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EFCC denies asking ex-accountant general to indict

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EFCC denies asking ex-accountant general to indict

A detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mahmud Tukur, denied promising the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, leniency in exchange for indicting the former Minister of Finance and others.

 The former Accountant General of the Federation had told the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 1, 2024, that the EFCC deceived him to admit to the allegations against him.

The ex-AGF specifically claimed that the EFCC told him they wanted to use him to get the Minister of Finance and some governors to receive derivation funds.

Idris and his co-defendants are standing trial on 14 charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5bn.

Idris was arraigned alongside Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited by the EFCC in July 2022.

However, at the proceedings, Tukur, who was the second prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial, denied that the commission made such a promise to Idris.

The trial-within-trial was ordered by the court following the objection raised by counsel for Idris, Chris Uche (SAN), alleging that his client did not make his statements to the EFCC voluntarily.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Tukur insisted that all the 13 statements involving Idris and his lawyers were voluntarily made.

He added that the ex-AGF was interviewed in the presence of his lawyers before filing 11 statements at different times.

Tukur added that two out of the 13 confessional statements were volunteered willingly with Idris waiving his right to have a lawyer present.

He said, “Idris signed on the back of the page of the statement sheet and it was witnessed by Barrister Haruna Isa.

The statement of May 21, 2022, was written by Idris.

“The statement of July 5, 2022, was made by the first defendant in the presence of Mr Gbenga Adeyemi. He was cautioned, interviewed, before those volunteered statements.”

While being cross-examined by the ex-AGF’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Tukur said the EFCC had a standard procedure for getting a statement from a suspect.

He said, “My lord, he(Idris) requested that he wanted to come and volunteer his first statement, and at the management level, it was approved. At that time, he was the serving AGF. It was based on his request my lord.”

 The witness, however, admitted that the EFCC did not send a letter of invitation to Idris following the second statement he made.

The witness said he would not know if Idris’ statement in Kano on May 10, 2022, was done in the presence of his lawyer as he was not there.

When quizzed about promising the ex-AGF soft-landing, Tukur described the allegation as “absolute falsehood”.

“I never promised him that he would not be prosecuted.

“ I never did as a unit head and the first defendant is a very senior civil servant, in my capacity I can not do that. “

The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, adjourned till May 15 for the continuation of trial-within-trial.

Shaibu to paste court papers on Obaseki’s office

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Shaibu to paste court papers on Obaseki’s office

The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, declined to halt the impeachment proceedings activated by the Edo State House of Assembly against the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

Justice James Omotosho declined an oral application by Shaibu’s lawyer, Prof. Olawoyin Awoyale, (SAN), asking the court to order parties in the suit marked  FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024, to maintain the status quo.

In declining the prayer, the judge noted that “The Governor of Edo State and the Edo State House of Assembly, who are the principal actors in the matter,  have not been served with the Originating Summons of the suit as required by law.’’

He subsequently granted Shaibu’s prayer to serve the court papers on Obaseki and the state House of Assembly by substituted means.

Justice Omotoso ordered that the court process be pasted at the entrance gate of the Edo State Government House and the gate of the state House of Assembly Complex in Benin.

The Judge also directed that all court papers be served on parties in the matter with the use of a registered courier company.

Justice Omotoso adjourned further proceedings till April 15.

The Edo State  House of Assembly had on March 5, 2024, commenced impeachment proceedings against Shaibu over allegations of leaking of government’s secrets.

On Tuesday, the Assembly wrote to the Chief Judge of the state to constitute a seven-man panel to probe the allegations against Shaibu.

To stop the impeachment Shaibu filed the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024 before Justice Omotoso.

He is praying for an order restraining the defendants from proceeding with his impeachment.

However, for the second time on Wednesday, the judge refused to grant Shaibu a temporary relief to halt the impeachment move.

The judge had earlier in a ruling on March 13 turned down Shaibu’s ex parte application seeking an interim order to halt the proceedings pending the final determination of the suit.

“The motion ex parte for interim injunction dated and filed 8th day of March 2024 is hereby refused,” the judge held.

He adjourned till Wednesday for hearing in another motion ex parte brought by Shaibu seeking substituted service on the defendants due to his inability to serve them.

The impeachment move is believed to be the latest development in the rift between Shaibu and his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki. There had been an uneasy calm between the deputy governor and his principal since last year when Shaibu declared his interest to join this year’s Edo governorship race.

Senate meets service chiefs as troops comb

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Senate meets service chiefs as troops comb

The Senate Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force, on Wednesday, held a closed-door meeting with the Service Chiefs over the recent killing of 17 officers and troops of the Nigerian Army in Okuoma community, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

It was also gathered that troops on Wednesday intensified the manhunt for the killers of the military men.

The four military officers and 13 soldiers were said to have gone to Okuoma community on a peacekeeping mission when they were slain by hoodlums last week Thursday.

The lawmakers’ meeting with the service chiefs, which started at exactly 3:42 pm had in attendance, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher  Musa; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

The Senate had during its plenary on Tuesday mandated the joint committee to investigate the killing of the military men.

The upper chamber urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the heinous crime were identified, apprehended, and brought to justice.

The Joint Committee is chaired by Senator Ahmad Lawan, who is also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence.

Moments before the commencement of the meeting with the Service Chiefs, members of the Joint Committee observed a minute silence in honour of the 17 slain military men.

Speaking on the incident, Senator Lawan, in a speech delivered at the investigative hearing by the Joint Committee, recalled that, “The troops of 181 Amphibious battalion, on Thursday, 14 March, 2024, went on a peace mission to Okuoma Community in Delta State. An incident occurred resulting in the loss of a Commanding Officer, two Majors, a Captain and 12 soldiers during the peace mission.

“The troops on the peace mission to Okuoma community in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State were surrounded by some community youths, which resulted in the death of officers and men.

“Acknowledging the gravity of the attack on the military personnel, the Senate at its plenary on Tuesday, 19th March 2024, mandated the Joint Committee on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force to investigate the incident.”

 He added, “The Senate also urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the heinous crime are identified, apprehended and brought to justice.”

Senator Lawan further underscored the need for the Federal Government to prioritise the issue of security, noting that the same take precedence over investment in any other sector.

He described the killing of the 17 soldiers as “barbaric”, and appealed to Nigerians to support the Armed Forces by volunteering information that would lead to the capture and prosecution of those behind various forms of insecurity across the country.

He added, “We, in the Senate, and, indeed, the National Assembly, will always support our military in whatever way we can. The National Assembly has that history. We try to at all times make meaningful appropriation for resources to be available. We know it has never been enough and I will take this opportunity to commend our Armed Forces for doing so much with the little we can afford.

“The insecurity in our country takes precedence over any other consideration and, therefore, it is the position of the Senate that no investment in any sector can be more important than ensuring that we are secured as a country.

“We, therefore, are very sad as a parliament over this tragic incident. It is our hope in the Senate that those who perpetrated this barbaric and horrific act are captured and the law takes full course on them.

“I want to appeal to Nigerians that this is our Armed Forces and they cannot secure us without us as citizens playing our part. Therefore, every citizen is supposed to support our Armed Forces. And those in the area where this incident happened must volunteer information because this is the only way we can stop something like this from happening another time.”

Troops intensify manhunt

Troops from Defence Headquarters on Wednesday reportedly intensified manhunt for the killers of the  military men.

Already, some top government officials in Bayelsa State said to be close associates of the prime suspect were said to have gone underground.

It was reliably gathered that the prime suspect was a notable ally of key officials of Bayelsa government.

Aggrieved troops of the Nigerian Army had on Sunday stormed Igbomotoru, an Ijaw community and paternal home of Okodeh,  in Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State,  in a futile search for the prime suspect.

Already, no fewer than three suspects  have been arrested.

It was gathered that the suspects were arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Tuesday and moved to Army headquarters, Asaba, where they are currently being held.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri,on Wednesday, strongly condemned the killing of the military men.

Diri, in a press release issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday, stressed that no effort should be spared to bring the perpetrators to book.

He said, “The killing of our soldiers is barbaric, satanic and outrightly criminal. And anyone involved should be seen and treated as a criminal under our laws.”

Court admits Adubutu’s statement of account

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Court admits Adubutu’s statement of account

The High Court of Ogun State sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, presided over by Justice Abiodun Akinyemi, on Wednesday, admitted Ladi Adebutu’s account opening forms alongside his statements of account.

Adebutu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State, together with some members of his party are presently standing trial for alleged vote-buying perpetrated during the poll.

An official of Zenith Bank, Celestina Appeal, had testified on Tuesday that Adebutu ordered for 200,000 prepaid cards some days prior to the election.

Subsequently, their counsel, Gordy Uche (SAN), objected to the admissibility of the documents on the grounds that they were not certified, that no proper foundation was laid and that the prosecution did not comply with Section 90 (1) (e) of the Evidence Act as regards entries made in a banker’s book.

However, in overruling the defendants’ counsel, Justice Akinyemi agreed with the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), that there is no legal requirement that private documents must be certified.

Consequently, the court held that the documents are private documents that require no certification.

The trial judge further held that the prosecution witness, Celestina, in her testimony had earlier made reference to the certificate of compliance pursuant to Section 84 of the Evidence Act.

Although the documents are entries in a banker’s book, strict adherence to Section 90 (1) (e) is no longer necessary since the documents were electronically generated and not produced in ledgers as contemplated by the said section.

The documents were, therefore, admitted as Exhibits 21, 22, and 23 respectively, as the matter was thereafter, adjourned till 2nd and 3rd May 2024 as well as 5th, 6th, and 7th June 2024 for further hearing.

US evacuates more citizens from Haiti

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US evacuates more citizens from Haiti

The United States on Wednesday flew citizens out of Haiti’s violence-ravaged capital Port-au-Prince, with more evacuations expected as the crisis persists.

This was disclosed by the State Department.

The United States chartered a helicopter that took some 15 citizens from Port-au-Prince, which has been largely overtaken by armed gangs, to the neighbouring Dominican Republic, the State Department said.

“We do expect these helicopter movements to make multiple trips in order to try and get as many American citizens as we can,” Patel told reporters.

At least 30 citizens are expected to come out each day, including Wednesday, on the helicopter flights, which will continue contingent on security and demand, another State Department official said.

Patel said the US government personnel will offer consular assistance in the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, from which Americans will need to arrange their own travel back to the United States.

The United States carried out the first such operation on Sunday when it flew another 30 citizens to Florida on a chartered plane from the northern city of Cap-Haitien, which has been comparatively unscathed by gang violence.

The State Department said it was evaluating whether to arrange more flights out of Cap-Haitien.

Much of Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, has descended in recent weeks into virtual anarchy after years of intersecting political, security, and health crises.

The United States joined Caribbean leaders last week in pushing through a plan that will see the prime minister replaced by a transitional council ahead of the expected arrival of a security force led by Kenya.

AFP

FG, ITU plan stronger digital infrastructure, broadband penetration  

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FG, ITU plan stronger digital infrastructure, broadband penetration  

The Federal Government and the International Telecommunication Union, headquartered in Geneva, have initiated discussions aimed at coordinating regional and global initiatives to safeguard submarine cables and other critical digital infrastructure.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on X on Wednesday.

ITU is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for matters related to information and communication technology.

Tijani expressed his satisfaction with the meeting he had with the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, Tomas Lamanauskas, in Geneva.

In their discussion, they emphasized the necessity of reviewing global laws about digital infrastructure and involving relevant government and private sector stakeholders in the process.

The minister said they explored investment models to expand broadband penetration on a global scale, using Nigeria’s Broadband Alliance and Fibre Fund as potential examples for other markets worldwide.

Meanwhile, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission revealed that Nigeria has fallen short of its broadband penetration target for 2023, as outlined in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020–2025).

According to the latest figures, broadband penetration declined to 43.71 per cent as of December 2023, down from 47.36 per cent recorded during the same period in 2022.

Minister Tijani wrote on X, “Following the recent cuts to submarine cables off the coast of West Africa, I spoke about my desire to initiate dialogue on building resilience in our digital infrastructure, so I was pleased to meet with the Deputy Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, Tomas Lamanauskas, in Geneva today to kickstart action on organising regional and global efforts for the protection of submarine cables and other digital infrastructure.

“The Deputy Secretary-General and I discussed the review of global laws with relevant government and private sector stakeholders to ensure the enhancement of global digital resilience plans.

“We also spoke about building investment models for expanding broadband penetration on a global scale, with Nigeria’s Broadband Alliance and Fibre Fund as potential case studies for other global markets.

“As an immediate action point, we will be engaging African countries and partners at a stakeholder roundtable in Abuja, to chart a path towards building resilience in our digital infrastructure, which remains a critical backbone for national development.”

Last Thursday, disruptions hit the undersea cable responsible for delivering broadband Internet connectivity to Nigeria and neighbouring nations in the West African sub-region, causing significant operational challenges for numerous banks, financial institutions, telecom companies, and related businesses.

The West African Cable System and African Coast to Europe, two key players along the critical West Coast route from Europe, were among the affected cable companies. Additionally, SAT3 and MainOne reported downtime as a result of the cable cuts.

To address the disruption, over the weekend, telecom operators, banks, and other financial institutions took measures, redirecting their traffic through alternative service providers to alleviate the impact of the outage.

By Tuesday, some operators had managed to restore services successfully, leading to a notable absence of internet disruptions after the five-day outage.

Tobi Amusan secures third 100m hurdles African Games victory

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Tobi Amusan secures third 100m hurdles African Games victory

The Nigerian hurdles sensation, Tobi Amusan, claimed victory in the women’s 100m hurdles at the African Games in Ghana on Wednesday with an impressive time of 12.89 seconds.

Amusan encountered a false-start scare during the initial race attempt, which could have led to her disqualification.

Nevertheless, the officials decided to go easy on her and issued her a yellow card instead.

With that victory, she secured her third consecutive African Games championship.

Amusan emerged victorious over Sidonie Fiadanantsoa of Madagascar, who finished in second place with a time of 13.19 seconds.

Faith Osamuyi from Nigeria narrowly missed securing a spot on the podium, finishing in 4th place with a time of 13.77 seconds.

Amusan holds the current world record in the 100m hurdles, clocking an impressive time of 12.12 seconds.

She achieved this feat during the semi-final of the women’s 100m hurdles in Eugene, Oregon, in 2022.

She holds titles and records in the 100m hurdles, both at the Commonwealth and African levels.

Amusan made history as the first Nigerian to become a world champion and world record holder in athletics.

She secured the gold medal in the 100m hurdles at the 2022 World Championships, setting the world record of 12.12 seconds (+0.9m/s) in the semi-final.

She continued her outstanding performance with a time of 12.06 seconds (+2.5m/s) in the final.

She won back-to-back Commonwealth and African titles in 2018 and 2022 in the 100m hurdles and is also now a three-time African Games champion in the event.

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EFCC arrests Instagram user for issuing chairman death threat

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EFCC arrests Instagram user for issuing chairman death threat

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained one Kayode Cole for issuing a death threat against its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

Cole was said to have been apprehended in the Lugbe area of Abuja after making the threat via his Instagram handle, “1billionsecretss,” in response to an Instablog9ja post on February 1, 2024.

This was made known in a statement the agency shared on its X account on Wednesday.

EFCC arrests Instagram user for issuing death threat against commission's chairman
EFCC arrests Instagram user for issuing death threat against commission’s chairman

The statement read, “Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, March 18, 2024, arrested one Kayode Cole for issuing a death threat against the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede.

“Cole was arrested at the Lugbe axis of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

“The suspect made the death threat through his Instagram page handle: ‘1billionsecretss’ while commenting on a story posted by a popular Instagram blogger, Instablog9ja, on February 1, 2024.

“Instablog9ja had posted a story with the caption: ‘A Religious Sect Is Laundering Money for Terrorists. We traced N7 Billion Fraud Proceeds to another religious group – EFCC Chairman.’

“Reacting in the comment section of Instablog9ja, Cole stated that the EFCC Chairman will be dead in six months.

“’He will be dead in six months. This man will be dead in 6 months remember I said it,’ he said.

“In the course of interrogation,  the suspect claimed that he was just ‘chasing clout.’

“He will be handed over to the appropriate authority for further investigation and prosecution.”

This incident follows Olukoyede’s prior disclosure on January 30, 2024, regarding the EFCC’s findings on money laundering activities involving religious groups in Nigeria.

Don’t worry, be happy, police tell Nigerians on International Day of Happiness

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Don’t worry, be happy, police tell Nigerians on International Day of Happiness

The Nigeria Police Force has encouraged Nigerians to adopt a “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” outlook to celebrate the International Day of Happiness, emphasizing the importance of positivity and finding joy in small moments.

The Force shared a pictorial on its X handle with the caption, “Don’t worry, be happy” to celebrate International Day of Happiness, which is celebrated on March 20 annually.

The police urge citizens to share happiness, promote community unity, and foster positive connections for a safer and happier world.

The pictorial read in part: “On this international day of happiness, the NPF enjoins Nigerians to share happiness, spread joy, encourage community unity, and foster positive connections for a safer and happier world.

“A positive mindset and the ability to find joy in small moments plays a huge role in the pursuit of happiness.”

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FCT police arrest dismissed soldier for kidnapping

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FCT police arrest dismissed soldier for kidnapping

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have arrested one Gabriel Elihu, a dismissed soldier clad in military uniform, over an attempted kidnap in the FCT.

Elihu was arrested on March 17, after he attempted to kidnap two victims en route to Gishiri village from H-Medix in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja.

The suspect, a resident of Apo Mechanic Village in the FCT, along with other gang members, used an unregistered Toyota Hilux to trail the suspects.

They subsequently dispossessed them of their valuables and attempted to whisk them away to an unknown location when the victims raised the alarm.

The police, upon receipt of information about the incident, intercepted the suspects and arrested them.

While parading the suspects at the FCT Police Command in Abuja on Wednesday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, said the operatives recovered a black-coloured Toyota Hilux with number plate NBB 03 AH (Nasarawa).

Other recovered items include a jackknife and some military accoutrements.

When interrogated by our correspondent, Elihu said his friend, a serving military personnel, introduced him to the act to extort money from unsuspecting individuals, particularly when dressed in military uniforms.

He said, “It was my friend that introduced me to it on March 17. I had even forgotten about this uniform because if you check the uniform, you will see that this is not the recent one. This is the one they gave everyone during the election eight years back.

“So, my friend said that when he was in Port Harcourt and he didn’t have money, they knew how to block Yahoo boys and check their phone profile to get them to settle them.

“He told us that if they settle (speaking about the March 17 incident), he will give us something to ‘hold body’, that is how the thing happened.”

The dismissed soldier disclosed that it was the first time he participated in such an act and regretted his decision.

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