6 New States Coming Soon - National Assembly.

The quest for creation of more states by some groups in Nigeria will be actualized soon according to members of the National Assembly that spoke to Hope for Nigeria yesterday.
They disclose that the creation will bring all the geo-political zones at par in respect to number of states.
The South East currently with fives states, will get two more states. North East with six states now, will have an additional state. South-South and South West will add an more state to their current six, while North Central will have the remaining one.
This will bring to 42, total the number of states in Nigeria after the current review of the 1999 constitution by the National assembly.

Kudos, Knocks as FG Re-names UNILAG After MKO Abiola

 Late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olwale (MKO) Abiola

Many have read several meanings into the presidential gesture of re-naming the 50-year old University of Lagos, after the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olwale (MKO) Abiola, fondly regarded as the June 12 hero and democracy icon, which many believe prefaced the birth of the nation’s  democracy.

While some think it is a political masterstroke to break into the South west political bloc, others see it as playing to the gallery, as it upturns the trend in the past where the Federal Government shied away from discussing the Abiola phenomenon in the Nigerian political space. Yet, others think it is mere red herring tactic to divert attention from the core issues of governance.

But more curiously, the gesture seems to have provoked avalanche of mixed reactions, many of which are condemnatory of the Federal Government .

The first kick came from the students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka,  who, yesterday, trooped out to protest the renaming of the institution after the  Chief Abiola.
The students who defied the early morning rain, marched from the gate of the institution through the Yaba neighbourhood and back to the school protesting the change of name.

Although the protest was peaceful, it almost turned violent when one of Unilag security officers, arrested one of the protesting students and took him into custody. A full riot was however averted when the security officer was arrested and handcuffed to a burglary proof.

The protest was quickly and effectively managed by DECOMPOL Operations Nine as aggrieved protesters at Yaba, Shomolu and Ikorodu Roads were pacified and persuaded to return to campus and embrace dialogue.”
The acting president of the students union, Mr Idowu Odumose, described the name change as an act of injustice.
“It is an injustice to the institution. The change cannot be done unilaterally without amending the act setting up the university,’’ he told NAN.

In the same vein, the Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Rahmon Bello described as a surprise the Federal Government’s decision to rename the institution.
Bello made the remark while addressing protesting students. 

A Professor of Law and Jurisprudence of the institution, Akin Oyebode who has taught in the institution for 40 years,  queried the timing of the action, saying that the presidency cannot just change it now when UNILAG is planning to bury its late Vice Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Olatokunbo Sofoluwe.

Chairman of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) of the  institution, Dr. Karo Moses Igbinaka calmed the students, stressing that UNILAG is a brand that has been built over the last 50 years. .

“The decision to rename the UNILAG was mainly PDP. UNILAG is a university established by an act of parliament and you cannot just wake up one day to say you want to rename it.  The President recently established nine new university in the country, he can afford to rename those ones if he so wishes. UNILAG is not what you can just change overnight.”

But expectedly, the President’s announcement excited the Abiola family which, yesterday, said they were ecstatic over the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as the Moshood Abiola University.

In a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Abdul Abiola, son of the late politician said there was nothing wrong with the naming of the university after his father.

``We are shocked by the reactions trailing this development. My late father believed so much in education.”
Abiola’s first child, Lola Abiola-Edewor and Hafsat Abiola-Costello said that the Federal Government should be commended for recognizing the contribution of the late politician to the return of democracy in the  country.

Abiola-Edewor however condemned the protest by some students  saying that the gesture was long overdue.
Like her brother, she said: “I really do not understand all of the hues and cries. Nigerians had demanded severally that MKO be immortalised and asked why nothing had been done till date. What I cannot understand though is how renaming of UNILAG has degenerated into such a controversy. University of Ife was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University  and it has remained,” Abiola-Edewor said.

Abiola-Costello however tasked the Federal Government on the alleviation of poverty amongst Nigerians.

In the same vein, the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) has said Abiola deserved the highest honour in the land.

“While acknowledging the place of Abiola in the political history of Nigeria, we deplore the renaming of the University of Lagos after him,’’the SNG said.

But according to a former special assistant to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Lisa Olu Akerele, the gesture is not even enough to honour the late politician, describing it as "mere tokenism and not far-reaching enough."

A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said the president should be praised for his effort to immortalise Abiola, adding that he, however, made a wrong choice in choosing UNILAG.

Sagay said: “The president should be praised for his effort to immortalise Abiola. It was done out of good intention but he chose the wrong institution.

Mr Bamidele Aturu, a human rights activist, said the president had the power to change the name of the institution¸ stressing that nothing was actually wrong with the name change.

He said: “The renaming itself is not the problem it is was a populist gesture. This must not been seen as a way to garner the sympathy of the people of the South West.
Yet, Mr Wale Ogunade, President, Voters Awareness Initiative, said the proper way to honour Abiola would have been to recognise June 12 as a national holiday.

“MKO Abiola is not known to be an educationist. The best way to have honoured him is for the Federal Government to recognise June 12 as a national public holiday”, he said.

Also, the Edo Consultative Forum (ECF), Tuesday, commended the Federal Government for the gesture.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Matthew Aramunde, it said the honour was overdue, stressing that the history of Nigeria democracy would not be complete without noting Abiola's contributions.

It questioned the protest against the gesture, asking, “How would the re-naming of UNILAG after M.K.O. Abiola affect the results and grades of the students? 

“UNILAG is the property of the Federal Government of Nigeria, it can change the name as it pleases any time.
“The students should protest against the killings in the north. They should protest against those mentioned for corruption and not the change in the name of their school,’’ 

But tailing off into the political, former President, Academic Staff Union of University [ASUU] Prof. Festus Iyayi argued that the best way to immortalise Abiola was to concentrate on development and for President Jonathan not to contest the 2015 election, but focus on raising the living standard of Nigerians in all aspect of life.
But former Edo State governor, Chief John Oyegun said “for me it is very good. It is high time a major national monument is named after Abiola.

Police Detonate Explosive Concealed in TV

 Police Headquarters
As Nigerians celebrated this year’s Democracy Day, the Police in Kaduna State yesterday detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) concealed in a television set and planted at Katsina roundabout along Ahmadu Bello way.

This also followed the arrest of a man in Kano State believed to be a top militant leader by the Joint (Military) Task Force (JTF), just as the Kogi State Government declared that the state was not a terrorists state.

But the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jinjiri Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said the explosive was planted around 4 a.m. and was found around 6 a.m.

“An IED concealed in a television set was found this morning after it was planted around 4 a.m. and based on intelligence report we got to know of it. Our men arrived there around 6 a.m. and they successfully detonated it and there was no casualty recorded,” Abubakar said.

The commssioner said residents of the area got to know about it after the police had cordoned off the area and the sound that followed the detonation attracted some residents.
He appealed to residents of the city to volunteer information to the police for prompt action to tackle the insecurity challenges in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the sound of the explosive attracted residents of the area who ran out of their houses for safety.

Similarly, the militant leader was arrested by JTF during an operation carried out in the early morning of Tuesday, according to a source.

The source said: “We have carried out an operation and successfully arrested one of the top militant that is wanted.” The man was arrested around the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) by Darmanawa quarters where the suspect was believed to be staying. 

The source further added that the man was arrested following a tip off after the JTF raided his house.  Spokesman of the JTF, Lieutenant Ikedichi Iweha, confirmed the arrest but refused to disclose the identity of the suspect.

Iweha said: “I can confirm to you that we carried out a very successful operation today and the suspect we were looking for was apprehended without resistance. But honestly I cannot disclose to you his identity at this point of investigation or the position of this suspect but it was a successful operation.”

Meanwhile, Kogi State Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, who made the declaration when he received organisers and participants of the fifth edition of the Finest Girls on Earth Beauty Pageant in Lokoja, said: “The state is peaceful and devoid of terrorists.”

He assured residents in the state that government was not relenting its efforts aimed at making the state safe from criminals and their activities that led to the discoveries of criminal hideouts and and their subsequent arrest.

“Kogi State is the most peaceful in the federation, with abundant tourism potentials, an advantage the present administration is determined to annex by its investments at the Confluence Beach Hotel among other tourist sites,” Awoniyi stated.

Awoniyi also seized the occasion to woo investors to the state. He urged those seeking to invest in the state to take advantage of the enabling environment created and the incentives provided by the present administration in the State to do business.

Boko Haram Militant Arrested

Nigerian troops have arrested a “high-profile” member of the Islamist group Boko Haram during a raid in the northern city of Kano Tuesday, a military spokesman said.
“We picked the suspect in his hideout around 6:00 am without any resistance,” Lieutenant Iweha Ikedichi of the special joint task force (JTF) deployed in the city told AFP.
Ikedichi said the suspect was arrested in Darmanawa, a district of Nigeria’s second largest city believed to harbour several Islamists.
“He has been on our wanted list of high-profile members of Boko Haram terrorists,” he said, refusing to disclose his identity so as not to jeopardise the investigation.
Nigerian troops have stepped up their crackdown on suspected Boko Haram members in recent months.
The sect has been blamed for scores of targeted attacks mainly in northern Nigeria that have killed more than 1,000 people since mid-2009.
Boko Haram claimed January 20 attacks in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north, when coordinated bombings and shootings left at least 185 dead, the extremists’ deadliest attack yet.

JTF: Boko Haram Planning Mayhem May 29

National Security Adviser, Owoye Azazi        

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, Borno State yesterday alleged that the dreaded Boko Haram sect has concluded plans to distort public order and peace on Democracy Day in the state.
The task force in a press statement by its spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said, "members of the group intend to attack identified locations in Maiduguri metropolis and environs."
He warned members of the sect and others that are planning to breach security to have a rethink as “the JTF will deal ruthlessly with any one or group that come out trying to jeopardize the security achieved in the state so far.”
Musa said: “The task force is determined to see to it that lives and property of law abiding citizens are protected and that the state returns back to the path of peace and harmony soonest.”

He advised the members of the public to go about their lawful activities without panic as the JTF is up to the task of warding off any threat to peace and security.

Telecoms Operators Fail to Pay N1.17bn NCC Fine

Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Eugene Juwah

At the close of work yesterday it emerged that the four major telecommunications operators, MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat, were yet to pay and might in fact not pay the fine of N1.17 billion imposed on them by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for bad service.

The commission had on May 11, placed a combined fine of N1.17 billion on the operators for poor quality of service on their networks, and gave them till May 25 to pay the fine, or risk payment of additional two million, five hundred thousand naira (N2,500,000) per day for as long as the contravention persists.

The penalties were as a result of the contravention of the provisions of the quality of service regulations by the NCC as the operators failed to meet with the minimum standard of quality of service including the key performance indicators (KPIs).

As at Friday, THISDAY investigation revealed that the operators were not likely to pay the money, feeling aggrieved at the manner the NCC imposed the fine on them, insisting that NCC made a public show of the matter, rather than addressing it.

THISDAY gathered that the operators took a collective decision on the matter after a joint meeting on Thursday and vowed not to pay the fine. They had already expressed their grievances before the Minister of Communications Technology who promised to discuss the matter with the Presidency.   

When THISDAY contacted NCC yesterday to find out if the operators had paid the fine, Head, Media Relations for NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka said “we are not going to mount security at the banks on this issue of sanctions. If they paid at close of business on Friday, how do we know until the banks open on Monday for business?”    

Chairman of the Assoc-iation of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALT-ON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo in a chat with THISDAY, blamed NCC, policy makers and the federal government for the current poor quality of service across networks, insisting that the operators would do better, if given the right environment to operate. “NCC is aware of our predicaments as telecoms service providers, yet it went to make a public show by imposing fine on telecoms operators, instead of helping operators to solve the problems,” Adebayo said.
Immediately the fine was imposed two weeks ago, telecoms operators besieged the Abuja office of NCC to press on NCC to drop the fine option, but NCC insisted they should pay the fine.

Commending NCC for the fine, President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Mr. Deolu Ogunbanjo, called on NCC to redirect the N1.17 billion fine.

He suggested that the amount be shared among affected telecoms subscribers. According to him, the action of NCC amounted to raising money for government, leaving the subscribers out of the matter, when in actual sense it was the subscribers that suffered the pains and loss of money associated with poor telecoms service offering.

Following the unending poor quality of service situation across networks, NCC, penultimate week decided to fine MTN, Etisalat, Airtel and Globacom, a cumulative sum of one billion, one hundred and seventy million naira (N1,170,000,000) for the poor quality of services rendered to their different subscribers in the months of March and April this year.

A breakdown of the penalties indicates that MTN and Etisalat will pay the sum of three hundred and sixty million (N360,000,000) each while Airtel is to pay the sum of two hundred and seventy million naira (N270,000,000). Globacom is to pay a penalty in the sum of one hundred and eighty million naira (N180,000,000).

In the letter communicating the penalties to the different operators, which was signed by the Director, Legal and Regulatory Services, Ms. Josephine Amuwa, and the Head of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, Mr. Ubale Maska, the Commission said “All the operators are to pay the penalties on or before May 25, 2012 or be liable to payment of additional two million, five hundred thousand naira (N2,500,000) per day for as long as the contravention persists.”

According to NCC, it monitored the performance of the operators on the different parameters, in line with the provisions of the regulation, as provided for the Commission, and discovered that operators were in contravention of the provisions.

Paragraph 13 and Schedule 3 Paragraph 2 of the Quality of Service Regulation 2012, provides that any company which contravenes the provision will be liable to pay fine of fifteen million naira only (N15, 000, 000. 00) for each parameter for a service contravened in a particular month, and a further sum of two million five hundred thousand naira (N2, 500, 000) for each parameter for a service for each day the contravention continued throughout the month that it’s under investigation.

Now that the operators seemed resolved not to pay the fine, all eyes are on NCC to see the next step of action.
THISDAY was informed that NCC may slap some further sanctions on the operators for their failure to pay the fine.

The options could be the possible suspension of the companies’ operations or the outright invalidation of their license. But an industry source explained that the companies could earn a temporary reprieve if they went to court - the path they have presumably taken.

I’ll not tamper with press freedom—Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday promised that his administration would have nothing to do with anybody who dared to tamper with the freedom of the press as enshrined in the constitution.

He said that as a firm believer in the right of the media, he would stop at nothing to ensure that journalists continue to carry out their duties without let or hindrance.

Jonathan made the pledge while declaring open the fourth triennial national delegates’ conference of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Abuja.

The President advised that since all rights come with corresponding responsibility, journalists should learn to put the country first in their reports.

He said, “I am a firm believer in the right and obligation of the media as enshrined in our constitution. I assure you all today that under my leadership, journalists in our country will continue to fully enjoy their constitutional rights and freedom of expression.

“I am also fully convinced that the imperative of sustaining and nurturing our democracy required the existence of the very professional and practitioners of the mass media.

“My administration is conscious of the vital role that the mass media have to play in supporting our transformation agenda and is therefore committed to properly enhance the practice.

“It was in this regard that led to our enactment of the Freedom of Information law to enhance the ability of our dear practitioners to discharge their duties.

“My administration will have nothing to do with those who try to curtail or abuse the right of the mass media.”

While urging media practitioners to ensure that their accounts of events should be fair, balanced and accurate, Jonathan warned against manipulations by politicians and selfish people with sectional motives to the detriment of collective national interest.

He said journalists should make extra efforts to cross check their facts and ensure that only the truth is published.

Jonathan advised media houses against offering platforms to people with questionable character.

He noted that journalists in Nigeria had continued to play an important role in nation building.

The President condemned the recent attacks on media houses by suspected terrorists and commended Nigerian journalists for remaining resolute in spite of the attacks.

He urged media practitioners to continue to foster peace, religious tolerance and harmony in the country.

Jonathan seized the opportunity provided by the programme to deny his reported plan to sack his ministers.

Subsidy report: EFCC probes Yar’Adua administration

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is extending its investigation into the management of the fuel subsidy to the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.  

Our investigations in Abuja showed that as part of its probe, the commission had concluded arrangements to invite former petroleum ministers, ex-special advisers on petroleum and former general managers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.  

It was reliably gathered that the decision to interrogate the former special advisers, ministers and NNPC bosses was part of the efforts to block loopholes in the report of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the fuel subsidy management.  

The House report says N1.7tn was fraudulently paid.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), had in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said the EFCC would investigate the subsidy issue properly to ensure that all loose ends were tightened.

  According to him, this will guard against a situation, where prosecution will not be done because of paucity of evidence.  

A source at the EFCC, who said that the commission was still conducting its probe, added that people, whose names came up during investigations, would be invited.  

Although he declined to mention names of people that would be quizzed, he insisted that there would be no sacred cows.  

According to him, operatives of the commission will invite anybody, whose name appears regularly in the process of investigation, irrespective of when such an individual served in the government.  

Investigations showed that operatives, including the Director of Operations of the commission, Mr. Olaolu Adegbite, had been dispatched to all oil installation and distribution facilities across the country.

It was learnt that the four teams working under the EFCC Director of Operations had interrogated many workers in sensitive distribution facilities nationwide in a bid to ensure that a thorough investigation was done on the subsidy scam.  

The EFCC source said, “I can tell you that the commission is not avoiding anybody and it is not working according to any timeline.  

“This is not about timeline; an investigation does not commence with a timeline in mind. These things are not done that way.  

“I can assure you that if in the process of investigation anybody’s name features repeatedly and prominently in the issue under investigation, such a person will be investigated.  

“We are not going to mention names but it would not be wrong to say that past ministers or GMDs, who served in the NNPC would be interrogated to clear themselves if their names come up in the process of investigation.  

“If you take a look at the way the EFCC did the investigation on the pension scam, they did not start off with a list of those to be investigated.

“It was during the investigations that the names were mentioned and those involved were summoned for interrogation  and  this  led  to other names. I think the same pattern would be repeated because this is how investigations are carried out.  

“You don’t start out by saying I am going to interrogate this person or that person. If former ministers and Group General Managers of the NNPC and other heads of parastatals in previous administrations are involved, surely they will be summoned.  

“I can tell you that the commission will do a thorough job on this issue of subsidy. Our operatives have been to all oil installations to carry out necessary investigations there. They have been talking to the people in those installations.”  

Besides Adoke, who said the Federal Government would ensure a thorough investigation into the fuel subsidy scam, two government functionaries had faulted the House report on the subsidy scam.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, had on Tuesday said the House committee, which probed the oil subsidy, was unfair to her.

According to her, the late President Yar’Adua refused to punish his Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, for allegedly failing to comply with his directive on the removal of kerosene subsidy in June 2009.   

Alison-Madueke said, “There was an issue on the directive of the late President in terms of the removal of kerosene subsidy, which happened apparently in June 2009 before I was appointed minister of petroleum.

“Now, under Section 6 of the Petroleum Act, the minister of petroleum may, by notice, publish in the official gazette, fix the price of petroleum products, which means that for it to actually become a law, the minister must publish that that petroleum product price has changed.    

“I do not recall and I don’t think anybody in the country recalls any such directive published in 2009. It is not something that has to be hidden because it has to, by law, be published.

“Therefore, if it is not published by law and it is not in the gazette, it is not a directive that can be legally complied with. Many months have passed and the former minister did not comply with the direct of the President.   

“The President also did not put in place any punitive measures, obviously for good reasons. He must have had very good reasons not to do that. So, it is very odd that a new administration and a new President and a new minister are being accused of flouting the law, which was given in the past to a minister and has nothing to do with us.”   

On the deduction of funds from source by the NNPC, the minister said the position of the House was subject to interpretation in line with the Appropriation Act.  

She said it was “unfair to conclude that the minister, I, did not take appropriate steps to stop the practice which, by the way, had been on before I came to office.”

 Also, the Political Adviser to the President, Alhaji Ali Gullack, had on May 2, said that the report lacked credibility, alleging that the probe was targeted at some individuals.

 He had asked, “Why did they not invite (Rilwanu) Lukman? He was the Minister of Petroleum Resources during the period of the probe. Where is Mohammed Barkindo, who was the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation at the time?

“Where are the other key actors who were at the vanguard of the subsidy regime? The House of Representatives must probe these individuals before we can truly say they are doing the right thing, otherwise the report will lack credibility. What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.”

The source, who explained the commission’s investigation, said the essence of the EFCC invitation was not to indict anybody.

He explained that not all the people that would be invited be guilty, but the commission believed that those people could assist it in its investigation.

Anti-Fraud Police Interrogates Toyin Saraki Over Former Governor Saraki’s N11 Billion Fraud Case, As New Facts Emerge

  Toyin Saraki

The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria police in Lagos has interrogated the wife of the former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, over allegations that her husband connived with his protege, Mahmoud Lai Alabi, to defraud the defunct InterContinental Bank of N11 billion in unsecured bank loans.

Mr. Saraki made a privileged personal appearance at the police unit to answer questions about his involvement in the fraud.
  His Saraki's regal appearance at the unit took place after the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, arranged a soft landing for him as court actions filed at an Abuja federal court failed to stop the police from arresting him.
Mr. Saraki was subsequently declared wanted by the police as facts emerged that he was planning to flee the country via South Africa.

SaharaReporters sources said that new facts emerged last week that Mr. Saraki lied to police investigators when he claimed that he was not aware of how the bank accounts of one of the companies used in the fraud was operated after his personal assistant died mysteriously.

Mr. Saraki's longtime Personal Assistant, Mathew Obahor, was listed as the owner of Joy Petroleum Nigeria Limited.  Joy Petroleum acted as a shield for several of Saraki’s companies involved in fraud.  They include  Skyview Properties Limited, owned by Mrs. Toyin Saraki and Toyin Pinheiro SAN; Carlisle Properties, owned by Mrs. Toyin Saraki (nee Ojora); Dicetrade; and Linkers, owned by Toyin Pinhero, Kolade Babafemi and Tokunbo Agoro.

Police investigators said they found Mr. Saraki's assertion to be untrue as several withdrawals were made from the account between the former governor's wife, Toyin, and another lawyer, Toyin Pinhero (SAN), who were identified to be on the board of several companies used by the former governor as a front for the bank loan fraud.


The interrogation of Mrs. Saraki is coming on the heels of further findings by Saharareporters about how the former governor used a complex scheme of fraudulent strategies to defraud InterContinetal Bank through Joy Petroleum Limited.
For instance, a board resolution of the company obtained by Saharareporters shows that on January 22nd 2009, the board of Joy Petroleum agreed to obtain a loan of N2.088 billion from Intercontinental Bank.  The resolution claimed that the meeting was attended by Matthew Obahor, his wife, Joy Obahor and one Hamza Ibrahim.  One Esther Olaitan acted as the secretary during the purported board meeting.

Curiously, the board resolved that the loan would be operated by Mr. Hamza Ibrahim.

Mr. Ibrahim is the Managing Director of Mr. Saraki's Limkers Nig Ltd.
Our sources stated that Hamza was never a member of the board of Joy Petroleum and that the entire board resolution was forged by Mr. Saraki and his cronies.

The loan was later disbursed to Saraki's Limkers Nigeria Ltd with the aid of his former protege, Mahmoud Alabi.

Family sources told SaharaReporters that Mr. Obahor was hospitalized at the Lagos State University hospital, and was bedridden from Janaury until December 2009.  They said he could not possibly have attended a board meeting during that time. Mr. Obahor died mysteriously on December 8, 2009.


At the center of the bank loan scam is another issue that emerged during SaharaReporters investigations, that Mr. Saraki's Limkers Nigeria Ltd is the company the former governor used to buy over the defunct Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria.

A source told Saharareporters that Mr. Saraki funneled 1.5 billion Naira of the bank loans he fraudulent acquired from InterContinental Bank to the Central Bank of Nigeria to enable him take over Societe Generale bank that deal was done through Intercontinental Bank in 2010
Forged Board Resolution for Joy Petroleum Nigeria Limited which the Saraki used to get N2 billion from InterContinental Bank PLC

Boko Haram: We Must Come Back To Our Senses, Says Sultan of Sokoto

  The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and President Goodluck Jonathan

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, today in Kaduna called on the North to “come back to its senses” and end the problems that are tearing it apart.
The Sultan was speaking at a meeting of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Nigeria’s foremost Muslim organization, which was attended by many leading clerics.
Describing the Boko Haram crisis and other insecurities in the country as “damaging,” the soft-spoken leader said, “We must come back to our senses and say firmly and resolutely that enough is enough. The bloodshed must stop. Each and every one of us must come to appreciate that we cannot continue on this destructive path.”
Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, implored the Muslim religious leaders to make more concerted efforts to bring the challenge to security to an end.
“People in government are not infallible,” said Mr. Yakowa, the first Christian to be elected governor of the state.  “Consequently, whenever we are perceived to have erred, we should be advised, not attacked.”
He lamented the killings in the state in recent times, stressing that those spearheading the killings are acting contrary to religious teachings.
“Kaduna State has witnessed a lot of violence. Consequent upon that, churches and mosques were destroyed, property worth millions of Naira was lost, and lives were equally lost. It is indeed an unfortunate thing as the perpetrators of such dastardly act did it in contrast of the religion they were practicing.”
Mr. Yakowa said that Nigeria is a country which comprises both Muslims and non-Muslims because it is the wish of God.
“Had He wanted, He would have made our country, Nigeria, to be inhabited by the Muslims, or then on-Muslims only.  In order to develop our dear country, we have to embrace the spirit of peaceful co-existence as taught by the two major religions [being] practiced in Nigeria, I mean Islam and Christianity.”
He emphasized that Islam does not approve the use of force or any prejudice in the propagation of religion. “Since Allah commands not to use any kind of compulsion in religion, it is obviously ridiculous to even argue that Islam commands Muslims to kill non-Muslims,” he said.
Turning to Christianity, he noted that the religion also protects the right to life and religion. “Therefore, both Muslims and Christians should adhere strictly to the teachings of their religion of choice in order to move our country forward.”
The governor called on JNI, as a noble organization founded on truth and piety, to educate the Muslims, maintain its original mandate and form with a renewed vigor, and establish a much more cordial relationship with other faith-based organizations.  That, he said, will really go a long way in the establishment of a better, cordial and respectful relationship between the Nigerian Muslims and their Christian compatriots as witnessed during the time of the late Sardauna.
Mr. Yakowa recalled that Prophet Muhammed related with the Jews of the city of Madinah and the Christian delegation of Najran, and expressed his hope that the same atmosphere of harmony will return to Kaduna and the entire country as a whole.
“I believe that the country will, by the grace of God, overcome the present social, economic and security challenges we are facing with your persistent prayers,” he said.  “I am a Governor for all, and I will remain just to all.”
The Sultan similarly charged Nigerian leaders at all levels to live up to expectation, as a panacea to the present insecurity.
“Prosperity of the state must translate into the prosperity of the entire populace; it shall not be the exclusive preserve of the few who happen to have access to State resources,” he said.
He stressed that governments at all levels must embark on meaningful developmental programmes that will make life easier and more pleasant for the majority of Nigerians.  “The current level of poverty, especially in the Northern states, cannot be acceptable in any decent society,” he stressed. “We can hide behind our rhetoric but we cannot run away from the stark realities which characterize the daily lives of our people.”
 

Bishop Oyedepo Denies Slapping Church Member, Says He Cannot Be Sued

caption: Bishop David Oyedepo

By Ben Ezeamalu

"We submit that slapping being an act of assault an item outside the provisions of Chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution and the African Charter, this court therefore lacks jurisdiction over same."
The multi billionaire founder of the Living Faith Christian Church International, Bishop David Oyedepo, has denied slapping a young member of his congregation; stating that neither he nor his church could be sued.
In a notice of preliminary objection filed at the High Court of Ogun State and made available to PREMIUM TIMES; Bishop Oyedepo maintained that he and his church are "non juristic persons" and therefore asked the court to strike out the suit as it lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.
Robert Igbinedion, a Lagos based lawyer, had in April, filed a suit on behalf of the young lady, who was slapped during a church service, for the enforcement of the lady's fundamental rights to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment, human dignity, fair hearing, and freedom from discrimination.
Mr. Igbinedion prayed the court to award the sum of N2bn as 'general and exemplary damages' against the bishop as well as compel him to publish a public apology in two national dailies and one international satellite television.
In a counter affidavit deposed by Olugbenga Adegboye, the church's senior legal officer, Bishop Oyedepo stated that "his ministry is a ministry where the holy bible is preached and people are prayed for without coercion."
The church also said that there is no record of anyone called Miss Justice - a sobriquet given to the young lady for the purpose of the suit - in any of its services organized in the past.
A written address to support the preliminary objection signed by F. B Agbanwu, the church's Solicitor, insisted that the matter is not within the Nigeria constitution or the African Charter on Human and People's Rights.
Furthermore, the church urged the court to determine whether Mr. Igbinedion is capable of "bringing this kind of application" before it and whether "it is proper to bring this application against the 1st and 2nd respondents (Bishop Oyedepo and his church respectively).
Arguing that both Mr. Igbinedion and the respondents cannot sue and be sued, Bishop Oyedepo's lawyers noted that the cause of action must centre on clear infringement of a fundamental right.
"The cause of action or principal claim in this application centres merely on slapping one Miss Justice by the 1st respondent.
"The slapping of Miss Justice is an act that could be described as an assault which is a criminal offence punishable under the criminal code...
"We submit that slapping being an act of assault an item outside the provisions of Chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution and the African Charter, this court therefore lacks jurisdiction over same."
The court sits, June 1, for parties to adopt their motion before judgment is fixed.
In December last year, a YouTube video of Bishop Oyedepo viciously slapping a young lady who admitted that she was "a witch for Jesus" during an altar call went viral on the internet.
A second video that surfaced days later showed the bishop justifying his action adding that it is "his ministry to slap" and that "if he sees another witch, he'll slap."

11 Banks Robbers Nabbed by the Police,5 Banks workers and GT Bank Senior Staff Involved

The Lagos State Police Command apprehends 11 armed robbery suspects, 5 bank staff - including a Senior of GT Bank, Gbagada Branch).
*The GTB senior staff conspired with a security guard of the bank and 3 other staff to Rob a customer depositing Nmillions in their Bank.
*The top banker invited one Sadiq (a notorious armed robber), who recruited 6 other members of his gang for the operation.
*Gang procured guns in Lagos and ordered the rest from Edo State. Two pistols were already concealed in the bank’s Computer Central Processing Unit with plans to use them on the day of the robbery.
*Police Intelligence Report got information about the planned robbery and position their officers on the D-day.
*Sadiq wore a kaftan, other Robbers are in suits and smart wears, while plain-clothed policemen had cordoned off the area.
The police started picking the robbers and their weapons few minutes to the commencement of their robbery operation.
KUDOS To the Police Officers involved in this Operation.

"Jonathan Will Run in 2015" - Chief Edwin Clark.

" - Chief Edwin Clark.

Elder statesman and former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has said President Goodluck Jonathan will contest the 2015 presidential election as was the case with former presidents that ran for second term in office.
He also said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is the least person in Nigeria to castigate anybody for being corrupt, adding that, “He never showed good example. What was he in 1999 when he assumed office, and today, he is one of the wealthiest men in this country?”
Speaking in Abuja yesterday, as part of activities marking his 85th birthday, which comes up today, Clark supported his position with the analogy that “former President Shehu Shagari contested the presidential election in 1979 and won and in 1983, he contested for a second term in office and won before he was ousted by the military, led by Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
“Also former President Olusegun Obasanjo contested the presidential election in 1999 and won and later contested for a second term in office in 2003 which he also won”.
Clark therefore asked: “Why should it be different in the case of President Jonathan?”
He further argued: “Jonathan is a Nigerian. Nigerians voted for him beyond religious and cultural differences. What we should be asking is that he should perform as president in office. If he performs, and the same Nigerians vote for him, he will have another term.”
Beyond that, Clark said that Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria grants the president the right to seek a second term in office.
Asked if the constitutional relief would still subsist if the subject, by any way, had committed himself to a single term, the elder statesman said: “I am not aware whether he made any commitment to contest for only one term to Nigerians which is irrelevant at the moment. Personal promises cannot override the Constitution of Nigeria.”
Referring to the comments allegedly made by Obasanjo that there were rogues and armed robbers in the National and state Houses of Assemblies, Clark said: “Obasanjo never showed good example as far as fighting corruption is concerned. What was he in 1999 and today, what is he. He is one of the wealthiest in this country.
“Presidents build their libraries when they leave office. Look at his investment at the library; look at his investments in other areas. In the United Kingdom, parliamentarians go to jail because of a mere one thousand pounds bribe.”

Enough is enough •Sultan tells Boko Haram •Says shedding of blood must stop

DISTURBED by the security situation in the North, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has told perpetrators of terrorism and related acts in the region that “enough is enough,” saying the shedding of blood must stop.
The sultan, who is also President-General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), spoke at the opening ceremony of the JNI Central Council meeting attended by all emirs and chiefs from the region in Kaduna, on Thursday. According to the traditional ruler, “we must come back to our senses and say firmly and resolutely that enough is enough.”
He chided the nation’s political leaders for their alleged insensitivity to the plight of the masses, adding that the level of insecurity in the northern states was slowly but surely tearing apart every fabric of the religious, social and economic life of the people. He said that all hands should be on deck in the search for peace and security in the society.
“The bloodshed must stop. Each and every one of us must come to appreciate that we cannot continue on this destructive path.
“We must open active, meaningful and sincere channels of dialogue and communication to ensure that we listen to those who have real grievances and to take genuine efforts to address them.
“But we must, as the ummah, also take a resolute stand against those who take advantage of this unfortunate situation to wreak havoc on society, in pursuit of their narrow interest.
“Allah will definitely put to shame those who seek to violate the honour and sanctity of Muslims. We must at all times seek Allah’s intervention through prayers for there is no calamity or distress that He cannot dispel.”
The sultan expressed worry over the level of poverty in the society, saying the federal, state and local governments must embark on meaningful development programmes that would make life easier and more pleasant for the majority of the people.
“The current level of poverty, especially in the northern states, cannot be acceptable in any decent society. We can hide behind our rhetoric but we cannot run away from the stark realities which characterise the daily lives of our people.
“Traditional and religious leaders must bear a special responsibility in counselling those in positions of authority at the federal, state and local government levels that governance must necessarily be equated with service to the people and that the socio-economic development of the society.
“The prosperity of the state must translate into the prosperity of the entire populace. It shall not be the exclusive preserve of the few who happen to have access to state resources.
“When we vie with one another in a democratic society, for positions of leadership, it is equally incumbent upon us to vie with each other to make leadership more meaningful to the generality of the people.”
Declaring the meeting open, Kaduna State governor, Mr Patrick Yakowa, also described the current insecurity situation in the country as a challenge “that calls for the contribution of all Nigerians who desire that the nation continues as we inherited it from those who led our independence struggle.
“The JNI, being a noble organisation, founded on truth and piety to educate Muslims, should maintain its original mandate and form with a renewed vigour and go ahead to establish much more cordial relationship with other faith-based organisations.
“This will really go a long way in the establishment of a better cordial and respectful relationship between the Nigerian Muslims and their Christian compatriots as witnessed during the time of the late Sardauna.”

Oil thieves have hijacked political power - NNPC raises alarm •Says Nigeria loses 180,000 crude oil barrels to oil thieves daily

CRIMINALS and crude oil thieves have taken over the oil fields in the Niger Delta and have used the proceeds of oil theft to hijack political power in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), raised the alarm on Thursday.
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparent Initiative (NEITI), Mrs Zainab Ahmed, had earlier lamented the activities of the crude oil thieves in the creeks of Niger Delta, whose activities she said had denied Nigeria a whopping sum of $4.6 million in just two years.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Austin Oniwon, lamented the increasing wave of criminal activities in the Niger Delta, which he said was causing Nigeria to lose an estimated 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
Ghana, he noted, required only 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily to survive, expressing dismay that the rate at which criminals were prospecting for crude oil illegally in the country had reached an alarming level.
Oniwon said the miscreants behind illegal oil bunkering in the zone had sponsored the election of local government chairmen and now have the capacity to sponsor and produce more state governors, adding that they even have the potential to fund the emergence of a Nigerian president in the future.
He dropped the hints when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), paid him a courtesy visit, as part of their oversight function, as he urged the lawmakers to enact legislation aimed at arresting the increasing wave of oil theft in Nigeria.
He said it was regrettable to note that criminals had taken over the most part of Niger Delta...” They have amassed so much wealth that they are beginning to look for political power. They have been sponsoring local government chairmen. The chairmen have also been sponsoring governors. And these people, if not checked in time, will one day produce the president of Nigeria.”
He said such a situation had occurred in countries like Colombia and Mexico where criminals dealing in drugs sponsored the presidents of the countries as a means of promoting their illegal trades.
Oniwon said Nigeria should waste no time in combating the nefarious activities of the oil thieves against the implication of its neighbours like Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, which are now producing oil in commercial quantities, a development which may cripple the economy of Nigeria, anchored mainly on oil.
The NNPC boss urged the National Assembly not to delay in passing the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which, he noted, was capable of curbing irregularities in the Nigerian oil sector, adding that the bill, if eventually passed into law had the capacity to promote the emergence of a strong national oil company.
The House Committee Chairman on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Honourable Ajibola Muraina, who led members to the NNPC Towers, Abuja, equally lamented the growing capacity of crude oil thieves, as he urged the government of Nigeria to devise stringent means of preventing criminals from prospecting Nigeria’s crude oil illegally.
Muraina said the House of Representatives would work harmoniously with NNPC in sanitising the oil industry, even as he urged the corporation to, henceforth, begin to implement most of the recommendations by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the means of maintaining sanity in the Nigerian oil sector.

UK policemen arrested for taking Ibori bribes

NEWS agencies on Wednesday reported that Scotland Yard had arrested three of the investigators that handled the fraud case involving former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

 The arrested men were accused of receiving thousands of dollars in payments for providing information to Ibori’s lawyers.

Ibori was sentenced on April 17 by Southwark Crown Court in London for embezzling almost £50m to fund a lavish lifestyle for his family in London and back home in Nigeria.

Elombah.com reports that three former Scotland Yard police officers and one serving detective were among those arrested as part of an investigation into allegations that members of the force’s anti-corruption unit were paid thousands of pounds in bribes.

The Metropolitan police said on Wednesday the 45- year-old male detective was arrested on suspicion of receiving payments for information at a residential address outside of London.

Two of the former police officers, men aged 53 and 58, were also arrested during raids at a business address in central London. The two were arrested on suspicion of bribery of a police officer and remained in custody.

One of the two men held at the agency’s Conduit Street offices, according to London Evening Standard, is understood to be its chief executive Keith Hunter, a former Scotland  Yard detective.

The identities of the two other men are not known.

The arrests are part of a six-month operation launched after the Met and other bodies received documents from an anonymous source last year.

The documents suggested that its officers leaked to sensitive information to a firm linked to Ibori’s lawyers.

We reports that the documents seen by it suggested that Ibori hired the agency, RISC management to obtain information on a Met investigation into his business affairs.

 The papers allege that  RISC Management then paid Met officers £20,000 for inside information that helped Ibori’s defence lawyers. Detectives are also investigating the possibility that the bribery allegations were a sophisticated attempt by Ibori and his associates to pervert the course of justice.

 The claims are a new blow to the Yard, already investigating officers for allegedly receiving illegal payments from the Murdoch media empire for private information on the royal family.

A Yard spokesman reportedly said on Wednesday that, “We are investigating an allegation that illegal payments were made to police officers for information by a private investigation agency.

“This was a pre-planned operation that forms part of a long and complex investigation.” All three men were being interviewed at a London police station on Monday.

The inquiry into the bribery scandal was launched after leaked invoices apparently showed private investigators billed Ibori  for information from police.

One £5,000 payment was allegedly made to a source for information “on forthcoming strategy to be deployed by police”.

 The ex-governor hired City law firm Speechly Bircham to defend him from the police inquiries. In turn, it hired the private detective agency RISC.

Lawyer Mike Schwarz, who is representing London-based solicitor Bhadresh Gohil — jailed with Ibori — used parliamentary privilege to name three detectives he described as potential “culprits”.

 He told the home affairs committee they were Det Insp Gary Walters and detective constables named John MacDonald and “Clark”.

 All three officers declined a chance to respond to the allegations when contacted by us(of London) last week. RISC Management indicated Walters would deny “any and all allegations”.

RISC Management denied all allegations. It confirmed it was hired by Ibori’s lawyers but denied corrupt payments, saying it “has never paid a serving police officer for information and would never approve such payments”.

Its chief executive Keith Hunter accused Mr Schwarz of “grandstanding” in front of the Commons committee, instead of taking the “correct course of reporting the matter to the police”. Speechly Bircham denied any knowledge of wrongdoing.

EFCC overhauls legal team for subsidy thieves’ trial

Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde

There were indications on Wednesday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission might have begun the overhaul of its legal department as a way of presenting a strong legal team to prosecute perpetrators of financial crimes and those indicted in the fuel subsidy probe report.

A source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the leadership of the commission had expressed serious concerns over the manner in which the commission’s cases were being handled.

The source stated that the commission was not very comfortable with the way lawyers entrusted with the responsibility of handling the case involving the former Managing Director of Afribank, Mr. Sebastian Adigwe, and six other accused persons handled the case.

It was learnt that the commission’s reaction followed the condemnation of the commission by the trial judge for failing to produce a witness in the trial involving the bank chiefs.

Investigations conducted by our correspondent revealed that the commission might come up with serious changes in its legal team to ensure that cases being taken to court were not thrown out of court.

It was learnt that the commission was engrossed in moves to ensure that young lawyers with serious dedication to the principle and ideals of the commission were brought into the legal team.

The source lamented that the commission was not getting the requisite services from the huge sums of monies being paid to prosecute its cases.

The source said the pioneer Chairman of the Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, engaged the services of the young lawyers who were hungry for success and displayed a strong zeal for their work.

It was learnt that the immediate past chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri, decided to go for the use of very senior lawyers which according to the source, had not made the difference.

“Well, I can tell you that the commission is worried about the way some of these high profile cases are being handled.

“We are worried that some of the lawyers are not living up to expectations of the commissions and I think steps will be taken to reverse the trend. This is not helping us at all. We are going to review this arrangement with some of the lawyers,” the source said.

The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mike adoke, whose ministry supervises the EFCC started on  Tuesday that the Federal Government would ensure a thorough investigation of the raging subsidy saga for effective prosecution.

He said that the EFCC had been instructed to do a holistic investigation in consonance with presidential directive.

Render Account of Your Rogue Regime, CNPP Urges Obasanjo

 Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has challenged Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president, to render an account of his regime.
In a much-quoted statement yesterday, Obasanjo described the State Houses of Assembly and the National Assembly as full of “rogues and armed robbers.”
Obasanjo imperiously queried the quality of the laws such people may be expected to produce, stating, “Integrity is necessary for systems and institutions to be strong.”
Agreeing with the former president about the necessity of integrity, CNPP described Obasanjo’s administration as “A regime that harvested unprecedented oil revenue without commensurate project performance, a regime that bastardized our democracy and a regime which simulated the fault lines hence Boko Haram and other insurgences.”
Recalling that the former general returned from jail a very poor man, CNPP pointed out how, after eight years of looting while in office, he has become one of the richest Africans.
Citing various instances of Obasanjo’s manipulation of the nation’s economy, politics and laws for his personal benefit, it challenged him to explain why all the probes and audit of his regime by the National Assembly have found him culpable.
“Chief Obasanjo blatantly looted the treasury of the nation, withdrew billions from the treasury without appropriation, corrupted the privatization process, serially obstructed justice,  which made CNPP to file a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 24 December 2007, when his immunity exited,” the statement said.
CNPP also pointed out that it has become the trade mark of Chief Obasanjo to paint Nigeria black each time he is out of power, a deceptive strategy he designed long time ago to curry the favour and recognition of the international community, and warned him not to think that he will escape or that his corruption case has been closed.

How President Jonathan, Ministers And Cronies Shared N155 Billion From Malabu Oil Block Sale Scam

 President Goodluck Jonathan

The presidency, his associates and some ministers have been named in a monumental money laundering scandal, one of the most elaborate in Nigeria's history.
We can reveal today that the N155billion secretly paid to convicted money launderer, Dan Etete, by the Federal Government, on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan, was actually a slush fund, with a huge chunk of it ending in bank accounts of cronies and business associates of government officials and at least one individual with links to Mr. Jonathan.
Our investigation also indicates that in order to cover up what is clearly one of the most elaborate corruption schemes in Nigeria’s history, the president tapped the junior minister in the finance ministry, Yerima Ngama, and Attorney General Mohammed Adoke to hurriedly transfer the funds to Mr. Etete on August 16, 2011, a day before the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, assumed office.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala was not available Friday to comment on her knowledge of the transaction. Her spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, said she was away in Zimbabwe on an official engagement.
This website had on Monday reported how the Nigerian subsidiaries of two multinational oil companies Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited (Agip) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (Shell) paid $1.1billion (N155billion) to the Federal Government in April last year for onward transmission to Malabu Oil whose principal is Mr. Etete.
Our subsequent investigations later showed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had indeed investigated the deal, concluding that the transaction pointed at a “cloudy scene associated with fraudulent dealings.”
The EFCC investigation also clearly established that Mr. Etete’s Malabu only served as a money laundering machine, as substantial parts of the funds was later transferred to various accounts owned by “real and artificial persons” suspected to have links with the presidency and other government officials.
Presidency sources familiar with the matter say the EFCC intimated President Jonathan and Mr. Adoke of its findings.
“But I can tell you that the investigation has suffered a setback since the presidency got wind of it,” one of our sources said. “There is high-level complicity in the deal and there is therefore high-level cover up. The report is gathering dust on the president’s desk.”
Mr. Jonathan’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, could not be reached on his mobile telephones to comment for this story Friday. And so also was Mr. Adoke. Mr. Ngama did not return calls to his mobile telephone.
Relying on court papers in the United States (where some consultants have sued Malabo for breach of contract), checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and on its own investigations, the EFCC established  that “a prima facie case of conspiracy, breach of trust, theft and money laundering can be established against some real and artificial persons.”
The beneficiaries
At the heart of this brazen theft of public funds is one Abubakar Aliyu, a man whom top presidency and EFCC sources described as “Mr. Corruption” and who has very close business ties with Diepreiye Alamiesegha, convicted former governor of Bayelsa state.
Mr. Alamiesegha, the self-styled governor-general of the Ijaw nation, is the man who picked Mr. Jonathan as his running mate in the 1999 governorship election in Bayelsa state and whom Mr. Jonathan succeeded in office after the former was impeached over corruption charges.
The disgraced former governor played a major role in Mr. Jonathan’s election last year, serving as both an adviser and a top campaign official.
Mr. Aliyu, through companies co-owned by him, received direct payments of $523mn (N81bn) from the largesse. Investigators believe that the businessman, introduced to the president by Mr. Alamieyeseigha, was Mr. Jonathan’s front in the transaction.
Mr. Aliyu is however not new to corrupt deals. One of his companies was recently found to be involved in a shady deal which involved the buying of a landed property from a government agency (NITEL) for N1billion and then reselling the same property to another government agency (CBN) for N21billion.
He allegedly used his links with late President Musa Yar’Adua and President Jonathan to broker the deals, and then reportedly paid kickbacks to some government officials.
Mr. Adoke, the current Justice Minister was named in that deal too just as sources believe he played a major role in the sharing of the N155billion largesse.
Sharing the money
On August 16, 2011, Mr. Adoke and the Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama, coordinated the payment of a first tranche of $401.5million (N60billion) into a First Bank account 2018288005 belonging to Malabu.
Another $400millionn (N60billion) was, based on the duo’s instructions, transferred into a Malabu Bank PHB (now Keystone bank) account 3610042472 from a Nigerian government account with JP Morgan International Bank. The balance of the funds was reportedly lodged into Mr. Etete’s account with Zenith Bank.
Immediately Malabu received the money, the distribution began. Rocky Top Resources Limited, co-owned by Mr. Aliyu received $336 million (N50bn) from the Malabu Keystone Bank deposit. Other companies that got money from the Malabu curious transfers include A-Group Construction Company, also co-owned by Mr. Aliyu. It received $157mn (N24bn), while Novel Property and Development Limited, also co-owned by Mr. Aliyu got $30 million (N4.5bn).
Companies not linked to Mr. Aliyu but got money from Malabu include Mega Tech Engr Co. Ltd, which received $180 million (N27bn) and Imperial Union Limited, $34million (N5.1bn).
Sources say these companies, like Mr. Aliyu’s, simply acted as fronts for political office holders, who helped to facilitate the transfer, as they have no basis to receive such huge sums of money from Malabu. The EFCC has also not identified what task these companies performed to deserve the payments.
“Reasons for this payment is yet to be ascertained,” the commission said.
Long before the largesse was shared however, Malabu had become a company renowned for shady deals.
A history of fraud
According to investigators, through “conspiracy, forgery, uttering forged document, criminal misappropriation and money laundering,” Mr. Etete and Malabu Oil had been involved in illegalities since its formation.
Formed on April 24, 1998, Malabu Oil had three shareholders: Mohammed Sani (Abacha, son of late military dictator Sani Abacha), Kweku Amafagha (who was representing Dan Etete on the board), and Hassan Hindu (representing her husband, Hassan Lawal, a former Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK).  Mr. Sani owned 10 million of the 20 million shares in the company; Mr. Etete six million and Mr. Hassan, four million.
Five days after the company was formed and registered at the CAC, it got two oil blocks awarded to it by the then military government:  OPL 245 and OPL 214.
Mr. Etete was petroleum minister at the time.
Controversy however trailed the oil blocks as President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 2001, revoked the allocations, giving OPL 245 to Shell.
After several court cases in Nigeria and overseas between Malabu, Shell, and the Federal Government, the oil blocks were re-awarded to Malabu in 2010.
Scheming out Abacha
Following a secret resolution on the oil block with the Federal Government, Mr. Etete decided to edge out Mr. Abacha from the ownership of Malabu. It is not clear if this is one of the conditions the Federal Government gave to Mr. Etete during the negotiations.
However at an extraordinary general meeting of Malabu on June 9, 2010, Mr. Abacha and a company related to him, Pecos Energy, were removed as shareholders of Malabu. The new owners (believed to be fronts for Mr. Etete) became Munamuma Seidougha and Amaran Joseph, both of whom had 10 million shares each.
These changes, the EFCC stated “gave rise to a lot of moral and ethical question that can necessitate an objective and full blown investigation into the matter.”
Mr. Abacha however fought back fiercely. Sensing that he had been schemed out and aware that Mr. Etete was already negotiating with Shell and Agip, he decided to act.
The Shell, Agip, FG, Etete conspiracy
We learnt that Ednan Agaev, an international counsel hired by Malabu told the Supreme Court of New York in an affidavit that he was appointed by Malabu to find an investor for OPL245.
“One John Coplestone of SHELL, a party to the negotiation informed him that Mohammed Sani (Abacha) is laying claim over OPL 245,” the EFCC stated. An AGIP official also told Mr. Agaev that “in view of the new claim by Mohammed Sani (Abacha), a direct deal with Malabu would not be possible.”
Mr. Agaev then informed Mr. Etete of the new development and suggested a way out.
To put off Mr. Sani (Abacha)  from realizing his claim, “The FGN (should) take back the oil block from Malabu, transfer the rights to ENI AGIP/Shell and pay Malabu a compensation from the payments made by ENI AGIP and Shell,”
The oil companies agreed accepted the proposal. “By the end of March 2011, the FGN seemed to have acted with the suggestion,” the EFCC said.
This new evidence gathered by the EFCC contradicts the claims of Shell, who through its spokesman, Precious Okolobo, denied knowing that Malabu was to be the recipient of its payment.
“Shell was not aware that that money was to be paid to Malabu,” Mr. Okolobo had told us.

Govt to go after politicians behind Boko Haram

president Jonathan

Security panel’s advice accepted

Barring a last-minute change of mind, the Federal Government will soon begin a comprehensive investigation of politicians suspected to be behind terrorism, especially in the Northeast – hotbed of the deadly Islamist group, Boko Haram. 
This development follows the acceptance of the recommendation of the  Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the Northeast. 
Also, the committee, headed by Amb. Usman G. Galtimari, has identified some routes in the Northeast where arms and explosives are allegedly  being imported into the country for terror attacks. 
Besides confirming the involvement of  aliens in terror attacks, the panel urged the Federal Government to deport illegal foreigners. 
It traced  the Boko Haram crisis to the extra-judicial killing of the sect’s leader and his followers in 2009 and the failure of the police to bring the culprits to justice. 
On the whole, the committee endorsed dialogue with Boko Haram if the sect leaders are ready to renounce violence. 
The panel made 10 short-term recommendations and three long-term options. 
The findings and recommendations of the panel are contained in the White Paper on Galtimari Committee which has just been released by the Federal Government. 
The committee was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, on August 2, last year. 
Members of the committee are: Amb. Usman G. Galtimari(Chairman); Senator Ali Ndume; Chief Joe-Kyeri Gadzama(SAN); Col. Musa Shehu(rtd); Senator Bala Mohammed; Dr. Bello Mohammed; Chief Emeka Wogu; and Alhaji A.B. Shehu. 
Following the submission of a final report by the panel in September last year,  the SGF raised a seven-man White Paper Drafting Committee, which was headed by Comrade A. Mora. 
Other members of the committee are: Alh. Bukar Tijani; Esther G. Gonda; Alh. Abdullahi Yola; Mr. Usman Abubakar; Mr. Jubril Adeniji; Mr. L.E. Njoku; and Mr. U. Onwuanuokwu. 
The report reads in part: “The report traced the origin of private militias in Borno State in particular, of which Boko Haram is an offshoot, to politicians who set them up in the run-up to the 2003 general elections. The militias were allegedly armed and used extensively as political thugs. After the elections and having achieved their primary purpose, the politicians left the militias to their fate since they could not continue funding and keeping them employed. With no visible means of sustenance, some of the militias gravitated towards religious extremism, the type offered by Mohammed Yusuf. 
“It recommended that the Federal Government should direct the security agencies to beam their search light on some politicians who sponsored, funded and used the militia groups that later metamorphosed into Boko Haram and bring them to justice. 
“Government accepts this recommendation and directs the national Security Adviser to co-ordinate the investigation of the kingpins and sponsors to unravel the individuals and groups that are involved.” 
“It was reported that  members of the sect have transformed themselves into dreaded criminal groups recently and were now known by various pious sounding Islamic names. 
“The groups, which had hitherto employed the use of crude and locally made arms with few automatic weapons, are now linked to highly sophisticated weaponry and explosives imported or smuggled into the country. 
“Equally, their modus operandi had drastically changed from mere confrontation with security agents to modern day terrorism with a high precision rate. 
“Politicians in the country have employed the services of thugs and other groups and associations with large youth membership to intimidate their political opponents during electioneering activities. 
“The roots of terrorism, especially in Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Bauchi states could be traced to groups or associations, such as ECOMOG, Yan Kalare and Sura Suka which have links to prominent politicians in these states. 
“However, similar to the militant groups in the Niger Delta area, the groups usually grow out of control and become a threat to the politicians that supported and financed them. 
“States where sect members thrive should exercise the necessary political will to deal with this problem, notwithstanding the perceived implications to their sponsors. 
“Government accepts this recommendation and directs the security agencies to work with the state governments to deal with this matter.” 
On the rise of the Boko Haram menace, the panel attributed it to the killing of Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, and many members of the sect in 2009. 
The White Paper added: “The immediate cause of the escalation of the sect’s violent activities is the extra-judicial killing of the sect’s leader and his followers in 2009 and the failure of Police authorities to bring the culprits to justice. The killing of Mohammed Yusuf, which was captured and circulated by video clips, was described as horrific, barbaric and unprofessional. 
“Although late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua later ordered an inquiry into Police handling of the case, no Government White Paper was issued on the outcome of the enquiry. The Boko Haram sect members believed that their leader and members were unjustifiably killed. 
“It recommended that the trial of the Police personnel responsible for the extra-judicial murder of Mohammed Yusuf and some of his followers should be expedited and publicised. 
“Government notes that the late President Yar’Adua did not order any enquiry into this matter, rather he directed the Police to investigate the matter and the result of that investigation had led to the on-going trial of the suspects.” 
The panel also demanded the review of Explosives Act of 1964 to prevent easy access to deadly substances by terror groups. 
It said: “The report expressed concerns over the easy availability of explosive materials through illegal dealers conniving with staff of registered explosives companies. 
“The committee observed that there is uncontrolled proliferation and circulation of illicit firearms, ammunition and explosives in the country. More worrisome is the availability of local expertise in the assemblage of explosive materials. 
“The country is presently awash with illicit arms procured from crisis-torn contiguous countries, which usually find their way into the country due to porous and poorly manned borders arising from the under-funding of the para-military agencies. Some of the firearms were also believed to be sourced illegally from unpatriotic members of the security forces while some explosives were sourced from the magazines of quarry companies. 
“The Explosives Act of 1964 should be reviewed in order to tighten the procedures for licensing as well as monitoring of companies dealing in explosives. 
“Government notes this recommendation and notes the further steps already taken to control the manufacture, importation, transportation and storage of explosive and accessories used for producing Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs).” 
The Galtimari panel  confirmed the involvement of aliens in terrorism and recommended mass deportation of those suspected to be identifying with terror groups. 
It explained how Boko Haram members were trained and the routes through which they bring arms and ammunition into the country. 
It said: “The committee reported that leaders of the sect visited the Sahara Desert where their members were trained and provided assorted equipment. 
In addition, there were reports of transportation routes from Chad to Nigeria through Gamboru/Ngala border where trucks destined for Nigeria were loaded with goods and weapons possibly meant for terrorists and other criminals. 
“Some other identified routes include Tetewa from Cameroon through Bosso and Tudun Mota into Saga. 
“Also in Chad , it was found that the Banki border was a notable hub of smugglers. Others were Duji and Gashigar in Mobbar LGA, New Marte and Mafa, all of which link up in Maiduguri . 
“The report observed that there is massive influx of illegal aliens from neighbouring countries into Nigeria and beyond. Past enquiries on religious crises in the country have pointed out the involvement of illegal aliens in prosecuting sectarian crises. Most of them are unskilled and have no visible handwork which makes it easy for them to be mobilized for violent activities. 
“It was recommended that the Nigeria Immigration Service should reinforce security in the border areas to ensure that illegal aliens suspected of contributing to the prevailing insecurity in the zone are quietly eased out of the country. 
“Notwithstanding, the provisions of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Goods and Persons as well as any cultural affinities existing between Nigeria border  communities and their kith and kin in contiguous countries. 
“Secondly, it was recommended that foreigners identified to have been staying illegally or have possible links with criminals or extremists should be profiled and repatriated to their countries. 
“If the insecurity arising from the activities of illegal aliens persists, government is advised to consider temporary closure of Nigeria ’s Northeast border and organising a summit with the affected countries to find a way out of the situation.” 
Notwithstanding, the panel implored the government to engage in dialogue with Boko Haram leaders upon renunciation of violence. 
It said: “The Committee observed that there have been no attempts by the Government and the security services to understand the ideology and motives of the Boko Haram sect by engaging sect members in dialogue. 
“The Committee recommended the urgent need to constructively engage and dialogue with the leadership of the sect as an essential strategy in bringing them on board. However, it advised that government should negotiate from a position of strength by allowing the security forces dominate the environment. 
“In addition, dialogue with the sect should be contingent upon their renunciation of violence and surrender of arms. 
“Government accepts this recommendation and encourages the intermediaries who have access to them to initiate this dialogue.” 
The White Paper also X-rayed the operation of the Joint Task Force in Borno State. 
It added: “The Joint Task Force (JTF) currently deployed to Maiduguri , Borno State , was in response to the breakdown of law and order in the city. 
“The JTF had somewhat succeeded in bringing the situation under control. Schools and markets that had closed at the height of the crisis have started re-opening. 
“Many of the sect’s kingpins have relocated to neighbouring countries due to sustained pressure exerted on them by the ongoing security operation. 
“However, there were allegations of high –handedness against the JTF, bordering on rape, destruction of property belonging to sect members, extrajudicial killing and harassment and intimidation of Maiduguri residents. 
“The Report recommended that a judicial Commission of Enquiry should be set up to look into the alleged atrocities committed by some members of the JTF while the Rules of Engagement (RoE) should be reviewed to reflect the low intensity nature of the military operations not only in Maiduguri, but in all similar operations. 
“The Report further recommended that the JTF should Endeavour to win the hearts and minds of the people but that in the present poisoned atmosphere, this would be difficult, if not impossible to achieve, since relative peace had to be attained before the JTF personnel could feel free to mix with the people in the State. 
“The Report recommended the replacement of the present troops with new ones from other unties, preferably with those who are familiar with the terrain and the peoples’ socio-political and cultural values. 
“The security agencies were also urged to commence immediate de-radicalization of the sect members who are found to be willing to renounce violence and embrace the Federal Government’s olive branch. 
“Government notes recommendations and the steps being taken by the DHQ to investigate the allegation and deal with it appropriately. 
The White Paper committee asked the government to act swiftly on its recommendations. 
The committee said: “The White Paper Committee wishes to underscore the Presidential Committee’s recommendation for a prompt implementation of the Report. 
“The timely implementation will, inevitably, serve as a lasting solution to the security challenges thrown up by the activities of the Boko Haram sect. 
“It is therefore recommended that the Federal Government  should circulate the report to all levels of authority, the security agencies as well as sensitize the generality of Nigerians to the necessity of supporting the security forces in safeguarding the nation’s security.”