The Nation Newspaper

Tag: custody

  • BoI denies custody of $200m entertainment fund

    BoI denies custody of $200m entertainment fund

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) has debunked insinuations that it is in custody of any fund announced by former president Goodluck Jonathan, as grant to a the Nigerian motion picture industry.

    The Bank was reacting to reports credited to veteran actor, Larry Williams, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to probe a certain $200 million purportedly placed under BoI’s management by Jonathan, for disbursement to practitioners in the entertainment industry.

    “BoI would like to state for the records that it is not managing any $200 Million Entertainment/Nollywood Fund and at no time did the Bank receive any such fund from the government for the Entertainment/Nollywood sector,” the Bank said in a statement.

    According to the statement, “the Bank has been making investments in the industry from its own resources since 2011. It has provided financial and advisory support to the following sub-sectors of the industry:  movie production, cinemas, amusement/theme parks, production studios etc. Recently, the Bank launched the NollyFund with a Fund size of N1.0 billion to support movie production and distribution.”

    There are indications that the reported $200 million was mistaken for a N3billion fund in custody of the Ministry of Finance, and issued as grant for the motion picture industry, under the Project ACT Nollywood.

    Recall that in March 2013, the former president, during the 20th anniversary of Nollywood, announced a Project ACT Nollywood fund of N3 billion, to build the capacity of filmmakers and actors, as well as the establishment of film distribution platforms. Williams is asking for a probe into how the grant, which is being managed by the Ministry of Finance, headed by former Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been disbursed so far.

    Williams told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that, “we need to know how the funds given to the sector is being disbursed because the growth of Nigeria’s entertainment industry will be enhanced by such money if well utilized.”

  • Two teenagers delivered of babies in custody

    Two of the 14 expectant teenagers rescued from a ‘baby factory’, Nma Charity Rehabilitation/Motherless Babies’ Home, at Umunkpeyi Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, by soldiers from the 144 Battalion, have been delivered of babies.

    The Nation learnt that they were delivered of babies at the 144 Battalion medical facility on the premises of the army base.

    A source said they were taken to the clinic immediately after being taken into custody.

    The source said the mothers and their babies were in good condition.

    Another source told our correspondent that the soldiers had handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs, the other 12 expectant teenagers and six suspects (four men and two women), for appropriate actions.

    The source said the police were intensifying effort to arrest the owner of the ‘baby factory’, Mrs. Nma Charity.

    Efforts to confirm the latest development from the Ministry of Women Affairs were futile.

  • ‘$1.6m fraud’: Ajudua to remain in prison custody till June 24

    Justice Joseph Oyewole of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja yesterday ordered an alleged fraudster, Mr. Fred Ajudua, to be remanded in prison custody till June 24 when his bail application will be heard.

    The court gave the order eight years after Ajudua had absconded from trial for charges of fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The anti-graft agency in 2003 arraigned Ajudua and Charles Hijiudu before the court for allegedly defrauding two foreigners, Mr. Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen, of about $1.69million between July 1999 and September 2000.

    After absconding from trial, Justice Oyewole in December 2005 issued a bench warrant directing the police to arrest the accused and bring him to court.

    But the police have been unable to execute the court’s order.

    Ajudua appeared in court yesterday with his counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, who applied for his bail.

    But the prosecutor, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde (SAN), opposed the application seeking the bail and reversal of the order of arrest issued against the defendant.

    Oyewole held: “The first defendant ceased to be on bail since December 15, 2005 when his bail was revoked.”

    He, however, reversed the order of arrest, following the accused’s appearance in court.

    The judge noted: “The case against Ajudua has been held up for a long time as the agents of the Federal Government have been unable to execute the warrant of arrest issued on January 24, 2005.”

    Oyewole ordered that Ajudua, the first defendant in the suit instituted by the EFCC, be remanded in prison.

    He further ordered the Superintendent of Prison to ensure that the accused is given access to medical treatment, including being taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idiaraba (LUTH) as an outpatient when the situation warrants.

    Justice Oyewole, however, rejected an appeal by the defence counsel for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.

    The judge also declined another appeal to allow the defendant receive treatment as an outpatient at LUTH.

    Oyewole said since the accused’s bail has been revoked, it is left for him to convince the court if he is worthy of being released on bail.

    He adjourned the case till June 24 for hearing of Ajudua’s bail application.

     

  • Alao to remain in EFCC custody till tomorrow

    A Lagos High Court in Ikeja yesterday refused to grant bail to Abdullahi Alao and Olanrewaju Olafusi in the on-going trial of N1.1billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    The court, however, granted bail to a co-defendant, Opeyemi Ajuyah.

    Alao and Olafusi are to remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending the hearing of their bail application tomorrow.

    Alao is a son of Ibadan business man, Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu granted Opeyemi Ajuyah bail for N75million with two sureties after hearing her bail application.

    Justice Okunnu could not grant bail to Abdullahi Alao and Olanrewaju Olafusi because the EFCC sought for time to file-counter-affidavits to their applications.

    She, however, fixed tomorrow for the hearing of their applications for bail after the accused pleaded not guilty to the eight-count charge of fraud.

    Following the application for “abridgement of time” filed by the defendants, the court rescheduled the hearing of the bail application for tomorrow.

    Alao’s counsel Babatunde Akoni (SAN) wondered why the EFCC failed to respond to his client’s application whereas it heard others.

    Akoni urged the court for a short adjournment for the EFCC to filed its opposition to their applications.

    Femi Falana(SAN), who led Ajuwah’s defence team, had alleged that EFCC’s counter-affidavit to her bail application was speculative.

    Ruling on her bail application, Okunnu said EFCC’s “assertion that she will jump bail is bereft of any evidence.”

    “It is the duty of the prosecution to show that the defendant is not entitled to bail as she is presumed to be innocent,” Okunnu said.

    She ordered that Ajuyah’s two proposed sureties must be employed and resident in Lagos.

    She said one of the sureties must be a director of a public or private companies.

    She also said one of them must have landed property of a “substantive value” within Lagos.

    The judge ordered that the defendant must submit her travelling passport with the EFCC and prohibited her from travelling abroad without the court’s permission.