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  • FG saves N4.5 trillion from high profile cases 

    FG saves N4.5 trillion from high profile cases 

    The Federal Government on Wednesday disclosed that it has saved over N4.5 trillion from high profile cases prosecuted by the Ministry of Justice between 2015 and 2017.

    The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami briefed State House correspondents at the end of about seven hours Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He was with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello.

    According to Malami, his Ministry presented its score card to Council in the last two and a half years.

    He said “In respect of Federal Ministry of Justice what was presented to the Council today is the score card from 2015 to 2017

    “We presented a score card as to cases both civil, criminal that were prosecuted by the Federal Ministry of Justice and their implications as to savings that were done for the government commencing from 2015 to the present time.

    “Fundamentally arising from the cases that were conducted by the Federal ministry of Justice, the Ministry has succeeded in saving the government around N4.5 trillion relating to the claims that were presented in respect of these cases which were indeed conducted and concluded.” he

    Continuing, the Minister said “The Federal Government has put in place a committee saddled with the responsibilities of coming up with policies and strategies that will ease off congestion of prisons.

    “Over 70 percent of the inmates are awaiting trials there are sizeable number that couldn’t afford to pay limited fine that have been imposed by them arriving from their convictions.

    “There are those awaiting trials that have never seen the court room for over five years and above and indeed there are multiple legislation that are before the national assembly that are intended to support the decongestion of prison formation process.” he said

    He said that another area the Ministry presented its score card was the ongoing prosecution of Boko Haram cases.

    On Boko Haram suspected terrorists ongoing trial, he said that the total number of convictions so far is 255 and those discharged is 737.

    He said “We presented a position as to the number of cases that were prosecuted, number of convictions that were procured and the number of discharges that were made relating to the cases and then made a presentation as to the road maps for the continuation of the process.

    “There were other presentations that were made particularly as it relates to plea bargain. There are a lot of pending criminal cases in respect of the accused persons standing trials, who made offers for plea bargain.

    “Again there are high profile cases that we made our score card and gave an insight as to their respective positions.

    “A presentation was made relating to national prosecution team as it relates to the cases they are expected to prosecute.” he said

    The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi also disclosed that FEC has approved the construction of the  Ibadan – Kaduna rail lines at the cost of $6.7 billion.

    The project, he said, is expected to be completed in three years.

    According to him, the contract for the Kaduna to Kano aspect of the rail line was awarded last year.

    The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, also briefed on the progress made based on the recently approved executive order, the national strategy for competitiveness and the entire science and technology innovation road map.

    As part of the score card of the Ministry in the past two and half years, he presented new biscuits being produced in conjunction with Nasco Food.

    He said “High nutrient density products developed and proposed for inclusion in the current Nigerian School Feeding program will provide at least a third of the desired major macro and micro nutrients requirement stipulated by the World Health organization, Food and Nutrition Board.

    “Additionally, the products will be produced by NASCO Foods Limited, Jos that have state-of-the-art processing equipment with vast experience in Food processing, Food Safety and quality for production and supply chain nationwide.

    “The developed nutritious products have been tested using Nasco Food processing facilities in Jos and have been found to be technically and economically viable.

    “The pupils in the schools in Jos and Lagos where the sensory evaluation and consumer acceptability studies were done showed strong likeness for the products and are ready to consume the products if including in the school feeding program.” he said

    On his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said that the major projects which were rolled out by his ministry, including the citizens diplomacy program, desk to desk review initiatives and the economic diplomacy innovation, are recording successes.

    He also gave score card of his Ministry in the past two and half years to the Council.

    He listed the special interventions by the Buhari’s administration for the ministry, foreign missions and embassies to include N16.3 billion, N933 million, N7 billion, $32 million and $28 million.

    According to him, all the interventions were made as the President decided that he would not entertain sending Nigerians abroad without the necessary funding.

    He said “Special intervention fund to rescue many embassies in several countries of the world. First was in 2016 when the Naira was fluctuating terribly and of course the dollars to our embassies were too low to sustain them.

    “We received initially N16.3 billion, and was successfully distributed to all embassies. The second one was N933 million for renovations and other debts released in October, 2017.

    “The third was $32 million that were released for critically distressed 65 missions that were in serious debts and crisis. This was approved in November 2017 and we are in the process of distributing to the embassies around the world another one, $28 million and is the process of also being distributed and finally for ministry headquarters, the sum of N7 billion was made.” he said

    He added “A lot of the debts and the crisis in our embassies and missions around the world have been building over the last 10 years and Mr. President decided that he will no longer accept the situation where we are sending Nigerians out to represent this country and not given them the resources to be able to carry out their tasks. Hence he made provisions and directed that these funds should be released to them.

    “So the situation is still not perfect but this has come in very handily and of course in the interest of transparency we wanted to show how these funds had been disbursed.” he stated

    The Minister of FCT disclosed that FEC approved N1.9 billion for road reconstruction of Clinton Drive and N273 million for water treatment chemicals.

    Read Also: Tracking high-profile corruption cases

  • Ekiti Poll: Fayose visits INEC, says he came to express his fears

    Ekiti Poll: Fayose visits INEC, says he came to express his fears

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Wednesday played host to an unusual visitor in person of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state who paid an unscheduled visit to the INEC headquarters.

    Fayose said he was at the INEC National Headquarters to register some of his fears ahead of the July 2018 governorship poll in his state.

    The governor who spoke to newsmen after an initial decline said the activities of opposition parties ahead of the July election has raised some concerns which according to him are disturbing, and hence the visit to INEC for clarifications.

    He said: “As a public officer, I feel that it is important to express my disfavor on issues that has to do with INEC and some few other concerns and the bragging of some of opposition figures at the centre in respect of the governorship election in July 2018. I said I should come and have an interactive session with INEC and share my fears. INEC is a public place, a public office and any citizen of this nation should be able to ask questions. I have come here to ask questions as it affects July 14 2018 election in my state and as it affects the 2019 general elections.

    We hear a lot of things and we feel it I within our right to ask INEC questions and I was well received by all the national commissioners seated and I express my concern of what I have heard and what have been making the rounds. It was a very useful session, quiet educative.”

    On the take away from the interactive session with the management of the electoral body he said, “so far so good they have been able to allay my fears. I don’t want to sit down there and assume anything. I am a man of action. I am very proactive and I would not take a chance. I felt I should see them and ask questions and I have asked a number of questions and they have answered me. They have gone through the whole process, what to expect from INEC and they promised not to descend. That is assuring and I am satisfied. If I have further issues or questions to ask, I won’t fail to ask. “

    On the party stand on under aged voting, he said, “anyone would be concerned by underaged voting; you will not blame the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for protesting or any party. It is the duty of INEC to equally allay their fears. You see if you are the umpire, the referee, you must not only be neutral but you must be seen to be neutral. It is a shame for you to see people bringing children of four years, five years to register. For our nation, it is a shame. For the level of our democracy it is a shame. Today in the 21st century it is a shame.

    “But you want to believe that INEC said it will look into it, I want to give them the benefit of doubt so that they can look into it and address the Nigerian nation because the bulk stops at Mahmood Yakubu’s table and I am sure he would not want to compromise anything for his name, that is my view. ”

    Read Also: INEC to investigate reports of under-aged voting

  • Arms from Libya, Yemen, others fueling crime in Nigeria – Dambazau 

    Arms from Libya, Yemen, others fueling crime in Nigeria – Dambazau 

    Proliferation of firearms being smuggled in from Libya, Yemen, Mali, Niger and Chad and increasing use of illegal drugs are responsible for the worsening crime situation in Nigeria, Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General, Abdulraman Dambazau (rtd) has said.

    The minister also asserted that the farmers/herders conflicts being witnessed in some parts of the country has no ethnic or religious colouration, stressing that it is a regional problem over sharing of land and water resources.

    According to Dambazau who met the Inspector-General of Police,  Ibrahim Idris, Commissioners of Police and other senior officers at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday , security and agriculture ministers from West and Central African nations will comprehensively address the issues at a conference scheduled to take place soon.

    On proliferation of firearms and their sources, the minister said: “Firearms and drugs are drivers to violent crimes. They do not cause the crimes that we are witnessing but they drive them.

    “As police officers, we have a role to play; weapons are drivers to criminal violence. There are huge numbers of the weapons in circulation and we know the sources.

    “Some of these weapons come from Libya because of the instability, Mali, Yemen, Niger, Chad. We also know that some of the weapons come from Niger Delta by way of trade by barter involved between oil thieves and militants.

    “They exchange oil for weapons. We know the sources and we also know that they come through armed merchants through our ports and seaports but we must do something about them because the weapons give confidence to criminals and they kill without thinking about it.

    “They are easily accessible because you can either buy or acquire.”

    On the way forward, the minister urged the police to enforce the law of firearms and also widen the scope of the law.

    He said: “You must enforce the law against illegal possession of firearms and we must also widen our enforcement to include local made weapons that are not classified as firearms.

    “We must widen our law to include those ones that are not presently included and as for me, anyone found to be in possession of firearms would be assumed to be a violent criminal. He is either armed robber, terrorist, cultist, militant or bandits.”

    On farmers/ herders conflicts, he said: “Today, in the front burner of issue of security is rural banditry and herders /farmers conflict. These are issues that have a lot of dimensions and for us to deal with the issue of farmers/herders conflict; there is need for us to look at it from multidimensional approach.

    “Realising that this issue has regional implication, the ECOWAS President and some members  we find it necessary to organise conference that would involve ministers in charge of Internal security and agriculture in the West and Central Africa region.

    He went further to say: “We tend to look at the issue as a local problem but it is not, it is rather a national and regional problem. It is not a religious problem neither is it an ethnic problem, it is problem that has to do with resource sharing; water and land and we must find a way to deal with it.”

    Also speaking, the IG disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force loses over 9000 policemen to retirement, sickness, death and dismissal every year.

    The police chief also said the Force is currently struggling with manpower shortage.

    He said Nigeria Police Force was lagging behind the ratio of one policeman to 400 citizens as stipulated by the United Nations.

    He however said 6000 policemen would be recruited in few months’ times to fill the vacancies in the rank and file cadre.

    He said: “The issue of manpower is one of the challenges the police is facing and every opportunity I have, I tell stakeholders that there is need to look into the manpower strength of the police force.

    “Presently, if you look at the UN ratio, the police is supposed to operate in this manner; 400 citizens to one policeman and presently if you look at our strength,  we are just 308,000 to cover about 182million Nigerians.

    “If you look at the ratio, Nigeria Police is operating about 600 citizens to one policeman. Definitely the ratio is below that of the United Nations. The issue of recruitment has been taken serious by us and the government.

    “Between 2011 and 2015, there was no recruitment until last year and they have been trained and deployed to Commands.

    “This year, we got approval to recruit 6000 for the rank and file to add to the recruitment we have.  If you look at it, statistics wise, Nigeria Police forces loses 9028 officer every year through retirement, sickness and death and dismissal.

    “Obviously, there is need for us to conduct recruitment to fill the vacancies and like I said, the wastages is over 9028 and there is need for replacement and that is what we are struggling with presently.”

    “The federal government approved 6000 recruitment of rank and file in the police force. We are working out the modalities and I’m definitely sure, in a month, we are going to conduct that recruitment.”

    The IGP who expressed optimism that in few months’ time, the Police Trust Fund Bill which is before the national assembly would be passed added that the passage of the bill would make the Force carry out their duties effectively.

    On illegal firearms, he said the Force would soon construct public armoury to store recovered firearms as stated in Firearms Act.

    He said: “We want to check the abuse of firearms all over the country. If you check the firearms Act, one of its provisions is public armoury in each Command where the illegal weapons recovered are stored and I’m sure all over the country, no Command has public armoury.

    “Public armoury has not been constructed and these are issues that we need to address. We have to see how we can construct the armoury where we would store illegal arms and ammunitions from various citizens across the country.”

    Read Also: Update: Police investigate report of aircraft loaded with firearms in Taraba

  • Dana Air: Stranded passengers yet to retrieve luggage from damaged aircraft

    Dana Air: Stranded passengers yet to retrieve luggage from damaged aircraft

    The 49 passengers of the Dana Air plane that on Tuesday night skidded off the runway, while landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa in Rivers State are yet to retrieve their luggage from the damaged aircraft, almost 24 hours after the incident.

    The displeased passengers, as at press time Wednesday, were not sure of when their luggage, still inside the aircraft, would be released to them, to conclude the one hour journey they started from Abuja on Tuesday evening.

    It was also gathered at the airport that a team of experienced investigators and experts from Dana’s headquarters in Lagos arrived Port Harcourt yesterday morning and had been busy at the airport to ascertain what went wrong and the extent of damage to the plane, thereby ensuring thorough investigation.

    Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Dana’s investigators at Port Harcourt airport did not allow reporters to join the team or move close to the scene of the incident.

    A female passenger, who spoke with our reporter, but pleaded not to be named, said: “I did not know what happened along the line, as the plane suddenly skidded off the runway. Everybody was just shouting and praying, before the aircraft finally stopped.

    “There was nobody to direct us or show us where to go. Everybody was just running helter, shelter. No medical service. We are here (at Port Harcourt International Airport) to get our luggage, but they said the manager is still at the incident’s scene.”

    An elderly male passenger, who also spoke with our reporter, but would not want his name in print, said: “We have been here (airport) as early as 8 a.m. today (Wednesday) to get our luggage, but they are not giving it to us.

    “As I speak with you, members of my family are not even aware of what is happening to me, because my phones are inside my bag in the plane.”

    None of the officials of Dana, a fully private-sector-owned carrier, which commenced flight operations on November 10, 2008 and FAAN at the airport was ready to speak with our reporter, even anonymously, on the flight number 9J0363, what went wrong and the extent of damage to the aircraft.

    The plane skidded off the runway, because of sudden heavy rain, which was accompanied by strong wind and storm, while FAAN officials, on Tuesday night, evacuated the passengers and crew members, without any casualty.

    FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, stated that the aircraft overshot the runway, while Dana’s Corporate Communications Manager, Kingsley Ezenwa Okwudili, noted that bad weather and torrential rain at the time of landing, was responsible for the incident, with all passengers and crew members disembarking safely.

    Read Also: Dana Air plane skids off runway in Port Harcourt

  • Lagos CJ grants freedom to 19 inmates of Ikoyi prison

    Lagos CJ grants freedom to 19 inmates of Ikoyi prison

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke Wednesday granted freedom to 19 inmates of Ikoyi Prisons.

    The released inmates have been awaiting trial for between three to five years.

    Justice Oke also disclosed plans by the state judiciary to review the fines and sentencing guidelines of suspects convicted in minor offences.

    Amongst those who breathed the air of freedom Wednesday is one Damilola Joseph, a final year Computer Science student of University of Lagos who was charged for stealing but has remained in prison custody since 2016 following his inability to perfect his N250, 000 bail conditions.

    The Chief Judge told the released inmates to henceforth be of good behaviour and desist from any act that would bring them back to prison.

    “Pursuant to the provisions of Sections 1(1) of the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act, 2007 as well as Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, you are hereby released from custody today, February 21, 2018.

    “I want you to henceforth be of good behaviour. Make sure you don’t breach any law again. You have to determine within yourself to be a law abiding citizen and go out there and sin no more”, she admonished the released inmates.

    Reacting to complaints by some inmates of the prison who have been unable to pay  fine imposed on them in place of imprisonment and stiff bail conditions, Justice Oke said that the state judiciary is aware of the challenges faced by such inmates and is working towards addressing it.

    “We have heard your complaints and you can be rest assured that we are working towards addressing them.

    “By next week, we are having a meeting with magistrates to address some of these issues including bail conditions.

    “Thereafter, I will be signing a new policy regarding fines and sentencing guideline on cases before our courts,” she said.

    Earlier in his welcome address, Deputy Comptroller of Prisons in charge of Ikoyi Prisons, Ogunsakin Tolu expressed appreciation to the Chief Judge for her commitment to the release of deserving inmates.

    Ogunsakin however appealed to the Chief Judge to assist the prison authorities in its decongestion effort by accelerating trial and adopting community service for minor offences.

    “Your lordship, I am appealing to you on passionate ground to help us in the area of acceleration of trial, and dispensation of justice especially where minor offence can be given a community service as punishment for such offenders.

    “I also appeal for the introduction of parole as it is being done in some countries and the issue of amnesty by the state governor in order to reduce the overcrowding in our prisons,” he pleaded.

    According DCP Ogunsakin, Ikoyi Prison built in 1955 with a lockup capacity of 800 inmates presently have 2752 inmates made up of 2261awaiting trial inmates and 491 convicted inmates.

    Read Also: Lagos CJ frees 43 Ikoyi prison inmates

  • Time is up for herdsmen attacks – Buratai 

    Time is up for herdsmen attacks – Buratai 

    Chief of Army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has disclosed that time is up for herdsmen attacks.

    He said the attacks led to displacement of over 25,000 farmers in Nasarawa state alone.

    The chief of Army staff stated this Tuesday in Lafia when he paid a courtesy call on the governor of the state, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

    He said that the army has identified the routes used by the herdsmen in carrying out the killings on the Nasarawa/Benue border and have deployed well-armed officers to man those areas, adding that the military has also arrested some herdsmen who are currently undergoing interrogation.

    He said the operation cat race launched in Benue state will be extended to Nasarawa, noting that within six weeks of its operation, normalcy and peace will return to the affected areas.

    He promised to restore security and maintain peace in areas where the herdsmen menace is on the increase.

    Speaking earlier, Governor Al-Makura said the presence of the military in the affected areas has helped in no small way in restoring peace in the state.

    He promise to give the security agencies the necessary support to clamp down on the herdsmen in order to restore permanent peace and allow the displace persons return back to their homes.

    Governor Al-Makura equally donated the sum of N200 million to the military to help complete the army barracks in Doma local government area of the state.

    Read Also:

  • Reps to investigate killings in Benue, Rivers, others

    Reps to investigate killings in Benue, Rivers, others

    Worried by the killings in Benue, Rivers, Zamfara and other states across the country, Nigerian military service and intelligence chiefs are to face the House of Representatives over killings across the country.

    The service chiefs are to avail the lawmakers’ details of their intervention and strategies aimed at preventing future occurrence, it emerged Tuesday.

    The lawmakers however expressed concerns over a stereotypical attribution of every killing to a particular group irrespective of where they took place.

    They said such conclusions hinder paths to enduring solutions to the challenge.

    Speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, Chairman of the ad hoc committee mandated to carry out the investigation, Pally Iriase said the House was not unaware of a number of efforts and approaches by other organs and agencies of government to tackle the problem.

    Iriase who is also the Deputy Chief Whip of the House however regretted that the efforts, while still ongoing, are being impacted by strait – laced narratives, political innuendos and ethno-religious distrust.

    He said: “In fact some of these strait – laced narratives have tended to ascribe all killibgs to a single cause, thus jettisoning the need to rigorously interrogate the happenings with an open, unbiased and nonpartisan mind.

    “The seven-man Committee is bipartisan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious in composition and we are enjoined to approach this important national assignment with an open mind and adopt an Intelligence gathering focus.

    “To achieve our goal in this onerous task, we have adopted a proactive approach that will see us embark on visitation and interaction with victims by visiting a number of carefully selected areas that have been attacked severally, interact with the victims, survivors and other critical stakeholders.

    “We will also interact with the security chiefs, in addition to our foreign partners.

    “To assure Nigerians that it is going to be an all – inclusive engagement, a public hearing that will afford Nigerians the opportunity to air their grievances and proffer solutions will also be conducted.

    “It must however be emphasized that intelligence gathering is going to be our major focus because the aim is to identify the remote and immediate causes of these killings enable us proffer solutions from informed position”.

    Saying that the approaching 2019 electioneering activities would not affect the commitment of the Committee members, Iriase noted that the issue is more important to the country.

    “2019 election and activities towards its prosecution will not affect us because it is only in an atmosphere of peace that election can hold.

    “To us this assignment is more important than the election and this is the reason why the House will make the report available to Mr President when we are done,” he added.

  • Reps to probe alleged diversion of N62.3bn by NSITF Board

    Reps to probe alleged diversion of N62.3bn by NSITF Board

    The House of Representatives Tuesday mandated its committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity to conduct an investigative hearing into the mon- inauguration off the Nigeria Insurance Trust Fund ( NSITF).

    The committee is also to probe the alleged fraudulent diversion of the sum of N62.3 billion by its past Board.

    This was sequel to the passage of a motion by Hon. Prestige Ossy (APGA Abia) and the adoption of the prayers by the House.

    While moving the motion, the lawmaker noted that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Act established a Management Board which shall have general control to administer and manage NSITF and its funds (NSITF Fund and Employee Compensation Scheme).

    He said the federal government made an announcement for the constitution of the NSITF Board which is yet to be inaugurated.

    “Also aware that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had discovered various acts of fraudulent diversions from the federal government and private sector contributions amounting to N62.3 billion as at 2015, allegedly perpetuated by the past Board and Management Staff of NSITF.

    “The perpetuation of this alleged fraud and the non- inauguration of the NSITF Board has thrown the agency into a state of confusion and left it dead to its responsibilities to the general public.”

    Ossy expressed concern that the general public including several stakeholders such as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have called for a quick intervention into the non-inauguration of the NSITF Board and alleged diversion of funds by the past Board and Management Staff of the NSITF.

    When the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a vote on the issue, it was supported by majority of the members and referred to the committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity.

    The committee was given 6 weeks for report back to the House for further legislative action.