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  • 10 injured as youths disrupt crusade in Niger

    No fewer than ten persons were injured when scores of irate youths disrupted a religious crusade organised by a convert in Tegina town of Niger state.

    The crusade was said to have been organised by Prophet Shuaibu Bashir, who is believed to be from a royal family in Sokoto state.

    It was learnt he had been converting people and healing the sick in most of the crusades he held.

    Barely had the crusade kicked off on Monday evening when some youths belonging to the opposite religion stormed the venue, beating up worshippers.

    According to eyewitness reports, the youths beat up those in attendance with different objects, causing them to scamper for safety.

    Ten people were injured in the process with five vehicles destroyed.

    Two motorcycles were also taken away from the venue of the crusade.

    The organisers decried the attack, saying they had obtained permits from the Police and Emir before proceeding with the crusade.

    The Niger state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muhammad Abubakar, who confirmed the attack, said only five people were injured.

    He however said no arrest had been made in connection with the incident as the youths fled on arrival of the police.

    He informed none of the people could recognise any of the attackers.

    Abubakar however assured the police was on top of the case.

  • Senate leadership: Minority leader slot tears PDP senators apart

    All appears not to be settled in the camp of Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) sitting Senators and Senators-elect.

    Feelers indicate as All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators are plotting for position of the Senate President, PDP Senators have launched intense scheming for the slot of Senate minority leader.

    It is gathered the intrigue and scheming for leadership positions in the Senate clearly manifested during the issuance of certificate of returns to Senator and members of the House of Representatives on Thursday.

    The PDP is expected to produce the minority leader in the ninth Senate with its 42 senators. APC boasts of 65 and YPP has one.

    A competent source in the National Assembly told our reporter on Monday the calculation is the South East geo-political zone with its 13 senators, still counting, would produce the Senate minority leader.

    He noted the South South geo-political zone is already out of the race for Senate minority leader because the zone occupies the exalted position of PDP Chairman in the person of Prince Uche Secondus.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and South East caucus leader in the upper chamber, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, are said to be highly favoured to clinch the Senate minority leader.

    The source, who said he is aware the PDP leadership would soon come out to declare its position, said: “On who gets what in the Senate and House of Representatives” noted that “the position of Senate minority leader is not elective position.”

    He said: “Senate minority leader position is a party affair. The PDP leadership will soon declare its stand about who should occupy the position.

    “PDP wants to get it right in order not to make the mistake of Senator Godswill Akpabio who abandoned the position to defect to APC in the build up to the general elections.

    “It is incumbent on the party to decide. The position is purely a party affair. It is not elective. Especially now that the momentum seems to be on the side of the PDP with expected more states to its fold, it is for the party to sustain the tempo by installing effective opposition leader.

    “The Senator Godswill Akpabio scenario must not be allowed to play out again.”

    The source also said that the PDP planned to install “a cohesive opposition leader that would articulate the position of the party in the Senate.”

    Asked who is likely to get the slot between Ekweremadu and Abaribe, he hesitated and said: “PDP leaders are weighing options but what I can deduct from the body language of some party leaders is that perhaps they would want Ekweremadu to now play a father-figure role in the Senate which former Senate President, Senator David Mark, effectively played in the Eight Senate.

    ‘It is on record that Ekweremadu, having served as Deputy Senate President for three consecutive times with active support of the PDP and its Senators, nobody challenged him, it is widely expected that he should now play a father-figure role in the Senate. Senator David Mark, a former Senate President, did it to the admiration of party members. Nobody should be desperate about anything.”

    He assured that “PDP will put its house in order and come up with a suitable name.”

  • Ekiti to conduct psychiatric test on sex offenders

    In a bid to tackle child defilement and rapists in Ekiti State, the government has resolved to put stringent measures that would serve as check on sexual violence.

    The government would henceforth conduct compulsory psychiatric test and publish the names and photographs of offenders on the website of the Ministry of Justice.

    The names of such offenders, according to the government, would also be announced on the state-owned radio and television, while the monarch of the town the culprits hailed from would be alerted for them to get information about his status.

    While addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Monday, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Wale Fapohunda expressed worries that the menace kept increasing despite high number of convictions recorded in the state.

    He said the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi was miffed by increasing cases of sexual violence and that there was need for proactive actions to nip the situation in the bud.

    Fapohunda said the new measures put in place will support the aggressive prosecution and exclusion of offenders from governor’s prerogative of mercy that were already in place.

    “The additional measures put in place include pasting the photographs of convicted offenders in prominent public spaces in their communities and their local government headquarters.

    ” Issuing an advisory to the traditional rulers of the offender’s communities on the status of the offender. Uploading the sex offenders photograph on the website of the Ministry of Justice.

    “Showing photographs of sex offenders on Ekiti State Broadcasting Service, announcing their names on radio and television.

    “Compulsory Psychiatric Test for all persons of whom the Director of Public Prosecution has issued a case to answer legal advice for the offence of child defilement. This also includes persons standing trials “, he said.

    The Commissioner disclosed that the government would take actions that will deprive offenders of their rights to dignity.

    Fapohunda stated that the government was aware that conviction alone will not solve the problem, promising that public education and awareness would be stepped up to conscientise and sensitise the people.

  • We cut off victims’ fingers, wrists during operation, says suspect

    An alleged notorious armed robber Kunle Akerele alias Poly has said his gang usually cut off victims’ fingers and wrists to force them into submitting their valuables.

    Akerele and other members of his syndicate- Toyin Adewale, Nurudeen Akorede (Sypon), Oluwaseyu Makinde, Tunde Yusuf (To Door) and Bankole Mohammed alias Hunter were arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police (IG) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at Ikotun.

    The suspects who were paraded on Wednesday by Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu told reporters they cut the fingers and wrists of over 20 victims in one operation for lying to them.

    Admitting he was leader of the syndicate, Akerele said they adopted the strategy after they discovered that most of their victims usually gave them inferior phones each time they went on house raids.

    He said: “We operated at Agege, Aburo and Iyana Ipaja areas of the state. We used to raid people’s homes and when we started, we were not cutting off their fingers or wrists. The people made us become wicked because each time they knew we were coming, they will keep small phones ready for us to collect. They will also tell us they don’t have money at home.

    “One day, one of my boys suggested we get cutlass and teach the people lessons. We tried it and it worked. Our first victim was a rich man who had many expensive cars in his home.

    “When we got in, we asked for his phone and he gave us small Nokia. We saw his gold wedding ring and told him to bring it out but he was acting as though it was hard to bring out. So, we cut off his three fingers and the moment his wife saw what happened, she did not waste time in bringing out hers.

    “It happened on January 13 at Aboru Community. We needed money when we carried out the raid. All the people were busy giving us small phones. After we left the man’s house, we went back and dealt with all those who lied to us by giving us small phones. Over 20 people’s wrists, fingers were cut that day.

    “We did it for future purposes so that the news would spread and the people will be forced to bring out money when next we struck.”

    Asked how the gang got firearm, Akerele said they collected weapons from Tunde (Yusuf) who got them from a local vigilante member.

    Read Also: Police detain SARS operatives over ‘extortion’

    “We settled Tunde after each operation. We do not know his arrangement with the vigilante guy. Initially, we thought the guns were expensive but later we heard he bought them at N20,000 each.”

    According to the police, over 85 phones and 33 laptops were recovered from the buyer of items the gang stole, adding that it was the receiver who led police where the suspects were hiding.

    “Over 85 phones and 33 laptops were recovered from the buyer of the stolen items. My men are after two members of the gang who are now on the run. The case will be charged to court at the end of investigation,” said Muazu.

  • We’re eager to meet Atiku in Court, says Keyamo

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) was prepared and eager to meet the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar in court to prove the 2019 election was devoid of rigging, its Director Strategic Communication of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Festus Keyamo (SAN) has said.

    Keyamo, in a statement in Abuja, explained that resorting to court was the only democratic way of ventilating his perceived grievances about the election.

    He stressed the council was not in any way prevailing on the former Vice President not to challenge the outcome of the exercise in court.

    Keyamo denied reports the council has written to some international organisations and development partners to prevail on Atiku not to challenge the outcome in Court.

    He said the body that wrote the letter was not known to the council and does not speak for it and the President.

    According to him: “Our attention has been drawn to some news item and posts on social media reporting that we wrote a letter to some international bodies to prevail on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar not to proceed to court to challenge the result of the 2019 Presidential Election.

    “Our investigation reveals that a letter to that effect was purportedly written by a certain ‘Buhari Campaign Organisation’.

    “This is the second time we will be informing the public that the said ‘Buhari Campaign Organisation’ does not act at the behest of the APC Presidential Campaign Council nor does it represent the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation in any way.

    “As a result, whatever it has released does not represent the position of the APC Presidential Campaign Council or President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Our official position is that we believe that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has a constitutional right to seek redress in court and we do not seek in any way to curtail that right.

    “In fact, it is the resort to court that is the only democratic way to ventilate his perceived grievance and any attempt to restrict or discourage the exercise of such right would be an invitation to anarchy.

    Read Also: Atiku, PDP seek tribunal’s nod to inspect election materials

    “In addition, we are very anxious to meet Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in court in order to show the world in a conclusive manner the free and fair nature of the comprehensive defeat of Atiku at the polls. An election is not termed ‘rigged’ only by the mere claim of it by the loser.

    “That is what Atiku and the PDP want to ram down our throats. Unfortunately for them, international, continental and sub-regional observers (who can be seen as neutral by all standards) ALL declared the election to be free, fair and credible. No ego-massaging narrative can change that.

    “We therefore totally disassociate ourselves from the letter purportedly written by one of, perhaps, many support groups of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “They may have a right to their opinion, but it does not represent our official position.“

  • N3.97bn fraud: Court convicts Badeh’s firm

    …Loses $1m, Abuja properties

     

    The Federal High Court in Abuja Monday convicted a firm linked with the late Chief of General Staff (CGS), Air Marshall Alex Badeh – Iyalikam Nigeria Limited – and ordered it be immediately wound-up.

    Justice Okon Abang, in a judgement on Monday, after the firm changed its earlier plea of not guilty to guilty, convicted it on the amended 10 count charge of money laundering.

    Justice Abang ordered the forfeiture of $1m and properties located in Abuja and linked with Iyalikam.

    The guilty plea by the firm was part of the plea bargain agreement reached between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the defence.

    Properties traced to Badeh and Iyalikam were listed in the plea bargain agreement the EFCC reached with the defence and filed before the court on Monday.

    The assets are:

    *A mansion at No. 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja

    *A shopping mall at Plot 1386, Oda Crescent Cadastral Zone A07, Wuse II, Abuja

    * A duplex at No. 19, Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja

    * A duplex situate at No. 14, Adzope Crescent, Off Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja

    * A semi-detached duplex situate at No. 8A, Embu Street, by Sigma Apartment Wuse II, Abuja

    *The sum of $1,000,000.00 only recovered from No. 6, Ogun River Street, Off Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja.

    Based on the plea bargain agreement, the court also ordered that upon conviction, defendant should be wound up “and any other property or account in the name of the defendant shall be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria”.

    EFCC was, until Badeh’s death, prosecuting him alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited on 14 counts of money laundering bordering on alleged fraudulent removal of about N3.97bn from the Nigerian Air Force’s account.

    Badeh and the company had jointly pleaded not guilty to the charges in 2016, prompting the prosecution to open its case which it later closed last year after calling 22 prosecution witnesses.

    Badeh was scheduled to open his defence on January 16 this year, but before the hearing date, gunmen killed him along Abuja-Keffi Expressway on December 18, 2018.

    At the January 16 hearing, the first which came up after Badeh’s death, the deceased’s lawyer, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), and Iyalikam’s, Mr. Samuel Zibiri (SAN), pleaded with the judge to adjourn till after the deceased’s burial.

    They added that the adjournment would afford them time to reach an agreement with the prosecution on how to proceed with the case.

    Badeh had since been buried.

    At the resumed hearing in case on February 26, 2019, the defence further requested a further adjournment of the matter to enable the company to open its case.

    Justice Abang had adjourned the matter till Monday.

    On Monday, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Oluwaleke Atolagbe, told the court that the prosecution and the defence had reached an agreement leading to the amendment of the charges to 10 counts and which saw the removal of Badeh’s name as a defendant in the case.

    He said, “We filed a further amended charge dated March 1 and filed March 4 and we also filed a plea bargain agreement with regards to provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.”

    Olujinmi, who represented Badeh, and Mr. S.T Ologunorisa (SAN), who represented Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on Monday, had contrary to Atolagbe’s position, argued that the charges needed not to be read because the company had no representative in court.

    But Atolagbe insisted that the absence of the company’s representative was not a genuine excuse for the company not to plead guilty in the open court.

    He added that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, recognised plea in a writing form, an example of which, he said, was the plea bargain agreement already filed before the court.

    With the judge adopting Atolagbe’s view, the amended charges were read to the company and a plea of guilty was recorded for the company in respect of each of the 10 counts.

    Delivering judgement, which adopted the plea bargain agreement reached between the defence and the prosecution, Justice Abang convicted the company.

    He added, “I have before me a plea bargain agreement duly executed by Iyalikam Nigeria Limited and the EFCC.

    “I hereby find the defendant guilty and accordingly convict the defendant of the 10 counts further amended charge.

    “Having regards to the plea bargain agreement duly executed by the parties, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited is hereby wound up and the judgment shall be served on the Corporate Affairs Commission for necessary action.”

    Justice Abang also ordered that the various assets linked to the company in the charges be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The judge also ordered the termination of all proceedings against Badeh.

  • Alleged N25m fraud: EFCC arrests former NBA, Ikeja chairman

    Former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yinka Farounbi, was on Monday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N25 million fraud in the association.

    Farounbi’s arrest during the general monthly meeting of the NBA, Ikeja Branch held at the Bar Centre, old Secretariat, Ikeja GRA, was sequel to his refusal to honour an invitation sent to him by the commission.

    Three members of the NBA, Ikeja including Gabriel Opayinka, were alleged to have petitioned the EFCC alleging N25 million fraud during the last administration led by Adesina Ogunlana.

    It was gathered that Ogunlana was recently released after spending three nights in EFCC custody over same issue.

    Ogunlana was said to have been arrested at his Ikorodu Road, Onipanu law firm after his initial refusal to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitation.

    It was gathered that Farounbi was invited for interrogation by the EFCC when investigation revealed that he was still signing bank cheques despite that his tenure had lapsed.

    It was gathered that Farounbi and another signatory were prevailed upon to sign some cheques to execute some urgent programmes of the NBA Ikeja branch as the Ogunlana led executive were yet to effect change of bank signatories as a result of the crisis that engulfed the bar after their election.

    A source within the bar said the meeting of the lawyers was in progress when it was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the EFCC.

    On arrival, the EFCC operatives were said to have enquired for Farounbi, that they wanted to arrest him.

    The chairman of the branch, Dele Oloke was alleged to have identified Farounbi to the EFCC operatives for arrest, a development infuriated the lawyers.

    It was said that Gabriel Opayinka and two others owned up to the petition submitted to the EFCC alleging N25million fraud in the bar.

    The source said the situation turned into chaos as lawyers, who were not happy about the invasion of their meeting by the EFCC operatives, resisted the arrest of Farounbi and chastised the branch chairman, Oloke for not protecting the former chairman of the branch.

    In crisis that ensued, a female operative of the EFCC was allegedly assaulted.

    The development made the EFCC operatives to call for reinforcement from their office following their initial failed attempt to arrest Farounbi.

    However, before their arrival, Farounbi gave himself up and was driven away in a Toyota Hiace bus marked BWR 643 GA at about 15.35 p.m.

    With the arrival of the reinforcement, the female EFCC operative, whose jacket was torn and had an injury on her neck as a result of the assault, and her colleagues said they would not leave the NBA, Ikeja Bar Centre until those who assaulted her were arrested.