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  • Alleged $40m fraud: Court to decide Jonathan’s cousin fate May 27

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled judgment for May 27 in the trial Robert Azibaola, said to be a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, on charges of money laundering.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba chose the date on Thursday after lawyers to the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.

    Azibaola is being tried on a two-count charge, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He is charged with a firm, One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, over allegation that he received $40million from the detained former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, retd, without any contract agreement.

    The prosecution, on January 23, 2017, closed its case after calling ten witnesses, following which Azibaola, who denied any wrong doing, testified in person and called a witness, Iyeryfama Jaja.

    The defence closed its case on February 6 after calling two witnesses – Aziboala and Jaja.

    On Thursday, Sylvanus Tahir (for the prosecution) and Chris Uche, San, (for the defence) adopted their final written addresses, following which Justice Dimgba adjourned for judgment.

    It is the prosecution’s case, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/ 113/2016, that Aziboala, while being the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) and a signatory to the Zenith Bank account of One Plus Holdings Nig Ltd, on or about September 8, 2014, took possession and converted the $39, 999, 958 out of the $40million, and transferred same to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nig Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No. 5070365750.

    It said the 40m was released from an account the Office of the National Security Adviser operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, upon a transfer mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139, on the guise that it was meant for the supply of Tactical Communication Kits for Special Forces.

    The prosecution added that the defendants reasonably ought to have known that the fund was part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity by Dasuki, adding that they had by their action, committed an offence contrary to section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.

    Earlier, on March 29, 2018, the court partially upheld a no-case-submission made by the defence and struck out seven out of nine counts originally contained in the charge, which had Aziboala, his wife, Stella, and the firm as defendants.

    The court discharged and acquitted Aziboala’s wife on the premise that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie criminal charge against her.

    In his defence, Aziboala has consistently maintained that the money, okayed by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was deployed to solve oil bunkering and pipeline destruction in the Niger Delta region.

    He told the court that the federal government, perturbed by the level of oil bunkering and the vandalization of oil facilities in the region, which he said drastically disrupted oil output and reduced the nation’s cash inflows, engaged his firm to implement strategies he said brought such economic sabotage to an end.

    Aziboala said the “assignment” that was handed to him through the ONSA, was discreetly executed, insisting that it achieved the desired result.

  • Police arrest herbalist for killing woman

    A Herbalist, named Femi Emmanuel is currently in the custody of the Kwara state police command for allegedly causing the death of a 45-year-old woman.

    Deceased, a mother of two was named Tawakalitu Mukaila.

    Tawakalitu was said to have died in the house of Emmanuel in Ila-Odo-owa, in Oke-Ero local government area of the state.

    Senior police officer at the Ilofa police station in Oke-Ero, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident.

    He said the case file of the suspect, the body of the victim and her niece had been transferred to the police Headquarters in Ilorin for further investigation.

    The source said it took the intervention of the policemen in the command that prevented the suspect from being lynched by an irate mob that had gathered at his house during his arrest.

    Tawakalitu, a trader and resident of Ago-Oru area of Omu-Aran, it was gathered was said to have been accosted by Emmanuel while hawking rice and beans inside Omu-Aran market few months ago.

    During the encounter, it was learnt that Emmanuel claimed that Tawakalitu and her family were under some spell which needed urgent deliverance.

    Emmanuel was said to have corroborated his claim by narrating with exact precision some past negative incident in the family of the deceased, Tawakalitu, who hailed from Isale-Oyo in Oyo State.

    Tawakalitu’s husbsnd, Mukaila, a driver who hailed from Oke-ode in Kwara state had been a victim of a ghastly motor accident some four years ago. The accident rendered him incapacitated making him resort to use of crutches.

    It was gathered that after constant pressure allegedly by fetish means, Emmanuel was said to have met the deceased inside the same market on Thursday March 21, in Omu-Aran and ordered her to his house in Ila-Odo-owa.

    Tawakalitu was said to have immediately left her wares and headed for Emmanuel’s place along with her 17-year-old niece, identified as Azeezat, an SS1 student.

    Mukaila while narrating the circumstances of Tawakalitu’s death said she was an honest, trustworthy and caring woman who had never involved herself in any indecent acts.

    “She was the breadwinner of the family, trustworthy and very caring even after my accident left me incapacitated. Her sudden death this way remained a mystery to me.

    “On that fateful day, few months ago Tawa told me about what one Emmanuel, a spiritual told him while hawking inside Omu-Aran market and I told her to ignore such fake antics from the said spiritualist.

    “But after then my wife will always complain about the pressure from the same Emmanuel and I cannot stop her from doing her legitimate business which she has been using to feed us, more so I’m not that fit.

    “Not until Thursday March 21, that she disappeared with her nice, Azeezat and we became worried and all efforts to locate her by a search party proved abortive.

    Narrating further Mukaila said it was on Sunday morning that Azeezat suddenly appeared looking pale and exhausted and narrated to them what transpired between the deceased and the spiritualist at Ila-Odo-owa.

    “Azeezat told us that she and Tawakalitu slept in the house of the spiritualist on Thursday and Friday nights and that on Saturday morning he gave Tawakalitu a concoction to drink with pap.

    “She said after drinking the concoction Emmanuel gave her (Tawakalitu) a bowl where she vomited some liquid portions which the spiritualist took away.

    “Azeezat said it was after vomiting that Tawakalitu became very weak, exhausted and unconscious and died few minutes later.

    According to Mukaila, Azeezat claimed that after she died Emmanuel bundled her body inside a room, locked them together with a warning that she too would die in the same manner if she dared narrate what happened to anybody.

    “Azeezat told us that it was on Sunday morning, tired and

  • Attack on ad-hoc staff dangerous to democracy – INEC

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed worry over cases of harassment, maiming and killing of its ad-hoc staff recorded during the just concluded general elections.

    The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Fetus Okoye stated this Thursday in Awka, during the presentation of certificates of return to 30 newly elected members of the Anambra state House of Assembly.

    He said such attacks on the staff, most of who were corps members, portend great danger to the growth and development of the nation’s nascent democracy.

    Okoye, who blamed the ugly development on desperate politicians, urged them to leave its staff alone and concentrate their efforts on campaigns.

    He said, “The commission is worried at the rate at which ad-hoc staff of the commission are harassed, maimed and killed in the performance of their duties.

    “We are fast approaching a point where parents and guardians will not be willing to their sons and daughters doing their national youth service to participate in the electoral process.

    “Non-participation of our best and brightest, fresh from tertiary institutions will leave the commission with the option of harvesting its ad-hoc staff from sources whose loyalty to the national cause is questionable.”

    Okoye also regretted the illegal and illicit approaches being made by some political parties and their candidates to the various officers recruited by the commission for the exercise.

    “Some of these officers are recruited in strict confidentiality and yet desperate politicians go to the length to find them and corrupt them.

    “To this extent, the commission will carry out internal assessment and audit of its recruitment processes and procedures with a view to better protection of those processes,” he added.

    He restated the commission’s determination in canvassing for the early passage of the electoral offences commission bill at the national Assembly.

    Okoye said, “We must stem impunity in the electoral process by ensuring that those that deliberately and maliciously corrupt the process are proceeded against and punished in accordance with the law.

    Read Also: INEC presents Tambuwal, Legislators-elect certificates of return

    “The absence of robust and clearly defined institutions that will be responsible for arrest, investigation and prosecution of electoral offenders has led to heightened electoral malfeasance resulting in the storming of collation centres and forcing officers to make returns at gunpoint.”

    Congratulating the newly elected lawmakers on their victory, the commissioner wished them well in the task of legislating for the good governance of the state.

    Earlier, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji described the certificates as symbol of the mandate of the people earned during the election.

    He charged the newly elected lawmakers to fulfill the promises made to their constituents during campaigns.

  • Four injured, motorcycles burnt in Ekiti tanker accident

    No fewer than four persons sustained various degrees of injuries on Thursday when a petroleum tanker exploded at Ido Ekiti, in Ido/Osi Local government area of the state.

    The accident happened along Ido-Ifaki highway at about 9.30am as result of brake failure.

    Several houses located near the scene of the accident and motorcycles parked around the place were consumed in the inferno caused by the spilled fuel from the truck.

    The intensity of the fire caused panic in the town as those living within the spot were said to have started evacuating their property from being burnt.

    The truck blocked the road and emitted thick smoke that caused tension in the area for hours.

    The blockade of the road caused traffic jam while those traveling from Ifaki Ekiti to Ido were said to be taking a detour to prevent being caught in the web of fire outbreak that raged on before it was put out by men of the State fire services.

    Those wounded have been taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti for medical treatment.

    One of them was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit due to the severity of the injury sustained.

    Speaking with The Nation, an eye witness disclosed the driver of the truck lost control when the brake failed and swerved off the road as he approached a sharp bend.

    “The driver lost control and when it got to the road bend, it swerved off and somersaulted.

    “Immediately this happened, the fuel spilled and caught fire which made those within the vicinity to scamper for safety.

    “When it was obvious that people could no longer have the capacity to put the fire off, they made emergency call to fire service which came with superior equipment to quench the inferno,” he said.

    When contacted, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Mohammed Olowo, said four persons have been rescued and taken to the hospital.

    “The prompt action we took helped in reducing the severity of this fire. Though, people were wounded but no death was recorded.

    “We worked with men of the fire services and we have been able to restore normalcy in terms of rescuing the victims and in ensuring free flow of vehicles along that route,” he stated.

  • Updated: Court orders arrest of IPOB leader, Kanu

    For failing to attend court since April 25, 2017, without any reasonable explanation, a Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

    Justice Binta Nyako, in a ruling on Thursday, also directed that his trial, on charges of treasonable felony should proceed in his absence.

    Relying on the provision of Section 352(4) of the Administrative of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Justice Nyako agrred with the prosecution, led by Magaji Labaran, that Kanu has consistently failed to appear in court since April 25, 2017, without any reasonable explanation.

    The judge, who rejected the objection by Kanu’s lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor to Labaran’s oral application for the IPOB leader’s arrest, noted that she had, in an earlier judgment on a civil suit filed by Kanu, held that there was no nexus between the reported military invasion of Kanu’s community and his disappearance.

    Justice Nyako noted that Kanu has violated the conditions and terms of the bail granted him.

    She recalled that after the defendant was granted bail on April 17, 2017, the following proceedings of July 11, 2017 could not hold due the court’s vacation.

    The judge further noted that on October 17, 2017 Kanu also failed to appear in court with his lawyer saying that the defendant absence from court was caused by the invasion of his home in Abia State by soldiers.

    She said the three persons, who had guaranteed his bail, have applied to the court to withdraw their suretyship because they could not account for his whereabouts.

    Justice Nyako observed that on March 28, 2018, Kanu’s trial was separated from that of his four other co-defendants in order to avoid delays of the other persons’ trial.

    The judge recalled that, on November 14, 2018, she ordered that the sureties should temporarily forfeit their N100m bail bonds or produce Kanu in court.

    She added since when Kanu’s trial was separated from that of others, there were four court sessions that held and were adjourned without Kanu attending any.

    The judge stressed that proceedings must end one way or the other, and added, “I have given the counsel for the defendant more than enough time to produce him in court.

    “Therefore, by virtue of section of section 252(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, the only option open to do is to order that the trial will continue in his absence.

    “Also in the absence of any reasonable explanation for his absence, I hereby revoke his bail and order that a bench warrant be issued for his arrest,” she said.

    The judge fixed June 18 for the commencement of trial with or without Kanu in court.

    Justice Nyako however adjourned indefinitely, the proceedings in relation to Kanu’s sureties, who have applied to withdraw their suretyship.

    The judge ordered the indefinite adjournment after lawyer to one of the sureties, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), informed the court that his client has appealed the November 14, 2018 ruling ordering the sureties to forfeit their bail bonds.

  • New judge to hear Patience Jonathan’s suit against EFCC

    A new judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos, has taken over a suit filed by former first lady Dame Patience Jonathan challenging a “no-debit-order” placed on her account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    It followed the elevation of Justice Mohammed Idris to the Court of Appeal.

    Justice Aneke on Wednesday adjourned until May 22.

    The EFCC, Skye Bank Plc (now Polaris Bank) and three companies – Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd and Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd are the respondents.

    Mrs Jonathan, in the suit filed in 2016, is demanding N200 million damages.

    She is urging the court to compel the EFCC to immediately remove the “no debit order” placed on her accounts with $9.8 million.

    The plaintiff’s counsel Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) said there was an amendment to the suit to reflect the change in the bank’s name.

    An aide, Sammie Somiari, deposed to a supporting affidavit on behalf of the former first lady.

    The deponent said a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo Dudafa, helped Mrs Jonathan to open the banks accounts.

    Somiari said Mrs Jonathan is the sole signatory to the accounts, adding that after five accounts were opened for, she discovered that Dudafa opened only one in her name while the others were in the companies’.

    The deponent said Mrs Jonathan continued to operate the accounts with debit cards until EFCC placed the “no-deposit order”.

    But, in its defence, EFCC said Mrs Jonathan does not run any business from which she could have earned such huge sums, being the wife of the former president, a civil servant and a retired Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa State.

    “Investigation conducted by the first defendant (EFCC) revealed that the plaintiff is not the owner of the funds in the accounts of the third to fifth defendants (companies), which funds were discovered to be proceeds of fraudulent activities of Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa,” EFCC said.

    The commission said between 2013 and 2015, “huge sums of money were stolen from the Federal Government of Nigeria and its agencies.”

    The agencies, it said, included the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA

  • Police arrest soldier for allegedly stealing phones

    The police in Lagos have arrested a soldier, Lance Corporal Shedrack Christopher for allegedly stealing two mobile phones at a hotel in Ijanikin.

    Christopher was arrested on March 19, around 6am at Express View Hotel following complaints from the management of the facility on the alleged theft.

    Parading the suspect Wednesday, Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu said he stole two mobile phones worth N86,000 from the bar and hotel, adding that the phones, an axe, a cutlass and knife were recovered from the suspect.

    “We also recovered Nigerian Army Warrant Card, a Honda accord car with registration number Lagos SMK846 and army uniform. He confessed to have deserted from the Nigerian Army in 2017 at Maiduguri that he participated in killings at Igando Lagos and Edo State in 2017 after deserting the army. We have written the military to verify his claims and are awaiting response on.”

    But Christopher denied he was a dismissed soldier, refuting police claim that he confessed to being a cultist.

    The suspect also denied stealing the phones, insisting that he only took them from the bar where he saw them for safekeeping.

    “I did not steal the phones. I went to the hotel to meet my friend who lodged there. I got into the hotel around 11pm and as I was walking in, I saw two phones at the bar. There was no one there and so, I took the phones and kept them in case the owners looked for them.

    “I did not steal the phones. My plan was to return them once anyone started looking for them. I am still a soldier. I have not been dismissed and I am not a cultist. I never admitted to killing anyone.

    “The dagger was what I used in Maiduguri. I collected the cutlass from a group of boys who were fighting and put it inside my car. I collected the axe from hoodlums under the Mile Two Bridge.

    “The police people at Ijanikin Division tortured me. They said they’ll use the knife to cut my ear. They beat me but still I did not admit to any of those things they are claiming.”

    The suspect whose Driver’s license had another name from his army identity card, said he changed his name to Shedrack John when he joined the military.

    He said he stayed back in Lagos and was engaged in frozen turkey smuggling from Benin Republic into Lagos in order to feed his family.

    Similarly, the police arrested 45-year-old vigilante member, Johnson Abolo for allegedly impersonating the police and possessing prohibited firearms.

    Abolo was said to have had in his possession, rifles and police vest, which he used to fleece residents of Ijanikin.

    Read Also: Auto crash kills 2, injures 3 in Kano

    According to the Commissioner, the suspect belonged to a three-man armed robbery gang, two of who fled when detectives swooped on them.

    “Three guns namely, one pump action rifle, one locally made rifle and one English rifle were recovered from him. Effort is on to arrest the fleeing members,” said Muazu.

    However, Abolo said he was arrested with just one if the rifles claiming that the other two were abandoned by his colleagues who fled.

    He claimed he was a member of the National Community Policing group and they were employed by the community to provide security against armed robbers.

    The suspect claimed his group was trained by the police and that whenever they arrested criminals, they usually handed same to the police.

    Asked why he was in possession of firearms, Abolo said they used the rifles to guard the community and protect themselves from armed robbers.

    “The operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) came and arrested us where we were on duty.
    However the two of my colleagues escaped and I was the only one brought here. It was the two that own the two rifles while I own only one.

    “I am married with two children and I am from Isoko in Delta State.

    “Police saw us on duty and arrested me while two of my colleagues ran away while we were at an estate in Ijanikin. I don’t remember the name of the estate. I am paid N20, 000 monthly. I am not an armed robber and I didn’t impersonate police.”

  • Gunmen abduct policeman, others in Edo

    A police officer simply identified as DSP Godwin and four other persons have been abducted by gunmen at Ubiaja, headquarters of Esan South East local government area.

    DSP Godwin was travelling to Asaba when the vehicle he was travelling in was stopped by the gunmen who were on the road apparently for kidnapping.

    Police sources said DSP Godwin and others were taken into the bush.

    Read Also: Gunmen abduct former Jalingo NBA Chairman

    The source said a Pastor who was travelled along the same route was shot and is receiving treatment in a hospital.

    It was gathered that the police have mobilised tactical team to forest reserves around the Ewatto, Ubiaja, Okhuessan with the view to rescuing their colleague.

    Edo Police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident and said good news would soon emerge from the tactical team work in the forest.

    He added the Command is doing something to locate the tactical team at Ubiaja division.

  • ‘I stole 6-year-old girl on ritualist’s demand’

    A suspected child trafficker on Monday confessed abducting a 6-year old girl in Umuefi Nteje, Oyi local government area of Anambra state on the instructions of a native doctor.

    The suspect, Monday Onyikwa who made the confession to newsmen at the Police headquarters in Amawbia, said the native doctor, Monday had promised to pay him the sum of N100,000.

    He said he kidnapped the victim during a burial ceremony in the community and was on his way to the native doctor’s place when he was nabbed.

    “I got to know the native doctor at the police station when I was arrested for stealing phone. He introduced himself to me and gave me his number.

    “I picked up the girl at a burial and was heading to the native doctor’s place who demanded her for ritual before I was arrested,” he said.

    Confirming the arrest, the police spokesperson in the state, Haruna Mohammed said the victim had since been reunited with her family.

    He said the case was being investigated.

    He said, “On 23-3-2019, at about 9am, one Pius Egbuna of Nteje reported that his daughter, Chisom was missing and was nowhere to be found.

    “Following intelligence report, police detectives arrested one Monday Onyikwa in the bush with the victim.

    “Suspect confessed that he was taking her to one Nnamdi, a native doctor who was equally arrested at Nando village in Anambra East LGA for a fee of N100,000 for ritual purpose.”

  • FG to dualise Akure-Ikere road – Akeredolu

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Friday said the Federal Government would dualise the Akure-Ikere carriage way.

    According to Akeredolu, the Federal Government has already completed the design for the dual carriageway project.

    Akeredolu made the revelation during a thank-you visit to Ifedore, Akure North and Akure South Local Government Areas in Ondo Central Senatorial District.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 23 of the 26 seats in the recently concluded House of Assembly election.

    The governor explained that the road contract would be awarded as soon as the 2019 budget was approved.

    He added that the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had given his assurance that the contract would be awarded before the end of the first term.

    “The work we are interested in embarking on is the Akure-Ikere dual carriageway, but we cannot because it is a federal project.

    “Earlier, we made several efforts to get the road done; even Fashola intervened and suggested that since Ikere was a dual carriageway, then Akure to Ikere should also be a dual carriageway.

    “I accepted the suggestion, hence the rehabilitation of the deplorable portions of the road.

    ” By the time this is done, you can leave here and work in Akure conveniently and this will decongest Akure and everybody can come and live here.

    “ The drive to Akure will be just 10 minutes,” he said.

    Akeredolu further said his administration would not build any more mega schools, but renovate the existing schools in the state.

    “We will have schools that are accessible and close to pupils’ homes. All those abandoned schools are still schools.

    “We are renovating and building several classrooms and fences of most of them,” he said.

    Earlier, Oba Amos Farukanmi, the Okiti of Iju, thanked the governor for the various life changing projects initiated by government, especially the water scheme in the area.

    Also speaking, Alex Oladimeji, the Chairman of Ifedore Local Government Area, thanked the governor for the laudable projects in the area and promised the continued support of the people.

    He further appealed for the upgrade of the traditional ruler.

    Similarly, Ade Adetimehin, the Chairman of APC in Ondo State, thanked the people for their support during the House of Assembly election.