₦airaland Forum

Oluwashinaayomi Peller, entertainment entrepreneur who owns Aquila Group of Companies and Quilox, has won the Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa and Kajola federal constituency seat in Oyo.

Declaring the results on Sunday, Adeniyi Olatunbosun, returning officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, said Peller polled a total of 44,088 votes.

Peller, who is the son of the late popular magician, Professor Peller, beat Najeemdeen Oyedeji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 31,336 votes.

Olasupo Abiodun of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who previously occupied the seat after winning in the 2015 election, came third with 12,309 votes.

NAN reports that there was wild jubilation at the collation centre after the returning officer announced Peller as the winner.

Before his election, Peller had said he would target policies that encourage local vigilante groups to be more diligent.

“I intend to influence policies that identify and protect trustworthy, hardworking and honest Oke-Ogun indigenes,” he said.

“Policies that will encourage the local vigilante groups to be more diligent and bring out better understanding of the region, provide training and bring about synergy with the police for a safer, law-abiding and prosperous Oke-Ogun community.”

This sounds incredible, but it is true anyway. ‘Yahoo boys’ are not just growing in number, they now have apprentices that understudy them. This is to ensure continuality of the game. The apprentices after ‘graduating,’ will also have to train another set of apprentices and the circle continues.

Ikechukwu Nnaji is 21-year-old man, born in the Ajegunle area of Lagos State. He hails from Abia State. Nnaji has a disarming smile, and it flashes like a hundred watt bulb, illuminating his handsome face. Nnaji is small in stature, earning him the nickname, ‘Small’ among his friends.
He said that his parents relocated to Abia State five years ago after his father lost his job as a factory worker. His parents agreed to relocate to their village after his mom’s fruit selling business could no longer support them.
While his parents and other siblings prepared to leave Lagos for good, Nnaji’s uncle asked him to come and live with him.

He recalled: “Uncle Aaron is a commercial bus driver with three children. He promised to support me through my secondary school. I finished my secondary school after two years with my uncle. My parents relocated to our hometown. My uncle tried his best possible to pay for my West African Certificate Examination fees (WACE) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). I was not able to pass my first JAMB examination to study accounting. During that period, things changed for my uncle; everything went from bad to worse. I had no choice than to start caring for myself.”

He said that one day, as he was heading to Mile 2, he saw one of his friends, Mathew. Mathew lives at Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State. Nnaji quickly summed Mathew up with a glance. He noticed that the latter looked and dressed well.
He said: “Mathew was looking good. He held big smartphones. His shirt was expensive. By then I was looking for whatever job to do in order to keep body and soul together. Even in my uncle’s house, life had become very tough and to feed tougher. I often used to go to construction sites to seek menial work. At such sites, I make N1500 for serving bricklayers with sand and cement, which they had mixed. And on some other days, there wouldn’t be work at all.”

He got chatting with Mathew and they quickly exchanged snippets of information about mutual friends. Along the line, Nnaji disclosed his financial constraints, his uncle’s challenges and his search for a job. Mathew listened, slapped Nnaji’s shoulders sympathetically and asked him to meet him at Ikotun.
Excited, Nnaji told his uncle about his chanced meeting with Mathew, and that he was sure of landing a job soon. But Uncle Aaron was not excited, he looked troubled and warned Nnaji to be careful.

Nnaji narrated: “I went to Mathew’s place, where he introduced me to a guy called Eze Ego (King of Money). Mathew said that Eze Ego was looking for boys, who would work for him. Initially, the only thing I heard was that the job has to do with the internet. And then I got to know what it was all about. I heard that a lot of boys were doing it.”

Revealing how yahoo apprentices are recruited and cybercrime operations carried out, Nnaji said that the “big boys” (bosses/old hands), usually place vacancies on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, seeking for apprentices. But only the initiated knows what such posts mean.
He said: “People will see the post, but wouldn’t understand what they were reading. Only those in that line of business understand such posts. Matthew is working for another person, but when he saw the post, he knew what Eze Ago wanted.

And luckily for me, I ran into him on that fateful day. He linked me to Eze Ego. I have been an apprentice to Eze Ego now for two years. He is nice. We’re three boys with Eze Ego; he treats us like a family member. He got married early last year. The wife also likes us.”

Asked the duties of a “Yahoo Apprentice”, Nnaji replied: “I’m the one that used to cook in the house before his wife came. He trusts me because we are from the same state. Also, when he lost his mother, I travelled with him and helped with his mother’s burial. I do wash his car every morning and sometimes wash his clothes.”

He continued: “In the last two years, I have travelled home to see my mother. My boss supports me with money and encourages me to buy things for my mother. He knows my father is late. Yes, my father died after he and mother relocated to our village. My mother used to tell my boss to take care of me. My boss is like an elder brother to me. He provides everything we need in his home, including laptops that we. He also feeds us.”

He explained that in the course of the training, an apprentice will be introduced to different sites on the internet and different cybercrimes.
Listing some of the jobs, Nnaji said: “There are dating sites jobs, bank account hackings, selling of things like cameras, phones, others on the internet.”

Beaming with pride, Nnaji brags: “I was able to learn the job within a short time. My boss soon made me the manager. I made money for him through posting of cameras, phones, pianos, on websites we created. When people see the posts, they will become interested, thinking the items on the websites actually exist.

“They will make payment online, we then generate tracking number for them. They believe that the goods they paid for are real. We will promise to deliver the items within three days. After the three days had elapsed, the clients will call to complain that they had not seen the goods.

We’ll tell them that the Nigerian Customs had impounded their goods that, they need to make a small payment, which our office will use to resolve the issue.

That’s how we’ll tell all sorts of lies until the customer gets frustrated, tired and stops calling. We also have jobs, were we go on dating sites and promise women marriage.”
Asked how fraudsters make money from proposing marriages to strangers, Nnaji laughed and disclosed: “ You simply come up with lies that your mom or dad is sick and that you need a certain amount of money to pay for his/her medical bills.”

He continued: “There are many systems we use. Other boys are doing well for my boss. Some boys had been apprentices to my boss and had left. Some left because they couldn’t meet up or didn’t understand the job.”
On how long an apprentice needs to understudy his boss before starting his own business? Nnaji responded: “I’m already saving towards getting an accommodation and a laptop.”

Explaining how he used to make his own money, while being an apprentice, Nnaji stated: “Sometimes I hit deals without the knowledge of my boss. The proceeds go into my bank account.”
He added: “Sometimes, if we make a good deal, my boss gives us money. It’s a sign of appreciating efforts and commending us for a job well-done. My boss is better than other bosses in this line of work. Most of these bosses, their boys are suffering. Whenever such bosses discover their boys did something behind them, they beat them as they are criminals. They usually send them away empty handed.”

Nnaji said that among all the different ways of cybercrimes that he had studied, only one really appealed to him – that is hacking of people’s accounts.
He said: “That is where you make more money. There’s money there than posting images of non-existent goods on fake websites.”
He said that hacking accounts will fetch him enough money to further his university education and also take care of his mother and siblings. He admitted that he was already responsible for the payment of his siblings’ school fees.

Sunday Israel, 24, said that he worked as an apprentice for two years, but is now a master of himself. He said that when it was time for him to leave, his boss was not too happy about it. He had made so much money for his boss, hence his reluctance to let him go.
According to him, he excelled in posting fake items on websites.
And when it was time to leave, he got his accommodation, slowly extricating himself from his boss. His boss suggested that they should team up, hit money via internet and share the loot. The idea didn’t appeal to Israel; he wanted to be his own master.
His words: “I was very good on the job. Sometimes, I make $200, $300 and $500. When you change the money to naira, it amounts to a lot.”
To Israel, his boss is practically his fairy-tale godfather, who literarily used his magic wand to turn him from a pauper to a financially able person.

Gathering his thoughts, he said that his life-changing story started in 2012 after he met James, his boss. They were introduced and both chatted. They soon agreed to work together, leading to Israel going to live with James. Incidentally, James’ two younger brothers were also living in the same apartment. While one of James’ brothers was schooling, the other was a trader.

Israel said: “I was with them from 2012 to 2013. I finally got my accommodation and bought my first laptop. When I was leaving, in spite of his initial reluctance, my boss threw a send-forth party for me. And then I started running my own business.

Although I’m no longer his apprentice, but I sometimes assist him to, ‘pick money.’ I have a white woman, whom I promised to marry. She used to assist me to collect money from the bank and send it to me. Some of us have bank accounts in USA and UK for receiving money when payment is made for goods we posted.”

Uche Ejim is the breadwinner of his family. He has an elder brother and two younger siblings. His mom and dad are very much alive. Ejim started learning the job when he was in Senior Secondary School (SS1) and today, has three boys working for him. He recently bought a car and got a three-bedroom apartment for his parents and siblings.

Ejim said: “I suffered greatly when I was an apprentice. I learnt the job from our neighbour. That my boss is very rich now. My boss always sends me on errands, and whenever he noticed that I was humble and didn’t complain much, he decided to teach me the “YahooYahoo” business.

We are into dating and posting of goods for people to buy. Posting of goods is the simplest job, because people always buy things online and make payments without seeing the goods. My boss does his posting at midnight. I always wake up to watch what he does until I started posting myself.”
Another apprentice, Segun, said that he had to run away from home because he was not really interested in schooling. Segun is now an apprentice with a rich boss called Chigozie. Segun and other five boys are learning under Chigozie.

Our correspondent also had an interaction with a boss (names withheld).
The boss said: “It’s the situation in the country that pushed many of us into internet fraud. Whenever some of the boys in the community see the manner Yahoo Boys spend money, they naturally wish to be like us. Many young people approach us. They beg us to teach them, that they are interested in learning Yahoo Yahoo because they too want to become rich and take care of their parents.”

He further stated: “Whenever these lads come to us, we give them terms and conditions. One of the conditions is that they should take an oath that they wouldn’t betray us by divulging our secrets.

Another condition is that when they are done with the training, whatever money they make in their transactions, will be shared into two equal parts. Sometimes, it takes six months or one year before an apprentice can ‘graduate.’ But as masters, we don’t show them the whole tricks on how we collect money from victims. The more they grow in the trade, the more they know the tricks by themselves.”
The boss explained that throughout the period the apprentices understudy’s a master, he will sleep in the master’s house and work from 12a.m. to 3a.m.

He said: “This means that whenever we want to collect money, some of our ‘magga’ (victims) send to us, we use them. We use them to avoid being arrested by the police in the bank. We don’t just collect the money easily in bank, we work with some bank officials. They facilitate the withdrawals for us. We used to have an agreement with the bank official on the percentage to give him/her. If we reneged on our agreement, the person will deal with us the next time we come for such a transaction.”

He said: “When I graduated from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, I searched for job for years, without succeeding. But my brother, who dropped out of school suddenly became the breadwinner of our family. That immediately prompted me to follow in his footsteps. I became his apprentice. I learnt the trade from him for six months. I was taught some of the rudiments of how to track a client online. It’s not everyone you see online that you chase.

“Unfortunately, my brother did not teach me everything about online fraud. He said I would learn when I’m developing on the trade. What my brother told me pushed me further to seek for more knowledge. Presently, I have two persons I’m training. I know what we’re doing is not right or legal, but we have to survive.

Moreover, it’s better than armed robbery. My joining the internet fraud is with a purpose. My intention was to take care of my parents and used the proceeds to establish myself. The first money I made was about N2 million. I gave my parents half of the money. I have spent about five years in this business. Cybercrime fraud is difficult.

Sometimes, if you mount pressure on your victim, the person will get angry and refuse to send a dime. With such difficult people, we go extra mile to get what we want from them, even if it requires making sacrifices to appease the gods.

“I must tell you the truth; those of us who are into internet fraud are not generous in giving money. Through internet fraud, I have acquired property in Ogun State. I, however, will quit the business after I get married. I don’t want my children to see me doing it.”
Another boss, who introduced himself as “Scurry”, said that he was trained by his room-mates when he was an undergraduate. Since then, he had been making money.

Scurry said: “When I graduated from school, I did not bother to search for a job; I had already made money. I believe most of us went into internet fraud because our government is not fair to us. There are no jobs in the country. We also have challenges in doing the internet stuff in Nigeria. I travelled to Kenya last year because of the regular power supply in that country. I have also been to Malaysia, South Africa and I’m planning to go to Egypt.

It’s easier to get money through their banks. Due to the recent clamp down on cybercrime operators in Nigeria by EFCC, many of us have moved out of the country to better places, where we can operate without hassles. We do travel to Europe, but we don’t go to Asia countries except Malaysia. We go there as students who want to study.”

A Superintendent of Police (SP), Mr. Sini Omar, Head of Advance Fee Fraud Section of the EFCC, Abuja, reacting to the existence of “Yahoo apprentices”, said: “We’re aware of the trend.”

He explained that EFCC had arrested many. While also disclosing that some were secondary school students, said that there were definitely correctional centres for such young lads.

He said that the apprentices were often recruited because the ‘boss’ has close to 50 victims and couldn’t possibly be speaking with them at the same time. The boss then gets the apprentices, train them and later release some of his victims to them.
Omar said that whenever they arrested such young folks, the EFCC is usually very careful and thorough while investigating them.

He explained that this caution paid off once, when they arrested a young lad in the house of a boss and after quizzing him, they discovered that he just arrived the apartment to join his elder in becoming Yahoo apprentice. Fortunately for him, the lad had never carried out the act before EFCC operatives swooped on the apartment.

By Horatio Adurogbangba



We are all witnesses to the devastating history of electoral fraud in Nigeria. Since the first republic, elections have been, at times a violent, do or die contest for control of state power and public resources. Previous democratic experiments failed mainly because of disputed, flawed elections. We achieved some progress due to electoral reforms initiated by late President Yar’Adua, himself an admitted beneficiary of electoral malfeasance, based on recommendations of the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Commission.

By now we should have dispensed with false thumbprinting of multiple ballots, ballot box snatching and violence. However, some people entered politics playing these tricks. They climbed to the height of political power using these tricks. They now seek to capture the zenith of political office by returning to these old tricks and initiating a new generation of technologically sophisticated scams with the same objective: being declared the winner of an election without winning the most voted. The use of new technology to perfect new forms of election rigging shows that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks if those tricks will help him acquire the tasty bone that has heretofore evaded his grasp.

The events of the last few days have reminded us that election riggers are still primed to kidnap our democracy by shredding our votes into meaningless confetti. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP Presidential Candidate, ran an uninspired campaign. Although an opposition candidate who could focus his entire attention on the presidential race, Atiku visited but 20 states. Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari visited all 36 states and the FCT. Many of Atiku’s campaign rallies were characterized by scanty attendance. His events lacked the energy and passion evident in the APC rallies. Most telling of all, Atiku’s campaign was an ineffective messenger. His campaign document, the Atiku Plan, was stillborn. It crashed from inattention and apathy before having a chance to take off. Barely a week after publishing it, Atiku never mentioned it again. Devoid of a positive message to give the people, his campaign team implemented their infamous Dubai Strategy, deploying lies and publicity stunts to gain public sympathy and distract the electorate from the fact that corruption is their most fitting epithet.

An example of these empty stunts was his visit to America. Atiku paid lobbyists and others over a million dollars for a two day visit to the place. If Atiku’s aim was to make history, He succeeded, but not in the way he wants. The man succeeded in purchasing the most expensive temporary visa in the annals of recorded travel between two nations. For him to spend such a lavish sum for such a meager visit portends his designs on the national treasury. He did not spend that much money just to lose it. If he gains high office, Atiku will much more than enrich his friends. He will make himself the supreme potentate. Money will bear his face and name because he will believe all the money is his.

In short, the visit to America was an expensive attempt to convince the Nigerian people that Atiku was legitimate to the outside world. These are not the tactics of a winning hand. It is insulting to think a trip to America would convince Nigerians that the traveler should be their president. America cannot care more for Nigeria than Nigerians themselves. The things Atiku has done are the vain efforts of someone who knows that he loses a clean and fair election. But he covets the office beyond the bounds of healthy desire. He thus feigns at running the semblance of a campaign. However, the brunt of his resources and attention are directed toward a more subterranean and inimical setting.

In the absence of a focused and inspiring issue-based campaign, Atiku is relying on strange mathematics to win the presidency. From the events of the last few days, he has retooled and oiled the rigging machine of the PDP.

This is not surprising. Late last year, Atiku spoke wistfully at a public gathering about days gone past when PDP freely rigged elections using state money and hired thugs. At a meeting with the Lagos PDP chapter, Atiku said:

“When we came to power in 1999, the entire South West was being controlled by AD and when we were approaching 2003 elections, I told my boss (Obasanjo), ‘give me the authority to take over the South-West’ and he gave me that authority and I took over all the states with the exception of Lagos.

“This is because Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and I came a long way from SDP, PMM, PDM to SDP and I felt I should leave Lagos for him. I could easily have taken over Lagos.

“My brothers and sisters, I want you to forgive me for leaving Lagos out of that arrangement. If I have another opportunity again, Lagos will go together with the rest. I can tell you that I know what I did to preserve Lagos.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo deployed federal might to skew elections in the southwest during the 2003 exercise. Atiku confessed that he was the tricky tool Obasanjo’s hand used to perpetrate electoral fraud throughout the southwest.

Atiku further vowed that if given another chance, LAGOS WILL GO TOGETHER WITH THE REST! This confession, coupled with revelations since the election postponement, demonstrate that Atiku and the PDP plan to rig again.

Nigerians should therefore be wary of Atiku and the PDP. They are addicted to rigging. It is the only way they know how to win elections. Ongoing investigations since the election postponement indicate that PDP and Atiku have deployed their evil cunning in an attempt to corrupt the electoral process. It appears that they had bribed some election officials to preprogram smart card readers so that they appear dumb and transmit false results to INEC headquarters. This is why the card readers have had to be wiped clean and reprogrammed. They have also spent heavily to buy the loyalty of some INEC staff and NYSC ad hoc staff. They have gained possession of ballot papers and have manufactured close counterfeits of the genuine papers which they thumb-printed in advance to pad the vote in their own strongholds.

They had hired thugs and ruffians to make a mess of things and bring disorder where they know they cannot rig the returns. They used this exact same template in past elections, but they must never be allowed to do this again. Enough is enough. I am in full support of the President’s recent warning to ballot box snatchers. Ballot box snatchers are criminals by law and they deserve a criminal’s reward. Every Nigerian must be on high alert.

Adurogbangba is a retired foreign service officer. He lives in Ibadan.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced a former Managing Director of the defunct Integrated Microfinance Bank Limited, Mr. Simon Ademola Akintoye, to 36 years imprisonment for $166.9 million fraud.

The judge had on February 4, 2019 convicted Akintoye after he was found guilty of all the nine-count charge bordering on reckless granting of loans without collateral slammed on him by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Federal Ministry of Justice. Sentencing was consequently reserved till yesterday.

On that day, the court, however discharged and acquitted Akintoye’s deputy, Gabriel Adepoju, who was charged on a one-count charge of unlawful diversion of N22.250 million to a printing company, Gad Press Limited.

In her verdict yesterday, the judge, while agreeing with the defence lawyer that the convict was a first time offender with no past criminal records, was of the view that he had betrayed the trust of clients who deposited money in the bank. She consequently sentenced the convict to four years jail term on each of the nine-count charge preferred against him.

The court, however, gave him an option of fine of N2 million on each of the counts. The judge held that while the sentence was to run concurrently, the fine imposed would be cumulative.

The DPP in a charge sheet marked FHC/L/234c/16, said two bank chiefs recklessly, without collateral, approved credit facilities running into $166 million, and N33.250 million to themselves and Mrs. Temitope Muhammed Imam.

In the charge, the convict, Akinteye, was said to have at different times withdrawn from the bank’s account the total N11 million and diverted it into his personal company named ‘Deblad Nigeria Limited’.

He was also said to have unlawfully withdrawn $166 million and paid same to the account of Temitope Muhammed Imam, domiciled with Citi Bank N. A. of Utica/Clarkson, 702, Utica Avenue, Brooklyn New York, United States of America; and another account domiciled with Washington Mutual, 391, Eastern Parkway, Belford Avenue, New York, USA.

A Lagos High Lagos in Igbosere has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha, popularly known as Jay Jay Okocha.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye made the order on January 29, following an application by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice after Okocha allegedly failed to appear in court for a 2017 income tax evasion charge.

The ministry filed a three-count charge against Okocha on June 6, 2017, which accused Okocha of “Failure to furnish return of income for tax purposes with the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service contrary to Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 (As Amended).

“Failure to pay income tax contrary to Section 56(a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No. 8 of 2006.

“Failure to furnish return of Income for tax purposes with the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service contrary to Section 94(1)of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 (As Amended).”

Prosecuting Counsel Y. A. Pitan, who moved the application for the warrant on January 29, told Justice Akintoye that the case came up for the first time on October 5, 2017 but Okocha failed to appear in court, even though service had been effected on him.

He said Okocha still didn’t appear after several adjournments.

In a bench ruling, Justice Akintoye granted the application and issued a bench warrant for Okocha’s arrest.

The judge adjourned further hearing till last February 19.

When the case came up on February 19, the prosecution had still not effected the warrant, following which the court ordered that on the next adjourned date the order should have been executed.

Akintoye adjourned further hearing till April 15.

Glo subscribers who pre-order the latest Samsung Galaxy S10 phones through any of Globacom’s retail outlets nationwide will receive six months free data, the national telecom operator has said.

They will, in addition to the free data, also get a Galaxy Bud, a hi tech ear phone valued at N45,000. The company disclosed this in a press statement released in Lagos on Thursday to announce the opportunity for Glo subscribers to be among the first set of telecom subscribers worldwide to own the sophisticated Galaxy S10 which will be launched on March 8.

The new phone comes in several models, including S10E, S10 and S10 Plus, and was designed to mark the 10th anniversary of Samsung and its unique “S” series.

The new S10 series are referred to as the next generation phones because of their exciting and sophisticated features.

Samsung announced that the phones are “engineered to be a conversation changer with a novel-looking infinity 6.1-inch O-screen and triple-lens rear camera that takes ultra-wide photos with QHD+ resolutions and 8GB RAM”.

The phones also have in-screen fingerprint sensor and wireless power share that could serve family and friends. Samsung explained that the Galaxy S10E is cheaper as it was specially designed for low budget subscribers wishing to enjoy the same avant-garde features.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has generated over N23billion in unpaid taxes from the recently suspended substitution exercise on corporate bank accounts, which was marked by the imposition of restriction on the accounts of tax-defaulting organisations.

This was disclosed in Lagos on Thursday by Mr. Babatunde Fowler, the FIRS Chairman. The FIRS boss made the disclosure at the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Interactive Forum on Tax Matters.

Fowler, who was guest speaker at the event, which held at the MAN House in Ikeja, explained that the focus of exercise were 3,000 companies deducting Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax (WHT) on behalf of the Federal Government without remitting such. The companies, he said, had no tax identification and therefore could not remit the deducted taxes to government, making them treat such deductions as part of their cash flow.

Fowler stated that the suspension of the exercise for 30 days, announced last weekend, was occasioned by the deluge of corporate taxpayers visiting FIRS offices to regularize their tax affairs and make payments, a situation that stretched the Service administratively, as it could not lift the lien on their accounts as quickly as it wished.

Thus, the FIRS directed banks to lift restrictions on such accounts to allow affected tax companies regularize their tax status within 30 days and begin to make arrangements for the liquidation of their tax liabilities.

According to the FIRS Chairman, the Service’s decision to place lien on accounts of businesses, corporate organisations and partnerships with an annual banking turnover in excess of N1billion, but without tax identification, was announced at a stakeholders’ meeting last September.

“Our position was that if you charge VAT, which is not your money; or deduct Withholding Tax from vendors and you have no tax identification, you cannot even pay tax to the FIRS because you can’t pay without tax identification. So these operators were defrauding the society and the nation by charging consumers VAT, by deducting Withholding Tax and not remitting on behalf of other taxpayers. We had over 3,000 of such and we said if they do not come forward, we’d follow the law and do what they call substitution.

Now, what the Act actually says is that the banks should deduct the amount of taxes from accounts. We, however, told the banks not to deduct the amounts, but put a lien on those accounts and let the taxpayers come forward. And till date, over N23billion has been paid on those accounts,” he said.

Fowler added that the FIRS also noticed that operators that had banking turnover of between N100million and N1billion were equally guilty. The FIRS, he disclosed, received information from banks that there are 59,000 of such operators, who are without tax identification and have not been making payments to the Federation Account.

Fowler stated that the decision to place restrictions on accounts was taken to protect taxpayers, who had Withholding Tax deducted from their contracts, and consumers, who paid unremitted VAT.

He stated that 85 per cent of VAT goes to the states, which need them for salaries and other obligations. He equally stated that during the implementation of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), it was discovered that 50 per cent of the N96billion tax debt was related to VAT.

Responding to MAN President, Engr. Mansur Ahmed’s plea that the FIRS should expand the tax net and not the tax burden, Fowler said the restrictions placed on corporate accounts have helped achieve the former.

In addition, he disclosed that in the last 18 months, the FIRS has added over 1.2million business accounts to the tax net and under the Joint Tax Board, which he chairs, over 1million individual accounts have been added.

The FIRS Chairman, however, admitted that the Service made some administrative errors, which made banks place restrictions on accounts of a few companies with tax identification. This, he explained, arose from wrong information from the banks. But restrictions on such, he added, were lifted within 24 hours in addition to the tendering of formal apology to those impacted.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has announced a donation of N1m to the ailing veteran actor, Babatunde Omidina, a.k.a. Baba Suwe, who had solicited for financial support to enable him seek urgent medical attention.

Baba Suwe made the plea for financial support on Monday during an interview with popular broadcaster, Kola Olotu, in Ibadan.

And today, Thursday, the Vice President Osinbajo has already responded through his aides who visited the ailing actor at his Ikorodu Lagos home.

Meanwhile, Theater Arts and Motions Pictures Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) also said that the actor has been on the health bill of the association since 2017.

The affable comic actor went out of circulation eight years ago, after enjoying patronage and limelight for decades, because of diabetic complications among other ailments.

Tracing the origin of his current ordeal, Baba Suwe said the crisis started in the United States of America, where he had traveled to, but collapsed, even amidst cheers by fans.

“Since the time I returned to Nigeria, I have been going up and down,” he struggled to tell the radio show host amidst tears.

“They have taken me to different hospitals, yet my condition is getting worse. My situation is so bad now that I can’t walk without a walking stick.”

Baba Suwe also linked his current predicament to the ordeals the NDLEA officials subjected him to while in its custody.

According to him, the mental, psychological and medical stress he underwent, while NDLEA tried to establish that he indeed ingested cocaine, shattered him.

The comedian also lamented that he is yet to receive the N25 million damages initially awarded him.

He said: “The most important issue is that I need money to treat and rehabilitate myself as I have spent all I had on the health challenges.

Also, Baba Suwe shared his account details: First Bank, Babs Omidina Comedy, 2003537811, during the interview.

During an interview with PREMIUM TIMES in September, Baba Suwe revealed that he would release a movie, ‘Oya Gbe Ti’ detailing his 2011 encounter with NDLEA.

He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in 2011 on the suspicion that he ingested cocaine wraps.

During the encounter, the popular comedian was detained for three weeks by the agency, but no drugs were found.

A Lagos High Court subsequently ordered NDLEA to pay the veteran actor N25 million for unlawfully detaining him and to also tender a public apology to him; a ruling the drugs agency appealed.

A prosecution witness, Ekene Nwakuche, while testifying before an Ikeja High Court said that Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), inflated the agency’s budget to embezzle funds.

Mr Akpobolokemi is facing trial alongside two former Executive Directors of the agency, Ezekiel Agaba and Vincent Udoye.

The trio face a 12-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing a N687.2 million.

They, however, deny the charges.

Nwakuche, a former Personal Assistant to Mr Agaba while being cross-examined by Kunle Gbolahan, Akpobolokemi’s Defence Counsel, told the court that in order to allegedly siphon funds, draft budgets for the agency were always inflated by the defendants.

“I am not the personal assistant to the first defendant (Akpobolokemi) but rather to Agaba.

“What they (the defendants) do is that they request that we do a draft budget, present it to them and they have a meeting between themselves and readjust and increase the budget.

“It’s not possible for me to present the draft budget here in court because the draft budget that is made is usually destroyed,” he said.

While being cross-examined by E. D. Onyeke, Agaba’s Defence Counsel, Mr Nwakuche revealed that he was not a member of the Voluntary International Maritime Organisation Member State Audit Scheme (VIMSAS) set up by Mr Akpobolokemi in 2014.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a VIMSAS bank account received funds from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) which was allegedly embezzled by the defendants.

“The defendants never held VIMSAS meetings to discuss budget or expenditure, they held meetings on audit. I was at those meetings. I never write my name on the minutes but my boss, Mr Udoye and others can testify.

“The second defendant (Agaba) only reported to the first defendant (Akpobolokemi) how the funds of the VIMSAS committee were expended,” he said.

The witness noted that there was no official letter available that stated that projects budgeted in 2014 and 2015 by VIMSAS were not executed.

Mr Nwakuche also denied being a staff of Arrow World Consulting, a firm the EFCC alleged was used by the defendants to steal funds from the agency.
“I have no memo or document where the second defendant asked me to forget Arrow World documents,” he said.

NAN reports that Nwakuche, Governor Juan and Adegboyega Olopoenia were initially facing trial alongside the three defendants over alleged N754.8 million fraud committed in NIMASA.

Following a plea deal with the EFCC, the charges against Messrs Nwakuche, Juan and Olopoenia were dropped in exchange for them testifying on behalf of the EFCC against the embattled maritime bosses.

According to the anti-graft commission, Messrs Akpobolokemi, Agaba and Udoye are alleged to have committed the offence of conspiracy on Aug. 29, 2014.

According to Rotimi Oyedepo, the lead EFCC prosecutor: “Between Oct. 30, 2014 and the May 6, 2015 in Lagos the three defendants stole N346.8 million property of NIMASA released to them for the implementation of VIMSAS.

“On May 28, 2015, Akpobolokemi and Agaba converted N257 million to their own use.

“Udoye on Feb. 2, 2015 with a dishonest intent converted to his own use the sum of N67.4 million and N16 million belonging to NIMASA.”

The EFCC alleged that Messrs Akpobolokemi and Agaba had allegedly on January 20, April 28 and May 25, 2015, forged documents purported to have been issued by Arrow World Consulting.
The offences contravene Sections 285, 363 and 409 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Justice Raliatu Adebiyi adjourned the case until March 4 for continuation of the cross-examination of the witness.

Mahmood Yakubu, national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has confirmed that one of the candidates of the All Progressives Congress is a contractor with the commission.

Addressing stakeholders on the reason behind the postponement of the presidential and parliamentary elections in Abuja on Saturday, the INEC chairman said the contractor’s political inclination will not affect the commission.

The contractor in question is Mohammed Musa (pictured), APC’s candidate for the Niger east senatorial district seat.

“Yes, I am aware. That company has been working with the commission since 2011. I assure you that we have a strict system,” he responded to a question by Osita Chidoka, former aviation minister who represented Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, at the meeting.

“No electoral officer will be compromised. The integrity of the process is protected.”

In an earlier statement released by the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate, had said that Musa’s company, ‘Activate Technologies Limited’, was saddled with supplying the machines used in printing the permanent voter cards (PVCs).

“While Sani Musa has the right to hold any public office in spite of his line of business, it is morally unjustifiable to allow a well-known supplier of sensitive INEC materials to partake in an election in which the key materials to be used for the poll were supplied by him,” Atiku was quoted to have said in the statement.

– Calls on Ndigbo to participate in election and vote Atiku/Obi ticket
-Use your vote to change Buhari’s injustice, marginalization and killings of Ndigbo

The Igbo Canadian Community Association (ICCA/Umunna) calls on the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and members of the diplomatic to hold the Executive Governor of Kaduna State and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai responsible for any act of election violence that may be recorded in Nigeria’s 2018 general elections which starts on Saturday, February 16, 2019.
In a statement issued from Toronto, Canada, by the President of the socio-cultural and political group, Chief Ugochukwu Okoro, through the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Ahaoma Kanu, the call became necessary following the hostile and open threats made by the governor in a televised program on national television.
“The open threat made by Mallam el-Rufai to foreign election observers was done with a calculation to keep them at a distance so that all kinds of illegality can be carried out without the watchdogs around.”
The Kaduna State governor had, in a televised program on national television threatened foreign elections observers saying, “ Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for that person that will come and intervene, they will go back in body bags.”
“As we get into the final hours before the elections, we are worried for the safety of our people who are resident in Kaduna and other parts of the northern Nigeria and demand that the Federal Government should protect the lives of every person in those regions. Kaduna State under el-Rufai has witnessed ethnic tension; deaths and bloodshed. This is a governor that did nothing when in 2017 the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum gave a quit notice to Igbos living in the north to leave or face attack. Kaduna State has become a very volatile state where violence and killings occur without warning. There have been various incidences of violence along religious lines lasting days without abating especially in Southern and Northern Kaduna with the State government doing absolutely nothing to stop such incidents neither are any culprits arrested.
As a people who are always targeted especially by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who has not only militarized the South East but have ordered a crackdown on innocents sons and daughters of Ndigbo, we are concerned about the safety of our people since it is evident that Igbo leaders have given a directive to our people where to cast our vote.
We call upon the ICC and the international community to place a special focus on the activities of the state governor in order to safeguard the lives of Nigerians during this election period,” Okoro said.
Going further, the Umunna president urged Ndigbo to troop out en masse and participate in the elections and make their votes count.
“Being among the first organization to endorse the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidacy of HE Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Dr. Peter Obi, we urge every Igbo man, woman and youth old enough to participate in the election to cast their vote for the Atiku/Obi come Saturday, an action which will lead to true and enduring freedom and emancipation of Igbo land and people.
It is time for our people to use their PVCs and reject that party that promised to end terrorism in Nigeria but ended up unleashing terror to our young people in the name of Operation Python Dance; it is time that we reject President Buhari who declared a people exercising their freedom of expression as terrorists whereas he kept a blind eyes to the Miyetti Allah controlled Fulani herdsmen who have killed over 3000 Nigerians including the coordinated attack on our people in Nsukka, Enugu State; it is time we use our PVCs to reject Buhari who did not find any of our people capable enough to be in his administration.
The time has come for us to change that government which reduced the budget allocation for the Alkanu Ibaim International Airport Enugu from over N2billion to N500million; let us come together in unity with our votes and kick out the APC who arrested; tortured and killed our brothers and sisters since 2015; it is time to give the boot to a government that has crippled the economy and driven the country into recession with their inadequate economic policies; cluelessness and constant trading of blames; let us through the ballot box remove a President who attacks the judiciary, disrespects the courts and takes unconstitutional means to get his way.
During the first and only Presidential Media chat Buhari held on December 30, 2015, he asked a question, what does the Igbos want? The Ndigbo want an inclusive government who would treat them as equal partners in the union called Nigeria; Igbos want to be recognized and allowed to bring in their wealth of experience in the management of affairs of our country; Ndigbo wants freedom to express themselves without fear of persecution by the military; Ndigbo wants infrastructural developments and not marginalization; restructuring and not isolation; prosperity and not penury. Ndigbo want to be counted as Nigerians and not given the label of being among the Five Percent.
As a progressive people, Ndigbo have found that candidate in Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Dr. Peter Obi and we urge our people to cast their votes for them as we move to close the chapter on President Muhammadu Buhari administration which will forever remain infamous in our memories and open the door to a breath of fresh air; an air of prosperity, peace and progress.
We thank all our leaders especially the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo and all those who stood firm for what is right, unmoved, undeterred, and not distracted by every wind of doctrine bandied about and propelled by the selfish interests and personal and situational conveniences of their inventors. We stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this particularly important moment in history in this event that will change our lives.

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the Kogi Central Senatorial District election, Natasha Akpoti, has alleged that the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, is attempting to assassinate her over her ambition to contest the senatorial seat.

In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, a copy of which he sent to Saturday PUNCH on Friday, Akpoti alleged that apart from the governor threatening her in the presence of his aides, two of her supporters were killed at one of her campaigns.

She said these had heightened her worries, while calling on the President to use his good offices to ensure her safety and those of her supporters.
The letter partly read, “In only a few weeks that my campaign gained momentum morphing into a movement for the liberalisation of Kogi Central, some of my supporters have been murdered, and among them is Mr Ojo Enesi, who was the youth leader of my campaign organisation in Obeiba, Ihima of Okehi Local Government Area in Kogi State.

“This was followed by the battery, stabbing and butchering of eight of my supporters by known APC thugs at about 9am on February 11, 2019 during a door-to-door campaign at Obeiba in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area. This is besides those whose property have been damaged and those who have been abducted.”

“From the foregoing, Mr President, I call upon you not as a single mother or as a non-Muslim, part of they have accused me of, but as a Nigerian who is constitutionally allowed to contest elective position, that you please use your good offices to ensure my votes count and to save me and save the lives of my teeming supporters from the murderous thugs being financed to go after me,” she added.

Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar has appealed to his supporters to remain peaceful following the postponement of the presidential election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced early Saturday morning that it was moving the elections by one week because of logistics.

Atiku, who is flying the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election, alleged that the shift in date was the handwork of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, employing the biblical expression “hand of Esau, voice of Jacob”.

He said: “As you know, the Independent National Electoral Commission has announced a postponement of the elections until 23 February and 9 March respectively.

“The Buhari administration has had more than enough time and money to prepare for these elections and the Nigerian people were poised and ready to perform their civic responsibility by voting in the elections earlier scheduled for Saturday, 16 February, 2019.

“This postponement is obviously a case of the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob. By instigating this postponement, the Buhari administration hopes to disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate in order to ensure that turn out is low on the rescheduled date. Nigerians must frustrate their plans by coming out in even greater numbers on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively.

“Knowing that the Nigerian people are determined to reject them, they are desperate and will do anything in their power to avoid their rejection by the Nigerian people.

“Their plan is to provoke the public, hoping for a negative reaction, and then use that as an excuse for further anti-democratic acts.”

He asked his supporters to be patient “in the face of provocation”.

Atiku also urged them to come and vote en masse on the new dates.

“I call on all Nigerians to be patient. We have tolerated the maladministration of this government for four years. We can extend our tolerance a few more days and give them our verdict via our votes,” he said.

“Maintain the peace and be law abiding. Do not react to this provocation with anger, violence or any action that might be exploited by those who do not want this election to hold. Remain calm. We will overcome this. You can postpone an election, but you cannot postpone destiny.

“Please come out to vote on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively. Frustrate those who do not want this election to hold by coming out in very large numbers. That is the best antidote to their plans.

“May God bless you and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Yasin has announced the lifting of suspension of factional leader of the union in Lagos State, Alhaji Azeez Lawal a.k.a Kunle Poly.

It would be recalled that Kunle Poly was accused by the leadership of the union of been responsible for the attack at the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) rally on Tuesday January 8, where some journalists and many people including another NURTW official, Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo).

Subsequently, the president of the NURTW, Yasin, announced the suspension of Kunle Poly after a five-hour meeting with the Lagos state Executive and elders of the union and also resolved to set up a committee that will investigate the immediate and remote causes of the disruption and attack at the All Progressives’ Congress rally in Lagos.

But, after thorough investigation and consultation, the union on February 14 lifted the suspension of Kunle Poly.

In a statement by his media team, which was made available to Sunday Telegraph, Kunle Poly expressed joy and thanked the NURTW national chairman, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin and others who stood by him during the trail.

“I use this medium to thank everybody that show Kunle Poly some love pertaining to what happen to him some days ago, love you all, may God be with you all amen.

“Also, to all Idumota forum, thank you all for your concern and my appreciate goes to the Jagaban of the universe Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the number one citizen of Lagos state, also to Olowo Eko Baba Fuad Osuolale 1, Royal Majesty Akiolu.

“My appreciation also goes to mother of Lagos State High Chief (Mrs.) Oluremi Tinubu, member of Lagos Assembly and Honorable Speaker of the House and his deputy, all the chairman of local governments and the LCDA under the Lagos state.

“Thank you all for your support. Ero toh reko tiode Idumota oko igi lo lor,” he stated.

Those who have seen the impressive Enabling Success short film by Union Bank might not be surprised to learn it emerged the “most viewed Nigerian Ad’ in a recent review by advert critic, LivewithLynda.

The TV commercial hit 3 million views on YouTube a few days ago, less than 5 months after its 2018 Independence Day release. By crossing the 3 million viewership mark, the commercial now stands as the most watched Nigerian advert on Youtube. It’s interesting to note that these figures do not include the millions of views it has also gathered across different social media platforms.

Some of us kind of saw it coming, though. That TVC is a fine work of Art!

The inspiring 2-and-a-half minute film beams the spotlight on different aspects of the Nigerian society, highlighting the need for people to hope and work for a better future.

Viewers have smiled, applauded and even shed a few tears as they identified with the characters of the commercial. From a taxi driver battling societal forces that threaten his fledgling business, to a youth corps member hoping for a better future; from a photographer wishing for better social amenities to a young mother struggling to balance her career and the home front.

The commercial painstakingly paints the daily struggles and disappointments of the average Nigerian and firmly reiterates Union Bank’s commitment to support the people in their bid to rise above the odds and live more successful, fulfilling lives.

Unlike the typical bank advert which focuses on marketing the institution’s products and services, the short film communicates strong themes of introspection, perseverance, healing and hope of a better future for Nigeria and her people. The commercial has continued to gather positive reviews across board.

An entirely indigenous production, the television commercial was co-ordinated by Image & Time brand agency, shot by Nigerian-owned Lighthouse Television and Filmworks and was filmed in various cities across Nigeria.

If you have not seen the short film, you really should do so. Watch it here.

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called off the election boycott in the south-east region of the country.

In an audio message earlier, Kanu also asked the Igbo to come out in their numbers and vote during Saturday’s presidential election.

Kanu had been calling on the Igbo to boycott any election held in Nigeria until the government agrees to a referendum regarding IPOB’s quest for a sovereign state of Biafra.

On Wednesday, just two days ago, he told BBC Igbo that IPOB will ‘shut down’ the south-east and ensure voting does not take place in the area.

WHAT CHANGED NOW?
In the broadcast obtained Thursday night, Kanu said unnamed individuals have met the demands given by the group before any election could be held in the south-east.

He said: “Earlier today, February 14, 2019, I received confirmation from our team that all of our pre-conditions played before those kicking off to call off the elections have been met. And in view of that, I hereby lift the boycott of elections.

“IPOB was very steadfast, we have fought a very good battle; we have made it very clear to all and sundry that we are very determined and this is victory for IPOB and for the emancipation of Biafra.”

Kanu expressed hope that those who agreed to the group’s demands will implement them.

He asked the Igbo to spread the “good news” but added the group’s resolve remains the same: a sovereign state of Biafra.

“We said it from the beginning, nobody should expect us to participate in any form of elections unless our demands are met. And I am glad to tell you that they have acceded to our demands and it will be fully implemented,” he said.

“I therefore ask each and everyone of you to take this good news to all our towns and villages that the boycott has been lifted. And we will all go about on the 16th of February to discharge whatever duties we have or whatever beliefs … for groups and individuals.

“Never again will they take IPOB for granted, and never again will people underrate our resolve. We have showed it to them and we shall continue to demonstrate it until Biafra republic is restored. I thank you very much and may God be with you.”

It is not clear who the IPOB leader is rooting for in Saturday’s presidential election.

But it is obvious neither of the two front line candidates – President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – has his support.

While he claims Buhari is “dead” and being replaced by a “clone” in Aso Rock, he says Abubakar is a Cameroonian by birth and does not have the constitutional right to run for president.

The presidential election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been tipped to win the presidential election on Saturday, February 16, by the Senior Pastor, Greater Liberation City Worldwide Dr. Chris Okafor, if the electoral body INEC is allow to conduct a free, fair and credible election without interference and manipulations by the government in power.

Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, the Generational prophet of God, as he is fondly called by his faithful said, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has convinced Nigerians beyond reasonable doubt his credibility to change the country for better along side is running mate Mr. Peter Obi who is an expert in financial and economic development.

The man of God said despite various allegation levels against Atiku Abubakar that he is corrupt and will not be allowed into the United States of America (USA).

“This man has proven himself innocent of the entire allegation, thereby assuring Nigerians of his readiness to get the country working again,” he said.

He challenged Nigerians to go out and vote for the candidate of their choice, whom they believe in and trusted to bring the expected dividend of democracy to the country.

He also frown at politicians planning in one way or the other to foment trouble saying anybody who is planning to cause bloodshed during and after the general election will not be alive to witness any of the election.

Primate Ayodele Elijah Babatunde of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Ayodele Elijah Babatunde has warned Nigerians and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to guard their votes by “following APC bumper to bumper if they want to win, otherwise, the ruling party will snatch their victory”.

He pointed out that Nigerians have actually decided to change the ruling party because there is too much suffering in the land.

Primate Ayodele, made this revelations while speaking with newsmen in the church premises on Tuesday, in Lagos, also warned President Muhammadu Buhari to desist from forcing himself on the people predicting that healthwise, the President may not complete a second tenure in government.

His words: “I see a change in government, if the election is free and fair, Atiku will win. If Buhari forces himself on Nigerians, he would not complete his tenure, healthwise. APC will turn the poll against PDP and Nigerians will suffer for another four years if those who vote don’t guard their votes and ensure they count. Polls may remain inconclusive, but I advise the present government to accept defeat if they lose in an election that is free and fair. There will be peace after the polls.”

Speaking on the Valentine day’s celebration, the cleric preached love for humanity, and bemoaned a situation which he described as government not showing true love to the people.

He said: “Even though I don’t believe in such things that Valentine day represents, but as a cleric, my message is that government is supposed to love the masses but we don’t have such government in Nigeria; they are not sincere, they are corrupt, they don’t care about the plight of the people, about the welfare of the people.

“I tell you, it is not Buhari or Atiku that can do it very well. Those who can do it very well are not allowed, Atiku will do better than Buhari but if the party is not careful, APC will rob them of victory,” he said.

The cleric also hinted about the expansion of his church, saying: “In few months time we are leaving this place to our new cathedral of 20,000 capacity around the area. We will soon.”

Following the success of previous editions of Diamond Xtra savings promo of Diamond Bank Plc, the bank has expanded the scope as it kicked off the 11th edition on Wednesday, where 4,750 customers will win about N400 million in the reward scheme.

Speaking at the launch of the latest season of the promo, Head, Retail Banking, Diamond bank, Robert Giles, disclosed that the bank has stayed through to its promise for ten years, rewarding 15,000 customers with over N5 billion in prizes over the years.

Giles noted that Diamond Bank remains in the business of making sure that the outcome for its customers are strong while adding that the bank’s interest aligns with customers who want the opportunity to win big.

“Customers told us that they do not want just basic interest but to have the opportunity to win big which is why we launched Diamond Xtra whilst building a strong stable deposit base for the bank. So our interest is aligned with those of the customers who want the opportunity to win big while we look for opportunities to serve them for a very long time.

For the 11th season of the Diamond Xtra Savings promo, two new products in Senior citizens and Loyalty reward for customers who have been with Diamond Bank for five years and more has been added.

“Every quarter, we will be giving out prizes to 45 senior citizens as we are making sure that we do not just look after the emerging youth but we look after the population that guide the youth.”, he disclosed.

According to him, the merger between Diamond and Access bank will bring the best of strong core print in treasury platform as well as the best of retail banking, adding that Diamond bank is already committed to customers and to Nigeria whilst the Diamond Xtra promo will continue.

Giles said: ”This means that we will have Diamond Bank and Access Bank customers contributing and depositing to Diamond Xtra to get each prize draw entry and we will continue in that and it is here to stay.”

Speaking further on the merger, Head, Consumer Banking, Diamond Bank Plc, Karimont Tukur, said “Diamond Xtra is not going away, it is here to stay and so customers should not panic as the corporate marriage between the two banks will ensure more accessibility of products to more customers.

It is exciting that we are going to continue changing more lives because we now have a larger customer base. So our coming together with the best capabilities will bring the best services and products in the market.”

Militants and ex-militants in the Niger Delta region have endorsed the reelection bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

They announced this at the end of a workshop in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, on Wednesday.

The militants said they believe that the interest of the region would be well served under Buhari.

“The Niger Delta is the most important region of Nigeria and also produces over 2 million barrels of oil daily which is the economic bedrock of the country which therefore makes peace a pre-requisite for that sustainable development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole,” they said in a statement issued after the meeting.

“Participants agreed and that the overall interest of the Niger Delta should be the guarding principle of all political considerations in the run-up to the 2019 presidential elections.

“Participants observed that since politics is a game of interest, and having realised that the interest of the Niger Delta would be better served by the incumbent president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

“Participants also considered other presidential candidates in the 2019 presidential elections and unanimously endorsed Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16, presidential elections and urged all leaders and ex-agitators to vote en-mass for him.

“Participants also agreed and resolved to pursue peace during and after the elections and also assist all relevant security agencies to achieve and maintain peace in the region.”

Ebikabowei Ben, a militant leader better known as Boyloaf, was nominated to engage directly with Buhari after the elections “with a view of pursing the collective interest of all ex-agitators and the Niger Delta as a whole”.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

Speaking at the signing of the national peace accord ahead of the February 16 presidential election, the former vice-president called on security agencies not to arrest opposition leaders 24 to 48 hours before the election.

“May I use this opportunity to renew my profound gratitude, firstly to my party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and then to General Abdulsalami Abubakar and members of the Peace Committee for their tireless enthusiasm, dedication, and passion towards ensuring the success of this Peace Accord Process,” he said.

“Our gathering here today clearly demonstrates the importance of the upcoming elections as well as how our democracy has matured, not only to our people, but also to the international community whose solidarity, Nigeria’s democracy has benefited from.

“As we prepare to sign off on this Peace Accord, as representatives of our party and people, may I freely quote the words of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which remains a benchmark, for me, taking into account the deep feelings that prevail as February 16th, 2019, approaches: ‘My ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian’.”

Atiku called on officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission to remain neutral.

“In this context, I appeal once again to every staff and the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force, to be fair arbiters in the upcoming elections while letting neutrality prevail.

“For emphasis and in the spirit of fair play, I also urge our security agencies, not to embark on indiscriminate arrests of members of the opposition, 24 to 48 hours before elections, as has been the case in previous elections.

“Hopefully, our democracy should emerge stronger from this process with the 2019 elections proving better managed than the 2015 process, which was adjudged free and fair with the then opposition’s victory unobstructed

“Consequently, I also appeal to the President, General Buhari, to use his good office to ensure that every eligible person who casts their vote is confident in the process and in the belief that their vote will count.

“Additionally, every candidate must remember that this election is about the future of Nigeria, therefore, we must abide by the will of the people as freely expressed through elections, under the terms of our constitution.

“Once again, despite concerns expressed by my party leaders concerning likely electoral malpractices and the intimidation of voters and observers, I trust that our election officials and security services will do their duty in accordance with their oath and obligations.

“In conclusion, I appeal once again, to our citizens, to go out and cast their votes for the candidates of their choice, to be peaceful at all times, and confident in our democracy, its institutions and processes.

“So, please go out this Saturday to vote for your future and the future of our great nation. May God bless you and God bless Nigeria”.

Young and dynamic, Hammed Solomon Olamijuwon has urged youths across the country to vote massively for young and vibrant candidates into respective position that would represent their interest in different level of government in the forthcoming general elections.

Olamijuwon in a statement issued at the weekend, implored Nigerian youths to be an active participants in the February 16 and March 2 elections.

His words: “In few days to this time, we shall be taking a major decision concerning our nation by electing leaders that will steer the affairs of this country. Our decision in the next few days will determine our next four years. The people we decide to elect to the position of power will determine a lot concerning you and I.

“I argue youths to go out and vote during the general election. If we all sit in our homes claiming that our votes won’t count, remember that some persons go out on that day and vote. If they vote-in the wrong people; we will have no choice than to be bound by their decisions over this nation for the next few years to come.

“If you have your PVC, kindly makes sure you go out to vote. Vote wisely. Vote credible and responsible candidates. Do not sell your vote. We must ensure that the right people are elected this time.”

Olamijuwon, a Real Estate developer and Managing Director of HSO Global Limited, while stressing the need for Nigerian youths to play active roles in the forthcoming elections, said the youth votes has the potential to be extremely influential in Nigeria.

“I believe the youth vote has the potential to be extremely influential in this country. Young voters notoriously neglect the importance of voting, but their voice is an important one on both sides of the aisle. Key issues in every election increasingly relate to the concerns of students and professionals between the ages of 18 and 35, making it essential for members within that age group to educate themselves on political issues and take to the polls,” he said.

On his political ambition; the Ijesha man who hail from Ilesa East Local Government Area of Osun State and founder of a Non-Governmental Organisation, HSO Foundation whose youthful political pedigree has endeared him to young and old in the town especially those in the grassroots, disclosed that: “I am taking my time and consulting political stakeholders across the country and my state to know the next step regarding my ambition of serving my people. By 2023 I believe the youth is taken over full time and I can assure my people I am ready to serve them.”

In few days to this time, we shall be taking a major decision concerning our nation by electing leaders that will steer the affairs of this country. Our decision in the next few days will determine our next four years. The people we decide to elect to the position of power will determine a lot concerning you and I.

Young and dynamic, Mr. Frank Okamigbo, the CEO, Papas Group has joined his voice to the voices of the noble men and women of the great nation calling for a peaceful, free, fair and a violence free election.

Speaking with newsmen in his office, the UN Youth Ambassador for Peace expressed an immeasurable concern on how deep violence has eaten into the electoral process of this nation and youths being in the center of these violence breaks his heart more.

He further said “We cannot all belong to the same political parties just as we cannot all come from the same families and it is very normal if we have different preferences of political candidates but we don’t have to kill ourselves”.

On the issues of youths participation in the electoral processes and being the tools for election violence he said: “Young people are the leaders of today and constitute a majority of voters in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

“It will be very wrong to think of preventing them from participating in the election process but we must encourage and guide them to channel their raw energy towards significant and productive endeavors rather than ungodly activities.

“It is a sad irony that young people who should have the most incentives to envision the long term and interest in the future are the mostly likely to be manipulated to sacrifices their own long term interests and sometimes their live for the sake of the older generation in power,” he added.

Frank who is a successful businessman and a Master’s Degree holder in Philosophy from the University of Lagos advised the different political candidate contesting for electoral seats to allow the supremacy of development ideals, peace, love and unity be the focus and cease from endangering and destroying the bright and brilliant future of this great nation by reducing our youths to mere political thugs and tools of vendetta against their political opponents and enemies.

He then admonished the general public to go get their permanent voters card (PVC), come out on the day of the elections and vote wisely to save the future of our children, our youth and the future of our beloved nation, Nigeria.

Despite the huge campaign against vote-buying by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), some Nigerians, across political party divides, are yet to desist from the illegal act, checks by this medium have revealed.

However, those involved in the dastardly act are no longer going by direct vote buying as witnessed in the previous elections. This time, the new method adopted is through the purchase of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from individuals willing to sell.

Though the method is not entirely new, as it had been used before, it is not as open and notorious as the direct system of vote-buying. In the open system, a voter is directly paid at the polling unit after voting for the party paying the fee, while the indirect system allows a voter to sell off his right to vote before the Election Day.

With this new system, a voter is clandestinely disenfranchised while the beneficiary of the purchase will use the card to favour the party picking the bills. This is usually in connivance with polling agents and the INEC ad-hoc staff, who must have been bought over, for the illegal permutations to be perfected.

A scenario witnessed by some of our correspondents in Ikeja and Agege areas of Lagos during the 2015 election shows how the fraudulent system works. In a chat with a beneficiary of the fraud who corroborated what our correspondents witnessed, a female politician narrated how the operation of the illegal system was simplified to fit into a normal electoral process.

“Once the PVCs had been collected, those behind the purchase will go a step further to organise people that would use the card and assemble them in one place on the eve of the election.

“In most cases, we use people of northern extraction who we call ‘mola’, and they must be at a designated place before the day of voting, so that they won’t be caught napping with the restriction of movement order, which is always in place.

“They are the ones that will line up and do the voting on behalf of the real owners. The INEC staff, the police and the polling agents of political parties are all involved; they always look the other way, having greased their palm.

“But it is only possible in places where you are popular and you have an edge, it is a bit difficult if the area that is not your stronghold,” she explained.

Asked why the need to go through such harrowing and risky experience since the party in question is already popular in the area, she simply responded thus: “it is a way to shore up votes because what you have in one area can make up for your loss in other areas, when the total figures are collated.

“As a party leader, if my party can pull all the votes in my area, numbering over half-a-million, it would be to my advantage, because it is possible that we may not have up to 10 per cent of that in the strong hold of our opponents.

“It is the huge number we have here that we will use to augment the loss from other areas. It is like a game of football competition, if you are able to score many goals during the group stages, it will help you on the long run when determining who will qualify for the finals.

“Let me give you an example; in the last election, we lost some areas including Oshodi because of the attitude of our brothers and sisters from the South East. You know how big and populated Oshodi is, but we were able to make up the overall figure from what we had here and our other strongholds,” she explained.

Abia voters confirm

The rumours making round about the buying of Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) seems to hold waters in Abia State as most voters confirmed that they were actually called to sell theirs for N10, 000. Some of the voters however said the buying took place within the end of last year and added that they had not been offered such since the New Year.

A voter, among many others residents that confirmed in Umukalika in Obingwa LGA of Abia State said that his brothers sold theirs and that if he had one, he would have done same because he is not going to vote for anybody.

The tricycle rider whose name was withheld at his request said it was better for him to have sold his card than to keep it for nothing. A voter who identified himself simply as Pascal and is residing in Aba South said he is looking for the buyers because he wants to sell his own PVC.

He said that he had no use for it because he didn’t see anybody qualified to earn his votes. “Who should I vote for? Ikpeazu, Ogah or Otti? Buhari or Atiku? I don’t care about these people. They don’t know me; I don’t know them and I got the PVC because I don’t want to have problems with bank issue.

“But now that I’ve seen that no bank is asking me for it, I want to sell it. Ten thousand is not much as I have heard they’re buying, but I rather take it and let them do their things which they will also do whether I vote or not.”

Poverty forcing us to sell, say Bauchi electorate

Ahead of the elections, politicians in Bauchi have deviced another method of winning elections which is through the purchase of PVCs In Bauchi, a source within the state INEC confirmed that the commission was under intense pressure from politicians to sell PVCs to them at any cost, but checks by our correspondent reveal that in the rural communities, the story is different.

Rather than politicians seeking PVCs to buying, it is the electorate that are luring politicians to buy their PVCs, no matter how ridiculous the amount is.

According to a respondent, “the reason most of these youths engage in the selling of PVCs is that they don’t believe in politicians, they don’t know who to trust because many have failed them. Poverty is the main factor for us selling our PCVS”.

He said people are ready to sell their PVCs between N10, 000 and 20,000, depending on the location and who is buying.

Anambra voters say its business

Some eligible voters in Anambra State have refused to put a price tag on their cards but noted that they are now making brisk business from the buying of votes as most of those involved confirmed that they have thrown patriotism and conscience to the wind.

Most of those interviewed by our reporter are of the opinion that it would turn better for them to collect money and vote for the highest bidder than to vote and their votes do not count.

A chieftain of one of the major political parties, Hon John Egbue, contended that votes cast in Nigerian elections do not count. “I have been in this game for more than 40 years and had also keenly contested for LG chairmanship and had come to realise that what is done is selection and not election.

“It does not also not make sense for one to risk one’s life to vote for someone who after being declared winner of an election would turn his back on electorate only to come back to share bags of rice, salt, his or her branded cloth to canvas for yet another vote. A sales girl, Miss chioma Ndumadu, told our reporter that her vote is for the highest bidder.

According to her, she had voted several times, but each time, the candidate elected would not be declared winner.

“What you will hear is that they have gone to court and at the end, the highest bidder will carry the day. It is better I collect the one I see than waiting for unfulfilled promises of politicians.

Delta PVCs for highest bidder

In Delta State, PVCs are now essential commodities in ‘marketplaces’ as political parties and supporters jostle according to their purchasing powers.

A chieftain of the APC in Ughelli North axis of Delta Central Senatorial District said he was approached with N10 million for 100 PVCs, which are expected to come from his supporters.”The deal is that aside the cost of my defection, which the emissaries have not disclosed, N100, 000 each has been dedicated to buy the votes of the first one hundred supporters that will defect with me.”

While the chieftain did not mention the party that struck the deal with him, the presidential spokesperson for APC in the state, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, however accused the PDP-led administration in the state of planting votebuyers in every ward under the disguise of special assistants, and thereby using them to stockpile PVCs for the elections.

But the state PDP chairman, Barr. Kingsley Esiso, denied the allegation, saying, “unprogressive change agents” in the APC are junketing round the country, and have infiltrated Delta State in their desperate bid to snatch the state.

“We are aware of their extravagant trips. They are sharing N10, 000 to unsuspecting voters to buy their PVCs. We see them on television, on the pages of newspapers and hear them o the radio stations.

“Their door-to-door buying and selling of PVCs is known to us. The good news is that, the voters are wise; they are going to keep Governor Okowa till 2023”, Esiso said.

A voter, who hails from Abraka in Ethiope East council area, who identified herself simply as Ngozi, said she received N10, 000 from an undisclosed political party.

“What is the essence of holding on to a PVC when hunger is staring at me. I better sell it for economic advantage, instead of waiting for my vote not to be counted.”

Kano politicians buy to resell

In Kano, our checks revealed that politicians go into areas where the residents are of low-level awareness to buy PVCs at N10, 000 and sometimes above.

It was also gathered that even some of the newly registered parties who have no structures in most places as required by INEC are involved in the purchase of the PVCs and further sell to bigger parties. Politicians that engage in the purchase of the PVCs were buying at N10, 000 from the voters only to resell but the resident have quickly increased the money to N20, 000, having realised that politicians are in need of it.

The major parties are said to have identified hundreds of hamlets were they stormed to purchases the materials.

A villager in one of the remote areas said; “it is true people from the city come to purchases the PVCs although many people, despite their low level awareness refuse to sell.

“In fact, one of the politician that comes to purchases the PVCs, was shown hell because he received the beatings of his life, and since then, we have not witness any other person coming to buy the PVCs “.

We are ready to sell, say Bayelsa voters

In Bayelsa State, the 2019 campaign is different, as candidates of the major parties have decided not to spend money on campaigns believing that there will still be buying of votes as it was done in 2015.

In 2015 elections in the Bayelsa State, the highest bidders had the votes between the political parties. A journalist, Mr. Odeh, who spoke with our correspondent said: “When you say they planned it, it is just stating the obvious because it is something we have seen. Nigerians have witnessed it and it has been happening.

“The most recent elections, which were held at Ekiti and Osun states, they didn’t pretend about it, they bought votes. A resident, Francis Dufugha, said: “Vote buying, inasmuch as I know, is unlawful but whether we like it or not, people will still sell their votes because the poverty level is so high, to the extent that they have known the antics of the politicians.

“And they believe that whether the politicians give them money or not, they will not still deliver the dividend of democracy to them. Even if it is now they want to start the sensitisation of selling or not selling their votes, it might not stop vote buying because Nigerians are so wise. They will be devising different means to buy the vote,” he said.

Another respondent, Tony Amgbare, said: “if they are ready to pay for the votes, I am willing to take the money and sell.

“For me I’m looking for money. I will go to my village because money will come out. Even if it is N10, 000 or N15, 000, I will collect because whether I collect or not, they are the same people.”

Another voter, Shade Bankole, a trader, who admitted having her PVC said: “If they sell the vote, I will collect money. What brought me to Yenagoa”?

Another trader, Joy Emmanuel, who plies his trade in Swali Market said; “If I have the opportunity of selling my votes, I will sell it to the highest bidder because it might be the only thing I will benefit from this government.

“It is not a question of voting my conscience. Right now, nobody has conscience in this country. There is no moral in politics. My vote goes to the highest bidder. I will wait patiently until I see the person that will give me what I will be satisfied with.

“If it is 20,000 or 50,000 it depends on what is happening in the polling unit where I am going to vote. I will sell my vote and collect my money.

A visibly angry respondent Ebi Ozegbe told our correspondent that vote-buying had become a common occurrence and nothing new in the state.

Ozegbe said: “Government has refused to make things easy for the people. Government has deliberately improvished the people. People are in penury. They are in pains. People can’t take two square meals in a day.

“Vote-buying is a normal thing every governor must send money to different wards to enable some people to go and vote. Vote-buying is a normal thing that should be done.

“Government must take care of the people. When there are good programmes in place, vote buying won’t even come in but deliberately they have succeeded in making things so difficult for the masses. If I see N100, 000, I will collect. Government should make things right to abolish vote buying”.

Rivers: Non-indigenes used as puns

In Rivers State, some voters interviewed said that payment ranges from N1, 000 to N5000 and that voters are mobilised long before the election.

“If this is not done early enough, a voter might end up voting for another party,” said a trader, who disclosed that his younger brother had been handing out cash to people with PVCs in the Waterlines area of Port Harcourt.

The main targets in the state are non-indigenes, who are approached through their leaders.

Almost the entire country’s tribes have groups that are invited to political rallies and meetings where they were promised appointments. “The most organised group in the state is the ‘Non- Indigenes Without Borders.”

According to one Musa Maina, who brings in foodstuffs into Rivers from the North, some politicians had approached them for votes.

“Some have negotiated N2000 with some of our leaders, but we want it to be N5000 for each voter. I will only vote for the party that gives me more cash. I don’t really care what our leaders say,” he said.

Another voter, who said that he got his PVC on the last day before the extension of INEC’s deadline, noted that he initially didn’t want to do anything with his PVC, but he changed his mind when a friend told him that he could get some cash during elections. “Yes, I attended a political meeting where they shared N2, 000 to those present. I am praying that I get N5, 000 for my vote during election. But I have not been approached by any politician yet,” he said.

We’ve nothing to do with vote buying –PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has however dissociated itself from the act, saying it has nothing to do with vote-buying, while noting that it is working hard to sell its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to Nigerians.

Spokesperson for the presidential campaign organisation, Kassim Afegbua, alleged that vote-buying is associated with APC.

“We are still running adverts. We cannot be sold to this APC strategy of vote buying because our candidate is very popular and largely accepted across the geopolitical zones of the country.

“We are running jingles, we are campaigning, we are mobilising the voters, we are telling the electorate how to monitor their votes to ensure that the votes truly count.

“We cannot be dragged into such criminal engagement of votes-buying. The APC has been buying votes using tradermoni all over the country because of their morbid fear for defeat,” Afegbua stated.

Vote buying is corruption – APC Presidential Campaign Council

The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has also dissociated the party and the council from the allegations of vote buying.

According to the PCC, vote-buying is a sort of corruption and it is against the tenets of the present administration, as the President and APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari would not condone it.

There have been allegations of vote buying against political parties and their candidates from some stakeholders. Even the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had decried votebuying with recent statement that those buying votes were wasting the time as the would not be useful. The Nigeria Police also had decried vote-buying by politicians and political parties.

But reacting to the allegation of vote-buying against the ruling party, the Deputy Director General of the APC PCC, Arc. Waziri Bulama, said that the party and the Presidential Campaign Council were not given into vote-buying.

He said: “Our party is not involve in vote buying, our party has not made any arrangement with anybody on vote-buying or inducing voters financially.

“What we are doing is to engage the voters responsibly by conscientising and arousing their patriotic feelings and patriotic conscience to go and vote during the elections. We are engaging them seriously and to make sure that they understand the benefit of good governance.

Our party emphasises good governance, our party shows Nigerians the achievements of APC under President Muhammadu Buhari. That if Nigeria is responsibly managed it would work for everybody. “It possible in Nigeria for a good governance to deliver some services and essential commodities to Nigerians without problem. So, Nigerians appreciate this modest efforts.

“Our President is a man of integrity, our president detests anything related to corruption or violence or any corrupt way of doing things. By putting fight against corruption as the number one programme on the three prone agenda, the President is not only talking about financial corruption but in all its ramifications including elections.

“Vote buying is a form of corruption just like violence and other things related to illegal advantage in the election. We are completely against vote buying and we have no plans for vote buying at all. We just talk, persuade and bring out Nigerians decently to come out and vote.”

INEC extends PVC collection by 3 days

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended, by three days, the collection of permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) nationwide.

The commission had fixed February 8 as the last day for registered voters yet to collect their PVCs to do so. But at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) yesterday to review preparations for the elections, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the extension was necessitated by demands of Nigerians to review the process of PVCs collection.

“In the last couple of days, we have been inundated by calls from Nigerians to review the current process of collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards,” Yakubu said.

He stated that the collection of PVCs scheduled to end on Friday had been extended to Monday, February 11, including Saturday and Sunday.

“The collection of PVCs will now take place from 9am to 6pm daily. All State offices are hereby directed to review the procedure for the collection of PVCs and dedicate all the staff of the Local Government offices to the collection process.

“Staff are enjoined to be civil in attending to citizens and to escalate issues that they cannot immediately resolve to their superiors.”

Love is definitely in the air for customers of Diamond and Access bank, as the new merger has set aside delightful offers to reward its loyal customers this Valentine season.

Customers will be rewarded with loyalty points, cash-back, free websites for SMEs, giveaways and lots more by simply carrying out one or more banking transactions or using the banks’ services from February 1 to February 28, 2019.

According to Robert Giles, Head, Retail Banking, Diamond Bank, “as we come together to be stronger, we are using the ‘season of love’ to show our customers that we are here for them to help achieve their goals.

We don’t take our customers trust and loyalty for granted and on this Valentine, we will really show how much we care. The Bank will reward customers who subscribe to Xclusive Plus, reactivate their accounts by updating BVN, grow their balances or do more transactions on the mobile app or our USSD channel *426#.

We are also demonstrating our commitment to closing the financial inclusion gap by giving cash rewards for setting up and funding Diamond Y’ello accounts. We are giving away thousands of Gem points, so you can choose your own gift and helping small businesses set up their own website for free”.

Reiterating Giles’ statement, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Personal Banking Access Bank, Plc, said: “The rewards to our customers this season of love is simply our own way of saying thank you to our combined customers at Access and Diamond banks for banking with us and welcoming them to the new opportunities as we merge to serve them better. Customers and delivering real benefits are at the heart of our decision to create one of Nigeria’s leading banks.

“The products and services that Diamond Bank customers enjoy, including its commitment to digital innovation, will continue unchanged and will be backed by Access Bank’s own commitment to customers, financial inclusion and sustainability, and the bank’s corporate expertise and strong balance sheet. In the spirit of the season, we will reward every customer who spend a minimum of using their Access/Diamond cards at least 3 times a week on Access Bank and Diamond Bank POS terminals.

“We will also reward the first 200 customers to perform funds transfer or bill payment on *901/ *426# daily with airtime too. Access bank savings account customers will receive free airtime when they fund their accounts and 10,000 R.E.A.L points will be awarded to 1000 new customers when they subscribe to the R.E.A.L platform,” Etuokwu concluded.

The Diamond-Access merger represents a break from the norm as it is the coming together of two high-performing brands, with a track record of excellence. The merger between the two banks automatically places the new entity as the largest retail bank in Africa, with about 29million customers, 13 million mobile app users, over 3,000 ATMs, and over 600 branches across Nigeria.

To learn more and participate in the Diamond/Access Valentine campaign please click HERE

Just weeks left before the biggest merger Nigeria has ever witnessed finally takes effect, the management of Diamond Bank Plc has assured its customers that the move will serve to their advantage.

A statement by the company, disclosed that the need to guarantee customers’ satisfaction is one of the factors that informed the decision to merge with Access Bank Plc.

To this end, therefore, customers will have nothing to worry about as Diamond Bank joins forces with Access Bank to create one of Africa’s biggest banks. Instead, the customers should get ready to enjoy much more efficient services and benefits.

According to the statement, Diamond Bank customers will continue to enjoy all the bank’s current unique products and services even after the merger. And there is more — these products and services will become better improved, thanks to the combination of expertise between the leading banks.

A closer look at what the customers will enjoy

Diamond Bank’s customers will continue to enjoy DiamondXtra because the reward scheme of the scheme will remain unchanged, even as new winners will continue to emerge and be paid. As a matter of fact, the merger with Access Bank will ensure that DiamondXtra becomes bigger and better because the scheme will be opened to Access Bank customers as well.

Secondly, Diamond Bank customers will enjoy instant, borderless banking from any Access Bank branch. In other words, whenever they walk into any Access Bank Plc branch and Initiate payment in their local currency, the beneficiary will receive an instant direct credit to their account or cash in their local currency. This service will be available in all Access Bank subsidiaries in Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia and Sierra Leone.

Also, following the merger, any Diamond Bank or Access Bank cards that get trapped in either banks’ ATMs will not be destroyed. Instead, such cards will be released to cardholders upon validation of ownership.

In the same vein, customers of both Diamond Bank and Access Bank will have access to over six hundred branches, where they can enjoy Same Day Clearing of cheques in either banks, just as they will get rewarded for using either Diamond Bank or Access Bank POS terminals.

In the meantime, more lounges for the Diamond Bank XclusivePlus subscribers will be created.

“Customers are at the heart of our decision to create one of Nigeria’s leading banks. The combination of access bank and diamond bank will result in real benefits. the products and services that diamond bank’s clients enjoy, including its commitment to digital innovation, will continue unchanged and will be backed by access bank’s own commitment to customers, financial inclusion and sustainability, and the bank’s corporate expertise and strong balance sheet.”

Both banks are poised to offer the best banking experience in Africa.

According to the statement, when the highly anticipated merger eventually takes effect by the end of Q1 2019, Diamond Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc would have successfully combined efforts to bring the power of banking to millions of account holders across Nigeria and beyond. Much emphasis will be on the need for speedy and secured service delivery. Also, the partnership will ensure that customers of both banks continue to experience the best banking experience, with zero disruptions to normal banking services.

Diamond Bank also noted that although there may be some changes in the future, any such changes will be duly communicated to the customers ahead of time.

Recall that both Diamond Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc announced late last year that they plan to combine resources in order to create the biggest retail bank in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Following the announcement, the bank proceeded to secure the necessary regulatory approvals and is currently waiting for the due date in order to make the deal official.

…How former DSS boss, Daura, recruited him, …Parents held hostage to manipulate him, …The Orji Uzor Kalu connection



An International Media personality and presenter, George Chukwu, has revealed some sordid details surrounding the deal that led to the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, had with the Nigeria Government.

In a Statement in Toronto, Canada, the renowned presenter with Canada’s Afroglobal Television and Vice-President of the Nigeria Canadian Association (NCA) said he got reliable information from sources in the deep background from Aso Rock how the IPOB leader was arrested during the military exercise on his hometown along with his parents in 2017 and held in Bonny, Rivers State under solitary confinement and released after the former DG of the DSS, Moman Daura, working together with the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, convinced President Muhammadu Buhari and Abba Kyari to recruit him to work for the state.

“I gathered from a very senior security official in Abuja that Nnamdi Kanu, his parents and driver were apprehended by the Army DMI operatives and initially taken to Ohafia on September16th of 2017. He was later removed from the military facility and taken to a Naval yard in Rivers State. His parents were held at Ohafia before they were transferred to Abuja and kept in a DSS safe house on Kwameh Nkrumah Street, Asokoro in Abuja.

According to my source, Nnamdi Kanu was wounded when he was arrested; he had a broken rib and was limping. The DMI kept the information about his arrest secret to manage the outcome of the infamous Operation Python Dance the army initiated which culminated to his being arrested. The FG was worried that information leaking about his arrest would trigger off protests and possible riots throughout the South East and South-South. Their fear stems from the fact Asari Dokubo had aligned with Nnamdi Kanu and the FG did not want the Niger Delta militants to start blowing pipelines again. They already had the Avengers that were causing enough trouble for them.

When the case Nnamdi Kanu was answering was called and the court was told he was nowhere to be found and following the Army HQ saying they did not know where Nnamdi Kanu was, it was decided that the information became top secret. It was at this time that the British Government made enquiry about Nnamdi Kanu who holds a British citizenship and the Attorney General and the Foreign Affairs Minister assured them that he was safe. Nnamdi Kanu sneaked into the country in 2015 with both his British passport and his Nigeria passport which enabled the Nigeria government to arrest him as he is also her citizen. Had Nnamdi Kanu had only his British passport he would have been safe. This was the argument the FG through the Attorney General offered to the UK diplomats and they kept cool.

Towards June 2018, Nnamdi Kanu became very ill and at a point took to hunger strike but was well taken care of. The doctor that was seeing him is called Dr. Obegi from Kogi. Nnamdi Kanu was said to have refused being given any injection which worsened his condition. He told his handlers he was afraid he would be killed the way Musa Yar’Adua was allegedly killed. In all the months he was incarcerated he did not break. On the day that the World Cup final was played, his parents were brought to visit him. The DSS had been working his parents and they asked Nnamdi to reveal the funding of IPOB and how the money transfers were done. You remember, there was a time the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave a press conference saying that IPOB had foreign sponsors from Spain; that information many others were given to the DSS by Nnamdi Kanu. His parents meeting him was a struck of luck as he became weakened and agreed to reveal all that the authorities wanted from him. But he demanded that his parents be released.

At this point of negotiation, the Federal Government brought in the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu and he was contacted by Abba Kyari to get into the negotiation since he knew most of the sponsors of IPOB. Kalu went to see Kanu on in early August but the meeting did not yield any dividend as Kanu maintained his demand that his parents be released.

The former Governor was said to have asked the government to use Nnamdi Kanu’s parents as leverage or collateral knowing that his negotiations with Kanu never ever gets through.

It was during this time that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague delivered its verdict on their investigation into the activities of the Nigeria Army and concluded that they committed grave human rights abuses including killing innocent people. That development cut short the plan to release Nnamdi Kanu’s parents.

It was at this time that it was said the former DSS boss, Daura, came into the picture and told Nnamdi Kanu that he would have a new brief. He made it clear that his parents would be held while he would continue with a message of election boycott as the IPOB were canvassing. Nnamdi Kanu was told in specific words that he was being recruited to propagate the election boycott in the South East and South South knowing that these regions will not vote for President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was Daura that decided to have Nnamdi Kanu released to be flown to Israel after a deal was reached. Nnamdi Kanu was removed from Bonny and taken to Enugu airport from where he was transported to Abuja and connected to Israel.

This is why Nnamdi Kanu has been pushing for election boycott because he knows that this will affect Atiku Abubakar and Pater Obi so that Buhari will win. He has kept quiet about how he left the country only saying that Biafra Intelligence took him away. He has not mentioned where his parents are and has been doing everything to make sure he keeps his own part of the deal which was to be on till after the elections. My source said that Nnamdi Kanu was told to act like he used to but when he did the Jibril taunt and it went viral he was reminded of the pact he had with the government that is why he lately took to Atiku.

My fellow Igbo brothers and sisters go and cast your vote on February 16th for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Dr. Peter Ob. VOTE FOR PDP.

Do not avail the APC this orchestrated manipulative hold they have on Nnamdi Kanu.

United Bank for Africa (UBA Group) kicked off the first session of the week-long Social Media Week Lagos 2019 with the announcement that its chatbot Leo now covers 17 African countries and has one million subscribers.

Leo was launched in January 2018 to enable customers of the bank have access to select banking services including account opening, loan applications, account balance checking, cheque confirmations, bill payment, account freezing and instant notifications.

Described as an “alpha version” by digital enthusiasts, Leo has surpassed one million users on the bank’s mobile app, in just 12 months because of its numerous benefits and acceptability, a feat its close rivals have not been able to attain.

The AI-driven virtual assistant, which also has Facebook and WhatsApp banking capabilities, was first unveiled in January and today, one year later remains the preferred chat banker in Nigeria and across Africa where UBA is present, because it has clinically leap frogged others in every sense of it.

“The formulation of this product is consistent with the bank’s customer first philosophy, where we are doing things not the way we like, but focusing on what the customer want, where they want it and in the exact platform they want it,” Kennedy Uzoka, UBA’s managing director said at the unveiling of the chatbot in 2018.

The bank’s head of online banking, Augustine Abolusoro, in a presentation titled Game of Bots at Social Media Week 2019 disclosed that Leo is not just the first artificial intelligence (AI) powered chatbot in Africa; it is also a multi-lingual chatbot with capability to speak languages like English, French, and Portuguese. The company plans to include Yoruba and other Nigerian languages very soon.

“Leo was developed with best in class AI technology: Natural language processing and machine learning,” says Abolusoro. “It enables financial inclusion.”

He continued, “As we continue to advance our work on AI-driven developments, it is important that we listen to our users today and further enhance Leo to align to client feedback in order to better meet and anticipate needs and even give them increased value as Leo clocks one,” Abolusoro added.

This milestone reflects the bank’s continued focus on providing industry-leading digital capabilities as part of its high-tech, high-touch client experience.

Everything learnt over the last one year of Leo’s work will help UBA improve on its digital offerings, says Abolusoro, Head of online banking, who assured customers of “nothing short of the very best innovation in the coming months”.

In May 2018, Mark Zuckerberg thrust Leo into global limelight when he used the chatbot as an illustration of how businesses were leveraging Facebook to connect better with their customers.

“Leo is doing incredible things,” Zuckerberg had said of Leo during his presentation.

Abolusoro noted that as a result of the feature, Leo which is also available on Facebook-owned WhatsApp has gained one million subscribers. Till date it has hosted 70 million conversations.

While 5 per cent of the subscriber population is within the age of 65 and above, an overwhelming 72 per cent are between 18 and 34 years.

“The Leo platform has the same kind of authentication you find on all our digital platforms,” Abolusoro said regarding concerns around privacy and cyber security.

In 12 months since he was launched, Leo has won several awards, including the Euromoney Award which aptly validates his dominance in the digital banking space. Euromoney is a globally renowned organisation which appraises more than 20 global product categories, best-in-class awards and the best Banks in over 100 countries around the world, recognising institutions that have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and momentum in the markets in which they operate.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, have arrested and recovered two different models of exotic cars, laptops, telephones and several documents, including international passports, and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, from seven suspected internet fraudsters.
The suspects are Ola Sam, Demeji Abiola, Segun Isaac, Oyinloye Jubril, Bamidele Adeboyega, Hassan Afeez and Sanni Muyideen.

The suspects were arrested at Poly Road and Sanyo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, on February 1 and 4, 2019.

The acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, said: “Their arrest followed action on a series of intelligence report linking them with various forms of internet fraud.
They were alleged to be involved in love scam on different dating sites, through which they fraudulently obtain money from unsuspecting victims.
“At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered two different models of exotic cars, laptops, telephones and several documents containing false pretences, including international passports, and ATM cards.
They will be charged to court as soon as investigation is completed.”

Keystone Bank Limited, Nigeria’s most innovative banking services provider, has introduced ‘Cheque Deposit’ feature in its mobile banking application, the new ‘Keystone Mobile App’.

The feature which is another first from the Bank and in the Nigerian banking sector, enables customers to pay cheques into their accounts at their convenience through their mobile phones even with zero data.

Speaking on the development, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Keystone Bank Limited, Dr. Obeahon Ohiwerei, said the new feat is in demonstration of the bank’s commitment to continuously deliver superior and innovative banking solutions to its customers.

“The Keystone Bank brand is built on meeting and exceeding customer expectations by providing simple and convenient banking services at all times.

“With the new cheque deposit feature, you have one less reason to make that trip to the bank.

“In our fast-paced and evolving digital world, service literally has to be at the speed of thought; the rules of engagement are changing so fast that customer expectations are as diverse as our lifestyles and choices.

“It is no longer a question of stepping out to the bank but about the convergence of innovative services, digital technology and Omni-channel platforms coming to us at breakneck speed.

“Mobile Banking for one isn’t entirely new in the industry, but there is no end to innovation in delivering customer convenience; at Keystone Bank that’s what sets us apart and that shall continue to be our strength.

“We are determined to be your preferred bank; dependable, responsive and always within reach,” Ohiwerei stated.

Other notable features of the mobile App are, zero data banking (which enables customers enjoy banking services on their mobile phones without data), easy account opening, convenient self- booking and liquidation of fixed deposits, an expanded list of bills-payment options and easy activation of standing instructions & recurrent future payments.

Others include, a “Switch Card ON/OFF option” which allows users to disable their cards temporarily if missing & re-enable at the click of a button, the “Hide Balance Feature” which is an additional safeguard against third-party viewing and the “Meet Your Relationship Manager Option” which allows users to call, text and email their account officers right within the app.

The lender prides itself as the first in the sector to introduce the Zero Data Banking feature and a Chat-bot feature called OXYGEN which enables banking on Telegram and Facebook.

Keystone Bank is a technology and service-driven commercial bank offering convenient and reliable solutions to its customers.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HSO Global Limited, Hammed Solomon Olamijuwon have urged political leaders to involve more youth in their activities towards peaceful general elections.

He was speaking to TheMomentNG in an exclusive interview while he also decried what he described as neglecting of youths and canvassed greater participation of the Nigerian youth in politics.

Olamijuwon regretted that for the greater part of Nigeria’s political life, the Youths had been completely sidelined, he said the error has denied the nation the necessary energy that should drive the country’s development.

The youthful entrepreneur cum-Politician who was recently listed among 2018 top 60 Most Influential Personalities in Ibadan, Oyo State said the Nigerian youths needed to be groom towards good governance.

“The educated youths need to come back together to influence others. It is on this vision that I want us to come together. Politics is not just for experienced people. We also have our role in ensuring that normalcy is restored in our grassroots,” he said.

Olamijuwon whose youthful political pedigree has endeared him to young and old in his Oyo State especially those in the grassroot says the youth have a role to play in political leadership and other responsibilities to the community. To play this role, he enjoined them to be actively involved in the political processes.

“Leadership is key to direction and it is time we start highlighting the problem of our leaders. We have leaders who don’t have experience and it is time we all come in.

“To perfect change in this part all the world, we all need to get involved and our orientation that politics is meant for some people must change.”

Mr Olamijuwon said the solution to the myriads of problems bedevilling the country is not increment in workers’ salaries but the failure of the government to properly manage our resources.

He said that if our resources are well managed, everyone at the grassroots would find a good job and provide for his or her family.

“To have effective and efficient political leadership, we must start from the bottom to the top. We must all be involved. It is not right to say politics is meant for some people. It is for all of us,” he added.

Two prominent Kannywood stars, Ummi ZeeZee and Zaharaddeen Sani, have threatened to drag themselves to the police over an alleged monetary gift from the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Representatives of Mr Abubakar allegedly presented the gift after a meeting in Kaduna with Kannywood stars campaigning for him ahead of the February 16 presidential election.

Genesis of the altercation

The Hausa movie industry is divided between supporting President Muhammadu Buhari or his main challenger, Mr Abubakar.

Celebrities such as Sani Danja, Al’amin Buhari, Fati Mohammed, Zaharadden Sani, Imraanaa Mohammed, and Yakubu Mohammed have been mobilising support for the PDP candidate among their colleagues and fans.

On Saturday, January 26, the group held a meeting in Kaduna with top PDP members, including the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who represented Mr Abubakar.

Immediately after the event, controversial Kannywood actress, Ummi ZeeZee, accused the organisers of cheating her and threatened to have them jailed.

She said on her Instagram page that she was cheated out of her share of the largesse from Mr Abubakar.

She labelled Sani Danja, Zaharadden Sani, Fati Mohammed, Al’amin Buhari, and Imranaa Mohammed as thieves who took money from Mr Abubakar’s entourage and shared it among themselves.

“I understand Atiku sent plenty of money to share for us. But all of you thieves walked away with the money and shared it among yourselves. Let me tell you, if not for my mother who begged me not to jail you all, I would have done that because you all don’t have the connection I have in Nigeria.

“Zaharadden Sani called me after the event and send N25,000 to me as my share. Let me tell you Zaharaddeen, I am not a beggar and I am more than that amount you sent to me, you cheat. I want to warn you all that should anything like this happen again and you keep me off it, I will deal with you and I mean all of you,” she said.

What Really Happened

Zaharadden Sani, popularly called Sarkin Yakin Atiku Abubakar, meaning chief campaigner for Atiku Abubakar, told PREMIUM TIMES that Zeezee is only a “ noisemaker”

Sani said ZeeZee was making noise because she could not make an impact anymore in Kannywood and was never part of Atiku movement in the industry.
“I want you to know that I have reported her to the police in Kaduna and they have since issued an arrest warrant. I reported her for accusing me and my colleagues and labeling us as thieves. She went on her Instagram page and accused me and my colleagues of hijacking funds meant for the Atiku movement in Kannywood.

“The event was organised by five of us key in the Atiku movement and the PDP candidate sent in a representative in the person of Bukola Saraki. He attended the event and we told him what we had been doing for the success of the party and the presidential candidate in the ways we promote him and campaign for him among our fans and colleagues. It was a successful event.

“I met Ummi ZeeZee at the entrance of the venue and we greeted. I told her I was going back to my hotel room and I left.

“She later called me and said she heard that we were given money to share. I smiled and said ‘what do you want? You are not part of this event because you have never been part of it. We did our thing so what do you want?’ She said I should send her something. She sent her brother and I gave her N25,000. I told her it is not from any event. This is from me.

“She went straight to her Instagram page and wrote all those things.

“Let me tell you. ZeeZee has never come to us. She was not part of the organisers. She has never attended any of our meetings, and campaigns, which we have been doing spending our money because we believe in the candidature of Atiku Abubakar. She was not at the event and just like that she started speaking ill of us.

“I have reported the case to the police for false accusation and an arrest warrant has been issued. I am calling her to turn herself to any police station in Kaduna so we can all gather and she will prove when and where I was given millions of naira to share and I pocketed it. My colleagues will be present whenever she makes herself available. Meanwhile, if she does not, she will be arrested,” Mr Sani Said.

ZeeZee could not be reached at the time of this report as her phone number was not connecting. She did not also reply to mails sent to her.