₦airaland Forum

SOUTH-EAST Governors has denied media reports that it held a meeting Wednesday night and resolved to send buses to evacuate Igbos in the north.

The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, on Thursday at a press briefing in Abakaliki said “The rumours being peddled on conventional and social media platforms that we, the governors of the south east have met and agreed to mobilise vehicles and cash for repatriation of Ndigbo resident in northern Nigeria must be disregarded, as they are nothing but tissues of lies.

“No amount of provocation would lead us to such precipitate an irresponsible action at this time. Those exploiting such vacuous tittle-tattle as a basis for divisive rhetoric in public spaces are simply playing juvenile politics and we urge them to cease and desist.”

The governors urged Igbos leaving in Northern Nigeria to remain where they are and go about their activities without fear of being attacked, assuring them of their security despite the three months ultimatum given to them to leave the region by a Northern coalition.



Describing the ultimatum as provocative and mischievous, Governor Umahi called on northern leaders to take actions that will counteract the intended plot of the youth, in other to ensure that the grim history of the past is not repeated.

“We must call on all serious minded patriots, particularly the religious leadership in Northern Nigeria; the leadership of other socio-cultural groups in Northern Nigeria; the Nigerian Governors Forum; and all the service branches to rise up with voices of peace and wisdom to counteract the mischievousness and exuberant excesses of the northern youth.”

“The ugly lessons of history are too grim to be stoked with carelessness. As leaders, we must exert the full measure of our powers and influence to forestall a repletion”

“We call on all Igbo sons and daughters resident in Northern Nigeria to go about their lawful daily activities without fear of intimidation, hindrance or molestation.”



Mr. Umahi further reiterated the commitment of the south-east governors to “the existence of a virile, united prosperous and progressive Federal Republic of Nigeria where Justice, fairness, equity, mutual respect and equality of opportunity to all citizens regardless of creed, ethnicity or gender will reign supreme under the inflexible rule of law”.

Some of us cannot do without chewing gum daily. This is because the flavour or mint of the gum help masks or prevent mouth odour. While there are positive benefits of chewing gum, there are also downsides you should never ignore. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares some of these downsides.

It makes you hungry

Chewing gum can activate your hunger pangs. Thus increasing your cravings for food. So, if you do not want to get hungry, do not eat gum immediately after consuming mama put. This can also help put your weight in check.

Tooth damage

If the gum you chew contains sugar, you are exposing yourself to tooth decay. It makes no difference if it is a sugar-free gum, there are still risks to your teeth. This is because sugar-free gum has acidic flavours and preservatives that may lead to tooth damage.



ALSO READ: 7 Helpful Tips For Living On Your Own For The First Time

Excess strain on your jaw

Chewing gum can cause jaw muscle imbalance especially if you chew on one side more than the other. To prevent this jaw strain or pain, you should chew on both sides.

Causes headaches

Young individuals who chew gum are more susceptible to headaches and severe migraines. This is due to the fact that you suffer from jaw strain and this can cause headaches.

Artificial sweeteners are linked to cancer

Like earlier said, it makes no difference whether your gum contains sugar or not. This is because sugar-free gum has artificial sweeteners which are usually used to replace sugar. The most common one is aspartame which is a harmful ingredient that has been linked to cancers, brain tumours, weight gain and birth defects.

ALSO READ: 5 Ways To Defeat Procrastination
It can result in farting

It can result in farting

Chewing gum allows too much air into your body. This can result in bloating which is why you fart very often.

It doesn’t prevent bad breath

Bad breath is a symptom of digestive problems or excessive tooth decay. You should deal with the root cause of the problem rather than using chewing gum to hide it. You will realise that even if you stop chewing it, the halitosis still remains.

Lalasticlala

THE leaders of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, have said that despite the threat of arrest by the government of Kaduna State, they will not stop insisting that people of Igbo extraction should leave the north.

One of the leaders of the group, who read their declaration on Tuesday, Abdulaziz Suleiman, said they held a meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday after the threat of arrest and decided that “there will be no retreat, no surrender”.

“Our declaration did not mention violence at all. The Igbo have consistently insisted that they don’t want to be in Nigeria, let them therefore, go back to their places.

“They don’t believe in Nigeria, so, we also don’t believe in them,” Premium Times quotes Mr. Abdulaziz, the National Coordinator of Northern Emancipation Network, NEN, to have said.


Mr. Suleiman also accused Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State of playing politics over the matter.

“Where was El Rufai when the Igbos gave the Fulani ultimatum to leave their areas?

“Where was he when over 500 northerners were killed in Ile Ife? These people just politicise everything.

“Because he wants to run for President, he chose to ignore his people and appease the Igbo? Goodluck to him, ” he said.

Like Mr. El-Rufai, the Nigerian government has also condemned the call by the northern coalition, assuring Nigerians that the threat by the group should be ignored.

“It is not new, but what I want to assure you is that the security agencies are on top of the situation,” the information minister, Lai Mohammed, said.

The call by the Northern group has also been condemned by Nigerians across ethnic and political divide, as well as Igbo groups like MASSOB and the Ohaneze Ndigbo with the latter cautioning Igbos in South-east Nigeria not to retaliate with a similar call.

THE South-East/South-South‎ Network, SESSNet, on Wednesday urged Security agencies to immediately swing to action and arrest leadership of Northern groups over statement credited them that all Igbo residents in the north should vacate the region.

In a statement made available to Social Times, the group was reacting to threats against Igbo lives and property made by Northern Nigeria’s youth groups.‎

The statement signed by more than 20 members of the group based in various countries of the world has Mazi Toochukwu as it leader while the publisher of Elombah.com, Daniel Elombah was also signatory to the statement.

The group said that the threat by these coalition groups in the North was evidently as a result of the Unity displayed by the Igbo in the South-east and the South-south to obey a “sit at home order” to mark 50 years anniversary of Nigeria war against Biafra in which over 3 million Ndigbo were killed during the civil war.‎

The South-East South-South Network, a coalition of professionals, students and activists, from the South East and South South region called “on security agencies to arrest these jobless youths and their sponsors who are threatened by the Unity displayed by Ndigbo to obey “sit at home order” to mark 50 years when over 3 million Ndigbo were killed.”

“We use this medium to ask our people across the 19 northern states to be more vigilant and proactive in being security conscious”, the group stated and adding that “‎if the DSS could arrest Nnamdi Kanu for demanding for Igbo rights, I don’t see the reason why the DSS will not arrest the leadership of the group for treason offences because they are inciting one section of the country against another, we will not take excuse from security agencies if anything happens to our people in the North.

“Those youths should be treated like criminals by security agencies and we are watching to see what DSS will do on this matter and if any Igbo are killed in the North, the leadership of the groups should face the consequences.”

El-rufai is eyeing the presidency come 2019, I don't see what he tends to achieve if not to deceive Igbos.

He hated Ndigbo with passion, now he wants their sympathy.

Ndigbo should leave the north with immediate effect.

El-rufai is eyeing the presidency come 2019, I don't see what he tends to achieve if not to deceive Igbos.

He hated Ndigbo with passion, now he wants their sympathy.

Ndigbo should leave the north with immediate effect.

THE Federal Government has paid twenty whistleblowers, whose information led to the recovery of about N11.635 billion loot, in line with the Federal Government’s reward package on the whistleblower policy.

They were paid a total of N375.8 million.

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who disclosed this, in Abuja, on Wednesday said: “This payment, which is the first under the whistleblower policy, underscores the commitment of the President Muhmmadu Buhari administration in meeting obligations to information providers under the whistleblower policy. The policy is an essential tool in the fight against corruption.”

The Minister further disclosed that the policy was recently amended with the introduction of a formal legal agreement between information providers and the Federal Government, which is executed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation.


She added that procedures have also been introduced to ensure the protection of the identity of information providers during the payment process.


The Minister explained that all payments are taxable and are only made upon confirmation of the final recovery of assets as confirmed by the Attorney-General of the Federation as being free of legal disputes or litigation.

Giving details on the Whistleblower Unit (WBU), Adeosun described it as a multi-agency team, domiciled at the Ministry of Finance headquarters.

“It is staffed by secondees from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), among others.

“The Whistleblower Unit is the first line of response to whistleblower information, where initial review is undertaken before cases are forwarded to the relevant investigative agencies,” Adeosun said.

Recall that the Ministry of Finance had reported that following the approval of the Whistleblowers Policy by the Federal Executive Council and its launch by the Minister of Finance in December 2016, the WBU received 2, 150 communications and 337 tips through its dedicated channels from many patriotic Nigerians, which led to the recovery of substantial assets that were illegally acquired by various individuals. The primary purpose of the Policy is to support the fight against financial crimes and corruption, promote accountability and enhance transparency in the management of public finances.


The Minister has also assured that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari would continue to encourage all Nigerians with information on misconduct, violation or improper activity which can impact negatively on Nigeria to report it to the appropriate authority.

THE National Broadcasting Commission, has said it effort to block Biafra Television, from airing in the country’s airwaves was in futility because the station is transmitting via international transmission system.

The media station is believed to be owned by the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The Commission’s Director General, Mr. Modibo Kawu who said the development was already known to relevant security agencies, spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Tuesday.

He said, “Last week, I was in the office of the Inspector- General of Police and they had a TV screen and what was being broadcast was on Biafra Television; they were saying some of the most outlandish things, showing videos from the 1960s and abusing everyone.

“Now, this is happening and they were asking us (NBC) because our duty is to monitor and regulate such but the television is coming from outside of Nigeria.



“Our engineers have been making contacts with the international satellite organisation that does broadcast to Africa about the fact that you cannot allow subversive broadcast into Nigeria from other parts of the world.

“The Biafra Television in the South-East, we have been tracking the station. The broadcast is coming from outside Nigeria. We have been asking questions from international satellite test systems where they are coming from. That is how it is for now.”

The NBC DG also said Boko Haram insurgents had commenced radio transmission with their station located between Nigerian and Cameroonian borders.

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He, however, said security agencies were notified and the station had been stopped from transmission.

He warned against subversive transmission, adding that such an unlawful act could threaten the corporate existence of Nigeria.

Kawu reiterated the commitment of the NBC to ensuring that all TV and radio transmissions in the country complied with relevant NBC codes.

“Last June, Boko Haram was starting a new radio station, I think on 91.00 megahertz on the FM band from the border between Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon and so it was our duty to inform security organisations what was happening so they could take it up and which they did eventually.”



He said the NBC was facing a major difficulty in trying to regulate what people broadcast, stressing that the stations felt that the more outlandish their claims were, the more popular they would become.

ALSO READ: Ohanaeze Ndigbo: If North Is Rejecting Restructuring, We Will Reject 1979 And 1999 Constitutions

He warned the owners of TV and radio stations to renew their licence fees, adding that licences were provisional and could be withdrawn at any moment.

He said, “They owe us a lot of money, about N5bn. They are negotiating with us along with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and we have given them a three-month grace because our patience is not limitless. It will get to a time when we will have to close many stations in Nigeria, not because of what they say but for not paying our fees.”

A Federal High Court in Lagos has orders final forfeiture of $43.4m, £27,800, N23.2m found in a private residence on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos to the Federal Government.

Justice Muslim Hassan gave the ruling today.



Details later.

Lalasticlala

gmaribel:
How many have you put in jail?

THE massive looting of public funds during the administrations of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan came to the fore, Monday, as top government officials and businessmen were said to have illicitly enriched themselves with public funds, amounting to over N1.35 trillion.

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, disclosed this in Abuja at the conference on Promoting International Co-operation in Combating Illicit Financial Flows and Enhancing Asset Recovery to Foster Sustainable Development.

Sagay said “55 public officials and businessmen under the administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan stole over N1.35trillion.”

The PACAC Chairman stated that the figure was captured in a study related to only six years, 2006-2013.

ALSO READ: Magu: EFCC Recovered N521M, $53M, £122,890 €547,730 Since Whistle-blowing Policy Began

He noted that the figure of looted funds in the period under review was much higher when “fuel subsidy scam, billion arms purchase scam, hundreds of millions of dollars taken from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation by a former minister to bribe election officials in 2015, were taken into consideration.”

SIX months after a detective attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command, disappeared into thin air, his corpse has been found in a shallow grave at the Ibeju Lekki area of the metropolis.

The deceased, Inspector Musa Sunday, was abducted, tortured and later buried alive while on illegal duty at Ibeju Lekki.

Sunday and four of his men were alleged to have been drafted to guard a land, which was under dispute by their Admin Officer at Ibeju Lekki.

The policemen were drafted to the disputed land without the knowledge of the Officer in Charge of SARS and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni.

The skeleton of the inspector, 45, a father of four children, with their ages at four, six, eight and 12, was exhumed from a shallow grave after six months.

At least five persons, including a traditional ruler, otherwise known as Baale have been arrested in connection with the murder of the inspector.

A police source said: “The police are hunting for one Mr Balogun, who led the hoodlums that attacked, abducted and buried Sunday alive. In fact, information at police disposal says that it was the fleeing Balogun that tied his hands before burying him alive. Balogun’s second in command, Arokin is in police custody. He’s helping police with investigation.”

The suspects confessed to have buried him alive after starving him for more than five days. They also admitted to have buried him alive on the orders of a traditional ruler, who has interest in the land under dispute.



Sunday was abducted sometimes in November, while guarding the disputed land, located at the Ibeju-Lekki Peninsula area of Lagos State. The abductors made away with his rifle. The inspector, who was the leader of the team, was on duty with four other policemen.

The abductors, alleged to be armed to the teeth, stormed the land one fateful day in November and overpowered him, his policemen and civilian guards, patrolling the land with them.

The civilian guards were there on the instruction of one of the men struggling for possession of the land, identified simply as Prince, living in Ikeja.

The Prince and his opponent had allegedly been fighting over possession of the land for months. This has led to several people, from both factions, being killed and maimed.

A police source said that both men had been warring, using paid thugs, until Prince decided to take police. But rather than through the proper channel, which was contact Owoseni or OC SARS, he went to his friend, the AO. When the AO ordered Sunday to with some policemen to the land, he couldn’t argue with his superior.

Sunday was kidnapped when he confronted the large number of thugs from the other faction. The thugs attacked, injured and attempted to carry away some of Prince’s thugs.

An inside source said: “Sunday’s men abandoned him and ran away because the thugs from the other faction were too many. The thugs abducted Sunday and took his rifle. They injured several thugs of Prince and also kidnapped nine men. Prince and his opponent are known for using thugs in their quest to take possession of the large expanse of land. The Prince came to SARS to get policemen to keep his opponent from encroaching on the land.”

After his abduction, his phone stopped going through. His colleagues became frantic.


Sunday’s wife and family members besieged the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, demanding to know what had become of him.

Speaking with a journalist a few months after the abduction of Sunday, his wife, Halimat, 27, said: “They were deployed there to maintain peace. We learnt that hoodlums were attacking a man, so my husband and his men moved to rescue the man. He told the other two policemen to go and put the man in the car so he could be safe. The hoodlums pounced on my husband and took him away. Sensing danger as the hoodlums kept increasing in number, his men ran away. Since then, we have not heard from him.”

On the fateful day of the incident, Halimat said that she spoke with Sunday around 4pm; he promised to come home the following day. In the evening, his kids demanded to speak with him, so Halimat called his line repeatedly, but it didn’t go through.

In the morning, some of his colleagues called Halimat and told her what they heard. Since then, Halimat and Sunday’s family members had been visiting the police headquarters in Lagos, praying and hoping for Sunday to be alive.

She added, “Three months after, police kept telling us that they were on the matter. We learnt they have arrested the Prince that hired the hoodlums, but nothing has happened since then. His children keep asking after him. His aged mother, who has high blood pressure, has not stopped asking for his whereabouts. We don’t know what else to tell her.”

Halimat, a housewife, noted that since Sunday’s disappearance, she and her kids have been struggling to survive. She’s no longer able to pay the kids’ school fees.

She said: “Nobody from the police cared to check on us, and now we don’t have money because we don’t have access to his ATM pin. I want my husband to come back. The children are suffering, and I can’t carry the load alone.”



A police source said: “Sunday was posted there with his team; they were five in number. Two of the policemen later left, saying they were tired of the constant threat. Even soldiers that were supposed to guard the land with them left, complaining that Prince had never bothered to ask about their welfare.

“Sunday has been on that land for almost three weeks when bulldozer entered the land. Prince’s faction was overpowered. Everyone scampered for safety, but one of Prince’s thugs were held. Sunday ran back to save him. It was in that split second that his policemen and the man he saved drove off in a vehicle, leaving him. Sunday was grabbed by the hoodlums, beaten and injured.”

It was gathered that the fleeing policemen ran to Mobile Police Force (Mopol) 49, Epe. They explained that an inspector had been abducted, that they needed help to rescue him, but the commander allegedly didn’t respond to their pleas.

The policemen moved to Akodo Police Station, where a woman happened to be the Divisional Police Officer (DPO). The DPO said she couldn’t send anyone to the area because it was a volatile axis. They went to SARS, Ikeja to report and for five days, no action was taken to rescue Sunday. Later, policemen started looking for Sunday, to the extent of going to Bonny Camp, Victoria Island. The soldiers said Sunday wasn’t with them.

When the OC SARS went to meet Owoseni, to intimate him of the missing inspector, the number one policeman in the state demanded to know the person that deployed Sunday and his men on the illegal duty.

Determined to find Sunday, sources said that the OC SARS approached the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Abba Kyari.


It was alleged that through the efforts of the IRT operatives, Sunday’s phone was tracked and some of his alleged killers were arrested. The suspects took police to where Sunday’s rifle was buried.

A police source said: “Police investigation also led to the arrest of the traditional ruler. The traditional ruler denied knowing anything about the disappearance of Sunday. He was invited to the police command; but rather than honour police invitation, he ran to Police Force Headquarters, Abuja. He was told at Abuja to go back to Lagos and report first to police invitation.”

The source continued: “Balogun, who led the operation in which Sunday was kidnapped is on the run. But his second in command, Arokin, has been arrested. It was Arokin that confessed that Sunday was buried alive. He took police to the shallow grave at Ibeju Lekki. Police brought pathologists from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), to exhume Sunday’s corpse.

“One of the pathologists, when he saw Sunday’s skeleton, said that it looked as if he was buried with his hands tied behind. It was at that point that Arokin confessed that Sunday was buried alive. He disclosed that after beating and disarming Sunday, he and his colleagues waited for five days for policemen to come for him, but nobody did. In those five days, they didn’t give him food. He said that when police didn’t come searching for Sunday; the traditional ruler instructed them to go and bury the inspector alive. The traditional ruler said that nothing would happen. Sunday was buried alive.”

Lalasticlala

A civil society organisation, Advocates for Peace and Effective Justice Development Initiative, has called on the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission to commence investigation into the source of funds allegedly used in the purchase of a property worth $922,600 in the United States by the Minister of Labour and Productivity and former Governor of Anambra State Dr. Chris Ngige.

In a letter addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, and signed by its National Coordinator, Maxwell Alaeto, the CSO alleged Ngige, shortly after he left office as governor of Anambra State purchased the property in question.

The property in question, which he allegedly purchased on March 7, 2008, comprise in 13910,Crest Hill Lane, Crest Hills Acres, Silver Spring,Montgomery county Maryland, United States.

APEJDI, which stressed that nobody is above the law, implored the EFCC to immediately commence an investigation into the source of funds Ngige used in the purchase of the property in the interest of justice.

According to APEJDI, “The Federal government cannot be seen to be paying lip service to her much orchestrated fight against corruption.

“Nobody is above the law. We therefore implore you sir, to cause an investigation to be carried out in the over all interest of the people of Anambra State and the country in general.

“Therefore, as part of our contributions to the Federal government fight against corruption, we humbly call for the investigation of the source of the funds expended by Dr. Chris Ngige in the purchase of the property.”

THE Presidency says the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMAN), Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky is not being detained in prison as being speculated but rather being kept by government in public interest.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, stated this while reacting to questions on human rights records of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in Abuja on Tuesday.

Shehu addressed State House correspondents alongside other presidential media aides, Mr Femi Adesina and Mr Laolu Akande, on the achievements of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government at a midterm media chat.

The media chat was part of activities to mark two years of the Buhari-led administration.

According to Shehu, the `detention’ of the Shi’ite leader is also in his own interest, saying it is duty bound on government to ensure the safety of all its citizens.



ALSO READ: Olusegun Adeniyi: Jonathan Did Not Say I Distorted His Views
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Justice Gabriel Kolawola of an Abuja Federal High Court, in December 2016, ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to release El-Zakzaky within 45 days.

Kolawole also ordered the Federal Government to provide an accommodation for El-Zakzaky, his wife and family members within Kaduna State or any part of the northern region.

The court declared the continuous detention of El-Zakzaky since December 13, 2015 as unlawful and illegal since the issue of protective custody was unknown to law or the National Security Agencies Act establishing the DSS.

However, the presidential spokesman said El-Zakzaky could not be released as government was putting public and security interest dimensions into consideration.

“On the issue of El-Zakzaky, the information we have is that he is being kept more for his own safety that the offences he committed.

“If you set him free today, what do you think will likely be the reactions out there on the streets of Kaduna or in the streets of Zazzau where he comes from’’, he said.

ALSO READ: We Can Re-present Magu For Confirmation - Osinbajo
On the continued detention of former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, the presidential aide said Dasuki was being held because he had other criminal cases to answer.

He, therefore, maintained that Dasuki’s release might affect the ongoing investigation of cases against him.



“It is a common thing in all nations of the world that there are matters of public safety.

“The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, I think has made his points here in the State House, against individuals’ interests.

“And in all cases, public good should override individual interest.’’

IN 1971, after my primary school education, poverty drove me to Lagos to find something to do to help my poor mother and siblings. Civil War devastated my father’s thriving business in Onitsha and we all suffered from 1966 to 1970 when the war ended.

With four wives and 34 children, my parents could not cope any more. My brothers and sisters dropped out of school to learn a trade. Because I was a little ‘sharp’ in school, my father encouraged me to finish primary school.

It is needless here to recall how I and few of my siblings survived to finish our primary education. Consequently when my mates were taking Common Entrance Examination, I did not because there was no need to do so. No money, no three square meals a day, no good clothing, just nothing.

My mother encouraged me to travel with friends to Lagos. We landed at Sawmill Ebute Metta where I worked as a sawdust carrier at seven Shilling, six Pence a day. My job was to pack sawdust from the Machines to the Lagoon from 7am to 5 pm daily. I did this for nearly two years and later I became a danfo conductor plying Idioro/Ajegunle axis.

From there I joined my brother in a supermarket business at Ijesha Road, Surulere. I did this until I returned home during Christmas in December 1973. I came home to meet my friends I was beating academically in school trying to make me feel and look inferior. Again I also noticed while in Lagos that if I fail to go to school, I may end up doing menial jobs meant for illiterates till the end of age. I decided to go back to school to add values to my life. But where are the school fees? There was nothing. How I managed to get the first school fee to start and what happened thereafter will take a book to do the narrative.

In 1979 I left Okongwu Memorial Grammar School Nnewi with Division One and was the school Head Boy. I taught in the same school as an Auxiliary Teacher from 1979 – 1980. In 1980 I got admission to read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nigeria Nsukka and graduated in 1985. I did my Youth Service in Ogun State and thereafter I returned to Lagos in1986 to begin a journey to where I am today. I walked the streets of Lagos from 1986 – 1988 until the then military government headed by Gen Ibrahim Babangida set up the National Directorate of Employment, (NDE) to encourage graduates to start their own businesses. I got a loan of N27, 500, using my NYSC discharge Certificate and my Degree Certificate as collateral at 9% interest rate. I set up a Restaurant Business in Western Avenue, Lagos and hit an instant success. While doing this business, I spread my nets also to the auto spare parts market in Lawanson, Surulere where my brother thrives as a very successful importer. I opened a shop there and got a boy to take charge of the business. From there, I entered into Auto dealership in Western Avenue Surulere. I paid back that loan in full and collected back my certificates.

In 1995, I wrote my first book, Igbos: 25 Years After Biafra. I also established National Vision Newspapers in 1997. In 1999, I wrote my second book: Heroes of Democracy. In 2004 I co-authored 2007: The IBB Option with my good friend, Peter Claver Oparah. One thing led to another. I became an opinion molder, a public commentator, political analyst, writer and an advocate of the peoples’ cause. I bought my first car in 1990 and became a millionaire in 1995 after launching of my first book.

In 2006 the then Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu made me the pioneer General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure & Regulatory Agency, LASIMRA and I was there for almost 10years. I served Asiwaju’s government for the remainder of his days as Lagos Governor. I served His Excellency Governor Babatunde Fashola for 8years. In September 2015, His Excellency Governor Akinwunmi Ambode moved me to Wharf Landing Fees Collecting Authority Apapa as Chairman. I became the Publicity Secretary AC, ACN, and APC since late 2006 till date. By the grace of God I have been the Chairman of Conference of APC Publicity Secretaries (CAPS) in Nigeria since 2014.

These positions and exploits have put me in the limelight in Lagos and Nigeria since the early 90s and God has been kind to me. These offices have opened the doors of the rich and poor to me.

They have opened the inner ways,byways, subways, expressways and highways to the corridors of power in Nigeria. I have been connected to the pace setters, policy makers, the movers and shakers of blue chip companies, newsmakers and the powers that be in Lagos. The magic of Lagos, the beauty of Lagos, the dynamics of Lagos, the glory of Lagos, the momentum of Lagos, the capacity, capability and the strength of Lagos touched me in no uncertain terms since 1986(32years ago) till date…..and still counting.

My sojourn in Lagos for 32 years has also opened my eyes as a historian as to what Lagos has done for my people from South East. Today as I write this Igbo do not have a quarter of what they have in Lagos in the South East in terms of investments. As I write this book, Igbo are the second most populous ethnic group in Lagos. Today, Igbo exert tremendous influence and capacity in Lagos and its success story. Few years back two prominent sons of Nnewi told me in confidence that they did not know they have been wasting their time in Nnewi until they came to Lagos. They said Lagos opened doors for limitless opportunities and endless possibilities. I have seen people come from other parts of Nigeria to hit gold mine in Lagos.

I got married in 1990 and all my five kids are all Lagosians and so are millions of Igbo kids born in Lagos. They have lived most of their lives in Lagos, schooled in Lagos, worked in Lagos, made friends in Lagos and have keyed to the Lagos success story. They know any other place except Lagos. Lagos is their home. This is not limited to Igbo alone but all other ethnic groups and of course Yoruba from outside Lagos. Lagos is a melting point, a mega city, a cosmopolitan beehive. Lagos controls the heartbeat of Nigeria, its wealth, its influence and its strategic socio-economic and political hub. Lagos changed my thinking and original thoughts, Lagos emboldened me, Lagos motivated me, Lagos challenged me and Lagos made me. I can say no less. This is the story of Lagos, my Lagos. It is still unraveling, not for me alone but millions of other Nigerians, to the glory of God.

Joe Igbokwe, Lagos State publicity secretary of APC writes from Lagos.

TITI Atiku, wife of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday told an Ikeja High Court that she trusted a business partner who allegedly defrauded her of N918 million because of his status as a pastor.

“I thought that the first defendant, being a pastor, he will not defraud me.

“I thought that he was being genuine with me during our business dealings,” Mrs Abubakar said while being cross examined in the ongoing fraud trial against a pastor, Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Dana Motors Ltd.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed the accused with a 15- count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property worth N918 million belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

Amos Ibe, the defence counsel to Mr. Akpan-Jacobs, while cross examining Mrs Abubakar, questioned why she used different monikers in company documents relating to the fraud.

“Before I start cross examining you Ma, should I refer to you as Your Excellency?

“Why was the name Florence Doregos used in the petition from the EFCC which is exhibit one, as well as other fake names in documents you used to transact business with the first defendant?,” Mr. Ibe queried.

Replying, Titi said: “I am Her Excellency forever, it was under my instruction and direction that the petition was written.

“My name is Florence Doregos, my name is Titi Amina Atiku Abubakar, the Mrs in the petition is a mistake made by my Lawyer.

“Florence is my name and it was easy for me to use Doregos while I was in state service.

“The name of my biological father is Dorego Albert, we are from Ilesha but I have cousins who are from the Republic of Benin.

“I can choose Doregos, I can choose Albert as my surname, they are all my names, even Dino Melaye, his name is Daniel but he calls himself Dino.

“I can twist my name anyhow I want.”

Responding to Mr. Ibe’s questions about her identity when she married the former Vice-President, she said “I married my husband at the Ikoyi Registry in 1971.

“I was a Christian before I married my husband, Angelina is my baptismal name, Florence is my confirmation name.

“When I got married to my husband, I converted to Islam and I have been called Amina Titilayo, Titilayo was what I was called at home,” she said.

Mr. Ibe, however, still questioning Mrs Atiku’s real identity, told her that a book written in honour of her husband titled ‘Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar,’ claimed that she was from a Local Government Area in Adamawa.

“I am from my husband’s Local Government Area by virtue of marriage.

“Whether I’m from the moon o, that’s not the matter on ground,” she said.

Mr. Ibe sought to tender the book written in honour of the former Vice-President to the court but it was rejected by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.

“The document does not fall under the definition of a public document under the Evidence Act, it is a private document, it is therefore rejected,” Justice Ipaye said.

NAN reports that THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd, a company created in 2000 belonged to Mrs Atiku, Akpan-Jacobs and Fred Holmes.

She was allegedly to be the majority shareholder with 49 per cent shares, while Holmes and Akpan-Jacobs each had 25 per cent shares.

Mr. Akpan-Jacobs, who also doubled as the company’s Managing Director and Secretary, was accused to have gone to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and altered the share holding in his favour and forging the company’s board resolution.

He allegedly under the new share arrangement allotted 70 per cent shares to himself and 15 per cent shares each to Titi and Holmes.

According to the EFCC, welding a fraudulent shareholding power, Mr. Akpan-Jacobs sold a property belonging to the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd for N918 million.

The property is located at Plot C63 A, Amuwo-Odofin Commercial Layout along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the defence disputed Mrs Abubakar’s claims that she invested over N1.2billion in the business transactions with the defendants.

“Your petition stated that you invested over N200 million and in another document it stated that you invested over N1.2billion, which fact is correct?

“Do you have accounting reports, did you hire an auditor to look at the accounts, how did you arrive at N1.2billion?

“N200 million is the money I spent in building the bonded terminal, by the time it was ready, it was worth N1.2billion.

“Akpan-Jacobs never gave me any records, I was in the state service, I did not get any auditor, Akpan-Jacobs has the evidence of the money I spent, I didn’t know that our business transactions will become a court case,” she said.

Mrs Abubakar, while in the witness box, accused Mr. Akpan-Jacobs of using her company property as a collateral for a bank loan that he sought when he wanted to run for the Akwa-Ibom governorship election.

“He used my bonded terminal as a collateral for a loan when he wanted to run for governorship of Akwa-Ibom, when he couldn’t refund the money the bank wanted to acquire the bonded terminal, he sold it to Dana Motors Ltd.

“I was the largest shareholder of THA Shipping Company with 49% of shares, my German partner Fred Holmes had 26% and Akpan-Jacobs has 25%.

“Akpan-Jacobs never contributed a dime to the company, I couldn’t be involved in all the documentation because I was in service.

“He did the registration and promotion of the company, he brought all the papers to me at the villa to sign, he later fraudulently changed the shareholding powers of my shipping company to favour himself.

“He gave me 15 percent, Holmes 15 percent and he took 70 percent shareholding power for himself.

“I never entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with him to sell the company, that is why I’m in court, when he couldn’t repay the loan, he sold the company to Dana Motors Ltd.

“When the fraud happened, we initially agreed to settle out of court, but instead of settling, he went to sell the cranes and the company, giving the EFCC N16 million which I received, “ she said.

Mr. Akpan-Jacobs’ lawyer asked the court to cancel the next court date slated for May 24 for continuation of the trial on the grounds of his Ill health.

“My Lord, I ask for the previously adjourned date of May 24 to be vacated because I am currently battling ill health,” Mr. Ibe said.

Babatunde Sonoiki, the EFCC counsel however, opposed Mr. Ibe’s request.

“There have been four adjournments at the cost of the plaintiff, she flies in at great risk to her safety from Abuja for every court date and she is supposed to be helping to take care of a newborn of one of her children.

“We have another witness who has travelled on four occasions for 15 hours by road from Yola and the case keeps being adjourned, I will like to request for a cost of N750,000 from the defendants to cover the financial expenses of the plaintiff,” he said.

Justice Ipaye granted a cost of N100,000 against Mr. Akpan-Jacobs and adjourned the case until July 5 and 6 for continuation of trial.

THE Nigeria Customs Service NCS, Tincan Island Command has intercepted a container laden with 440 pieces of pump action rifle. Abueh M.N, an Assistant Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Zone A disclosed in Lagos on Tuesday.

Abueh who briefed journalists at Tincan Island port, venue of the seizure said the command was able to make the breakthrough through intelligence gathering.

The ACG who represented Hameed Ali, the comptroller General of Customs said one suspect has been arrested in connection with the seizure.



According to him, the consignment originated from Turkey, adding that the guns were manufactured in the United States of America.