₦airaland Forum

Africa’s top tomato paste maker, Chief Eric Umeofia, has set machinery in motion to set up manufacturing concerns in four additional African countries—Kenya, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia.

The venture into four other African countries is a fallout from Umeofia’s decision to close shop in Nigeria.

Umeofia, who confirmed the development to correspondents in Lagos on Sunday, said that his goal was also to have dominant tomato paste manufacturing presence in at least 20 African countries in the near future.

He said that ease of doing business was his attraction in opening shops in the African countries, following his plans to move out of Nigeria because of “the harsh realities of doing business in the country”.

Umeofia had recently announced that he was relocating his key manufacturing plant to China, following what he described as policy inconsistencies now crippling his Nigeria operations.

He said undue favouritism to Lebanese, Indian and Chinese businessmen in the allocation of foreign exchange to import tomato pastes and other items, including frozen fish, has dealt serious blow to his company, Erisco Foods Ltd. and also to other Nigerian companies involved in manufacturing.

Erisco Foods, which has had dominant presence in Liberia and Angola over the years, is listed as Africa’s top tomato paste manufacturer, and the company is the fourth largest of its type in the world, according to records.

But policy inconsistencies and alleged connivance of officials of some key government agencies to deny foreign exchange allocation to indigenous companies in preference for foreigners have left many Nigerian companies struggling or closing shops in recent times.

On October 5, Umeofia announced plans to shut down operations and sack some 1,500 workers at his expansive factory in Oregun, an industrial area of Lagos.

The industrialist said that he decided to relocate to China to produce at cheaper cost and then, sell the goods in Nigeria and other African markets, stressing that he would even make more profit doing so.

He said, “This appears to be the only reasonable thing for me to do since my cries appear to have no meaning for those stifling our operations.”

Umeofia said that he brought his manufacturing concerns worth about $150m in Dubai and Angola to Nigeria in 2009 in what he described as his patriotic zeal to contribute to the growth of Nigeria.

He said, “But dumping of sub-standard tomato pastes from mainly Asian nations has resulted to Erisco Foods losing up to N3.5bn in recent years.
“More so, our products worth about N6bn remain unsold, due to the flooding of our markets with sub-standard tomato pastes from foreign countries.

“If we don’t leave Nigeria now we’ll go bankrupt and I believe that my leaving will open up the environment for government to understand the dilemma facing Nigerian manufacturers like me.”

The Anambra State born industrialist restated that Erisco Foods would also no longer go ahead with its plan to set up a plant to manufacture tractors and other agricultural accessories in northern Nigeria, due to foreign exchange challenges to purchase machinery.

He said, “We had to return the certificate of occupancy for some 2,400 hectares of land, graciously given to us by the Katsina State Government for our tractor manufacturing factory because we’re not able to source Forex to push the venture.”

Umeofia pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to use his good offices to look into the activities of top officials of some government agencies conniving with foreigners to short-change Nigeria.

He said, “Some government agencies are impeding and frustrating us in our bid to create jobs for Nigerians. The agencies prefer to favour dubious Chinese, Indian and Lebanese businessmen, making them to create jobs in their countries and depleting Nigeria of jobs.

“Favouring foreigners doing business in Nigeria is counter-productive because no foreigner can love Nigeria better than Nigerians.”

Erisco Foods has a plant capable of producing 450,000 metric tonnes of tomato paste and ketchup annually but the company is producing at below 20 per cent of its installed capacity, due to sundry challenges.
(NAN)

by Yusuf Alli,

President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki may have made up on the $29.9billion loan approval which the executive is seeking from the Senate, The Nation learnt last night.

Buhari and Saraki are understood to have met three times on the issue in the last few days since the Senate turned down the request last week.

Saraki has already admitted that the loan request may be re-presented by the executive.

This, the Presidency may do later this week, sources said yesterday.

But there is a caveat: the Senate may refer the request to its Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, headed by Mallam Shehu Sani.

The Senate hinged its rejection of the loan request last week to inadequate information by the Presidency.
The loan is expected to be used for the provision of key infrastructure.

The Nation gathered that during the interactive sessions between Buhari and Saraki, the Senate President was able to clarify that the Red chamber was not out to sabotage the executive arm.

A top source privy to the meetings said:”Following consultations, the President and the Senate President have agreed that the request for the $29.9billion loan be presented again to the Senate.

“All things being equal, the fresh request might be forwarded to the Senate with all the details as demanded by the Senate.

“But the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, which is headed by Sen. Sani will still go through the request and vet the desirability or otherwise of the loan.

“The recommendations of the committee will determine the final decision of the Senate on the loan.”

Saraki had on Friday spoken on the Senate’s relationship with the Executive as far as the loan is concerned, saying: “We should not look at that as a reflection of the relationship. Don’t let us politicize very important issues. As we said this is work in progress”.

On the purpose of his visit to the Presidential Villa, he said: “I came here to pray; I have finished praying and I just had a general felicitation with the President. It didn’t go beyond that.”

President Buhari’s letter to the Senate was titled “Request for Approval of Federal Government 2016 – 2018 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan”.

He said the external borrowing plan would be used for infrastructure, Agriculture, Health, Education, Water supply , Growth and employment generation , poverty reduction through social safety net programmes and governance and financial management reforms etc.

He said: “The total cost of the projects and programmes under the borrowing (rolling) plan is $29.960billion made up of proposed projects and programmes loan of $11.274billion, Special National Infrastructure projects $10.686billion, Euro bonds of $4.5 billion and Federal Government budget support of $3.5billion.”

A woman, Dasola Adeosun, has pleaded with Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo State, to put an end to her union with her husband, Taiwo, whom she alleged on several occasions had attempted to use their only two-year-old child for money rituals and that he used to smell her pants and fingers her each time she travelled to check whether she had slept with another man.

“My husband married me about three and a half years ago as a virgin and we gave birth to a child who is two-year-old, Emmanuel. We’ve separated for about one and a half years and he has not been responsible for our welfare. Whenever he beats me, he either takes me to the hospital for treatment by himself or calls a nurse to come and set a drip for me in the house. I’ve tried to endure his excesses but it seems my patience does not pay any longer.

“After delivering my baby, he insisted on taking the child to his family house where unfortunately, my things were set on fire when a stick of matches was lit and thrown into my room through a window. It was after that incident that he told me he was taking the child to Lagos for money rituals. He took this step twice but he returned to me with the baby that he was told the child was not useful.

“Each time I asked him to give me money to take care of our child, he would say: “the child is not useful for me,” and since then I’ve been doing what I could for the child. I can’t dispute the fact that his sisters brought golden morn and milk for the child every month since he started feeding on them but it’s not enough.

“He paid no dowry on me before we became husband and wife because I was the one who ran,” Dasola told the court.

The defendant, Taiwo, denied the allegations. He said that his wife is promiscuous and stubborn.

“I observed that each time I go to my shop, my wife calls other men. She even uses my phone sometimes to make calls. I’ve tried to stop her but she’s been adamant.

“She’s stubborn, disobedient and wayward. Shortly after our marriage, we had a quarrel and she slapped me.”

The court, however, asked Taiwo if he ever beat his wife and what step his parents took. He replied ‘I never beat her once.’ Dasola, however, opened up to the court that although Taiwo’s father has been intervening in their affairs since they got married, he withdrew at the point of provocation from his son. She said that Taiwo takes advantage of his father’s old age and opposes him each time he tries to make peace between them and that his mother is dead.

Not satisfied with his wife’s submissions, Taiwo said: “I’ve made a mistake getting married to you.”

President of the court, Chief Agbaje Henry Olasunkanmi, after listening to the couple, told them to bring their family members and the child, Emmanuel to the court on November 11 for judgement.

Muhammad Abu Ali, a lieutenant colonel, whom Boko Haram dreaded, is dead.

Ali led one of the army’s fiercest-ever battles with Boko Haram, in February 2015, culminating in the recapture of Baga town in Borno state.

Sani Usman, army spokeman, said he was killed in an encounter with the insurgents on Friday.

The deceased was was granted accelerated promotion from rank of major to lieutenant-colonel in September 2015, for his courageous performance in a series of the army’s engagements with Boko Haram.

Usman added that four soldiers were killed, but that troops killed 14 of the insurgents who attacked a location of the army in Borno state.

“Yesterday at about 10.00pm suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked a 119 Battalion Nigerian army location at Mallam Fatori, northern Borno state. The troops fought gallantly and repelled the attack, killing 14 Boko Haram terrorists,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we lost an officer and four soldiers, while four other soldiers sustained various degrees of injuries during the encounter. One of those killed in action, was Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali, the Commanding Officer of 272 Task Force Tank Battalion.”

During TheCable’s investigative trip to the theatre of war, soldiers, majority of whom have built an unwanted reputation for always criticising the army hierarchy, spoke highly of Ali’s professionalism.

One of the soldiers, who partook in the Baga operation, narrated his experience to TheCable .

“In the case Baga, when it was recaptured from Boko Haram, Abu Ali, who led that operation, told the soldiers that they should not worry, that they should only do five percent of the job, that he was going to do 95% of the job with the tanks,” he had said.

“And that was exactly what happened. He did most of the work with the tanks. He was a major at that time and his promotion after the operation was automatic because he performed very well. One smallish guy like that o.”

Kunle Falayi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested four drug couriers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to export narcotics with a total weight of 8.8kg to different countries.

One of the suspects, Aniebue Nnamma (50), a clothier at the Aswani Market Lagos, inserted eleven wraps of cocaine weighing 460g in his anus.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said a second suspect, Nzube Chukwudi (37) from Anambra State, who was travelling on a Ghanaian passport with the name, Sokpe Zubbye, ingested 955g of cocaine.

Both Nnamma and Chukwudi were travelling to China, a country with a law that prescribes a death penalty for drug traffickers.

A 38-year-old musical instrument trader at the Alaba International Market, Lagos, Ugwuezumba Arinze, was apprehended with 2.130kg of methamphetamine, which he ingested. He was on his way to Indonesia.

The NDLEA said the fourth suspect, Obinna Obi (30), an aluminium fabricator from Umuahia, Abia State, had in his possession 5.2kg of Indian hemp destined for Doha, Qatar.

Nnamma blamed his involvement in drug trafficking on financial troubles.

He explained that he initially considered ingesting the drugs but feared for his life.

“I was afraid of swallowing the drug so I inserted the drugs in my anus. I was afraid it might burst in my stomach. Poor patronage in my business and family problems turned me into a pauper. But now I regret everything,” he said.

Chukwudi on the other hand, said he was promised N1m to smuggle the drug.

According to him, he worked in China as a freight forwarder.

He said the recession in Nigeria made it difficult for him to pay his bills and could not resist the lure of drug trafficking.

“Since I live in China, I felt it would be easy for me to go through security checks but unfortunately I was caught,” he said.

Obi explained that he had nothing to do with the hemp that was found in his possession.

According to him, he was an unwitting drug mule.

“My friend gave me a bag to deliver to Doha but during the screening of passengers, NDLEA officials discovered Indian hemp inside it,” he said.

All four suspects are under investigation as the agency said they would be charged to court soon.

The Chairman of NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) said drug couriers must see beyond the monetary gains of drug trafficking as they might be courting death.

Abdallah has promised that the agency’s men would remain watchful in intercepting drugs and apprehending traffickers at all entry and exit points.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said it has generated N2.7trn revenue from oil and non-oil sources as at September 2016 which represents 81 percent of the third quarter cumulative target of 3.12tr in the 2016 budget.

The Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust yesterday in Abuja.

Fowler said the agency recorded more increase in tax collection from the non-oil revenue sector, with the largest chunk coming from the telecommunications and multinational companies.

“We have seen an increase in non-oil revenue. In terms of percentages, non-oil contribution, out of the total revenue target, is about 70 percent. In Naira terms, as of September we had achieved about 81 per cent of our contributions to this year’s budget. The total amount collected was about N2.7trillion, which is 81 percent of the third quarter cumulative budget,” he said.

He said the FIRS had been able to achieve this by expanding the tax net and compelling a number of companies that have the financial capacity but not interested in paying tax, to pay tax.

“A few of the companies that didn’t have the capacity to pay their accruing taxes, we gave repayment plans.

[Our plans] have not really affected their businesses as an ongoing concern. It wasn’t a situation whereby we shut down companies and they laid off staff. They are still operating their businesses so that they can still pay their taxes,” he said.

Fowler announced that the FIRS had granted tax amnesty stretching back to three years (2013-2015) to all tax payers in default, provided that such defaulting tax payers came forward to declare their indebtedness and present payment plans on the outstanding principal tax liability.

“After the amnesty is over on the November 24, 2016, we will start to charge the chairmen, Chief Executive Officers, financial controllers, etc of these organizations to court in their personal capacity, especially when it comes to the area of Value Added Tax (VAT). When a consumer pays VAT, instead of the organisations to send the money to government they decide to keep them. That is outright theft,” he said.

On the controversial communications tax bill which continues generate a debate, he said; “If you look at it the world over a lot of countries have similar taxes. It is a tax that you incur based on your consumption. If you don’t have the wealth to talk for one hour then you won’t be taxed on that amount, but if you have the ability to have extensive discussions, then that also assumes that you have the ability to pay the additional tax,” he explained.

The FIRS boss said though Nigeria has the lowest VAT level in Africa and one of the lowest in the world. However, government is mindful of the present state of the economy in the country so it would not increase VAT from what it is at the moment.

“If you increase the VAT level in the county to 10% right now, it will mean that those who are currently in the tax net, those who have been remitting VAT collected, will be unduly treated. My feeling is that we should get a least a 90% level of compliance of everybody paying and remitting VAT.”

He listed innovation brought into the tax system by the FIRS to include setting up offices closer to tax payers for their convenience and improved tax administration through the use of technology.

lalasticlala

A House of Representatives panel yesterday called on Nigerians to demand for the resignation of the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, for mismanaging the country’s economy.

Chairman of the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the N700 billion bail-out funds given to some state governments by the federal government, Rep Sadiq Ibrahim (APC, Adamawa) made the call yesterday following failure of the duo to personally appear at the committee’s session.

The committee also called for the resignation of the Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Abraham Nwankwo.

Adeosun did not send any representative, but Emefiele delegated an executive director in the apex bank, Umar Abubakar, to represent him, while the DG of DMO was represented by Oladele Afolabi. But the lawmakers rejected the representatives.

“The attitudes of these top government officials show who is mismanaging the economy of the country. Nigerians should rise up and call for their resignation immediately,” the lawmaker said.

The lawmaker added that “If it is to bring virement, they would rush down, but now that they are to come and explain to Nigerians how the bail-out fund running into over N700bn was disbursed, they are sending representatives; they are only interested in borrowing. This has to stop.”

Other members of the committee who spoke at the session lamented the absence of the trio, describing it as unacceptable in view of the quantum of money given out to states as bail-out.

The committee therefore directed the three officials to physically appear before it and provide all relevant documents on the bailout funds.

By Tobi Soniyi

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected the criticism that his handling of the economy led the country into a recession.

Speaking at the State House,in Abuja during a  meeting with ‎ the Senior Executive Course No 38 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS),  he said that it was not his administration that led the country into recession.

‎The president said: “In the last one and half years of this administration, the economy has experienced some tough times, particularly with the decline in oil revenues, which has some harsh impacts on Nigerians at the grassroots.

“It is also important to note that the economic recession is not the making of this administration, but rather a consequence of bad management of the economy in the past couple of decades. Nor is recession limited to Nigeria; there are far, far worse cases than Nigeria.”

The president, however, said that no matter the scale of the  problem facing the country, the important thing was how to tackle it.

He said his administration was  committed to finding lasting solutions to the nation’s economic structural imbalance.

“Let us have faith in our great nation that we will come out of this recession vibrant and strong‎,” he added.

‎The president said it was impossible for his administration to ignore the poor who made great sacrifice to bring him to government.

 He said: “Ours more than any other government in the history of Nigeria is a people’s government.  We therefore must and we will keep faith with the people.”

Abeokuta – The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Ogun, Mr Clement Oladele has said that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, will temporarily close a section of the Ibadan/Lagos corridor by Sagamu Interchange to effect repair.

Oladele disclosed this on Thursday in Abeokuta.
He said that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc had informed the FRSC that the reason for the closure was to effect repairs on the section from Nov. 3 to Nov. 12.

“There will be temporary closure by Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN) of a section of the Ibadan/Lagos corridor by Sagamu Interchange from Thursday, Nov. 3 to Saturday Nov. 12 to effect repair,’’ he said.

He urged motorists, especially commercial vehicles operators, to exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules.

Oladele advised motorists to cooperate with the FRSC and other traffic officers who would ensure minimal discomfort of motorists during the period.

“Motorists should exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules; cooperate with the FRSC and other traffic officers who will ensure minimal discomfort of motorists during the period.

“Demarcation with traffic signs have been made on appropriate routes to follow and our men will be on ground to control traffic.

“Motorists are advised to be patient and obey traffic signs and traffic controllers, ‘’ he said.

Felix Nwaneri And Philip Nyam

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has revealed plans by the leadership of the party to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to seek a second term by contesting the 2019 presidential election. Though the election is still more than two years from now, and Buhari is yet to make any official pronouncement on his plan, Oyegun told New Telegraph in an exclusive chat that the party’s leadership will do everything possible to ensure that the president contests the election. Oyegun hinged this decision on two factors.

One, he said the president is the only politician in Nigeria today that has the capacity to win 12 million votes without major campaign. Two, Buhari, he said, is the only man who has the courage to make the changes that Nigeria need.

According to him, “There is no another Buhari in this country. Buhari is the only man who can command 12 million votes even without any major campaign. So, you can see the picture. Yes, there will be changes, the party will get new members or lose a few members, but there is no Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). So, there is no strong party any more to say you are going to join and strengthen it. It is only APC that is really a strong party.”

Oyegun added that he would commit Buhari’s second term project to prayer. His words: “I will pray, fast to God that Buhari agrees to contest in 2019. If he contests, Nigeria will be better for it. “My prayer is that we can get Buhari to re-contest in 2019. We don’t know his mind yet, but I will do anything in my power to ensure that he re-contests in 2019. Why? He is the only one who has the moral front and the courage to make the changes that Nigeria needs.

“We need more than four years to get this country to subscribe to a new morality, a new ethic and turn its back on corruption of the very type we are trying to uproot now.” When asked if he is convinced that the APC would win the election given the disenchantment over the party at the moment, Odigie-Oyegun said: “Of course, APC will win.”

The national chairman of the governing party ruled out the possibility of the PDP bouncing back in 2019. On the possibility of the PDP bouncing back in 2019, he said: “Well, let them come back first. I am not a theorist. If they bounce back, we will have to deal with that, but as at now, they are not bouncing back. PDP is in confusion. PDP is suffering a terminal illness. The party is unlikely to recover from this cancer that is afflicting them.

The division is a major illness; it is cancerous.” When reminded that the PDP exuded such confidence with its boast of being in power for 60 years before its shocking defeat in the 2015 elections, the APC national chairman, said: “Well, I’m not clairvoyant; I’m not seeing into the future; it is the immediate future that I’m seeing. “APC will continue to be the force to be reckoned with. I cannot tell you how long it will last, but that we will continue to be the chief host in Nigerian politics, there is no question about it. When new parties start developing, then you can ask me the question again. But as at now, the parties don’t exit.”

He, however, did not rule out the possibility of some members of the APC aligning with others to form a new party ahead of the next election, but insisted that they will not make any impact. His words: “APC has come to stay. As at today, strictly speaking there is no other party in the country.

It is possible that a few people within the APC might join others to form other party, but a party doesn’t grow in one day to win an election. So, APC will continue to be the strongest and the largest political party in Nigeria for quite a while, because you don’t form a party today and win an election tomorrow.”

He dismissed opposition’s belief that the president is dragging the country back, saying: “That is what they say. The reality is there for us to see. They have run the country aground. They did not foresee the collapse of oil price; we did not foresee it too. If the collapse of oil prices had happened when Goodluck Jonathan was in office, I doubt if there would have been Nigeria again today.

That is why I said that God brought Buhari at that point in history to make sure that Nigeria remains one country. “Nigerians should continue to trust APC. Yes, we inherited a very difficult situation and the economy has been battered by the collapse of the oil prices, but we have a government that is even-minded in the application of the dwindling resources to produce the very best in the circumstances. The president is working to develop other sources of income like mining and agriculture.

Odigie-Oyegun, who also admitted that Buhari inherited myriads of problems that won’t be solved in four years, said: “We inherited a whole mass of problems. Everything Buhari is doing now is to solve all those problems. If the measures taken begin to yield fruits in the next few months, people will start appreciating that all this time we thought we are suffering; in fact things were being done to save the situation.

And, of course, the picture will change. We are hopeful that the measures being taken will bear fruits before the middle of say next year. We are hopeful that things will change.” While absolving the APC of the crisis rocking the opposition party in Ondo State, he said: “Who else would they blame?

They will look for a scapegoat. That is natural. Who is paying attention to them? Is it APC that is fighting them in Ondo State, where they have a governor that is PDP? Even we have a bit of crisis in Ondo, but things are looking good for us.”

Buhari’s second term project has been in the offing before now with kites being flown in that regard by some chieftains of the ruling party. The belief is that either the arrowheads of the bid are using it to test political waters or to scare potential contenders.

Former governor of Sokoto State, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, and erstwhile Zamfara State governor, Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima, were among the first supporters of second term agenda for Buhari.

For them, Buhari needs to rule beyond 2019 to address the rot in the country. Meanwhile, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, yesterday disclosed that Buhari will soon address the APC faithful on the need to unite and move the nation forward.

Okorocha, who is also the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum disclosed this yesterday in Abuja after a two-hour meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives. He noted that they were the foot soldiers that worked hard to actualise change, adding that change was dare to them.

Okorocha boasted that APC will not fail but would continue to remain the ruling party. He however noted that the victory had not been well managed. The governor disclosed that angry party members would be reconciled.

On his part, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said a common decimal at the round table meeting were discussion that those elected in position of authority must put the interest of the people first. He said that the country cannot afford the luxury of arms of government going in different ways. Dogara assured that the APC will deliver on its campaign promises.

Ramon Oladimeji

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday convicted four companies of laundering $15.5m kept in their accounts with Skye Bank.

The companies – Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Seagate Property Development & Investment Co. Limited; Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited – are linked with a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had in August frozen the accounts of the four companies and seized the $15m in the course of probing Dudafa for money laundering.

But wife of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan had sued the EFCC and Skye Bank, claiming ownership of the $15.5m.

On Thursday, Justice Babs Kuewumi convicted the four companies of laundering the $15.5m.

The companies had on September 15, 2016 pleaded guilty to laundering the money when they were arraigned by the EFCC along with Dudafa, a lawyer, Amajuoyi Briggs; and a banker, Adedamola Bolodeoku.

But Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty.
Based on the guilty plea of the companies, the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, reviewed the facts of the case and told the court how the companies laundered the money.

Oyedepo tolf the judge that the money was stolen from the State House, Abuja.

He said, “The EFCC received an intelligence report showing vividly that the fourth to seventh defendants retained proceeds of crime.

“Our investigations showed that Fetus Iyoha admitted receiving the fund from the first defendant (Dudafa).

Iyoha is a domestic staff at the State House.
“He admitted that funds credited into the accounts were given to him from the State House.”

Oyedepo said Iyoha paid $3,096,377.38 into Pluto’s account; $3,410,534.71 into Seagate’s account; $3,765,711.87 into Trans Oceans’ account; and $250,000 into Avalon Global’s account.
He said the accounts of the companies were domiciled in Skye Bank.

Justice Kuewumi admitted the accounts statements in evidence. He also admitted their mandate cards, certificates of incorporation and statements made to the EFCC by the companies’ representatives.

While convicting the companies of money laundering, the judge said he was satisfied that the EFCC had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.

“I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved its case. I’ll exercise my discretion to suspend sentence until conclusion of trial,” the judge held.

Following the companies’ conviction, Oyedepo urged the court to order the forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

“Having found them guilty, the court should make a consequential order that the money should be forfeited to the Federal Government,” he said.

But the judge declined the application, saying he would reserve decision on the money till the end of the case. He noted that there was still Patience Jonathan’s suit, where she is claiming ownership of the money.

The judge held, “The ownership issue is still pending. There’s also a pending suit on the matter.”
He subsequently adjourned till December 14 for the trial of Dudafa, Briggs and Bolodeoku.

Definite hearing in all the appeals pending before the Court of Appeal, Abuja division over the gubernatorial candidate of the Ondo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was stalled over a petition alleging that the members of the panel had been bribed with about N350 million to speedily hear the matter.

The Special Court of Appeal panel is led by Justice Hannatu Sankey. The two other members were Justices E. Agim and O.E William-Dawudu. At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to the embattled governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) had announced appearance and noted that the business before the court was to move a motion filed by his client seeking to appeal the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that removed his name as the candidate of the party.

However, counsel to Jimoh Ibrahim, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recognised candidate of the party, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) informed the court that he was just served about two affidavits; one a day before and the second one in court.

Jegede had emerged from the camp of the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, while Ibrahim emerged from the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction. Izinyon later prayed the court to grant a short adjournment, submitting that there is no need for urgency as the case is a pre-election matter.

It was after this, that the three-man panel, presided over by Justice Hannatu Sankey asked counsel whether they were aware of a petition written by one Prince Adebiyi Poroye, the PDP factional chairman in Ondo State, alleging that the panel had been bribed to hear the matter speedily.

The petitioner, Poroye, alleged that Governor Olusegun Mimiko had boasted in the public that he, along with another governor, have settled the justices with N350 million. Poroye, who swore to an affidavit evidence to buttress his allegation, said that he believed that the justices have been compromised because the presiding Justice, Jumai Hannatu Sankey, is prone to corruption. The petitioner further alleged that Justice San-key had been sick for the past five years and as such, “became very poor and prone to corruption”.

Poroye further alleged in the petition that Sankey was transferred from Yola where Jegede, the appellant, was practising law for the past 15 years and that when the Justice arrived in Akure Division, Governor Mimiko boasted that he catered for her to the tune of N100 million.

In the circumstances, the petitioner demanded the disbandment of the panel on the ground that his side will not get justice from the panel. The PDP factional chairman also faulted the composition of a special panel to hear a pre-election matter, adding that there was no reason for the President of the Court of Appeal to have done so since the appeal was not time bound.

Both counsel, however, denied having the knowledge of the said petition. Visibly not comfortable, Justice Sankey, in an emotional laden voice, said: “Before we move ahead, we will like to bring to your notice that we got a petition addressed to the President of the Court of Appeal, dated October 31 and written by Prince Biyi Poroye. It is a sevenpage petition, copied the Presidency, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), National Judicial Council (NJC) and National Security Adviser (NSA).

“The allegation is against this panel, especially myself that I have been bribed and that is why we are speedily hearing this appeal. The petition is rude, disrespectful.
Lack of shame was alleged. The petitioner described me as a pauper because I was sick sometimes ago and that I have spent all my money on my sickness and that I am open to take bribe. “We have all left all our other assignments to see to the justice of this case, but this is how you will thank us.”

Reacting, Olanipekun noted that the petition is embarrassing, unfair, unfortunate and ungodly. “My Lords, the petitioner should be used as an example to ward off this type of frivolous accusations of our judges. “I am suggesting that the petition be forwarded to the police for thorough investigation and the petitioner be placed in custody,” he said.

Also reacting, Izinyon, who is the counsel to Poroye, denied knowledge of the petition and dissociated himself from it. “I am totally not aware of this petition, he did not tell me about it and I, therefore, stand to denounce it, but I shall be craving the indulgence of the court to allow me some allowances to interface with him,” he said.

When asked whether the petitioner was in court to substantiate the petition, Poroye was seen dashing out of the court and every attempt by the court to track him down proved abortive. The court, however, chided the petitioner that he should be bold to stand and defend the allegations he had levelled against the panel.

After taking reactions from the counsel, the panel stood down the matter. After about 10 minutes, the panel came back and informed counsel that it will hand off from the case based on the petition. Justice Sankey held:

“Ordinarily, since no fact had been put forward before the court to establish a case of likelihood of bias and since lawyers in this matter have all denied knowledge of the petition, we would have minded to ignore the petition.

But it is a settled law that when a case of likelihood of bias has been raised in a petition, it has to be looked into, even if the petition is frivolous. “We consider it necessary to disqualify ourselves from all petitions in respect of Ondo PDP governorship matters.

“We hereby step down from this matter and the case files are to be returned to the President of this court for re-assignment to another panel.” When New Telegraph ran across Poroye outside the court premises and asked him to substantiate the petition, he simply said:

“I don’t want to talk to the press now. It is a strategy.” Justice Abang had, on October 14, given an order in furtherance of his June 29 decision where he had asked INEC to recognise the faction led by Sheriff. In his October 14 ruling, Justice Abang nullified the listing by INEC of the candidate of Makarfi’s faction, Jegede, for the Ondo state governorship election coming up on November 26.

lalasticlala

N40 million check issued to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Former Minister of State for Defense Musiliu Obanikoro has bounced.


Mr. Obanikoro, who returned from the U.S. two weeks ago and surrendered to the anti-corruption agency following one year on the run, wrote several checks to the EFCC to fulfill his promise to refund part of the N4.7 billion laundered through him and his son to finance the election of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State in 2014

Mr. Obanikoro, also a former ambassador to Ghana, admitted to embezzling N800m of the funds and promised to refund all of it. The initial agreement with EFCC investigators was for the former minister to refund N100m as a condition for his bail from custody.

However, two weeks after his detention, Mr. Obanikoro has only succeeded in paying back N24m. He then issued a series of checks to the recovery account of the federal government last week, but EFCC operatives detailed to process the checks discovered that the account to which they were issued had no money.

Mr. Obanikoro blamed the error on politicians and friends who had visited him in detention and promised to deposit money in the accounts.

Nnewi-born billionaire and Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has offered the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration what he described as the best possible ways to addressing the biting recession, as well as crash the proliferating Dollar/Naira disparity in the foreign exchange market.

Speaking at the World Youth Gathering, Holy Ghost Adoration Ground, Uke in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ubah lamented that there is nothing wrong with the Nigerian economy, but rather said the country’s major problem is that it has bad economic managers.

Recall that last February, Ubah had vowed on a national television that if consulted by President Buhari, he could use his technical-know-how to stabilize the Naira to an exchange rate of N200=$1.
Then, the Dollar/Naira disparity had skyrocketed that N400 was already exchanging for $1 in the Parallel market.

Insisting on his earlier stance of possessing the technical-know-how on how the Dollar/Naira disparity can be crashed, Dr. Ubah pointed that “the only solution to Nigeria’s economic problems is one- addressing the cancer to our Forex which setting up 10 modular refineries can solve that problem. The second cancer that is affecting us is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

The oil magnate stated at the Adoration Ground in Uke, “I said that I am going to bring down the dollars, I sought for consultations because in the past I have done so many things and at the end of the day, people took the glory. This is an issue that is very important to me. Government must understand that Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the World today said, ‘it’s not about academics, it’s about being streetwise.’

“Money-making is an art. There is nobody that can’t make money. It depends on how you design the art of how you want to make money. Now, let me give you an example today and let me also proffer a solution to Nigeria’s economic problems.

“The biggest Forex consumer in Nigeria today, is the Petroleum Product (Downstream), of which I am the leader. Petroleum products take over 75 per cent of the Forex that Nigeria generates. Therefore, if you want to attack the difference between the Naira and the Dollar and of which no expert has been able to find out a solution, what you need to do is to find an alternative that you need to energize in Nigeria, so that the demand for Forex needed for the importation of petroleum products will crash.

“If you do that, you have taken away 75 per cent of that cancer that is taking away our dollars. And how do you do this? There’s what is called top-up refineries. Some top-up refineries can cost us as little as $200million.

“I am the Chief Economist of this country, and I want to bring back the value of Naira; if I want to bring back life to the economy of Nigeria, what I need to do is to take up a bond from our reserve of $2billion. If I am able to take a bond of $2billion from our reserve, which is not money I am spending, but a bond, our money remains. And I can take this $2billion and then share it among 10 companies. And In that 10 companies, I will create Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) of 10 oil marketers to one company.

“If you bring 10 oil marketers to run one company and government funding them for 10 years, it means that all of us will go there and bring the best of us to manage the company.

“Therefore, what we are going to do is create 10 companies along the whole water lines of Nigeria, and in six months time, we can now refine our crude oil here in Nigeria, instead of taking it abroad to refine.

And by so doing, we don’t need to buy dollars anymore to import petroleum products. It means that we can now be refining our crude oil, using it to produce our own petroleum deeds.

“Petroleum product is one of the biggest factor today in this country. Without fuel, nobody can drive to Uke today. If there are students going on strike, government may show neglect. If doctors go on strike, government may neglect. But once there is a strike over fuel government will always run to see how it will stop the strike.”

According to the Publisher of Authority Newspapers, “We must understand that fuel is a critical factor in Nigeria. Because it’s a critical factor in Nigeria today, government is so fragile not to challenge the petroleum industry.

“This is very important and whoever is the Chief Economist of Nigeria must take this as the only solution. There is no other solution.

“This solution is coming today in the Adoration Ground and this is the first time I am saying it. That is the secret I said I need them (government) to consult me. But today, if they can translate it, they will know that Holy Ghost of Adoration Ground has revealed it.”

The President FC Ifeanyi Ubah said, “The only solution to Nigeria’s economic problems is one- addressing the cancer to our Forex which setting up 10 modular refineries can solve that problem. The second cancer that is affecting us is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The duty of EFCC is to look into financial crimes. The duty of EFCC is look into those that have taken so much of waivers. So many people in Nigeria today are big men because they are enjoying government waivers. And majority of Nigerian big men are lazy people. They always find a way to take waivers.

“The EFCC must come to terms with their duty and start creating real economic crime desk. If the EFCC can be able to look into every importer accessing dollars and what our dollars are being used for. If the EFCC can create an economic code that everybody that must access dollars should bid through the EFCC and then everybody must sign a guarantee, a bond that government can look into whatever he has bidded with the money before he bids it, those that are milking Nigerian dollars will run away.

“The EFCC must stop only pursuing past leaders. Not that they would not do their job in pursuing past leaders, but they need to look into how many Nigerians are taking waivers, how many people are accessing dollars for agricultural contents, but they are using the dollars to go to Dubai, bringing the dollar back into the country and making money without doing anything.

“I am saying all these things because of my love for this country. There is no problem in Nigeria. The only problem we have is that we have bad managers. We have bad economic managers.”

“However, once government will begin to look towards the direction of people that will help them to achieve the goals that can bring back our economy, then Nigeria can have a better future,” he stated.

Olalekan Adetayo, Abuja

The Presidency on Sunday broke its silence on the allegations of inducements raised by two of the judges arrested recently, saying President Muhammadu Buhari would never authorise anybody to induce a judge to pervert the course of justice.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja.

It was the Presidency’s first official reaction to two of the embattled judges who claimed that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, approached them allegedly on the instruction of the President to influence decisions on election cases.

A Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who was one of those arrested by the Department of State Services had in a letter dated October 18, and addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, claimed that Amaechi had impressed it upon him that the President was interested in the judgments of the Supreme Court on Ekiti and Rivers elections going in favour of the All Progressives Congress.

Another Justice, Justice John Okoro, had also claimed that Amaechi told him that the President and the APC mandated him to inform him (Okoro) that they must win their election appeals in Rivers, Akwa Inom and Abia States at all costs.

But Shehu, in the statement, advised journalists and other Nigerians to stop linking Buhari to the travails of the judges.

“President Muhammadu Buhari would be the last person to authorise anybody to induce a judge to pervert the course of justice,” he said.

The presidential aide noted that despite his personal familiarity with some court judges, the President had never used that familiarity to seek favours from them from 2003, 2007 and 2011 when he was challenging the fairness of the presidential election results, from the lowest to the highest courts in the land.

He said as a politician, Buhari had never suggested to his lawyers to approach any judge for assistance to win his cases.

He said the President lives by this principle and has never deviated from it.

On the fate of the judges facing corruption allegations, Shehu said the President does not tell courts how to do their jobs and that anybody accused of corruption is protected by law to defend their innocence.

He explained that the purpose of the law is to punish the guilty and acquit the innocent, noting that the law protects the rights everyone.

Shehu said the President did not have any powers to force any court to convict anybody who is innocent, arguing that in a democratic society, that cannot happen without resistance by the people.

Olufemi Atoyebi

Three persons in possession of two human skulls have been arrested at a hideout in Ogbomoso by policemen from the Oyo State Police Command.

The state Commissioner of Police, Samuel Adegbuyi, said the arrest was made after the police received information from members of the public, who had raised the alarm that the suspects were dealing in human parts.

One of the skulls was discovered to have had what looked like a deep machete cut at its temple, leaving the police to suspect that the person the head belonged to might have been gruesomely killed.

Ramoni Akeem, 41, Azeez Ojelade, 36, and Salimon Salami, 40, were the suspects arrested by the police.

Akeem said he paid N10, 000 for the skulls and that Salami was the vendor.

Akeem said, “I am a herbalist and I heal people with herbs. I have never used body parts for rituals. One day, a friend came to me and said his friend discovered two corpses on a land where he had wanted to cut trees. He asked if I knew what body parts could be used for. I told him that I did not know anything about charms prepared with body parts.

“One of our friends, Saheed Ifa, who is a senior herbalist, heard about it and said he could make use of the skulls to prepare charms. When the skulls were produced, the man who brought them demanded for N10, 000. I paid him in four instalments. But that is all I know about the skulls. Ifa has travelled to Lagos. I don’t know where he lives in Lagos.”

Salami, who claimed to have discovered the corpses, denied any wrongdoing.

He said, “I was asked to cut some trees on a large piece of land but when I got there, I discovered two corpses and I told a friend that I was afraid to work on the land because someone killed two people there.

He said I should continue with my work while he looked for what to do with the corpses. When he got a buyer, he contacted me and I went back to the bush and dismembered the heads from the bodies,” he said.

A Bill for an Act to make provision for the prohibition and punishment of sexual harassment of students by lecturers in tertiary institutions has been passed into law.

The Bill which was sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) and 57 other co-sponsors, was read for the first time on Wednesday 4th May, 2016.
The objective of the Bill is to prohibit the offence of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions and impose stiff penalties on perpetrators.

It also creates a strict liability offence by removing mutual consent as a defence in prosecution of sexual harassment cases, as it were in the extant laws.

The new Act when signed to law, will not only prohibit lecturers from having sexual intercourse with underage students; it will also punish lecturers who demand for sex from female students as a condition to giving passing grades.

Presenting the report on the Bill to the Senate on Thursday, the Committee chairman on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru said the Bill enjoyed full supports of various stakeholders and civil society groups during public hearing.

As against the initial proposal of the sponsors of the Bill that any lecturer who harasses female student shall be liable to 3 years imprisonment; Senator Umaru said the clause has been amended.

“Any person who commits any of the acts specified in section 3 of this Act is guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 5 years but not less than 2 years and there shall be no option of fine”, the Bill reads.

It was, however, agreed upon presentation, that the penalty should be 5 years imprisonment or option of fine to the tune of N5m or both.

The Act also provides that the head of an institution upon receiving a written complaint of sexual harassment from a victim, shall set up a ‘Sexual Harassment Investigation Panel’ which shall submit its report in writing within 30 days.

The panel shall be headed by a non academic staff who is not less than the rank of Assistant Director, with 2 members of the Academic Union and 2 members of the Nigerian Bar Association.

By Evelyn Usman

Operatives of the Zonal Intervention Squad, Zone 2, Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, have uncovered a ritualists’ den at Abule Ifa, Siun area of Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ogun State, arresting two suspected leaders of the syndicate.

Recovered inside the massive den were several fetish materials and assorted charms.

Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Zone, Abdulmajid Ali, yesterday, led a team of senior officers among who were Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Ahmed Iliyasu; Officer in Charge of Operations, Zone 2, DCP Suleiman Balarabe; Commander of the ZIS, CSP Gbenga Megbope, and Commander 16 Police Mobile Force, Chika, among others, to the den.

The visit, as explained by the AIG, was to have an on-the-spot assessment of the den and also to design possible legal means of taking over the den, which he described as dangerous.

He stated that the discovery and subsequent arrest of the suspects were made following a tip-off.

He disclosed that the den was used by some fraudsters/ritualists to dupe people and perpetrate evil acts.

“The operatives, who had been on surveillance of the men of the underworld, were able to arrest the ring leaders of the syndicate identified as Taiwo Adeleke, 47, and Kayode Oseni, 52,” he added.

While commending the policemen for what he described as a job well done, he reiterated his readiness to set all machineries in motion, with a view to tackling crime and criminality within the zone.

He said: “Necessary legal steps will be taken to take over the structure and dislodge the syndicate,” adding that the suspects would be charged to court.

Appointments into seven key government agencies have been bottled up in the Senate awaiting confirmation, some for more than four months now.
President Muhammadu Buhari made some of the appointments since last June, like that of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu and 47 career ambassadors.

Other nominations are Chairman and Commissioners of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) National Population Commission (NPC), six INEC commissioners and two Supreme Court Justices - Sidi Dauda Bage (North Central) and Paul Adamu Galinje (North East).

Four commissioners of the EFCC were nominated along with Magu in a letter dated June 17, 2016, and signed by the Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, in his capacity as acting President when President Muhammadu Buhari was in the United Kingdom on a 10-day medical vacation.

The EFCC nominees are Moses Ndasule, Mamman Lawan, Imam Najib Galadanci and Adebayo Rafiu Adeleke.
The letter was received at the Senate on June 22, according to the official stamp on it but was not read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki until on July 14.

President Buhari appointed Magu as acting Chairman of the anti-corruption Agency in November last year following the removal of Ibrahim Lamorde. By next month, he would have spent a year in office.

A Senator told our correspondent that the delay was in the best interest of Magu, saying “it’s a blessing in disguise because our colleagues had reservations about him but the delay has calmed nerves”.

When contacted, the Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume said the appointment of the EFCC’s boss would soon be confirmed.
The career ambassadors were nominated by President Buhari last June.

The matter was not discussed until July 12 when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir David Lawal appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to respond to queries that the appointments were lopsided.

Though the Committee had held confirmation hearing, its report is yet to be debated.
The President’s request has been sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.

Also, the confirmation of the Chairman and Commissioners of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is still hanging at the Senate.
The confirmation of six commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and five commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC) has not received the nod of the Senate.

The screening of President Buhari’s nominees for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was carried out last week by the Senate Committee on Communications but it is not clear when the report will be submitted for confirmation.

On the ambassadorial nominees, Senate Spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said their confirmation was delayed to accommodate states that had no representatives.

“The whole idea is to carry every state in the country along. We have duty to ensure that appointments meet the constitutional requirements,” he said.
On Magu’s confirmation, he said a committee has been asked to look into it.

“Every issue that is before us is very important, the issue of Magu is not an exception. We have our schedule, every work that comes to us is critical and important, “he said.

Asked whether the delay was as a result of the rift between the Executive and Legislature, he said, “I hope you guys are not being mischievous because by saying this you are not helping the country.”
Also in a text message, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) said the delay in the confirmation of the career nominees was because of expectation of list of the non career appointees.

Spokesman of the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in his reaction said the commission is adversely affected by absence of the national commissioners.
“We have been managing to cope but you know many heads are better than few. The job of 12 commissioners is being handled by six,” he said.

Presidency links delays to frosty relations
Officials at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, told Daily Trust in Abuja that there are no cogent reasons why the Upper Chamber should be delaying the confirmation when there are many vacuums to be filed.

Two officials who would not want to be named, as they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said the refusal of the President to allow the lawmakers have their ways, especially on financial issues, was largely responsible for their disposition.

“The most important of their grievances is the issue of constituency projects which the Presidency has said may not be possible in this year’s (2016) budget due to the economic downturn and dwindling income to the nation’s treasury.

“The lawmakers did not help themselves when they decided to purchase the cars despite the outcry by Nigerians,” one of the officials said.
Another said the Presidency is worried about the delays on what the Senate should have prioritised.

He said that part of the strategy to douse tension between the two arms of government was the reason for withdrawal of the forgery charges against the Senate President Bukola Saraki but the lawmakers have insisted the President must shift ground on the release of funds especially the constituency projects.

He said: “We all know that the National Assembly is seeing the Presidency as muzzling or trying to dominate them. But this is not the case; the cordiality expected from the lawmakers was not forthcoming. They want it to be business as usual even when they know there is financial difficulties and recession in the country.”

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Clement Aduku, was not available for comment.
However, a source at the ministry, who preferred not to be named because she was not authorised to speak, said though the absence of ambassadors poses no serious challenges, the government cannot keep foreign missions for long without them.

She said certain negotiations and engagements with host countries require the presence of a substantive ambassador, without which they cannot take place.
Daily Trust reports that even after their posting, the envoys have to present letters of credence to their host presidents before they can assume full responsibilities.

The Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Bauchi House of Assembly, Mrs. Maryam Begel, on Wednesday said that female students in some schools in the state were being withdrawn to engage in menial jobs to generate capital for their marriage.

She said that an interactive session she had with 60 girls of a particular secondary school in the state revealed such practice.

She said, “I had an interactive session with 60 girls of a particular tertiary school in Bauchi state and what I gathered from them was shocking.

“They complained that some parents were in the habit of withdrawing their daughters from school when they reach JSS two or three.

“They said such parents initiate their daughters into engaging in menial jobs to generate funds that would be used in buying items preparatory to their marriage.

“The girls were so disturbed and were lamenting that a lot of their colleagues have had their education either temporarily suspended, or completely terminated, on such grounds.”

Begel, who once served as a Child Protection Officer with an international non-governmental organisation, ‘Save the Children’, lamented that such action by parents was inimical to the development of the Girl-Child at a time campaign was being intensified to encourage the education of female children.

Speaking on the reluctance of most Northern state governments to domesticate the Child Rights Act, Begel blamed this development on those that started the campaign for its application.

She said, “From the beginning, the effort at explaining the content of the document was scanty as a lot of people had not been adequately sensitised.

“Most of the contents of the document are also backed by our religions and tradition, for example, Right of child to education, good health and humane treatment.

“Alongside the rights enshrined, are also obligations. The campaigners however ignored the obligations and harped on the Rights, thereby giving a negative perception of the document.”

She said that the document can be domesticated to tally with traditional and religious demands, but added that such move is too late because the negative impression created in the minds of most people, is already deep-rooted.

She said, “As it is now, no political office holder or lawmaker in some Northern states of this country will be willing to talk about the document.

“In fact, you dear not touch the issue, even with a long stick, otherwise you kiss goodbye to your political career.”
NAN

By Adetutu Folasade-Koyi and Noah Ebije, Kaduna

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu revealed, in Kaduna, yesterday, that they have the mandate to investigate every government official, including ministers, irrespective of political party affiliations.

Magu, who said the mandate was part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s measures towards winning the war against corruption, disclosed that, “every government official is under investigation without them knowing it.”

He said this during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the National Union of Textiles and Garment Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), in Kaduna.

However, Magu dispelled insinuations in some quarters that EFCC operations was one-sided in the fight against corruption.

“We have course to investigate; in fact, we are investigating those in government without them knowing. Not only that, the president has given me the mandate to investigate every corrupt Nigerian leader irrespective of his political affiliation. I don’t think we have the monopoly of knowledge to tackle corruption.

But, more than that, the fight against corruption is designed and structured to boost confidence in the economy as well as to attract investors both within and outside the country,” Magu added.
The EFCC boss also described corruption as a crime against humanity.

He said, before now, there was no hope for Nigeria, but President Buhari had shown “demonstrable political” will to deal with corruption.

“Corruption affects everybody, that is why everyone is a major stakeholder in the fight. That is why I have the passion, zeal and courage to lead the fight against corruption,” Magu said.

In his remarks, NUTGTWN General Secretary, Issa Aremu said the EFCC should be empowered to invite those living above means to explain their sources of wealth.

Aremu said if investigating agencies were not satisfied with explanations by suspects about their sources of wealth, such persons should be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the EFCC has revealed why it arrested former presidential spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati on Monday.

The commission said, in a post on its official Facebook page, it invited Abati to its Abuja Headquarters to explain his role in an alleged mismanagement of the nation’s funds during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. An EFCC operative told Daily Sun the specific reason Abati was invited “has to do with the ONSA money.”

EFCC also arrested and detained former minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed over alleged N1.2 trillion fraud. Last week, former minister of state for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro was detained on allegations of money laundering.

Olaleye Aluko

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 60-year-old man, Highsent Nwogu, for allegedly producing dollars worth N3m and defrauding residents of the Ogba area.

Nwogu, a father of five children and grandfather of three, told PUNCH Metro that he ventured into the “washing” of fake dollars to make ends meet.

Our correspondent learnt that Nwogu, who hails from the Umuahia-South Local Government Area of Abia State, used a rented apartment on Abimbola Street, College Road, Ogba, for illegal production of the dollars.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Nwogu would ask his victims to buy some goods from overseas, and thereafter offered to get dollars for them to pay for the goods. The suspect allegedly gave his victims the fake dollars.

It was gathered that a victim of the suspect, identified as Hellen Olajide, who was defrauded of about N1.95m, reported the matter at the Area G Command, Ogba, and Nwogu was thereafter arrested.

The police said fake dollars worth N3m, chemicals and water drums allegedly used by the suspect were recovered from his apartment.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro, the grandpa said he began the business four years ago.
He admitted defrauding the lady of N1m, adding that he had refunded N400,000.

Nwogu said, “I used a room in my house to wash the dollars. My wife and children were not aware until the police arrested me.

“My clients did not suspect anything. I started currency production about four years ago. I have been arrested by the police on two occasions. This is the third time. I learnt how to produce the money in the Iyana Ipaja area.

“It was in August that I met Hellen (Olajide). When she found out that I had defrauded her of over N1m, she threatened to call the police, but I assured her that I would refund the money. She later called the police to arrest me.

“I want the government to forgive me. I collected N10,000 from my first victim, N30,000 from my second victim and N50,000 from another. I have three persons working with me; I used the money to solve my family problems.”

The victim, Olajide, said she paid the money in three instalments after Nwogu and his accomplices had hypnotised her to pay for the goods.

She said, “I was returning from work on that day, when three men accosted me and said I should follow them to a place to transact business. They said they were into importation and exportation of goods such as computer sets and Brazilian hair.

“I am sure they used some charms because it was after paying money the third time into a bank account I was given that my senses came back.

“It was after a month that I cried to the police for help. I want the syndicate to return my money, which is N1,992,000.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had directed that the suspect be charged to court.

She said, “The command learnt of the case, after which operatives trailed and arrested the suspect. He belongs to a syndicate that defrauds members of the public who want them to create wealth. We are on the trail of the accomplices.”

Juliana Francis

Detectives attached to the police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, have arrested a 23-year-old website owner, Babatunde Oyebode, for attempting to defraud oil magnate, Sir Femi Otedola and the Group Chief Executive Officer of Oando Plc, Mr. Wale Tinubu.

According to the police, the suspect, Oyebode, a school certificate holder and alleged owner of a website naijagistlife.com, living at Festac Town, Lagos, was arrested after SFU received a series of petitions. One of the petitioners is Mr. Dapo Balogun, who said Oyebode posted on naijagistlife.com, a story alleging that the petitioner worked with former Petroleum Minister, Deziani Allison-Maduekwe, and that throughout that working period, he fraudulently acquired huge sums of money.

Balogun told the police he received an email from the suspect, demanding millions of naira, if he wanted him to pull down the story. Balogun, who said the story by the website alleged that he looted $100 million, said it also made him a prime target for kidnappers.

He stressed that several attempts had been made to abduct him. Although the suspect had a fraud case pending in court, it didn’t stop him from continuing in his fraudulent ways. In May, Oyebode was said to have posted a defamatory story on Tinubu.

He was arrested but released after he allegedly promised to pull down the story. But according to the police, the suspect tried the second time to blackmail the Oando boss. Although he claimed not to be the owner of the website, police said the money paid by some victims was traced to his account. Stating his own side of the story, Oyebode said he was framed by the owners of the website. He said that he designed the website for an unknown client, whom he only had dealings with via email.

He added: “I designed websites for people and after designing the site, I included my contacts on the website to attract other customers. I was arrested through my contact displayed on naijagistlive.com.”

The police said Oyebode used to send threat messages to high profile businessmen and women, demanding undisclosed sums of money or he would run damaging stories on them. Sometimes, he would demand money to pull down a damaging and fabricated story. Police added that Oyebode posted superimposed nude pictures of a female lawyer, Ivie Omoregia, and alleged that she was having an affair with her boss and other clients.

The ruse cost the woman her marriage and job. Oyebode allegedly said he would pull down the story and pictures only after the lawyer paid N3.5 million, but she refused, saying that the damaged had already been done.

The SFU Public Relations Officer (PRO), an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Lawal Audu, said: “The suspect demanded N3.5 million from the lawyer, in order to enable him pull down the provocative pictures from the site. The victim told the suspect she had no such amount of money in her account. She told police that those pictures posted on the website cost her, her job, marriage and social life.

The female lawyer is among the three different persons who wrote a petition to SFU.” Audu said the suspect had three different cases pending before the police. The PRO said that the first and second case had to do with threat to life and fraud.

Audu explained that on October 19, Balogun reported a case of extortion, blackmail and threat to life to SFU against Oyebode. The second petitioner is Femi Otedola, who told the police that Oyebode also posted an annoying story on the same naijagistlife.com, alleging that he had been having sex with different girls in his office. In his petition to the SFU, Otedola said the story portrayed him as an irresponsible man who cheats on his wife.

He added that other parts of the story talking about his wealth, led to threat to his life by kidnappers. The police also said preliminary investigations had revealed that the suspect, in conjunction with others, were in the business of using Photoshop, an editing tool, to superimpose nude pictures of unidentified persons with high profile persons in the society.

Audu said: “It was on the strength of the petition that operatives of the unit swung into action and arrested the suspect. The suspect has another fraud case pending at the Federal High Court.”

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Muhammad Sabiu - Kaduna

A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Kaduna State, Lawal Auwal Kontagora, has been murdered by unidentified assailants.

It was gathered that the deceased graduated from one of the universities in Malaysia four months ago to participate in the one-year mandatory service.

Findings revealed that the incident occurred when Kontagora and his friend went to visit a female friend.

While they were inside a Peugeot 407 car with the lady, the hoodlums were said to have moved near the car and asked them to open the door which they did.

When they alighted from the car, they were asked to be on their knees. The assailants then demanded for their mobile phones. It was gathered that in the process of going inside the car to get the phone, the killers thought he was trying to be smart so they shot him at close range.

According to the corps member’s sibling, Yusuf Ma’aji Kontagora, when they received the information around 10:00 p.m., they rushed to the scene and took him to Garkuwa Hospital along Sultan Road where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The young man, who was the first son of Danmaliki Kontagora, Alhaji Lawal Kontagora, from his second wife, Hajiya Hafsat Lawal, was said to be a gentleman and very friendly to everyone.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kaduna State command, ASP Aliyu Usman, confirmed the murder of the corps member who was serving with an ICT firm.
The police imagemaker disclosed that an investigation had been launched into the case and some arrests already made.

Also reacting to the incident, NYSC coordinator in Kaduna State, Muhammed Momoh, described the death of the corps member as a shock and a big loss.

According to him, “NYSC has confirmed the death of a corps member who was attacked by hoodlums at Malali. It is unfortunate that at a time the country is developing potential young Nigerians like him, some people are bent on frustrating such effort.

“NYSC condoles with the family of the deceased while tasking the police and security agents to trail and fish out the perpetrators.”

by Yusuf Alli,

Why DSS won’t give NJC evidence

NJC to act before CJN’s exit

Council bars judges from taking gifts

The Presidency is insisting that two Supreme Court Justices and four others must step aside ahead of their trial for alleged corruption, it was learnt last night.

It also faulted Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed’s claim that the Judiciary had issues with the Department of State Services (DSS), not the Federal Government.

It was also learnt that the DSS refused to release the evidence against the judges under probe to the National Judicial Council (NJC) in order not to prejudice their trial.

Those under investigation by the DSS are two Supreme Court Justices -Justice Sylvester Ngwuta and Justice Inyang Okoro; the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, who was picked up in Sokoto; Justice Adeniyi Ademola (Federal High Court); the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike; Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court; Justice Muazu Pindiga (Gombe State High Court); Justice Bashir Sukola and Justice Ladan Manir, from the Kaduna State High Court.

Of the nine judges, the NJC has recommended sanctions for Justice Tsamiya; Justice. Umezulike and Justice Kabiru Auta.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) is investigating six judges of the Federal High Court. They are: Justices Mohammed Nasir Yunusa; Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa; Musa Haruna Kurya; Agbadu James Fishim; Uwani Abba Aji; and Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia.

But the NJC has refused to suspend six of the judges because, according to the Judicial agency, the DSS is yet to submit petitions and evidence against them.
The government however said the judges must step aside to clear their names instead of facing trial while on the bench.

A top government source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The government has made its position known to the CJN. On why the judges should step aside ahead of their trial. The government will not yield ground on this.

“If we go ahead to arraign them in court, the same CJN and NJC will accuse the government of desecrating the Judiciary. The right step now is to allow the judges to face trial and clear the allegations against them.

“It is unfortunate that what the CJN told the government on how to handle the case of the judges was different from the statement he issued.

“We are suspecting that the CJN might be under pressure from his colleagues or he wants to leave the fate of the judges to his successor.

“He cannot rationalise by making a distinction between the Federal Government and the DSS. The government was in support of the sting operations of the security agency. So, the DSS did not act unilaterally.

“We will not take up issues with the CJN because the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), some former Supreme Court Justices and the Body of Benchers have supported the position of the government that the judges should step aside.”

The source added: “Some of the judges in their letters to the CJN admitted having huge cash at home as if their houses are banks. In some jurisdictions, no judge can have up to $5,000 dollars at hand.

“We have a case of a judge who had never withdrawn a kobo from his salary account. How does he feed? Yet, the CJN was put into confidence on some of these issues at a meeting with some government officials. In what other way can the government respect the Judiciary?
It was learnt at the weekend that the NJC might meet this week or before the November 10 exit date of the CJN on the petitions against some judges.

It was gathered that the NJC session scheduled for Saturday was suddenly shifted following pressure from some quarters.

A member of the NJC said: “Yes, our meeting was postponed at the last minute because of certain circumstances. We are hopeful that we may meet this week, depending on the disposition of the CJN.

“What is however clear is that we will hold a meeting before the exit date of the CJN. We have to take a decision on some petitions against some judges before the council. One of the petitions is a high profile one.

“It is also statutory that we meet to bid the CJN a farewell and ratify some recommendations on some judges.”

It was gathered that the DSS refused to release evidence against the embattled judges to the NJC in order not to lay all the cards on the table before their trial.

The DSS suspects that there is no way the judges will not be privy to the evidence against them and they may begin to frustrate their trial with preliminary objection.

The agency prefers encounters with the judges in court instead of the NJC, which is a disciplinary body.
A security source said: “With the suspicious manner the NJC threw away some cases/ petitions against some judges, the DSS cannot take such a risk to make all its evidence available to the body.

“Take the case of a judge who was implicated in a N500million bribery, the Petition Review Committee of the NJC cleared him. This is a judge who admitted on tape to have collected bribe.

“It took some persistence by a petitioner before the NJC could accept to sanction the Chief Judge of Enugu State. He was retired after about four petitions against him.

“Another judge accused of demanding N200million was retired by the NJC when the law is explicit on what should be done.

“To give evidence to NJC will amount to prejudging the judges. The DSS conducted sting operations in some judges’ quarters; it believes the law should take its course through trial.

“Once the evidence are made available to the NJC, the trial of the judges will suffer a setback from the outset because they will know what the government has against them.”

Friday Olokor, Abuja

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has hinted that it may cancel the use of uniform cut-off points for admitting candidates that took the Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The issue of cut-off marks as currently being used for admission, it said, should be subjected to national debate by stakeholders.

The Spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, gave the indication in a statement he issued on behalf of its Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, on Sunday evening in Abuja.

He said a situation where universities, polytechnics and colleges of education were subjected to the same cut-off marks was no longer tenable because it prevented the institutions from admitting candidates of their choice.

Tertiary institutions, he sated, should be allowed to determine the kind of candidates they want to admit.
He added that there was an urgent need to reconsider the current cut-off point of 180 for admission in order to strengthen access to education, particularly for the less-privileged.

Benjamin said, “The uniformity of cut-off marks doesn’t make any sense when colleges (of education) and polytechnics admit for national certificate of education and diplomas, while universities admit for degrees.

Yet, we subject them to the same cut-off marks, thereby starving these tiers of institutions from admitting candidates who, if not engaged, may likely become easy prey to social vices.

“This means that if a University wants 250 as minimum cut-off marks, why not? And if another wants less so be it. If a Polytechnic like YABATECH (Yaba College of Technology) wants 250 as cut-off marks, let them admit and if Gboko Polytechnic in Benue State where I come from wants less than 200, let them admit.

“Institutions should be known for their individual quality and not collective standards. This will foster positive competition for the overall good of our tertiary institutions. It is critical for all notable stakeholders to rethink the issue of cut-off marks.

“I am calling for a national debate on the propriety of cut off marks; institutions should be allowed to determine the kind of candidates they want.”
JAMB also expressed worry over the class opportunities as it affects the distribution of admission resources.

The organisation said, “The rich have multiple opportunities which include going abroad for studies while the poor only have the opportunity of struggling for the scarce spaces here.

“They come back and they are integrated while the poor can’t afford it and are forever denied the opportunity of education. Let institutions admit what they want according to their needs.”

JAMB urged Nigerians to look at the decision critically for it to take action that would be for the good of the education sector.

Alexander Okere

Five persons including a musician were arrested on Saturday by palace authorities for holding a burial ceremony during the coronation of the Oba of Benin, Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolopkolo, Oba Ewuare II.

It was gathered that they were arrested while the ceremony was ongoing at Uwa Primary School in Oredo Local Government Area of the state.

It was learnt that some chiefs from the Oba’s palace stormed the venue and placed ‘Umenhe’ leaves (palm frond) on the food, drinks and canopies, indicating that an abomination had been committed.

The ‘Umenhe’ leaves also signify a message of no trespass from the Oba.

Many of the guests and family members burial looked surprised and disappointed.

Some of them also gathered in groups discussing the development.

One of those arrested, who identified herself as Josephine Ehimwenma, alleged that they had been given the approval to go ahead with the ceremony by some chiefs, since the main coronation had been completed.

Ehimwenma also claimed that the family members of the deceased were not aware that the ban had not been lifted.

She said, “Three days ago, I went to the palace and I met some chiefs and told them that I have buried my father (and) that I just wanted to entertain friends and well wishers. They said I should go ahead and demanded ‘chop’ money.”

A source in the palace said the family was asked to buy some sacrificial items for cleansing the land.

A member of the Iwebo palace society, Chief Sunday Okhiokpamwonyi, explained that the family would pay a fine and postpone the burial.

“Ewaise and Ogbelaka will tell her what to do to cleanse the land and to save the family,” he added.

Meanwhile, the monarch has promised to ensure peaceful coexistence among the diverse groups in the country.

Oba Ewuare II spoke on Saturday during a special ceremony organised in his honour by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, at the Oba’s palace in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The monarch was crowned as the 40th Oba of Benin Kingdom on Thursday morning and received his staff of office from Governor Adams Oshiomhole at an elaborate ceremony held at Urho-Okpota hall.

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Ade Adesomoju, Abuja, Dayo Oketola, Gbenro Adeoye and Tunde Ajaja

The Federal Government’s National Prosecution Coordination Committee is meeting over the draft charges already drawn against three among the seven judges arrested by the Department of State Services between October 8 and 9 this year.

Baring any unplanned situation, the charges were likely to be filed next week after the meeting of the committee members, a credible source who is familiar with the ongoing process confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on Friday.

The PUNCH had reported that the draft charges were originally meant to be filed last Thursday. But a source confirmed to Saturday PUNCH on Friday that the filing was delayed because of the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, who was on an official trip to Turkey.

The source said, “The NPCC has actually finished the drafting of the charges.

“They would have been filed on Thursday if not for the absence of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

“The AGF said he wanted to see the charges before they were filed.”

It was learnt that the AGF arrived the country on Thursday but only resumed official duties on Friday.

A top source in the Federal Ministry of Justice said the AGF on Friday directed that further meeting be held on the draft charges before filing.

According to other sources and a member of the NPCC, the meeting of the NPCC might hold on Saturday.

Our correspondent learnt that the Federal Government had drafted charges against three of the seven arrested judges.

It was learnt earlier on Wednesday that the drafting of the charges would be concluded and ready for filing on Thursday.

It was gathered that drafting of the charges involved the input of members of the NPCC, legal and operational officers of the Department of State Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation.

One of those involved in the drafting had told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make comments on the issue, that three of the arrested judges would likely be charged with money laundering on Thursday.

The source said the three judges already marked for prosecution would be charged separately.

He added, “Apart from money laundering, the three judges would also face other charges depending on the peculiarities of the individuals’ cases and outcome of investigation.”

When asked before which court the judges would be charged, the source said, “Going by the nature of the charges we want to file, the only court with the requisite jurisdiction is the Federal High Court.”

A member of the NPCC, as earlier reported by Saturday PUNCH, had confided in our correspondent that the Federal Government, through the NPCC had established prima facie cases against the judges.

The source explained that the government had through investigation obtained more evidence that was not envisaged at the outset.

The source said, “The truth of the matter is that the arrests carried out have led to more evidence and the Federal Government, through the NPCC, is drafting the charges to be filed against the judges.

“But I can assure you that we have got prima facie cases against the judges.

“Investigations, which are still ongoing, have revealed a lot of evidence that was not envisaged at the outset.

“The available evidence will determine the charges to be filed and in which court to file them.”

The source said despite the condemnation of the arrest of the judges by the National Judicial Council, the government would proceed with the prosecution of  the judges.

The DSS had between October 8 and 9 raided the houses of the seven judges and arrested them. They have since been released on bail.

When contacted, spokesperson for NPCC and for the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Salihu Isah, said he would not comment on the case due to its sensitivity.

The arrested judges were Justice Sylvester Ngwuta and John Okoro, both of the Supreme Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and Justice Muazu Pindiga of the Gombe State High Court.

Others who were arrested had been placed on suspension by the National Judicial Council pending the time President Buhari and their various state governors would approve its recommendation for their sacking.

They are a former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya; and the  judge of the Kano State High Court, Justice Kabiru Auta.

The DSS later said after the raid that it recovered large sums of money in both local and foreign currencies from the homes of three of the seven judges.

… as SERAP, CACOL, lawyers demand Amaechi’s probe

In view of the allegations made by two Supreme Court judges that the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, approached them to help influence the apex court’s decisions in some election cases, some civil society organisations and lawyers have called for the probe of the minister.

Justices Inyang Okoro and Sylvester Ngwuta, who were among the seven judges recently arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, in separate letters addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, have accused Amaechi of orchestrating their ordeals because of their refusal to accede to Amaechi’s requests.

In his letter, Justice Okoro said that Amaechi told him that he had been mandated by the President of Nigeria (Muhammadu Buhari) and the All Progressives Congress to inform him that “they must win their election appeals in Rivers State, Akwa Ibom and Abia states at all costs.”

Ngwuta alleged that Amaechi wanted to use him to influence the Supreme Court judgment with respect to election cases on the Rivers State governorship election and the Ekiti State governorship election.

He also claimed that Amaechi’s counterpart in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, contacted him to help sway the Court of Appeal’s decision on Ebonyi State governorship election matter.

The Nigerian Bar Association had on Thursday called for the immediate suspension of the judges recently arrested by the DSS “in order to protect the sanctity and integrity of judicial processes that may involve the judges concerned and safeguard the public image of the institution.”

In the same vein, some CSOs and lawyers told Saturday PUNCH that the allegations made by the two of the judges against Amaechi and Onu should not be dismissed.

For instance, the Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said as much as he considered the judges’ allegations as an after-thought, for not making the revelations earlier, there was need for a thorough investigation into the matter.

He said, “Amaechi is having too many baggage, but let the appropriate agency (ies) start investigating the two sides. They should investigate what the judges have said and examine what Amaechi has said in defence. The truth will be somewhere in-between. The investigation must be thorough and unbiased.”

Also, the Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said there was need for the government and the relevant agencies to waste no time in investigating the claims of the judges, and that anyone found guilty should be made to stand trial, including the judges.

He also called on the judges to come up with evidences to substantiate their allegations.

He said, “The judges should not think they can embarrass anybody by making allegations without evidence and they should not think they can disrupt the free flow of trial. But if Amaechi is found guilty of the allegations, he should be made to stand trial, just like the judges.”

The Coalition for Transparency Accountability and Good Governance said it was high time Amaechi stepped down as a minister, given the number of allegations against him.

Its Coordinator, Mr. Mike Opia, said apart from the judges’ allegations against Amaechi, a report by UK-basedMail Online had also levelled some corruption allegations against the former governor.

Opia said if Amaechi was not investigated, it would appear that the fight against corruption by the present administration was a mere witch hunt.

“The allegations should be investigated and the minister should step down. This is not the first time he would be accused, and he’s not the only one in that cabinet. The President is not corrupt but it appears he harbours some corrupt persons. So, let Amaechi step aside because the anti-corruption fight seems like a witch hunt.”

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in an email sent to one of our correspondents, said all the allegations should be investigated irrespective of who is involved.

“What has been confirmed is that cases pending in the highest court of the land are discussed and negotiated with litigants who visit their (judges’) homes,” he said.

“I have also read the allegation of a retired judge who said that a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria asked her to pervert the course of justice. These very serious allegations ought to be thoroughly and speedily investigated by an independent panel.

“Offering a bribe to a public officer is a criminal offence while failure to report the offer is also a criminal offence. Whoever is implicated in the investigation should be prosecuted. This is a can of worms that cannot be covered up. The bankrupt ruling class has allowed the house of justice to be taken over by rats and cockroaches. It has to be fully fumigated in the interest of political stability.”

Another lawyer, Mr. Liborous Oshoma, asked Amaechi and Onu to leave their ministerial positions while the matter is being investigated, saying, “What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

“So while investigating the judges, we just cannot close our eyes to the allegations made by the judges,” he added.

“If we say the judges should step aside as a matter of confidence, is it not also a matter of confidence to ask the ministers that have been accused of trying to influence court decisions to also step aside pending a holistic investigation into all the matters?

“These are politicians and we cannot pretend that we don’t know the attitude of Nigerian politicians; if we pretend we don’t, we will be deceiving ourselves.”

Oshoma also dismissed the opinions of some people, who questioned the timing of the judges’ allegations, saying, “People should not say that it was belated; is there a statute of limitation to criminality? When Bukola Saraki (Senate President) was charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for offences committed in 2003, did we also question the timing?”

Also in the view of Wahab Shittu, another lawyer, the allegations against Amaechi should be “thoroughly investigated.”

He said, “What the judges have said, notwithstanding the timing, must be thoroughly investigated.”

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The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old lady, Abosede Omolare, for allegedly stabbing her fiance, Sadiq Dauda, to death during an argument.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, told a news conference on Friday in Abeokuta that Omolare was engaged to marry Dauda in December.

He said that the suspect committed the crime at Onirugba St. in Ijebu-Ode on Tuesday and was arrested on the same day.

The PPRO explained that the incident followed minor disagreement over allegation of mismanagement of funds from the gas business which the late Dauda entrusted to the suspect.

Oyeyemi said Oyelare claimed that her late fiancé, who she was living with, beat her up and sent her away.

He said that Oyelare returned home on the invitation of her fiance’s mother who promised to intervene.

He said “She stated that immediately she got home, her fiance descend on her, beat her mercilessly and broke a bottle with which he threatened to stab her.
“She admitted that it was then she took a kitchen knife and stabbed him on the rib.”

Oyeyemi said that Dauda, who was bleeding profusely, was carried to Igbeba Divisional Police Post in Ijebu-Ode.

He added that policemen rushed him to Ijebu-Ode General Hospital where he died on Wednesday.

The PPRO said the case had been transferred to the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department for further investigation.
(NAN)

Whinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter

A MARRIED police officer stationed in Masvingo allegedly hanged himself after his girlfriend ditched him.

On Wednesday night, the officer, identified only as Constable Marapira, allegedly sent a WhatsApp message to his girlfriend Miss Clarice Sagiya, directing her where to find his body.

Sources close to Cst Marapira, who was stationed at Masvingo Rural Police Station, said he funded Miss Sagiya’s education. She is a final year trainee teacher at Morgenster Teacher’s College.

“The misunderstanding followed Clarice’s decision to dump him on claims that she couldn’t be with a police officer anymore as he wouldn’t afford her upkeep,” said a police officer who preferred anonymity.

The officer responded by killing himself a few metres off the Mvuma-Gweru Road on Wednesday night.

A source said Cst Marapira sent the suicide message at 21:59PM to Miss Sagiya’s Econet line and the message read:
“Vanhu vasanetseke kutsvaga body yangu. Mukasvika paMvuma vanotena ne Gweru road less than a kilometre pane mota pa side pe road chisango to the left (don’t bother yourselves looking for my body.

When you get to Mvuma, turn towards Gweru. Less than a kilometre away, there is a car by the road side to the left.)

About 12 minutes later at 22:11PM, he sent a second message which read:
“Ndafira Clarice Sagiya (I died because of Clarice Sagiya).”

Miss Sagiya allegedly took a phone with the messages to a police station, leading to the location of the body.

A source said: “Marapira impregnated Clarice and after that he paid lobola for her. Furthermore he took her to school and was paying her tuition fees.”

The source said Cst Marapira’s family suspects that he was killed.

Efforts to get a comment from Miss Sagiya were fruitless as a man kept answering her phone and saying he was far from where she was.

Masvingo Province police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula said she was away from the station and had not yet received the report.
“Maybe you can contact the station for further details,” she said.

At Masvingo police station, a Sergeant Cripen Gwashu said they had not yet confirmed the matter.
“We’re still dealing with hearsay and are investigating if it indeed happened. At the moment I can’t comment,” he said.

The suicide comes barely two days after a senior officer at Bulawayo’s Westgate Police Station is suspected to have committed suicide by shooting himself.

Chief Inspector Edgar Dube (50), the Officer-in-Charge of the Police Protection Unit at Westgate, used a service pistol to shoot himself on Tuesday morning.

He didn’t leave behind a suicide note but a Bible, opened to Romans Chapter Two, was found beside his body in his blood spattered office.

The first verse reads: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

A source close to Dube claimed that he was having domestic problems. Others claim he was unhappy after being recently transferred to Bulawayo from Harare.