₦airaland Forum

By Hamisu Kabir Matazu, Damaturu



A business man, Mohammed Yakubu Jacob, yesterday married off another set of 50 less privileged girls in Gashua town, Yobe State.

This is coming a month after he married off 40 internally displaced girls, which attracted thousands of well-wishers.

Our correspondent, who was at the wedding, reports that the ceremony was held under the guardianship of Emir of Gashua, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Sulaiman, at his palace mosque in Gashua.

The girls were mostly daughters of internally displaced parents, orphans, and less privileged people who had suitors but could not have the means to marry them off.

Speaking at the event, the Emir of Gashua said all the couples had undergone genotype, HIV, and pregnancy tests.

He said the brides and grooms had been screened religiously to avert any chance that would invalidate their marriages.

“We went to the extent of training these girls in different trades to make them self-reliant. That is why we came up with a council that would settle dispute between the couples, if any, because we would not tolerate divorce until necessary.”

He thanked the businessman for relieving the parents of a ‘huge’ burden, while appealing to the well-to-do to extend similar gesture.

“Because these girls are due for marriage, they have suitors, but the parents have no money. This man did all the necessary things needed,” he said.

Fielding question from Daily Trust, the businessman said he had received endless calls from girls to help them get married after he married off the first batch few months ago.

“These girls will call me crying for help that their parents have no means to marry them off. I know how it feels for a father to have a grown up daughter that is due for marriage but he does not have money to do that. Some of the girls even lost their parents and I don’t want their dream to remain unfulfilled,” he said.

One of the brides, Aisha Muhammad, thanked the businessman for making her dream come true.

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja


The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo , will on Wednesday meet some mid level and senior government officials as part of strategies to ensure the implementation of the three Executive Orders he signed on Thursday.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Acting President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday.

Akande said the present administration would drive the executive orders signed vigorously in its determination to significantly transform the business environment and how government business is done in the country.

He said the executive order on business environment and promoting “Made in Nigeria ” products would be the topic of discussion during Osinbajo ’ s interactive session with the officials on Wednesday.

“ These (government officials) are the people who will be directly responsible for the attainment of the objectives of the executive orders , so the Acting President wants an opportunity to talk with them directly and also hear from them in person , ” Akande said.

He said effective implementation of the executive orders were critical for the overall prosperity of Nigerians and Nigeria.

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Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta


Ogun State Police command has smashed a six - man kidnapping gang who lured a man, Femi Olatunji, from his home in Isheri area of Ogun State to Igbokoda, Ondo State, where they snuffed life out of him, after they had collected ransom.

The suspects were Fadeni Henry, Lebile Olatunji, Ehuwa Oririe, Olotu Tosin, Oluwole Ohunayo, and Peter Omogbemi.

The leader of the gang , 23-year - old Fadeni Henry, was said to struck a relationship with the victim on the social media, and he lured him to their base in Igbokoda on Friday 12th May , 2017.

Parading the suspects last Friday at the headquarters of Federal Special Anti - Robbery Squad, Abeokuta, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, said the wife of the victim had reported the kidnap of her husband to the police on Friday 12 th May, 2017 .

He said immediately, the command's detectives, men of the Anti - kidnapping unit and Federal Special Anti - Robbery Squad were deployed.

Iliyasu said it was later discovered that Henry and other members of his gang had lured the victim, who was a surveyor, from his Isheri home to Igbokoda, on that fateful Friday.

He said based on this information received about the notorious kidnap gang , on Friday 19 th May, 2017, operatives of the FSARS, stormed their hideout at Igbokoda, and the hoodlums engaged them in a gun battle which lasted for about two hours.

By Emma Nnadozie, Crime Editor


A 30-year-old man who risked his life to rescue a kidnap victim in Lagos, last week, is now regretting why he exhibited that rare courage. In fact, he has relocated to an unknown place with members of his family following threats from the enraged fleeing kidnappers who have sworn to take their pound of flesh.

The unemployed accountant (name withheld for security reasons) abandoned his house at in Igando area of Lagos after he boldly confronted a crowd that gathered to lynch a kidnap victim, Chief Donatus Dunu, owner of a multi-national pharmaceutical company at Ilupeju, Lagos.

Chief Dunu miraculously escaped from a bungalow where he was kept for over four months by his abductors who were demanding 1 million Euro (N500 M) ransom from members of his family. In spite of the fact that the family paid N150m to the abductors while detectives were frantically looking for their hideout, they still refused to release him but rather continued to threaten to kill him.

The victim was abducted on February 14, 2017 as he was driving home from his office at Ilupeju about 8pm and whisked to an unknown place.

The kidnappers later called to demand 1million Euro ransom or they would kill him with a stern warning that security agents should not be involved. However, investigations by the police later revealed that his abductors were members of a notorious gang of kidnappers that have been terrorising Festac, Amuwo-Odofin and environs for long and have succeeded in kidnapping successful business men.

Their suspected leader simply identified as Evans has been on the wanted list of security agencies for long and lately, a bounty of N30m was placed on his head by the police in Lagos. Luckily for their latest victim, Chief Dunu, just a day before he was ordered to be killed, he succeeded in escaping from the room where they kept him.

At about 2 am, he jumped into an adjoining compound and came out to hide in an obscure corner on the street as he could not run away because of a sprain in the ankle after jumping the high wall. The victim quickly rushed out when he saw some passersby around 5.30 am to explain his ordeal, pleading for help.

Unfortunately, the people he thought would save him turned around to accuse him of being a thief and descended on him with cudgels.

Luckily, while the battering and torture continued, a man who lived in the area emerged like ‘a lone voice in the wilderness’, pleading for caution.

He dared the crowd and continued to call for reason until they listened to him. Crime Guard was able to locate the man after combing Ikotun and environs for hours. He narrated his encounter insisting, however, that his real name and picture should not be used for his safety.


His story:
“That Friday morning at about 7:00 to 8:00 am, somewhere around Igando by Lanre bus stop, I heard people shouting thief, thief at Prophet Ashaye close. When I looked up, I saw some people carrying sticks and decided to go there.

When I got there I confronted the crowd made up of elders, youths and children and asked them; how could you say this fine, elderly man is a thief? The man was wearing only pants, and he said weakly; “Please sir! Help me, I am not a thief, I am a kidnap victim. Do me a favor; take me out of this place first. See the compound they kidnapped and kept me.

I jumped the fence to this compound and these people now pursued and called me a thief.” He said I should not just argue anything with anybody and pleaded I should take him to the nearest police station. I now said, sir can you give me any of your family members’ phone number?

How family was contacted

“He gave me his wife’s number but when I called, the number was not going through. He then gave me his brother’s number and when he picked my call, I asked him if he knew one Donatus Dunu. He said yes, they have been looking for that man, he was a kidnap victim.

Then I told him that I would take him to Igando police station and he should meet me there. Another neighbor, a woman then came out and offered to accompany me to the police station.

“I then called a motorcyclist and we went to Area M police station, Idimu. However, the man’s brother had already lodged a complaint at Ilupeju police station. From Area M, we went to Ilupeju police station and thereafter to Anti-kidnapping unit at Panti.

My ordeal

“My life is now in danger, I can’t sleep at home. Everyone in the neighborhood knew we rescued the kidnap victim and since the kidnappers had been living there for long, they will definitely have allies in the neighborhood. I am an accountant and a landlord in the area, I have been living there since 2010.

Everybody knew me very well and that was why when I asked them to stop beating the man they stopped.

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A self-acclaimed titled Chief, Nduka Nwaneri has been arrested and charged before a Lagos court for allegedly conspired with others to forge the survey plans of a 2-storey building belonging to his wife, Mary, sold the property and converted the money to personal use.

The incident happened at Aina Obey Street in Alapere, Ketu, Lagos where the man and his wife reside.

Nwaneri was charged before Ikeja Magistrates’ court with conspiracy and forgery and has been remanded in prison custody.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that Nwaneri’s wife sometime ago bought a land located at 44 Akintola Street, Ketu, where she built the two-storey building.

It was gathered that Nwaneri and one Onyemaechi conspired and forged the survey plan of the property and sold the house without the knowledge of his wife.

It was later that Mary, the wife got to know of the shady deal and challenged the supposedly buyer of the property who presented the survey plan showing that the house belong to her husband, Nwaneri.

The matter was reported to the police who arrested the suspects (Nwaneri and the buyer) and detained them at the station.

During the investigation, the police discovered that the survey plan was forged and the house actually belong to Mary.

The suspects were charged to court with the alleged offence under the Criminal Code.
They pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsami granted them bail in the sum of N300,000 with two sureties each.

They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail.

The matter was adjourned till 1 June 2017.

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE


A traveller, Samson Olukunmi learned the value of truthfully declaring the foreign currency in his possession to the authority concerns as the operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, arrested him at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for been in possession of undeclared $70,000.

The suspect, Olukunmi who resides at 14 Omidun Street, Lagos Island was accosted at the airport by the DSS operatives on suspicion of money laundering.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that he however denied having such money in his possession but he was subjected to a search after which the foreign currency was found hiding in his luggage.

He was immediately arrested and taken to the DSS office for further interrogation.

Our correspondent gathered that when the security agents asked him to explain how he got the money and the type of business he was into, he could not offer any satisfactory explanation which fuel suspicion of his motives.

The money was seized from him and was detained for hidden and attempted to move such huge foreign currency out of the country.

Olukunmi was later arraigned before Isolo Magistrates court for alleged money laundering under the Criminal Code.

The suspect pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Adedayo granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect their bail condition.

Chukwuma Soludo, a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the root of the economic crisis currently rocking the country can be traced to the “bad policy of borrowing” when the country was in a period of boom.

Soludo also blamed the the treasury single account (TSA), which according to him, channelled all public sector funds to the CBN and stuffed the economy further instead of oiling it with liquidity.

Soludo said this on Thursday while speaking at the 2017 international conference organised by the department of business administration of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state.

He said managing and exiting a recessed economy was not a rocket science, noting that Nigeria could overcome the current economic setback faster if the government put in place appropriate policies.

“Part of the problem Nigeria is having in its quest to get out of recession is poor policy,” he said.

“Huge spending by government was one of the ways of solving the economic problem, but two wrong steps by government ruined that.

“They brought in the treasury single account (TSA) and channelled funds into one account that did not allow spending… they also fixed the price of foreign exchange. These are things you do not do.”

He said the recession which became obvious one year into the life of the present administration would not have degenerated but for the inability of policy makers to rise to the challenge.

Soludo added that part of the problem was because Nigeria failed to save funds at a time when there was unprecedented boom in oil prices.

“Poor ideas transcended over superior ideas, and we went into recession which was slightly avoidable, that is why academics must be alive to their responsibility of nudging us to reality,” Soludo said.

“If you borrow at a time of boom, what will you do in a time of lack? Even my grandmother in the village knows this.

“At the same time when we had boom, we had unprecedented unemployment.

“The problem with Nigeria’s successive policy makers is that once oil goes up, we take it that it will remain so, and we continue to spend.

“But once there is a shock and oil goes down, we just think it is temporary and we start borrowing.

“Nigeria can be fixed, and what it needs to fix Nigeria is not rocket science, but we do not have the will to fix her.”

Soludo called for the diversification of the economy beyond oil to save it from shocks induced by vagaries of the international oil market.

He also called for decentralisation from Abuja to help the states and local governments live beyond “running to the centre for their existence and sustainability”.

“Another way of tackling the challenges of the country is to unbundle Abuja, trim down the exclusive list,” he said.

“We do not have to be running to Abuja for everything, that was why I was surprised when some people canvassed that local governments should be going to Abuja to take their allocations directly.”

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Posted By: Precious Dikewoha, Port Harcourt


Two persons have lost their lives and seven arrested after suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked and killed the victims at Afam Uku, in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

At the time of filing this report, the reason behind the attack could not be ascertained, but community sources said the attack might be resistance from the victims against the destruction of their farm crops by the herdsmen’s cattle.

But the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Dr. Chisom Gbali has confirmed the incident.

Dr. Gbali said the deceased, both male were attacked and killed by the suspected Fulani herdsmen in their farmland.

He said: ‘’We woke up this morning to hear the story of killing of two persons by the Fulani herdsmen. I don’t actually know the reason for the killing. But, I believe that has to do with destruction of farm crops by cattle.

“The victims, I learnt, had questioned the motive behind the destruction of their crops by the herdsmen’s cattle. There might have been hot exchanges between the victims and the herdsmen. One of the victims was from Tai’’

The CTC Chairman, Dr. Gbali, disclosed that seven persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Omoni Nnamdi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told journalists that he has not been briefed about the incident.

Posted By: Precious Igbonwelundu


Three students of Ambrose Ali University (AAU), Ekpoma and Auchi Polytechnic both in Edo State and a 21-year-old man have been arrested by the police for alleged impersonation of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and swindling of social media users.

Proposer Oricha, 19, of Business Administration Department, 21-year-old Samuel Taye, 400 level, Ordinary National Diploma (OND) Electrical Engineering student, Shaka Sumaila and Sunday Aliyu were arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at Ekpoma.

According to the police, the suspects, who usually posed as Customs officers on Facebook and other social media platforms, defrauded Nigerians several millions of naira in the guise of selling auction vehicles.

It was gathered that their arrests followed series of complaints to the office of the IGP Ibrahim Idris on their activities.

Two IRT teams and operatives of the Tactical Intelligence Unit (TIU) were said to have been deployed to Edo State after several days of analysing on ground intelligence.

The police said the suspects confessed to the crime and explained their modus operandi.

Recovered from the suspects’ mobile phones and laptops were pictures of genuine Customs officers, account numbers they used and correspondence between them and their victims.

In his confessional statement, Aliyu said he has sold five cars. I received N50,000 for Toyota Camry, 150,000 for Toyota Corrolla, N35,000 for Gulf, N50,000 for Toyota Venza and N100,000 for the fifth car but I can’t remember the make.

The Customs is not aware I am doing this. We use accounts given to us by Samuel Taye.

From Chuks Onuoha , Umuahia


A 48-year-old leader of one of the popular Pentecostal churches in Umuahia, Behold He Commeth Pentecostal Church, Umudike branch, in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Pastor Nnaemeka Ukenye, has been shot dead.

He was shot dead by six-man gang, who butchered his body, near his poultry and piggery farm/office, in Umuobia Housing Estate, Umuahia, Abia State capital.

Daily Sun gathered that Pastor Ukenye was killed when he went to his farms, last Saturday, to feed his birds and pigs with 12 of his workers.

According to sources, when the assailants arrived, they drove away those who came with the pastor before shooting him three time and descending on his corpse with machetes.

Speaking with Daily Sun, a family source, who witnessed the pastor’s killing from a distance, said as soon as they arrived the farm, the gunmen emerged from the bush, surrounded them before asking the deceased if he knew anybody called Ngozi, who worked in his company.

He said: “My Oga said no and turned to us to ask if there was anybody like that. We said no. The assailant claimed that our oga was owing the said Ngozi salary.

One of them brought out a cutlass and hit me on the back, asking me to disappear. Others and I ran in different directions. They held our oga down. We heard our Oga shouting, after which three gunshots were fired. Everywhere became quiet thereafter.

“When I waited for a ling time without hearing anything, I sneaked to where they held our oga and behold, his butchered body was lying at the centre of the road. We called his brothers, who came and we rushed him to the hospital, because we noticed that he was breathing very slowly. On getting to the hospital, he was confirmed dead. We then took his corpse to the state CID to make entry and they directed us to Ubakala police station, where we
made entry before taking his corpse to mortuary.

“The whole scenario looked like he wanted to run before they hewed him down, then dealt several machete blows on him, probably, to make sure that he was dead. They came with a black Toyota car. They were about six in number, two came out from the bush and the other four came with the vehicle.

“It happened at the back of Holy Ghost Secondary School. They collected his phones and the money on him.”

Posted By: Gbade Ogunwale


The division in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got to a head yesterday, with the Ahmed Makarfi group telling its supporters to seek other platforms for their ambitions.

The group is battling for the soul of the former ruling party with the Ali Modu Sheriff court-backed leadership. The Supreme Court is to settle the crisis.

It advised the state chapters to choose any available alternative platform to field candidates in the forthcoming council elections in Lagos and other elections across the states.

There are also by–elections coming up in many states.

The PDP crisis has remained intractable in spite of the decision of the Court of Appeal to recognise Sheriff as national chirman.

A report by Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson’s peace panel recommending Sheriff to conduct a convention was rejected by the Makarfi group.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s intervention failed as the meeting he called ended in a fiasco.

Members are now awaiting the outcome of the appeal by the Makarfi group at the Supreme Court, which has invited the two groups to present their addresses.

Spokesman of the Makarfi Group Prince Dayo Adeyeye said the directive on members to seek public offices on other platforms became imperative owing to an alleged plot by the Sheriff leadership to frustrate those it described as genuine PDP candidates elections.

He said there was the need for the party to take precautions to avoid a situation where its candidates would be frustrated by the antics of the Sheriff leadership , as was the case during the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. .

He added that with the case of the party’s leadership crisis still pending before the Supreme Court, the Sheriff leadership had continued to cause distractions and confusion in the chapters.

”It is also important to state at this point that Senator Sheriff and his cohorts have been creating factional chapters in different states of the federation in order to compromise our chances in the local government elections.


”In the circumstances and with no hope of the Ali Modu Sheriff problem abating before the Supreme Court judgment, we are left with no choice than to consider ways by which our members will not be disenfranchised in these elections.

”However our position is not to choose a platform for any state where true PDP candidates are denied the opportunity to stand for the elections. State chapters are allowed to take any decision they consider appropriate”, Adeyeye stated.

The Makarfi camp expressed the optimism of a “positive outcome” of the case pending before the apex court, stressing that in collaboration with the various organs of the party, the case would be seen to its logical conclusion.

“We have a good case and our ground of appeal is solid. We believe ultimately that justice will be served on the leadership issues in our party and we are also confident that the judiciary will continue to remain independent, unbiased and neutral”, the statement added.

But, the party’s Deputy National Chairman Dr Cairo Ojougboh, said the Makarfi group had no authority to issue such directive.

Ojougboh said the ‘caretaker committee’ was not recognised and therefore, an illegal body.

“As far as we are concerned, we are one family and whatever problem we have in PDP we should not wash our dirty linen in the public.’’

He said the PDP had conducted successful local government elections in Ebonyi, which was signed by Sheriff, and that it was currently preparing for elections in Cross River and other states.

He added that all the party’s primaries were open to PDP members.

“PDP is an embodiment of great Nigerians, including our governors, who are performing very well in their various states and our youth organisations all across the states.

“What surprises us is that Makarfi claims he has a strong appeal at the Supreme Court when the Court of Appeal has made it clear that he disobeyed the order of court in Lagos and Abuja.

“Is Makarfi expecting that the law will be re-written for them, to suit their personal interest?

“By their attitude they are still unrepentant. We implore them to have a change of heart and return to the fold so that we can adequately prepare to return to power in 2019,’’ Ojougboh said.

He added that the door of peace was still open to Makarfi-led group, advising, however, that they could go back to Seriake Dickson’s reconciliation committee’s recommendations.

From Judex Okoro, Calabar


Calabar residents now resort to sachet water for bathing and cooking, following acute shortage of drinking water.

For over three months, Cross River State Water Board has not pumped water to customers, making life uncomfortable for consumers in the metropolis.

Dailu Sun gathered that, even before the current scarcity, water pumped to houses and business premises were not treated.

Major streets affected include Ekpo Abasi, Mayne Avenue, Inyamg, Yellow Duke, Ette Agbor, Satellite Town, Ediba, 8 Miles, Calabar South, Federal Housing, Aka-Ifa, State Housing, Marian and 8 Miles.

As alternative, consumers now patronise sachet water dealers and boreholes, leading to increase in demand of sachet water in the metropolis.

One resident, Mrs Eme Offiong of Enymaba Street, Calabar South, said for over one year, the Water Board has not supplied water to home, and confirmed that they now resort to buying bags of sachet water.

“We are in hell around Old Calabar of Nkwa, Enyamba and Anderson Streets as we have not tasted potable water from the Water Board for over one year. Before now, we used to have uninterrupted supply.

“For my family to survive, we buy at least seven bags of sachet water a day, to cook and bathe. Each bag costs N150 just as the Mai ruwa who supply a barrow of water containing 10 gallons of 10 litres each at N500.”

Another resident, Mr. Richard Okon of Ekpo Abasi axis, added: “We have not had water from Cross River State Water Board Limited for months running and they are still bringing bills for us to pay.

“I buy at least four bags of sachet water everyday, to bathe while I buy six bags , at weekends for cooking.
“I can tell you that this scarcity of water has made life unbearable for Calabar residents and I am even thinking of going back to my village where we have stream.”

In his reaction, Managing Director of Cross River State Water Board Limited, Prof. Godwin Igile, said: “Yes, it is true there is no water in Calabar metropolis.

“This is because we are carrying out repairs of our facilities. Besides, they have vandalised and stolen our equipment, making it difficult for us to operate at optimum capacity.

“For a very long time now, we have not done maintenance, so, we decided to carry it out and we don’t know when it will be completed so, we don’t know when we will start pumping water for residents.

“I took over in December 2015 and we had water all through last year. I plead with consumers to bear with us while we are trying to give them potable water.”

by Jamilah Nasir


Abdulaziz Yari, Zamfara state governor, has debunked the allegations that he is building a $3m hotel in Lagos, from monies stolen from the Paris-London Club refunds.

In a statement signed by Abulrazque Barkindo, head, public affairs, Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, Yari said he did not have a plot of land, much less a hotel.

He described the allegations as “harmful, damaging and libelous insinuations which remain largely unsubstantiated.”

“Reports on Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara state, and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum making the rounds that the ‘governor is building a $3m hotel from monies stolen from the Paris-London Club refunds to states’ give cause for worry,” the statement read.

“The reports contain harmful, damaging and libelous insinuations which remain largely unsubstantiated despite the fact that it attributes the leaks to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), officials in Lagos.

“Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar has said emphatically that he does not even own a plot of land in Lagos not to talk of a hotel.

“But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials in Lagos claimed as follows: that “they have found a hotel being constructed by Governor Yari of Zamfara state with $3m he stole from London-Paris Club loan refund to Nigerian states.

“That “apart from the $3million, Governor Yari also diverted N500 million from the Paris Club refund to pay off a loan”, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) source revealed to an online medium.

“The medium also added that EFCC officials in Lagos revealed that “overall the governor embezzled the sum of N2.2 billion from the N19billion set aside illegally to pay “consultants”, all of which are wrong, harmful, libellous and misleading disclosures.

“Governor Abdulaziz Yari is not building any hotel in Lagos nor were any monies stolen or embezzled from the Paris-London Club refunds to states or from any other source.”

He also accused the EFCC of feeding the media with lies, adding that it was perhaps the reason the agency lost most of its corruption cases.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was quoted extensively as source of that report and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is alarmed that the EFCC continues to feed the media fibs at the expense of its hard-earned reputation as the anti- graft agency that Nigerians used to respect,” the statement read.

“This is perhaps why the EFCC has lost most of the high-profile corruption cases at the law courts after it had unfairly stage-managed media trials and caused their victims personal pain and public umbrage.

“This report, typical of most of the exclusive leaks that are becoming characteristic of the sources that court some sections of the media, lacks detail and compelling evidence to be fit to print.

“The sources were courageous enough to mention a hotel in Lekki area of Lagos but gave neither a street name nor any specific information on the property to give credibility to the allegations. This does no service to any investigation nor does it help the development of our country Nigeria.

“The media, we all know, is entitled to perform its duties as watchdog of society, which is enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It is not, however, entitled to make unfair attacks, based on unfounded, false and unsubstantiated allegations against responsible public office holders.

“The media should support the EFCC in ensuring that convicting people on the pages of newspapers shouldn’t be the focus of the EFCC in its war against corruption.

“Instead, EFCC should channel its energies to a comprehensive, thorough and credible investigation that can stand the scrutiny of legal examination in court.”

Posted By: Frank Ikpefan



The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) yesterday said it had arrested operators of cyber cafés for defrauding candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for N10,000 to access information on their e-mails.

Its Head of Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said this yesterday in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said the operators deliberately changed the e-mail addresses and passwords of candidates to ensure that messages sent to the candidates by JAMB get to them (operators of cyber cafes) and in turn sell such information.

“We also appeal to candidates not to allow cheats to defraud them as we have arrested cyber cafe operators who changed candidates email addresses and passwords and ensure that all messages send to candidates get to them and in turn sale such information like examination notification for N10,000.

“It’s our humble expectation that a candidate aspiring to be a student in any tertiary institution should be able to operate an email. All information are send to their email addresses and also on our site for the public use,” he said.

He said the organisation did not post candidates out of their preferred towns as was reported in the media.

“Again we want to reiterate that we did not post any candidate outside his or her town of choice as expressed in their application, contrary to reports in some quarters. Candidates are always allowed to make a choice of examination town while we allocate centres within the examination town chosen by a candidate,” he said.

Fabian hailed the organisation for the successful conduct of the UTME, which began on Saturday across 642 computer based centres (CBT).

He said: “We are happy that the 2017 UTME, which kicked off on Saturday, May 13, has been hitch-free so far and in line with the arrangements put in place for candidates to write the examination without stress.

“All negative speculation of shift, change of schedules etc over the ongoing 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examinations (UTME) are from mischief-makers, who are desperate to create confusion before or during the exams, owing to personal and selfish interests that are detrimental to the development of public examination and education.

“We thank all Nigerians who supported this drive. We promise that we will continue to fine-tune the process for the better. From the reports across the federation, there has not been any major hitch on the ongoing UTME with over 1.7 million registered candidates captured for the examination.”

He advised candidates to check JAMB’s website as well as its official twitter handle for information concerning the conduct of the examination.

By Soni Daniel , Northern Region Editor

*Medical Vacation: How Buhari ensured Osinbajo acted as president

*Why Buhari insisted on meeting with Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara, NGF chair before travelling


ABUJA —A top aide of President Muhammadu Buhari is in trouble over the role he allegedly played prior to the departure of the president to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, last week.

There were indications, last night, that the aide, who has already courted many controversies for the Presidency, might be probed for the latest action and other scandals he had been enmeshed in since being put in the key post in the Presidency.

A top government source told Vanguard, last night, that the latest offence that got Buhari very upset, was the attempt by the said aide to breach the clear provisions of the Constitution regarding the transfer of power to the Vice President ahead of Buhari’s departure, last week, for his medical follow-up in the United Kingdom.

The source explained that although the President had upon his last visit to the U.K. personally told Nigerians that he would after his 49-day stay in London soon return there for a follow-up, the said official deliberately refused to share the information with other key aides of the president like the NSA, media aides and even the Office of the Vice President.

It was learned that it was not until the day of departure of Buhari that he himself kept asking about the whereabouts of his Vice that his aides who were around, hurriedly put a call to Osinbajo to urgently meet with the number one citizen.

It was gathered that Buhari also personally put a call to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazia Yari Abubakar, to meet him at the Villa before his departure.

“The president actually insisted on calling the top government officials to come over to his residence that night to meet with him before his departure to ensure that there was clear understanding that he was travelling and wanted every relevant official of the administration to know about his trip and to demonstrate his full compliance with the laws of Nigeria.

“Mr. President did not want to be dictated to by the said official, who had earlier suggested to him that the transfer of power to the Vice President should be limited, while he should be empowered by the President to act as a liaison between the Presidency and the National Assembly, during Buhari’s absence.

The source said last night, “In fact, the man in question had actually drafted a letter meant for the president’s signature two days to Buhari’s departure stating that “the powers of the Acting President be limited” while he ( the aide in question) be authorized to coordinate things in a “broad sense until Buhari returns”.

“In the letter drafted by the controversial official for Buhari to sign, the officer also suggested that Osinbajo be restrained from taking any action on the Economy, Foreign Currency operations and the Central Bank of Nigeria among other strategic agencies of the government pending the return of Buhari.”

“Mr. President however shocked the aide largely believed to have won his heart by promptly rejecting the suggestions by taking the unprecedented bold step to personally meet with his Vice and the NASS leaders and brief them on the transfer of power to his Vice before leaving Nigeria for the U.K.

“It was at the meeting that Buhari pointedly asked Osinbajo to take full control of the administration and to have a free hand to run the system untill his return to Nigeria, something that rattled the powerful aide, who is said to be rooting for the creation of a cabal in the Presidency for his pecuniary interest,” the source said.

Top Government sources hinted last night that the President himself might have started losing confidence in the said aide when he constituted the panel which probed the suspended Secretary to give Government of the Federation, SGF,and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, without involving the beleaguered aide.

“On that particular occasion, unlike before, Buhari personally drafted the statement in conjunction with his media aides announcing the suspension of the two men and the composition of a panel to probe them without the knowledge of the aide in question.

“It was after announcement by the President that most other aides got to know about the suspension of Ayo Oke and David Babachir. This explains why even the embattled SGF himself ironically “which Presidency?” when confronted by State House reporters after the news was broken.

Posted By: Yusuf Alli


The Jonathan administration allegedly overruled the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in disbursing more than $500million cash to security agencies as Special Intervention Funds, according to information made available to the Yemi Osinbajo Investigative Committee.

The committee probed the $43.4million found at an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos; and the alleged involvement of the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, in inappropriate award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE).

The $43m cash is being claimed by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) whose Director General, Ambassador Ayo Oke has also been placed on suspension.

The Osinbajo Panel, The Nation can disclose, discovered that it was not only the NIA that benefited from the funds.

Records made available to the panel indicated that it was only the agency that executed nine projects with funds given to it.

There are however issues over the $43.4million which NIA insisted belongs to it.

None of the remaining security agencies has submitted any list of projects carried out with their cash.

The development made the panel “suspect that some of the special intervention funds” were used for 2015 Presidential poll.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to “take a final decision soon on the recommendations of the panel and the fate of other agencies which benefitted.”

The Nation gathered that the CBN Board strongly opposed direct disbursement of cash to all the security agencies listed for the intervention funds.

Apart from the implications of pumping such money into the economy, the board wanted the funds disbursed through “due process.”


It was learnt that the CBN board submitted its caution advisory on the funds to the Osinbajo panel which wound up last week.

A Presidency source said the CBN board “showed proof that it was opposed to direct cash disbursement to security agencies including the NIA.”

The source added:”but those who testified before the panel said since there was a clear-cut presidential approval, the apex bank was handicapped. It was impossible to ignore the directive of the President.

“They claimed that since the purposes of the cash were classified matters, the advice of the CBN board was overruled more so when the nation was under security emergency.

“They explained that the same scenario applied to direct cash disbursement to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) during the tenure of Sambo Dasuki. This was why Dasuki has consistently maintained that he acted on the orders of the ex-President.”

The source said the panel could not invite the former President because under a presidential system, there are some unquestionable discretionary powers which a president can exercise.

Another source said the panel discovered that apart from the NIA, some security agencies were discovered to have benefitted from the special intervention funds.

“The panel obtained records indicating cash disbursement to NIA and other security agencies.

“So far, only the NIA has accounted for the $289million given to it. The suspended DG of the agency, Amb. Ayo Oke itemized a list of nine projects and their cost implications.

“All the details were contained in a memo Oke sent to President Muhammadu Buhari through the National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno.

“Besides acknowledging the receipt of the memo, a team from ONSA also inspected these projects. The only area of disagreement between the panel and the NIA DG was just the status of the $43.4million which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered from Apartment 7B in Osborne Towers.

“NIA insisted that the cash haul was part of the $289million but the panel said it suspected the money might have been part of the special intervention funds allegedly used for 2015 general elections.

“The panel said it discovered that NIA was very strict in paying all its contractors through the CBN. Even though the agency avoided direct contact with contractors, the panel could not understand what informed the lodgement of the $43.4million in an apartment.”

A source in NIA said: “The $43.4million was part of the $289million. This agency did not commit any infraction. And the agency was straightforward in explaining that this money forcefully retrieved by EFCC was covert operation.

“There is nowhere in the world where you keep funds for covert operations in banks or in any account. They are like security votes. You can draw examples from the CIA and FBI.

“Unless there is a predetermined agenda, the suspended DG has been transparent in managing the agency.”

It was also gathered that President Buhari will take a final decision on the recommendations of the Osinbajo panel and what to do with indicted security agencies.

The presidency source said: “The panel has completed its assignment, the buck stops on President Buhari’s table.

“Before he left, he rubbed minds with the Acting President on the recommendations. Some directions were obvious but he has to sit down or discuss with his team to finalize some issues.

“Many people were implicated, the recommendations are far-reaching and heads may roll.

“When you want to determine the fate of those in strategic positions as a leader, you have to look at all the facts. I think there is internal politics within the presidency with forces trying to outwit each other.”

The Osinbajo panel last week concluded the probe of the suspended SGF and NIA DG.

Lawal was probed over alleged N200million contract awarded to a company, Global Vision Limited, linked with him by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) for the clearing of ‘invasive plant species’ (weeds) in Yobe State.

On his part, Oke was investigated over alleged $43.4million which was recovered by the EFCC at 7B apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi in Lagos.

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Posted by Juliana Francis


Gunfire rocked the Lanre, Igando area of Lagos State, yesterday as teams of policemen from Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS) stormed a kidnappers’ hideout to rescue a white man.

The operation was led by the officer in charge of Anti- Kidnapping Squad, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Mr Akinade Adejobi and the second in command of SARS, a Superintendent of Police (SP), Mr. Amadu Adamu. The policemen, who surrounded the building, before storming in, found the white man tied.

They also recovered four AK47 rifles, fully loaded, two English pistols, 60 magazines and 5,000 ammunition. The kidnappers are suspected to have scampered on getting information that policemen were already onto them. It was gathered that in their attempt to escape, the abductors abandoned their cache of arms.

According to a police source, the teams of police were instructed by the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, to go after the kidnappers, immediately he received information about the abduction of the white man.

The victim was said to have been rescued less than 24 hours after he was abducted. It was also gathered that the policemen had been tracking the kidnappers since Thursday. The search narrowed down to a building located at the Igando area of the metropolis, close to the Igando Police Station.

The rescue operation took off around 4pm and before 6pm, it was over. Residents of Igando, who heard the area rocking with gunshots, thought armed robbers were in operation. The Lagos Police Command Headquarters was filled with jubilation as the team of policemen arrived with the recovered weapons and still badly shaken victim.

Posted By: Yusuf ALLI,



The state governor accused of building a hotel with $3 million of the controversial London-Paris Club loan refund has sneaked into Aso Rock Presidential Villa in search of soft-landing.

The Nation gathered yesterday that the embattled governor had in the last 48 hours been roaming the corridors of the Presidential Villa in desperate search for help.

He was said to have offered to refund the balance of $2.5 million quietly to the EFCC without being further investigated, given that one of the proxies used to launder the funds had already surrendered $500,000 to the anti-graft agency.

It was learnt that the governor, who disguised to enter the Villa, avoided the prying eyes of journalists at the seat of power.

A government source said: “The governor was looking visibly disturbed, but it was obvious he was seeking help. The manner he managed his shuttle to the Villa suggested that he had something up his sleeves.

“I think he is ready to refund $2.5 million since one of his proxies has paid back about $500,000.

“The governor had audience with some government officials.

“We learnt he made a commitment to pay back quietly to avoid any political backlash.

“He also does not want to be exposed or his proxies subjected to trial.

“The truth is that this government will not give waiver to anybody or group in its anti-corruption campaign.”

Already, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered about N1.420 billion from some firms and a consultant who benefited from the N19 billion illegally deducted by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).from the loan refund.

Out of the sum, about N1.2 billion was frozen in the account of a consultant alone.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said the EFCC was already on the trail of all those who benefitted from the N19 billion cash.

The source said: “Apart from the N8 billion left in the NGF’s naira account, our detectives have recovered about N1.420 billion from some companies and consultants who were used to launder some of the London-Paris Club refunds.

“While a company refunded N200 million, the other paid back undeserving N20 million. We froze about N1.2 billion in a consultant’s account.

“The cash refunds have clearly shown that some of the London-Paris Club funds were siphoned for private use.

“This is why the EFCC is determined to ensure a comprehensive investigation of the scandal.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The ultimate objective of this commission is to recover the diverted funds and ensure judicious use of the loan refunds by states.

“The law will, however, be applied to those used for the illegal funds. This is not a war against the NGF or any particular governor.”

The presidency had so far released N1. 266.44 trillion to the 36 states in the past one year, including N713.70 billion special intervention funds to states.

Following protests by states against over-deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the release of N522.74 billion (first tranche) to states as refunds, pending reconciliation of records.

Each state was entitled to a cap of N14.5 billion, being 25 per cent of the amounts claimed.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the payment of the claims will enable states to offset outstanding salaries and pension which had been “causing considerable hardship.”

The governors had sought for the loan refunds to states and local governments at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on May 24, 2016.

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Philpham:
R Kelly is a pedophile whose career had gone down the drain. R Kelly remixing Davido's song is sh@#$it.

It was a strange sight when a house owner woke up to meet an alleged member of an armed robbery gang
hanging dead on her fence in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

According to a Twitter user, Gbenga Olorunpomi with the handle, @GbegaGOLD , the woman was preparing to go to work in the morning when she met the sight and raised an alarm to attract neighbours and other residents of the area.

It was gathered that the dead suspect must have been part of a gang who had gone to rob the house but as he was trying to jump over the fence, he was shot by a vigilante member in the area and he died on the spot while his gang members ran away leaving the corpse behind.

This is what Olorunpomi posted on her Twitter handle:
"This unfortunate fellow got the (last) shock of his life while jumping over the fence to rob a house in Lokoja last night. Can't even laugh."

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Nigeria was on Thursday appointed as the Acting President to preside over the 81st Plenary Meeting of UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters.

The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande, presided over the 193-member body.

NAN reports that Bande’s presidency at the Plenary Meeting happened just nine days after he presented his credentials to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Nigeria was appointed one of the 21 Vice Presidents of the General Assembly on June 13, 2016 at the 71st session of the General Assembly.

NAN reports that Bande presided over the General Assembly following the absence of the President of the Assembly, Peter Thomson, who was on an official travel to the Central African Republic.

NAN also reports that the opportunity for Nigeria to preside over the 193-member body became possible following the assumption of duty of the country’s Permanent Representative.

Bande had told NAN that the goodwill Nigeria enjoyed since his assumption of duty last week was an indications that the international community had keenly awaited the appointment of Nigeria’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN more than a year after the last ambassador completed her assignment and returned home.

“I intend to leverage on this and continue to leverage on Nigeria’s image in positive light,” Bande said.

NAN reports that the 81st Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly under Nigeria’s Acting Presidency, considered three reports.

The first report was ‘Appointment of Members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Question: report of the Fifth Committee’, including the appointment of Mr Olivier Myard of France as a member of the committee from May 11, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2019.

The second report was ‘Appointment of Members of the Committee on Contributions: report of the Fifth Committee’, with the appointment of Ms Zhang Wei of China as a member beginning May 11 2017 and ending Dec. 31, 2017.

The third report considered was the ‘Organisation of Work, Adoption of the Agenda and Allocation of Items: Appointment of Members of the International Civil Service Commission: report of the Fifth Committee’, with the appointment of Mr Vladimir Storozhev of the Russian Federation as a member effective May 11, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2020.

Bande, subsequently, after the consideration of the three reports and recommendations, adjourned the Plenary Meeting. (NAN)

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A 38-year-old Roman Catholic sister confessed to be in an adulterous affair with a married man stating that all she wants from him is sex.

Emmaculate Samukange, who also works as a nurse at Chivhu General Hospital, said she has no intentions of breaking Phillip Dzingai’s marriage but only wanted sex from him.

“I am aware that Phillip is married and it is true that I am having an affair with him.

“I am a Roman Catholic sister so what I do does not allow me to be his second wife.

“I am in a relationship with him because I failed to resist sexual temptation; I don’t wish to break his marriage, all I want from him is sex,” said Emmaculate.

She added that Phillip is the only man she has ever loved in her life.

“I started dating him in 2013 and since then I have tried to let him go but I have failed to do so.

“We met at Chivhu General Hospital where I also work as a nurse and from that moment we clicked.

“I have never met his wife but she now knows what is going on between Phillip and I because we have been dating for a long time now,” she said.

When asked for comment Phillip denied having an affair with Emmaculate.

“There is nothing like that going on,” he said before hanging up the phone.

Meanwhile an H-Metro source, who is a close relative to Phillip, said they had tried to warn Phillip from cheating on his wife but it was to no avail.

“As a family we have had numerous meetings with Phillip but we have not been able to convince him to be faithful to his wife.

“It seems as if they are inseparable; each time you mention anything to do with Emmaculate he changes his temper and starts to be violent,” said the source.

- Another tomato scarcity might be looming as the tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta has struck again

- The pest has seriously affected tomato harvests in three local governments in Gombe state

- The pest caused a major tomato scarcity in Nigeria in 2016 when it destroyed the tomato harvest

According to the Gombe State Agricultural Development Project (ADP), the tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta, has seriously affected tomato harvests in three local governments in the state.

In 2016, the destructive tomato pest, destroyed tomato farms across Nigeria causing an astronomical increase in the market price of tomato.

The Pest Control Officer, Abba Dreba, in Gombe on Wednesday, May 10 told NAN that the affected local governments were Akko, Kwami and Yamltu-Deba.


He said: “The tomato pest started ravaging tomato farms since last year but the ADP was not aware of this until this year; this is because tomato farmers in the affected local government areas were ignorant of the pest.

“However, when we received the report, we went round the entire local governments of Gombe and discovered that only Akko, Kwami and Yamltu-Deba local government areas were affected.

“The entire tomato farms in the three areas were devastated. This is a very serious problem because the pest is resistant to all the available chemicals and insecticides in the market."

He then called on the state government to initiate proactive measures to ensure that tomato planted in this rainy season would not be affected by the pest.

“If proactive measures are not taken, tomato farmers will divert their attention to other crops because Tuta Absoluta is very devastating,” he said.

Mr Sunday Lah the director of the Gombe ADP Agric Extension Services, advised farmers to wait for the rainy season to be well-established before engaging in crop planting.

According to Lah, this was the only way to ensure that their crops would not be destroyed by the pest too.

To solve the problem, he said that the ADP was trying to procure seeds from reputable institutions for farmers in the state.

“Most at times, a farmer goes to the open market to buy seeds without knowing the source,’’ he said.