Category: Sentry

By Sentry

These are not the best of times for former Oyo State governor, Dr. Victor Olunloyo. The Second Republic governor is down with stroke at his Ibadan home, and his biggest challenge, Sentry learnt, borders on getting the money to buy his drugs.

The financial condition of the ex-governor is said to be so precarious that a few thousands matter to him a lot. His health was believed to have deteriorated on account of the “neglect” he has suffered from successive governments in the state.

Sentry’s findings revealed that the administration of ex-Governor Abiola Ajimobi had shown some concern until he had a political disagreement with Olunloyo’s wife, Ronke.

Worried by the octogenarian’s ill-health, a Nigerian professor based in the UK got in touch with a key official in the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde for a bailout, but the official, who was a member of the House of Representatives, did not draw the attention of the governor to his plight.

The former Rep was said to be angry that Olunloyo was not there for him politically when he needed him.

By Sentry

Tuesday, January 7, 2019 is a date that will live in the memories of two travellers on their way to Lagos from the eastern part of the country. The journey had been smooth until they got to the bye pass in Benin City. There they were allegedly manhandled and tortured by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

As relived by one of the victims, she and her husband were travelling to Lagos when they ran into some SARS men who stopped their vehicle and told them to alight from the car. They obeyed, but the SARS operatives ordered them to open the booth of the car, which they also did. They searched their booth, bags and the car.

Still not satisfied, the policemen seized their phones, tried to open them and then did the unimaginable: raining curses and threatening hell.

By Sentry

Millions of naira allegedly stolen by some highly placed officials of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, a.k.a. Winners Chapel, drew the presiding Bishop of the church, Dr. David Oyedepo, into a rage at the empowerment summit organised for ordained workers of the church last Saturday.

The annual event, which is usually attended by pastors, zonal ministers and their assistants, deacons, ushers and other ordained workers of the church, where they are acquainted with the church’s programme for the year, was presided over by Oyedepo, while his deputy, Bishop David Abioye, was also in attendance. Both men ministered powerfully. Oyedepo ministered on service, while Abioye spoke on consistency in service.

Towards the end of the programme, however, Oyedepo took some time to talk about the goings on in the church. He revealed how some very high up officials, mainly accountants, had looted the church’s treasury.

The Bishop could not hide his disappointment that professionals trusted by the church to prevent fraud turned themselves into a network of fraudsters.

Expressing his disappointment in the errant church officials, who have since been relieved of their positions in the church, he said: “Can you imagine accountants perpetrating fraud in the house of God?

“We had no choice but to dismiss them. You can imagine top church officials engaging in doubling figures and other dubious practices.

“Even after we dismissed them, we discovered more fraud.

“Those who should discover the fraud were the ones involved in it. One of them refused to confess until the last minute.”

He admonished the church members against employing the dismissed officials. He said he had to tell everyone present because he knew the dismissed officials “will come to you for employment.”

“Don’t employ them and don’t sympathise with them. Whoever sympathises with the wicked is wicked himself.”

Dead silence fell on the gathering as the Bishop reiterated: “Don’t sympathise with any perpetrator of fraud, otherwise you are a partaker of the evil act.”

By Sentry

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who want Comrade Adams Oshiomhole out as the party’s national chairman, are unrelenting in their avowed mission.

Their latest move is their resolve to bribe members of the influential organs of the party, particularly the National Executive Council (NEC).

Sentry gathered that the governors involved in the plot, including one who wants to be running mate to a northern governor, are already dangling huge sums of money before the party’s NEC members.

Read Also: Oshiomhole: His travails, strategies for survival

Their main grouse, it was learnt, is that their presidential ambition would be difficult to realise as long as Oshiomhole remains the national chairman of the party, because he will be difficult to bend.

Discreetly, the governors are echoing Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki’s sentiments, not because they believe in what the governor is doing but because they want to spite the APC national chairman who is at loggerheads with the governor.

Obaseki had publicly said that he did not believe in the committee.

In what is seen as a veiled reference to the presidential ambition of the governors, President Muhammadu Buhari recently warned that people should not drop his name in the pursuit of their ambitions.

The President’s admonition notwithstanding, the governors are not relenting.

By Sentry

It has been more than six weeks since the governorship election in Bayelsa State was won and lost, but its ripple effects are yet to cease. Besides pitting Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State against his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, the election has also created bad blood between Dickson and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Observers believe that the reaction of Dickson to the recent attack on Jonathan’s Otuoke house and his security details was an indication that the governor is yet to forgive Jonathan in his belief that the former President helped the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to ease him and his candidate, Senator Douye Diri, out of political relevance.

Following gunmen’s had attacked a military gunboat deployed to guard Jonathan’s house, killing a soldier and leaving another one seriously injured, President Muhammadu Buhari had called Jonathan on the phone to sympathise with him over the incident and to order full investigation of the incident. Ijaw leaders, including the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, also condemned the attack in strong terms.

But observers were astonished that Dickson’s reaction to the incident was delayed and there was no mention of Jonathan’s name when the governor’s Chief Press Secretary eventually issued a statement on the issue.

The statement, titled “Dickson Condemns Attack on Military Gunboat in Bayelsa,” reads:

“”The Governor of Bayelsa State, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has condemned in strong terms the attack on a military post in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

“The Governor described the act as reprehensible and condemnable. He said media reports that three soldiers were killed in the attack was quite shocking and troubling.

“The Governor called on all Bayelsans and indeed Nigerians of good conscience to rise against the killing of innocent security operatives on a mission to maintain peace and security in the state.

“Governor Dickson called on the police and the other security agencies to ensure that those behind the dastardly act are arrested and brought to justice.

“He also urged the police and the security agencies to increase security presence in the state, especially during the festive period to prevent the hoodlums from wreaking havoc on the state.

“The Governor commiserated with family members of the security personnel who reportedly died in the attack.”

The statement is said to be generating concerns among many Ijaw leaders, who saw Dickson’s action as an indication that he was yet to forgive Jonathan.

By Sentry

In his days as the governor of Kwara State and Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki was the star at the annual Ilorin Emirates Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) conference.

But since he lost his hold on the state, no thanks to the rampaging O to ge movement on the strength of which Saraki and his entire political camp were rooted out of power, the former Senate President has eaten the humble pie, taking the back seat in social activities, not only in Ilorin but in the entire state.

Read Also: Bukola Saraki smiles again

This year’s edition of the IEDPU Conference, which took place on Wednesday last week, was no exception. The people of the state appeared to have moved on with life without Saraki as there was no sign of the former Senate President or a mention of him at the event. His political aura and era appear to have greatly diminished.

The remnant of Saraki’s supporters in the state has devised a way to play down the ugly trend. Their usual refrain now is that the former Senate President is “on leave.”

The unanswered question, however, is: “When will Saraki’s leave end?”

By Sentry

It is no longer news that there was a spat between Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson and his Rivers State counterpart over the role the latter allegedly played in the last governorship election in Bayelsa State.

Sentry investigation has, however, revealed that the crisis of confidence between the two governors was provoked by the heavy sum that Wike allegedly spent in the election to prevent Dickson’s candidate, Senator Douye Diri, from winning.

Although the allegation of Wike’s financial commitment to the election has not been substantiated, a list of beneficiaries of the said sum has been in circulation in the last two weeks.

Dickson was said to be peeved by Wike’s action, which the former considered as an anti-party activity.

Read Also: Niger Delta: Furore over Wike, Dickson face-off

Wike had reportedly declared his preference for a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, as PDP’s candidate for the governorship poll.

Besides, Dickson has had a running battle with Wike over the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Rivers State governor had backed Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State for the presidential ticket while Dickson was the rallying point for PDP governors in picking Atiku.

To show his displeasure, Wike did not wait for Atiku’s acceptance speech after the primary election.

Another bone of contention between the two Niger Delta governors is alleged plan by Wike to hand over power to another Ikwerre man, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, in 2023.

Dickson is already galvanizing the Ijaw in Rivers State to resist alleged attempt by Wike to turn them into second fiddle.

The issue of Soku Wells may only have been a smokescreen.

By Sentry

Barely a few days after regaining his freedom, the posh 13, John Kadiya Street, Asokoro District residence of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) is back to life.

Former governors, ministers and associates, who before now had developed cold feet about checking on Dasuki in DSS custody, have been paying homage to the Prince of Sokoto Caliphate.

It was as if those in the opposition have just found their bearing.

Sentry

Though not known to many, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and his Imo State counterpart, Emeka Ihedioha, were best of friends until recently when their friendship was torn apart by disputed oil wells between the two states.

Long before the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 7, 2018, the two had been very close friends with Ihedioha regularly visiting Wike in Port Harcourt. Although Wike supported Aminu Tambuwal in the primary election while Ihedioha supported Atiku who eventually won the ticket, the election did no harm to their friendship even though Wike was not happy about the outcome.

Those who know said the two continued their friendship from where they stopped and Ihedioha kept seeing Wike while Wike also gave him a huge moral support to become the governor of Imo State.

To Wike’s surprise, however, the first step Ihedioha took when he became governor was to demand that some oil wells ceded to Rivers State should be returned to Imo. The move was said to have left Wike wondering if that was Ihedioha’s way of rewarding Rivers state for the moral backing the state gave him to become Imo State governor.

Wike was said to be particularly peeved that Ihedioha did not even accord him the courtesy of mutual discussion of the issue before it was made public, knowing full well that they are not only friends but neighbours.

Of course, Wike is not one who would want the assets of Rivers State ceded to another state, knowing that it was an issue on which Rivers State once fought Bayelsa and won. Those who should know say Wike now sees Ihedioha as a dangerous friend  and  lmo as a dangerous neighbour.

Sentry

President Muhammadu Buhari stirred curiousity at a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on November 22 when he charged the leaders of the party to ensure that it does not die after his tenure.

It has now emerged that the President’s statement was not made in a vacuum. It was actually impelled by an appeal the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio had made to the President during a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting a few days earlier.

At the said NEC meeting, Akpabio was said to have stood up in his hilarious manner and told President Buhari that there are three major political parties in Nigeria, namely the APC, the PDP and the President himself as a custodian of 12 million votes.

Akpabio then pleaded with the President that when his tenure is up, he should not return to Daura with his 12 million votes but ensure that the votes are retained for the survival and progress of APC.

There and then, the President pledged his determination to see that APC survives beyond his tenure.