by Admin | Jul 8, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI A former governor of Jigawa State, Senator Saminu Turaki, was arrested on Tuesday by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was picked up at an Abuja venue holding a public presentation of a book on Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari, the first regular combatant officer in the Nigerian Army. Before the arrest, Mr. Turaki had been declared wanted for failing to present himself for trial since 2011 on a 36-count charge of corruption before the Federal High Court, Dutse. The court had issued a warrant directing the Inspector General of Police or his officers, as well as the EFCC, to arrest the former governor and bring him to court. Justice S. Yahuza gave the order after Mr. Turaki consistently failed to attend his trial. But attempts to execute the warrant failed, as Mr. Turaki remained elusive. On May 19, 2016 operatives of the EFCC, acting on a tip-off, stormed the 16 Denis Osadebey Street Asokoro, Abuja home of the former governor, but he slipped through their hands. Mr. Turaki faces multiple charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, stealing, money laundering and misappropriation of public funds. SOOURCE: SAHARA...
by Admin | Jul 5, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Kwara State Police Command arrested nine persons for organising Indian hemp (Igbo)festival in Ilorin over the weekend. Vanguard gathered that the suspects, whose names could not be ascertained at the press time, were of secondary school age. It was also gathered that the suspects had circulated posters informing intending members about the event and rebuffed calls by prominent citizens and organisations to call it off. Sources at the Adewole Divisional Police Station, Ilorin, told journalists yesterday that the culprits were rounded up in Aiyetoro and Asa-Dam area of Ilorin. Sources added that the suspects will soon be charged to court as the Police complete investigations on their involvement in the act. Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident. Okasanmi said: “I just received the report and I cannot confirm the number of those that were arrested. “The incident happened within the jurisdiction of the “D’ Division under Adewole Divisional Police Station, Ilorin.” Okasanmi, however, reiterated that the Command will continue to ensure crime prevention to make the residents live in peace and harmony. SOURCE: THE...
by Admin | Jul 5, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered an interim forfeiture of the sums of N500m and $500,000 said to have been looted from the Paris Club refunds made by the Federal Government in favour of the 36 states of the federation. The sums of money, said to have been recovered from two firms, First Generation Mortgage Bank Limited, and Gosh Projects Limited, were allegedly linked to Governor of Zamfara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulaziz Yari. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged that the sums of money were fraudulently diverted from the NGF’s bank account on the instruction of Yari. The commission also alleged, in an affidavit filed in support of its ex parte application seeking the interim forfeiture of the sums of money, that the N500m was diverted to offset Yari’s personal loan obtained from the First Generation Mortgage Bank Limited. It also alleged that the second firm, Gosh Projects Limited, utilised most of the proceeds of the alleged loot, transferred to it for the purchase of building materials for Yari’s 100-room hotel project in Lagos. Gosh Projects was also said to have used part of the looted funds for the purchase of treasury bills and transfers to offshore accounts. Our correspondent learnt on Tuesday that Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made the interim forfeiture order of the sums of money to the Federal Government in a ruling delivered on June 30, 2017. The judge also ordered that any person(s) or body with interest in the funds must, within 14 days of the publication of the interim order of forfeiture in any national...
by Admin | Jul 5, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, in a cross examination session at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, grilled Joseph Nwobike on charges of perversion of the course of justice and unlawful gratification of public officials. Mr. Nwobike, who took the witness stand to give testimony in his own criminal trial on Tuesday, answered a series of questions that the prosecution asked to prove that the embattled senior advocate gratified justices and other court clerical staff of the Federal High Court. The EFCC also claimed that Mr. Nwobike engaged in sending illegal text messages to four registrars of the Federal High Court in a bid to unduly influence his cases being tried by the judges. Mr. Nwobike, however, denied all the allegations. The prosecutor asked the senior lawyer if he had forwarded some names to one Mr. Baruwa, a clerk of the Federal High Court, to monitor in the event that the commission preferred charges or instituted any action against them. Mr. Nwobike denied ever engaging the clerk in such a manner. To further prove the charges, Mr. Oyedepo showed the court an exchange of SMS texts between Mr. Baruwa and Mr. Nwobike. In one of the messages sent by Mr. Baruwa, he acknowledged receiving the “golden handshake” of the lawyer and prayed for “more grease on his elbow.” “You received and read a text from Mr. Baruwa saying, ‘Thank you sir, Kelani gave me your special package.’ On June 3, 2015 at 10:10 a.m., you received a text from Mr. Baruwa saying ‘Good morning sir, I just got a...
by Admin | Jul 5, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano State has seized 39,224.109kg of assorted drugs in the last one year, it was learnt yesterday. Commandant Hamza Umar, who spoke during the 2017 United Nations drug-free day, themed: “Listen First”, said the seized drugs included Cannabis Sativa (6,451.976kg); psychotropic substances (3,2715.166kg); cocaine (358.3g); heroin (8.5g); methamphetamine (31.8kg) and ephedrine (24.8kg). According to him, over 768 suspects were arrested, of which 505 were counselled, 68 rehabilitated and 240 convicted. He said: “The drugs are found there, the abusers and dealers are stationed there, while the resources to fight this monster are also based there. Therefore, the support and involvement of the various groups in the community is necessary. “Having reviewed our arrest and seizure statistics from January to June, we noticed a decrease in supply and consumption of the class “A” drugs, otherwise known as hard drugs (cocaine, heroin and cannabis sativa). “Ironically, we noticed an increase in the use of syrups and pentazocine injection. The command noticed there is serious increase in drug-related crimes, and has taken necessary and needed steps to curtail it. “It is also important to mention that the government has raised a 16-man committee to coordinate plans and strategies aimed at curtailing the trend.” SOURCE: THE...
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