₦airaland Forum

Many residents were displaced on Thursday after some government officers demolished Monkey Village in the Opebi area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the officials stormed the area around 8am and ordered the residents to move their belongings.

PUNCH Metro learnt that some of the residents, however, lost their property to the demolition.

The displaced residents lamented that they were not given any notice before the exercise.

Our correspondent was told that Information and Community Technology tools, goods, all estimated at millions of naira, were destroyed by the armed officers.

The Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, in a statement on Thursday, denied involvement in the action.

The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Adebayo Taofiq, said, “It is imperative to state categorically that the operatives of the agency were not in any way involved in the said demolition as being circulated.”

Our correspondent learnt that the exercise might have been carried out by officials of the Special Operations Unit, Governor’s Office, on the instruction of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

DELE OGUNYEMI writes that the abduction of two female schoolteachers in Ohorhe community, Delta State, and their freedom after 10 days in the kidnappers’ den highlights need for better security arrangement in the state, especially in rural areas

“God’s mercy kept us in the kidnappers’ den for 10 days and we came out safe and unharmed. We were not beaten, chained or raped. Rather, we were shown love and compassion in the thick forest. One of them told us that he saw mercy written on our foreheads; that we are women of grace. They begged us for forgiveness and even gave us money when we were released. The God of Daniel was with us. We serve a God who is too faithful to fail. Thank you all for your prayers and concern. We are indeed grateful to God as He answered our prayers. We love you all.”

These were the exact words of the two abducted teachers of the Ohorhe Secondary School in Uvwie LGA of Delta State, as they breathed the air of freedom on Sunday 20 December 2020, exactly 10 days after they were abducted.

The serenity and peace hitherto associated with Ohorhe, an agrarian community located off Effurun-Sapele Road was threatened on Tuesday, December 8, 2020, when gun-wielding kidnappers attired in Nigerian Army uniform besieged the Ohorhe Secondary School premises in broad daylight, ordered everyone on sight to close their eyes while lying on the bare floor, and in a commando operation, abducted two teachers to the consternation of the defenceless villagers.

The teachers, Gladys Niemogha and Blessing Emunefe, were kidnapped from inside the staff room of the school in an operation that lasted a few minutes, while the invaders escaped with the captives in their standby gold Highlander SUV with no resistance. Since the inglorious invasion of the school by kidnappers, the entire Ohorhe community has not been the same again. Needless repeating that the incident will remain indelible in the minds of residents for many years to come.

A visit by our correspondent to Ohorhe Secondary School before the teachers were eventually released revealed that it remained a ghost of its old self. The school was deserted immediately after the incident just as palpable fear of the unknown gripped teachers and students. They find it difficult to put behind them the trauma of losing their beloved English Language and Mathematics teachers to abductors.

Few students and teachers, who spoke with journalists, lamented the level of insecurity in the country, wondering why someone would think of abducting teachers, whose duty is to impart knowledge. A teacher in the community school who identified herself as Mrs Gloria Omonigun, expressed worry over porosity of the school and urged Delta State Government to act fast in securing release of the victims.

She had stated, “What happened in the school on the fateful day has further demonstrated the level of insecurity in the country today, especially in areas where government schools are located in rural settlements. If someone comes to a school and kidnaps teachers, who taught you how to read and write, then it shows nobody is safe in the country anymore.

“Up till now, we have yet to get over the shock of how 3 kidnappers dressed in military camouflage and carrying guns burst into our staff room and ordered all of us to lay down on the floor, while some of our colleagues were being taken away. As we are now, we are even scared to resume school, because we feel they may come again to complete what they started since we don’t even know the reason they have made the school their target in the first place.”

She appealed to the state government and other security agencies to come to the aid of the school and “ensure prompt release of our colleagues and beef up security in school environments across the state.”

The PUNCH gathered that although schools in the state were on vacation, before the holiday, students in Ohorhe abandoned their school following the attack by the gunmen. Commenting on the development, the school’s head girl and senior prefect, Elohor Williams and Justice Emefiele, respectively, regretted the kidnap incident, saying it had heightened fear among the students and the entire community.

They urged the state government to, as a matter of urgency, tackle the issue of insecurity in the school to rebuild confidence in both teachers and students. They also used the opportunity to solicit better learning environment in the school, noting it lacked social amenities like water, conducive classrooms, furniture, especially tables and chairs, as well as toilet facilities.

But for residents of Ohorhe, the incident has compelled them to go to the drawing board to come up with a better security architecture for the agrarian community. A series of town hall meetings on security have been held, and it has been unending vigil and surveillance over the school and entire neighbourhood ever since the incident. Consequently, the community vigilante group was beefed up and Ohorhe Secondary School was accorded top priority with guards assigned to keep watch over it day and night.

The Unuevworo of Ohorhe, Chief Samuel Eshenake, told The PUNCH that the entire community was saddened by the unfortunate incident at the school, while lamenting the agony the kidnapped teachers were passing through. During one of the town hall meetings, the traditional head of the community gave an indication that the abductors had, at last, made contact with families of the victims, just as he expressed hope the teachers would come out alive from the kidnappers’ den.

While calling on the state government to boost security in the school by fencing the compound and erecting a gate, Eshenake disclosed the community had already dispatched vigilantes to the school for day and night surveillance. He called on members of the community, particularly youth, to be security conscious by keeping surveillance on suspicious movements in their environment at all times. As of time of filing this report, it was jubilation galore in Ohorhe community as news filtered in that the abducted schoolteachers had regained freedom. What our correspondent could not ascertain about the freedom, however, was at what cost.

Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Hafiz Inuwa, who had earlier confirmed the kidnap, vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

DAUD OLATUNJI chronicles the growing incidence of cultism among secondary school students in Ogun State and the attendant negative effects...

Students and artisans below age 20 now find fantasy in cultism. They brandish weapons anyhow and anywhere. Anyone who feels uncomfortable and attempts to scold or stop them end up a victim. Cultism has successfully crept into secondary schools across Ogun State with teachers resolving to mind their business and look away whenever the students (who are supposed to be under their care) display their skills in cultism.

Investigation has shown that schools have become havens for cultism as initiation into various groups take place on the premises of public schools. Many artisans such as carpenters, automobile mechanics and bricklayers, among others, are not left out in the mad rush to join deadly cults.

Recent developments in many parts of Ogun State indicate that the pendulum has swung from tertiary institutions to secondary schools. While tertiary educational institutions are not completely free of the menace, teenagers who may have been initiated by old cultists in tertiary institutions now hold sway in various secondary schools across the state.

Recently, no fewer than 20 persons were reportedly killed, while several others sustained varying degrees of injury during cult clashes in some parts of Ijebu Ode. The clashes started about 2 weeks ago and left no fewer than 20 persons, including the innocent, dead. Members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities were reportedly involved in the clashes, which subjected residents of Ijebu Ode and its environs to serious panic.

Findings showed that affected areas included Epe garage, Ejinrin Road, Adefisan, Ibadan garage, Onirugba, Tatina and the old Benin-Ondo Road, among others. It was learnt a woman and her daughter, who were in a commercial tricycle, were shot dead during a clash by cultists. Our correspondent gathered that members of a rival cult targeted the tricycle rider, who belonged to another group.

It was further gathered that members of the dreaded group also killed an apprentice after his arm had been chopped off during another clash. Several persons were reportedly killed at Epe garage, Ejinrin Road, Ibadan garage and Adefisan during the clashes, which forced residents and passers-by to run helter-skelter. It was further gathered that other persons lost their lives in Onirugba, old Benin-Ondo Road and Oke-Owa areas of the town.

Two persons were reportedly killed behind a popular hotel in Oke-Aje, Ijebu Ode. The cultists reportedly engaged in daylight shooting of their rivals and in the process killed some innocent persons in the area. Also in some parts of Abeokuta, the state capital, and Ado-Odo/Ota, cultists have thrown caution to the wind and unleash terror.

The National Schools Crimes Prevention Corps (NSCPC), a non-governmental organisation, has described the issue of cultism in Ogun State as worrisome, dreadful and scary. Commandant of the NSCPC, Dr Ige Folayinka, who provided statistics of cult activities in secondary schools in the state, said in the last few months, there have been rising activities of cultists in Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ado-Odo, Sango Ota and other cities.

Folayinka said it had been a tale of students in secondary schools attacking one another with weapons and charms. A week ago, many students were stabbed during a violent clash that ensued between two schools at the back of the skating ground in Panseke, Abeokuta. The clash happened shortly after the school hour as some students of notable schools around the area, who were in uniforms, threw caution to the wind. One of the students was reportedly badly injured and is on admission in an undisclosed hospital and on the verge of losing his sight.

Folayinka disclosed that pupils of two prominent schools in Abeokuta, who had been at daggers drawn in the Ita-Eko area of Abeokuta had a serious fight that attracted ‘allied forces’ from neighbouring schools to support one of the schools. The fight left a tale of woes, bloodletting and maiming as weapons such as daggers, axes and charms were recovered.

A notorious gang of students reportedly invaded a particular school on motorcycles, ordered a female teacher they met on the ground to go on her knees, after which they allegedly removed the school’s signpost. It took the intervention of the crime prevention outfit corps, who went after them, to recover the signpost. It was further gathered that during one of the clashes, a student had one of his ears nearly chopped off and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Chronicling the menace of cultism in secondary schools in the state, Folayinka said no fewer than 2,500 students had been arrested for cultism. He added that over 250 schools in the state had been visited for enlightenment. He explained that many secondary school students, who are cultists, had been arrested for various offences, including possession of firearms, attacking teachers with charms, setting school buildings ablaze and smoking of weed, among others.

Folayinka stated, “A teacher was attacked with a charm by a student, which led to loss of memory. We have arrested students with AK-47 live bullets, knives, axes and swords. In fact, we arrested a student, who is a cultist and who attempted to kill his teacher with a charmed ring. We were called by the principal of the school that one of the students wanted to kill a teacher with a charm. We interviewed all the students and fortunately, we got the student and he confessed to the plan.

“A student double-crossed his teacher, because he almost used her car to knock him down. A student in the Oke-Ilewo area wanted to burn down a school. Another 12 students were arrested for attempting to burn down their school.”

On efforts made so far to prevent and curb the menace of cultism in schools, Folayinka said the NSCPC, which began operation 9 years ago, did not have the power to arrest and prosecute, adding that what the corps was doing was to arrest the student cultists and rehabilitate them.

He stated, “We go after them and after we arrest them, we take them to their principals, who will identify them, and we take them to our office for 2 weeks’ rehabilitation programme. But, we do it after we have invited their parents and they agree we should go ahead with the rehabilitation. We release them after our clinical psychologist has certified them. They sign an affidavit and we release them.”

Giving statistics of cultists the command has arrested, the state police command disclosed it had arrested over 500 members of various cults between 2019 and 2020. State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, attributed cultism to kidnapping, armed robbery, murder and other violent crimes. He added that the command arrested no fewer than 432 cultists in various locations in the state in 2019, while over 100 had been arrested in 2020.

He said some of the arrested cultists, who repented, were given amnesty and reintegrated into society. “No fewer than 432 cultists were arrested and prosecuted in 2019. We screened those found guilty of cult-related activities and they were sent to courts for prosecution. Without a doubt, a country that entrusts its future in the hands of youths imbued with the very essence and orientation of cultism, is one without the right compass for growth and development. At this stage of our national life, we need youths with the right values and orientation to take the country to greater heights of competitiveness, recognition and respect in the comity of nations.

A few weeks ago, men of the state police command arrested 5 suspected members of a dreaded cult with the corpse of a young man suspected to be a cultist too. The suspects, Babatunde Shittu, 25; Ayobami Morenikeji, 15; Fidelis John, 23; Abdullah Adegbenro, 17; and Oyeyemi Bakare, 20, were arrested at Ilo Awela in Sango, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. Police PRO in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said they were arrested following a distress call received at the Sango Area Command headquarters.

He said the police were told a group of cultists were seen with a male corpse in a tricycle heading towards Ota with all of them holding weapons like cutlasses, cudgels and sticks. According to him, upon the distress call, the Area Commander, Sango Ota, ACP Monday Agbonnika, quickly mobilised patrol team to the area, where the hoodlums were met on rampage destroying people’s property and stealing from innocent members of the public on the Ilo Awela Road.

The PPRO added that the hoodlums had, before arrival of the police, damaged a Highlander SUV with number plate KJA 275GD belonging to one Emmanuel Adekoya. Oyeyemi said the corpse had been recovered from them and deposited at Ifo General Hospital’s mortuary.

Nigerian Government on Monday 21 December ordered closure of all schools in the country till 18th of January, 2021. This became necessary following the 2nd wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said this at a press briefing of the task force in Abuja.

Mustapha said schools in the country are to remain shut till announced date in order to enable new measures to take effect. “The PTF on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Education expects that schools would have vacated from the 18th December 2020 and remain closed till at least the 18th of January, 2021 to enable the measures introduced to take effect,” Mustapha added.

Government also directed that persons above the age of 60yrs and/or with comorbidities to stay at home and avoid crowded areas.

“Also all non-essential travels; both domestic and international during this holiday season are seriously discouraged.”

Former U.S. First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on Monday renewed her call for abolition of the country’s Electoral College. She made the call in a tweet shortly after voting as an elector alongside her husband and former President Bill Clinton in New York.

“I believe we should abolish the Electoral College and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, same as every other office. But while it still exists, I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” the tweet reads.

Hilary lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump in spite of winning the popular votes. Trump was elected after securing 304 electoral vote to Clinton’s 227.

The Clintons were joined by Gov. Andrew Cuomo alongside 26 other electors on Monday who formerly sealed Biden’s victory in the Nov. 3 election in New York.

The U.S. Electoral College is a group of 538 presidential electors who converge in state capitals every December of an election year to ratify the election of the President and the Vice President following the recently concluded general polls on Nov. 3. The number of electors in each state is equivalent to the number seats in state’s legislature.

A candidate requires an absolute majority of 270 electoral votes to win the election. But if no candidate secures the 270 votes, Congress holds a contingent election to pick the president and Vice President. Biden’s election is expected to be ratified in the Electoral College held in all state capitals on Monday following the Nov. 3 general polls.

The former Vice President is projected to receive 306 electoral votes to be secured against Trump’s 232 electoral votes who is still contesting the election results.

I believe we should abolish the Electoral College and select our president by the winner of the popular vote, same as every other office.

But while it still exists, I was proud to cast my vote in New York for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

When the #EndSARS protest was on October 17 hijacked by hoodlums, who unleashed terror on Edo State, especially the capital, Benin, no one knew the dimension and magnitude the violence would take considering that the police, who were expected to provide security, were at the receiving end of the biggest protest against the institution. However, residents had hoped the violence would subside, giving police the chance to resume their duty of restoring peace and order in a state that has been thrown into great turmoil.

However, a month after, the state is still in great security distress with armed robbery, kidnapping and cult-related killings, which have turned major parts of the state capital into a ghost town, becoming the order of the day. Residents are scared to go out at all or leave home early for their places of work or business, while also opting to stay in other parts of the city whenever they stay out late.

Many have attributed the rising clashes among rival cult groups, especially Eye and Aiye confraternities, more to the jailbreak that occurred at two correctional centres in Oko and Sapele Road, Benin, where almost 2,000 prisoners were freed by hoodlums, who coordinated the attacks on the centres to free their gang members, who were being held in the facilities.

With the streets already boiling and arms stolen from police stations in the hands of criminals, it was only a matter of time before dissidents hiding under the confraternities would unleash mayhem and take over the streets of Benin. And when it started, it became a case of knowing when a war starts and not knowing when it would end. Many rival cult members and innocent citizens have been killed, with the numbers rising daily as over 40 people are alleged to have been killed in the last two weeks, with pictures and graphic videos surfacing on the Internet.

A resident of Uselu, where the ‘battle for supremacy’ between the cult groups shifted to last Friday, Rose Osaro, was surprised by the sophistication and brutality with which the gangs operated. She was also bewildered by the way they handled guns and other sophisticated weapons, wondering where they got their training from.

She told The PUNCH, “I am surprised by the way they operated. They were so brutal and were ready to kill anyone in sight. We had to run for our dear lives and I must advise that you (the reporter) don’t stay too long out here. These guys are dangerous and we can only call on the security operatives to swing into action and save Benin from descending into more chaos. Many people have been killed, while some have been maimed.

“I believe most of the problems began when prisoners were illegally freed by their cult members. There had been cult clashes in Benin before, but this one dwarfs any other and I hope that something will be done soon. If not, many people will be killed. I also feel that if the government had handled the #EndSARS protest well, it would not have been hijacked by hoodlums, who are now terrorising the state.”

However, before the battle shifted to Uselu, some parts of the city are reputed for criminal activities including, Upper Sakponba, Evbuotubu, Siluko Road, Ukhoro, Medical Store Road and parts of Sapele Road. In these places, rival gangs engaged themselves in open battles with guns and machetes, which also claimed innocent lives.

Gabriel Ogiebor, who lives in Sakponba, told The PUNCH that a neighbour’s son was killed while running errands for his father. He said he got home and saw many people condoling with the family over the demise of their son, adding that the late Churchill was an easy-going person.

“I was shocked to hear the sad news. I gathered that his father sent him on an errand and he was caught in the crossfire. He was not a cultist. He was an easy-going guy and it is unfortunate miscreants sent him to his early grave. I feel so sad because I viewed Churchill as a prospect, having finished in one of the tertiary institutions in the state. As it is now, I can say that 38 people may have been killed in these senseless confrontations,” Ogiebor added.

However, efforts to end the cult wars and other criminal activities may have taken a dent as some of the escapee prison inmates are already sending threat messages to policemen who investigated and prosecuted their cases. Commissioner of Police in the state, Johnson Kokumo, who revealed this, said his men were working within existing limitations to restore normalcy to the state just as he said 3 policemen shot by hoodlums were recuperating.

He said, “You can imagine what it means that 3 police stations along Sokponba Road were destroyed and burnt and patrol vehicles destroyed in several other parts of the state capital; all the officers in these stations now operate from the headquarters.

“The #EndSARS protest was hijacked by hoodlums and it took a violent turn in the state and prisoners were set free; what do you expect? Some of these escapees have been sending threat messages to policemen, who investigated and prosecuted them, while one of the escapees, who was convicted for murder, went on that same day to kill the prosecution witness in his village, but he was immediately rearrested.

“Everybody must be part of the restoration of sanity. People who know these escapees should avail us information about them. But I am assuring you that we are not sleeping, but with what has happened to the police in Edo, some of these hitches are expected. But we are not sleeping and we will continue to work to arrest criminal elements in the state.”

Last Friday, the army, the police with other sister agencies engaged in a show of force by taking over strategic positions in the state to stem security problems, especially the rising cases of cult clashes and killings.

General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Anthony Omozoje, said he was in the state to collaborate with sister security agencies to see how to consolidate on gains being made in curbing the rate of criminality witnessed after the #EndSARS protests. He said the military was embarking on a 7-day heightened security operation to fish out criminal elements in the state, adding, “We need to go actively after these criminals in order not to give them liberty to operate. The 7-day heightened security operation will involve all security agencies to arrest criminals and recover arms and ammunition.

“The operation has been carried out in Osun, Kwara, Oyo, Ekiti and now Edo. We will establish fixed checkpoints at very critical locations within the city. After the operation, an evaluation will be carried out to know the level of success. We have men in Ibadan and Akure, who will reinforce our effort if need be.”

Despite facing several battles on the political front, Governor Godwin Obaseki is optimistic that the state government’s effort will yield dividends soon. He stated that the government was playing its part to prevent the state from being thrown into anarchy through activities of cultists and other criminals in the state.

“We have a subsisting curfew in Edo, which is being breached. To support your 7-day heightened security effort, we are reinforcing the curfew from 10pm to 6am daily. The town should be on lockdown and anyone found outside within this period should be dealt with according to the law,” Obaseki told the GOC. The governor lamented that during the #EndSARS protest, Edo was a hotspot as hoodlums took advantage of the heightened anxiety surrounding the September 19 governorship election to cause mayhem.

Obaseki, who thanked the Chief of Army Staff and other senior security officers for refusing to be compromised and ensured that Edo had a free, fair and credible election, said their actions had saved and sustained democracy in the state and Nigeria.

A former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, said failure to punish past misdeeds had given rise to the present insecurity in the state, noting that the government must work with professional bodies and faith-based organisations as well as understand the need to make community policing organic.

He stated, “In 2015, when a similar problem of gang war and criminality took place and I was the IG, we moved into the state to sanitise it and arrested 15 persons, who were the top actors. It took us 3 weeks to mop up. We halted the state of social disorder and anomie, and then the case files were compiled and the suspects were arraigned.

“Unfortunately, the government did not go ahead with the prosecution and there must be consequences for crime. So, what is happening now is because there were no consequences for past misdeeds. We didn’t go for the foot soldiers, we went for the big shots, who were the organisers.

“Two years ago, I drew attention to it but nothing was done. Predictive policing shows that if you don’t prosecute people who have committed infractions, you are tacitly encouraging a repeat performance and see what has happened. The same people came out on the street now and took over the state. So, government should learn to ensure that people who commit crimes, despite their political leanings or standing in society, are dealt with. That is the only panacea for having peace in Edo State.

Arase added, “I don’t see a strategic approach the government has put in place to stop the criminals. If you say you are training constables for community policing, I must say that is a pedestrian way of dealing with security and policing issues. What is the profile of those you are training and giving uniforms to?

“We have to think outside the box and be strategic. People from the state, including me, are tired of all these. I am particularly worried about what is happening and our approach must change on how we fight crime. Though it is the Federal Government that controls the police, States must complement by providing patrol vehicles and other equipment to aid the police in doing their jobs.”

A former Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Idada Ikponmwen (retd), said security operatives must be provided with needed tools to secure lives and property, while also calling on residents of the state to give vital tips that would help operatives arrest and rid the state of criminal elements.

He stated, “I can say that insecurity as well as the killings baffle me and other well-meaning people. It also baffles me that we cannot use our security apparatus to deal with these problems. All I will want to emphasize is that government must rededicate itself to providing proper security for everybody. It is the primary responsibility of government to provide security. The security situation has never been this bad and it leaves us all in constant state of fear on the roads, in our houses and everywhere.

“So, the government must rededicate itself to repositioning the security system. The people must also see themselves as partners, because security is everybody’s business and the people committing these crimes are not spirits, they live in different communities with the people and a situation where the people are not sufficiently committed, it will be difficult for security to be adequate.”

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) will arraign Ibrahim Magu, suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CTC) any moment from now, TheCable understands.

According to sources in the know, Magu is to be prosecuted for allegedly failing to list a bank account in his asset declaration form. TheCable understands that the First Bank account had not been operated by Magu for 5 years and gone dormant.

The CCB has also listed a property in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, allegedly owned by Magu as part of the evidence to be used against him at the tribunal. Magu had previously been accused of owning properties in Dubai, Lagos and Abuja — but it now appears there is no substance to the allegations. His team has maintained that he owns only one house and it is in Karu, a suburb in the federal capital territory (FCT).

“We thought they said he owned houses in Dubai and Banana Island but now it is a phantom property in Port Harcourt that is being linked to him,” a member of his team told TheCable.

Magu, who was named acting chairman of the EFCC in 2015 and was never confirmed until his suspension in July 2020, had been invited by the CCB to answer questions on his asset declaration. This came at the time he was also being investigated by the Justice Ayo Salami panel, which has now recommended his sack and prosecution for alleged corruption in office — an allegation Magu has consistently denied. Magu failed to appear before the CCB, citing his lack of access to the documents being requested.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Wahab Shittu, counsel to Magu, denied that the suspended chairman shunned the bureau. Below is the full text of his statement.

Our attention has been drawn to certain media reports where it was reported that our client, the suspended Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, shunned the invitation of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

We wish to state that our client did not shun the CCC invitation as the media reportage did not reflect the true position of the narrative. We wish to state with high sense of responsibility that we have written 2 letters to the Chairman of the CBB, intimating him about the inability of our client to have access to the relevant documents as required by the CCB.

The letters, which were dated November 16 and 17, 2020, were addressed to the CCB Chairman. The letters were titled- Re: Investigation of Activities- Letter of Invitation, Breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers. Please note that the letters were stamped and acknowledged by the office of the CCB Chairman on the said date of November 17, 2020. We also wish to state the said letters were copied to the Director of Intelligence, Investigation and Monitoring while the letters were also stamped and acknowledged by his office.

Explaining the inability of our client to honour the invitation, we stated as follows:

“Your letter dated November 2, 2020 with reference No.-CCB/HQ/II & M/007/2093 addressed to our client has been passed unto us to respond to as follows:

“In the referred letter, our client was requested to appear before your distinguished body on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 11am prompt concerning the above subject matter. We have firm instructions to inform your distinguished body that our client, regrettably will not be able to honour today’s invitation in view of certain circumstances beyond his control.

“Our client’s inability to honour your invitation is as a result of his inability to access his office and the requested documents since his suspension from office. We wish to inform you that the documents which you requested for and other personal documents are still in his personal office where he has been denied access up to date. The relevant documents include:

1. Acknowledgement slips of all Magu’s assets declaration to the Code of Conduct since he joined Public service.
2. Copies of his Appointment Letter, Acceptance, Records of Service and payslips from January to May, 2020.
3. All title documents of his landed properties both developed and undeveloped.

“We request that the invitation to our client be extended pending the conclusion of the exercise of the mandate of the presidential Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up against our client and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This request has become necessary since most of the documents requested by your Bureau, were removed from our client’s offices by the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the request of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry in the absence of our client while our client was in detention.

"Based on the foregoing, it would be impossible for our client to answer your questions and provide those documents which are in the possession of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry and the Department of State Security Service (DSS). We therefore kindly request your distinguished body to graciously extend the invitation extended to our client pending the return of our client’s documents (which you requested).

“We further wish to inform you that we are writing a letter to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, requesting it to direct the Acting EFCC boss to allow our client access to the relevant documents. Please note that there is the need for our client to have access to the relevant documents in order to prepare for his defence to your invitation.

“In the circumstances, until such a time when our client gains access to his personal files in his office where most of the requested documents are, it is impracticable to honour your invitation, even if our client is willing to do so as an obedient and patriotic citizen.

"Thank you in anticipation of your cooperation in the above regard. Please accept our professional regards."

Yours Faithfully,

Signed

Wahab Shittu, Esq

jaydeevaa:
same way to locate a husband....