How PDP chieftain’s sons allegedly defrauded subsidy treasury – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned two sons of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains before the Lagos High Court over Lagos for alleged fuel subsidy fraud.

The duo was Mahmud Tukur, son of PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur, Nasamu Ali, son of the party’s former National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Ali and others, including Christian Taylor, a foreigner.

But, Abdullahi Arisekola, son of Ibadan frontline businessman Alhaji AbdulAzeez Arisekola-Alao, arraigned for two sets of charges before two judges, was remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) till Wednesday when his bail application will be heard.

These PDP leaders’ sons were among the 20 supects  who allegedly defraud the treasury of N13 billion.

“The Nation” reported that Tukur was arraigned alongside Alao, Ochonogor Alex and Eternal Oil and Gas Plc. before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

The accused persons are facing a nine-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents.

EFCC prosecutor Mr Rotimi Jacobs, alleged that they had between January and April, last year in Lagos, fraudulently obtained the sum of N1.8 billion from the Federal Government.

He alleged that the accused persons obtained the money from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported importation of 80.3 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit.

The accused persons were also alleged to have forged a Bill of lading dated April 28, 2011, which they used in facilitating the fraud.

Jacobs said their alleged offences contravened Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

According to him, they also contravene Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.

All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Onigbanjo, ruling on the bail applications filed by their counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Olawale Akoni, granted them bail in the sum of N20 million each with two sureties in like sum.

The judge said one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the accused with a landed property in Lagos worth not less than N100 million, also with a verifiable title document.

He added: “The other surety must be a level 16 officer in the Lagos State or Federal Civil Service.

“The sureties must produce three years tax clearance and they must be verified by the chief registrar of the high court.

“The accused persons are to deposit their international passports with the EFCC, which must not be released without the express permission of the court”.

Justice Onigbanjo adjourned the matter till November 13 for trial.

Ali, Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services were arraigned before Justice Onigbanjo on a three-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.

Jacobs alleged that the accused persons between January and April 2012, fraudulently obtained N4.4 billion from the Federal Government.

He said the money was obtained as subsidy payments from the Petroleum Support Fund for the purported importation of 30.5million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail on the same terms earlier granted to the other accused persons.

The matter was adjourned to October 30 for trial.
Alao, alongside his company, Axenergy Ltd., was also arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on another seven-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents.

He is accused of fraudulently obtaining N2.6 billion in December 2010 from the Federal Government as subsidy payments for the purported importation of 33.3 million litres of PMS from Ex-MT Gavros and Ex-MT Nippon Princess.

The prosecution alleged that Alao forged a bill of lading dated October 13, 2011, which he allegedly used in perpetrating the fraud.

According to Jacobs, Alao’s alleged offences contravene Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

He said it also contravened Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and the judge ordered him to be remanded in EFCC custody, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application on August 1.

The court also fixed Aug. 1 for the arraignment of Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo-Ngadi, Fakuade Babafemi, Ezekiel Ejidele and Ontario Oil and Gas Plc.

The matter was adjourned following the absence of Wagbatsoma in court. His lawyer, Mr Babajide Koku (SAN), promised to produce him in court at the next adjournment date.

Koku said: “We have spoken to him and he’s making arrangment to appear in court to defend the charges against him.

“He would have been here this morning but he has problem with his flight but he promised to get a connecting flight and should be back by Monday.”

Counsel for Ugo-Ngadi, Ebenezer and Ejide, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, Mr. Wale Akoni (SAN), Abimbola Odeyemi and James Ogunyemi objected to the request on the grounds that it would delay the liberty of their clients.

They urged the court to allow separate trials for the defendants so that they could argue bail terms for their clients.

The judge rejected their request, describing it as premature.

Justice Abiru granted the request of Mr. Koku, counsel to the 1st and 5th defendants, for an adjournment.
He ordered that all the other defendants be remanded in EFCC custody, pending when they will be properly arraigned on August 1.

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Army donates anti-bomb equipment to churches, mosques

Nigerian Army on Thursday donated vehicle stoppers to churches and mosques as part of measures to protect places of worship against terrorist attacks, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Army Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Maj.-Gen.Bitus Kwaji, while handing over the equipment to some churches and mosques leaders in Abuja, said the gesture was part of Army’s corporate social responsibility.

Kwaji said the equipment could stop vehicles that come in contact with it from any direction, saying, “the innovation is simple and effective’’.

He said the Army produced 18 of the equipment to be distributed to places of worship within the Federal Capital Territory.

He said, “It has been discovered that most attacks by suicide bombers are carried out with vehicles loaded with Improvised Explosive Devices.

“This mode of operation is simple as a suicide bomber drives his vehicle straight into his target and explosion occurs.

“In order to stop bombers from reaching their targets, this invention comes in handy as it forcibly stops any vehicle that comes in contact with it at whatever speed.”

He said the equipment was designed in response to the challenge by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.Azubuike Ihejirika.

Kwaji regretted the security challenges facing the country had continued to hinder its progress.

Army Director of Policy, Maj-Gen. Richard Chioba, said the equipment had been “tested in other countries and it worked”.

He said corporate bodies interested in the device were free to mass produce it to secure their organisations.

Chioba said the donation of the equipment was to ensure that lives and property of the citizens were protected.

The Executive Secretary of the Abuja National Mosque Management, Alhaji Ibrahim Jega, expressed joy at the development.

Also, Rev. Chukwuemeka Okonkwo of the Methodist Diocese of Nyanya said the gesture had indicated that the Federal Government and the Army were bothered by the situation.

He said, “We believe that with this and other devices revealed to us, there will be peace and security of lives in the nation.’’

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Ritualists kill seven year old boy in Nasarawa

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the State Security Service (SSS) has paraded two men who allegedly killed a seven year old boy in Nasarawa state for ritual purpose.
Assistant Director, Operations of the Service, Mister Ibrahim Halilu said the two men, John Yakubu and Ishaya Dakulung were arrested on Sunday afternoon in the Asokoro district of the FCT with the fresh human head while they were looking for a buyer.
Mister Halilu who said the suspects will soon be charged to court, warned parents to closely monitor the movement of their children during the holiday period in order to forestall the activities of evil minded persons.
One of the suspect, John Yakubu who spoke in Hausa said the victim who is an only child of his parents was lured to a river side in New Karshi, Nasarawa state, before severing his head from his body while his partner, Ishaya Dakulung claimed that he was only helping his friend to get a buyer with a promise of being paid N250,000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand naira).

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Ibori: Nigeria has no reputation to lose – Lawyers

former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori
| credits: File copy

Prominent lawyers have said the recent report that a British Metropolitan Police officer collected a £20, 000 bribe from former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who is serving a 13-year jail term in the United Kingdom, is not a problem for Nigeria, since the country is known for corruption.

The lawyers, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH, said while Ibori’s action was highly condemnable, it was the UK government that has to work hard to clean up its reputation tainted by the bribery.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Itse Sagay, said the bribery would not affect Nigeria’s image.

“Nigeria has no reputation to lose in this case. The country is already known worldwide for corruption. Nigeria is close to the top on the list of corrupt countries. It is the UK that has something to lose. It is a stain on their reputation that one of their police officers could take bribe from a suspect who comes from a developing nation,” he said.

Similarly, Emeka Ngige, (SAN) said the bribery case showed that corruption was a worldwide phenomenon.

“It is not a Nigerian problem. It is the UK’s problem. This goes to show that corruption is a global phenomenon. There is no country that does not have corrupt people. It only depends on how the government of each country handles it. In the Nigerian police, corruption is the norm; it is the culture.

“And I’m sure if Nigerians hear it in the news that a Nigerian Police officer collected bribe to reveal information to a suspect, it would not be news to them. But in the UK, they would shudder, and you will see how their government would handle this,” he said.

Also, Mike Igbokwe (SAN) said the bribery case showed that Nigerian politicians were in the habit of using public fund to bribe their way through.

“I’m not in support of corrupt practices in anyway and what Ibori and his agents did was very wrong and illegal. But I believe this has shown that corruption is everywhere. Nowadays, the British Metropolitan Police can no longer be said to be ‘saints’.

“The noise that the British police and their government make about African countries being corrupt no longer has any basis. British police have to redeem their image.

“This is also an indication that this is what Nigerian politicians do with public funds; bribing their way in and outside the country,” he said.

Similarly, human rights activist, Femi Falana, said the continued revelation of the corrupt practices of Ibori was a shame on Nigeria.

Falana said, “He was allowed to become a governor- the judiciary in Nigeria has been exposed to unprecedented ridicule. It is a shame that a man that was convicted in 1991, 1992 and 1995, for fraud and related offences, became a governor in defiance of the Constitution. As the Ibori story is not concluded, the leading ambassador of a kleptomaniac ruling elite is going to continue to shame the country,” he said.

Source: SUNDAY PUNCH

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Jonathan’s 2nd Term: Northern Politicians Launch Onslaught

With barely three years to the 2015 general elections, the battle line for the presidential race appears drawn as prominent Northern politicians, including governors, intensify plots to stop President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged bid for a second term.

President Goodluck Jonathan

The Northern governors who are bent on stopping the president are hoping to use the budding presidential ambitions of Governors Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi) and Babangida Aliyu (Niger) as rallying points for Northern voters.

Political Platform reliably gathered that the plot to stop Jonathan was spearheaded by Northern governors who are no longer seeking second term tickets. They are leading the campaign for the return of the Presidency to the North because they want to contest for the Presidency in 2015.

Out of the 19 states in the North, the PDP controls 14 which are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party is in control of Borno, Yobe and Zamfara -while the Congress for Progressive Change is in charge of Nasarawa.

Out of the 14 PDP states, 12 of the governors are serving their second term in office. Only four, which are those of Kaduna, Gombe, Kwara and Kogi are doing their first term.

Among the Northern governors who are in their second terms, only governors Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Danbaba Suntai (Taraba) and David Jang (Plateau) are likely to support Jonathan’s second bid.

The governors elected on the platform of the PDP, after the party’s National Executive Committee meeting on August 13, 2010, had only agreed to support Jonathan for a single term of four years.

There plan is, however, likely to meet with stiff resistance as some groups, in the South-South, have commenced activities to counter all opposition to the President’s second term.

Already, the Ijaw National Congress has accused the North of “moral deficit” in asking for the number one job in 2015.

The groups National Secretary, Mr. Robinson Esitel, while reacting to the position of the Northern Governors’ Forum on the 2015 presidential election, said: “The issue of who would become the President in 2015 is a choice that will be made by Nigerians as a whole and not by a section.

“The Ijaw nation insists categorically that Jonathan’s Presidency is not a presidency of four years but a presidency of eight years under the constitution and subject to the good conscience of Nigerians.

“The North should not blame the perceived underdevelopment of the region on anybody. They have been in governance of this country, both under the military and civilain regimes, for the better part of the time that this country has been in existence,” he said.

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Subsidy Probe: “There will be no Sacred Cows”- Jonathan

The report containing details of looting during the subsidy regime as prepared by the House of Representative has been formally handed over to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Muhammed Adoke, SAN by the president on Tuesday. The President had directed the minister to prosecute all those found guilty, saying they will be no sacred cows.

Speaking to the State House Correspondents in Abuja,  Adoke  assured that he would carry out Mr. President order, stating that the report  would soon be sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation.

Adoke who reiterated the president’s promise to Nigeria during the probe said “We don’t want situations where we are stampeded to initiate prosecution and we are unable to prosecute due to lack of or paucity of evidence.

“Now we have to ask the EFCC to do a thorough job as they have been doing and this report will help them tremendously. I have a specific instruction from the President that we should investigate and we should prosecute.

“I can assure you that we will prosecute all those that are found culpable. There will be no sacred cows. I am with a copy of the report. We are not going to victimise anybody, we are going to do this without sentiments and whoever is found guilty we are going to arraign him before a court of law and prosecute. If there is no enough evidence to prosecute anybody, we are not going to persecute anybody.”

Adoke further assured that the investigation into the matter would be done in the most professional way and to the best interest of the country, asserting that those found culpable would be prosecuted without sentiments.

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NATIONAL SECURITY: Fashola Advocates Adequate Attention To Small Crimes

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Monday called on security agencies in the country to pay more attention to minor social vices as a means to stem the escalation of violent crimes in the society.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (right), presenting a souvenir to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar (left) during a courtesy visit to the Governor at the State House, Ikeja, Lagos on Monday, May 21, 2012.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the Lagos House, Ikeja, while playing host to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, said the failure to deal with such crimes as rape, abuse of drugs, abuse of women and children, assault and others was responsible for the escalation of such violent crimes as kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism and the like.

He told the police boss: “I want the police to pay more attention. We are dealing with very high crime but we are omitting the small broken-window-glass crimes, those ones that threaten the very fabric of society and erode it much more fundamentally.

“We are losing our capacity to deal with those everyday crimes; but it is the failure to deal with those crimes that escalate to armed robbery, to kidnapping, to terrorism.”

The Governor added: “We must, therefore, go back to enforcing compliance to traffic rules, prosecuting substance abuse, abuse of alcohol and others because it is from these small ones that the big and violent ones develop.”

Governor Fashola, who said the whole issue of crime stems from non-compliance to the rule of law and order, pointed out that when people imbibe the impression that they could rape, indulge in drug abuse, drive against traffic and such other infringments and get away with it, they eventually graduate to higher and more serious crimes.

“Nothing we can do here, nothing we can put in place will have meaning until we intensify law and order. My position is that if more people comply with the law, more people will prosper and benefit. If fewer people comply, it is only very few people who will gain,” the governor said.

According to the governor, “it ranges from our behaviour, our attitude to the enforcement of law, to voluntary compliance with laws such as road traffic regulations, trading, building houses, our relationship with one another and every undertaking that we carry out as well as situations where people think that laws can be broken and they can appeal later,” adding that those things must stop.

Governor Fashola also reiterated his call for State Police, saying the time to decentralise the Nigeria Police Force has come so that the Federal Police would be complemented by the State Police in order to ensure effectiveness.

“For me, it is a thing nobody should argue about anymore. We have only to put safety measures in place to prevent abuse. If we continue with what we have done for over 50 years and we expect a different result, it won’t work,” the governor said.

He noted that intrinsic to the idea of a central police as obtained in the country currently, is the fact that there was once a regional police and somebody had the courage at that time to make a change seeing that it was not working well.

“We must find the courage now to say that this thing is not working. We need to create that partnership between the Federal and the State Governments in terms of policing. I believe these are the reforms that history has placed at your doorsteps,” Governor Fashola told the visiting Police IG.

Describing the Acting IGP as innovative, brilliant and courageous, Governor Fashola recalled that the police boss took over in Lagos as Commissioner of Police at a time the state had very high rate of violent crimes, adding that because of his innovativeness and courage as well as the cooperation of the citizens, a foundation was laid for a sustainable solution.

“It will take the efforts of the whole country to overcome the challenge of violent crime, but we are coming out of the woods gradually and progressively and, I believe, Nigeria will climb out of the woods as you assume office again at this time,” the governor told Mohammed.

Commending the Police Command in the state for their efforts at maintaining security in the state, Governor Fashola noted that without regards to the odds and difficulties against them, the level of their welfare and remunerations as well as work environment, they have worked to ensure safety for Lagosians.

“In spite of the odds, in spite of the difficulties, in spite of the fact that your welfare and your remunerations, your work environment and your offices could be a lot better, you have kept faith with the people of Lagos. In the rain and in the sun, at night and during the day, as difficult as your work environment has been, as limitedly as the remunerations you have received are, you have not abandoned your profession, your commitment to defend people, to ensure that citizens can sleep,” the governor said.

He expressed the hope that at the fullness of time, the police would get the type of treatment they deserve in terms of equipment and remunerations and their due respect from the people, adding, however, that in order to earn their due respect from the people, the police must in turn respect the people.

“Your uniform is the symbol of authority of the state. Every time you wear the uniform, citizens look up to you for protection. When they see the uniform, they have reached their Cape of Good Hope and therefore, they expect to meet safety, they would meet compassion, they would meet protection.”

Earlier, in his remarks, the Acting Inspector General of Police thanked the governor for his tremendous assistance to the police in the execution of their assignment, pointing out that if every other state in the country would do like Lagos State, the security challenges facing the country would be a thing of the past.

The Police boss, who recalled his sojourn in Lagos as Commissioner of Police, told Governor Fashola, “because you are committed and care for your people security wise, you have gone out of your way to support the police. Nigeria will be a lot safer if all the other states of the federation can do like you.”

He said road blocks would never return on Nigerian roads again as, according to him, “they are damaging our reputation,” adding that in order to beef up police patrol across the country, he has ordered the purchase of additional 300 patrol vehicles.

Declaring the days of police harassment of citizens as over, the IGP pledged that he would build a police force that would protect, defend and respect the rights of Nigerians especially the aged, adding that emphasis would be laid on training and retraining of officers and men of the police to ensure dignity and efficiency.

He promised to do his best to reform the police, saying “whatever is bad will go. I will ensure qualitative service, zero tolerance for corruption. Lagos is the hub of this country; if Lagos fails, Nigeria will fail and Lagos will never fail.”

Also present at the occasion were the Chief of Staff, Mr. Lanre Babalola, Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Oluranti Adebule, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaiye, his Environment and Special Duties counterparts, Mr. Tunji Bello and Dr. Wale Ahmed among other members of the State Executive Council, top ranking police officers from Lagos and Ogun States, including the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko and his Deputy, Mr. Tunde Sobulo as well as other top government functionaries.

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Man arrested with bomb claims It belongs to his late brother

John Akpabu the Suspected bomber arrested in Abuja on Monday has claimed the explosives found in his possession belonged to his late brother.

Akpabu who is said to hail from Nasarawa state, was arrested by security operatives at the entrance to the Radio House, venue of the Ministerial Platform, with three live grenades and 37 rounds of ammunition.

He was claimed that the explosives among the belongings of his late brother, Aliyu Clement who was a corporal with the Mobile Police unit of Nigeria Police Force before his death.

He said: “They transferred him to Bayelsa. When he died, I went to Bayelsa. He was living in Isepe in one local government in Bayelsa. My late elder brother’s name is Aliyu Clement.”

“He was serving in Bayelsa State. He came to see his family in Abuja but when he was returning he followed village [sic]. When he got there he fell sick and he died.”
“We now send signal to Bayelsa which when we reach there they couldn’t get it. The signal stopped on the way. They now gave us another paper. I went there with the wife to bring his properties.”
“My mission here? I’m bringing this thing here because I found it in his property. When I went to go and pack the property down to Abuja, when we reach Abuja, as we were checking the property, we now saw these grenade and the bullets.”

He claimed that after consulting with the late brother’s wife on what to do with the items as they both don’t have license to keep them, they both decided that he should keep it “since I’m a man and anytime I feel like, I should take them to the police.”

“I’m bringing it here so that we can get his benefit for him. If I had taken it to the police, I might not get it. I am here because of the benefit I have not been paid.”

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