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Tag: Murtala Nyako

  • Alleged N29bn fraud: Buhari’s death stalls settlement in ex-Gov Nyako, others’ trial

    Alleged N29bn fraud: Buhari’s death stalls settlement in ex-Gov Nyako, others’ trial

    The planned settlement of the alleged N29bn fraud case involving the former Governor of Adamawa State, Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd) and others was stalled before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday owing to the death of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Nyako is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his son, Abdul-Aziz on charges of criminal conspiracy and abuse of office to the tune of N29bn.

    Also being prosecuted with them are two companies, Sebore Farms and Extension Ltd and Pagado Fortunes Ltd as well as Zulkifik Abba, Abubakar Aliyu, Blue Opal Ltd, Tower Assets Management Ltd, and Crust Energy Ltd.

    At the mention of the case on Friday, prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, (SAN) told the court that, in view of Buhari’s death, the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) was unable to meet with other parties to resolve outstanding issues in the settlement.

    Jacobs further stated that the AGF asked him to seek a short adjournment.

    READ ALSO: Yahaya Bello weds fourth wife in private ceremony

    Lawyer to Nyako, Mathew Onoja did not object to Jacobs’ request for a short adjournment. Lawyers to the other defendants also agreed with Jacobs.

    Ruling, Justice Peter Lifu held that since none of the defence counsel objected to the adjournment request he was minded to grant it.

    Justice Lifu noted that since the court had taken judicial notice of the seven-day mourning period declared by the federal government, the case would be adjourned till July 25.

    Jacobs had, on the last adjourned date, told the court that both parties had started discussions on the possibility of settling the matter out-of-court.

    The defendants were first arraigned before Justice Evoh Chukwu (now late) on July 8, 2015. 

    The case began afresh on September 12, 2016 before Justice Okon Abang following the death of Justice Chukwu on June 8, 2016 after the EFCC had called five witnesses.

    Before Justice Abang, the prosecution called 21 witnesses and closed its case, following which the defendants made a no-case submission.

    In a ruling on July 19, 2021, Justice Abang dismissed the defendants’ no-case submission and ordered them to enter their defence, a decision they appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja 

    In a judgment on January 18, 2022 the Court of Appeal dismissed their appeal and ordered them to go before the trial court and enter their defence.

    Before the trial could resume at the Federal High Court after Court of Appeal’s ruling, Justice Abang was elevated, following which the case was reassigned to Justice Lifu.

  • N29bn alleged fraud: Court admits more evidence against Nyako

    The Federal High Court Abuja on Monday, has admitted in evidence, documents tendered by the prosecution, through the 20th prosecution witness,  Mr Chris Odofin, in the N29 billion fraud trial filed against a former governor of Adamawa, Murtala Nyako.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nyako is being prosecuted alongside his sons, Sen. Abdul-Aziz Nyako, Abubakar Aliyu and Zulkifikk Abba on a 37-count charge of criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.

    Some of the documents admitted in evidence include a certified true copy of a document captured ‘Blue Opal Nigeria Limited and Blue Opal sales details.’

    The charge was preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).

    Five companies, Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms & Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited, were equally charged before the court as the 5th to 9th defendants.

    The witness was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    READ ALSO: After Nyako, what next for Adamawa?

    Odofin told the court that in the course of investigating the case, Mohammed Maji-Iro and Abdulmalik Dalhatu were invited by the commission to give statements, but that they both died before the matter was charged to court.

    He also told the court that Mr. Kobis Ari-Thumnu, former Secretary to the State Government of Adamawa and Mahmud Nyako also made statements to the EFCC, but when the matter was charged to court, all efforts to reach them were futile.

    The defence counsel in court led by Mr. Ibrahim Isiaku (SAN) prayed the court to adjourn the matter to enable them prepare to cross examine the witness.

    The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang adjourned the matter until April 10 for the defence to cross-examine Odofin.

  • ‘Lack of empowerment programmes cause of drug abuse, thuggery’

    A former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, has commenced a courtesy tour of the state with a charge on the electorate to vote in 2019 for credible candidates, especially for those who would empower them, as lack of empowerment programmes is responsible for prevailing drug abuse and thuggery perpetuated by youths in the state.
    Murtala Nyako whose long convoy spent all of Thursday touring Toungo, Ganye and Jada local government  areas in the southern zone of the state,  said his visit was to thank the people for their support during his administration.
    Nyako who governed Adamawa State between 2007 and 2014, said at the palace of Gangwari Ganye, “It is obvious for us to vote into power, credible people who would bring  empowerment and job creation. We must also vote for a government that would provide quality education to our children in the state.”
    Earlier, the Gangwari Ganye, Alhaji Umar Adamu Sanda, assured that the state and its people would tap from the wealth of experience of the former governor in view of positions he held in the past. “The state is fortunate to have you as son of the soil. Your track records and wealth of experience will serve as catalog for reference to all,” the Ganye paramount ruler said.

    Read Also: Clamping down on drug abuse

    Nyako who hails from Mayo Belwa, another LGA in southern Adamawa, served in the Nigerian Navy for 30 years, rising to the rank of a vice admiral and becoming the military governor of Niger State from February 1976 to December 1977 and then as Chief of Naval Staff between 1990 and 1992.
    Nyako started his Thursday tour from Ganye to Toungo and then to Jada, and had interactions with political stakeholders and his supporters, and  discussed on state and local politics, expressing optimism of better days ahead.
    The retired Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako is in the All Progressives Congress (APC), but his son, Sen Abzulazeez Nyako who left the APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

  • Justice Nyako withdraws from suits against Magu

    …Commission queries her impartiality over husband, step-son’s trial

     

    Justice Binta Nyako, one of the wives of former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, withdrew on Tuesday from cases involving the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

    Most of the cases, 19 in all, are querying the propriety of Magu’s continued occupation of the headship of the EFCC even after his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari was rejected twice by the Senate.

    Read Also:EFCC seeks transfer of cases from Justice Nyako

    Announcing her withdrawal on Tuesday, Justice Nyako hinged her decision on the persistent request by the EFCC that the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Kafarati transfer the cases from her court in view of the ongoing trial of her husband and step son, Abdulazeez (a serving Senator) by the commission.

    Ex-Governor Nyako and his son, Abdulazeez are being tried with some other on corruption related charges before Justice Okon Abang (another judge of the Federal High Court). The trial is ongoing at the Federal High Court Abuja, where Justice Nyako also sits.

    Earlier on Tuesday, Justice Nyako drew the attention of lawyers in the cases to some number of letters by the EFCC, to the court’s Chief Judge, demanding the re-assignment of the cases to any other judge.

    The judge said the fear expressed by the EFCC, to the effect that EFCC’s prosecution of her husband and step son would affect her decision, was unwarranted.

    Justice Nyako said the trial of her husband and his son would not affect her decision in the cases. She noted that any party, dissatisfied with her decision in the suits has the right of appealing.

    The judge noted that since justice was rooted in confidence, she was left with no option that to withdraw from the cases and return them to the Chief Judge for re-assignment.

    A plaintiff in one of the cases, Wale Balogun said the EFCC’s request for the re-assignment of the cases was without basis. He noted that the EFCC has, before now, won some cases, particularly those relating to forfeiture of assets of suspects, before the judge.

    Balogun noted that it was a ploy by the EFCC to delay the determination cases.

    Justice Nyako, after announcing her withdrawal on Tuesday, adjourned the cases indefinitely, pending their re-assignment to another judge.

    Most of the cases relate to the dispute over whether or not Magu could continue to occupy the headship of the EFCC without the confirmation of his nomination by the Senate.

    The court had, earlier in the year, upon a directive by the court’s Chief Judge, directed that all cases relating to the non-confirmation of Magu be transferred to Justice Nyako’s court for determination.

    When all the cases were all concentrated in her court by virtue of the Chief Judge’s directive, Justice Nyako, with the agreement of all lawyers in the case, elected to consolidate all the cases a render a single judgment that will bind all, because most of the issues were similar.

    Magu had, in a July 30, 2018 letter, to the lawyer handling the cases for the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, requested that he take steps towards ensuring the re-assignment of the cases.

    Magu had stressed in the letter that the transfer was necessary “to avoid bias and conflict of interest because the commission is prosecuting the spouse and step-son of His Lordship, namely Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd), and Senator Abdulazeez Nyako, respectively”.

    The letter with reference number EFCC/EC/GC/31/2133 and titled ‘Authority to apply for re-assignment of all cases involving Ibrahim M. Magu pending before the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako’, was personally signed by the Acting Chairman of EFCC.

    Part of the letter reads: “You have my instruction to make appropriate application for the re-assignment of all cases involving Mr. Ibrahim M. Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, pending before the Honourable Justice Binta Nyako.”

    Based on Magu’s letter, Shittu wrote a letter dated July 31, 2018, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, demanding that the cases be transferred to any other judges.

    Shittu’s letter reads: “Respectfully, we have been briefed by our clients to seek a transfer of all pending consolidated involving our clients before His Lordship, Hon. Justice Binta Nyako, to another judge of the Federal High Court for reasons stated in our clients’ letter addressed to our firm dated July 30, 2018,” he stated.

    Again, Shittu wrote a reminder on October 5, 2018 addressed to the Registrar of the Federal High Court, drawing attention to his earlier letter, which was yet to be acted on.

    The October 5 letter reads: “Respectfully, we write to draw His Lordship’s attention to our letter dated 31st July, 2018, addressed to the honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court conveying our client’s request to the Chief Judge to the Federal High Court that all matter concerning the subject matter above be transferred from this honourable court for reasons contained on our clients attaches letter.

    “Respectfully we tremble in requesting that out client’s position be respected in the interest of justice in this matter.

    “Kindly draw His Lordship attention to our clients ‘ predicament as expressed in attached letter now receiving the consideration of His Lordship, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.”

    Copies of the October 5 letter were sent to lawyers to parties in the affected cases, including the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Dayo Apata, who represents President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    The affected cases are: Barr Bello Bakari vs. AGF; Abubakar Sani vs.the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Jibrin Samuel Okutepa vs. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Lady Chidinma Udebani.

    Others are the Incorporated Trustees of Justice Mission International vs. AGF;  Barr Alia Jamilu vs. President, Federal Republic of Nigeria & 4 others; Emmanuel Esero vs. Ibrahim Magu;  the Registered Trustees of African Patriotic Youth Assembly vs. Ibrahim Magu & 6 others.

    There are also the cases involving Wale Balogun vs. the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and 4 others; Chijioke Kanu vs. AGF and Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi vs. the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria and 3 others.

     

  • Nyako gets court’s permission to travel abroad for treatment

    Nyako gets court’s permission to travel abroad for treatment

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday granted former Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

    The court also granted Mr. Zulkifik Abba, who is the 3rd defendant in the suit, permission to travel abroad.

    Justice Okon Abang gave the permission after hearing two applications filed by Nyako and Abba’s counsel seeking permission to travel abroad.

    Justice Abang, in his ruling, said he granted the application since the prosecuting counsel raised no objection.

    The judge added that he was inclined to grant the permission because Nyako, Abba and other defendants were always in court for their trial.

    He said: “The 1st defendant has not taken any step to truncate or frustrate his trial; and has always conducted himself well and obediently before the court.

    “In the case of the 3rd defendant, he has been granted leave to travel abroad before and he honoured the conditions given him by the court, especially by returning his international passport to the court authority as ordered.

    “I have no reasons at all to doubt the sincerity of the 1st defendant in travelling abroad for medical check-up and the 3rd defendant to see his family overseas.

    “I am inclined to grant the two applications and therefore make the following consequential orders.

    “The Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is ordered to temporarily release the international passport of Nyako to enable him travel to Germany for a routine medical check-up.

    “The passport of the 3rd defendant should be released to enable him travel to the United Kingdom to see his children who are citizens there.”

    Justice Abang ordered that the two defendants shall return their passports to the chief registrar on or before September 25.

    He adjourned the matter till September 25 for continuation of trial.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on August 7, 2015, arraigned Nyako on a 37-count charge of money laundering.

    He was arraigned along with his son, Abdulaziz, who is a serving senator, Zulkifikk Abba, Abubakar Aliyu and five firms.

    The EFCC alleged that Nyako and his co-defendants diverted N29 billion belonging to the Adamawa State Government.

    NAN

     

  • I never signed N400bn payment vouchers for Nyako, others – Witness

    I never signed N400bn payment vouchers for Nyako, others – Witness

    Mr Ibrahim Emmanuel, a prosecution witness in the ongoing N40billion fraud trial of former Adamawa governor, Murtala Nyako, said he never signed payment voucher for any of the defendants in the case.

    Emmanuel, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, made the declaration on Wednesday before a Federal High Court, Abuja, during cross-examination by one of the defence counsel, Mr Olumide Olujimi.

    He said that as the permanent secretary, he was the chief accounting officer and that whenever the accountant brought monies from the bank, the beneficiaries would collect and utilise it for various purposes.

    Emmanuel further added that at no time did Nyako, his son or any of the other seven defendants benefit from such monies.

    Earlier, while being led in evidence by Mr Rotimi Jacobs, the prosecuting counsel, Emmanuel said that as the chief accounting officer of the ministry, the accountant always brought the cash from the bank to him before disbursing to the various beneficiaries.

    Recall that Nyako and his son, Sen. Abdulaziz Murtala-Nyako, are standing trial for alleged N40 billion fraud.

    The former governor and his son, who is a serving senator, are facing a 37-count charge bordering on money laundering alongside two others, Zulkifik Abba and Abubakar Aliyu.

    They allegedly diverted the funds from the Adamawa treasury between January 2011 and December, 2014.

    The funds were allegedly diverted through five companies – Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms &amp, Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited.

    Justice Okon Abang adjourned the case until May 4 for the continuation of trial.

  • Court adjourns Nyako’s trial to Wednesday

    Court adjourns Nyako’s trial to Wednesday

    Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday adjourned the trial of ex- Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako and his son, Sen. Abdulaziz Murtala-Nyako till Wednesday for continuation of hearing.

    Abang adjourned the case after taking the testimony of two witnesses – Remigus Ugwu and Nsan Ogar – both staff of Zenith and Access banks respectively.

    Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the witnesses said that they were both compliance officers responsible for answering inquiries from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concerning customers’ accounts.

    During cross examination, Nyako’s counsel, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN), sought to know from Ugwu if he was testifying only because the previous witness Olabode Farinuola ran away from the trial.

    Ugwu, however, told the court that he was testifying because Farinuola had resigned his appointment with the bank.

    He also told the court that he did not certify or co-signed any of the documents he tendered on Monday.

    One of the defence counsel, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), on his part reminded the witness that he was under oath to speak the truth.

    Maikyau asked the witness why he pushed the Bible on the floor while tendering documents on Monday, adding that it was indicative of the fact that he had no regards for the Bible and would therefore not tell the truth.

    Ugwu, however, said he was a Christian and would never have intentionally pushed the Bible on the floor.

     

  • Court admits documents of Nyako’s over 30 bank accounts

    Court admits documents of Nyako’s over 30 bank accounts

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday admitted in evidence documents comprising account opening documents and statements of account of over 30 accounts allegedly used by former Adamawa Governor, Murtala Nyako.

    The documents were produced by a prosecution witness, Mr Remigius Ugwu, a staff of Zenith Bank.

    Ugwu told the court that as a compliance officer of the bank, he worked closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigeria Police.

    According to him, I respond to their enquiries and request in respect to customers’ accounts.

    Ugwu told the court that he worked together with a former prosecution witness, Mr Olabode Farinuola who in the course of the trial went on annual leave and subsequently resigned his appointment with the bank.

    Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, made an application for the substitution of a prosecution witness.

    Trial judge, Justice Okon Abang granted the request since there was no objection from the defence.

    Abang adjourned the matter till Feb. 21 for continuation of trial.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the absence of a prosecution witness had stalled proceedings in the matter on Jan. 25.

    The prosecuting counsel, Mr A.O. Atolagbe had told the court that the proceedings for the day was to get the response of the defence to the admissibility or otherwise of some documents tendered by a witness.

    He, however, said that the witness was not in court because he was on leave and outside Abuja.

    The defence counsel, Mr Ibrahim Isiaku (SAN), who said he was holding the brief of Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN) on that day urged the court to adjourn the matter since the witness was not in court.

    Abang had frowned at the prosecution’s thinking that the matter could go on without the witness present in court.

    He said that it was the position of the law that the witness must be in court since the said document sought to be tendered involved him.

    He said that the prosecution had failed to give a reasonable excuse as to why the witness was not in court.

    Nyako and his son, Sen. Abdulaziz Murtala-Nyako are standing trial over alleged N40 billion fraud.

    The father and son, who is a serving senator are facing a 37-count money laundering charges, alongside two others, Zulkifik Abba and Abubakar Aliyu.

    They allegedly diverted the funds from the Adamawa treasury between January 2011 and December 2014.

    The funds were allegedly diverted through five companies – Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms &Amp Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited.

    The companies were also charged before the court as the 5th to 9th defendants. (NAN)

  • Why Nigerians must support Army

    Why Nigerians must support Army

    I just watched the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai on Television after he visited troops in Geidam Community of Yobe State, as a result of Wednesday’s attack by Boko Haram militants who over-ran the military.

    Tn the attack, the insurgents killed 3 soldiers, carted away many weapons and ammunition abandoned by the military on the run and looted mostly food and petroleum products from the popular Wednesday market.

    I was particularly touched by the honesty of General Buratai who was obviously angry with the troops who had run away from Geidam town.

    In his words, the General said “How can you allow these criminals over-run you? How can you run away from this rag-tag and untrained criminals? You allowed them to operate here for 12hours unchallenged. You refused to come back until they withdrew.”

    On the surface, the words of COAS Buratai are very hurtful to the image of the Nigerian Army but this is the painful reality today.

    The Nigerian Army seems to be overwhelmed and demoralized.

    The image of the Nigerian Army has suffered so much damages in the eyes of Nigerians and the international community mainly because of the way they have handled the war against Boko Haram in the past 3years.

    These insurgents have repeatedly, for over 2years, embarked upon massive propaganda using social media to demonize the Nigerian Army.

    They have through so many online propaganda and campaigns portrayed our army as a weak and a cowardly army that cannot stand to fight.

    Many online media and personalities helped the insurgents to achieve their propaganda campaigns either intentionally or otherwise.

    It is important for us to know that all wars are fought both on ground, air, sea, land and in the minds of all parties involved in the war and most importantly in the psyche of the citizens. To win this war against Boko Haram, we must conquer the minds of Boko Haram with fear, win over our allies and friends by convincing them our army is capable and reliable and also boost the confidence of our troops through citizenry support since the morale of our troops are boosted when they know the citizens of their country are solidly behind them.

    The Nigerian Army and our other security agencies are our last line of defense against these barbarians since we cannot defend ourselves against their satanic attacks. If not for the efforts of the Nigerian Military and our other security agencies, these barbarians would have taken over the entire nation, enforced their barbaric and misguided religious tenets on all of us, restricted us to their false Sambisa sharia law system, forced our Sisters into sex slavery like they have done to the Chibok Girls and make us live in perpetual fear of terror.

    [quote font_size=”18″ font_style=”italic” bgcolor=”#000000″ bcolor=”#e2e2e2″]We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.”  ― Winston S. Churchill[/quote]

    If not for the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, many Muslims and Christians across our country would not be able to go to the mosque on Fridays or the church on Sundays.

    Boko Haram seeks to destroy Christianity and Islam and do not wish any of us well, Nigerians, irrespective of religious consideration, party affiliation and tribal affinity, must realize that Boko Haram are our common enemies and not just the Nigerian Army’s.

    The Army means well and are doing their very best to protect us all despite the overwhelming odds, they need our support at all times.

    This was what the opposition party in the days of President Goodluck Jonathan was admonished with but they refused to listen. They politicized everything.

    Sadly, they politicized the attempt by the former president to list Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO); they politicized the procurement of arms to prosecute the war; they politicized appointments of service chiefs; they politicized State of Emergency in the North East; they politicized Chibok and turned it into a campaign tool against Jonathan.

    The PDP-led Federal Government and the Nigerian Army, for inexplicable reasons, chose to see issues as an appendage of the PDP rather than the federal government.

    Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, now governor of Kaduna State and many leading APC chieftains then referred to the Nigerian army as Jonathan’s army. They politicized everything as regards the fight against the deadly sect.

    At some point in time, their presidential candidate now President Muhammadu Buhari called an attack against Boko haram an attack against Northern Nigeria.

    If the political class and all Nigerians had supported the then Federal Government and our security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram, may be we would have long won the war.

    The politicization of the war against Boko Haram caused more damage than good on the whole nation. Those who saw the war against Boko Haram as an avenue for them to keep scoring needless and cheap political points in the North, sabotaged the efforts of our security agencies.

    They got the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to issue endless press releases kicking against the ban on Boko Haram and the plan of the then FG to list Boko Haram as an FTO which was needed to get arms from our allies to effectively prosecute the war.

    And finally, when Boko Haram was listed as an FTO, they began another campaign against the army saying former Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Ihejirika was also a sponsor of Boko Haram and was the one supplying arms to Boko Haram on the orders of former president Jonathan.

    Their allegations were so scary and consistent that our allies became skeptical of supplying us with arms, and the United States and Israel refused selling arms to us to fight the deadly sect.

    We had to turn to Russia for help. As if that was not enough, the former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako even did the unbelievable, accusing the FG of genocide against Northern Nigeria and suggested that federal troops were the ones dropping arms for Boko Haram with helicopters.

    Furthermore, it was Mallam El-Rufai that built a propaganda foundation which suggested that former President Jonathan was the one sponsoring Boko Haram against the North.

    He also tried to bring in the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ex-Niger Delta Militants and others as possible sponsors of the terrorist group. El-rufai ensured he poisoned the minds of young people from the North and many of his followers on social media against the then president Jonathan by maintaining this lie. He further justified this lie when he spoke at Chatham House by presenting a table to justify his propaganda theory.

    The questions all Nigerians must now begin to ask those who refused to support the former administration of Goodluck Jonathan and our security agencies in their fight against Boko Haram then and who are suddenly supporting the Federal Government and the army now is, what has changed? Is Goodluck Jonathan still the one sponsoring Boko Haram with the help of his Niger Delta ex-militants? Is CAN still the one sponsoring Boko Haram? Explanations were offered to APC on why they should see the battle against the terrorists as a national issue rather than treated as a political one just for parochial and mundane reasons, that where national security is concerned, we must not play politics with it but they did not listen.

    They threw caution to the wind and were playing loudly to the gallery. Now see where that has gotten us to, in just 120 days of president Buhari taking over, the deadly group has killed more than 1,300 Nigerians and bombed Abuja twice.

    The message here is this, the enemy is Boko Haram, not the Federal Government, not president Buhari, and definitely not our ever caring Nigerian Army and the security agencies who daily spend their days in the heat and their nights in the cold while the rest of us spend times with families in the comfort of our homes.

    The military deserves our respect and support as they remain in the forefront in the fight against these barbarians.

     

    Deji Adeyanju is a Member of the PDP

    He writes from Abuja and can be contacted:

    Twitter: @adeyanjudeji

    Email: dejiadeyanju_1979@yahoo.co.uk

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  • Boko Haram: Ekweremadu to lead Senators to Adamawa

    Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will today lead some Senators to Adamawa State as part of Senate’s move to obtain first hand information on the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

    The visit will also take the lawmakers to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state.

    This is sequel to the resolution of the upper chamber on the need to establish a Presidential Intervention Committee for the rehabilitation of the North East.

    The motion was sponsored by Senators George Thompson Sekibo (River East) and 35 others on the urgent need to establish a Presidential Intervention Committee for the rehabilitation of the North East zone being ravaged by the insurgents.

    Apart from Ekweremadu, Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki also listed other Senators on the trip to include Senators Ahmed Lawan, (Yobe North) Murtala Nyako, (Adamawa Central) Binta Garba, (Adamawa North), Ahmadu Abubakar, (Adamawa South) George Sekibo, (Rivers East), Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South) and Bashir Marafa (Taraba State).

    Saraki had on Monday led some Senators on the spot assessment of the security situation in Borno State.

    He also visited IDP camps where he made a cash donation of N10million in support of the upkeep of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

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