₦airaland Forum

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, says Africa loses over $50 billion, yearly, to illicit financial flows through money laundering, corruption and tax evasion.

Adeosun said this at the opening of a capacity building workshop on the use of beneficial ownership information and the recovery of assets in Africa on Wednesday in Abuja.


The Minister was represented by the Director, Technical Services in the Ministry, Mrs. Larai Shuaibu.

“As a result of illicit financial flows, an estimated $50 billion is lost every year in Africa. I, therefore, enjoin all participants to continue to work with us and all other countries across the continent to address this key problematic area.

‘’We hope that this kind of collaboration will continue in earnest and we will use the opportunity of our gathering to further strengthen relations between our various institutions and organisations.

“The Nigerian government has put in place a number of processes and has undertaken a lot of activities to trace these assets. I believe some of you have been witnessing some of the recent revelations that have been going on and a lot of things that have been coming to light,” she said.

Adeosun expressed concern that tax evation, money laundry, corruption and other issues have also continued to be a problem within the society, adding that motions have been set in place and a number of steps taken toward tackling corruption.

She urged the participants to put in their best to bring in ideas that would help to move, not only Nigeria ahead, but also other nations in terms of tackling illicit financial flows.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says the commission will soon introduce anti-corruption course to universities

Its Acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, said the commission would soon launch its anti-corruption programme in universities across the country.

Magu disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of a capacity-building workshop on the use of beneficial ownership information and the recovery of assets in Africa.

He said the anti-corruption programme would be similar to that of “Women Against Corruption.”

“We are already talking with the universities; we are looking at starting with University of Lagos and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) where we will launch the programme.

“There is something on ground to also reach out to the universities as student’s union leaders have disturbed me over issues in the sector.

“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) leadership visited me last week and this was part of their complaints.

“We assured them that we are going to join them and launch the anti-corruption programme and we need them too because we are protecting their future,“he said.

On stolen assets, Magu said that government was working with global partners to fast-track the return of stolen assets abroad.

He said that the commission was planning to clamp down on tax evaders as part of plans to bring succour to the economy.

“We are going to collaborate with FIRS and set up a unit that will exclusively deal with tax fraud, tax evasion and related offences. We are going to see that we work on this seriously.

“We have just discussed it with the FIRS chairman; we will give the operatives a special training to operate very well,“Magu said.

He urged every Nigerian to be part of the fight against corruption, adding that the commission was making progress in the anti-corruption fight.

Mr Tunde Fowler, The Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), said that tax evasion was a global problem.

Fowler said that to succeed in Africa, given the economic challenges, stakeholders must join forces to block all revenue leakages.

He said that Africa had remained porous in terms of financial security, adding that the African Union (AU) had given a mandate that “we as tax officials should ensure that we generate enough money to secure its financial independence”.

“The issue of tax is a global problem and the issue of revenue is equally a global problem.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/corruption-costs-africa-50bn-annually.html

Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, a member of Standard Bank Group, has posted Profit After Tax (PAT) of N16.1 billion in its first quarter operations, against N7.8 billion achieved in the corresponding period in 2016.

Specifically, the bank’s performance for the first quarter ended March 2016, showed 106 per cent rise in profit, from N7.8 billion to N16.1 billion while pre-tax profit stood at N18.6 billion, an increase of 78 per cent over the N10.2 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2016.

The bank attributed the improved performance to sustained focus on the bank’s objectives, as well as heavy investment made on digital channels upgrade for enhanced operations.



Gross earnings stood at N47.0 billion, representing an increase of 35 percent over the N34.8 billion recorded in the comparable period of last year.Similarly, total assets went up 11 per cent to N1.2 trillion from N1.1 trillion in December 2016.

The Chief Executive of the bank, Yinka Sanni, said: “I am delighted to announce another strong performance for the first quarter of 2017 following the recent release of our FY 2016 results. Stanbic IBTC Group achieved significant growth in profit after tax by over 100 per cent, despite the challenging trading environment which was characterised by challenges with FX liquidity, difficult credit environment and an increasing cost of operations.”
He added: “We remain positive that economic activities will improve as the Nigerian economy is beginning to show signs of positive outlook due to an increase in the supply of foreign exchange to both retail and corporate users and decreasing headline inflation.
According to him, “As we focus on driving our objective to be the leading end-to-end financial solutions provider in Nigeria, we will continue to leverage on our upgraded digital channels and our membership of the Standard Bank Group.”
He explained that the group’s liquidity ratio closed at 94.35 percent, while the bank’s liquidity ratio was at 83.99 percent at the end of Q1 2017. These ratios are significantly higher than the 30 percent regulatory minimum.
He added that the group’s capital adequacy ratio remained above the minimum statutory requirement of 10 percent, with total capital adequacy ratio of 21.69 percent.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/stanbic-ibtc-posts-n1611b-pat-in-q1.html

In its effort to curtail the menace of flood and erosion, a Catholic mission centre, St. John Bosco Institute and Youth Centre Ibolo Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has spent N25 million in building bulk culverts and drainage system.


The centre took the bull by the horn after several alarms over the looming danger had cut off the area from other parts of the town and recently pulled down the fence of the school fall on the deaf ear of the government.

The worst hit by the erosion and flood were the only road that connects the Catholic mission school, St. John Bosco, the roads that linked old Spare Parts Market otherwise known as Mgbuka Obosi, the road that connects the area to Onitsha-Owerri road and Electrical Parts Market, which have all been rendered impassable.

The Director of St. John Bosco Institute of Technology (JOBITECH) and Administrator/Economer of St. John Bosco Youth Centre, Rev Fr Samuel Agudosi (SDB) lamented that after several appeals to the government to come to their aid by constructing the roads and drainages to protect the school and residents from further damage failed to elicit any responds they started the project in their own little way.

He noted that the mission school has already spent N25 million on the project estimated to gulp over N35 million so as to ensure the school is secured from flood during this rainy season.

Agudosi lamented that in the past three years flood had killed a pregnant woman and some children in the area, pointing out that a student of the school escaped death after a ravaging flood carried her, she was saved by some boys.

He also said that the students’ hostel was gutted by fire in 2015.

He disclosed that he had met with Governor Willie Obiano over the erosion and flood menace and had written a letter in respect of the menace. He said the governor immediately directed his Commissioner for Works to measure and survey the road, but nothing had been done till date.

Fr Agudosi said residents of the area, including the priests, students, and teachers were living in fears due to the menace of the flood, stressing that the area has been completely cut-off to the extent that no vehicle could access it, especially during the rainy season.

The director said that the condition of the road was threatening St. John Bosco, the only Catholic mission in the South-East and South-South zones, stressing that the centre was on the verge of shutting down due to environmental problem.

The director, appealed to the state government to come to their aid by ensuring that the road that links the school was rehabilitated.

“The past administration knew about this road and the present administration is aware of the road but nothing has been done by the government. The rain is here again, thank God that the rain this year delayed a little bit and now it is not the time of lamenting that the government is not doing anything but as a mission centre, we called on our Rector-Major, the head of our congregation who is in Rome and he has helped us with some money, half of what we think will do the project within the school area.

“So far we have spent N25 million and it is not yet over because the budget is around N35 million. As you can see all our fences are down, we are trying to make use of available resources as it could go just to try to link up the water channels because the flood is too heavy and it is as far as Nkpor area. We try to make the channel large enough because of the future, we don’t want a situation the water will overflow the channel tomorrow.

“Almost all our compound is flooded when it rains, and that is why we immediately embarked on this project to save the compound, students and staffers. We have been having sleepless nights and whenever our students come out to play we are afraid because flood can carry any of them. Last time our students, a 22-year old girl, Eucharia Igboanugo nearly lost her life but for the intervention of about five boys who saw her when the flood carried her and rescued her. The girl was traumatized for almost two weeks; I was counseling her because she wanted to go home.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/catholic-school-spends-n25m-on-erosion.html

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EfCC), has withdrawn its application seeking to stay the execution of the Federal High Court’s order which unfroze the Skye Bank account of the wife of former president Goodluck Jonathan, Patience with a balance of $5.9million.

EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo had filed the application seeking for stay of execution on the order to unfreeze the account which was granted on April 6.


But yesterday, Oyedepo informed the court presided by Mojisola Olatoregun that the commission had changed its mind about appealing the unfreezing order.

Mrs. Jonathan’s lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe, confirmed being served with the EFCC’s application to withdraw its application for stay of proceedings.

Adedipe said in view of the EFCC’s action, he would also withdraw the Form 48 and Form 49 he filed to cite Skye Bank for contempt of court for not allowing Patience access to her account in spite of the court order.

After hearing both parties out, Justice Olatoregun granted their prayers to withdraw their respective applications. With the development, the former first lady now has unfettered access to her bank account.

At the instance of the EFCC last year, Justice Olatoregun had made an interim order freezing multiple accounts linked with Patience. The order was pursuant to an ex parte application by the anti-graft agency, wherein one of its operatives, Abdulahi Tukur, had told the judge that the funds retained in the said accounts were suspected proceeds of crime.

Tukur had told the judge that intelligence report by the anti-graft agency necessitated that the accounts be investigated, adding that it would be in the interest of justice that the accounts be frozen.

The accounts, opened in the names of companies and an individual, had a cumulative balance of N7,418,829,290.94 (N7.4bn) and $429,381.87.

Apart from Patience’s personal account, also affected were five companies, namely: Finchley Top Homes Limited, Aribawa Aruera, Magel Resort Limited, AM-PM Global Network Limited, Pansy Oil and Gas Limited.

Finchley Top Homes Limited’s account numbered 1102001996 in Ecobank, with a balance of N226,376,700.23 and a fixed deposit of N1,099,511,484.88 was frozen.

Similarly affected were the company’s Skye Bank account numbered 1771731336, with a balance of N14,173,848.85; Fidelity Bank account numbered, 4011019539 with a balance of N1,800,494,000; Stanbic Bank account numbered, 0016901361, with a balance of N40,594,12.88 and Diamond Bank account 0019213687 with a balance of N39,418,712.12.

Aribawa Aruera Reachout Foundation opened account number 1222014221 with Ecobank and has a closing balance of N479,893,431.01…

while Magel Resort Limited accounts .(4011019546/5250059782) with Fidelity Bank has a subsisting balance of N1,000,494,000.

The company also operates a Zenith Bank account numbered, 1011744356, which has a balance of N858,923,982, and a Diamond Bank account numbered 0024351590 with had a balance of N174,166,207.00.

AM-PM Global Network Limited opened account number 0026718889 at Diamond Bank and has a balance of N7,213,303.50.

The account numbered 4011019577 opened by Pansy Oil and Gas Limited at Fidelity Bank had a balance of N1,809,666,494.68, while the company’s account in Diamond Bank has a balance of N55,930,024.50.

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/efcc-withdraws-application-to-stop.html

The former Director General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Segun Runsewe, on Monday resumed as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), where he promised to resuscitate and boost cultural tourism in the country.

Rusewe arrived NCAC premises at about 11a.m. and was received by the management staff of the council, led by the most senior director and head, department of Performing Arts, Mr. Dotun Osunsanya.
In his speech, he expressed pleasure for returning to a familiar terrain, however noted that tourism cannot thrive in Nigeria without a viable cultural base.


Runsewe therefore promised equal commitment to the culture sector as he did while he headed NTDC, stressing that culture must take its pride of place.

According to him, “the strength of Nigeria is its culture and our values must come back to us. Culture would be the next revenue generation base.”

He lamented that the sector was relegated for too long in spite of its potentials for revenue generation and employment creation. He sought for the support of management and staff in changing the course of events.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/runsewe-resumes-as-ncac-boss-promises.html

Super Eagles Goalkeeper Trainer, Alloy Agu, has said that the Coach Gernor Rohr-led Super Eagles technical crew would not inject new goalkeepers to the current team ahead of the 2019 Nation Cup qualifier showdown against South Africa in Uyo.

Alloy, who expressed confidence over the goalkeepers that include Carl Ikeme, Daniel Akpeyi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, said it would be a dangerous precedence for the technical crew to start inviting younger goaltenders to its fold, as the team prepares for the crucial AFCON game against South Africa.

He reasoned that using experienced and well exposed goalkeepers for the AFCON and during the World Cup qualifiers would assist the Nigeria team gets the needed results.

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/inviting-new-goalkeepers-to-super.html

The former Super Eagles captain explained that the reason for this decision is to ensure that a reliable goalkeeper is picked for the international engagements.

He noted that testing new goalkeepers ahead of the South Africa tie would not augur well for the Super Eagles because of the short time.

“We are not going to invite new keepers into the Super Eagles squad ahead of the 2019 Nations Cup qualifier against South and the World Cup qualifiers. The reason is that we do not want to create any distraction in the team.

“We are considering bringing in young keepers to take over from the ones in camp in the nearest future. But it is going to be a gradual thing. On the recall of Vincent Enyeama to the Super Eagles, I cannot say anything on that,’’ he stated.

The Lagos State Government on Monday said it raked in N436.328 billion in 2016 as internal revenue, about 10 per cent more than what it generated in 2015.

Consistent with its 2017 Appropriation Act, the state government said it would soon approach the capital market to raise N100 billion from the N500 billion bond programme it initiated in December 2016.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade, gave the figure at a news conference he addressed at Alausa on Monday alongside his Information and Strategy counterpart, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, and the state’s Accountant-General, Mrs. Abimbola Umar, among others.


At the conference, Ashade said the sum of N436.328 billion the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode generated in 2016 exceeded what was generated in 2015.

In 2016, Ashade said the existing strategic financial management framework of the state’s resources was steadfastly sustained and this resulted in steady improvement of the state’s revenue.
He noted that total revenue of N436.328 billion “was realised in the 2016 compared to N399.382 billion in 2015. In relative terms, the revenue performance was N36.946 billion more when compared with the year 2015.“Total Internally Generated Revenue for the year 2016 was N312.820 billion which represents 75 per cent of the projection and 72 per cent of total revenue, compared with N247.946 billion, representing 80 percent of the projection and 69 per cent of total revenue for 2015.”

Ashade added that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) revenue for 2016 was put at N247.022 billion, representing 80 percent of the estimate, 79 per cent of total IGR and 57 per cent of total revenue.
When compared with 2015, Ashade said the state generated N225.041 billion, which he said, represented 81 per cent of the estimate, 79 per cent of IGR and 56 per cent of total revenue for the year 2015.

Speaking on the state’s land use charge (LUC), Ashade explained the dynamism the state had brought into the expansion of land use charge in the last one year, noting that more payment channels were introduced to cater for the large number of people that needed to pay the charge.

In some cases, he banks were encouraged to establish their presence at tax and revenue centres, including LUC centres to reduce incidence of cash transaction and attendant frauds that might arose.
He said the innovations and public awareness campaigns adopted by government had drastically increased the state’s LUC revenue generation from N6.156 billion in 2015 to N7.156 billion in 2016, disclosing that in the first quarter of 2017, LUC collections stood N3.99 billion.

However, Ashade said the LUC Assessment Appeal Tribunal, which he said the state government set up to address diverse issues that might arise, would continue “to give opportunity to the public to resolve LUC issues by mediation instead of going to regular courts.

“In the year under review, the tribunal treated over 500 cases. 195 of those cases were resolved amicably and payments made immediately by the property owners, while the others which involved minor amendments to the bills were also resolved amicably,” he explained.

On the Lagos State Bond Issuance Programme, the commissioner explained that the state government had continued “to utilise the domestic capital markets to raise funds in line with its vision of using sustainable budgetary deficit arrangements to grow the state’s GDP.

“In line with our medium to long term finance strategy, the N500 billion bond programme was established in December 2016 with the N47 billion bond being its first tranche raised from the capital market.
“We are at an advanced stage in line with the 2017 appropriation law to approach the capital market for issuance of N100 billion bond in series 11 through book building subject to regular provisions.

“While the state government is pursuing the N500 billion bond programmes, it has continued to ensure a strong and healthy debt sustainability regime leading to improved local and international ratings for the state and its debt instruments. In February 2017, Fitch Ratings (an international ratings agency) affirmed the long-term national rating at “AA+” with a stable outlook.

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/lagos-generates-n436bn-in-2016-seeks.html

Abinye David Jumbo also known as Mr 2Kay, has revealed how he hustled to get to the level he is today.

Speaking with Saturday Beats, the crooner, made it known that things were rough at the start as he had to hawk kerosene, coconut and pure water to survive.

Mr 2Kay added that doing that enabled him sell his craft to people as he would sing to entertain people while hawking his good.

In his words:


“I sold kerosene, coconut and pure water on the streets before I made it in life. I also sold fish, periwinkle, and other sea foods, in Bonny Island in Rivers State to survive. While I was doing that, I was still singing, entertaining people to sell my goods. It was like a strategy for me, I used it to get their attention and also to patronize me. I am actually a church boy and I was a chorister in church. In 2010, God answered my question and I got signed to Grafting Records. I am still with them. I sang ‘Count it all joy,’ for God because I cannot forget him and he has made me all I am today. I have another song coming out soon called ‘Prayer.’ I go to church regularly and pay my tithes.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/mr-2kay-i-sold-kerosene-coconut-and.html

Detectives from the Department of State Security (DSS) have raided the office of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) apparently to arrest its recently sacked Director -General, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu for reasons yet unknown.

Mrs. Anohu- Amazu, who confirmed the invasion of her former office to The Guardian, said she learnt about the development, but added that nobody has informed her the reason for raid as at press time yesterday.

According to her, “Yes, I was informed by my staff about the raid last Friday after I had left the office. I think that is all I can tell you. I’m not ready to make any further comment on the issue,” she said in response to inquiries by The Guardian if she thought the raid was in connection with her inability to hand -over the agency to her successor.


However, insiders, including some management staff informed The Guardian yesterday that the raid by the secret service was to arrest the sacked Director General for seeming disobedience and defilement of the President’s sack order last Tuesday of herself and 22 other heads of Federal Government establishments, as she remained in office till last Friday when she ought to have vacated her post by either Wednesday or Thursday.
The insider said: “ Its true. The DSS officials were here. You needed to see how they frisked some officials here, ransacking offices, including the Director General’s office. Its like we are in Banana Republic. No official explanation was given to us.
“However, we latter learnt that some staff members might have phoned the Presidency to inform it that our Director General was yet to hand over. Its really unfortunate because the outgoing Director General had at a meet on Wednesday addressed management on the development and expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to serve under his administration.
“She also told the management that the President reserves the right to appoint and sack whoever he wishes at anytime. However, she told us that she was at a dilemma because the letter informing her of sack didn’t say explicitly whom she should hand over to.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/why-dss-stormed-pencom-by-insider.html

The Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) has dragged the duo of Chiefs Tony Nwoye and Godwin Ezeemo to court for not paying the required levy of N9 million each before pasting their campaign posters in some parts of the state.


The Managing Director of ANSAA, Mr. Jude Emecheta, told journalists that the state law stipulates that aspirants were supposed to pay N9 million each at N3m per senatorial zone before they could be allowed to display their posters.

Ezeemo of the Progressives Peoples Alliance and Nwoye of the All Progressives Congress were accused of violating the law, hence, the court action.

Emechata who said generally governorship aspirants in the state had shown nonchalance in paying the poster levy, said the agency would use every available means within the ambit of the law to cause them to comply with the regulation.

He said, “The law establishing ANSAA provides that no person, agency, local government or organisation can put up a structure without paying the mandatory fees”. He said the aspirants were contending that it was unconstitutional for them to be so levied in an election contest.

The ANSAA boss said the aspirants were also saying that the state government was usurping the constitutional function of the local government councils by collecting such tax.

“But they are wrong because every local government area in the state is a member of ANSAA and partner the state government to share the revenue accruing from such levies.”

He said the levy was not meant to witch-hunt any of the aspirants as alleged in some quarters, adding that the incumbent governor, Chief Willy Obiano, must pay the levy before he would be allowed to display his posters.

He said the agency had recently dismantled and destroyed illegal billboards mounted by certain people, purporting to be working for the reelection of Governor Obiano.

“Though the Agency has removed the governor’s posters and dismantled the billboards erected along the Awka end of Enugu-Onitsha express way, the Governor has denied knowledge of the bill boards and posters when ANSAA confronted him with it. The governor asked us to trace and prosecute such people, because he has not started his campaigns”.

Emechata said no amount of intimidation, litigation by politicians or organisations would deter the Agency from doing its job. “These aspirants should be responsible aspirants and candidates and not brigands, and if you do not like the law, you go to court and contest it instead of behaving irresponsibly”, he stated.
More at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/tony-nwoye-and-godwin-ezeemo-dragged-to.html

The trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged false declaration of his assets when he was governor of Kwara State, has again been stalled by a request for adjournment by the prosecution. The request for adjournment at the instance of the prosecution was the second in less than two weeks.


At the last sitting, tribunal Chairman, Mr. Danladi Umar fixed April 18 for continuation of hearing. But before that day, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob SAN, sent a letter to the tribunal chairman, asking for a shift in the earlier date agreed among parties during the last proceedings.

Jacob had in the letter requested that the matter be adjourned to April 25. Few days to the new date on the matter again, Jacob sent in another letter asking that the matter be shifted to April 27.

The head, public affairs of the tribunal, Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan, confirmed that Mr. Jacob sent in letters asking for adjournment of the trial twice.

A source close to the legal team of the Senate President said they (prosecution) are worried and concerned that there won’t be any excuses on the part of the prosecution as to the availability of the witness in the matter on the next adjourned date.

Alhassan said, “I think the irregularities are on the part of the prosecution, Mr. Jacob. He wrote to the tribunal to say that his witnesses won’t be available on the 18th and asked for a new date. He asked that the case be adjourned to 25th which was agreed upon but now he has asked for another date. So, the adjournments are at the instance of the prosecution and not the tribunal.”
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/sarakis-trial-at-cct-stalled-over.html

Two armed men operating on a motorcycle yesterday shot dead a police Inspector in Ogidi, near Onitsha, Anambra State.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ogidi Police Station, Mr Hassan Musa, confirmed the incident.
According to him, the hoodlums snatched the AK47 rifle the deceased was carrying. He said that the incident occurred about 2.45 p.m. at a police road block near Ugwunwasike Roundabout in Ogidi, where a police team was conducting “stop and search”.
An eyewitness said the armed men took the policeman unawares as they rode straight and shot him at a close range while he was flagging down a vehicle for a search.
“Other policemen who were with him took cover on hearing the gun shots while the armed men escaped,” the source said.
The incident, which happened within minutes, caused people in the vicinity, including motorists and commuters, to abandon their vehicle and scamper for safety.
The DPO said the police had commenced investigation into the incident, adding that the remains of the Inspector had been deposited at Iyi-Enu Hospital’s mortuary.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/bandits-kill-police-inspector-at.html

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has demanded N500 million from former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode as compensation for alleged libelous and defamatory claims that he owned the controversial $43 million recently confiscated by the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at an Ikoyi luxury flats in Lagos State.


Amaechi equally asked an aide to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Lere Olayinka, to pay him N750 million for similar offence.

The demand is contained in a letter by his counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), dated February 14, 2017, and titled “Re-defamation of character”.

Aside the monetary payments, Amaechi also asked Fani-Kayode and Olayinka to apologise to him in five national newspapers and on their twitter handles as well as other social media outfits.

The letter to Fani-Kayode reads: “The attention of our client has been drawn to the tweet posted on your time line (@realFfk) where you claimed “the $43 million is Rotimi Amaechi’s. He owns the flat it was found in, too (sic). NIA story is breaking news! NIA does not keep case in minister’s flats.”

“This story as uploaded by you is to our knowledge, blatantly false, malicious and is aimed at impeaching the credit of our client, a two-time Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, a two-time governor of Rivers State and current minister of the federation. Our client neither owns the cash nor house where the cash was found and your story and claim are unfounded. As a matter of fact, our client does not own any house in Lagos State, not to talk of keeping cash in one, and your story is preposterous.

“In view of the foregoing, and in the spirit of a second chance, we have our client’s instructions to give you an ultimatum of seven days, from the receipt of this letter, to issue an apology in five national dailies and your twitter handle. Your apology, which should be heartfelt, must be a total withdrawal of your claim, and its imputations must contain an expression of deep regret for this unwarranted attack and contain a complete retraction of the false statements of yours. We also demand from you, a sum of N500 million as compensation for the malicious and defamatory claim.”

For Olayinka, Amaechi equally demanded apology from, which he said should be on different platform from Fani-Kayode’s. He asked him to pay N750 million for what he called malicious and defamatory statements. The minister threatened to institute legal actions against him if he failed to meet his demands within seven days. When contacted, Fani-Kayode’s aide Jude Ndukwe said his boss was yet to receive any court document or process.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/amaechi-threatens-legal-action-against.html

Elder Asu Beks is the president of the Ijaw Peoples Assembly, IPA and the Ijaw Media Forum, IMF. He speaks on the death of late business mogul and presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential elections, Chief MKO Abiola , and the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, declaring that only a Truth Commission could unravel their real killers. This is even as he said that President Muhammadu Buhari was being misled by a cabal.

Do you think we have heard the last on the death of Abiola, given recent revelations from General Ishaya Bamaiyi’s book?


We have not heard the last on Abiola’s death. We have also not heard the last about the death of Abacha. I think I am surprised that up till this moment I am not aware of any official inquiry into how and why Abacha died. We are talking about a former Head of State of this country. I am shocked, I don’t know whose responsibility it is, but I think that we have not heard the last about the death of Chief MKO Abiola and that of General Sani Abacha who was even the Head of State at the time he died. And so, that tells you the problem we have in our prosecuting authorities.

While he is protecting himself, Bamiayi is busy pointing fingers at some people as being responsible for the death of Abiola and Abacha, what is your view on this?

I think that is the man’s personal opinion. I don’t think it is proper to begin to apportion blames since there are relevant institutions that should investigate the death of these two eminent personalities. Until the report is out, I think that it would not be fair for anybody to begin to predetermine what may have led to their death. Already anybody who is saying anything is saying that based on suspicion. So many people were imprisoned, detained for so many years, but at the end of the day nothing has happened, they have all been set free.

Are you calling for a Truth Commission, or do you think that 19 years after these deaths, setting up a Truth Commission won’t be necessary?

It’s important that we set up a Truth Commission because there is no guarantee that what happened to Abacha or Abiola would not repeat itself. So it’s better for us to get to the real cause of what led to their death. All we heard of was cup of coffee and apples. As far as I am concerned, we are still in the realm of gossip or hearsay. Only a Truth Commission can determine what really caused their death.

Why do you think government is reluctant to set up a Truth Commission?

I think what may have happened was that we were so carried away with the move to go into democracy. I think that was what happened. When Abdulsalami came, all his attention was focused on how to get the political parties on ground and how to return Nigeria to democracy. I think we didn’t really concern ourselves with how to go about it. And I think the proper person that would have done that was President Olusegun Obasanjo because all Abdulsalami was preoccupied with was how to get us back to democracy. So, we were expecting that people like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo would have been in a better position to do that and don’t forget that up till now majority of the Yourba have not forgiven Obasanjo because he didn’t give Abiola his rightful place in the politics of Nigeria. There were talks that his status as a president should have been restored because he won an election. But unfortunately, he wasn’t sworn in and all that. But that too are things that only a Truth Commission could decide.

But why do you think that Obasanjo didn’t look the way of Abiola or even the June 12 presidential election annulment?

You see, if you know Obasanjo very well, with due respect, between him and Abiola, this ego thing was always there. And the only person in Yoruba land living or dead today that Obasanjo would not want to challenge is the the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Obasanjo does not see any other Yourba man dead or alive apart from Awolowo that is more influential than he. So, you can imagine a situation where he as president would want to give such honour and due respect to late Abiola. So, it is an ego thing.

Let’s talk about the Senate- Executive face-off. What do you think are the underlying issues?

Before I go into that, I have seen a lot of commentaries on social media; some people calling for the disbandment of the Senate and all that. But I think that I am somebody who believes that we should have very strong institutions. It is not just enough for us to say because the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was alleged to have spent about 200 million naira to cut grass then the entire executive is corrupt or because the president of the Senate is in the Code Of Conduct Tribunal, CCT trial, the whole National Assembly is corrupt or that the entire judiciary is corrupt. I think that if we go the way we are going, by the time we destroy all the institutions that would make democracy great we may have nothing else.

Talking about this face-off between the senate and the executive, I think the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a party has not done very well. Then I ask myself, what about those Nigerians who are being paid as aides of the president at the National Assembly, the officers of the senate, the officers of the House of Representatives, what are their roles? What about the presidency itself? Have they exhausted the instrument of lobbying? Lobbying does not mean giving somebody bribes. Lobbying means that this is what we want to do, this is our thinking in the Senate and then you send your men down there to discuss with them, this is the bill we are bringing. This bill is in the interest of the ordinary Nigerians, we want you to buy into this. In the same vein, you cannot sit down and wake up one morning and send the name of Ibrahim Magu to the Senate and think that by hook-line-and-sinker the Senate is just a rubber stamp. And there is also something I also discovered in the course of this face-off between the Senate and Presidency, there is this school of thought that believes that the report from the DSS, Department of State Security was supposed to have been sent to the Presidency not to the Senate.

But the Senate demanded for it?

So, these are some of the issues. And I think that if I were the president, no matter how good I think that Magu is, I would have obliged, and then look for somebody else like what is happening in the US. I don’t believe the fight against corruption must be wrapped around Magu only, or President Muhammadu Buhari. If we do that, then we have failed.

Talking about the issue of Ali, the CG, Comptroller General of Customs, I am one of those who have said since day one that the Nigeria Customs Service is a regimented organisation, it is a paramilitary service. So, even though it is not stated in black and white, you can’t be a CG of Customs and be moving about, taking salute without putting on your uniform. You cannot tell me that my house smells, every other day you are coming there, sneaking in the dark of the night to come and ask me to give you garri or a cup of rice and you say this house smells.

You just said that APC didn’t handle the face-off very well, but they have just intervened and ordered all appointees of the government to honour summons from the National Assembly. What do you make of that?

Itse Sagay in particular, since he got that appointment, he has conducted himself in such a manner that some of us are even asking is this the same Sagay that we used to know? Because these appointments would come and go and you will return to where you belong. And the Senate said Sagay by his appointment is a public officer and there is no public officer that the Senate cannot summon. Even if there are very crucial issues in the economy the Senate can also ask the president to appear before it. I think that the APC should call the likes of Sagay, the likes of Ali, the likes of Magu and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to order, because these are the ones that are giving the party a bad name.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/buhari-held-hostage-by-cabal-asu-beks.html

Lawyers have disagreed with Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on the appropriate constitutional steps for the appointment of a chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting that the presidency must seek the input of the Senate.
Prof. Osinbajo had escalated the submission of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana, that the president should not have sent Ibrahim Magu’s nomination as acting chairman of EFCC to the Senate for confirmation.
He quoted Section 171 of the Constitution and argued that although the EFCC Act requires that EFCC chairman should be confirmed by the Senate, that part of Section 171 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which is superior to the Act, does not order such confirmation.

The position of the Vice President therefore raised a fresh puzzle to the battle between the Executive and the Legislature over the appointment and confirmation of Magu as chairman, particularly whether the EFCC Act is not inferior to the Constitution.
Lawyers who spoke to The Guardian independently, held that before the acting chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Magu can assume office, he must get the approval of the Senate as provided in the EFCC Act.
Stressing that it would be legally wrong for an EFCC chairman to be appointed without clearance, Human Rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome said: “Section 171 of the 1999 dubiously touted by these intellectual revisionists, merely gives the President power to appoint persons to the offices therein specified.
“They include, SGF, Head of Service, Ambassadors/High Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of MDAS and, personal staff of the President. The Executive Chairman of EFCC, created long after the promulgation of the 1999 Constitution, was never one of such offices.
“We therefore have to resort to Section 2(3) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, which deals with this issue. It provides that: “the Chairman and members of the Commission, other than ex-officio members shall be appointed by the President subject to the confirmation of the Senate.”
Ozekhome maintained, “The above section is too clear to admit of any ambiguity,” insisting that the President cannot validly appoint the EFCC Executive Chairman without the express “confirmation of the Senate”.
“If the Senate refuses, as it has done, that ends Magu’s tenure. Heavens will not fall. He ceases to be in office in any capacity. “Acting” is not prescribed by, nor, envisaged by section 2(3) EFCC Act. “Acting” is not forever,” Osekhome declared.
Former executive secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Nimi Walson-Jack, argued that the Act setting up the EFCC specifies anyone nominated as chairman of the commission is subject to Senate confirmation.
He said: “The National Assembly has powers to make laws and in making those laws, it determines what is the structure of the organisation it is setting up. In some of these organisations, the National Assembly allows the executive to make nomination without confirmation, and in some instances considered weighty, they say the people should come for confirmation”
“Now you have a made a law and you have said the people should come for confirmation. If you follow some argument that EFCC is not listed in the constitution as an organisation that should go for conformation, then EFCC will not exist. That means that the National Assembly cannot establish a commission or agency not mentioned in the constitution.”

On his part, Lucius Nwosu (SAN) said the President is administratively bound to send the name of an EFCC chairmanship nominee to the Senate for confirmation, noting that though the rejection of the nominee might be seen as at act of bad faith, this does not behoove on the presidency to say so, as the lawmakers are representatives of the people and performing their constitutional function.
“In administrative law, where a man has a discretion to say either yes or no, if he exercises that discretion and says no, he has exercised it. You cannot say he has not exercised his dissection. Rightly or wrongly, his answer is no,” said Nwosu.
Constitutional lawyer and former Chairman of the Kaduna State branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Festus Okoye, said Magu must get the confirmation of the Senate for his nomination by the Presidency, in order to function in the Office according to law.
Okoye added: “If the EFCC Act contravenes the constitution as is being speculated, it is only a court of law that can make that determination. The law as it stands today is that the Chairman of EFCC must go through the confirmatory process of the Senate. The Presidency is in order in appointing an individual in an acting capacity, but the moment such an individual is rejected by the Senate such an individual can no longer be active in an acting capacity.”
A Lagos lawyer, Ms Uju Okeke argued that the EFCC is not one of the Federal Executive bodies specifically mentioned and created in sections 153-169 (listed in third schedule) which appointment and removal is provided for in section 171 of the Constitution.
Her words: “It is worthy of note that these bodies are not exhaustive, giving room for creation of others as the need arises. Of course, the newly created ones will be in accordance with the establishing Act.
“EFCC came into being, pursuant to an Act of National Assembly in line with section 4 of the constitution. This amended Act of 2004 established the Commission. Section 1(1) of the Act provides that EFCC shall be constituted and function in accordance with the Act. Section 2 lists members of the Commission. Section 2(2) provides that only the chairman and secretary are in full time position. “Section 2(3) provides that chairman and members are to be appointed by the President subject to Senate’s confirmation. Section 3(1) provides that the chairman and members shall hold office for 4 years, maybe reappointed for another 4 years and no more.”
While stating that the position of ‘acting chairman’ is unknown to the EFCC Act, she said by refusing to abide by section 2(3) of EFCC Act tantamounts to the executive questioning the legitimacy of NASS to enact EFCC Act, which is indirectly questioning section 4 of the Constitution that gave the National Assembly its powers.

Similarly, Michael Ogunjobi, said the concept of separation of powers is the fulcrum of the Constitution of Nigeria and is indispensable in any discourse of the critical constitutional issue raised by Section 2(3) of the EFCC Act on whether the subjection of the President’s appointment of Magu to Senate confirmation is consistent with or is a derogation from Section 5(1)(a) of the Constitution vesting the executive power of the Federation in the President.
However, on a different note, Mr. Kunle Odufayo thinks that the issue of appointment of executive officers of government agencies has been well stated in the constitution about those that need to be referred to the Senate and those that need not.
“Therefore, the argument has been raised to rather seek confirmation of the EFCC Chairman by the President since he has the power under the constitution,” he said.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/lawyers-fault-osinbajo-on-appointment.html#more

Youths have been described as “great thinkers, innovators and drivers of change,” whose crucial roles in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be ignored.
The Director, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos, Mr. Oluseyi Soremekun, represented the National Information Officer, Mr. Ronald Kayanja, said this at a workshop on ‘Nigerian Youth SDGs Pre-Summit: Inspiring youth engagement, promoting youth participation,’ held in Lagos recently.
Soremekun, who enjoined the youth to pull together their creative energies and harness opportunities offered by the SDGs as an extension of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said: “Youth must play an active role in the implementation and reporting of the SDGs.

“The goals are ambitious and all-encompassing, giving room for everyone to contribute.”
He stated that the SDGs, as a development framework, addresses issues of interest to both the developed and developing countries, private and public sectors, civil society and the academia.
The pre-summit, organised by NextGen Africa, in collaboration with UNIC, Lagos, had in attendance representatives of youth organisations from Lagos and neighbouring states.
Speaking at the event, Founder of NextGen Africa, Mr. Joshua Alade, explained that the purpose of the Summit was to ensure that youths in Nigeria worked under one umbrella to achieve the global goals.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/04/youth-key-to-achieving-sdgs-in-nigeria.html

The Oba of Benin,Oba Ewuare II, was presented a Tiger as a gift from the Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin,

Chief Igbinedion said he came to present the tiger as a mark of respect to the monarch in the palace.


Oba Ewuare N’ogidigan received the gift from the Esama.

The Oba’s palace was agog as many persons, including chiefs, thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the tiger.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/oba-of-benin-gets-tiger-as-gift.html

No fewer than four suspects have been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command for allegedly killing one Akintoye Oyeyemi for ritual.

The suspects – Tunde Jimoh, Gbenga Babalade, Abubakar Agboola and Olatunji Ahmed, reportedly conspired to kill the victim for money rituals by using human heart.


Jimoh and Babalade are the alleged masterminds of the crime.

This was made known by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude who paraded the suspects before newsmen in the state on Friday.

According to him, Agboola, aka Baba, provided the link to Ahmed who is an Alfa.

“The killers of the victim carried out their plan in the pretext of doing cashew business and lured the victim, robbed him of N100, 000 and subsequently murdered him in cold blood.


“The two suspects said they killed Oyeyemi because they believed he had N10million in his possession for the cashew business but N100, 000 was found in his possession.

“The two suspects said that after killing the victim, they removed the vital organs for money rituals and took them to the other two suspects, Baba and Alfa for the ritual.

“The victim’s wife became apprehensive when she did not see her husband return home on time and raised alarm and thereafter reported the case at the Atiba Police State.

“Items recovered from the suspects include: headless body of the deceased, heart and wrists, one cut-to-size single barrel gun, two long single barrel gun, axe, three knife, N40, 000 and charms.
More at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/our-victim-didnt-have-n100m-we-removed.html

The Federal Government will protect and reward whistle-blowers who provide information that leads to the recovery of stolen funds or assets, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reiterated.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister said the Federal Government will protect the identity of all whistle-blowers, whether in the public or the private sector, and also ensure that the information they provide is kept secret.

”For those who may have suffered any backlash as a result of the information they provide, their cases will be reviewed and appropriate mitigating actions taken,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the assurance followed the presentations made to the Presidential Assets Recovery Committee by concerned citizens and groups about the safety of whistle-blowers.

”Whistle-blowers have nothing to fear, because the committee has put in place the necessary measures to safeguard those who give useful information. As a matter of fact, whistle-blowers have everything to gain and nothing to lose,” he said.
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The Minister said any whistle-blower whose information leads to the recovery of up to 1 billion Naira will receive 5% of the amount; that the reward for any amount between 1 and 5 billion Naira will be 5% for the first 1 billion Naira and 4% of the remaining 4 billion Naira, and that any amount over 5 billion Naira will attract 2.5% reward.

”For example, if a whistle-blower provides information leading to the recovery of 10 billion Naira, he or she will receive 5% of the first 1 billion Naira, 4% of the next 4 billion Naira and 2.5% of the remaining 5 billion Naira.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/recover-n4bn-for-fg-and-get-n100m.html

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/paul-okoye-mock-arsenal-and-other-clubs.html#more

Nigerians in the Niger Delta deserve a fair deal, according to the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who outlined the vision of the Buhari administration and why it would depart from past leadership and governance failures in the region. Prof. Osinbajo said President Muhammadu Buhari is now advocating a New Vision for the people of the Niger Delta. The vice-president who went on several trouble-shooting missions to the Niger Delta spoke today at the Presidential Villa while chairing an inter-ministerial follow-up meeting with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies involved in the Niger Delta. “The President believes the people of the Niger Delta deserve justice, and for me also it is a very important point,” the Vice President stated adding that the state of the region and the suffering of the people does not reflect the fact that “it is the resource base of the country.” “In spite of the past leadership failure, the Niger Delta people deserved a fair deal,” Osinbajo added. Yemi Osinbajo The Vice President told the inter-ministerial team that includes ministers and others MDA heads that the meeting is to ensure that “we are faithful to the promises and the spirit of the presidential engagements with the people of the Niger Delta.” In attendance at the meeting were the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, Petroleum Resources Minister of State, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Environment Minister of State, Alhaji Ibrahim Jubril. Others include the Presidential Adviser on Amnesty Programme Major-General Paul Boroh, and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Nsima U. Ekere. All the ministers and officials made presentations about the next steps in the process, especially on how to effectively meet the commitments and deliver the promises made by the Federal Government during the interactive engagement tours led by the Vice President. In his presentation the Minister of State for Environment disclosed that the ministry has now fully engaged the Ogoni Clean-Up Project Coordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, himself an indigene of Ogoni. Besides he also revealed that potential contractors have been visiting the site to demonstrate available and suitable technology to be used for the Clean-Up. Later the Vice President received a delegation of western diplomats from countries involved in the oil industry in Nigeria. The delegation was led by the Dutch Envoy in Nigeria, Ambassador John C.M. Groffen, and included Ambassadors, High Commissioners or their deputies from United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, United States and the European Union. The Vice President told the diplomats that the idea of the interactive engagements with the oil-producing communities resulted from President Muhammadu Buhari after he met with leaders from the region last November. He added that the Buhari presidency is therefore working on how to make a positive and long-lasting impact in the region in a way that transforms the lives of the people from the “treasure trove of Nigeria.” The Vice President then added that the FG will welcome the partnership and support of the western countries in that effort. Ambassador Groffen said the countries represented at the meeting would like to stay involved in the dialogue, while commending the approach of the Buhari administration in the matter.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/niger-delta-people-deserve-better-deal.html

About 600 workers were yesterday sacked by Aero Contractors of Nigeria Limited in its ongoing restructuring exercise to keep the airline afloat.
The affected workers are 60 per cent of its 1,030 workers that resumed with the airline last December after it shut down operations in October 2016.
Though the management described the development as “notification of redundancy,” the situation has forced the workers back to the labour market.

In a swift reaction, aviation workers’ unions have vowed to resist the lay-off without first paying severance packages.
General Secretary of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Olayinka Abioye, yesterday said the action was contrary to agreement reached with the union, and would warrant a protest beginning from Monday.
The airline said “the issuance of notification of redundancy” was a business decision that will ensure Aero’s survival
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/aero-contractors-sacks-600-workers.html

Edo, Borno and Cross River States topped the list of states with the highest air fare in February, according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
While Edo State led the pack with N40,000, Borno State, an average air fare is N35,878, and Cross River State N35,758.

States with the lowest air fare in the month under review were Kano, N25,227.56; Kaduna, N23,308.48, and Katsina N21,000.
However, average fare paid by air passengers for specified routes single journey dropped by 0.24 per cent month-on-month and increased by 27.34 per cent year-on-year to N30,718.10 in February 2017, from N30,793.43 in January.
The Transport Fare Watch report for February 2017 released yesterday by the NBS covered bus journey within the city per drop constant route; bus journey intercity, state route, charge per person; air fare charge for specified routes single journey; journey by motorcycle (okada) per drop; and water way passenger transport.
Average fare paid by commuters for bus journey within the city increased by 0.01 per cent month-on-month and by 50.42 per cent year-on-year to N122.85 in February 2017 from N122.83 in January 2017.
States with the highest bus journey fare within city in January were Abuja (N257.50), Cross River (N223.33) and Adamawa N200 while states with lowest bus journey fare within city in February 2017 were Borno (N68.75), Yobe (N60) and Plateau (N78.57).
Average fare paid by commuters for intercity bus journey dropped by 1.31 per cent month-on-month and increased by 26.00 per cent year-on-year to N1,411.87 in February 2017 from N1430.63 in January 2017.
States with highest bus journey within city were Abuja (N4,566.67), Adamawa (N3,350.00) and Niger (N2,337.50) while states with lowest bus journey fare within city in February 2017 were Kano (N850.00), Ebonyi (N750) & Abia (N683.33).
Average fare paid by commuters for journey by motorcycle per drop dropped by 0.31 per cent month-on-month and increased by 24.53 per cent year-on-year to N93.93 in February 2017 from N94.22 in January 2017.
States with highest journey fare by motorcycle per drop were Rivers (N152.50), Abia (N151.25) and Edo (N150.83) while states with lowest journey fare by motorcycle per drop in February were Ekiti (N53.67), Zamfara (N54.09) and Niger (N58.00).
Average fare paid by passengers for water way passenger transport dropped by 3.84 per cent month-on-month and increased by 19.29 per cent year-on-year to N569.68 in February 2017 from N592.68 in January 2017.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/edo-borno-criver-top-list-of-states.html

Barely weeks after he returned safely from surgery, three-year-old Chiagozie Okereke, was yesterday murdered by a Muslim cleric, one Kazeem Alimson, popularly known as Alfa, for ritual purposes.

The heartbreaking incident, which occurred at White Sand area of Isheri-Oshun, Lagos, also saw the police arrest a teenager, 15-year-old Simon Kanu, who confessed he was been paid N500 by the Alfa, to bring the child.


Explaining how her son got missing and later died, his distraught mother, Mrs. Chinasa Okereke, said, the bizarre incident has stolen her joy.

She said: “At about 7pm yesterday (Tuesday), I brought my children out to bathe. When I finished bathing the younger one, I went inside to get a wrapper to strap him, to enable me bathe the other child.

“But on getting outside, I didn’t see my baby again. The sister said he went into my neighbour’s house but I didn’t see him there and when I asked, they said he went out with Simon.

“I called my son’s name but there was no response. Later, we saw Simon that night, I asked him about the whereabouts of my son and he said he did not see him.

“It was yesterday that I learnt that Simon took my son to where he was strangled with his shirt and stoned to death. He was my third child. I feel so hurt. My heart is broken. I need justice.”
The case was reported to the police yesterday morning, consequent upon which Simon, his guardian and other occupants of the building were arrested.
During interrogation, Simon owned up that he was given N500 to lure the missing child to where the Alfa was waiting for him.

He disclosed that he took him and the child to an uncompleted building where he was murdered under his watch.
The primary six pupil said: “I went to site with them and I saw how Alfa killed Chigozie. He tied him up and was making incantation before hitting him with a stone three times.

“He said he will kill me if I tell anybody. He also showed me his knife tied with red cloth and he said he will kill me with it if I told anybody.”

However, on his part, the Muslim cleric denied the allegation, claiming that he was not a ritualist but a cultist.
He said: “I was in my house sleeping when I heard people shouting. When I came out, I saw some policemen and when I asked, I was told that they saw a dead child.

“I went back inside, and 30 minutes later, the police came back and arrested me. I don’t know the boy (Simon) and I have never spoken to him, so I don’t understand why he will accuse me of such.”

At this point, the teenager interjected and said, “You are lying. When you asked me this question, he gave me sign with his eyes not to talk. I saw him when he used the stone to hit Chiagozie until he died.”

From the Isheri Oshun Police Division where the case was lodged, Akelicious was directed to the scene of the accident at White Sand.

On getting to the scene, residents had already besieged Akogun Street, the residence of the deceased and the teenage suspect.

At the scene were the Divisional Police Officer of Isheri Oshun, Emeodi Camillus and his men, who were on ground to douse the agitation of the crowd.

But for the intervention of the police, the angry residents would have executed jungle justice on the Alfa.
In an interview afterwards, the DPO said, “Simon lured the little boy from the house and handed him over to the ritualist. He escorted the boy till they entered into the man’s car.

“He later came back home that night and all attempts to get him to talk proved abortive, as he claimed he left him where they were playing.

“When the police became involved, I directed that all the persons involved be arrested, including the boy. It was after he was picked up he then confessed.

“He led us to the Alfa and we arrested him. We took him to search his house and the environs. We found the boy dead in the uncompleted building.”

more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/police-arrest-muslim-cleric-teenager.html

The House of Representatives wednesday mandated the federal government to expedite action on the reconstitution of the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) membership.

The federal government had in July 2015 dissolved the boards of ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs) including the IST.


Although some agencies have since had their boards reconstituted, that of the IST remains vacant, a situation that has prevented the tribunal from sitting and adjudicating on about 51 pending cases.

The House further reached a resolution to mandate the Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Finance and other relevant MDAs to work out short-term solutions that would enable the IST function before the reconstitution of its board.

The motion, which was introduced by Hon. Yusuf Tajudeen (Kogi PDP) earned support from members. Tajudeen said prior to the dissolution of its board, the tribunal had since 2007 adjudicated on matters with cumulative monetary worth of about N400 billion which had helped stabilise the market and economy in general.

He said the failure to reconstitute the board had further impugned on the credibility and integrity of the tribunal because capital market operators now doubt its relevance while its confidence has gradually eroded.

He also said the resuscitation of the tribunal was critical for bringing back foreign investors as well as deepening market penetration.

Members also carpeted the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who oversees the tribunal- for not facilitating the reconstitution of the board of IST.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/house-mandates-fg-to-reconstitute-board.html

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, told President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure there is no hiding place for treasury looters.

Besides, the former president enjoined other African leaders to do same in order for the continent to overcome its myraid of socio-economic and political challenges, retarding it’s progress.


Obasanjo, who was represented by the Deputy Coordinator of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Ayodele Aderinwale, spoke in Ibadan, at the opening of a five-day third biennial international conference, with the theme: Polity Debacle and the Burden of Being in Africa, organised by the Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan.

“There should be no respite; there should be no hiding place for treasury looters. And good people with ideas must come forward to be counted, get elected or supported by good people to grow the economy and provide solid infrastructure.”

Obasanjo noted with dismay that often, the focus of leaders in Africa has always been on material resources, rather than human capital. He added that African political leaders must make changes that will “reduce corruption and generate the laws, policies and practices needed to redraw efforts at catching up with the rest of the world.

“African citizens on their part will have to create popular pressures that will make African leaders address challenges of leadership, fiscal and economic, managerial, infrastructure, industrial and technological deficits.

“The Town and Gown must collaborate to make Africa the best. Those in political leadership position must ensure policy framework and enabling environment to provide public infrastructure.

“There is need to restore social justice issues around resource control, citizenship and governance. Let me state unequivocally that our standards of living will rise the moment we take our destiny in our hands. I know we have what it takes.”

A management expert, Prof. Pat Utomi; former presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati; Prof Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose, of the University of Ibadan and representative of only female senator elected in all the 19 northern states in 2015 elections, Binta Garba, representing Adamawa North, also gave reasons why Nigeria and Africa are underdeveloped and preferred solutions.

Utomi, in his submission, attributed the bane of Africa to collapse of culture, weak institutions, wrong policy choices that deplete progress, unfavourable disposition of leadership to human capital development and so on.

He explained that collapse of culture has changed the orientation of people from delayed gratification to immediate gains, greed and so on.

Effective leadership, according to him, is all about shaping culture and the way things are done, adding that culture is about values, which must be upheld for the betterment of the society.

The keynote speaker, Prof Akanmu Adebayo, a professor of History and Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University, United States of America, noted that the cost of governance in Nigeria and other African countries has been too high and it is unsustainable.

He said Nigeria and other African countries must fight corruption, but they must review the strategies for angk graft campaign, saying: “Anti-corruption strategies that have not worked include public shame and execution, special tribunals and/or the court and so on.”

He also noted that studies have shown that the leadership elite have been forming alliance with economic elite, and traditional rulers to stay in power. He added that attention should not only be focused on public governance, but governance of religious and traditional institutions, he stated, should be given assignment.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/no-hiding-place-for-treasury-looters.html

Six students of the University of Lagos, Unilag, who allegedly gang-raped a 17-year-old female colleague, were on Wednesday granted reprieve by a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
They were released on a N6 million bail.
The accused — Simeon Omowole, 18; Randy Chukka, 17; Samuel Oyefara, 18; Peter Adeboyega, 17; Chuka Chukwu, 19; and Peace Nwakanma, 18 (a female) — pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, rape and sexual harassment.
The prosecutor, Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the offences were committed sometime in January at High-Rise, University of Lagos.
‎She alleged that that the accused with another man still at large conspired and raped a 17-year-old fellow student (name withheld).
Ms. Osayande said that Ms. Nwakanma, the only female among the accused persons, was the one that lured the girl to where she was raped.
“The six students sexually harassed the girl with video clips in order to intimidate her.
“They all had sexual intercourse with the 17-year-old without her consent,’’ she said.

The offences contravened Sections 137, 140, 260 (2), 264 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 (revised).
‎The Chief Magistrate, A. Ipaye-Nwachukwu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
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Mrs. Ipaye-Nwachukwu said one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused, while the second surety should be a civil servant of not less than Grade Level 14.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/six-unilag-students-charged-with-gang.html

The Delta State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has alleged that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa misappropriated the N14.5 billion Paris club collected by the state.

The party’s chairman, Mr. Oke Idawene, told journalists yesterday in Asaba, that Okowa has refused to tell the people how the money was spent. According to him, the governor collected the fund in December last year, but allegedly spent it on frivolous projects, while claiming to have utilised it to develop the state.

Idawene said the current teachers’ strike in the state is a confirmation that Okowa had failed on the Anioma agenda and the fulfillment of his campaign promises.



“The SDP had two months ago cautioned the people against Okowa’s utterances on the strike, which are clear indications that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a mockery in the state,” he said.

The SDP chieftain also accused the PDP of failing in human capital development and security matters, a situation that had exposed the residents to attacks by the Fulani herdsmen.

He warned that the state might soon be unable to pay workers’ salaries unless the alleged mismanagement is looked into.Idawene declared that the SDP had started to mobilise the people to vote out the PDP in 2019 governorship election.

Reacting, the state Chairman of the PDP, Kingsley Esiso, described the SDP’s allegation as a misplaced priority.He said the party exists only on the pages of newspapers, stating that Okowa had done considerably well in the past one year and half years.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/delta-government-sdp-trade-words-over.html

The Ogun Police Command has arrested Dr. Emmanuel Ogah for allegedly stabbed his biological mother to death.

In a statement in Abeokuta yesterday by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the command said the arrest was sequel to a complaint by the elder brother of the suspect, Cletus Ogah.

It said the elder brother reported at Itele Ota Divisional headquarters that his younger brother had stabbed his 62 year-old mother, one Janet Ogah, to death.

The command said that following the complaint, the DPO of the division, CSP Lukman Raheem, led detectives to the scene at No 16, Ololade Street Lafenwa, Itele Ota where the suspect was arrested.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, who has just finished his NYSC programme, came back home three days earlier and had been having issues with the deceased since then.


“In his statement, the suspect claimed that his mother was in the habit of insulting and disgracing him in the presence of her apprentices and that frustrated him into taking her life,” it said.

According to the command, the corpse of the deceased, a food vendor, has been deposited at the Ota General Hospital morgue, for autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/ogun-doctor-stabs-mother-to-death.html

Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) has said it will not allow any pro-President Muhammadu Buhari rally in any part of Igboland.

The warning came barely hours to a planned march for the president by a group in Awka, Anambra State tomorrow.
In a statement issued yesterday by MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, the group urged the organisers of the rally to shelve the idea of meet stiff resistance.
It frowned at what it called a “secret plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hire and import Hausa Fulani people to stage a pro-President Buhari rally in Awka on Friday.”
Questioning the rationale for such a rally in Igboland, the statement said: “MASSOB warns that such rally will not hold anywhere in Biafra land’’.
“Is this the reason why some Igbo politicians are driving their way into APC that has no interest of Igbo. We will never allow you to bring reproach and political disgrace to Igbo land.
“What is the significance of the APC rally in Igbo land? Does Igbo have any love or likeness for Buhari and APC? Why must such rally be planned to be held in Ojukwu’s home state?
“Is the rally more important than the Federal Government abandoned Second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway, Onitsha-Okigwe Federal road etc?”
The statement said the planned rally was a plot to deploy Boko Haram terrorists to Igboland. The leader of the group, also condemned the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chief Nnia Nwodo for his tour across the country without paying solidarity visit to the leader of Indigenious People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu and others in Kuje Prison, Abuja.
He acknowledged that in a couple of times, Chief Nwodo had been politically positive on his comments on Biafra actualisation but has not visited his brother, Kanu in prison or even other detainees in other prisons across the country.
Madu, in a statement yesterday said Ohanaeze president general was so busy travelling round Nigeria with a handshake of fellowship for a better understanding and cohesion among Nigerian ethnic groups. He advised him to stop this unprofitable adventure because Igbo can no longer adjust to Nigeria’s continuity.
“That other ethnic nationalities and anti-Igbo leaders are afraid of Nigeria’s future, is not because of Ohanaeze Ndigbo or Igbo politicians, traditional or religious leaders but because of Biafra agitators and their leading figures.
Meanwhile, six suspected cultists including a woman said to be members of Akparikpa fraternity were yesterday arrested by MASSOB, at Nkpikpa Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The activities of the cultists came to limelight when they stormed Nkpikpa with two tricycles, armed to kidnap a yet-to-be identified man resident in the area.
It was gathered that on tip-off by the residents, MASSOB Director on Security, Ekwusigo region, Akachukwu Nwachukwu, stormed the area to pick a man and subesequently arrested the cultists after a bloody clash.
The MASSOB group, otherwise known as Biafra Independent Movement (BIM), led by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike said their modest effort at arresting the suspected hoodlums was in line with Governor Willie Obiano’s efforts to rid the state of undesirable elements.
Items recovered from them included a locally made double-barrel pistol, five live cartridges, two tricycles and charms.
It was alleged that the suspects were terrorising the area and its environs.
One of the suspects, while pleading for forgiveness, confessed that they were members of the said cult group.
They were later handed over to Ocha Brigade led by its Managing Director, Kenneth Okonkwo that came to the scene for onward handover to the police.
Reacting, the Anambra North leader of MASSOB, Emma Omenka and Ekwusigo region director, Okwareke said they would not spare any criminal when caught.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/massob-warns-against-pro-buhari-march.html

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on his 60th birthday.
Buhari, who is currently in the UK on medical vacation, hailed Osinbajo as his “partner in service to Nigeria” and “friend”.

He also wished Osinbajo “60 hearty cheers” in a birthday message posted on his Twitter account.
It read: “60 hearty cheers for @ProfOsinbajo, running mate turned partner in service to Nigeria; and friend. Happy Birthday, Professor!”
Buhari’s wife, Aisha, also sent her best wishes to Osinbajo, as he clocked 60.
She wrote on Twitter: “On the occasion of the birthday of Your Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Ag. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I wish to extend my congratulations to you and to state that the years you have spent building your reputation in multiple capacities, have today resulted in your ability to carry out your duties in line with the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that a better Nigeria is realized. Congratulations and Happy Birthday @ProfOsinbajo”
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/buhari-hails-osinbajo-as-partner-in.html

After promising to create jobs for the unemployed during his campaign last year, it has now emerged that President Akufo-Addo and his government has instead sacked 23,000 Ghanaian workers in its first two months in office.
This was revealed by NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa during a debate in Parliament on President Akufo-Addo’s maiden State of the Nation Address.
According to him, the Akufo-Addo government in February this year sacked 205 workers at the National Service Scheme who were employed in December 2016 by the Mahama administration with the excuse that their recruitments did not follow due process.
It was noted that Government also dismissed 525 officials at the National Security alleging they were members of NDC, and 206 police recruits for allegedly using forged certificates.
This exercise was extended to the health sector where government canceled clearance given last year by the Mahama administration for the recruitment of 8600 nurses by the Ghana Health Service.
According to Ghana Web, the unprecedented job loss was as a result of the Akufo-Addo government’s vow to cancel all appointments and clearance for employment by the erstwhile Mahama administration described as 'last minute'.
more at http://www.akelicious.com/2017/03/president-akufo-addo-has-sacked-23000.html