A 28-year-old man, Azeez Abdullahi, who allegedly defiled his 12-year-old sister-in-law (name withheld), was on Friday remanded in prison custody by an Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court.
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The Chief Magistrate, Mr Anthony Araba, ordered that the accused be remanded at the Oba Prisons, Abeokuta, pending legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), in Ogun.
Mr Babatunde Omirin, counsel for the accused, had earlier applied for the bail of his client on liberal terms.
Omirin assured the court that his client would not jump bail, if granted.
The prosecutor, Insp. Sunday Eigbejiale, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in May at No. 14, Omowe St., Saraki, Adigbe in Abeokuta.
Eigbejiale said that the accused had unlawful carnal knowledge of his 12-year-old sister-in-law.
He said that the offence committed by the accused contravened Section 218 of the Criminal Laws Vol. I of Ogun, 2006.
The plea of the accused was not taken by the court.
Araba, then adjourned the case till Sept. 11, for hearing.
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Solomon Arase, has split the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) into two units with a view to checking human rights abuses.
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The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Investigation, Dan’azumi Doma, made the disclosure on Friday in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that SARS is one of the 14 units under the Nigeria Police Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID).
The operations of SARS include arrest, investigation and prosecution of suspected armed robbers, murderers, kidnappers, hired assassins and others involved in violent crimes.
The DIG said that the current police administration was doing everything possible to check the numerous human rights abuses reported to the I-G.
“The I-G has just revisited the operational method of SARS across the country either at the federal or state level.
“He is doing a lot to ensure that human rights abuses are corrected.
“If you are in touch with the Lagos State Police Command, based on reactions by members of the public, the officer in charge of SARS, was redeployed to Abuja.
“The I-G said the same officers cannot make arrest and investigate the same case, so, he split SARS into two units.
“One is to be in charge of operational activities, while the other section will investigate the case.
“The people who go out to make arrest will not be the same people to carry out the investigation,’’ he told NAN.
“By doing so, you are isolating the operational men from human rights abuses and other allegations.
“This thing is going to flow down from federal to states, including divisions if such units exist at that level.’’
Doma said these were some of the steps taken by the I-G to check human rights abuse, noting that the authority was also looking at what were the causes of the rights abuses.
He noted that the reform was not applicable to SARS Lagos alone; rather, it was total and would help to transform the investigation processes in the country.
Doma said his visit to Lagos was a routine exercise, stressing that the visit would afford him the opportunity to find out the challenges faced by police officers and men.
He said though policemen needed encouragement, he would not fail to point out areas of lapses so that Nigerians could sleep with their two eyes closed.
“People who are doing this kind of job need to be encouraged, that is what I am here to do. If there are lapses, we will correct them.
Senator Hope Uzodimma has absolved himself from indebtedness to the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, insisting that he has neither borrowed from the bank nor been notified of any indebtedness by FCMB.
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Reacting to the list of alleged delinquent debtors released by First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited on Wednesday, Uzodimma challenged the bank to provide details of his so-called indebtedness to it.
He said companies which he served on their boards and had earlier obtained loans under strict business transactions, had liquidated all such loans and this could be verified by the Credit Bureau Search Portal of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“For the bank to publish my name as a debtor, is callous and an attempt to disparage me. I feel pained that people who have worked to the levels of command and leadership are made targets of press war, mischief and ridicule. I have no banking relationship with FCMB. I haves never opened any account with the bank, talk more of borrowing from it. This is scandalous”, he stressed.
Uzodimma accused his political detractors for being behind his listing as a debtor and urged the bank not to allow itself to be used by political detractors.
The Senator urged his detractors who relish in dragging his name to the mould at any given opportunity, to focus on more productive things for the good of the country and Nigerians than denigrating him.
Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Oye and former National Chairman of APGA, Chief Sir Victor Umeh at the Inauguration of new EXCO of APGA Anambra State held at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka.
On the heels of its impressive performance in recent elections and the successful election of national and states officers, the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has predicted that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) will become the party to beat in future elections in the State going by the growth in strength of the party.
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Governor Obiano who is also the BoT Leader of APGA made this known at the inauguration of the Anambra State Executives of the Party held at the Ekwueme Square Awka, Thursday said the exercise is an indication of where the party is headed.
“The inauguration will give the party executives the legal authority to perform as officials of the party. What we are witnessing is a milestone to transform the party on the path of growth and development.
“Go to the village and preach the god gospel of the party’s slogan, “onye aghana nwanne ya” (Be your brother’s and sister’s keeper). APGA is the party to beat. We are going for the coming elections unopposed.”
Declaring the newly-elected executive members inaugurated, the National Party Chairman, Dr. Victor Oye, charged them to be loyal and work for the growth of the party. He explained that the administering of Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office is to give the officers the legal backing required to discharge their duties
He thanked the governor who he described as a unique, courageous, honest, visionary, trust worthy and charismatic leader, who is working for the betterment of the state.
In an acceptance on behalf of the newly-inaugurated State Executives of the party, the State Chairman, Chief Nobert Obi pledged the support and loyalty of his team to the party and the APGA-led government in Anambra.
He stated that his executive is already pursuing reconciliation measures to reunite aggrieved members to be able to create one happy APGA family, assured that they will not renege on their responsibility to make Anambra a total APGA state.
Extoling Obiano, the State Chairman said: since assumption of office governor Obiano has consistently and creditably served the State and party, adding that the governor’s sterling qualities accounted for the rapid transformation of the stat.
Highlight of the inauguration include the acceptance of over 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party who joined APGA. There was also March past by APGA contingents from the various Local Government Areas of the State, and performance by dance and masquerade groups.
A crack team of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, onThursday, August 6, 2015 arrested one Kato Ifrahimu Nyam and Godwin Odali, both staff of a new generation bank for conspiring to defraud the bank to the tune of N3.6bn (three billion, six million naira) with an e-payment mandate purportedly from Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The suspects, who operate as syndicate, sometime in June 2015, through their cronies submitted an e-payment mandate of N1.4bn (one billion, four hundred million naira) to Zenith bank and Access bank Plc.
The banks, sensing a foul play after noticing some abnormalities on the e-payment mandate discreetly contacted the Ministry of Agriculture for confirmation and authentication of the document. A response from the Ministry showed that, no mandate was sent to the banks.
Hence, the EFCC was contacted for investigation.
While the investigation was underway, the suspects in furtherance of their dubious acts submitted another e-payment mandate of N1.398bn (one billion, three hundred and ninety eight million naira) to Zenith bank, Abuja branch though one Abiola Oloko, an accomplice.
In the process, Oloko was arrested by EFCC operatives.
On arrest, Oloko confessed that, they have had several meetings to arrange and perfect “the deal”.
Oloko, who claimed to be a job seeker said, he was lured into “the business” by the bank officials whom he claimed gave him an identity card of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to answer the false name “Femi Babatunde”, but with his real passport photograph affixed to it.
The suspects will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded.
The Spokeswoman of the Lagos State Police Command, DSP. Patricia Amadin, said on Thursday that two policemen had been arrested for allegedly assaulting officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA).
Amadin made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.
“The command has arrested two policemen for complicity in the assault of LASTMA officials while on their legitimate duty.
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“The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has warned policemen in the command to uphold the highest standards of their professional calling.
“The CP has warned that the command will zealously work to uphold zero tolerance for indiscipline, abuse of human rights and incivility to members of the public,’’ Amadin said.
She said the command would not hesitate to bring erring officers to book.
Amadin said the commissioner of police had always frowned at unprofessional conducts by policemen.
She explained that trouble started on Aug. 5 when a policeman from the Ojo Division, who was said to be in pursuit of a suspected criminal, fired at the tyre of the fleeing car.
Amadin said the bullet brushed through the arm of a passer-by, causing instant tension and anger among some on-lookers.
“The timely intervention of a senior police officer in Ojo area of the state averted what would have been a major civil disturbance at Iyana-Oba bus stop on Wednesday.
“An attempt by miscreants to take advantage of the situation to foment trouble was averted as the police leadership employed a combination of alternative dispute resolution and community policing tactics to calm frayed nerves.
“The policeman has since been arrested and detained, pending the commencement of disciplinary procedures against him.
“The injured citizen who was rushed to the hospital by the police is receiving treatment,’’ she said.
Justice Ibrahim Mairiga of the Kebbi State High Court has convicted Suleiman Ibrahim Musa, Bilyaminu Usman and Lawal Suleiman on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, theft and criminal breach of trust brought against them by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and sentenced them to 91 years in prison.
The convicts, who are former members of staff of FinBank Plc (acquired by First City Monument Bank Plc in 2011), Birnin-Kebbi branch in Kebbi State, were first arraigned on July 21, 2010, and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Musa, who was then the head of operations, defrauded the bank of N101, 707,000; Usman and Suleiman, both tellers connived to defraud the bank of N6, 627,500 and N6, 267,500 respectively.
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The crimes were committed between 2008 and 2010. They had at different times debited the bank’s customers by carrying out unauthorized withdrawals.
They were arrested by EFCC operatives following a petition by the bank’s management, after several customers lodged complaints alleging fraudulent deductions from their bank accounts. They had backed up their claims with various documentary evidences – stamped deposits and investment certificates.
After five years of trial, Justice Mairiga, having been convinced by the evidence brought before him by the prosecuting counsel, Aisha Habib, found them guilty of the charges.
“By considering the amount involved and weight of evidence presented before the court by the prosecution, which was never challenged by the defence, it shows that their wrongful act caused a great injury to the bank,” the judge said. “I therefore, find the accused persons guilty as charged, and so convict and sentence them to 55 years, seven years and 29 years imprisonment respectively without an option of fine, with the jail term to serve concurrently”, the judge ruled.
The judge also ordered the convicts to return the stolen money to the bank.
The immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has vehemently refuted the story making the rounds in the media that he is unhappy with the Governor of the State Mr Udom Emmanuel for alleged wastage of public funds in attending the just concluded AKISAN Convention in the United States of America.
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Senator Akpabio, speaking during an interview with newsmen in his office at the National Assembly Complex by 8pm today 5th August, said he is extremely happy with his successor Mr Udom Emmanuel, and particularly commended him for his inclusive governance style of getting Akwa Ibom people in the Diaspora involved with his developmental blueprint for the state, especially that of relentlessly bringing investors to the state, which was a major purpose of his attending the 2015 AKISAN Convention.
He reinstated his faith, belief and total support for the Governor, whom he extolled for defying detractors to take bold steps to respond to the yearnings of the Akwa Ibom people.
The Senator said he is displeased that even after he had left Office as Governor of the State, mischief-makers are still peddling untruths and cautioned these rumour mongers to “leave Akpabio alone”. He advised agents of disharmony to desist from their disruptive tendencies as Akwa Ibom state is moving Forward to Greater Heights under the leadership of Mr Udom Emmanuel. He stressed that he does not have the time to meddle into the affairs of the State – not because he does not care, but because he has his hands full with matters in the Hallowed Chambers as the Senate Minority Leader, and because Mr Udom Emmanuel whom the entire state voted into office, is more than capable to pilot the affairs of the State to greater heights.
Sen. Akpabio , insisted that His relationship with his successor, Gov. Udom Emmanuel is very cordial but warned detractors to desist from sponsoring false rumors and join hands with the industrialization plan of the current administration.
He restated that when he was a governor he righteously attended the AKISAN conference because it is a viable forum for social and economic interactions between Akwa Ibom people from across the world. The event has been a necessary interface between the Government and its people in the Diaspora in which case The gains of a vibrant diaspora to its home state or country are many and varied. Primarily, this network of kinship is a well-known provider of remittances. It also helps improve economic activities by creating and conducting business transactions across international borders, promoting foreign direct investment, in addition to transferring new knowledge and skills. And Foreign Direct Investment is the immediate direction of the State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel’s policy thrust.
Finally, to put the rumours to bed, the Senator stressed his confidence that Governor Udom will take Akwa Ibom to higher heights and advised the idle hecklers to please “leave him alone” as he is very busy with the affairs of the office of the Senate Minority Leader in the red chambers.
The no nonsense fire-eating governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasil
E-Rufai has locked horns firmly with the “Beggars’ Empire” that has
been striving militantly and vaingloriously in the old Northern
Nigeria capital. The empire transcends times, tides, spaces and
seasons. The begging hound is certainly older than El-Rufai’s hundreds
of generations gone before.
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Governor El-Rufai announced the banning of hawking and street begging
following July 7 bomb blast at Sabon Gari Local Government Secretariat
in the state that killed 25 people and left 32 others injured. A
suspected female suicide bomber had sneaked into the secretariat and
detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to her body on
that fateful Tuesday morning while civil servants were undergoing
staff verification.
Therefore, El-Raufai intoned forthwith: “Kaduna State Government’s
decision to ban hawking and begging in the state followed last week’s
bomb attack that killed 26 innocent citizens and injured 32 persons.
The government is a responsible government and conscious of its
constitutional role to protect citizens and to ensure law and order
for common good. The state government will not fold its arms and
allowed citizens to be killed via terror act and break down of law and
order hence the decision”.
The statement further warned all beggars and hawkers to stay off the
streets until further notice, warning that any of them found on the
streets would be arrested, until these measures are relaxed. In
addition, the government reiterates that the ban on commercial
motorcycles popularly known as ‘Achaba’ remains in force.
The hurried beggars rehabilitation centre put in place in Kakuri, a
Kaduna suburb has not met the expectation of the begging clan, the
beggars exclaim. The survey conducted by Street People Care
Foundation, SPCF, based in Kaduna revealed astonishing numbers of the
begging community and how much income they have been generating for
themselves.
The foundation said “on the average, a beggar may earn between N200,
N500 and even N2,000 a day depending on several factors. And if you
aggregate that sum and share by their numbers, we concluded that the
9,000 beggars for instance may each earn N200 per day. That means that
in Kaduna town alone, N1.8 million per day, or N54 million per month
goes to beggars all from charity. The figure for a year would be N648
million. Now, if you do a rough estimate for the entire state, you may
be looking at a few billions of Naira per year, just from begging”,
the Director of ,SPCF, Kande Yusuf said.
As expected, the banning order was met with ferocious condemnation by
the beggars’ colony. They alleged that they had used proceeds from
begging to help join the movement that produced President Muhammadu
Buhari and Governor El-Rufai and also pledged to bring down El-Rufai
government if he insists on stopping their livelihood without
providing them any alternative. They have addressed journalists
countless times in Kaduna through the leadership of Kaduna State
Beggars Association, and regretted that if they knew that El-Rufai
would stop them from begging and would show no care about their
plight, they would never have voted him into office.
The beggars’ spoekeman, Abdullahi Jugunu, a visually impaired person,
who is said to live in a decent accommodation, owns a car and speaks
good English, told journalists in Hausa that the governor had stepped
beyond his bound. A visibly agonising Jugunu said: “Apart from
feeling insulted, we will be seeking legal redress against the
government, first for defamation of character .
“The ban which came only after the Zaria blast is a subtle way of
calling us terrorists. Our right to life is now under threat because
our existence is hinged on begging activities on the streets. “We are
giving the authorities three days to rescind their decision or risk
being victims of a spell we would cast on them through prayers. Our
promise for now is that we will be returning to the streets for our
normal business”, Jugunu boasted.
The revolting beggars have met their match in the granite will of
former minister of Federal Capital Territory, FTC, who liberated Abuja
from the ghetto mentality that travelled with it from the old capital
territory, Lagos. For Governor El-Rufai, that menacing Abuja
demolition episode will constitute a bulwark or albatross all through
his political carrier. Those who love his gust and gaiety adore his
steadfast commitment to composite development and, for those who hate
him wail against his unbending zeal for strict adherence to the rules.
One cannot be certain that the Kaduna State Beggars Association, KSBA,
had an insight into the ruthlessness with which El-Rufai brutally
enforced the building regulation law that renders millions of illegal
occupants homeless as minister of FTC. Otherwise what they call
“inexplicable, irrational wickedness” would not have been a surprise
to them. That is why they now see Governor El-Rufai as a wrecker of
hopes on the eve of their salvation! What salvation? Propulsive change
chanted by the APC!
Malam Yahaya Makaho, a visually-challenged person, who spoke on behalf
the group, said: “I want to swear on my honour that I personally used
my proceeds from begging to canvass for the support of El-Rufai. I
used my money to mobilise for his support both on the streets and
where I usually teach my students. And I am not alone in my group that
made that sacrifice.
“We decided to support El-Rufai because we were tired of the then
governor (Mukhtar Ramalan Yero), who did not show any regard to our
survival. We worked hard, spent money and prayed and God heard our
prayers and brought down Yero.
“Now, it would appear that we made a mistake. The new governor wants
to bring us down. He does not want us to live. He has chased us out of
the streets and has made no alternative arrangement for our survival.
Look, some of us here have between three and four wives and many
children. How can you lock such a man, who must resort to begging
because he has found himself incapable of doing any other thing?
“We are asking the governor to rescind this decision now or find ways
to meet our basic needs. If he refuses to heed to this demand, we
shall make sure we bring down his government. We are not going to pray
that he dies, even if he wishes us so. We are not going to say that he
should be impeached because we voted him to power. What we will do is
to hand him over to the Almighty God, and we know he will remove him
the same way he removed the former person. We are servants of God, and
he always hear our cry.”
The solution to the prevailing crisis of destitution may well have
been a mixture of muddled concern for the beggars themselves, Governor
El-arufai, the Nigeria state and the world at large. Here is the full
horror of the situation! More than 90% of the 10.8 million Nigeria
children of school age, susceptible to all kinds of social
manipulation who are out of school according the UNESCO statistics,
are those hawking and begging on the streets of Nigeria, especially
the northern part where you can find a veritable army of genuine
beggars.
The “Accidental Public Servant” who has showed leadership in the past
graphically encapsulated the situation more adroitly: “From security
reports, I have been told that terrorists use some of you, would
give you a bag containing explosives with the reward of N5,000 to
keep somewhere with the promise of giving you the balance when you
return. But you never always return. Because they will detonate it on
you and their targets.
Should they be left to be cast into dysfunctional mess? Governor
El-Rufai should try as much as possible to create proper
rehabilitation colony for the beggars who have simply become adrift or
are institutionalised destitute as you have them in Indian and other
destitute-ridden countries of the world. The rehabilitation will have
to include training in specific trade in a period of three years term
or thereabouts before ploughing them back into the society.
The “Sea of Darkness”, a poem by RoseAnn V. Shawiak mirrors these
mendicants with their feeble minds who only know the immediate world
of fit and sorrow around them in which they’re constrained unto death.
“All the sorrow of earth was felt here inside my heart, I could feel
your pain, but do nothing to stop it – not even to save myself”. Will
Governor Nasir El-Rufai save them?
Erasmus Ikhide, a Public Affairs analyst write in from Lagos, Nigeria.
Exxon Mobil Boss, Olushola George Olumoroti, Pharm. Aliyu Zakari Jiya and former Managing Director of the Daily Times Newspapers, Dr. Adinoyi Ojo Onukaba have obtained both expression of interest and nomination forms to clinch the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket for the kogi elections scheduled for 21st November 2015 which has become intense.
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Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Abuja, on Thursday, Olumoroti who is currently on a leave of absence from the oil company with an asset base of not less than N17bn said he was in a better position to manage the resources of the state.
“I have quality training that qualifies me to handle Kogi state resources. I also have the requisite experience to turnaround the fortunes of Kogi state,” Olumoroti said.
He said that the Kogi is blessed with resources but lack good leadership, saying the state needed new ideas to move forward.
The Exxon Mobil Boss also promised to invest in agriculture to bring about value-chain, road network and tourism so as to improve the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) while he plan to push Kogi up among the top 10 states in the country.
On the insinuations that some of the aspirants could be fronting for a particular aspirant, he denied what he called rumours of fronting for a former governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu.
“That is a rumour. For me, Engineer Olumoroti, I bought the forms for myself,” he added.
Jiya a pharmacist who also picked his forms after the statutory payment of N5.5 million told journalists that he has the required qualities along with the support of Kogi citizens to deliver the state from its present state of under-development.
“I have been in the opposition all my life and I believe APC is a party that govern with the rule of law. I do not expect the party to come up and ask us to step down for anyone,” he said.
Jiya however stated that he will welcome the idea of all aspirants coming together to present a consensus candidate for the November 21governorship election.
On his part, the Former Managing Director of the Daily Times Newspapers Onukaba said that his ambition to be the next governor of Kogi state is real adding that he is not out to step down for any other aspirants without genuine reasons owing to the fact that he is also qualified.
The former Special Assistant on Media to the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, revealed that he has a unique credentials and required exposure to move the state forward.
While answering questions after he had been presented the Nominations and Expression of Interest forms yesterday at the APC national secretariat, Onukaba said Kogi state has the resources, both human and material to meet the need of the people.
When asked whether he could step down when persuaded, he said, “I believe that I am bringing a very unique credentials to this race. I believe that Kogi state need my service and the state needs someone like me because of my exposure, my education and for the fact that I also cut across.
“I am someone who have friends in the three senatorial district and people genuinely believe that I can make a different. So somebody has to offer me a good reason why I should step down.”
According to him, the large number of aspirants contesting the ticket shows the vibrancy of the state emphasising that the party should cut down the number of contestants if need be.
Also interacting with journalists, Ocholi Enejoh James (SAN) who is also an aspirant said given what what happened at party’s presidential primaries the party has no plan to impose any aspirant as it is committed to ensuring a level playing ground adding that the party leadership should restrict last-defection into APC for electoral gains.
“24 years ago Kogi state was created along with others, and 24 years later, no indices of development present, no single industry apart from Obajana Cement, (there is) no IGR, the state is begging for money like the proverbial woman sitting on a gold mine”
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