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Tag: stolen

  • Stolen cattle markets

    Stolen cattle markets

    • •Good that Zamfara has shut 11 of them; but it is not enough

    That there were as many as 11 markets in Zamfara State where stolen cattle are sold and which were, last week, shut down by the state government, is an indication of the large scale industry that banditry has become in that state. Zamfara State in the North-West has become the epicenter of banditry in the region, although states with which she has close geographical contiguity such as Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi have not been spared the agonising experience of repeated attacks by bandits.

    Explaining the rationale for the closure of the markets, Zamfara State Commissioner for Information, Munnir Haidara, said: “The state government finds it absolutely necessary to close down these markets due to security reports that the bandits are patronising them to sell off rustled cows”. It is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 30,000 armed bandits operating in Zamfara and that in the last three months of 2022, for instance, 1,090 abductions were recorded in the state. In 2021, more than 2,600 people were killed in attacks on various communities by these bandit gangs while 11,500 residents of the state were forcefully displaced from their homes.

    A former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has been reported as saying that no less than 500 villages and 13,000 hectares of land have been devastated while 2,835 people were killed by bandits between 2011 and 2018. Things have considerably worsened since then despite the humongous amount of funds committed to tackling banditry in the state and other North-West states, and the intensification by the military of its onslaught on them, especially through relentless air bombardment.

    The incumbent governor, Mr Dauda Lawal, deserves commendation for his evident determination to bring an end to the scourge of banditry in the state. He has no choice really if Zamfara is to shed its toga as one of the poorest states in the country and her people are to begin to enjoy the prosperity the state’s rich endowment entitles them to. It is inexplicable, for instance, that the state’s rich deposit of gold which should be a developmental asset has become a huge liability and one of the factors that fuel banditry.

    The logic that informed the closure of the markets is understandable. If the cattle rustlers no longer have channels of selling their stolen animals, there will be little incentive for them to continue with their criminality since their motive is to make money. But then, what is the possibility of the bandits simply taking the rustled cattle to other markets within or outside the state? If they have been identified as selling the stolen cattle in these markets, is it not possible to devise a strategy to catch them right in the act in the markets? We urge the security agencies to ponder these questions.

    Read Also: Emefiele: EFCC to appeal against N100m fine

    Preceding governments in Zamfara State had tried various policy options to tame banditry. These included negotiation with the bandits, amnesty for purportedly repentant bandits and the shutting down of telecommunications in areas where bandits were known to operate. None has yielded the desired results. Frustrated, the immediate past governor, Mr Bello Matawale, advocated that everyone should be armed so as to be able to defend themselves. But that could signal a descent to anarchy. Indeed, in 2022, the Federal Government declared bandits as terrorists, thus creating the basis for the use of maximum force to combat banditry. The impact has been minuscule.

    At the end of its last state security council meeting, Governor Lawal directed the security agencies to deploy their operatives for patrols along the major highways and flashpoints of banditry. If sustained, this should have some impact. But the security agencies must also devise strategies for dislodging the bandits from the various forests in the state where they have their camps and plan their operations. And governments at all levels must take decisive action to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment, deprivation, inequality and other root causes of banditry and other criminalities. Other state governments must ensure that such markets shut in Zamfara do not exist in their area.

    No less critical is the need for government to summon the will to arraign arrested bandits in court and diligently pursue their prosecution so that justice is done as a deterrence to others.

  • A few stolen moments…

    A few stolen moments…

    It was supposed to be the last emotional card. Miraculously, things moved on well and the first six months looked like a union made in heaven. Just when she thought, she had captured Bosun’s heart; his old flame came back into the picture. The fair-weather lover ditched him when he was nobody. The natural thing to do was to move on and forget the runaway ‘bride-to-be’. Sadly Bosun could not resist this ‘prodigal ‘lover’. First, he kept it a secret but it got to a point where they just could not continue as secret lovers anymore.

    Three certainly is a crowd. So, who do we send out of the emotional garden? Sadly, it was our dear Teniola who lost out.

    The crux of the matter is that relationships are not based on logic; they are actually influenced by our emotions. This therefore makes cheating difficult to define. Whether you consider cheating as sex or simply a kiss, the truth here is that a betrayal is a betrayal.

    We all love to have a smooth emotional ride. A journey that is filled with fun, sweet memories, and time shared with someone real and caring. Unfortunately, the fun times are usually too short for some, depending on what side of the coin you are on.

    They are part of the reality of living, life and love are not perfect. The lovebirds are responsible for the outcome and it is better to spice a dull space with affection and when it becomes messy, then you make your skills and mop up the mess before it gets out of hand.

    Sadly, many of us are dreamers and we love to hide under the illusion of dating a sweet ‘Barbie’ doll or Prince Charming that would never hurt a fly.

    So when our emotional flight crashes on the tarmac, then we are jolted back to reality. The emotional hangover of being cheated is actually the worst. What would you do if you found out that precious heart that you cherish is nothing but a two-timing fool? What would you do if you opened the door of your bedroom and caught your fiancé and your best friend in bed? How would you feel when you walk into a restaurant and your girl is in a hot passionate kiss with another man? Question, questions, and more questions. Sadly that is the reality of the love zone, hearts have crashed and somersaulted along the emotional corridors and it can be so painful sometimes.

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    If you ask anyone who has lost a dear heart, they would tell you that being cheated on is the worst thing that ever happened to them. First, you feel sad, rejected as well as also pissed off. Betrayal through cheating can come from the babe or the dude; however, we all know that it is more common with the guys.

    Interestingly, scientific studies have narrowed down some traits that are statistically more common in guys who cheat. Money is important and it has a lot to do with this and so many other issues that affect any relationship.

    The research also showed that partners were less likely to cheat if they were in the same (or similar) income brackets. Men were more likely to cheat if they made a lot more money than their partners, and they were most likely to cheat if they made a lot less.

    Next, it was discovered that people are more likely to cheat if their friends are also cheaters. Conversely, if his friends are trustworthy, it’s likely he’s trustworthy too.

    Oh dear! That is certainly a tough one; you can get rid of friends in this category easily. So what do you do? Perhaps the way out would be to be at your best and satisfy your man in bed. Not so easy! Experts also explain that most men don’t cheat because they’re not satisfied sexually. They actually join the cheating game because they are seeking emotional satisfaction.

    Ordinarily, you would think that extroverts, our jolly good fellows are the ones to be avoided if you don’t want your heart to crash like Humpty Dumpty did. The research goes on to reveal that introverts are actually more likely to cheat because they’re more likely to agree with someone propositioning them. If you are hooked on an extrovert, then surely there is no real cause for alarm. Even if he’s always out there meeting new people, you actually might be safer. Reason: “There is no big deal’.

    That is not all. The emotional researchers also found out that you can trust your gut when it comes to identifying guys who look like they would cheat and finally break your heart. So, if your gut is telling you “no,” then it’s a good idea to listen to that gut.

    You win some, lose some. Yes, it can be the end of the road for some relationships. Those who have a large heart may just forgive but not totally forget the act. Infidelity can either destroy their sex lives or just be a powerful way to heal and discover the gaps.

  • Telcos to refund ‘stolen’ deductions to customers

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said it has uncovered huge volume of forceful subscription to services and illegal deduction for same by telcos.

    It said it will order the telcos involved in the scam to refund all the cash illegally deducted to their customers.

    In a statement, the regulator said: “The NCC has noted with great displeasure the unacceptably high level of consumer complaints in respect of forceful subscriptions to Value-Added Services (VAS), as well as airtime deductions for these subscriptions. The Commission mandated several initiatives to tackle the menace. These include the institution of a comprehensive investigation and resolution process, the Do-not-Disturb (DND) facility, and the imposition of sanctions for breach.

    “Disturbed by the persistent occurrence of the menace despite these measures, the Commission carried out a long and comprehensive investigative audit into VAS subscriptions across all MNO (mobile network operator) and VAS platforms. The investigative audit was led by the Compliance Monitoring & Enforcement Department of the Commission, with participation from its other departments such as the Technical Standards and Network Integrity (TSNI), Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), Legal & Regulatory Services (LRS), and Licensing & Authorisation (L&A).

    “The Audit Team analysed subscribers’ Call Detail Records from MNOs and subscription logs from VAS providers over a period of two years, leading to the conclusion that a huge percentage of VAS services were not voluntarily subscribed for. The audit team also found that some providers had implemented disingenuous mechanisms by which large numbers of innocent consumers were “forcefully” subscribed to VAS platforms, leading to regular deduction of their airtime without their consent.”

    The statement noted that the Commission has persistently insisted that actions of this sort are unacceptable as they are in direct breach of the Nigerian Communications Act and NCC’s many regulatory instruments on the matter. Such actions also undermine the very foundations of the customer/service provider relationship, that is, transparency and trust, NCC added.

    “Based on the outcome of the investigative audit, the Commission will shortly be directing the indicted organisations to make refunds to affected consumers as appropriate. The Commission is also considering, and will impose appropriate sanctions as necessary. This outcome justifies the Commission’s commitment to evidence-based interventions.

    “We wish to use this opportunity to inform the general public that the Commission may suspend or outrightly decommission some VAS platforms and services in the overall interests of consumers. We assure consumers that these measures will be implemented with minimal inconvenience to them, and trust that we can count on the understanding of consumers who may be affected by these measures.

    “The Commission assures all stakeholders that we will continue to use all available resources to protect the rights of consumers of telecoms services and to ensure that they get appropriate value for their interactions with service and platform providers,” the statement added.

  • EFCC: Ex-First Lady’s $15.5m stolen from govt, agencies

    EFCC: Ex-First Lady’s $15.5m stolen from govt, agencies

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told the Federal High Court in Lagos that former First Lady Patience Jonathan could not have genuinely earned the $15.5million which she claims ownership of.

    In its defence to her suit challenging the freezing of her accounts, the commission argued that Mrs Jonathan does not run any business from which she could have earned such huge sums.

    EFCC said its investigations showed that the money was allegedly stolen from the Federal Government and its agencies, and that it does not belong to the former First Lady.

    “There is no way the plaintiff (Mrs Jonathan) could have genuinely earned the monies. She is the wife of the former president, a civil servant and a retired permanent secretary in Bayelsa State.

    “She does not run any profit and interest yielding business venture to generate such money.

    “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.

    Mrs Jonathan sued the EFCC, Skye Bank Plc and three companies – Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Ltd and Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Ltd.

    She is praying for an order restraining the defendants from tampering with her funds in the companies’ accounts domiciled in Skye Bank.

    She asked for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the EFCC from transferring the funds to the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA).

    Mrs Jonanthan said the funds in the companies’ accounts belonged to her, but she had been unable to operate the account after EFCC placed a “no debit order” on the accounts.

    The former first lady said representatives of the companies, who pleaded guilty to laundering the money, were unknown to her; nor were they authorised to represent them.

    “The plaintiff/applicant is the lawful owner of her hard earned funds,” she said, adding that her ownership of the money has not been controverted by a third party.

    Mrs Jonathan said she sought the assistance of Dudafa, former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs to ex-President Jonathan, to open some accounts in her name.

    She said she was issued with four ATM cards after the accounts were opened.

    According to her, she protested the fact that three of the four accounts bore the names of companies she had no connection with.

    The bank, she said, promised to rectify the issue. She continued to operate the accounts pending when changes would be effected, according to the former First Lady.

    Mrs Jonathan said she went abroad in July 2016 for a medical check-up and discovered that she could not make payments from the accounts due to the “no debit order”.

    The former First Lady, in her written address, accused EFCC making moves to take her money from her through an order of forfeiture.

    She said the moves included the “procurement of some unknown persons  who pleaded guilty to a charge and were convicted on November 2, 2016.”

    In urging the court to lift the “no-debit order” and grant her access to her accounts, Mrs Jonathan said she “needs her money to able to cater to her health.”

    But, EFCC, in its statement of defence, said its investigations revealed that between 2013 and 2015, “huge sums of money were stolen from the Federal Government of Nigeria and its agencies.”

    The agencies, it said, were the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), “etc”.

    EFCC said some of the funds “were converted to dollars and converted to the use of Dudafa”.

    The commission said between February 21, 2014 and April 19, 2016, Pluto Property “fraudulently received and retained” $3,096,377.38.

    The sum, EFCC said, was deposited by State House domestic stewards, Festus Iyoha and Peter Arivin, “using fictitious names on the instruction of Dudafa.”

    The commission said between November 14, 2013 and June 27, 2016, Seagate Properties received $3,624,998.78; while Trans Ocean received $3,765,711.87, “which are suspected to be proceeds of crime.”

    Another company, Globus Integrated Services Limited, was said to have received “a whopping sum of $5,119,021.45” in its account.

    EFCC said after it charged the companies, their representatives pleaded guilty to retaining $15,591,700.

    It insisted that after analysing the companies’ accounts, “it is crystal clear that the plaintiff was neither a director nor a shareholder”.

    The commission said it was Dudafa who allegedly procured the domestic stewards in the State House Abuja to deposit the monies “in an attempt to disguise the proceeds of crime using fictitious names”.

    EFCC said it obtained a valid court order to freeze the accounts, and that it did not need to inform Mrs Jonathan before doing so “as the funds in the said accounts do not belong to her”.

    It added that the firmer First Lady was not entitled to any reliefs, and that her case “is frivolous, spurious, speculative, vexatious and an abuse of court process and should be dismissed with substantial cost.”

    Justice Mohammed Idris had ordered parties to file pleadings in the case, indicating that witnesses, including Mrs Jonathan, may testify to justify the money’s ownership.

    The case will be heard on January 19.

  • Nollywood actress’s car stolen

    Nollywood actress’s car stolen

    Coming at a wrong time of the year, Nollywood actress, Maureen Okpoko, on Sunday, lost her car.

    The actress said the Toyota Corolla, parked in front of the house in Surulere, Lagos, was stolen in the early hours of the day.

    The actress on her Facebook wrote, “What a sad beginning of the month of December; my car was stolen in the early hours of the 3rd of December, 2017.

    “Trying to think straight; the joy of the Lord is my strength.

    Speaking with The Nation, the actress disclosed that her spirit has been asking her to leave her present residence but said she could not achieve that, as she was duped in earlier in the year, while trying to get a new apartment.

    “I am very low in spirit,” she said.

    “My spirit has been speaking to me about this place. I would have moved out, but I was duped while looking for an apartment. The car was parked outside and nobody saw them as it was taken away.

    “But we have reported to the right authority”, she added.

    The actress has been getting consolatory messages from her friends and family.

    In 2016, she was nominated for Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

  • Civil Defence arrests five with stolen diesel

    Delta State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested five persons with two truckloads of suspected stolen diesel.

    The Commandant, Mrs. Beatrice Irabor, in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba yesterday, said operatives of the command, led by the Squad Commander, Mr. Asibor Michael, arrested the suspects with the trucks conveying 84,000 litres of diesel.

    She said they were nabbed, near Nsukwa junction in Aniocha South Local Government, adding that each of the trucks had 42,000 litres of diesel.

    Irabor said one of the trucks was registered as KRV92IZN.

    She said the operatives became suspicious of the trucks when they noticed that one of them had no number plate.

    The commandant said the suspects would be arraigned after investigation.

    She said the command would get rid of oil thieves, warning those indulged in oil theft to desist.

  • Man caught with stolen phone

    A 43-year-old man, Dauda Olaonipekun, has appeared at an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun State for allegedly receiving a stolen phone.

    He is facing a charge of stealing, to which he pleaded not guilty.

    Olaonipekun was granted bail at N20,000 with one surety on the order of the Senior Magistrate, Mrs. Risikat Olayemi.

    She said the surety, who must swear to an affidavit of means, should be a relation of the accused and should be resident in the court’s jurisdiction.

    Olayemi added that the surety must present a national ID card and provide two recent passport-size photographs.

    Police prosecutor Sunday Osanyintuyi had told the court that the accused committed the offence on August 27 at 5:30 am at Sabo, Ile-Ife.

    He alleged that the accused received a Nokia phone valued at N25, 000 from Mr. Bisi Olawole, knowing that it was a stolen property belonging to Mr. Ayo Okekunle.

    The offence contravenes Section 427 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun State, 2003.

    The case was adjourned till November 9 for hearing.

  • Suspect nabbed for registering stolen vehicles

    The police in Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State, have arrested a suspect, Garrette Sunday, who allegedly specialises in registering stolen vehicles.

    The suspect, who was nabbed in Agbor, Delta State, was said to be an expert at issuing fake documents on stolen vehicles.

    Items recovered from his home include booklets of insurance certificate, booklets of roadworthiness certificate, hackney carriage permit booklets, general motor receipts, typewriter, fake third party insurance stamp for policy authentication and seal marker for attestation of genuineness.

    Spokesman Emeka Iheanacho said in a statement that Garrette was arrested after operatives bust car dealers, acting on intelligence report.

    It said the dealers specialised in dealing in stolen vehicles, adding that eight posh cars, suspected to be stolen, were impounded.

    Iheanacho said the dealers have absconded.

    He said it was in the course of unravelling owners of the vehicles that the police visited motor licensing offices in Benin, Agbor and Yenagoa in Bayelsa State and discovered that the documents were forged.

    The spokesman said the suspect confessed and would be arraigned after investigation.

    He urged the public to be wary of criminals and register their vehicles at licensing offices.

  • Navy arrests two vessels with suspected stolen diesel

    A Merchant Vessel (MV), Shirley and Motor Tanker (MT) Vine allegedly laden with 745 metric tonnes of stolen Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) – diesel – have been arrested by the Nigerian Navy (NN).

    The vessels, which were arrested with their 14 crew members by operatives of the NNS BEECROFT, were handed over to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    MT Vine with six crew members was laden with products, which flashpoint was higher than the specification of the regulatory agencies. MV Shirley with eight crew carried low quality products.

    At the handover, the Flag Officer Commanding  (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC) Rear Admiral Sylvanus Abba said MT Vine was arrested on June 9, at about 1:30am, on its arrival at SB Bakare Jetty, Kirikiri,  to discharge the about 600MT of AGO it was carrying.

    He added that the flash point of the product was higher than that specified by DPR and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

    He said the colour of the product was off DPR standard as indicated by lab analysis, adding that when the vessel’s haulage was checked, it was discovered that MT Vine was carrying about 600MT of AGO against the 400MT quantity authorised.

    For MV Shirley, the FOC said it was arrested at about 6:10pm on April 19, at Lagos anchorage for allegedly dealing in petroleum products illegally.

    “The vessel was laden with about 145MT of AGO without valid documents for carrying petroleum products in Nigerian waters. Samples of the products were taken for laboratory test to ascertain its quality and the result indicated that the sample did not meet DPR/SON specifications, which indicated that it might have been refined illegally.

    Abbah reiterated that the navy would not tolerate any fraudulent activities.

    He said: “The command has zero tolerance for every form of criminality in its area of responsibility. Defaulters are advised to desist from such acts or face the wrath of the law.”

  • $17bn stolen crude: Issues before House committee’s probe panel

    $17bn stolen crude: Issues before House committee’s probe panel

    It smacks on the impossible: The House of Representatives has set up an ad hoc committee to probe revenue losses in crude oil and gas sales. The House even gave a time span: 2011 to 2014. And who is saddled with this seemingly herculean task? It’s Abdulrasak Namdas, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs. He is the one chairing the Ad Hoc committee meant to unravel what only men with links to the fourth dimension can probably accomplish. And without wasting much time, the lawmaker swung into action, inviting all concerned stakeholders. The media was always fully represented at the hearings, after all, by virtue of his position as the spokesman of the House, he is in their constituency. Now, the issue of who carted away what is being investigated, but the most important issue is not starting the journey but completing it. Many are wont to wager that strategic land mines will be strewn along the part of the committee with intent to derail, mislead, delay or totally destroy its mandate. It has happened before, and may likely happen again. It will be a surprise if the committee members had not considered that. Essentially, the purpose of the investigation is to unearth who benefitted from undeclared crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports from 2011-2014 estimated at $17 billion. There had been tales of collusion by government agencies and many had posited that it would take patience, perseverance, long-suffering, prayers and possibly fasting, all rolled into one, to come up with anything meaningful from the whole exercise. Already, Namdas is screaming himself hoarse that government agencies are scuttling the $17bn stolen crude/gas exports probe. Are Nigerians listening? At the last session of the committee, those invited that did not appear included the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Ports Authority. Others were the National Petroleum Investment Management Services NAPIMS, Accountant General of the Federation, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Recall that this is not the first time such probe is being done. Let’s rewind to 11th of December, 2013 in Conference Room 028. Seated before reporters was the Chairman of the ad hoc Committee probing Oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta; his name is Hon. Bashir Adamu. The mandate of his committee at that time included ” to determine how deep pipelines are buried and if they are accessible to oil thieves; determine how stolen crude oil is transported; identify the owners of illegal vessels; ascertain the status of impounded vessels and recommend the confiscation of vessels used for illegal bunkering; determine the roles of various organization’s tackling illegal bunkering; determine the countries aiding and abetting the crude oil criminals” and finally, “recommend preventive measures and lasting solutions to the menace.”

    Bashir Adamu’s briefing began at 11: 18 am that day and lasted for exactly six minutes. And for the benefit of Hon. Namdas, I will like to reproduce a sizeable portion of that briefing:

    Adamu said: “illegal oil bunkering is a specialized and mechanized crime issue and several attempts have been made by the federal government to tackle the challenge to no avail. The level of oil theft is alarming and of great concern to stakeholders. The oil and gas industry account for about two- third of government revenue and more than 90 percent of export earnings in Nigeria. Illegal bunkering has caused Nigeria to lose an estimated $5 billion, about N780 billion annually amounting to about $400 billion since independence.

    “Statistics show that about 350,000 barrels per day was lost to illegal bunkering in 2012, representing an increase of about 20 percent over the figures of 2011 and 67 percent over that of 2010, while the trend of 2013 is even more alarming. Unless the government summons the will to fight the menace, the situation will further worsen the country’s economic woes.

    “The rising level of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalization, particularly in the Niger Delta region has reached high dimension. The ugly development has made the operators in the Nigerian oil and gas industry one of the most expensive in the world.

    “In April 2013, oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, shut down the 150,000 Nembe crude oil pipeline due to urgent need to clear away illegal connections.”

    The lawmaker said the ugly phenomenon of oil theft and its global support system has continued to be a clog in the wheels of the nation’s high economic growth trajectory. “Government should beam its searchlight on all security agencies in the country in a bid to fish out those who perpetuate this illicit trade,” Adamu said.

    The adhoc committee in the 7th House, according to Adamu intended to have a 5- day public hearing. It didn’t hold. “At the end of the hearing, the committee hopes to put in place a legislation that will ensure improved monitoring of onshore and offshore areas in order to discourage vandalism and oil theft in the nation and propose adequate prosecution of criminals,” the ad hoc committee chairman said. That also did not happen. Suffice to say that the six minutes briefing of 11th December, 2013 in Conference Room 028 was the only activity carried out by the committee known to House of Representatives Press Corps till this day.

    Back to the present: Recall that the resolution of the Green Chamber on the $17 billion probe was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Johnson Agbonayinma and titled “Urgent Need to Investigate over $17 billion Stolen from Undeclared Crude Oil and Liquefied Natural Gas Exports to Global Destinations.” The House thereafter set up an adhoc committee to investigate 20 companies, two law firms, two Federal Government agencies, and a technical consultant contracted by the Jonathan administration amongst other mandates.

    Agbonayinma said the establishments were identified by Molecular Power System Limited in a report on shipment of oil and gas exports from 2011-2014. He expressed the need for a thorough investigation adding that the report based on data from the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and figures from pre-shipment inspection reports from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicates undeclared crude oil export shortfalls translating to $12 billion, $3 billion and over $800 million to the US, China and Norway respectively. According to the lawmaker, the report showed a $461 million shortfall from a total of 727, 460 metric ton export of natural liquefied gas from Nigeria to seven countries.

    Well, everyone is waiting to see how this investigation goes down. Namdas has everyone’s goodwill and prayers, we hope that will suffice.

    Even the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, while speaking at the opening of the Namdas hearing said the $40.266 billion and N196.3 billion revenue loss in the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry over the past few years was worrisome. According to him, the Green Chamber will leave no stone unturned in its effort to tackle corruption in the oil and gas sector.

    Now that the 4- day investigative hearing is over, Nigerians are salivating to see the profound revelations that may be served in the Namdas committee’s report. For sure, this won’t be another exercise in futility.