The federal government would be jeopardising its whistle-blowing policy if it accepts the National Intelligence Agency’s claim over the monies recently recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says Femi Falana.

Following the discovery of $43 million, N22 million and £27,000 in a residential apartment in Ikoyi, Lagos, the NIA reportedly claimed ownership of the stashed funds.

Reacting in a statement on Sunday, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) wondered why the funds, if it truly belongs to the NIA, was not kept in “a safe in the well-fortified” office of the national security adviser.

The human rights lawyer also wondered why the NIA had not briefed anti-graft agencies about the funds since the whistle-blowing policy was launched.

Falana also advised the Rivers state government, whose governor Nyesom Wike claimed ownership of the funds, to file an affidavit to the effect at the federal high court.

[b]The statement read: In 2014, two businessmen (an Israeli and a Nigerian) smuggled $9.3 million to South Africa from Nigeria. It was alleged that the private jet with which the fund was hauled was leased from the then President of Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

“Both suspects were arrested while the fund was seized. The additional sum of $5.7 million sent to South Africa through a bank by the duo was also seized. Although the Federal Government was not implicated in the transfer of the fund, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) later claimed that the $15 million was meant for the purchase of arms from a firm in South Africa.

“As the ONSA could not justify the brazen contravention of the Money Laundering Act of South Africa, the fund was confiscated on the orders of a High Court in Pretoria. When tried last year to confirm from the Attorney-General of the Federation if the forfeited sum of $15 million had been recovered from the President Jacob Zuma regime, I was asked to direct my enquiry to the ONSA

“It is hoped that history is not repeating itself with respect to the embarrassing attempt by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to claim the sum of $43 million, N22 million and £27,000 seized by the EFCC last week from a flat at a building in Osborne Road, Ikoyi.[/b]

“The Federal Government owes the nation a duty to handle this matter with utmost transparency and circumspection. The NIA should not be allowed to play on the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people. If the Federal Government believes the cock and bull story of the NIA, the danger is that similar hidden funds are going to be officially protected, thereby making a mockery of the whistle-blowing policy of the government.

“We must avoid a situation whereby huge funds hidden in abandoned buildings and apartments are said to be “operational funds” kept by certain security agencies. If the EFCC had refused to seize the fund last week, the whistle-blower could have rushed to the media to accuse the Buhari administration of keeping stolen money for the 2019 general elections.

“Apart from the NIA, the Rivers State government is also laying claim to the fund. But instead of giving the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to hand over the money to the Rives State government, Governor Nyesom Wike should instruct his attorney-general to file an affidavit at the Federal High Court.

“But before doing that, he should carefully study the case of FRN v CBN (unreported) where the application of the Delta State government to claim the bribe of $15 million paid to the then EFCC chairman, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, by a former governor of the state was dismissed as the applicant was unable to prove that it owned the money.

“On a more serious note, are Nigerians to believe that an agency of the federal government kept about $50 million in an apartment without adequate security personnel to guard the money? Why was the fund not kept in a safe in the well-fortified ONSA? When was the National Intelligence Agency exempted from the Treasury Single Account (TSA)?

“If the DG of NIA has just gone to brief President Buhari that the fund was collected from former President Goodluck Jonathan for a special project, why did the briefing not take place before now? Since the NIA is in charge of external security why was it necessary to execute projects in the country? How much of such fund is being kept in private homes by the NIA and other security agencies?

“Since the whistle-blowing policy of the Federal Government commenced why has the NIA not deemed it fit to take the anti-graft agencies into confidence with respect to the fund being kept in Ikoyi for the so called covert operations?

“Is the Federal Government not being exposed to ridicule when corrupt public officers are competing with government departments to hide millions of United States dollars in dump sites and ‘safe’ apartments? Anyway, since the Federal High Court has granted the application filed by the EFCC for an interim forfeiture of the fund, it is no longer an internal affair of the Buhari administration. Let the National Intelligence Agency approach the court with convert proof to claim the money.”

BMCskullHunter:

Afonja.

kowema:
My own question is, GEJ approved funds for covert operations to NIA abi?, and GEJ left power and he didn't properly hand over to Buhari?.
Covert operations that Buhari is clueless about considering how sensitive it is?.
When would we stop lieing to ourselves in Naija?.

I work in a retail firm and small as it is, once a branch is to have a new manager, the old one wether being sacked or resigned wilfully does a proper handover of stock wether faulty or in good condition.
No stone is left unturned. How much more Nigeria?


Meanwhile this OP is Clueless.
You saw a paraphernalia of GEJ n Sambo Campaign with PDP Logo and that now means the money belongs to GEJ?.
Can u not see that that money is being counted in an office, most likely EFCC office and not in the Ikoyi house.
That Paraphernalia probably belongs to one of the EFCC staff. Dumb skulls trying to cover d obvious. Feeling like police catch thief.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has declared wanted a man with Nigerian origin, Kelechi Declan James, for allegedly scamming victim of more than $5 million.

A statement on FBI website reads: “FBI agents are looking for the public’s assistance in locating Kelechi Declan James. He has federal criminal charges against him from an investigation by FBI New York’s Cyber Crime Task Force.”

“James is known to frequent the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East New York (Crescent Street and Loring Avenue; Vermont Street between Blake Avenue and Dumont Avenue), Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant (MacDougal and Hull Streets), Crown Heights (Park Place and Utica Avenue), Flatbush (E 29th and Avenue D), and East Flatbush (East 51st and Winthrop Street).

The FBI is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.

“James is 32 years old, 6’0” tall, and approximately 175 pounds. He is a Nigerian national, has brown eyes and black hair, and may have a beard. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of James is urged to contact law enforcement immediately. The FBI can be reached 24 hours a day at (212) 384-1000. He is not considered to be violent in nature.

“As alleged in a complaint sworn out of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, James, along with four other co-conspirators, ran a business e-mail compromise scheme that resulted victim losses of more than $5 million for their victims.

“As part of scheme, James and his co-conspirators defrauded victims across the U.S. by tricking them into wiring money to bank accounts the victims believed were owned by family members, friends, or business associates. They did this in two ways: by overtaking an e-mail account of an individual trusted by the victim and then requesting money be wired to a bank account; or by developing a relationship of trust with victim like an Internet romance and then asking the victim to wire money.

“As soon as the money was wired, it would be moved from one account to another, and the funds would be withdrawn. James’s role in this scheme was to withdraw the money from bank accounts.”

On February 28, some prominent Nigerians led by former Central Bank Governor, Charles Soludo, addressed a press conference where they demanded the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, who has been in detention for over one year on allegations of treason.

Mr. Soludo’s group, Uzuku Umunna, which also included former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi and former chairman of the electricity regulatory commission, Sam Amadi, gave reasons for their demand; one of which is the alleged ‘illegality’ of holding Mr. Kanu in detention despite ‘court orders.’

“A situation where the state refuses to obey clear and legitimate court orders for his release and holds him until it gets a favourable order; moves the goalposts endlessly through endless amendment of the charges against him; and now seeks to try him in secret clearly constitutes circumstances that would fall well short of the constitutional guarantees of due process,” Mr. Soludo, who spoke on behalf of the group, said.
The call by the Uzuku Umunna is similar to that by other Nigerians who have challenged the federal government to seek better ways to resolve the Biafra agitation in the south-east; with many insisting Mr. Kanu’s detention is illegal as it allegedly violates court orders.
But, does his detention violate any court order?

FACT CHECK
Like Mr. Soludo, Mr. Kanu’s lawyer and indeed Mr. Kanu have reiterated that stance since an Abuja Division of the Federal High Court ordered his (Kanu’s) release on December 17, 2015.

Reacting to his continuous detention, Mr. Kanu and his lawyers accused several judges of refusing to toe the line of the December 17 judgement by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in a bid to fulfil the aspiration of the current government.

“After Kanu was granted bail on December 17, the president was heard saying at the presidential media chat that he (Mr. Kanu) will not leave the prison cell for any reason. That bail was made known to Federal Government on 18th December 2015 but they failed to grant the bail,” said Mr. Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor.

The defendants also filed various requests, both at the Appeal Court and the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West Africa, ECOWAS, demanding that the judgements sanctioning the continued detention of Mr. Kanu be regarded as a flagrant abuse of the order made by a court of coordinate jurisdiction.


The argument by Mr. Kanu’s lawyer was that the defendant was granted bail by the court but was not allowed to enjoy the bail till the prosecution secured a contrary order from the same court.

“A situation where the state refuses to obey clear and legitimate court orders for his release and holds him until it gets a favourable order…”
The above excerpts from Mr. Soludo’s remarks regarding Mr. Kanu’s detention echoes the point of view of Mr. Ejiofor, and indeed the IPOB leader on the matter.

REVIEWING COURT RULINGS
The first court ruling discharging Mr. Kanu was on December 16, 2015.
On December 16, 2015, a Magistrate Court in Abuja discharged Mr. Kanu, after he was first arraigned, following the withdrawal of the charges against him by the prosecution. The Magistrate, Shuaibu Usman, struck out all criminal charges levelled against Mr. Kanu after counsel to the State Security Service, Moses Idakwo, filed for discontinuation of the matter on the instruction of his client.
Mr. Usman said since the SSS, through its lawyer, had filed for a discontinuation of the case, he had no option than to discharge the accused. Mr. Idakwo had in that court hearing stated that further investigations by the SSS had shown that charges against Mr. Kanu could not be entertained by a Magistrate Court due to lack of jurisdiction.

A day later, a Federal High Court presided by Justice Adeniyi Ademola directed that ‘Mr. Kanu be charged to court or set free in the absence of a valid charge against him before a court of law’. Delivering his judgement on December 17, Mr. Ademola hinged the grounds for his decision on the fact that the defendant had not been charged before a court of law. The judge further said it was against the provisions of law for any party, including the state, to hold an accused captive for so long without a valid charge.

In other words, the judge said Mr. Kanu was to either be promptly released or charged to court. A day after Mr. Ademola’s ruling, the federal government filed fresh charges against Mr. Kanu at the Federal High Court, in what appears obedience to the court order.

The federal Government filed a formal charge against Mr. Kanu on December 18, 2015. The new case was filed at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court. In that first charge at the Federal High Court, Mr. Kanu was accused of committing various offences bordering on alleged treason. Reacting to the new charge, Mr. Kanu cast a vote of no confidence in the court, saying he preferred to remain in prison than to be subjected to a court hearing whose decision would not be respected.

Following Mr. Kanu’s remarks about the court, the presiding judge, Ahmed Mohammed, recused himself from the matter, resulting in the transfer of the case file to the chief judge who then handed the matter to Justice John Tsoho, another judge of the Federal High Court, FHC, in Abuja.

REPEATED BAIL REFUSAL
On January 29, 2016 the court presided over by Mr. Tsoho refused Mr. Kanu’s application for bail, allowing his continued detention in prison.
On May 25, 2016, Mr. Kanu’s request to be granted bail at an appellate court in Abuja was also refused by a three-member panel of justices of the Appeal Court led by Abdul Aboki.

According to the judges, Mr. Kanu’s dual citizenship would increase the chances of him leaving the country, thereby jeopardising his case. They also ruled that the allegation of terrorism earlier included in the charge against the defendants made it imperative that they should not be allowed bail.

On June 21, 2016 Mr. Kanu made another request for the replacement of Mr. Tsoho as presiding judge in his trial. The case was adjourned till September 26, when the first defendant reiterated his request asking that the judge be investigated.

In a petition addressed to the National Judicial Council and made available to journalists, Mr. Kanu said the conduct of Mr. Tsoho amounted to judicial rascality. He cited the revocation of a previous decision against secret trial by the judge, as well as failure of the court to promptly avail the defence of court proceedings as grounds for the alleged offences in Mr. Kanu’s petition.

Subsequently, on that day, Mr. Tsoho withdrew from participating in the matter.

On November 17, 2016 Mr. Kanu made another request for bail after his case was transferred to Justice Binta Nyako’s court.
On December 1, 2016, the court refused Mr. Kanu’s application for bail yet again. After his charge was amended to exclude terrorism allegation on March 1, Mr. Kanu has again demanded to be granted bail.

The request made at the FHC in Abuja, venue of his ongoing trial, will be decided on April 25. A similar application currently pending at the ECOWAS court will witness a continuation of hearing on April 27.

Mr. Kanu was first arrested on October 14, 2015 upon his return to Nigeria. He was detained in the custody of the SSS until January 20, 2016 when the Federal High Court ordered he be transferred to Kuje Prison where he has since remained.

While the continuous detention of Mr. Kanu may not be illegal and not in contravention of any court order, the calls by prominent Nigerians including the Uzuku Umunna, for a political solution to the Biafra agitation remains. “We do not condone violence, criminality or brigandage of any sort, and nor should any state do so. However, by failing or refusing to address the fundamental issues and instead concentrating on the symptoms, Nigeria runs the grave risk of turning the entire country into a large prison yard or a police state,” Mr. Soludo said.

ExplorerReturns:


who is this scratched Yoruba man?

ExplorerReturns:


oyigbo and obigbo means the same thing. stop saying what you have no knowledge about. you alleged that oyigbo was given by an okrika man, let him that alleges prove. so if you can't show us who, were and how obigbo was renamed pls forever keep quiet!

this is my last reply to you on this matter as I see no reason why I should be arguing my history with a Yoruba in far away osogbo

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, on Wednesday blasted conservative northern leaders who discourage attitudes and activities that, he said, would have developed the region.
The emir spoke while delivering the keynote speech at KADINVEST 2.0, an event organised by the Kaduna Sate Government to encourage investments.

Giving examples of the destruction of romance and love books by a former Kano governor and the response of the Zamfara State Governor to the current meningitis outbreak in the state, the emir said what exists in Northern Nigeria is “a complete failure of social policy.”
“We are fighting culture and we are fighting civilisation,” he said. “For us to address social policy, we have to reclaim our religion.”
Mr. Sanusi criticised the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam in some parts of Northern Nigeria that has discouraged girl-child education, family planning and other progressive policies.

On Kannywood, he said he was sad that the Hausa movie industry was gradually moving from Kano to Kaduna due to the latter’s policies of encouragement, saying “building Kannywood would have led to building the economy of Kano.”
“I’m sad that Kano has lost it, but I’m happy that Kaduna is getting it,” he said.
The emir also criticised Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara for his statement on Tuesday that the meningitis outbreak in his state and others was God’s punishment for peoples’ sins.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the governor’s statement in Abuja while addressing reporters on the meningitis which has caused the death of over 214 people in Zamfara and at least 336 people across Nigeria.
“Don’t give these kind of explanations,” Mr. Sanusi said of Mr. Yari’s comment. “That is not an Islamically correct statement to make.”
“(If) you don’t have vaccines, you don’t have vaccines; Go and get vaccines,” the emir said.

Zamfara and other states have been battling with insufficient vaccines to prevent the spread of the disease.
On Tuesday, the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Abdullahi Shinkafi, said the state government, which required three million dosages of meningitis vaccines, only got 300,000 from the federal government.

Sequel to the international outcries that greeted recent maltreatment of Nigerians in the Diasporas, the Federal Government has successfully secured a relaxed and more humane visa application process for Nigerians, promising to reciprocate the same for Americans who wish to visit the country.

In the newly secured visa application process, Nigerians may no longer need to tender extraneous documents, compared to what used to obtain.

Details later.

Ikechu10:


What is this one saying?

Can someone translate it to English. I don't speak gibberish

Ikechu10:
It makes me laugh the amount of hypocrisy I see on this forum. I lost count how many times the "we ND" as well the APC rats on this forum have repeatedly stated whenever the militants demand something out of the term "ND", screams ijaws need to stop speaking for ND, ijaw aren't the only ND, etc..



Now an ijaw have finally did as they asked and separated the struggle to Ijaw only..story Don change..

What a pathetic group of hypocrites.

Anyway I actually agree with Asari as I felt the same way when Osibanjo came to Asaba. I wanted the bastard gone. In fact i want the entire Afonja gone from AsaBa. They can go to warri or wherever but I don't want them and anyone associated to them, vp or not, in my city. Therefore, I understand very well Asari comment

ZombieTERROR:

Of course he spoke well
Of course they have brought money
Of course brothers are divided

Divide and rule is an old tactics that never fails
Of course I quoted a Yoruba Muslim

GrandFinale2017:
femolii what do you have to say about this?

OSUS FIGHTING themselves in while trying to develop another man's land

EXECUTIVE Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ,, Benin City, Edo State, Rev David Ugolor, has lashed out at the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, over his recent statement that Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, should stop his bridge-building visits to the Niger Delta, saying he should steer clear of actions that would tear apart Niger Delta.

Ugolor, an environmental activist cautioned Dokubo-Asari not to unwittingly fall prey to an “Abuja agenda,” saying it was indecorous of him, one of the celebrated arrow heads of the struggle, to impute that there was nothing like Niger Delta struggle, but Ijaw struggle and that other ethnic groups should leave Ijaw to enjoy the benefits of its armed struggle it waged against the Nigerian nation.

He asserted: “Niger Delta struggle is a common agenda for all the ethnic groups in the region and should not take an individual ethnic coloration. All the ethnic groups Urhobo, Ogoni, Itsekeri, Isoko and others have played their role. Gun is not the only option.” “For example, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Comrade Sunny Ofehe of the Hope for Niger Delta Campaign, are not carrying guns, Nnimmo Bassey is not carrying gun and nobody will discount their contributions to the Niger Delta struggle.

We also need to be careful not to play into the hands of Abuja agenda. Even when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was president, he did not deal with Niger Delta Question. What was responsible? He managed to take care of his wife and close relations. “If the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s visit will turn around things for the Niger Delta people, which include the poor Ijaw, not the self-centered war entrepreneurs, we should all rise up and support him and allow new thinking to shape the future of the region,” he said.

Ugolor stated: “We cannot continue to create division and think we will succeed, Dokubo –Asari has played a useful role to draw global attention to the plight of our people, but he should not invest in narratives that will split the common agenda.” “ United we stand and divided we fall, I think Dokubo-Asari’s interview with Vanguard today (yesterday) will not help to build a common agenda, so I strongly appeal to him to use his goodwill to strengthen inter-ethnic cooperation and also give chance to the Vice-President to implement the new agenda. It is time to try an alternative to model,” he maintained.