The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Arms procurement scam

  • Court remands businessman in prison over ONSA funds

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered that a businessman, Olugbenga Obadina, owner of Almond Projects Limited be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja.

    The judge ordered that Obadina be kept in prison pending when his bail application will be determined.

    He adjourned hearing on the bail application to July 18.

    The judge’s decision was informed by the court’s inability to hear Obadina’s bail application shortly after he was arraigned on Friday for money laundering charges.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Obadina and his company, Almond Projects Limited on an eight-count charge of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering to the tune of N2.4billion.

    Obadina allegedly collected the sum of N2, 417, 000,000.00, paid into his company’s account in tranches, between 2013 and 2015 from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) without contract award.

  • Arms scam: Buhari orders Ihejirika, Minimah, 52 others probe

    Arms scam: Buhari orders Ihejirika, Minimah, 52 others probe

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered the investigation of 54 individuals  over their alleged involvement in the arms procurement scandal.

    The President’s order followed Thursday’s release of the Third Interim Report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces.

    A statement signed by the President of the Committee, AVM Jon Ode (rtd), said among those to be investigated are 18 serving and retired military personnel, 12 serving and retired public officials and 24 Chief Executive Officers of companies involved in the procurement.

    “All were either accounting officers or played key roles in the Nigerian Army procurement activities during the period under review,” the statement said.

    Those listed for further investigation are two former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. O.A. Ihejirika (rtd) and Lt.-Gen. K.T.J. Minimah (rtd), former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed and three former Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Defence – Mr. Bukar Goni Aji, Mr. Haruna Sanusi and Me. E.O, Oyemomi.

    Also, the CEOs to be investigated are Col. Olu Bamgbose (rtd) of Bamverde Limited, Mr. Amity Sade of Doiyatec Comms Limited and DYI Global Services and Mr. Edward Churchill of Westgate Global Trust Limited.

    According to the Committee, the total amount spent for procurement and operations within the period were N185, 843,052,564.30 and $685,349,692.49 respectively.

     

  • Jonathan approved payment of N400m to Metuh – Okupe

    Jonathan approved payment of N400m to Metuh – Okupe

    A former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said on Wednesday that the ex-president approved the payment of N400 million to Olisa Metuh.

    Okupe stated this while testifying in the trial of Metuh before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    Metuh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is standing trial for allegedly receiving N400 million from Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

    The prosecution claimed that the fund was collected through the defendant’s company Destra Investment Limited.

    However, the defence witness said the approval of Metuh’s proposal and immediate payment of the project fund was given by the former president in November 2014.

    “Sometime in November 2014, some members of the cabinet and party members were called for a crucial meeting with the President where issues of great national importance were discussed.

    “I remember vividly that on that fateful day, Chief Metuh presented a proposal to the President immediately after the meeting.

    “The President also gave approval for the payment of N400 million to Metuh,’’ Okupe said.

    Okupe added that the money was to be used for enhancement of Jonathan’s negative public perception before the 2015 general election.

    He said as the leader of the PDP and its presidential candidate, the ex- President enjoyed tremendous goodwill, saying that several actions were to support the PDP.

    According to Okupe, such goodwill was demonstrated at the fund raising ceremony organised at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, before the election, in which about N21 billion was raked in.

    “I am therefore surprised to hear that the Office of the National Security Adviser was used to distribute money for Jonathan’s presidential campaign.

    “However, the President could also use his tremendous goodwill to source funds to assist his party or help to execute special programmes.

    “Besides, as the candidate for election, the President has immense capacity to raise funds as a candidate. He did not use any government establishment as his pseudo-sponsor,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the former presidential aide as saying at the hearing.

  • Dasukigate: Court dismisses suit seeking Emefiele’s prosecution

    Dasukigate: Court dismisses suit seeking Emefiele’s prosecution

    Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday struck out a suit seeking the prosecution of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, over alleged unlawful disbursement of funds to the immediate past National Security Adviser,  Sambo Dasuki .

    The judge’s decision was informed by  a notice of discontinuance filed by the plaintiffs –  Achilike Anderson, Uchenna Nnadi, Ohazuruike Tochukwu, Fatima Musa, Olamide Buba, Hassan Haruna, Elochukwu Nweke, Amina Abubakar, Eroni Ada and Joy Moses.

    The plaintiffs, who said they are lawyers, were silent on the motive behind their sudden change of mind and the decision to withdraw the suit.

    Listed with the CBN governor as defendants to the suit were President Muhammadu Buhari, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Senate.

    The plaintiffs had in their suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/218/16, sought 10 prayers, including  an order, “directing the EFCC to arrest and prosecute the CBN governor for offences of money laundering, unlawful, illegal and fraudulent direct cash payment to the Office of the National Security Adviser via a letter  dated November 26, 2014 referenced: NSA/366/S.”

    They also wanted the court to order the EFCC to carry out an investigation into the “unlawful, illegal, and fraudulent act of the first defendant in making direct cash payment to the office of the NSA.”

    The plaintiff wanted the court to direct the second defendant (the President) to write to the Senate, pursuant to the provision of Section 11 (2) (c) and (f) of the CBN (Establishment) Act Cap C4 LFN 2004, to demand the removal of the CBN governor.

    The plaintiffs  urged the court to declare that by “virtue of the combined effect of Sections 1 and 10 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, the act of the first defendant (the CBN governor)  in making direct cash payment in various sums of money to the Office of the NSA under the cover of ‘special services” in excess of the authorized limit cash payment and without giving the requisite report in writing within seven days to the third defendant (EFCC) constitutes a gross abuse of  and misconduct in relation to the discharge of his duties.”