THE Federal High Court has granted bail to Abdullahi Babalele, the son-in-law to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice-president of Nigeria.
Babalele was granted bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum on Thursday.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned him on two-count charges bordering on money laundering of $140,000 (more than N50m) during the 2019 general elections.
The anti-graft agency alleged that he aided the cash payment of the sum of $140,000 in February 2019 without going through a financial institution.
Besides Babalele, a former associate of Atiku, Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie who is also a lawyerwas sued on a similar case. He was alleged of laundering a sum of $2million in the build-up to the general elections.
Both had pleaded not guilty to the charges before Justice Nicholas Oweibo at the high court.
Speaking on the bail conditions at the hearing on Thursday, the judge ruled that Babalele should provide N20 million with one surety in like sum. He added that the surety must be a resident of Lagos with evidence of means through an affidavit.
The court also directed him to deposit his passport, which had been with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with the court.
Also, Giwa-Osagie was directed to provide N20 million naira with one surety as his bail condition.
The two defendants were ordered to remain in the custody of the EFCC pending the fulfillment of the bail terms.
The trial of both cases was adjourned to October 8.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that it has changed the name of its handle on Twitter.
On the verified Twitter handle, the government made it known in a tweet on Thursday, noting that the handle now has the name @NigeriaGov and is no longer @AsoRock.
The government in the tweet said that the change of name was necessary to reflect the fact that the handle represents the Federal Government of Nigeria and exists on its behalf.
The tweet read, “NOTIFICATION: Twitter Handle Change | From @AsoRock to @NigeriaGov, to more accurately reflect the fact that this handle represents, and exists on behalf of, the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
NOTIFICATION:
Twitter Handle Change | From @AsoRock to @NigeriaGov, to more accurately reflect the fact that this handle represents, and exists on behalf of, the Federal Government of Nigeria.
It will be recalled that few days ago, there were several attempts to hack Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s official Twitter account @ProfOsinbajo which resulted into the account losing its verification.
Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity on Saturday had tweeted about a failed attempt to hack into the Vice President’s Twitter account.
“Yesterday, there were failed external attempts to gain unauthorized access to the Vice President’s Twitter Account. Since, we have been in contact with Twitter, securing the account, and forestalling a reoccurrence. The VP will continue to actively communicate with our citizens,” Akande said in the post.
Yesterday, there were failed external attempts to gain unauthorized access to the Vice President’s Twitter Account. Since, we have been in contact with Twitter, securing the account, and forestalling a reoccurrence. The VP will continue to actively communicate with our citizens.
OBINNA Amaefula, the businessman who allegedly swindled his girlfriend of N4.5 million and also terminated her five-month pregnancy was on Thursday, remanded by the Ogudu Magistrate Court, Lagos.
He was remanded by the presiding magistrate Ejiro Kubeinje after the accused pleaded not guilty on charges brought against him which border on assault, stealing and obtaining money under false pretence, an offence which violates Sections 171, 236, 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Insp. Lucky Ihiele, the prosecuting counsel for the Police, told the court how Amaefula committed the atrocity on 20th May, at Atunrase Estate, Gbagada, Lagos.
He said the accused repeatedly lied over the ‘tokunbo’ vehicles he promised to import on behalf of his girlfriend, slapped the victim and also drugged her which led to her losing the said pregnant.
“The defendant collected the sum of N4, 550, 000 from his girlfriend and the complainant, Ese Odobo, on the pretence of purchasing three `tokunbo’ cars for her business, a representation he knew to be false.
“He fraudulently obtained the money and kept lying to her and giving excuses why the said cars had not arrived,” he said in a report by Punch.
According to him, “The complainant suspected a foul play and demanded her money but she was assaulted by the defendant with a series of slaps, and he knew she was pregnant for him.
“The defendant went further, after some days of assaulting the complainant, to drug her and unlawfully aborted her five months pregnancy”.
However, the magistrate adjourned the case until August 28 for substantive hearing.
BRITISH police have frozen eight bank accounts containing a total of more than 100 million pounds ($121 million), which is suspected to have derived from bribery and corruption overseas.
Reuters reported that the National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Wednesday a London court had approved the Account Freezing Orders (AFOs), the largest granted to date, and that police would recover the funds if investigators proved it had been intended for unlawful use.
The NCA said it could not provide any details that could identify individuals related to the accounts.
AFOs and Unexplained Wealth Orders, that allow police to freeze assets until property owners account for their wealth, are part of a toolbox introduced last year to help stem a tide of suspected corrupt cash washing through the country.
London has long attracted corrupt foreign money, especially from Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan, former Soviet states and Asia, and the NCA estimates that around 100 billion pounds of dirty money are moved through or into Britain each year.
“The NCA is … seeking to … convince the NCA’s foreign counterparts that even if they cannot prosecute untouchable oligarchs at home, if they have assets here, these can be attacked,” said David Corker, a partner at law firm Corker Binning.
NOT LESS than six states across the Federation recorded 93 per cent of all confirmed cases of Lassa fever in the country, the Federal Government has disclosed.
This casualty figure (93 per cent) accounts for 241 persons in Edo State representing 37 per cent, followed by 192 casualties in Ondo representing 30 per cent and Ebonyi state with eight per cent, directly placed on the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) with 50 confirmed cases.
While Edo and Ondo states shot-up far beyond the acceptable CFR margin, Bauchi, Taraba and Plateau fall below the fatality rate. However, the three states have so far recorded 46, 40 and 35 confirmed casualties representing seven, six and five per cent respectively.
According to the latest Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Situation Report on the Lassa fever outbreak, most recent among the casualties were 11 confirmed cases reported from Edo (7), Ondo (3) and Bauchi (1) between 29th July and 4th August.
The report also notes that since the onset of the 2019 outbreak, 145 deaths have been recorded from the confirmed cases.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes Lassa fever as a viral haemorrhagic fever transmittable to human through contacts with household items already contaminated with rodents urine or faeces.
“Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur…early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival,” it states.
Confirmed Cases of Lassa Fever in Six States in Nigeria as at 4th August 2019. Infograph by Olugbenga Adanikin, The ICIR
Since the outbreak, the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, NCDC, WHO and other international organisations have deployed awareness creation measures to sensitise the public on how best to prevent the infection.
Moreover, from 1st January to 4th August, the federal government noted that 3,303 suspected cases were reported from the 22 states placed under surveillance by the NCDC. “Of these, 651 were confirmed positive, 18 probable and 2,634 negatives,” the report states.
The states are Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Taraba, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna and Kwara.
Others include Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi, Cross River and Zamfara States.
The affected pre-dominant age-group according to the report is between 21-40 years.
“In the reporting week 31, no new health care worker was affected. A total of eighteen health care workers have been infected since the onset of the outbreak in ten States – Edo (6), Ondo (4), Ebonyi (1), Enugu (1), Rivers (1), Bauchi (1), Benue (1), Delta (1), Plateau (1) and Kebbi (1) with two deaths in Enugu and Edo States
“Sixteen (16) patients are currently being managed at various treatment centres across the country: Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) treatment Centre (9), Federal Medical Centre, Owo (6) and Bauchi (1).
“A total of 8121 contacts have been identified from the nine states. Of these 745 (9.2%) are currently being followed up, 7,299 (89.9%) have completed 21 days follow up, while 12 (0.1%) were lost to follow up. 127 symptomatic contacts have been identified, of which 65 (51.2%) have tested positive”. It states further.
On May, WHO, development partners and the NCDC announced the end of the emergency phase of the Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria since it broke in 2018 killing 129 persons.
The incident led the Federal Government to activate Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) across the 21 states, recording 578 confirmed cases as at 26th May.
FOR his contributions in the sports industry, Emeka Ihedioha, has announced the appointment of Kanu Nwankwo, former captain of the Super Eagles national team as his Senior Special Assistant on Sports matters.
Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives gave the appointment when Nwankwo visited the Government House, Owerri the State Capital to present his most recent CAF award to the Imo State Government.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Izuchukwu Akwarandu, aide to the Governor on New Media, the football star visited the governor Wednesday, August 14th to make the presentation.
“The governor, Emeka Ihedioha, received one of the country’s football legends, Kanu Nwankwo, at the Government House, Owerri, on August 14, 2019.
“Papilo, as fondly called by his fans, came to present his most recent CAF award, which was given to him at the just concluded Nations Cup in Egypt, to the sports-loving governor of Imo State. The star also presented a branded jersey to the governor,” the statement reads.
“The governor while welcoming the former Super Eagles goal poacher, announced Kanu Nwankwo as his Senior Special Assistant on Sports.”
Aside from playing for the National Team, Nwankwo was a star player in Arsenal International Football Club before he retired from professional football career in 2010 following Nigeria’s exit from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
He took part in the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups and also was recognised as African Footballer of the year 1996 and 1999.
Dana Air, owner of Sri Sai Vandana Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and WEMA Bank Nigeria may be prosecuted by the anti-graft agency for the airline’s inflight donation collected between 2014 and 2018 without following due process.
“The EFCC will take it up. We will investigate and prosecute the crime element once prima facie is established,” the acting spokesperson to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Tony Orilade told The ICIR.
Dana started Nigeria’s Sri Sai Vandana Foundation in 1995 and commenced the inflight donation in partnership with the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria. But after the airline suffered amajor crash in Lagos in 2012 in which 153 persons died, it ceased the collaboration, ‘re-strategised’, and solely ran the inflight donations.
The ICIR earlier reported how Dana through Sri Sai Vandana Foundation, got the inflight donations between January 2014 and October 2018, raking in millions of naira deposited into the Wema Bank account number 0121291839 without due registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), a prerequisite for complying with theSpecial Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) regulations.
When asked if it is the board or the organisations that would be sanctioned, “The company itself,” the EFCC official added.
“When there is a vacuum that is when we will lift the veil.”
He further explained what he meant by ‘Lifting the veil’: “The company cannot run without humans. So, it is when everyone denies being members of the company that we go after the individuals.”
Envelop shared to passengers by Dana airline during flight. This particular envelope was collected by a passenger in April File Copy
In line with the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, it is mandatory every Designated Non – Financial Institution, DNFI, to register with SCUML in order to legally operate in Nigeria. This is not true
Drama at SCUML Headquarters
At the SCUML headquarters, the reporter inquired about the implication of an NGO not registering with the Unit and operating a bank account as Sri Sai Vandana Foundation did, and an official told the reporter that it is a “jailable offence”.
“Are you bothered about the years of imprisonment?” she responded when asked the likely jail term. “You are going to put the person into a big problem because they are all corporate. First, the account officer that opened the bank account is in problem because he has committed a criminal offense against the government.”
“How are you able to open the account in the first place when you don’t have the corporate document?” she queried.
SCUML is charged with the responsibility of monitoring, supervising and regulating the activities of DNFIs, which includes NGOs. In fact, the Unit works in collaboration with the EFCC for the enforcement of the provisions of the anti-money laundering law through the prosecution of non-compliant DNFIs.
SCUML’s responsibilities also align with the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act (TPA) 2011 and functions under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment provisions.
What the law says
Contravening the SCUML guidelines have some specific penalties, including “suspension or revocation of license, fines or imprisonment or both,” according to Sections 15 to 17 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended).
It stipulates a maximum of 14 years jail term for an individual but, in the case of a corporate organisation, the law says such organisation would pay “a fine of not less than 100 percent of the funds and properties acquired as a result of the offense committed” and would also have its license withdrawn.
Precisely, the law defines the unlawful act listed in subsection (2) of the Act to include “corruption, bribery, fraud, counterfeiting, and piracy of products…or any other criminal act specified in this Act or any other law in Nigeria.”
As such,Wema Bank officials involved in Dana’s account opening process may as well be prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, as soon as SCUML forwards its findings to the EFCC.
The Federal Government set up SCUML in2005as part of measures to track illicit financial flow and monitor likely funding of terrorism activities to enforce the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended).
But all through the years under investigation, findings revealed that Dana contravened the SCUML guidelines, the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended), and yet succeeded in running a bank account with Wema Bank.
Acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu File Copy
In June, Ibrahim Magu, the Acting EFCC Chairman during a workshop in Abuja described DNFIs assafe havens for money laundering and terrorism financing, due to poor supervisions and regulatory function. “As a result of lack of adequate supervision and regulation of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and by extension DNFIs, criminals have now turned their focus on the DNFIs sector to perpetrate money laundering and terrorism financing,” said Magu, who was represented by Francis Usani, the Head of SCUML.
“The DNFIs has been identified as the most vulnerable sector in money laundering and terrorism financing because criminals no longer use conventional financial systems like banks to launder their ill-gotten wealth.”
DANA – It’s a learning process, we are committed to giving back
In response to questions from The ICIR, Kingsley Ezenwa, Media and Communications Manager of Dana Air said the entire situation was a learning process for the organisation, restating airline’s commitment to give back to the society. On why it failed to register the NGO, he rather emphasised on the zeal of Dana’s commitment to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Kingsley Ezenwa, Dana Corporate Communications Manager Photo Source: Whistler NG
“When you work on certain things, you learn along the line,” says Ezenwa.
He explained further, “After the accident, we were not even carrying loads (passengers). We were trying to rebuild. We did not even do it [Inflight donation] in 2014 at all. We felt that as a management team, considering our commitment and the incident of 2012, we needed to focus on re-strategising our CSR.”
This was also his narration on reasons Dana terminated its partnership with the Sickle Cell Foundation.
“We looked at it, conducted research and felt cancer is something we should focus on; got organisations working on cancer awareness, so we adopted Project Pink Blue and started supporting them.”
“We have been supporting Project Pink Blue and it’s been like that since 2015.”
The spokesperson’s response apparently showed a lack of understanding between the airline’s charity work through Sri Sai Vandana Foundation and its corporate social responsibility, as he appeared to confuse the two.
When asked if Pink Blue Project, an NGO devoted to providing cancer awareness and counselling to Nigerians, Runcie Chidebe, the project director said, indeed, Dana Air had assisted it, by offering free tickets for some of its activities.
“Since 2015, we have been partnering with Dana Air and working together and it is amazing seeing corporate organisation support us from 2015 till today (July 22 2019). We are also working with them on a programme called Port Harcourt Cancer Walk. I just arrived from the Dana Air flight from Port Harcourt to Abuja.”
“I can’t really say emphatically now but they actually have been providing flight tickets for us, the medical team and our patients to receive medical treatments anywhere Dana Air flies,” the cancer awareness advocate said when asked specific amount the airline offered since 2015 till date.
A look into the NGO’s 2015 annual report, as at 31st July identified only five donors excluding Dana. The airline was only listed among the supporters.
Donors are those organisations and individuals that donate money to the Cancer-fighting group, while supporters are those who render free services or provide food for the NGO among other non-financial supports.
Prostate Cancer Awareness organised by Project Pink Blue with supports from Dana Air Photo Source: Dana Air
The 2016 annual report revealed that Dana also supported with free air tickets. The airline was excluded among the four major donors which include Tony Elumelu Foundation, Union for International Cancer Control, Pfizer Oncology and Civicus World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Dana Air tops the list of 18 supporters in the report, though there was no financial commitment.
In 2017, the annual report prepared by K. E. Onuoha and Co. (Chartered Accountant) showed 17 donors and Dana was also not part of the list. The following year, the report, prepared as at 31st July 2018 by the same auditor had a list of 17 donors. Only 11 made financial support including the United States Embassy, Nigeria. Dana Air was also not included. This understandably is part of the airline’s corporate social responsibility but it would be dubious for the airline to claim that it pays itself for these free tickets from donations by Nigerians meant for charitable purposes.
Asked how it was able to open an account with WEMA without registration, Ezenwa responded that his focus as a Public Relations (PR) person was not where the money goes but its right utilisation. “As a PR person, my focus is to ensure that the CSR is carried out, which is what the money is meant for based on the commitment of the organisation since 2012. And that’s why I’m giving you information on what we have done and what we will continue to do.”
“My business is not with how an account was opened but we have re-strategised our job to ensure the money is used for its purpose.”
He refused to comment on if Dana’s chairman was a director in WEMA, as it is assumed that the chairman used his position to open the purported account. “I am not aware of that,” he said.
However, Ezenwa made available pictures of projects, which he claimed were implemented by the airline either independently or in partnership with other NGOs. He also disclosed that the airline would henceforth send detailed reports to the email of the passengers on how the inflight donations are spent.
Project Pink Blue Cancer Awareness Campaign Supported by Dana Air Photo Credit: Dana Air
Some of the projects he listed include: Free breast cancer screening organised in partnership with the Project Pink Blue in 2016 at Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja; Walk, Race and Cycle Against Cancer 2017 organized by Project Pink Blue in partnership with Dana Air, on Allen Avenue, Ikeja Lagos; Free Prostate Cancer Screening, Awareness walk in Lagos 2018 and a few others.
Ajide Shola, Convener, Divine Eagle Support Ministry, was listed among those whose NGO was used to reach orphanages. The ICIR contacted Ajide via a text message after repeated unanswered calls and he listed the orphanages. They are Ijamido Children Home, Sango Ota, St. Monica Orphanage (Catholic Orphanage Home) Iju-Ishaga, Light for the Lost Orphanage Alagbado and Navidad Home for the Orphanage and Less Privileged, also in Sango Ota, Ogun State.
Divine Eagle ministry, he said, is the supporting arm of Divine Eagle Civil Solutions Limited but he refused to say if the NGO was registered. But findings by The ICIR revealed the company was registered but the NGO was not.
“We approached Dana Air when I organised this outreach for the less privileged in 2017 and they supported all the orphanages that came with bags of rice, household materials, toiletries, noodles etc.” Shola said. “We also organised the event in 2018 and Dana gave the same support. We are looking to approach them again, hopefully, this year. We hope to have more of passionate firm supporting the needy.”
However, he said ‘cash’ was not given to the orphanages. He also did not respond to other specific questions on how he received the bags of rice, the quantity and number of other items offered including pictorial evidence.
Checks on social media showed no information relating to the NGO. The only Christian group found on Facebook, which bears a similar name is owned by a woman based abroad and it has a non-profit arm known asDaughters of Esther Charity.
However, further searches revealed that Ajide does have a Facebook account in the name of Ajide Sola joseph (Divine Eagle), where he promotes the work of his ministry, including Divine Eagle Civil Solutions. However, there is no mention of any Dana Air supported activity or anything relating to the outreach to orphanages.
Ezenwa further listed support offered to a team of United States-based Doctors, led by Dr Mfon Essiet, a Nigerian based abroad, to engage in a free surgery in Uyo communities. “…Dana Air provided free round trip tickets for our medical professionals between Lagos and Uyo once we landed from USA,” says Essiet in a Direct Message sent to The ICIR via social media. She added all the Doctors were from the US. We got support for “12 round trip flights. Originally planned for 22 tickets but some team members did not make the trip.”
Mfon Essiet (with black top) alongside members of the team arriving in Uyo for the Surgical, Medical, Dental, Optometry Mission Photo Source: Global Image Foundation
Search by The ICIR also showed short footage of medical assistance and surgeries offered to 1,784 patients by her NGO –Global Image Foundation in Akwa Ibom State.
It further showed a similar surgical, medical, dental and optometry mission the NGO – Global Image Foundation held in Akwa Ibom state at St. Luke Hospital, Anua in late May.
“Join us! Seeking medical professionals and volunteers for our second annual surgical, medical, dental and optometry mission in Nigeria on May 27-31, 2019”.
Every other question asked especially on SCUML registration, compulsory filing to the CAC, SCUML and NFIU, he said they are being taken care of.
But, from the list of NGOs DANA claimed it supported, only four were registered while others are not. The registered ones are Ijamido Children Home, St. Monica Home for the Elderly, Light for the Lost Orphanage Home and Project Pink Blue – Health and Psychological Trust Centre.
The ICIR could not reach out to three of the registered NGOs as their contacts were missing from the company name searches conducted at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). They were as well not visible on social media. They include Stella Ifeoma Willoughby (Secretary) Ijamido Children’s Home; Umunmwagho Omosede Onuwaje (Secretary) St. Monica Home for the Elderly and Lady Evangelist Glory Ebenezer (Secretary) Light for the Lost Orphans Home.
WEMA Bank remains indifferent on offence
Oluwafunmilayo Falola, Wema Bank Brand and Marketing Communications Manager Picture Source: Social Media
However, Wema Bank declined to comment regarding the allegations, except for a terse response by the bank’s Brand and Marketing Communications Manager, Oluwafunmilayo Falola, “…Please note that Ramesh Hathiramani is not on the board of the bank,” she wrote in an e-mail. The ICIR’s check showed that Hathiramani was a board member until 2014. This implies that Hathiramani left Wema as Director about six months after Dana ended its partnership with the Sickle Cell Foundation to start operating its inflight donation for Sri sai vandan foundation.
Falola referred The ICIR to the bank’s Chief Compliance Officer as the right authority to respond to the questions about account opened for Dana’s NGO. “Given that this issue involves account opening documentation, our chief compliance officer will provide a response in due course,” she said.
She, therefore, promised to inform the chief compliance officer to call back. Three days after, no response came from her or the compliance officer. The ICIR later sent a reminder, and she promised the Bank’s chief compliance officer would respond ‘soon’. On July 19, nearly a month later, there was still no response. Another reminder was sent and she replied saying, “In truth, we would rather you do not proceed with the story. Recall you had published one at a time and it really put us in a bad light, we would rather we do not continue with this line.”
The ICIR insisted via a reply to her email demanding an explanation as to why the bank opened the account for Dana’s NGO without the appropriate document, then she responded, “You have published this story in the past, are you republishing it?
“I do not have an update to the last time inquiries, except that Mr Ramesh resigned his appointment since 2014.”
“In response to your mail on Mr Ramesh Hathiramani, kindly be informed that Mr Ramesh Hathiramani resigned his appointment with the Bank effective July 31, 2014. He was a Non-Executive Director,” She earlier said in response to the question about when Hathiramani ceased to be a director in Wema Bank.
But as at the time of filing this report, there was no response from Wema’s chief compliance officer.
The ICIR also observed that as at July Dana still solicited and collected in flight donations from passengers for charity purposes.
Experts react
Barrister Uchena Amuleo, a human rights lawyer, described the operation of Dana’s NGO as deceitful which should be investigated by the anti-graft agencies.
“It is a fraud and criminal,” says Amuleo. “Since they were not registered, they could be picked and prosecuted. A lot of that is going on in Nigeria as we speak.”
“Are you sure they did that and were collecting money… It is a corrupt practice. We can write to ICPC so that they account for the money they illegally collected from people between those periods.”
Mrs Lauretta Ugwoke, a barrister opined it would be difficult to register an account for an NGO without the CAC registration, except, “maybe the bank made a preference for them.” But she doubted such a possibility. “Or they are using individual account or account of one of the trustees.”
“It is not actually legal because it cannot be traced back to the NGO. It is not the right thing to do because there won’t be any connection to it (the NGO).”
Hadiza Gamawa, Head, External Cooperation of the EFCC, during a recent event themed “Effective Implementation and Regulations of AML/CFT within the NPO Sector” called for a national risk assessment of the sector. She said it helps identify weaknesses and gaps within the system and also offers likely solutions.
She believed good compliance will foster more Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) but regretted DNFIs ranked highest in vulnerability to money laundering in the 2016 risk assessment with a miserable score of 0.77.
Ibinabo Mary Amachree, Head Information and Data Management of SCUML, while doing an overview of relevant standards on AML/CFT, as it relates to NPOs, called for proper supervision as lapses could aid terrorist organisations that pose as legitimate corporate entities.
CONTRARY to the claim of Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), of being treated like a criminal in India, the Nigerian government has accused him of displaying “unruly behaviour”, and making requests against “standard practice”.
El-Zakaky who had been in the detention of the Department of State Security Service since 2015 was granted permission by the court on August 5 to attend to his health, and on Monday he flew to Medanta Hospital in India.
His daughter, Suhaila Zakzaky, told the BBC in an interview on Thursday that he was suffering for lead and cadmium poisoning.
She said that the poisoning might be a result of shrapnel in his body “from when he was shot in 2015 when the Nigerian army raided our home”.
Meanwhile, El-Zakzaky’s complained in a video on Wednesday about how he was being treated in India “like a criminal” and not trusting the medical team assigned to him.
He accused the federal government of frustrating his medical treatment, with stringent security measures, worse than his stay in Nigeria.
The IMN leader added that he was in India for another detention as there were security agencies locked on every angle of his hospital apartment.
Responding to his claim, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Culture, Grace Gekpe said El-Zakzaky had begun to “display ulterior motives against laid down procedures” on getting abroad.
She outlined a series of requests made by El-Zakzaky to include handing over his passport to him, demanding free movement and access to visitors of all kinds. Gekpe said he also asked to be allowed to check into a 5-Star Hotel instead of being admitted in the hospital.
She added he had refused to subject himself to preliminary medical checks at the Medanta Indian Hospital, a hospital he chose before travelling out of the country.
Gekpe said he requested to nominate Doctors of his choice to join the ones tasked by Medanta Hospital to perform medical treatment on him and his wife. “This created a stalemate, which the Hospital insisted that he would not dictate to it on the choice of medical personnel to carry the required medical treatment,” she said.
All those requests were not fulfiled as he was in the “country for medicals and not as a tourist”, said Gekpe.
“Frustrated by his antics, the Indian authorities have expressed willingness to return him to Nigeria with immediate effect. This is on the account that they will not allow him to use their country to internationalize his group’s activities,” she said.
The Nigerian government commended the stand of the Indian Government as well as apologised for El-Zakzaky’s “unruly behaviour”.
It affirmed its readiness to undertake his prosecution through the due process when he returned to Nigeria.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Shi’ite sect, Ibrahim Musa said on Thursday that the controversy surrounding his leader’s treatment has been resolved.
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, Okoi Obono-Obla, from office pending the conclusion of an ongoing investigation.
In a letter, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Obla was directed to step down and then proceed to answer questions from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
“This suspension shall subsist until the conclusion of the on-going ICPC investigations into cases of alleged falsification of records and financial impropriety against your person,” reads a section of the letter.
“You are required by this instruction to strictly observe and comply with the provisions of PSR 030405 (a-c) of the Public Service Rules. For the avoidance of doubt, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary. Federal Ministry of Justice shalt be the authority to whom you shall report,” it read.
His suspension is linked to an investigation by the anti-graft agency, ICPC, which found that he had forged his WAEC result to enroll at the University of Jos, where he studied law in the 1980s. He also attended the Nigerian Law school on the back of the fake high school records.
The findings of the ICPC also corroborates a previous inquiry by an ad – hoc committee of House of Representatives in 2018. It investigated Obono-Obla’s WAEC documents, having found out that it was fake and asked President Buhari to remove him from office.
The lawmakers also said Obono-Obla’s university degree and law school certificate should be withdrawn and he should be handed over to the federal authorities for prosecution.
In a report, he dismissed the allegations against him stating that they were the handiwork of his detractors to sidetrack the presidential task force on its anti-corruption fight.
“It is time we call the myths out for what they are, as the news making the rounds appear to us as a smear campaign from people with their protectionist agenda in favour of persons being investigated,’” he said.
REPORTERS Without Borders have raised another call for the release of Austin Tice an American journalist who was abducted seven years ago in Syria.
The former veteran United State Corp before his abduction in Damascus freelanced for McClatchy News, the Washington Post, Associated Press, AFP, and broadcast on CBS, NPR, and BBC.
Tice was among the lead journalist to venture into the war-stricken zone to report factually on the war events.
In May of 2012, the summer before Austin’s final year at Georgetown Law School, he chose to go to Syria as a freelance journalist. Austin went to tell the story of the ongoing conflict there and its impact on the ordinary people of Syria.
“He was hearing reports from Syria saying this is happening and that is happening but it can’t be confirmed because there really are no reporters on the ground. And he said, ‘You know, this is a story that the world needs to know about,” his father said.
In August 2012, Austin reportedly made his way just south of Damascus to write his final pieces. He planned to depart for Lebanon on August 14, three days after his 31st birthday.
Boarding a car in the Damascus suburb of Darayya to make the trip, he was detained at a checkpoint and have not been seen ever since.
However, five weeks later, a 43-second video emerged with the title, “Austin Tice is Alive”. It showed Austin being held by a group of unidentified armed men.
“No other message accompanied the video. This is the only information we have received from his captors. No one has contacted us to claim responsibility, nor have we been told what is required to secure his safe release,” the parent of the journalist lamented.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in February 2015 had earlier launched a pro bono #freeaustintice campaign.
With little or no information on the way about of Tice, the Federal Bureau for Intelligence (FBI) in April 2018 placed a $1,000,000 rewards for information regarding Tice’s whereabout after a previous effort to facilitate the release of the journalist through Russia playing a middleman between the US and Syria did not yield positive fruit.
Tice reporting in 2012 was recognized with the 2012 George Polk Award for War Reporting and the 2012 McClatchy Newspapers President’s Award, among others.
