The Nation Newspaper

Tag: missing

  • ‘Our husbands still missing’

    ‘Our husbands still missing’

    Some of them told their wives and children they would soon be back. Will they ever return? That is the question that their loved ones have been seeking answers to since last Thursday.

    Their vehicle was ambushed by a cult group known as Ombatse at Nasarawa Eggon, Nasarawa State. The bodies of no fewer than 40 policemen have been found, burnt beyond recognition.

    Some of those whose bodies have not been found are: Sergeants Elisha Nugu, Gideon Fadah and Obadiah Yakubu – all of the 38 Squadron Police Mobile Police in Akwanga.

    Sergeant Nugu’s son, Gideon, 21, a final year student of Government Secondary School, Ubbe, Akwanga, said his hope of becoming a Customs officer has faded following the sudden disappearance of his father.

    Mr. Samuel Yakubu, the elder bother to Sergeant Obadiah Yakubu, who is reportedly missing, said: “We have not seen our brother’s body up till now.”

     

  • Ambrose missing in Rangers tie

    Ambrose missing in Rangers tie

    Kaduna United captain, Emmanuel Ambrose, missed his team’s Matchday 4 tie in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) against Enugu Rangers on Thursday.

    The centre-back sustained a burn to his ankle and has been left out the Crocodiles’ squad by the head coach, Ben Duamlong. Ambrose did not take part in the team’s training session on Wednesday following the injury.

    “Emmanuel will not play against Rangers (on Thursday). He turned up at training with a burn to his ankle yesterday (Wednesday). He has been checked by the team’s medical people and immediately ruled out of the game.

    “He actually suffered the burn to his ankle after boarding a motorcycle due to his car not being in order. The silencer of the motorcycle burnt part of his ankle and it led to the injury. He’s experiencing discomfort on the ankle. It’s unfortunate but this move to leave him out of the squad is meant to ensure that he doesn’t aggravate the injury,” said a club official to supersport.com.

    The time frame for which the Kaduna United defender, who is the younger brother of Nigeria defender, Efe Ambrose, would be out could not be ascertained. Duamlong will however have talented defensive midfielder, Isa Aminu, available for the game against Enugu Rangers at the Kaduna Township Stadium.

  • Mikel, Moses missing in Chelsea’s team

    Mikel, Moses missing in Chelsea’s team

    Chelsea FC will be without Nigerian duo John Obi Mikel and Victor moses when they take on Sparta Prague on Thursday 14 February 2013 as both players did not travel with the team.

    The Blues arrived in the Czech Republic ahead of Thursday’s night Europa League clash against Sparta Prague, and manager Rafael Benitez has a 19-man squad to select from.

    The club confirmed that the manager Rafael Benitez is shorn of the services of four players, with David Luiz and Demba Ba joining John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses on the unavailable list. Both Mikel and Moses are yet to return to the club having helped Nigeria to Africa Cup of Nations success last Sunday. Luiz who returned to the side in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Wigan Athletic having missed the previous three matches is serving a suspension after picking up three yellow cards.

    Demba Ba is cup-tied for the game having already represented former club Newcastle United earlier in the competition. Captain John Terry missed the Wigan game due to an inflammation of his knee however travelled with the team.

    Benitez and a player addressed the media on Wednesday evening, before the players underwent a training session at the Generali Arena.

     

  • Mystery over missing corps member deepens

    SHE was about completing her Youth Service when she disappeared. Four years after, her whereabouts remain unknown. Her family is worried and has not stopped asking: “Where is Antonia Ogechukwu Okeke?”

    She was serving in Ilawe, a community in Ekiti State, when she disappeared.

    Her octogenarian father, Raphael Okeke, who spoke with The Nation yesterday from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, appealed to Ekiti State government, the police, his community and Nigerians to join in the search for his daughter.

    In 2008, Anthonia was deployed in Ilawe-Ekiti in Ekiti South West Local Government Area Ekiti for her primary assignment, but a few weeks to the end of the one-year service, she disappeared. Her colleagues concluded their service in February 2009.

    Anthonia with registration number EK/08A/1046 studied Chemical Engineering at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State. She belonged to the Batch ‘A’ set of the 2008/2009 service year.

    Lamenting what he described as “inexplicable slowness in prosecuting my daughter’s supposed kidnappers despite clean and clear evidence”, Okeke said: “The thought of missing my daughter in such a mysterious circumstance has kept killing me by the day.

    “I just want to wish everyone well that no father will suffer what I am suffering now. I want to appeal to all to join the search for my daughter. There is nothing I can do again. Four years after the disappearance of Antonia and after spending everything I had without getting anywhere, I don’t have any option than to appeal that those behind my daughter’s disappearance be made to produce her.”

    Antonia’s elder brother, Obinna, expressed frustration at the “perceived slowness of the court in prosecuting the culprits.”

    “May I say that although the prime suspect, Theophilus Pius, is still at the Federal Prisons, the entire handling of the case by the courts leaves much to be desired as the other suspect in the case, a herbalist, has been released.

    “We are all aware of some other cases in this country and we know what treatments were given to them. Why can’t the courts be equally expeditious and concerned about this case? Should better treatment be given to those who are higher on social standing all the time? Why should we not be frustrated when such undeniable evidence were found in the room of the suspect when it was searched? I was with the team and we found my sister’s telephone battery, corps member’s stockings and battery charger hidden under a Ghana-must-go bag. All these are undeniable.”

    The family’s hope is on the outcome of the case which, The Nation learnt, is pending in court. But the case could not reopen yesterday at the Ekiti State High Court, Ikere Ekiti because of the prosecutor’s absence. The defence, led by Miss Ekianinima Okoyin, had noted its preparedness to file an application for bail in respect of the accused person, Mr. Theophilus Pius.

    Justice Adekunle Adeleye, who adjourned the case till February 20, noted his awareness that recent postings in the Department of Public Prosecution might explain the prosecutor’s absence.

  • I’m not missing my brother — Ike Uche

    I’m not missing my brother — Ike Uche

    Villarreal ace, Ikechukwu Uche says he is not missing his elder brother Kalu Uche since the AFCON 2013 kicked-off on January 19.

    “I don’t really have anything to say about that, he’s been here before I played. Well, now that he’s not, I have to play well too.”

    On the quarter-final game against Ivory Coast, the Eagles striker said: “We are soccer professionals so we have to be ready for any game; the question of if Nigeria is ready for Ivory Coast is of no need as we all came here to win.

    “More so, if we were not confident of ourselves, we would have been sent packing from the championship.”

    When the Yellow Submarines ace was reminded that he is yet to score an AFCON 2013 goal despite having emerged as Nigeria’s top scorer in the qualifiers, Ike Uche replied: “As a striker, my duty is to score goals. I can assure you that my goals will come.”

  • Zenke missing in Nancy’s victory

    Zenke missing in Nancy’s victory

    Nancy moved into the last 16 of the Coupe de France as they overcame fancied Nice on penalties but Nigerian striker Simon Zenke was not in action.

    Zenke with just a goal to his name since making a switch from Turkey is believed to be plotting his exit from the relegation-threatened side having failed to settle fast into the team at Nancy

    Nice is fourth in Ligue 1 and it took the lead against bottom side Nancy through Alexy Bosetti after seven minutes.

    However, the visitor went ahead through Paul Alo’o Efoulou’s doufble (23, 57) only for Dario Cvitanich to equalise in the last minute and make it 2-2.

    The teams could not be separated in extra-time and Nancy showed character, despite having been denied victory over 90 minutes, to win 4-2 on penalties.

    Nancy has won just once in the league this season but the cup seems to be offering light relief.

  • Faro camp: Emenike’s luggage missing

    Faro camp: Emenike’s luggage missing

    Russia-based strikers Emmanuel Emenike and Ahmed Musa as well as Ogenyi Onazi from Italy have joined the Super Eagles in Portugal.

    The three players arrived in the Nigeria AFCON training camp by lunch time on Sunday and were immediately checked into their rooms, with Onazi, explaining that they could have been in earlier but spent time waiting for Emenike’s luggage which did not arrive with the plane from Lisbon to Faro, but will now be expected on this morning’s flight to the Eagles camp site.

    After exchanging banters with team officials led by coach Stephen Keshi they joined teammates in having their lunch and just as they were about rounding off, the fourth player to arrive on Sunday, Raheem Lawal, who now plays in the Turkish second division, showed up.

    The four players were expected to take part in training yesterday evening, as more players continued to hit camp for the friendly against Catalonia as part of preparations for the Nations Cup.

    At the last count, nine foreign-based pros have arrived the Faro training camp.

    Keshi had said he expects at least 11 foreign-based players to feature in the friendly against Catalonia on Wednesday.

  • Missing key stalls Lagos Speaker’s trial

    The inability of court officials to present the key to the exhibit safe yesterday stalled the trial of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his aide, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi.

    The proceedings progressed smoothly, with the prosecution witness, Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi, tendering three documents.

    Prosecution counsel Godwin Obla requested that some earlier tendered exhibits be produced, so that Adeniyi could read them.

    Parties were stunned when Justice Okechukwu Okeke said the key to the exhibit safe was not found.

    Justice Okeke said: “As it is, the key to where the exhibits are kept has been misplaced. We have to take another date.”

    The trial was adjourned till February 18.

    Ikuforiji and Atoyebi are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged money laundering.

    They are facing a 20-count charge in which they are accused of accepting about N501 million cash payment from the House without going through a financial institution, an act the EFCC argued violated the the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.

    Before the adjournment, Obla tendered three more documents through Adeniyi, in addition to the 19 he earlier tendered.

    They include a statement and two registers – the Chico Cash Register and Bulk Register.

    Adeniyi said the registers were obtained from the Assembly’s Accounts Department.

    He testified that the accused persons admitted, in their separate statements, that they received cash payments from the House.

    Led in evidence by Obla, Adeniyi told the court that some registers obtained from the Accounts Department also showed that the cash payments received by the accused persons were above “the threshold of law”.

    Adeniyi said the registers showed mode of payments, revealing whether such payment was made by cash or cheques.

    He said the registers also showed the recipients and their signatures.

    Adeniyi said: “From our investigation, we discovered that cash payments above the threshold of law were made to or given to the first accused (Ikuforiji) through the second accused (Atoyebi).”

     

  • N195b pension funds still missing, says Senate

    N195b pension funds still missing, says Senate

    The Senate yesterday said the Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, has failed to account for the N195 billion pension funds.

    Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Service, Establishment, Local and State Governments, Senator Kabiru Gaya, spoke at the resumed public hearing on the management of pension funds.

    He said they have discovered from the submissions by the Accountant-General of the Federation that N195 billion pension funds were not accounted for.

    Gaya noted that in the Head of Service alone, N139, 056, 523, 955. 20 was released, N100, 641, 106,957. 33 was paid to pensioners with a balance of N39, 783, 682, 993. 00 unaccounted for.

    In the Police Service Pension Office, he said N131.5 billion was released in five years, but only N58.3 billion was paid to pensioners, while N44. 2 billion is yet to be accounted for.

    In Customs, Immigration and Prisons Pension Office, he said N85, 249, 222, 900. 16 was released, NN27, 452, 200, 993.72 paid to pensioners, leaving a balance of N27, 797, 822, 127. 00 unaccounted for.

    In Military Pension Board, he said N317, 609, 082, 566. 05 was released, N294, 076, 743, 532. 87 paid to pensioners with a balance of N23, 532, 339, 034. 00 unaccounted for.

    In the Department of State Service Pension Office, he said N34, 698, 149, 304. 68 billion was released, N9, 413, 090, 416. 00 paid to pensioners with a balance of N26, 121, 394, 662. 63 unaccounted for.

    Gaya said the releases were made between 2005 and 2011 by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

    He said: “This money belongs to the masses and it is expected that it should be accounted for.

    “If everybody is allowed to grab as much as he could get, what are we going to bequeath to our children?

    “Some people feel that because they have godfathers, that no one can bring them to judgment. They should realise that God is watching.”

    The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Aloysius Etok, expressed concern that Maina had refused to honour the committee’s invitation.

    He gave the PRTT boss till 11 am today to appear before the committee or the committee would go ahead to present its report to the Senate.

    “After the submission of our report, the Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team organised several media fora, where he claimed that he, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina, was not given a fair hearing during the investigation of the management of the pension fund.

    “The issue is that we gave him opportunity for a fair hearing, but he refused to appear before the committee until we issued a warrant of arrest.

    “There is no law that states that if one is sued to court and he refuses to appear, the court will not go ahead to deliver judgment.

    “We went out of our way to issue a warrant of arrest before he could appear before the committee.

    “It was as a result of all these that we now decided to invite him again so that he could have the fair hearing.

    “We want to give Maina the last chance and this committee, which represents the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is saying that whosoever is behind Maina’s arrogance should know that his time is up and the masses want him to account for his stewardship.

    “He should appear before this committee tomorrow (today) at 11 am without fail.

    “If he doesn’t come tomorrow (today), the committee will proceed to hold the public hearing and we will take presentations from the Prison Service, Police and other agencies.

    “We will get all the presentations, make up our case and tell the public what we have discovered in the course of our investigations.”

    The committee also invited the Comptroller-General of Customs, Comptroller-General of Prisons, Chairman of ICPC, Chairman of EFCC, Head of Service, Director of Pension and Director of Police Pension Office, Shaibu Tedi, to appear before it today.

  • Ribadu Panel’s report: N86.6b oil cash missing

    Ribadu Panel’s report: N86.6b oil cash missing

    A Federal Government committee headed by former anti-corruption agency chief Nuhu Ribadu has unearthed a cesspool of fraud and corruption in the oil industry.

    About N86.65 billion earned in 10 years by oil giant Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is missing, according to the committee’s report.

    Billions of dollars of revenue is missing in unpaid debt from signature bonuses and royalties, the report said.

    It recommended, among others, that the NNPC be partially reorganised or scrapped, according to Reuters, quoting part of the 141-page study, carried out at the behest of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    The 21-member committee was set up as Revenue Task Force by President Goodluck Jonathan among adhoc bodies set up by the government following the removal of subsidy on petroleum products in January which was greeted by protests.

    The report provides new details on Nigeria’s “long history” of corruption in the oil sector.

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke told Reuters on Tuesday she received the report last month, but that it was a draft and the government was still supposed to give input. The one seen by Reuters was labeled “Final Report”.

    The report concluded that oil majors Shell, Total and Eni made bumper profits from cut-price gas, while Nigerian oil ministers handed out licences at their own discretion. This, while not illegal, did not follow best practice of using open bids. Hundreds of millions of dollars in signature bonuses on those deals were also missing, it said.

    “We have not seen this report and are, therefore, unable to comment on the content, but we will study it if and when it is published,” a Shell spokesman said.

    The report alleges international oil traders sometimes buy crude without any formal contracts, and the state oil firm had short-changed the Nigerian treasury billions over the last 10 years by selling crude oil and gas to itself below market rates.

    There was no suggestion that the oil majors or traders had done anything illegal, but the report highlighted a lack of transparency in their dealings.

    “It is a draft,” Alison-Madueke said. “There will be some areas where the government … may have a slightly different opinion … (and) will put its point of view to the committee.”

    She said she expects the final report to be with President Goodluck Jonathan within two weeks.

    “The estimated cumulative of the deficit between value obtainable on the international market and what is currently being obtained from NLNG, over the 10-year period amounts to approximately $29 billion,” the report said.

    It also said foreign oil firms had outstanding debts.

    Addax, now a unit of China’s state-owned Sinopec, owes Nigeria $1.5 billion in unpaid royalties, part of a $3 billion black hole of unpaid bonuses and royalties owed by oil firms.