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Tag: Nyako

  • EFCC confirms Ohakim, Nyako’s arrest

    EFCC confirms Ohakim, Nyako’s arrest

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, confirmed the arrest and detention of two former governors, Ikedi Ohakim of Imo and his Adamawa counterpart, Murtala Nyako.

    Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Spokesman of the EFCC confirmed the detention in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Uwujaren, who said Nyako’s son Abdul-Aziz was also in the custody of the commission, added that the three suspects were arrested on Tuesday.

    He said the detention was ahead of likely arraignment before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    NAN recalled that Ohakim was on June 18, arrested and interrogated by the EFCC over allegation of corruption during his tenure as the governor of Imo state.

    Nyako and his son were accused of criminal conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.

    The EFCC had also alleged massive looting by top officials in Nyako’s administration when he was governor of Adamawa.

    Abdulaziz was being detained over N15 billion fraud discovered in the accounts of five of his personal companies.

  • Nyako admonishes Adamawa lawmakers

    Nyako admonishes Adamawa lawmakers

    Former adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako has urged senators and members of the House of representatives to offer quality representation.

    The former Naval Chief spoke at a community reception in honour of his son, Navy Commander Abdulaziz Nyako, a senator representing Adamawa Central District.

    He charged the elected representatives to organise themselves as a family so that Adamawa will benefit from their services.

    The reception, which was attended by supporters of the former governor, was organized to celebrate the return of Nyako from exile and the the victory of his son.

    The Chairman of the occasion and two-time Speaker of Adamawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Hassan Turaki, said the reason for organizing the event was to celebrate the return of Nyako, who has immensely contributed to the development of the zone.

    He said the people could not forget the human development strides of Nyako, which he instituted through the creation of various human development programmes, including the Special Assistant (S.A) and the agricultural and skills acquisition programs.

    “We voted your son because of the laudable human development programs you instituted when you govern this state. We shall continue to remember that goodwill forever,” he said.

    During his remark, the Director General of AbdulAziz Campaign and a chieftain of the APC in the zone Alhaji Isa Bagalci said it was always good for a human being to embrace selflessness in all his endeavors noting that the good seed planted by Nyako germinates into the election of his son to represent the senatorial zone.

    Corroborating the position of the two speakers, Adamawa State chairman of APC Alhaji Shuaibu Yamusa recalled that during his days as governor, Nyako has instituted various educational and youth empowerment programs that has touched the lives of many people hence the massive support the APC got in the last election in the state.

    Various groups including Local branch of Tabitaal Pulakuu International, Youth and Women groups presented accolades to the former governor and his son.

     

  • Nyako returns to Yola, 10 months after impeachment

    Nyako returns to Yola, 10 months after impeachment

    Former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako, returned to Yola yesterday 10 months after he was ousted from office in a power struggle with the last State Assembly and the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

    Nyako subsequently fled the country fearing prosecution for alleged treason by former President Goodluck Jonathan after  the ex-governor wrote him a letter in which he accused the federal government of dereliction of duty in the handling of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The former governor, who was welcomed by a large crowd at the Yola International Airport, arrived at about 11:00 am and drove in a convoy to the Specialist Hospital and Federal Medical Centre, Yola to console victims of June 4, bomb blast in Yola.

    He later addressed supporters who besieged his residence.

    He thanked them for their contribution in voting PDP out of office.

    “We need to support big brother Buhari, who will deliver,” Nyako was quoted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as saying.

    He said that he had been vindicated by what had happened since his removal from office and up to the formation of the new government.

    Nyako was impeached on July 15, 2014.

    Soon after the impeachment, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared him and his son, AbdulAziz, wanted over allegations of conspiracy, stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.

    In a statement issued in February, 2015, in Abuja by Wilson Uwujaren, the spokesman of EFCC, the commission said it froze the bank account belonging to Adamawa government shortly before Nyako’s impeachment.

    The commission froze the account as a precautionary measure to safeguard the state treasury amidst evidence of looting uncovered by its operatives.

     

     

  • Nyako returns

    Nyako returns

    The former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, who was impeached by the state Assembly for alleged gross financial fraud, has returned to the country.

    The former governor and his deputy, Bala Ngilari, were impeached by the Assembly under Speaker Ahmadu Fintiri.

    After his impeachment, Nyako fled into self-exile over speculations that he was to be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    It was believed that he was impeached over a scathing letter he wrote to former President Goodluck Jonathan accusing him of carrying out genocide against the people of the north east.

    He fled to Germany and later England where he had been since July 2014.

    Although Ngilari was able to quash his own impeachment in court, Nyako failed in his bid a Federal High Court sitting in Yola last week dismissed his suit challenging his ouster.

    The former governor returned to Nigeria yesterday afternoon and was received by friends and associates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja. Some of those who welcomed him were Senators Binta Garba, Abdullahi Adamu and Danjuma Goje.

    Mr. Nyako played a prominent role in the emergence of the new governor of Adamawa State, Umaru Jibrilla.

    He directed his supporters in the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Adamawa State to vote for Jibrilla in the two primary elections held in the state; first during the bye election (before it was cancelled by the court), and in the run-up to the 2015 election.

    After his victory in the April 11 election, Governor Jibrilla said he remained loyal to Nyako. He went ahead and appointed three core Nyako loyalists as part of the five appointments he made shortly after he was sworn in Friday.

     

  • Nyako gets court’s permission to sue Chief Judge, Auta

    Nyako gets court’s permission to sue Chief Judge, Auta

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, has granted permission to former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako to sue the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta for alleged wrongful transfer of his (Nyako’s) case from Yola to Bauchi State.

    Justice Ishaq Bello granted Nyako leave on March 12 while ruling on an ex parte application to that effect. The Nation sighted a copy of the order Thursday.

    By the leave granted him, Nyako can now proceed to initiate the case with which he seeks to compel Justice Auta to return the case file he withdrew from Justice Bilikisu Aliyu of the Yola division of the Federal High Court, to enable her deliver the judgment she had reserved in the case.

    Nyako had initiated the suit marked: FHC/YL/CS/11/2014, to challenge the process leading to his impeachment last year. The suit, a fundamental rights enforcement case, with the Adamawa State House of Assembly and others as defendants, was one of two suits filed by the governor shortly after he was impeached.

    Nyako who filed the suit in November 2014, alleged that he was denied fair hearing by the impeachment panel which recommended to the House of Assembly that he should be removed from office.

    The trial judge in Yola, Justice Aliu concluded hearing in the fundamental rights enforcement suit and adjourned to February 12, 2015. Before the date scheduled for judgment, the court’ Chief Judge, Justice Auta called for the file on the ground that a petition was written against the trial judge by the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, complaining that he was denied fair hearing after the trial judge refused his application to be made a party in the suit.

    On concluding his investigation of the petition by Justice Banu, Justice Auta transferred the case to Bauchi division of the court, a decision Nyako has objected.

     

  • Court confirms transfer of Nyako’s suit before judgment

    Court confirms transfer of Nyako’s suit before judgment

    •Judge fixes fresh hearing date

    The Federal High Court has confirmed the transfer of a suit filed by former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako at the Yola division of the court to a new judge in Bauchi division.

    The transfer, now being queried by Nyako, is coming few weeks after the case file was retrieved by the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta, from the earlier trial judge, Justice Bilikisu Aliyu, who had scheduled judgment in the case for February 12.

    The Nation had reported last week that the case was transferred out of the Yola division, where Justice Aliyu had planned to deliver judgment before Justice Auta called for the file.

    Although no official of the court, including the Chief Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie, was willing to comment on the new development in the case, it was learnt from a fresh hearing notice sent to parties that the case has actually been moved to Bauchi.

    The new judge to whom the case is assigned at the Bauchi division, Justice M.G Umar, has scheduled hearing for March 17.

    It is, however, not clear what direction the proceedings will take before the new judge. It is equally not known whether the new judge will commence hearing afresh, after the judgment earlier fixed for February 12 was aborted, or he will proceed to deliver the judgment prepared by the earlier trial judge.

    Nyako had initiated the suit to challenge the process leading to his impeachment last year.

    The suit, a fundamental rights enforcement case, with the Adamawa State House of Assembly & others as defendants, was one of two suits filed by the governor shortly after he was impeached.

    Nyako had, in the fundamental rights enforcement suit, filed in November 2014, alleged that he was denied fair hearing by the impeachment panel, which recommended to the House of Assembly that he should be removed from office.

    The trial judge in Yola concluded hearing in the fundamental rights enforcement suit and adjourned to February 12, 2015. Before the date scheduled for judgment, the court’ chief judge called for the file on the ground that a petition was written against the trial judge by the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo.

    Nyako protested Justice Auta’s action in a February 2015 petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing him of seizing the case file and “thereby forestalling the delivery of the court judgment slated for February 12, 2015.”

    The Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, on February 18, denied Nyako’s allegation.

    She said the court’s chief judge called for the case file to enable him address a petition dated February 3, 2014 written to his office by Keyamo on behalf of the Chief Judge of Adamawa State.

    Keyamo was also the lawyer to the current Adamawa State Governor, Bala Ngilari (who was the deputy governor under Nyako), when he fought his way back to power via a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Nyako’s lawyer and media aide Olukoya Ogungbeje and Ahmad Sajoh said in the petition to the NJC that “on the day the judgment was to be delivered, the judge was not around.  No prior information that the court would not sit and no new date was fixed.  We got information that it was the CJ that called for the file.

    “As we speak to you, the file remains with the CJ. Whose interest is he protecting? We want Justice Auta to tell the whole world why he has not sent the file back to Federal High Court, Yola.”

    Ogungbeje said the former governor also sought the probe of the Chief Judge of the Adamawa State, for showing questionable interest in the case.

    “The Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, is hearing a different case filed by Admiral Murtala Nyako to challenge his impeachment procedure. Justice Banu has refused to hear the suit.

    “What is the interest of a chief judge in a suit involving politicians?  He filed an application to join the suit before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu and the judge dismissed the application. As if that was not enough, Justice Banu promptly appealed the judgment. The chief judge has decided to join the foray of litigation.”

    Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, Abuja will on March 10 rule on the application by the Adamawa State Chief Judge for the abridgement of time within which to compile records at the trial court and  to also stay proceedings at the lower court pending the determination of his appeal.

    The Adamawa Chief Judge is appealing the ruling by Justice Aliyu, refusing his application to be joined as a party in Nyako’s fundamental rights enforcement suit, now transferred to Bauchi.

  • Nyako seeks court’s leave to sue CJ

    Former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako has urged the Federal High Court in Lagos for leave to apply for an order of mandamus against its Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta.

    The order of mandamus is to compel him to release the case file in Nyako’s suit seeking to nullify his impeachment.

    The plaintiff had filed the suit alleging breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing by the seven-man investigation panel, which indicted him of 16 counts of gross misconduct leading to his impeachment on July 15 last year.

    Adamawa State House of Assembly, the chairman of the investigation panel, Buba Kaigama and Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba are the respondents.

    Nyako had petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mahmud Mohammed to probe Justice Auta for allegedly stalling judgment.

    He said Justice Bilikisu Aliyu of the court’s Yola Division heard parties in the suit on February 2 and adjourned till February 12 for judgment, only for the chief judge to call for the file.

    But the court’s Chief Registrar, Mrs Rosemary Oghoghorie, said on February 17 the case file was not seized but that Justice Auta only called for it to clear a petition dated February 3 sent to him by a party in the suit.

    “Until the case file is treated, it will not be released. The judge handling the case has not responded to the petition and until that is done, the case file will not be released. That is the right procedure to follow,” she said.

    Nyako, in his fresh application, said the seizure of the case file by Auta was intended to delay the judgment till after May 29 when his tenure would have elapsed, thus rendering the case a mere academic exercise.

    Nyako’s lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje said: “All efforts to make the respondent (Auta) return the case file for the judgment of the court to be delivered proved futile.

    “The respondent (Auta) has connived and colluded with the respondents in the case to deny the applicant justice. The suit is time-bound as the tenure of the office of the applicant is due to expire on May 29, 2015.

    “The plot is to obstruct the wheel of justice, forestall the delivery of the court judgment and postpone the evil day till after May 29, 2015 when the tenure of the applicant would have expired. The respondent is bent on frustrating the case of the applicant in a bid to render the outcome of the case academic.

    “The respondent, who ought to be fair, independent and unbiased, is now being used as a tool by the respondents to frustrate the case of the applicant, render the outcome of the applicant’s case academic and deny the applicant of justice.

    “It would be in the interest of justice to urgently hear and grant this application.”

    Auta was sued both in his personal and official capacities. The application is numbered FHC/CS/217/15 and dated February 26.

    The case has not been assigned to any judge and no date has been fixed for hearing.

  • Nyako accuses chief judge of seizing case file

    Impeached governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, has accused the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, of allegedly seizing the file in the case he initiated, challenging the process leading to his impeachment last year.

    Nyako further alleged that by his action, Justice Auta stalled the scheduled delivery of judgment in a case by the trial judge, Justice Bilikisu Aliyu, of the Yola Division of the Federal High Court.

    His lawyer and media aide, Olukoya Ogungbeje and Ahmad Sajoh, told reporters  in Abuja yesterday that “the case file in suit No: FHC/YL/CS/11/2014 between Admiral Murtala Nyako and Adamawa State House of Assembly & others was transferred and seized by the office of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, thereby forestalling the delivery of the court judgment slated for February 12, 2015.”

    The Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Mrs. Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie, denied Nyako’s allegation. She said the court’s chief judge called for the case file to enable him address a petition dated February 3, 2014 written to his office by Festus Keyamo, who is the lawyer to the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, a party in the case.

    The chief registrar said the only option before Nyako was to await the final decision of the Court of Appeal in the case.

    “Before February 12, Keyamo wrote a petition against Justice Aliyu. As is the custom with the court, when a petition is written, the Chief Judge calls for the file to enable him address the petition.

    “There is no basis in the allegation that the Chief Judge is interfering with a case in Yola. The Chief Judge cannot arrest a judgment in a case before another judge. The Chief Judge is still waiting for the response of the presiding judge in Yola.

    “Until the judge in Yola responds, the file remains with the Chief Judge. Even if the Chief Judge returns the file to the trial judge, she still cannot proceed. The court of Appeal in Yola has granted a stay in the case. Until that issue is dealt with by the Court of Appeal, there can never be further proceedings in the case at the trial court,” Mrs. Dugbo-Oghoghorie said.

    Nyako had, in November last year, filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit, alleging that he was denied fair hearing by  impeachment panel which recommended to the House of Assembly that he should be removed from office.

    Ogungbeje said “on the day the judgment was to be delivered, the judge was not around.  No prior information that the court would not sit and no new date was fixed.  We got information that it was the CJ that called for the file.

    “As we speak to you the file remains with the CJ. Whose interest is he protecting? We want Justice Auta to tell the whole world why he has not sent the file back to Federal High Court, Yola.”

     

     

     

     

  • Nyako seeks NJC’s probe of alleged judgment arrest

    Nyako seeks NJC’s probe of alleged judgment arrest

    Former Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako has urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the alleged arrest of a judgment in his suit challenging his impeachment.

    Nyako, in two separate petitions to the commission dated February 13, said verdict in the case was ready only for it to be suspended.

    Justice Bilikisu Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Yola, had fixed February 12 for judgment after parties argued and adopted their briefs.

    But the verdict was not delivered as scheduled as the court’s Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim allegedly withdrew the case-file following a petition.

    Urging the NJC to urgently investigate the matter, Nyako through his lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, said his client believes there is a bid to frustrate the case.

    Nyako was impeached last year shortly after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

    His deputy, Bala Ngilari, who remained in PDP, was said to have resigned moments before the House impeached Nyako, while the Speaker, Abubakar Fintiri was sworn-in as acting governor.

    However, Federal High Court in Abuja declared Ngilari’s purported resignation as unlawful and ordered Fintiri to vacate office as acting governor, following which Ngilari was sworn in as governor.

    Nyako had filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit before Justice Aliyu in Yola to contest the propriety of his impeachment after a similar suit in Lagos was struck out.

    “Why would Justice Auta not want the reserved judgment delivered contrary to his recent admonition to judges of the court at a workshop that political cases should be dispensed with before elections?” Ogungbeje wrote.

    According to Nyako, NJC should unravel why a judgment should be withdrawn based on a petition, wondering what allegations could be so weighty as to suspend a judgment for.

  • Alleged N15b fraud: EFCC arrests Nyako’s son

    Alleged N15b fraud: EFCC arrests Nyako’s son

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday said it had arrested Abdul-Aziz  Nyako, one of the sons of ex-Governor Murtala Nyako, for alleged N15billion fraud.

    The agency said though  it arrested  Abdul-Aziz in Gombe, the suspect had been flown to Abuja.

    The arrest of Abdul-Aziz was contained in a  statement last night in Abuja by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren.

    The statement said: “Barely two weeks after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, and his son, Abdul-Aziz, wanted, operatives of the anti- graft agency, yesterday arrested the younger Nyako in Gombe, Gombe State.

    “ He was immediately flown to Abuja where he is currently being grilled by a crack team of detectives who had been working on the Adamawa investigation for several months.

    “Abdul-Aziz, who was declared wanted by the EFCC in the case of stealing, abuse of office and money laundering, is currently telling investigators all he knows about illicit funds traced to companies where he has interest.”

    The statement gave insights into some allegations against Abdul-Aziz which were being investigated.

    The EFCC said: “Specifically, he will have to explain how over N15billion funds belonging to Adamawa State was laundered into the accounts of five companies owned by him- Blue Opal Nigeria limited, Crust Energy Nigeria Limited, Blue Ribbon Multilinks Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Blue Ribbon Bureau De Change.

    “The funds were  funnelled  into the accounts of the companies from Adamawa State accounts domiciled in a new generation bank by the account officer who incidentally is the manager and an in-law to Nyako.

    “The manager claimed he transferred the funds through verbal instruction from the former governor for purposes which are not stated.

    “Investigations revealed that from 2007 to 2011 within Nyako’s tenure in office, before he was impeached in 2014, he had directed that all of the state owned accounts domiciled in various banks be transferred to the new generation bank .

    “Abdul-Aziz’s company, Blue Opal, is said to own, among other investments in Nigeria, an estate in Abuja, while his father’s account officer owns several properties and investments scattered around Abuja, Yola and Kano.

    “Former governor Nyako is still on the run.”

    But a former aide to Nyako, who spoke in confidence, said: “The arrest of Abdul-Aziz was politically motivated because the PDP is finding it difficult to win the coming general elections in Adamawa State.

    “The PDP is afraid of  the formidable  structure of ex-Governor Nyako because it is payback time to the party by the people of the state.

    “The PDP has effected reconciliation within its ranks, but many are still threatening protest votes. This is why they are using the EFCC to persecute known opponents of the PDP in the state.”