₦airaland Forum

BY REMI OYEYEMI FEB 13, 2016
“Senator” Bukola Saraki is a very lucky chap. He is a very smart person. He is very intelligent. He is greatly endowed. His pedigree is that of a silver spoon. He is eminently well educated. He is also well gifted as a politician. As a scion of the Saraki family, he has shown like a star and over shines all of his other siblings.

Well tutored by his father, former Senate Leader, late Chief Olusola Saraki, popularly known as “Oloye” among his Kwaran faithful, in the ways and means of politics, Bukola has taken the lesson very well. He has shown this by being the governor of Kwara for two terms. His father was never a governor of that state but was a recurrent king maker in that state, Bukola has also become a “Senator.” To surpass his father, he also succeeded in reportedly stealing the Senate Presidency. He has since brought the highest law making body of the country into disrepute.

Bukola obviously took more than the lessons of politics from his father. He learnt how to hold people in bondage. He learnt how to keep people down. He learnt how to prop up feudalistic institutions as opposed to the liberating institutions that could help improve the lives of Kwarans. He fostered the enslavement of the Kwaran people that his father put in place and exploited it beyond what his feudalistic father could ever have imagined.

In the course of his trajectory, Bukola has been mean. He has been cold. He has been calculating. He has been ruthless. He has no qualms showing that the blood flowing in his own veins is different from the one flowing in the veins of other Kwarans. One has no idea where he got that belief. But that is what he believes. And he acts it out in the open unashamedly. He believes he is entitled. He believes that he is the issue in the Kwaran politics and not the Kwara people.

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.” - Frederick Douglas.

Bukola learnt how to be a godfather from his father and even used the same tricks taught him by his father to shame the same father, reportedly into untimely death! It was also reported that his father was so distraught about the antics of his son that he cursed him. It was reported that his father, on his dying bed, told everyone who cared to listen that Bukola would meet his waterloo and end up shamefully! How efficacious is this curse remains to be seen. Time will soon tell.

Meanwhile, Bukola also learnt how to become more dexterous in looting the people’s commonwealth. He proved that to his late father’s cheering by looting and bankrupting the Societe General Bank. He reportedly stole 40 billion naira from the Intercontinental Bank through a loan without any collateral. His reported major collaborator was Sanusi Lamido Sanusi currently hiding under the Emirship of Kano to escape prosecution and explanation of how he mismanaged over 600 billion Naira of Nigeria’s money as Central Bank Governor!

Bukola went ahead to attain the infamous title allegedly as the “most notorious bank bandit” in Nigeria’s history by looting to liquidation the Kwara State owned Trade Bank. With this on top of the looting of Kwara State into stupor, he believed he had arrived. And indeed he had. This gave him the courage to hang his father politically and imposed his crony in AbdulFatah Ahmed. He was the new layer in the quagmire of corruption and oppression in the beloved State of Kwara.

Governor Ahmed continued the mismanagement of Kwara State on behalf of his mentor, Bukola Saraki. Ahmed has been so efficient in the mismanagement of the state’s fund that he not only further enriched his kleptomaniac slave master in Bukola, but allegedly managed to enrich himself too. Analysts posit that it is often in the art of mismanagement that kleptomaniac politicians thrive in their act of looting. It seems this might have been a truism in the sordid affairs of Kwara State.

Presently, a travesty is being perpetrated in Kwara State under the Òdájú Governor Ahmed who has been deducting the salaries of civil servants to pay a loan he had taken without consulting them. He paid October 2015 salary on January 28, 2016 - three months behind schedule. Shamelessly and audaciously, he deducted 10% from that same salary. A 10% deduction of his own salary would be of no effect on him or any member of his own family. But for an average family in Kwara State, that 10% definitely could not be anything but a lifeline. It could be a difference in so many ways.

But the point is that to saucy “Senator” Saraki and his pompous protégé, Governor Ahmed, the average Kwaran is less than a human being; he is not deserving of any freedom; he should not be allowed to determine his own destiny other than the one decided for him by the godfather. The average Kwaran is a land tiller in the feudalized Kwaran political system whose fortune or misfortune depends on the gratuitous magnanimity of the feudal lord of Kwaran politics.

“Be not discouraged. There is a future for you….. The resistance encountered now predicated hope…. Only as we rise….. do we encounter opposition.” - Frederick Douglass

Kwarans are expected to work for the comfort of the godfather and his cronies. They are not entitled to the same level of comfort. Their destiny as determined by “Senator” Saraki is to remain in perpetual political, economic and social slavery. Both Saraki and Ahmed have not just come across as mean spirited, they have proved to all that they are what the Yoruba will call abatenijé. Or worse still amunisin.

The laws of the land have been trying hard to bring “Senator” Saraki to justice, but he has been manipulating the system to postpone what appears to be his doomsday. But On February 5, this year, he was liberated from his own intricate web of dubious cocoon by the Supreme Court of the land – a Supreme Court that has been so frustrating to the generality of Nigerians who considered its decision on Saraki an exception.

“Senator” Saraki is now free to answer the charges brought against him. It is a kind of a weird freedom. But, nevertheless, it is still a sort of freedom. He should embrace it. He should revel in it. He should use the opportunity to answer the nagging questions. It is an opportunity for him to be accountable. He should avail himself the opportunity to convince Nigerians that he deserves to be a member of the highest law making body of the country, not to speak of being its president.

The greatest enemy of Saraki is Saraki himself and the shadows of his own shady deals. A complex character that exudes bogus boldness and gaudiness in his antics, Saraki is vainglorious, pretentious and obviously shameless. He has shown over and over that he has no scruples whatsoever. His temerity, effrontery and audacity knows no bounds, otherwise, he would not have collaborated in allegedly forging the rules to become the Senate President. He has sharp instinct for rapacity. He is very predatory and plunders with glee. He is a bandit blatant in his debasement.

Saraki, it seems from his exploits in the national assembly so far, has mastered the art of deceit, deception and duplicity. He, evidently, does not give a damn about Kwara and Kwarans except for his own political ends. He obviously covets and chases power by all and any means necessary. Saraki evidently thinks that by being in power, or close to power is the best way to impede the long arms of the law and protect his loots.

From the experience of what happened to his father, it is very clear that Saraki has no loyalty to anyone, friends or family. He would betray and disgrace anyone, sacrifice anyone, humiliate anyone and blackmail anyone. With the bitterness that emblazoned his father through his machinations, and the ruthless annihilation of his sister, Saraki is unrepentantly perfidious, treacherous and traitorous.

From his trajectory, it is clear that in Saraki’s books, nothing matters except his own ambitions. He could be appropriately described as not just one of the Judases of our generation, he is also one of the Brutuses of this era. To him everybody, no matter how close and intimate, no matter how influential, powerful, connected or lowly, is usable and dispensable. To him everything, no matter how valuable and precious, is disposable.

But, guess what, the chicken is on its way home to roost! Freedom bell is now ringing for the people of Kwara. They have been fooled for a long time, but not anymore. They have been taken for a ride for several decades but not anymore. They have been held in bondage for so long but not anymore. They have been exploited for so long but not anymore. They have been impoverished for so long but not anymore.

Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continues till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” - Frederick Douglas.

The peopleof Kwara have decided to resist tyranny by publicly stoning Bukola Saraki. That public stoning of Saraki is just a rehearsal of what is yet to come. It is hoped that Kwara people would be able to follow up by throwing off the yoke of Saraki family. It is hoped that they would be able to kneecap the oppression being fostered by Governor Ahmed on behalf of his mentor. It is hoped that they would be concerned enough about themselves, the future of their children and the posterity to follow through with their struggle against feudalism, oppression, exploitation and subjugation.

For the people of Kwara the time has come for them to liberate themselves. To the people of Kwara, “the chance is now given you to end in a day the bondage of centuries, and to rise in one bound from social degradation to the place of common equality with all other varieties of men,” as once again, Frederick Douglass has remonstrated. It is time for the oppressed people of Kwara to take control of their destinies.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”
- John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961
http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/13/kwara-quagmire-corruption-and-oppression-remi-oyeyemi

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BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK FEB 09, 2016
SaharaReporters has obtained phone records belonging to Ricky Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, which shows consistent phone calls to one Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos. These phone records were obtained by SaharaReporters just as a legal showdown between Mr. Tarfa and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is underway following his arrest by EFCC agents.

The phone records show a series of no less than nine calls between Mr. Yunusa and Mr. Tarfa’s GSM numbers, 08095666256 and 08034600000 respectively. Those numbers, when searched in the True Caller app, clearly show they belong to individuals matching their names.

SaharaReporters previously reported that Mr. Tarfa was arrested by the EFCC for obstruction of justice when he shielded anti-corruption police from arresting his client Granhoue Sourou Nazaire.

Mr. Nazaire had been Mr. Tarfa’s client since around May 2015 when he instituted a legal suit against Mrs. Rachidatou Abdou over ownership and control of a company of which they were both the directors.

However, a letter to the Commissioner of Police authored by Mrs. Abdou on September 7th, 2015 stated that she believed that Mr. Tarfa was colluding with the judge overseeing that case, Justice Mohammed Yunusa.

The letter from Mrs. Abdou states “before and after the filing of the suit the Applicant’s lawyer, Mr. Ricky Tarfa SAN, and the judge, the Honorable Justice Yunusa were communicating with each other on the phone in order to pervert the course of justice.”

The phone records obtained by SaharaReporters shows consistent communication between Mr. Tarfa and Judge Yunusa’s Blackberry phone between May 11th, 2015 and August 3rd, 2015.

A review of the phone records available to our correspondent shows that Mr. Tarfa, and Yunusa spoke on three separate instances on May 11th, 2015, or four days before lawsuits were instituted against Mrs. Abdou.

There was also one phone conversation between Mr. Tarfa and Justice Yunusa three days before the May 15th filing of the lawsuit. On May 16th a day after the May 15th filing, there were three separate phone transactions between the two men.

According to the phone records, Mr. Tarfa and Justice Yunusa spoke at least once on June 25th, 2015 more than one month after legal charges were officially instituted on behalf of Tarfa’s client Mr. Nazaire. This phone transaction was also four days before Mr. Tarfa “made an oral application for an injunction to restrain the EFCC from inviting” his clients to be questioned about fraud allegations against him from Mrs. Abdou.

According to legal statements and media reports oral arguments on the Nazaire-Abdou case began on July 16th of that same year. Despite this, Mr. Tarfa and Justice Yunusa had a phone conversation on August 3rd, 2015 in violation of conduct of legal professionals.

The judge then ruled for Mr. Tarfa’s client on August 18th, following no less than nine separate phone transactions between the two men.

Mrs. Abdou also submitted a complaint to the National Judicial Council (NJC) identifying the corrupt and fraudulent dealing between Mr. Tarfa and Mr. Yunusa on November 11th, 2015. In the complaint, Mrs. Abdou detailed the cases assigned to Mr. Yunusa in the Federal Court and that there were records of phone calls and SMS messages between him and Mr. Tarfa.

In response to her complaint, the Chief Justice of Nigeria Mahmud Mohammed sent a memo to Mr. Yunusa for his misconduct. The memo was sent through the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, demanding an explanation to Mrs. Abdou’s allegations against him. Mr. Yunusa was given two weeks to respond to the allegations.

SaharaReporters has not ascertained what Mr. Yunusa’s response to the Chief Justice was, however, our correspondent has since learned that Mr. Yunusa was moved from the High Court in Lagos to the Federal High Court in Yobe State.

Meanwhile, Tarfa has been slammed with two counts of obstruction of justice by the EFCC at a Lagos High Court.
http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/09/phone-records-shows-how-lawyer-ricky-tarfa-and-justice-mohammed-yunusa-repeatedly-spoke

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The Office of the Attorney General of the federation (AGF) has asked the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to pick a date for resumption of trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Saraki is facing a 13-count charge for allegedly falsifying his asset declaration when he was governor of Kwara State.

The case was stalled by an appeal the Senate president filed at the Supreme Court to challenge the tribunal’s jurisdiction on the matter.

However, the apex court on Friday last week dismissed the appeal for lack of merit.

The AGF’s request for a trial date is informed by the court’s decision.
http://thenationonlineng.net/agf-to-cct-pick-date-for-resumption-of-sarakis-trial/

The National Judicial Council (NJC), has queried a judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, Mohammed Yunusa, over allegations he colluded with a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ricky Tarfa, to ‘pervert the cause of justice’.
A November 19, 2015 letter by the chairman of the NJC and Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed, to Justice Yunusa was sequel to a complaint by a Beninese business woman, Rachidatou Abdou, against, Messrs. Yunusa and Tarfa accusing them of “bias and unprofessional conduct on the bar and bench”.
Mrs. Abdou had alleged that she went into a business venture with a fellow Beninese, Gnahoue Nazaire, sometime in 2005 by establishing an artificial hair making industry in Lagos, which they named “Rana Prestige Industries Limited”.
She said at inception, the company had the two business partners as sole directors and shareholders.
She also alleged that an instruction was given to a lawyer tasked with registering the firm (Ferdinand Egede) to ensure that fifty per cent share capital was allocated to each of the two directors. She however, said “my co-director colluded with the lawyer and changed it to 60-40 by forging my signature on the incorporation forms and papers”.
Mrs. Abdou also claimed that her business partner diverted the company funds in connivance with his younger brother, Senou Modeste, an employee of the firm. She said all the “anomalies” were perpetuated when she travelled to France for almost six years.
“Upon my return from France, when I noticed these anomalies, I instructed my lawyer to write a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to investigate and prosecute (if need be) Mr. Gnahoue Sounou Nazaire over allegations of forgery, stealing and fraudulent conversion of company funds,”she said.

She also said no sooner had the EFCC commenced their investigation on the petition, than Mr. Nazaire’s lawyer, Ricky Tarfa filed an action for enforcement of fundamental human rights and pushing for an injunction to restrain the EFCC from investigating her petition.
She said three different suits were instituted by Mr. Tarfa on behalf Mr. Nazaire on May, 15, 2015 and that all the suits were assigned to Justice Yunusa for determination.
How Judge, Tarfa colluded to pervert justice
Mrs. Abdou also informed the NJC that she had evidence of how Justice Yunusa and Mr. Tarfa “had been in constant communication some days preceding the filing of the three suits discussing how justice in the suits will be circumvented by the duo”.
She claimed that on June 29, 2015, Mr. Tarfa made an oral application for injunction to restrain the EFCC from inviting the applicants in continuation of investigation of her petition.
She said the application was “gladly” granted by the court despite being vehemently opposed by her counsel.
“The granting of this application was a result of the discussion between Mr. Ricky Tarfa and Hon. Justice Yunusa some days before the application was made,” she said.
The business woman also said the court in its sitting on July 16, 2015 took arguments on all the three suits and adjourned to August, 18, 20 and 24, 2015 for judgment respectively.
“On the 18th of August 2015, judgment was delivered in suit No. FHC/L/CS/714/2015 and Hon. Justice Yunusa did not disappoint his cohorts as he declared that I was the cause of the arrest of the applicant and that I should pay the sum of N6,000,000.00 ( Six Million Naira) as damages to the applicant who did not say that I wrote a petition against him in his original application. More so, the EFCC in their counter affidavit maintained that I did not write a petition against the applicant,” she said.
She also told the NJC that Messrs. Yunusa and Tarfa were in regular telephone conversation shortly before the suits were instituted and while they were pending in court.
“Specifically, they spoke and exchanged SMS on several occasions. In fact, some of the calls were originated by the trial judge,” she said.
Mrs. Abdou also stated in her petition that before Justice Yunusa delivered his judgment, Mr. Nazaire was “boasting in Cotonou that he had bribed Justice Yunusa through his lawyer, Mr. Tarfa”.
She also said the telephone conversation (a copy of the call log of the alleged conversation was attached to her petition) between the judge and the senior lawyer had confirmed the allegation that the “judgments were indeed sold by justice Yunusa”.
Upon the receipt of the petition, Chief Justice Mahmud, in a letter with Ref. No. NJC/F.3/FHC.49/1/324, addressed to Justice Yunusa, asked the judge to respond to the allegations raised against him by Mrs. Abdou.

“I forward herewith a petition dated 11th November, 2015 against you by one Abdou Rachidatou. The Petition speaks for itself.
“I shall be glad to have your comments within 14 days from the date of your receipt of this letter,” the CJN said.
It is unclear whether Justice Yunusa has responded to the query issued him by Justice Mahmud. It is also not also clear whether relevant legal bodies had open any disciplinary procedure against Mr. Tarfa.
More troubles for Tarfa
Meanwhile, the EFCC arrested Mr. Tarfa on Friday and is set to arraign him on a two- count charge bordering on obstruction of justice and attempting to pervert the cause of justice.
He was arrested by operatives of the commission in Lagos, where he allegedly hid two suspects – Nazaire and Modeste; both Beninese – in his Mercedes Benz Sports Utility car, thereby shielding them from being arrested and willfully obstructing the cause of justice.
The suspects were alleged to have fraudulently converted some sophisticated manufacturing equipment belonging to Rana Prestige Nigeria Limited for their own use.
Besides, they were being investigated for alleged tax evasion running into millions of naira.
An operative of the Commission who was officially detailed to affect their arrest was reportedly prevented from carrying out his duty by Mr. Tarfa.
The senior lawyer would also be arraigned for illegally and unethically communicating with Justice Yunusa in a suit involving the EFCC and the two companies.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/198233-nigerian-judge-senior-lawyer-trouble-allegedly-colluding-pervert-justice.html

February 8, 2016
The Department of State Services has interrogated a former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko.

Our correspondent gathered that Aluko arrived at the national headquarters of the service in Abuja on Friday where he was interrogated on the allegation of rigging, which he made against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and the state chapter of the PDP.

The former secretary had told the nation last week that he and others helped Fayose to rig the June 21, 2014 Ekiti State governorship poll.

He also alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $2m for the PDP primary and $35m to prosecute the governorship election.

The governor, however, didn’t dispute the claim of the money in his reaction but asked that the PDP secretary be prosecuted for perjury, saying that the latest allegations were against Aluko’s testimony at the election petitions tribunal, where he was the star witness.

The state government on Wednesday last week dragged Aluko before a magistrate court in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye ordered the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Etop James, to arrest and prosecute Aluko for alleged perjury.

Since then, Aluko, who claimed that Fayose betrayed him by not naming him his chief of staff, had gone underground.

Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday and Sunday showed that Aluko was asked by the security agency to provide evidence of his allegations.

Aluko, it was gathered, made copies of the allegations he made against his former bosom friend, who he claimed he had known for 40 years, to the DSS.

[b]Among documents he submitted as proofs, it was gathered, was the list which contained the names of the three persons from each local government that he alleged were put together by the governor’s team who identified weak points in each local government, the roads, strong opposition polling units and names of key opposition leaders.

He was also said to have provided details of members used by the PDP to weaken the opposition during the election.

Sources at the headquarters of the service said Aluko was also asked to provide insight into his claim that the PDP used 1,040 soldiers and another 400 unrecognised soldiers, who he said were illegally recruited from Enugu to work for the party in the election.

The source said, “He (Aluko) is also providing details on his allegation that special stickers were provided for the vehicles used.

“He is also telling us what he knew about the procurement of black materials for the hand band for the operators of the strike team and the members of the 44 special strike teams.”[/b]

It was gathered that the service was relying on the list to enable it to get those listed as their telephone lines were also said to have been included.

Each of the strike team, which was said to have had a Hilux, was made up of 10 security personnel with a soldier as the team leader.

Members of the team were said to have been drawn from the DSS, NSCDC, Immigration Service and riot police.

“Definitely, the names of those listed there, especially those serving with us, would be invited for interrogation,” the source added.

Our correspondent could not get an official response from the DSS to this story as the service has not appointed a spokesperson since the assumption of office of its Director-General, Mr. Lawal Daura.

It was gathered that Aluko was not arrested by the operatives, but was “helping them in their investigations,” and that he was said to be in what our source described as “safe hands.”

Fayose has, however, said he would not be the one to enforce the magistrate’s court’s order on Aluko.

The governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said the judiciary that made the order should be able to make the police to enforce it.

Adelusi, in a text message to our correspondent on Sunday, said, “It is the court that issued the bench warrant, not the governor.

“The court has only ordered the police to enforce the arrest. It is left for the police to execute the order. It has nothing to do with the executive.”

Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said Fayose can be prosecuted if he is indicted by a panel set up by the military.

The report of the panel was submitted to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, in January.

According to the Army Headquarters, the panel recommended the compulsory retirement of two officers, while three other officers were recommended to lose their command and one was recommended for prosecution as a result of financial gratification.

Falana told our correspondent that if Fayose was indicted by the panel, Aluko could be used as a prosecution witness by the Federal Government.

The SAN added, “The army authorities had investigated the fraudulent governorship election purportedly won by Mr. Ayo Fayose in June 2014. It has been confirmed that it was not an election but a coup executed by armed soldiers, led by one (Brig) General (Aliyu) Momoh.

“The panel, which investigated the shameful event has recommended the dismissal of a number of military officers and further investigation of others by the EFCC over the money illegally collected by them for the purpose of subjecting voters to horrendous harassment and brutalisation.’’

Falana noted further that once the panel report was released and the investigation of the EFCC on the alleged “N4.8bn, which was criminally diverted for the election, is concluded, all the indicted suspects will be arrested and prosecuted.”

When asked whether Fayose could be prosecuted if indicted despite the immunity he enjoyed as a governor, he said, “There is no immunity for impunity as far as electoral malfeasance is concerned. In the cases of Obi v Mbakwe, Alliance for Democracy v Ayo Fayose and Amaechi v INEC, it has been established that governors cannot hide under the immunity clause to commit electoral fraud.

“By the strict interpretation of Section 308 of the Constitution, no court process can be issued or served on a governor. But because immunity cannot be pleaded or invoked to cover electoral fraud, elected governors are served with court processes and dragged before the court to answer allegations of electoral malpractice.”

http://www.punchng.com/ekiti-poll-scandal-dss-quizzes-ex-pdp-secretary-aluko/

BY PETER CLAVER OPARAH FEB 08, 2016
This certainly is not the best of times for Senate President, Bukola Saraki. From all seeming indices, he is living in borrowed times and the debts he has to pay for pushing his ambitions so vauntingly as he did in this dispensation far outweighs the benefits he might have gained from that effort. He has been kicked, shoved around, boxed and chased around as much as he had boxed, bitten, schemed and plotted to promote his interests. These are normal accoutrements of power and its pursuit, you might say, and nothing is wrong with that. Oh yes, Bukola Saraki is taking a normal course. It is his due right to nurse, promote and pursue his ambition as it us the rights of those that he feels are against him to stop his ambition if it impinges on theirs. So why the heck is he making an issue of this?

To be frank, I don't have a personal distaste for Saraki, not that it matters, though, but I have serious reservations about the means he employs to pursue his ambitions especially his present position as Senate President. I am galled that Saraki has to practically reinvent the Italian Social Scientist, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, in his bid to become Senate President and he never minded if his party implodes in the process. Sure, you have the right to adopt any tactics that suits you to drive your ambition but where it poses a great danger to the platform that even made you what you are, it becomes a cardinal sin. As long as you deign your means right, nothing gives you the impetus to question the means your opponents employ to deal with you. If all is fair in battle, there should be no prisoners on every side.

So I wholly disagree with Saraki's monotonous effort to raise outcries that his present trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal is the handiwork of his political enemies. I seriously question his scruples in politicising what is clearly a criminal breach. But even if we agree with him, which law says that his political opponents have no right to exploit his indiscretions to do him in? Which law verifies what is acceptable or not in prosecuting political battles? Did such law also vet the amoral way Saraki became the Senate President? On my last check, Saraki has not ceased being a politician so why is he making deft efforts to run away from what he terms the politicisation of his corruption charges when all he needs to do to clear every fog; political, criminal or otherwise, is to satisfactorily prove his innocence on the charges raised against him? At least, the charges are clear and cadent or is he oblivious to them? But Saraki is a politician; a consummate one for that matter given the way he emerged as Senate President so why is he afraid of political battles?

But then, my original thoughts after the Saraki emergence as Senate President was that Saraki would have deployed wisdom and tact in playing himself back to the party he badly hurt by his act of betrayal. Lo and behold, he displayed the worst case of political naïvety any politician of his cadre has ever exhibited. Possibly drunk from his victory, Saraki rubbed the salt further on a festering injury by his conduct immediately after his emergence and till date. If today, the plank he is leaning on to evade a most horrific case had collapsed, how can any person mourn with him when he tossed a golden opportunity to mend the fences he callously pulled down en route the satiation of his ambition? Saraki must have been goaded by the rabid urge the PDP provided for him to reach over himself but he showed himself a horrible student of power and history. His cloning of Machiavelli was a default act that rather worsened his woes than sooth them.

But peace, let me ask Saraki some questions as he sweats to find ways to dodge an impeding eclipse. What was on your mind when you went impudently against your party's decision to pick one of you APC contenders to the Senate Presidency through an internal election, to be its choice of Senate President? What was on your mind, Bukola Saraki, when you formed an illicit cohort with a hurting, bitter and mischievous PDP that was desperate to play the role of spoiler to APC's rightful choice for legislating leadership? What was on your mind when you cut your nose to spite your face by conspiring with PDP to rob APC of its rightful dues?

Bukola Saraki, what exactly was on your mind when you made an evil deal with PDP to share out tip legislative positions that ordinary belong to the ruling party in exchange for supporting you to emerge Senate President in the clear denigration of your party APC? What was in your mind as you teamed up with malevolent PDP to spit on your party and taunt it by emerging in an exclusive election that involved the full cahoots of PDP senators and a sprinkling of APC senators who are your loyalists? What was on your mind when the majority of APC senators were schemed out through such dirty means as you and your gangsters employed, to corner the Senate leadership?

Bukola Saraki, what was on your mind as you proceeded to rub further shit on the face of your party by ignominiously refusing to accept your party's choice for Senate key positions, in preference for your own lackeys? What was in your mind when you and your lackeys, with obtrusive backup of the sly PDP, insisted on refusing good counsel and defying the party's preferences for positions they have exclusive rights over? What was in your mind as you danced so alluringly to the drum beat a distressed PDP was beating for you and mocked your party in an astonishing display of political foolishness?

I ask you, Bukola Saraki, what was on your mind as you turned Father Christmas to a distressed PDP, dishing out critical Senate committee leadership to your PDP cohorts, to the sorrow and chagrin of your party leaders and senators? What was in your mind as you became the official leader of the PDP in a house with majority APC senators? What was in your mind as you robbed APC to pay PDP in a manner that rankles decency? What was on your mind as made your party the enemy and the opposition party, the ruling party in the Senate? What was on your mind as you became the patron of the PDP and swerved debates to ridicule your party in your Senate?

Let me ask you Bukola Saraki, what was on your mind as you slyly sent your man Friday and quaint bogeyman, Dino Melaye to raise the funny allegation that N25 billion was stolen in the Treasury Single Account when you knew it was a gregarious bogey? What was on your mind as you teamed up with PDP senators to launch a wild goose chase aimed at rubbishing the Presidency in your false charge that those who you see in your dreams as impediments to your magisterial reign as Senate President, owns Remita and were collecting tens of billions of Naira for TSA operations when you knew it was false? By the way, Bukola Saraki, what happened to that your panel you set up to prove your own lie? You should be decent enough to avail the nation of its findings and tender unreserved apology to whoever you have besmirched by that infantile prank.

Pray, what was on your mind, Bukola Saraki, when you launched the hullabaloo of. 'Missing budget', 'Stolen Budget', 'Replaced Budget' etc. and sought to rub soot on the presidency, with the full support of your fellow PDP senators over the 2016 budget proposal? What was on your mind as you twirled and sought to announce to the nation that the presidency 'stole' the budget it delivered to the Senate and that you and your Senate will only deliberate on the original (stolen) budget as delivered by the presidency? What was on your mind when you were pulling these indecorous stunts? What was on your mind when you descended from the Olympian height of Senate presidency to the low of a common trickster with a ready mob of tutored hirelings to please?

Certainly, I don't believe you, Bukola Saraki, was thinking that APC would have sat back, sucked all your insults and atrocities and congratulated you as the smart kid you feel you are and allow you to continue poking your fingers ceaselessly into its eyes. If you have elephantine scruples that could be exploited to shove you aside, what makes you think it is wrong to employ it deal with the nuisance you have sworn to constitute to your party and its government? What you must realise is that a palm oil vendor is a wrong person to cause a commotion in a market. The charges against you are entirely criminal and your exculpation lies only in proving convincingly that you were wrongly charged. If your political opponents exploit these misdemeanours of yours to shove you off a stool you stole, you have no reason to complain because they operate on a higher moral pedestal than you that connived with enemies to steal and covet what rightly belongs to others.

I asked these questions because you have sought to evade the real components of your corruption trial to make it look like a political witch hunt. I even shudder at which person has acquired so much power to dust politically a whole Senate President so badly that he has turned you into a cry baby. You see, you are more politically experienced than the House of Representative Speaker, Yakubu Dogara who was guilty of the same offence as you but who has managed his own liabilities so well when you are increasing your own.

By now, it should be obvious that you, Bukola Saraki, have exhausted your options to evade your shadows. Whatever was on your mind as you kept turning the table over yourself in your queer management of power has not served you well. You have jammed the door so violently to your own face. You have aimed at your big toe and dropped the spear. You have burnt your bridge. You have wasted a golden opportunity to show you have gained real experience in politics and power management. You see, it takes next to nothing to enter into an illicit alliance with a rolling stone, which the PDP became after the March 28, 2015, election, employ such mischievous alliance to snatch the leadership of the Senate as you did, proceed there to share out positions amongst your conniving cahoots but it takes quite a lot to manage such power and stay afloat. By now, Bukola Saraki, you just have realised the futility of an overwhelming vote of confidence your colleagues brazenly cook for you. They take nothing to concoct. By your next date at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, you would have realised that you are patiently waiting at the doors of the jail and not even a global vote of confidence by all legislators in the world will save you from this self-inflicted certainty for you are a failed student of power.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/08/bukola-saraki-what-was-your-mind-peter-claver-oparah

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKFEB 08, 2016
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ricky Tarfa has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for obstructing agents of the anti-corruption outfit last Friday as they tried to arrest two Beninoise nationals for fraud.

Mr. Tarfa spent close to 48 hours in detention before he was granted bail on Sunday evening as leaders of the Nigerian Bar Association and several senior lawyers mounted pressure on the EFCC.

An EFCC source told Saharareporters that Mr. Tarfa would face serious charges of obstruction of justice as their investigations have revealed that he illegally communicated with a judge in several cases involving agency. Investigators at the EFCC said they found the call logs between Mr. Tarfa and Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/08/lawyer-charged-obstruction-justice-illegal-communication-judge

Man Brutally Beaten By Nigerian Army Cadets For Allegedly Complimenting A Female Cadet Recounts His Ordeal

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKFEB 06, 2016
Sunday Amari, a 25-year old man brutally beaten by several Nigerian Army cadets in Abuja for complimenting a female army cadet, has given SaharaReporters a full account of his ordeal. SaharaReporters first released the video of the gruesome beating of the man, and the video quickly went viral. In the video, a female cadet from the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) in Kaduna is seen slapping, smacking and kicking the victim, with other female and male cadets soon joining her to brutalize Mr. Amari.

In an interview today, Mr. Amari told SaharaReporters that the assault took place on December 31, 2014 at the Jabi Lake Park in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, where he serves as a parks and recreation officer. His account contradicts a claim by the Nigerian Defense Academy that the attack happened in Lagos. Mr. Amari stated that the cadets attacked and nearly killed him while he was at his duty post.

He disclosed that he was not the original victim of the violent cadets, who included two females and seven males. According to him, the cadets’ first victim was another man seen at the end of the video. He revealed that the cadets had brutalized the first victim to the extent that the man may have suffered serious brain or nerve damage.

Mr. Amari, who is fondly called “Sunny,” said the unruly cadets set upon him for fear that he might report their atrocities. He said he was carrying out his duty of moving around the park to ensure that everything was in order when he saw the nine cadets around 4 p.m. beating up a civilian. He said he walked towards the cadets and their victim out of curiosity.

According to him, the cadets then beckoned on him and asked why he was looking at them. Before he could speak, they descended on him and gave him a brutal beating even as he pleaded with them that he was a recreation officer at the park. He revealed that at least five of the cadets participated in beating him until he passed out. He said he was left for dead, adding that a kind stranger took pity on him and conveyed him to the hospital where he spent a week recuperating from his serious injuries.

Mr. Amari, who hails from Opoko local government area of Benue State, said he had reported the assault to the cadets’ director, a retired military officer, who told him nothing could be done since his attackers were military cadets.

The Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) in Kaduna has issued a series of tweets claiming that the assault happened in Lagos while the cadets were on break, adding that the affected cadets would be punished. The NDA did not respond to emails from SaharaReporters seeking information on the identities of the cadets who took part in the horrifying beating of Mr. Amari.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/06/man-brutally-beaten-nigerian-army-cadets-allegedly-complimenting-female-cadet-recounts

February 1, 2016
More than 16 years into the Fourth Republic, the overwhelming evidence suggests that our National Assembly, rather than facilitate, has become the major obstacle to the attainment of the full benefits of democracy for Nigeria’s 170 million people. A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, just reminded us of the legislators’ subversion of popular aspirations and their habitual greed in the midst of mass poverty and joblessness. But unless Nigerians rouse themselves from lethargy, they will remain enslaved to a parasitic and insensitive cabal that has cornered a substantial portion of the national wealth.

The scale of financial impunity in the National Assembly is deeply worrying. Obasanjo, indeed, just re-echoed concerns raised these past 16 years by many stakeholders over the extremely large pay and perks appropriated by successive sessions of the National Assembly and their refusal to subject parliamentary financial transactions to public scrutiny. He made the point that at a time the economy was taking a bashing from falling oil prices and the government was hard put to fund its budget, lawmakers too ought to key into the “need for sober reflection and sacrifice with innovation at the level of the executive and legislative arms…” We agree with the former president that “it must not be seen that those who, as leaders, call for sacrifice from the citizenry are living in obscene opulence.”

That sadly is what obtains. But the National Assembly’s responses are wearily familiar. Obasanjo’s allegations are being batted away by some unashamed lawmakers. Bukola Saraki, the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, bragged that the Eighth Senate was “committed to good governance, transparency, accountability, due process and responsiveness to the economic reality of our nation.” Other less scrupulous lawmakers threw the allegations back at the former president. Allowing them to continue taking Nigerians for a ride may lead to extremely dangerous consequences. Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, has just repeated the scary warning that Nigeria is sitting on an unemployment time bomb. Other awful social indices paint a picture of a very uncertain future for the country.

But impunity starts from a little misdemeanour left unpunished. Over the years, successive Legislative sessions escaped the wrath of the people for a string of ugly scandals that tainted the credibility of our parliament. Evidence abounds also of lawmakers’ recklessness and insensitivity. Now, they are at it again. Placing their self-indulgence in lavish lifestyle above the public good, our lawmakers glossed over the dangers staring Nigeria in the face and awarded new luxury SUVs to themselves. The proposal of a N115 billion outlay in the 2016 budget, down from an average N150 billion in previous years for the parliament, has been subverted in advance by the decision of the two chambers to spend N4.7 billion on SUVs for lawmakers despite their car loans, pool buses and in defiance of public outcry. This is another outrageous example of brazen impunity in government.

Nigerians should resist the temptation to vilify the messenger, Obasanjo, who many rightly hold responsible for contributing to stifling the growth of democracy here, but, rather, attend seriously to the message. It will, therefore, be wrong to kick the issues Obasanjo raised into the long grass. By their greed, corruption, opaqueness, insensitivity and monumental incompetence, parliamentarians, since 1999, have stunted the entrenchment of democracy and atrophied development. As Obasanjo reasoned, our awful parliament has let Nigerians down in virtually all areas of representative democracy.

Yet, there are howls of anguish in the land. While about 70 per cent of Nigerians lived below the poverty threshold in 1999, some 69 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, lived on less than $1 per day and 60.9 per cent by 2014. For workers, the N18,000 minimum wage that some state governments find difficult to pay is a pie in the sky. But in real terms, a study, Groping in the Dark: Poverty the Nigerian Experience, found that the number of Nigerians living in poverty rose from 17 million in 1980 to 112 million in 2010. It is sickening to find that those who are supposed to be the representatives of the people live in obscene affluence in the midst of poverty and deprivation.

“Democratic transition,” according to American scholar, Amanda Taub, “is not merely the absence of a dictator; rather, it is the absence of democratic rule.” Elsewhere, MPs are selfless in the course of their duties, in comparison to Nigerian legislators who approve obscene allowances to themselves. Two British MPs – Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall – are a very good example. When the salaries of MPs were increased by just 10 per cent to £74,000 per annum in 2015 (other allowances were thereby reduced), they rejected the hike. A few other MPs decided that the increment would be given to charity.

But all persuasion for a change of heart has fallen on deaf ears here. Rather than improve, the quality of legislation and oversight functions, especially the ability to oversee public finances on behalf of the people that elected them, has been dwindling over the years. Nobody can trust this set of political buccaneers to come up with a change that is catalysed from within.

In the words of notable political scientists, Christian Welzel and Ronald Inglehart, in their article, “The Role of Ordinary People in Democratisation,” published in the Journal of Democracy, “Students of democracy increasingly emphasise the fact that democracy implies government by the people, not mere ‘electoral democracy’ in which elites have elections, but the citizens have little real influence on their actions.” True democracy implies that ordinary people become successfully empowered enough to put effective pressures on political office holders.

Nigerians have a duty to themselves and to generations yet unborn to put an end to the travesty currently playing out at the National Assembly in the name of lawmaking. To see effective change in the parliament, activists and civil society groups have a vital role to play, as is the case in other parts of the world. No benefits in politics come without a fight. Students and the organised labour groups should be in the vanguard of the struggle, but it should by no means be their battle alone. The apathy that has always manacled the common man to think that what happens at the National Assembly is not his concern has to be broken and shaken off. Only coordinated and sustained efforts from everybody will end the charade.

We need to start an impassioned debate on how to arrest the National Assembly’s financial recklessness. Usually, in Nigeria, it is a few days of public protests and nothing more. But what is needed is persistence, as was witnessed in Hong Kong during the Umbrella Movement, where the people were in the street for 79 days at a stretch.

Besides, the time has come for the anti-corruption agencies to beam their searchlights on the parliament. All the money they collect, are they putting it to proper use? When a legislator collects constituency allowance, he is supposed to open offices in his constituency, hire aides and ensure that a medium of interaction is created between him and his constituents.

When this is not done, it is corruption, and both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission should not allow such a law breaker to go scot-free. There is no doubt that our lawmakers have done immeasurable harm to their image and Nigeria’s democratic credibility. It is time to stop them.

http://www.punchng.com/time-to-tame-greedy-and-reckless-national-assembly/

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORKJAN 31, 2016
A coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) soft loan of $7 billion granted to a consortium of bankers in 2006.

In a petitioned sent to the anti-graft agency and signed by the coalition's chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, CSNAC stated that 9 years after the disbursement of the soft loans to the banks, no public report or account has been rendered by CBN on the $500 million given to each of the banks.

The petition read:

"On October 4th 2006, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through its Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Festus Odoko had disclosed that the CBN had apportioned $7billion out of the nation's external reserves, which stood at $38.07 billion, as at the end of July 2006, to 14 global asset managers and their 14 Nigerian banks local partners, to manage. The amount reportedly bequeathed to the asset managers represented 18.39 percent of the total external reserves and was hitherto kept with foreign banks.

"The 14 global asset managers and their local counterparts were Black Rock and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc; J.P. Morgan Chase and Zenith Bank Plc; H.S.B.C and; First Bank of Nigeria Plc; BNP Paribas and Intercontinental Bank Plc; UBS and United Bank for Africa Plc; Credit Suisse and IBTC Chartered Bank Plc; Morgan Stanley and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; Fortis and Bank PHB Plc; Investec and Fidelity Bank Plc; ABN Amro and Access Bank Plc; Cominvest and Oceanic Bank Plc; ING and Ecobank Plc; Bank of New York and Stanbic Bank Plc and; Crown Agents and Diamond Bank Plc."

"According to the reports, CBN gave each asset manager, $500m of the external reserves to manage. Almost nine years after this pronouncement, no public report or account has been rendered by CBN on these the $500 million given to each of the banks. Also realizing that 3 of the banks (Intercontinental Bank, Bank PHB and Oceanic) were bought over by other banks and or liquidated between 2006 and now."

While recounting that on June 17, 2015, CSNAC sent a letter to the CBN Governor under the Freedom of Information Act, to request for information on the $7billion ‘soft loan’ granted to the aforementioned 14 consortium of bankers, the coalition said six months after the receipt of the request by the CBN governor.

"Our network has received neither acknowledgment nor response to our request from the bank," the statement reqad in part.

Under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011, such information should be received by the applicant within 7 days of the receipt of such request.

"The Bank’s failure to respond news of unwholesome practices and economic sabotage. Perhaps, it is the assumption of officers behind the Programme that the investment there would be no account to be rendered to Nigerians on days as this.

"CSNAC is hereby requesting that the Presidency probes this matter and inform Nigerians exactly what is going on or has gone wrong with the $7 billion soft loan," the petition stated.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/01/31/group-urges-efcc-investigate-cbns-7-billion-loan-bankers

Posted By: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor, Northern Operation on: January 29, 2016

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Abumere Joseph Osagie, a Deputy Director, Regional Tax Office of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), for allegedly attempting to extort N5 million from the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, Senator Ahmed Datti.

He was arrested with one Jamila Ojora for abuse of office and bribery.

A statement issued by the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the FIRS deputy director was arrested following a complaint about his attempt to extort a university chancellor’s N5million.

The statement said: “Osagie and one Jamila Ojora had on January 27, 2016 allegedly approached Senator Ahmed Datti, the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja and gave him a tax assessment of N20,029, 496.00 through a letter of intent, which he paid.

“However, when he requested for the assessment certificate, they refused to oblige him. Instead they allegedly demanded for N5 million gratification. All pleas by him fell on deaf ears.

“Consequently, he petitioned the EFCC, and was advised to play along. Consequently, marked N5million was delivered to the director through Ojora in a sting operation. Ojora was arrested after she collected the N5 million. Her confession led to the arrest of Osagie.

“The houses of the suspects were searched by operatives of the EFCC and documents recovered. Investigations continue.”
http://thenationonlineng.net/efcc-arrests-firs-director-for-tax-fraud/

January 29, 2016 Eniola Akinkuotu

Prominent Yoruba leader, Senator Femi Okurounmu, has backed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s claim that members of the National Assembly are greedy and corrupt.

Okurounmu, who represented Ogun-Central senatorial district between 1999 and 2003, said this during a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday.

The elder statesman, who had been critical of Obasanjo in the past, said the members of the National Assembly were milking Nigeria dry and killing the nation’s economy.

Obasanjo had said in an open letter to the leadership of the National Assembly that federal legislators allocated to themselves salaries and allowances above the template approved by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission for National Assembly members.

Okurounmu, who was the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on the National Conference of 2014, said the lawmakers knew that everything that Obasanjo said was true.

He said, “I have been saying the same thing for years. For once, Obasanjo and I agree on something. I agree with him completely because he is saying the truth. He knows everything because he has been in the system.”

Okurounmu said the lawmakers steal taxpayers’ money through the controversial constituency allowance.

He explained that during his time at the Senate, there was no such thing as constituency allowance.

Okurounmu said, “The constituency allowance is just a way of getting money. They are all thieves. The constituency allowance was introduced when we were in the Senate and it was not allowance. It was for projects that the Federal Government ministries would prosecute.

“As a senator, you would identify a project in your constituency which you want the government to execute. If it is a road, you would list it under the Federal Ministry of Works. If it is water, you would put it under the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority and then you begin to lobby for the execution of the projects. It is not that cash is given to you.

“They are not supposed to do so. But today, they get the money and get so many other allowances.”

It will be recalled that a pro-transparency group, BudgIT Nigeria, had invoked the Freedom of Information Act, asking the National Assembly to give a breakdown of its budget but the federal legislative body refused to do so, stating that it could not do so because it could not reveal third party information.

Okurounmu said the National Assembly had succeeded at operating in secrecy.

He, therefore, urged members of the press and the masses to do more in demanding accountability from members of the National Assembly.

http://www.punchng.com/okurounmu-backs-obasanjo-says-senators-reps-are-thieves/

Nigeria's Former Chief Of Air Staff Amosu Detained By EFCC Over Arms Procurement Fraud
BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JAN 28, 2016

Nigeria's former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu, has been arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of massive fraud that characterized arms procurement during his tenure.

An EFCC source told SaharaReporters that the retired air marshal is being investigated amongst other acts for reportedly authorizing the purchase of two helicopters without functional rotors. He added that the former top military officer later compelled two air force officers to fly in one of the helicopters after the craft was equipped with a rotor that was taken from an unserviceable Russian-made helicopter gunship. The air force officers died in a crash near Yola, the capital of Adamawa State, because the rotors fitted on their chopper was too heavy.

The source claimed that EFCC investigators had so far traced nine luxury homes to Mr. Amosu. The retired officer’s suspected homes include an imposing property in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) of Ikeja in Lagos State. Our source stated that the Ikeja property is estimated at more than N350 million.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently asked the EFCC to launch a broad investigation of serving and retired military officers suspected of looting funds budgeted for the procurement of weapons and other tools for the Nigerian military to support the war against Islamist insurgents in the country’s northeast.

One EFCC source revealed that agents of the anti-corruption agency were working diligently on numerous investigations involving other top officers who may have milked the defense budget.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/01/28/nigerias-former-chief-air-staff-amosu-detained-efcc-over-arms-procurement-fraud

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK JAN 26, 2016
A courtroom drama on Tuesday stalled the cross-examination of prosecution witness, Abu Sule in the case involving a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, as prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, revealed how the former governor’s son had allegedly gone on the trail of the prosecution witness.

Ohakim is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly making a cash payment of $2.2 million for a piece of land at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No. 60, Kwame Nkuruma Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

According to the EFCC, Keyamo, addressing Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja, said that the second prosecution witness Sule, who is the Managing Director of Tweenex Consociate H.D. Limited, phoned him about 9p.m. yesterday and revealed that Ohakim’s second son, Emeka Ohakim, had visited Sule’s office in Asokoro to inquire from some individuals about his home address.

According to Keyamo, Ohakim allegedly approached three people: Okon (a driver), Akpabor (a driver) and Shola (an architect), in an effort to obtain Sule’s home address.

“We don’t want to distract the court from this trial” he continued. “But I thought it goes beyond the issue of counsel to counsel because it touches on the administration of justice and protection of the witness concerned.

‘‘We will apply, at this stage, that a word of caution and concern go out. If it repeats itself, we shall bring appropriate application before the court over the development.’’

In his response, lead counsel to the defendant, Chris Uche, expressed shock at what he described as Keyamo’s outburst, saying that the matter should have been discussed at another gathering rather than in the open.

According to him, ‘‘I have no doubt that what the prosecution has said amounts to destabilizing the defence. Keyamo had been sitting directly behind us for more than one hour before the case was called, but he didn’t raise the matter. He also saw the defendant eyeball to eyeball when he came to our seats, yet he didn’t discuss the matter. Now, it is on the Internet and it will be in the presstomorrow.’’

The defence counsel, who further urged the court to dismiss the story as unfounded, said the prosecution could file an application on the matter as he had mentioned to the court.

After listening to both counsels, Justice Adeniyi, who was visibly disturbed about the allegation, said there was no harm if the prosecution had hinted the defendant and his counsels about the incident.

‘‘I am a bit disturbed. It is a very serious allegation. We can’t deny the fact that it also touches on the defendant himself. Alternatively, you could have asked to seek audience with me in chambers in the presence of the defence counsel and the defendant,’’ he said.

The defence counsel argued further that the prosecution had failed to handle the matter properly, adding that his action was not in consonance with a traditional belief that says an elder should report any act of misconduct by a child to his father.

In his reaction, Keyamo said: ‘‘I find it extremely objectionable. He has said things about my person, whereas I have never said anything about him. I will not treat an issue of threat to life in private! There is no rule of legal practice that says such an issue should be discussed in private. It depends on my judgment.’’

Justice Ademola adjourned the case to Wednesday, January 27, 2016 for continuation of trial.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/01/26/money-laundering-ex-gov-ohakim’s-son-allegedly-threatened-prosecution-witness-court-told

Posted By: Eric Ikhilae, Abujaon: January 25, 2016
About nine years after he was arraigned before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, trial eventually opened on Monday in the money laundering case involving former Plateau State governor, Joshua Dariye.

The prosecution called its first witness, who told the court how Dariye allegedly diverted the state’s N1.126billion Ecological Funds.
Dariye is being tried before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the FCT High Court.

The witness, Musa Sunday (a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission), who was led in evidence by lead prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he was involved in the investigation into how Dariye allegedly diverted the funds while serving as governor.

He told the court how Dariye allegedly applied for the ecological fund in the name of his state in 2001, but collected the money in person and diverted it.

Sunday said, upon receiving the cheque for the ecological fund, the ex-governor allegedly lodged the fund with his private banker, the Abuja Branch manager of All States Trust Bank Plc (now defunct), with instruction on how it should be disbursed.

The witness said investigation by EFCC operatives revealed that the bank manager allegedly acting on Dariye’s instruction paid N100million in the name of “Peoples Democratic Party South-west” and the funds was later traced to a company – Marine Float Nigeria Limited – allegedly owned by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

He said efforts to make Atiku to refund the money had so far failed.

http://thenationonlineng.net/how-dariye-diverted-plateau-ecological-funds-witness/

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORKJAN 23, 2016
After two years of being displaced from their homes by the Boko Haram insurgency, at least seven thousand civilians have returned to their homes in the Gomboru Ngala Local Government Area (LGA). Gomboru Ngala is on the border of Borno State and Cameroon.

Speaking with journalists in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, on Friday, January 22nd, the Gomboru Ngala LGA Chairman Abdulrahman Abdulkarim said that he visited the area this week and spoke with civilians residing there.

According to Mr. Abdulkarim, most of the homes were burned down but residents have agreed to share houses with their neighbors and the State government was providing relief assistance.

Boko Haram terrorists overran Gomboru Ngala two years ago, where hundreds of civilians were killed or abducted. “Much of the town was razed [and burned] down,” Mr. Abdulkarim said.

Thousands of civilians fled to Cameroon and some were later repatriated to Maiduguri by the State government as the presidential elections approached last year.

In September 2015, the Nigerian troops reclaimed Gomboru Ngala from the terrorists after heavy guns battles resulting in the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Buratai, and other senior officers raising the Nigerian flag at the border town.

Mr. Abdulkarim appealed to the Nigerian and State government to place military checkpoints entering the Gomboru Ngala area because civilians expressed their intentions to return. “They are eager to come back and start their businesses as soon as possible,” he added.

A National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) source told a SaharaReporters correspondent that they were aware civilians repatriated back to the area but were awaiting authorization to provide assistance.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/01/23/7000-civilians-return-border-town-after-2-years-displacement

Published on January 22, 2016 by
United State Secretary of State, John Kerry has given President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign drive a larger reach at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Kerry in his speech at the forum, he made reference to Buhari’s fight against corruption in Nigeria and how individuals pocketed money meant for arms deal.
“It has been reported that over 50 people including government officials stole over $9billion in Nigeria.
He added that money that was meant for arms to fight Islamist sect, Boko Haram, was pocketed by generals in the most populous black nation in the world.
“Corruption costs global economy more than a trillion dollars a year and complicates every security, diplomatic, social priority,” he said.
“In far too many countries, plain rank corruption has generated such powerful headwinds that local economies just tread water. Today, corruption has grown at an alarming pace and threatens global growth, global stability, indeed the global future.”
“There is absolutely nothing more demoralizing, disempowering to any citizen than the belief the system is rigged against them. Corruption is a radicalizer because it destroys faith in legitimate authority.”
He noted that about three trillion is lost to corruption a year.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2016/01/22/john-kerry-carries-buharis-anti-corruption-campaign-to-davos/

BY GARBA SHEHU JAN 21, 2016
President Muhammadu Buhari spent the first three days of this week visiting the United Arab Emirates, UAE, the first by a Nigerian leader since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two states in the early 80s.

The high-level visit to the world's second largest Arab economy marked an indication of the strengthening of relations between this country and Middle-East after many years this being in the back burner.

As part of his visit, President Buhari held talks with the effective head of the government, His Highness Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zayad Al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the UAE armed forces. Apart from the bilateral talks at which critical issues such as trade, investment, security, war against corruption and energy were discussed, the President participated in the World Future Energy Summit, itself dominated by climate change and energy issues. The visit was also packed with a wide range of business meetings with business leaders in the UAE to attract investments leading to jobs creation and the larger goal of economic development in Nigeria.

On Tuesday before his departure home, the President addressed a group of African Ambassadors, had a session with Nigerian professionals before meeting a larger group made up of members of the Nigerian Community in the UAE.

At the meeting with the Nigerians in that country, President gave a resounding off-the -cuff speech in which he addressed the major issues of security, trade, war against corruption, challenges in foreign exchange transfers as part of the larger issues affecting the economy and as to be expected, employment and opportunities for diasporas back at home.

When he ended his speech, the highly impacted audience members rose to their feet to give him a standing ovation.

The high point of the President's visit was the signing of a wide range of agreements. These agreements are the first by the Buhari administration since it came into office and are on the threshold of the major policies of government, namely security, economy and corruption.

It is noteworthy that in the nearly-thirty years of the existing relations between Nigeria and the UAE, only three Memoranda of Understanding, MOUs were signed at various times in the past. This was the first time an agreement was signed and it is historically important that there were six of such agreements put on the table from the start. Four of these are agreements on Mutual Legal Assistance, MLA and the balance of two, relating to trade and investment.

The one that immediately caught public attention is the agreement on criminal matters to facilitate " the widest measure of Mutual Legal Assistance" to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crime, and the confiscation of criminal proceeds.

Under this agreement, proceeds of crime were defined to include "any assets derived or realized, directly and indirectly, by any person as a result of criminal conduct or the value of any asset, "asset" itself defined as "money and all kinds of moveable or immovable or tangible or intangible property, and include any interest on such property."

With this milestone agreement, it is expected that stolen assets such as the ones by a high-profile banker who was jailed by the EFCC a few years ago, estimated in billions of Naira in real estate and shares held in Dubai may be returned to Nigeria. Now, there is a legal basis to ask for the return of such assets.

The second MLA on criminal matters, which is equally expected to bolster President Muhammadu Buhari's war against corruption is the agreement on extradition between the two states.

By this, each of the states has agreed to "extradite to the other," upon request and subject to the provisions of the agreement "any person who is found in the territory of the Requested Party(say UAE) and is wanted in the Requesting Party (say Nigeria) for any prosecution or trial or execution of a sentence in respect of an extraditable offense committed within the jurisdiction of the Requesting Party."

The agreement defines extraditable offenses as those that are punishable under the laws of both countries by a term of imprisonment of not less than two years "or by a more severe penalty."

The third MLA is to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of sentenced persons into society through giving them the opportunity to serve their sentence in their own countries.

The last of the four Mutual Legal Agreements deals with civil and commercial matters.

By this, each of the two states shall grant each other support in the service of summons and other judicial documents or processes; taking of evidence and in the execution of decrees, settlements and arbitral awards.

It is important to note that this agreement will apply to any civil or commercial matter before or after the signing of this agreement.

The two other agreements are for the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments and for the avoidance of double taxation. These ones were drawn to intensify economic cooperation between Nigeria and the UAE and to create conditions conducive to investments by nationals and companies of both countries.

These last two agreements are critical to the success of the economic side of the visit.

The Crown Prince and some of the business leaders the President met had shown an effusive determination to place investments in Nigeria. However, by their investment tradition, the UAE does not invest in a country with which they don't have a protection agreement. This is what was just signed.

With an eye on UAE's outsized Sovereign Wealth Fund, officially put at USD 800 billion (but unofficially at over three trillion Dollars), Nigerian officials are eager to start work on the expansion of economic cooperation between the two states.

On the security front, President Buhari and the Crown Prince discussed a range of regional and global issues. The UAE has agreed to assist Nigeria in the war against Boko Haram terrorism and in the rehabilitation of the damaged, North-East subregion of the country. They are sending an assessment team of the Emirates Red Crescent to the affected areas to find out precisely what is most needed for that country's intervention.

A two-man, high-level committee was set up by the two countries to coordinate the incoming support for the North-East. The contact person for Nigeria is General Babagana Munguno, the National Security Adviser. His UAE counterpart is the Group CEO of the conglomerate Mubadalah. The two would be meeting every three months to review progress in this effort.

While both countries left off to further scrutinize the signed agreements in case there are areas to be amended, there is also the indication that a number of other agreements are in the pipeline to strengthen security and economic cooperation between the two. The country which parades two of the world's most successful airlines, the Emirates and Etihad is interested in assisting Nigeria restart a national airline.

Another of these upcoming agreements will lead to the opening of the UAE market for Nigerian exports. The one being worked on security cooperation is to bind the ministries of interior to information sharing to fight corruption and terrorism.

The two leaders also emphasized their cooperation on climate change and energy issues. By this, it is expected that the UAE will key into the President's plan to boost access to electricity by tapping into the abundant renewable energy resources available to this country. The UAE has built a whole city that relies on solar energy that is reportedly carbon-free. Climate change is a major topic of concern to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Another line of discussion between the two states will feature plans on the regeneration of the Lake Chad, to reduce poverty in the region and cut African emigration to Europe.

In the assessment of officials on both sides, the visit scored big on issues of security, environment, trade and investment and the war against corruption.

The President was accompanied on the delegation by the NSA and the ministers of Finance, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Investment, Environment, State Minister Petroleum and that of Works, Power and Housing.

Garba Shehu is the Senior Special Assistant to the President for Media and Publicity

http://saharareporters.com/2016/01/21/president-muhammadu-buharis-official-visit-uae-major-takeaways-garba-shehu

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January 14, 2016Evelyn Okakwu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a seven-count charge of corruption against the spokesperson of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh.
The EFCC also listed a former Board of Trustees chairman of the PDP, Tony Anenih, as one of the recipients of payments from N400 million it says Mr. Metuh received from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
The first four counts, filed Thursday, accuse Mr. Metuh of receiving N400 million from Mr. Dasuki.
Here are the details of the charge:
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, on or about 24th November 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court, took possession of the sum of N400, 000 000:00 (Four hundred Million Naira) only, paid into the account of DESTRA INVESTMENTS limited with Diamond Bank Plc, with account number: 0040437573, from the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.); the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited, on or about 24th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court converted the sum of N400, 000 00: 00 (Four Hundred Million Naira only) which sum was received from the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award, which you claimed to have received for political activities of the People Democratic Party when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds form part of the proceeds of an illegal activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National Security Adviser, (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investment Limited on, or about the 24th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did retain the sum of N400, 000 000: 00 (Four Hundred Million naira only), on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party for its campaign by concealing the said sum in your account, with Diamond Bank Plc, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds form part of the proceeds of an illegal activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National security adviser, (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 17(b) of the same act.

“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, sometime between November 2014 and March 2015, in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court, having reason to know that an aggregate sum of N400 000 000:00 (Four Hundred Million Naira only) directly represented the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), the then National Security Adviser, (to: with criminal breach of trust and corruption) in respect to the same amount, used the said fund for the campaign activities of the Peoples Democratic Party and other personal purposes and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same act”.
Counts five to seven accuse Mr. Anenih and others of being part of the alleged fraud.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, on or before the 22nd of December 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did make a cash payment through your agent, one Nneka Nicole Ararume to one Kabiru Ibrahim; a none Financial institution to the tune of $1, 000 000:00 USD, (One million United States Dollars) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the same Act”.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited, on or before the 22nd of December 2014 in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court did make a cash payment through your agent, one Nneka Nicole Ararume to one Sie Iyenome of Capital Field Investment, to the tune of $1, 000 000:00 USD, (One million United States Dollars) only, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 16(2)b of the same Act.
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited on or about the 4th of December 2014, in Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court did transfer the sum of N21, 776, 000:00 (Twenty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand Naira) being part of the N400, 000 000:00 (Four Hundred million Naira) which directly represented the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.) the then National Security Adviser, (to: with criminal breach of trust and corruption) to Chief Anthony Anenih and thereby committed an offence, contrary to section 15(2) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.”
Mr. Metuh on Wednesday filed an application before the court demanding the commencement of his trial or his immediate release from the custody of the EFCC.
He also requested a speedy hearing of the case, an application turned down by the judge.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/196760-efcc-slams-7-count-charge-of-corruption-on-pdp-spokesman-metuh.html

Posted By: Eric Ikhilae, Abujaon: January 13, 2016

The absence of Justice Abdulkadir Abdulkafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja stalled proceedings Wednesday in a suit instituted by Senate President, Bukola Saraki for an order stopping the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) from further trying him.

The judge was to conduct proceedings in the substantive suit Wednesday, having earlier refused Saraki’s application for an interim injunction to stop the trial.

When parties got to court Wednesday, they were told that the judge was not available and that the court would not sit.

The suit was filed in Abuja in November by Saraki’s lawyer, Raphael Oluyede shortly after Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Lagos division of the court struck out the suit on the he lacked the territorial jurisdiction to hear the case.

Justice Buba, in his ruling on November 6, said his court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case. He added that it ought to have been filed in Abuja where the cause of action took place. The judge noted that Saraki could not prove that his rights were about to be violated in Lagos.

“He has to proffer the reason for the court to hold that his right is about to be violated in Lagos State. The key word is ‘state,” Justice Buba said.

This suit is the third of such suits filed before the Federal High Court by Saraki. Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, before who the first of such suits was filed, withdrew from the case on September 30 this year and returned the case file to the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta.

As is the case in the fresh suit, Saraki had sought to restrain the CCT, the Federal Ministry of Justice and others from proceeding with his trial on the false asset declaration charge against him before the CCT.

Justice Mohammed declined, on September 17, to grant Saraki’s prayer for an order restraining the respondents in the case. Saraki had applied for the order via an ex-parte motion.

Instead, the judge ordered that the respondents be put on notice and show cause on September 21, why the prayer sought by Saraki should not be granted.

On September 21, the judge, after arguments from parties, elected to hear the substantive suit. When parties returned to court on September 30 for the hearing of the main suit , Justice Mohammed announced his decision to withdraw from the case following publications in the social media, which portrayed him compromised.

He said the publication cast doubt in his integrity as a judge hearing the case, which will make any of the party doubt his intention, whichever position he takes in the case.

Justice Mohammed said it was more honourable for him to hand the case file to the chief judge for reassignment.

It is not clear why Saraki filed the fresh suit since the Supreme Court, where his appeal against the CCT’s decision to assume jurisdiction over his trial was still pending, has directed the CCT to suspend proceedings in the trial of Senate President pending the determination of his appeal.

The Supreme Court has fixed judgment in the case for February 5.

http://thenationonlineng.net/474111-2/

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK JAN 12, 2016
SaharaReporters has learned that an official order from the Federal High Court in Abuja has been issued for the arrest of Mr. Government ‘Tompolo” Ekpemupolo in connection to a multi-billion naira fraud involving land contracts for the construction of a Nigerian Maritime University (NMU).

It will be recalled that SaharaReporters reported on December 10th, 2015 that Tompolo was wanted for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and had refused to honor their invitation claiming he was in court against the anti-corruption agency.

Tompolo, a former Niger Delta militant, had bank accounts belonging to him frozen by the EFCC. According to reports at the time, two companies linked to Tompolo, Mieka Divers Ltd and Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Ltd, had their accounts frozen by the EFCC because of their use in fraudulent exchanges.

Specifically, the EFCC wishes to question Tompolo about the illicit sale of N13 billion in land from him to the Federal Government. According to reports, the Federal Government wanted to construct the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) and had diverted public funds through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the militant.

Mr. Tompolo is reportedly hiding in the Niger Delta creeks; he rejects any insinuation that the land deal was fraudulent asking EFCC to contact former President Goodluck Jonathan for clarification.

http://saharareporters.com/2016/01/12/court-orders-arrest-niger-delta-militant-tompolo-connection-n13-billion-land-fraud