A-50-year-old woman, Mrs. Nma Ukonu has dragged the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), before a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu demanding N50 million over alleged violation of her fundamental rights.
Also joined in the suit before Justice Dorathy Agishi are two ESWAMA staff, Mrs. Chinyere T. Ogaukwu and Mr. Nnamani.
The applicant, a staff of South Saharan Social Development Organization, in a suit No: EN/M/133/12 prayed the court to declare that the action of the respondents “in inflicting grievous injuries on me by hitting me with unidentified objects and fistic blows on the head and all over the body is a violation of my rights”.
The plaintiff added that she was forcefully taken away from her office on 29th of August, 2012, on the ground that her office had not paid certain fee to the authority.
She wants the court to declare that the alleged action constitutes a flagrant violation of her fundamental rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples rights.
Also, Ukonu also prayed the court to declare that “my arrest and detention for over 8 hours at the respondents’ office without committing any offence known to law, thereby subjecting me to physical and psychological torture, constitutes a flagrant violation of my right as guaranteed in the constitution”.
The plaintiff wants the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction “restraining ESWAMA, whether by themselves, their agents, privies or otherwise whosoever from further beating, harassing, intimidating, trailing, scaring, arresting or detaining her upon the same facts constituting the complaints.
“I am also asking the court to award N50 million against the respondents being exemplary, punitive, aggravated, special and general damages for their infringement of my constitutional and fundamental rights”.
When the matter came up, counsel to the respondents, J. C Ezeh asked the court for extension of time to enable him file his replies.
Counsel to the applicant, Olu Omotayor Esq did not object. The court adjourned to March, 12, 2013 for adoption of written address.

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the apprehension of one Ozoh Chukwuemeka, a Nigerian barber living in South Africa with 6.1kg of narcotic substance.

The estimated value of the drug is N50 million. It was detected during the outward clearance of Arik Air passengers to South Africa at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

The NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, said that the discovery was made at the baggage check in desk at the departure hall.

Umar said, “The drug, which was neatly hidden in a false compartment of his luggage, was discovered during routine check on passengers.”

However, Ozoh, 45, a father of one, who had lived in South Africa for 10 years, insisted that the bag contained chemicals.

He said, “A friend of mine in South Africa requested that I bring a bag containing chemicals from Nigeria to South Africa for $3,000. I asked him if it was drug but he said it was just chemicals. He paid for my return ticket.

“I am only struggling to take care of myself with my barbing business. If I had known that things will turn out this way I would have rejected the proposal.

“I have a daughter but I am separated with my wife.”

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, described the suspect’s action as sad.

Giade said: “This is sad and the explanation unacceptable.”

A non-governmental organization, Anabel Leadership Academy, ALA, says the war against insecurity in Nigeria will not be won unless jobs are created for the youths.

The group said the greatest crisis Nigeria had was unemployment, adding that the problem of insecurity would continue if the youths were not employed.
Chief Executive Officer of ALA, Mr. Nicholas Okoye made the remark during a youth leadership and entrepreneurship seminar it organized in collaboration with the University of Nigeria at the Enugu Campus of the university.
According to Okafor, considering the level of unemployment in Nigeria, the programme entitled “Empower Nigeria” was aimed at shifting the focus of job creation from the role of the government to that of the private sector.
He noted that with proper guidance, the youths had their own ideas that could get them self-employed.
Also speaking at the event, the Enugu State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Chijioke Agu advised the youths to start on time to plan for self employment.
He said that the seminar was aimed at creating awareness for youths to look at areas where they could become employable and employers of labour.
Participants in the seminar were final year students drawn from different different departments of the university.

Former Minister of the Federal capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was scared jittery that late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua would arrest him.

He made this known In his book, “The Accidental Public Servant,” adding that Obasanjo had considered the Yar’Adua/Jonathan presidency in 2007 weak.

According to El-rufai,“There are those who say Obasanjo’s revenge for his third term defeat was intentionally picking two incompetent people to be president and vice-president, but I do not full agree with that. I think Obasanjo picked them for a different reason. He thought they were weak people he could control and through whom he would continue to exercise power. I think that he thought Yar’Adua would be an acceptable president, but would be weak and subservient to him in many policy areas and would be consulting him regularly so that Obasanjo might be a Lee Kuan Yew sort of figure exercising power from behind the scenes.”

“If I am just naïve and the ticket that ended up succeeding Obasanjo was meant to be a third term revenge, it did not exactly work out. Yar’Adua revolted against him, reversed virtually everything he did and even began investigating him. Obasanjo recently admitted to a close friend of ours that throughout the years Yar’Adua was in power, he was constantly in fear of being arrested because it was clear to him that at some point, Yar’Adua was after him.

Speaking about the issue of the ejection of former Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, the late Justice Bashir Sambo from his official residence in 2006, the former head of the Bureau of Public Enterprise insisted that the jurist was an illegal tenant in the house.

He said “Perhaps the most publicised controversy arising from the sale of houses programme was the ejection of Justice Bashir Sambo in August 2006 from his official residence located at 1, Aso Drive, Maitama District. At the time, the carefully choreographed media war led by the Daily Trust newspaper was going on, I chose to maintain silence, and just directed the Secretariat to put out full-page adverts explaining what it had done and why. I thought that was the end of it.

“Sadly, less than a year later, Justice Sambo who was former chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, died on April 29, 2007 in a Cairo Hospital. He was 76 years old and had been ill for some time.

“For that reason, I decided never to join issues with those who thought that the ejection of the deceased jurist was inappropriate and went as far as suggesting that it was the cause of his “premature” death.

“I will simply tell my side of the story on the sale of the house in question, subsequent cancellation, and the actions that followed naturally with reference only to letters written by Justice Sambo, himself and the other officials in the government.

“These exchanges of correspondence culminated in my directive to the sales secretariat on July 17, 2006 to eject him immediately from the house in question because he had by then become an illegal tenant.

Five years after he was suspended as the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice C.J Okoli on Friday condemned the decision of the National Judicial Commission, NJC, which led to his remova

Okoli took the stand during his cross-examination in a land suit before an Enugu High Court presided over by Chief Innocent Umezulike, the Chief Judge of Enugu State.

Defending his position on the matter, Okoli noted that, “I said so because they don’t have the right to question my power in transferring cases from one court to another”.

According to him, he was however later vindicated of whatever allegation as his entitlements were paid to him.

“Before the NJC concluded its investigation, I had already retired, so I got all my entitlements and emoluments, my pension, gratuity, everything”, he insisted.

It could be recalled that National Judicial Council (NJC), in 2007 suspended Chief Judge, a development that was stoutly condemned by the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Top echelons of the Nigeria Police and Navy Wednesday met to resolve the conflict occasioned by the clash between some junior officers of the lower cadre in both forces.

This peace talks follow a recent confrontation involving Naval ratings and policemen of the Special Taskforce, in Apapa area of Lagos.

Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Apapa, Lagos, Rear Admiral Ibok Ibass, while speaking called on the need to organise a forum where men of the lower cadre in both forces, would be educated that both services were fighting a common goal.

He said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in-charge of Zone 2,Onikan, Mr. Mamman Tsafe.

According to Ibass: “I believe we can get the men to know that we are all fighting a common cause is by interaction, a forum whereby they meet and understand our common goal on security.”

‪The Lagos State Government on Tuesday said it was not worried about flood, which wrecked havoc in the state during the 2012 rainy season, stating that it had invested money in constructing drainage channels and canals.
It also expressed optimism that no serious case of flooding would be recorded in the state this year.

The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said this during an inspection of ongoing drainage projects as part of the state’s preparedness for the 2013 rainy season.
Places visited are Ekoro, Ajasa, Ipaja, Orile and Arigbanla roads. The commissioner also visited Owo Street, Isale Oja Capitol Road Collector, Guiness-Idi-Mangoro Collector Drain and Elere Drain on Alfa Nla Road.

Bello assured that most of projects would be completed before the rain started.

He said, “In the places where work will still be on during the rains, we have designed a system whereby construction will still be going on, while water will also be allowed to flow to avoid flooding.“The construction, rehabilitation and the clearing of drains and canals were to combat flooding in Lagos and the government is assuring Lagosians that soon this state will be free of flooding.“All the places visited are in our 2013 budget and as you can see, work has commenced in some of them. In the few places that we did not see contractors, we are confident that they will soon appear.”

The commissioner, who also spoke with residents of the places visited, assured them of government’s commitment in making Lagos a-flood free state.

The Director, Construction, Drainage and Dredging, Mr. Dayo Erinle, explained that many of the drainage channels in the state interlinked and were constructed to move water into the ocean.

He said the contractors had been directed to complete the projects before the rains.At Odo-Iya Alaro in Ilo-Awela Channel, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Muyideen Akinsanya, said though the stream fell within the jurisdiction of both Lagos and Ogun state governments, the Lagos government decided to dredge it to make life comfortable for residents of both states.

Civil society groups under the aegis of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, have warned judges in the country to stop handling corruption cases with levity.

A statement signed by its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran said that the recent developments in the nation’s judicial system show that the country was not serious in ensuring a corrupt-free society.

The statement, which further accused some members of the judiciary of ridiculing the country reads: “We are worried that soon corruption cases stalled or dismissed in our courts have always speedily sailed through in London courts and in other jurisdictions. We are worried that our judicial officers especially our judges are giving the impression they are there to do the bidding of the very corrupt persons before their courts while the victims are harassed and intimidated.

Abia state government says it is ready to partner with Thailand to explore bilateral investment opportunities between them.
Governor Theodore Orji stated this at the government house, Umuahia when he met with the Royal Thai commercial counselor in Nigeria, Mr.Boon Intiratana who paid him a courtesy visit with the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA).
The governor advised the counselor to look round the state and ascertain areas of interest for investment.
According to him the state boasts of large human and material resources adding that apart from Lagos, Aba remains the commercial nerve centre of the country.
He described Igbos as very industrious and assured the counselor of adequate security of their investment in the state.
Chief Orji stated that Thailand is noted for rice production, which he said has helped in feeding Nigerians and pointed out that a major problem confronting Aba is power supply.
He however stated that the federal government is addressing the problem with the building of NIPP power plant in Aba which is being complemented by the Geometric power plant at Osisioma.
The governor used the forum to commend ACCIMA for the role it was playing in promoting trade and pledged to continue to assist the chamber.
In his speech, Mr Intiratana said the purpose of his visit was to see business and commercial opportunities that exist in Abia state and how to promote bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Thailand.
He said that his country is interested in agriculture especially rice production and food processing, electricity generation, tourism, as well as in construction and transportation and invited the governor to send a private mission to Thailand in May this year for an international food fair and the Nigeria – Thailand business forum.
Earlier, the president of ACCIMA, chief Eleanya Okoroji said ACCIMA is striving on its noble functions of attracting foreign investments to Abia state ,adding that the Thai commercial counselor is in Abia under their invitation to interact with business people as well as improve on the existing bilateral relationship between Abia state and Thailand.

Several weeks after 11 children, between the ages of five months and two years were abducted in Ishiagu, Ivo local government of Ebonyi State, their whereabouts remain unknown.
The children were reportedly abducted at Ishiagu, home town of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
A reliable source in the community said the trend started December last year with the abduction of four children, adding that only recently six others were abducted, bringing the number to eleven.

DailyPost learnt that all the eleven children abducted are settlers in the community.
Already, the situation has taken another dimension as residents of Ishiagu are accusing the police in the state of complicity in the abduction.
Residents who alleged that policemen in Ishiagu divisional police station were aiding the kidnappers, said efforts they were making to stem the tide were being frustrated by the police in Ishiagu division.

When our correspondent visited the Mile 2 Area in Ishiagu where 2 year old Chiemere Emmanuel and eight month, Chidubem Emmanuel were abducted, their mothers Blessing and Nnenna respectively lamented that since the abduction of their children, nothing had been heard from either the police or from the government.
The youth leader of the community, Mr. Chijioke Njoku, who also spoke to DailyPost alleged that Ebonyi state government and in fact the council chairman of Ivo LGA were not torched by the development because the abducted children were not indigenes of Ishiagu.
He said: “It is no longer news that our children are being kidnapped, even on the 19th and 20th of December, 2012 in Ayaragu children were kidnapped.
On 29th of December, along this Afikpo-Okigwe Road, a woman who was coming back from Ayaragu area with her child was intercepted by gunmen, they pushed her and her child into a car; along the road, they pushed her out and took her child away. Till now the family has not seen the child”.
On the effort of the community, he said: “Two or three weeks ago we intercepted two vehicles- Jetta and Mercedes Benz; the Jetta over ran us while we seized the Mercedes Benz.
“When we stopped the occupants of the car, they even tried to fight us. One of them ran away living the driver of the car.
“The suspect was later handed over to the police, with the warning that they should not toy with the case. Painfully, nothing serious came out of that case”.
Continuing, he said: “We are appealing to the government to help us. Everyday we come to this place to keep night watch in an effort to see whether we can stop this abduction, but the police are not backing us”.
The Ebonyi State Police Public Relation Officer, (PPRO), DSP Sylvester Igbo who was contacted on phone, did not make any comment.

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has claimed that the corpses found floating on the Ezu River three weeks ago, belonged to its members arrested and detained by security agencies in Anambra State.

MASSOB in its first reaction to the discovery of the corpses, said the corpses were bodies of its members, who were never released from detention or charged to court by the police.

The Director of Information, MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said the movement had petitioned the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon; President Barack Obama; the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and Amnesty International, protesting the mass killing of its members by Nigerian security agencies.

He gave the names of MASSOB members the movement suspected to be among those killed and dumped in the Ezu River as Basil Ogbu, Michael Ogwa, Sunday Omogo, Philip Nwankpa, Eze Ndubisi, Ebuka Eze, Obinna Ofor, Joseph Udoh and Uchechukwu Ejiofor.

According to him, they were arrested at MASSOB security office at Onitsha Anambra State on November 9, 2012, by a combined team of the army, police and State Security Service men and handed over to the State Anti-Robbery Squad headquarters, Awkuzu Anambra State, where they were detained until their disappearance.

He said, “Efforts by our counsel to secure their bail from the police proved futile. Our demands for their arraignment before a competent court of law were frustrated by SARS officers. They claimed that the court was not sitting because of Christmas.

“We got information from an insider at SARS headquarters, Awkuzu, that armless MASSOB members detained at SARS were secretly killed alongside other robbery suspects.”

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, however dismissed the claims by MASSOB, saying the police were still waiting for the report of the autopsy carried out on the corpses dumped in the river.

Three clearing agents at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) export seat of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have been apprehended for attempting to smuggle two consignments of methamphetamine on an Emirate flight to Malaysia. The drug weighing 36.44kg was concealed in foodstuffs and laptop bags declared as personal effects by the consignor. Anti-narcotic Agency dismissed the claim by the suspects that they thought the drug was a food seasoning.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr Hamza Umar disclosed that the seizure was made during search at the export processing section. “Following the discovery of the drug, we arrested three clearing agents currently being interrogated. Their names are Bolarinwa Labaika, 31 years and Abiodun Ofunaya 30 years held in connection with 6.955kg as well as Ugochukwu Amagbu, 39 years arrested in connection with 29.485kg. The total weight of methamphetamine found in both packages is 36.44kg. The first consignment of methamphetamine hidden in garri, dry fish and yams weighed 6.955kg while the second weighing 29.485kg was hidden in laptop bags” Hamza explained.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade had sent a warning to clearing agents urging them to know their customers as the law will run its full course if they are found wanting. “Agents are expected to take necessary precautionary measures such as knowing their customers and conducting checks on any consignment for shipment. The Agency will continue to prosecute agents whenever we detect drugs in any cargo that they are processing. Investigation had commenced and we hope to apprehend other persons connected with the illegal shipment” Giade promised.

The suspects are cooperating with narcotic investigators in charge of the cases and will soon be prosecuted over unlawful exportation of narcotics. All suspects have volunteered their statements and officers are working to determine their levels of involvement as well as identify other persons connected to the crime.

According to Bolarinwa Labaika, he was invited by a fellow agent by name Abiodun Ofunaya to process a shipment to Malaysia. “I was contacted by Abiodun to handle a shipment and I agreed to work with him”. However, Abiodun Ofunaya in his statement said that he was told that the consignment was all foodstuffs. In his words, “the owner told me it contained garri, dry fish and food ingredients. I thought the drug is a food seasoning known as agino motor”.

Ugochukwu Amagbu who was handling the consignment with 29.485kg of methamphetamine said that the consignor told him that it contained personal effects.

Unfortunately, during search, the drug was detected by the NDLEA officers during search.

A civil rights activist and spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly (IRA), Ms Ann-Kio Briggs on Wednesday in Abuja said Nigerians are disappointed with President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

She said this at the 10th Daily Trust annual dialogue held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

According to Briggs, “A lot is expected of this President Goodluck Jonathan-led government and rightly so. This is one government that was backed by the people of Nigeria with a lot of expectations. To say two and half years into this government that Nigerians are lost and disappointed so far by this government is an understatement.”

“We can’t forget the crisis Nigeria faced in 2009, where the people of Nigeria from north to south to east to west rose up with one voice and said no to a situation where self- styled political leaders almost took Nigeria to the cleaners.”

“We are yet to conclude on the issues of corruption that has emerged from the fuel subsidy expositions and pension scandals, neither can we run away from the reality that since the 2009 crisis… the nation is yet to move into the change that we all expected when we went to the polls in 2011.”

The activist recalled that when Jonathan was elected, “a lot of promises were made, a lot is still expected, we can neither run away from the reality that Nigerians have waited for two and half years since 2011 to get what they voted for- change.”

She also said Nigerians “are growing increasingly desperate that maybe the changes may not come, that promises and excuses are no longer acceptable to the people who are suffering under the weight of politicians who seem just as lost as the citizens they are leading in delivery of democracy and change.”

On the planned centenary celebrations, the frontline advocate for good governance stressed that “there is nothing to celebrate. Nigeria has sent a satellite to space but we are still looking for it. It is the same country that can’t even manufacture a bicycle. This centenary celebration is nonsense.”

Commenting on the issue of federalism, Briggs said “Nigerian federal system is too faulty and must be dismantled. If the government of Nigeria is honest with the citizens of Nigeria, and the so-called political class is truthful when they say Nigeria will never break up, they should show us what they are doing towards ensuring that Nigeria will not break up.”

“The days of leadership based on numbers is gone and if Nigeria is to stay together as one nation we need each other not as master and slave or minority and majority but as brothers in one nation.”

 

Members of the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly, yesterday, vowed to probe the funds allocated to Police college and other institutions of training in the force.

The senate, however blamed itself for not carrying out a proper and efficient oversight function to detect the deplorable and appalling situation of the college and then raise an alarm, prior to the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Answering questions from newsmen in Abuja on Monday, Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, said the Senate had completed arrangement to summon the Police Service Commission to explain how funds appropriated to the college were utilised.

Lawan, however, said that the investigation of the committee would go beyond the Police College, Ikeja, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the rot in the entire system.

Lawan, who could not give the exact figures appropriated to the college, said: “I don’t have any figure off hand as to how much has been appropriated. But one thing is very certain and clear from the visit of Mr. President to the police college in Lagos that some agencies of government have not been living up to expectations.

“The public accounts committee has already taken some steps to ensure that the police authorities appear before the committee to explain the utilisation of the funds appropriated particularly to the college. But we are also expanding beyond the college because this is a sign that all is not okay with the police organisation.

“I want to hope that the rot will stop with the police college. But if in the course of our investigation we discover that it is more than the college and that some organisations within the police are facing the same thing, then we have to take very serious action.

“First, we have to determine whether the funds were adequate so that if the funds were not adequate, we will like to see how prudent, economically and efficiently the scarce resources were utilized. If, however, the funds were enough and someone failed to do his or her duty, we will surely recommend serious sanctions for whoever is responsible.”

The senator admitted that the National Assembly, particularly the Senate and House Committees on Police Affairs, would have detected the rot in the college, had the committees did their jobs well.

He said: ‘’These are people that are directly involved with them. So it is a responsibility that we share. But I believe that we are supposed to take the lead in the oversight process because this is our major work.

“We are supposed to be visiting institutions and organisations that have been appropriated public funds to ensure that the funds are utilised properly.

“So, this is an eye opener not only for the police affairs committees but for other committees. And the Senate President has consistently told us to ensure that we have oversight functions and programmes that would ensure that no public fund is put in another way or used in an imprudent manner.

“So I am sure that we would step up our oversight. And the President should do more of this kind of thing because if anything, it would give the trainees the impression and confidence that their leaders are really concerned with what happens with their training at institutions.”

Asked if the funds for the Police were enough, he said: “I always believe that efficiency, economy, prudence and effective utilisation of resources are more important than quantum of resources, because when we emphasise on having more funds neglecting the efficiency aspect of utilisation, we don’t achieve anything.

“Some organisations with good management could achieve more with little. It is not about the quantum of money but how strategically the funds are utilised and efficiency of utilisation.

“So I believe that we should be emphasizing efficiency, economy and prudence of funds in addition to appropriating more funds. We can also grow better environment for our organisations to function better. But I don’t think we should be limiting ourselves to quantum of funds.”

On whether the probe will be as holistic as that of Bureau for Public Enterprise, BPE, Lawan said: “We did not do BPE investigation as a Public Accounts Committee. You would recall that the BPE assignment was an ad hoc assignment.

“This police issue is a public account assignment. What we will do is narrow down appropriations over the year to the police and see how much has been utilised and to what the revelation will be.

“But I don’t think we will begin to investigate the police from 1999 till date. We will focus on the budget. You would recall that BPE was a total investigation and everything was involved. But with the police, I don’t think that is where we are going.

 



The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday said about 300,000 people were affected by last year flood in the North East Zone of the country.

It could be recalled that the flood which ravaged many parts of the country made President Goodluck Jonathan to earmark billions of Naira as palliative to the victims.

The level of the disaster also made corporate bodies led by the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote to contribute several millions of Naira to assist the victims.

Speaking in Maiduguri shortly after returning from Gombe where he attended a workshop on BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT, the North East coordination of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar said a total of 283, 208 people were affected by the flood disaster within the zone last year.

He also disclosed that out of this number a total of 105, 811 were camped and catered for in 81 internally displaced peoples’ camps (IDPS) managed by the Agency in collaboration with states Emergency management agencies (SEMAs) and other stakeholders like Red Cross, scattered across the six states within the geopolitical zone.

Kanar, who disclosed that the Gombe’s workshop was organised in conjunction with Zaranat Global Resources, a consultancy firm, said the zonal office had also despatched relief materials to victims of communal clashes in Ibbi LGA of Taraba state

 

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in Arepo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, was on Wednesday set ablaze by suspected vandals.

The fire was allegedly caused by some suspected vandals who invaded the area in the early hours of Wednesday, and perforated the pipelines which led to an outbreak of fire. The situation was also compounded by another inferno, which occurred during an exchange of gunfire between men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and vandals around Magboro. Spokesman of the state command of the NSCDC, Mr. Kareem Olanrewaju, confirmed the fire at Arepo.


According to him, the state Commandant, Aboluwoye Akinwande, had already visited the scene, noting that the incessant attacks on the NSCDC men by vandals had necessitated the deployment of more armed personnel to the troubled area.

 

 

Leading opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on the federal government to refurbish police colleges across the country.

The party while expressing hope that the promise by Police Affairs Minister, Caleb Olubolade, that the government will restructure and refurbish police training institutions across the country, is not a hoax designed only to douse the nationwide anger generated by the Channels TV expose on the rundown Police College in Ikeja.

ACN in a statement issued in Oyo yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said: “If this is one of those ploys to divert attention from a burning issue and then continue with business as usual, the government is in for a rude shock, because Nigerians will definitely hold the Jonathan Administration to its promise to refurbish the police training colleges,’’ .

‘’To convince Nigerians that this is not the usual government gimmick, the minister must give a time frame within which the government will redeem its pledge. This promise cannot be open-ended if it is to be credible,’’ it said.

ACN also flayed why the government had chosen to intimidate Channels TV, which decided to expose the rot at the police college in Ikeja as part of a strategy to forge a public-private partnership to help raise the resources needed to refurbish the college.

The opposition party said the announcement by the management of the TV station ‘’postponing’’ the forum, which it had planned to hold in order to actualise its plan, was a direct result of President Jonathan’s unnecessary and inexplicable anger at the station, when he should have channelled his energy into reversing the rot.

“Yes, Channels TV has not said publicly that it was forced to ‘postpone’ the forum, but any discerning person knows the TV station had to retrace its steps after no other personality than the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria left it in no doubt that its public service initiative was meant to ‘embarrass’ the Administration.”

 


Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo has begun moves to personally prosecute House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan and one Boniface Emenalo, an ally of Lawan, over bribery allegations by Femi Otedola.

The legislator allegedly accepted a gratification of $620,000 from the businessman during the House ad-hoc Committee probe on Fuel Subsidy, with a promise to give him (Otedola) a clean bill of health in the final report.

Keyamo in a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), said he gave a seven-day ultimatum to the Police to begin the prosecution, but that they claimed investigation into the matter was over and that Adoke’s office was yet to file charges against the suspects.

He said he was giving Adoke till Tuesday to know the next line of action.

He attached a proof of evidence to the letter, which he made available to The Nation, as well as a recording of a telephone conversation where Lawan was allegedly asking for gratification to doctor his report, and appealing to Otedola to keep it secret.

Keyamo wrote: “May I kindly request that, by virtue of Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Act, Cap. C41, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, you endorse on the charge whether, having seen the charge, you are prepared to prosecute Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo for the counts in the charge or whether you have declined to prosecute at the public instance the counts in the said charge.

“The position of the law is that, before I commence private prosecution, you should be given the opportunity to prosecute or to decline to prosecute. This is what I have done by this letter.

“I will expect your reply by the close of official business on Tuesday, January 29, 2013, to enable me determine my next line of action.

“I sincerely hope you will make your decision one way or the other as any indecision on your part will amount to a refusal to act as held by the Supreme Court in the case of Chief Gani Fawehinmi V. Col. Halilu Akilu & Anor: In Re: Oduneye Reported In 1987 (4 NWLR) P. 67.

“In that case, it will be all-clear signal I require to file the Charge.”

The four-count charge prepared by Keyamo, to be filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, reads:

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and July 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, conspired to corruptly demand and receive the sum of $3,000,000.00 (Three Million US Dollars) as gratification from Femi Otedola, and thereby committed the offence of Criminal Conspiracy contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of FCT and punishable under Section 97 the same Act.

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and July 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, corruptly asked for, receivedand obtained the sum of $620,000.00 (Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand US Dollars) as bribe from Femi Otedola, and thereby committed the offence of gratification by an Official contrary to Section 12(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, Cap C31, LFN 2004 and punishable under the same section.

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and July 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, corruptly agreed to receive the sum of $3,000,000.00 (Three Million US Dollars) as gratification from Femi Otedola, and thereby committed the offence of Gratification by an Official contrary to Section 12(1)(b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, Cap C31, LFN 2004 and punishable under the same section.

“That you, Honourable Farouk Lawan and Boniface Emenalo, sometime between January and June 2012 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of Federal High Court, threatened one Femi Otedola with injury to his reputation and his companies, with intent to cause alarm to Femi Otedola and to cause Femi Otedola to give you a gratification of $3,000,000.00 (Three Million US Dollars) in order to avoid the said injury, and thereby committed the offence of Criminal Intimidation contrary to Section 396 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of FCT and punishable under Section 387 of the same Act.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday, January 17, 2013 arraigned Eugene Okpala, a retired Colonel, before the Federal High Court, Enugu on a seven count charge of forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence.

Okpala and others who are currently at large had in August 2008 allegedly conspired and sold a plot of land at Independence Layout, Enugu. The plot of land which belonged to Chief Philip Asiodu was sold to Dominion City Church for N34million (thirty four million naira).

The Church which petitioned the Commission claimed it bought the land after inquiries at the Ministry of Lands which clearly showed that the proprietary rights to the land originally leased to Asiodu by the government in 1977 had been transferred to Col. Okpala (rtd) and that based on the information, the Church negotiated and bought the property from Col. Okpala for N34m plus a five percent agency fee. The transaction was allegedly funded on behalf of the church by Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Limited).

The money was to be paid in three instalments but Col. Okpala claimed he was owing a certain ‘Chief’ who had the original document to the land the sum of N14m and that the ‘chief’ will only release the document if he was paid the said amount. An agreement was reached to pay the money and Col. Okpala invited the “Chief” to Bank PHB where N14m was paid to him. Col. Okpala asked for an additional N1m which was given to him.

Thereafter, Col. Okpala disappeared.

In 2010 the church tried to develop the property but was stopped by Asiodu’s attorney who informed them that the property was never sold to anyone.

Investigations later revealed that the documents which Col. Okpala claimed were given to him by Chief Asiodu were forged.

One of the charges against the accused reads: “that you, Eugene Okpala and Christ Onu, Emeka, Dr Maduabuchi and others (all still at large), sometime in August 2008 at Enugu conspired to commit offence by obtaining money under false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act””.

Okpala pleaded not guilty to all seven count charge.

The prosecuting counsel, M. H. Ibekwute then asked the court to remand the accused in prison and fix a date for the commencement of trial. An oral bail application by the defense counsel, J. E. Orji was rejected by the trial judge, Justice M. Shuaibu ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned proceedings to January 22, 2013 for commencement of trial.