₦airaland Forum

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the final forfeiture of the sums of N210, 287, 697.45, N5,320,373.40, N15,008,809.79 and $80.59 belonging to a suspected Internet fraudster, Dehinbo Reuben, to the Federal Government.

Justice Saliu Saidu had on May 16, 2019 ordered an interim forfeiture of the sums following an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.



The judge also ordered the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in any national newspaper for the respondent, Reuben, or anyone who was interested in the sums to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

At the Tuesday proceedings, the judge, upon hearing the EFCC’s motion on notice, supporting affidavit and written address, ordered the final forfeiture of the various sums of money found by the anti-graft agency in the various accounts of the respondent domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Reuben, an alleged fraudster who specialised in identity theft, wire fraud and mail fraud, was arrested following an intelligence report received by the commission.

READ ALSO: Police nab two in Anambra for raping mentally ill woman

Investigation revealed that Reuben and his members obtained the stolen Personal Identification Information of over 250,000 individuals in the US and used the details to file fraudulent federal and state tax returns.

It was further revealed that the syndicate obtained monetary value on the fraudulent tax returns, using prepaid cards registered with the stolen information and third-party bank accounts.

Source: https://punchng.com/court-orders-forfeiture-of-fraudsters-n230-6m-80-59-to-fg/

LAGOS—Following the collapsed building on 36, Adesanya Street in Mafoluku, Oshodi axis, Sunday, Lagos State Government has arrested the foreman, Dada Olaniyi, who was handling the project. The state government added that Olaniyi was arrested at the site by policemen from Makinde Police Station, Oshodi, after being identified by residents as being the person supervising the renovation works on the building before it caved in.

General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, Lekan Shodeinde, who made the disclosure yesterday, regretted the unfortunate incidence, assuring residents that the agency would intensify efforts towards sanitising the building construction industry in the state. According to him, “LASBCA will remove all distressed and illegal structures that are prone to collapse and buildings that are not in conformity with the state building laws.

” Shodeinde said the developer of the building commenced renovation on the collapsed building last Friday to avoid the agency and get it renovated during the weekend. “But unfortunately, in the process of breaking of some of the slabs, the building caved in and collapsed on the labourers,” he said. Shodeinde further stated that though no death recorded, the two injured victims were taken to the hospital and were receiving treatment.

He reiterated the state government’s commitments to put all necessary machinery in place to sanction any erring developer or owner that willingly brakes government seal on defective buildings. He added that sanctions would also be extended to owners that fail to hire the services of qualified professional, while erecting their building as “professionals have the required knowledge to prevent building collapse in the state.”

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/06/police-arrest-foreman-of-lagos-building-that-collapsed/

Hassan Stan-Labo (retd), is a security consultant. The MD/CEO of Hakes and Partners speaks on tips to avoid being a victim of highway kidnappers and bandits. First and foremost, if you have to travel, you are expected to come out with travel plans or route plans. In your plans, you must try to make sure you avoid all these areas that have got the hot spots if it is avoidable. But if it is not avoidable, you must ensure that there is no stopping on the way or at any crowd incident spot which you should come across. You have to move on. Avoid unnecessary stoppages along the way. If you are travelling with your kids, make necessary arrangements for them. Carry all their necessary needs like sweets, biscuits or whatever, so that they don’t make you stop on the way. Your vehicle windows and doors must at all times be wound up. Watch out for vehicles that may be trailing after you.

If you notice such, slow and stop at any safe haven. By safe haven, I mean places like police check-points, and so on. When the vehicle passes you, you could continue your journey. But if you want to draw police attention, you can do so immediately for them to stop the vehicle. Avoid lonely routes as much as possible and what we also call dry routes. Dry routes are when you realise that you are the only vehicle on that road. When you cannot notice any vehicle both incoming and behind, you have to be very suspicious. Maintain a low profile when you have to pass this type of routes. Don’t try driving in very expensive cars. As much as possible, you know these guys that are into kidnapping or banditry are after maximizing their profits. When you come in all these flamboyant cars, they say, ‘Oh, these are the people we make billions with. Avoid ostentatious display. Avoid making a particular route a routine.

If so, look for an alternative route and take it a time. Avoid very early and late movements; starting your trip by 4.am and coming back late by 11.pm or more. That’s very dangerous. Keep information on your trips confidential. Let it be on the need to know only. And if you are walking on foot, always make sure you are walking with a partner. And of course, as an adult, you should not drop your instinct except for self development should have attained a level years. Also read: Roads to be closed as Buhari storms Lagos tomorrow Never be distracted by headphones, telephones or others. If you are in a high risk area, never use those things, of course how can you hear if something is happening around when you are busy either listening to the news or enjoying music.

Exercise caution when entering or leaving your car in such area. Do not mark you car keys with your car number or address. Avoid these as much as possible. Keep your spare keys away. If it is avoidable not to go by road and you can afford to go by air, better. If you can’t go by air, then you have to be very cautious along these routes. These are some of the basic tips we need to adhere to. Flat tyre As much as possible, keep moving on till you get to a safe place. I have suffered what you are saying now and I have lost two good tyres completely, because I didn’t want to stop when it happened and I kept moving on. I was lucky to reach a police check-point, by then I discovered I had lost two tyres. You have to keep safe. The tyres can go and, at least, let you be safe, first and foremost.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/06/how-to-avoid-being-a-victim-of-highway-kidnappers-bandits-colonel-stan-laboretd/

•Ohanaeze ‘ll resist Fulani vigilantes in Igboland —Nwodo

•We’re not against cattle rearing, but…, say S/East Govs

•It’s a provocative agenda—Afenifere

•We’ll make our position on state police known soon —Govs

•Police bemoan lack of personnel We need Fulani vigilantes in S-East — Miyetti Allah

ENUGU — TO combat insecurity, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has called for establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante body in the South-East to complement those in their host communities’ and other constituted security apparatus in the zone. John Nnia Nwodo,President-General,Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President The cattle breeders made the request just as the South-East governors told them that nobody in the zone was against cattle rearing but that it was paramount for everyone to understand that there are rules of engagement in every relationship, including that of herders and farmers.

President-General of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo said the group would resist Fulani vigilantes in Igboland, while the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, described the proposal as a provocative agenda. In the same vein, the Nigeria Police Service Commission, PSC, lampooned the yearly recruitment of 10,000 policemen, saying the number was a far cry from the number of personnel needed to police the country.

Armed bandits attack, dispossess police officers of rifles in Delta(Opens in a new browser tab) These came as the 36 state governors of the federation late Wednesday night raised a committee to hammer out a common position on the clamour for state police.

MACBAN and security stakeholders spoke, yesterday, during the South-East Security Summit organized by the South-East Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture, SECCIMA, in collaboration with South-East Governors Forum, SEGF, in Enugu. Ijaw youth, semi-nude women chase away police officers, workers from Gelegele(Opens in a new browser tab) Speaking on how it affects herdsmen, National President of MACBAN, Alhaji Mohammadu Kirowa, regretted that once insecurity was mentioned in Nigeria, the first idea that came to mind was Fulani herdsmen. Represented by the National Secretary, Alhaji Baba Usman Ngelzerma, MACBAN noted that South-East is a good host, which was the reason it condemned all forms of violence and criminality in the same manner patrons such as the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano and the Lamido of Adamawa did. The group, however, said it wanted establishment of Fulani Youth Vigilante group, noting that the youth body would work with security agencies, the neighbourhood watch or vigilante to ensure security in all communities, as was done in Enugu State.

“We will solicit your support and cooperation in adopting dialogue where problems exist as a means of brokering peace and to report cases against our members to either the Fulani Youth Vigilante Group, state or local branch of the association,” Kirowa said. In his remarks, Chairman of South-East Governors Forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, stated that the region would not engage in policy of exclusion to limit any farmer or herder, but stressed that rules of engagement should be observed in every relationship. Umahi, was represented by his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, said: “We will continue to accommodate the Miyetti Allah but our plea to them is that as we are magnanimous to allow settlers, every community has a custom that needs not to be violated.

It is the violation that breeds problem. “I believe that at the end, resolutions will generate further national dialogue, promote agenda-setting and a solution to the lingering national insecurity. All we need is the good idea of one or two men to find direction and I believe this summit will do that.” Inadequate police personnel The Commissioner in charge of Human Rights in the Police Service Commission, Mr. Rommy Mom, lamented the inadequacy of Police personnel, noting that at present, Nigeria could only boasts of fewer than 350, 000 police officers. “This translates to 1.6 police officers to every 100,000 Nigerian, which is a far cry from the world standard of 225 police officers to every 100,000 people. In some local governments, you have less than 10 police officers. “Lack of data is a major challenge, to the extent that even the Inspector General of Police is not very sure of the exact number of police officers under his command.

Electronic data is very important,” Mon said. He also stated that it was high time Nigeria embraced the use of Information Communication Technology, ICT, and other equipment to police the country. Ohanaeze ‘ll resist Fulani Vigilantes in Igboland – Nwodo Reacting to MACBAN’s call, Ohanaeze Ndigbo leader, Chief Nnia Nwodo, said Ndigbo will resist the proposal for the establishment of Fulani Youths Vigilante in Igboland. Accusing the herdsmen of violating Igbo women in their farms, among other crimes, Nwodo noted that if such request was granted the herdsmen, it will spell doom for Igboland.

Nwodo said: “Ohanaeze vehemently opposes any attempt by Miyetti Allah to establish any form of vigilante group in Igboland. “These are people who have ravaged our farms, raped our women and slaughtered their husbands. As at today, they technically enjoy immunity from arrest and prosecution. They freely display AK-47 rifles not permitted to be used by civilians. “Extending this measure to them will turn them into an army of occupation and invite unavoidable confrontations with our youths. We will resist such a policy with every might available to us.

” It’s a provocative agenda —Afenifere

Reacting to the Miyetti Allah proposal, the pan-Yoruba socio-political orgnisation, Afenifere, described it as a provocative agenda. Afenifere’s

National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, who described the call as an insult, said: “It is a provocative agenda which shows that there is a clear agenda to provoke war. “The South East has come under the siege of marauding herdsmen with authorities in the land shying away from enforcing law and order. “The height of it all is now this insulting call by Miyetti Allah. They should be careful how they poke their wicked fingers into the eyes of the people. The gentility of a lion is never a sign of cowardice.” We’ll make our position on state police known soon —Govs Meanwhile, the 36 state governors, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, said they would make their position on state police known soon, and raised a committee to discuss the issue and come up with a position.

The governors on Wednesday night, held its first meeting after the election of the leadership of the forum, with issues of security topping the agenda The meeting which started at past 8pm at its Secretariat, Lake Chad, Maitama, Abuja, ended in the early hours of yesterday. At the end of the meeting, the governors “resolved to set up a security committee at the National Economic Council level, NEC.” The NEC, which consists of the 36 state governors, and governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, is the highest economic advisory body in the land and is presided over by the Vice-President. Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is chairman of the NGF, disclosed that the forum will soon make known its stand on the issue of state police, stressing that security is an issue of concern to citizens and the governors as well.

According to Fayemi, the Forum will “retain security as a recurring item on its agenda for the foreseeable future.” He said: “We know that state police is an issue of interest and concern to the citizens and governors themselves and we will review it and make our position as a forum known soon.” Fayemi also disclosed that the Forum resolved to re-launch its flagship State Peer Review Mechanism programme designed to assist states foster good governance and accelerate the rate of development through periodic reviews of progress made by state governments. According to him, the forum has also agreed to hold a one-day interactive session with the World Bank and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on on-going development engagements across the states on June 26, 2019.

The governor added that the forum will also organise an IT retreat with the Joint Tax Board, JTB, and chairmen of internal revenue services of states. Also on the agenda was update on Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, Guidelines on Local Government Funds. It would be recalled that NFIU had issued a guideline which prevents state governments from making withdrawals from local governments’ funds.

The new guideline mandates financial institutions to distribute funds meant for local governments directly to them for development and not for other purposes, just as the guidelines also limit cash transactions in the accounts of local governments to a daily maximum of N500,000. The meeting commenced at exactly 8.00pm with 22 states represented. Present at the meeting were governors of Kano, Borno, Lagos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Ekiti,Kogi, Ogun, Plateau, Ondo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Ebonyi, Gombe, Bayelsa, Nasarawa, Niger and Oyo. Others were deputy governors of Enugu, Zamfara, Cross River, Imo and Katsina.

Source:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/06/well-resist-fulani-vigilantes-in-igboland-ohanaeze-tells-miyetti-allah/

The Lagos State Government has shut the road from Mile 2 to Tincan Island Port, in the Apapa area of the state.

The road was shut to motorists on Monday, June 17, 2019, and the closure would last for 48 hours, a statement said on Monday.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr Taiwo Salaam, in the statement by the public affairs unit of the ministry, said the closure would allow the construction company working in the area to speed up palliative repair works on the corridor.



Salaam explained that the development was due to recurring accidents experienced by motorists on the road.

“The permanent secretary advised all trucks to avoid the corridor to allow the repair works which is being done in the interest of motorists.

“He said the repairs and so many others in the offing are in consonance with the top rated plans of the administration of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to make Lagos traffic free for its teeming residents,” the statement added.

Source: https://punchng.com/lasg-closes-mile-2-to-tincan-island-for-repairs/