by Admin | Nov 16, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday traced N860m to the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada; and a former acting governor of Taraba State, Sani Danladi. While N500m was traced to Wada, N450m was traced to Danladi. The money was said to be part of the N23bn allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, through the then Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman. It was learnt that Wada arrived the EFCC office around 12pm and was still in custody around 9pm. The spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed that Wada was detained by the commission. He said, “Yes, he was invited by the EFCC over N500m Diezani money. He is still in our custody.” The Gombe zonal office also quizzed Danladi in respect of the N450m collected by him through Senators Joel Dallami Ikenya and Mark Useni during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election. Danladi, in his statement on oath, told interrogators that he chaired the eight-man committee that disbursed the money for Taraba State. The EFCC stated, “He further stated that, he and the other members of the committee shared N36m among themselves while the balance of N414m was distributed to other stakeholders across the 16 local government areas of the state and one Development Area Council.” Danladi was arrested and detained in Abuja last week and later released on bail to reliable sureties, but asked to report to the EFCC Gombe zonal office for further investigation. Last week, the commission detained a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel...
by Admin | Nov 7, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI No fewer than 50 children have died in a Jigawa State village of ”a strange disease”, the village head said yesterday. The kids who died within the last two months in Gidan Dugus in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State were within the age of one and five years, it was learnt. Gidan Dugu village is 35 kilometres from Jigawa State capital Dutse in the Northwest geo political zone. Village Head Malam Bashari Galadima Gidan Gudu told our reporter that ”the problem started about two months ago, but the situation got worse in the last few weeks” Explaining how the disease affects the kids, he said: “The children will start with serious fever, than develop stomach swelling and within a little time they will give up.” Painting a grim account of the situation he said: ”there are families that lost seven, four and three children to the disease and at a time, we buried between four and two kids daily during the worse period.” The village head said the children were treated at Wangara Health Clinic and some referred to Dutse General Hospital and to Kano, the neighbouring state, where some of them are still on admission. Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Alhaji Ali Dandidi said: “ We learnt the problem started sometime in July. The community members refused to go to the public health centre. They relied on and patronised chemists and other medical vendors all the while “Nobody reported to the ministry (of health) until on October 27. The ministry sent a medical team there. The team took samples of the patients to the...
by Admin | Nov 7, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that the pension fund assets under management has increased by N332 billion to N7.164 trillion in the third quarter of this year, from N6.832 trillion in the second quarter, the National Bureau Statistics has revealed. In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the NBS noted that 7,710,564 workers were registered under the pension scheme in the quarter under review compared to 7,589,936 registered workers in Q2. This showed a growth of 120,628 workers. The Bureau said the pension fund assets were invested in various asset classes by approved existing scheme (AES), closed pension fund administrators, retirement savings account (RSA) active fund as well as RSA retiree fund. A breakdown of the total pension assets revealed that with N4.339 trillion, the RSA active fund formed the largest chunk of the lot, while CPFAs, which stood at N895.811 billion, trailed it, followed by AES with N696.309 billion and RSA retiree fund with N484.026 billion. According to NBS report, the breakdown indicated that the pension fund assets were held in asset classes namely, domestic ordinary shares and foreign ordinary shares, FGN securities, local money market securities, open/close-end funds and real estate properties. Others are private equity fund, infrastructure fund and cash & other assets.Pension fund investment in FGN bonds had the highest weight of 54.09 per cent of the total assets and was followed by the one in treasury bills with 17.73 per cent. While domestic ordinary shares represented 8.66 per cent of the total pension assets, foreign ordinary shares accounted for 1.41 per cent. Infrastructure funds had the least with 0.07 per...
by Admin | Nov 7, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Former Acting Governor of Taraba State, Sani Abubakar Danladi, yesterday admitted collecting N450 million through Senators Joel Dallami Ikenya and Hon. Mark Bako Useni during the 2015 presidential election. Danladi, who was arrested last week was quizzed on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at its Gombe Zonal Office. He was later released on bail to reliable sureties, but asked to report to the EFCC Gombe Zonal Office for further investigation. The former Acting governor was said to have told his interrogators that he chaired the 8-man committee that disbursed the money for the Peoples Democratic Party in Taraba State. The amount in question was part of the N23 billion allegedly doled out by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election. Danladi said, ”I and the other members of the committee shared N36 million among ourselves, while the balance of N414 million was distributed to other stakeholders across the 16 local government areas of the state and one Development Area...
by Admin | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI A prosecution witness, Mr. Ansalem Dunu, has claimed that during the time he was interfacing with the billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, he learned that the kidnap kingpin collected nothing less than N100 million as ransom from his victims. Mr. Dunu said this while giving testimony before Justice Hakeem Oshodi at the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, on Friday. The examination in chief which was led by Ms. Titi Shitta-Bay, Director of Public Prosecution, revealed that Evans and his kidnap syndicate kidnapped the Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Mr. Donatus Dunu on February 14, 2017, and was not released until a ransom of €223,000 (Euros) was paid. The witness who is the elder brother of the kidnapped victim narrated how his brother was abducted and how the kidnapper threatened and pestered him until he finally paid the ransom. He said in the process of negotiating the ransom with the kidnappers, he was threatened. “On one of the occasions that they called, I told them I have gathered N60 million and that was my limit. The voice that always rain abuses on me said “you are wasting our time, shebi na you go bring this money. Let’s see how you will go back alive” Mr. Dunu said. The witness also informed the court that the kidnappers got information about his brother through his old time friend Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu known to him simply as ‘Chuks’ the 4th defendant in the ongoing criminal trial. “Abba Kyari called that they have arrested the kidnapper. After sometimes, he called that the person who gave my brother’s particulars has been...
by Admin | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI A British national who was being held hostage in Nigeria has been killed, while three others have returned home safely, the Foreign Office in London said Monday. The four, who were working with a Christian medical charity in southern Nigeria’s Delta state, were kidnapped last month. A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the families of four British people who were abducted on 13 October in Nigeria, one of whom was tragically killed. “This has clearly been a traumatic time for all concerned, and our staff will continue to do all we can to support the families. We are grateful to the Nigerian authorities, and are unable to comment given the ongoing nature of their...
by Admin | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), has denied embarking on any unlawful N400 million transaction with the former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh. Dasuki, currently in DSS detention, said this while testifying before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court on Friday in Abuja. The former NSA, who served in ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, was subpoenaed by the court at Metuh’s instance to appear and testify as a defence witness. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the EFCC has filed the criminal charges against Metuh for allegedly taking part in the sharing of 2.1 billion US dollars meant for military hardware. Dasuki, also told the court that he had not been charged with or convicted of any unlawful acts in parts or whole in respect of the charges brought against Metuh. When crossed examined by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, the witness insisted on consulting his records before answering questions relating to transactions between his former office and Metuh. Attempts by Tahir to compel Dasuki to speak on the detail of his former office’s financial transaction with Metuh and his company failed. The prosecuting counsel had confronted the witness with exhibits showing the alleged transactions, but Dasuki insisted on conferring with his records. “These are simply documents from a prosecution desperate to get a conviction, that is why I insist on referring to my own records,” the witness said. The judge, thereafter, discharged Dasuki as a witness and adjourned the matter until Dec. 4. Earlier, Abang, turned down a motion for adjournment to enable the witness have access to...
by Admin | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI The President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, is in trouble again. On Sunday his name popped up in the global list of infamy exposing some leading world politicians for utilising shell companies in tax havens to either conceal assets, evade tax, or launder funds. That revelation, which is capable of attracting fresh criminal charges to the politician, came only 18 months after a similar investigation exposed his ownership of at least three secret offshore firms which he used in concealing assets abroad. The expose also came even as the senator is battling to extricate himself from charges relating to false asset declaration. The matter is now at the Court of Appeal after the Code of Conduct Tribunal acquitted and discharged him. In the new findings,the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Mr. Saraki was found to sit on the board of an offshore entity while he was governor and later member of the Nigerian Senate in violation of his country’s code of conduct law. The politician set up Tenia Limited in the Cayman Islands —a notorious tax haven in the Caribbean— in 2001, and ran it until at least 2015 as director and sole shareholder. It remains unclear what business he transacted with the entity and what asset he might have used it to conceal. But he failed to list the firm in his assets declaration filings when he was elected governor of Kwara in 2003, in defiance of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. He also didn’t list the company when he was reelected governor in 2007 and when he was elected senator...
by Admin | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has ordered Governor Ayo Fayose to pay over N234 million to chairmen and members of statutory commissions appointed and sworn into office by former Governor Kayode Fayemi. Fayose sacked members of the State Independent National Electoral Commission (SIEC), Civil Service Commission (CSC), House of Assembly Service Commission (HASC) and Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) on assumption of office in October 2014 when their tenures were still subsisting. The affected officials through their lawyers, led by Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) approached the court to reverse their unlawful sack and reinstate them into the Commissions. The Claimants anchored their prayers on grounds that the tenure of their appointment is statutory. The Court gave the verdict while delivering judgment in separate suits filed by the sacked members of the commissions against the Governor of Ekiti State and the Attorney General of Ekiti State. Delivering a judgment on Monday, Justice Oyeyibola Oyewumi ordered Fayose to pay the plaintiffs a total sum of N234, 010, 982.24 for terminating their appointments on October 20, 2014. Justice Oyewumi held: “It is trite that where an appointment of an employee is terminated outside the specified terms of agreement or specified terms of agreement or specified period, such a termination will be seen wrongful or unlawful as the case may be. “It is upon this basis that I find that dissolution of these Commissions and removal of their chairmen and members by the first defendant (Fayose), is an act of executive recklessness, executive rascality, a grave disregard to the Governor’s Oath of Office which he sworn to uphold,...
by Admin | Nov 6, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Ijede town in Ikorodu community stood still today as no fewer than 500 youths renounced their membership of different cult groups. The cultists also surrendered their operational weapons to the Lagos State police boss, Imohimi Edgal who pledged to profile them and put them under close watch. Some of the weapons they submitted to police were AK 47 rifles, Pomp Action rifles, Locally made pistols, AK 47 Magazines, Axes and Cutlasses amongst others. The event was witnessed by political leaders in Ijede and parents of some of the ex-cultists. The leader of Eiye cult in Ijede, Abdulazeez Jensi said they were tired of being chased about and needed peace of mind. “It was boundary issue that led me into cultism. We are tired and we now want to live a peaceful life.” Another, Olanrewaju Adesoye, a member of KK cult group noted that he decided to give up his membership for the safety of his life and community. “The crisis is becoming too much. I am tired and I want to be safe. The crisis was becoming too much.” He...
by Admin | Nov 2, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Proscribed Students Union Government (SUG) of the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, has appealed to the Federal Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to look into the financial records of the polytechnic since the appointment of Dr Sanusi Jimah as Rector, alleging that several corrupt practices were ongoing in the higher institution. The student body that was proscribed in September also called the minister of education to prevail Dr. Jimah to stop using army officers, hunters, vigilance groups and police in the campus, saying their lives were no longer safe as result of the intimidation, harassment and threat from the security agents. President of the erstwhile Students Union Government of the institution, Mr Samson Okoduwa, who was in the company with the Speaker of the students Representatives Mr Unuareluokpa and the Secretary General of the Union Mr Obukoowo Favour, at a media briefing in Benin, said the rector planned to impose a tyrannical administration, hence his refusal to organise SUG election. The group further appealed to the Minster to release the result of the interview conducted for a new rector for the institution so a substantive rector could be appointed for the polytechnic. The students alleged the authorities of the institutions unleashed security men on them during a peaceful protest calling for the conduct of the SUG election and in the process, majority of the students were molested and injured. However, in a swift reaction, the Rector through the Chief Relations Officer of the Polytechnic, Mr Mustapha Oshiobugie, denied the entire allegations saying that the Students Union Government has been proscribed. He explained that modalities have been completed...
by Admin | Nov 2, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Former acting governor of Kogi State, chief Clarence Olafemi has described as untrue a media publication that he stole the sum of N3billion. The former Kogi State Acting Governor in a statement on Wednesday night made available vowed to sue the said media organization for defaming his character. According to Olafemi, within the short period he served the State, he collected less than N3billion as allocation from the federation account. He demanded for a public apology from the writer. The statement reads in part “I am surprised that the platform can allow false allegation and call a whole race ‘animal’. Alleging that I, Clarence Olafemi stole 3billion is not only a nicked lie but character assassination, baseless and unfounded. “I am therefore, demanding a public apology from the writer or we head to court; since I do not know the writer I will sue the news media. “My total allocation for the two months I served as acting Governor, the total money collected by Government was less than 3billion put together and salaries were paid, projects were embarked upon and I was able to save 400million naira handed over to my successor. “You might hate me as a person but I take serious exception when touching on my integrity.” SOURCE:...
by Admin | Nov 2, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, has expressed the commission’s resolve to go after human traffickers. Ibrahim Magu, Acting Executive Chairman, EFCC Magu said this when a delegation from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) visited him in Abuja. Spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who reported the visit in a statement, said the NAPTIP delegation was led by its Director-General, Dame Julie Okah-Donli. Magu said the anti-graft agency had jurisdiction over human trafficking, which he said, was an offshoot of corruption. “We are prepared to go after human traffickers, because we strongly believe that it is an aspect of corruption, and corruption is the greatest enemy of Nigeria. “Corruption is the reason why young Nigerians are risking their lives walking through the Mediterranean up to Spain and other European countries in search of greener pasture. “It is a very sad situation, and we must change the trend by ensuring that we join hands to fight corruption, as this is the only solution to the ills militating against our country’s development,” he said. While calling for NAPTIP’s partnership in the fight against corruption, Magu assured Okah-Donli of the EFCC’s support in combating the increasing cases of “organ harvesting” involving Nigerians. “EFCC has an enormous task in the fight against corruption, and NAPTIP is also a stakeholder in the fight, so we also need your assistance and collaboration,” he said. Okah-Donli, who said the visit was part of the agency’s familiarisation efforts, used the opportunity to highlight NAPTIP’s strides in combating human trafficking in the...
by Admin | Nov 2, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested two suspects for alleged attempt to smuggle methamphetamine out of the country. The suspects – John Ifechukwu and Victor Anadu – were intercepted by the NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. They reportedly swallowed 65 and 54 wraps of substances to conceal the drug. The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Jonah Achemah, who confirmed the arrest on Wednesday, said a 37-year-old woman, Omotayo Anifowoshe, was also arrested at the local wing of the Lagos airport with 3.0 kilogrammes of ephedrine and 1.9kg of cocaine. Achemah said, “Ifechukwu flew in from Lagos and was intercepted at the airport in Abuja. He excreted 65 wraps of substances weighing 864 grammes out of which only one wrap tested positive for methamphetamine. Anadu was intercepted on his way to Indonesia. He excreted 54 wraps weighing 1,073.4 kilogrammes of suspected substances out of which 700 grammes tested positive for methamphetamine. The remaining 373.4 grammes did not test positive for any known...
by Admin | Nov 2, 2017 | Blog
Follow @NigeriaPI The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, arraigned nine suspected payroll fraudsters before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, on a 16-count charge of conspiracy and stealing to the tune of N293million. The suspects: Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Johnson Adedokun, Ojeifo Robert Slyvanus, Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji, Florence Olaolu Dada, Olaolu Haruna Dada, Blessing Ejeh, and Aderibigbe Isaac Taiwo were alleged to have conspired to collect salaries and entitlements as ghost workers from different ministries. The offense breaches Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN 1990, and punishable under the same Act. One of the counts reads: “That you, Usman Aliyu Dayo, Osuntope Opeyemi, Ojeifo Robert Sylvanus, Johnson Adedokun and Oyebade Ebenezer Ayodeji, being employees of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine, Federal Ministry Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the year 2014 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory committed theft by dishonestly creating fictitious names and accounts in the Federal Payroll for payment of the sum of N97,373,401.31 (Ninety Seven Million, Three Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand, Four Hundred and One Naira, Thirty One Kobo) as salaries and allowances from the Federal Government’s account without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 289 of the Penal Code Act ( Abuja ) LFN, 1990.” The defendants pleaded not guilty to the counts. In view of their plea, counsel to the EFCC, Muktar Aliyu, asked the court to...
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