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Ajudua To Face Trial for Defrauding Ishaya Bamaiyi of $8 Million

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Ajudua To Face Trial for Defrauding Ishaya Bamaiyi of $8 Million

A fresh bid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arraign Fred Ajudua before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja for a $8.39m scam, was postponed due to the failure of the accused to appear in court.

Ajudua’s counsel, Richard Ahoharuogba, told the court Monday that his client only became aware of the fresh 13-count charge on Saturday and could not attend the court session because “he is still seriously ill.”

Following his request for the adjournment of the case to enable Ajudua appear in court, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye postponed the matter till February 12, 2004.

Ipaye ordered that a warrant of production be served on the prison authority where Ajudua is being detained to enable him appear at the next adjourned date.

The accused is charged with offences that border on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.

EFCC counsel, Seidu Atteh, told the court that Ajudua, alongside others who are still at large, defrauded a former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi, a retired lieutenant general, of about $8.395million while in detention at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, Lagos between November 2004 and June 2005.

Other suspects involved in the scam and who are on the run are Alumile Adedeji (a.k.a Ade Bendel), Hamabon William and one Kenneth.

Atteh told the court that Ajudua and his accomplices fraudulently collected the money from Bamaiyi in instalments, claiming that the payments represented the professional fees charged by Afe Babalola, to handle his case in court and facilitate his release from prison.

Ajudua claimed that $1million out of the money collected from Bamaiyi would be used to assist Justice Olubunmi Oyewole offset the payment of the hospital bill of his father who, he falsely claimed, was on admission at the Saint Nicholas Hospital in Lagos, for an undisclosed ailment.

Justice Oyewole was presiding over Bamaiyi’s case in court at the time.

Ajudua and one Charles Orie are already facing trial at the Lagos High Court for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen, Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen of $1.69million.

EFCC Is Broke – Secretary

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EFCC Is Broke – Secretary

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday in Abuja said it urgently needs capital injection for its continued operations as it currently has less than N2 million in its account.

The secretary of the Board of EFCC, Emmanuel Aremo, disclosed this at the public hearing on the Bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency, NFIA.

Aremo said the poor financial position of EFCC was made known to the Senate committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes during an oversight visit.

“If we can pay salary this month, that is all. That is the position under which we operate,” Aremo said.

Speaking against the bill, Aremo argued that the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU in the EFCC was discharging its responsibility efficiently without complaints from financial institutions, adding that if granted autonomy, the NFIU would become exposed to desperate politicians capable of securing court injunctions to frustrate its operations.

“All the NFIU needs is adequate funding to continue its work. This NFIA Bill is unnecessary and should be jettisoned,” he said.

However, the director, Legal Services, Central Bank of Nigeria, Amusa Ogundana, who represented the CBN Governor, said the apex bank supported the establishment of NFIA.

Ogundana, however, suggested that some portions of the NFIA Bill should be deleted because it imposed supervisory and regulatory functions on the agency.

“CBN is wholeheartedly in support of having this bill sail through. We believe it will strengthen the administrative and operational performance of the agency,” he said.

Also contributing to the debate, the representative of the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Joseph Sunday, said the NFIU lacked legal status.

Sunday, who is NDLEA’s director of prosecution services, said his agency supported the bill because it would empower the NFIU to effectively disseminate financial intelligence to law enforcement agencies.

Representative of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, Blessing Egbefor, said the bill, when passed into law, would strengthen the fight against financial crimes.

“NAPTIP supports the bill, so that theNFIU can discharge its administrative and operational functions with greater autonomy,” she said.

The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Department of State Services, DSS, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, were among other agencies that supported the bill.

Earlier, chairman, Senate committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Victor Lar, urged the stakeholders to ensure that their inputs were in the national interest.

“In the National Assembly, we are driven only by national interest and considerations. Not individual and parochial interests. You should make contributions that would serve the national interest,” he said.

The bill seeks to establish a national agency that would receive information from financial institutions for the purpose of turning such information into financial intelligence.

The agency would then analyse, assess and disseminate the financial intelligence reports to all law enforcement agencies.

Nasarawa Privatises Two State-Owned Companies

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Nasarawa Privatises Two State-Owned Companies

CAPTION: Commissioner for commerce, Emmanuel Brass Yaji, MD NIPDC, Daniel Agzegana and one of the investors.

By Godwin Ojoshimite

The Nasarawa state government has announced the privatisation of two companies – the Nasara Fertilizer Blending Company, Lafia and the Nasara Sacks & Packaging Company, Akwanga.

The handover of the firms to the new owners was done by the Nasarawa Investment and Property Development Company, NIPDC, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

Commissioner for commerce and industry, Emmanuel Brass Yaji, said during the ceremony in Lafia, that the privatisation was to create employment for the teaming youths of the state, as well as boost its internally generated revenue.

He therefore charged the investors, Agtho Merchant and Company Limited, Abuja, and the Young Plastic Enterprises Limited, Kano, to be proactive and transparent in their dealings and keep to their part of the agreement.

In his response, the general manager of the Young Plastic Enterprise Limited, Kano, Saidu Tillam, said his company hopes to commence work immediately, in order to meet up with its own part of the deal.

Earlier, the managing director of NIPDC, Daniel Agzegana, said out of the three companies mapped out for leasing by the state government, itdecided to lease two companies as a pilot scheme, adding that the remaining company will be leased after the first quarter of 2014.

Patience Jonathan Congratulates Chilian President Elect

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Patience Jonathan Congratulates Chilian President Elect

The Nigerian First Lady, Patience Jonathan, has congratulated Michelle Bachelet, who has re-emerged President of Chile for the second time,for her resounding victory, saying it is a representation of the aspirations of women, and a demonstration of the woman’s capability to be equal partners in global developmental efforts.

“I want to commend the President of Chile for her advocacy in the areas of gender equality and women empowerment,” Jonathan said.

Bachelet was guest of the First Lady in January when she was on a working visit to Nigeria as the Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women.

Chile’s first female President, Bachelet, won the poll after clinching 62.3 percent of votes according to election officials in Sunday’s presidential runoff.

Her conservative Independent Democratic Union party opponent, Evelyn Matthei, garnered 37.7 percent of votes and has conceded the election.

In her victory speech, Bachelet promised to improve education and work for equality.

“Thanks to the millions of people who, today, have demonstrated with their vote that they believe in me — just like I believe in you,” she said.

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Bachelet, who is to take over from President Sebastian Pinera in March next year, was also the first woman to head the country’s Defence Ministry.

She ruled between 2006-2010 and left office with high approval ratings.

In 2010, she was appointed to head U.N. Women, a United Nations agency created to promote gender equality around the world.

Delta Police Command Mourns Death Of Its PPRO

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Delta Police Command Mourns Death Of Its PPRO

The premises of the Delta Police Command in Asaba on Monday wore a mournful look over the sudden death of the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Lucky Uyabeme, an assistant superintendent of Police.

The Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, who was represented by the deputy superindent of Police, Charles Muka, the acting PPRO, told newsmen in Asaba that Uyabeme died in a lone auto-crash at Ogwashi-Uku on Sunday.

“Uyabeme died in his Toyota Highlander Jeep at Ogwashi-Uku on Sunday, December 15, at about 3.30 p.m. on his way to Asaba from Kwale in the state,” Aduba said.

He noted that the Highlander Jeep somersaulted many times, threw out the occupants, caught fire and was completely burnt.

The commissioner said that Uyabeme’s body had been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre Asaba’s morgue, while the other victims were responding to treatment at the same hospital.

“The late PPRO will be remembered for his humility, loyalty, gentle disposition, diligence and dedication to duty,” Aduba said.

Uyabeme assumed the position of PPRO in April this year.

Mandela Goes Home

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Mandela Goes Home

South Africa’s first black President, Nelson Mandela, has been buried in his country home of Qunu, 700 kilometres from south of Johannesburg, in an unprecedentedly grand military style.

It is the first time the country would be burying a former President.

Mandela’s flag-covered coffin was borne by gun carriage and military pallbearers for the short trip from the huge tent at the family’s compound to the grave site restricted to only 450 mourners, with Mandela’s grandson and heir, Mandla, and South African President Jacob Zuma trailing behind.

It was then placed on black and white Nguni cattle skins in front of a crescent of 95 candles, one for each year of Mandela’s life, as a choir sang Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, the national anthem adopted after the end of apartheid in 1994.

After a brief  ceremony and a flyover by military helicopters, Mandela was lowered into the earth, just as 21-gun salutes were fired into the air.

Over 4,000 family members, friends, heads of state and former heads of state, traditional leaders and foreign dignitaries were present to watch the historic event, including veterans of the military wing of the African National Congress, ANC, the liberation movement that became the dominant political force after the end of apartheid.

Britain’s Prince Charles, Monaco’s Prince Albert II, U.S. Ambassador Patrick Gaspard, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, American civil rights activist, Jesse Jackson, black American TV host, Oprah Winfrey, billionaire businessman, Richard Branson, and former Zimbabwean Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, were also there.

Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, and his second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, were dressed in black and sat on either side of President Zuma.

Earlier, Zuma delivered an eulogy in honour of Mandela.

“Today marks the end of an extraordinary journey that began 95 years ago…Your long walk to freedom has ended, our own journey continues. We have to take your legacy forward. We draw lessons from your rich life. We remember you as a man of integrity,” he said.

Continuing, he added: “You offered hope in the place of hopelessness. Gender equality gained seriousness under your presidency. We dare not reverse your achievements in this regard. As your journey ends, ours must continue. SA will continue to rise. Today we undertake to take forward your promotion of an improved material life for all. We pledge to take your vision forward.”

Southern African Development Community chairperson and Malawian president, Joyce Banda, in her speech said she was  amazed with Mandela’s “humility and the great sense of leadership… I was inspired by this great leader who was focused, calm and collected,” adding that his death is an “irreplaceable loss”.

The anti-apartheid activist who was imprisoned alongside Mandela on Robben Island, Ahmed Kathrada, also bade farewell to a man he described as a dear brother, a mentor and a leader.

Mandela’s granddaughter Nandi Mandela said: “Go well Madiba. Go well to the land of our ancestors, you have run your race.”

She added: ‘We will carry lessons you taught us throughout our lives. As South Africans we must stop pointing fingers, but must rather lead by example, as you did.”

Mandela was 95 years old when he died on December 5 from a protracted lung infection.

Abducted Couple Released After Getting Two Fingers Chopped

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Abducted Couple Released After Getting Two Fingers Chopped

From Jessica Tamaradoute, Asaba

A retired army Major, Azum Asoya and his 55-year-old wife, Elizabeth, who were abducted on November 30 in Delta State, were set free Sunday with both having a finger less as proof of the ordeal they suffered.

It would be recalled that their mean kidnappers had sent two fingers to their family on Friday, after several days of negotiations failed to yield the desired compliance, but the state police had said it doubted the fingers belonged to the couple and was probably from dead people.

The couple was reportedly dropped in Otulu, Aniocha North local government area of the state and are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital for their chopped of fingers and high blood pressure.

A family source who wants to be anonymous said the couple was severely beaten and their injured hands treated with urine.

The source said the family was able to raise N5 million, which is N4 million short of the negotiated sum, for the freedom of the couple when it became clear that their abductors were heartless and that the Police had no clue to securing their safe release.

The kidnappers initially demanded for N30 million.

The Delta state police command, public relations officer, Lucky Uyabeme, confirmed the release of the pair but said no ransom was paid to the abductors.

Boko Haram Forcefully Recruiting Borno Youths

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Boko Haram Forcefully Recruiting Borno Youths

Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The outlawed Boko Haram sect, apparently reeling from heavy loss of members from offensives launched by the military, has embarked on the forced enlistment of innocent youths in Borno state.

Bringing the development to light, the spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Muhammad Dole, a colonel, said the military is doubling efforts to hunt down members of the group and secure the release of those that had been forcefully conscripted.

Dole said Boko Haram had raised some villages in the state, taking away young men who are then force at the rust of death to join the group.

Some women are among those forcefully taken away from the villages, it was gathered.

The military spokesman reasoned that the sect was forcefully enlisting the youths to replace its depleted army following a clampdown by security forces.

“Recently, due to increased offensive operations by ground and air against the terrorists, the attacks resulted in serious decimation of Boko Haram fighters. This forced them (Boko Haram) to embark on forceful conscription of youths and abduction of women from vulnerable villages into their folds,” he said.

Dole said several Boko Haram members were killed Friday in the latest air and ground bombardment launched against the insurgents during the funeral of some of their dead colleagues around Mudube village.

“The Air bombardment of insurgents’ hideouts in Mainok and Mada general areas of Kaga and Konduga Local Government Areas by the Nigerian Air Force claimed the lives of some Boko Haram Terrorists,” he confirmed.

The spokesman said in another operation, troops of 7 Division had an encounter with Boko Haram insurgents along Maiduguri-Bama-Gwoza road for two hours during which eight Boko Haram terrorists were killed and three vehicles and AK 47 rifles were burnt.

According to him, the Division is poised to decimating Boko Haram terrorists wherever they are and will continue to appreciate the continuous support and cooperation of the general public.

The forceful enlistment is not a new strategy for the insurgents. In the past some of the sect’s members arrested by the meeting confessed the they were unwilling recruits.

For example, one youth who sais that he got into the sect through his brother said that he was told he must join or face the risk of being executed.

Police, Youth Clash In Kebbi Claim 2 Lives

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Police, Youth Clash In Kebbi Claim 2 Lives

A violent clash between the police and some youths in Warra, Ngaski local government area of Kebbi has led to the death of two people, while several others were injured.

Police public relations officer in Kebbi, Mohammed Mainagge, a deputy superintendent of police, who confirmed this, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Birnin Kebbi on Friday that the clash occurred on Wednesday.

He said that two persons died in the clash, which ensued when some youths attempted to burn down the divisional police station in the area.

Mainagge, however, said that normalcy had since been restored in the area, while investigations into the causes of the clash had commenced.

The chief orientation and mobilisation officer, National Orientation Agency, NOA in Ngaski council area, Yusuf Umar, said the clash was triggered by a dispute between one Suleiman Aliyu and a policeman identified as Bala Atto.

He explained that attempts by Atto to arrest Aliyu for assaulting a policeman in uniform were resisted by some youths, who accused the police of victimisation.

He said that Aliyu took the matter to court, while the magistrate referred the matter to the police for investigation.

Umar said the police investigation found that Aliyu had a case to answer and that the court ordered that he should be remanded in prison.

He said that when the court refused to grant bail to the accused, some irate youths, who protested against the court’s verdict, became unruly and violent in their agitation for Aliyu’s bail.

Umar said that in the ensuing fracas, the police attempted to restore calm and fired some shots which led to the death of two persons.

Anti-Amaechi Lawmakers Begin Impeachment Plan

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Anti-Amaechi Lawmakers Begin Impeachment Plan

The minority six lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, opposed to governor Rotimi Amaechi have commenced moves to impeach him.

The dissenting lawmakers include Evans Bipi, Michael Okechukwu Chinda, Kelechi Godspower Nwogu, Martins Amaewhule, Victor Ihunwo and Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani.

The faction which enjoys support from the Police and top players within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is believed to have sneaked into the Assembly complex with the aid of the Police to commence sitting to oust Ameachi and his deputy, Tele Ikuru.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, had predicted the move but vowed to resist any act of illegality.

“There is no doubt that the six legislators opposed to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi will try to hide under the cover of the judgement to convene the Assembly with the sole purpose of removing the Speaker as a prelude to impeaching the State Governor…any such act will constitute an illegality and trigger a cataclysmic reaction, the end result of which no one can predict,” the party’s interim national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed said.

It would be recalled that Bipi, the self-acclaimed Speaker of the Rivers Assembly who leads the minority six, had suspended the 26 members loyal to Amaechi.

Speaking with newsmen on a live radio programme on Thursday, Bipi said: “As the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, I have not reconvened the House as the Court Judgment has not been served to the Police and other security agencies. All the so-called Governor Amaechi lawmakers have all been suspended by me and by Peoples Democratic Party. They cannot function until I call them back.”

He added: “Amaechi must recognise me as the authentic Speaker, but we must stop him from using Rivers money to sponsor APC.”

The Deputy Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Leyii Kwanee, a lawyer, however, said that Amachree remained the Speaker of the Assembly, stressing that illegality, impunity and lawlessness would not be condoned.

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Kwanee assured that the 25 lawmakers would soon sit, but there must be adequate security, to prevent a repeat of July 9 and 10 fracas and confrontation in the Rivers Assembly.

An initial attempt by the majority faction to seat after a court ruling on Thursday was stalled by the police.

The state police commissioner, Joseph Mbu, in defending his men, said that the police prevented lawmakers from holding a session at the Assembly complex because his command had not been served the court ruling.

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