The Nation Newspaper

Tag: looted

  • N8.6b looted from Benue agency’s account, panel told

    The Judicial Commission of Enquiry probing the eight-year tenure of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam said it has uncovered another N8.6 billion allegedly looted from the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

    The fund, the panel was told, was meant for the development of the 23 local government areas.

    The missing cash was allegedly diverted and handed over to the state branch of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) for unknown reasons.

    Testifying before the Justice Margaret Kpojime-led commission Mr Isaiah Ipevnor, a former accountant in the bureau, who served from 2008 till May, this year, confirmed that under the leadership of Prince Solomon Wombo, the bureau allegedly cornered N206 million Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) fund and paid it to ALGON.

    Ipevnor also told the commission that the bureau got N6.4 billion SURE-P fund, adding that there was no guideline on how to use the money.

    According to him, N3.5 million was transferred to the Joint Allocation Committee’s account under his watch.

    Ipevnor, who is now a Deputy Director of Accounts in the Ministry of Trade, Industries and Investment, said N58.8 million of the SURE-P cash was diverted to buy security vehicles, another N4 million was spent on the state’s swine cropping farm project.

    He said N50 million was given to Ashitech, a conglomerate said to belong to Suswam’s elder brother, Terkura, for the supply of Christmas rice approved by the Joint Allocation Accounts Committee (JAAC).

    When the panel sought to know why a man identified as Moses Adura withdrew N43 billion between November 2011 and May, this year, Ipevnor said he was not aware.

    He pleaded for time to enable him check the records in order to answer the question.

    The panel noted that from the records available to it, Adura withdrew at different times over N10 million from JAAC’s account.

     

  • Ijaw youths looted our shops, say Igbo traders

    Igbo traders in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, alleged yesterday that Ijaw youths, celebrating the reburial of Major Isaac Adaka Boro, looted their shops.

    The traders, who complained to the police, said over 1,000 of them were assaulted by the youths.

    They insisted that their goods and other valuables worth N100million were either looted or damaged by the youths.

    Boro, an Ijaw icon and martyr, was reburied at the Heroes Park amidst fanfare in Yenagoa on June 1.

    His remains were brought to the state on May 31 from Lagos through the Port Harcourt Airport.

    In a procession to receive his body, the Ijaw youths were said to have attacked traders, looting, destroying their goods and injuring them.

    The youths were said to be angry that the traders ignored the stay-at-home order the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) issued to all traders as a mark of honour to their hero.

    The victims also claimed that they were not adequately informed about the directive.

    Some of the victims said they were surprised when the youths swooped on them.

    Some of the victims were reportedly taken to undisclosed hospitals.

    The IYC President, Udengs Eradiri, said a notice was given on radio for all shops to be closed in honour of the Ijaw hero.

    The President of the state chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, Chinedu Ugwa, said they were making efforts to resolve the matter.