₦airaland Forum

A 27-year-old housewife, Odunayo Olumale has stabbed her husband, Olamilekan Salahudeen to death for making sexual advances to her.

The incident happened three months after the couple reconciled and reunited following their separation.

Speaking in Ibadan while parading the suspect at the Oyo Police Command headquarter, Eleyele, Ibadan, police spokesman, Adewale Osifeso said preliminary investigation showed that the deceased and his wife returned to their house at Oko-Oba area of Oyo town on the day of the incident after their three-month separation.

Osifeso said: “On 17/11/2022 about 0350hrs, one Ismaila Tijani reported at Dubar Divisional Police headqauters that about 0223hrs of 16/11/2022, that his son named Olamilekan Salahudeen age 35 was stabbed to death with a knife by his wife Odunayo.”

“The deceased made a move to have sexual intercourse with his wife but rejected, this further led to the struggle where the deceased collected and smashed his wife’s phone and in retaliation, the deceased was stabbed on the chest, leading to his death”

Osifeso said the suspect has since confessed to the crime and her unfortunate role in the incident, adding that she would be charged to court upon completion of the investigations.

The suspect declined comment when asked by journalists to talk about the incident.

Other 25 suspects paraded by the Command include suspected hoodlums who specialised in burggling and looting of warehouses, suspected armed robbers, suspected kidnapping and armed robbery among others

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has said the apex bank will henceforth take cashless policy seriously, noting that people will fill countless forms and provide their data before they can withdraw large amounts.

Emefiele also said the redesign of the N200, N500 and N1,000 notes was not targeted at any individual or group of people in the country.

He stated these on Wednesday while fielding questions from State House reporters after the launch of the redesigned naira notes by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Emefiele, who said the CBN was only doing its job, insisted that cashless policy would be implemented nationwide.

On how the plans would succeed when told that the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, said some governors were trying to frustrate the new policy, the CBN governor said: “Like I said earlier, our policy of redesign and reissue is not targeted at anyone. But of course we have the laws and we will indeed be more intense in ensuring that the provisions of the law and our CBN regulations about the size and volume of currency that people can carry, or hold or withdraw, we will insist that this is done going forward.”

He added, “In other countries, in the US, you want to withdraw $10,000 from the counter, you will be interrogated, you will fill numerous forms, they will even track the use of that $10,000 cash that you are withdrawing. Or you want to withdraw £10,000 from the counter, they will refuse and if you insist, then you will fill forms.

“The problems we have had in the past is that we say this is a cash economy. There is no economy that is inbuilt thinking that it has to be cash economy. The world has moved away from predominantly cash to cashless economy. And I think Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeria is prepared at this time to move towards a cashless economy.

“And that is the reason for the reissue of these notes. We will insist that cashless would be nationwide. We will restrict the volume of cash that people can withdraw over the counter.

“If you need to withdraw large volume of cash, you will fill uncountable forms. We will take your data, whether it is your BVN, your NIN so that enforcement agencies like EFCC or ICPC can follow you and be sure that you are taking that money for good purpose.”

Emefiele warned Nigerians against holding of the old notes, saying there was no going back on the January 31st 2023 deadline to completely render the old notes useless.

“We have to work as a country. Nigeria is the biggest country both in population and economy in Africa and we have to ensure that we do things the right way that also positions us as the leader in Africa and one of the leading countries in the world. We must do things right and I think it would start from today,” he added.

AUTHOR: Malik Abdulganiy


Efforts by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to enlist the support of former President Goodluck Jonathan in resolving the party’s crisis have hit a brick wall, TheCable understands.

Atiku, in company with Ifeanyi Okowa, his running mate, had visited Jonathan at his Abuja home on the night of November 17 on a “peace mission” following his lukewarm attitude to the PDP crisis and the presidential campaign in general.

Jonathan, who was elected vice-president in 2007 and president in 2011 on the PDP platform, had been a backbencher in the party since losing his re-election bid in 2015.

Sources familiar with the Thursday night meeting informed TheCable that Atiku told Jonathan he was worried the former president had not been participating in the affairs of the PDP as the presidential election draws near.

He implored Jonathan to intervene in the face-off with PDP governors who are sympathetic to Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers state, sources said.

Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Uguwanyi (Enugu) are all openly with Wike.

Wike has refused to back Atiku’s presidential bid, with his camp insisting that Iyorchia Ayu should resign as national chairman in accordance with the promise made my Atiku himself.

Atiku and Ayu are from the northern part of the country and the understanding is that the president and the national chairman of the party should not come from the same region.

However, the Atiku camp is arguing that until a president is elected, the current arrangement should stand.


‘NO RESPECT’

Sources told TheCable that Jonathan believes the party, particularly Atiku, has not shown him any respect.

“Dr Jonathan has never been invited to the meeting of the Board of Trustees,” one of the sources said.

“The party has never accorded him the respect of involving him in its activities. Now that presidential election is close by, Dr Jonathan has suddenly become important.”

Jonathan reportedly reminded Atiku that he supported him fully in his presidential bid in 2019 but the candidate stopped picking his calls after getting the ticket.

“More so, those nominated by Dr Jonathan into the 2019 presidential campaign council were not appointed. Not a single nominee of his was picked,” the source added.

Atiku reportedly said he was not aware of Jonathan’s complaints and that he would raise them with the party leadership.


ATIKU’S ROLE IN JONATHAN’S OUSTER

The presidential candidate was also reminded of the role he played in getting the PDP ousted from power by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

Atiku had teamed up with five PDP governors to storm out of the PDP national convention in November 2013.

They later joined three opposition parties to found APC.

The governors were Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).

“Atiku is facing a similar rebellion now and he now wants the same Dr Jonathan who was a victim of his own machination to help him resolve the crisis,” the source.

Jonathan had met with Atiku at the Dorchester Hotel, London, in 2014 to solicit his help in ending the PDP crisis but, ironically, Atiku reportedly said the only condition for peace was for Jonathan to withdraw from the presidential race.

“The opinion of Dr Jonathan’s associates is that he should rather support Obi, who has always treated him with respect, than Atiku. President Muhammadu Buhari has treated Dr Jonathan with more respect than Atiku, despite going after his wife and his former ministers,” the source said.

Despite the high-interest rate environment, some Nigerian banks recorded rapid growth as their profits grew to N700 billion in nine months (9M) of 2022, Daily Sun analysis revealed.

It was expected that financial institutions, especially banks, would struggle to post decent results for the period under review, but a combination of investments in alternative channels, growth in customer acquisitions as well as huge transaction volumes in retail growth changed the supposed narrative in the banking sector.

The banks include Access Holdings Plc, First Bank of Nigeria, Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Union Bank and Zenith Bank Plc.

According to their financial results obtained from the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX)’s website, Access Bank’s PAT grew N137.01 billion, First Bank recorded N85.7 billion while Fidelity Bank’s profit rose to N34.96 billion.

GTCO followed with N130.35 billion, UBA recorded N116.04 billion, Union Bank’s profit rose to N17.3 billion while Zenith Bank recorded N174.33 billion.

This meant that the banks’ profit grew to N695.79 billion in 9 months.

Sustaining the momentum from the previous year, Access Holdings Plc gross earnings grew by 30.2 per cent from N716.48 billion in 2021 to N933.07 billion in 2022. The bank’s profit before tax (PBT) grew to N147.30 billion from N135.07 billion while profit after tax (PAT) rose to N137.01 billion from N121.89 billion recorded in 2021.

Similarly, FBN Holdings signaled its firm return to profitability growth and industry leadership as its gross earnings grew by 27.5 per cent to N512.9 billion

The bank’s PBT recorded another strong growth of 119.1 per cent to N96.4 billion, whilst PAT also grew impressively by 142.1 per cent to N85.7 billion as the bank continued to reap the benefits of the changes to its business model in addition to revamping of the bank’s risk management and control architecture.

Fidelity Bank on its part, grew its revenue by N241.89 billion from N174.35 billion in 2021 PBT came in N37.79 billion as against N28.05 billion while PAT stood at N34.96 billion in the period under review from N26.51 billion.

GTCO’s PBT was 11.7 per cent year-on-year (y/y) higher at N169.72 billion, while PAT grew by 0.7 per cent y/y to N130.35 billion owing to the 74.9 per cent y/y increase in the income tax expense to N39.38 billion.

The revenue of UBA grew by 14.8 per cent to N564 billion from N491.10 billion. Overall, PBT was 13.3 per cent y/y higher at N138.49 billion, while PAT grew by 10.9 per cent y/y to N116.04 billion following a higher income tax expense of N22.45 billion (+27.1 per cent y/y).

Union Bank’s financial report showed that the bank’s PBT for the period under review rose by 14 per cent to N18.2 billion compared to N15.9 billion in the same period last year.

In the same vein, PAT also rose by 14.2 per cent to N17.3 billion from N15.2 billion in 2021. The bank explained that the growth in profits was supported by additional net interest income while its gross earnings rose by 12.4 per cent to N140.6 billion compared to N125.2 billion in the first nine months of 2021.

Zenith Bank reported a +26.5 per cent y/y increase in interest income to N390.76 billion, supported by the higher income from investment securities (+30.0 per cent y/y to N122.97 billion) and loan and advances to customers (+26.3 per cent y/y to N261.25 billion).

The bank’s revenue grew by 19.5 per cent to N629.91 billion in 2022 from N527.06 billion, PBT grew 12.6 per cent from N179.81 billion in 2021 to N202.55 billion while PAT stood at N174.33 billion.

Commenting on Access Holdings Plc’s result, analysts at Cordros Research, said the group’s performance remains strong in their view, particularly given the expansion in its non-core income while adding that they expect the growth trajectory to be sustained following the commencement of operations of the HoldCo’s payments businesses (Hydrogen Card, Hydrogen Pay & Hydrogen Switch).

Access Corporation, which builds on Access Bank’s scale and ethical standards has portfolio companies with significant complementarities, allowing the ecosystem to walk with customers across their life cycle while delivering value to stakeholders.

The institution had set its sights on how to deliver ambitious plans to transform the African financial services sector over the last 20 years.

Its Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Herbert Wigwe, said, “Looking ahead five years, Access Corporation is expected to be a leading financial and ecosystem player, with services spanning B2B and B2C marketplaces, B2B services, health, housing, digital, mobility content, mobility, core banking offerings, and other financial services such as insurance and wealth management”

Switzerland’s former midfielder, Karim Gazzetta has reportedly committed suicide at his home in Bosnia and Herzergovina by jumping from a building in the early hours of Monday.

Mirror UK reports that the 27-year-old former Swiss international footballer was found dead in front of his home in the city of Mostar which is 45 miles South of Sarajevo.

Gazzetta had signed for local team Zrinjski, the reigning Bosnian champions, in the summer but was restricted to two appearances due to injuries.

His first club, Servette, in a statement quoted by Mirror UK said that "The Servettienne family mourns today the disappearance of Karim Gazzetta, child of the club. To his loved ones, his family, we send our most sincere condolences and our support. Rest in peace Karim."

Further reports stated that the attacking midfielder was once tipped for the very top and appeared for the Swiss at every level up to Under-20 but had experienced continuous injury problems.

Gazzetta also played for Winterthur, Lausanne and Xamax.

Lausanne in their tribute said, "The Swiss football family is in mourning. It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Karim Gazzetta. The LS presents its most sincere condolences to all of his family and loved ones."

"The Swiss Football League mourns the loss of former U20 international Karim Gazzetta, who tragically passed away in Bosnia. Most recently, at the age of 27, he was under contract with the Bosnian league leaders Zrinjski Mostar.

"The SFL expresses its deepest condolences to the entire family and loved ones, especially his younger brother Luca, who made three appearances in the Challenge League for Servette FC in the 2017/18 season and is currently playing in the Promotion League for Stade Nyonnais,” the spokesman for the Swiss Football League added.

Meanwhile, the Bosnia police said an investigation is ongoing.

By Moses Omorogieva

A manager of a guest house at Igbogbo in Ikorodu area of Lagos State discovered the lifeless body of a woman identified as Muinat in one of its rooms on Saturday.

Police spokesman in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the finding when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Hundeyin said the manager of the guest house reported the case to the police in Ikorodu.

He said the manager’s report indicated that the woman, who was about 46 years old, arrived at the guest house on a motorcycle ridden by her companion simply identified as Alfa Sule on Friday.

The police spokesman said that the manager reported that Alfa Sule, of unknown address, lodged at the guest house with the woman later identified as Muinat.

Hundeyin said that while the manager was going round the rooms on Saturday at about 6.00 a.m., he discovered the lifeless body of the said woman but Alfa Sule was nowhere to be found.

“There were no marks of violence on the woman; the said Alfa Sule was nowhere to be found, but abandoned his Bajaj motorcycle.

“The police visited the scene and found the corpse with foam oozing out of her nostril.

“Photographs of the scene and body were taken before the corpse was removed and deposited at Ikorodu General Hospital morgue for autopsy,’’ he said.

Hundeyin said the manager of the guest house was assisting the police in their investigation while efforts were on to arrest the fleeing Alfa Sule.

He added that the case would be transferred to the Homicide unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba for further investigation. (NAN)

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Management Committee has chided the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, over his comment on the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Tinubu, while speaking in Warri at the inauguration of the Delta State APC governorship campaign at the weekend, questioned Atiku’s profile, saying the former vice president publicly fought his principal, Olusegun Obasanjo.

“When Atiku was there, he was fighting his boss in public. They were telling us how they spent PTF money to buy cars for their girlfriends. Do they have shame?” Tinubu asked the mammoth crowd in Warri.

The spokesperson for the PDP campaign committee, Senator Dino Melaye, in a statement he personally signed, described the former Lagos governor as a betrayer who should not be trusted.

The statement read in part, “In a fit of temporary coherence, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, in Delta State, as usual departed from issues and devoted his limited attention to His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, who must be giving him nightmares on the 2023 presidential election.

“According to the APC presidential candidate, Atiku ‘fought’ Obasanjo while in office. We owe him deep gratitude that Tinubu recalled this fine attribute of Atiku Abubakar, who while he served as the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria defended the constitution and deepened Nigeria’s democracy.

“It is not a surprise that Tinubu would castigate a man who defended the rule of law. A man who is running from the law on many fronts cannot see merit in defending the rule of law.

“It is to Atiku’s eternal credit that he stood firm in pursuit of his conviction that the loyalty of public officers is to the constitution and not to individuals. This position will definitely be at variance with the disposition of a man of tyrannical antecedents like Tinubu, who in exhibition of undemocratic tendencies fought his female Deputy Governor, Mrs Kofo Akereke-Bucknor, until she was removed from office. The treatment he gave to Mr Femi Pedro was not any better. Why then did he focus on the jot in someone’s eyes while overlooking the log on his own?”

Continuing, the campaign spokesman said “the removal of Tinubu’s first deputy governor from office was a gross betrayal of Afenifere, who had nominated the former deputy governor as part of the group’s understanding for supporting Tinubu’s election as governor of Lagos State. This conduct is proof that Tinubu cannot be trusted with power.”

The First Lady Aisha Buhari has been rushed to an Abuja hospital (name withheld) after suffering a leg fracture at the weekend, DAILY NIGERIAN can exclusively report.

Detail of the incident leading to the injury is still sketchy as sources simply said “she fell down and suffered leg fracture”.

Prior to the incident, DAILY NIGERIAN gathered the first lady is billed to host a wedding reception in honour of Bilkisu Rimi, the daughter of Nigerian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, UAE, Mohammed Rimi, on Sunday night at the Presidential Villa.

Sources however said she may not attend the dinner tonight.

The Office of the First Lady did not respond to DAILY NIGERIAN inquiry at the time of filing this report.

The Federal Government has commenced moves to confiscate the assets of identified terrorism financiers and their associates in line with international counter-terrorism recommendations.

Sunday PUNCH reliably gathered that security and intelligence agencies were scouting for the physical assets, including companies and bank accounts of individuals and groups indicted for terrorism in the country.

Already, 18 persons, entities and companies have been added to the Nigeria Sanctions List under the supervision of the Nigeria Sanctions Committee, a multi-agency panel created by the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The groups include the Indigenous People of Biafra, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, the Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda terrorist groups and 13 persons convicted for financing Boko Haram.

IPOB’s major source of funding has been attributed to contributions from Diaspora members and sympathisers through dedicated online platforms and overseas-based bank accounts, while the other entities are believed to fund their activities through ransoms from kidnappings, cattle rustling, robberies and illegal tax on communities under their control.

The 16-member sanctions committee is chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

Other members include the ministers of finance, foreign affairs and interior, as well as the National Security Adviser; the Director-General, Department of State Services; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria; Inspector-General of Police; and the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Also on the committee are the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission; Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency; Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service; Director-General, National Intelligence Agency; representative of the Chief of Defence Staff; Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Offences; the Director of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit as secretary; and any other relevant person or institution that the President may incorporate into it.

Among others, the committee has powers to formulate and provide general policy guidelines on designations made under sections 49, 53 and 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and advise on the effective implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions related to terrorism financing and proliferation financing, and allied instruments of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States.

It can also recommend to the AGF appropriate sanctions including travel ban, freezing of funds, assets seizure, and other economic interests of persons and entities designated under the United Nations Consolidated List or under the Nigeria List.

Our correspondent had reported that the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had earlier been indicted by the ECOWAS financial intelligence agency, the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, for not going after the assets of convicted terrorists.

In response to the development, the government, it was learnt, had identified 96 financiers of terrorism, including 424 associates/supporters of the financiers, whose assets would be confiscated after due legal process had been concluded.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed in February that the intelligence agencies had unmasked 123 companies and 33 Bureaux De Change linked with terrorism.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that a massive search and freeze campaign for all the assets of terrorists and terrorism sponsors was ongoing.

Giving an update on the initiative on Thursday, a senior Justice ministry official stated, “At the last sitting of the Sanctions Committee last week, we identified several assets belonging to the terrorists and their sponsors, but we have not started seizing the assets; we are working on that. We will get court orders to freeze and forfeit the assets.

“We are still looking at companies that have terrorism financing elements; once we have identified that and of course investigations will have to identify those that have assets. We will then file ex parte motions, but we have not got there yet.

“However, we have identified the assets of six groups/entities and we are tracing other properties and companies owned by these people. In fact, the bulk of them were tried and convicted. All their accounts have been frozen, but we have not traced their physical assets. Those are the details we are working on; our investigators are tracing their physical assets.”

The director disclosed that 13 convicted sponsors of Boko Haram had been added to the Nigeria Sanctions List, a master list of all persons and institutions blacklisted for terrorism.

Those newly added to the sanctions list are Abdurrahaman Ado, Bashir Yusuf, Ibrahim Alhassan, Muhammad Isah, Salihu Adamu, Surajo Mohammad, Fannami Bukar, Muhammed Musa, Sahabi Ismail, Mohammed Buba, Alin Yar Yaya General Enterprises, K. Are Nigeria Limited and Suhailah Bashir General Enterprises.

The first six alleged sponsors of Boko Haram and the three enterprises were tried and convicted in 2020 by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal for transferring $782,000 from the United Arab Emirates to the insurgents.

A joint terrorism financing investigation between 2019 and 2021 established a link between one of the convicted terrorist financiers and the insurgents. The convict, who dealt in gold from artisanal mining in the North-West and North-Central, was said to have moved N560m.

Alin Yar Yaya General Enterprises was linked with Yusuf, who is serving a 10-year jail term in Abu Dhabi.

The company, whose address was given as No. 2 Danladi Auyo House, Wapa, Fagge Local Government Area, Kano, was registered on April 15, 2016.

Are Nigeria Limited, registered on September 19, 2019, was promoted by Surajo Muhammad, who is serving a life imprisonment in Abdu Dhabi for financing Boko Haram from Dubai.
Suhailah Bashir General Enterprises, registered on November 28, 2016, was linked to Yusuf, who is serving 10 years in UAE for collaborating with Boko Haram.

Both Yaya and Bashir Enterprises were added to the sanctions list on November 8, 2022.

On July 5, 2022, the sanctions committee added six other entities namely Jamaátu Ahlis Sunna Liddaáwati Wal-Jihad (Boko Haram), Islamic State West Africa Province, Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, the Indigenous People of Biafra, Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda terrorist groups.

Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda are bandit organisations declared terrorist groups on November 25, 2021, by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The groups’ activities started several years ago in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna and Sokoto states and they were said to have partnered with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, Boko Haram, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in carrying out major attacks aimed at raising terrorist financing within the bandits’ areas of influence.

In 2021, a total of 2,883 attacks were carried out by the groups, of which 51 were attacks on troops, while others were carried out on communities and commuters.

The sanctions committee in a notice to the Security and Exchange Commission dated November 10, 2022, said all capital market operators were required to immediately identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons and entities in their possession and report same to the secretariat of the Nigeria Sanctions Committee.

The operators were also directed to report to the secretariat any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the designation, including attempted transactions, pursuant to the provisions of Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The capital market operators were also expected to immediately file a suspicious transactions report to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit for further analysis on the financial activities of such an individual or entity; and equally make a suspicious transactions report to the NFIU, all cases of name-matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of the sanctions list.

The market operators were subsequently prohibited from dealings with the designated persons and entities and to continue to check for transactions relating to the designated person or entity and the actions to be taken if funds or other assets or suspect transactions were discovered.

“Note that this freezing obligation extends to all funds or other assets that are owned or controlled by the designated person or entity, and not just those that can be tied to a particular act, plot, or threat of terrorism or terrorism financing; those funds or other assets that are wholly or jointly owned or controlled directly or indirectly by designated persons or entities,” the notice read.

The search and freeze campaign involved all national enforcement agencies and the regulated private sector entities with specific mandate to immediately track, discover and freeze all funds, physical and financial assets, businesses, organisations and all other related entities to the terrorism sponsors.

The Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, Dr Umar Gwandu, confirmed that the initiative was designed to deny terrorists access to the financing they need to carry out their acts, thereby decimating their operations in order to ensure a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

He said, “The President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has been assiduously committed and unwaveringly working round the clock to bring to an end the terrorism challenge in the country.

“One of such deliberate and strategic efforts was the Nigeria Sanctions List, which was issued pursuant to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“The initiative was designed to deny terrorists access to the financing they need to carry out their acts, thereby decimating their operations in order to ensure a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

“In May 2022, five groups were designated in line with the proscription order earlier issued. In October 2022, an additional 10 individuals and three entities were added to the list.

“All financial institutions, designated non-financial businesses and professionals as well as any other entities or individuals are required to immediately seize and report any funds, assets or property they may have in their possession belonging to the designated entities and individuals.”


Security experts react

A security expert and former director, Department of State Services, Mike Ejiofor, advised the Federal Government to also arrest saboteurs within the security agencies, who collaborate with terrorist financiers.

Ejiofor said, “This isn’t new. Several arrests had been made in the past of financiers funding terrorists groups, and some of them are currently being prosecuted. It is good that the government and security agencies are working on arresting and prosecuting more. However, the only thing that will be new is if the Federal Government is saying that the security agencies, especially the intelligence agencies, have been re-equipped with tools to track and arrest terrorism financiers.

“However, this move by the government will certainly help curb insurgency, because when the source of supply for terrorists gets cut off, their lifespan would have been cut off, and they won’t be able to purchase arms and other things. However, the government shouldn’t just stop at arresting financiers, it needs to investigate and arrest saboteurs within the security agencies, who collaborate with these terrorists and their financiers. Without doing that, it will be impossible to end insecurity. We’ve had cases of operatives providing arms to terrorists or sabotaging operations.”

A security specialist, Dr Kabir Adamu, noted that some financial institutions, particularly commercial banks and Bureaux De Change, were culpable for laundering money for terrorists.

Adamu said, “Addressing terrorism financing is one of the requirements of the global efforts to fight terrorism and the Nigerian financial sector has been observed to be lagging behind in that regard. Hence, this is a good move by the government. The commercial banking sector and the BDCs need to be monitored, and they need to improve in this regard.

“For instance, it was reported that about 80 per cent of staff members of commercial banks are contract staff with no loyalty to the companies and no measures put in place to ensure their loyalty, and that makes them vulnerable to getting involved in money laundering and bribery.

“For example, my organisation, which is concerned with kidnap for ransom cases, this year alone, recorded at least five instances where the money (ransoms) was facilitated by bank workers. Those who do the abduction usually contract some bank employees to help them collect the money; however, we don’t know how they share the money, but it’s a big problem.

“There are also reported money laundering cases where the BDCs and commercial banks are involved. The move by the government is good, but the Federal Government needs to look deeply into our financial institutions.”

Claim: A post widely circulated on social media claimed that the London Metropolitan Police has found the sum of $8.5m in the residence of a Nigerian student in London and that a daughter of the Vice President of Nigeria Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was arrested in the street of the UK with huge money in her car.

Full-text: the video watermarked, “the Nigerian Vice President Daughter got Arrested in UK[sic]” has generated over 5000 likes, 1,000 comments, 7,000 shares, and 200,000 views within 24 hours.

The accompanying text reads: “Breaking News Nigeria Vice President Daughter Was Caught with Huge Amount of Dollars And was Arrested in UK �� watch to the end [sic].”

Reacting, a facebook user John Odey wrote, “And they’re still telling Nigerians that APC are not corrupt, what’s her occupation that have fetched her that wealth [sic].”

Another user Duru Ethelbert wrote, “This people have killing this country Nigeria we need to chase atiku and tinubu out of this country they have distroy Nigeria, election is between light and darkness, Nigerias please see the light this criminal have seeing commoners finish let’s vote them out and regain our respect, regards, destiny and future from the hand of darkness of PDP and apc [sic].”

Verification: results of checks by PRNigeria revealed that Nigerian blogs Nairaland and Naijaloaded reported a similar story in 2018 claiming that a Nigerian student was arrested with huge amount of US Dollars in an apartment in London.

The reports state that: “Unbelievable! The Bailiffs in London stormed a Nigerian house which owes some money only to discover $8.5 million stacked away in a cabinet,” the blogs published.

A man said to be the owner of the apartment where the money was found was heard in the footage speaking in Yoruba.

Reports by the blogs translated his phone call in Yoruba, “mi o ti wole” and translated as “I’m in a mess.” However, PRNigeria observed that the real translation of “mi o ti wole” is “I am yet to enter.”

Another local media organisation IgebreTvNews, also reported same in 2018 claiming.that the suspect was identified to be the brother of one Samuel Osinbajo who lives in Victoria Island of Lagos state.


Original Story in 2014

Meanwhile, PRNIgeria observed that BBC News and DailyMail were the first to have reported the incidence of the discovery in June 2014, not in 2018 or recently as being widely circulated.

The DailyMail’s report disclosed that, “A television crew recording a documentary about bailiffs were stunned to find £5 million stashed in a wooden box hidden in a flat.

“$8.5million, the equivalent of about £5million, was found by the crew stuffed in a wooden box hidden in the apartment in Silvertown, east London.”

The report further indicated that a 29-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

He had since been released on bail until mid-August, the report concluded.

Furthermore, to verify the status of the DailyMail report involving the Nigerian student, PRNigeria reached out to the London Metropolitan Police seeking an update on the fate of the case and the identity of the suspect since April 2014, about eight years ago when it was reported.

The Metro police are yet to respond as of the time of publishing this fact-check.

Conclusion: PRNigeria’s investigation reveals that the report in question first surfaced in the media in 2014 even before the current administration. The report since then have been reported with different mischievous slants on blogs by content creators with various claims especially in 2018 and now (November 2022) after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the redesign of naira notes.

Therefore PRNigeria concludes that the claim that the daughter of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was arrested this week with a huge amount of money in the UK is UNSUBTANTIATED and largely FALSE.

However, claims that a Nigerian student identified to be a brother of one Samuel Osinbajo remains UNVERIFIED.

Feedback from the London Metropolitan Police seeking an update and identity of the Nigerian involved in the 2014 report will be communicated in the second part of this fact-check.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate removal of Mohammed Fadah as the director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), TheCable understands.

According to sources, the president’s decision was taken on Thursday, and comes amid concerns over “incompetence”.

Fadah’s reported removal comes months after he assumed office — he took over in May 2022 and became the 19th person to hold the position of NYSC DG.

Among his plans for the NYSC at the time of his appointment included “improvement of security and welfare of corps members; enhancement of staff welfare; and improving the gains of NYSC ventures”.

Other areas listed in his plans for the corps are “sustaining the digitisation of the operations of the scheme; and deepening NYSC’s impact on rural development through community development service”.

Meanwhile, following his reported removal, Fadah is said to have been asked to hand over to the most senior official within the NYSC.

The senior official who takes over from Fadah is expected to act as DG of the corps pending the announcement of a new appointment.

By Tony Chukwunyem

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is likely to devalue the naira after elections in February by the steepest margin in six years to align it with market perceptions, according to a survey of investors and analysts conducted by Bloomberg.

In a report yesterday, the news agency said that of the 13 participants in its poll, 11 expected the CBN to devalue the naira after the election while the remaining two predicted that the apex bank would continue with a gradual depreciation of the currency that started with the adoption of the more flexible NAFEX, also known as the investors and exporters exchange rate, last year.

The report quoted head of research at SBM Intelligence, Ikemesit Effiong, as saying: “There will be a major devaluation either on President Muhammadu Buhari’s way out or in the first few months of the new administration.”

The median estimate is for the expected devaluation to weaken the naira by as much as a fifth, that would take the local currency to N533 per dollar.

Last month, Bank of America Corp. Economist Tatonga Rusike gave a similar prediction. The median of 10 participants in the Bloomberg poll sees the fair value of the local unit at 583 per dollar.

Naira forward contracts are pricing in a depreciation of about one third over the next year. A markdown between 20 per cent and 33 per cent would be the largest since 2016. The naira has weakened 4.5 per cent against the greenback this year. A devaluation would likely push up annual inflation that’s at a 17-year high of 21.1 per cent — although it’s already been impacted by the weaker parallel market rate — and cause a one-off increase in the ratio of public debt to gross domestic product, said Mark Bohlund, senior credit research analyst at REDD Intelligence.

Debtservice costs consumed 83 per cent of government revenue in the eight months through August, according to the budget office. “More materially, the fiscal balance would improve due to the majority of revenue, that is from oil, being dollar-denominated, while expenditure is naira-denominated,” Bohlund said. Nigeria, Africa’s secondlargest crude producer, relies on oil and gas for about 90% of its export revenue. The scale of the devaluation may be influenced by who wins the presidential vote, said Daniel Sodimu, sub-Saharan Africa analyst at FrontierView, who estimates the naira’s fair value at N650 against the dollar.

“If a pro-business leader wins the election, then it is likely a devaluation would be sizable enough to make Nigeria’s economy smaller than South Africa’s, using the official rate to convert,” Sodimu said. Such a move would help stop the shortage and rationing of dollars, which have been a drag on business operations in the country and an overall disincentive to invest in Nigeria, he said. Anincumbentpartyretaining power may see modest changes such as “the current crawling adjustments to the exchange rate will remain, so it will keep Nigeria as the largest economy, on paper,” Sodimu said.

Brigadier-General Audu Ogbole James, Director of Finance at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, is dead.

The General lost his life after a corporal identified as Abayomi Edun crushed him at the barracks on Tuesday night.

The deceased was reportedly walking to his residence when the corporal driving an SUV with number plate EKY 177 FX, hit him.

Edun was said to be under alcoholic influence at the time of the accident.

A source told Daily Trust that the deceased was rushed to the NAFRC Medical Centre where a doctor certified him dead.

In a statement, the set of James at National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, described the loss as shocking.

“Our indefatigable, humble, friendly bridge builder, the Monitor General SEC 40 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Brig Gen AO JAMES, mni just departed. He died from injuries sustained from a knock down on the road yesterday (15/11/22) evening in Lagos.”

“May his soul rest in peace. Our condolences to the family, AANI especially the SEC 40. May the Lord console all and grant the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss. So sad,” read the statement signed by ACM Kayode Olagunju.

According to the deceased’s profile on NARFC website, the late General had first and second degrees in Accounting and Finance. He was a fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and held memberships of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Nigerian Institute of Directors (MIoD), Chartered Institute of Taxation (ACTI), and the National Institute (mni).

The following Decorations/Honours were also awarded to him:

Meritorious Service Star (MSS)

Pass Staff College (PSC)

Members of the deadly Boko Haram Islamic sect on Tuesday killed over 20 women labelled as witches.

The women were reportedly kidnapped from Gwoza community in Borno, northeastern Nigeria.

SaharaReporters learnt that the terror group killed the women who were labelled as witches following the death of the children of a Boko Haram commander, identified as Ali Ngulde.

“Boko Haram commander, Ali Ngulde slaughtered about 20 women by slitting their throats after accusing them of being witches in Borno,” a military source told SaharaReporters on Tuesday.

“About 40 of them were abducted last week, over 10 were slaughtered in Gwoza town last Thursday and more than 10 were killed during the weekend.

“The women were all suspected of witchcraft after the sudden death of the children of the jihadist group's commander.”

In January 2022, members of the terrorist group invaded the police mobile training school in the Limankara in the Gwoza local government area of Borno State. Some were abducted in the process.

The training school is about 25 kilometres from Gwoza town, the hometown of Senator Ali Ndume, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has observed that the apparently unintended prayer by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the flag-off of his campaign in Jos on Tuesday is a confirmation of his innermost conviction that the PDP represents the hope and aspiration of the majority of Nigerians for a secure, prosperous future under a united country.

While addressing his supporters at the rally, the former Lagos State governor had ostensibly made a faux pas by praying to God to bless the rival PDP when he meant to mention APC.

He however corrected himself by saying “God bless APC.”

But a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the main opposition party, Debo Ologunagba, maintained that the fact that Tinubu made the prayer “during his flopped Presidential Campaign Flag-off in Jos, Plateau State is a pointer that it was not a slip of tongue but a divine proclamation that the hope for Nigeria, which he harped on can only come from the PDP.”

The PDP added: “It is instructive to note that the APC Presidential Candidate had earlier in his address, admitted that Nigerians were “in distress” under his failed APC but that hope is on the way.

“Since Asiwaju Tinubu’s prophetic blessing on the PDP, our Party has been receiving flurries of calls, solidarity messages and visits from key members of the APC, who believe that his prayer is a divine act of God to point the nation to the right direction.

“It is apparent that Asiwaju Tinubu was speaking under the ostensible weight of the recent revelation of his indictment for narcotic trafficking which has become a huge burden from which he cannot extricate himself and for which he has lost all moral and legitimate capacity to occupy the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This perhaps explains why Asiwaju Tinubu was incoherent and had no concrete message to Nigerians at the flag-off of his campaign.

“It was pathetic as Nigerians watched with pity as the APC Presidential Candidate who is dazed by the intimidating credentials and popularity of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, could not articulate any solution to the myriad of problems brought upon our nation by the failed APC which he boasted of having installed and superintends over as national leader.

“Asiwaju Tinubu could not proffer any solution or idea to the challenges of insecurity, disunity, unabated killings, rising unemployment, tumbling Naira, collapsing economy with unprecedented debts of over N40 trillion arising from somersaulting macro-economic policies of his failed and corrupt APC government.”

The PDP counselled the APC to note that “Nigerians are not ready to listen to a Presidential candidate like Asiwaju Tinubu, who continues to engage in insults, vituperations and uncontrolled outburst rather than focus on issue-based campaign.”

It advised the APC flag bearer to be more concerned with his narcotic link and inconsistencies in his personal biodata of name, age, ancestry, education and record of work which it said Nigerians have the right to know.

“Having prayed for the PDP as the hope of the nation, Nigerians expect Asiwaju Tinubu to have the courage to admit the fact that is already in the public domain, apologize to the nation and withdraw from the race,” the PDP declared.

Days after Nigerians woke up to an unusual increase in food commodity prices, reports show that the prices have now collapsed across many major markets in the country.

The announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria to redesign the major denominations of the country’s currency, the naira, triggered a rush for grains by people with large amounts of cash.

The prices of maize, rice, soybeans, millet and others across the different grains markets hit the roof, creating panic in the country.

Our correspondents across the states yesterday, however, reported that prices are now coming down, easing the tension in the value chain industries. In Kano State, our correspondent said the prices of grains in Dawanau International Grains Market were reported as going down.

Daily Trust gathered in the market that a 100kg bag of maize that was sold at N26,000 last Friday is now selling at N21,000, while a 100kg bag of millet that was sold last week at N27,000 is now N23,000 and the price of a 100kg bag of soybeans that skyrocketed to N37,000 has dropped to N31,000.

The price of a 100kg bag of sorghum that was N26,000, is now selling at N21,000.

A grains merchant in the market, Alhaji Danliti Abubakar Gama, told our correspondent that though they were optimistic that the prices would surely crash, but it was not as early as it happened.

He explained that within days after the federal government moved to redesign the naira, the market recorded a sharp increase in commodity prices of about 45% which he described as alarming.

He could not, however, explain the sudden crash in the price of the commodities now, noting that they are currently monitoring the trend to avoid losses.

Another merchant in the market, Alhaji Ibraheem Garba, attributed the crash in the prices of commodities to what is currently happening to the naira-to-dollar exchange rate.

He said ever since the decline in the exchange rate, prices of commodities in the market began to crash.

In Taraba, findings showed that prices of grains dropped more in Maihula, Jatau and Kungana grains markets.

The two markets are located in Bali LGA, about 250km from Jalingo, Taraba State capital, and is a major centre for farm produce merchants.

Our correspondent gathered that a 100kg bag of maize which was sold at N20,000 and N21,000 last week, is now sold at between N14,000 and N15,000 at Maihula, Kungana and Jatau grains markets.

Similarly, a 100kg bag of paddy rice which was sold at N20,000 has now dropped to N18,000 and a 100kg bag of soybeans that sold last week at N30,000 has now crashed to N20,000 and N21,000.

At Mutumbiyu, Tella and Iware markets, located not far from Jalingo, the price is higher than what is obtained in Maihula.

A 100kg bag of maize came down to N16,000 and N17,000 from N20,000 in Mutumbiyu market.

Likewise, a 100kg bag of paddy rice is now sold at N17,000 as against N20,000 and N21,000 which was the price last week.

Also, a 100kg bag of dried cassava which sold at N12,000, has now crashed to N6,000 and N7,000 at Mutumbiyu market.

Traders interviewed, however, attributed the crash of grain prices to the number of grain merchants coming to purchase farm produce in the area.

Awwal Musa, a trader at Mutumbiyu grains market, told Daily Trust that within a few days, many merchants have trooped to the market and made bulk purchases of farm produce thereby forcing prices to go up.

Awwal said, however, that only a few merchants are now coming to purchase grains in the markets across the state. In Kaduna State, a similar situation is reported in the last few days with a bag of maize, which was sold at N23,000 last week now sold at N19,000 in markets across the state.

Daily Trust reports that grain sellers at the Tudun Saibu Market of Soba LGA of Kaduna, and Monday market also in Kaduna, attribute the crash in prices to low patronage and possibly a fall in the dollar to naira rate.

Our correspondent, who visited the Tudun Saibu Market, gathered that a bag of local rice is also sold at N19,000 as against N21,000 last week while soybeans, which sold at N35,000 last Monday, is now sold at N29,000.

Mallam Sa’idu Aminu Soba, a grains dealer in the market, attributed the sudden fall in prices to lack of patronage and possibly the crash of the dollar rate to the naira.

“Last Thursday, bags of maize and local rice were sold each at N21,000 each while soybeans was sold at N35,000 per bag. Today, the price of maize and local rice is N19,000 and soybeans N29,000,” he said.


At the Kaduna Monday market, our correspondent gathered that the price of maize dropped from N23,000 to N19,000 while that of millet remained at N30,000.

“It’s true that the prices of grains are falling and maize in particular dropped from N23,000 per bag last week to N19,000 today. But millet remains at N30,000 per bag ,” said Zakari Yau, a grains dealer at the market.

Similarly, a survey of some markets in Niger State revealed that, a bag of maize goes for N22, 000 as against N24,000 while those of millet and sorghum are sold for N26,000 and N24,000 respectively.

Customers, however, complained of scarcity of millet and guinea corn in Niger markets.

Daily Trust also gathered that a bag of beans was sold at the cost of N32,000 while a bag of milled local rice was between N45,000 and N48,000.

Some traders and customers spoken to told our customers that the price of rice dropped this week from N51,000 despite the rise in demand.

However, the price of grains is skyrocketing in both local and urban markets in Benue and Nasarawa states.

A check by our correspondent in Benue showed that top on the list of price hike in the state are rice, maize and sorghum.

Benue and Nasarawa are famous in production of tuber crops.

As at Monday afternoon, a bag of locally milled rice sold at Wadata market for N34,000 as against a few days ago when it went for N32,000 per 50kg bag.

Also, the price of paddy rice went up to N40,000 per 100kg bag.

The price of maize snowballed to N40,000 per 100kg bag as against N30,000 it was sold last week while sorghum now goes for N35,000 at some markets at the outskirts of the state capital, Makurdi.

However, the price of millet remains at N36,000, while sesame still goes for N90,000 and soybean at between N50,000 and N55,000.

A trader, Terkimbi Sandra, said the prices of grains have not crashed but were rather going up by the hours in the state.

A similar situation is reported in Nasarawa State, where price of maize and paddy rice rose from N25,000 and N28,000 to N29,000 and N32, 000 respectively.

Sesame remained strong at N100,000 per 100kg bag.

However, observers said with the prices going down in major markets in many states, other markets are likely to respond.

A 16-year-old abducted female student of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State, has given birth to a child in captivity, PRNigeria can authoritatively report.

The young mother is among 11 remaining female students yet to be released after gunmen had abducted over 100 students and eight teachers and killed a police man in the mixed boarding school on June 17.

A few days after the abduction, security operatives succeeded in rescuing some of the students, while others escaped from the gunmen in the process of taking them away. The bandits also released the teachers and 30 of the students.

The girl, whose name could not be confirmed at press time, delivered a baby boy in the abductors’ forest camp, according to our sources.

One of the sources told PRNigeria that the parents of the 11 remaining schoolgirls in captivity expressed great concern despite payments of ransom and prisoner swaps with abductors at different times.

“When the government, especially Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, ruled out negotiation with the armed group, which demanded ransom, families of the abducted students contributed and paid the ransom for the release of their daughters

“It is disheartening that the bandits collected huge ransoms and married off some of the victims and yet refused to release the remaining abductees,” the source added.

By Daniel Ojukwu

On August 10, 2022, the United States District Court released documents that confirm Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), forfeited $460,000 proceeds of drug peddling.

Its 1993 ruling by Magistrate Rijcklo held that Tinubu and his associates peddled drugs “on a large scale and the operations were substantial”.

Rijcklo stated that the monies recovered “represent proceeds of narcotics trafficking and further represent property involved in money laundering in violation of 18 USC §§ 1956 and 1957”.

Since the report of his settlement deal became public, critics of his presidential ambition have called for a more extensive probe and trial to test his fitness for office. But Tinubu’s campaign council fired back, saying the call was an attempt to “wake up a dead horse”.

CONVICTION OR INDICTMENT? LEGAL TECHNICALITIES

On Friday, FIJ spoke with Benard Onigah, former secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association’s National Human Rights Committee. In a telephone interview with our reporter, he said the matter might be a good test for Nigeria’s judicial system.

Onigah said Nigeria’s common law is different from the US’ civil law. He said while in Nigeria, one is deemed innocent until proven guilty, the reverse is the case in the US, where one has to prove their innocence.

According to him, Tinubu’s inability to prove his innocence led to his indictment and forfeiture of funds.

Onigah, however, said that as the documents did not say the magistrate adjudged Tinubu to be guilty of the crime of drug peddling, he might be argued to not qualify as a convict in the eye of the Nigerian constitution.

Onigah said, “An ex-convict cannot hold elected offices in Nigeria. If it is seen that you are convicted for peddling drugs, you cannot and should not hold public office. However, it is left for a Nigerian court to decide if that amounts to a conviction.

“The certified true copy of the court proceedings in the US is very strong evidence however. Day-old lawyers know it was a plea bargain, and one does not bargain when they are right, you bargain to get a lesser sentence.

“Payment of fine amounts to a conviction. Conviction does not only mean going to prison. If you have to pay a fine, it means you are guilty of an offence.”

FORFEITURE WITHOUT CONVICTION

When FIJ asked if it was possible to forfeit that sum without a guilty verdict, Onigah said this was possible.

He said, “That is where there is difference between criminal jurisprudence between the US and Nigeria. In Nigeria, we are a common law jurisdiction, and you are said to be innocent until proven guilty, while in the US, you are guilty until proven innocent.”

Onigah said that by this, Tinubu was deemed guilty until he was able to prove he had not committed the crime he was accused of, and forfeiting the money showed he had not proven his innocence.

“What the court was telling Tinubu is, ‘You have monies in your account we know to be linked to a drug cartel. If you think this money is legitimate money; sold something legitimately to these drug barons, please come and tell us so that we release the money to you.’ When Tinubu was asked to do so, he could not,” Onigah added.

He said the plea bargain was for proceeds got from drugs in the US. Onigah, however, said it was up to a Nigerian court to determine “if that qualifies as a proper conviction under the Nigerian jurisprudence”.


WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Section 137, subsection 1(d) of the 1999 constitution as amended states, “A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if – he is under a sentence of death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or a sentence of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud (by whatever name called) or for any other offence, imposed on him by any court or tribunal or substituted by a competent authority for any other sentence imposed on him by such a court or tribunal.”

This provision means that if a Nigerian court deems the forfeiture to be a fine, Tinubu will be ineligible to run for office.

The provision is repeated in Section 182 of the constitution, which refers to eligibility to contest for governor. Tinubu became Lagos State Governor in 1999, six years after this forfeiture, and held office for eight years.

Media records have it that in 2003, the US Consulate Office in Lagos wrote Tafa Balogun, the then Inspector-General of Police, saying its records did not indict Tinubu of any wrongdoing anytime in the past within the territory of the United States of America.

Until the matter is decided by a Nigerian court of competent jurisdiction, Tinubu’s candidacy remains recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Bureau de change operators in Adamawa State are rejecting foreign currencies from customers due to growing uncertainty in the parallel market.

Some of the money changers interviewed at Jimeta Modern Market in Yola said they were apprehensive over the sudden and continued crash of the dollar which destabilized the parallel market.

The chairman, bureau de change operators association in Adamawa State, Lawan Mai Yasin, said the traders incurred heavy losses after they bought a dollar at around N870 from sellers before it suddenly crashed to N680.

He explained that many trades were wary of the situation which still looked bleak for the parallel market and decided to hold on and monitor the trend to avoid further losses.

“Traders have a large quantity of goods in stock which they purchased at high price before the prices suddenly nosedived and continued to go down in the weekend, so with the uncertainty in the market, many of us are no longer buying for now”, he said.

Some customers interviewed by Daily Trust said the bureau de change operators refused to buy dollars and other foreign currency notes from them during the weekend.

“Only one bureau de change agreed to buy dollars from me on Saturday because they had it in stock and did not want to risk buying more when the price was falling dramatically. Even when I found a buyer on Sunday the price was too low, that I decided to keep my money for now”, a customer working with a foreign company said.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has seized no fewer than 97 property from different individuals in the past four years.

The list of seized assets include 33 buildings, plots of land and a factory forfeited to the Federal Government by a former accountant with the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Dr Jimoh Olatunde.

The anti-graft agency disclosed these to Sunday PUNCH in response to a Freedom of Information request.

Olatunde is the prosecution witness in a case of official corruption and abuse of office brought against Prof Dibu Ojerinde, a former head of the National Examination Council and later JAMB registrar.

The ex-JAMB accountant was believed to have acted as proxy for Ojerinde.

The ICPC in an 18-count accused Ojerinde of diverting public funds estimated at about N5.2bn while he was the head of NECO and JAMB.

Olatunde, who was also the Deputy Director and Head of Treasury, NECO, revealed how Ojerinde allegedly diverted N341.9m from the examination body to set up a personal printing press, school and buildings.

The witness, who testified before the High Court of Niger State, Minna, told the trial judge, Justice Abdullahi Mikailu, that N216,297,443 was deceitfully withdrawn from NECO account for payment for 17 fictitious printing contracts, which were used for establishing the printing press.

Also, no fewer than 1,233 bank accounts have been frozen by the anti-graft commission between 2019 and now.

However, 60 of the accounts belonging to 15 persons, who were investigated for corruption, have been finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

The accounts contained N547.7m and $669,248.89 in total.

A former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari, lost $669,248.89 and N24,289,910.89 to the Federal Government.

The money was lodged in Yari’s two personal accounts and the accounts operated by his companies, BT Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited and Kayatawa Nigeria Limited.

The sums of N217,388,040 and $311,872 found in a bank account belonging to BT Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited and another N11,159,674.80 and $301,319.99 kept in an account belonging to Kayatawa Nigeria Limited were also forfeited to the government.

Also, the ICPC has placed under interim forfeiture 29 duplexes in different estates in Jabi, Maitama, Kaduna, Zamfara and Abuja allegedly belonging to the ex-governor, who is currently on trial for corruption.

The ICPC had accused Yari, a two-term governor, of not being truthful in his assets declaration.

It accused him of diverting Zamfara State’s funds, using some companies, including Kayatawa Nigeria Limited and B T Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.

It alleged that on June 18, 2015, BT Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited received a transfer of N150m from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum through Yari, who was then the chairman of the forum.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, subsequently granted a motion by the ICPC seeking permanent forfeiture of the funds.

It could not be ascertained if Yari had appealed the forfeiture order as his lawyer, Mahmoud Magaji, could not be reached for comments on Saturday. He did not respond to calls and he had yet to reply to an SMS sent to his mobile telephone.

The ICPC stated that its motivation for seeking the orders was because “the victim of the alleged crime is the Zamfara State Government and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria and innocent taxpayers, which include judges of courts across Nigeria.”

Other individuals whose property were also forfeited include a Ministry of Niger Delta worker, Daniel Obah, who had plots of land in different parts of Abuja and Rivers State; an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil, Edike Akpan; Joseph Udoh, a retired Federal High Court official; and Adedeji Taofi, who forfeited a school.

A businessman, Lukumanu Waziri, similarly lost an unregistered Pontiac car, Peugeot 406, Range Rover Evoque and an unregistered Lexus, as well as bungalow, land, shoe and other personal items to the government.

One Adenike Bintu forfeited two plots of land along Airport Road, Abuja, while Okroghene Akpore lost parcels of land and a duplex.

Kabiru Poloma equally forfeited several plots of land in Gombe State, a multipurpose complex and two hotels – Donkay Hotel and Suites and Snamai Suites.

Also on the list is Adam Yusuf, who forfeited residential buildings in Idu, Abuja, while one Babangida Aliyu also lost a Mercedes Benz car to the government.

The commission in the accompanying letter to the FoI request dated September 27, 2022 and signed by the Director, Legal Services, Henry Emore, stated, “Funds in the 60 accounts operated by different banks have been finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the funds transferred to the ICPC Recovery Account domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria for onward transmission to the Consolidated Revenue Fund since the victim in these cases is the Federal Government.”

Commenting on the development, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Rafsanjani, said the seizures proved that corruption was still alive in Nigeria.

“This further proves that there is still corruption in Nigeria as against what politicians say. They always dismiss the fact that there is still corruption in Nigeria. The ICPC has only exposed the nitty gritty of what is going on in the country,” Rafsanjani stated.

He, however, commended the anti-graft agencies for their continued fight against corruption, noting, “The ICPC is doing a great job in fighting corruption without political antics and we must commend what they are doing. They are one of the agencies doing their job quietly and we enjoin other security agencies to do the same. They do the work and we are seeing the results.” But a legal practitioner, Nanfwang Ayuba, said fighting corruption must be supported by ordinary Nigerians, noting that nobody should be seen to be above the law.

Ayuba said, “If we are able to show that nobody is above the law and everybody is equal before the law, then we can say we are winning the war against corruption. However, if there is a perception that the fight is selective or cosmetic, then we are not going to win the war. Corruption should be fought holistically.

“Justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be manifestly done. Until we get there, I will say that the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies are just making attempts in fighting corruption.”

Another legal practitioner, Sani Rabiu, however, said the anti-corruption agencies were carrying out selective justice, which should be improved upon.

Calling for improvement in anti-corruption strategies, he said, “We need a lot of improvement in the fight against corruption because it appears that the agencies that are charged with such responsibilities are not carrying out their jobs as expected.

“Ordinarily, if there is an allegation of corruption against any Nigerian regardless of that person’s political party or location, they should be investigated fairly and justly.

“But it appears that that is not what they are doing. They are still carrying out selective justice. We cannot score them zero, but as a matter of fact, they need to reorganise their mode of operation.”

Indications have emerged that politicians who stashed billions of Naira outside the banking system to prosecute the 2023 general election have moved against the planned reintroduction and redesign of Nigeria’s currency by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), THISDAY has learnt.These politicians, it was learnt, have mobilised the National Assembly to pass a resolution against the Naira redesign as several lawmakers may have stockpiled cash for the 2023 general election.

On October 26, 2022, CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had announced the plan to redesign the Naira to control the money supply.The redesigned notes include N200, N500 and N1,000.According to the apex bank, new N200, N500, and N1,000 notes will go into circulation from December 15, while the current notes will cease to be legal tender by January 31, 2023.

THISDAY gathered that this monetary tool aimed at fighting corruption, checkmating money laundering, eliminating counterfeits, and ending the hoarding of the Naira by kidnappers and others, has thrown politicians who stashed billions of the Nigerian currency ahead of the 2023 general election into confusion.It is estimated that about 84 per cent of the N12.73 trillion in circulation is outside the banking system, precisely in the hands of corrupt politicians, kidnappers, traders and criminal elements.These elements, who do not bank their funds, are involved in money laundering and currency round-tripping using the black market as the alternative foreign exchange window.

Investigation revealed that many of the politicians who have perfected plans of rigging next year’s election through vote-buying and had stock-pilled the Naira in their houses, offices and other hidden places, have perfected plans to ambush this apex bank’s initiative, which has received accolades from President Muhammadu Buhari and financial and economic experts.

THISDAY gathered that these politicians who feared that they might not return billions of Naira into the banking system within the three months – November 2022 to January 2023 specified by the CBN without breaching the Money Laundering Act and attracting the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are mobilising some members of the National Assembly to pass a resolution against the Naira redesign.

Multiple sources close to the federal lawmakers told THISDAY last night that these politicians want the National Assembly to pass a resolution directing the CBN to shift the Naira redesign till after the 2023 general election.

“These politicians are believed to have kept large amounts of cash in their houses and other hidden places and they believe that three months will be too short for them to return these funds to the banks without being indicted by the EFCC for money laundering and other related crimes,” one of the sources told THISDAY.To show that the policy has his firm backing, President Buhari had last Wednesday declared that there was no going back on the planned redesign of the bank notes and that three months was enough for Nigerians to deposit the current notes at the banks.

He had also vowed that politicians won’t be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate voters in the 2023 general election. The president, who made this known recently in an interview in the United Kingdom after meeting with His Royal Majesty, King Charles III in Buckingham Palace, also said enough time had been given by the CBN for Nigerians to deposit the present naira notes at banks in exchange for the newly redesigned ones.“On this change of currency, there will be a lot of money but time has been given from October to December, three months is enough for whatever money you have, to get it changed through the legal system.

“So, I don’t know why people are complaining about it,” the president said.He also said the policy announced by the CBN Governor, Emefiele, has come to stay.“No going back,” Buhari said of the decision to redesign the three naira notes. “My aim is to make sure that Nigerians believe that we respect them as an administration.

“So, Nigerians should vote for whoever they like from whichever political party. Nobody will be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate people in any constituency. That is what I want to go down in Nigerian history as a leader.”It will however require the strong backing of President Buhari for the CBN to resist any moves by federal lawmakers to truncate the deployment of this monetary tool.

By Olatunji Omirin

The Shura Council of the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) has banned naira as a means of transaction for the illegal tax it collects from peasant farmers and fishermen.

This is as a result of the Nigerian government’s move to redesign and reissue higher denominations of its currency.

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), N200, N500, and N1000 notes will be reissued by December and by January 31,2023, the old notes will cease to be legal tender.

It was gathered that this move threw the ISWAP population in the Tumbus of Lake Chad into confusion.

According to the Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region, the insurgents switched to the West African CFA as currency of trade in the area.

ZagaZola claimed that the terrorists had also banned all Nigerian fishermen, herdsmen and farmers from sneaking into the Lake Chad through Marte, Abadam, and Gamborun Ngala in order to prevent the naira from reaching into the camps of the terrorists in the Lake Chad.

Ibn Umar and Malam Ba’ana, the ISWAP Militant Commanders in charge of taxes and levies, who imposed the ban, said the people were only allowed to come through safe routes established by the terror group – Bulgaram, Cikka, Guma, Maltam, Doron Liman and Ramin Dorina villages in Cameroon Republic.

In exchange, ISWAP collects 1,500 West African CFA Francs, monthly taxes from the people who appear very willing to pay.

They have also secured trade routes for merchants, to enable them accesses foodstuffs, weapons, fuel and other logistics.

The Nigerian authorities are yet to react to the latest development, but there have been denials from government that terrorists are not controlling any part of the country.

It is striking that three sisters who are pilots, and took after their dad in that regard, are billed to participate in the 2022 Lagos Women Run on November 12.

This year, the 10 km road race “will be going on a loop starting from TBS, towards Awolowo Road, Falomo Bridge through Olusola down and finishing at Onikan,” according to Tayo Popoola, the coordinator of the event. “We are expecting about 25,000 runners in the categories of the elites and the fun runners,’’ she said.

The event, which has a one-million-naira prize money for the winner, transcends sports. The organisers say it provides a platform for the advancement of women in society, and describe it as one of its kind among global races. Support from the Lagos State government underlines the significance of the race.

The participation of the Makinde pilot sisters, Mopelola, Oluwaseun and Oluwafunmilayo, is good for the women’s cause. As female pilots, they will be helping to send a strong message to encourage women, and especially girls, who continue to face challenges related to negative gender stereotypes in a male-dominated environment.

”As much as I want people to learn from me, that’s me pouring out. I also want to learn from others… I am looking forward to meeting other women in other sectors to also learn from them,” Oluwafunmilayo Makinde-Marcus, a corporate pilot, said. Other women whose careers can inspire womenfolk are expected to enrich the event. Perhaps the beauty of this unique road race is its power to empower females by inspiring them to soar above gender-based limitations created by the male-controlled society.

Female pilots are still rare, especially in Africa. In 2021, only six percent of pilots globally were women, according to the Ninety Nines International Organisation of Women Pilots, the oldest group of women pilots with about 6,000 members from 44 countries worldwide.

This shows why the pilot sisters are special. Oluwafunmilayo, in particular, is different. She is a fixed-wing pilot. Her father and two sisters are helicopter pilots. She is the youngest of her parents’ seven children who are all females.

“I would run out of the house when I heard the sound of a plane… it was so beautiful to behold,” she said in an interview. That’s how the dream started, “to be a pilot of planes specifically.” Her biggest inspiration was her mother who “encouraged me not to give up on my dream despite the odds.”

After earning a first degree in Computer Science at Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, she had a stint in the Fin Tech/ Technology sector before deciding on a career switch. She was relatively comfortable, she said, and many people who knew her were surprised, partly because she chose to move to the aviation sector. ”But a dream is a dream, and passion is passion,” she stressed. She went to flying school, and became a pilot.

Factors that contributed to her success include parental support, education, passion, determination, courage, and self-belief. This may well be true of her two sisters who are also pilots. Their stories are inspirational, and teach positive lessons.

The importance of education in the mix needs to be emphasised. On the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, the United Nations notably observed that “Girls around the world continue to face unprecedented challenges to their education.” The situation is grave in Nigeria, which is said to account for more than one in five out-of-school children anywhere in the world.

The international body advocates engagement with government officials, policymakers and stakeholders ”to make more targeted investments that tackle inequalities experienced by girls.” It also calls for engagement with “key female influencers across industries to be the face of change we want girls to see as possible.”

The three pilot sisters can be seen as positive role models. It is commendable that they are playing a noteworthy role in advancing the women’s cause in Nigeria.

Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, Saturday Telegraph has gathered that leaders in the Northern part of the country have moved to ensure that the region presents a consensus presidential candidate.

Sources in the know told our correspondent in separate chats that many leaders in the North are favourably disposed to the candidature of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Our people have resolved to adopt a consensus candidate for 2023 and the person they have picked is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the PDP,” the source, who pleaded not to be named, said.

The source, who is a prominent member of the Northern Elders Forum, also stated that prominent leaders in the North have been mounting pressure on the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to drop his bid for the Adamawa State-born former VP.

“I can tell you that our leaders in the North have commenced moves to pressurise Senator Kwankwaso to drop his presidential bid for Atiku Abubakar in the interest of our people,” the source said.

Findings by our correspondent within the Kwankwaso camp revealed that the former Kano State governor has remained adamant to the pressures being pilled at him, with a vow to go ahead with his bid.

“Madugu (Kwankwaso’s sobriquet) has been bombarded with calls and visitations from prominent leaders in the North to drop his bid for Waziri (Atiku’s traditional title) but he (former Kano governor) has remained adamant,” a source within the NNPP told our correspondent. According to the source, Kwankwaso’s refusal might not be unconnected to the circumstances that led to his exit from the PDP, which people close to him said was very unpalatable.

“It would be difficult for Madugu to support the PDP because of the way some people close to Alhaji Atiku treated him when he was there, so such possibility is very remote,” the source said. When prodded to be more categorical on the options opened to the former minister, the source said, “I think even if he drops his bid, the only person Madugu would back is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.”

The Senator representing Borno South senatorial district, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has called for a 50 per cent slash in the salaries of the National Assembly members in order to recoup money and allocate same to meet the pressing demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Ndume made the call on Friday in Maiduguri, Borno State capital while reacting to the October half salary payment to the University teachers by the federal government.

Ndume, a former Senate Leader, advised the federal government to constitute a high-powered standing committee of respected educationists and patriotic Nigerians to meet with the ASUU leadership to address the lingering burning issues.

The lawmaker said, “Even if it means that the National Assembly will reduce sitting allowances or be paid on casual allowances basis whenever they sit at the Lower and Upper Chambers, by cutting the recurrent expenditure in the budget of the federal lawmakers to settle the ASUU arrears, let it be. It will be in the overall national interest of Nigerians.

“We only assemble twice or so per week and get paid as such.

“Civil servants worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and were paid their full salaries and allowances monthly. So, why will the federal government cut university lecturers’ salaries because they went on legitimate strike action in which, constitutionally, they are fighting for their rights and privileges?

“As a matter of priority and as a public servant in the legislative chamber, we don’t work; so why don’t you just give us half salary and then pay ASUU?

“It is high time they resolve the issue once and for all even if they have to borrow or make supplementary budgets.

“We are budgeting N20.5 trillion for 2023, I don’t see any reason why the government will not budget N1trillion to address the lingering challenges of the education sector including ASUU strikes.

“For eight months, students were at home doing nothing and they are the public and we are the public servants. In the budget for 2023, the overhead is 43 per cent.

“If you can spend N8.3trillion on public servants why don’t you spend N1trillion in public universities?

“Some of those involved in the negotiations do not have children in public universities.

“How can you be talking about something that you have no stake in? I don’t have a child in public schools, all my children are schooling outside the country; most politicians are like that too, and they are the ones negotiating.

“With this, to me, we will not get anywhere. Even if we got somewhere it will be temporary because other people will be playing to the gallery.

“Some of them will be claiming to be defending the interest of the federal government and the others will be pretending to be defending the interest of the masses and at the end, they are only playing to the gallery,” Ndume stated.

With no end in sight to the crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s leadership has concluded arrangements to meet former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan within the week. The planned meeting is aimed at finding a lasting solution to the crisis that has involved the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and what is now referred toastheG-5Governorsgroup within the party.

The G-5 governors include Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. According to a former member of the National Working Committee of the PDP and now a prominent figure in the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, the party was equipped with a credible intelligence that the five governors were sympathetic to the former president.

He said the initial plan was to sustain some alternative plots around the G-5 governors until the Bauchi governor came up with his demand for apology from Atiku. “We have ample intelligence that these recalcitrant governors are inspired by Jonathan; and this is quite unfortunate.

He benefitted from this party and it is bad that he is encouraging Governors Nyesom Wike, Makinde, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi and Ortom to behave the way they are doing. He knows these five governors are fighting his cause.

“We got so convinced about this when the Bauchi Governor, Bala Mohammed, brought in his own angle to it.

That was unnecessary and we all know that Bala is the closest northern politician to Jonathan, whether in power or not.

“So, what the party has resolved to do, among others, is to send a powerful delegation to the former president to plead with him to intervene. The delegation is not going to accuse the former president, but to merely plead with him to forgive Atiku, because we already know what is brewing underground.

“That is one of the reasons we cannot afford to appease them perpetually because there is nothing the party does that can satisfy them. So, do we satisfy those in minority and lose the majority? It is a big no. We will forge ahead and win without Wike and his group. “Already, the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) has tentatively approved that all concerned chapters are fortified with focus on certain personalities who have influence in their various states. And when the time comes, Nigerians will know that the G-5 or whatever you call them, are a powerless minority,” he said.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, had on Monday, demanded an apology from Atiku for not exercising enough trust in him as the vice chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council for North East. As at press time, four of the G5 governors in the meeting were Nyesom Wike Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Okezie Ikpeazu. Governor Seyi Makinde was, however, absent from the meeting. Wike said they were on a solidarity visit to Mohammed and to also discuss ways they can intervene regarding some challenges surrounding his re-election bid. On his part, Governor Mohammed appreciated the show of concern and said some of the issues as anti-party challenges and treachery in the state.

By Seun Adeuyi

Democrat Tony DeLuca, a Pennsylvania state representative in the United States who died last month, was “reelected” during the midterm elections.

DeLuca died October 9, 2022, after a brief battle with lymphoma, a disease he twice previously beat. He died at the age of 85.

Fox News quoted the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as saying he was Pennsylvania’s longest-serving state representative.

In a tweet, Pennsylvania House Democrats said, “While we’re incredibly saddened by the loss of Representative Tony DeLuca, we are proud to see the voters continue to show their confidence in him and his commitment to Democratic values by re-electing him posthumously. A special election will follow soon.”

Some observers speculate that many voters chose DeLuca knowing he was dead in order to force a special election rather than vote for his third-party opponent, according to local reporter Charlie Wolfson.

DeLuca’s opponent, Queonia Livingston, reportedly ran on a decidedly left-wing platform, putting her three main priorities on her website as environmental justice, ending the war on drugs and reducing gun violence.

About eight US politicians of Nigerian descent were elected in the ongoing midterm elections in America.

There is uncertainty over the fate of the governorship candidates in four states as litigations continue to trail the primaries of the two leading political parties.

Daily Trust reports that six months after the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) conducted their governorship primaries, litigations are threatening the chances of the two parties to participate in the March 11, 2023 governorship primaries.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed the governorship and state houses of assembly poll for March 11, 2023. Chairman of the electoral body, Professor Mahmood Yakubu had on Monday, said the commission is confronted with over 600 cases arising from primaries of the various political parties for the 2023 general elections.

INEC had on October 4 published the final list of nominated candidates by political parties for governorship and state houses of assembly election.

However, the primaries that brought in the candidates of the APC in Adamawa and Taraba states have been nullified even as those of the PDP in Ogun and Zamfara states have suffered the same fate.

It would be recalled that the litigations that trailed the primaries of the APC in Zamfara State in 2019, cost the party all the elective positions including the governorship seat in the state. The party however reclaimed the state when the governor, Bello Matawalle led key players in the PDP back to the APC.


Again, court nullifies Zamfara PDP’s primary

For the second time in seven weeks, a federal High Court in Gusau, on Monday, nullified the Zamfara State PDP governorship primary that produced Dauda Lawal Dare as the party’s flag bearer.

Justice Aminu Aliyu Bappa ruled that the party has no candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

In September, the court nullified Dare’s election as PDP’s governorship flag bearer following a suit by a former federal lawmaker, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Gusau. Gusau, who had contested the primary against Dare, had approached the court seeking the nullification of the election, alleging gross irregularities.

However, one week after the judgement, the party conducted a rerun and Alhaji Dauda Lawal Dare was re-elected as the party’s candidate for the Zamfara governorship election.

Not satisfied with the development, Gusau went to court for the second time, seeking the declaration of the September governorship rerun null and void, saying that the exercise had contravened the electoral guidelines.

Delivering the judgement, Justice Bappa said the party had contravened section 82 subsection 1 of the electoral act and that was what made the court invoke section 84 subsection 13 of the electoral act and ruled that the party cannot field any candidate for the forthcoming 2023 governorship election. The court also restrained the first defendant from forwarding the name of the third defendant as its governorship candidate for the 2023 general election over non-compliance to section 84 and subsection 1 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The court also restrained the fifth defendant from publishing the third defendant’s name as the governorship candidate in Zamfara State over non-compliance to section 82 subsection 1 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Ibrahim Ali, said the new electoral guidelines stated that any party conducting the primary must give INEC at least 21 days’ notice before the conduct of the exercise. He said PDP flouted the provision of the act in conducting the second primary.

“In the same vein, any party conducting a primary election must also notify the contestants in that election at least seven days before the commencement of the exercise and the PDP flouted the law. That is why the court ruled that the party has no candidate for the 2023 governorship election,” he said. Acting Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmad Lugga told Daily Trust that they would study the judgement and take the next action.


Binani, Bwacha, Adebutu fight to reclaim tickets

The trio of Aishatu Binani (APC, Adamawa), Emmanuel Bwacha (APC, Taraba) and Ladi Adebutu of the PDP in Ogun State are battling to regain their seats after they were sacked by the courts.

The battle for the governorship tickets of the APC and PDP in the three states has shifted to the appellate court as Binani, Bwacha and Adebutu struggle to reclaim their seats.

Daily Trust reports that a Federal High Court in Yola had nullified the APC governorship primary that produced Binani. The primary was nullified on October 14 following a suit by a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, who alleged votes buying, over-voting and delegate inducement.

In Taraba, a Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda, had on September 20, sacked Bwacha sequel to litigation by one of the governorship aspirants, Chief David Kente.

Similarly, a Federal High Court in Abeokuta on September 27 nullified the primary election of the PDP in Ogun State that produced Ladi Adebutu as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 general election. The court ordered that the party should hold an all-encompassing primary with the duly elected delegates.


INEC must stand by rules of the game – Dons

A renowned political analyst, Professor Kamilu Sani Fage noted that the plethora of litigations that trailed the gubernatorial primary elections of the two major political parties was just another indication that the majority of the politicians are not true democrats, advising the electoral umpire to stand by the rules of the game regardless of whose ox is gored.

“Many of them go into the process with the mindset of rigging their ways to power; so it becomes a rat race of who out-rigs the other and if that doesn’t happen, they go to court and try their luck there,” he said, adding that going into the election, this would lead to confusion because parties that are not able to resolve the problem maybe until the late hour may suffer from the new electoral rules.

The professor of political science at Bayero University, Kano (BUK) also said this may likely lead to “Anti-party activities because whoever loses at the last minute is likely going to sabotage the party. Whatever it is, it is not going to be good for the parties”.

On his advice for the candidates, political parties and INEC, Fage said from the beginning it has always been that candidates and political parties should allow democracy to reign.

“For the electoral umpire, they should stand by the rules irrespective of who wins or loses (in court). Their concern should be who complied with the rules of the game. If they stand neutral and apply the rules, I think things will be fair,” he said.

On his part, an associate Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Abuja, Dr Abubakar Umar Kari, said litigation has an inherent tendency to distract those involved and disrupt plans and preparations for campaigns.

“The spate of pre-election litigation does not portend well for the parties; it is an ill wind that blows no good for all concerned: the litigants, their supporters, the parties, INEC, and even the political process.

“The fact that its outcome is uncertain, keeps everyone in suspense and unsettled. The outcome may necessitate conducting the primaries all over again – with the attendant demands and problems associated with that – or it may lead to a complete loss for a party even before Election Day (where the court rules that a party is now ineligible to field candidates, as happened severally),” he said.

He advised politicians to imbibe the spirit of good sportsmanship and accept the outcomes of contests.

“Political parties should be fair to their members and always provide a level-playing field for contestants; INEC should simply be firm and ensure that everyone plays by the rule of the game.”

By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja


The All Progressives Congress APC in Abia state has restated its determination to dislodge the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the state, dismissing claims that the Labour Party LP has assumed dominance of the South East geopolitical zone.

Abia APC Governorship candidate, High Chief Ikechi Emenike disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja when he led stakeholders from the state on a thank you visit to the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee NWC of the party.

Addressing journalists after a meeting with the party leadership, Emenike said the APC is facing attacks from other parties in the state as a result of its current mass appeal which places it in a vantage position to win the next governorship election.

Asked whether the APC is disturbed by the fact that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party LP, Mr Peter Obi hails from the South East zone and seems to be making waves, Emenike said; “They are making waves on the internet. That is why I said come to Abia and see for yourself who is making impact and who is not making impact”.

He also added that the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has made the job of the APC easier, saying, judging by his performances, the governor has already done 40 percent of the campaigns for APC.

“What I want to assure you is that through his (Ikpeazu’s) performances, he has done almost 40% of the campaigns for us and what we are doing is just trying to harvest most of the grounds and cover all the loopholes and work towards that.

“I know a lot of people are still doubtful, depending on the line of propaganda and information. Please before you say anything about the APC, visit your state, go to the polling units at the wards and find out the status of today’s APC and others whether we are ready for victory or not”, he stated.

Earlier, Senator Adamu said stakeholders of the Abia chapter of the party had resolved all their initial differences and were on an appreciation visit to the national secretariat.
Those on the delegation were the deputy governorship candidate, Barr. Gloria Akara, Abia APC Chairman, Dr KC Ononugbu; APC Welfare Officer, Sir FN Nwosu; Abia State Senatorial Candidates; Hon. Emeka Atuma; Uche Ogboso; Generals Victor Nnorom, CM Abraham, CO Okoro and Jack Nwogbo; Sen. Chris Adighije, Sir Marc Wabara among others.

Stakeholders insist on issuebased campaigns

Reacting to the name-calling and jibes that have so far characterised the campaigns, most stakeholders insisted on issue-based campaigns.

It was advanced by the stakeholders that issue-based campaigns will enthrone a new order that will make way for visionary leadership, which is the principal element that ensures government serves as a vehicle for the attainment of the socio-economic aspirations of citizens.

The stakeholders noted that leadership deficit that assails Nigeria is legendary that from all indications, the nation has continued to lag behind in an emerging world order that emphasises clearheaded and able leadership.

According to them, Nigeria’s problem has never been paucity of funds and resources but lack of political will to do the right thing, which explains why the country has stagnated in almost all facets of national life as it takes commitment and focus on the part of a leader to deliver good governance.

President Buhari, who shares the view of the stakeholders, had during the recent signing of the peace accord by the presidential candidates, organised by the National Peace Committee, in Abuja, advised all candidates vying for positions in 2023 elections to engage in issue-based campaigns while selling their candidacy to the Nigerian public.

The President welcomed the initiative undertaken by the National Peace Committee to commit all political actors to issue-based campaigns devoid of incitement, personal insults and attacks, particularly appealed to the contestants, especially their publicity agents and media advisers “to shun personal attacks, avoid insults and incitement, reject the spread of fake news, and commit to issuebased campaigns and political rallies.”

He warned that the rise of fake news and misinformation have continued to pose a significant threat to democracy in Nigeria. According to him, fake news and misinformation have shifted focus away from issue-based campaigns to amplifying the potential for personal attacks, insults and incitements.

He added that this has significantly diminished the civility and decency in public discourse and debate. “The 2023 election is more than an election; it is an opportunity to serve Nigeria, to defend Nigeria and to uphold her unity and progress.

Therefore, I call on all Nigerians, political parties, politicians, security agencies, INEC and all stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria is placed first above regional and sectional claims.” Secretary General of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Chief Willy Ezugwu, who spoke on the issue, said the obvious lack of tolerance for opposing political views, among candidates and their supporters are wrong political values most politicians inherited from the military in 1999 and have refused to jettison.

“Nigerian democracy should have advanced beyond the narrow understanding of the essence of democracy. But until politicians understand that it is the electorate, who decide the fate of every candidate or political party in an election, the key gains of democratic governance will remain elusive in the country, while Nigerians on the streets will continue to bear the unfortunate brunt of bad governance due to elimination of competition in the political arena.’

Executive Director of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Idayat Hassan, who added her voice to the issue, noted that debates that prioritise religious and ethnic division only serve to distract citizens from making informed decisions while voting since such discourses add no value to surmounting the challenges confronting the country’s governance and development.

She described disinformation as a threat to the sustainability of the country’s democracy and urged the Nigeria Peace Committee and INEC to institute a fact check hub in order to monitor the peddling of fake news by the parties, their candidates and supporters before, during and after the general election and sanction defaulters appropriately.

“With an estimated 95 million registered voters deciding 1,491 election contests, including a termlimited president, it is important for governance issues affecting citizens to beattheforefrontof thepoliticaldebate. We urge political parties, candidates and their supporters to focus on the issues affecting the country’s governance and development.

These include challenges in the security and economic sectors, and its result impact in other areas of governance, such as education, health, power and agriculture among others. “CDD notes that the current nature of campaigning is cause for concern.

The period has been dominated by a proliferation of electoral disinformation, misinformation and the weaponization of fake news. This rising trend poses the biggest threat to the peaceful pre and post-election conduct of the polls. This is because fake news and disinformation have the potential to further fragment the country and skew the electoral outcome.

This could play a part in affecting the legitimacy of the elections and the leaders who emerge from the process.” No doubt, politics of mudslinging by deliberately spreading negative information about opponents to worsen their public image in order to score cheap political goals could turn a risky strategy, especially if disingenuousness is detected by the public, but it is left to seen how INEC will sanction those who fail to play by the rules.

FELIX NWANERI reports on the raging battle of wits between the presidential candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election, which has rekindled the inglorious days of political mudslinging

There is no doubt that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have come a long way as friends and one-time political allies. However, there is no love lost between them at the moment over clash of political interest as both have their eyes on Nigeria’s number one position.

This, perhaps, explains why the two leading presidential candidates jettisoned their long-standing relationship for brickbats associated with sworn political enemies immediately they emergence as the standard bearers of their respective parties for the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

The verbal war was ignited following Atiku’s disclosure in a televised interview on July 22 that he declined to name Tinubu as the vice presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC), when contested the presidential election in 2007 because he did not want a Muslim as his running mate.

Atiku, a former vice president made the revelation against the backdrop of angry reactions that trailed Tinubu’s decision to pick a fellow Muslim, Senator Kashim Shettima, as his running mate for the forthcoming poll.

It would be recalled that Atiku contested the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the AC (a party founded by Tinubu) after he lost out in PDP and his running mate was Senator Ben Obi, a Christian.

Atiku, who said in the interview that Tinubu had long been blind to Nigeria’s religious plurality and had supported fielding presidential candidates of the same faith, averred: “My fundamental disagreement with Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) since 2007 was on the issue of Muslim- Muslim ticket.

That was my fundamental disagreement and departure politically from Asiwaju. “Remember that I came out of PDP on the issue of zoning, and together with Asiwaju, we formed the AC and I was given the ticket in Lagos and he (Tinubu) insisted to be my running mate and I said no!

I am not going to have a Muslim-Muslim ticket and because of that, he switched his support to the late Umaru Yar’Adua. That was the parting point.”

The PDP presidential candidate further said that his rejection of a Muslim-Muslim ticket after the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), amongst other political parties, merged to form the APC, stopped Muhammadu Buhari from picking Tinubu, a fellow Muslim as his running mate in 2015.

Tinubu, in his response to Atiku’s claims then, said the former vice president has fallen out of love with the truth, having been blinded by his ambition.

In a statement by his Media Office, signed by Mr. Tunde Rahman, the APC candidate said that AC actually offered Atiku its platform because of the compelling “need to fight the authoritarian designs then President Olusegun Obasanjo and the PDP had on Nigeria’s democracy.”

Tinubu noted that democratic forces rallied around Atiku, who was unceremoniously pushed aside if not out of the PDP by Obasanjo in order to confront the one-partystateObasanjohadinmind, adding that “Atiku was simply a beneficiary of this collective duty to fight the attack on multiparty democracy the PDP had launched.”

He further said: “I feel sorry for dear old Atiku. Love of his own ambition has eclipsed his relationship with the truth and an honest account of the past. We formed the AC without his knowledge. When President Obasanjo virtually exiled him from the PDP, we lent him our support by giving him the AC platform for the 2007 election.

“Let me say openly that Atiku offered me the vice presidential ticket in 2007.

Let me also say that my religion has not changed. When he offered the position to me, I was a Muslim and I believe he was aware of my religious faith at the time. “When it comes to intrigue, we can say that Atiku is without bias. He will attempt to lie and deceive both Christians and Muslims with equal vigour. Atiku has no business raising the issue of a Muslim- Muslim ticket except as a hypocrite.

“Perhaps he believes people have forgotten his antics during the 1993 election. After he woefully lost his bid to be the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), what did he do?

He canvassed and lobbied harder than anyone to become the running mate to late Chief MKO Abiola. When it benefitted him personally, Atiku did not see anything wrong with a Muslim-Muslim ticket. He saw everything right in such a ticket as long as he was on it.”

As expected, Atiku’s camp fired back at Tinubu, with a challenge for the exgovernor of Lagos State to subject himself to an hour-long interview like their principal did.

The former vice president’s Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, who threw the challenge, said Tinubu can only talk “if he is able to be as articulate and mentally present as our candidate.”


From cold war to real battle

While many described the battle of wits between Atiku and Tinubu after the presidential primary elections of their parties as the usual mind-game that usually characterize build-ups to major elections, what is playing out at the moment has gone beyond throwing of jibes. It is no longer exchange of brickbats but a ferocious verbal war that could instigate crisis on a larger scale.

Campaigns for the election commenced on September 28, but there is apprehension in some quarters over provocative and derogatory remarks being made by the Atiku and Tinubu camps, apparently to score cheap political goals.

This is against the expectation at the commencement of the campaigns that the candidates of the two major parties as well as the other 16 presidential candidates, will focus more on how they intend to address issues of national concern, which centres mainly on insecurity and the economy if elected as the next president.

The APC and PDP presidential candidates, their running mates (Senator Kashim Shettima and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa) and some key members of their campaign councils, particularly spokespersons, who are in their numbers, seem to be dwelling more on name-calling rather than issues, thereby denying Nigerians the opportunity to engage them on the their respective manifestos.

The long list of campaign council spokespersons for Atiku, include Dele Momodu (publisher of Ovation Magazine and former presidential aspirant), Daniel Bwala (a former chieftain of APC), Kola Ologbondiyan (ex-National Publicity Secretary of PDP), Charles Aniagwu (Delta State Commissioner for Information) and Senator Dino Melaye.

For Tinubu, are Festus Keyamo (Minister of State for Labour and Employment), Bayo Onanuga (former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria), Femi Fani-Kayode (ex-Minister of Aviation), Dele Alake (a former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy) and Lanre Isa-Onilu (ex- National Publicity Secretary of APC).

From claims and counter-claims on issues such as health status, capacity to rule, academic records and twisting of facts by the APC and PDP candidates and their lieutenants, it has been endless firing of verbal missiles at each other by both camps since the campaigns began.

Even a chance meeting of the candidates at the VIP Lounge of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on October 17, during which they exchanged banter despite their political differences could not cause a ceasefire.

Tinubu, for instance, hit at Atiku on October 23, when he declared during an interactive session with members of the popular Tijjaniyyah sect in Kano that he would devote 100 per cent of his time and energy to serving Nigerians if elected and not a part-time president who will spend 50 per cent of his time ruling the country from Dubai.

“I won’t be a part-time president who will share time between living in Dubai and Nigeria. I will concentrate attention and energy on confronting and surmounting Nigeria’s pressing challenges,” the APC candidate said.

The statement was viewed as a veiled comment to mock Atiku, who stays in United Arab Emirates most of the time. Atiku responded by saying that a presidential candidate, whose health was shrouded in secrecy should not be taken seriously.

According to him, the president of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is not for comedians. He added that the process of selecting a president is not a jamboree. “Nobody should take the candidate of the APC seriously. No one should take a party and its candidate, whose health situation, early school and early years are all shrouded in secrecy, serious.”

Shettima’s swipe at Atiku revs battle While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has persistently tasked political gladiators to play by the rules and even threatened to apply the full weight of the law on those who breach the rules, the swipe at Atiku by Tinubu’s running mate, Shettima, while speaking at the presentation of the APC manifesto to the business community and organised private sector in Lagos, last Tuesday, has further revved the verbal war between the two major political parties.

Shettima, a former governor Borno State, did not only describe Atiku as a political tourist, but admonished the former vice president not to see himself as an economic expert because he has the ability to sell bottle water. He added that the certificate Atiku got from the Kano School of Hygiene, only qualifies him to be “wole wole” a Yoruba translation for sanitation inspection officer.

The APC vice presidential candidate also taunted the PDP candidate about his history of losing presidential election.

He said Atiku is not Abraham Lincoln, a former president of the United States, but a Raila Odinga, who has a reputation of losing several presidential elections in Kenya. His words: “I respect Atiku Abubakar but leadership goes beyond ‘unstatesman-like’ ranting. Someone who cannot unite his own party; I wonder how he is going to unite this nation.

The world is talking of artificial intelligence, of big data, of nanotechnology. The training that the elder statesman got from Kano School of Hygiene is that of a ‘wole wole.’ “And believe me, the ability to sell bottle water does not make one an expert on the economy. Atiku Abubakar is not Abraham Lincoln, he is more of a Raila Odinga.

Next year, we are going to permanently retire the political tourist back to Dubai.” This is the not first time Shettima would fire such verbal missile on Atiku.

He had at a time described the former vice president as a political tourist, who only returned to the country every electoral cycle. Although he referred to Atiku as a father he held in high esteem, Shettima said Nigerians want a leader whose worth and output could be felt at home. The former governor of Borno State had equally attacked Tinubu’s perceived political opponents in like manner.

He had in the runup to the APC presidential primary election, in his capacity as the chairman of the Tinubu campaign organisation, verbally attacked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan. Shettima, then described the duo, who contested for the APC ticket alongside Tinubu and others as unfit to lead Nigeria.

He acknowledged that Osinbajo is a nice man, but opined that nice people ought to be selling ice cream and popcorn. On Lawan, Shettima said he doesn’t have the brand name that would sell in the Eastern region of the country, saying when one mentions Lawan in Ohafia, the people will think he is a tomato dealer. He later apologized to the duo for the costly jibe.

Atiku, PDP fires back at Shettima Describing Shettima’s remarks directed at him as not only irresponsible but also disrespectful, Atiku particularly demanded an apology from the APC vice disarray with prominent members of his party openly apologizing to Nigerians for the unmitigated disaster it has foisted on Nigeria since 2015.

This is one of the reasons APC members have been migrating in droves to PDP. “It took almost forever for APC to achieve the simple task of constituting its presidential campaign council due to the total lack of unity in their party.

It is very obvious that APC has become completely rudderless and many selfrespecting members are jumping ship and being recovered by PDP. How can these APC candidates ever unite Nigerians when they’ve shown open disdain for the democratic and voting rights of certain ethnic groups within their domains? “Everything about APC and its candidates have been shrouded in secrecy and they are just unable to tell Nigerians the truth about anything.

How can Nigerians be expected to place their faith in such mysterious characters? How can APC be expected to guarantee the safety of lives and property, when right under the watch of Alhaji Shettima as governor of Borno State, Boko Haram became an intractable menace and Nigeria is yet to fully recover till this day?”

Manifesto war

Besides the unending mudslinging between Atiku and Tinubu, both camps have also clashed over their respective manifestos. While Atiku’s camp is of the view that Tinubu’s campaign manifesto is an appropriation of Chief MKO Abiola’s legacy, Tinubu’s camp claimed that Atiku’s manifesto is an extract of President Buhari’s agenda for Nigeria.

Momodu has described the manifesto of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as an appropriation of MKO Abiola’s legacy.

The Director of Strategic Communications of the PDP presidential campaign, Momodu, who said Tinubu’s 80-page manifesto, tagged “Renewed Hope 2023” is filled with “half-thoughts, poor reasoning and copied notes” from Abiola’s ‘Hope ’93’ manifesto, added that the former Lagos governor’s presidential bid is a “forlorn hope.” He described the manifesto as an insult to the sensibility and needs of Nigerians, while accusing the authors of copy and paste.

His words: “After carefully reading through the much-awaited APC Presidential Campaign Manifesto, we cannot but conclude that the elephant has given birth to an ant.

After such a long delay, what the APC presidential candidate has come up with is a series of platitudes, half-thoughts, poor reasoning, and copied notes packaged and presented as ‘Renewed Hope.’ “The APC and its presidential candidate, Tinubu, could not even come up with something original: ‘Renewed Hope 2023.’ Really?

This is again, another attempt by the APC candidate to appropriate Bashorun MKO Abiola’s legacy. It would be more salutary if he were to run on his own steam instead of copying the memory of a man whose life trajectory was uncommon and whose hope for Nigeria was noble.

And the APC candidate should be reminded that 1993 is far different from 2023. “The late MKO Abiola was known for industry and brilliance. Shall we ask what the APC candidate is known for? Whereas MKO’s Hope ‘93 was a genuine course; for the APC and Nigerians, it’s a forlorn hope ~ and that’s the message of Bola Tinubu and the APC campaign in 2023. In all honesty, the 80-page document that the APC has put together comes across as a little more than an insult to the sensibility and needs of Nigerians.

The Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Keyamo, on his part, faulted Atiku’s manifesto, saying: “What a failure! His 74-page campaign document has in it, ongoing milestones of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. From lifting millions out of poverty to power generation to economic revitalisation, it is clear that they are either too lazy to think or bereft of fresh ideas.

“Everywhere Atiku went, he was never caught speaking to issues of governance. Rather, if he is not promising the Igbo, presidency in 2027, he is playing the ethnic card. Nigerians are wise; they know he has nothing to offer. He was just huffing and puffing without substance.”