₦airaland Forum

Their business.

It's difficult to Rig Niger Delta states. The region belongs to the umbrella. For the south East it's either PDP or APGA.

He just said the truth.

Akpabio is heading to Oblivion. Akpabio is like Madrid that lost all tittles within 2 weeks.

A Rivers State chief magistrates’ court in Port Harcourt has issued a warrant for the arrest of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Nsima Ekere.

Sir S.D. Andrew-Jaja, a chief magistrate, said Ekere, alongside one Katungo Moljengo, should be arrested “in compliance with Section 138 of the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015.”


The magistrate, in a copy of the court order sighted by our correspondent, said he issued the warrant for the arrest of both Ekere and Moljengo after hearing argument from S.T. Soremi, the complainant counsel in a suit marked PMC/MISC/15/2019.

Listed as complainant in the suit was one Multi-Intelligence Development Limited.



The court order, bearing the seal and signature of S.T. Dappa, Principal Registrar of the court, said the arrest warrant against Ekere and Moljengo was issued “In Port Harcourt under the seal of the court and hand of the presiding chief magistrate, this 5th day of March, 2019.”

Source: https://punchng.com/court-orders-arrest-of-apc-gov-candidate-in-aibom/

Enugu – No fewer than 70 political parties in Enugu state on Thursday rejected the call for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr. Emeka Ononamadu. Chief Afam Ani, the Public Relations Officer of the group, said this at a press conference in Enugu, adding that the parties passed a vote of confidence on the REC.

He said that the parties, operating under the aegis of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties, agreed that elections must go on in the state on Saturday. He said that the group disapproved of the call by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the removal of the REC and a shift in the election on account of the allegations of bias and compromise against the REC.
He said that the group considered the allegations false and baseless. According to Ani, the group warned political parties not to disrupt the smooth electoral process in the state because of their internal wrangling. He said that “no single party has the power to determine whether an election should hold or not in any state,” describing Enugu as the most peaceful state in the country. He also described Ononamadu as the most friendly REC to ever work in the state. He said: “We have witnessed the coming and going of RECs in Enugu state. This one has discharged his duty in line with the provisions of the constitution. “He should not be removed because he has not done anything contrary to the provisions of the constitution to warrant his removal.

The group insisted that the election must go on as scheduled.’ NAN reports that APC, led by its Chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye, embarked on a peaceful protest in INEC headquarters, Enugu earlier in the day to demand the postponement of the polls in Enugu state. Nwoye threatened that APC would not allow elections to hold in the date, until their fears had been addressed. (NAN)

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/70-political-parties-reject-apcs-call-for-removal-of-enugu-rec/

Abuja— Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, raised the alarm that the British government was frustrating trial of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, for alleged graft.

Head of the British Council’s Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Programme, Mr. Uche Emmanuel, had alleged that Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight had been frustrated by EFCC and other agencies of the present administration. But the EFCC in a strongly-worded statement described the claim by the British agency as illogical and untenable, given the fact that the British government had been working closely with the anti-graft agency and had, on several occasions, given it accolades for excellent work done. Allison-Madueke The statement, signed by the acting spokesman of the commission, Tony Orilade, regretted that the said Uche Emmanuel had chosen to ignore the strident efforts being put to work by the agency in order to bring to book corrupt persons, no matter how highly placed. The commission lamented that the claim was made by representative of a British lead agency at a time the British government was actively shielding the former Nigerian oil minister, who is being wanted in Nigeria to stand trial for alleged graft. The agency openly accused Britain of frustrating its effort to repatriate and try Diezani, having been unduly accommodated and protected by London under the guise of investigating her in the last four years without any idea as to when the probe would end. The commission said: “We are intent on bringing Diezani to justice and despite the spirited efforts of the commission in ensuring that she returns to Nigeria and face trial, she has been held back in the UK by an investigation that has spanned almost four years without any signal about when she will be available in Nigeria for prosecution.” “The EFCC has been frustrated over Diezani, a development that prompted it to seek her extradition to Nigeria, so that she can have her day in court, yet we have a lot more successes to show. “Today, the average Nigerian can easily reel out names of ranking former officials of government and their counterparts from the private sector who have been successfully investigated and prosecuted by the commission, with staggering amounts of money and fixed assets also recovered from them. “It is important to state that the EFCC secured 314 convictions in 2018, including that of two former state governors who were sentenced to 14 years imprisonment without option of fine, while the commission has recorded about 120 convictions this year already. “Just a few days ago, the former Chief of Defence Staff, the late Alex Badeh, forfeited six choice properties and $1 million to the Federal Government, on the order of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja. “It will also be recalled that the EFCC on Friday, March 1, 2019, secured a final forfeiture of the sum N732.85 million being proceeds of fraud perpetuated by 17 individuals in the Presidential Amnesty Programme Office.”

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/uk-frustrating-diezanis-graft-trial-efcc/

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday said it would conduct House of Representatives supplementary elections in six federal constituencies alongside the Saturday governorship and state legislative elections.

The supplementary elections in 148 polling units would hold in Oshodi/Isolo I, Oshodi/Isolo II, Ojo, Eti-Osa, Somolu, and Ajeromi/Ifelodun where voting was marred or the election declared inconclusive on February 23. Fielding questions from newsmen yesterday, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Lagos, Sam Olumekun who commended Lagosians for conducting themselves properly during the last Presidential/National Assembly elections, said: “Although, there were pockets of violence and disturbances in some parts of the state during the elections, I commend the perseverance and resilience of Lagosians throughout the period.” His words: “After a careful, painstaking review of the Presidential /National Assembly elections in the state, the Commission observed that six federal constituency elections were inconclusive as a result of political thuggery, snatching and disruption of ballot papers and boxes, manual voting and over-voting in some polling units. The Rerun elections will hold in 76 Registration Areas, and 148 polling units with a total of 43,660 registered voters.”

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/lagos-inec-sets-for-supplementary-elections-in-148-polling-units/

YOLA —A Federal High Court sitting in Yola, yesterday, sacked All Progressives Congress, APC, member of the House of Representatives-elect representing Yola North, Yola South and Girei federal constituency, Abdurauf Moddibo.

The incumbent member of the House of Representatives for the constituency, Lawal Garba, had dragged the member-elect to court on the ground that the primary election that made him a candidate of APC was inconclusive.

The court ruled that APC did not field a candidate for Yola North, Yola South and Girei federal constituency.

Delivering judgment, Justice Abdulaziz Anka directed Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return given to Modibbo and issue same to the runner up of the polls, Jafar Ribadu, PDP candidate. Counsel to the plaintiff, Yahaya Dangana, said he represented the plaintiff in four consolidated cases in the case of Lawal Abubakar, Saad and host of others. He said consequent upon the conduct of the primaries on October 7, 2018, by APC, the primary was adjudged to be inconclusive coupled with what transpired and a petition was written to the appeal committee of APC that the primary be revisited since it was believed to be inconclusive.

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/court-sacks-adamawa-apc-rep-elect-2/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday called its second witness in the ongoing trial of a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, who is being prosecuted for money laundering.

The EFCC alleged that Okupe and his co-defendants, in 2014, took about N240m from the Office of the National Security Adviser without any justification.


But Okupe had denied the allegation.

The second prosecution witness, a former Executive Director, News, Nigerian Television Authority, Mr Olusola Atere, while testifying before the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, stirred a controversy when he said he could “not recall” authoring a letter said to be bearing the NTA logo, his name and signature.


The letter, produced in court by the defence team, led by Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), was said to have been addressed to Okupe’s office as SSA to the President.

The letter was said to have acknowledged that Okupe okayed payment of about N3m for the sponsorship of a programme, ‘Insight,’ on NTA.

The defence said the letter not only acknowledged the payment of the N3m, but also requested more money for the programme, which was said to have been aired by the national television for many months.


But while being cross-examined, Atere, who had in his evidence-in-chief, told the court that the programme was aired by the NTA free of charge, said he could not recall authoring any letter to Okupe acknowledging payment for the programme.

Asked by Gazdama if the signature on the document was his, the witness said, “I can’t recall writing this letter because the signature slightly looks different from my signature.”


Intervening, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said that the witness’ inability to recall authoring the letter did not necessarily imply that he did not author it.

She directed the witness to sign a specimen signature which would be compared with his signature on another document already admitted as exhibit.

Earlier in his evidence-in-chief, Atere, who was led by the prosecuting counsel, Audu, said the programme, ‘Insight’, was meant for the promotion of the then President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government’s policies and programmes.

When asked about the letter he said he could not recall authoring, he said, “I have said that I did not have any financial relationship with the programme.



“I was not the producer of the programme. We had a producer for the programme. I never collected money for the programme.”

Asked if it was possible that Okupe had paid money to any other official of NTA, Atere said he could not confirm that since there was a directive by the DG of NTA that the programme should be aired free of charge.


Justice Ojukwu adjourned the case till March 15 and April 1.

Source: https://punchng.com/okupe-efcc-witness-stirs-controversy-over-payment-for-nta-programme/

The Federal High Court, Abeokuta, on Wednesday, affirmed the Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State.

The court dismissed the suit filed by a member of the House of Representatives, Oladipupo Adebutu, challenging the nomination of Kashamu as the party’s candidate.


The presiding judge, Justice Abubakar Shittu, held that the case was statute-barred, having been caught up with the fourth alteration.

The court held that the cause of action arose on the April 12, 2018, whereas the suit was filed in December 2018.

It further held that the plaintiffs (PDP and its officers) were stopped from re-litigating the issue of who has power to conduct primary elections of the PDP in the state and submit the list of candidates.


The court, however, submitted that the case was an abuse of court process.

On the originating summons, the court held that the reliefs sought could not be granted because the national leadership of the PDP conducted its primaries in flagrant violation of the judgment of the court in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/636/2016.

It said the primaries were illegal.

Reacting to the judgment, Kashamu said, “There was no victor, no vanquished. We are all members of the same PDP family. We are better and stronger together in PDP.”

Kashamu who spoke through his media aide, Austin Oniyokor, added, “What is most important is that we are working together, holding reconciliation meetings and strategising together.


Source: https://punchng.com/court-affirms-kashamu-as-ogun-pdp-gov-candidate/

The ongoing trial of the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, took a dramatic turn on Tuesday, as his team of lawyers, asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to allow them to withdraw from the case.
Metuh In a motion dated March 4, the team of 12 lawyers led by two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu and Mr Emeka Etiaba, adduced reasons why they would no longer appear before the court to defend the former PDP spokesman who is facing money laundering charge. Metuh’s lawyers told the court that they have been under “immense pressure” with respect to their continued appearance in the case, alleging threats to their lives. They urged the court to allow them to withdraw from the trial in the interest of justice. “The counsel representing the 1st defendant has been going through immense pressure with respect to their appearance in this case including severe threat to their lives and will be unable to contain the 1st defendant”, read the withdrawal application predicated on section 349(7)and ( of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.
Besides, Metuh’s lawyers, who were all absent at the resumed proceeding on the matter on Tuesday, said they would be occupied with election petition cases and would no longer be able to attend the day to day trial that was ordered by the court. In a supporting affidavit that was deposed to by Metuh’s lead counsel, Ikpeazu, SAN, he told the court that he received crank calls by persons that threatened to kill him because of the way he “mishandled” the case. “I have received numerous threats to my life from diverse sources through telephone calls with disguised numbers, giving an ultimatum and threatening to kill me based on the manner they claimed I had been mishandling the case”, he averred. Ikpeazu further told the court that his next in command, Etiaba, SAN, also informed him that “he had received similar threats and thus will no longer proceed with the representation of the 1st Defendant.” He contended that “in the circumstance, it is impossible to avail the 1st Defendant the legal representation he deserves in this case”, and therefore applied that the court grant the application to enable them to withdraw from the trial. for day to day hearing of the matter, which they noted that they cannot afford, “having regard to diaries of their respective offices.” The trial was earlier stalled on Monday owing to the absence of the defence lawyers, even as Etiaba notified the court that he was summoned to appear before an undisclosed government agency. Trial Justice Okon Abang sought Metuh’s opinion on what he would want the court to do in the circumstance. Responding from the dock, Metuh, told the court that he met with his lawyers on Monday evening, saying they took turns and recounted how they were traumatized by experiences they have had in the hands of the Federal Government since the trial started. He prayed the court for an adjournment to enable his lawyers to move their application. Consequently, Justice Abang adjourned the matter till March 13. Metuh is facing trial alongside his firm, Destra Investment Ltd, for allegedly receiving N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without executing any contract. EFCC alleged that the fund was electronically wired from an account that ONSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Metuh, via account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc. It told the court that the fund which was released to Metuh and his firm by detained former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd,‎ ‎was part of about $2.1billion earmarked for the purchase of arms to fight the insurgency in the North East. More so, the prosecution which had earlier closed its case after it called eight witnesses that testified before the court, equally alleged that Metuh was involved in an illicit transaction that involved the exchange of $2million.

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/alleged-n400m-fraud-metuhs-lawyers-apply-to-withdraw-over-alleged-threat/

The Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to spend over N1.9bn on legal fees and related matters as aggrieved candidates challenge the outcomes of various elections in court.

Atiku, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, and others have already challenged the result of the elections in court.

The information is contained in INEC’s 2019 Election Project Plan which was obtained by The PUNCH.


The document reads in part, “N1, 796, 547, 500.00. Professional fees and expenses for external solicitors to be engaged by the commission to represent it at the tribunals and appeals; honorarium for legal officers that represent the commission at election petitions and appeals.

“Analysis of fees: Governorship petition at N4.5m X 20; senatorial petition at N3m X 45; House of Reps atN2.7m X105; state House of Assembly N1.350m X 244. Honorarium to in-house lawyers is seven per cent of fees payable to external solicitors.”


Of the sum, N6m was spent on pre-election cases which are disputes that arose from the conduct of party primaries.

The commission will also spend a separate N26.5m on monitoring the hearing of election petitions and appeals across the 36 states and the FCT.

The sum will cover duty tour allowance and transport costs for the monitors at the hearing of election petitions and appeals as well as the compilation and printing of reports of petitions and appeals.


The electoral umpire also budgeted a separate N99.5m for the compilation and production of updated electoral legal framework including the code of conduct for external lawyers and code of conduct for staff.

A separate N25m will be spent on the prosecution of electoral offenders.

Yakubu had revealed in January that the commission battled 1, 134 legal cases arising from election disputes in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Source : https://punchng.com/inec-budgets-n1-9bn-to-defend-buhari-others-mandate-in-court/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has prayed the Federal High Court in Lagos to order Brig Gen John Ozigi to permanently forfeit to the Federal Government a total of N426.704,820.88 found in the accounts of a firm, Diamond Head Ventures and Development Company Limited, linked to him.

Counsel for the EFCC, Mark Anana, told Justice Muslim Hassan that the funds were found in the firm’s Zenith Bank and Polaris Bank accounts, adding that they were reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of unlawful activities.


In an affidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Clever Ibrahim, the EFCC said the funds were not commensurate with Ozigi’s earnings in the Nigerian Army.

According to him, Ozigi’s salary is N750,000.

Ibrahim claimed that Ozigi had been confronted with the EFCC’s investigative findings and that he had expressed his willingness to return the money to the Federal Government.


Anana urged Justice Hassan to make an order permanently forfeiting the N426m to the FG, pursuant to the provisions of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 14 2006.

Justice Hassan directed that Ozigi be put on notice to enable him to come to court to give reasons, if he had any, why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the FG.


The judge adjourned the case till April 10, 2019.

Source https://punchng.com/efcc-seeks-forfeiture-order-on-general-ozigis-n426m/

No matter what they do southerners can never like APC. APC =APP=ANPP= CPC. Theses parties are dominant in the north and let them remain there.

This EFCC are errand boys.

I can't even keep dog, cat or any animal as pet but someone will keep snake and Lion as pet... Smh

Everybody naNollywood these days.

Okay.... We have heard

Women Wahala. Thank God she won.

If the courts don't sentence him to death then we are in a shithole.

The Bishop of the Living Faith Church, also known as Winners Chapel, David Oyedepo has lampooned the last presidential and National Assembly elections, which he said was marred with widespread rigging. Bishop Oyedepo Speaking during the Sunday service at the Church headquarter in Ota, Ogun State, the Bishop prayed Nigeria would not experience another war as a result of the remaining elections, but mocked the irregularities that riddled the exercise in some polling units. Oyedepo said: “Other developed countries around the world had developed their mode of voting into a digitised method, but it’s a shame that in Nigeria, we still queue up to vote, and somebody would still be intimidated by thugs. With these, it’s a shame how politicians in this part of the world are proud of elections marred with rigging.

In Covenant University, any student caught indulging in examination malpractice, is gone. It does not matter if his or her father is the head of United Nations or not.” He, however prayed that there won’t be any bloodbath in any part of Nigeria as a result of the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections, saying: “Every spirit of thuggery in Nigeria shall be silenced and every forces that would not let Nigeria rest shall be laid to rest and silenced forever.”

Source:https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/its-a-shame-politicians-are-proud-of-rigged-elections-oyedepo/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is questioning Atiku Abubakar’s son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele, for alleged laundering of €150m, our correspondent has learnt.

It was learnt that Babalele, who was arrested by the EFCC at his Abuja home on Saturday, had been kept under surveillance by the anti-graft body for some time.


Sources claimed Babalele was planning to use the money for his father-in-law’s presidential election.

Atiku was the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the February 23 presidential poll.

It was learnt that Babalele, who is the finance director of a group of companies belonging to Atiku, might soon be released on bail.

Source https://punchng.com/efcc-quizzes-atikus-son-in-law-for-allegedly-laundering-e150m/

A 42-year-old suspected leader of a syndicate that specialised in defrauding unsuspecting persons has revealed that he posed as a prophet to swindle his victims, who are mostly miracle seekers.
The suspect, Osuji Chibuzor, also confessed to give fake prophesies to his victims and thereafter, asked them to get money for some spiritual cleansing. The gang, whose office is located at 8, Afolabi Street, Iju Shaga and 7, Salami Street, Oko Oba, Agege, was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, after his gang allegedly defrauded a woman of N165.000. Explaining how she was swindled, the 34-year-old woman (names withheld) said: “I boarded a private taxi in Ojota to Ojodu Berger. On reaching Oregun, the driver picked another passenger. “They started by saying I had some spiritual problems. Before I knew it, I ended up at their Iju office, where they collected all the money on me and the one in my bank account. “They made me swear to an oath never to inform anyone. Thereafter, Osuji requested that I bring another N60,000 to complete the ritual. “After collecting N165,000, they still would not let me rest. I borrowed N60,000 being the balance of what they needed. I was on the way to hand it over to them when I regained my senses. “Luckily for me, with the assistance of a patrol team of RRS men, I was able to lure him out and got him arrested.” During interrogation, Chibuzor disclosed that his role was to give negative prophesy, particularly of death to victim, who out of fear would seek for solution, while other members of the gang had their respective roles.

Source : https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/42-yr-old-man-poses-as-prophet-to-swindle-miracle-seekers/

THE Ekiti State government has called on the Federal Government to allocate oil wells to states of the federation to make them more buoyant and less dependent on the Federal Government for survival.

Deputy Governor of the state, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi said this is necessary to make the states more viable and also for them to meet their obligations. Speaking during an interview on Ekiti State Television (EKTV) monitored at the weekend, Egbeyemi charged the President to strip some Nigerians of their oil blocs and allocate same to the states to ensure development. In his words, “The victory achieved by the President was a victory for Nigeria indeed and the masses who reposed confidence in him and voted him back to office. “This is the time for him to take some bold and radical decisions to make life better for the citizenry and ensure economic recovery. “President Buhari, during his second term, must make the states buoyant. He must take oil wells from individuals and allocate them to the states so that they can pay their workers, build more infrastructures and establish industries. We have some individuals holding oil wells having billions of Naira coming to them every day while majority of Nigerians are living in poverty.”

Source:https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/allocate-oil-wells-to-states-ekiti-govt-tells-fg/