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Tag: bribe

  • Rivers REC denies N700m bribe allegation

    Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mrs. Gesila Khan has denied the allegation that she collected N700 million bribe from anyone as being claimed in some quarters.

    Khan, in a statement by her lawyer Selekeowei Larry (SAN) , said she served diligently and challenged anyone with evidence to the contrary to produce it.

    The REC, who was reacting to media report that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State accused her of “receiving a huge sum of money” from some individuals, challenged those behind the allegation to produce her statement of account that allegedly contained the money.

    Mrs. Khan said she carried out her duty in accordance with the law and did not take side with any group, political party or persons as being alleged.

    She described the allegation as baseless and a calculated attempt to tarnish her hard-earned reputation.

    Mrs. Khan said she was being unduly criticised instead of being praised for serving her country diligently.

    The REC stated that the Department of State Services (DSS) at no time said it found the alleged money in her account.

    The Rivers APC, in a statement last Sunday in Port Harcourt, challenged the state REC to explain the source of the N700 million reportedly found in her account.

    The party accused a former president and a serving governor of being behind the N700 million allegedly found in the REC’s account.

     

  • DSS probes alleged N2.5b bribe in Akwa Ibom

    THE Department of State Services (DSS) is probing an alleged N2.5 billion governorship election bribery scam in Akwa Ibom State involving some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    It was learnt last night that the DSS interrogated some INEC officials from Akwa Ibom.

    The investigation followed a petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) through its counsel, Mr. Victor Iyanam.

    A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are already looking into a petition on alleged N2.5 billion scandal involving some top officials and workers of INEC in Akwa Ibom State during the governorship election.

    “In fact, the DSS has interacted with some INEC officials, including a top shot. We are also in receipt of photographs of some houses allegedly bought with the bribe sum.

    “After the comprehensive investigation, we will release the identities of those investigated.”

    It was learnt that some legal officers both in Abuja and Akwa Ibom might be questioned too by the security agency.

    “The affected legal officers have shown very scant regard for the orders of the Election Petitions Tribunal,” the source added.

    INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Akwa Ibom State Mr. David Edak could not be reached on phone to comment on the list of those quizzed by the DSS in Abuja.

    All calls made to his telephone line indicated that it was switched off.

    But a source in the INEC office, who pleaded anonymity , said a “top official was invited by the DSS following the petition by the APC that a former governor allegedly bribed the REC N2.5 billion to work against the APC during the governorship poll.

    The source said: “Yes, we learnt a top official was invited to explain the N2.5 billion bribery scandal allegedly given to him by the ex-governor. We even gathered that the top official spent close to two days at the DSS office answering questions.”

    In the petition, the APC claimed that the bribe was targeted at frustrating the petition of its governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana.

    The petition reads in part: “It has, however unfortunately, come to our notice that the obstinacy of the top INEC official to carry out the tribunal’s orders or cooperate with our client to carry out the inspection owes principally to the fact that N2.5 billion was disbursed to him by a former governor prior to the general elections and the official now feels obliged to complete the corrupt process by doing everything possible to frustrate the governorship petition of the APC candidate, Umana Okon Umana.”

    The APC also expressed displeasure that INEC also mutilated some electoral materials.

    It added: “It is now obvious that the attitude of the INEC official stems from the irreparable damage he caused to be done to electoral materials in Akwa Ibom State.

    “Most electoral materials in Akwa Ibom State were deliberately destroyed; water was deliberately poured into the bags of materials while some were kept under the rain, contrary to the established practice of keeping the materials in envelopes according to their polling units

    “We attach samples of electoral materials deliberately mutilated or otherwise destroyed by the corrupt and irresponsible orders of the INEC official. Could this be allowed to be business as usual, especially for the change we desire as a nation?”

    “The conduct of the INEC top official; absolutely criminal in content, reckless in execution and done with impunity is not only a breach of public trust, but would have catastrophic consequences if allowed to go unpunished to serve as a deterrent. It is a shame that notwithstanding the large-scale fraud perpetuated by the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, agents of the party and the government in power are still bent on doing more damage to our collective psyche and stand in the way of justice.”

  • BEWARANG DARES TAIWO: Name bribe-taking coaches

    BEWARANG DARES TAIWO: Name bribe-taking coaches

    The National President of The Nigeria Football Coaches’ Association, Bitrus Bewarang, has challenged Nigerians that have concrete evidence against any Nigerian national team coach that collected bribe before inviting players to the national camp to make such fact available now.

    Bewarang, who is the General Manager of Plateau United, said his association has decided to take those accusations very seriously, to, among other things, bring sanity to the profession in the country. Hear him: “These accusations are becoming many, and if nothing is done now, it would soon get out of hand. We are now challenging those making the accusations to come forward with their facts. They should make them available, and let us work on it. If not, such persons should keep their cool and should stop all the blackmail”.

    The former Super Eagles coach said he was pissed off by the recent accusation by a former national team defender, Taiye Taiwo, who said that he is not ready to bribe coaches to be invited to the national team.

    “Does it mean that Taiwo has been bribing his way to national teams all this while?”  Bewarang wondered. “If that is the case, he should be able to make available more facts on all these.”

    He continued: “And why is it now that he is not being invited that he is making such claims? This is a player who grew from the wings, and passed through many coaches, coming out to make such a statement. We are not taking it lightly, he should come up and substantiate his claims.”

    Bewarang did not fail to express his displeasure on how some of the national team coaches are appointed without any input from the Coaches’ Association, saying that although it is the duty of the NFF to employ whoever they want as the national team coach, they should request for the technical input of the Association before such appointments are made, because it is a “national assignment”, as such a Coach serves as the ambassador of the country whenever they go for international assignments.

     

  • Bribery: Man arrested for snapping policeman

    Bribery: Man arrested for snapping policeman

    For taking pictures of a policeman collecting bribe from a commercial motorist, a young man, Thompson Ntiedo has been arrested.
    He was arrested by personnel of the Okota Police Station on Tuesday evening, who claimed they were carrying out the directives of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), James Chu, a CSP.
    The victim was detained for three hours, released on bail at about 9pm with his two phones confiscated after he was forced to delete all the pictures he took.
    He was asked to return to the station Wednesday morning which he did and was finally set free following the intervention of the police human rights officer.
    As if detaining him was not enough, his brother who signed his bail bond was allegedly made to part away with some cash as “appreciation”.
    Narrating his ordeal, the victim said:”I was in a commercial bus when we got to the area and one of the policemen on the road was demanding that our driver bribe him.
    “I brought out my phone and captured him and they saw me. They dragged me out of the bus and seized the phone I used to take the pictures.
    “They said I was under arrest but I begged that they should delete the pictures and release me but they refused.
    “The next thing, they called the station and a patrol van appeared and they demanded that I enter because the DPO wants to see me.
    “When we got there, they didn’t take me to meet the DPO neither did they release me. I was there from 6pm to 9pm.
    “Afterwards, they asked me to go home and report back by 9am the following day ( Wednesday ). But before I was released, I had to call one of my brothers with my second phone to come and bail me.
    “Meanwhile, before I left that night, they also seized the second phone from me and I went home without any of my phones.
    “I got there Wednesday by 9am and waited till 2:40pm before my second phone was released. This was after the human rights officer intervened in my case and asked them to let me go.
    “Even at that, the policeman handling my case went to Ikeja to submit my report and so I had to wait till he got back for my phones to be released.”

  • We rejected N50m bribe to pervert justice, says Mbu

    We rejected N50m bribe to pervert justice, says Mbu

    •AIG warns men against use of rickety escort vehicles

    Nigerians were told yesterday that the country’s old glory will be restored if they believe in God “and work hard to ensure that selfish interest is substituted for national interest”.

    Senior Superintendent Gabriel F. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II)of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide gave the advice during a special sermon to mark the church’s 51st founder’s anniversary.

    The church was founded by Archbishop Isaiah M. Akinadewo on June 14, 1964.

    The anniversary was celebrated with special thanksgiving in all parishes of the church, including the international headquarters in Ondo, Ondo State.

    Speaking at the Restoration Parish of the church in Akute, Ogun State, Akinadewo said: “Nothing is too hard for the Lord, the God of all flesh to do. If and when Nigerians change from their evil ways, Nigeria will, once again, become the darling of all in the comity of nations”.

    Quoting Jeremiah 17:5, the cleric said that Nigerians, for decades, had put their hope in human beings “and they have been disappointed. For this country to grow financially, spiritually, economically, politically and industrially, we must start to put our hope in God and, at the same time, do the right thing.

    “According to Jeremiah 29:11, God has good plans for this country and its people but Nigerians are their own problems by deviating from God’s plans because of selfish interests. With the natural resources that abound in the country, there is enough for all Nigerians. Let us commit our ways unto God, trust Him and He shall bring His plans for us to pass.

    “Nigerians are prayerful. In every street, you will see one, two or three churches. But it is not only the truth we know that will set this country free but the truth we do. We know the right thing to do and once this is done by removing selfishness from our thinking, God will move mightily to restore the old glory of this country”.

  • Borno pastor : I didn’t beg Oritsejafor over N7bn bribe

    Borno pastor : I didn’t beg Oritsejafor over N7bn bribe

    Borno State-based Pastor Kallamu Mus-Dikwa yesterday accused the wife of Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN) President, Pastor Ayo Oristejafo, of lying against him that he came to beg her husband over the alleged N7 billion collected from President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the presidential election.

    Pastor Dikwa had accused CAN of collecting N7 billion from President Jonathan to purportedly campaign against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in the rescheduled elections.

    The cleric, in a telephone in Kaduna, said he had not “set his eyes on the CAN president for over a year now, let alone going to beg him as claimed by his wife”.

    He also denied meeting Pastor Oritsejafor’s wife, challenging her to tell the world where and how he met her husband to beg for forgiveness over what he said he had no regret over.

    The pastor urged the CAN leadership to “as a matter of urgency resign peaceful and sin no more and stop tarnishing the image of Nigerian Christians”.

    He called on “real men of God to come forward and dissolve the CAN leadership before it was too late”, if it refused to abide by his appeal.

    The cleric noted that he was not surprise at the antics of the wife of the CAN leader to blackmail him since other means to arm-twist him to meet the CAN president had failed.

    Dikwa added: “I have not seen Pastor Oritsejafor for the past one and half years. They are the ones that have been sending emissaries to me for settlement, but I have always refused to go.

    “The wife (Oritsejafor’s) is lying. I have never seen Ayo’s wife in my life. They have used the DSS (Directorate of State Service) to force me to write statements. They are lying against their spirits and their God.

    “Let them bring witness (proof) that I went to beg Ayo. Is it in Abuja or Warri?.

    “They have been sending men of God to me for settlement. The CAN’s North Central Zone Chairman, Yakubu Pam, even told me that I should go and meet Ayo and that he talked to him. But I refused.

    “Many of them (Christian leaders) have been calling me asking me to meet the CAN leader and settle. And I said what for? In fact, they said I should not talk again and that they know that all I have been saying is true.

    “Even they have called me, requesting that I denounced that they collected money and that they are going to give me money. But I refused.”

    Dikwa warned the president-elect, Gen Muhammad Buhari, to be wary of the CAN leadership.

  • Why I exposed CAN N7bn bribe, by Musa-Dikwa

    Why I exposed CAN N7bn bribe, by Musa-Dikwa

    Borno-born Pastor Kallamu Musa-Dikwa, who alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan has bribed the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to the tune of N7billion to campaign against the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed why he is fighting the apex Christian body.

    Musa-Dikwa said his anger with CAN had to do with “commercialisation of the Boko Haram insurgency” in the north east by its top leaders.

    He expressed disgust that while many Christians and Muslims were being killed in captured towns in the north east, some Christian leaders were sitting back in Abuja to “reap from the bloody episodes”.

    Speaking on phone with our correspondent last week, Musa-Dikwa said: “It is very disheartening that CAN leaders have politicised and commercialized the killings in the north east

    “They have assured the President that they can deliver Christian votes to him everywhere in the country. That was what made him make money available to them.

    “I am saddened that our leaders, who should be looking after us, are trading off with wasted lives and dripping blood. It is sad and I am very angry with CAN for this.”

    He disclosed that his aged parents have been trapped in the crossfire in Dikwa local government of Borno state, making him unable to see them in the last five years.

    Musa-Dikwa said: “I have not seen my parents for more than five years. I have not been able to go to my ancestral home.

    “My parents cannot come out and nobody can move there to pick them. In November 2013, Boko Haram fighters butchered four of my brothers.

    “If you have seen such level of destruction, you cannot be angry with what CAN is doing.”

    He maintained that leaders of the Christian body received the bribe and distributed it to chapters of the organisation across the nation.

    The bribery project, he alleged, was coordinated by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Opara, who he claimed has been making frantic efforts to meet him for ‘settlement’.

    He denied insinuations that he was being sponsored by the opposition, stating “I am not in any political party. I am a Christian and a man of God.

    “What I am doing is to expose the lies among the people of God and sensitise the nation to the plights of the northern people.”

  • N7b bribe: PDP is blackmailing religious leaders, says El-Rufai

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government of blackmailing religious leaders, to weaken their moral authority.

    El-Rufai, who addressed reporters yesterday, was reacting to an allegation that the Federal Government gave N7billion and N12billion to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Islamic bodies, to campaign for President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The APC standard-bearer said Imams were invited for a seminar in Kaduna, organised by the Office of Vice President Namadi Sambo, on how to achieve a violence-free poll.

    According to him, the Islamic clerics attended the occasion innocently, thinking they were there to seek a way forward for successful elections, “but their pictures were taken and circulated to the media, with an allegation of receiving N7billion for the Jonathan campaign.”

    The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who noted that CAN was also blackmailed, said the allegations had pitched the Islamic and Christian clerics against their followers.

    He added: “The plan of the PDP-led government is to undermine their reputation and blackmail them in such a way that religious leaders can not tell their followers the truth about the way the country is being mismanaged.”

    El-Rufai recalled that that was how the revered  traditional institution in the North was desecrated in 2011 and the people almost rose up against some emirs during and after the elections.

    He warned people not to fall into the PDP’s ambush by insinuating allegations against religious leaders, saying they remained the only institution people listened to, because the ruling party had compromised traditional institutions.

    According to him, monarchs and religious leaders are used as shock absorbers for suing for peace during upheavals, such as war or crisis.

    “The traditional institution has been weakened by the government. So we shouldn’t allow religious bodies and clerics, who are the last line of defence, to be destroyed by PDP,” the APC governorship candidate added.

    He promised that an APC government in Kaduna State and at the centre would restore the lost glory of the traditional institutions and religious leaders and organisations.

     

  • Don’t bribe police, CP tells agents

    The Commissioner of Police in charge of Western Ports, Mrs Hilda Ibifuro Harrison, has urged the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to report any police officer who demands bribe.

    Speaking during her visit to ANLCA national secretariat, Mrs Harrison said she was not happy that ANLCA members accused some of her officers of demanding as much as N25,000 bribe before allowing them to move their goods out of the ports.

    To show her readiness to deal with the situation, she gave ANLCA members her private mobile numbers, and directed the clearing agents to shun any request for bribe from her officers.

    “Until some persons are taught lessons, they don’t ever change, and you are the people to assist me do my job, not when the case has passed, but when they are right in the act, making the demand for corruption, I promise you that I will act.

    “If you have any case of injustice, report to me and I will take it up, but the problem is that a lot of you fraternise with my police men to sweep these things under the carpet and that is why they come to you again and again.

    “I urge you not to fraternise with the bad eggs in the Nigerian police come out and let us fight the fight of bribery together and we will achieve its,” she said.

     

  • Alleged N750m bribe: Two PDP leaders on the run

    Alleged N750m bribe: Two PDP leaders on the run

    Abuja billionaire in custody

    Aspirants to testify against officials

    Who got the N750 million nomination bribe that has caused a huge scandal in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

    Two key officials of the ruling party’s National Working Committee (NWC) fingered in the deal are said to be on the run.

    A manhunt has begun for them as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) cast its net wide to recover the cash.

    House of Representatives member Ndudi Elumelu was said to have given the cash to win the party’s Delta State governorship ticket.

    An Abuja billionaire, who collected the money from Elumelu, is in police custody.

    He is said to be a friend of a PDP National Vice Chairman and son-in-law of a former Minister of Aviation.

    The suspect was arrested last Friday and some exotic cars were taken away from his Abuja home.

    While EFCC is looking into Elumelu’s petition, more aspirants have volunteered to testify on the huge cash-for- nomination deals during PDP’s primaries.

    Elumelu petitioned EFCC when he could not get the party’s governorship ticket.

    A source in EFCC said: “So far, we have been able to get clues that two members of the NWC of PDP had direct link with the collection and disbursement of the N750 million.

    “We have their names and we may invite them for interrogation any moment from now. The suspect said he was just helping a friend and the money was handed over to some NWC members.

    “It is too early to prejudge the affected NWC members. But when we invite them, we will let you know.

    “But the suspect is still with us giving vital information on how he tried to help Elumelu as a friend.”

    As of press time, the affected NWC members were trying to wield influence to resolve the matter amicably.

    A party source said: “There is tension everywhere, the NWC members are calling for amicable resolution of the issue at stake.

    “They do not want anything that can affect the image of the party. I think they want to refund the cash quietly to avoid any backlash on the party and their political career.

    “I think the luck with Ndudi Elumelu is that he is from a well-connected family which will make cheating him difficult”.

    Findings also revealed that a chartered jet was also on standby for some of those behind the deal in order to get the governorship ticket for Elumelu.

    Another source added: “They embarked on many shuttles with a chartered jet during the transaction.

    “The N750million deal was one of the reasons why Tony Obuh, the hitherto  anointed candidate of the Governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan lost out.

    “To some extent, those who collected the cash assisted in scheming out Obuh from the race. But they could not rout out the party’s eventual governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, whom they did not know had been a friend of the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, for many years.

    “They really cheated Uduaghan without knowing that they were digging their graves.”

    Other aggrieved aspirants are also seeking their pounds of flesh. They are said to be ready to squeal on how some PDP leaders negotiated nomination deals with them.

    A third source said: “Since this incident became  public knowledge, more aspirants have volunteered to go to EFCC with more information about the activities of the Screening, Electoral Committees and Appeal Committees.

    “You could see that during the primaries, some aspirants were disqualified but miraculously they were cleared again.

    “Some said they parted with huge sums without getting the party’s tickets for offices aspired to.

    “They said they have records of how the monies were paid or wired. I think there will be more revelations in the days ahead.”