, people challenged Atiku but in the APC, nobody challenged Buhari. In 2011, he was challenged. So, this question of the Igbo not speaking with one voice, where is it that people always speak with one voice? I do not know why this thing is associated with the Igbo and unless somebody shoots out from somewhere and he is accepted by all, then the Igbo cannot speak with one voice. There are many people who would consider themselves qualified but only one would emerge and that is democracy. I do not see where it is stated as a rule that the Igbo do not agree on anything. We agree on things in democratic circumstances but we are republican in nature.


The recent assigning of portfolios is currently generating controversy following what appeared like the lopsided nature of it. What is your take on that?

Your paper just published my interview about not obeying the geographical spread that is in our constitution. All I can say is that in the National Assembly, you do not have only people from the North West alone. The composition of the people in the legislature is more important than the person sitting in the executive position. Members of the National Assembly should begin to know when infractions begin to arise and know how to go about it. So, if the National Assembly allows such a thing to occur, Mike Ahamba as an individual cannot do anything about it.

With the mood of hopelessness and uncertainty in the country, do you agree with those who suggest that Nigerians should organize another dialogue again when several of such efforts in the past did not yield any fruits? The conference we had in 1977/78 yielded results and we had the 1979 constitution. What we should do now is for the National Assembly to sit down and enact an act that would provide for a Constituent Assembly or a national conference. That body when it makes a proposed constitution, it can then be sent for a plebiscite as provided in the Constituent assembly act and we may take it from there. But if we just go for jaw jawing as we did last time, it will end there and everyone goes on. If the purpose of the National conference was to send an amendment to the constitution or to do a new one, and an act enacted to back up that responsibility, I do not think the waste of time people are talking about would have happened. So, before we go jaw jawing again, there must be an act backing up that situation. Without an act, it is another waste of time and that act must make provision that whatever decision there, as properly made, must be subjected to a plebiscite.


Some people believe that only the rotational presidency arrangement can stabilize the nation. Do you subscribe to that position?

I have never agreed with rotation but it appears that most Nigerians think that it is the only way out. We are only looking for an easy way out and not a comprehensive way out. Now, when you restate it, it appears that whoever comes out from that arrangement, you are bound to accept him whether he is competent or not. I do not know whether people realize that point but we now have a mental rotation in this country; if the fact that power should alternate between the North and South has been mentally agreed by Nigerians, why don’t we go that way. Now, it has been to the South and the South West and South South have had their chance. It has also been to the North and the North West has had its chance, and if it comes back to the South, it is only natural that the South East should take their chance. If only we agree that we are brothers and should be our brother’s keeper, it is only fair that the South East should take their chance when power comes back to the South. It is just that people who are interested in positions want it the way it would favour them for their own personal interests. Nobody is thinking about our children and grandchildren. It is unfortunate but my view is this, let us for now leave it as it is because we cannot go and make a special law, saying it should rotate. That will be a major constitutional amendment. I will continue to say it. So, what we do is, it has gone to the North and after President Buhari, it should come to the South and the East should have it. Even though candidates of other zones could come out but the voters should vote them out for fairness and justice. When you know that if you go against the people’s wish, people will vote against you, the effort to do that in future will diminish. In Nigeria, we apply quick solutions to create new problems.


As an elder statesman from the South East, how do you feel with the attack on Ekweremadu by those alleged to be IPOB members in Germany?

I feel very bad about it. We must accept that out there, assaulting politicians publicly is nothing new. What I am bothered about is the threat that any political leader who traveled out should be attacked. As far as I am concerned, that is a terrorist statement and IPOB members should take care that they do not embarrass those who have been defending them. Two, if they think they are talking about the interest of the Igbo, I think it is anti-Igbo to go and attack a man who came to associate with you on invitation. Did you invite him there to have him killed? Three is that the leaders should now warn themselves that all that glitters is not gold. Did Ekweremadu not go to pay courtesy call on Nnamdi Kanu when he came back from detention? We have to be circumspect when we take positions if we know that we are political leaders; but in all, I think it was most unfortunate. It was anti Nigeria and anti Igbo and a disgrace to our national image abroad. With the threat that nobody should come, I know that a well organized intelligence agency in the West would take care of the situation.


People would not stop asking questions on the anti corruption war of President Buhari’s administration. Do you expect an intensification of the war in this second term of Buhari?

Let us hope there would be an intensification of the war against corruption but when you make people who are standing trials ministers, what do you expect people to say? So, let us hope for the best. Some people may have been accused falsely; even, I have been accused falsely and anybody could be accused falsely and that should not be the disqualifying factor. Until you get the person convicted, you cannot stop him. I believe that there should be improvement and across the board fight against corruption. It should not be a fight against only PDP members and other parties to the exclusion of the APC.

What significant difference do you expect President Buhari to make in this second term? Anybody without expectation or hope for the better is dead and I am not dead. I can only expect that tomorrow will be better than today.

The economy is not looking good at all and Nigeria has not been able to achieve the much talked about diversification of her economy. What is your view on the state of the economy especially against fears that the nation may still go back to recession again if care is not taken?

I tell you that so long as we depend on one aspect of our economy for survival, we continue to run the risk of poverty. I said it before that those days we used to produce groundnut and hides and skin in the North; in the South West, we had cocoa which led to the tarring of roads, free education and all that, and in the East, palm oil led to industrialization. But when oil came, people abandoned all those areas. It will take one or two governors going back to the mentality of Okpara and Awolowo to solve these problems. It is not an issue of national debate. Anambra State is already doing that; thanks to a man like Peter Obi who laid the foundation when he was the governor of the state. If others do it, all these things would end. It is not a question of debate; it is deciding what to do and doing it. That starts by electing the right persons.


You are one of the foremost lawyers in this country; what do you think are the major challenges facing the judiciary in this country?

First of all, we must have a better way of selecting the people who enter it in the first place. You know that when you appoint a High Court judge, you have appointed a potential Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, the search for confidence must start from there. So, we must not just look at the 10 years experience but how the person spent the 10 years. So long as we make mistakes in the appointment, some would bring bad image to the majority. In my book that will soon come out, I discussed these things. I made it a point of campaign when I was running for the presidency of the bar. We have to look at the source of our problems before looking at the solutions; we treat effects and not cause. That is one major problem that we have in Nigeria.


What is your view on the killing of Nigerians in several parts of the world particularly in South Africa? Do you think we are doing enough as a nation to discourage this ugly development?

It is very unfortunate. First of all, I want you to think about the statement of a higher security official in South Africa. He said that most of the killings of Nigerians were done by Nigerians. That is a very serious point we must not ignore. Remember that recently, somewhere in Anambra State, a quarrel or disagreement in South Africa was taken to a church and resulting in many deaths. We also have to ask ourselves, what type of businesses are our people engaged in? We must find out how we are carrying out our businesses in that place and whether we are doing it under internationally accepted standards. Why are we rushing to South Africa and coming back with large wealth? That wealth belongs to some people who are being deprived of their resources and in such a case, some people may take revenge. That is the possibility of what could happen.


What are your greatest fears for this country?

My greatest fears are that people do not appreciate the consequences of their actions and the consequences of their actions may not be what they anticipate. And when such a thing happens, everybody would be a victim. Anarchy is nobody’s friend. Our people say that you do not throw a pebble into the market because you do not know who it would hit. It could be your mother even. That statement came when the average community was just a village. We can expand it to mean the whole country. What you do today, you may not know whether it would be against you tomorrow. I think that the solution to our problems in Nigeria is to be less parochial and more patriotic. Once we do that, I can assure you that 80 per cent of our problems in this country would disappear. These things happen as a consequence of human nature and disagreements. What makes a nation is how they handle the problems that confront them. So, for every incumbent administration, when there is a problem, they should confront it no matter who is involved even if he is your father or brother. That is the only way out, otherwise, the country would not move forward.


As President Buhari settles down for a second term, what is your advice to him?

Let him find out what he did wrong in his first tenure and correct them. Let him not repeat what he did that was wrong. First of all, he must have to take care of the massacring of human beings in villages in some parts of the country including the North. It does not speak well of an administration. An administration that cannot protect the lives of its citizenry is not a good one. Security is the main issue and he must do something about it and everybody should support him to do something about it.

By Evelyn Usman



A stalwart of the All Progressive Congress, APC was shot dead by a stray bullet from a Mobile policeman in Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos.

There were, however, different accounts as to how the deceased, Daudu Waliu was sent to an unprepared grave.

A version of the account said that the father of four, who was into rentals, had gone to pack some chairs he rented to the Celestial Church of Christ, Oshodi Parish, on Olatunji Street at about 8 pm.

By the way, the church celebrated its annual harvest and extended its tents beyond the church’s premises, owing to the crowd that graced the occasion.

As one of the dignitaries who came with a police escort was leaving the venue, some social miscreants otherwise called agbero, reportedly accosted him.

In the policeman’s bid to disperse the miscreants, eyewitnesses said he fired some shots, one of which hit Waliu in the head, killing him on the spot.


Another version

However, another version of the account said that Waliu was on his way to pack another set of chairs when the stray bullet from the venue of the church’s programme, hit him in front of his house, on Bello street.

When Vanguard arrived late Waliu’s residence on Bello street, the bloodstain from the bullet that lodged into his head was still on the spot he slumped and died.

But Vanguard observed that the spot he died was over a kilometre away from where the shot was fired.


Widows morns

Sympathizers, throng his abode to commiserate with his widow, Mrs Yemi Daudu, who was seen crying.

Sharing her last moment with her husband, the widow who was yet to come to term with the rude shock of her husband’s demise, said, “ I was in the shop when I saw him on an Okada. He said he was going to pack his things, promising to be back. But he never came back. Rather, I got a call from someone who asked where I was. I told the person I was in the shop. The caller asked where was my husband, I told her he had gone to work.

She said I should call my husband to know where he was, that she had unpleasant information. I called my husband’s telephone number but the line didn’t go.

“ Almost immediately, I heard another person making calls in front of my shop. I heard the caller asking the person at the other end if it was that man that rented chairs. At that point, I became scared. I rushed outside and held the man by the shirt, asking what happened. He said we should go to the house. By the time I got home, I met my husband on the ground, dead. (sobs)

At this point, sympathizers began to console her and requested that she kept quiet. But she continued, “ my husband left me with four children. Tell me, where do I start? He had a great dream for their education. He assured them that he would give them the best of education within his financial limit. He was a quiet and easy-going man”.

At this point, her children: Abeeb, 12; Basita , 9; Basit, 6 and Alim 2, came around their mother, weeping alongside.

Vice-Chairman of the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government was among those who paid condolence visits on the widow.

In an interview with Vanguard, he described the incident as unfortunate, saying, “ We are here to pay condolence visit on late Waliu’s widow. The victim was a member of APC and also one of the stalwarts. He was one of the wards executives.

Beyond that, as a citizen of this local government, we felt we should come to share in the family’s moment of grief.

“We learned that the Police have commenced an investigation into the incident. We will have to wait for the outcome of the investigation. The investigation is the reason why Waliu had not been buried. Because, as a Muslim, he ought to have been buried. But we are still waiting for the police to get their facts.


APC youths

Reacting to the incident, APC Youths, in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, condemned the policeman’s action, describing it as barbaric.

The party’s youths in a statement signed by Comrade AbdulRahman Ayuba said, “
We totally condemn the barbaric and ungodly killing of one of us at Ladipo axis of Oshodi isolo Local Government. We, therefore, demand the immediate arrest of the perpetrator, in order for him to face the consequences of his action in the court of law.

“We are using this medium to appreciate all our members and the entire people of Oshodi particularly the people of Ladipo for their concerns and solidarity support since the period of the incident till this moment. While we allow the law enforcement agency to carry a proactive and speedy investigation on the incident, we implore all our members to remain calm and law-abiding”

Also in its reaction, the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence, CAIDOV, called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Muazu Zubairu, to unmask late Waliu’s killer cop.

A statement signed by the Executive Director, CAIDOV, Comrade Gbenga Soloki, said, “ the incident is unfortunate, wicked and pure murder. Unmasking the killer cop will bring succour to the family of the deceased as well serve as a deterrent to other policemen”.

The group in the statement also appealed to the police hierarchy to withdraw policemen attached to some prominent Nigerians, as well as carry out periodic checks of police escorts to ascertain whether they were serving policemen or miscreants who disguised as policemen.


CCC Shepherd arrested

Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that the Sheppard of the Celestial Church of Christ, Superior Evangelist Alabi, had been arrested.
Police sources hinted that his arrest formed part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.

“ His arrest will also link us with the eminent Nigerian that came with the Police escort who allegedly fired the shot”, Police sources hinted.

When Vanguard visited the church, its secretary who did not disclose his name referred this reporter to the Church’s headquarters at Ketu.

He said, “ I can not speak on it because we have someone who can speak at the headquarters at Ketu. You can go and get answers to any question”.

Vanguard also gathered that the policeman who allegedly fired the shot that snuffed life out of the father of four had been arrested. Vanguard learned that he is attached to one of the Mobile Police squads.

When contacted, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Elkana Bala, said the investigation into the matter was ongoing.

Obadiah Mailafia, a former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says there are some unidentified people who want to use Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, and “crush him.”

In an interview with PUNCH , Mailafia said though, Tinubu could discern talents and mentor them to leadership roles, he has been “abjectly naive.”

The former deputy governor of CBN said this when he was asked to comment on a statement credited to Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, on zoning arrangements for the office of president.

Mailafia described the governor of Kaduna as “a man of ambition who is susceptible to grand self delusions of the order of Bonaparte.”

“The 1999 constitution does not require ‘zoning’ as such. However, I believe that evolving constitutional conventions and norms lead us ineluctably in that direction,” he said.

“Governor Nasir el-Rufai is evidently a man of ambition, and often susceptible to grand self delusions of the order of Bonaparte. Obasanjo in his memoirs describes him (el-Rufai) as someone who is loyal only to himself.

“At a dinner lecture in Lagos recently, he fired salvos at the lion of Bourdillon, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The latter, we all concede, has this extraordinary clairvoyance and percipience for identifying talents and mentoring them for leadership. But Jagaban Borgu has been abjectly naïve.

“He does not know that they just want to use him and crush him. He would be wise to be wary of those whose traditions of rulership allows them to give their daughter to you in marriage only for the sole purpose of finding out your innermost weaknesses, the better to destroy you.”

He said it appears that Tinubu does not seem to understand “the kind of political animals he is dealing with.”

“He doesn’t realise that the game-plan is to exploit to the fullest his political and financial capital and to forebear with him until such a time as they are in a position to run him aground,” Mailafia said.

He added that Tinubu has the right to aspire to become president but “the north will not relinquish power any time soon.”

Osinbajo : Dependable deputy

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo , no doubt , wields a big influence in the present administration . He cannot be described a mere spare tyre with the kind of roles he has been playing since the inception of the Buhari administration in 2015 . Though a lawyer , Osinbajo is in charge of the economy by virtue of being the head of the government ’s Economic Management Team. His role as the Vice President also places him in regular contact with state governors as he chairs the National Economic Council which has all state governors as members.

Osinbajo ’ s office also coordinates the government ’ s National Social Investment Programme , therefore making him the face of some of the schemes under the programme such as Tradermoni and N -Power among others .

As if that is not enough , many presidential aides are attached to his office. This means that they report to him and not to the President directly . Those in that category include the Special Adviser to President on Economic Matters , Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu; the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programme , Mrs Maryam Uwais ; Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters , Babafemi Ojudu ; and the Special Adviser to the President on Ease Of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole , among others .
Not a few people in government today or those who served in Buhari’ s first term , whether as ministers or heads of government agencies owe their emergence to the former Lagos State Commissioner for Justice .


Tinubu : Strategist extraordinaire

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is a national leader of the ruling party . The former Lagos State Governor played a critical role in the merger process that led to the birth of the party and its electoral victory . He is generally believed to have nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’ s running mate ahead of the 2015 presidential election . Although a crack was noticed in his relationship with the President shortly after the victory , it appeared the two leaders were able to manage the situation . To confirm this , Buhari made him co -chairman of his campaign organisation for the 2019 election .

Tinubu has a huge influence on the President and the party. He is believed to be instrumental to the nomination of the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare ; and the Minister of Interior , Rauf Aregbesola , among others . Dare was at different times Tinubu ’ s Chief of Staff and spokesman before he was nominated as the Executive Commissioner ( Stakeholder Management ) , Nigerian Communications Commission . He held this position until he was made a minister . Aregbesola, on his part , was Commissioner for Works in Lagos State during Tinubu ’ s two terms as governor and also served as governor of Osun State .


El - Rufai: Mr Bulldozer

Nasir El -Rufai is a two- term Governor of Kaduna State. He came into the limelight as the Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises and subsequently the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory . El -Rufai is a governor that can walk up to the President any time and any day whether in his office or his official residence . His state is also one that the President is at home with . This is clear from the frequency in which Buhari visits the state for official functions .

This closeness to the President has made El - Rufai influential in some of the major decisions so far taken by this administration as they concern policy direction and appointments . One of the appointments that can easily be traced to El -Rufai was the July 11 , 2016 appointment of Hadiza Usman as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority . Usman was, up until her appointment , the Chief of Staff to El - Rufai. She had earlier worked with the governor in BPE as well as when he was a minister .

Very early in Buhari’s first term , the governor was instrumental to the appointment of Prof Umaru Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission . Immediately the appointment was made public , El -Rufai took Danbatta to the Presidential Villa , apparently to thank the President for the gesture . He ensured that the man granted a press interview before they left the seat of power.

Another appointment that El - Rufai reportedly influenced was that of Aliyu Aziz as the Director - General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission . Aziz was Deputy Director , Information Technology at the BPE when El - Rufai was the bureau ’ s Director General. When he became minister , El - Rufai also appointed Aziz as his Information Technology Adviser .
It is believed that the governor had his hands in many other appointments made by the President , including ministers .


Amosun : Cat with nine lives

Ibikunle Amosun is currently a senator . The former Ogun State Governor has remained a long -time ally of the President since their days in the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party , hence his ability to wield influence . Amosun influenced the appointment of his former Commissioner for Finance , Mrs Kemi Adeosun , as Buhari’s Minister of Finance .

He was instrumental to the appointment of Adebisi Adegbuyi as the nation ’ s Post Master - General. Despite his disagreement with the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 election on the choice of the governorship candidate in the state , he remained committed to Buhari’ s re - election . In this second term , he has influenced the appointment of his former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure , Olamilekan Adegbite , as the Minister of Mines and Steel Development. Added to that, he has also ensured that his former personal assistant, Adeleke Adewolu , emerged the Executive Commissioner ( Stakeholder Management ) , Nigerian Communications Commission to replace the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Sunday Dare .


Daura : A nephew like no other

There is no way issue of the powers behind the throne in the villa will be discussed without a generous mention of Buhari’s nephew , Mamman Daura . Although he holds no public office, his influence on Buhari and his government cannot be overemphasised . For the better part of the President ’s first term , Daura was spending more time with him in his official residence . They were also seen travelling together .

Buhari and Daura have come a long way. They both belonged to a group called “ Kaduna Mafia ” which was a group of young Northern Nigerian intellectuals , civil servants , business tycoons and military officers residing or conducting business in the former Northern capital city of Kaduna during the end of the First Republic . He is said to have his hands in most of the President ’s decisions or appointments .


Funtua : Buhari ’ s tested friend

Ismaila Isa Funtua , a personal friend of the President , is also not holding any public office at the moment , but Buhari respects his views on national issues including appointments . He is also seen travelling with the President and visiting him regularly in the presidential villa without any security bottleneck .


Sabiu : The President’ s shadow

There are also some individuals who are not too visible but are wielding huge influence because of their closeness to the President . Such people include the youthful Personal Assistant to the President , Tunde Sabiu ; and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs, Sarki Aba , among others . By virtue of his current position , the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha , is also a man on influence in the Presidential Villa.

In this piece , OLALEKAN ADETAYO attempts to unmask the Chief of Staff to the President , Abba Kyari , and some of his activities that make many see him as the most powerful presidential



Kyari : The ultimate power broker

Although he has two prominent namesakes who share both first name and surname with him — a former military administrator ( deceased) and a serving deputy commissioner of police — he cannot be mistaken for any of them . Those who frequent the Presidential Villa , Abuja or those who work there cannot miss him . Even others who pay attention to details in photographs or video recordings of events released from the seat of power can also not miss him .

Welcome to the world of arguably the most powerful presidential aide in Nigeria , Mallam Abba Kyari , the powerful Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Wikipedia, Kyari holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from the University of Warwick , England . He is also said to possess a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law from the University of Cambridge , England and was called to the Nigerian Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School in 1983 .

In 1984 , he obtained a master ’ s degree in law from the University of Cambridge . He later attended the International Institute for Management Development at Lausanne, Switzerland and participated in the Programme for Management Development at the Harvard Business School in 1992 and 1994 .

Kyari worked for the law firm , Fani -Kayode and Sowemimo, for some time after his return to Nigeria. From 1988 to 1990 , he was editor with the New Africa Holdings Limited Kaduna. In 1990 , he served as Commissioner for Forestry and Animal Resources in his home state , Borno . From 1990 to 1995 , Kyari was Secretary to the Board of African International Bank Limited. He was Executive Director , Management Services , United Bank for Africa Plc and was later appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive of the bank .

The Borno State indigene was appointed into his present position on August 27 , 2015 . Since then, the former banker and ex - journalist has not left anyone in doubt about his huge influence on the President . His appointment has been renewed for a second term despite protests by some individuals and groups, an indication that his principal is satisfied with what he is doing .

Kyari ’ s huge influence in the nation ’s political space must have started from one of his traditional roles as the Chief of Staff to the President which is to plan Buhari’s schedule and correspondence , sometimes in conjunction with the State Chief of Protocol , Lawal Kazaure. In carrying out this task, Kyari decides those the President can grant audience and those he should not meet . He decides the mails he should read and the ones to keep away from him ; he also decides places where the President can visit and those places he should avoid like a plague. His words are, most times, binding on the President .

Kyari is arguably the closest aide of the President , or one of the closest , considering the fact that there are some other aides of the President who reside in his official residence with him , therefore , very close to him. This makes the Chief of Staff fit perfectly into the “ Presidency cabal” which a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Babachir Lawal , said he had no apologies for belonging to .

While declaring open a retreat organised for his first term ministers designate on November 5 , 2015 , Buhari had set the tone for what further made it practically difficult or completely impossible for some ministers and some categories of presidential aides to have direct access to him. It was on that day that Buhari made it mandatory that ministers must go through Kyari if they desired any contact with him .

That was the first time he said so, he only reiterated this last week to the hearing of his second term ministers in case they want to feign ignorance . “ In addition , all communications and appointments from you ( ministers ) to the Presidency should be routed through the Office of the Chief of Staff as is normal in this presidential system , ” Buhari had said then. The controversy that has been thrown up since he reiterated his position last week has , however , showed that it appears it is only Buhari and maybe a few of his handlers that see that channel of communication as normal .

Kyari is always visible around the President , attending all meetings that Buhari attends and taking part in photo sessions after such meetings. He cannot be missed in what has become his uniform : white agbada and wine Kanuri traditional cap . He won ’t be caught in any other attire or a different colour. When photographs are being taken after such meetings or visits , Kyari will ensure that nobody stands between him and the President . Vice President Yemi Osinbajo may make do with taking position beside the President on the right - hand -side while Kyari will take a position by the left side of the President .

Others can then find their ways beside or behind him . Some may argue that the arrangement is about protocol , but some others who have been inside the Presidential Villa before Buhari’ s Presidency will also argue that seeing Chief of Staffs posing for pictures with Presidents and their guests is another change brought by the present administration .

Kyari ’ s massive office in the seat of power is about 200 metres from the office of the President . Despite being advanced in age , this presidential aide covers this distance as many times as possible in a day , crisscrossing his office and the President ’ s office, apparently because he does not want to leave anything to chance .

As he walks the distance , he always holds tenaciously to one office file or the other. The common features of the files clear to those close enough are that they are white with the nation ’s coat of arms embossed in green . In all of the short trips, Kyari is always accompanied by at least two security aides, one in front apparently to be sure no harm is coming near him from the front and the other in the rear to ensure that enemies contemplating coming from the rear are waived off . You will never see him release these office files that may contain the nation ’ s top secrets to any of his aides . This may be why Buhari is comfortable with him despite public criticism: He keeps the President ’s secret .

Kyari looks tough and strict . Despite these attributes, however , he finds time to acknowledge greetings and sometimes crack jokes with journalists whenever he finds them on the corridor in front of the Press Gallery while on his way either to his office or to the President ’s office. That is , however, where it will end . Once Kyari notices that journalists are trying to turn the rare privilege to an interview session , he will quickly leave the scene as fast as he came.

Due to his closeness to the President , many of the decisions of the present administration considered not to be good enough are attributed to him , wrongly or rightly . In fact , whatever misfortune befalls his colleagues by way of reprimand, suspension or outright sack , are also pushed to the doorstep of this man of influence probably because he is the one that usually conveys most of such news to those affected . A recent example is a query he recently issued the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service , Babatunde Fowler , and the criticism it attracted to the Chief of Staff.

It is not completely out of place to hear about a slight confrontation between Kyari and some top government officials once in a while. While some happened outside the prying eyes of outsiders , one occurred openly inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa on November 1 , 2017 , between him and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winnifred Oyo -Ita . The altercation was believed to be based on Oyo -Ita ’s leaked memo to Kyari on the controversial reinstatement and subsequent posting of a former Chairman of the Pension Reforms Commission , Abdulrasheed Maina .

The mild drama played out in the presence of Osinbajo ; the then President of the Senate , Bukola Saraki ; the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara , then National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, John Odigie -Oyegun; service chiefs and ministers . Saraki , Dogara , Oyegun and the service chiefs were present to witness the inauguration of Boss Mustapha as the new SGF as well as the inauguration of the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance emblem .

Mustapha later succeeded in calming frayed nerves after Osinbajo and Kyari were seen engaging the visibly angry Oyo -Ita in discussions . The Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, also moved in and persuaded Oyo -Ita to return to her seat when it became obvious that all those in attendance were watching the drama with keen interest .

The PUNCH had earlier exclusively published Oyo -Ita ’s leaked memo in which she claimed that Buhari was aware of Maina ’s reinstatement and that she warned the President against it . Oyo -Ita had claimed that her warning was based on the implications such reinstatement would have on the anti -corruption war of the Federal Government . Kyari must have believed that Oyo- Ita leaked the memo to embarrass the government .

But exactly a week after that incident , on November 8 , 2017 , the two gladiators also made a public show of their reconciliation at the same venue when they embraced publicly before the commencement of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council for that day .

Oyo -Ita , on arrival at the Council Chambers venue of the meeting , had gone straight to Osinbajo to have a discussion with him. She was still discussing with the Vice President when Kyari arrived . All smiles, Kyari and Oyo- Ita embraced publicly as still and video cameramen struggled to get good shots of the public display of affection. Other members of the council clapped for them as the drama unfolded.

Like everybody believed to be highhanded , Kyari had also had his share of negative publicity . He had at a time been accused of complicity in the alleged poor handling of the fine imposed by the Nigerian Communication Commission on a telecommunication firm and it was also alleged that the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom picked his medical bill when he fell sick in 2016 , an allegation that was later denied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Things got to the peak in October 2016 when he was alleged to have been suspended by the President because he was not seen around the President for days . Online reports alleged that he was on suspension over an allegation of bribery levelled against him in connection with the reduction of the fine imposed on the telecommunication firm . The man read all those reports .

When he returned to the villa , Kyari taunted those who were behind the online reports . On his way to the President ’s office from his office, he stopped by at the Press Gallery and jokingly told reporters he met there that , “ go and tweet that I am here.” On his way back to his office, Kyari repeated the same message in a manner that suggested “ no shaking .” Despite the many negative reports around him then, the Chief of Staff insisted that by virtue of his office, he does not grant press interviews .

When the President ’s wife , Aisha Buhari cried out in a 2016 interview that some individuals who did not contribute to her husband ’s 2015 electoral victory have hijacked him and followed it up in 2018 that two men in her husband ’s government have hijacked the administration , many fingers were quickly pointed towards Kyari even though the woman did not mention names .

Kyari does not appear bothered about criticism. He has a job at hand and it appears he is not ready to allow anything to distract him from continuing to carry out his tasks to the satisfaction of his boss . Whether you describe him as the most powerful presidential aide or you take a step further to call him de facto President or Prime Minister , the man at the centre of it all is Mallam Abba Kyari .


The powers behind the throne

When a politician assumes a public office in Nigeria , he does not wield the influence associated with the office alone. Friends , family members and political associates wield such influence with him. Some of them even wield influence more than the public office holder . They nominate people for juicy positions such as making people ministers or commissioners and members of the boards of government agencies.

There is no level of government that this is not applicable to. It plays out at the local government and state levels . There is also no exception at the federal level and President Muhammadu Buhari is not immune against this scenario painted . The septuagenarian Nigerian leader has more than enough people who wield the influence of his office more than he himself can do or imagine . Some of them became influential by virtue of the responsibilities the President saddled them with while some others are only leveraging their closeness to him .

These individuals wield their influence in the polity in a manner that makes them qualified to be referred to as the real powers behind the President.

The Body of Nasir Ahmad has been taken out of the grave after 22 years in Attara road in the Baberu area of Banda district, and the corpse has not decomposed.

Even the shroud remains spotless white.
The locals are calling this a “miracle” and said that the deceased, Nasir Ahmad, was a “good soul who had Allah’s blessings”.

The incident took place on Wednesday in the Baberu graveyard where one grave had sunk in owing to incessant rainfall.

The graveyard committee members were informed and they cleared the mud to find a body wrapped in white shroud. A huge crowd collected at the place as the news spread and the body was taken out.

It was identified as that of Nasir Ahmad, who had died 22 years ago. One of the relatives of Ahmad identified the body and said that he was present when the burial had taken place 22 years ago.

In consultation with local clerics, the body was later buried in another nearby grave on Wednesday night.
NAN

Olaleye Aluko , Abuja



The seven -man Joint Investigative Panel set up by the Defence Headquarters , Abuja, to probe the killing of three policemen in Ibi , Taraba State , has concluded its report and would submit it to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin , on Monday .

Top military sources said the report was believed to have indicted some army and police personnel as well as a few civilians, noting that the officers and soldiers would likely face court -martial and dismissal, “ going by their level of culpability .”

The panel concluded its work on Friday after sitting for three days at the Defence Intelligence Agency , Abuja , during which it grilled army officers, soldiers , policemen and the suspected kidnap kingpin , Hamisu Wadume.

The Joint Investigative Panel , which is led by Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya , has top officers drawn from the police , army, navy , air force , the Department of State Services and the DIA .

A source close to the panel had said the officers cross- examined Wadume, after he had earlier made some confessions in a police video, where he indicted army officers and soldiers over his escape.

The police had on Monday night arrested Wadume at a hideout in the Layin Mai Allo Hotoro area of Kano State , following a manhunt by the police special forces and Intelligence Response Team members in Taraba and the surrounding states.

In the video released by the police on
Twitter , Wadume had said in Hausa , “ My name is Hamisu Bala Wadume. The police came to arrest me . When they arrested me , the army chased after them and opened fire . From there , they ( soldiers ) took me to their headquarters and cut off my handcuffs and released me . I went back to my house , but the police came to re -arrest me . ”

A source in the DHQ told our correspondent on Friday that the panel had concluded its work and culpable soldiers would not escape court- martial and dismissal .

The source did not know the number of officers and soldiers indicted by the report .

The source said , “ The panel had been in Abuja for a few days . They sat at the Defence Intelligence Agency . The panel had put its report together . They are going to submit by Monday back to the CDS .

“ All the officers and soldiers identified have already been grilled. The outcome and culpability of the personnel will determine their court -martial and dismissal . But if they are deeply involved , their trial is automatic. ”

Military sources said that the custom was that the panel report would be approved by the CDS , and recommendations made before the details could be made open .

Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri


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A housewife, Chinasa Ukaonu, has rekindled the flourishing baby trafficking otherwise known as baby factory in Imo State as she willingly sold her own baby after delivery for N500, 000.

According to the State Police Commissioner, Rabiu Ladodo who disclosed this to newsmen through his Public Relation Officer Orlando Ikeokwu, Ukaonu had left her matrimonial home with an 8- month-old pregnancy informing her husband , Promise Ukaonu, that she was going to stay with her brother for a while at Mbaitoli.

Few days after she left the house, the CP said, she sent a message across to her husband informing him that she lost the pregnancy.

Mrs Ukaonu after deceiving her husband, proceeded to a baby factory where she was said to have delivered the baby with the help of two nurses, Esomonu Dorathy and Eke Catherine said the Police Commissioner.

But her husband not satisfied with the story his wife told him decided to report the matter to the police.

However, on August 1, operatives of the command acting on reasonable information arrested Mrs Ukaonu who in turn turned the nurses who assisted her in delivery in.

According to the CP, it was in the course of their investigation that they discovered that Mrs Ukaonu had sold the baby for N500,000 to one Mrs Chioma Amadi.

Meanwhile, the child has been recovered and investigation is still ongoing.

by IBRAHIM SHA'BAN



Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has opened his own defense with documentary evidence and oral witnesses At the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, just as the defendant presented a witness whose voter’s card was discovered to be reflecting a different name.

Recall that the tribunal is hearing a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Abba Yusuf, challenging Mr Ganduje’s victory at the March 2019 governorship election in the state.

During the proceeding, Mr Ganduje lead counsel, Ofiong Ofiong, SAN, tendered documentary evidences of election result sheets (form EC8A) from 28 local government areas where supplementary election took place.

Other documents include certified true copies of form EC40G and copies of Election Day reports from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The respondent’s legal team also presented three oral witnesses from the controversial Gawa Ward of Nasarawa local government area of the state.

The first witness, Abubakar Suleiman of Kasuwar Murtala, Gama D, Nassarawa local government alleged that during the first election of March 9, supporters of the PDP in his polling unit submitted a list of 20 people to INEC officials insisting that they must vote before any other person.

However, while answering questions during cross-examination, Mr Sulaiman confirmed that the March 9 election result was signed by an unknown person called Auwalu on behalf on his party.

According to him, in the case of March 23 supplementary election, there were two party agents representing APC and that the other agent, Mansur Muktar-Adam, signed the result.

Meanwhile, there was a mild drama in the courtroom when Mr Suleiman was asked to present his voter’s card which was discovered to be reflecting a different name: Sadiq Sadiq.

The situation caused the PDP’s counsel Eyitayo Fatogun and that of Mr Ganduje, MN Duru, to engage one another in a heated argument over the discrepancy in the name of the witness and his means of identification.

Moving forward, however, the Second witness presented before the tribunal was Isa Waziri Bawa of Gama Tudu quarters, still in Nassarawa local government area of the state..

Mr Bawa, in his witness deposition of oath written at the tribunal registry on the May 17, 2019, said unlike other voters who showed up to cast their votes at Gama Tudu Primary School, the security men on election duty asked him to show his permanent voter’s card before gaining access to the polling station by to ensure safety of the voters in the area.

However, while being cross-examined by PDP’s counsel Fatogun, the witness disowned the claim contained in the second paragraph of his deposition saying it might be a typing error.

The witness further revealed that he stayed at the polling station until the results were announced, showing APC leading PDP. He, however, said that he was not sure if copies of the result sheet were posted for the general public to see.

Yahaya Usman of Layin Maigado, also from Gama ward of Nasarawa local government, the third witness, though without any means of identification, was allowed to testify before the tribunal.

He alleged that some under-aged people wearing red caps, believed to be members of the PDP and numbering about 20, stormed his polling station during the first election with voters’ cards.

However, the witness, during cross-examination by the petitioner’s counsel, failed to prove that the said people were under-aged, as well as whether wearing a red cap, belt, T-shirt, shoe or wristwatch reflects someone’s political affiliation.

After presenting three oral witnesses, one of the second respondent’s counsel, Aliyu Umar, SAN, asked for adjournment of the proceeding till Friday August 23, 2019.

The request was, therefore, granted by the chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Halima Shamaki Muhammad without any objection from all parties involved in the case.

President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated his cabinet 84 days after taking the oath of office for a second term.

The ministers were sworn in alongside the secretary to the government of the federation, at the presidential villa in Abuja.

We bring you the interesting details from the new cabinet:



BUHARI STILL IN CHARGE OF PETROLEUM SECTOR

Buhari retained his position as the minister of petroleum resources, a position he has held since 2015. He named Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa, as his subordinate (minister of state for petroleum). Ibe Kachukwu, who was in that role, did not make it to the new cabinet.



FIVE NEW MINISTRIES

The cabinet features new ministries — no wonder the president had named 43 ministers, seven more than the previous cabinet. The new ministries are police affairs; power; special duties and international affairs; aviation; humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development which comes amid Nigeria’s grievous humanitarian crisis — the country has battled Boko Haram for 10 years and has an estimated 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

Two ministries were, however, merged ministry of finance and budget and national planning.



THE FORMER CABINET MEMBERS WHO RETAINED SIMILAR ROLES

Muhammed Bello, minister of the federal capital territory, Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation; Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, all served in the first term of Buhari

All the 13 ministers from the old cabinet are to continue with the portfolios they had in the old cabinet except for Babatunde Fashola, Osagie Ehanire, Rotimi Amaechi and Zainab Ahmed whose roles were slightly changed. While power was removed from Fashola’s brief, and aviation carved out of Amaechi’s transportation, Ehanire was elevated from minister of state of health to the minister of health while Ahmed’s ministry was expanded.



TWO MINISTERS ELEVATED

Two of the 13 re-appointed ministers were elevated from their ranks as ministers of state.

While Osagie Enahire who was formerly minister of state for health is now in charge of the health ministry, Hadi Sirika, the former minister of state for aviation, now sits over the newly introduced aviation ministry which was under the ministry of transportation.



WHAT ARE THE NEWCOMERS UP TO?

The new cabinet features some not-so-popular names on the political scene including Mariam Katagum, Clement Agba and Isa Ali Pantami, but only one of them was appointed to oversee a ministry with others coming in as subordinates.

Pantami takes charge as minister of communication while Katagum and Agba were named minister of state for industry, trade and investment, and minister of state for budget and national planning respectively.



KADUNA, KANO WITH KEY MINISTRIES

Kaduna and Kano representatives in the new cabinet got juicy ministries. Zainab Ahmed and Mohammed Mahmoud, both from Kaduna state, emerged ministers of finance and environment respectively, while Sabo Nanono and Bashir Magashi from Kano state were named ministers of agriculture and rural development respectively.