The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jang

  • Court admits bank’s documents as evidence against Jang

    Plateau State High Court yesterday admitted some banks documents tendered as evidence in the fraud charge against former Governor Jonah Jang.

    The court said it relied on sections 83 and 84 of Evidence Act to admit the documents.

    Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Jang had tried to convince the court to accept the bank documents or dismiss them as evidence in the anti-corruption matter.

    Jang is standing a trial for alleged misappropriation of funds during his tenure as the governor of the state.

    The third prosecution witness from Zenith Bank, Emmanuel Anja, a banker and marketer, led by the EFCC prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), testified yesterday.

    Anja told the court that he did not know the account of the Plateau State government but admitted knowing that of the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

    The witness also admitted that his main job in the bank is maintaining a relationship management, which is to manage the accounts on behalf of customers.

    He added that he was aware that his bank was asked to supply account details to EFCC on transactions with the state government and he identified all the documents presented as his.

    But counsel to Jang, Mr. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had objected to the admissibility of the documents presented by Prosecution Witness (PW3), Emmanuel Anja.

    The lawyer said no foundation was laid by the prosecution for the witness to tender the documents before the court, adding that his name was not even written on the letter.

    Ozekhome said: “The signature on the document is that of John Olorundare of Compliance Department of the bank. In his evidence-in-chief, he told the court that he was a compliance officer but that he was in the Compliance Department. So, tendering the documents put themselves in computer-generated evidence. It is a direct assault on sections 83 and 84 of the Evidence Act.”

    The lawyer argued that it was wrong for the prosecution counsel to neither seek to tender the document through a witness who was not a party to it nor know the content of the document.

    “My lord, although the document appears to be the original, there is no foundation for the prosecution counsel to seek to tender it through the witness whose name is not on it neither does he know the content. This is a direct assault on sections 83 and 84 of the Evidence Act.

    “I, therefore, urge the court to reject the document in its entirety,” he said.

    He urged the court to reject the documents, citing many legal authorities to buttress his arguments.

    Also rejecting the document, Sunny Odey, the counsel to the second accused, Mr Yusuf Gyang Pam, told the court that the person qualified to be the maker of the documents should be capable of taking responsibility for its contents.

    Odey averred that the documents cannot be tendered for the purpose and prayed the court that the documents be rejected.

    Justice Daniel Longji adjourned ruling on the matter till December 12.

  • Court reserves verdict on admissibility of evidence against Jang

    Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau State High Court yesterday reserved ruling on the admissibility or otherwise in court of a Zenith Bank statement in the trial of former Plateau State Governor Jonah David Jang.

    The former governor is standing trial in a 12-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly misappropriating over N6.3 billion two months to the end of his tenure in 2015.

    At the resumed hearing of the case in Jos, the state capital, EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) sought to tender a Zenith Bank statement before the court through its prosecution witness (PW), Mr Emmanuel Kapanjang.

    But defence lawyer Mike Ozekhome (SAN) objected to the move.

    Read also: 2019: Be combat ready, police tell personnel

    In his submission, the EFCC counsel urged the court to admit the bank statement as evidence.

    The lawyer argued that the witness, a Senior Assistant Manager with Zenith Bank, was in a good position to testify on its content, having managed the account of the second accused person, Mr Yusuf Pam, a former Cashier in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under Jang’s administration.

    But Ozekhome, who cited several legal documents in his objection, questioned the whereabouts of the signatories to the bank statement.

    He said: “My lord, although the document appears to be the original, there is no foundation for the prosecution counsel to seek to tender it through the witness, whose name is not on it, neither does he know the content. This is a direct assault on sections 83 and 84 of the Evidence Act. I, therefore, urge the court to reject the document.”

    After taking arguments from both counsel, Justice Longji reserved ruling on the matter till today.

     

  • EFCC traces N500m assets to Jang

    THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday it has traced properties worth N500 million to a former Plateau State governor, Senator Jonah Jang.

    There were indications last night that the anti-graft commission may seize the assets by invoking the provision on Interim Forfeiture.

    A statement by the commission’s Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Tony Orilade, said the properties are located at No. 8 and 9 Gobarau Road Unguwan Rimi GRA, Kaduna State.

    The statement said: “Preliminary investigations revealed that the said properties were purchased from New Capital Properties Limited, a subsidiary of Northern Nigerian Development Company (NNDC) Kaduna.”

    A top source in the commission, who spoke in confidence, said: “Based on our findings, the assets linked with the ex-governor might be placed under Interim Forfeiture to prevent anyone tampering with them.

    “We will soon approach a court to seize the assets till a full investigation is completed.”

    Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004 empower the anti-graft agency to invoke Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.

    “Section 28 of the EFCC Act reads: ‘Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the court.’

    Section 13 of the Federal High Court Act reads in part: “The court may grant an injunction or appoint a receiver by an interlocutory order in all cases in which it appears to the court to be just or convenient so to do.

    (2) “Any such order may be made either unconditionally or on such terms and conditions as the court thinks just.”

    The EFCC on May 7, 2018 filed 12-count charges against the former governor for an alleged fraud of about N6.3  billion.

    A serving senator representing Plateau-North, Jang, who is being prosecuted before a Plateau State High Court, allegedly embezzled some special funds released to the state by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN).

    The former governor was also said to have abused his office by collecting  N4.3 billion from the state coffers through the cashier of the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Yusuf Pam.

    One of the counts revealed that the former governor allegedly diverted about N2 billion released by the CBN for disbursement to Small and Medium Enterprises in the state under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Funds, just a month before the expiration of his tenure in April 2015.

  • Ayade, Tambuwal, Mark, Jang, Bafarawa congratulate Atiku

    CONGRATULATORY messages yesterday continued to trail Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade, Sokoto State Governor and PDP presidential aspirant Aminu Tambuwal, former Senate President David Mark, former Plateau State Governor Senator Jonah Jang and ex-Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa were among those who congratulated Atiku on his victory.

    They promised to support the PDP candidate before and in the presidential election.

    Ayade, in his message, described former vice president’s victory at the just concluded PDP convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as well-deserved.

    In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Christian Ita, Ayade said Atiku’s victory at the convention was a reflection of the wishes of PDP members.

    “On behalf of the government and the good people of Cross River State, I want to heartily congratulate you on your victory at our party’s presidential primary. The trust placed in you to fly the flag of our great party in the 2019 elections is undoubtedly a springboard of great inspiration and motivation to bring your vast private and public experience in ensuring the well-being and unity of our great country and its people,” Ayade said.

    Mark, in his statement, said throughout his campaigns, he maintained that the PDP presidential aspirants, including Atiku Abubakar, were eminently qualified to provide excellent leadership for the nation and that as a faithful and steadfast party man, he would support anyone of them who emerged the flag bearer of the PDP.

    He restated his commitment and pledged support for Atiku  to bring victory to the party in 2019.

    In his statement, Tambuwal said: “On behalf of my humble self, my family, and millions of my supporters from across the length and breadth of the country, I heartily rejoice with and congratulate your excellency on your emergence as the standard flagbearer of our great political party, the PDP at the just concluded National Convention held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    “The task at hand, going forward, is to ensure victory at the polls in order to save our fatherland from the current regime of annihilation bestriding it.

    “This calls for unity of purpose that admits of no division, no distractions and no internal wrangling. I commit myself to this task and urge all members of our great party to roll up their sleeves and set to work as members of one united family.”

    Jang said in spite of the outcome of the PDP presidential primaries in Port Harcourt, in which he lost, he would support Atiku.

  • Tackling Boko Haram, herdsmen killings my priority, says Jang

    A PEOPLES Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Jonah Jang, has vowed to effectively tackle the attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents and killings by herdsmen if given his party’s ticket and emerged victorious next year.

    Jang, who was at the Abuja secretariat of the PDP yesterday to submit his forms, said with the killings, Nigeria was gradually becoming a Banana Republic.

    He lamented a situation where stories of killings of innocent citizens in different parts of the country dominate media reports almost on a daily basis.

    The former Plateau State governor said: “Our people have been suffering ?in the Northeast unabatedly. We have been told that Boko Haram have been defeated at one stage, the moment they make such announcement, you will get to know that Boko Haram has either even taken over a military unit or have ambushed our soldiers.”

    He believed that restructuring the country will go a long way in addressing the various socio-economic and security challenges.

    Jang said: “There is total imbalance in the federation and the federal system must be such that all the units of the federation must be established in such a way that there will be proper power sharing.

    “The administrative machinery of the various local governments, states and the federal government work in such synergy that can ensure development of this country.

    “I intend to get the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s conference’s report and get the stakeholders again to look at it, so that whatever areas that need to be negotiated will be negotiated.

    “For that, we can now send a bill to the National Assembly for the amendment of the Constitution so that we can now bring in restructuring.

    “And in this restructuring, the security will be looked at because  I believe that the military has to go back to its traditional role and be reorganised properly.”

    The aspirant decried the Federal Government’s borrowing spree, particularly from foreign countries, saying some of the loans obtained were unnecessary.

    He noted: “We have both human and material resources to run this country so enough of this borrowing. We are just borrowing without seeing ?what is being done with the money and we are going to leave our generations with a lot of problems.

    “I want to believe that some of these borrowings that we are doing like building the railways, even building the roads can be done by Public Private Partnership (PPP).

    “There are people who want to come and participate in the economy of Nigeria not that we have to borrow money to do it.”

    The senator stressed the need to practically fight corruption in the system, saying however that if elected President, he would adopt a different approach.

    “Fighting corruption,” he said, “will be our priority but not the way this administration is fighting it. The EFCC and the ICPC are not established to just follow a political opponent.

    “These organisations must be properly organised so that they can work according to international standards.”

  • 2019: Sen Jang declares interest in presidential race

    Sen. Jonah Jang, former Plateau governor, on Tuesday in Jos joined the race for the PDP presidential ticket ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Jang, while submitting his letter of interest at the state secretariat, opined that the ticket should be zoned to the North-Central geo-political zone “in the interest of equity and fairness”.

    He argued that the zone had been the belt that tied Nigerians together over time, declaring that he was “the face of that middle belt in the presidential contest”.

    Jang regretted that the zone had yet to produce an elected president, saying that his election would end that injustice.

    He said that Nigeria was becoming increasingly divided along various lines, and blamed the nation’s enormous security challenges on inherent injustices.

    “My innate desire is to rescue Nigeria from the brim of collapse; I want to restore our greatness by building a nation we shall all be proud of,” he said.

    Jang promised to make peace and security his major focus if elected, adding that he would build the economy and end the current situation where Nigeria had been turned into a dump site.

    He also promised to take a closer look at calls for restructuring of the country to ensure justice for all segments of the population.

    Jang promised to tackle impunity and criminality, and vowed to apprehend gunmen that had made life so cheap.

    The former governor, who represents Plateau North in the senate, promised to strengthen anti-graft agencies to fight corruption within the confines of the rule of law.

    Jang’s opponents for the ticket include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, and the former governors of Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto and Jigawa States – Ahmed Makarfi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Attahiru Bafarawa and Sule Lamido.

    Others include the incumbent governors of Sokoto and Gombe States, Aminu Tambuwal and Dankwambo. (NAN)

  • I’ve no hands in killings, says Jang

    Former Plateau State Governor Senator Jonah Jang, yesterday washed his hands of the  killings in his senatorial zone.

    The Northern zone of Plateau, comprising Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Jos South has been a centre of bloodshed in recent times.

    Speaking with reporters yesterday, Jang queried: “Doesn’t that sound funny that Jonah Jang, a Berom man from Plateau State is organizing gunm to come and kill Beroms or which killings are they talking about?

    “Over 200 people have been killed in some local government areas here including Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu and somebody is protesting in Abuja that I am behind the killings.

    “So I am the person who put the arms in the hands of criminals to come and kill my people so that I will be the only Berom man to live with my family or what? Does that make sense?”

    “I have been hearing somebody making noise on the television alluding many things, and he has directed his Lawyers to write me and let him explain now else I will go and explain in the court.

    “It is a pity that politics is turning to what it is in Nigeria. I believe that everything is being done to find a reason to incarcerate me so that I will not participate in the ongoing politics.

    “I am the Senator representing Plateau North, I may be re-contesting the Senate, and I may be contesting a higher position. That decision is in the making and the PDP is working very hard to win the election on the Plateau and I am a key figure here on the Plateau. So, there seems to be a very deliberate plan to get me out of the way so that I don’t participate in any of the electoral processes.

    “I just want to make it very clear that if this is the way our politics is going to be, then I am sorry to say that the democracy that we worked hard for; I was part of the G-18, G-34, that fought for this democracy to come, and the G34 formed the PDP, and PDP nurtured democracy for 16 years. But now, the APC as a party has come and wants to destroy it by trying to make sure that there is no opposition; they want Nigeria to become a one party state, and I believe that this is a subtle way of destroying democracy in Nigeria.

    Jang observed that the Peoples Democratic Party didn’t intimidate APC: “when they won, we handed over power to them without any crises. Today, President Jonathan is being acknowledged as one of the greatest democrat; he did not argue, he congratulated President Buhari when it was announced that President Buhari won the election and they shook hands.”

    He urged them to also be prepared to congratulate the PDP and hand over power in 2019 when its candidate wins. “That is how democracy works. But when you say you want to start intimidating opposition so that you remain in power, it will not work in a country like Nigeria, we are not a banana republic. We are a nation getting to about 200 million people, the biggest black nation in the world and every black man is looking up to Nigeria to set the pace and I don’t think this is the way we can go about it.”

    Jang charged the security agencies to live up to expectations. “When I took over power as Plateau Governor in 2007, this crisis was on; for eight years, I was struggling with the security to get this crisis resolved. Now again, it has gone into a wider dimension. We were talking about Plateau then, but now, we are talking about Plateau, Taraba, Benue, Zamfara, it is going even down to the southern part of the country.

    “The security must stand up and live up to expectation. If the security is saying that the matter has gone beyond them, let the President ask the United Nations (UN) to come in.

  • Middle Belt shorlists Olawepo-Hashim, Gana, Jang, Mailafia for 2019

    Frontline businessman, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, was prominent amongst four presidential aspirants shortlisted by the influential Middle-Belt Forum for the 2019 presidential election.

    Olawepo-Hashim was named alongside former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia; and former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah Jang, amongst a dozen candidates that went through the rigorous screening.

    Chaired by Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, the panel reportedly shortlisted Olawepo-Hashim, the youngest amongst the four, for his deep knowledge of the economy arising from his successful  business endeavours, spanning the breadth of oil and gas , power, communications and marketing.

    The businessman’s urbane and cerebral qualities partly reflected in his feats in the University of Lagos and the Buckingham University where he was best student in his cohort, winning the MaxBerlof Award for Global affairs were also advantages.

    The first elected National Deputy Publicity Secretary of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olawepo-Hashim, the youngest of the aspirants screened, is seen as a potential force from the Middle-Belt region, good enough to attract first-time voters on the national voter register numbering over nine million apart from potential voters from the region and elsewhere.

    Other than this are his pro-democracy credentials beginning from his University of Lagos days and growing into his real life experiences, leading to his recognition as Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience in 1989.

    Detribalized with strong bridge-building credentials, his international exposure additionally appealed to the eighteen-member screening committee, spread across fourteen Middle-Belt states.

    The other candidates from the Middle-Belt who made the list of four were noted for also being formidable, given their respective pedigrees as minister and experienced politician (Prof. Jerry Gana); a former state chief executive (Senator Jang); and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank providing a good ground for understanding the economy, even though lesser known in politics (Dr. Mailafia). The four are to be presented to leaders in other geo-political regions, including the South-East, the South-West, amongst others for their inputs.

    Aside Commodore Dan Suleiman, who is former military administrator and one- time Nigerian envoy to Russia, other personalities on the screening panel include former Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Zamani Lekwot, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Ishaya Bamaiyi, former Governor of old Gongola State, Mr. Wilberfore Juta, former Governor of old Kwara State, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Mr. Sam Ada Maagbe and Chief John Odakun.

    The Middle-Belt region is an important section in the determination of the nation’s presid

  • Alleged N4b fraud: Court grants bail to Jang

    Justice Daniel Longji of Plateau High Court, Jos, on Thursday, granted bail to the immediate past governor of Plateau and Senator representing Plateau North, Jonah Jang.

    In his ruling, Justice Longji said the prosecution’s submission that Jang would jump bail and interfere with investigations was a mere speculation and without prove.

    He said he would not act on speculation to deny bail to the defendant, as he admitted Jang to N100 million bail and two sureties in like sum.

    Longji also granted bail to Pam Yusuf, a cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government, standing trial alongside Jang, in the sum of N50 million and two sureties in like sum.

    The judge said that in Jang’s case, one of the sureties must be a first class traditional ruler and the second a civil servant of not less than GL 17, and both must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

    He ordered that in Yusuf’s case, one of the sureties must be a permanent secretary with the state government, adding that the two must also submit their international passports to the court.

    He adjourned the matter until July 17, July 18 and July 19 for definite and accelerated hearing.

    Read Also: Alleged N4b fraud: Jang remanded in prison

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on Monday, May 7, preferred a 12-count charge bordering on alleged corruption and misappropriation on Jang.

    Jang is alleged to have misappropriated over N6 billion, two months to the end of his tenure as governor of Plateau in 2015.

    According to the charges, the former governor also embezzled over N4 billion from the state coffers through Pam Yusuf, who was a cashier in the office of the Secretary to the State Government.

    Yusuf, who is a co-defendant in the suit against Jang, is also facing another case of allegedly enriching himself to the tune of N11 million.

  • Atiku, others visit Jang in prison

    Notable politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have paid solidarity visit to former Plateau Governor Jonah Jane, being remanded in Jos prison over allegation of money laundry and misappropriation.

    Mr Luka Ayedoo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Plateau Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Jos.

    Justice Daniel Longji of the Plateau High Court, Jos, had on May 16 ordered that the Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly be remanded in prison after refusing him bail.

    Ayedoo listed others that also visited Jang at the weekend to include Prof. Jerry Gana, a PDP chieftain, some senators from the South-South region and Chief Chris Giwa, another PDP chieftain in Plateau.

    Read Also: Atiku: I’ll probe Buhari’s arms expenditure

    Ayedoo said: “at the weekend, we received Prof. Jerry Gana, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, senators and other notable Nigerians who came on solidarity visit to Sen. Jonah Jang.

    “Even though Jang is in prison custody, he still reserves the right to be visited and so we won’t deny him that right,” he said.

    The PRO, however, said restrictions were placed on the caliber of people to visit the former governor so as not to turn the prison yard into a political arena.

    “Those we give express permission to see him are few political allies, family members, his doctor and his lawyer, “he said.