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Tag: Festus Keyamo (SAN)

  • FG charges Daily Times publishers with fraud

    …Stop mocking judiciary – Folio tells Keyamo, Obiorah

     

    The Federal Government has filed a charge against Fidelis Anosike and Noel Anosike and their firm, Folio Communications Limited, accusing them of fraudulently acquiring the Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN).

    The management of Folio Communication has however accused the lawyer, who filed the charge, Festus Keyamo (SAN) and Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah of mocking the Judiciary by allegedly engaging in forum shopping.

    The charge marked: CR/222/18, was filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Keyamo (SAN), for the Nigeria Police Force.

    Read Also:Ex-Daily Times workers ‘not queried before sack’

    The defendants were charged with conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, cheating and theft of property belonging to the DTN.

    In the charge, it was alleged that pursuant to the Federal Government’s privatisation programme in 2004, its 96.05% shares in the DTN were put for sale by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), bid for which Folio Communications emerged the highest with a bid of N1.250 billion, but had no money to pay.

    It was alleged that what Folio did in the circumstances was to obtain a co-investment of N500, 000,000.00 from DSV Ltd (owned by Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah in exchange of 40% of the said shares. DSV paid the sum of N500m directly to BPE.

    The prosecution alleged that:” In order to raise the remaining N750, 000,000.00, Folio resorted to the following; it illegally created fixed and floating debentures over the assets of DTN in favour of Hallmark Bank and collected N750, 000, 000 from the Bank.

    “Folio was unable to repay Hallmark Bank. The Bank obtained a Court Order appointing a  a receiver/manager over DTN. This precipitated law suits culminating in the consent judgment entered by the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/L.CP/594/2005 wherein Folio was ordered to pay Hallmark Bank the sum of N950m consisting of the original N750, 000,000.00 and accumulated interest.

    “Instead of using their own money to pay the N950,000,000.00 as mandated by the consent judgement, the defendants (Fidelis Anosike, Noel Anosike and Folio Communications Ltd) once again resorted to DTN’s assets as follows:

    They were also accused, among others, of converting N500,000,000.00 belonging to DTN (realised from sale of DTN’s interest in Stock Exchange Building, Lagos) in defraying part of the N950,000,000.00 leaving outstanding the sum of N450,000,000.00.

    Folio, in its statement, signed by the Managing Editor of Daily Times newspaper, Bonaventure Melah, said the current case filed by the Police and on which ground the fake news was being bandied around, is about the 15th of its kind that Ikechukwu Obiorah had instigated the Police to initiate against Folio and its management, all of which he said fell flat on their belly before the courts because they are not only baseless but also lack merit.

    “This case is not the first, not the second, not the third but about the 15th different cases Ikechukwu Obiorah has instigated the Police to institute against Folio Communications Plc on Daily Times. They have gone from High Court to Magistrate Court, back to High Court and to Magistrate Court. Today, they will run to the Federal High Court, tomorrow, they will run to FCT High court and then to Magistrate Court in Mpape, a suburb of Abuja and to Magistrate Court in Igbosere, Lagos, all in bare-face contempt and disrespect for both the judiciary and mockery of the respected legal profession.

    “This same case has gone to the Court of Appeal where in 2010 the Court of Appeal ruled that the matter was purely civil with the no criminal ingredients. Inspectors General of Police have investigated the case severally and put it in black and white that it is a civil case of ownership. But, Ikechukwu Obiorah, finding a willing ally in the current IGP has been using the Police to intimidate Folio and its management,” Bonaventure wrote.

    “Our initial reaction to the information that court papers are being circulated as news, (an act that sub judus) was a very long laugh. However, because the main characters in this funny drama are lawyers who should know, it therefore became necessary to react to it.

    “In the first place, privatisation is different from commercialisation. Federal Government of Nigeria through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) advertised to sell Daily Times. Folio, like many other companies bided to acquire Daily Times and after very rigorous but transparent process, Folio emerged the preferred bidder. Folio went ahead to fully pay for Daily Times and the government duly handed over the company to Folio.

    “Privatisation is about offer, acceptance and payment. It is not commercialisation where conditions are stated. Privatisation is buying and selling. Government advertised, Folio bided and won and went ahead to pay in full the value of the transaction. What has forging of documents got to do with the business? Who forged document and for what? Or are they saying that the money Folio paid and which government received was fake or forged money?

    “The next question is who is alleging forgery on the transaction? Is it the Police or the BPE that advertised, supervised the process of bidding, declared Folio as the preferred bidder, accepted the money paid and handed over Daily Times to Folio? What is the interest of the Police that is being used to institute criminal charges against Folio and its management when BPE that conducted the sale and handed over Daily Times to Folio is there and has never complained about the transaction?” the statement wondered.”

  • The week that was

    Two things happened this past week, indeed, within 24 hours of each other that very much gladdened my heart. These are, President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of irrepressible Festus Keyamo SAN, as his campaign’s chief spokesperson, by accepting which Keyamo demonstrated that despite the gloom and doom being deliberately celebrated  on social media by a colony of wailers, many there still are out there, who appreciate President Buhari’s  determined effort to rid this country of its putrid past of the PDP years,  and to pull it out of the hole of debauchery to which their unprecedented looting  landed it..

    In reacting to his appointment, Keyamo   said:  “I wholeheartedly and proudly accept the challenge to do this for the good of my country and for posterity. For in President Buhari I have found an approximation of the lofty values I cherish and have fought for all my life.

    “In the past two and half decades, I have been under intense public scrutiny while engaging successive governments (military and civilian) in the most critical way possible. ”The public has also watched me grow steadily all the way from that young, restless lawyer to the exalted position of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). In the process of my restless and relentless engagements of the authorities, I have been hounded, arrested, detained, paraded like a criminal, charged and discharged from courts severally, but I have remained unbowed.

    Continuing, he said the ultimate aim of every struggle is not really to enthrone a perfect, flawless system. “Only the starry-eyed, younger ones think such is possible. That is Utopia. Rather, the ultimate aim of the struggle is to enthrone a government (yes, even with the normal human flaws) that is focused, determined and fiercely opposed to the unscrupulous wheeler-dealers in the society, committed to protecting the interests of the downtrodden, the weak and the vulnerable. One of the obvious ways to ensure a better society  is to ensure that what belongs to all is not cornered by a few; and if they do so, to ensure that they are made to account and be brought to justice. I can boldly say,” he went on,” that no government in the history of Nigeria has recovered so much looted funds as that of President Muhammadu Buhari. The fact that the Buhari regime has clearly chosen this path in protecting the masses is one of the many reasons why I am proud and bold about my support for the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “And in doing this, I take a cue from my revered late boss, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN who mentored me. Throughout his career, he consistently and fiercely engaged every government in Nigeria and suffered as a result. The only government he supported fully was that led by General Muhammdu Buhari in 1984 – 1985; and that was to the chagrin of some of his professional colleagues and fellow “radicals”. However, he saw what they did not see at that time, because when that government was overthrown by General Babangida, what followed was the worst era in our history in terms of institutionalising corruption and political chicanery in Nigeria.”

    Fracas in the Senate

    In a Facebook post during the past week, Barrister Babatunde Ogala, former member. Lagos State House of Assembly, wrote as follows on the above:

    “…it is a highly condemnable act of brigandage and assault not just on the legislature but the constitution. It is sheer anarchy.  But in so saying, one must note that the Senate set the stage for the madness and anarchy with its suspension of Senator Omo-Agege in flagrant disregard of the Senate Rules and the Orders of Court. And why do I say so? The rules of the Senate has expressly provided that once a matter is pending before a court of law, the Senate shall not deliberate on same or do any act that may interfere with the proceedings of the court.

    Senator Omo-Agege had gone to court and obtained an order of Court to restrain the Senate and its Committee on Ethics and Privileges from taking further steps on the investigations of his conduct pending the determination of the suit.

    Despite receiving the Order of Court, the Senate at plenary rather than stay action proceeded to condemn the order of Court and abuse the judge who granted the order. It even had the temerity to adopt a motion to write and indeed wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria threatening and asking him to call judges to order.

    As if that was not enough, went ahead to invite the senator who at the committee sitting, declined to speak, reminding  the committee of the order of Court and  the Senate rule that prohibits it from deliberating on a matter that’s lis pendis.

    Before the instant case, he went on, the Federal High Court had ruled in the Senator Ali Ndume v NASS  case that the Senate or any legislative house  had no constitutional powers to suspend an elected  member holding  that it is unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.  In spite of all these, the Senate still went ahead to suspend the senator.

    Concluding, he said, “while I condemn the desecration of the hallowed chambers I hold the Senate fully responsible for laying the foundation for this anarchy.

    Reacting to the above, I wrote: “This ‘PDP’ controlled chamber of sorts, with elected majority APC but sold out to PDP, from what the learned Hrm Babatunde Ogala wrote here, is simply lawless.

    Even if the executive could be caught disobeying court judgment, which is wrong, it is completely unthinkable for a law making institution to be caught behaving so irrationally, arrogating powers of the court to itself and harassing the judiciary. All these point to the character and leadership of the entire 8th assembly and what happened has been long in coming. I have actually severally written that the self serving red chamber, not the green, should have been long sacked in what I called Storming the Bastille. 

    This senate is obviously a caricature of what a senate should be with all members forsaking law making and following its president sheepishly to court where he was being tried on criminal charges and committing several other illegalities like unconstitutionally suspending members thereby denying a large number of citizens due representation.

    This 8th senate shall surely pass into history, dubious history”

    Beginning with Saraki’s dubiety in selling his party’s victory in the legislative elections of 1915 to the opposition PDP which he singlehandedly gifted the deputy presidency, (a party just coming out of liyerally completely ruining the country)  n service of self, Saraki opened a chapter of uneasy relationship with the executive as he acted like he was above both the party and the government it formed at the centre. That was how he introduced instability into the entire government and since then the national assembly, especially the Senate, has become a centre of unmitigated opposition to the President Buhari’s government.

    The latest of this rable rousing is its totally unnecessary attempt at interfering with, and infringing on, the independence of the INEC, by altering the sequence of elections, an attempt to which the president refused his accent.

    Senator Omo Agege’s sin is verbalising the only too obvious truism that the proposed law is targeted at the president, a fact which only a fool will not easily know. This is the casus belli for its latest trauma and  unless the senate treads the path of civility, maturity and democracy, this will be only the beginning of its problems with the millions of Nigerians who know that Buhari’s means well for this country.

  • Keyamo: Wives not at fault for PSquare’s feud

    Keyamo: Wives not at fault for PSquare’s feud

    Counsel for Paul and Peter Okoye (alias PSquare), Festus Keyamo (SAN), has absolved their wives of blame in the brothers’ feud.

    He appealed to the public to refrain from jumping into what he called uninformed conclusions about the musicians’ disagreement.

            Read: Peter Okoye splits from Psquare

    Keyamo said none of their family’s life was at risk as claimed.

    He said in a statement: “None of these talented brothers is at fault. None of them is also wholly justified and correct in their individual positions.

    “We also wish to state categorically that, contrary to widely held opinions, none of their wives is at fault.

    “In fact, the wives have kept their respectable and dignified distances from all the issues involved. They have never interfered in any way.”

       Also: PSquare: Peter accuses Paul of threatening wife, Lola

    Keyamo added that while the three brothers (including their manager Jude) may have genuine grievances, nobody’s life was at risk as claimed in media reports.

    “All the various incidents that happened in our Chambers (some as late at 12 midnight and 2am and one of which was captured in the online video) arose out of various meetings that were genuine attempts at resolving their differences.

    “Whatever was said by all of them that were provocative was done in the heat of passion, emotion and anger.

    “In fact, the incident in the video circulating online happened sometime around May, 2016. After all those arguments, we all still sat down and signed agreements and we were all happy.

    “So, we appeal to everyone to please grant the Okoye family the privacy, prayers and support that they need at these trying times.

    “I have also appealed to all of them not to grant further interviews at this point so as not to escalate the issues further. Whatever is going on is the usual siblings’ rivalry experienced in most families. It is nothing unusual.

    “We are of the strong opinion that the brothers would eventually put away their differences and come back stronger,” Keyamo said.

  • Man to IGP: Police infringing on my rights

    Man to IGP: Police infringing on my rights

    A businessman, Celestine Ufoegbuna, has urged Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to restrain his men from infringing on his rights over a financial dispute between him and his estranged business partner, Mr. Felix Nnaji.

    Ufoegbuna said he had been arrested, detained and tortured by some officers of the general investigation department of the Force Headquarters Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, despite his petition of last May 19, to the IG.

    In another petition of last June 22 written by his lawyer, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Ufoegbuna said the police also “unlawfully detained” his sister.

    According to him, the Ezendi Igbo, Eze Cyril Umeh Akuka, as well as an unnamed friend, who tried to mediate in the dispute, were also detained.

    He said the petition of May 10, “was approved by a signal dated May 19, 2017 and was assigned to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos State.”

    Ufoegbuna noted that in disregard of the FIB’s intervention, the officers from the general investigation “arrested detained and tortured” him over the matter.

    Keyamo, who wrote a similar petition last June 23 on Ufoegbuna’s behalf to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Abuja, said Ufoegbuna’s sister, is still in detention.

    He said: “Our client was arrested alongside Eze Cyril Umeh Akuka (Ezendi Igbo) who wanted to settle the matter between our client and the said Mr. Felix Nnaji since it is as result of a financial transaction.

    “One Mr. Marshal, a friend of our client and our client’s sister are all in detention over the same issue.

    “It is worrisome to note that the men and officers of general investigation have allowed themselves to be used to carry out this despicable act of intimidation and abuse of human right.”

    Keyamo added: “We must mention the fact that this dispute between our client and Mr. Felix Nnaji arose out of a financial/trade transaction. Our client and Mr. Felix Nnaji were business partners before the issues that led to our petition dated the 10th May, 2017.

    “We urge you sir to use your good offices to wade into this matter and direct the general investigation to hands off since the case file is still with the Federal Intelligence Bureau or as your most experienced office may direct.”