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  • How Fayemi can make difference, by PDP chief

    Former Ekiti State Acting Governor and House of Assembly Speaker Tunji Odeyemi has said that Governor Kayode Fayemi can make a difference by promoting equity and fairness.

    The former speaker other appointees of the Fayose administration recently received their outstanding entitlements from the governor.

    He said: “We are most delighted for an avenue like this. I must confess that this opportunity we are having today is very uncommon,” Odeyemi said in acknowledgment of the changed narrative in Ekiti State.

    The practice especially with the immediate past administration, was to ignore the need to pay the entitlements of appointees who were not appointed by the administration. Their entitlement as it was believed turned into bad debt.

    Odeyemi said: “When a new governor or government comes on board, what they usually do is to remove members of commissions and boards appointed by their predecessor not minding the laws establishing those commissions,” Odeyemi who alongside his colleagues were appointed by the immediate past administration headed by Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

    Odeyemi, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly and in that capacity Acting Governor of the State evoked an emotion that really shook the emotions of those present on that occasion.

    He added: “But you have magnanimously retained us and now paying our outstanding salaries. As far as Ekiti is concerned, from 1999 to date, the opportunity we are having like this has not been very common.  We are grateful to His Excellency for this”.

    The former acting governor said Fayemi’s action was clearly devoid of personal vendetta, adding that they expected that they would be removed from office once the governor stepped into office last year.

    Fayemi, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Biodun Omoleye, lauded the former political office holders for continuing to work in the interest of the state even after the exit of the administration that brought them to office.

    The beneficiaries were mainly drawn from the State Civil Service Commission and House of Assembly Service Commission.

    Read Also: Ekiti spent N3.9 billion on pensions, says Fayemi

    Fayemi described their gesture in serving his administration after Fayose’s exit as a clear act of patriotism.

    Such acts of treating everyone equally, irrespective of political affiliation, is reflective of the One Ekiti spirit that Fayemi has pursued since his inauguration for a second time last year.

    Besides opposition political elements, pensioners have also benefited from the governor’s pro-active measures.

    Last week, the governor disclosed that a total of N549 million has been paid till date to clear part of the pension arrears inherited from the immediate past administration.

    He disclosed this while distributing cheques worth N100 Million as gratuity to 61 local government and primary schools’ retirees.

    Fayemi said the steps taken towards clearing the backlog of gratuity is a testament to the desire of his administration to ensure that those who had spent their productive age in serving the State do not suffer after their retirement.

    “It is a fact that outstanding gratuity debt profile is running to billions of naira, but it is my belief that a journey of one thousand miles starts with a step. Based on this premise, we are starting with the release of one hundred million naira (N100,000,000) for the offset of the outstanding gratuity. In spite of paucity of fund, I have mandated the quarterly release of fund for the payment of gratuity to retirees of Local Government and Primary Schools of Ekiti State”, he said.

    While promising to alleviate the sufferings of the pensioners by making regular payment of their exit benefits a top priority, the governor stated that their entitlements would be paid within available resources.

    Fayemi said his government is not unmindful of those who had passed on in the cause of waiting for their entitlements; saying this is regrettable.

    “I urge the beneficiaries of this tranche of the payment to take advantage of the talks on financial prudence already shared with you and utilise the fund judiciously for a blissful retirement. I enjoin others to keep faith with our administration as we are poised to fulfil all our promises to the people of the State, and utmost importance is your gratuity,” the governor said.

    The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Prof. Adio Folayan, said that the event was a practical demonstration that Fayemi placed priority attention on the welfare of retired senior citizens.

    Folayan said the Fayemi-led administration inherited N13,513,873,255.27 as arrears of gratuity and N2,689,838,380.61 as pension arrears but is making efforts to clear the backlog of inherited wage bill.

    One of the beneficiaries, Madam Felicia Ojaomo, thanked the governor for remembering the pensioners after years of abandonment.

    She said Fayemi’s return is an answer to the prayers of the pensioners who had hoped for better days; adding that the distribution of cheques to them is a testimony that Fayemi has started fulfilling his campaign promises to pensioners.

  • ‘Buratai should produce killers of photographer, PDP chief’

    The Bayelsa State government has called on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to produce killers of the Government House Photographer, Reginald Dei, and leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Seidougha Taribi.

    Dei and Taribi were murdered in Oweikorogha, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Director of Strategic Communications at the Governor’s Office Nathan Egba-Ologo said the COAS had a responsibility to arrest and try the murderers.

    Egba-Ologo insisted that the deceased were killed at Taribi’s house while they waited for the election results. He urged Buratai to take a proactive step to investigate the murder.

    According to him, the earlier narrative that the deceased were killed by soldiers in army uniform would no longer stand as the Publicity Secretary of APC, Buokoribo Doifie, confirmed in reports that a member of his party led the soldiers to the residence where they were shot.

    According to him, claims that the deceased were shot because they were found with election materials were a wild allegation which should be investigated.

    He said: “The Bayelsa State government is making a passionate appeal to the Chief Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to investigate, identify and prosecute the soldiers who murdered a Government House photographer, Mr. Reginald Dei, and a Chieftain of the PDP, Mr. Seidougha Taribi, on February 23 in Southern Ijaw.

    “The Bayelsa State government and Bayelsans would adopt all lawful means to seek justice in this act of terror perpetrated against our citizens by a collusion of thugs and soldiers.”

  • Alleged money laundering: PDP chief gets September date

    •Defendants granted bail

    Justice Muslim Hassan, of Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday fixed September 17 for the trial of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Ondo State Clement Faboyede.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) arraigned Faboyede and the party’s 2015 campaign director, Modupe Tokunbo, for alleged money laundering.

    It accused them of receiving N500 million from Owolanke Michael before the 2015 general election.

    Faboyede was accused of paying N500 million to the Ondo PDP Election Committee.

    Prosecuting counsel Eýkene Iheanacho said the defendants committed the offence on March 27, 2015.

    The alleged offence contravenes Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011, and is liable to punishment under Section 16 (2) of the same Act.

    They pleaded not guilty on June 29, and were remanded in prison custody pending ruling on their bail application.

    Ruling yesterday, Justice Hassan held the alleged offence was one requiring bail.

    “The sole issue for determination is whether or not the defendants are entitled to bail, pending trial, bearing in mind that the essence of bail is to ensure the attendance of the defendants for their trial.

    “The defendants were arraigned at this court on a three-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering.

    “According to the provisions of the Money Laundering Act, the punishment for the offence is a jail term not less than two years or an option of fine.

    “I am in agreement with the defence lawyer that the alleged offence is bailable,” the judge ruled.

    Justice Hassan faulted the grounds upon which the prosecution opposed the bail application.

    He said: “The prosecution cannot oppose bail merely on routine procedure. There must be a cogent reason for opposing bail.

    “The allegations against the defendants remain mere allegations until it is decided one way or the other by the court.

    “In arriving at the decision whether to grant or refuse bail, it is my duty as a judicial officer to balance the interests of the state, defendants and that of the public in coming to a judicious conclusion.

    “In doing this, I am of the view that the judicious discretion in the circumstance of this case is to grant bail to the defendants- applicants.

    “More so, the defendants/applicants were earlier granted bail by the prosecution prior to their arraignment and there is no evidence to show that they jumped bail.

    “Having regard to the foregoing, the defendants-applicants’ application for bail succeeds and bail is hereby granted”.

    The judge admitted them to bail at N50 million each with one surety.

    The sureties, said the judge, must either be federal or state civil servants not below Level 15 or landed property owners within the court jurisdiction.

    The sureties were directed to deposit title documents and two passport photographs each at the court’s registry.

    The defendants were also ordered to deposit their international passports; prosecution was given a week to verify the sureties’ documents.

  • PDP chief sues DSS for N50m

    PDP chief sues DSS for N50m

    A Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has sued the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged illegal detention.
    Through his lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, he said he was arrested by the DSS in Lagos on February 21 and taken to Abuja, where he has been in custody without access to his family, doctors and lawyers.
    The applicant is seeking a declaration that the DSS’ duty does not extend to unlawful detention of innocent citizens.
    The applicant is demanding N50million being special, aggravated, punitive and general damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the violation of his rights.
    He is praying for a declaration that his arrest and detention was unlawful and therefore ultra vires.
    DSS Director, DSS and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) are respondents.
    Gbadamosi is seeking an order compelling the respondents to release him forthwith from unlawful detention.
    No date has been fixed for hearing.

    The applicant is praying for an injunction restraining them or their agents or officers from further violating his fundamental rights through unlawful arrest and detention.

    He prays for a declaration that his invitation on February 21 by the DSS to its office at Shaginsha, Magodo constitutes a flagrant violation of his fundamental rights guaranteed under Section 34, 37, 38 and 41of the 1999 Constitution and Articles 4, 5, 6, 9, 12 & 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and is, therefore, illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

  • PDP chief: my life at risk over Ekiti poll ‘fraud’ leak

    PDP chief: my life at risk over Ekiti poll ‘fraud’ leak

    Aluko should face perjury charge, says Fayose

    •APC, rights activist call for trial of suspects

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief who blew the whistle on the alleged rigging of the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State yesterday alleged that his life was under threat.

    Dr. Temitope Aluko, who on Sunday spoke of how former President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly gave Governor Ayo Fayose $37 million to prosecute the election and directed that the military should facilitate victory for the then PDP candidate, said he escaped from the hands of “fake security men” on Sunday night.

    He also indicted many politicians and military chiefs.

    But Fayose described him as desperate and denied the allegations.

    Also yesterday, All Progressives Congress (APC) urged the government to prosecute all the people indicted by the ex-PDP chief.

    A human rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the $37m allegedly given to Fayose by Jonathan.

    Aluko said yesterday: “After the live television interview on Politics Today on Channels Television on Sunday at about 9.30 pm, my attention was drawn to the presence of some operatives supposedly from the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), seeking to effect my arrest.

    “However, having passed though the same route before, my instinct immediately told me that something was amiss. I made some calls and found out that there was no such order to effect my arrest by the office of the IGP or from any other security agency for that matter.

    “I was later made to understand that the ‘fake’ security agents were actually miscreants posing as security men and acting on the orders of Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose to get rid of me at all cost.

    “I must let Nigerians know that I have made a resolution to let the whole world know what transpired during the Ekiti 2014 governorship poll.”

    The Ekiti APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) to prosecute all those named in the Ekiti 2014 election rigging drama.

    The party said it had twice petitioned the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on the matter, stressing that the revelations by PDP secretary had made it imperative that the nation’s chief law officer must act now.

    Olatunbosun said the election fraud crisis had refused to go despite all shenanigans by Fayose, who he said was the biggest beneficiary of the election fraud that created a blight on Nigeria’s international image.

    The APC spokesman said even though there was nothing new in the PDP Secretary’s revelations, he noted, however, that it had become pertinent to prosecute the suspects as the revelations were again emanating from the insider who participated fully in what is now known as Ekitigate.

    “By Aluko’s revelations, we are justified in our claim that our candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, never lost that election, but was criminally toppled by a coup d’etat orchestrated by Fayose in cahoots with President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that illegally deployed money and the military to ensure victory for Fayose.

    “It is interesting that more names are coming up in the biggest election scam ever witnessed in Nigeria with the alleged participation of Ifeanyi Ubah of the infamous Transformation Agenda for Nigeria (TAN), a shadowy campaign group for former President Jonathan in the fraud. No wonder Ubah was compensated with a honorary Fellow by Fayose at the Ekiti State College of Education for a job well done.”

    Ubah denied ever giving Fayose money for the election.

    Olatunbosun went on: “It is in the light of this that we are calling on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute all the suspects in the election fraud for treasonable felony to preserve the integrity of the Nigerian Constitution.”

    The APC said President Muhammadu Buhari should use Ekiti election “fraud” case to convince Nigerians that official impunity and fraud would not have a place in Nigeria under his watch.

    “We have seen the Army already tackling the military aspect of the Army Probe Panel report. We expect the police and attorney general of the federation to also toe the line in coming out with the civilian component of the probe report and act accordingly.

    “The military men were mere agents used by Fayose to rig the election. Some of the officers implicated in Fayose’s crime had been recommended for various sanctions, including losing their jobs while others are to face prosecution by the EFCC and court martial, according to the military rules and administrative procedure.

    “These military men should not be made to suffer alone for the crime committed in conjunction with Fayose and his fellow conspirators in PDP who are still working free as if there is no law in this country,” he said.

    Olatunbosun berated Fayose’s media aides, Lanre Ogunsuyi and Lere Olayinka, for claiming that Captain Koli’s audio tape was a forgery, saying, however, that it was gratifying that Fayose, who also first denied his voice on the tape, later admitted that it was his.

    “If the Ekiti audio tape was a forgery as they alleged, were the appearances of Koli and Tope Aluko also forgeries?” he said.

    Noting that Fayose had always mouthed his readiness to wave his immunity to face prosecution over alleged crimes, he said now was the time to wave that immunity to face prosecution on the electoral fraud.

    He insisted that APC would not accept anything short of comprehensive review of the Ekiti State election saga, even as he urged Nigerians to prevail on the Minister of Justice to compel Fayose to explain to the world what he meant by saying that he collected INEC soft copies and got them printed as captured in Captain Sagir Koli’s tape detailing all activities connected with Ekiti poll rigging.

    “Besides Fayose talking on the tape about how INEC gave him soft copies that he printed to win the election, the minister of justice must also compel the governor, who spoke on election result collation in the tape, to tell Nigerians which election result he was collating in Efon-Alaye on June 19, 2014, two clear days before the June 21, 2014 governorship election,” Olatunbosun concluded.

    Ogele urged Fayose to resign from office within seven days “because the election that brought him to office was highly compromised”.

    He vowed to approach the Federal High Court if Fayose fails to resign to seek a declaration that the election is null and void by reason of the latest facts and figures released by Fayose’s former right-hand man.

    The activist-lawyer also challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain its own side of the story following the alleged sharing of N1 billion by its officials to compromise the Ekiti poll.

    “They have the statutory power to probe this fraud; they should look into it to ascertain whether it is part of the arms money diverted and shared among many people. If truly the Federal Government is determined to fight corruption, EFCC, as a matter of urgency, should comb Ekiti for this gigantic fraud.”

     

  • APC’ll win Bayelsa poll with Alaibe, says PDP chief

    A stalwart of Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Tony Ile, has said the alleged undemocratic actions of President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson have opened the leeway for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the December 5 governorship election.

    Ile, who recently resigned from Dickson’s government, said the PDP would lose to the APC, if the progressives allow the former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe, to fly its flag.

    The PDP chieftain, who spoke in Yenagoa, the state capital, noted that by foreclosing the ambitions of other aspirants to pave the way for Dickson to emerge as the sole candidate, PDP had again committed an error, similar to what sent it packing from the centre.

    Ile said: “The issue of imposition and lack of internal democracy is unfortunately still going on in the PDP. We have refused to learn from our recent mistakes.”

    The PDP chieftain, who is a member of the party’s Unity Group (PUG), noted that Dickson could not match Alaibe.

    He said the campaigns against Alaibe by the governor’s camp were borne out of the fear that he was becoming APC’s leading aspirant. Ile wondered why a former President, who was expected to promote unity in the party and play a fatherly role, publicly endorsed one aspirant.

    The PDP stalwart said Jonathan’s public endorsement of Dickson and PDP’s decision to disqualify other aspirants, like Senator Paulker and Ebitimi Diangoli, nailed the coffin of the party in the state.

     

  • PDP chief: Anyim tricked Jonathan to sign N1.2b deal

    PDP chief: Anyim tricked Jonathan to sign N1.2b deal

    Ex-SGF: I’ve taken Ojougboh to court

    Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim unilaterally acquired the multi-billion-dollar Centenary City on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief alleged yesterday.

    PDP’s National Vice Chairman (Southsouth zone) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh said he was ready to face the ex-SGF in court to prove his sole ownership of the controversial housing estate.

    At a media briefing in his Abuja home late Monday, Ojougboh, reacting to what he described as “the show of shame”, which he said Anyim sponsored against him on Monday,  accused the former SGF of acts of desperation “to cling onto his loot and spoils of office without putting into consideration the millions of Nigerians he is depriving of the dividends of democracy”.

    Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe transactions relating to the Centenary City, Ojougboh said Anyim persuaded former President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Centenary City documents without the ex-president reading the contents or consulting his advisers.

    The Centenary City project is sitting on a land area covering over 1, 500 hectares, the size of three districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The PDP chieftain has petitioned President Buhari, stating the facts relating to the transaction and the role played by Anyim in what he described as “a scam” perpetrated by a United Arab Emirates company, allegedly operating as a front for Anyim.

    Ojougboh said: “Yes, the former president signed the papers as presented to him by the former SGF. He was not properly briefed because of vested interests.

    “I can defend him; he was not part of the fraud. If Jonathan had been properly briefed, he would not have approved the project, let alone going to perform the ground breaking.

    “The former President thought that the Centenary City was for the good of all Nigerians because of the centenary spirit. Unknown to him, it was the private project of the former SGF and his cohorts.

    “I am calling on President Buhari now to revisit the centenary city project and he will be shocked that the project is owned by a private individual, but procured with government funds”.

    According to Ojougboh, the original landlords demanded compensation from the Federal Government, “but the sponsors of the project used a private firm to pay them N1.2 billion. He asked: Where did they source that money from?”

    He continued: “How can an individual still serving in the government get such a huge sum to pay compensation without government knowledge?”.

    Ojougboh alleged that the money was paid into a private company’s account.

    He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, the Directorate of Military Intelligence as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into the matter.

    “The President must insist that each of these security agencies should carryout independent investigations so that the depth of the matter would be reached. I am available to offer the much I know from my independent quests on the matter”.

    Ojougboh, a medical doctor, insisted that the project was a scheme used to defraud the Federal Government in taxes, stressing that the Free Zone status given to the multi-district estate was a fraud.

    Ojougboh also quoted Anyim as saying that the project was worth $4 billion, adding that the process violated the rules guiding the granting of free trade zone  status by the Nigerian Export Processing Zonal Authority (NEPZA).

    The PDP chieftain, who was chairman of the board of NEPZA during the project’s conception, said the board did not approve a free trade zone status for it.

    “I can categorically attest to the fact emphatically and unequivocally, that the board did not approve the grant of the status of free trade zone to centenary city.

    “Centenary city cannot be a free zone because it is purely a residential estate within the confinement of the Federal Capital Territory and it is implicit that those who live in the free trade zone will require re-entry visa for ingress and egress.

    “I make bold to say that the Federal Government has no equity in the Centenary City project and that Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is the sole owner of the 3000 acres of land owned by the Centenary City, Abuja.

    “This is against the tenets and spirit of the Public Service rules for a public servant to own such a business whilst in government,” Ojougboh said.

    The party chieftain stated that his attention was first drawn to the scam by the Anti-Corruption Network, and that he had voiced his opposition to the anomaly.

    “It was meant to give import duty to the owners through the back door. The consequence was to rob Nigerian masses of their land, revenue and retard the industrial growth of the nation.

    “Therefore, for every one job the project creates today, it robs the nation of over 10 jobs in taxes and industrial development”. Ojougboh stated.

    Ojougboh raised some questions for Anyim:

    • Does the law establishing the FCT allow for a free zone? Is it in the Abuja mater plan?
    • How did Pius Anyim obtain the N1.2 billion resettlement fees?
    • In whose custody is the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of the Centenary City?

    Anyim’s media aide, Mr. Sam Nwaobosi, declined comments because, according to him, the matter is in court. In a telephone conversation with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Nwaobosi said Anyim would not take up issues with Ojougboh.

    Said he: “Senator Anyim has gone to court to sue him for defamation on the previous press conference and interviews that he granted in which he accused Anyim of almost all these things you said he is saying now.

    “So, the matter is already in court and Senator Anyim does not wish to take up issues with him on matters that are already in court.

    “Since he feels aggrieved by what Cairo (Ojougboh) has been saying and writing against him, he is pursuing a very civilised cause by going to court to plead his case.

    “So whatever Ojougboh is saying, he will have an opportunity in court to explain and then plead his case.”

  • Jonathan caused PDP’s loss at poll, says PDP chief

    Jonathan caused PDP’s loss at poll, says PDP chief

    •Ex-President broke power shift pact

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed the party’s defeat in the last presidential election on former President Goodluck Jonathan, saying the ex President broke the power shift arrangement agreed upon by the party.

    The party said it has learnt its lesson from the mistake, vowing never again to take the zoning arrangement enshrined in its constitution for granted.

    The party’s National Vice Chairman, South-south, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh states this in Abuja yesterday. According to him, Jonathan went against the zoning arrangement, a development that led to his rejection by the North.

    He added that that was the reason the North decided to vote President Muhammadu Buhari. Jonathan, he said, failed to honour a gentleman’s agreement reached in 1998 to serve a single term.

    According to him, the agreement was for power to shift between the North and the South after eight years.

    “So PDP had the first shot, everybody cooperated, (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo became president. After eight years, it was the turn of the North to become president then problem started. Some people started toying with the idea of third term.

    “PDP said no, PDP members of the National Assembly and other parties said no it will not work; wonderful. The PDP had to produce a candidate and that is how (the late Umoru) ‘Yar ‘Adua came. Unfortunately, he did not survive so the North said look this presidency is our own, we have to utilise our allotted eight years and they were right.

    “Jonathan himself said he will do only four years. Emirs, leaders and stakeholders in the country accepted that Jonathan will do only four years so that the power can shift to the North. When time came, a lot of ‘Macapa’ dances started; people started putting pressure here and there and people started encouraging Jonathan to contest. Unfortunately, Jonathan didn’t have the nerves to say no, I will keep my agreement.

    “So, Jonathan contesting meant that zoning formula had been breached. The North didn’t take kindly to that; they said no, this is not what we agreed. Even the Christian North that used to be very friendly, especially the North Central said we had an agreement. Some governors about five of them left the party because of that because they saw what was happening. So it was this pressure that the North now agreed that they must take power back, that it was their turn.

    “Fortunately or unfortunately, only two candidates were presented at the election whether you like it or not; Jonathan and Buhari. Buhari is from the North, Jonathan is from the South. The south had done more than enough for the time been for the agreement of 1998/1999. So the North said look we are going to vote for our son whether he is good or bad,” he said.

    The PDP chief said the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government will not stand the test of time, adding however that the PDP would have no hand in APC’s affairs.

    Ojougboh also ruled out the issue of resignation or dissolution of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, saying they are to remain in office till March, 2016.

     

  • PDP chief gave us guns, says robbery suspect

    PDP chief gave us guns, says robbery suspect

    An armed robbery suspect, Adebayo Dipo, yesterday said his gang got its weapons from a  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Lagos during the last elections.

    Dipo, 30, alongside  Alade Ogbulu  30 and Kofi Olumede (Ghanian), 21, were paraded by the police over the series of attacks and killings on Lagos Island.

    They said they were hired and paid N200,000 by politicians to foment trouble during the elections.

    One pump action rifle, a single barrel rifle and four rounds of ammunition were said to have been recovered from them. The suspects said the arms and a FEDECO bus were given to them by the PDP chieftain.

    The suspects, who belong to different cult groups, also reportedly had two cutlasses and an axe in their possession.

    They told reporters that they were involved in many cult wars in Ajah, Tafawa Balewa Square and other areas in the state.

    But Dipo, popularly known as SARS denied that his gang killed five persons after at a particular rally on Island.

    He said: “It was only Ashake that we killed. The others died during a fight with our gang. Nobody shot at them. We also lost some of our members during the clashes. I am a member of Black Axe Confraternity and I dropped out of the university due to lack of finance.

    “We were usually given N200,000 after each rally, which we shared among ourselves, no matter how large the crowd is.

    “The PDP chieftain (names withheld), gave us guns and FEDECO bus during campaign. I am a site agent. My nickname is SARS. We killed one Ashake on Saturday but four others died on Sunday, making five.”

    Kofi said about six persons were killed by the Abija Confraternity,  which he belongs to.

    “I belong to the Abija Group. About six persons have been killed in separate clashes. I am a political thug to the PDP.

    “On the day when the PDP held its rally at the TBS, my group shot dead one person. That was also the day Jonathan came to Lagos.

    “After the rally, some of our boys killed Otun who brought his boys to engage us in a fight. It was one Layi, our gang member, who shot him. The following day, the APC faction came to Enuowa area to engage us in a reprisal attack; we also killed four of their members. It was the APC thugs that launched the first attack

    “We are loyal to Abija, he was our leader and he brought all these guns (pointing to the recovered weapons). Abija had so many boys- too many to count. I was a meat pie seller before I joined the group in Lagos Island,” he said.

    Police Commissioner Kayode Aderanti said the suspects were arrested following raid of all dark spots in the state, because of the incessant skirmishes on the Island and its environs.

     

  • PDP chief to Obasanjo: I’m not a criminal

    PDP chief to Obasanjo: I’m not a criminal

    Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief and business mogul Prince Buruji Kashamu has faulted the contents of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Kashamu, in a letter to Jonathan through his lawyers, said Obasanjo goofed by describing him as a criminal.

    He said the letter contained several deliberate misrepresentations and outright falsehoods, adding that it was wrong of Obasanjo to tell the president how to govern, when to vacate the position of President of the country and who not to associate with.

    The letter reads: “Whereas the language of this unholy treatise betrays the workmanship of the several idle professional letter writers that hang around the former President, the concepts are unmistakably that of a man who having been worsted and outsmarted politically seeks to play his usual “raging bull in a china shop” role to the hilt with the hope that he would destroy something really valuable to you in the process.

    “We have no doubt that you would have yourself seen through the morass of ill-motivated statements made in that document and might have already given it the treatment it deserves by discarding it into the nearest dustbin.

    “Although most of the falsehoods contained therein are primarily designed to make you look incompetent and unproductive as a leader and your associates as criminal and unpatriotic elements, it is clear that the author’s pettiness and character assassination attempt is also targeted at our client, Prince Buruji Kashamu on whose behalf we write this rejoinder.

    “At pages 14 to 15 of the letter General Obasanjo makes libelous, false and totally fictional statements concerning our client and pretends to quote extensively from a non-existent paper which he claims was produced by an obscure scholar, Lansana Gberie, who, from a search on the internet, is revealed to be no more than a Senior Research fellow with the Africa Conflict Prevention Programme of the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, an equally obscure organisation.

    “This campaign of calumny against Prince Kashamu has been a continuing though failed project of the Obasanjo led group and has culminated in several libel suits and other court actions including those that were twisted by Obasanjo’s statements and the fake quotation set out by him and ascribed to one Lansana Gberie.”