by Admin | Jul 15, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Kogi State government announced on Friday that it had uncovered an N8.4 billion fraud at the Kogi State University, Ayangba. The Director-General, Media and Publicity to the state governor, Kingsley Fanwo, told journalists in Lokoja that three suspects had been arrested in connection with the fraud. “The suspects perpetrated the fraud by including names of ghost workers into the payroll of the institution. “They (suspects) work in the accounts department of the school and committed the fraud by stealing N100 million per month over a period of seven years,” Mr Fanwo said in a briefing, shortly after the weekly executive council meeting. He said the fraud was discovered during the just concluded staff screening exercise. Mr. Fanwo said the suspects had been handed over to the police for investigation and prosecution. He said the government would soon establish “international markets” at Kabba, Ankpa and Adavi to boost the Kogi economy, adding that contracts for the projects hand been awarded with work expected to commence in September. He said the council also approved the contract for the construction of the office of the state-owned newspapers, “The Graphic.” Mr. Fanwo said the council also took a decisive look at the menace of erosion in some parts of the state and set up a committee to work with the State Emergency Management Agency to tackle the problem. (NAN) Source: Premium...
by Admin | Jul 15, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 37-year-old woman, Bukola Ogun, who planned her own kidnap and demanded N10million ransom with a view to scaring her husband to relocate her and their two children to the United States of America. Bukola was said to have connived with a three-man gang, including a cousin, to orchestrate her own kidnap. Three armed hoodlums reportedly stormed the residence of the supposed victim at Elesun Street in Oluyole, Ibadan, on July 4, 2017 around 7.45pm, and took her away. After leaving the scene, the woman was said to have lodged herself in a hotel at Imalefalafia area of Ibadan, where she was for three days. But the husband, who was unaware that his wife masterminded the kidnap, informed the police, who later arrested two suspects, Kayode Adepoju, 37, and Olalekan Anafi. Adepoju is Bukola’s cousin. The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, paraded the suspects along with other persons arrested over offences ranging from armed robbery to stealing and other crimes, at the state police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan yesterday. Ogun’s husband has dual citizenship of Nigeria and the United States, and had lived in the US for many years before he relocated to Nigeria. It was further gathered that the husband, who is a salary earner in Nigeria, had begun the process of relocating his family to the US. The wife, who has two children for her husband within the past six years of their marriage, was said to have considered the process too slow. Bukola, in an interview with newsmen, said: “I just woke up one day and thought...
by Admin | Jul 15, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The immediate past Transition Committee Secretary of Jos North Local Government of Plateau State, Hon. Shehu Usman, on Saturday denied reports making the rounds in media circle that the Simon Lalong-led APC administration is owing the recently sacked appointed Management Committee officials of the 17 Local Governments six months salaries and allowances. Usman denied the allegations in a chat with journalists in Jos. It would be recalled that there were reports credited to an immediate past Management Committee Chairman, who complained that the sacked Local Government officials are being owed six months salaries and allowances. However, debunking the allegations, Usman who was the Organizing Secretary of Plateau Local Government Secretaries forum, said “Governor Lalong is not owing us any kobo.” ”The Governor is very sensitive to the plight of citizens of the state and our welfare was properly taken care of . “It is rather unfortunate that some of the dissolved Transition Committee Chairmen would spread this kind of rumours”. “Most of the sacked Transition Committee Chairmen ran their various Local Governments like it was a personal business most of them don’t consult their subordinate before taking any decision affecting their various councils”, he lamented. “Most Local Government in the state have the financial muscle to pay themselves salaries, anybody that says that the government of Simon Lalong is owing us six months salaries and allowances is been economical with the truth”. “The dissolved Transition Committee members should be gratefully to Governor Lalong and (APC) for considering them first for the appointment and for allowing them stay for close to two years in office without interfering in...
by Admin | Jul 15, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The US Department of Justice has gone to court seeking the forfeiture and recovery of approximately $144 million of Nigerian assets allegedly laundered in and through the United States. The department filed a complaint alleging that Nigerian businessmen, Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Olajide Omokore, conspired with others to pay bribes to former Minister for Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. In return for these improper benefits, Alison-Madueke allegedly used her influence to steer lucrative oil contracts to companies owned by Aluko and Omokore. The complainants alleged that the proceeds of the illicitly awarded contracts were subsequently laundered in and through the US. and used to purchase various assets subject to seizure and forfeiture, including a $50 million condominium located in one of Manhattan’s most expensive buildings – 157 W. 57th Street – and the Galactica Star, an $80 million yacht. “The United States is not a safe haven for the proceeds of corruption,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco said. According to the U.S. government, Aluko, Omokore purchased millions of dollars in real estate in and around London for Alison-Madueke and her family members, then renovated and furnished these homes with millions of dollars in furniture, artwork and other luxury items purchased at two Houston-area furniture stores at Alison-Madueke’s directive. In return, Alison-Madueke allegedly used her influence to direct a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to award Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) to two shell companies created by Aluko and Omokore: Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Ltd. and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd. (the Atlantic Companies). Under the SAAs, the Atlantic Companies were required to finance the exploration...
by Admin | Jul 15, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike, was, on Friday, arraigned before Justice A.O Onovo of the Enugu State High Court. The arraignment was accompanied by drama, as journalists, who arrived the court early, had a hard time before being allowed to take photographs and make video recording. At about 8:50am, a journalist approached the Court Registrar, Mrs. Mbah, seeking permission to take photographs. She, however, asked him to seek permission from higher authorities. The journalists began taking pictures and making video recordings, but were yelled at by lawyers, including Messrs. Gab Agu, Ofoma Agbo and Emmanuel Onyibor, who asked them not to do so. This led to an angry exchange. The journalists, however, insisted that they have the right to take photographs before the commencement of the court sitting. The court began sitting at 9:25am, with Messrs Wahab Shittu and N.T Ukoh representing the prosecution in the suit (No: EHC/ 74C/ 2017). Justice Umezulike, who is facing a four-count charge of corruption, was represented by Messrs. Agu G. Agu, G. Ofoha Agbo and G.C Nwafor. In his preliminary remark, Mr. Agu requested the court to allow the Justice Umezulike to sit, saying Mr. Shittu should know that the defendant bears the title “Honourable Justice” and that it was improper to have stripped him of the title in the charge sheet. Mr. Shittu replied that the prosecution has no intention to strip the defendant of his revered title. He applied to have the title affixed to his name and stated that he is prosecuting the case with reverence to the defendant. The court granted the...
by Admin | Jul 15, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Court documents filed by the US Department of Justice in Houston have revealed that Nigeria’s former oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke tried to warn Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, her business partners against lavish spending, including splashing millions of dollars on a yacht. “If you want to hire a yacht, you lease it for two weeks or whatever. You don’t go and sink funds into it at this time when Nigerian oil and gas sector is under all kinds of watch,” she said to Aluko in a recorded conversation. But her warning was not heeded as Aluko went on to buy Galactica Star, a luxury yacht, for $80m. The yacht, a stupendous luxury on water, was once rented by Jay Z and his wife, Beyonce for close to a million dollars during a holiday last year. It also once hosted Beyonce’s 32nd birthday in 2013. Both Aluko and Omokore are alleged to have paid bribes between 2011 and 2015 to Diezani who ensured that shell companies owned by the businessmen received billion-dollar contracts to sell Nigeria’s crude oil. The oil swap contracts were a controversial barter arrangement which saw Nigeria use middlemen to sell crude oil in exchange for refined products. With local refineries under-performing, oil swap deals were used to shore up local demand for petroleum products. Between 2010 and 2014, under Diezani’s watch, Nigeria was estimated to have channelled over 352 million barrels of oil worth a total of $35bn into oil swap deals. But with the contracts mostly opaque, Nigeria reportedly lost more than $900m in crude oil swap deals between 2009 and 2012. The...
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