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Police Pension Fraud: How N20 Billion Was Stolen By Civil Servants

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Police Pension Fraud: How N20 Billion Was Stolen By Civil Servants

A prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  Mustapha Sani, on Tuesday narrated before an FCT High Court how officials of Police Pension Office, PPO, illegally withdrew N20 billion from the police pension account illegally between 2007 and 2011.

The witness testified at the resumed hearing of the case instituted by the commission against three directors of the pension office and some officials.

The directors are Esai Dangabar, Abubakar Kigo and Inuwa Wada while the officials are Veronica Onyegbula, Sani Zira and Christian Madubuke.

The EFCC on April 10, 2013 took Dangabar, Kigo, Wada, Veronica, Zira and Attang to court, charging them with stealing, criminal breach of trust and abuse of office.

At the resumed hearing Sani, led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said the money was withdrawn during the tenure of Dangabar, Kigo and Wada as directors in the office between August 2007 and January 2011 from the pension account domiciled with the First Bank of Nigeria.

He said that the accused split over 400 cheques in different amounts, ranging from N600,000 to N700,000 in order to successfully effect the withdrawals.

“My lord, we discovered during our investigations that John Yusuf, Mrs Uzoama Attang, Gabriel Ekpen, Mike Okoro and one Mrs Amu now at large, were among those who fraudulently signed the cheques. We discovered that N4 billion was fraudulently withdrawn between August and Dececember 2007,” he said.

According to him, N5 billion was withdrawn between December 2007 and August 2008 and that another N8 billion was withdrawn between January and December 2009.

A total of N3 billion was also illegally withdrawn in 2011.

“Two billion naira was withdrawn between January 2010 and December 2011 and N1 billion was withdrawn in December 2011,” the witness said.

The EFCC counsel craved the indulgence of the court to tender the analyses of the withdrawal cheques as evidence, but counsel to Kigo, Adegboyega Awomolo, opposed the admission of the document.

Awomolo argued that the document sought to be tendered was a photocopy of a document emanating from EFCC, which he said, was a public institution.

He further argued that the document, which was computer-generated, did not meet the requirements of certification based on the provisions of the evidence Act and urged the court to reject the document.

While opposing the application, counsel to the second accused, Lateef Fagbemi, urged the court to reject the document, arguing that it was mandatory in the Act for the certification of every document to be admitted in evidence.

Counsel to the third accused (Wada), Hasan Liman, also objected to the admission of the document on the ground that before any document is admitted in law, there must be strict adherence to the provisions of the Evidence Act.

He urged the court to apply Section 85, sub-section 5 of the Evidence Act dealing with strict adherence to the law in admissibility of documents.

He submitted that the witness did not comply strictly with the provisions of that section, adding that being a public document, it ought to be strictly certified.

“I submit that the witness did not convince the court whether there was intervention and whether the computer did not break down whereby some information will be missing in the process,” Liman said.

He said that only the first and last pages of the document were certified, adding that it contravened sub-section 5 of the Evidence Act.

In his response, the EFCC counsel submitted that the argument of the defence should not stand, arguing that the document substantially complied with the provisions of the act.

He said the document should be admitted in evidence as it contained “the stamp, date and signature of the investigating officer”.

The Judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, adjourned the case to March 12 for ruling on the admissibility of the document and continuation of hearing of case.

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Gov Suswam, Gwoza Council Chairman’s Convoys Attacked, Five Persons Missing

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Gov Suswam, Gwoza Council Chairman’s Convoys Attacked, Five Persons Missing

Kevwe Ebireri, Abuja/Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The convoy of governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State was attacked in two separate incidents on Tuesday by suspected herdsmen while on his way to Guma local government area of the state, just as suspected members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect attacked the convoy of Gwoza (Borno State) council chairman, Hamman Jumba Ahmadu, destroying two vehicles and leaving three policemen and two drivers missing.

The governor’s convoy was also attacked by the hoodlums at Tse-Akenyi while on his way to Gbajimba, leading to an exchange of gunfire between Suswam’s security guards and the herdsmen.

Suswam commended his security details for their courage and resoluteness in repelling the attackers and charged the people of the area to defend themselves as the security agents seem unable to provide them with the required protection.

“This is beyond the herdsmen, this is real war. Please return to your homes and defend your land, do not allow anybody to make you slaves in your home land. If the security agents, especially the military, cannot provide security for us we will defend ourselves,” he said.

Narrating his experience, he said: “On my way to this place, they exchanged gun shots with us for over one hour before we were able to come here. I cannot abandon you people at this point in time to die. You voted me to provide security for you and that I must do that for you. These Fulani are not like the real Fulanis we used to know.”

Meanwhile, the convoy of the chairman of Gwoza Council area in Borno State on Monday ran into a siege laid by members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect at a blown-up bridge on Bama-Gwoza road and three policemen, as well as two civilians, drivers in the convoy, are said to be missing.

Relating the incident to journalists in Maiduguri on Tuesday, a driver attached to Borno State Government House, Maiduguri, Mallam Baba, said the convoy was returning from a visit to Gwoza and Barawa village when they “were surrounded by several gunmen at the destroyed Firgi Bridge who shot sporadically from all directions causing three drivers to reverse and escape, while two other vehicles, including my Hilux vehicle were abandoned. I had to crawl for about 300 metres to escape from the insurgents.”

He said that the gunmen might have come from the Sambisa Forest, adding that the destruction of the bridge by the gunmen was to cut off the 256-kilometre Maiduguri-Bama-Gwoza-Mubi road in order to ambush and kill innocent people on that road which link several towns and villages.

A team with the assistance of military has been dispatched to the area in search of the five missing persons.

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N113 Million Fraud: Detained Ex-Edo SSG Takes Ill, Hospitalized

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N113 Million Fraud: Detained Ex-Edo SSG Takes Ill, Hospitalized

From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

Former secretary to Edo State government,  Simon Imuekemhe, who was remanded at the Oko Medium Security Prisons by a Benin High Court on Monday, is alleged to have taken ill and has been moved to an undisclosed hospital in the State.

Imuekemhe and three others – Joseph Sule Emoabido, (chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB), David Eson Igbinoba, (secretary to the board) and Aghator Gaskin Efe, (director of finance and accounts of the board) – were charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly diverting N113 million SUBEB funds.

The public relations officer of Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS, in Edo State, Aminu Suleiman, who spoke with journalists on phone, confirmed that the former government scribe took ill Monday afternoon few hours after he was taken to prison warranting his relocation to an unnamed hospital for treatment.

Suleiman explained that there was nothing awkward about Imuekemhe’s case as it was part of “operational process, especially for people not too well” to be taken for treatment.

He, however, kept mum on the nature of ailment for which he is being treated.

While preferring eight count charges against the accused persons, the EFCC alleged that the defendants agreed among themselves to spend public funds allocated for a particular project on another project thereby committing an offence contrary to section 22 (5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

Count one, two and three on the charge sheet alleged that the accused persons spent the sum of N16, 853,242.58 for the construction of perimeter wall fencing in Ivbiore Primary School, Ugbor; the sum of N13, 216, 457.26 for the renovation of six classrooms block in Ikirodah Primary School Ugiekha and the sum of N12, 405,154.25 for the renovation of six classrooms blocks in Ikabigbo Primary School Ikabigbo, respectively.

All the projects were allegedly not covered by the intervention funds of SUBEB/State government.

Counsel to the accused persons, Omoruyi Omonuwa, and other legal representatives, while praying for administrative bail to be granted to their clients, argued that since the EFCC commenced investigations into the matter, the accused persons have always made themselves available in the court indicating that they were willing to subject themselves for the trial.

Notwithstanding, Justice Esther Edigin ruled that the accused persons be reminded in prisons custody pending the determination of their applications for bails and adjourned sitting to March 14, 2014.

Alakyo Killings: Senator Ewuga, House Members To Face Prosecution

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Alakyo Killings: Senator Ewuga, House Members To Face Prosecution

The Nasarawa State Commission of Inquiry investigating the Ombatse killings of May 7, 2013 has recommended the immediate prosecution of Solomon Ewuga, a serving senator, as well as Joseph Kigbu and Nathaniel Agyo Mesa, members of the House of Representatives, for being financiers, sponsors, promoters and supporters of the outlawed Ombatse Cult group.

Also to be prosecuted are Zakariya Zamani Alumaga, the legal adviser of the group who incidentally represented it at the commission’s sittings; Mohammed L. Agu, patron; Zabura Musa akwashiki; Felicia E. Samuel; Joseph Gabi; Saleh Angulu, Village Head of Angwan, Yakubu Agyaragu and Yohanna Labaran Envoh (Manager).

Ewuga and the others were indicted in the report of the commission which was submitted last week and the Nasarawa State government accepted the recommendation for their prosecution.

“Some of them are either direct participants or aiders or abettors in one way or the other. Some may have had just simple knowledge of the circumstances leading to the killings and no more. And some may have had full knowledge of the circumstances and might have contributed in one way or the other. The investigating authorities must discover the relevant details and direct same to the relevant prosecuting authorities for immediate prosecution,” the commission said.

In a separate indictment, Ewuga and others were also recommended for prosecution for misrepresenting facts and attempting to mislead the commission.

Ewuga, Kigbu and Mesa were said to have intentionally given false evidence on oath when they appeared before the commission whether as summoned witnesses or memoranda and would be prosecuted in accordance with Section 158(1) of the Penal Code Law (as applicable in Nasarawa State).

The commission said their false testimonies were calculated to misdirect it and prevent it from making proper findings, adding that the law qualifies such false evidence as an act to pervert the cause of justice.

Apart from individuals, the commission also indicted the Nasarawa State government, the federal government, security agencies, particularly the Police and the law courts for the continuing threat posed by the cult inspire of its proscription.

“Lack of enforcement of Nasarawa State Legal Notice No. 4 of 2012, Vol. 15 and other relevant laws enabled the continuation of  its activities. The failure of the component agencies of the law-enforcement and criminal justice process of the State to enforce the Proscription Order  in this regard is responsible for the apparent ineffectual nature of the Proscription Order,” it stated.

It noted further: “Due to lax enforcement of the law by the relevant component units of the State’s criminal justice system, namely, the law enforcement agencies (especially the police), the Ministry of Justice and the Courts, obvious perpetrators of violence have been left unencumbered and emboldened to remain what they are.”

Significantly, the panel also observed that the non-implementation of recommendations of the reports of similar panels of Inquiry has “contributed to the patent disregard of Government authority with respect to the ban.”

It recommended the formal admonition and reprimand of the Council of elders of Eggon in the interim, for their moral failure to call the Ombatse and such affiliated groups to order when they exceeded the bounds of reason.

According to its findings, the Ombatse group has been in existence for over 100 years, but became well known in 2012 as a militia, having been hijacked by political forces and interests, a state of affairs that has transformed it into a cult and ethnic militia portraying insurgency and genocidal tendencies.

Their recruitment process is both persuasive and coercive and it is directed only at Eggon male youth of 18 years and above, the panel found out. Forced initiation is allegedly known as part of its coercive strategies.

It said further that the group appears to have the backing of all Eggon elders and political leaders, although some are more active than others in their support.

Other findings of the committee were that meeting days for members made up of Christians, Muslims and traditional worshipers who must be males of Eggon extraction from the ages of 18 years and above, is every Saturday. Members communicate with each other using mobile telephone calls and text messages for mobilization as occasion demands.

The commission also found that the group engages in the use of sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 and AK-49 rifles, sub-machine guns alongside traditional lethal weapons such as dane guns, cadtridges, poisoned cutlasses, knives, clubs etc; and is believed to acquire its finances through levies on members within and outside the country and through support from the suspected financiers mentioned above.

Seventy-four law enforcement and security personnel, comprising 64 members of the Nigeria Police Force,NPF, and10 men of the Department of the State Services, DSS, were killed by the Ombatse militia group at Alakyo Village last May.

Ombatse members converged on Alakyo from different Eggon communities across the state such as Sabon Gida Iggah, N/Eggon, Bakin Kogi and Angwan Abusa, to engage in the fatal ambush that led to the death of the officers who were on lawful duty.

Evidence before the Commission proves that fire-arms, cudgel, cutlasses and other lethal weapons were used by the Ombatse members in killing and injuring the affected personnel.

Meanwhile, the federal government has accepted the various recommendations and directed the State ministry for local government and chieftaincy affairs and the office of Secretary to the State Government to take appropriate action.

British Reporter Shot Dead In Central Kabul

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British Reporter Shot Dead In Central Kabul
A British journalist, Nils Horner, working for Sveriges Radio was killed on Tuesday by gunmen in Kabul,  the Afghan capital, police source said.

“The British journalist was travelling in his car along with his Afghan interpreter at Wazir Akbar Khan area’s 15th Street when he was shot,” chief of the Kabul Police Criminal Investigation Department, Gul Agha Hashemi, said.

The shooting occurred close to the Lebanese restaurant that was attacked by three suicide bombers in January, killing 21 people including 13 foreigners.
The British journalist who also had Swedish nationality, was immediately taken to the nearby emergency hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Wazir Akbar Khan area houses several diplomatic missions and aid agencies.

The interpreter and two suspects are now in police custody, Hashemi said.

Reacting, the radio station wrote on its website that Horner was their South Asia correspondent.
“This is one of the worst days in the history of Sveriges Radio. Nils was one of our absolute best and most experienced correspondents and what has happened to him today is horrible. We’re doing our best to gather all the details,”” SR’s chief executive officer, Cilla Benko, said.

Vanished Malaysia Plane An Aviation Mystery – Official

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Vanished Malaysia Plane An Aviation Mystery – Official

The head of Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Authority, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said Monday that the disappearance of a Malaysian jetliner is an “unprecedented aviation mystery”.

Flight MH370 disappeared from radar screens in the early hours of Saturday, about an hour into its flight from Kuala Lumpur, after climbing to a cruising altitude of 35,000ft.

A massive air and sea search now in its fourth day has failed to find any trace of the plane or the 239 people aboard.

Rahman, said a hijacking attempt could not be ruled out, as investigators explore all theories for the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight on its way to Beijing.

“Unfortunately we have not found anything that appears to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft. As far as we are concerned, we have to find the aircraft, we have to find a piece of the aircraft if possible,” he told a news conference.

As dozens of ships and aircraft from seven countries scour the seas around Malaysia and south of Vietnam, questions mounted over possible security lapses and whether a bomb or hijacking attempt could have brought down the Boeing 777-200ER airliner.

The passenger manifest issued by the airline included the names of two Europeans – Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi – with stolen passports.

Their passports had been stolen in Thailand during the past two years and an Interpol spokeswoman said a check of all documents used to board the plane had revealed more “suspect passports”.

Interpol secretary general, Ronald Noble, said while it is too soon to speculate about any connection between these stolen passports and the missing plane, it is clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol’s databases.

Hopes for a breakthrough rose briefly when Vietnam dispatched helicopters to investigate a floating yellow object it was thought could have been a life raft.

But the country’s civil aviation authority said that the object turned out to be a “moss-covered cap of a cable reel”.

A US Navy P-3 aircraft capable of covering 1,500 sq miles every hour was sweeping the northern part of the Strait of Malacca on the other side of the Malaysian peninsula from where the last contact with MH370 was made.

“Our aircraft are able to clearly detect small debris in the water, but so far it has all been trash or wood,” said US 7th Fleet spokesman Commander, William Marks in an emailed statement.

No distress signal was sent from the lost plane, which experts said suggested a sudden catastrophic failure or explosion, but Malaysia’s air force chief said radar tracking showed it may have turned back from its scheduled route before it disappeared.

PDP Ekiti Clears 13 Governorship Aspirants, Disqualifies 3

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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, screening committee  says it has cleared 13 out of 16 aspirants for the Ekiti Governorship election slated for June 21.

Chairman of the committee, Victor Ndoma-Egba, a senator,  made this known when he presented the committee’s report to the party leadership in Abuja.

Ndoma-Egba said Bode Olowoporoku, Peter Obafemi and Bosede Dada, were disqualified from contesting the election.

Olowoporoku could not provide evidence of tax clearance certificate and a court judgment overturning his expulsion from the party, Dada had no evidence of payment of membership dues, tax clearance certificate and the West African School Certificate which is the minimum qualification for all aspirants.

Obafemi was disqualified because he had no National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, discharge certificate

“We have evidence before us that Olowoporoku had been expelled from the party, but he said here that he had gone to court and had set aside the expulsion. Unfortunately, the court judgment he sent to us came to us a few minutes before we presented our report. Which means that his option now is to take it to the Appeal Panel and am sure they will look very favourably at that, so all hope is not lost,” the chairman said.

Ndoma-Egba said that aspirants who felt the committee did not meet their aspiration had the opportunity of going to the appeal panel which was set up on Monday.

Those cleared are a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; retired Navy Captain Oluwadare Bajide, former minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade and Prince Adedayo Adeyeye.

Others are Adeyanju Sunday, Erelu Ogundipe, Abiodun Aluko, Adewale Aribisala, Oladeji Omoyeni,  Olubenga Aluko, Oluropo Ogunbolude, Omolara Adubiaro and Ajayi Ayodeji.

The screening committee chairman also stressed the need for a consensus candidate.

“I believe that this is a political process and the aspirants should be talking to themselves. At the end of the day, they should know that they are better off if they worked together; so we urge all of them to subordinate their individual interest for the party’s interest which is to reclaim Ekiti,” he said.

The deputy national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, who received the report, commended the committee members for a job well done and for a transparent screening process.

Secondus maintained that the party leadership would ensure that justice was done to all party members, adding that the party would carry everybody along at all stages, including the media to educate the public on its activities.

The PDP Ekiti primary is expected to hold on March 15.

12 Kidnapped Syrian Nuns Regain Freedom

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12 Kidnapped Syrian Nuns Regain Freedom

A total of 12 nuns kidnapped by Syria’s radical rebels late last year have been released, a pro-Syrian government news network and Lebanese state media reported.

Thirteen nuns and three workers were kidnapped last November from their convent in the Christian town of Maloula, north of Damascus and taken to the nearby town of Yabroud where the terrorists have been fighting hard with Syrian government troops recently.

Public security director, Abbas Ibrahim, a general, said that no money was paid to secure the release of the nuns, adding that it was part of a deal in exchange for 150 females that the Syrian government was holding.

Senior Orthodox Bishop, Lucas Al-Khoury, said he stood on the Syrian side of the border Sunday hoping to greet the nuns, adding that the negotiations for their release took several months because the kidnappers “made false requests intended to stall the process.”

The Greek Orthodox figure, who often speaks out on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, added that the recent Syrian troop offensive on the opposition stronghold of Yabroud worked in favor of the nuns’ release.

Days after the kidnapping, SANA reported that armed terrorists took the nuns, implying that rebels fighting to oust al-Assad were behind the attack.

Reports say that the released nuns will be hosted in the Mariamieh Church in the capital, Damascus, where a religious mass is expected to be held to celebrate their freedom.

Nothing has been said concerning the remaining four persons still held in captivity.

Syrian forces have unleashed a wide-scale offensive over the past three weeks to recapture the key town, where more than 10,000 rebel fighters are believed to hide out.

Civil Society Groups Criticise National Conference Composition

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Civil Society Groups Criticise National Conference Composition

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

As all seems set for the inauguration of the National Conference next Monday, civil society groups from the North East have alleged their exclusion from the talks, observing also that the composition was not representative.

One of such groups, a Coalition of Civil Societies Organization in the Northeast were insurgency is at its peak, described the conference as “a jamboree of fraudulent and selfish government agents without the full representation of the people at the local level.”

The group accused the government of manipulating the list of delegates released last week by the office of the secretary to the federal government,
In such a way that the names of those nominated to represent the region were totally excluded.

Secretary of the Coalition, Baba Shehu, who addressed journalists in Damaturu over the weekend expressed sadness that in addition to the fact that the names of the four nominated persons were missing on the list published, the region was also shot-changed as two instead of four slots was allocated to it.

“Apart from our complete ignorance of the names of delegates on the list, we have also noticed that the region has been short-changed by two delegates. Instead of the four names that we forwarded after our meeting on the 12/02/2014, none of the names came out only for us to see just two strange names on the list,” Shehu said.

The group said in view of the on-going security challenge, the region requires “true representation” at the conference to discuss its problems and does not deserve to be sidelined as is been done.

He added: “We therefore see this conference as a jamboree for fraudulent and selfish agents of government. We call on the government as a matter of urgency to revert to the true list of the delegates chosen by the people or consider the conference as a failure even before it gets on the way.”

Similarly, the executive director, Centre for Citizens with Disabilities, CCD, David Anyaele, has lamented the exclusion of hearing impaired persons from the list of delegates to attend the all important National Conference.

Anyaele said although six slots which presuppose the six major cluster group (the blind, deaf, intellectual, leprosy, physically challenged and persons with spinal cord injuries) were provided, those with hearing impairment were not represented on the list.

He urged government to immediately correct the mistake by making provision for sign language interpreters throughout the event.

“We want the government to include four sign language interpreters and the deaf on the list of delegates. This constant discrimination and exclusion of persons with disabilities is possible due to no prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of disability in the 1999 Constitution as amended,” he said.

Anyaele called on the Senate to urgently pass the Nigerian Disability Bill as done by the House of Representatives, expressing the view that the bill will help reduce discrimination, exclusion and isolation of Nigerians with disabilities among state and non-state participants.

Shehu of Borno Declares 3 Days Fast Over Insurgency

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Shehu of Borno Declares 3 Days Fast Over Insurgency

The Shehu of Borno, Abubakar Ibn-Garbai, has directed residents of the state to embark on a three-day fasting “for divine intervention over the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.”

The directive is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Maiduguri.

The statement quoted the monarch as asking residents to start the fasting on Tuesday.

“I am appealing to all residents of the state to observe a three-day fasting to seek Allah’s mercy toward ending the crisis facing us. I believe we should continue to seek for Allah’s help toward restoring peace in the state,” he stated.

Ibn-Garbai noted that renewed violence by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect has led to massive destruction of lives and properties, adding that it was time to seek God’s intervention.

He also directed that special prayers be held in mosques and churches to seek God’s help and urged residents to remain prayerful even after the fasting which ends on Thursday.

The fasting exercise is in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s request over the weekend for more prayers to be offered on behalf of the country to enable it overcome the current challenge of terrorism.

Jonathan who attended the 2014 maiden edition of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, in Abuja expressed the readiness of the federal government to stop all acts of terrorism perpetuated by the Boko Haram sect in the North-East.

“I urge you to pray for our dear country to speedily overcome the current challenges we face, especially insurgency, terrorism and the heinous killings of innocent children in schools.” he said.

Speaking further he added: “I believe that with your devote prayers and the strategies we have put in place, we shall surely  surmount these challenges.”

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